IX. The ninth and last conclusion of this matter is, that the bull of pope Ninth

Alexander IV. which condemneth the book of the masters of Paris,' impugneth t^?"*^'"- none of these conclusions premised. For the proof thereof he thus inferred :
1. That pope John XXIV., in his constitution beginning thus, " Quia Pope Ni- quorundam," affirmeth expressly, how pope Nicholas III. revoked and called j]^"'^^ back the said bull of pope Alexander IV., and all other writings of his, touch- vokefh ing all such articles, which in the same aforesaid constitution of this pope John the bull of be contained and declared. Wherein also is declared how strait the poverty of Aiexan- the friars ought to be, which they call wilfvd poverty. deriv.
2. Item, It is manifest and notorious to all men, how the said pope Nicholas III., in his declaration showeth how the friars ought both to labour with their hands, and how, moreover, the said friars ought not to preach within the diocese of any bishop, wheresoever they be resisted : which being so, the con- clusion appeareth that the bull of pope Alexander IV., as touching these articles, is void and of none effect. Besides these articles, there is nothing else in the said bull of Alexander, that I remember, which impugneth any of these conclusions premised.
" Many things more," said he, " I had besides these, both to object and to The end answer again to the same, and to confirm, more surely and firmly, these my an reasons and assertions premised. But I have already too much wearied your this ora- holiness, and your reverend lordships here present; wherefore I conclude, and t'o" of humbly and devoutly beseech you, according to my former petition premised ^™^,'s in the beginning of this matter, that you judge not after the outward face, but before the judge ye true judgment.^ pope-
NOTES TO BE OBSERVED IN THIS FORMER ORATION OF ARMACHANUS.
By this oration of Armaclianiis the learned prelate, thus made Notes to before pope Innocent and his cardinals, divers and sundry things served. there be, for the utility of the church, worthy to be observed. First, what troubles and vexations came to the church of Christ by these friars. Also what persecution followeth after, by means of them, against so many learned men and true servants of Christ. Further- more, what repugnance and contrariety there was among the popes, contra- and how they could not agree among themselves about the friars, amo^ng Fourthly, what pestiferous doctrine, subverting well nigh the testament t^e popes. of Jesus Christ. Fifthly, what decay of ministers in Christ's church, as appeareth. Sixthly, what robbing and circumventing of men"'s
(1) Touching this book of the masters of Paris condemned, look p. 753.
(2) Ex libro Armachani, cui titiUus, Defensorium Curatorum.
766
XOTES TO BE OBSERVED IX THE OUATIOX 01' AKMACIIANL'S.
Edward III.
A.D. 13G0.
AVhcthtT llie friars ninke up llie body of Anti- /hrist or
The
death of poaly Anna- chaniis.
Testimo- ny of a rardinal upon liim.
Friars ai^ainst the uni- versity of Oxford.
Enplish vriters afjainst the friars.
Friars that write .• B«inst Amia- rhanus.
cliildren, as appoaretl). Scvcntlily, what decay of universities, as appeareth hy Oxford (p. 760), Eijrlithly, that damage to learning, and lack of books to students, came by the.se iriars, as appeareth. Ninthly, to what pride, under colour of feigned humility, to what riches, under dissendjled poverty they grew, here i.s to be seen ; inso- much that at length, through their subtle and most dangerous hypo- crisy, they crept up to bo lords, archbishops, cardinals, and at last also chancellors of realms, vea and of most secret counsel with kings and queens, as appearetli.
All these things well considered, now remaineth in the church to be marked ; that forasmuch as these friars (with their new-found tes- tament of friar Francis), not being contented with the testament of God in his Son Christ, began to spring up at the same time when Satan was prophesied to be let loose by order of the Scripture ; whether, therefore, it is to be doubted that these friars make up the body of Antichrist, which is prophesied to come in the church, or not ; which is much less to be doubted, because whoso list to try shall find, that of all other enemies of Christ, of whom some be manifest, some be privy, all be together cniel, yet is there no such sort of enemies that more sleightily deceiveth the simple Christian, or more deeply dro^vneth him in damnation, than doth this doctrine of the friars.
But of this oration of Arniachanus enough. What success it had with the pope, by story it is not certain, but by his own, life declared, it appeareth that the Lord so wrought that his enemies did not triumph over him. Notwithstanding, this by story appeareth, that he was seven or eight years^ in banishment for the same matter, and there died in the same at Avignon, of whom, a certain cardinal hearing of his death, openly protested that the same day a mighty pillar of Christ's church was fallen.
After the death of Armachanus, the friars had contention likewise with the monks of Benedict's order^ about the same year (a.d. 1360), and so removed their cause, both against the monks, and against the university of Oxford, unto the court of Rome ; Avherein, saith tlic author, they lacked another Richard.^ By tliis that appeareth to be true, which is testified in the first volume of Waldenus, that lonsr debate continued between the friars and the university of Oxford. Against the friars first stood up Robert Grosthead, bishop of Lincoln, above mentioned ; then Sevallus of York ; afterwards John of Bacon- thor|)e, and now this Annachanus, of whom here presently we treat ; and after him again John WickliflP, of whom (Christ willing) we will speak hereafter.' Against this aforesaid Armachanus wrote divers friars ; Roger Conaway, a Franciscan, John Heyldesham, a Cannclitc, Galfridus Hardby, a friar Augustine. Also friar Engelbcrt, a Domi- nican, in a book entitled ' Defensorium Privilegiorum,"' and divers others. I crediblv hear of certain old Irish Bibles ti-an.slated long since into the Irisli tongue* which, if it be true, it is not likely to be the doing of any one but of this Armachanus. And thus much of this learned prelate and archbishop of Ireland, a man worthy, for his christian zeal, of immortal commendation.
AhcT tlie death of this Innocent, next wa.s poped in the see of
(I) Ex Chron. ReR. Rich. II. (2) Ek Botonero. f3) Ex Waldeno.
(4) Testified by certain Knglislimen, which are yet alive, and have seen it. (5) See the Appendix.
made pope.
A SERMON OF NICHOLAS OREM BEFORE POPE URBAN V. 76^?
Rome pope Urban V,, who, by the flithcr's side, was an Englishman. Edward
This Urban had been a waiter a long time in the court of Rome ; and L_
when he saw no promotion would light upon him, complaining to a ^"^^ ^•
certain friend of his, he made to him his moan, saying. That he 1-
thougiit, verily, if all the churches of the world should full, yet none J^'^pVaj,, would fldl into his mouth. His friend afterwards seeing him to be j^ui that pope, and enthronized in his threefold cro"\vn, cometh to him, and motion putting him in remembrance of his words to him before, saith, That ^p^n whereas his holiness had moaned his fortune to him, that if all the '^'™3„_ churches in the world would fall, none would fall upon his head, s^er to " now," saith he, " God hath otherwise so disposed, that all the b/in^"' churches in the world are fell en upon your head."
This pope maintained and kindled great wars in Italy, sending Giles, his ciirdinal and legate, and after him Arduinus, a Burgun- dian, his legate and abbot, with a great puissance and much money against sundry cities in Italy ; by whose means the toAvns and cities which before had broken from the bishop of Rome were oppressed : also Barnabas and Galeaceus, prince- of JNIilan, were vanquished.* now the By whose example other being sore feared, submitted themselves Rome to the church of Rome ; and thus came up that wicked church to her Jj'J™^ ^^ great possessions, which her patrons would needs father upon Con- royai pos-
° , . ^ ,1 n ' '■ sessions.
stantme, the godly emperor.
In the time of this pope Urban V., and in the second year of his reign, about the conclusion of the year of our Lord 1363, I find a certain sermon of one Nicholas Orem, made before the pope and his cardinals, on Christmas-even,- In which sermon the learned man doth worthily rebuke the prelates and priests of his time, declaring their destruction not to be far off, by certain signs taken of their wicked and corrupt life. All the sayings of the prophets, spoken against the wicked priests of the Jews, he doth aptly apply against the clergy of his time, comparing the church then present to the spiritual strumpet spoken of in the prophet Ezekiel [chap, xvi.] ; and he proveth, in. conclusion, the clergy of the church then to be so much worse than the old synagogue of the Jews, by how much it is worse to sell the church and sacraments, than to suffer doves to be sold in the church. With no less judgment also, and learning, he answereth to the old and false objections of the papists, who, albeit they be never so wicked, yet think themselves to be the church which the Lord cannot forsake. All these things to the intent they may the better appear in his own words, I have thought good here to translate and exhibit the sermon as it was spoken before the pope.
A Copy of a Sermon made before Pope Urban V., the fourth Sun- day in Advent, a.d. 1363, by Nicholas Orem.
" Juxta est salus mea, ut veniat, et justitia," &c. That is, " My saving The health is near at hand to come, and my righteousness to be revealed," &c. J.""!''' . [Isa. Ivi.] After the sentence of St. Paul, Rom. ii. and in divers other phices, j^Jg t^vo before the nativity of Christ the whole -world was divided into two sovts of men, sorts of the Jews and Gentiles — the Jews, who waited for the opening of tlie door of J."*^" ''^" paradise by the blood of the Savionr to come : the Gentiles, who yet sitting in incama- darkness were to be called to light, and to be justified by faith, as it is wriiton tjon of in Romans, chap. v. chnst.
(1) Ex Sabel. Ennead. ix. lib. 8. (2) See the Appendix.
768 A SKRMOX or Nicholas oiu-.m dki-ork popk urbax v.
Ert'rnrd Tlus salvatioii, pertaining both to the Jew and Gentile, God promised before H^- time to tlie fathers by the propliets, to stir up the desire thereof in their hearts . tlie more, and to increase their firm hope and faith in tlie same. As first, in ^„ ' ■ Micah vi., tlie voice of the Lord crieth, " Health and salvation shall be to all men which fear my name." And Isaiah xlvi., " I will give in Sion salvation, and in Jerusalem my plory," &-c., with divers other such places. And foras- much as hope which is deferred many times, doth aflrtict the soul, and conceiveth weariness of long deferring ; he, therefore, j)rophesying of the nearness of the coming thereof, saith moreover [Isa. xiv.], " His time is near at hand to come." Also [Hab. ii.], " He will come, and will not taiTy." With many such other places more. So then the holy fathers being in Limbo, looked and hoped that he should bring out them that sat bound, and which in the house of prison sat in darkness, as we read in Isaiah xli. Then the time drew on, in which came the fulness of the Gentiles, and in which the Lord would declare the riches of this mystery hidden from the woild, and from generations. [Col. i.] Wherefore the Lord, in this text, doth both certify our fathers of the coming of our Saviour, and doth comfort them touching the nearness thereof, and also teacheth the justification of the Gentiles by faith, approaching now near at hand, accord- ing to the words of my text, " my salvation is near." Which words were fulfilled then, what time the Lord did manifest liis salvation, and did reveal his Three righteousness in the sight of all the Gentiles. And it is divided into three heads. parts ; of which the first speaketh of the nearness of his coming, where it is said, " my salvation is near." The second concerneth the mystery of the advent of Christ and his incarnation, where he saith, " ut veniat, ' &c. Thirdly, is considered the severity of God, his terrible revenging judgment to be revealed, where he saith, " ut reveletur," &c., which is to be expounded of his primitive justice, whereof speaketh Amos [chap, v.], saying, " And judgment shall be revealed like a flood, and righteousness like a strong stream." Wherefore, for our contemplation of the solemnity of the most holy vigil, let us receive with joy the word of God the Father, " My Salvation is nigh," tliat is, Christ. To whom he saith [Isa. xlix.], " I have given thee to be a light to the Gentiles, and to be my salvation throughout the ends of the world :" and again [Isa. xlvi.], " My salvation shall not slack," &c. The iir>t As touching the nearness thereof, it is in these days opened to us by the |,artoi"his gospel, where we read in St. Matthew, When the virgin Mary was espoused * ^"^' mito Joseph, before they did come together, she was found with child by the Holy Cihost. By this it was eWdent to understand, that om Saviour ought shortly to proceed out of the chaste womb of the virgin, according as the prophet did foretel, saying, " Behold a virgin shall conceive and bring forth a son," &'c. For as the grape, when it waxeth great and full, is near to the making of wine ; and as the flower, when it shooteth abroad, hastcth to the fruit ; so the salvation of the world, in the swelling and growing of the virgin's womb, began to draw nigh to mankind. For then appeared the grace and benignit)* of our Saviour, whom his mother was found to have in her womb by the Holy Ghost, as is declared in that which followeth by the angel, saying, " For that which is bom of her is of the Holy Ghost." The Touching the second part of that which is said, " ut veniat :" this may be
"''''""^ applied to the contemplation of the mystery of Christ coming in the flesh ; tii'cme. '^ whereof speaketh Haggai the prophet [chap, ii.], " He shall come who is desired and looked for of all nations," S:c. Albeit the same also maj- be applied to the second advent, spoken of in Isaiah [chap, iii.], " The Lord shall come to judgment," &c. ; in memorial whereof the fourth Sunday was dedicated in the old time, of the fathers. And of this day of j\ulgment it is written in the prophet Zeph. [chap, ii.], " The day of the Lord is near, great and mighty, it is approaching at hand, and wondrous short," &:c. And albeit not in itself, yet it may be expounded in tribulations that go before, as preambles unto the same ; as Gregory saith, " The last tribulation is prevented with many and sundiT tribulations going before, although the end of all be not yet." Ihe third Wheiefore now coming to tlie third part of my sermon or theme, let us see, t'hJrae.''" °'' '''"^^' tribulations that go before the last coming of Christ, if there be any such tribulation approaching nigh at hand, whereof this last part of my theme may be verified, where he said, " Ut reveletur," that my righteousness shall be revealed ; to wit, the righteousness primitive, that righteousness may be
A SERMON OF NICHOLAS OREM BEFORE POPE URBAN V. 769
brought, and the prophecy of Daniel fulfilled [Dan. ix.], concerning which E matter lour things here come in order to be declared. ^^^
First, Concerning the revealing of tribulation, according to that part of my ^ ^^ theme, " Ut reveletur," &:c. i;3(;4
Secondly, Concerning the nearness of the tribulation coming, according to '-^
that part of my theme,"" Quia juxta est," &c. ^ dhisimr"
Thirdly, Of the false opinions of some upon this part of my theme, " Ut '"°""- veniat," &rc.
Fourthly, What means and consultation we ought to take, " Ut juxta est salus."
As for the first, it is so notorious and so common in the Scriptures that the First sub- church should suffer and abide tri])ulation, that I need not here to stand in division, alleging any thing touching either the causes to be weighed, or the term to be conjectured' thereof As concerning which causes I will give two mdes to be noted before, for the better opening of that which is to follow : The first rule is, that by the two kingdoms of the nation of the Hebrews which were in the old time, to wit, by the kingdom of Israel, whose head was Samaria, is The king- signified in the prophets the erroneous synagogue ; and by the second kingdom of J°™g°^j Judah, of whose stock came Christ, whose head metropolitan was Jerusalem, nifying is signified the tme church. And this ride is not mine, but is an authentic the raise gloss of St. Jerome, and also is the rule of Origen in the last homily upon the ^,'"^^j'_^_ Old Testament, and is approved by the church. _ _ (jo,n of °
The second rule is, that by the brothel-house and fornication mentioned in Judah the prophets, are signified simony, and abused dispensations, and promotions of jjfj'jjlji'j persons unworthy, for lucre's sake, or else for any other partial favour, who, by church, unlawful ways, by all laws of the world, come to office and honour. " Merx dicitur namque a merendo ;" that is, because gain or price is derived of gain- ing ; for the which gain or price, that is sold, which by nature ought not to be sold. Therefore, to give any thing for respect of gain or hire, which ought to be given freely for virtue's sake, is a kind of spiritual corruption, and as a man would say, a whorish thing ; whereof the prophet [Isaiah, chap, i.] complaineth, speaking" of Jerusalem, and saying, " The city which once was faithful and full of judgment, how is it now become a whorish city?" And in like manner Hosea also, the prophet [chap, ix.], " Jerusalem, thou hast fornicated and gone a whoring from thy God. Thou hast loved like a harlot to get gain in every barn of corn." And in many other places of Scripture, where fornication can- not be otherwise expounded.
These two rules thus premised, now let us mark the Scriptures, and, accord- ing to the same, judge of the whole state of the church, both what is past, and ■what is to come : First, treating of the causes of tribula'aon to come : Secondly, of the vicinity of time of the said tribulation to come.
And first, concerning the state of the church, and of causes of tribulation, pive thus saith the Lord in the prophet Ezekiel [chap, xvi.], speaking to the church states of under the name of Jerusalem: " In the day of thy birth I came by thee, and ^,'j^„.p,, saw thee trodden down in thine own blood," &'c. Here he speaketh of the described. time of the martyrdom of the church. Then it folio weth, " After this thou wast cleansed from thy blood, thou wast grown up, and waxen great; then i. xhe washed I thee with water, I purged thy blood from thee " (speaking of ceasing martyr- of persecution), " I anointed thee with od, I gave thee change ot raiment, 1 ,,^3 girded thee with white silk, I decked thee with costly apparel, I put rings upon church. thy fingers, a chain about thy neck, spangles upon thy forehead, and ear-rings ^;.g^jj^";.i,y upon thine ears. Thus wast thou decked with silver and gold, and a beautiful of tlic crown set upon thine head. Marvellous goodly wast thou and beautiful, e\eii church. a very queen wast thou : for thou wast excellent in my beauty, which I put upon"thee, saith the Lord God," &c. This prophecy, or rather history, speaketh of, and declareth, the prosperity of the church.
And now hear the corruption and transgression of the church, for so it fol- ,3. Tlie loweth: " But thou hast put confidence in thine own beauty, and played the {^"J"',',!'t,,g harlot, when thou hadst gotten thee a name. Thou hast committed whoredom cliurdi with all that went by thee, and hast fulfilled their desires ; yea, thou hast taken thy garments of divers colours and decked thine altars therewith, whereupon thou mightest fulfil thy whoredom of sucli a fashion as never was done, nor shall be." "Which whoredom can in no wise be expounded for carnal, but VOT,. II 3 D
7T0 A Sr.ItMUN OF XUIIOI.AS OliKM liKl-OKE POPE URBAN V.
li.iuard spiritual wlionnloin. Aiul tlu'iefore, see how lively he hath painted out the cor- lil- rui)ti
A I) And therefore I'ollowetli now the correction and punishment of the eliurch. 13*64 ' ^' foUoweth, " Ki^hdhl I stretch out my hand over thee, and will diminish thy
'— store of food, and deliver thee over unto the wills of the Philistines, and of such
*• ''''*. as hate thee : and they shall hreak down thy stews, and destroy thy hrothel- correruon jn,j|j,^,j^" ^jj,,j{ j^^ ^],^, j,lace wherciu thou didst exercise this wickedness) " they church, sliall strip thee out of thy clothes: all thy fair heautiful jewels shall they take from thee, and so let thee sit naked and hare," &c. [Ezek. xvi.] Here is plainly to he seen what shall happen to the church, aiul more followeth in the said chapter : " Thine elder sister is Samaria, she and her daughters upon thy left hand : hut the youngest sister that dwelleth on thy right hand is Sodonia with her daughters, whose sins were these : pride, fulness of meat, ahundance, and idleness, neither reached they their hand to the poor. And yet, neither Sodoma thv sister, witli her daughters, liath done so evil as thou and thy daughters : neither hath Samaria" (that is, the synagogue) " done half of thy sins ; vea, thou hast exceeded them in wickedness. Take therefore and hear thine own confusion," &c. Again in Ezek. [chap, xxiii.], after the prophet had described at large the wickedness, corruption, and punishment of the synagogue, turning to the church, he saith, " And when her sister saw this, she raged and was mad with lust • more than before ; site was mad, that is, with fleshly lust,* * love of riches, and following voluptuousness. Her fornication and whoredom she committed with princes and great lords, clothed with all manner of gorgeous apparel; so that lier paps were bruised, and her breasts were nun-red." And then speaking of her punishment, he saith, " Then my heart forsook lier, like as my heart was gone from her sister also." And more- over, repeating again the cause thereof, he addeth, " Thy wickedness and thy fornication hath wrought thee all this," &c.
The like we find also in Isaiah, Jeremy, Ezekiel, and in all the other prophets, who, ])r()phesying all together in one meaning, and almost in one manner of words, do conclude with a full agreement and prophecy to come, that the church shall fall, and then be pimished for her great excesses, and be utterly spoiled, except she repent of all her abominations. Whereof speaketh Hosea [chap, ii.], " Let her put away her whoredom out of her sight, and her adultery from her breasts, lest I strip her naked, and set her even as she came naked into the world," (that is, in her primitive poverty). So if she do it not, it shall follow of her as in the proi)het Nalunn [chap, iii.], " For the multi- tude of the fornication of the fair and beautiful harlot, -which is a master of witchcraft, yea and selleth the people through her whoredom, and the nations through her witchcraft." And it followeth upon the same, " Behold I come upon thee, saith the Lord of hosts, and will pull thy clothes over thy head, that they nakedness shall appear among the heathen, and thy shame amongst the There- kingdoms " &c. Wherefore by these it is to be understood that upon this o7tTe"°" ^'hmch the primitive justice of (Jod is to be revealed hereafter. And thus church, much of the lii-st of the four members above touched.
Scooiid Now to the secoiul member of my theme, " Juxta est;" concerning the
sion''^'' nearness of time. Although it is not for us to know the moments and articles Sj of time ; yet, by certain notes and signs, peradventure, it may be collected and
that the gathered, that which I have here to say. For the tractation wliercof, first I tnbula- gromul myself upon the saying of the apostle Paul [2 Thes. ii.], where he the ^^Titeth, " That unless there come a defection first," Sec. By the which dcfec-
fhurch tion, Jerome 2 gathereth and expoundeth allogorically, the desolation of the m-ar""^ nionarchy of Rome : between which desolation, and the persecution of the First sign, churcli by Antichrist, he putteth no mean space. And now, what is the state of the'i-e''' ^''"' conunonwcalth, if it be compared to the majesty of that it hath been, judge come a yourselves. AnotluM- gloss there is that saith, how by that defection is meant, defection tliat fVom the churcli of Kome shall come a departing of some other churches. it'u'to*'be '^'^"^ second note and mark is this, when the cluu-ch shall be worse in manners under- than was the synagogtie ; as appeareth by the ordinary gloss upon the third of
Mood. Jeremiah, where it is written, "The backslider Israel may seem just and Second • i , . . o .., t ...... i •
•i(jn. righteous in comparison of smlul Judah ; that is, the synagogue in comparison
(1) Tlie?e words arc inserted fi-om the Seror.d Edition. — Ed (2j I'ltiina qnaest ad inmiif.iii'M'cs Jmuarii.
A SERMON OF NICHOLAS 011E^[ BEFORE I'OPE URBAN V. 771
of the cliurch of God. Whereof writoth Origen saying, Think tliat to be Edward spoken of us what the Lord saitli in Ezekiel [chap, xvi.], "Thou hast exceeded Hi thy sister in thine iniquities." Wherefore now, to compare the one with tlie _^
otlier : First, ye know how Christ rebuked tlie Pliarisees, wlio, as Jerome V^^i' witnesseth, were then the clergy of the Jews, of covctousness, for tliat tliey suffered doves to be sohl in tlie temple of God : Secondly, for that they did ^''f ^J' honour God with their lips, and not with their heart ; and because they said, anij°°"* but did not : Thirdly, he rebuked them, for that they were hypocrites. To church the first then, let us see whether it be worse to sell both"church and sacraments to^t'he?'^ than to suffer doves to be sold in the temple, or not. Secondly, whereas the iirm;iii- Pharisees were rebuked for honouring God with their lips, and not with their "-'■^• heart, there be some who neither honour God with heart, nor yet witli lips, and who neither do well, nor yet say well ; neither do they preach any word at all, but be dumb dogs, not able to bark, impudent and shameless dogs, that never have enough ; such pastors as have no understanding, declining and strayino- all in their own way, every one given to covctousness from the highest to the lowest. And thirdly, as for hypocrisy, there be also some whose intolerable pride and malice are so manifest and notorious, kindled up like a fire, that no cloak or shadow of hypocrisy can cover it, but they are so past all shame, that it may be well verified of them, which the prophet speaks, " Thou hast gotten thee the face of a harlot; thou wouldst not blush," &c.
The third sign and token of tribulation approaching near to the church, may Third well be taken of the too much unequal proportion seen this day in the church ; sign, where one is hmigry and starveth, another is drunk. By reason of which so great inequality, it cannot be that the state of the church, as it is now, can long endure ; for, like as in good harmony, to make the music perfect, is required a moderate and proportionate inequality of voices, which if it do much exceed, it taketh away all the sweet melody ; so, according to the sentence of the philo sopher, by too much immoderate inequality or disparity of citizens, the com- monwealth falleth to ruin. On the contrary, whei-e mediocrity, that is, where a mean inequality with some proportion is kept, that policy standeth firm and more sure to continue. Now, among all the politic regiments of the Gentiles, I think none more is to be found in histories, wherein is to be seen so great and exceeding odds, as in the policy of priests ; of whom some be so high, that they exceed all princes of the earth ; some again be so base, that they are under all rascals, oiigar- so that such a policy or commonwealth may well be called Oligarchia. ^''i^' '^
This may we plainly see and learn in the body of man, to the which Plutarch, few^ear writing to Thracinius, doth semblably compare the commonwealth. In the all the which body, if the sustenance received should all run to one member, so that s"'^>'>^and that member should be too much exceedingly pampered, and all the other parts rest be too much pined, that body could not long continue; so in the body of the wealth nofhing ecclesiastical, if some who be the heads be so enormously overgrown in riches ^^°'"- and dignity, that the weaker members of the body be scantly able to bear them up, there is a great token of dissolution and ruin shortly. Whereupon cometh well in place the saying of the prophet Isaiah: " Every head is sick, every heart is full of sorrow ;" of the which heads it is also spoken in the prophet Amos [chap, vi.], " Woe be to the secure, proud, and wealthy in Sion, and to such as think themselves so sure upon the mount of Samaria, taking themselves as heads and rulers over others," &c. And, moreover, in the said prophet Isaiah it followeth, " From the top of the head to the sole of the foot there is no whole part in all the body," to wit, in the inferiors, because they are not able to live for poverty; in the superiors, because for their excessive riches they are let from doing good. And it followeth in the same place, " But all are wounds, and botches, and stripes." Behold here the danger coming, tlie wounds of discord and division, the botch or sore of rancour and envy, the swelling stripe of rebellion and mischief.
The fourth sign is the pride of prelates. Some there have been who fondly Fourth have disputed of the poverty of Christ, and have inveighed against the prelates, ^^io"- because they live not in the poverty of the saints. But this fantasy cometh of the ignorance of moral philosophy and divinity, and of the defect of natural prudence ; for that in all nations, and by common laws, priests have had, and, ought to have, wherewith to sustain themselves more honestly than the vulgar sort, and prelates more honestly than the subjects. But yet hereby is not
A SKRMON' OF N'UIIOI.AS ORF.M nr.I'OUK rOI'K fItBAN V.
EJirtnl III.
A.I). 1361.
Pride of prelates noted.
Fifth fign.
The tjTanny of pre- lates noted.
Sixth »i(ni. Promo- ting of unworthy minis- ters.
Seventh si;;n.
F-iRhth
KiKn.
Ref\isin(»
of cr-
rertion
in (lie
clcT„-y.
pcniiittod to tlicni tliiir great lior.scs, tlicir troops of liorsemen, the superfluous jioinj) of tlu'ir waiting-ineii and great families, wliicli scarcely can be main- tained without pride, neither can he sustained with safe justice, and, many, not without fighting and injuries inconvenient; not nuich unhke to that which Justin the historian writeth of the Carthaginians, "The family," saith he, "of so great enijierors, was intolerable to such a free city." In semblable wise, this great pride in the chinch of (iod, especially in these days, doth move not so few to due reverence, as many to indignation ; and yet more, to those things aforesaid : who think no less but to do sacrifice to God, if they may rob and spoil certain fat priests and persons, namely, such as neither have nobility or blood, and less learning to bear themselves upon, but arc liars, servile and fraudulent, to whom the Lord speakctli by his prophet Amos [cliap. iv.], " Hear you fat-fed kine of Samaria, ye that do poor men wrong, and oppress the needy, the day shall come upon you," &c.
The fifth sign is, the tyranny of the prelates and presidents, which as it is a violent tiling, so it cannot be long lasting. For as Solomon saith [chap, xvi.], " Tor it was requisite that, without any excuse, destruction should come upon those which exercised tyranny." The property of a tyrant is not to seek the commodity of his subjects, but only his will and profit. Such were the pastors that fed not the Lord's flock, but fed themselves ; of whom and to whom speaketh the prophet Ezekiel [chap, xxxiv.], " Woe be unto those pastors of Israel that feed themselves. Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?" with many other threatenings against them in the same chapter. " Woe be unto them who rejoice at the transgressions of those whom it lieth in their power to con- demn, neither do they seek what he is able to pay;" to whom crieth Micah the prophet [chap, iii.], " Ye hate the good and love the evil ; ye pluck off men's skins, and the flesh from the bones ; ye eat the flesh of my people, and flay off their skin ; ye break their bones ; ye chop them in pieces, as it were into a cauldron, and as flesh into the pot," &:c. And, therefore, the aforesaid Ezekiel [chap, xxxiv.] pronounceth, " Behold, I will ms-self come upon the shepherds and require my sheep from their hands, and make them c sheep, yea the shepherds shall feed themselves no more ; for I will deliver my sheep out of their mouths, so that they shall not devour them any more."
The sixth sign is the promoting of the unworthj-, and neglecting them that be worthy. This, as Aristotle saith, is a great cause many times of the dissolution of commonweals. And oftentimes it so happeneth in the wars of princes, that the contempt and small regarding of the valiant, aiul the exaUing of others that be less worthy, engender divers kinds and kiiuUings of sedition. For partly by reason of the same, partly of the other causes above recited, we have read not only in books, but have seen with our eyes, divers flourishing cities well nigh subverted ; whereas good men be not made of, but arc vexed with sorrow and grief by the evil: the contention at length bursteth out upon the prince, as Haymo reciteth out of Origen. This always hath been the perverse incredulity of man's hard heart, and that not only in hearing, but also in seeing: yet will they not believe that others have perished, unless they also peri.sh themselves.
The seventh sign is, the tribulation of outward ])olicy and commotions of the people, which in a great part has now happened already. And therefore, forasmuch as Seneca saith, " Men do complain commonly that evils only come so fast;" it is to be feared lest also the ecclesiastical policy be afflicted not only outwardly, but also iii itself; and so that be fulfilled in us, which in Jeremy is prophesied [chap, iv.], " Murder is cried upon murder, and the whole land shall perish, and suddenly my tabernacles were destroyed, and my tents very quickly." And Ezekiel [chap, vii.], " Wherefore I will bring cruel tyrants from among the heathen, to take their houses in possession ; 1 will make the pomp of the proud to cease, and their sanctuaries shall be taken. One mischief and sorrow shall follow another, and one rumour shall come after another : then shall they seek visions in vain at their prophets ; the law shall be gone from their priests, and wisdom from their elders," &c.
The eighth is, the refusing of coiTection, neither will they hear their faidts told them, so that it happened to the princes and rulers of the church, as it is written iu the prophet Zechariah, [chap, vii.] "They stopped their ears that they WDuld not hear, yea they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear th? law and words which the Lord of hosts sent in his Holy Spirit by the
A SERMON OF KICHOLAS OKEM BEFORE POPE URUAN V. Tto
prophets aforetime." Also Isaiah, witnessing after the same effect [chap. xxx.J, Edward saith, " For it is an obstinate people, lying children, and unfaithful children, ■'^^•'^• that will not hear the law of the Lord, which say to the prophets. Meddle with . j^ nothing, and tell us nothing, that is true and right, but speak friendly words to loV^'
us," &c. All this shall be verified when the prelates begin to hate them that — ! L
tell them truth, and have knowledge ; like unto such of whom Amos speaketh Truth [chap, v.], " They bear him evil will, that reprovclh them openly, and whoso shcnt. telleth them the plain truth, they abhor him." And therefore saith the Lord, by Hosea, to the clmrch of Jerusalem [chap, iv.], " Seeing thou hast refused vulderstanding, I have refused thee also, that thou shalt no more be my priest. And forasmuch as thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children, and change their honour into shame. And so shall it be, like priest, like people," &c. ; and many other sayings there be in the projihets, speaking of the dejecting and casting down of tlie priestly honour.
Besides these aforesaid signs and tokens hitherto recited, there be also divers Lack of others ; as the backshding from righteousness, the lack of discreet and learned learr,ed priests, promoting of childi-en into the church, with others such. But these being already well noted and marked, you may easily judge and understand whether these times now present of oiu-s be safe and clear from tribulation to be looked for, and whether the word of the Lord be true according to my theme, " My righteousness is near at hand to be revealed," &c. And thus much of the second part.
Now to the third part or member of my subdivision, which is concerning the Tliird false and perilous opinions of some, upon this word of my theme, " Ut sjiiidivi- veniat," fee. ; which opinions principally be four, all repugning against the ti-uth of the canonical scripture.
The first opinion is of such men, who, having too much confidence in them- selves, do think and persuade witli themselves, that the prelates be the church which the Lord will always keep and never forsake, as he hath promised in the persons of the apostles, saying, in Matthew [chap, xxviii.], " And I will be The with you to the end of the world," &c. But this is to be understood of faith, ^,''^"'j!^J'jj whereof Christ speaketh in Luke [chap, xxi.], " I have prayed for thee, that is, and in thy faith shall not fail." Whereof we read in Ecclesiastes [chap, xl.], " Faith ^^''om i' shall stand for ever," &c. And albeit charity wax never so cold, yet faith, not- eth?'^ " withstanding, shall remain in a few, and in all distresses of the world; of the which distresses, our Saviour doth prophesy, in many places, to come. And lest, peradventure, some should think themselves to be safe from tribulation, because they be of the church ; this opinion the Lord himself doth contradict in Jere- miah [chap, vii.], " Trust not," saith he, " in false lying words, saying, The Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord." And a little after, " But you trust in words and lying counsels which deceive you, and do you no good."
The second opinion is of them who defer time ; for this they will grant, that the church shall abide trouble, but not so shortly ; thinking thus with them- selves, that all these causes and tokens afore recited, have been before, at other times as well, in the church. For both by Gregory and Bernard, holy doctors, in time past, the prelates have been in like sort reprehended, both for their bribings, for their pomp and pride, for the promoting of children, and persons unfit unto ecclesiastical functions, and other vices more, which have reigned before this in the church of God more than now, and yet by God's grace the church hath prospered and stands. Do ye not see, that if a house have stood and continued ruinous a long season, it is never the more near the fall thereby, but rather to be trusted the better ? Moreover, many times it cometh so to pass, in realms and kingdoms, that the posterity is punished for the sins of their predecessors. Whereof speaketh the book of Lamentations [chap, v.], " Our fathers have sinned and are now gone, and we must bear their wickedness," &c. Against this cogitation or opinion, well doth tlie Lord answer by the ])rophct Ezekiel [chap, xii.], saying, " Behold, thou Son of Man, the house of Israel saith in this manner. Tush, as for the vision that he hath seen, it will be many a day ere it come to pass ; it is far off yet, the thing that he prophesieth. Therefore say unto them, thus saith the Lord God, The words that I have spoken shall be deferred no longer, look, what I have said shall come to pass, saith the Lord," &c. AVe have seen in our days things to happen, which seemed before incredible. And the like hath been seen in other times also,
174 A SERMON' OK NICHOLAS OKK.M BEI'OIIE I'OTE URBAN V.
i:,!,f':rd as we redd written in the book of Lamentations [cliap. iv.], " Tlie kings of tlie
I'i- oartli, nor all tlie inliahitants of tlie world would not have beleivcd, that the
. j^ eniMUV and adversary should have come in at the gates of fhe city, for the sins
liri "* ^^" i)riests, and for the wickedness of her elders, that have shed innocent
blood within her," &c. liy Jerusalem, as is said, is meant tlie church.
The tliird opinion or error is very perilous and perverse, of all such as say " veniat," let come that will come; let us conform ourselves to this world, and tiike our time witli tliose temporizers who say in the book of AVisdom [chap, ii.], " Come, let us enjoy our goods and pleasures that be present, and let us use the creature as in youth quickly," &:c. Sudi as these be, are in a dangerous case, and be greatly prejudicial to good men in the church. And, if the heads and riders of the church were so vile to have any such detestable cogitation in them, there were no place in hell too deep for them. This church, founded by the apostles in Christ, consecrated with the blood of so many martyrs, enlarged and iiureased with the virtues and merits of so many saints, and endued so richly with the devotion of so many secular princes, and so long prospered hitherto; if it now shoidd come into the hands of such persons, it should fall in great danger of ruin, and Uicy, for their negligence and wickedness, would well deserve of God to be cursed ; yea here, also, in this present world, to incur temporal tribulation and destruction, \vhich the}' fear more ; by the sentence of the Lord, saying to them in the book of Proverbs [chap, i.], " All my counsels ye h in your destruction, when tribulation and anguish shall fall ujion you."
Fourthly, another ojiinion or error is, of such as being luifaithful, believe not that any such thing will come. And this error secmeth to have no remedy, but that as other things and other kingdoms have their ends and limits set unto them, which they cannot overjiass ; so it must needs be, that such a domination and government of the church have an end, by reason of the demerits and obstinacies of the governors provoking and requiring the same ; like as we read in the prophet Jeremy [chap, viii.], " There is no man that taketh repentance for his sin, that will so much as say, Wherefore have I done this ? But every man runneth forth still like a wild horse in battle." And the same prophet, in clia])ter xiii. of his prophecy, " Like as the man of Inde may change his skin, and the cat-of-mountain her spots, so maj- ye, that be exercised in evil, do good." Whereunto also accordeth that which is written of the same prophet [chap, xvii.], speaking of Judali, signifying the church, " The sin of Judah," saith he, " is written in the table of your hearts, and graven so upon the edges of your altars with a pen of iron, and with an adamant daw;" which is as much to say, it is indelible, or which cannot he rased out ; as also Ezekiel, speaking of the punishment [chap, xxi.], saith, " I the Lord have drawn my sword out of the sheath, and it cannot be revoked." Notwithstanding, all these signifj" no impossibility, but dilhculty, because that wicked men arc hardly converted ; for, otherwise, the Scripture importeth no such inflexibility with God, but if con- version come, he will forgive. So we read in the prophet Jonas [chap, iii.], " Who can tell? God may turn and repent, and cease from his fierce wrath that we perish not." And to the like effect saith the same Lord in Jeremy [chap, xxvi.], " Look thou keep not one word back, if peradventure they will hearken and turn every man from his wicked way, that I also may repent of the plague which I have determined to bring \ipon them, because of their wicked inventions," &c. lM)r the further proof whereof, Nineveh we see was converted, and remained luidestroyed, &c. Likewise the Lord also had revealed destruction unto Constantinople by sundry signs and tokens, as Augustine in a certain sermon doth declare. And thus ibr the third part or member of my division. Foiirtti Fourthly and lastly, remaincth to declare, some wholesome concluding, now
upon the cnuses preceding: that is, if by these causes and signs, heretofore de- clared, tribulation be jirepared to fidl upon the church, then let us humble our minds mildly and wisely. And if we so return with heart and in deed unto (iod, verily he will rescue and help after an inestimable wise, and will surcease from scourging us, as he promiseth by his prophet Jeremiah [chap, xviii.], " If that people against whom I have thus devised, convert from their wickedness, immediately I will repent of the plague that I devised to bring upon them;" speaking here after the manner of men, S:c. Now therefore, forasmuch aj
(.ubdi vi- rion.
A SERMON OF NICHOLAS OREM HEFORE I'OPE URBAN V. IT")
tribulation and affliction is so near coming toward us, j'ea lietli upon us already, EiUrnrd let us be the more ddigent to call upon God lor mercy. l''or 1 think, verily, ^"■ these many years, there have not been so many and so despiteful haters and . . evil willers, stout, and of such a rebellious heart against the cliurch of God, i.>'p/
as be now-a-days; neither be they lacking, that would work all that they can — ! L
against it, and lovers of new- fangleness; whose hearts the Lord haply will turn, that they shall not hate his people, and work deceit against bis servants, I mean against priests, whom they have now in little or no reputation at all, albeit many yet there be, through God's grace, good and godly ; but yet the fury of the Lord is not turned away, but still his hand is stretched out. And unless ye be converted, he shaketh his sword ; he hath bent his bow, and pre- pared it read}'. Yet the Lord standetb waiting, that he may have mercy upon you [Isaiah xxx.] And therefore, as the greatness of fear ought to incite us, so hope of salvation may allure us to pray and call upon the Lord, espe- cially now, toward this holj' and sacred t'me and solemnity of Christ's nativity : for that holy and continual prayer without intermission is profitable, and the instant devotion and vigilant deprecation of the just man is of great force. And if terrene kings, in the day of celebration of their nativitj', be wont to show themselves more liberal and bounteous, bow much more ought we to hope well, that the heavenly King, of nature most benign, now at his natal and bitth-day, will not deny pardon and remission to such as rightly call unto him.
And now, therefore, as it is written in Joshua [chap, vii.], " Be ye sanctified against to-morrow," &c. And say unto him, as it is written in the first book of Samuel [chap, xxv.], " Now let thy servants I pray thee find favour in thy sight, for we come to tliee in a good season." Moreover, ye may find what ye ask, if ye ask that which he brought, in the day of his nativity, that is, the peace of the church, not spiritual only, but also temporal ; which the angelical noise did sound, and experience the same time did prove, testified by Livy, Pliny, and other heathen story-writers, who all marvelled thereat, saying that such an universal peace as that could not come on earth, but by the gift of God. For so God did forepromise in the prophet Isaiah [chap.lxvi.], " Behold, I will let peace into Jerusalem like a waterflood," &c. ; and in Psalm Ixxi., " In his time righteousness shall flourish, yea, and abundance of peace," &c.
Therefore now, O reverend fathers in the Lord ! and you, here in this present assembly ! behold, I say, the day of life and salvation ; now is tlie opportune lime to pray unto God, that the same thing, which he brought into the world at his birth, he will now grant in these days to his church, that is, his peace. And, like as Nineveh was subverted, and overturned, not in members but in manners, so the same words of my theme, " Juxtaest justitia niea ut reveletur," may be verified in us, not of the primitive justice, but of our sanctification by grace ; so that, as to-morrow is celebrated the nativity of our Saviour, our righteousness may rise together with him, and his blessing may be upon us, which God hath promised, saying, " My saving health is near at hand to come," &c. ; whereof speaketh Isaiah the prophet [chap.li.], "My saving health shall endure forever," &c. This health grant unto us, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost! Amen.
This sermon was made by Master Nicholas Orem before pope Urban V. and his cardinals, npon the even of the nativity of the Lord, being the fourth Sunday of Advent, a.d. 1363, and the second of his popedom.
In the fifth year of this forenamed pope Urban, began first the The order order of the Jesuats.' Unto this time, which was about a.d. 1367, Thec"fef the offices here in England, as that of the lord chancellor, the lord offices of treasurer, and the privy seal, were wont to be m the hands ot the clergy; trans- but, about this year, through the motion of the lords in the parliament, the^oie7^
to the (1) The "Jesuats" or "Jesuates" are mentioned supra, pp. 57, 352. They were an order o lordstem- nionks, founded by St. John Columbini, chief magistrate of Sienna, a.d. 1363. Becoming con- poral. vinced of sin, he gave up his honours, sold his estates, and devoted himself to the service of God A.D. 1307. and the poor. He was joined by seventy disciples. They followed St. Augustine's rule, and took St. Jerome for their patron. Urban V. confirmed their institute at Viterbo, a.d. 13(i7. They were called " Jesuats'' from always having the name of Jesus on their lips : it occurs 1500 times in a few letters which Columbini wrote. The order was suppressed by Clement IX. in 1668. — Alban Butler's Lives of the Saints. They are not to be confounded with the "Jesuits," who were founded by Ignatius Loyola a.d. 1534, confirmed by Paul III. a.d. 1540. — Ed.
776 THE rOl'li PL'T FROM ItESERVING Of BENEFICES.
£.i,rard uiul piutlv, US witiicssotli iiiinc autlior, for hatred of the clergy, all the ^^^- said offices were removed from the clergy to the lords temporal. A. D. After the death of pope Urban, next succeeded pope Gregory XL, 1370^ ^vho, among his other acts, first reduced again the papacy out of Pope Grc- France unto Home, which had from thence been absent the space ^n'7^^' now of seventy vears ; being thereto moved (as Sabcllicus recordeth) ,.ac^y^re- ^y the answer" of a certain bishop, whom as the pope saw standing by aS him he asked, why he was so long from his cliarge and church at i-ra™ce home, saying that it was not the part of a good pastor to keep lum to Home, (^.^y^^^ jiis flock SO long. Whereunto the bishop answering again said, '• And you yourself, being the chief bishop, who may and ought to be a spectacle to us all, why are you from the place so long where your church doth lie ?" by the occasion whereof the pope sought all means after tliat to remove and to rid his court out of France again to Rome, and so he did.' King Tlie king of England, holding a parliament in the third year of
"npialii- tliis pope, sent his ambassadors to him, desiring him, that he from 'o'elre- thenceforth would abstain from his reservations of benefices used in .eTatiou the realm of England ; and that spiritual men, within this realm pro- jices.'"' motcd unto bishoprics, might freely enjoy their elections within the realm, and be confirmed by their metropolitans, according to the ancient custom of the realm. Wherefore, upon these, and such other like matters, wherein the king and the realm thought themselves aggrieved, he desired of the pope some remedy to be provided, &c. \Vhereunto the pope returned a certain answer again unto the king, requiring by his messengers to be certified again of the king's mind concerning the same. But what answer it was, it is not in the story expressed, save that tlic year following, which was a.d. 1374, there was a tractation at Bruges upon certain of the said articles between the king and the pope, which did hang two years in suspense ; and The pope so at length it was thus agreed between them, that the pope should ill's re°"' no more "use his reservations of benefices in England, and likewise the .ervmuof ] j gjicmlj no uiorc confer and give benefices upon the writ " Quare in Eng- impedit," &c. ; but, touching the freedom ot elections to be con- '■ ollare firmed by the metropolitan, mentioned in the year before, thereof ""'"=""•' was nothing touched.^
As touching these reservations, provisions, and collations, with the elections of archbishops, bishops, beneficed men, and others, where- with the pope vexed this realm of England, as before you have heard ; the king, by the consent of the lords and commons, in the twenty- fifth year of his reign enacted, that a statute made in the thirty-fifth year of his grandfather Edward I., but not put in execution, should Thfiaw be revived ; wherein was made an Act against the ravenous pillage of papliTpio- the pope through the same provisions, reservations, and collations, vi».on8. gjp . ^y j^ijg ^y\\■^^.\^ provisions the state of the realm decreased more and more, the king's royalty and prerogative were greatly obscured and diminished, innumerable treasures of the realm transported, aliens and strangers placed in the best and fixttcst bishoprics, abbeys, and benefices within the realm, and such, as either for their offices in Rome, as cardinalships and such-like, could not be here resident, or
(I) Respectins! two paragraphs which Foxe introduces here respecting Militzius and Jacobus Mi•llen^i8, see infri, p. 781, note (2) —Ed. (2) See iufri, pp. 789, 71iO.— Ed.
THE PROl'HKCY OF BRIDGET. 777
if resident, yet better away for causes infinite, as partly liavc been Edward
touclied before. Moreover^ he not only revived the said statute niude _
by Edward I. his grandfiitlier, but also enacted another, forbidding A.j). tliat any one, for any cause or controversy in law whatsoever, either ^'^'^- spiritual or temporal, the same being determinable in any of the king's courts (as all matters were), whether they were personal or real cita- tions, or other, should either appeal or consent to any appellation to be made out of the realm to the pope or see of Rome ; adding there- unto very strait and sharp penalties against the offenders therein or in any part thereof, as, exemption out of the king's protection, loss of all tlieir lands, goods, and other possessions, and their bodies to be imprisoned at the king's pleasure ; and further, whosoever were law- fully convicted, or who otherwise, for want of appearance, by process directed forth were within the lapse of this statute of ' Praemunire,"' The law for so bore the name thereof, should suffer all and every such molesta- mimi^e, tions and injuries, as men exempted from the protection of the king; ^^^'Jl^'' insomuch that whosoever had killed such men, had been in no more thereof. danger of law there-for, than for the killing of an outlaw, or one not worthy to live in a commonweal. Like unprofitable members were they then, yea, in that time of ignorance, esteemed in this common- weal of England, who would offer themselves to the wilful slavery and servile obedience of the pope ; which thing in these days, yea, and that amongst no small fools, is counted more than evangelical holi- ness. He that listeth to peruse the statute, and would see every branch and article thereof at large discussed and handled, with the penalties there-for due, let him read the statute of Provision and Praemunire made in the twentj^-fifth year of this king's days : and let him read in the statutes made in the parliaments holden the twenty-seventh and thirty-eighth years of his reign, and under the same titles of Provision and Prsemunire he shall find the pope's The primacy and jurisdiction within this realm more nearly touched, and primacy much of his papal power restrained. Divers other matters wherein £"^,3°^ the pope is restrained of his usurped power, authority, and juris- bridled, diction within this realm of England, are in the said titles and statutes expressed and at large set forth, whoever listeth to peruse the same, which for brevity's sake I omit, hastening to other matters.^
About' this time, being a d. 1370, lived holy Bridget, whom the st^ ^^ church of Rome hath canonized not only for a saint, but also for a " ^* prophetess ; who, notwithstanding, in her book of Revelations, which hath been oftentimes imprinted, was a great rebuker of the pope and of the filth of his clergy, calling him a murderer of souls, a spillcr and a piller' of the flock of Christ, more abominable than Jews, more crueller than Judas, more unjust than Pilate, worse than Lucifer him- self. The see of the pope, she prophesieth, shall be thrown down into the deep like a millstone, and that his assisters* shall burn with brim- stone. She afRrmeth, that the prelates, bishops, and priests, are the cause why the doctrine of Christ is neglected, and almost extinguished ;
(1) See the Statutes at Large, and the Extracts from the Parliament Rolls, infrd, pp. 783—781). The foregoing paragraph has been cnrrected in two or three particulars. — Ed.
(2) Ex lib. revelationum Div.x> Brigitta-. [The next live jjages .ire a translation of several detached passages in the " Catalogus Testiuni," to which t'oxe refers in the next page. Foxe's text has been collated witli Ulyricus, and in many instances corrected.— Ed.
(3) " L'ispersorem et laeeratorcm," Jllviicu?.- Ed. (1) " Aiscssorcs," Ulyricus.— Ed.
778
EdirarJ III.
A.I).
i;j7o.
Da ])ecu- niain. Rome a frrtile gruutid of weeds and cockle.
Catharina Scncnsis.
TTie rc-
foriiiaiion ofrcliRion prophe- sied of before.
The pro- plucy of Catha- rine.
Note.
M.-itthias Paiisicn- Ki.H, a writer KKaiost the pope.
Anti- chri>t already cuiiie.
TlIF, rUOPIIF.rV OF CATHARTN'A SKNEXSIS.
and tliat the clci':y liave turned tlie ten commandments of God into two word.';,' ti> wit, '• Da pecuniam," that is, ''Ciivc money." It were long and tedious to declare all that she again.st them writctli ; let the above suffice : one thing only 1 will add, where the said Bridget affirmeth in her Revelations, that she beheld when the Blessed Virgin said to her Son, liow Rome was a fruitful and fertile field, and that he replied, " Yea, but of weeds only and cockle."^
To this Bridget I will join also Catharine of Sienna, a holy virgin, who lived much about the same time (a.d. 1370) ; of whom writeth Antoninus.^ Thi.s Catharine, having (according to the j)apists them- selves) the spirit of prophecy, was wont much to complain of the corrupt state of the church, namely^ of the prelates and monks, and of the court of Rome, and of the pope himself; prophcsviug before of the great schism which soon followed in the church of Rome, and endured to the council of Constance, the space of thirty-nine years ;' also of the great wars and tribulation which ensued upon the same ; and, moreover, declared before and foretold of this so excellent reformation of religion in the church now present. The words of Antoninus be these : " After this virgin had, on setting out for Rome, foretold her brother of the wars and tumults that should arise in the countries about Rome after the schism which had just happened be- tween the two popes ; I, then, curious to know of things to come, and it having become manifest that she had by revelation a knowledge of futurity, demanded of her, I pray you, good mother, said I, and what shall befall after these troubles in the church of God ? And she said : ' By these tribulations and afflictions, after a secret manner unknown unto man, God shall purge his holy church, and stir up the spirit of his elect. And after these things shall follow such a reformation of the holy church of God, and such a renovation of holy pastors, that the only thouglit and anticipation thereof maketh my spirit to rejoice in the Lord. And, as I have oftentimes told you heretofore, the spouse, which now is all deformed and ragged, shall be adorned and decked Mith most rich and precious ouches and brooches. And all the faithful shall be glad and rejoice to sec them- selves so beautified with such holy shepherds. Yea, and also the infidels then, allured by the sweet savour of Christ, shall return to the catholic fold, and be converted to the true shepherd and bishop of their souls. Give thanks therefore to God ; for after this storm he will give to his church a great calm." And after she had thus spoken, she staid, and said no more."*
Besides these aforenamed, the Lord, who never ceasetli to work in his church, stirred up against the malignant church of Rome the spirits of divers other good and godly teachers, as ^Litthias Parisien- sis, a Bohemian born, who, about a.d. 1370, wrote a large book " De Antichristo," and proveth him already come, and hinteth the pope to be the same ; which book one Illyricus, a writer in these our days, hath, and ])romiscth to put it in print.' In this book he doth greutly
(1) " In tinicum vtrbutn," Illyricus. The ten commandments are called in the Hebrew "ten tcordt." — Ep.
(2) Illyricus, " Cat. Test " (Gencv. 1608), col. 1/99.— Ed. (3) Ex Anton, parte historic iii. (4) •• Namely," " pr.-csertim," especially.— Ed. (.5) See vol. iii. p. 18.— Ed.
(6) Illyricus, col. 1791. Cave says that she was bom a.d. 1317. and died April a.d l.^iSn, and that she was called " Senensis," to distinguish her from Catharina " llononiensis," who flourished 1 p. H38.— Ed.
(1) It i^ printed in Drowne's Appendix to the " Fasciculus " of Orthuiuus G^alius.— Ep.
DIVERS LEARNED MEN WRITERS AGAINST THE POPE. 779
inveigh against the wickedness and filthiness of the clergy, and against Edward i\\i neglecting of their duty in governing the church. The locusts - — — mentioned in the Apocalypse, he saith, be the hypocrites reigning in A.D. the church. He sailh, also, that it is through the operation of Anti- _Hi^ Christ, that the flibles and inventions of men reign in the church, and l^l^^^'^ that ima
o o •i*'i tion of
that men do worship, every one, his proper samt and saviour mstead Matthias, of Christ, so that every man and city almost have their diverse and peculiar Christ. He taught and affirmed, moreover, that godliness and true worship of God are not tied to places, persons, or times, as though you would be heard more in this place than in another, at this time more than at another, &c. He argueth also against the cloisterers, who leaving the only and true Saviour, set up to them- selves their Francises, their Dominies, and such others, and have them for their saviours, glorying and triumphing in them, and feign- ing many forged lies about them. He was greatly and much offended Avith monks and friars for neglecting or rather burying the word of Christ, and for celebrating and setting up instead of him their own rules and canons ; affirming it to be much hurtful to true godliness, that the priests, monks, and nuns do account themselves only spiri- tual, and all others to be mundane and secular, challenging only to tliemselves the opinion of holiness, and contemning other men with all their public and social virtues as profone in comparison of their own state. He further writeth that Antichrist hath seduced all uni- versities and colleges of learned men, so that they teach no sound doctrine, neither give any light to Christians with their teaching. Final! V, he forewarneth that it will come to pass, that God yet once again will raise up godly teachers, who, being fervent in the spirit and zeal of Elias, shall disclose openly to the whole world and refute the errors of Antichrist, and Antichrist himself. This Matthias, in his said book " De Antichristo," allegeth the sayings and writings of the university of Paris, also the sermons of Gulielmus de Sancto Amore, and of Militzius hereafter noted, and of others on the same subject.'
About the same time, or shortly after (a.d. 1384), we read also Johannes of Johannes of Mountziger, rector of the university of Ulm, who g'"""^!'" openly in the schools in a certain oration propounded that the body '^s'/'"' of Christ was not God, and therefore ought not to be worshipped as the pope. God with that kind of worship called ' Latria," as the sophisters term it, meaning thereby that the sacrament ought not to be adored ; which afterwards he also defended by writing. He affirmed also, that Christ in his resurrection took to him again all his blood which in his passion he had shed ; meaning thereby to infer, that the blood of Christ, which in many places is worshipped, neither can be called the blood of Christ, neither ought to be worshipped. But by and by he was resisted and withstood by the monks and friars, who by this kind of idolatry were greatly enriched ; till at length the senate and council of the city were fain to take up the matter between them, referring the same to the university of Prague, which inclined to favour the propositions aforesaid.^
(I) Ilh-Ticua. rol. 17P2.— Ed. (2) I'l.,:icus, cnl. 1791.— Kd.
780 DIVKUS I.KAKN'I i) MEN WUITKKS AGAIXST THE TOPE
Xdirard NUus was arclibisllop of Thcssalonica, and lived nnicli about this
^''' time. He wrote a work in two books " Do priniatu Pappp,""' and a
A. I), treatise " l)e Purijatorio,'''' against the Latins ; that is, against such as
^'^""- took part and lield with llie church of Konic. His first work being
Niius, written in Greek, was afterward translated into Latin, and lately now
biThopof iiito English, in this our time. In the first book of this work, he
Imw^' javetli all the blame and fault of the dissension and schism between
the east and the west church upon the pope. He affirmed that the
pojie only would command what him listed, were it never so contrary
to all the old and ancient canons ; that he would hear and follow no
man*'s advice ; that he would not permit any free councils to be
assembled, &c. And that, therefore, it was not possible that the
controversies between the Greek church and the Latin church should
be decided and determined.
In the second book of this work, he purposely niaketh a very learned disputation. For first, he declareth that the bishop of Rome, no whit at all by God's commandment, but only by human law, hath any dignity, more than have other bishops; which dignity the coun- cils, the fathers, the emperors, have granted unto him : neither did they grant the same for any other consideration more, than for greater ordcr,^ and for that the same city then had the empery of all the whole worhl, and not at all for that Peter ever was there, or not there.
Secondarily he declareth, that the same primacy or prerogative is not such and so great, as he and his sycophants do usurp unto them- selves. Also he refuteth the chief propositions of the papists, one after another. He declareth that the pope hath no dominion more than other patriarchs have, and tliat he himself may err as well as other mortal men ; and that he is subject both to laws and councils, as well as other bishops. That it belonged not to him, but to the emperor, to call general councils ; and that in ecclesiastical causes he couhl establish and ordain no more than all other bishops might. And, lastly, that he is no further Peter's successor, than that he is a bishop, and that all other bishops in like manner be Peter's successors, &c.' Jacobus I cannot, among other, following here the occasion of this matter sis' and oflTered, leave out the memory of Jacobus of Misnia, a learned man and Miiitzius. ^ ^yritcr who lived in the time of John Huss, who also wrote " De Ad- ventu Antichristi.''' In the same he makctli mention of a certain learned man whose name was Miiitzius, which Miiitzius, he saith, was"af;imous and worthy preacher in Prague,"who lived about a.d. 1370, long before Huss, and before WicklifFalso. Jacobus cilcth many things out of his writings, in which this good Miiitzius thus declareth of himself, how he was moved and urged by the Holy Spirit to search out by the The com- sacrcd ScHpturcs concerning the coming of Antichrist, and found that ["!i,°[,J;"" now, in his time, he was already come ; and that he was constrained by the same Holy Si)irit to go up to Rome, and there publicly to preach ; and that afterwards before the inquisitor he affirmed the same, namely, that the same mighty and great Antichrist, which the Scriptures made mention of, was already come. He affirmed also, that the church through negligence of the pastors was become desolate, abounding, indeed, in temporal riches, but in spiritual riches empty;
(1) Printed in Goldasti de Monarchia, torn. i. p. 30. See Appendix. — Ed.
(2) •• Orilinis coiuervandi causa," Hlyricus.— Ed. (3) lUyricus, col. 1898, 1899.— Ed.
MILITZIUS PERSECUTED BY THE POPE. 781
and that tlie prediction in the Gospel was fulfilled, that " iniquity Kdwnrd
should abound," that is, by reason of the Mammon of iniquity. Also L-
he said, that there were in the church of Christ idols, which destroyed A. D. Jerusalem and made the temple desolate, but were cloaked by ^'^"i^- hypocrisy. Further, that there were many who denied Christ, for that they kept silence; neither dared to own Christ and confess his verity before men, but wittinyly imprisoned in their consciences the truth and righteousness of God.
There is also a certain bull of pope Gregory XI. to the arch- Miiuzius, bishop of Prague ; wherein he is commanded to excommunicate and mian!Vor prosecute Militzius and his auditors. 'J'hc same bull declareth, that the tnuu he was once a canon of Prague, but that afterwards he renounced cuted by his canonship, and began to preach, and openlv declared Antichrist '''^''"p*'" to be already come, and for that reason was of .Tohn, archbishop of Prague, put in prison ; also that the said Militzius had a company or congregation to whom he preached, and that in the same were certain liarlots, who had forsaken their evil life and did live godly and well, which harlots he used to say in his sermons were to be preferred before all the holy religious virgins. He taught also openly, that in the pope, cardinals, bishops, prelates, priests, and other religious men was no truth, neither that they taught the way of truth, but that only he, and such as held with him, taught the true way of salvation. His Postil^ in some places is yet to be seen. They allege nnto him certain other inconvenient articles, which notwithstanding I think the adversaries, to damage him withal, have slanderously depraved. He had, as appeareth by the aforesaid bull, very many of every state and condition, as well rich as poor, that cleaved nnto him. And thus much of good Militzius, living in the time of Gregory XI. and King Edward III., A.D. 1370.2
About A.D. 1871, lived Henricus de Iota, whom Gerson doth much commend, and also his companion Henricus de Hassia, an excellent learned and famous man. An epistle of this Henricus de Hassia, which he wrote to John, bishop of Worms, James Gruytrode, the Carthusian, hath inserted in his book " De Erroribus Ohristiano- rum." In the same epistle the author doth greatly accuse the spiri- tual men of every order, yea and the most holiest of all others, the pope himself, of many and great vices. He said, that the ecclesias- tical governors in the primitive church were to be compared to the sun shining in the day time ; and the political governors, to the moon shining in the night. But the spiritual men, he said, that now are, do never shine in the day time, nor yet in the night time, but rather with their darkness do obscure both the day and the night ; that is, with their filthy living, ignorance, and impiety. He citeth also out of the prophecy of Hildegard these words : " Therefore doth the devil in himself speak of you priests : Dainty banquets, and feasts wherein is all voluptuousness, do I find amongst these men ; insomuch that mine eyes, mine ears, my belly, and my veins, be even filled with the froth of them, and my breasts stand astrut with the riches of
(1) See Appendix for an explanation of t!iis word. — Ed.
(2) Ulyricus. cols. 1795, \79C graphs about Militzius and Jacohus Miiucnsis twice, thouu'h with variitions: see .su|,ra, p. 776, note (1). The two parai;raphs in the text are made up from a comparison of tlie two versions with each other and with the oritjinal in Ulyricus.— Kd.
782 MARTYllS BEFORE WICKLIFK.
£d>rard tlicui," &c. " I jUbll v," saltli slic, " tlicy every day more and more, as
'— Lucifer did, seek to climb liiglierand liiglier; till tliat every dav with
A. t>- liim^ more and more, tlicy full deeper and deeper."'
-— About A.I). l.'>f)0, tilt re were burned at Bingen tliirty-six citizens I'ns'ilf' *^f Mentz, lor tlie doctrine of the Waldcnses, as liruschius affirmctli ; Miiitz. ■which opinion was nothing contrary to that thev iield before, wherein they affirmed the pope to be that great Antichrist, whidi should come ; unless, pcradventure, tlie pope seemed then to be more evi- dently convicted of Antichristianity, tlian at any other time before lie was revealed to be.*^ A brief For the like cause, many other beside these are to be found in of MTrhM stories, who sustained the like persecutions by the pope, if leisure 7"win\ ^'^^^^^ serve to peruse all that might be searched. As where Masseus* for hold- recordcth of divers at Menerbe near Carcassone, in the province of a'l.tist Narbonne, to the number of a hundred and forty, who cliose rather If u'.'.inef '■^ suflcr wliatsocvcr grievous punishment by fire, than to receive the uf..re the dccrctals of the Komish church, contrary to the upridit truth of the wickiiff bcripture, a.d. 1^10.
What should I here speak of the twenty-four who suffered at Paris in the same year ? Also in the same author is testified that in the following year, at Lavaur, there were four hundred under the name of heretics burned, eighty beheaded, prince Aimericus hanged, and the lady of the caslle stoned to death.*
Moreover, in the Chronicles of Hoveden, and of other writers, be recited a marvellous number, who in the countries of France were burned for heretics; of whom, some were called Publicans, some Catharites, some Paterincs, and others by other names. What their assertions were, I find no certain report worthy of credit.' ffna?"'' ■'"" '^''■'''^'^"^'"s, it is signified of one Eckhard, a Dominican friar, burned, who, not long bcforc Wickliff's time, was condemned and suffered for heresy at Heidelburgh (a.d. 1330), who as he differeth not much in name, so may he be supposed to be the same, whom others do name ]icgliard, and is said to be burned at Erfurdt.^
Of the Albigenscs, because sufficient mention is made before, of whom great number were burned about the time of king John, I pass them over, mite^'^' Lil^ewise, I let pass the Eremite of whom John Bacon maketh rela- disputing tion,' who, disputing in PauPs Church, affirmed "That those sacraments thepoje's ^'^"ch were then used in the church (a.d. 1360) were not instituted J^i-ms ^■' d"^'-" Pcradventure, it was the same Kanulphus, mentioned in Ranui'. the Flower of Histories, and who is said to die in prison; for the P**"'- time of them doth not much differ.
In lioctius, why the pope should so much commend a certain king, because for one man he had slain four hundred, shamefully mutilating the rest, I cannot judge, except the cause were that which the pope calleth heresy.
But to let these things overpass that be uncertain, because neither is it possible to comprehend all them who have withstood the corrup-
(I) Illyricus, cola 1800, 1801. The reader will find this passage from Hildegard repeated, with Bomc variation, infri. vol. jii. p. 133; the original Latin is there fjiven in thenole.— Ed.
{i) lb. col. 150fi. See Appendix.— El).
Drought forward appear in the befiniiinir of lib. xvii.
(4) See Appendix. (5) Ibid. (6) Ibid. (7) 2 Dist. Quwst. 1.
WKITKUS i'AKTlAL, VAllIANCE ABOUT CllOSS-BEAKING. 783
tion of tlie pope's see, neither have we any such firm testimony left E.iward of their doings, credibly to stay upon, we will now (Christ willing) '"' convert our story to things more certain and undoubted; grouiuling A.I), upon no light reports of feeble credit, nor upon any fabulous legends ^•^~'^' without authority, but upon the true and substantial copies of the public records of the realm, remaining yet to be seen under the king's most sure and fliithful custody : out of the which records' such matter appeareth against the popish church of Rome, and against its usurped authority, such open standing and crying out against the said see, and that not privily, but also in open parliament, in the days of this king Edward III., that neither will the Romish people of this our age easily think it to be true when they see it, neither yet shall they be able to deny the same, so clear standetli the force of those records.
Ye heard a little before (p. 683), how John Stratford, archbishop Partial of Canterbury, being sent for, and required by the king to come unto faffo^rn him, refused so to do. What the cause was why he denied to come """i '"^:
1 1 • 1 T • -1 1 1 (> f^ 1 1 -I T • • 1 tones of
at the kmgs sending, is neither touched oi Folydore Virgil nor the of any other monkish chronicler writing of those acts and times ; En"gilnd. Avhose part had been, faithfully to have dispensed the simple truth of things done to their posterity. But that which they dissemblingly and colourably have concealed, contrary to the true law of story, the true cause thereof Ave have found out by the true parliament rolls declaring the story thus : —
King Edward III., in the sixth year of his reign, hearing that Edward Baliol had proclaimed himself king of Scotland, required counsel of the whole state, to wit, whether were better for him to assail Scotland, and to claim the demesing or demesnes of the same ; or else by making him party to take his advantage, and thereby to enjoy the service, as other his ancestors before him had done. For this cause he summoned a parliament of all estates to meet at York, about the beginning of December. Where the king was already come, waiting for the ctftiiing of such as were warned thereunto ; for the want of whose coming the parliament was adjourned till Monday, and from thence to Tuesdaj' next ensuing. None other of all the clergy came, but only the archbishop of York, the bishops of Lincoln and Carlisle, and the abbots of York and Selby ; so that hereunto came not the archbishop of Canterbury, nor above one of his province, The arch- and all for bearing the cross, whereby the same was a loss of the opportunity bishop of against Scotland. For, inasmuch as the matters to be debated were so weighty, ^^",!'''^" and most of the states were absent, the assembly required the prorogation of came not the parliament until the Utas of St. Hilary then ensuing, at York, which was '° ^^^ granted. And so a new summons was especially awarded to every person with n,e„, ^t special charge to attend, so that the affairs of the king and the realm might not York, and be hindered because of the debate between the archbishop of Canterbury and ^|.'arjn„ the archbishop of York, for the superior bearing of their cross. the cross.
In conclusion, for all the king's summoning, the archbishop of Canterbury came not.^
And thus much out of the records, whereby thou mayest easily judge (pru- dent reader) what is to be thought of these pope-holy catholic churchmen, being of the pope's brood and setting up ; whom such frivolous causes of contention stir up both to such disquietness among themselves, and also to such disobedience against their prince : excuse them who can.
It followeth, moreover, in the same records, concerning the abandoning of Tlie the pope's provisions,^ how that the commons find great fault about provisions P"?'^''' coming from Rome, whereby strangers were enabled within this realm to enjoy lion's ro- ecclesiastical dignities, and show divers inconveniencies ensuing thereby ; strainsd. namely, the decay of daily alms, the transporting of the treasure to nourish the
(1) Ex Archivis Regise Majestatis. [Ihe following extracts from the Parliamentary Rolls have ■been collated with the printed copy, and corrected in many particulars. See the Appendix. — Ed.] (.2) Ex an. 6. Regis Ed. III. tit. 1. (3) Ex an. 17. Reg. Ed. ill. tit. 59.
784 ACT OF EDWARD I. AGAINST PROVISIONS REVIVED.
K.iuard king's enemies, the discovering of the secrets of the realm, and the disabling ^^'- and impoverishing of tlie cU-rks within this realm. They also show how the „ pope had granted to two new cardinals (one of whom, namely cardinal Pera- l\-n goi^'z. was a bitter enemy of tiie king and of the realm) benefices within this realm ^'^'^' to the amount of ti.OOO marks by the Valor Ecclesiasticus, which (owing to the The general and covert terms of the grant) might and would be extended to 10,000
tli^M'id'^ marks. They tlierefore required tiie king and nobles to find some remedy, for •poUrdby that they nei'tlier could nor would any longer bear those strange oppressions; the pope or else to help tiicm to expel out of this realm the pope's power by force. i foreign- Hcreu])on the king, lords, and commons, sent for tiie Act made at Carlisle in
er». the thirty- fiftli year of king Edward I. upon the like complaint, the which for-
Theact bade tiiat any tiling should be attempted or brought into the realm, which war^i should tend to the blemishing of the king's prerogative, or to the prejudice of a^'Jiiist his lords or commons. And so at this time the statute called the ' Act of Pro- papal pro- vision ' was made by common consent, which generally forbiddeth the bringing revWed. in of any bulls or such trinkets from tlie court of Rome, or the using, enjoying, or allow'ing of any such bull, process, instrument, or such ware, as therein at large doth appear ;2 which suflHciently is touched before, pp. 689, 77G, 777.
The penalty of the aforesaid statute afterwards followed in the next parlia- ment, which was this: the transgressors thereof were to lie in perpetual prison, or to be forcjured the land ; and that all justices of assize, gaol delivery, and oyer and terminer, may determine the same. Ordered withal, that the same ' Act of provision ' should continue for ever.* rrcsen- Item, In the said eighteenth year of the reign of king Edward, it was, tation moreover, propounded, that if the lawful patron, whether archbishop, or any four"" person religious, or other, do not present within four months sonie able clerk to months, any benefice, which any person hatli obtained from Rome by provision, bull, &c., but surcease the same, that then the king may present some able clerk to the said benefice for that turn.* Noeiec- Item, It was propounded in the said parliament, that if any bishop elect tionstobe shall refuse to take the bishopric otherwise than by such bull, that then such elect theVope, s^'^'^ ""' enter or enjoy his temporalties without the special license of the king.* but only' Also that the king shall dispose all the benefices and dignities of such aliens ^^j^'''^ liis enemies, as remain in the country of his enemies, and shall employ the DUpo- profits thereof to the defence of the realm, save what is necessary to maintain sition of the sacred edifices and divine worship therein.''
benefices Moreover, it was propounded, that commissioners be sent to all the king's thcVing's ports, to apprehend all persons bringing in any instrument from Rome coTitrary hand. to this order, and to bring them, forthwith, before the council to answer thereto.' Bulls Propounded furthermore, that tlie deanery of York, which is recovered by
Koine for- jufJg"!''"^ in the king's court, maybe bestowed upon some able man within the bidJen. realm, who will maintain the same against him (meaning the cardinal afore- Deinery said) wlio holdetli the same by provision from Rome, being the enemy of the "Ikln''' ^^'"g ^^^ of ^^^ realm, and that the profits may be employed to the defence of from the the realm.*
cardinal. fhe king's answer. To all which petitions answer was made in form follow- kkT's ■"?• " ^^ '^ ^S^eed by the king, earls, barons, justices, and other wise men of an"swer the law, that the jictitions aforesaid be reduced to proper form of law, according
to the tQ the prayer of the said parliament." aforesaid ' -^
petitions. ^^^^^ .^^ ^^^.^ answer of the king, good reader, that at the grant hereof tlic consent of the bisliops is neither named, nor expressed, Avith tlie otlier hirds of the parliament : and yet the act of parliament standclh in its full force, notwithstanding.
Notes of the Parliament holden in the Twentieth Year of King Edward III.
Alien T" piss on further, in the twentieth year of the king's reign, in the parlia-
nionksto ment holden September Sth, the commons prayed, that ail alien monks should avoid.
(1) Kx an. 17. Ed. III. tit. 53. (2) Ibid. tit. fio. (.'il Ex an. Reg. Ed. 18, tit 32. 3^.
(4j Ibid. tit. 34. (.■)) Ibid. tit. 35. ((i) Ibid. lit. 30. (7) Ibid. tit. 37. (SMhid. tit. 38
NOTES OUT OF THE PARLIAMENT ROLLS AGAINST THE POPE. 785
avoid the realm by Micliaelmas next coming, and that their houses and livings EJuard should be disposed of to young English scholars. Answer: being spiritual m- persems they could not be displaced without the king's consent ; but tiieir temporalities were already in his hands.' A.JJ.
Item, That the king would take into his own hands the profits of all other _____ strangers' livings, as cardinals and others, during their lives. Answer : the same as the last.^
Tiiat any aliens, enemies to England but advanced to livings here in Eng- I-ivings land, who should henceforth remain here, should be outlawed, and their goods misii" seized to the king's use, and be bestowed on Englishmen able to teach the sTangers parishioners and supply the chantries; for that the aliens aforesaid were but J'^J^]^',,'*)''^ shoemakers, tailors, or chamberlains to cardinals, and unable to teach. Answer : lishmen. the same as before.
The commons wished not to make any payment to anj' cardinals sojourning abroad in France to treat of war or peace : which was granted as reasonable.^
Item, It was propounded and fully agreed, that the yearly advance-.rent of carciinals two tliousand marks, granted by the pope to two cardinals of the provinces of deprived Canterbury and York, should be restrained, and that any who might sue at law \\yfni:s for the same should be outlawed.* in Eng-
Likewise it was enacted and agreed, that no Englishman should take any '^°'^" church or other benefice in farm of any alien religious, or buy any of their goods, or be of their counsel, on pain of forfeiting his goods and imprisonment for life.
Enacted further. That no person. Englishman or alien, should bring to any bi«hop or other person of the realm, any bull or other papal letter touching any foreign matter, unless he first show the same to the chancellor or warden of the Cinque Ports ; upon loss of all he hath.
Finally, the parliament having resolved to request of the king to take posses- sion of all benefices held by aliens, the archbishops and bishops of England were all commanded, before the next convocation to certify to the king in his chancery the names of such aliens and their benefices, and the" values of the same.'
Notes of. the Five and Twentieth Year of King Edward III.
The parliament of the twenty-fifth year of the reign of king Edward III. The was begun on Wednesday, the Utas of the Purification [Feb. 9th, a. d. 1351]. P"pe's In that parliament, beside other matters, it was prayed, that remedy might be f/^'j^ ^^j had against the pope's reservations, and receiving the first fruits of all eccle- re-er- siastical dignities in England; which, with the brokage attendant thereon, were ^'a''""» a greater consumption to the realm, than all the king's wars." iTurTful
Also, that the like remedy might be had against such as in the court of Rome presumed to undo any judgment given in the king's court, as if they laboured [^31^311 to undo the laws of the realm. tiie kin^j's
VVhereunto it was answered, that there was sufficient remedy already pro- ^^"• vided by law.'' [The Statute of Provisors is then given (tit. 43), the same as is found in the Statutes at Large under 25 Ed. III.]
Notes of the Eight and Thirtieth Year of King Edward III.
In the parliamentholden atWestminster, the thirty-eighth year of Edward 1 1 1., Tlie re- on Monday the Utaves of St. Hilary [Jan. 20th, a.d. 1365], Simon, bishop of Ely, ^"^'^'j"'' being lord chancellor, it was by the king's own mouth declared to all the estates fo'r^ causes how citations came daily to all sorts of persons in the realm through false "ot to lie suggestions made to the pope, for matters determinable in his courts within the mi'ned at realm, and for procuring provisions to ecclesiastical dignities, to the great de- Rome, fiicing of the ancient laws, to the spoiling of his crown, to the daily conveying '^^'hat away of the treasure, to the wasting of ecclesiastical livings, to the withdraw- ^omehl^ ing of divine service, alms, hospitahty, and other acceptable works, and to the trans- daily increase of all mischiefs : wherefore, in person, and by his own mouth, the pof'ng king required all the estates to provide hereof due remedy. An ordinance Rom"'" was accordingly prepared and enacted the Saturday following.*
(1) An. 20. Edw. III. tit. 30. (2) Ibid. tit. 31. (3) Ibid. tit. 32, 33, 34. (4) Ibirt. tit. 35. (5) Ibid. tit. .■57, 42, 4r,. (6) 25 an. Reg. Edw. Ill, tit. 13. (7) Ibid. tit. 14.
(s) 3S Edw.li:. tit. 7, 8,9.
VOL. II. 3 E
786 NOTES OUT OF THK PARLIAMENT UOLLS AGAINST THE POPE.
Eriuard It is to bo noted finally in this parliament of the thirty-eighth year, that the
^''- Act of I'rovisors bronjiht'in during tiiis pailiament, although in the printed copy
J. [chapters 1, 2, .■5.4,] it doth agree witli the record in manner, yet in the said
,^-Q records, imprinted, are more biting words against the pope : a mystery not to
L be known of all men *
Tlie
ittatute Notes of tlic Fortieth Year of King Edward III.
of pro- vision. It followeth, moreover, in the said acts of king Edward III., and in the fortieth year of his reign, that another parliament was called at Westminster on the Monday after the Invention of the Holy Cross [May Itli, a.d. 13GG],2 the bishop of Ely being lord chancellor and speaker; who, on the second day of the said jissenibly, in tlie presence of the king, lords, and commons, declared how the day before they understood the cause of this their assembly generalh', and now should understand the same more particulai'ly ; especially how that The pope the king understood that the l)ope, for the homage which he said king John mindeih made to the see of Rome for the realms of England and Ireland, and for the aKuIns" tribute nf a thousand marks annually by him granted, meant to institute a process the king against the king and the realm, to recover the same; wlierein the king required by pro- their advices, what were best for him to do, if any such thing were attempted; granting them a respite of answer until the next day, when the bishops, lords, and commons should answer separately. King The next day the whole of the estates re-assembled together, and bj' common ^°^?. , consent enacted in effect as follows, viz.. That neither king John, nor any other, without ' could bring himself or his realm and people into such subjection, but by their consent common assent ; and if he did what was alleged, yet it was abundantly evident I^J^t 'h» he did it without their assent, and against his coronation oath ; and therefore come tri- if the pope should attempt anything against the king, by process or in any
butary to other manner, the king with all his subjects should with all their force and the pope. „ .i a "^
. , power resist the same.-*
Agreed i . .,,.,., ,. ,
that the Here, moreover, is not to be omitted, how, in the said present parliament, the
''i"R universities of Oxford and Cambridge on the one side, and the friars of the four
resist the Orders Mendicant in the snid universities on the other side, made long complaints
pope. the one against the other to the king in parliament of certain mutual outrages,
dis])utes and mischiefs, and in the end submitted themselves to the king's
order.* Brawl be- After this the king, upon full digesting of the whole matter, by assent of tween the parliament took order; that as well the chancellors and masters, regent and d'eisof' non-regent, and all others of the said universities, as the friars of those ordei"s friars and in the said universities, should in all graces and school exercises use each
tlie two
'. other in friendly wise, without any tumult, as they were wont to do before a ties. certain statute was lately passed in the said universities, ordaining that none of
those orders should receive any scholars of the said univer.sities into their said orders, being under the age of eighteen years : which statute the king annulled. Friars That the said friars shall take no advantage of any processes which have
subject to been instituted by them in the court of Rome against the said universities since ■""'ii'h^ the passing of the said statute, nor proceed therein ; and that the king have coniro- power to redress all controversies between them from thenceforth ; and the versies. offenders to be punished at the pleasure of the king and his council.*
Notes of tlie Fiftieth Year of King Edward III.
Against In process of the aforesaid acts and rolls it followeth more, that in the fiftieth
nition"? •^'^'^ of the reign of king Edward IH. another great parliament was assembled the pope, "t Westminster on the Monday after thefeast of St.George [April 28th, a.d. 1376]; The where, Sir John Knyvet being lord chancellor of England, a certain long bill
cauNeof ^yag pyt „p against tlie usurpations of the pope, as being the cause of all the in En'g- pbigues, murrains, famine, and poverty of the realm, so that thereby was not land. k'ft of per.sons, or other connnodily within the realm, the third that lately was.*
Treasure J I. That the taxes paid to the pope of Re. me for ecclesiastical dignities, do realm amount to fivefold as much as the tax of all profits which appertain to the king, conveyed
away. (I) 25 an. Ufg. F.dw. III. tit. 9. (2) 10 an. Ed. III. tit. 7. (3) Tit. 8. (4) Tit. 9— 11.
(5) Tit. 10, II, VI. (G) Ex ArchivisUegiseM.ijestatis, an. SO. Re;;. Ed. tit. 94.
NOTES OUT OF THK PARLIAMENT ROLLS AGAINST THE POPE. 787
by the year, out of his whole realm ; and that for some one bishopric or other Edward dignity voided, the pope, by means of translations, hath two or three several ■'^•'^^• taxes.'
A.D.