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.

Statut. an. 2. Henri. 4. cap. 15. Intituled in the Rolle thus: Petitio Cleri contra heteti∣cos, and assented vnto in this forme.

QVas quidem petitiones praelatorum & cleri superius expres∣satas do. noster Rex, de consensu magnatum & aliorum procerum regni sui, in praesenti Parliamento existentium conces∣sit, & in omnibus & singulis iuxta formam & effectum eorundé ordinauit & statuit de caerero firmiter obseruari

, and so forth ac∣cording to the petition: and moe wordes, are there not in y^e statute Rolle. Wherfore wher as the statute booke printed hath thus:

Super quibus quidem nouitatibus & excessibus supe∣reus recitatis (videlicet in the petition of the Prelates & cler∣gy) praelati & clerus supradicti ac etiam communitates dicti Reg¦ni in eodem Parliamento existen. dicto Domino Regi supplica∣runt. &c. Qui quidem Dominus Rex. &c. ex assensu magnatum & aliorum procerum eiusdem Regni &c. concessit ordinauit. &c.

These wordes

Ac etiam communitates dicti Regni. &c.

are put in further then the Rolle doth warrant, and seemeth to be the practise of the clergie, to make that as an Acte of Parliament, and to seeme to haue the force of a law, which was neuer assented vnto by the commons.

And thus you see howe this foresayd statute, Printed both in English and in Latine among y^e Prouincial coun∣cels of Oxford (by the vertue whereof so many good men haue bene burned so long in England) doth vtterly ouer∣throw it selfe, for that it swerueth from the recorde bothe in forme and in matter, and lacketh the assent of the commons Which doubt I thought at this present to propound vnto you (mayster Cope) for that you haue so vrged me to the searching out of the statutes, by your declayming agaynst the Lord Cobham.

Moreouer vnto this statute aforesayd, ioyne also with all an other Memorandum of like practise done. an. 5. Rich. 2. In the which yeare, where as a statute was concluded y^• parliament. an. 5. Rich. 2. chap. 5. agaynst certayne prea∣chers specified in y^e same statute, which going about in cer∣taine habites from place to place, did drawe the people to sermons. And commissions were made and directed in the sayd parliament to the shrines, to arrest all such preachers and to imprison the same, at the certifications of the Pre∣lates. Here is then to be noted, that the same statute an. 5. Rich. 2. cap. 5. was reuoked by the king in the parliament. an. 6. Rich. 2 vpon the wordes of the commons being these videl. Forasmuch as the same statute was neuer assented, ne graunted by the commons, but that which therein was done, was done without their assent, and now ought to be vndone, for that it was neuer their meaning to be iustified and to bind themselues and their successors to the prelates no more, then their auncetours had done before them. Ex Rotul. And yet thys foresayd reuocation notwithstanding in Queene Maryes tyme, they inquired vppon that sta∣tute.

In searching of these statutes, as you haue accasioned me to find out these scruples: so being foūd out, I thought here not to dissemble them, for so muche as I see and heare many now a dayes so boldly to beare themselues vpō this statute, and thinking so to excuse themselues do say, y^t they haue done nothing but the law the law: to the intent that these men seeing now how inexcusable they be both before God and man hauing no law to beare them out, may y^e so∣ner repent their bloudy and vnlawfull tyranny, exercised so long agaynst Gods true seruauntes, yet in time before that the iust law of God shall finde out their vniust dea∣linges, which partly he beginneth already to do, and more no doubt will doe hereafter.

In the meane tyme this my petition I put vp to the Commous, and to all other which shall hereafter put vp a¦ny petition to the Parliamēt: that they being admonished by this abuse, wil shew thēselues heare after more wise & circumspect: both what they agree vnto in Parliamentes, & also what commeth out in their name. And as these good Commons in this time of king Henry 4. would not con∣sent nor agree to this bloudy statute, nor to anye other like For so we read that the Commons in that bloudy time of king Henry 4. when an other like cruell byll was put vp by the Prelates in an. 8. Hen. 4. against the Lollards, they neither consented to this, and also ouerthrow the other: so in like maner it is to be wished, that the commons in this our time, or such other that shall haue to do in parliaments hereafter following the steppes of these former times, will take vigilant heede to such cruell billes of the Popes pre∣lacy, being put vp, that neither their consent do passe rash∣ly: nor that their names in any condition be so abused, Cō∣sidering with themselues that a thing once being passed in the parliament, cannot afterward be called back: And a li∣tle inconuenience once admitted, may grow afterward to mischiefes that cannot be stopped. And sometime it may so happen that through rashe consent of voices, the ende of thinges being not well aduised, such a thing being graun∣ted in one day, that afterward many dayes may cause the whole realme to rue. But I trust men are bitten enough with suche blacke parliamentes to beware of afterclaps. The Lord Iesus onely protector of his church, stop al craf∣ty deuises of subtile enemies, and with his wisedom direct our Parliamentes, as may be most to the aduauntage of his word, and comfort of hys people. Amen. Amen.

And thus much hauing sayd for the defence of the Lord Cobbā, of syr Roger Acton knight, maister Iohn Browne Esquier, Iohn Beuerly preacher, and of other their fel∣lowes agaynst Alanus Copus Anglus, here I make an ende with this presēt Interim, till furthur leysure serue me here after (Christ willing) to pay him the whole Interest which I owe vnto him. Adding this in the meane time, and by the way: that if mayster Cope had bene a Momus anye thing reasonable, he had no great cause so to wrangle with me in this matter, who as I did commend the Lord Cob∣ham & that worthyly, for hys valiaūt standing by y^e truth, of his doctrine before Thomas Arundell the Archbishop so touching the matter of this conspiracie, I did not affirm or define any thing therof in my former historie so precisely that he could well take any vauntage of agaynst me, who in writing of this conspiracy layd agaynst syr Roger Ac∣ton, And syr Iohn Oldcastle, do but disiūctiuely or doubt∣fully speake thereof, not concluding certainly this conspi∣racie eyther to be true or not true, but only prouing y^e same

not to be true at that time, as Polydore Virgill. and Edward▪ Hall in their histories doe affirme: which say that this con∣spiracie began after the burning of Iohn Husse and Hie∣rome of Prage. Which could not be. And thereto tendeth my assertion. My wordes are playne, and are these. pag. 174. col. 2. line. 13. Wherefore it is euident that there was eyther no conspiracie at all agaynst the king: or els that it was at some other tyme, or done by other Captaynes. &c.

These be my wordes with other moe, pag. col. and line aboue noted. In the which proposition disiunctiue, if ey∣ther part be true, it is enough for me. His part it was to refell both, which he hath not done. But onely standing fast vpon the one part, dissimuleth the other. And this is Alanus Copus Anglus, who by that he shall come frō Rome (whether he is nowe gone as I heare say) I trust he will returne a better Logician home agayne in suam Angliam.

But to the truth of our matter, as I sayde before, so I say agayne, whatsoeuer this worthy, noble and vertuous knight syr Roger Acton was otherwise, this is certaine y^t he was alwaies of contrary minde, and opinion to the bi∣shop of Rome, & to that kind of people, for the which cause he had great enuy and hatred at their hands: and could as litle beare it: neither do I greatly dissent from them, which do suspect or iudge that the Lord Cobham, by his friendly helpe escaped out of the Tower, and that peraduenture was the cause why he was apprehended and brought to trouble, and in the end came to his death. Other causes al∣so theyr might be, that these good men percase did frequent among themselues, some cōuenticles (which conuenticles was made treason by the statute aforesayd) either in those Thickets or in some place els: for the hearing of Gods word, and for publique prayer, and therefore had they thys Beuerly theyr preacher with them.

But to conclude whatsoeuer this sir Roger Acton was this is y^e truth, which I may boldly record, as one writing the Actes and thinges done in the Church, that he was at length apprehended, condemned and put to death or mar∣tirdome. 3. yeares and more before the Lord Cobham died Likewise M. Iohn Browne, and Iohn Beuerly the prea∣cher, suffered with him the same kinde of death (as some say) in the field of S. Giles with other moe, to the num∣ber of 36. if the storyes be true. Whiche was in the month of Ianuary. an 1413. after the computation of our English stories, counting the yeare from the annunciation, but af∣ter the Latine writers counting from Christes natiuitie. an. 1414. according as this picture is specified.

These men as is said, suffered before the Lord Cobham aboot 3. yeares, of whose death diuers do write diuersly. Some say they were hanged and burnt in S. Gyles field, of whom is Fabian, with such as follow him. Other there be which say that some of them were hanged & burnt. Poly∣dorus speaking onely of their burning maketh no mētiō of hanging. An other certain english Chronicle I haue in my handes borowed of one M. Bowyer, who somewhat dif∣fering frō the rest, recordeth thus of sir Roger Acton, that hys iudgement before the iustice was thus, to be drawne through London to Tyborne, and there to be hanged, and so he was naked saue certayne partes of him couered with a clothe. &c. And when certayn dayes were past (sayth the author) a Trumpeter of the kinges called Thomas Cliffe gat graunt of the king to take hym downe, and to burye hym, and so he did &c. And thus haue you the storye of syr Roger Acton, and hys fellow brethren. As touching theyr cause whether it were true or els by error mistaken of the king, or by the fetch of the bishops surmised, I referre it to the iudgement of him which shal iudge both the quick and dead, & seculum per ignem. To whō also I commit you M. Cope, God speed your iorny well to Rome, whether I heare say you are going, and make you a good man.

After the decease or martyrdome of these aboue menti∣oned, who are executed in the month of Ianuary an. 1414. in the next month following, and in the same yere, y^e 20. day of February, God tooke away y^e great enemy of his word, and rebell to his king Thom. Arundell Archb. of Cant. Whose death following after the execution of these good men aboue recited, by the merueilous stroke of God so so∣denly, may seeme somewhat to declare their innocēcy, and that he was also some great procurer of theyr death, in that God woulde not suffer him longer to liue, striking hym with death incontinently vppon the same. But as I dyd the other before, so this also I do refer, to the secret iudge∣ment of the Lord, who once shal iudge all secrets openly.

In the mean time this may seeme strange, that the same Tho. Arundell, who a litle before sitting vpon iudgement

[illustration]

¶ The picture of the burning and hanging of diuers persons counted for Lollardes, in the first yeare of the raigne of king Henry the fift.

agaynst y^e Lord Cobham, and pronounced sentēce of death vpon him, and did himselfe fele the stroke of death, & the sē∣tece of God executed vpō him before the other. Who wold haue thought that the Lord Cobham being so cast and cō∣demned diffinitiuely by the archbishops sentence, but y^t he should haue died long before the archbishop? But such be the works of gods almighty hand, who so turned y^• whele y^t this condēned Lord suruiued his condēner 3. or 4. yeres.

In the death of this Archb. first Polydor Virgil is decei∣ued, who in his 22. booke, pag. 441. affirmed hys death to be an. 1415. and in the second yeare of king Henr. 5. also af∣ter the beginning of the Councell of Constāce who in dede neuer reached the beginning therof, nor euer saw the secōd yeare of that king (vnles ye count the first day for a yeare) but dyed before, an. 1414. Feb. 20. Ex hist. S. Albani & multis. Furthermore concerning the death of this Arundell, and the maner therof, who had not bene so heauy a troubler of Christes saints in his time, because the thing semeth wor∣thy of noting, to behold the punishment of God vpon hys enemies, this is to report, as I haue found it alledged out of Thomas Gascoin in Dictionario Theologico: Whose playne wordes be these: Anno. 1414. Tho. Arundel Cant. Archiepiscop. sic lingua percussus erat: vt nec deglutire, nec loqui per aliquot dies ante mortem suam potuerit, diuitis epulonis exemplo: & sic tantum obijt. Atque multi tunc fieri putabant, quia verbum alli∣gasset, ne suo tempore praedicaretur. &c.

That is, Thomas Arundel archbishop of Cant. was so strikē in his tongue that neither he could swallow, nor speake for a cer∣tayne space before hys death, much lyke after the example of the rich glotton, and so dyed vpon the same. And thys was thought of many to come vpon him, for that he so bound the word of the Lord, that it should not be preached in hys dayes &c. whiche if it be true, as it doth well here appeare, these and such other horrible exāples of gods wrath, may be terrible spectacles for such as occupy theyr tongues and braynes so busily to stop y^e course of gods wrath, striuing but against y^e streame against the force whereof, neither they are able to resiste, & many times in resisting are ouerturned thēselues & drow∣ned therin. And thus much for the death of Tho. Arundel, who cōtinued archb. in y^• see of Cant. the space of 18. yeres.

After this Arundel, succeeded next in the said see of Cā∣terb. Henry Chichelsly made archb. an. 1414. and sate xxv. yeares. This Henry following likewise the steps of hys predecessour, shewed himselfe no small aduersary against y^e fauourers of the truth. In whose time was much trouble and great afflictiō in the church. For as the preaching and teaching of the word did multiply and spread abroad daily more and more, so on the contrary side, more vigilant care and straight inquisition followed and increased against the people of God, by reason wherof diuers did suffer, & were burned, some for feare fled y^e country. Many were brought to examinatiō, and by infirmitie constrained to abiure. Of whome hereafter (Christ willing) particularly in order of theyr times we will entreat.

As true pietie, and sincere preaching of Christes worde began at this time to decay: So idle mōkery and vaine su∣perstitiō in place therof begā to encrease. For about y^e same yere the king began the foundation of 2. monasteries, one of the one side of Thames of Friers obseruaunt, y^e other on the other side Thames called Shene and Syon, dedicated to Charter house monkes, with certaine Brigit nonnes or recluses, to the nūber of 60. dwelling within the same pre∣cinct, so that the whole number of these with priestes, mō∣kes, deacons and nonnes shoulde equall the number of 13. Apostles and 72. disciples. The order of these was accor∣ding to the discription of S. Paule the Apostle, Col. 1. Eat not, tast not, touch not, &c. to eat no fleshe, to weare no lin∣nen, to touch no mony. &c.

About Michaelmas, the same yeare the king began his Parliament at Leicester, aboue mentioned. In the whiche Parliament the commons put vp theyr bill agayn, which they had put vp before, an. 11. Henr. 4. the tēpporalties dis∣orderly wasted by men of the church, might be conuerted & employed to the vse of the king, of his Earls and knights and to the reliefe of y^e poore people, as is before recited, pag. 557. In feare of which bill least the king woulde geue therunto any comfortable audience (as testifieth Rob. Fa∣bian and other writers) certayne of the Prelates & other headmen of the church put the king in mind to clayme his right in Fraunce. Whereupon ••en. Chichesly Archbish. of Caunterbury made a long and solemne oration before the king to perswade him to the same, offering to the king in the ••ehalfe of the Clergie great and notable summes. By reason wherof (sayth Fabian) the bill was agayne put of, and the king set his minde for the recouery of the same: so that soone after he sent his letters and messengers to the French king concerning that matter, and receiued from him againe answere of derision, w^t a pype of tennis balles (as some recorde) sent from the Dolphin, for him to playe with at home. Whereby the kinges minde was incensed y^• more toward that viage, who then furnishing hymselfe w^t strength and armour, with powder & shot, and gunstones to play with in Fraunce, and with other artillarye for that purpose conuenient, so set ouer into France, where he got Dareflew with diuers other townes and castles in Nor∣mandy and Picardy, and at Agyncourt had a great victory ouer the french army, they benig counted but 7. thousand. by pricking sharp stakes before them. &c. After that he wa•• Cane, Towke, Kowan with other ••ownes moe, as Mel∣dune, or Melione, and maryed with Katherine the french kinges daughter. And yet notwithstanding the third time he made hys viage agayne into Fraunce, where at length at Bloys he fell sicke and dyed, Concerning all which vi∣ages, because they are sufficientlye discoursed in Fabian, ••alle, and other Chronographers, referring therfore the reader vnto them, I will return my story to other matters of the Church more effectuall.

Notes

• The printed sta∣tut•• an. 2. Hen. 4. cap. 15. falsely corrupted.
• Ex constitutio∣nibus prouinci∣alibus oxonia celebratis. Ioan. Antho.
• Vid Stat. an. 5. Ric. 2. cap. 5
• Ex Rotul. Parliam.
• The perse∣cutors in burning Gods peo∣ple haue done against the lawe.
• A necessary admonition to the Com∣mons of England.
• Proposition disiunc••iue.
• Lib. Act. & Monu. 174.
• Sir Roger Acton con∣trary to the Bish. of Rome. Causes con∣iecturall why Sir Ro∣ger Acton with the rest, were put to death for traytours & Lollardes.
• Anno. 1414.
• Diuersitie in a••∣thors.
• An english story beginning thus. A table of all the kinges.
• M. Cope gone to Rome.
• The death of Thomas Arun∣Archb. of Cant. Ex hist. S. Alba. Gods workes & punishmentes to be noted.
• Tho. Arundell geueth sentence ••gainst the Lord Cobham: and God geueth sentence against Tho. Arundell. The condemned man ouerliueth his condemner. Polydor Virgill erreth.
• Tho. Gascohius in Dictionario theologico. An example of Gods working hand against the enemies of his word.
• The maruelous hand of God vp on Tho. Arūdell Archb of Cant.
• It is in vaine to gainstand Gods word.
• Hen. Chichesly Archb. of Cant.
• Sion & Bethleē builded.
• Vide supra pag. 557.
• Fabiā with other
• A crafty practise of the prelates. The king stirred vp to warres by the bishops.