MarginaliaAn. 1557. Ianuary.conficit, & affectos sæpe priùs extinguit, quàm ægrotare se fateātur. Euismodi morbo Academia laborabat, quæ ad alias fortasse res satis ingeniosa & solers, in hac Religionis causa, propter caput Eccclesiæ læsū, vnde omnis sētiēdi vis est, omnino hebes, stupida, & sine mēte fuit, quoad tertio ante hūc anno diuina sanctissimi patris Iulij Clemētia Angliæ ferè emortuæ miserata, iterum nos Ecclesiæ inserit, corpus sensusq; recreat, cuius ope conualescens Britannia, quàm certa gehennæ pericula effugerit, quiuis facile intelligit. Idem Acaemia cernit acutius, nequè quicquám mali vspiam accidisse putat, quo nostra Regio in hac religionis vastitate & schismate miserius fuerit afflicta. Non est opus recensere in hoc loco euersa Monasteria, spoliata Templa, strages sacerdotū, cædes nobilium, motus & tumultus populi, totius Regni egestatem, quæ & si aliunde accidere possunt, tamen cum tam grauia sint vt opprimant, vltionis & vindictæ potius quam probandi causa in malos & nocentes infligi putamus. Sed sunt ista fortunæ ludibria, grauiora sumus passi religionis & conscientiæ detrimenta: pietas in Deum omnis euanuerat, virginalis sacerdotum professio ad libidinem soluta est, animus quasi cōsopitus iacebat, quem nullæ Ceremoniæ excitabāt, ipsa mens opinionum varietate ita distracta, ita sibi ipsi dissentiens, vt infinitis erroribus implicaretur. In his erant duo præcipue fontes, ex quorum riuulis & hausisse Academiam paulo liberalius, & illa portione ferme inebriatam confitemur.

Prior ortū habebat ex illa nostri violenta diuulsione, a Catholicæ Ecclesiæ vnitate, re nō dissimili illius pugnæ, quā olim Menenius Agrippa in intestina ciuium discordia, de corpore humano memorabat. Posterior ex immensa palude & cœno Wicleuiano emanauit: quem celebris apud nos imo miserabilis de Sacramento altaris patefecit. De cuius rei veritate pleriq; suo sensu abūdantes, pro arbitrio quisq; suo statuerat. Nos Philosophos, nec illos quidem optimos, imitati ex Epicureorum schola ad scripturæ lumen aliquid attulimus, quòd enim Christus omnino, præcise, & sine exceptione, de vera & perpetua sui corporis præsentia affirmarat (in cuius verbi veritate fundamentum fidei nostræ collocatur) id nos ita sumus interpretati, vt mancam & alienam Christi vocem iudicaremus, nisi illa Epicuri propria particula (quasi) adderetur, & quod Christiani corpus & sanguinem, id nos quasi corpus & sanguinem diceremus. Sed non est istius temporis præterita nimium meminisse, quæ vtinam æterna obliuione obrui possent, neq; vlla tantæ labis memoria ad posteros nostros propagetur, tamen fuerunt attingenda generatim quidem, quòd erranti confessio salutaris sit, membratim verò, quod Academia his vulneribus a Censoria potestate confecta, a Censoria medicina ad salutem reduci postulat. Ipsa vero pro se & suis spondet omnes in authoritate vestra futuros, quos assiduis concionibus adeo ad pœnitentiam edocuit, vt et eos ad sanam religionem fidissime transijsse, & in eadem diligenti præsentis vitæ vsu superioris ætatis damna sarcituros putetis. Nam qui primi in hoc cursu sunt acerrime contendunt in eo, quod tam voluntarie susceperunt & qui pigrius egressi, quasi pomeridianis horis ad hoc certamen accesserunt, ea certè præbentiam immutatæ voluntatis indicia, vt quomodo temerè & iuueniliter a sana religione defecerunt, ita non nisi maturi & cum iudicio ab hæresi desciuisse videantur. Vniuersis vero simul restituta & desiderata religio magis placere videtur, quia si assiduè percepta, neque ad tempus obscurata fuisset.

Quapropter Academia supplex & postrata primùm a Deo immortali pacem & veniam petit precaturq; ab eo, vt hodiernum diem ad suorum salutem cōseruandam, & rempublicam hanc constituendem illuxisse patiatur. Deinde pro se, pro suis, pro vniuersis, pro singulis, hanc petitionem ad celsitudines vestras affert, vt superiorum temporum offensas ex errore & iustitia profectas præsenti hominum industriæ condonetis. De reliquis vero pro summa prudentia vestra, & singulari in nos amore eam sententiam feratis, vt suorum causas vel iustitia vestra bonas inueniat, vel clementia bonas esse faciat. In vtroq; par erit beneficium, siue Academiam pro causarum æquitate iudicaueritis, siue pro amoris vestri abundantia innocentem eam esse volueritis. Nos pro referenda gratia, summam in sacris modestiam, assiduam in literis operam, perpetuum veræ religionis amorem, sempiternam vestri beneficij memoriam repromittimus.

MarginaliaThe aunswere of M. Scot Byshop of Chester, to the Oration of Iohn Stokes.When he had made an end of speaking, the Bishop of Chester  

Commentary     Close

In the 1563 edition, Foxe, following Golding, refers to the bishop of Chester as the bishop of 'West Chester'. (This is because the bishop of the older see of Chichester had traditionally been referred to as the bishop of Chester). In the 1570 edition, Foxe changed 'West Chester' to Chester.

As concernyng theyr good willes, there was no cause to mistrust. For theyr comming thether was not to deale any thing roughly with such as fell to the amendement: but both the Cardinal himselfe, and they also, were fully minded to shew fauour, deuising how to bring al things to peace and tranquility, desyring nothing more earnestly,then that they which haue erred and gone astray, should returne into the right path agayne. The right reuerend father the lord Cardinal (whom hee wished to haue bene present) wished the selfe same thing also, desyring nothing somuch as he with his owne handes to susteyne and hold vp now ready to fall, or rather to rayse vp already fallen to the ground, the vniuersity his ward: for he gladly taketh vppon hym the name and duety of her Gardein, whom it greatly greued that the infections of the tymes past had spread abroade so greuous diseases, that euen the vniuersity it selfe was touched with the contagious ayre therof. For he would gladlier haue come thither to visite & salute it, then to correct it, if the weighty affayres of the realme would haue permitted it. MarginaliaThe Commission assigned by the Cardinall, and why.But now seing he could not so do, he had appoynted thys Commission, in the which he had assigned them to be hys deputyes, which (for because they knew hym to set much store by the vniuersity) should extend the more fauor to it, and (for because they thēselues had bene there brought vp) would the more earnestly embrace it. MarginaliaThe causes declared.The chiefe matter that they came for, tended to thys ende, that such as had erred should confesse theyr faultes, and returne into the right way agayne. For they were in good forwardnes of healing, that acknowledged themselues to haue offended. And therfore it was wisely propounded on his part that he would not altogether excuse the faultes of the vniuersity, nor of other men, but confesse and acknowledge the crime, as that there were many thinges had nede to be corrected and amended.

The cause why they were sent thither was to rayse vp them that were fallen, & to receyue into fauour such as were sory and would amend, wherin if (contrary to theyr expectation) they should not be able to do so much with some men as they would: yet notwithstanding according to theyr duety, they would shew themselues so diligent for theyr part, as that no lacke might be found in them. For it was more openly knowne than that it could be denyed, that many men dyd diuers thinges of a froward wilfulnes and toke stoutly vpon them, wherwith as they were greatly moued and agreued (as reason was) so they coueted to remedy the mischief. Agaynst whom, if any thing should seme hereafter to be straitly determined, it was to be imputed to theyr own deserts, and not to the willes of them. Neyther ought such as are whole and sounde to bee moued at the chastisment of others, forasmuch as it pertayned not only to the wyping out of þ^e foule blot, which now sticked in the vniuersity, but also to þ^e helth of many others which had taken much hurt by the infection of them. MarginaliaMercy more commended of all mē, but rigor most commonly in actes of most men expressed.For theyr own partes, they more enclined vnto mercy then to rigor. Howbeit cōsidering that so great diseases could not by gentle medicines be healed, they were driuen of necessity to vse stronger. And yet if they would be contented to be brought agayne to theyr right mindes, which thing they chiefely coueted (for they wished þ^t all should amend & be led by wholsome coūsell) & would yet at lēgth waxe wery of theyr errors, and in stede of them frequent agayne the auncient customes of themselues, and of theyr forefathers, they myght boldly loke for all kind of humanitie and gentlenes at theyr handes, in all this theyr busines of reformation, which they had now entred and begon, requesting no more of the vniuersity but to do as became them: which being perfourmed, he promised that theyr beneuolence, neyther in any publike nor in any priuate persons case should in any wyse be behynd hand.

MarginaliaA Masse at þ^e kinges Colledge.These thinges being finished, they were brought processionaliter to þ^e kings colledge, by all the Graduates of þ^e Vniuersity, wheras was song a Masse of the holy ghost with great solemnity, nothing wanting in that behalfe that might make to the setting forth of the same. In this place it was marked that Nicholas Ormanet, MarginaliaOrmanet Datary.commonly surnamed Datary (who albeit he were inferior in estate vnto Chester beyng a Byshop, yet was superior to them all in authoritie) while the Masse was a celebrating, eft standing, eft sitting, and sometyme kneling on his knees, obserued certayne Ceremonyes, which afterwarde were required of all o-