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.

The obiections of Iohn Hus and of his part, agaynst the decree of the Doctors.

FIrst, the foūdation of the Doctors wherupon they foūd all their writings and counsels, is false, which foūdatiō is this, where as they say that part of the clergy in y^e king∣dome of Boheme is pestilent and erroneous, and holdeth falsely of the Sacramentes,

2. The Doctors hereby do defame the kingdome of Bo∣heme, and do rayse vp new discordes.

3. Let them shew therefore those persons of the Clergye, whom they call pestilent, & so let them verify theyr report, binding themselues to suffer the like paine, if they be not a∣ble to proue it.

4. False it is y^t they say, the Pope & the cardinals to be the true & manifest successors of Peter & of the Apostles, ney∣ther that any other successors of Peter or the Apostles, can be foūd vpon earth besides thē. Whē as no man knoweth whether he be worthy of hatred or of fauour. And all By∣shops and priests be successors of Peter & of the Apostles.

5. Not the pope, but Christ onely is the head: and not the Cardinals, but all Christes faythfull people be the body of the Catholick church, as all holy Scripture and decrees of the holy fathers do testify and affirme.

6. And as touching y^e pope, if he be a reprobate, it is plain that he is no head, no nor member also of y^e holy Church of God, but of the deuill, and of his sinagogue.

7. The clergy of the gospellers agreeing with the saying of S. Austen which they alledge, and according to the sancti∣ons of the fathers, and determinations of the holy mother church, do say and affirme laudably: that the condēnation and prohibition of the 45. articles is vnlawful, and vniust, and rashly done: for that not onely because the doctors, but also all Bishops and Archbishops, in suche great causes, namely, touching faith (as these articles doe) haue no au∣thority at all, as appeareth••. De baptismo et eius effectu cap. Maiores. Et in Can. 17. dist. cap. Hinc sedi. &c.

8. The second cause of the discord which they alledge, also is most false: seing the fayth of whole Christendome cōcer∣ning the church of Rome, is deuided in 3. parts by the rea¦son of 3. popes, which now together do raigne: And the 4. part is newtrall. Neither is it true, that we ought to stand in all things to the determination of the pope, & of the car∣dinals, but so farr forth as they do agree with y^e holy scrip∣ture of the old and new Testament, from whence the sanc∣tions of the fathers, did first spring as is euident. De accusa∣tionibus cap. qualiter. &c.

9. In the 4. Article they brast out into a certayne dotage, & are contrary to themselues. By reason that they doitish∣ly haue reprehēded the gospellers, who in all their doings receiue the holy scripture (whith is the law of God, y^e way of trueth and life) for their iudge and measure: and after∣ward they themselues doe alleadge the scripture. Deut. 17. where all iudges both popes and Cardinals are taught to iudge & discern betwene leaper & leaper, & in euery ecclesi∣asticall cause, only after y^e rule of gods law. And so are they cōtrary vnto their secōd article, wherin they say: y^t in euery catholicke matter we must runne to the pope: which is cō∣trary to the foolish condemnation of the Articles aforesaid. 10 Consequently, like idiots they doe most fasly alledge for their purpose the Canon, vnder the name and authority of Ierome written 24. q. 1. Haec est fides papa. &c. where they do apply the wordes of Ierome most impertinentlye to the pope of Rome,* 1.1 which he writeth to S. Austen, calling him a most blessed Pope.

11. By the whiche place of Ierome,* 1.2 it is manifest that the first article of those doctors is false. Forasmuch as by these

wordes appeareth that other besides the bishop of Rome and his Cardinals, are called blessed Popes, holding the fayth and seat of Peter, and are successours of the Apostles as was Austen and other holy byshops moe.

12. Wherof it followeth moreouer, that y^e church of Rome is not that place, where the Lord did appoint y^e principall sea of his whole Church. For Christ, which was the head priest of all, did first sit in Ierusalem, and Peter did sit first in Antioch, and afterward in Rome. Also other popes dyd sit some in Bonony, some at Perusium, some at Auinion.

13. Item, the foresayde Prelates are falsifiers of the holy Scriptures and Canons, & therfore are worthy to be pu∣nished: Which affirme and say, that we must obey the pope in all thinges. For why it is knowne that many Popes haue erred, and one Pope was also a woman. To whome not onely it was not lawful to geue obediēce,* 1.3 but also vn∣lawfull to communicate with them. As all Rubrices, and infinite Canons do declare.

14. Item, their 6.7.8.9.10.11. Articles doe stand and are grounded vpon vntrue and false persuasions. And therfore are to be reiected and detested like the other before: Seyng they doe induce not to peace and veritye, but to dissention and falsity.

15. It is manifest also to the laitye, that this dissention a∣mong the clergy riseth for no other cause, but onely for the preaching of the Gospell, which reprehendeth such Simo∣niacks. and such hereticks in the church of God, as name∣ly haunt the court of Rome, spreading out theyr braunches abroad into all the world. Who deserue to be remoued & ex¦tirpate not onely of the clergy gospellers, but also of the se∣cular power. And so these three vices, to witte, Simonye, Luxurity,* 1.4 & Auarice (which is Idoll worship) be the cau∣ses of all this dissention amonge the Clergye in the king∣dome of Boheme, and not the other, which they falsely as∣cribe to the Gospellers of Prage. These three vices beyng remoued, peace and vnity woulde soone be reformed in the Clergy.

16. Moreouer, their last article is to much grosse, and not onely is without all law, but also w^tout all coulour of law: whereas they fondly and childishly doe argue thus: that the processes made agaynst M. Iohn Hus ought to be o∣beyed, because forsooth the common sort of the Clergye of Prage, hath receiued them: By the same reason they may argue also, that we must obey the deuil, for our first parēts Adam and Eue obeyed him. Also our fore auncetours be∣fore vs were Paganes, wherfore we must obey them, and also the Paganes.

17. But let this friuolous opiniō go, this is certain truth, that the said processes made against maister Iohn Hus, by law are none. Forsomuch as they were obteyned, drawne, wrought, and executed contrary to the commission of the Pope, against the determinatiō of the holy mother church, as appeareth Cap. Sacro de Sententia excom. and a thousand other lawes besides.

18. Finally, whosoeuer wittingly & obstinately do defend and execute (the sayd processes made) or consenteth vnto thē, are all to be counted as blasphemers, excommunicate, and heretickes, as hath bene afore written and exhibited to y^• Lord generall bishop Olomucense. And more shalbe de∣clared and proued, if audience may be geuen openly before all the Doctors. Ex Aenea Sylui. & Chocleo.

¶ Vnto these obiections of I. Hus & his part, the Ca∣tholique Doctors agayn did answer in a long tedious pro¦ces: The scope wherof principally tended to defend y^e prin∣cipallity of the Pope, & to mayntayne his obedience aboue all other potentates in y^e world: affirming & cōtēding, that although Christ is the head alone of the whole multitude of them that are sleeping in Purgatory, and whiche are la∣bouring in the Church militant, and which are resting in heauen: yet this letteth not, but the Pope is heade of the church here militant, that is, of all the faithfull, which here in this world liue vnder his office. Like as Christ is kyng of all kings, and yet Charles may be the king of Fraunce: So say they,* 1.5 Christ may be the vniuersall head, and yet the Pope may be head vnder him of the whole Churche. And thus concluded they that the pope is the head, and that the Colledge of Cardinals is the body of the Romish church, which church of Rome is placed in the ecclesiasticall office here ouer the earth, to know and define vpō euery ecclesia∣sticall and catholicke matter, to correct errors, and to purge them, and to haue care vpon all such vniuersall matters, & cure vpon all vniuersall churches, and vpon the vniuersal flocke of faythfull christians. Forasmuch as in the regimēt of the church through y^e vniuersal world, there must nedes remayne in such office alwayes some suche manifest & true successors of Peter, prince of the Apostles & of the colledge of the other Apostles of Christ: neither can there be found or geuen vpon earth any other successors,* 1.6 but only y^e Pope which is the head, and the colledge of Cardinals, which is the body of the foresayd church of Rome. And although the whole vniuersall multitude of the faythfull do make y^e bo∣dy of Christ, yet the same body of Christ is not placed here in office to exercise such authority vpon earth. Because that vniuersal multitude was neuer yet, nor euer can be cōgre∣gate together.

And therfore necessary it is,* 1.7 that some such true and ma¦nifest successors & iudges be appoynted, to whom recourse must be had, in all such catholick and ecclesiastical matters determinable. For like as in earthly regiments, euery case of discord is brought before his iudge, & hath his place as∣signed where to be decided: So like reason would requyre, that in principall matters and controuersies of fayth, some such presidents & places be limited for the purpose to haue such doubtes resolued. And this being graunted, then the doctors proceed, & here must needes cōclude (say they) that there cannot be geuen in all the world any other place, but onely the church of Rome: the head wherof is the Pope, & the body is the colledge of Cardinals. For like as Christ departing out of this world in his corporal presēce, le••t his body here with vs, vnder the Sacramēt in another forme, whereby he remayneth with vs (according to his promise Mat. vlt.) vnto the consummation of the worlde: Euen so while Christ walked here on earth in his bodily presēce, he was Pope himselfe & chiefe bishop, & so head of the church here militant in earth, corporally cōioyned with the same, as y^e head is to his body. But after that he departed out of y^• world because his body which is the church militant,* 1.8 vp on the earth, should not be headlesse, therfore he left Peter, & his successors to his church, for an head in his place, vnto the consummation of the world, saying to him: Thou art Peter, & vpon this rocke I will build my church. &c. Mat. 16. And agayne he sayth, feede my sheepe. Ioan. vlt. That is to say, be thou Peter the head ouer thy brethren.

Tedious it were to recite all the bibblebabble of these doctors in this their long responsall.* 1.9 Who so lis••eth to see y^e bottome of their profounde writing & knowledge, may re∣sort either to the history of Siluius, or els to M. Cochleus, in his first booke De hist Hussit.

Thus then M. Iohn Hus being driuen out of Prage (as is afore touched) by the motion of these Doctours, and moreouer being so excōmunicate, that no Masse nor other must be sayd there where he was present. The people begā mightily to grudge and to cry out agaynst the Prelates & other popish priests, which were the workers therof, accu¦sing thē to be Simoniacks, couetous, whoremaisters, ad∣ulterers, proud, sparing not to lay opē their vices to their great ignominy and shame. And much crauing a reforma∣tion to be had of the clergy.

The king seing the inclination of the people, being al∣so not ignorant of the wickednes of the clergy, vnder pre∣tence to reforme the church, began to require greater exac∣tions vpon such Priestes and men of the Clergy, as were knowne and accused to be wicked liuers. Whereupon they on the other part, that fauored Iohn Hus, taking that oc∣casion present, complayned of all, accused many, and spared none, Whomsoeuer they knew to be of the Catholicke fac∣tion, or enemies to Iohn Hus. By reason wherof y^e priests of the popish Clergy were brought,* 1.10 such as were faultye, into great distresse, and such as were not faulty, into great feare. In so much that they were glad to fall in, at least not to fall out with the Protestantes, being afrayd to displease them. By this meanes maister Hus beganne to take some more liberty vnto him, & to preach in his church at Beth∣leem, & none to controll him: by the same meanes the peo∣ple also receiued some comfort, and the king much gayne & mony by the reason.

And thus the popish Clergy, while they went about to persecute Iohn Hus, were in wrapped thēselues in great tribulation, and afflicted on euery side, as wel of lay mē, as of learned men of the clergy. In so much that womē also & children were agaynst thē. And by y^t same reasō, wherwith they thought to entangle him, they were ouerthrown thē∣selues. For the Doctors which before condemned this doc∣trine in Iohn Hus, for an intollerable heresye, & cried out so much agaynst him, for teaching y^e tēporall Lords might take away tēporall liuings frō y^e clergy sinning habitualiter that is, lying and continuing still in the custome of iniqui∣ty: now when the king and the Lords temporall began to mearse them and berieue them of their tēporalties for their transgressions,* 1.11 the sayd Doctors did keepe silence & durst speake neuer a word. Agayne where the foresayd doctors, before could not abide in Iohn Hus, that tithes wer to be coūted for pure almes, now comming to y^e Guildhal, were faine to entreat for theyr temporall goodes, not to be taken

from them, pleading the same temporalties to be mere al∣mose and deuotion of good men, geuen vnto the church. Ex Cochleo.

And thus now did they themselues graunt the thing, which before they did condemne. The more that the popes clergy was pinched, the more grudge & hatred redounded to Iohn Hus, although he was in no cause therof, but one¦ly their owne wicked deseruinges, for the which cause Ste∣phen Paletz,* 1.12 and Andraeas de Broda, being the chiefe champi∣ons of that faction, though they could not remedy the case, yet to ease theyr mindes, wrote sharpe and cruell letters to Maister Hus. And to helpe the matter forward, the Pope also here must helpe at a pinche, who likewise writeth hys letters to Wenceslaus king of Bohemia, which was bro∣ther to Sigismund Emperor, for the suppressing of Iohn Hus & of his doctrine. Which was in the fifth and last yere of his Popedome. an. 1414. The tenour of whose letters to king Wenceslaus in this wise proceedeth.

¶ The letter of Pope Iohn to K. Wenceslaus.

IOhn Bishoppe seruaunt of Gods seruanntes, to his welbeloued sonne in Christ Wenceslaus,* 2.1 King of Romaines and of Boheme, greeting and apostolicall benediction.

Among other desires and delightes of our hart: who although vnworthy to represent the roome of Christ here in earth: this doth chiefly redounde to our singular comfort fo often as we do heare of the brotherly entrea∣ty of peace and of concord (by which concord kingdoms do en∣crease, as contrary by discorde they are deminished) which is be∣tweene your honour, and our welbeloued in the Lord Sigismund your brother germane & cosin, for the noble king of the Romans &c. And furthermore it foloweth in these words. And as we haue cause to ioy at the premisses: so likewise agayne the heauy rumors which are here, do trouble and dampe our mindes. For we heare that in diuers places vnder your dominiō, there be certain which do folow and leane to the errors of that archhereticke Wickliffe, whose bookes haue bene long since condemned in the generall Romain councell to bee erroneous, hereticall, and swaruing from the catholicke fayth. And furthermore whiche is worst of all, the sayd persons cleauing to the opinions of the heretickes (least they should be corrected of their superior powers for their exces, to couer theyr naughtines and stubbernesse in despising the com∣maundements of the Apostolicall seat) do openly teach disobedi∣ence and contempt of the keies and ecclesiasticall censure, to the subuersion of the Apostolicall dignity, setting at nought the de∣crees of the holy fathers & canons. Wherefore we do exhort your

[illustration]

The description of the Popes councell holden at Rome, in which appea∣red a monstrous Owle, to the vtter defacing of the Pope and all his Clergy.

worship for the mercy of our God, as hartely as we may or cā, that it would please you as we desire & hope you will (so effectuously) to shew forth your regall power, both for the glory of God, & de∣fence of the catholicke fayth (which you go about to defend) and for the conseruation of your kingly name, state and honor, for the prosperous safe gouernement of your kingdome and dominions, as it becommeth a catholicke prince, whereby this blot of heresye (which doth so lamentably and miserablye spring and creepe in those partes and doth so infect the mindes of mortall men, to the destruction of their soules, and doth sequester them from the con∣gregation of the pure and catholick fayth and truth) may be roo∣ted out. &c.

Geuen at Bononia in the Ides of Iune, in the v. yeare of our popedome. &c.

In this epistle of Pope Iohn aboue prefixed, forsomuch as mention is made of a certaine councell before holden at Rome (which was 4. yeares before) agaynst the articles & books of Iohn Wickliffe: it shall not be impertinēt nor out of purpose to repeat a certayn mery history & worthy other¦wise to be noted at, written by Nicholas Clemangis o•• a certayne spirite, which ruled the Popish Councelles, hys worde are these.

The same pope called a Coūcell at Rome about foure yeares before,* 2.2 at the earnest sute of diuers men. And a mas of the holy Ghost being sayd at the entraunce into the sayd Councell (according to the accustomed maner) the Coun∣cell being set, and the sayde Iohn sitting highest in a chayre prepared for him for that purpose: Behold a ougly & dread full Owle, or as the common prouerbe is, the euill signe of some mischaunce of death to followe, comming out of the backe halfe of him, flew to and fro, with her euill fauoured voyce, and standing vpon the middle beame of the church, cast her staring eyes vpon the Pope sitting, the whole cō∣pany began to maruell, to see the night Crowe, whiche is wont to abide no light, how she should in y^e midday come in the face of such a multitude, & iudged (not without cause) that it was an illfauored token. For beholde sayde they, (whispering one in on others eare) the spirite appereth in the shape of an Owle. And as the stoode beholding one an other, and aduising the pope, scarcely could keep their coū∣tenaunce from laughter, Iohn himselfe, vppon whom the Owle stedfastly looked, blushing at the matter, beganne to sweate and to fret and fume with himselfe, and not finding by what other meanes he might salue the matter, being so confused dissoluing the Councell, rose vp and departed. Af∣ter that there followed an other session. In the whiche the Owle again, after the maner aforesayd, although, as I be∣leue,

not called, was present looking s••edfastly vpon the bi¦shop, whom he beholding to become agayne, was more a∣shamed then he was before (and iustly) saying he could no longer abide the sight of her, & commaūded that she should be driuen away with battes and shottinges: but she being a••rayde neither with their noyse, neither of any thing els, would not away, vntill that with the strokes of the sticks, which were throwne at her, she fell downe dead before thē all. This I learned of a faythfull frend, who at the same time came to Rome, the which thing I scarsely crediting for the rarenes of the matter, he affirmed by his othe, that it was most certayn & true: adding moreouer that all there present were much offēded, & did greatly deride that Coū∣cell called for such a purpose, and by little and litle the Coū∣cel was dissolued, nothing done ther as he saith. Although it hath not bene alwayes seene that such spirituall Doues haue bene present with Popes and their Councels, & go∣uerned thē: yet their euill doctrine declareth no lesse. Read gentle reader the booke of Clemangis, and thou shalt not thinke thy labor euill bestowed. For he hath both learned∣ly, truely, freely, and godly, bewayled the filthines of Anti∣christ, and his ministers, their wickednes, impiety and cru¦elty, and the miserable state and face of the Church. &c. And thus much for Pope Iohn.

Notes

• * 1.1

  26. q. 1. H•••• est fides.
• * 1.2

  Austen cal∣led Pope.
• * 1.3

  Pope Ioane a•• woman.
• * 1.4

  Simonie, Luxurie, A∣••••••ice, three causes of dissention in ••he clergie.
• * 1.5

  As Charles may be king of Fraunce: So also we graunt, the pope may be Bish. of Italy, and so it is a good consequent. He may so be, if God had so ap∣pointed him but where doth he so appoint.
• * 1.6

  Ex Cochleo in h••st. Hus••••t. Catholique that is vniuersal.
• * 1.7

  If ye go to hu∣maine policie, who euer ••awe any priuate case of Englande brought to the Emperours court to be de∣cided. If ye goe to Gods policy, then shew gods word for it. The promise of Christ doctour∣ly applyed.
• * 1.8

  O deepe diuini∣tie of these doc∣tours.
• * 1.9

  Vide Eneam. Silu••. & Cocle∣um. De Hist. Hussit. lib. 1.
• * 1.10

  The priestes of Boheme desplay¦ed and taxed for their yll life.
• * 1.11

  The popish doc∣tours and priests ouerthrowen in their owne rea∣son.
• * 1.12

  Steuen Paletz, Andr. Broda, write against Iohn Hus.
• * 2.1

  The letter of Pope Iohn to K. Wenceslaus.
• * 2.2

  The story of an Owle appearing at the coun∣cell of pope Iohn. Ex Nich. Clemangis.