MarginaliaThe reformation of þ^e Churche necessarie.In these so blinde & miserable corrupt dayes of darkenes and ignoraunce, thou seest, good reader (I doubt not) how necessarie it was, & hyhg tyme, that reformation of þ^e Church should come, which now most happely and graciously began to woorke, throughe the mercyfull and no lesse nedefull prouidence of almyghtie God. Who, although hee suffered his Churche to wander and starte a side through the seduction of pride and prosperitie a long tyme, yet at length it pleased his goodnes to respect hys people, and to reduce his Churche into the pristine foundation and frame agayne, from whence it was pitiouslye before decayed. Wherof I haue now consequently to entreate, intending, by the grace of Christ, to declare howe and by what meanes, first this reformation of þ^e Church began, and how it procededed, increasing by litle and litle into this perfection, whiche now we see, and more, I trust, shall see.

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MarginaliaThe first beginning of reformation, how & by what meanes.And herein wee haue first to beholde the admirable worke of Gods wisedome. For as the first decay and ruine of the Churche, before began of rude ignoraunce, and lacke of knowledge in teachers: so to restore the Church agayne by doctrine and learning, it pleased God to open to man, the arte of Printyng, the tyme whereof was shortely after the burnyng of Hus and Hierome. Printyng beyng opened, incontinent ministred to the Church, the instrumentes and tooles of learnyng and knowledge, whiche were good bookes and authors, whiche before lay hyd and vnknowen. MarginaliaPrintyng the fountaine of reformation.The science of Printyng beyng found, immediatly folowed the grace of God, whiche styrred vp good wittes, aptely to conceaue the light of knowledge and of iudgemēt: by which light, darkenes began to be espyed, and ignoraunce to be detected, truth from errour, religion from superstition to bee discerned, MarginaliaVid. supr. pag. 837.as is aboue more largely discoursed, where was touched the inuention of Printyng, pag. 837. Furthermore, after these wyttes styrred vp of God, folowed other moe, increasyng dayly more and more in science, in tongues, and perfection of knowledge: who now were able, not onely to discerne in matters of iudgement, but also were so armed and furnished with the helpe of good letters, that they did encounter also with the aduersarye, susteynyng the cause and defense of learnyng agaynst barbaritie: of veritie, agaynst errour: of true religion, agaynst superstition. In number of whom, amongest many other here vnnamed, were Picus & Franciscus Mirandula,  

Laur. Valla. Franc. Perarcha. Doct. VVesalianus, Reuclinus, Grocinus, Coletus, Rhenamus,   Erasmus. &c. And here began þ^e first pushe & assault to be geuen against þ^e ignorante & barbarous faction of þ^e Popes pretensed Church. Who after that, by their learned writynges & laborious trauaile, they had opened a wyndow of light vnto the world, and had made (as it were) a way more ready for other to come after: Immediatly, accordyng to Gods gratious appointement, folowed Martin Luther, with other after him, by whose ministerie it pleased the Lord to worke a more full reformation of his Church, as by their actes and procedinges here after shal folow (Christ willyng) more amply to be declared.

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And now, commyng to the tyme and story of Martin Luther, whom the Lord did ordeyne and appoynte to be the principall organe and minister vnder hym, to reforme Religion & to subuert the Sea of the pope, first before wee enter into the tractation hereof, it shall not bee impertinent to the purpose, to inferre such prophecies and forewarnynges, as were sent before of God, by diuers and sondry good men, long before the tyme of Luther, whiche foretolde and prophecyed of this reformation of the Churche to come.

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MarginaliaThe prophecie of Ioh. Hus, touching the reformation of þ^e church.And first, to begyn  

with the prophecie of Iohn Hus, and Hierome, it is both notable, and also before mentioned, what the sayd Iohn Hus at the tyme of his burning, prophecied vnto hys enemies, saying: that after an hundreth yeares come and gone, they shoulde geue a counte to God and to hym, &c.

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¶ Where is to bee noted, that countyng from the yeare. 1415. (in the which yeare Iohn Hus was burned) or from the yeare. 1416. (when Hierome did suffer) vnto the yeare. 1516. (when Martin Luther began first to write) wee shall finde the iust number of an hundreth yeares expired.

MarginaliaAn other prophecie of Iohn Hus touching the reformatiõ of the church.Likewyse, to thys may be adioyned the propheticall vision or dreame, which chaunced to þ^e said Iohn Hus lying in the dungeon of the fryers in Constance, a litle before he was burned. His dreame, as he him selfe reporteth it in his epistles wryting to maister Iohn Chlum, & as I haue also before recorded þ^e same, pag. 747: so wil I now repete þ^e same agayne in like effect of words, as he wrote it him self in latine: the effect of which Latine is thys.

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MarginaliaVid. supr. pag. 741.I praye you expounde to me the dreame whiche I had this night. I saw that in my Churche at Bethleem (wherof I was parson) they desired and labored to abolishe all the Images of Christ, and did abolishe them. I the next day folowyng, rose vp and saw many other painters, which painted both the same & many more Images and more fayrer, whiche I was glad to behold: wherupon the painters with the great multitude of people said: Now let the Bishops & priestes come, & put vs out these Images if they can. Whiche thing done, much people reioysed in Bethlehem, and I with them: and rising vp, I felt my selfe to laughe.

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This dreame maister Iohn of Chlum first expounded. Thē he in þ^e next epistle after, MarginaliaEx epist. 45. Ioh. Hus.expoūded it him self to thys effect. Stante mandato dei. &c. That is: the Cõmaundemēt of God standing, that we must obserue no dreames, yet notwithstãding I trust, that the life of Christ was painted in Bethlehem by me, through his worde, in the hartes of mē, the which preachyng, they went about in Bethlehem to destroy, first in cõmaunding that no preachyng should be, neither in the Church of Bethlehem, nor in the chappelles there by: secondly, that the Churche of Bethlehem should be throwen downe to the groūd. The same life of Christ shalbe paynted vp agayne, by mo preachers much better then I, and after a much more better sorte, so that a great number of people shall reioyce thereat, all such as loue the life of Christ: and also I shall reioyce my selfe, at what time I shall awake, that is, whē I shall ryse agayne frõ the dead.

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MarginaliaAn other prophecie by Iohn Hus.Also in his 48. Epistle, he semeth to haue a lyke propheticall meanyng, where he sayth: That he trusted, that those things which he spake then within the house, should afterward be preached, aboue the house toppe. &c.

And because we are here in hand with the prophesies of Iohn Hus, it is not to be omitted, what he writeth in a certeine treatise, De sacerdotum & monachorum carnalium abominatione, MarginaliaVid. supra. pag. 747.thus prophecying of the reformation of the Church: MarginaliaAn other prophecie by Iohn Hus.
Ioh. Hus. De Sacerd. & monachorum Carnasium abominatione. cap. 37.The church, he sayth, can not bee reduced to his former dignitie and reformed, before all thinges first be made new (the truth wherof appeareth by the temple of Salomon) as well the clergie and priestes: as also the people and laitie. Or els, except all such as now be addicted to auarice frõ the least to the most, be first conuerted & renewed, as well the people, as the clerkes and priestes, thinges can not be reformed. Albeit, as my minde now geueth me, I beleue rather the first: that is, that then shall rise a new people, formed after the newe man, which is created after God. Of the which people, newe clerkes and Priestes shall come forth and bee taken, which all shall hate couetousnes, and glorye of this life, laboryng to an heauenly conuersation. Notwithstandyng all these thinges shall be done and wrought in continuance and order of tyme dispensed of God for the same purpose. And this God doth and will do of his owne goodnes and mercy, and for the riches of his pacience and sufferaunce, geuyng time and space of repentaunce to them that haue long layne in their sinnes, to amende and flye from the face of the Lordes fury, vntill at lēgth all shall suffre together, & vntill both the carnall people & priestes, & clerkes in proces & order of tyme, shall fall away & be consumed, as is cloth consumed and eated of the moth. &c.

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MarginaliaA prophecie of reformation by Hierom. Pragensis.
Vid. supr. pag. 753.With this prophecie of Iohn Hus aboue mentioned, speakyng of the hundreth yeres, accordeth also þ^e testimonie of Hierome his felow Martyr, in these wordes: And I cite you all (sayd he) to aunswere before the most hye and iust iudge, after an hundreth yeares.  

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