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Armagh [Armachan]

Northern Ireland

OS grid ref: H 876 455

land. an. 1358. about a double matter. Wherof the one was concerning confessiō and other exchetes which the friers encroched in parish Churches agaynst the Curates, and publicke pastors of Churches. The other was concerning wilfull beggery and pouerty, which the Friers then tooke vpon them, not vpon any necessity being otherwise strōg inough to worke for their liuing, but onely vpon a wilfull and affected profession. For the which cause the Friers appealed him vp to the court of Rome. The occasion wherof thus did rise.

¶ It befell, that Armachanus vpon certayne busines comming vp to London, found there certayne Doctours disputing and contending about the begging of Christ our Sauior. Wherupon (he being greatly vrged and requested oft times therūto) at request, made seuen or eight sermōs vnto the people at London, wherin he vttered 9. conclusions. Wherof the first and principal conclusion was, touching the matter of the friers priuiledges, in hearing confessions. His conclusion was this  

Commentary     Close

Foxe now reprints Fitzralph's 'Defensio curatorum'. Which of the numerous English or Latin versions of this work that Foxe consulted is anyone's guess, as he proceeded to reorder and restructure the work into what he considered a more appropriate form. Foxe remains faithful to the content, but not the format, of the original. (See 'Defensio Curatorum' in John Trevisa, Dialogus inter militum et clericum, ed. A. J. Perry, Early English Text Society, original series, 167 (London, 1925), pp. 39-93.

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First, that if a doubt or question be moued for hearing cōfessiōs, which of 2. placese is rather to be chosē. The parish church is to be preferred before the church of the friers.

Secondly, being demaunded whether is to be taken (to heare the confession of the parishioners the Parson, or the Curate, or the frier) It is to be sayde, rather the Parson or the Curate.

Thirdly, that our Lord Iesus Christ in his humayne conuersatiō was always poore, but not that he loued pouerty, or did couet to be poore.

Fourthly, that our Lord Iesus Christ did neuer beg, wilfully professing to be poore.

Fiftly, that our Lord Iesus Christ did neuer teach wilfully to beg, or to professe wilfull beggery.

The sixt conclusion was, that Christ our Lord did cōtrary, that men ought not to wilfully or purposely wythout meere necessity to beg.

Seuēthly, that there is neither wisedome nor holines, for any man to take vpon him wilfull beggery, perpetually to be obserued.

The eight, that is not agreing to the rule of the Obseruants, or Friers Minorites, to obserue wilful pouerty.

The last conclusion was, touching the Bull of Pope Alexander the 4. whiche condemned the libell of the of the maisters of Paris: that the same Bull touched none of these 7. last conclusions.

MarginaliaArmachanus cited vp to the Pope by the Friers. Vpon these 9. conclusions premised, Armachanus being appealed, cited, and brought vp to the presence of the Pope: MarginaliaThe protestatiō of Armachanus.began to proue the same his foresaid conclusions or assertions vnder protestation made, that his intētion was not to affirme any thing contrary to the christian fayth, or to the Catholicke doctrine, or that should be preiudicial or destructive to þ^e orders of the begging friers, such as were approued by holy Church, or confirmed by the high Byshops: MarginaliaHis theame.But onely his intētiō was, to haue the sayd orders reduced to the purity of their first institution. Concerning which matter, he desired his reasons to be heard, which if they should be foūd weaker then the reasons of the friers, the punishement should be his. If otherwise, that then the friers iustly to be rewarded, for their slaūderous obtrectation and publique cōtumelies, & iniurious dealinges both priuately and publickly wrought and sought agaynst him: And so taking for his Theame: Nolite iudicare secundum faciem, sed iustum iudicium iudicate. &c. That is, Iudge not aftr the outward face, but iudge true iudgement. &c. Iohn. 7. MarginaliaIohn . 7. The first cōclusion proponed. Probation.he entreth to the probation of his conclusions: MarginaliaCertaintie.First beginning with the former conclusion, that the Parish churche was a place more fit and couenient, for the confessiōs or burials of the Parishioners to be vsed, then any other exempt Church or place of the Friers. Which he proued by three causes: First for the more surenes or certaynty to the conscience of the Parishioners confessed. MarginaliaVtilitie.Secondly, for the more vtility and profit of him. MarginaliaCommoditie.Thirdly, for the lesse incommodity ensuing by confessions taken in Parish churches, then in friers Churches.

MarginaliaThe first part of the first conclusion confirmed. Deut. 12. As touching the first, for the more assureduesse and certeinty, thus he argued vpon the place of Deu. 12. vnto that place, which þ^e Lord your God shall assigne of all your tribes, to place his name and dwell therin: thether shall you resort, to offer vp your oblations, tithes. &c. And the same place God sayth: See thou offer not thy sacrifice in euery place that liketh thee: but in that place alone which the Lord hath elect in one of the tribes, and thou shalt doe in all thinges as I commaund thee. MarginaliaLeuit. 4. 5.Also vpon the wordes of Leuit, 4. and 5. which be these. Whosoeuer sinneth of ignorance, shal offer to the priest, and he shall pray for him, and he shalbe forgeuen &c. Vpon these places thus he argued: that forasmuch as the Sacramētsof the Church are to be frequented and used in no other place but onely in that, which by God himselfe peculiarly is assigned and commaunded for the same: And seing that elect place in the law representeth the Parish Churches: neither can it be proued that the Friers Churche is the place prescribed of God, but onely permitted by the Byshops of Rome: He concluded therefore, that Parish Churches for confessions and burialles, were more sure and certayne to the conscience of Parishioners, then the exempt places of the Friers.

MarginaliaThe first part of the first conclusion. confirmed by an other reason. By an other reason also he confirmed the same, for that the parish Church commonly standeth free frō the Popes interdict, so do not the Churches of the Friers. As which stand not so cleare, but that they are vnder suspition, and doubt of the Popes inderdict: by the Decretall. De sepulturis in sexto. cap Animarum periculis. In which Decretall, all such conuentuall Churches and Churchyardes of Friers be interdicted, which do induce any person or persons, either by oth or promise made, to chuse their burying places in their churches, as commonly the friers are reported to do. For els what parishner would forsake his owne churche & parish where his auncestors do lye, to be buryed among the Friers, if the Friers did not induce thē so to do:

MarginaliaThe second part of the first conclusion confirmed. Moreouer for the secōd part, conceruing the vtility of the place, that he confirmed doublewise. First, for that confessiō made within the parish church, hath a double merit of obedience, both for obeying the commaūdement of God in opening his confessiō ¶ thus he speaketh according to þ^e blindnes of that time, for that auricular confessiō hath any cōmanudement of God, cannot be proued: & also in obeying the commaundemēt of God in obseruing the place by him appointed, þ^e which second merit of obedience lacketh in þ^e Friers part. MarginaliaAn other confirmatiō of the secōd part of the first article.Secondly, he proued to be greater vtility for a parishioner to confesse him in his parish Church, thē with the Friers. Because commonly the number of Christen people praying, is ten times more in parish churches. Wherby is to be thought, that ech singuler persō may better be helped through moe prayers, then in the Oratories of the Friers, &c.

MarginaliaThe third part of the first conclusion proued. Farther as touching the third part of the first conclusion or Article be proued, that it had fewer incōmodities to resort euery man to his parish Church, then to the friers: for that both great vtilitye, and more certaynety (as hath ben proued) did ensue therof: which two being take away, (as must need, in resorting to the friers Church) thē two speciall commodities should be hindred, & so great incommodities therof should follow. And thus much for þ^e place of the friers.

MarginaliaThe 2. conclusion or Article. Now to the second conclusion or Article touching the person of the frier, and of the ordinary Curate. If the questiō be, which of these two is to be preferred in the office of Ecclesiastical administratiō: the opinion of Armachanus was, that the ordinary Curate was better then the extraordinary frier, Marginalia3. respectes or causes to be proued.and that for the three foresayd respectes, to wit, for certaintie or assuraunce, for vtility, and for incommodity to be auoyded.

First that it is more safe and sure for the parishioners to resort to theyr ordinary or parish priest, hee argued by 3. reasons: first because the person of the lawfull ordinary or priestes is expressely of God commaūded, where the persō of the frier is not, and therfore is forbid. Secondly, because the parishner may more trust to his ordinary Curate, as who is more bound & obliged to prouide and to be carefull for him, then any other extraordinary person, Thirdly, because in the person of the ordinary curate, commonly there is no doubt of any interdict to bind him: whereas contrary in the friers be halfe: there is good matter to doubt, whether he stand bound vnder the popes cēsure of excōmunication or not, and that for diuers causes, as by the cap. MarginaliaCa. Religiosi. Clement. de decimis.Religiosi, in Clemētinis de decimis. Where is decreed, that all such religious mē, which hauing no benefices or cure of soule, presume to improperate vnto them glebe land or other tithes due vnto Churches, and not appertayning to them (by any maner of colour or fraudulent circumuention) do incurre the sentence of excommunication, ipso facto. Also by another cap MarginaliaIn Clementimo de priuilegijs cap. Religosi.Religiosi, De priuilegijs. in Clement. Where it is sayd, that all such religious men are excommunicated De facto, whosoeuer doe absolue any, agaynst whom the sentence of excommunication hath bene denounced by statute prouincial, or sinodal: as it is commonly said, that the friers hearing mēs cōfessions are accustomed to do, in loosing them whom the censure of prelates, or their MarginaliaThe Friers proued to be excommunicate by the Popes lawe.Officials haue bound. Wherof the sayd Armachanus bringeth forth example of his own Dioces: For I (sayd he) in mine own Dioces of Armachan, haue as good as two thousād under me, who by the censure of excōmunication euery yere, denoūced against wilfull murtherers, common theues, bur-