the land and that you receiue Stephen Archbishop into his dignity and the Prior of Canterbury and his Monkes and yeeld againe to the Archbishop all his Lands and rents and Sir yet moreouer that you shall make such restitution to them as the Church shall thinke good The King answered he would gladly grant their request touching the Prior and Monkes of Canterbury but touching the Archbishop let him giue vp the Archbishopricke and I will giue him some other Bishopricke vpon this condition I will admit him otherwise not Then one of them said holy Church was neuer wont to disgrade Archbishop without reasonable cause but to correct Princes that were disobedient to her What now quoth the King threaten you me They said You haue told vs what is in your heart now we will tell you what is in the Popes will He hath wholly interdicted and accursed you for your wrongs to holy Church and the Clergy and we doe accurse all those that shall common with you hereafter and we assoyle all Earles Barons Knights and others from their homage fealty and seruice they should doe to you and to confirme this we giue power to the Bishops of Winchester and Norwich and the same power ouer Scotland we giue vnto the Bishops of Rochester and Salisbury and in Wales wee giue the same power to the Bishops of Saint Dauid Landaffe and Saint Assaph And we send throughout all Christendome to all Bishops to accurse all that helpe and comfort you in any néede And we aâ—â—oyle all your aduersaries and command them to warrâ— with you and with all that are enemies to the Church Then the king answered What may you doe more They said we say to you in verbo Dei that no heire of yours after this day may be crowned Then the King sware if hee had knowne their newes hee would haue kept them out this tweluemonth Upon this occasion Pope Inocent commanded ageine in paine of his great curse that none should obey King Iohn nor kéepe company with him to eate drinke common or Councell with him or his seruants to doe him any seruice at bed boord hall or stable But the greater part that sled from him by this meanes of diuerse and sundry diseases that yeare died Betwixt England and France that yeare fell great amitie but false to the bitter betraying of England Further the Pope with his Cardinals gaue sentence definitiue that King Iohn should be deposed from his Regal Seat and promised Phillip the French King full remission of all his 〈◊〉 and cleare possession of the Realme of England vnto him and his heirs if he did either kill him or expel him Moreouer he wrote vnto other Nations that they should take vpon them the badge of the Crosse and reuenge him of the manifold iniuries done to the vniuersall Church by the cursed Tuâ—ke and Pagan King Iohn The next yeare the French King manned with the Bishops Monkes Prelates and Priests and their seruants began his attâ—mpt in hope of the Crowne of England but the English Nauie tooke 300. of the French Kings ships loaden with wheat wine meate flesh Armour and other necessaties for warre and burnt 100. within the Hauen and tooke the spoyle of them The Priests of England prouided them a false prophet one Peter Wakeâ—ield they noysed daily amonst the Commons that Christ had twise appeared to him in shape of a childe betwixt the Priests hands once at Yorke and againe at Pomfret and breathed saying Peace peace peace and that he was rapt in spirit and hee saw the â—oyes of Heauen and sorrowes of Hell He prophecied of King Iohn that he should raigne no longer then â—scention day within the yeare of our Lord 1213. Being asked the question he could not tell whether he should be slaine expelled or of himselfe giue ouer the Crowne but he was sure he nor none of his stocke should raigne that day once fiâ—â—shed The King laughed thereat when he sawe himselfe out of dangeâ— He prated thereof at large so that they which lâ—ned the King apprehended him and put him in prison the King not knowing therof the fame hereof went through the whole Realme and the more becauâ—e he was imprisoned When the prophesied Ascention day was came King Iohn commaunâ—ed his Regal Tent to be spred abroad in the open field and passed the day with his Noble Councel and men of Honour in the greatest solemnity that euer hee did before When that day was passed withall his enemies turned it to an alâ—goricall vnderstanding and said He is no King for the Pope raigneth and not he yet raigned he stil and his sonne after him to proue the prophet alyer And because this false prophet had troubled the Realme peruerted the people raised the Commons against the King and was caried ouer the Sea by the Prelates and gaue incouragement to the French King to inuade the Land the King commaunded the false prophet should be hanged and his sonne least any more should rise of his race At length the King seeing himselfe so compassed with enemies and treasons and great danger that was like to follow especially fearing the French King was inforced to submit himselfe to that execrable monster and Antichrist of Rome conuerting his Land into the patrimony of Saint Peter as many other had done before him for hee was sure though not without shame being vnder his protection no forraine Potentate was able to subdue him King Iohn made a Letter obligatory to the Pope in this manner Whereas wee haue grieuously offended God and our mother Church of Rome and our body and Realme is not a sufficient satisfaction to him that humbled himselfe on the Crosie for vs through Councell of the noble Earles and Barons we freely grant vnto God and the Apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul and to our mother Church of Rome and to our holy Father Pope Inocent the third and all the Popes that come after him all the Realme and patronage of the Churches of England and Ireland with all the appurtenances for the remission of our sinnes and the helpe of our kinsfolkes soules and of all Christian Soules so that henceforth we will hold as Farmer to her Mother Church doing fealtie to the Pope and his successors Wee will doe homage to the Popes Legate as it were in the Popes presence paying â—or all manner of Custome which we shoâ—ld doe for the said Realmes yearely 1000. markes of siluer sauing to vs and our heires our Iustices and our Franchises and other realties that appertaine to our Crowne And for the assurance hereof we binde our successors and heires that if any of our heires shall goe against these things and being warned will not an end he shall then loose the foresaid Realmes for euermore But before the releaâ—ment of the Interdiction the king was compelled to giue ouer his Crowne and Scepter to the Antichrist of Rome for fiue dayes and to receiue it at another Cardinals hands Then all that had their hearts
That all Church seruice should be in Latine except with the Sclauonians and Polonians Sequences in Masse were by him first allowed by him Priests began to be â—â—strained from Mariage wherof Hulderick Bishop of Ausâ—rough sent a Letter to the Pope that his Decrees concerning single life of the Clergie were farre discrepant from al discretion I feare how the Members of the Body wil do when the Head is so greatly out of frame Is not this a violence tyranny when a man is compelled by your Decrees to doe that which is against the Institution of the Gospell and the old Law as appeareth by many examples there be many vnder a false pretence of Continencie going about to please men more then God some lye with their fathers wiues some are Sodomits and play the beasts with brute beasts wherefore as Saint Paul saith Because of Fornication let euery one haue his owne wife When the Counsell of Nice went about to establish this Decrée one Paphnutius withstood them confessing Mariage to be honorable and called the bed of Matrimonie Chastitie and perswaded the Counsell from making that Law some take Saint Gregory for their defence in this matter being ignorantly deceiued how dangerous this Decree was and how Saint Gregory after reâ—â—ked the same with conâ—igne fruit of repentance for as he sent to his Fish pond to haue Fish hée sée more then 6000. Infants heads which were taken out of the same Mote then he confessed his Decrée to be the cause of that so lamentable a murder so he altered his Decrée commending the counsell of the Apostle which saith It is better to marry then to burne What can be more foolish then when any Bishop or Archdeacon runne themselues headlong into all lust and Adultery and Incest and Soâ—omitrie yet shame not to say that chaste Mariage of Priests stinkes and they adde this filthy and foolish suggestion that it is more honest priuily to haue to doe with many women then openly to be bound to one wife After this Nicholas succéeded Pope Adrianus the 2. Ioannes the 9. Martinus the 20 Adrian the 3. and Stephen the 1. By this Adrian it was decreed that no Emperour after that time should haue any thing â—o doe in the election of the Pope and thus began the Emperours first decay and the Pâ—pacie to swell and rise aloâ—t About the latter end of the raigne of Ethelwolfe the Danes with 33. ships arriued about Hampshire through whose barbarous tyranny much blâ—ut shed and murder hapneâ— heere amongst English men They first ouercame Ethelwolfe and after he and his Sonne Ethelbaldus warring against them in Souâ—herâ— at Okley â—raue them to the Sea where they houering a space burst in againe with horrible crueltie Besids the iust Iudgement of God for their manifold sinnes which at this time most plentifully abounded there was two outward causes of the Danes comming into England the first was the death of Lothbroke which was falsly imputed to King Edmond as is â—â—â—ore recited The other was giuen by the meanes of Osbright raigning vnder the King of West Saxons in the North parts who rauished the wife of Bruer one of his Nobles wherefore the said Bruer tooke shipping and sayled into Denmarkâ— where hee was brought vp and had great friends and making his mone to Codrinus the King who being glad of some iust quarrell leuied a great Army and sent them with â—ugnar and Hâ—bba his chiefe Captaines into England who first arriued at Holdernesse and burned vp the Contry and killed without mercie men women and children and entring towards Yorke entred battell with Osbright where he with the most part of his Army was slaine so they tooke possession of Yorke Ethelbald eldest sonne of Ethelwolfe succeeded his Father in Westsex and Ethelbright â—is second sonne in Kâ—nt they raigned both together 5. yeares Ethelbald maried Iudith his Stepmother his Fathers wife After these two succeeded Ethelred his third sonne he was so incumbred with the Danes that he and his brother Alured fought nine battels with them in one yeare and they spoyled and burned the citie of Yorke The Northumberlands likewise rebelled thinking to recouer their Kingdome againe whereby the strength of England was weakened and the Danes the more preuailed after he had raigned 5. yeares in much trouble he died Alured otherwise called Alfride his brother succeeded him in the second Monâ—tâ— that he was made King he gaue the Danes a battell besides Wilton but he was put to the worst yet the Danes did agree with him to depart out of Westsax and reâ—â—ned from Reâ—ding to London and abode there all that winter the number of the Danes were so increased as it is written of thâ—m that in one day 3000. of them were slaine shoâ—ty after they increased double as many The Danes hauing the Rule of the North part of England from the Thames wiâ—h Mâ—rcian London and Essex they disdaâ—â—ed that Alfride should beare any rule on the other side of the Thames whereupon three Kings of the Danes with all their strength made warre with him that King Alfride being ouerset with his eâ—emiâ—s and forsaken of his people he withdrew himselfe into a wood Country in Summersetshire called Etheling standing in a Marsh that there is no comming to it without boâ—e where he had nothing to liue by but what he got by hunting and fishing there was a Cottage of a poore Swineheard called Dunwolfus by whom the King was cheered with such poore fare as he and his wife could make him for which the king after set the Swineheard to learning and made him Bishop of Winchester Notwithstanding the king in time was comforted by the prouidence of God First 1300. Danes were slaine as they landed by an ambushment of King Alfrids men who lay in Garison for their owne safetie then the King shewed himselfe more at large and men out of Wiltshire Somersetshire and Hampshire came to him vntill hee had a strong company Then the king apparelled himselfe in the habit of a Minstrell as he was very skilfull in Musicke and entred into the Tents of the Danes lying at Eddingdon and there espied their Idlenesse and heard much of their Counsell and sodainly in the nigh he fell vpon the Danes and slew a great multitude of them his Subiects bearing of his manly Uictories drew to him daily so he wonne Winchester from the Danes and diuers other townes and forced them to sêeke peace the which was concluded vpon condition that Gutrum their King should be Christned and that such as would not be Christned should depart the Country King Alfride was king Gutrums Godfather at his Baptisme and named him Athelstan then he gaue Norfolke Suffolke and part of Cambridgeshire and Northumberland to them that were Christned those that would not be Christned though they departed the Realme they did diuerse times returne againe and did much spoile in many parts of the Realme but King Alfride ouercame them euer During the whole
agree this Constitution being begun Anno 997. was after established in Germany by Otho 1002. which order remaineth to this day After the death of King Edward Egelred his younger brother raigned in his steade vpon his Coronation a cloud was scene through the Land one halfe like bloud the other halfe like fire shortly after the third yeare of his raigne the Danes ariued in sundry places of this Land and did much spoyle and retyred to their ships againe and about the same time a great part of London was consumed with fire The King besieged the Bishoppe of Rochester Dunstone required the King for Saint Andrewes sake to giue ouer the siege yet he would not depart vntill the king had of him 100. lib. of gold The Danes séeing the hatred of the Subiects against the King rose againe and 〈◊〉 great harme in many places in England that the King granted them great summes of money for peace and a sore sicknesse of the bloudy Flix and hot Feuours fell amongst the people of which many dyed and a like murren amongst the beasts and for lacke of Iustice many théeues and bribers were in the Lanâ— Not long after the Danes inuaded the land againe in such sort that the King was so séeke in which Coste he should first withstand them and was compelled to appease them with great summes of money and for lacke of a good Goâ—ernour many things perisheâ— in the Land for the King gaue himselfe to Lechery and polluting his Subiects disinheritiâ—g them and causing them with great summes to redaâ—â—e the same againe 〈◊〉 payed the Danes tribute yearely which was called Dane-gilt which tribute increaseâ— from 10000. lib. yearely and in fiue or sixe yeares it came to 40000. lib. yearely â—dricke Duke of Mercia and Alfrike Admirall of the Ships warned the Danes 〈◊〉 whatsoeuer the King deuised against them wherefore the king put out the eyes of thâ— Admirals sonne and of the two sonnes of Duke Edricke The Danes thus preuailing were so proud they forced the Husbandmen to ploâ— and sows their lands and the whilst would sit at home with their wiues and daughters and fared of the best when the Husbandmen fared but scantly of their owne they were glad to please them and call them Lord Danes which after was turned to a name of â—â—proby when they rebuked another they called him Lurdaine The king in the 21. yeare of his raigne maried Emma the Daughter of Richard Duke of Normandy which Mariage inhaunâ—ed the Kings minde that hee sent secret and strait Commissions to the Rulers of euery towne in England that vpon 〈◊〉 Brices day at an houre appointed the Danes should be suddenly slaine and so it waâ— performed Then Swanus king of Denmarke hearing of this slaughter of the Danes with a great Hoste and Nauie came into England and did much spoyle but at length he was met with of Duke Vskatell and beaten and many of the Danes slaine wherefore they returned to Denmarke The next yeare Swanus entred into the Land againe and spoyled the Contry and euer when as he heard of the Kings Hoste comming he tooke ship againe and went to aâ— other part of the Contry and when the King would méete him by Sea he would fly or else bribe the Admirall so they brought the Englishmen into vnspeakeable misery that the king was faine to giue them 30000. lib. for peace But after Swanus broke couâ—nant and landed in Northumberland with a great Hoste proclaiming himselfe King caused the Earle with the Rulers of the contry to sweare him fealty so he Conquered through the Contry and tooke pledges of them He tooke Winchester and Oxford and came to London hearing the King was there he went into Kent and conquered Canterbury where he fired the citie and slew 900. Monke of the Abbey of Saint Augustines and 8000. of the men and women of the Citie and they stoned Elphegus â—â—shoppe of Canterbury to death at Grinewich because hee would not giue them 3000. lib. The King for feare sent his wife Emma and his two sonnes Alfred and Edward 〈◊〉 the Duke of Normandy after the King fled to the Isle of Wight and went thence 〈◊〉 to Normandy to his wife Swanus teared exceeding impositions vpon the people and required a great summe of money of Saint Edmunds lands which being dâ—nyed him because the Land was frée he spoyled the Contry despising the Martyre and menaâ—ing the place of his Sepulchre wherefore the people fell to prayer and fasting so that shortly after Swanus suddenly crying and yelling amongst his Knights dyed wherfore Canutus his sonne ruling as King after his father builded the Abbey of S. Edmundsbury our Saint Edmonds Sepulchre and ditched their Land with a great ditch ordained a House of Monks there and gâ—ue them their auâ—tient freedomes After that it was vsâ—â— that the Kings of England when they were crowned offered their Crownes to Saint Edmonds shrine and bought them againe King Eldred hearing the death of Swanus returned into England Canutus fled to Sandwich and cutting off the noses and hands of the pledges which his Father left 〈◊〉 him sayled into Denmarke The next yeare Canutus returned againe with a great Host and forced the people to be sworne vnto him and giue him pledges In this season King Eldred died at London after he had raigned 38. yeares and was buried in Paules After whose death the most part chose Canutus the King of the Danes King generally all the Clergie men choose him but the Citizens of London and certaine Nobles choose Edmund the eldest sonne of Egelred King who for his hardinesse to indure labour was surnamed Ironside Betwixt these two martiall Princes many great battels were sought with no great difference of victory at length by rensent they two onely tryed the quarell in the fight of both Hosts and when they had assayed each other with sharpe words and strokes they both agréed and kissed each other and diuided the Land betweene them and during their liues loued as brethren Shortly after one of the sonnes of Duke Edricus aforesaid killed King Edmund after hée had raigned two yeares Hee left two sonnes behinde him Edmund and Edward whom the wicked Duke tooke from their mother shee not knowing of her husbands death and presented them to Canutus saying Aue Rex solus Canutus sent them to his brother Swanus King of Sweueland to be â—laine but hée sent them to Solamon King of Hungary where Edmund maried the Kings Daughter and dyed and Edward was maried to Agatha the daughter to the Emperour Henry the fourth Then Canutus held a Parliament established the Crowne to himselfe hee disdained euer after those whom he found false to their natiue King some of them he exiled some he beheaded and some died suddenly by the punishment of God and wicked Duke Edrike was beheaded anâ— his head set vpon London bridge In the meane time Swaynus his brother King of Denmarke dyed and the Land fell to Canutus
hee 〈◊〉 toither and tooke possession thereof and returned and maried Emmalate wife of Egelred by whom he had a sonne called Hardyknight He held a Parliament at Oxford where it was agreed that Englishmen and Danes should hold the Lawes made by King Edgar Then the Danes begun to be Christians and Canutus went to Rome and returned He gouerned the Lâ—nd 20. yeares and left two sonnes Harold and Hardeknight which was made King of Denmarke in his Fathers time Harold called Harefore for his swiftnesse succéeded him hee banished his Stepmother Emma and tooke away her goods and Iewels Hardeknight King of Demmarke succéeded him and when he had raigned two yeares being merry at Lambeth he was suddenly strucke dumbâ— and died being the last king of the Danes that raigned in England In the time of these Danish Kings there was one Godwine an Earle in England when the aforesaid two sâ—nnes of King Egelred Alfred and Edward came from Normandy to England to visit their mother Emma and brought with them a great company of Normaines this Godwine hauing a Daughter named Godith whom he thought to haue maried to Edward and made him king Hee perswaded the king Hardeknight that the Normaines should be slaine and gat authoritie to order the matter himselfe Wherefore hée met them at Guildowne with a company of English Souldiers slewe almost all the Normaines winding their gots out of their bellyes and put out the eyes of Alfred the eldest brother and sent him to the Abby of Elie where hée fed him with bread and water vntill shorty after hée dyed Edward escaped to his mother who fearing Godwine sent him againe into Normandy This cruell fact to the Normaines séemeth to bée the cause why the Iust Iudgement of God shortly after Conquered the English Nation by the Normaines After the death of king Hardeknight last king of the Danes the Lords sent into Normandy for the aforesaid Edward yonger sonne of Quéen Emma to take possession of the Realme who came with a few Normaines and was crowned at Winchester He maried Godith Daughter of Earle Godwine hee ruled with much wisdome and 〈◊〉 24. yeares In his time his mother Emma was accused to be too familier with Alwine Bishopâ—â— Winchester by the councell of Godwine they were committed to prison many of 〈◊〉 Bishops laboured for them to the King but Robert Archbishop of Canterbury stoppâ—â— their suâ—e saying How dare you defend her shée hath defâ—med her sonne the 〈◊〉 and taken her lerâ—erous Lemman the Bishop she is accused to bee consenting to â—he death of her sonne Alfred and procured poyson for her sonne Edward it she will 〈◊〉 bare footed for her selfe foure steps and for the Bishop fiue vpon nine 〈…〉 if she escape harmelesse they shall be afâ—oyled she agreed theris then the â—ing and many Nobles being present she was led blindfold to the place where Irons lay burning hote and passed the nine shares vnhurt when they opened her eyes and she sâ—e her selfe past the paine she kneeled downe and gaue thankes to God then the King asked her forgiuenesse but the Archbishop fâ—ed into Normandy The said cruell 〈◊〉 Godwine tooke bread and eate it in witnesse that he was not guilty of the death of Alfred the Kings brother but as soone as hee had receiâ—ed the bread he was choked at the table before the king at Winsor and he was conueyed to Winchester and buried Harold the second sonne of Godwine succeeded Edward who was the last King of the Sâ—xâ—ns Then the Kings soâ—ne of Denmarke came into England with 300. ships who entred the North and claymed the Land the Lords of the country rose against them but the Danes had the victory then Hâ—rold gaue them a great battell and got the victory and slew the King of Denmarkes sonne After this victory Harold waxed proud and couetous and would not diuide the prâ—y to his Knights but kept it to himselfe Whereas Harold had sworne to William Duke of Normandy after the death of King Edward to take possession of the Kingdome of England to his vse according to the will of King Edward that the Duke of Normandy should succéede him The Duke sent to him admonishing him of the Couenants that were agréed vpon betwixt them Harald answered thus That such a nice foolish promise ought not to be holden concerning the Land of another without the consent of the Lords of the same especially because neede and dread compelled him thereto Whereupon Duke William prepaired his Armie and sent to Pope Alexander concerning his Title and â—oiage the Pope confirmed him in the same and sent him a Banner And they tooke shipping with a great company and landed at Hastings in Sussex the Normans and Harald ioyned battell in the place where afâ—ter was builded the Abby of Battell in Sussex where the Normaines obtained the victory through the Iust Prouidence of God where Harold was wounded in the left eye with an arrowe and incontinently dyed when hee had raigned nine yeares and was buryed at Walâ—ome This Duke William and King Edward were by the Fathers side Cosen Germaynes After this Gregory the first succeeded Siluester the second he sate 4. yeares 〈◊〉 moneth and 8. dayes Pope By the testimony of Stella Benno and Platina and many others he was a Sorceâ—er and was exalâ—ed to the Papacy by the Deuill vpon this condition that after his death he should giue himselfe to the Deuill He demaunded of the Deuill how long he should â—nioy his Popedome Hee answered Untill thou say Masse in Ierusalem thou shalt liue At length the Pope in Lent saying Masse in the Temple of the Holy Crosse which Church vnknowne to him was called Ierusalem then hee knewe hee should dye then repenting hee confessed his fault before all the people â—fâ—er him succeeded Iohn the 19. which brought in the Feast of All-Soules to bee celebrated next after All-Saints day by the meanes of Odilo Abbot of Clâ—nake This Abbot thinking that Purgatory should bee in Mount Eâ—na dreamed vppon a time that hâ—e by his Masâ—es had dâ—liuered diuerse Souâ—es from thence saying that hee heard the voyces and lamentatious of Dâ—uils crying out for that the Soules were taken from them by Masses and Dirges funâ—rall Pope Iohn the 20. succeeded him and after him Sergius the 4 after him Benedictus the 8. then Iohn the 12. who was prâ—moted by Arte Magicke of diuerse Sorcerers He brought in the fast of Saint Iohn Baptist eauen and of Saint Laurence After him followed Pope Benedictus the 9. aspiring to his Papacie by Magicke practising Inchaâ—tments and Conâ—â—rations in words he resisted the Emperour Henricus the third sonne of Conradus and placed in his roome Peâ—â—us King of Hungary After for feare of Henricus he was faine to sell his Seaâ— so Gratianus called Gregorie the sixt for 1500. lib. at which time there was three Popes in Rome together raigning one against another Benedictus the 9. Siluester the 3. Gregorius the 6. for which
number of Holly daies and the increase of vice thereby whoores say they vantage more in one Holy day then in fiftie other dayes and of the curious singing in Cathedrall Churches wherein much time is spent that might better be beâ—towed in other Sciences and learning And of the multitude of begging Fryers and other professed men and women the cause of Idlenesse and vncomely life of promotion of euill Prelates and their negligence in reprouing vice Of the wantonnesse of their seruants and their excesse in apparell Of the excessiue gaines of the prelates and their officers for their Seales giuing them they care not for what so they get money That Prelates bée too slacke in looking to non residents Of giuing benifices not for godlinesse and learning but for fauour friendship or hope of gaine of which commeth the great ignorance in the Church How Prelates wast the Church goods in superfluitie on kinsfolkes or worse wayes and not on the poore How by negligence the Bookes of the olde Coâ—ncels and oâ— the new are not to be found which should be kept in all Cathedral Churches The negligence of Preâ—ates and their voluptuousnesse by example of Storks whose nature is if one leauâ— his mate and ioyne with another all the rest fly on him and plucke his feathers off so and much more should prelates dâ—e to their fellowes that defile so many and stinke in the whole Church And as Eâ—dras in purging Israel from strange women began with the priests so now the purgation ought to begin with them as it is written in Ezechiâ—ll Begin with my Sarctuary c. Againe if the whole Realme of France was interdicted because Phillip the King had but one Concubine which was not his lawfull wife And the King of Portugall sequestred from his Dominion and thought by the Clergie insufficient to rule What shall be said to prelates which abuse mens Wiues Uirgings Nunnes and are insufficient to take charge of Soules About this tiâ—â—e the Order of the Knights of the Rhodes called Iohannits and the Order of the Teâ—â—lers rose vp After Honorius succéeded Pope Innocentius the 2. At euery mutation of new Popes came new troubles sometime two Popes sometimes thrée together The Romaines elected another Pope called Anacletus betwixt whom was great conflicts The Duke of Sicile taking with Anacletus vntill Lotharius the Emperour droue Anacletus 〈◊〉 of Italy This Pope decréed that whose strucke a shauen Priest should be excommunicated and not absolued but onely by the Pope Steuen king of England reserued to himselfe the authoritie of bestowing Spirituall liuings and of inuesting Prelates At which time Lodouicus the Emperoue would haue done the like had not Bernardus giue in him contrary councell At this time came in the manner of cursing with Booke Bell and Candle in a Councell of London holden by William Bishop of Winchester vnder Pope Celestinus successor of Innocentius After Lotharius succeeded in the Emperiall Crowne Conradus Nephew of Henry the fift he raigned 15. yeares There was diuerse Popes in his dayes as Celestinus the 2. Lucius the 2. Eâ—genius the 3. at which times the Romaines endeauored to recouer the old manner of chusing Conâ—uls and Senators but the Popes being in their ruffe would not abide it which caused much ciuill warre insomuch that Pope Lucius sent 〈◊〉 the Emperour for ayde who thought to haue destâ—oyed them in the Senate but they were ware oâ— it and were all in aray the Pope being in the fight was well pelted with stones and blowes that he liued not long after Eugenius cursed the Romaines for that matter with excommunication which when he saw would not serue came vpon them with his Host and compelled them to abolish their Consuls and to take such presidents as the Pope should assigne Then followed Anastatius the 4. after him Adrianus the 4. an English man called Breakespeare belonging once to Saint Albons he likewise kept great slurâ—e with the Citizens of Rome to abolish Consuls with cursing and warres vntill he had brought them vnder In the meane time Fredericus called Barbarossa succeeded Conradus in the Empire marched to Italy to subdue rebels the Pope and his Clergie met him to haue ayde against their enemies the Emperour lighted to receiue him and held his left stirrop where he should the right the Pope displeased he smiling excused himselfe as not vsed to hold stirrops and that it was not of duetie the next day the emperour sent for him receiued him and held his right stirrop and all was well When they came in the Pope told the Emperour that his predecessors left some token of beneuolence for crowning of them as Carolus Magnus subdued the Lumbards Otho the Bexingarians Lotharius the Normans therefore required him to restore the Country of Apâ—lia to the Church of Rome He and his Princes seeing he could not otherwaies â—e crowned promised to doe it and the next day was crowned Whilst the Emperour was prouiding for Apulia the Pope excommunicated William Duke thereof and sent Emanuell Emperour of Constantinople incensing him to warre against the said Duke Thâ— Duke hearing it sent vnto the Pope for peace promising to restore what hee would which the Pope by the Councell of the Cardinals would not grant The Duke put Emanuell the Emperour to flight and besieged the Câ—tie Beneâ—entum where the Pope and Cardinals were looking for victory that they were glad to intreat for the peace they refused the Duke onely granted not to inuade the possessions of Rome and the Pâ—pe made him King of both Sicils The Pope was so troubled with the Senators and Consuls of Rome that when his curses would not auaile he was faine to remoue from Rome to Ariminium The Emperour considering the wrongs the Pope had done to his predecessors required of the Bishops of Germany Homage and Oath of alegiance commaunding if the Popes Legats came thither without sending for they should not be receiued charging his subiects not to appeale to Rome and prefixed his name in his Letters before the Popes name Whereupon the Pope wrote to him that God promiseth long life to thâ—m that honoured their Parents and death to them that cursed them and the word of truth saith He that exalâ—eth himselfe shall be brought lowe He maruelled not a little that he shewed not the reuerence he ought to blessed Saint Peter and the holy Church of Rome 〈◊〉 preferre your name before Ours wherein your incurre the note of insolencie or rather arrogancie How kéepe you the Oath of fidelitie to Saint Peter and vs séeing you require Homage and Alegiance of them that be Gods and all the sonnes of the high God and presume to ioyne their holy hands with yours and exclude from your Churches and Cities our Cardinals Legates from our side amend amend â—hile you goâ— about to obtaine the things you haue not I feare mée your Honour will loose the things which you haue The Emperour wrote againe that Iustice giueth to
meete vs in the borders of the King though we offered him safe comming we to satisfie his minde condescended to meete him at a place which hee appointed within the Land of the French King we exhorted him humbly to submit himselfe vnto his soueraigne and King who had heaped him with such benefits and dignities after aduise with his Counsâ—ll hee said he would submit himselfe to the King sauing the honour of God the libertie of the Church the honestie of my person the possessions of Churches and the Iustice of him and all his in all things wee asked him whether hâ— would submit himselfe to vs as the King and the Bishops were content to doe he said he had a commandement from you not to answere before he and all his were restored to all their possessions then he would proceed in the matter as hee should receiue commandement from the Sea Apostolick whereof wee made relation to the King yet keeping back a great part which we had heard and séene which when the King and Nobles vnderstood the King said he was so much the more cleere for that the Archbishop would not stand to Iudgement after much heauinesse and lamentation of the King Bishops and Abbots they required of vs whether wee had any power to proceed against him and perceiuing wee had none least the Archbishop should worke any disquietnes to any of the Noble personages of the Realme agreed together with one assent to make their appellation to your audience prefixing accordingly the terme of their appeale The Archbishop saying he stood onely for the peace of the Church one of the Cardinals offered him if he would relinquish his Bishoppricke the King should relinquish his Customes He answered He could not renounce his Church sauing the honour of the Church and his person but it standeth vpon the soules health and honor of the King to renounce his customes After the Cardinals were gone the French King séeing the King of England disquieted and sâ—â—icitous of peace pretending to set agréement betwixt them the King and the Arch-bishop both were content to stand to his arbiterment The Archbishop prostrating himselfe at the féete of the King of England said he would commit the whole matter to his owne arbiterment Saluo honore Dei the King was highly there-with displeased rebuking him of pride and stubbornenesse and charged him with sundry and great benefits bestowed on him and hee a person vnkind and forgetfull And speaking to the French King there present said whatsoeuer displeaseth this man hee saith it is contrary to the honour of God and by this meanes will vindicate to himselfe that which is his owne and mine too there haue bin Kings of England of greater and lesse puissance then I am there haue haue béen Archb. of Canterbury both great holy men what the best of them haue done to my predecessors before me let him doe the same to me and I am content the standers by with one voice cried the king hath debased himselfe enough to the Bishop the French King said what my Lord will you be better then those holy men will you be greater then Peter you haue peace and quietnes put in your hands if you will take it he answered my predecessors euery one in his time did pluck vp and correct something in his time though not all things for then there would bee no cause of this fire of temptation to try vs though some haue béen slack we are not to follow their examples we rebuke Peter for denying Christ but we commend him for resisting Nero hee could not in his conscience consent vnto him he did not dissemble wherby he lost his life by such oppressions the Church hath alwaies growne our forefathers suffered because they would not dissemble the honour of Christ shall I to haue the fauour of one man suffer the honour of Christ to be supprest the Noble men standing by noted him of arrogancy and wilfulnes and one openly protested that séeing he refused the request of both kingdomes hee was worthy of the help of neither as England had reiected him so France should not entertaine him One of the Archbishops Chapleins writeth that the French king prostrated himselfe at the féet of the Archb. repented he had giuen him such councell in a case pertaining to the honour of God desired to be assoiled and that Henry sent to the king to desire him not to support his enemy within his Realme the French King vtterly denied the Kings request and tooke part rather with the Archbishop The King of England returned from Normandy into England in the 16. yéere of his reigne kept his Court of Parliament at Westminster by assent both of the Clergy Temporalty caused his sonne Henry to be crowned King the Coronation was done by the Archbishop of Yorke other Bishops assisting Becket not beeing called tooke no little displeasure and so did the French King hearing that Margaret his Daughter was not like wise crowned with her husband wherevpon hee came with a great armie to Normandie but the King sent his sonne to him which intreated peace promising that his sonne should be crowned againe and his daughter crowned with him Becket sent to the Pope complaining of foure Bishops especially the Archbishop of York who durst be so bold in his absence without his licence to crowne the king being a matter peculiar to his Iurisdiction at whose instance the Pope excommunicated the Bishop of London the other thrée with the Archbishop hee suspended they resorted to the King declaring how miserable there case stood for fulfilling his commandement the King was highly moued The King of France with his Clergy and Courtiers slacked no occasion to incite the Pope to excommunicate the King of England also thinking to haue some aduantage against the Realme neither was the King ignorant of this which made him the readier to agree The pope sent two Legats with full commission either to driue the K. to be reconciled or to be excommunicated the King seeing himselfe in great straites which he could not auoid and by the mediation of the king of France and other great prelates and Princes of the king was content to be reconciled with the Archb. whom he receiued into his Realme and granted him free returne to his Church But he would not grant him his lands vntill he came into England and did see how he would agrée with his subiects he was ioifully receiued of his church albeit he was not very welcome vnto the yong king so that comming to London to the king he was returned back to Canterbury and bid to keepe his house hee excommunicated one Robert de Brocke on Christmas day for cutting off the taile of one of his Horses the day before hee would not absolue the foresaid foure Bishops without cauâ—els and exceptions who went to Normandie to the king and complained of the miserable state vncourteous handling which made him conceiue such displeasure towards Becket that
wounded for obeying their liege King came and were absolued of their owne Bishops but the Spirituall men were compelled to séeke their absolution of the Pope Some of the Clergie were not pleased that the King should be absolued vntill the King had payed all which any of the Clergie should demaund and complained of the Popes Legate that he was too partiall for the King in the matter of restitution and because he went with the Kings Officers to the Cathedrall Churches Abbyes Priories and other Churches vacant and appointed two Iucumbants to euery place one for the King and the other for the parties and commonly compelled the election to passe vpon him whom the king nominated The Archbishop called a Councell at Oxford some would not tary séeing the confysion thereof others reuiled the king most spiâ—efully behinde his backe saying he ought to bée taken for no Gouernour of theirs that it grew to a grieuous tumult and most grieuous commotion In this years Pope Inocent held the Councell at Rome called Lateran it was pretended to be for the râ—formation of the Church Uniuersall and to haue the holy Land recouered from the Turtes but it was because the Doctrine of the Truth which they call Hereâ—â—â— begin to 〈◊〉 very high by reason whereof the Empâ—rour Otho and many other Priestes and their Countries were excommunicated In this Councell he established by publique Deerce that the Pope should haue the correction of all Christian Princes and that no Emperour should bee admitted except he were sâ—orne to him and Crowned of him Item that whosoever spake euâ—il of the Pope should be punished in Hell with eternall damnation Item Transubstantiation was first inuented brought in and a Pix ordâ—ined to couer the bread and bell to be rung bâ—fore it when it went abroad and the Masse to bée made equall with Christs Gospell Item the Act was established and ratified of compelling Priests to abiure lawfull mâ—â—iage Marke how the Priests and their adherents were plagued for handling king Iohn so Stephen Lancton Archbishop of Canterbury in this Councell was excommunicated of Pope Inocent with all thâ—se Bishops Preâ—lates Priests Barons and Commons which had béene of Councell with him in the former Rebellion and when the Archbishop had 〈◊〉 instant sute to be absolued the Pope answered I sweare by Saint Peter thou shalâ— not so soone obtaine thy absolution for thou hast hurt the king of England and iniured â—uch the Church of Rome He was also suspended from Church saying Masse or exercising other Ecclesiasticall Office because he would not execute the Popes curse vpon the said Rebellious Barons and cursed all the other rebels with bâ—ll bookâ— and candle and they appealed to the generall Councell In the same yeare many were summoned to Rome because they would not consent to the Kings deposing and submitting to the Pope Thus the whole Realme was miserably deuided into two factious some Lords and Gentlemen a great number followed the King and loued his doings Others fled to the French King desiring of him his eldest sonne Lodowicke and they would elect him their King and that he would send with him a mightie Armie to subdue the King but as certaine Lords and Barons were chusing Lodowicke for their king the Pope sent a Cardinall to stop their rash and cruell attempts charging the French king vpon his alegiance with all possible power to â—auour and deâ—end King Iohn of England his Feodaâ—y or Tenant Tho French king answered The Realme of England was neuer yet part of Peters patrimony neither now is nor euer should be No Prince may pledge or giue away his Kingdome without the lawfull consent of his Barons If the Pope shall seâ— vp such a president he shall at his pleasure bring all Christian Princes and their Kingdomes to naught Though he be my aduersary I much lament that he â—â—th brought the noble ground and Quéene of Prouinces vnder miserable 〈◊〉 The chiefe of his Lords standing by cryed by the bloud of God in whome we hope to be saued we will sticke in this Article to the loosing of our heads that no King may put his â—and vnder tribute and make his Nobilitie captiue seruants Lodowicke 〈◊〉 that his purposed iourney might not vs let for the Barons haue elected mee and I will not loose my right but fight for it to death and I haue friâ—ndes there to which the King answered not belike doubting somewhat because he saw all 〈◊〉 of the Priests that they might liue licentiously in wealth frée from the Kings yoake The same time a such treasons and conspiracies were wrought by Clergie men that the King knew not where to finde trustie friends At length he went to Douer looking for ayde from other quarters to whom resorted a wonderful number of men from Flanders 〈◊〉 Holland and many other parts It was reported the Pope writ to them to aâ—de him First bâ—cause he submitted his kingdome to his protection and he had taken vpon him the 〈◊〉 of the white Crosse to winne againe Ierusalem Thirdly because he had gotten by him England and Ireland and was like to loose both Upon the Aâ—â—â—nciation day of our Lady hee â—ooke vpon him his voyagâ— againâ—â—â—he Turkes to recouer Ierusalem He told his seruants 〈◊〉 did prospeâ—â— with him since he submitted himselfs and his kingdomes to the Church of Rome In this yeere one Simon Langton was chosen 〈◊〉 of Yorke but he was deposed by the Pope because he was brotheâ— to Stephen â—rchbishop of 〈◊〉 wâ—â—m the Pope hated hauing brought him vp of naught and â—ound him so 〈◊〉 and he places the Bishop of 〈◊〉 in his â—oome The 〈◊〉 night the Pope renewed his curse vpon the king of France his 〈◊〉 for vsurping vpon king Iohn and against the said Simon Langton and Geruas Hobruge for prouoking him to the same with wonâ—erfull 〈◊〉 cousing the â—els to ring caâ—les to be â—â—ghted and doores opened the 〈…〉 to be red committing them wholy to the Deuâ—l and communded the â—ishops and 〈◊〉 to poblish it through the whole Realme to the â—errour of all subiects The 〈◊〉 Simon and Geruais derâ—â—â—d him and appealed vnto the 〈◊〉 all Councell for Lodowicke and themselues The Magestrates and citizens of London did likewise 〈…〉 at the Popes commandements and kept company with the excommunicated at â—able and Church in contempt of the Pope and 〈◊〉 Lodowicke at 〈◊〉 taking himselfe king made Simon Langton higâ— Chancellour and Geruais Hobruge his chiefe Preacheâ— vy whose daily Preaching the Barâ—â—â— and Citizens bring excommunicated caused all the Church doores to be opened and 〈◊〉 sung and Lodowicke was sit for them in all paints About this time Cardinall Pandulphus was made Bishop of Norwich for gathering Peter 〈◊〉 an old â—illage of the Pope other great labours â—one by him for the Pope About this time one Uicont of Meinn a 〈◊〉 man which came ouer with Lodowicke felll â—â—cke and called to him certaine English Baronâ— and said I pittie the
in any cause without great guifts and expences whereof the pouertie of the Church is the cause therefore it is sit that you as naturall Children should helpe and succour your Mother for if wee should not receiue of you and other good men we should lacke which were a great dishonour to our dignity The King answered Hee could doe nothing because it concerned the Commons and he assâ—mbled a Councell hee was answered they could conclude nothing because the Arch-Byshoppe the King and other whom it concerâ—ed were not there The next yeare the same Cardinall came againe into England and summoned all the Clâ—argy to another Councell to be held in the Cathedrall Church of S. Paule in London for redressing of diuers and sundry matters concerning Benifices Religion and other abuses of the Church putting them in feare and hope some to lose and some to obtaine spirituall promotions at his handes Diuers preâ—ious rewards were offered him in Palâ—ries in rich Plate and Iewels in costly and sumptuous Garments richly furred in Coyne and Uictuall c. The Bishop of Winchester sent him fifty fat Oxen and hundred coome of pure Wheat eight tun of chosen Wâ—ne likewise other Bishops offered to the Cardinals Boxe after their ability The Cardinall commaunded at the West end of Saint Paules Church a high solemne Throne of great State to bee prepared rising vp with a glorious Scaffold before the Cardinall begunne his Sermon there happened a great discord betwixt the Arch-byshops of Canterbury and Yorke about sitting on the right hand of the glorious Cardinall the Cardinall shewed them a Bull of the Pope in the middest of which was pictured the Crosse and Paule pictured on the right side of the Crosse and Peter on the left saying yet there is no contention betwixt these two yet Saint Peter for the Prerogatiue of his Keyes and for the Preheminence of his Apostle-ship and Cathedrall Dignitie séemeth most worthy to be placed on the right side and from that time foorth the Arch-Byshop of Canterbury hath enioyed the Dignity and Prâ—heminence of the â—ight hand The Cardinall sitting like a God in the middest betwixt them made his Sermon vpon these words In the middest of the Seate and round about were foure Beasts full of eyes behind and before He compared them about him to the foure Beasts declaring how they ought to haue eyes before and behind that is they must be carefull and prouident as well in disposing secular thinges as wise and circumspect in spirituall matters contriuing and ioyning wiselie thinges past with thinges to come And this was the greatest effect of his Clearkely Sermon Then he gaue forth sundry Constitutions and Statutes for ordering of Churches dedicating Temples for seauen Sacraments for giuing Orders farming Benefices Collations and resignations Priests apparell and single life for eating of flesh in religious Houses for Arch-deacons Byshops Proctors c. The King dreading the Commons willed him to repaire home to Rome but he could not so be rid of him but hee renued his commission and still applyed himselfe to his Haruest gleaning and raking what hee could writing his Letters to euery Byshop or Arch-Deacon for procurations to beare his charges and withall to be spéedily collected and sent to him Prouided that the summe collected should not excéede aboue foure Markes of a Liuing and where small Liuings were two Liuings to ioyne and if any contradicted or gaine-sayed him to excommunicate them And they sent forth Preachers and Fryers in all places to perswade men to fight against the common enemy the Turke whom when they haue bound with a vow and signed with the crosse then they send their Bulles to release them for money and the Bishops and Arch-deacons to proclaime it The Pope was not ashamed to require the fift part of euery Ecclesiasticall liuing and further hee promised and gaue to the Romanes for helping him in warrs against Fredericke the Emperour which had married King Iohns daughter the gift of all the spirituall liuings in England belonging to the religious houses and therevpon sent expresse Commandement to the Archbishop of Canterbury and other foure Bishops ioined with him that they should prouide spirituall liuings for three hundred Romanes in the best Benefites in England at the next voidance so that the said Bishoppes should bee suspended in the meane time from all collation of Benefice the Arch-bishop séeing their vnreasonable oppressions being not able to endure it went into France And further one Petrus Rubeus was sent from the Pope to goe from Bishop to Bishop Abbot and Abbot telling them such a Bishop such an Abbot hath giuen thus much vnto the Popes Holines trusting you also will not be behinde in a matter that so much concernes the good of the Church by which cunning subtiltie he gathered together into the treasurie of the Church such a Masse of money as is almost incredible to beleeue At length the Bishoppes Abbots and Arch-deacons came to the King whose Father they had so obstinately resisted and repugned lamentably complaining of their extreame miseries of the vnmeasurable exactions of the Pope so all the Prelates were called together and vppon talking together made many exceptions agaâ—nst the same the Legate and his followe hearing these allegations seeing their owne vtter confusâ—on were the lesse importunate Not long after this followed a generall Councell at Lyons in the Kingdomâ— of France called by Pope Innocentius in the which Councell the English Nation did exhibite sundry Articles of all their greeuances and that the Italians did succeed one another in the benefices whose language they could not vnderstand and that there was no preaching in their Churches nor no almes giuen to the poore and that there came fresh Letters from the Pope commanding the Prelates to finde at their proper costs and charge for a whole yeare some ten armed souldiers some more some lesse to be ready at the Popes commandement when or where be should appoint After these terrible greeuances and enormities the States of England consulting together directed their Letters to the Pope for Reformation First the Abbots and Priors then the Bishoppes and Suffragans after the Nobles and Barons and last of all the King but all was neuer the better Not long after the Pope sent for new tallage and exactions which when it came to the Kings eare hee vehemently disturbed writ seuerally to euery Bishop in manner following THat whereas wee haue heeretofore written to you once twice thrice both by our Priuy Seale and our Letters Patents that you should leuy for the pope no exactions either vpon the Clergy or Laitie yet you vilepending our commandement and contrarie to our prouision made in our last Councell at London haue proceeded in collecting the said your taxes and tallages wherevpon wee greatly maruell and are mooued Wherefore we straitly will and command you that you doe so no more as you will enioy our â—auour and your possessions and if you haue made any such collection or gathering that
also lampes tapers and such other things profit nothing 8 That no Images should be set vp to bee worshipped â—p the Scriptures and therefore they are to be taken downe in Churches 9 That Matrimony is prohibitâ—d to no kindâ— of men by the worde but euery whoremonger is by the word sequestred from the Communion of the Church 10 That single life vnchast filthy is most vnséemely for priesthood The Bishops would not come but sent their Diuines then the disputation was begun by Swinglius Oecolampadius Bucer Capito Blaurer and diuers others defended the Conclusions Amongst others Conrado Treger an Austine Fryer of great fame impugned them who at last when hee sought for help besides the Scriptures the Masters of the Disputations would not suffer him so to doe Wherefore hee departed out of the place the disputations ended the foresaid conclusions were approued by the common consent of the most part and were ratified obserued in Berâ—e and proclaimed by the Magistrate in sundry places thereabouts and Masses Altars and Images abolished in all places and immediately after was the like reformation at Constance and after at Geneua Pope Clem 7. in this yéere conspired with the Uenetians raised a great army and proclaimed war against the Emperor about the possession of Italy the Empâ—â—ror sent his army to Millaine tooke the City Castle marching towards Rome took it spoiled it besieged Pope Clement with his Cardinals in mount Adrian and took the pope who could not be ransomed vnder 40000. Floreines This Pope bare great hatred against the Family of the Columni because it was imperiall and threatned the Cardinall thereof to take away his Cardinals hat who answered if he so did he would put on a helmet to ouerthrow the Popes triple Crowne Our Cardinall of England hearing of the captiuitie of his father the Pope stirred vp the King all he might fight with the Emperour and defend the Faith and he should receiue a great reward of God The King answered he was sorie for it but where you would haue me defend the Faith I assure you this warre is not for thâ— Faith but for temporall possessions I and my people can by no meanes rescue him but if any treasure may helpe him take that which seemeth to you conuenient Then the Cardinall made out of the Kings treasure twelue score thousand pounds which he carried ouer the Sea with him then the Cardinall sent his commission to all Bishops commanding fastings and solemne processions to be had wherein they did sing the Letany after this sort Sancta Maria ora pro Clemente Papa Sancte Petre ora pro Clemente Papa c. The Cardinall passing the Seas went out of Callice with the Bishop of London the Lord Sandes the Kings Chamberlaine the Earle of Derby Sir Henry Gilford Sir Thomas Moore with many other Knights and Esquires to the number of one thousand and two hundred horses hauing in his carriage foure score Wagons and threescore Mules and Sumpter Horses he bestowed great summes of money in hyring Souldiers and furnishing out the French Kings armie and appointed certain English Captains in the K. of Englands name to go against the Emperor to rescue the Pope hee caused Clarentius king at Armes to ioyne with the French Herald openly to defie the Emperor wherupon ensued great troubles in England Spain the low Countries of Flanders Brabant and Zeland all which his priuie policies and treasons were shortly after known to the King In this yeare a Iew in Constantinople was baptized and became Christian which thing vehemently exasperated the Turks against him and fearing it should be some detriment to their Mahumeticall law they sought to kill him which they did and cast his dead carkasse into the stréets commanding that none should burie it Wherin the glorie of Christ appeared for the dead corps lying there nine daies was as fresh coloured without corruption or smell as if it had bin aliue whereat the Turks being astonished took it vp and buried it The Cardinall hauing defied the Emperour as before and made him displeased with the King of England he further whispered in the Kings eare that the Emperour had euill intreated and imprisoned the Kings Embassadours in Spaine by which meanes the Emperours Embassadour in England was imprisoned and his goods seised vntill Letters came to the contrarie and then he was set at libertie When the Embassadour complained vnto the Cardinall hee layed all the fault vpon Clarentius and that Clarentius had defied the Emperour without the Kings knowledge by the request of the Herald of France and that at his returne he should lose his head at Callice Clarentius hearing hereof came priuily into England and was brought vnto the King before the Cardinall knew it to whom he shewed the Cardinalls commission and their gentle intreatie When the King heard hereof and had mused a while he said O Lord Iesus hee that I trusted most told me all these things contrary well Clarentius I will be no more so light of credence And from thence the King neuer put any more trust in the Cardinall Some write that the Cardinall did beare the Emperour such malice because when the Pope was imprisoned as before the Cardinall wrote vnto the Emperour to make him Pope and he sent him an answere that pleased him not whereupon he writ menacing Letters vnto him that if he would not make him Pope hee would make such a rufling betwixt Christian Princes as was not this hundred yéers before to make the Emperour repent yea though it cost the whole Realme of England the Emperour returned him answere bidding him looke well vnto it lest through his doings it should cost him the Realme of England indeede Thus King Henry came to the Title of Defender of the Faith When Luther had vtterd the abomination of the Pope and his Clergie and diuers books were com into England Our Cardinall to find a remedie for it sent to Rome for this title of Defender of the Faith After the Uicar of Croydon preached that the K. would not lose it for all London and twenty miles about it When this glorious title was come from Româ— the Cardinall brought it to the King at Gréenwich and although the King had read it yet in the morning were all the Lords and Gentlemen sent for that could be to come and receiue it with honor In the morning the Cardinall went thorough the backside to the Frier obseruants and som went round about and met him from Rome part met him halfe way and some at Court gate and the King met him in the Hall and brought him into a great chamber where was a seat prepared on high for the King and Cardinall Whilst the Bull was read with all pompe wise men laughed then the King went into his Chappâ—ll to heare masse the Cardinall being inuested to sing masse the Earle of Essex brought the bason of water the Duke of Suffolke gaue the asasy the Duke of Northfolk
the Lords put a book of articles against the Cardinall that he procured the Legat without the Kings consent whereby he took away the right of all Bishops that in all writings to Rome and other Princes he wrote Ego Rex meus that he standered the Church of England to be brought into a reprobate sense sending to Rome to be Legat to reforme the Church and carried the great Seale with him to Flanders and that without the kings consent he sent commission to conclude a league betwéen the King and the Duke of Florence and that hauing the French pocks he presumed to come and to breathe on the King and that hee had caused the Cardinalls Hat to be put on the Kings coyne that he had sent innumerable substance to Rome to obtaine his Dignities to the great impouerishment of the Realme with many other things The princely possessions and great pride of the Clergie in those dayes did not only farre excéede the measure of subiects but surmounted the estates of Kings and Princes In Henry the fourth his dayes the Temporalties in the possessions of the Clergie of England amounted to three hundred twentie two thousand marks by the yeare And it appeareth by a Libell giuen to Henry the eight compiled by one Master Fish that the Cleargie had gotten into their hands more then the third part of the lande of the Realme and the goodliest Lordships Mannors and Territories are theirs besides the tenth part of corne and all things else and seruants wages and they looke so narrowly to their tythes that they will haue the tenth egge or else the good wife getteth no rights at Easter and shall be taken as an herâ—ticke beside what they get by their foure offering dayes prouing of wills priuie tythes offerings to pilgrimages and at their first Masses euery one that is buried must pay somewhat for Masses and Dirges to be sung for them else they will accuse their frinds and executors for hereticks What money get they for mortuaries by hearing confessions and yet will keepe no Councell by hallowing of Churches Altars Superaltars Chappels and Bels by cursing men and absoluing them againe for money What a multitude of money gather the Pardoners in a yeare by cyting men to the Court and releasing them for money and what abundance the begging Friers get yearly There be two and fifty thousand parish Churches in England and euery house in the Realme payeth a pennie a quarter to euery of the fiue sâ—rts of begging Friers which is twenty pence yearely for euery house in England And the number of the Clergie reckoned with men women and children of the Laieâ—ie are but one of foure hundred and their substance draweth nigh to the halfe of the whole substance of the Realme and they doe nothing therewith but exempt themselues from the obedience of your grace and translate all power to themselues and that your subiects may rebell against yon and be vnder them as they did vnto your noble predecessor King Iohn they then interdicted the Realme wherefore your Realme hath stood tributarie not to any temporall Prince but to a cruell diuellish bloud-sucker drunken in the bloud of the Saints and Martyrs euer since and what doe they more nothing but apply themselues to haue to doe with euery mans wife daughter or mayde that Cuckoldrie and baudry should raigne amongst your subiects that no man should know his child and that their bastards should inherite euery mans possessions they haue made an hundred thousand idle whoores in your Realme which would haue gotten their liuing honestly had not their superfluous riches inticed them to vncleanenesse and idlenesse they catch the pâ—cks or be burnt or the leprosie and beare it vnto another yea some one of them shall boast amongst his fellowes that he hath had to do with an hundred women When they haue intised mens wiues vnto them they spend away their husbands goods and make the women runne away from their husbands and runne away themselues with the wife and goods bringing man and wife and children to idlenesse theft and beggerie Who is able to number the broad bottomlesse Ocean full of euils that this sinfull generation may lawfully and vnpunished bring vpon vs Who is shee that will worke for three pence a day when she may haue at least twentie pence a day to fleepe an houre with a Frier Monke or Priest and who will labour for foure pence a day that may haue at least twelue pence a day to be bawde to one of these What a sort are there that marrie Priests Lemans but to cloake the Priests incontinencie and that they may liue of Priests for their labour and who is he though he be grieued neuer so sore for the death of his Ancestor rauishment of his wife or his daughter robberie trespasse maime debt or any other offence dare lay it to their charge by any way of action if he do then by and by he is accused of heresie and except he beare a faggot they will excommunicate him and then all his Actions be dashed Notwithstanding the statute to Mortmayne they doe daily get into their hands more lands the Kingdome of the bloud-suckers is like to preuaile aboue your Kingdome for to them is giuen daily out of you Kingdome and that which is once giuen them neuer commeth from them againe What Kingdome can indure that â—uer giueth and receiueth nothing again All their colour for their gathering these things into their hands is that they pray for vs to deliuer our soules out of Purgatorie without whose prayers and especially the Popes pardon we could neuer be deliuered thence but the truth is there is no Purgatorie but it is a thing inuented by the couetousnesse of the spiritualtie And if there were a Purgatorie if the Pope can deliuer them there with money he can deliuer them without and if hee can deliuer one he can deliuer all and so destroy Purgatorie and then is he a cruell tyrant without all charitie if he keepe them in prison and paine vntill men will giue him money They will not let the New Testament goe abroad in the mother tongue lest their cloaked hypocrisie and that their cruelty vncleanenesse and vnmercifulnesse be seeue and that they seeke not Christs honour but their own that remission of sins are not giuen for the Popes pardon but for Christ by true faith in him And except your Maiestie suffer their hypocrisie to be disclosed the people will think you take away their liberty from them to buy their soules out of Purgatorie by giuing to the spiritualtie as their predecessors haue done therefore let their hypocrisie be vttered and that shall be more speedfull in this matter then all the lawes that possibly can be made The Author of this Booke was fled to Tindall where he wrote this Booke for feare of the Cardinall when the King had read this he caused his Wife to send for him home he was brought to the King and after he had
Cardinall signifying that he would drowne himselfe and to leaue his clothes there and another Letter to the Mayor of the Towne to search for him in the water because he had a Letter written in parchment wrapt in wax about his neck for the Cardinal which would teach all men to beware of him vpon this they were seuen daies a searching for him but he went to London in a poore mans apparell and thence to Anwerpe to Luther and there answered all the Bishops of the Realme and made a Booke called acta Romanorum pontificum and another Booke with a supplication to King Henry When it was told the Cardinall he was drowned he said perit memoria eius cum sonitu but this lighted vpon himselfe for shortly after he poyso-himselfe In the beginning of the Raigne of Quéene Anne he and others came againe into England and continued a faithfull Preacher in the Citie of London and in her Graces time well entertained and promoted and after sent by King Henry the eight Ambassador to the Duke of Cleaue for the marriage of the Lady Anne of Cleaue betwéene the King and her and was well accepted vntill Gardiner came out of France but then neither Religion nor the Queene prospered nor Cromwell nor the preachers Then followed alteration in marriage vntill hee had grafted the marriage into another stocke by the â—ccasion whereof hee began his bloudy worke Soone after Doctor Barnes and his Brethren were carried to the King to Hampton Court to be examined But the King seeking meanes of his safety bad him goe home with Gardiner and confer with him they not agréeing Gardiner sought opportunitie to dispatch Barnes and the rest as he had done by the Queâ—ne the Lady Anne of Cleue and the Lord Cromwell and he appointed them three to preach thrée Sermons at the Spittle which were baites to minister iust occasion of their condemnations A hen they were sent for to Hampton Court and from thence carried vnto the Tower and came not thence but to their deathes Then the Protestants went beyond Sea Priests were diuorced from there Wiues certaine Bishops deposed and other good men denied Christ and bore Faggots then they were put to dâ—ath without iudgement a Papist and a Protestant were laid vpon one hurdle and drawn to Smithfield This was Winchesters deuise to colour his tyrany Then Barnes hid the Sheriffe beare him witnes he died Christianly and Charitably and prayed them all to pray for him and if the dead may pray for the quick we will pray for you so they forgaue their enemies and kissed one another and stood hand in hand at the stake vntill the â—â—re came and so rested in Christ. The same day one Powell Fetherstone and Abel were hanged drawne and quartered in the same place for denying the Kings Supremacie and maintaining the Kings marriage with the Lady Katherine Dowager The reason was because as one halfe of the Councell being Papists called vpon Barnes Garet and Hierome to be executed so the other part of the Councell called vpon these thrée Papists to be executed In this yéers a Boy one Richard Mekins but fiftéene yeares old was burned in Smithfield for speaking somewhat against the Sacrament of the Altar In like manner Richard Spencer Priest leauing his papistry married a Wife and got his liuing by day-labour Hee was burnt in Salisbury because hee was thought to hold opinion against the Sacrament and one Andrew Hewet was burned with him About this time Cardinall Poole Brother to the Lord Mountegew was attainted of high treason and fled to Rome where he was made Cardinall of Saint Mary Cosmoden where he remained vntill Quéene Maries time Stokely Bishâ—p of London and Tunstone Bishop of Duresme writ to him to perswade him to abandon the Supremacy of the Pope and to conforme himselfe to the Religion of his King which Letter thou maist reade in the Booke at large which sufficiently proueth the Pope not to be supreme head of the Church but because this Doctrine is as sufficiently proued in other places I omit to abridge it In this yeere the King by the aduice of his Councell sent forth a Decree for the setting vp the Bible in the great volume in euery parish Church in England This yeare Iohn Porter a Taylor a lusty yong man was by Bonner Bishop of London cast into Newgate for reading in the Bible in Paules Church where he was miserably famished to death About this time Iohn Longland Bishop of Lincolne burned two vpon one day one Thomas Barnard and the other Iames Morton the one for teaching the Lords Prayer in Englâ—sh and the other for kéeping the Epistle of Saint Iames in English In this yeare the Kings Maiestie vnderstanding that all Idolatry and vainâ— pilgrimages were not vtterly abolished within these Dominions directed his Letters vnto the Archbishop of Canterbury for the spéedy amendment of the same Anthony Pierson Priest Robert Testwood singing man Henrie Finmore Taylor and Iohn Marbeck singing man were burned at VVindsor THese Articles were obiected against Pierson that he had said Euen as Christ once hanged betweene two theeues so when he is holden vp betwixt the Priests handes he hangs betwixt two theeues except the Priest sincerely preach Gods word That he preached that Christ should not be eaten as he did hang vpon the Crossâ— with his flesh torne and the bloud running about their mouthes but he was to be eaten this day that we might also feed on him to morrow and next day and continually and that he was of more power after his resurrection then he was before That Christ sitting amongst his Disciples commended the Scriptures vnto them when he said This is that bread this is that body of Christ so when hee brake bread and bade them deuide it amongst them and eate it for it was his bodie and likewise the cup saying This is my bloud hee signified to vs that wee should receiue the Scriptures and distribute them vnto the people It was obiected against Finmore that he had said that the Sacrament of the Altar was but a similitude and that if it were God he had eaten twenty Gods in his life He condemned Testwood for iesting with the Priest when he lifted vp the host saying Ho take héed that he fall not That Marbeck with his owne hands had writ notes out of certaine Authors which were repugnant to the masse and sacrament of the Altar and that he said The Masse was impure and defiled with much vngodlinesse and it spoyleth God of his honour and that the eleuation of the sacrament represents the Calues of Ieroboam and is worse Idolatrie then those were and that therein Christ was counted a mocking-stock There was a fift man named Bennet vnto whose charge it was laid that hée should say the daily Masses vsed in the Church were superfluous and that it were sufficient the seuenth day were kept holy Bennet and Marbeck were pardoned by the King the other thrée stoutly suffered
Saâ—nts departed and we beléeue as a Man departeth this life he is either blessed or damned for euer by reason whereof we affirme Purgatory Masses of Scala Caeli Trentals and such suffrages as the popish Church doth obtrude as necessary to be the Doctrine of Antichrist And wee beleeue two Sacraments of Christ Baptisme and the Lordes Supper and that they ought to be ministred according to the institution of Christ and that they bée no longer Sacraments then they were in vse and vsed to the end for which they were instituted and the mutilation of the one kind from the Lords Supper from the Lay people is Antichristian and so is the transubstantiation and so is the adoration of the Sacrament and the reseruation and carrying about of the â—ame and so is the Doctrine of the Masse it to be a propitiatory sacrifice for the quick and dead or a worke that pleaseth God and so of the inhibition of marriage in any state as vnlawfull we doubt not but we shall be able to proue all these our verities by Gods word and the Church which hath followed Gods word and Spirit and we hartily desire all men to be obedient with vs vnto all that bee in authority and not to cease to pray to God for them that he would gouerne them with his Spirit of wisedome and not to consent in any kind of rebellion against the Quéens Highnesse but where they cannot obey but they must disobey God there to suffer with all patience the pleasures of the higher powers as we are ready to do rather then we will consent to any doctrine contrary to this which we heere confesse wee shall be iustly conuinced thereof The Lord indue vs with his Spirit of truth and grace of perseuerance Upon the twentith day of Iuly the Prince of Spaine landed at Southampton He was the first that landed and presently he drew his Sword and carryed it naked in his hand a prettie way the Mayor of the Towne met him and deliuered him the Keyes which he receiued in his right hand and put his sword into his left then met him the Earle of Arundell and Lord Williams and brought him to his lodging The twenty fiue day He and Quéene Mary were married at Winchester by the Bishop there then they came to Windsor and from thence to Southwarke and from thence through the Citty of London to White-hall by the way many Pageants and glorious sights were made Upon the Cunduit in Gracious-stréet was painted King Henry the eight â—n harnesse with a Sword in one hand and in the other hand a Booke whereon was written Verbum Dei deliuering the Booke to his Sonne Edward painted by him Whereupon the Bishoppe of Winchester sent for the Painter and called him â—naue ranke Traytor and villaine for painting a Booke in King Henries hand and writing Verbum Dei thereon he should rather to haue put the Booke in Quéene Maries hand that was there also pictured for that she had reformed the Church and Religion Against this time Bonner in his Royalty and all his Prebendaries about him the doores of Pauls being shut a new Roode being laid vpon the Pauemâ—â—ts they sung diuers Prayers by the Roode then they annointed it with Oyle in diuers places After they crept vnto it and kissed it after they wayed it vppe into his accustomed place and the while the whole Quire sang Te Dâ—um and then the Bels rang for ioy From White-hall they went to Richmond then all the Lords had leaue to depart and there remained no English Lord at the Court but the Bishop of Winchester from thence to Hampton-Court where the Hall doore was continually kept shut that no man might enter vnlesse his arrand were first knowne which séemed strange to English-men Upon the fourth day of Nouember â—â—ue Priests did peâ—â—ance at Paules Crosse which were content to put away their Wiues and take vpon them againe to minister euery one of them had a taper in his hand and a rod wherewith the Preacher did disple them The twenty seauen day of Nouember Cardinall Poole being but a littlâ— before come into the Realme came to the Parliament-House the King and Quéene sitting vnder the Cloath of Estate and the Cardinall sitting on the right hand The Cardinall made a long Oration shewing first how this Realme had euer béene forward to receiue Religion first in the time of the Brittaines and then in the time of the Saxons and that the meanes came from Rome in the Faith of which Church we haue euer since continued and shewed what deuotion this Iland hath had to Rome that King Offa and Adulphus thought their obedience to the Sea not sufficient but in their owne persons went to the place where they receiued so great grace And when Carolus Magnus founded Paris hee sent into England for Alcuiâ—us which first brought learning to that Uniuersity I will not rehearse the benefits this Realme hath receiued from Rome nor the miseries this Realm hath suffered by swaruing from that Unity so all Countries that haue refused the Unity of the Catholike Faith hath had the like plagues as Asia and the Empire of Gréece by swarâ—ing from Rome are brought into the subiection of the Turke And Germany by swaruing from this vnity are afflicted with diuers Sects and factions then hee praâ—â—ed the King for his greatnésse and riches and the Quéen as one in whose hart God had preserued the Catholike truth when all light of the truth séemed vtterly to be extinct whom GOD had most miraculously brought vnto the Crowne being a helplesse Uirgin naked and vnarmed had the victory of all pollicies and armed powers prepared to destroy her and God hath appointed her to raigne ouer you for the restitution of true Religion and exterpation of errors and Sects God hath deuided his power vnto two parts heare in Earth that is into thâ— Imperiall and Ecclesiasticall power the Seculer Princes and Ministers of God to execute vengeance vpon transgressors and to preserue well doers which is represented in these two most excellent Princes the King and Quéene The other power is the power of the Keyes which belongeth by prerogatiuâ— to the Sea Apostlike of Rome from which Sea I am deputed Legate hauing the Keyes committed to my hands I confesse I haue the Keyes not as mine owne Keyes but as the keyes of him that sent mee but certaine impediments in you to receiue it must be taken away before my Commission can take place I came to reconcile and not to condemne and not to compell but to call againe My Commission is of Grace and clemency to all such as will receiue it touching the matterâ— past they shall be as things cast into the Sea of forgetfulnesse the meanes wherby you shall receiue this benefit is by reuoking the lawes wherby you haue disseuered yourselues from the vnity of Christs Church therefore you as prouident men for the weale of your soules and bodies pouder what is to be done
in this waightie cause The next day the three estates sitting in the Parlament-house all on their knees exhibited a Supplication to their Highnesses the King and Queene that their humble sute by their Graces intercession and meane might be exhibited vnto the Cardinall declaring themselues sorie and repentant for the Schisme committed in this Realme against the Apostolike Sea promising in token of their repentance to be readie vnto the vttermost of their power to doe their endeauour for the repealing of the said lawes and we desire that your Maiesties will so set forth this our humble sute that we may obtayne from the Sea Apostolike by the sayd most Reuerend Father as well particular as vniuersall absolution and that we may be receiued into the bosome of Christs Church so that this whole Realme may in perfect obedience vnto the Sea Apostolike serue God and your Maiesties to the furtherance of his honour and glorie The king and Queene deliuered it vnto the Cardinall who perceauing the effect thereof to answere his expectation hee receiued it most gladly and after he had thanked Almighty God for the prosperous successe of his comming from Rome by the Popes authoritie he gaue them full absolution Then they went to the Chappell sung te Deum with great ioy of the reconciliation the report of this was sent to Rome with great speed as well by the King and Cardinals Letters which thou maist see in the Booke of Martyrs Wherevpon the Pope caused Processions to bee made with great ioy for the conuersion of England and praising the Cardinals deligence and the deuotion of the King and Queene on Christmas Euen by his Bulles hee set forth a generall pardon to all such as did truely reioyce for the same The Sonday following the second of December Gardiner Bishop of Winchester and Lord Chancellor preached at Paules Crosse Upon the third to the Romans It is time that we should awake out of sleepe for our saluation is neerer then when we beleeued First he shewed how the saying of Saint Paul was verified vpon the Gentils which had long time slept in ignorance therefore to stir vp their dulnes he desired them to wake out of sleepe then hee compared our time to theirs As the sacraments of Christ did declare Christ to come our Sacraments declare that he is come now that hee is come the Iewes sacrifices bee done away aâ—d ours only remaine they had him as a signe but we haue his very body in our Sacrament wherefore it is time that we now also awake who haue slept rather dreamed this twenty yeares as shall bee declared by the properties of sléepe or dreame As we going to sléepe separate our selues from company so we haue separated our selues from the Sea of Rome no Realme in Christendome like vs and as Shepheards dreame sometimes of killing mayning or drowning and sometimes of beastlinesse so we haue not onely dreamed of beastlinesse but also done it and as in sléepe all ones senses is stopped that hee cannot see not smell nor heare so the Ceremonies of the Church being to mooue our senses are taken away whereby our senses are stopped and further when a man would sleepe he wil put out the Candle least it wake him So lately all such Writers as did hold with the Apostolike Sea are forbidden to be read and Images which were Lay mens Books were cast downe and burned Wee haue beene this twenty yeares without a head for when King Henry first tooke vpon him the head of the Church it was then no Church at all After whom King Edward could not be head but was onely a shaddow of a head and in our Queenes time we had no head for she alone could not be head and her two Arch-bishoppes were both conuicted of one crime and deposed in Henry the eights time when the tumult was in the North the King would haue giuen the supremasie againe to the Pope but the houre was not then come least it had beene said he did it for feare After Master Kneuet and I were sent Ambassadors to the Emperor to be a means to reconcile the King to the Pope but the time was not come for it might be said it was done for policy the matter was likewise moued in the beginning of King Edwards raigne hut the time was not yet come for it might haue been said the King was bought sold in his infancy neither was the houre come in the beginning of the Queens raign for it would haue bin said it was done in weaknes and if it had been done when the King first came it might haue been said it had beene done by violence but now hora est when nothing can be obiected but that it is the prouidence of God Now Pope Iulius the hath sent vnto vs this most reuerend Father the Cardinall not to reuenge iniuries done but to giue his benediction to those which defamed and perscâ—uted him And that they may be the meeter to receiue it let vs acknowledge our selues ofâ—enders against his Holinesse I doe not exclude my selfe of the number I will wéepe with them that wéepe and reioyce with them that reioyce The King and Quéenes Maiesties haue restored the Pope to his supremacy and the thrée Estates of Parliament haue also submitted themselues to his Holinesse and his successors for euer therefore let vs no longer stay And as S. Paul saith to the Corinthians He was their Father so may the Pope say he is â—ur Father for we receiued our doctrine first from Rome therefore he may challenge vs as his owne he hath preuented vs before we sought him he hath sent one of our Brethren to speake vnto vs not as vnto strangers and now let vs awake which so long haue slept and in our sléep don so much naughtinesse against the Sacraments and pulling downe the Altars which thing Luther would not do but reproued them which did In his prayer he prayed for the Pope and Cardinals and for the soules departed liuing in paines of Purgatory Upon Newyeares day at night thirty Men and Women and one Maister Rose a Minister were taken in a house in Bow Church-yard at the Communion and committed to prison and Maister Rose was examined before Cranmer and committed vnto the Tower Néere Lancaster in Lankishire at Cockram the Church-wardens and Parishoners made bargaine with one for the framing of their Roode who made them one and set it vp in their Church but they misliked his workemanship and refused to pay him the matter was brought before the Mayor of Doucaster thâ—y shewed the Mayor that the Rood they had before was a welfauoured man and he promised to make vs such another but this is the worst fauored thing that euer was séene gaping and grinning that none of our Children dare looke on him and come néere him the Mayor concluded the poore man must bee paid for if it will not serue for a God put a paire of Hornes on his head and it will
saying he that leaueth father or mother praueth our pilgrimage with many moe Many dangerous hazards he suffered amongst the Popes friends and Gods enemies for the Gospell sake When there was a Proclamation set forth for the calling in of the Bible in English and many other good bookes he hazarded himselfe to write to King Henry the eight to disswade him therefrom which Letter thou mayest see in the booke at large at length by the means of Doctor Butts and of good Cromwell he was made Bishop of Worcester and continued so a few yeares instructing his Diocesse according to a diligent Pastor but as before both in the Uniuersitie and at his Benefiee he was tossed and turmoyled by the wicked so in his Bishopricke some sought his trouble insomuch that he was accused to the King for his Sermons Thus he continued in this laborious function of a Bishop for certaine yeares vntill the comming vp of the sixe Articles and altering of Religion so when he could not keepe his Bishopricke with a good conscience of his owne free will he resigned the same at which time Shaxton Bishop of Salesburie resigned also with him his Bishopricke These two remained a great space vnbishopped keeping silence vntill the time of King Edward A little after Latimer had renounced his Bishopricke hee was sore bruised with the fall of a tree and comming to London for remedy hee was troubled of the Bishops and at length was cast into the Tower where he continued prisoner vntill the Raigne of King Edward then the golden mouth of this preacher shut vp long before was opened againe and beginning a fresh to set forth his plough againe and continued all the time of the said King labouring in the Lords haruest most fruitfully hee preached for the most part twice euery Sunday to no small shame of vnpreaching prelates which occupied great rome to doe little good he did most euidently prophesâ—e of all these kinde of plagues which after ensued so plainely that if England euer had a Prophet he might seeme to be one and he did euer affirme that the preaching of the Gospel would cost him his life and he was certainely perswaded that Winchester was kept in the Tower to be his death which fell out right for after the death of King Edward and Queen Mary proclaimed a Purseuant was sent down vnto him by the doing no doubt of Winchester Latimer had warning thereof six houres before the Purseuant came whereby he might haue â—scaped but he prepared himselfe towards his iourney before the Purseâ—ant came who maruelled to sée him so prepared for his iourney he told the Purseuant he was a welcome guest and be it knowne vnto you and the whole World that I goe as willingly to London at this present being called of my Prince to giue a reckoning of my Faith and Doctrine as euer I was to goe vnto any place in the world and I doubt not but that God which hath made me worthy to preach to two most excellent Princes so he will able me to witnesse the same to the third either to her comfort or discomfort eternally When the Purseuant had deliuered his Letters he departed affirming that hee was not commaunded to tarry for him whereby it appeared they would not haue him appeare but rather to haue fled out of the Realme they knew his constancy would deface them in Popery and confirme the godly in the truth When he came through Smithfield he said merrily Smithfield bad long groned for him after he had béene before the Councell hee was sent to the Tower and from thence he was transported to Oxford with Cramer Arch-bishop of Canterbury and Ridley Bishop of London there to dispute as before is said Of the order of the disputations and bow they were condemned thou maist sée before where they continued vntill this time in continual prayer godly conference and writing Latimer sometimes continued so long knéeling at prayer that hee was not able to arise without helpe three thinges especially he prayed for in his Prayers First as God hath appointed him to preach his Word so hee would giue him grace to stand to the same vntill his death Secondly that God would restore his Gospel vnto England againe once more which once more hee inculcated oftentimes into the eares of the LORD as if he had spoken vnto him face to face Thirdly hee prayed for the preseruation of Queene ELIZABETH then but Lady ELIZABETH whom with â—eares he still named desiring God to make hee a comforter to this comfortles Realme the Lord most graciously granted al these things which he requested The twentith day of September a Commission was sent from the Cardinall to the Bishops of Lincolne Glocester and Bristow to examine Doctor Ridley and Maister Latimer vpon the points they were condemned for at Oxford and if they would not recant there opinions to disgrade them c. The first point was whether the reall presence of Christ was in the Sacrament D. Ridley first appeared before them when the Commission was read he standing bare-headed assoon as he heard the Cardinall named and the Popes Holines he put on his cap the Bishop of Lincolne reprehended him for it and told him if he would not of himselfe put off his cap another should doe it for him He answered that it was not done for any contumacy that he bare vnto their own persons nor for any derogation of the Cardinall in that he was borne of the Bloud Royall was indued with much leâ—rning excellent vertues â—ut in that he is Legate to the Pope and with that he put on his cap whose vsurped supremacie I vtterly renounce which I will not onely denounce in words but in gesture beâ—auiour and all my doings expresse the same wherevpon by the commandement of the Bishop of Lincoln his cap was taken off he appeared twice and thus he did at both times their answeres were both to one effect in substance First they made their protestation that notwithstanding their answers it should not be taken thereby that they would acknowledge any authority of the Pope but that they answered as subiects to the king and Queene to the first point they did confesse that in the sacrament by spirit and grace is the very body and bloud of Christ because that euery man receiuing bodily the bread and wine in the Sacrament spiritually receiue the body and bloud of Christ and thereby is partaker of the merits of his passion but they denied the naturall body and bloud of Christ to be really in the outward sacrament The second question was whether after consecration of the sacrament of the Altar there did remain any substance of bread and wine to that they answered there was such a change in the bread and wine as no man but God can make being the bread had that dignity to exhibit Christs body yet the bread is still bread and the wine still wine for the change is not in the nature but in the
secret friend to submit her selfe vnto the Quéen which would be to her great commoditie she answered she would not submit her selfe vnto them which she had not offended if I haue offended I craue no mercy but law I would I were as cléere out of the perrill of mine eâ—emies as I know my selfe out of the danger of the law About this time there was great consulting amongst the Bishops and Gentlemen touching a marriage for her Grace which some of the Spaniards wished to be with some stranger that she might goe out of the Realme with her portion then a Lord said that the King should neuer haue quiet Common-wealth in England except her head were striken from her shoulders the Spaniards answered God forbid that their King and Master should consent to such a mischiefe From that day the Spaniards neuer left good perswasions vnto the King that he should neuer obtaine the like honour as he should in deliuering the Lady Elizabeth out of prison whereby at length she was happily released of the same Shortly after she was sent for to Hampton Court Sir Henry Benifield and his souldiers with the Lord of Tame and Sir Ralph Chamberlaine guarding of her the first night she came to Ricot the next to M. Dormers house and so to Colbrook where she lay at the George all night as she came thither thréescore of her Gentlemen and Yeomen met her which had not séene her Grace a long season before but they were commanded in the Quéens name to depart the towne and shée was not suffred to speak with them that night al her men were taken from her but her Gentleman vsher thrée Gentlewomen and two Grooms one of her Wardrop the next day her Grace entred Hampton Court where she lay a fortnightere euer any had recourse vnto her at length came the Lord William Howard to â—er who vsed her Grace maruellous hanourably she requested him to be a meane that shée might speak with some of the Councell Not long after came to her Gardner Bishop of Winchester the Lord Arundel the Lord of Shrewsbury and Secretary Peter who with great humility humbled themselues vnto her Grace My Lords quoth she I am glad to sée you for me thinks I haue bin kept a great while from you desolatly alone wherefore I would desire you to be a meane to the King and Quéens Maiesties that I may be deliuered from prison wherein I haue bin kept a long space Then Gardner knéeled down and requested her to submit her selfe to the Quéen and then he doubted not but her Maiestie would be good vnto her she answerd rather then she would do so she would lie in prison all the dayes of her life adding that she craued no mercy but the law if euer she did offend her Maiesty in thought word or déed and in yeelding I should confesse my selfe to be an offendor which I neuer was towards her Maiesty by occasion wherof the King and Quéen might euer hereafter conceiue an ill opinion therefore it were better for me to lie in prison for the trâ—th then to be abroad and suspected of my Prince So they departed promising to declare her message to the Quéâ—n The next day Gardner came again vnto her Grace and knéeling down declared that the Quéen maruailed that she would so stoutly vse her selfe not confessing â—o haue offended so that it should séeme the Quéens Maiesty wrongfully to haue imprisoned her Grace Nay quoth she the Quéen may punish me as it pleasâ—th her Nay quoth Gardner her Maiesty willed me to certifie you that you must tell her another tale ere that you be at liberty her Grace answered that she had as liue be in prison with honesty and truth as to be abroad suspected of hâ—r Maiesty this I will stand vnto for I will neuer bely my selfe Then he knéeled down and said then your Grace hath aduantage of me and other the Lords for your long imprisonment I take God to record quoth she I séeke no vantage at your hands for your so dealing with me then the other kneeled downe and desired her Gracâ— that all might be forgotten and so they departed A seuen-night after the Queenâ— sent for her at ten of the clocke at night then she desired her Gentlemen and Gentlewomen to pray for her for that she coâ—ld not tell whether she should euer seâ— them againe When she came vnto the Queâ—ne she kneeled downe and desired God to preserue her Maiestie not in any wise doubting but that she should proue her selfe as true and faithfull a subiect towards her Maiestie as euer did any and therefore she desired her Maiestie so to iudge of her and said she should not â—nd other of her whatsoeuer report had gone of her the Queen answered you will not confesse your offence bâ—t stand stoatly in your truth I pray God it may so fall out It it do not quoth she I desire no fauour nor pardon at your Maiesties hands Wel said the Queene you stiffely still perseâ—ere in the truth belike you will not confesse but that you haue bâ—ene wrongfully punished I must not say so if it please your Grace to you why then said the Queene belike you will vnto others no quoth she I haue borne the burden and must beare it I humbly beseech your Maiestie to haue a good opinion of me and to thinke me to be your true subiect not only hitherto but as long as life lasteth and so they parted with a few comfortable words in English but what she said in Spanish God knoweth It is thought that King Philip was there behinde a cloth and not seene and that he shewed himselfâ— a very friend vnto that matter Thus her Grace went vnto her lodging againe aâ—d the seuen-night after she was released of Sir Henry Benifield and was set at libertie from imprisonment she went into the Countrey and had appointed to goe with her Sir Thomas Pope one of the Queens Councellors M. Gage one of her Gentlemen Ushers And thus straightly was she looked vnto all the time of Q. Maries raigne Then there came vnto her house Maister Ierningham and Norris Gentleman Usher Quéene Maries Men who tooke from her Grace Mistris Ashly to the Fléet and thrée other of her Gentlewomen vnto the Tower which was no little trouble vnto her Grace saying That shee thought that they would fetch all away in the end but God be praysed shortly after was fetched away Gardiner whereby the life of this so excellent a Princesse the wealth of all England was preserued for the said wicked Gardner had long laboured his wits and bent all his deuises to bring this our deere Soueraâ—gne out of the way as by his words and doings did well appeare After the death of this Gardner followed the death also and dropping away of other her enemies whereby by little and little her iâ—opardy decreased and more gentle entertainmant did daily grow vnto her vntill in the moneth of Nouember the seauenteenth day
to light before it was executed and the said Squire had the same most iust reward of his foresaid treason as his predecessors in like plots had The Earle of Essex Conspiracie LAstly I will conclude with the conspiracie of the late Earle of Essex for although it is not to be doubted but that his heart with many of his followers was vpright vnto the Quéene yet notwithstanding hee had many Papists in the plot with him whose hearts he knew not and by whom if his practise had tooke effect the Queene should haue beene in as great trouble and danger as euer she was in her life but the Lord of his accustomable wonderfull mercie deliuered her Maiestie from this danger likewise who both by his holy spirit of comfort preserued her mind still ioyfull without feare of her enemies and also her royall person and her realme by the safe custodie of his holy Angels from all wicked practises and treasons whatsoeuer vntill her olde age and vntill he at his time appointed called her Maiestie vnto himselfe out of her bedde in peace from a blessed Kingdome wherin she had long raigned in great glory in this world to raigne with his Sonne Iesus Christ in the Kingdome of vnspeakeable and eternall ioy and glorie in the world to come By this storie of Queen Elizabeth the Papists that haue any eie-sight of true vnderstanding may see by what wicked meanes the Pope and their Catholik Church hath alwaies gotten and maintained their most vnlawfull supremacie ouer kings And although they haue wonderfully preuailed against all superstitious Emperours and Kings by such like excommunications warres murthers and treasons as he vsed against Queene Elizabeth yet as God preserued her heart purely to sâ—icke to his sincere word and to despise all the Popes errors superstitions and trash so God mercifully preserued her and her Kingdome from all the Popes treacherous practises foure and fortie yeares fiue moneths and odde dayes with such glorie and peace as neuer Christian King had more her manifest protections of God were as apparant and as manifest as Dauids and as he and Salomon builded a most glorious materiall Temple in despite of their enemies most gloriously did she build vp the spirituall Temple and Spouse of Christ in despite of the Papists and the Pope and all kings that tooke their part her outward glorie and honour was â—quall wâ—th Salomons and she oâ—â—matched him in that neither her glorie in this world nor any other means could withdraw her from her true zeale in setting forâ—h the pure word of God wherefore all honour and glorie be giuen vnto God by this Realme of England and all his Church world without end Amen OVR MOST GRATIOVS King IAMEâ— WHen the Papists triumphing that their long â—xpected houre was come by Gods taking away thâ— most blessed Quéenâ— Elizabeth yet the Lord of his great mercie brought their ioy to nought by pâ—anting our deare Soueraigne Iames by his especiall grace to succeede Queene Elizabeth in these Realmes one that is as zealous of the word of God as she and one whom the Lord hath beene as prouident ouer in all his wayes as ouer her and indued with the like ioy in the Holy-Ghost in the assurance of Gods prouidence in time of danger wherefore no doubt but as the Lord hath so he will couer him and his Realmes with the shâ—dow of his wings from all papisticall treacheries euen as he did Queene Elizabeth This is worthie to be recorded vnto the perpetuall honour of his Maiestie that hee being hâ—ire apparant vnto Quâ—ene Elizabeth could neuer be inticed by any Prince or Papist to oppose himselfe against her When the rising was in the North and the rebels were â—led into Scotland he tooke the Quéens part though it were to the great ruine of much of his Kingdome he made a Proclamation in Anno 1588. that none of the â—panâ—sh Fléet should land vpon his coasts but that the English should be relieued of any thing they néeded and in the yeare 1592. hee executed as traytors in Scotland diuers for conspiring with the King of Spaine against England and before the comming out of the Spanish Fléet Don Barnardin Mendoza in an open Assembly did say in a 〈◊〉 that the young King of Scots whom hee called a boy had deceiued the King of Spaine but if the Kings Nauie might prosper against England the King of Scots should lose his crowne whereby it manifestly appeareth how true and faithfull his Maiestie was â—uâ—r vnto the late Quéene of famous memorie Touching GODS wonderfull preseruations ouer his royall person who hath safely preserued him a King almost this eight and fortie yeares in despite of all his enemies forreigne and domesticall and no doubt but heâ— had many yeâ— it doth most manifestly appeare in some great and vnheard of dangers out of which the Lord hath most miraculously deliuered him as from Gowries Treason and the Gun-powder Treason and others GOWRIES conspiracie against his Maiestie the fift of August being Tuesday Anno Dom. 1600. MAâ—â— Alexander Ruthwen second brother vnto the late Earle Gowrie came to his Maiestie as he was a hunting and told him that it chaunced the night before as he walked about the Towne of S. Iohnstone hee met a base fellow vnknowne vnto him and hauing suspition of him he narrowly looked to him and examined him and he said he found a great wide pot to be vnder his arme full of coined gold in great quantity whereupon he took him no body knowing thereof and bound him in a priuie darke house and locked many doores vpon him and said that he came in haste to aduertise his Maiesty thereof according to his bounden duety earnestly requesting his Maiestie with all diligence and â—ecrecie to take order therwith before any know thereof swearing that he had concealed it from all men yea from the Earle his brother whereupon the King suspected that it had béene some forreigne golde brought thither by some Iesuits for practising Papists to stirre vp some new sedition as they had often 〈◊〉 before and that the fellow that carried it was some Seminary so disguised for the more sure transporting thereof and with many earnest perswasions he got the Kings Maiesty as soone as he had done hunting to ride with him to the Earle Gowrâ—es house to dinner with a very small number with him and after dinner his Maiesty being ready to rise from the table and all his seruants in the hall at their dinner M. Alexander standing behinde his Maiesties backe pulled him softly rounding in his Maiesties eare that it was time to goe but that he would fainâ— haue been quit of the Earle his brother wishing the K. to send him out into the hall to entertain his guests whereupon the K. called for drink and in a mâ—rrie and homely manner sayd to the â—arle That although the Earle had séene the fashion of entertainment in other countreyes yet he would teach him the Scottish fashion séeing he was a
his own seruants with him Yet it pleased God after many strokes on all hands to giue his maiesties seruants the victory the said E. of Gowry being striken dead with a stroke through y â— hart which the said sir Io Ramsey gaue him without once crying vpoÌ„ God the rest of his seruants dung ouer the staires with many hurts as â—n like maner y â— said sir Tho Erskin 〈◊〉 Hugh Hereis sir Iohn Ramsey were all thrâ—â— very sore hurt and wouâ—ded But al the time of this â—ight the D. of Lâ—nnox the Earl of Mar the rest of his Maieâ—ties traine â—ere striking with great hammerâ— at the vtter doore whâ—rby his maiesty paâ—â—t vp to the chamber with the said M. Alexander which also he had lockt in his by-comming with his maiesty to the chamber but by reason of the strength of the said double doore â—he whole wall being likewise of boords and yéelding with the strokesâ— it did bide the◠〈◊〉 space of half an houre more before they could break it â— hauâ— entreâ—â—e who 〈…〉 with his maiesty found beyond their expectation his Maiesty deliuered from so imminent a perill the said late Earle the principall conspirator lying dead at his Maiesties â—éet Immediatly thereafter his maiesty knéeling down on his knées in the middest of his own seruants they all kneeling round about him his maiesty out of his own mouth thanked God of that miraculous deliuerance and victory assuring himselfe that God hath preserued him from so dispaiâ—ed a peril for the perfecting of some greater work behind to his glory and for procuring by him the weale of his people y â— God had committed to his charge In the first beginning of the Kings Maiesties raign ouer England William Watson William Clarke Seminary Priests and George Brooke brother vnto the Lo Cobham had most traiterously deuised a plot whereby the Kings person should haue bâ—en surprised and the whole kingdome ouerthrowne and they had entised to the imbracing their trayterous Machinations Anthony Copley Gentleman Sir Griffin Markam Knight the Lord Cobham the Lord Gray Sir Walter Rawleigh and others But before they had brought their Conspiracies vnto â—ffect the Lord of his accustâ—med goodnes and carefulnes ouer his Maiestie made all their Conspiracies apparant vnto the King and his Councell and about the middest of Iuly in the first yeare of his Highnes raigne proclamations were made out for the apprehension of them whereby they were taken and in Nouâ—mber after they were all condemned of High Treason and the nine and twenty day of Nouember the two Priests were executed and sir dayes after George Brooke was â—eheaded and the ninth of December Sir Griffin Markam and the Lord Cobham and the Lord Gray after they had been seuerally brought vpon the scaffold in the Castle of Winchester and had made their Confessions and prepared themselues likewise seuerally to die vpon the sudden the Kings warrant written with his own hand was there deliuered vnto Sir Beniamin Tichborne high Sheriffe of Hampshire commanding him to stay execution these three and Sir Water Rawleigh were returned priâ—oners vnto the Tower the fifteenth of December The Gunpowder Treason THomas Pearcy Robert Catesby Thomas Winter others in the last yeare of the raigne of Q. Elizabeth by the inâ—â—igation of certaine Iesuites practised with thâ— King of Spain to send a well â—urnished Army vpon England promising him great ayde to entertaine them at their arriuall at Milford Hauen and to that purpose the King promised to 〈◊〉 them fifâ—y thousand pound for leuying of horse and foote and preparation of Munition in England to second them but whilst this was in a manner concluded Q. Elizabeth dyed the King of Spaine vpon certaine knowledge that K. Iames was established dispatchâ—d his Ambassadors and Commissioners for England â—or coâ—firmation of a lasting Peace between them yet neuerthelesse the said Rob. Catesby sent Tho Winter againe to the King of Spaine to resolicite their former proiect but the King answered him your old Quéens is dead with whom I had wars and you haue a new King with whom I haue euer bin in good peace and amity and for continuance thereof I haue sent my speciall Commissioners and vntill I sée what will become thereof I will not hearken vnto any other course whatsoeuer When Winter returned and made this knowne vnto Catesby Pearcy and the rest then they began to cast about what they might doe of themselues to aduance the Romance Catholick Religion but first they would see the euent of the first Parliament if that would mittigate any former Lawes and try what good the Conclusion of Peace with Spaine would doe vnto them before they attempted any further but when they perceiued that neither Parliament nor publike Peace sorted in any part to their desire and that the Peace concluded was rather a more ready meanes for the Law to procéed against them then otherwise because the Peace concerned onely the Amitie of Christian Princes for the generall good of Christendome without any particular or priuat respect then Catesby told the rest he had a deuice in his head that should free them and the rest of the English Catholiques from their oppressions and when he had found out â—it Ministers for execution of his deuice after they had taken oath and Sacrament for secresie hee told them hee had deuised the meane to vndermine and blow vp the Parliament house at the instant when the King Queene Prince Peeres and Commons were all assembled which proiect they presently embraced and forthwith Pearcy hired certaine lodgings close to the Parliament house and then they appointed Miners who with great difficultie digged and vndermined a part of the wall but after a while they vnderstood that the Uaâ—t right vnder the Parliament house was to bee let to hyre then Guydo Fawkes went and hyred it this Fawkes was late a Souldiour in Flanders and for this purpose was sent for who by consent of the rest changed his namâ— and was called Iohn Iohnson Maister Pearcies man after they had hyred the Uaut theâ— secretly conuayed into it thirty and sir barrels of powder and couered them all ouer with Billets and Faggots â—bout ten daies before the Parliamâ—nt should begin an vnknowne party in the Euening met a seruant of the Lord Mounteagles in the streâ—t and deliuered him a Letter charging him speedily to giue it vnto his Lord which he did when his Lord had read it and obserued the dangerous câ—ntents with a speciall caueat not to appeare the first day of Parliament he was amazed and forthwith deliuered it to the Earle of Salisbury the Kings Principall Secretary a chiefe Counselor of Estate when the Earle had iudiciously obserued the strange Phrase and Tenor thereof with the terrible threats therein against the whole State he acquainted the Lord Chamberlain therewith and then they câ—nioined vnto them the Lord Admirall the Earles of Worcester and Northampton who instantly consulted what was
chosen King by the Citizens of London and Nobles 41 Edricus kills Edmund ibid. Edward the sonne of Emma chosen King and crowned at Winchester ibid Elinor Cobham banished into the Isle of Man 147 Elizabeth Sampson conuented for speaking against Pilgrimages ibid. Elizabeth Burton called the holy-maid of Kent a notable imposter put to death 184 Edward the sixt King of England restores the Scriptures in the mother tongue 220 Edward the sixt dies his praier at his death 233 234 Elizabeth Warne Martyr 285 Edward Sharpe like pure golde tried in the fire 329 Edmund Allen and Katharine his wife martyrs 332 Elizabeth a blinde maide Martyr ibid. Elizabeth Hooper burned 339 Ellen Euring denying the lawes set out by the Pope condemned 340 Elizabeth Falkes examined and condemned ibid. F. FRedericke the Emperour ouerthrown by the Venetians and taken 54 Franciscans order begun 78 Fredericke the second Emperour persecuted by Popes 83 Foure and twenty burned in Paris 185 Fiue burned in Scotland 186 Fetherston for denying the supremacie hanged 200 Frier burned at Rochestâ—r 343 G. GOdwin forswearing himselfe choked 42 Gregory the eighth Pope 50 Grosthead Bishop of Lincolne 84 George Carpenter burned 167 George Constantine apprehended for heresie 171 Gefferey Lon for dispersing of Luthers bookes forced to abiuâ—â— 178 Giles Germaâ—e burned at S. Giles in the fields 192 George Blage Knight imprisoned and condemned for speaking against the Masse but pardoned 209 George Wisard of Scotland his persecution and martyrdome 214 Gardner Bishop of Winchester sent to the Tower 220 Gernsey and Gersey inuaded by the French 225 Gardner an Englishman cruelly tormented at Lisbon in Portugall for maintayning of the truth 228 Gibbets set vp for Wiats souldiers 244 Gardner Bishop of Winchester his Sermon at Paules crosse 247 Gardner calls the Preacher before him at Saint Mary-Oueries 249 Gods iudgement vpon the Parson of Arundell 264 George Marsh cruelly vsed and burned 267 George Tankerfield of London Cook condemned 285 George King died in prison ibid. George Catmer burned 290 George Broadbridge burned at Canterburie 291 Gardner Bishop of Winchester his historie and death 303 George Soper burned at Canterburie 304 George Parke burned at Canterbury ibid. George Ambrose Fuller burned in Smithfield 327 George Stephens martyred 332 George Eagles alias Trudgeouer hanged drawn and quartered betweene two Theeues 342 George Eagles sister burned 343 H. HIeraclius cuts off the Popes hands feet 24 Harold last King of the Saxons 42 Hildebrana Pope a Sorcerer 45 Honorious the second Pope 51 He is taken with whores ibid. Henry the first king of England dies ibid. Henry the second his pennance for the death of Becket 67 He diuides the Realme into sixe parts and ordaines Iustices of Assizes 68 His great fame and large Dominions ibid. Henry the Sonne of Henry the second his disobedience and death 69 Hildegris is a Propheâ—â—sse 79 Henry the third King of England 81 Henry the fift crowned 104 Hugh Pie of Ludney for holding sundry opinions contrary to the Church of Rome accused and purged before the Bishoppe of Norwitch 141 Henry the fifts cruell commition for aâ—taching sundry suspected of Lolardy ibid. Harman Peterson committed to the Counter for not being confessed in Lent 161 Henry Voz burned at â—â—uxels for maintaining Luthers opinions 161 Henry Sudphen of Breame his piety persecution and martyrdome 163. 164. Henry the 8. entitled defender of the faith 170 His solemnity at the receiuing of the title of defender of the faith ibid. Henry Finmore Taylor burnt at Winsor 201 Haruy a Commissary a persecutor hanged drawne and quartered 206 Homes a Yeoman of the Guard his cruelâ—ie to Doctor Taylor 261 Higbed of Horden burnt at Horden 262 Humphry Middleton martired at Canterbury 280 Henry Laurence burnt at Canterbury 284 Hugh Latimer Bishoppe of Worcester his conference with Antonian his parentage his godly Sermuns his charity to the poore and needy accused of heresie his subscription to certaine Articles propounded vnto him he is committed to the Tower his prayer for the Lady Elizabeth his martyrdome at Oxford with Bishoppe Ridley from folio 293. to 303. Hugh Lame Rock an old lame man burned at stratford the Bow 322 Hooke burned at Chester 329 Hugh Fox burned in Smithfield 354 Henry Pond burned in Smithfield 362 I IErusalem destroyed by Tytus Vespasian 2 Iohn banished to bathmos 3 Iudas Thadeus slaine ibid. Iraeneus with many others martired 8 Ignatius martyr 4 Iue King of West Saxons goes to Rome 26 Innocentius the second Pope 51 Iohn King of England 71 Iohn Claydon a Currier burnt in Smithfield 104 Iohn Hus his History his Articles put to him his answer his constant end 113. 114. 115. Ierome of Pragâ— his hard vsage and marryrdome 125. 126. Iohn Wadden Priest burned 142 Iohn Wendham of Alborough cruelly handled for maintayning the truth ibid. Iohn Beuerley whipped for the truth ibid. Iâ—hn Stelley of Flixton forced to abiure 143 Iohn Burrell forced to abiure ibid. Iohn Finch forced to doe penance ibid. Iubilee at Rome 145. 146. Iulius the second Pope exceedes all his predeceâ—sors in iniquity 151 Iohn Coyns for contemning the Sacrament of the Altar and not receuing at Easter died at Saint Martins 160 Iames Gossen Dutchman committed for not receiuing at Easter 161 Iohn Wiâ—cock a Scotish Frier committed for preaching against holy water and purgatory ibid. Iohn Esry burned ibid. Iohn Athelane burned 165 Iohn Thewxbury burned in Smithfield 179 Iohn Randall found in his study hanged in his girdle 180 Iohn Frith Martyred 18â— Iohn Lambert martyred 187. 188 Iohn Painter burned 192 Iniunctions set out in the 38. yeare of King Henry the eight ibâ—d Iohn Porter a taylor famished to death 200 Idolatry suppâ—essed 〈◊〉 Iames Morten burned ibid. Iohn Marbeck condemned and pardoned by the King 211 Iohn Athee indited for speaking against the Sacrament ibid. Iohn Adams burnt 209 Iohn Lacels a Gentleman burnt ibid. Iohn Browne burnt 219. Iohn Hun troubled about the Sacrament 221 Ioh. Alasco vncle to the k. of Poland banisht 239 Iests of a Roode at Cockram in Lancashire 248 Iames George dies in prison and is buried in the fields 249 Iohn Rogers first Martyre in Q. Maries daies 249. 250 Ihon Hooper his martyrdome 254. Ihon Laurence burned at Colchester 264. Iudge Hales his History and death 265. Iulius the third Pope his wicked life and prophanenesse 266. Ihon Awcoke died in prison Ibid. Iohannes de casa a Deane of the Popes chamber playes the Sodomite and defends it Ibid. Iohn Cardmaker his martyrdome 268. Iohn Warne burned Ibid. Iohn Hardley his martyrdome 274. Iohn Simpson suffered at Rochford for maintayning the truth Ibid. Iohn Bradford his reasons against transubstantiation and his martyrdome 275 to 278. Iohn Lease a prentice burned with Maister Bradford 278 Iohn Bland martyred 279. Iohn Franbesh martyred 280. Iames Treuisam persecuted and after his death buried in More fields 281 Iohn Lanuder of Godstone martired for the truth 282. Iohn Aleworth dyed in prison 283. Iames Abbs burned
escapes into Wales he is condemned of heresie and treason and drawne to S. Giles in the fields hanged by the middle burned 137 Oâ—colampadius testimony of diuers good men 166 Oldman of Buckingham burned for eating Dacon in Lent 181 Ombler a rebell in the North refuseth the kings pardon is afterward taken and executed at Yorke 224 P. PIlâ—t slew himselfe vnder Tiberius 2 Parmenias put to death 3 Persecution the first by Domitius Nero. ibid. Persecution the second by Domitian ibid. Persecution the third vnder Trayanus 4 Phocas Bishop of Pontus cast in a hote Furnace ibid. Persecution the fourth vnder Antonius Verus 6 Polyâ—arpus his constancie and death ibid. Persecution the fift vnder Pertinax 7 Parmachus with his wife and children put to death 9 Persecution the sixt vnder Maximinus ibid. Persecution the seuenth vnder Decius ibid. Persecution the eighth 12 Persecution the ninth vnder Aurelian 13 Persecution the tenth vnder Dioclesian 14 Paulâ—s Church in London built by Ethelbert K. of Kent 21 Phocas kils Mauritius the Emperor 24 Popes work masteries against the Greek Emperors 27 Paschalis Pope dies 50 Popes Pall instituted 69 Pope by his policy leuies a great summe of money in England 83 Prophecies of the Popes persecutions 91 Pope Martins death 137 Pope Eugenius the fourth 138 Paule Craws a Bohemian for holding Wickliss opinions deliuered to be burnt 144 Printing the ruine of the Pope and Antichrist inuented in Germany 145 Philip Norrice an Irishman sore troubled for the truth 147 Pope a Weauer in Eye martyred about the Sacrament 148 Peake burned in Ipswich for giuing a Sacrament cake to a Dog ibid Pius the second Pope his prouerbes 150 Paulus secundus Pope a hater of learning learned men 151 Petrus Ruerrius in two years spent 200000. flâ—rins permitteth the Cardinals to play the Sodomits the three hote moneths ibid. Prodigies and Prophecies shewing the fall of Antichrist 154 Petrus Flistedius burned at Collen 170 Packington a fauourer of Tindall deceiues the Bishop of London 171 Patrick Hamilton a Scottish man of the bloud royall burned for the truth 175 Pauy a persecutor hanged himselfe 182 Puttedue for taunting a Priest condemned and burnt 191 Peter a German burnt at Colchester about the Lords Supper Ibid. Powell hanged for denying the kings supremaciy 200 Persecution in Callice 204 Persecution in Scotland 218 Peter Martyr banished for religion out of England 239 Priest of Canterbury saies Masse one day and the next preacheth against it 243 Philip Prince of Spaine lands at Southhampton maried at Winchester 245 Priests doe penance at Paules Crosse. 246 Procession through London for their conuersion to the Catholick Religion 249 Patrick Packington martyred 284 Persecution at Wenson in Suffolke 323 Persecution at Mendlesam Suffâ—lke ibid. Persecution in Couentry and Lichfield 329 Philip Humphreys burned at Berry 362 Q QVeene Mary crowned Qâ—arrels betweene the Spaniards English about two whoores 248 Queeene Mary said to be with child Ibid. R RAâ—enna giuen to the Popes by Pipinus king of France Richard Ceuâ—r de Lyons rebellion against his Father 69 Richard the first King of England 70 Richard the second deposed 95 Richard Turmin a Baker burned in Smithfield 104 Rebels ouerthrowne and executed 223 Ridley made Bishop of London 226 Redman his iudgement rouching certain points of Religion on his death-bed 227 Ridley Bishop of London visits the Lady Mary and offers to preach before her which shee refuseth 233 His conference in the Tower with Secretarie Bourne 240 241 He is sent to Oxford to dispute 242 His report of the vanity of the disputation at Oxford ibid. Rose a Minister with thirtie men and women taken at communion in Bow Church-yard 248 Rowland Taylor Doctor his disputtation with Gardner his cruell vsage and constant Martyrdome 255 Robert Farrar Bishop of â— Dauids in Wales for reâ—using to subscribe to certaine Popish articles burned at Caâ—rnaruan 260 Rawlins White burned in Cardiff 261 Richard Hooke for the truth ended his life at Chichester 284 Richard Collier burned at Canterbury ibid. Richard Wright burned at Canterbury ibâ—d Robert Smith his examination and conference with Boâ—ner and martyrdome 285. to 289. Robert Samuel a godly preacher burned 290 Roger Coo burned at Yâ—xford in Suffolk 291 Robert Swater of Hith burned at Canterbury ib. Robert Glouer Gentleman burned at Couentry 292 Robert Picot Painter burned at Ely 293 Ridley Bishop of London his parentage carried to Oxford like a traytor his conferencâ—e with Antonian his protestation against the Popes authoritie his prayer at his Martyrdom from folio 292. to 303. Robert Spicer burned at Salisbury 32â— Robert Drakes burned in Smithfield Richard Spurge Fuller burned in Smithfield for denying the reall presence Ibid. Richard Nicoll burned at Colchester 322 Robert Bacon a persecutor and an enemy to the truth 323 Robert Lawson Linnen Weauer Martyr 326 Robert Bernard martyred for the truth at Aye Ibid. Richard Woodman his martyrdome 332 Ralphe Hardin a persecuter of George Eagles hanged 342 Richard Crashfield his examination and martyrdome Ibid. Ralphe Alberton his examination before Bonner and martyrdome at Islington 345 Richard Roth burned at Islington Ibid Richard Gibson burned in Smithfield 351 Richard Day burned at Colchester 357 Raynald Eastland Martyr Ibid Robert Southam Martyr Ibid Roger Holland Marchant taylor his conference with Bonner his prophesie of the ceasing of persecution and martyrdome 357. 358. 359 Robert Miles burned at Brainford 359 Richard Yeoman persecuted and martyred 360 Robert Miles alias Palmer burned at S. Edmundsbury 362 S SEneca put to death 2 Stephen martyred 3 Simon burned Ibid Simon Zelotes crucified Ibid Simon the Brother of Iude sâ—aine Ibid. Sulpitius and Seruilia martyred 4 Simpronissâ— with her seuen sonnes martyred 5 Seuerus the Emperor slaine at Yorke 8 Sands of the Sea as easie to bee numbered as the names of those that suffered vnder Decius 10 Six thousand six hundred and sixty Christian souldiers martyred vnder Mauritius 14 Simon Zelotes spread the Gospell in Britaine 19 Sinode at Aquisgrane 31 Swanus spoile and cruelty 40 His sudden death ibid. Steuen Langhton Archbishop of Canterbury 77 Sauâ—noralâ—a a learned Monk of Florence burnt and his ashes cast into the Riuer 147 Sixtus the fourth Pope builds Stewes of both kinds in Rome reduceth the Iubilee from 50 to 25. years institutes the feasts of our Lady canonizeth Bonauenture Francis for Saints 151 Scholler of Abbeuill burned for taking the host from the Priest at masse 162 Solimans Letter to the great master of Rhodes ibid. Senate of Bearne assigne disputation and propound their Articles 168 Soliâ—an the Turkish Emperour enters into Austria with a great Army and besiegeth Vienna 171 Schisme in Holland about the Pater-nâ—ster 216 Stories of certaine Friers of Orleance in France 218 Storie of certaine Monks of Sueuia 219 Sanders declaration for disputation 244 Steuen Knight his martyrdom and his prayer at his death 264 Steuen Harwood burned at Stratford for the truth 289 Simon Ioyne burned at Colchester 322
the Britainâ— King which with a mightie Host came against him There is much commendation in writing of this Oswalds zeale in religion and piety towards the poore he sent into Scotland for a Bishop called Aydanus a famous Preacher as he preached to the Saxons in the Scottish tongue the King vnderstanding the Scotish tongue he disdained not to preach and expound the same to his Nobles in the English tongue King Oswald being at Dinner on Easterday one brought him word there was a great company of pâ—re people in the streets which asked almes of him be commaunded the meate prepared for his owne Table to be caried vnto them and brake a siâ—â—er Platter in pieces and senâ— it amongst them by his meanes Kinigillus King of the West Saxons was conuerted to Christs Faith and after he had raigned 9. yeares he was slaine by the said Penda who was after slaine by Osway brother to Oswald and succeeded him in his Kingdome together with his Cosin Oswine This Oswine gaue Aydanus the Scotish Bishop aforesaid a principall Horse with the trappers and appurtenances and as he wâ—s riding vpon this kingly horse a poore man craued his charity who hauing nothing else to giue him gaue him his horâ—e garnished as he was wherefore as he came to Dinner he King chiâ—e him he answereâ— O King set you more prise by a horse then by Chrâ—st Then the King prayed him to forgiue him and he would not hencefoorth finde fault with him for giuing away any of his Treasure then Aydanus wept and being asked wherefore he wept he answered for that this King cannot liue long this people is nto worthy to be â—uled by such a Prince which shortly came to passe for Osway caused him traterously to be slaine One Benedict a great man with Osway that brought vp Bede from his youth â—orsooke Oswayes house and all his kindred to serue Christ he was the first that brought vp the Arte of glazing in windowes About this time there was a Counsell bolden at Steâ—ne-halt for the right obseruing of Easterday King Osway began with an Oration that it was necessary â—or such as serued one God to liue in an vniforme order and such as looked for one kingdom in Heauen should not differ in celebration of heauenly Sacraments then by his commandement Colman Bishop said he receiued the order of keeping Easter the 14. day of the first Moneth from his Auncesters Forefathers and from Iohn Euangelist to which at the Kings commandement Wilfride answered Easter is kept alwaies on the Sunday as we keepe it in Rome where Peter and Paul taught in Italy France Affrick Egypt Greece and in all the world I will not reproue Saint Iohn which kept the rights of Moses Law according to the letter the Church being yet Iewish in many points they could not reiect Images inuented of the Diuell which all beleeuers ought of necessitie to detest least they should offend the Iewes therefore Saint Paul circumcized Tymothy therefore he shaued his head and Sacrificed in the Temple all this was done onely to eschew the offence of the Iewes Therefore â—ames said to Paul Thou â—éest brother how many thousand Iewes doe beleeue yet all are zealous of the old Law yet since the Gospell was preached it is not lawfull for the faithfull to be circumcized nor to offer Sacrifices of carnal things to God but Peter remembring that the Lord did rise from death the first day after the Sabbath instituted Easter on that day and not according to the Law and though your forefathers were holy men what is their fewnesse being but a corner of an Iland to be preferred before the vniuersall Church of Christ Then said the King Did the Lord giue the kingdome of Heauen vnto Peter And they both answerâ—d yea then the King concluded being Saint Peter is the Doore-keeper of Heauen I will obey his Orders in euery point least when I come to the gates of Heauen hee shut them against mee and with this simple reason they consented Ethelwood preached vnto the people in Southsax and conuerted them to Christ in the time of whose baptizing the raine which before they lacked three yeares was giuen them plenteously whereby there great famine slacked About this time the detestable sect of Mahomet began to take place which well agrées with the number of that beast signified in the Reuelation 666. Of Mahomet came the Kingdome of the Haarines now called Saracens to whom he gaue many Lawes they must pray Southward Friday is their Sunday called the day of Venus he permitted them to haue as many Wiues as they were able to maintaine and as many Concubines as they list they must abstaine from wine excepâ— on solemne daies â—hey were to worship one onely God Omnipotent Moses and the Prophets were great but Christ was greatest being borne without mans seede and taken vp into the Heauen with many such Lawes at length the Sarasins were wholly conquered by the Turkes Theodorus was sent into England by Vitellianus Pope and diuerse other Monks with him to set vp Latine Seruice in England and Masâ—es Cerimonies Letanies and other Romish ware he was made Archbishop of Canterbury and began to play the Rex in placing and displacing Bishops at his pleasure He held a Prouinciall Counsell at Therford the contents thereof were the vniformitie of keeping Easter that no Bishop should intermeddle in anothers Diâ—cesse that Monasteries should be free from Iurisdiction oâ— Bishops that Monks should keepe the obedience they first promised and not goe from one Monastery vnto another without leaue of the Abbot that none of the Clergy should be receiued in another Diocesse without Letters Commendatory of his Bishop that foraine Bishops and Clergy men should be content with the hospitality offered them and not meddle in any Bishops Iurisdiction without his permission that once a yeare a Prouinciall Sinod should be kept that no Bishop should preferre himselfe before another but according to his time of consecration that as the people increased so the number of Bishops should be augmented The next yeare was the sixt generall Counsell of Constance where this Theodore was present vnder Pope Agatho Mariage there was permitted to the Greeke Priests and forbidden to the Latine in this Counsell the Latine Masse was first openly said by Iohn Portuensis the Popes Legate Colfride Abbot of Shirwin in Northumberland writ to Naitonus King of Picts that shauen Crownes was necessarie for all Priests and Monks for restraint of their lusts and that Peter was shauen in remembrance of the Passion of Christ so we must weare the signe of his Passion on the toppe of our head as euery Church beareth the holy Crosse in the front thereof that by the defence of that banner it be kept from euill Spirits and exhorted him to imitate the Apostolike Churches and when he died the Prince of the Apostles would open Heauen gate to him whereat the King reioyced and knéeling downe thanked God that
destruction that is comming towards you and your Realmâ— Prince Lodowicke hath sworne a great oath and sixtéene of his Earles and Nobâ—es are of 〈◊〉 with him that if he obtaine the Crowne of England he will â—anish and depriue of their Lands and goods all that hâ— now findeth to goe against their leach King and are Traytors to him vpon my Faith nâ—w lying at Gods mercie I was one that was 〈◊〉 to the same and with teares he said take héede in time your King for a 〈◊〉 hath kept you vnder but if Lodowicke preuaile he will put you from all hee had them kéepe his counceâ—l and so he dyed This trobled the Barons and seeing withall 〈◊〉 Prince Lodowicke obtained by warres he gaue to French men in spite of them saying they were but Traytors They at length concluded to submit themselues 〈…〉 neuer drunke before I trust this Wassell shall make all England glad and dranke a great draught thereof the king pledged him the Munke went away and 〈◊〉 buâ—st out and hee dyed and had euer after thrée Monkes to sing continually Masse for his Soule confirmed by their generall Chapter I would you would see how religiously they bestow heir confessions absolutions and Masses King Iohn feeling himselfe not well asked for Symon the Monke they answered he was dead then the tooke his Chariot and departed and dyed within three dayes He admonished that his Sonne Henry would learne by his example to be genâ—le and leuing to his natiue people He being imbalmed his bowels were burâ—â—ed in Crompton Abbey his Soldiers â—olded his Corps triumphantly in Armour and honourably buried him in the Cathedrall Church or Worcester hauing raigned 17. yeares 6. monethâ— and odde daies After whose death the Princes Lords Barons and strangers that were on the kings part with the Councell of the Legate Gualdo proclaimed Henry his sonne king and at Gloster with the Earle there they annointed and Crowned him King bâ— the Legate Gualdo assisted with the Bishops of Winchester and Bath and called him Henry the third The Pope sent with all spéede that they should mightily stand â—ith the young king being but ten yeares old and defend England with Armâ—ur and his thundring curses against Lodowicke Hée confirmed his Legat Gualdo and committed to his discretion all that appertained to his Office none to appeale from him Hee compelled the Prelates to bée sworne to the young King and punished them which refused Thâ— Bishop of Winchester laid a heauie talke vpon his beneficed men to helpe the king in his warres Gualdo left not one beneficed man vnpunished that had taken part with the French King In this yeare Gualdo was sent for home to Rome for by this time he had welfaâ—oredly vnladen the purses of the Clergie men and returned with all his bags well stuffed leauing Cardinall Pandulfe behind him to supply his Baliwicke The Bishop of Lincolne not long before paid 1000. markes for recouery of his Office and an hundred markes to the Legate for his goodwill so were other holy Prelates and Priests taught by his example Inocentius Pope condemned Almeriâ—us a worthy Bishop for an hereticke for teaching and holding against Images also he condemned the Doctrine of Ioachim Abbas as before for heresie He brought in first the paying of priuie tyâ—hes and the receiuing once at Easter and the reseruation of the Sacrament and the going before it with a bell and a light He stirred vp Otho against Phillip the Emperour because he was elected without his will whereupon followed much slaughter in Germany and against Otho which he had made Emperour he set vp Fredericke king of Ciâ—le and caused the Archbishop of Mayence to excommunicate him and depose him of his Empire for which cause the Princes of Germany did inuade his Bishopricke and burned his possession all was because Otho held certaine Cities Townes and Câ—stles which the Pope said belonged to him In his time came the order of Blacke Friers called the Preaching Fryers it began of one Dominicke a Spaniard who after he had Preached ten yeares against the Albigenses and others that held against the Pope comming to Lateran desired to haue his Order of Preaching Fryers confirmed which the Pope refused vntill hee dreamt that the Church of Lateran was readie to fall vntill Dominicke came and propped it vp with his sholders and so preserued it The Pope waking called Dominicke to him and grâ—nted his request Dominicks mother being great with child dreameâ— she had a wolfe in her wombe which had a burning torâ—ch in his mouth the which dreame the Preachers of that order aduance to their glory In his time came vp the order of the Minorits of one Frances an Italian hee left off shooes had but one cote of vile cloth and an hempen cord about his middle and so apparelled his Disciples teaching them to fulfill the perfection of the Gospell walke in pouertie and holy simplicitie this rule was confirmed by Pope Innocent Many Nobles and others in Rome builded manflons for him and his disciples he was likewise strâ—â—t to his flesh leauing clothes in winter he 〈◊〉 himselfe in Ice and snow he called pouerty his Lady he kept nothing ouer night he was so desirous of Martyrdome that he went to Siria to the Soldaâ— who receiued him honourably it is written that Christ and his Saints marked him with fiue wounds These Franciscans or begging Fâ—â—ers though they haue but one Rule they haue many Orders there by 101. seueral sorts of Friers and Nunnes which the reader if he be disposed may see in the booke at lâ—rge with their names Fol 70. Hildegardis a Nunne a Prophetesse liued in the yeare 1170. She reprehendeth grieuously the abhominations of the lâ—ues of the Spiritual Papists the contempt of their Office and destruction of Gods children with these words Now is the Law neglected amongst the Spirituall which neglâ—ct to Preach and to doe good things The masters and Prelates sleepe and neglâ—ct Iustice. The Church appeared to her in the shape of a 〈◊〉 her face 〈◊〉 with dirt and her 〈◊〉 rent complaining that the Priests did not shine ouer the people neither in Doctrine not example but contrary did driue the innocent lambe from them that Ecclesâ—asticall order grew worse and worse and Priests destroyed the law of God and did not teach it and prophâ—â—eth to them Gods heauie wrath and punishments She prophesieth likewise of the reformation of Religion and saith it shall be most godly saying Then shall the Crowne of the Apostolicall honour bee deuided because there shall be found no religion amongst them and the name of that dignity shall bée despised and they shall sâ—t ouer them other men and other Archbishops and the Apostolicall order shall haue scarce Rome and a â—ew other Countries thereabout vnder his Crownâ— and this shall be done partly be warâ—es and partly by a common consent of Spirituall and Seculer persons then Iustice shall florish and men shall honestly apply themselues to the
A man cannot he excommunicated to his hurt except hee be first excommunicated of himselfe as Chrysostome saith None can be hurt except sinne hurt him which takes away Gods helpe and ayde as in Esay 59. Your sinnes haue seperated betwixt God and you 8 That none ought to be exâ—ommunicated but in Gods cause and wee ought to forgiue all priuate iniuries Math. 18. If thy brother offend thee forgiue him euen to 70. times 7. times 9 An Excommunication doth not binde except pronounced against the aduersarie of Gods Law For if God iustifie who can condemne 10 There is no power giuen by the example of Christ or his Apostles to excommunicate any for denying of Temporalties in the ninth of Luke Christ rebuketh his Disciples when they would haue fire come downe from Heauen to excommunicate them that would not entertaine them You know not said he what Spirit you are of 11 The Disciples of Christ haue no power to exact by any Ciuill authoritie Temporalties by censures vntil Churches were indued with possessions Christs Disciples what need soâ—uer they had they did onely exhort men to willing almes 12 It is not possible by the absolute power of God that the Pope or any Christian can binde or loose at their pleasure by what meanes soâ—uer yet may they exact temporall things by Ecclesiasticall Censures incidentally if case be that it appertaine to the reuengement of their God He that doth pretend to haue such Power is the man spoken of in the 2. Thess. 2. that sitteth in the Temple of God and sheweth himselfe as though he were God 13 All the power that Christs Uicar hath is then only lawfull in effect so long as it is ruled by the good will of Christ the Head of the Church 14 That euery Priest duely ordered by the Law of Grace hath power to Minister the Sacraments and to absolue any man confessing his fault and being penitent for the same whereby it appeareth that the power is aliâ—e to all Christian Priests as Hugo in his 2. Booke of Sacraments declareth 15 That the K. maâ— take away the Temporalties of the Clergie abusing the same habitually in cases by Law limited according to the 2. Thess. 3. We declared vnto you that they that would not worke should not eate 16 The â—ndowment of Churches are giuen conditionally that God should be honoured thereby and the Church edified with condicion if it be left vndoâ—e in any point the title of the gift is lost the Lord which gaue the gift ought to correct and amend the fault and not to bâ— stopped from the execution of Iustice â—or any excommunication And yet God forbid that by these words occasion should be giuen to the Lords Temporall to take away the goods of Fortune from the Church 17 An Ecclesiasticall Minister also the Pope may be rebuked of his subiects either of the Clergie or Laitie Gal. 2. Peter was rebuked by Paul for the Church is aboue the Bishop and to say he ought not â—o be rebuked but only of God what offence soeuer he commit he should be aboue the Church the Spouse of Christ. These be the effect of the conclusions of Wickliffe at that time which either being not read or vnderstood they granted him free libertie to depart Soone afâ—er died Pope Gregorie which was happâ—e to Wickliffe for presently after fell a great dissention betwixt the Romish and French Pope which continued 30. yeares with great â—orrow destruction of men on both parts and about 3. yeares after there fell a great dissention in England betwixt the Commâ—ns Nobilitie in which trouble Sudburie Archbishop of Canterburie was taken by the rude people beheaded to whom William Couâ—tnay succéeded who was no lesse diligent to root out hereticks then his predecessor Notwithstanding Wickliffes sect daily encreased and grâ—w to greater strength vntill one William Barton Uicechancelor of Oxford calling together 8. Monasticall Doctors and 4. other with the rest of his affinitie putting the common seale of the Uniuersitie vnto certaine writings set forth an Edict threatning euerie man vnder â—rieuous penaltie not to assemble themselues with any of Wickliffes fauorers and threatned to Wickliffe greater excommunication imprisonment and all his fauorers vnlesse after three daies canonicall admonition they doe repent and amend Wickliffe appealed to the King but the Duke of Lancaster forbad him to begin such matters but rather submit himselfe to the censure of his Ordinarie whereby Wickliffe being in the midst of the waues was inforced again to make confession of his Doctrine wherein he answered with intricate words and a gentler kind of phrase whereby he either persuaded or deluded his enemies William Archbishop of Canterbury held a Conuocation at London where Wickliffe was commanded to be when as they were gathered together at the Gray-friers in London to consult about Wickliffes Bookes the whole Sect a wonderfull Earthquake fell diuers doubting thought good to leaue off their purpose but the Archbishop interpreting the chance to another meaning strengthned their hearts to proceed who discoursing Wickliffes Articles not according to the Scriptures but to their priuate affections they condemned some Articles of Heresie and others of Error These of Heresie 1 The substance of Bread and Wine remaineth in the Sacrament after consecration 2 The accidents remaine not without the subiect after consecration 3 Christ is not truely and really in his proper corporall Person in the Sacrament 4 That a Bishop or Priest in deadly sinne doth not Order Consecrate or Baptize 5 That outward Confession is needlâ—sse if one be inwardly truely penitent 6 That it is not found in the Gospell that Christ ordained Masse 7 If the Pope be a Reprobate and a member of the Diuell he hath no power giuen him ouer the faithfull except by the Emperour 8 That none is to be receiued for Pope since Vrban the sixt but to liue as the Greekes euery man vnder his owne Law These as erroneous 1 That no Prelate ought to excommunicate any except he knew him first to be excommunicated of God 2 He that doth so excommunicate is an Hereticke and excommunicated 3 He that excommunicateth any of the Clergie which appealed to the Councell is a Traytor to the King and Realme 4 All that leaue off preaching or hearing the Word for feare of Excommunication are excommunicated and at the day of Iudgement shall be counted as Traytors to God 5 That it is lawfull for any man Deacon or Priest to preach without licence of the Pope or any his Catholikes that one is no Prelate so long as he is in deadly sinne 6 Temporall Lords may take away goods from Church-men if they offend 7 The Tenths are pure Almes the Parishioner for the offence of the Curate may bestow them vpon others 8 That Spirituall Prayers applyed particularly to any profit them no more then Generall Prayers profit others in the same case 9 That one is more vnapt and vnable to kéepe the Commandements of God
to Church to pray their inward wits may be the more feruent in that their outward wits bee closed from outward seeing Christ blessd them that sawe him not and beleeued it sufficeth to know God in his word without Images Bishop Is it not a stirring thing to behold an Image Thorpe Being euery person of the Trinitie is eternall and you say it was not lawful to picture it before Christ and in that there were many Prophets Marâ—â—res and professors before Christ why was it not then as lawfull to make Images to moue men to deuotion as now it is Bishop The Synagogue of the Iewes had not authoritie to approue things as the Church now hath Thorpe Saint Gregory was of great dignitie as the Cannon Lawe witnesseth hee greatly commended a Bishoppe for forbidding Images to bee worshipped Bishop Ungratioâ—s losell thou sauorest truth no more then a hounâ— since at the Roode at the North dore at London and at our Lady at Walsingham and many other places in England are many great and praisable miracles â—one Thorpe I am certaine there is no such miracle done of God that any Image should be worshipped therefore I say as I haue often Preached None should tâ—ust there were any vertue in them nor vowe to them nor seeke to them nor 〈◊〉 bowe pray oâ—â—er kisse or incense them The Brasen Serpent was 〈◊〉 by Gods biddiâ—g â—et the good King Ezekiah because it was incensed so worthâ—â—y destroyed it and it is to bee dread that for the vnfaithfulnesse of â—en the Fâ—â—â—d 〈◊〉 power to 〈◊〉 the miracles that now are done in such places wherefore sâ—eing the God of 〈◊〉 is the most vnknowne and wonderfull Spirit what Image may he be painted 〈◊〉 Bishop As holy Church suffereth Images to â—ee painted and shewed it suffiseth to thâ—m that are members of holy Church but thou art 〈◊〉 member cut off from holy Church thou fauourest not the ordinances thereof Thou speakest against Pilgrimage and that pilgrimages to Canterbury â—euerley Carlington Walsingham are accursed and fâ—â—lish spending their goods in wast Thorpe There bée true trauellers trauell all their life with all their endeauour to please God that they may attaine to the heauenly Kingdome but I say now as I said at Shrewsbury I haue Preached often in other places and will doe as long as I liue God willing They that trauell their bodies and spend their money to sâ—eke or visite the bones of Images of this Saint or that such pilgrimage is neither praiseable or thankefull to God nor to any Saint of God since such pilgrimages almost all despise God and his commaundements and vppon Saints they waste blamefully Gods goods in such vaine Pilgrimages sometimes vpon vitious Hostices which they should doe workes of mercie withall vpon the poore and néedie they offer their goâ—ds to rich Priests which haue more then they nâ—ede many of them borrow other mens goods and neuer pay them and sometimes they steale them And they haue with them Singers that can sing wanton Songs and some will haue Bag-pipes so that euery Towne where they come with their noyse of singing piping â—angling of Canterbury Bels and the barking of dogs they make more noyse then if the king came thither with all his Clarions and Minstrels and if they bee a moneth in pilgrimage they will bee halfe a yeare after wranglers tale-bearers and lyers Bishop Lewde losell thou seest not farre enough into this matter it is fit they haue such musicke with them that when one goeth barefoote burteth his foote against a stone and maketh it bleede it is well done that his fellow sing a song or play on a bagge pipe to driue away with mirth the hurt of his fellowe and with such solace their trauell and wearinâ—sse is lightly and merrily brought forth Dauids last Psalme teacheth mee to haue diuerse â—nstruments of musicke Thorpe By the sentence of â—iuerse Doctors that musicke that Dauid and other Saints of the Old Lawe spake of ought not to be interpreted liâ—terally but gostly for Saint Paul saith all such thingâ— befell to them in figure therefore I vnderstand that the letter of this Psalme and other Psalmes and Sentences doth slay them that take them now literally This sence I vnderstand Christ approueth puâ—ting out the minstrels ere he would quicken the Damzell Bishop Lewd losell is it not lawfull so haue Organes in the Church to worship God withall Thorpe Yea by mans ordinance but a good Sermon to the peoples vnderstanding were much more pleasant to God Bishoppe Organs and delectable Songs quicken mens wits more then a Sermon Thorpe Worldly men delight in sencible solace but the faithfull louers of Christ delight to heare Gods word and vnderstand it truâ—ly and Saint Ierome saith No body may ioy with this world and raigne with Christ. Bishop What thinke you this 〈◊〉 will speake whereas hee hath no dreade being bee speaketh thus in my presence well well by God you shall bee ordained for Thou saidest Priests had no tittle to Tythes Thorpe One would know of me whether Priests by the word of God may curse one for not paying of Tythes Christ and his Apostles tooke no Tythes nor commanded none so to doe Saint Paul saith The Lord hath ordained that they that Preach the Gospell should liue of the Gospell And if Priests were now in measurable number and liued vertuously add taâ—ghâ— busily and truely Gods word without Tythes 〈◊〉 and other duâ—ies the people would giue them sufficiâ—nt liuings One of his Clarkes said How can that be slucâ— by the Law Priests can scarcely constraine the people to giue them their Liuing Bishop Thou sayest it is not lawfull in any case Thorpe I neuer taught in that wise I haue Preached in many places that it is not lawfull to sweare by any creature and that none ought to swrare in any case if without an oath he may excuse himselfe to them that haue authoritie so take an oath but as he cannot otherwise excuâ—e himselfe he ought onely to sweare by God taking him only that is true to witnesse truth And there were many other arguments wherein was no great matâ—er worth abridging if the reader be disposed hee may see the booke at large After hee had denied to sweare obedience vnto the Bishop except in those things that were according to the word of God the Archbishoppe bade the Constable haue him away in haâ—â—e Bishop I was led foorth and brought to a â—oule and vnhonest prison where I was neuer before when they were gone and had shut the doore I busied my selfe to thinâ—â— on God and thanke him of his goodnesse and I was greatly comforted that I was deliuered for a time from the sight hearing and presence and scorning and menasing of mine enemies but much more I reioyced in the Lord that of his grace he kept 〈◊〉 that without heauinesse and anguish of conscience I passed away from them Now O God to the praising of thâ— blessed name make vs one together by
necessarie reformation of the Church and Christian Religion and effectually labour fâ—r the rooting out of all publike eâ—ils as well in the head as in the members as you haue often promised in our Kingdome in the Compositioâ—s and as our fourth Article touching the auoiding all publicke euils doth exact and require In this Councell was ordained the feast of the Conceâ—tion of our Lady and the feast of the Uisitation of our Lady In this Councell there was diligent caâ—e about reformation of the Church that through euery Church apt and méete Ministers might bee appâ—inted which may shine in vertue and knowledge to the glory of Christ and the healthfull edifying of the Christian people whereunto the multitude of expectatiue gifts haue béene a great impediment hereby often times vnméete Ministers are appointed for the Churches and they giue occasion to desire anothers death and many contentions are moâ—ed aâ—ongst the seruants of God and the ambition and gréedie desire of pluralities maintained and the substance of Kingdomes consumed poore men suffer vexations by running to Rome they are often by the way robbed murdered afflicted with diuerse plagues and hauing spent their paâ—rimony left them by their parents are constrained â—o liue in extreame pouertie Many craue benefices which haue no iust title and get the same and such as haue most craft and subtiltie to deceiue and greatest substaâ—â—â— to contend in the Lawe doo great wrongs the Eccleâ—â—asticall order is confounded whiles euery mans Iudgement is not preserued and the Pope by chalenging and taking vpon him too much the Office of Superiours is drowned from more waightie and fruitfull matters and intends not to the guiding and correction of the inferiours as publicke vtilitie requireth all which things bring a great confusion vnto the Clergie to the great preiudice of Gods true worship and the publike saluation THE SIXT SECTION OF this Ecclesiasticall Historie THIS Storie following and that before confuteth the vaine opinion of some that this Religion now vsed hath risen but twentie or thirtie yeares since and manifesteth that it hath béene spred in England this 220. yeares and often sparkled before that time although it flamed not so as it hath done within this 100. yeares and more wâ—o although they were not so strongly armed in their cause as of late yeares yet were they warriours in Christs Church and although they gaue back for tyranny yet Iudge the best and referre the cause to God who euealeth all things according to his determinate will and time there hath bin no realme more fertile for Marters then England Oxford was as a continuall sprâ—ng of Christian knowledge whence as out of the Troiane horse hath come so many inuincible witâ—esses of the truth amongst whom William Taylor Master of 〈◊〉 hath not deserued the least praise being a fauorer of Wickliffe who because he had written cerâ—ain things against the inuocation of saints and many other matters after he had recanted nine articles returned vnto thâ— right way and with a maruellous constancie 〈◊〉 buâ—â—t in Smithfield the 7 of March. Iohn Florence a Turner of Shelton in the Diâ—cesse of Norwich was attached because he held and taught that the Pope and Cardinals haue no power to constâ—tute Lawes that nor day is to be kept holiday but Sunday That there ought to be no fast but of the Quaâ—uor temporum That Images are not to be worshipped not lights to be set before them Not 〈◊〉 goe on Pilgrimage nor offeâ— for the dead or with women that are purified That Curates should not claime Tithes by any exaction and that they should be diuided amongst the poore That such as sweare by their life or power except they repent shall be damâ—â—d He was brought before the Chauncellour and forced to abiure and was sworne not to hold or teach any thing contrary to the determination of the Church of Rome nor to helpe or ayde any that should so doe He was inioyned for penanâ—â— thrâ—â— Sundâ—ies Solemne Procession in the Cathedral Church of Norwich to be whipped before all the people and three other Sundaies about his Parish Church of Shelton bare fâ—â—ted bare necked his bodie being couered with a canuâ—s shirt and canuâ—s briches carying in his hand a Taper of a pound waight so was dismissed Richard Belward of Erisam in the Diocesse of Norwich was accused for holding and teaching that Ecclesiasticall Ministâ—re and Ordinaries haue no power to excommunicate and though the Bishop excommunicate any God doth absolâ—e them And that he held the opinion of Sir Iohn Oldcastle And that such as goe on Pilgrimage offering to Images are excommunicated because they ought to giue to the poore which are aliue and not to the dead And that the Curates sell God on Easter day when they receiue Offerings before they minister the Sacraments And that hee councelled â—â—uerse women that they should not offer for the dead nor with women that were puriâ—â—â—â— and for that he called his neighbours fooles for not learning his sect and that they of 〈◊〉 sect were able to confute all others and that we ought not to pray vnto the Saints 〈◊〉 heauen but onely to God and that he kéept schooles of Lolardie in Dichingham 〈◊〉 that a Parchment maker bringeth him bookes from London containing 〈◊〉 Doctrine The Bishop of Norwich siâ—ting in Iudgement vpon him he denied his articles and was purged by 〈◊〉 of his neighbours swearing that he would not teach or defend any thinâ— contrary to the Church of Rome and the aforesaid parchment-maker was likewise accused vpon the aforesaid Articâ—es who dâ—nyed them and was likewise purged by his neighbâ—urs and sword in like manner Also sir Hugh Pie Chaplen of Lâ—dney was likewiâ—e accused before the said Bishop of Norwich for holding that the people ought not to goe on pilgrimage and that people ought not to giue almes to Images but to the poore That the Image of the Crosse other Images are not to be worshiped and that he had cast the Crosse of Brome hold into the fire to be burnt which he tooke from one of Ludney which he denied purged himselfe by three Laymen and three Priests was sworne as before In this yeare Henry the fift sent a most cruell Commission vnto Iohn Exeter and Iacolet Germaine kéeper of the Castle of Colchester for the apprehending of sir William White Priest and Thomas Chaplin of Setling in Northfolke and William Northamton Priest and all other suspected of Lolardy and to commit them to prison by vertue of which Commiâ—â—ion sixe persons were attached in Buâ—gay of Norwich whose names were so defaced through antiquitie that there remained but three names in the worne booke to be red to wit Iohn Teaderton in Kent Bartholomew Monke of Ensham in Norfolke Corneleader a maâ—ieâ— man these three were in the custodie of the Duke of Norfolke in the Castle of Fremingham We finde also in the Diocesse of Norfolke and Suffolke specially in the townes of Bechels Ersham
condemned him of heresie and iudged him to the fire because he had preached since his abiuration and because he taught Saints should not be worshipped nor called vpon as Mediators He would many times proue the paine of the fire by holding his finger neere the Candle but the night before he suffered martyrdome hee held his finger so long that he burnt off the first ioynt Hee was burned in Lollards yit in Norwich with great ioy falling downe before the stake and rising kist it bound himselfe with the Chaine confessing his Faith and animating the people to stand fast in the truth of Gods Word and to suffer for it Sir Thomas Moore beeing Chancellor of England when those should burne Bilney required of him a Letter of his hand whereby they might â—ee discharged after his death He said goe too fellowes burne him first then come to me after for a Bill of my hand The Story of the valiant Martyr Maister BAYFIELD THis Bayfield was a Monk of Bury and for his Religion he was 〈◊〉 in the prison of his house and whipped with a gagge in his mouth and then â—â—ocked and continued in the same torments thrée quarters of a yeere and then hee was committed to Doctor Barnes to goâ— to Cambridge with him when he had been theâ—e a whole yeare he tasted good learning so well that he neuer returned vnto his Abbey againe but went to London to Maxwell and Stacy they kept him secret a while and conuayed him beyond Sea Doctor Barnes being in the Fléete for Gods Word This Bayfield mightily prospered in the knowledge of God and was veneficiall to Maister Tindall and Frith for he brought substance with him and sould their works for them And at last comming to London to M. Smithes house in â—â—cklers Bury he was betrayed and dogged to his Book-â—inders house in Marke Lane there taken carried vnto Lolards Tower from thence taken carried to the Cole-house because one Patmore Parson of Much-Haddam in Essex then liuing in Lolards tower was confirmed in the Doctrine of Christ by him there hee was tyed by the neck middle and legges standing vpâ—ight by the walles diuers times manacled to accuse others that had bought his Bookes but he accused none but stood in his Faith vnto the end He was in the Consistory of Paules put to his tryall whether he would abiure or no he said he would dispute for his Faith and so did to their great shame Stokesley being their Iudge with others hee was condemned for bringing ouer and selling hereticall Bookes and because before time he was accused to the Bishop of London for affirming certaine Articles contrarie to the Church and especially that all land should be giuen to God and not to Saints or Creatures and that euery Priest might preach the Word of God by the authoritie of the Gospell and néed not to runne to the Pope or Cardinals for licence and that hee abâ—ured and hath since preached the like Doctrines When they asked him what he had to say why he should not haue his Iudgement Hee said with a vehement spirit to the Bishop of London your liuing of the spiritualty is so euill that you be hereticks and you maintaine euill liuing and let that true liuing may not be knowne and that their liuing neither their beleefe is according to Christs Gospell Then the Bishop read the sentence against him and disgraded him hee knéeling vpon the highest step of the Altar in Paules He tooke the Crosieâ— staffe and smote him on the brest that he threw him downe backwards and brake his head and he sounded and when he came to himselfe againe he thanked God that he was deliuered from the malignant Church of Antichrist and that he was come into the true Church and that he trusted anon to bee in heauen with Iesus Christ and the triumphant Church for euer Then he was led againe to Newgate continued there in prayer an houre and thence went to the fire ioifully and was thrée quarters of an houre aliue in the fire and when the left arm was burned he rubbed it with his right hand it fell from his body and he continued in prayer to the end without mouing The History of M r Iohn Tewxbury Cittizen and Lether-Dresser of London IN all points of Religion and the point of iustification he disputed most openly in the Bishops Chappell with such prompt and expert answers that Tunstall and all his learned men were ashamed This disputation continued a senight then he was sent to my L. Chancellor Sir Thomas Moore to Chelsey and there he lay in the porters Lodge hand foote and head in the stockes six daies Then he was carried to Iesus Tree in the Garden where he was whipped and also twisted in his browes with small ropes that the bloud start out of his eyes and yet would accuse no man Then he was racked in the Tower and there promised to retant at Paules Crosse. After he came to S. Austens with a new Testament in his hand and stood vp before the people in a Pew and declared openly with teares that he had denied God and prayed the people to forgiue him and to beware of his weaknesse not to doe as he had done for if I should not turne againe to this truth hauing the New Testament in his hand he said this Booke Gods Word would damne mee body and soule and he prayed euery body to doe as hee had done for hee would not feele such a hell againe as he had done not for all the worlds good and immediately hee was carried to the Bishop of London and after he was burned in Smithfield and died a glorious Martyr In his Disputations the Bishop proposed these Articles out of the Booke called the Booke of the wicked Mammon and hee affirmed them TEwxbery A man should doe good works for the loue of God onely and for no hope of reward higher or lower in heauen for if he should it were presumption being asked whether faith only iustifieth he said if he should desire heauen by works hee were greatly to blame for workes followe Faith and Christ redéemed vs by his death the diuell holdeth our hearts so hard that it is impossible for vs to consent to Gods Law and that the Law of God suffereth no merits nor any man to bee Iustified in the sight of God and that the Law of God commandeth things impossible and as the good tree bringeth forth good fruit so there is no Law to him that beleeueth and is iustified by faith and all good workes must be done without respect of any profit thereby for they deserue no reward of God and that the Diuel is not east out by the merits of fasting and prayer Item We cannot loue God except we sée first his loue and kindnes to vs whilst we are vnder the Law wee sée nothing but â—inne and damnation and the wrath of God and cannot but hate him as a tyrant and
to be troubled with externe decrées and outward Elements And by the 23. of Mathew The Scribes and Pharises sit in Moses Chaire whatsoeuer they command to obserue keep but do not after their doings Christ taught his Disciples that he saw nothing in the doing of the Scribes and Pharises to be followed yet they should not refuse to do those things which they did teach by the word but not what they taught of their owne head Being accused for hauing the New Testament and other Books of heresie he called them blasphemers and Romish Swine and their stomacks rankered and tongues most venomous which durst note the New Testament of heresie as they were the greatest murderers that murdered Christ so these men filled the measure of all other Heretickes and blasphemies how shall these Serpents and sâ—â—cke of Uipers escape the iudgement of eternall fire And being accused that he was so obstinate that none of his friends could perswade him he said he knew not why he should call them friends which so greatly laboured to conuert him nor will more estéeme of them then of the Madianits which called the Children of Israell to do sacrifices to their Idols Then they condemned him for an Hereticke and his goods to be forfeited and because they could not apprâ—hend him they made a picture of him and burned it cursed euery one that should shew any intertainment fauour or helpe towards him and their goods likewise to be confiscated The sixe Articles agreed vpon in the Parliament-house 1 THe blessed Sacrament of the Altar by the efficacy of Christs words being spoken by the Priest is present really vnder the forme of Bread and Wine the naturall body and blood of Christ conceiued of the Uirgine Mary and that there remaineth no substance of bread and wine but onely the substance of Christ God and Man 2 Secondly that the Communion in both kinds are not necessary ad salutem vnto all persons and it is to be beléeued that in the flesh vnder forme of Bread is the very blood and with the blood vnder forme of wine is the very flesh aswell apart as both together 3 That Priests after orders may not marry by the Law of God 4 That vowes of Chastity or widdowhood by man or woman made to God aduisedly ought to bee obserued by the Law of God and that it exempteth them from other liberties of Christian people which without that they might enioy 5 That it is méete that priuate masses be continued as whereby good people ordering themselues accordingly doe receiue both godly and goodly consolations and benefits and it is agréeable to Gods Law 6 That auriculer confession is necessary to be retained and vsed in the Church of God Then they caused it to be enacted that if any the Kings Subiects after the 12. of Iuly next comming by word writing or any otherwise preach argue or hâ—ld any opinion against the reall presence as aforesaid or against the Sacrament vnder one kind as aforesaid they and their assistants to be condemned for hereticks and to be burned without any abiuration and Clergy of Sanctuary to be allowed them and all their goods and lands forfeited vnto the King as in case of high treaso The like offence against any of the other Articles to be fellony The History of THOMAS CROMVVELL Earle of Essex THomas Cromwell became the most secret and deare Councelor vnto the King after he was made Earle of Essex He alone through the singular dextâ—ritie of his wit and Councell brought to passe that which no Prince or King throughout all Europe dare or can bring to passe For whereas Brittany was most superstitious of all Nations he brake off and repressed all the poliâ—ies and malice of the Frâ—ers Monâ—es and Religions and subuerted there houses throughout all the Realme and brought the Arch-bishops and Bishops yea Cranmer and the Bishop of Winchester to an Order though he were the Kings chiefe Councelor preuenting thâ—ir enterprises and complaints specially in those things which tended to the decay of good men which fauoured the Gospell vnto whom Cromwell was euer a shield against the pestiferous enterprises of Winchester betwéenâ— whom there was continuall emulation both being great with the King one much feared th' other beloued but Winchester séemed such a man to be borne onely for the destruction of the good and Cromwell by thy Diuine prouidence appointed a help to preserue many it were to tedious to declare how many good men through this mans help haue béen reléeued whereof a great nâ—mber beeing depriued of their patron by his fall perished and many yet aliue which are witnes of these things Iehu the sharpe punisher of superstitious Idolatry was not much vnlike this man For this purpose this man seemed to be raised vp of God to subuert the dens of sloth and idlenes where if they had remained the Pope could not be excluded out of England for there was an incredible number of Monasteriâ—s in England There riches and possessions were so great that they vpbraided euen vnto Kings and Noâ—les beggery and there houses were no lesse sumptuous which for the most part were plucked down to the ground and their reuenues and substance the King partly conuerted vnto his own Coffers and partly distributed amongst his Nobilitie but many reprâ—hend the subuersion of these Abbies say they might haue béen conuerted to other good vses which indéed would haue béen good and godly if in this Kingdome there should bee continually a succession of good Princes but if it should happen to be a King of a contrarie Religion it would haue been otherwise as we may see by the example of Quéene Mary If the Monasteries had been left standing vntill her superstitious daies they should haue been restored againe and filled with Monkes and Fryers For if the goods and possessions of the religious being in the hands of the Dukes and Nobility could scarce withstand the Quéenes power how should the meaner sort haue retained them Wherefore no doubt Gods great prouidence did fâ—resée these things in this man Wherevpon as often as he sent any man to suppresse any Monastery hee would charge them that they should subuert their houses from there foundation When the Pope was abolishâ—d out of England and that there was diuers tumults about Religion and it séemed good to the King to appoint a Conuoâ—ation to which Cromwell came and found all the Bishopâ— attending his comming and all did obeysance vnto him as to their Uicar generall and he saluted them euery one in their degrée and sate downe in the highest place Then Cromwell in the name of the King spake words to this effect The King thankes you â—o your diligence the cause why he hath willed you to assemble is that you should estabâ—sh certaine controuersies touching the state of Faith and Christian Religion which are now in controuersiâ— not onely in this Realme but also amongst all other Nations of the world for he willeth not that there
should be any publike change in this Realme of Religion except by the consent of you and the whole Parliament wherein you may easily perceiue his profound wisedom great leue towards you Wherfore he desireth you in Christs name that leauing blindnes contentions you would discusse those things amongst you which pertaine to religion and the Church hauing onely respect vnto the Scriptures neither will he any longer suffer the Scriptures to be wrested by any one of you neither to be oppressed with the Popes Decrées or authoritie of the Doctors or Councels neither will he allow any Doctrine grounded onely vpon Antiquitie and Custome hauing no other foundation in Scriptures such as you call vnwritten verities you owe this duety chiefely to Christ and next of necessitie vnto the Church and yet you shall not be vnrewarded at the Kings hands if he perceÃue you do your duty as you ought in establishing concord in the Church The which to bring to passe the onely methode is to discusse all things according to the Canons of Gods word wherevnto the Kings Maiestie doth exhort you and hartily desire you the Bishops gaue thankes vnto the King for his zeale vnto the Church and his exhortation worthy so Christian a Prince Then Bonner Bishop of London the most earnest Champion for the Pope defended the vnwritten verities and maintained the seuen Sacraments of the Church and others resisted him Touching whose Arguments because there is no great matter in them I refer thee to the Booke at large where also thou maist sée the number of Idols in England to which in great deuotion they vse to goe on pilgrimage vnto At length he was apprehended and committed to the Tower and then hee was attainted by Parliament for heresie for supporting Barnes and Clarke hereticks and many others And by his authoritie and Letters rescued them and deliuered them out of prison and for evulgating a great number of Bookes containing heresie and caused Bookes to be translated into English comprising matter against the Sacrament of the Altar for commending the Bookes after and that he should speake words against the King which they would neuer suffer him to answere vnto which were not likely to be true in that the King so shortly after his death wished to haue his Cromwell aliue againe by reason of which Act of Parliament the Noble Lord Cromwell was oppressed with his enemies and condemned in the Tower He was beheaded vpon Tower Hill where he patiently suffered the stroke of the Axe by a Butcherly miser which very vngodlily performed the office The History of Thomas Barnes Thomas Garard and William Hierome Diuines WHen as Cromwell was dead Gardiner Bishop of Winchester being at liberty to exercise his cruelty it is to be wondred what troubles hee raised and least he should loose his occupation by delayes Hee first assaults Robert Barnes Thomas Gerrard and William Hierome whom hee caused to be put to execution two daies after Cromwell and first of Barnes Doctor of Diuinitie There was sent downe a Sergeant at Armes to Cambridge who arresâ—â—d Doctor Barnes in the Conuocation house and they determined to make priuy search for Luthers Bookes and all the Germaines workes but they that were suspected had word therof and the Bookes were conuayed away before they came and he was brought to Cardinall Wolsey in Westminster At last he spake with the Cardinall in his Chaire of State knéeling on his knees Then said the Cardinall What Maister Doctor had you not scope sufficient in the Scriptures to teach the people but my golden showes my pollaxes my pillars my golden Cushions my crossee did so much offend you that you made vs Ridiculum caput amongst the people we were iollily that day laughed to scorne Uerily it was a Sermon more fitter to be preached on a Stage then in a Pulpit At last you said I wore a paire of red Gloues I should say bloudy Gloues that I should not bee cold in the middest of my Ceremonies Hee answered hee spake nothing but the truth according to the Scriptures and the old Doctors Then hee deliuered the Cardinall six shéetes of Paper to coroborate his saying He receiuing them said we perceiue you intend to stand to your Articles and shew your learning Yea said Barnes by Gods Grace and your Lordships fauour He answered such as you beare vs and the Catholick Church little fauour whether doe you thinke it more necessary that I should haue this royalty because I represent the Kings person in all High Courts of this Realme to the terror of all rebellions Treasons all the wicked members of this Common-wealth or to be as simple as you would haue vs to sell these things and giuâ— them to the poore which shortly would pisse it against the walles and pull his Maiestie from his dignitie He answered I think it necessarie to be sold and giuen to the poore for it is not comely for your calling and the King is not maintained by your pompe and pollaxes but by God which saith per me Reges regnant Then the Cardinall said to Doctor Gardiner and Maister Fox Loe Maister Doctors heere is the learned and wise man that you told me of Then they knéeled and desired his Grace to be good vnto them for hee would be reformable Then said he for your sakes and the Uniuersitie wee will be good vnto him Maister Doctorâ—dost thou not know that I am legatus de latere and that I am able to dispence with all matter in this Realme as much as the pope may Hee answered I know it Then hee bad him be ruled by him and I will doe all things for thy honesty and the honesty of the vniuersitie hee thanked him and said he would stick to the Scriptures according to his little Talent Then the Cardinall told him he should haue his learning tried and haue the Law and commanded him to the Tower But Gardiner and Fox became his sureties After he was twice brought before the Bishops and the Abbot of Westminster in the Chapter-house at Westminster Then he was put to haue the Councell of Gardiner and Fox and they perswaded him rather to abiure theâ— burne that he might doe more in time to come and with other perswasions mighty in the sight of reason and foolish flesh wherevpon he abiured and bore a faggot the Bishop of Rochester preaching at the abiuration of him and others stood vp and declared vnto the people how many daies of forgiuenes of sinnes they had for beeing at that Sermon yet he continued halfe a yéere after in prison and then he was committed to be frée prisoner in the Augustine Friers in London when these Caterpillers and bloudy beasts had vndermined him they complained on him again to my Lord Cardinall Then he was deliuered to the Friers of Northampton to bee burned Then Maister Horne heard that a writ should come shortly to burne him then hée councelled him to faine himselfe desperate and writ a Letter to the
are forbid the Booke binder answered is not the holy Bible as good as these goodly pictures the Bishop of Air sayd I renownce my part of Paradice if he bee not a Lutheran let him bee tryed what hee is then the Book-binder was caried into prison and a company of ruffins cryed a Lutheran to the fire with him and owne strucke him with his fist another pulled him by the beard so that hee was al imbrued with bloud the morrow hee was brought before the Bishops hee iustified the selling of the Bibles and said There was no Nation but had the Byble in their owne language Will you forbid and hide that which Christ hath commaunded to bee published Did not Christ giue power to his Apostles to speake all manner of tongues to the end that his Gospell might be taught to euery Creature in euery language And why doe you forbid this Booke aâ—d buy such prophane painting What cruelty is this to take the nourishment from poore soules but you shall giâ—e account heereof which call sweete sower and sower sweete you bee rather the Priests of Bacchus and Venus then Pastors of the Church Then he was condemned to be burned the same day and to haue two Bybles hang one before and another behind to signifiâ— the cause of his death The Byshoppes twice raised an Army at their owne charges to execute the aforesaid arrest but their enterprises were let by one meanes or other and the King hearing the confession of this Faith of Merindole and finding that it did agree in all points to the Word of God gaue them their pardon Some of the Byshoppes resort to them to get them to recant but they prooued their Religion so agreeable to the Word that many Doctors were conuerted to their opinions and confessed they neuer learned so much in all their time as by hearing them Their Children were so well taught and they questioned and answered one another so diuinely that the Doctorâ— confessed they had not heard Arguments so well answered in the diuinity Schooles Yet notwithstanding in this yeare the twelfth of Aprill Iohn Miners President of the Councell of Aygues called the Senate and read the Kings Letters which the Cardinall had obtained for that purpose and commaunded them to execute the sentence Now euery where hee had mustred men for the English Warres but he vsed them for this purpose and tooke vp more Souldiours out of euery Towne and they had ayde sent them out of the Popes Dominions First they set vpon the Uillage about Merindoll and destroyed and burned them the Merindolins seeing their cruelty left their houses and fled into the Woods carrying their Children vpon their Shoulders and Armes then it was showed vnto them that Miners came with all his whole power to destroy them then the men went away and left the women and children with som to looke to them hoping they would shew mercie to them whom when the souldiers found they abstained from slaughter but when they had spoyled them of their money and victuals they lead them away Their purpose was to handle them more shamefully but that they were let with a Captaine of horse-men so they left the women and droue away the booty there were fiue hundred women Miners burned Merindoll and finding there but one yong man he â—aused him to be tyed to a tree and shot in with Dagges then he went to Cabriers and perswaded the townsmen to open the gates promising they should haue no hurt but when they were let in they slew both man woman and childe Miners shut fortie women into a â—arne of straw set it on fire and kept them in till they were all burned The number slaine within the towne and without were eight hundred the infants that escaped their furie were baptized againe of their enemies Then they took the town of Costa and serued it so and many maids and women being lead into a Garden of the Castle they rauished them all and when they had kept them a day and a night they handled them so beastly that the mayds and them with child died shortly after In the meane time the Merindoles and diuers others that wandred in the woods and mountains were either sent to the Gallies or were slaine Many also died for hunger fiue and twenty hid themselues vnder a rocke and they smothered and burned them so that no kinde of cruelty was omitted notwithstanding diuers which had escaped came to Geneua and other places neere The persecution in Callice with the martyrdome of George Bucket alias Adam Damlip THis Adam Damlip had bin a great Papist and Chaplaine to the Bishop of Rochester he iournyed to Rome thinking to haue found all godly and sincere religion where he found as he confessed such blasphemy of God contempt of Christs true religion loosenesse of life and abomination and filthinesse that he abhorred to tarrie there any longer although he was greatly requested by Cardinall Poole to continue there to reade three Lectures euery weeke in his house offering him great entertainment which he refused and returning home the Cardinall gaue him a French crowne And wayting at Callice for passage into England William Steuens and Thomas Lancaster desired him to reade there two or three dayes and got him license of the Lord Lisle the Kings Deputie of the towne and the license of Iohn Butler the Commissary When he had preached three or foure times he was wel liked so that they hyred him to preach there and twenty dayes or more euery morning at seuen of the clocke he preached learnedly and plainely the truth of the blessed Sacrament of Christs body and bloud mightily inueighing against all Papistrie but especially against transubstantiation the propitiatorie sacrifice of the masse declaring how popish himselfe was and how by the detestable wickednesse that he did see vniuersally in Rome he was returned and become an enemie to all Papistre He came at last to speake against the Pageant or picture set forth of the resurrection in Saint Nicholas his Church that it was meere Idolatrie and illusion of the French-men before Callice was English Then there came a commission to the Lord Deputy the Commissary and others to search whether there were three Hosts lying vpon a Marble stone besprinkled with bloud as was put in writing vnder a Bull and Pardon and that if they found it not so that immediatly it should be pulled downe and so it was for they breaking vp a stone in the corner of the Tombe in stead of three Hosts found souldred in the Crosse of Marble lying vnder the Sepulchre three plaine Counters which they had pointed like vnto Hosts and aboue that was the tippe of a Sheeps tayle which Damlip shewed to the people the next day which was Sonday out of the Pulpit And after they were sent by the Lord Deputie to the King Then the Prior of the white Friers and one of the Lord Lisle his Chaplains contradicted his Sermons and caused him to be sent
and for his contempt and misdemeanor deposed Gardener Bishop of Winchester with Tunstall Bishop of Durham were cast into the Tower for their disobedience In this time of King Edward vnder this noble Protectoâ— this one commendation is proper vnto them that amongst all the Popish â—ort of whom some priuily stâ—le out of the Realme manie were craftie dissemblers some open aduersaries â— yet there was not one that lost his life during the whole time of the Raigne of this King for any matter of Religion Papist or Protestant except lone of Kentan English woman and one George a Dutchman who died for certaine Articles not necessarie to be rehearsed THOMAS DOBBE THis man in the beginning of King Edwards Raigne comming from S. Iohns Colledge in Cambridge to London as he passed through Paules Church there was a Priest at Masse at the South side of the Church being at the eleuation this yong man repleate with godly zeale pittying the ignorance and Idolatry of the people in honouring that which the Priest lifted vp he exhorted the people not to honour that visible bread as God which was neither God nor ordained of God to be honoured wherefore he was apprehended by the Mayor and accused to the Bishop of Canterburie and was committed to the Counter in Bread-stréete where shortly falling sicke he died whose pardon was obtained of the Lord Protector if he had liued IOHN HVNNE IN the first yeare of the Kings raigâ—e one Master Lewnax of Wresell and his wife sent this Iohn Hunne their seruant vnto the Bishop of Canterbury for denying the flesh and bloud of Christ to be really in the Sacrament of the Altar and saying he would neuer vaile his Hatte to it if he should be burned for it and that if he should heare masse he should be damned But because I finde nothing done therein I leaue it When this godly yong Prince was peaceably established in his Kingdome and had a godly wise and zealous Councell about him especially the Duke of Sommerset he earnestly desired the aduancement of the true honour of God and planting of sincere Religion and the sâ—ppressing of all Idolatry Superstition and hypocrisie throughout his Dominions Following the good example of the good King Iosias and being he found most of his Lawes repugnant to his zealous enterprise He by the aduice of his wise and Honorable Councell of his own regall authoritie did prosecute his godly purpose vntill by consent of the whole estate of Parliament he might establish a more free and vniforme order and those certaine wiâ—e learned and discreet personages for Commissioners generally to visit all the Bishopricks of this Realme to vnderstand and redresse the abuses of the same and diuided them into seuerall companies and assigned them seuerall Diocesses to be visited appointing to euery company one or two godly Preachers which should preach to the people at euery Sessions the true Doctrine of the Gospell of Christ and exhort them to all loue and obedience of the same and earnestly dehort them from their old superstition and wonted Idolatry and that they might the more orderly be directed in this their Commission there were deliuered vnto them certaine iniunctions and Ecclestasticall orders drawne out by the Kings learned Councell the which they should both inquire of and also command in his Maiesties behalfe to be thenceforth obserued of euery person to whom they did seuerally appertaine within their seuerall circuits the which Iniunctions if thou beest disposed for to reade I leaue thee for breuitie to the Booke at large Now during the time the Commissioners were in their circuits about diligent execution of their godly and zealous orders of the King and Councell deâ—iring a further reformation as well in Ecclesiasticall as in Ciuill gouernment appointed a Parliament to be summoned on the fourth of Nouember in the first yeare of his raigne which continued vntill the twenty foure day of December then next following Whereby he caused to be enacted that all Acts of Parliaments and Statutes touching menciâ—ning or any wise concerning Religion or opinions to wit the Statute of the first yeare of Richard the second and the statute made in the second yeare of the raign of Henry the fift and the statute madâ— in the fiftéenth yeare of the raigne of Henry the eight concerning the punishments and reformation of Hereticks and Lolards and the sixe Articles made in the thirty one yeare of Henry the eight and the statute made in the thirty thrée year of Henry the eight against the bookes of the old and new Testament in English and the printing and vttering of English or bookes writings and preaching the Scriptures an another Statute in the 35. yeare of Henry the eyght touching the qualification of the Statâ—te of sixe Articles and aâ—l and euery other Act or Acts of Parliament concerning Doctrine or matters of Religion should from thenceforth bee repealed and of none effect by occasion whereof all his godly subiects abiding within the Realme had free liberâ—y to professe the gospell and those beyond Sea wer not onely licensed to retâ—rne home but incouraged bouldly and faithfully to trauell in their calling so that God was much glorified and the people edified And in this Parliament it was enacted that the Sacrament should be ministred in both kinde and letters missiue were sent frâ—m the Councell to the Bishops of the Realme concerning the communion to bee ministred in both kinds and from Bishop to Bishop as thou maist sée in the booke at large Another Parliament was assembled in the second yeare of his Raigne beginning vppon the foorth day of Nouember 1548. continuing vntill the 14. day of March wherein a booke in English intituled the Booke of Common prayer and administration of the Sacraments and other Rightes and Ceremonies of the Church after the vse of the Church of England was concluded vppon by the Clergy which his highnesse receauing with great comfort did exhibiâ—â— it vnto the Lords and Commons of the Parliament who for the honour of God and great quietnesse which by the grace of God should ensue vppon that one vniforme right and order in such Common prayer rites and externe Ceremonies to bee vsed throughout England Wales Calice and the Marches of the same authoriseâ— the sayd Booke by Act of Parliament and set great penalty vpon them that woâ—ld bee disobeâ—ient thereto as is to be seene in the booke at large Aâ—so the mariage of Priests was authorized by the sayd Parliament by these procéedings and the Iniunctions which thou maiest see in the book at large thou maiest well perceaue the great zeale of the King and the Lord Protector in reformation of tâ—ue Religion and also the lingring slacknesse on the other side of others especially of the Bishops and old Popish Curats by whose cloked contempt and wilfull winking the Booke of Common prayers was long after the publishing thereof very irreuerently vsed throughout many places of this Realme which when the King by diuers
Testament desperatly he cast himselfe into a shallow Riuer and was drowned in the yeare 1555. IOHN AWCOCKE THis yeare the second of Aprill one Iohn Awcocke died in prison who was buried in the fields as the manner of the Papists was for they deâ—ied them Christian buriall to such as died out of their Antichristian Church Pope IVLIVS the third THis yeare about the end of March died Pope Iulius the third whose deeds to declare it were not so much tedious to the Reader as horrible to good eares Iohannes de Casa was Deane of this Popes chamber Archbishop of Beneuentanus and chiefe Legat to the Uenetians who well declaring the fruit of that filthy Sea did not only play the filthy Sodomite himselfe but in Italian meetre set forth the praise of that beastly iniquitie and yet his booke was printed at Uenice by one Troyanus Nauus and the Pope suffered this beastlines vnder his nose in his chamber which could not abide the doctrine of Christ. This Pope delighted greatly in Porke flesh and Peacocks by the aduice of his Physitians his Steward ordered that he should set no Porke flesh before him missing it where said he is my Porke the Steward answered his Physitian had forbidden any Porke to be serued the Pope in a great rage said Bring mee my Porke in despite of God Another time he commaunded a Peacocke at the Table to be kept colde for his Supper when Supper came amongst hote Peacocks he saw not his colde Peacocke the Pope after his wonted manner began horribly to blaspheme God one of his Cardinals said Let not your Holinesse I pray you be moued in so small a matter Then said he if God were so angry for one apple that he cast our parents out of Paradice why may not I being his Uicar he angry for a Peacocke which is a greater matter This was he vnder whom Popery was restored in England in Quéene Maries time and the affection that was borne vnto him heere may be séene by the Dirgs Hearses and Funerals commaunded to bee had and celebrated in all Churches by the Quéene and her Councell At his death a woman séeing a Herse and other preparation in Saint Magnus Church at the Bridge foot in London asked what it meant it was told her it was for the Pope and that she must pray for him nay quoth she that I will not for he needeth not my prayers seeing hee could forgiue vs all our sinnes I am sure he is cleane himselfe by and by she was carried vnto the Cage at London Bridge and bade to coole her selfe there GEORGE MARSH THis Marsh was an earnest letter forth of true Religion to the defacement of Antichrists doctrine in the parish of Deane and elswhere in Lancasâ—ire and he most faithfully acknowledged the same in Quéene Maries time whereupon he was apprehended and kept in straight prison within the Bishoppe of Chesters house foure moneths not permitting him to haue comfort of his frinds but the Porter was charged to marke them that asked for him and to take their names and deliuer them to the Bishop shortly after he came thither the Bishop sent for him and communed with him a long time in his Hall alone and could find no fault with him but that he allowed not transubstantiation nor the abuse of the Masse nor that the Lay people should receiue vnder one kinde with which points the Byshop went about to perswade him but all was in vaine then hee sent him to Prison againe Afterward diuers were sent vnto him to perswade him to submit himselfe vnto the Church of Rome and to acknowledge the Pope to be the haâ—d thereof and to interpret the Scriptures no otherwise then that Church doth George answered hee doth acknowledge one holy Catholike and Apostolike Church without which is no saluation and this Church is but one because it hath and beléeueth in but one God and him only worshippeth and one Christ and in him only trusteth for saluation and it is ruled onely by one Spirit one Word and one Faith and that it is vniuersall because it hath béene from the beginning of the world and shall be vnto the end of the world hauing in it some of al Nations kindreds and languages degrees â—â—ates and conditions of men This Church is builded only vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Iesus Christ being the Head-corner-stone and not on the Romish Lawes and Decrees the Pope being not the supreame head and that it was before any succession of Bishops general Councels or Romish Decrees neither was bound to any time or place ordinary succession generall Councels or Tradition of Fathers neither had any supremacie ouer Empires and Kingdomes But that it was a little 〈◊〉 flocke dispersed abroad as sheepe without a Shepheard in the middest of Wolues or as a flocke of fatherlesse Children assisted succoured and defended onely by Christ Iesus their supreme head from all assaults errours troubles and persecutions wherewith shee is euer compassed about He proued by the floud of Noah the destruction of Sodome The Israelites departing out of Egypt by the parables of the sower by the Kings sons marriage of the great Supper and by other sentences of the Scriptures that this Church was of no estimation and little in comparison of the Church of hypocrites and wicked worldlings After the Bishop caused him to bee brought to the Chappell of the Cathedrall Church of Chester where the Bishop with diuers others were set After he had taken his oath for a true answering the Chancelor charged him that he had preached heretically and blasphemously in diuers places against the Popes authority and Catholick Church of Rome the blessed Masse the Sacrament of the Altar and many other Articles Hee answered that â—e neither heretically nor blasphemonsly spake against any of the said Articles but simply and â—â—uely as occasion serued according to his conscience maintaining the truth touching the said Articles as it was taught in King Edward the sixth his time whereupon they condemned him at the next appearance And when he would haue perswaded them otherwise by the word of God the Bishop told him he ought not to dispute with hereticks Then he prayed the people to beare him witnesse he held no other opinions then were by Law most godly established and publikely taught in King Edwards time wherein he would liue and die As he came on the way towards the place of execution some folke proffered him moâ—ey and looked that he should haue had a little purse in his hand as the manner of 〈◊〉 was at their going to execution to gather money to giue to a Priest to say trentalls of Masses for them after their death whereby they might be saued but Marsh said he would not be troubled with money and hade them giue it to the prisoners and poore people When he came to the â—â—re his pardon was offered him he answered being it tended to plucke him from God he could not receiue it
receiue them Therefore your Lordship may be sure the word of God will one day take place doe what you can to the contrarie The fift Examination Couen DOe you not beléeue your Créed I beléeue in the Catholick Church Phil. Yes but I cannot vnderstand Rome to be the same nor the like to it S. Asse S. Peter builded the Catholick Church at Rome And Christ saith thou art Peter and vpon this Rock I will build my Church and the succession of Bishops can be proued in Rome from time to time as it can be of no other place so well which is a manifest proofe of the Catholick Church as diuers Doctors doâ— write Phil. You cannot proue the Rock that Christ would build his Church on to bee Rome and though you can proue the succession of Bishops it is not sufficient to proue Rome the Catholick Church vnlesse you can proue the succession of Peters Faith where vpon the Catholick Church is builded to continue in his successors at Rome and at this present to remaine there Couen What meaneth this word Catholick Phil. The Catholick Faith or Catholick Church is not that which is most vniuersall or of men receiued wherby you dâ—e infer your Faith to hang vpon the multitude which is not so We iudge saith S. Augustine the Catholick Faith of that which hath been is and shall be so that if you can proue your Catholick Church and Faith hath been taught from the beginning and is and shall be then may you count your selues Catholicks otherwise not Catholick in Gréeke is compounded of â— which signifieth according and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a summe or principle or whole so that Catholick Church or Faith is as much to say as the first hole sound chéefest faith Boner Doe you thinke the Catholick Church hath erred vntill within these few yeares some haue swarued from the same Phil. I doe not thinke the Catholick Church hath erred but I require you to proue the Church of Rome the Catholick Church Curtop Ireneus who was within a hundred yeares after Christ came to Victor Bishop of Rome to aske his aduice about excommunication of certaine hereticks which he would not haue done if hee had not taken him to bee supreme head and Couentry bad him marke this Argument Phil. This fact of Ireneus proueth no more for the supremacie then mine hath done for I haue béen at Rome as well as he and could haue spoken with the Pope and if I would yet would there were none in England fauoured his supremacie more then I And it is not like that Ireneus or the primatiue church so take him for I can shew 7. generall Councels after Ireneus time wherin he was neuer so taken in many hundred yâ—eres after Christ These be the Councels the Nicentine Ephesine the first second Calcedone Constantinopolitane Carthagenense Auilence Couen Wherefore will you not admit the Church of Rome to be the Catholick Church Phil. Because it followeth not nor agréeth with the Primitiue Church no more then an Apple is like a Nut it were too long to name all the disagréements I will name but two The Supremacie and Transubstantiation Curtop Although transubstantiation were decréed for an Article of the Faith not aboue 300. yeares yet it was alwaies beléeued Boner said that was well said Phil. It is true it was but lately planted by the Bishop of Rome and you cannot shew any ancient writer that the primitiue Church did beleeue any such thing with that Master Curtop shrunke away Couen Can you disproue the Church of Rome not to be the Catholick Church Phil. Yes that I can but I desire rather to heare you proue it First it doth not agree with the Primitiue Church neither in Doctrine nor in the vse of Sacraments And as you describe Catholick to be vniuersall the Church of Rome was neuer vniuersall For the world being diuided into three parts Asia Africa Europe Two parts Asia and Africa professing Christ as well as wee did neuer consent to the Church of Rome and the most part of Europe doth not agrée nor allow the Church of Rome As Germany Denmarke the Kingdome of Pole a great part of France England and Zeland which is a manifest probation that your Church is not vniuerfall Doctor Sauer I am sory to sée you commune with so many learned men and are no more conformable vnto them then you be Phil. I will be conformable vnto them that be conformable to Christ his word I pray Master Doctor be not so conformable to please men more then God contrarie to your learning for worldly estimation you are led away from the truth for promotion sake as many Doctors be now adaies Sauer Saint Cyprian an ancient Writer doth allow the Bishop of Rome to be supreme head of the Church Phil. I am sure he doth not for he writing to Cornelius Bishop of Rome called him his companion and fellow Bishop and calleth him not Pope nor any other vsurped termes which are now ascribed vnto the Bishop of Rome Then they brought forth Cyprian and turned vnto the third Epistle where hee saith it goeth not well with the Church when the High Priest is not obayed which supplieth the steed of Christ after Gods word and the consent of the Bishops and the agreement of the people Sauer How can you auoid this place which maketh so plaine for the Bishop of Rome his Supremacie Phil. It maketh not so plaine First heare you may see that he calleth Cornelius his fellow Bishop as he doth also in other places you do misconstrue that same to make the high Priest onely for the Bishop of Rome and otherwise then it was in his time for there were by the Nicenâ— Councell foure Patriaches appointed The Patriarke of Ierusalem and the Patriarke of Constantinople The Patriarke of Alexandria and the Patriarke of Rome of which foure the Patriarch of Rome was lowest placed in the Councell and so continued many yeares for the time of seuen or eight generall Conncels Therefore Cyprian writeth vnto Cornelius Patriarck of Rome because certaine hereticks as the Nâ—uatians which were excommunicated by him went from his Dioces to the Patriarcks of Rome or of Constantinople and there were receiued in the Communion of there congregation in derogation of good discipline and maintaining of schismes in that obedience is not giuen vnto the Priest of GOD being in Christs steede not meaning the Patriarck of Rome onely but euery Patriarck in his precinet who had euery one of them a Cathedrall Church of learned Priests in hearing of whom by a Conuocation of all his fellow Bishops with the consent of the people all heresies were determined by the Word of GOD and this is the meaning of Cyprian Sauer I wonder you will stand so stedfast in your errour to your owne destruction Phil. I am sure we are in no errour by the promise of Christ to the faithfull that he will giue them such a spirit of wisedome that
that he was commended by the Ambassadors to the king for his singular wisedome grauitie and learning that he wonne such great credit that he was alone sent Ambassador to the Emperour to debate this businesse but the Emperour refused to determine the matter but remitted the whole question to the Popes court after he was sent to Rome Ambassadour to the Pope where he behaued himselfe with â—o lesse diligence that he compelled the Popes chiefe diuines by arguments to grant the mariage to be against the law but yet by the dispensation of the Pope it might be made lawfull Warram Archbishop of Canterbury dying he was sent for by king Henrie and made Archbishop of Canterbury then came in the question of the Popes supremacy and all the weight of the businesse was chiefly laid vpon Cranmers shoulders he therefore alone receiued answered and confuted all the obiections of the Papists he proued that the Popes Lordship was not brought in by any authoritie of Scriptures but by ambitious tyranny and that the chiefest power on earth belonged to the Emperor to kings and Potentates to whom the Pope Cardinals Bishops Priests by Gods commandement were no lesse subiect then other men and therefore it were best by the consent of the king and other estates the ambitious Lordship of the Pope being driuen out of England should keepe it selfe within his owne Italy as a riuer is kept within his bankes which was performed by act of Parliament then by little and little he reformed the Church into a more wholesome discipline of Christ and laboured to banish the Popes errours heresies and corruptions and he obtained of the king that certaine learned men should make a booke of Ecclesiasticall institutions which was called the Bishops Booke then the abolishing of Monasteries began to be talked of the kings desire was that all the Abbey lands should come vnto his coffers the Archbishop and others would haue them imployed to other good vses whereby the king being bent against Cranmer especially by the instigation of Gardiner Bishop of Winchester which sought all occasions to hinder the Gospel he set forth the 6. Articles by full consent of Parliament which contained the summe of Popish religion What slaughter by the space of 8. yeares these Articles made is already declared but after he forgoing his anger with the Archbishop séeing he stood against him in conscience not in stubburnesse he began to fauour him and thought to haue taken away the 6. Articles and reformed other matters if he had liued but Cranmer and the Lord protector brought it to passe in king Edwards dayes his story how he was vsed in Quéene Maries reign is mentioned before and his disputations at Oxeford and how he was condemned there and left in prison vntill this time And because the sentence was voyde in law because it was giuen by persons excommunicated for they were not then absolued by the Pope nor his authoritie receiued in the realme therefore there was a new commission sent from the Pope for the conuiction of Cranmer Latimer and Ridley and the Bishop of Glocester was appointed the Popes delegate and after they had condemned Latimer and Ridley as before is said The said Legate and his company being set in Saint Maries Church apparelled in his Pontificalibus as if the Pope in person had bene there the Bishop of Canterbury was brought before them putting off his cappe he did obeysance to the king and quéenes proctors then looking in the Legats face he put on his bonnet againe making no obedience toward him wherefore the Bishop sayd vnto him that it might beséeme him well waying the authoritie which he did represent to doe his duety to him he answered hee had sworne neuer to admit the Pope into this Realme and therefore he would commit nothing by signe or token which might argue his consent to the reâ—eiuing of him and that he did it not to any contempt of his person Then the Legate made an eloquent oration to put him in remembrance that from a meane gentleman he was raised to bee a Princes Ambassadour and further to be Archbishop and Primate of the Realmealmost 30 yeares and sâ— farre in trust with the king that he made him president of his councel and after left him in speciall trust for the gouernement of the young Prince during his minoritie such blessing God had giuen him whilest he continued in the Catholicke faith He exhorted him on the other side to consider how he was now fallen from his dignities and officices and in high displeasure of the King and Quéene iudged to die for high treason and all these things to haue happened vnto him only because he had seuered himself from the Sea of Rome and was become a father of new deuised religion and although your estate is so miserable that the meanest in this assembly will not change his condition and calling with you yet further he was like to fall by the iust iudgement of God into hell and euerlasting damnation if he did not repent of his errours and schismes whilest he had time of repentance whereunto he exhorted him earnestly repeating many places of Christs mercies to them that repent and shewed that to returne to the Church was the oâ—ely way to saue both body and soule and I doubt not but the King and Quéene will perdon your condemnation of treason if you will returne vnto the Church and forsake your opinions which I desire you to do Then Cranmer desired license to speake which was gently granted him first he made protestation that hee did not answere to him as to a lawfull Iudge because he was deputed for the Pope but to giue a reason of his faith which God hath commanded him to doe to euery one that shall demand a reason thereof Then he said My Lord you haue learnedly put me in remembrance of many things touching my selfe which I will not answere I acknowledge Gods goodnesse vnto me and thanke him as heartily for this estate that now I am in as euer I did for the time of my prosperity shewing that his greatest griefe was to sée the Popes Iurisdiction restored to England againe Alas what hath the Pope to do in England whose lawes are so farre different from the Lawes of this realme that whosoeuer sweareth to both must néedes incurre periury in the one And I am heartily sorry to thinke that her grace the day before her Coronation tooke an oath to obserue the lawes of this realme and also tooke an oath to the Bishop of Rome promising to maintaine that Sea which was impossible but shee must néeds be forsworne in the one And as for the matter of Heresie wherewith you charge mee I call God to witnesse I know none which I maintaine but if it be heresie to deny the Popes authority and the religion which the sea of Rome hath published vnto the world these latter yeares then all the ancient Fathers of the primitiue Church the Apostles and Christ himselfe
al people with whom they dare deale so to allow the Popes Buls and Authority and be discharged of their Allegeance and to be well warranted to take armes against her Maiesty when they shall bee thereunto called and to be ready secretly to ioyne with any Forraine force that can be procured to inuade the Realme whereof they giue great comfort of successe And because most euident perils would follow if these virmine were suffered to creepe by stealth into the Realme and spread their poyson therein therefore doe they most iustly sufâ—er death as Traitors One of their compaine Doctor Sanâ—ders a lewd Scholler and subiect of England a fugitiue a principall conspirator with the traytors and rebells at Rome was the Popes Legat and commander and treasorer for those warres aforesaid passing into Ireland openly by writing he gloriously auowed the Popes Bull as is before declared but God plagued him with a strange death who wandring in the monâ—ntaines in Ireland without succour died rauing in a frensie The miserable Earle of Desmond being a principall doer in the rebellion in Ireland secretly wandring without succour as a miserable beggar was taken by one of the Irishrie in his Cabbin and his head cut off from his body an eâ—d due to such an arch-rebell Iames Fitz Morrice the first traytor in Ireland next vnto Stukeley was slaine by an Irish yong Gentleman as he went to burne his fathers countrey Desmount brother vnto the Earle a blondie faithlesse traytor and a notable murtherer of his familier friends who likewise wandring to séeke some prey like a Welâ—e in the woods he was taken and beheaded as he had vsed others being as he thought sufficiently armed with the Popes Bulls and an Agnus Dei and a notable ring hanging about his neck sent from the Popes â—â—â—ger Iohn Someruile a furious yong man of Warwick shire of late he was discouered and taken in his way comming with a full intent to haue killed the Quéen he confessed his attempt and that he was moued thereunto in his wicked spirit by inticements of certaine seditious and trayterous persons his kinsemen and allies and by often reading of sundry seditious vile bookes lately published against the Quéenes Maiestie William Parry his treasons against Queene ELIZABETH HEe had committed a great outrage against a Gentlemâ—n one M. Hare of the Inner Temple meaning to haue murdered him in his owne chamber for which he was iustly conuicted wherefore he went beyond Sea and subiected himselfe vnto the Pope and vpon conference with certaine Iesuits he conceiued his detestable treason to kill the Quéene which he vowed himselfe by promise letters and vowes to performe it and so returned vnto England in Ianuary 1583. and put in practise diuers times to execute his diuellish purpose Pretending that he had matter of great importance to reueale vnto the Quéen he obtained secret accesse vnto her Maiestie she hauing then but one Councellor with her who was so farre distant as he could not heare his spéech he shewed her Maiestie his procéedings with the â—esuits and one Thomas Morgan a fugitiue at Parris who perswaded him to kill her Maiestie saying that his only intent of procéeding so farre with â—hem was but only to this end to discouer the dangerous practises deuised and attempted against her Maiestie by her diâ—loyal subiects and other malicious persons in forren parts but afterward it appeared most manifestly by his owne confession and by his dealing with one Edmund Neuill Esquire that his intent in discouering the same in such sort as he did was but to make the way the easier vnto his most diuellish purpose The Quéen suffred him diuers times to haue priuate conference with her â— offered him a most liberal pension yet notwithstanding he did vehemently importunat the said Neuill to be an associate vnto his wicked enterprise as to an action lawfull and meritorious but the Almighty God that was protector of her Maiesty euen from her cradle so wrought in Neuils heart as he was moued to reueale the same vnto her Maiesty whereupon the examination of the matter was committed vnto the Earle of Leicester and Sir Christopher Hatton vpon the examination whereof when Parrie saw the said Neuill so to declare the truth and so constantly affirme the same he confessed all saying that comming vnto the chamber of Thomas Morgan aforesaid one greatly beloued and trusted in the Papists side he broke with me that I should vndertake to kill the Quéen I told him it would be easily done if it were lawfully done and warranted in the opinion of som learned Deuines then I was resolued by Deuines and I went so farre by Letters and conferences in Italie that I could not goe backe but promised faithfully to performe the enterprise if his holinesse would allow it and grant me remission of my sinnes then I confessed my selfe vnto a Iesuite and tooke his aduice in the matter who most louingly imbraced and commended me then I wrote a Letter vnto the Pope to require of him absolution of my sinnes in consideration of so great an enterprise vndertaken without promise or reward then I went vnto the Popes Nuntio and read the letter vnto him and inclosed and sealed it he promised me to procure answer from the Pope and louingly imbraced me wished me good spéede and promised me that I should be remembred at the Altar Then he said he comming to England hee got accesse vnto the Quéene as before then came Letters into England vnto me from Cardinall Como whereby I found the enterprise commended and allowed and my selfe absolued in the Popes name of all my sinnes and willed to go forward in the name of God That Letter I shewed vnto some in Court who imparted it to the Quéene notwithstanding it confirmed my resolution to kill her and made it cleere in my conscience that it was lawfull and meritorious When I looked vpon her Maiestie and remembred her many excellencies I was greatly troubled yet I saw no remedie for my vowes were in heauen and my letters and promises in earth after Doctor Collens book was sent me out of France it redoubled my former conceits euery word in it was a warrant to a prepared minde it taught that Kings may he excommunicated depriued and violently handled it proueth that all wars ciuill or forren vndertaken for religion are honourable whereupon hee was condemned of treason and drawne vpon a Hurdle from the Tower vnto the Pallace of Westminster where he was executed Francis Throgmorton HIs confession was to this effect When I was at Spaw in the Countrey of Liege I entred into conference with one Ienney a notorious traytor touching the altering of the State of the Realme here and how the same might be attempted by forreign inuasion and to the like effect I had sundry conferences with Sir Francis Englefield in the Low Countries who daily solicited the K. of Spaine to inuade the Realme and I continued practising against her Maiestie and the State by
same should also haue ioyned the mighty armie which the Duke of Parma had made ready in the Low-countries which Army should land in this realme and so both by sea land this realme should be inuaded and a speedy conquest made thereof whereupon it was gathered that neither by sea nor by land there could be much resistance made that there would be a strong party in this realme of papists to ioine with the forrein forces but within eight or nine daies of the appearance of the popish so great a nauie vpon the coast of England it was forced to flée from the coast of Flanders neer Callice towards the vnknown parts of the cold North and all their hope of an imagined conquest was quite ouerthrowne It could procéed of no reason of man nor of any earthlâ— power but onely of God that such a worke so long time a framing to be so suddenly ouerthrown Before this Army of Spaine was ready to come forth vnto the seas there were sundry things printed and sent into this realme to notâ—fie vnto the people that the realme should be conquered the Quéene destroyed and all the Noble men wealthy that did obey her would withstand the inuasion should be with all their families â—ooted out and their liuings bestowed vpon the Conqueâ—ors and a new Bull was published at Rome by the Pope whereby the Quéen was accursed and pronounced to be depriued of her Crowne and the inuasion and conquest of the Realme committed by the Pope to the King Catholick which was the King of Spaine to execute the sam with his armies both by Sea and Land and to take the crowne vnto himselfe and there was a large explanation of this bâ—ll written by Cardinall Allen calling himselfe therein the Cardinall of England and a number of them were sent ouer ready printed into England most bitterly written against the Queene and her Father King Henry the eight and her Nobiâ—itie and Councell In the Fleet were aboundance of Princes Marquesses Condez and Doâ—s which came to haue possessed the roomes of all the Noble men in England and Scotland Don Brnardin Mendoza in an open assembly did say in a brauerie that the young King of Scots whom hee called a boy had deceived the King of Spaine but if the Kings Nauy might prosper against England The King of Scots should loose his Crowne when the brute was brought of the Spanish Fléet and of the Armie of the Sea coast of Flanders with their shippings Charles Lord Howard Lord High Admirall of England who is of the most Noble house of the Duke of Norffolke had the charge of the greatest company of the Quéenes Ships an other company were appointed to remaine with the Lord Henry Seymer second Sonne to the Duke of Somerset and brother to the Earle of Hertford these continued in the narrow Seas betwixt England and Flanders to attend the Duke of Parmas actions A third company were armed in the West part of England towards Spain vnder the conduct of Sir Francis Drake but after it was vnderstood that the great Nauy of Spaine was ready to come out of Liâ—bâ—ne my Lord Admirall was commaunded to saile with the greatest ships to the west parts of England to ioyn with Drake whom he made Uice-admirall and the Lord Thomas Howard second Son vnto the Duke of Norffolke and the Lord Sheffield with a great number of Knights went with the Lord Admirall When the Popish Army came vnto the Coasts of England it séemed so great that the Englishmen were astonied at the sight of them yet the Lord Admiral and Drake hauing but fifty of the English ships out of the hauen of Plimouth they â—uriously pursued the whole Nauy of Spaine being about 160. ships so that with the continuall shot of the English one whole day the whole Nauy fled without returning and after the English Nauy being increased to an hundred ships renued the fight with terrible great shot all the whole day gaining alwaies the winde of the Spanish Nauy and for nine daies together forced them to flye and destroyed suâ—ke and tooke in thrée daies fight diuers of the greatest shippes out of which great numbers were brought to London besides many that were killed and drowned and many were brought vnto other parts of the realme to the great disshâ—nour of Spaine in which fight the Spaniards did neuer take nor sinke any English ship or boate or breake any mast or tooke any one man prisoner so that some of the Spaniards let not to say That in all these â—ghts Christ shewed himselfe a Lutheran The King of Scots gaue straight commaundement vpon all his Sea coasts that no Spaniards should be sufferd to land in any part bâ—t that the English might be relieued of any wants The Popish Fleet was by tempest driuen beyond the Isâ—es of Orkâ—ay in an vnaccustomed place for the young Gentlemen of Spain which had neuer felt storms and colde weather about those northerne Islands their Marriners and Souldiers died daily by multitudes as by their bodies cast vpon the land did appeare And after twentie daies and more hauing spent their time in miserie then as they returned homeward the Lord ordained the windes to be so violently contrarious that the Nauy was disseâ—ered vpon the high Seas west vpon Ireland and a great number of them driuen vpon sands dangerous bayes and rockes all along vpon the north and west parts of Ireland in places distant aboue an hundred miles asunder whereby we may see how God fauoured the iust cause of Q. Elizabeth in shewing his anger against those proud boasting enemies of Christs peace and she and her Realme professing the Gospell of Christ are kept and deâ—ended according to the Psalme vnder the shadow of his wings from the face of the wicked that sought to afflict her and compasse her round about to take away her soule Iohn Weldon William Hartley and Robert Sutton IOhn Weldon Priest was borne at Tollerton in Yorkshire he was indicted of â—reason in Middlesex first he took exception to the indictment that it was false then to the Iurie that they were vnfit men to try him because they were Lay men and vnto the whole Bench as vnworthy to bee his Iudges because hee did know them to be resolued before hand to condemne all Catholikes brought before them He acknowledged himselfe to bee a Priest and therefore not triable by the Common Lawes Whereupon persisting in that hee would make no answere and his Treasons manifest he was condemned to be hanged drawne and quartered William Hartly Priest was condemned for the same treasons that Welden was it was proued that he sent a Letter to Paris to Seminary Priests importing the full resolution of the said Hartly and some other of his confederats immediatly vppon the landing of the Spaniards to haue surprised the Tower of London and to haue fired the Citie he affirmed that if the Pope doe depriue the Quéene and discharge her subiects of their obedience and
send an armie to restore the Roman Religion in England he would pray that the Roman armie might preuaile in that case and in that faith he would spend ten thousand millions of liues if hee had them whereupon hee was likewise condemned to bee hanged drawne and quartered Robert Sutton Priest was indited for the same treasons he said the Quéen was supreme gouernour within her Highnesse Dominions ouer all persons but not ouer all causes he was found guiltie and had his iudgement as the rest It was proued that Welden was sent ouer into the Low-countries to kill the Earle of Leicester who apprehended him and sent him ouer into England to which he answered he had done nothing but as a Catholike Priest ought to doe by the direction of our most holy Father the Pope being the head of the Church who onely hath authority ouer all persons and in all causes Ecclesiasticall and in this Roman Religion I will die Then he prayed all Catholikes to pray for him and so mumbling certaine Latin prayers he died The other likewise died as obstinate traytors as himselfe Doctor Lopez Stephano de Ferrera de Gama Manuell Lewis Tyuaco Portugalls DOctor Lopez was fauourably receiued into the Quéens house a long time as one of her physitians the other two were Portugalls lately receiued to the seruice of the King of Spain yet colourably resorting into this Realme Lopez confessed that hee was of late yeares allured secretly to doe seruice vnto the King of Spaine and from one of his Priuie Councell he receiued a Iewell of gold of good value garnished with a large Diamond and a large Rubie and afterward he assented to take away the Quâ—â—ns life by poysoning vpon reward promised him of fifty thousand crownes for which purpose hee sent a messenger ouer to Callice to confer with the Count â—uents for this practise and that after he sent an other messenger vnto Ibarra the King of Spaines Secretary and to the said Count Fuentes promising to poison the Queene if â—hee might haue the fifty thousand crownes that were offered deliuered vnto him and he confessed the other two were his messengers in the aforesaid messages and conspired with him to execute the same and they all confessed that the stay that it was not done proceeded much against their mindes for want of the deliuerie of the said fifty thousand crownes which was promised by a day But the King of Spaine finding fault that the messenger which should carry the money was too base a fellow to be trusted wâ—â—h so much deferred the sending thereof but after billes of Exchange were deliuered by the Count Fuentes for the money by the direction of the King of Spaine at the very instant when it should haue been done it pleased God of his goodnesse towards her Maiestie to suffer this conspiracie to be very happily diâ—couered by the diligence of one of the Lords of her Maiesties Priuy Councell so all the thrée offenders were taken with their Letters and writings expressing their owne actions and Councels and the directions of the King of Spaines Councellors and the other two confessed the like in effect as Lopez had done wherevpon they were all three condemned for treason and executed accordingly Manuel Lewis repented at his death and prayed God that all those things that are atchieued by the King of Spaâ—ne against the Quéenes Maiestie might take none effect and that all the treasons which are wrought may bee discouered that God would prolong the life of the Quéenes Maiestie as shee deserueth and her faithfull subiects desire Edmund Yorke and Richard Williams NOt long after Lopez his treason another like conspiracie was concluded at Bruxells to murder the Queene whereof Stephano Ibarra the King of Spaines Secretary procuring the sâ—me to bee done by the said Yorke and Williams and others and Hugh Owen an English Rebell a Spanish Pentioner deliuered vnto the said Yorke an assignation in writing subscribed by the said Secretarie Ibarra his hand for assurance of payment of forty thousand crownes to bee giuen vnto him from the King of Spaine if hee would kill the Queene or if hee would assist Richard Williams or any other that should haue performed the same and the assignation was deliuered vnto Holt a Iesuit an old English Rebell who produced the Sacrament and kissed iâ— and sware in the presence of Yorke and other Rebels that he would surely pay the same Money vnto him as soone as the fact should be committed and vpon this matter were three seuerall consultations of Englishmen being Rebels and Fugitiues and Pentioners of the King of Spaine The names of the principall parties of the consultations are William Stanley the said Holt a Iesuit Thomas Throgmorton the said Hugh Owen Doctor Gifford Doctor Worthington Charls Paget one Tipping Edward Garret and Michaell Moody but bâ— Gods good prouidence the said Yorke and Williams were taken comming into England and confessed the whole matter as aforesaid Holt said to Yorke many Englishmen haue failed to perform this enterprise but if it should not be performed by you he would after imploy strangers in it Patricke Cullen an Irishman HE was likewise a Pentioner of the King of Spaine and a Fencer he was perswaded by William Stanley and one Iaques who was his Lieutenant and one Shirwood and the said Holt to come secretly into England and to kill her Maiestie and he assented thereunto and had thirty pound of Stanley Iaques towards his iourney with offer of great reward and comming into England he was taken and by good proofes charged there with he confessed the same in the manner as is before here expressed Richard Hesketh HEe was a Gentleman of Lancashire well acquainted with the Lord Strange he was sent into England by Cardinall Allen William Stanley and Thomas Worthington to intice Ferdinand the Lord Strange sonne and heire to the Earle of Darby to take vpon himselfe the title to be heire vnto the crowne of England and to shew him the opinion of the Cardinall and many others that he should take vppon him the title of King with assurance of treasure and forreine forces to maintaine the same which the said Hesketh did very diligently performe with many reasons as he was instructed but the Lord Strange being at Heskeths comming newly Earle of Darbie by the death of his father was so wise and dutifull that he stayed Hesketh who vpon the Earles report was apprehended and confessed the whole matter wheupon he was condemned and shewed great repentance and cursed his instructors and was executed SQVIRE THis Uiper Squire was likewise sent by the inticement of the aforesaid Serpentine generation beyond Sea to kill her Maiestie his plot was to so poyson the pummell of her Saddle that if she did lay her hand vpon it her whole bodie should be therewith poysoned but by the sure prouidence of God which euer did preserue her and â—oreshew vnto her all her dangers to the preuention of them this practise came
it is easie to know the tree by the fruit not by the blossomes often repeating in his Oration that this admonition was giuen of singular good will and great clemâ—ncie in the shutting vp of his Oration he added menasings that if he would abide in his purposed intent the Emperour would exterminate him his Empire Luther answered to this effect That the Councell of Constance had erred in condemning this Article of Iohn Hus That the Church of Christ is the communion of the predestinat and that we ought rather to obey God then man There is an offence of faith and an offence of charitie the slander of charity consisteth in manners and life the offence of faith and doctrine consisteth in the word of God and they commit this offence which make not Christ the corner stone And if Christs sheepe were fed with the pure pasture of the Gospell and the faith of Christ sincerely preached and if there were good Eclesiasticall Magistrates who duely executed their office wee should not néede to charge the Church with mens traditions And that hee knew and taught that wee ought to obay the higher powers how peruâ—rsly soeuer they liued so that they inforce vs not to deny the word of God Then they admonished him to submit himselfe to the Emperour and the Empires Iudgment hee answered hee was well content so that this were done with authority of the word of God and that he would not giue place except they taught sound Doctrine by the word of God and that St. Augustine writeth hee had learned to giue honor onely to the Canonicall bookes of the Scripture and touching other Doctors though they excell in holinâ—sse and learning hee would not credit them vnlesse they pronouced truth and St. Paule saith proue all things follow that which is good and againe if an Angell teach otherwise let him bee accursed finally hee meekely besought them not to vrge his conscience captiued in the bands of the word of God to deny that excellent word After the Arch-bishop sent for Luther to his Chamber and tould him for the most part that at all times holy Scriptures haue ingendred errors and went about to ouerthrow this proposition that the Catholike Church is the communion of Saints presuming of cockle to make wheate and of bodily excrements to compact members Martin Luther and one Ierome Schuâ—ffe his companion reproued their follies Hee was oftentimes assayled to reforme the censure of his bookes vnto the Emperour and Empire or to the Generall Councell which he was content to doe so they would iudge them according to the word of God otherwise not aleaging the words of the Prophet trust you not in Princes nor in the children of men wherein is no health also cursed be hee that trusteth in men and when newes came hee should returne home hee sayd euen as it hath pleased God so it is come to passe the name of the Lord be blessed and sayd hee thanked the Emperour and Princes that they had giuen him gracious audience and graunted him safe conduct to come and returne and said hee desired in his heart they were reformed according to the sacred word of God and sayd hee was content to suffer any thing in himselfe for the Emperour but only the word of God he would constantly confesse vnto the latter end About a yeare after this Luther dyed when hee had liued almost thrée score and thrée yeares and had béene Doctor thrée and thirty yeares hee sayd at his death O heauenly eternall and mercifull Father thou hast manifested in mee thy deare Sonne Christ I haue taught and knowne him I loue him as my life health and redemption whom the wicked persecuted maligned and iniured drawe my soule to thée and saâ—d thrise I commend my spirit into thy hands thou hast redéemed me God so loued the world that hee gaue his onely Sonne that all that beleeue in him should haue eternall life and so he dyed whose death was much lamented In the yeare 1516. the aforesaid French King receaued from Pope Leo a Iubile and pardons to be sould and so in England vnder the pretence of warre against the Turke they perswaded the people that whosoeuer would giue tenne shillings should deliuer his soule from the paine of Purgatory but if it lacked any thing of tenne shillings it would profit them nothing at that time Martin Luther was in Germany who vehemently inueyed against these indulgences agaâ—nst whom Iohn Eckius put forth himselfe they disputed before the people at last eyther of their arguments were sent to Paris to bee iudged by the Sorbonists the iudgment was long protracted In the meane time Pope Leo condemned Luther for Heresie and excommunicated him he appealed to the next Councell Pope Leo commanded Luthers bookes to bee burned openly Luther also burned the Popes decrees and Decretalls in the Uniuersity of Wittenberge In the yeere 1517. the Pope hauing creaâ—ed one and thirty Cardinalls thunder and lightening so strake the Church where the Cardinalls were created that it stroke the little child Iesus out of the lappe of his mother and the keyes out of St. Peters hands being Images in the Church of Rome In the yeare 1519. newes was brought to Pope Leo at supper that the Frenchmen were driuen out of Italy hee reioycing said God hath giuen me thrée things I returned from banishment with glory to Florence I haue deserued to bee called Apostolike and thereby I haue driuen the Frenchmen out of Italy as soone as he had spoken hee was stricken with a suddaine feuer and dyed shortly after What Godly man hath there euer beene for this fiue hundred yeares either vertuously disposed or excellently learned which hath not disproued the misordered and corrupt examples of the Sea and Bishop of Rome from time to time vntill the comming of Luther yet none euer could preuaile before the comming of this man the cause to bee supposed is this other men spake but against the pompe pride whoredome and auarice of the Pope Luther went further with him charged him with his Doctrine not picking at the rine but plucking vp the roote charging him with plaine Heresie as resisting against the blood of Christ for whereas the Gospell leadeth vs to bee iustified onely by the worthinesse of Christ and his bloud the Pope teacheth vs to séeke our saluation by mans merits and deseruings by workes whereupon rose all the Religious sects some professing one thing some another euery man seeking his owne righteousnes but Luther opened the eyes of many which before were drowned in darkenesse to behold that glorious benefit of the great liberty frée iustification set vp in Christ Iesus but the more glorious this benefit appeared to the world the greater persecution followed the same and where the Elect tooke most comfort of saluation the aduersaries tooke most vexation according as Christ sayd I came not to send peace but a sword therefore so great persecutions in all the world followed after Luther but in no
place more then in England as shall be declared In the yeare 1517. one Cardinall Campeius was sent as Ambassador into England to gather money for warre against the Turke the Cardinall of Yorke caused him to send to Rome that hee might be ioyned in Legacie with him and sent him red cloth for his seruants that he might come moâ—e gloriously at euery towne hee was receiued with procession accompanied with Lords and Gentlemen at Black heath the Duke of Northfolke with a number of Prelates Knights and Gentlemen met him richly appareled and in the way hee was brought into a Tent of cloth of gould where bâ— put on his Cardinalls Robes and tooke his Mule towards London this Cardinall had eyght Mules laden the Cardinall of Yorke thinking them not sufficient for his State sent him twelue mules more w t empty Coffers couered with red the next day these twelue Mules were led through the Citty as though they had beene laden with treasure and other necessaries to the great admiration of all men but passing through Cheapeside the people pressing to behold them one of the Mules broke his coller and ranne vppon the other Mules and they running together ouerthrew diuers of their burthens and so there shewed the Cardinalls treasure with great laughter and scorne oâ— many and the boyes and girles gathered vp peeces of meate and bread and rosted egges horse showes and old store of such baggage crying out behold here is my Lord Cardinalls treasure and the Mulers greatly ashamed gathered vp their treasure as well as they could and went forward then hee was brought to the Cardinall of Yorke and then to the King this Cardinall of Yorke at all times at dinner and supper was serued with his Seruitoures kneeling and many Noble men of England wayted vppon him such was his monstrous pride Such as were forced to abiure in King Henry the eyght his raigne after the first begining of Luther because there is a great many and nothing but their bare name ricited I referre thee to the booke at large IHon Coines alias Laueland was detected for contemning the Sacrament of the Altar and because he receaued not at Easter who after died at St. Martins Robert Ward Shoomaker of St. Brids Parish in Fleetstreet detected by thrée wittnesses for holding opinions against the Sacrament of the Altar died in the Counter of â—redstreet Mathew Ward Marchant-venturer committed to the Counter in Breadstreet for that he being Priest was married and kept company with his wife and because he was a Sacramentary and despised auriculer confession and priuate Masses and defended the Communion to bee ministred to the Lay people in both kinds and maintaining that Priests ought to haue wiues Herman Peterson and Iames Gossen Taylers Duch-men were committed to the Counter in Breadstréete because the said Iames was not confessed in Lent nor receiued at Easter which he said came by the counsell of the said Herman which councelled him rather to giue thrée or foure pence to the poore then to be shrieuen Thomas Lancaster imprisoned in the Counter in the Poultry for bringing in prohibited bookes Iohn Wilcocke a Scottish Frier committed to the Fléete for preaching against Confession and Holy-water against praying to Saints and against Purgatory that Priests might haue wiues and that the people ought not to pray for soules departed Also Iohn Goodale was prisoner there Nicholas South committed to Newgate for not being shrieuen in Lent nor receiued at Easter There was apprehended for heresie in Couentry Robert Hatchets Shomaker one Wrigsham a Glouer one Lansdâ—ll a Hosier with thrée others and one Mistris Smith a Widdow because they taught their children and families the Lords praier the Beleefe and the ten Commandements in English they were imprisoned some in places vnder-ground some in Chambers and other places after they were sent to Blackstocke Abbey where they were imprisoned whilst they were there their Children were sent for before one Stafford Warden of the Gray-Fryers in Couentry who examined them of their beleefe and what errors their Fathers had taught them charging them vpon paine of death which their Fathers should suffer that they no waies meddle with the Pater-noster Creede and ten Commandements in English which is heresie After their Fathers were brought againe to Couentry where foure yeares before they had borne Faggots in the Church and Market The Bishops and Doctors they and the said Gentlewoman before them who told them they should weare Faggâ—ts portraied in their cloaths to signifie they were hereticks Robert Hatchets answered we desire no more but the Lords prayer ten Commandements and Creed in English which I am sure euery Christian ought to haue Wherupon they were iudged all to be burned except the Gentlewoman who was pardoned and because it was euening and her sight dim the Somner offered to go home with her as he led her he heard somewhat rattle in her sleene and taking it from her and looking vpon it he found it was the Lords Prayer the Creed and ten Commaundements in English so he brought her backe againe to the Bishop where she was presently condemned and burned with the sixe before There was another in Couentry called Robert Silkes which escaped from taking and two yeares after was taken in Kent and sent to Couentry and burned Then the Sheriffes went to their houses and tooke all their goods and Chattels to their owne vse leauing their wiues and children nothing to liue by Henry Voz and Iohn Escy two yong Austen Fryers were disgraded because they would not deny the doctrin of the Gospel called Lutheranisme they thanked God for deliuering them from that abhominable priesthood and making them Priests of his holy order and that he had receiued them as a sacrifice of a sweet odor The greatest error they were accused of was that men ought only to trust in God because meÌ„ are Lyers They went ioyfully to the place of execution protesting they died for the glory of God and the Gospell beleeuing in the Sonne of God saying This is the day we long desired being in their shirts they ioyfully imbrased the stake praysing God singing Psalmes and making testimony of their Faith A Doctor seeing their iolity bid them take heed so foolishly to glorifie themselues they answered God forbid we should glory in any thing but the Crosse of Christ Another councelled them to haue God before their eies they answered We trust we carry him truly in our hearts When the fire was kindled at their feete one of them said me thinkes you strew Roses at my feete Henry being demaunded whether Luther had seducâ—d him Yea said he as Christ seduced his Apostles He said also that it was contrary to Gods Law that the Cleargy should be exempt from the iurisdiction of the Christian Magistrate and that Byshops haue no power but only to preach the word of God They were burned at Bruxels after their death their Monastery was dissolued at Antwerp Their President was called