NOwe sithens we ha­ue declared many thinges which we thought specially worthye of rehersall con­cerning thestate off corpus Christi coll. and the actes of certaine masters therof▪ it remaineth that we drawe out the narratiō a litle longer for the fore said Mathew Parker his sake of whom we haue hitherto spoken those things which he onely did for the amplyfying and commoditie off the said colledge off the which he was mayster. But his prai­se was not shut vppe onely wythin those walls / but he being called from thence to other functions in the cōmon weal­the / at the last did beare the highest offi­ce of the Ecclesiasticall ministerie. for he was the archbischoppe of Canterburye Therfore in his hystorie (because his fa­me was more renowmed then any of the maysters of whom we haue made [Page] mention) we will staye a litle longer / and repeate the course of his life euen from his cradell. He was borne in that fa­mous citie of theaft Angles which ys called Norwitche in the yeere of the incar­natiō of our lorde a thowsand fyue hun­dreth foure / the sixt daye of the moneth of August / of honest parēts citezens / his father called williā / and his mother Ali­ce / who caused his childhode to be instructed in thelements of grammer (as the coustome was then in the citye to frame the witts of children) within their ow­ne house till he was xviij. yeeres olde. At wihich tyme being Past his Childhode / his mother riddeth him of her house / his father being dead / and sent him to Cam­bridge / to thentent that the foundation of learning beinge already laid by the knowledge of grammer / he might fini­she the rest of the building in lerning the arts. Therfore in corpus Christi coll. he was sustained at the first / wholly by his mothers charges / of the which after a fewe monethes she being eased / he was chosen into the number of those scollers which are called bibleclarkes of the espe­ciall [Page] duetye which they execute. He tra­ueiled in logicke and Philosoph [...]e first in S· Maries hostell / the title and gouern­ment wheroff partained then to cor­pus Christi coll. vntill it ceased to be an house of learning for schollers. In these kindes of studye whē he had spent three yeres and a litle more / before the fourth was fully complete / he was made ba­chelor of arte / and three yeeres after that mayster off Arte and fellowe besides off corpus coll. being first ētred in all the ri­tes of Poope holye. holye orders. But nowe he being very well and perfectly instructed in the libera [...]l sciēces / As the course of his liffe hathe declared. for he gott therby a benefice or two. he applied all his mynde to the studye of diuinitie / and to the readinge of the volūes of th'ecclesiasticall fathers / and that so earnestlye / that in shorte space of tyme he bestowed his labor not vnprofitablye in this behalfe. for after the space of foure or fiue yeeres he issuing frō his secret and solitarie studie into open practise in the common welthe preached euerie He that Preacheth euery where preach [...] ▪ no where. where vnto the people wih greate commendation / and that in the most famōs cities and places of this realme, by the auctoritie of king Henry [Page] the viij. by whose lettres patentes this was graūted vnto hī togither with the licence of the. Archb. of Canterbury. In executing of this fūctiō of preaching he gained this commoditie / that the fame of him came vnto the eares of king Henry. whervppon he being called into the kings courte / was ther / first made chapleyne to Queene Anne while she li­ued / afterward to king Hēry the viij. and last off all to Edward the vj. when he Ruled the common wealth. All which prīces bestowed on him very large / and plentifull Rewards for his diligence. for by fauor off Queene Anne / he was made Charges liuinges e­noughe for one man. But he shewed betymes, what ga­me he lo­ued. Paule sayethe they seke there owne not the thinges which belonge to Christe Ie­sus. Philip. [...].21. deane off Stoke / neere vnto Clare in suffolke. by the liberalitie off king Henrye / ther was geuē vnto him a Prebend off the new erection in the churche off Elye / when he was now Bachelor off diuinitie: after when he had clymed to the degree off doctorshippe / by the kings letters off commendation he was made master off corpus Christi colled­ge where he had spent his youth in ler­ning. Edward the sixt not interior to his father in bountifull and liberall nature / [Page] in rewarding with free giftes the serui­ce off suche as partained vnto him gaue him also his desert in the seconde yeere off his raigne / the A good conscience. deanerye off Līcolne and the prebēd off coringhā in the same churche. He had besides by the gifte off the coll. where he was mayster / what is to glory in their sha­me which. Paule spea­kethe off if this he not. a benefice in the diocesse off Elye / called Land­beache neere vnto Cambrydge: further at this tyme he retayned and safelye held the deanrye off Stoke / against all the importunate suit and complaints off di­uers that labored for it / vntill the first yeere off Edward the sixt / when by a sta­tute made at that tyme / he was constrained to leaue that preferment / receyuing notwithstanding in recompence / a yee­rely summe off 40. pounds out off the kings common treasorie. But the case was so / that at his first comming thi­ther he was the author off building a scoole within the coll. off Stoke / and off the apointing a yeerly stipend vnto the scoolemaster / to the ēde that the youthe mought be ther instructed in grammer and in the whole studye off humanitie: whervpō by and by ther repaired thither [Page] on heapes / the sonnes aswell off noble / as meane mē / so that it grieued him aboue all thīges / Worldly [...] &c? either him selfe to forsake that goodlye compaigny off youthes / or that it shuld be seuered and dispersed a­gaine / althoughe that by his trauaile he had prouided before / that the scoole shold haue some assurāce although wea­ke and vnstedfast. But cōcernīg the pro­motions wherwih the boūty (as I haue said▪ off H [...]nrye the father / and Edward the sonne / had largely enriched him he reaped off them very To [...] vnto hym to be prof [...]table vnto others pleasant fruite / vntill the hard and troublesome tymes off Queene Mari [...]. In the seconde yeere off whose raigne he was dispossessed off all his goodes / not enioying any eyther cō ­moditie or yeerely stipend. The which ex­treame calamitie was cōmon vnto him with almost all the Bishoppes off England and other ministers off the churche for many causes and pointes of Religiō / and especially for that one: that they had maried wiues / the which was lawfull to the ministers off the church by the statu­tes off king Edward the sixt? established in two seuerall parliamentes / and by the [Page] eternall word off God aboue which for any mortall man to presume / it is bothe extreame madnes into [...]erable pride [...] permitteed / and specially for auoyding off whoredome commanded by S· Paule. for this cause therfore he being depriued off all thinges which he had attained to by the bountye off his lordes / he lurked secreatlye for those yeeres wherin Queene Marie raigned / within the house off one off his frendes leading a poore life whithout any mans aide or succour / and yet so well contented with his lotte / that in that pleasant rest and laisure off his studye / he wold neuer in respect off him selfe haue desired any other kinde off life the extreame feare off danger o­nelye excepted / wherin he liued with all good men / and tha [...] not without som cause▪ for from the beginning off the raigne off Queene mary vntill the end ther off very many Good men were burned / not for murther [...] theft / whoredome / or any other cryme / But onely for ther ma­nifest constancie in the Religion off Christe and ther open professing off the name off Christ against the Pope and all [Page] his confederates. Whose deathe very gloriouslye to ther praise wilbe remem­bred togither with the crueltye off that tyme off all posteritie for euer. But that saynig off the Prophet is full off cōfort / that God chideth not allwaies nether kepeth his wrath for euer / and that off the Philosophers also is true that no­thing violent is perpetuall. For at this tyme queene mary died when she had reigned allmost sixe yeeres / at which ty­me God shewed his iustice to all that were afflicted / and his iudgementes to those which had suffred wronge / for Elizabeth the sister off Marie / a ladie off singulare wisdome and mildnes / expelled out off her realme the bondage off Ro­me / restored the pure doctrine off the gospell / licensing the people to reade the scriptures / and calleth them all ho­me into ther countrye / which had wil­linglye banished themselues before. At wich tyme she preferre [...] hī Yow shot at a Good mar­ [...]e. for whose praise this historie is compiled to the dignitie off tharchbishoprick off Can­terbury wh [...] / he a litell before had crept out off his lurking hole into the open [Page] sight off the world with his wife whom he wold not dismisse all the tyme off Queene Marye / a womā very chast and well manered and that did greatly re­uerence hir husband off whom he begatt three children wheroff those two which are onely aliue his care is to haue them instructed in all liberall lerning / partlye in thuniuersitye / and sōetymes at home in his house. The bea­re that cō ­eth vnwil­lingly to the stake is willingly caryed frō it. But how vnwillinglye [...]e tooke vppon him this whither yow call yt burthen or dignitie off the Arch­bishoprick / refusing yt often times whē yt was profered / ther conscience can witnes which haue not least to doo in the gouernment off the common wealth and suche as are in especiall fauor with the Queenes highnes. But when he had once taken vpon him this chiefe cure and charge off the Christian flocke / how wi­sely he behaued him therin for thos yee­res that are past / with generall allowance / consent / and fauour off all Good men / how discretly also in so great diuer­sitie and dissention off iudgementes / how vprighly and sincerely in other mens matters and controuersies / with [Page] how great gentilnes and patience in o­ther mens wrath and displeasure / with what forbearing and sufferaunce to­wardes the euill that he might winne them / with what godlines in reconci­ling the stomakes off gentilmen and de­termining ther controuersies / how lothe he was that contumeliously they should drawe eche other into the law / men may easely tell how often wher the nombre is but smale. lastly how often his voice was hard to sound owt off the holy pulpittes / as well off his cathedrall church / as the churches off other meane townes and villages / espe­cially in this his old age / in his weake and crazed state off bodie / in the middest off so great busines / and in thes conta­gious and pestilent times▪ all thes thin­ges I will leaue as matters vntouched / because ther are verie many which wi­thout me by the vew off his manners / and tried trade off his life / are able to re­port thes and many thinges moo: What greater aduer­sarie then a mans owne conscience. But yt ys impossible that I an howshold witnes / occupyinge my selfe in the setting forth off so great praises / should obteine credit what soeuer I am: notwithstan­ding that I speake the truth in differen­tly [Page] / and wold not applie my selfe to gai­ne the fauour off men by flattery. Ther­fore I will passe to the declaration off thos thinges / wherin I may easely auoid the infamous blemishe off flatterie / for that ther are many which can witnes with me / that he deserued no smale commendation because that after he had vi­sited his diocese through owt by him sel­fe / and not by any substitute / and which was more of his owne charges / for that he Antony thought he had gre­atly plea­sured Tul­ly because he killed him not vniustly. freely remitted to all the parishes the sum̄es off ther procurations which they should haue pa [...]d him for visitinge the diocese: that noble and famous palace off his sea off Cāterbury by long cōti­nuance off time decaied / rotten / consu­med with fire and almost laid euen with the ground in all the buildinges theroff / he reūed / builded [...] fully Ys it tyme to build your seeled howses and not tyme to build the howse off God. Ag [...]. restored and be­autified yt with this faire and glorious shew wherin yt now florisheth / not fea­red from this enterprise either by the in­finite labour and trauaile / neither dissu­aded by the want off necessarie thinges which should haue bene left him off his predecessors / nor by the dearth off the [Page] tyme nor by the wages off the laborers which were merueiloussly increased / nor by any other lettes or hinderan̄ces / But [...]at he fully finished yt in the yeere off the incarnatiō off our lord 1564. the sixt yee­re off the reigne off Queene Elizabeth and in the 6 [...]. yeere off his age / and the fifte off his consecration. In the which yeere he also endeuored to repaire the quires off thos churches which were la­tely come into his possession / off which sort he had very many in his diocese / partly by the exchaunge off auncient pos­sessions off the Archbishoprick / made betwene kinge Henry the eight and Tho. Archbishopp off Canterbury his prede­sessor / partly for an other exchange off the possessions off the Archbishoprick by a statute established for the same purpose / in the first yeere off Queene Eliza­beth before he obteined the Sea. The charges off which building / besides the yerely reparations off other howses / grew to the summe off a thousand foure [...]ūdreth powndes and somewhat more. The which he did the rather Turne mine eyes frō [...] ▪ for that / he had heard that hall off the palaice with­in [Page] his remembrance singular and fa­mous for the largenes theroff / to haue bene honored in the yeere off our salua­tiō 1519. by the presence as well off Charles the fifft emperour / as off Henry the eight king off that name / with his wife Katherine whom the Emperor came then to see being his aunt. This hall thos princes then occupied with all the troupe off ther garde and retinue / so that for all the princes affaires / for trium­phes and feastes the vpper part theroff was appointed for the Emperor Char­les / and the nether part for Henry the King. But the chefest cause that he coue­ted to preserue the magnificence off that hall was / for the memory off the coronation off kinges and Queenes very off­ten times celebrated in that place / and the installinge off Archbishopps his predecessors (which they commonly call in­thronization) to whose sumptuous fea­stes ther hath bene very great resort as well off lordes / as gentilmen / with an infinite troup of others to celebrate and honor that feast with ther presēce. At which feast in his predecessors times / certeine [Page] with much adoo the kinge was excepted from the Archbi­shops ser­uice. dukes and earles were high stewardes by custome / receivinge an yeerly pension and a reward [...]it for so great persona­ges: as off late the duke off Bukinghā in the inthronization off william warham Archbishopp / in the yeere off our lord 1504. The which solemnitie though the foresaid Mathew vsed not at his entra­unce to the Archbishoprik (as also did not Reginald Pole Cardinall his next predecessor / and some other off thos that were before him / partly because they were not able / partly for that the reue­nues off the Archbishoprick were mu­che diminished / yf comparison be made with the former tymes) yet remem­bring that his forefathers in buildinge a place so large and stately / had no other respect or consideration but feastinge and hospitalitie / A worthy studie for a bishopp might [...]e not well haue said o quanta pa­timur? he deuiseth by him selfe by what meanes he might best enter­teine / with this kind off curtesie in sumptuous feasting a multitude sufficient for that place / both of the communalty / and off the great estates off Kent. For this purpose therfore he taketh the oportunity off time in this sort. In the yeere off [Page] Christ 1565. which was the next yeere after the restoringe off the hall / he prepa­red a feast very magnifically and sum­ptuoussly / wher vnto when they flocked from euery place in great companies / he placed them al at diuerse tables through out the hall / which was garnished with tapistery and other thinges very comely and beautifull / brought out off flaun­ders and Holland. and because he wold want no guestes / he prouided that the iudges (wich by an vsual terme are called in that place Iorneyinge / and then only at Canterbury and no wher els kept ther iudiciall sessions) sshould repaire thither. At the which time also he badd al them to this feast which were gathered togither out off the whole prouince / for the triall of the law / aswell gentilmen as meane persones. At that tyme ther sate as iudges / mayster Iohn Southcotes / one off thos iudges whose authoritie is to heare mens pleas and controuersies in the common place: and Gilbert Ge­rard esquier generall attorney off the Queenes highnes / which togither with Tho: Kemp Knight that yeere Sheriffe / [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] and with all ther traine were present at the feast off the Archbishop. which feast howe boūtifull it was in daintiekates / how well and orderly all thīges were serued by the Archbishops howshold / how well this his curtesie was accepted / how oftētymes the tables in the hall were freshly furnished with new guestes the sāe day / I coue [...]ing to be short will not here declare / but I leaue it to the memorie off thos which then were presēt out off the whole cōntrye. And whose God is ther belly. Phil. 3.19. this curtesie in fea­sting was not at that time only shewed by that occasiō but before also he vsed in the same hall the like solemnitye at other tymes: partly at whitsontide the Arch­bishopp him selfe both preaching and celebratinge the holy communion / first in the cathedrall church / at which time the prebendaries off the church / and the Maior off the citye with his brethren / and others inferior citizens togither with many gentilmen off that contrie bringing him home / dined in the same hall / the places being so ordered / that the Archbishopp sate in the middest off the high table / on his left hand the ma­ior and all the other men as euery man [Page] excelled in dignitie and countenaunce / and so on one side off the hall a continu­all rowe of mē followed to other tables / sett in order and seuered by a litle space betwene / through out the lenght off the hall. On his right hand sate onely some noble women and the honorable wiues off other men / leading frō euery side off his table a course and right line of woo­men through owt the length off the hall altogither like and correspondent to that rowe off men wheroff we spake before The which order off placing was obser­ued in honor of the Queēes highnes / for that vnder hir being gouernor of the realme / the said Mathew obteined his place. And this first furnishing off tables thus ended / ther were others partly off the Arschhishops familie / partly off the coūtry ther about which strait way satte downe in their places which rose / in the same order as before. And this manner off feasting cōtinued by the space of two daies nāely mōday ād tewesdai. Besides this / the daye off the bolye and inseparable Trinitye folowīg (for [...]e thougt that that daye ougt especally to be solēnlye cebrated [Page] for the famous memorye off king Henrye theyght who was the laste re­storer off the churche and an excellent re­former off euill ceremones and custo­mes) he spent in the like curtesye off en­tertayning off guests the accustomed praiers in the cathedrall church being firste finished. At which tyme / one off the chiefe ministers off the church / made a sermon and Mathew tharchbishoppe himselfe / was minister off the blessed communion and supper off our Lorde vnto the people / standing in the vpper ende / or corner off the churche. The administration off which comfortable ban­quett after he had ended he went home accompanied with the whole number and congregation off the cathedrall churche / which sate downe to the festi­uall dinner the said hall / and in the same manner as before / with other chiefe me­nne both off the citye and countrye. Againe the three and twentith day off Iuly folowinge / was the day off assize and publik meetinges off the Iudges / and o­ther off the prouince / ether to vnderstande / mens causes / or to punishe manifeste [Page] offenders / as wee haue before declared the said hall was likewise replenished / only excepted / that the guests weare on­ly gentlemen / and off the beste off the woomen being placed at very exquisite fare / within the inner parlors. But a­mongest thinges whiche happened / vn­to him in his life worthi off memorye. I reioyce especially for this his felicitie / that wheras after Augustine the fyrste Archbishoppe / he was the seuentith / yet he was both the firste / and only man / that attayned vnto tharchbishoplike di­gnitie with out any blemishe or spott off olde wiues superstitions and vnprofy­table cerimonies off the Romishe Pope. for as euery one off them entred firste herunto by buils / off approbation sent from the Pope: so he was consecrated nether with these / nor any other olde / and idell ceremonies off Aarons ornamētes / nether with gloues / nor sandales / nor sslippers / nor miter / nor pall / but more chastely and religioussly / according to the puritie off the gospelie / fowre bishoppes beinge appointed accordinge to a la­we made in that behalfe whyche placed [Page] him in his chaire with so godly promis­ses protested by him / as it is meete shoulde of a gospellike pastor. And yet this his (that I may so tearme it) ioyfull and so­lempne daye he spent not negligentlye / but with garments cōly for a bishoppe with godly praiers / off thecclesiasticall ministers / and peopell / vnto whome a sermō was made by a learned religious and a professed bishoppe in diuinitie / chiefly to He that knoweth the will off his Mayster and doth it not shall bee beaten with many stripes. admonishe the pastor of his dewtie / and faythfullnes toward his flocke / and cōtrarywise / the flocke off loue / obe­dience and reuerēce whiche they ougthe to yelde to their pastor. The sermō ended when the companie presēte / had refres­hed thēselues / by partakinge the spiritu­all bāquett: they make an ende with ear­neste praiers vnto god / that that functiō whiche was laide on him / by the clergie / migthe chiefly tende to the glory of god / to the saluation of Christian flocke / and the ioyfull testimonie off his owne con­science / by faithfull executinge of his office / when yt shall happen him to departe vnto his lorde / to whome he vowed hym selfe. And the very same solempnitie / and māner of consecration / he vsed toward [Page] his bretherne bishoppes vppon whome afterward he laide his hande / of the which this is not to be let sslipped by / that wheare wee reade in histories / that sōe one off his predecessors hath cōsecrated vnto god in one yeare 5.3. or 4. bretherne / or at the moste 6. which thē was thougt very strange: to him it chaunsed that in the first yeare off his gouernmēt / he con­secrated 11. he cōfirmed 2. ād the 2. yeares followīge he placed in their seas the whole number of the bishops off Engelād (saue only the bishoppe of Lādoffe) na­melye / Paul reioy­ced not off those who­me he had baptised but the fal­se Aposte­les, as for him [...]e say­e [...]h yowe are my glo­ry and my ioy to the. Thesaloni­ans whom he won to the Gosp. the first yere he placed bishope in London sea Edmond Gryndall / in Elye Richard Cockes / in worcester Edwine Sandes / in Bangor Rouland Meri [...]k / in Lincolne Nycolas Bullinghā / in Sa­lisburye Iohn Ieuell / in S. Dauides / Thomas younge / in S. Asaph Richard Dauid / in Rochester Edmond / Gest / in Bathe and we [...]les Gilbert Barkley / at Lichfeld and Couentree Iohn Benram. And in the same yeare he confirmed wil­liam Barlowe somtimes bishope of Bathe and welles in chichester and Iohn Scorie before bispope off chichester in [Page] Herforde: And in the second yere next follownge he created william Alley bi­shope off Exceter / Iohn Parkhurst off Norwich / Robart Horne off winche­ster / Edmund Scamler off Peterbo­roughe Thomas Dauid off Saint Asa­phe / and Richard Cheyney off Glocester. Besides that / the same yere he confir­med Archbishoppe off york / Thomas younge / transslated from Saint Daui­des / and confirmed allso Thomas Da­uid bishope off Sainte Dauides / trans­lated from Sainte Asaphe. And in the yere off our Lorde 1564. when Antonie bishoppe off Landoffe died (who only remained in his sea / and agreed to the reli­gion / whearas thother bishopes created in the time off Queen Marie / withelde ther consent from the Religion establis­hed in the generall assemblie off all esta­tes and orders / whearat they weare pre­sēt / in the which assēblye this lawe was made that who so refused to professe the receyued Religion should be depriued off their authoritie / offices and promoti­ons / as obstinat / in the number off whome as their weare many off the eccesia­sticall [Page] order / so wear ther as many which retained their dignities and pla­ces / professing with vs the restored religion by A publik othe ministred vnto them) in the rome off him being deade / he consecrated in the yere of oure Lorde 1565. Hughe Dauides Doctor off La­we. And in the yere 1566. he consecrated Nicolas Robinson Doctor off diuinitie into the bishoprike off Bangor / and in the yere 1567. he confirmed Henry Cur­win Doctor off Lawe in the bishoprike off Oxforde. The which pastores and fathers / althoughe diuersslye professed in the Scoles off vniuersities / yet all we­are / so well learned / that they knewe ho­we to distribute the liuely worde off the scriptures to the people off God / with due respecte off tyme place and persone the whiche euery one off them very of­ten or rather continually doth in the cu­res committed vnto them the testimo­nie wheroff.Aes you haue sett youre bias so runneth your bow­le. The day willtri.

But that wee maye speake sumwhate off his manners and life / off whom wee presently entreat / I can saye thus muche that he was so thriftye an husbande by [Page] that frugall waye / whiche he toke in di­sposing the yeerely reuenues off tharch­bishopricke / that by his prudēt sparinge the rentes suffized for those great char­ges / which he was at by reason off his firste frutes / and subsidies paide vnto the Queene / and other necessarie expen­ses / whiche he laied out in the beginin­ge off his gouermente / for the pro­uision of housholde stuffe / and inplementes / and by reason off hospitalitie. And yet he so liberally ordered the fruites / w­hich he reaped / and receiued off his Ar­chiepiscopall dignitie / that withwhome soeuer he del [...]e / in byinge necessarie thinges for the vse off his familie / ether we­cklye he [...]ēdered their money vnto them / or at the moste / he differred it not to the end off three monethes / so that neuer a­ny man s [...]ed him for debte. And it se­meth that his greatest By his hea­pinge vpp of liuīge by hauinge of charges without doin­ge of dew­tie by sum­ptuous fea­stinge by great coste in brauiti [...] and Lordly pompe as is before declared. care thorowe ought his whole life / was that in euery estate off life / he might liue from day to day withe A good testimonie off consci­ence / before god / and out off the debte off euerye man / the which he especially abhorred / whearin he wisely considered [Page] bothe the sshortnes off mās life / and the profitte off his creditors / who he was vnwillīge shoulde suffer any losse for his sake / for that they trusted him so frendly for all the furniture off his howse: which losse perchaunce should haue happe­ned vnto them iff for the moste parte off those thinges which he boughte off them he had not paide them their mo­nye before his death.

He therfore leadinge his liffe so vpprightlye and in differentlye / althoughe by reason off the possessions off his landes diminished / he coulde not benefitt his you shall bee better consydered no doubte. seruants with any great prefer­mentes / or rewardes: yet their are very fewe amōgest them on whome / he hath not bestowed sumwhat / that maye succor ther necessities. Which yff yt weare all together gathered in one su­me / it woulde come to no smale deale / considering the shorte tyme off his ad­ministration. Besides that all thin­ges are so deare / that the stipend which he yerely geueth to his seruan­tes / is greater then off any his prede­cessors. He allso often tymes bestoweth [Page] on them more then couenaunt / especial­ly to his needye seruantes / in whome he hathe perceiued honestie / diligence and trustines in his affaires. By which wise gouernmente / he semed vnto me to re­member the mortalitie off man / the in­constancie both of life / and death / which often tymes taketh A man a waye vnawares / and to be myndfull allso to lessen and diminishe his charges / so that if he had longer to liue / he might haue whearwith to mayntayne his greate costes and expenses. And it cannot be otherwise / but that this was his minde and meaning / because that off all the sentences off the scripture / he especially chose that one / out off Iohn thapostel / the which / as he oftentymes vsed in his daylye talke / so he caused it to be writen on the walles of his house and the glasse off his windowes (the The Pharises did the like in the hē of their garmentes The worl­de laughe­the at it. worlde passeth and the concupiscence theroff) whearby he was wonte to call into his minde / the brittlenes off mans life / and the va­nitie theroff / learninge therby / to repose his trust vpon God alone / and wholly to applye hymselfe to his will / commaun­dement [Page] / that when he should giue an accompt off his stewardshippe / God might not God be mercyfull vnto him if it be possi­ble: lest he finde him beatinge his fellowe seruaunts. finde hym vnprouided / nor se [...]t vpon hym vnarmed. And to the end that his mynde might more vehemen­tlye be stirred to the meditation hereof / he caused to be grauen in tharchbisho­pes s [...]ale / the manner off the last iudge­ment / wheare Christ sitteh gloriusslye / and with maiestye / to iudge the quicke / and the dead / vtteringe this voyce full of cōfort to his chosen / come ye blissed / &c. and that other woefull voyce to the re­probate / goe ye cursed. Besides A man may theare see the images off the dead / grauen / comminge out off theare gra­ues to iudgment. And that he might sig­nifye / that men off his estate / seeldome founde such counselers / as would bol­dlye / and freely tell thē off there duetye / it happened by wise advise off the he­rauld / that suche armes weare allotted hym (as the vse for noble personages) which both might expresse thancient ar­mes of the stocke from whence he issued / and might admonishe hym also off his honor / and office in the church / in that / [Page] that starres weare added to his armes. Whearunto Gualter Haddon Doctor of lawe / a man off singular learninge / and authoritye (whome our most noble Queene Elizabeth appointed to be one off the Masters off the requestes / and Mathew hym selfe hadd made hym chi­efe Iudge off his prerogatiue court) very finely alluded in these verses.

Whearupon / as he aknowledgeth the Keyes to perteyne vnto hym by the la­we off nature / and inheritaunce / as left hym off his fore fathers His Father was an ho­nest poore man a scourer or Ca­lender off worsteddes of Norwi­ch so Kno­wne and taken. / from whome he descended / yett he thinketh them espe­ciallye to agree with hym / by reason off his spiriatuall function / which is wiselie to open and shutt the Kingdome off heauen to the Christian congregation / in the which meaninge / the Keies wea­re [Page] deliuered vnto Peter / and to all that execute that spirituall office in church of preachinge the gospell.

But whearas we see the keye thrise in his armes / that hath respecte to Pe­ters conuenaunt made with Christ vn­der that worde (feede) O deepe diuinitie, tharchbisho­pe hath three keies because Chr­ist saied pas [...], pas [...] Nay rather because he locketh vp the King­dōe of hea­uē soe fast by holdinge out of ministers that might pre­ache the worde, and keapinge in of idell and ignoraunt that can doe nothinge, that har­dlie doth anie mā enter thearī. thrise repea­ted.

Lastly the starres represent that off Danyell: The learned shall shine as the brightnes off the firmament / and they which instructe manie in the waye off righteousnes as starres for euer and euer.

As therfore the starres bringe him in­to the remembraūce off his spirituall authoritie / ād office / soe also by the starr / he learneth to remēber what is required of him / that by the purenes off his lighte / he should shine to other / and by the he­auenly doctrine off the worde / should bringe againe into the lighte the cōgre­gation off Christ / which nowe a greate while hath miserably lyen hidden / and ouerwhelmed in grosse darknes / by the [Page] traditions off men. And that he might not altogither forgett himselfe (as theye are wont to doe which are sett vpp aloft in the [...]yest roomes off the worlde) he was wonte to rubbe his minde / with the memorye off that sentence / that all fame / aestimation / honor / all magistrat­shippes / be theye off neuer so ample au­thoritye / all titles and names howe glo­rious soeuer theye seeme in the eyes off men for a tyme / yett att the last / as the whole world it selfe / and all brittle and transitorye thinges / theye shall peri­she / and decaye. And in this sorte re­asoninge with him selfe / he passed by all the entis [...]ents / off the worlde nether stayed at them / as att the rockes off the Syrenes. Therfore agreinge vnto Paule / that he hadd not heere an abidin­ge citye / accordinge to his meaninge / he sought that which was to come. The which as it hath in it selfe / the greatest certaintye / and safetye / soe this life is vnconstant and corruptible / for as much as all fleshe is grasse / and all the glorye off man is as the flouer off the grasse / which quicklye is cutt downe and wi­thereth. [Page] In the which frayle / and transi­torye lyfe / he was carried forward with a continuall desiere / to profite the church off god / for that he thoughte / he coulde not bestowe his laboure better on anye thinge (consideringe the place wh [...]h he occupied) thē in the busie searchi off the opinion off Doctores off his tyme and conferringe them with the writers off all ages. Besides he was verie carefull / and not without some charges / to seeke out the monumētes / off foremer tymes / to knowe the religion off thancient fa­theres / and those especiallye which we­re / off the Englishe churche. Therfore in seekinge vpp the cronicles off the Brittones and Inglishe Saxōs / which laye hidden euery wheare contemned and buried in forgetfullnes / and thro­wgh the ignoraunce off the Languages not wel vnderstanded / his owen especi­ally / and his mens diligēce wanted not.

And to the ende / that these antiquiti­es might last longe / and be carefullye kept [...] he caused them / beinge broughte into one place to be well bounde and trymly couered. A [...]d yet not so contented / he [Page] deuored to sett out in printe / certaine off those aunciente monumentes / whea­roff he knew very fewe examples to be extante / and which he thoughte woul­de be most profitable for the postery­tye / to instructe them / in the fay the and religion off the elders.

Heere vpon / he caused the perpetu­all histories off the inglishe affaires / by Mathaeus Paris [...]ensis once a Monke off Sainte A [...]banes / and Mathaeus Florilegus / a Monke off Sainte Pe­ters in westminster / written in latin / to be printed / after he had diligentlie conferred them with thexamples▪ / w­hich he coulde gett in anye place / to the ende / that as sincerelye as might be / as thauthors first left them / he mi­ghte deliuer them into mens handes.

Lastlye that he mighte not be vnmindfull off those monumentes which both in antiquitye / worthines / and autho­ritye excelled all other / or rather whe­are with none are to be compared (I meane the holy scriptures) heere be thougthe to doe great good / if by his nū ­ber / he increased the holye Bibles / w­hich [Page] shortli woulde be wantinge vn­to manye Churches / [...]ff this discom­moditye weare not prouided for in ty­me. Therfore it seemed good vnto him first with his learned seruantes to exa­mine thorowghlye thinglishe transla­tion / whearin he partlye vsed the hel­pe off his bretheren Bishoppes / and other Doctores / with whome he delte so diligentlye in this matter / that the­ye disdained not to be parteners and fellowes with him off his laboure.

And nowe all The chap­laynes tra­uiled, and the Bishopes brought forthe▪ there worke is sett out in verye fayer formes / and letters off printe / and that not without grea­te Let men iudge whe­ther he did so much good by br [...] gīge in that transla [...]iō, as harme by stayinge the Gene [...] frute (we hope) to all them / which desier accordinge to the prescripte worde off God / to worshippe God / to yelde there dutifull obedience to the­re Prince / and to profit there contrye to there pouer: and lastlye / to all those / that by the mercye off God in Chri­ste / doe thirste for the health off the­re soules / and the inioyinge off the life to come.

But it happened vnto him / when he [Page] sawe the happye finishinge / and ende of the foresaied worcke / that he was soe affected in minde / as that holy man Si­meon off whome Luke theuangeliste maketh mention. Thefore in the same sorte as he / he spake within And youe harde it beinge with­out him: els howe knewe yo­ue it. himselfe. Nowe letest thou thy seruaunt o Lorde depart in peace / for mine eyes haue seene thy saluation / &c. Finallie / the mortall condition off man cominge into his minde (with the memorie whearoff / he was wonte offtentimes in his sermones / to rubbe other menes mindes / lest death sshoulde finde them vnprepared / at any tyme) he thoughte / that for hym beinge nowe an old man / it was especiallye re­quisite / to bende his whole minde / and studie / vpon the meditation off mans frayltie. Thefore he carfullie prouided / lest at anye tyme the remembraunce heeroff / sshoulde be driuen out off his minde: first fitlie and conuenientlye di­sposinge his worldlye substance: and then by discribinge the manner off his buryall: thirdly by apointinge his Tom­be off blacke Marbell / to the ende he mighte haue it readye and furnisshed [Page] for euerye occasion off death. And this Tombe off purpose he caused to be made of noe exquisite worke / but smothe / stre­ighte / and plaine / thinkinge it enoughe if beīg represēted to the eie / it mighte serue eyther for him selfe / while he liued / as a token / or monumente off his vncertaine estate / or when he was deade / as a te­stimonie to his posteritye / what princi­pall place by the bountye off his Prince he obteyned in Christe h [...]s commō And that he was a blacke bi­shopbe to the chur­che off En­glande. welthe. The whiche commoditie / and pro­fitt he receiued not rather off his tombe / then off the inscription off his epita­phe / thauthor whearoff was a frend off his / and one that bare office vnder him / Doctor Gualter Haddon. In whiche epitaphe / althoughe he acknowledgeth that Haddon speaketh more off him then he deserueth yet he thinketh him selfe to bee forwarned by that frendly commendation / that while he liueth / and oc­cupieth the hieste Rome off the spiritu­all authoritie / he shoulde endeuour to his powre / to come as neare as he maye to those thinges which are attrybuted vnto him.

So contynually waightinge / when god shall call him / and willingly content at the pleasure off god / e [...]h [...]r to liue lon­ger in this his estate / and to continew his life / or by and by to leaue it / and to laye downe all thinges partayning vnto him / that the wisdome off god may di­spose and order them / howe and to what vse soeuer it shall please him / he yeldeth and commendeth himselfe wholye into the tuition off God the father / god / the sonne / and God the holy ghoste to whome bee honor and glorie for euer Amen.Glory vnto god, and cō fusion to his enemy­es which perseuer in their wic­kednes.

IF vppon the tombe off that Assy­rian Queene of Babylō / in stead off that description (Hear lieth hyd great treasure) ther had bene grau­en in golden letters: vnder this tombe / thow shalt finde a precious library off excellent bookes / for all kinde off lear­ninge / and a storehowse off knowledge / surely yt had ben no suche sacrilidge / for Darius to haue ransacked the de­ad womans graue: nor he himselfe so worthelye noted off foule coueteous­nes / that would violate suche sacred places / thorough a moste vnholy hun­ger off golde.

But rather yt had tourned all the contrary to his praise / who euen in the earth / and a monge dead men / would haue foughte / and digged for suche a myne off knowledge / as surpasseth [Page] all treasure. yea thoughe he had founde nothinge but a womans bones / as he did not in deed / yet his commēdable and Prince worthy thyrste off knowledge / had excused his ignorance / off seekinge Musas inter Manes / and the blotte had been iustly retourned to her selfe / for ta­kinge pleasure in prouokinge any man / by false promyses to rake in her ashes.

But this Queen was a woman / a he­athen / and a stranger from god / yea wi­thout god / and ther withall had no me­aninge to deceiue / for hurte / but only to chastise such extreame auarice / and to teache their by / and make more religious / wise / and warye Darius / or any other / that sshoulde come to disquiet her deade sleaping bones. She is not only therfo­re to bee excused / for this disguisinge her graue / but much more prayse worthye is sshe / then he whosoeuer it was that off late hath sett forth / to the hurte off Christian men / certaine / Rapsodies / and shredes off olde forworne sto­ryes / allmost forgotten / had he notno­we latlye awakened them out off a dead sleape / and newly sewed them togither [Page] in one booke / printed / whose glorius title promiseth not mountaines off gold / as that seely heathen womans tombe / but beareth Christ in the browe / and is ho­nested with this title in the fronte. De antiquitate Britannicae Ecclesiae & priuilegijs Ecclesiae Cantuariensis cum Archiepiscopiscopis eiusdem septua­ginta. As thoughe it weer somme wor­thye monument / and riche hoorde / whe­arin had been honorablie buried / great heapes off the knowledge / and actes off the first Christian infancie of this church off England. And yett hauinge rolled a waye that glorious grauestone / off that counterfaicte title / and sekinge further into it / appereth a very painted sepul­chre / gorgeousslye decked withe that outward onelie name / and within full off broken shankebones / and reliques off dead carcases / yea nothinge / but a very charnell howse / off brainsslesse vnlear­ned ss [...]ulles / off suche men as wear wi­cked in their life / and not worthye any memorye beinge dead. whose rotten bo­nes / yet if they had been closed in lead / and well spiced / feared / and handsomly [Page] layde vppe togither / peraduenture they might haue been kepte from sauorin­ge yet a while: but they are so hurled togither / with out embalminge / or other preseruatiue / that the matter beinge off yt selfe moste vncleane / is yet by the manner off handlinge (iff yt bee possible) made more vncleane and filthy.

The title / as it is saide / De antiqui­tate, & caetera. Onely a fewe thinges are saide for preface / towchinge the first preaching off CHRiste in this our Ilande: but the whole bodie off the boke is / bumbasted with the swellin­ge pompes off the Archprelates of Can­terburye. wherin / as ther is no suche clerkly handlinge / as is to bee won­dred at (for ther is suche confused shufflinge togither as iff h [...]s metho­de had been Take yt amonge yow) so ther is no such chast dealinge / as we­are to bee wished. For many bastard tales / off thadoulterouse synagogue off Rome / are intermingled: so that the greateste care off the workman seemed to bee / perhapes a litle for [Page] that firste parte off the treatise / de an­tiquitate Ecclesiae Brittannicae: and much more for the seconde Parte de Priuilegijs Ecclesiae Cantuariensis: [...]ut moste off all for this thirde parte▪ De Archiepiscopis eiusdem septu [...]gin­ta, & caetera.

For after two or thre and [...] leaues spent superficially in that [...] (off thantiquitie I mean off the Englishe Church) and two or thr [...]e tables (whearoff one very folishe at the leaste) ther beginneth as it weare a ne­we stately worke / continued in two hundreth And odde leaues (and yet Apex is not added) off the liues fir­ste off the primatiue fathers off that Churche / the foundation whearoff is luckely laide / in that Apostate / not Apostell Augustine (for he made this Church Apostatare (as they call yt) fyn­ding Religion here more sincere / and Christian / then he lefte it: hauinge brou­ghte in nothinge but vniformitie in singinge / syttinge / and such other [Page] semely orders off Rome) and then de­scendinge in a rowe to all his successors in that sea / or rather arme off the mayne sea off Rome / euen to him that presen­tly sites / and takes his case therin. Whe­arin who so euer will but consume a li­tell tyme shall finde that / to sett forth thantiquitie off the sincere knowledge off Iesus Christe / and the first preachin­ge theroff in this lande / thoughe it bee firste in title / yet is it leaste / and laste / in treatie / sett rather for a commendation to the boke / then that it was in any re­commendacion to the author: yea vsed only for a pretence and color to insinua­te into the magnifienge off that magni­ficall seign [...]orie and Archipiscopall ter­ritorie off Canterburye / and by all me­ans possible to van [...]e the preheminece / and supereminence off that princly Archpastor and pastorall Archprince / the fir­ste father and Peter (as I maye saye) off which succession / he maketh that su­perstitious monke / and wicked man / Romishe Austen. Who as he obtruded him selfe vniuersall Archbishoppe to all England / and wan it not by the worde / and [Page] spirite / but by the sworde and bloude (for he was the fyrebrand off a fraye whearin one and twentye hundreth monkes / This hel­lish Austen is he that in a pre­face to an english Bi­ble latly printed is forsooth called sa [...] te Austen. good men (as good men went in those daies) and in comparison off him in deed holy saintes besides other men off warre were all innocently slay­ne and murdered only because they refu­sed to submitt their neckes to his Arch­iepiscopall yoke which they sawe him so ambitiously seeke) so he the same Au­sten hauinge thus gotten by conquest this vniuersall vicepapaci ouer England because his procedinges shulde bee like his entrie / with like apostolike humili­tie / and meeknes he iusteled for a place / whear to fasten his chayre / and by plai­ne wronge (as wronge maye bee saide betwene wrongdoers) wrange from the Archbishoppe off London (for ther had been before the Archiepiscopall sea as allso saieth that boke) all Archiepiscopall iurisdictiō / pall / and crosse / cum pertinentijs / and contrary euen to the pope his holy fathers commandement / trans­lated the same to canterburye. Whear it was sette and settled to haue and to hold [...] [Page] / to him and to his successors there / [...] / vnder paine off the great exco­m [...]cation / and many a blacke curse / th [...]dred by diuers popes / after which a [...]ther recited for the greater terror / [...] them / that should at any tyme attempte againste that holy sacred sea.

And because yt might not seeme to bee placed there lyghlye / nor wi­thout the consente off the godes / or decree off the destinies hee reciteth once or twise a profound va [...]cination off Prophet Merline / a worthye Pro­phet / for su [...]e a churche / and his Pro­pheticall woordes are pointed out in great capital letters Dignitas Londo­n [...]e adorna [...] Doroberniam / that as the churche off God / hath her holy Aposte­les / and longe before Prophetes Pro­ph [...]cynge by the [...] off God / and hath them for foundations: so allso that degenerate church / might bee foun­ded in her proude / and nothinge lesse then Apostle Augustine / and establi­shed by suche coniuringe witches / and coleprophetes / seduced by the ly­inge [Page] spyrite as was Merline.

The tree off this succession norished with the sape off the crabstocke whearon it was vnhappely graffed / not vnlike to the manner off conquerers / and tyrans / sought by all meanes to aduaunce / and enlarge this ther newlye wonne domi­nation. For they deuoured vpp quite an Archbischoprike off wales and drow­ned it in the botomlesse sea off Canter­bury. Somwhat they strained at the vnderbishoprikes / ther making a con­science to swallowe suche gnates / and therfore off ther great Good grace / were contente they should not vt­terly lose their beinge / but remaine to encrease the number off ther subiectes. By which shamfull struglinge they obtained to sit vppon ther fellowe Archbishoppe off yorke / and to tread vppon the reste theire brother bishoppes in Englande.

And hauinge thus preuayled in England and conquered (for so he termeth yt) yorke / whome he could nei­ther beare superiore with pompey nor suffer aequal withe Caesar / [Page] For he plainly chalengeth a superioritie and fealtie off him. Then boasteth he w­hat a motherlie estimation it reteyned with the churches in Scottland / euen then / when he knoweth no milke was to bee sucked from her / but poison.

From Scotland he takes shippinge and popelike steppes ouer into Ireland / and thence ouer againe into fraunce / Gasconie / Normandie / Aquetaine / and ther (saieth he) it ouercame all the chur­ches in Iurisdiction allso. Iff this bee to watch ouer one prouīce in a realme / like an Archbishope / and not rather aspirin­glye / to affect a popedome ouer many realmes / iudge ye. It wilbe no aunswear / to saye that the kinge off England / beinge then soueraigne off Ireland / and fra­unce in possession / might aswell apoint one Archbisshope ouer all those regions / as ouer Ingland / or on prouince therin. for iff the Archbishopes nose must bee so longe / and that he must haue suche el­bowe Rome / then lett vs hear what the Pope / who is next aboue the Archbishope will saye. Surely / he will singe the very same songe for him selfe. The em­perour [Page] off Rome soueraigne ouer all thes partes off the worlde / made me generall Bishoppe aboue my brether­ne.

But this Argument / and suche like / is the principall content off those two or thre and twenty leaues / yea off that [...]itle which he entreareth in those fewe first leaues. De antiquitate Britannicae Ec­clesi [...], the very firste chapter sheweth what is the chiefe subiecte. For the title off [...]hat firste chapiter beinge / De v [...]tu­state Britannicae Ecclesiae testimonia ▪ the very f [...]rst wordes being [...]ractaturi de Cantuariensibus Archiepiscopis, and the last chapter off thes few leaues / a description off the towne off Canter­burye / who seeth not that neither in begininge / middest / nor end / he cou [...]d dissemble his meaninge / and that thauncientye off thenglishe Church is but a vizard for that wormeatē Church of Caunterbury / to maske vnder / the bolder to boast hir off her louers / and to whisper such vn­cleanly speeches / as she durst not haue vttered barefaced impudent thoughe [Page] she be / and past all grace. Elles durst she not affirme / in tempore praesenti, that Archiepiscopi Cantuariens authoritas no [...] definitis Archiepiscopalis [...] iurisdictionis [...] contin [...]tur, [...] Archiepis [...]o­paller [...] and alm [...]st as it w [...]ll i [...] selfe, [...] broad [...] prouince. s [...]d ordinarie l [...]bera [...] per sua [...]. I wee [...]e this passeth the besides off the newe test [...]ment.

The processe off th [...]s [...] two or three [...] leaues is aunswerable to [...]he beg [...]n [...]nge. For a gr [...]at [...] is spent in [...] howe many tributary bishops [...] him / and them be cal­leth [...] and their dioceses his entire p [...]ouince and but their seuerall parishes yea the Archbishoppe off yorke himse [...]f hath been and executed the p [...]a off a suffragane to the Archbishoppe off Canterbury at the consecration off an inferior Bishoppe.

An other great parte is in the honors [...] other Bishopps / to ther Ar­ [...] prelate of Cāterbury what big the place be hathe aboue the rest: [...]owe honora­ble a Rome it is to sit on his right hand / [Page]and next him on his left hand how all the Bishopes must sweare Canoni­call profession / obedience / and subiecti­on / to [...]he iurisdiction powre / and [...]m­pire off Canterbury priuiledges / and li­be [...]s: what a prerogatiue it was for the Bishoppe off London / to s [...]ye t [...]e [...] before h [...]m / and to bee his [...] / the Bishoppe off [...] the B [...]hoppe off Ro [...]be­sier [...] Pontificall [...]: w [...]at a w [...]r [...] reputacion th [...] Bis [...]p [...] [...] thought yt to [...] from the Bis [...]ppe off [...] and at [...]

T [...]n followeth the [...]rde suffraga­nes / whiche [...] haue vnder him because [...] the bet­ter bee non re [...]ē [...] from his charge / and[Page] all this without any taxinge / so that at last the poore minister that watcheth in deede / is but the mans man off the Lor­de suff [...]agane / who is the mans man off the Archbishoppe. Ther is discoursed at large the ambitious / and tra [...]icall Hie­ [...]achie / betwene the two H [...]erarches off Canterburye and yorke / for the pa­pacie in England and by the waye off a petye braw [...]e / and subquarel [...] betwen yorke / and duresme / for Archiepiscopall Iurisdiction in that prouince.

In all these thinges / is ther to bee noted / a marueilous carnall / and worl­dly affec [...]ion borne to Canterburye sea. For besides yow shall see diuers very odious and proud comparisons / with the Archbishope off yorke / both for the bargeines off Imperiall precinct / and allso For courteous vsage towardes his subiecte Parishes. For with these nam­es / he is contente to debase his vassel B [...]shoprikes. And this is a taste of the church honors / and spirituall subiection which the sea off Cāterburye chalengeth.

The ende off that three and twentye leafe is a preface off his temporall prin­cipalities [Page] priuiledges / and prerogati­ues / which is begonne with a worthye sentence out off Iohn Capgra [...]e off Po­pe vrbin / whoe with his owne vnho [...]ye mouthe pronounced Archbis. Austyne off Canterburye / worthye to be an other Apostolicall Bishoppe / and Patriarch off an other worlde yea almost his fello­we to the great honour (no [...] doubte) off h [...]s successors off Canterburye. In this par [...]e is it somwhat trauiled. For verye substanciallye / he beginneth with his diu [...]sion off the rigthes / and prerogatiues off that sea. Some sayeth he are sett out in the lawes and be commō with oth [...]r Archbishoprickes [...] some are absolute and peculiar vnto him selfe / without al [...] la­wes / or not expressed in the lawes. H [...]s rihgtes prescribed / and circumscribed in the lawes are confirmation off his pro­uinciall Bishoppes / which without greate impietie / may [...] be done noe whea [...]e laufullye but in Christes church at Can­terburye.

The nexte is what greate tr [...]butes e­uerye made Bishoppe payed him. Ho­we they [...] his who [...]e [...]ous­ho [...]de [Page] [...] it is verye muche for one bro­ther [...] [...]o [...] off an other / for that which shou [...]de be bestowed fran [...]lye / [...] common wealde.

[...] fol [...]oweth his righte off [...] Dioceses [...] other inferior Bi [...]op [...] [...] [Page] what theye haue done [...] to call synodes in the [...]e D [...]ocesse / to [...] / and that without anye [...]

And that the same Earle muste be his [...] / and chefe cupbearer the daye off h [...]s Inthro [...]ziation : This is [...] to be called gra [...]ious Lordes[Page] as the Lordes off the yearth are / but this is to be beyonde all grace / and to be ser­ued off these gracious Lordes / and to be there Lorde paramounte. In this ro [...]e of his noble Tenaun [...]es / the nexte are the Lorde Si [...]anguais / the Earle of Oxfor­de / the Lorde Darcye / a [...]l which (sayeth he) owe seruice to that Archbishopp. wheare cometh in to be remembred / one v [...]rye regall prerogatiue in deede. For it encounters hande to hande / euen with The kinges prerogatyue. That is / that whearas in others comon persones ca­ses / [...]ff there Tenaunte holde anye lande off the Kinge / he shall haue the custodye off both on and other / the Archbishoppe shall yet againste the Kinge reteine the lande off his infante Tenaunte / thoughe [...]e holde of the kinge by knightes seruice / or in capi [...]e. which he proueth by a pre­siden [...]e in the minorytye off this earle off Oxforde in the tyme off the nowe Arch­bishope. Many other immunities very princlicke / are recited both for himselfe / for his / and for his church. Ouer Roche­ster Bishopricke / besides that he was a [Page] superior Archbishop / he was also patro­ne and giuer off [...]t.

From this steppe he clymeth vppe an other / yet higher / that the kinges off this realme are crowned / and made by him / as that which off right / is properlie due vnto him / and theruppon telleth ho­we the bishope off Salisburye for his malepart intrudinge him selfe / to marie the kinge once / vnder color that it was in Salisburie diocesse / was shrewdly reproued / and to his reproche reiected / and the Archbishope taken to doe it. That the kinge / and Queene bee his do­mesticall / and speciall parishoners / wheresoeuer they bee in England / yea that all England / distinct in diuers diocesses / is by reason off his primacie / his pari­she.

All this is recited / not as one that telleth what other saye / but ther are ad­ded arguments and reasons to proue it. for saith he (the author off that booke I meane) that theese thinges bee trewe / yt appareth because all offringes off the kinge / and Queene / or other noblemen / either in the kinges chappell / or other [Page] Church cathedrall / contientuall / or paro­chiall / offred in the presence off the Ar­chbishoppe / are his owne and sha [...] not [...] either to the Bishope off the [...] no [...] to the co [...]ent and [...] to the deane off the Chappell off the Kinge / much lesse to the poore priest off the parishe.

His second parte off his subdiuisio [...] / off his peculiar rightes / that is his chur­ch superioritie / and preuileges is pur­sued first with this Archhonor / that the Archbishope off yorke with all humi­litie requir [...]th to bee consecrate off him off Canterbury / and prof [...]ss [...]th [...] in the consecration off Canterbury. The Archbishope off Ireland and [...] take their righ [...]s off [...] them selues to the seru [...]ce and attendance off Ca [...]terbury sea. Th [...] descendeth hee to the giftes / that euery [...] Bishoppe best [...]weth [...] in their life / and at their [...] / wi [...]h saddel [...] there ringes / and [...] seales [...] Amonge the [Page] [...]

[...]

[Page]There is not lefte out / so much as the priuiledge that he hath / of dealinge with the goodes / in diuers diocesses: for w­hich / the booke sayeth / that the other Bi­shoppes / did striue with him / but there / saieth the booke / did the power off the Canterburye Archbishoppe shine / and shewe forth it selfe / which will not be p [...]nched / with the straite lawes / off an Archbishoppe / or Metropolitane / which beinge not on ye primate off all Englan­de / saieth the booke / but also ordinarye / and Bishoppe off all Englande and so beinge first instituted / will still / saieth the booke / fitt ouer them as his suffra­ganes. And once againe I saie all this is not bare [...]ye repor [...]ed but collected to the gereat praise off that sea / and w [...]th allo­wance / and without contrarye censure / sett downe.

To make vpp all his goodlie glory the [...] off this treatise / is with that vsur­ped power off dispensation / which the Pope helde againste / the lawes / off the kinge off Eng [...]ande / and againste the e­t [...]rna [...]l lawe / off the kinge off kinge [...] Ie­sus Christe: and that this d [...]spens [...]nge [Page] power / is translated to Canterburye. In the Lawe off which transs [...]ation thoughe there be a god ye caution / that nothinge shoulde be dispensed with / a­gainste the expresse will off God / yet so vnrulye / is the vn [...]ained and vnbrideled Arch [...]p [...]scopall Iur [...]ssdiction / that ne­ther Lawe / no [...] prou [...]so / can prouide / to keepe him vnder lawes.

As a perfection to all these / is added his fowre Archiepiscopall courtes or (fo­ra) which name I thincke / is therfore e­quinocke / to A Marke [...] / and cour [...]e / be­cause in both / a [...]l thinges are to be solde euen as in Rome. These courtes are sett forth / in there maiestye / there Iudges / Aduocates / Proctors [...] R [...]g [...]sters / there seates off tribunall / there Priuiledges / and there powers / all the solemnitye off pleadinge and installinge anye n [...]we Doctor / not so much omitted / as there sittinge downe / and risinge vpp But a­boue all this / muste come often / and e­uer in / what a rule and absolute domi­nion Tharchbis. beareth amonge them. The auncientest off these is the mother courte off Bow Church / nexte hir / that [Page] off the audience / but not so noble / as the firste. The thirde is the courte off prero­gatiues / which though [...] it be not so worthi [...] [...] as the other two yet it bring [...]th m [...]re to the Kitchin. The fourth [...] that vpstarte courte off facu [...]ties / [...] trans [...]ated to that sea. [...] courte / saieth the b [...]oke hath no mo [...]tall f [...]are / bel [...]ke b [...]cause it nether executeth [...] in the Archbi­sh [...]ppes owne how [...]e / as the bo [...]ke sa­y [...]th. An other [...] p [...]culiar courte there is for his owne Diocese wheare [...]s [...] that booke / that the maner and custome off the [...] off [...] is that [...] thinges and deuine / [...]halbe [...] disposition.

[...] you (sayeth that book [...]) all th [...] pr [...]minences / priui [...]edges / pr [...]ro­gatiues / Immunites / Iudgmente s [...]a­tes / and courtes / whearhy that [...] in all pointes perfected / and [...] And so farr is it of that / thauthor theroff wou [...]de haue it / reade as A pro­bable reporte off tymes past / that lest saye [...]h [...] / these thinges might be to you doubtfull or vncertaine / I had my pro­fes [Page] from suche / and suche recordes whi­ch sayeth he / be off suche force in lawe that no [...] on [...]ye in readinge / but euē in [...] (as [...]noughe he tooke [...] / he maketh a [...] betwene that [...] / and victor [...]es [...] had againste his suffrag [...]s [...] at his pleasure the poore vnd [...] bishopes sixe times (It ti [...]e) togither / in that [...] conclusion not once da [...]nge thē the name off bishopes. and in the ende lappeth vpp all / wi [...]h these [...] / ād draweth vpp againe / [...] licēcious raines / off his vnbride [...]ed iurisdiction / as thoughe be [...]ke he wou [...]de make all En­glande [...] for him to ride on / and [...] his ambitious pleasure.

If in fiftene yeares this haughtynes [...] and put in priuate prince / to flye with the ow [...]e by nighte / there is no doubte but in fiftene hundreth yea­res more / it woulde growe to be well fethered and perf [...]ctlye s [...]dge / readie to flye abroode in the daye tyme / with the [Page] other Birdes in publike writinges a­uowed / and chalenged. Th [...]ye therfore / that will not prouide the medicine all to late / muste resiste the beg [...]n̄inges / lea­ste as it alreadye vaunteth it se [...]fe aboue all Ecclesiasticall degree / so by creepinge vpp / in tyme / it will assaie in an other a­ge / to goe in the steppes / off some off the forefathers / off that sea / and to treade on the neckes / or to offer the stiroppe / to the temporall Lorde / her naturall / so­ueraigne Princes. We haue had to good experience in our Cronicles / howe fast that ill weede / Ambition / groweth in there garden / especiallye if it be dunged / with to muche / off that goulden carthe. And euen he [...]rby maye somwhat apeare howe needfull / it is to preuente suche mischiefs. For who woulde haue beeleued / that anye man / not in the behalfe off him selfe / but in the fauour off anye thoug­he neuer / so arch a Prelate / would wrigh­te suche thinges / as you haue hearde he­ere. Whearin trulye I haue so kepte me / to his wordes almost / as if I had bene his transslatour / especiallye in the wor­des [Page] that are most proude / ambicious / and that do arrogate most.

Nether maye the author off that boke saye that he receiteth the bare historye / for with all / I say againe / he alloweth plainly off it / and euen in his transition from his said pretended preface / off the auncienty off true religion / in this land / to his entended trety off Austen / and his fellowes / he speaketh as iff he weare in a matter off great earnest / that for this cause / he had more respecte to the Authors wordes alleaged thoroughe out that volume off lyues / then to thele­gaucie off his owne stile / for that he would not swerue from the truthe for­sothe) off the storie. And besides to what end else worte he that booke / the whole purpose whearoff / is to proue thaunci­entie off that sea together with the dig­nitie off them that satt therin / as apee­reth by the title or sumes off eche chap­ter. To proue which auncientye off the one / and dignitie off the / other these ma­ny other like popishe presumptions / and presumptuous poperies / are the best / and onely argumentes. Which iff they wear all gleaned / or rather mowed by [Page] handfulls / and seuered a part from that which is spoken directly and to the pur­pose / for thancientye off the poore Chri­stian churche in England / ther wolde bee but a poore haruest off that mater / whi­ch is so gailie pretended / euen scarse e­noughe to make a storie off two leaues.

This title therfore of antiquitie of the whole bodye off the generall Christian church in this our English Lād is but a bare title / nothing lesse mēt / then to bee entreated of / but onely to make his waye therthoroughe to the extolling / and hoysing vp / euen vppō mēs shoulders / that particular mēber / or chapell of Canterburie. The which is more manifest in the solēpne legend which followeth off Idolatrous Archiflamines / the which were euery one all their life longe / so farre as man may iudge by that that is left of thē euē sitting in that throne professed Baa­lites / and sworne Rōanistes / except that onely most trueli gracious bishope / and blessed martyr / holy Cranmer / and this man that nowe occupieth the Rome. All I saie except these two were euen while they sat superstitious Archsacrificers / ād principall bread worshippers.

[Page]Nowe I praie you what good cā cōe to the church of god by takīge together out of w. of Couentrie / Simiō of Dumelme / H. of Hūtington / the storie of Rochester and such authētike writers / the wicked liues / ād grosse blindnes off Dunstā / Cu [...] ­bert / Becket / and other ther fellowes off later tymes: or what godly estimatiō to the Christiā church off England to haue the liues of suche not mē / but mōsters recorded in this tīe / as though they weare to bee reckned good workmē in the chur­ch: Or rather is not this to vncouer the shame / ād priuities of Cāterbury church / to stanpe in printed letters such a succes­siō of Idolaters / cōiurers / canōized trai­tors / and rebells as that sea hathe yeld­ed. But if once to name then / bee to mu­che / and to bestowe that labor in peacing togither the ragges off their stories be a worke of smal edifieng / especially for an architect / and maister builder of the church of God▪ what is it to reckē vp so many of ther popishe tales / vncontrolled / their enthronizations / and cōsecrations / ther glutting feastes / and other pompes / ther mocke miracles / and wicked profession [...] / [Page] their deathes / entermentes / en [...]ōbinges / transla [...]ions / and shrynīges / with a masse of there intolerable supersticiōs deeds and sayinges vncensured. What an offence to the good Christiā man / and what a feed [...]nge off the humor off the sicke Pa­piste / to see it seet sorth in tables in that booke / as it weare for an honor off this English church / to haue had many Cardinalls / wherwith that siege off Canterbury / and others haue been defiled.

Trulye to bee able to recount a catalogue / off redd cappes / bloudie gownes / golden crosses and succession off the worlde (for by that name are cardinalls created it) may well seeme a gaie / glitte­ring thing in the worldly wise eye: but the wisdome off God treadeth them vnder / as childish [...]oyes / and most vnpure vanyties. The true Christian taketh no pride / nor conceyt in them / but rather bursteth out in tears / when vppon such occasion hee seeth the p [...]ague off igno­raunce / and heauy iudgment off God vppon those our fathers / and former ti­mes / and then he singeth ye praises off the mercies off our louing God / with [Page] thākes geuing / for that inestimable be­nefitt off knowledg / which he bestoweth vppō vs / who yet for our synnes deserue with the worste. yea if [...] the heathen poet / ca [...]eth it a vaine vaunt off many graund fathers / and greate graundsiers / thoug­he theye were ner [...]uous how vnsittinge is it for him / that sites in the arches off the Englishe Hierarchie / professing to bee a minister off the simple gospell / off poore Iesus Christ / whose Kingdome and glorye is spirituall / thus like / a pore blinde zebediste to aske he knoweth not what with such a sturre to make suite for the retaining off his place / to sitt on the righthande / or lefte hand off Iesus Christe in this worlde. He I saye that should bee a bright light / and sauory salte to all England / prophanely to boast him off such temporall homages / and Lordshi­pes ouer other and to esteme so glorious the shewe off so many proude Pontifi­call antecessors / whose onlye names are not cleane yenough for Christian mou­thes.

A number off thinges ther are fitter / for matter off nyne lessons or [...]ouble f [...] ­astes [Page] / or more double / then for Christi­an Chronicles / or Ecclesiasticall stories / off the which thoughe I wote well / di­uers haue ther gentle corrections and softe censures / yet are they generally tol­de / so confidently / and without any iud­gment shewed vpon thē / that it is great daunger lest the poore blind papist be by them made starcke blinde / and obstina­te / The weake brother by thē take a fall / and the good Christian zelously greued / to see such vnlikely tales off Robin hoo­de / so impudētly peepe forth in this bro­ade daye / which euen thē / when they cold see to doe nothing without cādels light at high noone / hardlie durst bee so har­dye / as to shewe ther balde heades / but in monkishe Cronickels and libraries off the darcke monasteries.

Lest therfore / the sowishe papiste off England / might walter him wan­tonly in this litle lumpe / off his mirie popishe trumperie / which now perhaps he beginnes to thincke deintie / or like a dogge / gredily swallow vppe / this litle vo­mited gobett off written vnuerities / from which he hath been wained now [Page] a great while (the lord god bee than­ked / for the blessed and happie instru­ment theroff his handmaide our Quee­ne Elizabeth / whose faith and zeale he more and more encrease / and whose ho­lye and helthfull life / he longe prolon­ge) I perswade my selfe that this litle preface / or any other more large treati­se / beinge specially bent against suche monkishe collections / wold not onlye bee suffred / to passe frely / without cal­linge in or inhibicion: but allso auctori­zed / and not so soene seene / but allowed / that so the open mouth off the Lewde Papist / might bee stopped from slaundering these tymes off the gospell / with the approuing of suche vngospellike legēds / when he shall see this and suche like publikely approued / wherby those old wiues tales / are with all earnestn [...]s reproued.

To set forth to the in Englishe all that vaine collection / is nether my pur­pose / nor to any purpose: thow shalt be lefte to the latine printed boke / for somuch theroff as is allready set forth. But because this worthie worke seemes not yet licked to the louely shape nor [Page] growne to the iust number (for the first leafe in the title promiseth full seuentye Archbishops / and the last leafe perfor­meth vppe but sixtie nyne) it is like e­noughe / it will not bee vnpleasant vnto the nor against the author / fauior off that boke / iff while he busieth himselfe in monumentes off more edification / and matters off more moment / some o­ther off lower calling and lesse busines adde vnto those 69. one other storie / that came to light containinge the life off this present Mathew Archbishope / and so absolue that worke / and make vppe euen the number off 70 Archbishopes as in that latine boke is onely promised. It is very like (I saye) that though per­haps this deuise may preuent him / for the circumstaunce off tyme / and make that borne before the tyme which the fathir / ment should haue been borne af­ter his deathe: yet in substance it will not bee against his minde / because when he traue [...]leth with 70. Archbishops in the rule off his boke and when all comes to all bringeth forth but 60. doubiles his meaning was to perfect that mustre off [Page] dead men with a quick pay euen with the life off him that yet sitteth.

And because you shall not thincke / that you haue heare / a horses neke ioy­ned to any other then horses bodye vn­derstand you. that this seuentithe cam out off the verie same shoppe that other 69. did / perhaps it was but rough hew­en / by one of the prentises and wan [...]ed sum polishing by the formam. But quite to remoue from the / all suspicion off beinge abused with any coyned or counterfaicte marchandise / you shalbe thus plaintly delt with. The very latine ori­ginall hereoff / came from the Archbis­hops owne handes whose conscience cā best enforme vs the truth off his owne storie. It was couched in such order / as you see it / by a P [...]atina of his owne / and domesticall Chronicler for so the text sa­yeth. The copie wherout this is tourned / was written by a man off his owne / I thincke his secretarie. An other badge it hath of his / that neuer failes / but makes it his perfect will / and his vndoubted deede / that is / the stampe off h [...]s owne armes / descended as he saith off his auncient [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] howse / entermaried with those off his sea / which is a supersticious pall all double croised / or perced thorowe / with that Archpastorall / or Archpapisticall staffe. Hearwith he marketh any thinge that passeth his handes / so that though p [...]rhapes / he will nowe so renoūce / and reuoke it / as it shall not bee his will / aft­er his death: yet hauing seale / and beinge by him deliuered / it must neades take ef­fecte by his life tyme / as his dede. And if his handwriting / could giue any stren­ght vnto it / that is allso not wanting. for this word (historiola) is writtē with his owne hād / in redde oker letters / vppō the browe of the boke / that by this oker marking / he may knowe his owne sheepe. ād as for the translation / thoughe perhaps tharchbishope set hī not a worke / that did it yet assure thy selfe / it is as faithfullie dōe / as he colde. And if thow beest at any time troubled / to make sense of the Englishe in some places / thinke that he was worse troubled / to make any reason off the latine in many places. This rule is kepte thoroughe out / to goe as neere the Latine as may bee / and if he will haue it [Page] better donne by some other / the transla­tor will not be discontented. But if you demaund in very good earnest / why it is put in print / beinge so fond a thinge / it must bee confessed euē in as good ear­nest / that it wea [...]e to bee wished / dead and buried / neuer to rise againe with 6 [...]. off those 69 Canterburie tales / and narrations. But yet lest yt might perhaps by many writen copies / come into diuers handes / or heerafter whē matter of greater volumes is giuē by his life or death / bee all moulden vpp in one lumpe / and printed againe together / and this added to the rest / as a substanciall tale to make vppe the tale off those 70. promised tales (for so his meaning is else would hee not haue set downe seuētie Archbishopes hauing but 69 predecessors) perhapes this may bee some good meane / either to let that idle labor / or else to blase the credit it deserueth before it ētreth into the worlde. And if it bee not possible / to deliuer this tyme from the blemish / which is to suffre such a legend off Cāterbury tales / to bee printed / with gracious countena­ [...]ce of the greatest church mā: yet at least / [Page] this might bee done) to wipe awaye this blot / that sha [...]l not suffer them goe vndisgraced / and vntaxed by one off the meanest off the Laitie. I shall not nead to protest my selfe void off all affection towards his parson / wo priuatly neuer offended me. and that it is only the publike offence / that greueth mee. which yet (if it need) loe here Idoe / and solemptye before you / with my penne take god to witnes off my hart / that he neuer har­med mee / in worde nor deede that I wote priuatlie. for whie my lot is so lowe / that I dare saie he knoweth me not / yt is onelye therfore / the common ill / that may come by publishing such idell drea­mes in thes dayes / that maketh me doe that Idoe. The thinges therin described / being in part / not all so true / and in gre­atest part / to to toyishe / doe suff [...]ciently disclose the value off it / to the wise / and that it is no precious stone / yet lest the see [...]est / might happen to esteme / it but worth [...] barlie corne / he shall haue two or thre marg [...]nall notes for the trewer vnderstand [...]g off the storie.

I haue hereunto sett / which is more [Page] thē I thought to haue done / at the fyrst / one off his tables / printed in the saied boke off 70. Archbishopes / which table if it had conteyned nothing but folie / it shuld haue lien still for all mee: But hau­uing mater off impietie (as me thought) I thought it very necessarie to detect it.

The effect is to shewe what a crea­tor off Bishopes he hath been / and how­many he hath consecrated / in his dayes / their vniuersitie / their age / profession / degree off learning / diocese / and naturall contrye / a mater (I warrant) it off gre­at profit. And in the fifthe columne theroff / you see noted the order / that e­uery. off thes Bishopes were off / which is either presbiter secular or presbiter reguler / and one or two he calleth mini­ster secular: belike because he thought (for I will not thinke that he wold ha­ue vs thinke (that onely ther were not anointed / with those fulsome orders. If this bee sett downe as an honor vnto them / I dare pronounce for a great sort off them / wheroff many bee godly men / they thinke them selues dishonored by this honor. And iff the puttinge on off [Page] fac [...]lothe / or casting ashes on their cro­wnes / wold scowre a way that marke / they wold do it with ready hartes. But the bloud off Christ washeth clea­ [...]er then ashes can scowre / and who liued in those pitchie tymes / and was not bepitched. Iff thes titles off or­ders / bee set downe / to tell the trothe / first what was that to the purpose / or to what good? For thoughe nothing is to bee said at any tyme But the tro­the / yet I see not that all the truth is to bee said at all tymes. Had not the boke bene perfecte without suche an vnnecessarie table / or the table perfect without suche vnnecessarie columne?

And iff the simple playnes / and sin­glenes off the writer / were such as he must needs tell all the truthe / whye did he not at least / in the behalfe off those godly men / and preachers off the truthe / set out withall / this truthe also / that is / how sorte they are / and ashamed of that their former priesthoode and howe lothsome thes disorderly orders are to them? for iff in our familiar talke / one to an other / euen very honest humani­tie [Page] / and good manner forbiddeth to na­me any vnclean worde / not hauing first regarded the reuerence off the he [...]arers: howe can it but prouoke vomyt / to any good spirituall stomacke / iff wee in mat­ters off diuinitie / speake off such sluttish thinges / as (sauinge of spirituall reue­rence) that beastly marke of the Romaine sacrifising preisthood withoute shewing by some litle worde before / or after / w­hat wee thinke off it. I wold bee glad to enterpret well off it / this I like not that in the same table / next after the Archbishopp / whoe must needs bee first / thoughe he had been but benet and collect / Ther are placed the regular prie­stes. I can not thincke / he honored tho­se aboue the other / and yet me thinkes / as in the Romanist Churche / they haue the higher place / in so much that the o­other / thoughe affter a sorte / and in regard off the lay men / were cal­led spirituall / or men off the Church rather (for all other were counted worldlye) yet euen those men off holy Churche were allso called seculer / in respecte off the onelye simply and [Page] wholye sperituall professed regulars. Contrariwise (I saye) with a zelouse professed gospeller / they should haue been the more detested / and therfore placed in the ay [...]e. I speake not off the men / [...] or [...]ers which orders. I am [...] mislike in them / they them [...] abhore in them selues.

But that which is worse / thoughe tha [...] ther bee diuers wrongly named / who as I [...]hinke hauing neuer been prieste / are yet named priests secular / ther is in the middest off them onely two / whear of one in the one prouince / and o­ne in the other / are sett downe mynist­ers. And they forsothe bycause they muste [...]ee diffigured / like the other are allso tearmed ministri s [...]culares first you did wronge / so to nyckname all the other Christ an men / or bishopes / as to miscall them priests ether secular / or regular / who haue put out that character / and c [...]ue put off those vncleane orders by rep [...]ntaunce / as iff they had neuer bene / and are become prechers off the glori­ous gospell off Iesus Christ.

Item / nowe you doe great wronge / [Page] to those other / by giuing them a name / in any part common with Idolatrous priests / them I say / who euen at the first / were called immediatly / to the holy mynistrie / off the glad tydinges / off our saluacion / reuealed nowe againe / more cleerlie in these last dayes especyally: the profession / and institution off that preisthode beinge so contrary to the cal­linge off this mynistrie / as Antechrist to Christ / and Baal to the lyuing god.

Besides this epithete (secular) how contrarie is it / to the function off a spiri­tuall pastor / a minister / off the worde off God / and breaker off the bread off lyfe? where out off the Roman clergie / shall a man finde / suche a title for the minister off the worde / as to call him a minister secular. What els did cause De­mas to steppe from the ministerye / but presens seculum? And what an heape off iniuries / are done to the ministers off the glorious gospell off Iesus Christe / to call them Regular Priestes / or secular preistes / still / that haue shaken it off / and haue happelye disgraded themselues / [Page] by takyng vpon them / a farre better de­gree: then theroff to call them priestes secular / which weare neuer other / then ministers off the worde off God. And euen he / whome he himselfe calleth mi­nister yet because he shoulde not disgra­ce (whearin me thinkes / the violence is offred / rather to the Gospell / then to the minister) that ignomimous Priestho­ode off Baal / and shame there stayned garmentes / with his fater garmente / that therefore / he must also / be disguised with this Popishe addition / and pro­faned epithite off secular. Perhappes th [...] spirite which was in Caiphas his mon­the ād made hī prophecye vnware / was also in his penn / that wrote this booke / in callinge them secular / whome indeade th [...]s presens seculum / and the honors theroff hath made to worldlye / and be­witched / to the greate ruthe / off manye good Christian hartes. I beseeche God / with his so [...]rte / to open theire eyes / that theye maye see / and be hartelye sorye so to haue made / so manye so sorye. Which I yet hoope for / and then / we shall be [Page] gladd togithere. I am almoste caryed a waye.

There lurkeeh yet / a further daun­ger / vnder these wordes / Minister se­cular. For thoughe in the darke daies / or off those men / that weare consecrate / or rather execrate / to that most vile vn­holye sacrifice / it had some reason / to call the Massinge Prieste / a priste secu­lar thereby / to make distinction betwe­ne him / and the onlye spirituall regular: yet / in this tyme off the Gospell / to call one / that was godlye called / to the blis­sed / and highe office / in Godes Church off preachinge the Gospell / off the Lor­de Iesus / who also did neuer vowe / to sacrifice that blasphemous oblation / and Idoll / but was moued onlye / to aduance the kingdome off God / by preachinge his word / to call such one (I saye) and in these dayes a Mi­nister secular / besides the other open euilles this also lurketh dangerouslye / that yt maye be probablye thoughte / there is nourished some reuerente esti­mation off the regular / and easelye to [Page] be implied that it mighte be lawefull / enoughe euen in the Church off God / to haue Ministers also regulars. Elles / what need this distinction off secular Minister nowe / the other beinge iustly gone / and banished?

And this Church off Englande / all­owinge no man deuised order / off regu­lar ministerie: The verye entertayninge / off these badde names / off Poperye / is not good / and it is strange / that anye go­speller / shoulde delighte in them / and heere / theye are not vsed without fur­ther perill. For thoughe the tymes be such / and so enriched with knoweledge / as A numbre off childrē / woulde not vo­uchsafe to laughe / at manye off these do­tinge toyes: yet there be also to manye / that cannot / and to to manye that will not discerne / betwene counterfaited drosse / and righte drugges / but so it be in gilded boxe / and haue the name off some holesome spice / written on it: all is one with them / euen to the losse off there healthes euerlastinge / and deathe / hoth off bodye / and soule. Whear againste / [Page] though I be not so learned a Phisicio [...] / as to prescribe anye excellente receipte / or soueraigne triacle / but leaue that / to be done by some Galene: ye thoughte I neuerthe lesse / to do the parte off an ho­nest Apothecarye whoe / beinge not able to tell the remedie / will yet warne off the poyson.

The Lorde off all health / preserue the sounde / from all infections / and restore the infected / to there soundnes agai­ne / giuinge them pacience / in the meane tyme / like good patients / to suffer such medicine / as shalbe applied to remedye off there contagious disease / with the re­membraunce off this / that noe medicine is so holesome / as that / which bringeth greatest sorrowe / and that the woundes off a brother / or freende / are swee­ter / then the softe pillo­wes of an ene­mye.