The prudentiall ballance of religion wherin the Catholike and protestant religion are weighed together with the weights of prudence, and right reason. The first part, in which the foresaide religions are weighed together with the weights of prudence and right reason accordinge to their first founders in our Englishe nation, S. Austin and Mar. Luther. And the Catholike religion euidently deduced through all our kings and archbishopps of Canterburie from S. Austin to our time, and the valour and vertue of our kings, and the great learninge and sanctitie of our archbishopps, together with diuers saints and miracles which in their times proued the Catholike faith; so sett downe as it may seeme also an abridgement of our ecclesiasticall histories. With a table of the bookes and chapters conteyned in this volume.

King Edgar. XXIIII.

13. THe 24. K. was Edgar, secōd sonne to king Edmund, who began his reigne, (saith Malmsb. lib. 2. cap. 8.) Anno 959. and reigned 16. yeares. The praises which both Catholicks and Protestants giue to this king are exceeding. Malmsb. calleth him honor & delitiae Ang: The honor and delight of English men, and

saith that inter Anglos &c. amongst English men the report is, that no King nether of his or any former age in England, is to be compared with Edgar. Ingulph an ancient & graue author p. 889. saith he was flos & decus &c. The floure and ornament of all his Ancestors, and the mirror of the VVestern climat of the world, the bewtie glorie and rose of Kings. Florent An. 975. and Houed. p. 426. add, that he was as worthie to be remembred of Englishmen, as Romulus of Ro∣mās, Syrus of Persians, Alexander of Macedonians, Arsaces of Parthians, Charles the great of the French. Huntington lib. 5. p. 356. saith Edgar the peaceable, a King magnificent, a second Salo∣mon, in his dayes the Land was much bettered, he was most deuout to God, he built many Monasteries. And Malmsb. saith that in the yeare 1052. (which was about a hundred yeares after his death) his body was found Nullius labis conscium voyde of co••ruption, and that it wrought miracles. The like praises do the Protestants afford him. Cooper An. 959. A Prince of worthie memorie, for his manifould vertues gratly renouned, so excellent in iustice and sharp correction of vices as wel in his Magistrats as other subiects, that neuer before his day was vsed lesse felonie and extortion. Of mind valiant and hardy, & very expert in martiall policie. The like saith Stow Chron. pag. 109. Fox Acts. lib. 3. pag. 154. saith he was much giuen to all vertuous, and princely acts, worthy of much com∣mendation

and famous memory, excellent in iustice, maintained the godly, loued the modest, was deuout to God, and beloued of his subiects whome he gouerned in much peace and quietnes, so God did bl••sse him with aboundance of peace. No yeare passed in the time of his Reigne in which he did not some singular and necessarie commoditie for the common welth. A great mantainer of religion and learning. He had in redines 2600. ships (The same say Florent. and Westmon. Anno 975. Houed. pag. 426.) of war, and made 8. Kings to row him in a boate, he setting at the sterne & gui∣ding it. The Romā religiō of this renow∣ned K. is manifest. For Fox l. cit, saith He was a great Patron of Monkish religion, builded, (as some say) as many Monasteries as there be sondays in the yeare, or as Edner reporteth 48. pag. 156. Edgar was seduced by Dunstan, who was drowned in all superstition and did seuen yeares penance at Dunstans apointment. And pag. 161. and 169. reciteth an oration in King Ed∣gar which also is in Stow pag. 111. wherin the King speaketh thus to the Clergy. It belongeth to me to rule the lay peo∣ple, It belongeth to me to prouide necessarie things to the Ministers of the Church to the flock of Monkes. Behould how he distinguisheth betwene gouerning lay people, and pro∣uiding for clergie. Item he complaineth there that Priests crownes are not broade nor

lay people, and prouiding for clergie. Item he complaineth there That Priests crownes are not broade nor their rownding con∣uenient, and that they came not deuoutly to Masse, and saith to the Bishops, I haue Constantins sworde, and yee haue Peters sword in your hands, let vs ioine right hands, let vs cuple svvord to svvord that the Leapers may be cast out of the Temple. Touching which oration, Fox noteth the religious zeale and deuotion of Kings, and the blind (saith he) ignorance and superstition of that time in both estates Ecclesiasticall and ciuil in esteeming Christs religion cheefly to consist in giuing to Churches and maintaining of Monkery, wherin it appeareth (saith he) how ignorant that time was of the true doctrin of Christs faith. And putteth this note in the margent. The doctrin of iusti∣fication vnknowne. Bale Cent. 2. cap. 34. saith Edgarus &c. Edgar earnestly seruing the desires of Monkes, And by the inchantments of Dunstan, Ethelwald, and Oswald, being made an Image of the Beast, did speake onely as they gaue him breath, & all things then were ruled at their beck. Ingul. pag. 883. setteth downe his Charter of Peterborowh, wherin he calleth S. Peter Superum Ianitorem. The porter of heauen, and saith he apointeth there a market for diuers good purposes both of temporall and spiri∣tual profits, that Gods ministers may be holpen more neare at hand, and that the Christian people

meeting there amidst worldly affaires may de∣mand Gods help, whiles by demanding S. Peters protection and by hearing the misterie of Masse according to the faith of eche one the faultes of diuers sinnes may therin be redeemed. And again: Hanc regiferam libertatem &c, we haue procured this royal libertie according to the primitiue institution therof, to be strenghned from the See of the Apostolicke Roman Church, by the author him selfe of this writing most re∣uerend Ethelwald. And to this Charter subscribe two Archbishops, three Bishops, many Abbots, Dukes, and no∣bles. And Malmsb. l. cit. citeth an other Charter of that king granted to Glassen∣burie, which he requested to be confir∣med by Pope Iohn 12. which Pope con∣firmed it saying that he tooke the Mona∣sterie in protectione Romanae Ecclesiae & beato∣rum Apostolorum Petri & Pauli: In protection of the Roman Church and the blessed Apostles Saint Peter and Paule. In this kings tyme liued Saint Merwin saith Florent. An. 967. whome he made Abbesse of Rum∣sey, and confirmed that Monasterie (saith Stow pag. 113.) in the presence of all the Nobilitie. Also Saint Editha his own daughter, who from her infancy was brought vp in a Monasterie, and would not refuse that lyfe to enioy the crowne after her brother King

Edwards death. Also S. Elsted a nonne whose life and miracles yow may read in Capgraue.

Notes

• The prai∣ses of K. Edgar.
• Fox cal∣leth this King a Poehnix.
• The reli∣gion of K. Edgar.
• Ingulph pag. 885.
• Cōstātins svvord in the Kings hand S. Peters in the Bis∣hops hands.
• K. Edgars time knevv not the Protestāts Doctrin.
• Note.
• Saints in this King his tyme.