and pillage waxed rich and became great captaines.

MarginaliaEx scripto Godfri. de Fontanis.About the same tyme happened in Fraunce a certaine contention betwene the Frenche prelates, and the friars of Paris, testified and recorded by Godfridus de Fontanis, the briefe effect of which story is this.  

The prelates of Fraunce conuenting and assembling together in the Citie of Paris, after a long deliberation among themselues: MarginaliaA contention in France betwen the prelates and the friers there.caused by the Bedels to be called together all the Studentes, maisters and Bachalers of euery facultie, with the chief heades also of all the religious houses and friers in the vniuersitie of Paris. Who beyng all there congregated together in the bishop of Parys his house, where were present. iiij. Archbishops, and. xx. bishops: MarginaliaA Sermon of the bissh of Byters to the students of Parys against the fryers.first stoode vp the bishop of Biturecense, who there making his Sermon, tooke for his theame þ^e place of S. Paule to the Ephesians. Fratres vt sciatis quæ sit longitudo, latitudo, altitudo, et profunditas charitatis, &c. and concluded therupon, first that true charitie woulde compell them to see & prouide for their flockes. Secondly, that the vigore of charitie would arme thē, to withstand errours. Thirdly he concluded, that by the dutie of charitie, they were bounde to geue their liues for the soules of their flocke cōmitted to their charge. Fourthly, that by the same charitie euery man to holde himselfe cōtent with that which was his own, and not to intermedle or busie himselfe further then to him apperteined or belonged to his office: For there (sayth he) all order ecclesiasticall is dissolued, where as mē not contayning thēselues in their own precinctes, presume in other mens charges, where they haue nothing to doe. But his charitie (sayth he) now a dayes waxeth cold, and all ecclesiastical order is confounded and vtterly out of order. For many ther be which nowe adayes presume to thrust in themselues where they haue nothing to do, so that now the churche may seeme to be a monster. For as in a naturall bodye appeareth a monster, where one member doth the office of an other: so in the spirituall body which is the church, may be thought likewise. As when our learned and prudent brethren, to wit, the friars Maiors and Minors, MarginaliaThat is, the Dominik friars and the Franciscane friars.do take vpon them to vsurpe and occupye the office to vs specially appertaining: namely, where as the scripture warneth vs all, none to take vpon him any office, except he be called thereunto of the lord, as Aaron was. Wherfore we haue heretofore often times caused the sayd friars, both by the king himselfe in his own person, and also by other nobles to be spoken to & desired: to surcease from doing and intermedling in our office, and yet they wold not, but haue preached against our wyls through all our diocesses, and haue heard cōfessions, saying that they haue the popes priuilegies to beare them out therin. For the which cause we com to you, and not we here present onely, but also we haue the hādwriting and the full consent of all other our fellow bishops throughout the kingdome of Fraunce, to complaine to you of thys so great insolencie and presumption of the Friars. For that as we are, you shall be. Neither doo I thynke to be any of vs prelates here now, which hath not some tyme bene taken out of this vniuersitie of yours. We haue desired moreouer, and caused to be desired the foresayde friars, to send their priuileges to the Apostolicke see, to be interpreted and expounded more plainly by the Lord pope: which they refused also to do. Wherfore, to the entent you may the better vnderstand and see what theyr priuilegies be, and how farre they doo extende: we haue apointed the sayd priuilege here openlye to be redde vnto you.

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MarginaliaThe constitution of pope Innocent 4. Omnis vtriusque sexus.Then stoode vp an other in þ^e publike place, & there red the priuilegies of both the orders: and afterward red also the constitution of pope Innocent the. iiij. wrytten in the. v. of the decretals, and beginneth: Omnis vtriusque sexus. &c. Which constitution was repugnant and contrary to the foresaid priuileges, as he there manifestlyeproued: declaring, how both the said priuileges were derogatorie to that constitution.

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MarginaliaThe friars priuilegies proued contrary to the popes constitution. The bishop Ambianensis.This done, then rose vp the Bishop Ambianensis, a great Lawyer: who discoursing from article to article there proued by good law, þ^t the sayd constitution stoode in hys full force and vigore, and ought not to be infringed by the Friars priuileges in no parte. And therfore by the vertue of that constitution, that the friers ought not so misorderly to intrude themselues in hearing confessions, in inioyning of penaunce, MarginaliaFriars ought not to preach in churches without speciall licēce of thē to whom the churche belongeth.and in preaching in churches and diocesses without speciall licence of the bishop of the dioces, and curate of the paryshe: vnto whose wordes, neuer a fryer at that tyme replyed agayn. And so the bishop proceding to his conclusion, desired the vniuersitie to assiste them in that case, wherin they were all determined (sayth he) to stand firmely to the shedding of their bloud, in resisting that misorder and iniurie of the fryers. This happened the vi. day of December whiche they dedicate to S. Nicholas. MarginaliaThe Friars reply against the prelates.The next day being Sonday, one of the order of the Minorites or Franciscans, went to the church of the Maiorites or preaching friers: where he made a sermon (which was neuer seene before, the one order to come and resorte with the other) beginning in the foresayd matter to replye, and to expound in order through euery article as well as he could: adding moreouer and saying, that they went not so far in their priuileges, as thei lawfully might. And sayd moreouer, þ^t what tyme the sayd priuileges were in obtayning at Rome: the bishop Ambianensis was there present hymselfe, resisting the same with all his power, yea all þ^e prelates also of Fraunce sent and wrote vp to the court agaynst the same, and yet did not preuaile. For when the friers there presently declared and opened to the pope in what maner & how far they had vsed priuilegies: þ^e pope the same time saide, Placet: That is, agreed vnto þ^e same. And now (sayth he) the prelates require and demaund of vs to send vp our priuilegies to the court, whiche were great folly in vs: For in so doyng, what shuld we els but geue place and occasion, to reuoke agayne the autoritie whiche is geuen in our handes all ready. Farthermore, our Warden and maister is now lately dead, and the maister here of the Dominicke friers, is not now presēt. Wherefore, we dare not determine in such a weghtye cause (touching the priuilegies of oure order) without the presence of them. And therfore we desire you of the vniuersitie to hold vs therin excused, and not to be so lightly stirred agaynst vs, for we are not the worst and vilest part of the vniuersitie. &c.

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The next day beyng the viij. day of the same month, which is also dedicate to the cōception of our Lady, vpō whiche day it was determined lykewise: that one of the Dominicke friers, should preache in the churche of the Franciscane or gray friers, and so he did: tending to the same end, as the other friar in the other church had done before. Wherby it may seme the prouerbe well aunswered vnto, wherof we reade in the Gospell: MarginaliaHerode and Pilate were made frendes crucifieng of Christfacte sunt amici Herodes & Pilatus in ipsa die.

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It was not long after, that the feaste of S. Thomas the Apostle folowed, in whose Vigile all the heades of the vniuersitie agayne, were warned the third day after to congregate together in the churche of S. Bernard at the sermon tyme. MarginaliaAn other sermon against the friars.Which beyng done, and the assembley metyng together, an other sermon was made by a diuine of the vniuersitie, whose theame was: Prope est Dominus oībus inuocantibus eum in veritate, &c. Wherin he with many wordes and great autorities argued agaynst thē, that would not be obedient to their prelates. &c. The sermon beyng ended, MarginaliaBishop Ambianensisthen rose vp agayne the byshop Ambianensis, who prosecutyng the reste of the theame, MarginaliaIn vertitate &c.and commyng to the word in veritate: diuided it in iij. partes, accordyng to the commō glose of the decretals.

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