of the MarginaliaThe order of the Franciscans, cōfirmed shortly after Dominikes. Franciscane Friers began also to bread, & to spread in the world, through preaching and hearing confessions.

After this Honorius next followed Pope Gregory the 9. about the yeare of our Lord 1228. who for the promoting of the forsayd order of Dominickes, gaue out this Bull, in tenour as followeth  

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MarginaliaThe bul of pope Gregory in the behalfe of the Dominike Friers. Gregorius bishop seruaunt of Gods seruauntes, to his reuerende brethren, Archbishops Bishoppes, and to his welbeloued Children, Abbots, Priors, and to All Prelates of churches, to whom soeuer these presentes shall come, greeting, and Apostolical blessing. Because * Marginalia* Iniquitie hath abounded at Rome. iniquitie hath abounded, & the charity of man hath waxt cold: Behold, the Lord hath raysed vp the order of our welbeloued children the preaching Friers, who not seking things of their owne, but pertayning to Iesus Christ, to the extirping as wel of heresies as to the roting out also of other pernitious pestilencies: haue dedicate themselues to the preaching of the * Marginalia* Nay to the preaching rather of mēs traditions against the word of God.word of God. We therfore minding to aduaunce their sacred purpose. &c. and followeth, commaunding you to see the sayd persons, gently 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 doe confesse their sinnes vnto them, all suche as list, whome wee haue authorised to the same, to heare confessions, and to enioyne penaunce. MarginaliaThe Friers autorised to heare confessions & to to enioyne penaunce.&c. Dat. Perusij. an. Pont. nostri. 8.

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This pope Honorius dyed about the yeare of our Lord 1241. after whom came Celestinus the fourth and sat but 18. daies  

, then came Innocentius the fourth and sat 11. yeares and 6. monethes. Who although he began first to fauour the friers: MarginaliaPope Innocent the 4. against the Friers. yet afterward being altered by certayn Diuines of Vniuersities, Prelates of Churches, and Curates: and debarred them of their liberties and priueledges, & gaue out agayne preceptes and excommunications, as well agaynst the Friers, as all other religious persons. And not long after the same he was dispatched.

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Innocentius being thus remoued out of the way, about the yeare of our Lord. 1353. Then succeeded  

Pope Alexander the fourth a great mayntainer of the Friers, and sat 7. yeares. MarginaliaPope Alexander the 4. vndoeth the actes of Pope Innocent the 4. his predecessour. He reuoked and repealed the Actes and writinges of Pope Innocent his predecessour, geuen forth agaynst the Friers: Wherwith the Diuines and Students of Paris being not wel contented, stirred vp foure principall Doctours: The first and chiefe captayne was Guliel. de santo Amore, metnioned before. pag. 322. against whom wrote Albertus Magnus, and Thomas Aquine. And at last he was condemned by this foresayd Pope Alexander the 4. in the MarginaliaExtrau. non sine multa.Extrau. Non sine multa. The second was Simon Iornalensis, the third, Godfridus de Fontibus, the iiii. Henricus de Gandauo. MarginaliaGul. de S. Amore, Simon Iornalensis. Godfridus de fontibus. Hen. de Gandauo, foure champions against the Friers.These foure   with other their complices, compiled a certaiene booke against the begging order of Friers, both Dominicans, and Franciscās intituled, De periculis Ecclesiæ, cōteining xiiii. chapters. Wherof the 14. which is the last, with 39. articles agaynst the Friers we haue already trāslated and expressed, pag. 317. Beside these. 39. articles, be other vii. articles moreouer to the said booke annexed, vnder the name of the students of Paris against the Friers, prouing why the sayd Friers ought not to be admitted into their societie, which vii, articles because they are but short, I thought here better to place, then to omit them.

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MarginaliaArticles of the students of Paris against 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 fellowship ought not to be coactive, but voluntary and free.

Secondly, we say they are not to be admitted, for somuch as we oft proued their community, manifold wayes to be hurtfull and incommodious.

Thirdly, seeing they be of a diuers profession from vs (for they are called regular, and not schollasticall) we therfore ought not to bee ioyned and associate together in one scholasticall office. For asmuch as the MarginaliaConcilium Hispan. 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 kinde of calling, or standing, for theyr studies and conditions be disagreing and disseuered from ours, and cannot frame or couple together in one communion.

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MarginaliaThe friers make dissentions. Fourthly we affirme, by the Apostle that they are not to be admitted because they worke dissesions and offēces: For so sayth the Apostle Rom vlt. We desire you brethren, that ye obserue. and take heede of such as make dissentions and offēdicles about the doctrine which you haue learned by the Apostles, and auoyd them. For such serue not theMarginaliaFriers deuour mens houses.Lord, but their own belly. Glose. Some they flatter some they backbyte, whereby they might feede their belly. That through their sweete and pleasaunt wordes, and by their benedictions, they may deceaue the hartes of the simple. Glose. That is, with their fine fugered, and trimme couched wordes, they set forth their own traditions, wherewith they beguile the hartes of the simple innocentes.

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Fiftly, we say they are not to be admitted. For that we feare least they be in the number of them, which goe about and deuoure mens houses. For they thrust in themselues into euery mans house, MarginaliaPenetrantes domos. searching and sacking the consciences and states of all persons. And whom they finde easie to be seduced, as woman: such they doe circumuent, & lead them away from the counsailes of their Prelates, bynding them either in acte or oth: from such we are warned by the Apostle to auoyd.

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Sixtly, wee say they are to bee auoyded: because wee feare they are false Prophetes. Whiche being neither Byshops, ner parish priests, nor yet their Vicares, nor sent by them, yet they preach (not sent) against the minde of the Apostle, Rom. 10. saying: How shall they preach except they be sent? For els there appeareth in them no such great vertue, for the whiche they ought to be admitted to preach vncalled. MarginaliaFriers preach vncalled. Seing therefore that such are so daungerous to the Church, they ought to be auoyded.

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Seuenthly, we say they are not to be admitted, because they be a people so curious in searching & inquiring of o- other mens doings and spirituall demaynour. And yet be they neyther Apostles, nor yet successours of þ^e Apostles, as bishops: nor of the number of the 72. Diciples of the Lord: nor their successors, þ^t is parish Priestes: nor their helpers, not yet Vicares, MarginaliaFriers haue no order of any calling in the church.Wherefore, seing they liue so in no order, by the sentence of the Apostle we are commaunded to auoyd them. 2. Thess. 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 commaund you by the authoritie of Christ) that you withdrawe your selues from euery brother, that walketh inordinately, and not after the tradition, which you haue receaued of vs. &c. Looke vpon the common glose of this place, and you shall finde, that such are to be auoyded till time they amend from so doing. &c.

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MarginaliaCertain cōclusiōs in the vniuersitie of Paris to be disputed of against the Friers. Besides these articles aboue rehearsed, certaine propositions or conclusions were also propounded in the scholes of Paris the same time, solemnly to be disputed and defended agaynst the Fryers: Which in a briefe some of wordes to collect, were these  

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First, that the begging Friers were not in the state of saluation.

Secondly, that they were bound to labour with theyr handes that could, and not to begge.

Thirdly, that they ought not to exercise the office of preaching, or to heare the confessiōs of them that wil 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, w^t  

the booke set forth by these Paris men: This Pope Alexander the 4. condemned to be abolished and burned, writing his preceptes to the French K. and also the Vniuersitie of Paris, in the favour of the Friers: willing and commaunding the sayd Fryers to be restored to all their priueledges and libertyes, in as ample maner as in Pope Gregories tyme before.

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Not long after  

Pope Alexander the 4. followed Clement the 4. an. 1263. and sate 3. yeares. MarginaliaAn other pilgrimage giuen to the Friers by Pope Clement. 4. Who also gaue the priuiledge to the Friers, beginning: Quidam temereè &c. MarginaliaEx Clement Quidam temerè.In which priueledge he condemneth them that say, that no mā without licence of his Curate or minister, ought to confesse him to the Friers, or that a subiect ought to aske licence of theyr ministers so to doe, whiche was agaynst the Canon Omnis vtriusque sexus. &c. made by the Pope Innocent the 3. before recited.

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MarginaliaPope Martin the 4. holdeth with curates against the Friers. After this  

Clement, agayn came Pope Martine the 4. an. 1281. who renued again the Canon. Omnis vtriusque sexus: in the behalfe of the Curates against the Friers.

Then  

Pope Boniface the 8. began to sit, an. 1294. viij. yeares. ix. monethes. MarginaliaPope Boniface holdeth with the friers againe. Who taking side with the Fryers, gaue to them an other priuiledge, beginning, Super Cathedram. &c. MarginaliaEx Clement constit. Bonif. Super cathedram.In the whiche priuiledge he licensed the Fyers, that without licence of Vicares of Churches, they shal first present themselues to the Prelates to be admitted; by whō if they be refused the second time, then they vppon speciall authoritie of this Pope, shall be priueledged: without eyther Byshop or Curate, to preach, to bury, and to heare cōfessions who soeuer will come to them, reuoking all that was decreed by his predecessours before to the contrary notwithstanding.

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