II.

CHAP. “ Church and all our lond; for they letten curates of their "offeices, and spenden commonly and needless 60,000 "mark by the year, that they robben falsly of the poor "people. For if curates diden their office in good life and "true preching, as they ben holden upon pain of damned " in hell, there weren clerks enough of bishops, persons, and " other priests, and in caas over many to the people."

In this manner did Dr. Wiclif expose the abuses and corruptions of the Friars, who, being men not very patient of contradiction, and not well knowing how to bear reproof, were very angry with him, and did what they could to avenge themselves of him. But of this hereafter.

:

CHAP. III.

Of the Papal usurpations in England: they are complained of by the Parliament. The King issues out commissions to enquire what benefices, &c. were in the hands of Italians, Frenchmen, &c. Dr. Wiclif sent Ambassador to the Pope. His lectures and writings against the Pope, and the corruptions of the Clergy.

THE papal power, which had for some time been grow-Dupin Bib

lioth. tom.

ing, was now greater than ever. This is acknowledged by 12. the most learned and moderate adversaries to Dr. Wiclif's memory, that the King's power was at this time very much weakened by the encroachments of the Popes and the Bishops, and, that the exactions and impositions of the Court of Rome were become very grievous to the people. The Pope disposed of ecclesiastical benefices and dignities, as he thought fit: insomuch that the very best of them were enjoyed by Italians, Frenchmen, and other aliens, who were some of them mere boys; and not only ignorant of the English language, but even of Latin, and who never so much as saw their churches, but committed the care of them to those they could get to serve them cheapest; and had the revenues of them remitted to them at Rome, or elsewhere, by their proctors, to whom they let their tithes. Thus, for instance, that great prelate, Grosthead, Bishop of Matt. Paris Lincoln, was commanded by Pope Innocent IV. A. D. Hist. p. 722. 1253, to induct one Frederic de Lavanie, a nephew of his, and under age, or his proctor, into the corporal possession of a canonry of Lincoln, notwithstanding any usages or statutes to the contrary strengthened by oaths, or confirmations of the apostolic see, or by any other confirmation. Of this very great abuse the Parliament had often made very grievous complaints to the King, and to the Pope himself; representing to them, that "manifold inconve" niences ensued thereby; as the decay of hospitality, the

CHAP.
III.

"transporting of the treasure of the realm to the main"tenance of the King's mortal enemies, the discovering "of the secrets of the kingdom, and the utter discourage"ment, disabling and impoverishing of scholars natives of

A. D. 1343. " the land." To the same purpose they complained to the Pope, that "by his reservations, provisions, and collations,

66

a great number of souls were in peril, by their pastors " having little or no understanding at all of our language, " and of the conditions and customs of these of whom they " have the government and cure; that the service of God "was neglected, the alms and devotion of all men di"minished, the hospitals brought to decay, the churches, " with their appurtenances, ruined and dilapidated."

But notwithstanding these complaints, they could not hitherto meet with any redress. So far from it, that they now remonstrated that these usurpations did daily abound, and were more than ever were before. Nor were these complaints only made by the great men in Parliament, but by others the King's subjects, who lamented the great abuses done unto the King and his authority by the Pope. To remedy therefore a grievance and oppression, which

was now grown to that height as to be borne with no A. D. 1373. longer, the King sent John Gilbert, Bishop of Bangor, History of William de Burton, Ughtred Bolton a monk of Dunholme, King Ed

Barnes's

ward III.

p. 864.

and John de Shepeye, his ambassadors to Pope Gregory XI. then residing at Avignon, to require of him that he would forbear meddling for the future with the reservation of benefices; "That Clergymen might freely enjoy their " elections to episcopal dignities, and that it might be suf"ficient for them to be confirmed by their metropolitans,

66

as was the ancient custom." But this commission came to nothing, the ambassadors returning without being able

to obtain from the Pope any satisfactory answer. For J. Malvern though there was a concordate then made about that matlychron. ter, it was only a temporary concession of the Pope's, who

Contin. Po

MS.

Cotton's
Abridg. p.
119.
A. D. 1373.

was unwilling wholly to renounce his usurpation on ecclesiastical benefices in England. The Commons in Parliament therefore renew their request, that "remedy be pro

"vided against the provisions of the Pope, whereby he CHAP. "reaps the first fruits of ecclesiastical dignities, the trea

"

III.

p. 864.

"sure of the realm being thereby conveyed away, which Hist. of Edthey cannot bear." And an act was passed, that "cathe-ward III. "dral churches should enjoy their own elections; and that "for the future the King should not write against the per" sons so elected, but rather by his letters endeavour their " confirmation, if need were." But this act signified little.

Fox's Acts

p. 560.

561,562.

The next year therefore the King issued out a commis- A. D. 1874. sion for taking an exact survey of all benefices and digni-doct ties ecclesiastical throughout his dominions, which were ments, vol.i. then in the hands of Italians, Frenchmen, or other aliens; with a true valuation of them, and the names of the benefices, and the several incumbents. This commission was sent Ibid. p. 560, unto all the Bishops, who were commanded to send a true certificate of all and singular the premises, into the High Court of Chancery, under their seals. It was accordingly executed, and the number of such spiritual livings as were then in the possession of Priors, aliens, and other strangers, was so great, as that they are said to have filled several sheets of paper.

The King therefore, to remedy so great and growing an evil, soon after the return of these certificates, appoints other ambassadors to go to the Pope, to treat with him of the same affairs on which he had sent ambassadors to him the year before. These were the aforesaid John, Bishop of Coll. No.11. Bangor, John de Wiclif, S. T. P. John Guter, Dean of Sechow, Simon de Multon, LL. D. William de Burton, Knight, Robert Bealknap, and John de Henyngton. These History of ambassadors were met at Bruges, about the beginning of King EdAugust this year, by the Pope's Nuncios, Bernard, alias p. 866. Benedict, Bishop of Pampelone, Ladulph, or Radulph, Bishop of Senigaglia, and Giles Sancho, Provost of the Church of Valenza; who were likewise commissioned by the Pope to treat " concerning the liberties of the Church of Eng"land, and of the Prelates and other ecclesiastical persons " of the said realm of England." This treaty held off and on about two years, when, at last, it was concluded, " that A. D. 1376.

D

III.

CHAP.

III.

66

" for the future the Pope should desist from making use of "reservations of benefices; and that the King should no more confer benefices by his writ, Quare impedit." But as to the elections to episcopal dignities by the Chapters, nothing was mentioned in this treaty, which was attributed to the politic dealing of some, who knew they could more easily a attain to those they aimed at, by the Court of Rome, than by due and regular elections.

But all treaties with that corrupt Court signified very

little; for though it was now agreed, that the Pope should Cotton's A- make no more use of reservations of benefices; yet we bridgment, find it complained of in Parliament the very next year

after the conclusion of this treaty, that "the Pope did " make reservation of dignities elective, contrary to this "treaty of his, concluded with King Edward III."

Of this our Parliaments seem to have been generally very sensible, that the faith of the Pope's treaties was not to be trusted to. And accordingly we find that this very A. D. 1376. same year, in which this treaty with the Pope was made, a long bill was brought into the House of Parliament against the Papal usurpations, as the cause of all the plagues, injuries, famine, and poverty of the realm; so as Cotton's A- thereby was not left the third person, or other commodity bridgment, within the realm, as lately was. It was remonstrated 50 Edw. III. by them, "that the tax paid to the Pope of Rome

" for ecclesiastical dignities doth amount to five fold as "much as the tax of all the profits, as appertain to the "King, by the year, of this whole realm; and for some

66

one bishopric, or other dignity, the Pope, by way of "translation and death, hath three, four, or five seve"ral taxes: that the brokers of that sinful city, for mo

66

ney, promote many * caitiffs, being altogether unlearned " and unworthy, to a thousand marcs living yearly; " whereas the learned and worthy can hardly obtain twenty "marks; whereby learning decayeth. That aliens, ene