The Relics of Rome, Part 10 – Part 15
Of Nunnes and of the diuersitye of that secte.
POpe Iohn the fyrst being Byshop of Rome, Monke Benet after that he had placed hymselfe and hys monkyshe brethren in a certayne noble and famous cloyster built vponupon the Mount Cassinus, raysed vp also an order of Nunnes, and made hys Sister Scholastica Abbesse ouer thē.The beginn…nge of Nunnes. The apparell of these Nunnes is a blacke cote, cloke, coule and vayle. And least the scripture should disceaue her and hers:☞ it was commaūded, that none of that order should rede the holy scripture without consent or permission of their superiour. In the yeare, &c. Chron. Lib. Germ.
Of the Nunnes of S. Clares order.
POpe Innocent the thyrd bearing rule a certain maide called Clara, a countreywoman and Disciple of Fraunces the Fryer, assembled and gathered together a congregation of poore women, and gaue them an order of lyfe like vntounto the rule that Fryer Fraunces gaue hys couent. Theyr garment is graye. Their order admitteth none but woman kynde, excepte it bee for to saye Masse. Thys order of Clara,, both Pope Honorius the thyrde, and Pope Gregorye the nynth endowed with many gyftes and priuileges. In the yeare of our Lord .1225. Lib. Germ. Volat. Polidorus.
Ioannes Laziardus in hys Chronicle writeth, that pope Innnocent the fourth made the rule, whiche the Nunnes of Saint Clares order vse at thys presente.
Of the Nunnes of S. Brigittes or Brides order.
POpe Vrban the fyrst beyng Byshop of Rome, a certayne wydowe called Brigitta, Princesse of Suetia, began the order of Nunnes called Brigittians. But it is to be vnderstand that thys order of Brigit receaueth as wel men as women, although they dwel seuerally by themselues, the men deuided from the women, and the women from the men. For thys holy woman Brigitte ordayned, that both men and women beeing of thys order myghte well dwell together, and hauehave their habitation both vnderunder one roofe, but yet men and women seperated eche from other, so yt the one might not come to the other, except only whē nede required to minister the Sacramentes. The Church shoulde be common to both: Neuerthelesse ye Nunnes shoulde be closed aboue in a closet and the men beneath, wayting vpō the diuine seruice: and that these should tend the altare, and thei the quere. The Abbesse shoulde hauehave the primacye, and the brethren to bee vnderunder her, so that she shoulde prouyde both for man and woman, meate, drinke and clothyng. Among the brethren shuld one be called Prior, Warden, or Confessour, and be aboue the other. The women shuld be consecrated and brought in by the Byshop. Their clothing is a gray cote with a gray cloke theron, & a red crosse in a white circle. They may weare no linnen after the tenour of theyr rule. The brethren of thys order heare confessions, and preache at hye feastes. This order also admitteth Lay brethrē (as in many places moe) to do their businesse abroade. They fayne, that thys order was confyrmed of Pope Vrban ye fyft at the commaundement of Christ. In the yeare, &c. 1353. Volat. Plati. Polichron. Pol, Libro. Germ. &c.
Of the Nunnes of S. Katerines order of Sene.
POpe Gregorye the .xi. bearyng rule, Katerine of Sene a Dyers daughter, refusyng the state of matrimonye, tooke vponupon her the thyrd order of S. Dominicke, or of the Fryer Preachers. They say, that Christ shuld hauehave maryed her with a ryng,A tale of a tubbe. wherein were foure pearles & one diamonde, & taken her harte from her, and geuen her hys in steade therof. The Nunnes of thys order weare garmentes lyke to the black Fryers. Theyr cloke & vayle are blacke, theyr cote is white. In the yeare of oure Lorde .1455. Volat. Lib. Germ. Chron.
I passe ouer the Nunnes that be of the Iustinians order, of Marye Magdalenes orders, of Austens order, &c, which all are wrapped full of superstition and hipocrisye, seking their saluation not in Christ thorow fayth, but in mens inuentions by folishe and popish workes. But let vsus heare the Popes pleasure more at large concerning the poore Nunnes.
Rules concerning all orders of Nunnes.
The age of Nunnes to be professed & on what daye they shalbe professed.POpe Pius the fyrst made a decree, that no mayde shoulde be admitted to bee a Nunne or a religious person, before she were .xxv. yeres of age: and that shee shoulde be professed and consecrated only vponupon the feastful day of the Epiphanye, commonly called, Twelfday. In the yeare of our Lorde. 147. Ranulphus. Cestrensis. Ioannes. Stella. Phil. Bergom.
Pope Sother ordained, that a Nunne shoulde not handle the towels of the altare, nor the Chalice, patenne, or corporasse clothe, nor yet put incense into the senser,The Nonnes vayle & wimpl…. but that shee shoulde alwayes weare a vayle vppon her head, and a wymple vnderunder her chynne. In the yeare of oure Lorde. 168. Polichron, Chron. Ang. &c..
Pope Gregorye the fyrst ordayned, that no man shoulde frequent the monasteries of Nunnes:No Nūnes Godmothers. again, he forbad, that Nunnes shoulde be Godmothers to children. In the yeare, &c. 590 Chron. Ioan. Stella.
Pope Leo the fyrste made a decree, that none, shuld be made a Nunne, except shee were founde to hauehave lyued afore continentlye and honestly by the space of .xl. yeres.The rule not obserued. In the yere, &c. 444. Phil. Bergom.
Pope Gregorye the eyght made a decree, yt no man should once be so hardye as to take a Nunne out of her cloyster.Nonnes …aye not marry by the Popes lawe. In the yeare of our Lorde. 1186. Tom. 1. Concil.
Of the Monasticall apparell.
IN times paste whē with most earneste diligence I searched for the originall & beginning of the monasticall or monkish apparel, and could by no meanes finde any thing thereof in writing: at the laste I repaired vntounto the paynters, & in ye entries & porches of ye friers, wher for ye most part a mā may se ye historyes of both testamentes paynted & liuely setforth in colours: I sought for the matter diligently. And when in al the olde testament I could not fynde any of the Patriarches, or of the priests, or of the Prophetes, or of the Leuites, no, nor yet Helias hymselfe, whom notwithstandyng the Carmelites or white friers make their Patrone & fyrste founder of their Religion, to weare a coule, and to be clad with Monkysh apparel… I went streyghtwayes vntounto the newe testament. There I founde Zacharye, Simeō, Iohn Baptist, Iosephe, Christ, the Apostles, the Disciples, ye Scribes, the Pharesees, the Byshops, Annas, Cayphas, Herode, Pilate, and manye other: but no where coulde I fynde or perceaue the coule, or monkysh habite. Examining once again more diligently euen from the beginnyng al & singular things: out of hande euen at the very beginning of the historye in a manner, the deuill appeared, & shewed himself clad in a coule, euē ye very same deuil, yt tēpted Christ in ye deserte or wildernesse. I was excedīg glad, & reioyced beyond al measure, yt I had found yt in picture, which I could neuer find afore in scripture: I meane, that the deuill was the first author, inuentor, and finder, out of the coule and Monkishe habite: of whom afterward I thinke verely, the other Monkes and Fryers borowed their coules and disgysed apparell set forth in diuerse colours, some white, some blacke, some graye, some russet, some blewe, some blouncket &c. or elles paraduenture they receaued and tooke the same as lefte vntounto them for inheritaunce from the deuill their father. Cornelius Agrippa de incertitudine & vanitate scientiarum.
Of Temples or Churches.
POpe Siluester bearing rule, Constantine the Emperour built diuerse Churches for the Christians,Constantine ye Emperour. & gaue other libertie so to do, to the end, that so many as professe Christ, might openly and without any feare come together to praye & prayse God, to heare the readyng and Preachyng of the holy Scriptures, to receaue the blessed Sacramentes, and to occupye themselues in suche Godly and vertuous exercises, as God requyreth of them in hys Sacred worde.The beginnynge of Christen mens temples. For vntounto that tyme the Christians were so extremelye persecuted of tyrauntes, that they had no certayne publyque place to repare vntounto, but so many as professed Christ assembled themselues together priuatelye, and praysed God in hollowe caues and dennes for the feare of the vnfaythfull, as Laurentius Valla sayeth in hys booke de donatione Constantini. In tymes paste, sayeth he, before the dayes of Constantyne the greate, the Christians had no Temples, but secrete and close places: holye lyttle houses, but no greate and gorgious buyldynges: Chappelles, no Temples: Oratoryes within priuate walles, no publyque and open Churches. In the yeare of our Lord. 315. Ranulphus. Cestrensis▪ Valla. Westmerus.
…a…wyng of churchesPope Iginius ordayned, that the Temples or Churches shoulde be halowed withall solemnitye, and that no Churche shoulde be halowed without a Masse: agayne, that Churches should be made neyther greater nor smaller without the consent of the Metropolitane. In the yeare of our Lord. 143. De Consecr. Dist. 1. Cap. Omnes Basiliae. Eusebius. Sabell. Phil. Bergom. &c.
An admonition to the Reader.
HEre must I warne thee (moste gentle Reader) of the craftye iuglynges of the Papistes, which whē they hauehave once inuented of theyr idle brayne with out the authoritye of Goddes worde a balde and lousye ceremonie,… of the Papistes. or a wicked and a superstitious lawe, streyghtwayes father the same vppon some Godly auncient and learned Byshop, that by thys meanes it maye be of the more force and of the greater authoritye with men, and the more easlye disceane the people. Of thys their practyse here haste thou an euident example. They set forthe in their deuilyshe decrees & wicked writinges, that this holy Byshop Iginius commaunded the halowyng of Churches, when many yeares after as thou hast tofore▪ heard, the Christiās had no Churches, but secretly assembled themselues together in corners, in priuate houses, in dēnes & caues of the ground, beyng no where safe and sure from the cruelty of the tyraunts, whiche thyrsted no lesse for the bloud of the Christians, than the pantyng and thyrsty hart desyreth the water brokes. How coulde they halowe, that they had not? Except the Papists will make eueryevery caue and denne in the ground the Church, which were much agaynst theyr worship. Agayne, where there is mention made in this decree, that there must be a Masse at the halowyng of a Churche, who knoweth not, that the very name of the Masse was vnknowen many hundred yeares after to the faythfull congregation of Christ, so farre is it of that the Masse it selfe was in vse among them, which is but a late and an yesterday byrde, hatched and brought forthe of many Popes, yea and that not at one tyme or in one yeare, but in many and sundrye yeares. Of thys I thought good to warne thee, good reader. Notwithstā ding be it true,Papistes enemies of gods truth or be it false. I will truly and faithfully recite and bring forth vntounto thee, whatsoeuer I shall fynde in theyr hystoryes concernyng theyr tryflyng trumperye: vse thy iudgement, and know the Papistes to be enemyes to the truth.
Pope Felix the thyrd made a decree,Bishoppes church halowers onlye. The dedition feast. ye Byshops only should halow churches, and that eueryevery citie, towne, or village should yerely kepe holy for euer after, that day wheron the Churche was halowed. In the yeare, &c. 486. Plat. Pol. Chron. Pantaleon.
Pope Innocent the fyrst decreed, that a Churche once halowed, should be halowed no more. In the yeare, &c. 408. Dist. 68. Cap. Ecclesiis semel. Ioānes Stella.
Pope Boniface the fifte made a lawe, that whatsoeuer giltye person fledde into sanctuary, that is to saye, into the Churche or churchyarde, for succoure: the same party shoulde not be drawen out agayne,Sanctuaries. but suffered there quietly to remayne. In the yeare, &c. 617. Sigeb, Sabell▪ Volat. Plat. &c.
The trimmyng of Churches.Pope Martine the fyrste made a decree, that Churches should be galantly decked, trimmed and dressed vponupon the holy dayes and solemne feastes. In the yeare of our Lord. 643. Pol. Pantal.
Women maye not come into the churche but with couered facesPope Linus made a lawe, that no woman should come into the Church, excepte her face wer couered wt a vayle or kerchiefe. In the yeare of our Lord. 70. Chronica Chronicarum. Volat. Fasciculus. Tempo. D. Barns.
Pope Eugenius the fourth bearing rule,Walkynge vp & down in churches at seruice tyme forbydden. a Councell was kepte at Basille, in the whiche it was decreed, that such as walke vp and downe in the Church at seruice time, shoulde be punished. In the yeare of oure Lorde. 1430. Plat. Volat. Lib. Concil.
Of Churchyardes.
Churcheyardes and halowynge of the samePOpe Calixte the first ordained fyrst of all the Churchyards, & the halowing of the same. In the yeare of our Lord. 222 Sabell. Plat. Christ. Massae. Pantal.
Pope Dionyse deuised to deuide the parishes with their Churches & Churchyardes,Parishes deuided. and commaunded that eueryevery Bishop shuld be cōtent with the limites of his owne diocesse: & eueryevery Priest with the boundes of his owne parishe. In the yeare of our Lord. 266. Fascicu. Temp, Volat. Pol. Lib. Concil.
¶ Of Churchgoodes.
POpe Iginius appointed, that no Churche stuffe shoulde be put to prophane vses. In the yeare of our Lord. 261 Volat. Phil. Bergom
Pope Stephen the first made a decree, that those which take away the goods of the Churche, shoulde be condemned as mēslayers. In the yeare of our Lord 261. Chron. Lib. Concil.
Pope Eusebius ordained, that suche as take away any thing appertaining vntounto the Churche, they shoulde restore ten times as much agayn. In the yeare of our Lord. 309. Chron. Germ.
Pope Iohn the fourthe made a decree, that if any inuaded or toke awaye the goodes of the Churche, he shoulde restore foure tymes as muche agayne. In the yeare of oure Lorde. 635. Ioan. Stella. Plat. Chron.
Pope Paule the seconde ordayned, that they that did alienate or withdrawe any thynge from the Churche, should be excōmunicated. In the yeare, &c. 1404. Sabell. Chron.
A good lawPope Gregory the fourth instituted, that eueryevery Churche should hauehave theyr proper possessions, wherof the Priest may liue, least yt they takyng thought for theyr liuyng, shoulde be compelled to leaue theyr dutie vndone. In ye yere &c. 846. Plat. D. Barns.
Pope Vrban the fyrst, graunted, that landes, goods and temporall possessiōs should on this condition be geuē to the Churche, that nothyng shoulde be priuate to any man, but that all thynges should be common among the Priests, so that none of them should want, but eueryevery one hauehave, whatsoeuer his necessitye requireth. In the yeare. &c. 222. Anselmus. Rid. Volat. Chro. Plat.