Turkes or Infidels or in their doctrine were any Idolatrous impitie or detestable iniquitie in their liues if they went about any deadly destruction or priuy conspiracies to oppresse your liues or by fraudulent dealing to circuÌ„uent you then had you some cause to coÌ„plaine and also to reuenge Now seing in their doctrine ye haue neyther blasphemy idolatry superstition nor misbeliefe to obiect vnto them seing they are baptised in the same beliefe and beleue the same articles of the Crede as ye do hauing the same God the same Christ sauiour the same baptisme and are ready â—s conâ—erre with you in all kinde of Christen doctrine neyther do refuse to be tryed by any place of the scripture how then riseth this mortall malice of you agaynst them If you thinke them to be herâ—tickes then bring forth if ye can any one sentence which they arrogantly hold contrary to the minde of holy scripture expounded by the censure of most auncient Doctours Or what is there in all yâ— scripture to be required but they acknowledge confesse the same See try the order of their liues doinges what great fault find you They serue God they walke vnder his feare they obey his law as men may do and though they be transgressors toward him as other men are yet toward you what haue they done what haue they committed or deserued why you should be so bitter agaynst them What offended the poore habitants of Merindal Cabriers when the bishop of Aix the Cardinall of Turon and other Bishops of France wrasting from Fraunces the French king a commission sent Menâ—rius with his Captayne Iohn de Gay to destroy theyr countrey an 1530. who driuing the poore people there into a barn ful of straw set the barn on fire burned vp men women and children And likewise in a church exercised the like crueltie vpon them where were murdered the same time to the number of a thousand yong and old women children and yong infants besides vii whole townes with the most part of the dwellers thering being murdered burnt in the sayd country of ProueÌ„ce Also before that what offended the Cittizens of Tholouse and Auinion when Pope Gregory the ix set Lewes the French king to warre agaynst them and agaynst Raymundus their Earle without cause where also the sayd kyng died at the siege Or to speake of later yeres what hurt or harme did the poore Protestantes in the towne of Uassy who peaceably being at a Sermon were miserably slayne and cut men women and children by the Duke of Guyes and hys armed souldiours besides other infinite examples almost not to be numbred of like crueltie in Calabria Apulia Bohemia Fraunce and now of late in Flaunders and in other countryes moe But to let other countryes passe let vs turne now to the peaceable gouernment in this realme of England vnder this our so milde gracious Queene now presently reigning Under whome you see howe gently you are suffered what mercy is shewed vnto you how quietly ye liue What lacke you that you woulde haue hauing almost the best rowmes and offices in all the realme not onely without any losse of lyfe but also without anye feare of death And though a few of your Archâ—lerkes be in custody yet in that custody so shrewdly are they hurt that many a good Protestant in the realme would be glad with all their hartes to chaunge rowmes and dyet with them if they might And albeit some other for their pleasure haue slipt ouer the seas if their courage to see countries abroade did so allure them who coulde let them yet this is certayne no dreade there was of death that draue them For what papist haue you seen in all this land to lose eyther life or limme for papistry during al these xii yeares hetherto since this Queenes reigne And yet all this notwithstaÌ„ding hauing no cause to complayne so many causes to geue God thaÌ„ks ye are not yet content ye fret and fume ye grudge and mutter and are not pleased with peace nor satisfied with safety but hope for a day and fayne would haue a chaunge And to preuent your desired day ye haue conspired and rise vpp in open rebellion agaynst your Prince whom the Lord hath set vp to be your gouernour And as you haue since that nowe of late disturbed the quiet and peaceable state of Scotland in murdering most trayterously the gentle and godly Regent of Scotland who in sparing the Queenes life there when he had her in his handes hath now therfore lost his own so with like fury as by your rebellion appeareth would disturbe the golden quiet and tranquilitie of this Realme of England if ye might haue your willes Which the mercifull grace of almightie for Christ his sonnes sake our Lord forfend and vtterly disapoynt Amen Wherfore these premises coÌ„sidered my question is to aske of you know what iust or reasonable cause ye haue of these your vnreasonable doinges of this your so mortall and deadly hatred fury and malice you beare agaynst these your euenchristened of these your tumultes coniurations gaping and hoping rebellions mutteringes murders wherewith you trouble and disquiet the whole world Of all which mischiefes if the true cause were well known the truth would be found doubtles to be none other but onely the priuate cause of the Bishop of Rome that he is not receiued and the dignity of his Church exalted Touching which cause how vnreasonable and vniust it is more shal be sayd the Lord willing in reply according as I shal see theyr answere if it shall so please theÌ„ or any of theÌ„ to answere this question In the meane time this for a briefe note shall suffice that it standeth not with the scripture but contrary to the scripture that the Bishop of Rome should so reuenge his owne priuate cause If his title plantatioÌ„ be good of God why doth he not refer it vnto god And no doubt but if it be so God will maintein it though the whole world sayd no. If it be otherwise it will fall be rooted out though all the world sayd yea yea the greatest argument to proue this plantation of the Popes supremacy not to be of God is that the Pope fighting in his owne priuate cause by outward worldly force seeketh his owne glory Christ our sauior being here refused himselfe yet neither reuenged his cause nor sought his owne glory but only the glory will of his father thus speaking of himself Si ego glorifico meipsuÌ„ gloria mea nihil est pater meus est qui glorificat me c. Ioan. 8. i. If I glorify my selfe my glory is nothing my father is he that glorifyeth me c. Euen so I saye with scripture that if the Popes procâ—edings were planted of God he would not so wrastle for his glory as â—e doth But forsomuch as he seeketh by such cruelty and bloudshed to exalt himselfe
cap. 13. There was betweene him and Constantinus in the beginning great familiaritie and such agreement that Constantinus gaue vnto him his sister Constantia in Matrimonie as Aurelius Victor wryteth Neither woulde any man haue thought him to haue bene of any other Religion then Constantinus was of hee seemed in all thinges so well to agree with him Wherupon he made a decree with Constantinus in the behalfe of the Christians as we haue shewed Eusebius Lib. 9. cap. 9. And such was Licinius in the beginning But after arming him selfe with tyrannie began to cōspire against the person of Constantinus of whom he had receaued so great benefites neither fauorable to the law of nature nor mindful of his othes his bloud nor promises But when hee considered that in his conspiracies he nothing preuailed for that he saw Cōstantinus was preserued and safely defended of God And partly being puffed vp with the victory against Maximinus he began vehemētly to hate him and not onely to reiect the Christian religion but also deadly to hate the same Hee saide he would become an enemy vnto the Christiās for that in their assemblies and meetinges they prayed not for him but for Constantinus Therefore first by litle and litle and that secretely he went about to wrong and hurt the christians banished them his Court which neuer were by any meanes preiudiciall to his kingdom Then he commāded that all those should be depriued which were knights of the honourable order vnlesse they would do sacrifice to deuils Euseb. lib. 10. cap. 8. The same persecution afterwardes stretched he from his court into all his prouinces which with most wicked and deuised lawes hee set forth First that for no cause the Byshops shoulde in any matter communicate together neither that any man should come at the Churches next vnto them or to call any assemblies and consult for the necessary matters and vtilitie of the Church After that the men women together should not come in companies to pray nor that the women should come in those places where they vsed to preach and read the worde of God neither that they should be after that instructed any more of the Byshops but should chuse out such women amongest them as shoulde instruct them The thirde most cruell and wickedst of all was that none should helpe and succour those that were cast in prison nor shoulde bestowe any almes or charitie vpon them though they shoulde die for hunger and they which shewed any compassion vpon those that were condemned to death should be as greatly punished as they to whome they shewed the same shoulde be Eusebius libro primo de vita Constantini These were the most horrible cōstitutions of Licinius which went beyond and passed the boundes of nature After this he vsed violence against the Byshops but yet not openly for feare of Constantinus but priuely and by conspiracie by which meanes hee slewe those that were the worthiest men amongest the Doctours and Prelates And about Amasea and other Cities of Pontus he razed the Churches euen to the ground Other some he shut vp that no man should come after their accustomed maner to pray and worship God and therefore as we sayde before his conscience accusing him all this hee did for that he suspected they prayed for Constantinus and not at all for him And from this place in the East parties vnto the Libians which bordered vpon the Egyptians the christians durst not assemble and come together for the displeasure of Licinius which hee had conceaued against them Zozomenus Lib. 1. cap. 2. Furthermore the flattering officers that were vnder him thinking by this meanes to please him slewe made out of the way many byshops and without any cause put them to death as though they had bene homicides hainous offenders and such rigorousnes vsed they towards some of them that they cut their bodyes into gobbets and small peeces in maner of a Boucher and after that threwe them into the Sea to feede the fishes Euseb. Lib. 10. cap. 8. What shall we speake of the exiles confiscations of good and vertuous men For he tooke by violence euery mans substaunce and cared not by what meanes he came by the same But threatned them with death vnlesse they would forgoe the same Hee banished those which had committed none euill at all He commanded that both gentlemen and men of honour should be made out of the way neither yet herewith content but gaue their daughters that were vnmaried to varlets and wicked ones to be defloured And Licinius himselfe although that by reason of his yeres his body was spent yet shamefully did hee vitiate many women mens wiues maids Euseb Lib. 1. de vita Constantini Which cruel outrage of him caused many godly mē of their owne accorde to forsake their houses and it was also seene that the woodes fieldes desert places and mountaines were faine to be the habitations and resting places of the poore and miserable Christians Eusebius Lib. 10. cap 14. Of those worthy men and famous Martyrs which in this persecution founde the way to heauen Nicephorus Lib. 7. cap. 10. first speaketh of Theodorus who first being hanged vpon the crosse had nawles thrust into his arme pits and after that his head striken of Also of another Theodorus being the Byshop of Tyre the thirde was a man of Perga Basilius also the Byshop of Amasenus Nicolaus the Byshop of Mirorus Gregorius of Armenia the great After that Paule of Neocaesaria which by the impious commandemēt of Licinius had both his hands cut of with a searing yron Besides these were in the Citie of Sebastia xl worthy men Christian souldiours in the vehemēt cold time of winter soused and drowned in a horse pond whē Locias as yet of whom we spake before and Agricolaus executing the Shrieues office vnder Licinius in the East parts were aliue and were in great estimation for inuenting of new and strange torments against the Christians The wiues of those 40. good men were caried to Heraclea a Citie in Thracia and there with a certaine Deacon whose name was Amones were after innumerable torments by them most constauntly indured slaine with the sworde These thinges wryteth Nicephorus Also Zozomenus in his ninth booke 2. Chapter maketh mention of the same Martyrs And Basilius in a certaine Oration seemeth to intreate of their history sauing that in the circumstances he somwhat varieth And surely Licinius was determined for that the first face of this persecution fel out according to his desire to haue ouerrunne all the Christians to which thing neither counsell nor good will nor yet oportunitie perchance wanted vnlesse God had brought Constantinus into those parties where he gouerned where in the warres which hee himselfe began knowing right well that Constantinus had intelligence of his conspiracy treason ioyning battaile with him was most cowardly ouercome Diuers battailes betweene them
of them that had suffered death for Christ howsoeuer they were alienated should returne to theyr heires or next of kinne or for lacke of them should be geuen to the Church Hee commaunded moreouer that onely Christians shoulde beare office The other he charged and restrayned that neither they should sacrifice nor exercise any more diuinations and ceremonies of the Gētiles nor set vp any Images nor to keepe any feastes of the heathen Idolaters He corrected moreouer and abolished all such vnlawfull manners and vnhonest vsages in Cities as might be hurtfull any waies to the Church as the custome that the Egyptians had in the flowing of Nilus at what time the people vsed to runne together lyke brute beasts both men women and with all kinde of filthines and Sodomitrie to pollute their Cities in celebrating the increase of that riuer This abhomination Constantine extinguished causing that wicked order called Androgynae to be killed By reason whereof the Riuer afterward through the benefite of God yelded more increase in his flowing to the greater fertilitie of the ground then it did before Among the Romanes was an olde lawe that such as were barren hauing no fruite of children should be amerced of halfe their goodes Also that such as being aboue the yeares of xxv vnmaried should not be nūbred in the same priuileges with them that were maried neither should be heires to them to whom notwithstanding they were next in kinde These lawes because they seemed vnreasonable to punish the defect of nature or gift of virginitie by mās lawe hee abrogated and tooke away An other order was among the Romanes that they which made their willes being sicke had certaine prescribed and conceiued wordes appoynted to thē to vse which vnlesse they followed their willes stoode in none effect This law also Constantine repealed permitting to euery man in making his testament to vse what wordes or what witnesses he woulde Likewise among the Romaines hee restrained and tooke away the cruel and bloudy spectacles sights where men were wont with swordes one to kill an other Of the barbarous and filthy fashion of the Arethusians in Phoenicia I haue mentioned before pag. 104. where they vsed to expose and set foorth their virgines to open fornication before they should be maried which custome also Constantine remooued away Where no Churches were there he commaunded new to be made where any were decayed he commāded them to be repaired where any were to litle he caused them to be enlarged geuing to the same great giftes and reuenewes not onely of such tributes and taxes comming to him from certaine sundry Cities which hee transferred vnto the Churches but also out of his owne treasures When any Byshops required any Councell to be had hee satisfied their petitions And what in their Councels and Synodes they established being godly honest hee was ready to confirme the same The armour of his soldiours which were newly come from Gentilitie he garnished with the armes of the crosse whereby they might learne the sooner to forget their olde superstitious idolatry Moreouer like a worthy Emperor he prescribed a certaine forme of prayer in steade of a Catechisme for euery man to haue to learne how to pray and to inuocate God The which forme of prayer is recited in the fourth booke of Eusebius De vita Constantini in wordes as foloweth Te solum noulmus Deum te regem cognoscimus te adiutorem inuocamus abs te victorias referimus per te victorias inimicorum constituimus tibi praesentium bonorum gratiam acceptam ferimus per te futura quoque speramus tibi supplices sumus omnes Imperatorem nostrum Constantinum ac pientissimos eius filios in longissima vita incolumes nobis ac victores custodire supplices oramus per Christum dominum nostrum Amen In English We knowledge thee onely to be our God we confesse thee onely to be our king we inuocate and call vpon thee our onely helper by thee we obtaine our victories by thee we vāquish and subdue our enemies to thee we attribute whatsoeuer present commodities we enioy by thee we hope for good thinges to come vnto thee we direct all our sute petitions most humbly beseeching thee to conserue Constantine our Emperour and his noble childrē in long life to cōtinue and to geue them victory ouer all their enemies through Christ our Lord. Amen In hys owne palace hee set vp an house peculiar for prayer and doctrine vsing also to pray and sing with his people Also in hys warres hee went not without hys tabernacle appoynted for the same The Sonday he cōmanded to be kept holy of all men and free from all iudiciarie causes from markets martes faires all other manuall labors onely husbandry excepted especially charging that no Images or Monuments of Idolatry should be set vp Men of the Clergy and of the ministery in al places he endued with speciall priuileges and immunities so that if any were brought before the ciuill Magistrate and listed to appeale to the sentence of his Bishop it should be lawfull for him so to doe and that the sentence of the Byshop should stande in as great force as if the Magistrate or the Emperour himselfe had pronounced it ¶ But here is to be obserued noted by the way that the Clerkes ministers thē newly creeping out of persecutiō were in those dayes neyther in nūber so great nor in order of life of the like dispositiō to these in our dayes now liuing No lesse care and prouision the sayd Constantinus also had to the maintenance of scholes pertayning to the Church and to the nourishing of good artes and liberall sciences especially of Diuinitie not onely with stipends and subsidies furnishing them but also with large priuilegies and exemptiōs defending the same as by the wordes of his own law is to be seene and read as followeth Medicos Gramaticos alios professores literarum doctores legum cum vxoribus liberis c. In English Phisitions Gramarians and all other prefessors of liberal artes and Doctors of the law with their wiues and childrē and all other their possessions which they haue in Citties we commaund to be freed from all ciuill charges and functions neyther to receaue forren straungers in prouinces nor to be burdened with any publique administration nor to be cited vp to ciuill iudgement nor to be drawne out or oppressed with any iniury And if any man shall vexe them he shall incurre such punishment as the Iudge at his discretion shall awarde him Their stipendes moreouer and solaries we commaunde truely to be payd them whereby they may more freely instruct other in artes and sciences c. Ouer and besides this so farre did hys godly zeale and princely care and prouision extend to the Church of Christ that he commaunded and prouided bookes and volumes of the Scripture diligently and playnly to be written
although the example be rare straung and much commēded of the chroniclers of that time yet I cannot rashly assent to their cōmendation albeit the case therof is no matter of our history First in altering their estate from kings to monkes if they did it to finde more ease and lesse trouble thereby I see not howe that excuse standeth with the office of a good man to chaunge his publike vocation for respect of priuat commodity If feare of ieoperdy daunger did driue them therunto what praise and commendation they deserue in so doing let the monkish histories iudge what they lyste me seemeth so much prayse as they deserue in prouiding their owne safetie so much they deserue againe to be discōmended in forsaking the common welth If they did it as most like it is for holinesse sake thinking in that kinde of life to serue and please God better or to merite more toward their saluaciō then in the estate of a king therin they were far deceaued not knowing tha◠the saluation which cōmeth of God is to be measured estemed not by mans merits or by any perfectiō of life or by differēce of any vocation more of one then another but only by the free grace of the gospell which freely iustifieth all them that faythfully beleeue in Christ Iesu. But here will be saide againe peraduenture in the solitary life of Monkery be fewer occasions of euils then in kings courtes wherefore that lyfe serueth more to holines more is to be preferred then the other To this I aunswere to auoid the occasions of euill is good where strength lacketh to resist But otherwyse where duety charge bindeth to tary there to auoyde the occasiōs of euil where rather they are to be resisted rather declareth a weakenes of the man thē deserueth any praise As it is truely saide of Tullie Out of Asia saith he to liue a good life is no god a mercy but in Asia where so great occasiōs of euils abound there to liue a good mā that is praise worthy With the like reason I may infer if a man be called to be a king there not to chaunge the vocation for voiding of occasions but rather to resist occasions to keepe his vocation declareth a good perfect man But of these bymatters hetherto sufficient These things now thus premised concerning the order raigne of kinges as is aboue prefixed consequently it remaineth to enter the tractation of such thinges as in the time and raigne of the foresaide kings happened in the Church first putting the Reader againe in minde of the former persecutions within the realme partly before touched in the time of the Britaine kinges which speciallye were three or foure before the commyng of Austen into Englande 1 The first was vnder Dioclesian and that not onely in England but generally throughout al the Romaine Monarchie as is aboue specified In this persecution Albanus Iulius Aaron with a great number moe of other good Christian Britanes were martyred for Christes name 2. The seconde persecution or destruction of Christian faith was by the inuading of Gnauius and Melga whereof the first was captaine of the Hunnes the other of the Pictes These two tyrauntes after the cruell slaughter of Vrsula and other 11000 noble virgines made their rode into Brytaine hearyng the same to be destitute of the strength of men At what time they made miserable murder of Christes Saints spoiling wasting Churches without mercy either of women or children sparing none 3. The third persecution came by Hengist and the Saxones who likewise destroied and wasted the christen congregations within the lande like raging Wolues fleeyng vpon the sheepe spilling the bloud of Christians til Aurellus Ambrosius came and restored againe the Churches destroyed 4. The fourth destruction of Christen faith Religion was by Gurmundus a Pagan king of the Africanes who ioyning in league with the Saxons wrought much greuaunce to the christians of the land In so much that Theonus Byshop of London and Thadioceus Bishop of Yorke with the rest of the people so many as were left hauing no place wherin to remaine with safety did flee some to Cornwall and some to the mountaines of Wales about the yere of our Lord 550. and this persecution remained to the time of Ethelberd king of Kent an 589. In the raigne of this Ethelbert which was then the 5. king of Kent the faith of Christ was first receaued of the Saxons or Englishmen by the meanes of Gregory bishop of Rome in maner and order as here foloweth out of old histories collected and recorded First then to ioyne the order of our history together The Christē faith first receiued of king Lucius endured in Britaine till this time neare vpon the season of CCCC yeares and odde when by Gurmundus Africanus as is saide fyghting wyth the Saxons against the Brytaynes it was neare extinct in all the land duryng the space about fortie foure yeares So that the first springing of Christes Gospell in thys lande was an 180. The comming of the Saxons was an 449. or an 469. The comming of Austen was an 596. From the first entring in of the Saxons to their complet conquest and the driuing out of the Brytanes which was aboute the latter time of Gadwalader were 240. yeares In summe from Christ to Lucius were 180. yeares The continuaunce of the gospel frō Lucius to the entring of the Saxons was 302. yeares The decay of the same to the entring of Austen was 143. yeares which being added together make from Lucius to Austen 445. from Christ to Austen they make 598. yeares In this yeare then 598. Austen being sent from Gregory came into England the occasion wherupon Gregory sent him hether was this In the daies of Pelagius Byshop of Rome Gregory chauncyng to see certayne chyldren in the market place of Rome brought thether to be sould out of England being faire and beautifull of visage demaunded out of what coūtrey they were and vnderstanding they were Heathenish out of England lamented the case of the land being so beautifull and Angelicall so to be subiecte vnder the Prince of darknes And asking moreouer out of what prouince they were it was aunswered out of Deyra a part of Northsaxons wherof as it is to be thought that which we now cal Deyrham taketh his name Then he alluding to the name of Deyra these people saith he art to be deliuered de Deiira which is from Gods wrath Moreouer vnderstanding the kings name of that prouince to be Alle aboue mentioned alluding likewise to his name there saith he ought Alleluia to be song to the liuing God Wherevpon beyng moued and desirous to go and helpe the cōuersion of that country was not permitted of Pelagius and the Romanes for that time to accomplish his desire But afterwarde being Bishop himselfe next after Pelagius he sent thether the foresaide Austen with other preachers neere about to
of thy Father Forsomuch then as it is so written in the law and they shall be two in one flesh the sonne then that presumeth to reueale then the turpitude of his stepmother which is one flesh with his Father what doth he then but reueale the turpitude of his owne father Likewise it was forbidden and vnlawfull to mary with thy kinswoman which by her first Mariage was made one flesh with thy brother For the which cause Iohn the Baptist also lost hys head and was crowned a Martyr Who though he dyed not for the confession of Christ yet for so much as Christ saith I am the truth therfore in that Iohn Baptist was slayne for the truth it may be sayd his bloud was shedde for Christ. The seuenth interrogation Item whether such as be so coupled togither in filthy and vnlawfull matrymony ought to be separated and denied the partaking of the holy Communion The aunswere Because there be many of the nation of English men which being yet in their infidelitie were so ioyned coupled in such execrable mariage the same comming now to faith are to be admonished hereafter to abstaine from the like that they know the same to be greuous sinne That they dread the dreadfull iudgement of God least for their carnall delectation they incurre the tormentes of eternall punishment And yet notwtstanding they are not to be secluded therefore from the participation of Christes body bloud lest we should seme to reuenge those things in them which they before their baptisme through ignoraunce did commit For in this time the holy Church doth correct some faultes more feruently some faultes she suffereth againe through mansuetude and mekenes some wittingly and willingly she doth wink at and dissemble that many times the euil which she doth detest through bearing and dissembling she may stop bridle All they therfore which are come to the faith must be admonished that they cōmit no such offence Which thing if they doe they are to be depriued of the Communion of the Lords body bloud For like as in them that fall through ignoraunce their default in this case is to be tollerate so in them againe it is strōgly to be ensued which knowing they do nought yet feare not to commit The eight interrogation Item in this I desire to be satisfied after what maner I should deale or do with the Bishops of Fraunce and of Britaines The aunswere As touching the Bishops in Fraunce I geue you no authoritie or power ouer them For the Bishop of Arolas or Orliance hath by the olde tyme of our predecessours receiued the Palle whome now we ought not to depriue of hys authoritie Therefore when your brotherhoode shall goe vnto the Prouince of Fraunce what soeuer yee shal haue there to doe with the Byshop of Orliance so do that he loose nothing of that which he hath found and obtayned of the auncient ordinaunce of our foreelders But as concerning the Bishops of Brittayn we commit them all to your brotherhoode that the ignoraunt may be taught the infirme by perswasion may be confirmed the wilful by authoritie may be corrected The ninth interrogation Whether a woeman being great with childe ought to be baptised or after she hath children after how long time she ought to enter into the Church Or els that which she hath brought forth least it should be preuented with death after howe many dayes it ought to receaue Baptisme Or after howe long tyme after her childebyrth is it lawfull for her husband to resorte to her Or els if she be in her monthly course after the desease of women whether then she may enter into the Churche and receaue the Sacrament of the holy Communion Or els her husband after the lying with hys wife before he be washed with water whether is it lawfull for him to enter the Church and to draw vnto the mistery of the holy Communion All which thinges must be declared and opened to the rude multitude of Englishmen The Aunswere The childing or bearing woman why may she not be Baptised seeing that the fruitfulnes of the flesh is no fault before the eyes of almighty God For our first parentes in Paradise after they had transgressed lost their immortallitie by the iust iudgement of God which they had takē before Then because almighty God woulde not mankinde vtterly to perish because of hys fall although he lost nowe hys immortallitie for hys trespasse yet of hys benigne pietie left notwithstanding to hym the fruit and generation of issue Wherefore the issue and generation of mans nature which is conserued by the gift of almighty God how can it be debarred from the grace of holy Baptisme As concerning the churching of women after they haue trauailed where ye demaund after howe many dayes they ought to goe to the Church this you haue learned in the old law that for a man child .30 dayes after a womā child .66 dayes be appoynted her to keepe in Albeit this you must take to be vnderstād in a mistery For if she should the houre after her trauayle enter into the Churche to geue thankes she committed therein no sinne For why the lust and pleasure of the flesh and not the trauaile and payne of the flesh is sinne In the coniunction of the fleshe is pleasure but in the trauaile and bringing forth of the child is payne gronyng As vnto the mother of all it is sayd In sorrow thou shalt trauaile Therefore if we forbid the woman after her labour to enter the church thē what doe we els but count the same the punishment geuen vnto her for sinne Therefore for the woeman after her labour to be baptised eyther that whiche shee hath trauailed foorth if present necessitie of death doth so require yea in the selfe same houre eyther shee that hath brought foorth eyther that which is borne in the same houre when it is borne to be baptised we doe not forbid Moreouer for the man to company with his wife that he must not before the child that is borne be wayned But now there is a lewd and naughty custome risen in the conditiō of maryed folks that mothers do contemne to nourse their owne children which they haue borne but set them to other woemen out to nourse whiche seemeth onely to come of the cause of incontinency For while they will not contayne themselues therefore they put from them their children to nourse c. As concerning the woman in her menstruous course whether she ought to enter the Churche To this I aunswere she ought not to be forbid For the superfluitie of nature in her ought not to be imputed for any fault neyther is it iust that she shold be depriued of her accesse to the Church for that which she suffereth agaynst her wil. And if the woeman did well presuming in touching the Lords coate in the tyme of her bloudy issue why then may
good horses which before by their old law they might not do nor ride but onely a Mare so destroied al the altars of the maumentrye their temple of Idoles which was at Godmundham not far from Yorke and this was the xi yeare of his raigne From that time â—orth during the life of Edwyne which was the terme of vj. yeares moe Paulinus christened continually in the riuers of Gweny Swala in both prouinces of Deira and in Bernicia vsing the said riuers for his fountes and preached in the shire of Lincesey where he builded also a Church of stone at Lincolne In this time was so great peace in the kingdome of Edwyne after his conuersion that a womaÌ„ laden with gold might haue gone from the one side of the sea to the other and no man molest hir Moreouer by the hye waye sydes through al his kingdom he caused by euery wel or spryng to be chayned a dish or bole of brasse to take vp water for the refreshing of such as went by the way which boles of brasse there remained safe that no man touched them during all the life of the said Edwyne Such was then the tender care and study of Christen Princes for the refreshing of their subiectes But that was then the Brasen worlde which now is growne to yron and leade called Aetas ferrea or rather plumbea This Edwyne who first brought in the fayth in the North partes continuing after his Baptisme vj. yeres at length was slaine in battell by Cedwalla king of the Britaines and by wicked Penda king of the Mercians wyth his sonne also Offricus in the field called Hatfield This Paulinus was the first Archbyshop of Yorke and as he was of Iustus Archbyshop of Caunterbury ordained Archbyshop of the sea of Yorke so he againe after the discease of Iustus ordained Honorius to be Archbyshop of Caunterbury Paulinus after the death of godly Edwyne seing vnmerciful Cedwalla or Cedwallon with his Britaines and wycked Penda with the Idolatrous merciaÌ„s to spoile the land in such sort as they made no spare neither of age nor sexe nor Religion was compelled to fle with Edelburg the Queene and Euflede her daughter by water into Kent where the said Archbishop Paulinus remained Bishop of Rochester the space of xix yeares And so the Churche of Northumberland lacked a Byshop for the space of xxx yeares after Notwithstanding he lett there one Iames his Deacon a good man who continued their baptising and preaching in the North parts till that peace being recouered the number of the faithfull increasing the church came againe to his stay Hunting Lib. 3. By the meanes of this Edwyne Erpwaldus King of the Eastangles sonne to Redwaldus aboue mentioned was reduced to Christes faith After the decease of Edwyne and his sonne Offrike both slayne in battell reigned Ofricus and Eufridus the one in Deyra the other in Bernicia Osricus was the sonne of Elfricus which was brother to Ethelfride Eaufridus was the eldest sonne of Ethelfride for Ethelfride had three sonnes to wit Eaufridus Oswaldus Osricus These two kinges of Desyra and Bernicia Osricus and Eaufride beyng fyrst Christened in Scotlande after being kinges returned to their old idolatry so in the yeares following were slaine one after the other by the foresaide Cedwalla and wycked Penda as is in the table aboue expressed After whoÌ„ succeded in Northumberlaad the seconde sonne of Ethelfride named Oswaldus hauing rule on both the Prouinces as well Deyra as of Bernicia Whereof when the foresaide Cedwalla or Cadwallo the Brytayne king had vnderstanding who before had made hauoke of the Saxons and thought to haue rooted them vtterlye out of England he sent king Penda with a mighty host of the Brittaines thinking to slea also Oswald as he had before slaine his brother Eaufride and King Edwyne before them But Oswald when he was warned of the great strength of this Cadwal and Penda made his prayes to God and besought him meekely of helpe to withstand his enimie for the saluation of his people Thus after Oswald had prayed for the sauing of his people the two hostes met in a fielde named Denesburne some say Heuenfield where was faught a stroÌ„g battell But smally the armye and power of Penda Cedwall which were farre exceeding the number of Oswaldus host was chased and most part slaine by Oswaldus after he reigned ouer the Britanes xxij yeares leauing after him a sonne whom Gaufridus called Cadwaladrus the last king of the Britanes Of this Oswald much praise and commendation is written in authors for his feruent zeale in Christes Religion mercifull pitty toward the poore with other great vertues moe As touching the miracles of S. Oswald what it pleased the people of that time to reporte of him I haue not here to affirme This I find in stories certaine that he being well and vertuously disposed to the setting foorth of Christes faith and doctrine sent into Scorlande for a certeine Bishop there called Aidanus which was a famous preacher The king what time he was in Scotland banyshed had learned the scotish toung perfectly wherfore as this Aidanus preached in his scotish toung to the Saxons the king himselfe interpreting that which hee had said disdayned not to preach expounde the same to his nobles subiects in the English toung Moreouer toward the poore and needy his pitty tendernes was such being notwithstanding of so highe Princely calling that vpon a time being then Easter day he sitting with the saide Aidanus at meate and serued after the maner of kings in siluer there commeth to him one of the seruitures bringing him word that there was a great multitude of poore people sitting in the strete which desired some almes of the king Hee hearing this commaundeth not only the meate prepared for his owne table to be caried vnto them but also taking a Siluer platter whiche stode before him brake it in peeces and sent it among theÌ„ And so relieued his pore subiectes not onely with the meate of his table but with his dishes also Aidanus the Byshop seing this and marueiling therat taketh him by the hand wishing and praying in this wise This hand sayth he I pray God may continue and neuer putrifie What the stories say more concerning this hand of Oswald I enteÌ„d not to medle farther then simple true and due probalitie will beare me out In those dayes and partly by the meanes of the said Oswald Kynigilsus king of the Westsaxons was coÌ„uerted to Christes faith especially through the godly labor of Berinus which was sent by Pope Honorius to preach in England and was then made Bishop of Dorchester To whom Quicelinus brother of Kynigilsus after he had also receiued baptisme of the said Berinus gaue to him the sayd Citie to make there his sea And as Guydo witnesseth the said Quicelinus gaue after to
whom Leo the 5. was next Pope who with in 40. daies of his papacie was with strong hand taken cast in prison by one Christopher his own houshold chaplain whoÌ„ he had long norished before in his house Which thing sayeth Platina could not be done without great conspiracie and great slaughter of men Which Christofer being Pope about the space of seuen monthes was likewise himselfe hoisted from his Papall throne by Sergius like as he had done to hys maister before And thus within the space of 9. yeares had bene 9. Popes one after an other Then Sergius after he had thrust downe Pope Christofer and shorne him Monke into a Monasterie occupied the roume 7. yeares This Sergius a rude man and vnlearned very proude and cruell had before bene put backe from the Popedome by Formosus aboue mentioned By reason whereof to reuenge Formosus againe being nowe in his papacie caused the body of Formosus where it was buried to be taken vp and afterwarde set in the Papall sea as in his pontificalibus first disgraded him then commanded his head to be smitten off with the other thre fingers that were left as Sigebertus writeth which done he made his body to be throwne into Tiber deposing likewise all such as by the said Formosus before had bene consecrated and inuested This body of Formosus thus throwne into Tiber was afterward as our writers say found taken vp by certaine fishers and so brought into s. Peters temple At the presence whereof as they say certaine images there standing by bowed downe themselues and reuereÌ„ced the same with lie and all But such deceiueable miracles of stocks and images in monkish and frierly teÌ„ples be to vs no newes especially here in England where we haue bene so inured with the like so many that such wily practises cannot be to vs inuisible though this crown-shorn generation thinke themselues to daunce in a nette But the truthe is while they thinke to deceaue the simple these wily beguily most of all deceiue themselues as they will finde except they repent By this Pope Sergius first came vp to beare about candels on Candelmas day for the purifying of the blessed virgine As though the sacred conception of Iesus the sonne of God were to be purified as a thing vnpure and that with candell light After Sergius entred pope Anastasius in whose time the body of Formosus forenamed is thought to be fouÌ„d of fishermen in the riuer of Tiber so brought as is said into the temple to be saluted of the images which thing may quickly be tainted as a lie For how it is to be thought that the body of Formosus so long dead before and now lying 7. yeares in the riuer could remaine whole all that while that Fishers might take it vp discerne it to be the same After Anasius had sate two yeres folowed Pope Lando the father as some stories think of pope Iohn which Iohn is sayde to be the paramour of Theodora'a famous harlot of Rome set vp of the same harlot eyther against Lando or after Lando his father to succede in hys roume There is a storie writer called Liuthprandus who wryting de Imperatoribus Lib. 2 cap. 13. maketh there mention of this Theodora and Pope Iohn xj and sayeth moreouer that this Theodora had a daughter named Marozia which Marozia had by pope Sergius aboue mentioned a sonne which afterward was Pope Iohn the 12. The same Marozia afterward it chaÌ„ced to marry with Guido Marques of Tuscia through the meanes of which Guido and hys frends at Rome she brought to passe that this pope Iohn the 11. was smothered with a pillow laid to his mouth after he had reigned 13. yeares And so the foresayd Iohn the 12. her sonne to succede next after him But because the clergie and people of Rome did not agre to his election therfore was Pope Leo the 6. in his place set vp Thus Pope Iohn the sonne of Sergius and Marozia being deiected reigned Pope Leo 7. moneths After him Pope Stephen 2 yeares Who being poysoned then was Pope Iohn the 12. aboue rehearsed the sonne of Sergius and Marozia set vp againe in the Papacie where hee reigned neare the space of 5. yeres Of the wickednesse of this strompet Marozia howe she maried two brethren one after the death of the other And howe she gouerned all Rome the whole church at that time I let it passe Although the latin verses wherewith the sayd Liuthprandus doeth inuey against such women as marie two brethren were neither worthy here to be recited and perhappes might be further applied then to that Marozia of Rome but for shortnesse I let them also passe After Ioan. 12. followed Pope Stephen three yeares Pope Leo 3. yeares and 4. monethes Pope Stephen the eight 3. yeres and 4. moneths Pope Martine 3. yeres and 6. monthes After him Pope Agapetus 8. yeres and 6. â—nethes About whose time or a little before began first the order of monkes called Ordo Cluniacensis c. But nowe to leaue of these monstruous matters of Rome and to returne againe to our country of England where we last left before King Edward the elder AFter the reigne of the famous king Alfred hys sonne Edward succeeded surnamed the elder Where first is to be noted that before the Conquest of the Normandes there were in England 3. Edwardes first this Edwarde the elder 2. Edward the martyr 3. Edward the confessor Whereof hereafter by the grace of Christ shall followe in order as place shall geue to be declared This Edwarde began his reigne the yeare of our Lord. 901. and gouerned the land right valiantly and nobly 24. yeares In knowledge of good letters and learning he was not to be compared to his father Otherwise in princely renowne in ciuile gouernment and such like martiall prowesse he was nothing inferior but rather excelled him Through whose valiant actes first the princedome of Wales and kingdom of Scotland with Constantine king thereof were to hym subdued He adioyned moreouer to his dominion the couÌ„trey of Eastanglia that is of Norfolke Suffolke and Essex All Merceland also he recouered and NorthumberlaÌ„d out of the hands of the Danes In all his warres he neuer lightly weÌ„t without victory The subiects of his prouinces and dominions were so inured and hardened in continuall practise and feates of warre that when they hearde of any ennemies comming neuer tarying for any bidding from the king or from his dukes straight wayes they encountred wyth them both in number and in knowledge of the order of warre excelling alwayes their aduersaries Guliel de Regi Ita hostes militibus contemptui Regi risui erant To meane So was the comming and assaulting of theyr ennemyes to the people and common Souldiours but a trifle to the king but a ridicle Among other aduersaries which were busie rather then wise in assailing
counted for great holinesse Men therefore either to winne publique same with men or merites with God gaue themselues to lead a straite life thinking thereby the stranger their conuersation was and farther from the common trade of vulgar people the more perfect to be toward God and maÌ„ There was at that time and before that a monastery in France named Floriake after the order and rule of Benedict from the which Monasterie did spring a great part of our english moÌ„ks Who being there professed and afterward returning into England did coÌ„gregate men daily to theyr profession And so partly for strangenesse of theyr rule partly for outwarde holinesse of their strait life partly for the opinion of holinesse that many had of them were in great admiration not onely with the rude sort but with kinges and princes who founded their houses maintained their rules and enlarged them with possessions Among the which order of monks comming from Floriake especially was one Oswaldus first a monke of Floriake then bishop of Wirceter and of Yorke a great patrone and setter vp of monckery Touching the which Oswaldus William in his booke De pontific writing of his historie hath these woordes Familiaris per id temporis Anglis consuetudo fuit vt si qui boni afflati essent desiderio in beatissimi Benedicti monasterio caenobialem susciperet habituÌ„ a quo religionis huiusce manauit exordium c. That is It was a common custome at that time amoÌ„g English men that if any good men were well affected or minded toward religioÌ„ they went to the Monasterie of blessed S. Benedict in France and there receiued the habite of a Monke Wherupon the first origine of this religion began c. But of this Oswald bishop of Yorke and Dunstane bishop of Canterburie and Ethelwold bishop of Winchester howe they replenished diuers Monasteries Cathedral Churches with Monkes and howe they discharged maryed Priestes and Chanans out of their houses to plante in Monkes in their celles more shall be spoken by the grace of Christ heereafter Nowe let vs returne againe to the matter where we left of king Edmund who besides his noble victories against his enemies and recouering the Cities aboue expressed into his own haÌ„ds did also subdue the prouince of Cumberland And after he had put out the eyes of the two sonnes of Dunmail king of Cumberland he committed the gouernance therof to Malcolinus king of Scots vpon promise of his trustie seruice obedience when the king should stande in any neede of him In the time of this king Dunstane was not yet Archbi of Canterbury but onely Abbot of Glastenbury of whom many fabulous narrations passe among the wryters importing more vanity then verity Wherfore this is one of the first what time Edgarus called Pacificus was borne Dunstane being the same time Abbot of Glastenbury as the monkish fables dreame heard a voyce in the ayre of certaine Angels singing after this tenour and saying Nowe peace commeth to the church of England in the time of this child and of our Dunstane c. This I thought to recite that the christian reader might the better poÌ„der wyth himselfe the impudent and abhominable fictions of this Romish generation Out of the same mint also haue they forged how the sayd Dunstane should heare the aungels sing the Kyrieeleyson vsed to be song at euensong in the church Guliel de pontif lib. 1. Which is as true as that the Harpe hanging in a womans house played by it selfe the time of the Antheme called Gaudent in coelis c. What would not these deceiuers faine in matters something likely whych in thinges so absurde and so inconuenient shame not to lie and to forge so impudently also so manifestly Through the motion of this Dunstane King Edmund builded and furnished the monasterie of Glastenbury made the sayd Dunstane Abbot thereof Concerning the ende and death of this King sundrye opinions there be Alfridus and Marianus say that while this King Edmund endeuored hymselfe to saue his sewer from the daunger of his enemies which would haue slaine him at Pulcherchurch the king in parting of the fray was wounded and died shortly after But Guliel de Regibus lib. 2. sayeth that the king being at a feast at Pulcherchurch vpon the day of S. Augustine espied a fellon sitting in the hall named Leof whom he before for his fellony had exiled And leaping ouer the table did flie vpon him plucked the thiefe by the haire of the head to the ground In which doyng the fellon with a knife wounded the king to the death and also with the same knife wounded many other of the kings seruants and at length was all to hewen and died forthwith By the lawes of king Edmund ordeyned and set forth as well for the redresse of church matters as also of ciuile regiment it may appeare that the state both of causes temporal likewise spiritual appertained then to the kings right the false pretensed vsurpatioÌ„ of the bishop of Rome notwithstanding as by these lawes is to be seene where he by the aduise of his lordes and bishops did enact determine concerning the chastitie pure life of ecclesiastical ministers and such as were in the orders of the Church with the penalties also for them which transgressed the same Item for tithes to be payd of euery christian man and for the church fees and alme fees c. Item for deflouring of womeÌ„ professed which we call Nunnes c. Item for euery bishop to see his churches repaired of his owne proper charge and boldly to admonish the king whether the houses of God were well maintayned c. Item for flying into the church for sanctuary c. Item concerning cases and determinations spousall or matrimoniall c. All which constitutions declare what interest kings had in those days in matters as wel ecclesiastical as other within their dominion and that not only in disposing the ordinances and rites such as appertained to the institutioÌ„ of the church but also in placing and setting Bishops in their sens c. In the tyme of this Edmund was Ulstanus Archb. of Yorke and Odo Archbishop of Canterbury which Odo beyng a Daâ—e borne as is before touched was promoted to that sea by king Ethelstane for that as they say hee being first bishop of Witone present with kyng Ethelstane in the field against Analafus before mentioned what time the said Ethelstane had lost his sword he thorough his intercession vp to heauen did see a sworde from heauen come downe into the sheath of the kyng Whereof relation beyng made to the kyng by the foresayd Byshop Ethelstane vpon the same was so affected toward Odo that not onely he counted him for a Patrone of his life but also made him Primate of Canterbury after the decease of Ulfelmus This Odo was the first from the commyng of the Saxons till his
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
theyned vp all this while for the space of a thousand yeares beginneth about this time to be losed and to come abroad according to the forewarning of S. Iohns Reuelation Therefore to conclude the fourth Booke wherein sufficiently hath bene described the excessiue pride and pompe of Antechrist florishing in his ruffe and securitye from the time of William Conquerour hitherto now Christ willing assisting vs thereunto we minde in these latter Books hereafter following in order of history to expresse the latter persecutions and horrible troubles of the Church raysed vp by Satan as in his minister Antechrist with the resistaunce agayne of Christes Church agaynst him And so to prosecute by the mercifull grace of Christ the proceeding and course of times till we come at length to the fall and ruine of the sayd Antechrist To the intent that if any be in such errour to thinke that Antechrist is yet to come let him consider and ponder well the tragicall rages the miserable and most sorrowfull persecutions murders and vexations of these latter 300. yeares now following and I doubt not but he will be put out of all doubt to know that not onely Antechrist is already come but also to know where he sitteth how he is now falling apace the Lord Christ be thāked for euer to his decay and confusion THE FIFT BOOKE CONTEYning the last 300. yeares from the loosing out of Satan THVS hauing discoursed in these former Bookes the order and course of yeares from the first tying vp of Sathan vnto the yeare of our Lorde 1360. I haue a little ouerpassed the stint of time in the Scriptures appoynted for the loosing out of hym againe For so it is wrytten by S. Iohn Apocal. 20. that after a thousande yeares Satanas the olde Dragon shal be let loose againe for a season c. For the better explanation of the whych mysterie let vs first consider the context of the scripture afterward let vs examine by history and course of times the meaning of the same And first to recite the wordes of the Apocal. the text of the Prophecy is this cap. 23. And I saw an Aungell descending from heauen hauing a kay of the bottomlesse pitte and a great chaine in his hande And hee tooke the Dragon the olde Serpente whych is the deuill and Satanas and bounde hym for a thousand yeares and put hym in the bottomlesse dungeon and shutte him vp and signed him with hys seale that he should no more seduce the Gentiles till a thousande yeares were expired And after that he must be loosed againe for a little space of time And I sawe seates and they sate vpon them and iudgement was geuen vnto them and the soules I sawe of them which were beheaded for the testimonie of Iesus c. By these wordes of the Reuelation heere recited three speciall times are to be noted 1. First the being abroade of Sathan to deceyue the world 2. The binding vp of him 3. Thirdly the losing out of him againe after a thousand yeares consummate for a time Concerning the interpretation of whych times I see the common opinion of many to be deceiued by ignorance of hystories and state of things done in the church supposing that the chaining vp of Sathan for a thousand yeares spoken of in the Reuelation was meant from the birthe of Christe our Lorde Wherein I graunt that spiritually the strength and dominion of Sathan in accusing condemning vs for sinne was cast downe at the passion and by the passion of Christ our sauiour and locked vp not onely for a thousande yeares but for euer and euer Albeit as touching the malitious hatred and furie of that Serpent against the outward bodies of Christes poore saints which is the heele of Christ to afflicte and torment the Churche outwardly That I iudge to be meant in the Reuelation of S. Iohn not to be restrained til the ceasing of those terrible persecutions of the primitiue Church At what time it pleased God to pity the sorrowfull affliction of his poore flocke being so long vnder persecution the space of three hundred yeares and so to asswage their griefes and torments Which is meant by binding vp of Sathan worker of all those mischiefes vnderstanding thereby that for so much as the Deuill prince of thys worlde had now by the death of Christ the sonne of God lost al his power and interest against the soule of man shoulde turne his furyous rage malice which he had to Christ against the people of Christ which is meant by the heele of the seede Genes 3. in tormenting their outward bodies Which yet shuld not be for euer but for a determinate time when as it shoulde please the Lord to bridle the malice and snaffle the power of the olde Serpent and geue rest vnto his Church for the terme of a thousand yeares Which time being expired the sayd serpent should be suffred loose againe for a certaine or a small time Apoc. 20. And thus to expound this Propheticall place of scripture I am led by three reasons The first is for that the binding vp of Sathan and closing hym in the bottomles pit by the Angell importeth as much that hee was at libertye raging and doyng mischiefe before And certesse those so terrible and so horrible persecutiōs of the primitiue time vniuersally through the whole world during the space of three hundreth yeares of the Church do declare no lesse Wherein it is to be thought and supposed that Sathan all that time was not fastened and closed vp The second reason moouing me to thinke that the closing vp of Sathan was after the ten persecutions of the primitiue Church is taken out of the twelft chapter of the Apocalips Where we read that after the woman meaning the Church had trauailed foorth her man childe the olde Dragon the Deuill the same time being cast downe from heauen drawing the thirde part of the starres wyth him stoode before the woman with great anger and persecuted her that is the Church of God with a whole floude of water that is wyth aboundance of all kindes of torments and from thence went moreouer to fight agaynst the residue of her side and stoode vpon the sands of the sea wherby it appeareth that he was not as yet locked vp The thirde reason I collect out of the Apocalyps thirteenth Chapter where is wrytten of the beast signifying the Emperiall Monarchie of Rome that hee had power to make warre fourtie and two monethes By the whych monethes is meant no doubt the tyme that the Dragon and the persecuting Emperours should haue in afflicting the Saintes of the primitiue Church The computation of which fortie two monethes counting euery moneth for a Sabboth of yeares that is for seuen yeares after the order of Scripture riseth to the summe counting from the passion of the Lord Christ three hundred yeares lacking sixe at what time Maxentius the last
13 chap. And thus by the testimony of all these places is he the chiefe Antechrist vpon the earth and must be slayne with the sword of Gods word and cast with the dragon the cruell beast and the false Prophet that hath seduced the earth into the lake of fire and brimstone to be tormented world without end If the city of Rome do allow his traditiōs and do disalow Christes holy commaundements and Christes doctrine that it may confirme his traditions then is she Babilon the great or the daughter of Babilon and the great whore sitting vpō many waters with whom the kings of the earth haue committed fornication and the inhabitants of the earth are become dronken with the wine of her harlotry lying opē to baudry With whose spiritual whordom enchauntments witchcraftes and Symon Magus marchaundises the whole roūd world is infected and seduced saying in her hart I sit as a Queen and widow I am not neither shall I see sorrowe and mourning Yet is shee ignoraūt that within a litle while shall come the day of her destruction ruine by the testimony of the Apoc. cha 17. Because that from the time that the continuall sacrifice was taken away the abhomination of desolatiō placed there be passed 1299. dayes by the testimonye of Daniell and the Chronicles added do agree to the same And the holy City also hath bene troden vnder foot of the heathen for 42. monethes and the woman was nourished vp in the wildernes vnto which she fled for feare of the space of the serpēt during 1260. dayes or els for a time times halfe a tyme which is all one All these thinges be manifest by the testimony of the Apocalips the Chronicles therto agreeing And as concerning the fall of Babilon aforesayd it is manifest in the Apoc. where it is sayd In one day shall her plagues come death lamentation and famine and she shal be burned with fire For strong is the Lord whych will iudge her And agayn Babilon that great Citty is fallen which hath made all nations to drinke of the wine of her Whoredome And thirdly one mightye Aungell tooke vp a myllstone that was a very great one and did cast it into the Sea saying with suche a violence as this is shall that great Cittye Babylon be ouerthrowne and shall no more bee founde For her Marchauntes were the Princes of the earth and with her Witchcraft all Nations haue gone astray and in her is there founde the bloud of the Sayntes and Prophetes And of her destruction speaketh Esay in the 13. chapiter And Babilon that glorious Cittye being so noble amongest kingdomes in the pride of the Caldeans it shall be that like as the Lorde did ouerturne Sodome and Gomorre vpside downe it shall neuer more be inhabited nor haue the foundation layde in no age from generation to generation Ieremy sayeth Your mother that hath borne you is brought to very great confusion and made euē with the ground And agayne The Lord hath deuised and done as he hath spokē agaynst the inhabiters of Babilō which dwel richly in their treasures vppon many waters thine ende is come And thirdly Drouth shall fall vpon her waters and they shall beginne to be drye for it is a land of grauen imagies and boasteth in her prodigious wonders It shall neuer more be inhabited neyther be builded vp in no age nor generation Verely euen as God hath subuerted Sodome and Gomorre with her calues Pardon mee I beseeche you though I be not plentiful in pleasaunt wordes For if I should runne after the course of this wicked world should please mē I should not be Christes seruant And because I am a poore man neyther haue nor cā haue notaries hyred to testifie of these my writings I call vpon Christ to be my witnes which knoweth the inward secrets of my hart that I am redy to declare the things that I haue writtē after my fashion to the profit of all Christen people to the hurt of no mā liuing am ready to be reformed if any mā will shew me where I haue erred being redy also miserable sinner though I be to suffer for the cōfession of the name of Christ of his doctrine as much as shal please him by his grace loue to assist me a miserable sinner In witnes of al these things I haue to this writing set that seale of our Lord sauior Iesus Christ which I besech him to imprint vpon my forehed to take frō me al maner of marke of Antichrist Amen ¶ These two suppositions as they are termed in the scholes written by Walter Brute and exhibited vnto the Bishop although they conteyned matter sufficient eyther to satisfie the bishop if he had ben disposed to learne or els to haue prouoked him to replye agayne if his knowledge therin had ben better thē his yet could they worke neither of thē effect in him But he receiuing perusing the same when he neither could confute that which was said neyther would reply or aunswere by learning to that whych was truth finding other by causlations said that this his writing was too short and obscure and therfore required him to write vpon the same againe more plainely and more at large Whereupon the said Maister Walter satisfying the Bishops request and ready to geue to euery one an accōpt of his faith in a more ample tractatiō renueth hys matter agayne before declared writing to the Byshop in wordes and forme as followeth REuerend father forsomuch as it seemeth to you that my motion in my two suppositions or cases in my two conclusions is too short and somwhat darke I wil gladly now satisfy your desire according to my smal learning by declaring the same conclusions In opening wherof it shall plainely appeare what I do iudge in all matters that I am accused of to your reuerence desiring you first of al that your discretiō would not beleue that I do enterpryse of any presumption to handle the secretes of the scriptures which the holy and iust wise Doctours haue left vnexpounded It is not vnknowen to many that I am in all points farre inferiour to thē whose holynes of life profoundnes in knowledge is manifold waies allowed But as for mine ignorance and multitude of sinnes are to my selfe and others sufficiently knowen wherefore I iudge not my selfe worthy to vnloose or to cary their shooes after them Do you therefore no otherwise deeme of me then I do of mine owne selfe But if you shal finde any goodnesse in my writings ascribe it to God only who according to the multitude of his mercy doth sometimes reueale those things to Idiotes and sinners which are hidded from the holy and wise according to this saying I will prayse and confesse thee O father for that thou hast hidden these thinges from the wyse and prudent and hast disclosed them to the litle ones Euen so O father
Christian fayth whych was preached at Rome Who beleeued straightwayes and sent to Rome to Eleutherius for men skilfull to informe hym more fully in the very fayth it selfe at whose comming he was ioyfull and was baptised with his whole kingdom And after the receiuing of the fayth they neuer forsooke it neyther for any maner false preaching of other neyther for any maner of tormēts or yet assaults of the Paynims as in other kindomes it hath come to passe And thus it seemeth to me the Britons amongst other natiōs haue ben as it were by the spirituall election of God called conuerted to the fayth Of them as me seemeth did Esay prophecy saying For they did see to whō there was nothing told of him they did behold that had not heard of him And againe behold thou shalt call a nation which thou knewest not natyons that haue not knowen thee shall runne vnto thee for the lord thy God the holy one of Israel shall glorify thee Of this kingdome did S. Iohn in the Apocalips prophecy as me semeth where he said The Dragō stode before the woman which was about to be deliuered of child to the intent that when she had brought it forth into the world he might deuour vp her sōne she brought forth her child which was a māchild who should gouern al natiōs with an yron rod. And the same sonne was taken vp to God to his throne And the womā fled into the wildernes wheras she had a place prepared of God that they may feede her 1260. dayes And agayne in the same chapter after that the Dragon saw that he was cast out vpō the earth he did persecute the womā which brought forth the manchild And there were geuen to the womā two wings of a great Egle that she might flee into the wildernesse into her place where as she is fostred vp for a time times a halfe time from the face of the Serpent And the Serpent did cast as it were a floud of water after the woman to the intēt that he might cause her to be drowned by the floud and the earth opening her mouth did heare the woman did swallow vp the floud which the Dragon did cast out of his mouth Let vs see how these sayinges may bee applyed vnto this kingdom rather then to other kingdomes It is wel knowen that this kingdome is a wildernes or a desert place because that the Philosophers wisemen did not passe vpon it but did leaue it for a wildernes and desert because it is placed without the clymates Vnto this place fled the woman that is to say the Church which by fayth did spiritually bring forth Christ into the world where as she was fed with the heauenly bread the flesh and bloud of Iesus Christ for 1260. daies seing that for so many daies taking a day for a yere the Brytons cōtinued in the faith of Christ which thing cannot be found so of any Christen kingdome but of this desert and wel is it said that she flew to this place For whom the East came the faith into Brytaine not by walking in iourney nor yet by sayling for then should it haue come by Rome Italy Almaine France which cānot be found therefore she flew ouer those places rested not in them euen as a birde flying ouer a place resteth not in the same but rested in thys wildernes for a time times and halfe a time that is 1260. yeres from the first comming of the faith into Britaine vntill this present In saying for a time times and halfe a time there is a going forwarde from the greater to the lesse The greatest time that we name is a 1000. yeres there is a time and the next time that is lesse in the singuler number is one 100. yere In the plural number times signifie that there be mo hundreths then one at lest 200. yeres Wherefore if they be put vnder a certaine number it must nedes be that they be two but the same two cānot fitly be called some times except they be hundreths For in that that there is a goyng downe from the greater to the lesse when as it is sayde a time times and half a time and that the number of a 1000. is likely assigned for a time it must nedes folow that times must be taken for hundreths and half a time for 60. because it is the greater halfe of an hundreth yeres though that 50. be the euen half And when that the serpent sent the water of the persecution after the woman to cause her to be drouned of the floud then did the earth that is to wit the stablenes of faith helpe the woman by supping vp the water of tribulation For in the most cruel persecution of Dioclesian and Maximiane against the Christians when as christianity was almost euery wher roted out yet did they in this kingdom stand continually in the faith vnmoueable And so considering that the Britons were conuerted to the faith of Christ as you would say by an election and piking out amongst all the nations of the heathen and that after they had receiued the faith they did neuer starte backe from the faith for no maner of tribulation It is not to be meruailed it in their place y◠calling of the Gentiles be made manifest to the profiting of the gospell of Iesus Christ by the reuealing of Antichrist But besides this me seemeth that Ezechiel doth specially speake of them whereas hee speaketh of the fall of the prince of Tyre saying for asmuch as thy heart is lifted vp as if it were the hart of God therfore beholde I wil bring vpon thee some of the strongest of the heathen they shall draw their naked swords vpon the beauty of thy wisdom and they shall defile thy comelines and they shall slay thee and pull thee out and thou shalt die in the slaughter of the slaine persons in the heart of the sea This prince who sayth that he himself is God doth sit in Gods chaire in the heart of the sea doth signify as most likely it seemeth to me that Antichrist shal be destroyed by the most mighty persons of the Gentils folke through the sworde of the worde of God Because that amongst the other Gentiles there haue bene none more strong then the Britones either in their body or their faith in their bodely warres there haue bene none more mighty then they For neuer in warres haue they bene vanquished but by their owne sedition or treason But how many kingdoms haue they conquered Yea and nother by the most mighty city of Rome could they be driuen out of their kingdome vntill that God sent vppon them pestilence and famine whereby they being wasted were compelled to leaue their country which thing I haue not hard of any other people Now in the faith haue they bene amongst all the people the strongest as before is sayd because that
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
and maken them to leaue the trust that they hadden in the olde law and to beleeue in Iesus Christe and shewen hys teachynge And they wenten out to ouercome the Paynemes shewyng to them that theyr Images were no Gods but mens woorkes vnmighty to saue them selfe or any other drawyng them to the beliefe of Iesus Chryst God and man In the opening of the second seale there cryed the second beast that is a calfe that was a beast wonted to be slayne and offered to God in the old law Thys sheweth the state of the Churche in the time of Martyrs that for their stedfast preachyng of Gods true law shed theyr bloud that is signifyed by the red hors that went out at thys seale opening and thys estate began at Nero the cursed Emperour and dured into the time of Constantine the great that endowed the Church For in thys tyme many of Christes seruaunts and namely the leaders of Gods flocke were slayne For of xxij Byshops of Rome that were betwene Peter and Siluester the first I reade but of foure but that they weren Martys for the lawe of Christ. And also in the tyme of Dioclesian the Emperour the persecution of the Christen men was so great that in xxx dayes weren slayne xxij thousand men and women in diuers counties for the law of God The opening of the third seale telleth the state of the Church in time of Heretikis that beth figured by the blacke hors for false vnder standing of holy write for than cryed the third beest that is a man for at that time was it neede to preache the mistery of Christes incarnation and his passion ayenst these erretikis that feliden mis of these pointis how Christ tooke verreyly mans kynde of our Lady hym beyng God as hee was bifore and hys moder beeyng mayden byfore and after The opening of the fourth scale telleth the state of the Church in tyme of ypocritis that beth signified by the pale hors that beth signes of penaunce with outfoorth to blinde the people And he that sate vpon thys hors his name was death for they shulle flee gostly them that they leden and teacheth to trust vpon other thing than God and helle foloweth him for helle receiueth thilke that these disteineth At that time shall it neede that the fourth beast that is the Egle make hys cry that flyeth highest of foules to reare vp Gods Gospell and to preise that law aboue other least mens wit and their traditions ouergone and treden downe the law of God by enforming of these ypocritis and this is the last state that is other shall be in the Church bifore the comming of the great Antichrist The opening of the fift seale telleth the state of the Church that than shall folow and the desire that louers of Goddis law shulleth haue after the end of this world to be deliuered of thys wo. The opening of the sixt seale telleth the state of the Church in time of Antichristis times the which state yee may know to be in the Church whan ye seth fulfilled that Saint Iohn Prophecieth to fall on the opening of thys where hee sayth thus After thys I saw foure Angels stonding vpon foure corners of the earth holdyng the foure windes of the earth that they blowen nought vpon the earth ne vpon the sea ne vpon eny tree These foure Angels beth the number of all the Deuils ministers that on that tyme shulleth in the pleasance of their Lord Antichrist stoppe the four windis that beth the foure Gospels to be preached and so let the breath of the grace of the holie Ghost to fall vpon men morning for sinne and calling them to amendement and to other that wolden encrease in vertues other vpon perfit men What is there after thys to fall but that the mystery of the seauenth seale be shewed that he come in hys owne person That Iesu Chrst shall slee with the spirite of hys mouth whan the fiend shall shew the vtmost persecution that he and hys seruauntis may doo to Christis limmes and that shall be the third warning that the world shall haue to come to thys dreadfull dome In all thys matter haue I nought seid of my selfe but of other Doctours that beth proued I seyd also in my second principall part that it were to wete tofore what Iudge we shull reken Wherefore we shulleth wite that God him selfe shall heere thys rekening he that seeth all our dedis and all our thoughtes fro the beginning of our lyfe to the end and he shall shew there the hid thingis of our hert opening to all the world the rightfulnes of hys dome So that with the myght of God euery mans dedis to all the world shall be shewed and so it semeth by the wordes of Seint Iohn in the booke of preuites there he seith thus I saw dede men litel and great stondyng in the sight of the throne and bookes weren opened and an other booke was opened that was of lyfe and dede men weren iudged after the thyngs that weren written in the bokes after their worchings These bokes beth mens consciences that now beth closed But than they shulleth be opened to all the world to reden therein both dedis and thoughtes But the booke of life is Christs liuing and doctrine that is now hid to men that shulleth be damned thrugh theyr owne malice that demeth men to serue the world rather than God In the first booke shall be writ all that we haueth doo in that other booke shall be write that we shulden haue doo and than shulle dede men be demyd of thilke thingis that ben written in the bokis For if the dedis that we hauen do the which ben written in the bookis of our conscience bee accordyng to the booke of Christes teachyng and hys liuing the whych is the booke of lyfe we shulle be saued and els we shulle be damned for the dome shall be geuen after our workis Looke therefore now what thing is written in the booke of thy conscience while thou art here and if thou findest ought contrary to Christis life other to hys teaching with the knite of penaunce and repentaunce scrape it awaie and write it better euermore hertly thynkyng that thou shalt yelde rekening of thy bayly Also I said principally that it were to witen what reward shal be geue on that doome to wise seruauntes and good and what to false seruauntes and wicked For the which it is to wite that our Lord Iesu Christ shall come to the dome here into this world in the same body that he tooke of our Lady hauyng thereon the wound is that he suffred for our agayne bieng And all that euer shullen be saued taking agayne their bodies clyuing to their head Christ shull be rauished metyng him in the ayre as Paul sayth They that shall be damned lyen vpon the earth as in a tonne of wyne the
February vppon the which day the 4. orders were appoynted to declare theyr censure vppon the Articles in the chapiter houses of Paules first appeareth Frier Tylle for the Blacke Friers then Frier Winchelsey then Frier Low After Frier Ashwel eche Frier for his order seuerally bringing his heresy as is aboue specified Thus the verdict of these 4. orders being geuen vp to the Archb. and seuerally eche order comming in with hys heresye which was the 20. day of February Hereuppon commeth downe a wryt from the king directed to the lord Maior and Sheriffes of London De heretico comburendo dated the 1. day of March Anno 1. of his raigne The copic whereof remaineth in the recordes of the Tower beginning thus Rex Maiori vicecomitibus Wherupon the sayd William Tailour condemned as a relapse first was disgraded and after to be burned and so was committed to the seculare power who their being had to Smithfield the 1. day of Marche with Christian constancie after long imprisonment there did consummate his Martyrdom 1422. The maner of his disgrading was all one with the disgrading of Iohn Hus before for the Papistes vse but one forme for all men First disgrading them from Priesthode by taking from them the chalice and patine From deaconship by taking from them the gospell booke and tunicle From Subdeaconship by taking from them the Epistle booke and Tunicle From Accoluteship by taking from them the Cruet and Candlesticke From an Exorcisie by taking away the booke of Exorcismes or Graduall From the Sextonship by taking away the churchdoore key and surplis And likewise from Benet in taking away the surplis and first tonsure c. Al which they orderly accomplished vpon this godly Martyr before his burning Iohn Florence a Turner IDon Florence a Turner dwelling in Shelton in the Diocesse of Norwich was attached for that he helde and taught these heresies heere vnder wrytten as they called them coÌ„trary to the determination of the Church of Rome In primis that the pope and Cardinals haue no power to make or constitute any lawes Item that there is no day to be kept holy but onely the Sonday which God hath halowed Item that men ought to fast no other time but of the Quatuor temporum Item that Images are not to be worshipped neyther that the people ought to set vp any lightes before them in the Churches neither to go on pilgrimage neither to offer for the dead or with women that are purified Item that Curates should not take the tithes of theyr parishioners but that such tithes shuld be deuided amoÌ„gst the poore parishioners Item that al such as sweare by their life or power shal be damned except they repent The displing of Iohn Florence Upon wensday being the second day of August in the yeare of our Lorde 1424. the sayde Iohn Florence personally appeared before William Bernam Chauncellour to William byshoppe of Norwich whereas he proceding against him obiected the first article touching the power of the Pope and Cardinals to which Article the sayde Iohn Florence answered in thys manner If the pope liued vprightly as Peter liued he hath power to make lawes otherwise I beleeue hee hathe no power But being afterward threatned by the iudge he acknowledged thathe had erred and submitted himselfe to the correction of the church and was abiured taking an othe that from that time forward he should not hold teach preach or willingly defend any errour or heresie contrary to the determination of the church of Rome neither maintaine helpe or aide any that shal teach or hold any such errors or heresies either priuely or apertly and for his offence in thys behalfe done hee was enioyned thys penance following Three Sondaies in a solemne procession in the cathedral Church of Norwich he should be displed before al the people The like also shuld be don about his parish church of Shelton three other seuerall Sondaies hee being bare headed bare footed bare nâ—cked after the maner of a publicke penitentiarie his body being couered wyth a canues shirt and canues breches carying in his hande a taper of a pounde waight and that done he was dismissed Richard Belward of Erisam in the Dioces of Norwich RIchard Belward of Erisam in the Diocesse of Norwiche was accused for holding and teaching these errours and opinions heere vnder wrytten contrary to the determination of the church of Rome In primis that Ecclesiasticall ministers and Ordinaries haue no power to excommunicate neither can excommunicate And all be it that a Bishop doe excommunicate any man God doth absolue him Item that he held the erronious opinions and conclusions that Syr Iohn Oldcastle helde when he was in prison affirmed that Syr Iohn Oldcastle was a true Catholicke man and falsly condemned and put to death without any reasonable cause Item that such as go on pilgrimage offering to images made of woode and stone are excommunicate because they ought to offer to the quicke and not to the dead and that the Ecclesiasticall Ministers that is to say the curates do sell God vppon Easter day when as they receiue offerings of such as should communicate before they do minister the Sacrament vnto them Item that he counselled diuers women the they should not offer in the Churche for the dead neither wyth women that were purified Item that he blamed diuers of his neighbors that refused his doctrine saying vnto theÌ„ truly ye are sooles that deny to learne the doctrine of my sect for your neighbours which are of my sect are able to confound and vauquish al other that are of your sect Item that the Saintes whych are in heauen ought in no case to be prayed vnto but onely God Item that the sayd Richard keepeth schooles of lolardy in the English tong in the towne of Dychingham and a certaine Parchment maker bryngeth hym all the bookes containing that doctrine from London The 5. day of July 1424. the sayde Richarde Belward was brought before Iohn Byshop of Norwich sitting in place of iudgement wheras the foresaid Articles were obiected against the sayde Richarde whych he there denyed whereupoÌ„ the bishop appoynted him an other day to purge himselfe the monday next after the feast of S. Marget vpon which day being the 24. of Iuly in the yeare aforesayd he appeared againe before the Bishop and brought wyth him 9. of his neighbors to purge hym vpon those articles and there did solemnely purge himselfe And afterwarde for somuch as the said Bishop suspected the sayd Richarde Belward greatly of lolardie hee commaunded him there presently to sweare vpon the Euangelistes that from that day forwarde he should not wittingly preach teach or defend any error or heresy contrary to the churche of Rome neither aide assist fauour or maintaine priuely or apertly any maner of person or persons that should hold or maintaine the sayde errours or heresies In the presence of M. William Bernam Iohn Wadden
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
Cyprian writing in his Epistles so much of one Byshop and of the vnity to be kept in Ecclesiasticall regimeÌ„t as appeareth Lib. 4. Epist. 2. De simplicit praelat item Lib. 3. Epist. 11. c. And in like sort writeth also Cornelius himselfe of one Byshop saying Itaque Vindex ille Euangelij ignorauit vnum esse debere EpiscopuÌ„ in Catholica Ecclesia c. That is He knew not that there ought to be one Byshoppe in a Catholicke Church c. This by the way not out of the way I trust I haue touched briefly to detect or refute the cauiling wrastling of the Papistes which falsely apply these places of Cyprian and Cornelius to mainetayne the Popes supreme maistershippe alone ouer the whole vniuersall Church of Christ in all places WheÌ„ their meaning is otherwise how that euery one Catholicke Church or dioces ought to haue one Byshop ouer it not that the whole world ought to be subiect to the dominion of him onely that is Byshop of Rome Now to the story againe Nouatus beyng thus Bishop tooke not a little vpon him goyng about by all meanes to defeat Cornelius and to allure the people from him Insomuch that as in the foresayd book of Eusebius appeareth wheÌ„ Nouatus came to the distributing of the offrings and should geue euery man his part he coÌ„pelled the simple persoÌ„s euery man to sweare before they should receiue of the benediction of the collectes or oblations holding both their handes in his holding them so long speaking these wordes vnto them Sweare to me by the body and bloud of our Lord Iesu Christ that thou wilt not leaue me and goe to Cornelius till that they swearing vnto him instead of AmeÌ„ to be sayd at the receauing of the bread should aunswere I will not returne to Cornelius c. Where note by the way that the Latine booke of Christofersons tanâ—lation in this place craftely leaueth out the name of bread This story being written in Eusebius also contained in Nicephorus although not in the same order of wordes yet in effeâ—t drawne out of him doth declare in playne wordes in both the Authors who so will marke the same that the sacrament of the bodye of Christ is termed with the playne name of bread after the consecration It followeth more in the story that Maximus Vrbanus Sydonius and Celerinus before mentioned perceiuing at length the crafty dissimulation and arrogancy of Nouatus left him and with great repentance returned agayne to the Church were reconciled to Cornelius as they theÌ„selues writing to Cyprian and Cyprian likewise writing to them an Epistle gratulatory doth declare Lib. 3. Epist. 3. Cornelius also in his Epistle to Fabê° witnesseth the same In thiâ— Epistle the sayd Cornelius moreouer writeth of one Moses a worthy Martyr which once being a follower also of Nouatus after perceiuing his wickednesse forsooke him and did excommunicate him Of him Cyprian also maketh mention calleth him a blessed confessour Lib. 2. Epi. 4. Damasus in his pontificall sayth that he was apprehended with Maximus and Nicostratus aboue mentioned was put with them in prison where he ended his life And thus much of Nouatus agaynst whom as Eusebius testifieth a Synode was holdeÌ„ at Rome of lx sondry Byshops in the tyme of Cornelius and vnder the reigne of Decius an 255. whereby it may be supposed that the heat of the persecutioÌ„ at that tyme was somewhat calmed After Fabianus or as Zonaras calleth him Flauianus next succeeded into the bishoprick of Rome Cornelius whoÌ„ Cyprian noteth to be a worthy Byshop and for his great vertue maydenlye continency much commeÌ„dable chosen to that roome not so much of his owne consent as of the full greement both of the Clergy men and also of the people Hierome addeth also that he was a man of great eloqueÌ„ce wherby it may appeare those two Epistles decretal which go in his name not to be his both for the rudenes of the barbarous and grose stile and also for the matter therin conteined nothing tasting of that tyme nor of that age nor doings then of the Church Wherof in the first he writeth to all ministers brethren of the Church concerning the lifting vp of the bodyes bones of Peter Paule De cathecumbis and transposed to Vaticanum at the instance of a certayne deuoute woman named Lucina hauing no great argumeÌ„t or cause to write therof vnto the churches but onely that he in that letter doth desire theÌ„ to pray vnto the Lord that through the intercession of those Apostolicall Sayntes their sinnes might be forgeuen them c. In the second Epistle writing to Ruffus a Byshop of the East Church he decreeth and ordaineth that no oth ought to be required or exacted of any head or chiefe Byshop for any cause or by any power Also that no cause of Priestes or Ministers ought to be handled in any straunge or forreine Court without his precinct except onely in the Court of Rome by appellation wherby who seeth not the trayn of our latter Byshops going about craftely to aduaunce the dignity of the Court of Rome vnder and by the prtenced title of Cornelius and of such auncient Byshops If Cornelius did write any Epistles to any in deede in those so turbulent times of persecution no doubt but some signification thereof he would haue touched in the sayd his letters either in ministring consolation to his brethreÌ„ or in requiring consolation and prayers of others Neither is there any doubt but he would haue geueÌ„ some touch also of the matter of Nouatus with whom he had so much to do as in deed he did for so we finde it recorded both in Eusebius and in Hierome that he wrote vnto Fabius Byshop of Antioche of the decreementes of the counsell of Rome and an other letter of the maner of the Counsell the third also of the cause of Nouatus and agayne of the repentaunce of such as fell wherof there is no word touched at all in these foresayd Epistles decretall What trouble this Cornelius had with Nouatus sufficiently is before signified In this persecution of Decius he demeaned himselfe very constantly and faythfully whiche sustayned great conflictes with the aduersaries as S. Cyprian geueth winesse Lib. 1. Epist. 1. Hierome testifieth that he remayned Byshop after the death of Decius to the tyme of Gallus and so appeareth also by S. Cyprian which hath these wordes Et tyrannum armis bello postmodum victum prior sacerdotio suo vicit But Damasus and Sabellicus his folowers affirm that he was both exiled also martired vnder the tyrannous reigne of Decius Of whom Sabellicus writeth this story taken out as it seemeth of Damasus and sayth that Cornelius by the commauÌ„dement of Decius was banished a towne called Centumcellas bordering in Hetruria from whence he sent letters to Cyprian Byshop of Carthage and Cyprian agayne to him This comming to
superstition the creature to the creator that things signifying to the things them selues signified c. To the Church likewise and ceremonies of the church to generall Councels to the blessed virgin Mary mother of Christ to the bishop of Rome and to all other in like case not contented to attribute that which is sufficient they exceede moreouer the bounds of iudgement and veritie iudging so of the Church general coūcels as though they could neuer or did neuer erre in any iote That the blessed mother of Christ amongest al women was blessed and a virgine ful of grace the Scripture truth doth giue but to say that she was borne without al original sinne or to make of her an aduocate or mother of mercy there they run further then truth wil beare The ceremonies were first ordained to serue but onely for order sake vnto the which they haue attributed so much at length that they haue set in them a great part of our Religion yea also saluation And what thing is there els almost wherein the Papistes haue not exceeded Wherfore to auoyd this common error of the papists we must beware in cōmending the Doctors writers of the Church so commend them that truth and consideratiō go with our cōmendation For though this cannot be denied but that holy Cyprian and other blessed Martyrs were holy men yet notwithstanding they were men that is such as might haue had their falles faultes men I say not aungels nor gods saued by God not sauiours of men nor patrons of grace and though they were also men of excellent learning worthy Doctors yet with theyr learning they had their errors also annexed And though their bookes be as they ought to be of great authority yet ought they not to be equall with the Scriptures And albeit the saide well in most things yet it is not therefore inough that what they said it must stande for a truth That preeminence of authority onely belongeth to the worde of God and not to the pen of man For of men and Doctors be they neuer so famous there is none that is voyde of his reprehension In Origene although in his time the admiratiō of his learning was singuler yet how many things be there which the Church nowe holdeth not but examining him by Scriptures where he sayd well they admit him where otherwise they leaue him In Polycarpus the church hath corrected and altered that which he did holde in celebrating the Easter day after the Iewes Neither cā holy and blessed Ignatius be defended in al his sayings as where he maketh the fasting vpon the Sonday or the Sabboth day as great an offence as to kil Christ him selfe Ignat Epist. ad Phillip contrary to this saying of Saint Paule Let no man iudge you in meate drinke Also where the said Ignatius speaketh De virginitate and of other thinges mo Irenaeus did hold that man was not made perfect in the beginning He seemeth also to defend free will in man in those thinges also that be spirituall He saye◠that Christ suffered after he was fifty yeares old abusing this place of the Gospell Quinquaginta annos nondum habes c. Tertulianus whom S. Cyprian neuer laide out of his handes almost is noted to be a Chiliaste also to haue bene of Mōtanus sect The same did hold also with Iustine Cyprian other that the Aungels fel first for the concupiscence of women Lib. de habitu mulierum He defendeth fre wil of man after the corruption of nature inclining also to the errour of them which defend the possibilitie of keeping God his law Cōcerning Mariage Vnum matrimonium inquit nouimus sicut vnum Deum i. We know sayth he one Mariage as we know one God condemning the second maryage Lib de Monogam Diuers other things of like absurditie in him be noted Iustinus also seemeth to haue inclined vnto the errour of the Chiliastes of the fall of certaine Aungels by wemen offree will or man of possibilitie of keeping the lawe and such other Neither was this our Cyprian the great schooler of Tertulian vtterly exempt from the blot of them who contrary to the doctrine of the Church did hold with rebaptising of such as were before Baptised of heretikes Whereof speaketh S. Austen myslyking the same errour of Cyprian in these words contained in his 2. booke Contra Cresconium Cypriani inquit laudem ego consequi non valeo eius multis literis mea scripta non comparo eius ingenium diligo eius ore delector eius charitatem miror eius Martyrium veneror Non accipio quod de baptisandis haereticis schismaticis sensit c. Uppon the whiche matter there was a great contention betwene the sayd Cyprian and Stephen Bishop of Rome as partly afore is note◠Of Austen himselfe likewise of Ambrose Hierome Chrisostome the same maye be said that none of them also clearely passed away but their peculiar faultes and errours went with them whereof it were to long and out of our purpose at this present to entreate And thus much concerning the story of Cyprian the holy learned Martyr of Christ. Albeit here is to be noted by the way touching the life and story of Cyprian that this Cyprian was not he whome the narration of Nazianzen speaketh of as is aboue mentioned who from Arte Magicke was conuerted to bee a Christian which Cyprian was a Citizen of Antioche and afterward Bishop of the same Citie and was Martyred vnder Diocletian Where as this Cyprian was Byshop of Carthage and died vnder Valerianus as is sayd c. By the decrees of Gratiā Dist. x. Quoniam it appeareth moreouer that there was also a third Cyprian in the time of Iulianus the Emperour Apostata long after both these aforenamed For so giueth the title prefixed before the saide Distinct Cyprianus Iuliano Imperatori the distinction beginning Quoniam idem mediator Dei hominum homo Christus Iesus he actibus proprijs dignitatibus distinctis officia potestatis vtriusque discernit c. Upon the which distinctiō the glose commeth in with these words saying that the popedome and the seate Imperial haue both one beginning of one that is Christ who was both Bishoppe and king of Kings And that the said dignities be distincted albeit the Pope notwithstanding hath both the swords in his hand and may exercise them both some time And therefore although they be distincted yet in exercise the one standeth lineally vnder the other so that the imperiall dignitie is subiect vnder the Papall dignitie as the inferiour is subiect vnder the superiour that as there is one ruler ouer the whole which is God so in the Church is one Monarche that is the Pope to whom the Lord hath committed the power and lawfull right both of the heauenly and terrene dominion Haec Glosa Thus much I thought here
not regarding your priuate businesses nor esteeming that which shoulde haue bene for the speciall commoditie thereof when it perceaued that cursed vanitie to begin againe to creepe and as a fire negligently quenched when the dead brandes thereof began to kindle and make a great flame by and by without delay ye hauing recourse vnto our pietie as vnto the Metropolitan of all diuine worship and Religion craued remedie and helpe which wholesome minde for your pieties sake it is most manifest that the gods haue indued you with Therefore hee euen that most mightie Iupiter I say which preserueth your most famous Citie to that intent he might deliuer and make free your countrey Gods your wiues and children your housholde Gods and houses from all detestable corruption hath inspired you with this wholesome and willing minde shewing declaring howe worthy notable and healthfull a thing it is to worship to sacrifice to the immortall Gods For who is so void of reason vnderstanding that knoweth not that this thing happeneth vnto vs by the carefull studie of the goodnes of our gods that the grounde denieth not to geue her timely increase nor maketh frustrate the husband mans hope nor that wicked warre dare shew her face vpon the earth nor that the corruption of the aire is nowe cause of pestilence neither that the sea swelleth with immoderate windes neither that sodaine stormes are cause of hurtfull tempestes To conclude that the ground which is as the nurce and mother of all things is not swallowed vp of her deepe chappes and gapings by terrible earthquake neither that the hils made leuell with the earth are not with gaping cliftes deuoured all which euils and greater then these before this time to haue happened euery mā knoweth And all these mischiefes came vpō vs for the pernitious errours sake of the extreeme follie of those wicked men the Christanis when filthinesse it selfe as I may call it so occupied their mindes and ouerranne the worlde Let them beholde the fieldes nowe all about full of corne and ouerflowen as it were with eares of corne Let them vewe the pleasant medowes clothed with flowers and moistned with showers from heauen and also the pleasant and temperate weather Therefore let all men reioyce that by your pietie sacrifices worshipping the maiestie of the most stearne God of battell Mars is appeased that therfore we enioy pleasant firme peace And how many so euer haue left that blind errour and straying of the Christians vnfainedly and be of a better minde let them specially reioyce as men deliuered out of a sodaine great tempest and from a greeuous disease and haue afterward obtained a delectable and pleasant life For doubtlesse if they had remained in that execrable vanitie farre of had they bene chased from your Citie suburbs of the same according to your desire that your Citie by that meanes according to your commēdable diligence clensed from all impuritie and impietie may offer sacrifices according to the meaning of the same with due reuerence of the immortall Gods And that you may perceiue in how good part your supplication yea vnasked and desired we are most willing and ready to further your honest endeuours and graunt vnto you for your deuotion whatsoeuer you aske of our magnificence And that thys thing may be accomplished forthwith aske and haue And thys thing with all speede indeuour you to obtaine which shall bee a perpetuall testimony of pietie exhibited of your Citie to the immortall Gods and shal be a president to your children and posteritie and withall you shall obtaine of vs for this your willing desire of reformation condygne and worthy rewardes Eusebius Lib 9. cap. 7. Thus came it to passe that at the length persecutiō was as great as euer it was and the magistrates of euery prouince were very disdainefull against the Christians which cōdemned some to death and some to exile Among whom they condemned three christians at Emisa in Phenicia with whom Siluanus the bishop a very old man being 40. yeres in the ecclesiasticall function was condemned to death At Nicomedia Lucianus the elder of Antioche brought thether after he had exhibited to the emperour his Apologie concerning the doctrin of the Christians was cast in pryson and after put to death In Amasea a City of Capadocia Bringes the lieftenaunt of Maximinus had at that time the executing of that persecution At Alexandria Petrus a most worthy byshop was beheaded with whome manye other Egiptian byshops also died Euseb. Lib. 9. cap. 7. Nicepho Lib. 7. cap. 44. Quirinus the Byshop Scescanius hauing a hanmyll tyed about hys necke was throwne headlong from the bridge into the flood and there a long while fleeted aboue the water and when hee opened his mouth to speake to the lookers on that they shoulde not be dismaied with that his punishmēt was with much a do drowned Chron. Euseb. At Rome dyed Marcellus the bishop as sayeth Platina also Timotheus the elder with many other bishops Priests were martyred To cōclud many in sundry places euery where were martyred whose name the booke intituled Fasciculus temporum declareth as Victorianus Symphorianus Castorius with his wife Castulus Cesarius Mennas Nobilis Dorotheus Gorgonius Petrus and other innumerable martirs Erasmus Bonifacius Iuliana Cosmas Damianus Basilinus with seuen others Dorothea Theophilus Theodosia Vitalis Agricola Acha Philemon Hireneus Ianuarius Festus Desiderius Gregorius Spoletanus Agapes Chionia Hirenea Theodora and 270. other Martyrs Florianus Primus and Felicianus Vitus and Modestus Crescentia Albinus Rogatianus Donatianus Pancratius Catharina Margareta Lucia the virgin and Antheus the king with many thousād martirs mo Simplicius Faustinus Beatrix Panthaleon Georgius Iustus Leocandia Anthonia and other mo to an infinite number suffered martirdome in this persecution whose names God hath written in the booke of life Also Felix Victor with his parents Lucia the widow Gemenianus with 79 others Sabinus Anastasia Chrisogonus Felix and Audactus Adrianus Nathalia Eugenia Agnes also when she was but 13. yeare old was martyred Euseb. in his 8. booke and 15. chap. rehearseth these kinds of torments and punishmēts that is to say Fire wilde beastes the sword crucifyinges the bottome of the sea the cutting and burning of mēbers the thrusting out of eyes dismembring of the whole body hūger imprisonment whatsoeuer other cruelty the Magistrates coulde deuise All which notwithstanding the godly ones rather then that they woulde doe sacrifice as they were bid māfully endured Neither were the womē any thing at al behind thē For they beyng intised to the filthy vse of their bodies rather suffered banishmēt or willingly killed themselues Neither yet could the Christians liue safely in the wildernes but were fetched euē frō thēce to death and tormentes in so much that this was a more greeuous persecution vnder Maximianus the tyraunt then was the former cruell persecution vnder Maximianus the Prince Euseb. Lib. 9.
the beginning or Prologue of the Booke the sayde writer maketh mention of the ruinous walles of the towne of Verolamium containing the storye of Albanus and of his bitter punishments which walles were then falling downe for age at the wryting of the sayde booke as he saith Therby it seemeth this story to be written a great while after the martyrdome of Alban either by a Britaine or by an English mā If he were a Britaine how then did the Latin translation take it out of the English tounge as in the Prologue hee him selfe doeth testifie If hee were an Englishmā how then did he go vp to Rome for baptisme being a Pagan when he myght haue bene baptised amōg the Christian Britaines more neare at home But among al other euidences and declarations sufficient to disproue this Legendary story of S. Alban nothing maketh more against it then the very storie it selfe as where he bringeth in the head of the holy martyr to speake vnto the people after it was smitten of from the body Also where he bringeth in the Angels going vp comming downe in a piller of fire singing al the night long Item in the riuer which he sayth S Alban made drie such as were drowned in the same before in the bottome were founde aliue With other such like Monkish miracles and grosse fables wherewith these Abbey Monkes were wont in time past to deceaue the Church of God and to beguile the whole world for their owne aduātage Notwithstanding this I write not to any derogatiō of the blessed and faithful martyr of God who was the first that I did euer finde in this Realme to suffer Martyrdome for the testimonie of Christ. And worthy no doubt of condigne commendation especially of vs here in this land whose Christian faith in the Lorde and charitie toward his neighbour I pray God all we may followe As also I wishe moreouer that the stories both of him and of al other Christian Martyrs might haue bene deliuered to vs simply as they were wtout the admixture of all these Abbey like additiōs of Monkish miracles wherwith they were wont to paint out the glory of such saintes to the moste by whose offerings they were accustomed to receaue most aduauntage As touching the name of the Clearke mētioned in this story whome Alban receaued into his house I finde in the Englishe stories to be Amphibalus although the latine authors name him not who the same time flying into Wales was also set from thence againe to the same towne of Uerolamium otherwise called Uerlancaster where hee was martyred hauing his bellie opened and made to runne about a stake while all his bowels were drawen out then thrust in with swordes and daggers and at last was stoned to death as the foresaid legend declareth Moreouer the same time with Alban suffered also ij citizens of the foresaide Citie of Uerlancaster whose names were Aaron and Iulius beside other whereof a great number the same time no doubt did suffer although our Chronicles of their names doe make no rehearsall The time of the Martyrdom of this blessed Alban and the other seemeth to be about the second or thirde yeare of this tenth persecution vnder the tyrāny of Dioclesian and Maximinianus Herculius bearing then the rule in England about the yeare of our Lorde 301. before the comming of Constantius to his gouernement Where by the way is to be noted that this realme of Britaine being so christened before yet neuer was touched with any other of the nine persecutions before this tenth persecution of Dioclesian Maximinian In which persecution our stories and Polichronicon doe recorde that all Christianitie almost in the whole Ilelande was destroyed the Churches subuerted all bookes of the Scripture burned many of the faithfull both men women were slaine Among whome the first and chiefe ringleader as hath bene sayde was Albanus And thus much touching the martyrs of Britaine Nowe from Englande to returne againe vnto other countries where this persecution did more vehemētly rage we will adde hereunto the Lorde willing the stories of other although not of all that suffered in this persecution which were impossible but of certaine most principal whose singular constancie in their strong torments are chiefly renowmed in latter histories beginning first with Romanus the notable and admirable souldiour and true seruaunt of Christ whose historie set forth in Prudentius doth thus proceede so lamentably by him described that it will be harde for any man almost with dry cheekes to heare it Pitiles Galerius with his graunde captaine Asclepiades violently inuaded the citie of Antioche entending by force of armes to driue all Christians to renounce vtterly their pure religion The Christians as god would were at that time cōgregated together to whom Romanus hastely ran declaring that the Wolues were at hande which woulde deuour the christian flocke but feare not sayde he neither let this imminēt perill disturbe you my brethren brought was it to passe by the great grace of God working in Romanus that olde men and matrones fathers and mothers young men and maidens were all of one will and minde most ready to shed their bloud in defence of their Christian profession Word was brought to the captaine that the band of armed souldiors was not able to wrest the staffe of faith out of the hand of the armed congregation and all by reason that one Romanus so mightely did encourage them that they sticke not to offer their naked throtes wishing gloriously to die for the name of their Christ. Seeke out that rebell quod the captaine and bring him to me that he may aunswer for the whole sect Apprehended he was bound as a sheepe appoynted to the slaughter house was presented to the Emperor who with wrathfull countenance beholding him sayde What Art thou the author of this sedition art thou the cause why so many shall loose their liues By the gods I sweare thou shalt smart for it and first in thy flesh shalt thou suffer the paines whereunto thou hast encouraged the hearts of thy felowes Romanus answered Thy sentence O Emperour I ioyfully embrace I refuse not to be sacrificed for my brethren and that by as cruell meanes as thou mayest inuent and whereas thy soldiors were repelled from the christian cōgregation that so happened because it lay not in Idolaters and worshippers of Deuils to enter into the holy house of God and to pollute the place of true prayer Then Asclepiades wholy enflamed with this stoute answere commaunded him to be trussed vp and his bowels drawne out The executioners themselues more pitiful in hart then the captaine said not so sir this man is of noble parentage vnlawful is it to put a noble man to so vnnoble a death scourge him then with whips quod the captaine with knaps o◠lead at the ends In stede of teares sighs grones Romanus song psalmes al the time of his whipping requiring
against them not onely here in Britayne but through all parts of Christendome by the Heathen infidels In so much that in the persecution onely of Dioclesian Maximinian raigning both together within one moneth xvij thousand martyrs are nūbred to haue suffered for the name of Christ as hath bene hetherto in the booke before sufficiently discoursed Thus therefore although the foresayd Lucius the Britaine king through the mercifull prouidence of God was then Christened and the gospel receaued generally almost in all the land yet the state thereof as wel of the Religion as of the common wealth coulde not be quiet for that the emperors nobles of Rome were yet infidels enemies to the same but especially for this cause the cause so happening that Lucius the Christen king died without issue for therby such trouble variance fel amōg the Britaines as it happeneth in al other Realmes namely in this our Realme of England when soeuer succession lacketh that not onely they brought vpon them the Idolatrous Romaines at length the Saxons but also in wrapped them selues in suche miserie and desolation as yet to thys day amongest them remayneth Such a thyng it is where a Prince or a King is in a kingdome there to lacke succession as especially in this case may appere For after the death of Lucius when the Barons and Nobles of the land could not accord wtin themselues vpon succession of the crowne stept in the Romaines got the crowne into their owne hands wherupon followed great misery and ruine to the realme for sometimes the Idolatrous Romaines sometimes the Britaynes raigned and ruled as violence and victorie would serue one king murderyng an other till at length the Saxones came and depriued them bothe as in processe hereafter followeth to be seene In the meane season touching the story of king Lucius here is to be reproued the fable of some wryters falsely faining of him that he shoulde after hys Baptisme receaued put of all his kingly honor and forsake the land be made a preacher who after long trauaile in preaching and teaching in Fraunce in Germany in Augusta in Sueuia at length was made Doctor and Rector of the Churche of Cureak where as this fable sayeth he suffered Martyrdome But this phātasie of whomsoeuer it first did spring disagreeeth from all our English stories Who with a full consent do for the most part cōcord in this that the said Lucius after he had foūded many Churches and geuen great riches and liberties to the same deceased with great tranquillitie in his owne lande and was buried at Glocester the 14. yeare after his Baptisme as the booke of Flores Historiarum doeth counte which was the yeare of our Lorde as he sayeth 201. and reckeneth his conuersion to be An. 87. In some I finde hys decease to be the fourth in some the tenth yeere after his Baptisme and holde that he raigned all the space of lxxvij yeares and thus much concerning king Lucius Now to proceede in order of the storie briefly to touch the state of the foresaid land of Britayne betwene the time of king Lucius and the entring of the Saxones who were the kings thereof and in what order they succeeded or rather inuaded one after an other this Catalogue heere vnder written will specifie Kinges of Britaine from the time of Lucius till the cōming of the Saxons Lucius a Britayne Seuerus a Romaine Bassianus a Romaine by the father Cerausius a Britayne Alectus a Romaine Asclepiodotus a Britayne Coilus a Britayne Constantius a Romaine Constantinus a Britayne by the Mother named Helena who being the daughter of Coel maryed to Constantius father of Cōstantinus is said to make the walles first of London also of Colchester muche about the yere of the Lorde 305. and borne in Britayne Octauius a Gewissian Maximinianus a Romaine borne but hys mother a Britaine Gratianus a Romaine Constantinus a Britayne by the mother Constans a Romaine by the father Votigerus a Gewissian or Bri. Vortimerus a Brit. Vortigernus againe By this table may appere a lamentable face of a common wealth so miserably rent and diuided into two sortes of people differing not so much in coūtrey as in religion For when the Romaines raigned so were they gouerned by the Infidels When the Britaynes ruled so they were gouerned by Christians Thus what quietnesse was or could be in the Church in so vnquiet and doubtful dayes it may easely be considered Albeit notwithstanding al these foresayd Heathen rulers of the Romaines which here gouerned yet God be praised we read of no persecution during all these x. persecutiōs aboue mentioned that touched the christian Britaynes before the last persecution onely of Dioclesian and Maximianus Herculius whych here then exercised much crueltie Thys persecution as it was the last among the Romane Christians so it was the first of many diuers that followed after in thys Churche and Realme of England wherof we will here after intreate Christ willing as order of the matter shall leade vs. In the meane tyme this rage of Dioclesian as it was vniuersally through all the churches in the world fierce vehement so in this realme of Britayne also it was so sore that as all our English Chronicles do testifie and recorde all Christianitie almost in the whole land was destroied Churches were subuerted all bookes of the Scripture burned many of the faythfull both men and women were slaine Among whom the first and chiefe was Albanus then Iulius Aaron and Amphibalus Of whome sufficiently hath bene sayde before What were the other or howe many they were that suffered beside stories make no rehearsall And thus much therof Nowe as concerning the gouernement of these aboue named kinges of Britayne although I haue little or nothing to note which greatly appertaineth to the matter of this Ecclesiasticall hystorie yet this is not to be past ouer first how in the order of these kings commeth Constantinus the great worthy Emperor not onely a Britayne borne by hys mother Helina being kyng Coilus daughter but also by the helpe of the Britaynes army vnder the power of God whych the sayde Constantine tooke wyth hym out of Britain to Rome obtained with great victory peace and tranquilitie to the whole vniuersall Church of Christ hauing iij. legions with him out of this realme of chosen able soldiors Wherby the strēgth of the lād was not a litle impaired indangered as afterward in this story foloweth After him likewise Maximian following his steppes tooke wyth him also as stories recorde all the power and strength whych was left and whatsoeuer he could make of able and fighting men to subdue Fraunce besides the garrisons whych he had out wyth him before sending for mo to the number of C.M. souldiors at once to be sent to hym out of Britayne into Fraunce At whych time also Conanus his partener being then in Fraunce sent ouer
proued the mindes of his subiects and especially God working withall he afterward assembled his knights and gaue to the saide Bernulphus a battaile in a place called ElindeÌ„ in the prouince of haÌ„ton And notwithanding in that fight was great oddes of number as 6. or 8. against one yet Egbert through the might of the Lord which giueth victory as pleaseth him had the better and wan the field Which done he seased that Lordship into his hand And that also done he made war vpon the Kentish saxons and at length in likewise of them obtained the victory And as it is in Polychronicon testified he also subdued Northumberland and caused the kings of these three kingdomes to liue under him as tributaries or ioyned them to his kingdome Ex Flor. Hist. This Egbert also wan from the Britons or WelshineÌ„ the town of Chester which they had kept possession of till that daye After these other victories he peaceably enioying the land called a Councell of his Lords at Winchester where by their aduises he was crowned king chief Lord ouer this land which before that day was called Britaine but theÌ„ he sent out into all coasts of the land his commaundements and coÌ„missions charging straightly that from that day forward the Saxons should be called Angles and the land Anglia About the 30. yeare of the raigne of Egbert the heathenish people of the Danes which a little before had made horrible destruction in Northumberland especially in the I le of Lindesarue where they spoyled the Churches and murthered the ministers with men women and children after a cruell maner entered now the second tyme with a great host into this land and spoyled the I le of Shepy in Kent or nere to Kent where Egbert hearing therof assembled his people and met with them at Carrum But in that conflict sped not so well as he was woont in tymes before but with his knights was compelled to forsake the field Notwithstanding in the next battail the sayd Egbert with a small power ouerthrew a great multitude of them and so droue them backe The next yeare followyng the sayd Danes presuming vpon their victory before made theyr return again into the land Westward where ioining with the Britaines by the helpe and power of them they assayled the landes of Egbert did much harme in many places of his dominion and els where so that after this day they were continually abiding in one place of the realme of england or other till the time of Hardeknutus last king of the Danes bloud so that many of them were maried to English women and many that now be or in times past were called Englishmen are descended of them And albeit that they were many and sundry times driuen out of the land chased from one countrey to an other yet that notwithstaÌ„ding they euer gathered new strengthes and power that they abode still within the land And thus as by the storyes appeareth this troublesome land of Britaine now called England hath bene hetherto by v. sundry outward nations plagued First by the Romains then by the Scots Pictes 3. by the Saxons 4. by the Danes of whose outragious cruelty hostilitie our English histories do most exclayme complayne fiftly by the Normanes which I pray God be the last TheÌ„ it followeth in the story that the time of this persecution of the foresayd Paganes and Danes continuing king Egbert when he had ruled the Westsaxons and ouer the more part of England by the terme of xxxvij yeares dyed and was buried at Winchester leauing to his sonne Ethelwolfe his kingdome which first was Byshoppe of Winchester as Houeden recordeth and after vpon necessity made king leauing withal and pronouncing this saying to his sonne Foelicem fore si regnum quod multa rexerat industria ille consueta genti illi non interrumperet ignauia * King Athelwolfus AThelwulfus the sonne of Egbert in his former age had entred into the order of Subdeacon and as some other say was made Byshop of Winchester But afterward being the onely sonne of Egbert was made king through the dispensation as Fabian sayth of Pope Paschalis but that can not be for Paschalis then was not Byshopp so that by the computation of tyme it should rather seeme to be Gregory the 4. This Athelwulfe as being himself once nuseled in that order was alwayes good and deuoute to holye Church and religious orders In so much that he gaue to them the rythe of all his goods and landes in Westsaxons with liberty and freedome from all seruage and ciuil charges Whereof his charte instrument beareth testimony after this tenour proceeding much like to the donation of Ethelbaldus king of Mercians aboue mentioned * The Priuiledges and donations geuen by king Ethelwulfus to the Clergie REgnante Domino nostro imperpetuum Dum in nostris temporibus per bellorum incendia direptiones opum nostrarum nec non vastantium crudelissimas depredationes hostiuÌ„ barbarum paganarumque gentium multiplices tribulationes ad affligendum vsque ad internecionem tempora cernimus incumbere periculosa Quamobrem ego Ethelwulfus Rex occidentalium Saxonum cum consilio Episcoporum principum meorum consilium salubre vniforme remedium affirmaui vt aliquam portionem terrarum haereditariam Deo sanctae Mariae omnibus sanctis iure perpetuo possidendam concedam scilicet partem terrae meae vt sit tuta immunis ab omnibus secularibus seruicijs nec non regalibus tributis maioribus minoribus siue taxationibus quod nos dicimus Wittereden sitque libera omnium rerum pro remissione animarum peccatorum nostrorum ad Deo soli deseruiendum sine expeditione pontis constructione arcis munitione vt eo diligentiùs pro nobis ad Deum preces sine cessatione fundant quo eorum seruitutem in aliqua parte leuigamus c. Hereby may it appeare how when the Churches of England began first to be indued with temporalties and lands also with priuileges exemptioÌ„s enlarged Moreouer and that which specially is to be considered lamented what pernicious doctrine was this wherewith they were led thus to set remission of their sinnes and remedy of their soules in this donation and such other deedes of their deuotion coÌ„trary to the information of Gods word and no small derogation to the Crosse of Christ These thinges thus done within the Realme then the sayd Ethelwulfus the king taking his iourney to Rome with Alured his youngest sonne committed him to the bringing vp of Pope Leo the iiij where he also reedified the English schole at Rome which being founded by king Offa or rather by Iue king of Mercians as in the flowers of Hist. is affirmed was lately in the tyme of king Egbert his father consumed with fire Farther and besides thâ—s king gaue and graunted there vnto Rome
which are read in the Churche of Winchester of this Swythinus them I leaue to be read together with the Iliades of Homere or tales of Robenhood This Gregory the fourth here in this present Chapter aboue mentioned was the third pope which succeeded after Paschalis the first being but. 4. yeares betwixt them which Paschalis succeeded after Steuen the 4. who followed after Leo the 3. next Pope vnto Hadrian aboue in our history mentioned whereas we intreated of Charles the great From the tyme of that Hadrian the first vnto Pope Hadrian the 3. The Emperours had some stroke in the election at lest in the confirmation of the Romaine Pope Notwithstanding diuers of those foresayd popes in the meane time began to work their practises to bring that purpose about But yet all their deuises could take no full effect before the sayd Hadrian the iij. as hereafter Christ willing shal be declared So that the Emperours all this while bare some rule in chusing the Popes and in assembling generall Councels Wherfore by the commaundement of Ludouicus the Emperour in the tyme of this Gregory the iiij a generall Synode was commensed at Aquisgraue where it was decreed by the sayd Gregory and his assistaunce first that euery Church should haue sufficient of his owne proper landes and reuenewes to finde the Priestes thereof that none should need to lacke or go about a begging Itē thatnone of the Clergy of what order or degree soeuer he be should vse any vesture of any precious or scarelet coulour Neither shall weare ringes on their fingers vnlesse it be when Prelates be at Masse or geue their consecrations Item that Prelates should not keepe to great portes or families nor keepe great horse vse dice or harlots And the Monkes should not exceed measure in glotony or riot Item that none of the Clergye being either annoynted or shauen should vse either golde or siluer in their shooes slippers or girdles like to Heliogabalus By this it may be coniectured what pompe and pride in those daies was crept into the Clergy Moreouer by the sayd pope Gregory the 4. at the commaundement of Ludouicus Emperour the feast of all Saintes was first brought into the Church After this Pope came Sergius the second which first brought in the altering of the Popes names because hee was named before os porci that is Swines snout which also ordayned the Agnus thrice to be song at the Masse and the hoast to be deuided into three partes After him was Pope Leo the iiij to whom this kyng Ethelwulfus as in this present chapter is aboue specified did commit the tuition of his sonne Alured By this Pope Leo it came in and was first enacted in a Counsell of hys that no Bishop should be condemned vnder 72. witnesses according as ye see in the witnesses at the condemnation of Stephen Gardiner orderly practised Item contrary to the law of Gregory the iiij his predicessor this Pope ordayned the crosse all let with golde precious stone to be caried before him like a Pope And here next now followeth commeth in the whore of Babylon rightly in her true colours by the permission of God and manifestly without all tergiuersation to appeare to the whole world and that not only alter the spiritual sense but after the very letter and the right forme of an whore in deed For after this Leo aboue mentioned the Cardinals proceeding to their ordinary electiō after a solemne Masse of the holy Ghost to the perpetuall shame of them of that sea in stead of a mā Pope elected an whore in deed to minister Sacraments to say masses to geue orders to constitute Deacons Priests and bishops to promote Prelates to make Abbots to consecrate Churches and altars to haue the raigne and rule of Emperors and kings And so she did in deede called by name Ioan. the 8. This womans proper name was Gilberta a Dutch woman of Magunce who went with an english monke out of the Abbey of Fulda in a mans apparell vnto Athens and after through her dexteritie of wit and learning was promooted to the Popedom where the sate two yeres 6. monthes At last openly in the face of a general procession fell in labour trauail of child so died By reason wherof the Cardinals yet to this day do auoid to come nere by that streete where this shame was taken By Benedictus the iij. who succeeded next in the whorish sea was first ordained as most writers record the Dirge to be sayd for the dead Albeit before him Gregory the iij. had done in that matter worthily for his part already After him sate Pope Nicholas the first who enlarged the Popes decrees with many constitutions equallyng the authoritie of them with the writings of the Apostles He ordayned that no secular Prince nor the Emperour himself should be present at their Councels vnles in matters concerning the fayth to the end that such as they iudged to be heretikes they should execute and murther Also that no lay men should sit in iudgement vpon the clergy men or reason vpon the Popes power Item that no Christian Magistrate should haue any power vpon any Prelate alledging that a Prelate is called God Item that all Church seruice should be in Latine yet notwithstanding dispensing with the Sclauonians and Polonians to retaine still their vulgar language Sequences in the Masse were by him first allowed By this Pope Priestes began to be restrained and debarred from marrying whereof Hulderike Bishop of Ausbrough a learned an holy man sending a letter vnto the Pope grauely and learnedly refuteth and reclaimeth against his vndiscret proceedings touching that matter The copy of which letter as I thought it vnworthy to be suppressed so I iudged it here worthy meete for the better instruction of the Reader to bee inserted The wordes whereof here follow out of Latine into English translated A learned Epistle of Hulderike bishop of Ausbrough sent to Pope Nicholas the first proouing by probations substantiall that Priestes ought not to bee restrayned from Mariage Nicolao Domino patri peruigili sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae prouisori Huldericus solo nomine Episcopus amorem vt filius timorem vt seruus Cum tha O pater Domine decreta super clericorum continentian c. ¶ The same in English Hulderike bishop onely by name vnto the reuerend father Nicholas the vigilant prouisor of the holy church of Rome with due commendation sendeth loue as a sonne and feare as a seruaunt Vnderstanding reuerend father your decrees which you sent to me concerning the single lyfe of the Clergy to be far discrepant from all discretiō I was troubled partly with feare partly with heauinesse With feare for that as it is sayd the sentence of the pastor whether it be iust or vniust is to be feared For I was afrayde for the weake hearers of the Scripture which scarsely obey the iust sentence of their Pastour
be no Purgatory nor that the Suffrages of the Church do auaile the dead either to lesse the paine of them that be destinate to hell or to increase the glory of them that be ordained to saluation 7. Item they hold that the soules out of the bodies departed whether they haue done good or euill haue not their perfect paine nor glory but are reserued in a certain place till the day of iudgement 8. Item they condemne the church of Rome for mixting cold water in their sacrifice 9. Item they condemne the Church of Rome for that as wel women as priests annoynt children when they baptise them on both shoulders 10. Item Dicunt panem nostrum panagiam i. They call our bread Panagia 11. Item they blame the Church of Rome for celebrating their Masse on other daies beside Sondaies and certaine other feastes appoynted 12. Also in this the Greeke Church varieth from the Latine for they haue neither creame nor oyle nor sacrament of confirmation 13. Neither do they vse extreme vnction or anoyling after the maner of the Romane church expounding the place of S. James of the spirituall infirmitie and not corporall 14. Item they enioyne no satisfaction for penance but only that they shewe themselues to the Priests annoynting them with simple oyle in token of remission of sinnes 15. Item onely on maundy Thursday they consecrate for the sicke keeping it for the whole yeare after thinking it to be more holy vpon that day consecrate then vppon any other Neither doe they fast any saterday through the whole yeare but onely on Easter euen 16. Item they geue but onely 5. orders as of Clearkes Subdeacons Deacones Priestes Byshops when as the Romaine Church geueth ix orders after the ix orders of Aungels 17. Moreouer the Greciās in their orders make no vow of chastitie alledging for them the 5. Canon of N. * Ego praesbyter vel Diaconus vxorem causa honestatis non reijciam c. i. I. N. Priest or Deacon will not forsake my wife for honestie sake 18. Item euery yeare the Grecians vse vpon certaine dayes to excommunicate the Church of Rome and all the Latines as heretickes 19. Item among the sayde Grecians they are excommunicate that beate or strike a Priest Neither doe their religious men liue in such Priestly chastitie as the Romane Priests doe 20. Item their Emperour among them doeth ordaine Patriarches Bishops and other of the Clergy and deposeth the same at his pleasure also geueth benefices to whō he lusteth and retaineth the fruites of the same benefices as pleaseth him 21. Item they blame the Latine Churche because they cate not flesh egges and chese on Friday and do eate flesh on Saterdaies 22. Item they holde against the Latine men for celebrating without the consecrated Churche either in the house or in the field And fasting on the Sabboth day And for permitting menstruous wemen to enter into the Church before their purifying Also for suffering dogges and other beastes to enter into the Church 23. The Grecians vse not to knele in all their deuotions yea not to the body of Christ as the register termeth it but one day in the whole yeare saying and affirming that the Latines be goates and beastes for they are alwayes prostrating themselues vpon the ground in their praiers 24. The Grecians moreouer permit not the Latines to celebrate vpon their altars And if it chaunce any Latine Priest to celebrate vpon their altar by and by they washe their altare in token of abomination false sacrifice And diligently they obserue that whē soeuer they do celebrate they do but one Liturgie or masse vpon one altar or table that day 25 Item they dissent from the Church of Rome touching the order and maner of the proceding of the holy Ghost These Articles wherein is declared the difference betwene the East and West church of the Grecians and Romanes as I found them articulate and collected in an ancient autentical register of the churche of Hereforde so I thought heere to inserte them leaue them to the consideration of the Reader Other foure articles moe in the same Register be there expressed concerning sunonie vsurie not w e them forbidden and touching also their Emperour and how they teach their children to hurt or danify by any maner of way the Latine priestes c. Which articles for that either they seme not truly collected out of their teachings or els not greatly pertinent to the doctrine of Religion I ouerpasse them To the purpose now of our storie againe When certaine of these aboue prefixed were mooued in the foresaid Councel to be discussed namely concerning the assertion of proceeding of the holy Ghost and concerning leauened bread in the ministration of the Lords Supper Anselme as is aboue sayd was called for who in the tracration of the same Articles so besturred him in that councell that hee well liked the Pope and them about him as mine author recordeth Wherupon touching the matter of vnleauened bread how indifferētly he seemed there to reason and what he writeth to Valerane Byshop of Nurenburgh therof ye shal beare by a pece of his letter sent to the sayd Byshop the copie whereof here insueth ¶ Anselme Seruant to the Church of Canterburie to Valtram Bishop of Nurenburgh Epistola 3 25. post initium AS concerning the sacrifice in which the Grecians thinke not as we doe it semeth to many reasonable Catholike men that which they do not to be against the Christian faith for bothe he that sacrificeth vnleauened and leauened sacrificeth breade And where it is red of our Lord whē he made his body of bread that he tooke bread and blessed it is not added vnleauened or leauened Yet it is certaine that he blessed vnleauened bread peraduenture not because the thing that was done required that but because the supper in which this was done did geue that And wher as in an other place he called himselfe and his flesh bread because that as many as liue tēporally with this bread so with that bread he liueth for euer He sayth not vnleauened or leauened because both alike are breade For vnleauened leauened differ not in substance as some thinke like as a new man afore sinne an olde rooted man in the leanen of sinne differ not in substance For this cause therefore only he might be thought to call himselfe and his flesh bread and made his body of breade because that this breade vnleauened or leauened geueth a transitorie life and his bodie of bread because that this bread vnleauened or leauened giueth a transitorie life and his body geueth euerlasting life not for that it is either leauened or vnleauened Although it be a cōmandement in the lawe to eate vnleauened breade in the passeoner where all things are done in a figure that it might be declared that Christ whom they loked for was pure cleane and we that should eate his body were admonished to be likewise
not long after the messengers being nowe returned from Rome but the king as he had promised sped him into Normādy wher he warring against his brother Robert brought both him the Countrey of Normandie at last vnder his subiection But first meting with Anselmus at the Abbey of Becke he cōuented agreed with him in al such poyntes as the Archb. required As first that all hys Churches which before were made tributarie vnto King William his brother now should remaine free from al tribute Item that he should require nothing of the sayd Churches or Prouinces in the time of the seate being vacant Moreouer concerning such Priestes Ministers as had geuē money to the king for their company w e their wiues it was agreed that they shoulde surcease from all Ecclesiastical function the space of 3. yeeres and the the king shoulde take no more after such maner Item that all such goodes feuitēs and possessions as had bene taken away before frō the Archbyshoppricke should be restored at his comming againe into England c. This Anselmus the stout champion of Poperie superstition after this victorie gotten vpon the King for the which he so long fought with ioy and triumph faileth into England hauing al his Popish requests obtained Where first he flieth like a Lion vpon the maried Priests contrary to the woorde of God diuorsing and punishing that by mans authority which the eternal and almighty God had coupled Next he looketh to them which did holde any Church by farme vnder the king Against Simonie likewise and against them that married within the 7. degree he proceedeth with his full pontificall authoritie Shortly after as king Henry had finished his warre in Normandy with victory returned againe into England about the 6. yere of his raigne Anselme Archbishop of Canterbury by the permission of the king assembled a great Councell at Westminster in London of the Clergie and Prelates of England In the which by the Byshop of Romes authoritie he so wrought with the king that at length albeit as the storie sayth not without great difficultie it was newly cōfirmed and enacted that no temporall man after that day shoulde make inuesture with crosse or with ring or wyth pastoral hoke In this Councel sondry and diuers iniunetions were geuen forth to priests and Deacons as diuers other sinodall acts also by the same Anselme had bene concluded in other Councels before And because heere falleth in mention of the actes Synodall concluded in the time of this Anselme I thought here good to packe them al in one general heape together as I finde them in Malmesburie and in other sondry authors scatteringly recited The first thing decreed by this Anselme in his synodal Councels was touching the fault of Simonic whereby diuers both Byshops and Abbotes as is aforesayd were at the same time deposed And lay men forbidden to coufer any Ecclesiastical promotion Also it was decreed that no Byshop should beare any office in secular mens businesse or meetings And that such should not go apparelled as the lay mē did but shuld haue their vestures decent and mete for religious persons And that in all places they shoulde neuer goe without some to beare witnes of their conuersation Item that no Archdeaconries should be let out to ferme Item that no Archdeacon should be vnder the degree of a Deacon Item that no archdeacon priest deacon subdeacon colligener nor Chanon should from thence forth mary a wife nor yet keepe her if he had bene maried to one before Item that euery subdeacon being vnder the degree of achanon after the profession of chastitie marrying a wife should be subiect to the same rule They ordeined also that a Priest keeping cōpany with his wife shuld be reputed vnlawful and that he shuld say no Masse and if he said Masse it should not be heard They charged that none were admitted to orders from that time forward from the degree of a subdeacon vnlesse he did professe chastitie That Priestes sonnes shoulde not claime by heritage the benefices of their fathers as the custome had alwaies bene before Item that no spiritual person should sit in any secular office as to be procurators or iudges of bloud Item that Priestes shoulde not resort to tauernes or banquets nor sit drinking by the fire side That the garmentes of Priestes shoulde be of one colour and that their shoes should be decent Item that Monkes or any other of the Clergy if they forsooke their order eyther to come againe or to be excommunicate Itē that mē of the clergy should weare broad crownes Item that no tythes should be geuen but to the church Item that no Churches or prebends shold be bought That no new Chapels shoulde be made without consent of the Byshop That no Church should be hallowed before the necessary prouision were made for the priest and for the Church to be mayntayned That Abbots should set forth no men to warre that they must both sleepe eate in the same house with their monkes vnlesse some great necessitie do let Item that Monkes do inioyne no penaunce to anye man without the knowledge of hys Abbot And that their Abbots may geue no licence therein but onely for suche persons whose charge they haue of soule That no monkes should be Godfathers Nor Nūnes Godmothers That Monkes should haue no Lordships to ferme Item that Monkes should take no Churches but by the Byshop neyther should so spoyle and oppresse the churches geuen to them with their rentes that sufficient were not left for the ministers of the same That priuy contract betwene man and women without witnes should not stand but be frustrate if each party doe goe from the contract Item that such as were long heare of the clergy be so roūded that part of their eare appeare and that their eyes be not couered Item that there be no matrimoniall copulation wtin the vij degree of kindered nor so to cōtinue if they be maryed but the maryage to be broken And if any being priuy to that incest doe not detect the same he to be giltye of the same cryme Item that no funerall or buryenges be without theyr owne Parishe Church so that the priest therof do lose that which to him is due Item that no man vpon any new fangled rashnes do attribute any reuerence or opiniō of holines to dead mens bodyes to fountaynes or to any other thing as the vse hath bene in tyme past without authoritie of the Bishop Item that no buying and selling be vsed hereafter in England of men as of other cartell Item after the restreint of Priests mariage when filthy Sodomitry begā to come in the place therof then were they forced also to make an act for that which was this With a greuous curse we condemne both them that occupy the vngratious vice of sodomitry and
them also that willingly assist them or be wicked doers with them in the sauie till such time as they may deserue absolution by penance and confession So that whatsoeuer he be that is noised or prooued to be of this wickednesse if he be a religious person he shall from thence foorth be promoted to no degree of honor and that which he hath shal be taken from him If he be a lay person he shal be depriued of all his freedome within the land and be no better then a foreiner And because it shal be known the absolution of such as be secular to belong onely to byshops it was therefore enacted that on euery sonday in euery parish church of England the said excommunication should be published c. But marke in this great matter what followed For as Ranulphus Lestrensis witnesseth this grieuous general curse was soone called backe againe by the sute of certaine which persuaded Anselme that the publication or opening of that vice gaue kindlings to the same in the heartes of lewde persons ministring occasion of more boldnes to thē to do the like And so to stop the occasiō of filthie Sodomitry the publication thereof was takē away but the forbidding and restreinement of Priestes vnlawfull mariage which chiefly was the cause thereof remained still And thus euer since horrible Sodomitry remained in the clergic both for lacke of mariage more vsed and for lack of publication lesse punished Besides all these Synodall acts aboue comprehended and geuen out by Anselmus in his Councels before heeralso in this present Coūcell at Westminster and in the yere of this king aforesaid he also directed other newe Iniuncetions to the Priests First that they and their wiues shoulde neuer more meete in one house neither yet haue dwelling in their territories Item that the Priests deacons and subdeacons shuld keepe no women in their house vnlesse they were of their next kinne Item for suche as had disseuered themselues from the societie of their wiues yet for some honest cause they had to common with them they might so it were without doore and with ij or iij. lawfull witnesses Item if any of them should be accused by ij or iij. witnesses and could not purge himselfe againe by sixe able mē of his owne order if he be a Priest or if he be a Deacon by iiij or if he be a Subdeacon by ij then he should be iudged a transgressor of the statutes depriued of his benefice be made infamous or be put to open reproche of all men Item he that rebelled as in contempt of this new statute held still his wife and presumed to say masse vpon the viij day after if he made not due satisfaction should be solemnly excommunicated Item all Archdeacons and Deacons to be straightly sworne not to wink or dissemble at their meetings nor to beare with them for money And if they would not be sworne to this then to loose their offices without recouery Item such priests as forsaking their wiues were willing to serue still and remaine in their holy order first must cease 40. dayes from their ministration setting Uitars for them in the meane time to serue and taking such penaunce vpon them as by their Bishop should be enioyned them Thus haue ye heard the tedious treatise of the life and doings of Anselmus how superstitious in his Religion how stubburne against his Prince he was what occasion of warre and discorde he ministred by his complaintes if they had ben taken what zeale without right knowledge what feruencie without cause he pretended what paines without profite he tooke Who if he had bestowed that time and trauel in preaching Christ at home to his flock which he tooke in gadding to Rome to complaine of his countrey in my minde he had bene better occupied Moreouer what violent and tyrannical iniunctions he set forth of inuesting and other thinges ye haue heard but specially against the lawfull and godly mariage of Priests Wherin what a vehement aduersary he was here may appeare by these minutes or peeces extracted out of his letters which we haue here annexed in forme and effect as followeth A letter of Anselme Anselme archbishop to his brethren and dearest sonnes the Lord prior and other at Canterburie AS concerning Priests of whom the king cōmanded that they should haue both their Churches their women as they had in the time of his father and of Lanfrancus Archbishop both because the king hath reuested reseazed of the whole Archbishopricke and because so cursed a mariage was forbidden in a Coūcel in the time of his father and of the saide Archbishop Boldely I command by the authoritie which I haue by my Archbishoprike not onely within my Archbishoprike but also throughout England that all Priests which keepe women shal be depriued of their Churches and Ecclesiastical benefices A letter of Pope Paschalis to Anselme Paschal Bishop Seruaunt of Gods Seruants to his reuerend brother Anselme Archb. of Cant. greeting and Apostolical blessing WE beleue your brotherhode is not ignorāt what is decreed in the Romish Church concerning Priests children But because there is so great multitude of such within the Realme of England that almost the greater and better part of the Clerks are reckened to be on this side therfore we commit this dispensation to your care For we graunt these to be promoted to holy offices by reason of the need at this time and for the profit of the church such as learning and life shal commēd among you that yet notwithstanding the preiudice of the Ecclesiasticall decree be taken heede to hereafter c. An other letter of Anselme for Inuesting To the reuerend Lord and louing father Paschal high bishop Anselme seruant of Canterbury church due subiection and continual prayers AFter that I returned to my bishopricke in Englande I shewed the Apostolicall decree which I being present heard in the romish Councel 1. That no man should receiue inuesting of churches of the kinges hand or any lay person or shoulde become his man for it and that no man shoulde presume to consecrate him that did offend herein when the K. and his nobles and the bishops themselues and other of the lower degree hearde these things they tooke them so grieuously that they sayde they woulde in no case agree to the thing and that they woulde driue me out of the kingdome and forsake the Romish Churche rather than keepe this thing wherefore reuerende father I desire your counsell by your letter c. An other letter of Anselme Anselme Archbishop to the reuerend Gudulphus Bishop and to Ernulphus Prior and to William Archdeacon of Canterburie and to all in his Dioces greeting WIlliam our Archdeacon hath writtē to me that some priests that be vnder his custodie taking againe their women that were forbidden haue fallen vnto the vnclennesse from the which they were drawne by wholesome counsel and commaundement
life commeth therof Also of the vnconsiderate promotion of euill Prelates and of their great negligence in correcting and reformyng the euill demeanour of the people Item of the great wantonnes lasciuiousnes in their seruauts and families concerning their excessiue wearing of apparell Item complaineth also of the outragious and excessiue gaynes that Prelates and other vnder them take for their seale especially of officials scribes such like which geue out the seale they care not how nor wherfore so they may gayne money He complaineth in like maner that prelates be so slack and negligent in looking to the resideÌ„ts in their benefices Farther lamenteth for the rash geuing of benefices to parlons vicars and curates not for any godlines or learning in them but for fauour or friendship or intercession either els for hope of some gayne whereof springeth this great ignorance in the Church After this he noteth in prelates how they wast and expend the goods of the church in supersluities or vpon theyr kinsfolke or other worse wayes which should rather be spent vpon the poore Nextly in the x. chapter he coÌ„plaineth for that through the negligence of men of the church especially of the church of Rome the bookes and monuments of the old Councels also of the new are not to be found which should be reserued and kept in all cathedrall Churches Item that many prelates be so cold in doing their duties Also reprocheth the vnchast and voluptuous demeanor of Ecclesiasticall persons by the example of Storkes whose nature is saith he that if any of their company leauyng his owne mate ioyneth with any other all the rest flieth vpon him whether it be he or she beateth hym and plucketh his fethers off what then sayth he ought good prelates to do to such a person of their company whose filthinesse and corrupt life both defileth so many and stinketh in the whole Church Againe forasmuch as we read in the booke of Esdras lib 2. cap 9 that he purging Israel of strange womeÌ„ began first with the priestes So now likewise in the purging correcting of all sortes of men first the purgation ought to begin with these according as it is written by the prophet Ezechiel Begin first with my sanctuary c. Moreouer how that in the tyme of Phillip kyng of Fraunce the whole Realme was interdited for that the kyng had but one woman in stead of his wife which was not his wife by law And againe â—eyng in these our dayes the king of Portingale hath bene sequestred from his dominion by the authoritie of the church being thought not sufficient to gouerne what then ought to bee sayd to that Prelate which abuseth other mens wiues virgines and Nunnes which also is found vnable insufficient to take vpon him the charge of soules About the yeare of our Lord 1128. the orders of the knights of the Rhodes called Joannites also the order of Templars rose vp After Honorius next in the same vsurpation succeded Pope Innocentius 2. an 1130. But as it was with hys predecessours before hym that at euery mutation of newe Popes came new perturbations and commonly neuer a Pope was elected but some other was set vp against him sometymes 2. sometymes 3. Popes togethey so likewise it happened with this Innocentius for after he was chosen the Romains elected another pope named Anacletus Betwixt these two Popes was much ado and great conflicts through the partaking of Rogerius Duke of Sicile takyng Anacletus part agaynst Innocentius vntil Locharius the Emperour came who rescuing Innocentius droue Rogerius out of Italy Our stories recorde that king Henry was one of the great helpes in setting vp and maintayning this Pope Innocentius against Anacletus Gisburnens Amongst many other things this Pope decreed that whosoeuer did strike a Priest or Clerke beyng shauen he should be excommunicate and not to be absolued but only of the Pope himselfe About the tyme of doyng of these thynges beyng the yeare of our Lord 1135. king Henry being in Normandy as some say by taking there a fall froÌ„ his horse as other say by taking a surfet in eating Lampries fell sicke died after he had raigned ouer the realme of England 35. yeres and odde monethes leauyng for his heyres Matilde the Empresse his daughter with her young sonne Henry to succeed after hym to whom all the Prelates and Nobilitie of the Realme were sworne But contrary to their oth made to Molde in the presence of her father before William the Archbishop of Cant. and the nobles of the realme crowned Stephen Erle of Boloyne and sisters sonne to king Henry vpon S. Stephens day in Christmas weeke Which Archbishop the next yeare after dyed beyng as it was thought iustly punished for his periury And many other lordes which did accordingly went not quite without punishment In like iustice of punishmeÌ„t is numbred also Roger bishop of Salisbury who contrary to his othe beyng a great doer in the coronation of Stephen was apprehended of the same kyng and miserably but iustly extermined A certaine written English story I haue which addeth more and faith that king Stephen hauing many foes in diuers quarters kepyng there holdes and castels agaynst him went then to Oxford tooke the Bishop of Salisbury and put a rope about his necke so led him to the castle of Uice that was his and commanded them to render vp the castle or he would slay and hang their Bishop Which Castle beyng geuen vp the kyng tooke the spoyle thereof The like also he did to the Bishop of Lyncolne named Alexander whom in lyke maner he led in a rope to a Castle of the Bishops that was vpon Trent and bad them deliuer vp the Castle or els he would hang their Lord before the gate Long it was before the castle was geuen vp yet at length the king obtaining it there entred and tooke all the treasure of the Bishop c. Roger Houeden Fabian alleagyng a certayne olde Authors whom I cannot finde referreth a great cause of this periury to one Hugh Bigot Steward sometyme with king Henry Who immediatly after the death of the sayd Henry came into England and before the sayd Archbishop and other Lordes of the land tooke wilfully an othe and sware that he was present a little before the kings death when king Henry admitted for his heyre to be king after him Stephen his nephew for so much as Molde his daughter had discontented him Wherunto the Archbishop with the other Lordes gaue to hasty credence But this Hugh sayth he escaped not vnpunished for he dyed miserably in a short tyme after Ex Fabia Albeit all this may be supposed rather to be wroght not without the practise of Henry bishop of Winchester other Prelates by his settyng on which Henry was brother to King Stephen c. King Stephen THus when king Stephen contrary to his oth
Church Brethren seeke not to confound your selues and the church of God so much as in you is but turne to me you shal be safe For the Lord sayth I will not the death of a sinner but rather he should conuert and liue Stand with me manfully in the warre take your armour and your shield to defend me Take the sword of the word of the mighty God that we altogether may withstand more valiauntly the malignant enemies such as goe about to take away the soule of the church which is her liberty without which liberty she hath no power agaynst them that seeke to incroche to their inheritaunce the possession of Gods sanctuary If ye will heare and follow me know ye that the Lord will be with you and with vs all in the defence of the libertye of his church Otherwise if ye will not the Lord iudge betwixt me and you and require the confusion of his Church at your handes Which church whether the world will or no standeth firmely in the word of the Lord whereupon she is builded and euer shall till the houre come that she shall passe from this world to the Father For the Lord euer doth support her with his hand Wherefore to returne to the matter brethren remember well with your selues which thing ye ought not to forget what daunger I was brought vnto and the Church of God also while I was in England at my departing out of England and after my departure from thence also in what daunger it standeth at thys present day But especially at that time when as at Northampton Christ was iudged agayne in my person before the iudgement seat of the high president Who euer heard the Archb. of Canterbury being troubled for iniuries done to him and to his church and appealing to the Pope of Rome to be iudged condemned appealed and put to his sureties and that of his owne suffraganes Where is this law seene or the authority nay rather peruersity of this Canon heard of And why yet shame ye not at this your enormity Why are ye not confounded Or why doth not this confusion worke in you repentaunce and repentance driue you to due satisfaction before God and men For these and suche other iniuries done to God and to his church and to me for gods cause which with a good conscience I ought to suffer because that without daunger of soule I ought not to dissemble them I choose rather to absent my selfe for a season and to dwell quietly in the house of my Lord then in the tabernacle of sinners vntill the time that their iniquity be complete the hartes of the wicked and the congitations of the same shal be opened And these iniuries were the cause both of my appeale from the king and of my departure from thence which ye terme to be sodaine But if ye will speake the truth which ye know it ought no lesse then to be sodaine least being foreknowne it might haue bene preuented and stopped And as God turned the matter it happened for the best both for the honor of the king ard better safety of them which seeking my harme should haue brought slaunder to the king If such troubles followed vpon my departing as ye say let them be imputed to him which gaue cause the fault is in the worker not in the departer in him that pursueth not in him that auoydeth iniuries what would ye more I presented my selfe to the court declaring both the causes of my comming and of my appeale declaring also the wronges and iniuries done to me to my Church and yet could haue no auÌ„swere neither was there any that layd any thing agaynst me before we came to the king Thus while we stood wayting in the court whether any would come agaynst me or not they sent to my officials charging them not to obey me in my temporalities nor to owe any seruice to me or to any of mine After my appellation made in the Court my Church was spoyled we and they about vs depriued of our goods outâ—awed both of the Clergy and of the layty men women and infantes the goods of the Church that is the patrimony of the crucifix confiscate and part of the mony turned to the kinges vse part to your owne cofers Brother Byshop of London if this be true that we here of you and that to the vse of your owne Churche ye conuert this money we charge you and require you forthwith by vertue of obedience that within fourtye dayes after the sight of these letters all delaye and excuse set aâ—ide ye restore agayne within the time aforesayd all suche gooddes and percelles as you haue taken away For it is vnmeete and contrarye to all lawe one Churche to be enriched with the spoil of an other church If ye stand vpon the authoritie that set you a worke you must vnderstand that in matters concerning the church goods he can geue no lawfull autoritie which committeth violent iniurie c. What authoritie and what scripture geueth this prerogatiue to PrinceÌ„s vpon Church goodes which you would attribute to them What will they lay for them the remedie of appeale God forbid It were euill with the Church of God if when the sacrilegious extorcioner hath violently inuaded other mennes goodes especially the goods of the church he shoulde after defend him with the title of appeale c. Doe not brethren so confounde altogether the right of the Church and of the temporall regiment For these two are muche differeÌ„t one borowing his authority of the other Read the scriptures and ye shall finde what and how many kings haue perished for taking vpon them the priestly office Therefore let your discretion prouide least for this your doing Gods punishmeÌ„t light vpon you which if it come it will be hard for you very easely to escape Prouide also and see to your king whose fauour ye prefer before the wealth profit of the Church least if it happen which God forbid that he doth perish with all his house after the example of them which for the like crime were plagued And if yee cease not off from that ye begin with what conscience can I dissemble or forbeare but must nedes punish you let him dissemble with you who list hauing authoritie so to doe truely I will not there shal be no dissimulation found in me And where you write in your letters coÌ„cerning my promotion that it was against the voice of the whole realme that the church did reclaime against it What should I say to you but that ye knowe right well the lie which the mouth doeth willingly speake killeth the soule but especially the wordes of a Priestes mouth ought euer to goe with verity As touching this matter I appeale to your own coÌ„scieÌ„ce whether the forme of my election stoode not fully with the consent of them all to whome the election belonged hauing also the assent of the prince by his
Minimi other of the Gospell other de Caputio They all differ in many things but accord in superstitiō hipocrisie And for somuch as we haue here entered into the matter of these 2. orders of Friers by the occasion hereof I thought a little by the waye to digresse from our story in reciting the whole catologue or rablement of Monkes Fryers and Nunnes of al sectes rules and orders set vp and confirmed by the Pope The names of whome here in order of the Alphabet followe vnder written The rablement of religious orders AVstinians the first order  Ambrosians two sortes 490 Antonies heremites 324 Austines heremetes 498. Austines obseruauntes 490 Armenians sect  Ammonites and Moabites  Basilius order 384 Benets order 524 Bernardus order 1120 Barefooted Friers 1222 Brigits order 1370 Beghartes or white spirites 1399 Brethren of Ierusalem 1103 Brethren of S. Iohn De Ciuitate blacke Frier 1220 Brethren of wilfull pouertie  Cluniacensis order 913 Canons of S. Augustine 1080 Charterhouse order 1086 Cisterciensis order 1098 Cros bearers or crossed Friers 1216 Carmelites or white Friers 1212 Clares order 1225 Celestines order 1297 Camaldulensis order 950 Crosse starred brethren  Constantino politanish order  Crosse bearers  Chapter monkes  Dutch order 2216 Dominicke blacke Friers 1220 Franciscanes 1224 Graundmontensis order 1076 Gregorian order 594 Georges order 1407 Guilhelmites 1246 Gerundinensish order  Galilei or Galileans  Heremites  Helenes brethren Humiliati 1166 Hospitall brethren  Holy Ghost order  Ieromes orders two sortes 1412. Iohns Hermites  Iustines order 1432. Iohns order Ioannites 380 otherwise knightes of the Rodes 1308 Iniesuati 1365 Ieromes heremites 490 Iosephes order  Iacobites sect  Iames brethrens order  Iames brethren with the sword  Indians order  Katherine of Senes order 1455 Keyed Monkes knightes of rhodes  Lazarites or Mary Magdalens our Lady brethren 1034 Lordes of Vngary Minorites which be deuided into Conuentuales Obseruauntes Reformate Collectane De Caputio De Euangelio Amedes Clarini and other  Minors or Minorites 1224 Maries seruaunts 1304 Monkes of mount Oliuete 1046 Marouinies sect  Moronites sect  Monachie and Monache  Morbonei and Merestei  Menelaysh and Iasonish sect  New Chanons of S. Austen 1430 Nestorini  Nalharte brethren  New order of our Lady  Nazarei  Paules Hermites 345 Premonstratensis order 1119 Preacher order or blacke Friers  Peter the Apostles order 1409 Purgatory bethren  Rechabites  Sarrabaites  Sambonites 1199 Scourgers the first sect 1266 Souldiours of Iesus Christ. 1323 Scopenites or Sainct Saluators order 1367 Specularij or the glasse order  Sepulchers order  Sheere order  Swerdes order  Starred Monkes  Starred Fryers  Sclauony order  Scourgers the second sect called Niniuites  Stoole brethren  Scotland brethren order  Sicarij  Sainct Sophis order  Templar Lordes 1110 Templar knightes 1120 The vale of Iosophat hys order  Vallis vmbrose 1400 Waldensis sect  Wentzelaus order  Wilhelmer order  White Monks of mount Oliuet 1406 Zelotes order  Thus hast thou if thou please gentle reader to know what orders and what sectes of religion haue bene set vp by the pope the catalogue and number of them all so far as we could search them out not onely in bookes printed of late in Germany namely by the reuerend father Martine Luther but also conferred with an other english book which came to our handes containing the same like notes of auncient antiquitie the number of whiche rablement of religious persons came to 101. Now as I haue reckoned vp the names and varieties of these prodigious sectes it commeth to minde consequently to inferre the prophecie of Hildegardis as well agaynst the whole route of Romish prelates and the fall of that Church as especially agaynst the begging Fryers and suche other vnprofitable bellyes of the Church Thus Hildegardis is holden of the papistes themselues to be a great Prophetisse whose prophecie proceedeth in this maner first agaynst the Priestes and prelates of the Romishe Church as followeth The prophecie of Hildegardis of the ruine of Rome and agaynst the begging Friers HIldegardis a Nonne and as many iudged a prophetisse liued in the yeare 1146. In her prophecies she doth most greeuously reprehend not only the wicked and abhominable lyfe of the spirituall papistes but also the cōtempt of ecclesiasticall office also the horrible destruction of the church of Rome In a certayne place shee hath these wordes And now is the law neglected among the spirituall people which neglecte to teach and doe good things The mayster lykewise and the prelates do sleep despising iustice laying it aside In a certayne vision the Churche appeared to her in the shape of a woman complayning that the priestes had berayed her face with dust rent her coat c. and that they did not shyne ouer the people neyther in doctrine neyther in exāple of lyfe but rather contrariwise that they haue driuen the innocent lambe from them She sayd moreouer that all ecclesiasticall order did euery daye become worse and worse and that priestes did not teache but destroy the law of God And for these horrible crimes and impieties she threatneth and prophecieth vnto them Gods most heauy wrath and displeasure and dolefull punishmentes There is no cause why the spirituall papists should flatter themselues vpon this that she promised agayne to the ministers of the Church those good things to follow lyke as Ioannes de Rupe scissa doth and other suche like prophetes for they say it will come to passe that they must repent before the tymes be amēded By which thing vndoubtedly they meane the godly ministers in the reformed Churches which for the most part were of the spirituall nūber and yet did forsake the dishonest lyfe those wicked idolatries Now where as the priestes monks that is the whole rable and spiritualtie doe account Hildegard for a true prophetisse howe they ought to consider that by her they are more seuerely accused not as by a woman but as by God hymself And I pray you what abhomination impiety and idolatry hath bene committed since that tyme by the spiritualitie I wil note heare a certaine prophecy of hers taken out of the common places of Henry Token because we see it manifestly fulfilled in our time She prophecieth of the reformation of religion and sayth that it shall be most godly Then shall the crowne of Apostolicall honour be deuided because there shal be found no religion among the Apostolicall order for that cause shall they despise the dignitie of that name and shal set ouer them other men and other Archbish. In so much that the Apostolike sea of that tyme by the diminution of hys honour shall haue scarse Rome and a fewe other Countryes thereabout vnder hys crowne And these thinges shall partly come to passe by incursion of warres and
partly also by a common couÌ„cell and consent of the spiritual and seculer persons Then shall iustice florish so that in those dayes men shall honestly apply themselues to the ancient customes and dicipline of auncient men and shall obserue them as the auncient men did The glose agreeth c. These things thus premised now will we come to the prophecâ—e or the foresaid Hildegard concerning the foresaid begging Friers aboue metioned reciting her words not only as they are printed in a book printed of late in Germany but also as my selfe haue seene and read agreeing to the same booke word for worde and yet haue the same to shew written in old partchment leaues in such sort as the thing it selfe most euidently declareth a great iniquitie of tyme. The wordes of her prophecie be these In those dayes shal rise a senceles people proud greedy without fayth subtile the which shall eare the sinnes or the people holding a certayne order of foolish deuotion vnder the tayned cloke of beggery preferring themselues aboue all other by their fayned deuotion arrogant in vnderstanding and pretending holines walking without shamefastnes or the feare of God in inuenting many new mischiefes strong and stout But this order shall be accursed of all wyse men and faythfull Christians they shall cease from all labour and geue themselues ouer vnto idlenes chusing rather to liue through flattery and begging Moreouer they shall together study how they may perâ—erâ—y resist the teachers of the truth stay them together to the noble men How to seduce and deceiue the noâ—ilitie for the necessitie of their liuing and plesures of this world for the deuill will graft in them foure principall vices that is to say flattery enuy hipocrisie and â—launder Flattery that they may haue large giftes geuen them Enuy when they see giftes geuen vnto other and not vnto them Hypocrisie that by false dissimulation they may please men Detraction that they may extoll and commend themselues and bacbite others for the prayse of men and seducing of the simple Also they shall instantly preache but without deuotion or example of the Martyrs and shall â—etracte the secular Princes taking awaye the Sacramentes of the Church from the true pastors receauing almes of the poore diseased and miserable and also associating themselues with the common people hauing familiaritie with women instructing them how they shall deceiue their husbandes and friendes by their flattery and deceitfull wordes and to robb their husbandes to geue it vnto them for they will take all these stolne and euill gotten goodes and say geue it vnto vs and we will pray for you so that they being curious to hide other mens faults do vtterly forget their owne And alas they will receaue all thinges of rouers pickers spoylers theeues and robbers of sacrilegious persons vsurers adulterers heretickes schismatickes apostataes whores and baudes of noble men periurers marchantes false iudges souldiors tyrauntes Princes of such as liue contrary to the lawe of many peruerse and wicked men following the perswasion of the deuill the sweetenes of sinne a delicate transitory life and fulnes euen vnto eternall damnation All these thinges shall manifestly appeare in them vnto all people and they day by day shall waxe more wicked hard harted and wheÌ„ as their wickednes deceits shal be found out then shall their giftes cease then shal they goe about their houses hungry as mad dogges looking down vpoÌ„ the earth drawing in their neckes as doues that they might be satisfied with bread then shall the people cry out vpon them Wo be vnto you ye miserable children of sorrowe the world hath seduced you and the deuill hath bridled your mouthes your fleshe is frayle and your hartes without fauour your mindes haue bene vnstedfast and your eyes delited in much vanitie folly your dainty bellies desire dellicate meates your feet are swift to runne vnto mischiefe Remember when you were apparantly blessed yet enuious poore in sight but rich simple to see to but mighty flatterers vnfaythfull betrayers peruerse detracters holy hipocrites subuerters of the truth ouermuch vpright proud vnshamefast vnstedfast teachers delicate martyrs confessors for gayne meeke but slaunderers religious but couetous humble but proud pitifull but hard harted lyers pleasaunt flatterers peacemakers persecuters oppressors of the poore bringing in new sectes newly inuented of your selues mercifull thought but found wicked louers of the world sellers of pardons spoylers of benefices vnprofitable orators seditious conspirators dronkardes desirers of honours maintainers of mischiefe robbers of the worlde vnsatiable preachers men pleasers seducers of women and sowers of discord of whom Moyses the glorious prophet spake very wel in his song A people without counsell or vnderstanding would to God they did know and vnderstand and foresee the end You haue builded vp on high and wheÌ„ you could ascend no higher then did you fall euen as Simon Magus whome God ouerthrew and did strike with a cruell plague so you likewise through your false doctrin naughtines lyes detractions wickednes are come to ruine And the people shall say vnto them goe ye teachers of wickednes subuerters of truth brethreÌ„ of the Sunamite fathers of heresies false Apostles which haue fayned your selues to follow the lyfe of the Apostles and yet haue not fulfilled it in part ye sonnes of iniquity we will not folow the knowledge of your wayes for pride and presumption hath deceiued you and insatiable concupiscence hath subuerted your erroneous hartes And when as you would ascend higher then was meete or comely for you by the iust iudgement of God you are fallen backe into perpetuall opprobry and shame This Hildegardis whose prophecie we haue mentioned lyued about the yeare of our Lord. 1146. as was read in Chronico Martini About the same tyme that these Franciscans and Dominicke Friars began which are aboue mentioned spraÌ„g vp also the crossebearers or crouched Friers taking their originall occasion or Innocent the third which Innocent raysed vp an army signed with a Crosse on their 〈◊〉 to fight agaynst the Albingenses whom the pope and his sect accompted for heretickes about the partes of Tholouse What these Albingenses were it cannot be well gathered by the olde popish historyes For if there were any that did hold teach or mayntayne agaynst the Pope or his papal pride or withstand gainsay his beggarly traditioÌ„s â—â—es and religions c. the historicians of that time for the most part in writing them do so repraue and misreporte them suppressing the truth of their articles that they make theÌ„ and paynt them forth to be worse then Turkes and Infidels And that as I suppose caused Mathew Parisiensis and other of that sort to write so of theÌ„ as they did Otherwise it is to be thought and so I finde in some recoâ—eâ—â— that the opinions of the said Albingenses were sound inough holding and professing nothing els but only agaynst the waÌ„ton wealth pride
the same and came to Brundusium and frō thence without any disturbance went forthwith to the sea he fell into the same sickenes agayne by the which he was let of hys purpose which thing saith he he is able to proue by sufficiēt testimony Now the Pope also doth lay the loosing of Damieta and other thinges whiche prospered not well with him vniustly to hys charge when as he had made great prouision for the same iourney both of soldiors other necessary thinges But he that will vnderstande these things more playnely among other Epistles of Petrus de Vineis written in the name of Fridericke let hym read these especially which begin thus In admirationem iusticiam innocentiam Leuate oculos And truely euen as Fredericus the Emperour declareth in his letters concerning thys matter all the olde writers of Germany doe accord and agree in the same Math. Parisiensis also briefly collecteth the effect of an other letter which he wrote to the king of England complayning vnto him of the excommunication of the Pope agaynst him Whose wordes are these And amongst other Catholicke Princes sayth he He also wrote his letters vnto the king of England embulled with gold Declaring in the same that the Bishop of Rome so flamed with the fire of auarice and manifest concupiscence that not being contented with the goodes of the Churche which were innumerable but also that he shamed not to bring Princes Kinges and Emperours to be subiectes and contributors to hym and so to disherite them and put them from their kingly dignities And that the king of Englande himselfe had good experiment thereof whose father that is to say King Iohn they so long held excommunicate till they had brought both him and his dominions vnder seruitude and to pay vnto hym tribute Also that many haue experience of the same by the Earle of Tholouse and diuers other Princes which so long held theyr persons and landes in interdict till they might bring them into like seruitude I pretermit sayth he the Symonies and sondry fortes of exactions the lyke whereof was neuer yet heard which dayly are vsed amongest the ecclesiasticall persons besides their manifest vsury yet so cloked and coloured to the simple sort that therewithall they infect the whole world They be the sugred and embalmed Simonistes the insatiable horse leaches or bloudsuckers saying that the Churche of Rome is our mother and nurse where as it is in deede the most polyng Court in the vniuersall world the roote and right mother of all mischiefe-vsing and exercising no motherly doings or deeds but bringing forth the right exercises of a wicked stepdame makyng sufficient proofe thereof by her manifest fruites to all the worlde apparaunt Let the Barons of England consider whether this be true or not whom Pope Innocent by his bulles with one consent encouraged to ryse and rebell agaynst their soueraigne Lord and Prince king Iohn your father as an obstinate enemy to the Church of Rome But after that the king farre out of square remembring himselfe had crouched vnto him and obliged both himselfe and kingdome to the Church of Rome more liker a woman then a man and that the wise Barons whome the Pope had first mayntained and stirred up without all shame eyther of the world or feare of God had done the same sought howe he might with gaping mouth deuoure and consume the sweet fat from thē whom he had miserably to death betrayed and disherited as the maner of the Romayne Bishops is By whose greedy auarice it came to passe that England the Prince of prouinces was brought vnder miserable subiection and tribute Behold the maners and conditions of our Romaine Byshops behold the snares wherwith these prelates do seeke to intangle men withall to wype their noses of their money to make their children bondmen to disquiet such as seeke to liue in peace being clothed with sheepes clothing when in deede they be but rauening Wolues sending their Legates hither and thither to excommunicate and to suspend as hauing power to punish whom they list not sowing the seed that is the word of God to fructifie but that they may bribe and pole mens purses and reape that which they neuer did sow Thus commeth it to passe that they spoyle the holy Churches and houses of God which should be the refuge for the poore and the mansion houses of sainctes which our deuout and simple parentes to that purpose builded and ordeined to the refection of poore men and pilgrimes and to the sustentation of suche as were well disposed and religious But these degenerate varlets whome onely letters hath made both mad and malipert doe striue and gape to be both kinges and Emperours Doubtles the Primatiue Church was builded and layd in pouerty and simplicitie of life and then as a fruitfull mother begate she those her holy children whom the Catologe of Saintes nowe maketh mention of and verily no other foundation can be laid of any other Church then that which is layd by Iesus Christ. But this Church as it swimmeth and waloweth in all superstuitie of riches and doth build and rayse the frame in all superstuous wealth and glory So is it to be feared least the walles thereof in time fall to decay and when the walles be downe vtter ruine and subuersion follow after Agaynst vs he knoweth that is the searcher of all hearts how furiously these Catholiques rage and go to work Saiyng therefore excommunicating me that I will not take vpon me the iourney I haue promised beyond the seas whereas ineuitable and most vrgent causes and perils as well to the Churche of God as also to the Empire besides the annoyaunce of myne infirmitie and sicknes do deteine me at home and stay the same but specially the insolency of the rebellious Sicilians For why neither do◠we thinke it safety to our Empire not expedient to the Christian state that we should now take our iourney into Asia leauing behinde vs at home such intestine and ciuill warres no more then for a good surgeon to lay healing plaister to a grieuous wounde newe striken with the sworde and made In conclusion also to this he addeth admonishing all the Princes of the world that they would beware and take heede by their auaricious iniquitie of lyke perill and daunger to themselues Because that as the prouerbe is It behoueth him to look about that seeth his neighbours house on fire Thus much out of Parisiens pag 69. But now that Fredericus the Emperor might in very deed stop that slaunders of the cruell Pope which did persist and goe forward still in his excommunication agaynst him And that he might declare in the whole world howe that the last yeare he torslowed not his iourny by his own voluntary will but by necessitie when he had deutied and prepared all thing meet for the warre and that he had gathered together and leuied a great army of mē
of the cryme offence committed All which prouisos or prouisions were established and confirmed as well by the corporall othe as by signment of the same with the handes seales of al the Prelates and clergy of England there assembled for that purpose by the Popes Legate vpon the feast of all Saints When these things were thus finished messengers were sent on the kings behalfe as wel to those that kept that castle of Kenilworth as also to those that were assembled in the I le of Ely willing them to come vnder the protection of the Kinges peace and yeld to the foresayd prouisos established by the twelue commissioners who altogether aunswered sayd that they would in no wise cōdescend therunto both for that it was done without theyr consentes not being called vnto it and also for that the said decree was ouer straight and intollerable Within shorte space after great famine and pestilence chaunced amongest them which kept the castle in so much as they were without all hope of keeping the same wherefore soone after the king sending agayne to them to yeld the Castle and take theyr pardōs they consulting together of their own estate thus aunswered the kings messengers if it please the king and his counsaile to permit vs to send our messenger vnto the Lord Symon Mounfort which is beyond the sea that he may come by a certayne day to the defence of this hys garrison fort and that in the meane space we be not disturbed by the kinges army that hath enuironed vs til the return of our messēgers If by the day appoynted he come not we will yeld vp the same so that we may be pardoned of life limme and moucables When the messengers were returned and had declared to the king their aunswere he consulting with his Nobles about the matter agreed to their petitions And caused the truce to be proclaimed throughout all his campe after that sufficient hostages were on either side geuē for the performance of the same whereupon they set forward theyr messengers as before was sayd they woulde But after that many of thē within the Castell being very greeuously vexed with the bloudy flixe and other diseases in so much that the whole men might not abide the corruption and anoyaunce of those that were diseased deliuered vp the Castell before the returne of the messengers againe and were permitted to goe whether they would to refresh themselues as men molested with great vexation miseries After the rendring vp of the Castell the king committed the custody therof to hys sonne Edmund and so with hys host departing from the siege came vpon Christmans euens euen to Osney where he with great solemnity and triumph kept his Christmas during seuen dayes and from thence with hys host came to windsore from whence after a few dayes he marched towardes Ely In whiche Iland he besieged those which were disherited and sharpely assaulted them The same yeare Pope Clement the 4. promoted maister Walter Giffard Byshop of Bathe to be Archbishop of Yorke In which yeare also the Church of England began to pay the tenthes of all their reuenues as wel spirituall as temporall to the king to continue for 3. yeares space and this was done by the authoritie Apostolicall Within a while after the Barons which were yet remayning gathered themselues together agayne Amongst whome Iohn Daywile being a subtile and stoute man of warre began to haue a name was well esteemed amongest them who altogether did what mischiefe they might and in the moneth of May they assembled at Chesterfield vnder the sayd Iohn Daywile the Earle Ferarence vpon whom the kinges souldiours comming sodenly in the night toke them sleping and slue many of them Then the sayd Iohn Daywile quickly arming himselfe came forth thinking with more defence both to saue himself and to escape who in the way stroke the Lord Gilbert Humsard such a blow with his dimilance that he feld both him his horse to that ground so fled with a few more after him And thus whilest the poore souldiors fought were slayn the Barōs fled away saued thēselues Also the Erle Ferarence fled hid himself in a Church But being be wrayed by a womā he was taken forth and led away prisoner After this the king kept a parliament at Northampton where he disherited all those that tooke any part with the Erle Simon al their childrē where also the Popes Legate Octobonus held a conuocation and excōmunicated al such bishops as had taken any part with Simon against the king of whō diuers he sent vp to Rome to be absoyled of the pope and farther the said Legate caused to be proclaymed certain decrees which he himselfe had made And also the new graūt of Pope Clemēt to the king and Queene of al the tenthes for seuen yeres to come And shortly after a taxe also was fined vpon that country of Norfolke to the gathering wherof Walter the byshop of Norwich was appoynted Ex Scala mundi After this in the yeare of our Lord. 1267. King Henry besieged agayne the Castell of Kenelworth from the 7. day before the first day of Iuly vntil the beginning of December whether came Octobonus that Popes Legate by whose intreaty Henry Hastinges deliuered the same vnto the K. which stoutly had defended the same and resisted the kyng hauing pardon graunted both for him and hys of his lyfe landes goodes and cattels In which tyme also the Barons agayne assembled with Iohn Dayuile in the I le of Axioline so proceeded till they came to Lincolne which also they tooke and spoyled the Iewes and slue many of them And curring their Sinagoge teare and rent the book of their law and burnt the same and all other writinges obligations which they could come by which thing when the king heard he sent thither hys sonne prince Edward but as soone as they heard that they fled into the I le of Ely and fortified the same with Bulwarkes as strongly as they might at euery entraunce into the same This was in the month of Aprill when Edward the kinges sonne came thither Who for the great aboundaunce of waters in the same could by no meanes enter the Iland til at length by the counsayle of the inhabitauntes of that prouince he caused with a number of workmen great trenches and ditches to be made somewhat to conuey away the water And so long vsed the Counsayle of them in making bridges with planks and hurdles till at last they entred the Iland who as soone as they were entred the Barons fled to London where they were of the Londiners well entertayned The rest which were in the Iland yelded themselues amongest whom was Roger Wake Simō the yonger and Peches sauing their liues and members After this both the King and Edward his sonne came to Londō with a great power but yet were kept out of
golde and rich coueringes as Eneas Siluius writeth were aboue the number of two hundreth Ioannes Cocleus in his booke De historia Hussitarū speaking of the bookes of Wickliffe testifyeth that he wrot very many bookes sermons and tractations Moreouer the said Cocleus speaking of himselfe recordeth also that there was a certaine Bishop in England which wrot vnto him declaring that he had yet remayning in his custodye two huge and mighty volumes of Iohn Wickliffes workes which for the quantity therof might seme to be equal with the workes of S. Augustine Haec Cocleus Amongest other of his Treatises I my selfe also haue found out certayne as de censu veritate scripturae Item De Ecclesia Item De Eucharistia confessio Wickleui whiche I entend hereafter the Lord so graunting to publish abroad As concerning certayne aunsweres of Iohn Wickliffe which he wrote to king Richard the 2. touching the right and title of the king and of the Pope because they are but short I thought here to annexe them The effect whereof here foloweth ¶ Iohn Wickliffes aunswere vnto K. Richard the second as touching the right and title of the king and the Pope IT was demaunded whether the kingdom of England may lawfully in case of necessity for his own defence deteyne and kepe backe the treasure of the kingdome that it be not caried away to forreine straunge nations the pope himselfe demaunding and requiring the same vnder pain of censure and by vertue of obedience Wickliffe setting a part the minds of learned mē what might be sayd in the matter either by the canon law or by the law of England or the ciuil law it resteth saith he now onely to perswade and proue the affirmatiue part of this doubt by the principles of Christes law And first I proue it thus Euery natural body hath power geuen of God to resist agaynst his contrary and to preserue it selfe in due estate as the Philosophers knew very well In somuch that bodyes without life are indued with such kinde of power as it is euidēt vnto whom hardnes is geuen to resist those thinges that woulde breake it and coldnes to withstād the heat that dissolueth it Forsomuch then as the kingdome of England after the maner and phrase of the Scriptures ought to be one body the clergy with the communalty the members thereof it seemeth that the same kingdome hath such power geuē him of god and so much the more apparaunt by how much the same body is more precious vnto God adorned with vertue knowledge For somuch thē as there is no power geuē of god vnto any creature for any end or purpose but that he may lawfully vse the same to that end and purpose It followeth that our kingdome may lawfully keep backe and deteyn theyr treasure for the defence of it selfe in what case soeuer necessity do require the same Secondarily the same is proued by the law of y◠gospell For the Pope cannot challenge y◠treasure of this kingdom but vnder the title of almes consequētly vnder the pretence of the works of mercy according to the rule of charity But in case aforesayd the title of almes ought vtterly to cease Ergo the right and title of chalenging the treasure of our Realme shall cease also in the presupposed necessitie For so much as all charitie hath his beginning of himselfe it were no worke of charitie but of meere madnes to send away the treasures of the realme vnto forreine natiōs wherby the Realme it selfe may fall into ruine vnder y◠pretence of such charitie It appeareth also by this that Christ the head of the Church whom all Christen Priests ought to follow liued by the almes of deuoute women Luke 7.8 He hungred and thyrsted he was a straunger and many other miseries he sustained not onely in his mēbers but also in his owne body as the Apostle witnesseth Cor. viii He was made poore for your sakes that through his pouertie you might be rich wherby in the first endowīg of the Church what soeuer he were of the Clergy that had any temporall possessiōs he had the same by forme of a perpetuall almes as both writinges and Chronicles do witnesse Whereupon S. Barnard declaring in his 2. booke to Eugenius that he could not chalenge any secular dominion by right of succession as being the vicar of S. Peter writeth thus that if S. Iohn should speake vnto the pope himselfe as Barnard doth vnto Eugenius were it to be thought that he would take it patiently But let it be so that you do challenge it vnto you by some other wayes or meanes but truely by any right or title Apostolicall you can not so doe For how could he geue vnto you that which he had not himselfe That which he had he gaue you that is to say care ouer the Church but did he geue you any Lordships or rule Harke what he sayth Not bearing rule sayth he as Lordes in the Clergy but behauing your selues as examples to the flocke And because thou shalt not thinke it to be spoken only in humility and not in verity marke the word of the Lord him selfe in the Cospell The kinges of the people do rule ouer them but you shall not do so Here Lordship and dominion is plainely forbidden to the Apostles and darest thou then vsurpe the same If thou will be a Lord thou shalt lose thine Apostleship or if thou wilt be an Apostle thou shalt lose thy Lordship For truely thou shalt depart from the one of them If thou wilt haue both thou shalt lose both or els thinke thy selfe to be of that number of whom God doth so greatly complayne saying They haue raigned but not through me They are become Princes and I haue not knowne it Now if it do suffice thee to rule with the Lord thou hast thy glory but not with God But if we will keepe that which is forbidden vs let vs heare what is sayd he that is the greatest amongest you sayth Christ shal be made as the least and he which is the highest shal be as the minister and for example set a childe in the middest of thē So this then is the true forme and institution of the Apostles trade Lordship and rule is forbidden ministration and seruice commaunded By these wordes of this blessed man whom the whole Church doth reuerence and worship it doth appeare that the Pope hath not power to occupy the Church goodes as Lord therof but as minister and seruaunt and proctor for the poore And would to God that the same proud greedy desire of rule Lordship which this seat doth chalenge vnto it be not a preamble to prepare a way vnto Antechrist For it is euident by the Gospell that Christ through his pouerty humility suffering of iniury got vnto him the children of his kingdome And moreouer so farre as I remember the same blessed mā Barnard in his 3. booke writeth also
the simple Also they shall instantly preache wythout deuotion or example of the Martyrs and shall detract the seculer princes taking away the sacraments of the church from the true pastors receiuing almes of the poore diseased and miserable and also associating them selues with the common people hauing familiaritie with women instructing them howe they shall deceiue their husbandes and friendes by their flatterye and deceitfull wordes and rob their husbandes to geue it vnto them for they will take all these stollen and euill gotten and say geue it vnto vs and we will pray for you so that they beyng curious to hide other mens faultes doe vtterly forget their owne and alas they will receiue all thinges of rouers pickers spoylers theeues and robbers of sacrilegious persons vserers adulterers Heretikes Schismatikes Apostataies whores and baudes of noble men periurers merchantes false iudges souldiours tyrantes princes of such as liue contrary to the law and of many peruers and wicked men following the persuasion of the deuil the sweetnes of sinne a delicate and transitory life and fulnes euen vnto eternall damnation All these things shall manifestly appeare in them vnto all people and they day by day shal waxe more wicked and hard hearted whē as their wickednes and disceits shal be found out then shall theyr gifts cease and then shal they go about their houses hungry as mad dogs loking down vpon the earth drawing in their necks as doues that they might bee satisfied with bread then shall the people crye out vpon them Woe be vnto you ye miserable children of sorow the worlde hath seduced you the deuil hath brideled your mouthes your flesh is frayle and your heartes without sauour your mindes haue bene vnstedfast and your eyes delighted in much vanitie and folly your daintie bellies desire delicate meates Your feete swift to runne vnto mischief remember when you were apparantly blessed yet enuious poore but rich simple mightie deuout flatterers vnfaithfull betrayers peruerse detracters holy hipocrites subuerters of the truth ouermuch vpright proude vnshamefast vnstedfast teachers delicate marters confessours for gaine meeke slaunderers religious couetous humble proud pitifull hard harted liers pleasant flatterers peace makers persecutors oppressors of the poore bringing in new sects newly inuented of your selues mercifull wicked louers of the world sellers of pardons spoylers of benefices vnprofitable orators sedicious cōspirators dronkards desirers of honor maintainers of mischiefe robbers of the worlde vnsaciable preachers men pleasers seducers of women and sowers of discorde for Moyses the glorious prophet spake very well of you in his song A people without coūcel or vnderstanding would to God they did know vnderstand and foresee the end You haue builded vp an high and when you could ascend no hier then did you fall euen as Symon Magus whom God ouerthrew and did strike with a cruel plage so you likewise thorowe your false doctrine naughtines lies detractions and wickednes are come to ruine and the people shall say vnto them goe yee teachers of wickednesse subuerters of the truth brethren of the Sunamitie fathers of heresies false apostles which haue fained your selues to followe the life of the Apostles and yet haue not fulfilled it in no part sonnes of iniquitie we wil not follow the knowledge of your waies for pride presumption hath deceiued you and insaciable cōcupiscence hath subuerted your erroneous hearts And whē as yet would ascēd hier thē was mete or comely for you by the iust iudgement of God you are fallen backe into perpetual opprobry and shame Thys blessed Hildegardis whose prophecy this is flourished about the yeare of our Lord a 1546. as it is wrytten in Martins chronicles Also Hugo in his second boke of sacraments in the 2. parte 3. chapter and 7. sayth the laity forsomuch as they entermedle wyth earthly matters necessary vnto an earthly life they are the least part of the body of Christ. And the clergy for so much as they doe dispose those things which pertaine vnto a spirituall life are as it were the right side of the body of Christ and afterward interpreting both these partes him selfe he sayeth A spirituall man ought to haue nothing but such as pertaineth vnto God vnto whom it is appoynted to be sustained by the tithes and oblations whych are offered vnto God But vnto the Christian and faithfull laietie the possession of the earth is graunted and vnto the cleargie the hole charge of spiritual matters is committed as it was in the old Testament And in his 7. chapter he declareth howe that certaine things are geuen vnto the Church of Christ by the deuotion of the faithfull the power and authority of the seculer power reserued least there might happen any confusion For so much as God him selfe cannot alow no disordered thing Wherupon oftētimes the worldly princes do graunt the bare vse of the church and oftentimes vse and power to exercise iustice which the clergy cannot exercise by any Ecclesiasticall minister or any one person of the clergy Notwithstāding they may haue certain lay persōs ministers vnto that office But in such sort sayeth he that they do acknowledge the power which they haue to come from the seculer prince or ruler and that they do vnderstand their possessions can neuer be alternate away from the kings power but if that necessity or reason doe require the same possessions in all such case of necessity do owe him obeisance and seruice For like as the kings power ought not to turne away the defence or sauegarde which he oweth vnto other so likewise the possessions obtained and possessed by the clergy according to the duty and homage which is due vnto the patronage of the kings power cannot by right be denied Thus much wryteth Hugo In the third acte the same yeare after the feast of S. Vitis as touching Tithes c. ¶ Tithes are pure almes VPon this article it is to be noted that for so much as almes is a worke of mercy as S. Augustine Chrysostome and others do ioyntly affirme and that mercy according to Lincolniensis minde for the present is a loue or desire to helpe the miserable out of his misery and for so much as the misery of mankinde is double that is to say spirituall and bodily the whiche is the want or taking away of the good and the goodes of man is eyther the goodes of the soule or of the body And the goods of the soule is double That is to say the lighting of the minde the vprightnes of affection the misery of the soule is also double as the darcknes of ignorance and a froward and wilfull sweruing from the truth And both the goodes of the soule are wont to be comprehended vnder one title of name that is to say wisdom and both the miseries of the soule vnder the name of follie Wherupon all the hole goodnes of the soule is wisdom and all the hole misery thereof is ignoraunce the miseries of the
knowledge mee guiltie so as I knew no errour in theÌ„ of which I should be guilty therfore the Byshop sate in dome in mine abseÌ„ce and deemed me an heriticke a schismaticke and a teacher of errours and denounced me accursed that I come not to correction of the Church And therefore for this vnrightfull iugement I appeale to the kinges Iustices for many other causes One cause is for the kynges Court in such matter is aboue the Byshops court For after that the Byshop has accursed he may no feare by his law but theÌ„ mote he sech succour of the kinges law and by a writ of Significauit put a man in prison The second cause is for in cause of heresie there liggeth iudgement of death that dome may not be geuen without the kinges Iustices For the Byshop will say Nobis non licet interficere quenquam That is It is not lawfull for vs to kill anye man as they sayden to Pilate when Christ should be deemed And for I thinke that no Iustice wil geue sodenly vntrue dome as the Byshop did and therfore openly I appeale to hem and send my conclusioÌ„s to the Knightes of the Parliament to be shewed to the Lordes and to be taken to the Iustices to be wel auiset or that they geuen dome The thirde cause is for it was a false dome for no man is an hereticke but he that maisterfully defends his error or heresie and stifly maintaines it And mine auÌ„swere has ben alway coÌ„ditional as the people openly knows for euer I say yet say alway will that if they caâ—nen shew me by Gods law that I haue erret I wil gladly ben ameÌ„det and reuoke mine errours and so I am no hereticke ne neuer more in Gods grace will ben en no wise The fourth cause is For the Bishops lawe that they deme men by is full of errours and heresies contrary to the truth of Christes law of the Gospell For there as Christs law biddes vs loue our enemies the Popes law geues vs leaue to hate them to sley them and grauntes men pardon to werren againe heatheÌ„ men and sley hem And there as Christes lawe teache vs to be mercifull the Bishops lawe teaches to be wretchfull For death is the greatest wretch that meÌ„ mowen done on him that guilty is There as Christes law teaches vs to blessen him that diseazen vs and to pray for him the popes law teacheth to curse them and in theyr great sentence that they vsen they presume to damne hem to hell that they cursen And this is a foule heresy of blaspheme there as Christes law byddes vs be patient the Popes law iustifies two swords that wherwith he smiteth the sheepe of the Church And he has made Lordes and Kings to sweare to defend him and his Church There as Christes law forbiddeth vs lecheâ—y the popes law iustifies the abhominable whoredome of coÌ„mon women and the Bishops in some place haue a great tribute or rent of whoredome There as Christes lawe byddes to minister spirituall thynges freely to the people the Pope with his law selles for mony after the quaÌ„tity of the gift as pardons orders blessing and Sacraments prayers benefices preaching to the people as it is knowne amongest them There as Christes law teaches peace the Pope wyth his law assoyles meÌ„ for mony to gader the people priests and other to fight for his cause There as Christes law forbids swearing The popes law iustifieth swearing and compels men therto Wheras Christes law teacheth his Priests to be poore the Pope with his law iustifies and mayntaynes Priests to be Lordes And yet the 5 cause is for the Popes law that byshops demen men by is the same vnrightfull law that Christ was demet by of the Byshops with the Scribes and with the Pharises For right as at that time they gauen more credens to the 2. false witnesses that witnessed agaynst Christ then they deden to al the people that witnesseden to his true preaching and his miracles so the Bishops of the Popes law geuen more leuen by their law to two hereticks Apostats or two comen wymen that woulden witnesseden agaynes a man in the cause of heresy than to thousands of people that were trew and good And for the Pope is thys Antechrist and his law contrary to Christ his lawe fully I forsake this law and so I reed all Christen menne For thus by an other poynt of this law they mighten coÌ„quere much of this world For whan they can by this law preseÌ„t a man an hereticke his goods shulen be forfet from him froÌ„ his heyres and so might they lightly haue 2. or 3. false witnesses to recorde an heresye agayne what true man so hem liked Herefore me thinkes that whatsoeuer that I am a christen man I may lawfull appeale froÌ„ a false dome of the law to be righteouslye demet by the trouth of Gods law And if this appeale will not serue I appeale opeÌ„ly to my Lord Iesu Christ that shall deme all the world for he I wot well will not spare for no man to deeme a trouth And therfore I pray GOD almighty with Dauid in the Sauter booke Deus iudicium tuum regi da iustitiam tuam filio regis Iudicare populum tuum in iustitia pauperes tuos in iudicio That is O God geue they iudgement to the king and thy iustice to the kings sonne to iudge thy people in iustice and thy poore ones in iudgement c. ¶ A letter sent to the Nobles and Burgesies of the Parliament by M. William Swinderby IEsu that art both God and man help thy people that louen thy law and make knowne through thy grace thy teachinge to all christen men Deare sirs so as we seen by many tokens that this world drawes to an end all that euer haue bene forth brought of Adams kinde into this world shuleÌ„ come togeder at domesday riche and poore ichone to geue accompt and receiue after hys deedes ioy or paynen for euermore Therfore make we our werks good ye while that God of mercy abides and be yee stable and true to God and ye shulen see hys helpe about you Constantes estore videbitis auxilium Domini super vos This land is full of Ghostly cowardes in Ghostly battayle few dare stand But Christ the comforter of all that falleth to that his hart barst for our loue agaynst the fiend the doughty Duke comforteth vs thus Estote fortes in bello c. Be ye strong in battell he sayes and fight ye with the olde adder State in fide viriliter agite c. Wake ye pray ye stond ye in beleue do ye manly and be ye comfortet and let all your thinges be done with charity For Saynt Paule bidds thus in his Epistle that saw the preuetyes of God in heauen Euigilate iusti c. Awake ye that bene righteous men bee yee stable
for other as wel the great as the small ceremonies of the lawe It is plaine that the tithes were geuen to the sonnes of Leui for their seruing in the tabernacle in the temple of the Lord as the first fruites were geuen to the priestes and also part of the sacrifices so were the vowes for their ministery as it appeareth in the booke of Numbers the 22. chapter But forasmuch as the labor of those sacrifices did cease at the comming of Christ howe should those thyngs be demaunded which were ordained for that labour And seeing that the first fruits were not demaunded of Christians which first fruits were then rather and soner demanded then the tithes why must the tithes be demanded except it be therefore paraduenture because that the tythes be more worth in value then be the first fruites Secondly why are the lay people bouÌ„d to the paiment of tithes more then the Leuites and the priests were to the not hauing of possessions of realties Lordships amongst their brethren seeing that the selfe same lawe in the selfe same place where he sayeth that the tithes ought to be geuen to Leuites sayth also to the Leuites you shall be contented with the offering of the tithes and haue none other thyng amongst your brethren Wherefore seeing that the Priestes be bounde to the not hauing of temporall Lordshippes how are the lay people bouÌ„d by that law of God he meaneth and not of man to the paiment of tithes Thirdly as touching circumcision which is one of the greater ceremonies of the lawe and was geuen before the law was an vniuersall ceremonie concerning the couenant betwene God hys people and was so much regarded in the law that thereof it was sayde The soule whose flesh shall not be circumcised in the foreskin shall pearysh from amongest his people yet did thys ceremonie vtterly cease at the comming of Christe although that certayne of the Iewes did say in the primatiue Church that the Christians must needes kepe the commandement of circumcision with the faith whom Paule reprooueth wryting thus to the Galathians the 4. chapter where he speaketh of the children of the bondwoman of the free woman which do signify the two Testaments But we O brethren are the children of the promise after Isaac but like as at that time he that was borne after the flesh did persecute hym which was after the spirit euen so it is now also But what saith the scripture Throw out the bondwoman and her sonne The sonne of the bondwoman shall not be heire wyth the sonne of the free woman Wherefore brethreÌ„ we are not the sonnes of the bondwoman but of the free Sâ—ad ye stedfast in the liberty wherwith Christ hath deliuered you and be not ye holden againe vnder the yoke of slauery Behold I Paule say vnto you if you be circumcised Christ shall nothing profite you For I testifie againe to euery man that circumciseth hymselfe that hee is bounde to keepe all the whole law Ye are vtterly voide of Christ whosoeuer will be iustified in the law are fallen from grace In like maner we may reason if we be bounde to tything we are debters bound to keepe al the whole law For to say that men are bound to one ceremony of the law not to the others is no reasonable saying Either therefore we are bound to them all or to none Also that by the same olde lawe men are not bound to pay tithes it may be shewed by many reasons which we nede not any more to multiply encrease because the things that be sayd are sufficient Whereupon some do say that by the Gospell we are bound to pay tithes because Christ saide to the Pharisies Math. 23. chapter Woe be you Scribes and Pharisies whych pay your tithe of Mint of Anets seede and of commin and leaue iudgement mercy and trueth vndone being the weightier things of the lawe both shuld ye haue done these things and also not haue left the other vndone O ye blinde guides that straine out a gnat and swallowe vp a camell Thys worde soundeth not as a commaundement or manner of bidding wherby Christ did command tithes to be geuen but it is a worde of disalowing the hypocrisie of the Pharisies who of couetousnesse dyd rather weigh and esteeme tithes because of their owne singulare commoditie rather then other great and weighty commaundements of the lawe And me seemeth that our men are in the same predicament of the Pharisies which doe leaue of al the ceremonies of the old law keping onely the coÌ„mandement of tything It is manifest and plaine inoughe by the premisses and by other places of the scripture that Christ was a priest after the order of Melchisedech of the tribe of Iuda not of the tribe of Leuie who gaue no newe commaundement of tything of any thing to him and to hys priests whome he would place after him but wheÌ„ hys Apostles sayd to him Behold we leaue all things haue followed thee what then shall we haue hee did not aunswere them thus Tithes shall be paide you neither dyd he promise them a temporall but an euerlasting rewarde in heauen For hee both for foode and also apparell taught his disciples not to be carefull Be ye not carefull for your life what ye shall eate or for your body what ye shall put on Is not the life of man more worth then the meate and the body more worth then apparell Beholde ye the birds of heauen whych do not sow nor reape neither yet lay vp in barnes and yet your heaueÌ„ly father feedeth them And as for apparell why should you be carefull Consider the lillies of the field how they grow they labour not neither do they spinne c. In conclusion he sayth be not yee carefull saying what shall we eate or what shal we drinke or wherwithall shall we be couered For all these things doe the Gentiles seeke after For your father knoweth that you haue neede of all these things First therefore seeke yee for the kingdome of God and the righteousnes therof and all these things shall be cast vnto you And Paule ryght well remembring this doctrine instructeth Timothe and sayth thus But we hauing foode and wherewithall to be couered let vs therewyth be contented And as the Acts of the Apostles doe declare In the first conuersion of the Iewes at Ierusalem they had all thinges common and to euery one was diuision made as nede required Neither did the priestes make the tithes theyr owne proper goodes For like as it was not meete that the lay people being conuerted should haue proprietie of goods euen so neither that priests should haue proprietie of tithes So that if the priests started backe from feruent charitie in chalenging to themselues the proprietie of tithes it is no meruaile of departing backward as do the priests froÌ„ the perfection of charitie also of the laitie to be
and laye men whether in defect of the other they may exercise the action of praier and administration of Sacraments belonging to Priests wherein he declareth the vse receiued in the Popes Churche for women to Raptise which sayth he cannot be without remission of sinnes wherefore seeing that women haue power by the Pope to remit sinne and to baptise why may they not aswell be admitted to minister the Lordes Supper in like case of necessity Wherin also he maketh relation of Pope Iohn 8. a woman Pope mouing certayne Questions of her All whiche for breuitye I pretermitte proceeding to the ministration of prayer and blessing or sanctification appropriate to the office of Priestes as followeth Furthermore as touching the fūction office of praying and blessing whereunto Priestes seme to be ordeined to omitte here the question whether women may pray in Churches in lacke of other meete persons it remayneth now also to prosecute Christ being desired of his Disciples to teach them to pray gaue them the common prayer both to men and women to the which prayer in my estimation no other is to be compared For in that first the whole honor due vnto the deity is comprehended Secondly whatsoeuer is necessary for vs both for the time present or past or for time to come is there desired praid for He informeth vs besides to pray secretly and also briefly secretly to enter into our close chāber and there in secrecy he willeth vs to pray vnto his father And sayth moreouer when ye pray vse not much babling or many words as doth the heathen For they thinke in their long and prolixe praying to be heard Therfore be you not like to thē By the which doctrine he calleth vs away frō the errors of the healthē Gentils frō whom proceed these superstitious maner of actes or rather of ignoraunces as Necromancy the art of diuinatiō other spises of coniuratiō not vnknown to them that be learned for these Necromansers beleue one place to be of greater vertue then an other there to be heard sooner then in an other Like as Balaam being hyred to curse the people of God by his arte of southsaying or cherming when he could not accomplish his purpose in one place he remoued to an other but he in the end was deceiued of hys desire For he intending first to curse them was not able to accurse thē whom the Lord blessed so that his curse coulde not hurt any of all that people After like sort the Nicromancers turne theyr face to the East as to a place more apt for theyr prayers Also the Necromāsers beleue that the vertue of the words of the prayer the curiosity therof causeth thē to bring to the effect which they seek after which is also another poynt of infidelity vsed much of Charmers Sorcerers Inchaūters Southsayers such like Out of the same arte I feare proceedeth the practise of exorcising wherby deuils spirits be coniured to do that wherunto they are inforced by the Exorcist Also wherby other creatures likewise are exorcised or coniured so that by the vertue of their exorcisme they may haue theyr power and strength exceeding all naturall operation In the Church of Rome many such exorcismes coniurations be practised are called of them benedictions or halowings But here I aske of these Exorcisers whether they beleue the thinges and creatures so exorcised and halowed haue that operation and efficacy geuē them which they pretēd If they so beleue euery child may see that they are farre beguiled For holy water being of them exorcised or cōiured hath no such power in it neither cā haue which they in theyr exorcisme do cōmaund For there they inioyn and commaund that whersoeuer that water is sprinckled all vexatiō or infestatiō of the vnclean spirit should auoid and that no pestilēt spirit there should abide c. But most playn it is that no water be it neuer so holy can haue any such power so to do as it is commaunded to wit to be an vniuersall remedy to expell all diseases This I woulde aske of these Exorcistes whether in theyr commaunding they do coniure or adiure the thinges conuired to be of an higher vertue and operation thē their own nature doth geue Or els whether they in their prayers desire of God that he wil infude into them that vertue which they require If they in theyr commaunding doe so beleue thē do they beleue that they haue that power in thē to the which the inferior power of the thing exorcised must obey in receiuing that which is commaunded And so doing are much more deceiued forasmuch as they see themselues that they which are so authorised to the office of exorcising say to the deuill being coniured Go he goeth not And to an other come and he cōmeth not many thinges els they commaūd the inferior spirite their subiect to do he doth not So in like case when they pray to God to make the water to be of such vertue that it may be to them health of mind and body and that it may be able to expulse euery vncleane spirit to chase away all maner of distemperature and pestilence of the ayre being an vnreasonable petition asked sore displeasing to God it is to be feared least theyr benediction their halowing blessing is chaūged into cursing according to that saying that followeth And now O you priests I haue a message to say vnto you If you will not heare and beare well away in your mindes to geue the glory vnto my name sayth the Lord God of hostes I will send scarcety amongest you and I wyll curse your blessings What things and how many are blessed or halowed in the Churche that in halowing thereof displease God and are accursed And therfore according to the saying of S. Iames they aske are not heard because the aske not as they should that they in theyr owne dsires may perish Let a man beholde the blessing or halowing of their fire water incense waxe bread wine the church the aultar the Churchyard ashes belies copes pallmes oile candles salt the hallowing of the ring the bed the staffe of many such like things I beleue that a man shall find out many errors of the hethē Magicians Witches southsayers and charmers And notwithstanding the auncient and old Magicians in their bookes commaund those that be coniurers that they in any wise liue deuoutly for otherwise as they say the spirites will not obey their cōmaūdements and coniuratiōs yet the Romane cōiurers do impute it to the vertue of the holy wordes because they be they which worke and not the holynes of the coniurers How commeth it to passe that they say the thinges consecrated of a cursed and vicious Iauell should haue so great vertue in pronouncing as they say the holy and misticall words as if they were pronoūced of a Priest neuer so
lamentable and dolerous genealogie of mortall and deadly sinnes did chalenge that place by title of heritage and this conclusion is generall and approued by experieÌ„ce custome and maner as ye shall after heare The second conclusion that our vsuall Priesthode which tooke his originall at Rome fained to be a power higher then aungels is not that Priesthoode which Christ orâ—cyned vnto his disciples This coÌ„clusion is thus proued forso much as the Romish priesthod is done with signes and pontificall rites and ceremonies and benedictions of no force effect neither hauing any ground in scripture for so much as the Bishops ordinall and the new Testament do nothing at all agree neither do we see that the holy Ghost both geue any good gift through any such signs or ceremonies because that he together with all noble good giftes cannot coÌ„sist and be in any person wyth deadly sinne The corolary or effect of this conclusion is that it is a lamentable and dolorous mockerye vnto wise men to see the Byshops mocke play with the holy Ghost in the geuing of their orders because they geue crowns for their characters and markes in stede of white hartes this caracter is the marke of Antichrist brought into the holy Church to cloke and colour their idlenesse The third conclusion that the law of chastity enioyned vnto priesthode the which was first ordeined to the preiudice of women induceth Sodomy into the church but we doe excuse vs by the Bible because the suspect decree doeth say that we should not name it Both reason experience proueth this coÌ„clusion Reason thus forsomuch as the delicate feeding and fare of the Clergy will haue either a naturall purgation or some worse Experience thus for somuch as the secrete triall and proofe or suche men is yâ— they do delite in women And whensoeuer thou doest prooue or see such a man marke him well for he is one of the number The corolarie of this conclusion is that these priuate religions with the beginners therof ought most chiefly to be disanulled as the original of the sinne and offence But God of hys might doth of priuie sinnes send open vengeance The fourth conclusion that most harmeth the innocent people is this that the fained miracle of the Sacrament of bread inducoth al men except it be a very few vnto idolatry For somuch as they thinke that the body whych shall neuer bee oute of heauen is by the vertue of the Priestes wordes essentially included in the little breade the which they doe shewe vnto the people But woulde to God they would beleeue that which the Euangelicall Doctour teacheth vs in his Trialoge Quòd panis altaris est accidentaliter Corpus Christi i. that the breade of the aulter is the body of Christ accidentally for so muche as wee suppose that by that meanes euery faithful man and woman in the law of God may make the Sacrament of that bread without any such miracle The corolarie of this conclusion is that albeit the body of Christ be endowed with the eternal ioy the seruice of Corpus Christi made by Frier Thomas is not true but painted ful of false miracles neither is it any maruell for so much as frier Thomas at that time taking part with the Pope would haue made a myracle of a hens egge and we knowe it very well that euery lie openly preached and taught both turne to the rebuke opprobry of him whych is alwayes true without any lacke The 5. conclusion is this that the exorcisme halowings consecrations and blessings ouer the Wine Bread Waxe Water Dyle Salte Incence the Aulter stone and about the Churche walles ouer the Westiment Chalice Miter Crosse and Pilgrimstaues are the very practises of Nigromancy rather then of sacred diuinity This conclusion is thus prooued because that by suche exorcismes the creatures are honored to be of more force power then by their own proper nature for we do not see any alteration or chaunge in any creature so exorcised except it be by false faith which is the principall poynt of deuilish art The cocolarie of this is that if the booke of exorcisation or coniuring of holy water which is sprinkled in the Church were altogether faithfull and true we thinke certainly that holy water vsed in the Churche were the best medicine for all kinde of sicknesse and sores Cuius contrarium experimur i. the contrary wherof daily experience doth teach vs. The sixt conclusion which mainteineth much pride is that a king and Bishop both in one person a Prelate and iustice in temporall causes a Curate an Officer in worldly office doth make euery kingdome out of good order This conclusion is manifest because the temporalty and the spirituality are two parts of the holy vniuersal Church and therfore he which addicteth himself to the one part let hym not intermeddle wyth the other Quia nemo potest duobus Dominis seruire wherfore to be called Amphroditae whyche are men of both kindes or Ambidextri which is such as can play with both handes were good names for suche men of double estates The Corolary of thys conclusion is that therupon we the procuratours of God in this case doe sue vnto the Parliament that it may be enacted that all suche as be of the clergie as well of the highest degree as of the lowest shuld be fully excused and occupy themselues with their owne cure and charge and not wyth others The seuenth conclusion that wee mightely affirme is that spirituall prayers made in the church for the soules of the deade preferring any one man by name more then an other is a false foundation of almes whereuppon all the houses of almes in England are falsly founded This conclusion is prooued by two reasons The one is that a meritorious praier of any force or effect ought to be a worke proceeding from meere charity and perfect charity accepteth no person because thou shalt loue thy neighbor as thy self Wherby it appeareth that the benefit of any temporall gift bestowed geuen vnto priestes and houses of almes is the principall cause of any speciall prayers the which is not farre different from sunonie The other reason is that euery speciall prayer made for men condemned to eternall punishment is very displeasant before God And albeit it be doubtful yet is it very likely vnto the faithfull Christian people that the founders of euery suche house of almes for their wicked endowing of the same are for the most part passed by the broad way The corolary is that euery praier offorce and effect proceeding of perfect charitie woulde comprehend generally all such whom God wold haue saued and to liue The marchaundise of special praiers now vsed for the dead maketh mendicant possessioners other hierling priestes which otherwise were strong enough to worke to serue the whole realme And maintaineth the same in idlenesse to the great
charge of the realme because it was prooued in a certaine booke which the king hath that a hundreth houses of almes are sufficient for the whole realme And thereby might peraduenture greater increase and profite come vnto the temporalitie The 8. conclusion needefull to tel the people beguiled is that pilgrimages praiers and oblations made vnto blinde crosses or roodes or to deafe images made eyther of woode or stone are very neare of kinde vnto Idolatry and farre different frō almes And albeit that these thyngs which are forbidden and imagined are the booke of errour vnto the common people notwithstanding the vsual and common image of the Trinity is most especially abhominable This conclusion God himselfe doeth openly manyfest commaunding almes to be geuen to the poore needy man for he is the image of God in more perfite similitude and likenesse then any blocke or stone For God did not say let vs make a blocke or stone vnto our likenes and image but let vs make man for so muche as the supreme highest honor which the clergy calleth Latria pertaineth only to the Godhead the inferior honour which clergy call Dulia pertaineth vnto men and angels and to none other inferior creature The corolarie is the the seruice of the crosse celebrate twise euery yere in our church is ful of idolatry For if roode tree nailes and speare ought so profoundly to be honoured and worshipped then were Iudas lippes if any man could get them a marueilous goodly relique But thou Pilgrime we pray thee tell vs when thou doest offer to the bones of the Saintes and holy men whych are layd vp in any place whether dost thou relieue therby the holy man which is already in ioy or that almes house that is so well endowed whereas they are canonised the Lord knoweth howe and to speake more plaine euery faithfull Christian may well iudge and suppose that the strokes of that same man whom they calls Thomas were no came of Martyrdome nor yet be The 9. conclusion that keepeth the people low is that auricular confession which is said to be so necessary for saluation the fained power of absolution exalteth and setteth vp the pride of priests and geueth them oportunity of other secrete talkes which we will not at thys tune talke of for so much as both Lordes and Ladies doe witnes that for feare of their confessors they dare not speake the truth and in time of confession is good oportunitie ministred of wooing or to play the baudes or to make other secret conuentions to deadly sinne They affirme and say that they are commissaries sent of God to iudge discerne of al maner sinne to pardone and clense what so euer please them They say also that they haue the keyes of heauen and hell that they can excommunicate curse and blesse binde and loose at theyr owne will and pleasure in so muche that for a small rewarde or for 12. d. they will sell the blessyng of heauen by charter and clause of warrantes sealed by theyr commō seale This conclusion is so common in vse that it nedeth not any probation The corolarie hereof is that the Pope of Rome whych fained himselfe to be the profounde treasurer of the whole Church hauing that same woorthy iewell which is the treasure of the passion of Christ in hys owne keping and custody together with the merites of all the saintes in heauen wherby he geueth fained indulgences and pardons a poena culpa Hee is a treasurer almost banished out of chariti wherby he may deliuer al captiues being in purgatory at hys pleasure and make them not to come there But heere euery faithfull Christian may easily perceiue that there is much falshode hid in our church The 10. that manslaughter either by warre or by any pretensed law of iustice for any temporall cause or spirituall reuelation is expresly contrary vnto the newe Testamēt which is the law of grace full of mercy This conclusion is euidently proued by the examples of the preachyng of Christ heere in earth who chiefly teacheth euery man to loue his enemies and haue compassiō vpon them and not to kill and murther them The reason is this that for the most part when as men do fight after the first stroke charity is broken and whosoeuer dieth without charity goth the right way to hell And beside that we doe well vnderstand know that none of the clergy neither by any other lawfull reason can deliuer any man from the punishment of death for one deadly sinne and not for an other but the law of mercy which is the new Testament forbiddeth all maner of murther For in the Gospell it is spoken vnto our forefathers thou shalt not kil The corolary is It is a very robbing of the people when Lordes purchase indulgences and pardons a poena culpa vnto such as do helpe their armies to kil and murther the christian people in soreine countreys for temporal gaine as we do see certaine souldiors which do runne amongst the Heathen people to get themselues fame renowme by the murther slaughter of men Much more doe they deserue euil thanks at the hands of the king of peace for so much as by humility and peace our faith is multiplied increased for murtherers and manquellers Christ doeth hate and manaseth he that striketh with the sword shall perish with the sword The 11. conclusion is whyche is shame to tell that the vow of chastity made in our church by women whych are fraile and vnperfite in nature is the cause of brynging in many great and horrible offences and vices incident vnto the nature of man For albeit the murther of their children borne before their time and before they are christened and the destruction of their nature by medicine are filthy foule sinnes yet they accompanying amongest themselues or with vnreasonable beastes or with any creature not hauing life doe passe to such an vnseemelinesse that they are punished by infernal torments The corolarie is that widowes such as take the mantell and the ring delitiously fed we would that they were maried because that we can not excuse them from priuate offence of sinne The 12. that the multitude of artes not necessary vsed in this our Church causeth much sinne offence in waste curiosity and disguising in curious apparell experience reason partly doth shewe the same for so muche as nature with a few actes is sufficient for mans vse and necessity This is the whole tenor of our ambassade which Christ hath commanded vs to prosecute at this time most fit and conuenient for many causes And albeit that these matters be heere briefly noted and touched yet notwithstandyng they are more at large declared in another boke with many other more in our owne proper tounge which we would should be common to all Christian people Wherefore we earnestly desire and beseeche God for his great
name for to encrease my beliefe and to helpe my vnbeliefe And for because to the praysing of Gods name I desire aboue all things to be a faithfull meÌ„ber of holy church I make this protestaâ—oÌ„ before you all foure that are now here present couering that all men women that now be absent knew the same that is what thing so euer before this time I haue sayde or done or what thing here I shall doe or say at any time hereafter I beleeue that all the olde law and the new law geuen and ordeined by the couÌ„sell of the three persons of the Trinity were geuen and written to the saluatioÌ„ of mankind And I beleue that these lawes are sufficient for mans saluation And I beleue euery article of these lawes to the intent that these articles ordeined and commaunded of these 3 persons of the most blessed trinity are to be beleued And therfore to yâ— rule the ordinaunce of these Gods lawes meekely gladly and wilfully I submit me with all mine hart that whosoeuer can or wll by authority of gods lawe or by open reason tell me that I haue erred or nowe erre or any time hereafter shall erre in any article of beliefe from which inconuenience God keepe me for hys goodnesse I submit me to be reconciled and to be buxum obedient vnto those lawes of God and to euery article of theÌ„ For by authority specially of these lawes I will thorow the grace of God be vntied charitably vnto these lawes Yea sir ouer this I beleeue admit all the senteÌ„ces authorities and reasoÌ„s of the saynts doctors according vnto holy scripture and declaring it truely I submit me wilfully and meekely to be euer obedient after my cunning and power to all these saynts and Doctors as they are obedient in worke and in word to God to his law and further not to my knowledge not for any earthly power dignitye or state thorow the helpe of God But sir I pray you tell me if after your bidding I shal lay my hand vpon the booke to what entent to sweare thereby And the Archby sayd to me yea wherefore els And I said to him Syr a book is nothing els but a thing coupled together of diuers creatures and to swere by any creature both Gods law and mans law is agaynst it But Syr this thing I say here to you before these your clerkes with my foresayd protestation that how where when and to whom men are bouÌ„d to sweare or to obey in any wise after Gods law and saints and true Doctours according vnto Gods law I will thorow Gods grace be euer ready thereto with all my cunning and power But I pray you sir for the charitye of God that ye will before that I sweare as I haue here rehearsed to you tell me how or whereto that I shal submit me and shew me wherof that ye will correct me and what is the ordinaunce that ye will thus oblige me to fulfill ¶ And the Archbishop sayd vnto me I will shortly that now thou sweare here to me that thou shalt forsake al the opinions which the sect of Lollordes holde and is slaundered with so that after this time neither priuilye nor apertly thou hold any opinion which I shal after thou hast sworne rehearse to thee here Nor thou shalt fauor no maÌ„ nor woman young nor olde that holdeth any these foresayd opinions but after thy knowledge and power thou shalt force thee to wtstaÌ„d al such distroublers of holy church in euery dioces that thou commest in and them that wyll not leaue their false and damnable opinioÌ„s thou shalt put them vp publishing them and theyr names and make theÌ„ knowne to the bishop of the dioces that they are in or to that bishops ministers And ouer this I will that thou preach no more vnto the time that I know by good witnesse true that thy conuersation be such that thy hart and thy mouth accord truely in one contrarying all the seud learning that thou hast taught here before ☞ And I hearing these wordes thought in my hart that this was an vnlefull asking and demed my selfe cursed of God if I consented hereto I thought how Susan sayd Anguish is to me on euery side And in that I stoode still and spake not the Archbishop sayd to me Aunswere one wise or other And I sayd Syr if I consented to you thus as ye haue here before rehersed to me I should becom an appealer or euery bishops espy somoner of al EnglaÌ„d For and I should thus put vp and publish the names of men and women I should herein deceiue full many persons Yea sir as it is likely by the dome of my conscience I should herein be cause of the death both of men and womeÌ„ yea both bodely and ghostly For many men women that stand now in the way of saluation if I should for the learning and reading of theyr beleue publish them therfore vp to Bishops or to their vnpiteous ministers I know some deale by experience that they should be so distroubled diseased with persecution or otherwise that many of theÌ„ I thinke would rather chuse to forsake the way of truth theÌ„ to be trauailed scorned slauÌ„dered or punished as bishops and their ministers now vse for to constrayne men women to consent to them But I finde in no place in holy scripture that this office that ye would now enfeaffe me with accordeth to any Priest of Christes sect nor to any other christen man And therefore to do this were to me a full noyous bond to bee bouÌ„deÌ„ with ouer greuous charge For I suppose that if I thus did many men and women would yea Syr might iustly vnto my confusion say to me that I were a traytor to God and to them since as I thinke in mine hart many men women trust so mikle in this case that I would not for sauing of my life doe thus to them For if I thus should do full many men women would as they might full truely say that I had falsly and cowardly forsaken the truth and slaundered shamefully the word of God For if I consented to you to do here after your will for bonchefe or mischief that may befall to me in this life I deme in my coÌ„science that I were worthy herefore to be cursed of god and also of all his Saynts fro which inconuenience keep me and all christeÌ„ people almighty God now and euer for his holy name And then the Archbishop sayd vnto me Oh thine hart is ful hard indurate as was the hart of Pharao and the deuill hath ouercomen thee and peruerted thee he hath so blinded thee in all thy wittes that thou hast no grace to know the trueth nor the measure of mercye that I haue proferred to thee Therfore as I perceiue now by the foolish auÌ„swere thou hast no wil to leaue thine old errors But
wil not be vnpunished of God For to yâ— poynt of truth that these meÌ„ shewed out sometime they will not now stretch forth their lines But by example each one of them as theyr words and their works shew busy them through their fayning for to sclaunder and to pursue Christ in his members rather theÌ„ they will be pursued ¶ And the Archbishop sayd to me These men the whiche thou speakest of now were fooles and heretickes wheÌ„ they were counted wise men of thee and other such losels But now they are wise men though thou and such other deme them vnwise Neuerthelesse I wist neuer none that right sayd that any while were enuenimed with your contagiousnes that is contaminated and spotted doctrine ☞ And I sayd to the Archbishop Syr I thinke well that these meÌ„ such other are now wise as to this world But as theyr words sounded sometime and their works shewed outwardly it was like to moue me that they had earnest of the wisedome of God that they should haue deserued miâ—le grace of God to haue saued their owne soules many other mens if they had continued faythfully in wilfull pouerty in other simple vertuous liuing and specially if they had with these foresaid vertues continued in their busie fruitful sowing of Gods word as to many meÌ„s knowledge they occupyed them a season in all their wits ful busily to know the pleasaunt will of God trauelling all their members full busily for to do thereafter purely and chiefly to the praysing of the most holy name of god and for grace of edification and saluation of Christen people But woe worth false couetise and euill counsell and tyranny by which they and many men and womeÌ„ are led blindly into an euill end ¶ Then the Archbishop sayde to me Thou and such other Losels of thy sect would shaue your heardes full neare for to haue a benefice For by Iesu I know none more couetous shrewes then ye are wheÌ„ that ye haue a benefice For loe I gaue to Iohn Puruay a benefice but a mile out of this Castle and I heard more complaints about his couetousnes for tithes and other misdoinges then I did of all men that were aduaunced within my dioces ☞ And I sayde to the Archbishop Sir Puruay is neither with you now for the benefice that ye gaue him nor he holdeth faythfully with the learning that he taught and writ before time and thus he sheweth himselfe neither to be hot nor colde and therfore he and his felowes may sore droad that if they turne not hastily to the way that they haue forsaken peradueÌ„ture they be put out of the number of Christes chosen people ¶ And the Archbishop sayde Though Puruay be now a false harlot I quite me to him But come he more for suche cause before me or we part I shall know with whom he holdeth But I say to thee which are these holy men and wise of whom thou hast taken thine information ☞ And I sayd Syr Maister Iohn Wickliffe was holden of full many men the greatest clearke that they knew then liuing and therwith he was named a passing ruely man an innocent in his liuing and herefore great men communed oft with him and they loued so his learning that they writt it busily inforced them to rule themselues thereafter Therfore sir this foresayd learning of M. Iohn Wickliffe is yet holden of full many men and women the most agreable learning vnto the liuing and teaching of Christ of his Apostles and most opeÌ„ly shewing declaring how the church of Christ hath bene and yet should be ruled and gouerned Therfore so many men and women couet thys learning and purpose through Gods grace to coÌ„forme their liuing like to this learning of Wickliff M. Iohn Aston taught writ accordingly and full busily where and when and to whom that he might and he vsed it himselfe right perfectly vnto his liues end And also Philip of RaÌ„pington while he was a CanoÌ„ of Lecester Nicholas Hereford Dauy Gotray of Pakring Monke of Byland and a Maister of Diuinitye and Iohn Puruay and many other which were holden right wise men prudent taught and writ busily this foresayd learning coÌ„formed them thereto And with all these men I was oft right homely communed with them long time and oft and so before al other men I those willingly to be informed of them and by theÌ„ and specially of wickliffe himselfe as of the most vertuous and godly wise man that I heard of or knew And therfore of him specially and of these men I tooke the learning that I haue taught and purpose to liue thereafter if God wil to my liues end For though some of those meÌ„ be contrary to the learning that they taught before I wote well that their learning was true which they taught and therefore with the helpe of God I purpose to hold and to vse that learnyng which I heard of them while they fate on Moyses chayre specially while that they sat on yâ— chayre of Christ. But after that workes that they now do I will not doe with Gods helpe For they feyne and hide contrary that trueth which before they taught out playnely and truly For as I know well when some of those men haue bene blamed for their slaunderous doyng they graunt not that they haue taught a misse or erred before time but that they weâ—e constrayned by payne to leaue to tell out the soth thus they chuse now rather to blaspheme God then to suffer a while here persecution bodely for sothfastnesse that Christ shedde out his hart bloud for ¶ And the Archbishop sayd That learning that thou callest truth and sothfastnes is open slaunder to holy church as it is proued of holy Church For albeit that Wickleffe your author was a great clerke and though that many meÌ„ held him a perfect liuer yet his doctrine is not approued of holy church but many sentences of his learning are damned as they well worthy are But as touching Philip of Rampington that was first Chanon and after Abbor of Leicester which is now Bishop of Lincolne I tell thee that the day is commeÌ„ for which he fast the euen For neither he holdeth nowe nor will holde the learning that hee taught when he was a Canon of Leicester For no byshop of this land pursueth nowe more sharpely them that holde thy way then he doth ☞ And I sayd Sir full many men and women wondereth vpoÌ„ him and speaketh him mikle shame and holdeth him for a cursed enemy of the truth ¶ And the Archbish. sayd to me Wherfore taryest thou me thus here with suche fables wilt thou shortly as I haue sayd to thee submit thee to me or no ☞ And I sayd Sir I tell you at one word I dare not for the dread of God submit me to you after the tenour sentence tharye haue aboue rehearsed to me And
all your vicious liuing praying to him euer deuoutly of charitable counsel and contynuance Hoping without dout that if ye coÌ„tinue thus busying you faythfully to know to kepe his biddings that he wil for he onely may forgeue you al your sinnes And this man said to me Though God forgeue men their sins yet it behoueth men to be assoyled of priests to do the penance that they enioyne them And I sayde to him Sir it is all one to assoyle men oâ— their sinnes to forgeue meÌ„ their sinnes Wherefore sined it pertayneth only to God to forgeue sinne It sufficeth in this case to counsel men women for to lâ—aue their sinne and to comfort them that busy them thus to do for to hope stedfastly in the mercy of God And agayne ward Priestes ought to tel sharply to customable sinners that if they wil not make an ende of their sinne but coÌ„tinue in diuers sinâ— while that they may sinne all such deserue payne without any en And herefore Priests should ouer busye them to liue wel and holyly and to teach the people 〈◊〉 truly the worde of God shewyng to all folke in open preaching and in priuy counseling that the lord God only forgeueth sinne And therefore those priests that take vpoÌ„ theÌ„ to assoyle meÌ„ of their sinnes blaspheme God since that it perteineth onely to the Lord to assoile men of all their sinnes For no doubt a thousand yeare after yâ— Christ was man no Priest of Christ durst take vpon him to teach the people neither priuily nor apertly that they behoued nedes to come to be assayled of them as Priests now do But by authoritie of Christes word Priests bounde indurate customable synners to euerlasting paines which in no time of their lyuing would busy theÌ„ faithfully to knowe the biddinges of God nor to kepe theÌ„ And again al they that would occupy al their wits to hate to flye al occasion of sinne dreading ouer al thing to offend God and louing for to please him continually to these men women Priests shewed how the Lord assoyleth them of all their sinnes And thus Christ promised to confirme in heauen al the binding and loosing that priests by authoritie of his word binde men in sinne that are indurate therin or loose theÌ„ out of sinne here vpon earth that are verely repentaunt And this maÌ„ hearing these words said that he might well in conscience coÌ„sent to this sentence But he sayd Is it not nedefull to the lay people that can not thus do to go shrine them to priests And I said If a man feele himselfe so distroubled with any sinne yâ— he can not by his own witte auoide this synne without counsel of them that are herein wiser than he In such a case the counsell of a good Priest is full necessarye And if a good priest fayle as they do now coÌ„monly in such a case S. Augustine sayth that a man may lawfully common and take counsel of a vertuous secular maÌ„ But certain that maÌ„ or womaÌ„ is ouerladen and too beastly which cannot bring their owne sinnes into their minde busying them night and day for to hate to forsake al their sinnes doing a sigh for them after their cunning and power And sir full accordingly to this sentence vpoÌ„ MidlentoÌ„ SuÌ„day two yeare as I gesse now agone I hard a Monk of Feuersam that men called Morden preache at CauÌ„terbury at the crosse within Christ Church Abbey saying thus of coÌ„fession That as through the suggestioÌ„ of the feend without counsell of any other body of themselues many men women can imagine and find meanes ways inough to come to pride to theft to lechery and other diuers vices In contrary wise this Monke said Since the Lord God is more ready to forgiue sinne than the feend is or may be of power to moue any body to sinne than whosoeuer wil shame and sorow hartely for their sinnes knowledging them faithfully to God amending them after their power and cunning without counsell of any other body than of God and himselfe through the grace of God all such men and women may find sufficient meanes to come to Gods mercy and so to be cleane assoiled of all their sinnes This sentence I sayd sir to this man of yours and the selfe words as neere as I can gesse ¶ And the Archbishop said Holy Church approoueth not this learning ☞ And I said Sir holy Church of which Christ is head in heauen and in earth must needs approue this sentence For loe hereby all men women may if they will be sufficiently taught to know to keepe the commandements of God to hate to flie continually all occasion of sinne and to loue and to seeke vertues busily to beleue in God stably and to trust in his mercy stedfastly so to come to perfect charitie continue therin perseuerantly And more the Lord asketh not of any man here now in this life And certaine since Iesu Christ died vpon the crosse wilfully to make men free Men of the Church are to bold and to busie to make men thrall binding theÌ„ vnder the paine of endles curse as they say to do many obseruaunces and ordynaunces which neither the liuing nor teachyng of Chryst nor of his Apostles approueth And a Clerke said theÌ„ to me Thou shewest plainly here thy deceit which thou hast learned of them that trauell to sow people amoÌ„g the wheat But I couÌ„sel thee to go away cleane froÌ„ this learning submit thee lowly to my lorde and thou shall finde him yet to be gracious to ther. ¶ And as fast then an other Clerke said to me How wast thou so bold at Paules Crosse in London to stande there hard with thy upper boundeÌ„ about thine head and to reproue in his Sermon the worthy clerke Alkerton drawing away al that thou mightest yea the same day at afternoone thou meeting the worthy Doctour in Watlyng streete calledst him false flatterer and hipocrite ☞ And I said Sir I thinke certainely that there was no man nor womaÌ„ that hated verelye sinne loued vertues heauing the SermoÌ„ of the clerk at Oxford and also Alkersons Sermon but they sayd or might iustly say that Alkerton reproued that clerke vntruely and slaundered him wrongfully and vncharitably For no doubt If the liuing teaching of Christ chiefly and of his Apostles be true no body that loueth God and his law wil blame any senteÌ„ce that the clerke then preached there since by authoritie of Gods word by approued Saints Doctours by opeÌ„ reason this Clerke approued all thinges clearely that hee preached there ¶ And a Clerke of the Archbishops saide to me his Sermon was false and that he sheweth openlye since he dare not stand forth and defend his preaching that he theÌ„ preached there ☞ And I saide Sir I thinke that he purposeth to stande stedfastly thereby or els he scaundereth fouly himself
c. Also where you continuing yet still in your common place of lying out of which you cannot digresse do charge me farther that I do appoint out holy dayes and working daies by colours of red and blacke in my foresayd Calendare to be obserued these leude notes of yours if they had bene picked out of my Calendare by you wythout myne owne special declaration before made to the contrary they might seeme to haue some blush of credite Now what wil the reader say or what may he iudge cōsidering and conferring thys your cauilling with the matter of my premonition made before but that you are al together set to play the perpetuall Syc. I had almost called you by your right name master Cope But God make you as I said a good man Reading further in your boke I could not but smile and laugh at this your ridiculous and most loud lying Hyperbolismum where as you cōparing my making of saints with the Popes making can finde as ye say in the Pope no such impudent arrogancie in presuming as ye finde in me c. If the Pope had not abused hys arrogant iurisdiction in canonising and deifying his Saintes more then I haue done the yeare should not be combred wyth so many idle holy dayes nor the Calendares wyth so many raskall Saintes some of them as good as euer were they that put Christ to death But where will you finde M. Cope any man to beleue thys your hyperbolical comparison to be true whych seeth and knoweth the infinit and vnmeasurable excesse of the Popes arrogancie not only in shrining such a rable of blind saintes of his owne creating but also in prescribing the same to be receaued vniuersally in the whole worlde and not to be receaued onely but also to be inuocated for gifts and graces also to be worshipped for aduocates and mediatours Wherin riseth a double abhomination of the pope the one for his idolatrous making and worshipping of saintes the other for his blasphemous iniurie and derogation to Christe in repulsing him out of his office of mediation placing other mediatours of his owne making And nowe to consider what Saintes these were or what were the causes of their sancting what S. almost among all the Popes Saintes shall you finde M. Cope made within these 500. yeres but commonly he was eithe some Pope or some rich Bishop and Prelate or some fat abbat or some blind Frier some Monke or Nunne some superstitious regulare or some builder of monasteries or some geuer and benefactour to the popish clergy or mainteiner agonising for the dignities and liberties of the Popyshe church What poore lay man or lay womā were their liues neuer so Christian their faith and confession neuer so pure their death neuer so agonising for the witnes of Christ and truth of his word shall finde any place or fauour in all the Popes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in the Popes Calendar either in red colour or els in blacke But heere M. Cope if yee had the wit somuch to defend as yee haue to ouerwhart you myght take mee wyth the maner and replie againe for the defence of your great Saintmaker or rather Godmaker of Rome that he maketh mo martyrs Saints of these foresayd poore laymen laywomen then euer he did of any other For he burneth them he hangeth them hee drowneth them imprisoneth famisheth them so maketh truer martyrs of Christ then any other of his new shrined saints whom he hath so dignified in his Calendar For the one he doth rubricate only with his red letters the other he doth rubricate with their owne bloud And therefore to aunswere you M. Cope to your comparison made betwene the pope and me for making of holy Martyrs and Saintes Briefly I say and report me to al the world y◠herein is no comparison For if ye speake of true Martyrs who doth make them but the pope if ye speake of fals martyrs who doth make them but the pope And farthermore to compare together the causes of these Martyred Saintes in my Calendare wyth them whyche shine shrined in the Popes Calendare taking the same proportion of time as I do wythin these last 500. yeares why may not I haue as good cause to celebrate these in my Calendar which lost their liues and were slain principally for the cause of Christ and of hys word as the pope hath to celebrate his double and simple feasted saintes in hys Calendar who in their doinges doctrine and life as they seemed rather to serue the Pope then Christ the Lord so in their death appeared no such cause why they shuld be sanctified in the church beyond all other Let not the Church of Christ M. Cope be deluded with hypocritical names nor fained apparitions and fabulous miracles neither be you deceiued your selfe but let vs resort sincerely to the worde of God What was in S. Fraunces looke vpon his superstitious life presumptuous testament wrought no dout by Sathan to diminish and obscure the Testament of Iesus Christ why he should be made a Saint and not an enemy rather of Christ What was likewise in Frier Dominicke who before Fraunces x. yeares together persecuted the poore Waldenses to death and destruction why should he stand a S. and a pillar of the church I pray you what see you in Thomas Becket but that he died for the ambitious libertyes of the popishe church What in Aldelmus and in Anselmus but only that they chased away maried priests from the churches and planted in idle Monkes in their steade The like also did Dunstanus who was rubricated wyth a duplex festum Elizabeth who was the wife of the Marquesse of Thuring when shee had with much perswasions got out her husbande to fight against the Turkes and was there slaine she afterward encloystered her selfe and was made a Nunne And doe you thinke these causes to be sufficient why they shuld be made saintes worshipped in churches and set in Calendares Long it were to make rehearsal of all this rifraffe and almost infinite One example may suffice for many S. Gilbert of Sempringhā was the sonne of Iocelin a knight who for his deformitie of his body was set to learning afterward made Chanon and was author of the Gilbertines in the time of king Iohn This Gilbert after he had erected 13. monasteries of hys order of Sempringham was afterwarde labored for vnto the Pope to be made a Saint Who hearing of hys myracles wrote hys letters to Hubert Archbishop of Canterbury in the behalfe of the foresayd Gilbert willing commaundyng per Apostolica scripta that the feast of the sayde Gilbert shoulde be solemnised through all the prouince of Canterb. Vt meritis nimirum eius precibus apud misericordissimum iudicem misericordiam consequamur c. Whereuppon Hubert the Archb. directeth downe hys wrytings to all the bishops within hys prouince
affirmed and proued that he shoulde ascende and come in another way for Iudas Iscariot was truely and lawfully chosen of the Lorde Iesus Christ vnto his Bishopricke as Christe sayth in the sixt of Iohn and yet he came in an other way into the sheepe folde and was a thefe and a Deuill and the sonne of perdition Did he not come in another waye when as our Sauiour spake thus of him he that eateth breade with me shall lift vp his heele agaynst me The same also is proued by Saynte Bernarde vnto Pope Eugenius Then sayde Paletz beholde the â—â—ror and maddenesse of this man for what more furious or madde thing canne there be then to say Iudas is chosen by Christ and notwithstanding he did ascende an other way and not by Christ. Iohn Husse aunswered verely both partes are true that he was electe and chosen by Christ and also that he did ascende and come in another way for he was a Theefe a Deuill and the sonne of perdition Then sayde Palettez cannot a manne be truely and lawefully chosen Pope or Byshoppe and afterwarde liue contrarye vnto Christe and that notwithstanding he doth not ascende any other wayes But I sayde Iohn Husse doe saye that whosoeuer doth enter into anye Byshoppricke or like office by Simonye not to the intent to labour and trauell in the Church of God but rather to liue delicately voluptuouslye and vnrighteously and to the intent to aduaunce hymselfe with all kinde of pride euery suche man ascendeth and commeth vppe by an other way and according vnto the Gospell he is a theefe and a robber The 7. Article The condemnation of the forty fyue Articles of Wickliffe made by the Doctours is vnreasonable and wicked and the cause by them alleadged is fayned and vntrue That is to say that none of those Articles are Catholicke but that euery of them be either hereticall erronious or offenciue The aunswere I haue wrytten it thus in my treatise the forty fyue Articles are condemned for this cause that none of those forty fyue is a Catholicke Article but eache of them is either hereticall erronious or offenciue O Mayster Doctour where is your proofe you fayne a cause which you doe not poue c. As it appeareth more at large in my Treatise Then sayd the Cardinall of Cambraye Iohn Husse thou diddest saye that thou wouldest not defend any errour of Iohn Wickliffes And now it appeareth in your bookes that you haue openly defended his Articles Iohn Hus aunswered Reuerend Father euen as I sayde before so doe I now say agayne that I will not defende any errours of Iohn Wickliffes neyther of anye other mannes but for so muche as it seemed vnto me to be agaynst conscience simply to consent vnto the condemnation of them no Scripture beyng alledged or brought contrary and agaynst them thereupon I woulde not consent or agree vnto the condemnation of them And for so much as the reason whiche is copulatiue can not be verifyed in euery poynt according to euery part thereof Nowe there remayneth sixe Articles of 39. These are sayd to be drawen out of an other treatise which he wrote agaynst Stanislaus de Znoyma The first Article No man is lawfully elect or chosen in that the Electours or the greater part of them haue consented with a liuely voyce according to the custome of men to elect and choose any person or that he is thereby the manifest and true Successour of Christ or Uicare of Peter in the Ecclesiasticall office but in that that any man doth most aboundantlye worke meritoriouslye to the profitte of the Churche he hath thereby more aboundant power geuen him of God thereunto The answere These things which follow are also written in my booke It standeth in the power and handes of wicked Electours to choose a woman into the Ecclesiasticall office as it appeareth by the election of Agnes whiche was called Iohn who held and occupyed the Popes place dignitye by the space of two yeares and more It may also be that they doe choose a Theefe a Murderer or a Deuil and consequently they may also elect and choose Antichrist It may also be that for loue couetousnesse or hatred they doe choose some person whom God doth not allowe And it appeareth that that person is not lawfully elect and and chosen In so much as the Electours or the greater part of them haue consented and agreed together according to the custome of men vpon any person or that he is thereby the manifest Successour or Uicare of Peter the Apostle or any other in the Ecclesiasticall office Therefore they which most accordingly vnto the scripture doe elect and choose reuelation being sette a parte doe onelye pronounce and determine by some probable reason vppon hym they doe electe and choose wherevppon whether the Electours doe so choose good or euill we ought to geue creditte vnto the workes of hym that is chosen for in that poynt that any manne doth moste aboundauntly worke meritoriously to the profitte of the Church he hath thereby more aboundaunt power geuen him of God thereunto And hereupon sayth Christ in the 10. of Iohn geue credit vnto workes The 2. Article The Pope being a reprobate is not the head of the holy Church of God The aunswere I wrote it thus in my Treatise that I woulde willinglye receiue a probable and effectuall reason of the Doctour howe thys question is contrary vnto the fayth to say that if the Pope be a reprobate how is he the head of the holy churche Beholde the trueth cannot decay or fayle in disputation for did Christ dispute agaynst the fayth when he demaunded of the Scribes and Pharisyes Math. 12. Ye stocke and ofspring of Uypers how can ye speake good thinges when you your selues are wicked and euill and beholde I demaunde of the Scribes if the Pope be a reprobate and the stocke of Uipers how is he the head of the holy Church of GOD that the Scribes and Pharisyes which were in the Councell house of Prage make aunswere hereunto For it is more possible that a reprobate man shoulde speake good thinges for so much as he may be in state of grace according vnto present iustice then to be the head of the holy Church of God Also in the 5. of Iohn our Sauiour complayneth vppon the Iewes saying How can you beleue which doe seeke for glory amongest your selues and doe not seeke for the glory that commeth onely of God And I likewise doe complayne how that if the Pope be a reprobate can he be the head of the Church of God which receiueth hys glory of the world and seketh not for the glory of GOD For it is more possible that the Pope being a Reprobate should beleue then that he should be the head of the Churche of God For so much as he taketh his glory of the world The 3. Article There is no sparke of apparance that there ought to be one head in the spiritualtye to
Windeham Tho Plowman Iohn Fellis Tho. Loue of Rokeland Rich Knobbing of Beckles Rich. Grace of Beckles Iohn Eldon of Beckles William Hardy Wil. Bate Iohn Weston Katherine Hobs. Iohn Daw. Rob. Grigs of Martham Wil. Calis Priest Tho. Pert. Priest Katherine Dauy. Iacob Bodhome Margaret his wife Iohn Manning of Marton Iohn Culling of Beemster Rich Fletcher of Beckles and Matild his wife Iohn Eldon of Beckles Rob. Canel Priest Nich. Drey Wil. Hardy of Mundham Iohn Poleyne These forenamed persons and souldiors of Christ being much beatē with the cares and troubles of those dayes although they were constrayned to relent and abiure that is to protest otherwise with their tonges then theyr harts did thinke partly through correction and partly through infirmity being as yet but new trayned Souldiours in Gods field yet for theyr good will they bare vnto the trueth although with theyr tongues they durst not expresse it we haue thought good that theyr names should not be suppressed as well for other sondry causes as especially for this either to stop the mouthes of malignant aduersaryes or to aunswere to theyr ignorance Who folowing rather blinde affection thē the true knowledge of times and antiquities for lacke of knowledge blame that they know not accusing the true doctrine of the worde of God for newelty and carping the teachers therof for new broched brethrē Who if they did as well foresee times passed as they be vnwilling to follow times now present they should vnderstand as well by these storyes as other before how this doctrine of the grace of God lacking no antiquity hath from time to time continually sought to burst out and in some places hath preuayled although in most places through tyrāny and the malice of men Christes procedinges haue bene suppressed and kept vnder from rising so muche as mans power and strength ioyned with craft and subtlery coulde labor to keepe downe the same as here by these good men of Northfolke and Southfolke may well appeare For if the knowledge and the good towardnesse of those good mē had had the like liberty of time with the helpe of like authority as we haue nowe and had not ben restrayned thorough the iniquity of time and tyranny of Prelates it had well appeared how olde this doctrine woulde haue bene which now they contemne and reiect for the newnes therof neither needed Boner to haue asked of Tho. Hawkes and such other where their Church was for xl yeares ago in as much as for xl yeares ago and more within the coūtry of Norfolke and Suffolke was then soūd such plenty of the same professiō like doctrine which we now professe And thus much for the nūber of the names of thesepersōs Now touching theyr Articles whiche they did mayneteine and defend first this is to be considered as I finde it in the registers such society and agrement of doctrine to be amongst them that almost in theyr assertions and articles there was no difference The doctrine of the one was the doctrine of all the other what theyr articles were partly it is shewed in the lease before and partly here followeth to be declared more at large Although it is to be thought concerning these Articles that many of them either were falsly obiected agaynst thē or not truely reported of the notaryes according as the cōmon maner is of these aduersaryes where the matter is good there to make heresy and of a litle occasion to styre vp great matter of slaunder as they did before by the articles of Iohn Wickliffe and Iohn Hus and others mo So in like maner it semeth they did in the Articles of these mē either mistaking that which they said or misunderstanding that which they ment especially in these two articles concerning baptisme and paying of tithes For where as they speaking agaynst the ceremonicall and superfluous traditions then vsed in baptisme as salt oile spittle taper light crisomes exorcising of the water with such other accoūted them as no materiall thing in the holy institution of Baptisme the notaryes slaunderously deprauing this theyr assertion to make it more odious to the eares of the people so gaue out the article as though they should holde that the sacrament of Baptisme vsed in the church by water is but a light matter and of small effect Agayne in speaking agaynst the Christening the midwiues vse in priuate houses agaynst the opinion of suche as thinke suche children to be damned which depart before they come to theyr Baptisme they are falsely reported as though they shoulde say that Christen people be sustiently baptised in the bloud of Christ and nedeth no water and that infants be sufficiently baptised if their parents be baptised before them Whiche thing is so contrary to the manifest worde that it is not to bee thoughte anye to bee so ignoraunt of the gospell that euer would or did affirme the same Moreouer they thought or sayd peraduenture that in certayne cases tithes might be witholden from wicked priestes sometime and be conferred to better vses to the be hoofe of the poore Therfore they are falsly slaundered as saying and affirming that no tithes were to be geuē to the ministers and curates of the churches And likewise for matrimony wherin they are reported to hold and affirme as though it consisted onely in the mutuall consent betwixt the man woman neding no other solemnizing in the publicke church and all because as it is like they denyed it to be a Sacramēt Other articles were obiected agaynst them as these which hereafter folow That auricular confessiō is not to be made vnto a priest but vnto God onely because no priest hath any power to absolue a sinner from his sinne Item that no Priest hath power to make the body of Christ in the sacrament of the aultar but that after the sacramentall words there remayneth pure materiall breade as before Item that euery true christian man is a priest to God Item that no man is bound vnder paine of damnatiō vnto Lent or any other dayes prohibited by the Church of Rome Item that the Pope is Antichrist and his Prelats the Disciples of Antichrist and the Pope hath no power to binde and loose vpon earth Item that it is lawfull for euery Christian to doe any bodely worke sinne onely except vpon holy dayes Item that it is lawfull for priestes to haue wiues Item that the excommunications and ecclesiastical cēsures geuen out by the Prelates are not to be regarded Item it is not lawfull to sweare in priuate cases Item that men ought not to go on pilgrimage Item that there is no honor to be geuē to the Images of the crucifixe of our Lady or any other saynt Item that the holy water halowed in the church by the priest is not holyer or of more vertue then other running or well water because the Lord blessed all waters in theyr first creation Item that the death of Thomas Becket was
you no more reward for such prayer then a candle lighted let vnder the couer of the font wil geue light by night to those which are in the church saying moreouer in english lewd wrightes of stockes hew and forme such crosses and Images and after that lewd paynters glere thē with colours And if you desire so muche to see the true crosse of Christ I will shew it you at home in your owne house Which this deponent being desirous to see the sayd Margery stretching out her armes abroad sayd to this deponēt this is the true crosse of Christ this crosse thou oughtest and mayst euery day beholde and worship in thine owne house and therfore it is but vayne to run to the Church to worship dead crosses and Images Itē this deponent being demaunded by the said Margery how she beleued touching the sacramēt of the aulter sayd that the beleued the Sacrament of the aulter after the consecratiō to be the very body of Christ in forme of bread To whom Margery sayd your beliefe is nought For if euery such Sacrament were God the very body of christ there should be an infinite number of Gods because that a thousand priests and more doe euery day make a thousand such Gods and afterward eat them and voyd them out again by theyr hinder partes filthily stincking vnder the hedges whereas you may find a great many such Gods if you will seek for them And therfore know for a certaynty that by the grace of God it shall neuer be my God because it is falsly and deceitfully ordeyned by the priests in the church to induce the simple people to idolatry for it is onely materiall bread Moreouer the sayd Margery said to this deponēt that Thomas of Canterbury whom the people called S. Thomas was a false traytor and damned in hell because he iniuriously endowed the churches with possessions and raised vp many heresyes in the church which seduce the simple people and therefore if God be blessed the sayd Thomas is accursed and those false priests that say that he suffered his death patiently before the aulter do lye For as a false cowardly traytor he was slayne in the church dore as he was flying away Moreouer this deponent sayth that the sayd Margery told her that the cursed Pope Cardinals Archbishops and bishops specially the bishop of Norwich others that support and mayntayne heresies and Idolatry raigning ruling ouer the people shall shortly haue the very same or worse mischiefe fall vpon them thē that cursed mā Thomas of Canterbury had For they falsly and cursedly deceiue the people with theyr false mammetries lawes to extort mony of the simple folke to sustayn theyr pride riot and idlenes And know assuredly that the vengeance of God will speedely come vpō them which haue most cruelly slayne the children of God Father Abraham William White a true preacher of the law of God and Iohn Wadden with many other godly men which vengeaunce had come vpon the sayd Cayphas the Bishop of Norwich his ministers which are members of the deuill before this time if the Pope had not sent ouer those false pardons vnto these parties which the sayd Cayphas had falsly obteyned to induce the people to make procession for the state of them and of the church Which pardōs brought the simple people to cursed idolatry Item the sayd Margery sayd to this deponent that euery faythful man or woman is not bound to fast in Lent or other dayes appoynted for fasting by the church that euery man may lawfully eat flesh and all other meates vpon the sayd dayes and times and that it were better to eat the fragments left vpō Thursday at night on the fasting dayes thē to go to the market to bring themselues in debt to buy fish and that Pope Siluester made the Lent Item the sayd Margery sayd to this deponēt that W. White was falsly condēned for an hereticke that he was a good and holy mā and that he willed her to folow him to the place of execution Whereas she saw that whē he would haue opened his mouth to speak vnto the people to instruct them a deuill one of bishop Cayphas seruants strake him on the lips and stopped his mouth that he could in no case declare the will of God Item this deponent sayth that the sayd Margery taught her that she should not goe on pilgrimage neither to our Lady of Walsingame nor to any other saynt or place Also this deponent sayth that the sayd Margery desired her that she Ioane her mayde would come secretly in the night to her chamber there she should heare her husband read the law of Christ vnto them which law is written in a booke that her husbande was wont to reade to her by night and that her husband is well learned in the Christian verity Also that the same Margery had talked with a woman named Ione West and that the sayde woman is in a good way of saluation Also that the said Margery said to this deponēt Ione it appeareth by your countenaunce that you intend to disclose this that I haue sayde vnto you and this deponent sware that she woulde neuer disclose it without the sayde Margery gaue her occasion Then sayde Margery vnto this deponent if thou do accuse me vnto the Bishop I wil do vnto thee as I did once vnto a certayne Frier a Carmelite of Varmouth which was the best learned Frier in all the country Then this deponēt desired to know what she had done to the frier Unto whom Margery answered that she had talked with the sayd Frier rebuking him because he did beg saying that it was no almes to geue hym any good thing except he would leaue his habite and go to the plough and so he should please God more then folowing the life of some of those Friers Then the Frier requyred of the sayd Margery whether she could teach him or tel him any thing els Thē the sayd Margery as she affirmed to this deponent declared to this Frier the gospels in enlish and then the Frier departed from her After this the same Frier accused the sayd Margery of heresy and she vnderstanding that the Frier had accused her accused the Frier agayne that he would haue knowne her carrally and because she would not consent vnto him the Frier had accused her of heresy And moreouer she sayd that her husbād would haue killed the Frier therefore and so the Frier for feare held his peace and went his way for shame This Margery also sayd that she had oftentimes bene faynedly confessed to the Deane of the fieldes because he should thinke her to be a woman of good life and therfore he gaue the sayd Margery oftentimes money Then thys deponent asked her whether she had confessed her sinnes to a priest or not And she answered that she had neuer offended any priest therfore she would
authority declareth calleth stablisheth affirmeth and reputeth the sayd Richard of Yorke very true and rightfull heyre to the crowne of England and Fraunce and that all other statutes and acts made by any of the Henryes late contrary to this aduise be annulled repelled damned cancelled voyd and of no force or effect The king agreed and consented that the sayd Duke and hys heyres shall after his naturall life enioy the crowne c. Also that all sayinges and doinges agaynst the duke of Yorke shall be hygh treason and all actes of Parliamentes contrary to this principall act be voyd and of none effect c. And thus much for the reign of king Henry the 6. Who now lacked his vncle and protector Duke of Glocester about him But commonly the lacke of such frendes is neuer felt before they be missed In the time of this king was builded the house in Lōdon called Leadē hall foūded by one Simon Eyre Maior once of the sayd City of London an 1445. Also the standard in cheape builded by Iohn Wels an 1442. the Conduite in Fleetstreet by William Castfield an 1438. Item Newgate builded by goods of Rich. Whittington an 1422. Moreouer the sayde Henry 6. founded the Colledge of Eton and another house hauing then the title of S. Nicolas in Cambridge now called the kinges Colege Ex Scal. mundi In the reigne of this Henry 6. it is not be passed ouer in silence which we finde noted in the Parliament rolles how that Lewes Archbishop of Rhoen after the death of the late Bishop of Eley had graūted vnto him by the popes Bulles during his life all the profites of the sayd bishoprick by the name of the administratour of the said Bishopricke Lewes the foresayde Archbishop sheweth his Buls to the king who vtterly reiected his Bulles Notwithstanding for his seruice done in Fraunce the king graunted to hym the administration aforesaid the which to all intents at the petition of the sayd Lewes should be affirmed to bee of as great force as though he were bishop touching profits liberties and hability Neither agayn is here to be ouerpast a certayn tra gicall Acte done betweene Easter and Whitsontide of a false Britone an 1427. Which murdered a good widdow in her bed who had brought him vp of almes without Algate in the suburbes of London and bare away all that she had afterward he tooke succor of holy church at S. Georges in Southwarke but at the last he tooke the crosse forswore the kings land And as he went his way it happened him to come by the same place where he had done that cursed deed and women of the same parish came out with stones and cannell dong and there made an end of him in the hye streete so that he went no further notwithstandinge the Constables and other men also which had hym vnder gouernaunce to conduct him forwarde for there was a great company of them so that they were not able to withstande them Kyng Edward the fourth KIng Edward after his conquest and victorye achieued agaynst king Henry returned again to London where vpon the Uigil of S. Peter and Paul being on Sonday he was crowned king of England raigned 22. yeares albeit not without great disquitnes and much perturbation in his reigne Queene Margaret hearing how her husband was fled into Scotland was also fayne to flye the land and went to her father Duke of Angeow From whence the next yeare following she returned again to renue warre against king Edward with small succor and lesse lucke For being encountred by the Earle of Warwicke about Nouember she was driuen to the seas agayne and by tempest of weather was driuen into Scotland In this yere we read that king Edward in the cause of a certayne widow for rape sate his owne person in Westminster hall vpon his owne Bench discussing her cause Ex Scal. mundi The yeare folowing king Henry issuing out of Scotland with a sufficient power of Scottes and Frenchmen came into the Northcountrey to recouer the crowne vnto whom the Lord Radulph Percy Lord Radulph Grey flying from king Edward did adioyn themselues but the Lord so disposing king Henry with his power was repulsed in the battaile of Exham by the Lord Mountacute having then the rule of the North where the Duke of Somerset Lord Hungerford Lord Rosse with certayne other were taken The Lord Radulph Percy was slayne the residue fled Albeit the history of Scal. mūdi referreth this battel to the yeare 1464. the 15. day of May. In the which moneth of May were beheaded the duke of Somerset Lorde Hungerford Lord Rosse L. Philip Wentworth L. Tho. Husly L. Tho. Findern beside 21. other belonging to the retinue and household of king Hēry 6. Queene Margaret finding no resting place here in England took her progres agayne from whence she came learning in her own country to drinke that drinke which she her selfe had brued here in England And not long after the next yeare an 1465. on the day of S. Peter and Paule king Henry being founde knowne in a wood by one Cantlow as they say was arested by the Earle of Warwicke and at last of a king made prisoner in the tower of London In this meane time king Edward after the motion of mariage for him being made and first the Lady Margaret sister to Iames the 4. K. of Scottes thought vpon but that motion taking no effect afterward the Lady Elizabeth sister to Henry king of Castelle being intended but she being vnder age the Earle of Warwick turning then his legation and voiage to the French king Lewes the II. to obteyne Lady Bona daughter of the duke of Sauoy and sister to Carlot the French Queen and obteining the same had cast fauour vnto one Elizabeth Grey widow of Syr Iohn Grey knight slain before in the battell of S. Albōs daughter to the Duches of Bedford and Lord Riuers and first went about to haue her to his concubine But she as being vnworthy as she sayde to be the wife of such a high personage so thinking her selfe to bee to good to be his concubine in such sort wanne the kings hart that incontinent before the returne of the Earle of Warwicke he maried her at the which mariage were no moe then onely the Duches of Bedford two gentle women the priest clark Upō this so hasty vnlucky mariage ensued no litle trouble to the king much bloudshed to the realme vndoing almost to all her kyndred and finally confusion to the K. Edwardes 2. sonnes which both were declared afterward to be bastards and also depriued of theyr liues For the Earle of Warwicke who had bene the faythfull frend and chiefe maynteiner before of the king at the hearing of this maryage was therwith so greuously moued and chaffed in hys mind that he neuer after sought any thing more then how to worke displeasure to the
The like also might happen by other bishoprickes whereof as Aeneas Syluius witnessed there are in Germany to the number of 50. besides Abboes whereof a great number are confirmed at Rome And admitt that in Germany there were greater profite and reuenewes rising of the ground mines and toles notwithstanding the Emperour and the other Princes should lacke treasure and munition of warre agaynst their enemies and specially the infidels and to preserue Germany in peace and quietnesse to minister iustice vnto euery man for which purpose the Councell of the chamber being most holyly instructed and furnished with great cost charges doth chiefly serue Besides that the Emperour hath need of treasure to suppresse the rebelles in the Empyre to banish and driue away theeues and murtherers whe rofa great nuÌ„ber are not ashamed to spoyle churches onely and to robbe them of theyr goods but also to assaile the Clergy themselues Finally our nation and country of Germany hath need of great riches and treasure not only for the repayring of Churches monasteries but also for hospitals for children thar are layd out in the streetes for widowes for women with childe for Orphanes for the mariage of the daughters of poore men that they be not destoured for such as haue neede and necessity for the olde and weake for the sicke and the sore whereof the more is the sorrow Germany is fully replenished and filled ¶ Aduertisementes vnto the Emperours Maiesty LEt the Emperors maiesty foresee and prouide that the begging friers do not preach against his maiesty which are wont to complayn gladly vnto the Apostolick sea fearing to lose their priuiledges which I would to god were aswel grounded vpon Christ as they are vpon profite Let the Emperours maiesty also beware that the Pope do not geue coÌ„maundement vnto the Electours to proceed to the electioÌ„ of a new king of Romaines as he did agaynst Frederick the second when as the Lantgraue of Churm and William Earle of Holland were elect by the commaundement of the Pope Let the Emperours maiesty also feare and take heed of all the Prelates of the Churches and especially of the Presedentes which by theyr oth are bounde to aduertise the Pope Let the Emperours Maiesty also feare and beware that the Pope do not take away from his subiectes their obedience prouoke the people bordering vpon him to make inuasioÌ„ into the Emperours dominioÌ„s and Archduchy of Austrich which those men vnder colour of shewing obedience vnto the Popes commaundemeÌ„t be ready to do Let the Emperours Maiesty also take heede of the Apostolicke censures froÌ„ which the pope will in no case refraine Finally let the Emperours maiesty diligently foresee take heede that the pope do not perswade the people with most subtile argumeÌ„tes contrary to the pragmaticall sanction excusing himselfe and getting the good will of the simple alledging that w e great costes charges he will repayre the Church of S. Peter in Rome build in certaine places against the Turkes and recouer againe the landes patrimony pertaining vnto the Church of S. Peter as he is bouÌ„d by his office Therfore let your maiesty diligeÌ„tly forsee and deliberate how through your most wise discrete counsaile if neede shall require you will answere to those subtilties of the Pope ¶ A certaine godly exhortation vnto the Emperours Maiestie YOur maiesty caÌ„ do nothing better nothing more acceptable or more worthy eternall remembraÌ„ce theÌ„ to moderate the great exactions and oppressions of the Germaines to take away all occasion froÌ„ the laitie to persecute the Clergy also to take away the benefices out of the handes of courtisans which can neither preach comfort nor counsaile any man of which benefises as Aeneas Syluius writeth some are equall to the Byshoprickes of Italye to encrease Gods honour and worship and so to bridle the auarice vngodlines of those courtisans wherby your maiesty may the better prouide for the children of many noble famous men and Cityzens in Germanie which being brought vp from their youth in the vniuersities learning both the Scriptures and other humaine letters may without vnquiet vexations and most sumptuous charges contentions aspire to the Ecclesiasticall promotions who by their couÌ„saile prayers may be helpes vnto the whole Church For there is no small occasion why the realme of Fraunce should so florish hauing so many notable learned meÌ„ in it If the Emperour would abolish this unâ—iety and restore Germany vnto their auncient liberty which is now oppressed with greuous tributes and would make way for learned honest meÌ„ vnto Ecclesiasticall promotions then might he truely perpetually be called of all men in all places the restorer of Germany to his auÌ„cieÌ„t libertie the father of his countrey should obtayne no lesse glory thereby vnto himselfe and profite vnto Germany then if he had by force of armes subdued any prouince vnto th eÌ„ And so shall Germany render no lesse thankes vnto the saide Maximilian then vnto all the rest which hauing translated the Empire from the Grecians vnto Germany haue raigued many yeares before Hereafter ensueth the copy of a certaine letter of the Emperour MaximiliaÌ„ geuen out in maner of a decree or coÌ„maundemeÌ„t against certaine abuses of the Clergy Wherunto we haue also annexed the aunswere of Iacobus Selestadiensis vnto the Emperours letters wherein he seemeth also to haue sought aduise for the remedy of the like abuses which we thought good here not to be omitted An Edict of Maximilian Emperour WE according to the example of our dearely beloued father Fredericke Emperour of Rome reuerensing the chiefe Pastour of the Church and all the Clergy haue suffered no small reuenewes of the Ecclesiasticall dignityes to be caryed out of our dominion by the Prelats and Clergy that are absent whose faultes committed by humayne frailty with Constantine our predecessor we haue not disdeyned to hide and couer But for so much as thorugh our liberality the decay of Gods honour is risen it is our part to foresee which are elect vnto the Empyre without any desert that amongest all other affayres of peace and warre the Churches do not decay Religion quayle not or Gods true worship be not diminished which we haue manifestly experimented and dayly doe perceiue by the insatiable couetousnesse of some which are neuer satisfied in getting of benefices through whose absence being but resident onely vpon one Gods honour and worship is diminished houses decay Churches decrease the Ecclesiasticall liberty is hurt learning and monuments are lost and destroyed hospitality and almes diminished and by their vnsatiable greedinesse such of the Clergy as for theyr learning and vertue were worthy of Benefices and theyr wisedome profitable in common wealthes are hindered and put backe Wherefore according to the office and duety of our estate for the loue of the encrease of Gods honour we exhort and require that no man from henceforth hauing any Canonship or
authorised TransubstaÌ„tiation Mariage in the 3. degree forbidden The pope setteth kings and Emperours together by the eares Philip the Emperour deposed Otho the Emperour deposed The councel of Lateran Martyrs of Alsatia to the number of all 100. burned in one day Ex Herm. Mutio. Collectes sent from the brethreÌ„ of Millane to them of Alsatia Obseruant Friers begaÌ„ Dominick Friers vpholders of the popes Church The Minorite Friers discended from Sainct Fraunces Diuers sectes of Franciscans The table of all religious orders A propheâ— for the deeâ— of the Remish church â—ildegardis â—â—ophecying â—rier and â—onkes Crossebearer Fryerâ— Albingenses A letter of the Bishop Portinensis concerning the Albingenses The blind ignorance of fryers described The fruites of Antichrist Antichrist his broode Patience proueth M. Fryer The Fryer must answere according to Gods worde Friers may better breake Gods law then mans lawe There is but one religion The Frier more bound to his habite then the man to his wife If the habite make the Fryer religious as his habit weareth so doth his religion Holines of all hipocrites consisteth in clothing and outward appearaÌ„ce All Fryâ— found 〈◊〉 Fryers be dead men and 〈◊〉 beggaâ— Graâ—es 〈◊〉 for de◠〈◊〉 and noâ— courtly 〈◊〉 Friers 〈◊〉 the kingâ— liege 〈◊〉 Friers 〈◊〉 no mâ—s pâ—ers Friers graâ—ter and beter thé 〈◊〉 O vnchâ—â— table Friâ—â— Friers stealers of meâ— children Shrift anâ— burials 〈◊〉 more gaâ—full then 〈◊〉 ministring of the sacrâ—ments Poore 〈◊〉 haue no soules says my felloâ— Fryer These be they that will not â—â—ter themselues noâ— suffer otheâ— men that would The Frier getteth by In prineâ—â— yet hateth the Gospeâ— Iudas for â— pence but the priest â— Frier for 4. pence selleth Christ. A compariâ—on betwene â—uâ—as the â—rier The Frier writeth beâ—ause God â—orgetteth â— is better â— labour â—eue then â— loiter and â—g M. Frier â—lers begge â—om al men 〈◊〉 make the â—ope rich 〈◊〉 it be imâ—erfectioÌ„ to â—e rich why â—o the friers â—esire to â—ake the â—ope vnperâ—â—ct Fraunces â—der be coÌ„â—ary to Christ his â—â—stament 〈◊〉 is Franâ—s accursed He that is more holy in hand thâ— in heart is false to God A subiect to exempt him selfe from the lawes of his prince smelleth oâ— treason Friers are forced to be theeues Workes of supererogation God is the limiter of nâ—eede and reward and not the Frier Friers will not pray but for them that be of their fraternitie Friers doe make Apostataes The number of Friers are superfluous as necessary as ten fingers on one hande See so fast the Frier followeth Christ in his pouertie Friers are the letters of preaching the Gospell What holynes is in a friers coat The stouter begger the nobler Fryer Why fryers so much desire to haue rich men buryed in their frieries Friers behestes are false deceits Friers desire to be Lordes and Ladies confessors Fryers and Pharises say one and doe another Dilemma Which is the best order of Friers Friers neuer agree one with an other The Fryeâ— thinkes 〈◊〉 rule peâ—â—ter the â—â—stes beeâ—â— be leaâ—â— the one 〈◊〉 follow 〈◊〉 the other Dilemma Fryers 〈◊〉 sit in 〈◊〉 aboue the Apostles Otho the Emperoâ— set vp 〈◊〉 deposed againe by 〈◊〉 Pope A complaint of the nobles of England against the couetousnes of Rome Example reaching neuer to take part against their king with foreigne power Cardinall Otho Legat The pope requireth two prebeÌ„dships in euery cathedrall Church Note the cause why the pope is compelled to craue money of other countries A councell at London called Great rewardes giuen to the Cardinall Contention for sitting on the right hand of the Cardinall Why Saint Paul standeth on the right hand of the popes crosse Why the archb of Cant. hath the right hand and the archb of Yorke the left hande Note the theam of the Cardinall applyed to God howe he applyeth it to him selfe Scripture clerkly applyed A letter of the Cardinal to bishops and archdeacons Censure of the Church well applyed Foure markes to be paide to the Pope of euery procuration Note the craftie practise of the Romish prelats to proyle for money * Note the stile of Rome * mmo malesicium naufragiuÌ„ pecuniae Fredericke the Emperour maried king Iohns daughter The fifth part of euery spirituall mans liuing giuen to the Pope Three hundred Romanes to be placed in the best benefices of England Petrus Râ—beus the Popes ageâ— A Romish sleight of 〈◊〉 pope to geâ— English mâ—ney Exceptioâ—â— alledged foâ— not contributing to the Pope Articles exhibited in the councel of Lugdunâ— for the greuances susteined by the pope The 1. greuance The seconâ— The third The fourth The fifth He meaneth â—ercase Oâ—ho or maiâ—er Martiâ—â—s The sixte The seuenth The Babiloâ—icall captiâ—â—tie slaâ—ery of Englande vnder the Pope The letter of K. HeÌ„ry the third to the Byshops K. Henry the â— commaundeth no taxe nor tallage to be sent to the pope The popes saying against kyng Henry K. Henry againe restraineth the popes taxes The pope taketh against the king The kyng compelled for feare to gyue ouer to the pope The pope asketh the 3 part of the church goods A story of Cardinall Otho at Oxford A skirmish betwene the scholers of Oxford and the Cardinals men The Cardinall runneth away Thirtie scholers taken and had to prison Three score thousand Florens contributed to the pope in one yeare of the clergic Ludouicke the French kyng Ludouicke fighteth against Albingenses Ludouicke besiegeth Tholouse The hand of God fighting for his people Ex Mat. Pariensian vita Henrici 3. The generall of the army slaine The siege against Albingenses broke vp The expugnation of a certaine strong castle of Damiâ—ta in Egypt by the Christians Damieta taken by the christiaÌ„s The story of S. Elizabeth Elizabeth daughter of the kyng of Hungary S. Elizabeth prouoketh her husband to goe and fight for the holy lande The mother of S. Elizabeth accused of adulterye The sentence of a double meaning The 〈…〉 of a 〈◊〉 sentence Elizabeâ—â— Canâ—â—â— Saint 〈◊〉 mayne Ann. 1221. Ex 〈◊〉 pensâ—â— dius 〈◊〉 The grayâ—â—ers â—â—tred into England The 〈◊〉 Gray 〈◊〉 first câ—â—med Ioannes oâ— Egideo Alexanâ—â— de Haâ—â— Charterhouse 〈◊〉 founded by WilliaÌ„ 〈◊〉 Ela soâ—dre 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 of Laâ—â—â—â— Two 〈◊〉 ned at 〈◊〉 cell in Oxford Ex Nic. â—â—uet Dissentâ—â— betweene the Citizâ— of London of Wesminster Wholsome counsayle of the Maior of London refused of wilde heads Constantine executed at London for ryot Hubert lord chiefe iustice of England Ex Math. Parisiensi Discord and contention amoÌ„g church men Ex Math. Paris ex Florilego Whether the monastery of Westminster be exemted from the subiection of the bish of London or not Anno. 1222. horrible teÌ„pest in Englande A woman with 8. of her householde slaine with thunder Grantham church burned with lightning Anno. 1223. Lewes king of Fraunce The French king false of his promise Anno. 1224. Wardship first graunted to the kyng Ex Gisburnensi aelijs Magna
not that be graunted vnto all woemen infirmed by the fault of nature which is commended in one person done in her infirmitie Therefore to receaue the misterie of the holy communion it is not forbidden them Albeit if she dare not so farre presume in her great infirmitie she is to be praysed but if she do receaue she is not to be iudged For it is a point of a good minde in some maner to knowledge hys sinnes there where is no sinne because manye times that is done without fault which commeth of fault As when we be hungry we care without fault notwithstanding it commeth by the fault of our first father to vs that wee are hungrye c. Where ye aske if a man after the company with hys wyfe may resort to the Church or to the holy Communion before he be purged with water The law giuen to the old people commaunded that a man after the companye wyth his wife both shoulde be purified with water and also should tary the Sunnes set before he came to the congregation Which seemeth to be vnderstand spiritually for then most true it is that the man companieth with the woman when his minde through delectation is ioyned to vnlawfull concupiscence in his hart and cogitation At what time before the said fire of concupiscence shall be remooued let the person thinke himselfe vnworthye the entraunce to the congregation through the viciousnes of his filthy will But of this matter sondry nations haue euery one their sondry customes some on way some an other The auncient maner of the Romanes frō our forefathers hath beene that in such case first they purged themselues with water then for a little they abstaine reuerently and so resort to the Church c. After many other words debated of this matter thus he inferreth but if any person not for voluptuousnes of the flesh but for procreation of children do company with his wife that man concerning either the comming to the Church or the receauing the misteries of the Lords body bloud is to be left to his owne iudgement for he ought not to be forbid of vs to come which when he lieth in the fire will not burne c. There is an other question also to these adioyned with his aunswere likewise to the same concerning pollutions in the night but I thought these at this present to our english eares sufficient To returne now to the story againe Gregory after he had sent these resolutions to the questions of Austen sendeth moreouer to the Church of Englande moe coadiutors and helpers as Mellitus Iustus Paulinus and Ruffianus with bookes and such other implemēts as he thought necessary for the English Church He sendeth moreouer to the foresaide Austen a palle with letters wherein he setteth an order betweene the twoo Metropolitane seates the one to be at London the other to be at Yorke Notwithstanding he graunteth to the sayde Austen during his lyfe to be the onely chyefe Archbyshop of al the lande and after hys tyme then to returne to the two foresaide seats of London and Yorke as is in the same letter conteined the tenour whereof here followeth in hys owne wordes as ensueth The copie of the Epistle of Gregory sent to Augustinus into Englande REuerendissimo sanctis fratri Augustino coepiscopo Gregorius seruus seruorum Dei. Cum certum sit pro omnipotente Deo laborātibus ineffabilia aeterni Regis praemia reseruari nobis tamen eis necesse est bonorum beneficia tribuere vt in spiritualis operis studio ex remuneratione valeant multiplicius insudare and so forth as followeth here in English TO the reuerende and vertuous brother Augustine his felow Byshop Gregorius the seruaunt of the seruaunts of God Although it be most certaine that vnspeakeable rewardes of the heauenly king be laide vp for all such as labour in the wordes of almighty God yet it shall be requisite for vs to reward the same also with our benefites to the ende they may be more encouraged to go forward in the study of their spirituall worke And for asmuch now as the new church of Englishmen is brought to the grace of almightie God through his mightie helpe and your trauayle therefore we haue graunted to you the vse of the palle only to be vsed at the solemnitie of your Masse so that it shall bee lawfull for you to ordaine twelue Bishops such as shal be subiect to your prouince or dition So that hereafter alwaies the Byshop of the Citie of London shall be ordeyned and consecrate by his owne proper Synode and so to receaue the palle of honour frō the holy and Apostolike seate wherein I here by the permission of God doe serue And as touching the Citie of Yorke we wyll sende also a Bysh. thether whō you may thinke meet to ordayne So that if that Citie with other places bordering thereby shall receiue the word of God he shall haue power likewise to ordayne twelue byshops and haue the honour of a Metropolitane to whō also if God spare me life I entend by the fauour of God to sende a palle this prouided that notwithstanding he shal be subiect to your brotherly appointment But after your decease the same Metropolitane so to be ouer the Byshops whom he ordereth that he be in no wise subiect to the Metropolitane of Londō after you And here after betwixt these two Metropolitanes of London Yorke let there be had such distinction of honour that hee shall haue the prioritie which shall in time first bee ordeyned Wyth common counsell and affection of hart let them go both together disposing with one accord such things as be to be done for the zeale of Christ. Let them forethinke and deliberate together prudently and what they deliberate wisely let them accomplish concordly not gerryng nor swaruing one from the other But as for your part you shall be indued with authoritie not onelye ouer those Byshops that you constitute and ouer the other constituted by the byshop of Yorke But also you to haue all other Priestes of whole Brytaine subiect to our Lord Iesus Christ to the ende that through your preaching and holines of life they may learne both to beleeue rightly and to liue purely and so in directing their life both by the rule of true faith and vertuous maners they may attaine when God shall call them the fruition and kingdome of heauen God preserue you in health reuerend brother the x before the Kalend. of Iuly in the raygne of our soueraigne Lord Mauritius most vertuous Emperour Besides this the said Gregory sendeth also an other letter to Mellitus concerning his iudgement what is to bee done with the idolatrous temples and Phanes of the Englishmen newly cōuerted which Phanes he thinketh not best to plucke downe but to conuert the vse thereof and so let them stand And likewise of their sacrifices and killyng of Oxen how the same ought to be ordered and howe to bee altered disputing
miracles what straunge sightes this Berthwalde or Drithelm did see after hys death read the ix booke of Henr. Huntington King Etheldred made Abbot of Bardney Adelmus Gu. Malmesâ— lib. 5. de pontifiâ— Lying miracles Malmesbery commended for hys stile Lying miracles reproued Aldelme Byshop Swithune Bishop of Wine Bedo lib. 5. cap. 23. Ex historia Iornalensi do regib us Northumb S. Iohn of Beuerlay Anno. 717. Annother lying fable of Sainct Eguyne Ranulphus in Polychro lib. 5. cap. 23. Beda lib. 5. de gestes Angl. Polycron lib. 5. cap. 17. A generall rule seruing for the obseruation of Easter day This rule of Easter seemeth to be taken out of the booke of Numer And they going out of Ramesse the 15. day of the first moneth the next day after held their Easter c. Why priestes crownes were shauen Bede de gest lib. 5. The copy of a Monkish letter of Colfride to King Naiton for the shauing of Priestes crownes How proueth he that the Apostles Iob and Ioseph were shauen Much sayd nothing proued Diuersitie of rites hurteth not the Church See how these shauelinges would father their shauing vpon Peter which is neyther found in Scripture nor in any approued story but onely in paynted clothes Why Priestes and Monkes be shauen in the crowne The shauing of the crowne what it representeth How doth the signe of the crosse defend Churches from euill spirites when it cannot keepe them from euill Priestes If shauing of the crown doth each men patience in suffering how commeth it that we see none more washpish and irefull then these shorne generations of Monkish vipers Simon Magus 〈◊〉 as he sayâ— The difference betweene the shauing of Peter and Simon Magus In outward habite christians ought not to reliâ—â—ble wicked doers * There is but one mediator betweene God and man Christ Iesus The Scottish monke and the Englishe monkes differed in their shauing If Peter shall let in the elect of God into heauen Christ theâ— serueth in little stede A note to admonish the reader Fabia cap. 141. Guliel Malmesb de Reg. An. 724. Ethelburge the Queene perswadeth her husbaÌ„d to be a monke The crafty head of a woman King Iue resigning hys kingdome went to Rome and became a Monke Ethelburga the Queene made NuÌ„ne of Barking Peter pence first graunted and payd to Rome The lawes made by King Iue to his people Celulphus King of Northumberland Bede An. 729. The life of Bede briefly described This Benedict maister to Bede was the first that brought in the vse of glasse windowes into England Also the sayd Benet 〈…〉 An Epistle of Pope Sergius The famous learning of Bede Bede commended for integritie of lyfe Anno. 735. S. Iohns Gospell translated into English by Bede Celulfus of a King made a Monke Egbert Kyng of Northumberland Anno. 747. Ex Malmesb. lib. de gestis pontifi Anglo Cutbert Archbishop of Caunterbury The rogation dayes had not then that superstition in them as they had afterward Boniface an English man Archb. of Mentz Ethelwold kyng of Merceland Edelhim a strong 〈◊〉 valiant warriour Pride ouerâ—throwne A letter of Boniface otherwise called Winfridâ— sent to kyng Ethelbald Nihil factum quod non factum prius The corrupt lyfe of Nunnes noted The popish actes and doynges of Boniface Archbishop of Magunce The Monastery of Fulda in Germany builded by Boniface Childericus The French king deposed and Pipinus intruded Dist. xl cap Si Papa Images in Churches subuerted by Emperours mayntained by Popes Philippicus for holding agaynst Images lost hys Empyre his eyes The author of the book called the dialogues of Gregory Memoriall of reliques offring and sacrifice for the dead brought into the masse Canon The Popes feete first kissed of the Emperours Segebert king of Westsaxons Sigebert slayne Cruell tyranny with like cruelty reuenged Kenulphus king of Westsaxons Anno. 748. Murder reuenged with murder Offa King of Mercia An vntruth noted in the story of Fabianus The primacy of Canterbury remoued to Lichfield Lambrith Archbishop of Cant. This Alcuinus is commended for hys learning nex to Adelmus and Bede aboue all Saxons Ethelbert king of Eastangles wrongfully murdered by Offa. The vayne suspicion and wicked counsell of a woeman Ex historia Iornalensi Malmesocriensi Cruell murder reuenged Offa and Kenredus of Kinges made monkes at Româ— Egfretus King of Mercia Alcuinus Osbâ—â— to patritio The fathers fault punished in the childe Egbert King of Kent taken prisoner A princely example of clemency in a noble king The Church of Winchcombe builded by K. Kenulphus Egbert King of Kent released out of prison A place of Fabian doubted Pope Steuen the second The donation of Pipinus falsely taken to be the donation of Constantine Ex polyer lib. 5. cap. 25. Pope Paule the first Images agayne mayntayned by the Pope agaynst the Emperour A lay man pope who was deposed and had hys eyes put out Pope Steuen the third The counsell of Constantinople the 7. condemned of the Pope for condemning Images The pope also ordayned Gloria in Excelsis to be song in the masse at S. Peters altar by the Cardinals Pope Hadrian the first Images agayne mayntayned by the Pope to be mens Kalenders The body of S. Peter clothed iâ— siluer The order of the Romish masse book when it came in Ex Duraâ—do Nauâ—â—ro Iacobâ—â— Voragine in vita Greg. Et tameâ— ipsis commentum placet Terent Note well the practise of Prelates in planting their popish masse Gregories masse taketh place in Europe Carolus Magnus beneficiall to the sea of Rome Rex Christianissimus intituled to Fraunce A letter of Charles the great sent to king Offa. How the Pope heareth the cry of poore widowes and Orphanes The Empire translated from Greece to Fraunce Images written agaynst as contrary to the true fayth This Albinus was Alcuinus aboue mentioned The Bishops and Princes of England against Images King Egbert made a monke Anno. 757. Osulphus Mollo otherwise called Adelwold Alcredus or Aluredus Ethelbert otherwise named Adelred or Eardulphe Alfweld Osredus Adelred agayn kinges of Northumberland Anno. 764. Northumberland kingdome ceaseth Alcuinus otherwise called Albinus The troubles of the kingdome of Northumberland and described by Alcuinus Ex Historia MalmesberieÌ„si How it rayned bloud in Yorke Anno. 780. Brigthricus K. of Westsaxons Edelburga daughter to Offa poysoned her husband Wickednes reuenged Irene Anno. 784. Images restored agayne by Irene at Constantinople The second councell at Nicea The wickednes of Irene condingly rewarded Kenelmus king of Mercia innocently slayne Celulphus Ceolulphus Bernulphus kings of Mercia The kingdome of Mercia ceaceth Vniust dealinges of men iustly rewarded Paules Church The first aultar and crosse set vp in England The church of Winchester The church of Lincolne The church of Westminster The scholes at Cambridge Abbey of Knouisburgh Malmesb. Abbey of Glocester Mailrose Heorenton Hetesey The monastery of S. Martin at Douer Lestingey Whitbie This Hilda was first conuerted to the fayth by Paulinus a godly and learned
woman out of her Monastery came fiue Byshops Dosa Eatha Oâ—â—ford Ioannes Wilfride Hacanos Abington Ioanno at Lincolne Ely Abbey Chertsey Berkyng Peterborough Bardney Glastonbery Camesey Winburne Sealesey Wincombe S. Albones Eusham Ripon Echelinghey S. Shaftesbury Two thinges to be wished in them that first builded Monkishe Monasteries The article of free iustification not knowne Ex Crouiciâ— Gulâ—el Malmesb Lib. â— A bâ—iefe Cataloge of Queenes and Kinges daughters which leauing their estate were made Nunnes Hilda Erchengodâ— Ermenilda â—delberga Etheldreda Werburga Kynreda Kineswida Sexburga Elfrida Mildreda Milburga Milguida Kineburga Elfleda Alfritha Wulfritha Editha Kinges made Monkes Egbert king of the Westsaxons afterward Monarke and king of the whole Realme In this tyme came in the Danes Fill into the North partâ— and were driuen out agaynes Anno. 807. Example what it is to despise other Example of patience Anno. 826. Of this victory went a prouerb Riuuscruore rubuit ruina restitit foetorâ— tabuit This land first called Anglia Anno. 833. Danes now the second tyme entred in this land Anno. 834. Fabian cap. 158. Rog. Houed Lab. 5. cap. 1. England fiue tymâ—s plagued by other natioÌ„s Ex Rog. Houed Lib. 5. Anno. 837. A place in Fabian to be amended Guliel Lib de gestis pont Anglor sayth this Pope was Leo iiij Anno. 844. Priuiledges and temporalties graunted to the Church by king Ethelwulfe Ex Flor. Hist. Pro remis Note the blinde ignoraunce and erroneous teaching in those dayes Peter 〈◊〉 through the whole Realme graunted 〈◊〉 Rome Money bestowed to burne day light Note here the holy and holesome counsailers and doynges of the spiritual Lordes Ludouicus Pius Emperour king of Fraunce Fredericke Byshop of Vtricke Byshop Fridericke openly admonisheâ—h the Emperour at the table Note that were ii Iudithes one the mother of Carolus Caluus the other his daughter whom king Ethelwulfe did marry Fridericke Byshop of Vtricke iudged of some a Martyr Example of the women more ready to reuenge then the man Swithinus Bishop of Winchester Example of a kind scholer to hys scholemayster Monkishe miracles fayned of Swithinus Pope Leo iij. Stephen iiij Pascalis i. Eugenius .ij. Valentinus .j. Gregory iiij A generall Synode at Aquil graue Euerye Church to haue sufficient to finde hys owne Priestes Pretious garmentes of scarlet or other riche colour forbidden men of the Clergy Great families not lawfull for men of the Clergy Ringeâ— and gold in their shoes forbidden The feast of all Sainctes first ordayned Pope Sergius .ij. When the Popes names began the first to be altered Agnus thrise song at the Masse The hoste deuided in three partes Pope Leo the 4. No Byshop by the Popes law to be condemned vnder 72. witnesses The golden crosse first borne before the pope A woman Pope called Ioan. viij The Church of Rome after their Masse of the holy Ghost may erre Pope Benedictus iij. Dirge for the dead Pope Nicolas the first The mariage of priestes begon to be forbiddeÌ„ * Anno. 867. A letter written to Pope Nicolas concerning Priestes not to refrayne from Mariage Priestes Mariage in the olde law permitted in the new law not forbidden The inconuenience of single life The saying of the Apostle let euery one haue hys own wife This Decree is contrary to the Bishops and Prelates in Queene Maryes tyme. More then 6000 heads of infantes found in the Popes more thorough the wicked decree of the single lyfe of priestes Let Priestes note well the saying of Gregory August ad Donatum Note well the saying of Austen August What it is to marry in the Lord. What a virgine is by the diffinition of the Apostle August ad BonifacioÌ„ The absurde saying and contrary during of papistes Gregorius 2. Tim. 3. Inuenitur bee Epistola in vetustis meÌ„branaceis libris testaÌ„et Illyrico in Catologo Memiuit eiusdem Epistola deutas Syluius in sua peregrinatione Germania descriptione Pope Hadrian the second Iohn â— Martine ij Hadrian iij. Steuen v. Ex vetusto exemplo historia Catianâ— W.C. â— The cause of Gods wrath wherâ—by the Realme of England was scouâ—ged by the Danes An other cause rendred why England was scourged of the Danes The first entring of the Dane Ex historia Iornalensi Example what mischiefe commeth by adultery Codrinus king of Denmarke Inguar and Hubba captaynes of the Danes An other cause of the comming of the Danes Lothbroke father to Inguar and Hubba What miserable enuy worketh Murther will out K. Ethelwulphe deceaseth An. 857. King Ethelbald K. Ethelbright An. 867. King Etheâ—dred Yorke buâ—ned by the Danes What discord doth in a commoâ—â—wealth An. 870. S. Edmund king of Eastangles The message of the Danes to K. Edmund The aunswere of K. Edmund The persecution and death of S. Edmund king of the Eastangles K. Edmund Martyr Redyng taken of the Danes Inguar and Hubba slayne Duke Ethelwold slayne Osrike king of Denmark landeth in England Ex Guliel Malmesboriensi Ex historia lornalensi Ex Fabiano alijs Inuocation and prayer profitable in tyme of battayle The Danes ouerthrown at Ashdon Another battayle fought with the Danes Another battayle fought with Danes at Merton What discord and rebellion doth in a realme The death of Etheldred The Abbey of Exceter founded An. 872. Alured K. of England Ex Rog. Houedeno H. Hunting Polychronicon Fabiano Burhered being expulsed hys kingdome went to Rome and there dyed in the Englishe house Rollo a Dane first Duke of Normandy Anno. 879. King Alfrede flyeth into a desert wood Etheling which is to say the I le of Nobles A swineheard made Byshop of Winchester Henr. Hunting lib. 5. de Histor. Angl. Inguar and Hubby slayne A bold aduenture or attempt of king Alfrede ventring himself into the tentes of the Danes Ex Fabiano Gutrum the Prince of the Danes was Christened King Gutrum named Athelstane Norfoâ—â—â— Suffolke geuen to king Gutrum The Nunâ—â— of Shaftesbury builded The Monastery of Etheling The new minster at Winchester besieged 〈◊〉 the Danes An. 892. The Danes driuen from Norfolke The Danes returne agayne to Norfolkeâ— The Danes driuen out of Chester The Danes driuen from Lewes The riuer of Luye deuided in three 3. plagues in England An. 897. The Danes ships taken An. 899. The vertues and godly lyfe of kyng Alfrede described The inclination of nature corrected in K. Alfrede The godly petition of king Alfrede Modwenna King Alured how he deuided hys goodes in two partes Polycron Lib. 5. ca. 1. Guliel lib. de regibus The liberall hart of king Alfrede How well and godly this king spent his tyme The godly lawes of King Alfrede A notable example of thiâ—â—ery and felony banished thys Realme Ex historiâ— lornalensi King Alfrede commended for learning When learning first began to be set vp in England Chester a place of learning The Vniuersitie of Graunchester by Cambridge The vniuersitie of Paris 〈◊〉 began by iiij Rabanus Alcuinus Claudius Ioan. Scotus Sigebert king of Eastangleâ— a scepter of Schooles Two aâ—ncient schooles in