Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol. 1] with an vniuersall history of the same, wherein is set forth at large the whole race and course of the Church, from the primitiue age to these latter tymes of ours, with the bloudy times, horrible troubles, and great persecutions agaynst the true martyrs of Christ, sought and wrought as well by heathen emperours, as nowe lately practised by Romish prelates, especially in this realme of England and Scotland. Newly reuised and recognised, partly also augmented, and now the fourth time agayne published and recommended to the studious reader, by the author (through the helpe of Christ our Lord) Iohn Foxe, which desireth thee good reader to helpe him with thy prayer.

* Notes of certaine Parliament matters passed in this kings dayes.

To proceede now further in the raigne of this king, & to intreat also some thing of his parliamentes, as we haue done of other before, first we wil beginne with the Parlia∣ment holden in the first yere of hys comming in.

Moreouer, forsomuch as our Catholike papistes will not beleue yet the cōtrary, but that the iurisdiction of their father the pope hath euer extended throughout all y^e world, as well here in England as in other places: here therefore speaking of the Parliaments holden in this kings dayes concerning thys matter, I refer them to the Parliament of the sayd king Henry in his first yere holden, and to the 27. article of the same. Where they may reade in the 10. obiecti∣on laid against K. Richard in plaine words: how that, for asmuch as the crowne of this realme of England, and the iurisdiction belonging to y^e same, as also the whole realme it selfe, at all times lately past, hath ben at such libertie, and enioyed such prerogatiue, that neyther the Pope, nor any other out of the same kingdome ought to intrude himselfe, nor intermedle therein: it was therefore obiected vnto the forenamed king Richarde the 2. for procuring the letters Apostolical from the Pope, to the confirming and corobo∣rating of certaine statutes of hys, and that hys censures myght be prosecuted against the breakers thereof. Whyche seemed then to the Parliament, to tend against the crowne and regall dignitie, as also against the statutes & liberties of the said thys our realme of England. Act. Parl. An. 1. Reg. Henrici 4. Act 27.

Furthermore, in the second yeare of the saide king, thys was in the Parliament required, that all such persones as shalbe arested by force of the statute made against the Lol∣lardes, in the 2. yeare of Henry 4. may be bailed, and freely make their purgation: That they be arested by none other then by the Sheriffes or such like officers, neither that any hauocke be made of their goods. The king granted to take aduise therein.

In the 8. yeare moreouer of thys kings raigne, it was likewise propounded in the Parliament, that all suche per∣sons as shall procure or sue in the court of Rome any pro∣cesse touching any benefice, collation, or presentation of the same, shal incurre the paine of y^e statute of prouisors, made in the 13. yeare of Richard 2. whereunto the king granted, that the statutes herefore prouided should be obserued.

Item, in the sayde Parliament, there it was put vp by petition, that the king might enioy halfe the profits of eue∣ry parsons benefice, who is not resident thereon. Therun∣to the king aunswered, that the ordinaries should do theyr duties therein, or els he would prouide further remedie, to stay their pluralities.

Item, in the sayde Parliament, it was required: that none do sue to the court of Rome for any benefice, but only in the kings courtes.

¶ In the next yere folowing, which was the 9. of this Kyng, an other petition of the Commons was put vp in Parliament against the court of Rome, whych I thought good here to expresse as foloweth.

The Commons do beseeche, that forasmuch as diuers prouisors of the benefices of holy Church, dwelling in the Court of Rome, through their singular couetounes now newly imagined to destroy those that haue bene long time incumbents in diuers their benefics of holy church peace∣ably, some of them by the title of the king, some by title or∣dinary, and by the title of other true patrōs therof, by cou∣lor of prouisions, collations, and other grauntes made to the sayd prouisors by the Apostoil, of the sayd benefices, do pursue processes in the said court by citation made beyond the sea, without any citations made within the Realme in deede against the same incumbents, whereby many of the said incumbents through such priuy & crafty processes and sentences of priuation and inhabilitation, haue lost theyr benefices, and others put in the places of the saide incum∣bents before the publication of the same sentēces, they not knowing any thing, and many are in great hassarde to lose theyr benefices through such processes, to theyr perpetuall destruction and mischiefe: and forasmuch as thys mischiefe cannot be holpen wythout an especiall remedy be had by parliament: Pleaseth it the king to consider the great mis∣chiefe and daunger that may so come vnto diuers hys sub∣iects without their knowledge through such citations out of the realme, and therupon to ordaine by the aduise of the Lords of this present Parliament, that none presented, be receiued by any ordinarie vnto any benefice of any such in∣cumbent for any cause of priuation or inhabilitation wher∣of the processe is not founded vpon citation made wythin the realme, and also that such incumbents may remaine in all theyr benefices, vntil it be prooued by due enquest in the court of the King, that the citations whereupon such pri∣uations & inhabilitations are graunted, were made with∣in the Realme: and that if such Ordinaries, or such presen∣ted or others, doe pursue the contrary, that then they and theyr procurators, fautours and counsellours doe incurre the paines contained in the statute made against prouisors in the 13. yere of the raigne of the late Richard king of En∣gland the second, by processes to be made as is declared in the statute made against suche prouisors in the 27. yeare of the raigne of king Edward, predecessour to our Lorde the king that nowe is, any royall licences or grauntes in any maner to the contrary notwithstanding, and that all other statutes made against prouisors, and not repealed before this present Parliament, be in their full force, and be firm∣ly kept in all poyntes.

That the kings counsell haue power by authoritye of Parliament, in case that any man finde himselfe griened in particular, that he may pursue: and that the said counsel by the aduise of the iustices do right vnto the parties. This to endure vntil the next parliament, reseruing alwayes vnto the king his prerogatiue and libertie.

Item, that no Popes collector thenceforth should leuy any money within the realme, for first fruites of any eccle∣siasticall dignitie, vnder payne of incurring the statute of prouisions.

Besides in the sayd Parliament holden the 11. yeare of this king, is to be noted: how the commōs of the land, put vp a Bill vnto the kyng, to take the temporall landes out from spirituall mens handes or possession. The effecte of which Bill was, that the temporalities, disordinately wa∣sted by men of the Churche, might suffice to finde to the K. xv. Earles, xv. C. Knightes, vi. M. CC. Esquires, and a C. houses of almose, to the reliefe of poore people, moe then at those dayes were wythin England: And ouer all these foresayd charges, the king might put yearely in his cofers xx. M. pounde.

Prouided, that euery Earle should haue of yerely rent iii. M. marke, and euery Knight C. marke, and iiii. plough landes: Euery Esquier xl. marke by yeare, with ii. plough landes, & euery house of almose C. marke, wyth ouersight of two true seculars vnto euery house: And also with pro∣uision,

that euery towneship should keepe all pore people of their owne dwellers, whych might not labour for theyr liuing: with condition, that if moe fell in a towne then the towne might maintaine, than the said almes houses to re∣lieue such towneships.

And for to beare these charges, they alledged by theyr sayd bil, y^t the temporalties, being in the possession of spiri∣tual men, amounted to iii. C. and xxii. M. marke by yeare. Wherof they affirmed to be in the see of Cant. with the ab∣baies of Christes church, of S. Augustines, Shrewsbury, Coggeshale, and S. Osus xx. M. marke by yere. In the see of Yorke and Abbeyes there xx. M. marke. In the see of Winchester, and abbeys there xx. M. marke. In the see of London, w^t abbeys and other houses there, xx. M. marke. In the see of Lincolne, wyth the abbeys of Peterborowe, Ramsey and other, xx. M. marke. In the see of Norwych, with the abbeys of Bury and other, xx. M. marke. In the see of Ely, Spalding and other, xx. M. marke. In the see of Bathe, wyth the abbey of Okinborne and other, xx. M. marke. In the see of Worcester, wyth the abbeys of Eui∣sham, Abingdon & other, xx. M. marke. In the see of Che∣ster with the precinct of the same, with the sees of s. Dauid, of Salisbury, and Exceter, wyth their precinctes xx. M. marke. The abbeis of Rauens or Reuans of Fountains, of Bernons, and diuers other to the number of v. moe, xx. M. marke. The abbeys of Leicester, Walthan, Gosborne, Merton, Ticetir, Osney and other, vnto the number of vi. mo, xx. M. marke. The abbeys of Douers, Batil, Lewys, Couentry, Dauentre, & Tourney, xx. M. marke. The ab∣bais of Northhampton, Thortō, Bristow, Killingworth, Winchcombe, Nailes, Parchissor, Frideswide, Notly, and Grimmisby, xx. M. marke.

The which foresaid sommes amount to the full of iii. c. M. marke. And for the odde of xxii. M. marke, they apoin∣ted Hardford, Rochester, Huntingdō, Swineshed, Crow∣land, Malmesbury, Burton, Teukesbury, Dunstable, Shirborne, Taunton and Biland.

And ouer this they alleaged by the sayde bill, that ouer and aboue the said summe of iii. C. and xxii. M. marke, di∣uers houses of religion in England, possessed as many tē∣poralties as might suffice to find yerely xv. M. priests and clerks, euery priest to be allowed for his stipend vii. marke by the yeare.

To the which Bill no answer was made, but that the king of this matter wold take deliberation & aduisement, and wyth that answer ended, so that no further labor was made.

These things thus hitherto discoursed, touching suche actes and matters as haue bene incident in the lyfe time of this king, followeth next the 13. yeare of his raigne. In the which yeare, the sayd king Henry the 4. after that hee had sent a little before a certaine company of captaines & soul∣diours to aide the duke of Burgundy in Fraunce (among whome was the Lord Cobham) keping his Christenmas at Eltham, fell greeuously sicke. From thence, he was con∣neied to London, where he began to call a parliament, but taryed not the end. In the meane time, the infirmitie of the king more and more increasing, he was takē and brought into a bed in a fair chamber at Westminster. And as he lay in his bed, he asked how they called the same chamber: and they answered and sayde, Ierusalem. And then he sayde it was his prophecie, that he should make his ende in Ieru∣salem. And so disposing himselfe towarde hys ende, in the foresayd chamber he died: vpon what sicknesse, whether of leprosie, or some other sharpe disease, I haue not to affirm. Ex vetust. Chron. Anglico, cuius initium, That all men called. The like prophecy we read, that pope Siluester, 2. pa. 180. to whom being inquisitiue for the time and place where he should die, it was answered, that he shuld die in Ierusalē. Who then saying Masse in a Chappel (called likewise Ie∣rusalem) perceiued his end there to be nere, and died. And thus K. Henry the 4. successor to the lawful K. Richard 2. finished hys life at Westminster, and was buried at Cant. by the tombe of Thomas Becket. &c. An. 1413.

Notes

• Notes of this kings parlia∣ments.
• The popes iu∣risdiction exclu∣ded out of this realme.
• Ex Anno. 1. Reg. Henrici. Act. 27.
• Anno. Reg. Henr. 4. Ast. 29.
• An. 8. Reg. Hen∣ri. 4. Act. 116.
• An 8. Reg. Hen. 4. act. 114.
• Ibide act. 37
• Ex Rotulo Parlamen∣ti. an. 9. Henrici. 4.
• The wicked¦nes of popes prouisors in citing and depriuing beneficed men in Eng∣land, their citation be∣ing not kno∣wen in the realme.
• Ann. 9. Re∣gis Henrici. 4. act. 43.
• Ex Chronic. D. Albani, Fabiano, & alijs.
• A compu∣tation of Churche goods, to how much they doe mount.
• Ann. 1413.
• The kyng had a pro∣phecie, that he should die in Ieru∣salem. Prophecies deceiueable Ex vetust. Chron. Anglico, cui initium est.
• That al men called. The pro∣phecie of pope Sylue∣ster. 2.