Chapter Monks. New Canons of St. Austin . . 1430

Nestorini.
Dutch order 1216 Nalheart Brethren.
Dominic Black Friars . . . 1220 New Order of our Lady.
Nazaraei. Franciscans 1224
Paul's Heremites 345
Grandmontensis order . . . 1076 Prtemonstratensis order . . . 1119
Gregorian order 594 Preacher order, or Black Friars.
George's order 1407 Peter the Apostle's order . . 1409
Guhelmites 1246 Purgatory Bretlrren.
Genuidinensis order.
Galilei, or Galileans. Rechabites.
Heremites. Sarrabites.
Helen's brethren. Humiliati . 11G6 Sambonitcs 1199
Hospitiil Brethren. Scourgers, the first sect . . . 1266
Holy Ghost order. Soldiers of Jesus Christ . . . 1323
Scopenites, or St. Salvator's order, 1367
Jerom's orders, two sorts . . 1412 Specularii, or the Glass order.
John's Hercnutes. Sepulchre's order.
Justin's order 1432 Sheer order.
John'sorder, Joannites, or Knights Swerd's order.
of the Rhodes . . . 380, 1308 Starred Monks.
Injesuati 1365 Starred Friars.
Jerome's Heremites .... 490 Sclavony order.
THE PROPHECY OF HII-UEGAKD. 353
A. I).
A. D. Henry
Scourgers, the second sect, called The Vale of Josaphat's order. ■'^^•
Ninevites.
Stool Brethren. Vallis Umbrosre 1400 ViyE:
Scotland Brethren order. Waldensis' sect.i _ . _
Sicarii. Wentzelaus' order.
St. Sophy's order. Wilhelmcr order.
AVhite Monks of Mount Olivet 1406
Templar Lords 1110
Templar Knights 1120 Zelotes' order.
Thus hast thou, if thou please, gentle reader, the means of know- ing what orders and what sects of religion have been set up by the pope ; the catalogue and number of them all, so far as we could search them out, not only in books printed of late in Germany, namely, by the reverend father Martin Luther ; but also conferred with another English book which came to our hands, containing the same like notes of ancient antiquity, the number of which rabblenient of religious persons came to a hundred and one. Now as I have reck- oned up the names and varieties of these prodigious sects, it cometli to mind consequently to refer to the prophecy of Hildegard, as well against the whole rout of Romish prelates, and the fall of that church, as especially against the begging friars and such other unprofitable bellies of the church. This Hildegard is holden, of the papists themselves, to be a great prophetess, whose prophecy proceedcth in tliis manner ; first, against the priests and prelates of the Romish church, as folio weth.
THE PROPHECY OF HILDEGARD OF THE RUIN OF ROME, AND AGAINST THE BEGGING FRIARS.'
Hildegard, a nun, and, as many judged, a prophetess, lived a. d. 1146. In her prophecies she doth most grievously reprehend, not onlv the wicked and abominable life of the spiritual papists, but also the contempt of the ecclesiastical office, and the horrible destruction of the church of Rome. In a certain place she hath these words : " And now is the law neglected among the spiritual people, who neglect to teach and to do good things; the masters likewise, and the prelates do sleep, despising justice and laying it aside." In a certain vision the church appeai-cd to her in the shape of a woman, complaining that the priests had bcAvrayed her face with dust, and rent her coat, &c., and that they did not shine over the people, either in doctrine or in example of life ; but rather the contrary, and that they have driven the innocent lamb from them. She said moreover, " That all
(1) The reader may be surprised at seeing " Waldensis' sect " placed by Foxe among the " rabble- ment of reliRious orders." But the fact is, that in the year 12(i7 at a public disputation held at Pamiers aeainst the Waldenses, a Waldensian named Durand, of Osca or Huesca in Aragon, Pb- jured his Waldensian profession, and obtained a license from Pope Innocent III., dated December l-8th of that year, for the establishment of a fraternity to be called " the Order or Society of Poor Catholics." Duraiid established his sect in Aragon, and also propagated it with great industry in Languedoc ; where he became, however, suspected of a leaning towards his old opinions, and he was compUined of to the pope by the bishops of those parts. His sect seems to have dwindled away. Gulielmus de Podio Laurentii, cap 8, in "Recueil des Historiens des Gaules et de la France," vol. xix. p. 200 ; and Vaissette " Hist. Gen. de Languedoc, " vol. iii. p. 147. Binius, in a note in Labbe's Cone. Gen. torn. x. col. ISS.'?, seems to refer to this sect. " Waldensis' sect," therefore, means " Durand's fraternity of Poor Catholics," a monastic body quite distinct from the Waldenses, though founded by a Waldensian. — This is not the only sect in this list which needs such an explanation. The " Injesuati" or " Jesuati," mentioned p. 352, are not to be confounded with the followers of Ignatius Loyola : see infra, p. 775, note (1). — Ed.
(2) This version of Hildegard's Prophecy has been collated with that in the Edition of 1503, p. 72 ; and some words introduced from thence. — Ed.
VOL. II. A A
354 TlIK I'HOl'HKCY AGAINST THE IlLIN ()!• ROME
n,„nj ecclesiastical order clid, every day, become worse and worse, and that '''' priests did not teach, but destroy the law of God ; and for these
A.D. horrible crimes and impieties, she thrcateneth and prophesietli unto ^^^^- them God's most heavy w^rath and displeasure, and doleful punish- ments.''' There is no cause why the spiritual papists should flatter themselves upon this, that she promised again to the ministers of the church those good things to follow, like as Johannes de Rupe scissa doth, and other such like prophets \ for they say, it will come to pass, that they must repent before the times be amended. By which thine;-, undoubtedly, they mean the godly ministers in the reformed churclies, who, for the most part, were of the spiritual number, and vet did forsake the dishonest life and those wicked idolatries. Now, whereas the priests and monks, that is, the whole rabble and spi- ritualty, do account Hildcgard for a true prophetess, they ought to consider that by her they are more severely accused, not as by a woman, but as by God himself. And I pray you, what abomination, impiety, and idolatry have not been committed, since that time, by the spiritualty ? I will note here a certain prophecy of hers, taken out of the " Common Places" of Henry Token, because we see it manifestly fulfilled in our time. She prophesieth of the reformation of religion, and saitli that it shall be most godly. A pro- " Then shall the crown of apostolical honour be divided, because
thedecay there shall be found no religion among the apostolical order, and ifora?sh ^^^ ^^^^^ cause shall they despise the dignity of that name, and shall set churcii. over them other men and other archbishops ; insomuch, that the apo- stolic see of that time (by the diminution of his honour) shall scarce have Rome, and a few other countries thereabout, under his crown. And these things shall partly come to pass by incursion of wars, and. partly, also, by a common council and consent of the spiritual and secular persons. Then shall justice flourish, so that, in those days, men shall honestly apply themselves to the ancient customs and dis- cipline of ancient men, and shall observe them as the ancient men did." The gloss agreeth therewith.
These things thus premised, now will we come to the prophecy of the aforesaid Hildegard, concerning the begging friars above men- tioned, reciting her words, not only as they are in a book printed lately in Germany, but also, as myself have seen and read, and still have the same to show written in old parchment leaves, agreeing to the same book word for word, in such sort, as the thing itself most evidently deelareth a great iniquity of time. The words of her prophecy be these : —
liilde- In those days shall arise a senseless people, proud, greedy, without faith, and
phesyin"g subtle, that shall eat the sins of the people; holding a certain order of foolish of friars devotion under the dissimulated cloak of beggary, preferring themselves above nioiiks ^^^ others by their feigned devotion ; arrogant in imdcrstanding, and pretending lioliness, walking without blushing or the fear of (Jod, in inventing many new mischiefs strong and sturdy. But tliis order shall be accursed of all wise men, and Christ's faithful. They shall cease from all labour, and give themselves over unto idleness, choosing rather to live through flattery and begging. More- over they shall altogether study how they may perversely resist the teachers of the truth, and, with the mighty, kill them ; how to seduce and deceive
AND THE BEGGING FRIARS. 355
tlie nobility, for the necessity of their living, and pleasures of this world: Jienry for the devil will graft in them four principal vices ; that is to say, flattery ^^^- envy, hypocrisy, and backbiting. Flattery, that they may have large gifts ^ |j given them. Envy, when they see gifts given to others, and not to them, j 99Q' Hypocrisy, that by ftilse dissinudation they may please men. Backbiting, that — "" they may extol and commend themselves, and dispraise others, for the praise of men, and seducing of the simple. Also they shall instantly preach, but without devotion or example of the martyrs; and shall report evil of secular princes, taking away the sacraments of the churcli from the true pastors, receiving alms of the poor, diseased, and miserable ; and also associating themselves with the common people, having familiarity with women, instruct- ing them how they may deceive their husbands and friends by their flattery and deceitful words, and rob their husbands to give it unto them, for they will take all these stolen and evil-gotten goods, and say, " Give it unto us, and we will pray for you;" so that they, being curious to hide other men's faults, do utterly forget their own. And alas, they will receive all things of rovers, pickers, spoilers, thieves, and robbers ; sacrilegious persons, usurers, and adulterers ; heretics, schismatics, apostates,' noblemen, perjurers, merchants, false judges, soldiers, tjTants, princes living contrary to the law, and of many perverse and wicked men, following the persuasion of the devil, the sweetness of sin, a delicate and transitory life, and satiety even unto eternal damnation.
All these things shall manifestly appear in them unto aU people, and they, day by day, shall wax more wicked and hard-hearted : and when their wicked- ness and deceits shall be found out, then shall their gifts cease, and they shall go about their houses hungry, and as mad dogs looking down upon the earth, and drawing in their necks as doves,^ that they might be satisfied with bread. Then shall the people cry out upon them : " Woe be unto you, ye miserable children of sorrow ! the world hath seduced you, and the devil hath snaffled yom- mouths ; your flesh is frail, and your hearts without savoiu-; your minds have been unstedfast, and your eyes delighted in much vanity and folly ; your dainty bellies desire delicate meats ; your feet are swift to run unto mischief. Remember when you were apparently blessed, yet envious ; poor in sight, but rich; simple to see to, but mighty flatterers, unfaithful betrayers, perverse detractors, holy hypocrites, subverters of the tiiith, overmuch upright, proud, shameless, unstedfast teachers, deUcate martyrs, confessors for gain ; meek, but slanderers ; religious, but covetous ; humble, but proud ; pitifid, but hard- hearted liars; pleasant flatterers, peacemakers, persecutors, oppressors of the poor, bringing in new sects newly invented of yourselves ; merciful thought, but found wicked ; lovers of the world, sellers of pardons, spoilers of benefices, improfitable orators,^ seditious conspirators, drunkards, desirers of honours, maintainers of mischief,* robbers of the world, unsatiable preachers, men- pleascrs, seducers of women, and sowers of discord; of whom Moses, the glorious propliet, spake very well in his song, " A people without counsel or understanding : would to God they did know and understand, and foresee the latter end to come." You have biulded up on high; and when you could ascend no higlier, then did you fall, even as Simon Magus, whom God over- threw, and did strike with a cruel plague ; so you, likewise, through your false doctrine, naughtiness, lies, detractions and wickedness, are come to rain. And the people shall say unto them, " Go, ye teachers of wickedness, subverters of the tmth, brethren of the Shunamite, fathers of heretical pravity,^ false apostles, which have feigned yourselves to follow the life of the apostles, and yet ye have not followed their steps, not in the least : ye sons of iniqmty, we will not follow the knowledge of your ways ; for pride and presumption hath deceived you, and insatiable concupiscence hath subverted your erroneous hearts." And when you would ascend higher than was meet or comely for you, by the just judg- ment of God, you are fallen back into perpetual opprobrium and shame
This Hildegard, whose prophecy we have mentioned, lived about A.D. 1146, as we read in Chronico Martini.
\\) A cuarse epithet is here omitted; in Latin, " scnrta et lenae." — Ed.
(2) '-Doves"— "Turtles," Edition 1563.— Ed. ^ (3) " Orators," "makers of prayer," Ident.
(4) " Maintainers," &c. " curious in men's faults," Idem,
(j) " Heretical pravity," " Heresies," Idem.
A A 'I
S66 ERRONEOUS OPINIONS UKSI'ECTING THE ALBIGENSEi,,
Henry About tlic time that these Franciscans and Dominic Friars, above mentioned, began, sprang up also the Cross-bearers,' or Crutched
A.D. Friars, taking their original and occasion from Innocent III.; which ^-^^- Innocent raisctl up an army (signed with a cross on their breast) ^"s?- to tight against the Albigenses, whom the pope and his sect ttil^^ accounted fur heretics, about the parts of Toulouse. What these Albigenses were, it cannot be well gathered by the old popish his- tories : for if there were any who did hold, teach, or maintain against the pope, or his papal pride, or withstand and gainsay his beggarly traditions, rites, and religions, &c. the historians of that time, in writing of them, do, for the most part, so deprave and misreport them (suppressing the truth of their articles), that they make them and paint them forth to be worse than Turks and infidels. This, as 1 suppose, caused Matthew Paris, and others of that sort, to write so of them as they did : otherwise it is to be thought (and so I find in some records) that the opinions of the said Albigenses were sound I'nough, holding and professing nothing else, but against the wanton wealth, pride, and tyranny of the prelates, denying the pope's autho- rity to have ground of the Scriptures : neither could they awav with their ceremonies and traditions, as images, pardons, purgatory of the Romish church, calling them, as some say, blasphemous occupvings, &c. Of these Albigenses were slain, at times, and burned a great multitude, by the means of the pope and Simon Ecclesiasticus with others more. It seemcth that these Albigenses were chiefly abhorred of the pope, because they set up a contrary pope against him about the coasts of Bulgaria : for tlic which cause Conrad, bishop of Porto, being the pope's legate in those quarters, writeth to the archbishop of Rouen and other bishops, as hereunder written.^
(1) The Albigenses have been represented by some authors under the most revolting colours, and have been accused of every crime against religion, morality, and social order. But It is a singular testimony in their favour, that after the people, desifrnated by this name, had continued to attract public notice by their opposition to the church of Home, for many years, and when Pope Innocent 111. first resolved to put them down by fire and sword, by stirring up a crusade against them, he denounced them as enemies to the orthodox faith, and inveterate heretics, but made no allusion whatever to their moral turpitude ; on the contrary, he spoke of their professed rectitude and virtue. Innocent was elected pope in the beginning of the year 1198. In the April of that year he addressed a letter to the archbishop of Auch, inviting him to pursue the heretics of Gas- cony and the neighbouring regions with the temporal sword — " et etiam si necesse fuerit per principes et populum eosdem facias virtute materialis gladii coerceri," — but not a word against their moral conduct. In the same month and year Innocent sent another letter to the archbishop of Aix, and letters also to all the bishops and archbishops of the south of France, to awaken their zeal against the innumerable adversaries of the Romish church ("innumeros populos") who peopled their dioceses. In these we have the following description of the objects of his displeasure : " Qui, iniquitatem suam justitiae specie palliantes, ut salutentur in foro, et vocentur ab hominibu.s Rabbi, et soli recta sapere ac just6 vivere videantur, magisterium ecclesiae Roioanae refugiunt," &c. See Kecueil des Hist, des Gaules, vol. xix. p. 330; and Epist. Inaocentii. III. lib. i. £p. 81, 94.— Ed.
(2) A Leller of the Bishop of Porto concerning the Albigenses. — " Venerabilibus patribus, Dei (^atia Rothomagensi archiepiscopo et ejus suffraganeisepiscopis, salutem in Domino Jesu Christo. Dum pro sponsa veri Crucitixi vestrum cogimur auxilium implorare, potius compdlimur lacerari singultibus et plorare. Ecce quod vidimus loquimur, et quod scimus testilicamur. I He homo perditus, qui extollitur super orane quod colitur, aut dicitur Ueus, jam habet perlidii sU£e praeam- bulum haircsiarcham, quem heeretici Albigenses papam suum nominant, habiiantem in finibus Bulgarorum et Croatis et Dalmatiae, juxta Hungarorum nationem. Ad eum confluunt haeretici Albigenses, ut ad eorum consulta respondeat. Etenim de Carcasona oriundus vices illius anti- papae gerens Bartholoma;us, ha;reticorum cpiscopus, funestam ei exhibendo reverentiam sedem et locum concessit in villa qua; Porlos appellatur, et seipsum transtulit in partes Tholosanas. Iste Bartholoma»u8, in literarum suarum undique discurrentium tenore, se in primo salutationis alloquio intitulat in hunc modura: Uartholomajus, servus servorum sanctae iidei, M. salutem. Ipse etiam inter alias enormitates creat episcopos, et ecclesias perfide ordinare contendit. Roga- mui igitur altentius et per aspersionem sanguinis Jesu Christi, et propensius obsecramur, authori- tate domini papa; qu.i fungimur in hac parte districte pra;cipientes, quateiius veniatis Senonas in octavis apostolorum Petri et Pauli proxime futuris, ubi et alii praelati Francia favente Domino congregabuntur, parati consilium dare in negotio praedicto, et cum aliis qui ibidem aderunt provi- dere super negotio Albigensi. Alloqui inobedieiitiam vestram domino pap£ cuiabimus sigui&cari. Datum ipud Plauvium, G nonas Julii."
A TKKATI&K OF GEOFFEKY CHAUCER. 357
Forasmuch as mention is here made of these superstitious sects of Henry friars, and such other beggarly religions, it might seem not alto- "^'
gether impertinent, being moved by the occasion hereof, as I have A.D. done in Hildcgard before, so now to annex also to the same, a certain ^^^^- other ancient treatise compiled by GeofFcry Chaucer, by the way of a dialogue or questions, moved in the person of a certain uplandish and simple ploughman of the country. That treatise, for the same, the author entitled Jack Upland, wherein is to be seen and noted, to all the world, the blind ignorance and variable discord of these irreligious The blind religions, how rude and unskilful they are in matters and principles of ^oi'ui^T our christian institution, as by the contents of this present dialogue appeareth; the words whereof in the same old English wherein first it Avas set forth, in this wise do proceed. Wherein also thou mayest see, that it is no new thing, that their blasphemous doings have by divers good men, in old time been detected, as there are many and divers other old books to show.
A Treatise of GeofFcry Chawccr, intituled, Jacke Upland.
I, Jacke Upland, make my mone to very God and to all tiiie in Christ, that The fruits antichrist and his disciples (by colour of holines) walking and deceauing Christes °'' ^."''- church by many false figures, were through (by antechrist and hys) many ver- tues bene transposed to vices.
But the fellest folke that euer antechrist found, bene last brought into the Anti- chiu-ch and in a wonder wise, for they bene of diuers sectes of antechrist, sowne v'^"^i * of diuers countreys and kindreds. And all men knowne well, that they be not obedient to byshops, ne Uege men to kinges : neyther they tyllen, ne sowne, weden, ne repen, woode, corne, ne grasse, neither nothing that man should helpe : but onely themselues their lyues to sustayne. And these men han all maner power of God as they seyn in heuyn and in yerth, to sell heuyn and hell to whom that them liketh, and these wretches wete neuer where to bene themselfes.
And therefore (frere) if thine oi-der and rules bene grounded on Goddys law, Patience tell thou me, Jacke Upland, that I aske of thee, and if thou be, or thinkest to proveth be, on Christes side, keepe thy paciens. trkr"^"^
Saint Paule teacheth, that all our deedes should be do in charite, and els it is The friar nought worth, but displeasing to God and harme to oiu- owne soules. And for ™"^' that freres challenge to be greatest clerkes of the churche, and next followingaccordi'iig Christ in lining : men should for charite axe them some questions, and praye them '" ^iod's to grounde theyr aunsweres in reason and in holy write, for els their aunswere " "'^'^' woulde nought bee worth, be it florished neuer so fayre : and as methinke men might skilfully axe thus of a frere : —
1. Frere, how many orders be in erth, and which is the perfitest order? Of Friars what order art thou ? who made thyne order? What is thy nde ? Is there any "^>' '^'^'" perfecter nde then Christ himselfe made ? If Christes rule be most perfite, why cod'^s Uw rulest thou thee not therafter ? Without more why, shall a frere be more than punished if he breke the n that God hymselfe made ?
2. Approueth Christ any more religions then one, that S. James speaketh There is of? If he approueth no more, why hast thou left his rule and takest an other? reiig'ion Why is a frere apostata that leuytli his order and taketh an other sect, sitli there
is but one religion of Christ ?
3. Wliy be ye wedded faster to yoiu: habites then a man is to hys wife ? ^ore^'^'^ For a man may leaue his wife for a yeare or two as many men done : and if bound to youleue your abite a quarter of a yeare, ye should beholden apostatase. his habit
4. Makith your habite you men of religion or no ? If it do, then euer as it man to wereth, your religion wereth, and after that yoiu: habite is better, your religion his wife. is better, and when ye haue liggin it beside, then lig ye your religion beside bu'make
358
JACKE UPLANDS I'lTlIY DEMANDS, AND
Hrvry III.
A.I). 1220.
the friar reliirious, as his •i.iliit woareth, so iloth his reli- gion. Holiness of all hy- pocrites consist- eth in clothinp, and out- warit ap- jinarance. All friars t'lund liars. Friirs be dead men and quick Ijeggars.
Graves heconie di-ad men, and not courtly houses.
Friars not the king's liefjcmcn. Friars need on men's jjrayers. Friars great er and better than God. O unclia- ritabie friars !
Friars steal men's children.
Shrift and burials ■were more painful than the minister- in); of the kacra- mcnts.
you, and b}!! ye aj)osUitase : wliy bye ye you so precious clotbcs ? sith no man seekilli such but for vayne glory, as S. Gregory saytli.
\Vhat bi'tokoiietli your great hoo;l, your scaplery, your knotted girdle, and your wide cope?
5. Wliy use yc all one colour, more then other christen men do ? "What betokenet'li that ye bene clothed all in one maner of clothing ?
If ye say, it betokeiiith louc and charitc, certes then ye be oft hipocrites, when' any of you hatetli other, and in that ye woole be sayd holy by your clothing.
Why may not a frere weare doathing of an other sect offreres, sith holiness stondeth not in the clothes ?
G. Why hold ye .silence in one house more then an other, sith men ought oner all to speke the good and leaue the euil ?
Why eate you flesh in one house more then in an other? if your rule and your order be perflte, and the patron that made it ?
7. Why gcte ye your dispensations to haue it more esy ? Certes, other it seemeth that ye be unperhte, or he that made it so hard, that ye may not hold it; And seker, if ye holde not the rule of your patrons, ye be not then her freres, and so ye lye upon your seines.
8. Why make ye you as dede men when ye be professed, and yet ye be not dede, but more quicke beggers then ye were before ? And it seemeth euil a dede man to goe about and begge.
9. Why will ye not suffer your no\iiccs heare your coimcels in your chapter house ere that they haue bene professed, if your counsels bjTi true and after Gods law ?
10. Why make ye you "so costly houses to dwell in? sith Christ did not so, and dede men shoidd haue but graues, as falleth it to dead men, and yet ye haue more coiu'tcs then many lordes of England : for ye mowe wenden through the realme, and each night well nigh lyg in your owne courts, and so mow but right few lordes do.
1 1 . Why byre ye to ferme your limitors, geuing therefore cch yeare a cer- tayne rent, and will not suffer one in an others limitation, right as ye were your selfes lordes of coimtrcys ?
Why be ye not under your bishops visitations, and liege men to our king ?
Why axe ye no letters of brether beds of other mens prayers, as ye desire that other men shoidde aske letters of you ?
If your letters be good, why graunt ye them not generally to all maner of men for the more charitie ?
12. Mow ye make any man more perfite brother for your prayers then God hath by our beleeue ? By our baptisme and his own graunt ? If \q mow, certes then ye be aboue God.
Why make ye men beleue that 3'our golden trentall song of you, to take therefore ten shillings, or at the least five shillings, wole bring soules out of hel, or out of purgatory ? If this be soth, certes ye might bring al soules out of payne, and that \\adl ye nought, and then ye be out of charitie.
13. W'hy make ye men beleue that he that is buiyed in your habite shall neuer come in hell, and ye wyte not of your selfe whether ye shall to hell or no ? and if this were sothe, ye shuld sell your hye houses to make many habites for to saue many mens soules.
11. Why steale ye mens children for to make hem of your sect, sith that theft is against Gods hestes, and sith your sect is not perfite ? yc know not whether the rule that ye bynde hym to, be best for him or worst.
1.5. Why miderneme ye not your brethren for their trespas after the law of the gospell, sith that underneming is the best that may be ? But ye put them in prison oft when they do after God's law, and by Saint Augustines rule, if anye did amisse and would not amend him, ye shoiild put hym from you.
IG. Why couete ye shrifte and burjang of other mens parishens, and none other sacrament that falleth to christen folke ?
Why bussy yee not to here to shrift of pore folk as wel as of rich lords and ladyes ? sith they mowe haue more plenty of shrift fathers then poore folke mow.
Why say ye not the gospell in bowses of bcdedred men, as ye do in riche mens that mow go to churche and heare the gospell ?
A.U. 1220.
UUESTIOXS, ADDRESSED TO THE EUIARS. Hioii
Why coucte you not to bury poore folke among you? sitli that they bene Ifevnj most lioly (as ye f'ayne tliat yec beene for your pouerty.) ^H-
17. Why will ye not be at her diriges as ye have bene at ricli mens? sithe God prayseth him nujre tlien he dotli other men.
What is thy prayer wortli ? sithe thou wilt take therefore, for of all chapmen ye nede to be most wise for dread of simonie. Poor men
What cause hast thou that thou wilt not preach the gospell, as God sayth soJis"" that thou shouldst? sith it is the best lore and also our beleue. saith my
Why be ye evil apayd that secidar ])riests shuld preach the gospell? sith f^H^"'" God himselfe hath hodden hem. Th'/se be
18. Why hate ye the gosj)eIl to be preached, sithe ye be so much hold they that therto? For ye wjn more by yere with ' In Principio,' then with all the niles ente""' that euer your patrons made, and in this minstrels bene better then ye, for they them- contrarien not to the mirthis that they maken, but ye contrarien the gospell ^'^^"^^ both in word and deede. ^ ^ Z:^^ln
19. Frere, when thou receuest a pcny for to say a Masse, whether sellest thou tl'^t Gods body for that j)eny, or thy prayer, or else thy trauell ? If thou sayest xhe'triar thou wolt not trauell for to say the mass, but for the peny, that ccrtes if this be getteth soth, then thou louest to little mede for tliy soule, and if thou sellest Gods ^^/j^? body, other thy prayer, then it is very simonie, and art become a chapman pio,' and worse then Judas that solde it for thirty pence. yethateth
20. Why writest thou her names in thy tables that yeueth the mony ? sith 'o®, God knoweth all thing : for it seemeth by thy writing, that God would not Judas,' reward him, but thou write in thy tables ; God wold els forgetten it. *'""■ 'liirty
Why bearist thou God in honde and sclaundrest hym that he begged for hys the"^priest meet? sithe he was Lorde ouer all, for then had he bene unwyse to haue begged, and friar and haue no neede thereto ? ^°'' ^°'^'^'
Frere, after what law rulest thou thee ? Where findest thou in Gods law selleth that thou shouldest thus beg ? Christ.
21. What maner men needeth for to beg? wrile'^" For whom OAveth such men to beg? because Why beggest thou so for thy brethren ? ^eueth ' If thou sayest, for they haue neede, then thou doest it for the more perfec- tion, or els for the lest, or els for the meane. If it be the most perfection of all,
then should al thy brethren do so, and then no man needed to beg but for liim- selfe, for so should no man beg but him neded. And if it be the lest perfection, why louest thou then other men more then thy self? For so thou art not wel in charitie, sith thou shouldst seeke the more perfection after thy power, lining thy selfe most after God. And thus leaning that imperfection thou shouldest „ not so beg for them. And if it is a good meane thus to beg as thou doest, then labour should no man do so, but they bene in this good meane, and yet suche a meane and give,
graunted to you may neuer be grounded on Gods law ; for then both lerid and lo'^er and lewd that bene in meane degre of this world, shoulde goe about and beg as ye beg, Mas- do. And if all shoulde doe so, certes well nigh all the world should goe about ^'^'^ Friar, and beg as ye done, and so should there be ten beggers against one yeuer.
Why procurest thou men to yeue thee their almes, and sayest it is so neede- full, and thou wilt not thyselfe wynne thee that mede ?
22. Why wilt not thou beg for poore bedred men that bene poorer then any of youe sect ? That liggen and mow not goe about to helpe himselfes, sith we be all brethren in God, and that brethei'hed passeth any other that ye or any man coulde make, and where most neede were, there were most perfection, either els ye hold them not your pure brethren, but worse, but then j'e be unperfit in your begging.
Why make ye so many maysters among you ? sithe it is agaynst tlie teaching of Christ and his apostle ?
23. Whose bene all your rich courtcs that ye han, and all your rich juells ? sithe ye seyne that ye han nought ne in proper ne in common. If ye sayne tliey bene the popes ? why gethcr ye then of poore men and lords so much out
of the kinges hand to make your pope riche? x\nd sithe ye sayne that it is Friars great perfection to have nougl-.t in proper ne in commen ? why be ye so fast a};*',,,', „ about to make the pope that is your father rich, and put on him imperfection ? to nK>ke sitlien ye sayne that your goodes bene all hys, and he should by reason be the ".'M'»i'>^ most pcrlite man, it seemeth ojierdich that ye ben cursed cliildren so to
360 PITHY DKMANli.N AXD QIKSTIONS
Henry sclaundcr your father and make liym imperfect. And if ye sayne that the
^^^- goodes be yours, then do vc ayenst your rule, and if it be not ayenst your nile,
. p. then might ye hauc both plough and cart, and labour as other good men done,
\oo(\ ""'^ ""^ *" ^° ^^'P ^y losengery, and idle as ye done. If ye say that it is more
!_■_ perfection to beg, tlicn to trauell or to worch with your hand, why ])reach yc
If it be not ojjcnly and teach all men to doc so? sitlie it is the best and most perfite
t!on*to*be ^'*'-' ^° '''^' ^^^h"^' °' ''^^'''' joules, as ye make children to beg that might haue
rich, why bene riche heyres.
do the Why make ye not your festes to poore men and yeueth hem yeftes, as ye
sireW'* done to the rich? sith poore men ban more nede then the rich.
make the \\\\a.i betokcueth that ye go tweyne and tweyne together? If ye be out of
feX?'*'''^ charitie, ye accord not in soule.
Why beg ye and take salaries thereto more then other priestes? sith he that most taketh, most charge hath. If Fran- 24. Why hold ye not S. Frauncis rule and his testament ? sith Frauncis sayth, cis' onlcr (j^^^ Q^^ shewed him this lining and this rule : and certes if it were (lods will, trar>- to ^''"^ pope might not fordoe it ; or els Frauncis was a Iyer that sayd on this wise. Christ's And but this testament that he made accorde with Gods will, or else erred he *"'"" is a Iyer tliat were out of charitie : and as the law saith, he is cursed that then is lefteth the rightfuU last will of a dead man. And this testament is the last will
Francis ^f Fraunces that is a dead man ; it seemeth therefore that all his freres bene accursed. ,
cursed.
He that 25. Why will you not touch no coyned mony with the crosse, ne with the
is more lyings hed, as ye done other juels both of gold and siluer? Certes if ye despise
hand than the crosse or the kinges hed, then ye be worthy to be despised of God and the
in heart, king ; and sith ye will receiue mony in your harts, and not with your handes,
to clnf ^* seemeth that ye holde more holines in your hands then in your hartes, aiul
then be false to God. A subject 2G. Why haue ye exempt you from our kinges lawes and visiting of our to exempt ^,yg]jyp3 j^jQj-e t]jg,^ other cnristen men that liuen in this realm, if ye be not from the gil^y of traitory to our realme, or trespassers to our byshops ? But ye will haue laws of the kinges lawes for the trespasse do to you, and ye wyll haue power of other smelletli^ byshops more then other priestes, and also haue leaue to prison your brethren, oftrea- as lordcs in your courtes, more then other folkes han, that bene the kinges son. liege men.
Friars are 27. A\'hy shall some sect of yom* freres pay eche a yeare a certayne to her to'be'' generall prouinciall or minister, or els to her souereignes ? but if he steale a thieves, certayne number of children (as some men sayne) and certes if this be sothe,
then ye be constreined upon a certayne payne to do theft agaynst Gods
commandment, " Non furtum facies." Works of 28. Why be ye so hai'dy to graunt by letters of fratemitie to men and women, superero- ^j^-jt they shall haue part and merite of all your good dedes, and ye witten
neucr whether God be apayd with your dedes because of your sinne? Also ye
witten neuer whether that man or woman be in state to be saued or damned,
then shall he haue no merite in hcuyn for hys owne dedes ne for none other God is the mans. And all were it so, that he should haue part of yoiu" good dedes: yet meelf and shuld he haue no more then God woulde gene Inm after that he were worthy, reward, and SO mich shall ech man haue of Gods ycft without your limitation. But if fh'^f""' y^ ^^''^^ s^y ^'^^t ye bene Gods fellowes, and that he may not doe without your
assent, then be ye blasphemers to God. Friars 29. What betokeneth that ye haue ordeyned, that when such one as ye haue
pr8y"but "^^de your brother or sister, and hath a letter of your scale, that letter mought lor tiiem be brought in your holy chapter and there be rad, or els ye will not praye for that be of him. And but ye willen praye especially for all other that were not made your ternlty"!* brethren or sistren, then were ye not in right charitie, for that ought to be
com.mcn, and namely in ghostly thinges.
30. P'rere, what charitie is this, to ouercharge the people by mighty begging under color of preaching or praying, or masses singing ? sith holy write biddeth not thus, but euen the contrary : for all such ghostly dedes shuld be done freely, as God yeueth them freely ?
31. Frerc, what charitie is this to beguile children or they commen to discre- tion, ajul bynde hym to yom- orders that byn not grounded in Gods law against her frendcs will ? sithen by this folly bene many apostataes, both in wil and dcde.
ADDRESSED TO THE FRIARS. 361
and many bene apostataes in her will during al her lyfe, that would gladly be iiennj discharged if they wist how, and so many bene apostataes that shoulden in other ^^^- states haue byn true men. ^ j^
32. Frere, what charitie is this, to make so many freres m euery country to j 220'
the charge of the people, sith persons and vicares alone, ye secular priests "^—i-
alone, ye monks and chanons alone, with bishops aboue them, were inough to Friars do the church to doe priestes office. And to adde moe then inough is a foule "p^^^J^^tg^ error, and great charge to the people, and this openly agaynst Gods will that TlR-num- ordayned all thingcs to be done in weight, number, and measiu'e. And Christ jper of himselfe was apayd with twelve apostles and a few disciples, to preach and to peiHuous, doe priestes office to all the whole worlde, then was it better do then is now and as at tills tyme by a thousand dele. And right so as foure fingers with a thumbe g^'je^f^'^'' in a mans hand helpeth a man to worch, and double number of fingers in one lingers on hand should let hym more, and so the more number that there were passing the ""e ''and. measure of Gods ordinaunce, the more were a man letted toworke : Right so (as
it seemeth) it is of these new orders that ben added to the church without grouiade of holy write and Gods ordinaunce.
33. Frere, what charitie is this to the people, to lye and say that ye follow Sec how Christ in pouerty more then other men done, and yet in curious and costly f^j^j f„i. bowsing, and fine and precious clothing, and delicious and liking feeding, and lowetli in treasure and iewels, and rich ornamentes, freres passen lordes and other rich ijl^'^'J'o.*" worldly men, and soonest they should hryng her cause about (be it neuer so vtrty. costly) though Gods la w be put abacke.
34. Frere, what charitie is this, to gather up the books of holy write, and Friars are put hem in treasory, and so emprison them from secular priestes and curates, ^^^^5 of and by this cautel let hem to preach the gospell freely to the people without jireaching worldly mede, and also to defame good priestes of heresie, and lyen on hem t^egos- openly for to let hem to shew Gods law by the holy gospell to the christen people ?
35. Frere, what charitie is thys, to fayne so much holines in your bodely What ho- clothing (that ye clepe your habite) that many blynd fooles desiren to die therein |'"ess is more than in another : and also that a frere, that leuith his habite late founden coat.
of men, maj' not be assoyled till he take it agayne, but is apostata as ye seyn, and cursed of God and man both : The frere beleueth truth, and patience, chastitie, meeknes and sobriety, yet for the more part of his life he may soone be assoyled of his prior, and if he bring home to his house mich goad by the yeare (be it neuer so falsly begged and pilled of the poore and nedy people in countries about) he shal be hold a noble frere. O Lord whether this be charitie ?
36. Frere, what charitie is this, to prease upon a riclie man, and to entice him to ^^Tiy be buryed among you from hys parish church, and to such riche men geue letters n^'ucU^" of fraternitie confinned by your generale scale, and thereby to beare him in hand desire to that he shall haue part of all your masses, mattens, preachinges, fastinges, havericii wakinges, and all other good dedes done by your brethren of your order (both buried whiles he liueth, and after that he is dead) and yet ye wytten neuer whether in tlieir your dedes be acceptable to God, ne whether that man that hath that letter be '''''"'^^• able by good lining to receiue any parte of your deedes, and yet a poore man (that
ye wyte well or supposen in certaine to haue no good of) ye ne geuen to such letters, though he be a better man to God than such a rich man : neuerthelesse, Friars' this poore man doth not retche thereof. For as men supposen suche letters and 3fy*f^{5„ many other that freres behotten to men, be full false deceites of fryers, out of deceits." all reason, and Gods law and christen mens fayth.
37. Frere, what charitie is this, to be confessours of lordes and ladies, and to Friars de- other mighty men, and not amend hem in her lining, but rather as it seemeth, f''^';"'^'^ to be the bolder to pill her poore tenauntes, and to hue in lechery, and there to jadjes' dwell in your office of confessour for wynning of worldly goodes, and to be confes- holde great by colour of suchc ghostly offices ; this seemith rather pride of freres, ^°^^' than charitie of God.
38. Frere, what charity is this to sayne, that who so liueth after your order, liueth most perfitely, and next followeth the state of apostles in pouertic and penaunce, and yet the wisest and greatest clerkes of you wend or sed, or ^^^^ y^^^_ procure to the court of Rome to be made cardinals or bishops of the popes risces say chaplaines, and to be assoyled of the vowe of pouertic and obedience to your ^"|j ^""^ ministers, in the which (as ye sayne) standeth most perfection and merites of another.
362
JAIKE Ul'LANDS tOMl'LAINT AGAINST
Henry III.
A.D. 1220,
Which is the best order of iriars ?
Friars ne- ver aRree one with another.
The friar thinkcth his rule jierfecter than Christ's, because heleaveth the one and fol- Inweth the other.
Dilemma.
Friars would sit in heaven, above the cpoatles.
your orders, and thus yc farcn as I'hariseis that sayen one and do an other to the contrarj'.
Wliy name ye more the patronc of your order in yotu- Confiteor when ye bejjinne masse, then other sayntcs, apostles, or martyrs, tliat holy churche hold more fjlorious then hem, and clepc hem your patrons and your auowries.
Frcrc, whether was S. Frauncis in making of hys rule that hec set thine order in, a foolc and a Iyer, or else wyse and true? If ye sayne that he was not a foole, hut wise ; ne a Iyer but true : why shewe ye contrary b\' your doyng ? whan by your suggestion to the pope ye sayde that your rule that Fraunces made was so harde that ye might not Hue to hold it without declaration and dispensation of the pope. And so, by your deede ne lete your patrone a foole that made a rule so harde that no man may well kcepe, and eke your dede proueth him a Iyer, where he saith in his rule, That he tooke and learned it of the Holy Ghost. For how might ye for shame pray the pope undoe that the Holy Crhost bit, as when ye prayed him to dispense with the hardnes of your order ?
Frere, whiche of the foure orders of freres is best to a man that knoweth not which is the best, but would fayne enter into the best, and none other ? If thou sayst that thine is the best, then sayst thou that none of the other is as good as thine ; and in this ech frere in the three other orders wolle say that thou lyest, for in the selfe maner eche other freere wolle say that hys order is best. And thus to eche of the four orders bene the other three contrarj' in this poynt : in the which if anje sayth sooth, that is one alone, for there may but one be the best of foure. So followeth it that if each of these orders aunswered to this question as thou doest, three were false, and but one tnie, and yet no man should wyte who that were. And thus it seemeth, that the most part of freeres byn or tihould be lyers in this poynt, and they should aunswere thereto. If you say that an other order of the freres is better tlian thine, or as good ; why tooke ye nat rather therto as to the better, when thou miglitst haue chose at the beginning. And eke whj- shouldest thou be an apostata to leaue thine order and take thee to that is better, and so why goest thou not from thine order into that?
Frere, is there any perficter rule of religion than Christ Gods sonne gaue m liis gospell to his brethren ? Or then that religion that Sainct James in his epistle maketh mention of? If you say yes, then puttest thou on Christ (that is the wisdome of God, the Father) unkunning, impower, or euil will : for than he could not make his rule so good as an other did his. And so he had unkun- ning, that he might not so make his rule so good as an other man might, and so were he uinnighty, and not God, as he would not make his rule so perfite as an other did his, and so he had bene euil willed, namely to himsclfe.
For if he might, and could, and would, haue made a rule perfite without default, and did not, he was not Gods Sonne Almighty. For if any other nile be perfiter then Christes, then must Christes rule lack of that perfection by as much as the other weren more perfiter, and so were default, and Christ had fayled in making of his rule : but to put any default or failing in God is blas- phemie. If thou say thatChrists rule, and that religion of that S. James maketli mention of, is the perfitest ; why boldest thou not thilke rule without more. And why clepest thou the rather of S. Francis or S. Dominickes rule or religion or order, then of Christes rule or Christes order ?
Frere, canst thou any default assigne in Christs rule of the gospell (with the which he taught al men sekerly to be saued) if they kept it to her ending ? If thou say it was to hard, then sayest thou Christ lyed; for he sayd of his rule: " My yoke is soft, and my burthen light." If thou say Christes rule was to light, that may be assigned for no default, for the better it may be kept. If thou sayest that there is no default in Christes rule of the gospell, sith Christ himselfe saith it is light and easy: what neede was it to patrons of freres to adde more thereto ? and so to make an hardar religion to saue fryers, then was the religion of Clu-istes apostles and his disciples helden and were saued by. But if they wolden tliat her freres saten aboue the apostles in heauen for the harder religion that the kcpen here, so wold they sitten in heauen aboue Christ him- selfe, for they mo and straight observaunces, then so should they bee better then Girist himsclfe with mischaunce.
Go now forth and frayne your clerkes, and ground ye you m {}od's law, and
THE FKIAIIS. THE COVETOUSNESS OF THE 1'01'E. 363
gyf Jack an aunswere, and when ye han assoilcd me that I haue sayd sadly iiennj in truth, I shall soile thee of thine orders, and sane thee to heauen. •^^^•
If freres kun not or mow not excuse hem of these questions asked of hem, it . y. seemeth that they be horrible gilty against God, and her euen chrisen. For yioc)
which giltes and defaidtes it were worthy that the order that they call theyr ^
order were fordone. And it is wonder that men sustayne hem or suffer hem lyue in such maner. For holy writ biddeth, that "Thou doe well to the meke, and geue not to the wicked, but forbed to giue hem bread, least they be made thereby mightier through you."
After these digressions, now to return to the course of our story again. As this King Henry succeeded King John, his father, so after Innocent, the pope, came Honorius III, a.d. 1216, then Gre- gory IX., A.D. 1227. And after Otho IV., the emperor (whom the otho, the pope had once set up, and after deprived again), succeeded Frederic g^mfan^