A briefe treatise concerning the burnynge of Bucer and Phagius, at Cambrydge, in the tyme of Quene Mary, with theyr restitution in the time of our moste gracious souerayne Lady that nowe is. Wherein is expressed the fantasticall and tirannous dealynges of the Romishe Church, togither with the godly and modest regimēt of the true Christian Church, most slaunderouslye diffamed in those dayes of heresye.
Translated into Englyshe by Arthur Goldyng. Anno. 1562.
☞ Read and iudge indifferently accordinge to the rule of Gods worde.
¶Imprinted at London in Flete-strete nere to saynct Dunslons Churche by Thomas Marshe.
IF causeles anye yet do doubt, whether the wilye Papistes be the lōg foretold and looked for Antechristes: to theyr oft con [...]uted doctryne, let him ioyne the iudgement of theyr dāned dedes. And discerne that theyr faith, (whose iustification they iustly flye) by the filthines of theyr frutes. Which reason, was whilom among them of such force, that in stede of disprouing doctrine, they curiously searched others innocent liues, as blamelesse them selues. Not fearing (as the abhominable harlotte, who vpbrayded her chaste neyghbour with her owne shame) most impudently to appeache others of vnhonest life, where thē selues are so staynd with al kinde of vncleannes, as but for that shamelesse dissemblinge, which serueth thē to so many mischieues, theyr conscyences would euen in theyr blushyng faces, crie y• contrary to theyr shamelesse wordes. Neyther minde I by a fewe to defame them all, or by a rascall [Page] noumber to stayne the best, but euen with historical sincerity, to propose the paterne of the perfectst, that as the iudgemente is like of thinges alike, so much more plainelye mayst thou d [...]me, what the rascal rable be, when the best be such. So wilye in worldly affaires, arguinge their ignoraunce in spirituall: So dissēbling in al their dealing, cloking (not cancelling their crimes: So cruell vnder colour of disguised mercye: So farced with fables sor fatherlye doctrine, Suche deluders euen of the learned vniuersity, as though forgetting him whō no mā may deceiue, & measurīg religion by worldly estimation, they had madlye proposed dissembling deceyt the end of theyr lewd profession. yf they thē whom the simple sort had vainly in such admiration, so deluded our expectacion, euen in that time, when both theyr wittes & learnings chiefelye flourished, & power wanted not to assist their wordes: if thē I say those yelded such rottē frutes of their great conceyued hope, alas what is [Page] to be loked for, eyther of the same yet liuinge, (crueltye the mightiest bulwarke of theyr doctrine wanting:) or of the rest, whō neither wit nor worthines hath raysed either to so learned iudgement, or to so graue report For to ouerpasse the rest, (againste whō, theyr causeles pitied state bids sparelye to speake,) who worshipped Ormanet any lesse thē a liuīg saint▪ who estemed him otherwise than the angel that should disclose the secretes lodged in the cardinals brest [...], whom they knewe to be enspired wt that romishe owlishe doue? So hath honor & reuerēce, long since swerued frō that vprightnes of life, whereto Philosophye at the first linked it: & waxd cō tented to be the mate of power, & the meede of the monstruous beaste of many heades. But shall our good opinion of theym growe wyth theyr iust deserued woe? Or shall we conceyue more of thē vnarmed, whome the dreadfulst tormentes of fier & famine could not proue soūdly learned? [Page] Or shal we deme, that rusty corners yet shroude others, that could speake muche more? O let vs not be more wittye, to proue them eyther learned or godly then them selues are able. And thou O Reader, as the readyng of this litle treatyse shall often moue the to rue the miserye of the times, wherein they were rufull: so if prosperity haue not wholye blunted the prickes of vertue in thee, they shall styrre the alyke, to the consideracion of these [...]appy yeares, wherein, they are not onelye lothed, sorowed, and mourned, but euen hated, detested, and condemned. Wherein so appeares the filthe of those wicked Tirauntes, as yet euen after tombe, and fyer, flouryshe the ashes & faine of theyr weake foes: Theyr beggery nowe appearyng so beastly, by theyr fal, as wonted is the death of the deceyuinge detter to descrie his manye deceytes, to the greate losse & wracke of his creditours. If you thinke it deserueth not the name of an historye, for that pertiallye (perhaps in thy opinion) [Page] the guiltye are touched: consider to whom it was forbidden to write ought vntruly, from him was not [...]rempted the causes and reasons of thinges disclosed, to nippe the euil and prayse the good. Unlesse thou wilte forbid him to thinke of eyther parte what it deserueth, or what he thinketh to speake. The fyrste of the whych as thou canst not forclose me, so the other the benefite of the tyme graunteth me. In the which to couer my iust affection, what impiety wer it? Wherfore wishing the fauorably to weygh my frendly meanyng in al poyntes (syth what so ener I dyd, I was enforced in respecte of common commoditye to do) I remyt the to the perusinge of my doynges, with such fauorable iudgement, as is due to well meaning, though it wante expressing.
CArdinall Poole, thre yeares after his returne into Englād, hauyng somewhat wythdrawen hys mynd from other affaires of the realme, and hauing in all poyntes established the Romishe religion (the which a certaine yeares past, during the time of king Edward the .vi. was clerely abolished, and worne out of custome) began to haue an eye to the vniuersitie of Cambrydge, the which it selfe inespecially semed to haue nede of reformation out of hande. For he thought it should be to no purpose, to bestowe his trauaile in purginge the residewe of the bodye, if he left that parte still infected with maladies & diseases, frō whēce al other members should fetche their strength and nourishemēt. [Page] To performe this charge, were chosen Cuthbert Scot, Thenquisitours. not long before consecrated bishoppe of Westchester, Nicolas Ormanet, an Italian, Archepryeste of the people of Bodolon, in the dyocesse of Uexon, professed in both the lawes: Thomas VVatson, elected bishop of Lincolne: Iohn Christoferson, elected byshop of Chychester: and Henrye Cole Prouoste of the Colledge of Eton. There was good cause whye the matter was inespecially committed to these persons. For as touchinge Ormanet, it is well knowen, that he was a man of muche estimation wyth Iulius the thyrde at that tyme bishop of Rome, whose businesse they dyd sitte vpon in this Commission, and that for the same purpose he was appoynted to [Page] come into Englande wyth Cardinall Poole, bycause that without his knowledge, (as in whō he put his chyefe trust and confidence) the byshop would haue nothynge done, that was of any importance or weyght.
The residewe were sent thither eyther for experience in matters of thuniuersitye, or els they seemed of all others most meete to be put in trust with thandlynge of that case, because they were taken for moste stoute Champions, and earnest defenders of the Romyshe relygion, and of thinges appertaynynge to the establyshemente of the same.
Some were of opinion that Scot, VVatson, and Chrystophorsonne, (bycause there was grudge betwene thē and diuers [Page] of thuniuersitie, at whose hādes they thought them selues latelye before to haue receyued displeasure, and that nowe time and occasion serued to be reuēged vpon them as they listed them selues) busilye procured this iourney of theyr owne heades.
These persons thus appoynted,A Citacion sent before. (in the meane while that they were addressing them selues to theyr iourney,) sent theyr letters before to Andrewe Perne, Uicechauncellor of thuniuersitye for that yeare. Commaundyng him to warne all the Graduates of thuniuersity in theyr name, to be present the .xi. daye of Ianuarye betwixt eyght and tenne of the clocke, in the church of Saynct Marie the virgin. (The same is the place of resorte, when there is any common assembly or meting [Page] of thuniuersitie, beinge not farre distante from the market place of the sayd towne of Cambridge, whither al men are sommoned, if at anye time there be any common prayer, or Suffrages to be made, or if there be any man that hath ought to saye in open audience.) Willing him inespecially to be there him selfe in a readinesse, and moreouer to admonishe all the residewe to whose charge it belonged, that they should searche out all Statutes, bookes, Priuiledges, and monumentes, appertaynyng to thuniuersitye, or to anye of the Colledges, or finallye to anye of them selues: and there to present the same before them at the day appoynted, and euerye man to appeare there personally. For they would not faile, but be therat [Page] y• same time, to laye before thē such thinges as should seme necessarye to this charge of reforming the vniuersity, & further to geue charge of al such things as should seeme most for the profite and behoof of the same, togither with such thinges as were to be done on theyr part, according as shold seme most agreable to the decrees of the Canō law. These letters the Uicechauncellor caused to be set vp in places cōuenient. This reformatiō was loked for certaine monethes before.
But now whē it was once certainely knowen yt it should be in dede,The disquietnesse of thuniuersitie vpon the tidinges of the reformacion. euery mannes minde was maruelouslye moued. Some greatlye reioyced that the tyme was come, wherin thei thought they might frely not only speake but also do what they listed against their aduersaries, which [Page] before times had reiected the bables of ye romishe bishop. Other some perceiuing in what peryll they stoode, looked narowlye about them, how to winde them selues out of the briers. Many sought the good wil & frendship of such as were knowen to be in fauour with the terrible cōmissioners. Other certaine made thē selues giltie, & desired forgiuenesse of them, at whose handes they thē selues had takē wrong before. There were also diuers to be founde, which in time past counterfeited to be very earnest embracers of the true doctryne, but in their liuing and conuersacion had greatly defaced it, applyinge to theyr owne fleshelye lustes, the liberty that appertayneth of ryghte to the spirite, so that they thoughte it lawfull to do what they listed.
[Page]These men supposed there was no way but one to purge theym selues of theyr misbehauiour, namely if they became accusers of those whose frendshippe they had erewhiles embraced, And to thentent to make men beleue that they professed the Romishe religion frō the bottom of their hartes, & to currye fauour with the Commissioners, they promised to take vpon them the order of priesthod without delay. For they knewe the Commissioners would like that very wel, which already were in such wise minded, that as they woulde withholde no man from that order, that would offer him selfe thervnto: so would they by all meanes endeuor to bring euery man thereto, that was anye thinge wittye or learned.
[Page]We sayde at the first,The cause whye the reformatiō was taken in hand. that the Cardinall thoughte the Uniuersitye to haue nede of reformation. The reason why he should thinke so was this: eyther because the same of long conti [...]uaunce since anye man coulde remember, had cast of the yoke of the bishop of Rome, and cleaued to the wholsome doctrine of the Ghospell, which is falsely diffamed of heresye: or els by reason that both for the late schisme not yet worne out of memorye, and for the doctrine of Martin Bucer who not longe before openlye in the sayde Uniuersitye interpreted holy scripture, they sawe so manye so sore corrupted and spotted with this infection, that (euen as when a fyre is spredde into a towne onles spedie remedie were adhibited out of hand) [Page] (it were not possible by all lykelihod) to quenche it many yeres after. And it was to be feared (if it were not looked to in time) least (as it commonlye commeth to passe in bodies diseased) thys mischiefe should take roote, and by litle and litle infect al the mē bers next vnto it which yet wer whole and sound.
This was the yeare of oure lord. 1556. To thentēt therfore to make a salue for this sore,The comming of the Inquisitoures, and of their enterteinmēt. the Cōmissioners of whō we spake before, came vnto Cambrydge the ninth day of Ianuary. As they were yet on theyr iourneye not farre from the towne, diuers of the maysters and Presidentes of the Colledges, mette them and brought them courteouslye, first into the towne, and after to theyr lodging. They [Page] wer enterteined in Trinitie colledge by Iohn Christoforson maister of the same house, & lately before elected bishop of Chichester. Some were desired to one place, & some to an other, as ther was occasion, either to do theyr duties, or to shewe their good willes. Cole to the kynges Colledge, & Watson to .S. Iohns. But whether it were for thacquaintaunce of Christophorsō, or for y• largenes of ye house, (which forasmuch as it was able to receiue thē al, semed therfore most mete & conuenient to take theyr conferens in, & stoode wel for all cōmers to haue accesse vnto thē) they al tooke vp their lodginges there.An oracion gratulatory at theyr commyng thyther. At their cōming thither an oracion was made by a felow of the house, who in the name of al the rest wt long protestation declared yt they were most hartely [Page] welcome thither: & that he and his felowes gaue theym great thākes, that it had pleased their lordshippes to haue so good opiniō of thē, as to chose their house inespecially to lodge in, wherby they had both encouraged them to stande in hope of some further beneuolence towardes them, and also done great worship to theyr Colledge by theyr beinge there: Wherfore they shoulde looke at theyr hande againe for as muche duetye and reuerence, as lay in their power to performe. Watson made aunswere, that this forward & earnest good willes and minde of theirs in doinge suche curtesye, was righte thankefullye taken, both of him and his, exhortynge them to continew stedfastlye in the same, & to procede also whē [Page] nede should require: For it was so farre frō any of their thoughtes, to stoppe them in this theyr race, yt they would rather haste thē forwarde to runne through more spedily, being not without good cause perswaded to conceiue good hope of their beneuolēce towards thē: in asmuch as they would do for them, whatsoeuer might tourne to theyr profyte and commoditye.
This daye, forasmuche as it was towarde euening ere they came, and the sunne was going downe, was nothinge els done. The next day being the tenth of Ianuarye, they bestowed in recreating them selues after theyr iourneye, and in settinge other thynges at a staye. Neuerthelesse to thentent the same should not escape altogither withoute [Page] doing of somewhat, they interdited the two Churches,Saynt Maries and S. Michaels enterdited. namely S. Maries where Martyn Bucer, and S. Michaels where Paulus Phagius lay buried.
These men were deade a good while before. Paulus Phagius had scarce yet shewed the profe of his witte and learning when he departed to God. Bucer liued a few yeres after. Durīg which time somewhat by writing, but chiefly by reading & preachinge opēly (wherin thold man beyng painful in y• word of God, neuer spared hī selfe nor regarded his health) he brought all mē in such admiration of him, yt neither his frendes could sufficiently prayse him, neither his enemies in any point finde fault wt his singuler life & sincere doctrine. A most certaine token wherof may be his [Page] sūptuous buriall solēnized wt so great assistēce & gladnes, of all y• degrees of thuniuersitie, that it was not possible to deuise more to the setting out & amplifyinge of the same. The whole maner & order of the doing wherof, being writtē by Nicolas Carre a learned man, in a litle treatise to the right worshipful sir Iohn Cheke knight, wt an epistle ful of cōsolatiō as concerning his departure added thereunto, was sent vnto y• renoumed clerke Peter Martir thē abiding at Oxford. From the burial of Bucer and Phagius vnto y• cōming of these cōmissioners wer passed about .iii. or .iiii. yeres more or lesse. And from the time yt that blessed king, king Edward ye sixte deceased, vnto that daye, the priestes neuer ceased to celebrate theyr Masses, and all [Page] other kinde of Ceremonies in those places, and that wythout scruple of conscience, as farre as men could perceyue. But after the time that these cōmissioners came thither, those thinges that before were accōpted for sacred and holye, began to be denounced for prophane and vnholye.
For they cōmaundedy• all those assemblies that should hereafter be made for thexecutinge of holy Ceremonies, should be remoued to the kinges Chappell, whyche is a place farre more stately thē all thother.
Now was come the .xi. day, in the whiche the Uicechauncelour of the Uniuersitie, with the maysters and Presidētes of the Colledges, and al other the graduates of euery house, were cō maunded to appeare before the [Page] sayd Commissioners. They assēbled in great number to Trinitie Colledge: where (as we tolde you before) they were all lodged, geuinge attendaunce to brynge them whether so euer it should please them to go, accordyng as it became them to do.
There Iohn Stokes common Oratour of thuniuersitye, one of the popishe supersticiō (for none other but suche in those dayes might be promoted to any worship) made an oratiō in the name of all the rest. And whereas he had certaine articles to entreat vpon appoyncted to him before by the byshop of Westchester, and thothers, he talked muche of thuniuersitye, muche as touchyng them, and many thinges also of the religiō in times past, whyche had bene almost euerye [Page] mannes matter to entreat of, in euery oraciō, & in euery sermon.
First of all he said that thuniuersitie, whyche in lookinge for theyr comming had ben a while disquieted, beyng nowe by their presence greatly refreshed, was very glad to beholde theyr countenaunce. In token wherof, the whole vniuersitye, with all her studētes was come out by heapes to welcome thē: & al the houses in Cambrydge with their studentes of all degrees were assē bled togither in that place. For whose certain & tried good willes in that behalfe, he durst take vpon him as in the name of thē all, to warrant theyr honoures, that euery one of them seuerally and al in one accorde generally, did with earnest desire and willinge [Page] hartes, greatlye reioyce at theyr comminge thyther. For they were all fullye perswaded, that the businesse whiche they went in hande wyth, should be profitable to the redresse of the vniuersitye, and that in a matter so necessarye to the saluacion of all men, no trauaile nor paynetakynge should on theyr part be forslowed. To the confyrmation of whyche opinion, he sayde he was able to alledge manye proofes, howebeit he woulde let passe all others, and touche none but those thynges that were so annexed to the matter that they had in hande, as by no meanes they might be well wtdrawen or seperated frō it: y• which thinges were in noumber certayne and determinable, but in effecte and [Page] working infinite: insomuch that it passed any mannes power to entreat of them at the full. Neuerthelesse, he desyred theym to geue him the hearing paciently, whiles he made a bryefe dyscourse of the same. Hereupon taking a new occasion to talke, he began fyrste with Cardynall Poole, saying, that he had restored the religion troden vnderfoote, he had vndershored the common wealth readye to fall downe, he had brought agayne (as it were out of exyle) the decrees and lawes of oure forefathers, well nye abolyshed and worne out of memorye. This Poole, this worthye Englysheman, our true Moyses, was the authour of this commission, frō whose most excellent hyghnesse as from a moost plentifull welspring [Page] of all vertues, innumerable commodities had flowed into all partes of this his natyue countrey. For the whyche one bond of alyance, albeit the Uniuersitie had sufficiente cause to conceyue good opinion of hym, forasmuch as he was of the bodye of the same publyke weale: yet was there an other more inward bond, whereby his grace and they were most streytly linked together. For the last yeare past he had taken the same most gently into his graces protectiō assuringe by his letters, yt as he had takē vpon him frely to kepe it, so also woulde he mainteyne and defend the same in such sort that not onely thincommodities (if there were anye that myght hinder theyr studyes) shoulde be remoued, but also wold further [Page] them in all thinges, that myght redound to the garnishing of the vniuersitye, or wherby the dignity & estimaciō of the same might most be aduaunced or encreased The which thing had both here tofore established their hope, and nowe also brought thē into that beliefe, yt they must nedes thinke all his graces gētlenes, to be cō ueyed together into this one visitacion: In the which they loked for all such thinges at their handes, as the tender loue of theyr most godlye Chauncellour, passing farre beyōd the cōmon charitie, had peculiarlye promised to thuniuersitie as his warde & fatherles Orphan. He wished that the Cardinal him selfe had bene there at the same instant, if it mighte so haue come to passe, without hinderance to the common [Page] welth: to thentente y• wyth his owne beames, & with y• clere light of true religion, he myghte haue illumined his vniuersitye now putting vp her head out of the depe night of darkenesse.
Agaynst the which wyshe forasmuch as the common vtility did repugne, by the which the moste holy legate of the sea apostolicke was letted from beinge present himselfe, he had wisely appoynted thē his deputies, whose natures for their wisedome, whose personnes for theyr worthinesse, whose willes by reason of theyr education, he thought most metest for this purpose. Wherefore, he sayd he was able to auouche this one thing, according to the truth, & according to y• thoughts of all that were there presente, thei were euen ye very same men, [Page] whose religion they all loued, whose vertues they honoured, whose good wil, fayth, and aduice, they all called vpon to the common sauegard of them all. For after the time that through the singular and moste excellent vertue of the Cardinall Poole, we had ones in the common welth begonne out of the misty darkenesse of the times past, to behold the clere lyghte agayne, therwithal began we to fele also the most greuous euils of our age: with the which, being vndoubtedlye both infinite & most miserable, although we were before tymes ouerwhelmed, yet thignoraunce of our calamitye, was farre greater calamity thā the calamity it selfe. To the augmentacion whereof we were in his iudgement to be compted so [Page] muche y• more miserable, in that being tossed in so troublesome a tempest, we perceyued not that we were ones moued, and that beinge oppressed wyth so greuous a malady of the conscience and of heresye, we felte not our mindes one why [...] diseased.
For nedes must that disease be very daungerous, which wythout feling of payne wasteth and consumeth nature, & oftentimes bringeth men to theyr graues ere they thinke thē selues sicke. Wyth suche a kynde of dysease the vniuersitye was striken.
For whereas to other affayres and businesses, it was perchāce pollitique and witty ynough: yet in this case of Religion (by reason the head of the church, from whence al power of feling commeth, was maymed) it was become [Page] dul & without perseuerāce: vntil that about thre yeres past, the Godly clemency of our most holy father Iulye the thyrde, hauinge compassion vppon Englande almoste starke deade, had engraffed vs againe into the Churche, and restored vnto vs both lyfe and feelynge: By whose helpe Britayne growing stronge and lustye agayne, doth nowe easely vnderstande, howe it hath escaped the vnauoydable peril of hell fyre. The whych the Uniuersitye doth nowe also clearely see, assuredlye beleuinge that there was neuer plague that lyghted vpon anye place, with the whiche this realme in this spoyle of religion & schisme, hath not bene moste miserablye punyshed and afflycted.
[Page]For it were a longe matter to rehearce, what a noumber of Monasteryes had bene rased, what a sorte of Goddes houses had bene spoyled, what pryestes had bene murthered, what noble men had bene put to death, what commotions and tumultes had bene raysed by the Comminaltye, and howe sore the whole realme had bene empouerished: the which although they myghte happen vpon some other occasion, yet notwythstandynge for as muche as they were so greuous that they were able to oppresse, it was to be thoughte they were caste vpon euell persons and offenders, rather as a punyshement and vengeaunce, than as a tryall.
[Page]But by the way, if these thinges were graunted to be the dalyance of fortune, they had abiden more greuous hurts both of religion and conscience: as namelye that the feare of god and reuerēce of his saintes together wt theyr altars, were vtterly banished, the virginal vow of priests brokē into lust and lecherie, the mindes of mē cast īto such a dead slepe, that no Ceremonies were able to wake them agayne, the hartes of mē (through variety of opinions) so diuersly drawen, & so disagreable wyth thē selues, that they were wrapped in innumerable errours. Among the which there were chiefelye two welspringes, of whose streames the vniuersitye confessed it selfe to haue tasted somewhat more then ynough, and with the taste [Page] thereof to be well nye dronken. Whereof the first toke his beginning of the violēt withdrawing of our selues from the vnitye of the catholycke church, a matter not vnlyke the battell of the mē bers of a mannes body that meneuius Agrippa rehearced in ataine ciuile dissention of Citizens: The latter, of thunmeasurable lake and filthye puddle of Wickleue, the whiche the notable or rather the miserable disputacion amonge them touchinge the sacrament of the Altar, opened and brought to light. As concerninge the truthe whereof many being wise in their owne conceytes, had determined euerye man according to his owne ymaginacion: Who folowinge the philosophers, (but not of the best sorte) thought theym selues [Page] to haue brought no smal matter out of the scholes of Epicures, to the lyght of the Ghospell.
For those wordes that Chryste had spoken preciselye, and without any exception, as cōcerninge the true and continuall presence of his body: the verye same they wrested, yt they iudged Christes wordes to be maymed & not of his owne speaking, if this word (as it were) being proper and peculyar to Epicures, were not added thereunto. And whereas Christen men should say playnly the body and bloud, they beynge now Epicures, must say figuratiuelye as it were the body, & as it were the bloud. Yet notwithstanding, forasmuche as it was no time as then to make manye wordes of thinges paste, he wished they mighte ones be condē ned [Page] to eternal forgetfulnesse, to thētent that such as shold come after, myghte not be infected with that contagious maladye, Howbeit they were to be touched lyghtly, generallye because that confessyon was wholsome to such as had erred: perticulerly bicause the vniuersity beynge thus wounded by the power & authority of the maister of manners, desired by the salues of the sayd mayster of manners to be broughte vnto health agayne: promisynge for her selfe and for hers to be ruled by discrescion.
For she had by dayly preaching alreadye so reduced her Studentes to repentaunce, that theyr honours should haue right good cause to thinke that they had without dissimulaciō returned to the wholsom religiō, and [Page] that therein by the diligent conuersacion of their life presēt, they would make amendes for their former misbehauiour. For bothe suche as were fyrste in this race proceded moste ernestlye in the same thynge that they toke vpon theym with so good willes, and also such as setting forth later, came to this gamynge as it wer in the after noon, did showe such infallible tokens of thalteracion of their mindes, that euē as they rashely and like vnskilful yonge men fell from the true religion: euen so they maye seme not to haue retired out of heresye, without ripenesse of yeares, and without stayed iudgement: all of them delyghtyng more in the religion newly restored, and so much longed for, than if they had continuallye had the vse of [Page] yt and that it had not ben darkened for a tyme. Wherfore the vniuersitie humblye & vpon her knees fyrst & formest besoughte God of forgeuenesse, desyrynge him to graunt yt that day might to be y• preseruaciō of the health of the sowles of all her inhabytantes, & to thestablishment of her publicke weale: And secōdly she made this peticiō to their honours for her selfe, for hers, for al in general, & euery one seueral, yt vppon the vnfaimed amendmēt of their lyues they wold vouchsaufe to pardone thoffences of times past cōmitted through error and ignoraūce. And that as cōcerning al other maters, they would of their high wisedomes and singular good will toward her so determine yt eyther theyr Iustice might fynd their causes [Page] good, or els theyr clemēcy make them good. In both whiche doinges, the benefite shoulde be alike, whether they iudged thuniuersitye according to the ryghte and equity of her case, or for thabundance of loue absoyled it as innocent. In recompence wherof, all that were presente, promised to vse as muche modestye as might be in holy matters, to apply their learning diligently, continually to embrace and fauour the true religion, and neuer to put out of minde the remēbrance of that good turne.
When he had made an ende of speaking,Thanswer of the Byshop of Westchester to thoracion of Iohn Stokes. the byshop of Westchester aunswered thereunto, that they toke in good part, that thuniuersitye had made so open a declaration of her good wil towardes them: for the whych h [...] [Page] [...]ost hartie thākes, desiryng her [...] perfourme in dede and in her [...]orkes, the thynges that she [...]ad so largelye promised of her [...]lfe in wordes and communica [...]on: As concerninge theyr good [...]ils, there was no cause to mis [...]ust. For their comming thither [...] as not to deale anye thinge [...]ughly wt suche as fell to amēd [...]ent: but both the Cardinal him [...]fe, & they also, were fully min [...]d to shew fauor, deuising how [...] bring al things to peace & trā [...]ilitie, desiryng nothynge more [...]nestly, than that they whych [...]e erred & gone astray, should [...]ourne into the right pathe a [...]ne. The right reuerend fa [...]r the Lord Cardinal [...] (whom [...]yshed to haue bene present) [...]shed the selfe same thynge [...], desyrynge nothynge so [Page] much as he wt his owne hande to susteine & hold vp now read [...] to fal, or rather to raise vp alrea [...]dye fallen to the ground thun [...]uisitie hys warde, for he glad [...] taketh vppon him the name an [...] Dutye of her Gardeyn, who [...] it greatly greued yt thinfection [...] of y• tymes past had spred abr [...] so greuous diseases, that eu [...] thuniuersity it selfe was touch [...] with the contagious aer ther [...] For he wold gladlier haue co [...] thyther to visyte and to salute [...] thē to correct it, if the weigh [...] affaires of y• Realme wold ha [...] permitted it. But nowe seing [...] could not so doe, he had appo [...]ted this Comission, in the wh [...]he had assigned them to be [...] Deputyes, whych (for byca [...] they knew him to set much [...] by thuniuersitie) sholde exte [...] [Page] more fauour to it & (forbycause [...]hey them selues had bene there [...]rought vp) wold the more ear [...]estly embrace it. The chief mat [...]er that they came for, tended to [...]his end, that such as had erred [...]huld confesse their faultes and [...]eturne into y• right way ageine [...]or they were in good forward [...]esse of healing, that acknowe [...]edged thē selues to haue offen [...]ed. And therfore yt was wisely [...]ropounded on his part that he would not altogither excuse the [...]aultes of thuniuersitie, nor of o [...]her men, but confesse & acknow [...]edge the cryme, as yt ther were [...]any thinges hadde nede to be corrected & amended. The cause why they wer sent thyther was to raise vp thē that were fallen, and to receiue into fauour such as were sory and wold amend, [Page] wherein (if contrarye to theyr expectacion) they should not be able to do so muche wt some men as they would: yet notwithstan [...]dinge accordinge to their duetye they would shew thē selues so di [...]ligēt for their part, as yt no lacke might be foūd in thē. For it was more openly knowen thā that it could be denied, that many men did diuers thinges of a froward wilfulnesse, & tooke stoutly vpon thē wherwt as they were greatlye moued & agreued (as reason was) so they coueted to remedy the mischiefe. Against whom, if any thing should seme hereafter to be straitly determined, it was to be imputed to their owne deser [...]es, & not to the willes of thē. Neyther ought such as are hole and sound to be moued with al, at the chasticement of others: [Page] Forasmuche as it perteined not only to the wiping out of [...] foule blot whiche now sticked in thuniuersitie, but also to the health of manye others, that had taken much hurt by thinfectiō of thē. For their own partes, they more enclined to mercy thā to rigor. Howbeit considering yt so great diseases could not by gentle medicines be healed, they were driuen of necessitie to vse stronger. And yet if they woulde be contente to be broughte agayne to theyr right mindes, which thing they chiefly couete [...] (for they wished yt al should amēd & be led by wholsom counsel) & wold yet at lēgth waxe wery of their errors, & in stead of thē frequent again y• aunciēt customes of thē selues & of their forefathers, they might boldly loke for al kind of humanitie [Page] and gentlenesse at theyr handes, in al this their businesse of reformacion, which they had now entered & begō, requesting no more of the vniuersitie but to dooe as became them: which being parformed, he promised that their beneuolens, neyther in any publicke nor in any priuate parsones case shold in any wyse be behynd hand.
These things being finisshed they wer brought to the kynges A masse a [...] the Kinges Colledge Colledge by all the Graduates of Thuniuersitie, wher as was songe a masse of the holy Ghost with great solemmitie, nothing wanting in that behalf yt might make to the setting forth of the same. In this place it was marked, that Nicolas Ormanet (cō monly surnamed Datarie) who (albeit he were inferiour in eestate [Page] to westchester beynge a Bisshop, yet was superior to thē al in Authoritie) while the masse was a celebrating, eft standyng eft sytting, and somtime kneling on his knees, obserued certaine Ceremonies, which afterward should be taken vp of al others: in the which as then he shewed example how all others shoulde doo [...], But of these thynges we wyl entreat more largely herafter in place conuenient. From thens they attended all vppon the lordes legates to S. Marie Church, which we declared before to haue ben interdited. In the whych place, for asmuch as it was suspended, although no masse myght be soonge, yet ther was a Sermon made in open Pecocke preacheth at s. Maries audiens by Pecocke in the latin tounge. The which being ended [Page] the Uicechauncellour wyth the maisters of the Colledges, euery The Citacion of the maisters of the Colledges. one in his order, were cited by order. There Robert Bressie mayster of the kinges Colledge, a worthye olde man, both for his wisedome and his hoar heares, hearing his owne name recited next after the Uicechauncellors, sayd he was there present as all thother were, neuerthelesse for as muche as the reformacion of his house, was wholly reserued to the discrescion of the bishop of Lincolne, not onely by the kings Letters patentes, but also by graunte of confyrmacion from the bishop of Rome him selfe,Robert Bressyes exception. vnder a penaltie if he shoulde suffer anye straungers to intermedle, he openly protested in discharge of his duetye, that oneles theyr Commission gaue them authoritye [Page] and iurisdiction vpon that Colledge, eyther by expresse wordes or manifest sence, he vtterly exempted him selfe from beynge present. This his exception they tooke all in great displeasure: alledging that they were fully authorysed for thorder of that matter by the Cardinall, oute of whose iurisdiction, no place nor person was exempted: Wherefore he had done euel to call into Question their authoritie [...]o wel knowen to all men. Westchester semed to be more moued at the matter then all the other. And that was bycause Bressye had a lytle before obteyned the worshyp of that roome, euen vtterly agaynste his will, and maugre his head, do the worst he could against him. The rest of the maisters being cited, euery mā for a [Page] while deꝑted home to his owne house with commaūdemēt to be Inquisition at the comō schooles. at the cōmon Schooles of the said vniuersitie atone of y• clocke of the same day. Whē ye degrees of thuniuersitie cōmonly called Regentes & not Regentes were assembled thither, they spent the rest of the day in reading ouer of Charters graunted to thuniuersitie by Kinges and Princes, in serching out of Bulles and pardons from the pope, & in perusing of other monumentes parteininge to thuniuersitie.
The next day folowing being the .xii. of Ianuary they resorted to the kinges Colledge to Inquisition at y• kinges Colledge. make Inquisition, eyther bycause the same for ye worthinesse therof, is chiefe & Soueraine of all the residewe, or els bycause that that house inespecially befor [Page] all others, had ben counted tyme out of mynde, neuer to be withoute an heretique (as they terme them) or twayne. And at that present tyme,The maner of receiuing thinquisitours when they went to make inquisition. albeit yt many nowe alate, hadde withdrawen them selues from thens, yet they iudged that there wer some remaining stil. The order & maner how they wold be enterteined of euery Colledge when they shold come to make Inquisition they themselues appoynted, which was in this sort. They cōmaunded the master of euery house togyther with the residew, as wel fellowes as scholars apparelled in priestlike garmentes (whyche they cal habites) to mete them at the vtter mooste gate of theyr house toward the towne. The master hym selfe to be dressed in lyke apparell as the priest when [Page] he rauisheth him selfe to masse, sauynge that he shoulde put on vppermost his, habit as the rest dyd. Thorder of their goinge they apppoyncted to be in thys wyse. The mayster of the house to go formost, next vnto him euery man in his order, as he was of degree, senioritye, or of yeares. Before the mayster should be caryed a crosse and holye water to sprynckle the Commissioners wythall. And in theyr meetynge after the mumblinge of a fewe deuociōs, they determined with this pompe and solemnitie to be brought to the Chappell. Many thought they toke more honour vpō thē than belōged to thestate of man. Othersome (forasmuche as at that tyme they not onelye pretended the iurisdiction of the The Commissioners [...]epresent [...]he Pope. Cardinall, but also represented [Page] the power and authoritye of the byshop of Rome him selfe, who was accompted to be more than a mortall man) said it was farre lesse than of duetye apperteyned to his holinesse, in that thonour that was done to his legates, was not done to them but to his highnesse. Nowe was the houre at which thei appointed to come & being entred ye kings colledge gate, where they looked for the maister & felowes of ye house, seing no man come to mete them, thei proceded forth to the church dore where they stayed. There perceiuing how the maister and the rest of the house wer dressing them selues as fast as they could in suche order as we tolde you was appointed befor, they came in sodainly vpon thē before they had set any foot out of their plates. Then y• mayster first excused [Page] hym selfe that he was ready no sooner, acknowledginge that it had ben his dutie to haue ben in a readynesse. Secondly, he said he was very glad of their commyng, ꝓmising first in his owne name, and after in the name of all the rest, as much reuerens as might be, in all matters concerning their cōmon vtilitie, ye whiche he douted not but shoulde be parformed at theyr hands according to his expectacion.Robert Bressye maketh exception agayne. But like as he had doone thother day in S. mary Church, the same exception he made to them now also: the which his doing he besought them, not to be offended with al For seinge he dyd it only for the discharge of his dutie he had the iuster cause to behelde excused. He hadde scarsly yet finished hys tale, but y• Bishop of westchester [Page] with a frowninge looke and an angrye countenaunce, interrupted him of his talke: sayinge, he neded not to repete the thinges he had protested before, nor they to make aunswere any more to those thinges, wherein they had sufficientlye enfourmed him before. He rather feared that theyr quarell was to good, that they made suche a do aboute it, and sought such starting holes. For so were diseased persons oftentimes wont to do, when for the paine & griefe they are not able to a [...]ide a strong medecine. As though that any man were able to graunt so strong a priuiledge, as to withstand the Popes authoritye. As for the byshops letters, he sayde must nedes make on his side & with suche as were with him, and could not in any [Page] wise be alledged agaynst him. Therfore he admonished him to desyst from his vnprofitable altercatiō, & to conforme him selfe and his to such thinges as then were in doing. After thys they went to masse, the whiche finished with great solemnitye, first they went to the hygh Aultar of the Churche, and hauinge there saluted theyr God, and searched whether al were wel about him or no, they walked through all the inner Chappelles of ye church The Church goodes, the crosses the Chalyces, the masse bookes, the Uestmentes, and whatsoeuer ornamentes were besydes, they were commaunded to be brought out vnto them. When they had sufficientlye vewed all thynges, and had called forth by name euery fellowe & scholar of [Page] the house, they wēt to y• maisters lodging, where first and formest swering thē vpon a boke to answere to al such interrogatories as should be propoūded vnto thē as farre as they knewe) they examined first the maister him selfe & afterward al y• residue euerye man in his turne. But ther were some yt refused to take this othe, both bicause they had geuē their faith to ye Colledge before, & also bicause they thoughte it against al right & reasō to swear against thē selfes. For it was cōtrary to all lawe, yt a man should be compelled to bewray himselfe, & not to be suffered to kepe his conscience free, whē there is no manifest proof to be laid to his charge But muche more vniust is, it yt a mā should be cōstrained perforce to accuse him selfe▪ Neuertheles [Page] those persons, also after muche altercation, at length (condicionally that theyr fayth geuen before to the Colledge were not empeached thereby) were contented to be sworne. Three daies long lasted the inquisition there.
This was now the third day of their comminge,The consultacion of the maysters vpon the takyng vp of Bucer. and it was thoughte that the case of Bucer and Phagius was delayed longer than neded. For they looked to haue had muche altercation and businesse about the matter. Nowe forasmuch as the present estate of the case required good deliberation, and aduisemēt, the Uicechauncellour and the maysters of the Colledges assembled at the common schooles, where euerye man gaue his verdite what he thoughte meete to be done. Aftermuch debating they [Page] agreed al togither in this determinacion. That forasmuche as Martine Bucer, whiles he lyued had not only sowed pernicious & erroneus doctrine amonge thē but also had him selfe bene a sectarie and famous heretique, erring from the Catholike church, and geuinge others occasion to fall from the same likewyse: I supplication shoulde be made to the L. Commissioners in the name of the whole Uniuersitie, yt his deade carcas might forthwith be digged vp, (for so it was nedefull to be done) to thentente that inquisition myght be made as touchinge his doctryne, the whych being brought in examination, if it were not found to be good and wholsome, the lawe myght procede agaynst him: For it was agaynste the rule of the [Page] holy Canons yt his bodye should be buryed in Chrysten buryall.
Yea, and besides that, it was to the open derogation of Goddes honour, and the violating of his holye lawes, wyth the great perill of manye mennes soules, and thoffence of the faythfull, inespecially in so difficult and contagious a tyme as that was. Wherfore it was not to be suffered, that they whiche vtterlye dissented from all other men in theyr trade of liuinge, lawes, and customes, shoulde haue anye parte with them in thonour of burial. And therfore, the glorye of God inespecially and before al things ought to be defended, the infamye (whych through this thyng riseth on them) with al spede put awaye, no roome at all to rest in lefte vnto those personnes, who [Page] euen in the same places where they lay wer iniurious and noisome to the very elementes: But the place ought to be pourged, and all thinges so ordered as myght be to the satisfyeng of the consciences of the weake. In executinge whereof, so notable an example ought to be geuen to al men, yt no man hereafter shouldr be so bolde to attempt the lyke.
They gaue y• same verdit by cō mon Andrewe Perne vicechauncellor is made factour for thuniuersitie in the case of Bucer and Phagius. assent vpon Phagius also.
Unto this writing they annexed another, by the which they lawfully authorised Andrew Perne the Uicechācellour to be y• common factour for thuniuersity. He was a man metest for yt purpose, bothe for thoffice that he bare, Christoforsons testimon [...]e of Perne. & also bicause yt by the testimonie of Christophorsō he was demed to be most catholike of al others [Page] This Supplication confyrmed by the consent of all the degrees of thuniuersity,A Supplication put vp to thinquisitours by thuniuersitye. and signed with their common seale, the next day whych was the .xiii. of Ianuary the Uicechauncellour put vp to the commissioners. Se what a feate conueyaunce this was, to suborne this man vnder a colourable pretence to desire this thing of them by waye of peticion, as who should saye, if he had not done so, they would neuer haue gone about it of them selues. But this glosse was soone found out. For the Commissioners had geuen him instructiōs in writing before. But peraduenture they thoughte by this meanes to remoue thenuye of thys acte from them selues. The vicechauncellor came to the Commissioners, according to appoint [Page] mēt made the day before, about seuen of the clocke in the mornyng. He had scarce declared the cause of his comminge, but that he had not onelye obteyned his sute, but also euen at the verye same time, receyued the sentence of condemnacion and takynge vp of Bucer and Phagius, The sentence of cō demnation copied out by Datarie fayre copyed out by Ormanet Datarye him selfe. This was to be confirmed by the consente of the degrees of thuniuersitye. Whereupon a congregation was called for the same purpose to be at nyne of the clocke: whē the graduates were come together, the demaund was propounded as concerninge the condemnacion of Bucer and Phagius, causes were openly alledged, the verye same whiche euen nowe we declared to haue bene alledged by [Page] the maysters of the houses, in theyr consultacion the daye before: The degrees layd their heades togither, & in geuing of their voices ratified the said sentence. The which beynge red ouer, request was made agayne, that the same myght be signed wyth theyr cōmon Seale. The which request was verye lightlye and easely obtayned. And it was no maruayle. For nowe after the death of king Edward, since the time that the gouernemente of the realme came to the hande of Quene Mary, all suche persons being driuen away as had reiected the romishe religion (in whō well nye alonlye rested whatsoeuer witte and learning was in the whole Uniuersitye besydes) such a sort of rascalles were put in theyr roomes, that all places [Page] nowe swarmed with vnlearned and vnnurtured chaplaines. To whō, nothing was greater pleasure, then to cause al men speake slaunder and reproche of Bucer. There were diuers yet leste among them, that spake agaynst theyr demaundes. But they (because as it cōmo [...]ly commeth to passe, that mighte ouercomm [...]th ryght) could nothing auayle. For this is a common custome in all such matters and ordinaunces, that looke what the greater nū ber decreeth, is publyshed in the name of them al: and that which the more parte disaloweth, seemeth as though nomā allowed it at all.
The next day, Bacon maister of Gonwell hall, bade the Uicechauncellour, D. Yoong, D. Haruie, Swineborne, Max [...]ide [Page] with others home to diner.
These men immediatly after diner, The sentence is signed wt the commō Seale of Thuniuersitye. caused the common Seale of thuniuersitye to be put to the foresayd instrument of condemnacion, according as was determined the daye before by the generall consent of the Graduates of thuniuersitye. And by and by after, they caried the same to the Cōmissioners to their lodginge. The whyche when they had receyued, forasmuch as after more diligent perusing therof, it liked theym not in all poynctes, some thinges thei rased out, some they enterlined,The sentence is engrosed new agayne. other some they chaū ged, so that in fine they wer fain to take the peyne to engroce it newe againe.
About this time almost, one of the Kinges Colledge, of the nomber of them that chaunced to be [Page] there at suche time as the Commissioners tooke a view of thornamentes of the Church, and of other thinges that the Pryestes occupie in theyr ceremonies, hearinge Ormanet call for the Oyle wherwyth sycke folke are wont to be annealed, (the whiche as it should seme he had neuer sene before) after his departure, beinge desirous to see what gere it was, came to the place: but it was kepte vnder locke and key. Thē he enquired wher it stood, and when he sawe where, he demaunded to haue a sighte of the thicke milke wherwithall and a litle Oyle men were wont to be annealed. When it was brought before him, and that he had well considered it, it was so ranke of sauour, yt he was fayne to turne awaye his nose, bidding theym [Page] make ye milke into chese betimes or els it woulde stinke so that no man should be able to abide it.
But ere it was longe after he bought that word dearely. For there neuer yet wanted some Doeg of Edom or other, to bear word of such thinges to Saule. For they had theyr spyes in euery corner whyche euer crepte in among companye.
S. Marie Churche was not yet reconciled,An anniuersarye kept at the Kynges Colledge. nor the place pourged from the deade bones and wythered Carcas of Martine Bucer, by meanes whereof, the Trentalles, Obites, and anniuersaries that were customablye wonte to be done for syr R. Reade knight, were appoynted to be done at the Kynges Colledge, the Commissioners being▪ [Page] present at the same.
The Byshoppe of Westchester, or euer Seruyce was fully done goinge oute, called to him one of them that were there, whom he began to vndermine wyth suche kinde of talke. It is not vnknowen to thee (ꝙ he) that the time drawes nyghe, when Bucers carcas (according to the decrees of the Canon law) must be digged vp: & that which remayneth of him (to thentent all men maye take ensample thereby,) be put to fyre (for so the holye Canons haue enacted) and the memoriall of him be vtterly condē ned to obliuion for euer. Nowe forasmuche as he was buryed with great pompe & solemnitye, we thinke it necessarye, that his burninge be executed with no lesse solemnitie and furniture.
[Page]This assuredly is our meaning and this toucheth al the degrees of thuniuersitie. For it is a fowle shame and not to be borne with, that so great reuerence shoulde be done vnto heretiques. Wherfore it behoueth euery man by al meanes, to shewe euident tokēs of thalteracion of his minde.
And it ought not to be thought a straunge matter, that this inquisition is extēded vpon a dead man. For if so be it that in cases of hygh treason, it be lawfull to atteynt a person that is dead, it standeth with reason, that these persons beinge more pestiferous and hurtfull than those that are giltye of treason, shoulde abyde like iudgement. When they wer buried, orations were made before the degrees of thuniuersity, and sermons preached to the [Page] people: the like thinge nowe also when they shalbe burned, do we purpose to haue. Nowe for bycause I vnderstande that thou art an expert oratour, and canst handle thy selfe wel in that feat, I would chose thee before all others, to do the thing, the which (forasmuch as it shall be greatly to thy prayse and commendacion) I knowe thou wilt not refuse to take vppon the. And for my part I assure the, I haue the gladlyer called the hereunto, bicause I couet they preferment.
There is but one in all the Uniuersity, that when he was a yōg man was my pupill, Nic. Carre by name, whome for the good wil I beare him in that respect) I wil ioine [...]ellowe with thee in this matter, to thentente thou mayst well perceyue therby, that [Page] I commit this charge vnto thee to do the honour. The man hauing this his Oraciō in mistrust answered in this wise. He wyshed wt all his hart, that ye iudgemēt as cōcerning this case, shold be reserued to his betters, saying that he was not desirous of that honour: for men would not geue credit to his wordes, neyther was he able to deuyse what to saye against so worthy a person, (inespecially that might seme to haue any likelyhod) in yt behalfe. For he knew not the mannes lyuing and conuersacion. But as farre as he could gather bi other mens talke, he was a mā of such integritie & purenesse of lyuyng, that not euen his enemies could fynde any thyng blame worthye in him. As for his doctryne, it passed his power to iudge of it, [Page] howsoeuer he were demed to be of a corrupt religion, whereof he was not able to determine, considerynge it was a doubtfull Question amonge so great learned clerkes. But this was manifestlye apparante, that Bucer vndoubtedly was a man of singular knoweledge and dexteritye of witte: The whych for him to abase, he thought it an vntollerable vnshamefastnesse.
Finallye, for thestimacion of so weyghty a matter it was requisite to put some meeter persons to the defence of it. For neyther in yeares was he graue & auncient ynoughe, neyther in witte prompte nor readye ynough, neither in eloquence sufficientlye furnished to take that matter vppon hym. And if so be it, that [Page] he were able to do anye good he might serue their turne in an other matter. The bishop was stil more earnest vpon him, & when he sawe it auailed not to vse this kinde of persuasion with him, he fell into a rage, and at length bewrayed him selfe and all his pretence. For all this earnest entreataunce was not to haue had him saye somewhat againste Buc [...]r, (albeit it was part of his desyre as occasion should serue) but to thentent, that such as he suspected for re [...]igion, should speake against them selues. And therfore he added moreouer, saying: thou at his buriall didst blaze and set him out marueylously with epitaphes and sententious meters, wherfore nowe also thou shalte neyther wil nor chose, but speake in the contrarie parte: and thys [Page] to do, I streyghtlye charge thee in mine owne name, and in the name of my felowe Commissioners. After many wordes, thother answered, that no mā was able to shewe anye thinge of his doing, & if any could be brought before him, he would condiscend to satisfye their pleasure: Otherwise he would not by any meanes be induced to speake against him. At length when none of his writinges coulde be shewed, the bishop desysted frō his purpose.
By this time, the sentence of condemnation was engroced agayne, to the signinge wherof a congregation was eftsones called of all the Graduates of thuniuersitie agaynst the .xv. of Ianuary. After it had bene read ouer, the matter was moued for setting to of the seale againe (as [Page] we sayd before) the whych was by and by obteyned. Then the Graduates were dismissed with commaundement to resort forth with to S. Mary churche, whether the commissioners also repaired. Haruye representeth a mandatum from the Cardinall. Whē they had take their places, Doc. Haruie presented to thē before al the company, a commissiō to make enquest vpon heresie, then newly sent frō the lord Cardinal, the which Uincent of Noally, (Ormanets secretarye) red with a loud voyce, yt all men might heare it. This done Andr. Perne (who we told you before was authorised to be factour for Perne maketh peticion that bucer & Phagius may be cited to the court. thuniuersitie exhibited to the cō missioners in the name of the Uniuersitie, the sentence of condemnacion. The which being openly read, he desired to send out processe to cite Bucer & Phagius [Page] to appeare, or any other y• would take vpon them to pleade theyr case, and to stande to thorder of the court the thyrd daye after: to thentente that when they had exhibited them selues, the Court myghte the better determyne what ought to be done to them by thorder of the lawe. The sentence by the common aduice and consent of the degrees, he affyrmed him selfe to haue pronounced in the open assemblye as the order of lawe requyred.
The Commissioners condiscended to his request, and the nexte daye processe went oute to cite thoffendours. Thys Cytacion, The fyrst Citacion. Uincent of Noally theyr common Notary (hauing fyrst reade it ouer, before certayne wytnesses appoynted for the same purpose) caused to be stucked vp [Page] in places conueniente, that is to wete, vpon S. Marie Churche doore, the doore of the common Schooles, and the crosse in the marketsted of the same towne. In this was specified that who so euer would mayntaine Bucer and Phagius, or stand in defence of theyr doctrine, shoulde at the xviii. daye of the same monethe stande forth before the .L. Commissioners in S. Mary church, which was appoynted the place of iudgemente, and there euerye man should be sufficiently heard what he could saye. This commaundement was set out with many wordes. Shortlye after the matter drew toward iudgement. Therfore the daye before the day limited (which was the xvii. of Ianuary) the Uicechauncellour called to him to Peter-house [Page] (of the which he was maister) D. Yoong, D. Segiswyke, Witnesses sworne a [...]gainst Bucer. and with them Bullocke, Tayler, Parker, and Readman, (not they which at the buryal of Bucer, preached honorably of hym, but farre other men) Whitlocke My [...]che, and certayne others.
These men cast their heades togither, howe they mighte beare witnesse agaynst Bucer & Phagius, to conuince theym of heresye. For seinge the matter was brought in face of open Courte, and it mighte so come to passe they myght fynde Patrones of theyr case, they thoughte it nedefull to haue witnesses to depose of theyr doctrine: What came of this theyr consultacion, it is not perfectly knowen.
The Commissioners (for they were maruaylous conscionable [Page] mē in al their doings) had great regardeThe regard that the inquisitours had of the charges of the Colledges. of thexpenses of euerye Colledge wher thei should make inquisition. Wherefore to the entent that none of theym shoulde stretche theyr liberalitye beyond measure, or aboue theyr power, they gaue charge at the begynnyng, that ther should not in any place be prepared for their repast aboue three kindes of meate at the most. The lyke order the cardinall him selfe, in a certaine prouinciall Synod appoynted in his dyetes a litle before to all his pryestes and Chaplaynes.
Therfore, when thei came to the Kinges Colledge the .xviii. daye to sitte vpon enquirye, and that one Capon chaunced to be serued to the Table more thā was prescribed by thorder taken, they thrust it awaye in great displea-sure. [Page] These thriuinge men that were so sore moued for the preparyng of one Capon, within litle more then one moneth, beside their priuate refections, wasted in theyr dayly dyet wel nye an hundred poundes of the common charges of the Colledges. So that the Uniuersitye maye worthely alledge agaynst theim this sayinge of our sauiour. Wo vnto you that streine out a Gnat, and swalowe vp a Camel.
The very same daye the Uicechauncellour going to the inquisitours (they were as I told you at the Kinges Colledge) did put them in remembraunce, that the same was the daye in whyche by their processe sente forthe the xvi. daye, they had commaunded to appeare in S. Mary Church, [Page] such as would take vpon theym to defend Bucer and Phagius, in the lawe. He desired therfore that they would vouchsafe to sit there, if perchaunce anye man woulde trye thaduenture of the lawe. They lightlye condiscended thereunto. When the Uycechauncellour accordinge to his dutye had brought them thither, he exhibited vnto theym the processe of Citacion that he had receyued of them to publyshe a litell before: saying that he had diligentlye executed what soeuer the contentes of the same required. After that they had taken theyr places,Other witnesses sworne against Bucer. and that no man put forthe him selfe to aunswere for thoffendours, the iudges called aside D. Yoong, D. Segyswyke, Bullocke, Tayler, Maptide, Hunter, Parker, Readman [Page] whō we named before, Browne Gogman, Rudde, Iohnson, Mytche, Rauen, and Carre, the very same man that had before written out the burial of Bucer, with a singular commendacion of him, and sente it to the ryghte worshipfull syr Iohn C [...]eke knyght. These men (taking fyrst theyr othe vpon a booke) were commaunded to beare witnesse agaynst the heresies & doctryne of Bucer & Phagius. The .xxii. day of the same moneth was limited to this Iurye to brynge in theyr verdit.
In the meane while Ormanet and VVatson, abode at home in their lodginge, to take the depositions of thē, whom we shewed you before, to haue ben called to Peterhouse, and to haue communicated with the Uycechauncellour [Page] as concerning that matter. whose depositions (as I told you) neuer came to lighte. The bishop of Westchester, and Cole, this daye visited theym of Catherin hall, wher (as farre as I coulde learne) nothinge was done worthy of rehersall.
☞ As Ormanet was sittinge at Trinitie Colledge,A relique geuen by Ormanet to Trinitie Colledge. Iohn Dale, one of y• Queenes colledge came to him, whom he had commaunded before, to bring with him the pixe, wherein ye bishop of Romes god of bread is wonte to be enclosed. For Ormanet told thē he had a precious Iewel, (the same was a linnē clout that the Pope had cōsecrated wt his own hāds) which he promised to bestow vp on thē for a gifte. But Dale mysvnderstāding Ormanet, in stede of ye Pixe, brought a chalyce & a singīg cake (called the hoste) the [Page] which he had wrapped vp & put in his bosome. When he was come, Ormanet spake him courteouslye, demaundinge if he had brought him the thinge he sente him for: to whō he aunswered he had brought it: thē geue it me (ꝙ he) Dale pulled out the chalyce & the singing cake. Whē Ormanet sawe that, he stepped somewhat back as it had ben in a wonder, calling him blockhead, & litel better thē a mad man, demaunding what he ment by those thinges, saying, he willed hī to bring none of that gere, & that he was vnworthy to enioy so hygh a benefite, yet notwithstanding forasmuch as he had promised before to geue it theym he would perfourme his promyse. Whereupon, wyth great reuerence and Ceremonye, he pulled oute the [Page] the linnen clothe and layed it in the chalyce, and the bread wyth it: commaunding theym both for theholinesse of the thing, and also for thautour of it, to kepe it among them wyth suche due reuerence as belonged to so holy a rellique.
About this time almoste, the Commissioners gaue commaundemente to the maysters of the Colledges,A commaū dement for bringing in of heretical Bookes. yt euerye man should put in writinge what bookes he had, with the authours names. And to thentent that euery man should execute it without deceit, they tooke a corporall othe of them. For they sayde it was not lawefull for anye man to haue, reade, or copye out those vngodly bookes of wicked heretiques, writtē against the reuerent sect of the catholiques, & the decrees [Page] of the most holy Canons. Therfore they should diligently serche them out, to thentent they might be openly burnt. They sayd they gaue theym warninge of these thinges, whych they oughte not to loke for: for these things ought rather to haue bene done of theyr owne free will, then extorted by force. The whych thing, not only the Canons cōmaunded, but also the most noble and worthy Emperours Theodosius and Ualentinian, made in certayne places decrees as concerning the wrytinges of heretiques, and especiallye agaynst the bookes of Nestorius. This commaundemente some executed exactlye and diligently, othersome, forasmuch as they demed it wrongefull, executed it slackly ynough.
We declared before, that the [Page] xviii. day was the daye of iudgement. When the day came, and that neyther they whyche were cited, appeared in the Court, nor that anye put forthe him selfe to defend them, yet the Commissioners wold not procede to iudgement, whyche neuerthelesse, for theyr contumacye in absentynge theym selues they myghte haue done, [...] considering howe that day was peremptory.The second Citacion. But these men being bente altogyther to equitie and mercye, had rather shew some fauour, then to do thuttermost they myght by the lawe.
Whereupon Uincent published the seconde processe, and set it vp in the same places, that the former was. The meanyng thereof varied not much from the fyrste, but that it put of the iudgemente daye vnto the .xxvi. of the same [Page] moneth. The whych daye they sent for the Uicechauncellour to theyr lodging, and there agreed with him as concerning thorder of publishing the sentence: whom (for bicause ther should want no solemnitie in the matter) they cō maūded to warne the Maior of the towne to be there at the day appointed with al his burgesses, the whych thing the Uicechauncellour did wyth al speede.
While these thinges were a working agaynst Bucer & Phagius▪ in the meane whyle they forslowed not to make Inquisition in some places as the matter requyred. Therefore,Inquisition at Clare hall. when as almoste the same tyme they came into Clare hall, & entered into the Chappell, (whiche was their ordinarie custom to do first of all whersoeuer they became) [Page] they perceyued there was no sacrament (as they cal it) hanging o [...]er the altar. The which thing being taken in great displeasure, Ormanet calling to him the maister of the house, tolde him what a great wyckednesse he had by so doing, brought vpon him selfe and all his house. For although he were so vnwyse to thinke it no shame at all, yet vnto them it seemed an inexpiable offence.
The old man being amased, and lookinge aboute him howe he myghte aunswere the matter, while he went about to pourge him selfe thereof, made the faulte double: He sayde it was a prophane place, neuer as yet hallowed nor consecrated with anye Ceremonies, At that worde, the Commissioners were yet more astonied, demaunding whether [Page] he him selfe or anye other had vsed to synge masse there or no.
When he had cōfessed that both he him selfe, and others also, h [...]d oftentimes said masse there:
O thou wretched olde mā (quod Ormanet) thou haste cast bothe thy selfe and them in daunger of the greuous sentence of Excommunication. Ormanet, being sore moued at the beginning, serched the man narowly: howe manye benefices he had, wher they lay, by whose fauoure or licence he helde so many at ones, what excuse he had to be so farre, and so long from them▪ for as it shoulde seme he spente the most parte of the yeare in thuniuersitie, farre from the charge that he had taken vpō him. Swineborne was so sore astonied at this so sodaine disquietenesse of Ormanet, that [Page] being more disquieted him selfe, he was not able to answere one worde, neyther to these thinges, nor to anye other thinges appertayning to thestate of his house. Wherfore one of the fellowes of the house, that was senior to all y• rest, was faine to take vpō him the maisters turne in y• businesse.
This was now the .xxii. day, whiche I tolde you was limited to the iury,The witnesses are sworne not to publyshe their depositions. Yong, Segiswyke▪ &c to geue vp their verdit. Who neuerthelesse during the tyme that thinquisitours sate in S. Marie churche, neyther appeared that day nor put vp any thing openly against them that were accused. Whether thei obiected any thing secretly agaynste theym or no▪ I am not able to saye. For by lyke othe they were exhibited to publishe theyr depositions, as they [Page] were bound to beare witnesse.
In this Session nothing was done, sauing that the Uicechancellour restored agayne the processe for appearance, that he had receyued of theym two dayes agone: The tenor wherof, he sayd he had published vpon the contumacie of thē that were cited, according as they had cōmaunded him. Whereupon he requested them to appoint the .iiii. day next folowinge to pronounce the sentence of condemnatiō: the which wythoute anye difficultye he obteyned.The iudgement day i [...] appoynted. For I shewed you before, that so it was agreed among them selues. And yet these bluddy butchers wold for al that seme m [...]ke and merciful men.
Insomuche that they would seeme to determine nothynge of theyr owne heades, before that [Page] this moste filthye executioner of other mens wycked lustes, had earnestly sewed to theim for the same. As though no man had bene able to espye oute their colourable conueyance, or as if we had cast from vs both our myndes and eies, that we should neither vnderstande, nor see theyr craftye packyng. Euen so, they setting a fayre glosse vpō al their doinges, sought to brynge them selues in credite with men, to thentent that when oportunitye should serue, they might to theyr owne most aduauntage, deceiue men vnwares. Surelye, they might not in anye wise seeme to do those thynges, whyche they were most chiefelye bente vpon and therfore they sought al meanes possible to bieare mens eies, that they should not see theym, [Page] but they coulde not so escape vnespyed.
About this time they sent out a cōmaundement that the mayster of euerye Colledge by thaduice of his house,A cōmaundement for makinge of an Inuentorye of the goodes of euery Colledge, as wel mouable as vnmouable. should cause to be put in writinge, howe muche euery house had of ready mony, how much of yearely reuenewe, howe much thereof had bene bestowed about necessarye vses of the Colledge, howe much went to the stipendes of the fellowes, and the daylye diet of the house, howe much was allowed for other extraordinarie expences, how much remayned from yere to yeare, what was done with y• ouerplus, with a due accompt of all thinges belonginge to that purpose. The whiche thinge (because that for the straungenesse and noueltye thereof, it shoulde [Page] not make men to muse & breake theyr branes about it) they sayd, that before theym the Colledges of Eton and Winchester had done the like. The cause whye they coueted to be certifyed here in, was for none other purpose, but to thentent that they theym selues myghte see, whether that they, to whose charge the custodye and administration of those goodes was committed, hadde behaued theym selues so truelye and faythfullye, as by theyr othe they were bounde to do. This pretence made these diligent and curyous stewardes of other mens goods. But it was knowen well ynoughe, that thys was rather a fayned allegacion, than a true tale. For it was their minde, to searche what power [Page] the Clergy was of, the whyche, forasmuche as they made an assured accompte of, to haue willing to take theyr partes which were the chiefe heades of thys businesse, they coueted to knowe before hand, and to put theym in a readines, agaynst all hasardes and aduentures of Fortune.
And no man oughte to surmyse, that this coniecture is vayne, or that it dependeth vpon a lyghte ground, considering what a dele of armoure, what a dele of artillerye and furniture for the warres, the whole bodye of the Clergye, but inespecially the prelates, (who at that time bare all the sway) had layed vp in store at home in theyr owne houses, or els put in custodye of theyr confederates.
[Page]The whiche, forasmuch as they coulde be construed to tende to none other purpose then to open force (inespecially in so cankerd a tyme as that was) is it not a good likelihode that to the same enten [...]e and purpose, inquisition should be made of the strengthe of thuniuersitye, which it selfe to thuttermoste of her power, was readye to susteyne anye daunger or burden, for the maintenaunce of that filthy supersticion? But God hath looked mercifully vpon vs, and pulled theyr swordes from our neckes. But nowe let vs retourne to Bucer, and Pha [...]gius.
¶Nowe was come the daye of iudgemente,The day of the iudgement and all the degrees of thuniuersitye were assembled to se this pageant. Thither came also the Maior and his townesmen, [Page] and all met together in S. Marie Churche to beholde and learne what should be determined vpon these men by the Commissioners. After longe attendaunce of the multitude, at lēgth the Commissioners came forthe, and went vp to a scaffolde that was somewhat higher then the residue, prepared for ye same purpose. When they had taken theyr places, there Perne the Uicechauncellour, the player of thys enterlude, fashioninge his countenaunce with greate grauitye, reached to them the processe that was lastly publyshed to cite thē: sayinge these wordes. I brynge forthe agayne (quod he) to you ryght reuerende fathers & Commissioners of the most reuerend my L. Cardinall Poole (payntinge out the rest of his stile) this [Page] Citacion executed accordynge to the purporte and effecte of the same: Omittyng nothyng for his parte that myghte make to the commendacion of this matter. When he had thus fynyshed hys tale, by & by the byshop of Westchester, after he had a litle viewed the people, began in manner in this wise.
Ye see (ꝙ he) howe sore thuniuersitye preaseth vpon vs, how earnest intercession it maketh vnto vs,Westchesters oraciō before the pronouncīg of the sentence of condemnacion. not onelye to denounce Bucer and Phagius (whych these certayne yeares past, haue spred most pernicious doctrine among you) Heretiques, as they bee indede: but also that we will commaunde theyr deade Carcases, (whych vnto this daye haue obtayned honourable buryall among [Page] you) to be dygged vp and (as it is excellentlye ordayned by the Canon lawe) to be cast into fyre, or what soeuer is more greuous then fyre if any can be.
For the degrees of thuniuersitye deale not slyghtlye nor slackelye wyth vs in this case, but do so prease vpon vs, and folowe the sute so earnestly, that they scarce geue vs any respyte of delay.
And I assure ye, albeit this case of it selfe be suche, as that euen thunworthinesse of those persons (thoughe there were no further cause) oughte to induce vs to the doyng thereof, muche the rather (moued wyth these so wholsome peticions) it is meete and conuenient we should graunt it. For howsoeuer we of our selues are enclined to mercy in our hartes, (then the which we protest there [Page] is nothinge vnder the sonne to vs more dere and acceptable) yet notwithstanding, the very lawe riseth vp to reuengemēt, so that the common saluation of you al ( which ye law prouideth for) must be preferred before the priuate charitie of our mindes. And it is not to be committed, that beyng scarce yet escaped oute of ye shipwracke of our former faulte and calamitye, we should suffer thys vnexpiable mischiefe, to disquiet any lenger the cōsciences of the weake. Moreouer, it is but reason that we shold do somewhat at so earnest entreatance & sute of thuniuersitye. It nedeth not speake much of our selues. For if we had bene desirous to enterprise this matter, it had ben lawfull after the firste Citacion, to haue proceded to iudgemente: [Page] But for bicause we were willing that their defendours should be heard, and that the matter shuld be tried by lawe, we sent out the second processe. If we had desyred reuengemente, we mighte haue shewed cruelty vpon them that are aliue: of the which (alas the more pitye) there are to many that embrace this doctryne. If we thirsted for bloude, it was not to be sought ī withered carcases and drye bones. Therfore ye may wel perceyue, it was no part of our willes that we now came hither: but partlye induced at thentreatāce of thuniuersity, partly moued with thunworthinesse of the case it selfe, but inespecially for the care and regard we haue of your health and saluation, the whyche we couet by all meanes to preserue whole [Page] a [...]d sound. For you your selues are the cause of this businesse: you gaue occasion of this confession, among whom thys day ought to be a notable example, to remayne as a memoryall to them that shall come after: as in the whyche ye maye learne, not onely to shake of the fylth which ye haue taken of these persons, but also to beware hereafter, that ye fall no more so shamefully as ye haue done: But I trust God will defende you, and geue ye mindes to kepe youre selues from it. as concerninge them, whose case nowe hangeth in lawe, they bare about the name of the ghospell, whereas in dede they wrought nothynge els than theuery and deceyt.
And so much the wickeder wer they, in that they soughte to couer [Page] so shamefull actes, with the cloke of so fayre and holy a name Wherefore it is not to be doubted but that God will punyshe this despyght of it selfe wycked, to you pernicious, by thautours thereof shamefull and abhominable. But if God (as he is slow to wrathe and vengeance) wyll wynke at it for a tyme: yet notwithstanding, if we (vpon whō the charge of the Lordes [...]locke leaneth) should permit so execrable crymes escape vnpunished, we should not lyue in quiete one houre.
When he had thus spoken, he recited the sentence oute of a scroll, and condemned Bucer & Phagius of heresye,the cond [...] nacion of Bucer and Phagius▪ he cōmaunded their bodies to be digged out of theyr graues, & being disgraded from holy orders, deliue [Page] red them into the handes of the secular power. For it was not lawfull for such innocent persōs as they were, abhorring from al bloudshed, and detesting all desire of murder, to put anye man to death.Th [...]nthāk [...]ulnesse of thuniuersitye. O vnworthye and abhominable act: for which thuniuersitye shall neuer be able to make satisfaction. Now vnworthye a thing was it, to do all the spyghte that myghte be to hym beyng dead, to whō being aliue she exhibited al thonour & reuerence she could deuise. Now vntolerable a thīg was it, to detest and abhorre him as a wycked deceyuer and leader oute of the ryght waye being dead, whom in his life time she had folowed and reuerenced with all humility and obeysau [...]ce, as her maister and chyefe guide of her life? [Page] What a monstruous thing is it not to spare him when he was dead? who during his life being aged and alwayes sickelye, yet neuer spared him selfe, to thentent he myght profyte them?
Nothinge greued him more, all the time he laye sicke & bedered, than that he was vnprofitable both to them and to the churche of God: and yet whē he was deceased, he neyther founde obedience among his disciples, nor buriall amonge Christen men. If manhode and reason coulde not haue obteyned so muche at our handes, as to spare his memoriall, or to reuerence his ashes, yet nature and the common law of all nations (by the whiche vpon promise made by the body of the realme he came hyther) ought to haue withheld this so great crueltie [Page] and extreame barbarousnesse or sauagenesse from his bones. Notwithstandinge this infamye of the vniuersitie so openlye gotten,Pernes sermō against Bucer. Andrewe Perne the Uycechauncelloure wyth hys slaunderous talke mor [...] encreased. For after that Scotte had pronounced the sentēce, he made a Sermon before the people, takynge that place of the, 132. Psalm, Beholde, howe good and pleasaunte a thynge it i [...]. &c. For his theme to enreate vpon: where beginning with the commendacion of concorde, and of the mutuall kni [...]tinge together of the mindes, he alledged that it was not possible to holde togither, onelesse the concord were deriued oute of the heade, (the whyche he made to be the Byshoppe of Rome) and that it also [Page] rested in the same. When he had made a longe protestacion vpon this place, he passed frō it to Bucer, vpon whō he made suche a shamefull raylinge, that it is not possible to diffame a man more thā he did: saying, yt his doctrine gaue occasion of diuision in the common welth, & that ther was not so greuous a mischief, which by his meanes hadde not, bene brought into ye realm. Although all men myght perceyue by such bookes as he had cōpyled, what maner of doctryne it was: Yet notwithstānding he said he knew it more perfectly him selfe thā any did,What thinges Perne accused Bucer of. & that he had learned it a part at thautours hand himselfe For at such time as they had cō munication secretelye amonge them selues, he sayd that Bucer woulde oftentimes wyshe he myghte be called by some other [Page] name, than by the name he had: the whyche he did for this purpose, as though, knowinge hym selfe giltie of so greuous a crime, he might by this meanes escape vnknowen to the world, and auoide the talke that went amōg men of him. Moreouer amonge other thinges, he tolde how Bucer held opinion, (whych thinge he shoulde confesse to hym hys owne selfe) that God was the authour and welspring, not onelye of good, but also of euell: and that whatsoeuer was of that sorte, flowed from him as from the head spryng and maker ther of. The whyche doctrine he vphelde to be sincere: how be it for offendinge diuers▪ mens consciences, he durste not put it into mennes heades. Manye other thinges he patched together, of [Page] like purport and effect, as of the supremacie of ye bishop of Rome, of the maryage of pryestes, of diuorcementes, and of shamefull vsurie also, as though he had demed theym lawfull to be vsed among Christen people, wyth diuers other of the same sorte. In all whych his allegations, consideringe howe lewdly wythout all shame he lyed vppon Bucer, (as his writinges euidently declare) he did not so much hinder his name with rayling vpō him, as winne vnto him selfe an inexpiable infamie, by forgynge so shamefull leasinges vpō so worthye a man. But what needeth witnesse to proue him a lyar?Pernes opinion of Bucer according to his cōsciēce his owne conscience shall make as much agaynst him as a number of men. It was reported for a truthe, (and his owne familyar [Page] frendes were the bringers vp thereof) that he him selfe (eyther immediately after his sermō, or els somewhat before he went to it) striking himselfe on the brest, and in maner wepinge, wished at home at his house wyth all hys hearte, that God woulde graunte his soule myghte euen then presentlye departe and remayne wyth Bucers. For he knewe well ynough that his life was suche, that if anye mannes soule were worthye of heauen he thought his inespecially to be most worthye. Whiles he was thus talking to the people, in the meane time the leaues of the church dores were couered ouer with verses: in the whiche the yonge men to shewe theyr folly:Uerses against Bucer and Phaigus. (whiche scarce knewe him by sight) blazed Bucers name with [Page] most shamefull and reprochefull termes. Diuers also yt were somwhat more growen in yeares, & yet more fooles thē the yong mē:No foole to the olde▪ foole. like eger curres (who had bene well serued if their legges had bene brokē for their labour) barked all that they coulde agaynst him. And to thentent it myghte seme to be done by a great number, (wherin the papistes greatlie vaunt them selues) they enticed vnth y• same businesse, many that by al meanes fauoured Bucer, & that reuerenced his name, as it became them. Who notwithstandinge to thentent that vnder this pretext they myghte escape theyr crueltye, ful sore agaynst theyr willes, fayntly and slenderly pricked at him.
These thinges being dispatched Perne (as though he had sped [Page] his matters marueylously well)the sentēce of condemnation sent to london with the Commissioners letters. was for his labour of courtesye bidden to diner to Trinitie Colledge by the Commissioners.
Where, after the Table was taken vp, they caused the sentence of condemnation to be copy [...]d out wyth all spede, the whyche sygned with the bishop of Westchesters seale, the next daye folowing, they sent to London with diuers of those verses and slaunderous libels, for so a man maye cal them. Besides these, they sent also theyr owne letters, in the whych, they both aduertised the Cardinall howe farre they had proceded in that matter, and also desyred his grace yt he would ca [...]se to be sente out of hande to Smith the Maior of the towne the commaundement that is of ordinarie by the lawe,a writ for burning of heretigues▪ commonlye [Page] called a Wrytte for the burning of Heretiques. For onelesse he had the Quenes warrante to saue him harmelesse, he woulde not haue to do in the matter.
And that which remained to be done in that case, could not be dispatched tyll yt warrant came. While this pursiuant wente on his iourney, they willed to be brought vnto theym the bookes that they commaūded before to be serched out. For they determined to throwe theym into the fyre with Bucer and Phagius.
About the same time, Watson takinge occasion vpon the daye, bicause it was a hyghe feaste, in the whych was wonte to be celebratedWatson [...] sermon vpon Candelmas day. the memorial of the purificatiō of our lady the Uirgin, made a sermon to the people vpon that Psalme. VVe haue receyued [Page] thy mercy O lord, in the middest of thy temple. &c. In the whyche Sermon he spake muche reproche of Bucer and Phagius, and of theyr doctrine. He sayde that these men and all the heretiques of oure time that were of the same opinion (the which for the most part he sayde had budded out of Germany) among other thinges which they had perniciouslye put into mens heades, taught to cast away all ceremonies. Whereas notwithstanding thappostle him selfe cō maunded all thinges to be done in due order. And vpō that dede of the blessed virgin and Ioseph whiche was done by thē as vpō that day it was manifestly apparant, that they with our sauiour being then a litle babe, obserued these rites & Ceremonies, for catholike [Page] mē to teach. For he sayd that they came to the Temple the same time with waxe cādels in theyr handes, after the maner of procession (as they terme it) in good order with much reuerēce and deuotion: and yet we were not ashamed to laugh and mock at these things wt the heretiques & Schismatikes. As he was telling his tale of Christ, Marye, & Ioseph, one of them that hearde him, a pleasaaut & mery conceyted fellowe, turning him selfe to him that stood next him, & if it be true (ꝙ he) yt this man preacheth which of thē I pray you (if a mā might be so bold to spurre him y• questiō) bare the crosse before ye residew? For that might not be missinge in suche solemne Ceremonies. Not onelye thys man [...]ested at the preachers folly, but diuers others also laughed at [Page] his manifest vnshamefastnesse, in preaching these so vayne and foolishe superstitions. While he was thus talkinge to his audyence,the sodaine swound of Christoforson. Iohn Christophorson elected byshop of Chichester, beinge striken with a sodayne sycknesse fel downe in a swound amonge the prease: and wyth much a do, beīg scarce able a good while to come to him selfe agayne, in the meane time babled manye thinges vnaduisedly, and as though he had bene out of his wittes. Some thoughte it came vpon this occasiō, that bicause he had bene greatlye accused before the Commissioners for mispending and misordring the goods of the colledge, he was so greued with the matter, inasmuche as he knew they were displeased with him, by that that Ormanet had [Page] cancelled before his face a lease of his by the which he had let to ferme to his brother in lawe a certane manor of y• Colledge bicause the couenaunts semed vnreasonable.
By this time was retourned agayne the Pursiuant,The taking [...]p of Bucer and Phagius. who (as we [...]olde you before) was sente to London a fewe dayes before wyth the Cōmissioners letters: and broughte wyth him a warrant for the burning of these mē. Upon the receyte whereof they appoynted the .vi. day of February for thaccomplyshemēt of the matter. For it had hanged already a great while in hand. Therfore whē the said day was come the Commissioners sente for the Uicechauncellour, demaunding of him in what case things stode whether all thinges were in a [Page] readinesse, for thaccomplyshmēt of this businesse or no? Understanding by him that al thinges wer ready, they cōmaunded the matter to be brought out of hād. [...] The Uicechauncellour therfore takinge with him Marshall the common notarye, went strayte to S. Michaels churche, w [...]ere we shewed you that Phagius was buryed. There he called forth Andrewe Smith, Henrye Sawyer, & Henry Adams men of the same parishe, and bounde them wyth an othe to dygge vp Phagius bones & to bring thē to the place of execution. Marshall tooke theyr othes. Receiuing the like of Roger Smith, & william [...] the towne [...]erg [...]ants, and of Iohn [...]per warden of the same churche for doing the lyke with Bucer▪ Smith the Maior [Page] of ye town which should be their executioner (for it was not lawful for them to entermedle in cases of bloude) commaunded certaine of his townesmen to wait vpon him in harnesse, by whom the dead bodyes wer garded, & being bound with ropes, & layd vpon mens shoulders (for they were enclosed in chestes. Bucer in the same that he was buryed, and Phagius in a newe) were borne into the middes of y• market sted with a great trayne of people folowing them.
This place was prepared beforeThe burnynge of Bucer and Phagius. and a greate poste was set faste in the grounde to bynde the carcases to, and a great heape of woode was layde readye to burne theym wythal. When they came thyther, the chestes were set vp on end wyth ye dead b [...]dyes in theym, and fastened [Page] on both sides wyth stakes, and bound to the poste with a longe yron chayne, as if th [...]y had bene aliue. Fyre beinge forthwith put to, as soone as it began to flame rounde aboute, a greate sorte of bookes that were condemned wyth theym, were caste into the same. There was that day gathered into the towne,The talke of the countr [...]ifolk [...] of the burning of Bucer and Phagius. a greate multitude of countreyfolke (for it was market day) who seinge men borne to execution, and learning by enquirie that they were dead before, partly detested and abhorr [...]d thextreme crueltye of the Commissioners toward the rotten carcases, & partly laughed at theyr folly in making such preparature. For what nedeth anye weapon (sayd they) as thoughe they were afrayd that the dead bodies which felt thē not, would [Page] do thē some harme? Or to what purpose serues that chain wherwith they are tyed? sythens they might be burnt loose wythoute perill, for it was not to be feared that they would ronne away.
Thus euery body that stood by, found faulte with the cruelnesse of the deed, either sharpely or els lightly as euery mannes minde gaue him. There were verye fewe (and those not of the [...]ound and wholsome religion) that lyked their doing herein. In the mean time that they were a rostinge in the fyre, Watson went into the pulpyt in S. Marye church,Watsons sermon at the bur [...]nyng of Bucer and Phagius▪ and there before his audiēce rayled vpon theyr doctrine as wicked and erron [...]ous: saying that it was the ground of al mischiefe that had happened of [...] long time in the cōmon weale. [Page] For behold (sayth he) as wel the prosperitye, as thaduersitye of these yeares that haue ensewed: Ye shall fynde that all thynges haue chaunced vnluckelye, to theym that haue folowed thys newe found fayth, and al things haue happened for [...]unatelye to them that haue eschewed it.
What robbing and pollynge (ꝙ he) haue we sene in this realme,as thoughe in those dayes had bene raised no subsidies at al besides priuie s [...]ales anon after. as longe as religion was defaced wyth Sectes, the common threasure (gathered for the main tenaunce of the whole publyke weale) & the goods of the realme shamefully spent in waste for the maintenaunce of a fewe folkes lustes: all good order broken: all discipline caste aside: holydayes appointed to the solemnisinge of ceremonies neglected: and that more is, the places theym selues [Page] beaten downe. Fleshe and other kinde of prohibited sustenaunce eaten euerye where vpon dayes forbidden, withoute remorce of conscience: the priestes had in derision: the Masse rayled vppon: no honour done to the Sacramentes of the church. Al estates and degrees geuen to such a licencious liberty without check, that all thinges maye seeme to drawe to their vtter ruine and decaye. And yet in the meane tyme, the name of the Ghospell was pretended outwardlye, as though that for it, men oughte of dutie to geue credit to their erroneous opinions: wheras in dede there is nothinge more discrepant, or more to the slaunder of Gods worde then it. For what other thinge taughte they to remayne in that moste blessed [Page] people, manye of theym that had written verses before, did set vp other newe, in the whiche lyke a sorte of water frogges, they spewed out their venemous malice against Bucer & Phagius. This was the last of this enterlude, & yet there remained a fewe thinges to be done, amōg the which was the reconciling of the two churches of our lady,the reconciling of y• churches y• were interdited. and of S. Michaell, which we declared to haue ben enterdited. The which was done ye next day folowing by Westchester, with as muche ceremonie as the law requyred.
But that impanate God whō Bucers Carcase had chased frō thēce, was not yet retourned thither again: Neyther was it lawful for hī to come ther any more, but if he were brought thyther wyth great solemnitye. As I [Page] suppose duringe all the tyme he was away, he was enterteined by the Commissioners at Trinitye Colledge, and there continued as a soiourner. For thyther came all the Graduates of thuniuersitye,a solemne procession of thuniuersity and of the townesmē. the eyghte daye of Februarye, of gentlenesse and courtesye to bringe him home agayne. Amongest the whyche number, Westchester (worthye for his estate to come nearest to him, bycause he was a byshop) tooke and caryed him cladde in a long Rochet, and a large typpet of sarcenet about his necke, wherein he wrapped his Idoll also, Ormanet Datarye had geuen the same a litle before to thuniuersitye [...]or the same and such like purposes. When thys Idoll should retourne home, he went [...] not the straitest & nearest [Page] way as other folke are wont to go, but he fetched a windelasse about the most part of ye towne: and romed through so many of the streetes, that it was a large hower and more, ere he coulde fynde the waye into his Church agayn. I beleue thauncient Romaines obserued a custome not muche vnlike this in their procession, when they made supplycations at the shrynes of al their Goddes. Thorder whereof was this: The maysters, Regentes, went before singing with a loud voyce, Salue festa dies. &c. Next them followed Westchester, about him wente Ormanet and his fellowe Cōmissioners, with the Maysters of the Colledges bearing euery man a long taper lyght in his hand. After whom, a litle space of, followed thother [Page] degrees of thuniuersity. Last behinde came the Maior and his townesmen. Be [...]ore them all went the Bedels, cryeng to such as they met [...]e, that they shoul [...]e bow them selues humbly before the hoste. If any refused so to do they thretned to sende him forthwith to the tolbooth. Their god being led wyth this pompe, and pacified with greate hostes of Bucer and Phagius, at length setled him selfe agayne in his accustomed roome. Scot of Westchester prayed with many wordes, yt that day myght be luckye and fortunate to himselfe, and to al that were present, and that from that day forwarde (nowe that Gods wrathe was appeased, and all other thynges set in good order) all men wold make thē selues conformable to peace [Page] and quietenesse, inespecially that appertayned to religion. After this,Certayn of the vniuersitye amerced and punished. they bestowed a few dayes in punishing and amercing such as they thought had deserued it Some they suspended from geuinge voyces eyther to theyr owne prefermente, or to the preferment of anye other. Some they forbade to haue the charge of pupilles, least they shoulde in [...]ect the tender youth, (beyng pliable to take what prynte so euer is laid vpon them) with corrupt doctrine and heresye. Others they chasticed wrongfully without any desert.: and many a one they punyshed contrarye to all right and reason. Last of al they set forth certaine statutes, by the which they woulde haue thuniuersitye hereafter ordered.
Wherein they enacted manye [Page] thinges as concerning the election of theyr officers of thuniuer sitye, of keping & administryng the goodes of thuniuersitye, and of many other thinges. But in [...]specially they handled the matter very circumspectlye for relygion. In the which they were so scrupu [...]ous, yt they replenished all thinges,The decrees of thinquisitours. eyther with open blasphemye or with ridiculous superstition. For they prescribed at how many masses eueri man should be day by day, & how many masses euery man should say when he shoulde enter into the church, & in his enterance after what sorte he should bowe hym selfe to the altar: & how to y• maister of ye house: what he shold do there, & howe long he should tary, howe manye & what prayers he should saye: what & howe he [Page] should synge, what meditacions other should vse while the priest is in his Memento mūbling secretely to him selfe: what time of the Masse a man should stande, and when he should sit downe: when he should make courtesie, when exclusiuelye, when inclusiuely, and many other supersticious toyes they decreed, that it was a good [...]port to behold thē. Moreouer, these Maysters of good order, for fashion sake, ordayned that euery man shoulde put on a Surplyce, not torne nor worne, but clean, forbidding them in any wise to wype theyr noses thereon. And these are the thinges which we tolde you before, that some noted in Ormanet howe deuoutlye he obserued them in the kynges chappel. All the which (vnder a great penaltie [Page] to such as omitted thē) were enioyned commonlye to all men alike.
All thinges beinge thus set at a staye, when they were nowe ready to go theyr wayes, thuniuersitye for so greate benefytes (which she could not suffer to fal out of remembraunce many yeres after) [...] coueting to shew some token of courtesy towardes thē agayne, commenced Ormanet and Cole doctors (for all the residue sauing Christophorsō,Ormanet and Cole pro [...]ede Doctours. who nowe by reason he was elected byshop, had preuented that degree, were chosē into that order before) the whyche they shewed theym selues to receyue thankefully at theyr handes, thinkinge muche gentlenesse in so doinge. Thus at length were sēt away these peacemakers that came to [Page] pacifye strifes and quarelles, who through prouoking euerye man to accuse one another,the departure of thin quisitours. lefte suche gappes and breaches in mens hartes at theyr departure y• to this day they could neuer be closed & ioined againe togither.
These Commissioners, before they departed out of thuniuersity, gaue cōmaundemēt, that the maisters of euerye house should copie out their statutes, ye which beside cōmon ordinances, cōteyned in certaine rules, the priuate ordering of euery house perticulerly.Swinebornes saiyng as concerning the decrees of thinquisitours. Swineborne (who as I said was maister of Clare hall) beinge demaunded whether he wold haue those thinges engroced in parchmēt or in paper, aunswered, that it made no matter wherin they were written. For the paper or a slighter thing that [Page] were of lesse continuance than paper, would serue the turn wel ynough: For he sayd a slenderer thing thā that, wold last a great deale lenger then those decrees should stande in force: [...] Neyther was the man deceyued in his cō iecture. For within two yeares after,The death of Quene Mary. God beholdinge vs wyth mercy, called Quene Mary (the which princesse the cardinal and the rest of the byshops of England, miserablye abused to thutter destruc [...]iō of Christs church) oute of this life the .xvii. daye of Nouember,Quene elizabeth succedeth. in the yeare of oure Lord. 1558. Unto whom her syster Elizabeth succeding in the kingedome (the lyke of whiche princesse a man shal not lightlye finde in perusing the chronicles to haue reygned in manye hundred yeares before,) raysed [Page] sed to life againe,The true religion is restored. the true religion being not onelye sore apalled and commaunded to seeke her a new dwelling place, but in maner burnte vp and consumed to ashes. The which after the time it ones begā to recouer strength agayne, and by litle and litle to lifte vp her head, the filthy dregges of ye Romyshe iugling castes began forthwith to melt away. Whereupon the Church of God began to be edifyed agayne in England, the buylding whereof the Sanaballites and Tobies did not only as then hinder and waste, but euen at this day also (as Sathā is a most suttle slaū derer) worke all the pollicyes they can deuyse, that the truthe (which is not darke vnlesse men wil be blinded wilfullye) should not come abrode and [...]e seene in [Page] the lyght. While the broken and decayed places of this worke were in repayring, it came to remembraunce, how the ryght reuerend father and sometime our schoolemayster Martin Bucer wyth Paulus Phagius,The res [...]itucion of Bucer and Phagius. beyng taken with the violent tempest of the former tymes, were throwen downe oute of theyr standyng which they had in the wal of this building. Whō the moste reuerend fathers in Christ Mathewe Parker, nowe archebyshop of Cantorburye, and Primate of all Englande, which before at his buryall preached honorablye of him, and Edmonde Gryndall byshoppe of London, who (amonge the rest that did him that seruice) did helpe to beare hym in his coffin to buriall on h [...]s shoulders, and other [Page] both honorable and worshipfull persons, among whō was Walter Haddō maister of ye requests to the Queenes highnesse, who made a funerall Oration of the death of Bucer, beinge him selfe haife dead, hauing receyued cō mission of the quenes maiestie to make a reformation of religion in thuniuersitye of Cambridge & other partes of the realm, decreed that they shold be set in their places againe: For ye performāce wherof, the foresayd right reuerende fathers adressed their letters to the Uicechauncellor and the Graduates of thuniuersity. Andrewe Perne bare still yt letters directed for the restitution of Bucer and Phagius. offyce (who by his good wil) could not abide to heare one word spoken as touching the ful restitution of Bucer & Phagius. when he had persued these letters, he [Page] poūded the matter to y• degrees of thuniuersitie, whether it pleasen theym, that the degrees and titles of honoure taken awaye from Martin Bucer and Paulus Phagius, by ye verdit of the whole vniuersitye should by the same be fullye restored againe: & that al actes done against them & their doctrine should be repealed and disanulled. The whych demaundes wer openly consented vnto by al the Graduates of thuniuersitye. This was about the .xxii. daye of Iuly, in the yere of our lord. 1560. Albeit that this had bene sufficiente to restore them lawfully againe: Neuerthelesse, forasmuch as it seemed not ynoughe in consideracion of the dignitye of so worthye men, and in satysfaction of the duety of the Uniuersitye▪ [Page] they that were the chiefe doers in this matter, called a congregation in S Mary Churche, at the last daye of the same moneth sauing one. In the whyche place consultacion was had concerninge Bucer and Phagius, not with so great furniture and gloriousnesse (whiche thinges the truth seketh not gredely for) but wyth honest comlinesse to thentent to reconcile mens hartes agayne. An oration was made by Acworth the common Oratour of thuniuersity,The oration of Acworth oratour of thuniuersitye at the restitution of Bucer and Phagius. whose wordes I will rehearce in order as he spake them.
☞ I am in doubt whether I maye entreate of the prayse and commendacion of so greate a clerke (for the celebrating wherof this assemblye and concourse of youres is made this daye) or [Page] of the vices and calamityes, out of the which we be newely deliuered: or of them both: consydering thone can not be mentioned withoute thother. In the whych times ye felt so much anguishe and sorow (my right dere brethren) that if I should repeat them and bring them to remembraunce agayne, I feare me, I should not so much worke a iust hatred in vs towards them, for thiniuryes receyued in them, as renew our olde sorow and heauinesse. Againe, men must nedes accompt me vnaduised and foolishe in my doinge, if I shoulde thynke my selfe able, to make him whyche hathe liued before your eyes in prayse and estimation, more famous and notable by my Oration, which he by his liuing [...] and conuersacion hath [Page] oftētimes polished. But the wickednesse of ye times which ende [...]ored to wipe cleane out of the remēbraunce of men, the name yt was so famous & renoumed in euery mannes mouth, did much profite hī. In so much that both in his life time all thing redounded to his cōtinuall renowne, & inespecially after his decease nothing could be deuised more honourable, then wt so solemne furniture and ceremonies to haue gone about, to haue hurte ye memoriall of such a worthy man, & yet could not bringe to passe the thinge that was [...]o sore coueted: but rather brought that thynge to passe, whiche was chiefelye sought to be auoyded. For the desire that men haue of the dead, hath purchased to many meneuerlasting fame, & hath not takē [Page] awaye immortalitye, but rather amplifyed & increased the same. By meanes wherof it commeth to passe, that he yt wil entreat of those thinges, that pertayne to the prayse of Bucer after hys death: can not choose but speake of the crabbednesse of the times past, vpon the whiche ryseth a greate increase and augmentation of his prayse. But his [...]yfe is so excellently set forth, not onlye by the writinges of the learned clerkes Cheke and Carre, and by the liuelye voyce of the right famous. D. Haddon vttered in this place to the great admiration of all the hearers, when his bodye should be layed into his graue to be buried, and after hys buryall by the godlye and moste holye preachynges of the ryghte reuerende father in [Page] Chryst Tharchbyshop of Caunterbury that nowe is, and of D. Readman: the which for ye worthinesse and excellency of them, oughte to sticke longer in oure myndes vnwrytten, then many thynges that are penned & put in prynt: but also by the great assemble of all the degrees of thuniuersitye the same day: in bryngynge him to his graue, and the next daye after by thindustrye of euerye man that was endewed with anye knoweledge in the Greeke or Latine tounges: of the whiche, there was no man, but that set vp some Uerses, as witnesses of his iust and vnfained sorowe, vpon the walles of the church: That neyther at that time anye reuerence or duetye whych is due to the dead departinge oute of this life, was then [Page] duers [...]ipped, or nowe remayneth vndone that maye seeme to partayne eyther to the celebratyng of the memoriall of so holy or famous a person, or to the consecratinge of him to euerlastinge memorye. We at that time sawe wyth our eyes this Uniuersitye flouryshinge by his institucions: the loue of sincere religion not onelye engendered, but also confirmed & strengthened through his continuall and daylye preachinge. In so much that at suche time as he was sodaynly taken from vs, there was scarce anye man that for sorowe could finde in his hearte to beare with the presente estate of thys lyfe, but that eyther he wyshed with all his heart to departe oute of thys lyfe with Bucer into another, and by dieng to folowe him into [Page] to immortalitye, or els endeuored him selfe with wepinge and sighing to call him againe, being dispatched of all troubles into ye prison of this bodye, oute of the which he is escaped: lest he shold leaue vs as it were standinge in battel ray without a captaine, & he hī selfe as one casshed depart with his wages, or as one dyscharged out of ye campe, wtdraw him selfe to the euerlasting quietnesse & tranquility of the soule Therfore al men euidently declared at that time both howe sore they tooke his death to hearte, and also, how hardly they could away with the misture of such a man. As long as the ardent loue of his religion (wherwt we wer inflamed) flourished, it wrought in our hartes an incredible desire of his presence amorvs.
[Page]But after the time yt the godlye mā ceased to be any more in our sight and in our eyes, ye ardent & burning loue of religion by litle & litle waxed cold in our mindes & according to the times yt came after (which were both miserable & to our vtter vndoing) it began not by litle & litle to be darkened, but it altogither vanished away and turned into nothing. For we fel againe into the troublesomnesse of the popishe doctrine: the old rites & customes of the romishe churche were restored againe, not the garnishment & beatifiyng of the Christen religion (as they surmised) but to thutter defacing, violating, and defiling of the same: Death was sette before the eyes of suche as perseuered in the christē doctrine that they had learned before:
[Page]They were banished the relame that could not apply them selues to the time, and do as other men did: such as remained, were enforced eyther to dissemble, or to hide theym selues and crepe into corners, or els by drinkinge as it wer of ye charmed cup of Circes, to be turned and altered, not onelye from the nature of man into the nature of brute beastes, but (that farre worse and much more monstruous is) from the likenesse of God and his Aungels into the likenesse of deuels. And all England was infected with this maladye. But I wold to God the corruption of those tymes whyche ouerwhelmed all the whole realme, had not at least wise yet perced euery parte & member thereof. Of the which there was not one but that (besides [Page] the griefe that it felte with the residew of the bodye, by reason of the sickenesse and contagion spred into the whole) had some sorowe and calamitye peculiarly by it selfe. And to omit the rest (of the which to entreat this place is not appoynted, nor the time requireth oughte to be spoken) this dwellinge place of the Muses (which we cal thuniuersity) may be a sufficient witnesse, what we may iudge of all the rest of the bodye. For certesse my brethren, the thinge is not to be dissembled that can not be hidden. We applying our selues to those most filthy times, haue moste shamefullye yelded lyke fayntharted cowardes, whyche had not the stomacks to susteyn thaduersities of pouerty, banishment, and death: Which in oure [Page] liuing & conuersacion, kept neyther the constancie taughte vs vs by Philosophye, nor yet the patience taught vs by holy scripture: whych haue done all thinges at the commaundement of others. And therfore that which the Poete (althoughe in another sence) hath trimly spoken maye well de thoughte to haue bene truly prophecied vpon vs.
Diuers of them that were of a pure & sincere iudgemēt as cō cerning religion being driuē frō hence & distroubled, the rest that remayned tasted and felte of the inhumanitie of theym in whose handes thautoritie of doing thinges here consisted. Although to say ye truth, I haue vsed a gētler terme thā behoued. For it is not [Page] to be accōpted inhumanitye, but rather immanitie & beastly crueltye: the which, when they had spent al kindes of torments and punishementes vpon the quyck: when they had cruelly taken frō such as cōstantly perseuered, life, from others riches, honors, and all hope of promotion, yet coulde not be so satisfyed, but that incensed & stirred with a greater fury, it began to outrage euen against the dead. Therfore wheras in euerye singular place, was executed a singuler kinde of crueltie: insomuch that there was no kinde of cruelnesse that could be deuised, but it was put in vre in one place or other) This was proper & peculiar to Cambridge, to exercise the crueltye vppon the dead, whiche in other places [Page] was extended but to the quicke. Oxford burnt vp the right reuerend fathers Cranmer, Ridley, and Latimer, the noble witnesses of the clere lyght of the ghospel. Moreouer at London peryshed these two lāternes of light, Rogers and Bradford: In whō it is hard to saye whether there were more force of eloquēce and vtterance in preachinge, or more holinesse of life and conuersaciō. Many other without noumber both here and in other places were consumed to ashes for bearing recorde of the truthe. For what citie is there that hath not flamed, I say not with burning of houses and buyldinges, but with burning of holy bodies?
But Cambridge, after ther wer no mo left aliue vpon whō they myght spue out theyr bitter poison, [Page] playde the madde bedlem agaynst the dead. The dead mē, whose liuinge no man was able to finde faulte with, whose doctrine no man was able to reproue, wer by false & slaūderous accusers indited, contrary to the lawes of God and man sewed in the law, condemned, their sepulchres violated & broken vp, theyr car [...]ases pulled oute and burnt wyth fyre. A thing surelye incredible if we had not seene it with our eyes, and a thyng that hath not lyghtlye bene heard of. But the haynousnesse of thys wycked act, was spredde abrode as a commō talke in euery mans mouthe, and was blowen & disp [...]rsed through all christendome. Bucer by thexcellēcye of his wit and doctrine knowen to al men of oure countreymen in maner [Page] craued, of manye others intreated and sente for, to thentent he might instructe our Cambrydge men in the sincere doctryne of the Chrysten religion, being spēt with age, and his strengthe vtterlye decayed, forsoke his owne countreye, refused not the tedyousnesse of the lōg iourney, was not afrayed to aduenture hym selfe vpon the sea, but had more regarde of the dilating and amplifyeng of the church of Chryst, than of all other thinges. So in conclusion he came, euerye man receyued and welcomed him, afterward he liued in suche wyse, as it might appere he came not hither for his owne sake, but for oures. For he sought not to driue away the syckenesse that he had taken by the troublesome trauayle of his longe iourney, and [Page] albeit his strength were weakened and apalled, yet he regarded not the recouerye of his healthe, but put him selfe to immoderate labour and intollerable paine only to teache and instructe vs. And yet toward this so noble & worthy a persō while he liued were shewed all the tokens of humanitie & gentlenesse reuerence and courtesie, y• coulde be, and when he was deade, the most horrible cruelty and spight that might be ymagined. For what can be so common, as to graunte vnto the liuinge house and abidinge place, and to the deade buriall? Or what is he that will finde in his harte to geue enterteinment and to cherishe that person in hys house wyth all kinde of gentlenesse that he [...]an deuise, vpon whom he coulde not vouchesafe [...]o [Page] to bestowe buryall when he is dead? Agayne, what an inconstancye is it, with great solemnitie, and with much aduauncement and commendacion of his vertues, to burye a man honorablye, and anon after to break vp his tombe and pul him out spitefully? and wrongfullye to slaunder him beynge deade, who duryng his lyfe tyme alway deserued praise? Al these thinges haue happened vnto Bucer, who whyles he lyued had free accesse into the moste gorgeous buyldings and stately palaces of the greatest Princes, and when he was dead could not be suffered to enioye so much as his poore graue. Who being layd into the grounde noblye to his eternall fame, was afterward to his vtter defacing, spitefully taken vp [Page] and burned. The whych things albeit they did no harme to the dead (for the dead carcases feele no paine, neyther doth the fame of godly persons depende vpon the report of vulgar people, and the lyghte rumours of men, but vpon the ryghtefull censure and iust iudgement of God) yet it reproueth an extreame crue [...]nesse and vnsaciable desire of reuēgement, in them whych offer suche vtter wrong to the dead. These persons therfore, whō they haue pulled oute of theyr graues and burned, I beleue (if they had ben aliue) they would haue cast out of house and home, they woulde haue driuen out of al mens company, and in thende wyth moste cruell tormētes haue torne them in pieces, being neuerthelesse alientes, being straungers, & being [Page] fetched hither by vs, out of suche a countrey, wherethey not onely neded not to feare anye punishement, but contrary wise wer alwaies had in much reputacion, as well amonge the noble & honorable, as also among the vulgar & common people. But yet howe muche more gentle than these men, was Byshop Gardener? otherwise an earnest defendour of the popyshe doctryne? Who agaynste his owne countreymen let passe no crueltye, whereby he mighte extinguyshe wyth fyre and sword the lyghte of the Ghospell: and yet he spared forreyners, because the ryghte of theym is so holye, that there was neuer nation so barbarous, that woulde violate the same. For when he had in hys power the renoumed clerke Peter [Page] Martyr, then teachynge at Oxforde, he would not kepe him to punishe him, but (as I haue heard reported) when he should go his way, he gaue him wherewith to beare his charges. So that the thing which he thought he myghte of ryghte do to his owne countreymen, he iudged vnlawfull to do to straungers. And whom the lawe of God could not withhold frō the wicked murtheringe of his owne countreymen, him did the lawe of man bridle from killynge of straungers: the which hath euer appeased all barbarous beastlynesse, and mitigated al crueltye. For it is a poynte of humanitye for man & man to mete together & one to come to another though they be neuer so far separated & set a sūder both by sea & by land, [Page] without the which accesse there can be no entercourse of merchaundy se, there can be no conference of wittes, whyche fyrste of all engendered learninge, nor any commoditye of society long to continue. To repulse thē that come to vs, and to prohibite thē our countreyes, is a poynt of inhumanitie: Now, to entreat thē euil, that by our sufferance dwel amongest vs, and haue encrease of household & household stuffe, it is a poynt of wickednesse.
Wherefore this crueltye hathe farre surmounted the crueltie of all others, the whyche, to satisfye the vnsaciable greedinesse therof, drewe to execution, not only straungers broughte hither at our entreatance and sēding for, but euen the wythered and rotten carcases digged out of theyr [Page] graues: to thentente that thun measurable thurst which coulde not be quenched wyth sheading the bloude of theym that were alyue, myght at the least be satisfyed in burning of dead mennes bones. These (my brethren) these I say, are the iust causes which haue so sore prouoked the wrath of God against vs. Bicause that in doing extreame iniurie to the deade, we haue bene prone and readye: but in puttinge the same away, we haue bene slowe and slacke. For verelye I beleue (if I may haue libertye to say freely what I thynke) ye shal beare wt me (if I chauce to cast forth any thing vnaduisedlye in the heate and hasty discourse of my oration) that euen this place, in the whiche we haue so oftentimes assembled, beyng defyled wyth [Page] that newe kinde of wickednesse suche as man neuer heard of before, is a let & hinderaunce vnto vs, when we call for the helpe of god, by meanes wherof our praiers are not accepted, whych we make to appease the godhead, & to winne him to be fauorable to vs againe. The bloude of Abell shed by Cain, calleth & crieth frō yt earth yt sucked it vp: lykewise, thundeserued burninge of these bodyes, calleth vppon God almighty to punishe vs, and crieth that not onelye thautoures of so great a wickednesse, but also the ministers therof are vnpure, the places defiled in whiche these thinges wer perpetrated, thaire infected which we take into our bodyes, to thentent that by sundrye diseases and sickenesse we maye receyue punishement for so [Page] execrable wickednesse. Looke wel about ye (my dere brethren) and consider with youre selues the euelles that are past: and ye shal se howe they tooke their beginning at Bucers death, following one in anothers necke euē vnto this day. Fyrst and formost when we were euen in the chiefest of our mornīg, & scarcely yet recomforted of our sorow for his death, the sweatinge sickenesse lyghted vpon vs, the which passing swiftly through al Englād, and as it wer in hast dispatched an innumerable company of mē secondlye, thuntimelye death of our most noble kinge Edwarde the syxth, (whose life in vertue surmounted thopinion of al men and seemed worthy of immortality) happened contrary to mens expectacion in that age, in the vnlesse violence be vsed, fewe [Page] do dye. The conuersion of religion, or rather the euersion & turning therof into papistrie. The incursion & domination of straū gers, vnder whose yoke our neckes were almost subdued. The importunate crueltye of the byshoppes agaynst the Christians which executed that wickednes for making satisfaction wherof, we ar gathered together thys day. These are the thinges that ensued after his death: but after his burninge ensewed yet greuouser thinges. Namelye newe kinde of plagues, and contagious diseases, vnknowen to the very Phisitians, whereby either euery mans health was appayred, or els they were brought to theyr graues, or els very hardly recouered: blouddy battels with out victorye, whereof the profite [Page] redounded to the enemie, and to vs ye slaughter with great losse. The which thinges do euidentlye declare, that God is tourned from vs, and angrye with vs, and that he geueth no eare to our prayers, and that he is not moued wyth our cries & sighes, but that he loketh, that this our meting and assembly should be to this ende: that forasmuche as we haue violated theyr coarses, we should do thē ryght againe: so that the memoriall of these most holy men, may be commended to posteritie vnhurted and vndiffamed. Wherfore amende yet at length (my brethren) whiche hitherto by reason of the variablenesse and vnconstancye of the times, haue bene wauering and vnstedfast in your heartes: shewe your selues chearefull [Page] and forwarde in making satysfaction for thiniurye you haue done to the dead, whom wyth so greate wickednesse of late ye endomaged and defiled: not by sensinge thē with the parfumes of those odours and spices now worne out of vre & put to flight but with a true and vnfayned repentance of the hart and with praier: to thentent that the heauenly godhead, prouoked by our doinges to be our enemye, may by our humble submission be entreated to be fauorable & agreable to all our other requestes.
When Acworth had made an [...]nd of his Oration, M. Iames PilkingtonThe sermon of D. Iames Pilkingtō the Quenes reader of the diuinitye lecture, goynge vp into the pulpit, made a Sermon vpō ye .C.xi. Psalme, the beginning whereof is. Blessed is [Page] the man that feareth the lord. &c Where intending to proue that the remembraunce of the iust man shall not peryshe, and that Bucer is blessed, and that the vngodly shal freat at the syghte thereof, but yet that all their attemptes shall be to no purpose, to thentent this sayinge may be verified: I will curse your blessinges, and blesse your cursings, he tooke his beginninge of hys owne person, that albeit he wer both ready and willinge to take that matter in hand, partlye for the worthinesse of the matter it selfe, and inespecially for certain singular vertues, of those persons, for whom that congregation was called, yet notwithstandinge he sayde he was nothing meete to take that charge vpon hym.
[Page]For it were more reason that he whiche before had done Bucer wrong, should nowe make hym amendes for the displeasure.
As for his owne parte, he was so farre from workynge anye euell agaynste Bucer, eyther in worde or dede, that for their singular knowledge almoste in all kinde of learninge, he embraced both him and Phagius with all his heart. But yet he somewhat more fauoured Bucer, as with whom he had more familiarity and acquaintaunce. In consideracion wherof, although that it was scarce conueniente, that he at that time shoulde speake, yet notwithstandinge he was contented for frendeshippe and courtesye sake, not to [...]ayle them in this theyr businesse. Hauynge made this preface he entered into [Page] the pith of the matter, wherein he blamed greatlye that barbarous crueltye of the Courte of Rome, so fierslye extended against the dead. He sayd it was a more heinous matter thē was to be borne wyth, to haue shewed such extreame cruelnesse to them that were aliue, but for anye man to misbehaue him selfe in suche wise toward the deade, was suche a thinge as had not lightly bene heard of. Sauynge that he affirmed this custome of excommunicating and cursynge of dead folks, to haue come first from Rome. For Euagrius reporteth in his writinges, that Eutichius was of the same opinion, induced by thexample of Iosias, who slewe the priestes of Baall, and burnte vp the bones of theym that were deade, [Page] euen vpon thaltars. Whereas, before the time of Eutichius this kinde of punishement was wel nere vnknowen, neyther afterward vsurped of any man (that euer he hearde of) vntill a nyne hundred yeares after Christ.
In the latter times (the whyche how much the further they wer from that golden age of thapostels, so much the more they wer corrupted) this kinde of cruelnesse beganne to creepe further. For it is manifestlye knowen, that Stephen the sixth Pope of Rome, digged vp Formosus his last predecessour in that sea, and spoyling him of his Popes apparayle, buried him agayne in laye mannes apparayle (as they call it) hauinge first cutte of and throwen into Tyber, his twoo fyngers, with which (according [Page] to theyr accustomed maner) he was wonte to blesse and consecrate. The whyche his vnspeakable tyrannye vsed agaynste Formosus, within sixe yeares after, Sergius the third encresed also againste the same Formosus. For taking vp his deade bodye and setting it in a Popes chayre, he caused his heade to be smiten of, and his other thre fingers to be cut from his hande, and his body to be cast into the ryuer of Tiber, abrogating and disanulling all [...] decrees, whiche thing was neuer done by any man before yt day. The cause why so great cruelty was exercised (by the report of Nauclerꝰ) was this: bycause that Formosus had bene an aduersarye [...] Stephē & Sergius when they sued to be made bishoppes.
[Page]This kinde of crueltye vnheard of before, the Popes a while exercised one agaynst another.
But nowe, or euer they had sufficientlye felte the smart thereof thē selues, they had [...]ourned the same vpō our neckes. Wherfore it is to be wished, that seinge it began among them, it myght haue remayned still with thautours therof, and not haue bene spred ouer thence vnto vs. But such was the nature of all euell, that it quickly passeth into example, for others to do the like.
For about the yere of our Lord 1400. Iohn Wicklyfe was in lyke maner digged vp, & burnte into ashes, and throwen into a brooke that runneth by ye town where he was buryed. Of the which selfe same sauce tasted also William Tracye of Gloucester, [Page] a man a of worshipful house bicause he had writtē in his last will that he should be saued only by faith in Iesus Christe, and that there neded not the helpe of anye man thereto, whether he were in heauen or in earth, and therfore bequeathed no legacye to that purpose as all other men were accustomed to doe. This dede was done sithens we may remember aboute the .xxii. yeare of the raygne of Henry the .viii. the yeare of our Lorde. 1530.
Nowe seing they extended such crueltie to the deade, he sayde it was an easye matter to coniecture what they would do to the liuing. Wherof we had sufficiēt triall by the examples of oure owne men, these fewe yeares past. And if we woulde take the paynes to peruse thynges done [Page] somwhat lenger ago, we might fynde notable matters oute of our owne Chronicles. Howbeit, it was sufficiente for the manifest demonstration of that matter, to declare the beastlye butcherye of the Frenche kyng, executed vpon the Waldenses, at Cabryer, and the places nere thereabout, by his captaine Miner, about the yeare of our lorde 1545. than the whiche there was neuer thinge read of more cruellye done, no not euen of the barbarous Paganes. And yet for all that when diuers hadde shewed theyr vttermost cruelty: both agaynste these and manye others, they were so farre from theyr purpose in extinguishynge the lyght of the ghospell, whych they endeuored to suppresse, that it increased dayly more & more. [Page] The which thing Charles the .v (than whom all christendome had not a more prudent prince, nor the church of Christ almoste a sorer enemy) easely parceiued, and therfore when he had in his hand Luther dead, & Melācthō and Pomeran, wyth certayne other preachers of the Ghospell aliue, he not onelye determined not any thing extremely against theym, nor violated theyr graues, but also entreatinge theym gently sente them awaye, not so much as ones forbidding thē to publishe openly ye doctrine yt they professed. For it is the nature of Chrystes Church, that the more that Tyrauntes spurne against it, the more it encreaseth and flourysheth. A notable proofe assuredly, of the prouidence and pleasure of God in sowynge the [Page] the Ghospell, was that cōminge of the Bohemians vnto vs, to thentente to heare Wycklyfe, of whom we spake before, who at that time reade openlye at Oxforde: and also the going of our men to the sayde Bohemians, when persecution was raysed agaynst vs. But much more notable was it, that we had seene come to passe in these our daies: that the Spaniardes sent for in to this realme of purpose to suppresse the Ghospell, as soone as they were retourned home, replenyshed many partes of theyr Countreye, with the same truth of religion, to the whych before, they were vtter enemyes. By the whyche examples, it myghte euidently be perceyued, that the Princes of this world labour in vayne to ouerthrowe it, consideringe [Page] howe the mercye of God hath sowen it abrode, not onely in those countreyes yt we spake of, but also in Fraunce, Poole, Scotlande, and almoste all the rest of Europe. For it is sayde, that some partes of Italye, (althoughe it be vnder the Popes nose) yet do they of late enclyne to the knowledge of the heauē ly truth: Wherfore sufficient argument and profe myght be taken by the successe and encreasement thereof, to make vs beleue that this doctryne is sent vs frō heauen, vnlesse we will wilfully be blynded. And if there were anye that desired to be perswaded more at large in the matter, he myght aduisedly consider the viage that themperour and the Pope with bothe theyr powers togither, made ioyntly agaynst [Page] that was reported of their captayne zisca: who when he shold die, willed his body to be flaine, and of his skin to make a parch ment to couer the heades of a drom. For it shold come to passe, that when his ennemies hearde the sounde of it, they should not be able to stand against them.
The like counsell (he sayde) he hym selfe nowe gaue theym as concerning Bucer. That like as the Bohemians did with y• skin of zisca, the same should they do with the argumentes and doctrine of Bucer. For as soone as the Papistes shoulde heare the noyse of him, their gewgawes should forth with decay. For sauinge that they vsed violence to such as withstoode theym, theyr doctrine cōtayned nothing that myghte seeme to anye man (hauing [Page] but meane vnderstanding in holy scripture) to be groūded vpon anye reason. As for those thinges yt were done by them against such as could not play the madmē as well as they, some of them fauored of open force, and some of ridiculous foolishenes. For what was this firste of all? was it not friuolous? that by ye space of three yeares togyther, masse shoulde be songe in those places wher Bucer & Phagius rested in the lorde without anye offence at al? and assone as they tooke it to be an offence, streight waye to be an offence if anye were heard ther [...] or that it shold not be as good thē as it was before? as if y• then vpon y• sodaine it had bene a haynous matter to celebrate it in that place [Page] & that the faulte that was past, should be counted the gr [...]ouser bicause it was done of lenger time before. Morouer, this was a matter of none effect, that Bucer and Phagius only should be digged vp, as who should saye, that they alonly had embraced the religiō which they cal heresy It was wel knowen howe one of the Burgesses of the towne had bene minded toward ye popishe religiō. Who whē he shold dye,Fanne sometyme Maior of the towne. willed neither ringinge of Belles▪ Diriges, nor anye other suche kinde of trifles to be done for him in his anniuersarye as they terme it, but rather yt they should go with instrumentes of musyke before the Maior & coū sell of the Citye, to celebrate his memoriall, and also that yearely a sermon should be made to the [Page] people, bequeathinge a peece of monie to the preacher for his labour. Neither myght he omit in that place to speak of Ward the peinter, who albeit he wer a mā of no reputaciō, yet was he not to be dispised for the religiō sake which he diligently folowed.
Neither were diuers other mo to be passed ouer wt silence, who were knowen of a certaintye to haue continued in the same sect, & to rest in other churcheyardes in Cambridge, & rather through the whole realme, & yet defyled not their masses at al. Al y• whiche persons▪ (forasmuch as they were al of one opinion) ought al to haue ben takē vp, or els all to haue bene let lye with the same religiō: onles a man wold graūt y• it lieth in their power to make what they list lawfull & vnlaw- [Page] at theyr owne pleasure. In the condemnacion of Bucer and Phagius (to saye the truthe) they vsed to much crueltye and to muche violence. For howesoeuer it went with the doctryne of Bucer, certainlye they coulde fynde nothing wherof to accuse Phagius, in as muche as he wrate nothing yt came abroode sauing a fewe thinges that he had translated oute of the Hebrewe and Chaldye tounges, into Latyn. After his comming into the realme, he neuer read, he neuer disputed, he neuer preached, he neuer teached. For he deceased so sone after, yt he could in that time geue no occasiō for his aduersaries to take hold on, whereby to accuse him whom they neuer heard speak. In that they hated Bucer so deadly, for [Page] thallowable mariage of the clergye, it was their owne malyce conceyued agaynst him, & a very slaunder raised by thē selues. For he had for his defēce in that matter, (ouer and besides other helpes) the testimonie of Pope Pius the seconde, who in a certayne place saieth, yt vpō weighty consideratiōs priestes wiues were taken from theym, but for more weyghtye causes were to be restored againe. And also the statute of the Emperour, they call it the Interim, by the which it is enacted, that such of ye clergie as were maryed should not be diuorced from theyr wiues. Thus turning his stile frō this matter, to thuniuersitie, he reproued in fewe words their vnfaithfulnesse towards these mē. For if the lorde suffered not the [Page] bones of y• king of Edom, being a wicked mā, to be takē vp and brent wtout reuēgemēt (as saieth Amos)Amos ca. 2 let vs assure oure selues he will not suffer so notable a wronge done to his godly preachers, vnreuenged. Afterward whē he came to ye condemnaciō (which we told you in ye former actiō was pronoūced by Perne the Uicechancellor in the name of thē al) being somewhat more moued at the matter, he admonished them how much it stood thē in hand, to vse great circumspectnesse, what they decreed vpon any mā by their voyces in admitting or reiecting any man to the promotions & degrees of thuniuersity. For yt which should take his authoritie frō thē shold be a great preiudice to al thother multitude, which (for thopinion [Page] y• it had of their doctrine, iudgement, allowance, & knowledge) did thinke nothinge but well of them. For it wuld come to passe, that if they would bestow their promocions vpō none but meete persons, & let the vnmeete go as they come, both the cōmō welth should receiue much commodity & profite by them, & besides that they should highlye please God. But if they persisted to be negligēt in doing therof, they shold greuouslye endomage the common weal, and worthely worke theyr owne shame and reproch: ouer and besides that they shold greatlye offende the maiestye of God, whose commaundemente not to beare false witnesse, they should in so doynge breake and violate.
In the meane while that he [Page] was speaking these and many other things before his audiēce, many of thuniuersitye to set out and defend Bucer withal, beset the walles of the Churche and Churchporche on both sydes wt verses, some in Latin, some in Gra [...]ke, & some in Englyshe, in the whiche they m [...]de a manyfest declaration how they were minded both towarde Bucer & Phagius. Finally when his sermon was ended they made cō mon supplication and praiers. After thankes rendered to god for many other thinges, but inespecially for restoring of the true and sincere religion euery man departed his waye.