certain parts of him were covered and after certain dayes a Trumpetter of the King 's called Thomas Cliffe gat leave of the King to take him down and bury him The next Month after the Execution of these Men died Thomas Arundel Archbishop of Canterbury famished to Death not for want of Food but of a Throat to swallow it such the swelling therein that he could neither speak nor eat for some days After him succeeded Henry Chichely whose mean birth interrupted Godwin's Catal of Bish the chain of Noble Archbishops his two Predecessors and Successors being Earls Sons by Extraction Although many Laws had been made against the Pope's usurped Authority in bestowing Ecclesiastical preferments by way of Provision yet durst not this man consent unto his election made by the Covent of Canterbury but committed the matter unto the Pope's determination who first pronounced the election of the Monks void and then bestowed the Archbishoprick upon him The same year the King began the Foundation of two Monasteries one of the Friars observants on the one side of Thames and the other on the other side of the same River called Shene and Sion dedicated unto the Charter-house Monks with certain Nuns of St. Briget to the number of sixty dwelling within the same precinct so that the whole number of these with Priests Monks Deacons and Nuns should equal the number of thirteen Apostles and seventy two Disciples These were to eat no Flesh to touch no Money to wear no Linnen The King held a Parliament at Leicester in which the Commons put up their Bill again which was put up Anno 11. Henry the fourth that the Temporalties wasted so disorderly by the Clergy might be converted to the use of the King and of his Earls and Knights c. In fear of which Bill the Clergy put him upon a long War with the French offering to him in behalf of the Clergy great and notable sums by reason whereof the Bill was put off again The Archbishop Henry Chichley condemned John Claydon's Books and condemned him and shortly after â—â—e was burnt in Smithfield with Richard Turning Baker Anno 1415. The next year the said Archbishop in his Convocation holden at London made sharper Comâ—itutions than were before against the Lollards There two Priests noted for Hereticks were brought before the Bishops the one John Barton the other Robert Chappel Barton was committed to Philip Bishop of Lincoln to be kept in prison till otherwise it were determined Chappel submitted himself and with much ado received pardon and was in stead of penance enjoyned certain Articles to publish at Paul's Cross Then divers persons were forced to abjure as John Tailâ—r of the Parish of St. Maries at Quern William James Physitian who had long lain in prison John Courdley of Lincoln-shire a learned man John Duerfer Katherine Dertford the Parson of Higley in Lincoln-shire named Mr. Robert William Henry of Tenterden John Gaul a Priest of London Richard Monk Vicar of Chesham in Lincoln-shire with divers others During the time of â—he Provincial Convocation Pope Martin had sent to the Clergy of England for a Subsidy to maintain the Pope's Wars against the Lollards of Bohemia Another Subsidy was demanded to persecute William Clerk Master of Arts in Oxford who sailing out of England was at the Council of Basil disputing on the Bohemians side A third Subsidy was also required to persecute William Russel Warden of the Grey-Friers in London who was fled having escaped out of prison Ralph Mungin Priest refusing to abjure was condemned to perpetual prison The recantation of Thomas Granter and Richard Monk Priests was read openly at Paul's Cross after which Granter was put to seven years imprisonment under the custody of the Bishop of London Edmond Frith recanted who was Butler to Sir John Oldcastle Besides these many other Wicklivites were sore vexed in Kent in the Towns of Romney Tenterden Woodchurch Cranbrook Staplehurst Bennenden and Rolvenden where Men and their Wives and whole Families were driven to forsake their Houses and Towns for fear of persecution Among whom were William White and Thomas Greensted Priests Bartholomew Chronemonger Joan Waddon Joan his Wife Thomas Evernden Stephen Robins William Chineling John Tame John Facolin William Somer Marian his Wife John Abraham Robert Munden Laurence Cook which persons because they appeared not were excommunicated by the Archbishop The Lord Cobham having lived four years in Wales and being at last discovered was taken by the Lord Powis yet so that it cost some blows and blood to apprehend him till a Woman at last with a stool broke the Lord Cobham's legs whereby being lame he was brought up to London in an Horse-litter At last he was drawn upon an Hurdle to the Gallows and there was hanged and burnt In the ninth year of King Henry the Fifth he suppressed the French Houses of Religious Monks and Friars and such like in England because Stow's chroh in Hen. 8. they spake ill of the King's Conquest over France Their Lands were given by him and King Henry the Sixth to Monasteries and Colledges of learned men King Henry died in France and was brought over and buried at Westminster This King ordained the King of Heraulds over the English which is called Garter In this King's Reign Richard Fleming Bishop of Lincoln founded a Colledge named Lincoln-colledge in Oxford King Henry the sixth an Infant of eight months old succeeded his Father in the Kingdom of England Anno 1422. In the eighth year of his Age he was crowned at Westminster and in the tenth year crowned King at Paris Cardinal Henry Bishop of Winchester being present at them both The Clergy had then a strong party in the Privy Council viz. 1. Henry Chicheley Archbishop of Canterbury 2. John Kemp Bishop of London 3. Henry Beauford Bishop of Winchester lately made Cardinal 4. John Wackaring Bishop of Norwich Privy-seal 5. Philip Morgan Bishop of Worcester 6. Nicholas Bubwith Bishop of Bath and Wells Lord Treasurer In the first year of this King's Reign was burned a faithful Witness of God's Truth William Tailor a Priest under Henry Chichâ—ley Archbishop of Canterbury March 1. Anno 1423. In the year 1424. John Florence a Turner appeared before Will. Bernam Chancellor to the Bishop of Norwich being accused for holding and teaching divers Heresies But being threatened he submitted himself and abjured and for his penance he was whipped three Sundayes in a solemn procession in the Cathedral Church of Norwich before all the people The like also was done about his Parish-church of Shelton three other several Sundayes he being bare-headed bare-footed and bare-necked after the manner of a publick Penitentiary his body being covered with a canvass shirt and breeches carrying in his hand a Taper of a pound weight In the same year John Goddesel of Dichingham Parchment maker abjured and was set at liberty till the year 1428. Richard Belward of Erisam sware that he would neither teach nor assist any against the
and maintained were mighty and likely to oppose viz. the French and Spaniards They that were friends as the Protestants in France and the Netherlands were weak and needed her help But the Lord of Hosts made her a terrour to his and her enemies and a succour to all his people at home and abroad And it seemeth the Lord began betimes to cause his terrour to fall upon the Adversaries for the Council of Trent ended in a very few years after she began her Reign and a motion was made that the Heads or chief of the Protestants should be excommunicated and in particular Queen Elizabeth But the Emperour Ferdinand sent them a message to cool their Hist Concil 〈◊〉 â—ib 8. heat and wrote to the Pope and the Legates that if the Council would not yield that fruit as was desired that they might see an union of all Catholicks to reform the Church at the least they should not give occasion to the Protestants to unite themselves more which they would do in case they proceeded against the Queen of England for undoubtedly they would by that means make a general league against the Catholicks which would bring forth great inconveniences And his admonition was so effectual that the Pope desisted in Rome and revoked the Commission given to the Legats in Trent About that time Christianity began to dawn in the Kingdom of Ireland and suddenly after the Kingdom of Scotland embraced the Gospel of Christ and Queen Elizabeth is made Instrumental that way who ayded the Reformed party in Scotland with great supplies of men and money against the Pope's faction both of French and Scotch The Gospel did so prevail in France also at that time and the Protestants grew so numerous and considerable the Queen-Mother who was an enemy yet seemed to temporize and speak them fair and wrote to the Pope for Reformation of divers abuses to give them content insomuch that a Learned man then living in Germany though born in Italy breaketh out in an Epistle to his friend Totus terrarum orbis parturit Christum But now let us mark how the enemies of the Churches peace raged in the dayes of Queen Elizabeth what hideous and damnable treasons did they commit and how did they thirst after the Royal blood of that peerless Princess And when the Lord had confounded their plots how did they seek to overwhelm and swallow us up with the power of Spain in the year 1588. But after that in despite of the Pope and his Adherents that Noble Queen was carried to her grave in peace full of dayes riches and honour and her Successour both in her Kingdom and Religion was established in his Throne how did these Romish Cannibals seek to exceed themselves in wickedness and horrible cruelty they sought at one blow as it were to cut off the neck of this Church and State A French Historian speaking Thuan. Hist lib. 54. Anno 15â—â— of the bloody Massacre saith Wise men which were not addicted to the Protestants part seeking all manner of excuse for that fact did notwithstanding think that in all Antiquity there could not be found an example of like cruelty But the English Powder-plot doth so far exceed the French Massacre that there is no degree of comparison This cannot be paralelled It was of such a transcendency saith M. Mason that all the Devils may seem to have holden a black Convocation in Hell and there to have concluded such a Sulphurious and Acherontical device as was never heard of since the world began That wicked Popish crew being made drunk with the cup of spiritual fornications held forth unto them by the Whore of Babylon with unspeakable fury and madness did violate the Sacred Lawes and break the strongest bands of common humanity and meant to have represented a shadow of Hell and Hellish-malice here upon earth far exceeding the wickedness of Kain their Elder-brother and exceeding all examples of Treason Cruelty and Murther Except that of Judas The Pope and Court of Rome who were wont to account England Puteum inexhaustum a well never drawn dry whilst they had the drawing of it now seeing the golden springs like to run low or rather to run another way and not to empty themselves in their Cisterns they like Balaam loving the Wages of unrightâ—â—usness were Raging mad and cared not how much of the best Blood in the Land were spilt so that it might make way for them again to the English gold But the greater their rage was the greater was God's mercy the greater the danger the greater the deliverance The Lord was known by executing judgement and those wicked wretches were snared in the work of their own hands Now let us consider what we were before the Christian Religion was first known to this Nation What were the Britains but Pagans and Barbarous people Yea we read that from the first submission of the Britans to the Romans that Ambassadours came from Britain to Rome swearing Fealty in the Temple of Mars offering gifts in the Capitol to the gods of the Romans And for the Saxons they were at first no better than the Britans the Saxons were a Dutch and Pagan-nation and served Saturn Jupiter and Mercury till they were converted to the Faith of Christ and renounced their Idols to serve the true and living God Earcombent Reigning in Kent after the death of his father King Ethelbald is said to be the first of English Saxon Kings that commanded Idols to be destroyed in his whole Kingdom about the year of Christ 640. 2. Consider we the Apostasie of our forefathers in adhereing to the Roman faction and then the renewed Apostasie at the death of King Edward the sixth together with our unworthy and unfruitful walking under the Gospel since the restoring of it by Queen Elizabeth 3. Consider likewise the mighty out-stretched Arm of God in protecting his Church and in preserving the truth of Religion among us still notwithstanding the plots designs and contrivances of Satan and his Instruments and the many Enterprizes of the Papal power ever since the days of K. James the great droves of Sectaries swarming like Locusts since our late unhappy Wars who seemed to be Spirited and acted by the Jesuites their crying down Magistracy and Ministry notwithstanding all which the Christian Religion hath prevailed against all its adversaries The consideration of all these things may give us ground of hope that God will still vouchsafe to dwell with his Antient Inheritance and therefore we may considently commend the care of this Church his old habitation to himself who I trust will never suffer the Devils Instruments to ruine his palace and to pull down the place of his Antient possession THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH OF Great Britain CENTURY I. IEsus Christ the Son of God the true Prince of Peace was born in Bethlehem-Judah of the Virgin Mary in the 42 year of the Reign of Augustus Coesar the Roman Emperour under the 194 Olympiad in the
encreased the number of Christian folk daily waxing greater IX That no man commit Advoutry nor Fornication that no man forsake his own Wife but for onely Fornication as the holy Gospel teacheth And if any Man put away his Wife being lawfully married unto him if he will be a right Christian Man let him be joyned to none other but let him so continue still sole or else be reconciled again to his own Wife This Synod Stapleton calleth the first of the English Nation that is whose Canons are completely extant Theodorus Archbishop of Canterbury envyed Wilfrid Bishop of York and endeavoured that the Diocess of York might be divided whereat Wilfrid being offended goes to Rome and in his passage thither by a Tempest he is cast on the Shoar of Freezland in Belgia where the Inhabitants as yet Pagans were by his Preaching converted to Christianity Returning into England he returned not unto York but stayed in the Pagan Kingdom of the South Saxons who also by God's blessing on his endeavours were perswaded to embrace the Christian Faith These South Saxons of all the seven Kingdomes were the last that were converted to Christ and yet their Countrey was next in situation unto Kent where the Gospel was first planted Indeed Edilwalck their King was a little before Christened by the perswasion of Wolpher King of Mercia who was his God-father and at his Baptizing gave him for a gift the Isle of Wight Provinciam Meanvarorum in Gente occidentalium Saxonum but his Countrey still remained in Paganism And although Dicul a Scot with six others had a small Monastery at Bosenham in Sussex yet they were more careful of their own safety than of their Neighbours conversion Wilfrid builded an Abbey in Selsey in Sussex he taught the South Saxons the craft of fishing Cedda the Bishop of West Saxons died and his Deacon Wenfrede was his successor Soon after this time died Wina Bishop of London after whom was Bishop Erkenwald who founded the Monasteries of Chertsey in Surrey and Barking in Essex But that of Chertsey was thrown down by the Danes and re-edified by Edgar King of England Then Theodorus kept a Synod or Council of Bishops at Hatfield by authority of which Council he divided the Province of Mercia that Sexwolphus then ruled alone into five Bishopricks that is one to Chester the second to Worcester the third to Lichfield the fourth to Cedema in Lindsey and the fifth to Dorchester Cadwallader the last King of Wales wearied out with Wars Famine and Pestilence left his own Land and with some small treasure fled to Alan King of Little Britain He was the last King of the stock of Britains After he had reigned three years he went to Rome and there died and was buried in the Church of St. Peter with this Epitaph upon his Tomb. Culmen opus sobolem pollentia regna triumphos Eximias proceros moenia castra lares Quaeque patrum virtus quae congesserat ipse Cadwald armipotens linquit amore Dei The which verses are thus Englished by Fabian Abounding riches kinred triumph assured Fabian ' s Chr. part 5. Plenteous wealth with clothes richly dyght Houses Castles and Towns strongly mured And other honours which by his Parents Might And his own this Martial vertuous Knight Cadwald the strong descended of Knight's blood For Christ's love renounced all his good About the year 692. Ina King of the West Saxons set forth his Saxon Laws translated into English by Mr. Lambert he enacted many Laws viz. De regula vivendi Ministrorum Dei de Infantibus baptizandis de censu Ecclesiae c. Anno 694. a great Council was held at Becanceld by Withred King of Kent and Bertuâ—ld Archbishop of Britain wherein many things were concluded in favour of the Church Five Kentish Abbesses namely Mildred Ethelred Aete Wilnolde and Hereswide were not onely present but subscribed their names and crosses to the Constitutions concluded therein And we may observe that their subscriptions are placed not onely before and above all Presbyters but also above Botred a Bishop present in this Council There was likewise a Council held at Berghamsteed by Withred King of Kent Then Bishop Wilfrid was removed to York again where he continued not long and being thence expelled again he was for a time made Bishop of Leicester CENT VIII WIlfrid was troubled by the Archbishop of Canterbury he appealeth to Rome and is acquitted he is at last restored and died in peace in the LXX VI. year of his age having been 45. years a Bishop and was buried in his Monastery at Rippon The Bishoprick of Sherborn having been taken out of the Bishoprick Camden ' s Brâ—t in Wilâ—shire of Winchester by King Ina Adelme his Kinsman was made first Bishop thereof This Adelme was the first of our English Nation who wrote in Latine and the first that taught our English Nation to make Latine verse according to his promise Primus ego in patriam mecum modo vita supersit Aonio rediens â—educam vertice Musas If life me last that I do see That native soil of mine From Aon top I 'l first with me Bring down the Muses nine He wrote many Books one of Virginity another of the Celebration of Easter And about this time the Libraries of Monasteries began to be replenished with Books many being written in that Age. In this age there were many Saints such as they were of Royal or Noble extraction of these Noble Saints St. Guthlake a Benedictine Monk was the first Saxon that professed an Eremetical life in England he was a Monk in the Abbey of Repyndon and the third year after he went to Crowland that is the raw or crude Land a fenny place in Lincoln-shire and there led for a while an Anchoret's life and there finally was buried in which Isle and place of his burying was built a fair Abbey About the year 709. a Synod was assembled at Alncester in Worcestershire to promote the building of Evesham Abbey which was done accordingly and the same was bountifully endowed by Offa and other Mercian Kings with large revenues And not long after another Synod was called at London to introduce into England the doctrine of Image-worship now first beginning to appear in the publick practice of it Now also flourished another Noble-born Saint viz. John of Beverley Archbishop of York a Learned Man and who gave the education to one more Learned than himself I mean Venerable Bede who acknowledgeth that he received the order of Priesthood from him About this time it was fashionable for Kings and Queens in England to renounce the World and turn Monks and Nuns commonly in Convents of their own Foundation but they had an high opinion to merit Heaven thereby Among the Saxon Princes who thus renounced the World in this and the next Century these nine following were the principal 1. Kinigilsus King of West Saxons 2. Ina King of West Saxons 3. Ceololfus King of Northumberland 4.
by King Edgar as most just and reasonable He established Laws Ecclesiastical as well as Civil Canutus went on pilgrimage to Rome and there founded an Hospital for English Pilgrims He shrined the body of Bernius and gave great Lands to the Cathedral Church of Winchester He builded St. Bennet's in Norfolk which was before an Hermitage Also St. Edmond's-bury which King Athelstane ordained before for a Colledge of Priests he turned to an Abbey of Monks of Saint Bennet's Order Two of his Sons succeeded him first his base Son called from his swiftness Harold Harefoot a man of a cowardly disposition He reigned but four years and the Kingdom fell to Hardiknout King of Denmark his Brother who when he had reigned two years being drunk at Lambeth suddenly was stricken dumb and fell down to the ground and within eight dayes after died without issue of his Body Thus ended the Danish Kings which Danes had vexed and wasted the Land two hundred fifty five years When England was freed from the Danes they sent into Normandy inviting over Edward the Confessor and brother to King Edmond He was crowned Anno 1045. In his time was the Law made which concerned the King's Oath at Coronation Mathew Paris describes the Manners of the Countrey at his coming thus The Nobles were given to gluttony and leachery they went not to Church in the morning but only had a Priest which made haste with the Mass and Mattens in their chambers and they heard a little with their ears The Clergy were so ignorant that if any knew the Grammar he was admired by them most men spent nights and dayes in carousing In his dayes England injoyed Halcion dayes free from Danish invasions The Ecclesiastical Laws made by this King in his reign were I. That every Clerk and Scholar should quietly enjoy their goods and possessions II. What solemn Festivals people may come and go of without any Law-suits to disturb them III. That in all Courts where the Bishop's Proctor doth appear his case is first to be heard and determined IV. That guilty folk flying to the Church should there have protection not to be reproved by any but the Bishop and his Ministers V. That Tithes be paid to the Church of Sheep Pigs Bees and the like VI. How the Ordal was to be ordered for the trial of guilty persons by fire and water VII That Peter-pence or Rome-scot be faithfully paid to the Pope This King is reported to have entailed by Heaven's Consort an hereditary vertue on his Successors the Kings of England only with this condition that they continue constant in Christianity to cure the King 's Evil. In this King's reign lived Marianus Scotus that wrote much of the deeds of the Kings of England King Edward died childless Harold the Son of Earl Godwin succeeded him Indeed the undoubted right lay in Edgar Atheling Son to Edward the Outlaw Grandchild to Edmond Iron-side King of England But he being young and tender and of a soft temper and Harold being rich and strong in Knights the Nobles chose Harold to be their King As soon as he was crowned he established many good Laws especially such as were for the good of the Church and for the punishment of evil-doers Harold was slain in a battel near Hastings in Sussex and William Duke of Normandy obtained the Crown of England by conquest within a few years he made a great alteration in England the most part of his Knights and Bishops were Normans and many English with Edgar fled into Scotland where King Malcolm had married Edgar's Sister Margaret They incited Malcolm to invade England and he entred into the North part At last a peace was concluded and a Mark-stone was set up in Stanmoor as the mark of both Kingdoms with the Pourtraict of both Kings on the sides of the Stone Although then corruptions crept into the Church by degrees and divine worship began then to be clogged with superstitious Ceremonies yet that the Doctrine remained still entire in most material points will appear by an Induction of the dominative Controversies wherein we differ from the Church of Rome as Fuller in his Church-History of Britain hath observed I. Scripture generally read For such as were with the holy Bishop Aidan either Clergy or Laity â—ed 〈◊〉 hist lib. 3. ca. 5. were tyed to exercise themselves in reading the holy Word and in singing of Psalms II. The Original preferred For Ricemath a Britain a right learned and godly Clerk Son to Sulgen 〈◊〉 in Chron. of 〈◊〉 Bishop of St. David's flourishing in this Age made this Epigram on those who translated the Psalter out of the Greek so taking it at the second hand and not drawing it immediately from the first vessel Ebreis nablam custodit litera signis Pro captu quam quisque suo sermone latino Edidit innumeros lingua variante libellos Ebreumque jubar suffuscat nube latina c. This Harp the holy Hebrew Text doth tender Which to their power whil'st every one doth render In Latine tongue with many variations He clouds the Hebrew rays with his translation Thus liquors when twice shifted out and pour'd In a third vessel are both cool'd and sowr'd But holy Jerome Truth to light doth bring Briefer and fuller fetcht from the Hebrew Spring III. No Prayers for the dead in the modern notion of Papists For though we find prayers for the dead yet they were not in the nature of propitiation for their sins or to procure relaxation from their torments but were only an honourable commemoration of their memories and a Sacrifice of thanksgiving for their salvation IV. Purgatory then not perfected though newly invented For although there are frequent Visions and Revelations in this Age pretended thereon to build Purgatory which had no ground in Scripture yet it stood not then as now it stands in the Romish belief V. Communion under both kinds For Bede relateth that one Hildmer an Officer of Egfride King of Northumberland entreated our Cuthbert to send a Priest that might minister the Sacrament of the Lord's Body and Blood unto his Wife that then lay a dying And Cuthbert himself immediately before his own departure out of this life received the communion of the Lord's Body and Blood So that the Eucharist was then administred entire and not maimed as it is by the Papists at this day And though the word Mass was frequent in that Age yet was it not known to be offered as a propitiatory Sacrifice for the quick and dead King William to testifie his thankfulness to God for his Victory founded in that place Battel-Abbey endowing it with Revenues and large immunities The Abbot whereof being a Baron of Parliament carried a pardon in his presence who casually coming to the place of execution had power to save any Malefactor The Abby-Church was a place of safety for any Fellon or Murtherer Here the Monks flourished in all abundance till the dayes of Henry the Eighth Then Dooms-day Book was
hundred committed within the Realm by Church-men Thomas Bâ—cket Doâ—tor of Canon-law was by the King made Lord Chancellor of England Four years after upon the Death of Theobald Becket was made by the King Archbishop of Canterbury Anno 1160. Thirty Teachers come from Germany into England and taught the right use of Baptism and the Lord's Supper c. and were put to Death Then John of Sarum and others taught that the Roman Church was the Whore of Babylon Some were burnt with an hot Iron at Oxford that dissented from the Roman Church The King Commanded that Justice should be executed upon all Men alike in his Courts but Thomas Becket would have the Clergy so offending judged in the Ecclesiastical Court and by Men of their own Coat This Incensed the King against him To reâ—rench these enormities of the Clergy the King called a Parliament at Clarendon near Sarisbury to confirm the Antient Laws and Customs to which Becket with the rest of the Bishops consented and subscribed them but afterwards recanting his own Act renounced the same The same year the King required to have punishment of some misdoings among the Clergy The Archbishop would not permit and when he saw in his judgement the Liberties of the Church trodden under Foot he without the King's knowledge took Ship and intended toward Rome but by a contrary Wind he was brought back Then he was called to account for his Receipts that came to his hand while he was High-Chancellor He appealeth to the See of Rome and under pain of Excommunication forbad both Bishops and Nobles to give Sentence against him seeing he was both their Father and their Judge Nevertheless they without his consent gave Sentence against him Then he seeing himself forsaken of all the other Bishops lifted the Cross which he held in his Hand aloft and went away from the Court and the next day got him over into Flanders and so to the Pope Matthew Paris hath many Letters betwixt the Pope and this King and the King of France and sundry Bishops of France and England for reconciliation betwixt the King and the Archbishop who abode seven years in exile Thomas Becket quarrelled with Roger Archbishop of York for presuming to Crown Henry the King's Son made joint-King in the Life of his Father a priviledge which Becket claimed as proper to him alone He solemnly resigned his Archbishoprick to the Pope as troubled in Conscience that he had formerly took it as illegally from the King and the Pope again restored it to him whereby all scruples in his mind were fully satisfied But afterward by the Mediation of the French King Becket had leave given him to return into England howsoever the King still retained his Temporals in his Hand on weighty considerations namely to shew their distinct Nature from the Spirituals of the Archbishoprick to which alone they Pope could restore him Thomas returning into England Excommunicateth all the Bishops which had been at the Coronation of the young King The King sent and required him to absolve them seeing what was done to them was done for his Cause but Thomas refuseth The next year after he Excommunicated solemnly the Lord Sackvill appointed by the King Vicar of the Church at Canterbury because he did derogate from the rights of the Church to please the King He also Excommunicated one Robert Brook for cutting off an Horses tail that carried Victuals to the Archbishops House The King being then in Normandy grieved very sore before his Servants at the insolent cariage of Thomas Becket This moved Sir Richard Breton Sir Hugh Morvil Sir William Tracey Sir Reginald Fitz-Vrse to return into England and coming to Canterbury they found the Archbishop in Cathedral Church at three a Clock in the After-noon and calling him Traytor to the King they slew him and dashed his Brains upon the floor His last words when he died were I commend my self and God's Cause unto God and to the blessed Mary and to the Saints Patrons of this Church and to St. Denis Here see the lightness of the People for the same Men that detested the pride of that Thomas began to Worship him after his Death Thus they sang of Thomas Becket Tu per Thomae sanguinem quem pro te impendit Fac nos Christe scandere quo Thomas ascendit By the Blood of Thomas which for Thee he did spend Make us O Christ to climb whither Thomas did ascend Multitudes of People flocked to Canterbury yearly especially on his Jubile or each fifty years after his enshrining an hundred thousand of English and Forreigners repaired thither The Revenues of peoples Offerings amounted to more than six hundred pounds a year Before Becket's Death the Cathedral in Canterbury was called Christ-Church it was afterward called the Church of St. Thomas though since by the demolishing of Becket's shrine the Church hath recovered it's Antient name King Henry protested himself innocent from the Death of Thomas Becket yet was he willing to undergo such a penance as the Pope would impose The Pope made him buy his Absolution at a dear rate He enjoyned him to suffer Appeals from England to Rome to quit his Rights and Claim to the Investitures to keep two hundred Men of Armes in pay for the Holy War of which pay the Popes Assignes were to be the Receivers and that in England they should celebrate the Feast of that glorious Martyr St. Thomas of Canterbury The words of the Bull are these We strictly charge you that you solemnly Celebrate every year the Birth-day of the glorious Martyr Thomas sometime Archbishop of Canterbury that is the day of his passion and that by devout Prayers to him you endeavour to merit the remission of your sins To make the satisfaction compleat King Henry passeth from Normandy into England stayeth at Canterbury strippeth himself naked and is whipped by diverse Monks of whom some gave him five lashes some three Concerning which penance Machiavel speaks thus in the first Book of Iâ— quali cose surono da Enrico accettare et sotto Mâ—sse si à quel gâ—â—dicio un tauto Reche boggi â—â— huomo privatâ— si vergognarebbe ottomâ—sâ— c. Tanto le cose che paiâ—no soâ—o piu daâ—icosto che â—â—â—â—presse tom de the Hostory of Florence These things were accepted by Henry and so great a King submitted himself to that judgement to which a private man in our dayes would be ashamed to submit himself Then he exclaimeth So much things that have some shew are more dreaded afar off than near hand Which he saith Because at the same time the Citizens of Rome expelled the Pope out of the City with disgrace scorning his Excommunication This was done in the year of our Lord 1170. as appeareth by these Verses Anno Milleno Centeno Septuageno Anglorum primas corruit ense Thomas In the year 1179. Lewis King of France who had entertained Thomas at Sens passed over into England to Worship him and made his