the saying of our sauior Iesu Christ. There shall rise vp amongst you false prophets which shall worke straunge miracles Secōdly it is approued that they are greater straūger miracles to confesse the truth to do iustice then to worke any other kind of miracle Thirdly it is gathered therby that what soeuer minister or deacon doth loue his enemies contemneth riches despiseth the glorye of the worlde and flyeth frō al worldly troubles meekely sustaineth suffreth most terrible and cruel threatnings and strokes for the gospel sake he worketh miracles hauing thereby a testimony and witnesse that he is the true disciple of Iesu Christ. And it is euident by the saying of our sauior Iesu Christ. Mathew V. Let your good workes so shine before men that they may see your good works glorify your father which is in heauen And likewise Iohn x. Trust vnto your good workes wherevpon Saint Gregory in his first booke of Dialoges wryteth thus the estimation of a true life consisteth in the vertue of his workes and not in the shewing of signes whereby it is fourthly concluded by that which is aforesaide that it is a more effectual testimony and witnes for a priest or a deacon that he is sent of God to confesse the truth and follow Christ in the aforesayde vertues then to cast out deuils or to do any other miracles As it is euidēt by the saying of Chrisostome before alleged whomsoeuer thou doest see to cast out deuils if the cōfession or acknowledging of the trueth be not in his mouth neither righteousnesse nor iustice in his handes he is not a man of God This is also confirmed by the wordes of Christ. Math. 7. Many shall say vnto me in that day Lord Lord haue not we prophecyed in thy name haue not we cast out Deuils in thy name and haue not we also wrought many great wonders and miracles in thy name Then I will aunswere say vnto them forsomuch as I haue not knowne you any time depart frō me ye workers of iniquity as touching the second part Chrisostom saith If you see a mā confessing preaching the trueth working righteousnes although he do not cast out deuils he is a man of God Hereby it appeareth that euery deacō priest or minister confessing the truth and working iustice hath a perfect sure testimony that he is sent of God that it is not necessary for him to approue this his sending by the working of any miracle in stead of working righteousnes neyther by any testimonial the which should plainely declare hint by name that he was sent of the Lord to preach The first part appeareth manifest by that which is alreadye spoken that all miracles in the time of Antichrist shal cease in the elect The second part is also euident for so much as none of the present preachers can shew by the scripture of that lawe of God that he is specially named therevnto And likewise do I also affirme say as touching all preachers which shal come hereafter that they are not named by name But let no man here obiect Enoc Elias which were auncient preachers prophecied by the holy spirit of God And it is apparent that like as it is not a cause sufficient to proue that this priest or deacon is sent of God to preache because he woorketh miracles so is it not a cause sufficient to proue that he is not sent of God to preach because he doth no miracles but to confesse the truth to worke righteousnes to contemne the world with the glory therof paciently to suffer rebukes is a sufficient testimony for any priest or deacon hauing knowledge of the lawe of God freely to preach the gospell of Iesus Christ. For so much as in such case he is sent of God this is the sending which the Apostles speaketh of in the x. Romains How should they preach without they be sent Wherevpō that glose of S. Augustine writeth thus These things serue to set forth gods grace declaring that all our goodnesse is preuented of grace For be sayth beleefe cōmeth of hearing hearinge commeth of preaching preaching by the sending of God so that altogether holly cōmeth out of the fountain of grace preaching truly cōmeth of sending This hath the glose how shal they then preach without they be sent of God And this is euidēt that the first principall sending is frō God alone as it is proued by Moises The second sending is both from God mā as by the example of Iosue others which were sent both by God and the rulers to preach The third sending is from man alone the which is not founded in the lawe of God but in mens traditions which they rather esteeme The fourth sending which hath but the name onely is proper to them which of themselues vnworthely vsurpe the office of preaching as those false prophets of whō god speaketh in that xxiii of Ieremy I did not send them they ran I spake not vnto them and they prophecied If they had continued in my counsels had declared my wordes vnto my people I would haue conuerted thē from their ruill waies wicked imaginatiōs our sauior speaketh of these Prophettes in Mathew saying There shall arise false Prophets And peter his true vicar in his second Epistle and second chapter prophecying vnto the faithful beleuers in Christ speaketh thus of thē There were amōgst the people false Prophets as there shal be amongst you also maisters of lies thorow whom the truth shal be blasphemed and slaundered And that he might the better instruct the people to knowe them he addeth that they shall go about with fained wordes for couetousnes sake to make merchaundice of you Wherefore euery faithful man diligently waying these things in his minde may now easely perceiue how great a nomber of false Prophets there be thorowe whom the Christian truth is blasphemed And all couetous dealyng is exercised these are they which freely preach lies But the hūble true ministers of Christ wheresoeuer they do apneare by by they are persecuted whereby the prophecie of that Apostle is verified which is written in the second Epistle to Timothe the iij. All men sayth he which desire to liue godly shall suffer persecution but the euil men seducers shal prosper in their wickednes running dayly more more into al kinde of errours The wicked haue now so much preuailed that they do preache lies making heretikes of the faithfull christians neyther is there any man that dare prohibet them their lying so that they doe not preache agaynst the byces of the prelates Howe then can you say that Antichryst is not exalted aboue all that which is called God suppressing downe the members of Christ in his office fortefying and fostring his members in lying Therefore the trew and faithfull disciples of Christ ought to stand ready girt about their loynes and shewes vpon their feete
Wherfore sir by the bidding of Christ by the example of his most holy liuing also by the witnessing of his holy Apostles and Prophets we are bounde vnder full great payn to exercise vs after our cunning and power as euery Priest is likewise charged of God to fulfil duely the office of priesthood We presume not here of ourselues for to be estemed neither in our owne reputatioÌ„ nor in none other maÌ„s faythful disciples special folowers of Christ. But sir as I sayde to you before we deeme this by authority chiefly of Gods word that it is the chief duety of euery priest to busy theÌ„ faythfully to make the law of God knowne to his people so to commune the coÌ„mauÌ„dement of God charitably how that we may best where wheÌ„ and to whom that euer we may is our very duety And for the will busines that we owe of due debt to do iustly our office through the styrring and speciall helpe as we trust of God hoping stedfastly in his mercy we desire to be the fayth full disciples of Christ and we pray this gracious Lord or his holy name that he make vs able to please him with deuout prayers charitably Priestly works that we may obtaine of him to folow him thankefully ¶ And the Archbishop sayd to me Lâ—ud losell whereto makest thou such vayne reasons to me Asuâ—â—h not Saynt Paule how shoulde Priestes preache except they be sent But I sent thee neuer to preache For thy venemous doctrine is so knowne throughout England that no Bishop will admitte thee to preache by witnessing of theyr letters Why theÌ„ lewd Idiot willest thou presume to preach since thou art not sent nor licensed of thy soueraigne to preache Sayth not S. Paul that subiects ough to obey theyr soueraignes and not onely good vertuous but also tiraunts that are vicious ☞ And I sayd to the Archbishop Sir as touching your leâ—ter of licence or other Bishops which ye say we shoulde haue to witnes that we were able to be sent for to preache We know wel that neither you sir nor any other bishop of this land wil grauÌ„t to vs any such letters of licence but if we should oblige vs to you and to other bishops by vnlefull othes for to passe not the bondes and termes which ye sir or other bishops will limit to vs. And since in this matter your termes be some to large some to strait we dare not oblige vs thus to bee bounden to you for to keepe the termes which you will limit to vs as you do to Friers such other Preachers And therefore though we haue not your letter sir nor letters of any other bishops writreÌ„ with inke vpon parchmeÌ„t we dare not therfore leaue the office of preaching to which preaching all Priests after their cunning and power are bouÌ„d by diuers testimonies of Gods law and great Doctors without any mention making of Bishops letters For as mikle as we haue taken vpon vs the office of Priesthood though we are vnworthy thereto we come and purpose to fulfill it with the helpe of God by authority of his own law and by witnesse of great doctors and Sayntes accordingly hereto trusting stedfastly in the mercy of God For that he commauÌ„deth vs to do the office of Priesthood he will be our sufficient letters and witnes if we by example of his holy liuing and teaching specially occupy vs faythfully to do our office iustly yea that people to whom we preach be they faythfull or vnfaythfull shall be our letters that is our witnesse bearers for the truth where it is sowne may not be vnwitnessed For all that are conuerted saued by learning of Gods word by working thereafter are witnes bearers that the trueth and sothfastnesse which they heard and did after is cause of theyr saluation And agayne all vnfaythfull men and women which heard the truth told out to them and would not do therafter also all they that might haue heard the truth would not hear it because that they would not do therafter All these shall beare witnes agaynst themselues the truth which they woulde not heare or els heard it despised to do therafter through theyr vnfaythfulnes is shal be cause of theyr damnation Therfore sir since this aforesayd witnessing of God and of diuers Sayntes and Doctors of al the people good euill suffiseth to al true preachers we thinke that we doe not the office of Priesthood if that we leaue our preaching because that we haue not or may not haue duely Bishops letters to witnesse that we are sent of them to preach This sentence approueth Saint Paul where he speaketh of himselfe of faithfull Apostles and disciples saying thus We need no letters of commendatioÌ„ as some preachers do which preach for couetousnesse of temporall goods and for mens praysing And where ye say Syr that Paule biddeth subiectes obey theyr soueraignes that is soth and may not be denied But there is two maner of soueraignes vertuous soueraignes and vicious tyrauntes Therfore to these last soueraignes neither meÌ„ nor womeÌ„ that be subiect owe to obey in two maners To vertuous soueraignes charitable subiectes owe to obey wilfully and gladly in hearing of their good counsel in coÌ„senting to their charitable biddinges and in working after their fruitfull workes This sentence Paul approueth where he sayth to subiectes Be ye mindefull of your soueraignes that speake to you the word of God follow you the fayth of theÌ„ whose coÌ„uersation you know to be vertuous For as Paul sayth after these soueraignes to whom subiectes owe to obey in following of the maners worke besely in holy studying how they may withstand and destroy vices first in theÌ„selues and after in all their subiectes and how they may best plaÌ„t in them vertues Also these soueraignes make deuout and ferueÌ„t prayers for to purchase grace of God that they and their subiects may ouer all thing dread to offend hym and to loue for to please him Also these soueraignste whoÌ„ Paul biddeth vs obey as it is said before liue so vertuously that all they that will liue well may take of them good example to know to keep the coÌ„maundements of God But in this foresayd wise subiectes ought not to obey nor to be obedient to tyrantes while they are vitious tyrants since their will their counsell their biddinges and theyr workes are so vicious that they ought to be hated lefte And though such tyrantes be maisterfull and cruel in boasâ—ing and manasing in oppressions diuers punishinges S. Peter biddeth the seruauntes of such tyrauntes to obey meekely such tyrantes sufferinges paciently their malitious cruelnes But Peter counselleth not any seruaunt or subiect to obey to any Lord or Prince or soueraign in any thing that is not pleasing to God ¶ And the Archbishop sayd vnto me If a soueraigne byd his subiect do that thing that is
Christenmasse what condites were made what Maiors and shirifes were in London what battails were fought what triumphs and great feasts were holdē when kings began their raigne and when they ended c. In such vulgare and popular affairs the narration of the Chronicler serueth to good purpose may haue his credite wherein the matter forceth not much whether it be true or false or whether any listeth to beleue them But where as a thyng is denied and in cases of iudgement and in controuersies doubtfull which are to be decided and boulted out by euidence of iust demonstration I take them neither for Iudges of the bench not for arbiters of the cause nor as witnesses of themselues sufficient necessarily to be sticked vnto Albeit I deny not but hystories are takē many times and so termed for witnesses of times and glasses of antiquitie c. yet not such witnesses as whose testimony beareth alwaies a necessary truth and bindeth beliefe The two witnesses whych came against Susanna being seniours both of auncient yeares bare a great countenance of a most euidēt testimony wherby they almost both deceiued the people oppressed the innocent had not yōg Daniel by the holy spirite of God haue take thē aside and seuerally examining them one from the other found them to be falsliers both leauing to vs therby a lesson of wholsome circumspection not rashly to beleeue euery one that commeth and also teaching vs how to try thē out Wherfore M. Cope following here the like example of Daniel in trying these your records whom ye inferre against these men we wil in like maner examine them seuerally one frō an other and see how their testimonie agreeth first beginning wyth your Robert Fabian Which Robert Fabian being neither in the same age nor at the deede doing can of himselfe geue no credite herein without due proofe and euidence conuenient Now thē doth Rob. Fabian proue this matter of treason true what probation doeth he bring what authoritie doth he alleage And doth Rob. Fabian thinke if he were not disposed to conceiue of the L. Cobham and those men a better opinion but to be traitors that men are bounde to beleue him only at his word without any ground or cause declared why they shuld so do but only because he so saith and pleased him so to write And if yee thinke M. Cope the word only of this witnes sufficient to make authority speaking against the Lord Cobham and prouing nothing which followed so many yeres after him why may not I as well and much rather take the worde and testimonie of Richard Belward a Northfolke man and of the towne of Crisam who liuing both in his time possible knowing the party punished also for the like trueth is not reported but recorded also in the registers of the church of Norwich to geue this testimonie among other his articles for the foresaid L. Cobham that is that sir Iohn Oldcastle was a true Catholike man and falsely condemned and put to death wythout a reasonable cause c. Ex Regist. Noruic Agaynst this man if you take exception say that one hereticke will hold with an other why may not I with the like exception reply to you agayne say as well one Papist hold with an other and both cōiure together to make and say the worst agaynst a true Protestant Further yet to examine this foresayd Fabian witnes agaynst Sir Iohn Oldcastle as Daniell examined that witnesses agaynst Susanna I will not here aske vnder what tree these adherentes of sir I. Oldcastle conspired agaynst the king subuersion of that land but in what time in what yeare and moneth this conspiracie was wrought Fabian witnesseth that it was in the moneth of Ianuary Cōtrary Edward Hall other our Abridgementers followyng him doe affirme that they were condemned in the Guild hall the xij of December and that their executiō vpon the same was in Ianuary followyng so that by their sentence the fact was done either in the moneth of Decēber or els before so Fabianus mentitus est in caput suum vt cū Daniele dicam or if it were in the moneth of Ianuary as Fabian sayth then is Hall and his followers deceiued testifying the fact to be done in the moneth of December And yet to obiect moreouer against the sayd Fabiā for so much as he is such a rash witnes agaynst these burned persons whom he calleth traytors it would be demaūded further of him or in his absence of Maister Cope in what yeare this treason was conspired If it were in the same yeare as he cōfesseth himselfe in which yeare Iohn Cleidon the Skinner Richard Turmine Baker were burned then was it neither in the moneth of Ianuary nor in the first yeare of kyng Henry the fift For in the register of Cāterbury it appeareth playne that Iohn Claydon was condemned neither in the tyme of Thom. Arundell Archbyshop nor yet in the first nor second yeare of kyng Henry the v. but was cōdemned in the second yeare of the translation of Henry Chichesly Archbyshop of Canterbury the. 17. day of August which was the yeare of our Lord. 1415. So that if this conspiracie was in the same yeare after the witnesse of Fabiā in which yeare I. Cleydon was burned then doth the testimony of Fabian neither accord with other witnesses nor with him selfe nor yet with truth And thus much concerning the witnes of Rob. Fabian Let vs next proceede to Polidore Uirgill whose partiall and vntrue handling of our history in other places of of his bookes doth offer vnto vs sufficient exception not to admit his credite in this And yet because we will rather examine him then exclude him let vs heare a little what he sayth how he fayleth in how many pointes numbring the same vpon my fiue fingers First ending with the life of king Henry 4. hee sayeth that hee raigned 14. 14. yeares and 6. moneths and 2. dayes Angl. hist. lib. 21. whyche is an vntruth worthy to be punyshed wyth a whole yeares banishment to speake after the maner of Apulenis when as truth is he raigned by the testimony of the story of S. Albones of Fabian of Hall of our old English Chronicle and of Scala mundi but 13. 6. moneths lacking as some say 5. dayes Hal saieth he raigned but 12. yeares The second vntruth of Polydore is this where as hee speaking of this sedition of sir Iohn Oldcastle and his adherents affirmeth the same to be done after the burning of Iohn Hus and of Hierome of Prage whych was sayeth he An. 1415. in which yere sayth he Thomas Arundell died Hys wordes be these In eodem concilio damnata est Ioh. Wicliffi haeresis ac Ioan. Hus Hieronymus Pragensis in ea vrbe combusti sunt Quod vbi reliquis consocijs qui etiam tunc in Anglia erant patefit tanquam furijs agitati primùm
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.
preached After theyr death and Martyrdom it pleased the Lord to prouide a generall quietnes to his Church wherby the number of hys flocke began more to encrease In this age then followed here in the sayd land of Britayne Fastidius Niuianus Patricius Bacchiarius Dubricius Congellus Kentigernus Helmotus Dauid Daniell Sampson Elnodugue Asaphus Cildas Heulanus Elbodus Dinothus Samuell Niuius and a great sort moe whiche gouerned the Churche of Britayne by Christen doctrine a long season albeit the ciuil gouernours for the tyme were then dissolute careles as Gildas very sharply doth lay to theyr charge and so at length were subdued by the Saxons All this while about the space of foure hundred yeares Religion remayned in Britayne vncorrupt and the word of Christ truely preached till about the comming of Austen and of hys companions from Rome many of the sayd Britayne preachers were slayne by the Saxons After that began Christen fayth to enter spring among the Saxons after a certayne romish sort yet notwithstanding some what more tollerable thē were the times which after folowed through the dilligent industry of some godly teachers which then liued amongest them as Aidanus Finianus Coleman Archbishop of Yorke Beda Iohn of Beuerlay Alcuinus Noetus Hucharius Serlo Achardus Ealredus Alexander Neckam Negellus Fenallus Alfricus Sygeferthus such other who though they erred in some few thinges yet neither so grossely nor so greatly to be complayned of in respect of the abuses that followed For as yet all thys while the error of Transubstantiation and leuation with auriculer confession was not crept in for a publicke doctrine in Christes Church as by theyr owne Saxon Sermon made by Aelfricus set out in the second Volume of this present history may appeare pag. 1114. During the which meane time although the Bishops of Rome wer had here in some reuerēce with the Clergy yet had they nothing as yet to do in setting lawes touching matters of the Church of England but that only appertayned to the kings and gouernours of the land as is in this story to be seene pag. 754. And thus the Church of Rome albeit it began then to decline a pace frō God yet during all this while it remayned hitherto in some reasonable order till at length after that the sayd Bishops began to shout vp in the world through the liberalitie of good Princes and especially by Mathilda a noble Duches of Italy Who at her death made the Pope heyre of all her landes and indued his sea with great reuenewes Then riches begot ambition Ambition destroyed Religion so that all came to ruine Out of this corruption sprang forth here in Englād as did in other places more an other romish kind of Monkery worse then the other before being much more drowned in superstition and ceremonies which was about the yeare of our Lord. 980. Of this swarme was Egbertus Aigelbert Egwine Boniface Wilfrede Agathon Iames Romayne Cedda Dunstane Oswold Athelwold Athelwine Duke of Eastangles Lanfrancke Anselme and such other And yet in this tyme also through Gods prouidence the Churche lacked not some of better knowledge and iudgement to weigh with the darcknes of those dayes For although king Edgar with Edward his base sonne being seduced by Dunstane Oswold and other Monkish Clerkes was thē a great author and fautor of much superstition erecting as many Monasteries as were Sondayes in the yeare yet notwithstanding this continued not long For eftsoones after the death of Edgar came king Ethelrede and Queene Elfthred his mother with Alferus Duke of merceland and other peeres and nobles of the Realme who displaced the Monkes againe and restored the maryed Priests to their old possessions and liuings Moreouer after that followed also the Danes whiche ouerthrew those Monkish foundations as fast as king Edgar had set them vp before And thus hetherto stode the condition of the true Church of Christ albeit not without some repugnance and difficultie yet in some meane state of the truth veritie till time of pope Hildebrand called Gregory 7. which was nere about the yeare 1080. And of Pope Innocentius 3. in the yeare 1215. By whome altogether was turned vpside downe all order broken dissipline dissolued true doctrine defaced Christian faith extinguished Instead whereof was set vp preaching of mens decrees dreames and idle traditions And whereas before truth was free to be disputed amongest learned men now libertie was turned into law Argument into Authoritie Whatsoeuer the Byshoppe of Rome denounced that stode for an oracle of all men to be receaued without opposition or contradiction whatsoeuer was contrary ibso facto it was heresie to be punished with fagot and flaming fire Then began the sincere fayth of this English Church which held out so long to quayle Then was the clerre sunne shine of Gods word ouershadowed with mistes and darcknes appearing like sacke-cloth to the people which neither could vnderstand that they read nor yet permitted to read that they could vnderstand In these miserable dayes as the true visible Church beganne now to shrinke and keep in for feare so vpstart a new sort of players to furnish the stage as schole Doctours Canonistes and foure orders of Friers Besides other Monasticall sectes and fraternities of infinite variety Which euer since haue kept such a stirre in the Church that none for them almost durst rout neyther Caesar king nor subiect What they defined stode What they approued was Catholicke What they condemned was heresie whom soeuer they accused none almost could saue And thus haue these hetherto continued or raigned rather in the Church the space now of foure hundreth yeares and odde During which space the true Church of Christ although it durst not openly appeare in the face of the world oppressed by tyranny yet neyther was it so inuisible or vnknown but by the prouidence of the Lord some remnaunt alwayes remayned from tyme to time which not onely shewed secret good affection to sincere doctrine but also stode in open defence of truth agaynst the disordered Churche of Rome In which Catalogue first to pretermit Barthramus and Barengarius which were before Pope Innocent 3. a learned multitude of sufficient witnesses here might be produced whose names neyther are obscure nor doctrine vnknowne as Ioachim Abbot of Calabria Almericus a learned Byshop who was iudged an hereticke for holding agaynst Images in the time of the sayd Innocentius Besides the Martirs of Alsatia of whome we read an hundred to be burned by the sayd Innocentius in one day as writeth Hermanus Mutius Adde likewise to these Waldenses or Albigenses which to a great number segregated themselues from the Church of Rome To this number also belonged Reymundus Earle of Tholose Marsilius Patiuius Gulielmus de S. Amore Simon Tornacensis Arnoldus de noua villa Ioannes Semeca besides diuers other preachers in Sueuia standing agaynst the Pope Anno. 1240. Ex Cranz Laurentius Anglicus a Mayster of
liuing Lord within the Arke of his true spirituall and visible Churche And where is then the friuolous bragge of the Papistes which make so muche of there paynted sheath would nedes beare vs downe that this gournment of the Church of Rome which nowis hath bene of such an old standing time out of minde euen from the primitiue Antiquitie that neuer was any other church demonstrable here in earth for men to follow besides the said only Catholick mother church of Rome whē as we haue sufficiently proued before by the continual descēt of the Church till this present tyme that the sayd Church after the doctrine which is now reformed is no new begunne matter but euen the olde continued Churche by the prouidence and promise of Christ still standing which albeit it hath bene of late yeares repressed by the tyranny of Romayne Byshops more then before yet notwithstanding it was neuer so oppressed but God hath euer maintayned in it the truth of his Gospell agaynst heresies and errours of the Church of Rome as in thys history more at full is to be seene Let vs now proceede farther as we began deducing this descent of the Churche vnto the 1501. yeare In which yeare the Lord began to shew in the partes of Germany wonderfull tokens and blody markes of his Passion as the bloudy Crosse hys nayles speare and Crowne of thornes which fell from heauen vpon the garments and cappes of men and rockes of woman as you may further read in this booke pag. 816. By the which tokens almighty God no doubt presignified what grieuous afflictions and bloudy persecutions shoulde then begin to ensue vppon his Churche for hys Gospels sake according as in this history is described wherein is to be seene what Christen bloud hathe bene spilt what persecutions raysed what tyranny exercised what tormentes deuised what trechery vsed agaynst the poore flocke and Church of Christ in such sort as since Christes tyme greater hath not bene seene And now by reuolution of yeares we are come from the time of .1501 to that yeare now present 1570. In which the full seuenty yeares of the Babilonicall captiuitie draweth now well to an ende if we count from the first appearing of these bloudy markes aboue mentioned Or if wee recken from the beginning of Luther and hys persecution then lacketh yet xvi yeres Now what the Lord wil do with this wicked world or what rest he will geue to hys Church after these long sorrowes he is our father in heauen his will be done in earth as seemeth best to his diuine maiestie In the meane time let vs for our partes with all patient obedience wayt vpon hys gracious leysure and glorifie his holy name and edifie one an other with all humilitie And if there cannot be an end of our disputing and contending one agaynst an other yet let there be a moderation in our affections And for asmuch as it is the good will of our God that Sathan thus should be let lose amongst vs for a short time yet let vs striue in the meane while what wee can to amende the malice of the tyme with mutuall humanitie They that be in errour let them not disdayne to learne They whiche haue greater talentes of knowledge committed instruct in simplicitie them that be simple No man liueth in that common wealth where nothing is amisse But yet because God hath so placed vs Englishmen here in one common wealth also in one Church as in one shippe together let vs not mangle or deuide the shippe which being deuided perisheth but euery man serue in his order with dilligence wherein he is called They that sitte at the helme keepe well the poynt of the needle to knowe how the ship goeth and whether it should Whatsoeuer weather betydeth the needle well touched with the stone of Gods word will neuer fayle Such as labour at the oares start for no tempest but doe what they can to keepe from the rockes Likewise they whiche be inferiour rowmes take heede they moue no sedition nor disturbance agaynst the rowers and mariners No storme so daungerous to a shippe on the sea as is discord and disorder in a weale publique What countryes and nations what kingdomes and Empyres what Cities townes and houses discord hath dissolued in storyes is manifest I neede not spend tyme in rehearsing examples The Lord of peace who hath power both of land and Sea reach forth hys mercifull hand to helpe them vp that sincke to keepe them vpp that stand to still these windes and sourging seas of discord and contention among vs that wee professing one Christ may in one vnitie of doctrine gather our selues into one Arke of the true Church together where we continuing stedfast in fayth may at the last luckely be conducted to the ioyfull porte of our desired landing place by hys heauenly grace To whome both in heauen and in earth be all power and glory with his father and the holy spirite for euer Amen The vtilitie of this Story SEyng the worlde is replenished with such an infinite multitude of bookes of all kinde of matters I may séeme perhaps to take a matter in hand superfluous and needles at this present to set out such Uolumes especially of histories considering now a dayes the world is so greatly pestered not only with superfluous plenty therof but of all other treatises so that books now seeme rather to lacke Readers then Readers to lacke bookes In which multitude of bookes I doubt not but many doe both perceiue and inwardly bewayle this insatiable boldnes of many now a dayes both in writing and printing which to say the truth for my part I do as much lament as any man els beside and would therefore no man should thinke that vnaduisedly or with rashnes I haue attempted this enterprise as one being not onely doubtful but also both bashfull and feareful within my self for setting the same abroad And why first I perceaued howe learned this age of ours is in reading of bookes neither could I tell what the secret iudgementes of readers woulde conceaue to see so weake a thing to set vpon such a weighty enterprise not sufficiently furnished with such ornamentes able to satisfie the perfection of so great a story or sufficient to serue the vtility of the studious and the delight of the learned Which abilitie the more I perceiued to be wanting in me the lesse I durst be bold to become a writer But agayne on the other side when I weyed with my selfe what memorable Actes and famous doynges this latter age of the Churche hath ministred vnto vs by the patient suffringes of the worthy martyrs I thought it not to be neglected that so precious Monumentes of so many matters meet to be recorded and regestred in books should lie buried by my default vnder darkenes of obliuion Me thought somewhat was to be sayd of them for their well deseruing and something agayne of our partes for benefites by
and thieues like vnto himselfe against the Church But the Apostle renting his garmēts and with great lamentation said I haue lett a good keper of my brothers soule Get me a horse and let mee haue a guide with me which being done his horse and man procured hasted from the Churche as much as he could and comming to the same place was taken of theeues that watched But he neyther flying nor refusing sayd I came for this same cause hither lead me sayd he to your captayne So he being brought the captaine all armed fiercely begā to looke vpon him And eftsoones comming to the knowledge of him was stroken with confusion and shame and began to flie But the olde man followed him as much as he might forgetting his age and crying My sonne why doest thou flie from thy father an armed man from one naked a yong man from an olde man Haue pitie on me my sonne and feare not for there is yet hope of saluation I will make an answer for thee vnto Christ I will dye for thee if neede be as Christ hath died for vs. I will giue my life for thee beleeue me Christ hath sent me He hearing these things first as in a mase stood still and therewith his courage was abated After that he cast downe his weapons by and by he trembled yea and wept bitterly and comming to the old man embraced him and spake vnto him with wepyng as well as he could beyng euen then baptised a fresh with teares only his right hand beyng hid and couered Then the Apostle after that he had promised and firmly ascertained him that he should obtain remission of our Sauiour and also prayed falling downe vpon his knees kissed his murdering right hand which for shame he durst not shew before as now purged through repentaunce brought him to the congregation and when he had prayed for him with continuall prayer and daily fastings and had comforted and confirmed his mynde with many sentences went not from him as the author reporteth before he had restored him to the congregation againe and made him a great example and triall of regeneration and a token of the visible resurrection Moreouer the foresayd Irenaeus in Lib. 3. cap. 3. and Eusebius Lib. 3. cap 28. and Lib. 4. cap. 14. prosecuting the historie of Iohn declare in these wordes saying that there were certaine which heard Policarpus say that Iohn the disciple of our Lord goyng into Ephesus to be washed seyng Corinthus within he leaped out of the bathe vnbathed because he feared the bathe should haue fallen seing that Cerinthus an enemy to the truth was within Such feare had the Apostles saith Irenaeus that they would not communicate a word with them that adulterate the truth And forasmuch as we are here in hand with the story of Iohn the blessed Euangelist commeth in matter and occasion not geuē by him but takē of other of a great doubt and difficulty such as hath occupied all the Catholike subtile illuminate and seraphicall Doctors of the Popes Catholike Church these 500. yeares The difficultie is this that for so much as auricular confession hath bene is yet receiued in the Popes Catholike Church for an holy and necessary Sacrament extending vniuersally to al singular creatures Christian. Here then riseth a question who was our Ladies confessour or ghostly father But that is decreed and confessed with full consent of all the Catholikes to bee S. Iohn Whosoeuer denieth or doubteth of this is straight wayes ipso facto an heretike This then so determined ariseth an other question or doubt that seeyng our Lady was without all originall sinne and also actuall or mortall what need then had she of any Confessour or what should she confesse vnto him For if she had confessed any sinne when she had none then had she made herselfe a lyer so had sinned in deede Here therefore gentle Reader in this perplexitie these our illuminate Doctours stād in neede of thine ayde to helpe at a pinch Magnus Albertus the great diuine denieth not but that she in deede although most pure yet was confessed to her ghostly father to keepe the obseruances of the law appointed for such as had that neede which she had not And therfore sayth he necessary it was that she should confesse with mouth But then here is to be asked what did she say in her confession when she had nothing to confesse To this Albertus aunswereth agayne and telleth vs plainely what she sayd in her confessiō which was this that she had receiued that great grace not ex condigno that is not of any dignitie of her own but yet notwithstanding of congruitie And this was it sayth Albert that she sayd in her confession Albert cap. 74. super Euang Missus est c. Moreouer to helpe this case out of all doubt commeth in famous Thomas of Watring thus looseth the knot much after like effect saying that as Christ although he did owe nothing to the law yet notwithstanding receiued he Circumcision to geue to other example of humilitie and obedience In like maner would our Lady shew her selfe obedient to the obseruaunce of the law albeit there was no cause why she had any neede thereof And thus hast thou gentle Reader this doubtful questiō mooued and soluted to the intent I would reueale to thee some part of the deep diuinitie of our Catholike Maisters that haue ruled and gouerned the Church in these their late Popish dayes But breaking of this matter to returne againe where we left that is to this foresayd 2. persecutiō vnder Domitianus In which persecution besides these afore mentioned and many other innumerable godly Martyrs sufferyng for the like testimonie of the Lord Iesus was Flauia the daughter of Flauius Clemens one of the Romaine Consuls which Flauia with many other was banished out of Rome into the Isle Pontia for the testimony of the Lord Iesus by the Emperour Domitianus Euseb. Lib. 3. This Domitianus feared the comming of Christ as Herode did therefore commaunded them to be killed which were of the stocke of Dauid in Iewry There were remaining aliue at that tyme certayne of the Lordes kindred which were the nephewes of Iude that was called the Lordes brother after the flesh These when the Lieuetenāt of Iewry had brought vp to Domitian to be slayn the Emperour demaunded of thē whether they were of the stocke of Dauid which when they had graūted he asked againe what possessions and what substaunce they had They aūswered that they both had no more betweene them in all but xxxix acres of grounde how they gat their liuing sustained their families with the hard labours of their hādes shewing forth their hands vnto the Emperor being hard and roughworne with labours to witnes that to be true which they had spoken Then the Emperour inquiring of them concerning the kingdome of Christ what maner of kingdome it
Clement next before Euaristus Contrary Eusebius Lib. 3. Lib. 5. cap 6. making no mention of Cletus but of Anacletus sayth that Euaristus succeeded next to Clement Likewise Ruffinus and Epiphanius speakyng nothyng of Anacletus make mention of Linus and of Cletus next before Clement but say nothing of Anacletus whereby it may appeare that Cletus and Anacletus were both one Sabellicus Aenead 7. Lib. 2. speaketh of Linus and of Cletus and sayth that they were ordained helpers vnder Peter while he laboured in his Apostleship abroad and so sayth also Marianus Scotus Contrary Irenaeus Lib. 3. contra Haeres speaketh of Anacletus making no mention of Cletus Wherby it may appeare by the way what credite is to be geuen to the Decretall Epistles whom all the latter hystories of the Popes Church do follow in this behalfe c. Moreouer where Antoninus Vincentius Iacobus in Supplemento Symoneta Aloysius with other declare of Linus Cletus Clemens Anacletus Euaristus Alexander bishops of Rome that they died Martyrs Eusebius in his Ecclesiasticall history writing of them maketh therof no mention And first as touching Clement whom Marianus Scotus calleth the first Bishop of Rome after Peter they say that he was sent out in banishment of Traianus beyond Ponticus with 2000. christians where he opened to them a welspring whiche in the wildernesse were condemned to the Mines Afterward being accused to the Emperor he was throwne into the sea with a Milstone fastened about his necke and that not long after his body was cast vp buried as Platina saith at the place where the wel was made Some say it was found first in the dayes of Pope Nicholas the first Fascicul tempor But forasmuch as I finde of his Martyrdome no firme relation in the auncient authors but onely in such new writers of latter tymes which are woont to painte out the liues and histories of good men with fained additions offorged miracles therfore I count the same of lesse credite as I do also certaine Decretall Epistles vntruely as may seeme ascribed and intituled to his name Eusebius in his third booke writing of Clemens geueth no more of him but thus After he had gouerned the Church of Rome ix yeares the sayd Clement left the succession thereof to Euaristus Of which Euaristus next Bishop of Rome thus we find in Irenaeus Lib 3. cap. 3. Peter and Paule sayth he coÌ„mitted the charge of that church to Linus After whom came Anacletus then succeeded Clemens next to Clemens followed Euaristus after whome came Alexander and then Sixtus the vj. Bishop of Rome after the Apostles After Sixtus sate Telesphorus then Higinus then Pius then Aniâ—etus And when Soter tooke the place after hym then the xij Bishop of Rome was Eleutherius Thus after Clement followed as is sayd Euaristus in the second or third yeare of Traianus as sayth Eusebius or as Nicephorus sayth the fourth yeare of the sayd Emperour But howsoeuer the counte of the yeares stand little or nothing remayneth of the Actes and Monuments either of this or of other Bishops of Rome in those dayes Whereby it may appeare that no great accompt was then made of Romain Bishops in those dais whose actes and deedes were then either so lightly reputed or so slenderly committed to history Notwithstanding certaine Decretal Epistles are remayning or rather thrust vpon vs in their names containing in them litle substance of any doctrine but all together stuffed with lawes iniunctions and stately decrees little to the purpose and lesse sauoring of the nature of that time then present Amongest whoÌ„ also are nuÌ„bred the two epistles of this Euaristus And when he had geuen these orders had made vi Priestes two Deacons and fiue Byshops for sondry places sayth the story he suffered Martyrdome but what kinde of death for what cause he suffred what constancy he shewed what was the order or conuersation of hys life is nothing touched and seemeth therefore the more to be doubted that which our new historyes do say because the olde auncient writers haue no remembraunce thereof which otherwise would not haue passed such thinges ouer in silence if they had bene true Agayne neyther do the authors fully agree in the tyme of hys martyrdome which Nauclerus witnesseth to be in the last yere of Traianus but Platina thinketh rather that he suffered vnder Hadrianus Fascicul temporum referreth it to the third yeare of Hadrian Volateranus to the begynning of the reigne of Hadrian Contrary Eusebius comming neare to the simple trueth as seemeth doth affirme that Euaristus succeeded Clement in the third yeare of Traianus and so geuing to him .ix. yeares it should follow thereby that Euaristus deceased the xii yeare of Trianus After whome succeeded next Alexander in the gouernaunce of that Church of whose tyme death the like discrepance is among the writers Marianus Scotus sayth he was the fourth Byshop from Peter but that could not be Some say he was the sixt some the vii but they likewise were deceiued For the most part all do graunt Sixtus to be the vi Damasus affirmeth that hee was in the reigne of Traiane And how can that be when the sayd Damasus affirmed before that Euaristus hys predecessour suffered in the last yeare of Traiane and then the Byshopricke stood at least a moneth voyde except hee meane that the sayd Alexander succeeded Euaristus in the last yeare of Traianus But then how can that stand with Bede and Marianus Scotus which say that he suffered vnder Traianus or with Otto Frisingensis which sayth he suffered the fourth yeare of Hadrian wheÌ„ he had bene Byshop ten yeares by the generall consent of most writers They which write of the deedes and doynges of thys blessed Byshop as Bergomensis Antoninus Equelinus and such as follow them declare that he had conuerted a great part of the Senators to the fayth of Christ amongst whom was Hermes a great man in Rome whose sonne being dead Alexander raysed agayne to lyfe and likewise restored sight to hys mayd being blinde Hadrian the Emperour then absent hearing this sent word to Aurelianus gouernour of Rome to apprehend Alexander with Euentius and Theodulus otherwise called Theodorus as Platina sayth hys two Deacons and Hermes and to commit them to warde with Quirinus the Tribune whiche being done as their story recordeth Alexander inclosed in a diuers prison from Hermes Notwithstanding by the guiding of an Aungell through three doores with three lockes a peece was brought with candle light to the lodging of Hermes And so returning to the prison agayne cured the daughter of Quirinus his keeper named Balbina by reason whereof the sayd Quirinus with his whole houshold were all Baptised and suffered also for the fayth of Christ. Thus then sayth the story about the second yeare of Hadrian Aurelianus the ruler tooke Alexander the Byshop with Hermes hys wife children and hys whole houshold to the number of a
intreaty nor waging them with money whiche were appointed for watchmen but they so narowly loked vnto the matter as though they should haue gotten great benefite and profite thereby Thus were the bodies of the martirs made a wonderyng stocke and laye sixe dayes in the open streetes at the length they burned them threwe their ashes into the riuer of Rods so that there might appeare no remnaunt of theÌ„ vpoÌ„ the earth And this did they as though they had beene able to haue pulled god out of his seat to haue let the regeneration of the Saintes and taken from them the hope of the resurrection whereof they being perswaded sayd they bring in this newe and straunge Religion and set thus light by death and punishment Atque haec haec ex Epistola Viennensium c. Amongest other that suffered vnder Antoninus mention was made also of Iustinus who as it is said before exhibited two Apologies concerning the defence of christian doctrine the one to the Senate of Rome and the other to Antoninus Pius the Emperour coÌ„cerning whose suffering and the causes therof is partly before declared this Iustine was borne in Neapoli in the countrey of Palestine whose father was Priscus Bachius as he himselfe doth testifie By whom in his youth he was set to schole to learne wherin processe of time he became a famous and worthy Philosopher oâ— whose excellency many learned notable men doe record For first he being altogither inflamed and rauished with desire of knowledge would in no wise be satisfied in his mind before he had gotten instructors singularly seene in all kinde of Philosophy wherevpon he writeth of him selfe in the beginning of his Dialogue Cum Tripone thus declaring that in the beginning he being desirous of that sect and societie applied himselfe to be the scholer to a certaine Stoicke remaining with him a time when he nothing profited in diuine knowledge wherof the Stoicke had no skill and affirmed the knowledge therof not to be necessary he forsoke him and went to another of the sect of the Perepatetick a sharp witted man as he thought with whom after he had beene a while he demaunded of him a stipendâ— for his teaching for the better confirmatioÌ„ of their familiaritie Whereupon Iustine accoÌ„pting him as no Philosopher left him departed And yet not satisfied in mind but desirous to heare of further learning in Philosophye adioyned himselfe to one that professed the Pithagorian â—ect a man of great fame and one who made no small accompt of himselfe Who after he had followed a time his maister demaunded of him whether he had any sight in Musicke Astronomy and Geometry wythout the sight of whiche science he saide he coulde not be apte to receiue the knowledge of vertue and felicitie vnles before he had vsed to apply his minde from sensible matters to the contemplation of things intellible And speaking much in the commenâ—ation of these sciences how profitable and necessary they were after that Iustine had declared him selfe not to bee sene therin the Philosopher gaue him ouer which greued Iustine not a little so much themore because he thought his master to haue some knowledge in those sciences After this Iustine considering with himselfe what time was requisite to the learning of these sciences and thinking not to diâ—â—erte any longer thought best to resort to the secte of the Platonistes for the great fame that ran of them wherefore he chose vnto him a singuler learned man of that secte which lately was come to those parties so remaining with him seemed to profite not a litle in contemplation of supernall things inuisible formes insomuch that he thought shortly to aspire to such sharpnes of witte and wisedome that out of hand he might atchiue to the comprehension conteÌ„plation of god which is the end of Plato his Philosophie And in this maner he bestowed his youth but afterward he growing to a riper age howe by what meanes the said Iustine came to the knowledge profession of chritianitie it foloweth likewise in his saide first Apologie where he affirmeth of him selfe as witnesseth Eusebius in his fourth booke that when he did behold the christians in their torments and sufferinges to be so constaunt in theyr profession was therwith maruâ—ilously mooued after this maner reasoning with himselfe that it was impossible for that kinde of people to be subiect to any vice or carnalitie which vices of their owne nature are not able to sustayne any sharpe aduersitie much lesse the bytternesse of death The sight wherof helped him not a litle being of his own nature inclined to the searching of true knowledge vertue to begin thereby to loue and imbrace Christian Relygion for so he doth witnes of himselfe in the ende of the fyrst Apologie signifiyng there how it was his seking and indeuor to attaine to Christianitie Understanding how the Christians by malice of wicked persons were coÌ„pelled to suffer wrong and tormentes and to be euill spoken of By sight whereof as he saith himselfe he became a Christian through this occasion for being thus afflicted in his minde as is aforesaid it came in his head for his more quietnes to go aside to some desert and solitary place void of concourse of people vnto a village or grauÌ„ge neare to the seaside whither as he approched thinking there to be al alone there meeteth with him an old auntient father of a comly visage and gentle behauior who folowing him a litle of began to reason with him where after loÌ„g disputation when the old man had declared vnto him that there was no knowledge of truth amongst the Philosophers which neither knewe God neither were aided by the holy Ghost further had reasoned with him of the immortality of the soule of the reward of the godly punishment of the wicked then Iustine being confirmed with his reasons and arguments yelded to him of his owne accorde and demaunded of him by what meanes he might attaine to that true knowledge of God Wherof he had spoken Who then counsailed him to read searche the Prophetes adioyning therewith prayer but what master quoth Iustine should I vse for the instruction therof who shal be able to helpe vs if these philosophers as you say lacke the truth are voide of the same To whom the old father aunswering there haue bene saide he many yeres before these philosophers other more auÌ„tient then all these which beyng accompted for Philosophers were iust and beloued of God who spake by the spirite of God foreseing and prophesiyng these thinges which wee see now come to passe therfore they are called Prophets These only haue knowen the truth and reueled it to men neither fearing nor passyng for any who were seduced with no opinions of mans inuention but only spake taught those things which they themselues both heard and sawe being inspired with
their hartes For they falling prostrate vpon the ground prayed not onely for me but for the host also which was with me beseeching their God for helpe in that our extremitie of vittels and fresh water For we had bene now v. dayes without water and were in our enemies land euen in the middest of Germany who thus falling vppon their faces made their prayer to a GOD vnknowne of me and there sell amongest vs from heauen a most pleasaunt and cold shower but amongest our enemies a great storme of hayle mixt with lightning so that immediately we perceiued the inuincible ayde of the most mighty God to be with vs. Therefore we geue those men leaue to professe Christianitie least perhap by their prayer we be punished with the lyke and thereby make my selfe the author of such hurt as shal be receiued by the Christian profession And if any shall apprehend one that is a Christian onely for that cause I will that he being apprended without punishment may haue leaue to confesse the same so that there be none other cause obiected agaynst hym more then that he is a Christian But let his accuser be burned aliue Neither will I that he confessing and being founde a Christian shal be enforced to alter the same his opinion by the gouernour of any of our prouinces but leâ—t to hys owne choyse And this decree of myne I will to be ratified in the Senate house and commaund the same publiquely to be proclaymed and read in the Court of Traianus and that farther from thence it may be sent into all our Prouinces by the diligence of Veratius gouernour of our Citie Polione And further we geue leaue to all men to vse and write out this our decree taking the same out of our coâ—â—e publiquely in the common Hall set forth Thus the tempestuous rage of persecution against the Christians began for a tyme to asswage partly by the occasion hereof partly also vpon other causes incident coÌ„pelling the enimies to surcease their persecutioÌ„ as great plagues pestilence lying vpon the countrie of Italy lykewise great warres as well in the East partes as also in Italy and Fraunce terrible earthquakes great flouds noâ—some swarmes of flies and vermine deuouring their corne fieldes c. And thus much of thinges done vnder Antoninus Verus which Antoninus in the beginning of his raygne ioyned with him in the gouernement of the Empire hys brother Marcus Aurelius Commodus who also was wyth hym at the miraculous victory gotten by the ChristiaÌ„s as Eusebius cap. 5. Lib. 5. recordeth contrary Platina in vita Soteris and the book intituled Flores historiaruÌ„ referre the same to the time of Antoninus verus and his sonne Lucius Antoninus Commodus and not of Marcus Aurelius Commodus hys brother But howsoeuer the truth of yeares doe stand certaine it is that after the death of Antoninus Verus and of Aurelius Commodus succeeded Lucius Antoninus Commodus the sonne of Verus who raigned 13. yeares In the time of this Commodus although he was an incoÌ„modious Prince to the Senatours of Rome yet notwtstanding there was some quietnes vniuersally through the whole Church of Christ from persecution by what occasion it is not certaine Some thinke of whom is Xiphilinus that it came through Marcia the Emperouâ—s concubine which fauoured the Christians but how soeuer it came saith Eusebius the furye of the raging enimies was then somwhat mittigated peace was giuen by the grace of Christ vnto the Church throughout the whole worlde At what time the wholesome doctrine of the Gospel allured and reduced the harts of all forces of people vnto the true Religion of God insomuch that many both rich and noble personages of Rome with their whole families and housholdes to their saluation adioyned theÌ„ to the Church of Christ. Among whom there was one Apollonius a noble man and a Senatour of Rome mentioned in Eusebius Lib. 5. ca. 21. who being maliciously accused vnto the Senate by one whom Hierome writeth to be the seruaunt of the said Apollonius and nameth him Seuerus but whose seruaunt soeuer he was the wretched man came soone inough before the iudge being condignely rewarded for that his malicious diligence For by a law which the Emperour made that no man vpon paine of death shoulde falsely accuse the Christians he was put to execution had his legs broken forthwith by the sentence of Perenninus the iudge which being an heathen man he pronounced against him but the beloued martyr of God when the iudge with much a doe had obtained of hym to render an accout before the honorable Senate of his faith vnder whose defence and warrant of lyfe he did the same deliuered vnto them an eloqueÌ„t Apologie of the christian beliefe but the former warrant notwithstanding he by the decree of the Senate was beheaded and so ended his life For that there was an auncient law among them decreed that none that professed Christ and therefore araigned should be released without recantation or altering his opinion This Commodus is said in stories to be so sure steddy handed in casting the dart that in the open Theatre before the people he would encounter with the wild beasts and be sure to hit them in place where he appointed Among diuers other his vicious and wild parts he was to farre surpressed in pride arrogancy that he would be called Hercules and many times would shewe himselfe to the people in the skinne of a Lion to bee counted thereby the king of men like as the Lion is of the beastes Upon a certaine time being his birth day this Commodus calling the people of Rome togither in a great roialtye hauing his lions skinne vpon him made sacrifice to Hercules Iupiter causing it to be cried through the Citty that Hercules was the patrone and defender of the Citye There were the same time at Rome Vincentius Eusebius Peregrinus Potentianus learned men and instructors of the people who folowing the steps of the Apostles went about from place to place where the Gospell was not yet preached conuerting the Gentiles to the sayth of Christ These hearing the madnes of the Emperour of the people began to reproue their idolatrous blindnes teaching in villages townes al that heard them to beleue vpon the true and only God and to come away from such worshipping of deuils and to giue honor to God alone which only is to be worshipped willing them to repent and to bee Baptised least they perished with Commodus With thys their preaching they conuerted one Iulius a Senatour and other to the Religion of Christ. The Emperour hearyng thereof caused theÌ„ to be apprehended of Vitellus his Captaine and to be compelled to sacrifice vnto Hercules which when they stoutly refused after diuers greuous torments and great miracles by them done at last they were pressed with â—eaden waightes to death Vincentius Lib. 10. cap. 119. Chron. Henr. de Erfordia
In the which functioÌ„ he ministred the terme of xvj yeares Eusebius Lib. 6. cap. 35. Of this Heraclas writeth also Origene himselfe that he although beyng Priest yet ceased not to read ouer and peruse the bookes of the Gentils to the intent he might the better out of their owne bookes confute their errour c. After Heraclas succeeded Dionysius Alexandrinus in the bishoprike of Alexandria like as he succeded him in the schole before Which Dionysius also writeth of the same Heraclas vnto Philemon a Priest of Rome thus saying Hunc ego canonem typum a beato Heracla Papa nostro accepi c. that is This Canon and type I receaued of blessed Heraclas our Pope c. This Heraclas was no Martyr which dyed 3. yeares before Decius about the yeare of our Lord 250. After whom succeeded next in the same seat of Alexandria Dionysius Alexandrinus who also suffered much vnder the tiranny of Decius as hereafter shal be shewed Christ willing when we come to the tyme of Valerian Nicephorus in his fift booke and other which write of this persecutioÌ„ vnder Decius declare the horriblenes therof to be so great and so innumerable Martyrs to suffer in the same that he sayth it is as easie to number the sandes of the sea as to recite the perticular names of them whoÌ„ this persecution did deuour In the which persecutioÌ„ the chiefest doers and tormenters vnder the Emperour appeare in the history of Vincentius to be these Optimus the vnder Consull Secundianus Verianus and Marcellianus c. Although therfore it be hard here to inferre all and singular persons in order that dyed in this persecution yet such as remayne most notable in stories I will briefly touche by the grace of him for whose cause they suffred In the former tractation of the fift persecution mentioÌ„ was made before of Alexander bishop of Hierusalem and of his troubles suffred vnder Seuerus and how afterward by the miracle of God he was appointed bishop of Hierusalem where he continued a very aged man aboue the terme of 40 yeares gouernour of that Church til the tune of the first yeare of Decius At what tyme he being brought from Hierusalem to Cesarea into the iudgement place after a constant and euident confession of his fayth made before the Iudge was committed vnto prison and there finished his lyre as testifieth Dionysius Alexandrinus in the sixâ— booke of Eusebius After whome succeeded in that seate Mezabanes the xxxvj Bishop of that Citie after Iames the Apostle Mention was made also before of Asclepiades Bishop of Antioch who succeeded after Serapion and in the persecution of Seuerus did likewise perseuer a constant confessor and as Vincentius testifieth in his xj booke suffered Martyrdome at last vnder this Decius But this computation of Vincentius can in no wise agree with the truth of tyme for as much as by probable writers as Zonaras Nicephorus and other the sayd Asclepiades after Serapion entred the bishops seate of Antioch an 214. and sate vij yeares before the tyme of Gordianus After whom succeeded Philetus an 221. gouerning the function xij yeares And after him Zebinus followed an 232. and so after him Babylas which Babylas if he dyed in this persecution of Decius then could not Asclepiades also suffer in the same tyme who dyed so long before him as is declared Of this Babylas bishop of Antioche Eusebus and Zonaras record that vnder Decius he dyed in prison as did Alexander bishop of Hierusalem aboue rehearsed We read in a certaine treatise of Chrysostome intituled Contra Gentiles a notable and a long history of one Babylas a martyr who about these times was put to death for resistyng a certaine Emperour not suffring him to enter into the temple of the Christians after a cruell murder coÌ„mitted the story of which murder is this There was a certaine Emperour who vpon conclusioÌ„ of peace made with a certain nation had receiued for hostage or suretie of peace the sonne of the king beyng of yong and tender age with conditions vpon the same that neither he should be molested of them nor that they should euer be vexed of him Upon this the kings sonne was deliuered not without great care and feare of the father vnto the Emperour whom the cruell Emperor contrary to promise caused in short tyme without all iust cause to be slayne This fact so horrible beyng committed the tyrant with all hast would enter into the temple of the christians Where Babylas beyng bishop or minister withstoode him that he should not into the place approch The Emperour therewith not a litle incensed in great rage commaunded him forthwith to be laid in prison with as many irons as he could beare from theÌ„ce shortly after to be brought forth to death and execution Babylas going constantly and boldly to his Martyrdome desired after his death to be buried with his irons and bands so he was The story proceedeth moreouer and saith that in continuaunce of tyme in the raigne of Constantinus Gallus then made the ouersear of the East partes caused his body to be translated into the suburbes of Antioch called Daphnes where was a temple of Apollo famous with diuelish Oracles answers geuen by that Idole or by the deuill rather in that place In the which temple after the bringing of the body of Babylas the idole ceased to geue any more Oracles saying that for the body of Babylas he could geue no moe answers but complaining that that place was woont to bee consecrated vnto him but now it was full of dead mens bodies And thus the Oracles there ceased for that tyme till the comming of Iulianus who inquiring out the cause why the Oracles ceased caused the bones of the holy Martyr to be remooued agayne from thence by the christians whom he then called Galileans They commyng in a great multitude both men maydens and children to the tombe of Babylas transported his bones according to the commaundement of the emperour singing by the way as they went the verse of the Psalme in wordes as followeth Confounded be all that worship Images and all that glory in Idoles c. which comming to the Emperours â—ares set him in great rage against the Christians stirring vp persecution against them Albeit Zonaras declareth the cause something otherwise saying that so soone as the body of him and other Martyrs were remooued away incontineÌ„t the temple of the Idole with the Image in the night was consumed with fire For the which cause sayth Zonaras Iulian stirred vp with anger persecuted the Christians as shall be shewed Christ willyng in his order and place hereafter And thus much of Babylas which whether it was the same Babylas Bishop then of Antioche or an other of the same name it appeareth not by Chrysostome which neither maketh mention of the Emperours name nor of the place where this Babylas was bishop Agayne the stopping out of the
face of the harlot as she was kissing him and so got he the victorie by the constant grace of the Lord assisting him An other like example of singular chastitie is written of the virgin Theodora and an other souldiour by Ambrose Lib. 2. De virginibus At Antioche this Theodora refusing to do sacrifice to the Idols was condemned by the Iudge to the stewes which notwtstanding by the singular prouidence of god was wel deliuered For as there was a great company of wanton yong men ready at the doore to prease into the house where she was one of the brethren named Didimus as Ado sayth mooued with fayth and motioÌ„ of God putting on a souldioures habite made himselfe one of the first that came in who rounding her in the eare tolde her the cause and purpose of his commyng beyng a christiaÌ„ as she was his counsaile was that she should put on that souldiors habite and so slip away And he puttyng on her garmentes would there remaine to abide their force And so did whereby the virgine escaped vnknowen Didimus left vnto the rage and wondring of the people beyng a man in stead of a woman was presented vnto the President vnto whom without delay he vttered all the whole matter as it was done professing him so as he was to be a christiaÌ„ and therupon was condemned to suffer Theodora vnderstanding thereof and thinking to excuse him by accusing her selfe offred her selfe as the partie guiltie vnto the Iudge clayming and requiring the condemnation to light vpon her the other as innocent to be discharged But the cruell Iudge crueller then Dionysius which spared Damon Pithias neither considering the vertue of the persons nor the innoncency of the cause vniustly and inhumanely proceded in execution against theÌ„ both who first hauing their heads cut off after were cast in the fire Ambros. Ado. Although what tyme or in what persecution these did suffer in the authors of this narration it doth not appeare Agathon a man of armes in the Citie of Alexandria for rebuking certaine lewd persons scornefully deridyng the dead bodies of the Christians was cried out off and rayled on of the people Afterward accused to the iudge was condemned to loose his head Erfordiensis The sayd Erfordiensis also maketh mention of Paulus and Andraeas whome the Proconsul of Troada gaue to the people beyng scourged and after drawne out of the Citie they were troden to death with the feete of the people Hen. de Erford Among other that suffered vnder this wicked Decius Bergomensis also maketh mention of one Iustinus a Priest of Rome and of an other Nicostratus a Deacon To these Vincentius also addeth Portius a Priest of Rome whom he reporteth to be the conuerter of Phillip the Emperor afore mentioned Of Abdon and Sennas we read also in the foresayd Bergomensis and Vincentius two noble men who because they had buried the christians whom Decius had brought from Babylon to Corduba and there put them to death were therfore accused to Decius brought to Rome where they beyng commaunded to sacrifice to dead Idols would not obey and for the same were geuen to the wilde beastes to be deuoured but when the wild beastes more gentle then the men would not touch them they were at length with the sword beheaded Bergom Vincent Lib. 11. cap. 4 Albeit to me it seemeth not vnpossible nor vnlike this Abdon and Sennas to be the same whome in other storyes we finde and before haue mentioned to be Ammon and Zenon One Secundianus was accused to Valerian a Captayne of Decius to be a Christian which professioÌ„ when he stoutly did maynetayne was commaunded to prison By the way as the souldiours were leading him to the gaile Verianus and Marcellianus seing the matter cried to the souldiours asking them whether they drew the innocent At the which worde when they also confessed them selues to be Christians they were likewise apprehended and brought to a Citie named Centumcellas â— where being willed to sacrifice they did spit vpon the Idols and so after sentence and iudgement geuen first they were beaten with wasters or trunshons after that were hanged and tormented vpoÌ„ the gibbet hauing fire set to their sides Vincentius addeth moreouer that the tormentors some of them falleÌ„ sodainly dead other some being taken with wicked spirites the Martyrs with sword at length were beheaded Vinc. Lib. 11 cap. 31. To prosecute in length of history the liues and sufferings of all them which in this terrible persecution were Martyred it were to long almost infinite briefly therefore to rehearse the names of such as we finde alledged out of a certaine briefe treatise of Bede intituled De temporibus cited by Henricus De Erford it shal be at this time sufficient Under Decius suffered Hyppolitus and Concordia Hiereneus and Abnudus Victoria a virgine being noble personages of Antioche Bellias Byshoppe of the Citie of Apollonia Leacus Tyrsus and Gallinetus Nazanzo Tryphon in the Citie of Egypt called â—anais Phileas Bishop Philocomus with many other in Perside Philcronius byshop of Babylon Thesiphon Byshop of Pamphilia Nestor Byshop in Corduba Parmenius Priest with diuers moe In the Prouince called Colonia Circensis Marianus and Iacobus In Africa Nemesianus Felix Rogatianus priest â—elicissimus At Rome Iouinus Basileus also Ruffinâ— and Secunda Uirgines Tertullianus Valerianus Nemesius Sempronianus and Olympius In Spayne Teragone at Verona Zeno Byshop At Caesarea Marinus and Archemius In the towne of Miliane Priuatus Byshop Theodorus surnamed Gregorius Byshop of Pontus Haec Beda Vincentius in his xj booke maketh also mention citing Ex Hugone of certaine children suffering Martyrdome vnder the same persecution in a Citie of Tuscia called Aretium whose names I finde not except they be â—â—rgentius Laurentius mentioned in Equilinus Lib. 5. cap. 80. Nowe that I haue recorded of them sufficiently which vnder this tempest of Decius constantly gaue their liues to Martyrdome for the testimonie of Christ it remaineth that a fewe wordes also be spoken of such that for feare or frailtie in this persecution did shrinke backe slide from the truth of their confession In the number of whome first commeth in the remembraÌ„ce of Serapion an aged olde man Of whom writeth Dionysius Alexandrinus vnto Fabius declaring that this Serapion was an olde man which liued amongest them a sincere and vpright life of long time but at length fell This Serapion oft and many times desired to be receaued againe but no man listened to him for hee had sacrificed before After this not long after he fell into sickenesse where he remained three dayes dombe and benummed of all his seÌ„ses The fourth day following beginning a litle to recouer he called to him his sisters sonne saide how long how loÌ„g my sonne do ye hold me here Make hast I pray you that I were absolued Call hether some of the ministers to me and so saying no more
to haue suffered but only all this persecution to rest onely in the exilement of bishops or guides of the flock Of other suffrings or executions we do not read for the terrible pestilence following immediatly kept the barbarous heatheÌ„ otherwise occupied Unto this tyme of Gallus rather then to the tyme of Decius I referre the banishment of Cyprian who was then bishop of Carthage Of the which banishment he himselfe testifieth in diuers of his epistles declaryng the cause therof to rise vpon a commotion or sedition among the people out of the which he withdrew himselfe lest the sedition should grow greater Notwâ—thstaÌ„ding the sayd Cyprian though beyng absent yet had no lesse care of his flocke and of the whole church then if he had bene present with them And therfore neuer ceased in his Epistles continually to exhort and call vpon them to be constant in their profession and pacient in theyr afflictions Amongst diuers other whom he doth comfort in his banishmeÌ„t although he was in that case to be comforted himselfe writing to certayne that were condemned to minyng for metals whose names were Nemesianus Felix Lucius with other bishops Priests and Deacons declareth vnto them how it is no shame but a glory not to be feared but to be reioyced at to suffer banishment or other paynes for Christ. And confirming them in the same or rather commending them signifieth how worthily they do shew themselues to be as valiant captaines of vertue prouoking both by the confessions of their mouth and by the suffring of their body the hartes of the brethren to Christian Martyrdome whose example was and is a great confirmation to many both maydes and children to follow the like As for punishment and sufferyng it is sayth he a thing not execrable to a Christian. For a Christian mans brest whose hope doth wholy consist in the tree dreadeth neyther batte nor club woundes and skarres of the body be ornaments to a Christian man such as bring no shame nor dishonestie to the partie but rather preferreth and freeth him with the Lord. And although in the mines where the mettals be digged there be no beds for Christian mens bodies to take their rest yet they haue their rest in Christ. And though their wearie bones lye vpon the cold ground yet it is no payne to lye with Christ. Their feete haue bene fettered with bandes and chaynes but happily he is bound of man whome the Lord Christ doth loose happily doth he lye tyed in the stockes whose feete therby are made swifter to runne to heauen Neither can any man tye a Christian so fast but he runneth so much the faster for his garland of life They haue no garmentes to saue them from colde but he that putteth on Christ is sufficiently coated Doth bread lacke to their hungry bodies But man liueth not onely by bread but by euery worde proceedyng from the mouth of God Your deformitie sayth he shall be turned to honour your mourning to ioy your payne to pleasure and felicitie infinite And if this doe grieue you that ye cannot now employ your sacrifices and oblations after your wonted maner yet your sacrifice daily ceaseth not which is a contrite and humble hart as when you offer vp daily your bodies a liuely and a glorious sacrifice vnto the Lorde which is the sacrifice that pleaseth God And though your trauaile be great yet is the rewarde greâ—ter which is most certaine to follow For God beholding and looking downe vpon them that confesse his name in their willyng mynd approoueth them in their striuyng helpeth them in their victory crowneth them rewarding that in vs which he hath performed and crowning that which he hath in vs perfected With these and such like comfortable wordes he doth animate his brethren admonishing them that they are now in a ioyfull iourney hasting apace to the mansions of the Martyrs there to enioy after this darknes a stable light and brightnes greater then all their passions according to the Apostles saying These sufferings of this present tyme be nothing like comparable to the brightnesse of the glory that shall be reuealed in vs c. And after the like wordes of sweete comfort and consolation writing to Seagrius and Rogatianus which were in prison and bondes for the testimony of truth doth encourage them to continue stedfast and patient in the way wherein they haue begun to runne for that they haue the Lord with them their helper and defender who promiseth to bee with vs to the worldes ende and therfore willeth them to set before their eyes in their death immortalitie in their payne euerlasting glory of the which it is written Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saintes Item although before men they suffred torments yet their hope is full of immortalitie and beyng vexed in small things they shall be well requited in great matters For the Lord hath tried them as gold in the fire And writeth moreouer admonishing them that it is so appoynted from the beginnyng of the world that righteousnes here should suffer in secular conflicts for so iust Abell was slayne in the beginnyng of the world and after him all iust and good men the Prophets also and the Apostles sent of the Lord himselfe vnto whome all the Lorde first gaue an example in himselfe teachyng that there is no comming to his kingdome but by that way which he entred himselfe saying by these wordes he that loueth his lyfe in this worlde shall loose it c. And agayne feare ye not them that slay the body but haue no power to slay the soule And S. Paule likewise admonishing all them whosoeuer couete to be pertakers of the promises of the Lord to follow the Lord sayth if we suffer together with him we shall raigne togeâ—her c. Furthermore as the same Cyprian doth encourage here the holy Martyrs which were in captiuitie to persist so likewyse writing to the Priestes and Deacons which were free exhorteth them to be seruiceable and obsequious with al care and loue to cherish and embrase theÌ„ that were in bondes Cypria Lib. 3. Ep. 6. wherby may appeare the feruent zeale care of this good-Byshop toward the Church of Christ although beyng now in exile in the time of this Emperour Gallus In the same time and vnder the said Gallus reignyng with his sonne Volusianus was also Lucius bishop of Rome sent to banyshment who next succeeded after Cornelius in that byshopricke about the yeare of our Lorde 256. Albeit in this banishment he did not long continue but returned againe home to his Church as by the Epistle of S. Cyprian Lib 3. Epist. 1. maye appeare As to all other Bishops of Rome in those primitiue daies certaine decretall Epystles with seuerall ordinaunces be ascribed bearing theyr names and titles as hath bene afore declared so also hath Lucius one Epistle fathered vpon him in the which Epistle he writing
more griefe to me yet some solace it was to me that the brethren told me it was neare to a Citie named Paraetonium For as my being at CephroÌ„ got me the acquaintaunce of manye brethren of Egypt so my hope was that the vicinitie of that place where I shoulde be to the Citie might procure the familiaritie and concourse of certaine louing brethren which would resort and assemble with vs and so it came to passe c. Moreouer the said Dionysius in his Epistle ad Domiâ—ium DydymuÌ„ making mention of them whiche were afflicted in this persecution of Valerian recordeth in these wordes saying it were superflous saith he here to recite the names peculiarly of all our brethren slaine in this persecution which both were manye and to me vnknowne But this is certaine that there were men wemen younge men maydens olde wiues souldiers simple innocentes and of all sortes and ages of men Of whome some with â—courginges and fire some with sworde obtained victorye and got the crowne Some continued a great time and yet haue bene reserued In the whiche number am I reserued hetherto to some other oportune tyme knowen vnto the Lord which sayth In the time accepted I haue heâ—rde thee and in the daye of saluation I haue helped thee c. Nowe as concerning my selfe in what state I am if thou desire to know first howe I and Caius and Faustus Petrus and Paulus being apprehended by the Centurion were taken away by certayne of the towne of Mareote I haue declared to you before Now I and Caius and Petrus alone are left here included in a west place of Libya distant the space of thre daies iouâ—ney from Paraetonium c. And in processe farther he addeth In the Citie saith he were certaine priuily which visite the brethren of Priestes Maximus Dioscorus Demetrius and Lucius For they which were more notable in the world Faustinus and Aquilla do wander abroade in Egipt Of the Deacons besides them whoÌ„ sicknes hath consumed Faustus Eusebius Cheremon are yet alyue Eusebius hath God raised and stirred vp to minister to the confessours lying in bandes and to burye the bodies of the blessed Martirs not without great perill Neither doth the President cease yet to this day cruellye murderyng such as be brought afore him some tearynge with torments some imprisoning and keeping in custody commaunding that no man should come to them inquyring also who resorted vnto them Yet notwithstanding God with chearefulnes and dailye resorte of the brethren doth comfort the afficted Haec Dionysius Concerning these deacons aboue recited here is to be noted that Eusebius afterward was made Bishop of Laodicia in Syria Maximus the Priest aforesaide had the mynistration of the Church of Alexandria after Dionysius Faustus long after continued in great age vnto the latter persecution where he being a very old man at length was beheaded and died Martyr As touching Dionysius him selfe thus the stories report that he suruiuing all these troubles and persecutioÌ„s by the prouidence of God continued after the death of Valerian vnto the xij yeare of the raigne of Galienus whiche was about the yeare of our Lord. 268. and so departed in peace in great age after that he had gouerned the Church of Alexandria the space of xvij yeares before that had taught the schole of the sayd Citie of Alexandria the terme of xvj yeares After whom succeeded Maximus as is aboue specified And thus much touching the full storie of Dionysius Alexandrinus and of other also Martyrs and Confessours of Alexandria In Caesaria Palestine suffered also the same time Priscus Malchus and Alexander the which three dwelling in the countrey and good men seing the valiaunt courage of the Christians so boldly to venter constantly to stand and patiently to suffer in this persecutioÌ„ as men being greued with them selues began to repent accuse their so great sluggishnes and cowardly negligence to see other so zealous valiant themselues so colde faint harted in laboring for the crowne of Christian martyrdome first consulting and agreing within themselues came to Cesarea there stepping to the Iudge declared theÌ„selues what they were obtained the end they came for being giuen to the wilde beasts After which like maner also and in the same Citye of Cesarea a certaine woman whose name Eusebius expresseth not who had beene before of the secte of Marcion was brought before the President and likewise obtayned the same Martyrdome Euseb. Lib. 7. cap. 12. Neither was the citie of Carthage all this while free from the stroke of this persecution if credit should be giueÌ„ to the speculatiue glasse of Vincentius who cyting out of Hugo recordeth of 300. Martyrs of which 300. Martyrs the history saith thus that the President setting before the cooles and incense to doe sacryfice by a lyme kilne which was there neere at hand offred vnto them this condition either to set incense to the coales for sacrifice to Iupiter or els to go into the fornace of lyme wherupon they altogether with a generall motion sodenly rushed into the kilne and ther with the dusty smoke of the lime were smothered Vincent Erford In Aphrica also in the City of Tuburba the sayd VinceÌ„tius out of the Martyrologe inferreth mention of thre constaunt virgins Maxima Donatilla and Secunda who in the persecution of this Valerian and Galienus first had giuen for their drinke vinager and gaule then with scourges were tried after that vpon the gibbet were tormented rubbed with lime then were scorched vpon the fiery gridiroÌ„ at last were cast to the wilde beastes who being not touched of them finally with the sword were beheaded Vincent Erfor In Symela a City in Italy vnder the Alpes one Pontius beyng there apprehended by the commaundement of Claudius the President was hanged first vppon the racke then was cast to the wilde beastes of whom he being nothing hurt was after coÌ„mitted to the fire And finally neither touched therwith if the storye of Vincentius be true was headed by the ryuers side his body throwne into the floude where immediatlye the same houre the foresayde Claudius with his assistant Anabius were taken with wicked spirits by whom they were so miserablye vexed that they byt of their tongues and died Zenon also Byshop of Verona is saide also in the same persecution to sustayne Martyrdome Moreouer in the same Citie of Alexandria aforesayde Bergomensis in his 8. booke writing of the story of Valerianus Emperour maketh mention of Philippus bishoppe of the said sea of Alexandria who as he saith was vnder the sayd Valerian beheaded But that is not to be founde in any approued story nor staÌ„deth with the truth of time that any such Philip then was bishop of Alexandria or any other except onely Dionysius After whom next succeeded Maximus who remained xviij yeares and after him Theonas c. So that by the auncient recordes of
had not chauÌ„sed vnles the wicked deuinatioÌ„s of Apollos oracles had deceiued bewitched theÌ„ To thee therfore now I pray oh most mightie God that thou wilt vouchsafe to be mercifull and pardon all the east parts and inhabitaunts of the same being oppressed with present calamitie and that by mee thy seruaunt thou wilt of thy goodnes helpe and relieue the same And these things rashly craue I not at thy hands oh Lord most mighty and holiest God of all For I being perswaded by the onely oracles haue both begone and also finished wholesome and profitable things and further by the bearing and shewing of thine ensigne haue ouercome a mighty and strong host and when any necessitie of the common weale to my charge committed requireth thereunto following those signes tokens of thy vertues I bouldly go forth and fight against mine enimies and for this cause haue I sacrificed my soule vnto thee purified and clensed both with thy loue and feare Yea truely thy name doe I sincerely loue and thy power doe I reuerence which by many tokens and wonders hast shewed and confirmed thereby my beleefe faith Therefore will I doe my endeuour and bende my selfe thereunto that I may redifie thy most holy house which those wicked vngodly Emperours haue with so great ruine laid wast thy people do I desire to bring stablish in firme peace traÌ„quilitie that for the publike vtilitie of all the inhabitants of the earth Those which yet erre are out of the way enioy the benefite of peace and quietnes with and amongst the number of the faithful sort for I trust the restitution of the like societie and participation may be a meanes to bring them also that erre into the perfecte way of verity Let no man therfore be greeuous one vnto another but what euery man thinketh best that let him doe For such as are wiâ—e ought throughly to be perswaded that the onely meane to liue holily and as they should doe whome the spirite of God moueth to take their delight and recreation in reading his holye will And if others wilfully will go out of the way cleauing to the Synagogues of false doctrine they maye at their owne perill as for vs we haue the most worthy house or congregation of Gods veritie which he according to his owne goodnes nature hath giuen vs. And this also we wish vnto the that with like participation common consente they may fele wyth vs the same delectation of mind For this our religioÌ„ is neither new nor newly inuented but is as old as wee beleeue the creation of the worlde to be and which God hath commaunded to be celebrated with such worship as both seemed and pleased him But all liuing men are lyeâ—s and are deceiued with diuers and sundrye illusions Thou O God for Christ thy sonnes sake suffer not this wickednes againe to take roote thou hast set vp a cleare burning light that thereby as manye as thou hast chosen maye come vnto thee These thy myracles approoue the same It is thy power that kepeth vs in innocencye and fydelitye The Sunne and the Moone runne their appointed course neyther yet in ranging wiâ—e wander the starres to what place of the worlde they list themselues The dayes yeares monethes and times keepe their appoynted turnes The earth abideth firme and vnremoueable at thy worde and the winde at the time by thee directed stormeth bloweth The streaming waterie floudes ebbe in time according as they flow The raging sea abideth within her bounded limites And for that the Ocean Sea stretchech out her selfe in equall length and breadth with the whole earth this must needes be wrought with some marueilous workmanship of thine owne hand which thing vnlesse it were at thy will made and disposed without all doubt so great difference and partition betweene woulde or this time haue brought vtter ruine destructioÌ„ both to the life of man as to all that beloÌ„geth to man beside Which for that they haue such great and huge conflictes amongest themselues as also the inuisible spirites haue we geue thee thankes O Lorde most mighty God of all Gods that al mankinde hath not bene destroyed thereby Surely euen as greatly as thy benignitie and gentlenes is manifested by diuers sundry benefites bestowed vpon vs so much also is the same set foorth and declared in the discipline of thy eternall word to those that be heauenly wise apply themselues to the attainement of sincere true vertue But if any such there be that litle regard or haue but small respect vnto the consideration thereof let them not blame or lay a fault in others that do the same For that Phisicke whereby health is obtained is manifestly offered vnto all men now therefore let no man go about to subuert that which experience it selfe doth shew of necessitie to be pure and good Let vs therefore altogether vse the participation of this benefite bestowed vpon vs that is to say the benefite of peace and tranquillitie setting a part all controuersie And let no man hurt or be preiudiciall to his fellowe for that thing wherein he thinketh him selfe to haue done wel If by that which any man knoweth and hath experience of hee thinketh he may profite hys neighbour let him doe the same if not let him geue ouer and remit it til on other time For there is a great diuersitie betwixt the willing and voluntary embracing of religion and that wheÌ„ a man is thereunto inforced and coacted Of these things haue I made a more larger discourse then in deede the scope of mediocritie requireth especially because I woulde not haue my faith touching the veritie to be hid For that I heare there be some which complaine the olde accustomed haunting of their temples that the power of such darkenesse is cut of and taken away which thing surely I would take in better part were it not that the violent rebellion of flagitious errour were so fixed in many mens heartes whereby they thirst after the vtter subuersion of the common weale and Empire Such was the goodnesse of this Emperour Constantinus or rather such was the prouideÌ„ce of almighty God toward his Church in stirring him vp that all his care and study of minde was set vpon nothing els but onely howe to benefit enlarge the commodities of the same Neither was it to him inough to deliuer the Church and people of God from outward vexation of foraine tyrants and persecutors No les beneficial was his godly care also in quieting the inward dissentions and disturbaunce within the Church among the Christian bishops themselues according as we read of Moses the deliuerer of the Israelits in agreing the brethren together when he saw them at variance Exod. 2. No lesse also did his vigilant study extend in erecting restoring enriching the Churches of God in al Cities and in prouiding for the ministers
Vortiperius Malgo. Carecius Here is to be vnderstand that these Britaine kings aboue mentioned did not so raign here in this land frō the time of Vortigerne that they had the full possession and gouernement ouer all the whole realme but only ouer parcels or partes such as by force of armes they could either hold or win from the Saxons which cōming in daily and growing vpon thē did so replenish the land with multitudes of them that the Britains at lēgth were neither able to hold that which they had nor to recouer that which they lost Leauing exaple to al ages countreis what it is first to let in forreine nations into their dominion but especially what it is for Princes to ioyne in mariage with infidels as this Vortiger did with Hengistus daughter which was the mother of al this mischief geuing to the Saxons not only strēgth but also occasion and courage to attempt that whych they did Neyther was this vncōsidered before of the Britaine Lords and Nobilitie who worthely being therew t offended iustly deposed their king inthroned Vortimerus hys sonne in his roume By the which Vortimer being a punāt prince the Saxons were then repulsed and driuen againe into Germany where they stayed a while till the death of Vortimer whome Rowen daughter of Hengistus caused traiterously to be poysoned Then Vortiger being again restored to his kingdome through the entreatie of Rowen hys wife sent into Germanie againe for Engist who eftsoones making his returne came in wyth a name of 300. shippes wel appointed The Nobles of Britain hearing this prepared them selues to the contrary side in all forceable wise to put them of But Engist through Rowen hys daughter so laboured the king excusing himselfe and saying that he brought not the multitude to worke any violence eyther against him or against his coūtrey but only thinking that Vortimer had yet bene aliue whom he minded to impugne for the kings sake and to take hys part And nowe for so much as he heareth of the death of Vortimer hys enemie hee therefore committeth both himselfe his people to his disposition to appoint how few or how many of thē he wold to remaine within his land the rest should returne And if it so pleased the King to appoynt day place where they might meete and talke together of the matter both he and his would stande to such order as the king with his counsaile should appoynt With these faire words the king and his nobles wel contented did assigne to them both day place which was in the towne of Ambry where he ment to talke with them adding thys condition with all that eche part shoulde come without any maner of weapon Engist shewing him selfe well agreed thereto gaue priuy intelligence to his side that eche man should cary with him secretely in his hose a long knife with their watch worde also geuen vnto them whē they should draw their kniues wherwith euery Saxon shoulde and so did kill the Britayne wyth whō he talked as is aboue declared The Britaine Lords being slayne the Saxons tooke Vortigerne the King and bound him for whose ransome they required to be deliuered to them the Cittie of London Yorke Lincolne Winchester with other the most strongest holdes within the lande whych being to them graunted they begin to make spoile hauocke of the Britaine nation destroying the Citizens plucking downe Churches killing vp the Priestes burning the Bookes of the holy Scripture leauing nothyng vndone that tyrannie could worke whych was about the yeare of our Lorde 462. The King seeing thys miserable slaughter of the people fled into Wales This whyle Aurelius Ambrosius Vter Pendragon brethren to king Constans aboue mentioned whō Vortigerne wickedly caused to be killed were in little Britayne To whome the Britaynes sent woorde desiring theyr ayde in helping their countrey Aurelius vnderstanding the wofull state of the Realme speedeth hym ouer to satisfie their desire and to rescue what in him was their necessitie Who at his first commyng eftsoones being crowned for theyr king seeketh out wicked Vortigerne the cause of all thys trouble and murder of king Constās hys brother And finding him in Wales in a strong tower wherein he had immured him selfe setteth hym and his castell on fire That done he moued his power against the Saxons with whom and wyth Elle Captaine of the Southsaxons who then was newly come ouer he had diuers conflicts Our English old Chronicles make record that Horsus the brother of Engist was slaine before in the time of Vortimer The same also doe recorde that thys Engist was taken prisoner in the fielde fighting against Aurelius Ambrosius who then cōsulting with his Nobles and Barons what was to be done with him the Byshop of Glocester called Eldadus standing vp gaue this counsaile saying that 〈◊〉 all men would deliuer him yet he with his owne hāds wold cut him in peeces alleaging the exāple of Samuel against Agag King of the Ameleches taken by King Saul in the field whome the sayde Samuel caused to be cut in peeces Euen so saith he do you to this Agag here that as he hath made many a woman widow and without childrē so his mother mai be made this day of him likewise And so was Engist taken out of the Citie by Eldo Consull or Maior of Glocester and there was beheaded if truth or credit be to be geuen to these our old Britaine stories wherof I haue nothing certainly to pronoūce but that I may suspect the truth therof which was about the yeare of our Lord. 490. Henr. Hunting Galfr. cum alijs A certaine auncient written history I haue in Latine compiled in the .xiiij. yeare of king Richard the seconde and by him caused to be writtē as the title declareth whych because it beareth no name of the author I cal it by the name of him of whom I borowed thys booke wyth many other likewise without name Historia Cariana This hystorie recordeth that Hengistus dyed in Kent the xxxii yeare of hys raigne which if it be true then is it false that he was taken at Cunynburgh and slaine in the North. Thys Aurelius Ambrosius before mentioned is thought of Polidorus Vergilius citing the authoritye of Bede to descende of the stocke of the Romaines whych as it is not vnpossible to be true so this is certaine by the full accord of al our old wrytten stories that both the sayde Aurelius and his brother Vter Pendragon being the sonnes of Constantinus brother to Andoenus king of litle Britaine were nursed and brought vp in England in their tender age and instructed by Gultelinus Archbyshop of London and after the murder of Constans their elder brother were conueied from hence to litle Britaine whereby it is manifest that they were borne in thys land and though their father were a Romaine as Polydorus pretēdeth yet lyke it is that they were Britains borne and
the border of the Alpes in Italie Of his thirde wife Ethelwide he receiued two sonnes Edmund and Edred which both reigned after Adelstane And two daughters Egburga whome hee made a Nonne and Eadguina who was married to Ludouicus Prince of Aquitania in Fraunce These sonnes and daughters Kyng Edwarde thus brought vp Hys daughters hee set to spinning and to the needle Guliel de Reg. His sonnes he set to the studie of learning vt quasi Philosophi ad gubernandam remp non iam tudes procederent that is to the ende that they being as first made Philosophers should be the more expert thereby to gouerne the common wealth ¶ King Ethelstane or Adelstane EThelstane or Adelstane after the death of Edwarde hys father began his reigne in England and was crowned at Kingstone He was a prince of worthy memorie valyant and wise in all his actes nothing inferiour to hys father Edwarde In like worldly renowne of ciuile gouernance ioyned with much prosperous successe in reducing this realme vnder the subiection of one monarchie For he both expelled the Danes subdued the Scottes and quieted the Welshinē as wel in Northwales as also in Cornwale The first enemie against this Ethelstane was one Elfredus who with a faction of seditious persons conspiring against the saide Ethelstane at Winchester continently after the death of hys father went about to put out his eyes Notwithstanding the king escaping that danger through the helpe of God was at that time deliuered Elfrede vpon the same being accused fled to Rome there before the Pope to purge himselfe by hys othe Who being brought to the Churche of S. Peter and there swearing or rather forswearing himself to be cleare which in deede was guiltie thereof sodenly vpon his othe fell downe and so brought to the English house in Rome within 3. daies after departed The Pope sending worde to king Ethelstane whether he would haue the sayde Eldred buried among Christians or not at length through the perswasions of his friendes and kinsfolkes it was concluded that he should be buryed in Christen buriall This storie although I finde in no other writers mentioned but only in the Chronicles of Guliel Lib. de Regi yet forasmuch as it heareth the witnesse and wordes of the king himselfe as testified in an old dede of gift giuen to the monastery of Malmesbury I thought the same the more to be of credite The wordes of the king procede in this tenor as followeth ¶ The copie of an olde writing of king Ethelstane testifying of the miraculous death of Duke Elfrede sodenly stroken by the hande of God for periurie SCiant sapientes regionis nostrae non has praefatas terras me iniustè rapuisse rapinamque Deo dedisse Sed sic eas accepi quemadmodum iudicauerunt omnes optimates regni Anglorum Insuper Apostolicus Papa Romanae ecclesiae Ioannes Elfredo defuncto qui nostrae foelicitati vitae aemulus extitit nequitiae inimicorum nostrorum consentiens quando me voluerunt patre defuncto coecare in vrbe Wintonia si non me Deus sua pietate eripuisset Sed denudatis eorum machinamentis remissus est ad Romanam ecclesiam vt ibi se coram Apostolico Ioanne iureiurando defenderet Et hoc fecit coram altare sancti Petri Sed facto iuramento cecidit coram altare manibus famulorum suorum portatus est ad scholam Anglorum ibi tertia nocte vitam finiuit Et tunc Apostolicus ad nos remisit quid de eo ageretur a nobis consuluit an cum caeteris Christianis corpus illius poneretur His peractis nobis renunciatis optimates regionis nostrae cum propinquorum illius turma efflagitabant omni humilitate vt corpus illius per nostram licentiam cum corporibus poneretur Christianorū Nosque flagitationi illorum cōsentientes Romam remisimus Papa consentiente positus est ad caeteros Christianos quamuis indignus Et sic iudicata est mihi tota possessio eius in magnis in modicis Sed haec apicibus literarum praenotauimus ne quando aboleatur vnde mihi praefata possessio quam Deo sancto Petro dedi donatur Nec iustiùs noui quám Deo sancto Petro hanc possessionem dare qui aemulum meum in conspectu omnium cadere fecerunt mihi prosperitatem regni largiti sunt c. In the second yeare of the reigne of King Adelstane for an vnitie and a peace to be had betwene the King and the Danes of Northumberlande hee marryed to Sythericus their king his sister whereof mention is made before But shortly after within one yeare this Sythericus died After whose death King Ethelstane seazed that prouince into hys owne hande putting out the sonne of the foresayde Sythericus called Alanus who wyth his brother Godfridus fledde the one into Irelande the other to Constantine King of the Scottes And when he had thus accorded with the Danes of Northumberlande hee shortly made subiect vnto him Constantine King of Scottes But the sayde Constantine meeked himselfe so lowly to the King that he restored him to his former dignitie saying that it was more honour to make a king then to be a king Not long after the sayde Constantine King of Scottes did breake couenaunt with king Ethelstane Wherefore hee assembled his Knights made toward Scotland Where he subduing his enemies and bringing them againe vnto due subiection returned into England with victory Here by the way in some storie wryters who forgetting the office of historicians seme to play the Poetes is written and recorded for a maruell that the sayde Ethelstane returning out of Scotland into England came to Yorke and so into the Churche of S. Iohn of Beuerly to redeeme his knife which before hee had lefte there for a pledge at hys going forth In the which place he praying to God to S. Ihon of Beuerley that he might leaue there some remembrance wherby they that came after might know that the Scots by right should be sudbued to the English mē smote with sword they say vpon a great hard stone standing nere about the castle of Dunbar that with the stroke thereof the stone was cut a large elne deepe with a lie no lesse deepe also then was the stroke in the stone But of this poetical or fabulous storie albeit Polychronicon Fabian Iornalensis and other mo constantly accorde in the same yet in Guliel and Henricus no mention is made at all But peraduenture hee that was the inuentour first of this tale of the stone was disposed to lie for the whetstone Wherefore in my minde he is worthy to haue it Of like truth credite seemeth also to be this that followeth about the same yeare and time vnder the raigne of King Ethelstane being the viij yeare of hys raigne of one Bristanus Bishop of Winchester who succeeded Frithstanus in the same sea and gouerned that Bishoprike
and Antoninus who in playne termes likewyse report the same Nowe hauing sayd the foundation for the truth and ground of this matter let vs come to examine how truely our latter writers do say which write that Editha and not Edward was the child for whom Dunstane enioined to the king 7. yeares penaunce and also how truely they report Edward to be a lawfull heyre and Elflede to bee a lawfull wyfe to king Edgar For first touching Editha this is confessed by the sayd writers themselues that she was of good yeares at what tyme Edgar her father was enioyned his penaunce After the which seuen yeares of his penaunce expyred he lyued at the most but in yeares and a halfe Which seuen yeares and 3. yeares and a halfe make in all but x. yeres a halfe But now the said authors themselues do graunt that she was made Abbas by her father he beyng then alyue And how can this then stand with her Legend which sayth that she was not lesse then 15. yeares of age By which account it must needes fall out that she could not be so little as v. yeres old before the birth of that chyld for whom the kyng did penaunce And thus much touching Editha Now in like maner to consider of the tyme of Edward First this by all writers is graunted that he was slayne in the 15. yeare of his age Which yeares do well agree to that chyld which king Edgar begate in bastardy for the which he did hys penance For the more euidence whereof let vs come to the supputation of yeares in this sort First the penaunce of the king after the byrth of this child lasted 7. yeres Then the king after the same lyued 3. yeres a halfe After whose death Edward raigned other 3. yeres and a half which in all make the full summe of 14. yeres About the count of which age the said Edward goyng on his 15. yeres by their owne reckoning was slaine And thus haue ye by manifest demonstration prooued by the right casting of the yeres after their owne graunt rekoning that Editha daughter of Wlfride in no case can be the child which was borne after Edward for whom the king was enioyned penance but that Edward rather was borne after Editha and was the childe for whom the penance was enioined contrary to the opinion commōly receiued in the church which for ignorance of the story hath hetherto holden Edward to be an holy Martyr and right heyre vnto the crowne Which error and opinion how it first sprang and by whom albeit it pertaine not to my story to discusse yet were it no hard matter to coniecture First after that Dunstane and Oswolde wyth other Bishops Abbots and certayne Lordes Dukes of that faction for the maintenaunce of Monkery had aduaunced Edward to be king against Queene Alfrith mother of Ethelred Alferus duke of Mercia and certaine other Nobles which held with the contrary side of the Priestes agaynst the Monkes In processe of tyme the monkes that came after to write stories perceiuing Dunstane to be reputed in the Church of Rome for an holy Saint and the sayd king Edward for an holy Martyr and partly also to bolster vp their owne religion of Monkery so muche as they could to the intent therfore they would saue the credite both of Dunstane and of the kyng and especially bearing fauour to their owne religion and partly that the reputation of the church of Rome should not be disteined by opening the truth of this matter either did not see or would not confesse herein what they knew but rather thought best to blanch the story and colourably to hide the simple truth therof making the people falsly beleue that Elfleda the mother of Edward was wife to king Edgar and Edward to be lawfully borne and also that Editha was born after Edward to be the child for which the king was enioyned penance All which is false and cōtrary both to the order of tyme aboue declared and also to the plaine words of Malmesbury which speaking of king Edgars last concubine sayth in plaine wordes Dilexit vnicè integram lecto vni deferens sidem quoad legitimam vxorem accepit Elfthride filiam Ordgari That is he had a concubine whom he loued entirely keping true faith of his bed to her alone vntil the tyme he maried for his lawfull wife Elfride the daughter of duke Ordgare c. Wherby we haue to vnderstand that whatsoeuer concubine this was which Malmesbury speaketh off certaine it is that Edgar liued in whoredome till tyme he maried his lawfull wyfe Furthermore and finally to conclude beside these arguments and allegations aboue recited let this also be perpended how the said Dunstan with his complices after the killing of king Edward leauing the right heyre of the crowne which was Ethelred went about as Capgraue and their owne Legend cōfesseth to set vp Editha the other bastarde to possesse the crowne but that she more wise then her brother Edward refused the same Wherby what is to be thought of the doyngs of Dunstane and what should be the cause why hee preferred both Edward and Editha to the crowne rather then the lawfull heyre I leaue to all indifferent Readers therof to iudge After that Dunstane and his fellowes had thus set vp Edward for their king they were now where they would be supposing all to be sure on their side and that they had established the kingdom of Monkery for euer through the helpe of the young king and the Duke of Eastangles and certaine other nobles whom they had drawn to their part Howbeit this matter passed not so wel with them as they hoped For shortly after the coronation of this yong king Alferus duke of Mercia who folowed much the deedes of the Queene with other great men stoutly standing on the contrary side droue out the Monkes from the Cathedrall churches which king Edgar before had set in and restored agayne the Priests as Ranulphus sayth with their concubines but in the historie of the Librarie of Iornall I find it plainly expressed with their wiues The wordes of the very author be these Alferus princeps Merciorum caeterique plures eiectis monachis de magnis monasterijs quos rex Edgarus nuper instituerat clericos cum vxoribus reduxerunt That is Alterus duke of Mercia with other great men mo droue out the Monkes from the great monasteries whom king Edgar had there set in before restored againe the priests with their wyues Wherby it doth euidently appeare that priests in those dayes were maried and had their lawfull wiues The like before that in king Inas tyme is plaine that Bishops then had wiues and children as appeareth by the words of the lawe then set forth extant in the history of the said Iornalensis which be these Si quis filiolum alterius occidat vel patrinum sit simile cognationi
crescat emendatio secundum Weram eius Regi sicut cognationi Si de parentela sit qui occidit eum tunc excedat emendatio patrini sicut manbota Domini Si Episcopi filiolus sit sit dimidium hoc c. And thus much by the way for Priestes wyues and their children Now to the purpose agayne of our matter which is to declare how the Duke and Nobles of England expulsed the Monkes out of the Monasteries after the death of kyng Edgar Whereof let vs heare what the Monkish story of the Abbey of Crouland recordeth Monachis de quibusdam Monasterijs eiectis clerici sunt introducti qui statim monasteriorum maneria ducibus terrae distribuebant vt sic in suas partes obligati eos contra monachos defensarent Tunc de monasterio Eueshamensi monachis expulsis clerici fuerant introducti Terraeque tyranni de terris Ecclesiae praemiati sunt quibus Regina nouercali nequitia stans cum clericis in regis opprobrium fauebat Cum monachis autem Rex sancti Episcopi persistebant Sed tyranni fulti Reginae fauore potentia super monachos triumphabant Multus inde tumultus in omni angulo Angliae factus est Ex Chronico Ingulphi Abbatis de Crouland c. That is The Monkes beyng expelled out of certayne Monasteries the Clarkes agayne were brought in who distributed the Manors or Fermes of the sayde Monasteries to the Dukes and Lordes of the land that they beyng obliged to them should defēd them against the Monkes And so were the monkes of Euesham thrust out and the seculare Clarkes placed the landes of the church giuen to the Lordes with whom the Queene the Kings stepmother holding the same time tooke part also with the sayd Clerkes against the king On the contrary part stood the king the holy bishops taking part with the monkes Howbeit the lordes pieres of the Realme staying vpon the fauour and power of the Queene triumphed ouer the monkes c. Thus as much ado there was through all quarters of the realme about the matter among the Lordes so arose no lesse contention betwene the priests monkes of England The Priestes complainyng to the Kyng and Dunstane layd for themselues that it was vncomely vncharitable yea and vnnaturall to put out an old known dweller for a new vnknowen and that God was not pleased that to be taken from the auncient possessor which by God was geuen him neither that it could be to any good man accepted to suffer any such iniury to be done least peraduēture the same thing wherein he was preiudiciall to an other might after reuert redound vpon himself at length The monkes on the other side layd for their part the Christ allowed neither the old dweller nor the new commer nor yet looked vpon the person but who so would take the crosse of penaunce vpon him and follow Christ in vertuous liuing should be his disciple These such other were the allegations of the monkes But whether a monkes coule or a wiueles life make a sufficient title to enter into other mens possessiōs or no I referre it to the iudgemēt of the godly The troublous cares in mariage the necessary prouision for house keepyng the vertuous bringing vp of children the daily helping of pouertie and bearing of publike charges with other manifold perturbations and combraunces daily incident to the state of matrimony might rather appeare to godly wyse men to come nearer to the right crosse of penance then the easie loytring idlenes of monkery In the end vpō this controuersie was holden a Councell of Bishops other of the Clergy First at Reading or at Winchester as Guliel saith where the greater part both of the nobles commōs iudged the priestes to haue great wrong and sought by all meanes possible to bring thē agayne to their old possessions and dignities Iornalensis here maketh rehearsall of an Image of the Crucifixe or a roode standing vpon the frater wall where the Councell was holden To this roode Dunstane requireth them all to pray beyng belike not ignorant of some spiritual prouisiō before hand In the middest of their prayer the roode or els some blind monke behynd him in a trūke through the wall is reported to speak these words Absit hoc vt fiat absit hoc vt fiat iudicastis benè mutaretis non benè In remembraunce whereof these verses were written vnder the roodes feete Humano more crux praesens aediditore Coelitus affata quae perspicis hic subarata Absit vt hoc fiat vt cae tera tunc memorata Of this Dunstanicall or rather Satanical oracle Henricus maketh no mention nor Ranulphus nor yet Houedenus nor Fabian in their histories Gulielmus in his booke de Regibus reporteth it but by hearesay in these wordes saying Aliae literae docent c. Wherfore the lesse it seemeth to be of credite Albeit if it were of credible truth yet it prooueth in this matter nothing els but Dunstan to be a Sorcerer as Polydorus Virgilius also himselfe seemeth to smell something in this matter Notwithstanding for all this yet the strife ceased not In so much that a new assembly of the Clergy and other was appointed after at a place called the streete of Calue where the Councell was kept in an vpper lofte In this Councell many grieuous complaints were obiected as Malmes buriensis saith against Dunstane But yet he kept his opinion and would not remooue from that which hee began to maintaine And while they were there in great contention and argument which way should be admitted and allowed if it be true that in the stories is written sodenly the ioyses of the lof◠failed the people with the nobles fell downe so that certaine were slaine many hurt But Dunstane they say onely standing vpon a poast of the sollar which remained vnbroken escaped without dāger Which thing whether it so happened to portend before the ruine of the Realme and of the nobles as Henry Hunting doth expoūd it which after ensued by the Danes or whether it was so wrought by Dunstanes sorcerie as was not vnpossible or whether it were a thing but fained of the monkish writers and not true all this I leaue to the Readers to thinke therein what them liketh The stories say further that vpon this the matter ceased and Dūstan had all his will These things thus done at Calue it hapned not long after the same that king Edward whom the writers describe to be a vertuous and a meeke prince much pitifull beneficiall to the poore about the iiij yeare of hys raigne came vpon a season from hunting in the forest alone with out the company of his seruaunts to the place in the West countrey where Alfeith his mother with her sonne Egelred did lye When the Queene the mother was warned of his comming by her men anone she calleth a seruaunt
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
our homage But I do maruell if at the least there remaine in you any one drop of bloud that you are not ashawed to call the Lord Henry a king or to allow him any ordinarie place Is this a seemely order thinke you to geue place to wickednes and to make a generall confusion in mixing good and euill Gods and mans deuises together Either do you thinke this good order for man to sinne against his owne body as Oh shamefull wickednes to make his owne wife a common harlot a mischiefe not heard of at any time since the beginning of the world before now or do you alow this for good order when as the Lord sayth defend the widowes especially such as require equitie of Iustice and then them to send away most filthely defiled Madde Orestes doth protest him to be out of his wit that will say these things to be orderly or well done Vntill this most miserable time nature hath euer loued secrecie but your king geueÌ„ vp into a reprobate sense hath vncouered the priuities of nature who hath not let to lay abroade all shamefastnesse we wil not speake of other thinges which cannot be numbred that is to say burning of Churches robberies fiering of houses manslaughters murders such like the number whereof he knoweth and not we for let vs speake chiefly of those things which most greue the Church of God Harken therfore to true not fained things Hearken I say to matters of earnest and to no trifles Euery one that doth tell spirituall dignities is an hereticke But the Lord Harry whom they cal a king doth sell both Byshoprikes and Abbathies for truely he solde for money the Byshoprikes of Constance Babemberge Mens many others The Byshopprikes of Ratisbone Augusta and Strafebrough he sold for a sword and the Abbey of Fulda for adulterie And for filthy sodomitry he sold the byshopprike of Mon. A wickednes it is to speake or heare of such a fact The which things if without shame ye wil deny he is to be condemned by the witnes of heauen and earth yea and of the selie poore idiotes that come from the smithes forge Wherfore the Lord Harry is an hereticke For the which most wicked euils he is excommunicate from the sea Apostolike so that he may not exercise either kingdome or power ouer vs which be Catholicke And whereas you burden vs with hatred of our brethren knowe you that we purpose not to hate any of affection but of a godly zeale God forbidde that we should thinke Harry worthy to be accompted amongst our christian brethren who in deede is reputed for an Ethnike and Publicane in that he refused to heare the Church which so oft hath reproued him The hatred of whome we offer vnto God for a great sacrifice saying with the Psalmist Lord shall not I hate them that hate thee and shall not I triumph ouer thine enemies I hate them with an inward hatred that be ennemies to me for thy sake The truth it selfe commending the worthines of this hatred doth say If any do not hate father and mother brethren and sisters for my sake he cannot be my disciple We are not therefore iustly to be reproued of hatred which doe geue ouer our owne soule to be in the way of God who in deede are commanded to hate father and mother and euery affection which doth withstaÌ„d vs for walking in the path of God Hereof it commeth that we labor withall our studie and endeuour to beware of the enemies of the church and them to hate Not for that they be our enemies but gods Father where you doe perswade peace to be had with all men you must remember what the Apostle doth put before if it may be But if it can be that we can haue peace with them who can be contrary to God who doth not know the Lord our Sauiour to commend not onely peace when as he sayth my peâ—ce I geue vnto you my peace I leaue vnto you but that he is the peace as sayeth the Apostle he is the peace which made of both one For he calleth him our peace speaking in commendation of the peace Thincke not sayeth hee that I came to sende peace For I came not to send peace but the sworde What is meant by this Why is peace called a sword Or doth peace bid battel Yea truely to destroy the peace of the deuill For the deuil hath his peace whereof the Lord speaketh When as the strong man keepeth his house he doth possesse all his substance in peace Oh howe mightely doeth the deuil kepe his souldiours and his house in this time who with the shield of falshood and the helmet of vntruth so doth defend him that he will not suffer either arrow or dart of truth to pearse him Neuertheles our Lord being more strongly armed fiercely comming vpon your Giaunt is able to ouercome him and to take away his weapons wherein he putteth his trust We are not therfore to be blamed if we do detest that peace more cruel then any warre The which the truth it selfe did reproue weeping ouer Hierusalem and saying Truely it grieueth me this day to see sinners in peace being like vnto that peace wherat the Psalmist was offended Whereas you condemne Pope Gregory king Rodolphus and Marques Eggerbertus as men that haue died of an vnhappy death do magnifie your Lord because he doth ouerliue them it doth plainly forsoth appeare that you remaine voide of all spiritual consideration Is it not better to die well then to liue ill They be truely happy who suffer persecution for righteousnes sake by the same reason may you esteme Nero Herod and Pilate happy in that they ouerliued Peter Paul Iames Apostles Iesus Christ. What can be said more foolish and wicked then this opinion Wherfore refraine your babling toung from this blasphemie least that you place your selfe in the number of them which seeing the end of the iust to be glorious themselues doing late vnfruitfull penance bewailing in the anguish of the spirite shall say These be they whom sometime we had in derision laughed to scorne we being out of our wits thought their liues madnes and their end to be without honor Behold howe they be allowed to be amongst the children of God and their portion is amongst the Saints Wherfore we haue erred from the way of truth the brightnes of righteousnesse did not shine vpon vs. What did out pride auaile vs And what profit did the boasting of our richesse bring vnto vs They are all vanished away like a shadowe The which wordes we haue registred vp into perpetual memorie we do despise euery atteÌ„pt that shal lift vp it self against the truth of God And reioycing in troubles we may be reprooued put to shame and rebuked yea and finally be slaine and killed but we wil neither yeeld nor be ouercome And with great triumph will we reioyce in our fathers
prelates and churchmen threatning him with their bishops staues fiersly approching vpoÌ„ him Wherupon being dismayd in all hast ran tooke his sword to defeÌ„d himself finding there none to strike who afterward asking counsaile concerning these visions was mouthed by one of his pâ—ssitions named Grimbald by repentace almes and amendment of life to make some mends to god and to his countrey whom he offended Which thre vowes thus being made the next yere after he went to England where he being vpon the seas in a great tempest with hys daughter Matild remembred there his iii. vowes And so comming to the land for performance of the same â—irst released vnto the conuitons the Danogelt which his father his brother before had renued Secondly he went to S. Edmondesbury where he shewed great benefites to the churchmen Thirdly he procured iustice to be administred more rightly throughout his realme c. Also he ordayned and erected a new bishoprike at Carlile In the 33. yeare of this kinge raigne as witnesseth a certayne author a great part of the citie of London wyth the Church of S. Paule was burned with fire in Whition weeke After Calixtus whose story and ryme is before discoursed succeeded Pope Honorius ii Notwithstanding that the cardinals had elected another yet he by the means of certain citizens obtained the papacie an 1125. About the second yeare of his induction as is to be red in Math. Paris there was a certaine legate of his called Ioannes-Cremensis sent downe to England from the Pope for the redresse I cannot well tell whoreof But in deede the chiefest purpose of his commyng as of all other after hym in those dayes was to fill their pouches with English money as may further appeare by their procedings This Legate commyng then with the Popes letters directed both into england Scotland after he had well refreshed himselfe in Bishops houses and amongest the Abbotts at length resorted to London where he assembled the whole Clergy together inquired of Priestes concubines otherwise called theyr wiues making there upon a statute in the said Synode of London after this tenor Praesbyteris diaconibus subdiaconibus canonleis vxorum concubinarum omnium omnillo foeminarum concuberniat autoritate Apostolica inhibemus praeter matrem aut sororem vel amitam aut eiusmodi quae omnino careant suspitione Et qui decreti huius violator extiterit confessus vel convictus ruinam-ordinis patiatur Inter consanguineos seu affinitate propinquos vsque ad septimam generationem matrimonia contrahi prohibemus That is vnto priests deacons subdeacons and canons we do vtterly inhibite by authoritie Apostolicall all maner societie and conuersation with all kynde of women except onely their mother sister or Aunt or such whereof can ryse no suspicion And whosoeuer shall be found to violate this decree beyng conuict thereof shall sustaine thereby the losse of all that he hath by his order Moreouer amongst kindred or such as be ioyned in affinitie we forbid matrimony vnto the seuenth generation c. But see how God worketh against such vngodly proceedings The next night after it happened the same Cardinal rufflyng reuellyng wyth his concubines to be apprehended in the same vice wherof he had so straightly geuen out precepts the next day before to the no little slaunder and shame as Math. Paris doth write of the whole clergy Unto this tyme liued Henricus the v. Emperor after he had raigned 20. yeres dying without issue as is before mentioned Next after Henricus the Imperiall crowne came to Lotharius Duke of Saxon. an 1127. Certayne historyes make mention of one Arnulphus in the tyme of this Pope Honorius ii Some say he was Archbish. of Lugduneias Hugo Platina Sabellicus Trithemius sayth he was a priest whose history as it is set forth in Trithemius I will briefly in English expresse About this time sayth he in the dayes of Honorius ii one Arnulphus Priest a man zelous and of great deuotion and a worthy preacher came to Rome which Arnulphus in his preaching rebuked the dissolute and lasciuious losenes incontinencie auarice and immoderate pride of the clergy prouoking all to follow Christ and his Apostles in the pouerty rather and in purenes of lyfe By reason whereof this man was well accepted and highly liked of the nobilitie of Rome for a true disciple of Christ but of the Cardinals and the clergy no lesse hated then fauoured of the other In so much that priuily in the night season they tooke hym and destroyed him This his martyrdome sayth he was reuealed to hym before from God by an Aungell he beyng in the desert wheÌ„ he was sent forth to preach wherupoÌ„ he sayd to them publikely with these words I know sayth he ye seeke my lyfe and know ye will make me away priuisy But why because I preach to you the truth and blame your pryde stoutnesse auarice incontinencie with your vnmeasurable greedines in getting and heaping vp riches therfore be you displeased with me I take here heauen and earth to witnesse that I haue preached to you that I was commaunded of the Lord. But you contemne me and your creator who by his onely sonne hath redemed you And no meruaile if ye seeke my death beyng a sinfull person preaching to you the truth when as if S. Peter were here this day and rebuked your vices which doe so multiply aboue all measure you would not spare him neither And as he was expressing this with a loude voyce he sayd moreouer For my part I am not afrayd to suffer death for the truth sake but this I say to you that God will looke vpon your iniquities and will be reuenged You beyng full of all vnpuritie play the blynd guides to the people committed to you leading them the way to hell A God he is of reuengeaunce Thus the hatred of the Clergy beyng incensed agaynst hym for preaching truth conspired agaynst him and so laying priuy waite for hym tooke hym and drowned him Sabellicus Platina say they hanged hym In the second Tome of the general Councels imprinted at Colen is mentioned a certain booke called Opus tripartitum written as the author supposeth aboue 400. yeres ago either of this Arnulphus or iust about the same tyme. In this booke the writer complaineth of many enormities and abuses in the Church First of the number of holy dayes declaring what occasion of vice groweth thereby accordyng to the common saying of whores and naughty women which say they vauntage more in one holy day then in 50. other dayes besides Item complaineth of the curious singing in cathedral churches whereby many bee occasioned to bestow much good tyme yea many yeres about the same which otherwise they might geue to the learning of better sciences Likewise he complaineth of the rable and multitude of begging Friers and religious men professed womeÌ„ shewyng what great occasion of idle vncomely
Britaine Poytow and Guyan Also he had in hys rule Normandy Gascoyne Angeow and Chinon also Aluerne and the Citie of Tholous he wan and were to hym subiect Ouer and besides by the title of his wife Elenore daughter to the Erle of Poytow he obtained the mounts Pyraine in Spayne so that we read of none of hys progenitours which had so many countreys vnder hys dominion In England were seene in the firmament two sunnes or as it is in Chronica Chronicorum in Italy appeared thre sunnes by the space of iii. houres in the West and the yere following appeared iii. moones wherof the middle moone had a red crosse ouertwart the face Whereby was tokened by the iudgement of some the great schisme that after fell among the Cardinals for the election of the Bishop of Rome or else rather the businesse betwene Fridericus the Emperour and the Popes wherof partly now incidently occasiō geueth vs to discourse After that I haue first written of Gerhardus and Dulcinus Nauarēsis who in their tyme according to their gift did earnestly labour preach against the church of Rome defending and maintainyng that prayer was not more holy in one place then in an other that the Pope was Antichrist that the Clergy prelates of Rome were reiect and the very whore of Babilon prefigured in the Apocalips c. Peraduenture these had receiued some light of knowledge of the Waldenses Who at length with a great number of their folowers were oppressed and slaine by the Pope And although some inconuenient points of doctrine and dishonesty in their assemblies be agaynst them alledged of some yet these tymes of ours do teach vs sufficiently what credite is to bee geuen to such popish slanders forged rather vpon hatred of true religion then vpon any iudgement of truth Illyricus in his booke De testibus referreth the tyme of these two to the yere of our Lord 1280. but as I find in the story of Robert Guisburn these ii about the yeare of our Lord 1158. brought 30. with them into England who by the king and the Prelates were all burnt in the forehead and so driuen out of the Realme and after as Illyricus writeth were slayne by the Pope And now according to my promise premised the tyme requireth to proceede to the history of Fredericus the first called Barbarossa successor vnto Conradus in the Empire who marched vp to Italy to subdue there certaine rebels The Pope hearing that came with his Clergy to meete him by the way in a towne called Sutrium thinking by him to find ayd against his enemies The Emperor seyng the Bishop lighteth of his horse to receiue hym holdyng the stirrup to the Prelate on the left side when he should haue held it on the right whereat the Pope shewed himselfe somwhat agrieued The Emperor smiling excused himselfe that he was neuer accustomed to holde stirrops And seyng it was done onely of good will and of no duety the lesse matter was what side of the horse he held The next day to make amends agayne to the Bishop the Emperor sending for him receiued him holding the right stirrup to the prelate so all the matter was made whole and he the Popes owne white sonne agayne After this as they were come in and late together Hadrianus the Pope beginneth to declare vnto him how his auncestors before him such as sought to the sea of Rome for the crowne were woont alwayes to leaue behind them some speciall token or monument of their beneuolence for the obtaining thereof as Carolus Magnus in subduing the Lombards Ottho the Berengarians Lotharius the Normands c. Wherfore he required some benefit to proceed likewise from him to the church of Rome in restoring agayne the countrey of Apulia to the Church of Rome Which thing if he would do he for his part againe would do that which appertained to him to do meaning in geuing him the crowne for at the tyme the popes had brought the Emperors to fetch their crowne at their hands Frederike with his princes perceiuing that vnlesse he would of his owne proper costes charges fetch in agayn Apulia out of duke Williams hands he could not speed of the crowne was fayne to promise to all that the Pope required and so the next day after was crowned This done the Emperor returneth into Germany to refresh his army and his other furnitures for the subduing Apulia In the meane while Hadrianus not thinking to be idle first geueth forth censures of excommunication against William duke of Apulia Besides not coutēt with this sendeth also to Emanuel Emperor of Constantinople incensing him to warre against the foresayd William The duke perceiuing this sendeth to the Pope for peace promising to restore to him whatsoeuer he would But the Pope through the malignant counsaile of his Cardinals would grant to no peace thinking to get more by warre The Duke seyng nothing but warre prepareth himselfe with all expedition to the same To be briefe making all his power out of Sicilia he arriueth at Apulia there putteth Emanuell the Emperour to flight This done he proceedeth to the Citie Bonauentuee where the Pope with his Cardinals were looking for victory He planting there his siege so straightly pressed the City that the Pope w e his Cardinals were glad to intreat for peace which they refused before The Duke graunted to their peace vpon certaine conditions that is that neyther hee should inuade such possessions as belonged to Rome and that the Pope should make him king of both Siciles So the matter was concluded and they departed The bishop cōming to Rome was no lesse troubled there about their Consuls and Senators In so much that when his curses and excommunications could not preuayle nor serue hee was sayne to leaue Rome and remoued to Ariminum The Emperor all this while sitting quietly at home began to consider with himselfe how the Pope had extorted from the Emperours his predecessours the inuesting and induyng of prelates how he had pylied and poled all nations by his Legates and also had bene the sower of seditions through all his Empery he began therfore to require of all the bishops of Germany homagium and othe of their allegeance commaunding also the Popes Legates if they came into Germany without his sending for not to be receiued Charging moreouer all his subiectes that none of thē should appeale to Rome Besides this in his letters he set prefixed his name before the popes name Whereupon the Pope beyng not a little offended directed his letters to the foresayd Frederike Emperour after this tenor and forme as foloweth The copy of Hadrianus the Popes letters to Fredericke the Emperour HAdrianus Episcopus seruus seruorum Dei Friderico Imperatori salutem Apostolicam benedictionem Caetera vide in priore aeditione In English Hadrian Bishop seruant of the seruants of God to Friderike Emperour health and Apostolicall
benediction The law of God as it promiseth to them that honour father and mother long life so it threatneth the sentence of death to them that curse father mother We are taught by the word of truth that euery one which exalteth himselfe shal be brought low Wherfore my welbeloued sonne in the Lord we meruaile not a little at your wisedome in that you seeme not to shew that reuerence to blessed S. Peter and to the holy church of Rome which you ought to shew For why in your letters sent to vs you preferre your owne name before ours wherin you incurre the note of insolencie yea and rather to speake it of arrogancie What should I here recite vnto you the othe of your fidelitie which you sware to blessed S. Peter and to vs and how you obserue and kepe the same Seyng you so require homage and allegeaunce of them that be Gods and all the sonnes of the high God and presume to ioyne their holy handes with yours working contrary to vs Seyng also you exclude not onely out of your churches but also out of your cities our Cardinals whom we direct as Legates from our side what shall I say then vnto you Amend therefore I aduise you amend for while you go about to obtayne of vs your consecration and crowne to get those things you haue not I feare much your honour will loose the things ye haue Thus fare ye well The aunswer of Frederike the Emperour to the Pope FRederike by the grace of God Romaine Emperour euer Augustus vnto Adrian bishop of the Romaine church and vnto all such that bee willing to cleaue vnto those things which Iesus began to worke and teach greeting The law of iustice geueth to euery person accordingly that which is his Neither do we derogate from our parents of whom according as we haue receiued this our dignitie of the Imperiall crowne and gouernance so in the same kyngdome of ours we doe render their due true honour to them againe And forasmuch as duety in all sortes of men is to be sought out let vs see first in the tyme of Constantine Siluester then being Bishop of Rome what patrimony or regalitie hee had of his owne due to him that he might claime Dyd not Constantine of his liberall benignitie geue liberty and restored peace vnto the church And whatsoeuer regalitie or patrimony the see of your papacy hath was it not by the donation of Princes geuen vnto them Reuolue and turne ouer the ancient chronicles if either you haue not red or neglected that we do affirm there it is to be found Of them which be Gods by adoption and hold our lord ships of vs why may wee not iustly require theyr homage their sworne allegeāce whē as he which is both your maister and ours taking nothing of any king or any man but geuing all goodnes to all men payd toll and tribute for hym Peter vnto Cesar Geuing you example to do the like And therfore salth to you and all men Learne of me for I am meeke and humble of hart c Wherfore eyther render againe your lordships patrimonies which ye hold of vs or els if ye finde them so sweete vnto you then geue that which is due to God to God and that which is due to Cesar vnto Cesar. As for your Cardinals we shut them out both of churches and cities For that we see them not preachers but proylers not repairers of peace but rakers for mony not pillers and vpholders of the church but polers insatiable of the world and moylers of mony and gold What tyme we shall see them to be other men such as the church requireth them to be members and makers of peace shining forth lyke lightes to the people assisting poore and weake mens causes in the way of equitie c. Then shall they finde vs prest and ready to relieue thē with stipends and all things necessary And where as you inferre such questions as these vnto secular men little conducing to religion you incurre therby no little note and blemish of your humilitie which is keeper of all vertues and of your mansuetude Therfore let your fatherhood beware and take heede least in mouing such matters as seme to vs vnseemely for you ye geue therby offence to such as depend of your word geuing eare to your mouth as it were to an euening shower For we cannot but tell you of that we heare seing now the detestable beast of pride doth creepe into the seat of Peter prouiding alwayes as much as we may by gods grace for the peace of the church Fare ye well Upon this Hadrianus the Pope directeth out a Bull against Friderike excommunicating him with publike solemne ceremonies Moreouer conspiring with William duke of Apulia sought all maner of ways to insest the emperour and to set all men agaynst him especially the clergy Amongst many other writing to Hilituns Byshop of Driuers to Arnulphus bishop of Mentz to Friderike bishop of Colen seeketh first to make them of his side His Epistle to them soundeth to this effect THe Empire of Rome was transferred from the Greekes to the Almains so that the king of Almains could not be called Emperour before he were crowned of the bishop Apostolicall Before his consecration he is a king afterward Emperour Whence hath he his Empire then but of vs By the election of his princes he hath the name of a king by our consecration he hath the name of the Emperour of Augustior of Caesar. Ergo by us he raygneth as Emperor Search ancient antiquities Zacharias P. promooted Carolus and made him a great name that he was made and called Emperour And after that euer the king of Almaines was named Emperour and aduocate to the see Apostolicall so that Apulia conquered by him was subdued to the bishop of Rome which Apulia with the citie of Rome is ours and not the Emperours Our seat is at Rome the seate of the Emperour is at Aquis in Arduenna which is a wood in Fraunce The Emperour whatsoeuer he hath he hath it of vs. As Zacharias did translate the Empire frō the Greekes to the Almaines so we may translate it againe from the Almains to the Greekes Behold it lyeth in our power to geue it to whom we will being therfore set vp of God aboue Gentiles and nations to destroy and plucke vp to build and to plant c. And yet further to vnderstand the ambitious presumption of this proud see of Rome it so chaunced this Emperour Fridericus at his first comming vp to Rome dyd behold there in the palace of Lateraue a certaine picture brought forth vnto him how Lotharius the ii Emperour was crowned of the Pope with the inscription of certaine verses in Latin declaryng how the foresayd Emperor cōming to Rome first did sweare to the city after was made the Popes man and so of him receiued the crowne Fridericus offended with this picture
departure began to be knowne and noysed abroad the kinges officers came to Canterbury to season vppon hys goodes in the kinges behalfe But as it chanced the night before their comming Becket being returned and founde at home they did not proceede in their purpose Upon this the Archbishop vnderstanding the kyng sore bent agaynst hym and the seas not to serue hym made hast to the court lying then at woodstock Where the king receaued him after a certayne maner but nothing so familiarly as he was wont taunting him gestingly merily as though one realme were not able to hold them both Becket although he was permitted to go and come at his pleasure to the court yet could not obtaine the fauour that he would perceiuing both in himselfe and confessing no lesse to other how the matter would fall out so that eyther he should be cōstrayned to geue ouer with shame or stoutly stand to that which he had so holdly taken in hand The Archbishop of Yorke in the meane time going betweene the kyng and the Archbish. laboured to make a peace loue betweene them but the King in no case would be reconciled vnlesse the other would subscribe to his lawes So the while neyther the K. would otherwise agree nor yet the archb in any wise would subscribe there was a foule discorde Where the fault was let the reader here iudge betwene thē both The K. for his regall authoritie thought it much that any subiect of hys should stand agaynst him The Archb. agayne bearing himselfe bold vppon the authoritie especially vpon the letters of the P. lately writtē to him thought hym strong inough agaynst the king all hys realme Againe such was his quarell for the maintenance of liberties and glory of the Church that he could lacke no setters on fauourers in that behalfe in so swete a cause amongest the clergy Wherfore the Archb. trusting to these thinges would geue no place but by vertue of his Apostolike authoritie gaue censure vpon these lawes and constitutions of the king condemning some other some approuing for good and catholicke as is before declared Besides this there came also to the K. Rotrodus Archbishop of Rotomage sent from the Pope to make peace betweene the K. and Canterbury Whereunto the king was well content so that the Pope would agree to ratifie hys ordinances But whē that could in no wise be obtayned at the Popes handes then the king beyng stopped and frustrate of hys purpose by reason of Beckets Apostolike legacie being Legatus a Latere thought good to send vp to the pope and so dyd to obtayne of hym that the same authoritie of the Apostolike Legacy might be conferd to an other after his appointment which was the Archbishop of Yorke But the pope denied Notwithstanding at the request of the kings Clergy the Pope was content that the king should be Legate hymselfe whereat the kyng tooke great indignation as Houeden writeth so that he sent the Pope hys letters agayne Here the Pope was perplexed on both sides If he should haue denied the kyng that was to hote for him For the Pope vseth always to hold in with kings howsoeuer the world speedeth Agayne if he should haue forsaken such a churchly chaplen the cause being so sweete and so gainefull that should haue bene agaynst himselfe what did he thē Here now commeth in the old practise of popish prelacy to play with both hands priuily he cōspireth with the one and openly dissembleth with the other First he granted to the kings ambassadors their request to haue the Legate remooued and to place in that office the Archbishop of Yorke after his owne contentation and yet notwithstanding to tender the cause of Tho. Becket he addeth this promise withall that the sayd Becket should receiue no harme or damage therby Thus the Pope craftily conneying the matter betwene them both glad to further the Archbishop for his owne aduantage and yet lothe to deny the king for displeasure writeth to the king openly and also secretly directeth another letter to Becket the contents wherof here follow Alexander the Pope to Thomas Archb. of Caunterbury ALthough we condescending to the kings request haue graūted the gifte of our legacie after his minde from you yet let not your minde therby be discomforted nor brought into sighes of dispaire For before that we had graunted that or gaue oure consent thereunto the kings ambassadours firmely promised in the word of trueth ready also to be sworne vpon the same if I would haue so required that their letters also which he had obtained should not be deliuered to the Archbishop of York without our knowledge and consent therein This is certaine and so perswade your self boldly without any scruple doubt or mistrust that it was neuer my minde or purpose nor euer shal be God willing to subdue you or your Church vnder the obedience of any person to be subiect saue onely to the Bishop of Rome And therfore we warne you and charge you that if you shall perceiue the king to deliuer these foresaide letters which we trust he will not attempt without our knowledge to doe forthwith by some trustie messenger or by your letters you will geue vs knowledge therof wherby we may prouide vpō the same both for your person your Churche and also your citie committed to you to be clerely exempt by our authoritie Apostolicall from all power iurisdiction of any legacie Upon these letters and such other as is sayd before Becket seemed to take all his boldnesse to be so stoute and sturdy against his Prince as he was The Pope beside these sent secretly this Chaplaine of hys and directed an other letter also vnto the king granting and permitting at his request to make the Archbishop of Yorke Legate Apostolicall The king after he had receiued his letters sent from the Pope beganne to put more strength to his purposed procedings against the Archbishop first beginning wyth the inferiors of the clergy such as were offenders agaynst his lawes as fellons robbers quarellers breakers of peace and especially such as had committed homicide and murders wherof more then an hundred at that time were prooued vpon the clergy as witnesseth Guliel Neuburgēsis in his booke de gestis Anglorum lib. 2. cap. 16 vrging and cōstraining them to be arreigned after the order of the lawe temporall and iustice to be ministred to them according to their deserts as first to be depriued and so to be committed to the secular hands This seemed to Becket to derogate frō the liberties of holy church that the secular power should passe in causes criminall or sit in iudgemēt against any ecclesiasticall person This law the roisters then of the clergy had picked and forged out of Anacletus Euaristus by whole falsly alleaged and pretensed authoritie they haue deduced this their constitution from the Apostles which geueth immunity to all ecclesiasticall persons to be free from
a thumbe in a mans hand helpeth a man to worch and double number of fingers in one hand should let hym more and so the more number the there were passing the measure of Gods ordinaunce the more were a man letted to worke Right so as it seemeth it is of these new orders that ben added to the church without grounde of holy write and Gods ordinaunce 33. Frere what charitie is this to the people to lye and say that ye follow Christ in pouerty more then other meÌ„ done and yet in curious and costly howling and fine and precious clothing and delicious and liking feeding in treasure and iewels rich ornamentes Freres passen Lordes and other rich worldly men and soonest they shold bryng her cause about be it neuer so costly though Gods lawe be put abacke 34. Frere what charitie is this to gather vp the books of holy write and put hem in treasory and so emprison them from secular priestes and curates by this cautell let hem to preach the Gospell freely to the people without worldly mede and also to defame good priestes of heresie lyen on hem openly for to let hem to shew gods law by the holy gospell to the Christen people 35. Frere what charitie is thys to fayne so much holines in your bodely clothing that ye clepe your habite that many blynd fooles desiren to die therein more then in an other and also that a Frere that leuith his habite late founden of men may not be assoyled till he take agayne but is Apostata as ye seyn and cursed of God and maÌ„ both The Frere beleueth truth and patience chastitie meeknes and sobriety yet for the more part of his life he may soone be assoyled of his Prior and if he bring home to his house mich goad by the yeare be it neuer so falâ—y begged pilled of the poore and nedy people in in countries about he shal behold a noble Frere O Lord whether this be charitie 36. Frere what charitie is this to prease vpon a richâ— man and to entice him to be buryed among you from hys parish Church and to such riche men geue letters of fraternitie confirmed by your generall seale and thereby to beare him in hand that he shall haue part of all your masses mattens preachinges fastinges wakinges and al other good dedes done by your brethren of your order both whiles he liuith and after that he is dead and yet ye wytten neuer whether your deedes be acceptable to God ne whether that man that hath that letter be able by good liuing to receiue any parte of your deedes and yet a poore man that ye wyte well or supposen in certaine to haue no good of ye ne geuen to such letters though he be a better man to God then such a rich man neuerthelesse this poore man doth not retche thereof For as men supposen suche letters and many other that Freres behotten to men be full false deceites of Fryers out of all reasoÌ„ and gods law and christen mens fayth 37. Frere what charitie is this to be Confessours of Lordes and Ladies and to other mighty men and not amend hem in her liuing but rather as it seemeth to be the bolder to pill her poore tenauntes and to liue in lechery there to dwell in your office of confessour for wynning of worldly goodes and to be holde great by colour of suche ghostly offices this seemith rather pride of Freres than charitie of God 38. Frere what charitie is this to sayne that who so liuith after your order liuith most perfitely and next followeth the state of Apostles in pouertie and penaunce yet the wisest and greatest clerkes of you wend or seÌ„d or procure to the court of Rome to be made Cardinals or bishops or the popes chaplaines and to be assoyled of the vowe of pouertie and obedience to your ministers in the which as ye sayne standeth most perfection and merite of your orders and thus ye faren as Phariseis that sayen one and do an other to the contrary Why name ye more the Patrone of your order in your Confiteor when ye beginne masse then other Sayntes Apostles or Martyrs that holy Churche hold more glorious then hem and clepe hem your Patrons and your auowries Frere whether was S. Frauncis in making of hys rule that hee set thine order in a foole a lyer or els wyse and true If ye sayne that he was not a foole but wise ne a lyer but true why shewe ye contrary by your doyng whan by your suggestion to the pope ye sayde that your rule that Fraunces made was so harde that ye might not liue to hold it without declaration and dispensation of the pope And so by your deede ne lete your Patrone a foole that made a rule so harde that no man may well keepe and eke your dede proueth him a lyer where he saith in his rule that he tooke and learned it of the holy Ghost For how might ye for shame pray the Pope vndoe that the holy ghost bit as when ye prayed him to dispense with the hardnes of your order Frere whiche of the foure orders of Friers is best to a man that knoweth not which is the best but would fayne enter into the best and none other If thou sayst that thine is the best then sayst thou that none of the other is as good as thine and in this ech Frere in the 3. other orders wolle say that thou lyest for in the selfe maner eche other Freere woll say that hys order is best And thus to eche of the 4. orders bene the other three contrary in this poynt in the which if anye sayth sooth that is one alone for there may but one be the best of foure so followeth it that if each of these orders aunswered to this question as thou doest iij. were false and but one true and yet no man should wyte who that were And thus it seemeth that the most part of Freeres byn or should be lyers in this poynt and they should aunswere thereto If you say that an other order of the Freres is better then thine or as good why tooke ye nat rather therto as to the better when thou mightst haue chose at the beginning And eke why shouldest thou be an Apostata to leaue thine order and take thee to that is better and so why goest thou not from thine order into that Frere is there any perfiter rule of religion than Christ Gods sonne gaue in his Gospell to his brethren Or then that religion that Sainct Iames in his Epistle maketh mention of If you say yes then puttest thou on Christ that is the wisedome of God the father vnkunning vnpower or euill will for than he could not make his rule so good as an other did his And so he had be vnkunning that he might not so make his rule so good as an
haue compassion on the miseries of men Of whom was declared before that he being elected Archbishop of Canterbury would not get one halfe peny to theyr expenses by the way to geue his election coÌ„firmed by the Pope and afterward by the sayd Pope was defeited and frustrated of his election as relation was made before pag. 274. And thus through Gods prouideÌ„ce by the meanes of the kings letters the army returned and Huberts life contrary to hys expectation was preserued After this the Archbishop of Dubline with much labour and great fute intreated and obteined of the king to graunt vnto the sayd Hubert respite till the twelfe day of Ianuary to prouide himself of his answere to such things as were commensed agaynst him Then Hubert trusting to enioy some safety by the kings permission to him grauÌ„ted to breath himselfe a litle and to walke abroad took his iourny towardes S. EdmuÌ„desbury where his wife was And passing through the countrey of Essex was Inned there in a certaine towne belonging to the bishop of Norwich Wherof when the king was certified fearing lest he would raise vp some commotion in the Realme seÌ„deth in hasty anger after him Syr Godfred Cranecombe knight with 300. men commaunding vnder payne of hanging that they should apprehend him bring him to the tower of London Which commaundement to accomplish there lacked no haste Hubert hauing intelligence of their comming rising out of his bed naked as he was ranne to the chappel standing nere to the Inne where he holdeth with the one hand the crosse with the other hand the SacrameÌ„t of the Lordes body Then Godfride with his foresayd armed souldiours entring into the Chappell willed him to come out Which when he would not with violent hands he drew him out of the Chappell and taking the Crosse Sacrament out of his hands fast bound him with fetters and giues vnder the horse belly and brought him as they were commaunded to the Tower And so certifying the king what they had done who then taried vp waking for them he reioyced not a little thereat and went mery to his bed The next morrow following after Roger Byshop of London had knowledge how and in what order he was taken violently out of the Chappell he commeth to the king blaming him boldely for violating the peace of holy church and protested that vnlesse the partye were loosed agayne sent to the Chappel from whence he was drawn he would enter sentente of excommunication agaynst all the deed doers The king as he did not deny his transgression herein so sendeth him albeit agaynst his will out of the Tower to the said Chappell agayn by the same souldiors which brought him out before Which done he geueth in straight charge and commaundement vnder payne of hanging to the Shiriffes of Herforde and of Essex that they in theyr owne persons with the strength of both Shyres shoulde watch and compasse about the Chappell and see that the sayd Hubert no wayes might escape Which commaundement of the king was accoÌ„plished with all diligence But Hubert took all this patiently and continued in the chappell praying both night and day commending his cause vnto the Lord whom he desired so to deliuer him from that instant daunger as he alwayes sought the kings honor by his faythfull and trusty seruice And as he continued in his prayer so the king continuing in his rage commaunded that no man should intreat for him or make any mention of him in his presence Notwithstanding yet Lucas Archbishop of Dubline his true and almost onely friend ceased not to pray and weepe to the king for hym desiring the king at least to intimate to him what he purposed should be done with Hubert Whereunâ—â— the King answering sayd that of three things one he should choose whether he woulde abiure the Realme of England for euer or be condemned to perpetuall prison or els confesse himselfe openly to be a Traytour But Hubert hereunto sayde that he woulde choose none of these Articles as who knew himselfe neither guiltye nor worthye of anye suche confusion but to satisfye somewhat the minde of the Kyng he woulde be content to departe the Realme for a season but to abiure the Realme he woulde not so doe In this meane time it befel that Ranulphus Earle of Chester and of Lincoln one of his sorest enemies died Hubertus all this while remayned in the Chappell inclosed garded about with the power as is sayd of two shires so continued til at length by the coÌ„mauÌ„dement of the king his two seruitours whiche ministred to him within the Chappell were taken from him Then Hubert seeing no other remedy but there to sterue for famine offered hymselfe of his owne accorde to the Shiriffes saying that he would put himselfe rather in the kinges mercy then there desperately to perish for hunger And so was he takeÌ„ and being fast bound in fetters was brought agayne clapped by the Kinges commaundement in the Tower of London Not long after this word was brought to the king by certaine that the said Hubert had muche treasure lying in the house of the new Templaries in London Wherupon the king to try out the trueth thereof sendeth for the Prior or maister of that house who not daring to deny confessed that there was in deed treasure brought into the house but the quantity and number thereof he could not tell The King desirous to season vpoÌ„ the treasure required and charged the maister with his brethren with threatning wordes to bring forth the treasure to him saying that it was taken and stolne out of his treasury But they answered againe that the treasure was committed with trust and sayth vnto theyr hands and therfore they would nor ought to let it go out of theyr hands being trusted withall without the assent of him which committed the same vnto them When the king could get no other answere at their hands neither durst shew any further violeÌ„ce against theÌ„ he sendeth to Hubert in the Tower requiring of him the foresaid treasures To whom he aunswering agayne mildely yelded both himselfe his treasures all that euer he had vnto the kings will pleasure so sending word to the maister brethren of the Temple willeth them to take al the keyes and deliuer the goods with all that there was to the king who receiuing the same and taking an Inuentory of that which was receiued caused it to be brought to his treasure wherof the number both of the plate of coyne and of the iewels was of price vnknown The enemies of Hub. supposing thereby to take aduauÌ„tage against him to bring him to his end came with open complaynt to the king criyng out against Hubert that he was a thief a traitor and a robber of the kings treasure and therefore by right was worthy to be hanged and thus cried his accusers dayly in the kinges eare
Lord. 1237. that Germanus Archb. and Patriarch of Constantinople wrote to the sayd Pope Gregory 9. humbly desiring him to study and seeke some meanes of vnity how the seamelesse coat of the Lord Iesus thus lamentably rent not with handes of soldiours but by discord of Prelates may be healed agayne offering this moreouer that if he will take the paines to stirre out he for his part notwithstanding his old age seeble body would not refuse to meet him in the mid way to y◠intent that the truth on both sides being debated by y◠scriptures the wrong part may be reduced the slaunder stopped and vnity reformed betwene them This request of the Patriarke as it was both godly reasonable so it had bene the bishops part again with like humility to haue condescended to the same and glad with all his might to helpe forward the reformation of christian vnity in the church of Christ and so to haue shewed himselfe the sonne of peace But the proud Byshop of Rome more like the sonne of discord and dissention standing still vpon his maiesty refused thus to do but writing agayne answere to his letters with great disdayne seking nothing els but only how to aduance his sea aboue all other churches and not onely that but also shortly after sēt forth his preaching Friers to moue all Christians to take the signe of the crosse to fight agaynst the Grecians no otherwise then against the Turkes Saracens In so much that in the Isle of Cyprus many good men and Martyrs were slayne for the same as by the letters of the said Germanus Patriarke of Constantinople is to be seene The tenour of the which letter to the Pope with the popes answere agayne to him being long and tedious to read are extant in the history of Math. Paris there to be sene and found fol. 111. The summary effect whereof notwithstanding I thought here briefly to notifye for the simple vnlearned multitude which vnderstanding not the Latine may hereby perceiue the fault of this schisme not so much to rest in the greek church as in the church of Rome as by the contents of his letter may appeare The effect of the Patriarch of Constantinople his letter to Pope Gregory 9. IN the which letter the sayd Germanus Patriarch of Constantinople writing to Pope Gregory first after his reuerend salutation and preamble following vpon the same entring thé toward the matter sheweth the occasion of his writing which was by 5. obseruaunt Friers repayring that wayes whom he gently receiuing into his house had conference with them touching this discord betwene the two Churches how it might be reduced again to vnity and afterward perceiuing the sayd Friers to make theyr iourney towardes to Rome he thought therefore by thē to write his letters Wherein he first lamenting this diuision in the house of God and reciting the inconueniences which come therof by the example of Iuda and Israel Ierusalem and Samaria Cain and Abel Esau and Iacob also of other such like both priuate publicke societies where brother sighteth agaynst brother like as among fishes the greater deuoureth the lesser he procedeth then further gently to exhort Pope Gregory to the study of vnity And for so much as the Pope had accursed belike those Churches of the Greekes before he therefore taking his groūd vpon the wordes of S. Paule Gal. 1. where he accurseth euery such person and persons whatsoeuer they be either man or Angell of heauen that shall preach any other Gospell then hath bene preached c. willeth the Pope to stand with him vpon the same ground of the Apostles accurse so that if the stroke of that curse haue light vpon him or his churches he desireth him to shew the wound and to helpe to wipe away the bloud to minister some spirituall emplaister to binde vp the sore and to saue his brethré from perishing which lay in daunger according to the saying of the wise man A brotherly frend is tried in aduersity c. But if we sayth he of the Greeke Church be free from the stripe of this accurse of the Apostle and that you Italians of the Latine Church be stricken therewith and lye thereby in daunger of destruction I trust that you through ignoraunce and wilfull obstinacy will not so suffer your selues to be separated from the Lord but rather will suffer a thousand deathes before if it were possible for a man so often to dye And as touching this great discord betwene vs if either cōtrarietie of doctrine or sweruing frō the ancient Canons or diuersity of rites receiued of our forefathers be any cause thereof we here take heauen and earth to witnesse that we for our partes are ready and desire also vpon due triall of profound trueth by Gods word and inuocation of the holy Ghost to ioyne hands with you or you to ioyne with vs. But to say the very trueth and to tell you playne this we suppose that many mighty and noble potentates would sooner encline to your obedience were it not that they feared your vniust oppressions your insatiable exactions and inordinate oppressions wherewith you wring your subiectes By reason whereof haue risen amongst vs cruell warres one fighting agaynst an other desolation of Cittyes Bulles and Interdictions set vpon Church dores diuision of brethren and Churches of the Grecians left without seruice where God should be praysed So that now onely one thing lacketh which I beleue to be predefined and appoynted from aboue long before to vs Grecians the time I meane of martirdome which also now hasteneth fast vpon vs that the tribunall of tyrauntes should be opened and the seats of torments be set that the bloud of Martyrs should be spilled we brought to the stage of Martyrdome to fight for the crowne of glory This that I doe speake and wherefore I speake it the noble Iland of Cyprus doth already know and feele which hath made many new Martyrs and hath seene valiaunt soldiours of Christ which of long time before passing by water and teares of sorow now at last haue also passed through fire and so entred into the heauenly rest How say you be these good and seemely O holye Pope the successor of S. Peter the Apostle Is this the bidding of that good Peter the meeke and humble disciple of Christ Doth he thus instruct the Seniors and Elders in his Epistle where he writeth in this wise The Elders which are amōgst you I beseech which am also a fellow Elder with them and witnesse of the sufferings of Christ and also a partaker of the glory that shal be opened feed the flocke of God which is amongest you hauing care sight ouer it not of a coaction as compelled agaynst your willes but willingly of your owne accord nor for filthy lukere sake but freely and hartily neither as bearing dominion and Lordship ouer the Church but shewing your selues as
an example to the flocke and when the chiefe Pastor shall appeare you shall receiue an incorruptible crowne of eternall glory c. And this is the doctrine of Peter as they shal se which do not obey it As for vs the other part of the sayd Epistle is sufficient Wherein he willeth thē to reioice which are in heauines through manifolde temptations that the triall of theyr sayth being much more precious thē gold that perisheth and is tryed in fire may be theyr laud honour and glory at the appearing of the Lord Iesu. c. But beare with me I pray you O holy Father and of all your Predecessors most meekest and suffer my wordes though the seme something sharpe for they be sighings of a sorrowfull hart Wherefore gird about your loynes with fortitude and light vp the candle of your descretion and seeke the groat that is lost of the vnity I meane of sayth And we will also with like compassion ioyne with your holynesse and will not spare this weake body of mine in pretending any excuse either of age or lēgth of the way For the more laborous the trauell is the moe crownes it bringeth And S. Paule sayth Euery man shall receiue reward according to his trauell c. Neither are we ignoraunt if it please your holinesse that like as we Grecians for our partes do labour in all respectes to keepe and obserue the sincerity of true sayth and doctrine not to erre ne swerue in any part or poynt from the statutes of the blessed Apostles and auncient fathers so the Church likewise of old Rome doth for her part labour also we know well to follow the sincere verity of Christian doctrine and thinketh her selfe to erre in nothing nor to neede any remedye or reformation And this we know is the iudgement and saying of both the Churches aswell of the Greekes as of the Latines For no man can see any spot in his owne face without he stoope downe to the glasse or els be admonished by some other whether his face be blotted or no. Euen so haue we many great sayre glasses set before vs first the cleare Gospell of Christ the Epistles of the Apostles and diuinitie bookes of auncient writers Let vs therefore looke in them well They will shew euery mans minde and iudgement whether he go right or wrong The God of peace tread downe Sathan speedely vnder our feet The author of peace confound the sower of discord He that is the cause of all goodnes destroy the hater of that which is good and which geueth cause of offence and slaunder And he which is God of all ioy and peace send to vs whiche are the shepheardes of his sheepe reasonable the aungell of peace and messenger of great glad tidings as he did in the Natiuitye of Christ to the shepheardes of brute sheepe and vnreasonable and make vs worthy to sing that ioyfull song of Gods prayse Gloria in excelsis Deo in terra pax hominibus bona voluntas and to receiue one an other with an holy kisse The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the peace of God the Father and the communion of the holy spirit be with you alwayes Amen ¶ An other Epistle of the sayd Germanus Patriarch of Constantinople and Primate of the Greek Church to the Cardinals of Rome AN other letter the sayd Germanus Patriarch of Constantinople wrote also the same time to the Popes Cardinals wherin he first commending them for theyr wisedome and counsell and shewing what vtility commeth by good counsell geuing for so much as God sayth he many times that he hydeth from one inspireth to an other so that that good thing which by the almighty God is sonderly dispensed to diuers through common counsell and conference spreadeth to the publicke vtility of many c. After this eftsoones he beginneth to exhort them that they like charitable ministers and discrete counsellors will take in hand the spirituall armour of God to cast downe the stoppe partition walle of the olde discord betweene the Greekes and Latine Church that they will be a meanes to the Bishop of Rome that they which so long haue bene disseuered by dissention may now be conioyned in vnity of peace in brotherly charity and communion of fayth Concerning which matter I haue sayth he already written to his holynesse And now I beseech the king of heauen whiche tooke the shape of a seruaunt to helpe his miserable seruauntes and was exalted vpon the crosse to raise them vp which were fallen into the profundity of desolation that he will vouchsafe to put from your hartes all elation of minde extolling it selfe ouer and aboue the vnity of your brethren and fellow seruauntes and to lighten your consciences with the true light of vnderstanding that we may altogether agree in one that there be no schisme amongst vs. Let vs therefore as we are instructed so abide in one minde that it be not sayd of vs as it was of the Corinthians before vs I hold of Paule I of Apollo I of Coephas and I of Christ but that all we as we holde the name of Christ and are all called Christians so may also abide in that wherein we are instructed in one minde that is to follow loue and charity in Christ Iesus hauing alwayes in our hartes the wordes of the Apostle saying One Lord one Fayth one Baptisme And now to be playne with you in that I haue to say I shal desire you not to be offended with me in vttering the trueth as a frend vnto you The wordes sayth Salomon of a wise man telling trueth be like to nayles which be driuen in deepe And truth for the moste parte breedeth enemies And therefore though I am partly afrayd yet will I simply confesse the trueth vnto you Certes this diuision of Christian vnity amongst vs proceedeth of no other cause but onely of the tiranny oppression and exactiōs of the Church of Rome which of a mother is become a stepdame and hath put her children from her whome long time she nourished after the maner of a rauening bird which driueth her yong from her which children how much the more humble and obedient they are to her the lesse she esteemeth them and treadeth them vnder foot not regarding the saying of the Gospel Who so humbleth himselfe shal be exalted Let modesty therefore something temper you and let the auarice of the Court of Rome although it can not well out of the flesh which is bred in the bone yet surcease a while and let vs together condescend to the triall of the trueth which trueth being found out on both sides let vs constantly embrace the same For why we haue bene altogether some times both Italians and Grecians in one fayth and vnder the same Canons hauing peace each with other and defending one an other and confounding the enemies of the Church At what tyme many flying out of the west
the whole summe whereof was found yerely to be three score thousaÌ„d Markes to the which summe the reuenues of the whole crowne of England and not extend Ex Math. Parisiens fol 185. a. The Nobles then vnderstanding the miserable oppression of the Realme being assembled together at Dinistable for certayne causes sent one Fulco in the name of the whole nobility vnto M. Martinus the Popes Marchaunt with this message that he iudelayedly vpon the same warning should prepare himselfe to be gone out of the realme vnder payn of being cut all to pieces At which message the Legate being sore agaâ— went straight to the king to know whether his conseÌ„t was to the same or not Of whom when he found litle better comfort he tooke hys leaue of the king who had him adue in the deuils name faith M. Paris and thus was the realme rid of M. Martinus Ex Mat. Paris 185. b. an 1245. As soone as Pope Innocent had hereof intelligence by the coÌ„playnt of his Legate he was in a mighty rage And furthermore remembring how yâ— french king the king of Arragon not long before had denied him entraunce into theyr land and being therfore in displeasure with theÌ„ likewise began in great anger to knit his browes and said it is best that we fall in agreement with our prince whereby we may the sooner bring vnder these little petty kinges and so the great Dragon being pacified these litle serpents we shall handle at our owne pleasure as we lift After this immediarly theÌ„ folowed the generall councell of Lions to the which councell the states and Lordes of the Realme with the consent of the communaltye sent two Bulles One conteining a generall suplication to the Pope and the councell the other with the Articles of such greuaunces which they desired to be redressed whereof relation is made sufficiently before pag. 267. The other bill of the Supplication because it is not before expressed I thought here to exhibite for two causes First that men now in these dayes may see the pitifull blindnesse of those ignoraunt dayes wherein our English nation here did so blindely humble themselues and stand to the Popes curtesy Whom rather they should haue shaken of as the Grecians did Secondly that the pride of the Pope might the better appeare in his coulours who so disdaynefully reiected the humble sute of our Lordes and Nobles when they had much more cause to disdayne rather to stampe him vnder their feet The tenour of the SupplicatioÌ„ was this ¶ The copy of the Supplication written in the names of all the nobles and commons of England to Pope Innocent the 4. in the generall Councell at Lyons anno 1245. ¶ To the reuerend Father in Christ Pope Innocent chiefe Byshop the nobles with the whole comminaltye of the Realme of England sendeth commendation with kissing of his blessed feet OVr mother the Church of Rome we loue with all our hartes as our duety is and couet the encrease of her honour with so much affection as we may as to whome we ought alwayes to flye for refuge whereby the griefe lying vpon the childe maye finde comfort at the mothers hand Which succour the mother is bound so much the rather to imparte to her childe how muche more kinde and beneficial she findeth him in relieuing her necessitiee Neither is it to the sayd our mother vnknowne how beneficiall and bountifull a geuer the Realme of England hath bene now of long tyme for the more amplifying of her exaltation as appeared by our yerely subsidie whiche we terme by the name of Peterpence Now the sayd Church not contented with this yearly subsidie hath sent diuers Legates for other contributions at diuers and sondry times to be taxed and leuyed out of the same Realme al which contributions and taxes notwithstanding haue bene louingly and liberally graunted Furthermore neither is it vnknowne to your fatherhood how our forefathers like good Catholickes both louing and fearing their maker for the soules health as well of themselues as of their progenitours and successors also haue founded Monasteryes and largely haue endued the same both with their owne proper landes and also patronages of benefices whereby suche religious persons prosessing the first and chiefest perfection of holy Religion in theyr Monasteries might with more peace and tranquillitie occupy themselues deuoutly in Gods seruice as to the order appertained And also their Clearkes presented by them into their benefices might sustaine the other exteriour labours for them in that seconde order of religion and so discharge and defend them from all hasardes so that the saide religious monasteries cannot be defrauded of those their patronages and collations of benefices but the same must touche vs also very neare and worke intollerable griefe vnto our hearts And now see we beseche you which is lamentable to behold what iniuries we sustaine by you and your predecessors who not considering those our subsidies and coÌ„tributions aboue remembred doe suffer also your Italians and forreiners whych be out of number to be possessed in our Churches and benefices in Englande pertaining to the right and patronage of those monasteries aforesayde which forreiners neither defending the sayd religious persones whome they ought to see to nor yet hauing the language whereby they may instructe the flocke take no regarde of their soules but vtterly leaue them of wilde wolues to be deuoured Wherefore it may truely be said of them that they are no good shepheards where as neither they know their shepe nor the shepe do know the voyce of their shepherds neither do they kepe any hospitalitie but only take vp the rents of those benefices carying them out of the Realme wherewith our brethren our nephewes and our kinsfolkes might be susteined who coulde and woulde dwell uppon them and employ such exercises of mercie hospitalitie as their dutie required Whereof a great nuÌ„ber now for mere necessitie are lay men and faine to flie out of the realme And now to the enteÌ„t more fully to certify you of the truth ye shall vnderstand that the sayd Italians and strangers receiuing of yerely rentes out of Englande not so little as 60000. Markes by yeare besides other auailes and exises deducted doe reape in the said our kingdome of England more emoluments of meere rents then doth the king himselfe being both the tutour of the Church and gouernour of the land Furthermore where as at the first creation of your Papacie we were in good hope and yet are that by meanes of your fatherly goodnesse we shoulde enioy our franchises and free collation of our benefices and donatiues to be reduced againe to the former state nowe commeth an other greeuance which we cannot but signifie vnto yoâ—â—ressing vs aboue measure which we receiue by M. Martinusâ— who entring late into our lande without leaue of our king with greater power then euer was sene before in any Legate although he beareth not
any such thing vrging vnto so great wickednesse so odible detestable and abhominable to our Lord Iesus Christ and also so pernitious to mankinde For this should be a great defection corruption and abuse of the sayd seat and fulnesse of power and an vtter separation from the glorious throne of our Lord Iesus Christ and a neare neighborhood vnto the two most principall princes of darcknes sitting in the chaire of pestilence prepared to the paynes of hell Neither can any maÌ„ which is subiect and faythfull to the sayd sea and not cut away from the body of Christ and from the sayd holy sea with sincere and vnspotted conscience obeâ— such maner of precepts and coÌ„maundementes 〈◊〉 what soâ—uer other attemptes proceeding yea though from the high order of aungels themselues but rather ought of necessity with all their strength to withstand rebell against the same Wherfore my reuerend Lorde I like an obedient childe vpon my bound duty of obedience fidelity which I owe to botâ— the parentes of this holy Apostolicke sea and partly for loue of vnity in the body of Christ ioyned with the sayd sea doe not obey but withstand and vtterly rebell agaynst these things in the said letter contained especially which vrge and tend to the foresayd wickednes so abhominable to the Lorde Iesus Christ so repugnant to the holines of the holy Apostolick sea so coÌ„trary to the vnity of the catholick â—aith Neither for this cause can your discretioÌ„ determine any extremity vnto me because al my doing and gaynsaying in this matter is no resistaunce nor rebellion but a childly obedience to the diuine precept and honour due both to Father and Mother Briefly therefore repeating my wordes I say that this holy Apostolicke sea cannot do any thing but to edification and nothing at all to destruction For this is the fulnes of power to be able to do all thinges to edification But these which you call prouisions be not to edification but to manifest destruction The holy Apostolicke sea therfore cannot nor ought to attempt any such thing because that flesh and bloud which caÌ„not enter into the kingdome of God hath reuealed the same and not the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which is in heauen Then followeth it in the story both of Mathaeus ParisieÌ„sis and of Florilegus in these words That when this Epistle came to the knowledge of the Pope he fuming fretâ—ing with anger and indignation answered with a fierce looke and proud minde sayng what olde doting franticke wretch is this so boldely rashly to iudge of my doinges By sweet S. Peter and Paule were it not but that vpon our own clemency and good nature we are restrayned we would hurle him down to such confusion that we would make him a fable a gasing stock an example and wonderment to all the world For is not the king of England our vassall and to say more our mansiple or page to vse the very wordes of mine author which may at our pleasure becke both hamper him and imprison him and put him to vtter shame This when the Pope in his great fury and rage had vttered amoÌ„gst his bâ—â—thren the Cardinals who were scarce able to appease the furious violence of the pope with milde moderatioÌ„ of words they sayd vnto him that it was not expedieÌ„t for theÌ„ to proceed agaynst that bishop in such rigâ—rous mâ—ner For sayd they to confesse the truth to your holynes it is but very truth that he affirmeth neither can we condemn him therfore He is a catholick man yea also a holy man more holy also religious theÌ„ we our selues a man of excellent wit and excellent life so as it is thought among all the Prelats he hath not his better nor yet his like This is not yet vnknowne both to the french English clergy vniuersally neither can our coÌ„tradictioÌ„ preuail against him The truth of this his epistle perhaps is knowne now to many shall stir vp many against vs for he hath the name to be a great Philosopher and singularly seene in all the tounges both Greeke Latine Hebrue zelous in iustice a reader of diuinity in the scholes â— preacher amongst the people a louer of Chastity a persecutor of Simony These words spake L. â—iles a Spanish Cardinall to the Pope and other mo moued by theyr coÌ„science to speak And this couÌ„sell they gaue to the Pope that he should dissemble and wincke at these thinges as one not seing or regarding them least otherwise perhaps some tumult might rise and spring thereof Especially seing this is manifest and known to all men that once must needes come a defection and parting from the Church of Rome Not long after this about the canicular dayes thys reuerend godly Robert bishop of Lincolne lying at his manor place in Bugden fell greuously sicke and therupon within few dayes departed In the time of his sickenes he called to him a certayne Frier of the preaching order named M. Iohn Giles a man expert cunning both in phisick Diuinity partly to receiue of him some coÌ„fort of his body and partly to confer with him in spirituall matters Thus vpoÌ„ a certeine day the said B. coÌ„ferring with the foresayd M. Iohn riciting to him the doings procedings of the Pope did greuously rebuke reprehend his fellow brethren the preaching Friers and the other order also of the Minorites That for so much as their order being plaÌ„ted in wilfull pouerty of the spirit to the inteÌ„t they should more frely carpe and reproue the vices of the mighty not to flatter or spare them but sharply to rebuke reprehend the same The said Friers contrary to theyr profession did not boldly enough cry out and inuey against the abuses of their superiors and men of power nor did vncouer nor detect their faults and wickednes And therfore sayd the Bishop I iudge them to be no better theÌ„ manifest hereticks And addeth moreouer demaunding of M. Iohn what is heresy and that he should geue him the true difinition therof wherat when the Frier did stay and pause not remembring the solemne difinition of that matter the Byshop therupon inferreth geuing this difinition in Latine by the true interpretation of the Greek word Heresis Graece electio Latine est sententia humano sensu electa Scripturae sacrae contraria palam docta pertinaciter defensa That is â—eresy is a sentence taken and chosen of mans owne brayne contrary to holy Scripture openly mayntained and stifly defended And this difinitioÌ„ geuen consequently he inferred sharpely reprehending the Prelates of the church but especially the Romaines which commit the charge of soules vnto their kinsfolks being both in age vnworthy and in learning vnsufficient To geue sayth he the charge of soules to a boy is a sentence of a prelate chosen and taken of mans own head onely for carnall and earthly respect also is
bethinking at length with themselues partly what they had done partly howe it would be taken of the higher powers and fearing due punishment to fall vpon them especially seeing the brother of Leoline prince of Wales and sonne of Giffine was newly dead in prison drawing their counsaile and helps together they offer to king Henry 4000. markes to Edwarde his sonne 300. and to the Queene 200. to be released of their trespasse But the king answering them againe that he set more price by the life of one true subiect then by all which by them was offered would in no wise receiue their money And so the studentes without hope of peace went home wyth small triumphe learning what the common Prouerbe meaneth Dulce bellum inexpertis Notwithstanding the King being then occupied in great affaires and warres partly with Leoline and the welshmen partly inwrapped wyth discorde at home with his nobles had no leisure to attend to the correction of these vniuersitie men which was An. 1259. Ex Mat. Pariens Likewise concerning the dissention following the next yeare after in the Uniuersitie of Paris betwene the students there and the Friers the number of whome then did somuch increase that the commons vnneth was able to sustein them with their alines Also betwene the Uniuersities both of Oxford and Cambridge for a certaine prisoner taken out of prisone by strength and brought into sanctuarie the same yeare as is testified in Mathewe Paris An. 1259. In like maner touching the variance betweene the Archbishop of Caunterb and the Chapter of Lincolne Againe betweene the sayde Archbishop of Canterb. and the Chapter bishop of London and how the said Bishop at his consecration woulde not make his profession to the Archb. but wyth this reception Saluis iure libertate Ecclesiae Londinens quae pro posse meo defendaÌ„ in omnibus c. recorded in Flores Hist. Al which wranglinge and dissentioÌ„s with innumerable other raigning daily in the Churche at those dayes if I had so much leasure to prosecute them as I find them in stories remaining might sufficiently induce vs to vnderstande what smaâ—l peace and agreemeÌ„t was then ioyned with that doctrine and religion in those dayes during the state raigne of Antichrist These with many such other matters moe which here might be discoursed and storied at large being more forein then Ecclesiastical for breuity I do purposely contract and omitte cutting of all such superfluities as may seeme more curious to wryte vpon then necessary to be knowen This that foloweth concerning the pitiful turbulent commotion betwene the king and the nobles which lasted a long season because it is lamentable conteineth much fruitfull example both for Princes and subiects to beholde and looke vppon to see what mischiefe and inconuenience groweth in common weales where study of mutuall concorde lacketh that is where neither the Prince regardeth the offending of his subiects and where the subiects forget the office of christian pacience in suffering their princes iniuries by Gods wrath inflicted for their sinnes Wherfore in explaning the order and storie thereof I thought it not vnprofitable to occupy the reader with a little more tariance in perusing the ful discourse of this so lameÌ„table a matter and so pernitious to the publicke weale And first to declare the occasions and first beginnings of this tumult here is to be vnderstode which before was signified howe king Henry maried with Alinor daughter of the Earle of Prouince a stranger which was about the yere of our Lord 1234. Wherupon a great doore was opened for strangers not only to enter the land but also to replenish the court to whome the king seemed more to incline his fauour aduancing them to more preferment then hys owne naturall English Lordes which thing was to them no litle greuance Moreouer before was declared how the king by Isabel hys mother who was a straunger had diuers brethren whom he nourished vp with great liuings and possessions and large pensions of money which was an other hearts sore to diuers also an hinderance Ouer beside hath also ben declared what vnreasonable collectioÌ„s of mony from time to time as quindecims subsidies tenthes mersements fines paiments lones and taxes haue bene leuied by the king as well of the spiritualtie as of the lay sort partly for maintaining the kings warres against Wales against Scotlande and Fraunce to recouer Normandie partly for helping the kings debtes viagies other expenses partly for the kingdom of Apulia which was promised the kings sonne by the pope partly for moneying and supporting the Pope in his warres against the Emperour By reason of all which sundrie and importable collections the common wealth of the Realme was vtterly excoriate to the great impouerishment of poore English men Neither did it a little vexe the people to see the king call in so many Legates from Rome euery yeare which did nothing els but transporte the English money vnto the Popes cofers Besides all thys what variaunce and altercation hath bene betweene the king and hys subiects about the liberties of Magna charta de foresta graunted by king Iohn and after confirmed by thys king in the former councel holden at Oxford hath bene afore declared Perhaps thys might be also some peece of a cause that the king considering and bearing in minde the olde iniuries done of the Lordes and Barons to his father Kyng Iohn before him did beare some grudge therefore or some priuie hatred vnto the Nobilitie to reuenge hys fathers quarel But of things vncertaine I haue nothing certainly to affirme This is certaine by truth of historie that the yeare next ensuing which was 1260. thus wryteth Nicho. Triuet that the kings Iustices called Itinerarij being sent thether to execute their office were from thence repelled the cause being alledged for that they were against the king in proceeding and enterprising against the forme of the prouisions enacted and stablished a little before at the Towne of Oxford It befell moreouer the same yeare aboue other times as Gualt Demmingford wryteth that a great number of aliens comming out of Fraunce and other prouinces resorted into England and had heere the doing of all principall matters of the Realme vnder the king Unto whome the rewards and reliefes other emoluments of the land did most chiefly redound which thing to see did not a little trouble vexe the nobilitie and baronage of England In so much that Simon Montfort Earle of Leicester offering to stande to death for the liberties and wealth of the Realme conferred together with other Lordes and Barons vpon the matter Who then comming to the king after an humble sort of petition declared to him howe all the doings of his Realme and his owne affaires were altogether disposed by the haâ—des and after the willes of straÌ„gers neither profitable to him nor to the weale publicke for so much as hys treasures being wasted
any decrees or statutes shal hereafter be made and set forth contrary to these foresaid articles the same to stand voyd and of no effect for euer Besides these articles also in the same compositiō was conteined that all grudge and displeasure betwene the king and the Barons for not going to Flaunders ceasing the Earles and Barōs might be assured to be receiued againe into the kings fauor These things thus agreed vpon and by mediation of the Prince also confirmed and sealed with the kings seale his father so was all the variance pacified to the great comfort of the people and no lesse strength of the Realme agaynst theyr enemies And most chiefly to the commēdation of the gentle and wise nature of the king Who as he was gentle in promising his reconcilement with his subiectes so no lesse constant was he in keeping that which he had promised After the death of Iohn Peckham Archb. of Canterbury aboue mentioned who in the Parliament had resisted the king in the right of certayne liberties perteing to the crowne touching patronages and such Church matters succeeded Robert Winchelsei with whom also the king had like variance and accused him to the Pope for breaking the peace and tooke part with them that rebelled agaynst the king about vsages and liberties of the Realme Wherefore the king being cited vp to the court of Rome was there suspended by the meanes of the said Archb. directed his letters agayne to the Pope taken out of the parliament rolles where I finde diuers letters of the king to P. Clement agaynst the sayde Robert Archbishop of Canterbury the contentes wherof here followeth videlicet qualiter idem And as this king was troubled in his time with both the Archbishoppes Iohn Peckham and also Rober Winchelsey so it happened to all other kinges for the most part from the time of Lancfrancus that is from Pope Hildebrand that euery king in his time had some busines or other with that see As William Rufus and Henry the first were troubled with Anselmus Hēry the second with Thomas Becket King Richard and all England wyth William Bishop of Elye the Popes Legate King Iohn with Stephē Langthon King Henry the third with Edmund Archbishop called S. Edmūd Polic. lib. 7. Likewise this king Edward the first with Iohn Peckham Robert Winchelsey aforesayd And so other kinges after him with some Prelate or other whereby ye haue to vnderstand how about what time the church of Rome which before time was subiect to kings and Princes began first to take head aboue and agaynst kings and rulers and so haue kept it euer since By this Iohn Peckam afore mentioned was ordayned that no spiritual minister should haue any mo benefices then one which also was decreed by the constitutions of Octo and Octobonus the popes Legats the same time in England About the beginning of this kinges reigne after the decease of of Walter Archbishop of Yorke William Wicewanger succeeding in that sea minding to go on visitatiō came to Duresme to visit the Church and Chapter there But the clergy and the people of the City shoote the gates agaynst him and kept him out wherupon rose no smal disturbance The Archb. let flie his curse of excommunicatiō and interdiction agaynst them The Bishop of Duresme agayne with his clergy despised all his cursinges grounding themselues vpon the constitution of Innocentius the fourth De censibus ex actionibus And so they appealed to Rome saying that he ought not to be receiued there before he had first begon to visit his owne Chapter dioces which he had not done For to say the wordes of the constitutions We ordayne and decree that euery Archbishop that will visite his prouince first must procure to visit hys owne Church City and Dioces c. Among other thinges in this king to be noted that is not to be passed ouer that where complaynt was made to him of his officers as Iustices Maiors Shiriffes Bailiffes Excheters and such other who in their offices abusing themselues extortioned and oppressed the kinges liege people otherwise then was according to the right conscience the sayd king not suffering such misorder to be vnpunished did appoint certain officers or inquisitors to the number of 12. which inquisitiō was called Traibastō or Trailbastoun by meane of which inquisition diners false officers were accused such as were offenders were either remoued from their place or forced to buye agayne their office at the kinges hand to their no small losse and great gayne to the king and much profite to the common wealth In the Chronicle of Robert Amesbury it is recorded of the sayd king that he being at Amesbury to see his mother who was then in that monastery professed there was a certayn man that fained himselfe blind a long time brought to the presence of the sayd Alinore the kinges mother saying how that he had his sight agayne restored at y◠tombe of king Henry her late husband in so much that she was easely perswaded in the miracle to be very true But king Edward her sonne knowing the man a lōg time to be a vile dissembler and a wicked persō vsed to lying and crafty deceiuing disswaded his mother not to geue credite to the vile vagabon declaring that he knew so well of the iustice of his father that if he were aliue he would twise rather pluck out both his eies then once restore him one Notwithstanding the Queene the mother remayning stil in the former fond perswasion would heare or beleue nothing to the contrary but was so in anger with her sonne that she bid him depart his chamber and so he did By the example whereof may easely be conceiued how and after what sort these blinde myracles in those dayes and since haue come vp amōg the blinde superstitious people For had not the king here bene wiser thā the mother no doubt but this would haue bene roong a miracle percase king Henry bene made a Saint But as this was fayned a miracle and false no doubt so in the same author we read of an other maner of miracle sounding more neare the trueth and so much the more likely for that it serued to the conuersion vnto Christian fayth to which vse properly all true myracles do appertayne The myracle was this In the raigne of this king and the latter yere of his raigne Cassanus king of the Tartarians of whome commeth these whome now we call Turkes which fighting agaynst the Souldan king of the Saracens in the plain of Damascus slew of them 100000. of Saracens and agayne at Babilon fighting with the sayd Souldain slew him in the field 200000. of his Saracens calling vpon the helpe of Christ and therupon became Christiā This Cassanus I say had a brother a Pagane who being in loue with the daughter of the king of Armenia a Christian woman
suffer them secretly to talke with vs for the safegard of our honor The intention of your hart to make the foresayd peace complayning and bewayling therein the death of Christen men the losse of their goodes the perill of their soules the lamentable waylings of the poore of orphanes the widowes and destruction of other pittyfull persons the pillage and robberies of Churches and other mischiefes innumerable and namely the diminishing of Christen sayth in the East partes which by the warre betwene our aduersary of Fraūce and vs is sore decayed as the said letters playnely do import And that forasmuch as God hath geuen you triumphant fortune that so much the more we ought to abase and humble our hart and to be the readyer to make and incline to a peace As touching these thinges holy Father we geue your holynesse to vnderstand that aswell vnto your foresayd Legates as other messengers sent from you vnto vs we haue offered vnto euerye of them reasonable wayes of peace and euery day declare the same and that not secretly but openly For we doubt not to let our purpose be vnderstoode for he that is the high Iudge both of him and vs in whose disposition all thing lyeth hath geuen vnto vs the crowne of Fraunce to our right and proper heritage The which right our foresayd aduersary hath by force of long time deteyned from vs we seeking to obtayne the same in peaceable wise and yet do if we might obtayne the same in any good maner rather for the benefit of christen men and that the foresayd euilles might cease which by his wrongfull meanes onely haue increased growne Yet notwithstanding as before this time you know we assented to a truce with certayne Articles conteined in the same writing all this he hath infringed Neither doth the wrong suffice him which he offereth vs in our foresayd heritage but endeuoureth himselfe during the sayd truce to inuade our realme of England and other our landes and further maynteineth the Scottes aydeth them to the vtter destructiō of vs our people lands aforesayd whereby we were inforced for the safegarde of our people and landes by such lawfull meanes we may to defend our selues and put him from his wicked purpose And furthermore for the same our quarell being in the handes of God haue we commen against him to conquere our inheritaunce of Fraūce ouer whom God hath geuen vs diuers victories as we haue trusted he would by his rightwise iudgement and power whiche thing he hath shewed vpon vs all chaunce of fortune set a part in respect of our rightfull title therein and without our desertes Wherefore with all humility of hart we geue him thanks alwaies therefore most deuoutly night and day praysing his holy name for we acknowledge the same commeth not by our strength and force Wherefore most holy Father we desire your holynesse and somuch as in vs lyeth require the same that you that supplye the place of the sonne of God in earth and hath the gouernement of the soules of all Christen men and ought to be vpright and equall towardes all men without exception of persons that ye will receiue good information and true of the obiections aboue sayd and will put to your holy helping hand as much as in you is that our sayed aduersarye of Fraunce may acknowledge his wrong whiche he hath done to vs herein and may be by your ayde redressed and that he in this his wrong haue no mainteynance and ayde at your hand For if it be so we then appeale vnto the iudge of iudges which suffereth for a time wronges to be donne for the sinnefull default of man but in the end redresseth the same leauing no good deed vnrewarded nor euill vnpunished most humbly requiring him to be to vs a true and vpright iudge of all our controuersyes for his mercies sake as in the meane time we repose our full trust and confidence in him The holy spirit of God c. Moreouer during yet the siege of Calis the French king had sent certayn offers to the men of Flaunders that if they would relinquish the king of England and adhere to him First he would remitte all their former transgressions Secondly he would vnburdē them of their interdict Thirdly he would send vnto them such plēty of corne that what was sold for 12.5 with them should be sold for 4.5 and that for 6. yeares Fourthly he would store them with plenty of French woll to make cloth for a small price that they might sell the sayd clothes both in Flaunders and in Fraunce that the Frēch men should vse the same cloth for so much as al other maner of cloth should be forbid in Fraunce so long as any of that made of French woll might be found Fiftly he would restore them to these three Cities Insulam Rowocum and Betony Sixtly he would defend them from all their aduersaries And in pledge of the same would sēd them mony before hand Seuenthly such as were able and forward men amōg them he would reteine and promote them c. But these offers seming to proceed more of faire words to serue the presēt turne then or any harty truth were not receiued Thē the L. Iohn Prince heyre to the French king during the foresayd siege of Calis aboue mentioned comming with a mighty army of French men set vpon y◠men of Flaūders and English men in the towne of Cassels In the which conflict during from morning to noone the Frenchmē were vanquished and the young Dolphin driuen backe from whence he came Of whose number diuers were slaine and taken prisoners Where on the other side through the Lordes defence not one is reported to be grieuously wounded As this passed on not long after about y◠7. day of Iune an 1347 king Edward continuing still his siege agaynst Calis Philip the French king came downe with a mighty army purposing to remoue the siege where not farre of from the English host he incamped himselfe Which done 2. Cardinals Ambaldus Stephanus procured for the same purpose going betwene the two kinges gaue to the king of England thus to vnderstand that if he would cōdescend to any reasonable way of peace the French king was ready to offer such honest prosers vnto him as to reason to his contentation should seme agreeable But in cōclusion when it came to talke the nobles could not agree vpon y◠conditions Wherefore the french king seing no other remedy did it to be signified to king Edward that betwene that present Teusday the next friday if he would come forth into the field he should haue battell geuē him Thus the place being vewed of foure Captaines of either host for the battaile to be fought it so fell that the French K. on Wednesday at night before the battell should ioyne secretly by night setting his pauilions on fire returned backe with his army out of the sight of
in other good colours And Lorde I see thine image gone in colde and in here in clothes all to broken without shone and hosen an hungred and a thâ—ust Lorde what heryenge is it to teende tapers and torches before blinde mawmets that mowen not I seyen And hide thee that art our light and our lanterne towarde heauen and put thee vnder a bushell that for darkenes we ne may not seene our way towarde blisse Lorde what heryenge is it to kneele tofore mawmetes that mowe not yheren and worshepen them with preyers and maken thine quicke images knele before them and asken of them absolutions and blessings and worshupen them as gods and putten thy quicke images in thraldom and in traueil euermore as bestes in colde and in heate and in feeble fare to finden them in liking of the world Lord what herieng is it to fetch deed mennes bones out of the ground there as they shulden kindelich roten and shrinen them in golde and in siluer And suffren thy quicke bones of thine images to rot in prison for default of clothingh And suffren also thy quicke images to perish for default of sustenaunce and rooten in the hoore house in abhominable lecherie Some become theeues and robbers and manquellers that mighten ben y holpen with the golde and siluer that hongeth about deed mens bones and other blind mawmetes of stockes and stones ¶ Lorde here ben great abhominations that thou shewdist to Ezechiel thy Prophet that priests done in thy temple yet they clepen that thine heryenge But leue Lorde me thinketh that thâ—y louen thee litle that thus defoulen thy quick images worshippen blinde mawmetes And Lord an other great mischiefe there is now in the world an hunger that Amos thy Prophet speaketh of that there shal comen an honger in the earth not of bread ne thrust of drinke but of hearing of Gods worde And thy sheepe woulden be refreshed but their shepheards taken of thy shepe their liuelode as tythings c. and liuen them selfe thereby where them liketh Of such shepheardes thou speaketh by Ezechiel thy Prophet and seist wo to the shepheards of Israel that feden them selfe for the flockes of sheepe shoulden ben yfed of their shepheardes but yee eaten the milke and clothen you with their wolfe and the fat sheepe ye slow and my flocke ye ne fede not the sicke shepe ye ne healed not thilke that weren to broken yee ne knit not together thilke that perished ye ne brought not againe but ye ratled them with sternship and with power And so the shepe be sprad abroad in deuouring of all the beasts of the feelde And Ieremie the Prophet sayeth wo to the shepehards that disparseâ—h abroad and â—eareth the flocke of my lesewe ¶ A Lorde thou were a good shepheard for thou puttest thy soul for thy sheep but lord thou teldest that thilke that comé not in by the dore ben night theues day theues and a these as thou seest coÌ„meth not but for to steale to sleine to destroy And Zachary the prophet sayth that thou wouldest reren vp a shepherde vnkunning that ne wol not hele thy shepe that beth sick ne seek thilke that beth lost Apon his arme is a swerd and vpon his right eye his arme shall waxe dry and his right eye shall lese his light O Lorde helpe for thy shepe beth at great mischiefe in the shepheards defaute But Lord ther commeth hired men they ne fedden not thy shede in thy plenteous lesew but feeden thy sheep with sweueÌ„s and false miracles tales But at thy trewth they ne comen not For Lord I trowe thou sendest them neuer For haue they hire of thy sheep they ne careth but little of the feding and the keping of thy shepe Lord of these hired men speaketh Ieremy the Prophet and thou seyst that woorde by him I ne sende them not and they ronne bliue I ne speake vnto them and they propheciden For if they hadden stonden in my couÌ„sel and they had made my words knoweÌ„ to the puple ich wold haue turned them away from their yuell way and from their wicked thoughtes For Lorde thou seyst that thy woordes ben as fire and as an hammer breaking stones And Lord thou saist Lo I to these Prophetes meeting sweuens of lesing that haue ytolde her sweuens and haue begyled my puple in their lesing in their fals miracles when I neither sent ne bede them And these haue profitet nothing to my puple And as Ieremie sayth from the lest to the mest all they studien couetise and from the Prophet to the priest all they done gyle A Lord here is mych mischief matere of sorow yet there is more For gif a lewed man wold teach thy people trewth of thy words as he is y holde by the commaundement of charite he shal be forboden and put in prison gif he do it And so Lord thilk that haue the key of conning haue y lockt the trewth of thy teaching vnder many wardes yhid it from thy children But Lorde sith thy teaching is y come from heauen aboue our hope is that with thy grace it shall breaken these wardes and showe hym to thy puple to kele both the hunger and the thrust of the soule And then shal no shepheard ner no fals hiridman begile thy puple no more For by thy law I wryte as thou hightest some time that from the left to the mest all they shullen knowen thy wil and weten howe they shullen please thee euer more in certaine And leue Lord gif it be thy will helpe at thys nede for there is none helpe but in thee Thus Lord by him that maketh himselfe thy viker in earth is thy commaundement of loue to thee our brethren ybroken both to him and to thy puple But Lorde God mercy and pacience that beth tweyne of thy commandements beth destroyed and thy puple hath forsake mercy For Lord Dauid in the Sauter sayth Blessed beth they that done dome and rightfulnes in euerich time O Lord thou hast itaught vs as rightfulnes of heauen hast ybeden vs forgeuen our brethren as oft as they trespassen against vs. And Lord thine olde lawe of iustice was that such harme as a man did his brother such he should suffer by the law as eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth But Christ made an end of this law that one brother should not desire wracke of an other but not that he would that sinne shoulde ben vnpunished for thereto hath he ordained Kinges and Dukes and other lewde officers vnder them whilke as S. Paule sayth ne carien not the swerd in vaine for they ben the ministers of God and wrakers to wrath to them that euil done And thus hath Christ ymade an ende of this olde lawe that one brother may not suen an other himselfe for that to wreken without sinne for breaking
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
the law and words which the Lord of hostes sent in his holy spirite by the Prophetes aforetime Also Esay witnessing after the same effect cap. 30. sayth For it is an obstinate people lying children and vnfaythfull children that will not heare the law of the Lord which say to the Prophetes meddle with nothing and tell vs nothing that is true and right but speake frendly wordes to vs. c. All this shall be verified when the Prelates begin to hate thē that tell them trueth and haue knowledge like vnto such of whō Amos speaketh chapter 5. They beare him euil wil that reproueth them openly and who so telleth them the playne trueth they abhorre him And therefore sayth the Lord to the Church of Ierusalem Ose 4. Seing thou hast refused vnderstanding I haue refused thee also that thou shalt no more be my priest And for so muche as thou hast forgotten the law of thy God I will also forget thy children and chaunge theyr honor into shame And so shall it be like priest like people c. And many other sayinges there be in the prophets speaking of the deiecting and casting downe of the priestly honor Besides these foresayde signes and tokens hitherto recited there be also diuers other As the backsliding from righteousnes the lacke of discreete and learned Priestes promoting of childrē into the Church with such other like But these being alreadye well noted and marked you may easely iudge and vnderstand whether these times now present of ours be safe and cleare from tribulation to be looked for and whether the word of the Lord be true according to my theame Iuxta est iustitia mea vt reueletur my righteousnes is neare at hande to bee reuealed c. And thus muche of the second part Now to the third part or member of my subdeuision which is concerning the false and perilous opinions of some vpon thys word of my theame vt veniat c. which opinions principally be 4. repugning all agaynst the truth of the canonicall Scripture The first opinion is of such men who hauing to much confifidence in thēselues do think and perswade with themselues that the Prelates be the Church which the Lord will alwayes keepe and neuer forsake as he hath promised in the persons of the Apostles Mathew 28. saying And I will be with you to the end of the world c But this is to be vnderstanced of fayth whereof Christ speaketh Luke 21. I haue prayd for thee that thy fayth shall not fayle Whereof we read Ecclesiast 40. fayth shall stand for euer c. And albeit Charity waxe neuer so colde yet fayth notwithstanding shall remayne in few and in all distresses of the world of the which distresses our Sauiour doth prophecy in many places to come And least peraduenture some shoulde thinke themselues to be safe from tribulation because they be of the church this opinion the Lord himselfe doth contrary in Ieremy the 7. Trust not sayth he in false lying wordes saying the temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord and a litle after but you trust in wordes and lying counselles which deceiue you and doe you no good The second opinion is of them which deferre tyme for thys they well graunt that the Church shall abide trouble but not so shortly thinking thus with thēselues that these causes tokens afore recited haue bene before at other times as well in the churche For both by Gregory and Bernard holy doctors in time past the Prelates haue bene in like fort reprehended both for theyr bribinges for theyr Pompe and pride for the promoting of persons and children vnfitte vnto ecclesiasticall functions and other vyces moe which haue reigned before this in the Church of God more then now and yet by God his grace the Churche hath prospered and stand Doe ye not see that if an house haue stand and continued ruinous a long season it is neuer more neare the fall thereby but rather to be trusted the better Moreouer many times it commeth so to passe in Realmes and Kingdomes that the posterity is punished for the sinnes of the predecessors Whereof speaketh the booke of Lamentations the 5. chapter Our fathers haue sinned and are now gone and we must beare their wickednesse c. Agaynst this cogitation or opinion well doth the Lord aunswere by the Prophet Ezechiel chapter 12 saying Beholde thou sonne of man the house of Israel sayeth in this maner Tush as for the vision that he hath seene it will bee many a day or it come to passe It is farre of yet the thing that he prophecieth Therefore say vnto them thus sayth the Lord God The wordes that I haue spoken shall be deferred no longer looke what I haue sayd shall come to passe sayth the Lord. c. We haue seene in our dayes thinges to happen which seemed before incredible And the like hath bene seene in other times also as we read written in the booke of Lamentations chapter 4. The kinges of the earth nor all the inhabitaunce of the worlde would not haue beleeued that the enemy and aduersary shoulde haue come in at the gates of the Citty for the sinnes of her priestes and for the wickenesse of her Elders that haue shedde Innocentes bloud within her c. by Hierusalem as is sayd is ment thē Church The third opinion or error is very perilous and peruerse of all such as say veniat let come that will come Let vs conforme out selues to this world and take our time with those Temporifers which say in the booke of wisedome Sap. 2. Come let vs enioy our goodes and pleasures that be present and let vs vse the creature as in youth quickly c. Such as these be are in daungerous case and be greatly preiudicial to good men in the Church And if the heades and rulers of the Church were so vile to haue any such detestable cogitation in them there were no place in hell to deepe for them This Church founded by the Apostles in Christ consecrated with the bloud of so many Martyrs enlarged and increased with the vertues and merites of so many Sayntes and indued so richly with the deuosion of so many secular princes and so long prospered hetherto If it now should come into the hands of such persons it should fall in great daunger of ruine and they for theyr negligence and wickednes well deserued of God to be cursed yea here also in this present world to incurre temporall tribulation and destruction which they feare more by the sentence of the Lord saying to them in the booke of Prouerbes cap. 1. All my counsels ye haue despised and set my correctiō at nought Therefore shall I also laugh in your destruction when tribulation and anguish shall fall vpon you Fourthly an other opinion or errour is of such as being vnfaythfull beleue not any such thing to come And this errour
vnto this time whiche was about the yeare of our Lord 1367. the offices here in England as the Lord Chauncellor Lord Treasurer of the priuy seale were wont to be in the handes of the clergy But about this yeare through the motion of the Lords in the Parliamēt and partly as witnesseth mine author for hatred of the clergy all the sayd offices were remoued from the clergy to the Lordes temporall After the death of Pope Urbane next succeeded Pope Gregory the 11. who among his other acres first reduced agayne the papacy out of Fraunce vnto Rome which had from thence bene absent the space now of 70. yeres being therto moued as Sabellicus recordeth by the answere of a certain bishop whom as the Pope saw standing by him asked why he was so long from his charge and church at home saying not to be the part of a good Pastor to keepe him from his flocke so long Wherunto the Bishop aunswering agayne sayd And you your selfe being the chiefe Bishoppe who may and ought to be a spectacle to vs all why are you from the place so long where your Church doth lye By the occasion whereof the Pope sought all meanes after that to remoue and to rid his Court out of Fraunce againe to Rome and so he did This 11. Gregory in a certayne Bull of his sent to the Archb. of Prage maketh mētion of one named Militzius a Bohemiā saith in the same bull that this Militzius should hold apinion teach an 1366. that Antechrist was alredy come Also that the said Militzius had certayn cōgregations folowing him that in the same congragation were certain harlots who being conuerted frō theyr wickednes were brought to a godly life Which harlots being so conuerted he vsed to say were to be preferred before al the holy religious virgins And therfore commaunded the archbishop to excōmunicate and persecute the sayd Militzius which in foretime had bene a religious man of Prage and after forsook his order and gaue himselfe to preaching and at length was by the foresayd Archb. imprisoned Iacobus Misnensis a learned man and a writer in the time of I. Hus maketh mention of this Militzius and calleth him a worthy and a famous Preacher Also citeth many things out of his writings In the which writinges thys good Militzius thus declareth of himself how he was moued vrged by the holy Ghost to search out by the sacred Scriptures concerning the comming of Antechrist And that he was compelled by the same holy spirite at Rome publickly to preach and also before the Inquisitor there to protest plainly that the same great Antechrist which is prophesyed of in y◠holy Scriptures was alredy come Moreouer his saying was that the church through negligēce of the pastors was desolate did abound in temporall riches but in spirituall riches to be empty Also that in y◠Church of Christ where certayne Idols which destroyd Ierusalē and defaced the Temple but hypocrisye caused that those Idols could not be sene Also that many there were which denied Christ because that knowing the truth yet for feare of mē they durst not confesse their conscience c. And thus much of good Militzius liuing in the time of Gregory 11. and king Edward the third an 1370. The which king of England holding a Parliamēt in the 3. yeare of this Pope sent his Embassadours to hym desiring him that he from thenceforth would abstayne frō his reseruatiōs of benefices vsed in the court of England And that spiritual men within his realme promoted vnto Bishopricks might freely enioy theyr electiōs within the realme and be confirmed by theyr Metropolitanes according to the auncient custome of the realme Wherfore vpō these and such other like wherein the king and the realme thought thēselues greued he desired of the Pope some remedy to be prouided c. Wherunto the Pope returned acertayne answere agayne vnto the king requiring by his messengers to be certified agayn of the kings mind cōcerning the same But what answere it was it is not in the story expressed saue that the yere folowing which was 1374. there was a tractation at Burges vpon certain of the said articles betwene the king the Pope which did bāg two yeares in suspēse so at length it was thus agreed betwene them that the pope should no more vse his reseruatiōs of benefices in England and likewise the king shoulde no more cōferre and geue benefices vpon the writ Quare impedit c. But as touching the freedome of elections to be confirmed by the Metropolitane mentioned in the yeare before therof was nothing touched As touching these reseruations prouisiōs and collations with the elections of Archbishops Bishops beneficed men and other wherwith the Pope vexed this realme of England as before you haue heard The king by the consent of the Lordes and commons in the 25. yeare of hys raigne enacted that according to a statute made in the 30. yeare of his graundfather Edward the first wherein was made an act against the rauenous pillage of the Pope thorough the same prouisions reseruations collations c. but not put in execution By the which prouisions the state of the realme decreased more and more the kings royaltie prerogatiue greatly obscured and diminished innumerable treasure of the realme transported aliens straungers placed in the best and fattest by shoprickes abbeyes and benefices within the realme And suche as eyther for their offices in Rome as Cardinalships such like could not be here resident or if resident yet better away for causes infinite as partly haue bene touched before Not onely reuiued the sayde statute made by Edward the first hys graundfather but also inlarged the same Adding therunto very strayt and sharpe penalties against the offenders therin or in any part therof as exemptiō out of the kings protection losse of al their lands goods and other possessions and theyr bodies to be imprisoned at the kings pleasure And farther who so euer was lawfully conuict or otherwise for want of appearance by proces directed forth were wythin the lappes of this statute or premunire for so bare the name therof shuld suffer al and euery such molestation iniuries as men exempted frō the protection of the king In so much that who so euer had killed such mē had bene in no more daunger of lawe therefore then for the killing of an outlaw or one not worthy to liue in a commō weale Lyke vnprofitable members were they then in that tyme yea of ignoraunce esteemed in thys common weale of Englande as would offer themselues to the wilfull slauery and seruile obedience of the pope which thyng in these dayes yea and that amōgst no small fooles is coūted more then Euangelicall holynes He that list to peruse the statute and would see euery braunch and article therof at large discussed and handled wyth the penalties therfore due Let him read the
and night that is with theyr filthy liuing ignorance and impiety He citeth also out of the prophesy of Hildegaris these words Therfore doth y◠deuill in himselfe speake of you Priests Dainty bankets feasts wherin is all voluptuousnes do I finde amongst these men In so much that mine eies mine eares my belly and my vaynes be euen filled with the froth of them my brestes stand astrut with the riches of them c. Lastly saith he they euery day more and more as Lucifer did seek to climbe higher and higher till that euery day with hym more and more they fall deeper and deeper About the yeare of our Lord. 1390. there were burned at Bringa 36. Citizens of Moguntina for the doctrine of Waldenses as Brushius affirmeth which opiniō was no thing contrary to that they held before wherein they affirmed the Pope to be that great Antechrist which should come Unlesse peraduenture the Pope seemed then to be more euidently conuicted of Antechristianity thē at any other time before he was reueled to be For the like cause many other beside these are to be found in storyes which susteined the like persecutiō by the Pope if leysure would serue to peruse all that might be searched As where Masseus recordeth of diuers to the nūber of 140. which in the prouince of Narbone chose rather to suffer whatsoeuer greuous punishment by fire thē to receiue the decretals of the Romish Church contrary to the vpright truth of the Scripture What should I here speake of the 24. which suffered at Paris an 1210 Also in the same author is testified that an 1211. there were 400. vnder the name of heretiques burned 80. beheaded Prince Americus hanged and the Lady of the Castle stoned to death Moreouer in the Chronicles of Houedon and of other writers be recited a maruelous nūber which in the countryes of Fraunce were burned for heretiques Of whom some were called Publicans some Catharits some Paterines and other by others names What their assertions were I finde no certayne report worthy of credit In Tritenius is signified of one Eckhardus a Dominican Frier who not long before Wickliffes tyme was condemned and suffered for heresy at Hedelberge an 2330. who as he diffreth not much in name so may he be supposed to be the sawe whom other do name Beghardus and is sayd to be burned at Erphord Of Albingenses because sufficient mētion is made before of whom a great number were burned about the time of king Iohn I passe them ouer Likewise I let passe the heremite of whom Iohn Bacon maketh relation in hys 2. Dist. Quaest. 1. Who disputing in Paules church affirmed that those Sacraments which were then vsed in the church were not instituted by Christ An. 1306. Peraduenture it was the same Ranulphus mētioned in the floure of hystories is sayd to die in prison for the time of them doth not much differ In Boetius why the Pope should so much commend a certaine king because for one man he had slaine 400. cutting away the genitals from the rest I can not iudge except the cause were that which the Pope calleth heresie But to let these things ouerpasse that be vncertayne because neither is it possible to comprehēd all them which haue wtstand the corruption of the popes sea neyther haue we any such firme testimony left of their doings credibly to stay vpon we wil now Christ willing cōuert our story to thyngs more certaine vndoubted grounding vpon no light reportes of feble credit nor vpō any fabulous legendes wythout authority But vpon the true and substantial copies of the publique recordes of the Realme remaining yet to be sene vnder the kings most sure faithfull custody Out of the which records such matter appeareth against the Popish church of Rome and against hys vsurped authority such open stāding crying against the sayd sea that not priuely but also in open parliament in the daies of this king Edward the third that neyther wil the Romish people of thys our age easely thynke it to be true when they see it neither yet shall they be able to deny the same so cleare standeth the force of those recordes Ye heard a litle before pag. 381. howe Iohn Stratford Archb. of Cant. being sent for and required by the king to come vnto hym refused so to do What the cause was why he denyed to come at the kings sending is neither touched of Poiidore Uirgil nor of any other monkish Chronicler wryting of those aces and times Whose part hath bene faithfully to haue dispensed the simple truth of thyngs don to theyr posterity But that whych they dissemblingly and colourably haue concealed contrary to true lawe of storie the true cause thereof we haue found out by the true Parliament roles declaring the story thus King Edward the 3. in the 6. yeare of hys raigne hearing that Edward Bailol had proclaimed himselfe kyng of Scotland Required counsell of the whole estate to wit whether were better for hym to assayle Scotlande and to claim the demesing or demeines of the same or cls by making hym party to take hys aduauntage And thereby to enioy the seruice as other hys auncesters before hym had done For thys cause he sommoned a Parliament of all estates to meete at Yorke about the begynning of December Where the kyng was alredy come waiting for the comming of such as were warned thereunto For the want of whose comming the parliament was reiourned til monday and from thence to Tuesday next ensuing But forsomuch as most of the states were absent the assembly required the continuance of the parliament vntil the vtas of S. Hillary then ensuing at Yorke whych was graunted And so a new sommons was especially awarded to euery person with special charge to attend so that the affaires of the king and the realme myght not be hindered because of the debate betwene the Archb. of Cant. and Archbishop of Yorke for the superiour bearing of theyr crosse In conclusion for all the kyngs sommoning none other of all the Clergy came but onely the Archb. of Yorke the byshop of Lincolne and of Carliel Abbots of Yorke and Seleby So that hereunto came not the Archb. of Cāterb nor any other of hys prouince and all for bearing the crosse Wherby the same was not onely a losse to the oportunitie to Scotland but also an importable charge to the whole estate by a newe reassembly And thus much out of the recordes Whereby thou mayest easely iudge prudent Reader what is to be thought of these Pope holy Catholique Churchmen being of the Popes broode and setting vp whom such friuolous causes of contention stirre vp to such disquietnes both among themselues and also to such disobedience against their Prince excuse them who can Ex. An. 6. Regis Edwardi 3. It foloweth moreouer in the same records concerning the abandoning of the popes prouisions how that the cōmons finde
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
the sayd Iohn Wickliffe to be apprehended and cast in prison And that the king and the nobles of England should be admonished by them not to geue any credite to the saide Iohn Wickliffe or to his doctrine in any wise c. ¶ Beside this Bill or Bull of the Pope sent vnto the Archbyshop of CaÌ„terbury and to the Byshop of London bearyng the date 11. Kalend. Iuni. and the 7. yeare of the raigne of the Pope I finde moreouer in the sayd story two other letters of the Pope concernyng the same matter but differyng in forme sent vnto the same Byshops and all hearyng the same date both of the day yeare and moneth of the raigne of the sayd Pope Gregory Whereby it is be supposed that the Pope either was very exquisite and solicitous aboue the matter to haue Wickliffe to be appreheÌ„ded which wrote three diuers letters to one person and all in one day about one businesse or els that he did suspect the bearers thereof the scruple wherof I leaue to the iudgement of the Reader Furthermore beside these letters writteÌ„ to the Uniuersitie and to the Byshops he directeth also an other Epistle bearyng the same date vnto kyng Edward as one of my stories sayth but as an other sayth to the kyng Richard whiche soundeth more neare to the truth forasmuch as in the 7. yeare of Pope Gregory the xi which was the yeare of our Lord. 1â—78 Kyng Edward was not aliue The copy of his letters to the kyng here followeth The copy of the Epistle sent by the Byshop of Rome to Richard kyng of England to persecute Iohn Wickliffe VNto his welbeloued sonne in Christ Richard the most noble kyng of England health c. The kyngdome of England which the most highest hath put vnder your power and gouernaunce beyng so famous and renowmed in valiancy and strength so aboundaunt and flowyng in all kynde of wealth and riches but much more glorious resplendent and shynyng through the brightnesse and clearenesse of all godlynesse and fayth hath accustomed alwayes to bryng forth men endued with the true knowledge and vnderstandyng of the holy Scriptures graue in yeares feruent in deuotion and defenders of the Catholicke fayth The which haue onely directed and instructed their own people through their holesome doctrine and preceptes into the true path of Gods commaundementes but also as we haue heard by the report and information of many credible persons to our great grief hart sorow that Iohn Wickliffe Parson of Lutterworth in the Dioces of Lincolne professor of diuinitie I would to God he were no author of heresie to be fallen into such a detestable and abhominable madnes that he hath propounded and set forth diuers and sundry conclusions full of errours and coÌ„teinyng most manifest heresie the which do tende vtterly to subuert and ouerthrow the state of the whole Churche Of the whiche some of them albeit vnder coloured phrase and speache seeme to smell and sauour of peruerse opinions and the foolishe doctrine of condemned memory of Marsilius of Padua and Iohn of Ganduno whose bookes were by Pope Iohn the 22. our predecessour a man of most happy memorye reproued and condemned c. ¶ Hetherto gentle reader thou hast heard how Wickliffe was accused by the Byshop Now you shall also heare the Popes mighty reasons and argumentes by the which he did confute him to the kyng It followeth Therefore for so much as our Reuerend brethren the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Byshop of London haue receiued a speciall commaundement from vs by our authoritie to apprehend and committe the forenamed Iohn Wickliffe vnto prison and to transporte his confession vnto vs If they shall seeme in the prosecution of this their businesse to locke your fauour or helpe we require and most earnestly desire your maiestie euen as your most noble predecessors haue alwayes bene most earnest louers of the Catholicke fayth whose case or quarell in this matter is chiefly handled that you woulde vouchsafe euen for the reuerence of God and the fayth aforesayd and also of the Apostolicke seat and and of our person that you will with your helpe and fauour assist the sayd archbishop and all other that shall goe about to execute the sayd busines Wherby besides the prayse of men you shall obtayne a heauenly rewarde and great fauour and good will at our hand and of the sea aforesaid Dated at Rome at S. Mary the greater the 11. Kal. of Iune in the 7. yeare of our Byshoprick an 1378. The Articles included in the popes letters whiche he sent to the Bishoppes and to the king against Wickliffe were these as in order do follow The conclusions of Iohn Wickliffe exhibited in the conuocation of certayne Bishops at Lambeth ALl the whole race of mankinde here on earth besides Christ hath no power simply to ordayne that Peter and all his ofspring should politickely rule ouer the world for euer 2. God cannot geue to any man for him and hys heyres anye ciuill dominion for euer 3. All writinges inuented by men as touching perpetuall heritage are impossible 4. Euery man being in grace iustifiyng hath not onely right vnto the thing but also for his time hath right in deede aboue all the good thinges of God 5. A man cannot onely ministratoriously geue any temporal or continuall gift eyther as well to his naturall sonne as to his sonne by imitation 6 If God be the temporall Lordes may lawfully and meritoriously take away the riches from the Church when they do offend habitualiter 7. We know that Christes Vicar cannot neyther is able by hys Bulles neyther by his owne will and consent neither by the consent for his colledge eyther make able or disable any man 8. A man cannot be excommunicated to his hurt or vndoyng except he be first and principally excommunicate by himselfe 9. No man ought but in Gods cause alone to excommunicate suspend or forbid or otherwise to proceede to reuenge by anye ecclesiasticall censure 10. A curse or excommunication doth not simply binde but in case it be pronounced and geuen out agaynst the aduersarye of Gods law 11. There is no power geuen by any example eyther by Christ or by his Apostle to excommunicate any subiect specially for the denying of any temporalties but rather contrariwise 12. The disciples of Christ haue no power to exact by anye ciuill authoritie temporalties by censures 13. It is not possible by the absolute power of God that if the Pope or any other Christian doe pretend by any meanes to bynd or to lose that thereby he doth so bynde and loose 14. We ought to beleue that the Vicar of Christ doth at suche tymes onely bynde and loose when as he worketh conformably by the law and ordinaunce of Christ. 15. This ought vniuersally to be beleued that euery priest righly and duely ordered according vnto the law of grace hath power according to his vocation whereby he may minister the sacramentes and
the Church with such ample possessions 39. It is not necessary to saluation to beleue the church of Rome to be supreme head ouer all Churches 40. It is but folly to beleue the Popes pardons 41. All othes which be made for any coÌ„tract or ciuill bargayne betwixt man and man be vnlawfull 43. Benedict Fraunces Dominicke Bern with all such as haue bene patrons of priuate religion except they haue repented with such also as haue entred into the same be in a damnable state and so from the Pope to the lowest Noues they be all together heretickes Besides these Articles to the number of 45. condemned as is sayd by the Counsell of Constance Other articles also I finde diuersly collected or rather wrasted out of the bookes and writinges of Wickliffe some by William Wodford some by Walden by Frier Tyssington other whom they in theyr bookes haue impugned rather theÌ„ coÌ„futed In the number of whom William Wodford especially findeth out these Articles and writeth agaynst the same to the number of 18. as here vnder follow 1. The bread remayneth in his owne substaunce after the consecration therof vpon the aultar and ceaseth not to be bread still 2. As Iohn was figuratiuely Helias and not personally so the bread figuratiuely is the body of Christ and not naturally And that without all doubt this is a figuratiue speach to say this is my body as to say This Iohn is â—elias 3. In the Decree Ergo Berengarius the Courte of Rome hath determined that the Sacrament of the holy Eucharist is naturaly true bread 4. They which do affirme that the infantes of the faythful departing without the Sacrament of baptisme are not to be saued be presumptuous and fooles in so affirming 5. The administration of the Sacrament of confirmatioÌ„ is not onely reserued to the Bishops 6. In the time of S. Paule onely two orders of Clerkes did suffice in the Church Priests and Deacons Neither was there in the time of the Apostles any destinction of Popes Patriarches and Archbishops and Bishops but these the Emperors pride did finde it out 7. Such as in times past either for couetousnes of temporall lucre or of hope of mutuall succour by kindred or for cause to excuse their lust although they dispayred of issue were maryed were coupled together not by true Matrimony 8. The causes of diuorcement either for spirituall consanguinity or for affinity be not fouÌ„ded in Scripture but are onely ordinaunces of men 9 These words I will take thee to wife are rather to be taken in conâ—ract of matrimony then these wordes I doe take thee to wife And the contract with any party by the words of the future tence ought not to be frustrate for the contract with any party afterward made by the words of the present time 10. There be 12. disciples of Antechrist Popes Cardinals Patriarches Archbishops Bishops Archdeacons Officials Deanes Monkes Chanons Friers and Pardoners 11. In the booke of Numbers the 18. chapter in Ezechiell 44. chapter it is commaunded simply that neither the Priestes of Aaron nor the Leuites should haue any part of inheritance with other tribes but should liue meerly of tithes and oblations 12. There is no greater hereticke or Antechrist then that Clerke which teacheth that it is lawfull for Priestes and Leuites of the law of grace to be indued with temporall possessions And if there be any heretickes Apostates or blasphemers these Clerkes be such 13. It is not onely lawfull for the Lords temporal to take away goods of fortune from the Churchmen sinning vsually but also are bounde so to doe vnder payne of eternall damnation 14. He that is the more humble and more seruiceable to the Church and more enamoured with the loue of Christ he is in the church militant the greater and the more nearest Vicar of Christ. 15. If corporall vnction or aneling were a Sacrament as now it is fayned to be Christ and his Apostles would not haue left the ordinaunce thereof vntouched 16. Vnto the true dominion secular is required vertuous life of him that ruleth 17. All thinges that happen doe come absolutely of necessity 18. Whatsoeuer the Pope or his Cardinalles can deduce clearely out of the Scripture that only is to be beleued or to be done at their monitioÌ„ whatsoeuer otherwise they do commaund is to be condemned as hereticall Besides this W. Woodford afore mentioued diuers other there were which wrote agaynst these articles of Wicliffe aforesay maynteyning the Popes part as seemeth for flatterye rather then following any iust cause so to doe or shewing forth any reason or learning in disprouing the same Notwithstanding on the contrary part some there were againe both learned and godly which taking the part of Wickliffe without all flattery defended the most of the sayd articles openly in scholes and other places as appereth by the works of Iohn Hus who in his publicke determinations in the vniuersity of Prage stoode in defence of the same agaynst all his aduersaryes As partly is here to be seene in these tractations vnder folowing ¶ THE PVBLICK DEFENCE of certayne Articles of Iohn Wickliffe in the first Act before the whole Vniuersity of Prage in Charles Colledge ¶ The determination of I. Hus vpon the xiiij Article of Wickliffe as touching the preaching and hearing of the word of God made in the yeare of our Lord. 1412. FOr so much as to condemne the trueth wittingly or without reasonable examination doth tende to greate daunger of saluation as the Lord sayth Luke the sixt doe ye not condemne and ye shall not be condemned Therefore to auoyd this great dauÌ„ger the Vniuersity of Prage and the whole communalty there of the Rector Masters Doctors Bachelers and Studentes in theyr generall assembly not agreeing to the condemnation pronounced by the Doctors in theyr councell house requireth of the sayde Doctors a reasonable proofe of theyr condemnation and that they should by scripture authority or infallible reasoÌ„ proue the falsehead of euery those fiue and forty Articles The which being once done the sayd Vniuersity will agree to the sayd condemnation as iust For the Vniuersity doth well know that as Augustine sayth in the end of his second booke of Christian doctrine That what so euer a man doth learne besides the holy scriptures if it be hurtfull there it is condemned If it be profitable there it is founde And when a man hath founde all thinges therein which he hath profitably learned els where he shall much more aboundantly finde those thinges which are found in no place els but are learned in the maruelous deapth and maruellous profoundnesse of those most sacred Scriptures onely Thus writeth Augustine And Gregory in his three twenty booke of Moralles sayth thus God in the holye scripture hath comprehended whatsoeuer thing may happen vnto any man and in the same hath by the examples of those which are gone afore taught them which are to come how to
vnto conscience doth edefy vnto eternall damnation As it is said as touching the restitutioÌ„ of the spoyled goods Chap. Literas porro But to omit the hearing of the word of God for feare of excommunicatioÌ„ of men is a thing which is done against conscience Therefore to omit the hearing of the worde of God for excoÌ„munication doth edefy vnto eternal damnatioÌ„ And therfore coÌ„sequeÌ„tly ought not to be done for feare of any excommunication Wherfore a woman being iudged vnto a man whom she knoweth to be within the degrees of coÌ„sanguinity which Gods law hath prohibited ought not to obey that iudgement least that she offend against God but meekly patiently to sustain the excommunication as it appereth in the chapter before alledged So likewise all true christians ought rather then to offend agaynst God meekly to suffer the excoÌ„munication of men theÌ„ to omit the hearing of the word of God To this purpose also serueth that which is spoken in the 11. quest 3. He that feareth the omnipoteÌ„t God will not presume by any meanes to do any thing contrary vnto the gospell or apostles either contrary vnto the Prophetes or the institutions of yâ— holy fathers By these premises the 2. part o. this article is manifest that all such as do omit the hearing of the word of God for feare of excommunication of men they are already excommunicated And forsomuch as all christians being of lawfull age not repenting at the end shal be counted in a maner as traitors of Christ in the day of iudgement because that they were vnfaythfull seruauntes of Christ. Therefore they which through feare omit the preaching hearing the word of God for the excommunication of men shall be counted as trayers of Christ and shall render account therof vnto the Lord whereupon Chrisostome touching both those sorts in the 41 Homely shewing how the Lord woulde haue some to be teachers and other some to be disciples sayth thus For vnto those which he would haue to be teachers he speaketh thus by his Prophet Esay Ye priestes speak in the harts of the people for if the priestes do not manifest all the truth vnto the people they shall reÌ„der accouÌ„t therof at the day of iudgemeÌ„t And likewise if the people do not learne the truth they shal also geue an account at the day of iudgemeÌ„t It is also made more euideÌ„t by him vpoÌ„ the tenth of Mathew Do not feare them which kill the body least that through the feare of death you do not frely speak that which you haue heard neither boldly preach that vnto all meÌ„ which you alone haue heard in your eares So that hereby alone it is euideÌ„t that not onely he is a betrayer of the truth which transgressing the truth doth openly speak lyes in the stead of truth But he also which doth not freely pronounce or doth not freely defend the truth which he ought boldly to defeÌ„d is also a traytor vnto the truth For like as the Priest is a debter to preach the truth which he hath heard of the Lord eueÌ„ so the lay man is bound to defend the truth which he hath heard of the minister approued by the scriptures which if he do not then is he a traytor vnto the truth For stedfast beliefe with the hart preuayleth vnto righteousnes the confession which is made with the mouth helpeth vnto saluation Thus much writeth Chrisostome Who together with the people meekely bearing the excommunication of the Bishops freely preached truth and the people heard him and so by hys word and his workes he freely taught the truth least he should be a Traytor vnto the truth consequently be counted as a Traytour vnto our Lord Iesu Christ in the day of iudgement And thus the third part of the Article aforesayde is manifest ¶ The defension of the xv Article of Iohn Wickliffe by Iohn Husse IT is lawfull for any Deacon or Priest to preach the worde of God without the authority of the Apostolicke Sea or of his Catholickes Fir I vnderstand here by the authority of the Apostolicke Sea properly his speciall consent authorising And likewise I vnderstand by authority of the Bishop a speciall consent of the Bishop authorising the sayde Deacon or Priest to preach Now as touching the truth of this Article I thus argue like as after matrimony once complete the man and wife may lawfully without any speciall liceÌ„ce of the Pope or Bishop procreate carnall children So likewise Deacons or Priestes by the motion of God through the Gospell of Iesu Christ may lawfully without any speciall licence either of the Pope or Bishoppe generate spirituall children Ergo this Article is true and the antecedent is thus proued For as it is an acceptable worke vnto God for man and wife without the speciall licence of the Pope or Bishop to generate carnall children so it is acceptable vnto him that Deacons or Priests by the motion of God through the Gospel of Iesu Christ should lawfully generate spirituall children without the speciall licence of the Pope or of any other Byshop Ergo the assumptio is true But if any man wil deny this similitude let him shew the diuersitye Yea seing it is worse not to receiue or to choake the seed of Gods word then the carnall seed So contrarywise is it better to receiue and sow abroad that seed of the word of God whereby children might be raysed vp vnto God then to receiue or geue such seede whereby carnall children may be gotten Whereupon our Sauiour in the 10. of Mathew sayth thus whosoeuer doth not receiue you neither heareth your wordes wype of the duste from your feete verelye I say vnto you that in the daye of iudgement it shal be more better vnto the Lande of Sodome and Gomer then to that City Also a Deacon or Priest being sturred by the spirite of Iesus Christ may preache the word of God without the speciall licence of the Pope or Bishop Ergo it is lawful for him so to do The consequent is thus manifest for so much as the spirite of God mooâ—ing the Deacon or Priest vnto the preaching of the Gospell is of greater force then anye prohibition of Pope or Bishop inuented by man Ergo according vnto the rule of the Apostles they ought infallibly to be obedieÌ„t vnto the spirit of Christ which doth so moue them therunto and rather to obey God then man Actes 5. Also by like reason as Heldad and Medad vpon whom the spirit of God did rest did lawfully prophecy without requiring any licence at Moyses handes as it is written Numery 11. by the same reason may the meeek minister of Christ vpon whom the spirite of God doth rest without the requiring any licence either of the Pope or Bishoppe may lawfully preache the worde of God vnto the people And would to God in this behalfe all Prelats had the spirite of Moyses for it is sayd Numeri 11. That when as
had taken in hand then of the common vtilitie whereunto I had chiefe respect There were besides these certayne other articles Whereupon the sayde Iohn Dus had very wisely and learnedly disputed but these shal suffice vs for this present And for the residue we will passe them ouer to the intent we may the more spedely retourne whereas our story left declaring what cruelty they vsed not onely against the bookes and articles of Iohn Wickliffe but also in burning his body and bones commaunding them to be taken vp 41. yeares after he was buryed as appeareth by the decree of the sayde Synode the forme wherof we thought hereunto to annexe as followeth The decree of the Synode of Constance touching the taking vp of the body and bones of Iohn Wickliffe to be burned 41. yeares after he was buryed in his owne parish at Lutterworth FOrsomuch as by the authoritie of the sentence decree of the Councell of Rome and by the cōmaundement of the Church and the Apostolical see after due delayes being geuen they proceeded vnto the condemnatiō of the said I. Wickliffe and his memory hauing first made proclamation geuen cōmaundement to cal forth whosoeuer would defend the said Wickliffe or his memory if there were any such but there did none appeare which would either defēd him or his memory And moreouer witnesses being examined by Commissioners appoynted by Pope Iohn thys Councell vpon the impenitencie and finall obstinacie and stubburnes of the said Iohn Wickliffe reseruing that which is to be reserued as in such busines the order of the lawe requireth and his impenitencie and obstinacy euen vnto his end being sufficiently proued by euident signes and tokens and also by lawfull witnesses of credite was lawfully geuen thereunto Wherefore at the instaunce of the steward of the treasury proclamation being made to heare vnderstand the sentence agaynst this day the sacred Synode declareth determineth and geueth sentence that the said Iohn Wickliffe was a notorious obstinate hereticke and that he died in his heresie cursing and condemning both him and his memory This Sinode also decreeth and ordeineth that the body bones of the said Iohn Wickliffe if it might be decerned and knowne from the bodyes of other faithfull people to be taken out of the ground throwne away farre from the buriall of any church according vnto the canon lawes decrees Which determination and sentēce definitiue being red pronounced the lord president the foresaid presidentes of the 4. nations being demaunded asked whether it did please them or no They all answered and first Hostiensis the president and after him the other presidents of the nations that it pleased them very well and so they alowed and confirmed all the premisses c. ¶ What Heraclitus would not laugh or what Democritus would not weep to see these so sage reuerend Catos to occupy their heads to take vp a poore mans body so long dead and buryed before by the space of 41. yeares yet peraduenture were not able to finde his right bones but took vp some other body so of a catholick made an heretike Albeit herein Wickliffe had some cause to geue them thankes that they woulde at least spare him so long till he was dead and also to geue him so long respite after hys death 41. yeares to rest in his sepulchre before they vngraued him and turned him from earth to ashes which ashes also they took threw into the riuer And so was he resolued into 3. elements earth fire and water thinking therby vtterly to extinct and abolishe both the name and doctrine of Wickliffe for euer Not much vnlike to the example of the old Phariseis sepulcher knightes which when they had brought the Lord vnto the graue thought to make him sure neuer to rise againe But these and all other must knowe that as there is no coūsaile against the Lord so there is no keeping down of veritie but it wil spring and come out of dust and ashes as appeared right well in this man For though they digged vp his body burnt his bones drowned his ashes yet the word of God and truth of his doctrine with the fruit successe therof they could not burne which yet to this day for the most part of his articles do remaine Notwithstāding the transitory body and bones of the man was thus consumed and dispersed as by this picture here aboue set forth to thine eyes gentle reader may appeare These things thus finished and accomplished whiche pertayne to the story and time of Wickliffe let vs now by the supportation of the Lord proceede to entreate write of the rest which either in his time or after his time springing out of the same vniuersitie and raysed vp as ye wold say out of his ashes were pertakers of the same persecution Of whom speaketh Thomas Walden in his book De sacramentis sacramentalibus cap. 53. Where he saith that after Wickliffe many suffered most cruell death and many mo did forsake the realme In the number of whome was William Swinderby Walter Brute Iohn Puruey Richard White William Thorpe Raynold Pecock B. of S. Assaph and afterward of Chichester To this Catalogue also pertayneth mentioned in ancient writers Laurence Redman maister of Arte Dauid Sautre deuine Iohn Aschwarby vicar as they call him of S. Mary Church at Oxford William Iames an excellent yong man well learned Thomas Brightwell William Haulam a ciuilian Rafe Grenhurst Ioh. Scut and Phillip Norice which being excōmunicated by P. Eugenius the 4. in the yeare of our Lord 1446. appealed vnto a generall or oecumenicall Councell Peter Payne who flying from Oxford into Boheme did stoutly contend agaynst the Sophisters as touchyng both kindes of the sacrament of the last supper Who afterward among the rest of the Oratours was one of the 14. that was sent into the Councell at Basill whereas by the space of 3. daies he disputed vpon the 4. article which was as touching the ciuill dominion of the clergy an 1438. Also the Lorde Cobham c. with diuers others besides whose names are mencioned in the kinges writte sent to the Sheriffe of Northampton which writ of the king followith in this Teuor Rex vicecomiti Northamptoniae salutem c. For so much as Iohn Attyate of Cheping warden Iohn Warryner Ro. Brewoode c. be Recettours fautoures of heretickes and especially of one Iohn Woodward priest publiquely diffamed and condemned of heresy will not be iustified by the censures of the Churche as the reuerend father I. Bish. of Lincolne hath certified vs. we therefore willing to withstand all defenders and fautours of such heresies doe will and commaunde as well the forenamed as namely the foresaid Iohn Woodward to be apprehended straightly charging the same to be emprisoned by theyr bodyes or otherwise punished as shall seeme good to the Iustices vntill they and euery of them shall submit them selues to the
that there do not remain accidencies without substance or subiect after the coÌ„secration of the body of Christ. And touching this matter the doctors holde diuers opinions Furthermore as concerning the Pope he said helde and auouched that he is the very Antichrist because yâ— in lyfe and maners he is contrary to the lawes doctrines and deedes of Christ our Lord. All and euery of these things were done euen as they be aboue writteÌ„ and rehearsed in the yeare of our Lord poÌ„tificall office month day place aforesayd at supper time of the day aforenamed theÌ„ and there being present the worshipful and discrete men sir Walter Ramsbury chiefe chaÌ„ter of the sayde Cathedrall Church of Hereforde Roger Hoore Chanon of the same Church Walter Wall Chaplain of the said church of Hereford being a vicar of the Choral certaine other worthy witnesses of credit that were specially called and desired to the premisses Ex Regist. Herford And I Richard Lee whelar clerke of Worcester being a publike notarye by the authoritie Apostolike was personally present at all and singuler the premisses whilest that as is before rehersed they were done and a doing in the yere of our lord 1391. pontisical office month day place the houre aforesaid I did see write and heare all and singuler those things thus to bee done and haue reduced theÌ„ into this publike maner and forme being desired truely to restifie the premisses haue sealed the sayde instrument made hereupon with mine accustomed scale and name In the name of God Amen Be it plainly knoweÌ„ to all persons by this present publike instrumeÌ„t that in the yere from the incarnation of the lord after the course and coâ—â—pâ—â—tation of the church of England 1391. the indiction fifteene in the 3. yere of the pontifical office of the most holy father in Christ and our Lord Lord Boniface Pope by the prouydeÌ„ce of God the 9. in the 19. day of the month of Ianuary Walter Brute layman of Hereford dioces personally appearing before the reuereÌ„d father in Christ and Lord. Lord Iohn by gods grace B. of Herford in the presence of me being a publike notarie one of the witnesses vnder written did say hold publish affirme the coÌ„clusioÌ„s hereafter written the is to say yâ— christen people are not bouÌ„d to pay tithes neither by the law of Moses nor by the law of Christ. Item that it is not lawful for Christians for any cause in any case to sweare by the creator neither by the creature Item he confesseth openly and of his owne accord that within the same month of Ianuary he did eate drink and communicate with William Swinderby not being ignorant of the sentence of the said reuerend father whereby the same William Swinderby was pronounced an heretique schismatique and a false seducer of the common people Which conclusions the same reuerend father caused to bee writteÌ„ and in writing to be deliuered to the same Walter Which when he had seene and red he sayd also that he did maintaine and iustifie them according to the lawes aforesayd These thinges were done in the chamber oâ— the sayd bishop of Herford at his manor of Whitborne of the sayde dioces of Hereford then being there present the same Byshop abouesaid M. Reynold of Wolsten Canon of Hereford sir Phillip Dileske parson of the parish church of Blamurin Thomas Guldefeld parson of the Church of Englisbyknore Iohn Cresset parson of the church of Whytborne and Thomas Wallewayne housholde seruant for witnesses specially called and desired to the premisses of the dioces of Hereford and S. Asse And I Benedict Come clerke of the dioces of S. Asse publike notary by the Apostolike authoritie of the dioces of S. Asse was personally present together with the witnes before named at all and singuler these and other thinges here premised whilest they were so done and a doing did see heare write those things so to be done as is before mencioned and did write the same and reduce them into this publike forme with my wonted accustomed seale and name haue sealed it being desired and required truly to testifie the premisses At the last the aforesaid Walter Brute did present and cause to be presented to vs at diuers places and times assigned by vs to the same Walter to aunswere to yâ— former conclusions and articles diuers scroules of paper writteÌ„ with his owne proper hand for his aunswers to the same Articles and conclusions aboue written he partly appearing by his owne selfe before vs sitting in our iudgement seat and partly by his messengers specially appoynted to that purpose of which scroules the tenors do follow in order worde by worde and be on this maner In the name of the father and of the sonne and the holy ghost Amen I Walter Brute sinner layman husbaÌ„dmaÌ„ a Christian hauing mine ofspring of the Brittons both by my father mothers side of the Britons haue ben accused to the B. of Hereford that I did erre in many matters concerning the catholike Christen fayth by whoÌ„ I am required yâ— I should write an aunswere in Latin to all those matters whose desire I wil satisfie to my power protesting first of al before God before al the world the like as it is not my mind through Gods grace to refuse the knoweÌ„ truth for any reward greater or smaller yea be it neuer so bigge nor yet for the feare of any temporal punishment eueÌ„ so it is not my mind to maintain any erroneous doctrine for any coÌ„modities sake And if any maÌ„ of what state sect or condition so euer he be wil shew me that I erre in my writings or sayings by the authoritie of the sacred scripture or by probable reason grounded in the sacred scripture I wil humbly and gladly receiue his information But as for the bare wordes of any teacher Christ onely excepted I wil not simply beleue except hee shal be able to stablish theÌ„ by the truth of experience or of the Scripture for because that in the holy Apostles elected by Christ there hath beue fouÌ„d errour by the testimony of the holy scripture because that Paule himselfe doth coÌ„fesse that he rebuked Peter for that he was worthy to be rebuked Galat. the 2. Chapiter There hath ben errors fouÌ„d in the holy doctors that haue ben before vs as they themselues confesse of them selues And oftentimes it falleth out that there is error founde in the teachers in our age who are of contrary opinions among themselues and sâ—me of them do sometimes determine mine one thing for truth and others do condemne the selfe same thing to be heresye or error Which protestation premised I wil here place 1. suppositions or cases for a grouÌ„d and a foundatioÌ„ of all things that I shall say out of which I would gather two probable conclusions stablished vpoÌ„ the same and vpon the sacred Scripture By which coÌ„clusions when as
darkenesse because nothing is hid which shal not be disclosed and nothing couered that shal not be knowen And therfore the thing that was sayd in the darkenesse let vs say in the light and the thyng that we haue heard in the eare let vs preache vppon the house toppes I therefore as I haue before sayd so say that if the high bishop of Rome calling himselfe the seruant of God and the chiefe Vicare of Christ in this world do make and iustify many lawes contrary to the gospell of Iesu Christ then is he the chiefe of many whych comming in the name of Christ haue said I am Christ who haue seduced many Which is the first part of the first conclusion and is manifest For Christ is called of Hebrues the very same that we call annoynted And amongest them there was a double sort of legall annoynting by the lawe the one of kings and the other of Priestes And aswell were the kynges as the priestes called in the lawe Christes The kings as in the Psalme The kings of the earth stoode vp together and the Princes assembled them selues in one agaynst the Lorde and against hys Christ or annoynted And in the bookes of the kings very often are the kinges called Christes And our Sauiour was Christ or annoynted king because hee was a king for euermore vpon the throne of Dauid as the Scriptures doe very oftentimes witnesse The Priestes also were called annoynted as where it is wrytten Doe not yee touch my Christes that is mine annoynted ones and be not ye spitefull against my Prophetes And so was our Sauiour Christ a Priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech Seyng then that the Byshops of Rome do say that they are the high Priestes they say also therein that they are kynges because they say that they haue the spirituall sword perteinyng to their Priesthode and the corporall sword which agreeth for a kynges state So is it playne that really in very deede they say that they are Christs albeit that expresly they be not called Christes Now that they come in the name of Christ it is manifest because they say that they are his principal Vicares in this world ordeined of Christ specially for the gouernement of the Christian Churche Therefore seyng they say that really and in very deede they are Christes and the chief frendes of Christ If they make and iustifie many lawes contrary to the Gospell of Iesu Christ then is it playne that they themselues in earth are the principal Antichristes because there is no worse plague and pestilence then a familiar enemy And if in secret they be agaynst Christ and yet in open appearaunce they say that they are his frendes they are somuch the more meete to seduce and deceiue the ChristiaÌ„ people because that a manifest enemy shall haue much a doe to deceaue a man because men trust him not but a priuey enemy pretendyng outward frendshyp may easly seduce yea those that be wise But that this matter may the more fully be knoweÌ„ let vs see what is the law doctrine of Christ that ought to be obserued of all faithfull people which beyng knowen it shal be an easy thing to see if the bishop of Rome doe make or maintaine any lawes contrary to the law of the gospell of Iesu Christ. I say then that the lawe of Christ is charitie whych is the perfect loue of God and of Christ. This thing is plaine and manifest For Christ being demaunded of a certayne doctour of the law What is the greatest commaundement in the lawe answered Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule and with all thy minde This is the principall greatest commandement And as for the second it is like vnto this Thou shalt loue thy neighbor as thine owne selfe In these two commaundements doth the whole law and Prophets depend And in an other place Christ sayeth All maner of things therefore that you would that men should do to you the same also do ye vnto them For thys is the lawe and the Prophets And in Iohn the 13. chap. sayth Christ. And now doe I say vnto you I geue you a new commandement that you shuld loue eche other as I loued you in like maner that you also shuld loue one another In this shal all men know that you are my disciples if you shall haue loue one towardes an other And Iohn 15. chapter This is my commaundemeÌ„t that you loue together as I haue loued you Greater loue then this hath no body that a man shuld geue his life for his frendes The Apostle Peter sayth in his first Epistle 4. chapter Aboue all things hauing continually charity one towards an other for charitye couereth the multitude of sinnes Be yee harborers and intertaine ye one an other without grudging euery one as hee hath receaued grace so let him bestowe it vpon an other man as the good stewards of the manifold graces of God If any maÌ„ speak let him speake as the word of God If any man doe ought for an other let it be don with singlenes and vnfained verity ministred of God to vs ward that in all thyngs God may be honoured through Iesus Christ our Lord. Iames in his Epistle the 2. chapter If ye performe the royal lawe accordingly to the Scriptures thou shalt loue thy neighbour ye do wel But if ye be parcial in receiuing and preferring mens personages ye worke wickednes being blamed of the law as transgressors And againe so speake ye and so do ye as ye should nowe begin to be iudged by the law of libertie What shall it auaile my brethren if a man say he haue faith and haue no workes Neuer shall that faith be able to saue him For if a brother or sister be naked and haue neede of daily foode and some of you say to them goe ye in peace be ye made warme and satisfied and if ye shall not geue those things that are necessary for the body what shall it auaile Euen so faith if it haue not workes is dead in it selfe Iohn in his first epistle the 3. chap. This is the tidings whych you haue heard from the beginning that you shuld loue one another And againe we know that we are traâ—slated from death to life if we loue the brethren He that loueth not abideth in death And again herein do we know the loue of God because that he hath laide downe hys life for vs we ought to lay down our liues for the brethren He that shall haue the substaunce of thys world and shall see his brother haue neede and shall shut up hys bowelles from him howe abideth the loue of God in hym My little children let vs not loue in worde nor tounge but in deede and truth And againe 4. chap. Most dearly beloued let vs loue together For loue is of God he that loueth
to the relation of these foresayd coÌ„stitutious of that clergy meÌ„ here coÌ„meth in more to be said and noted touching yâ— foresayd Statute ex Officio to proue the same not onely to be cruell and impious but also to be of it selfe of no force and validitie for the burning of anye person for cause of Religion for the disprofe of whiche statute we haue sufficient authoritie remayning as yet in the parliament Rolles to be seene in her maiesties Courte of Recordes which here were to be debated at large but that vpon speciall occasioÌ„ we haue differed the ampâ—e discourse therof to the cruell persecution of the Lord Cobhame hereafter ensuing as may appeare in the defence of the sayd lord Cobham agaynst Nicholas Happeffield vnder the title and name of Alanus Copus And thus referring them for the examination of this statute to the place aforesaid let vs now returne to Thomas Arundel and his bloudy constitutions aboue mentioned The stile and tenour wherof to the intent the rigour of the same may appeare to all men I thought hereunder to adioyne in wordes as followeth * The constitution of Thomas Arundell agaynst the followers of Gods truth Thomas by the permission of God Archbishop of Canterbury Primate of all Englande and Legate of the see Apostolicke To all and singuler our reuerend brethren fellow Bishops and our Suffraganes And to Abbots Priours Deanes of Cathedrall Churches Archdeacons Prouostes and Canons also to all persons vicares chaplaynes Clerkes in Parish Churches and to all lay meÌ„ whome and where so euer dwelling win our prouince of Canterbury greeting grace to stand firmely in the doctrine of the holy mother Church It is a manifest playne case that he doth wrong and iniury to the most reuerend councell who so reuolteth from the thinges being in the sayd Councell once discussed and decided And whosoeuer dare presume to dispute of the supreme or principall iudgment here in earth in so doing incurreth the payne of sacrilege according to the authoritie of ciuill wisedome and and manifest tradition of humayne law Much more then they who trusting to theyr own wittes are so bold to violate and with contrary doctrine to resist and in word and deede to contemne the preceptes of lawes and Canons rightly made and proceeding from the kaybearer and porter of eternall life and death bearing the rowme and person not of pure man but of true God here in earth which also haue bene abserued hitherto and of yâ— holy father 's our predecessoures vnto the glorious effusion of theyr bloud voluntary sprinkling out of theyr braynes Are worthy of greater punishmeÌ„t deseruing quickly to be cut off as rotten members from the body of the Church militent For such ought to consider what is in the old testament written Moses and Aaron among hys Priestes that is were chiefe heads amongst them And in the new Testament among the Apostles there was a certayne difference And though they were all Apostles yet was it graunted of the Lord to Peter that he should beare preeminence aboue the other Apostles And also the Apostles themselues woulde the same that he shoulde be the chiefetayn ouer all the rest And being called Cephas that is head shold be as Prince ouer the Apostles Unto whome it was sayd Thou beyng once conuerted confirme thy brethren as though he wold say If there happen any doubt among them or if anye of them chaunce to erre and stray out of the way of fayth of iust liuing or right conuersation Doe thou confirme and reduce him in the right way againe Which thing no doubt the Lord would neuer haue sayd vnto him if he had not so minded that the rest should be obedient vnto him And yet al this notwithstanding we know and dayly proue that we are sory to speake howe the olde Sophister the enemy of mankinde foreseeing and fearing left that sound doctrine of the church determined from ancient times by the holy forefathers should withstand his malices if it might keep the people of god in vnitie of faith vnder one head of yâ— church doth therfore endeuour by al meanes possible to extirp the sayd doctrine feyning vices to be vertues And so vnder false pretences of veritie dissimuled soweth discorde in catholike people to the intent that some goyng one way some an other He in the meane time may gather to himselfe a Church of the malignant differing wickedly from the vniuersall mother holy church In the which Satan transforming hymselfe into an Angell of light bearing a lying and deceitfull ballaunce in hys haÌ„d pretendeth great righteousnes in contrarying the ancient doctrine of the holye mother church and refusing the traditions of the same determined and appoynted by holy fathers perswading meÌ„ by fayned forgeries the same to be nought and so inducing other new kindes of doctrine leading to more goodnes as he by his lying perswasions pretendeth although he in very truth neither willeth nor mindeth any goodnes but rather that he may sow schismes wherby diuers opinions contrary to themselues being raysed in that Church fayth thereby may be diminished and also the reuerend holy misteries through the same contention of words may be prophaned with Paganes Iewes and other infidels and wicked miscreantes And so that figure in the Apos 6. is well verified speaking of him that sate on the blacke horse bearing a payre of balaunce in hys hand by that which heretiques are vnderstand Who at the first appearaunce lyke to weightes or ballance make as though they would set forth right and iust thinges to allure the hartes of the hearers But afterward appeareth the blacke horse that is to say their intention full of cursed speaking For they vnder a diuers shew and colour of a iust ballance with the tayle of a blacke horse sprinkling abroad heresies and erroures do strike And beyng poysoned themselues vnder colour of good rayse vp infinite slaunders and by certayn persons fitte to doe mischiefe do publish abroad as it were the sugred tast of hony mixt with poyson therby the sooner to be taken working and causing through their slight and subtiltyes that errour shoulde be taken for veritye wickednes for holines and for the true will of Christ. Yea and moreouer the foresayd persons thus picked out do preach before they be sent and presume to sow the seede before the seede discreetely be seperate from the chaffe Who not pondering the constitutions and decrees of the Canons prouided for the same purpose agaynst suche pestilent sowers do preferre sacrifice Diabolicall so to terme it before obedience be geuen to the holy Church militant We therfore considering and weying that error which is not resisted seemeth to be allowed and hee that openeth hys bosome to wyde whiche resisteth not the viper thinking there to thrust out her venome And willing moreouer to shake off the dust from our feete and to see to the honor of our holy mother Church whereby one
citation sent by messenger by letters or edict not admitting proofe by witnesses and sentēce definitiue to be we do ordeine will and declare for the easier punishment of the offēders in the premisses and for the better reformation of the church deuided and hurt that all such as are diffamed openly knowne or vehemētly suspected in any of the cases aforesayd or in anye article of the catholicke fayth sounding contrary to good manners by authoritie of the ordinary of the place or other superior be cited personally to appeare cyther by letters publique messenger being sworne or by edicte openly set at that place where the sayd offender commonly remayneth or in hys parish Church if he hath any certayne dwelling house Otherwise in y◠Cathedrall church of the place where he was borne and in the parish churche of the same place where he so preached and taught And afterwardes certificate beyng geuen that the citation was formally executed agaynst the party cited being absent and neglecting hys appearannce it shal be proceeded agaynst him fully and playnly without sound or shew of iudgement and without admitting proofe by witnesses and other canonicall probations And also after lawful informatiō had the sayd ordinary al delayes set apert shall signifie declare and punishe the sayd offender according to the quallitie of his offence and in forme aforesayd and further shall doe according to iustice the absence of the offender notwithstanding Geuen at Oxford ¶ Who would haue thought by these lawes and constitutions so substantially founded so circumspectly prouided so dilligently executed but that the name and memory of this persecuted sort should vtterly haue bene rooted vp neuer could haue stand And yet such be the works of th◠lord passing all mēs admiratiō all this notwithstanding so far was it of that the number and courage of these good men was vanquished that rather they multiplied dayly encreased For so I finde in Registers recorded that these foresayd persons whome the king and the Catholique fathers did so greatly deteste for heretickes were in diuers countries of this realme dispersed and increased especially at London in Lincolnshire in Northfolk in Herefordshyre in Shreusbury in Callice and diuers other quarters mo with whom the Archb. of Caunterbury Thomas Arundell the same time had much ado as by hys own registers doth appeare Albeit some there were that dyd shrinke many did reuolt and renounce for daunger of the law Among whom was Iohn Puruey whiche recanted at Paules Crosse of whom more foloweth the Lord willing to be said in the yeare 1421. Also Iohn Edward priest of the dioces of Lincolne who reuoked in the greene yard at Norwich Richard Herbert and Emmot Willy of Lōdon also Iohn Becket who recanted at London Item Iohn Seynons of Lincolneshyre who was caused to reuoke at Caunterbury The articles of whom which commonly they did hold and which they were constrayned to abiure most specially were these as follow Their Articles First that the office of the holy Crosse ordayned by the whole Church celebrated doth contayne idolatry Item they sayd and affirmed that all they which doe reuerence and worship the signe of the crosse do commit idolatry and are reputed as Idolaters Item they sayd and affirmed that the true fleshe and bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ is not in the sacrament of the aulter after the words spoken by the priest truely pronounced Item they sayd and affirmed the sacrament of the aultar to be sacramentall bread not hauing life but onely instituted for a memoriall of Christes passion Item they sayd and affirmed that the body of Christe which is taken on the aulter is a figure of that body of christ as long as we see the bread and wyne Item they sayd and affirmed that the decree of the prelates and clergie in the prouince of Caunterbury in theyr last conuocation with the consent of the king and the nobles in the last Parliament agaynst him that was brent lately in the citty of London was not sufficient to chaunge the purpose of the sayd Iohn when the substance of materiall bread is euen as before in the sacrament of the aultar it was no change being made in the nature of bread * Item that any lay man may preach the Gospel in euery place and may teach it by his owne authoritie without the licence of his Ordinary Itē that it is sinne to geue any thing to the preaching friers to the Minorites to the Augustines to the Carmelites Item that we ought not to offer at the funerals of the dead Item that the confession of sins to the people is vnneedefull Item that euery good man though he be vnlearned is a priest Item that the infant though he dye vnbaptised shal be saued Item that neither the pope nor the prelate neither any ordinary can compell any man to sweare by anye creature of God or by the bible booke Item that as well the Bishop the simple man the priest and the lay man be of like authoritie as lōg as they liue well Item that no man is bound to geue bodily reuerence to any prelate ¶ William Thorpe THus much briefly being signified by the way touching these which haue bene forced in time of this king to open abiuration Next commeth to our handes the worthy history of maister William Thorpe a warriour valiaunt vnder the triumphant banner of Christ with the processe of his examinations before the foresayd Thomas Arundell Archbishop of Caunterb written by the sayd Thorpe and storyed by his owne pen at the request of hys frendes as by hys own words in the processe here of may appeare In whole examination whiche seemeth first to begin an 1407. thou shalt haue good reader both to learne and to merueile To learne in that thou shalt beare truth discoursed and discussed with the contrary reasons of the aduersary dissolued To marueile for that thou shalt beholde here in this man the merueilous force and strength of the Lordes might spirite and grace working and fighting in his souldiors also speaking in theyr mouthes according to the word of hys promise Luke xxi To the rest of the story we haue neither added nor diminished but as we haue receiued it copied out corrected by maister Williā Tindall who had his own handwriting so we haue here sent it and set it out abroad Althoughe for the more credite of the matter I rather wished it in his own naturall speach wherein it was first written Notwithstanding to put away all doubt and scrouple herein this I thought before to premonishe and testifie to the Reader touching the certaintie hereof that they be yet aliue whiche haue seene the selfe same copy in his own old English resembling y◠true antiquitie both of the speach and of the time The name of whom as for recorde of the same to auouche is M. Whithead who as he hath seene the true ancient copy in the hādes of George Constantine so hath he
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
thus as if he had beâ—e wroth he sayd to one of his clerkes Fetch hether quickly the certification that came to me â—roÌ„ Shrewsbury vnder the 〈◊〉 seale witnessing the errors and heresyes which this Losel hath venunously sowne there Then hastely the clarke tooke out and layde forth on a cupbord diuers rolles and writinges among which there was a litle one which the clarke deliuered to the Archbyshop And by and by the Archbishop read this roll conteyning this sentence The third sonday after Easter the yeare of our Lorde 1407. William Thorpe came vnto the towne of Shrewsbury and thorow leaue graunted vnto him to preache He sayd openly in S. Chaddes church in his sermon that the sacrament of the aulter after the consecration was materiall bread And that images should in no wise be worshipped And that meÌ„ should not go on pilgrimages And that priestes haue no title to tithes And that it is not lawful for to sweare in any wise ¶ And when the Archbishop had red thus this roll he rolled it vp agayne and sayd to me Is this wholesome learning to be among the people ☞ And I sayd to him Sir I am both ashamed on theyr behalf and right sorowful for them that haue certified you these thinges thus vntruelye for I preached neuer nor taught thus priuily nor apertly ¶ And the Archbishop sayd to me I will geue credence to these worshipfull men which haue written to me and witnessed vnder theyr scales there amoÌ„g them Though now thou denyest this weenest thou that I will geue credence to thee Thou Losell hast troubled the worshipfull communalty of Shrewsbury so that the Balifes and comminalty of that towne haue writteÌ„ to me praying me that am Archbishop of Cant. primate and Chancellor of England that I will vouchsafe to graunt them that if thou shalt be made as thou art worthy to suffer open iouresse for thine heresies that thou may haue thy iouresse openlye there among them So that all they whome thou and suche other Losels haue there peruerted may thorow feare of thy deed be reconciled agayne to the vnity of holy Church And also they that stand in true fayth of holy Church may thorow thy deed be more established therein And as if this asking well pleased yâ— Archbishop he sayd By my thrift this harty prayer and feruent request shall be thought on But certaynely nother yâ— prayer of the men of Shrewsbury nor the manassing of the Archbishoppe made me any thing afrayd But in rehearsing of this malice and in the hearing of it my hart greatly reioysed yet doth I thank God for the grace that I then thought and yâ—t think shall come to all the Church of God here thorow by the speciall mercifull doing of the Lord. And as hauing no dread of the malice of tyrantes by trusting stedfastly in the helpe of the Lord with full purpose for to knowledge the sothfastnes and to stand therby after my cunning and power I said to the Archbishop Sir if the truth of Gods word might now be accepted as it should be I doubt not to proue by likely euidence that they that are famed to be out of the fayth of holy Church in Shrewsbury in other places also are in the true fayth of holy Church For as theyr wordes found and theyr workes shew to mans iudgement dreading and louing faythfully God theyr will their desire ther loue theyr busines are most set to dread to offend God to loue for to please him in true faythfull keeping of his coÌ„mauÌ„dementes And agayne they that are sayd to be in the faith of holy Church in Shrewsbury in other places by open euidence of their proud enuious malicious couetous lecherous and other foule words workes neither know nor haue wil to know nor to occupy their wits truely and effectuously in the right fayth of holy Church Wherefore all these nor none that folow theyr maners shall any time come verely in the fayth of holy church except they inforce them more truely to come in the way which now they despise For these men and women that are now called faithfull and holden iust nother know nor will exercise theÌ„selfe to know of faythfulnes one commaundement of God And thus full many men and womeÌ„ now and specially meÌ„ that are named to be principall lims of holy church styree God to great wrath deserue his curse for that they call or hold them iust meÌ„ which are full vniust as their vicious wordes their great customable swearing and theyr slaunderous and shamefull works shew openly and witnes And therfore such vicious men vniust in theyr own confusion call them vniust men womeÌ„ which after their power and cunning busy themselues to liue iustly after the coÌ„maundement of God And where sir ye say that I haue distroubled the coÌ„minalty of Shrewsbury many other men and women with my teaching If it this be it is not to be wondred of wise men since all the communalty of that City of Ierusalem was distroubled of Christes own person that was very God and man and most prudent preacher that euer was or shal be And also all the Sinagoge of Nazareth was moued agaynst Christ so fulfilled with ire towards him for his preaching that the men of the Sinagoge rose vp and cast Christ out of theyr City led him vp to the top of a mouÌ„tayn for to cast him down there headling Also accordingly hereto the Lord witnesseth by Moises that he shall put dissention betwixt his people and the people that coÌ„trarieth and pursueth his people Who sir is he that shall preach the truth of Gods word to the vnfaith full people and shall set the sothfastnes of the Gospell and the prophecy of God almighty to be fulfilled ¶ And the Archbishop sayd to me It foloweth of these thy wordes that thou and such other thinkest that ye do right well for to preach and teach as ye do without authority of any Bishop For ye presume that the Lord hath choseÌ„ you onely for to preach as faythful disciples and speciall folowers of Christ. ☞ And I sayd Syr by authority of Gods law and also of Sayntes and Doctors I am learned to deme that it is euery Priestes office and duty for to preach busilye freely truely the word of God For no doubt euery Priest should purpose first in his soule couer to take the order of priesthood chiefly for to make knowne to the people the word of God after his cunning and power approuing his words euey to be true by his vertuous works and for this intent we suppose that Bishops other Prelates of holy church should chiefly take and vse their prelacye and for the same cause Bishops should geue to Priestes their orders For Bishops should accept no man to Priesthood except that he had good wil and fâ—â—l purpose were wel disposed and wel learned to preach
hold with them while he held with them And therefore Malueren said to me I vnderstand and thou wilt take thee to a Priest and shriue thee cleane forsake all such opinions take the penance of my Lord here for the holding teaching of them within short time thou shalt be greatly comforted in this doing ☞ And I sayd to the Clerkes that thus busily counselled me to folow these foresayd men Sirs if these meÌ„ of whom ye counsell me to take example had forsakeÌ„ benefices of teÌ„porall profite of worldly worship so that chey had abseÌ„ted them and eschewed from al occasions of couetousnes of fleshly lustes and had taken upon them simple liuing wilfull pouerty they had herein geuen good example to me and to many other to haue folowed theÌ„ But now since all these foure men haue slaunderously and shamefully done the contrary consenting to receiue and to haue and to hold teÌ„porall benefices liuing now more worldly more fleshly then they did before conforming them to the maners of this world I forsake them herein and in all their foresayd slaunderous doing For I purpose with the helpe of God into remissio of my sinnes and of my â—oule cursed liuing to hate and to flee priuily and apertly to follow these men teaching and counselling whome so euer that I may for to flee eschew the way that they haue chosen to go in which will lead them to the worst end if in conuenient time they repent them not verely forsaking and reuoking opeÌ„ly the flaunder that they haue put and euery day yet put to Christes Church For certayne so open blasphemy and slaunder as they haue spoken and done in their reuoking forsaking of the truth ought not nor may not priuily be ameÌ„ded duely Wherfore sirs I pray you that you busy not for to moue me to follow these meÌ„ in reuoking and forsaking the trueth and sothfastnes as they haue done and yet doe wherein by open euidence they stirre God to great wroth and not onely agaynst themselues but also agaynst all theÌ„ that fauor them or consent to them herein or that communeth with them except it be for their amendement For where as these meÌ„ first were pursued of enemies now they haue obliged them by othe for to slauÌ„der and pursue Christ in his members Wherfore as I trust stedfastly in the goodnes of God the worldly couetousnes and the lusty liuing and the sliding from the truth of these runnagates shall be to me and to many other men and women an example an euidence to stand more stifly by the truth of Christ. For certayne right many men and women doe marke and abhorre the foulnes and cowardnes of these foresayd vntrue men how that they are ouercome stopped wyth benefices and withdrawen from the truth of Gods word forsaking vtterly to suffer therfore bodely persecution For by this vnfaythfull doing and apostasye of them specially that are great lettered men and haue knowledged openly the truth and now either for pleasure or displeasure of tyrauntes haue taken hire and temporall wages to forsake the truth and to hold agaynst it slaundering and pursuing them that couet to followe Christ in the way of righteousnes many men and womeÌ„ therefore are now moued But many mo thorow the grace of God shall be moued hereby for to learne the truth of God and to doe thereafter and to stand boldly thereby ¶ Then the Archbishop sayd to his clerkes Busye you no lenger about him for he and other such as he is are coÌ„sedered together that they will not sweare to be obedient to submit them to prelates of holy church For now since I stoode here his fellow also sent me word that he will not sweare and that this fellow counselled hym that he should not sweare to me And losell in that thing that in thee is thou hast busied thee to lose this young man but blessed be God thou shalt not haue thy purpose of him For he hath forsaken all thy learning submitting him to be buxum obedient to the ordinaunce of holy church and weepeth full bitterly and curseth thee full hartily for the venemous teaching which thou hast shewed to him counselling hym to do thereafter And for thy false counselling of many other him thou hast great cause to be right sory For long time thou hast busied thee to peruert whomsoeuer thou mightest Therfore as many deathes thou art worthye of as thou hast geuen euill counselles And therefore by Iesu thou shalt go thether where Nicoll Harford Thom. Puruay were harbered And I vndertake or this day viij dayes thou shalt be right glad for to doe what thing that euer I did thee to do And Losell I shal assay if I can make thee there as sorowfull as it was tolde me thou wast glad of my last goyng out of England By S. Thomas I shall turne thy ioy into sorow ☞ And I sayd Syr there can no body proue lawfully that I ioyed euer of the maner of your going out of this land But Syr to say the soth I was ioyfull when ye were gone for the bishop of London in whole prison ye left me found in me no cause for to hold me lenger in his prisoÌ„ but at the request of my freÌ„des he deliuered me to them asking of me no maner of submitting ¶ Then the archbishop sayd to me Wherefore that I yede out of England is vnknowne to thee But be this thinge well knowne to thee that God as I wote well hath called me agayn and brought me into this land for to destroy thee and the false sect that thou art of as by God I shall pursue you so narowly that I shall not leaue a slip of you in this land ☞ And I sayd to the archbishop Syr the holy Prophette Ieremy sayd to the false Prophet Anany When the word that is the prophecy of a Prophet is knowne or fulfilled then it shal be knowne that the Lorde sent the Prophet in trueth ¶ And the Archbishop as if he had not bene pleased with my saying turned him awayward hether and thether and sayd By GOD I shall set vpon thy shinnes a payre of pearles that thou shalt be glad to chaunge thy voyce These and many moe wonderous and conuicious wordes were spoken to me manassing me and al other of the same sect for to be punished and destroyed vnto the vttermost And the Archbishop called then to him a Clerke and rowned with him and that Clerk went forth and soone he brought in the Constable of Saltwoode Castle and the Archbishop rowned a good while with him And then the Constable went forth and then came in diuers seculars they scorned me on euery side manassed me greatly And some counselled the Archbishop to burne me by and by some other counselled him to drowne me in the Sea for it is neare hand there And a Clerke standing beside me there kneeled
strong agaynst all daūger of iust reprehension Who being as ye haue heard so faythfull and obedient to God so submisse to his king so soūd in hys doctrine so constant in his cause so afflicted for the trueth so ready prepared to death as we haue sufficiently declared not out of vncertayne doubtful chronicles but out of the true originals instrumēts remaining in aūcient records What lacketh now or what should let to the contrary but that he declaring himself such a martyr that is a witnes to the verity for the which also at last he suffred y◠fire may therfore worthily be exorned with the title of a martir which is in Greek as much as a witnes bearer But here nowe steppeth in Dame 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with her cosē scold Alecto c. who neither learning to hold her coūg nor yet to speak wel must needs find here a knot in a rush and beginning now to quarrell inferreth thus But after sayth he that the Lord Cobham was escaped out of the tower his felowes and confederates conuēted themselues together seditously agaynst y◠king against their coūtry A great crime no doubt M. Cope if it be true so if it be not true the greter blame returneth vnto your self so to enter this action of such slaunder vnles the ground wherupō ye stand be sure First what felowes of the L. Cobhā were these you meane of Sir Roger Acton ye say maister Brown Iohn Beuerley with 36. other hanged and burned in the sayd field of S. Biles A maruellous matter y◠such a great multitude of 20000. specified in story shoulde rise against y◠king yet but 3. persons only known and named Thē to proceed further I would aske of maister Cope what was the end of this conspiracy to rebell against the king to destroy their country and to subuert the Christian fayth for so purporteth the story As like true the one as the other For euen as it is like that they being Turkes went about to destroy the fayth of Christ wherin they died and to subuert their country wherin they were bred euen so like it is that they went about to destroy the king whom God and their conscience taught to obey Yet further proceedeth this fumish promoter in his accusation sayth moreouer that these foresayd felowes and adherentes of the Lord Cobham were in the field assēbled and there incamped in a great number agaynst the king how is this proued by Robert Fabian which appeareth to be as true as that which in the sayde Robert Fabian followeth in the same place where he affirmeth that Io. Cledon and Richard Turmin were burnt in the same yere being 1413. When in deede by the true Registers they were not burnt before the yere of our lord 1415. But what wil maister Cope say if the originall copy of the inditemēt of these pretensed conspirators doe testify that they were not there assembled or present in the field as your accusation pretendeth But they purposed will you say and intended to come The purpose and intent of a mans mind is hard for you and me to iudge where as no fact appereth But geue their intēt was so to come yet might they not come to those thickets neare to the fielde of Saint Biles hauing Beuerley theyr Preacher with them as ye say your self as well to pray to preach in that woody place as wel as to fight Is this such a straunge thing in the church of Christ in time of persecution for christians to resort into desolate woods and secrete thickets from the sight of enemies when they would assemble in praying and hearing the word of God In Queene Maryes tyme was not the same coulour of treason obiected agaynst George Egle and other moe for frequenting and vsing into backsides and fields and suffered for that whereof he was innocent guiltlesse Did not Adam Damlipe dye in like case of treason for hauing a French crowne geuen him at his departure out of Rome by Cardinal Poole What can not cankred calumnia inuēt when she is disposed to cauill It was not the Cardinals crowne that made him a traytour but it was the hatred of his preaching that styrred vp the accuser In Fraunce what assemblyes haue there beene in late yeares of good and innocent christiās congregating together in backfieldes couertes in great routes to heare the preaching of Gods holy word to pray yea and not with out their weapon also for their owne safegard yet neuer intēded nor minded any rebelliō against their king Wherfore in cases of Religion it may doth happē many times that such congregations may meete without intent of any treason ment But howsoeuer the intent and purpose was of these fore said cōfederats of the Lord Cobham whether to come or what to do seing this is playne by recordes as is aforesaid that they were not yet come vnto the place how will M. Cope now iustify his wordes so confidently affirming that they were there assembled seditiously together in the field of S. Biles agaynst the king And marke here I besech thee gentle Reader how vnlikely and vntidely the poynts of this tale are tide and hang together I will not say without all substaunce or truth but without all fashion of a cleanly lye wherin these accusers in this matter seeme to me to lacke some part of Siuons Arte in conueiing their narration so vnartificiallye First say they the king was come first with his garrison vnto the field of S. Biles And then after the king was there incamped cōsequently the fellowes of the Lord Cobham the Captayne being away came were assembled in the said field where the king was against the king yet not knowing of the king to the number of xx thousand and yet neuer a stroak in that field geuen And furthermore of all this xx thousād aforesayd neuer a mans name knowne but onely three to witte sir Roger Acton sir Iohn Browne and Iohn Beuerley a preacher How this gear is clamperd together let the reader iudge and beleue as he seeth cause But geue all this to be true although by no demōstration it can be proued yet by the Popes dispensation which in this earth is almost omnipotent be it graunted that after the king had take S. Biles field before the cōpanions of the Lord Cobham afterward comming and assembling in the thickets neare to the sayd field to fight seditiously agaynst the king agaynst their country agaynst the fayth of Christ to the nūber of xx thousand where no stroke being geuen so many were takē that al the prisons of London were full and yet neuer a mans name knowen of all thys multitude but onely three All this I say being imagined to be true the foloweth to be demaūded of M. Cope whether the Lord Cobham was here present with this company in the field or not Not
Excellentissimo c. And yet notwithstandyng out of these same preambles forefrontes of statutes other inditementes which cōmonly rising vpō matter of informatiō runne onely vpō wordes of course of office and not vpō simple truth a great part of our Chroniclers do oftē take their matter which they insert into their stories hauyng no respect or examination of circumstaunces to be compared but onely following bare rumours or els such wordes as they see in such fablyng prefaces or inditementes expressed Whereby it commeth so to passe that the younger Chronicler followyng the elder as the blind leadyng the blind both together fall into the pit of errour And you also maister Cope followyng the steppes of the same do seeme likewise to erre together with them for good felowshyp And thus concernyng the face of this statute hetherto sufficiently Now let vs cōsider and discusse in like maner first the coherence then the particular contentes of the said statute As touchyng the which coherence if it be well examined a mā shall finde almost a Chimera of it In which neither the head accordeth with the body nor yet the braunches of the statute well agree with themselues Wherein he that was the drawer or first informer thereof seemeth to haue forgot his Uerse and art Poeticall Atque ita mentitur sic veris falsa remiscet Primum ne medio medium ne discrepet imo For where as the preface of the statute standeth onely vpon matter of treason conceiued by false suggestion and wrong information The body of the sayd statute whiche should follow vpō the same runneth onely vpō matter of heresie pertaining to the Ordinaries as by euery braūche therof may appeare For first where he sayth at the instaunce request of the ordinaries or their cōmissaries c. Hereby it appeareth this to be no cause of treasō nor felony For that euery man of duety is boūd and by the lawes of the Realme may arrest apprehend a traitour or a felō if he cā where otherwise by this statute an officer is not bound to arrest him which offēdeth in case of this statute without request made by the ordinaries or their commissaries and therefore this offence seemeth neither to be treason nor felonie Secondly where it foloweth that the same ordinaries and commissaries doe pay for their costes c. This allowance of the officers charges in this sort proueth this offence neither treason nor felonie Thirdly where the statute willeth the king to bee answered of the yeare day wast c. By this also is proued the offence not to be treason Or els in cases of treason the whole inheritance I trow maister Cope speaking as no great skilfull lawyer is forfait to the prince The fourth argument I take out of these words of the statute where as such lands and tenements which be holden of the ordinaries are willed wholy to remaine to the king as forfait c. wherby it is manifest that the Prelates for their matter of Lollardie onely were the occasioners and procurers of this statute and therefore were barred of the benefite of anye forfetrising thereby as good reason was they should And thus it is notorius that the preface running specially and principally vpon treason and the statute running altogether vpon points of heresie do not well cohere nor ioine together Fiftly In that such persons indited shal be deliuered vnto the Ordinaries of the places c. It can not bee denied but that this offence concerneth no maner of treason For so much as Ordinaries can not be iudges in cases of treason or felonie by the lawes of our Realme Bracton in fine 1. Libri Sixtly by the inditements prouided not to be taken in euidence but onely for information before the Iudges spirituall c. it is likewise to be noted to what end these inditements were taken to wit only to informe the ordinaries which can not be in cases of treason Lastly where it foloweth toward the end of that statute touching escape or breaking of prison c. by this it may lightly be smelt whereto all the purpose of this statute driueth that is to the speciall escape of the L. Cobham out of that Tower to this end to haue his lands possessiōs forfait vnto the King And yet the same escape of the Lord Cobham in this statute considered is taken by Maister Iustice Stanford in Lib. primo of the plees of the crowne cap 33. to be an escape of one arrested for heresie where he speaketh of the case of the Lord Cobham Moreouer as touching the partes of this foresaid statute how will you ioine these two braunches together where as in the former part is said that the lands of such persons connict shall be forfait to the king not before they be dead And afterward it foloweth that their goodes and possessions shall be forfait at the day of their arrest to that king But heerein standeth no such great doubt nor matter to be weied This is without all doubt and notoriously euidently and most manifestly may appeare by all the arguments and whole purport of the statute that as well the preamble and preface thereof as the whole body of the said statute was made framed procured onely by and through the instigation information and excitation of the Prelates the Popish Cleargie not so much for any treason committed against the king but only for feare and hatred of Lollardy tending against their law which they more dreded abhorred then euer any treasō against the Prince And then to set the king all the states against them whereby the more readily to worke their dispatch they thought it best and none so compendious a policie as pretely to ioine treason together with their Lollardry Wherein the poore men beeing once intangled coulde no wayes escape destruction Papae concilium callidum This M. Cope haue I said and say againe not as one absolutely determining vpon the matter At the dooyng wherof as I was not present my selfe so with your owne Halle I may and do leaue it at large but as one leadyng the reader by all coniectures and arguments of probabilitie and of due circumstances to consider with themselues what is further to be thought in these old accustomed practises and procedings of these prelates Protesting moreouer M. Cope in this matter to you that those Chroniclers which you so much ground vpon I take them in this matter neither as witnesses sufficient nor as Iudges competent Who as they were not themselues present at the deed done no more then I but onely folowing vncertaine rumours and words of course and office bringing with them no certaine triall of that which they do affirme may therein both be deceiued themselues and also deceiue you and other which depend vpon them And hetherto concerning this statute enough Out of which statute you see M. Cope that neither your Chroniclers
nor you can take any great aduantage to proue any treason in the Lord Cobham or in his felowes as hath bene hetherto aboundantly declared in the premisses It remaineth further that for asmuch as you in your fixt Dialogue with your author Edward Halle do alledge the records Et publica iudicij Acta to dissame these men for traytours although what records they be you bring forth neuer a word I therefore in their defence do answere for them whiche can not now aunswere for themselues And because you to accuse them do mention a certaine recorde and yet do not shew vs what record it is and peradueÌ„ture can not if ye would I haue taken the paines therfore for the loue of them whom you so hate to search out such Recordes whereby any occasion can be raised against them And first will declare the commission granted then the inditement commensed against them The which commission and inditement albeit in countenance of words will seeme to minister much suspition against them to the simple Reader before he be better acquainted with these subtile dealings and practises of Prelates yet trusting vpon the goodnesse of the cause which I see here so falsely and sleightly to be handled I nothing feare nor doubt to produce the same out of the Records in Latine as they stand to the intent that when the craftie handling of the aduersaries shall be disclosed the true simplicitie of the innocent to the true harted Reader shall the more better appeare The words first of the Commission here folow vnder written which when thou shalt heare let theÌ„ not trouble thy minde gentle reader I besech thee before thou vnderstand further what packing and subtile conueyance lieth couered and hid vnder the same ¶ In Rotulo patent de anno primo Henrici quinti. R. Dilectis fidelibus suis Willielmo Roos de Hamlak Henrico le Scrop Willielmo Croiomere maiori Ciuitatis suae London Hugoni Huls Iohanni Preston Ioanni Mertin salutem Sciatis quòd cum nos plenius A informemur ac notorie manifeste dinoscatur quôd quam plures subditi nostri Lollardi vulgarie nuncupati ac alij mortem nostram contra ligeanciae suae debitum proditorie imaginauerunt ac quam plura alia tam in fidei catholicae quà m status dominorum magnatum regni nostri Angl. tam spiritualium quam temporalium destructionem proposuerunt ac diuersas congregationes alia conuenticula illicita pro nephando proposito suo in hac parte per implend secerunt in nostri exheredationem ac Regni nostri destructionem manifestam Nos huiusmodi Lollardos ac alios praedictos iuxta eorum demerita in hac parte castigari puniri volentes ac de fidelitate circumspectione vestris plenius confidentes assignauimus vos quinque quatuor tres vestrum quorum vos praefati maior Hugo duos esse volumus Iustic nostros ad inquirend per sacrum proborum legal hominum de ciuitate praedicta suburbijs eiusdem ac de Com. Midd. tam infr libertates quam extr per quos rei veritas melius sciri poterit de omnibus singulis proditionibus insurrectionibus per huius modi Lollardos in ciuitate suburbijs com predictis factis perpetratis nec non de omnimodo proditionibus insurrectionibns rebellionibus felonijs in ciuitate suburbijs com praedictis per quoscunque qualitercunque factis siue perpetratis ad easdem proditiones insurrectiones rebelliones felonias audiend terminand secundum legem consuetudinem Regni nostri Angl. Et ideo vobis mandamus quod ad certos c. quos c. quorum c. ad hoc prouideritis diligentes super premissis fac inquisitiones premissa omnia singula audiatis terminetis in forma praedicta facturi c. Saluis c. Mandauimus enim vicecomitibus nostris Lond. Midd. quod ad certos c. quos c. quorum c. eius seire fac venire facietis coram vobis c. quorum c. tot c. de Balliua sua tam infr libertates quam extra per quos c. inquiri In cuius c. T.R. apud Westm. B x. die Ianuarij Peripsum Regem By these high and tragicall wordes in this commission sent downe against the Lord Cobham Sir Roger Acton and their felowes It may peraduenture seeme to the ignorant and simple reader some hainous crime of treason to rest in them for conspiring against God the Churche the kyng their countrey But what cannot the fetchyng practise oâ— the Romish Prelates bring about where they haue once conceiued a malice Wherfore maruel not good trader at this nor iudge thou accordinge to the woordes which thou hearest But suspeÌ„d thy iudgemeÌ„t a while till the matter be more opened vnto thee ExaÌ„ples of like hâ—Ì„dling be not so rare but thou maist soone iudge by other tymes the like also of these George Egle of whom meÌ„tion was made before did but preach in time of Queene Mary anâ— yet coÌ„missioÌ„ was directed against him as in case of raising vp a coÌ„motion against the Queene AdaÌ„ Damlip in Cahce did but preach the receiuing of one poore crowne 2. yeares before at Rome was inough to make him a traitor In the time of K Henry the 8 onâ— Singleton chaplein to Queene Anne the Queenes maiesties mother that now is did but preach 〈◊〉 Gospel moued by zeale as I haue credible witnes of his owne scholer that heard him speake it being with him yeâ— by vertue of coÌ„mission it was obiected to hym for raysing vp commotion agaynst the kyng yea and also for killing of Pakington suffered for the same as a traytor So here what matter or maruell is it if the kyng â—â—censed or rather circumuented by the wrong information of the Prelates whom he beleued gaue out his coÌ„mission agaynst thynges neuer wrought nor thought Wherfore I exhort thee Christian Reader as I sayd before iudge not by and by the truth by the wordes of the CommissioÌ„ but iudge the wordes rather of the Commission by the truth Neither measure thou the lyne by the stone But the stone rather by the line At least yet differ thy sentence till both the Commission and the InditemeÌ„t beyng layd together thou mayest afterward see and perceiue more what is to be iudged in the case In the meane season marke well these wordes of the kyng in this Commission A Cum nos plenius informeâ—ur c. By the which wordes it is easie to be vnderstand that the kyng himselfe had no certaine knowledge thereof but onely by information of others of Byshops no doubt Prelates thereupon gaue forth his Commission aforesayd And then how will this stand with our Chroniclers other Epitomes and Summaries whoÌ„ Maister Cope doth alledge For if it be certaine that Robert FabiaÌ„ sayth that the kyng himselfe beyng in the field tooke
com coÌ„paruit Ideo presentibus coronatoribus com predicti vtlagatâ— fuit per quod inquiratur de terra catallis suis. ¶ Notes or considerations vpon the Inditement and Commission aboue prefixed Die Mercurij proximo post festuÌ„ Epiphaniae c. ¶ First here is to be noted considered good reader the day and date of geuing out the Commission then of the Verdict presented by the Iurers which was both in one day that is on the Wednesday next after the Epiphanie in the first yeare of the reigne of kyng Henry 5. which was the x. day of the moneth of Ianuary as the date of the Commission sayth an 1413. after the vse of EnglaÌ„d or after the Romish vse an 1414. So that after the vse euer we count whether it be an 1413. or els an 1414. the Dominicall letter begynning at the first day of Ianuary to chauÌ„ge must needes be G. for the yeare so necessarily make Wednesday next after the Epyphanie to be the x. day of the sayd moneth of Ianuary Thus then this present Wednesday which was the tenth day of the moneth being well noted and borne in minde on the which day both the Commission was directed also the Verdict presented let vs now proceede further in the foresayd Iuditement It foloweth Per SacrameÌ„tum xij iuratorum extitit praesentatum c. ¶ If there had bin true dealing in this the Iurers should haue bene named But it is not like that there was euer any such Inditement found by any Iurers and therefore they did best not to name the Iurours least they would haue denied this Iuditement to be their Acte it foloweth more in proces of the Inditement Et dictum Ioan. Oldcastel Regentem Eiusdem regni constituere c. ¶ If there were no other argument this were sufficient to disproue the manifest vntruth of this surmised Inditement When as the king was not yet gone to Fraunce nor determined to go how could they conspire then to make a Regent For the king went in Iuly folowing vidz the second yeare of his raigne leauing behinde him the Queene his mother in law for Regent whereby it may be gathered that this matter was vntruly entred and stolen into the Records with an antedate or els at the least there appeareth manifest vntruth that they should conspire to make a Regent when a Regent was not thought vpon vnlesse it were all ready run into the heads of the Cleargie who shortly after fearing their temporalities as Caxton saith perswaded the King to make warres in Fraunce This word Regent therefore proceedeth of the secret spirit of the Cleargy and maketh the whole matter very suspicious to be grounded altogether vpon the malice of the Cleargie and their vntrue surmises It foloweth moreouer Quasi gens sine capite in finalem destructionem c. ¶ Now doth this stand with that goeth before that they conspired to make a Regent except you will say that to make a Regent is to be a people without an head It foloweth Cum quam pluribus rebellibus dicti regis ignotis ad numerum viginti millium hominum c. ¶ A straunge matter that they should knowe of the conspiracie of twentie thousand and yet knowe of no moe names of the rebels but the Lord Cobham onely or one or two mo And all the rest were ignoti Priuatim insurgentes c. ¶ This smelleth of the Cleargies owne penning without any great aduise of learned counsaile for otherwise such as had bene herein skilfull would neuer haue put in priuatim insurgentes Die Mercurij proximo post festum Epiphaniae D. anno R.R. praedicto c. ¶ This Wednesday next after the Epiphanie was the x. day of the moneth of Ianuary and the same day when both the conspiracie was put in execution and the same day when the commission was giuen out to enquire also when the fact was by enquirie presented Whereby it may seeme a strange thing that so great a conspiracy knowne beforehand was not suppressed nor enquired of by any commission but ouely by a commission bearing date of the same day vpon which day by the purport of the Inditement the conspiracie should haue bene put in execution by open rebellion as it is aforesayd Praedictum D. nostrum Regemfratres suos videl Thomam Ducem Clarentiae Ioannem de Lancastre Humfredum de Lancastre c. ¶ If the kings learned counsaile had dealt in this Inditement as in case of treason they should haue done if it had bene a matter of truth they would neuer haue handled it so slenderly and wrongly as to name the Dukes of Bedford and of Gloucester Iohn of Lancaster and Dumfrey of Lancaster who were made Dukes in the 13. yeare of the raigne of King Henry the fourth their father as appeareth by Caxtones Chronicle Et ibidem versus campum praedictum modo guerrino arriati proditorie modo insurrectionis contra ligeantias suas equitauerunt ad rebellandum dictum D. nostrum regem c. ¶ This is falsified by plaine euidence of histories And Cope hymselfe confesseth no lesse For he so sayth and confesseth page line That Sir Iohn Oldcastle was not there in person but onely that his consent and good will was there Againe seeing this equitation or riding toward Saint Giles field was vpon the Wednesday next after the feast of Epiphany as in this Inditement and processe of outlawry is aboue testified which was the tenth daye of Ianuary and commission also the same day was charged and the Iewry moreouer impanelled the same daye yet no Iewrer named Item the verdict the same day presented how all these can concurre together and all in one day let the reader after he haue well considered the matter vse his iudgement therin not only whether it be like but also whether it be possible Ouer and beside all this it is to be noted that if thys matter had bene truely and duly handled as touching the reason then had it not bene needefull to haue brought sir Iohn Oldcastle into the Parliament house before the Lords to haue had his iudgement For by the outlawrie if it had bene true he was 〈◊〉 and without ame more adde should hauâ— had iudgement in the Kings Bench as a Traytor But the chiefe Iustice knowing the handling of the matter durst not belike enterprise so far Wherefore iâ— was deuised that he should certifie the record 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 which he did together with the Bishops 〈◊〉 filed to the â—ecord which was verie strange And thereupon the Lords gaue such a iudgement as was not due for a Traytor For that they gaue no iudgement that he should be drawne hanged and set downe aliue and then 〈◊〉 weâ—led and quarâ—ered which is the iudgement of a Traytor And albeit the Parliament might haue attainteâ— him without any more ado And by the same Act of atteinder
Emperour nor king nor any mortall man but against the Lord hymselfe euen against your God of your owne making being therein as you say no substance of bread but the very personall body flesh bloud and bone of Christ himself which body notwythstanding the foresayd Pope Gregory the 7. tooke and cast with his owne hands into the burning fire because he would not aunswere him to a certaine doubt or demaund Benn Card. pag. 172. Southly if sir Iohn Oldcastle had taken the body of king Henrye the 5. and throwne him into the fire the facte being so notoriously certaine as thys is I would neuer haue bestowed any worde in hys defence And could thys and so many other hainous treasons passe throughe your fingers M. Cope and no other to sticke in your pen but the Lord Cobham Finally and simply to conclude wyth you M. Cope and not to flatter you what is the whole working the procedings actions practises of your religion or hath bene almost these 500. yeares but a certaine perpetuall kinde of treason to thrust downe your princes and magistrates to derogate from their right and iurisdiction and to aduance your owne maiesties and dominations as hath bene sufficiently aboue proued and laid before your faces in a parliament holden in Fraunce by the Lord Peter de Cugnerijs vide pag. 383. Wherefore if the assemble of these forenamed persons either within or wythout S. Giles field be such a great mote of treason in your eies first loke vpō the great blocks and milstones of your owne traytors at home and whē you haue well discussed the same then after poure out your wallet of your trifeling Dialogues or Trialogues if ye lift against vs and spare vs not Not that I so thincke thys to be a sufficient excuse to purge the treason of these men if your popish Calenders and legeands be found ful of traytours Multitudo enim peccatorum non parit errori patrocinium But thys I thincke that the same cause whyche made them to suffer as traitors hath made you also to rail against them for traitors that is mere hatred only against their Relygion rather then any true affection you haue to your princes and gouernors Who if they had bene as feruent in your Popery and had suffred so much for the holy father of Rome or for the liberties of the holy mother church of Rome I doubt not but they as holy children of Rome had bene rong into your Romish Calendare with a festum duplex or at least with a festum simplex of 9. lessons also with a vigil peraduenture before them Nowe because they were on the contrary profession enemies to your Magna Diana Ephesiorum you playe wyth them as the Ephesian caruers dyd wyth Saint Paule and worse Ye thrust them out as seditious rebels not only out of life and body but also can not abide them to haue any poore harbour in theyr owne friendes houses among our Actes and Monuments to be remembred In the whyche Actes and Monuments and if gentle maister Ireneus with hys fellow Critobulus in your clerkely Dialogues will not suffer them to be numbred for martyrs yet speake a good word for them M. Cope they may stande for testes or witnesse bearers of the trueth And thus muche for defence of them Now to the other part of his accusation wherein this Alanus Copus Anglus in hys 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or sixfolde Dialogues contēdeth and chaseth against my former edition to proue me in my history to be a lier forger impudent a misreporter of trueth a deprauer of stories a seducer of the worlde and what els not Whose virulent words and contumelious termes howe wel they become his popish persone I knowe not Certes for my part I neuer deserued thys at his handes wittingly that I do know Maister Cope is a man whome yet I neuer sawe and lesse offended nor euer heard of him before And if hee had not in the fronte of hys booke intituled himself to be an English man by his wryting I would haue iudged hym rather some wilde Irishman lately crept out of S. Patrikes Purgatory so wildely he wryteth so fumishly he fareth But I cease here and temper my selfe considering not what M. Cope deserueth to be sayd vnto nor howe far the pen here could run if it had his scope but cōsidering what the tractatiō rather of suche a serious cause requireth And therfore seriously to say vnto you M. Cope in thys matter wher you charge my history of Acts and Monuments so cruelly to be full of vntruthes false lies impudent forgeries deprauations fraudulent corruptions and fayned tables briefly and in one woord to answere you not as the Lacones answered to the letters of their aduersary wyth si but with osi would God M. Cope that in al the whole booke of Actes and Monumentes from the beginning to the latter end of the same were neuer a true storie but that all were false all were lies all were fables Would God the cruelty of your Catholikes had suffred all them to liue of whose death ye say now that I doe lie Although I deny not but in that booke of actes and monumentes containing such diuersity of matter some thing might ouerscape me yet haue I bestowed my poore diligence My intent was to profit all men to hurt none If you maister Cope or any other can better my rude doings and finde things out more finely or truely with al my hart I shall reioyce with you and the commō wealth taking profit by you In perfectiō of wryting of wit cunning dexterity finenes or other induments required in a perfect writer I contend neither with you nor any other I graunt that in a laboured story such as you seeme to require conteyning suche infinite varietie of matter as thys doth much more time would be required but such time as I had that I did bestow if not so laboriously as other could yet as diligently as I might But here partly I heare what you will say I shoulde haue taken more leysure and done it better I graunt and confesse my fault such is my vice I can not sitte all the day M. Cope fining and minsing my letters and coming my head and smoothing my selfe all the day at the glasse of Cicero Yet notwythstanding doing what I can and doing my good will me thinkes I should not be reprehended at least not so much be railed on at maister Copes hand Who if he be so pregnant in finding faulte with other mens labours which is an easy thing to do it were to be wished that hee had enterprised himselfe vppon the matter and so should haue proued what faults might haue bene found in him Not that I herein doe vtterly excuse my selfe yea rather am ready to accuse my selfe but yet notwythstanding thynke my selfe vngently dealt with all at Maister Copes hande Who being mine owne countreyman an English man as he sayeth also of the same
iudgement and that if the byshop did suspect the kingdome of Boheme to be infected with anye heretical or false doctrine that he shold send his ambassadors the which might correct and ameÌ„d the same if there be any errour or fault in them And that all this should be done at the onely costes and charges of the king of Boheme and to promise in his name that he would ayde and assiste the Bishops Legates with all hys power and authoritie to punishe all such as shoulde be taken or found in any erroneous doctrine In the meane season also Iohn Husse before his day appointed sent his lawfull and meete procurators vnto the court of Rome and with most firme and stronge reasons dyd proue hys innocency whereupon he trusted so that he thought he shoulde haue easely obtayned that he should not haue bene compelled by reason of the great daÌ„ger to appeare the day appoynted But when as the Cardinall de Collumna vnto whose will and iudgement the whole matter was committed would not admit no defeÌ„ce or excuse Iohn Husse his procurators appealed vnto the high Bishop yet notwithstanding this last refuge did not so much preuaile with Cardinall de Collumna but that he would opeÌ„ly excommunicate Iohn Husse as an obstinate hereticke because he came not at hys day appoynted vnto Rome Nothwithstanding for so much as his procurators had appealed vnto the high bishop they had other iudges appointed vnto them as cardinal Aquileianus and cardinal â—enetus with certayne others The which iudges after they had prolonged and differred the matter by the space of one yere and a halfe at the last they returned to the senteÌ„ce and iudgement of cardinall de Columna and confirming the same commaunded Iohn Hus his Procurators that they should leaue of to defend him any more for they would suffer it no longer Wherupon when his Procurators would not cease theyr instant sute certayne of them were cast into prisoÌ„ and greuously punished the other leauing theyr busines vndone returned into Boheme The Bohemians notwithstandinge little cared for all this but continuing stil as they grew more in knowledge so the lesse they regarded the Pope complayning dayly agaynst him and the Archb. for stopping the word of God and the gospel of Christ to be preached saying that by their indulgences and other practises of the court of Rome and of the bishops Consistory they sought their owne profit not of Iesus Christ that they pluckt from the sheepe of Christ the wool and milke and did not feed them neyther with the word of God nor with good examples Teaching moreouer and affirming that the commauÌ„dements of the Pope and Prelates are not to be obeyed but so far as they follow the doctrine and life of Christ and of his Apostles and that lay men ought to iudge the workes of the prelates as Paule iudged the workes of Peter in correcting him Gal. 2. Furthermore they had amongst theÌ„ certayne notes and obseruations whereby they might discerne how far wherin they might obey theyr prelates they derided also scorned the Popes iurisdiction because of the schisme that was then in the church wheÌ„ there were 3. popes together one striuing agaynst another for the papacy Ouer and besides this at the same time Iohn Hus did propouÌ„d publickly and by the Notaries caused to be written 3. doubtfull questions the tenor wherof foloweth here word for word is this Forasmuch sayth he as it is good for men being in doubt to aske counsell whereby all dubitatioÌ„ remoued they may be able the more firmly to adhere the truth 3. doubtes here arise to be solued The first doubt is whither we ought to beleeue in the Pope The second whither it be possible for any man to be saued which confesseth not with his mouth vnto a mortal priest The third doubte is whither any of the doctors doe holde or say that some of Pharaos host being drowned in the red sea and of the Sodomites being subuerted besaued As concerning the first he did hold negatiuely alleadging the saying of â—ede vpon this place of the Apostle To him that beleeueth vpon him which iustifieth the wicked his fayth is imputed to righteousnes Rom. 4. Vpon thys place sayth â—ede Aliud est credere in deum aliud credere deo aliud credere deum c. The second doubt sayth he the maister of the sentence doth answere lib. 4. dist 17. cap. 11. in these wordes What is then to be holden or sayd herein Certes that without the confession of the mouth and assoyling of the outward payne sinnes be forgeuen through contrition and humility of the hart c. For the third doubt he brought in the wordes of S. Ierome vpon the Prophet Nahum speaking of the Egiptians destroyed in the sea and of the Sodomites destroyd with fire of the Israelites destroyed in the desert Know you sayth Ierome that God therfore punished them for their sinnes here temporally because they should not be punished hereafter perpetually therfore because they were here punished they shall not be punished hereafter for els the scripture should lie which is not to be graunted These 3. questioÌ„s belike Iohn Hus did bring in to declare howe the doctors doe not agree in all things neither with the church of Rome neither are to be followed in all poyntes of all men It foloweth moreouer after the death of the Archbish. Swinco aboue mentioned that one named CoÌ„radus was placed by the pope there to be chief general which CoÌ„radus conferring with the diuines and doctors of the vniuersity of Prage required their aduises and counselles what way they might best take to asswage the dissentions discordes betwene the clergy and the people Whereupon a certayne councell was deuised to be holden after this sort and maner as foloweth 1. First that all doctors and maisters of the vniuersity of Prage should be asseÌ„bled in the court of the Archb. and in his presence that euery doctor and maister shoulde sweare not to holde or mayntayne any of the 45. articles of Iohn Wickliffe before condemned 2. Item concerning the 7. sacraments of the Church the keyes censures of the church the maners rites ceremonies customes and liberties of the church concerning also the worshipping of reliques and indulgeÌ„ses the orders religions of the church that euery one shall sweare that he doth hold beleue mayntayn and will maintayn as doth the church of Rome and no otherwise of the which church of Rome the Pope is the head the colledge of Cardinals is the body who are the true and manifest successours of blessed S. Peter prince of the Apostles and of the colledge of the other Apostles of Christ. 3. Item that euery one shall sweare that in euery catholicke matter belonging to the Church that he will stand to the determination of the Apostolicall sea and that he wyll obey the prelates in all maner of thinges wheresoeuer the thing which is pure
saying to him Thou art Peter vpon this rocke I will build my church c. Mat. 16. And agayne he sayth feede my sheepe Ioan. vlt. That is to say be thou Peter the head ouer thy brethren Tedious it were to recite all the bibblebabble of these doctors in this their long responsall Who so lisâ—eth to see the bottome of their profounde writing knowledge may resort either to the history of Siluius or els to M. Cochleus in his first booke De hist Hussit Thus then M. Iohn Hus being driuen out of Prage as is afore touched by the motion of these Doctours and moreouer being so excoÌ„municate that no Masse nor other must be sayd there where he was present The people begaÌ„ mightily to grudge and to cry out agaynst the Prelates other popish priests which were the workers therof accusing theÌ„ to be Simoniacks couetous whoremaisters adulterers proud sparing not to lay opeÌ„ their vices to their great ignominy and shame And much crauing a reformation to be had of the clergy The king seing the inclination of the people being also not ignorant of the wickednes of the clergy vnder pretence to reforme the church began to require greater exactions vpon such Priestes and men of the Clergy as were knowne and accused to be wicked liuers Whereupon they on the other part that fauored Iohn Hus taking that occasion present complayned of all accused many and spared none Whomsoeuer they knew to be of the Catholicke faction or enemies to Iohn Hus. By reason wherof the priests of the popish Clergy were brought such as were faultye into great distresse and such as were not faulty into great feare In so much that they were glad to fall in at least not to fall out with the Protestantes being afrayd to displease them By this meanes maister Hus beganne to take some more liberty vnto him to preach in his church at Bethleem none to controll him by the same meanes the people also receiued some comfort and the king much gayne mony by the reason And thus the popish Clergy while they went about to persecute Iohn Hus were in wrapped theÌ„selues in great tribulation and afflicted on euery side as wel of lay meÌ„ as of learned men of the clergy In so much that womeÌ„ also children were agaynst theÌ„ And by that same reasoÌ„ wherwith they thought to entangle him they were ouerthrown theÌ„selues For the Doctors which before condemned this doctrine in Iohn Hus for an intollerable heresye cried out so much agaynst him for teaching the teÌ„porall Lords might take away teÌ„porall liuings froÌ„ the clergy sinning habitualiter that is lying and continuing still in the custome of iniquity now when the king and the Lords temporall began to mearse them and berieue them of their teÌ„poralties for their transgressions the sayd Doctors did keepe silence durst speake neuer a word Agayne where the foresayd doctors before could not abide in Iohn Hus that tithes wer to be couÌ„ted for pure almes now comming to the Guildhal were faine to entreat for theyr temporall goodes not to be taken from them pleading the same temporalties to be mere almose and deuotion of good men geuen vnto the church Ex Cochleo And thus now did they themselues graunt the thing which before they did condemne The more that the popes clergy was pinched the more grudge hatred redounded to Iohn Hus although he was in no cause therof but onely their owne wicked deseruinges for the which cause Stephen Paletz and Andraeas de Broda being the chiefe champions of that faction though they could not remedy the case yet to ease theyr mindes wrote sharpe and cruell letters to Maister Hus. And to helpe the matter forward the Pope also here must helpe at a pinche who likewise writeth hys letters to Wenceslaus king of Bohemia which was brother to Sigismund Emperor for the suppressing of Iohn Hus of his doctrine Which was in the fifth and last yere of his Popedome an 1414. The tenour of whose letters to king Wenceslaus in this wise proceedeth ¶ The letter of Pope Iohn to K. Wenceslaus IOhn Bishoppe seruaunt of Gods seruanntes to his welbeloued sonne in Christ Wenceslaus King of Romaines and of Boheme greeting and apostolicall benediction Among other desires and delightes of our hart who although vnworthy to represent the roome of Christ here in earth this doth chiefly redounde to our singular comfort fo often as we do heare of the brotherly entreaty of peace and of concord by which concord kingdoms do encrease as contrary by discorde they are deminished which is betweene your honour and our welbeloued in the Lord Sigismund your brother germane cosin for the noble king of the Romans c. And furthermore it foloweth in these words And as we haue cause to ioy at the premisses so likewise agayne the heauy rumors which are here do trouble and dampe our mindes For we heare that in diuers places vnder your dominioÌ„ there be certain which do folow and leane to the errors of that archhereticke Wickliffe whose bookes haue bene long since condemned in the generall Romain councell to bee erroneous hereticall and swaruing from the catholicke fayth And furthermore whiche is worst of all the sayd persons cleauing to the opinions of the heretickes least they should be corrected of their superior powers for their exces to couer theyr naughtines and stubbernesse in despising the commaundements of the Apostolicall seat do openly teach disobedience and contempt of the keies and ecclesiasticall censure to the subuersion of the Apostolicall dignity setting at nought the decrees of the holy fathers canons Wherefore we do exhort your The description of the Popes councell holden at Rome in which appeared a monstrous Owle to the vtter defacing of the Pope and all his Clergy worship for the mercy of our God as hartely as we may or caÌ„ that it would please you as we desire hope you will so effectuously to shew forth your regall power both for the glory of God defence of the catholicke fayth which you go about to defend and for the conseruation of your kingly name state and honor for the prosperous safe gouernement of your kingdome and dominions as it becommeth a catholicke prince whereby this blot of heresye which doth so lamentably and miserablye spring and creepe in those partes and doth so infect the mindes of mortall men to the destruction of their soules and doth sequester them from the congregation of the pure and catholick fayth and truth may be rooted out c. Geuen at Bononia in the Ides of Iune in the v. yeare of our popedome c. In this epistle of Pope Iohn aboue prefixed forsomuch as mention is made of a certaine councell before holden at Rome which was 4. yeares before agaynst the articles books of Iohn Wickliffe it shall not be impertineÌ„t nor out of purpose to repeat a certayn mery history worthy otherwise to
be noted at written by Nicholas Clemangis oâ— a certayne spirite which ruled the Popish Councelles hys worde are these The same pope called a CouÌ„cell at Rome about foure yeares before at the earnest sute of diuers men And a mas of the holy Ghost being sayd at the entraunce into the sayd Councell according to the accustomed maner the Councell being set and the sayde Iohn sitting highest in a chayre prepared for him for that purpose Behold a ougly dread full Owle or as the common prouerbe is the euill signe of some mischaunce of death to followe comming out of the backe halfe of him flew to and fro with her euill fauoured voyce and standing vpon the middle beame of the church cast her staring eyes vpon the Pope sitting the whole coÌ„pany began to maruell to see the night Crowe whiche is wont to abide no light how she should in the midday come in the face of such a multitude iudged not without cause that it was an illfauored token For beholde sayde they whispering one in on others eare the spirite appereth in the shape of an Owle And as the stoode beholding one an other and aduising the pope scarcely could keep their couÌ„tenaunce from laughter Iohn himselfe vppon whom the Owle stedfastly looked blushing at the matter beganne to sweate and to fret and fume with himselfe and not finding by what other meanes he might salue the matter being so confused dissoluing the Councell rose vp and departed After that there followed an other session In the whiche the Owle again after the maner aforesayd although as I beleue not called was present looking sâ—edfastly vpon the bishop whom he beholding to become agayne was more ashamed then he was before and iustly saying he could no longer abide the sight of her commauÌ„ded that she should be driuen away with battes and shottinges but she being aâ—rayde neither with their noyse neither of any thing els would not away vntill that with the strokes of the sticks which were throwne at her she fell downe dead before theÌ„ all This I learned of a faythfull frend who at the same time came to Rome the which thing I scarsely crediting for the rarenes of the matter he affirmed by his othe that it was most certayn true adding moreouer that all there present were much offeÌ„ded did greatly deride that CouÌ„cell called for such a purpose and by little and litle the CouÌ„cel was dissolued nothing done ther as he saith Although it hath not bene alwayes seene that such spirituall Doues haue bene present with Popes and their Councels gouerned theÌ„ yet their euill doctrine declareth no lesse Read gentle reader the booke of Clemangis and thou shalt not thinke thy labor euill bestowed For he hath both learnedly truely freely and godly bewayled the filthines of Antichrist and his ministers their wickednes impiety and cruelty and the miserable state and face of the Church c. And thus much for Pope Iohn ¶ The Councell of Constance HEre by the way is to be noted and vnderstand that during all this time of Pope Iohn there were 3. Popes raigning together neither was yet the the schisme ceased which so long time had continued the space as I sayde of 29. yeares By the reason wherof a generall Councel was ordeined holden at Constance in the same yeare an 1414. being called by Sigismund the Emperor and Pope Iohn the 23. for the pacifiyng of the foresayd schisme which was then betweene three Popes striuing for the Popedome The first whereof was Iohn whom the Italians set vp The second was Gregory whom the Frenchmen set vp The third was Benedict whom the Spaniardes placed In this schismaticall ambitious conflict euery one defended his Pope to the great disturbans of christian nations This councell endured foure yeares long wherin all their matters were decided most by foure natioÌ„s to say the English Germaine French Italian nation Out of which â—oure nations were apoynted chosen foure Presidentes to iudge and determine the matters of the Councell The names of which Presidentes were these Iohn the Patriarke of Antioche for Fraunce Anthony Archbishop of Rigen for Italy Nicholas Archbishoppe of Genesuensis for Germany and Nicholas Bishop of Bathe for England by whom many great and profitable things to the glory of God and publike profit might haue bene concluded if the rotten flesh of the churchmen could haue bidden the salt of the Gospell and if they had loued the truth but as Gregogorius Nazienzenus writeth there lightly come few generall Councels but they end more with disturbance then tranquility So it happened in this councell for wheras Iohn the 13. in the first Session exhorteth them by these wordes taken out of the 8. of Zachary Viritatem diligite that is to say Lone the truth further monishing them and specially the Deuines euery man to do his endeuour for the vnitye of the Church and to speake their minde freely but howe soone this his exhortation was forgotteÌ„ it appeared shortly after by the despising of the Prophetes and persecuting of Christ in his meÌ„bers as by the grace of Christ shall appeare hereafter in the processe of this story First this Iohn did resigne his Papacy the Emperor geuing him thankes kissed his feet Afterward the sayd Iohn repenting him that he had so done sought meanes to flee whereunto Fredericke Duke of Austrich did assist him for he chaunging his garments fled by night with a small coÌ„pany And when he was now come vnto Schaffe house to goe into Italy the Emperour pursuing tooke him and proclaymed Fredericke traytour for that cause tooke away certayne Cittyes from him At the last the matter was appeased vnder this coÌ„dition that Fredericke should require grace of the Emperour and resigne all his possessions vnto him WherupoÌ„ the Emperor receiued him againe into fauor restored him to his dukedome This pope being thus deposed was committed vnto the County Pallatine and by him caried to the Castle of Manheime where he was kept prisoner by the space of 3. yeares Afterward he was agayne by Pope Martine admitted to the number of Cardinals This Pope Iohn was deposed by the decree of yâ— couÌ„cell more then 40. most greuous and haynous crimes being obiected and proued agaynst him as that he had hyred Marcilus Permensis a Phâ—sition to poyson Alexander his predecessour Further that he was an heretick a simoniake a lyer an hipocrite a murderer an inchauÌ„ter a dice-player an adulterer and a sodomite finally what crime is it that he was not infected withall And now to returne vnto the councell first we wil declare the order of their Sessions with things therin concluded in generall then we will Christ willing adioyne the speciall tractation of such matters as perteyne to the story of the Bohemians and Iohn Hus and Hierome of Prage who in the same vngodlye councell were condemned and burned This councell therfore of Constance which was
and equitie is banished the Ecclesiasticall power is iniuried and the calamitie of this Schisme bringeth in all kinde of bondage swords and violence doth rule the laitie haue the dominion concord and vnitie are banished and all prescript rules of Religion vtterly contemned and set at naught Consider most gentle Lords how that during this most pestiferous Schisme how manie heresies haue appeared and shewed themselues how manie heretickes haue scaped vnpunished how manie Churches haue beene spoiled and pulled downe how manie Cities haue beene oppressed and regions brought to ruine what confusion hath there happened in the Cleargie What and how great destruction hath bene amongst the Christian people I pray you marke how the Church of God the spouse of Christ and the mother of all faithfull is contemned and despised For who doth reuerence the keies of the Church who feareth the censures or lawes or who is it that doth defend the liberties thereof But rather who is it that doth not offend the same or who doth not inuade it or else what is he that dare not violentlie lay hands vpon the patrimonie or heritage of Iesus Christ The goods of the Cleargie and of the poore and the reliefe of Pilgrimes and straungers gotten together by the bloud of our Sauiour and of manie Martyres are spoyled and taken awaie behold the abhomination of the desolation brought vpon the Church of God the destruction of the faith and the confusion of the Christian people to the ruine of the Lordes flocke or folde and all the whole companie of our most holy Sauiour and redeemer This losse is more great or greeuous then anie which could happen vnto the Martires of Christ and thys persecution much more cruell then the persecution of anie tyrants for they did but only punish the bodies but in this schsme and diuision the soules are tormented There the bloud of men was only shed but in this case the true faith is subuerted and ouerthrowne That persecution was saluation vnto many but this Schisme is destruction vnto all men When the tirants raged then the faith did increase but by this diuision it is vtterly decaied During their crueltie and madnes the primatiue Church increased but through this schisme it is confounded and ouerthrowne Tiraunts did ignorantly offende but in this schisme many do wittingly and willingly euen of obstinacie offend There came in heretikes vsers of Symonie and hypocrites to the great detriment and deceit of the Church vnder those tirants the merites of the iust were increased But during this Schisme mischiefe and wickednes are augmented for in this most cursed and execrable diuision truth was made an enimie vnto all Christians faith is not regarded loue and charitie hated hope is lost iustice ouerthrowne no kinde of courage or valiantnes but onely vnto mischiefe modestie and temperance cloked wisedome turned into deceit humilitie fained equitie and truth falsified pacience vtterly fled conscience small all wickednes intended deuotion counted folly gentlenes abiect and cast away religion despised obedience not regarded and all maner of life reprochfull and abhominable With how great and greeuous sorowes is the Church of God replenished filled whiles that tirants do oppresse it heretikes inuade it vsers of Symonie do spoile and rob it and schismatikes go about vtterly to subuert it O most miserable and wretched christian people whome now by the space of forty yeares with such indurate and continuall schisme they haue tormented and almost brought to ruine O the little barke and ship of Christ whiche hath so long time wandred and straied now in the middest of the whorlepooles and by and by sticketh fast in the rocks tossed too and fro with most greeuous and tempestuous stormes O miserable and wretched boate of Peter if the most holy father would suffer thee to sinke or drowne into what dangers and perils haue the wicked pirates brought thee amongst what rockes haue they placed thee O most godly and louing Christians what faithfull deuout man is there which beholding and seeing the great ruine and decay of the Church would not be prouoked vnto teares what good conscience is there that can refraine weeping because that contention and strife is powred vpon the ecclesiasticall rulers which haue made vs to erre in the way because they haue not founde or rather would not finde the way of vnitie and concord Whereupon so many heresies and so great confusion is sproong vp and growne in the flocke of Peter and the fold of our Lord. Many Princes Kings and Prelates haue greatly laboured and trauelled for the rooting out heereof but yet could they neuer bring to passe or finish that most holesome and necessary worke Wherefore most Christian King this most glorious and triumphant victory hath tarried only for thee the crowne and glorie therof shal be thine for euer and this most happy victory shall be continually celebrate to thy great honour and praise that thou hast restored againe the Church which was so spoiled thou hast remoued and put away all inueterate and ouergrowne Schismes and diuisions thou hast troden downe vsers of Symony rooted out all hereticks Doest thou not behold see how great perpetuall and famous renowne glory it wil be vnto thee For what can be more iust what more holy what more better what more to be desired or finally what can be more acceptable than to roote out this wicked and abhominable Schisme to restore the Church againe vnto hir auncient libertie to extinguish and put away all Simony and to condemne and destroy all errours and heresies from amongst the flocke of the faithfull Nothing truly can be better nothing more holy nothing more profitable for the whole worlde and finally nothing more acceptable vnto God For the performance of which most holy and godly worke thou wast elect and chosen of God thou wast first deputed and chosen in heauen before thou wast elect and chosen vpon earth Thou wast first appointed by the celestiall and heauenly Prince before the electours of the Empire did elect or choose thee and specially that by the Imperiall force and power thou shouldest condemne and destroy those errours and heresies which wee haue presently in hand to be condemned and subuerted To the performance of this most holy worke God hath giuen vnto thee the knowledge vnderstanding of his diuine truth and veritie power of princely maiestie and the iust iudgement of equitie and righteousnes as the most highest himselfe doth say I haue geuen thee vnderstāding and wisedome to speake and vtter my words and haue set thee to rule ouer nations and kingdomes that thou shouldest helpe the people plucke down and destroy iniquitie by exercising of iustice thou shouldest I say destroy all errours and heresies and specially this obstinate heretike heere present through whose wickednes mischiefe many places of the world are infected with most pestilent and hereticall poison and by his meanes and occasion almost vtterly subuerted
destroyed This most holy and godly labour O most noble Prince was reserued only for thee vpon thee it doth only lye vnto whome the whole rule and ministration of iustice is giuen Wherfore thou hast established thy praise renowne euen by the mouthes of infants sucking babes for thy praises shall be celebrate for euermore that thou hast destroied ouerthrowne such and so great enimies of the faith The which that thou maist prosperously happely perfourme bring to passe our Lord Iesu Christ may vouchsafe to grant thee his grace help who is blessed for euer euer Amen When this Sermon was thus ended the Procurer of the Councell rising vp named Henricus de Piro required that the processe of the cause against Iohn Hus might be continued and proceed vnto the difinitiue sentence Then a certaine Byshop whych was appointed one of the Iudges declared the processe of the cause which was pleaded long since in the Court of Rome and elsewhere betweene Iohn Hus and the Prelates of Prage At the last he repeated those articles which we haue before remembred amongst the which he rehearsed also one article that I. Hus shoulde teach the two natures of the Godhead and manhead to be one Christ. Iohn Hus went about briefly with a word or two to aunswer vnto euerie one of them but as often as he was about to speake the Cardinall of Cambray coÌ„manded him to hold his peace saieng heereafter you shall answere to all together if you will Then said Iohn Hus how can I at once aunswere vnto all those things which are alledged against me wheÌ„ as I cannot remember them all Then sayde the Cardinall of Florence we haue heard thee sufficiently But wheÌ„ as I. Hus for all that would not hold his peace they sent the officers which should force him therunto Then began he to intreate pray and beseech therâ—â—hat they woulde heare him that such as were present â—ight not credite or beleeue those things to be true which were reported of him But when all this would nothing preuaile he kneeling downe vpon his knees committed the whole matter vnto God and the Lord Iesus Christ for at their handes he beleeued easely to obtaine that which he desired When the articles abouesaid were ended last of all there was added a notable blasphemy which they all imputed vnto Iohn Hus. That is that he saide there shoulde be a fourth person in diuinitie and that a certaine Doctour did heare him speake of the same When Iohn Hus desired that the Doctour might be named the Bishop which had alledged the article said that it was not needefull to name him Then said Iohn Hus O miserable and wretched man that I am which am forced and compelled to beare such blasphemy and slaunder Afterward the Article was repeated how he appealed vnto Christ and that by name was called hereticall whereunto Iohn Hus answered O Lord Iesu Christ whose word is openly condemned heere in this Councell vnto thee againe I do appeale which when thou wast euill intreated of thine enimies diddest appeale vnto God thy father committing thy cause vnto a most iust Iudge that by thy example we also being oppressed with manifest wrongs and iniuries should flee vnto thee Last of all the Article was rehearsed as touching the contempt of the excommunication by Iohn Hus. Whereunto he answered as before that he was excused by his aduocates in the court of Rome wherefore he did not appeare when he was cited and also that it may be proued by the actes that the excommunication was not ratified and finally to the intent he might cleare himselfe of obstinacie he was for that cause come vnto Constance vnder the Emperours safeconduct When he had spoken these words one of them which was appointed Iudge reade the definitiue sentence against him which followeth thus word for word The sentence or iudgement of the Councell of Constance geuen against Iohn Husse THe most holy and sacred generall Councell of Constance being congregate and gathered together representing the Catholike Church for a perpetuall memory of the thing as the veritie truth doth witnes an euill tree bringeth forth euill seuite hereupon it commeth that the man of most damnable memory Iohn Wickleffe through his pestiferous doctrine not through Iesu Christ by the Gospell as the holy Fathers in times past haue gotteÌ„ faithfull children but coÌ„trary vnto the holesome faith of Iesus Christ as a most venemous roote hath begotten many pestilent wicked children whome he hath left behind him successours and folowers of his peruerse and wicked doctrine against whome this sacred Synode of Constance is forced to rise vp as against bastards and vnlawfull children and with diligent care with the sharpe knife of the Ecclesiasticall authoritie to cut vp their errours out of the Lords field as most hurtfull brambles and briers least they should growe to the hurt and detriment of others For somuch then as in the holy generall Councell lately celebrated and holden at Rome it was decreed that the docrine of I. Wickleffe of most damnable memory should be condemned that his bookes which coÌ„teined the same doctrine should be burned as hereticall this decree was approued confirmed by the sacred authoritie of that whole CouÌ„cell neuertheles one Iohn Hus here personally present in this sacred Councell not the Disciple of Christ but of Iohn Wickliffe an Archheretike after and contrary or against the coÌ„demnation and decree hath taught preached affirmed the Articles of Wickleffe which were condemned by the Church of God and in times past by certaine most reuerend fathers in Christ Lords Archbishops and Byshops of diuers kingdomes Realmes Maisters of diuinitie of diuers Uniuersities especially resisting in his open Sermons and also with his adherents and complices in the scholes the condemnation of the said Articles of Wickleffes oftentimes published in the said Uniuersitie of Prage and hath declared him the said Wickleffe for the fauour and commendation of his doctrine before the whole multitude of the Cleargy and people to be a Catholicke man and a true Euangelical Doctour He hath also published and affirmed certaine many of his Articles worthely condemned to be Catholicke the which are notoriously conteined in the bookes of the said Iohn Hus. Wherfore after diligent deliberation full information first had vpon the premisses by the reuerend fathers and Lords in Christ of the holy Church of Rome Cardinals Patriarkes Archbishops Bishops and other Prelates Doctours of â—â—â—nitie and of both lawes in great number assembled and gathered together this most sacred holie Councell of Constance declareth determineth the articles aboue said the which after due conference had are found in his bookes written with his owne hand the which also the said Iohn Hus in opeÌ„ audience before this holy Councell hath confessed to be in his bookes not to be Catholicke neither worthy to be taught but that many of
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
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
this present committing the foresayd iniuryes vnto God vnto whom vengeance perteyneth who will also aboundantly reward workers of iniquity will prosecute them more amply before him whom God shall appoynt in the Apostolicke sea to gouerne his holy Churche as the onely and vndoubted Pastour Vnto whom God willing we exhibiting our due reuerence obedience as faythfull children in those things which are lawfull honest and agreeable to reason and the law of God wil make our request and petition that speedy remedy may be prouided for vs our sayde kingdome and Marquesdome vpon the premises according to the law of our Lord Iesus Christ and the institutions of the holy fathers The premises notwithstanding we setting apart all feare and mens ordinances prouided to the contrary will maynetayne and defend the law of our Lord Iesus Christ and the deuout humble and constant preachers thereof euen to the shedding of our bloud Dated at Sternberg in the yeare of our Lord. 1415. vpon S. Wēceslaus day Martyr of our Lord Iesu Christ. Round about the sayd letters there were 54. Seales hanging and their names subscribed whose Seales they were The names of which noble men I thought it good here to annext with all partly for the more credite of that hath bene sayd partly also for examples sake to the intent that our noble men and gentlemen in this our Realme of England now liuing in this cleare light of the Gospell may by their example vnderstand that if they ioyne themselues with the Gospell of Iesus zealouslye and as they should do yet are they neither the first nor the most that so haue done before them if not yet the trueth may here remayne in the story to theyr shame or els to theyr instruction seing so many noble and worthy gentlemen within the small kingdome of Bohemia to be so forward in those so darcke dayes and among so many enemyes 200. yeares agoe to take part with Christ And yet our Gentlemē here in such long cōtinuance of time being so diligētly taught are neyther in number nor in zeale to thē to be compared but will still take part contrary both to Christ and to the example of these nobles whose names they may see read here folowing 1 Alssokabat de Wiscowitz 2 Vlricus de Lhota 2 Ioan de Ksimicz 4 Iossko de sczitowicz 5 Paerdus Zwiranowicz 6 Ioan. de Ziwla 7 Ioā de Reychēberg 8 Wildo Skitzyny 9 Drliko de Biela 10 Kos de Doloylatz 11 Ioan de Simusin 12 Dobessim ' de Tissa 13 Drazko de Aradeck 14 Steph. de Hmodorkat 15 Ioan Dern de Gabonecx 16 Barso dictus Hloder de Zeinicz 17 Ioan Hmrsdorfar 18 Psateska de Wilklek 19 Petrus Mg de Sczitowicy 20 N. Studenica 21 N. Brischell 22 N. de Cromassona 23 Arannisick Donant de Poloniae 24 Ioan. Donant de Poloniae 25 Ioan. de Cziczow 26 Wenceslaus de N. 27 N. de N. 28 N.N. 29 Iosseck de N. 30 Henricus de N. 31 Waczlals de kuck  This noble man did accompanye Hus and with certain horsemen conducte him to Constance 32 Henr. de Zrenowicz 33 Baczko de Cōuald 34 Petr. dictus Nienick de zaltoroldeck 35 Czēko de Mossnow 36 N. 37 Zibilutz de Clezā 38 Ioan. de Peterswald 39 Parsifal de Namyescz 40 Zodoni de Zwietzick 41 Raczeck Zawskalp 42 Ion de Tossawicz 43 Diwa de Spissnia 44 Steffko de Draczdw 45 Issko de Draczdw 46 Odich de Hlud 47 Wosfart de Paulowicz 48 Pirebbor de Tire zenicz 49 Rynard de Tyrczewicz 50 Bohunko de Wratisdow 51 Vlricus de Racdraw 52 Deslaw de Nali 53 Bonesb de Frabenicz 54 Eybl de Roissowan After these things thus declared and discoursed cōcerning the history of Iohn Hus and Hierome of Prage the order of place and countrye next woulde require consequently to infer and comprehend the great troubles perturbations which happened after vpō the death of these men in the coūtry of Boheme but the order of time calleth me backe first to other matters here of our owne country which passed in the meane time with vs in England Which things being taken by the way and finished we will christ willing afterward returne to the tractation hereof to prosecute the troubles and conflictes of the Bohemians with other things beside perteyning to the latter end of the coūcell of constance and chosing of Pope Martin as the order of yeares and time shall require Ye heard before pag. 588. how after the death of Thomas Arundell Archb. of Caunt succeeded Henry Chichesley an 1414. and sate 25. yeres In whose time was much trouble and great affliction of good mē here in England of whom many were compelled to abiure some we burned diuers were driuē to exile Wherof partly now to entreat as we finde them in registers historyes recorded we will first begin with Iohn Claydon Currier of Londō Richard Turming whom Rob. Fabian doth falsly affirm to be burned in the yeare where in Syr Roger Acton and M. Browne suffered who in deed suffered not before the secōd yeare of Henry Chichesley being Archb. of Caunt whiche was an 1413. The history of which Iohn Claydon in the Registers is thus declared The story of Iohn Claydon Currier and of R. Turming Baker THe 17. of August 1415. did personally appeare I. Claydon Currier of London arrested by the Mayor of the sayd City for the suspition of heresy before Henry Archbishop of Caunterbury in Saynt Paules Church whiche Iohn being obiected to him by the Archbishop that in the City of London other places of the prouince of Canterbury he was suspected by diuers godly and learned mē for heresy and to be contrary to the catholick fayth and determinatiō of the church did openly confesse and denyed not but that he had bene for the space of xx yeres suspected both about the City of London also in the prouince of Caunt and specially of the common sort for Lollardy and heresy to be contrary to the catholick fayth and determination of the church of Rome and defamed of the same all the tyme aforesayd In so much that in the time of M. Robert Braybrooke B. of London deceased he was for the space of two yeares commaunded to the prison of Conwey for the foresayd defamation and suspition and for the same cause also he was in prison in the fleete for 3. yeares Out of which prison he in the raigne of King Henry the 4. was brought before Lord Iohn Scarle then Chauncellor to the king there did abiure all heresy and errour And the sayd Iohn Claydon being asked of the sayd Archbishop whither he did abiure the heresye of which he was suspect before any other did confesse that in a Conuocation at London in Paules Church before Thomas Arundell late Archbishop deceased he did abiure all such doctrine which they called heresy and error contrary to the Catholick fayth and determination of the Church and that he had
vniuersitie of Prage should be restored againe and reformed and that they which had bene the disturbers thereof should be really punished That the principall heretickes and doctors of that secte should be sente vp to the sea Apostolique namely Ionnes Iessenetz Iacobellus de Misna Symon de Tysna Symon de Rochinzano Christiannus de Brachatitz Ioannes Cardinalis Zdenko de loben The prouost of Alhalowes Zaislaus de Suiertitz and Michael de Czisko That all secular men which communicated vnder both kinds should abiure that heresie and sweare to stoppe the same heereafter That they which were ordeined Priestes by the suffragane of the Archbishop of Prage taken by the Lord Zenko should not be dispensed with but sent vp to the Sea Apostolicke That the treatises of Iohn Wickliffe translated into the Bohemian tongue by Iohn Husse and Iacobellus should be brought to the Ordinary That the treatises of Iohn Husse condemned in the Councell should also be brought to the Ordinarie That all the tractations of Iacobellus De vtraque specie de Antichristo wherein he ralleth the Pope Antichrist Et de remanentia panis post consecrationem should likewise be brought and burned That all songs and balates made to the preiudice of the Councell and of the Catholike persons of both states should be forbid to be soong in Cities townes and villages vnder great and extreame punishment That none should preach the word without the licence of the Ordinarie or of the parson of that place That Ordinaries and Prelates hauing iurisdiction should not be stopped in their iurisdiction by the secular power vnder paine of excommunication That all and singular parsons shall be commaunded to obedience vnder paine of excōmunication and that whosoeuer knoweth any person to fauour any Wicleuistes or their doctrine or that keepeth company with suspect persons he shall present the same to his Diocesans or his officials That the confederacie of the seculars made betweene themselues or any of the spiritualtie to the preiudice of the foresaid Councell and of the Apostolicke sea Church of Rome in the fauour of Iohn Hus Hierome of Prage and other in the said Councell cōdemned shal be dissolued That the rites and ceremonies of Christian Religion touching Gods seruice Images and worshipping of reliques shall be obserued and transgressours of the same be punished That all and singular either spirituall or secular that shall preach teach holde or maintaine the opinions and Articles of Iohn Wickliffe Iohn Hus and Hierome in this Councell condemned and conuict of the same shall be holden for heretickes and falling in relapse shall bee burned That all secular persons being monished and charged by the Ordinaries shall be bound to geue their aide and furtherance vnto them touching the premisses The Bohemians notwithstanding these cruell Articles contemning the vaine deuises of these Prelates and fathers of the Councell ceased not to proceede in their league and purpose begon ioyning themselues more strongly together In this meane time it hapned that during this Councell of Constance after the deposing of Pope Iohn and spoiling of his goodes which came to 75. thousand poūds of golde and siluer as is reported in the story of Sainct Albans Pope Martin vpon the day of S. Martin was elected Concerning whose election great preparation was made before of the Councell so that beside the Cardinals fiue other Bishops of euery nation should enter into the conclaue who there together should be kept wyth thin diet till they had founded a Pope At last when they were together they agreed vpon this man and not tarieng for opening of the dore like mad men for hast brast open an hole in the wall crieng out habemus papam Martinum we haue a Martine Pope The Emperour hearing thereof with the like hast came apace and falling downe kissed the new Popes feete Then went they all to the Church together and sang Te Deum The next day following this Martine was made priest which before was but a Cardinall Deacon and the next day after was consecrate Bishop and sang his first masse whereat was present 140. mitted Bishops After thys the next morow the new holy Pope ordeined a generall procession where a certaine Clarke was appointed to stand with flaxe and fire who setting the flaxe on fire thus said Ecce pater sancte sic transit gloria mundi i. behold holye father thus vadeth the transitorie glory of this worlde Which done the same day the holy father was brought vp vnto an high scaffold saith the story I will not say to an high mountaine where was offered to him all the glory of the world c. there to be crowned for a triple Kyng This done the same day after dinner the new crowned Pope was with great triumph brought through y◠middest of the Citie of Constance where all the Bishops and Abbots followed with their miters The Popes horsse was all trapt with red skarlet downe to the ground The Cardinals horses were all in white silke the Emperour on the right side and prince Electour on the left playeng both the Popes footemen went on foote leading the Popes horse by the bridle As this Pageant thus with the great gyant proceeded and came to the market place there the Iewes according to the maner offered to him their lawe and ceremonies Which the Pope receiuing cast behind him saieng Recedant vetera noua sunt omnia i. Let olde thinges passe all things be made new c. Ex hist. S. Alb. ex paralip Vrsperg This was an 1417. Thus the Pope being now cōfirmed in his kingdome first beginneth to write his letters to the Bohemians wherin partly he moueth them to Catholicke obedience partly he dissembleth with them faining that if it were not for the Emperours request he woulde enter processe against them Thirdly and finally he threatneth to attempt the vttermost against them and with all force to inuade them as well with the Apostolicall as also with the secular arme if they did still persist as they begōn Albeit these new threates of the new Bishop did nothing moue the constant harts of the Bohemians whome the inward zeale of Christes word had before inflamed Although it had bene to be wished such bloudshead and warres not to haue followed yet to say the truth how could these Rabines greatly blame them heerein whome their bloudy tirannie had before prouoked so iniustly if nowe with their glosing letters they could not so easely appease them againe Wherfore these foresaid Bohemians partly for the loue of Iohn Hus and Hierome their countreymen partly for the hatred of their malignant Papistry assembling together first agreed to celebrate a solemne memoriall of the death of Iohn Husse and Hierome decreeing the same to be holden celebrate yearely And afterward by meanes of their frends they obteined certaine Churches of the King wherin they might freely preach and minister the Sacraments vnto the congregation This
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
and remembraunce beleued that a man ought not to coÌ„fesse his sinnes to a Priest This Article he also confessed that he doubted vpon Now remayneth to declare what these doctors aforesayd concluded vpon the articles whose aunswere vnto the same was this First of all as touching the first article they sayde that the article in the same termes as it was propouÌ„ded is not simply an heresy but an error Item as touching the second article the doctors agree as in the first Item as touching the third Article they affirme that it is an heresy Vnto the fourth Article they aunswered as vnto the first and second Item the doctors affirme the 5. article to be an heresy Item as touching the 6. Article the doctors conclude that if the sayd Nicholas being of perfect mind and remeÌ„brance did doubt whether the sacrament of the aulter were the very perfect body of Christ or no then that Article is simply an heresy Wherupon the sayd Commissary declared pronounced the sayd Nicholas Canon vpoÌ„ the determinatioÌ„ of the foresaid doctors to be an heretick and therupon forced the sayd Nicholas to abiure all the sayd Articles That done he enioined the sayd Nicholas penance for his offeÌ„ces thre displinges about the cloyster of the Cathedrall Churche of Norwich before a solemne procession bare headed barefoote carying a Taper of halfe a pound in his hand going after the maner aforesayd like a mere peniteÌ„tiary the which his penance the iudge commaunded should be respited vntill the comming of the Bishop into his dioces and that in the meane time he should be kept in prison to the end that he should not infect the flock with his venune and poyson of errors and heresyes Thus haue we briefly discoursed vnto you the greate troubles and afflictions which happened in Norfolke and Suffolke by the space of those 4. yeares before mentioned hauing drawen out briefly for euery yere certayne notable examples sufficient for the declaration of all the rest for so much as their opinions being nothing different theyr penaunce and punishment did also nothing differ otherwise then by those particuler examples may be playnely seene Thomas Bagley Priest ANd now to proceede as we haue begon with our former storyes generally we find in Fabians Chronicles that in the same yere of our Lord. 1431. Thomas Bagley a priest Vicar of Monenden beside Malden being a valiant disciple and adherent of wickliffe was condemned by the Byshops of heresy at London about the midst of Lent was disgraded and burned in Smithfield ¶ Paule Craw a Bohemian THe same yeare also was Paule Crawe a Bohemian taken at S. Andrewes by the Bishop Henry and deliuered ouer to the secular power to be burnt for holding contrary opinions vnto the Church of Rome touching the sacrameÌ„t of the Lords supper the worshipping of Sainets auricular confession with other of Wicklesses opinions The story of Thomas Rhedon a French man and a Carmelite Frier burnt in Italy for the profession of Christ. WE haue declared before how this cruell storme of persecution which first began with vs in England after it had long raged heere against many good and godly men it brake out passed into Boheme and after within a short time the fire of this persecution increasing by little and little inuaded Scotland and from thence now wyth greater force and violence this furious deuouring flame hath entred Italy and suffereth not any part of the world to be free from the murther and slaughter of most good godly men It hapned about this time that one Thomas Rhedon a Frier of that sect which taketh his name of the mount Carmelus by chance came with the VenetiaÌ„ Ausbassadours into Italy This maÌ„ although he was of that fort and secte which in stead of Christians are called Carmelites yet was he of a farre other religion vnderstood the word of God iudging that God ought not to be worshipped neither in that mount nor at Ierusalem onely but in spirit truth This man being a true Carmelite â— fauoring with his whole hart that new sweet must of Iesu Christ with earnest study desire seeking after a ChristiaÌ„ integritie of life prepared himselfe first to go into â—â—ly trusting that he should find there or else in no place sonne by whole good life and liuing he might be editied and instructed For where ought more aboundance of verme good liuing to be then in that place which is counted to be the forte and fountaine of all religion And how could it otherwise be but that wheras so great holines is professed wherupon all mens cies are bent as vpon a stage vnderas S. Peters seate is and is thought to be the ruler gouernour of all the Church all things should florish and abesid worthy of so great expectatioÌ„ in that place This holy man hauing these things before his eies and considering the same with himselfe forsooke his owne countrey Citie went vnto Rome conceiuing a firme sure hope that by the example of so many notable and worthy me he should greatly profile in godlines learning but the successe of the matter did vtterly frustrate his hope for all things were cleane coÌ„trary Whatsoeuer he saw was nothing else but meere dissimulatioÌ„ and hypocrisie In stead of gold he found nothing but coales and for to say the truth he found nothing else there but gold and siluer In stead of heauenly gifts there raigned amongst them the pompe and pride of the world In place of godlines riot In stead of learning and study douthfulnes and superstition Tyrannie and hautinesse of mind had possessed the place of Apostolicke simplicitie that now there remained no more any place or libertie for a man to learne that whiche hee knew not or to teach that which he perfectly vnderstoode Finally all things were turned artic versie all things hapned vnto him contrary to his expectation wheresoeuer he went But nothing so much offended this good mas mind as the intolerable ambition and pompous pride in them whome example of humilitie should especially commend and praise to the whole worlde And albeit that hee saw here nothing which did accord agree with the rule of the Apostles yet these things did so much passe all measure and pacience that he could by no meanes resraine his long in so great abuse and corruption of the Church seing such ambitions pride in their buildings apparell in their places in their daintie fare in their great traynes of seruants in their horsse and armour finally in all things pertaining vnto them Which things how much they did vary from the prescript rule of the Gospel so much the more was this good maÌ„ forced to speake Albeit he did well vnderstand how litle he shoulde preuaile by speaking for if admonition would profite any thing at all the bookes of Wicklesse and diuers other were not wanting The famous testimonies of Iohn Hus
Christ the sonne of God came not to be ministred vnto but to minister to serue how then can his vicar haue any dominion or be called Lord as you Panormitane will affirme forsomuch as the disciple is not aboue his maister nor the seruaunt aboue his Lord. And the Lord himselfe saith be yee not called maisters for so much as your only maister is Christ and he which is the greatest among you shal be your seruant Panormitane being somewhat disquieted with this aunswere the councell brake vp and departed The next day there was a generall congregation and they returned all againe vnto the chapter house after dinner whereas the Archbishop of Lyons the Kings Orator being required to speake his minde after he had by diuers and sundry reasons proued Eugenius to be an hereticke he bitterly complained detesting the negligence and ignauie of those that had proferred such a man vnto the papacie and so moued all their harts which were present that they altogether with him did bewaile the calamities of the vniuersall Church Then the Byshop of Burgen the Ambassadour of Spaine diuided the conclusions into two parts some he called generall othersome personall disputing very excellently as touching the three first cōclusions affirming the he did in no point doubt of them but only that the additiō which made mention of the faith seemed to be doubtfull vnto him But vpon this point he staied much to proue that the Councell was aboue the Pope The which after he had sufficiently proued both by Gods law and mans lawe he taught it also by Phisicall reason alledging Aristotle for witnesse He said that in euery well ordered kingdome it ought specially to be desired that the whole realme should be of more authoritie then the King which if it happened contrary it were not to be called a kingdome but a tirannie so likewise doth he thinke of the Church that it ought to be of more authoritie then the Prince thereof that is to say the Pope The which his Oration he vttered so eloquently learnedly and truly that all men depended vpon him and desired rather to haue him continue his Oration then to haue an end thereof But whē as he entred into the other cōclusions he semed to haue forgottē himself to be no more the same mā that he was for neither was there the same eloquēce in his wordes neither grauitie in Oration or cherefulnes of countenance so that if he could haue sene himselfe he would peraduēture greatly haue marueiled at himselfe Euery man might wel see perceiue thē the power force of the truth which ministred copy of matter vnto him so long as hee spake in the defēce therof But whē as he begā once to speak against hir she tooke away euē his naturall eloquence frō him Notwithstanding Panormitane and the Bishop of Burgen shewed this example of modesty that albeit they would not confesse or grant the last cōclusions to be verities of faith yet they would not that any mā should folow or leane vnto their opiniō which wer but meane diuines but rather vnto the opinions of the Diuines But the king of Aragons Amner being a subtill crafty man did not directly dispute vpō the conclusions but picking out here and there certaine argumēts sought to let and hinder the Councell Against whome an Abbot of Scotland a man of an excellent wit disputed very much and Thomas de Corcellis a famous Diuine alledged much against him out of the Decrees of the sacred Councell and with a certaine modest shamefastnes alwaies beholding the ground did very largely dispute in the defence of the conclusions But now to auoide tediousnes I will only proceed to declare arguments wherby the conclusions were ratified and confirmed not minding to intreate of th v. last cōclusions which cōcerne the person of Eugenius but only vpō the three first whereunto I wil adioine certaine probable argumēts gathered out of the disputation of the fathers In the first cōclusion is the greatest force and first to be discussed touching the which two things are to be required examined The one whether the generall Councel haue authoritie ouer the Pope The other whether the Catholike faith commaundeth it to be beleued As touching that the Pope is subiect to the generall Councell it is excellently well proued by the reason before alledged by the Bishop of Burgen For the Pope is in the Church as a king in his kingdome and for a king to be of more authority then his kingdome it were too absurd Ergo neither ought the pope to be aboue the Church For like as oftentimes Kings which do wickedly gouerne the cōmon wealth exercise cruelty are depriued of their kingdome euē so it is not to be doubted but that the Bishops of Rome may be deposed by the Church that is to say by the generall Councels Neither do I heere in allow them which attribute so ample and large authoritie vnto kings that they will not haue them bound vnder any lawes For such as so do say be but flatterers which do talke otherwise thē they think For albeit that they do say that the moderation of the law is alway in the Princes power that do I thus vnderstād that when as reason shall perswade he ought to digresse from the rigour of the law for hee is called a King which careth and prouideth for the common wealth taketh pleasure in the commoditie and profite of the subiectes and in all his doings hath respect to the cōmoditie of those ouer whom he ruleth which if he do not he is not to be counted a King but a tyraunt whose propertie it is onely to seeke his owne profit for in this point a King differeth from a tyraunt that the one seeketh the commoditie and profit of those whom he ruleth and the other only his owne The which to make more manifest the cause is also to be alledged wherefore Kings were ordeined At the beginning as Cicero in his Offices sayth it is certaine that there was a certaine time when as the people liued without kings But afterward when lands and possessiōs began to be deuided according to the custome of euery natiō then were kings ordeined for no other cause but only to exercise iustice For when as at the beginning the common people were oppressed by rich mighty men they ran by and by to some good and vertuous man which should defend the poore frō iniurie ordeine lawes whereby the rich and poore might dwell together But when as yet vnder the rule of Kings the poore were oftentimes oppressed lawes were ordeined and instituted the which should iudge neither for hatred nor fauour and geue lyke eare vnto the poore as vnto the riche whereby we do vnderstand and know not only the people but also the King to be subiect to the lawes For if we do see a King to contemne and despise the lawes violently rob and
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
but according to their owne wil and disposition They doe greatly esteeme and regard this which was spoken vnto Peter Tu vocaberis Cephas i. Thou shalt be called Cephas by the which worde they make hym the head of the Church Also I will geue thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt bind vpon earth c. I haue prayed for thee Peter that thy Faith would not faile And againe feede my sheepe Last thy net into the depe Be not afrayd for from theÌ„ceforth thou shalt be a fisher of men Also that Christ commaunded Peter as the Prince of the Apostles to pay tolle for them bothe and that Peter drew the net vnto the land full of great fishes that onely Peter drew his sword for the defence of Christ. Al which places these meÌ„ do greatly extol altogether neglecting the expositions of the fathers the which if as reason were they would consider they shuld manifestly perceine by the authorities aforesayde that the Pope is not aboue them when they are gathered together in Councell but when they are separate and deuided But these things being passed ouer for somuch as answere shall appeare by that which heereafter shall followe we will now declare what was reasoned of by the learned men vppon thys question But first wee woulde haue it known the all men which are of any name or estimation do agree that the Pope is subiect to the Councell and for the proofe therof they repeat in a maner al those things which were before spoken of the church for they suppose all that which is spoken of the Churche to serue for the generall Councell And first of all they alledge this saying of the Gospel Dic Ecclesiae tell it vnto the Church In the whych place it is conuenient to vnderstand that Christ spake vnto Peter instructing him what he should doe as touching the correction of his brother He saith if thy brother offend or sinne against thee rebuke him betwene thee and him alone If hee geue care vnto thee thou hast wonne thy brother but if he doe not geue eare vnto thee take in thee one or two that in the mouth of two or thee witnesses all truth may stand if theÌ„ he wil not geue eare vnto thee Dic Ecclesiae tell it vnto the Church What shal we vnderstand by the church in that place shall we say that it is the multitude of the faithfull dispersed throughout the whole worlde My yoke is pleasaunt sayth the Lord my burden is light But howe is it light if Christ commaunde vs to doe that which is impossible to be done For howe coulde Peter speake vnto the Churche which was dispersed or to seeke out euery Christian scattered in euery Towne or Citie But the meaning of these words is farre otherwise and they must be otherwise interpreted for which cause it is necessary that we remember the double person which Peter represented as the person of the high byshop and a priuate man The sense and meaning of his words are euident and plaine inough of themselues that they neede no supplement or alteration We must first marke and see what thys worde Ecclesia signifieth the which we do find but only to be twise spoken of by Christ once in this place and againe when as he said vnto Peter Tu es Petrus super hanc Petram edificabo Ecclesiam meam That is Thou art Peter and vpon this rock wil I build my Church Wherfore the Church signifieth the connocation or congregation of the multitude Dic Ecclesiae tell it vnto the church That is to say tel it vnto the Congregation of the faithful the which forsomuch as they are not accustomed to come together but in a generall Councel this interpretation shall seeme very good Dic Ecclesiae tel it vnto the Church that is to say Dic generali Concilio tel it vnto the generall Councell In this case I would gladly heare if there be any man which doth thinke thâ—se words to be more properly expressed in any Prelate then in the councell when as they must put one man for the multitude whych if it be admitted in the scriptures we shall from hencefoorth finde no firme or stable thing therein But if any man doe maruaile at thys interpretation let him search the old wryters and he shall finde that thys is no newe or straunge interpretation but the interpretation of the holy fathers and olde Doctours whyche haue first geuen lyght vnto the Churche as Pope Gregorie witnesseth a man worthy of remembrance both for the holines of his life and his singular learning whose wordes are these wrytten in his Register vnto the bishop of Constantinople And wee sayde hee against whome so great an offence is committed through temeratious boldnesse do obserue and keepe that which the truth doth commaunde vs saying Si peccauerit in te frater that is If thy brother do offend against thee c. And afterward he addeth more if my rebukes and corrections be despysed it remaineth that I do seeke helpe of the church The which words doe manifestly declare the Church heere to be taken for the generall Councell Neither did Gregory say that he wold seeke helpe of the Church that is dispearsed abroad in euery place but of that which is gathered together that is to say the generall Councell for that whych is dispearsed abroad cannot be had except it be gathered together Also Pope Nicholas reproouing Lotharius the king for adultery sayd if thou doest not amend the same take heede that we tell it not vnto the holy Church In the which saying Pope Nicholas did not say that he wold go throughout the world to certifie euery one man by man but that hee would call the Church together that is to say the general councell and there would publish and declare the offence of Lotharius the he which had contemned the Popes commaundements shoulde feare the reuerence of the general councell I could recite an infinite nuÌ„ber of witnesses for that purpose the which all tende vnto one ende but this one testimony of the Councell of Constance shall suffice for them all wherein it is sayde that not onely the Pope in the correction of his brother is remitted vnto the Councell when as he can not correct him of hymselfe but also when as any thing is done as touchyng the correction of the Pope himselfe the matter ought to be referred to the councel Wherby it appeareth our interpretation to be most true which doth expound the Church to be in the generall Councell Hereupon the Actes of the Apostles the Congregations whych were then holden were called the Church Also in the councell of Nice and in other Councels wheÌ„ as any man shuld be excommunicated alwayes in a maner thys sentence was adioyned Hunc excommunicat Catholica Apostolica Ecclesia The Catholicke and Apostolicke Church doth excommunicate thys man And heereuppon that title is geuen
himselfe lacked pasture But we count these as things of no force or difficulty For S. Augustine in the Sermon of the natiuity of Peter and Paule sayeth in this wise Our Lorde Iesus Christe before hys Passion chose hys disciples as yet doe knowe whom he called brethren Amongest those Peter alone almost in euery place represented the person of the Church therefore it was sayde vnto him Tibi dabo claues regni coelorum That is to say Unto thee will I geue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen These keies did he not receiue as one man but as one he receiued them for the Church And in an other place Where hee wryteth of the Christian agony he sayth the keyes of the kingdome of heauen were geuen vnto the churche when as they were geuen vnto Peter And when as it was spoken vnto him Amas me Pasce oues meas That is to say Louest thou me feede my sheepe it was spoken vnto them all And S. Ambrose in the beginning of his pastorall sayth which sheepe and which flocke the blessed Apostle S. Peter tooke not charge of alone but together with vs and we alltogether with him By which wordes the foundation and principall arguments of those flatterers are vtterly subuerted and ouerthrowen For if Peter represented the person of the Church we ought not to ascribe the force of these words vnto Peter but vnto the Church Neither do I see how that can stand whych Boniface doth affirme for it is farre distant from the truth except it be vnderstand otherwise then it is spoken But it may peraduenture seeme a great thynge vnto some that it is sayd the Byshop of Rome to be the head of the Militant Churche For as in the body of man Philitions do neuer geue councell to cut of the head for any maner of sicknes disease although it be neuer coâ—ul of vicers or infected so in this mysticall body of the church the head ought alwayes to be kept and albeit it be neuer so wicked yet is it to be suffered and horne withall But now conuert this argument If it were possible in the body of man when one hed is taken away to find an other to put in his place as we see it may be done in the Church should not heade then be oftentimes chaunged for diuers diseases Moreouer if we wil thus reason that the head of the church shuld be in respecte of his body as the head of man in respecte of the body of man then doeth it necessarily followe that the head being dead the body must also die as is manifest in the body of man So should it grow into an absurditie to confesse that the Pope being dead the Church also shoulde bee dead the which how farre it dissenteth from the truth it is most manifest Therfore what soeuer other men say I am not of opinion wyth them whych affirme the Bishoppe of Rome to be head of the Church except peraduenture they doe make hym the ministeriall head for we doe reade that Christ is the heade of the Churche and not the Pope and that he is the true head immutable perpetuall and euerlasting and the Church is his body wherof the Pope hymselfe is also a member and the vicare of Christe not to the destruction but to the maintenaunce edifying of the same body of Christ. Wherefore if he be founde a damnable destroyer of the Churche he may be deposed and cast out because he doth not that he was ordeined to doe and we ought as Pope Leo sayeth to be mindeful of the commandement geuen vs in the Gospell that if our eye our foote or oure right hand do offend vs it should be cut of from the body For the Lorde sayeth in an other place Euery tree whych bringeth not foorth fruite shall be cut downe and caste into the fire And in an other place also it is sayde vnto vs take away all euill and wickednesse from among you It is very iust and true whiche is wrytten in the Epistle of Clement vnto Iames the brother of our Lorde that he whych will be saued ought to be separate from them whych will not be saued But for the more manifest declaration hereof we must haue recourse to that which is spoken by the Lorde in the Gospell of Iohn I am the true vine sayth the Lorde and my father is the husbandman and ye are the braunches euery braunch therfore that bryngeth not forth fruite in me my father wil cut off These wordes were spoken vnto the Apostles amongst whom also Peter was present whome the Lord wold haue cut off if he brought not foorth his fruit Also S. Hierome vpon these wordes of Mathewe Vnsauery salte is profitable for nothing but to be cast foorth and troden of swine Whereuppon in the persone of Peter and Paule he sayth thus It is no easie matter to stande in the place of Peter and Paule and to keepe the chaire of them which raigne with Christ. This vnsauery salte that is to say a foolish Prelate vnsauery in preaching and foolish in offending is good for nothing but to be cast foorthe that is to say deposed and to be troden of swine that is of wicked spirits which haue dominion ouer the wicked and naughty Prelates as their owne flocke and herde Beholde thys testimonie of Hierome is plaine and euident Let hym be cast out sayth he Hee expoundeth and speaketh it of the Prelate whych vsurpeth the place of Peter and so consequently of the byshop of Rome who being vnsauery in preaching and foolysh in offending oughte to be deposed as Hierome affirmeth from hys degree and dignitie Neyther as some doe dreame is he to be deposed for heresie only Isidorus in the booke of Councels rehearseth a certain epistle of Clement the successour of Peter wrytten vnto Iames the Apostle wheras the said Clement referring the words of Peter vnto himselfe sayeth thus If thou be occupied wyth worldly cares thou shalt both deceiue thyselfe those which shall geue eare vnto thee for thou canst not fully distribute vnto euery man those thinges which pertaine vnto saluation whereby it shall come to passe that thou as a man for not teaching those things which pertaine vnto saluation shalt be deposed thy disciples shall perish through ignorance Notwtstanding in an other place in stead of this word deposed it is found thou shalt be punished which 2. wordes if they be wel vnderstoode do not much differ for deposition is ofteÌ„times vsed in the place of punishment But peraduenture some wil here obiect that this Epistle is not to be iudged Clements because it is sayd to be wrytten vnto Iames who as the Ecclesiasticall hystory affirmeth was deade before that Peter was put to death But Clement might thinke that Iames was aliue when as hee wrote whych were farre distant a sunder and messengers of the christians came not often vnto Rome Moreouer there is meÌ„tion made of
by any man whych peraduenture shall inculcate feare vnto you whereas there is nothing at all to be doubted or that doe perswade you this to be no lawful councel I know I shuld offend your holines if I shuld go about to proue the contrary but it is better that I do offend you a litle in words and profit you in my deedes for a Phisition layeth a burning corrisiue vnto the disease and healeth the sore For the medicine can not profit except it be sharpe and bitter in tast Vâ—der this hope and confidence I will not feare to declare the truth That it being knowen your holines may the better prouide both for your selfe and the church it dependeth vppon the councell of Constance whether this councell be lawfull or not If that were a true councel so is this also No man semeth to dout whether that councel were lawfull and likewise whatsoeuer was there decreed to be lawful for if any man will say that the decrees of that councel are not of force he must nedes graunt that the depriuation of Pope Iohn which was done by the force of those decrees to be of no effect If that depriuation were not of effecte Neither was the election of Pope Martine of any force which was done he being yet aliue If Martin were no true Pope neither is your holinesse which was chosen by the Cardinalles that hee made wherefore it standeth no man more vpon to defend the decrees of that couÌ„cel then your holines for if any decree of that councel be called into doubt By like meanes may all the rest of the decrees be reuoked And by like meanes shall the decrees of any other councell be of no force and effect for by like reason as the faith of one councell is weakened all the rest shal also be weakned according to S. Augustins saying in the 9. distinction capitulo Si ad scripturas Then sayeth he both the faithe and all other sacraments shall be put in doubt if that there be once any doubt made of the force and power of any councell lawfully coÌ„gregate There was a decree made in the councel of Constance intituled frequens Whereby it was ordained that the first councel after that should be holden within 5. yeres and another within 7. yeres after that again The councel of Constance being ended and the 5. yeres passed the councel of Papia or Sene was holden after which 7. yeares being also run ouer this councell is begon to be celebrate To what ende then is it expressed in the Bull of the dissolution amongest other causes that the 7. yeare is already past When as of necessitye it ought to be passed before the councell can be celebrate For these wordes from 7. yere or 5. yere signify according to the law that all partes of time should be passed and the last day looked for Wherefore it behoued that 7. yeres to be fully complete before this councel of Basil should begin Like as 5. yeares was fully expired before that the councell of Papia did begin but peradueÌ„ture some man will say that it ought to haue begun the first day after the 7. yere was expired For otherwise the terme of the councell is passed But heereunto we may answer that it is not contained in the chapter Frequens that except it were holden the first day it should not be holden at al neither can it be gathered either by the wordes or meaning For it is only required that it should be holden after 7. yeares expired but whether it be the 2. or 3. day or the 3. or 4. moneth after the 7. yere it doth satisfy the chapter Frequens For wheÌ„ the first day is come then beginneth the power and liberty to celebrate the councell but not afore but it is not prohibited to celebrate it after neither doth this word In quinquennium That is to say against 5. yeare next following which is alleaged in the chapter Frequens and semeth to be repeated Also for the 7. yeres for it is not vnderstaÌ„d that it is necessary to be holden the first day precisely after the 7. yere but because it should not be vnderstand of other 7 yeares to come For in speaking simply of 7. yere it is vnderstand of 7. yeare next ensuing Admit also that in the chapter FrequeÌ„s any of these wordes had bene ioyned with immediatly following as by by out of haÌ„d immediatly or straightwaies after or such other words yet ought they to be vnderstand with a certaine moderation and distance of time that assone as might be coÌ„uenient as these wordes are expounded by the lawes and the doctors for they are enlarged and restrained according to the subiect and diuers circuÌ„staunces of the matters and affaires For it is not by any meanes likely that it was the mindes of those which made the decree that considering the long iourneis and harde preparation of suche affaires and also the manifolde impedimentes which may happen that they woulde restraine so precise a time euen at the first daye that if it were not then celebrated it should not be holden at all for by such subtill meanes it shuld also be holden euen in the first moment and very instant after the same yere But forsomuch as wordes are ciuilly to be vnderstand this fence or vnderstanding is to farre disagreable For if any man will say then it is commaunded to be proroged that is also forbidden in the chapter frequeÌ„s He that doth so argue doth not vnderstaÌ„d himselfe nor the force of the woordes It is not proroged if it be begon the 2. or 3. month but rather a continuation or execution of that which is in their power For if it were a prorogation then for so muche as a progation doth sauour of the nature of the firste delay it could not be begon in the first month but in the 2. and 3. it is not therby concluded that it could not be begon in the first but if there had ben any prorogation made til the secoÌ„d month then it coulde not haue bene begon in the first as for example I promise to geue a hundred after Easter afore Easter it can not be required but by and by after Easter it may be required and all be it that I be not vrged for it notwythstanding I doe not cease to be bounde and if so be I bedemanded it in the 2. or 3. month after it is not therby vnderstand that ther is any prorogation made Neither doth it followe but that it might haue bene demaunded in the beginning which could not haue ben done that there had ben any prorogation made Also it is nature of prorogation to bee made before the first terme or day be passed For otherwise it is no prorogation but anew appoyntment And albeit it may be saide that then it may be long delaide it is aunswered that in thys poynt we must stande vnto the iudgement of the Churche which considering diuers circumstances wold think the time mete
no further but to Fabian and Hall lacketh no good wil in him but only a little matter to make a perfect sycophant And admit the sayde name of Onley could not be founde in those wryters yet it were not vnpossible for a man to haue two names especially if he were a religious man to beare the name of the towne where he was born beside his own proper surname But nowe what if I M. Cope can auouch and bring foorth to you the name of Roger Onley out of sufficient recorde which you seeme not to haue yet read Haue yee not then done well and properly thinke you so bitterly to flee in my face and to barke so egerly all this while at moneshine in the water hauing no more cause almoste against me theÌ„ against the man in the Moone And now least you shoulde thinke me so much vnprouided of iust authority for my defence as I see you vnprouided of modestie and patience wryte you to your prompter or suborner where so euer he lurketh here in England to sende you ouer vnto Louane the booke of Iohn Harding a Chronicler more auncient then either Fabian or Hall printed in the house of Richard Grafton Anno 1543. where turne to the fol. 223. fac b. lin 19. and there shall you finde and reade these wordes Againe the Church and the king cursedly By helpe of one maister Roger Onley c. By the whyche woordes yee must necessarily confesse Roger Onley to be the name of the man either els must ye needes deny the author For otherwise that master Roger Bolingbroke was the onely helper to the Duchesse in that fact by no wise it can stande with the story of these authors which say that 4. other besides hym were coÌ„demned for the same erune c. And moreouer thought the sayd Sir R. Onley was no knight as I haue saide in my former edition yet this yee cannot deny by the testimonie of them that haue sene his workes but that he was a Priest which you wil graunt to be a knights fellow And thus much for the name and condition of M. Roger Onley Fourthly as concerning Margaret Iourdeman whoÌ„ ye call the witch of Eye ye offer me herein great wrong to say that I make her a martyr which was a wytche when as I here professe confesse and ascertaine both you and all English men both present al posterity hereafter to come that this Margaret Iourdeman I neuer spake of neuer thought of neuer dreamed of nor did euer heare of before you named her in your booke your selfe So farre is it of that I eyther with my will or against my will made any martyr of her Furthermore I professe and denounce in like manner the neither haue you any iust or congrue occasion in my boke so to iudge much lesse to raile of me For where in expresse words I do speake of the moÌ„ther of the Lady Yong what occasion haue you therby to slander me and my boke with Margarete Iourdeman which Margarete whether shee was a witche or not I leaue her to the Lorde As for me neither did I knowe of her then nor did I meane of her nowe But because I couple her in the same story you say To this I say because shee was the mother of a Ladie I thought to ioyne her w e an other Lady in the same story as in one pue together although in one cause I will not say And yet notwtstanding I doe so couple the saide mother w e the Duchesse in such distinet difference of yeares that you M. Cope might casily haue vnderstande or beside you no man els would haue thought the contrary but that Margaret Iouedeman was neither heere in my booke nor yet many memento For the wooordes of my storie are playne whereas the condemnation of the Lady Eleanor of the mother of Lady Young being referred to the yeare of our Lord 1441. I doe also in the same story through the occasion of that Ladie inforte mention of the mother of the Ladie Yong declaring in expresse woordes that shee folowed certayne yeares after in the end of that chapter do name also the yeare of her burning to be 1490. whiche was 50. yeares after the death of Onely and Margaret Iourdeman by the computatioÌ„ of which yeares it is playne that no other woman could be noted in that place but only the Lady Younges mother But M Cope continuing still in his wrangling mood obiecteth agayne for that in my Callendar the sayd Ladye Younges mother hath the next day in the Catalogue next after the death of Roger Onley whiche day pertayneth properly to Margaret Iourdeman which was burned the same day in Smithfield not to the Ladyes mother c. What order was taken in placing the names dayes what is that to me If he whiche had the disposing of the Catalogue did place them so in monthes as he sawe them ioyned in chapiters not perusing peraduenture nor abuising the chapters that doth nothing preiudice the truth of my story which sufficiently doth clare it selfe in distincting theÌ„ rightly in names also in yeares as is afore declared Fiftly and lastly hauing thus sufficiently aunswered to your circumstanunces of persons names and times M. Cope I will nowe enter to encounter with you concerning the fact and crime obiected to the Lady Duches and to the rest with this protestation before premised vnto the reader that if the fact be true and so done is reported in the histories of Fabian Halle and harding I desire the reader then so to take me as though I do not here deale withall nor speake of the matter but vtterly to haue pretermitted and dispuncted the same But for somuch as the deed and offence layd and geuen forth agaynst these parties may be a matter made of euil wil compacted rather then true in deede therefore I doe but onely moue a question by way of history not as defending nor commending nor commemorating the thing if it be true but onely mouing the question whether it is to be iudged true or suspected rather to be false and forged and so hauing briefly propounded certayne coniectural suspicious or supposals concerning that matter to passe it ouer neither medling on the one side nor on the other The first coÌ„iecture why it may be possible that this act of treason layd to the charge of the Duches Roger Oneley agaynst the king may be vntrue is this that the sayde Oneley otherwise named Bolingbroke tooke it vppon hys death that they neuer intended any such thing as they were condemned for The second coniecture for that the Lady Eleanor and Onely seemed then to fauour and fauour of that religion set forth by wicklesse and therefore like enough that they were haâ—d of the clergy Furthermore what hatred practise of Papistes can do it is not vnknowne The third coniecture for that the sayd mayster Roger Onely falsly
in tymes past by ignoraunce had all vnder hys possession yet neyther must he thinke that violence will alwayes continue neyther must he hope for that now which he had then for so much as in those former dayes bookes then were scarse also of such excessiue price that few coulde attayne to the buying fewer to the reading studying therof which bookes now by the meanes of this arte are made easie vnto al men Ye heard before pag. 665 how Nicholas Belward bought a new testament in those dayes for foure markes and 40. pence where as now the same price will serue well 40. persons with so many bookes Moreouer in the pag. 411. col 1. it was noted and declared by the testimony of Armachanus how for defect of bookes and good authors both vniuersities were decaied and good wits kept in ignoraunce while begging Fryers scaping all the wealth from other priestes heaped vp all bookes that coulde be gotten into theyr owne Libraryes where eyther they dyd not diligently applye them or els did not rightly use them or at least kept them from such as more fruitfully would haue perused them In this then so great raritie and also dearth of good books when neither they which could haue books would well vse them nor they y◠woulde could haue them to vse what maruell if the greedines of a few prelates did abuse the blindnes of those daies to the aduauncement of themselues Wherefore almighty God of hys mercifull prouidence seeing both what lacked in the church and how also to remedy the same for that aduauncement of his glory gaue the vnderstanding of this excellent arte or science of printing whereby three singular cōmodities at one time came to the world First the price of all bookes diminished Secondly toe speedy helpe of reading more furthered And thirdly the plenty of all good authours enlarged according as Aprutinus doth truely report Imprimit ille die quantum non scribitur anno 1. The presse in one day will do in printing That none in one yeare can do in writing By reason whereof as printing of bookes ministred matter of readyng so readyng brought learning learning shewedlight by y◠brightnes wherof blind ignorance was suppressed errour detected finally Gods glory with trueth of hys worde aduaunced This facultie of Printing was after the inuention of Gunnes the space of 130. yeares which inuention was also found in Germany an 1380. And thus much for the worthy commendation of printing ¶ The lamentable losing of Constantinople ANno 1453. Constantinus Paloelogus beyng Emperour of Constatinople the 29. day of the month of May the great Cittye of Constantinople was taken by the Turke Mahometes after the siege of 54. dayes which siege began in the beginning of Aprill Within the city beside the Citizens were but onely 6000. rescuers of the Greekes And 3000. of the Uenetians Gennues Against these Mahometes brought an army of 400. thousand collected out of the countryes and places adioyning nere about as out of Grecia Illirico Wallachia Dardanis Triballis Bulganis out of Bithynia Galatia Lydia Cecilia and suche other which places had the name yet of Christians Thus one neighbour for lucre sake helped to destroy all other The Cittie was compassed of the Turkes both by the sea land Mahometes the Turke deuided his armye in 3. sondry partes which in 3. partes of the citty so bette the walles and brake them downe that they attempted by the breaches therof to enter the cittye But the valiauntnes of the Christians there in wanne much cōmendation whose Duke was called Iohn Iustinianus of Genua But for so much as the assaultes were great and the number of the Christian souldiours dayly decreased fighting both at the walles and at the Hauen agaynst such a multitude of the Turkes they were not able long to hold out Beside the armyes which lay battering at the walles the Turke had vpon the sea his nauy of 200. and 50. sayle lying vpon the hauen of the City reaching from the one side of the hauens mouth vnto the other as if a bridge should be made frō the one banke to the other Which hauen by the cittizens was barred with yron chaines whereby the Turks were kept out a certayne space Agaynst whiche nauy 7. ships there were of Genua within the hauen and 3. of Creta and certayne of Chio which stoode agaynst them Also the souldiours issuing out of the Cittie as occasion would serue did manfully gaynstand them and with wild fire set their ships on fire that a certayn space they could serue to no vse At length the cheynes being brast a way made the Turkes nauy entred the hauen and assaulted the Cittie whereby the Turke began to conceiue great hope and was in forwardnes to obtain the Citie The assault and skirmish thē waxing more hoate Mahometes the tyraunt stode by vppon an hill with hys warriours about him crying houling out vnto them to skale the walles and enter the towne otherwise if any reculed he threatned to kill them and so he did Wherefore a great number of his souldiours in theyr repulse and retire were slaine by the turkes men being sēt by his commandement to slay them and so they were iustly serued and well payd theyr hyer Although this was some comfort to the Christians to see and behold out of the Cittie the Turkes retinue so consumed yet that hope lasted not long Shortly after by rage of warre it happened Iustinian the Duke aboue named to be hurt who notwithstanding that he was earnestly desired by Paloelogus the Emperour not to leaue his Tower which he had to keepe seeing hys wound was not deadly daungerous yet could he not be intreated to tary but lefte his standing and his fort disfurnished setting none in his place to award the same And so this donghty Duke hurte more with hys false hart then with force of weapon gaue ouer and fled to Chius where shortly after for sorrow rather then for sorenes of wound he died Many of his souldiours seeing their captayne flee followed after leauing their fort vtterly destitute without defence The Turkes vnderstanding y◠vantage soone brast into the cittie The Emperour Paloelogus seeing no other way but to flee making toward the gate eyther was slayne or els troden down with the multitude In the which gate 800. dead mēs bodies were found and taken vp The Cittie of Constantinople thus being gotte the Turkes sacking and raunging about the streetes houses and corners did put to the sword most vnmercifully whō soeuer they found both aged and young matrones virgins children and infants sparing none the noble matrones and virgins were horriblye rauished the goods of the cittie the treasurers in houses the ornaments in churches were all sackt and spoyled the pictures of Christ approbriously handled in hatred of Christ. The spoyle and hauocke of the citie lasted three dayes together while the barbarous souldiours murdered and rifeled what them
hereafter following do testify And here ceasing with the story of Fredericke we will now procede to the raigne of Maximilian his sonne omitting diuers things els incident in the time of this Emperour as first touching the vnbrotherly contention conflicts betwene this Fredericke and Albertus hys brother and Sigismundus his vncle for the dukedome of Austria after the death of Mathias afore mentioned Omitting also to speake of the long and cruel war betwene the Prussians and Polonians with the religious sect of them which were called Tentones fratres sanctae Mariae in the time of Uladislaus Omitting also the strife and variaunce for the dukedome of Millain betwene Fredericus the Emperor Alfonsus Carolus duke of Orleance Franciscus Sfortia And howe the sayde Princedome being after geuen to Sfortia great warres were kindled long continued betwene Sfortia and the Milleners then betwene the Milleners and Uenetians and after betweene the Frenchmen and the Milleners All which tumultes and commotions as not pertinent greatly to the purpose of this story I referre to other wryters where they are to be founde more amply discoursed Thys as more properly belonging to the storye of the Church I thought good not to passe ouer touching such as were condemned suffered the paines of fire for testimony of Christ and his truth Of whom one was Iohn a pastor or a neteheard which was a keper of cattel The other was Ioannes de Wesalia although not burned yet persecuted neere to death vnder the raigne of thys Emperour Fredericus the 3. And first touching thys Iohn the Netehearde Thus wryteth Sebast. Munsterus That the Bishop of Herbypolis condemned and burned for an hereticke one Iohn whych was a keeper of cattel at a towne called Niclas Hausen in Franconia because hee taught and helde that the lyfe of the cleargy was ignominious and abhominable before God An. 1476. Ex Munstero The other was Doctour Ioannes de Wessalia who was complained vpon vnto Dietherus the Archbishop of Mentz by the Thomists vppon certaine articles and opinions gathered out of hys bookes Wherefore the sayde Dietherus fearing else to be deposed againe from his Bishopricke directeth forth commission to the vniuersities of Heidelberg and Colen to haue the mater in examination who conuenting together the yere aboue mentioned called thys Doctour de Wessalia before them making hym to sweare that he shuld present and geue vp all his treatises workes and wrytings what so euer hee had made or preached that being done they deuided hys bookes amongest themselues seuerally euery man to find out what heresies and errors they could His articles opinions were these That all men be saued freely and through meere grace by faith in Christ. Free will to be nothing Onely that we shoulde beleeue the word of God and not the glose of any mā or fathers That the worde of God is to be expounded with the collation of one place with an other That Prelates haue no authoritie to make lawes or to expounde the scriptures by any peculiare right geuen them more then to an other That mennes traditions as fastings pardones feasts long prayers peregrinations and such like are to be reiected Extreme vnction and confirmation to be reprooued confession and satisfaction to be reprehended The primacie of the Pope also he affirmed to be nothing Certaine other articles also were gathered out of hym by his aduersaries but in such sort that they may seme rather to followe their owne malicious gathering then any true intelligence of his minde whereof more is to be vnderstanded in this processe hereafter Thus when Wesalianus was commanded to appear there conuented together first the Archbishop the inquisitor the doctors of Colen and the doctors of Heidelberge with the masters of the same and the Rector of the vniuersity of Mentz the Deane of faculties Bachelers of diuinity and many other maisters of the same vniuersitie Canous doctors with the bishops Chanceller and his councellers besides many religious prelates schollers wyth a doctor of Franckforte the sumner bedels which all met together in the great hall of the Minorites for the examination of this Ioannes de Wesalia Frier Elton the Inquisitor first sitteth in the hyghest place then after him others according to their degree In the beginning of the examination first the Inquisitor beginneth with these wordes Most reuerent father and honorable doctors c. Our reuerent father and prince Elector hath caused this present cōuocation to be called to hear the examination of M. Iohn de Wesalia in certaine suspected articles concerning the catholique faith But something I will say before that may doe hym good and desire that two or three of them that fauoure hym or some other will rise vppe and geue him counsaile to forsake and leaue his errours to recognise himselfe to aske pardon which if he wil do he shal haue pardon if he wil not we wil procede against him without pardone And thus Wesalianus being cited and brought in the midst betwixt 2. minorites being very aged and hauing a staffe in his hand was sette before the Inquisitor Who beginning to answer for hym self with a long protestation could not be suffred to prosecute his Oration but was cutre off and required briefly to make an end and to tell them in fewe woordes whether he would stand to his opinions or to the determination of the church To this he aunswered that he neuer spake any thing against the determination of the Church but sayde that he had written diuers and sondry treatises in the which if hee had erred or were found to say otherwise then wel he was content to reuoke and cal backe the same and do al things that was requisite Then said the Inquisitor do you aske then pardon The other answered why shuld I aske pardon when I know no crime or error committed The inquisitour sayd well we will call you to the remembraunce thereof and proceede to the examination In the meane time others called vppon him instantly to aske pardone Then sayd Wesalianus I aske pardone Notwithstanding the Inquisitor proceeded to the examination reading there two instruments declaring that hee had authority from the Apostolicke sea after this cited the said Iohn to appear to hys examination Thirdly he commaunded him vnder paine of disobedience in the vertue of the holy Ghost and vnder paine of excōmunication of the greater curse from the which no man coulde absolue him but onely the Pope or the Inquisitour except onely at the poynt of death to tell plainly the truth vppon such things as should be demanded of him concerning his faith without ambages and sophistication of wordes And so being demanded first whether he did beleue vpon his oth taken that hee was bounde to tell the trueth although it were against himselfe or any other to this he answered Scio that is I know Thē the Inquisitour biddeth him say Credo that is I beleeue To the
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
Byshops Chaūcellour which cruelly cōdemned the innocent may offer a terrible spectable to the eyes of all Papisticall persecutours to consider and to take example which the liuing God graunt they may Amen The name of the Towne where she was martyred was as is sayd Chepyngsadbery The name of the woman is not as yet come to my knowledge The name of the Chauncellour who condēned her was called D. Whittington The time of her burnying was in the raigne tyme of K. Henry 7. orderly therfore in this place time to be inserted Wherein is to be noted moreouer the oportunitie of this present history brought to my hands that in such cōuenient season as I was drawyng toward the ende of the foresayd kynges raigne so that it may appeare to them which behold the oportunitie of things not to be without Gods holy wil prouidence that this foresayd example should not lye hid vnremembred but should come to light knowledge and that in such order of placing according as the due course of our story hetherto kept requireth After this godly woman and manly Martyr of Christ was condemned by the wretched Chaūcellour aboue named D. Whittington for the faithfull profession of y◠truth which the Papistes then called heresie and the tyme now come whē she should be brought to the place and paynes of her martyrdome a great concourse of all the multitude both in the towne and countrey about as the maner is in such tymes was gathered to behold her end Among whō was also the foresayd Doct. Whittington the Chauncellour there present to see the execution done Thus this faythfull woman and true seruaunt of God cōstantly persisting in the testimony of the truth committing her cause to the Lord gaue ouer her life to the fire refusing no paynes nor tormentes to keepe her conscience cleare vnreproueable in the day of the Lord. The sacrifice beyng ended the people began to returne homeward commyng from the burning of this blessed Martyr It happened in the meane tyme that as the Catholicke executioners were busie in slaieng this sely lambe at the townes side a certayne Butcher within the towne was as busie in slaieng of a Bull which Bull he had fast bounde in ropes ready to knocke him on the head But the butcher belike not so skilfull in his arte of killing beastes as the Papistes be in murthering Christians as he was lifting his axe to strike the Bull failed in hys stroke and smit a little too low or else how he smit I knowe not This was certayne that the Bull although somewhat greued at the stroke but yet not strooken downe put his strength to the ropes and brake lose from the butcher into the streete the very same tyme as the people were comming in great prease from the burning Who seeing the Bull comming towardes them and supposing him to be wilde as was no other lyke gaue way for the beast euery man shifting for himselfe as well as he might Thus the people geuing backe and making a lane for the Bull he passed through the throng of them touching neither man nor childe till he came where as the Chauncelour was Against whome the Bull as pricked with a sodeine vehemēcie ranne full but with his hornes and taking him vpon the paunch gored him through and through and so killed him immediately carieng his guts and trailing them with his hornes all the streete ouer to the great admiration and wonder of all them that sawe it Although the carnall sence of man be blinde in considering the workes of the Lorde imputing many tymes to blinde chaunce the thyngs which properly pertayne to Gods only praise and prouidence yet in this so straunge and so euident example what man can be so dull or ignorant which seeth not heerein a plaine miracle of Gods mighty power and iudgement both in the punishing of this wretched Chauncelour and also in admonishing all other like persecutours by his example to feare the Lord and to abstaine from the like crueltie Now for the credite of this story least I be sayde vpon mine owne head to commit to story things rashly which I can not iustifie therefore to stop such cauelling mouths I will discharge my selfe with authority I trust sufficient that is with the witnesse of him which both was a Papist and also present the same time at the burning of the woman whose name was Rowland Webbe which Rowland dwelling then in Chippingsadbery had a sonne named Richard Webbe seruant sometime to Maister Latymer who also enduring with him in time of his trouble sixe yeares together was himselfe emprisoned and persecuted for the same cause Vnto the which Richard Webbe being now aged then yong the foresaid Rowland his father to the entent to exhort him from this sect of heresie as he then called it recited to him many times the burning of this woman and withall added the story of the Bull aforesayd which he himselfe did see testifie This Richard Webbe is yet liuing a witnes of his owne fathers wordes and testimonie which I trust may satisfie all indifferent Readers except onely such as thinke no truth to be beleeued but that only which is in their Portues ¶ Verses touching the same Tho. Hatcherus MIra legis quicunque legis portenta nefandi Exitus vt poenas addita poena luat Vera legis Domini cuicunque potentia nota est Vt delinquentes ira seuera premat Saepè fit vt fusus cumuletur sanguine sanguis Saepè fit vt poenis obruatira nouis Omnia sunt Domini dextrae subiecta potenti Qui ciet arbitrio bruta hominesque suo Carnificis taurus luctando corniger ictus Euitans sracto fune repentque fugit Fortè viam quâ turba frequens confluxerat antè Faeminea vt cernat membra perire rogo Taurus ijt fertur quâ confertissima turba Laesus at ex tanta solus vnus erat Solus vnus erat rapidos qui misit in ignes Et miserè paruum sparsit ouile Dei Et quasi consultò ferretur praeterit omnes Cornibus hunc tollit proterit hunc pedibus Ille iacet madido foedatur sanguine corpus Eruta perque vias viscera sparsa iacent Quis non à Domino nutu qui temperat orbem Cogitet haec fieri non repetendo tremat Vitio terribiles comitatur iusta procellas Sera licet certis passibus illa venit And thus much concerning the state of the Churche Wherein is to be vnderstand what stormes and persecutions haue bene raised vp in all quarters against the flocke and congregation of Christ not only by the Turkes but also at home within our selues by the Byshop of Rome and his retinue Where also is to be noted in the daies and reigne of this king Henry the vij how mightely the working of Gods Gospell hath multiplied and increased and what great numbers of men and women haue suffered for the same with vs
maintained any doctrine against the Churche of Rome but onely spake against their naughtie lyfe Hierome did put them to silence Hierome in prison 340. dayes The excellent memory in M. Hierome M. Hierome brought agayne before the couÌ„cell M. Hierom holdâ—th all the articles of the Catholicke Church The eloquence of M. Hierome The prophesie of M. Hierome A paper with redde deuilles put vpon the head of M. Hierome by deuelishe papistes M. Hierome committed to the secular power M. Hierome went singing vnto his martirdome M. Hierome praieth M. Hierome â—â—â— to an Image like to Iohn Hus. M. Hierome â—â—geth at â—â— burning The wordes of Hierome to the people M. Hierome geueth testimony of Iohn Hus. The last wordes of M. Hierome The crueltie of his death The ashes of M. Hierome cast into the riuer of Rheine The witnes of the writer The truth of this storie Math. 7. Rom. 13. The cause of I. Hus cleared by the testimony of the nobles of Bohemia All that will liue godly in Christ. 2. Tim. 3. Defence of M. Hierome of Prage He meaneth the longe schisme spoken of before where three popes were striuing one against an other * A quadrant being foure square prouerbially signifieth a man that is constant and immutable Rom. 12. Iohn 8. Deut. 38. Psal. 30. These noble men offered their obedience to the Pope no further then was lawful honest and agreeable to reason and the lawe of God Marke this and learne you noble men Vid supra pag. 588. Henry Chichesley Archb. of Cant. The historie of I. ClaidoÌ„â—â—nner of London of Robert Turming Baker Ex regist Cant. I. Claidon â—â—amined I. Claydon â—â—st imprisoned by R. Braybroke Bishop of London 1. Claidon before abiuâ—ed Englishe bookes The iudgement of the Maior of London Claidon bestowed much money vpon Englishe bookes Iohn Claydon could not read Richard Turming Baker This Turming belike was then in prison William Lindewood doctor of both lawes An Englishe booke intituled The Lanterne of light The head taile of Antichrist This is true speaking of the inuisible Church Two causes of persecution noted Foure conditioÌ„s in geuing almes That bread remaineth in the Sacrament The bookes of I. Claidon burned The sentence condemnation of Iohn ClaidoÌ„ Iohn Claidon coÌ„mitted to the secular power The law de comburendo insufficient The death and martirdome of Iohn Claidon I. Claidon Richard Turming martus Anno 1416. Ex Regist. Chichesley 217. You should be better occupied to shake of the duste from your duâ—y pulpets Twise euery yeare to enquire for Lollardes Against priuie conuenticles To differ froÌ„ the common sort in life and maners against the popes lawe Against Englishe bookes The trouble of I. Barton and Robert Chapell in cause of religion This Philip seemeth to be Philippe Repington afore mentioned in the story of Wicklieffe R. Chapell â—â—â—ureth Articles obtruded to R. Chapel to confesse Marke well this catholicke doctrine of the Popes Church concerning remission of sinnes Marke how this doctrine ioyneth with Gods coÌ„maundement with his word Ergo by this doctrine the iust man liueth not by his faith but by his confession auricular How can these priestes be seruantes of Christ which be makers of Christ. Priuate religioÌ„s profitable if ye could tell wherfore Straight inquisition in EnglaÌ„d Christ had the hartes of men they had their bodies A briefe summe of such as abiured vnder Hen. Chichesley I. Tailour W. Iames. I. Dweiffe Iohn Iourdelay I. Iourdelay abiureth Rob. person of Heggeley examined W. Henry of Tenterdon examined A booke of the new laW I. Galle R. Monke Bart. Coâ—moÌ„ger N. Hoper Tho. Granter troubled for their doctrine A subsidie geâ—thered by the pope to fight against the faithfull of Bohemia Romishe sleightes to get the Englishe money Articles obiected against Rafe Mungin Trialogus The Gospells translated by Iohn Wickliffe Radulph Mungin condeÌ„ned to perpetual prisoÌ„ Tho. Granter Richard Monke The recantation of Tho. Granter Note the doctrine opinions in those daies where the Gospell tooke place One head that is the vnitie of the Church Men tied to the Church of Rome The affliction and trouble in Kent vnder Chichesley Persons persecuted in Keâ—t The seconde apprehensioÌ„ of the Lord Cobham The Lord Powes plaieth Iudas Treason falsly surmised Vide supra pag. 575. Iudas feeleth for his reward An. 5. Henr. 5 act 17. An. 5. HeÌ„nr 5. act 17. All the blame laide to the Lollardes Articles decreed in the Councell of Constance agoinst the Bohemians The fauores of I. Hus in Boheme This suffragane was a good man and helde with Iohn Hus. Wicklieffes bookes translated by I. Hus and Iacobellus into the BohemiaÌ„ speach Concilium malignantium Deposing of Pope Iohn 23. Ex hist Albani The election of Pope Martine The Emperour kisseth the popes feete Pope Martind The coronation of pope Martine Meretrix câ— quitans super bessiam Apocalip The pope 〈◊〉 horseâ—acke the Emperour â—â— foote Why then doth the â—apekâ—epe â—â—â—l the olde Iewes ceremonies if all thinges be made new Anno. 14â—7 A yearely memoriall of Iohn Hus Hierome â—â—pt among 〈◊〉 Bohemiaâ—ns K. Wenceslaus threatneth Nicholas The death of King Wenceslaus The maruelous worke of Gods iudgemeÌ„t to be noted in defending his people Out of Ene as Siluius Zischa getteth Pelzina The queene sendeth for Sigismund the Empeerour The Emperours Ambassadours agree with the citizeÌ„s of Prage The citie of Prage fell from the Emperour The complainte of the citie of Prage against Sigismund The policie of Zisca The citie of Thabor builded Siâ—â—smund get 〈◊〉 the castle â—â— Prage Zisca getteth the citie of Prage Prage besieged of Sigismund The Marques of Misnia ouercome in the skirmish Sigismund the Emperour rayseth his siege The Emperour fighting against Zisca had the ouerthrow The Abbeis of Pelsina subuerted Zisca putteth the Emperour to flight Zisca loseth hys other eye in battel Zisca albeit he lost his eyes yet would not forsake his army Zisca taketh diuers townes The Saxons retyre The Emperour with his power entreth againe into Boheme The Emperour afrayde of Zisca flyeth The powch of Antichrist A noble victory of Zisca Zisca destroyeth images and idols in Churches Ioanes Premostratensis The martirdome of certane godly Bohemians falsely circuÌ„uented and killed with sword Priuie murther at length commeth out Stench very â—â—rtfull for 〈◊〉 teeth An other warlike pollicy of Zischa Straetagema Procopius Magnus The valiant courage of Procopius The victorie of the protestantes The battaile betweene the citie of Prage Zisca The noble victory of Zisca Zisca besiegeth Prage A notable oration of Zisca to his souldiours The hartes of the souldiours altered by the oratioÌ„ of Zisca Peace betweene Zisca and Prage by the meanes of Iohn de Rochezana The Emperour glad to be recoÌ„ciled with Zisca The death of Zisca The wordes of Zisca at his death The Epitaphe of Zisca Zisca eleuen times victor in thâ—â—â—â—elde Pope Martins bloudy bull to all Byshops and Archbishops All these errours and heresies be for that they
Hemeaneth Panormitan which did conclude without the examination of the 12. meÌ„ Paul would geue to Peter no respite when he swarned awry Marke the great Constancie and Christian zeale of this man An exortation to constancie The Bishop of Burgen seeketh concorde How men be readie to heaâ—â— newes Note the godly policye of the Cardinall The conclusion of the councell The holy Ghost working against the Pope The sorow of Panormitane for impugning the trueth The Bishop of Lyons Bargé The iust aunswer of the Councell The aunswere of them both The forme of the decree is written and approued The policie of the Cardinall Arelatensis The Bishop of Tournon The Bishop of Cócen speaketh Marke what the truth must suffer O maruelous despight and contumely in a Bishop for it Arelatensis had kept whoores or concubines he would haue praysed him but to maintaine learned meÌ„ was a great offence The fathers of the councells slaunde tred by Panormitane 4. signes to know the good from the badde Looke if it benot spoké of them in the Gospel where mention is made of the beast which is fallen into the ditche What is it that ambition will not doe Abbot Virgiliacensis Lodouicus the prothonotarie in labouring to seeme learned forgot to be good The Apostles principally gathered the Crâ—de The oration of Cardinal Arelatensis To the imperiall Ambassadonâ—s To the Ambassadours of Fraunce To the Bishop of Coâ—cen To Lodouicus the prothonotary Nicolas Picenius an Italian Articles of the Creede not all put in by the Apostles but some by the couÌ„cels The Article of the holy Ghost put in by the councell of Lyons Panormitan wounded with his owne darts Arelatensis concluded not but at the request of the proctours These 4. deputations were 4. sortes of chosen 〈◊〉 which did disâ—â—â—e and determine those thinges which the fathers did conclude vpon Verely this is no Babilonical Cardinal but of the immaculate spouse Iesus Christ. He speaketh to the whole couÌ„cell Euery man may determine in matters of faith hauing the scripture on his part Contention in the councell abâ—ut reading of the protesâ—ation How God worketh by occasioÌ„ Albiganensis readeth the protestation but none could hear him The affaires of the councell are read Eneas Syluius being present collected this Arelatensis coÌ„cludeth here as he did also before not without the consent of the deputies according to the order of the Councel * Eneas you dyd not so praise this councell after you were byshop your selfe The Byshop of Lubecke Conrade Winsperge a Baron Panormitaâ— the Achilles of the Eugenians and Arelatensis the Hector of the councell The Papists extoll that which maketh for their purpose but the contrary they contemne whether it be scripture or prophane Arelatensis answere to Panormitan This deputation of faith was that coÌ„pany of chose meÌ„ which dyd determine matters of faith Saint Hierome vnto Nepotianusi de vita clericals Marke how politickly and sincerely he doth confute hys aduersaries No man hath heretofore more then Panormitane published the errours of Eugenius whom he now so greatly deseÌ„deth The Session proclaymed In all Italy there were scarsly two prelates found which sought the commoditie of the vniuersall church in Spaine there was none Prayers made with teares Amongest 400. doctors that were present ther was not one yll worde The 33. Session The Embassadours consent to the former Session Two kindes of iniustice O Aeneas you should haue vsed such sinceritie when you were Pope Beholde the princes Ambassadours declare Eugenius an enemy vnto the truth Arelatensis commendeth the Ambassadours This Councel was gathered to take away the ambition of the Bishoppes of Rome that they shuld not think they might do all things according to theyr own pleasure and further so reuoke them â—â—o the care of temporal things vnto spirituall things which now they regarded not The councell doth deliberate vpon the popes election I.x. dayes must be delayd after the sea is voyde Note the Christian zeale of tâ—â—fe meÌ„ which would refuse no daunger for Gods cause Iohn Segouius Dangerous honestie preferred before secure vtilitie A great pestilence in Basil. Lodouicus the prothonotary dyed of the plague The exhortation of those which dyed The Byshop of CoÌ„stance dyeth The Abbot Dona a true Abbot Eneas the author hereof escaped death hardlye The inuincible constancie and fortitude of the Cardinall Arelatensis The commendation of ArelateÌ„sis The councel of Marcus The godly â—he of Arelatensis The other Electours take their othe A scrutinie is a priuie election by voyces Amedeus Duke of Sauoy Prayer for vnitie and concord Let lying Pogius be ashamed of his false inuectiue against Amedeus Commendation of Amedeus Pope elect To haue a wife is no let for a good man to be elected Pope Popes haue ben maried Read the 5 Epistle of Ignatius and you shal see that the Apostles had wyues Baptista Mantuanus maketh mention how that Hilarius Byshop of Pictauia had a wife Eccle. 4. Schisme in the Church Good it were that temporall dominions were deuided from the Church Amedeus Duke of Sauoy chosen Pope Pope Felix 5. The numbâ— of people aâ— the coronation of P. Felix The popes two sonnes seruing at the coronation The valuation of the popes crown The Popes dinner and seruice Volat. lib. 3. A note for our gentlemeÌ„ lords to learne how to huÌ„t and what dogges to keepe The death of SigismuÌ„d the Emperour Albertus 2. Emperour Anno 1438. The death of Albertus 2. The plague at Basill in time of the councell Aeneas Siluius sick of the plague at Basil. The coÌ„stant zeale of Arelatensis to the truth Aeneas Sil. epist. 183. The welthy prelats slide away from the councel Welthie prelates afrayde of truth â—ide quam plebe carere malunt Promotions choke the clergie 60. thousand crownes offred by pope â—ugenius for the betraying of Arelatensis Arelatensis taken and rescued Gods defeÌ„ce toward hys seruantes Ex paraelip Abb. Vrsper The story of the Bohemians prosecutâ—d The Bohemians inuited to come to the councell The Bohemians laboureâ— to come to the Councell The Ambassadours of the Bohemians and of the councell meete together at Egra The Bohemians require pledges Princes bound to the Bohemians The Bohemians require the Emperour to be â—â—â—sent at the â—â—â—cell The Bohemians send two ambassadours to the councel Good iustice vpon a slaunderous rayler The gentlenes of the Bohemians Ambassadours The Bmbassadours of the Bohemians turn home The Bohemians 〈◊〉 vp to the councell other solemne Ambassadours The oration of the Cardinall Iulian to the Bohemians Vide supra pag. 675. The first article of the Bohemians by the first Ambass The second article of the Bohe. by the secoÌ„d Ambass The third article of the Bohe. by the third Ambassadour The fourth article of the Bohe by the 4. Ambass The oration of the Abbot of Sistertia offeÌ„siue to the Bohemians Iohn Ragusinus replyeth against the first article The Bohemians displeased with Ragusinus Egidius Carlerius answereth against the second Article
declared as it hath bene in times past the which also is done by a maruelous dispensation that through one onely thing both Gods loue iustice should be fulfilled For a while the power of miracles being taken away the holy church appereth the more abiect and forsaken and the reward of good men doth cease which reuerēced the same for the hope of heauēly riches not for any present signes And that the minds of euill men agaynst the same might that sooner be knowne which neglect to folow the inuisible thinges which the church doth promise whiles they be led with visible signes Forsomuch then as the humility of the faithfull is as it were destitute of the multitude and appering of signes by the terrible working of Gods secret dispensation wherby mercy is geuē vnto the good and iust wrath heaped vpō the euill For so much then it is truely said that before this Liuiathan shall playnely and manifestly come pouerty shall go before his face for before that time the riches of miracles shal be taken away from the faythfull Then shall that auncient enemy shew himselfe agaynst them by open wonders That as he is extolled through signes wonders so shall he the more manly be vanquished of the faythfull without any signes or miracles Also in his 16. booke vpon this word which the blessed man Iob sayde who shall reprehend his way before him or who shall cast in his teeth what he hath done whilest he did speake of the body of all euill he sodenly connected his speach vnto the head of all the wicked for he did see that toward the end of the world Sathan should enter into man whom the scripture calleth Antechrist he shal be extolled with such pride he shall rule with such power he shal be exalted with such signes wonders vnder the pretence of holmes that his doing can not be cōtrolled of mē for somuch as his signes tokens are ioined with power terror with a certain shew of holynes Wherfore he saith who shall controll his wayes before him what man is he that dare once rebuke or check him whose looke or countenaunce is he afeard of But notwithstanding not onely Enoc Elias the which are brought as ample for his exprobation but also all the elect do argue reproue his way whiles that they do contemne and by the force and power of their minde resist his malice But for somuch as this thing is not done by their owne power or strength but by Gods helpe and grace therfore is it very well sayd who shall argue or reproue his waies before him who but onely God By whose help the elect are ayded and made able to resist And a little after vpon the same booke of Iob Gregory saith in so much as holy men do withstād his iniquity It is not they thēselues which do so rebuke his wayes but it is he thorowe whose helpe they are strengthened Also in his second booke he sayth now the holy Church doth not regarde but despise the signes and miracles of the heretikes if they do any for so much as the Church doth sufficiently vnderstand that it is no kind of holynes for why the prose of holines is not to make signes or wōders but to loue euery man as him selfe to thinke truely of the very true God to thinke better of thy neighbor then of thy selfe for trew vertue holynes cōsisteth in loue and not in shewing of miracles This the veretie declareth saying hereby shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye loue one an other but he saith not that hereby mē shal know that ye are my disciples because ye worke miracles but contrary wise if ye loue one an other declaring plainly therby that it is not miracles but the mere charitie loue of God which maketh vs the seruants of God Wherefore the chiefe testimony of being Gods disciple is to haue the gift of brotherly loue This thorow out doth S. Gregory write and often times in other places he speaketh verye much of miracles howe that they shall cease amongst the iust and abound amongst the wicked Also Chrisostome in his lv Homily sayth thus it is a common an indifferent woorke betwene the ministers of God the ministers of the deuil to cast out deuils but to confesse the trueth and to worke righteousnes is the onely worke of the saints and holy men therefore whomsoeuer thou doest see casting out of deuils if he haue not the confessiō of the trueth in his mouth neyther righteousnes in his hands he is not a man of God but if thou doest see a man openly confessing declaring the truthe and doing iustice although he do not cast out no deuils yet he is the man of God And it followeth let vs know that like as at the cōming of Christ before him the Prophets and with him thapostles wrought miracles thorow the holy ghost for such as the thing is which is sturred such sent sauor wil proceede frō the same He writeth also vpon the beginning of Mathew The whole world did maruel wōder at three things that Christ rose againe after his deth that flesh ascendeth into heauē that he did conuert the whole world by his xi apostles There is iiii causes which wrought the same That is to say the contempt of riches or money The dispising of pomp and glory The seperation of thēselues from all worldly occupation and busines and the pacient suffering of tormentes Thus much writeth Chisostome also saint Isydore in his first booke and xxv cha De summo bono writeth thus like as in the apostles the maruelous effect power of works was much more cōmendable then the vertue of their signes euen so now in the Church is it much more better to liue wel thē to worke any signes or miracles And the cause why that the church of God doth not at this present worke miracles as it did in the time of the Apostles is this That it was necessary at that time that the worlde should beleue miracles and nowe at this present euery faithful beleuer ought to shine with good workes for to this end were signes miracles then outwardly wrought that their sayth thereby might be inwardly strengthned and stablished for what soeuer faithfull man he be that seketh to worke miracles he seeketh vaine glory to be praysed of mē for it is written miracles are signes and tokens vnto the infidels misbeleuers and not vnto the faythfull Thus muche wryteth Isidore Item Saint Augustine in his Booke of cōfession sayth thus there is no greater miracle amongst mē thē to loue our enemies By these wordes of these holy men a man may easely gather that both in our dayes and in the time to come the disciples of Antichrist both do shall more florish and shewe thēselues by strannge signes miracles thē the disciples of Christ according to