of other liberal Artes, as also namely to þ^e searching out of old antiquities of hystories, wherby diuers were then by him first occasioned in Germanie, to set their minds & to exercise their diligence, in collectyng & explicating matters perteining to the knowledge of historie, as wel of auncient as also of latter times, as namely Cuspinianus, Nauclerus, Conradus Peutingerus, Manlius, & other.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaLearned men begin to grow in Christendome.Here now it began right well to appeare, what great benefite was broched to the world, by the Arte and facultie of Printyng, as is before mentioned.  

Throughe the meanes of whiche Printing, the Churche and common wealth of Christ began now to be replenished with learned men, as both may appeare by this Emperor beyng so indued hym selfe with suche excellent knowledge of good letters, and also by diuers other famous and worthy wyttes, whiche began nowe in this age excedyngly to encrease and multiply, as Baptista Mantuanus, Ang. Politianus, Hermolaus Barbarus, Picus Mirandula, and Franciscus his cousyn, Radol. Agricola, Pontanus, Philippus, Beroaldus, Marsilius Ficinus, Volateranus, Georgius Valla,   with infinite other.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaDoctour Veselus Groningensis.Among whom is also to be numbred Veselus Groningensis, otherwise named Basilius, who was not long after Iohn. de VVesalia aboue recited,  

both much about one time, and both great frendes together.   This Veselus dyed the yeare of our Lord. 1490. After that Ioannes Doctour De VVesalia aforesayd was condempned, this Veselus beyng familiar with hym, thought that the Inquisitour would come and examine him also, as he hym selfe in a certaine Epistle doth write. MarginaliaVeselus called Lux Mundi.He was so notable and so woorthy a man that of the people hee was called Lux mundi, that is: the lyght of the worlde.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaThe doctrine of Veselus Groningensis.Concernyng his doctrine, first he reprehended the opinion of the Papistes, as touchyng repentaunce, whiche they deuided in three partes, of the which. 3. partes, satisfaction and confessiō he did disalowe. Likewise Purgatory and supererogatiō of workes and pardones he did disproue, both at Rome and at Paris. He spake agaynst the Popes indulgences, by the occasion whereof diuers of the popes Court, perswaded by him, began to speake more frely agaynst the same matter, then hee hym selfe had done.

[Back to Top]

The abuses of Masses and praying for the dead hee dissalowed: and likewise the supremacie of the Pope he vtterly reiected (as appeareth in a booke of his De Sacramento penitentiæ) MarginaliaEx lib. D. Veseli, De Sacramēto pœnitētiæ.denyeng vtterly that any supreme head or gouernour ought to bee in the world ouer all other: MarginaliaThe popes supremacie written agaynst.affirmyng also and saying many tymes, that the Pope had no authoritie to do any thyng by cōmaundement but by truth: that is, so farre as truth goeth with him, so farre his sentence to stand: neither that he ought to preuaile by cōmaundyng, but onely by teachyng, so as euery true Christian Byshop may preuayle ouer an other. Also in some place in his wrytinges he denyeth not, but that Popes and their spirituall prelates, procedyng agaynst Christes doctrine, bee plaine Antichristes: such as were infirme and not able to performe the bond of chastitie taken vpon them, hee sayd they might well breake their vowe.

[Back to Top]

Also the sayd Veselus witnesseth, that the forefathers whiche were before Albert and Thomas, did resiste and withstand the Popes indulgences, callyng them in their writynges playne idolatrie, mere fraude and errour: addyng moreouer that vnlesse þ^e seueritie of some good diuines, had not withstande these pardones and indulgences of the Pope: innumerable errours had ouerflowen the Churche.

[Back to Top]

Amongest the workes of Veselus, there is a certeyne Epistle of one writen to hym, MarginaliaEx Epist. cuiusdam in opere Veseli.in whiche the author of þ^e Epistle confessed, that in his tyme there was a certaine learned man of Paris called maister Thomas de Curselis a Deane: who beyng in the Coūcell of Basill,whereas diuers began to aduaunce the power of the Pope to farre, declared and affirmed, to be said to him of Christ: MarginaliaChrists answer to Tho. de Corselis touching this place: Quicquid ligauertitis. Not what so euer is sayd to be loosed in earth, is loosed in heauen: but what soeuer is loosed in very deede in earth, that is also loosed in deede in heauenQuicquid ligaueris super terrā erit ligatum & in cœlo. &c. Et non, quicquid dixeris esse ligatum. That is, what soeuer thou shalt binde vpon earth, shall be bounde in heauen: but not, what soeuer thou sayest to bee bounde. As who shoulde saye the Pope can not nor doth not binde therfore, because he so saith, except truth & rightuousnes go also with him: then he doth so bynde in deede. There is a certaine booke of this man amongest diuers others, whiche he entituleth, De subditis & superioribus, MarginaliaLiber D. Woseti, de subditis et superioribus.in the whiche he disputeth greatly agaynst the pope & his Prelates: affirmyng that the Pope, vnles his fayth and doctrine be sound, ought not to be obeyde. He affirmeth also that the Pope may erre, and when he erreth, mē ought by all maner of meanes, to resiste him. MarginaliaAgaynst ryches in the church.Item, that great and superfluous riches in the clergy doo not profite, but hurt the Churche. That the Pope doth wickedly distribute the rentes of the churche, and þ^e churche it selfe, to vnworthy ministers, by Simonie for his own profite and gayne: whereby it may appeare that he neither careth for God, nor the health of the churche. MarginaliaThe preceptes of the pope, & prelates how they binde.Item, that the preceptes and commaundementes of the Pope and Prelates, be no otherwise, but as the Councels and preceptes of Phisitions, bindyng no further then they are found to be holsome and standyng with the truth of the worde. Item, that the Pope can cōmaunde no man vnder payne of deadly sinne, except God cōmaund him before. MarginaliaThe popes keys.Hee sayth that the keyes of the Pope and of the Prelates bee not such, where with they open the kyngdome of heauē, but rather shut it, as the Phariceys did. MarginaliaVowes.Concernyng vowes, he disputeth that such as be foolish and impossibile, ought to bee broken: MarginaliaDoctrine not to be receaued without examination.That the hearers ought to discerne and iudge of the doctrine of their prelates, and not to receiue euery thing that they say, without due examination.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaExcommunication.He sheweth moreouer that the sentēce or excommunication is of more force, procedyng from a trewe Godly honest, simple and learned man, then frō the Pope: as in the Councell of Constance, Bernard was more estemed then Eugenius. Also if the Pope with his Prelates, gouerne and rule naughtly, that the inferiours, be they neuer so base, ought to resiste him.

[Back to Top]

Writyng moreouer of two Popes, Pius the second and Sixtus the fourth, hee saith, that Pius the second did vsurpe vnto him selfe all the kyngdomes of the whole worlde, and that Sixtus the Pope did dispense with all maner of othes in causes temporal, not onely with such othes, as haue bene already, but also with all such as shal be made hereafter: whiche was nothyng els but to giue liberty and licence for men to forsweare them selues and to deceiue one an other.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaEx Nouiomago.This VVeselus beyng a Phrisian borne and nowe aged in yeares, vpon a certaine time, when a young man called maister Ioannes Ostendorpius, came to hym, sayd these wordes: MarginaliaA prophecy of Weselus
This Ostendorpius was a man well lerned and Canon of the mynster of Lubeck.Well my child, thou shalt liue to that day, when thou shalt see the doctrine of these new and cōtentious diuines as Thomas & Bonauenture, with others of the same sorte, shall be vtterly reiected and exploded from all true Christen diuines. And thys whiche Ostendorpius then being younge, heard VVeselus to speake, hee reported hym selfe to Nouiomagus whiche wrote this storye. an. 1520. and heard it of the mouth of the sayd VVeselus. an. 1490. Martij. 18.

[Back to Top]

Phillippus Melanchton writyng of the life of Rodolphus Agricola, sayth: MarginaliaHere it appereth that thys R. Agricola was of a good iudgement, though the Friers afterward buryed hym in a Friers weede.that Iosquinus Groningensis, an auncient and a godly man, reported that whē as he was young, he was oftentimes present at the sermons of Rodolphus and VVeselus, wherin they many times lamented the darkenes of the church, and reprehēded the abuses of the Masse, and of the single lyfe of priestes. Item, when they disputed oftentymes of the rightuousnesse of

[Back to Top]