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 of excommunication abused.

ITem, at Rome and in other places many Christiās are excōmunicate by the Archbyshops, Byshops, or by their Ecclesiastical iudges, for prophane causes, through the de∣sire and couetousnes of money, & lucre.* 1.1 The cōsciences of men which are weake in fayth, thereby are burthened and brought vnto desperation: and finally, for money & luker, a matter of no importaūce is made to tend to the destruc∣tion both of body & soule, contrary both to the law of God and mā, for somuch as no mā ought to be excommunicate but onely for heresie, or for some haynous fact perpetrate, nor to be counted as separate frō the Christian Catholicke Church, as the Scriptures do witnes: Therfore the prin∣ces, nobles, states, & layty of the Sacred Empire, desire & require the Popes holynes, that as a faythful Christian & louyng father, he will remoue the sayd burthen of excom∣munication vsed both in the sea of Rome, & also in the seas of all other Archbyshops and Ecclesiasticall Iudges: and finally, decree that no man shall hereafter be excommuni∣cate, but onely for a manifest conuict crime of heresie. For it is to wicked a thyng, that faythfull Christians for euery light offence, touchyng any temporall goodes or gayne, or for any other worldly matter, but onely for obstinacie of heresie or some great enormitie, should be excluded from almighty God, and the Catholicke congregation.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Excōmuni∣cation abu∣sed in the church of Rome.