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.

¶ A briefe Censure vpon the former rescript of Becket to his Suffraganes, in the page be∣fore with a generall resolution of the reasons therein contained.

If the king of England had bene an idolater, couetous, an adul∣terer, an incest, a murderer, with such like: than the zeale of this Archbishop (threatning the king and such as tooke his part) had deserued praise in this Epistle, & the scripture would haue borne him out therein. For these and suche causes, should byshops pro∣secute the authoritie of the Gospell against all persones. But the matter standing onely vpon Church goods, libertie (or rather li∣centiousnes of Priests) making of Deanes, titles of Churches, su∣perioritie, of crowning the king, with such other: to stand so stiffe in these, is not to defend the church: but to rebel against the king. Againe, if the principles which hee heere groundeth vpon, were true: to witte that the Pope were to be obeied before Princes: that the liberty of Church standeth vpon the immunitie of priests exempted from princes lawes: or vpon ample possessions of the Churche: or that the Popes lawe ought to preuaile in all forreine countreis: and to binde all princes in their owne dominions: or that the sentence of the Pope & his Popelings, (how, or by what affection so euer it is pronounced) may stande by the vndoubted sentence of God: Then all the arguments of this Epistle doe pro∣ceede and conclude wel. But if they stand not ratified vpon gods worde: but tottering vpon mans traditions: Then whatsoeuer he inferreth or concludeth thereupon (his assumpt being false) can not be true, according to the schoole saying: One inconuenience being graunted in the beginning, innumerable follow thereupon. So in this Epistle it happeneth as is aboue noted, that the Maior of this man is true, but the Minor is cleane false, and to be denied.

¶ The letter of Matild the Empresse and mother of the king, To Thomas Becket.

MY Lord the Pope commanded me (and vpon the forgeuenes of my sinnes inioyned me)* 1.1 that I should be a mediatour and meanes of peace and concorde betweene my sonne and you, by reconciling of your selfe to him: wherunto (as you know) ye re∣quested me. Wherefore, the earnester and with more affection (as well for the diuine honour as for holy Church) I tooke the en∣terprise vpon me. But this by the way I assure you, that the king, his Barons, and counsell, taketh it grieuously: that you, whome he entirely loued, honored, and made chiefest in al his Realme (to the intent to haue more comfort and better trust in you) should thus (as the report is) rebell and stirre his people against him. Yea and further, that (asmuch as in you lieth) you went about to disherite him, and depriue him of his crowne. Vpon the occasion whereof, I sent vnto you our trustie and familiar seruant Laurence Arch∣deacon, by whome I pray you that I may vnderstand your minde herein, and good wil towarde my sonne: and howe you meane to behaue your selfe (if my prayer and petition may be heard of him in your behalfe) toward his grace. But this one thing I assure you off, that vnlesse it be through your great humilitie and moderati∣on (euidently in you appearing) you can not obtaine the fauour of the king. Heerein what you meane to do, I pray you sende me word by your proper letters and messengers.

But to proceede farther in the order of the historie:* 1.2 Af∣ter these letters sent to & froe (the yeare of our Lorde 1169) which was the 15. of the raigne of Henry the 2. The King misdoubting and fearing wyth himselfe that the Archby∣shop would proceede (or exceede rather) in his excommu∣nication against his owne person (to preuent y^• mischiefe) made his appeale to the presence of the pope: requiring to haue certaine Legates sent downe from Rome from the popes side, to take vp the matter betwene the Archbishop and him: requiring moreouer that they might also be ab∣solued, that were interdicted, whereupon, two Cardinals (being sent from Alexander the Pope with letters to the King) came into Normandie: where they appoynted the Archb. to meete them before the King vpon S. Martines day. But the Archb. (neither agreeing wyth the day nor place) delaied his comming to the vi••j. day after: neyther would any further go then to Brisorlium. Where (the two Cardinals and the Archb. with other bishops conuenting together) had a certaine intreatie of peace and reconcilia∣tion, but came to no conclusion. The cōtents of which in∣treatie or action (because it is sufficiently contained in the Cardinals letters, who were called Bulie••nus & Otho, written to the pope) it shal require no further labour, but to shew out the wordes of the letter, where the summe of the whole may appeare. The wordes of the letter be these.

¶ The copie of the Epistle written and sent by two Cardinals to the Pope, concerning the matter of the Archbishop Becket.

WIlliam, & Otho, Cardinals of the Church of Rome, to Alex∣ander the Pope, &c. Cōming to the land of the K. of Englād we founde the controuersie betwixt him and the Archb. of Can∣terburie, more sharpe and vehement then we would. For the king and the greater part of them about him said, that the Archbyshop

had stirred vp the French king grieuously against him.* 2.1 And also, the Earle of Flāders his kinsman (who bare no displeasure to him before) he made his open aduersary, ready to warre against him, as is by diuers euidences most certaine. Thus when we came to Cadomus first to the kings speach, we gaue the letters of your fa∣therhode to his hands: which after that he had receiued and con∣sidered (bringing foorth withall other letters receiued from you before, something diuers and altering from these which he recei∣ued of vs (was moued & stirred with no litle indignation, saying▪ that the Archbishop after our departure from you, had receiued of you other contrary letters, by the vertue whereof he was ex∣empted from our iudgement: so that he should not be compelled to aunswere vs. Moreouer the said king to vs added and affirmed (and so did the bishops there present testifying the same) that cō∣cerning the old and ancient customes of his progenitors, (wher∣of complaint, was made to you) al that, for the most part was false & vntrue which was intimate to you. Offering farther to vs, that if there were any such customes or lawes in his time that seemed preiudicial or disagreeable to the statutes of the Church, he wold willingly be content to reuoke and disanul the same. Whereupon, we with other Archbishops, Bishops, & Abbotes of the land (hea∣ring the king so reasonable) laboured by al meanes we might that the king should not vtterly breake from vs, but rather should in∣cline to vs to haue the matter brought before vs betwixt him & the forenamed Archbishop: By reason whereof, we directed out our own Chapleins with letters vnto him, appoynting him both time and place where safely hee might meete with vs in the feast of S. Martin. Neuerthelesse, he pretending certaine excuses made his dilatories, driuing of the time from the day of S. Martin to the Octaues following: which thing stirred the kings hart more then is to be thought.

* 2.2Thus, although we offered to the Archbishop safe comming, yet when he refused to meete vs in the borders of the king: we to satisfie his minde, condescended to meete him within the land of the French king, in the place where hee himselfe appoynted: be∣cau••e there shoulde be no let in vs whereby to stoppe his profite. After we had entred communication, we began to exhort him all that we coulde, to submit and humble himselfe to his soueraigne and king, who had heaped him with such benefits and dignities: wherby matter might be geuen vs to further occasion of recon∣ciling them together. He being thus moued and exhorted by vs, departed aside to consult with his counsell vpon the matter. At length after counsel taken, he commeth againe answering in this maner. That he woulde submit and humble himselfe to the King, Saluo honore Dei, & ecclesiae libertate, salua etiam honestate per∣sonae fuae, & possessionibus Ecclesiarum: & amplius, sua & suorū in omnibus salua iusticia.* 2.3 That is: Sauing the honour of God, and libertie of the Church: sauing also the honestie of his person, and the possessions of Churches: and moreouer, sauing the iustice of him and of all his in all things &c. After which communication had among vs: we moued & required him more instantly, tha the wold come to the specialities: whēas yet he had broughtnothing in, either which was certaine or particular. Likewise we deman∣ded of him, if he would in all such things contained and compre∣hended in our letters, stand & submit himselfe to our letters, so as the king and the bishops before were contented to doe. To the which he answering againe said, that he had receiued from you a cōmmandement, not to answere before he and all his were resto∣red full to all their possessions. And then he would so procede in the matter according as he should receiue cōmandement frō the sea Apostolicall. Thus, we breaking of cōmunication (seeing that he neither would stand to iudgement, nor come to conformitie) thought to make relation thereof to the king, and so did: decla∣ring that which he had expressed to vs: yet not vttering all, but keeping backe a great part of that which we had heard and seene. Which when the king and his nobles had vnderstanding of, affir∣med to vs againe: that he therein was cleared so much the more, for that the Archbishop would not stand to their iudgement nor abide their triall.* 2.4 After much heauinesse and lamentation of the king, the archbishop, bishops, and abbots of the Realme requiring of vs, whether we had any such power by vertue of our commis∣sion, to withstand him and proceede against him: and perceiuing that our authoritie would not serue thereunto, and fearing least the foresaid Archbishop (refusing all order of iudgement) woulde woorke againe disquietnesse to some noble personages of the Realme: and seeing our authoritie could not extend so far to help them against him (taking a consultation among themselues) agre∣ed together with one assent, to make their appellation to your audience, prefixing accordingly the terme of their appeale.

And this is the Epistle of these two Cardinals sent to the pope: wherein, may sufficiently appeare at the discourse and maner of that assembly (although particularly euery thing not expressed) concerning the talke betwixt the Car∣dinals and the Archbishop. As whē that William (who of the two Cardinals was the more eloquent) amōgst other commun••cation had, reasoned long w^t him concerning the peace of the church: which Becket said he preferred aboue all things, well then (sayeth the Cardinall) seeing all this contention betwene the king and you,* 2.5 riseth vpon certain lawes & customes to be abrogate, and that you regard the peace of the Church so much: then what say you: will you renounce your Bishopricke, and the king shall renounce his customes? The peace of the Church now lieth in your handes, either to retaine or to let goe, what say you? To whom he answereth againe, that the proportion was not like. For I saith he (sauing the honour of my Church and my person) can not renounce my Byshopricke. Contrary, it standeth the king vpon, for his soules health and honor, to renounce these his ordinaunces and customes. Which thing he thus prooued, because the Pope had condemned those customes, and he likewise with the church of Rome had done the same. &c.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The letter of the Empresse to Becket.
• * 1.2

  Anno. 1169.
• * 2.1

  Becket stirring vp the French king against the king of England
• * 2.2

  A communicati∣on betweene Becket and the Cardinalles.
• * 2.3

  Beckets addi∣tion.
• * 2.4

  Becket would neither stand to iudgement nor triall.
• * 2.5

  Becket l••∣ueth ben•• his bis••o∣pricke th•••• the peace •• the churchd, for all his gaye talice.