euer men they were, before them, which (albeit beyng more auncient in yeares) comme after them into the order: & commaundeth them to be their superiors, and to haue the preheminence. Which beyng so (as it is) true and certayne: how commeth then this iniurious and rashe presumption, which dare repeale and disanull, the old priuilegies of many auncient holy Bishops, in tyme and reuerence, goyng before them.

MarginaliaThe pope accused for mayntayning of vsury.8. Moreouer, and though many Popes haue bene greuous to the Church, yet this Pope most specially hath brought it most into seruitude, & manifold wayes hath damnified the same. For these Caursini, these open vsurars, whom our holy forefathers and doctors (whome we haue sene) and namely our learned maister in Fraunce preacher: also the Abbot of Flay a Cistercian: maister Iacobus de veteri: and maister Steph. Archbishop of Cant. in the tyme of hys banishment: And also maister Rob. Curcun, with hys preachyng, banished oute of Fraunce (for before that tyme these kynde of vsurers were neuer knowen in England) the same Caursini, these wicked vsurers (I say) were by this Pope induced, supported, and maintayned: so that if any do speake agaynst them, he is miserably tossed and troūsed for his labour, wherof partly Roger bishop of London hath some experience.

MarginaliaAgainst vsurers.9. The world doth know, that vsury is counted a detestable thiyng in both the Testamentes, and is forbidden of God. But now, the Popes vsurers or exchangers (the very Iewes crying out agaynst them) be openly suffered in London to exercise their vsurie, to the great damage and detriment of all ecclesiasticall persōs (but especially houses of religion) compelling such as be in pouerty, to counterfet, and to put to their seales vnto forged writinges: which is no lesse then to commit idolatry, and to abrenounce the veritie which is God him selfe. MarginaliaThe crafty practise of vsurers.As for example, I borow a C. markes for a yeare, in steade of a C. poundes. I am compelled to make my writing, and to seale the same, cōfessing that I haue receaued in borow an C. pounds to be repayed agayne at the yeares end to such a man, &c. And if it shall chaunce that your occupying be such, that within a moneth you bring agayne the principall to the Popes vsurer, he will receaue no lesse notwithstanding, then his full hundreth poundes: MarginaliaThe Popes vsurers worse then the Ieweswhich cōdition of vsury is much worse, then that of the Iewes. For to the Iewe what principall you bring, he will require no more then proportionally, for the commensuration of so much tyme, wherein his money hath bene out of his handes.

MarginaliaCraftie subtiltie of the pope to get money.10. Moreouer, we haue sene & knowen the pope to haue geuen in charge and commaundement to the fryers preachers, and minorites: to enquire diligently for such as lye sicke and lyke to dye, and so comming to them diligently to persuade them, to make their wils and Testamentes fauorably to the profite and subsidie of the holy land, and to take the crosse vpon them, that if they do amende, they may wryng them in the law. And if they die, they may wrast the money from their executors.

MarginaliaMen signed to the holy lād, solde for money like sheepe by the Pope. Remissiō of sins sold for money.11. We haue knowen likewise and sene men that haue takē the vow and signe of the crosse vpon them, to be solde to lay men, as sheepe and oxen were wont in tyme past, to be sold in the temple.

We haue seene wyth our eyes, the Popes letter in which we haue founde thys to be writen: that they which bequeth any thyng to the behoofe of subsidie of the holy land, shall receaue so much indulgence, as they haue disbursed money.

MarginaliaThe Pope accused to be iniurious to Churches in his prouisions and reseruations.12. Ouer and beside all this, the Pope in diuers and sondry his letters, hath wylled and commaunded Prelates to receaue into ecclesiasticall benefices, and to prouide some such lyuing in their churches (as shall be sufficient to such and such a straunger, (beyng both absent, and also vnworthy) which haue neyther learning, not yet the language of the countrey: wherby they are neyther able to preach, nor to heare confessions, nor to keepe residence for to refreshe the poore and wayfarers.

MarginaliaThe Pope accused to be iniurious to Abbot of S. Albons.13. Item, we know and haue seene our selues, that the Pope hath written to the Abbat of S. Albane, to prouide for one called Ihon de Camezana, whom he neuer sawe, in some competent benefice. Wherupon in fewe dayes after, when prouision was made for hym in a certayne Church, worth xl. markes by the yeare, and more: the partie beyng not therewith contented complayned to the Pope. Who then writyng to the foresayd Abbot, commaunded hym to prouide for the foresayde mayster Ihon in some better thyng, reseruing notwithstandyng the gyft of the former benefice, to himselfe.

MarginaliaThe pope accused for violent extortion.14. Againe not long after, came also to the house of þ^e foresayde Abbot, ij. other persons like begging vagabondes,bringing with them the Popes letters: in the tenour wherof the Abbot was commaunded, that incontinent vpon the sight therof, he should geue and disburse to the sayd persōs for the expedition and dispatch of hys affayres x. markes in hand, without any delay or sticking: The which persons vttering to the Abbot proud and threatning wordes, he was fayne to agree with them and send them away.

MarginaliaThe pope accused for rroubbing & corruptyng learned men of the spiritualtie wyth his temporal affayres.15. Item, of men which are both holy and well learned, which haue left the world for the following of God in such order, as they ought not to turne backe agayne, the Pope of them maketh hys Tolners and bankers to get in hys money: The which charge they are compelled against their willes to take vpon them, least they should seeme to be disobedient: and so of spirituall men, are made more secular then the most secular. And so, the basenes of their chimmers and scapillers which they weare, doth proue them to be lyers: whilest vnder the habite of pouertie and humiliation, lurketh the spirite of pride and elation. And because no Legate may be sent into England but being first required of the kyng: the Pope sendeth sophisticall Legates and such as be disguised in counterfet apparell, and are garded wyth great might and power: neyther is it hard to brynge forth examples therof. For so many such dayly do come into the realme, that to heare the names of thē recited, it would be tedious for any man to heare.

MarginaliaThe pope accused for vnlawful dispensation16. Furthermore (as we haue seene our selues) the pope graunteth for secular fauour, that a man may haue a Byshoprike, and yet be no Byshop consecrated, Sed electus: sempiternus, that is, electe for euer. Which is as much to signifie, to haue the mylke and wolle of the sheepe and not to keepe the wolues away from the sheepe: To retaine the rentes of the Byshop, and not discharge the function of a Byshop.

And when thys godly Bishop had thus reproued these and such other detestable enormities of the court of Rome: as all kindes of auarice, their vsurie, their simonie, their extortion, all kindes of filthines, fleshly lust, glottonie, and their sumptuous apparel raigning in that court: then saith he, this old verse may be truely verified vpon it.

Eius auariciæ totus non sufficit orbis
Eius luxuriæ meretrix non sufficit omnis.

All the worlde cannot suffice their gredie auarous minde
Nor all the drabes & naughty packes their filthy lusting kinde.

Afterwarde he went about more to prosecute, how the foresayd court lyke a gulph neuer satisfied euer gapyng (so wide, that the flud of Iordane myght runne into hys mouth) aspired how to vsurpe the goods of them that dye vntested and of Legacies bequethed wythout forme of law and whereby more licentiously to bryng thys to passe, they vsed to ioyne the kyng to be fellow and partaker wyth them in their spoyles, extortions, and robbinges. Neither sayth he, shall the Church be deliuered from the seruitude of Egipt but by violence and force, and wyth the bloudy sword. MarginaliaEx Math. Paris.And albeit sayth he, these be yet but light matters, yet shortly more great and greuous things then these shall be seene.

And in the end of this hys propheccyng which he scarsly could vtter, with sighing, sobbing, and weepyng, hys toung and breath began to fayle, and so the organ of hys voyce beyng stopped, made an end both of his speach and lyfe. Ex Math. Parisiens.

MarginaliaThe death of R. Grosted Bish. of Lincolne.And for as much as mention hath bene made before, of the insatiable auarice of the Popes court by his inordinate prouisions and reseruations, it is testified by the sayde author Math. Paris. that the foresayd Robert Grosted beyng Byshop of Lincolne, caused to be vewed and considered diligently of hys clerkes, what the reuenwes of foriners and straungers within England set in by the Pope came to by the yeare: and it was founde and euidently tryed, that thiys Pope now present to wit, Innocentius. 4 did empouerishe the vniuersall Church throughout Christendome, more then all his predecessours from the tyme the Pope first began: MarginaliaWhat the reuenues of the popes clarkes here in England came to by yeare.
Ex Cestgrensis. lib. 7.So that the reuenewes of foriners and clerkes placed by hym here in England, mounted to the summe of 70000. markes and aboue, wheras the mere reuenues of the crowne came not to 30. thousand.

Of this Robert Grosted writeth Cestrensis in hys 7. booke of his history: that partly for that it greeued hym to see the intollerable exactions of the Pope in thys realme, partly because he refused to admitte a certayne younge nephew of the Pope to be canon of hys Church (as hath ben before recited) He therfore writing to the Pope, and signifyng that he could not admitte any such persons into his Church, which neyther knew themselues nor the tounge