A Disclosing or Opening of the Man of Sin, Book 2 · Part 11
¶ The manne of ſynne.
¶ 1 Ageynſt the gyuynge of an othe 2 before a iudge 3 and fynaſſye to hauehave all thynges commen amōgeſt the peple. 4 Ita eſt / 5 Vvilhelmus Tol vvyn manu propria.
Hys dyſcloſynge.
RYghtlye hath the apoſtle Iude, otherwyſe called Thadeus deſcribedMath. 10. Ioan. 14. Iude. 1. Act. 20. Pſal. 13. 2. Tim. 3. 2. Petri. 3. Luce. 18. thys falſe generacyon in hys epyſtle, callynge them blaſphemers, mockers, murmurers, quarellers, and proude ſpeakers, walkynge in vngodlyneſſe accordynge to ther owne luſtes. Theſe are they whych ſeparate them ſelues from the multytude, and are not as other mēne be. Beaſt lye are they in ther doctrine and lyuynge, hauynge neyther ſprete nor grace. MarkeBōner ys here by hys frutes a verye ā tichriſt. well the frutes of my lorde in thys proceſſe, ād ye ſchal ſaye they are the ſame. Styll cōplayneth he of theſe poore bokes without eyther wytt or lernynge, and wyll in no wyſe be pacyfyed. Next ys he in hāde here with that he obſerueth leaſt, whychAn othe before a iudge. ys to ſweare to be true and perfourme yt. Theſe bokes (ſayth he) are ageynſt the geuynge of an othe before a iudge. I wote he meaneth here the vniuſt examynacyōs of the verye martyrs of God, ſer Iohā oldecaſtellVvaldenus in faſciculo hereſum, & cōtra wic leuiſtas. the lorde cobham, and of maſter wyllyam thorpe preſt, whych vtterlye refuſed to be ſworne to antichriſtes abhomynacyons before that uerye mynyſtre of ſathā Thomas arundell thā archebyſſhopp of caunterberye and chancellour of Englande. I ſchall firſt infourme the (good chriſten reader) of the cruelte of thys tyraunt, … I fynde in dyuerſe cronycles, andPolydorus, Ioan. maior, Fabianus & Caxtonꝰ thā cōſydre thu the newe practyſes of my lorde here. As Thomas arundell perſeyued the veryte of God to ſprynge ād floryſhe by the contynuall lecturs, determynacyons, and preachynges of maſter Iohā wycleff and hys clyentes (whych was in thoſe dayes of moſt wonderfull lyfe and lernynge) and that kynge Edwarde theVuolphā gus Kiriander in perſecutionibus eccleſiae. thirde in hys latter age ſumwhat fauored the ſame, ād alſo that kynge Rycharde the ſeconde ſuccedynge hym, wolde not perſecute yt to hys mynde. He firſt conſpyred ageynſt the ſeyd kynge Rycharde wyth the erle of Darbye whych was alſo duke of harforde. Than procured he the IryſhePolydorus & Ioannes maior, ī chronicis. menne to ryſe, hys owne commons to rebell, hys lordes to depoſe hym of hys regne, ād fynallye to ſettvp in hys rome the ſeyd erle of Darbye, famyſſhynge hym vntounto deathe at the laſt in the caſtell of pomfrett. Than cauſed he the goſpell readyngeVvaldenus cōtra Vvicleuiſtas, & Fabianus: to become both hereſye and treaſon, and procured for yt both hangynge and burnynge, where as afore yt was but exylynge onlye, or els headynge at the moſt. So that there were in one daye at hys procurement both hanged and brent in ſayntRobertus fabianus ī chronicis Gyles feldo .xxxvi. beſydes ſer Roger acton knyght, maſter Iohan browne eſquyre, and ſer Iohan beuerlaye preſt, in the yeare of owr lorde. M .cccc. xiij. And all was for that they wolde not obeye the popes relygyon. Greuouſlye ys my lordeAnticriſt wolde yet be obeyed in hys myſchefes. of london offended here with theſe bokes bycauſe thys great prelate was not obeyed there in theſe wholſom workes of holye churche. Trulye thys ys the othe he cōplayneth of here, that ys there denyed afore a iudge. It wyll not awaye they ſaye, that ys bredde by the bone. In dede yt ſo apereth, yf ye waye thys gere well.
2 Vvho hath cōſtytute byſſhoppes forSapi. 12. Ioan. 18. Luce. 22. Prou. 8. Apoc. 13. Danie. 7. iudges in lyfe and deathe ouer mēne? Not the eternall God whych onlye gaue that authoryte to kynges, but the infernall ſerpent that hath geuen power to the beaſt to make battayle with the ſayntes ād to ouer come thē. Vvere ye of Chriſtes inſtitucyō as ye are of anticriſtes, your offyce wereOf preachers are preſtes be comemur therers. Saynt frā ces firſt bretherne Chriſtes falſe bretherne. to preache lyke poore dyſcyples, and not to ſytt in iudgemēt of them whoſe beleue ys now moche better than yowrs. But yt fareth by yow as by the firſt bretherne of ſaynt Frāces (as the tale goeth amonge the peple) he left them penytentes, and founde them theues at hys returne. So chriſt left yow preachers, and now fyndeth yow murtherers vp of hys peple. Ye ought rather to counſell from ſwearynge (beynge in yt ſo great parell as there ys) than to enforce menne cruellye vntounto yt. A dampnableHiere. 5. Math. 5. Deut. 6. vſe hauehave ye brought into the worlde amonge manye other, to ſwcare vpō a boke whych ys but a creature, where as mennys othes ought to be vponupon God onlye. For thys abhomynable cuſtome of pleyne Idolatrie, are ye ſore rebuked of ſaynt Iohan Chriſoſtome in hys .xliiij. homelye vponuponChriſoſt. hom. 44. ſuper Matheum. Mathew, as ye ſchall fynde yt more at large declared in the chriſten exhortacyon vntounto cuſtomable ſwearers. How boſſhop peshath beſtowed ther othes to ther prynces ſens the conqueſt and ſumwhat afore,Guilhelmus malmeſburiē ſis, lib. 2. Ceſtrēſis, lib. 6. ca. 29. Robertus fabianus. Ceſtrēſis, Caxtonꝰ flores & alij. they that are expert in the cronycles knoweth full wele. Robert the arche byſſhopp of caunterburye within a whyle after hys othe of allegeaunce to kynge Herolde, brought into thys realme duke wyllyam of normādye a baſtarde, with a bāner frō pope Alexander the ſeconde, and cleane remyſſyon of ſynne to ſubdue both hym and yt. Vvhat prankes hath bene played ſens by Egelwinus, Odo, Anſelme, Randolf of durham, Rafe of chycheſter, Alexāder of lyncolne, Nigelliꝰ of helye, Roger of ſaleſburye, Thomas becket, Steuen lāgton, Edmonde of pountnaye, Thomas of herforde, Rychard ſcrope, Hērye ſpenſer, Thomas arundell, Thomas the late cardynallThomas wolſeye cardynall. of Englande, and a great nombre of thē more, yt wolde axe great tyme to declare: And therfor yt ys no maruele thow my lorde loketh here ſo ſtrayghtlye vponupon the matter, yt ys ſo faythfullye obſeruedBonner hath bene ſworne thryſe to antichriſt amonge thē. It were mete for hym to reckē with hym ſelfe how he hath beſtowed hys owne. He hath bene thryſe ſworne to the Pope at the leaſt before a iudge for hys ſpirituall degrees, and yet hath he of late years bene ageynſt all thoſe promyſes out wardlye. Sens hath he ſworne to hys prince,A periure becometh he now to hys prynce. and now becometh he a periure to the ſame, ſo depelye maynteynynge the kyngedome of Anticriſt as he doth here.
3 In the ende of thys matter to proue hym ſelf altogyther a lyar, he accuſeth theſe bokes of a verye peruerſe ād ſedycyouſe opynyō, whych in dede they hauehave not,A ſedycyouſe opynyon of the anabaptyſtes, and of monkes. Authors confutynge thys opynyon but are vtterlye ageynſt yt. As to hauehave all thynges cōmen amongeſt the peple. Onlye ys thys opynyon holden and maynteyned of the Anabaptyſtes, whych had yt firſt of ther mōkyſhe ſectes, whoſe cuſtome was ſumtyme for themſelues to hauehave all in cō men, but for no manne els. In thys vncriſten artycle hath Martyn luther, Melanchton, Zuinglius, Venatorius, Vrbanus regius, Vveſtmerus, Sarcerius, Coruinus, and dyuerſe other confuted the ſeyd Anabaptyſtes, not onlye with invyncybl… argumentes but alſo with bokes written, as all the worlde knoweth. Vvhere asHenricus Agrippa contral▪ ouanienſes & alibi. my lordes oyled generacyon was not able to do yt, or at the leaſt wolde take no ſoche labours vponupon them. And therfor my lorde ſchall in thys poynt be a lyar by daye lyght. But in dede in thys he vſeth the practyſe of hys olde ſcolemaſters the holye pharyſees and ſcrybes, whych layedLuce. 23. Act. 24. Ioan. 16. 1. Petri. 2. Eſa. 28. firſt vntounto Chriſt, than vntounto Paule, and conſequentlye vntounto the other dyſcyples, that they were ſturrers vp of ſedycyon, whan they ſe non other thynge wolde helpe them out of the waye. And thys hath contynued euer ſens in Antichriſtes churche as a neceſſarye polycye ageynſt heretyques. To ſaye they are ſubuertersGeneſ. 16. Act. 6. Galat. 4. of the peple, and deſtroyers of good lawes, whan they playe the partes ther ſelues. Though my lordes ſpiritualte are not of thys opynyon towardes other monne, yet are they of yt towardes themſelues, ſekyngeThe preſtes worketh yt in effect. to make all mennys goodes commen vntounto them by tyttle of tythes, offerynges, deuocyons, pylgrimages, abſolucyons, indulgences, bequeſtes, mortuaryes, montheſmyndes, yearmyndes, and the deuyll and all beſydes, deuouryngeMath. 23. Eſa. 10. Pſal. 13. vpp poore wydowes howſes with the patrimonye of the deſolate and fatherleſſe
4 Now laſt of all whan thys matter of my lordes ys fynyſhed, cometh poore Tolwyn as a manne halfe hartleſſe withTolwyn ſubſcrybeth to thys doctrine. penne and ynke in hys hande, and ſubſcribeth vntounto yt for feare of burnynge. Ita eſt (ſayth he good ſymple ſowle) yt ys euen as my honorable good lorde of london hath ſayd here. Theſe bokes are all hereſye, and I hauehave bene an heretyque for retaynynge of them. But now from henceHe ꝓmyſeth obedyence to the ſame. forth I wyll become (I truſt) an obedyent chylde to the popes holye churche. And than he played Iacke a napes, ſwearynge by hys tēne bones, with Vvilhelmus Tolwyn, manu propria.
5 I Vvyllyam Tolwyn make my newe profeſſyon to my lordes grace here inA newe profeſſyō vntounto Romyſhe papyſtrye. the Popes ſtede, and promyſe to obſerue theſe in iunccyōs of myne ordinarye with out the grace of god ād my kynges true obediēce, vntounto my lyues ende. Myne owne hande wrytynge to wytneſſe leaſt anye thȳge be layed to my lordes charge for yt ā other daye. I dare ſaye yfhys good lordeA verye prodygy ouſe kynde o…tyrannye ys thys here. of london ſchuld hauehave ſayd vntounto hym at that houre that Criſt was a theſe ād hys father an hangemanne, he wolde hauehave ſubſcribed vntounto yt for the ſauegarde of hys lyfe. And wyth as good a conſcyence myght he hauehave done that as thys, the ver… tees conſydered whych are herin cōdempned. Thꝰ drawe they poore innocentes toActo. 20. 2. Ioan. 1. Math. 23. 2. Tim. 3. Apoc. 13. the deuill by compulſion. Ye hypocrites (ſayth chriſt) ye compaſſe ſee and lande to make a preſelyte, or a nouice as mōkes call thē, and ſo to brynge hym into yowr beleue. And whā he ys ones brought … ye make hym two folde more the chylde of hell thā ye your ſelues are.