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889 [889]

K. Henry. 7. Maximilianus Emper. The greuaunces of the Germaynes.

sed ouer or forgotten:  

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This brief mention of Philip Norice is based either on Bale's mentionof Norrice in his Catalogus (p. 608) or Bale's note on Norice in Bodley library MS e Musaeo 86, fo. 63v.

as Philip Norice an Irishman, professour  
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John Bale, Foxe's source for his account of Norice, did not say that Norice was a professor or even that he taught at Oxford.

at Oxford, who albeit he was not burned, (yet as it is sayd) he was long tyme vexed and troubled by the religious route. But would to God, that suche as haue occupyed them selues in wryting of historyes, and haue so diligently committed vnto memorye all other thinges done in forrein common wealthes, had bestowed the lyke diligence and labour, in notyng and wryting those thinges, which pertayne vnto the affayres of the church: wherby the posteritie might haue had fuller and more perfecte vnderstanding and knowledge of them.

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Thys Sauonarola aboue mencioned, suffred vnder pope Alexander the 6. Of which pope, more leysure and oportunitie shall serue hereafter (Christ willing) to entreate, after that we shall first make a litle degression to entreate of certayne cases and complaintes of the Germaynes, incident in þe meane tyme: which as they are not to be ouer paste in silence, so can they haue no place nor tyme more conuenient to be inferred. What complayntes of the Germaines were made and moued vnto the Emperour Fridericke, agaynst the Popes suppressions & exactions, mencion was made before pag. 857. where also was declared, how the sayd Germaines at that tyme, were twyse put backe & forsaken of the Emperour: wherby they continued in the same yoke and bondage, vntill the time of Luther. MarginaliaThe cōplaintes of the Germains agaynst the popes greuaunces, renued.Wherfore it cōmeth now to hand, and we thinke it also good, here brieflye to declare, how the said Germaines, in the tyme of Maximilian the Emperour, renuing their cōplaintes agayn, deliuered vnto the Emperour, x. principall greuaūces, wherby the Germaines haue bene long time oppressed: shewing also the remedies agaynst the same, with certayne aduisementes vnto þe Emperours maiestie, how he myght withstand and resiste the popes subtilties and craftes: The order and tenour wherof here ensueth.  

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This list of grievances is translated from Matthias Flacius, Catalogustestium veritatis (Basel, 1562), pp. 321-22.

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¶ The x. greuaunces of the Germaines.

Marginalia1.
Ten greuances complayned of by the Germaines.
THat the byshops of Rome, successours one vnto an other, do not thinke them selues bounde to obserue and kepe the bulles, couenauntes, priuileges, & letters, graūted by their predecessours, without all derogatiō: but by often dispensation, suspension and reuocation, euen at þe instaunce of euery vyle person, they do gainsaye and withstand the same.

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Marginalia2.That þe electiō of prelates are oftentimes put backe.

Marginalia3.That the elections of Presidentships are withstand, which the chapterhouses of many churches haue obtained with great coste and expense, as þe church of Spyre and Hasell, doo well knowe: whose bulle, touchyng the election of their president, is made frustrate, he being yet aliue which graunted the same.

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Marginalia4.That benefices and the greatest ecclesiasticall dignities, are reserued for Cardinalls and head notaries.

Marginalia5.That expectatiue graces, called vowsons,  

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Advowson is the English term - inserted by Foxe - for an expective grace, a lien or claim upon a particular benefice

are graūted without number, & many oftentimes vnto one mā: Wherupon continuall contentions do ryse, and muche money is spent, both that which is laid out for þe bulles of those vowsons which neuer take effecte, and also that which is consumed in going to lawe. Wherupon this prouerbe is rysen, whosoeuer will gette a vowson from Rome, must haue 100. or 200. peeces of golde layde vp in hys chest, for þe obtayning of the same, which he shall haue neede of, to prosecute the lawe withall.

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Marginalia6.That Annates  

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First fruits are an English term for an annate, which is a tax of the entire first year's income upon the incoming holder of a benefice. But in England, first fruits were paid to the Crown, in Germany annates were paid to the Papacy.

or yearely reuenewes, are exacted without delay or mercy, euen of byshops lately dead, & oftentimes more extorted thē ought to be, through new offices and newe seruauntes, as by the example of the churches of Mentz and Strausburgh, may be seene.

Marginalia7.That the rule of the churches are geuen at Rome vnto those that are not worthy, which were more fitte to keepe and feede mules, then to haue the rule and gouernaunce of men.

Marginalia8.That new indulgences & pardons, with the suspension and reuocation of the olde, are graunted to gather and scrape money tegether.

Marginalia9.That tenthes are exacted vnder the pretence of making warre agaynst the Turke, when as no expedition doth followe therupon.

Marginalia10.That the causes which might be determined in Germanie, wheras there are both learned & iust iudges, are indistinctlye caryed vnto þe court of Rome: which thing Saint Bernard, wryting to pope Eugenius, semeth wonderfully to reproue.

¶ Here ensueth the remedye against the sayd greuaunces.

MarginaliaRemedye agaynst the foresayd greuaunces.IF it shall seeme good vnto the Emperours maiestie,  

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This list of remedies for the grievances is translated from Matthias Flacius, Catalogus testium veritatis (Basel, 1562), pp. 322-23.

let it be declared vnto the byshop of Rome, how greuous and intolerable a thing it is vnto the Germaines, to suffer continually so greate charge and greuaunces, to pay so great Annates for the confirmation of the Bishops and Archbyshops, and especiallye in such byshoprickes, wheras the Annates by successe of tyme, are enhaunced, and in many (as it is said) doubled. MarginaliaThe Archbyshops Palle of Mentz what it costeth.For þe Archbishops sea of Mentz  
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I.e., Mainz.

(as it is said) somtime payde onely x. M. floreines: which summe, when as one whiche was chosen there, refused to geue, and so continued euen vnto hys death, he which was afterward electe, being desirous of confirmation, fearing to withstand the Apostolique sea, offred þe olde summe of. x. M. floreines: But notwithstanding, he could not get hys confirmation, excepte he would pay the other x. thousand, which his predecessour before him, had not payd. By thys meanes he was compelled to paye. xx. M. floreines. Which being enrolled in the register of the chamber, hath bene exacted of euery Archbyshop since, vntill these our dayes: and not onely. xx. M. but also. xxv. M. for their new offices, and new seruauntes. At last þe summe drew to xxvij. M. floreines, which Iames the Archbishop of Mentz was compelled to pay, as hys commissarye dyd reporte. So by thys meanes, in a litle tyme, there was. vij. tymes xxv. thousand floreines, payde out of þe Archbishopricke of Mentz,  
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I.e., Mainz.

vnto Rome, for the confirmation of the Archbyshop. And when this Archbyshop Iames had kept the Archbyshopricke scarse iiij. yeares, the Lorde Vriel was electe after hym, who was compelled to pay at the least xxiiii. or. xxv. thousand floreines. MarginaliaThe popes palle derely bought.Wherof a part he borowed of Marchauntes: but to satisfie and pay them agayne, he was forced to exacte a subsidie vpon his poore subiectes and husband men, whereof some haue not yet satisfied and payde the tribute for the Byshops Palle: so that by this meanes, our people are not onely tormēted and brought to extreme pouertie, but also are moued vnto rebellion to seke their libertye by what meanes so euer they may, greuously murmuryng agaynst þe crueltie of the clergie.

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The Pope also should be admonished, how that, thorow diuers and sondry warres and battailes, the lādes of Germanie lie desolate and waste, and thorow many mortalities, the nomber of men is diminished, so that for the skarsenes of husbandmē, the fieldes, for the most part, lye vntilde, the toles are, by diuers meanes, diminished, the mynes consumed, and the profites dayly decay, wherby the Archbishops and Byshops should paye their annates vnto the Apostolicke sea: besides their other necessarie and honest charges: MarginaliaThe people polled for the popes Palle.in somuch that not without iuste cause, Iames the Archbishop of Mentz  

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I.e., Mainz.

beyng euen at the pointe of death, said that he did not so much sorowe for his owne death, as for that his poore subiectes, should be agayne forced, to pay a greuous exaction for the Palle. Wherfore let the hygh Byshop, as a godly father & louer of his children, and a faithfull and prudēt pastor, deale more fauourably with his childrē þe Germaines, least that persecutiō happen to rise against the priestes of Christ, and that men folowyng the exāple of the Bohemians, do swarue from the church of Rome.

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