other Saynt Augustyne both blacke which came in wyth Byrinus the Archebyshop of Dorcestre in the yeare of our Lord. DC xxxvi from Pope Honorus the fyrste to deceyue the west Saxons For yche Pope and byshopp preferred euermore the secte he was of These ij wrought so their wycked feates in those dayes with lyenge sygnes in hypocresy that they caused the afore named starres Regnum et Sacerdocium Regalite and presthode to fall clerely from heauen Iohan Capgraue Ranulphus et Polidorus ¶ The fall of kingdoms and rayse of the Papacy MArke in the Chronicles and ye shall fynde thys moste true That lyke as the Papacye had hys fyrste rayse in and of the fall of the Empyre so had those kingdomes whiche fyrste obeyed it their orygynall begynninges of the ouerthrowe of the inferyour kingdomes As Englande vndre King Inas by the fall of the Brytaynes and Fraunce vnder Kinge Pypyne by the puttinge a sydy of the Merouyngeanes Sens these lecherouse locustes crepte first into Englande neuer throne that kingedome of the auncyent Brytaynes whose spyrituall heade was God alone but euerye daye more and more decayed tyll it was fullye ended Marke it hardelye from the fyrste comminge hither of the seyd Augustyne tyll the yeare of our Lord. DC lxxxix wherin Cadwallader their last Kyng dyed a most desolate pilgrime at Rome offeringe hymselfe vp there moste myserablye to the Pope Euer sens hath yt bene to hym obediente in all blasphemouse errours and doctrynes of Deuilles by the space of DCCC and. xliiij yeares tyll the yeare of our Lord. M. CCCCC and. xxxiij wherin at our noble kynges moste wholsome request we vtterlye by othe renounced that odyouse monstre Nowe is it Gods owne kingdome agayne and our King his immedyate ministre That Lorde graunte of hys infynyte mercye that lyke as we haue put a syde hys name we maye euen frome the harte also cast ouer hys Idolatrouse yokes folowing from henceforth the vncorrupt rules of the Gospell A like comparison hath Paulus Orosius lib. 2. Cap. 4. Historiarum mundi of Babilon and Rome Very like begynnynges sayth he had Babilon and Rome like powers like prides like continuaunces like fortunes and like ruynes sauynge only that Rome arose of the fall of Babilon and so fourth ¶ An olde prophecy of Merlyne disclosed AS I was in wrytynge this matter an old Prophecy of Merline came vnto my remembraunce That after the manyfolde irrupcions of straungers the kinges of thys realme shuld be ones agayn crowned wyth the Dyademe of Brute and beare his auncyent name the new name of straungers so vanishinge awaye He that applyeth vnto this a right vnderstandinge shall fynde it very true The Diademe of Brute is the pryncely power of thys whole region immediatly geuen of God without any other meane mastry worker to Antichristes behoue Fre was that power from the great whores domynyon which is the Rome churche tyll the violent conquest of the English Saxons which they had of the Brytaynes for their iniquities sake And now prayse be vnto that Lorde it is in good waye to that fredome agayne and would fullye attayne therunto were here heythnysh yokes in religion ones throwne a syde as I doubt it not but they will be within short space As well may ye geue credeÌ„ce to this Merlyne whan he vttereth the verite as vnto olde Balaam the sothsayer whiche at a tyme prophecyed the commynge of Christ. Num. xxiiij And as coÌ„cernyng the returne of the name marke in thys age the wrytynges of lerned meÌ„ ye shall wel perceyue the change for now commonly do they wryte vs for Englyshemen Brytaynes ¶ The whores fleshe eaten of the. x. hornes THE. x. hornes of the first Beast whiche were kyngdomes maynteynyge that whore now ioyned all into one doth mortallye hate her at this present instaunt is makynge her desolate and maked in Englande In the ende they shall eate her fleshe and clerely consume her with the fyre appointed Englande was sumtyme into vij kyngdomes deuyded by the consent of al writers and wales into ij called Venedotia Demetia or north wales South wales Ireland makyng vp the truth Or if ye holde wales but for one let Scotland supplye that rowme whiche oweth vnto Englande perpetuall homage â–ª As all these are now in one moste worthye and victoryouse Kyng but one so wyll God put into all their hartes one consent to fulfyll hys will and to geue her kyngdome vnto the beast or to sende it agayn to the deuell from whens it fyrst came Apoca. xvij Consydre with your selues the late ouerthrowe of the monasteries couentes collegis and chaunteries alleages of vncleane spretes and holdes of moste hatefull byrdes by the manifest worde of God And thynke not but the fyltye habitacions of the great mastre deuyls wyll folowe sone after Apoca. xviij Let the gogle eyed Gardyner of wyncestre gyrde at it tyll his rybbes ake and an hondred dyggynge deuyls vpon his syde yet shall not one Iote of the lordes promes be vnfulfylled at the tyme appoynted for that blasphemouse whores ouerthrowe hys moste holye mother Praye in the meane season good christen readers praye praye praye that hys heauenly wyll be done in earth and not mannys and fashyon your lyues to the fourme of his moste dere sonne Iesus Christes doctryne Amen ¶ Actes of vowed virginite for that age NOw to returne agayne to their spiâ—ituall actes of chastyte for that age WhaÌ„ one Sedia the father of saynt Aidus perceyued that he by no meanes could haue a chyld by his wyfe he brought her to these continent fathers for remedy of her barrennesse she was spede the next nyght after by a miracle for all were miracles they dyd IoaÌ„ Cap. Guenhera a Cornysh woman whoÌ„ som writers call fayre Elyne that made king Arthure a cuckolde was after his death deuoutely receiued into Ambesbury non drye as a penitent to their spirituall vse Guilhelmus Malmesbury Saynt Oswalde sayd his wyfâ— Bebla in bed with a relygiouse hermyte And wheÌ„ the great heate came vpoÌ„ him as the spiritual fathers are hasty she found the meanes that he was cast in cold water to abate his hote corage This is one of the holy actes wherupon the pope hath made the sayd Oswald a saint IohaÌ„ hardyng Saint Ebba whiche was in those dayes the mother of all noÌ„nes was generate of an whore as were al her fathers childreÌ„ besides her ij of theÌ„ only excepted This Ebba had in the monastery of Coldyngham not farre â—â—om Barwyck both men womeÌ„ dwellyng togyther fell by fell as the maner was than of all Nondryes in England which exercysed the battayles of chastyte so longe that in their nyght metynges they went to bed togyther by couples theyr religiouse loue was then so great tyll God sent a wylde fyre vpon them for that contempt of
oft after that the victory ouer hys enemyes vnloked for to their vtter shame and confusyon Matthaeus Paris alij ☞ The chast procedynges of dyuerse holy prelates IN the same very yeare whych was the yeare of our lorde a M. a C. and one Thomas the archebyshopp of Yorke surnamed the eldar whome Lanfrancus proued a prestes sonne afore pope Alexandre the seconde as is vttered afore departed the worlde Thys Thomas had a nephewe Ranulphus sayth called also Thomas the yongar Ye knowe what a nephewe is by the rules of Rome whose fotesteppes the fathers most studyously folowed in that age as naturall subiectes and chyldren of their creacyon By ryght he shulde haue folowed hys father in that offyce as a naturall inheritour to the myter but he was preuented by one Gerarde Wyllyam of Malmesbury Ranulphe Roger of Chestre saith which was a man as the commen same went gyuen all to lecherouse lyghtnesse to sorcerouse witchcraftes For whan he on a tyme was fouÌ„d dead in an herber a boke of curiouse artes was fouÌ„d vndre his pyllowe made by Iulius Firmicus whom he vsed to reade to himelfe in the none tyde For the whych his owne clergye wold scarsely suffer hym to be buryed wtout the church vndre tyrfes or soddes of the grasse Roger HouedeÌ„ sayth that thys yongar Thomas at the last beynge archebyshop of Yorke and lyenge in extremes was a persuaded of hys phesycyanes to take to hym a woman for remedy of hys dysease whyche he vtterly refused to do and so dyed If thys were true as I much doubt of it than was he a phoenix in that generacyon for Danyel sayth that their hartes shulde be set all vpon women Danie xi But who so euer shall resort to hys doctryne and fruytes in Antichristes prelacie shall fynde hym a virgyne of a farre other sort than Christe hath allowed in the scryptures ☞ Prestes marryage condempned of our Anselme HEnry of Huntyngton in the first boke of hys chronycles sayth that in the yeare of our lorde a M. a C ij which was the iij. yeare of kyng Henry the first at the feast of S. Michael the archangell Anselme the archebyshopp of Canterbury helde a great counsell at London at Westmynstre some chronycles hath whyche is all one Kynge Wyllyam Rufus for hys tyme wolde suffre the clergye to holde no such assemblyes and therfore they mortally hated hym In the which counsell sayth the seyd Henry Roger of Westchestre confirmynge the same he forbad the prestes of Englande their wyues neuer afore the daye prohybeted Mark this Whyche semed to many saye they a very pure relygyon but some men there were whyche thought it a matter full of parell and wolde not haue had it so passe least the prestes professynge a chastyte aboue their strengthes shulde therby fall into most horryble â—yndes of fylthynesse a Christen sentence to the great blemysh and shame of Christianyte And bicause I wolde thys poynt to be the more earnestly marked of my readers to the confusyoÌ„ of antichristes bullish buggerers of Anselmes Hildebrandes brode I put here the vâ—ry wordes of those autours as they staÌ„d in their latine workes In quo concilio inquiuÌ„t Anselmus prohibuit uxores sacerdotibus Anglorum antea non prohibitas Quod quibusdaÌ„ mundissimum ursum est quibusdam periculosum ne dum munditias uiribus maiores appeterent â–ª in immunditias horribiles ad Christiani nominis summum dedecus inciderent For other Englysh writers sheweth not the matâ—er so lyuely as doth thys Henry Roger. ☞ The actes of Anselmes great synode FIrst they enacted in thys counsell by vertu of Hyldebrandes constytucyon and Vrbanes Bulle that the horryble vyce of symony shulde be condempned for euer whyche was not commytted whan they solde bishopryckes abbeyes deaneryes prebendes orders dedycacyons consecracyons benefyces or any other ecclesyastycall doynges or promocyons but only whan the kynge or any other laye persone ded gyue them or dispose theÌ„ Thys was their spirituall meanynge Next vnto that they enacted that no archedeacon thâ—y spake of no byshoppes preste deacon subdeacon collygener nor canon shulde from thens fourth marry a wyfe nor yet kepe her styll if he had bene marryed to one afore They ordayned also that a preste kepynge company wyth hys wyfe shulde be iudged vnlawfull that he shulde saye no masse if he sayd masse that it shuld not be hearde They charged that none were admytted to orders from that tyme forward marke the tyme vnlesse they professed a chastyte neyther yet that any prestes sonnes shulde clayme by heretage the benefyces of their fathers as the custome had alwayes bene Other actes they made there els concernynge prestes garmentes shauynges shopynges offerynges tythynges buryenges buyldynges confessynges eatynges and slepynges no preachynges to folyshe to be rehearced Loke the boke of Anselmes ccc lxvij epystles Se here hardely if the kyng were not as wele dyspatched of hys pryncely power and autoryte one waye as the prestes of theyr wyues an other waye O wylye wurkers in that kyngedome of inyquyte Nothynge was done here by the worde of God to hys glorye but by the byshop of Romes autoryte to their vayne glorye ☞ Penaltees for them whych broke these actes BEsydes their synodall actes these iniunccions gaue they to the prestes whych were dyvorced First that they and their wyues shulde neuer more mete in one howse neyther yet haue dwellynge within their parryshes If any of them shulde be accused by ij or iij. wytnesses and coulde not pourge hymselfe agayne by sixe able men of hys owne ordre he shulde be iudged a transgressour of the statute depryued of hys benefyce and made an infame or be put to the open reproche of all men He that rebelled or in contempt of their newe statute helde styll hys wyfe and presumed to saye masse vpon the. viij daye after shulde be solempnely excommunycated All archedeacons and deanes were strayghtly sworne not to colour their metynges neyther yet to beare with them for moneye And if they wolde not be sworne to thys that than they shulde lose their offyces wythout recouer All the moueable goodes of them that were proued to transgresse the former statute remayned as forfaytes to the byshoppes their poore wyues condempned for commen whores Anselmus in epistolis Neuer was there any tyranny agaynst the let ordynaunce of God lyke vnto thys tyranny of Antichrist sens the worldes begynnynge neyther vndre Pharao Antiochus Nero nor yet Dioclecyane All thys tyme was not the shamefull sodometry whych secretly lurked among the ydell monkes ones refourmed nor yet spoken of Was it not happye thynke yow for Englande that these fylthie buyldynges of Antichrist had the good helpe of Whynchesters vowes of xxi yeare to vphold theÌ„ whan they were droppyng away in this lattre age If ye consydre it well ywys it hath passed all stage playe ☞
all his successours kinges after him In the thyrd yeare after his deathe was he proclamed a saynt by the popes autoritie and his daye triumphasitly celebrated ouer all Englande hys masse beginnynge with Gaudeamus The king came in all naked sauynge that he hadde a liuen breche about hys nether partes He receyued of the monkes a discipline wyth roddes and was so absolued of them in theyr chaptre howse He resygned his power vpon their hygh aultre consented to their vsurped lybertees and professed him selfe a perpetuall subiect to Antichrist and the serpent Apo. xiij O blasphemers of God and shamelesse mockers of men But Cesarius sayth in the. viij boke of hys dyaloges ca. lxix that in the. xlvij yeare after hys deathe a questyon was moued in the open scholes at Parys whether he were saued or dampned Where as Roger Norman proued hym wurthie to be dampned for obstynate rebellyon against his kinge whiche was Gods appoynted mynyster Peter the great chauntre of Paris hauing nothinge to obiect in the churches quarell to the contrary but his miracles whiche were most manifest lyes and illusions ☞ Kynge Henry smelleth out Antichrist and is agayne blynded SVmwhat must I saye here of the kynge called Henry the seconde whyche was a verye wyse well learned and godly prince Petrus Blesensis sayth in epistola ad Gualterum archiepiscopum Panorimtunum Though he in the yeare of our lord a. M.a. C. and. lxvi permitted at the popes request a grote to be giuen of euery plough lande within all his dominions for ayde of the christen warres agaynst the Turkes yet perceyuinge â— yeares after the crafty bestowynge therof and how the seide pope had mayteined the treason of Becket agaynste him he caused all hys people to forswere his obedience from the childe of xij yeares to them of extreme age Loke Mathew of Westminstre li. ij de floribus historiarum In the next yeare after to please hym agayne pope Alexandre confirmed vnto him the bulle of Adriane the. iiij for the conquest of Irelande and made him the hygh lorde of that region vndre him the Peter pens for euerye chymney that smoked alwayes to hys fatherhede reserued And thys was Iohan hardynge sayth in hys chronycle for an errour whiche the Iryshe men helde against the spyrytualte and for certen heresyes wherwyth they hadde bene long infected In the yeare therfor of our lorde a. M.a. C. and. lxxi were bothe the nobylyte and clergye of the lande sworne vnto hym to take the kynges of Englande for their lordes euer after Rogerus Houeden A lyke chaunce hadde the Scottes in the yeare of our lorde a. M. a. C. and. lxxxviij Pope Clement the thyrde in hys hyghe dyspleasure subiectynge that whole realme to the crowne of Englande wyllynge their kinges nobylyte and clergye to gyue alwayes to the kynges of Englande theyr othe of obedyence as to theyr superioure lordes Nicolaus Treueth ☞ A patronage proued lawfull by v. marryed prestes NOwe wyll I brynge a matter whyche Barnes rehearseth in his boke of prestes marryage bicause it fell in thys age In the tyme of pope Alexandre the. iij. sayth he there was a controuersye for the patronage of a benefyce betwene the priour of Plympton in Deuenshyre and one Iohan de Valletorda Iudges were deputed to heare the master Rycharde the archebyshoppe of Canterbury and Roger the byshoppe of Wynchestre Before whome the priour of Plimpton proued his personage by reason that he was in possession therof had gyuen it out afore to dyuerse persones Fyrste he sayde there was a preste of Plympton called Alphege whych hadde by the gyft of the seyd pryour of Plympton the benefyce of Sutton nowe called Plymmouth Thys Alphege hadde a sonne called Cedda whyche hadde also the benefyce after hys father And after thys Cedda was there an other preste called Alnodus whyche hadde the benefyce lyke wyse Thys Almodus hadde a sonne called Robert Dunpruste which after the decease of hys father had also the seyd benefyce And after thys Robert Dunâ—rust William Bakon hys sonne enioyed the benefyce lyke wyse â–ª Ex monumentis eiusdem coenobij Thys is a wytnesse suffycyente to proue that it is no newe learnynge nor yet so longe a go sens prestes hadde lawfull wyues as the ydell headed papystes do make the ignoraunt multytude beleue And thys was in those dayes an vse throughe oute the realme that the sonne shulde in benefyces succede the father eyther els the next of his kinne that was learned tyll the monkes hypocresye procured the alteracyon for theyr bellye 's sake ☞ Examples dyuerse that prestes in that age hadde wyues FVrthermore the seyde pope Alexandre in hys epistles decretall sheweth manye of the â—yke examples And in one to Iohan of Oxforde than byshop of Norwyche he commaundeth that Wyllyam the newe person of Dysse for claymynge the benefyce by inheritaunce after the decease of his father person Wulkerell whyche begate him in his presthode shulde be dyspossessed no appellacyon admitted The deane and chaptre of Salisbury in an other place he chargeth not to admyt Hughe Howet to the prebende of Baphorde whyche was hys fathers afore hym least it so shulde growe agayne into a custome The lyke he wrote to the Archedeacon of Lyncolne and to other diuerse prelates of the realme specyallye to the byshoppe of Excestre of one Iohan a prestes sonne whyche after lyke sorte wolde haue succeded hys father To the byshop of Wyncestre he sheweth there also that the monkes of Lenton abbeye by Notyngham molested one Oliuer a prest whiche had peceably holden the benefyce of Mapleshalle by the space of xxx yeares The greattest matter they hadde agaynste hym was that he hadde bene that prestes sonne whyche had bene curate of the same parryshe afore hym But in thys he defeated the monkes and shewed hym fauer bicause he hadde there contynued so longe The exampels of thys kynde are so manye that I leaue them for tedyousnesse Lete those lewde papystes be ashamed than whyche folowynge the lowsye learninge of that bawdye dronkarde Iohan Eckius in hys folyshe Enchiridyon reporteth wyth hym and wyth doctour Coole in theyr ignoraunt frenesye that it hath not bene heard sens Christes ascensyon that a preste euer marryed or had a wyfe Questyonlesse theyr brutysh heades are to blockysh ☞ Remedyes taughte of S. Godrycke for vowes kepynge SAynte Godrycke borne at Walpole in Northfolke went firste abroade with pedlary wares and afterwardes on pilgrimage to Rome and Hierusalem In hys returne he professed the chast life of an hermyte at Fynkale by Durham and bicame the great fouÌ„der of dyspersed Hermytes here in Englande Muche was he tempted wyth the sprete of fornycacyon and had no small a do to kepe hys vowe of chastyte To abate the great heates of hys fleshe he soughte dyuerse remedyes but marryage was none of them for that was
but not in Christes dyuynyte Her made he there abbasse commyttynge vnto her gouernaunce hys systre Ethelburge and a great sort more of yonge maydes to be thaught and made nonnes there Suche rule was kept among them within a short space after that God sent vpon them a plage of pestilence whiche toke awaye all their chaplaynes the cruell Danes folowynge and burnynge vp that was lefte monasterye nonnes and all Saynt Osith was marryed to Sigher Kynge of the East Saxons But bycause she loued the spyrytualte muche better than hym whyls he was on a lyme in huntynge she sent by a preuye lettre for Accas and Bedewinus Bishoppes of the East Angels contaynynge Northfolke and Sothfolke causyng them to put vpoÌ„ her a nonnes aparell So made she hym to beleue in hys returne that she had professed the vowe of chastyte and gaue him therby a most wretched occasyon to lyue all the dayes of hys lyfe after in moste synnefull aduoutrie But a iust plage folowed For in the yeare of our Lorde DC liij was she slayne of the Danes and her whore howse nondrye I shuld saye vtterly destroyed Yet was she in the Popes churche allowed for a stynkynge martir for contemning marriage Loke Iohan Capgraue ¶ The perfight age of the Beast THeodorus a Greke was of pope Vytelinaus constitute the sixt archebyshop of Caunterbury from Augustine or sens the Papacy began to make all sure here to Antichristes behoue in the syxty and sixe yeare of hys age and in the yeare from Christes in carnacyon six hondred syxtye and sixe which is in saynt Iohans Apocalyps the full age of the Beast and the full nombre of man Marke it good reader For nowe of a Beast becometh he a king yea as Daniele calleth him the vnshamefast Kyng of faces Daniel 8. Presuming to sitt aboue God in euery mannys conscyence 2. Thessa. 2. Named it is there the nombre of man and the nombre of the Beast for so much as it was the time wherin mannys learnyng most strongly withstode the learnyng of God to the prankyng vp of than odiouse aduersary the verye man of synne and sonne of perdycyon all blasphemyes therupon folowynge Euydent is it by all the Englysh Chronycles that than this Theodorus came hyther with the seale of that execrable Beast to marke vp all to that most blasphemouse kingdom For neuer afore wrought the sprete of Antichrist the mistery of iniquyte so strongely as at that tyme. For hyther than brought he all vayn and craftye scyences of comitynge calking measurynge syngynge rymynge reasonynge arguynge diffining shauing oylynge exorcising incanting coniuring Loke Iohan Bapgraue in uitis Adriani Theodori Besydes that Bedas writeth li. 4. Cap. 2. and Ranulphus li. 5. Cap. 18. ¶ For the variaunce had in supputacioÌ„s TO auoyd controuersies in the supputacyon of yeres for so much as some writeth him to haue comenly ther in the yeare afore rehersed and some ij years after Ye shal vnderstand that Theodatus which was his predecessour departed in the yeare of our Lord. DC lxv as witnesseth HermaÌ„nus CoÌ„tractus in Chronico desex etatibus mundi In the yeare folowynge was thys Theodorus admitted of Vitelianus and received hys full autoryte of bindyng and losynge sayth Platina to holde the Englyshe nacyon styll in that fayth Marke it But by reason of serten delayes it was more than a yeare after ere he entered into England One cause of hys tarryaunce Iohan Capgraue sayth was the growynge of hys heare concernyng hys crowne which was shauen afore after a farre other sort he beynge a Greke Hys abydyng there for that only cause was more than iiij Monthes besydes other nedy matters So that it was the yeare of our Lord. DC lxviij the. xxvi daye of Maye and the seconde yeare of hys consecracyon ere he came into Kent as witnesseth both Bedas and Ranulphus With him sent Vitelianus a monke borne in Aphrica called AdriaÌ„ to loke to his doctrine leaste he thaught any thing in the Englishe church that were not agreable to the Romyshe faythe as the marriage of prestes and the howselynge wyth leuened breade for he ded not in all poyntes trust hym bycause he was a Greke borne Anon after he sett vp a great scole at Caunterburye of all maner scyences as Rhetoryck Logyck Philosophy Mathesy Astrologye Geometrye Arithmetyck and Musyck and taught them there openly both in latine and Greke besides the art Magyck Sortilege Physnomye Palmestrye Alcumye Necromancye Chiromancy Geomancy and witchery that was thaught there also Bedas Ranulphus IohaÌ„ Cap ¶ Sealinges to the Beastes obedience THan constitute he the seyd Adriane both abbot and generall reader there whyls he compassed about all the whole region for the Eastre celebracion other To mysh rytes Thys is the first Archebishop sayth Iohan Capgraue that all the Englysh churche was sworne to Marke here the Seale of the Beast Apo. 13. In the yeare of our Lorde DC lxxij he helde a Synode at Thetforde in Northfolke where as he enquired of euery mannis faythe towardes the Churche of Rome Than constitute he bishoppes for euery quarter and deposed all them that were not confirmed by the popes auctoryte of whose nombre Ceddas the byshop of yorke was one More ouer he published there a boke of the churches ordynaunces made by the forsayd Vitelianus with permission of organes to make them mirye commaundinge it onlye to be obserued Christes ordre sett a part If thys were not the departynge that Paule prophecyed to come 2. The. 2. where shall we loke for any A sayinge hath Ioannes de Molinis in speculo carmel Ca. 6. which though he were a papyst I fynde here most true From the dayes of Heraclius the Emproure fayth he vnto our tymes the day drawynge towardes nyght the churche sufferynge a sore eclippes is come to a downe goynge Yea she is almost at the case of a full departynge c. I thynke a â—ruer sentence coulde not than be vttered all circumstaunces therupon considered Great pytye was it that the churches posterite than perceyued not so manifest a defeccion ¶ More sealinges yet to Antichristes kingedome IN the yeare of our Lord. DC and lxxv helde thys Theodorus an other counsell at Hatfeld in the west partyes Whare as he demaunded a reckening of the byshoppes and other curates what fayth and fauer their peoples had than to the churche of Rome as pope Agathon had commaunded hym to do by hys wrytynges whych wrote than vnto hym to do all thynges wisely Ye knowe what that meaneth I thynke Here was non enquyre made what beleue they had than there in the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ. No it was an other maner of matter that they sought Oh wonderfull was the workynge of that Serpentes generacyon Polidorus sayth li. 4. Anglice historie that false religion
marryage Ioannes Maior libro secundo Capite 12. Ioannes Capgraue in catalogo sanctorum Anglie ¶ A spirituall conueyaunce to be marked ETheldred whom ye cal Saynt Andrye of helye marryed ij great prynces Tombert of the South Girwyes and Egfride the Kyng of Northumberlande mockynge them both by the space of more then xiij yeares in not geuynge them due beneuolence accordyng to the holy doctrine of saynt Paul i. Cor. vij And in occasioninge them to aduouterouse lyuynge The lattre of theÌ„ knowynge that she mynded wylfryde then byshop of yorke muche more then hym for the storye sayeth that she loued that monke aboue all the men lyuyng requyred him in Gods behalfe to admonysh her of her dewtye that he myght accordyng to hys lawes haue increase of succession by her And he lyke a false traytour knaue notwithstandinge hys promes to the contrarye perswaded her to perseuer in her obstynacye and vtterlye to resyst hym allegynge her vowe and requyrynge a diuorcement from hym Wherupon he was then compelled to marrye an other wyfe called Ermenburgis and Etheldrede was professed a NoÌ„ne in ColdynghaÌ„ with Ebba by the sayd wylfryde This kyng after that perceyuynge his knauerye by assent of Theodorus the archebyshop of Caunterbury bannyshed hym out of hys lande Then folowed she after a pace and whyles he was byshop of Eastsexse she became abbasse of hely not farre from his elbone Marke thys conueyaunce for your learnynge If this were not knauerye where shal we fynde knauery Yet was this gentylman conueyer admytted for a saynte because he buylded a college at Rippon where my selfe was ones bayted of his Basan bulles for mainteining the kynges prerogatiue agaynst their pope as good mastre IohaÌ„ Hercye can fulwell tell Ioannes Capgraue in uitis Etheldrede Vuilfridi ¶ Kynges became pylgrymes and their wyues Nonnes A Verye proper cast the women had in those dayes by the ghostlye counsell of the prelates They sent theyr hâ—sbandes to Rome on pylgrymage by heapes whyls they kept them spyrituall company at home Ethelburg made great haste and left no callyng on tyll her husbande kyng Inas was thydrewardes with scrippe haâ—â—e and staffe she lokyng for his no more coming home in the abbeye of Berkynge Thys Inas became a monke there and was the first that clogged the west Saxons with payment of the Rome shott or Peter Pens to the Pope Volateranus Fabiane After hym folowed Ethelrede kynge of Mercia in lyke fashion of pylgrymage and became afterwarde abbot of Bardeney Iohan Capgraue Conredus also kyng of the same prouynce dyed a folyshe monke at Rome So dyd kynge Offa of the East Saxons the selfe same yeare of our Lorde DCC and. ix besydes KeÌ„redus Ethelwolphus and a great sort more Hermannus Contractus Platina Polidorus Colwolphus kynge of Northumberlande returned agayne to Gyrwyn and there dyed a monke Robert Fabiane Great layser would it requyre to shewe here how many of suche kynges the ghostly fathers sent at dyuerse seasons vnto Rome that they for the tyme might haue the spirituall occupyenge of theyr wyues and how many of their own bastardes they made kynges for them And therfore at thys tyme I passe them ouer Innumerable knaueryes wrought they in those dayes and all vndre the coloure of vowed chastyte ¶ Great experymentes of virginite AS Saynt Aldelmus the byshop of Sherborne that ye now cal Salysbury chaunced to be at Rome the people there made a fowle exclamacion vpon Pope Sergius the first for begettynge a wenche with chylde whyche he they saye by a lytle straunge workynge pacyfyed In whose returne a Synode was holden in Englande agaynst the Brytaynes or welshe men for not conformynge their churches to the Romysh obseruacions he there required to inueye agaynst them Vpon the which mocion he wrote then two bokes one for the Eastre celebracion and an other in the prayse of virgynes to blemyshe the marriage of their priestes there and also to aduauÌ„ce their newlye professed chastyte For that he had also in commandement of Sergius notwithstandynge hys owne knowne lecherye This Aldelmus neuer refused women but would haue them coÌ„monly both at borde at bedde to mocke the deuyll with In the tyme he was abbot of Malmesbury he appoynted oft tymes to hys fleshe this martyrdoÌ„ As he felte any sore mouynges therof he layed by him naked the fairest mayde he could get so longe tyme as an whole Dauids psalter was in saynge And when hys heate was past he sent her home agayne as good a mayde as he left her Is not this thynke you a stronge argument to proue that all priestes may lyue chast This telleth Bedas Ranulphus Iohan Capgraue and manye other Englyshe autours more ¶ Images admytted with chast examples ABout the same tyme saynt Egwine abbot of Euesham and byshop of Worcestre then called wickes hearynge tell that labour was made to the pope to haue the christen temples replenyshed with Images to promote that market forewarde he hyed hym a peace to Rome And there he declared to the holye father the secrete reuelacions and commaundementes of our ladye that he had to set vp an Image of her to be worshypped at Worcestre delyueryng hym a booke whiche he had written of the same apparycyons besydes the lyfe of Aldelme The pope then called Constantine the fyrst hearing this newe wondre sent hym home agayne with hys bulles of autoryte commaundynge Brithwalde then Archebyshop of Caunterburye wyth all haste to call a generall Synode of all the clergye for confirmaâ—â—on of the same the kynges required not to be absent that daye And this was done in the yeare of our Lorde DCC and ix This Brithwalde beynge also a moÌ„ke was the first Englysh man that was Archebyshop of Caunterburye Marke it Saynt Guthlake an heremyte of Rependon tolde a certayne abbot the same tyme that goynge homewarde he shuld fynde in a wydowes howse ij of his holy monkes whiche had lyeu with her the nyght afore for easement of their chastite Saynt Bartellyne heremyte of Stafforde stale out of Irelande the kynges doughter there And as she was afterwarde trauelynge of chylde in a forest whyles he was sekynge the mydwyfe a wolfe came and deuoured both her and her chylde These storyes hath at large Iohan Capgraue in Catalogo sanctorum Anglie Guilhelmus Malmesbury et Ranulphus ¶ Englysh monkes become Antichristes Apostles IN those dayes the moÌ„kes of Englande were becomen so myghtye in supersticiouse learnynge that they were able to peruert all other christen regyons as they dyd then in dede Some of them went into Germanye some into Fraunce some into Italye and Spayne and became the Popes instrumentes of all falshede fasshioning hym vp there a newe kyngdome of all deuylyshnesse to withstande the manyfest glory of God and subduynge therunto an pryncely Powers Yow
the kynge and Maude the empresse he called a counsel of prelates and enacted it for a lawe that what so euer he were that layed violent handes vpon a churche man he stode accursed wyth boke belle and candell and mighte of none be assoyled but of the popes owne persone He ordeyned also that no preste froÌ„ thens fourth shulde assiste any kinge in his warres Ioannes Hagustaldensis in historia xxv annoruÌ„ Rogerus Houeden Giraldus Cambrensis Mattheus Paris Polydorus Ranulphus ☞ The kynge enprisoneth the canons wiues of Paules RAdulphus de Diceto doth shewe it plainely in his abreuiacioÌ„s of chronycles that in the yeare of our lord 1137. The kinge was in displeasure with William the deane Raufe Langforde Richarde Belmeis and thâ— other canons of Paules at London about the eleccion of their bishop For coÌ„trary to his expectacion they had chosen Amselme the other Anselmes nephew which was than abbot of Burie a man of suspected liuing as witnessed Turstanus in an epistle to the pope Wherupon the king toke all their wiues otherwise called their kichine maydes for doubt of the spiritual lawes in their best apparelinges and put theÌ„ all in the tower of London Where as they were kept very straightly and not deliuered againe withoute bodily shame deminishment of their fame and greuouse expenses the storie saith The bishoppes archedeacoÌ„s chauÌ„celloures deanes were in those daies most coÌ„menly al of one kindred as the seide Radulphus reporteth The bishop of Ro. InnoceÌ„t than wrote into England that Peters litle ship being long tossed on the water vexed troubled oppressed of enemies was very like if remedy were not fouÌ„d in time to be ouer rowne drouned the shourges of scismatikes of heretikes wer so great Loke Ricardus Hagustaldensis in hys small treatyse de bello Standardico IoaÌ„nes hagustaldeÌ„sis in descriptione eiusdem belli By the scysmatykes he ment those prestes whych wolde not leaue their wyues at hys wycked persuasyons and by the lytle shyppe hys owne sorcerouse synagoge of besmered shauelynges ☞ An other counsell holden agaynst prestes and their wyues VPon thys occasyon came Albericus the byshop of Hostyense in post from Rome in the yeare of our lorde a M.a. C. and. xxxviij as the vycege rent of Pope Innocent the second in Englande and Scotlande Thys Albericus called a synode at Westmynstre in the xiij daye of Decembre for thys whole regyoÌ„ wherin he had to assocyate hym xviij byshoppes and. xxx abbottes besydes the greate nomber of other dysgysed prelates Hys chefe actes were that no preste deacoÌ„ nor subdeacon shulde holde a wyfe or woman within hys howse vndre payne of dysgradynge from his Christendome and playne sendynge to helle That no prestes sonne shuld clayme any spirytuall lyuyng by heretage That none shulde take benefyce of any laye man That none were admytted to cure whyche he had not the letters of hys orders That prestes shuld do no bodyly labour And that their transubstancyated God shuld dwell but. viij dayes in the boxe for feare of worme eatynge mowlyâ—ge or stynkynge with such lyke In all their counsels they songe styll one song folowynge the rustye voyces of HyldebraÌ„de and Paschall Ricardus Ioannes Hagustaldenses Wonders were seane in the skye about thys tyme Mathew Paris sayth In England was felte a palpable darkenesse with a terryble earthquake the sunne aperynge lyke sacke clothe Apo. vi Such an horryble eclyps sayth he was ouer all thys lande that men feared the heauens to haue bene decayed The sunne in some places Ioannes HagustaldeÌ„sis sayth apered lyke quycke syluer to the wonderynge of manye These maruels wolde be marked of them whych couete to vnderstande the mysteryes of tymes after the holye scryptures ☞ The true meanynge of sygnes in the firmament declared BY thys tyme had the prelates a nombre of crafty wyttes in the vniuersytees whych were as able by schole learnynge to defende a falshede as euer were Christes dyscyples by hys heauenly doctryne to maynteyne a veryte These by a contynuall exercyse in disputacyons bicame very crafty and subtyle They toke it for an ornature of learnyng and for a thynge very conducyble to the vnderstandyng of the scriptures to define and diuyde all thynges as ded the peripatetyckes or naturall philosophers of Aristotles secte and so to proue them by naturall demonstracyons Gloryenge in the sublymyte of their wyttes they wolde be taken for men much wyser than were the Apostles and prophetes and in their doynges preferred the Idees or ymagynacyons of Plato to the eternal sprete of Christ. In the rowme of the lyuely phylosophie of God they placed faynt and vnfruitefull allegoryes as ded the olde Esseanes and as doth in our tyme the wycked secte of Anabaptistes imputyng those thynges to our synnefull wurkes whych only pertayneth to the kyngdome of faythe Thus ded the wysdome of the fleshe erect her selfe agaynst Gods heauenly wysdome preparynge a waye to Antichrist and the deuyll These doctours busyly dysputed of Peters autoryte and of the worthienesse of monkery to make good the pryde of the byshopp of Rome and to confirme the shynynge shewe of hypocresye Of thys nombre was Ricardus de Sancto Victore a Scott in Paris Alexandre Nequam and Robert Crikelade here in England all regular chanons By thys maye ye vnderstande what it ment that the sunne apeared so darke in the skye For the heauens Dauid sayth declareth the glorye of God and the firmament sheweth hys handye wurke or dedes of hys permyisyon Psal. xviij ☞ More examples declarynge those marueyles ABout the same tyme were the byshop of Romes lawes brought into thys realme by Baldewyn the archebyshop of Canterburye But so sone as kynge Steuen had knowledge therof he condempned them by acte of Parlement commaundynge by proclamacyons and streygth iniunctyons that no man shulde retayne them vndre great penalte By meanes whereof they were in some places torne to peces and in some places brent in the fyre as by good mennis iudgement they were no lesse worthie For they were verye muche agaynst the commodyte of kynges and their commeÌ„ welthes christeÌ„ magistrates powers Ioannes Sarisburiensis in Polycratico de nugis aulicorum libro viij cap. xxij Both the monke Gracianus whych collectyd togyther the Popes decrees into our volume called the concorde of lawes dyscordaunt and also Peter Lombarde hys brother in the rablement of hys vnsauery sentences complayned very sore that many in their tyme beleued the only substaunce of breade to remayne in the sacrament of Christes bodye Yea the best learned maisters of Paris Iohan Tyssyngton sayth in his boke agaynst the confessyon of Wycleue were at the same season of thys opynyon that in the sacramental wordes Esse was to be taken for significare Agaynst whom these adulterouse chyldren Gracianus and Petrus brought forth thys smokye conclusion not out of the scriptures but froÌ„ their