IT was demaunded, whether the kingdome of England, may lawfully in case of necessitie, for his owne defence, deteyne and keepe backe the treasure of the kyngdome, that it be not caryed away to foreine and straūge nations, the pope hymselfe demaundyng and requiryng the same vnder payne of censure, and by vertue of obedience.

[Back to Top]

Wickleffe setting a part the myndes of learned mē, what might be sayd in the matter, either by the canon law, or by the law of Englād or the ciuill law, it resteth (sayth he) now onely to perswade and proue, the affirmatiue part of this doubt, by the principles of Christes law. And first I proue it thus, Euery naturall body hath power geuen of God to resiste agaynst his contrarye, and to preserue it selfe in due estate, as the Philosophers knew very well.

[Back to Top]

In somuch, that bodyes without lyfe, are endued with such kynde of power (as it is euident) vnto whom hardnes is geuen to resiste those thynges that would breake it, and coldnes to withstād the heate that dissolueth it. For somuch then, as the kyngdome of England (after the maner and phrase of the Scriptures) ought to be one body: & the Clergy with the commonaltie, the members therof, it semeth that the same kyngdome hath such power geuē him of God, and somuch the more apparaunt: by how much the same body is more precious vnto God, adorned with vertue and knowledge. For somuch then as there is no power geuen of God vnto any creature: for any end or purpose, but that he may lawfully vse the same to that end and purpose: It followeth, that our kyngdome may lawfully keepe backe and deteyne their treasure, for the defence of it selfe, in what case so euer necessitie do require the same.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaThe Popes riches is but the almes of good men. Secondarely, the same is proued by the law of the Gospell. For the pope cānot chalenge the treasure of this kingdome, but vnder the title of almes, and consequently vnder the pretence of the workes of mercy, accordyng to the rule of charitie.

But in case aforesayd, the title of almes ought vtterly to cease, Ergo, the right and title of chalengyng the treasure of our Realme, shall cease also in the presupposed necessitie.MarginaliaNecessitie taketh away the popes almes. For somuch as all charitie hath his begynnyng of himselfe, it were no worke of charitie, but of meere madnes, to send away the treasures of the realme vnto forreine natiōs, wherby the Realme it self may fall into ruine, vnder the pretēce of such charitie.

[Back to Top]

It appeareth also by this, that Christ the head of the Church, whom all Christen Priests ought to follow: liued by the almes of deuoute women. Luke. vij. viij. He hungred and thyrsted, he was a straunger, and many other miseries he sustained, not onely in his members, but also in his owne body, as the Aspostle witnesseth. Cor. viij. He was made poore for your sakes, that through his pouertie, you might be rich: wherby, in the first endowyng of the Church, what soeuer he were of the Clergy that had any temporall possessions, he had the same by forme of a perpetuall almes, as both writynges and Chronocles do witnesse.

[Back to Top]

Wherupon S. Bernard  

, declaryng in his ij. booke to Eugenius, that he could not chalenge any secular dominion by right of successiō, as beyng the vicare of S. Peter, writeth thus:MarginaliaNote well the saying here of Bernard. that if S. Iohn should speake vnto the pope him selfe, as Bernard doth vnto Eugenius, were it to be thought that he would take it paciently? But let it be so, that you do chalenge it vnto you, by some other wayes or meanes: but truely by any right or title Apostolicall, you cā not so do. For how coulde he geue vnto you that, which he had not himselfe? That which he had he gaue you, that is to say, care ouer the church, but did he geue you any lordships or rule? Harke what he saith: Not bearing rule (saith he) as Lordes in the Clergy, but behauyng your selues as examples to the flocke. And because thou shalt not thinke it to be spoken onely in humilitie, and not in veritie, marke the word of the Lord himselfe in the Gospell. MarginaliaThe pope must leaue his lordship or els Apostleship, let hym chuse whether. The kynges of the people do rule ouer them, but you shall not do so.

[Back to Top]

Here Lordshyp & dominion, is playnly forbidden to to the Apostles: and darest thou then vsurpe the same? If thou wilt be a Lord, thou shalt lose thyne Apostleshyp, or if thou wilt be an Apostle, thou shalt lose thy Lordshyp. For truely thou shalt depart from the one of them. If thou wilt haue both, thou shalt lose both, or els thinke thy selfe to be of that number, of whom God doth so greatly complayne, saying: They haue raigned, but not thtough me. They are become Princes, & I haue not knowen it. Now if it do suffice thee to rule with the Lord, thou hast thy glory, but not with God. MarginaliaThe maner of the Apostles. But if we will keepe that which is forbidden vs, let vs heare what is sayd: he that is the greatest amongest you (sayth Christ) shalbe made as the least, and he which is the highest, shalbe as the minister: and for example, set a child in the middest of them. So this then is the true forme and in stitution of the Apostles trade.MarginaliaHow the pope ought to occupy the Church goods. Lordshyp and rule is forbidden, ministration and seruice cōmaunded. By these wordes of this blessed man whō the whole Church doth reuerence and worshyp, it doth appeare that the Pope hath not power to occupy the Church goodes as Lord therof, but as minister, and seruaunt, and proctour for the poore. And would to God that the same proude and gredy desire of rule & Lordship, which this seate doth chalenge vnto it, be not a preamble to prepare a way vnto Antichrist.MarginaliaThe way to obtayne the kyngdome of Christ. For it is euident by þ^e Gospel, that Christ through his pouertie, humilitie, & suffering of iniury, got vnto hym the children of his kyngdome.

[Back to Top]

And moreouer, so farre as I remember, the same blessed man Bernard in his iij. booke writeth also thus vnto Eugenius: I feare no other greater poyson to happen vnto thee, then gredy desire of rule and dominion.

This Wickleffe albeit in his lyfe tyme, had many greuous enemyes, yet was there none so cruel vnto him, as the Clergy it selfe. Yet notwithstandyng, he had many good frendes, men not onely of the base and meanest sorte, but also of nobilitie  

, amōgest whom these mē are to be numbred   :MarginaliaI. Clenbon, Lewes Clifford, Rich. Sturius. Tho Latimer. W. Nouell, I. Moūtegue. The earle of Salisbury. Iohn Clēbon, Lewes Clifford, Richard Sturius, Thomas Latimer, William Neuell, Iohn Mountegew, who plucked downe all the images in his Church   . Besides all these, there was the Earle of Salisbury, who for cōtempt in him noted towardes the Sacrament, in carying it home to his house:MarginaliaThe penance of the earle of Salisbury. was enioyned by Radulph Ergom Byshop of Salisbury, to make in Salisbury a crosse of stone, in which all the story of the matter should be written, and he euery Friday during his life to come to the crosse barefoote and barehead in his shyrt, & there knelyng vpon his knees: to do pennaunce for his fact. Ex Chron. Mon. D. Albani in vita. Ric. 2.

[Back to Top]

The Londiners at this tyme somewhat boldly trustyng to the Maiors authoritie, who for that yeare was Iohn of Northampton: Tooke vpō them the office of the Bishops, in punishyng the vices (belongyng to Ciuill law) of such persons as they had found and apprehended in committyng both fornication and adultery  

. For first they put the womē in the prison which amongest them then was named Doliū. And lastly bringing them into the market place, where euery mā might behold them, & cuttyng of their golden lockes from their heades: they caused them to be caryed about the streetes, with bagpypes and trumpets blowen before them, to the intent they should be the better knowne and their cōpanyes auoyded: accordyng to the maner then of certaine theeues that were named Appellatores, (accusers or pechers of others þ^t were giltles) which were so serued. And with other such lyke opprobrious and reprochfull contumelies did they serue the men also that were taken with them in committyng the forenamed wickednes and vices.MarginaliaThe fruites of good and true doctrine. Here the story recordeth how the sayd Londiners were incouraged hereunto by Iohn Wickleffe and others that folowed his doctrine to perpetrat this act, in the reproch of the Prelates beyng of the Clergy. For they sayd, that they dyd not somuch abhorre to see the great negligēce of those to whom that charge belonged, but also their filthy auarice they dyd asmuch detest: which for gredynes of money were choked with bribes and winkyng at the penalties due to such persons by the lawes appointed, suffered such fornicatours and incestuous persons fouorably to continue in their wickednes. They sayd furthermore, that they greatly feared, least for such wickednes perpetrated within the Citie and so apparantly dissimuled: that God would take vengeaunce vpō them and destroy their Citie. Wherfore they sayd, that they could do no lesse then to purge the same: least by the sufferaunce therof, God would bryng a plague vpon them   , or destroy them with the sword, or cause the earth to swallow vp both them and theyr sayd Citie. Hæc ex Chron. Mon. D. Albani. MarginaliaEx chron Monast. D. Albani. ¶ This story (gentle Reader) albeit the author therof whom I folow, do geue it out in reprochfull wise, to the great discōmendation of the Londiners for so doyng. Yet I thought not to omitte, but to commit the same to memory, which seemeth to me rather to tend vnto þ^e worthy commēdation both of the Lōdiners that so did: and to the necessary example of all other Cities to folow the same. After these thynges thus declared, let vs now adioyne the testimoniall of the Vniuersitie of Oxford, of Iohn Wickleffe.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaEx tomo operum Ioā Husse fol. vit. VNto all and singular the childrē of our holy mother the Church, to whō this present letter shall come: the Vicechauncelour of the Vniuersitie of Oxford, with the whole