A07225:1268
Christs victory over Satan's tyranny Wherein is contained a catalogue of all Christs faithful…Christs victorie ouer Sathans tyrannie Wherin is contained a catalogue of all Christs faithfull…
Christs victory over Satan's tyranny Wherein is contained a catalogue of all Christs faithful soldiers that the Devil either by his grand captains the emperors, or by his most dearly beloved sons and heirs the popes, have most cruelly martyred for the truth. With all the poisoned doctrines wherewith that great read dragon hath made drunken the kings and inhabitants of the earth; with the confutations of them together with all his traitorous practises and designs, against all Christian princes to this day, especially against our late Queen Elizabeth of famous memory, and our most religious Sovereign Lord King James. Faithfully abstracted out of the Book of martyrs, and divers other books. By Thomas Mason preacher of Gods Word.Christs victorie ouer Sathans tyrannie Wherin is contained a catalogue of all Christs faithfull souldiers that the Diuell either by his grand captaines the emperours, or by his most deerly beloued sonnes and heyres the popes, haue most cruelly martyred for the truth. With all the poysoned doctrins wherewith that great redde dragon hath made drunken the kings and inhabitants of the earth; with the confutations of them together with all his trayterous practises and designes, against all Christian princes to this day, especially against our late Queen Elizabeth of famous memorie, and our most religious Soueraigne Lord King Iames. Faithfully abstracted out of the Book of martyrs, and diuers other books. By Thomas Mason preacher of Gods Word.
London: printed by George Eld and Ralph Blower, 1615
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The princely possessions and great pride of the Clergy in those days, did not only far exceed the measure of subjects, but surmounted the estates of Kings and Princes.
The princely possessions and great pride of the Clergie in those dayes, did not only farre excéede the measure of subiects, but surmounted the estates of Kings and Princes.
In Henry the fourth his days the Temporalties in the possessions of the Clergy of England amounted to three hundred twenty two thousand marks by the year. And it appeareth by a Libel given to Henry the eight, compiled by one Master Fish, that the Clergy had gotten into their hands more then the third part of the land of the Realm, and the goodliest Lordships, Manors and Territories are theirs, besides the tenth part of corn and all things else, and servants wages: and they look so narrowly to their tithes, that they will have the tenth egg, or else the good wife getteth no rights at Easter, and shall be taken as an heretic; beside what they get by their four offering days, proving of wills, privy tithes, offerings to pilgrimages, and at their first Masses; every one that is buried must pay somewhat for Masses and Dirges to be sung for them, else they will accuse their friends and executors for heretics. What money get they for mortuaries, by hearing confessions? and yet will keep no Counsel; by hallowing of Churches. Altars, Superaltars, Chapels and Bells, by cursing men and absolving them again for money. What a multitude of money gather the Pardoners in a year, by citing men to the Court and releasing them for money, and what abundance the begging Friars get yearly. There be two and fifty thousand parish Churches in England, and every house in the Realm payeth a penny a quarter to every of the five sorts of begging Friars, which is twenty pence yearly for every house in England. And the number of the Clergy, reckoned with men, women, and children of the Laity, are but one of four hundred; and their substance draweth nigh to the half of the whole substance of the Realm; and they do nothing therewith but exempt themselves from the obedience of your grace, and translate all power to themselves, and that your subjects may rebel against yon, and be under them, as they did unto your noble predecessor King John: they then interdicted the Realm; wherefore your Realm hath stood tributary, not to any temporal Prince, but to a cruel devilish blood-sucker, drunken in the blood of the Saints and Martyrs ever since: and what do they more? nothing but apply themselves to have to do with every mans wife, daughter, or maid: that Cuckoldry and baudry should reign amongst your subjects, that no man should know his child: