At Constantinople was assembled a councell by the aforenamed Emperour in the fourteneth yeare of his Empyre whereas were 300. and thirtie bishops there was commaundement giuen that all the images of sainctes shoulde be taken away and burned Also the Emperour made his subiects to sweare that they shoulde no more worshippe any image of God nor of sainctes but condemned to the death al those that shoulde call vppon the virgin Marie for helpe and those that should haue in their houses any reliques of sainctes He commaunded the Monkes to marry and the Nonnes to follow the estate of marriage Sig. Afterwards he sent to the Pope the conclusions of this councell commaunding him to cast the images out of Churches Sabin king of Bulgarie caused all the images in his kingdome to be beaten downe after the example of Constantine wherupon he gat fauour with the Emperour Naucl. 112 In the yeare 782. or thereaboutes after the natiuitie of our Lorde Iesus Christ wās Alcuin otherwise called Albin the disciple of worthie Beda a monke and afterwardes Abbot of S. Martins in Tours maister to Charlemaigne he composed thrée bookes of the trinitie and many other bookes At that time raigned Constātine the sixte of that name the 76. Emperour of Constantinople the son of Leo the fourth who against the will of his mother Hierene caused the images of the temples to be beaten downe about the which not long before she had assēbled a councel at Nice at the request of Pope Adrian and of Therasius Archebishop of Constantinople as Sig. In this councel there were 325. bishops Naucl. And there it was decréed not onely that they should haue images but also that they shoulde of right be worshipped and that all the gainsayers shoulde be excomunicated But this decrée was shortly abolished by Constantine as is afore saide Chron. Euseb Moreouer within a while after that is to say in the yeare 792. was holden a Synode in Spaine in a citie called Elyberis or Granato whereas did assemble ninetene bishops thirtie and sixe priestes or ministers Felix Bishoppe of Aquitaine was there president There it was concluded especially amongst other poynts that that there should not be in Churches any images or payntings 113 During the raigne of Charlemaigne king of Fraunce who was Emperour though that hee had not gotten the imperiall crowne in the yeare of our Lord Iesus Christ 801. was Ansegisus the Abbot who made foure bookes of the decrées of Charlemaigne of Lewis his sonne Amongst all other things and aboue al things hee would that the Bishopps shoulde preache vnto the people the true doctrine gathered out of the holy scriptures and no otherwise alleaging therefore the saying of Gregorie That a minister who is without the sunne of preaching kindleth against himselfe the wrath of the hidden iudge He also ordeined that no person shoulde make profession of Monachisme without lycence of the king for to shunne many deceypts He would that there should be but a fewe feasts ordeyned he repressed the superfluitie of ministers ordeyning that they shoulde be nourished with the reuenewes of the Church with the poore Furthermore in the time of Charlemaigne and in the meane time whilest he passed his Winter at Francfort vpon the Meine a Councell was holden of a great multitude of Bishops in which the decrée of the councell of Nice concerning worshipping of images holden by Hierene as is aforesaide was pronounced false and condemned of all men c. Charlemaigne caused to be published a booke in his name against images the which agréed with the articles of the saide Councell Furthermore hée made aunswere to two bookes which were founde to haue bene written by Adrian the Pope to Therasius the Patriarch and to the Emperour of Constantinople By this writing Charlemaigne taxed and secreatly condemned Adrian without naming of idolatrie There was also one councell holden at Cauaillon vnder Charlemaigne in which amongst other superstitions that were there condemned the going of Pilgrimage for religions sake was sharpely repressed in the 45. Canon alleaging the saying of S. Hierome No man ought to be praysed for that hée hath séene Ierusalem but for that hee hath lyued well c. It is saide of Charlemaigne that he reproued the Archbishoppe of Mayence named Boniface because hée had a crosse all couered with golde beset with pretious stones for occasion so offering hee checked him and saide that it was rather the furniture of an Emperour then of a pastour 114 Haymo Byshop of Albastat scholler of Alcuinus did write vpon all the bookes aswell of the olde as of the newe Testament as is euident yet at this present He dyed in the raigne of the Emperour Lewis the sonne of Charlemaigne in the yere of Christ 834. In his time was also Rabanus who was first a Monke of the order of S. Benit and Abbot of Fulden afterward he was archbishop of Mayence who was also a disciple of Alcuinus he also made commentaries vpon all the bookes of the Byble He dyed in the yeare of our Lorde 855. Strabus was his scholler of whom it is founde written that he was the first that collected the ordinary glose of the writings of the fathers and doctours the which glose was afterwarde augmented by many others who added sentences therto 115 Bertrand a Priest a learned man well instructed in the true Godlynesse flourished in the time of the Emperour Lotharie in the yeare 840. He wrote many good workes of which it is saide that they did not come all to our hands He wrote a very commendable worke to King Charles the brother of Lotharie that is one booke of predestination and one other of the bodie bloud of our Lorde Iesus Christ The cause why he composed that booke wherein he writeth very learnedly of the supper of the Lorde was by the aduise and commaundement of King Charles le chauue that he might bring the people into one and the true opinion who were then deuided touching the said misterie So that one sort saide that Christ was therein taken and eaten in misterie and was figured vnder the Elements of breade and wine some saide on the contrarie that all that which was séene in the saide misterie was chaunged and conuerted and as many doe say vnto this day transubstantiated into the body and bloud of Christ Some said that it was figuratiuely or euidētly this was the proper bodie of Christ which he tooke of the wombe of the virgin Mary with the which he is ascended into heauen others saide that it was the spirituall bodie that is the misterie representation figure vnderstanding and spirituall apprehension of the proper bodie and bloude of Christ deliuered to the death for our sinnes and risen againe for our iustification All which opinions are founde remayning till this present for some holde still transubstantiation others impanatiō others a metaphore but somewhat reall Others there were who acknowledged nothing els but méere breade and wyne all which doubtes be
and deputed for the gouernance Ecclesiasticall were these to wit the Prophetes Nathan and Gad and the high Priest Sadoc and Abimelech with them a great companie of holy and wise personages of whome is witnessed in the bookes of the Psalmes as Asaph the sonne of Chore Haman Ethan and others 19 Salomon the sonne of Dauid succéeded his father by whome he had left him a great deale of costly stuffe wherewith he beganne to build in the fourth yeare of his reigne a Temple for the Lorde the which in seuen yeares after was finished He wrote the bookes of the Prouerbes of Ecclesiastes and the booke called Cantica canticorum he kept the gouernement by the space of 40. yeares lastly the kingdome was deuided and brought to confusion bicause of his adulteries and such other wickednes Then albeit that the true doctrine of God and his right seruice were darkened and polluted and that abhominable idolatries were brought in by Salomon being nowe olde and corrupted through the entisements of women which abhominations were afterward maintained also and augmented by the wicked and vnfaithfull Kinges of Israel as Ieroboam Nadab Baasa Ella Simri Amri and Achab and furthermore by the wicked Kinges of Iuda as Roboam and Abias yet notwithstanding the Lord did not suffer his Church to be vnprouided for for he raysed vp still some good men as in the kingdome of Roboam was the Prophet Semeia who instructed both him and the Princes of Iuda of the will of the Lord. The Prophet Ado was also in that time 1. Kings 12.2 Chron. 12. Ieroboam offering sacrifice vnto the golden Calues 1. Kings 13. Was reproued by the prophet Iadi of whome is made mention 2. Chron. 9. chap. vers 29. In the same time was also the prophet Ahias who speaking vnto the wife of Ieroboam told her that the king her husband did prouoke the Lord vnto anger with his idolatries he shewed also of the vengeance that would light vpon him for his sinnes 1. Kings 14. Azarias the prophet exhorted Asa the King of Iuda to put idolatrie away out of his realme which thing the King did in déede 2. Chron. 15. Hanani séeing this reproued the saide Asa for bicause he did put his trust in the king of Syria and not in God 2. Chron. 16. Iehu the prophet by the word of the Lord threatened Baasa the king of Israel bicause he walked in the way of Ieroboam causing the people to sinne 1. Kings 16. To conclude other good prophets were raised vp by GOD for to conserue and mainteine his true seruice for to rebuke also the Kings and people for their idolatries and abhominable misdoings as were Elie the Thesbite and Iosue the sonne of Nun of whom mention is made in the fift booke of Kings chap. 16. at the end of the chapter 20 Elie the Thesbite was in the time of Achab the King of Israel and was diuinely raised vp for to purge againe the doctrine and to kindle againe the light thereof This man sustained terrible combats and battels against king Achab a man full of hypocrisie and vnfaithfulnesse and against the cruell Quéene Iezabel and against the priestes of Baal He wrought great myracles he through his prayers shut vp and opened againe the heauens he also raysed againe men from death and lastly after that he had gouerned the Church more then 40. yeares and had sustained many and great dangers was diuinely caried vp into heauen with a whirlewinde This nowe was done in the middle age of the world for Elias was raised vp when the world had continued 3000. yeares after the creation By this God would haue vs to vnderstande that he hath reserued an other life for his faithfull seruants wherevnto they must be translated 21 Eliseus was substituted in the roome of Elias who sustained great and maruellous dangers wrought myracles discouered the ambushments of the king of Syria 2. Kings 6. Hauing gouerned the Church almost 70. yeares He dyed in the time of Ioas king of Israel The prophetes of his time were Micheas which was before him whose prophecie we haue amongst vs vntill this present time after him was Zacharie the sonne of Ioiada the priest in the time of king Ioas. 22 Isaias or Esay succéeded immediatly after who beganne to prophecie in the dayes of Ozias Ioathan Achas and Ezechias teaching purely the trueth of God with admonitions reproofes threatnings consolations applying the doctrine as a soueraine medicine according as he sawe the people haue néede He set foorth faithfully many good prophecies and reuelations which he had receiued of God concerning the promise of Christ his office and kingdome the fauour of the Lord toward his Church the calling of the Gentiles and the felowship of them with the Iewes like as is sufficiently set foorth and declared in his booke the which is a collection extracted of the Sermons that he made vnto the people euen as be the bookes of the other prophets for the custome was amongest the prophets after that they had expounded and declared vnto the people the doctrine and will of God to compile a briefe summarie of their preachings and to set them vp on the gates which were afterward laide vp and reserued for a perpetuall memorie like as may be gathered out of the second chapter of Abacuc and out of the eight of his booke Thus the Lorde through his prouidence hath conserued in his Church by the meanes of his ministers of the Temple the doctrine that at appointed times was put in the mouthes of his prophetes to the intent that as he hath alwaies bene and is alwayes one and the very same God alwaies one and the same spirit constant and vnchangeable so one and the very same doctrine being pure and stedfast should continue in his Church for euer The prophetes which were in his time are Ionas Amos Micheas Osée Nowe Esay after that he had done great things he gouerned the Church about 80. yeres In his time the kingdom of Israell was destroyed bicause of the vngodlinesse they were caried away captiue by Salmanazar king of Assyria It is found by writings that the king Manasses caused Esay to be cut asunder in the middest 23 Ieremie endued with the spirite of God for to prophecie beginning by the commandement of the Lord in the 13. yeare of Iosias continued ten yeres vnder his reigne afterward he abode thrée monthes vnder Ioachaz 11. yeres vnder Eliacim surnamed Ioacim other thrée monethes vnder Ioacim and lastly vnder Zedekias 11. yeares euen vntill the carying away vnto Babylon and the deliuerance of him 70. yeares after He also foreshewed the destruction and ouerthrowe of many kingdomes and nations and howe they should be brought vnder the power and obedience of the Babylonians and finally he foretolde of the decay and bringing to confusion of proud Babylon with all the tyrannie there vsed and that this should by brought to passe by the handes of the Medes and of the Persians their
neare neighbors Moreouer the saide prophet vsed very good exhortations and instructions amongest the people in setting before their eyes the threatenings of the Lorde and the execution of his iustice which drewe neare bicause of the obstinacie and stubbornesse in their iniquitie he ministred also cōsolation in shewing their deliuerance and comfort that the Lorde would send them after their afflictions and this did he for to strengthen the faith and confidence of the faithfull the which he sent principally vnto Christe as vnto the fountaine of all deliuerance and to the felicitie of his kingdome and comming of whom he also made mention in many places of his booke He gouerned the Church more then 40. yeares and liued after the desolation of Ierusalem He then séeing this desolation and abiding many troubles and persecutions he had foretolde thereof and afterward sawe it with great anguish of heart when he was olde He was led away into Egypt wheras he rebuked boldly the people and their principal gouernours He was afterward stoned by Tahaphnes and died The prophets that were in his time were Sophonie Abacuc Abdias 24 Daniel being but young was in the time when Ieremie was olde and was instructed vnder him He was caried away to Babylon with the king Ioacim in the third yeare of his reigne and in the yeare since the creation of the world 33 44. The Lorde who had defended him from danger willing to haue him serue for the profit of his Church adorned him with many graces and excellent gifts and amongst other giftes with the spirit of prophecie as appeareth by that that is contained in his booke whereas he declareth the reuelations which he had receiued of GOD touching the estate of the world vnder the foure Monarchies vntill the end thereof He foreshewed also the time of Christes cōming the excellencie of his kingdome the power giuen vnto Antichrist for to annoy the faithfull children of GOD and the time howe long this power shall continue lastly the iudgement that shal be executed by Christ a King triumphant for the exaltation and glory of his faithfull seruants and for the ruine and destruction of the wicked Now after that this Daniel had wrought great things in Babylon as well concerning the order of the Church as the ciuill policie and gouernement and hauing giuen a great light to the true doctrine of God amongest his people He gouerned about 90. yeares 25 Ezechiel beganne to prophecie in the time of king Ioacim surnamed Iechonias shewing him the danger that he was in in declaring to him that which the Lorde had determined to doe concerning the destruction and ruine of Ierusalem bicause of the sinnes of the people that had prouoked the wrath and iudgement of GOD against the same citie the which Nabuchodonozor the king of Babylon did at that time besiege and forced the people afterwards to yelde them selues captiues He foretolde also and declared what was to come as well to the Iewes as to other nations thereaboutes 26 Osée the sonne of Beeri beganne to prophecie in the times of Ozias Ioas Achas kings of Iuda and in the time of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioas king of Israel and as a true prophete he shewed vnto his people which was the kingdome of the ten tribes their sinnes and iniquities and he reproued them euery one of their execrable idolatrie wherby they heaped vp against them selues the wrath and vengeance of God shewing vnto them that the rod of his iustice was stretched out against them and exhorting them to repentance and a true conuersiō He foretolde them of their captiuitie into Assyria Afterward he added a consolation for the faithfull assuring them of their deliuerance by the meane of the deliuerer promised by the Lord vnto his Church 27 Of Ioel the Hebrues be vncertaine in what time he was a prophet Some iudge that he was in the time of Manasses But we néede not be so curious in séeking out that matter for if it had bene so necessarie it should not haue bene omitted by the holy Ghost which inspired this prophet to exhort the people vnto a conuersion and true repentance and incited them to haue recourse to the grace and mercy of God in contemplation of the only bountie and frée liberalitie grounded vpon the Messias and true annoynted of the Lorde of whose kingdome he made demonstratiō with the excellent riches thereof which bee the giftes and graces of the spirite of god the which he hath foreshewed that they must be bestowed and distributed vnto faithful seruants whom God shal haue appointed for the dispensation of the ministery of the saide kingdome as S. Peter expoundeth Actes 2. 28 Amos being a shepheard and a simple man was wonderfully instructed by the Lorde and moued by his spirit in the time of Ozias king of Iuda and of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioas king of Israel He declared and shewed vnto the Church of GOD the mysteries touching the displaying of sinnes and exhortation to repent and amend and a sure hope of saluation by the meane of the Messias whose comming and kingdome he spake of before He prophecied first against the vnfaithfull nations which dwelt neare to the people of Israel afterward against the kingdome of Israel to wit of the tenne tribes and then consequently against the kingdome of Iuda and the Temple of the Lorde foretelling of the afflictions that would happen vnto them bicause of their iniquities 29 Of Addias the prophet some do iudge that it was he who in the time of the persecution caused by Achab Iezabel did hide in a caue an hundred prophets 1. Kings 18.3 Others thinke that he was an Idumean and that he gaue wholy him self vnto the Lord in receiuing his lawe In this matter we néede not be greatly scrupulous but rather in the doctrine and prophecie that he had receiued of the holy Ghost the which in as much as he in his booke threateneth the Idumeans doth teach vs of the vengeance and iudgements of God against the aduersaries of his Church and of the deliuerance and conseruation therof of the which he prophecied and of the kingdome of Christ 30 In Ionas may be séene the doctrine set forth in the Church concerning the death and resurrection of Christe and the publishing of the Gospel the which must be wrought among the Gentiles after the saide resurrection euen as Ionas shewed and declared after that he came out of the whales belly publishing the word of the Lord in Niniuie the chiefe citie of the Monarchie of the Assyrians And like as Ionas profiting not amongest his owne people was sent vnto strangers and Infidels the people of Israel continuing blinde so the Lord hath transported his Gospell from his owne peculiar people who contemned it and hath giuen it to the Gentiles leauing that people in blindnesse and obstinacie bicause of their contempt It appeareth by that which is written in the first of the Kings 14.15 what Ionas was and in what time he
ioy and felicitie and he saide that this his comming should be signified by his Heralt and forerunner who should come in the vertue and spirit of Elias This nowe is the thirde order of the Doctours of the Church of the faithfull that is to say of the Prophetes whose gouernement endured about 600. yeares The gouernours and high priestes be in the fourth rable and order of the doctours of the Church of God after the returne from the captiuitie of Babylon euen vntill Iesus Christe the sonne of God which is the true king and euerlasting high priest of the people of God 38 Mardocheus who yelded him selfe captiue vnto Babylon with the king Iechonias he was exalted vnto dignitie in the 12. yeare of king Assuerus which was in the yeare after the creation of the world 3453. as Philo reciteth Mardocheus liued 197. yeares 39 Iosue or Iesus who returned againe into Iewrie with the conductor Zorobabel 536. yeares before the Natiuitie of our Lorde Iesus Christe he gouerned in the roome of an high priest 36. yeares Philo thinketh that it is he that compiled the booke of Iudith 40 Ioachim succéeded his grandfather and gouerned by the space of 48. yeres Some there be that say it was but 28. yeares This man is reported to haue written the historie of Hester Esdras gouerned with these men before named who was sent backe againe with the people to Ierusalem for to build vp againe the Temple and citie and that was in the seuenth yere of Artaxerxes which is in the yeare since the creation of the world 3505. Moreouer Nehemias gouerned with them who in like sort was sent backe againe to Ierusalem in the 20. yeare of Artaxerxes for to reedifie and build vp the Temple and citie It is thought that he liued more then 120. yeares as appeareth by his historie for he liued vntill the time of great Alexander and in the 12. Chapter he speaketh of Iaddo the high priest who receiued Alexander into Ierusalē Furthermore in his time the high priestes began greatly to abuse their office and authoritie making them selues great and mightie men and for this cause they were sharply reproued by Nehemias And after this folowed a great and horrible confusion and tyrannie in the dignitie of priesthood for as much as they applyed them selues rather to heap vp riches and to get honours then to serue in the Temple and to worship God and they sought the alliance of such kings as dwelt neare about them We must therefore let passe such monsters and only make mention of the faithful by whome the true doctrine of God hath bene garded and set foorth 41 Now in that time amongest others that administred best in their charge were Simon and Eleazar two brethren the sonnes of Onias In the time of this Eleazar moe then a hundreth thousand Iewes which were captiues in Egypt were set at libertie by Ptolomeus Philadelphus for euery head of whome he payed at his owne cost 12. crownes This king Ptolome caused thrée score and tenne men to come out of Iewrie into Egypt the which translated the bookes of the old Testament into the Gréeke tongue whose translation is vnto this day called The translation of the seuentie interpreters And after that he had rewarded them with greate presentes he sent them home againe to their owne houses It is reported that this translation was finished and made perfect in the 17. yeare of Ptolomeus Philadelphus which was in the yeare since the foundation of the world 3694. 42 Simon the iust gouerned 28. yeares Iesus the sonne of Syrach praised and estéemed him greatly who did write his booke in the time of this Simon which is called Ecclesiasticus about the yeare after the creation of the world 3735. The religion and holinesse of this Simon the sonne of Onias the great is praised in the second booke of Machabées Chap. 3. This man was slaine in pursuing his brother Menelaus which was called Onias the younger who seifed vpon the office of the high priest by force hauing displaced his other brother 43 At this time Mattathias was high priest in the stead of Ioarib who was of Ierusalem the father of the Machabées in which time Antiochus Epiphanes exercised terrible cruelties against the Iewes as these things are largely described in the bookes of the Machabées Then beganne this furious beast Antiochus to reigne in the yeare of the Gréekes reigne 137. which was in the yeare after the creation of the worlde 3769. Through the holinesse and vertue of this Mattathias the crueltie of Antiochus Epiphanes was repressed and the true doctrine mainteined the true seruices of God ordained in the lawe kept inuiolate These things were done 165. yeares before the natiuitie of our Lord Iesus Christ 44 Iudas Machabeus the first of the Hasmoniens or Simonensiens gouerned the publique affaires 6. yeares His déedes and the déedes of his brethren also be written in the first booke of the Machabées Then for as much as like as Daniel had fore-prophecied that the people should be miserably afflicted about this saide time therefore the Machabées were diuinely raised vp to the intent that by this meane the people might be somwhat refreshed and finde some succour Daniel 11. 45 Ionathas the brother of Iudas Machabeus succéeded him who was gouernour 18. yeares bicause of the wickednesse and negligence of the priestes the dignitie of the priestes office fell into his handes with the gouernement ciuill for Ianneus surnamed Hircanus the second was the last gouernour of the tribe of Dauid Ionathas was called to the dignitie of the priesthoode in the 9. yeare of his gouernement and in the yeare before the natiuitie of our Lord Iesus 150. 46 After that Ionathas had bene cruelly slaine with his two sonnes by Triphon his brother Simon the third sonne of Mattathias was elected in his place in the yeare before the Natiuitie of Iesus Christ 140. The actes of which Simon be described in the first booke of Machabées from the 14. chapter vnto the end of the booke he continued gouerning about eight yeares Thus then the pure doctrine and true seruices that God had ordained were mainteined and kept safe among the people vntill the comming of the sonne of God the Lorde Iesus through the vertue and religion of these foure Hasmoniens Matathias and his thrée sonnes so as it may easily be knowne when and of what people the Messias must be looked for 47 Iohn Hircanus the great of whome mention is made in the end of the first booke of Machabées succéeded Simon his brother in the office of priesthood and in the ciuill gouernement In his time came vp the sects of Pharisées Saducées and Esseniens by whome the doctrine was darkened This man did great thinges for he destroyed Samaria with the temple of Garezim in the time of Alexander the great He wan Idumea and many cities of Syria he gouerned 31. yeares After his discease great chaunges and horrible confusions happened many times and
historie which is named Tripartite 100 In that time also was Eucherius bishop of Lyons who wrote many bookes and commentaries amongest others vppon Genesis and vpon the bookes of the Kinges which bookes are found extant vntill this present 101 In the yeare 440. or there aboutes after the natiuitie of our Lord Iesus in the raigne of Valentinian the Emperour Victor bishop of a citie in Numidia which is in Affrica called in latine Cartena cōposed a booke against the Arrians presented the same vnto Gensericus king of the Vandales Arrian Polichronius Bishop of Ierusalem was at that time driuen away out of his countrie He sold in the time of famine all his substance and gaue the price thereof to the poore Archadius Probus Paschasius were also at that time in great price reputation with the forsaide Gensericus but hee seeing that he could not persuade thē vnto the sect of Arrianisme after that he had cruelly abused them caused them to be at the last martyred with others some bishops he displaced and the bookes of religion and christian faith were burned 102 In the yeare 476 Honoricus Kinge of Vandales stirred vp greate persecutiō in Affrica against the Christians and foure thowsand nine hundred seuentie and sixe were sent to exile without sparing eyther age or sexe afterwarde in diuers times and by sundry kindes of torture they were put to death Some had theire handes cutt off others theire tongues Within a while after vnder the shadowe of councel he caused all the bishops to be assembled the doctours and other catholikes who to the number of thée hundreds twéenty fower as P. Diaconus wrot or as others witnes foure hundreds fortie foure were sent to exile and caused the Catholickes to be shut in the Temples and gaue them to the Arrians One Bishop named Latus was burned that he might giue example vnto others Eugenius the Bishop of Carthage with moe thē fiue hundreds of the Cleargie after grieuous tormentinges were committed to exile but within two yeares after the saide Honoricus died miserably with vermine and Gonthamundus succéeded him This Gonthamundus sent for Eugenius the Bishop of Carthage againe at whose request all the residue were called home againe and then the Churches also were open 103 In the raigne of the Emperous Martian Leo Zeno about the yeare after the natiuitie of Christe 490. were these good personages to wit Proterius bishop of Alexandria Paschasius Peter de Rauenna Gennadius minister of the Church of Marseille all which did confute the errours of Eutiches Also Prosper Saluian Sidonius Germaine Bishop of Capua Vaast Bishoppe of Arras Fulgence Bishop of Raspe in Affrica Autius Bishop of Vienna Solenus who preached Christ and was bishop of Charters Boetius a lerned man who was put to death by the commaundement of the Empepour Theodorike an Arrian Also in the same time was Epiphanius Bishop of Pauie a verie auncient man who brought into cōcorde and good quietnes the people of Liguria he also brought with him frō Burgonie many captiues aswell for money as by his good and holy life by which he obtained the redeeming of sixe thousande captiues Paule the Deacon Nauclerus after him 104 In the time of the Emperour Anastasius in the 494. yeare Gelasius of Affrica gouerned the Church of Rome 5. yeares His father was bishop named Valericus Nauclere Some do attribute vnto him the distinction of the Authentike bookes and of the Apocrypha He made mention of many bookes of Apocripha as the booke called the assumption of the virgin Marie Also the Canons of the apostles c. Look the first volume of Councels He composed fiue bookes against Nestorius and Eutyches Also two against the Arrians and one treatise of excommunication He restored againe Messenus the bishoppe after that he had knowen his penitence He excommunicated the Emperour Anastasius because that he fauoured Acatius other heretikes He commanded the Ministers that they should minister the communion but vnder both kindes not vnder one alone He declared at Rome in the middest of the councell that in the Eucharistie neither the substance of the bread and wine nor yet the nature were changed but that therein as in an image the flesh and bloud of our Lorde was represented and that in the sacrament they both were exhibited vnto the faithful He declared there also that those ought to be excommunicated which did not giue take the sacrament of the Eucharistie whole Looke the fist volume of councels Gennadius was in the time bishop of Marseille 105 In the yere 518 Hornusda borne in Freselande in the citie of Campania gouerned the church of Rome nine yeares He ordeined that mariages should be celebrated publikely and solemnely Suppl Chron. At that time was holden a councell at Rome against the Eutychians in which also it was ordeined that he which had made an honorable amendes should not be admitted to the ecclesiasticall ministerie Suppl Chron. Many Munks corrupted with the Nestoriā heresie because they woulde not be persuaded by the exhortations of Hormisda but rather sowed noisome and slaunderous speaches against him were banyshed out of Rome against whose hypocrisie he wrot He sollicited by letters Messingers Iohn bishop of Constantinople the companion of Acatius and the Emperour himselfe for to leaue the sect of Eutiches but Athanase not only despised his admonitions butsent his Ambassadours backe saying that it belonged to the Emperour for to commaund and not to the bishop of Rome Paule the Deacon addeth of the Emperour besides all that that he made them goe homewarde againe by sea into Italie in a shippe that was light and vnbalassed forbidding them to take lande in Grece but that they shoulde passe straight on being light without any carriage Anastase supporting the errour of Eutyches when he was 80. yeares olde dyed being stricken with lightening in the 25. yeare of his Empire Hormisda is renoumed for hauing done greate almes déedes for the poore and for that he condemned the heresie of the Manichées which had begonne to hudde and for burning their bookes 106 In the time of the Emperour Iustinian about the yeare 530. after the natiuitie of our Lorde Iesus Christ was Arator who composed the Actes of the Apostles in Hexameter verses and Gregory bishoppe of Langres who was married Fascicul Temp. The councel of Tours was holden at that time At the saide councel in the fift chapter it was ordeyned that euerie citie shoulde nourish the poore straungers as much as it was able so that the poore might not be constrayned to begge from place to place In the thirde chapter that euerie bishop shoulde kéepe his wife like as his sister and that he shoulde gouerne both his house and familie aswell as the Church so as there might be no suspicion of him 107 In the raigne of the Emperour Mauritius in the yeare 591. the Wisigots were conuerted vnto the catholike faith they left the heresie of the Arrians by the meanes
knowe his true pathes by which this man retyreth out of darkenesse and endeuoureth to leaue off his wicked labours And that the vine which the right hande of GOD hath planted shal be filled with good braunches That he ought to take héede vnto the worde of God and to the Prophetie of Ieremie chap. 22. for to withstande such interprises who saith thus Thou O pastour which hast dispersed my people and hast cast them out of their habitations behold I wil visit vpon thée the malyce of thy enterprises and there shall not be a man of thy séede which shall sit vppon the seat of Dauid nor shall haue any more power in Iuda so that thy nest shal be a desert and ruinous as Sodome and Gomorra Also that if it happen he be not dreaded by these words nor leaue off from his enterprises nor make restitution of that which he hath taken that they finge for him that is so wickedly hardened the hundreth and eight Psalme As for vs wee will singe dayly prayses openly through Iesus Christ to him vnto whome all thinges do obey For to sée the course thereof more narrowely worde for word looke the saide Epistle the whiche hath beene writen out transtated out of an old booke founde in Englande in the Church of S. Alban He that woulde sée it perfectly let him reade the liues of the Bishoppes and Popes of Rome taken out of the great Catalogue of the writinges of England set forth by Iohn Bale 131 In the yeare 1314. or thereaboutes there was a man named Dulcin of Nauarre who blamed the vices of Churchmen and was executed with his wife Those that bee called Dulcins tooke their name of this Dulcin Naucl. They saide that the authority which Iesus Christ hath giuen to the Church was expyred because of the wickednesse of the Prelates and that the Church of Rome was reproued because it was become a whore Also that they were the Church and followed the rule of the Apostles That al the prelates since Pope Syluester haue bene preuaricatours because they lyued not in true humilitie and that therfore they ought to haue no tythes payed them Many of the adherents of Dulcin were taken about 144. persons dwelling in the mountaynes of Piemount 132 In the same time to wit 1315. and in the raigne of the Emperour Henry the seuenth of that name was a good and faithfull man Arnoldus de villa noua an expert Phisition and an excellent Mathematitian Some say that hee was of Chalons others of Narbonna He was at that time iudged an heretike because he saide that sathan had caused all Christian people to erre out of the right way That the faith of Christians then was none other but such a faith as deuils had That those which bee in the cloysters be out of charitie and doe condemne themselues in falsifying the doctrine of Iesus Christ and leading Christians vnto hell That the diuines haue maliciously and wickedly mingled the songes of Philosophers with the holy scriptures That in the sacrifice of the altar the Priest offereth nothing vnto God and that masses do neither profite the lyuing nor the deade He proued by Daniel and by Sybilla Erithrea that Antichrist in full tyrannie did persecute the faithfull Furthermore in his bookes which hee made of medicine hee wrote against the Iacopins that it was lawfull to eate fleshe A cutting sworde against the Thomistes an admonition of Iesus Christ vnto the Christians Of the craftinesse of false Prophets Of miserie of the Cymbals of the Church Of the consummation of the world other bookes He was iudged an heretyke by the Iacopins of Tarracon Lastly being sent vnto the Pope by Fredericke king of Sicilia he dyed in the way and was buried at Genes being a true champion of our Lord. In the yeare 1328. or there abouts Pope Iohn the 23. wrote vnto the gréekes that there was but one onely Church ouer which he was the head and vicar of Iesus Christ To whom the Gréekes aunswered in fewe wordes thus We doe verely beleue that thy power is very great ouer thy subiectes we cannot abide thy extreame pride nor satisfie thine auarice The deuill be with thée for GOD is with vs. By which breuitie of words they declared what was al the maner of the Popes liuing his estate looke thou Maundeuile lib. 7. Marsilius Patauinus compiled and exhibited vnto the Emperour Ludouike a worthy worke intituled Defensor Pacis written in the Emperours behalfe against the Pope Wherin both Godly and learnedly disputing against the Pope he proueth al bishops and Priests to be equal and that the Pope hath no superioritie aboue other Bishoppes much lesse aboue the Emperour That the worde of God ought to be onely the chiefe iudge in deciding and determining causes ecclesiasticall That not onely spirituall persons but lay men also being Godly learned ought to be admitted into generall councels That the Clergie and the Pope ought to be subiect vnto magistrates That the Church is the vniuersitie of the faithfull and that the foundation and heade of the Church is Christ and that he neuer appointed any vicar or Pope ouer his vniuersall Church That Bishops ought to be chosen euery one by their owne Church and Clergie that the marriage of priestes may lawfully bee permitted That S. Peter was neuer at Rome That the Cleargie and Synagoge of the Pope is a denne of théeues That the doctrine of the Pope is not to be followed because it leadeth to eternall destruction And the corrupte manners of the Christians doe spring and flow out of the wickednes of the churchmen c. he disputeth moreouer in an other worke of frée iustification by grace and extenuateth merites saying that they are no efficient causes of our saluation but onely fine qua non that is to say that workes be no cause of our iustification but yet our iustification goeth not without them for which his doctrine most sounde and Catholicke he was condemned by the Pope Anno. 1324. by the Popes decree extrauagant Chap. Licet intra Doctrinam Concerning the which man and his doctrine I thought good thus much to commit to writing to the intent men may sée that they which charge this doctrine nowe taught in the Church with the note of noueltie or newenesse how ignorant and vnskilfull they bee in the hystories and order of times forepast Iacobus Misnensis who wrote of the comming of Antichrist In the same hee maketh mention of a certeine learned man whose name was Militzius saith he which was a famous and worthy preacher in Perga He lyued about the yeare 1366. long before Hus before Wicklieffe also In the same his writing hee declareth howe the same good man Militzius was constrayned by the spirite of God to goe to Rome and there publikely to preach that afterwarde before the inquisitour he affirmed the same That the same mightie and great Antichrist the which the scriptures make mention of was alredie come He affirmed
S. Paul to the Romaines and to the Hebrewes vppon the Gospell of S. Iohn and vpon the Canonicall epistle He departed out of this life at the end of Nouēber in the yeare 1531. Whoso wil read more largely of his life let him read Simon Gryneus Wolfgangus the booke of Martyrs Bucer a learned man was also in the time of Luther and Zuinglius hee gaue also greate light throughout all Christendome not only by pure doctrine but also by holinesse of life Iohn Caluin in the preface of his comentaries vppon the Epistle of S. Paul to the Romaines speaking of certaine good deuines of that time and naming expresly Bucer saith of him in these wordes This man besides the profounde and excellent knowledge that he had in many matters besids the fine wit and that he had read much and besids many and sundrie vertues that he had in which none at this present doth excell him yea few comparable to him had this prayse proper and particular that none of his time applyed himselfe more to the interpretation of the holy scripturs and that with greater diligence then he He was sent for from Strausbourg to refourme the Churches of Colloine He preached to the godly being in great daunger amongest the Spaniards at that time the Emperour came down through Rhein who by his ambassadours did earnestly intreate the Archbishop to giue him libertie He for religion fled into England whereas hee was courteously intreated and had the charge of interpreting the holy scriptures in the vniuersitie Hee was diligent in writing Comentaries and sundrie workes And amongest other towarde his latter yeares he composed a booke of the kingdome of Iesus Christ our Sauiour which hee gaue to the worthie kinge of Englande shewing the way how the reformation of true Christian religion must be had and howe a Realme and Christian common weale ought to be gouerned according to the will of God A booke worthie to bee read of kinges princes and Lords The seauen and tweentith day of Februarie in the yeare 1551. Bucer departed this life at Cambridge and was honourably buried and praysed by Epitaphes of learned men Looke Sleidan in his historie of religion and of the common weale in the booke of Martyrs 145 Phillip Melancthon an excellent man in doctrine prudence and pietie was borne in the yere 1497. in a citie called in latine Bretta appertayning to the Prince Palatine He was a doctour in the Church and vniuersitie of Wittemberge He disputed against the aduersaries of the puritie of Gods true seruice diuers times with liuely infallible argumēts by which he shewed what good true foundation he had vppon the holy scriptures whereby he confounded all the aduersaries He made and composed diuers bookes aswell of humanitie as also Commentaries and common places vppon the holy scripture which be extante at this present He liued 63. yeares and died in the yeare 1560. and was honourably buried Peter martyr a Florentine a doctour and professour in diuinity in a Church of Zurich in Suisse wrote the Cathechisme in Italian that is the exposition of the principall articles of Christian religion He made a treatise of the sacrament of the Eucharistie and many Commentaries both on the Epistle of S. Paul to the Romaines and to the Corinthians and also vppon the Iudges and Samuel with others Augustine Marlorate hauing a certaine time exercised the function of a good and faithful pastour in the seignieuries of Berne was at the last elected minister of the Church of Rouan in which he faithfully discharged his duetie and therefore was taken and hanged he dyed constantly yelding vp his spirite to the Lorde in the yeare 1569. He had a great dexteritie in collecting the opinions of the Doctours aswell olde as newe vpon Esay Genesis and the Psalmes and on the new Testament also wherevnto he added his own he made certaine pretie treatises and amongst others one of sinne against holy the Ghost Musculus a Germaine a Doctour in the Church of Berne made diuers good and large commun places vpon the holy scripture and also good commentaries that be founde til this present He dyed in the said citie of Berne was honorably buryed 1563. 147 Amongst al others the bookes of Iohn Caluin minister of the word of God at Geneua can sufficiently testifie with what faithfulnesse singular giftes graces God had adorned him according to the necessitie of the time And what constancie he had in mainteyning the Lords quarell To be short in as much as his works be yet extant and his memoriall rife I will make of him no further discourse referring the reader to his works that he hath written Nowe yée may sée by this discourse howe God hath from the first creation of Adam and Eue had and conserued his Church and hath thorough all ages raised some vp and giuen them knowledge of his trueth and hath by weaklings of the worlde ouerthrowen whole garrisōs of the wicked worldlings to the end that all men might know that the Lorde alone is almightie that his light is vnquenchable his power infinite his mercy towards his vnspeakable and that although he suffereth wickednesse to florish for a time yet he wil whē he séeth time make his kingdome triumph ouer all To which God thrée persons and one eternall deitie be all praise honour and glorie for euer and euer Amen FINIS A Table containing the dinumeration or catalogue of the Doctours of the Church of God of whom mention is made in the discourse following GOd by his sonne and spirite instructed Adam and Eue and from time to time made him to haue vnderstanding in his church Adam was ordeyned a Bishop and Doctour thorough the promise that was made of the seed of the woman 1. Of the sonnes of Adam were Doctours of the Church Abel 2. Seth was substituted vnto the ministerie 3. Enos Cainam Malaleel Iared 4. He noch an excellent doctour amongst the fathers who also was transported vnto God out of this miserable life to an euerlasting life 5 Mathusalem 6 Lamech These nine before named being excellent personages were helpers vnto Adam in the Doctrine and worke of the Church for to teach and instruct the true seruants of God 7 After them succeeded in the gouernment of the Church Noe. 8 Sem the sonne of Noe a Doctour of the Church of God 9 Arphaxad the sonne of Sem. Sale Heber Phaleg Reu. Sarug Nachor Thare the father of Abraham This is the first order of the doctors of the church of God to wit the order of the fathers whose gouernance endured about the space of 2023. yeares The second order of the gouernours of the Church of God is of the Patriarches Abraham with his posteritie bare rule and guided the Church of God and Isaac succeeded him 11 Iacob a bishoppe of the church of God for his time And afterwarde did succede the twelue Patriarches and Cahat the sonne of Leui. Amram the sonne of Cahat and father vnto
the people of the Iewes were grieuously formented with continuall warres 48 Whilest these great mischiefes continued these sectes were begonne and confusions bread when there were but a very fewe that kept still the heauenly doctrine loe then came Mathan the grandfather of the Virgine Marie who was borne about 100. yeares before Christ And after him Ioachim which is also named Elie the father of the Virgine Marie who was borne 60. yeares before the Lord Iesus which was the same yere that Pompei conquered Ierusalem and that Iewrie was made tributarie to the Romaines and brought into the maner of a Prouince to the end that men might knowe assuredly howe that the time of the Messias was at hand of whome the Patriarch Iacob had prophecied saying The scepter shall not be taken away from Iuda nor a Lawgiuer from his féete vntill that Silo come and to him shall the nations be gathered Gen. 49. 49 About this time were ayding to the conseruation and kéeping of the Church Simeon Anna the prophetisse Zacharie Elizabeth with others and the Virgine Marie the mother of the sonne of God our Lord. The gouernement in the Church of this fourth range or order of the high priestes and gouernours after their returne from captiuitie lasted about 500 yeares The fift and last order of the Doctours of the Church of God is that which we begin at Iohn Baptist and our Lord Iesus Christ 50 Iohn Baptist the sonne of Zacharie the priest beganne to preach in the 15. yeare of the Empire of Tiberius Cesar when as Pontius Pylate was gouernour in Iewrie and when Herode was Tetrarch in Galilée and he preached baptisme and repentance that is to say that euery one should repent and amend that they might receiue remission of sinnes through Iesus Christ which thing he confirmed by the signe of baptisme He taught the people of all estates howe they ought to liue He bare witnesse of the Lord Iesus And baptizing the people he baptized Iesus also vpon whome the holy Ghost descended in bodily shape God declared from heauen that he was his sonne Iohn hauing reproued Herode the Tetrarch bicause of Herodias his brother Phillips wife and for all the other euils that he had done was cast in prison and at length beheaded 51 In the 24. yeare of the reigne of Augustus the eternall sonne of God was borne hauing taken vpon him humane flesh of the Virgine Marie in Bethlehem a towne of Iewrie This is that séede which hath broken the head of the serpent and hath deliuered vs from his deadly sting This is the souereigne head of the Church without which the body can haue no due proportion and shape he hath a speciall care thereof and wil make it féele effectually of his presence and he will be in the middest thereof called vppon serued honoured and glorified Nowe as soone as Christ the true annoynted of God was borne and made knowne vnto the world Herode stirred vp great persecutions the occasion thereof beganne for bicause that the wise men came from the East who brought newes of the Messias vnto the people of Ierusalem He caused all the children within the precinct of Bethlehem to be slaine as many as were two yeares olde and vnder His execrable dealings abode not long time vnpunished And it shall be necessarie that we consider somewhat of the worthie end of this tyrant Ioseph in the eight booke of his Antiquities Cha. 17. writeth thus The sicknesse of the king did rage more and more and God shewed openly that he punished him for his vngodlynesse for he was burned with a pining heate and this heate could not be perceiued outwardly but he felt it wtin his body in as much as it gnawed and tormented his bowels He was so hungrie that he tooke no laysure to chawe his foode but swallowed vp gréedily that entred into his mouth and was at all times casting meate into his mouth His bowels were corrupted full of vlcers he was also tormented with the colica passio His féete were swelled with flegmatike humours his priuie partes were rotten full of wormes His breath was so stinking that no body durst come neare him And in the 21. chapter of the first booke of the Iewes warre the saide historiographer wrate this which followeth All his body was intangled with diseases and he was vexed with sundrie dolours he had a burning intollerable gnawing wtin him The colicke tormented him incessantly and the and his féete were swollen in the skinne and flesh He addeth moreouer that he assayed to shorten his life and calling for a knife he lifted vp his right hande for to haue killed him selfe which thing Archicab his cosin germaine perceiuing ranne and stayed his hand He dyed fiue yeares after that he had put Antipater his sonne to death when he had enioyed the kingdome by the space of 34. yeares after he had put Antigonus to death and 37. yeares after that he was declared king by the Romanes Iesus Christ the souereigne Bishop Doctour and Pastour of his Church was 30. yeares olde when he was baptised and then beganne he to preach vnto the people of the Iewes the word of the Gospell which he had brought from his father according to the promises that had bene made afore time and he wrought miracles After thrée yeares then following he was offered vp a sacrifice for to redéeme mākinde he suffered his death and passion in the eightéenth yeare of Tyberius the Emperour He rose againe from death the third day after his passion a vanquisher and triumphant and shewed himselfe vnto his Apostles and to many other men and women with great approbations being séene by them by the space of of 40. dayes speaking of the kingdome of God Actes 1. And after that he had giuen commandement to his Apostles that they should goe throughout all the world for to teach the doctrine to all nations and to baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost instructing them to kéepe al what so euer he had commaunded them promising to continue with his Church vntill the end of the world He ascended vp into heauen sitting at the right hand of his father and hath sent downe his holy spirite vpon the Apostles the which went forth all abroad for to kindle and spread foorth the light of the Gospell Nowe we must set in this fift order the Apostles and Euangelistes the Bishops Pastors and Doctours whome the sonne of GOD hath raised from time to time in all ages for the conseruation and maintenance of the ministerie The Apostles be the first in the fift order Nowe here we must marke in what places and howe farre the word of the Gospell hath bene spread through al partes and countries of the whole earth and what Pastours and Doctours haue succéeded and in what places 52 Peter the Apostle declared the Gospell in many places as may be at large séene by the history of the
in the said booke briefly dissolued vnder these two questions to wit whether Christ be there in misterie and figure or according to the trueth Whither this bodie of Christ be the proper body which he tooke of the wombe of the virgin Marie or not The which two questions hee debateth aswell on the one partie as on the other affirming concerning the first aswell by naturall reasons drawne from common vnderstanding as by euident testimonies of the holy scriptures and auncient doctours that the bodie and bloude be therin taken vnder the vaile and couerture of breade and wine figuratiuely and shadowed not visibly and euidently the which he calleth according to the trueth Also not clearely and openly but secreatly Concerning the other question by one and the same processe hee sheweth by infringible and inuincible argumentes that in this misterie is the spirituall bodie that there is a mistical and spirituall vnderstanding thereof and not the verie same bodie that he tooke of the virgin Marie He saith verely that the bodie of Christ is there inasmuch as the spirite of Christ is in the sacrament that is to say the power of the word of God the which doth not only féede the soule but also purgeth and cleanseth it For to sée this matter more at large you may reade the booke that is at this day extant in French and published abroade 116 In the yeare 964. Huldricke Bishoppe of Auspurge in Allemaigne did greatly withstand the decrées of Pope Nicholas he wrote vnto him one Epistle shewing among other thinges that he did amisse when he went about to compell the Clearks whom he ought to haue exhorted that they shoulde kéepe the chastitie of marriage by force and vyolēce to abide in continencie Saying also that this is deemed of all men violence when any bodie is constrayned to kéepe any particuler decrée contrary to the institution of the Gospel and against the doctrine of the holy Ghost He shewed plainely that the Lord in the old Testament hath constituted and ordeyned marriage for priests and that we do not reade that afterward he forbad it That euery one folowing the saying of the Apopostle in the 7. Chapt. to the Corinthians ought to haue his wife That hypocrites doe corrupt this sentence and falsely say that it appertayneth onely to the lay people and yet notwithstanding they make no difficultie of conscyence in any holy order whatsoeuer they be placed to abuse other mens wiues Also he sheweth that this sentence of the Apostle that is that euery one shoulde haue his wife excepteth no person but him that maketh profession of cōtinencie or him that hath determined to perseuer in virginitie according to the Lords will That the vowe of man cannot breake the commaundement of God That he who cannot contain ought to marry 1. Cor. 7. He also alleageth the Canons that is that the Bishop or minister ought in no wise put away his wife vnder a colour of Religion and that if he forsooke her he should be excomunicated and that if he abode in that obstinacie he should be vtterly dismissed and cast of from his calling That the bishop must be vnreproueable and the husbande of one wife and howe that the Apostle to the end that none should conuerte this sentence to one Church or congregation alone added consequently He that knoweth not howe to gouerne his housholde how shal he gouerne and guide the church of God he also sheweth that the glose of those is false who will expounde the Church to be the onely wife Also that those which alledge for their patrone and defendour S. Gregorie be ignoraunt not vnderstanding that perilous decrée made by S. Gregorie whiche was afterwarde purged by a worthie fruite of repentance for it is said that on a certaine day as the saide Gregorie sent to his poole for fish he had drawne vp out of the saide poole which he saw aboue sixe thousande heades of yong children wherat he being moued with true repentance beganne to wéepe and confessing that the decrée that he had made concerning the continencie of Priestes had béene cause of such a murther he then amended his fault as it is said by a worthy déede of repentance And after that he had condéemned his said decrée he praysed the councell of the Apostle to wit that it is better to marrie then to burne adding more on his part that it is better to marrie then to giue occasion of murther In the ende he confounded by many testimonies of the holy scripture the horrour of vowing continencie and following the saying of S. Paul 1. Timo. 4. he declared that it is the doctrine of Diuels to forbidde marriage Wherby we must note that the Lord in the middest of the furie and madnesse of the world rayseth vp some faithful ministers for to withstand the horrible spoyles of the aduersaries He that would sée at large the saide Epistle published nowe in French read the firste of Crespin vppon the estate of the Church out of the which I haue gathered some parte of these collections 117 In the yeare 869. was Iohannes Scotus it was not Iohn the Frier a learned man who was sent for out of France into England by Alfridus king of Englande who founded the Schoole or vniuersitie of Oxenforde whereas the said Scotus was president but afterward becomming a Monk he was slain by the Monks of the Conuent as he was teaching thē He wrot like as Bertrand did touching properly the body and bloude of Christe in the supper In that time or thereabouts the Normands being vanquished receiued the faith Naucl. The king of Bulgaria also about this time receiued the faith and willingly forsaking publike affaires he was made a Monke and left the realme to his sonne who reiected the faith so that his father came out of the monasterie and went againste him in battaile and hauing gotten the victorie he caused his eyes to bee digged out and kepte him in prison and gaue the kingdome to his yonger sonne and after he returned to the Monastery againe Naucle and Sigeb Adrian the Pope sent thrée legats vnto the Bulgarians being newly conuerted to wit Siluester Leopard and Dominicke for to institute ordinances concerning the affaires of the Church according to the Komaine forme and fashion but afterwarde they being persuaded by the Grekes reiected the latine ministers which thing bread great hatred betwixt the latine Church and the Greeke Church and all the contention of the said Churches happened through this Primate and for the diuersitie of ceremonies Naucl. Edmund the last king of the East Englishmen was slaine by the Paganes of Denmarke in the yeare 871. and is canonised a martyre 118 In the yeare 938. Ratherius Bishop of Verone wrot against the herisie of Anthromorphites which was renewed againe in that time saying that God had a corporall forme In the same time Spireneus Duke of Bohemia receiued the Christian faith thorough the persuasion of the Emperour Henricus Suppl Chro. Aldebert
of Bohemia bishop of Prague went to Pannonia for to preach the faith and baptised the king of Hungaria From whence he went to Prusia whereas he was martyred 119 In the raigne of Henrie the seconde of that name Duke of Bauiere who obtained the Empire by election in the yeare 1005. Burchardus firste a Monke of Lob disciple of Albert afore mentioned was bishop of Wormes he compiled the old canons which afterward were abridged by Gratian or rather corrupted as it may easily be iudged in conferring the one with the other Rhenanus in his annotations vpon Tertullian 120 In the raigne of Henrie the thirde of that name and in the yeare 1039. lyued Berengarius a Doctour borne at Tours Archedeacon of Angres who maintained the opinion of the foresaid Iohannes Scotus and Bertran concerning the Eucharistie And in the yeare of Christ 1051. Pope Leo assēbled a councell at Verseill whereas was first handled the opinion of Transubstantiation albeit that this worde had beene inuented not long afore and there was condemned the opinion of Iohannes Scotus and Bertran Berengarius appeared not at the saide councel but sent thither two clearkes and as they went about to excuse Berengarius and to shewe reasons therefore they were beaten with fistes and put in prison Looke howe Decolampadius reasoneth therabout Arnulphus Archbishop of Lugdune Liued in the time of Honorius the seconde 1127. as writeth Hugo Platina Sabellicus He was a man learned zealous and of great deuotion and a worthie preacher he came to Rome in his preaching he rebuked the dissolute and Lasciuious losenes incontinencie auarice and immoderate prid of the cleargie procuring all to followe Christe and his Apostles in pouertie rather and purenes of life By reason whereof this man was well accepted and highly liked of the nobilitie of Rome for a true disciple of Christe but of the Cardinals and the cleargie no lesse hated then fauoured of the other In so much that proudly in the night season they tooke him and destroyed him This his Martyrdome sayth he was reuealed to him before from God by an Angell he béeing in the desert when hée was sent foorth to preach wherevppon he saide to them publikely with these wordes I knowe sayth he ye séeke my life and knowe ye will make me a way priuely But why because I preach to you the trueth and blame your pride stoutnes auarice incontinencie with your vnmeasurable gréedines in getting and heaping vp riches Therefore be you displeased with me I take héere heauen and earth to witnesse that I haue preached to you that I was cōmanded of the Lord. but you contemne me your creatour who by his onely sonne hath redéemed you and no maruell if ye séeke my death being a sinfull person preaching to you the trueth when as if S. Peter were here this day and rebuked your vices which doe so multiply aboue all measure you woulde not spare him neyther And as he was expressing this with a loude voyce he saide moreouer for my part I am not afraide of death for the truths sake but this I say to you that God will looke vppon your iniquities and will be reuenged you being full of all impuritie play the blinde guides to the people committed to you leading them the way to hell A God hee is of reuengeance Thus the hatred of the cleargie being incensed against him for preaching the trueth conspired against him and laying priuie waite for him tooke him and drowned him Sabellicus and Platina saith they hanged him Diuerse and sundry articles he held which are set downe in the two volumes of the generall Councels 121 About the yeare of our Lorde 1110. Sigebert florished who as it may well appeare was a verie expert man like as his Chronicle yeeldeth testimonie In the yeare 1126. Hugo of the Saxon nation and surnamed of saint Victor the diuine of Paris was in that time at Paris Amongest his writings are founde many complaintes against the disorders of the Clearkes in his time 122 Bernard first Abbot of Claireuaux a Burgonion borne flourished about the yeare 1140. By the writings of S. Bernard we may knowe how that in that time miserably corrupted he stroue against the impietie of the Pops and Churchmen Look his sermon 67. he calleth them the ministers of Antichrist in the sermon 57. to Pope Eugenius and in the sermon 33. vpon the Canticles he saith oftentimes how that the prelates are become Pilates He reproued Eugenius because he letting alone the word of God aduanced mans traditions Hugo a Cardinall in his postille vppon Saint Iohn alleageth that S. Bernarde saith in a certain place thus It séemeth O good Iesus that all the vniuersitie of Christians professed haue conspired against thee and that those be chiefest of the conspiration which do obtaine the prymacy in thy church About the end of his days he declared sufficiently that he knewe perfectly the true doctrine of iustification through Iesus Christ whom alone he had for his refuge casting aside all other holynes and righteousnes His writing do yéeld certeine testimony of him he died being 63. yeares olde Nauel 123 Iohn of Saresburie Bishoppe of Chartres was in the yeare 1157. Who sharply withstoode the wickednes of the Popes and of the Cleargie He wrote a booke intytuled Obiurgatorium Cleric In his booke intituled Policraticus he saith thus In the Romishe Churche be set the Scribes and Pharisées lading the shoulders of men with importable burthens The highe prieste is heauy to all men yea wholly importable and past the strength of man to beare His legates doe so disperse themselues abroade as if sathan were come out frō the presence of the Lord for to torment the Churche Iudgment against the people none other thinge but a verie marchandise They tustifie the wicked for golde and siluer and delight in matters that are vngodly They eate the sinnes of the people they be therwith clothed norished in all excesse whereas the true worshippers do worshippe the Lorde in spirite He that sticketh not vnto their doctrine is eyther iudged an heritike or a schysmatike c. There haue béen oftentimes good doctors in the Churche but they durst not say nor write all that which was néedefull In a booke intituled Speculum it is saide that this good Bishop Iohn amongst other complaintes hath somtimes ben heard say vnto Pope Adrian the fourth with whome he was very familiar on this wise That the Pope hath beene truely called a sernaunt of seruauntes because hee serued the Romaines that were seruantes to auarice The saide Pope Adrian sometimes woulde say vnto the saide Bishop Iohn That many Popes did succede rather Romulus in murthers and parricides then saint Peter in feading the flockes 124 In the yeare 1127. and in the raigne of Friderike Barberosse the Emperour Arnolde bishoppe of Bixta stode in contention against the administration of ciuill matters of the temporall sword which the cleargie had vsurped And therefore R. Barns saith that
receiued but that alone which god hath commaunded That there is but one onely mediatour therefore they not ought to call vpon saincts That there is no purgatorie but that all men that are iustified thorough Christ goe vnto eternall life That there is no thirde nor fourth place They receiue and allowe two sacraments only Baptisme and the Lords supper They say that all masses and especially those inuented for trespasses bee damnable and that they ought to be abolished That all humaine traditions must bee reiected and not be accounted any thing necessarie to saluation That singings and rehearsing of offices fastings tyed vnto a certein day superfluitie of feasts difference of meates so many degrées and orders of priestes Monckes and Nonnes so many blessings and consecrating of creatures vowes pilgrimages and all the confusion and great heape of ceremonies inuented heretofore ought to be abolyshed They deny the prymacie of the Pope and especially the power that they vsurpe ouer cyuill pollycies And they allowe none other degrées saue of bishops ministers and Deacons That the sea of Rome is the verie Babilon and that the Pope is at this present the fountaine of all euils That the marriage of ministers is good and necessarie in the Church That those that heare the word of God and vnderstande it aright be the true Church vnto whom Iesus Christ hath giuen the Keyes for to let in the shéepe and to driue away the Wolues Lo here is briefely the doctrine of the Waldenses the which the enemies of the puritie of the holy scriptures haue impugned against for the which by their owne testimonie they haue béene persecuted Mathias Illiricus in the Catalogue that he collected of the witnesses of the trueth speaketh of the consultations of certeine aduocats of Auignon Also of the thrée Archbishops of Narbonna of Arles and of Aix and likwise of the Bishop of Albanie about the rooting out of the Waldenses written thrée yeares past by which it appeareth that at that time and before were a great nomber of the faithfull dispersed here and there throughout all Fraunce It may also be gathered by the consultations of the saide thrée Archbishoppes that as the number was great the persecution also was very cruel for in the ende of them it is founde thus written Who is so young in Fraunce that hee knoweth not the condemnation of the heretikes called Waldenses executed of long time so iustly A thing so famous and so manifest which at so great costes and charges of the Catholikes was sealed with so many condemnations and the deathes of those wicked infidels can it bee called in doubt It appeareth then what bouchery was vsed at that time with the faithfull what crueltie the supposts of antichrist exercised then against the good which were willing to mainteine the puritie of the holy true seruice of God like as by his holy word he teacheth vs that he woulde be adored serued and honoured I will also recite some thing of that which is written of Albigeois or Albois a people that had receiued a beginning of the light of the trueth and stoode in contention against the Idolatrie of transubstantiation which thing first caused them to retyre from the Romish Church They inhabited the countrie about Tholouse Albi. S. Dominick author of that newe secte that call themselues preachers came out of Spaine and persecuted them greatly both in worde and déede Pope Innocent the thirde sent also in that time vnto them a legate Nicholas bishop of Thusculane who comming thither with foure horses two mules returned in short space with fiftie and with great pillage which hee brought thence hauing exercised great crueltie and tyrannie against these poore people whom also hee charged with horrible crymes thereby to make them odious to all the worlde The said Pope caused to be published a croisard against them and gaue ful indulgence and remission of sinnes vnto those that woulde make warre against them Simon Earle of Mountforde went against them and destroyed a great multitude of them neare Tholous a hundreth and fortie were burned in the diocese of Narbonna and 4. hundreds in the diocese of Tholous at sundrie times In this discomfiture of the Albigeois Peter king of Tarracon who had fauoured them was slayne in combat Simon de Mountford pursued his victorie Looke Mathew Paris the English historigrapher who was in that time 127 In the yeare 1240. was Peter de Vinea Chauncelour to the Emperour Frederyke the seconde of that name who wrote at that time many letters in the name of the Emperour of which some be in print till this present wherein hee complayneth that all the worlde cannot content the insatiable couetousnesse of the Pope That the beastlynes of the Cleargie is so filthie that it is a shame to bée named Hée openly mainteyned that the Pope hath neither by deuine nor humaine right any power of the sworde Guillame le Orfeure also in his time shewed that the Pope was Antichrist Rome Babylon the prelates members of Antichrist Cesarius in the 10. Distinct of his dialogues Then the fruite of the doctrine that the Waldenses at that time spread abroade appeared in manie who did set themselues against the fraudes and abhominations in the sée of Rome Robert Grosted sometime bishop of Lincolne 1253. a man famously learned as that time serued in thrée tongues both Latin Gréeke and Hebrew also in al other liberall sciences whose works to this day are extant this Godly and reuerent Byshop after dyuers conflicts and agonies sustayned against the bishoppe of Rome after the Example of Guliel de sainct Amour of Nico. Gallus and other afore mentioned at length after great labours and trauels of life finished his course and departed at Buckdoue in the moneth of October 1253. Math. Pariensiens Of this Robert Grosted writeth Cestrensis in the seuenth booke of his historie that partly for that it gréeued him to sée the intollerable exactions of the Pope in the Realme of Englande partly because he refused to admitte a certaine young Nephew of the Pope to be canon of his Church Hee therefore writing to the Pope and signifying that he coulde not admit any such persons into his Church which neither knewe themselues nor the tongue of the people nor the charges committed vnto them was called vp to Rome there excommunicated who then appealing from the Pope shortly after departed in the yeare aboue written It chaunced within two yeares after his decease that Pope Innocent being a sléepe a certein Bishop apparelled Bishoplike appeared vnto him and striking him with his staffe on the left side said Surge miser veni in iudicium that is rise wretch and come to thy iudgement The next day after the Pope was founde amased and greatly troubled 128 In the yere 1260. flourished Guil. de sainct Amour a doctour of Paris a Chanon of Bauuais In his sermons as he himselfe doth witnesse hee especially reprehended the Hipocrisie of Prelates saying that
prelats and became odious so as they could in no wise abide him Finally this seignieur Acton was taken condēned by the saide edict of the kinge and hanged and burned There was executed also with him a gentleman one M. Browne And M. Iohn Beuerlai a minister and preacher of the word of God And that was in the yeare 1413. Iohn Maior witnesseth in his Scottish historie lib. 6. chap. 9. that about this time many others to the number of 36 and all of a noble stocke were condemned as heretikes by the bishop were burned according to that cruell edict This was in the very same yeare There were also two others of whome Fabius in his Chronicles speaketh to wit Iohn Claydon cordwayner and Richard Turmin Baker who also according to the seueritie of the ordinance were condemned and put to death To conclude we sée that there is neither estate neither order nor condition whereof God is not skilfull enough to drawe some for to stande in defence and to crie out against the superstitions false traditions of prelates 135 In the yeare 1405. or thereabout the Lord raised vp Iohn Hus of Bohemia who hauing studied in the vniuersitie of Oxeforde in England and hauing reade certeine bookes of Wicklief beganne to publishe that which hee had receiued concerning the trueth in a Temple of the Bohemians whereas he was chosen for the preacher and Preached both of festiuall dayes and holy dayes There he commended the doctrine of Wicklief vnto the people In the ende the Bohemians being instructed with this doctrine beganne to iudge of the Pope as he deserued not estéeming him the most excellent any longer nor of any higher degree then other bishops and therevpon they went about to reforme their doctrine by conclusions and articles following That the dignitie made not the minister or bishop the more honourable but the holines of life and good doctrine That the soules separated from the bodies goe streight way eyther to eternall blessednesse or else to euerlasting paines That there is no testimonie in all the holy scriptures by which it can be proued that there is any purgatorie after this life For to make oblations and sacrifices for trespasses is the inuention of couetous Priestes That the images of God or of sainctes the blessing of waters and other like thinges bee forged by men contrarie to the word of God That the order of begging friers were inuented by diuels That baptisme ought to bee administred with water without adding of oyle spittle or such filthi That the Temple of God is the worlde That those which build Temples Monasteries and oratories for to cloase him in doe goe about to locke vp his maiestie which is incomprehensible That the ornaments of Priestes as the chasubles corporals chalices platters c. are but vanity That in vaine do men séeke for helpe at the handes of sainctes and that it is but lost time to singe houres canonicall That fasting doeth merite nothing That the eucharistie ought to bee ministred vnder both kindes They reiected the Masse and kept only the communion of the supper the worde and the prayer and many other articles drawen out of the holye scripture Thus as the most parte of the schollers of the vniuersitie of Prague did followe Iohn Hus with many moe renoumed in knowledge and so did the most part of the nobilitie the Pope hauing assembled a councell at Constance caused the Emperour Sigismonde to fende for him who sent him his safe conducte And being there he was gretly sollicited to leaue off his opinion but he was constant vpholding his propositions and reasons to wit those which were grounded vppon the trueth of the holy scriptures Saying that the end principal scope of his doctrine was for to teache men repentance and remission of sinnes according to the trueth of the sonne of God the exposition of the holy doctours That if any were able to proue that he did the contrarie he was ready to acknowledge his faultes otherwise rather to suffer death then leane vnto mens traditions repugning to the doctrine of the Gospell After many disputations forasmuch as hee allowed not all that them liked he was at the laste condemned to be burned being beset with woode rounde aboute as the fire beganne he cryed thrise with a loude voyce O Iesus Christ the sonne of the liuing God haue pitie on me and thus he yelded vp the Ghost His ashes were caste by commaundement into Rhein to the intent that nothinge of him might be left vppon the earth neuerthelesse his memory can neuer be defaced in the hearts of the faithfull neyther by fire nor water nor anye manner of tormentes Whoso woulde se thereof more at large let him reade Iohn Crespin his booke of martyres 136 In the yeare after the natiuitie of our Lorde Iesus Christ 1415. Hierom of Prague a Bohemiā beinge maruelously troubled for that he had heard that his countrie was oppressed by houshoulde enimies and neighboures by many false slaunders and that Iohn Hus was vilanously vsed by the said councell he went to Constance and there being ad uertised that the people went about to entrap him he retyred backe for certaine daies vnto a place not farre off for that he might not séeme to intrude him selfe wilfully into daungers He requested of the Emperour a safe conducte for to enter into the cittie and there to answere vnto such crimes and misdéedes as shoulde be brought against him and séeinge that he coulde get no safe conduit he was going home againe and was taken by the way by treason carried to Constance wheras in the presence of the Bishopes and prelates he made open confession of his faith True it is that he hauing béen altogeather pined away with longe kéepinge in prison and throughe many horrible threatnings he was vanquished by the weakenes of the flesh partly dreadinge the horrour of the torments and partly hoping to escape out of their vilanous and cruell handes he recited publikely before them all an abiuration which they had giuen him in writing Moreouer he was enioyned to say that Iohn Hus had ben worthily burned but for all this he escaped not but hee returned agayne to the same stincking and infectuous pryson where he was afore being there no better handled then before tyme. Then did the lord who neuer forsaketh his cause him to seale in his conscience his vile misdeed And therefore desiring to be brought agayne in to the whole assembly he first affirmed that he héeld with the Catholike and vniuersal Church al things the it holdeth which church abhorreth all errours an heresies Lastly he addeth this that of all the sinnes where with he euer had offended Gods diuine maiestie there was none that so much charged and gréeued his conscience as did this offence that hee had committed in the chaire of pestilence and execration whether he being fallen by infirmitie and by the horrour of death he was was constrained to goe back and