MarginaliaThe friers autorised to heare confessions & to enoyne penaunce. We therefore mynding to aduaunce their sacrat purpose. &c. and foloweth: commaundyng you to see the sayd persons, gentlely to be receaued among you: And that your flockes committed to your charge do receaue deuoutly the seede of Gods word out of their mouth, and do confesse their sinnes vnto them, all such as lyst, whom we haue authorised to the same, to heare confessiōs, and to enioyne penaunce. &c. Dat. Perusij. an. Pont. nostri. 8.
[Back to Top]This Pope Honorius dyed about the yeare of our Lord 1241. after whom came Celestinus the fourth and sat but xviij. dayes
Foxe drew the material on Celestine V and Innnocent IV from Bale, Catalogus, pp. 238 and 288, although one should note that even Bale does not imply any connection between Innocent IV's death and his opposition to the mendicant orders.
Innocentius beyng thus remoued out of the way, about the yeare of our Lord. 1353.MarginaliaPope Alexander the 4. vndoeth the actes of Pope Innocent the 4. hys predecessor. Then succeded
This material on Alexander IV comes from Bale, Catalogus, p. 289.
Foxe draws some of this meterial from Matthias Flacius, Catalogus testium veritatis (Strausburg, 1562), pp. 408, 450-1 and 469, while he is also drawing on Bale, Catalogus, pp. 319 and 322. Foxe jumbles the writers listed here together, even though they wrote in different centuries. Also Guillaume of Saint-Amour was the sole author of De periculis novissimum temporum (1256), the anti-mendicant treatise under discussion.
[Back to Top]These articles are taken from one of the MS copies of De periculis novissimorum temporum.
MarginaliaArticles of the studentes of Paris agaynst the Friers. FIrst we say, they are not to be admitted to the societie of our schole, but vpon our will and licence. For our company or felowshyp ought not be coactiue, but voluntarie and free.
Secōdly, we say they are not to be admitted, for somuch as we haue oft proued their communitiy, manifold wayes to be hurtfull and incommodious vnto vs.
Thirdly, seyng they be of a diuers profession from vs (for they are called regular, and not scholastical) therfore we ought not to be ioyned and associate together in one scholasticall office.MarginaliaConcilium Hispan. For as much as the Councell of Spayne doth say, thou shalt not plough with the Oxe, and with the Asse together. Which is to say: Men of diuers professions ought not together to be matched in one kynde of callyng, or standyng, for their studies and conditions be disagreyng and disseuered from ours, and can not frame or couple together in one communion.
[Back to Top]Fourthly we affirme, by the Apostle that they are not to be admitted, because they worke dissensions and offences: For so sayth the Apostle Rom. vlt. We desire you brethren,MarginaliaThe Friers make dissentions. that ye obserue, and take heede of such as make dissensions and offendicles about the doctrine which you haue learned by the Apostles, and auoyde them. For such serue not the Lord, but their owne belly. Glose. Some they flatter, some they backbyte, whereby they may feede their belly. MarginaliaFriers deuour mens houses. That through their sweete and pleasaunt wordes, and by theyr benedictions, they may deceaue the hartes of the simple. Glose. That is, with their fine sugered, and trimme couched words, they set forth their own traditions, wherwith they beguile the heartes of simple innocentes.
[Back to Top]Fiftly, we say they are not to be admitted. For that we feare least they be in the number of them, which go about and deuoure mens houses. For they thrust in themelues into euery mans house, searchyng and sackyng the consciences and states of all persons.MarginaliaPenetrantes domos. And whom they finde easie to be seduced, as women: such they do circumuent, and lead them away from the counsailes of their Prelates, byndyng them either in acte or othe: from such we are warned by the Apostle to auoyde.
[Back to Top]Sixtly, we say they are to be auoyded: because we feare they are false Prophetes. Which being neither Bishops, nor Parish Priests, nor yet their Vicares, nor sent by them:MarginaliaFriers preach vncalled. yet they preach (not sent) agaynst the mynde of the Apostle, Rom 10. saying: How shall they preach vnles they be sent? For els there appeareth in them no such great vertue, for the which they ought to be admitted to preach vncalled. Seyng therfore that such are so daūgerous to the Church, they ought to be auoyded.
[Back to Top]Seuenthly, we say they are not to be admitted, because they be a people so curious in searchyng and inquiryng of other mens doynges, and spirituall demaynour. And yet be they neither Apostles, nor yet successours of þe Apostles, as byshops: nor of the number of the 72. Disciples of þe Lord: nor their successours, þt is parish priestes: nor their helpers, nor yet vicars.MarginaliaFriers haue no order of any calling in the church. Wherfore, seing they lyue so in no order, by þe sentence of the Apostle we are commaūded to auoyde them. 2. Thes. vlt. Where he saith: we admonish and denounce vnto you (O brethren) in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ: that is, as the Glose, sayth, (we commaunde you by the authoritie of Christ) that you withdraw your selues frō euery brother, that walketh inordinatly, and not after the tradition, which you haue receaued of vs. &c. Looke vpon the cōmon glose of this place, and you shall finde, that such are to be auoyded till tyme they amende from so doyng. &c.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaCertaine cōclusions in the vniuersitie of Paris to be disputed of agaynst the Friers. Beside these articles aboue rehearsed, certaine propositions or conclusions were also propounded in the scholes of Paris the same tyme, solemnely to be disputed and defended agaynst the Friers: Which in a brief summe of wordes to collect, were these
These three propositions are taken from Matthias Flacius, Catalogus testium veritatis (Strausburg, 1562), p. 451.
First, that the beggyng Friers were not in the state of Saluation.
Secondly, that they were bound to labour with their handes that could, and not to begge.
Thirdly, that they ought not to exercise the office of preachyng, or to heare the confessions of them that will come to them, although being licensed thereunto by the Byshop of Rome, or by the Diocesane: for somuch as the same is preiudiciall to the ministers and Priestes of the Parishes.
MarginaliaPope Alexander the 4. a great fauorer of the Friers.All these foresayd articles & conclusions, with þ
This paragraph is taken from Bale, Catalogus, p. 289.
MarginaliaAn other geuen to the Friers by Pope Clement 4. Not long after
This paragraph is taken from Bale, Catalogus, p. 326.
This passage on Martin IV is taken from Bale, Catalogus, p. 330.
MarginaliaPope Boniface holdeth with the fryers agayne. Ex Clemēt cōstit. Bonif. Super cathedram. Then
The paragraphs on Boniface VIII are taken from Bale, Catalogus, pp. 330-33.
MarginaliaPope Benedict the 9. holdeth with priestes against the Friers.
Ex Clement. inter cunctas. By this Pope Boniface, a certaine Dominicke frier was made Cardinall
The paragraph on Benedict XI is drawn from Bale, Catalogus, p. 333.
MarginaliaPope Clement the 5. holdeth with the Friers & repealeth the cōstitutiō of Benedictus.
Ex Clement. cap. dudum. Agayne, after
The paragraph on Clement V is drawn from Bale, Catalogus, p. 334.