excommunicate 12 Theodosius the great Emperour for a fault which seemed not so waighty vnto other Priestes and shut him out of the Church who afterward by condigne satisfaction was absolued There are many other like examples for Dauid when he had committed adulterie and murther the prophet Nathan was sent vnto him by God to reprooue him and he was soone corrected And the king laying aside his scepter and Diademe and setting apart all princely maiestie was not ashamed to humble himselfe before the face of the Prophet to confesse his faulte to require forgeuenes for his offence what wil you more he being stricken with repentance asked mercy and obtained forgeuenes So likewise you most beloued king and reuerend Lord after the example of this good king Dauid of whom it is sayde I haue founde a man after mine owne heart with a contrite and humble heart turne to the Lorde your God and take holde of repentaunce for your transgressions For you are fallen and erred in many things which yet I kepe in store still if peraduenture God shall inspire you to say with the prophet haue mercy on me O god according to thy great mercye for I haue sinned much against thee don◠euil in thy sight Thus much I haue thought good to write to you my deare Lorde at this present passing other things in silence till I may see whether my wordes take place in you and bring foorth fruits in you worthy of repentance and that I may heare and reioyce with them that shall bring me worde and say Oh king thy sonne was dead and is aliue againe was lost and is founde againe But if you will not heare me looke where I was wont before the maiestie of the body of Christ to pray for you in aboundance of teares sighes There in the same place I will crie against you and say Rise vp Lord and iudge my cause forget not the rebukes and iniuries which the king of England doeth to thee and thine forget not the ignominie of thy Church which thou hast builded in thy bloud Reuenge the bloud of thy saintes which is spilt reuenge O Lord the afflictions of thy seruants of whome there is an infinite number For the pride of them which hate persecute thee is gone vp so highe that we are not able to beare them any longer Whatsoeuer your seruant shall do all those things shall be required at your handes for he seemeth to haue done the harme which hath geuen the cause thereof Doubtlesse the sonne of the most highest except you amende and cease from the oppressing of the church and clergie and keepe your hand from troubling of them wil come in the rod of his furie at the voices of such as cry to him and at the sighes of them that be in bands when the time shal come for him to iudge the vnrighteousnesse of men in equitie and seueritie of the holy ghost For he knoweth how to take away the breath of Princes and is terrible among kings of the earthe◠Your deare and louing grace I wish well to fare Thus fare ye well againe and euer ¶ Certaine notes or elenches vpon this Epistle which by the figures you may finde out and their places 1. The scope of this Epistle is this to proue that bishops and priests ought not to come vnder the court and cōtrolment of temporall power 2. This similitude holdeth not For though the smalnesse of a Citie blemisheth not the prerogatiue of a kingdome yet the euilnes and rebellion of a Citie doth worthely blemish his owne prerogatiue 3. So sayth the Popes decrees Dist. 10. but the Scripture of God importeth otherwise Abiathar the Priest was deposed of king Salomon not for any heresie but for other causes 3. Reg. 1.2 Ionathas tooke his priesthoode of king Alexander And Simon of Demetrius 1. Mach. 7. Christ offered tribute to Cesar for him and for Peter Also Peter sayeth be ye subiect to euery humaine creature and it followeth whether it be to the king as to the chiefe c. Item Pope Leo submitted himselfe to Ludouicus the Emperor with these words And if we do any thing incompetently and do swarue from the path of righteousnes we wil stand to your reformation or of them whom you shall send 2.9.7 Hos. 4. Notwithstanding the saide Constantinus wryting to the bishops cōgregated at Tyrus first chideth them then commādeth them to resort vnto his presence to haue their cause iudged and decided Trip hist. lib. 3. cap. 7. 5. The father vnder obedience c. If fatherhoode goe by age I suppose that king Henry was elder then Becket If fatherhoode consist in authoritie I iudge the authoritie of a king to be aboue the authoritie of an Archbishop If the see of Canterburie make the fatherhoode yet had Becket no cause to claime fatherhood ouer the king seeing the sonne ordeined the father that is seeing the king made him his Archbishop and not he made him his king 6. By wicked bonds Al is wicked with the Papists that bringeth them in subiection to their Princes 7. Ecclesiasticall matters be suche as properly belong to doctrine and deuine knowledge for the institution of the soule and information of conscience In which both Princes and subiects ought to followe their pastors so long as they go truely before them without error or els not But what maketh this for the lands liberties of churchmen 8. Punishment due to malefactors and rebelles is not to be called persecution but due correction 9. Saule brake the commandement of God and was reiected Ozias cōtrary to the commandement of God tooke the office of a priest and was striken Oza against the expresse word of the law put his hand toy arke was punished But what expresse word had k. Hēry why he should not correct and punish rebellious bishoppes and wicked priests within his owne realme wherefore these similitudes accorde not As for Achas he was not so much punished for taking the priests office as for spoyling the temple of the Lord and offering to Idoles 10. Common lawes S. Augustin wryting to Boniface sayeth thus Whosoeuer obeyeth not the lawes of the Emperor being made for the veritie of God procureth to himselfe great punishment For in the time of the prophets all the kings which did not forbidde and subuert all such things as were vsed of the people against the law of God are rebuked And such as did with stand them are commended aboue the rest August 11. Isidorus hath these wordes Let temporal princes know that they must render accōpt to God for the church which they haue at the hands of God to gouerne c. 12. The case of Archadius Theodosius Dauid of this king as touching this mater hath no similitude In them was murder This king doeth nothing but claime that which is his due And though by the spiritual sword those kings were resisted yet it argueth not therefore that the persons of them which haue the
prospered with me but all hath gone against me In the next yeare after 1216. was Symon Langton chosen Archbishop of Yorke but that election anon arter was dissolued for informatioÌ„ was geuen to the pope that the said Simon was brother to SteueÌ„ Langton the archbishop of Cant. which had bene the occasion of all the tumults which were that time in England And the Pope had the more hate vnto him for that he had brought hym vp of nought and did finde him at that time so stuvburne wherefore he placed in hys brothers place Walter Graie the bishop of Winchester In the same yere Gualo the popes legate renued hys great curse vppon Lewes the French kings sonne for vsurping vpon king Iohn Likewise vpon Simon Langton and Gernais Hobruge for prouoking him to yâ— same and that wyth a wonderfull solemnitie for in that doing hee made all the belles to be rong the candles to be lyght the doores to be opened and the boke of excommunicatioÌ„s and interdictions publikely to be read committing them wholy to the deuil for their contumacie and contempt He also commanded the Bishops and Curates to publishe it abroad ouer at the whole realm to the terror of ad his subiects The said Simon Geruais laughed hym to scorne and derided much his doings in that behalfe saying that for the iust title of Ludowick they had appealed to the generall councell at Rome The magistrates of London and citizens of the same did likewise vilipende and disdainously mocke all that the Pope had there commanded and done And in spight both of him and hys legate they kept company with them that were excommunicated both at table and at church shewing themselues thereby as open contemners both of him and his lawes Ludowicke at London taking himselfe for king constituted Simon Langton for hys high Chancellor Geruais Hobruge for his chiefe preacher By whose daily preachings as well the Barons and the Citizens themselues being both excommunicated caused all the church dores to be opened and the seruice to be song the said Ludowicke was in all poynts fit for their handes About this time was Pandulphus then Cardinal collecting the Peter pence an olde pillage of the Pope taking great paines therin And for his great labours in those affaires of holy Church for other great myracles besides he was then made bishop of Norwich to the augmenting of his dignitie and expenses It chaunced about this time that the Uicount of Melun a very noble maÌ„ of the realme of France which came thether wyth the Prince Ludowicke to fall deadly sicke at London and also moued of conscience to cal certaine of the English Barons vnto hym such as were there appoynted to the custodie of that citie sayd vnto them I lament your sorrowful case and pitie with my heart the destruction that is comming towards you and your countrey The daungerous snares which are prepared for your vtter coÌ„fusion are hidden from you ye do not behold them but take ye hede of them in time Prince Ludowicke hath sworne a great oth 16. of his Earles and noble men are of counsel with him that if he obtaine the crowne of England he will banish all them from seruice depriue them of lands and goods as many as he findeth nowe to goe against their liege king and are traitours to his noble person And because yee shall not take thys tale for a fable I assure you on my faith lying nowe at the mercy of God that I was one of them which was sworn to the same I haue great conscience therof and therfore I geue you this warning I pittie poore England which hath bene so noble a region that now it is come to so extreme misery And when he with teares had lamented it a space hee returned againe vnto them and said my frends I counsel you earnestly to looke to your selues and to prouide the remeady in time least it come vpon you vnwares Your king for a season hath kept you vnder but if Ludowicke preuaile he will put you from all Of two extreeme euilles chose the more easy and keepe that secret which I haue tolde you of good will with that he gaue ouer and departed this life When this was once noysed among the Barons they were in great heauinesse for they saw themselues betrapped euery way and to be in exceeding great daunger And this daily augmented that feare which then came vpoÌ„ the Barons They were extremely hated of the Pope and his Legates and euery weeke came vpon them newe excommunications Daily detriments they had besides in theyr possessions and goodes in their lands houses corne and cattell wines and children so that some of them were driuen to such neede that they were enforced to seeke prayes and booties for sustaining theyr miserable liues For looke whatsouer prince Ludowick obtained by his warres either territories or castels he gaue them all to his French men in spight of their heads and said that they were but traitours like as they had warning afore whych greeued them worst of all At the last they perceiuing that they in seeking to auoid one mischief were ready to fall into an other much worse they began to lay their heads together consenting to submit themselues wholy with al humility to the mercy of their late soueraigne natural liege Lord king Iohn And for that they were somewhat in doubt of their liues for the treason afore committed many of the friendes of them which were of most credite with him made sute for them So were a great number of them pardoned after instant great suit made for them I heere omit his recouery of Rochester castle and citie with many other dangerous aduentures against the foresayd Ludowicke both at London Yorke Lincolne Winchester Norwiche other places els as things not pertaâ—ning to my purpose And now I returne to my matter againe Into Suffolke and Norffolke hee consequently iourneyed with a very strong armie of men and there wyth great mischiefe hee afflicted them because they had geuen place were sworne to his enemies After that he destroied the Abbeis of Peterborough Crowland for the great treasons which they also had wrought against him and so he departed from thence into Lincolneshire In this yeare about the 17. day of Iuly died Pope Innocent the 3. and was buried in a citie called Perusium in Italie where as hee had trauailed to make a peace betweene the Genouaies and the Pyses for his owne commoditie and aduauntage After hym anone succeeded one Ciatius otherwise called Honorius Tertius a man of very great age yet liued he in the papacy 10. yeres and an halfe more When this was once known in England greatly reioyced all they which were king Iohns enemies specially the priests yet had they small cause as will appeare hereafter They noised it al the realme ouer that this new Pope would set a new order and
Philip Emperour after him In the dayes of these Emperours aboue recited was Pontianus bishop of Rome who succeeded next after Vrbanus aboue rehersed about the yeare of our Lord 236. in the xij yeare of Alexander as Eusebius Lib. 6. cap. 28. noteth declaring him to sit vj. yeares Contrary Damasus and Platina write that he was bishop ix yeares and a halfe And that in the tyme of Alexander he with Philippus his Priest was banished into Sardina and there died But it semeth more credible that he was banished rather vnder Maximinus and died in the beginning of the raigne of Gordianus In his Epistles decretal which seeme likewise to be fayned he appeareth very deuout after the common example of other bishops to vphold the dignitie of Priests and of Clergie men saying that God hath them so familiar with him that by them he accepteth the offrings and oblations of other and forgiueth their sinnes and reconcileth them vnto him Also that they do make the body of the lord with their owne mouth and geue it to other c. Which doctrine how it standeth with the Testament of God glory of Christ let the Reader vse his owne iudgement Other notable fathers also in the same time were raysed vp in the church as Philetus Bishop of Antioch which succeded after Asclepiades afore mentioned an 220. and after him Zebennus bishop of the same place an 231. To these also may be added Ammonius the schoolemaister of Origene as Suidas supposeth also the kinsmen of Porphiry the great enemy of Christ. Notwithstanding this Ammonius endued with better grace as he left diuers bookes in defence of Christes religion so he did constantly perseuere as Eusebius reporteth in the doctrine of Christ which he had in the beginning receaued who was about y◠days of Alexander Iulius Aphricanus also about the tyme of Gordianus aforesayd is numbred among the old and auncient writers of whom Nicephorus writeth to be the scholer of Origene and a great writer of histories of that tyme. Unto these Doctors and Confessors may be adioyned the story of Natalius mentioned in the fift booke of Eusebius This Natalius had suffred persecution before like a constant confessor who being seduced and persuaded by Asclepiodotus and Theodorus which were the Disciples of Theodorus to take vpon him to be bishop of their sect promising to geue him euery month an hundreth and fiftie pieces of siluer and so he ioyning himselfe to them was admonished by vision and reuelatiō from the Lord. For such was the great mercy of God and of our Lord Christ Iesu that he would nor his Martyr which had suffered so much for his name before now to perish out of his church For the which cause sayth Eusebius God by certaine visions did admonish him But he not taking great heede thereunto beyng blynded partly with lucre partly with honor was at length all the night long scourged of the Angels In so much that he beyng made thereby very fore and early on the morow putting on sackcloth with much weeping and lamentation went to Zephyrinus the bishop aboue mentioned where he falling down before him and all the Christian congregation shewed them the stripes of his body and prayed them for the mercies of Christ that he might be receiued into their communion again from which he had sequestred himselfe before And so was admitted according as he desired After the decease of Pontianus Bishoppe of Rome afore mentioned succeeded next in that place Anterius of whom Isuardus writeth that Pontianus departing away did substitute him his roome But Eusebius writeth that he succeeded immediately after him Damasus sayth that because he caused the actes and deathes of the Martyrs to be written therefore he was put to martirdome himselfe by Maximinus the Iudge Concerning the tyme of this Byshop our writers do greatly iarre Eusebius and Marianus Scotus affirme that he was Bishop but one moneth Sabellicus sayth that not to be so Damasus assigneth to him xii yeares one moneth Volateranus Bergomensis and Henricus Erford geue to him three yeares one moneth Nauclerus writeth that he sat one yeare and one moneth All which are so farr discrepant one from an other that which of them most agreeth with truth it lyeth in doubt Next to this Bishop was Fabianus of whom more is to be sayd hereafter Of Hippolytus also both Eusebius and Hieronymus maketh mention that he was a bishop but where they make no relation And so likewise doth Theodoretus witnes him to be a bishop and also a Martyr but namyng no place Gelasius contra Eutichen sayth he dyed a Martyr and that he was bishop of an head Citie in Arabie Nicephorus writeth that he was Bishop of Ostia a port towne neare to Rome Certain it is he was a great writer and left many workes in the Church which Eusebius and Hierome do recite by the supputation of Eusebius he was about the yeare of our Lord 230. Prudentius in his Peristephanon making mentiō of great heapes of Martyrs buried by ix together speaketh also of Hippolytus and sayth that he was drawn with wild horses through fields dales and bushes and describeth thereof a pitifull story After the Emperour Gordianus the Empire fell to Philippus who with Philip his sonne gouerned the space of vj. yeares an 246. This Philippus with his sonne and all his familie was christened conuerted by Fabianus Origene who by letters exhorted him and Seuera his wife to be baptised being the first of all the Emperours that brought in Christianity into the emperiall seat Howsoeuer Pomponius Letus reporteth of him to be a dissembling prince this is certayne that for his Christianitye he with his sonne was slayne of Decius one of his Captaynes Sabellicus Bergomensis Lib 8. sheweth this hatred of Decius agaynst Philippus to be conceaued for that the Emperour Philip both the Father and the sonne had committed their treasures vnto Fabianus then Bishop of Rome The seuenth Persecution THus Philippus beyng slayne after him Decius inuaded the crowne about the yeare of our Lord 250 by whom was mooued a terrible persecution against the Christians which Orosius noteth to be the vij persecution The first occasion of this hatred and persecution of this tyrant conceaued agaynst the Christians was chiefly as is before touched because of the treasures of the Emperour which were committed to Fabian the bishop This Fabian first being a maryed man as Platina writeth was made Bishop of Rome after Anterius aboue mētioned by the miraculous appointment of God which Eusebius doth thus describe in this sixt booke When the brethren sayth he were together in the Congregation about the electiō of their Bishop and had purposed among them selues vpon the nominatiō of some noble and worthy personage of Rome it chaūced that Fabianus amōg other was there presēt who of late before was newly come out of the
of charity But this charity Lord hath thy vicar ybroke and says that we sinnen but gif we suen for our right And we se I wote that thou taughtest vs sometime to geue our mantell also euer that we shoulden suen for our coate And so Lord beleueÌ„ we that we ben ybounden to don by thy law that is all charitye officers duty is to defenden vs from thilke theuery though we coÌ„plainen not But lord thy law is turned vpsedown A Lord what dome is it to sleane a theefe that take a maÌ„s cattell away from hym and suffren a spousebreaker to liue and a lecherour that killeth a womans soule And yet thy lawe stoned the â—pousebreakers and leachours and let the theeues liuen and haue other punishment A Lord what dome is it to sleane a these for stealing of a hors and to let him liue vnpunished to maintaine him that robbeth thy poore people of their liuelod and the soule of his foodeâ— Lorde it was neuer thy dome to sayen that a man is an heretike and cursed for breaking of mans lawe and demen hym for a good man for breaking thine hestes Lord what dome is it to curse a lewd man if he smite a priest and not curse a priest that smiteth a lewed man and leeseth hys charitie Lord what dome is it to curse the lewd people for tythings and not curse the parson that robbeth the people of tythings and teacheth them not Gods lawe but feedeth them with painting of stone walles and songs of Latin that the people knowen not Lord what dome is it to punish the poore maÌ„ for his trespas and suffer the rich to continue in his sin for a quantity of mony Lord what dome is it to slaine an vncunning lewed man for his sinne and suffer a priest other a clerke that doth the same sin scape a liue Lord the sinne of the priest or of the cleark is greater trespasse then it is of a lewd vncunning man and greater ensample of wickednes to the common people Lord what maner people be we that neither keep thy domes and thy rightfulnes of the old testament that was a law of drede nor thy domes and thy rightfulnes of thy new testament that is a law of loue and of mercy but haue an other law and taken out of both thy lawes that is liking to vs and remnaunt of heathen mennes lawes and Lord this is a great mischiefe O Lord thou sayest in thy law deme ye not and ye should not be demed for the same mesure that ye meten to other men men shall meten to you againeward And Lord thou sayst that by their worke we should know them And by what we knowe that thou commaunded vs not to demen mens thoughts nor their workes that were not agaynst thy law expresly And yet Lord he that saith he is thy vicar will demen our thoughtes and aske vs what we thinke not of the Lord of thy hestes for they caren little for them but of him and of his whilke they sate aboue thine and maken vs accusen our selfe or els they willen accursen vs for our accusers mowen we not knowne And Lord thou sayest in thyne olde law that vnder two witnes at the least or three shoulde stand euery matter And that the witnes shoulden euer be the first that shoulden helpe to kill them And when the schribes and the Pharises some tymes brought before thee a woman that was itake in spouse breaking and exeden of the a dome thou didst write on the earth and then thou gaue this dom He that is without sinne throw first at her a stone and Lord they went forth away from thee and the woman thou forgaue the woman her trespasse and bad her go forth and sinne no more Sweete Lord if the priestes tooke keepe to thy dome they would be agast to demen men as they done O Lord if one of them breake a commaundement of thy law he will axe mercy of thee and not a peine that is due for the sinne for peyne of death were to little O Lord how daren they demen any man to the death for breaking of theyr lawes other assent to such law for breaking of thy law they will set penaunce or pardon them and mayntayne them as oft as they trespassen But Lorde if a man ones breake theyr lawes or speake agaynst them he may done penaunce but ones and after be burnt Trulych Lord thou sayst but if euery of vs forgeue other his trespasse thy father will not forgeuen vs our sinnes And Lord when thou honge on the crosse thou prayedâ—t to thy father to haue mercy on thine enemies And yet the sain Lord that they demen no man to the death for the sain they ne mowen by their law demen any man to the death A leeue Lord euen so saden theyr forefathers the phariseis that it ne was not lawfull for them to kill any man And yet they bidden Pilate to done thee to the death agaynst his owne conscience for he wold gladly haue iquitte thee but for that they threatened him with the Emperour and broughten agaynst thee false witnesse also And he was an heathen man ¶ O Lord how much truer dome was there in Pilate that was an heathen iustice then in our kinges and iustices that woulden demen to the death and berne in the fire him that the Priests deliueren vnto them withouten witnes or prefe For Pilate ne would not demen thee for that the Phariseis sayden that gif thou ne had dest not bene a misdoer we ne would not deliuer him vnto thee for to they broughten in theyr false witnesse agaynst thee But Lord as thou saydest sometime that it should ben lighter at domes day to Tyro and to Sydon and Gomorra than to the cities where thou wrought wonders and miracles so I dred it shall be more light to Pilate in the dome then to our kinges and domes men that so demen without witnesse and prefe For Lord to demen thy folke for heretickes is to holden thee an hereticke and to brenneÌ„ them is to brennen thee for thou saydest to Paule when he persecuted thy people Saule Saule wherefore persecutest thou me in the dome thou shalt say that ye haue done to the left of mine ye haue done to me Thus Lord is thy mercy iustice foredone by him that sayth he is thy vicar in earth for he neither keepeth it himselfe nor nill not suffer other to do it ¶ The third commaundement that is patience and sufferance is also ibroken by this vicar Lord thou biddest sufferen both wroÌ„ges and strokes withouten againstanding and so thou diddest thy selfe to geuen vs ensample to sufferen of our brethren For suffering nourisheth loue and agaynstandeth debate All thy lawes is loue or els the thing that draweth to loue ¶ But Lord men teachen that men shoulden pleten for their right and fighten also therefore and els they seyn men ben in perill
and thou bid in the olde law men fight for theyr countrey And thy selfe haddest two swordes in thy company when thou shouldest go to thy passion that as these clerkes seyn betokeneth a spirituall sword and a temporall sworde that thou gaue to thy vicar to rule with thy church Lord this is a sleight speech but Lord we beleuē that thou art king of blisse and that is thine heritage and mankindes countrey and in this worlde wee ne bene but straungers and pilgrimes For thou Lord ne art of this world ne thy law nether ne thy true seruauntes that kepen thy law And Lord thou were king of Iuda by enheritage if thou wouldest haue ihad it but thou forsooke it and pletedest not therfore ne fought not therfore ¶ But Lord for thy kinde heretage and mankindes countrey that is a land of blisse thou foughtest mightilich In battaile thou ouercame thy enemie so thou wonne thine heretage For thou that were a Lord mightiest in battail and also Lord of vertues are rightfullich king of blisse as Dauid saith in the Psalter But Lorde thine enemie smote the dispitesullich and had power of thee and hang thee vpō the crosse as thou haddest ben a these benomyn thee all thy clothes and sticked thee to the hart with a spere ¶ O Lord this was an hard assault of a battaile and here thou ouercome by paciē ce mightilich thine enemies for thou ne woldest not done against the will of thy father And thus Lorde thou taughtest thy seruants to fight for their countrey And Lorde this fighting was in figure itaught in the old law But Lord men holdē now the shadow of the old fighting leuen the light of thy fighting that thou taughtest openlych both in word and in deede ¶ Lord thou gaue vs a sword to fighten against our enemis for our conntrey that was thine holy teaching christen mens law But Lorde thy sworde is put in a shethe and in priests warde that haue forsake the fighting that thou taughtest For as they seyn it is against their order to ben mē of armes in thy battail for it is vnsemelich as they seyn that thy vicar in erth other hys priests shulden suffer of other mē And therfore gif any man smite him other any of his clerkes hee ne taketh it not in pacience but anon hee siniteth with his sworde of cursing and afterward with his bodylich sworde he doth them to death O Lord me thinketh that this is a fighting against kinde and much against thy teaching O Lorde whether axsedest thou after swerdes in time of thy passion to again stond thine enemies nay forsooth thou Lorde For Peter that smote for great loue of thee had no great thanke of thee for his smiting And Lorde thou were mighty ynough to haue againe stonde thine ennemies for through thy looking they fellen downe to the ground Lorde iblessed mote thou be Heere thou teachest vs that we shoulden suffren For thou were mighty ynow to haue agaynst and thine ennemies and thou haddest wepen and thy men weren harty to haue smitten O sweet Lord how may he for shame clepen himselfe thy Viker and head of the Church that may not for shame suffer Sithe thou art a Lord and sufferedst of thy subiectes to geuen vs ensāple and so did thy true seruauntes O Lord whether geue thou to Peter a spirituall sworde to curse a temporal swerd to sle mens bodies Lord I trow not for thē Peter that loued thee so much wold haue smitwith thy swerds But Lord he taught vs to blessen them that cursen vs and suffren and not smiten And Lord he fed thy people as thou bed him and therefore he suffered the death as thou didst O Lord why clepeth any man him Peters successor that hath forsaken patience and feedeth thy people with cursing and wyth smiting Lord thou saydest in thy Gospell when thy disciples knewen well that thou were Christ and that thou mustest goe to Ierusalem and sufferen of the Scribes and Pharises spittinges reprofes and also the death And Peter tooke thee aside and sayd God forbid that And Lord thou saydst to Peter goe behinde me Sathanas thou sclaunderest me in Israell For thou ne sauorest not thilke thinges that ben of God but thilke that ben of men Lord to mens wyt it is vnreasonable that thou or thy Vicar gif thou madest any on earth shoulden suffren of your suggets A Lord whether thou ordeynest an order of fighters to turne men to the beliefe Other ordeinest that knightes shoulden swear to fighte for thy wordes A Lord whether bede thou that gif a man turne to the fayth that he should geue his goodes and cattell to the Vicar that hath great Lordships and more then him needeth Lord I wot wel that in the beginning of the church men that weren cōuerted threwen adowne theyr goodes before the Apostles feete For all they weren in charitie and none of them sayd thus is myne ne Peter made himselfe no Lord of these goodes But Lord now he that clepeth himselfe thy Vicar vpon earth and successor to Peter hath ybroke thy commaundement of charitie for he is become a Lord. And he hath also broken thy commandement of mercy and also of patience Thus Lord we be fallen into great mischiefe and thraldome for our chiefetayne hath forsaken war and armes and haue treated to haue peach with our enemies A Lord gif it be thy will draw out thy swerd out of his sheth that thy seruauntes may fight therewith agaynst their enemies put cowardise out of our hartes And comfort vs in battaile or than thou come with thy sword in thy mouth to take vengeance on thine enemies For gif we bene accorded with our enemies til that time come it is dread least thou take vengeaunce both of thē and of vs together A Lord there is no helpe nowe in this great mischiefe but onely in thee Lord thou geuest vs a commaundement of truth in bidding vs say yea yea nay nay and sweare for nothing Thou geue vs also a maundement of meekenes and an other of poorenes But Lord he that clepeth himself thy Vicar on earth hath both ybrokē these commaundements for he maketh a law to compell men to sweare and by his lawes he teacheth that a man to saue his life may forsweare and lye And so Lord through cōfort of him and his lawes the people ne dreadeth not to sweare and to lye ne oft times to forswearen them Lord here is little truth O Lord thou hast ybrought vs to a liuing of soules that standes in beleeuing in thee keeping thy hestes and when we breaken thine hestes than we slen our soule And lesse harme it were to suffer bodylich death Lord king Saule brake thine hestes and thou tooke his kingdome from his heyres euermore after him and gaue it to Dauid thy seruaunt that kept thine hestes And thou saydst by Samuell thy prophat to Saule king that it
thee and being sold was it not in thine own power why hast thou conceiued this thing in thine hart Thou hast not lyed vnto meÌ„ but vnto God And wheÌ„ Ananias heard these wordes he fell downe and gaue vp the ghost great feare came on all them that heard these things And the young meÌ„ rose vp and tooke him vp and caried him out and buried him And it came to passe about the space of iij. houres after that his wyfe came in being ignorant of that whych was done And Peter sayd vnto her Tel me womaÌ„ sold ye the land for so much And she sayd yea for so much But Peter saye vnto her why haue ye agreed together to teÌ„pt the spirit of the Lord Behold the feete of them which buried thy husbande are at the doore and shall cary thee out And straight way she fel downe before his feete and gaue vp the ghost and the yong men entring in found her dead and they caried her out and buried her by her husbaÌ„d And great feare came on all the church all those which heard these thinges It is meruaile that any man that is wise wyll say that by this processe Peter slue Ananias or hys wife For it was not his act but the act of God who made a wedding to his sonne sent his seruant to cal them that were bidden vnto the wedding and they would not come The king then sent forth his seruantes to the outcorners of the hie wayes to gather all that they could find both good and euill And so they did And the maryage was full furnished with gestes Then came in also the king to view and see them sitting Among whom he perceaued there one sitting hauing not a wedding garment and sayth vnto him frend how camest thou hither And he being dumme had not a worde to speake Then said the king to the seruitures take and binde him hand and foote and cast him into the outward darcknes there shall be weeping and gnashinge of teeth Many there be called but few chosen c. It is manifest that this wedding garment is charitie without which because Ananias entred into the maryage of Christ he was geuen to death that by one many might be informed to learne vnderstand that they which haue fayth not charitie although they appeare to men to haue yet it can not be priuy to the spirite of God that they doe fayne Such there is no doubt but they shal be excluded froÌ„ the mariage of christ as we see this here exemplified in the death of Ananias his wife by the hand of God not by the hand of Peter And how should Peter theÌ„ haue iudged Ananias albeit he had iudged him worthy of death by the rigour of the old law For why by the law he had not bene guilty of death for that part which they fraudulently dissemblingly did reserue to themselues Yea and if they had stolne as much from an other man which was greater neither yeâ— for hys lie committed he had not therfore by the law of iustice bene found gilty of death Wherefore if he did not condeÌ„ne hym by the law of iustice it appeared that he codeÌ„ned him by the law of grace and mercy whiche he learned of Christ. And so consequently it followeth much more apparent that Peter could not put him to death Furthermore to say that Peter put him to death by the meere motion of his own will and not by authoritie of the old law nor by the new it were derogatory and slaunderous to the good fame and name of Peter But if Peter did kill hym why then doth the Byshop of Rome which pretendeth to be successor of Peter excuse himselfe and his priestes from the iudgement of death agaynst heretiques and other offeÌ„ders although they themselues be conseÌ„ting to such iudgements done by lay men For that which was done of Peter without offence may reasonably excuse him and his felow Priestes from the spot of crime Actes 5. It is manyfest that there was another which did more greeuously offend theÌ„ Ananias and that Peter rebuked him with more sharpe words but yet he commanded him not so to he put to death For Simon Magus also remayning at Samaria after that he beleued and was baptised he ioyned himselfe with Phillip And when he sawe that the holye spirite was geuen by the Apostles laying theyr handes vpon meÌ„ he offred theÌ„ mony saying geue vnto me this power that vpon whome soeuer I shall lay my hand he shall receaue the holy Ghost To whom Peter answered Destroyed be thou and thy money together And for that thou supposest the gifte of GOD to be bought with money thou shalt haue neyther part nor fellowshippe in this doctrine Thy hart is not pure before god therefore repeÌ„t thee of thy wiâ—kednesse and pray vnto God that this wicked thought of thy hart may be forgeuen thee for I perceiue thou art eueÌ„ in the bitter gall of wickednes and bande of iniquitie Beholde here the greuous offence of Symon Peters hard sharp rebuking of him and yet therupon he was not put to death Whereby it appeareth that the death of Anamas aforesaid proceeded of God and not of Peter Of all these things it is to be gathered seing the iudgements of death are not grounded vpon the expresse and playn scriptures but onely vnder the shadow of the olde law that they are not to be obserued of Christians because they are coÌ„trarye to charity Ergo the bishop of Rome approuing such iudgements alloweth those that are contrary to the law doctrine of Christ as before is sayd of warres where hee approueth iustifieth that which is coÌ„trary to charity The order of Priesthood albeit it doth iustifie the iudgemeÌ„ts to death of the laity whereby offenders are condeÌ„ned to die yet are they themselues forbidden to put in execution the same iudgementes The priestes of the old law being vnperfect wheÌ„ Pylate said vnto theÌ„ concerning Christ whoÌ„ they had accused worthy death take him vnto you and according to your law iudge him answered that it was not lawful for them to put to death any man Wherby it appeareth that our priests being much more perfect may not lawfully geue iudgemeÌ„t of death against any offenders yet notwithstanding they claime vnto theÌ„ the power iudicial vpon offeÌ„ders Because say they it belongeth vnto them to know the offences by the auricular confession of the offenders and to iudge vpoÌ„ the same being knowne aud to ioyne diuers penances vnto the parties offending according to the quantitie of their offences coÌ„mitted to that the sinner may make satisfactioÌ„ say they vnto God for the offences which he neuer committed And to coÌ„firme vnto theÌ„ this iudicial power they alleage the scriptures in many places wrasting it to serue their purpose First they saye that the Bishop of Rome who is the chief priest and iudge among them hath ful power authority to
all your vicious liuing praying to him euer deuoutly of charitable counsel and contynuance Hoping without dout that if ye coÌ„tinue thus busying you faythfully to know to kepe his biddings that he wil for he onely may forgeue you al your sinnes And this man said to me Though God forgeue men their sins yet it behoueth men to be assoyled of priests to do the penance that they enioyne them And I sayde to him Sir it is all one to assoyle men oâ— their sinnes to forgeue meÌ„ their sinnes Wherefore sined it pertayneth only to God to forgeue sinne It sufficeth in this case to counsel men women for to lâ—aue their sinne and to comfort them that busy them thus to do for to hope stedfastly in the mercy of God And agayne ward Priestes ought to tel sharply to customable sinners that if they wil not make an ende of their sinne but coÌ„tinue in diuers sinâ— while that they may sinne all such deserue payne without any en And herefore Priests should ouer busye them to liue wel and holyly and to teach the people 〈◊〉 truly the worde of God shewyng to all folke in open preaching and in priuy counseling that the lord God only forgeueth sinne And therefore those priests that take vpoÌ„ theÌ„ to assoyle meÌ„ of their sinnes blaspheme God since that it perteineth onely to the Lord to assoile men of all their sinnes For no doubt a thousand yeare after yâ— Christ was man no Priest of Christ durst take vpon him to teach the people neither priuily nor apertly that they behoued nedes to come to be assayled of them as Priests now do But by authoritie of Christes word Priests bounde indurate customable synners to euerlasting paines which in no time of their lyuing would busy theÌ„ faithfully to knowe the biddinges of God nor to kepe theÌ„ And again al they that would occupy al their wits to hate to flye al occasion of sinne dreading ouer al thing to offend God and louing for to please him continually to these men women Priests shewed how the Lord assoyleth them of all their sinnes And thus Christ promised to confirme in heauen al the binding and loosing that priests by authoritie of his word binde men in sinne that are indurate therin or loose theÌ„ out of sinne here vpon earth that are verely repentaunt And this maÌ„ hearing these words said that he might well in conscience coÌ„sent to this sentence But he sayd Is it not nedefull to the lay people that can not thus do to go shrine them to priests And I said If a man feele himselfe so distroubled with any sinne yâ— he can not by his own witte auoide this synne without counsel of them that are herein wiser than he In such a case the counsell of a good Priest is full necessarye And if a good priest fayle as they do now coÌ„monly in such a case S. Augustine sayth that a man may lawfully common and take counsel of a vertuous secular maÌ„ But certain that maÌ„ or womaÌ„ is ouerladen and too beastly which cannot bring their owne sinnes into their minde busying them night and day for to hate to forsake al their sinnes doing a sigh for them after their cunning and power And sir full accordingly to this sentence vpoÌ„ MidlentoÌ„ SuÌ„day two yeare as I gesse now agone I hard a Monk of Feuersam that men called Morden preache at CauÌ„terbury at the crosse within Christ Church Abbey saying thus of coÌ„fession That as through the suggestioÌ„ of the feend without counsell of any other body of themselues many men women can imagine and find meanes ways inough to come to pride to theft to lechery and other diuers vices In contrary wise this Monke said Since the Lord God is more ready to forgiue sinne than the feend is or may be of power to moue any body to sinne than whosoeuer wil shame and sorow hartely for their sinnes knowledging them faithfully to God amending them after their power and cunning without counsell of any other body than of God and himselfe through the grace of God all such men and women may find sufficient meanes to come to Gods mercy and so to be cleane assoiled of all their sinnes This sentence I sayd sir to this man of yours and the selfe words as neere as I can gesse ¶ And the Archbishop said Holy Church approoueth not this learning ☞ And I said Sir holy Church of which Christ is head in heauen and in earth must needs approue this sentence For loe hereby all men women may if they will be sufficiently taught to know to keepe the commandements of God to hate to flie continually all occasion of sinne and to loue and to seeke vertues busily to beleue in God stably and to trust in his mercy stedfastly so to come to perfect charitie continue therin perseuerantly And more the Lord asketh not of any man here now in this life And certaine since Iesu Christ died vpon the crosse wilfully to make men free Men of the Church are to bold and to busie to make men thrall binding theÌ„ vnder the paine of endles curse as they say to do many obseruaunces and ordynaunces which neither the liuing nor teachyng of Chryst nor of his Apostles approueth And a Clerke said theÌ„ to me Thou shewest plainly here thy deceit which thou hast learned of them that trauell to sow people amoÌ„g the wheat But I couÌ„sel thee to go away cleane froÌ„ this learning submit thee lowly to my lorde and thou shall finde him yet to be gracious to ther. ¶ And as fast then an other Clerke said to me How wast thou so bold at Paules Crosse in London to stande there hard with thy upper boundeÌ„ about thine head and to reproue in his Sermon the worthy clerke Alkerton drawing away al that thou mightest yea the same day at afternoone thou meeting the worthy Doctour in Watlyng streete calledst him false flatterer and hipocrite ☞ And I said Sir I thinke certainely that there was no man nor womaÌ„ that hated verelye sinne loued vertues heauing the SermoÌ„ of the clerk at Oxford and also Alkersons Sermon but they sayd or might iustly say that Alkerton reproued that clerke vntruely and slaundered him wrongfully and vncharitably For no doubt If the liuing teaching of Christ chiefly and of his Apostles be true no body that loueth God and his law wil blame any senteÌ„ce that the clerke then preached there since by authoritie of Gods word by approued Saints Doctours by opeÌ„ reason this Clerke approued all thinges clearely that hee preached there ¶ And a Clerke of the Archbishops saide to me his Sermon was false and that he sheweth openlye since he dare not stand forth and defend his preaching that he theÌ„ preached there ☞ And I saide Sir I thinke that he purposeth to stande stedfastly thereby or els he scaundereth fouly himself
accepted and thereupon the Archbyshop thomas Arundell wyth hys other bishops and a great part of the clergye went straight waies vnto the king then remaining at Keningston And there laid forth most greuous complaints against the sayd Lorde Cobham to his great infamy and blemish being a man right godly The king gently heard those bloud thirsty Prelates and farre otherwise then became his princely dignitie notwythstanding requiring and instantly desiring them that in respect of hys noble stocke and knighthode they should yet fauourably deale with him And that they would if it were possible without all rigor or extreme handling reduce him againe to the Churches vnitie Hee promised them also that in case they were contented to take some deliberation hys selfe would seriously common the matter wyth him Anone after the king sent for the saide Lorde Cobham And as he was come he called him secretely admonishing him betwixt him and him to submit himself to his mother the holy church and as an obedient child to acknowledge himselfe culpable Unto whome the Christen knight made this aunswer You most worthy Prince saith he I am alwaies prompt willing to obey for somuch as I knowe you a christen king the appoynted minister of God bearing the sworde to the punishment of euil doers for safegard of them that be vertuous Unto you next my eternal God owe I my whole obedience submit thereunto as I haue done euer all that I haue eyther of fortune or nature ready at all times to fulfil whatsoeuer ye shall in the Lord commaund inc But as touching the Pope and hys spiritually I owe them neither sure nor seruice forsomuch as I knowe him by the Scriptures to be the great Antichrist the sonne of perdition the open aduersary of God the abhomination standing in the holy place When the king had heard thys with such like sentences more he would talke no longer with hym but left him so vtterly And as the Archbyshop resorted againe vnto hym for an answere he gaue him his full authority to cite him examin him punish him according to their deuilish decrees which they called the lawes of holy church Then the sayde Archb. by the counsaile of his other Byshops and Clergy appoynted to cal before him Sir Iohn Didcastle the Lord Cobham and to cause hym personally to appeare to aunswere to such suspect Articles as they shoulde lay agaynst hym So he sent forth hys chiefe Sommoner wyth a very sharpe citation vnto the castle of Cowling where as he at that time dwelt for his solace And as the sayd Sommoner was come thether hee durst in no case enter the gates of so noble a man wythout his licence and therfore he returned home againe hys message not done Then called the Archbish. one Iohn Butler vnto him which was then the doore keper of the kings priuy chamber and wyth him he couenaunted through promyses and rewards to haue this matter craftly brought to passe vnder the kings name Whereuppon the sayde Iohn Butler tooke the Archbyshops Somner with him and went vnto the saide Lord Cobham shewing him that it was the kings pleasure that he should obey that citation and so cited him fraudulently Then saide he to them in few words that he in no case would consent to those most deuilish practises of the Priestes As they had informed the Archbyshop of that aunswere and that it was for no man priuately to cite him after that without pearil of life he decreed by by to haue him cited by publique processe or open cōmandement And in all the hast possible vpon the Wednesday before the Natiuity of our Lady in September he commaunded letters citatorir to be set vppon the great gates of the Cathedrall church of Rochester whych was but 3. English miles frō thence charging hym to appeare personally before him at Ledis the 11. day of the same moneth and yeare all excuses to the contrary set apart Those letters were taken down anone after by such as bare fauor vnto the Lord Cobham and so conueyed aside After that caused the Archbish. new letters to be set vp on the natiuity day of our Lady whych also were rent downe and vtterly consumed Then for somuch as he dyd not appeare at the day appoynted at Ledys where her sate in Consistorie as cruell as euer was Cayphas with his court of hypocrites about him he iudged him denounced him and condemned him of most depe contumacy After that whē he had bene falsly informed by his hired spies and other glosing glauerers that the sayd Lord Cobh. had laughed him to scorn disdained al his doings maintained his old opinions contemned the churches power the dignity of a Bishop the order of priesthood for all these was he than accused of in his mody madnes wtout iust profe did he openly excommunicate him Yet was not withal this his fierce tiranny satisfied but commanded him to be cited a fresh to appeare afore him the Saterday before the feast of S. Mathewe the Apostle with these cruel threatnings added thereunto that if he did not obey at the day he wold more extremely handle him And to make himselfe more strong towardes the performāce thereof he compelled the lay power by most terrible manasings of curses and interdictions to assist hym against that seditious apostata schismaticke and hereticke the troubler of the publike peace that enemy of the realme and great aduersary of all holy Church for al these hateful names did he geue him Thys most constant seruant of the Lorde and worthy Knight sir Iohn Didcastle the Lorde Cobham beholding the vnpeaceable furie of Antichrist thus kindled agaynst him perceiuing himself also compassed on euery side wyth deadly daungers He tooke paper and pen in hand and so wrote a Christen cōfession or rekening of his faith whych followeth heereafter both signing and sealing it wyth his owne hand Wherein he also answered to the 4. chiefest articles that the Archbyshop laid against him That done he tooke the copie with him and went therewith to the king trusting to finde mercy fauour at his hande None other was that confession of his then the common beleue or summe of the Churches faith called the Apostles Creede of all Christen men than vsed with a brief declaration vpon the same as here vnder ensueth ¶ The Christen beliefe of the Lorde Cobham I Beleue in God the father almighty maker of heauen and earth And in Iesu Christ hys onely sonne our Lorde which was cōceiued by the holy ghost borne of the virgin Mary suffred vnder Ponce Pilate crucified dead and buried went downe to hell the thirde day rose agayne from death ascended vp to heauen sitteth on the ryght hande of God the father almighty and from thence shal come again to iudge the quicke the dead I beleeue in the holy ghost the vniuersal holy Church the communion of Saints the forgeuenesse
thinges shall come to passe and be brought by little and little in order of times dispensed of God for the same purpose And this God doth and will do for his owne goodnes and mercy and for the riches of his great longanimity and pacience geuing time and space of repētance to them that haue lōg line in theyr sins to amend and flye from the face of the Lordes fury whyle that in like manner the carnall people and carnal priestes successiuely and in time shall fall awaye and be consumed as with the moth c. ¶ An other letter of Iohn Husse MAister Martin my deare brother in Christ I exhorte you in the Lord that you feare God keepe hys commaundementes and flee the company of women and beware of hearing their confessions least by the hipocrisie of women Sathan deceiue you trust not their deuotion You know how I haue detested the auarice and the inordinate life of the Clergy wherefore through the grace of God I suffer now persecution which shortly shal be consummate in me neither doe I feare to haue my hart powred out for the name of Christ Iesus I desire you hartely be not greedy in seeking after benefices And yet if you shal be called to anye cure in the country let the honour of God the saluation of soules and the trauaile therof moue you therunto and not the hauing of the lining or the commodities thereof And if you shall be placed in any such benefice beware you haue no yong womā for your cook or seruant least you edifie and encrease more your house then your soule See that you be a builder of your spirituall house being gentle to the poore and humble of mind and waste not your goodes in great fare I feare also if you do not amend your life ceasing from your costly and superfluous apparell least you shal be greuously chastised as I also wretched mā shal be punished which haue vsed the like being seduced by custome of euill men and wordly glory wherby I haue bene wounded agaynst God wyth the spirite of pride And because you haue notably knowne both my preaching and outward conuersation euen from my youth I haue no neede to write many thinges vnto you but to desire you for the mercy of Iesus Christ that you do not followe me in anye such leuitie and lightnes whiche you haue in seene in me You knew how before my priesthoode whiche greueth me nowe I haue delighted to playe oftentimes at chesse and haue neglected my time and thereby haue vnhappily prouoked both my self and other to anger many times by that play Wherfore besides other my innumerable faultes for thys also I desire you to inuocate the mercy of the Lord that he will pardon me and so directe my life that hauing ouercome the wickednes of this present life the flesh the world and the deuill I may finde place in the heauenly country at the least in the day of iudgement Fare ye well in Christ Iesus with all them which keepe hys law My gray coate if you will keepe to your selfe for my remembraunce but I thinke you are ashamed to wear that gray colour therfore you may geue it to whō you shall thinke good My white coate you shall geue the minister N. my scholer To George or els to Zuzikon 60. groates or els my gray coate for he hath faythfully serued me ¶ The superscription I pray you that you doe not open this letter before you be sure and certayne of my death The consolation of Mayster Hierome to Mayster Hus. MY maister in those thinges which you haue both written hetherto and also preached after the law of God agaynst the pride auarice an other inordinate vices of the Priestes goe forward be constant and strong And if I shall know that you are oppressed in the cause and if neede shal so require of myne own accorde I will folow after to helpe you as much as I can BY the lyfe actes and letters of Iohn Hus hetherto rehearsed it is euident and playne that he was condemned not for any errour of doctrine which they coulde well proue in hym who neyther denyed their popishe transubstantiation neither spake against the authoritie of the church of Rome if it were well gouerned nor yet the 7. Sacraments also sayd masse himself and almost in al their popish opinions was a papist with them but onely of euil wil was accused of his malicious aduersaries because he spake agaynst the pompe pride and auarice other wicked enormities of the pope Cardinals Prelates of that Church and because he could not abide the high dignities liuings of the Churche and thought the doinges of the pope to be Antichristlike For this cause he procured so many enemies false witnesses agaynst him Who strayning and picking matter out of hys bookes and writinges hauing no one iust article of doctrine to lay vnto him yet they made hym an hereticke whether he would or no and brought him to hys condemnation This can hatred and malice do where the charitie of Christ hath no place Whiche being so as thy charitie good reader may easely vnderstand in perusing the whol course of hys story I beseech thee thē what cause had Iohn Cochleus to write his 12. bookes agaynst Iohn Hus and Hussites In which bookes how bitterly intēperately he misuseth hys penne by these few words in hys second booke thou mayst take a little tast which wordes I thought here briefly to place in English to the ende that all English men may iudge thereby with what spirite and truth these Catholickes he caryed Hys wordes be these Lib. 2. Hist. Dico igitur Ioan Huss neque sanctum neque beatum habendum esse sed impium potius c. That is I say therfore Iohn Husse is neither to be counted holy nor blessed but rather wicked and eternally wretched insomuche that in the day of iudgement it shal be more easie not onely with the infidell Pagans Turks Tartarians and Iewes but also with the most sinfull Sodomites the abhominable Persians which most filthily doe lye with their daughters sisters or mothers yea also with most impious Cain killer of hys owne brother with Thyestes killer of hys own mother and the Lestrygones other Andropophagi which deuour mans flesh yea more easie with those infamous murderers of infants Pharao Herode then with him c. These be the words of Cochleus Whose rayling books although they deserue neyther to be read nor aunswered yet if it pleased God it were to be wished that the Lord would stir vp some towardly yong man that hath so much leasure to defend the simplicitie of thys Iohn Hus whiche cannot now aunswere for himselfe In the meane tyme something to satisfie or stay the readers mynde agaynst thys immoderate hyperbole of Cochleus in like fewe wordes I wyll bryng out Iohn Hus to speake and to cleare hymselfe agaynst this slaunder whose wordes in
the lawe I meane must ende and Christ reigne For both these Christ and the lawe grace and malediction can not reigne and gouerne together But Christ the Sonne of God which once dyed can die no more but must reigne for euer Wherefore the lawe with his strēgth styng and curse must needes cease and haue an end And this is it that S. Paule speaking of the tryumph of Christ saieth that he ascendyng vp led away captiuitie captiue hath set man at lyberty not at libertie to liue as flesh listeth neither hath freed him from the vse exercyse of the law but from the dominion and power of the lawe so that there is nowe no condemnation to them that bee in Christ Iesu which walke not after the flesh c. Romaines 8 And in an other place Saint Paule speaking of the same power and dominion of the lawe sayth that Christ hath taken the oblygation written against vs in decrees and hath nayled it vpon the Crosse tryumphing ouer all c. so that as the kyngdome of Christ fyrst began vpon the Crosse euen so vpon the same Crosse and at the same time the kingdome of the lawe expired and the malediction of the lawe was so crucified vpon the Crosse that it shall neuer ryse agayne to haue any power agaynst them that be in Christ Iesu. For lyke as if a woman be discharged from her first husband being dead hath maryed an other man the first husbande hath no more power ouer her euen so we nowe beyng espoused vnto Christ our seconde husbande are discharged vtterly from our first husbād the law as S. Paule in an other place sayth are no more vnder the law that is vnder the dominion malediction of the lawe but vnder grace that is vnder perpetual remission of al sinnes cōmitted not only before our Baptisme but as well also after Baptisme and duryng all our lyfe long For therein properly consisteth the grace of God in not imputyng sinne vnto vs so often as the repenting sinner rising vp by fayth flyeth vnto Christ and apprehendeth Gods mercy and remission promised in him according to the testimonie both of the Psalme Blessed is the man to whome the Lord imputeth no sinne c. also of all the Prophets which as Saint Peter saith giue recorde to him that through his name all that beleeue in him shall receaue remission of their sinnes c. Actes 10. Which being so as it can not be denied then what needeth these priuate and extraordinary remissions to be brought into the Church by eare confession by meritorious deedes and by the Popes pardons for if there be no condemnation but by the law and if this law it selfe be captiued crucified abolished and departed which was the first husbande what condēnation thē can there be to thē that be in Christ Iesu or by whome should it come If there be no condemnation but a free and generall deliueraunce for all men once gotten by the victorie of Christ from the penalty of the lawe what nedeth thē any particular remission of sinnes at sondry tymes to be sought at the Priestes handes or the Popes pardons He that hath a generall pardon needeth no particular If remedy for sinne be generall and perpetuall once gotten for euer to all them that be in Christ Iesu what needeth any other remedy by auricular confession If it be not generall and perpetuall howe then is it true that Saint Paule sayth the lawe is crucified and condemnation abolished or howe standeth redemption perpetuall and generall if remission be not generall For what is redemption els but remission of sinnes or sinnes bought out or what is els to kill the lawe but to discharge vs from condemnation for euer He that deliuereth his friende for a time out of his enimies hande doth him a pleasure but he that killeth the enimie once out of the way giueth perpetuall safety So if remission of sinnes by Christ were for some sinnes and not for all the lawe then must needes liue still But nowe the kylling and crucifying of the law importeth full remission to be absolute and our safety to be perpetuall But here percase will be obiected of some how standeth remission of sinnes certeine and perpetuall seeyng newe offences being daily committed doe daily require newe remission Hereto I aunswere albeit sinnes doe daily growe whereby wee haue neede dailie to desire God to forgiue vs our trespasses c. yet notwithstanding the cause of our remission standeth euer one and perpetuall neither is the same to be repeted any more nor any other cause to be sought besides that alone This cause is the sacrificed body of Christ once vpon the Crosse for all sinnes that either haue or shall be committed Beside this cause there is no other neither confession nor mens pardons that remitteth sinnes Furthermore as the cause is one and euer perpetuall which worketh remission of sinnes vnto vs so is the promise of God euer one once made and standeth perpetuall that offereth the same to the faith of the repenting sinner And because the sayde promise of God is alwayes sure and can not fayle which offereth remission to all them that beleeue in Christ being limited neyther to time nor number therefore we may boldely conclude that what time soeuer a repenting synner beleeueth and by fayth applyeth to him the sacrifice of Christ he hath by Gods owne promise remission of his sinnes whether they were done before or after Baptisme And moreouer for so much as the said promise of God offereth remission to the repentaunt synner by no other meanes nor condition but onely one that is by fayth in Christ therefore excluding all other meanes and conditions of mans working we say that what repenting sinner soeuer beleeueth in Christ hath already in him selfe and needeth not to seeke to any Priest perpetuall assuraunce of remission not for this time or that time onely but for euer and a day For the promise fayth not he that beleeueth in Christ shall be pardoned this tyme so he sinne no more neyther doth it say that the law is stayde or the sentence repriued but sayth playnely that the law with her condemnation and sentence her selfe is condemned and hanged vp and shall neuer ryse agayne to them that be in Christ Iesu and promiseth indeterminatelye without limitation remission of sinnes to all that beleeue in his name c Actes 10. and likewise in an other place the Scripture speaking absolutely saith Sinne shall not preuayle ouer you addeth the reason why saying Because ye are not vnder the law but vnder grace Rom. 6. Adding this lesson withall as it followeth in the same place not that sinners shoulde sinne more therefore because they are vnder grace but onely that weake infirmities myght be releeued broken consciences comforted and repenting sinners holpen from desperation to the prayse of Gods glory For as God forgiueth
multitude for the causes aboue specified did not cease to disquiete and afflict the quiet people of God impuâ—ing and ascribing to the Christians whatsoeuer misfortune happened contrary to their desires Moreouer inuentyng agaynst them all false crimes and contumelies wherein to accuse them By reason whereof diuers there were in sundry places much molested and some put to death albeit as it is to be supposed not by the consent of the Emperour who of nature was so mylde and gentle that either he raysed vp no persecution agaynst the Christians or els he soone stayed the same beyng mooued As well may appeare by his letter sent doune to the countreys of Asia the tenor whereof here insueth The Epistle of Antoninus Pius to the Common of Asia EMperour and Caesar Aurelius Antoninus Augustus Armenicus Pontifex Maximus Tribune eleuen tymes Consull thrise vnto the commons of Asia greeting I am very certayne that the Gods haue a care of this that they which be such shall be knowen and not lye hid For they doe punish them that will not worship them more then you which so vexe and trouble them confirming thereby the opinion which they haue conceaued and doe conceaue of you that is to bee wicked men For this is their ioy and desire that when they are accused rather they couet to dye for their God then to lyue Whereby they are Victorers and doe ouercome you geuing rather their lyues then to bee obedient to you in doyng that which you require of them And here it shall not be inconuenient to aduertise you of the Earthquakes which haue and doe happen among vs that when at the sight of them you tremble and are afraide then conferre your case with them For they vpon a sure confidence of their God are bolde and fearelesse much more then you who in all the tyme of this your ignoraunce both doe worship other Gods and neglect the Religion of immortalitie and such Christians as worship him them you doe driue out and persecute them vnto death Of these and such like matters many Presidents of our Prouinces did write to our father of famous memorie heretofore To whome he directed his aunswere agayne willing them in no case to molest the Christians except they were found in some trespasse preiudiciall against the Empire of Rome And to me also many there be which write signifiyng their mind in like maner To whome I haue aunswered againe to the same effect and maner as my father did Wherefore if any hereafter shall offer any vexatioÌ„ or trouble to such hauing no other cause but onely for that they are such let him that is appeached be released and discharged free yea although he be founde to bee such that is a Christian and let the accuser sustaine the punishment c. This godly Edict of the Emperour was proclaymed at Ephesus in the publique asseÌ„bly of all Asia wherof Melito also Byshop of Sardis who florished in the same tyme maketh mention in his Apologie written in defence of our doctrine to M. Antoninus Verus as hereafter Christ willing shall appeare By this meanes then the tempest of persecution in those daies began to be appeased through the mercifull prouidence of God which woulde not haue hys Church vtterly to be ouerthrowne though hardly yet to growe * The fourth Persecution AFter the decease of the foresayd quiet and milde Prince Aurelius Antonius Pius who among all other Emperours of that tyme made the most quiet end followed his sonne M. Antoninus Verus with Lucius his brother about the yeare of our Lord .162 a man of nature more sterne and seuere And although in study of Philosophy in ciuile gouernement no lesse commendable yet to ward the Christians sharpe and fierce by whome was moued the fourth persecution after Nero. In whose tyme a great number of them which truely professed Christ suffered most cruel tormentes and punishments both in Asia and in Fraunce In the number of whome was Policarpus the worthy Bishop of Smyrna Who in the great rage of this persecution in Asia among many other most constant Saintes was also Martyred Of whose end and Martyrdome I thought it here not vnexpedient to coÌ„mit to history so much as Eusebius declareth to be taken out of a certaine letter or Epistle written by them of hys owne Churche to the brethren of Pontus the tenor of which Epistle here followeth The congregation which is at Smyrna to the congregation which is at Philomilium and to all the congregations throughout Pontus mercy to you peace and the loue of God our father and of our Lord Iesu Christ be multiplied Amen We haue written vnto you brethren of those men which haue suffred Martyrdome and of blessed Polycarpus which hath ended and appeased this persecutioÌ„ as it were by the shedding of his own bloud And in the same epistle before they enter into farther matter of Polycarpus they discourse of other Martyrs describing what patience they abode and shewed in suffring their torments which was so great and admirable saith the Epistle that the lookers on were amased seeing and beholding how they were so scourged and whipped that the inward vaynes arteries appeared yea euen so much that the very intrailes of their bodies their bowels and members were seen after that were set vpon sharp shels taken out of the sea edged and sharpe and certaine nailes and thornes for the Martyrs to go vpon which were sharpned and pointed called Obelisci Thus suffred they all kind of punishment and torment that might be deuised and lastly were throwne vnto the wild beasts to be deuoured But especially in the foresayd Epistle mention is made of one Germanicus how he most woorthily perseuered and ouercame by the grace of God that feare of death which is ingraffed in the common nature of all men whose notable patience sufferaunce was so notable that the whole multitude wondring at this beloued Martyr of God for this his so bold constancie and also for the singular strength and vertue proceeding of the whole multitude of the Christians began sodenly to cry with a loud voyce saying destroy the wicked men let Polycarpus be sought for And whilest a great vprore and tumult began thus to be raised vpon those cries A certaine Phrigian named Quintus lately come out of Phrigia who seyng and abhorring the wilde beasts and the fierce rage of them of an ouer light mynd betrayed his own safetie For so the same letter of him doth report that he not reuerently but more malipertly then requisite was together with others rushed into the iudgement place and so being takeÌ„ was made a manifest example to all the beholders that no man ought rashly and vnreuerently with such boldnesse to thrust in himself to entermeddle in matters wherwith he hath not to do But now we will surcease to speake more of them and returne to Polycarpus of whome the foresayd letter consequently declareth
publike Churches Neither doe I see howe the Heathen in those daies would haue suffered these ornaments to be vnconsumed which would not suffer the Bishops themselues to liue amongst them Notwithstanding Isidorus and Polydorus iudge the contrary Betweene this Stephen and Cyprian Byshop of Carthage was a great contention about rebaptising of heretickes whereof more hereafter Christ willing shall be saide Besides these Byshops aboue specified diuers other there were also sent into banishmēt vnder the forenamed Emperours Gallus Volusianus as appeareth by Dionysius writing to Hermammon on this wise that Gallus not seeyng the euill of Decius nor foreseeing the occasion of his seductiō and ruine stumbled himselfe also at the same stone lying open before his eyes For at the first beginning when his Empire went prosperously foreward and all thinges went luckely with him afterward he draue out holy men which praied for his peace and safegarde and so with them reiected also the praiers which they made for him c. Eusebius Lib. 7. cap. 1. Otherwise of any bloudshed or any Martirs that in the time of this Emperour were put to death we doe not read After the raigne of which Emperour Gallus and of his sonne Volusianus being expired who reigned but ij yeares Emelianus which slewe them both by ciuill sedition succeeded in their place who reigned but three monethes was also slayne Next to whom Valerianus his sonne Gallienus were aduaunced to the Empire About the chaunging of these Emperours the persecution which first began at Decius afterwarde slacked in the time of Gallus was now extinguished for a time partly for the great plague raigning in all places partly by the change of the Emperors although it was not very long For Valerianus in the first entraunce of the Empire for the space of iij. or foure yeres was right courteous and gentle to the people of God well accepted to the Senate Neither was there any of all the Emperors before him no not of the which openly professed Christ that shewed himselfe so louing and familiar toward the Christians as he did in so much that as Dionysius writing to Herman doth testifie all hys whole courte was replenished with holy Saintes seruantes of Christ and godly persons so that his house might seeme to be made a Church of God But by the malice of Sathan through wicked counsell these quiet dayes endured not very long For in processe of tyme this Valerianus beyng charmed or incensed by a certayne Egiptian a chiefe ruler of the Heathen Synagoge of the Egiptians a mayster of the Charmers or inchaunters who in deede was troubled for that he could not do his Magicall feates for the Christians was so farre infatuated and bewitched that through the detestable prouocations of that deuilishe Egyptian he was wholly turned vnto abhominable Idols and to execrable impietie in sacrificing young infāts and quartering bodies and deuiding the entrals of childrē new borne and so proceeding in his fury moued the eight persecution agaynst the Christians whom the wicked Egyptian coulde not abide as being the hinderers and destroyars of hys Magicall enchauntinges about the yeare of our Lord. 259. The eight Persecution IN the which persecution the chiefe administers and executours were Emilianus President of Egipt Paternus and Galerius Maximus Proconsuls in Aphrica Bergomensis also maketh mention of Paternus Uicegerent of Rome and of Perennius Vincentius speaketh also of Nicerius and Claudius Presidentes c. What was the chiefe originall cause of this persecution partly is signified before where mention was made of the wicked Egiptian But as this was the outward and politicall cause so S Cyprian sheweth other causes more speciall and Ecclesiasticall in his iiii booke Epist. 4. whose wordes be these but we sayth he must vnderstand and confesse that thys turbulent oppression calamitie which hath wasted for the most part all our whole company and doth dayly consume riseth chiefly of our owne wickednes sinnes while we walke not in the way of the Lord nor obserue his preceptes left vnto vs for our institution The Lord obserued the will of his father in all poynts but we obserue not the will of the Lord hauing all our minde and study set vpon lucre possessions geuen to pryde full of emulation and dissention voyde of simplicitie and faythfull dealing renouncing thys world in word onely but nothing in deede euery man pleasing himselfe and displeasing all other And therefore are we thus scourged and worthely For what stripes and scourges doe wee not deserue when the confessors themselues such as haue byd the tryall of their confession and such as ought to be an example to the rest of well doyng doe keepe no discipline And therfore because some such there be proudly puft vp with this swelling and vnmannerly bragging of their confession these tormentes come such as doe not easely send vs to the crowne except by the mercy of God some being takē away by quicknes of death do preuēt the tediousnes of punishimēt These things do we suffer for our sinnes and desertes as by the Lordes censure we haue bene forewarned saying If they shall forsake my lawe and will not walke in my iudgementes If they shall prophane my institutions and will not obserue my preceptes I will visite their iniquities with the rod and their transgressions with scourges These rods and scourges sayth he we feele which neyther please God in our good deedes nor repent in our euill deedes Wherefore the sayd Cyprian adding this exhortation withall exhorted them to pray and intreate from the bottome of their hart and whole minde the mercy of God which promiseth saying but yet my mercy I will not scatter from them c. Let vs aske and wee shall obtayne and though sayth Cyprian it be with tariance yet for so much as we haue greeuously offended let vs continue knocking for to him that knocketh it shal be opened if our prayers sighinges and weepinges knocke still at the dore with continuance and if our prayers be ioyned together with brotherly agreement c. Moreouer what vices were then principally raygning among the Christians hee further specifieth in the sayd Epistle which chiefly were deuision and dissention among the brethren For when it was spoken to them in a vision by these wordes Petite impetrabitis that is Pray and ye shall obtayne afterward it was required of the congregation there present to direct their prayers for certayne persons assigned to them by name but they could not agree and cōdescend altogether of the names and persons of them which they should pray for but were dissonant in their consent and petition whiche thing sayth Cyprian did greatly displease hym that spake vnto them Pray and ye shal obtayne for that there was no vniforme equalitie of voyce and hart nor one simple and ioynt concorde among the brethren whereof it is written the Psalme 67. God which maketh to dwell in
vse of the spirituall sword are aboue the persons of them which haue the temporall sworde Besides these letters of the Archbyshoppe sent to the king the Pope also in the same cause wryteth to the king beginning after this sort Alexander Papa ad Henricum regé Et naturali ratione forma iuris dictante prouidentiam tuam credimus edoctam fuisse quòd quanto quis ab aliquo maiora suscepisse dignoscitur tanto ei obnoxior magis obligatus tenetur c. The whole tenour of the letter as 〈◊〉 wrote it to the king I would heere expresse but for treating of the time straightnesse of rowme hauing so many things els in this storie by the grace of Christ to be comprehended But the letter tendeth to this effect to exhort and charge the king to shew fauour to Thomas Becket Where in the processe of the Epistle it followeth in these wordes Ea propter seueritatem tuam per Apostolica scripta rogamus monemus exhortamur in domino nec non in remessionem peccatorum ex parte dei omnipotentis beati Petri principis Apostolorum antoritate nostra iniungimus vt memoratum Archiepiscopum pro deo ecclesia sua honore tuo nec non totius regni tui in gratiam fauorem tuum recipias c. That is therfore we desire you monish and exhort your honor by these our Apostolical wrytings and also enioyne you vpoÌ„ the remission of your sinnes in the behalfe of almighty God and of S. Peter Prince of the Apostles by our authoritie that you will receiue againe the foresayde Archb. into your fauour and grace for the honour of God his Church and of your owne Realme c. Thus you heard the Popes intreating letter nowe here is an other letter sent vnto the foresaid king wherein he doth manace him as in the tenor thereof here followeth Bishop Alexander seruant of the seruants of God to king Henry king of England health and blessing Apostolicall HOw fatherly and gently we haue oft times entreated and exhorted both by Legates and letters your princely honour to be reconciled againe with our reuerend brother Thomas Archb. of Cant. so that he and his may be restored againe to their Churches and otheâ— possessions to them appertaining your wisdome is not ignorant seeing it is notified and spred almost throughout all Christendome For so much therefore as hetherto we coulde not preuaile with you neither moue nor stirre your minde with faire and gentle wordes it lamenteth vs not a little so to be frustrate and deceiued of the hope and expectation which we had conceiued of you Especially seing we loue you so dearely as our owne dearely beloued sonne in the Lorde and vnderstanding so great ieopardie to hang ouer you But forasmuch as it written Cry out and cease not lift vp thy voice like a trumpe and declare to my people their wickednesse and their sinnes to the house of Iacob Also for as much as it is in Salomon commaunded that the sluggish person should be stoned with the dung of Oxen we haue thought good therefore not to forbeare or supporte your stubburnes any longer against iustice and saluation Neither that the mouth of the foresaid Archbishop shoulde be stopped from hencefoorth any more but that he may freely prosecute the charge of his office and duetie to reuenge with the sworde of Ecclesiasticall discipline the iniuries both of himselfe and of his Church committed to his charge And here I haue sent vnto you two Legates Petrus de ponte dei and Bernardus de Corilio to admonish you of the same But if ye wil neither by vs be aduertised nor geue eare to them in obeying it is to be feared doubtles least such things as they shall declare to you from vs in our behalfe may happen fal vpon you Datch at Beneuent the 9. day before the kalends of Iune To aunswer these letters againe there was an other certain wryting drawne out directed to the Pope made by some of the Clergy as it seemeth but not without consent of the king as by the title may appeare inueying and disprouing the misbehauior of the Archbishop The tenor whereof here followeth and beginneth thus An answere to the Pope TIme nowe requireth more to seeke helpe then to make complaints For so it is nowe that the holy mother Churche our sinnes deseruing the same lieth in a dangerous case of great decay which is like to ensue except the present mercy of the Lord support her Such is the wickednes now of schismatikes that the father of fathers Pope Alexander for the defence of his faith and for the loue of righteousnes is banished out of his countrey not able to keepe free residence in his owne proper see by reason of the induratâ— heart of Fredericke the Pharao Farther and besides the Church also of Canterburie is miserably impaired and blemished as well in the spirituall as in the temporall estate much like vnto the ship in the Sea being destitute of their guide to fled in the floudes and wrasteling wiâ—h the windes while the pastor being absent from his prouince dâ—re not there remain through the power of the king Who being ouer wise to the ieoperdie both of himselfe his Churche and vs also hath brought and intangled vs likewise with himselfe in the same partaking of his punishments and labours not considering howe we ought to forbeare and not to resist superior powers And also sheweth himselfe to vs vnkinde which with al our affections bear the burden with him of his afflictions not ceasing yet to persecute vs which stand in the same condemnation with him For betwixt him and our soueraigne prince king of Englande arose a certaine matter of contention wherupon they were both agreed that a day shoulde be appoynted to haue the controuersie discussed by equitie and iustice The day being come the king commaunded all the Archbyshops Bishops and other prelates of the Church to be called in a great and solemne frequencie so that the greater and more generall this councell was the more manifest the detection of this stubburne malice should appeare and be espied At the day therefore aboue mentioned this troubler of the realme and of the Church presenteth himselfe in the sight of our Catholicke king who not trusting the qualitie and condition of his cause armeth him with the armour of the crosse as one which should be brought to the presence of a tyrant By reason whereof the kings maiestie being something agreeued yet because hee would be deliuered from all suspition committeth the matter to the hearing of the Bishops This done it rested in the bishops to decide and cease this contention and to set agreement betweene them remouing all occasion of dissention Which thing they going about commeth in this foresayd Archbishop forbidding and commaunding that no man proceede in any sentence of hym before the king This being signified to the kings hearing his minde was greuously prouoked
vp of your letter where ye bring in for your appellation against me a safegarde for you which rather in deede is an hinderance to you that we shoulde not proceede against the inuaders of the Churche goodes nor against the King in like censure as we haue done against the bishoppe of Salisburie as yee say and hys Deane To this I aunswere God forbidde that we haue or els shoulde heereafter proceede or do any thing against the king or his lande or against you or your Churches inordinately or otherwise then is conuenient But what if you shall exceede in the same or like transgression as the Byshoppe of Salesburie hath done thinke yee then your appellation shall helpe you from the discipline of our seueritie that ye shall not be suspended Marke yee diligently whether this be a lawful appeale and what is the forme thereof We knowe that euery one that appealeth eyther doeth it in his owne name or in the name of an other if in hys owne name either it is for some greeuance inferred alreadie or els for that he feareth after to be inferred against him Concerning the first I am sure there is no greuance that you can complaine of as yet God be thanked that you haue receiued at my hand for the which you should appeale frō me neither haue you I trust any cause speciall against me so to doe If ye doe it for feare that is to come least I shoulde trouble you and your Churches consider whether this be the appeale which ought to suspende or stay our power and authoritie that we haue vppon you and your Churches It is thought therefore of wise men and we also iudge no lesse your appeale to be of no force First for that it hath not the right forme of a perfect appellation and also because it is not consonante to reason and lacketh order and helpe of the lawe Furthermore if your appellation be in an other mans name either it is for the King as moste like it is or for some other If it be for the king than ye ought first to vnderstande that appellations are woont to be made to repell and not to inferre iniurie or to release such as be oppressed that they shoulde not be oppressed any more Wherefore if any man shall enter any appellation not trusting to the suretie of his cause but to delay the time that sentence be not geuen vpon him that appellation is not to be receaued For what state will there be of the Church if the libertie therof being taken away the goods of the Church spoyled the bishops driuen from their places or at least not receiued with full restitution of their goodes the inuaders and spoylers therof may defend themselues by appealing thereby to saue themselues from the penalty of their desert What a ruine of the Church will this be See what ye haue done and what ye say Be you no◠the vicares of Christ representing him in earth Is it not your office to correcte and bridle ill doers whereby they may cease to persecute the Church And is it not inough for them to be fierce to rage against the church but that you should take their part setting your selues against vs to the destruction of the church Who euer heard of so monstrous doings Thus it shall be heard and sayde of all nations and countries that the Suffraganes of the Church of Caunterburie which ought to stande with their Metropolitane vnto death in defence of the Churche nowe goe about by the kings commaundement so much as in them doth lie to suspend his autoritie least he shuld exercise his Discipline of correction vppon them that rebell against the Church This one thing I knowe that you cannot sustaine two sortes of persons at once both to be the appeale makers and to be appealed vp your selues You be they which haue made the appellation and you be they against whome the appellation is made Is there any more churches then one and the body of the same And howe meete were it than that you being the members of the Churche shoulde holde together with the heade therof I am afraide brethren least it may be sayde of vs These be the Priestes which haue sayde where is the Lorde and hauing the lawe doe not knowe the law Furthermore this I suppose you being discrete men are not ignoraunt of that such as enter any appellation there are not wont to be hearde vnlesse the matter of their appellation either belongeth to themselues or except speciall commaundement force them thereunto or else vnlesse they take an other mannes cause vpon them First that it belongeth nothing vnto you it is plaine for so muche as the contrary rather pertaineth to your duetie that is to punish and to correct all such as rebell against the Church And if he which subuerteth the libertie of the Churche and inuadeth the goodes therof conuerting them to his owne vse be not heard appealing for hys owne defence much lesse is an other to be heard appealing for him Wherefore as in this case neither he can appeale for himself not yet commaund you so to do so neither may you receiue the commaundement to appeale for him Thirdly as touching the taking of an other mannes cause or businesse vpon you to this I say and affirme that yee ought in no maner of wise so to doe specially seeing the matter pertaineth to the oppression of the Church and whereupon ensueth great damage to the same Wherefore seeing it neither appertaineth to you neither ought yee to receiue any such commaundement nor yet to take vppon you any such cause as that is your appeale is neither to be hard nor standeth with any lawe Is this the deuotion and consolation of brotherly loue which you exhibite to your Metropolitane being for you in exile God forgeue you this clemencie And how nowe will ye looke for your letters and messengers to be gently receiued heere of vs Neither doe I speake this as though there were any thing in hande betwixt your part and oures or that we haue done any thing inordinately against the person of the king or against his lande or against the persones of the Church or intende by Gods mercie so to doe And therefore we say briefly affirme constantly that our Lorde the king can not complaine of any wrong or iniurie to be done vnto him if he being often called vpon by letters and messengers to acknowledge his fault neither will confesse his trespasse nor yet come to any satisfaction for the same haue the censure of seueritie by the Pope and vs laide vpon him For no man can say that he vniustly is entreated whome the lawe doeth iustly punish And briefly to conclude knowe you this for certaine that extortioners inuaders detailners of the Church goodes and subuerters of the liberties therof neither haue any authoritie of the lawe to maintaine them neyther doth their appealing defend them c. ¶ A briefe Censure vpon the
thus to come About the yeare of the Lord 1160. it chaunced that diuers of the best and chiefest heades of the Citty of Lyons talking and walking in a certayne place after their olde accustomed maner especially in the Sommer time conferred and consulted together vpon matters either to passe ouer time or to debate thinges to be done Amongst whom it chaunced one the rest looking vpon to fall downe by sodeine death In the number of whom this foresayd Waldus there being amongest them was one Who beholding the matter more earnestly then the other and terrified with so heauy an exaÌ„ple being as is sayd a rich man and Gods holy spirit working withall was stroken with a deepe inward repeÌ„tance wherevpon folowed a new alteratioÌ„ with a carefull study to reforme his former life In somuch that first he began to minister large almes of his goods to such as needed SecoÌ„dly to instruct himselfe and his familye with the true knowledge of Gods word Thirdly to admonish all that resorted to him by any occasion to repentaunce and vertuous amendment of life Wherby partly through his large geuing to the poore partly through his diligent teaching wholesome admonitions more resort of people daily frequeÌ„ted about him Whom when he did see ready and diligent to learne begaÌ„ to geue out to them certayne rudiâ—ents of the Scripture which he had translated himselfe into the French tongue For as he was a man welthy in riches so he was also not vnlearned Although Laziardus Volateranus with other note him vtterly vnlearned charge him with ignoraunce as who should procure other to write and translate for him By other that haue seene his doings yet remaining in old parchment monuments it appeareth he was both able to declare and translate the books of scripture also did collect the doctors mind vpon the same But whatsoeuer he was lettred or vnlettred the byshops and prelats seing him so to intermeddle with scriptures and to haue such resort about him albeit it was but in his own house vnder priuate confereÌ„ce could not abide either that the scriptures should be declared of any other neither would they take the paines to declare it theÌ„selues So being moued with great malice against the man threatned to excommunicate him if he did not leaue so to doe Ualdus seing his doing to be but godly and their malice stirred vp vpoÌ„ no iust nor godly cause neglecting yâ— threaminges frettinges of the wicked said that god must be obeied more then man to be brief the more diligeÌ„t he was in setting forth the true doctrine of Christ against the errors of Antichrist the more maliciously their fiercenes increased Insomuch that when they did see their excommunication to be despised would not serue they ceased not with prison with sword and banishment to persecute till at length they had driuen both Ualdus and all the fauourers of his true preaching out of the city Wherupon came first their name that they were called Ualdenses or pauperes de Lugduno not because the would haue all things coÌ„mon amongst them or that they professing any wilfull pouerty would imitate to liue as the Apostles did as Siluius did falsly belie them but because they being thrust out both of coutrey and goods were coÌ„pelled to liue poorly whether they would or no. And thus much touching the first occasion and beginning of these men and of the restoring and maintayning the true doctrine of Christs gospell agaynst the proud proceedings of popish errors Now concerning their articles whiche I finde in order and in number to be these SOlis sacris literis credendum esse in ijs quae ad salutem c. That is Onely the holy Scripture is to be beleued in matters pertayning to saluation and no mans writing or man besides 2. All things to be contayned in holy Scripture necessary to saluation and nothing to be admitted in religion but what onely is commaunded in the word of God 3. To be one alonely mediator Other saintes in no wise to be made mediators or to be inuocated 4. To be no purgatory but that all men either by Christ are iustified to life or without Christ to be condemned and besides these two neither any third or fourth place to be 5. That all masses namely such as be song for the dead to be wicked and to be abrogate 6. All mens traditions to be reiected at least not to be reputed as necessary to saluation and therefore this singing superfluous chaunting in the chauncell to be left constrained prefixed fasts bouÌ„d to dayes tunes difference of meates such variety of degrees and orders of Priestes friers monkes nunnes superfluous holidayes so mady sundry benedictions hallowing of creatures vowes peregrinations with all the rabblement of rites ceremonies brought in by man to be abolished 7. The supremacy of the Pope vsurping aboue all churches and especially aboue all politick realmes gouernments or for him to occupye or vsurpe the iurisdiction of both the swordes to be denied neither that any degree is to be receiued in the Church but onely Priests Deacons and Bishops 8. The communion vnder both kindes to be necessary to all people according to the institution of Christ. 9. Item the church of Rome to be the very Babilon spoken of in the Apocalips And the Pope to be the fountaine of all error and the very Antichrist 10 The popes pardons and indulgences they reiect 11. The mariage of Priestes and of ecclesiasticall persons to be godly and also necessary in the Church 12. Such as heare the word of God haue a right fayth to be the right Church of Christ. And to this Church the keyes of the church to be geuen to driue away wolues to institute true pastors to preach the word and to minister the Sacraments These be the most principall articles of the Uladenses albeit some there be that adde moe to them some agayne deuide the fame into moe partes But these be the principall to which the rest be reduced The same Ualdenses at length exiled were dispersed in diuers sundry places of whom many remayned long in Bohemia which writing to theyr king Uladislaus to purge themselues agaynst the slaundrous accusations of one D. Augustine gaue vp theyr confession with an Apology of theyr christian profession defending with strong learned argumeÌ„ts the saine which now is receiued in most reformed churches both concerning grace fayth charitye hope repentaunce and workes of mercy As for purgatory they say that Tho. Aquinas is the author thereof Concerning the Supper of the Lord their fayth was that it was ordayned to be eaten not to be shewed worshipped for a memoriall not for a sacrifice to serue for the preseÌ„t ministration not for reseruation to be receiued at the table not be caryed out of the dores according to the auncient vse of the primitiue church when they vsed to coÌ„municate sitting And this they proue
Embassadours the king also at Canterb. by letters as it should seeme certified from hys owne ambassadors waited their comming Where the 13. day of May the king receaiued them making vnto them an othe that of and for al things wherin he stode accursed he woulde make ample restitution and satisfaction Vnto whom also all the Lords Barons of England so many as there were with the king attending the Legates coÌ„ming sware in like maner and that if the king would not accoÌ„plish in euery thing the othe which he had taken that then they wold cause him to hold and confirme yâ— same whether that he wold or not or by strength to vse the authors words Then submitted the king himselfe vnto the Court of Rome and to the pope And resigning gaue vp his dominions and realmes of Englande Ireland from him and from his heires for euermore yâ— should come of him Wyth this condition that the king and his heirs should take againe these two dominions of the Pope to forme paying yearely therfore to the Court of Rome a 1000. Markes of siluer Then tooke the King the crowne from hys heade kneeling vpon his knees in the presence of all his Lordes Barons of England to Pandulphe the popes chiefe legate saying in this wise Here I resigne vp the crowne of the realme of England to the Popes hands Innocent the third put me wholy in his mercy and ordinance Then tooke Pandolphe the crowne of king Iohn and kept it 5. daies as a possession seazon taking of these two realmes of England and Ireland Continuing also al things promised by his charter obligatorie as foloweth The copie of the letter obligatorie that K Iohn made to the Pope concerning the yelding vp of the crowne and the Realme of Englande into the Popes hands for a certaine summe of money yearely to be paide TO al christen people throughout the world dwelling Iohn by the grace of God K of England greeting To your vniuersitie known be it that forasmuch as we haue greeued offended God our mother church of Rome forasmuch as we haue neede of the mercy of our Lord Iesu Christ we may nothing so worthy offer coÌ„perent satisfactioÌ„ make to God to holy church but if it were our own body as with our realms of EnglaÌ„d of Ireland Then by the grace of the holy ghost we desire for to meke vs for the loue of him that meked him to the death vpon the crosse And through counsell of the nobles earles Baroâ—â— we offer frely graunt to God to the apostles S. Peter Paul and to our mother church of Rome to our holy father Pope InnoceÌ„t the 3. to al the popes that come after him all the realme patronages of churches of England of Ireland with all the appurtenaÌ„ces for remission of sins helpe health of our kings soules of al christeÌ„ soules So that froÌ„ this time afterward we wil receiue hold of our mother church of Rome as in ferme doing sealtie to our holy father the Pope Innocent the 3. and to all the Popes that come after him in the maner abouesayd And in the presence of the wise man Pandolphe the Popes Southdeacon wee make liege homage as it were in the popes presence we before him were that he himselfe shuld haue done al maner things abouesaid and therto we bind vs all that come after vs our heires for euermore without any gainsaying to the pope eke the ward of the church vacant And in token of this thing euer for to last we will confirme ordaine that he be our speciall renter of the foresaide realmes sauing S. Peter pence in all thing To the mother church of Rome paying by yere a 1000. markes of siluer at 2. times of the yere for al maner customes that we should do for the saide realmes that is to seine at Michelmas at Easter that is for England 700 markes and 300. markes for Ireland Sauing to vs to our heires our iustices and our other franchises And all these things that before ben said we will that it be firme stable without end to that obligation we all our successors our heirs in this maner beth bound that if we or any of our heirs through any presumption fal in any point againe these things aboue sayd and he bene warned and wiâ—l not right amend him he shall then lese the foresaid realmes for euermore and this charter of obligation and our warrant for euermore be firme and stable without gainsaying We shal from this day afterward be true to God to the mother church of Rome to thee Innocent the 3. and to all that commen after thee and the Realmes of Englande and of Ireland we shall mainteine trewlich in all maner pointes against all maner men by our power through Gods helpe Upon this obligation the king was discharged the 2. day of Iuly from that Tirannicall interdiction vnder which he continued 6. yeares and 3. monethes But before the releasement therof first he was miserably coÌ„pelled as hath bene declared to geue ouer both hys crowne scepter to that Antichrist of Rome for the space of 5. daies and his client vassall feudary and tenant to receiue it againe of him at the handes of an other Cardinall being bounde obligatorily both for himselfe for his successours to paie yerely for a knowledge therof a M. marks for England Ireland Then came they thether from all partes of the Realme so many as had their consciences wounded for obeying their liege king as blind Idiotes and there they were absolued euery one of his own bishop except yâ— spirituall fathers and Ecclesiastical souldiours for they were compelled to seake to Rome as captiues reserued to the popes owne fatherhoode In this new ruffeling the King easily graunted that abbots deanes and curates shoulde be elected freely euery where so that the lawes of the realme were truly obserued But against that were the bishops alledging their Canonical decrees and rules synodal determiniâ—g the king therein to haue nothing a do but only to geue his consent after that they had once elected But among this shauen rable some there were which consented not to this wicked errour A sort also there were of the prelates at that time which were not pleased that that lands interdiction shoulde cease til the king had paid al yâ— which their Clergy in all quarters of the realme had demaunded without reason yea what euery saucie sir Iohn for hys part demaÌ„ded euen to the very breaking of their hedges the stealing of theyr appels and their other occasional damages which grew to an incredible summe and impossible to be answered Such was the outragious cruel noyse of that mischieuous progenie Antichrist against their naturall king Notwithstanding that which is vttered afore concerning the bitter malice of the Clergye against their Prince yet
Basset which before was appoynted to worke that feat wyth mattockes and other instruments of yron and men prepared for the nonce neare to the monasterie of S. Andrewe did vndermine the wall of the Citie And by this meanes the wal fel downe lightly and there was made a great plaine so that in one forefront there might haue gone together on a row 40. horsemen And of this subteltie the alian Monkes that were there were thought to be the workers because they made way and entraunce for them that came in But when they that passed by saw this the kings banners were erected ready to enter in There was a great howling made the noise of the people came to the eares of the Barons they made speede to resist them but it was all in vaine because they were already preuēted of a great cōpany of their enemies But Simon Mountfort the yōger after he had valiantly fought a while in the middest of his enemies wyth Peter Mountfort and a fewe that were with him when Edward the kings sonne came was by his commaundement taken and led away prisoner But the clearks of the vniuersitie of Oxforde which vniuersitie by the Barons commandement was trāslated thether did worke against the kings men more hurte then the other Barons wyth their slings long bowes and crossebowes for they had a banner by themselues and that was set vp a hie against the king Where withall the king being greatly moued sware at his entring in that they should al be hanged Which when they hard many of them shaued their crownes they that were able ran away as fast as they coulde And when the king entred the Citie many fled in their armour into the Castell other left their horse and harnesse and ranne into churches and a few were slain and those were of the common people But there was not much bloudshed because all things were done as vppon a sodaine When the Citie was at the length set in a quiet the king commaunded his othe to be executed vpon the Clarkes But his counsellers said vnto him This be farre from thee O king for the sonnes of thy Nobles and of other great men of thy kingdome were there gathered together into the Vniuersitie whome if thou wouldest cause to be hanged or slaine euen they that nowe take thy parte would rise vp against thee not suffering to the vttermost of their powers the bloud of their sonnes and kinsfolkes to be shed And so the king was pacified and his wrath against the Clerks was stayed In the same day after little more then an houre the kings host assaulted the Castell and the new hold keepers were afraide for that they had not victuals other things necessary for their resistance therfore they sent immediatly messengers vnto the King and yeelded themselues to the kings mercy There were taken that day these Knights Barons vnder wrytten Lord William de Ferrers Lorde Peter Mountfort cōpanion of the sayd Simon de Moūtforte the yonger Lord Baldwyn de wake Lorde Adam de Newmarche Lord Roger Bertram Lord Simon the sonne of Simon a valiaunt warriour which first erected hys banner against the king Lorde Berengarius de waterwile Lord Hugo Bubiam Lord Thomas Maunsell Lord Roger Botemlam Nicolas wake Lord Robert de Newton Lord Philip de Driby Brimbald de Pauncefoote All these afore hand did the king take prisonners and many more of whom he committed some to the Lord Nicolas of Hauersam to be kept in the same Castle well defēsed some he led away with him and some he sent to diuers Castels and appointed Simon Mountfort to be cast into windfore Castell And all these things as touching the taking of Northampton were done on the Sabboth day in passion weeke being the thyrd of Aprill in the yeare of our Lord. 1264. And the king went forward euen to Notingham burning and wasting the manners of the Lords and others his enemies and there he gathered together his nobles and greatly increased hys number When this ill lucke was tolde of them that there were run away to the Earle Simon whiche was comming towardes Northampton with a great hoste he was in a great rage yet was not discouraged But immediatly going to London caused a chariot to be made him after the maner of lytters or couches wherein he might ride as though he were sicke for he fayned himselfe to be feeble and weake whereas he was in deede a stout and valiaunt warriour And there gathered to him other noble men that were cōfederate with him Earles and Barōs euery one bringing with them their seuerall armies And preparing their ingynes of woode they went to besiege Rochester for the Earle of Worcester in the kynges behalfe kept both the towne and castell When they had gotten the first gate and the bridge they were partly wounded and compelled to retire and there that valiant knight Roger de la Bourne was wounded and very il handled And whilest they continued siege there a while it was told them that the kyng was comming toward London with a mighty host And they sayd one to an other if the king at hys cōming should take London we shall be shut in as it were in a straight corner Let vs therefore returne to London that we may keep in safety both the place and the people Therefore appointing certaine persons to keepe the siege they returned to London At the length when the king came they went forth with the Citizens to meere him not with floures and palmes in their handes but swordes and speares The K. shunned them and after he had the Castell of Kingston which was the Erle of Glocesters he went from thence to Rochester where after he had killed a few he brake that siege and from thence the king went to Tunbridge And the towne and Castell now being geuen vp to him he tooke there the Countesse of Glocester put her into an Abbey not to be kept in hold but to goe at libertye whether she would And he left for the custody of the Castell and City a great part of his hoast to the number of aboue xx picked out ensignes for that it was commonly said that the Earle of Glocester would come out of hād to assault them Which being done he continued on his iourney to Winchester where he receiued to peace the seamen of the hauē townes And three dayes alter vpon the sonday following he came to the towne of Lewes and was receaued into the Abbey and his sonne Edward into the Castell Then the Barons sent letters to the king the 12. day of May the tenor wherof followeth TO theyr most excellent Lord Henry by the grace of God king of England Lord of Ireland and Duke of Aquitania hys Barons and other his faythfull subiectes being willing to keep their othe and fidelitie to God and him send greeting and due obedidience with honour and reuerence Whereas by many
Simon hys sonnes power not knowing of the ouerthrow whiche he had before gaue small credite thereunto till that the said Nicholas the better to view and descrie them went vp to the Abbey steple of Eusham where he might plainly discerne them all and their standerds For by this tyme they were mounted the hill which they laboured to attayne thinking to haue that vauntage when they shold geue theyr charge as they had purposed and had also aduanced agayn his own standerdes and pulled down Simons wherby they were the more easâ—yer descried and knowne Then he cryed aloud to the Earle Simon and said we are all but dead men For it is not your sonne as you suppose that commeth but it is Edward the kinges sonne that commeth from one parte and the Earle of Gloucester from an other part and Roger Mortimer from the third part Then said the Earle The Lorde be mercifull vnto our soules forasmuch as our bodyes and liues are now in their handes commaunding that euery man should make hymselfe redy to God and to fight out the field for that it was their willes to dye for their lawes and in a iust quarrell And such as woulde depart he gaue leaue to goe their wayes that they shoulde be no discomfiture to the rest Then came vnto him his eldest sonne Henry comforted him desiring him to haue no dispaire nor yet mistrust in the good successe of this victory with other such cheerfull wordes No my sonne sayth he I dispayre not but yet it is thy presumption and the pride of the rest of thy brethreÌ„ that haue brought me to this end ye see Notwithstanding yet I trust I shall dye to God and in a righteous quarrel After wordes of comfort geuen to all his host and the oration made as is the maner they all armed themselues The king also whom the Earle alwaies kept with him he armed in an armour of his owne And then deuiding theyr battailes they marched toward theyr enemies but before they ioyned the welchmen ran theyr waies and thinking to scape ouer the riuer of Dee were there some drowned some slayne Then when the battayles ioyned and came to handy strokes within short space many of the Erles part fell and were slayne And the king himselfe being stroken at cryed with a loud voyce to them saying kill me not I am Henry your king And with these the kinges wordes the Lord Adam Monhaut knewe him and saued him At whose voyce and cry came also prince Edward hys sonne and deliuered him to the garde and custody of certayne knightes In the meane season the Earle Simon was hard bestead and beaten downe and also slayne before Edward the prince came at hym Howbeit before he fell when as ye fought for his life HeÌ„ry his sonne other noble men on his part were about hym he brake out in these words vnto hys enemies saying what is there no mercy compassion with you who agayne answered what compassion should there be shewed to traytors Then sayd he the Lord be mercifull to our soules our bodyes are in your hands And as soone as these wordes were spoken they mangled hys body and deuided his members and cut of his head which head Roger Mortimer sent vnto his wife And not farre of from him also was slayne Henry his eldest sonne the lord Hugh Spencer the L. Radulphe Basset the Lord Thomas de Hestele the Lord William Maundeuile the Lord Iohn Bewchampe the Lord Guido Baillofer the Lord Roger Rowley and many other noble men besides with a great multitude of people the Lord knoweth howe many This battail was fought in the moneth of August continued from one of the clocke till it was night in the which was not so much as one man on the Earles part of any estimation fortitude and courage but in that battell lost his life more then the Lord Iohn who by the great grace of God escaped death Neither is this to be forgotteÌ„ that the same day being Tuesday at that instant houre when the battell began whiche was at one of the clocke at after noone there was such a darcknes ouer all such thunder and such tempest that the like before that time was neuer seene being very calme and fayre weather both immemediately before and after which seemed sayth myne author to geue a playne demonstration of that whiche afterward chaunced and followed After this great slaughter and ouerthrow there was a Parliament suÌ„moned at Winchester by the Earle of Gloucester and other of hys part Here by the is to be considered that the king although he was in the camp of the Erle of Leceister being then in custody and his sonne Edward with the Earle of Gloucester yet the king was in that side agaynst his will and therefore in the sayd Parliament the king was restored to his kingly dignitie which was before that tyme vnder the custody of the Barons But after the battaile was ended and done certaine of them that loued the Earle vpon an old ladder gathered vp suche partes of his body as remayned and couering the same with an old gowne brought it to Eusham where they putting the same in a faire linnen cloth buried it in the church But not loÌ„g after by such as thought not themselues sufficiently reuenged with his death to wreke them of the dead corpes took vp the same and threw it in an other place saying that he which was both accursed and a traytor was not worthy of Christen buriall The same yeare also died Walter Cantilupus Byshop of Winchester after whom succeeded Nicholas of Ely the kinges Chauncellor The same yeare the king perceiuing that vnlesse that Castle of Kenilworth were recouered and the boldnes of theÌ„ restrayned that kept the same many euils and inconueniences might ensue therupon to the preiudice of his kingdom for that the number increased euery day more more wasting and spoyling the country all about Therfore he gathered an army and came downe to warwick where he a while taryed expecting the meeting and assembling of hys Marqueses and Lordes with engines and other munition sautable Who when theyr bondes were furnished and mustred and al thinges ready the morow after Midsomer day he displayed hys banner began his vyage marching towardes Kenilworth besieged the same During which siege by the aduise and counsaile of the king the Popes Legate and other noble men 12. persons were chose which should haue the disposing of those thinges that pertayned to the state of the Realme of those that had lost their landes and inheritaunces who amongest other thinges made and established this one prouiso that was commoÌ„ly called Kenelworth decree That all those whieh hast lost their laÌ„des by attaynder although yet not attainted should fyne therfore at the kinges pleasure and take their lands of him agayn paying some three yeares some foure yeares some two yeares reueneues of the same according to the quallitie
Beware therefore most noble Prince and take heede that in your daies and time the liberties of the church be not taken away which God forbid or diminished in any iote For if your glorious name shoulde be blotted therw t there be thousands which would chronicle the same to perpetuall memory Wherefore most Christian Prince if such as trusted after their death for no other life but only for fame renowne liued a life most godly vertuous how much more ought we Christians which looke after another life by our wel doings here to win vs a perpetuall name memory after our death And you besides if you shuld dishonor your name and fame what a matter were it considering how the kings of Fraunce were euer counted the most christian princes and most bountiful towards the church geuing examples to other princes how to enrich their churches liberties thereof And now especially if your grace the church in some places being in great persecution which God forbid should shew light to other to pul and take away that whych was geuen by your forefathers to the church What might the world say For then by the like reason might the Emperor depriue the Church of all which was giueÌ„ to it by Constantine the Emperor Also other kings would do the like in their Realme God forbid that your highnes shuld geue such example And for my parte I woulde rather wish my selfe to be deade then geue you such counsel that in so pernitious and naughty a matter you shoulde be example to other Especially when the kings of France your predecessors were defenders alwaies against such yâ— went about to take away the liberties from the church which is the office of a king Ieronymus sayth vpon Ieremy which is fouÌ„d also in the 24. quaest 5. cap. Regnum C. Princeps After this maner let the princes of the world know and vnderstand how they are bouÌ„d to make an accoÌ„pt to God for the Church which they take vpon them to keepe Note you also read some examples out of stories commentaries what regarde the kings of France had in obseruing those things and see you by theâ—r example to follow and do the like And then shall it be verified in your grace which is wrytten in the 37. chapter of Eccle. A wise man shall obtaine honour amongst his people As also in the 3. of the same He that honoreth his mother is like one that gathereth treasure together Fourthly I say that he in deede doth honor the King which perswadeth hym to do that whereby his conscience is not hurt For aboue all things a Christen man ought to beware howe to doe that thing which should be a grudge vnto his conscience because the life is more then is meate Mat. the 6. chap. And assuredly I beleeue that your grace wold not commit that thing willingly wherw t your conscience shuld be burdened for all the worlds good and that iustly For the more miraculously God hath called your highnes to the state of a King and hath indued you with hys grace So much the more you ought to haue and take hede that you offende him not For it is to be doubted whether in doing the coÌ„trary he will not be the more greuously displeased with you as hee was with Saule 1. Reg. chap. 15. Consider therefore most soueraigne Lorde yâ— at what time you were crowned you sware only these things folowing no other First that you would defend and maintaine the canonicall law priuilege and iustice graunted to the Byshops and the church and as much as in you did lie to enlarge and amplify the same Also that by your arbitreâ—â—t all christian people at all times should keepe the true peace of God his church Also that you should forbid to all nations al kind of sacrileges spoylings and iniquities Also that in all kinde of iudgements you should will and command equity and mercy Also that throughout your whole territory and iurisdiction you shuld sincerely withal your indeuour study to exterminate cut off from the Church the noted heretikes which all and no other your Maiestie sware to fulfill at the time of your Coronation vnder the leaue correction of the Lorde Peter which affirmed you were sworne to none other thing besides Now therefore seing it is a canonical priuilege of the church in the heart of the whole Cano. 6. qu. 1. Quicunque litem habens incorporate when also by custome which is canonicall it came in â— that the Church and spiritualtie may haue cognition in a number of cases against which diuers articles haue bene here layde in If this amongst the laitie should not be obserued in the Church your graces conscience therby might somewhat be burdened In like maner if you be bound with all your whole might and power to procure that al whole Christendome should keepe the true peace of God and his church much more haue you to procure the same amongst your owne Barons people who euermore were all one with the Church And alwayes where any church was in honor and estimation there were belonging to it 20. shoâ—t Barons knightes whose office as it was to defend the Church so was it the part of the Church to pray for them to offer sacrifice for them vnto God And to this end that blessed S. Lewes so much laboured in his time who wheÌ„ the greatest Barons of his realme had confederate to suppresse these liberties of the Church had consulted to geue him to that ende the hundreth part of their goods would neuer condescend therunto but alwais dissuaded theÌ„ therfro and finally by his authoritie sealed and coÌ„firmed these liberties of the Church Consider here your maiestie how that pope InnoceÌ„tius at that time proceded against those Barons c. I dare be bold to say that if there should be now dissention betwene the Prelates and Barons it wold not be long before the comminalty would vsurpe to rule and beare domination As by experience it hath bene seene in many places likewise by practise we of late myght haue sene at what time the people stomaking the spiritualtie in the parties of Campania and Burgundie at last rose and made in euery towne a king and therwtall caused the officers which brought citations absolutions from the pope and other to be well banged and not long after made insurrection against the Lords temporal and serued them with the like sauce vntill that by the kings power they were suppressed many of them hanged And this doubtles was in the daies of Lewis last king of that name Truely the noble men ought not to be griued with that that the Church is possessed wtal For that there be few of them who haue not their brothers and kinsfolkes which liueth and are maintained by the goods and reuenues of the Church Amongst whome if they should deuide their inheritance perhappes they would bring a
Phillip diuers friendly waies of peace to the entent we might better intend our purposed voyage against Christes enemies the Turkes Yet could nothing preuaile with him in obtaining any peaceable way of reformation driuing vs of by crafty dissimulatiō through false pretensed wordes but perfourming nothing with heart and dede Whereuppon wee not neglecting the grace and the gyft of God to defend the right of our inheritāce and to repulse the iniuries of our enemie haue not refused by force of armes cōming downe to Britanie to encounter with him in open fielde And so wee being occupied in our warres there repaired vnto vs the reuerend father bishop of Preuest and of Tusculane Cardinals and Legates from Pope Clement 6. to entreate some reformation of peace betweene vs. At whose request wee consented agreeing to such formes and cōditions of peace as then were taken betwene vs sending moreouer our Embassadours to the court of Rome specially to intreat of the same matter And thus while some hope of truce seemed betwene vs to appeare Newes sodenly came vnto vs which not a little astonied our minde of the death of certaine of our nobles and adherents whom the sayd Phillip vniustly and cruelly at Paris commaunded to be executed Beside the wasting and spoyling our lands and subiects in Britany Gascony and other places with innumerable wrongs and iniuries deceitfully intended against vs both by sea and land By reason wherof the truce on his part being notoriously broken it is most manifest to haue bene lawfull for vs forthwith to haue set vppon him with open warre Yet notwythstanding to auoid those incommodities that come by warre wee thought first to prooue if by any gentle meanes some reformation might be had touching the premisses And therfore sondry times haue sent Embassadours to the Popes presence for the Treatyse of peace and reformation to be had in those aforesaid excesses requiring also for the tractation therof certayne termes of times to be appoynted alwayes reseruing to our selues notwithstanding free liberty to resume warre at our pleasure according as the doinges of the sayd Philip shall constrayne vs therunto And now forasmuch as the foresayd termes be already expired and yet no reasonable offer of peace appeareth neither will the sayd Philip come to any conformity being required and monished notwithstanding by the Popes letters therunto as the Pope by his letters hath written vnto vs but alwayes hath multiplied his conspiracy and obligations vsing extremeties agaynst vs to omit here to speak of the excessiue enormity of the Popes Legate who being sent by the Bishop of Rome for the keeping of truce and whose part had bene rather to haue quenched and stayd the discord hath stirred vp our enemy more egerly agaynst vs. In the which doing neither hath the Bishop of Rome sauing his reuerēce as yet prouided any remedy albeit he hath bene diuers times required of vs so to do Which things being so we ought to be excused both before God and man if for the defect of other remedy to be had we shal be constrayned our selues to finde remedy agaynst such wrongs and iniuries the case of iustice and necessity constrayning vs to geue out these our letters of defiance agaynst the violator of the truce the vniust inuader of our kingdome Protesting that this we do not vpon any displeasure to the Bishop of Rome or to the Apostolicke sea but onely for the moderation of equity standing vpon the defence of our owne right lawfull inheritaunce intēding alwayes rather to haue peace if by any reasonable way it might be had And thus much for the stopping of slaunderous fame and the mouthes of backbiters We thought good to signify first to the high Bishop of Rome c the foresayd Cardinals that by them as persons indifferent and mediators the same may be insinuated to the contrarye part and also vnto your whole vniuersity in general recommending vnto you all the innocency of my cause and the community of iustice Dated at Westminster the 14. of Iune the 19. yeare of our reigne in England and of Fraunce the 6. And thus much for the kinges letter Now let vs agayne returne to his passage from whence a litle we haue degressed Concerning the which passage of the king with the order of his actes atchieued in the same from the winning of Cadane or Cordoyne vnto the towne of Pusiack is sufficiently described by one of the Kinges Chaplaynes and his confessour who being a Dominick Fryer and accompanying the King through all his iourney writeth thereof as followeth Benedicere debemus Deum Coeli c. Great cause we haue to prayse and laud the God of heauen and most worthely to cōfesse his holy name who hath wrought so his mercy to vs. For after the conflict had at Cadame in the which many were slayne and the City taken and sackt euen to the bare walles the Citty of Baia immediately yelded it selfe of his owne accord fearing least theyr coūselles had bene bewrayed After this the Lord our king directed his progresse toward Roane Who being at the towne of Lexon there came certayne Cardinals to him greatly exhorting him to peace Which Cardinals being curteously entertayned of the K. for the reuerence of the Popes sea it was thus answered to them agayne That the king being much desirous of peace had assayd by all wayes and meanes reasonable how to mayntayne the same And therfore hath offered conditions and manifolde wayes of peace to be had to the no small preiudice of his owne cause And yet is ready to admit any reasonable offer of peace if by any meanes it may be fought c. With this answere the Cardinalles going to the french king the kinges aduersary to perswade with him in like maner returned to King Edward agayne offering to hym in the French Kynges name the Dukedome of Aquitania in as full assurance as his father before him euer had it besides further hope also of obteining more if intreatye of peace might be obteined But for so much that cōtēted not enough the kings mind neither did the Cardinals finde the frēch king so tractable and propense to the studye of peace as they looked for the Cardinals returned leauing the matter as they founde it And so the king speeding forward by the way as his iourney did lye he subdued the country and the great townes without any resistāce of the inhabitans who did all flye and run away Such feare God stroke into them that it seemed they had lost their hartes In the same voiage as the king had gotten many townes and villages so also he subdued Castles and Munitiōs very strong and that with little stresse His enemy being at the same time at Roane had reared a great army who notwitstanding being well manned yet euer kept on the other side of the riuer Seane breaking downe all the bridges that we shoulde not come ouer to him And although the countrey roūd about
Christ for helpe then it is ryght nowe For it is fulfilled that God sayde by Isay the Prophet ye riseth vp erlich to follow drunkennesse and to drinke till it be euen the harpe and other minstrelsies beeth in your feastes and wine But the woorke of God ye ne beholdeth not ne taketh no kepe to the workes of his handes And therfore my people is take prisoner for they ne had no cunning And the noble men of my people deyeden for hunger and the multitude of my people weren dry for thirst and therefore hel hath drawen abroade theyr soule and hath yopened hys mouth wythout any ende And estsoones sayeth Isay the Prophet The worde is floten away and the highnesse of the people is ymade sicke and the earth is infecte of his wonnyers for they haue broken my lawes and ychaunged my right and han destroyed mine euerlastynge bonde and forward betwene them me And therfore cursing shal deuour the earth and they that wonneth on the erthly shallen done sinne And therefore the earth tilyars shullen waxe woode and fewe men shullen cen yleft vpon the earth And yet sayth Isay the Prophet this sayeth God for as much as this people nigheth me with their mouth glorifieth me with their lippes and their hart is farre from me And they han ydrad more mens commandement then mine and more draw to their doctrines then mine Therefore will I make a great wondring vnto this people wisedome shall perish away from wise men and vnderstanding of ready men shall be yhid And so it seemeth that an other saying of Isay is fulfilled there as God bad hym goe teach the people and sayd go forth and say to this people eares haue ye and vnderstaÌ„d ye not and eyes ye haue and sight ne know ye not Make blinde the hart of this people make their eares heauy and close their eyen least he see with his eyen and yheare with his eares and vnderstand with his hart and by yturned and ych heale him of his sicknes And Isay sayd to God how long Lord shall this be And God sayd For to that the cities ben desolate withouten a wonnier and an house withouten a man Here is mychel nede for to make sorow to cry to our Lord Iesu Christ hertilich for helpe and for succour that hee wole forgeue vs our sinnes and geue vs grace and coÌ„ning to seruen him better here after And God of his endles mercy geue vs grace and coÌ„ning trulich to tellen which is Christes law in helping of mens soules for we beth lewde men and sinfull men and vnconning and if he woll be our helpe and our succour we shullen wel perfourme our purpose And blessed be our Lorde God that hideth his wisdome from wise men and fro ready men and teacheth it to small children as Christ teacheth in the Gospell Christen men haue a law to keepe the which lawe hath twe parties Beleue in Christ that is God is the foundmeÌ„t of their law and vpon this foundement as he sayde to Peter and the gospel beareth witnes he woll byelden his Churche and thys is the first party of Christes law The secoÌ„d party of this law beth Christes commaundements that beth written in the gospel and more verilich in Christen mens hartes And as touching the beleue we beleuen that Christ is God and that there ne is no God but he We beleuen neuertheles that in the Godhead there bene three persons the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost and all these three persons ben one God and not many Gods and all they beth ylich mighty ylich good and ylich wise and euer haue bene and euer shullen ben We beleuen this God made the worlde of nought and man he made after hys owne likenesse in Paradise that was a land of blisse and gaue him that land foâ— hys heritage and bad him that he should not eate the tree of knowledge of good and euil that was a midde Paradise Then the deuell that was fallen out of heauen for his pride had enuie to man and by a false suggestion he made man eate of this tree and breake the commaundement of God and tho was man ouercome of the deuill and so he lost his heritage and was put out therof into the world that was a land of trauel and of sorow vnder the feendes thraldome to be punished for his trespasse There man followed wickednes and sinne and God for the sinne of man sent aâ—sloud into this world and drownd all mankind saue eight soules And after this flud he let meÌ„ multiply in the world and so he assaled whether man dread him or loued him among other he found a man that hight Abraham this man he prooued whether he loued him and drad him and bad hym that he should offeren Isaac his sonne vppon an hill and Abraham as a true seruaunt fulfilled his Lords commaundement and for this buxumnes and truth God sware vnto Abraham that he would multiply his seede as the grauell in the sea and as the starres of heauen and he behight to him and to his heires the lande of behest for heritage for euer gif they wolden ben his true seruauntes and keepe his hests And God held him forward for Isaac Abrahams sonne begat Iacob and Esau and of Iacob that is ycleped Israel comen Gods people that he chose to be his seruaunt and to whome he behight the land of behest This people was in great thraldome in Egypt vnder Pharao that was king of Egypt and they crâ—eden to God that he should deliueren them out of that thraldome and so he did for he sent to Pharao Moses and his brother Aaron and bad him deliuer his people to done him sacrifice and to fore Pharao he made Moses done many wonders or that Pharao wold deliuer his people and at the last by might he deliuered his people out of thraldom and led them through a desert toward the lande of behest and there he gaue them a lawe that they shulden lyuen after when they comen into their countrey and in their way thither ward the ten commaundements God wrote himself in two tables of stone the remnaunt of the lawe he taught them by Moses his seruaunt how they shoulden do euery chone to other and gif they trespassed againe the law he ordeined how they shoulden be punished Also hee taught them what maner sacrifices they should doe to him and he chose him a people to ben his priestes that was Aaron and his children to done sacrifices in the tabernacle and afterwarde in the temple also He chese him the remnant of the children of Leuy to ben seruauntes in the tabernacle to the priestes and he sayde When ye come into the lande of behest the children of Leuy they shullen haue none heritage amoÌ„gst their brethren for I would be their part their heritage they shullen serue me in the tabernacle by dayes and by nighâ—es and he
ordeined that priests should haue a part of the sacrifices that were offred in the tabernacle and the first begotten beastes both of men and beastes and other things as the lawe telleth And the other children of Leuy that serued in the tabernacle should haue tythings of the people to their liueloode of the which tythings they should geuen the priestes the tenth partie in forme of offering The children of Leuy both priestes and other shoulde haue houses and croftes and lesewes for their beasts in the land of behest none other heritage so God gaue theÌ„ their land of behest and bade them that they ne shoulde worship no other God then him Also he bade that they should kepe his coÌ„mandâ—ments and gift they did so all their enemies about them shuld drede theÌ„ and be their seruaunts And giue they worshipped false gods and so forsaken his lawes he bihight them that he woulde bring them out of that land make them serue their enemies but yet he said he would not benemen his mercy away from them if they would cry mercy and amende their defautes and all thys was done on Gods side And heere is much loue showed of God to man And who so looketh the Bible hee shall finde that man showed him little loue againeward for when they were come into their heritage they forgetten their God and worshipped false gods And God sent to them the Prophetes and his seruaunts * fele times to bidde them withdrawen them from their sinnes and other they haue slowen them or they beaten them or they ledde them in prison and oft times God tooke vpon them great vengeance for their sinnes when they cried after helpen to God he sent them helpe and succour This is the generall processe of the old Testament that God gaue to his people by Moses his seruaunt And al this Testament and this doing ne was but a shadow and a figure of a newe Testament that was geuen by Christ. And it was byhoten by Ieremie the Prophet as S. Paul beareth witnes in the Epistle that he wryteth to the Iewes And Ieremy sayeth in this wise Loe dayes shall come God sayth and I will make a new band to the house of Israel and to the house of Iuda not like the forward that I made with their fathers in that day that I tooke their hand to leade them out of the lande of Egypt the which forward they maden veyne and I had Lordship ouer them But this shal be the forward that I wold make with them after those daies I wil geue my lawes with them in their inwardnes and I will wryten them in their hearts and I wil be their God and they should be my people and after that a man shall not teach his neighbour ne his brother For all God sayeth from the least to the most should knowe me for I will forgeuen them their sinnes and I wil no more thinke on their sinnes Thys is the newe Testament that Christe both God and man borne of the maid Marye he taught here in this worlde to bryng man our of sinne and out of the deuils thraldome and seruice to heauen that is land of blisse and heritage to all tho that beleeuen on him and kepen hys commaundements and for his teaching he was done to the death But the third day arose againe from death to life and fette Adam and Eue and many other folke out of hell and afterward he came to his disciples and comforted them After he stied vp to heauen to his father and tho hee sent the holy Ghost amonges his disciples and in time comming he wol come and demen all mankinde after their werkes and after the wordes he spake vpon earth some to blisse with in body and in soul euer withouten end and some to paine withouten end both in body and in soule This is our beloue and all christen mennes and this beleue is the first poynt of the newe Testament that yche Christen man is holde stedfastly to beleue and rather to suffe the death thair forsaken this beleue and so this beleue is the bread of spirituall life in forsaking sinne that Christ brought vs to life But for asmuch as mans liuing ne stondeth not all onlych by bread he hath ygilten vs a draught of water of life to drink And who that drinketh of that water he ne shall neuer afterward ben a thurst For this water is the cleare teaching of the gospel that encloseth seuen commaundements The first is this thou shalt loue thy GOD ouer all other things and thy brother as thy selfe both enemy and frend The second commaundement is of meekenes in the whych Christ chardgeth vs to forsake Lordship vppon our brethren and other wordly worships and so he did himselfe The third commandement is in stonding stedfastlich in truth and forsaking all falsenes The fourth commaundement is to suffer in this world diseases and wrongs withouten ageinstondings The fifth commandement is mercy to forgeuen our brethren their trespasse as often time as they gilteth without asking of vengeaunce The sixth commaundement is poorenes in spirite but not to ben a begger The seuenth commaundement is chastity that is a forsaking of fleshlich likings displeasing to God These commaundements enclosen the ten commaundements of the old law and somwhat more Thys water is a blessed drinke for christen mennes soule But more harme is much folke would drinke of thys water but they mowe not come thereto for God sayth by Ezechiel the prophet when iche geue to you the most cleane water to drinke ye troubled that water with your feete and that water so defouled yee geue my shepe to drink But the clene water is yhid fro the shepe and but gif God cleare this it is dread least the sheepe dyen for thurst And Christ that is the wisdome of the father of heauen well of thys wisdome that come from heauen to earth to teache man this wisdome thorow the which man should ouercome the sleights of the deuill that is principall enemy of mankinde haue mercy and pity of his people and shew if it be his will howe thys water is troubled and by whom and sith clere thys water that his sheepe mowne drinken hereof and kele the thurst of theyr soules Blessed more our Lord bene for he hath itaught vs in the Gospell that ere then hee woulde come to the vniuersall dome then should come many in his name and sayen that they weren Christ and they shoulden done many wonders and begilen many men And many false prophets shoulden arisen and begylen much folke A Lorde yblessed more thou ben of euerich creature which ben they that haue ysayd that they weren Christ haue thus begiled thus thy people Trulich Lord I trowe thilke that sayen that they ben in thy steede and binemen thy worship and maken thy people worshippen them as God haue hid thy lawes from the people Lorde who durst sit in thy
steede and benemen thee thy woorship and thy sacrifice and durst maken the people woorship them as gods The Sauter telles that God ne wole not in the day of dome demen men for bodiliche sacrifices Holocaustes But God sayth yeld to me sacrifice of herying and yeld to God thine auowes and clepe me in the day of tribulation and ych wole defend thee and thou shalt worship me The heryeng of God standeth in 3 things In louing God ouer al other things In dreading God ouer al other things In trusting in God ouer all other things These 3 poyntes Christ teacheth in the gospell But I trowe men louen him but a little For who so loueth Christ he wole kepen his wordes But men holden his wordes for heresie and folye and kepeth mennes wordes Also men dreden more men mens lawes and their cursings then Christ and his lawes and his cursings Also men hopen more in men and mens helpes than they doe in Christ and in his helpe And thus hath hee that setteth in Gods stede by no men God these three horâ—ings maketh men louen him and his lawes more then Christ and Christes law and dreden him also And there as the people shulden yeelde to God their vowes he sayth he hath power to assoylen them of theyr avowes and so this sacrifice he nemeth awayâ— from God And there as the people shoulde cry to God in the day of tribulation he letteth them of their cryeng to God and byne meth God that worship This day of tribulation is whan man is fallen thorowe sinne into the deuils seruice and than we shuldes cry to God after help and axen forgeuenes of our sinne and make great sorow for our sinne and ben in fâ—ll will to do so no more ne none other sinne and that our Lord God wole forgeuen vs our sinne maken our soule clene For his mercy is endlesse But Lord here men haue by nomen thee much worshyp For men seyn that thou ne might not cleane assoylen vs of our sinne But if we knowlegen our sinnes to priests taken of them a penance for our sinne gif we mowen speake with them A Lord thou forgaue somtime Peter his sinnes and also Mary Magdaleine and many other many sinfull men without shriuing to priests taking penance of priests for their sinnes And Lord thou art as mighty now as thou were that time but gif any man haue bynomen thee thy might And we lewed men beleuen that there nys no man of so great power and gif any man maketh him selfe of so great power he heigheth himselfe aboue God And S. Paul speaketh of one that sitteth in the temple of God highten him aboue God and gif any such be he is a false Christ. But hereto seyn priests that wheÌ„ Christ made cleane leprous men he bade them goe and shewe them to priests And therefore they seyn that it is a commandement of Christ that a man should shewen his sinne to priests For as they seyn lepre in the olde lawe betokeneth sinne in this new lawe A Lorde God whether thine Apostles knew not thy meaning as well as men done nowe And gif they hadden yknow that thou haddest coÌ„manded men to shriuen them to priests and they ne taught not that commandement to the people me thinketh they hadden ben to blame But I trow they knewen wel that it was none of thy commaundements ne nedeful to heale of mans soule And as me thinketh the law of lepre is nothing to the purpose of shriuing for priestes in the olde law hadden certain poynts and tokens to know whether a man were leprous or not and gif they were leprous they hadden power to putten them away from other cleane men for to that they weren cleane then they hadden power to receiuen him among his brethren and offeren for him a sacrifice to God This nis nothing to the purpose of shriuing For there nis but one priest that is Christ that may knowe in certaine the lepre of the soule Ne no priest may make the soul cleane of her sinne but Christ that is priest after Melchisedekes order ne no priest here beneath may ywit for certaine whether a man be cleane of hys sinne or cleane assoyled but gif God tell it him by reuelation Ne God ordeined not that his priestes should set men a penance for their sinne after the quantitie of the sinne but this is mannes ordinaunce and it may well be that there commeth good thereof But I wote well that God is much vnworshipped thereby For men trust more in his absolutions and in his yeres of grace than in Christes absolutions and therby is the people much appaired For now the sorow a man should make for his sinne is put away by this shrift and a man is more bold to do sinne for trust of thys shrift and of this bodilich penance An other mischiefe is that the people is ybrought into thys beleefe that one priest hath a greater power to assoylen a man of his sinne and clennere then an other priest hath An other mischiefe is this that some priest may assoylen them both of sinne and paine and in this they taken them a power that Christ granted no man in earth ne he ne vsed it nought on earth himselfe An other mischiefe is that these priestes sellen forgeuenes of mens sinnes and absolutions for money and this is an heresie accursed that is ycleped simonie and all thilke priestes that axeth price for graunting of spirituall grace beth by holy lawes depriued of their priesthode and thilke that assenteth to this heresy And be they ware for Helyse the prophet toke no mony of Naaman when he was made cleane of his lepre but Giesi his seruant and therefore * the lepree of Naaman abode with him and wyth his heires euermore after Here is much matter of sorow to see the people thus far ylad away from God and worshupen a fals god in earth that by might and by strength hath ydone away the great sacrifice of God out of his temple of which mischiefe and discomfort Daniel maketh mention and Christ beareth thereof witnes in the gospell Who that readeth it vnderstand it Thus we haue ytold apertie how he that saith he sitteth in Christs stede binemeth Christ his worship and his sacrifice of his people and maketh the people worshepen him as a God on earth Cry we to God and knowledge we our sinnes euerichone to other as S. Iames teacheth and pray we hartilich to God euerichone for other then we shulen hopen forgeuenes of our sinnes For God that is endles in mercy sayth that he ne wil not a sinful mans death but that he be turned from his sin liuen And therfore when he came downe to saue mankinde he gaue vs a lawe of loue and of mercy and bade gif a man do a trespas amend him priuilich and gif he
leue not his sinne amend him before witnes and gif he ne amendeth not men should tel to the church and gif he ne amendeth not than men shuld shone his company as a publicane or a man that is misbeleued and this lawe was yfigured in the law of lepre who that readeth it he may see the sooth But Lord God he that sitteth in thy stede hath vndo thy lawe of mercy and of loue Lord thou biddest loue enemies as our self as thou shewest in the gospell there as the Samaritane had mercy on the Iewe. And thou biddest vs also prayen for them that cursen vs and that defamen vs pursuen vs to death And so Lorde thou didst thine apostles also But he that clepeth himselfe thy vicar on earth and head of thy church he hath vndone thy lawe of loue and mercy For gif we speaken of louing our ennemies hâ— teacheth vs to fight with our enemies that Christ hath forboden He curseth and desireth vengeance to them that so doth to hym Gif any man pursueth him hee curseth him that it is a sorowe a Christen man to hearen the cursinges that they maken and blasphemies in such cursing Of what thing that I know I may beare true witnes But gif we speake of louing of our brethren this is vndone by him that sayth he is Godsvicar in earth For Christ in the gospell biddeth vs that we shoulden clepen vs no father vpon earth But clepen God our father to maken vs loue perfitlich together And he clepeth himself father of fathers maketh many religions to euerich a father But whether is loue and charity encreased by these fathers and by their religions or els ymade lesse For a Friar ne loueth not a monke ne a secular man neither nor yet one frier a nother that is not of the order and it is againward A Lord me thinketh that there is litle perfection in these religions For Lorde what charity hauen such men of religion that knowen how they mown against and sin and fleen away froÌ„ their brethren that ben more vncuÌ„ning then they ben suffren them to trauelen in the world withouten their couÌ„cell as beastes Trulich Lorde me thinketh that there is but litle charity and then is there litle perfection Lorde God when thou were on earth thou were among sinful men to drawen them from sin thy disciples also And Lord I trow thou ne grauÌ„test not one maÌ„ more kuÌ„ning then an other al for himself and I wote wel that lewd meÌ„ that ben laborers ne trauel not alonlich for himself Lord our belief is that thou ne wer not of the world ne thy teaching neither ne thy seruantes that liueden after thy teaching But all they forsaken the world and so euery christen man must But Lorde whether thou taughtest menne forsake their brethrens companie and trauell of the worlde to liuen in ease and in rest and out of trouble and anger of the worlde by their brethrens trauell and so forsaken the world A Lord thou ne taughtest not a maÌ„ to forsaken a pore estate and trauel to ben afterward a Lord of his brethren or ben a lords fellow and dwelling with Lords as doth men of these new religions Lord thou ne taughtest not men of thy religion thus to forsake the world to liuen in perfection by them selfe in ease and by other mens trauell But Lord they sayen they ben ybound to thy seruise and seruen thee both night and day in singing their prayers both for themselfe and for other men that done them good both quicke and dead and some of them gone about to teach thy people when they hauen leisure A Lord gif they ben thy seruauntes whose seruaunts ben we that cannot preyen as they done And when thou were heere on earth for our nede thou taughtest thy seruauntes to preyen thy father priuilich and shortlich And gif there had beene a better maner of praying I trowe thou wouldest haue taught it in helpe of thy peâ—ple And Lorde thou reprouest hypocrites that preyen in long preyer and in open places to ben yholden holy men And thou seyst in the gospel wo to you Pharisees hypocrits And lord thou ne chargedest not thy seruaunts with such maner seruice But thou seest in the gospel that the Pharises worshopeÌ„ thee with their lippes and their hart is farre from thee For they chargen more mens traditions than thy commaundements And Lord we lewed men han a beleefe that thy goodnesse is endles and gif we keepen thine hestes than ben we thy true seruauntes And though we preyen thee but a litle shortlich thou wilt thinken on vs and grauÌ„ten vs that vs nedeth for so thou behighted vs somtime And Lord I trowe that pray a man neuer so many quaint prayers gif he ne kepe not thine hests he is not thy good seruaunt But gif he keepe thine hestes than he is thy good seruaunt and so me thinketh Lorde that praying of long prayers ne is not the seruice that thou desirest but keping of thine heftes and than a lewd man may serue God as wel as a man of religion though that the Plowman ne may not haue so muche siluer for his prayer as men of religion For they kunnen not so wel preisen their prayers as these other chapmen But Lorde our hope is that our prayers be neuer the worse though it be not so wel solde as other mens prayers Lorde Ezechiel the Prophet sayth that whan he spake to the people thy words they turned thy words into songs into tales And so Lord men done now they singin merilich thy words and that singing they clepen thy seruice But Lord I trow that the best singers he herieth thee not most But he that fulfilleth thy wordes he herieth thee full well though he wepe more then sing And I trow that weping for breaking of thy commandements be more pleasing seruice to thee than the singing of thy words And wold God that men would serue him in sorow for their sinnes and that they shoulden afterward seruen thee in mirth For Christ sayth yblessed ben they that maken sorow for they shoulden ben yconforted And woe to them that ben merry and haue theyr comfort in this world And Christ sayd that the world should ioyen hys seruaÌ„ts shulden be sory but their sorow shuld be turned into ioy A Lord he that clepeth himselfe thy vicar vpon earth hath y ordained an order of priestes to doe thy seruice in church to fore thy lewd people in singing matens euensong masse And therfore hee chargeth lewde men in paine of cursing to bryng to hys priests tithyngs and offerings to finden his priests and he clepeth that Gods part due to priests that seruen him in church But Lord in the olde law the tithings of the lewde people ne were not due to priestes but to that other childer of Leuie that ferueden thee in the temple and the
in other good colours And Lorde I see thine image gone in colde and in here in clothes all to broken without shone and hosen an hungred and a thâ—ust Lorde what heryenge is it to teende tapers and torches before blinde mawmets that mowen not I seyen And hide thee that art our light and our lanterne towarde heauen and put thee vnder a bushell that for darkenes we ne may not seene our way towarde blisse Lorde what heryenge is it to kneele tofore mawmetes that mowe not yheren and worshepen them with preyers and maken thine quicke images knele before them and asken of them absolutions and blessings and worshupen them as gods and putten thy quicke images in thraldom and in traueil euermore as bestes in colde and in heate and in feeble fare to finden them in liking of the world Lord what herieng is it to fetch deed mennes bones out of the ground there as they shulden kindelich roten and shrinen them in golde and in siluer And suffren thy quicke bones of thine images to rot in prison for default of clothingh And suffren also thy quicke images to perish for default of sustenaunce and rooten in the hoore house in abhominable lecherie Some become theeues and robbers and manquellers that mighten ben y holpen with the golde and siluer that hongeth about deed mens bones and other blind mawmetes of stockes and stones ¶ Lorde here ben great abhominations that thou shewdist to Ezechiel thy Prophet that priests done in thy temple yet they clepen that thine heryenge But leue Lorde me thinketh that thâ—y louen thee litle that thus defoulen thy quick images worshippen blinde mawmetes And Lord an other great mischiefe there is now in the world an hunger that Amos thy Prophet speaketh of that there shal comen an honger in the earth not of bread ne thrust of drinke but of hearing of Gods worde And thy sheepe woulden be refreshed but their shepheards taken of thy shepe their liuelode as tythings c. and liuen them selfe thereby where them liketh Of such shepheardes thou speaketh by Ezechiel thy Prophet and seist wo to the shepheards of Israel that feden them selfe for the flockes of sheepe shoulden ben yfed of their shepheardes but yee eaten the milke and clothen you with their wolfe and the fat sheepe ye slow and my flocke ye ne fede not the sicke shepe ye ne healed not thilke that weren to broken yee ne knit not together thilke that perished ye ne brought not againe but ye ratled them with sternship and with power And so the shepe be sprad abroad in deuouring of all the beasts of the feelde And Ieremie the Prophet sayeth wo to the shepehards that disparseâ—h abroad and â—eareth the flocke of my lesewe ¶ A Lorde thou were a good shepheard for thou puttest thy soul for thy sheep but lord thou teldest that thilke that comé not in by the dore ben night theues day theues and a these as thou seest coÌ„meth not but for to steale to sleine to destroy And Zachary the prophet sayth that thou wouldest reren vp a shepherde vnkunning that ne wol not hele thy shepe that beth sick ne seek thilke that beth lost Apon his arme is a swerd and vpon his right eye his arme shall waxe dry and his right eye shall lese his light O Lorde helpe for thy shepe beth at great mischiefe in the shepheards defaute But Lord ther commeth hired men they ne fedden not thy shede in thy plenteous lesew but feeden thy sheep with sweueÌ„s and false miracles tales But at thy trewth they ne comen not For Lord I trowe thou sendest them neuer For haue they hire of thy sheep they ne careth but little of the feding and the keping of thy shepe Lord of these hired men speaketh Ieremy the Prophet and thou seyst that woorde by him I ne sende them not and they ronne bliue I ne speake vnto them and they propheciden For if they hadden stonden in my couÌ„sel and they had made my words knoweÌ„ to the puple ich wold haue turned them away from their yuell way and from their wicked thoughtes For Lorde thou seyst that thy woordes ben as fire and as an hammer breaking stones And Lord thou saist Lo I to these Prophetes meeting sweuens of lesing that haue ytolde her sweuens and haue begyled my puple in their lesing in their fals miracles when I neither sent ne bede them And these haue profitet nothing to my puple And as Ieremie sayth from the lest to the mest all they studien couetise and from the Prophet to the priest all they done gyle A Lord here is mych mischief matere of sorow yet there is more For gif a lewed man wold teach thy people trewth of thy words as he is y holde by the commaundement of charite he shal be forboden and put in prison gif he do it And so Lord thilk that haue the key of conning haue y lockt the trewth of thy teaching vnder many wardes yhid it from thy children But Lorde sith thy teaching is y come from heauen aboue our hope is that with thy grace it shall breaken these wardes and showe hym to thy puple to kele both the hunger and the thrust of the soule And then shal no shepheard ner no fals hiridman begile thy puple no more For by thy law I wryte as thou hightest some time that from the left to the mest all they shullen knowen thy wil and weten howe they shullen please thee euer more in certaine And leue Lord gif it be thy will helpe at thys nede for there is none helpe but in thee Thus Lord by him that maketh himselfe thy viker in earth is thy commaundement of loue to thee our brethren ybroken both to him and to thy puple But Lorde God mercy and pacience that beth tweyne of thy commandements beth destroyed and thy puple hath forsake mercy For Lord Dauid in the Sauter sayth Blessed beth they that done dome and rightfulnes in euerich time O Lord thou hast itaught vs as rightfulnes of heauen hast ybeden vs forgeuen our brethren as oft as they trespassen against vs. And Lord thine olde lawe of iustice was that such harme as a man did his brother such he should suffer by the law as eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth But Christ made an end of this law that one brother should not desire wracke of an other but not that he would that sinne shoulde ben vnpunished for thereto hath he ordained Kinges and Dukes and other lewde officers vnder them whilke as S. Paule sayth ne carien not the swerd in vaine for they ben the ministers of God and wrakers to wrath to them that euil done And thus hath Christ ymade an ende of this olde lawe that one brother may not suen an other himselfe for that to wreken without sinne for breaking
semeth to haue no remedy but that as other thinges other kingdomes haue theyr endes and limittes set vnto them which they cannot ouerpasse 80 it must needes be that such a domination gouernment of the Church haue an end by reason of the demerites and obstinacyes of the gouernors prouoking and requiring the same like as we reade in the Prophet Ieremy cap. 8. There is no man that taketh repentaunce for his sinne that will so much as say wherefore haue I done this But euery man runneth forth still like a wilde horse in a battell And the Prophet Ieremy in the 13. chapter of his prophecy Like as the man of Inde may chaunge his skinne and the Cat of mountayne her spottes so may ye that be exercised in euill doe good Whereunto also accordeth that which is written of the same Prophet chap. 17. speaking of Iuda signifying the Church The sinne of Iuda sayth he is written in the table of your hartes and grauen so vpoÌ„ the edges of your altars with a penne of Iron and with an Adamant claw which is as much to say as indelible or which cannot be raced out as also Ezechiell speaking of the punishment chapter 21. sayth I the Lord haue drawne out my sword out of the sheath and cannot be reuoked Notwithstanding all these signifye no impossibility but difficulty because that wicked men are hardly conuerted for otherwise the Scripture importeth no such inflexibilitye with God but if conuersion come he will forgeue So we read in the Prophet Ionas cap. 3. Who can tell God may turne and repent and cease from his fierce wrath that we perish not And to the like effect sayth the same Lord in Ieremy cap 26 Looke thou keepe not one word backe if peraduenture they will harken and turne euery man from his wicked way that I also may repent of of the plague which I haue determined to bring vpon them because of their wicked inuentioÌ„s c. For the further proofe wherof Niniuy we see conuerted and remayned vndestroyd c. Likewise the Lorde also had reuealed destruction vnto Constantinople by sundry signes and tokens as Augustine in a certayne Sermon doth declare And thus for the third part or member of my deuision Fourthly and lastly remayneth to declare some wholesome concluding now vpon the causes preceding That is if by these causes and signes heretofore declared tribulation be prepared to fall vpon the Church then let vs humble our mindes mildely and wisely And if we so returne with hart and in deed vnto God verely he shall rescue and helpe after an inestimable wise and will surcease from scourging vs as he promiseth by his Prophet Ieremy 18. If that people agaynst whom I haue thus deuised coÌ„uert from their wickednesse immediately I will repent of the plague that I deuised to bring vpon them speaking here after the maner of men c. Now therefore for so much as tribulation and affliction is so neare comming toward vs yea lyeth vpon vs alreadye let vs be the more diligent to call vpon God for mercy For I thinke verely these many yeares â—here hath not hene so many and so despightfull hartes and euill willers stout and of such a rebellious hart aganst the Church of God as be now adayes neither be they lacking that would worke all that they can agaynst it and louers of new fanglenes whose hartes the Lord happelye will turne that they shall not hate his people and worke deceipte agaynst his seruauntes I meane agaynst Priestes whom they haue now in little or no reputation at all Albeit many yet there bee through Gods grace good and Godly But yet the furye of the Lord is not turned away but still his hand is stretched out And vnlesse ye be conuerted he shaketh his sworde he hath bent his bowe and prepared it readye Yet the Lorde standeth wayting that he may haue mercy vpon you Esay 30. And therefore as the greatnesse of feare ought to incite vs so hope of saluation may allure vs to pray and call vpon the Lord especially now toward this holy and sacrat time and solemnity of Christes natiuity For that holy and continuall prayer without intermission is profitable and the instant deuotion and vigilant deprecation of the iust man is of great force And if terreine kinges in the day of celebration of their natiuity be wont to shew themselnes more liberall and bounteous how much more ought we to hope wel that the heauenly king of nature most benigne now at his natall and byrth day will not denye pardon and remission to such as rightly call vnto him And now therefore as it is written in Iosue chap. 7. Be you sanctified agaynst to morow c. And saw vnto him as it is written in the first booke of Kinges chap. 25. Now let thy seruaunts I pray thee finde fauour in thy sight for we come to thee in a good season Moreouer ye may finde that ye aske if that ye aske that which he brought in the day of his Natiuity that is the peace of the Church not spirituall onely but also temporall which the angelicall noyse did sounde and experience the same time dyd proue testifyed by T. Liuius Plinius and other heathen storywriwriters which all maruelled thereat saying that such an vniuersal peace as that â—ould not come on earth but by the gift of God For so God did forepromise in the Prophet Esay chap. 66. Behold I will let peace into Ierusalem like a waterfloud c. And in the Psalme 71. In his time righteousnesse shal florish yea and aboundance of peace c. Therefore now O reuerend fathers in the Lord you here in this present assembly behold I say the day of life and saluatioÌ„ Now is the oportune time to pray vnto god that the same thing which he brought into the world at his byrth he will graunt in these dayes to his Church that is his peace And like as Niniuye was subuerted ouerturned and not in members but in maners so the same wordes of my theame Iuxta est iustitia mea vt reueletur may be verified in vs not of the primitiue iustice but of our sanctification by grace so that As to morow is celebrated the natiuity of our Sauiour our righteousnesse may rise together with him and his blessing may be vpon vs which God hath promised saying My sauing health is neare at hand to come c. Whereof speaketh Esay the Prophet chapte 51. My sauing health shall endure foreuer c. This health graunt vnto vs the Father Sonne and holy Ghost Amen This SermoÌ„ was made by maister Nicholas Orem before Pope Urbane and his Cardinals vpon the eueÌ„ of the Natiuity of the Lord being the fourth Sonday of Aduent in the yeare of our Lord 1364. and the second of hys Hopedome In the 5. yere of this forenamed Pope Urbane began first the order of the Iesuites And
except he doe looke for the duetie of recompence by the law of conscience Item all temporall goods bestowed vppon the clergie by the lay people vnder condition as the goodes of the churche are the almes of them which geue it it is prooued thus for so much as all those goods are the goods of the poore as it appeareth by many sayings of holy men and by the lawes But they were not the goods of the pore after they were mere seculer goodes but onely by the meane of the woorke of mercie wherby they were bestowed vpon the pore Ergo they were pure almes The cōsequent dependeth vpō the definitiō of pure almes Item all things changed to the vse and power of an other either by ciuil exchange or Euangelical is changed But the church goods are so changed by one of these ministries But the Euangelical exchange is not to be fained because it is not done neyther by bying or selling or any other ciuill exchange Therefore there doth not remaine but only a pure gift for hope of a heauenly reward the which is mercy and so pure almes And it semeth to followe consequently that all the Clergie receiuing such almes are not onely in respect of God as all other menne But in respect of men beggers For they wold not so instantly require those almes except they had neede of them neither ought we to be ashamed therof or to be proud beggers for so much as Christ touching his humanitie became a begger for vs because hee declared his need vnto his Father saying c. Item when any Kyng Prince Knight Citizen or anye other man doth geue vnto the clergy or to anye priest for his stipend he geueth the same vnto the Churche of God and to the priuate party as a perpetuall almes that he should attend to his vocation preaching praying and studying But this kinde of geuing doth not suffice to ground any seculer dominion amongst the clergye it followeth that the bare vse remayneth in them or the seculer vse without any seculer power The maior appeareth hereby forsomuch as otherwise almes should not be a worke of mercy Whereby it may also appeare that tenths are pure alms geuen to the church to the vse of the pore And hereupon the holy men doe say that tenthes are the tributes of the needy soules Whereupon S. Augustine in a sermon made vpon the restoring of tithes sayth The geuing of Tithes most deare brethren are the tributes of the poore soules therefore pay your tribute vnto the poore And by and by after he sayth therefore who desireth eyther to get any rewarde or to haue anye remission of sinnes by geuing of his tenthes let him study to geue almes euen of the ninth part so that what soeuer shall remayne more then a competent liuing and decent clothing that it be not reserued for riot but that it be layd vp in the heauenly treasure by geuing it in almes to the poore For what so euer God doth geue vnto vs more then we haue neede of he doth not geue it vs specially for our selues but doth send it vs to be bestowed vpon others by our handes if wee doe not geue it we inuade an other mans possessions Thus much wryteth S. Augustine and is repeted in the xvi question 1. Decime Also S. Ierome in an Epistle and it is put in the 16. question and 2. chap Quicquid What soeuer the clergy hath it is the goods of the poore Also S. Augustine in his 33. Epistle vnto Boniface and it is aleaged in the 1. question and 12. Also in the 23. question 7. If we doe possesse any thinge priuately the which doth suffise vs they are not oures but the goods of the poore whose stewardes we are except we doe challenge to ourselues a property by some damnable vsurpatiō The glose vpon that part of the 23. question 7. sayth The Prelates are but onely the stewardes of the church goodes and not Lordes thereof S. Ambrose also vpon this saying of the Gospell Luke the 16. Geue accompt of your bailiship or stewardship Hereby then doe we learne that they are not Lordes but rather stewardes and baliffes of other mens substaunce And S. Ierome writing to Nepotianus saieth howe can they be of the clergye which are commaunded to contemne and dispise their owne substaunce and to take away from a frend it is theft to deceiue the Churche it is sacriledge and to take awaye that which should be geuen vnto the poore ¶ The order and maner of taking vp the body of Iohn Wickliffe and burning his bones 41. yeares after his death And S. Bernard in his sermon vppon these wordes Symon Peter sayd vnto Iesus chap. 17 sayd Truely the goodes of the Church are the patrimony of the poore And whatsoeuer thyng the ministers and stewardes of the same not Lordes or possessours do take vnto themselues more then sufficient for a competent liuing the same is taken away from the poore by a sacrilegious crueltie And Eusebius in his treatise vpon the pilgrimage of S. Ierom writeth thus if thou doest possesse a garment or anye other thing more then extreme necessitie doth require and dost not help the needy thou art a theef a robber Wherfore dearly beloued children let vs be stewards of our temporallities and not possessors And Isidore in his treatise De summo Bono chap. 42. sayth Let the byshop know that he is the seruaunt of the people and not Lord ouer them Also in the 5. booke of decretals extra de donationibus sub authoritate Alexandri tertij Episcopi paristensis He sayth we beleue that it is not vnknowne vnto your brotherhoode that a Byshop and euery other Prelate is but a steward of the Churche goodes and not Lord thereof By these sayinges of these holy men it is euidently declared that not only tithes but also al other substaunce which the clergy hath by gift of worke of mercy are pure almes which after the necessitie of the clergy once satisfied ought to be transported vnto the poore Secondly it is declared how that the Clergye are not Lordes and possessours of those goods but ministers stewardes therof Thirdly it is shewed that if the Clergye doe abuse the same they are theeues robbers and sacrilegious persons and except they doe repent by the iust iudgement of God they are to be condempned ANd thus hetherto I may peraduenture seeme to haue made sufficient long resitall out of Ihon Dus but so notwithstanding that the commoditie of those thinges maye aboundantly recompence the prolixitie thereof Wherfore if I shall seeme vnto any man in the rehearsall of this disputation to haue passed very farre the boundes of the history let him thinke thus of me that at what tyme I tooke in hand to wryte of these Ecclesiasticall matters I could not omit these thinges whiche were so straightly ioyned with the cause of the Church Neither that I did make more accompt of the historye which I
13 chap. And thus by the testimony of all these places is he the chiefe Antechrist vpon the earth and must be slayne with the sword of Gods word and cast with the dragon the cruell beast and the false Prophet that hath seduced the earth into the lake of fire and brimstone to be tormented world without end If the city of Rome do allow his traditiōs and do disalow Christes holy commaundements and Christes doctrine that it may confirme his traditions then is she Babilon the great or the daughter of Babilon and the great whore sitting vpō many waters with whom the kings of the earth haue committed fornication and the inhabitants of the earth are become dronken with the wine of her harlotry lying opē to baudry With whose spiritual whordom enchauntments witchcraftes and Symon Magus marchaundises the whole roūd world is infected and seduced saying in her hart I sit as a Queen and widow I am not neither shall I see sorrowe and mourning Yet is shee ignoraūt that within a litle while shall come the day of her destruction ruine by the testimony of the Apoc. cha 17. Because that from the time that the continuall sacrifice was taken away the abhomination of desolatiō placed there be passed 1299. dayes by the testimonye of Daniell and the Chronicles added do agree to the same And the holy City also hath bene troden vnder foot of the heathen for 42. monethes and the woman was nourished vp in the wildernes vnto which she fled for feare of the space of the serpēt during 1260. dayes or els for a time times halfe a tyme which is all one All these thinges be manifest by the testimony of the Apocalips the Chronicles therto agreeing And as concerning the fall of Babilon aforesayd it is manifest in the Apoc. where it is sayd In one day shall her plagues come death lamentation and famine and she shal be burned with fire For strong is the Lord whych will iudge her And agayn Babilon that great Citty is fallen which hath made all nations to drinke of the wine of her Whoredome And thirdly one mightye Aungell tooke vp a myllstone that was a very great one and did cast it into the Sea saying with suche a violence as this is shall that great Cittye Babylon be ouerthrowne and shall no more bee founde For her Marchauntes were the Princes of the earth and with her Witchcraft all Nations haue gone astray and in her is there founde the bloud of the Sayntes and Prophetes And of her destruction speaketh Esay in the 13. chapiter And Babilon that glorious Cittye being so noble amongest kingdomes in the pride of the Caldeans it shall be that like as the Lorde did ouerturne Sodome and Gomorre vpside downe it shall neuer more be inhabited nor haue the foundation layde in no age from generation to generation Ieremy sayeth Your mother that hath borne you is brought to very great confusion and made euē with the ground And agayne The Lord hath deuised and done as he hath spokē agaynst the inhabiters of Babilō which dwel richly in their treasures vppon many waters thine ende is come And thirdly Drouth shall fall vpon her waters and they shall beginne to be drye for it is a land of grauen imagies and boasteth in her prodigious wonders It shall neuer more be inhabited neyther be builded vp in no age nor generation Verely euen as God hath subuerted Sodome and Gomorre with her calues Pardon mee I beseeche you though I be not plentiful in pleasaunt wordes For if I should runne after the course of this wicked world should please mē I should not be Christes seruant And because I am a poore man neyther haue nor cā haue notaries hyred to testifie of these my writings I call vpon Christ to be my witnes which knoweth the inward secrets of my hart that I am redy to declare the things that I haue writtē after my fashion to the profit of all Christen people to the hurt of no mā liuing am ready to be reformed if any mā will shew me where I haue erred being redy also miserable sinner though I be to suffer for the cōfession of the name of Christ of his doctrine as much as shal please him by his grace loue to assist me a miserable sinner In witnes of al these things I haue to this writing set that seale of our Lord sauior Iesus Christ which I besech him to imprint vpon my forehed to take frō me al maner of marke of Antichrist Amen ¶ These two suppositions as they are termed in the scholes written by Walter Brute and exhibited vnto the Bishop although they conteyned matter sufficient eyther to satisfie the bishop if he had ben disposed to learne or els to haue prouoked him to replye agayne if his knowledge therin had ben better thē his yet could they worke neither of thē effect in him But he receiuing perusing the same when he neither could confute that which was said neyther would reply or aunswere by learning to that whych was truth finding other by causlations said that this his writing was too short and obscure and therfore required him to write vpon the same againe more plainely and more at large Whereupon the said Maister Walter satisfying the Bishops request and ready to geue to euery one an accōpt of his faith in a more ample tractatiō renueth hys matter agayne before declared writing to the Byshop in wordes and forme as followeth REuerend father forsomuch as it seemeth to you that my motion in my two suppositions or cases in my two conclusions is too short and somwhat darke I wil gladly now satisfy your desire according to my smal learning by declaring the same conclusions In opening wherof it shall plainely appeare what I do iudge in all matters that I am accused of to your reuerence desiring you first of al that your discretiō would not beleue that I do enterpryse of any presumption to handle the secretes of the scriptures which the holy and iust wise Doctours haue left vnexpounded It is not vnknowen to many that I am in all points farre inferiour to thē whose holynes of life profoundnes in knowledge is manifold waies allowed But as for mine ignorance and multitude of sinnes are to my selfe and others sufficiently knowen wherefore I iudge not my selfe worthy to vnloose or to cary their shooes after them Do you therefore no otherwise deeme of me then I do of mine owne selfe But if you shal finde any goodnesse in my writings ascribe it to God only who according to the multitude of his mercy doth sometimes reueale those things to Idiotes and sinners which are hidded from the holy and wise according to this saying I will prayse and confesse thee O father for that thou hast hidden these thinges from the wyse and prudent and hast disclosed them to the litle ones Euen so O father
not knoweth not God for God is loue In thys thing hath the loue of God apeared in vs that God hath sent his only begotten sonne into the world that we shuld liue by him Herein is loue not that we haue loued God but that he hath first loued vs and hath sent hys sonne an attonement for oure sinnes Most dearly beloued if God haue loued us we so ought to loue together No mā hath sene God at any time if we loue together God abideth in vs hys loue is perfect in vs. And againe let vs loue God for he hath first loued vs. If a man shall say I loue God do hate hys brother he is a lyar For he that loueth not his brother whom he seeth how cā he loue God whom he seeth not And this commaundement haue we of God that who so loueth God should loue his brother also Paule the Apostle in his epistle to the Rom. 13. chapter O we ye nothing to no body sauing that ye should loue together for he that loueth hys brother hath fulfilled the lawe For thou shalt not commit adultery thou shalt not murther thou shalt not steal thou shalt not beare fall witnes thou shalt not couet thy neighbors good and if there be any other commaundement it is plētifully fulfilled in this word thou shalt loue thy neighbor as thy selfe Wherfore the fulfilling of the law is loue Paule to the Corinthes 5. sayeth If I shoulde speake with the tonges of men and angels and yet haue not charitie I am become as it were a peece of sounding mettal or rinkling cimball And if I shall haue all prophecie know all misteries and all knowledge and shall haue all faith so that I might remooue mountaines and yet shall not haue charitie I am nothing And if I shall geue abroade all my goodes to feede the poore and shall geue vp my body to be burned and yet haue not charitie it profites mee nothing To the Galathians 5. sayeth Paule For you my brethren are called into liberty doe ye not geue your liberty for an occasion of the flesh but by charity of the spirit serue ye one an other For all the law is fulfilled in one saying thou shalt loue thy neighbor as thine owne self To the Eph. 4. chap. he saith I therfore that suffer bonds in the Lord do beseech you that you would walke worthy of the calling where with ye are called with all humblenes and mildnes with patience forbearing one another in loue being carefull to kepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace that you be one body and one spirite euen as you be called in one hope of your calling And againe in the 5. chap. Be ye followers of me as most deare children and walke ye in loue as Christ also hath loued vs and hath deliuered vp hymselfe for vs an offring and sacrifice to God of a sweete fauour To the Phil. thus hee speaketh in the 1. chap. Onely let your conuersation be worthy of the Gospell of Christ that eyther when I shall come and see you or els in mine absence I may heare of you that you stand stedfast in one spirit laboring together with one accorde for the faith of the Gospell And in nothing be ye afraide of the aduersaries whych is to them a cause of damnation but to you of saluation and that of God For to you it is geuen not onely that you should beleue in him but also that you shuld suffer wyth him you hauing the lyke fight and battaile that both you haue seene in me and also now do heare of me If therefore there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of charitie if any felowship of the spirite if any bowels of compassion fulfill you my ioy that you may be of one iudgement hauing one and the self same charitie being of one accord of one maner of iudgement doing nothing of contention nor of vaine glory but in humblenes accompting other amongst you euery one better then your selues not euery body looking vppon the things that be hys owne but those that belong vnto others And to the Coloss. 3. chapter thus he writeth You therefore as the electe of God holy and beloued put vpon you the bowels of mercy gentlenesse humblenesse lowlinesse modestie pacience bearing one wyth an other geuing place to your selues if any haue a quarel against any body euen as the Lord forgaue you so do you also Aboue all things haue ye charitie which is the bonde of perfection and let the peace of Christ triumph in your hearts in whych peace you also are called in one body And be yee kinde thankefull And to the Thessalonians thus Paule writeth in the 4. chapter As concerning brotherly charity we haue no neede to wryte vnto you for you yourselues haue learned of God that you shoulde loue one an other And the same thing ye do towards all the brethren throughout all Macedonia Out of all these many other places of the holy scripture it sufficiently appeareth that the law of Christ is charitie neither is there any vertues commaunded of Christ or any of hys Apostles to be obserued of the faithfull people but that it commeth out of charitie or els doeth nourish charitie The lawe is geuen by Moses and the truth by Christ. Christ came not to vnlose the lawe and the Prophetes but to fulfill them But yet many things were lawful might haue bene obserued in the time of the law whych in y◠tyme of grace must not be obserued And many things wer vnlawful to them that were vnder the law which in the time of grace are lawful inough After what sort then he did not loose the lawe but did fulfill it it is necessary to declare for those thyngs which hereafter must be sayd For amongest Christians many things are iudged to be lawfull because in the former testament in the law they were lawfull and yet they be expresly contrary to Christes Gospell But the authors of such thinges doe argue and reason thus Christ came not to loose the law of the prophets Now after what sort he did not vnlose them it is manifest by the holy scripture that the law geuen by Moses was written in tables of stone to declare the hardnes of y◠peoples hart towards the loue of God or of Christ. But Christ hath wrytten his law in the harts and in the minds of his that is to say the law of perfect loue of God of Christ. Which law whosoeuer obserueth he doth obserue the law of Moyses doth much greater works of perfection then were the works of y◠law Thus therefore were the morals of the old law fulfilled in the law of the charitie of Christ and not vnloosed because they are much more perfectly obserued then of the Iewes This I say if the Christians doe obserue the commandements of Christ in such sorte as he commanded the same to be
charge of the realme because it was prooued in a certaine booke which the king hath that a hundreth houses of almes are sufficient for the whole realme And thereby might peraduenture greater increase and profite come vnto the temporalitie The 8. conclusion needefull to tel the people beguiled is that pilgrimages praiers and oblations made vnto blinde crosses or roodes or to deafe images made eyther of woode or stone are very neare of kinde vnto Idolatry and farre different frō almes And albeit that these thyngs which are forbidden and imagined are the booke of errour vnto the common people notwithstanding the vsual and common image of the Trinity is most especially abhominable This conclusion God himselfe doeth openly manyfest commaunding almes to be geuen to the poore needy man for he is the image of God in more perfite similitude and likenesse then any blocke or stone For God did not say let vs make a blocke or stone vnto our likenes and image but let vs make man for so muche as the supreme highest honor which the clergy calleth Latria pertaineth only to the Godhead the inferior honour which clergy call Dulia pertaineth vnto men and angels and to none other inferior creature The corolarie is the the seruice of the crosse celebrate twise euery yere in our church is ful of idolatry For if roode tree nailes and speare ought so profoundly to be honoured and worshipped then were Iudas lippes if any man could get them a marueilous goodly relique But thou Pilgrime we pray thee tell vs when thou doest offer to the bones of the Saintes and holy men whych are layd vp in any place whether dost thou relieue therby the holy man which is already in ioy or that almes house that is so well endowed whereas they are canonised the Lord knoweth howe and to speake more plaine euery faithfull Christian may well iudge and suppose that the strokes of that same man whom they calls Thomas were no came of Martyrdome nor yet be The 9. conclusion that keepeth the people low is that auricular confession which is said to be so necessary for saluation the fained power of absolution exalteth and setteth vp the pride of priests and geueth them oportunity of other secrete talkes which we will not at thys tune talke of for so much as both Lordes and Ladies doe witnes that for feare of their confessors they dare not speake the truth and in time of confession is good oportunitie ministred of wooing or to play the baudes or to make other secret conuentions to deadly sinne They affirme and say that they are commissaries sent of God to iudge discerne of al maner sinne to pardone and clense what so euer please them They say also that they haue the keyes of heauen and hell that they can excommunicate curse and blesse binde and loose at theyr owne will and pleasure in so muche that for a small rewarde or for 12. d. they will sell the blessyng of heauen by charter and clause of warrantes sealed by theyr commō seale This conclusion is so common in vse that it nedeth not any probation The corolarie hereof is that the Pope of Rome whych fained himselfe to be the profounde treasurer of the whole Church hauing that same woorthy iewell which is the treasure of the passion of Christ in hys owne keping and custody together with the merites of all the saintes in heauen wherby he geueth fained indulgences and pardons a poena culpa Hee is a treasurer almost banished out of chariti wherby he may deliuer al captiues being in purgatory at hys pleasure and make them not to come there But heere euery faithfull Christian may easily perceiue that there is much falshode hid in our church The 10. that manslaughter either by warre or by any pretensed law of iustice for any temporall cause or spirituall reuelation is expresly contrary vnto the newe Testamēt which is the law of grace full of mercy This conclusion is euidently proued by the examples of the preachyng of Christ heere in earth who chiefly teacheth euery man to loue his enemies and haue compassiō vpon them and not to kill and murther them The reason is this that for the most part when as men do fight after the first stroke charity is broken and whosoeuer dieth without charity goth the right way to hell And beside that we doe well vnderstand know that none of the clergy neither by any other lawfull reason can deliuer any man from the punishment of death for one deadly sinne and not for an other but the law of mercy which is the new Testament forbiddeth all maner of murther For in the Gospell it is spoken vnto our forefathers thou shalt not kil The corolary is It is a very robbing of the people when Lordes purchase indulgences and pardons a poena culpa vnto such as do helpe their armies to kil and murther the christian people in soreine countreys for temporal gaine as we do see certaine souldiors which do runne amongst the Heathen people to get themselues fame renowme by the murther slaughter of men Much more doe they deserue euil thanks at the hands of the king of peace for so much as by humility and peace our faith is multiplied increased for murtherers and manquellers Christ doeth hate and manaseth he that striketh with the sword shall perish with the sword The 11. conclusion is whyche is shame to tell that the vow of chastity made in our church by women whych are fraile and vnperfite in nature is the cause of brynging in many great and horrible offences and vices incident vnto the nature of man For albeit the murther of their children borne before their time and before they are christened and the destruction of their nature by medicine are filthy foule sinnes yet they accompanying amongest themselues or with vnreasonable beastes or with any creature not hauing life doe passe to such an vnseemelinesse that they are punished by infernal torments The corolarie is that widowes such as take the mantell and the ring delitiously fed we would that they were maried because that we can not excuse them from priuate offence of sinne The 12. that the multitude of artes not necessary vsed in this our Church causeth much sinne offence in waste curiosity and disguising in curious apparell experience reason partly doth shewe the same for so muche as nature with a few actes is sufficient for mans vse and necessity This is the whole tenor of our ambassade which Christ hath commanded vs to prosecute at this time most fit and conuenient for many causes And albeit that these matters be heere briefly noted and touched yet notwithstandyng they are more at large declared in another boke with many other more in our owne proper tounge which we would should be common to all Christian people Wherefore we earnestly desire and beseeche God for his great
Item in the same Parliament was put vp by publike petion that the popes collector should be commaunded to auoyd the Realme within 40. dayes or els to be taken as the kinges enemy and that euery such collector from henceforth may be an Englishman and sworn to execute the statutes made in this Parliament Moreouer in the sayd Parliament the yere abouesayd of the king the 26. of Ianuary M. Iohn Mandour Clark was charged openly in the parliament that he should not passe ne send ouer to Rome ne attempt or doe any thinge there touching the Archdeaconry of Durham in preiudice of the king or of hys lawes or of the party presented thereto by the king on perill that might ensue The next yeare following whiche was the 14. of thys kinges raigne it was enacted first touching the staplers that after the feast of the Epiphany next ensuing that the staple should be remoued from Calice into England in suche places as are contayned in the statute made in 27. Edw. 3. the which statute should be fully executed and further that euery Alien that bringeth merchaundise into the Realme should finde sufficient surety to buy and cary awaye commodities of the Realme to halfe the value of his sayd merchaundise Item in the same parliament petition was made that agaynst the horrible vice of vsury then termed shifts practised as well by the clergie as laitie the order made by Iohn Notte late Mayor of Londō might be executed throughout the Realme Moreouer in the 15. yeare of the raigne of the foresayde king it was accorded for that syr W. Brian knight had purchased from Rome a Bull directed from the Archbshop of Cant and Yorke to excommunicate suche as had broken vp his house and had taken away diuers letters priuilegies and charters The same Bull being red in the parliament house was adiudged preiudicial to the kings crown and in derogation of the lawes for the whiche hee was by the king and assent of the Lordes committed to the Tower there to remayne at the kinges will and pleasure In the sayd Parliament also W. Archb. of Canterbury maketh his protestation in the open parliament saying that the pope ought not to excommunicate any bishop or to entermeddle for or touching anye presentment to anye ecclesiasticall dignitie recorded in any the kinges courtes He further protested that the pope ought to make no translation to any Byshopricke within the realme against the kinges will for that the same was to the destruction of the realme and crowne of England whiche hath alway bene so free as the same hath had none earthly soueraigne but onely subiecte to God in all thinges touching regalties and to none other The which protestation he prayd might be entred In the 17. yeare of the raygne of the king aforesayd it was desired that remedy might be had agaynst suche religious persons as caused their villains or vnderlinges to mary free women inheritable wherby the lands came to those religious mens handes by collusion Item that sufficient persons might be presented to benefices who may dwell on the same so as theyr stocke for want therof do not perish Item that remedy might be had agaynst the Abbotes of Colchester and Abinton who in the townes of Colchester and Colnham clayme to haue sanctuary To come to the parliament holden in the 20. yeare of this kinges raigne we finde moreouer in the sayd rolles how that the Archb. of Cant. and York for themselues and the clergy of their prouinces declared to the king in open parliamēt that forasmuch as they were sworn to the pope and see of Rome if any thing were in the parliament attempted in restraynt of the same they woulde in no wise assent therto but verily withstand the same the which theyr protestation they require to be enrolled Upon the petition of the begging Friers there at large it was enacted that none of that order shoulde passe ouer the seas without licence of his soueraigne nor that he shoulde take vppon him no order of M. of Diuinitie vnlesse he were first apposed in his Chapter prouinciall on payne to be put out of the kinges protection Item that the kings officers for making arests or attachementes in Churchyardes are therefore excommunicated wherof remedy was required In the yeare of the same kinges raygne 21. the Parliment being holden at Westminster we find how the commons in full Parliament accused Thomas Arundell archbishop of Caunterbury for that he as Chauncellor procured and as chiefe doer executed the same commission made trayterously in the tenth yeare of the king And also that he the sayd Archbishop procured the Duke of Gloucester and the Earles of Arundell and Warwicke to encroth to themselues royall power and to iudge to death Simon de Burley and sir Iohn Berners without the kings assent Wheron the Commons required that the same archbish might rest vnder safe keeping wherunto for that the same impeachementes touched so great a person they would be aduised Item the 25. day of September the Commons prayed the king to geue iudgement agaynst the sayd Archbishop according to his desertes The king aunswered that priuately the sayd Archbishop had confessed to him howe he mistooke himselfe in the sayd Commission and therefore submitted himselfe to the kings mercy Wherfore the king Lordes and sir Thomas Percy proctor for the clergie adiudged the facte of the sayd Archbishop to be treason and hymselfe a traytour and therfore it was ordered that the sayd Archbishoppe shoulde be banished his temporalties seased his landes and goodes forfeyted as well in vse as in possession The king further prescribed that the sayd Archbishop shoulde take hys passing on Friday within 6. weekes of Michaelmas at Douer towardes the parts of Fraunce Thus hauing hitherto sufficiently touched and comprehended such thinges as haue happened in the raygne of this king necessary for the Church to knowe by course of story we come nowe to the 22. yeare of King Richardes raygne which is the yeare of our Lord 1399. In the which yeare happened the strange and also lamentable deposing of this king Richard the second aforesayd from hys kingly scepter Straunge for that the like example hathe not often bene seene in seates royall Lamentable for that it cannot be but grieuous to any good mans hart to see him eyther so to deserue if he were iustly deposed or if he were vuiustly depriued to see the kingly title there not able to hold his right wher by force it is compelled to geue place to might As concerning the order and processe of whose deposing for that it neither is greatly pertinent to my argument and is sufficiently contayned in Robert Fabian and in the kinges recordes in the Chronicle of S. Albons and in other histories at large it were here tedious and superfluous to entermedle with repeting therof What were the conditions and properties of this king partly before hath bene
and protesting before the face of the people that his comming into the Realme in the absence of the king was for none other cause but that he might in humble sort with the loue and fauour of the king and all the Lords spirituall and temporall haue and enioy his lawfull inheritance descending vnto him of right after the death of his father which thing as it pleased all men so cried they Blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lord But how this blessing afterwards turned into cursing shall appeare in that which followeth and also ye shall vnderstand his horrible and wicked conspiracie against his soueraigne Lord king Richard and diuers other Lords as well spirituall as temporall besides that his manifest periurie shal wel be known and that he remaineth not only foresworne and periured but also excommunicate for that he conspired against his soueraigne Lord our king Wherefore we pronounce him by these presents as well periured as excommunicate 3. Thirdly we depose c. against the said Lord Henry that he the said Lord HeÌ„ry immediatly after his entry into England by crasty and subtile policie caused to be proclaimed openly throughout the Realme that no tenths of the Clergy fiftenes of the people sealing vp of cloth diminution of wooll impost of wine nor other extortioÌ„s or exactions whatsoeuer should hereafter be required or exacted hoping by this meanes to purchase vnto him the voice and fauour of the prelates spiritual the Lords temporall the Marchants comminaltie of the whole Realme After this he tooke by force the kings Castels and fortresses spoiled and deuoured his goodes wheresoeuer he found it crieng hauocke hauocke The kings maiestie subiects as well spirituall as temporal he spoiled and robbed some he tooke captiue and imprisoned them and some he slew put to miserable death wherof many were Bishops prelates Priests and religious men Whereby it is manifest that the said Lord Henry is not only periured in promising swearing that there should be hereafter no more exactioÌ„s paiments or extortions within the realme but also excommunicate for the violence and iniurie done to Prelats and Priests Wherefore by these presents we pronounce him as afore as well periured as excommunicate 4. Fourthly we depose c. against the said Lord Henry that he hearing of the Kings returne from Ireland into Wales rose vp against his soueraigne Lord the king with many thousands of armed men marching forward with al his power towards the Castle of Flint in Wales where he tooke the king held him prisoner and so led him captiue as a traitor vnto Leicester from whence he tooke his iourney towards London misusing the king by the way both he and his with many iniuries and opprobrious coÌ„tumelies and scoffes And in the end committed him to the Tower of London and held a Parliament the king being absent in prison wherein for feare of death he compelled the king to yeeld and resigne vnto him all his right title of the kingdome and crowne of England After which resignation being made the said Lord Henry standing vp in the Parliament house stoutly and proudly before them al said aâ—â—â—med that the kingdome of EnglaÌ„d and crowne of the same with al therunto belonging did pertaine vnto him at that present as of very right and to none other for that the said king Richard by his owne deede was depriued for euer of all the right title interest that euer he had hath or may haue in the same And thus at length by right and wrong he exalted himselfe vnto yâ— throne of the kingdome since which time our commoÌ„ weale neuer florished nor prospered but altogether hath bene void of vertue for that the spiritualtie was so oppressed exercise and warlike practises hath not bin mainteined charitie is waxed cold couetousnes and miserie hath takeÌ„ place finally mercy is taken away vengeance supplieth the rcome Wherby it doth appeare as before is said that yâ— said Lord HeÌ„ry is not only periured false by vsurping the kingdome and dominion belonging to another but also excommunicate for the apprehending vniust imprisoning and depriuing his soueraigne Lord the king of his roiall crowne and dignitie Wherefore as in the articles before we pronounce the said Lord Henry to be excommunicate 5. Fiftly we depose c. against the said Lord Henry that he the same Lord Henry with the rest of his fauourers complices heaping mischief vpon mischief haue coÌ„mitted and brought to passe a most wicked and mischieuous fact yea such as hath not bene heard of at any time before For after that they had taken and imprisoned the king and deposed him by open iniurie against all humane nature yet not coÌ„teÌ„t with this they brought him to Poinfret Castle and there imprisoned him where xv daies nights they vexed him with continuall hunger thirst and cold and finally berest him of life with such a kind of death as neuer before that time was knowen in England but by Gods prouidence it is come to light Who euer heard of such a deed or who euer saw the like of him Wherefore O England arise stand vp auenge the cause the death and iniurie of thy king and prince which if thou do not take this for certaintie that the righteous God will destroy thee by strange inuasions and foreigne power and auenge himselfe on thee for this so horrible an act Whereby doth appeare not only his periurie but also his excommunication most execrable so that as before we pronounce the said Henry not only periured but also excommunicate 6. Sixtly we depose c. against the sayd Lord Henry that after he had attained to the crowne and scepter of the kingdome he caused forthwith to be apprehended diuers Lords spirituall Bishops Abbots Priors and religious men of all orders whom he arested imprisoned bound and against all order brought them before the secular iudges to be examined not sparing the Bishops whose bodies were annointed with sacred oyle nor priests nor religious men but commanded them to be coÌ„demned hanged and beheaded by the temporall law and iudgement notwithstanding the priuiledge of the Church and holie orders which he ought to haue reuerenced and worshipped it he had bin a true and lawfull king for the first and chiefest othe in the coronation of a lawfull king is to defend and keepe inuiolate the liberties and rights of the Church and not to deliuer anie Priest or religious man into the hands of the secular power except for heresie onely and that after his degradation according to the order of the Church Contrary vnto all this hath he done so that it is manifest by this article as afore in the rest that he is both periured and excommunicate 7. Seuenthly we depose c. against the said Lord Henry that not onely he caused to be put to death the Lords spirituall and other Religious men but also diuers of the Lords
called vnto him the Archbishop of Yorke Richard London Henry Winchester Robert Chichester Alexander Norwich the noble prince Edmond the Duke of Yorke Rafe Earle of Westmerland Thomas Beaufort Knight Lord Chancellour of England and the Lord Beamond with other noble men as well spirituall as temporall that stood and sate by whome to name it would be long Before whome the said Iohn Badby was called personallie to answere vnto the Articles premised in the foresaid instrument Who when he came personallie before them the articles were read by the Officiall of the court of Cant. and by the Archb. in the vulgare tong expounded publikely and expresly and the same Articles as he before had spoken and deposed he still held and defended and said that whilest he liued he would neuer retract the same And furthermore he said specially to to be noted that the Lord duke of Yorke personallie there present as is aforesaid and euery man els for the time beeing is of more estimation and reputation then the Sacrament of the aulter by the priest in due forme consecrated And whilest they were thus in his examination the Archbishop considering and waying that he would in no wise be altered and seing moreouer his countenance stout and hart confirmed so that he began to persuade other as it appeared in the same These things considered the Archprelate whē he saw that by his allurements it was not in his power neither by exhortations reasons nor arguments to bring the said Iohn Badbye from his constant truth to his Catholique faith executing and doing the office of his great maister proceeded to confirme and ratifie the former sentence giuen before by the Bishop of Worcester against the said Iohn Badby pronouncing him for an open and publique hereticke And thus shifting their hands of him they deliuered him to the secular power and desired the sayd temporall Lords then and there present verie instantlie that they would not put the same Iohn Badby to death for that his offence nor deliuer him to be punished or put to death in y◠presence of all the Lordsabone recited These things thus done and concluded by the Bishops in the forenoone on the afternoone the Kings writte was not far behind By the force wherof I. Badby still perseuering in his constancie vnto the death was brought into Smithfield and there being put in an emptie barrell was bound with iron chaines fastened to a stake hauing drie wood put about him And as he was thus standing in the pipe or tonne for as yet Cherillus Bull was not in vre among the bishops it happened that the Prince the kings eldest sonne was there present Who shewing some part of the good Samaritane began to endeuour and assay how to saue the life of him whome the hypocriticall Leuites and Phariseis sought to put to death He admonished and counsailed him that hauing respect vnto himselfe he should spedelie withdraw himselfe out of these dangerous Laberinths of opinions adding oftentimes threatnings the which might haue daunted anie mans stomacke Also Courtney at that time Chancellor of Oxford preached vnto him and enformed him of the faith of holie Church In this meane season the Prior of S. Bartlemewes in Smithfield brought with all solemnitie the Sacrament of Gods body with twelue torches borne before and so shewed the Sacrament to the poore man being at the stake And then they demanded of him how he beleeued in it he answering that he knew well it was halowed bread and not gods body And then was the tunne put ouer him and fire put vnto him And when he felt fire he cried mercie calling belike vpon the Lord and so the Prince immediatelie commanded to take awaie the tunne and quench the fire The Prince his commandement being done asked him if he would forsake heresie to take him to the faith of holie Church which thing if he would doo he should haue goods inough promising also vnto him a yearelie stipend out of the kings treasurie so much as should suffice his contentation ¶ The description of the horrible burning of Iohn Badby and how he was vsed at hys death This godly Martyr Iohn Badby hauing thus consummate his testimony and martyrdome in fire the persecuting Bishops yet not herewith contented and thinking themselues as yet eyther not strong inough or els not sharpe enough agaynst tht poore innocent flock of Christ to make all thinges sure and substantiall on theyr side in such sorte as this doctrine of the Gospell nowe springing should be suppressed for euer layd theyr conspiring heads together hauing now a king for theyr own purpose ready to serue theyr turn in all poynts during the time of the same Parliamēt aboue recited yet cōtinuing the foresayd bishops and clergy of the realme exhibited a Bul vnto the kings maiestie subtily declaring what quietnes hath ben mayntayned within this realme by his most noble progenitours who alwayes defended the auncient rites and customes of the Church and enriched the same with large gifts to the honor of God and the realme and contrariwise what trouble and disquietnes was now risen by diuers as they termed them wicked and peruerse men teachinge and preachinge openlye and priuilye acertayne new wicked and hereticall kinde of doctrine contrary to the Catholicke fayth and determination of holye Church whervpon the king alwayes oppressed with blynd ignoraunce by the crafty meanes and subtile pretences of the clergie graunted in the sayd Parliament by consent of the nobilitie assembled a statute to be obserued called Ex officio as followeth The Statute Ex officio That is to say that no man within this Realme or other the kinges maiesties dominions presume or take vpon him to preach priuily or apertly without speciall licence first obteyned of the ordinary of the same place Curates in theyr owne parishe Churches and persons heretofore priuiledged and others admitted by the Canon law onely excepted Nor that any hereafter do preach mayntayne teach informe openly or in secret or make or write any booke contrary to the catholique fayth and determination of the holy Church Nor that any hereafter make anye conuenticles or assemblies or keepe and exercise anye maner of schooles touching this sect wicked doctrin and opinion And further that no man hereafter shall by any meanes fauour anye such preacher any such maker of vnlawfull assemblies or any such booke maker or writer and finally any such teacher informer or stirrer vp of the people And that all and singuler persons hauing anye the sayd bookes writinges or schedules contayning the sayd wicked doctrines and opinions shall within forty dayes after this present proclamation and statute really and effectually deliuer or cause to be deliuered all and singuler the sayd bookes and writinges vnto the ordinary of the same place And if it shall happen anye person or persons of what kinde state or condition soeuer he or they be to doe or attempt anye manner of thing contrarye to this
geuen credible relation of yâ— sonne both to the printer to me Furthermore the sayd maister Tindall albeit he did somewhat alter amend the English therof and frame it after our manner yet not fully in al words but that something doth remain fauouring of the old speach of that time What the causes were why this good man seruaunt of Christ W. Thorp did write itâ— and pen it out himselfe it is sufficiently declared in hys owne preface set before his booke whiche here is prefixed in maner as followeth ¶ The preface of William Thorpe THe Lord God that knoweth all thinges woreth well that I am right sorrowful for to write to make known this sentence beneath written whereby of mine eueÌ„ christeÌ„ set in high state dignitie so great blindnes malice may be knowne that they which doe presume of themselues to destroy vices and to plant in men vertues neither dreade to offend God nor lust to please him as their workes doe shew For certes the bidding of God and hys law whiche in the praysing of his most holy name he commaundeth to be known kept of all men and women yong and old after the cunning power that he hath geuen to them The Prelates of this lande and their ministers with the couent of priests chiefly consenting to them enforce them most busily to withstand and destroy the holy ordinaunce of God And there through God is greatly wroth and moued to take hard vengeance not onely vpon them that do the euil but also on them that consent to these Antichristes limnes which know or might know their malice and falshoode dresse them not to withstand their mallice and theyr great pride Neuertheles 4. things moueth me to write this seÌ„tence beneath The first thing that moueth me hereto is this that where as it was knowne to certayn frendes that I came from that prison of Shrewsbury and as it befell in deed that I shold to the prison of Caunterbury theÌ„ diuers friends in diuers places spake to me full hartily and full tenderly and commaunded me then if it so were that I should be examined before the Archb. of Cant. that if I might in any wife I should write mine apposing and mine aunswering And I promised to my special frendes that if I might I wold gladly doe their bidding as I might The second thing that moueth me to write this senteÌ„ce is this diuers frendes which haue heard that I haue bene examined before the Archbyshop haue come to me in prison and counsayled mee busily and coueted greatly that I should doe the same thing And other brethren haue sent to me and required on Gods behalfe that I should write out and make knowne both mine apposing mine aunswering for the profite that as they say vppon my knowledging may come thereof But this they had me that I should be busie in all my wits to go as neare the sentence and the wordes as I could both that were spoken to me that I spake UpaueÌ„ture this writing may come an other time before the archbishop and hys counsaile And of thys counselling I was right glad for in my conscience I was moued to doe this thing to aske hitherto the speciall help of God And so then I considering the great desire of dyuers frendes of sondry places according all in one I occupyed all my minde my wits so busily that through gods grace I perceaued by theyr meaning and their charitable desire some profite might come there through For southfastnes and trueth hath these conditions where euer it is impugned it hath asweete smell and thereof commeth a sweet fauour And the more violently the enemies dresse themselues to oppresse and to withstand the trueth the greater and the sweeter smell commeth therof And therefore this heauenly find of Gods word wil not as a smoke passe away with the winde but it will descende and rest in some cleane soule that thirsteth thereafter And thus some deale by this writing may be perceaued thorough Gods grace how that the enemies of the trueth standing boldly in their malice inforce them to withstand the fredome of Christes Gospell for which freedome Christ became man shed his hart bloud And therefore it is great pitty sorrow that many men women do their own weyward will nor busy theÌ„ not to know nor to do that pleasant wil of God The men women that heare the truth and southfastnes and heare or know of this perceauing what is nowe in yâ— churche ought here through to be the more moued in all their wits to able them to grace to set lesser price by themselues that they without taâ—ieng forsake wilfully bodely all the wrethednes of this life since they know not how soon nor wheÌ„ nor where nor by whoÌ„ God wil teach them assay their pacience For no doubt who that euer will liue pittiously that is charitably in Christ Iesu shall suffer now here in this life persecution in one wife or an other That is if we shal be saued it behoueth vs to imagin ful busily the vility and soulnes of sinne and how yâ— Lord God is displeased therfore so of this vility of bidiousnes of sinne it behoueth vs to busy vs in al our wits for to abhorre and hold in our mind a great shame of sinne euer so then we owe to sorrow hartely therfore and euer fleing all occasion therof And then behoueth vs to take vpon vs sharpe penaÌ„ce continuing therin for to obtayne of that Lord forgeuenes of our foredone sinnes and grace to abstain vs hereafter from sinne And but if we enforce vs to do thys wilfully and in conuenieÌ„t time the Lord if he will not vtterly destroy and cast vs awaye will in diuers manners moue tyrantes agaynst vs for to constrayne vs violentlye to do penance which we would not do wilfully And trust that this doing is a special grace of the Lord a great token of life mercy And no doubt who euer will not apply him selfe as is sayd before to punish himself wilfully neither wil suffer paciently meekely and gladly the rod of the Lord howsoeuer that he will punish him their wayward willes and their impacience are vnto them earnest of euelasting damnation But because there are but few in number that do able them thus faythfully to grace for to liue here so simply and purely and without gall of malice and of grudging herefore the louers of this worlde hate pursue them that they knowe patient meek chaste wilfully poore hating and fleing all worldly vanities fleshly lusts For surely their verteous conditions are euen coÌ„trary to the manners of this world The third thing that moueth me to wryte this senteÌ„ce is this I thought I shall busie me in my selfe to do faythfully that all men and women occupying all their busines in knowing and in keeping of Gods commaundements able them so
Wherfore sir by the bidding of Christ by the example of his most holy liuing also by the witnessing of his holy Apostles and Prophets we are bounde vnder full great payn to exercise vs after our cunning and power as euery Priest is likewise charged of God to fulfil duely the office of priesthood We presume not here of ourselues for to be estemed neither in our owne reputatioÌ„ nor in none other maÌ„s faythful disciples special folowers of Christ. But sir as I sayde to you before we deeme this by authority chiefly of Gods word that it is the chief duety of euery priest to busy theÌ„ faythfully to make the law of God knowne to his people so to commune the coÌ„mauÌ„dement of God charitably how that we may best where wheÌ„ and to whom that euer we may is our very duety And for the will busines that we owe of due debt to do iustly our office through the styrring and speciall helpe as we trust of God hoping stedfastly in his mercy we desire to be the fayth full disciples of Christ and we pray this gracious Lord or his holy name that he make vs able to please him with deuout prayers charitably Priestly works that we may obtaine of him to folow him thankefully ¶ And the Archbishop sayd to me Lâ—ud losell whereto makest thou such vayne reasons to me Asuâ—â—h not Saynt Paule how shoulde Priestes preache except they be sent But I sent thee neuer to preache For thy venemous doctrine is so knowne throughout England that no Bishop will admitte thee to preache by witnessing of theyr letters Why theÌ„ lewd Idiot willest thou presume to preach since thou art not sent nor licensed of thy soueraigne to preache Sayth not S. Paul that subiects ough to obey theyr soueraignes and not onely good vertuous but also tiraunts that are vicious ☞ And I sayd to the Archbishop Sir as touching your leâ—ter of licence or other Bishops which ye say we shoulde haue to witnes that we were able to be sent for to preache We know wel that neither you sir nor any other bishop of this land wil grauÌ„t to vs any such letters of licence but if we should oblige vs to you and to other bishops by vnlefull othes for to passe not the bondes and termes which ye sir or other bishops will limit to vs. And since in this matter your termes be some to large some to strait we dare not oblige vs thus to bee bounden to you for to keepe the termes which you will limit to vs as you do to Friers such other Preachers And therefore though we haue not your letter sir nor letters of any other bishops writreÌ„ with inke vpon parchmeÌ„t we dare not therfore leaue the office of preaching to which preaching all Priests after their cunning and power are bouÌ„d by diuers testimonies of Gods law and great Doctors without any mention making of Bishops letters For as mikle as we haue taken vpon vs the office of Priesthood though we are vnworthy thereto we come and purpose to fulfill it with the helpe of God by authority of his own law and by witnesse of great doctors and Sayntes accordingly hereto trusting stedfastly in the mercy of God For that he commauÌ„deth vs to do the office of Priesthood he will be our sufficient letters and witnes if we by example of his holy liuing and teaching specially occupy vs faythfully to do our office iustly yea that people to whom we preach be they faythfull or vnfaythfull shall be our letters that is our witnesse bearers for the truth where it is sowne may not be vnwitnessed For all that are conuerted saued by learning of Gods word by working thereafter are witnes bearers that the trueth and sothfastnesse which they heard and did after is cause of theyr saluation And agayne all vnfaythfull men and women which heard the truth told out to them and would not do therafter also all they that might haue heard the truth would not hear it because that they would not do therafter All these shall beare witnes agaynst themselues the truth which they woulde not heare or els heard it despised to do therafter through theyr vnfaythfulnes is shal be cause of theyr damnation Therfore sir since this aforesayd witnessing of God and of diuers Sayntes and Doctors of al the people good euill suffiseth to al true preachers we thinke that we doe not the office of Priesthood if that we leaue our preaching because that we haue not or may not haue duely Bishops letters to witnesse that we are sent of them to preach This sentence approueth Saint Paul where he speaketh of himselfe of faithfull Apostles and disciples saying thus We need no letters of commendatioÌ„ as some preachers do which preach for couetousnesse of temporall goods and for mens praysing And where ye say Syr that Paule biddeth subiectes obey theyr soueraignes that is soth and may not be denied But there is two maner of soueraignes vertuous soueraignes and vicious tyrauntes Therfore to these last soueraignes neither meÌ„ nor womeÌ„ that be subiect owe to obey in two maners To vertuous soueraignes charitable subiectes owe to obey wilfully and gladly in hearing of their good counsel in coÌ„senting to their charitable biddinges and in working after their fruitfull workes This sentence Paul approueth where he sayth to subiectes Be ye mindefull of your soueraignes that speake to you the word of God follow you the fayth of theÌ„ whose coÌ„uersation you know to be vertuous For as Paul sayth after these soueraignes to whom subiectes owe to obey in following of the maners worke besely in holy studying how they may withstand and destroy vices first in theÌ„selues and after in all their subiectes and how they may best plaÌ„t in them vertues Also these soueraignes make deuout and ferueÌ„t prayers for to purchase grace of God that they and their subiects may ouer all thing dread to offend hym and to loue for to please him Also these soueraignste whoÌ„ Paul biddeth vs obey as it is said before liue so vertuously that all they that will liue well may take of them good example to know to keep the coÌ„maundements of God But in this foresayd wise subiectes ought not to obey nor to be obedient to tyrantes while they are vitious tyrants since their will their counsell their biddinges and theyr workes are so vicious that they ought to be hated lefte And though such tyrantes be maisterfull and cruel in boasâ—ing and manasing in oppressions diuers punishinges S. Peter biddeth the seruauntes of such tyrauntes to obey meekely such tyrantes sufferinges paciently their malitious cruelnes But Peter counselleth not any seruaunt or subiect to obey to any Lord or Prince or soueraign in any thing that is not pleasing to God ¶ And the Archbishop sayd vnto me If a soueraigne byd his subiect do that thing that is
in that leaues of the boke but it is in the roote of reason Neyther the Gospel he sayeth is in the writing aboue of the letters but the Gospell is in the marking of the sentence of scriptures This sentence approueth S. Paule saying thus The kingdome of God is not in word but in vertue And Dauid saith The voice of the Lord that is his word is in vertue And after Dauid sayth Through the word of God the heaueÌ„s were formed and in the spirite of his mouth is all the vertue of theÌ„ And I pray you sir vnderstand ye wel how Dauid sayth then in the spirit of the mouth of yâ— Lord is all the vertue of angels and of men And the clarke sayd to me Thou wouldest make vs to fond with thee Say we not that the Gospels are written in the Masse booke ☞ And I sayd Sir though men vse to saye thus yet it is vnperfect speech For the principal part of a thinge is properly the whole thing For lo mans soule that may not now be sene here nor touched with any sensible thing is properly man And al the vertue of a tree is in the roote thereof that may not be sene for do away the roote the tree is destroied And sir as ye sayd to me right now God hys word are of one authoritie And sir S. Hierome witnesseth yâ— Christ very God very maÌ„ is hid in the letter of the law thus also sir yâ— gospel is hid in the letter For sir as it is ful likely many diuers men and womeÌ„ here in the earth touched Christ saw him knew his bodely persoÌ„ which neither touched nor saw nor knewe ghostly his godhead Right thus sir many men now touch see write read the scriptures of gods law which neither see touch nor read effectually the gospel For as the godhead of Christ that is the vertue of God is knowen by the vertue of beliefe so is the Gospel that is Christes word ¶ And a clerke said to me These be full misty matters and vnsauery that thou shewest here to vs. ☞ And I said Sir if ye that are maisters know not plainly this sentence â—e may sore dread that the kingdome of heauen be taken from you as it was froÌ„ the princes of priests and from the elders of the â—owes ¶ And then a Clerke as I gesse Malueren sayde to me Thou knowest not thine equiuocations for the kingdom of heauen hath diuers vnderstandings What callest thou the kingdom of heauen in thys sentence that thou shewest here ☞ And I said Sir by good reason and sentence of doctors the Realme of heauen is called here the vnderstanding of Gods word ¶ And a clerke said to me From whom thinkest thou that this vnderstanding is taken away ☞ And I sayde Sir by authoritie of Christ himselfe the effectuall vnderstanding of Christes word is taken away from al them chiefly which are great lettered men presum to vnderstand high things wil be holden wise men desire maistership high state dignitie but they wyll not conforme them to the liuing and teaching of Christ of his Apostles ¶ Then the Archb. said Wel wel thou wilt iudge thy soueraignes By God the king doth not his duety but he suffer thee to be condemned ☞ And then an other Clerke sayd to me Why on Fryday that last was counsailedst thou a man of my Lordes that he should not shriue him to no man but onely to god ¶ And with this asking I was abashed And then by and by I knew that I was subtilly betraied of a maÌ„ that came to me in prison on the Friday before coÌ„moning with mee in this matter of confession And certaine by his words I thought that this man came then to me of ful feruent and charitable will But now I know he came to tempt me to accuse me God forgeue him if it be his wil. And withal mine hart when I had thought thus I said to this clerk Sir I pray you that ye would fetch this man hether and all the wordes as nere as I caÌ„ repete them which that I spake to him on Friday in the prison I wil rehearse now here before you all and before him ☞ And as I gesse the Archbishop said then to me They that are now here suffice to repete them How saidst thou to hym ¶ And I sayd Syr that man came and asked me in diuers thinges and after hys asking I aunswered him as I vnderstoode that good was And as he shewed to me by his wordes he was sory of hys liuing in court and right heauy for his owne vicious liuing and also for the viciousnes of other men and specially of priests euil liuing herefore he sayd to me with a sorrowfull hart as I gessed that he purposed fully within short time for to leaue the court and to busie him to know Gods lawe and to confirme all hys life thereafter And when he had sayd to me these wordes moe other whiche I would rehearse and he were present he prayed me to heare hys confession And I sayd to him sir wherefore come ye to me to be confessed of me ye wote wel yâ— the Archb. putteth holdeth me here as one vnworthy either to geue or to take any sacrament of holy Church ☞ And he sayd to me Brother I wote well and so wote many other moe that you and such other are wrongfully vexed and therefore I common with you the more gladly And I sayd to him Certayne I wote well that many men of this court and specially the priestes of this housholde would be full euill apayd both you with me if they wist that ye were confessed of me And he sayd that he cared not therfore for he had full little affection in them And as me thought he spake these wordes and many other of so good will and of so high desire for to haue knowne and done the pleasant will of God And I sayd to hym as with my foresayd protestation I say to you now here Syr I counsayle you for to absent you from all euill company and to draw you to them that loue and busie them to knowe and to keepe the preceptes of God And then the good spirite of God will moue you for to occupy busily all your wittes in gathering together of all your sinnes as farre as ye can bethinke you shaming greatly of them and sorrowing hartely for them Yea syr the holy Ghost will theÌ„ put in your hart a good will and a seruent desire for to take and to hold a good purpose to hate euer and to flie after your cuÌ„ning and power al occason of sinne and so then wisedome shal come to you from aboue lightening with diuers beames of grace and of heauenly desire all your wittes enforming you how ye shall trust stedfastly in the mercy of the Lorde knowledging to him onely
First for that they should the rather dreade God and leaue their sinne As it is writ their sickenes hath bene multiplied and after they haue hyed to Godward For we see oft men in sicknes know their God that neuer would haue turned to him whyle they had beene whole Also God sendeth them sicknes oft to agast other men lest they follow their sin As the sickenes of kyng Antioche whome God smote with such a sickenes that wormes fell out of hys body whyle he lyued in so farforth that he stanke so foule that his frends were so wearye of it that they might not suffer it And at the last when he himselfe might not suffer his owne stinch then he began to know himselfe and sayd It is rightfull to be subiect to God and a deadly man not to hold himselfe onely euen with God and the story saith he asked mercie of God and made a vowe to God that he would make the Citie of Ierusalem free and the Iewes to make them as free as the men of Athens and that hee would honour Gods temple wyth pretious ary and multiply the holy vessels and finde of his owne rent and spenses perteining to the sacrifice And he would become a Iew and go ouer all the lond to preach Goddes might And yet God gafe him not such mercy as he desired And I trow certein that it was for good In as much as God knew he would not afterward hold his couenaunt or els for he axket it too late What mede was it for him to forsake his wickednes whan hee was vnmightie to doo good or euill Neuertheles I trow he was not dampned in as much as he had such repentaunce for repentaunce in this life come neuer too late if it be trew But by thys vengeaunce that God tooke on thys king should men see what it is to be vnobedient to God And also it is to take heede that whan euer sickenes commeth euer it sheweth that hee that suffreth this deadly shall nedes dye For though he may skape of his sicknes yet hee may not skape death And so thou must needs come giue rekening of thy bayly The second somnour that shall clepe thee to this particuler doome is elde or age And the condition of him is this though that he tarie with thee he will not leue thee till he bring thee to the thirde that is death But there be many that though they haue this somnour with them they take none hede though they see ther he are hore her back crook her breth stynke her teeth fayle her yen derk her visage riuely her crene wexit heuy to her What meneth all this but that age sunneth to the dome But what more madhead may be than a man to be cleped and drawe to so dreadfull a reckenyng there where but he aunswere well he forfeteth both body and soule to damnation for euer If seing a litle wordly merth on the way he thinketh so mekill theron that he forgetteth who draweth him or whether he draweth So doth he that is smiten with age and liketh so on the false world is wealth that he forgetteth whether he is away Herefore sayth an holy Doctour that among all abusions of the world most is of an old man that is obstinate for he thinketh not on his out going of this world ne of passing into the lyfe that is to come he heareth messengers of death and he leueth hem not and the cause is this for the threfold cord that such an old maÌ„ is bounden with is hard to breke This cord is custome that is of three plightes that is of idel thought vnhonest speach and wicked deede the whiche if they groweth in a man from the childhood into mans age they maketh a treble cord to bynde the old man on custome of sinne Herefore sayth Esay breake the bondes of sinne Thinke herefore whosoeuer that thou be that art thus sumned that thou might not scape that thou ne shalt yeld the rekenyng of thy baily The third somner to this reckenyng is death And the condition of him is that whan euer he come first other the secoÌ„d other the last houre he ne spareth neither power ne yougth ne he dreadeth no thretning ne he ne taketh hede of no prayer ne of no gift ne he graunteth no respit but withouten delay he bringeth forth to the dome Herefore seyth Sainct Austen Well ought euerie man drede the day of his death For in what state a mans last day findeth hym whan he dyeth out of this worlde in the same state he bringeth hym to hys dome Herfore seyth the wise man Sonne thinke on thy last day and thou shalt neuer sinne Therfore I rede that thou thinke that thou shalt geue reconing of thy bayly I sayd also that there shall be another doome to the which all men shall come together and this shall be vniuersall And right as to the other dome euery man shall be cleped with these three sumnours so to this dome all this world shall be cleped with three generall clepers And right as the other three messengers tell a mans end so these tell the end of the world The first cleper is the worldly sicknes the second cleper is feblenes and the third is the ende The sicknes of the world thou shalt know by charitie a cooling His elde and febles thou shalt knowe by tokens fulfilling and hys end thou shalt know by Antichristes pursuing First I sayd thou shalt knowe the worldes sicknes by charitie a cooling Clerkes that treate of kynde sayne that a bodie is sicke when his bodely heate is to lite or when his vnkindely heate is too muche Sythe then all mankynde is one bodye whose kindly heate is charity that is loue to God and to our neighbors vnkindly heate is lustfull loue to other creatures When therefore thou seest that the loue of men to Godwaâ—de and to their neigbour is litle and faynt and the loue of worldlye thynges and lustes of the flesh is great and feruent then wit thou well that vnkindly heate is too great and kindly heate is too little That this be acknowlich of this sicknes I may proue by autoritie of Christ. For he himselfe gaue them as a signe of the drawing to the ende of the world For that wickednes shall be in plente charitie shall acoole Therfore whan thou seest charitie this little in the worlde and wickednes encrease know well that this world passeth and hys welth and that this somner is come And thus seyth Seint Poule Wit ye well that in the laste dayes shall come perilous times and there shall be men louing them selfe that is to say their bodyes couetous by pride vnobedient to father and mother vnkynd fellons withouten affection withouten peace blamers incontinent vnmylde withonten benignitie traytours rebels swelling louers of lustes more then of God hauing a lykenes of pietie and denying the vertue thereof And these flee thou If thou seest
vnto vs nations both neare at hand and farre off Likewise our happy estate all the time that wee haue passed since the beginning of our liues may be well attributed onely to the helpe of her medicine to whom also we may worthely ascribe nowe of late in these our times vnder the mighty gouernment of our most Christian king our deliuerāce from the rauening wolues and the mouthes of cruell beasts which had prepared against our bankets a messe of meat mingled full of gall and hated vs vniustly secretly lying in wait for vs in recompence of the good wil that we shewed to them Wherfore that shee being on high sitting before the throne of the heauenly maiestie the defendresse patronesse of vs all being magnified with al mens praises may more plentifully exhibite to vs the sonnes of adoption the teates of her grace in all those things that we shall haue to do At the request of the speciall deuotion of our Lord the king himself we commād your brotherhode straightly enioyning you that you commaund the subiects of your citie and diocesse and of al other suffraganes to worship our Lady Mary the mother of God and our patronesse and protectresse euermore in all aduersity with such like kinde of prayer and accustomed maner of ringing as the deuotiō of Christes faithful people is wont to worship her at the ringing of coure le feu And when before day in the morning ye shall cause them to ring that with like maner of praier ringing she be euery where honored deuoutly by the aforesaid our and your suffraganes and their subiects as wel religious as secular in your and their monasteries and collegiate churches That wee so humbly calling vpon the mercy of the heauenly father the right hande of the heauenly piety may mercifully come to the helpe the protection defence of the same our Lord the king who for the happy remedy of quietnesse and for our succour from tempestuous flouds is ready to apply his hands to worke and his eyes with all his whole desire to watching We therefore coueting more earnestly to stirre vp the mindes of all faithfull people to so deuout an exercise of God c. Wee graunt by these presents to all and euery man c. that shall say the Lordes prayer and the saluation of the Angell fiue times at the morning peale with a deuout mind totiens quotiens how oft so euer 40 dayes of pardon by these presents Geuen vnder our seale in our manor of Lambeth the 10. day of February Anno nostrae trans 9. Ex. Regist. Thom. Arundel By this friuolous and barbarous constitution with many other of like sort heaped into the church by the papists appeareth the proper nature and cōdition of this catholick generation Who being thēselues not greatly exercised nor experienced in any serious cogitation of spirituall matter as semeth take vpon them to gouern the spiritual church of Christ wherof in deede they haue no skill or very little And therefore according to their vnskilfull handling they lead and rule the church after such outward sights and ceremonies seemely perhaps to their owne grosse affection but not agreeing nay rather cleane contrary to the ryght nature condition of the spiritual house and kingdome of the Lord. And like as in their inuentions they swarue vtterly from the right handling of all spiritual gouernment so in their maners forme of life likewise they do resemble little or no part almost of such as are and ought to be true pastors and ministers of the mysticall body of Christ. Examples heereof are plenty and plaine in these Romaine Prelates to be noted who so well considering the humble state and lowly spirite which ought to be in pastorall leaders of the church will compare the same wyth the vsuall pompe of these glorious potestates As for example what can be more conuenient for a true pastor ecclesiasticall then humility of hart and spirit according to the example of the head bishop himselfe So what greater shew of arrogācy and pride could there be then in this whom I haue oft named before Th. Arundel archb of Cant. who passing by the high streat of London did not only looke and waite for the ringing of the belles for a triumph of his comming but tooke great snuffe and did suspende all suche Churches in London not onely wyth the steeple and bels but also with the organes so many as did not receiue his comming with the noyse of bels according as out of his own registers may appeare the wordes wherof written to his owne Somner I haue hereto annexed in his owne forme as followeth ¶ A Commission directed to the Somner to suspende certaine churches of London because they rong not their bels at the presence of my Lord the Archb. of Canterbury THomas by the permission of God c. To oure well beloued Thom. Wilton our Somner sworn health grace and blessing The comelinesse of our holy Church of Canterb. ouer whych wee beare rule deserueth and requireth that while wee passe throughe the prouince of the same our Churche hauing our crosse caryed before vs euery parish church in their turnes ought are bounden in token of speciall reuerence that they beare to vs to rynge theyr bels Which notwithstanding ye on Tuesday last past when wee betwixt 8. and 9. of the clocke before dinner passed openly on foote as it were through the middest of the citie of London with our crosse caried before vs Diuers churches whose names are heere beneath noted shewed towardes vs willingly though they certainly knewe of our comming vnreuerence rather then reuerence and the duety that they owe to our church of Canterb. ringing not at all at our comming Wherefore wee being willing to reuenge this iniurie for the honor of our spouse as we are boūden commaunde you that by our authoritie you put all those churches vnder our interditement suspēding Gods holy organes and instruments in the same Which we also suspend by the tenor of these presentes till the ministers of the aforesayde Churches be able hereafter to attaine of vs the benefit of more plentifull grace Geuen c. What great reason was in this why this Archb. either should thus looke for the ringing of the belles or why hee should be so displeased with not ringing I do not see Belike his minde in the meane time was greatly occupied with some great muse as feling of Gods feare with repentance and remembrance of hys sinnes with zelous care and sollicitude for his flocke wyth the earnest meditation of the passion life of our sauiour who in this world was so despised or else was set vppon some graue studie while hee so waited for the ringing of the bels which are wont to be so noisome to all students And why were not the trūpetters also shent as well because they did not soūd before his person But and though the bels did
much as we haue found by diuers actes done brought forth and exhibited by sundry euidences signes and tokens and also by many most manifest proues the sayd sir Iohn Oldcastle knight and L. Cobham not onely to be an euident hereticke in his owne person but also a mighty maintainer of other heretickes agaynst the fayth and religion of the holy and vniuersall church of Rome namely about the two sacramentes of the aultar and of penaunce besides the popes power and pilgrimages And that he as the childe of iniquitie and darcknes hath so hardened his hart that he will in no case attend vnto the voyce of his pastor Neyther will he be allured by straight admonishmentes not yet be brought in by fauourable wordes The worthines of the cause first wayed on the one side and his vnworthines agayn cōsidered on the other side his faults also aggrauated or made double through his damnable obstinacie we being loth that he which is nought shoulde be worse and so with his contagiousnes infecte the multitude by the sage counsel and assent of the very discrete fathers our honourable brethren and Lordes Byshops here present Richard of London Henry of Winchester and Bennet of Bangor and of other great learned and wise men here both doctours of diuinitie and of the lawes canon and ciuill seculers and religious with diuers other expert men assisting vs we sententially and diffinitiuely by this present writing iudge declare condemne the sayd syr Iohn Oldcastle Knight and Lord Cobham for a most pernitious and detestable hereticke conuicted vpon the same and refusing vtterly to obey the Church agayne committing him here from hencefoorth as a condemned hereticke to the secular iurisdiction power iudgement to doe him thereupon to death Furthermore we excommunicate and denounce accursed not onely this hereticke here present but so many els besides as shall hereafter in fauoure of his errour either receaue him or defend him counsell him or help hym or any other way mayntayne hym as very fautours receauers defenders counsaylers ayders and mayntayners of condemned heretickes And that these premisses may be the better knowne al faithfull Christen men we commit it here vnto your charges geue you straight commandement therupon by this writing also That ye cause this condemnation and diffinitiue sentence of excommunication cōcerning both this heretick and his fautours to be published throughout all diocesses in Cities towns villages by your curates and parish priests at such time as they shal haue most recourse of people And see that it be done after this sorte As the people are thus gathered deuoutly together let the curate euery where goe into the pulpit and there open declare and expound this excesse in the mother tongue in an audible and intelligible voyce that it may be perceiued of all men and that vpon the feare of this declaration also the people may fall from theyr euill opinions conceiued nowe of late by seditious preachers Moreouer we will that after we haue deliuered vnto each one of you bishops which are here present a copy hereof that ye cause the same to be written out agayne into diuers copies and so be sent vnto the other byshops and Prelates of our whole Prouince that they may also see the contentes thereof solemnly published within theyr diocesses and cures Finally we will that both you and they signifie agayne vnto vs seriously and distinctly by your writinges as the matter is without fayned colour in euery poynt performed the day wheron ye receaued this processe the time when it was of vs executed and after what sort it was done in euery condition according to the tenour hereof that we may knowe it to be iustly the same A copy of this writing sent Thomas Arundel the archbishop of Caunterbury afterward from Mydstone the x. day of Octobr within the same yeare of our Lord 1413. vnto Richard Clifford the bishop of London which thus beginneth Thomas permissione diuina c. The said Richard Clifford sent an other copy thereof enclosed within his owne letters vnto Robert Maschall a Carmelite frier which was then bishop of Herforde in Wales written from Haddam the 23. day of October in the same yeare and the beginning thereof is this Reuerende in Christo pater c. This Robert Mascall directed an other copye thereof from London the 27. day of Nouember in the same yeare enclosed in his owne commission also vnto his archdeacon and and Deanes in Hareforde and Shrewsbury And this is therof the beginning Venerabilibus discretis vitis c. In like maner did the other bishops within their diocesses After that the archbishop had thus read the bill of hys condemnation with most extremitie before the whol multitude The Lorde Cobham sayd with a moste cheerefull countenaunce Though ye iudge my body whiche is but a wretched thing yet am I certayne and sure that ye can do no harme to my soule no more then could Sathan vppon the soule of Iob. He that created that will of his infinite mercy and promise saue it I haue therein no manner of doubt And as concerning these articles before rehearsed I will stand to them euen to the very death by the grace of my eternall God And therwith he turned him vnto the people castyng hys handes abroad and saying with a very loude voyce Good Christen people for Gods loue be well ware of these men For they will els beguile you and leade you blindling into hell with thēselues For Christ sayth plainly vnto you If one blinde man leadeth an other they are like both to fall into the ditche After this he fell downe there vpon his knees thus before thē all prayed for his enemies holding vp both hys handes and his eyes towardes heauen and saying Lorde God eternall I beseeche thee of thy great mercies sake to forgeue my pursuers if it be they blessed will And then hee was deliuered to syr Robert Morly and so led forth again to the tower of London And thus was there an ende of that dayes worke Whyle the Lord Cobham was thus in the Tower he sent out priuely vnto his friendes And they at his request wrote this little bill here following causing it to be set vp in diuers quarters of London that the people should not beleeue the slaunders and lyes that his enemies the Byshops seruauntes and priestes had made on him abroade And thus was the letter FOr as much as Syr Iohn Oldcastle knight and Lorde Cobham is vntruely conuicted and emprisoned falsly reported and slandered among the common people by his aduersaries that he should otherwise both thinke speak of the sacramentes of the churche and specially of the blessed sacrament of the aultar then was written in the confession of his beliefe which was indended and taken to the clergy and so set vp in diuers open places in the cittye of London Knowne
place to place and specially about the ministration of the sick Also I declared not of my selfe but I hearde it to be declared by others both great and credible persons that there was a certaine woman a folower of that secte the which taking by violence the body of Christe out of a priests handes did communicate vnto her selfe and affirmed that all men oughte to doe so if the Priests would denye them the Communion And the same woman amongst many other errours of the whych shee was conuicted did affirme that a good lay woman myght better consecrate and geue absolution then an euill priest affirming that an euill priest can neyther consecrate nor absolue But I know that neyther I neither any of my assistance in this matter haue broughte thys at any time into your cares that coblers in the sayde kingdome doe heare confession or minister the sacrament of the body of Christ as is alleaged by the sayde Peter in the behalfe of the sayde supplicantes Notwythstanding that we did feare if meanes were not founde to recounter or stoppe the offences before named that thys would immediatly folow vpon it Wherfore most reuerend fathers least that the kingdome mighte hee defamed any more by such pestiferous sectes and that the Christian faith myght happen to be indaungered with all reuerence and charity I do desire you euen by the bowels of mercy of our Lord Iesus Christe that thys most sacred Councel would prouide some speedy remedy for this kingdome as touchyng the premisses Moreouer whether be they backbiters and slanderers or wicked and false enuiers of the kingdome of Boheme the which do let the errors aforesaid many others more which are sowen by the Wicleuists in the sayd kingdome and also els where whych also both do labor and haue laboured for the extirpation and roting out of those errours out of the kingdome aforesayd and as catholicke men for the zeale of their faith haue manfully put forth themselues against the maintainers of the sayd errours or such as doe maintaine and defend the teachers of those errours This answere I haue here presented before your reuerences alwaies wholy submitting my self and assistance vnto your iudgement and to the definition of this most sacred councell of Constance ¶ The answere of the nobles of Boheme THe day before whitsontide the nobles of Boheme dyd confute this theyr aunswer made 2. dayes before in the Councel to their former wryting as here foloweth Most reuerend fathers and Lordes for so much as vpon thursday it was answered in the behalfe of your reuerences to the requests of the nobles and Lords of Boheme that the sayde Lordes were misinformed of diuers poynts contained in the declaration of their said vil therfore the foresayd Lords haue now determined and decreed to declare their former propounded requests more at large vnto your reuerences not mineding hereby to argue or reprooue your fatherly wisedomes and circumspections but that youre reuerences theyr desires being partly on thys behalf fulfilled might the more effectuously distinctly discerne and iudge as touching thys matter And first of all where as the Lordes alleaged and sayd how that maister Iohn Hus was come hether vnto Constance freely of his owne good will vnder the safe conduct of the Lorde the king and the protection of the sacred Empire It is aunswered on the behalfe of your reuerences how that the said Lords are misinformed as touching the safe conduict and that you haue vnderstand by such as are worthy credit that the frends and fauorers of the sayd M. Iohn Hus did first procure and get his safe conduicte 15. dayes after hys imprisonment The Lords of Boheme and specially the Lorde Iohn de Clum heere present whome thys matter doeth chiefely touche doeth aunswere that not onely the 15. day after but euen the very same day that Iohn Hus was apprehended and taken when as our reuerende father the Pope in the presence of all his Cardinals demaunded of M. Iohn de Clum whether M. Iohn Hus had any safeconduict from the king hys sonne he answered most holy father Cardinals knowe ye that he hath a safe conduict and when he was asked the question againe the second time he answered in like maner Yet notwithstāding none of them required to haue the safeconduict shewed vnto them and againe the thirde day following the Lord Iohn de Clum complained vnto our Lord the Pope how notwythstanding the safe conduict of oure soueraigne Lorde the king he detained and kept M. Iohn Hus as prisoner shewing the said safeconduict vnto many And for a further truth herein he referreth hymself vnto the testimonies and witnesses of diuers Earles Byshops knightes gentlemen and famous Citizens of the city of Constance the whych altogether at this present did see the said safe conduict and heard it read whereupon the sayde Iohn de Clum is ready to binde hymselfe vnder what penalty shal be required euidently to proue and cōfirme that which hee hath promised who soeuer say to the contrary Moreouer the Lordes of Boheme referre themselues vnto the knowledge of certaine Princes electors other Princes Byshops many other noblemen which were present before the kings maiestie where and when as the said safe conduct was graunted and geuen out by the speciall commaundement of our sayd Lord the king Hereby your fatherly reuerences may vnderstand and perceiue that the sayd Lordes of Boheme are not euill informed as touching the saide safe conducit But rather they which by such reportes haue falsly and vntruely informed your reuerēces And first of al they haue offended agaynst the Lord our king and hys chauncellours Secondarely against the Lords and nobles of Boheme as thoughe we had priuely by stealth purchased the sayde safe conduict Wherefore the Lords aforesaid most humbly require desire your reuerēces that you wil not so lightly beleue such as be not worthy of credit but rather hearing the contrary part to labour and discusse that the trueth may the more euidently appeare Secondly where as the Lordes aforesayde alleaging how M. Iohn Hus cōming vnto Constance of his owne free will being neither condemned nor heard was imprisoned your reuerences haue made aunswer therunto that he the sayd M. Iohn Hus in the time of Alexander 5. was infamed and slandered vppon certaine heresies and thereupon cited personally to apeare in the court of Rome and there was heard by hys procurers And for somuch as he refused obstinatly to appeare he was excommunicated in the which excommunication he continued as you affirme by the space of fiue yeares for the whych he was iudged and counted not onely a simple and plaine hereticke but an heresiarke that is to say an inuenter and sower of newe and straunge heresies and that he comming towarde Constance did preache by the way openly To this the Lordes aforesayd do aunswere that as touching hys slaunder and citation they can affirme nothing but by report But as touching
number if thorough me it should come to passe that those things which they haue hetherto knowne to bee most certaine and sure should now be made vncertaine Should I by this my example astonish or trouble so manye soules so manye consciences endewed with the most firme and certaine knowledge of the Scriptures and Gospell of our Lord Iesu Christ and his most pure doctrine armed against all the assaults of Satan I will neuer do it neither commit any such kinde of offence that I shoulde seeme more to esteeme this vile carcas appoynted vnto death then their health and saluation At this most godly worde he was forced againe to heare by the consent of the Bishops that hee did obstinately and maliciously perseuere in his pernicious and wicked errours Then he was commanded to come downe to the execution of his iudgement and in his comming downe one of the seauen Bishops afore rehearsed firste tooke awaye the chalice from him which he helde in his hand saieng O cursed Iudas why hast thou forsakeÌ„ the counsell waies of peace and hast counsailed with the Iewes we take away froÌ„ thee this chalice of thy saluation But Iohn Hus receiued this curse in this maner but I trust vnto God the father omnipotent and my Lorde Iesus Christ for whose sake I do suffer these things that hee will not take away the chalice of his redemption but haue a stedfast and firme hope that this day I shall drinke thereof in his kingdome Then followed the other Bishops in order which euery one of them tooke away the vestiments from him which they had put on eche one of them geuing hym their curse Whereunto Iohn Hus answered that hee did willingly embrace and beare those blasphemies for the name of the Lord Iesus Christ. At the last they came to the rasing of his shauen crowne But before the Bishops would go in hand with it there was a great contention betweene them with what instrument it should be done with a rasour or with a paire of sheares In the meane season Iohn Hus turning himselfe toward the Emperour saide I maruell that forsomuch as they be all of like cruell minde and stomacke yet they can not agree vpon their kinde of crueltie Notwithstanding at the last they agreed to cut off the skinne of the crowne of his head with a paire of sheares And when they had done that they added these words now hath the Church taken away all her ornaments and priuilegies from hym Now there resteth nothing else but that he be deliuered ouer vnto the secular power But before they did that there yet remained another knacke of reproch For they caused to be made a certaine crowne of paper almost a cubite deepe in the which were painted three deuils of wonderfull ougly shape and this title set ouer their heads Heresiarcha The which when he saw he sayde My Lord Iesus Christ for my sake did weare a crowne of thorne why should not I then for his sake againe weare thys light crowne be it neuer so ignominious Truly I will do it and that willingly When it was set vpon his head the Bishops saide now we commit thy soule vnto the deuill But I sayde Iohn Husse lifting his eies vp towardes the heauens doo commit my spirite into thy handes O Lord Iesu Christ vnto thee I commend my spirit which thou hast redeemed These contumelious opprobries thus ended the Bishops turning themselues towards the Emperour said This most sacred Synode of Constance leaueth now Iohn Husse which hath no more any office or to do in the Church of God vnto the ciuill iudgement and power Then the Emperour commaunded Lodouicus Duke of Bauaria which stoode before him in his robes holding the golden apple with the crosse in his hande that he should receiue Iohn Husse of the Byshops and deliuer him vnto them which should do the execution By whome as hee was led to the place of execution before the Church doores hee sawe his bookes burning whereat hee smiled and laughed And all men that he passed by he exhorted not to thinke that he should dye for any errour or heresie but only for the hatred and ill will of his aduersaries which had charged him wyth most false and vniust crime All the whole Citie in a maner being in armour followed him The place appointed for the execution was before the gate Gorlebian betweene the gardens and the gates of the suburbs When as Iohn Husse was come thether kneeling downe vpon his knees and lifting his â—ies vp vnto heauen he praied and saide certaine Psalmes and specially the 50. and 31. Psalmes And they which stoode by heard him oftentimes in his praier with a merrie and chearefull countenance repeate this versâ— Into thy hands O Lord I commend my spirit c. Which thâ—â—g when the lay people beheld which stood next vnto him they said what he hath done afore wee knowe not but now wee see and heare that hee doth speake and pray very deuoutely and godly Othersome wished that he had a Confessor There was a certaine Priest by sitting on horsebacke in a greene gowne drawne about with red silke which said he ought not to be heard because he is an hereticke Yet notwithstanding whilest he was in prison he was both confessed and also absolued by a certaine Doctour a Monke as Hus himselfe doth witnes in a certaine Epistle which he wrote vnto his frendes out of prison Thus Christ raigneth vnknowne vnto the world euen in the middest of his enimies In the meane time whilest he praied as he bowed his necke backward to looke vpward vnto heauen the crowne of paper fell off from his head vpon the grounde Then one of the souldiours taking it vp againe said let vs put it againe vpon his head that he may bee burned with his maisters the diuels whome he hath serued ¶ The description of the burning of Iohn Hus contrary to the safeconduict graunted vnto hym Then was the fire kindled and Iohn Hus began to sing with a loud voice Iesu Christ the sonne of the liuing God haue mercy vpon me And when he began to say the same the third time the winde droue the flame so vpon his face that it choked him Yet notwithstanding he mooued a while after by the space that a man might almost say three times the Lordes prayer When all the wood was burned and consumed the vpper parte of the body was left hanging in the chaine the which they throwe downe stake and all and making a newe fire burned it the heade being first cut in small gobbets that it might the sooner be consumed vnto ashes The heart which was founde amongest the bowels being well beaten with staues and clubbes was at last pricked vppon a sharpe sticke and roasted at a fire a parte vntill it was consumed Then with great diligence gathering the ashes together they cast them into the riuer of Rhene that the least
thy names sake Amen Written in prison and in bondes in the Vigill of holy S. Iohn the Baptist who beyng in prison and in bondes for the rebuking of wickednesse was beheaded ¶ Among diuers other letters of Iohn Hus which he wrote to the great consolation of others I thought also here to intermixt an other certaine godly letter writteÌ„ out of England by a faythfull Scholler of Wickleffe as appeareth vnto Iohn Hus and the Bohemians which for the zealous affectioÌ„ therein coÌ„teined seemeth not vnworthy to be read ¶ A letter to Iohn Hus and to the Bohemians from London GReetyng and whatsoeuer can be deuised more sweete in the bowels of Christ Iesu. My dearely beloued in the Lord whom I loue in the trueth and not I onely but also all they that haue the knowledge of the trueth whiche abydeth in you and shall be with you through the grace of GOD for euermore I reioysed aboue measure when our beloued brethren came and gaue testimony vnto vs of your trueth and how you walke in the trueth I haue heard brethren how sharpely Antichrist persecuteth you in vexyng the faithfull seruauntes of Christ with diuers and straunge kyndes of afflictions And surely no maruaile if amongest you since it is so almost all the world ouer the law of Christ be too too greuously impugned and that redde Dragon hauyng so many heades of whom it is spoken in the Apocalyps haue now vomited out of his mouth that great floud by whiche he goeth about to swallow vp the woman but the most gracious God will deliuer for euer his onely and most faythfull spouse Let vs therfore cofort our selues in the Lord our God and in his vnmeasurable goodnes hopyng strongly in him which will not suffer those that loue him to be vnmercifully defrauded of any their purpose if we according to our duety shall loue him with all our hart for aduersitie should by no meanes preuaile ouer vs if there were no iniquitie raignyng in vs. Let therefore no tribulation or sorrow for Christs cause discourage vs knowing this for a surety that whosoeuer the Lord vouchsafeth to receaue to be his childreÌ„ those he scourgeth For so the mercifull father will haue them tried in this miserable life by persecutions that afterwardes hee may spare them For the golde that this high artificer hathe chosen he purgeth and trieth in this fire that he may afterwardes lay it vp in his pure treasurie For we see that the time which we shall abide here is short and transitory the life which we hope for after this is blessed and euerlasting Therefore whilest we haue time let vs take paine that we may enter into that rest What other thyng do we see in this brickle life then sorow heauinesse and sadnesse and that which is most greuous of all to the faithfull too much abusing and contempt of the lawe of the Lord. Let vs therefore endeuoure our selues as much as we may to lay holde of the things that are eternall and abiding despising in our mindes all transitory and fraile things Let vs consider the holy fellowship of our fathers that haue gone before vs. Let vs consider the Saincts of the olde and newe Testament Did they not passe through this sea of tribulation and persecution were not some of them cut in peces other some stoned others of them killed with the sword Some others of them went about in pelts and goates skinnes as the Apostle to the Hebrues witnesseth Surely they all walked straight wayes following the steppes of Christ which sayde he that ministreth vnto me let him follow me whether so euer I go c. Therfore let vs also which haue so noble examples geuen vs of the Saintes that went before vs laying away as muche as in vs lyeth the heauy burden and the yoke of sinne which compasseth vs about runne forwarde through patience to the battaile that is set before vs fixing our eyes vppon the author of faith and Iesus the finisher of the same who seeing the ioy that was set before hym suffred the paines of the crosse despising death Let vs call vppon him which suffred suche reproche against himselfe of sinners that we be not wearied fainting in our hearts but that we may heartely pray for helpe of the Lorde and may fight against his aduersary Antichrist that we may loue his law and not be deceitfull labourers but that we may deale faithfully in all things according to that that God hath vouchsafed to geue vs and that wee may labour diligently in the Lordes cause vnder hope of an euerlasting reward Behold therefore brother Hus most deaâ—ly beloued in Christe although in face vnknowen to me yet not in faith and loue for distance of places cannot separate those whom the loue of Christ doth effectually knit together be comforted in the grace which is geuen vnto thee labour like a good souldiour of Christ Iesus preach be instant in word and in example and call as many as thou canst to the way of truth for the truth of the gospel is not to be kept in silence because of friuolous censures and thunderboltes of Antichrist And therefore to the vttermost of thy power strengthen thou and confirme the members of Christ whych are weakened by the deuil and if the Lord wil vouchsafe it Antichrist shall shortly come to an end And there is one thing wherein I do greatly reioyce that in your realm and in other places God hath stirred vp the harts of some men that they can gladly suffer for the word of God imprisonment banishment and death Further beloued I knowe not what to wryte vnto you but I confesse that I could wish to powre out my whole heart if thereby I might comfort you in the lawe of the Lorde Also I salute from the bottome of my heart all the faithfull louers of the law of the Lord and specially Iacobellus your coadiutor in the gospell requiring that he will pray vnto the Lorde for me in the Vniuersall churche of Iesus Christ. And the God of peace which hath raised from the dead the shepheard of the sheepe the mighty Lorde Iesus Christ make you apt in all goodnesse to doe his will working in you that which may be pleasant in his sight All your friendes salute you which haue heard of your constancie I would desire also to see your letters wrytten backe to vs for knowe yee that they shall greatly comfort vs. At London by your seruaunt desiring to be fellow with you in your labors Ricus Wiceewitze priest vnworthy ¶ An other letter of Iohn Hus to his friendes of Boheme THe Lord God be with you I loue the counsaile of the Lorde aboue gold and precious stone Wherfore I trust in the mercy of Iesus Christ that he wil geue me his spirit to stand in his truth Pray to the Lord for the spirit is ready and the flesh is weake The Lord almighty be the eternal reward vnto my Lords which constantly firmely and
with Lordes and cities neither wil they begin to teach you the true foundation of the truth For they do as a dogge which as long as he holdeth a bone in his mouth and knaweth it so long he holdeth his peace cannot barcke Euen so as long as they haue this bone of pleasaunt riches it wyl neuer be well in the world Wherfore all kinges princes and imperiall Citties should doe a great worke of godlines and mercy if by them they were compelled to do this as the dog is when the boane is takeÌ„ from hym And therfore ye noble men Kinges princes Lordes imperiall Citties and all the communaltie both riche and poore if ye haue bene a sleep yet now awake and opeÌ„ your eyes and behold the subtiltie of the deuill how he hath blinded the Church of Rome and take agayne that is youres and not theirs And if you wil make a good memoriall for your soules then do as the wyse man saith Eccle. 19 Lay vp almes c. The 6. article is that they are full of pride and of high mynde which is manifestly knowne by their long costlye and superfluous garmentes wherein they walke very vnlike to Christ our Lord who had a garmeÌ„t without a seam and to the welbeloued Iohn Baptist who had a garment of Camels heare and they wyl be honoured and worshyped and they preach and say that Priesthood ought to be honoured and so it ought in deede to be but there is none that do so much sclander and abase it as they themselues with their euill works gay apparell and with their euil words wherein they passe all other men Paul sayth the i. to Tim. the 3. chapter Let the Elders that gouerne wel be honoured with double honour chiefly they that labour in the word and doctrine of the Lord. Consider that he sayth they that gouerne well The 7. article is that they are couetous from the highest to the lowest and for couetousnes they preach many folish deedes manifest lies sell the holy sacramentes whiche is a great heresie for God commaunded that they shoulde geue freely Paule writeth in the first to Timothy Couetousnesse is the roote of all mischief wherunto many haue ben geuen and therefore they are separated from the fayth and haue denyed the truth The viii article is that they commonly are called notorious whoremongers This is manifestly seene in theyr concubines and children which walke openly in all mens sight and make many mens wiues whoores or corrupte their daughters being virgins and make theÌ„ priests harlots and rybauldes The ix Article is that they are ful of deuilish enuy and especially in al Monasteries they haue great enuy and hatred amongest themselues because when any thing is geuen or disposed to one Monastery or Colledge then there are others that hate it and enuy at it and woulde more gladly haue it themselues Like as among dogs when any thing is geuen to the one and not to the other which the other seing enuyeth hys fellow the other likewise wil rather deuour all himselfe then geue any part to his fellowe Wherefore it were well that they were brought from that great sin of enuy in geuing nothing vnto theÌ„ And it were better that their possessions were takeÌ„ from them and that they should do that which the Lord spake to hys disciples saying Go ye and preach the Gospell to all men The x. article is that they are idle and chiefly the Byshops Chanons and other Prelates which wil not labor dilligently in the holy Scripture wherewith they might cure the miseries of Christendome wherto they haue bouÌ„d theÌ„selues and they eate the bread therof in idlenes because when other men watch and labour to mayntaine themselues and their little ones theÌ„ are they with their lemmons or els they walke in some Cittie carying hawkes on their fistes or els they sit at the good wyne with their Concubines and there they sing and play the Lucians eat of the best and therfore al that willingly bring and geue to them shal be made partners of that curse whiche is geuen them of God because they eate their bread vniustly whereof Paul writeth in the 2. to the Thess. the 3. chapter He that laboureth not let him not eate The 11. article is that they are notorious liers becaâ—â—e to the end that they may please men they tel many tales lies which in the holy Scripture haue no foundation nor proofe Of such wryteth Iohn in the Apoca. 21. The 12. article is that they doe not rightly giue or minister to the people the body of our Lord Iesus Christ and they geue it not as God hath instituted it and commanded This is a great a deuilish sinne and to great malapertnesse Heerein we woulde ouercome them wyth the testimonies of the Euangelistes I say we woulde ouercome the Pope and all his Priestes with the authorityes of Marke Luke and Paule Rom. 13. and we woulde suffer that Kinges Princes Lordes and all that are willing to heare should heare it The 13. Article is that they sit in spiritual iudgement and then many times they iudge according to fauour and not according to the righteousnesse of God and they take bribes giuing sentence for hym which in Gods sight hath the wrongfull cause Wo be to such senteÌ„ces as it is wrytten in Isay 5. Wo be to ye that c. The 14. Article is that they sit hearing coÌ„fessions and when there come to them vsurers raueners and theeues they take bribes of them of their ill gotten goodes to spare them and they willingly suffer them in cities and towns And likewise of adulterers and other notorious whoremongers and whores and they neuer let or stay them in their great sinnes to the end that the scripture may be fulfilled in them which sayeth Giftes and the loue of money do draw to hell and do blinde the eyes of iudges The 15. Article is that they receiue tithes of men and will of right haue them and preache and say that men are bound to giue them tithes and therin they say falsly For they can not proue by the new Testament that our Lorde Iesus Christ commanded it and his disciples warned no man to do so neither did themselues receiue them But although in the old Testament it were commanded to geue tithes yet it can not thereby be prooued that christian men are bound thereto For this precept of the olde Testament had an end in the first yeare of our Lord Iesus Christ like as the precept of CircuÌ„cision Wherfore welbeloued consider and see how your bishops seduce you and shut youre eyes with things that haue no proofe Christ sayeth in the 11. of Luke Geue almes of those thinges that remaine but he said not geue the tenth of the goodes which yee possesse but geue almes But when they heare the word they may say as the lawyer said to Christ Maister when
hugenes of the Turkes armye conteining in it 220. thousand fighting men was so discouraged and put out of hope and hart that the b. â—h and chiefe nobles of the town fled before the ieoperdy the rest of the coÌ„mons which were partly preuented by the sodein comming of the turkes partly for pouerty could not auoid sent theyr messengers to the Turke to yealde and surrender the towne vppon promise of life vnto his handes Whose promise how firme it stood the story leaueth it vncertaine This is affirmed that three dayes after the yelding of this Quinquecclesiensis neuer a Turke durst enter the Cittie an 1543. Ex Ioan. Mart. Stella alijs The next fort or holde gotten by the Turkes in Hungary was Soclosia The towne at the first inuasion of the Turkes was wonne sackte and fiered The castle within the towne did something hold out a tyme and first requiring truce for 14. dayes to see what ayd should be sent vnto them and to deliberate vpon the conditions that should be proposed vnto theÌ„ after the 14. daies expired they trusting to the situation and munitioÌ„ of the place which was very strong began for a certayne space stoutly to put back the enemy But afterward seeing their walles to be battered theyr foundations to shake for the Turke had set xij thousand vnderminers vnder the diches of the castle their strength to diminishe and misdoubting themselues not to be able long to hold out agreed in like maner to yeld them selues vpon condition to escape with life goods Which condition of sauing theyr goodes was the loosing of theyr lyues especially of the richer sort For the Turkes perceauing by that condition that they were of wealth and substaunce omitting the inferiour or baser sorte fell vpon the wealthy men for their riches and slue them euery one an 1543. Ibid. In the which his history this is also to be noted that during the time while the castle of Soclosia was besieged the villages pages round about the same came of theyr own accord submitting and yelding themselues vnto the Turke bringing in as they were commanded all kynd of victuall and forage into the Turkes campe Which done Solyman the Turke commaunded all the head men of the pages to appeare before hym whiche humbly obeyed and came Then the turke warned them to returne agayne the next day after euery one bringing with him his inferiour retinue and houshold seruauntes Whiche when they had with like dilligence also according to his commaundemeÌ„t accomplished the turke immediately commaunded them euery one in the face of hys whole army to be slayn and so was this theyr reward Which reward the more that it declareth the bloudy crueltie of the turke the more encourage it may minister to our men the more constantly to wtstand him Ex Martino Stella An other strong town there is in HuÌ„gary named Strigonium distant from Buda aboue sayde the space of fiue Dutch miles agaynst the whiche the Turkes made great preparation of ordinaunce and all other instruments of artillary necessary for the siege therof Which cittie in like maner began also to be compassed and inclosed by the turks before it could be sufficiently prepared garnished of our meÌ„ but that the archbishop onely of Strigon priuely conueyed vnto them 200. Oxen. Such was then the negligence of Ferdinandus king of Hungary which so slenderly looked vnto the necessary defence of his townes and cities More ouer such was the discorde then of christen kinges Princes which in their ciuile dissension and warres were so occupied and hoate in needeles quarrels that they had neyther leasure nor remeÌ„braunce to help in tyme there where true neede required Which slender care and cold zeale of the Christian rulers not in tendering the publicke cause while they contend in priuate trifles hath caused the Turke to come so farre as hee hath and yet farther is like vnlesse the mercy of the Lord doe helpe more then our dilligence One of the chiefe captaynes within the Cittye was Martinus Lascanus a Spanyard The Turkes in the beginning of the siege began first to attempt the Cittizens with fayre wordes and accustomed promises to yelde and gently to submit themselues But they not ignoraunt of the Turks promises wisely refused and manfully stood so long as they coulde to the defence of their citty now and then skirmishing with them in out corners and killing certayne numbers of them sometime with their shot disturbing their munitions breaking the wheeles of their gunnes c. Three speciall meanes the Turkes vse in winning great fortes and cities great multitude of souldiors great ordinaunce and mortarie peeces the third is by vndermyning All which here in the siege of this Cittie lacked not This siege continued vehement a certaine space in whiche the Strigonians had borne out foure strong assaultes and slue many thousandes of the turkes till at length the turkes eyther departing away or els seeming to depart vnto Buda the people at last being so perswaded and made to beleue of some chiefe rulers of the citty peraduenture not the truest men the citizens being erected with hope and comforte and singing Te Deum as though the city had bene free from all daunger sodenly by whose counsaile it is vnknowen conueyed themselues all out of the Citty 300. horsemen also passed ouer the riuer and departed The ItaliaÌ„s which were vnder FraÌ„ciscus Salamanca a Spanish captayne hardly coulde be perswaded by him to abide whiche were in all scarse 600. Within 3. daies after 300. Germaine souldiours with 2. ships laden with shot pouder artillery were priuily let into the town So that of our men al there were scarse 1300. souldiors Who seing the small quantitie of their number burning and casting downe the towne suburbes tooke theÌ„ to the castle from whence they beate of the turkes valiantly with theyr ordinaunce a good space and with wyld fire destroyed great companies of theÌ„ till at last they seyng theyr walles to fayle them and the whole castle to shake by vndermyning but especially by the working of a certayne Italian surnamed Presbyter they gaue ouer Thys Italian whether for feare or falshood secretly vnknowing to the rest of the souldiours accompanied with two other conueyed himselfe down from the walles being brought into the tentes of the next captayne or Bassa of the turkes there in the name of all hys fellowes conuented with the turkes to geue vp to them the Castle wherupon the turkes were bid to cease the shooting This Italian shortly after with two other turkes was sent backe to Salamanca hys Captayne with the Turkes message The goyng out of this Italian being priuy to the residue of hys fellowes coÌ„trary to the lawes and discipline of warre although it seemed to come of hys own head yet for so much as the other souldiours were not sure but rather suspected lest the other Italians his countreymen had beene in some
Metropolis Bulgaria Bulgaria was wonne of Baiazetes the Turk from the crowne of Hungarye through the vnprosperous warre of Sigismundus at the fielde of Nicopolis an 1395. This Sigismund was the burner of Iohn Hus and the persecutor of his doctrine Wallachia Tergouistus or Teruis Huniad where Ioannes Huniades was borne Transyluania or SepteÌ„ castra Hermenstat Cronestat Saltzburg Alba Iulia or Weissenburg Seruia Gyula Samandria Columbetz Rascia Walpo Vid. sup pag. 740 Nouigradum Varna Moldauia  Hungaria Buda or Osen Alba regalis Belgradum or Taurinum Strigonium Varadinum Neapolis Maior Minor Austria Pestum ¶ As I was writing hereof a certayne souÌ„d of lamentable newes was brought vnto vs howe the Turke whome wee had hoped before to haue bene repulsed by the Emperour Maximilian out of Christendome hath now of late this present yeare 1566. got the towne of Gyula about Transyluania after they had susteined 16 of his most forceable assaultes destroying in the same most cruelly many thousand of our chisten brethren men women and children but because we haue no full certaynty we will referre the story therof to further information ¶ The Prophecyes of the holy Scriptures considered touching the comming vp and finall ruine and destruction of this wicked kingdome of the Turkes with the Reuelations and foreshewinges also of other authours concerning the same FOr so muche as you haue hitherto sufficiently heard to what quantity largenes the dominon of the Turkes hath encreased doe vnderstand what cruell tyranny these wretched miscreants haue and do dayly practise most haynously wheresoeuer they come agaynst the seruaunts and professors of Christ it shall not be vnprofitable but rather necessary and to our great comfort to coÌ„sider and examine in the Scriptures with what prophesyes the holy spirit of the Lord hath premonished and forewarned vs before of these heauy persecutions to come vpon his people by thys horrible Antichrist For as the gouernment and constitution of times and states of monarchies pollicies fall not to vs by blind chauÌ„ce but be administred and alotted vnto vs from aboue so it is not to be supposed that such a great alteration and mutation of kingdomes such a terrible generall persecutioÌ„ of Gods people almost through all ChristeÌ„dome and such a terrour of the whole earth as is now moued and gendred by these Turkes coÌ„meth without the knowledge sufferauÌ„ce and determination of the Lord before for such endes and purposes as his deuine wisedome doth best know For the better euideÌ„ce testimony wherof he hath left in his Scriptures sufficieÌ„t instructioÌ„ declaration whereby we may plainly see to our great coÌ„fort how these greeuous afflictions troubles of the Church though they be sharpe heauy vnto vs yet they come not by chauÌ„ce or by maÌ„s working onely but euen as the Lord himselfe hath appointed it and doth permit the same And first to begin with the tyme of the old Testament let vs seriously aduise ponder not onely the Scriptures Prophecies therein conteined but also let vs coÌ„sider the whole state order and regimeÌ„t of that people the Church I meane of the Israelites For although the Scriptures and Prophetes of the old Testament were properly sent to that people haue their relatioÌ„ properly to things done or thaÌ„t should be done in that coÌ„moÌ„wealth of which prophetes Iohn Baptist was the last made an end as our Sauiour himselfe witnesseth saying The law and Prophets be vnto the tyme of Iohn c. Yet notwithstaÌ„ding the sayd people of that old TestameÌ„t beareth a liuely Image resemblaunce of the vniuersall Church which should folow plaÌ„ted by the sonne of God through the whole earth So that as the Prophetes of God speaking to them from the mouth word of God prophecied what should come to passe in that people so likewise the whole course Hystory of those Israelites exemplifieth beareth a Prophetical image to vs declaring what is to be looked for in the vniuersall Church of God dispersed through the world plaÌ„ted in Christ Iesus his sonne according as Phil. Melanâ—thon grauely gathering vpon the same testifieth in diuers places in his Commentary vpon the Prophete Daniell As first the History of godly Abell slayne by wicked Cain what doth it importe or Prophecie but the conditioÌ„ of the people and seruauntes of God which commonly go to wracke in this world and are oppressed by the contrary part which belongeth not to God The like may be said also of Isaac and Ismaell of Iacob and Esau. Of whoÌ„ those two which were the children of promise and belonged to the election of God were persecuted in this world of the other whiche were reiected Where moreouer is to be noted coÌ„cerning Ismaell that of his stocke after the fleshe came the Saracens whose sect the Turkes do now professe mainteine And as Ismaell had but xii sonnes so it were to be wished of God that this Solyman which is the twelfe of the Turkish generation may be the last But of this better occasion shall folow the Lord willyng hereafter Furthermore of the xii tribes of Israel the sacrate history so reporteth that after they had a long season coÌ„tinued together by the space of 8. or 9. C. yeares at length for their idolatrie transgression of their forefathers x. tribes of them were cut of and dispersed amoÌ„g the Gentiles 130. yeares before the captiuitie of Babilon so that but ij tribes onely remayned free and they also at last after a. 130. yeares were captiued vnder the Babylonians for a certaine time No otherwise hath it happened with the Church of Christ almost in the vniuersall world of which Church the greatest part both in Asia in Africa almost in Europe where the holy Apostles so laboured and trauailed we see now to be disparcled among the Turkes and their caÌ„dlestickes remoued the Lord of his great grace reduce them agayne Amen So that of xij partes of Christendome which was once planted in Christ scarse ij partes remayne cleare and they how long they shall so continue the Lord knoweth And albeit thorough the mercy of the Lord they escape the dauÌ„ger of the Turkes yet haue they bene so beaten with the Pope that they had bene better almost to haue bene in the Turkes handes Agayne after the sayd Israelites returned being restored of Cyrus let vs consider well their story the continuance of tyme the maner of their regimentes and what afflictions they susteined in the tyme of the Machabees and we shall see a liuely representation of these our dayes expressed in that Propheticall people accordyng as S. Paul writyng of them sheweth how all thynges happened to them in figures that is the actioÌ„s and doynges of that one nation be as figures and types of greater matters what shall happen in the latter times of the whole Church vniuersally in Christ collected So the transmigration deliueraunce agayne of those two tribes
to themselues Luke 11. 3. Interroâ— The aunswere Note a 〈◊〉 thy saying of Gregory 4. Interrogation The aunswere 5. Interrogation The aunswere 6. Interrogation The aunswere In what degree of kindred a man may marry By this rule the mariage of Kyng Henry with Queene Katherine Dowager was vnlawfull 7. Interrogation The aunswere A discrete saying of Gregory to be noted 8. Interrog The aunswere 25. q 2. cap. in Galliarum 9. Interrog The aunswere The Churching of woemen He speaketh here after the custome of the tyme. Mothers that nurse not their owne Children reprehended Gregory calleth tâ—e Emperor hys Lord. A letter 〈◊〉 Gregory to Mellitus A letter 〈◊〉 Gregoryâ— Austen A letter of Gregory to King â—thelbert An. 600. PolycroÌ„ lib. 5. ca. 9. Fab. part 5. ca. 119. Archbishops of London of York made by Austen Mellitus Byshop of London The Brittaynes and Scottes vsed not the rites of Rome Abbey of Bangor Ex libro Iornalensi Fabiano alijs Ethelfride king of Northumberland Brockmayl Consul of Chester The monastery of Bangor Galfridus Monumetensis Polychron Lib. 5. cap. 10. Liber bibliothecae lornalensis Gu Malmesâ—eriensis lib. 1. de Reg. Fabian part 5. cap. 109.120 A pittifull slaughter of vnarmed Monkes of Bangor Whether Austen or the Brittaynes in this case were more to blame Laurentius Archbish. after Austen Baptising in riuers not in footes Baptising among the old Romaines was not vsed with so many ceremonyes as since Anno. 60â— S Dauid in Wales otherwise called Dewy Computation of tyme examined Galfridus Monumetensis Anno. 610. Poly. lib. 5. cap. 10. A story of Iohn Patriarch of Alexandria Mercy may liue a mayden for no man will marry her This Iohn was so bountifull in geuing that he assayd to striue in a maner with the Lord whether the Lorde should geue more or he should distribute more of that whiche was geuen The actes of Gregory the first Whereupon the Romaine Byshop vse in their stile Seruus seruoruÌ„ Dei Sabinianus bishop of Rome Boniâ—acius 3. Byshop of Rome How Rome began first to take an head aboue other churches Phocus traitor and murderer of hys Emperour Bloud reuenged with bloud Volumus ac mandamus Statuimus ac praecipimus brought in by Boniface the third Fabian cap. 120. Ethelbert and Sigebert builders of Paules Church The Arcâ—bishop 〈◊〉 translate from London to Doroberâ—â—â— Malmesberiensis 〈◊〉 de pontifâ— H. Huntington lib 3. This Edward was the third of that name before the Conquest The Monastery of Westminster An. 616. Bloud reuenged with bloud Edwine first Christened king in Northâ—â—berland Giraldus Gambrenâ—â—â— The order and maner of the conuersion of Edwine to the faith of Christ. The trouble of Edwine The maruelous calling of Edwine Edwine miraculously deliuered W. Malmesburiensis lib. de Reg. This Queene was Edelburga daughter to King Ethelbert the Christened King of Kent God calleth commonly by affliction and trouble An other daunger of Edwyne An. 627. Polycron lib. 5. ca. â—2 Hen. Hunt lib. 3. Fabianus parte 5. A part of a trusty seruaunt Edwyne forgetteth hys promise to Christ. Prosperitie forgetfull Olde custome in matters of religion not to be followed but onely truth Old custome letteth Edwyne to be Christened A miracle of God in the conuersion of kyng Edwyne The part of a godly bish exemplified in Paulinus Edwyne baptised He was baptised in S. Peters Church at Yorke which he first caused to be made of woode which after by S. Oswald was builded of stone An. 628. Note Paulinus christened in riâ—ers What true iustice of a good Prince may do in a realme Great peace and trueth among the people in the dayes of Edwyne Anno. 634. Archbishop of Canterbury and Yorke the one ardayneth the other Ex Flor. hist. Iames a godly Deacon A Deacon then might baptise Erpwaldus otherwise naâ—named Corpwaldus Kyng of Eastangles conuerted to the fayth of Christ. S. Oswalde kyng of Northumberland Anno. 636. Galfridus Malmesberiensis Polycro Historia iornalensis Fabian Strength of prayer ouercommeth armyes Penda beaten in the field The commendation of king Oswalde King Oswaldâ— disdayned not to expound and preach the gospell to hys people The goodnes and charitie of Oswald toward the poore Historia iornalensis Polycronicon lib. 5. cap. 12. Kinigilsus King of the Westsaxons conuerted to Christes fayth Ex Polycron lib. 5. cap. 13. Fabian part 5. Landes geuen to Winchester Malmesberiensis lib. de pontifi Angl. Gestrensis lib. 5. Hist. Iornalensis Hunting lib. 3. Berinus walking on the sea with lye and al. Oswaldus godfather and sonne in lawe to Kinigilsus and all in one day Kyng Oswald slayne in the field Anno. 643. Penda King of Mercians slayne Oswy King of Northumberland The conâ—uerting oâ— the Mercâ—ans to the fayth of Christ. Wolferâ—â— first chriâ—â—â—ned king 〈◊〉 Mercia The Eastâ—angles reduced to the Chriâ—â—â—â—an fayth Oswy and Oswyne fellow kinges in Northumberland Note the worthy liberalitie 〈◊〉 the king and noâ—â—e in the birtâ—â— H Hunting de historiâ— Angloruâ— lib. 9. Example of true almoâ—e A perfect example of humilitie in a Prince Oswyne trayterously murdered An. 651. Benedictâ— Benet the bringer 〈◊〉 of Bede The vse of glasing first brought into this Realme Botulpus Aidaâ—eus Finiamâ—s Colmaâ—â—us Cutbertus Iarumannâ—â— Ceddaâ— Wilfridus O quanta mutatio Beda lib. 4. cap. 5. Hunting Polycr Iornalensis Fabia An. 664. Controuersie about Easter day Ex Beda lib. 2. cap. 23. A disputation betweene the Romayne Bishops and the Scottish bishops for the day of Easter and other ceremonyes The king beginneth Colman speaketh Wilfride replyeth Vniuersality alledged Colman agayne speaketh Wilfride replieth Why Paule circumcised Timothy Example of Peter alledged but no proofe brought thereof Peter and Iohn did not agree in the celebrating of Easter In the counsell of Nice no such matter appeareth Colman agaynâ— aunswereth Wilfride replyeth The aucthoritie of men is not to be sticked vnto for their doyng of myracles The example of them that follow not for lack of teaching excuseth not them which being taught will not follow Yea sir Suffragia ecclesiae a non numeranda sunt sed ponderanda Aug. The king concludeth Mobile mutatur semper cum principe â—ulgus Egfride or Edfride of Northumberland Malmesber Huntingt Fab. cap. 135. Wilfride Archbishop of Yorke Southsaxons conuerted to Christen fayth H Huntingt Lib. 3. The 〈◊〉 Wyghâ—â—â— conuenâ—â— to Christ Alfride Kyng of Northeâ—â— Wilfride restored â—igayne to the sea of Yorke Mercia diuided in â— v. byshopprickes The wickeâ— seâ—t of Mahumet Apoc. 13. An. 666. Ex Polycron Ex Giran Camâ—â—â—â— Ex Stepen no Calâ—â—â— riensi Theodorus Archbish. of Cant. Gis. Malmesbericir sis lib. 1. de gestis pontifi Anglorum Bede lib. 4. cap. 22. Gul. Malmosb lib. de gostes ponâ—ifo Anglorum Lib. 1. Polichron lib. 5. ca. 19. An. 680. Bede lib. 4. cap. 21. An. 705. Osredus Kenredus Osricus Kinges of Northumberland The kingdome of Brittaine ceaseth Iua or Iue King of WestsaxoÌ„s Polycron lib. 5. cap. 21. S. Cuthlake a popishe Sainct Crowland the curteous Lying
my Diocesse as my Canonistes do say and all men are bound to beleue 220. except they will imagine as the Manichies doe two beginninges which is false and hereticall For Moses faith In the beginning God made heauen and earth and not in the beginninges 221. Wherefore as I begon so I conclude commanding declaring and pronouncing to stand vpon necessitie of saluation for euery humaine creature to be subiect to mee ¶ The end of the first Volume of the Booke of Martyrs A liuely picture describing the weight and substaunce of Gods most blessed word agaynst the doctrines and vanities of mans traditions ¶ AT LONDON Printed by Iohn Daye dwelling ouer Aldersgate beneath Sainct Martins Anno. 1583. Cum gratia Priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis A Table of the X. first Persecutions of the Primitiue Church vnder the Heathen Tyrannes of Rome continuing the space almost of ccc yeares after Christ from the tyme of Tiberius vnto Constantinus Emperours of Rome with the sundrye kindes of Tormentes deuised agaynst the Christians as by the places here noted and quoted in the story is to be found more at large THese persecutioÌ„s of the primatiue Churche lasted ccxciiij yeares counting from the beheading of S. Iohn Baptist which was the xxxii yeare of the raigne of Tiberius till the end of Licinius the last persecuting Emperour of Rome CoÌ„cerning the which ccxciiiij yeares S Iohn in his Reuelation doth Prophesie before in sundrye places first Cap. ji where he sayth The Gentiles shall tread downe the holy Citie xiij monethes And agayne in the xiij Chapter And power was geuen to the Beast to make xlii monethes c. Which xlii monethes being counted by Sabbates of yeares after the common vse of Scripture of Daniell that is euery moneth for vii yeares doe rise to the number aforesayd of ccxciiij yeares Wherein is to be noted the errour of theÌ„ which taking these xlii monethes simply as the letter standeth for iij. yeares and a halfe do affirme thereby that Antichrist when he shall come being borne of the tribe of Dan shall reigne but onely iij. yeares and a halfe not vnderstaÌ„ding how these xlii monethes are mistically to be reckened by Sabbates of yeares that is vij yeares to euery moneth after the vse of Scripture and so they make ccxciiij yeares During the tyme of whiche yeares Antichrist then reigned in the Primitiue Churche till the comming of Constantine the Christian Emperour The lyke vnderstanding also hath the iij. dayes a half meÌ„tioned in the Reuelation Cap. xi where is sayd That after three dayes and a halfe the two Prophetes shall reuiue agayne c. For count euery houre of the day whiche bexii by Sabbates of yeares that is for vii yeares and it commeth to ccxciiij yeares And so whether ye count by monthes or by dayes both wayes it geueth a time tymes and halfe a tyme. For as one tweluemonth whiche is one yeare maketh one tyme ii tweluemonthes whiche is ii yeare make ii times vi monethes which is halfe a yeare make halfe a tyme making altogether xlii monethes so likewise in one day ij dayes and halfe a daye may be vnderstand a tyme tymes and halfe a tyme mentioned in the Reuelation cap. xii Furthermore where in the sayde Reuelation of S. Iohn cap. xii mention is made of a M. cclx dayes it commeth likewise to the same reckening For in geuing xxx dayes to a moneth so many dayes doe amounte in all to xlii monethes Which as is sayde being reduced to Sabbates of yeares make ccxciiii yeares and so long continued these Persecutions Note moreouer that after the tyme of these Persecutions expired S. Iohn in the sayd booke of his Reuelations Cap. xx prophesieth that Sathan shoulde be tyed vp for a thousande yeares and after that let lose agayne in the worlde for a little space that is that the rage and violence of Persecution shoulde then be styrred vp agaynst Gods people as before Which loosing of Sathan falleth vpon the yeare of our Lorde 1324. At what time the kingdome of the Turkes first beganne vnder Ottomannus wasting and destroying then the Churches of Asia and afterward of Europa Read the Actes and Monumentes Pag. 735.736.738 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Auxilium Christs in concinnando hoc opere Felix ac gloriosum pro Christo mortem oppetere Papae nomen nunc probrosum Cardinalium Monachorum noÌ„narum nomina ad ignominiam nunc relicta Deploratio nostrorum morum et temporum Quanta degeneratio nostrorum nunc hominum ab exemplis superiorum Martyrum Necessaria precatio Ne sutor vltra crepidam Profite to be taken by examples of christian Martyrs Gods workes to be obserued in histories What vse commeth by reading of Histories The partiall deâ—liâ—g of storie writers Primum quodque veâ—â—â—mum est Tertul. Image of both Churches The descent of Christs Church from the Apostles time described How the truâ— Church of Christ is visible and not visible The antiquitye of the Churche here in England with the descent of the same Transubstantiation not yet receaued for a publicke doctrine The Church when it began to fall from 〈◊〉 Aeneas Silâ—uius â—ayth that Mathilâ—a made the Pope heyre of those landes which is called the Patrimonye of S. Pâ—ter Ex Auen lib. 6. Monkery when it beganne to â—â—ignem England The true Church when it began first to decay The true Church continueth in the middest of their enemies Extrauagant cap Non sine multa Ex Nicholao Emerico lib. Inquisitionum Ex Ioan. Auentins lib. 7. Extrauagant cap. Licet intâ—a doctrinâ—m Ex Bulliâ— quibâ—â—dam Othonis Epist. Herbipoâ—ensis Extrauagant Ioan. 22. Ex Ioan Frosiardo volum 1. Cap. 211. Ex Tritemio Ex Bulla Gregorij cap. 11. Ex Illirico Ex Brushio Ex Christiano Masseo Ex Ioan. Bacon Dist. 2. Quest. 1. Statut. in An. 5. Rich. 2. An. Domini 1390. Ex Statut. in An. 2. Henr. 4. cap. 15. An. Domini 1402. Ex Literis Archiepiscopi Cant. ad Martinum 5. Anno. Domini 1422. Bloudy markes of Christes passion seene on mens garmentes in Germany Anno. 1501. Seuentie yeares of captiuitie well neare expired Exhortation to the Church of England Multitude of bookes lamented Comparison betweene worldly soldiours and â—â— the soldiours of Christ. Esay 63. A comparison betweene the Martyrs of the Primitiue Church and of the latter Church Foure demaundes or questions put forth to the Papistes The 1. question Esay 11.65 Obiâ—ction Refutatâ—on Publicke execution of lawes not forbidden in Scripture The conditions and properties of the true Church of Christ. Rom. 15. Galath 6. The 2. question The deadly hatred of the Papistes agaynst the Protestantes grounded vpon no iust cause nor deseruing Malice and crueltie of Papistes against the countrey of Merindoll and Cabriers Malice of Papistes agaynst the Citizens of Tholouse in France Malice and crueltie of Papistes agaynst the Protestantes in the towne of Vassy Clemencie and mercy shewed to Papistes in the raigne of
Queene Elizabeth The trayterous murdering of the Lord Iames Regent of Scotland Martyr The chiefe cause of al these latter persecution in the Church is onely the priuate quarrell of the Bishop of Rome The plantation of the Popes supremacie proued not to be of God Iohn 8. Luke 18. The 3. question Apocal. 13. The two beastes in the booke of ReuelatioÌ„ described The second beast with the hornes like a Lambe The misterie of the first beast rising out of the Sea applied The Image of the beast resembled to the Monarchie of Rome Apocall 13. Of these 42. monethes and the exposition thereof read page 101. The wounded head of the beast in the reuelation what it meaneth The second beast rising out of the land pretending the hornes of a Lambe what it meaneth Apocall 13. The Misterie of the 13. chapter of the Reuelations expounded Ex platina in vita Gregoâ—ij 7. The Image of the old Monarchie reuiued by the Bishop of Rome Power to doe the workes of the beast before his sight Apocal. 13. The 4. question 2. Thess. 2. Religion of Christ spiritual and not corporall The Pope turneth the spirituall religion of Christ to a corporall religion The whole summe of the Popes Catholicke religion set forth in partes A man may be Catholique by the Popes religion without any working of the holy ghost The nature of tâ—ue Christian Religion described Saluation of man standeth onely in fayth of Christ. Fayth in Christ no light matter to fleshe and bloud Many thinges incident to saluation besides fayth but not as causes thereof Workes of sanctification how they come and follow fayth Esay 58. Math. 25. Euseb. lib. 8. cap. 1. Plat. de rep 8. Hippocrates Constantinus erus Ad Martyres Ad deum de inundantibus bellorum procellis Math. 16. Three thinges noted in Christes wordes The order of the disposition of this history 1 The suffering time of the church 2 The florishing time of the Church 3 The declining time of the church 4 The time of Antichrist in the Church 5 The reformation of the Church Church of Rome Foure thinges to be considered in the Church of Rome 1. Title 2. Iurisdiction 3. Lyfe 4. Doctrine The title of the Pope The iurisdiction of the Pope The iurisdiction of the Pope The properties of life in the Romish Clergy The doctrine of the Pope Pope siluester the second Pope Gregory 7. called Hildebrand Pope innocentius the third Pope Bonifatius the eight Equinocé That is in name onely and not in very deede Vutuocè That is both in â—ame and also in definition and effect agreeing with the name The Church of Rome as now it is is not Apostolicall but onely aequiuocè The argument of Pighius Hosius and Eckius for the aucthoritie of the Church of Rome Aunswere Fallacia aquiuoci The minor examined The maior examined A distinction The church of Rome distincted into a double consideration of tymes The 〈◊〉 of Rome how it was commendâ—d of the 〈◊〉 Doctours The principall obiection of the Papistes agaynst the Protestants Aunswere to the obiection The church of Rome reuolted from the Church of Rome An other obiection of the papists An answere to the obiection No man bound to follow the opinions of hys Godfathers in all poyntes vnlesse they be consonant in al things The church of Rome distincted froÌ„ the Church of Rome Two times of the Church of Rome considered and examined The first poynt The enormities of life in the latter Churche of Rome described Policies and practises of Rome to get mony XV. Practises of the newe Churche of Rome to get mony Summa totalis The iurisdiction and power of this new church of Rome examined This â—ewe Church of Rome in three poyntes challenged Nicen. Con. Cap. 6. Victor stopped from his excommunication by Ireneus Boniface the first falsefieth the Councell of Nice The 6. Councell of Carthage Appellations to Rome forbidden in England Appellations to Rome forbiddeÌ„ in Fraunce Ex Annonio de gestis FraÌ„corum Lib 5. Cap. 33. The Popes iurisdiction resisted in Fraunce Pragmatica sanctio The Popes iurisdiction concerning elections examined Platina Sabel Enead 8. lib. 6. ConstaÌ„tine the 4. Emperour of Constantinople The Popes bibliothe carie suspected The constitution of Constantine the 4. Emperour of ConstaÌ„tinople examined Rubrica de ordinatione Episcopi ex Caelestino Papa dist 63. Cap. Cleri Dist. 63. Cap. Sacrorum Libertie graunted to the Clergy and to the people to chuse their Bishop Carolus Magnus Ludouicus Pâ—us The decree Ego Ludocus dist 63. suspected Gratianus Volâ—teranus what ground they haue of their recordes Dist. 63. ca. Ego Ludouicus Election of the Bishop of Rome standeth vpon the coÌ„sent of the Clergy and the people of Rome The decree Ego Ludouicus proued fals Dist. 23. ca. In Nomine Domini The iudiciarie power of the Pope examined Georg. Turonens in Francorum hist. lib. 10. ca. 18. The Popes jurisdiction vsurped in geuing and disposing ecclesiastical promotions 16. q. 7. cap. emnes Basilicae The Councell of Nice cap â— The generall Councell of Antioch cap. 9. 9. q. 3. cap. per singulas Pragmatica sanctio sancti Ludouici Impropriations and first finites of benefices Institutiones canonicae sub Ludouico Pio. The wordes of Prosper Aug. ad Bonifac Vowsons and pluralities of benefices Three points wherein the Popes Church erreth in his iurisdiction 1 Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction falsly restrained impropriate to the Church of Rome which ought to be generally equall to all Churches Christian. 2 Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction abused and extended in the church of Rome further then the word limiteth Christening of Bels. 3 The iurisdiction of the Pope abused and vsurped in temporal matters where he hath nothing to doe Popes submitted in the olde tyme to Emperours Ex cap. 1. de iuramentis calumniat Dist. 97. cap. 1. Plat. in vita Euge. 2. Euidences prouing ecclesiasticall persons to haue bene subiect to their Magistrates in causes both Ecclesiasticall temporall Euidences out of the Scripture Dauid 1. Par. cap. 30.31 Ezechias 4. Reg. 18. The order of Abias was the eight order among the Priests 1. Par. 24. Salomon Iudas Machabeus 1. Mac. 10. 1. Mac. 14. Iosaphat 2. Par. 19. Iohn 19. Rom. 13. Theophilactus Aug. ad Bonifacium Aug. contra CresconiuÌ„ li. 3. cap. 5. Thomas de regim princip li. â— cap. 32. 1. Pet. 2. Gregor ad Maurit Aug. lib. 3. epist. 61. The Pope calleth king Lucius Christes Vicar 23. q. cap. 5. principes cap. Administratores Dist. 97. ca. ecclesiae cap. Victor Dist. 79. ca. Si duo 24. q. 3. cap. De illicita Ex Nouel 5. Iustinian Diuine seruice vsed in the vulgare tongue Clodoueus Concilium Aureliense Carolus Magnus Canonicall Scripture onely to be read in Churches Conc. Cartha 3. cap. 47. Bishops and Priests charged to pâ—each with diligence Superstition in Funerals forbidden Ex. Ansegiso Abbate lib. 1. cap. 76. Ludouicus Pius Ex Ans. lib. 1. cap. 20. Lib. 2. C de