Against the Begging Friars, Title page – Dedication
TVVO SHORT TREATISES, AGAINST THE Orders of the Begging Friars, compiled by THAT FAMOVS DOCTOVR OF THE CHVRCH, and Preacher of Gods word JOHN WICKLIFFE, sometime fellow of Merton, and Master of Ballioll Coll. in Oxford, and afterwards Parson of Lutterworth in Lecestershire.
Faithfully Printed according to two ancient Manuscript Copies, extant, the one in Benet Colledge in Cambridge, the other remaining in the Publike Librarie at Oxford.
Eccles. Chap. 44. vers. 8.
There are of them, that hauehave left a name behinde them, so that their praise shalbe spoken of.
At Oxford, Printed by Ioseph Barnes, printer to the Vniversitie. 1608.
Faults escaped in the printing of these Treatises against the Friars.
PAg. 1. l. 10. seet, read sett. p. 2. l. 27. stil, read skill. p. 13. l. 31. lawfully, read lawfull. p. 17. l. 3. Famulororum, read Famulorum. p. 21. l. 14. if this, read this p. 25 in the Title for. oderrs, read orders. p. 29. l. 14. yea, read the. p. 29. l 16. then, read them pag. 33. l. 7 them▪ read▪ then, p. 33. l. 20. needefull, read. meedfull. p. 40. l. 18. last, read least he. p. 47 l. 16. so, read tho. p. 50. l. 27. si, read is. p. 50, l 29. bidden read binden, p. 58. l. 16. sinfnll▪ read sinfull.
TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE my singular good Lord, Sr THOMAS FLEMYNGE Knight, Lord Chiefe Iustice of England.
RIght Honorable & my good Lord, beeing tied vntounto your Lordship with those bonds, which to recount in particular, were to exceed the bounds of an Epistle, as first for my electiō into that famous Seminarie of good learning neere VVinchester, secondly for my better promotion into that enermore iustly to be called aInde value ex Equo Troiano, vi ri omni tē pore, virtute excellē tes prode ūt Polyd. Virg Hist. Angl. l. 19. p. 381.New Colledg in Oxford (two most honorable foundatiōs of one sole Founder VVilliam of VViccham) lastly for my exceeding great hopes and farther incouragemēts in the Ministerie; all which kind fauours, as I acknowledg them to hauehave proceeded only, or especially by your Lordships meanes, so in a thankful remembrance thereof, accept I beseech you these two small Treatises ensewing, as pledges of my duty, and the meere Interest of that Honor which is due vntounto your Lordship, and hath beene of a long time (Iconfesse) vnpayd, but not vnremēbred wherfore, hauing not as yet any thinge of mine owne store worthy the bestowing, I hauehave borrowed these few lines from one, that is rich in this kinde: whose soule I trust is with God, his fame with the world, and his bones had rested in the graue, had not the restlesse malice of his cruel adversaries herein exceeded, by taking, or rather raking them vp out of the bSee the decree of the Councell of con stance, and the Execution in …oxgraue, after hee had quietly slept in the Lord, for the space of 41. years; committing them to the mercy of two merciles Elements, Fire and Water; And as if this crueltie had not s…iced to aswage there bloud thirsty appetites, Councell must be called vponupon Councell, Bishops, Archbishops, cSee Walsingham▪ pag 188. Lib. memo rabilium ex don… Nic. H…re Atm… ger…and lastly the Popes Sanctitie must be consulted, about the vtter rooting out, and abolishing of his name, and doctrine from amongst the memorie of men, & herevpon letters are sent in all post haste from the Bishops vntounto the dWalsingham. Ib pag 204.Pope, from the Pope to the king, from the king to the Archbishop, and from both king Pope and Archbishop vntounto the eIb p. 306. Pope Gregorie …ent a Bu…e by … ▪ breathing out th…eats against the Vniuersity for …uffering Wickli…es opinions to take so deepe … aduen…us dicti … nun…ij d…u in pendu…o, haerebant, vt…um papalem Bul…m … honor… reciper… velomnino cum dedecore refutare. Walsing. p. 200 … …undry other Bulles against him Ib.Chancellour of Oxford, and last of al to make the matter more sure▪ the high Court of Parliament is summoned wherein his articles beeing before condemned, must needs be published and recorded; But man fIpse consilium eo…ū d…ssipauit, qui perdit sapientium sapientiam & prudentium prud… tiam …eprobat solo nutu Wal… ▪ words retorted pag▪ 218.purposeth, and God disposeth, for behold that God which sitteth on high, laughed thē to scorne frustrated their bloudie designements, preserued his painful & learned works, to stop the mouths of lying gThe Apologie of the Roman Church is deuided into three seueral tracts wherof the second is this that the Protestants Religiō was not so much as in being at▪ or before Luthers first appear ing. See the Title pag. This is a m…st manifest… …Pamphleters which write that our Religion is nothing else but a newe and vpstart doctrine, scarsly euer heard of before Luthers time, the sharpnes of which obiection (if there be any edg in it I hauehave rebated in another Treatise dedicated vntounto an other verie Honorable Iudge of this land, of your …ordships neere acquaintāce Iudiciā sit pene… lectorem▪ where I hauehave demonstrated most cleerely, to the eie, (as they saie) the fondnes and vanitie of Father hPar…ons in his 3▪ Conuers. Part▪ 2 pag. 487. The Apol. Tract. 2. Cap 2. pag. 105.Parsons, & our Pseudo-Catho like Apologists calumniations, both against the parson of Wickliffe, and doctrine of our Catho▪ like Protestant Religiō: accusing the one of foul heresies, and monstrous absurdities, and appealing the other of manifest newnes and new-fāglene… ▪ I hauehave (as I trust) freed both from that vniust and slaunderous imputation, in the iudgment of the indifferent reader: for others that stand popishl…, indeed sottishlie affected, in the Romish religion, from whom a man shall not bee able to wring any other answere but this, we know that we are in the right and you are in the wrong (I am affraide) I shall not be able to satisfie non si persuasero no, not when I hauehave perswaded them. But to let them passe, & to excuse my selfe vntounto your Lordship, why amongst so manie Scholastical Treatises by him written, which are with vsus extant, I shoulde choose rather to publish these two small Bookes, taken out of his popular discourses, and those pēned (as it should seeme) not long after his first open manifestation of his mislike with their noted corruptions and abuses. The motiues or inducements were these: first because these Treatises are short and entire of them selues: secondly because our iHee with his Disciples went barefooted and basely clothed, in course russet garmēts—ad…oined himselfe to the beging Friars, approuing their pouertie and extolling their perfection Apol. Tract. 2. Cap. 2, pag. 106. Wickliffe himselfe sai eth, he wēt too wel apparelled, rather thē otherwise consumendo bona pauperum in excessiuo victu & vestitu De Ver. Scrip. pag. 192. & persecuting the begging Friars more then any man of his ranck place or time. Woodeford in a Ms. Treatise in defence of the orders of Friars obiecteth too great excesse of apparrel vntounto his followers.Adversaries, whose forheads are tenderer then other mens, shame not to write and cite Wickliffe for one of the order of the Begging Friars, adioining himselfe vntounto that Sect, approving there pouerty, & extolling there perfection: which notorious vntruth, is confuted in everie page & passage almost of these Two Books: lastly I hauehave chosen rather to publish somewhat of this argument, in regard of your Lordships vtter detestation of all Iesuiticall Friars, and Friarlike Iesuits. For what is spoken of the one, mutato nomine may wel be vnderstood of the other, and what is intended against the Friars, may truly be extended vntounto the Iesuits, they are so like in hypocrisie, blasphemie, treacheries, treasons, lyings, and damnable Equiuocations. And as kTales potentes in Clero▪ …siue personae simplices Collegiat… aggregatae, quae religionem Christi dissip ant sub pallio sanctitatis vel punien tur hic per praepositos suos, aut laicos; vel destruentur per vastrationes hostiles; vel congregāt facino…a in vltionem diuini iudicij, dicente Apostolo Rom. 2 Existimas autem o homo &c—Est enim dare mensuram in scelera vsus que ad▪ quam opo…tet vltionem diuini iudicij expectare. De Verit. Scrip pag. 432 433.Iohn VVickliffe prophecied of the Friars, that in short time their great Monasteries, (their great sinnes so requiring it, when the measure of their iniquities shoulde bee compleat and full,) would come to great confusion and desolation: so of that other Sect is there a prophecie extant of a lArias Mon…anas praefatione praefixa Bib…iis Interlinearibus, sublata sunt haec verba in quibusdam edit, contra eos qui soli sapere soli bene viuere Iesum que propius insequi sibi videantur, at que id palam professi iactitent. At que hi (inquit) quod neminem qui alias bene audiat, palam improbare audent, aliorum quos ad eam rem occulte inducere possunt ingenijs & nominibus abutuntur. Horum aut …, …ec artes fallunt, nec gregem prodere aut cognomen indica…e iuuat: vtuntur quidem il…i ma…no & inaccessibile ad suas agendas res mysterio, sed quod faci…e ijs qu… si…plicius … agere volunt pelluceat: quod que non post multos annos tandem aperiendum est … illius qui illuminabit abscondita cordis, & occulta tenebrarum, tunc laus erit vnicui que secundum opera sua.man very famously learned, that in short time these counterfet Iesuits, would be vnmasked, their vizors pulled of from their faces, and there knaueries and treacheries discovered vntounto the whole world. For my particular I neither wish nor prophecie there finall destruction, only the downe-fall and ruine of that damned Sect, is that which I professe I do aime at, and to vse mAgainst the order of Friars pag. 22.VVickliffs words to saue there persons & destroy their errors. Wherefore, fearing lest too many of all sorts of men should bee bewitched with this Circean Sect, I hauehave presumed to offer vp these few lines, as it were so many warrants to bee signed by your Lordships hand, and sent abroad into all parts of this land, that by vertue of them, mēmight ether apprehēd, or amend thē, take thē, or take heed of thē. What should I trouble your Lordship any farther, VVickliffe hath not as yet wanted a nThere was one William Iames a great Follower of Wickliffe. Vir vti que pulchrae literaturae, & elegantis facundiae▪ Walden. To. 2. p. 47.Iames to follow and embrase his doctrine, nor your Lordship a deuine to honor you and your most honorable Profession; professing my selfe to hauehave learned of this oVide lib. Ms De exposit. 10. Mandat in sine libri. Heagreeth fully with my L Cook in his 5. book of reports and the booke De fundamentis legum Angliae in defēse of the Kinges Regaltie.Doctor of the Euangelicall truth (as I find him by Papists stiled) to make more account and vse of the Common Lawe of this lād. And thus crauing pardō of your Lordship for hauing so long detained you from grea ter businesses of the Cōmon wealth, committing both him and my selfe vntounto your Lordships pro tection, I end, wishing vntounto your Lordship, and to your vertuous Lady my derest Sister, with al yours endlesse comforts both of this life, and of that other to come From the Publike Librarie in Oxford. Feb. 10. 1608.
Your Lordships in al Christian dutie. THO: IAMES.