Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol. 2, part 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.

*Complaint against incorporations or improperations and other pilling of the people, by Churchmen.

MAny parish churches are subiect vnto monasteries, & to the persons of other churches, by meanes of incor∣porations (as they call them) or otherwise,* 1.1 whych they are bound also, according to the canon lawes, to foresee & looke vnto, by themselues, when as they do put them foorth vnto others to be gouerned, reseruing for the moste parte vnto themselues, the whole stipende of the benefices and tithes: and moreouer, aggrauate & charge the same wyth so great pensions, that the hireling priestes and other ministers of the Church, can not haue thereupon a decent or competent liuing: whereby it commeth to passe, that these hirelynge priestes (for that they must needes haue wherupon to liue) doe with vnlawfull exactions, miserably spoil and deuour the poore sheepe committed vnto them, & consume all theyr substaunce. For when as the Sacramentes of the aultare and of Baptisme are to be administred, or when the firste, the seuenth, the thirtie, and yeare day must be kept, when auricular confession cōmeth to be heard,* 1.2 the dead to be bu∣ried, or any other ceremony whatsoeuer, about the funerall is to be done: they will not do it freely, but extort and exact so much mony, as the miserable communalty is scarse able to disbourse, and daily they do encrease and augment these their exactions, driuing the simple pouerty to the payment therof, by threatning them with excommunication, or by other waies, cōpelling them to be at charge: which other∣wise through pouerty, are not able to maintein obsequies, yere mindes, and suche other like ceremonies, as to the fu∣nerals of the dead be appertaining.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The incōueniēce of improperati∣ons.
• * 1.2

  Cruell exactiō▪ of the people by churchmen.