13.1. An extract of the kings letter to pope Gregorie.
An extract of the kings letter to pope Gregorie.
_MOst holie father, if the seat a|postolicall would vouchsafe by prouidence to consider, how great dangers haue inuaded the whole world vnder the pre|text of schisme, and speciallie the slaughter of christian people, which is of aboue two hundred thousand (as it is auouched) by the outrage of warres and battell sproong vp in sundrie parts of the world; & now late|lie to the number of thirtie thousand (by meanes of the dissention about the bishop|rike of Leods betweene two, one conten|ding vnder the authoritie of true pope, and the other vnder the title of antipape) slaine in a foughten field, whereof we make re|port with greefe; trulie the said seat would be pensiue in spirit, & with due sorow trou|bled in mind; yea at the motion of a good conscience, it would rather giue ouer the honour of that apostolicall seat, than suffer such detestable deeds further to be com|mitted, vnder the cloke of dissimulation, taking example of the true and naturall mother, which pleading before king Salo|mon, chose rather to part with hir owne child, than to see him cut in sunder. And al|though by that new creation of nine cardi|nals, against your oth (that we maie vse the words of others) made by you, wher|of a vehement cause of woondering is risen, it maie in some sort be supposed (as it is likelie) that your intent respecteth not a|nie end of schisme; yet farre be it alwaies from the world, that your circumspect seat should be charged by anie person with so great inconstancie of mind, whereby the last errour might be counted woorsse than the first, &c.
13.1. An extract of the said kings letter to the cardinals.
An extract of the said kings letter to the cardinals.
_WE being desirous to shew how great zeale we had, & haue, that peace might be granted & giuen to the church by the consent of the states of our realme, haue sent ouer our letters to our lord the pope, according to the tenure of a copie inclosed within these presents effectuallie to be executed. Wherefore we doo earnestlie beseech the reuerend college of you; that if happi|lie the said Gregorie be present at the ge|nerall councell holden at Pisa, about the yeelding vp of the papasie, according to the promise and oth by him manie a time made, to fulfill your and our desires, as we wish and beare our selues in hand he will doo; that you will so order things concer|ning his estate, that thereby God maie cheeflie be pleased, and as well Gregorie himselfe, as we, who deseruedlie doo tender his honour and commoditie with all our harts, maie be beholden to giue you and euerie of you manifold thanks.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 This yeare certeine learned men in Oxford and other places,Wicklifs do|ctrine main|teined by the learned. publikelie in their sermons mainteined and set foorth the opinions and conclusions of Wic|kliffe. This troubled the bishops and other of the cler|gie sore, insomuch that in their conuocation house, the six and twentith of Iune, by a speciall mandat of the lord chancellor in presence of the procurators, re|gents, and others, as Richard Courtneie, Richard Talbot, Nicholas Zouch, Walter Midford, & such like in great multitude: sentence was pronounced by Iohn Wels, doctor of the canon law against the books of Iohn Wickliffe doctor of diuinitie,Sentẽce p [...]|nounced a|gainst Wic|klifs books. intituled De sermone in monte, Triologorum de simonia, De perfectio|ne statuum, De ordine christiano, De gradibus cleri ecclesiae: and to these was added the third treatise, which he compiled of logike or sophistrie. These books and the conclusions in the same conteined, the chancellor of the vniuersitie of Oxford by common consent and assent of the regents and non regents of the same vniuersitie, reproued, disanulled and condemned, in|hibiting on paine of the great cursse and depriuation of all degrées scholasticall, that none from thence|foorth should affirme, teach, or preach by anie man|ner of meanes or waies, the same hereticall books (as they tearmed them) conteining anie the like opi|nions as he taught and set foorth in the same books.