vnto the trueth had for his trewe testimonie greate enuye of the Iewes insomuche that they persecuted him to the vile death of the crosse for his earnest recorde and reporte of the trueth and they dyd no lesse pursue y e Apostles and messengers of the trueth For when they folowyng the example of their maiester did openly declare the worde of trueth and namely Peter dyd sore rebuke the wickednesse of the Iewes in puttyng to death Christ the authoure of life aduertisyng them to repente amende the Iewes were so furiouse woode that fyrst they murthered Steuen as the Actes of the Apostles testifie bycause he was a vehement witnesse of the trueth This Shephyn dyd two yere continually after Christes death dispute with all the learned menne of Alexandria Cirene Cilicia and Asia and by heauenly wisedome confounded their worldely reasons and humayne learnyng Wherfore they wer so sore vexed with heate and malice against him that they violently thrust him out of the cytie and then cruelly stoned him to death Thus Stephyn was the fyrst open mainteyner defender of our christen religioÌ„ Afterward as Luke telleth so bitter and sharpe persecucion dyd brast out agaynst the Christians that were in Hierusalem that they were enforsed to straye abrode and were scattered throughout all Iurye and Samarie sauyng that the Apostles remaygned soiourned stil at Hierusalem Notwithstandyng this persecucion was the occasion of great furtheraunce of the Gospel by reason they seased not but preached styll the worde euerye where with great encrease and augmentyng of the faithful nomber Among the Heathen nacions Nero was the fyrst prince that persecuted oure religion vniuersally and putte Peter and Paule to death and consequently many other innocentes were slain cruelly For when of a deuilishe minde that he had he could not spare euen his countrie but either for displeasure of the ruinouse houses whiche greued him to beholde or els desirouse to se a resemblant of the burnyng of Troye he set on fire the more parte of the cytie of Rome with so houge a flame that it burned sixe daies and sixe nightes coÌ„tinually to the impouerishyng of many thousaÌ„d riche citezens Then to mitigate the shamefull abhominable deede and to stinte the brute and slauÌ„derouse reporte that went on him for that flagiciouse fact there were forged false witnesses to say the christen men dyd this act and so many simple innoceÌ„t smarted for that tirannes pleasure And to obdurate him self in mischief he proclaimed an open persecucion against all that professed the name of Christ Not long after Domitiane renewed afreshe another affliction of the christians Traianus raysed the fourth Marcus Antonius Lucius Aurelius Commodus stired vp the v. persecucion Aelius Pertinax moued the sixte Maximinus procured the seueÌ„th Decius the eight Valerianus the .ix. and Aurelianus caused the .x. And Dioclesianus began the .xi. whiche was sorest sharpest and of longer coÌ„tinuance then any of all the rest in suche sorte that scripture bokes wer burned and churches plucked doune christen magistrates that dyd beare any office were deposed souldiours were enforsed to denye their faith or els forgoo their goodes and forbeare their liues by a general proclamacioÌ„ Neither were the thre cruel tyraÌ„nes Maxentius Licinius and Maximianus behynde with their partes but were as busie as the best to procure trouble to the christen people Constantinus borne in Englande was the fyrst christen emperour that auaunced and defended the causes of our religion preserued christen men in peace quietnesse In al these persecucions manye dyd suffer martyredome as diuers histories recorde but Stephyn was fyrst martyre of y e new testament For Iohn Baptist died afore the coÌ„summacion of the old law After his example many other ensued and susteined like crosses for the trueth sake whiche al now reigne with God to whom alone be al glory honour praise worlde without ende Sobeit ¶ The ende of the abridgement of the eight and last booke of Polidore Vergile ⧠A Table by the whiche ye ⧠maie lightly fynde euery special matter or sentence conteined in this booke AARON and Saul fyrst anoynted C.iii. Abbeyes C.xxxv. Abel xii and .lxvii. Aborigines vi Abraham xxvi Abraham taughte the contentes of Geometrie to the Aegiptians xxix Abraham is circumsited lxxxv Abraham ordained the first place of buriall C.vii. Adam the first man vi Adam named beastes lxvii Adam made the firste coate of lether lxix Aduent C.xix Aduoutrie â–ª ix lxxxi Aelas xxv Aâ—olus obserued the wyndes xxvii Aeromancia xxxiiii Aethiopus dispised oyntmentes lvii Age of priestes â–ª xâ—i Aire iiii Alhalow daye C.xxiiii Almose C.xviii Amber lxi Amphion xxiii Amphitheatres lxxvii Anacletus forbad priestes to haue beardes xci Anâ—xagoras ii Anaximander ii.vi. Ancors lxxâ— Andronicus xxvii Annates C.xii. Anoyntyng is the tokeÌ„ of kynges C.iiii. Anoyntyng of childreÌ„ Ibidem Antioche lxxxiiii Antoninus Enipho a schpie maister xv Apollo ii Apollo God of medicines xxx Apostles lxxxiiii lxxxix Apparel lxix v.v Apparel in mournyng c.xxvi April xlii Apuleius de asino aurco â–ª c.xvi Arrabians viii Archadiens xxii ArchadieÌ„s brought instrumentes into Italy xxiiii Archadiens maner lxii Archagathus the fyrste phisician in Rome â—xx Archebishoppes xcv Archedeacons Ibidem Archelaus xix Archilaus xviii Archilocus founde IaÌ„bus xvii Archimedes diuised the spere xxvii Ariopagites iudged in the night xxxix Arrese cloth lxix Aristocracie xxxviii Aristotle had the fyrste liberary xlvi Arithmetike xxix Arke c.vi Arte of memory xlvii Artificial xxâ—v Asâ—lepiades abbolished phisicke xxxii Assinius Pollo had the fyrst librarye at Rome xlvi Astrologie xxvi xxvii Athanasius c.xvii AtheÌ„s made many bokes xlvi â–ª Atlas xxv xxvi Atomes or motes iiii Authours of the names of countries vii Augustus seale lxiii Auriculer coÌ„fession xcv Axe lxxix B BAbilon vii lxxii Bacchus lv Bakyng â–ª lxv Balme an herbe xxxii Baners c.xxix Bankâ—ttes lxviii Baptesme lxxxâ—â—â—â— Barbours lxxxii Barchian league liiii Barges lxxx Barkes Ibidem Baskettes lxxviii Bathes Ibidem Battayle on the sea lxxx Beades c.ix Beastes that be badges lxviii Bedel denouÌ„ced noone xliiii Beholding the bowels of beastes xxxv Belles c.xxix Belowes lix Belus ii xi Bennettes vse c.xxvii Byble c.xxi Biyng of wyfes ix Birdes xxxv Birth daies c.xxiii Bissextus xliii Bishoppes lxxxvi xc Bishoppes of Rome may chaunge their names xciii Bishoppes of Rome be borne Ibidem Bishops maried maydes c.v. Blod lettyng xxxii Boates. lxâ—ix Boltes xlix Bonefires lxxxi C iii. Bondage xxxix Bookes xlv Bowe and shaftes xlix Bowelles of beastes xxxv Brakes slynges xlix Brasen trumpe xxiiii Brasse lviii Bricke worke lxx Bridel bittes l Brigantine lxxx Broches lxxv Buildyng lxx Bulles of leade C.xlix Burial is the end of al thinges C.xxviii Buriyng lxxiii Buriyng of an Emperoure lxxiiii Burnyng dead bodies Ibidem C CAdmus xii xiii Cadmus wrote the first storie of Cirus xix Cadmus found golde lviii Cain xii lxv Cain and Abel sacrificed fyrst C.vii. Caius Claudius xvii Calendes xliii
whyte thorne in worshyppe of Ceres that lyke as she wyth fruytes of the yearth dothe noryshe menne so the newe Bryde lyke an housewyfe shuld bryng vp her children Whiche maner is vsed in Englande sauyng y t in steade of the torche there is borne here a basen of siluer or golde before A garlande also of corne eares was set on her heade or elles she bare it in her hande or if that were not when she came home wheaâ—e was scatered abroade ouer her heade in tokenyng of plentie and fruytfulnesse Also afore she came to bedde to her husbande Fyre and Water were geuen her whiche haue powre too puryfye and clense sygnifiyng thereby that she should be chast and honeste of her body There were besydes these dyuerse rytes whiche I omit The maides of Grece and Rome as it maye appeare by Homere and Catullus vsed customablye to gyrde their preuitie with a lase or swathell tyll the daye of their mariage The Bryde anoynted the poostes of the doores wyth swynes grease because she thought by that meanes to dryue awaye all misfortune wherof she had her name in Latyn Neither might she step ouer the thresholde but must be borne ouer to declare that she loseth her Virginitie vnwillyngly with manye other supersticious ceremonies whiche be to long to reherse ⧠The .v. Chapiter ¶ The institucion of religion and who worshopped goddes fyrst with sacrificâ— IT is no doubte but men whiche at the fyrst with out any gouernour ledde an vplandysh and a rude maner of lyfe dyd highlye auaunce in honoure and prayses theyr fyrst kynges by the persuasion of the deuil either for theyr woÌ„derful maÌ„lynes and vertue or to flatter the condicion of their dygnitie or for some special benefite that they receiued by them magnified them as goddes Wherby it came to passe that kynges beyng welbeloued of their people lefte a greate desyre and feruentnes of them selues among theyr subiectes and posteritee by reason wherof men made Images of them to take a comfortable pleasure of the beholdyng of them Afterward because to encorage men to vertue and cheualry thei reuerenced theÌ„ as goddes for eueri valiant courage would with more alacrite enterprise dauÌ„gerous adueÌ„tures for the coÌ„mon weale when they perceyued the noble actes of worthy and puisant men to be recompensed with honoure and laude of the immortal goddes Thus temples beganne fyrst to be buylded and newe seruice of the goddes by the ordinaunce of Melissus in the tyme of Iupiter or not long afore Albeit that the trueth very original maye be absolutely knowen let vs appoint the custome of Idolatrye to haue begonne in the tyme of Belus kyng of the Assirians whiche reigned in the thre M.C.lxxx yeare of the worlde whom the Babilonâ—ans fyrst worshypped for a God and set vp an Image of him and therefore they that thynke Idolatry hath endured from the beginnyng of the worlde are deceyued Herodotus sayeth that the Egyptians fyrst buylded alters temples Images and made sacrifyce to the goddes and after taught them to straungers Some suppose that Mercurye shewed with what ceremonies goddes should be honoured some say it was deuised by kyng Numapompilius Diodorus thinketh that the Ethiopians did institute the rytes of sacrificyng to the goddes whiche thyng Homere in his Ilias witnesseth wher he telleth howe Iupiter the other goddes went into Ethiopia to the oblacions that were customably made there also repared thyther to feele the fragrant odours that perfumed froÌ„ the sacrifices And the Ethiopians receiued for a reward of their holynes that they should neuer be conquered but euer liue in libertie w tout any bondage Lactantius affyrmeth that Melissus kyng of Crete did fyrst sacrifice and ordeined other solemne rytes in the ceremonies of their goddes In Italy Ianus and his sonne Faunus appointed sacrifices to Saturne and after them kyng Numa set vp a newe religion Cadmus out of Phenice and Orpheus out of Trace brought fyrst into Grece the mysteries solemnyties dedicatyng of Images and hymnes of their goddes Albeit Herodotus sayeth that Cecrops kyng of Athens fette all suche constitucions and ordinaunces out of Egypte into Grece and fyrst inuocated Iupiter founded Images set vpalters and offered sacrifices that were neuer sene before in Grece But to God almighty whoÌ„ we christians honor and serue Cain and Abel fyrst offered and Enos fyrst called vpoÌ„ the name of God ⧠The sixt Chapiter ¶ Who founde the leters and the nomber of them LETTERS wherein is coÌ„teyned the treasure of memorye and by whom thynges notable be preserued in freshe remembrauÌ„ce after the opinion of Diodorus were fouÌ„d by Mercury in Egypt yet some say one Menon an Egyptian diuised them but in steade of the letters they of Egypte vsed to signify and declare the ententes and conceytes of their myndes by the fygures of beastes fishes foules tres Plinie sayeth he euer thought that the Assirians excogitated the letters whiche Cadmus brought out of Phenice into Grece whiche were but .xvi in nomber A. b. c. d. e. g. i. l. m. n. o p. r. s. t. v. to these Palamedes added in the battail of Troy other .iiii. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Simonides found as many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whose power is coÌ„teyned in our letters Aristotle sayeth there were .xviii. of y e olde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that Epicarmus put to the other two θ. and ω. Hermolaus supposeth he put to Î¥. Herodotus writeth howe y â— the Pheniciens that came with Cadmus to enhabite Thebes brought letters into Grece whiche were neuer sene in vse there afore tyme. Some thinke the Ethiopians inueÌ„ted them and then taught them to the Egiptians that were one of theyr ê“uinces But Eumolphus telleth vnfaynedly that the beginnyng of letters did procede of Moses whiche reignyng long afore Cadmus daies taught the Iewes the letters thence the Pheniciens receiued theÌ„ the Grekes lerned of theÌ„ Whiche thyng is coÌ„formable to the saiyng of Plinie afore rehersed for Iury is a part of Syria the Iewes be syrians Neuertheles I find by Iosephus that writyng was afore Noe his flud for the sonnes of Seth wrote in .ii. pyllers one of bricke another of stoone the science of Astronomy whereof that of stoone in the tyme of Iosephus remained in Firia Philo ascribeth the inueÌ„cion of them to Abraham whiche was elder then Moses albeit I had rather assigne to Sethes childreÌ„ the beginnyng of writyng As for the Hebrue letters whiche be nowe after the mynde of s Ierome were but newly inuented deuised by Esdras for afore that tyme the Hebrues Samarites vsed al one carecters and print of their letters The olde Greke letters the same y t the Romaynes vse now as Plinie coÌ„iectureth by a certayne brasen table that came froÌ„ Delphos whiche was dedicated haÌ„ged vp in a librarye in the teÌ„ple of
or of the inuentoure as Aesclepiadical or of the quantitee as Iambus because it standeth of a shorte and a long whiche Archilocus founde fyrst or of the nombre of feete as Exameter and Pentameter whiche is also called Elegiacal the sheppeheardes songes Daphnis the sonne of Mercurie founde and other diuysed other songes whiche I let passe for my purpose is only to speke of the Inuentours of the Meter and not to persecute the particulars ¶ The .ix. Chapiter ¶ The beginnyng of Tragedies Comedies Satyres and newe Comedies TRAGEDIES and comedies had their beginning of the oblacions as Diodorus writeth whiche in olde tyme men deuoutly offered for their fruytes to Bacchus For as the aulters were kyndeled with fyre and the Goate leyed on it the quyre in honoure of Bacchus songe this Meter called a Tragedie It was named so either because a Gote whiche in Greke is called Tragos was the rewarde appoynted for him that was auctour of the song or because a Goate whiche is noyefull to the vynes whereof Bacchus was fyrst inueÌ„tour was sacrificed to Liber or of the groundes or dregges whiche in Greke is called Tryx with the whiche stage Players vsed to paynte their face afore that Eschilus diuised vâ—sers The beginner of them after the mynde of Horace was Thespis albeit Quintilianus saith Eschilus setfurth fyrst openlye Tragedies afore any other Sophocles Euripides dyd furnishe them more galantly In Rome Liuius Andronicus made the fyrst Tragedie wherin Accius Pacuuius Ouidius and Seneca excelled The Comedies began what tyme the Atheniens beyng not yet assembled into y e Cytie the youth of that couÌ„try vsed to syng solempne verses at feastes abrode in the villages and high wayes for to get monye they were so named of the Greke worde Comos for bankettyng or Come a strete and Ode a song Albeit it is vncertaine among the Grecians who founde it fyrst In this kynde of writyng Aristophanes Eupolis Cratinus bare the price of the Romanes Liuius Andronicus founde it fyrst In a Tragedie noble parsonages as Lordes Dukes Kynges and Emperours be brought in with an highe style In a comedie amorous daliaunce matters of loue deflouryng of maydens be conteyned Heuynes is apropried vnto a Tragidie and therefore when kyng Archilaus desyred Euripides to write a Tragidie of him be denied it wishyng that neuer suche thyng should chaunce to him as should be worthy of a Tragedye for it hath euer a myserable ende and a Comodie hath a ioyful ende A Satyre is a poesy rebukyng vyces sharpely not regardyng any persons There be two kyndes of Satyres the one is bothe among the Grekes and Romanes of auncient tyme vsed for the diuersytie of Meters muche like a Comodye sauyng that it is more wanton Demetrius of Tharsus and one Menippus a bondeman whom Marcus Varro did counterfeit were writers in this kynde The seconde maner of Satyres is verye railyng onely ordeyned to rebuke vyce and deuysed of the Romaynes vpon this occasion When the Poetes that wrot the olde Comodies vsed to handle for theyr argumentes not onely fayned matters but also thynges done in dede whiche although at the fyrst it was tollerable yet afterwarde it fortuned by reason that they inueyhed so liberally and largely at their pleasure against euery maÌ„ that there was a law made that no man should from thencefurth reprehend any maÌ„ by name Then the Romaynes in the place of those Comodies substituted suche Satyres as they had newly imagined Then also began y e new Comedie whiche coÌ„cerneth generally all men of meane estate and hath lesse bitternes and railyng but more pleasauntnes and pastime for the auditours Of this Menander and Philemon were auctours whiche aswaged all the crabbednesse of the olde writynges Of them learned Cicilius Neuius Plautus and Terentius the fourme to compyle Comodies albeit as Quintiliane saieth thâ—y vnneth attayned to the least portion of theyr patrone because the latin tong is not so fyt to receyue the ornamentes of eloquencie as the Greke tong is The Satyres had theyr name of vplandyshe goddes that were rude lassiuious and wanton of behauour In this fourme of writyng Lucilius Horatius Persius Inuenalis obtayned great fame and praise ⧠The .x. Chapiter ¶ The deuisers of Hystories Prose and Rhethorike HYSTORIES of all other writynges be mooste commendable because it infourmeth all sortes of people with notable examples of liuyng and doth excite noble men to ensue suche actiuite in enterprises as they reade to haue bene doone by their auncestours and also discorageth dehorteth wicked persons from attemptyng of any haynouse deede or cryme knowyng that suche actes shalbe regestred in perpetual memory to the praise or reproche of the doers accordyng to the deserte of their endeuoures Plinie writeth that Cadmus Milesius fyrst wrote hystories among the Grecians whiche conteined y e gestes of Cirus kyng of Persia Albeit Iosephus supposeth it to bee more probable that Hystories were begonne by the olde writers of the Hebrues as in the time of Moses whiche wrote the lyues of many of the eldest Hebrues and the creacion of the worlde or elles to the priestes of Egypte and Babilon For the Egyptians Babilonians haue bene of longest continuaunce verye diligente in settyng furthe thynges in writyng insomuche y t their priestes were specially appoineted to applye theim selues to that purpose of puttyng in writyng suche thynges as were worthy to be had in memory As concernyng the fyrst writers of Prose I cannot holde with Plinie whiche saieth Pheresides a Syrian wrote fyrst proâ—e in the tyme of kyng Sirus For it is no doubt but he that wrote hystories wrote also prose first and Pheresides was long after Moses whiche was ccccccc.lxxxviii yeres afore Ioathan kyng of the Ieues In whose tyme the Olimpiades beganne and this Pheresides as Eusebius wryteth was but in the tyme of the fyrst Olimpiade Of the Gretians Xenophon Thusidites Herodotus Theopompus floryshed most in writyng histories of the Romanes Titus Liuius Caius Crispius Salustius with dyuerse other were had in highe estimacion Afore that tyme they vsed Annals or Cronicles whiche contayne onely the geastes and factes of euery daye seuerally The fyrst office of an historiographer is to write no lye the seconde that he shal conzel no trueth for fauoure displeasure or feare The perfection of an historie resteth in matter and wordes The order of the matter requyreth obseruaunce of tymes discripcions of places the maners lyues of men theyr behauoures purposes occacions dedes saiynges casualtes acheuynges finishyng of thynges The tenour of the wordes asketh a brefe perspicuite and syncere trueth with moderate and peaceable ornamentes We may be sure that by and by after men were formed thei receiued of God the vse of speche wherein what tyme they perceyued some wordes to be profitable and some hurtefull in vtteryng of theim they appoynted and
Dionisius But the Hebrues as Iosephus witnesseth vsed biyng and sellyng in the tyme of Noe Ioseph was sold to marchauntes caried into Egypte The Lidians were fyrst mercers cariers abrob of stuffe as factours and brokers do with vs. The .xii Chapiter ¶ Who instituted stewes diyng of heare barbours with other thinges VENVS which was begotten of the froth of the sea as Poetes fame was a common harlot and brothel of her body and had many children by sundry men as by Mars she had Harmonia by Mercury Hermaphroditus by Iupiter Cupido by Anchises Aeneas And bycause she alone wold not seme to be an hore she ordeyned in Cypres that women did prostitute thē selfes for mony to al that came And Iustine telleth that the maner of the maides of Cypres was to get their mariage good by suche fylthy baudry And to helpe furth the matter one Melāpus brought out of Egypt into Grece the rites of Bacchus sacrifices wherein men vse to company dissolutely with women in the nyght in suche wyse that it is shame for christen menne to speake of muche like oure shewes or daunces called maskes in Englande bonefyres as they be vsed in some partes of the realme But Spu. Posthumius Albinus and Q. Martius abolyshed those feastes I would all maskes and bonefyres were likewise banished from among vs christians Albeit cōmon women wer long afore Venus tyme. For it appeareth in Genesis that Iudas sōne to Iacob medled w t Thamer his doughter in law bycause he supposed she had bene an hoore by reason of her apparel But to let that passe yet it is pytie to se among christen men stewes baudrye maynteyned as though it were for a cōmon weale honorable matrimony so neglected polluted without any feare of God This is a doctrin of the deuil if there be any In Moses lawes an aduontrer was stoned to death and in Grece in Rome and in Arabia and diuerse other countries he was punished by deathe among christiēs it reigneth vnpunished God wyl strike ones for al therfore let the ministers of the law prouide a godly remedy I would wishe that women would folowe the pagane Lucretia or Hebrue Susanna and men Ioseph Medea found the diyng and coloryng of heare and our women of England haue not forgotten it and beside that make their foreheades by theyr medicines broder then God made them with other enormities wherein some of the phisicians be greatly to blame that teache suche thynkes to y e frayle creature They be ashamed of Gods creacion handy worke in thē selues or els they would nor amend it Barbours to shaue and roūd were instituted by the Abantes bycause theyr enemies in warre shoulde haue no occasion to plucke them by y ◠heare P. Ticinius Mena brought them into Rome the CCC.liiii yeare of the buildyng of the cytie afore they were vnshauen Africanus was wonte to be shauen euery day There be many other thynges whose auctours for antiquitie can not be knowen some bicause of the negligence of men that wyl not write suche thinges As no man can tel who beganne clockes belles the shypmans compasse the gonnes styrops cappes or bonettes for that is but newely inuented bycause in olde tyme men wente bare heade water mylles organnes claricymbals talowcandels reclaimyng of haukes rynges with many other whiche for the auncientie or ouersight of men be in extreme obliuion ¶ The ende of the abrydgement of the third booke The fourth booke The fyrst Chapiter ¶ The beginnyng and encrease of Christes religion CHRISTES religion wherin onely resteth y e whole hoope of our saluacion beganne of the Hebrues whiche were so named of Heber and liued very deuoutly afore there was any law written onely by a natural inclinacion highe corage excited to ensue trueth and iustice The fyrst that called on the name of God was Enos then Enoche Noe And afther him Abraham Isaac and Iacob whiche bycause he had sene God was named Israel and of him the Hebrues were surnamed Israelites Of the issue and linage of his .xii. sonnes there came .xii. tribes or generations of Iewes euery tribe bering the name of one of thē Iob also was a perfecte godly man albeit an heathen and Ioseph was a myrroure of chastitee To these men the wyl promises and reuelacions of God were shewed fyrst Notwithstandyng thei dyd not long perseuer in that perfect innocencye of liuyng but partly for theyr corruptible poysoned nature prone to vice and partly by reason of the acquayntaunce that they had w t the Egyptians a kind of people very supersticiouse geuen to muche Idolatry fel from the puritie into suche extreme blindnes of hart ignoraūcie of God idolatry that they differed in nothyng from the Gentiles heathen But God as he is al mercyful and long sufferyng after CC.v. yeares that Israel came into Egypt and cccc xxx yeares after Abrahams goyng thither by the valiaunt captayn Moses deliuered thē out of the thral dome and bōdage that they were in brought them through the red sea wyldernes into the land of promise the fruitful land of Canaan And yet they vnkyndly forgat all those benefites and returned to their old wretchednes and sinful abhominacions Last of all God cōsideryng y t neither lawe of nature nor lawe written nor his great benefytes nor preachyng of sundry prophetes whom thei most truelly muthered could turne them from theyr stefnecked and stubburne obstinacy To shewe al kyndnes possible sente his onely begotten sonne equal to him in essencial power to be incarnate of a pure mayde that at the laste they might by his example and prechyng haue an obedient heart towarde their creatour whiche was borne the yere of the world .v. thousande C.xcix and the .xli. yere of the reigne of Augustus Caesar of the virgyn Mari to be oure sauiour and intercessour for vs afore the iudgement seate of the father as his name Iesus doth pretend vnto vs. He by his example teachyng and miracles shewed the pathe of saluacion but they enuiousely dyd persecute him to the vile death of y e crosse neuerthelesse by his diuine power he roase the third day in the .xviii. yere of Tiberius the emperour his reigne and after .xl. daies he ascended to the right hande of God leauyng power and auctoritie with his Apostles to establishe the cōmon welth religion of christians and the .x. day after his ascencion he sent the holy ghost into their heartes to strēgthen and teache thē al trueth This was .xxxiii. yeres thre monthes after his incarnaciō Thus oure religion had it oryginall and the Apostles by their preachyng amplified enlarged it very muche For Peter fyrst preachyng to the Iewes in Hierusalem of the cruel murther that they had cōmitted against Christ Iesus conuerted and baptised in
created by Moses to minister serue Aaron in al y e sacrifices to beare the arke and tabernacle the holy vessels and pitche the campe and were discharged of al extreme affayres Nexte them were chosen the ministers whiche dyd make redye the sacrifice as Calues Oxen shepe with suche other thynges at the coÌ„maundement of the Leuites these we may cal subdeacons Certeyne other were elected to light the tapers and lampes named accolytes The Sextyns or porters were appointed to kepe out all prophane and vnclene people And readers to preache and reade the law and prophetes on their sabboth daies There were moreouer chaunters syngers to syng the Psalmes in the temple whom Dauid and Asaph did institute Coniurars were ordeyned by Salomon to driue euil spirites out of men Al these offices went by succession neither was one promoted froÌ„ one to another Thus was the leuitical priesthod appointed whiche was but a signe shadowe of thinges to come that is Christ in whoÌ„ resteth the perfection and coÌ„plete fulfillyng of the lawe The .iiii. Chapiter ¶ Of our priesthod howe it is double what laiyng on of handes meaneth CHRIST Iesus our sauiour whiche was kyng priest after the order of Melchisedeche in the newe testament hath instituted among vs a priesthod to offre and do the functions of this newe law And it is of two kyndes or sortes The one is a spirituall priesthod to offre spiritual sacrifices in this kynde Christ offered and gaue vp him selfe a consummate oblacion for the sinnes of the whole world as Peter saieth Christ died ones for our synnes he beyng righteouse for vs vnrighteous that he might gyue vs vp to God mortified as touchyng the fleshe but liuyng in the spirite OF this priesthode bee all christen menne whiche after the example of Christe muste offer our praiers thankes gyuyng and oure bodies mortified wee bee all of the degree of this kyngly presthode as Peter and also Ihon in the Apocalipse dooe beare witnesse THE seconde priesthode is a ministery that Christe did ordain foloyng the ordre of the lawe that wee might haue our teachers to enstructe vs in the Gospell as the Iewes had their scholemasters in the lawe He did elect twelue bishoppes whom he called by a newe name Apostelles bicause thei wer appoincted to bee embassadoures into all partes of the worlde with the mightie woorde of his power the glad tidynges of his Gospell He assigned also .lxx. disciples to whoÌ„ he gaue the charge and office of preachyng teachyng whiche in steade of AaroÌ„s sonnes should be emong vs as inferior priestes and sâ—â—oures of congregacions and of these beganne the ordre of our Priestes as our bishoppes had their originall of the Apostelles As for the Apostelles and disciples whiche wer ministers and disposers of the misteries of GOD had no other maner of consecratyng but onely the vocacion and eleccion of Christe into the office And so was Mathias chosen in the Actes into y e roume of Iudas so wer the seuen deacons chosen to minister too the poore people of the congregacion And Titus did chose in euery toune and citee of Crete priestes by the laiyng on of handes whiche was a maner of admission withoute any further ceremonies wherby authoritie was gyuen them ouer the congregacion and boldnes to execute ernestely his office with the assistence of the holy ghoste And therefore in the beginnyng of the churche when a bishoppe was consecrated there was vsed no other rites or amabges but onely the people to whoÌ„ the eleccion of the bishop belonged should praie and after the senioures or priestes by laiyng on their haÌ„des admitted hym too that degree Of these Peter was called chief and first bicause bothe of his auncientie and also for somuche as he was firste elected A bishoppes roume is not somuche an honour as it is an heuye burden not so muche a laude as a lode For his deutie is not onely to weare a mitre and crosear but also to watche ouer the flocke of the Lorde vigilantly to teache with the woorde diligently with example honestly and in all thynges too go afore theim vprightly and leade them in the waie of trueth that thei maie folowe the patron of his Godly lyuyng and there as it were in a myrroure beholde howe thei oughte too refourme and confourme their lyuyng And this office of the bishopricke deacons wer instituted by the scripture onely for priestes in y e primatiue churche bishops wer al one BVT the bishoppes of Rome folowyng the shaddowes of the olde abrogate lawe of the Hebrues haue ordained a swarme of diuerse other orders as porters or sextens reders exorcistes accollites subdeacoÌ„s deacons pristes bishoppes archebishoppes as a certain degree one aboue another wherby thei should assend to the highest dignitie Caius bishoppe Rome did begyn the orders firste yet some saie Iginius did ordayne those degrees long afore Caius tyme. And I graunte well that Iginius mighte bee the first diuiser of theim afterwarde Caius accoÌ„plished the worke brought it to a finall consuÌ„macion THE office of a priest as Christe ordained it was too teache baptise and minister the Sacramente of the alter and thankes gyuyng bynd and lose and iudge of doctrynes Therefore lette theim take hede that admit suche too bee priestes as cannot perfourme the deutie of the ministery For many suppose if thei can mumble vp a paire of Matyns and saye Masse thei bee perfecte priestes The .v. Chapiter ¶ The maner of shauyng priestes crounes who maie noâ— be prieste what age he muste bee of THE common and generall badge of al Priestes is y e shauen croune wher by the Clergie is desseuered from the Layitee and bee putte in remembraunce by it how thei ought all together to relinquishe and dispise all carnall pleasure and worldely treasure and ensue after heauenly thynges whiche bee eternall This as Beda writeth grewe into a custome and was decreed by a constitucion to the entente that the thyng whiche was before approbrious might growe to honour and comelines For Peter what time he preached at Antioche was scorned and mocked bycause of his balde hedde or shauen croune and it was a contumeliouse thyng bothe emong the Romaynes and Lumbardes too bee shauen I thynke the originall cause of it did proceade of the ceremonies of the Nazarees which wheÌ„ thei had liued loÌ„g tyme as Iosephus telleth verie deuoutly thei shaued their heddes and sacrificed the heire in the fire too God whereby thei sygnified that thei did dedicate theim selfes wholy to liue in a Godly perfeccion Samuel was a Nazaree and Samson also I suppose that this rite of the Nazarees came oute of Egipte where the Priestes were customably shauen in token of sorowe and heuinesse for the deathe of their God Apis. And thei were also shauen daily bycause thei