power of nominating Bishops in his own Territories whom he left to be Consecrated by others Now on the contrary the Pope would take all power into his own hands allowing no man to be Bishop of what Country soever but whom he pleas'd by which means he would wrest all favours from the Temporal jurisdiction to himself And whereas formerly Clergy-men were commonly marryed and their b Dist 28. c. si quâ—s docuerit c. si quis discernit dist 31. c. Omâ—no confitemur c. Quoniam Romani c. Aliter se Orient Canon-law it self grants them some favour in this case Now the Pope proceeds severely against the married Clergy by Excommunication and so in a manner deprived them of their Beings which was the cause of great troubles in Germany Nor was this all but also Gregory the Seventh thrust himself up above all Dominions and Authorities in the world by the assistance of a puny Synod at Rome thus declaring his Prerogative viz. That onely the Pope of Rome can depose Bishops Baron an 1076. § 31 32 33. That his Legat must take place of all other Bishops in a Council which Legat hath power to depose other Bishops That the Pope can depose those who are absent That it is lawful for the Pope onely according to the necessity of them Time to make new Laws c. That the Pope onely may use the Imperial Ensigns That all Princes are to kiss the feet of the Pope onely That his name is onely to be recited or mentioned in Churches That he hath Authority to depose Emperours That he onely can translate Bishops That no General Synod ought to be call'd without his command That no Book is Canonical without his Authority That his sentence ought not to be revoked by any body That no man ought to be Censured for Appealing to Rome That all Causes of great Importance of what Church soever must be referred to him That the Roman Church neither ever did or can err That there is but one onely name in the World i. e. the Pope That the Pope of Rome if he be Canonically Ordain'd is undoubtedly made Holy by the merits of St. Peter And some other such-like Priviledges as these were also then concluded upon Thus by little and little did the Roman Bishops dwindle the Temporal Authority to nothing by making themselves so great and powerful Alexander the Second had null'd all Lay-Patronage by making it unlawful to receive any Benefice from a secular Authority which then they call'd Simony though gave a Coquaeus p. 513. nothing for it as b Pag. 874 875. Id. pag. 868. Genebrard saith And a little before this Leo the Ninth seemed to ease the Papal See from the Imperial jurisdiction but to no purpose that Chair falling after into the Imperial Nomination as it did also in him But Gregory the Seventh by a particular c 26. Q. 7. Quoniam Investituras Baron an 1078. § 26. Canon null'd and voided all Investitures that should be made to Bishops c. by the Emperour or the secular Prince Though we are told that his Master d S. Hen. Spelman Gloss v. Investur Gregory the Sixth mainly commended this way of nominating or designing Bishops by a Pastoral Staff and Ring by the Temporal Prince whereby the other Bishops might with more Authority and less prejudice Consecrate him and that this had also e G. Carleton's jurisdiction pag. 137 138 139 c. formerly been the practice cannot be denyed and the power of Nomination is yet used by all Christian Princes within their respective Dominions Suchlike actions as these procured some heart-burnings betwixt the Emperour and Popes which at last fell to open divisions and animosity to which the troublesome Saxons were not the least Authors who had for some time born a spite against the Emperour from whose Authority and Protection they had several thoughts and consultations of withdrawing themselves To prevent this Henry had built several strong Castles and Forts amongst them which incensed them more insomuch that they did not onely fortifie and defend themselves but sent to Rome complaints against the Emperour of Oppression and Simony which Vrspergensis saith were f Accusationes blasphemas inauditas false accusations Alexander the Second then Pope upon this took the confidence to send to Henry commanding him to appear at Rome to answer before him such complaints as were laid to his charge but the Pope g An. 1072. dying presently after this Tryal fell to the ground for a time After him was Pope Gregory the Seventh who was first call'd Hildebrand and under that name commonly met withal in History but the Germans who above all things hated him for jestsake used to call him Hellebrand i. e. a Firebrand from Hell they looking upon him to be the cause of all their misfortunes whilst some others magnifie him no less than a Saint Gregory had not been above a year Pope but he sent his Legats into Germany who though they behaved themselves stoutly to the Emperour yet could not procure the Priviledge of having a Synod held there by them the native Bishops not being willing to submit to such Masters the chief of the Opposers being Liemarus Archbishop of Breme whom they undertook to suspend and the Pope afterwards thought he had completed it and at last a An. 1075. excommunicated several Bishops who adher'd to the Emperour And not long after sent an express summons to Henry himself to appear before him at Rome and that if he were not there by such a day he should be forthwith excommunicated The strangeness and boldness of this Papal summons moved the Emperour so much that he not onely sent away the Legats with scorn but sent forth Orders to all Bishops and Abbots to meet him at Worms there to hold a Council who accordingly appear'd in a very great b Amâ—lâ—ssimo numero â—am Schafâ—ab anno 1076. number where having drawn up many Accusations and Crimes against Gregory they adjudge him not fit to be Pope declare his Election void whatever he shall do as Pope after that day to be null and of no effect and so deprive him from the Popedom And to this having subscribed they sent Rowland of Parma to declare the same at Rome In the mean time Gregory had call'd a Synod at Rome which being met Rowland appears amongst them and there boldly declares to the Popes face how the Emperour and the Bishops of Italy Germany and France in a Council had deprived the said Pope But Gregory to requite this kindness the next day excommunicates and deprives the chief of the Bishops who were at Worms and for the rest he appoints a set time for them to repent and submit to him which if they did not obey then were they also partakers of the same sauce Nor doth he forget the Emperour but very dapperly excommunicates and deprives him of his Dominions and Authority The chief part of which Deposition
the Pope presently a Matt. Paris anno 1164. restored him to that and absolved him The King we may suppose was more and more incensed against Thomas for his obstinacie and for to close up all a Parliament was held at Northampton where Thomas was to appear though he had indeavoured to flee beyond Seas but being beat back by cross windes he conceal'd that purpose and looked as if he had intended no such thing All being met at Northampton Thomas is accused of several things and whilst they are consulting concerning him he caused to be sung before him at the Altar The Princes sit and speak against me and the ungodly persecute me c. Thus would he have the Office for St. Stephen though it was not then his day and against the Custom he wore the Pall. This being finished he took up his Silver Crosier in his hands an action not heard of before as they say and so enters into the Court though several of his well-wishers perswaded him from such a defying posture as if thereby he carryed his Protection Exemption or Appeal The Bishops advised him to submit but he refusing they adjudged him guilty of a Aliquando noster fuisti Archiepiscopus tenebamur tibi obedire sed quia Domino Regi fidelitarem jurasti hoc est vitam membra terrenam dignitatem sibi perte fore salvam consuetudines quas ipse repetit conservandas tu eas interis destruere praecipue cum spectent ad terrenam suam dignitatem honorem idcirco te reum perjuâ—iis dicimus perjuto Archiepiscopo dâ—caetero non habemus obedire Bar. § 29. Perjury which they declared to him by Hilarius Bishop of Chichester and so disclaimed from that time forward all obedience to him as a perjured man The Nobility also pronounce him a Traytor but he slighting them all as no competent Judges over him holding up his Crosier appeal'd to the Pope of Rome and so withdrawing himself with what speed and secresie he could he wafted himself over into Flanders and so to go to the Pope to whom he resigned his Archbishoprick but had it presently confirmed to him again Thus was Thomas caress'd by the Pope and King of France let the King perswade what he will to the contrary yet the King thought it was good policie and security to shew his disdain and resolution against him and his Whereupon he Orders the Sheriffs and Judges of England to seise upon all those who appeal'd to the Pope or Matt. Paris an 1164. Thomas with the neer Relations of all such men as were with Thomas had also Thomas's Revenues seis'd upon and the livings of those who went with him sequester'd and St. Peters Pence to be gather'd but not pay'd to the Pope till farther Order However there were some means used towards a settlement to which purpose Messengers were sent to and fro between the King and Pope and at last a meeting agreed on between them the better to decide the business But this design was spoil'd by Thomas who perswaded the Pope to have a care of the Kings cunning and not to treat with him unless he were also present intimating Baron anno 1165. § 10. to â—â—e Pope as if the King were a jugler or dissembler Thus did Thomas gain so much upon the Pope that this meeting vanished the Pope over-perswaded not to treat but in the presence of Thomas though against the former Agreement And so Henry was resolved not to confer any thing with the Pope in the presence or competition of Thomas his Subject This meeting or half-agreement thus broke off not long after Thomas writes to the King beginning Expecting we have expected Baron anno 1166. § 45. that the Lord would look upon you and that being converted you would do penance departing from your perverse ways And then tells him how Bishops used to Excommunicate Kings and also writes to the Bishops of England commanding them to issue out Censures against those who hinder Appeals to the Pope c. absolves Id. § 54. all from the Oaths they made to keep any contrary Constitution And to carry up Thomas against all opposition and to make his Authority more glorious and formidable to his Enemies the Pope creates him Legat in England Alexander servus servorum Anno 1167. Bar. § 21. Dei Dilecto fratri Tho. Archiepiscopo Cant. salutem Apostol Benedictionem Sacro-Sancta Rom. Eccles digniores personas eas maxime quas honestate prudentia literatura eminentia virtutum praefulgere cognoscit ampliori consuevit charitate amplecti gloria honore praevenire Inde est quod nos tibi Legationem totius Angliae excepto Episcopatu Eboracensi benigno favore concedimus ut ibi vice nostra corrigas quae inveniri corrigenda ad honorem Dei Sacrosanctae Romana Ecclesiae salutem animorum statuas aedifices plantes quae statuenda fuerint plantanda Dat. Anagniae Alexander servant of the servants of God to our beloved Brother Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury greeting and Apostolical Benediction The most Holy Church of Rome always used to embrace with great chariry and prefer in glory and honour persons of eminent worth and them especially whom she knoweth to be most famous for honesty wisdom learning and excellencie of vertues This is the cause that with Our loving favour We grant and bestow on you the Legantine Authority over all England excepting onely the Archbishop of York to the end that within your jurisdiction in Our place and authority you correct what you finde worthy amendment and that to the honour of God the holy Church of Rome and for the salvation of Souls you do constitute build and plant whatsoever is to be setled and planted Given at Anagni Being thus rais'd above himself countenanced and upheld against all opposition he hurries into England to the Bishops a threatning Letter against the King and the Constitutions confirm'd at Clarendon telling the Bishops That We have too long and too much forborn the King of England Baron § 26. nor hath the Church of God gain'd any benefit by this Our induring It seemeth dangerous and intollerable for us to leave any longer unpunished as hitherto We have done so great excesses of Him and his Officers against the Church of God and Ecclesiastical persons especially since We have very often endeavoured by Messengers Letters and all manner of means as became Vs to recal him from his perverse purpose Because therefore he will hardly afford Vs the hearing much less attentively listen unto Vs We have with Invocation of the Grace of the holy Ghost publickly condemned and declared as void that Deed of Writing with the Authority of that Indenture wherein are contain'd not the Customs but rather the wicked divices whereby the Church of England is disturb'd and confounded And have hereby also Excommunicated all the Observers Exactors Counsellors Assistants and Defenders of the same And do
not de jure to wit whether the Pope might justly in this or that occasion excommunicate or depose this or that Prince upon these or these causes or whether precedent Popes have done well therein or no then might some of those reasons which you say your Friends do alledge be admitted into consideration to wit whether it would be in aedificationem or destructionem do hurt or good be profitable or improfitable or whether the causes be sufficient or no for without cause none holdeth that the Pope may depose or whether the due form of admonition touched in your Letters were observed But for as much as the Question is de Potestate of the See Apostolick power what it may do upon any cause or against any Catholick Prince whatsoever these considerations of temporal hurt cannot enter Besides these I have conferred the matter with Cardinal Bellarmine and sundry others of great Learning and Conscience and all are of Opinion in this case that the form of the Oath as it lyeth is Heretical and no way may be admitted by him that will not deny the Catholick Faith I have had occasion twice to speak with his Holiness the first in company of Mr. Thomas Fitzherbert where we proposed certain manners of Mitigation suggested by Friends c. Where to his Holiness answered That as for any actual using Censures against his Majesty he meant not but rather all courtesie but as for the Authority of the See Apostolick to wit for using of Censures he was resolved and would rather loose his head than yeild one jot The second he being informed that some Priests did seem to incline to the taking of the Oath he answered He could not hold them for Catholicks c. What an enemy this Parsons was to his Native Country we may discourse of hereafter onely at this time we shall go no farther than what belongs to the Popes power now in hand yet we may observe by the by that whatever he writ he never put his own name to it but sometimes false ones and sometimes onely two Letters which he commonly alter'd in every new Pamphlet stuft up onely with evasions resolved to let the Romanists know what he meant but would never acknowledge any thing to be proved against him yet an indifferent Judge will acknowledge his hints to be bold enough In one place thus he tells the Learned Morton You know that deposition of Princes is an effect of Excommunication P. R. Quiet and sober reckoning pag. 64. and can never happen by Ecclesiastical Authority but where Excommunication hath gone before And I would ask M. Morton in good earnest out of his Divinty when a Christian Prince is lawfully excommunicated and shut out from all society of Christian Communion and he persists Impenitent how can he be head of a Christian Common-wealth for so much as he is no member nor hath any place or part at all in the whole body the head-ship being the chief part of all others In another place he telleth thus his own Principles from his learned Opponent Catholick Subjects do believe that in some cases there is power Id. Pag. 80. left by God in the Church and the Head thereof the Bishop of Rome over Princes to use not onely spiritual Censures for restraint of Exorbitant Excesses but Temporal Remedies also either directly or indirectly when urgent necessity of the Common-wealth should require All Catholick Subjects also of other Countries do hold and acknowledge Id. Pag. 81. this Doctrine In another of his Books against the foresaid Oath of Allegiance to the objection that some Roman Catholicks had taken it he thus answereth The judgement of a Catholick English-man in a Letter touching the Oath of Allegiance p. 18. § 30. I cannot but in charity assure my self that they being Catholicks took the said Oath for so much as concerneth the Popes Authority in dealing with Temporal Princes in some such lawful sence and interpretation as being by them expressed and accepted by the Magistrate may stand with the integrity and sincerity of true Catholick Doctrine and Faith to wit that the Pope hath not Authority without just cause to proceed against them But concerning the general Question to deny simply and absolutely Ib. Pag. 19. § 31. That the Pope is Supream Pastor of the Catholick Church hath any Authority left him by Christ either directly or indirectly with cause or without cause in never so great a necessity of the Christian Religion to proceed against any Prince whatsoever Temporally for his restraint or amendment or to permit other Princes to do the same This I suppose was never their meaning that took the Oath for that they should thereby contradict the general consent of all Catholick Divines and confess that Gods Providence for the Conservation and Preservation of his Church and Kingdom upon earth had been defectuous for that he should have left no lawful Remedy for so great and excessive an evil as that way might fall out And if you look but a little a Id. P. 85. § 25. farther you will see where the Shoe pincheth and that to deny the Popes power to depose Kings is one of the main reasons they have against this Oath the Affirmative being one of the greatest Pillars that upholds their puissant Hierarchy right or wrong And in another of his b Temperate Ward-word p. 53 54. Pamphlets you will see him close with Cardinal Allen Sanders and suchlike against Princes in behalf of the Popes power over them Nor need we question his attributing this Authority to the See of Rome when he alloweth the same to the People not onely telling them that they may Rebel against c See his R. Dolemans conference about the Crown but depose their King too and it may be worse of which in its due place But enough of Robert Parsons at this time unless he were better And if we consult some others abroad we shall finde d Con. in 2. 2. D. Tho. pag. 63. § 151. Johannes Wiggers e Com. in 2. 2. Aquin. Quest 12. art 2. Hieronymus de Medicis the Dominican f In 2. 2. D. Tho. in Summario Conclusionum d. 57. conclus 2. Luisus Turrianus the Spanish Jesuit g Com. in 2. 2. Quest 1. art 10. disp 8. Johannes Malderus Bishop of Antwerp and h De potestate Ecclesiastica fol. 154. Potest Papa jure optimo à gradu dignitate sua omnem Regem Principem dejicere non solum propter Heresim Schisma propter quam vis aliam sceleâ—osam impietatem verum etiam propter secordiam negligentiam ad regendum ineptitudinem si praesertim ejusmodi sit ut Regnum periclitetur Christianorum Johannes Antonius Delphinus allow that Kings may justly be deposed and that by the Pope and to these we may add Carolus Scribanius the Dutch Jesuit under the false name of i Amphitheatrum Honoris lib. 1. cap. 12. Clarus Bonarscius
sometimes is not onely tyrannical wicked and debauched but a simple Boy too and some think also a whorish b See Alexand Cook 's Pope Joan and les sieur Congnard traite contre Bâ—ondel Woman to boot So that it is no wonder that there is such striving canvassing bribery and underhand-dealing to be made Pope if their so being instantly invest them with such an unlimited Authority over all the world and that by Divine right too but of such a Nature that none can see into this Milstone but themselves or favourites And that there may not be any objection against this Authority of the Pope Bozius undertakes to demonstrate it by Examples which you shall have as he gives us them and then judge either of the Heresie or Authority of the Popes Thus he tells us that Baldwin II was lawful Successor to the Eastern Empire yet Michael Palaeologus by force of Arms and wickedness took the Empire from him However for all this injury as he saith did Pope Gregory X allow so much of it that he gave the Empire to the Invador and excluded the lawful Inheritor Another instance he giveth concerning the Western Empire viz. that Richard Duke of Cornwal Son to King John and Brother to Henry III of England being by one part of the Electors of Germany viz. by the Bishops of Mentz Colen and the Palsgrave chosen Emperour And Alonso X King of Castile being by another part viz. Archbishop of Trevers King of Bohemia Duke of Saxony and Marquiss of Brandeburg also chosen Emperour And so by consequence as he saith it must of necessity belong to one of these two Yet such was the pleasure of the aforesaid Gregory X that he threw them both by and commanded the Electors to pitch upon another by which means Rodulph Earl of Habspurgh and Hessia came to be Emperour And the same power Bozius saith the Pope hath over Infidels and to prove this by Example he hints to us the Donation of America by Alexander VI and his huge Authority divided between the Castilian and Portugal And I wonder that before this time he hath not given the World in the Moon to some of his Favourites And as Pope a H. Estiene Apol. pour Herodot p. 465 466. Clement VI commanded the Angels to carry such Souls into Paradise so might some of his Successors command some pretty vehicles or other to carry his friends beyond the Earths attraction and so into the Dominions of the Lunary World where by a zealous Croisade and a furious Inquisition those pretty people might be taught Rebellion THE REBELLIOUS AND Treasonable Practises Of the ROMANISTS From the Year DC to the Year M. With a Blow at Constantines Donation The Popes absolute Temporal Authority and Legality of his Being BOOK III. CHAP. I. The Tale of Constantines Donation proved a meer Cheat and Forgery I Shall not here ingage my self in the Dispute whether S. Peter was ever Bishop of Rome or no nor with the time of his presiding there a De Rom. Pont. l. 1. c. 6. Bellarmine their famous b Addit ad Platin. viz. S. Petri. Onuphrius and some others not agreeing about the manner and several Learned Men have imployed themselves on both parties in this Controversie Nor by what means the Popes came to that greatness they are now in and pretend of right to have Christ said c Joh. 18. 36. his Kingdom was not of this world nor did S. Peter or any of the rest of the Apostles endeavour to obtain either any such Temporal Government or upon the account of their Spiritual to lord it with a coercive Power over Secular Authority And if any of their Successors plead such Prerogatives they can draw no Arguments either from the Precept or Example of the Apostles Not but that the Clergy are as capable of Temporal Imployments as any if the Supreme Magistrate so order it without whose appointment the Lay-man himself cannot pretend to Office What jurisdiction the Bishops of Rome exercised over Princes for the first Ages as History is altogether silent so cannot we imagine that they did considering in what Persecutions they themselves lived being for their own preservation forced to sculk and lurk about here and there and that in poverty too insomuch that if we consult their own Histories we shall finde that the first XXXIII Bishops of Rome suffer'd Martyrdom till a An. 314. Sylvester in the days of Constantine the Great In whose time by the Emperours declaring himself a Christian Christianity began to appear more publick being thus countenanced by Authority whereby those who formerly lurk'd in Caves and Forrests wandred about Mountains and dissembled their Profession for fear of persecution now boldly shewed and declared themselves and had places of Trust and Authority conferred upon them whereby they became more formidable to the Pagans and Religion daily gained more Proselytes Splendour and Jurisdiction By this Emperour Constantine they say that the Popes of Rome had not onely many Priviledges but God knows how much Land too given them viz. not onely Rome it self but also all the Provinces Places and Cities of all Italy and the Western Region and that he might be more glorious and powerful in all the World than the Emperour himself And thus we see them set on Cock horse and whence many of them plead a Prerogative And for proof of this they not onely say that they can shew you the Decree it self but from it and other Authors tell the Reason of such a Donation which because the Storie is pretty and miraculous take as followeth in short Constance they say being a wicked Tyrant and an Heathen murthering his own Son Crispus the Consul c. at last was sorry Baron anno 324. § 16 17. for his own wickedness and desired to be clensed therefrom but his Pagan Priests told him That they had no means of purging such heinous Offences In the mean time one Aegyptius supposed by b Anno 324. § 27. Baronius to be Osius Bishop of Corduba a Christian told the Emperour That the Christians had a way to clense a man from any guilt To which Constantine lent a willing ear though upon that did not forsake his Idolatry but persecuted the Christians insomuch that Pope Slyvester with some others for their own safety stole from Rome and hid themselvs in the Mountain Soractes now call'd c Or M. St. Oresto Baron § 33. Monte S. Tresto corrupted as they say from Monte di S. Silvestro North from Rome upon the Westside of Tiber. For these crimes and oppressions they say he was as by a judgement strangely infected with the Leprosie or Meselry according to the old Translation of d Translat of Ranulphus of Chesters Polycron fol. 212. John Trevisa Vicar of Barckley almost CCC years ago to be cured of this disease he applyeth himself to his Physitians but with no benefit then the Pagan Priests of the Capitol advised him
to make a Cistern or Bathing-place in the Capitol and therein wash his body with the warm bloud of Edict Constant Rich. Broughton Eccles Hist Age 4. cap. 5. little Children and to effect this upon his consent the Flamens prepared a great number of Infants some write a Pet de Natal l. 2. c. 22. Jac. de Vorag Hist 12. Jo. Trevisa Policron fol. 212. Alonso de Villigas Flos Sanctorum 31 Decemb. la vida de San. Silvâ—stre three thousand and was going to kill them to fill the Bath with their bloud but Constantine being moved to compassion by the cries and lamentations of their Mothers abhorred such cruelty and wickedness causing the Children to be restored to their Parents with rewards and means to carry them to their dwelling places The night following the Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul appear to him saying Because thou hast hindred this wickedness and hast detested to shed the blood of Innocents we are sent to thee by Christ our Lord and God to tell thee how to be cured Hear us therefore and do what we admonish thee Sylvester the Bishop of this City flying thy Persecutions with some others of his Clergy are hid in the Cliffs of Mount Soracte send for him and he will provide an holy Bath in which thou shalt be wash'd and so clensed from thy disease Constantine the next morning sends to finde out Sylvester to whom being come he told the storie of his Vision and asked him what Gods Peter and Paul were and desired to see their Pictures which being shewed him he declared that they were the very same who appeared to him the night before Upon this he was Baptized by Sylvester and so clensed from his Leprosie an hand from Heaven at the same time touching him as he himself saw Upon this the Emperour became hugely Munificent to the Church of Rome by his Decree ordering that she shall be above the IV Patriarchal Seats Antioch Alexandria b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Constantinople and Hierusalem and that the Bishops of Rome shall be above all others in the world all things belonging to Christianity to be govern'd by them In proof of this he built a Church in the Lateran where to maintain lights he gave Lands and Possessions in Asia Thracia Graecia Africa Italy and several Islands he gave his Palace also in the Lateran with his Crown and all his other imperial Habiliments Badges and Authority and the more to exalt him the Emperour himself like a Foot-boy led the Popes Horse about by the Bridle and bestowed upon him and his Successors the City of Rome with the c Provincias loca Civitatis Edict Constant Places Cities and Provinces of Italy and the Western Countries and then in a solemn manner curst and damn'd to the pit of Hell all those whether his succeeding Emperours or any others who any ways opposed or violated this his Donation And this Edict or Donation of Constantine is dated at Rome Constantine and Gallicanus being Consuls Thus we have the storie and the Imperial Decree of Donation which have made such a noise in the World and all as true as the Tale of this Sylvester's d Guil. Gazet Hist des Saincts Tom. 2. 31 Decemb. Pet. de Natal l. 2. c. 22. tying up and there to remain till the day of Judgement a huge Dragon in a Den which every day onely with its breath slew above e Jac. de Vorag Hist 12. three hundred men which quite puts down the storie of Sir Eglomore Now the better to batter down the imaginary Castle of the Popes Temporal Authority and that the Cheat and Forgerie may appear more visible we shall shew that the Foundation of all is a meer lye the occasion of such a Donation viz. the storie to be false and then the Decree it self as a consequence must vanish also However the Edict it self shall also be proved a Counterfeit by such Arguments and Authorities as Hottoman Dr. Crakinthorpe Laurentius Valla du Plessis our Country-man Cook c. affords us but with as much brevity as can be That the storie and occasion of such a Donation is false appears plainly I. Valerius Crispus was alive after this supposed Baptism and so his murther could no way intitle Constantine to the Leprosie and for Sozom. l. 1. c. 5. Trip. Hist Cassiodor lib. 1. cap. 6. Evagr. l. 3. c. 40 41. Nâ—ceph l. 7. c. 35. Platina vit Marci Broughton's Hist Eccles pag. 476. § 2. Id. pag. 494. § 9. Jo. Mariana de rebus Hispan l. 4. c. 16. truth of this we need go no further than this that they cannot deny but both their Ancient and their Modern Authors declare this Crispus to have been Baptized with Constantine and alive after the Synod supposed to be held at Rome upon this christning of the Emperour Nor was Constantine a Tyrant II. The Leprosie it self is confest by their a Viâ— Marci vit Hadrian I. Canus loc Theol. l. 11. c. 5. § 5. Naucler generat 11. Platina and others to be a meer forgery not mentioned by Eutropius Orosius and such-like ancient Writers nor was there any cause for such a Disease Constantine being a good Emperour III. Constantine did not persecute the Christians till this supposed Leprosie Euseb vit Constant l. 1. c. 5. l. â— c. 1 4 12 13 14. l. 10. c. 16. Cedren Hist Sozom. l. 1. c. 8. but on the contrary hugely favoured them in somuch that Licinius the Heathen Consul accused him to his Souldiers for so doing And which is more he did not onely countenance them but was a profest Christian himself his Father Constantius favouring that way and his Son Constantine instructed in it and some say in Britain at b Broughton's Eccles Hist p. 460 461. § 5 6 7. Abington in Barkshire but of the latter I say nothing IV. Being thus a Christian he could not be ignorant what S. Peter and S. Paul were in that time of Sylvester and so not to suppose them to be Gods after an Heathenish manner And if he were ignorant how came he to know what they were for in his supposed Decree where the storie is he doth not tell us that they told him If they did 't is probable that they would not leave him a supposed Pagan in the dark but also declare what they were besides telling their names nor doth he say they told him that V. Again being thus a Christian he would not make use of Heathen Priests either to clense him from his iniquities nor need Aegyptius or Osius upon that supposed infidelity inform him of the Efficacie of Christ and his Religion Neither would he consent to the wicked advise of the Pagan Flamens for his Cure by the bloud of so many Innocent Children VI. If Constantine had consented to this cruelty yet 't is not probably that he need either have such a number slain as some say three thousand nor would he have had it
that none but Cardinals can elect a Pope that if ever a Bishop of Rome was chosen by those Cardinals who were created by an Antipope or one not truely as they say Christ's Vicar that then such an Election is of no validity being made by those who were not truely Cardinals and so wanted an authentick Authority to make such an election And if the succession once fail I know not how or when it must begin again But because the aforesaid Italian foundeth his main design upon Simony I shall onely Preface a little on the same crying sin and that but a few years before his Sixtus the Fifth When they declare that the sin of a Gondissalv de Villadiego contra haereticam pravitatem Quaest 1. § 3. Flav. Cherubinus Compend Bullar Tom. 1. pag. 152. Card. Jacobat de Concil l. 8. art 8. § 8. Id. l. â— art 4. § 53. and so their Canon-Law 1. q. 1. c. Presbyter c. Quicunque c. Cumliqueat c. Eos qui. c. Fertur c. Statuimus Decretum Simony is Heresie and so he that is guilty of the first must also be an Heretick and when they also confess that if a Pope be b Petr. de Balsius director Electionum cap. 14. Hieron Monfred deces 321. Eman. Sa Aphorism v. Papa 1. chosen by Simony then that Election is null and void and seeing they go yet farther as to affirm that if a Pope be Heretical he is not onely c Mart. de Caraziis de Principibus Quaest 199. inferiour to all other Christians but d Jo. Hieron Alban de potest Papae p. 1. § 6. Card. Jacobis de Concil l. 9. art 1. § 12 3. Martinus de Caraziis de Principibus Quest 522. Eman. Sa Aphorism v. Papa § 6. falleth from his Popedom and so not being Head of the Church 't is no difficult matter from these Principles thus granted by them to prove a failing if not an end of their succession And that Popes ought of old to be deposed for obtaining their Dignities by Simony or suchlike unlawful means is undeniable from the a Si quis pecunia veâ— gâ—atia humana aut populari mihtarive tumultu siâ—e concâ—rdi Câ—â—oâ—â—â—a Electione Cardinaltum in throno Petri collocatus is non Apostolicus sed Apostaticus id est à rationed ficiens meritò vocetur liceatque Cardinalibus Clerius Laius Deum colentibus illum ut pradonem anathematizarâ— quovis humano auâ—â—â—o à sede Apostolica propellere atque quovis in loco si in Urbe non liceat Catholicos hujusâ—e rei causa congregare Pâ—atâ—na vit Nichol. II. Dâ—st 97. c. si qâ—â—s Decree made above DC years ago in the time of Nicholas the Second in a Council at Rome And since that time Julius the Second made a more vigorous Bull against the Simoniacal Election of Popes and the nulling of such a choice of which we shall speak more hereafter Now if that horrid and unmanly sin of Simony make an Election illegal and void what shall we think of Pope Alexander the Sixth who by this corrupt means obtain'd the Papal dignity as their own b De rebus Hispan lib. cap. 2. Mariâ—na c Vit. Alexand VI. apud Platâ—n Onuphrius with d Lib. 1. beginninâ—g Guicciardine do declare and though e Anti Mornaeus Tom. 2. p. 305. Coquaeus is unwilling to meddle with this objected crime yet his Country-man and fellow Doctor of Paris f Iâ—â—ne faut point chercher tant de Tesmoins pour proves une chose que tout le monde avoüe Coeffet Râ—sponse au Mystere d'Iniquite pag. 1209. Coeffeteau not being able to confute the Objection doth profess that we need not trouble our selves to bring out Testimonies to prove it since all the world doth confess it If this Alexander by his illegal obtaining that dignity was no true Pope then the Cardinals by him created were also false ones and so the Popes by them elected of no true Authority or Jurisdiction to be Christ's Vicars This Alexander remaining Bishop of Rome above eleven years at several Creations others dying in the time made these following XLIII Cardinals 1. Jo. Borgia   2. John Morton Archbishop of Canterbury   3. Jo. Anton. de S. Georgio â— 1 4. Jo. de la Grolaye   5. Bernardinus Coravagial â— 2 6. Raymund Perauld   7. Caesar Borgia Bastard to Pope Alexander the Sixth for this Pope had three Sons and two Daughters   8. Hippolitus Estiensis   9. Fridericus Cassimirus Son to the King of Poland   10. Julianus Caesarius â— 3 11. Dominicus Grimanus â— 4 12. Alexander Farnesius â— 5 13. Bernardinus de Lunate   14. Guillielmus Brissoneta   15. Bartholomaeus Martinus   16. Johan de Castro â— 6 17. Johan Lopez   18. Johan Borgia Nephew to the Pope poysoned by Caesar Borgia   19. Aloysius de Arragonia â— 7 20. Philipp de Lucemburgo   21. Georg. de Ambosia â— 8 22. Thomas ex oppido Herdouth Hung arus   23. Jacobus Serra al. Casanova â— 9 24. Petrus Issualies   25. Diego Hortado de Mendozza   26. Franciscus Borgia supposed to be Son to the Pope Callistus the Third â— 10 27. Johan Vera â— 11 28. Ludovicus Podacatharus â— 12 29. Jo. Anton. Trivultius â— 13 30. Jo. Baptist Terrarius   31. Amanatem de Albreto â— 14 32. Petr. Ludovic Borgia â— 15 33. Marcus Cornelius â— 16 34. Jo. Stephanus Ferrerius â— 17 35. Johan Casteller â— 18 36. Franciscus Remolinus   37. Franciscus Soderinus â— 19 38. Melchior Copis   39. Nicholaus de Flisco â— 20 40. Franciscus de Sprata al. Spares â— 21 41. Hadrianus Castellensis â— 22 42. Jacobus Casanova â— 23 43. Franciscus Iloris â— 24 After the death of this Alexander XXXVII Cardinals after some disturbance and fears enter into the Conclave to elect another Pope and of this little number there were XXIV of this Alexanders Creation whose names you see mark'd with this â— In this Conclave was Pius the Third chosen but how could he be legally elected if almost two parts in three of the Cardinals had no lawful voice But again supposing all the Cardinals to belegally created yet how can the election of this Pius be true and lawful seeing he was so far from having the voices of two parts in three or a Majority though this would not make a true election that he onely obtain'd the a Alphons Ciaconius vit Pii III. less part or number in the Conclave for him and yet was I know not how declared for Pope What in part hath been objected against Pius the Third may also pass upon Julius the Second for though at his election there were XXXVII Cardinals in the Conclave yet XXVI were of Alexanders creation And if this stand good then we may affirm that there hath been no true Pope
ridiculous shadow without life or soul but as it received a being from Rome But leaving these we might tell you how a little after the English had got the Whim of a conditional Covenant and which is as bad Perjury For though they had sworn Allegiance to Maude Speed § 1 4 30. the Empress yet her they reject and swear a broken conditional subjection to Stephen Yet when they saw him a little downward then they cast him off and play the same conditional knack to the Empress Maude Sect. 2. The troubles of England by the arrogancie and obstinacie of Thomas à Becket against his Soveraign King Henry the Second HOwever waving these though treasonable enough we shall come to the next viz. King Henry the Second of part of whose Reign it will not be amiss to give some hints seeing so great a man as Thomas Becket is concerned in it whom some call Saint and Martyr whilst others allow him no better title than a Traytor But of this with all brevity This Thomas Becket was Son to one Gilbert Becket a Citizen of London and by the favour of Theobald Archbishop of Canterbury was made an Archdeacon in that See and was placed about the person of Henry then but Duke who coming to be King advanced him to be Lord High Chancellor of England and upon the death of the former Theobald made him Archbishop of Canterbury Having thus seen the great rise of Thomas by the Kings love grace and favour let 's now see how he lost the affection of King Henry For some time he thus lived in great repute with the King though Henry was a little troubled at the humour or design of Thomas to throw up his Chancellorship without acquainting him with it After this the Pope call'd a Council at Tours whither went the two Archbishops and several Bishops of England having first procured the Kings a Per missione Regis Matt. Paris an 1164 leave for going thither Where an ancient b Guil. Neubrig lib. 2. c. 16. Historian tells us that Thomas privately surrendred up his Archbishoprick to the Pope as if the Kings Nomination or Investiture had not been sufficient which was restored again by the Pope and so Thomas was cocksure of both Presentations and Authorities And probably this underhand-dealing and nulling of his jurisdiction might somewhat alienate the affection of Henry although c Baronius d An. 1163. § 29. will not allow of any such surrender at this time though for his dissent we must not be content onely with his word neither producing Reason or Authority for his so doing since 't is probable enough being thus back'd with the Testimony of Neubrigensis that Thomas might yeild it up now in his Prosperity for a farther confirmation and in his low condition do it also to procure pity and so make his party there the stronger against his King and Soveraign which was then his main design Add to these the strange Priviledges the Clergy boasted of by exempting themselves from all secular jurisdiction were the crime never so villanous insomuch that a Priest of the Diocess of Sarum having murder'd one Thomas had him deprived and placed in an Abbey that so he might not fall under greater punishment according to his desert by the Kings Justiciaries lest forsooth he should suffer twice for one fault And upon this last pretended Priviledge may we lay the Foundation of the following troubles For the King perceiving no signs of Peace and Tranquillity amongst his Subjects if this exception of the Clergy was permitted the people of that Coat having committed above an hundred Murthers in the short time he had yet Reigned was resolved that all the Clergy who were taken in any Robbery Murder Felony burning of Houses and the like should be tryed in Temporal Courts and suffer as well as Laymen Against this wholesome Law the Archbishop opposeth himself and will onely grant that Speed § 14. all Clergy-men so offending should be tryed in the Spiritual Courts and by men in Orders who if they were found guilty should for the first time onely be deprived of their Office and Benefice yet he granted that for the second time they might lye at the Kings pleasure as some think though d Baron an 1163. § 31. others confess that he would not allow them at any time to be delivered over to the Temporal Authority And for these irrational Priviledges Thomas was so resolute that at Westminster he openly opposed the King and got others to do so too which mightily incensed his Majesty but pleased Pope Alexander the Third to the purpose yet fearing their hearts might fail them he sends his incouraging lines into England commanding them by vertue of their obedience to stand firm for the Exemption of the Clergy nor at all to consent to the King and that if he or Baron an 1163. § 39 40. any of the rest had in these times promised obedience to the King not to keep such promises but all this did not much prevail For the King was resolved to have the Laws and Customs of his Ancestors kept up in full force and carryed his business so well that at last he had not onely the other Bishops of his opinion but Thomas also consenting who faithfully promised and sware to observe them And for their farther ratification and authority the King calls an Assembly at Clarendon in Wiltshire where the Bishops and Nobility meet him and John of Oxford sat as President But here Thomas for all his former promise at first absolutely falls off and denyeth consent to the Constitutions though at last he was so far worked upon one way or another that he there publickly sware that in the word of a Priest and sincerely he would observe them to the King and his Heirs for ever But when the King would have him to Subscribe and Seal to them as the other Bishops had done he absolutely refused and retracted what he had formerly sworn The Constitutions in all were sixteen but those which Thomas opposed were such as these That Priests guilty of Felony Murther c. should be tryed before the Secular Judges That it should not be lawful for any Archbishop or Bishops to depart the Kingdom and go to the Pope upon his summons without the Kings License That no Bishops should Excommunicate any holding of the King in Capite or put any other of his Officers under interdict without the Kings License or information to the Judge That if the Archdeacon cannot decide the Controversie they may go to the Bishop and from him to the Archbishop and lastly â—â— the King so that none shall appeal to the Pope of Rome for any cause whatsoever without the Kings License c. These and suchlike were approved of at Clarendon by all onely Thomas excepted who thought himself to have sinn'd so grievously for the former consenting to them that by way of Penance he suspended himself from his Priestly Function but
qui nos in hoc supremo Justitiae Throno licet tanto oneri impares voluit collocare de Apostolica potestatis plenitudine Declaramus praedictam Elizabetham Haereticam Haereticorum Fautricem eique adhaerentes in praedict is Anathematis sententiam incurrisse esseque a Christi Corporis unitate praeeisos Quin etiam ipsam praetenso Regni praedicti jure necnon omni quocunque Dominio Dignitate Privilegioque privatam Et etiam Proceres Subditos Populos dicti Regni ac caeteros omnes qui illi quomodocunque juraverunt a juramento hujusmodi ac omni prorsus Dominii fidelitatis obsequii debito perpetuo absolutos prout Nos illos praesentium Authoritate Absolvimus Privamus eandem Elizabetham praetenso jure Regni aliisque omnibus supra dict is Praecipimusque Interdicimus universis singulis Proceribus Subditis Populi aliis praedict is ne illi ejusve monitis Mandatis legibus audeant obedire qui secus egerint eos simili Anathematis sententia innodamus Quia vero difficile nimis esset Praesentes quocunque illis opus erit perferre Volumus ut eorum Exempla Notarii Publici manu Praelati Ecclesiastici ejusve Curiae Sigillo obsignata eandem illam prorsus fidem in judicio extra illud ubique Gentium faciant quam ipsae praesentes facerent si essent exhibitae Datum Romae apud S. Petrum Anno Incarnationis Dominicae Millesimo Quingentesimo Sexagesimo Nono Quinto Kalend b b Their Bullaâ—ia Edit Rom. 1638. by a mistake hath V K al. Maii but the former Edit viz. Rom. 1617. in this is right enough Martii Pontificatus nostri Anno Quinto Cae. Glorierius H. Cumyn The Sentence declaratory of our Holy Lord Pope Pius V. against Elizabeth the pretended Queen of England and the Hereticks adhering to her Wherein also all her Subjects are declared Absolved from the Oath of Allegiance and whatever else due unto her and those who hereafter obey her are hereby Anathematiz'd Pius Bishop servant of the servants of God for a future Memorial of the matter HE who Raigneth in the Highest to whom is given all power in Heaven and in Earth hath committed one holy Catholick and Apostolick Church out of which there is no Salvation to one alone upon Earth namely to Peter the the chief of the Apostles and to Peters Successor the Bishop of Rome to be govern'd in fulness of power Him alone he made Prince over all People and all Kingdoms with power a To pluck up destroy scatter consume plant and to build that he may continue the Faithful who are knit together with the bond of Charity in the Unity of the Spirit and present them safe and unblameable to their Saviour In discharge of which Function we who are by the goodness of God call'd to the Government of the foresaid Church do spare no pains labouring with all earnestness that Unity and Catholick Religion which the Author thereof hath for the tryal of his Childrens Faith and for our amendment suffer'd to be punish'd with so great afflictions might be preserv'd whole and uncorrupt But the number of the ungodly have gotten such power that there is no place left in the whole World which they have not endeavour'd to corrupt with their most wicked Doctrines Amongst others Elizabeth the Pretended Queen of England and the servant of wickedness hath assisted thereunto in whom as in a Sanctuary the most pernicious of all have found a refuge This very woman having seiz'd on the Kingdom and monstrously usurping the place of Supreme Head of the Church of all England and the chief Authority and jurisdiction thereof hath again brought back the said Kingdom into miserable distraction which was but even then newly reduced to the Catholick faith and an hopeful condition For having by strong hand forbid the Exercise of the true Religion which Mary a lawful Queen of famous Memory had by the assistance of this See restored after it had been overthrown by Henry VIII a Revolter from the Truth She following and imbracing the errors of Hereticks hath removed the Royal Council consisting of the Nobility of England and fill'd it with obscure Heretical fellows hath supprest the embracers of the Catholick Faith setled dishonest Preachers and wicked Ministers abolish'd the Sacrifice of the Mass Prayers Fastings choice of Meats unmarried life and the Catholick Ceremonies commanded all the Kingdom over Books manifestly Heretical to be read and impious Mysteries and Institutions according to the Rules of Calvin which she her self entertains and receiveth to be likewise observed by her Subjects She hath presumed to throw Bishops Parsons and other Catholick Priests out of their Churches and Benefices and to bestow their and other Church-livings upon Hereticks and to determine of Ecclesiastical matters to forbid the Bishops Clergy and People to acknowledge the Church of Rome or to obey the Precepts or Canonical Sanctions thereof Hath compell'd most of them to obey her wicked Laws and to abjure the Authority and Obedience of the Bishop of Rome and by Oath to acknowledge her to be sole Governess as well in Spiritual as Temporal Affairs Hath impos'd penalties and punishments upon those who obey'd not the same hath exacted them of those who persevered in the Unity of Faith and their foresaid Obedience and hath cast the Catholick Prelates and Parsons into Prison where many of them being spent with long languishing and sorrow miserably ended their lives All which things seeing they are manifest and notorious to all men and by the clearest Testimony of very many so sufficiently proved that there is no place at all left either for excuse defence or evasion We seeing that impieties and wicked actions are multiplyed one upon another and moreover that the Persecution of the Faithful and Affliction for Religion groweth every day heavyer and heavyer through the instigation and means of the said Elizabeth We therefore understanding her minde to be so hardned and obdurate that she hath not onely contemn'd the Godly requests and admonitions of Catholick Princes concerning her amendment and conversion but also hath not so much as permitted the a a Abbot Parpalia 〈…〉 Martiningo 1560 1561. Nuncio's of this See to pass into England are necessitated to betake our selves to the weapons of Justice against her not being able to mitigate our sorrow that we are drawn to take Punishment of one to whose Ancestors all Christendom hath been so much beholden Being therefore supported by his Authority who hath placed Us though unable for so great a burthen in the Supreme Throne of Justice We do out of the fulness of our Apostolical power declare the foresaid heretical Elizabeth being the favourer of Hereticks with all her adherents in the matters aforesaid to have incur'd the sentence of Anathema and to be cut off from the unity of Christs body And we also declare her to be deprived of her pretended Title to the Kingdom aforesaid and
be bankrupt for rather then fail she will pardon them for ever and ever as may appear in what followeth In the Church of St. John the Lateran is a Chappel call'd Sancta Sanctorum in which there is every day pardon and remission for all sins both from the punishment and the sin also In St. Peters Church in the Vatican by the Font is every day remission of all sins to be had Also in the same Church upon St. Martins day there is to be had full remission of all sins In St. Pauls Church in the Vatican upon the XXIX of January being the day when the Church was consecrated there is then to be had remission of all sins In the Church of St. Croce is a Chappel call'd Hierusalem where is to be granted full remission of all sins both à poena à culpa In the Church St. Maria Maggiore upon All-Saints day there is granted full remission of all sins In the Church St. Maria Rotonda upon the third of May and All-Saints day are pardons for all sins to be had In the Church St. Maria del Popolo on the day of Assumption of the Virgin Mary are granted remission of all sins In the Church of St. Peters ad Vincula are remission of all sins to be had In the Church call'd Ara Coeli or St. Maria Ara Coeli where they say is the first Altar that ever was made in the world at which Altar there is every Sunday and upon the Assumption of the B. Virgin granted full pardon and Remission of all sins These and such other like Indulgences were formerly a Fiscus Papalis sive Caralog is Indulgentiarum c. publish'd in England by Mr. Crashaw from an old Manuscript which he had and I have also seen an old b MS. 196. K Digby in Bibl. Bodl. â—xon Mâ—nuscript to the same purpose But what need we trouble our selves with Manuscripts seeing the same things may be seen in feveral c Indulgentiae Ecclâ—siarum urbis Romane Impressum Romae 1509. Le Cose maravigliose dell ' Alma citta di Roma 1625. Onuphrius de urbis Romae Ecclesiis Le Steâ—r de Villamont ses voyages Vid. Weaveâ—s Funeral-Monuments pag. 160 161 162 c. Books made printed by them and publish'd by their Authority to procure the greater credit and belief for suchlike pardons as these This occasion'd so many Pilgrimages to Rome to the great inriching of that City and the wonder of Johannes or Janus Pannonius the Hungarian Poet and Bishop of Funfkirken or Eutegyhazae in Latine Quinque Ecclesiae who though of the Roman Religion yet could thus jest at the gadding of People from other Countries to Rome for Pardons at their Jubilees Hispani Galli Solavi Teutones Hunni Delit. Poet. Hungar. p. 274. Clavigeri petitis limina Sancta Petri Quo ruitis stulti Latios ditare penates Salvari in patria siccine nemo potest The Spaniard French Pole German and the Hun Vnto St. Peters Chair for Heaven doth run Whither O fools to inrich the Popes do you gad As if salvation can't at home be had Yet Indulgences were also granted to particular places in other Countries amongst the rest England being then free-handed to Rome did not want such pretty Indearments whereby the people were made as free from sin as d Jo. Fox vol. 3. pag 223. Nightingal the Priest in Queen Mary's days and of them might be said as was thus in an old e Thâ— Becon's Relicks of Rome fol. 193. b. printed Pardon John or Joan as free I make thee As heart may think or eye may see And their Power and Prerogative is so great forsooth that they cannot onely pardon past sins but sins to come or what you will commit afterwards of which King f Meditation on the Lords Prayer p. 58. James doth protest that he hath seen two Authentical Bulls with his own eyes And of this the g Gravam Germ. § 3. Princes of Germany at Nurnberg 1523 did publickly complain and that your friends soul should skip out of Purgatory when the cash ratled in the Bason And how liberal they used to be with their Pardons h De Schism lib. 1. cap. 68. Theodorick à Niem who was Secretary to three Popes hath of old hinted and Dr. i Manuduction to Divinity pag. 64 65 c. Thomas James will refer you to some more abuses And though they are willing to be no loosers by these favours yet their prices are cheap enough which probably may the sooner ingage or oblige some trusty son to act any Villany the rates of their Absolutions being so cheap of which take this following Taste as I finde them set down in their Taxa S. Cancellariae Apostolicae Sect. III. Tit. 2. ABsolution for him who lyeth with a Woman in the Church and committed other crimes is rated at 6 a The common value of a grosso is about 4 penny sarthing of English money but some in this occasion will make it about 1 s. 6 d. grossos He that keeps a Concubine if a Priest must pay for his Absolution 7 gros If he be a Lay-man he must pay 8 gros If a Lay-man commit Sacriledge by taking holy things out of holy places he is well used seeing he payeth no more for his Absolution then 7 gros If a man carnally lye with his Mother Sister or other Kinswoman or God-mother he shall have his Absolution paying 5 gros Absolution for him that deflowers a Virgin is dog-cheap at 6 gros If a Priest commit Simony he shall have his Absolution for paying 7 gros Absolution for Perjury is but 6 gros Ib. Tit. 6. If a Lay-man kill an Abbot a Monk a Clerk or other Priest less then a Bishop he shall onely pay for his Absolution according to the Quality 7 8 or 9 gros But if a Lay-man onely kill a Lay-man he shall then onely pay 5 gros If a Woman be with Childe and she willingly and on purpose destroy the said Infant within her she shall have an Absolution for 5 gros And if one kill his Father Mother Brother or Wife he must pay for his Absolution 1 Ducat and 5 b This is sometimes valued at the same with a Grosso Carlins This Book was publish'd by their own Authority it may be the better to let the Romanists see what a kinde loving and indulgent Mother they have But how oft it hath been publish'd I cannot tell It was c W. Crafâ—â—aw's Mittimâ—s to the Jubilee of Rome Epist to the Reader first made and printed at Rome in the time of Pope Leo X and was after printed at Paris 1522 the d Pet. Molin de Monarch Temp. Pont. pag. 355. Kings Priviledge and the Popes Bull being joyned to it 'T was the next year 1523 printed at e Laur. Banck Taxa Epist Colen and afterwards in that Noble Collection call'd Tractatus Illustrium virorum printed by the King of France his Priviledge
Defender of the Faith When I finde you refuse the Oath of Allegiance one reason being because it will not allow the Pope to have a true right and authority to depose Kings and to absolve subjects of their Oaths of Allegiance When I finde you in your very b Image of both Churches pag. 171 172. Apologies for your selves confess the Romanists to be but conditional Subjects i. e. onely to one of your own perswasion in Religion as is farther proved all along in this History that Heretical Kings may be depos'd When I finde you in your late c Vid. The Roman Clergy of Irelands Remonstr before P. Welsh's more ample Account Remonstrance and Petition to his present sacred Majesty King Charles II. come off so bluntly in relation to his Majesties life and your own loyalty in these really insignificant yet too much significant words And we do hold it impious and against the Word of God to maintain that ANY PRIVATE SUBJECT MAY KILL or MURTHER the ANOYNTED of God HIS PRINCE though of a different belief and Religion And what will they have to be the meaning of these idle words though they will not have a Ravaillac to kill a King will they allow of an English Rump or a French League to order the same though they will not allow a private person will they think it legal if done by a Representative a Popular Convention or the three Estates But a word is enough to the wise and 't is dangerous sometimes to speak too plain When I finde your selves confess that even since the happy Restauration of his Majestie d P. Welsh more ample Accompt pag. 32. Some of you have given sufficient demonstrations of their failing in the duty of good Subjects and that some of your Tenents have been e Id. p. 43 44. inconsistent and injurious to good Government And yet for all this to take upon you the confidence of declaring to the world your innocencie and loyalty and that Treason and Sedition are onely the Principles of us English Hereticks the Puritan and Phanatick I grant are as wicked as your heart could wish for so you are pleas'd to nominate all those who are true sons of the Church of England Upon these slanders in respect of this Church I could not but think my self obliged to shew to the world where as to this case the truth is and in so doing shew my self a dutiful son in vindicating his Mother A Church famous for her Loyalty and Sufferings not one of her Constitutions intrenching upon the Crown nor any of her sons faithless or rebellious to his Prince whereas that of Rome by her Popes Bulls Constitutions Pen-men and Sword-men have destroy'd Nations harras'd Kingdoms Dethron'd Emperours Depos'd and Murdred Princes trampled upon Crowns and Scepters In a word hath declared f Illos quod bella civilia abhorrerent à nobis Imperio deficere nollent crimen laesae Majestatis scelus perfidiae admittere recusarent Haeresios nota inussit Jo. Aventiâ— Annal. Boiorum lib. 7. pag. 613. Loyalty a Crime Treason a signe of true Roman Religion look'd upon her self as the Supreme Judge of the world in all cases usurp'd a power to dispose of all Dominions to dethrone Monarchs and absolve Subjects from their Oaths of Allegiance Some may fancie a Surata 76. Edit lat 1550. or Surat 66. Mahomet in his Alcoran the first absolver of Oaths and that Pope Zachary presently after put it in practice against Childeric King of France But letting this pass we have it from good Authority that there were formerly a Sect amongst the Turks call'd Assasini whence we say to Assassinate they lived in the Mountains of Phoenicia towards Tyre their Government and chiefest Laws were Mat. Paris pag. 83. Hen. Spelman glossaâ—ium § Assasini these Their Governour or Master was not Hereditary but Elective He under the Notion of Humility as if he would be onely the servant of servants refused all lofty Titles being onely call'd the Old man of the Mountains Was honour'd and worship'd as Vicar to Mahomet and so their Father and Prophet They pretended to be such exact Observers of their Turkish or Mahometan Laws that all other seem'd but as meer cheats or Non-conformists in respect of them They were led with that Blinde Obedience that they never question'd their Masters command be the action never so dangerous difficult or wicked they never left off till it was finish'd Any Prince whom they either hated or thought to be no friend to them or their party upon the least hint they would Murther though they were sure to suffer for it Whosoever murther'd a Prince that was not of their Religion they believed him to have the second place next to Mahomet in Paradise For they also believed that the Old man their Head and Prophet could also dispose of Paradise 'T is said that this Sect was long ago destroy'd by the Tartars and whether any who call themselves Christians have espous'd their Tenents I shall not say But to return As for the Pope though the Pagan King of Peru might call him a b Hier. Benzo Hist Nov orbis lâ—b 3. cap. 3 great impudent fool though the great Turk might call him the c Jo. Gerhard loc Theolog. Tom. 5. de Ecclesia § 294. King of Fools or though Marbizan the Mahometan might term Pius Il's Bulls onely d Hist impressa ante Alcoran Edit lat 1550. p. 99. Epigrams yet it may seem to go hard when those he pretends to be his own sons should shew no more respect to him as when Philip King of France call'd him Your Foolishness and the Emperour Maximilian I should say he was onely e Discours d'un Bourgeois de Paris sur les Pouvoirs de Cardinal Chigi legat en France p. 80. King of Fools But methinks Sancho Brother to the King of Arragon if my Author mistake not another onely saith Spain was most ingeniously even with his Holiness and bit the closer by seeming to do him Lâ—uys Garan le chasse Ennuy-Cent 2. § 3. the greater honour the story in brief thus Pope Adrian IV supposing he had Authority to dispose of all Kingdoms in the world gave to the former Sanctius the Land of Aegypt then in Possession of the Sarazens yet he should have it if he would take but the small pains to conquer it and accordingly at Rome proclaims him King of Egypt so bountiful and noble was this English Breakspear Sancho informed of this would not be behinde-hand with his Holiness in courtesie and so very gravely proclaimed the Pope to be Caliph of Bandas which he might also conquer and possess if he pleas'd Yet others there are as may be seen in this following Treatise who are more wide on the other side and will be satisfied with nothing but I know not what strange Almighty Faculties Authorities and Blessings adhering to the Pope As if they were related to George the Suffragan of
Erfordt who was so zealous in Oth. Meland pag. 521. § 428. his commendations of Boniface Dorneman the little Priest of Hallandorp that he told his Auditors that he was more learned then St. Paul more holy then the Angels and more chaste then the Virgin Mary Or like the German Boor who at Marpurg in Hessia thus saluted and desired the assistance and favour of Judge Burckhard O Eternal and Omnipotent Lord Vicegerent I have heard Id. § 572. that you are the very Devil and all in this Court therefore for Gods sake put an end to my Tryal But now some Princes begin to see their own Rights and Prerogatives are sensible how unworthy their Predecessors have been abused and begin to understand that their Power is Independent neither receiving their Rights from Rome or her Popes but that their Crowns were given them from Heaven and that rather the Popes have been like that Bird in the Fable and made use of of old by the Franciscan Fryar Jehan de Rochetaillade by some Jehan Froissard Chron. Tom. 2. fol. 182 183. Edit 1530. call'd de Rupescissa which Bird being born without Feathers was through Charity relieved and made gay by other Birds and thus perk'd up despis'd her Benefactors who at last not able any longer to suffer her pride and tyranny every Bird pluckt back again their own Feathers leaving her as naked as she was at first And the truth is the Popes have done with the Empire as the Snake in the Fable did with the Husbandman who finding it almost frozen to death in pitty brought it to the fire-side where by the warmth having recover'd strength and vigor all the thanks it return'd was the stinging of the Goodmans Children And for these ungrateful actions many have undertaken to foretel strange Judgements and Calamities to happen upon the Popes But though for mine own part I am no great admirer of our later Prophets and trouble my self with their odd Predictions no farther then for recreation yet seeing the Romanists have put such a strange confidence in those Relations of their Swedish St. Brigit or Birgit as to declare that they were all immediately inspired by God himself and not onely canoniz'd the Lady but by several Bulls and Authorities so confirm'd the truth of her Book that it must not be contradicted yet if they will but seriously look into her Revelations they will finde little reason to boast so much of them seeing they will finde few so Revelat. S. Brigit lib. 1. cap. 41. Zealous as this Saint against the Pope and his Assistants prophesying with bitterness their ruine and destruction That his assumed grand Authority hath of late sensibly decay'd and lost ground is manifest and this Conquest hath been not so much by the Sword as the Pen so that as Adeodate Seba formerly Delit. Poet. Gall. Tom. 3. pag. 678. writ of Luther one against whom many lyes have been publish'd as other men having his passions and failings may also be said of many other learned Pen-men Roma Orbem domuit Romam sibi Papa subegit Viribus illa suis fraudibus iste suis Quantò isto major Lutherus major illa Illum illamque uno qui domuit calamo I nunc Alcidem memorato Graecia mendax Lutheri ad Calamum ferrea clava nihil Rome tam'd the World the Pope Rome Conquer'd tyes She by her force He by deceipts and lyes How greater far then they was Luther when Both him and her he conquer'd with one Pen Go lying Greece vaunt thine Alcides tho' His Club compared with Luthers Pen's a straw But amongst these Learned Worthies I have nothing to do And am apt to think that all this time hath been bestow'd to little purpose either because of mine own insufficiencie or the too much resoluteness of some other people However I might have made better use of my time in regar'd of mine own advantage had I soon enough call'd to minde Juvenal's observation Vester porro labor foecundior Historiarum Sâ—t 7. Scriptores petit hic plus temporis atque olei plus ***** Quae tamen inde seges terrae quis fructus apertae Quis dabit Historico quantum daret act a legenti Do you Historians more then Poets get Although more time and charge your works befit No no what gain you by your toyl where 's he Will give th' Historians an Atturnie Fee In the compiling of this History such as it is I have not dealt with the Romanists as the Hot-headed Puritans us'd to do whose strength of Arguments lye chiefly in canting misapplying Scripture confidence and railing and if they can but make a noise with the Whore of Babylon Antichrist the Beasts Horns c. they suppose the Pope is confuted sure enough at least the good Wives and Children are frighted out of their little wits and take him to be the strangest Monster in the World with so many Heads and Horns insomuch that Pope Vrban VIII did not amiss when he desired some English Gentlemen to do him onely one courtesie viz. to assure their Country-men that he was a man as much as themselves And had he said a better Christian then the Puritan I should not therein have troubled my self to contradict his Infallibility for I think them to be the worst people of all mankinde A Sect that will agree with you in the Fundamentals of Religion but will take miâ—â— and destroy all for a trifle and rather then submit to an innocenâ— Ceremony though impos'd by lawful Authority will ruine Kingdoms Murther Bishops Rebel against their Soveraigâ—â— Banish Queens declare them Traytors Imprison and depose then Kings and make the way as plain as can be for their murâ—â—â— A Sect that will cry down Bishops to possess their lands 〈◊〉 the Kings Great-seal imprison him renounce his Authority and murther his best Subjects and yet cry out they cannot commit Treason In short a Sect that would hate Christ but that he said he came not to bring peace but war As for the Roman Catholick I must needs have a greater kindeness for him then the former fire-brands as being an Adversary more Learned and so to be expected more Civil and Gentile and wherein they differ from us they look upon as Fundamental and so have a greater reason for their dissent then our Phanatical Presbyterians a people not capable of a Commendation nor to be obliged by any Favours their very Constitution being ingratitude as Histories do testifie and King James himself doth acknowledge as much In this Treatise I hope I have behaved my self civilly with the Romanists having forborn all bitterness and railing though the many bloudy and unwarrantable actions that I here meet with might prompt a milder man then my self to some indignation which may somewhat Apologize for me if by chance any do either meet with or fancie a stricture or retort tending to dislike And yet I dare boldly say that they shall not finde any such heavy Censures
may give you an hint what little credit may justly be given to such Tales and when men have trapt any as Impostures so oft in lying and cheating they have small reason to believe them in their other Stories or Actions And besides these Forgeries when we consider what compact jugling and delusions there may be and that the Devil also may have a hand in the imployment as also some may have their Natural causes we should not so easily believe all to be gold that glistereth nor every thing we see or hear to be a Miracle wrought by God since b 2 Thessal 2. â— Antichrist himself must deceive by signs and lying Wonders Though as I have no power to hinder Almighty God from working Wonders so have I no Authority to deny that he doth do any by his faithful Instruments and I am apt to believe upon good Reason that the Church of Great Britain since the Reformation may glory and triumph in this blessing as well as their fellow-Christians beyond Sea CHAP. IV. Their Idle Extravagant and Prophane Titles and Prerogatives appropriated to the Pope HAving hitherto seen how lavish they are in the commendations of their inferiour Christians those but as it were fellow-Subjects or of the same rank in obedience with themselves what lofty strains and towring Encomiums may we expect when they advance to magnifie their Lord and Master their Infallible Judge and what not If in any thing they observe Sir Philip Sidneys Rule If the man such praises have What must he that keeps the knave And if when several of their Wits have strain'd themselves to compare the great Cardinal a Many of which you may finde collected together in a Quartâ— Book call'd Scriptorum Galliae Maledicentiae Adulationes Impiae Anno 1635. Richelieu to God Almighty for Power and Wisdom though he hath not hitherto been held one of the greatest Saints we may not hope for less Blasphemies to be produced to the honour of their Roman Bishop whom they fancy to command Heaven and Hell and so at his pleasure to dispose of their souls to either of those places But that good Emperour b Volaterran lib. 23. fol. 266. Alexander Severus rejected all such cogging Claw-backs As c Ant. Panormita de rebus gestis Alphonsi Alonso that wise King of Aragon did not onely hate but several times punish his flattering creenging Courtiers whom he justly call'd the Plague of Princes it being a truth not easily denyed that next to such a Treason as Presbytery the dissembling fawning Favorite is the discredit of his King and the ruine of his Country What the Popes have done by way of command to others to proclaim to the World the Commendations Strength Power Vertue and Authority of his Holy-Chair would be a task too tedious and difficult to search exactly and throughly into Yet that such endeavours have been somewhat Ancient appears by Augustinus de Ancona now better known by the name of Triumphus who above three hundred years ago was commanded by Pope John XXI or XXII to write a Treatise to this purpose which he did where he boldly maintains that no d De Potestate Ecclesiasticâ— Quest 44. Art 1. law can be made to binde Christians but by the Popes Authority as of old the Israelites received none but by the Intercession of Moses Nor is this all but he makes all the world to be so much the Popes Right and Inheritance that he expresly gives us this Caution of Interpretation of some Facts in History viz. That if we meet with any Emperours to have given any e Id. Part. 1. Quest 1. Art 1. Temporal Priviledges or Lands to any Popes as they say Constantine did to Sylvester we must here understand that they did not at all give that which was their own to give but onely forsooth restore that which had formerly been taken away from them by Tyranny and Injustice Or if on the contrary we read of any Popes to have given off any such Temporal Benefit we must then suppose that it was done more for peace-sake then really to give to others a true Title to them Fine Rules if they were true to keep all Jurisdiction and Territories in their own clutches But alas they are too simple and childish to be imbraced by any but fools and suchlike Papal Scriblers Not long after him we have a trusty Spaniard Alvarus Pelagius Confessor to Balthassor Cossa call'd John XXII or XXIII who writ a large Book in part to vindicate his Master by many then held an Antipope This Alvarus amongst other things affirms that no Emperour must be held to rule a De planctu Ecclesiae lib. 1. cap. 13. justly who received not his Power and Authority from the Roman Church especially after Christ had granted all Rule and Government to St. Peter which seems a pretty Paradox as if the Church at Rome by right ruled all the world before ever St. Peter was ever there or held as Supream there or for ought that I know before any other Christian in that City had any abode Nor will that which followeth any whit mend the matter viz. that every Pope hath all the same or as much power upon Earth as Jesus Christ himself had and that the Pope is as a God to the Emperour Some years before this Vrban the Sixth and Clement the Seventh bandying for the Popedom the Christians not agreeing which of them was the true one insomuch that the Kings themselves were also divided from which troubles it may be he might expect some disadvantage However it was he had one Johannes de Therano his Chamberlain who upon his command writ a Book to lessen all Temporal Authority in Princes in which he very finely evades these words Give unto Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods by affirming that these words of Christ have place onely for a time viz. until his Ascention and that after his Ascention they are of no force or value proving it from this Verse b Joh 12. 32. When I shall be lifted up from the Earth I will draw all men unto me which he interprets by all Kings and Kingdoms to be under the Popes jurisdiction a bundle of such strange Assertions that c Tom. 2. pag. 232. Coquaeus himself seems almost ashamed of them But to go on long before any of these above five hundred years d Anno 1131. ago in a Council at Rheimes some one or other for his certain name I finde not made a learned and wise Sermon as he thought in commendation of the Pope telling his Auditors that he was greater than Moses greater than any Angel greater than Solomon nay except God there is none like unto him either in Heaven or Earth And that this might carry the more credit with it they have foisted this into the Works of e Sermo ad Synod Rhemens beginning Grave est quod mihi injungitur St.
Bernard though f Anno 1131. Sect. 4. Baronius himself cannot believe that he was the Author of it Yet good Bernard knew not all things nor in some things could he see any farther than that blinde Age in which he lived would allow him nor will I take upon me to censure him of flattery for his thus complementing with his Holiness g Beâ—nard de Considerat ad Eugenium sib 2. cap. 8. Thou art the Prime of all Bishops the Heir of the Apostles an Abel for Primacy a Noah for Government an Abraham by Patriarchship a Melchisedech by Order Aaron by Dignity Moses by Authority Samuel by Judicature Peter by Power Christ by Vnction c. And this piece of canting Courtship was taken up by the Arch-bishop h Vid Abrah Bzov. Rom. Pent. c. 6. p. 56. Stephanus Tigliatius and bestowed upon Innocent the Eighth with some Additions But we might go higher yet and see what goodly Priviledges Gregory the Seventh got an Assembly at Rome to bestow upon him as that i Bâ—oâ— Anno 1076. Sect 31 3â— 33. onely the Pope of Rome can depose Bishops That he onely according to the Times may make Laws That he onely may use the Imperial Ensigns That all the Princes are to kiss his feet That he can depose Emperours and Translate Bishops That no Synod can be held without his command nor any Book is Canonical without his Authority That he is undoubtedly made k Vid. Dist 40. â— Noa nos Holy by the Merits of St. Peter That there is but one name in the World i. e. the Pope Nor can such Extravagances as these seem strange to any who is acquainted with their writings and stories the Popes themselves not a little delighting in these Flatteries and accordingly they never want such complying Pick-thanks Thus Fernando de Velasco in behalf of his Master John the Second King of Vid. Bzov. de Rom. Pont. c. 6. p. 56 57 58 66. Portugal applyed that to Innocent the Eighth which the Apostle speaks of Christ viz. That he is a Ephes 1. 21. far above all Principality and Power and every name that is named not onely in this world but also in that which is to come and that he is the Sun and Light of the World Thus Scala the Florentine Ambassador told the same Pope That his Dignity was so great that a more Excellent could not be invented or fancyed on Earth Nay that to dispute or doubt of his Power is no less than Sacriledge as Cheurer flattered him from the Duke of Savoy Julius the Second was told by Diego Pacettus Envoy from Emanuel King of Portugal That he was the Door-keeper of Heaven and held the Keys of eternal Life And Bernardus Justinianus Agent from the Venetians assured Pope Paul the Second that b Cui claudere Coelos aperire detrudere ad Inferos eruere quoscunque velit concessum he could damn and save whom he pleased Which was also affirm'd to Julius the Second by Michael Risius from Lewis the Twelfth of France with this Addition that the Necks of all Kings and Princes must submit to him Narius Bandinaeus Ambassador from Sienna fob'd up Pope Paul the Third with the Epithites of The Father of Godliness Day-star of Justice Prince of Faith Chiestain of Religion Arbitrator of all things Saviour of Christians and Image of Divinity And as if the Princes of Italy strove in the magnifying of his Holiness the Ambassadors of Genoa Sienna Lucca Venice Florence Parma Milan and Ferrara humbly told Leo the Tenth That he excell'd all Kings as much as the Sun doth the Moon And well might these petit Potentates thus tumble themselves before their Infallible Chair when the great French Monarch Francis the Second by his Deputy Johannes Babo à Burdaesia did creenge to Pius the Fourth in the acknowledgement that all Laws depended upon his pleasure that Kings threw themselves down at his feet and Heaven opens at his will and that his pleasure did stand for a Law as his voice for an Oracle Pope Pius the Fifth was once told that the whole world lay at his Feet And Sixtus the Fifth that Princes Kings and Emperours were so much subject to him that they should not onely attend upon him but worship and adore him Which if true then Aquinas was not amiss when as they say he told the world That * Vid. Bzov. pag. 53 55. our Kings ought to be as much subject to him as to Christ himself Nor those others who with the German have declared that all must be obedient to him upon pain of Salvation according to the Decree of d Extra Com. de Major Obed. c. Uâ—am sanctam Boniface the Eighth Their Canon-Law tells us that Christ received St. Peter into the e Sext. de Electione cap. Fundamenta Fellowship of his undivided Vnity Informs us that as f Dist 12. c. Non decet Christ did the Will of his Father so we should do the will of the Church of Rome That g Dist 19. c. Sic omnes all the Orders of that Church ought to be held as if St. Peter himself had proposed them to us And therefore are h Ib. c. Enimvero perpetually and inviolably to be observed And so are the Papal decretal Letters which they say are to be i Ib. c. In Canonicis numbred amongst the Canonical Scriptures Nor is any man k Caus 17. Q. 4. Dist 81. c. Si qui sunt c. Nemini est to judge or revoke the Popes sentence For the l Paul Lancelottus Institut juris Can. l. 1. Tit. 3. c. Decreta Decrees of the Popes are of equal force and authority with the Canons of Councils And good Reason since they Decree that every one is to be m Extra Com. de Major Obed. c. Unam sanctam obedient to the Pope upon pain of damnation and so must we believe that n Extra Com. Tit. 1. c. Super Gentes all Nations and Kingdoms are under the Popes jurisdiction And that o Extra Joh. XXII Tit. 5. Dist 22. c. Omnes Gloss God hath delivered over to him the Power and Rule of Heaven and Earth And well may he thus triumph over Principalities Powers since the Glossaries have the confidence to assure us that he a Naturam rerum immutat substantialia unius rei applicando aliis de nihilo aliquid facere potâ—st sententiam quae nulla est facit aliquam In his quae vult ei est pro ratione voluntas Nec est qui ei dicat Cur ita facis Ipse enim potest supra jus dispensare de injustitia potest facerc justitiam corrigendo jura mutando Decret Greg. lib. 1. Tit. 7. c. Quanto perjonam Gloss Sect. Veri Dei vicâ—m can change the Nature of Things make or rather create something out of nothing since his will must stand for a Law nor must any man
Nardius saith We have no reason to look upon this Authority as a strange thing since f Constituit namque dominus vicarium suum super gentes Regna potestatenque ei dedit amplâ—ssimam ut evellat distâ—uat desâ—eâ—â—at aed ficet plantet B. Nard Expunctiones cap. 4. pag. 172 173. God set the Pope over the whole World not onely to establish and plaint but also to abolish and destroy And no less man than Johannes de Capistrano tell us that of this power we need not doubt it being now as g Clarum est hodie quod ex justa causa Papa potest Imperatorem deponere privare Jo. à Caâ—ist de Papae sive Ecclesiae â—â—torit fol. 61. â— clear as the Noon-day that the Pope may sometimes depose the Emperour And at this positive Doctrine none must so much as smile or seem offended for of this Book thus sings his Country-man Antonius Amicius Quis te Docte liber vel subsannare cachinno Audeat aut saevo rodere dente queat Cum graviter reseres decus sublimia sceptra Pontificis summi Conciliique simul And a great deal of ado and some money hath been spent by the Franciscans and others to get this man Sainted but how it thrives I know not As h Qâ—aest Criminale p. 173. Sect 9. Didacus Cantera from the Canon-Law so i De Beneâ—â—â—â—is lib â— cap. 4. Franciscus Duarenus by few Examples and as little Reason assert the Popes Authority in deposing Kings And I think k 〈◊〉 sâ—lâ—ct lib. 1. cap. â— paâ— 17. Antonius Possevinus will not be displeased with the Prerogative since he tells us that the Scepters of Kings humble themselves to the Popes feet and that Christian Kings are not so positively of Gods apppointment but they must have his Holiness to confirm their Crowns And l In 2. 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aâ—â—◠〈◊〉 â—1 Sect. â—d â—â—â—â—â—m Franciscus Sylvius Doctor and Professor at Doway though he will not allow the Pope to depose Kings upon every toy yet he denyeth not but that there may be Reason sometimes for thus pulling down of Kings And if we consult m Loca ple 〈…〉 67. pag. â—â—6 31â— 3â—◠〈◊〉 Gregorius Polydorius we shall finde him rather to outstrip than come short of the former And this he thought would not be unpleasing to Vrban the Eighth And to this Italian we may add Antonius Cordubensis who in this cause speaks out freely that the n 〈…〉 pâ—â—â—ciâ—â—◠〈…〉 alios tollere 〈…〉 Qâ—â—st Thâ—â—lâ—g 〈…〉 Pope cannot onely do every thing that secular Princes can but also make New Princes and pull down the Old And to this Spaniard may be joyned a Theolog. Moral Tom. 2. v. Papa Sect 10. Franciscus Ghetius of Corno being of the same Opinion moved thereto by pretty Reasons viz. Example as if Emperours had not formerly done the same to Popes and because as the soul rules the body so may the Spiritual Popes triumph over Temporal Monarchs If these Arguments of this Milanois do not sufficiently convince you Rutilius Benzonius a trusty Roman will think to do it with his thrid-bare Allusion of Heretical Kings to Wolves and so they may be b Jus deponeâ—di abdicandi è solio Reges ac Principes non solum Ecclesiae sed interdum populis competere ratione exemplis osâ—â—enditâ—r Potest i. e. the Pope ipso Principes ac Reges si ex ove aut ariete evadant lupi i. e. ex Christiani fiant Haeretici privare dominio c. Rut. Benzon Com. in Canticum Magnificat lib. 3. cap. 27. dub 6. p. 134. turned from their Kingdoms not onely by the Pope but also by the people forsooth yet he would have them to take advice of his Holiness before they began their Rebellion and then I warrant you they are as surely free from that Crime we call Treason as the Chappel of Loretto of which this Author was Bishop was dapperly carryed by Angels through the Air. And in the Popes great Power in Temporals in another of his c Disput de Immunitate Eccles contra Venetos pag. 68. Books he gives us some hint And yet if after all these thwacking Arguments you do not finde your self convinced and will not believe the truth and honesty of this King-deposing Article you may assure your self to be no less than an Heretick for Johannes de Solarzano tells us plainly that not to believe that the Pope can depose Kings is and that deservedly Haec opinio merito ut Haeretica jampâ—idem damnata est Jo. de Solarz de Indiarum jure lib. 2. cap. 22. Sect. 4. too declared and damn'd for an Heresie This may be good Doctrine to preach amongst the Indians the Spaniard pleading most of his Right from the Popes Gift And so whether the Author by his Office relating to those places might be encouraged to propagate such Principles let others conclude yet probably he might have spared his dedicating of them to the present King of Spain who two to one if the State came in Question would scarce consent to the Canon let the Heresie lye where it would From the same Root doth his Country-man d In 2. 2. Tho. pag. 224. Petrus de Aragon draw his Authority that Princes may sometimes lawfully loose their Rule over their Subjects and so doth the great Portugal Lawyer e Pastoral Sollicitud part 1. p. 250. Sect. 90 91. Augustinus Barboza that the Pope can depose the Emperour f Disputat l. 3. c. 5. p. 371. Marius Alterius runs upon the same account and so doth Bishop Johan Maria Bellettus but that he thrusts up the Authority a little higher than the former affirming that this deposing of the King may not g Et non solum propter Haeresim aut Schisma sed etiam propter aliud crimen intolerabile ac etiam propter insufficientiam Jo. Mar. Bellet Disquisitio Clericalis part 1. pag. 282. Sect. 109 100. onely be for his Heresie or Schism but for any other intolerable Crime or if he be not sufficient and not fit to Rule To which there needs no Reply but what if the Lyon do judge the Fox's Ears to be Horns With all this doth agree Raymundus de Pennafuerte telling us that if he be h Non solum propter Haeresim sed etiam propter negligentiam contra Haeresim extirpandam potest non solum excommunicari ab Ecclesia sed etiam deponi suerit inutilis dissolutus negligens circa Regimen justitiam observandam S. Raym. Summa lib 1. Tit. de Haereticis Sect. 7. pag. 41. negligent to extripate Heresie to do Justice in his Government unprofitable or loose the Pope may then take his Kingdom from him Whether this Doctrine was any motive not long ago to Clement the Eighth for Canonizing this man for a Saint or those vast sums of money gather'd in Catalonia where this Raymond was born for the
at last falls into a fury and rails pertly against those who think that the d Id. Numb 145. Pope hath no jurisdiction this way in France nor can depose Haeretical Kings This is good stuff but of a far older date than this Spanish print for above three hundred years ago Augustinus Triumphus de Ancona being desired by John XXII to vindicate the Papal jurisdiction amongst other grand Prerogatives which he attributes to his Holiness are these two the e Unde puto quod Papa justa rationabili causa existente per seipsum possit Imperatorem eligere Aug. Tâ—i. de potest Eccles Quaest election of Emperours and Kings and the f 35. Art 1. Quest 37. Art 5. Quest 46. Art 3. Id. Quest 4. Art 1. Potest ergo teâ— renum Imperatorem deponere Id. Art 2. Merito Imperator est deponendus Id. Quest 46. Art 2. Papa potest Reges deponere dubium non est deposing of them again and of this latter he saith there is no doubt This Poysonous Principle is also maintained by the Venetian g De Imperat Magist Orig. Quaero 4. Numb 7. Petrus à Monte Bishop of Brescia and the Methodical Dominican h Summa v. Papa Numb 10 11. Sylvester de Prierio and therefore might well expect a golden Rose from Pope Leo the Tenth And to him we shall joyn a learned Spaniard of the same Order i In quartum sentent dist 25. quaest 2. art 1 Numb Tertio Ad horum tamen secundâ—â— ad eandem Dominicus Soto who though Confessor to Charles the Fifth yet probably never troubled him about this point And next to this shall follow another of the same Country and Relation to Charles the Fifth k Hoc dominium etiam a mittitur per haer esim manifestum ita quod Rex factus Haereficus ipso jure Regâ—o suo privatus nec mirari debet aliquis quod Papa propter Haeresis crimen Regem a Regia dignitate deponar Regno privet Alph. à Castro de justa Haereticorum punit lib. 2. c. 7. col 1245 1246. Alphonsus a Castro who affirms it to be without dispute That if a King turn Heretick he hath no right to his Kingdom and so no man ought to think it strange if the Pope depose him But Ploydon when he saw himself concern'd could say The case is altered and there is never a Ruler amongst them but would think it odd to loose a Kingdom by a Fiat from Rome yet they go on to propagate this doctrine and amongst the rest Cunerus Bishop of Leweerden thinks it very fitting for an a Si Princeps haeâ—eticus sit obstinate vel peâ—â—inaciter intolerabilis deponi potest Cuner de Offic. Princip c. 8. p. 76 77. heretical King to be deposed and another appointed in his place And next to him shall follow one though no Bishop yet of such noted learning that Vittoria the chief Town of Alava in Old Castile doth think it no small honour to have brought forth and given a Name to such a famous Dominican as Franciscus a Victoria yet for all his parts he dotes too much upon this Papal Authority affirming that he cannot onely b Potest non solum omnia quae Principes seculares possunt sed sacere novos Principes tollere alios Imperia divideâ—e pleraque alia Fr. à Victor Relect. Theolog. Relect. 1. Sect. 6. Numb 12. do what our secular Monarchs can do but also turn them from their Thrones and set up new Potentates And from the Canon-Law doth the Lawyer c De successione Regum dub 1. Numb 30. Guiliclmus de Monserrat suck in the same Doctrine And though another of the same Profession d In Mo'inaeum pag. 106. Remondus Rufus seem unwilling either to meddle with the Popes power in this case or when he took upon him such Authority yet by his signs and hints one may have some reason to suppose his agreement with the rest But some other Lawyers of a far greater account leave off hinting and speak more boldly to the purpose as e Repet in C. canon Statuta de Constitur Numb 9. Petrus de Ancharano the famous Italian f Cod. de legibus l. Si Imperialis Numb 4. Bartolus de Saxaferrato and his no less learned Pupil and Scholar g Cod. de precibus Imperat. offeren l. Rescripta Numb 8. Baldus the noted Frenchman h Repet in C. Novit de judic Numb 127. Johannes Quintinus i Speculum lib. 1. Partiâ— 1. Tit. de legato Numb Nunc ostendendum Numb 17. Guillielmus Durandus commonly known by the name of Speculator Bishop of Mande and Scholar to Hostiensis and k In Cod. lib. 1. de sum Trinit fid Cath. Numb 13. Johannes Faber nor doth l Practica Criminialis quaest 35. Numb 6. Julius Clarus permit the Pope to part with this jurisdiction And if you any way doubt of the meaning of the last Vrbanus Cancellarius a Spoleto will refer you to an Expositor in this quibling Distick Clarior ut fiat Clarus sua Clara Johannes Baptista his jungit Lumina luminibus That Clarus might be more clear Don John Baptista Adds his clear lights to take away the mist-a And in obedience to his Poetry let us consult the Annotations of Johannes Baptista Baiardus and the case will be as plain then as a Pike-staff there he telling us that the m Adde quod Imperator à Papa potest deponi excommunicati propter haeresim Sacrilegium Perjurium exinanitionem seudi quod ab Ecclesia tenet c. Jo. Bap. Baiard Additiones ad Julii Clari Practicam Criminalem Quaest 35. Numb 6. Pope may depose the Emperour for several Reasons amongst which he puts Perjury and Sacriledge two notable pretences for the Pope ever to take hold on at a dead lift Our Country-man n In lib. Sapient Numb 300. Robert Holaote saith it belongs to the Bishop of Rome to make the Emperour and to see that fit Kings be chosen but Alphonsus Alvarez Guerrero concerns himself most with the Popes power in pulling down Monarchs and therefore he tells us that a Nonne igitur justè Julius II. Johannem Regem Navarra schismaticum haereticum Apostolicae sedis hostem publicum atque reum lesae Majestatis declaravit Reghumque omnia ejus bona publicavit primo occupanti atque nominatim Catholico Regi Hispaniarum concessit Potestque ita Papa Principes Apostantes à fide privare dominio temporali quod habent super fideles Alph. Alvar. Speculum vel Thesaurus cap. 16. Numb 8. cap. 31 Numb 17. Julius the Second did very well and justly to declare John Albret King of Navarre to be a Schismatick Haeretick an enemy to the Church nay and a Traytor too and so to give his Kingdom away from him to the Spanish King for he forsooth hath power to depose Kings And much about the same Opinion
fault he quite looseth his Right and Authority over his Subjects Of the same humour is g De Catholicis Institut Tit. 46. Numb 74 75. Tit. 23. Numb 11. Jacobus Simancas and with this Doctrine as the former claw'd Paul the Fifth so doth this Spaniard fob up Gregory the Thirteenth Nor will he have the Father onely to loose his Kingdom Propter Haeresim Regis non solum Rex Regno privatur sed ejus filii à Regni successione pelluntur Salman Tit. 9. Numb 259. but he also agrees with these who throw out the Children too Though this Author would once dispute whether a Divine or Lawyer would make the best Bishop yet here we need make no Controversie which of the Faculties amongst them is the best assertor of this seditious Doctrine since we see by experience that both Parties do their utmost to uphold it 'T is said that the fields adjoying to Badaioz of which this Simancas was Prelate are so pestered with the multitude of Locusts that the King is forced to provide many men for the burning of them And it would do well if he and others by punishment would restrain the publishing and maintaining of such mischievous Principles within their Dominions Another Spaniard and a famous Jesuite h De justitia Tom. 1. Tract 2. disp 29. col 213 214. Ludovicus Molina though at first he seems a little modest in respect of the Pope but would have the Subjects take upon them to chastise their Kings yet that a little advice from his Holiness would do no harm However the farther he goeth the more he imbraceth this jurisdiction of Rome and then at last in several places boldly affirms the a Potest summus Pontifex depone Reges eosque Regnis suis privare Molin de just Tom. 1. col 217. Id. Col. 225. Imperatoris depositionem ex justa causa pertinere ad summum Pontificem Id. Col. 220. posse summum Pont. deponere Reges eaque ratione merito transtulisse Imperium à Graecis ad Germanos deposuisseque Hildericum privasse Regni administratione quendam Lusitanice Regem Id. Col. 221. si Princeps aliquis Haereticus aut Schismaticus fieret posset summus Pont. uti adversus eum gladio Temporali procedereque usque ad depositionem expulsionem illius à Regno Popes power in deposing Kings A Doctrine which I dare say he never learned from that pious Manuel of his darling and daily companion Thomas à Kempis and yet this durst he offer to the King of Spain Another Spaniard but a Dominican Petrus de Ledesma tells the people pretty stories how to get rid of their Kings for if the Prince as he saith be an Heretick and that crime by his cunning cannot be sufficiently proved against him then let him publickly be excommunicated and all is as sure as a gun for Post sententiam declarativum de crimines haeresis aut Apostasiae Princeps injuste possidet Principatum inique dominatur in Subditos qui si viribus polleant tenentur se eximere ab ejus obedientia bellum ipsi inferre Petr. de Ledesm Theologia Moralis Tract 1. cap. 7. conclus 6 7. Id. Conclus 5. Quam primum quis declaratur excommunicatus propter Apostasiam à fide aut haeresim privatur dominio jurisdictione in subditos si quos habet subditi absolvuntur à juramento fidelitatis quo antea tenebantur by this means he is absolutely deprived of all Rule whatever and his Subjects are obliged if they be able to raise war against him and root him out for as he saith by the aforesaid Excommunication they are all absolved from their Obedience and Oath of Allegiance which they formerly owed to him And this he tells us is the judgement of Thomas Aquinas and all his followers And I think in this he doth not at all wrong this famous School-man who was so great a Champion for the Romish See that at last he was Canonized Quam cito aliqui per sententiam denuntiatur excommunicatus propter Apostasiam à fide ipso facto ejus subdito sunt absoluti à dominio ejus juramento fidelitatis quo eitenebantur Tho. Aquin. 2. 2. q. 12. art 2. by John XXII yet for all his title of Angelical Doctor he could maintain the black position that Subjects were not to obey nor acknowledge Excommunicated Princes And some of the Thomists to make the Authority of Temporal Monarchs less valid make use of his Book de Regimine Principis but to what purpose I know not However b Desceptat Calvin pag. 152. Franciscus Panicarola the preaching and worded Bishop of Asti is no enemy to the Popes coercive Authority over Princes That the Italian Dominican c De literali ac Mystica Regularum juris Canon interpretat Quest 2. art 4. punct 2. Numb 25 26 27. Quest 3. art 9. Numb 101. pag. 270. Paulus Carraria is a great magnifier of the Popes power in Temporals need not be long in proving if we do but consider what Laws and Examples he makes use of to shew that Kings may be deposed and Kingdoms given away by him And to him we may joyn another of the same Order d Summa de Exemplis lib. 8. cap. 60. Johannes à S. Geminiano since they both go the same way and upon the same errand Gregotius Nunnius Coronel though but a Portugal Augustan Mendicant Fryar yet is as furious and proud as the best of them against Temporal Government and it may be for this fault Clement the Eighth and Paul the Fifth were so kinde to him and got him to Rome to be neer them He declares that if they a â—â—â—g Nâ—n. Cor. dâ— veâ—a Christi Eccles lib. 9. pag. â—45 Tâ—â—◠〈…〉 quan â—egiâ— poâ—â—taâ—e privaâ—◠〈◊〉 â—s sui vi authoritate câ—â—litus sibi â—radit◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will not be obedient to his Church then may the Pope by his great power from Heaven very justly turn them from all their Royalties and Government Nay that sometimes the b Id. Pag. â—69 In illos aâ—ma capiant tanquam Regio dâ—demate 〈◊〉 a sede 〈◊〉 agnoscaâ—t Subjects themselves if the Pope bid them must take up arms against them and dethrone them And in another of his Books he saith that an c De optimo Relpub 〈◊〉 lib. 3. c. 13. pag. 508 â—â—9 p. 511. Râ—x â—â—pâ—s â—aeâ—â—icorum dogmaticus â—â—â—â—mato animo 〈◊〉 à Regâ—◠〈◊〉 aâ— administratione Imperâ—â— quod in Christianos habet amo 〈…〉 Heretical King must not be permitted to rule but turned from his Kingdom anâ— this not onely for Heresie but also if d Id. Cap. 14 pag. 521. Si Reges Principes gravissiâ—â— â—int dediâ—â—â—eleâ—bus efficâ—tor proculdubio uâ—â—x his dâ—abus caâ—sis justissime Rom. Pont. possit acriâ—er in Reges animadâ— ertere cos a Regalâ— solio muneâ—is â—â— poâ—â—staâ—â— dâ—â—rbare he be given to to any great
it and saith that it ought to be obeyed II. To the second he saith it is a hard Question and therefore he cannot answer it but upon further advisement he answereth as to the first III. To the third he knoweth not what to say thereunto IV. To the fourth he saith that so long as her Majesty remaineth Queen the Pope hath no authority to warrant her Subjects to take Arms against her or to disobey her but if he should depose her then he might discharge them of their Allegiance and Obedience to her Majesty V. To the fifth he saith he will not meddle with the Doctrine of Dr. Saunders and Dr. Bristow VI. To the last when this case happeneth then he saith he will answer and if he had been in Ireland when Dr. Saunders was there he would have done as a Priest should have done that is to pray that the right may have place William Filbee John Popham Da. Lewes Thomas Egerton John Hammond And because some of these Answers depend upon the writings of Bristow and Saunders we must understand that a little before this one Richard Bristow or Bristolus born in Worcester-shire and bred up a Priest in Flanders had made a little Book which he call'd his Motives which was after either by himself or others hugely enlarged In this writing he did not onely twit Queen Elizabeth for not obeying the a Motive 6. Excommunication-Bull of Pius the Fifth against her but also that b Motive 40. Subjects may sometimes be discharged from their subjection and Princes deposed and then publickly declares that the foresaid Earl of Northumberland the Nortons Plumtree and others to be c Motive 15. most glorious Martyrs of the Catholicks though they were deservedly executed as Traytors for their notorious and actual Rebellion in the North against the Queen Yet d Compend vitae Râ—c Brist § 6. Dr. Thomas Worthington of Lancashire who translated the larger Motives into Latine doth give great Commendations to Dr. Bristow for his learning and valour in thus defending the Popes Authority whereby he may justly go with those who favour the Opinion of King-deposing As for Nicholas Sanders he was born in Surrey and at Rome got his Orders and Degree of Doctor Pius the Fifth had him in great esteem knowing him to be a man of mettle and a great Zealot for the Authority of that Chair as he shews at large in his great e De visibili Monarch Ecclesiae Vid. lib. 2. cap. 4. Book dedicated to Pius the Fifth in which he is so far from acknowledging Queen Elizabeth to be a true Queen that he calls her several times by no other title than the f Id. P. 734 736 737. Pretended Queen and other times onely plain g Pag. 275 355. Calvinistical woman He saith that the Popes power reacheth to the h Pag. 430. altering of Kingdoms that the Emperour Henry the Fourth was most i Pag. 458. justly deprived of his Empire by Gregory the Seventh greatly k Pag. 730 731 732 733 734 735 c. commends those who impiously rebell'd against the Queen in the North and calls them Noble Martyrs and this he aims at again in another of his l De schismate Angl. p. 363. Tracts From this Sanders we may collect what was the judgement in this case of John Story an Oxford Doctor of Law he in Queen Maries time ruled the roast in our English Inquisition and in Queen Elizabeths Id. Pag. 736 737. Raign being accused in Parliament of a great deal of cruelty in the administration of his foresaid Office replyed like himself to this purpose That he had offended in nothing but that whilst he cut off some Branches he neglected to pull up the Root which if he had done Heresie had not got up again And this he meant of the Queen to whom he denyed himself to be a Subject looking upon the King of Spain as his Soveraign and the Queen Elizabeth by the Popes Bull of Excommunication utterly deprived of all Rule and Government upon which cause he scorned to plead for himself taking the Judges under such a Princess to have no power or judgement over him And if any doubt of the Popes Authority in deposing Kings Aelius Antonius Nebrissensis will tell them that they need not since both Civil and Canon-law doth allow it and the learned Doctors of them Per leges quoque Pontificias Civiles Johan Navar. Rex vere potuit Regno spolian ex eo quod schismaticus schismaticorum fautor atque proinde Haereticus laesaeque Majestatis reus atque eodem jure intestabilis ipse omni ejus Posteritas Gentilico Regno mulctanda quod utriusque juris Consultissimi Doctores multis argumentis rationibus exemplisque probant Ant. Nebress de bello Navar. lib. 1. c. 1. and all his Posterity may be deprived too for which he produceth the Example of John Albret King of Narvarre whom he doth not onely call Schismatick and Heretick but which is the prettiest of all a Traytor though he doth not tell us to whom But the King of Spains Historian must write any thing to vindicate his Masters Rapine And yet they 'll think it hard that the Portugals should redeem their own or that Gaspar Sala and others should vindicate the late revolt of Catalonia Antonius de Sousa de Macedo in all his writings hugely zealous for the honour of his Country Portugal is as fierce against any pretence of the Castilians as any yet when he is the most endeavouring to fasten the Crown on the head of Braganza he makes his Master so open and weak on one side that not onely that Family nay Nation may loose the sway but they may once more fall a prey to their politick Neighbour For he acknowledgeth that the Pope may m Lusitan liberata proem 2. § 2. § 25. pag. 117 118. depose his Master by the same power he hath over other Kings and that they may sometimes be thrust from their Thrones upon their evil n Id. Lib. 2. cap. 4. pag. 510 511. administration of Government And another dangerous Principle he maintains of a Kings not Ruling unless he hath been o Id. L. 2. c. 1. § 7. sworn and Crown'd And somewhat to this purpose he speaks in another place concerning the ancient way of p Proem 2. p. 116. Anoynting To these Opinions I perceive him not a little perswaded by Example and the sentiments of others Arguments of so great force to the Divine Dr. q Opus de dignitatibus lib. 1. c. 2. pag. 9. Nicolaus Rebbe and the Lawyer r De haereticus lib. 4. cap. 14. Conradus Brunus that they also upon the same account embrace this King-deposing Opinion And of the same judgement is the Learned Å¿ Hierarch Eccles lib. 5. cap. 14 15. fol. 260 266. Albertus Pighius and as for a good proof to it he several times remembers you with the action
first that made Seminaries at Doway a severe enemy to the Protestants and as fierce a maintainer of the power of Rome and the King of Spain of both which this one Example may satisfie Queen Elizabeth having sent some aid into the Netherlands against the Spaniard Sir William Stanley was made Governour of Deventer in Over-Issel which he presently betraying his trust deliver'd with himself and Garrison to the Spaniard by which he lost by common consent the reputation of Subject Gentleman and Souldier but Dr. Allain thinking to quell these rumours and to encourage the new Renegado's by a Letter from Rome sends Stanley and his Regiment not onely thanks and Commendations for this their action but as he thought a sufficient vindication too part of which take in his own words Yea I say no more unto you Gentlemen seeing you desire to know Dr. Allain's Letter touching the render of Deventer pag. 27 28. my meaning fully in this point That as all acts of Justice within the Realm done by the Queens authority ever since she was by publick sentence of the Church and see Apostolick declared an Heretick and an enemy of Gods Church and for the same by name excommunicated and deposed from all Regal Dignity as I say ever sithence the publication thereof all is void by the Law of God and Man so likewise no war can be lawfully denounced or waged by her though otherwise in it self it were most just because that is the first Condition required in a just War that it be by one denounced that hath lawful and Supream power to do the same as no Excommunicate person hath especially if he be withal deposed from his Royal Dignity by Christ his Vicar which is the Supream power in Earth and his Subjects not onely absolved and discharged of their Service Oath Homage and Obedience but especially forbidden to serve or obey any such Canonically condemned person And in another place of the same Pamphlet he thus tells them their doom if they had been faithful to their trust and the Queen a Id. pag. 30. Any Excommunicate or Canonically condemn'd Prince whom no man by law can serve nor give aid unto but he falleth into Excommunication Thus we see what small esteem he had of his Soveraign and how easie it is for these men to ease themselves of loyalty and Obedience And that the Pope may thus trample upon Kings observe his Doctrine in another of his Writings b Defence of English Catholicks against the book call'd The execution of justice pag. 143. The Pope may in some cases excommunicate for some causes deprive and in many respects fight and wage War for Religion And gain c Id. p. 207. Plain it is that Kings that have professed the Faith of Christ and the defence of his Church and Gospel may be and have been justly both excommunicated and deposed for injuries done to Gods Church and revolt from the same as sometimes also for other great crimes tending to the Pernition of the whole subject unto him And gain d Id. P. 114. By the fall of the King from the Faith the danger is so evident and inevitable that GOD HAD NOT SUFFICIENTLY PROVIDED FOR OUR SALVATION and the preservation of his Church and holy Laws IF THERE WERE NO WAY TO DEPRIVE or restrain Apostata Kings And then plainly declares to the world thus e Id. P. 115. Therefore let no man marvel that in case of heresie the Soveraign loseth his superiority and right over his people and Kingdom And in these f Id. P. 72 73. Opinions he endeavours to prove that there is no harm And gives the Earl of a Westmerland Id. 48. for his Rebellion great commendations and of his fellow-Traytor gives you this Character The renowned Count of Northumberland dyed a Saint and holy Martyr When the Spanish Armado invaded England he printed a pernicious Admonition to the Catholicks of these Kingdoms stuft with horrid Rebellion and Treason perswading them by all means to take part with the King of Spain and to Root out their own Queen What effect his Doctrine took I know not but 't is well known that the Fleet came to nothing and enough of this Allen who for his zeal to the Spanish Faction and the authority of Rome was made Cardinal de S. Martino by Pope Sixtus the Fifth at the desire of Philip the Second And now let us see what a man with a long name will tell us in this cause Andraeas Eudaemon-joannes a man suspected at first to sculk under a wrong denomination but when we know his Country and temper we shall not think him asham'd to own any thing though never so bad or false he was born in the Island Crete now better known by the name of Candia at Canea by the ancients call'd Cydon or Cydonia but bred up from his youth at Rome and a Jesuite If that be true that in the Island of his birth no venomous or harmful Creature can live 't was well that he was forthwith transplanted to Italy for his native soyl and his malicious humour could never agree His writings are onely stuft with railing and vain repetitions hath impudence to deny any thing and affirm what he pleaseth his whole books are composed of contradictions all along affirming that Kings may be deposed nay and sometimes cut off and yet at the same time vindicating himself and his Order from disloyalty and yet so shie in his affirmations though bald in his hints that his books may be read over to as much purpose and satisfaction as one of the Brethrens preachments or Olivers Speeches so that I should wonder that such a generous Pope as Vrban the Eighth and such a learned Cardinal as Bellarmine should have him in such esteem and favour if interest had no sway in this world And though all along one may know his meaning by his Moping yet sometimes he speaks plain enough and declares that the a Potuit enim non ut dominus sed ut Minister Christi deponere Principes Andr. Eudaem-joan Respons ad Epist Is Casauboni pag. 12. Pope can depose Kings and that this b Id. Parallelus Torti Tortoris cap. 4. pag. 197. ultro concedamus facta à Pontificibus jure atque ordine fieri potuisse ut contumaciam ac Tyrannidem Principum excommunicatione ac depositione ulcisceretur hath been done and may be done sometimes lawfully In the year 1594 one Jehan Chastel intending to stab King Henry the Fourth of France with his Kinfe struck him into his Mouth and though he mist of his aim yet he struck out two of his teeth and wounded him sore For this Treason the Villain is excuted but presently one Franzois de Verone writes an Apology for Chastel affirming that he had done nothing but what became a true Christian and Catholick his reasons being because the King as he said was an Heretick and so might lawfully be kill'd or
some cases as if the Prince should force his People to be a a Allow one or two Exceptions and twenty will follow if the Romanists be Judges Prateo lus Elench Haeret. § Mahometes compares the Protestants to the Turks Gifford Prâ—f in lib. D. Reinald Calvino-Turcismus saâ—th that the Protestants belief is worse than the Alcoran Mahometans Jewes Pagans or Infidels the Pope may discharge his Subjects of their Allegiance and Obedience otherwise due to him III. That the King Bishops Peers and Commons in Parliament cannot declare or censure the opinion which alloweth the Popes power to excommunicate and deprive Kings to be Impious and Heretical IV. That it is gross Ignorance and False not to believe that the Pope or any other have power to absolve Subjects of their Oaths of Obedience and Allegiance V. That this Oath of Allegiance though taken is not obligatory nor hath any power to binde Thus we see the foundation of Government shaken Oaths and Obedience brought to be but trifles and Supream Authority and Rule upon the common-canting whining pretence of Religion consumed to nothing Leonardus Lessius a Jesuite of great repute under the false name Discussio Decreti Mag. Concil Lateran of Guilielmus Singletonus is very zealous for this Authority to be in the Pope Tells us in one place that if the Pope b Si sam Pont. non haberet illam potestatem in Tâ—mporalia Ecclesia errarâ—t in Doctrina morum quidem circa res gravissimas Docet enim Principe per sententiam summi Pont. abdicato omnes subditos ab ejus obedientia esse solutos ditionem ejus ab alio posse occupari ut ex Conciliis constat Discuss Decret Concil Lat. pag 46. have not this power then the Church of necessity must err because it teacheth such jurisdiction to lye in the Pope but to affirm so of the Church viz. that she erreth is Heretical nay that this error viz. that the Pope cannot depose Kings c Id. Pag. 90. Hic enim error longe perniciosior erit magisque intolerabilis quam error circa aliquod Sacramentum is more pernicious and intolerable than an error concerning some of the Sacraments for 't is a d Id. Pag. 100. certain and undoubted received Opinion of the Church and therefore he e Id Pag. 123. conjures all Catholicks as they love the salvation of their Souls to have a care of doubting of it or believing the contrary for it f Ad sidem pertinere sive ita cum rebus fidei Religionis esse conjunctam ut absque sanae Doctrinae injuria non videatur posse negaâ—i belongs to faith or agrees so neer with it that it cannot be denyed without great injury to sound Doctrine And whether this Lessius in another of his Books concerning the a De potestate summi Pontifici Popes power maintains any Tenents more dangerous than these I know not no more than I do the reasons that made them suppress it though many years ago printed The Lawyer b De sindicatu Summar 4. § 56 57 58 59. Paris de Puteo from the Canon-law and other such-like authorities gathers that the Pope may depose Kings or Emperours and the old c Dist 40 Si Papa Gloss Glassator upon Gratian standing upon the same sandy Foundation maintains the same proposition against the latter and with these agree another Lawyer d Et Imperator debet confirmari à Papa tanquam superiore ab eo examinare approbari ac incongi consecraâ—i coronari si est dignus vel rejici si est indignus puta si esset sacrilegus excommunicatus licet esset electus ab Electoribus Imperii Jo. Bapt. Plot. Consilium § 64. Johannes Baptista Plotus In the year 1619. Frederick Elector Palatine of Rhine being over-perswaded by the Bohemians who had then denyed Ferdinand the Emperour to be their King to take upon him the Government over them was after some Wars overcome by the Imperialists and bereft not onely of that Kingdom but the rest of his Territories Upon this great consultation is had privately at Rome to get another Elector into his place and for the person they need not study long The Duke of Bavaria having his great expence in this War against the Bohemians and the Jesuits to whom he was a great Benefactor had a particular Devotion and was in all things sway'd by them to speak loud in his behalf and besides which was no small mover his Zeal for the cause of Rome Frederick being a Protestant and thus laid by would thus over-sway the reformed Electors in number whereby the Empire probably would still be ruled by that Religion These and other like reasons made Pope Gregory the Fifteenth and his Nephew and Favourite Cardinal Ludovisio who was also made Protector of the Irish to be earnest with the Emperour about it which at last though the Spaniard at its first motion seem'd not to like took effect and Maximilian Duke of Bavaria obtain'd that honour 1623. But that which I most aim at in this story is the Paper of advice or reasons to perswade to this action presented to the Pope and Cardinals by Michel Lonigo da Esle belonging to his Holiness in which is strongly pleaded for Bavaria ranting and boasting in a whole beadrole what pretty pranks and tricks the Popes have formerly acted over Kings and Emperours by interdicting excommunicating and deposing them altering and changing of Empires and Kingdoms and in one place speaks boldly and plainly thus It is in the Popes hands as appeareth by all Histories to renew the Emperours in their Empire to translate the authority of one Nation to another and utterly to abolish the right of Election And that Rome did think her power over Kings by way of punishment to be just and really her own you may partly guess from this following story No sooner came forth our Oath of Allegiance for the preservation Ro. Widdrington's Theological Disputation cap. 10. Sect. 2. § 52 53. c. of the King and security of his Kingdoms but Father Parsons at Rome sollicited the Pope for his Breves against it which were obtain'd but before they were sent into England this Jesuite wrote a Letter hither to intimate though falsly that he was for mitigation but that true enough the rest were for the Popes power against the King but take his own words as they are delivered to us by an honest Benedictine About some four or five Months ago it was consulted by seven or eight of the Learned'st Divines that could be chosen who gave their judgement of it Their Reasons are many but all deduced to this that the Popes Authority in chastising Princes upon a just account is de fide and consequently cannot be deny'd when it is call'd into Controversie without denying of our Faith nor that the Pope or any other Authority can dispense in this For if the Question were de facto and
in this cause he is as fierce as any of them and his great Animosity against there formed Religion his Native Country and his legal Soveraign might prompt him to it and much more and with these do consent o De sacro Eccles principatu lib. 2. c. 12. fol. 63. Johannes Blasius p Theolog. Moral Tom. 1. v. Dominium pag. 393. v. Apostasia p. 5. Franciscus Ghetius and that ancient Jesuite q Tom. 4. Part. 3. Tract 4. § Tertiam potestatem pag. 410. Alphonsus Salmeron r Potest eum excommunicare subditosque illius à juramento fidelitatis absolvere ab illius obedientia eximere atque ea non est Tyrannica vel usurpata authoritas sed legitima à Christo instituta illi concessa ad Regimen optimum Christianae Reipublicae Len. Coq Exam. Praefat. Monit Jacobi pag. 55. pag. 103. Leonardus Coquaeus indeavouring to confute King James is very earnest not onely for this Papal Authority in absolving subjects from their obedience to their respective Princes but also would gladly perswade him and others to think that this is neither a tyrannical nor an Usurpt Authority but a lawful one granted to him by Christ But King James would not be caught with such Chaff and a King that knoweth himself to be absolute must have a strong demonstration to the contrary before he 'll throw himself upon another mans mercy When a man 's nurst up in an error he will commonly swear to it and though of all Authorities or Decrees the Canon-law hath the least reason in it yet where men must think as they are bid we need not wonder when we see the chiefest of the Romanists with r Disquisit Clerical Part. 1. pag. 282. § 109. Johannes Maria Bellettus ſ In decretal de Haereticis c. 13. Panormitan t Summa de Eccles c 14. Propos 5. Cardinal de Turrecremata u De jure Personarum extra Eccles lib. 4. cap. 52. § 1. Antonius Ricciullus x Repet in clem ut clericorum de Offic. Ordi § 40. Stephanus Aufrerius and y De Cathol Constitut Tit. 46. § 73. Jacobus Simanca with may others to affirm to the world this absolving power to lye in the Pope since besides other reasons 't is one of the best Cards in the Pack that Rome hath to keep up her greatness Whether Albertus Pighius read with these Spectacles or no I know not but 't is very probable that something else besides true reason did a little sway him in this case And though considering his time he had more judgement and learning than an hundred of your dull Canonists yet we see him run with the rest to embrace an error though for his so doing he saith he hath the consent of the Church for about Necesse est ut Impia heretica sit illa ejus sententia qua affirmat esse haereticum ut possint subditi absolvi à juramento fidelitatis quo ante adstricti fuerant suis superioribus fidelibus Alb. Pigh Hierarch Eccles lib. 5. cap. 15. fol. 266. eight hundred years and so concludes that to think that the Pope cannot quit Subjects from their Obedience and Allegiance due to their Kings is both Impious and Heretical Nor is this strange since a greater than he and no less than z Quam cito aliquis per sententiam denuntiatur Excommunicatus propter Apostasiam à fide ipso facto ejus subditi sunt absoluti à dominio ejus juramento fidelitatis quo ei tenebantur D. Tho. Aquin 2. 2. Quest 12. Art 2. Thomas Aquinas doth allow that Subjects may be sometimes quit from their Allegiance and Oaths to their Kings and to him consents a Theolog. moralis Tract 1. cap. 7. conclus 5. Petrus de Ledesma and the Commentators upon him such as b Com. in 2. 2. D. Tho. Quest 12. Art 2. Hieronymus de Medicis c Com. in D. Tho. 2. 2. Quest 1. Art 10. disp 8. Johannes Malderius and others so that we need not doubt its validity amongst them Nor is it any wonder to see d De libertate Christ lib. 1. c. 14. Johannes Driedo e Rosella Casuum verbo Haereticus § 11. Baptista Trovomala f Apologie pour Jehan Chastel Franzois de Verone g De justa Hen. III. ablicat lib. 1. cap. 5. Dr. Boucher h Discussio decreti Concil Later pag. 46. Leonardus Lessius under the false name of Gulielmus Singletonus i Le Relationi Universali part 2. lib. 4. pag. 124. Giovanni Botero yet the more wonder in him because a great and understanding States-man and several others to be so much for the Pope as to allow him Authority to absolve Subjects from their Oaths of Allegiance when they have no less than the famous Cardinal Perron to be their Champion and with him the Nobility and Clergy in France and this cause of the See of Rome to be by him boldly maintained publickly in a long Speech to the third Estate the occasion of which we have spoken more at large in the former Chapter In this Harangue the Cardinal endeavours Harangue faite de la parte de la Chambre Ecclesiastique en celle du tiers Estat sur l'Article de serment 'T is printed amongst several of his other Works les diverses Oeuvres and in Recueil General des Affaires du Clergé de France Imprim à Paris 1636. Tom. 1. pag. 295. to prove at large that subjects might be quit from their Oaths of Allegiance and Obedience due to their Kings nay that Kings might sometimes be deposed of which formerly As for the first viz. That Subjects might be absolved from their Oaths of Allegiance made to their Kings he saith That a Les diverses Oeuvres p. 599. Toutes les autres parties de l'Eglise Catholique voir mesme toute l'Eglise Gallicane depuis que les E'choles de Theologie y ont esté instituées jusques à la venué de Calvin tiennent l'Affirmative ascavoir que quand un Prince vient a violer le serment qu'il a fait à Dieu a ses subjets Les Prince-la peu estre declare dechen des ses droits comme coulpable de Felonie envers celuy a qui il a fait le serment de son Royaume c'est a dire envers Jesus Christ Et ses subjets absous en Conscience au tribunal Spirituel Ecclesiastique du serment de fidelite qu'ils luy ont preste que ce cas-la arrivant c'est a l'authorite de l'Eglise residente ou en chef qui est le Pape ou en son Corps qui est le Concile de faire ceste Declaration Et non seulement toutes les autres Parties de l'Eglise Catholique mais mesme tous les Docteurs qui ont este en France depuis que les E'choles de Theologie y ont este instituees ont tenu l'affirmative Ascavoir qu'en
Senicae Tragoed part 2. § 920. Antonius Delrio a Moral Quaest Tom. 2. Tract 29. cap. 1. § 12. of Antwerp both famous Jesuits they both twang upon the same string of a private person by which means they leave an open gap for the Superiour Magistrates to bring their Soveraign to the block And the High German Jesuit Sebastianus Heissius treads much in the same way though he leaves a sent somewhat more rank behinde him for he expresly allows the Magistrates some Authority in this case affirming that f Teneo neminem privatum extra necessitatem se suosve defendendi manus inferre posse legitimo principi ante publicum judicialiter latam sententiam qua Tyrannus hostique Reipub. declaretur adeoque potestate qua poteabatur ab his quibus fas est exciatur Habes communem Jesuitarum sententiam ac proinde nihil principibus periculi imminet quando totius populi sensu pro Tyrannis habentur si populus sequatur Doctorum ac gravium virorum quod Mariana exigit consilium iique Jesuite sint ut jam audivisti Sebast Heiss Refutatio Aphorismorum cap. 3. ad Aphor. 1. pag. 158. § 94. a King ought not to he kill'd by a private man before judgement be pronounced against him as an enemy and a Tyrant And this he saith is the common opinion of all Jesuits Here the Jesuit Heissius gives us an hint of one of his Order Johannes Mariana who is as particular as any in the way of King-killing laying down the several Methods and means of that wicked art but because part of his g De Rege Regis insâ—â—tâ—tione lib. 1. c 6 c. Book is large upon this subject and is so plain that some of their moderate writers wish he had not been so open I shall not speak more of it it being common to be had and as commonly known though h Hispâ—n Bibl. Tom. 2. p. 285. Andreas Schottas i Amphitheat Honoris Carolus Scribanius and some other Jesuits do rather commend than disprove it And whether the propagation of these opinions be not dangerous to Princes reason and example will over-say the meer negative of Heissius unless his authority were better grounded than upon his bare word But what need I trouble the Reader and my self with particulars when the whole Club of the French Jesuits if we may credit their own title when it was their design to clear themselves from any bad Principles of Government at the same time confess that Kings may lawfully sometimes be deposed and cut off And whether I slander the Jesuits or no let the Reader judge by their own words Thus Addit Praedicans viz. Phil. Heilbrunner who wrote against the Jesuits Jesuitas in hac Questione viz. whether Tyrants may be kill'dâ— potius ad partem affirmantem quam ad negantem inclinare satis indicant illorum Scripta Non modo inclinamus ad illam partem sed illam partem libentissimè amplectimur quam amplectitur S. Thomas Cajetanus Sotus Covaruvias Salon alii qui ad hanc Quaestionem responderunt cum distinctione Ex quorum doctrina hunc in modum scribit Quidem Magni nominis vobis Praedicantibus non ignotus Jesuita Greg. de Valent. Tom. 3. disput 5. q. 8. p. 3. Vel est Tyrannus non per Arrogatam sibi injuste potestatem sed solum per pravum legitimae alioquin authoritatis usum in gubernando vel est Tyrannus per Arrogatam potestatem quam vi obtineat Si est Tyrannus primo modo nulli particulari licet eum occidere nam id pertinet ad Rempub. quae posset jure oppugnare illum vocare in subsidium Cives Si autem est Tyrannus secundo modo quilibet posset eum occidere Nam tota Respub censetur gerere justum bellum contra ipsum ita Civis quilibet ut miles quidem Reipub. posset eum occidere c. Unde quando in Concilio Constant prohibentur particulares occidere Tyrannum intelligendum est de Tyranno primo modo de hoc enim eadem est ratio atque de aliis malefactoribus qui solum per publicam potestatem puniri possunt Haec ille viz. Greg. de Valent. Ex cujus etiam verbis habes quidnam Concilium Constant damnaverit Cujus Concilii decretum eodem modo explicat Cajetanus Sotus Alphonsus a Castro satis liquet ex ipsis Concilii verbis c. Ais Quaestionem doctrinam hanc adversari illi D. Petri praecepto DEVM TIMETE REGEM HONORIFICATE Vbique tui similis es hoc est ineptus Predicans quidvis per quodvis quovis modo probare solitus S. Petrus non ait Tyrannum honorificate sed Regem Rex non est Tyrannus maxime si Tyranni vocabulum secunda notione usurpemus nec Tyrannus est Rex Quod si Regum quispiam qui verè Rex est declinet ad Tyrannidem atque adeò Tyrannus prima notione hujus nominis fiat tum jam ex sententia S. Thomae aliorum audivisti privato nihil in eum potestatis esse esse autem toti Reipublicae vel privato eatenus quatenus ei à Repub. conceditur sicuti Privato in quemlibet alium malefactorem jus esse potest si id concedatur à Republica Apologia Societatis Jesu in Gallia ad Christianissimum Gall. Navar. Regem Henricum IV. Scripta a Religiosis ejusdem societatis Jesu in Gallia 1599. in Append. pag. 115 116 117. CHAP. V. That it is the Opinion of their Popes and Councils that Kings may be deposed HAving hitherto seen the Opinions of private persons yet those of the greatest repute amongst them we shall now ascend a little higher and with them to their most authentick Authority upon earth but whether this Supremacie remain in the Pope or a General Council I must yet leave to the determination of their French and Italian Doctors and yet 't is strange that hitherto they will not agree to settle infallibility that that which they make the judge of other Articles must thus it self want a certain foundation by Universal consent As for their Councils if practice may interpret and I am sure in this case they make it none of their least Arguments we shall finde that Princes may be lawfully deposed and that confirm'd by the grandeur of such meetings Thus their great Historian Cardinal Baronius assures us that the Emperour Henry the Fourth was exauthorated by two Synods at a Baron anno 1076. § 16 17 18. Id. Anno 1080. § 7 8 16. Rome one at b Id. Anno 1118. § 20. Colen and another at c Ib. Fritislar And because that some may object that these smaller Conventions are not of sufficient Authority we shall ascend a step higher and tell you that the same was done by two General Councils for so Baronius calls them at d Id. 1102. § 1 2 3. Rome though the â—atter more particulariz'd by the name of e
which wicked means their Popes make themselves also guilty and other ways they have been sufficiently infamous for this Gregory the Twelfth is in this case noted in story for having taken a solemn Oath that if he were chosen Pope he would lay down the Title and Authority again if Pedro de Luna an Anti-pope would do so too the better to quell the Schism but having thus obtained the Papacy I shall refer you to c De schismate lib. 3. Theodore à Niem to see how he cheated and jugled against his former Oath not onely in this but also in creating Cardinals and the Perjury of Paschal the Morney pag. 287. Second against the Emperour Henry the Fourth is as notorious V. Feuardentius saith that if a King be guilty of Murther he may Com in Est pag. 92. justly be deposed though he do nothing with his own hands but consent to other Instruments Though the crime be great yet Interest will oft judge amiss Boucher and Verone look upon those as Murtherers who caus'd the deaths of Clement and Chastel though the first stab'd Henry the Third and the other indeavoured to kill Henry the Fourth of France And the Jesuite Garnet hath been several times publish'd a Martyr though he worthily suffer'd for high Treason in not discovering the Powder-treason though he knew of the design But if these may go for Martyrs I know no reason but Pope Paul the Third may pass for a Saint for poysoning his Mother and Nephew that the Palâ—us lib. 5. whole Inheritance of the Fernese of which Family he was might come to him and for destroying by the same means his own Sister because she was as kinde to others imbraces as his own And upon the same account might Alexander the Sixth be canoniz'd for poysoning a Gâ—â—ccâ—ardin lib. 2. Gemes brother to the great Turk for filthy Avarice as he also did several b Id. lâ—b 6. Cardinals upon the same account VI. The same Franciscan assures the world that if a King be guilty Com. in Fâ—â—h pag. 96 of Simony by selling Ecclesiastical Benefits he may be deposed This fault I suppose to be below Monarchs who have several lawful means to fill their Coffers but I wish it were not practised so much as it is by those who are but fellow-subjects with the buyers And the worldly gallant who useth it may probably have his purchasing Parson a roaring Chaplain to his wicked Patronship in a world fitted for the covetous but we shall not at this time follow Truth too neer the heels But were not this Vice beneficial Pope Paul Platina the Second would not have been so given to it who basely sold all the Benefits both Civil and Ecclesiastical And Alexander the Sixth Gâ—â—ccâ—ardin lib. 1. got the Popedom more by Simony than any desert in himself VII c Bannes in 2. 2. q. 12. art 3. col 478. Valent. Tom. 3. disp 1. quaest 12. punct 2. Pâ—tr de Aragon in 2. 2. D. Tho. pag. 229. Hieron de Medicis in 2. 2. q. 12. art 2. conclus 2. Baleus Act. Pont. Estienne Apol pour Herodot pag. 292. Others of them say that a King may be deposed for Apostacie And I warrant you they will make the interpretation of the word submit to their pleasures Yet in the mean time we are told how true I know not that Pope Leo the Tenth should call the History of Christ a fable and that Paul the Third in anger once said that he would renounce Christ if the Procession went not faster on VIII If a King be guilty of d Jo. Bapt. Plotus Consilium § 64. Jo. Bapt. Bolard addit ad Julii Clari pract Crim. q. 35. § 6. Feuard pag. 93. Sacriledge they say he may justly be deprived and yet who hath been more criminal in this than some of their Popes Alexander the Sixth was so noted for it that this Distick was made of him Vendit Alexander Cruces Altaria Christum Emerit ipse prius vendere jure potest Alexander sold his Altars Christ and Crosses He bought so sold them men live not by losses And upon Leo the Tenth Sannazarius the famous Neapolitan Poet made this smart Sarcasm Sacra sub extrema si forte requiritis hora Cur Leo non potuit sumere vendiderat Leo could have the Sacrament no more Though dying ' cause he 'd sold it long before And e Ann. 1229. pag. 362. Matthew Paris assures us that Pope Gregory the Ninth was such a gaper after Church-moneys that the Bishops in England were forced to sell and pawn all their Plate and Furniture belonging to the Altar to satisfie him And whether Authority doth commit Sacriledge in commanding Images to be taken out of Churches let the busie Bigots determine yet History will tell us that Pope Gregory the Third proceeded against the Emperour Leo for the same account IX If a King be a a Azorius Institut lib. 10. cap. 8. lib. 11. cap. 6. Suarez defens fid lib. 6. c. 4. § 22. Feuard p. 91. Jo. Mar. Bellettus disquisit Clericalis pag. 282. § 209 210. Alph. Alvarez Speculum cap. 16. § 8. Petr. de Palude Art 4. Lud. a Paramo de origine S. Inquisit lib. 1. cap. 1. Greg. Nunnius Coronel de optimo Reipub statu pag. 545. Jo. Anton. Delphinus de potestate Eccles pag. 154. Schismatick or a favourer of Schismaticks they say he may then be deposed And yet no Church hath been so much rent with Schisms as that of Rome having sometimes at the same time several men declaring themselves to be the true Popes and justly elected and every one of them having some Prince or other to stand by them and at last 't was sometimes carried by strong hand And that which began in Pope Vrban the Sixth's time was so long and violent that it lasted fifty years X. We are told that for violence done to Cardinals the King guilty Feuardent pag. 94. of that crime may be deposed A people at first but of common repute being but Priests or Deacons belonging to this or that Church and so far inferiour to Bishops though since that the Popes have rais'd them to be next to themselves and equal to Kings and Princes and now carry such a sway in that all-ruling Court at Rome that happy is that Monarch that can get a friend by much begging and greazing to be honour'd with that title and sometimes a red Hat covers both youth and ignorance Many of these have imploy'd themselves in secular affairs and if L'Homme d'estat pag. 257 c. either in this or the other they become faulty there is no reason but that they are lyable to punishment as well as their Neighbours if Queen Elizabeth had got Cardinal Allen into her custody she might with more reason have punish'd him for his many Treasons against her and his Country by declaring her to be no true Queen and in assisting the Spaniards against
enough of this and the supposed Donation which the Venetians did once prettily confute and so shake off a close demand Laurent Banck de Tyran Pap. pag. 355. The Pope asking them by what right they appropriated to themselves all the jurisdiction and power in the Adriatick Sea since they could not shew any Writings of Priviledges granted to them for so doing To which 't is said they thus returned an Answer That they greatly wonder'd that his Holiness should expect from them to shew those priviledges which yea and the very Originals the Popes themselves had carefully kept all along in their own Archives as a sacred thing and might easily be found if he would but look upon the backside of the Deed of Constantine's Donation for there might be seen the Priviledges granted to them over that Sea written in great Letters And such another story they tell us how Pope Alexander the Sixth having ask'd the same question was thus answer'd by Girolamo Donato the Venetian Ambassador Let your Holiness shew me the Instrument of St. Peters Patrimony and you will finde on the backside of it the Grant of the Adriatick Sea to the Venetians CHAP. II. 1. When the Bishops of Rome had raised themselves up to some favour and greatness what odd striving and dealings there were to obtain that See with the manner of Elections 2. That the Temporal Power had formerly the greatest stroke in the Election of Popes and that it yet hath though by underhand-dealings 3. An Essay upon this Quere Whether for some years past there hath been according to their Decrees and Orders really any true Pope THe Bishops of Rome though formerly lived in great obscurity Sect. I. lurking privately here and there without any greatness or notice by reason of the Persecutions against Christianity Now that they had the Emperours embracers of the Gospel and favourers of the Prelacy appear'd in publick in great Splendor and Authority and presently raised themselves to such a Grandeur that they seem'd not onely to overtop their Neighbours but next the Emperour to appear in greatest glory sway and priviledge which made Praetextatus design to be Consul drolingly say to Pope Damasus Make me Bishop of Rome and I will quickly make my self Facite me Romanae Urbis Episcopum ero protinus Christianus Hieron Epist 61. a Christian And now the ambition to be great made every one aspire to this Dignity and that sometimes with so much earnestness and indirect means that Religion it self and the Bishops of that City lost much of their Reputation not onely from the Heathen but Christian too as is plain by St. Hierome and others who wrote against their faults I shall not trouble my self concerning the discention and schism about Liberius and Felix the Second onely that if Liberius was an Heretick as several accuse him then a man may well plead the other to be no Antipope if that be true which some of their own Church confess that a Pope for Heresie looseth his Dignity and Chair But to wave this a An. 367. Liberius being dead the two Factions divide again each of them striving to make a Pope of their party These who were of the Antipope Felix's side chose one Damasus b Jo. Marian de Reb. Hispan l. 4. c. 19. Villegas F. S. Decemb. 11. Am. Narcellin Hist l. 27. c. 2. Ruffin l. 11. c. 10. whether of Tarragona in Catalonia or Madred in New Castile or of Guimaranes Antre Duero y Mino in Portugal Authors agree not and those who were for Liberius chose one Vrsicinus a Roman at this Election the feud was so great betwixt both parties that in the Church of Sicininus there was slain upon the place CXXXVII persons and it was a long time after before the rage of the people could bâ— asswaged insomuch that Vivensius Governour of Rome for the Emperour not being able to appease these Tumults was forced to retire himself out of the City But at last Damasus got the upper-hand and so kept the Popedom by the assistance of the Emperour c Onuphr Annot. in Platin. vit Felicis II. Valentinian Thus was this thing managed besides voting with d Platin. vit Damas Sabellic En. 7. l. 9. Nausler Gen. 13. p. 487. Genebrard p. 576. main force and arms And those who formerly were held as Schismaticks for chusing and siding with an Antipope are now brave boys for standing and fighting lustily against those who were for the true Pope Liberius as they call him And had the Emperour approved of Vrsicinus for ought that I know he had been call'd infallible and Damasus an Antipope And that the Emperours had some authority about the Election of Popes will appear by the story of another uprore and schism Pope Zosimus being a An. 418. dead the people of Rome enter again into divisions one party chose for Bishop Eulalius in the Lateran Church and the other Boniface in another Church and thus each faction cryed up their Pope Of this Symmachus Governour of Rome giveth the Emperour notice and tells him that Eulalius had Baron anno 419. § 1 2 3 c. most reason and right of his side Honorius the Emperour acknowledgeth Eulalius as Pope as being chosen and approved of by a lawful number time and place rejects Boniface as illegitimate wanting these necessaries to an Election and bids him submit or to be expell'd the City Symmachus sends this news to Boniface but the Messenger is beat In the mean time the party of Eulalius rejoyce he acting as Pope and the City Gates being shut to exclude his Adversary the Governour being the more careful by reason of the great inconvenience and trouble the City underwent by the former Tumults and Riots at the Election of Damasus Those who sided with Boniface seeing themselves and cause quite lost if presently they procured not Remedy drew up a Petition to the Emperour complaining Eulalius not to be lawfully elected but Boniface to be truely Pope for which they desired Caesars assistance Honorius upon this orders that both the elected should appear before him where he would have the Case tryed and accordingly see the right disposed of and for more clearing of the business he appointed several Bishops to meet about it but these not agreeing concerning the Election this meeting vanish'd without any determination whereupon he resolved upon another convention In the mean time the better to keep good Order in Râ—me now full of hubbubs by reason of this division he order'd Eulalius and Boniface the two heads of these disorders to depart the City and Easter now drawing neer that the people might not be without a Bishop to celebrate at that Feast he appointed Achilleus Bishop of Spoleto one uninterest to either party to officiate as chief in Rome and him he call'd b Beatitudo tua His Holiness or Blessedness and so did he Paulinus Bshop of Nola and those of c Sanctitas vestra Africk
Pope being known 't is the custom of the King of Spain c. to send instructions to his Ambassadour or some other Confident at Rome how to carry on the Conclave that a friend of his might be chosen and also nominates five or six any of which he is willing to be Pope and at the same time sends the names of some others whom by no means he will not allow to be elected by which means Cardinal Baronius lost the Title of Holiness the Spaniard wholly excluding him for a An. 1097. This Tract is left out in some Edition of his Annals the King of Spain having made an Edict against it See D'Avily les Estats p. 235. scratching a little upon the Spanish Territories of Sicily The instructions being come the Cardinals of his Faction act accordingly And he though he deserve the Chair never so much as for Example Baronius who is thus excepted against by a King 't is an hundred to one he shall never change his red Hat for a Triple Crown 'T is true sometimes a few Cardinals in the Conclave when they see they cannot bring their own ends about exclaim pittifully against this mode of submitting their suffrages and consciences to the pleasure of this or that King and now and then Pen and Paper are imploy'd in making little Tracts of Oppositions and Justifications of such Actions but this scribling and crying out of a few Cardinals never hinders the rest from prosecuting their intended designs And thus we see that yet the Temporal Authority hath a main stroke if not all in the election of Popes And here I cannot but smile at Thomas Bozius who makes a great deal of noise and blustering in behalf of the Popes jurisdiction and De Italiae statu lib. 4. c. 3. p. 388. 390. what an horrid danger and judgement 't will be to cross the Bishops of Rome For saith he the Emperours Honorius and Valentinian the Third restrained the Popes of some Temporal Power and then the Goths Vandals and Heruli wasted Italy Again that the Emperour Justinian made a Law that the Popes should not be consecrated without first consulting the Emperour and paying a certain Id. p. 395. sum of money for it and so the Plague or Pestilence seis'd upon Italy and Totila the Goth took Rome Again long after this another Law was made that the Pope should not be consecrated but in the presence of the Emperours or their Deputies and therefore besides Pag. 403. Plagues great Earth-quakes troubled Italy and the Saracens and Huns lorded it there also And suchlike consequences as these he hath store of and all as true as the Star fell down and therefore the Astronomer shot it with his Jacobs-staff And truely the rest is much after the same fashion the sum of his whole Book being onely this Italy is more fruitful hath more and greater Cities and Towns brave Monasteries and Churches better Houses and Colledges and more knowing men and women for these last twelve hundred years than it was or had before Ergo the Pope and his Authority is the greatest happiness that can happen to Italy And is not this a notable wonder that building should increase in so many hundred years If this way of Argumentizing be authentick 't is coming time not Scripture or Antiquity that must prove any Religion the which upon this account must grow better and better and so as they say Modern Protestantism must be held a greater blessing and benefit than that which they call ancient Popery in those Nations where the reformed Religion bears the sway Sect. 3. An Essay upon this Quere Whether for some years past there hath been according to their Decrees and Orders really any true Pope HAving thus hastily discours'd something concerning the Election of Popes it will not be amiss to add these few following Observations which may add some light to the business and by a farther prosecution may be of greater consideration than at this time I shall trouble my self withal but leave it to the censure of every man In the time of Paul the Fifth who began his Popedom in 1605 there lived in Italy a great Scholar and a severe Roman Catholick who being troubled at the odd carriage of the Popes and their Election thought it convenient to have a General Council to rectifie all but knowing the Bishops of Rome to have a natural aversness from this look'd upon himself obliged as a true son of the Roman Church to endeavour as much as lay in his power the promotion of such a publick benefit to his Religion And therefore knowing the Popes against it he drew up a a Supplicatio ad Imperatorem Reges Principes super causis Generalis Concilii convocandi Petition to the Emperour and other Christian Kings to bring this noble and charitable design about And possibly fearing that if this his supplication should onely come into the hands of the Potentates of the Roman Catholick perswasion it might there be stifled by the over-perswasion of their interested Favourites and Councellors To prevent this seeing our King James of a publick spirit for the benefit of the Church he directs it onely to him that by his means his necessitating reasons might be discover'd to the Emperour and the other Christian Princes Upon this the Author a An. 1611. dyeth at Rome leaves this Petition with a dear Friend of his who delivers it to an English Gentleman then there who accordingly convey'd it to King James who presently dispers'd it all Europe over As for the Author I shall positively say nothing but that he appears one to have been very well versed in the Roman affairs the common opinion is that it was the famous Neapolitan Civilian Dr. Marta of whom we have formerly hinted and indeed his very subscribing himself to the Supplication NOVVS HOMO doth intimate that he had now in something changed his Opinion and we cannot but observe that this Supplication carryeth all along a grand respect and veneration to Temporal Authority over Rome it self in some things whereas Dr. Marta in his other Volumes is so resolute a Champion for the Popes very Temporal Prerogative that he screws up the power and jurisdiction of the Romish Bishops even to trample upon all other Potentates in this world If Marta be the man it must be the discovery of some grand iniquities that could thus alienate his affection from Pope Paul the Fifth In this his discourse is indeavoured to prove a failing in the succession of Popes raising the Foundation from the Simoniacal entrance of Sixtus the Fifth But probably one might fetch a farther rise than this even by viewing over their own schisms where sometimes we shall finde such odd chopping and changing of Popes that the wisest then living could not tell which or where was the Head of the Church and yet every party creating Cardinals and declaring himself Christ's Vicar Now this is certain since the time they have acknowledged
far off and the Bishops of Rome suppose Councils especially the latter do rather take away then give them any jurisdiction whereby such conventions are both chargeable and troublesome to them in the carrying on of their interest and therefore they use all their cunning and reason to draw such power and thoughts from Temporal Princes and with a thousand slights will prolong the time To which purpose the Italians say not amiss of them Coll ' arte el ' Inganno Lui passa Mezzo anno Coll ' Inganno è coll ' arte Se vive l' altra parte With art and with guile O' th' year they past one while With guile and with art They live the other part And for confirmation of this we need go no farther than their Council of Trent it being a long time before the Popes would be perswaded to call it and when 't was held 't was carryed on with so much cunning and jugling even to the trouble and grief of many Eminent Roman Catholick Divines there that the Legates would permit nothing to be concluded upon but according as they received directions and orders by Letters from the Pope which occasioned the unlucky Proverb That the Council of Trent was guided by the Holy Ghost sent to them from Rome in a Cloak-bag Insomuch that several of the Divines there did divers times publickly complain that it was not a a Paolo pag. 507 508 530 551 623 635 644 659 661 683 566 569. free one and both the b Id. p. 279. Emperour and the King of c Id. p. 818. France call'd it a Convention As for the Testimonies in the Italians supplication I have no reason to suspect them it having been above these fifty years dispersed all Europe over and not that I know of in the least contradicted besides several of their own Historians do almost confess as much CHAP. III. The Murther of the Emperour Mauritius with his Empress Children c. by wicked Phocas with Pope Gregory the First sirnamed the Great his judgement and opinion of that barbarous action and his Authority pretended over Kings HAving hitherto briefly seen the forgery of Constantine's Donation year 600 the low condition of the Bishops of Rome for some hundreds of years the power and practice of Temporal Princes over them in their Nominations or Approbations with some short Observations concerning their Elections We shall now proceed to what we first designed Their great Lawyer a De Repub. lib. 2 6. cap. 7. § 10. Gregorius Tolosanus tells us that though the Christians indured grievous oppressions and cruel torments yet for the first three hundred years they never rebell'd against their Kings or Temporal Governours And had not the Pope incouraged and fomented it this sin of witch-craft had never been I am certain so much practised by those who call themselves Christians But here Cardinal b â—e Rom. Pont. lib. 5. cap. 7. Bellarmine the Jesuit joyns hand in hand with c De jure Reg. Buchanan the Puritan to free the Primitive Christians from this scandal of Obedience and would have the fault to lye not in Religion but the want of strength though the former d Loco citato Gregorius will dash this Argument in pieces by telling you that they had force and number enough to perpetrate such wickedness if their wills and piety would allow of it As for the Popes Temporal Authorities Guicciardine will tell you that they had none long after these Nel qual tempo i Pontefici Romani privaâ—i in tutto di potentia Temporale Guâ—cciard Hist d'Ital lib. 4. times 'T is true this Section is knavishly left out in some Italian Editions and others who followed them but you have it at large in the e French 1612. Paris f Engl. 1618. London and some others and it hath been several times printed by it self as at g 1561. Basil in three Langues viz. Italian French and Latin and at h 1595. London in four the English being added to the sormer of which the Italian according to Guicciardines own Manuscript in Florence As for the Popes spiritual Power as Bishop of his own See I They are also lately with amendments of Thuanus printed at Amsterdam 1663. have nothing to do with nor shall I trouble my self with the Excommunication of the Emperour Anastatius by the Popes h Platina Gelasins h Anaestatius the Second or by i Baron an 502. Symmachus because it may be all will not agree of what was the meaning and authority of such censures in those times We are also told that Euphemius Patriarch of Constantinople threatned to depose this Anastasius if so then it seems others besides Rome can unthrone Princes but I wonder why a An. 491. Baronius brags so much of this it being quite contrary to the Roman greatness and prerogative But let us come to realities Tiberius the Second being dead there succeeded him in the Empire Mauritius famous in War but he was tainted with covetousness In this time John Patriarch of Constantinople made the means to have himself call'd Vniversal Bishop at this Title Gregory the First sirnamed the Great Bishop of Rome taketh great offence and hoping to get this null'd by his acquaintance with the Emperour Maurice having formerly been at Constantinople with Tiberius and him to prove a confirmation for Pelagius the Second in his Popedom having also been God-father to one of Mauritius his Sons as also himself confirmed in the Papal Chair by the same Emperour Upon these and suchlike good turns and acquaintance he questioned not but to have this Title taken from John of Constantinople to which purpose he sends to Mauritius his Empress and others Letters after Letters affirming it to be a b Lib. 4. Epist 32. New name against Gospel and Canon a title of vanity profaness and blasphemy a c Id. Epist 38 39. horrible and wicked word d Epist 36. that none of his Predecessors had ever used such a profane title to be abhor'd by a Christian minde and suchlike to be read in his Epistles But the Emperour did not care to trouble himself with these paper-squablings onely wish'd that they would not bring a scandal to the Church by this railing This troubles Gregory yet he giveth the Emperour all the noble Titles that could be calling of himself onely e Lib. 6. Ep. 62 63 64. Dust and very Worm of the Earth his most unworthy man or servant c. And indeed he as well as f Duarenus de sacris Eccles Minist lib. 1. cap. 5. and see more of this in Andr. Rivet Jesuita Vapul cap. 28. § 37 38 39 40 41 42. pag. 539 540 541 54â— c. other Bishops of Rome in those times were exactly obedient to the Emperours however the case is alter'd now of which one instance at this time may satisfie This Emperour perceiving that every one in those zealous times thought
statuit sedem Romanae Ecclesiae ut Caput esset omnium Ecclesiarum quia Ecclesia Constant â—â—â—politana primum se omnium Ecclesiarum scribebat Paul Diac. de gessis Romanorum lib. 18. in vit Phocae Head or Chief of all other Churches and this in opposition to the Constantinopolitan Church which had appropriated to her self the stile of the first Church And her Patriarchs had took upon them the Title of Vniversal Bishops which greatly troubled this Gregory the First who in opposition to that other f Prophane and g As Gregory himself call'd it Blasphemous Title viz. Vniversal but now made use of by all Popes termed himself the servant of servants of God upon which Title their h 1 Q. 7. c. Quoties cordâ—s Gloss per te Gloss affords us this Distich Servi erant tibi Roma prius Domini Dominorum Servorum Servi nunc tibi sunt Domini The greatest Kings once serv'd thee Rome but now To th' least of servants thou thy neck dost bow This Title hath been ever since used by his Successors and not onely by them but also other Bishops sometimes write themselves so as a Epist to Hâ—nâ—mer of France Rabanus of Mentz b Will. Somners Antiq. of Cant. Agelnoth of Canterbury c Coquaeus Tom. 2. p. 70. Anselme of Ravenna d Ib. S. Augustin himself and many others and indeed they confess that that Title is e Coeffeteau pag. 807. il est commum à tous les Evesques common to all other Bishops and so is the word f Vid. Fran. Duaren de sacris Eccles Minist lib. 1. cap. 10. Papa too But though Pope Gregory stiled himself so humbly yet we are told that he declared that he had Authority to depose the greatest Kings in proof of which thus they frame their Arguments About the time that this Gregory the Great was a Young man there flourish'd in France one Medard famous as they say for his holiness and miracles and since Sainted who was at the same time Bishop of two Places viz Noyon in Picardy and Tourney in Flanders and this by the Popes approbation though I doubt that Monsieur g Hist des Saints Tom. 1. p. 689. Gazet is out when he makes it to be Pope Hormisda who must have dyed before this according to the computation of h Hist Episc Gal. p. 310. Chenu St. Medard dying King Clotaire had his body carryed to Soissons in Picardy and there buryed where he began to build a Church for him but being murder'd his Son Sigebert finished it To this they say this i Lib. 2. Indict 11. post Epist 38. Gregory the First gave great Priviledges with an express Order that that King or Potentate should be degraded or k Fran. Bozzius de Temporal Monarch p. 225. Bellarm de Rom. Pont. l. 5. c. 8. deposed who violated them Of this l Vides lector Pontisâ—cis Romani esse sancire leges quibus si ipsi Reges non pareant Regno priventur Baron an 593. § 86. Baronius makes a great boasting how thus the Pope can depose Kings and Gregory the Eighth made use of this instance for an Argument against the Emperour Henry And what might not Gregory the Great do upon Earth over poor Mortals whose jurisdiction reached so far that they say he relieved the tormented soul of Trojan the Heathen Emperour out of Hell and sent it packing to Heaven in proof and vindication of which pretty action their famous m Vid. Ciacon vit Greg. I. Alphonsus Ciaconius wrote a particular Book Another instance they give us of Gregory's jurisdiction over Kings viz. that Queen Brunechilde or Brunehaut built a n Vit. Borth Cassanaeum Catal. glor mundi part 12. consid 60. fol. 332. Monastery to S. Martin at Authum in Burgundy where she her self was buryed To which our o Lib. 11. Indict 6. Epist 10. Gregory the First granted also many Priviledges but with the same Decree against those who violated any of them Of which p Anno 603. § 17. Baronius also taketh special notice and triumpths thus of the Papal Authority in deposing of Kings as he did formerly But some think these Deeds and Priviledges are q Vit. Caron Remonstrant Hybernorum part 5. pag. 68 69. forged And truely S. Martin Archbishop of Tours deserved both a good Church and great Priviledges if that be true which they Pet. Natal l. 10. c. 47. story of him as how he rais'd three people from the dead and cured folk by kissing who had Angels to cover his arms with plates of gold and those holy Choristers to sing his soul into Heaven who was compared to the a Baron an 583. Apostles and Elias and of whom they tell many suchlike pretty stories yet methinks his charity was very odd to turn away his man onely because he was b Vâ—lleg Flos Sanct. Novemb. 11. good-natured and vertuous CHAP. IV. 1. The deposing of Suintila King of Spain 2. The Murther of Childerick the Second King of France with his Queen great with Childe 3. The unfortunate Rule and Murther of the Emperour Justinian the Second and the troubles of Constantinople 4. The Popes censures and troublings of the Emperour Leo the Third about Images 5. The deposing of Childerick the Third King of France Sect. 1. The deposing of Suintila King of Spain ANd now let us turn to the West and in Spain we shall finde the Pens of Authors in as much opposition as the Swords of Souldiers for though all confess that c An 621. Suintila was lawful King of the Goths in Spain yet Writers will not agree of his life and exit For though d Chronicon Isidorus e Lib. 2. c. 17. Rodericus Toletanus f Cap 33. Alphonsus de Carthagena and the other ancient Spanish Historians do declare him to be one of the bravest Princes in the world not onely for his Justice Charity Humility and other excellent Vertues but also Valour joyn'd with Success whereby they say he drove the Romans out of those Territories and so was the first of the Goths that obtain'd the absolute Monarchy of Spain Yet some of our Modern Writers lay all manner of Tyranny and Vices to his charge drawn thereunto I suppose by that which they finde set down in the Fourth Council of g Cap. 75. Toledo Though methinks 't is somewhat odd that learned Isidore the great Bishop of Sevil and one Sainted in the Roman Calendar should so soon write contradictions as not onely by his subscription to this Council to commend the usurping Sisenandus but to declare Suintila Cintila Santila or Suinthila to be abominable vicious tyrannical a fugitive and what not whom a little before he had h Praeter has militares gloriae laâ—des plutimae in eo Regiae Majâ—statis virtutes fides prudentia industria in judicus examinatio stâ—enua in regendo regno cura pracâ—pua circa omnes
their heads and revolted chusing for Emperour one Theodosius a good man but of no great birth being onely a Collector of Subsidies Theodosius thus Emperour though really against his will took Anastasius and gave him his life but made him a Monk but he continued not long for Leo who was General to Anastasius the Second resolves in vindication of his former Master to oppose him and so having got a great Army marched towards Constantinople and in the way took prisoner a Son of Theodosius Upon this the Father began to grow fearful and not daring to resist so great a power yeilded himself upon promise to have his life secured which was granted Theodosius and his Son as they say being both shorne and made Monks And Leo being thus successful was made Emperour having three who had sat in the Imperial Throne his Prisoners viz. I. Philippus Bardanes whom Anastasius had cast into prison and pluck'd out his eyes II. Anastasius who was forced into holy Orders by Theodosius III. Theodosius who thus submitted to Leo and was also put into holy Orders Sect. 4. The Popes censures and troublings of the Emperour Leo the Third about Images LEo the Third before this call'd Isaurus Conon from his Country Isaurus in Asia sirnamed also by his Enemies Iconomachus from his hatred to Images for which cause Pope Gregory the Second falling out with him was the occasion of great mischief to Christendom This Leo a Tollendi ut ipse dicebat Idolatriae causa Platin. vit Gregor II. declaring against Idolary as he said commanded that all Images in the Churches of Constantinople should be taken down and sent to Gregory the Second at Rome to have his Orders there also obey'd but this the Pope stifly withstands affirming the Emperour to have nothing to do in things of Religion and perswaded all people in this to oppose the Emperour which took such effect that in Constantinople it self some men did not onely reason against the Imperial Decree but the women assaulted those who according to Order went about to execute Leo's commands insomuch that he was forced to use severity against those who opposed his Edicts And in Italy so zealous were the people by the perswasion of the Church-men that in Ravenna where the Imperial Authority most resided they flew into such open Tumults or Rebellion that they murther'd Paulus the Fourteenth Exarch being the Emperours Lieutenant or Deputy in Rome it self they took Petrus the Duke and put out his eyes and in Campania they beheaded the Duke Exhilaratus and his Son Adrian who there took the Emperours part against the Pope who now began to shew themselves Enemies and two to one if the Emperour could have got the Pope into his clutches he had made him smart for his opposition But Gregory on the other side had play'd his Cards so well that he had dwindled the Imperial Jurisdiction in Italy to nothing by his Excommunication and suchlike Censures not onely forbidding any more Tax or Tribute to be paid him but that he should not at all be obeyed And here a Quo tonitru exitati fideles Occidentale mox desciscunt penitus à Leonis Imperio Apostoâ—ico Pontifici adherentes Sic dignum posteris idem Gregorius reliquit exemplum ne in Ecclesia Christi regnare sinerentur haereâ—ci Principes si saepe moniti in errore persistere obstinato animo invenirentur Baron anno 730. § 5. Baronius according to his custom huggs and applauds Gregory for his Censures against the Emperour whereby he got the people to his own Devotion and also left a good Example to Posterity not to permit obstinate Heretical Kings to Rule as the Cardinal saith who never lets any piece of Rebellion pass without commendation But for all this Leo kept his Imperial Seat in Constantinople and continued in his resolution against Images and so had them pull'd down nor could Gregory the Third who succeeded his Name-sake stop his proceedings though by his Censures with the consent of the Roman Clergy he did not onely declare him deprived from the Communion of all Christians but also deposed from his Empire But Leo never thought himself the worse for these brutish Thunderbolts and so raigned as Emperour to his dying day having sat in the Imperial Throne twenty four years And his Son Constantine the Fifth carryed the same Opinion against Images which did not a little perplex the Popes in his time But the Popes quarreling about these trifles was the occasion that the Emperour of Constantinople lost his jurisdiction in Italy Ravenna being about this time taken by Aistulphus the two and twentieth King of the Lumbards in Italy Eutichus the Fifthteenth and last Exarch forced to flee this Exarchical Government having ruled as the Emperours Deputies almost CC years in Italy keeping their Seat at Revenna but the Popes gain'd by this for the Popes as some say having made Pepin King of France in requital desired his assistance against the Lombards who accordingly march'd into Italy beat Aistulph took Ravenna from him which with many other Cities he gave to S. Peter whereby the Pope in a manner held himself Master of that which he now doth in la Marcha di Ancona Romagna di Vrbino Bononia and Ferrara which they say was confirm'd by his Son Charles the Great with the Addition of the Dukedoms of Spoleto and Tuscany and the Islands Sicily Corsica and Sardinia reserving to himself the Soveraignty of them but some men give that which is none of theirs to give and so might Charlemaign but right or no right the Popes do not use to loose any thing that is to be had This Charles the Great also b An. 774. beat Desiderius who succeeded Aistulph and was the last King of the Lombards and so that Kingdom and Rule ended after they had triumph'd in that part of Italy from them call'd Lombardy and the adjacent parts for above CC years and now the Pope began to strut it with the proudest throwing off the jurisdiction of the Western Empire having his daring Lombards thus brought to nought and Charles the Great the Champion of Europe his freind doubly ingaged to him the See of Rome authorising his Father Pepin to be King of France the first step to Charles his greatness and after as they say Crown'd him the first Emperour of the West in opposition to that of the East or Constantinople Sect. 5. The deposing of Childerick the Third King of France HAving here treated somewhat of Pepin and Charlemaign let us see how they came to their greatness and government There having raign'd in France Eighteen Kings since Merouce some say Grand-childe to Pharamund who was the first that brought these German people into France and there setled them there then succeeded in the Kingdom Childerick or Helderick by some falsely call'd Chilperick of which name there hath also been two Kings of France About the year DLIX Clotaire the First set up the Office of the Du
sent to Robert Gâ—iscard Chief of the Normans and Lord of Pulia and Calabria to beg his help at a dead-lift who though then in Wars against the Grecian Emperour Alexius sends him sufficient relief who deliver him from Castle St. Angelo thence they convey him to Salerno in the Kingdom of Naples where he a An. 1085. Baron anno 1098. § 13. dyed Sigebert and lately Father b Remonstrantia Hibernorum part 5. p. 2. Caron tells us that being neer his death he confess'd that he had stirr'd up all these troubles by the suggestion of the Devil c. But the Popes Champions would not have us to believe this but on the contray that he is a Saint for more confirmation of which they have placed his name in their c 25 May. Calendar and if we look for Miracles to prove it we might begin at his Infancie where we finde him being the Son of a Carpenter which d An. 1073. § 16. Baronius thinks a good hint strangely to foretell by his Fathers Chips his own Dominion over the World from Sea to Sea And if we take him towards his latter end lest his actions which so many question should be held as illegal or any what amiss we are told Baron an 1084. § 10 11 12. pretty stories how they were all approved of and declared authentick from Heaven by the holy Ghost And thus much for Gregory the Seventh or Hildebrand after whom his partakers in Italy chose Victor the Third who followed the steps of his Predecessor Gregory by which divisions Italy and Germany were pittifully harass'd especially Rome having daily wars and fightings in her very streets between the Souldiers of the two Popes Clement and Victor but the latter lived not long dying the second year of his Popedom After whom the Anti-Imperialists chose Vrban the Second by An. 1088. some jeeringly call'd Turbanus who also shew'd himself a fierce Enemy against the Emperour which broyls were no small detriment to Christendom Clement and Vrban cursing one another and their adherents to the purpose insomuch that between them there were few Christians in Germany and Italy left uncurst or damn'd and blest and saveâ— again at the same time But that which greatly strengthned Vrban was the revolt of Conrade Eldest Son to Henry whom the Emperour leaving in Italy in his absence he rebell'd An. 1093. against his Father and took part with Vrban who acknowledged him to be King of Italy and accordingly was Crown'd so at Millan and to make him more sure they had him marryed to the Daughter of Roger Duke of Sicily besides this they had taught this their young King so much obedience to the See of Rome as to hold the Popes e Baron an 1095. § 8. Stirrop And this revolt or unnatural rebellion lost Henry all his interest in Italy many of his old Friends adoring the rising Sun not thinking but Conrade would be Emperour But death spoils many a design for Conrade dyed before his Father year 1100 and so did Vrban and Clement Upon which several pretended to the Chair of St. Peter but Paschal the Second got the surest footing between whom and the Emperour was no more agreement than with those gone before This Paschal confirming all the thundring Excommunications and Deprivations against Henry who was now fallen into a great trouble For his now Eldest Son Henry Conrade being dead was perswaded by wicked counsel that it was best to look about him and take the Government upon him his Father having no right to Rule by reason of the Roman Decree against him And many fine words did they tell him of St. Peter of Christs Vicar of the power of the Church c. And thus under the pretence of piety was he perswaded to rebel against his Father This being known Germany was divided some standing for the Father others for the Son and both parties behaved themselves so carefully that both their Armies were powerful and between them much bloud was shed but at last the Marquess of Austriae and the Duke of Bohemia An. 1105. turn'd tail and fled over to the Son basely leaving the old Emperour in the lurch which so lesned his Force that he was constrain'd to take advice and shift for himself with a few trusty Friends Being thus down the winde there were small hopes of recruting every one now running over to the Conqueror To be short a meeting is appointed at Mentz where meet many Bishops and Nobles and trusty cards for young Henry and to carry more Authority Paschal had sent thither his two Legats and to make all sure young Henry himself was there who made pretty canting Speeches to the people telling them that he intended no harme to his Father neither desired his deposition onely took care for the Glory of God and the honour of St. Peter and Christ's Vicar c. which hony-words pleas'd the seditious people exceedingly so that here they conclude the old Emperour not fit to Rule and that his Son ought to be the man and Governour Having gone thus far it was not now for them to look back and so they very fairly go and have him deposed The story it self being somewhat lamentable take as followeth out of their own approved Authors The Bishops of Mentz Colen and Worms were order'd to go to Car. Sigonius de Regno Ital. anno 1106. Helmoldus Hist Sclavorum c. 32. Aâ—b Krantzius Hist Saxon. lib. 5. c. 20 21 22 23 24. him and to bring from him the Imperial Ensigns viz. the Cross Lance Scepter Globe or Golden-ball and Crown with the Sword They went and demanded of him these Badges of which things he demanded the reason they replyed Because he had committed Simony in nominating to Bishopricks and Abbies To whom the amazed Emperour thus answered You my Lords of Mentz and Colen tell me by the Name of God what I have received from you They confess'd that he had received nothing Then said the Emperour Glory be to God that in this We are found faithful for your great Dignities might have brought great gain to me had I gone that way My Lord of Worms likewise knows that he received his Bishoprick freely My good Fathers break not your Oaths I am now old and you need stay but a little But if there be no remedy I shall deliver the Crown to my Son with mine own hands But they making offer to lay hands upon him he retired himself put on his Imperial Ensigns and returned to them saying The goodness of God and the election of the Princes gave these to me and God is able to preserve them unto me and to with-hold your hands from this action although We want Our Forces though I doubt not of any such violence c. Hereupon the Bishops stay'd a while as if they knew not what to do yet at last incouraging one another they bolted up the Emperour took the Crown from his head and then taking him out
that to be of no force and do revoke them as null And we think all to be z z Some copâ—es read fatuos others Haereticos Fools or Hereticks who think otherwise Dated at the Lateran c. To which was returned this following answer Philip by the Grace of God King of the French to Boniface bearing himself a Pope little health or none at all Let your great a a Sciat tua maxima fatuitas Foolship understand that in Temporal affairs we are subject to no man That the Collation of Churches and Prebendaries belong to us by Royal Prerogative and the fruits thereof during their vacancy That the Collations already made or hereafter to be made are of good force and validity and that we will defend the possessors thereof against all men reputing all to be fools and madmen who think otherwise Given at Paris c. The Pope seeing the King resolute for the priviledges of his Kingdom goeth another way to work b Jo de Bussieres Tom. 2. p. 220 221. Jo â—uâ—â—us p. 211. Spondan an â—â—03 §. 11 stirs the people of Flanders to rebell against him desires the King of England to fall upon him curses excommunicates interdicts and by his fond censures deposeth the King absolves his subjects from their Allegiance perswades them to rise against their Soveraign intreats Albert Emperour of Germany to invade and seise upon his Dominions which he giveth to the said Albert for winning and keeping And because the Vniversity at Paris stood for their King he declared them to be no University nulling all their priviledges prohibiting all exercises c. The King seeing the Pope thus madly to run on against him summons a Parliament where the King is vindicated and the Pope accused of Heresie Nigromancy Simony Sodomy Murther Vsury Vncleanness c. all which Articles being too long for this place I shall refer you to a Acts and Mon tom 1. p. 448 449 450 451 452 453. Fox and the two late Volumes of the b Traites des droit libertes de l'eglise Gallicane Tom. 2. pag. 140 141 14â— liberties of the Gallican Church collected and set forth by the learned Frenchman Mons de Pais Puteanus But for all this the next Pope but one clears him and makes him a good man In this Parliament the King appeals from the Pope to the next Council But this trouble ended by the suddain death of the Pope though after what manner Authors will not agree some say by a Feaver others grief and many affirm by despair if not madness yet c Fuâ—enti similis Spond an 130◠§ 13. Marian hist Hispan l. 15. c. 6. next door to it However it was considering with what subtlety he attain'd the Popedome with what pride and arrogancy he domineer'd and his talked-of strange death he procured this Proverb to be fastned upon him d Intra vit ut vulpes regnavit ut leo mortuâ—s est ut canis He entred like a Fox ruled like a Lyon and dyed like a Dog Lucretius describes the Poetical Monster thus Prima leo postrema draco media ipsa Chimaera And of this Pope thus another alludes Ingreditur vulpes leo pontificat canis exit Jo. Rubeus p. 258. Et sic revera nova dicitur illa Chimaera I have formerly given you the Character of this Pope according to the Romanists themselves and for farther proof you shall hear Platina himself speak Pope Boniface e Qui imperatoribus â—egibus principibus nationibus populis terrorem potius quam Religionem injicere conabatur quique dare regna â—â—auferre pellerehomines reducere pro arbit â—â— animi conabatur aurum undique conquisitum plus quam dici potest sitiens Platina vit Bonifacii VIII rather endeavour'd and studied how to terrifie Emperours Kings Princes Nations and People then to promote Religion he strived and endeavoured to give and take away Kingdoms to trample upon all men according to his pleasure being covetous of wealth beyond all report This judgement of Platina is also confirm'd by f Gener. 44. p. 870. Nauclerus and his own actions will testifie as much for having appointed a Jubilee the first day he appears in his Pontificalibus but the next day he shews himself in an g Krantz Saxon. l. 8. c. 36. Cusâ— nian vit Albert Imperial habit with a Crown on having a naked sword carried before him crying out h Luke 22 3â— Behold two swords childishly alluding to his own blockish i Extra Commun de major obed c. unam sanctam comment upon the Apostles and our Saviours words as if the two Swords there mentioned implyed the Pope of Rome to have spiritual and temporal authority over all men Another story they tell of him Jacobus de Voragine Arch-bishop of Genoa that great writer of pretty miracles dying Porchetto Spinola succeeded and being at Rome on an Ash-Wednesday he amongst others fell down at the Popes Feet to be signed on the Fore-head with a Cross of holy Ashes Boniface thinking him to be his Enemy alters the Platina Nauclerus Coquaeus Tom. 2. pag. 178. Spond anno 1296. § 11. Scripture telling him thus Remember that thou art a Gibellin and with the Gibellins thou shalt return to Ashes and so cast the Ashes in his eyes and deprived him of his Archbishoprick but gave it him again when he heard that he was mistaken in the man At this action a Pag. 1005. Coeffeteau is a little troubled and doth confess that if it be true as there is no reason to doubt of it that it was a kinde of Sacriledge that cannot be excused Of this Boniface who before his Popedom was call'd Benedict one made these Verses Nomina bina bona tibi sunt praeclarus amictus Eberhardi Annal. an 1303. apud Hen. Caâ—â—s Anâ—â—que lecâ—â—on Tom. 1. Papa Bonifacius modo sed quondam Benedictus Ex re nomen habe Benefac Benedic Benedicte Aut cito perverte Malefac Maledic Maledicte But for diversion sake you may here peruse the Rimes of John Lydgate the old Monk of St. Edmondsbury Among these wofull Princys thre The fall of Pâ—â—nces lib. 9 Which shewyd theym so uggly of their chere Pope Boniface by great adversite The VIII of that name gan to approach nere A thousand IIIC accompted was the yere Fro Cryst's birth by computation Whan that he made his lamentacion This same Pope caught occasion Which undre Petre kept governaunce To Interdict all the Region Time of King Philip regnynge tho in France Direct Bulls down into Constaunce To a Nicholaus Benefractus Archdeacon of Constance in lower Normandy being sent by the Pope to carry the Orders to Interdict the King was seized up on at Tryers and imprisonâ—d Nicolas made by Boneface Archdeacon of the same place Of holy Church the Prelates nygh ech on Busshoppys of Fraunce felly have declared Prevynge by b Of these Articles against him I spake before
 4 1414 9 21 5  5 1415 â— 22 â— â— To break this Schism of three Popes at a time a Council is held at Constance where Gregory deprives himself and John with much ado is overperswaded to deliver up his Pope dom but Benedict would by no means submit yet he is there declared â—â—â— Pope and so the Council elects Martin V. 6 1416  23   Emperours A. C. Popes Popes  7 1417 Martin V. 24  8 1418 2 25  9 1419 3 26  10 1420 4 27  11 1421 5 28  12 1422 6 29  13 1423 7 30  14 1424 8 i Clement VIII i Benedict * Some say he was poyoned see Grimstons History of Spain l. 18. p. 687 688 XI dying in Spain the Cardinals there of his Faction chose for Pope this Clement VIII But at the four years end seeing he could not mâ—ke good his party he quietly yeilded up his Pontifical name and honour 15 1425 9 12  16 1426 10 3  17 1427 11 4  18 1428 12   19 1429 13   20 1430 14   21 1431 k Engenius IV.  k A Council being held at Basil Eugenius took distaste at them calls another at Ferrara which he removes to Florence declares that to be none at Basil Against this the Council of Basil protests declares the Pope to have no power to dissolve or remove that Council and that a Council is above the Pope lay several Accusations against Eugenius and so pronounce him deposed and no Pope in whose stead they elect Felix IV. But Eugenius would not obey this ranted as much against them and Felix and created XXVII Cardinals 22 1432 2   23 1433 2   24 1434 4   25 1435 5   26 1436 6   27 1437 7   Albertus II. 1438 8   2 1439 9 Felix IV l Felix was formerly Duke of Savoy and had many that adher'd to him and several stood Neuters he created XXIV Cardinals Frederick III. 1440 10 2  2 1441 11 3  3 1442 12 4  4 1443 13 5  5 1444 14 6  6 1445 15 7  7 1446 16 8  8 1447 Nicolas V. 9  9 1448 2 â— â— Felix upon the earnest intreaty of the Emperour Frederick III and other reasons resigned up all his interest to the Popedom and so Nicolas V remain'd sole Pope and thus this Schism ended 10 1449 3   11 1450 4   By this Schism or Schisms which continued so many years Christendom received much detriment each Party and Faction maintaining it self with all earnestness Vrban VI to strengthen himself because Joan I. Queen of Naples a lover of change adher'd to Clement pronounceth her deposed from her Kingdom which he gives to Charles Durazzo To counterpoise this Joan by the counsel of Clement declares Lewes Duke of Anjou Heir to the Kingdom and Pope Martin V confirm'd it afterwards which increas'd the trouble But in brief Durazzo proves too strong enters Naples seized upon Queen Joan and caused her to be hanged And with that severity did Vrban persecute those of whom he was any way jealous that he took * Platin. p. 270. five Cardinals had them tyed up in sacks and so thrown into the Sea but others tell worse things of him Nay so zealous were the people of those days for Schism that neither the Councils of Constance or Basil could presently end this disturbance for what Pope soever they nominate or approve of falleth presently out again with them concerning whose Authority is greatest the Councils or the Popes they declaring themselves to be above the Bishops of Rome whilst on the other side his Holiness pronounceth himself above all And these disputes went so far till at last it came to an equal Muster Felix and the Council of Basil against Eugenius and the Council of Florence so that either party was back'd with a Pope and Council As for the Council of Constance I may fancy that they took no great care for the preservation of Kings since they decreed onely this that it was not lawful to kill Tyrants with this knavish condition Without the command or sentence of a Judge yet this Council and so did Basil declare it self above the Pope and that he ought to be obedient to a Council yet will not all the Romanists believe this though thus decreed by a lawful Council as they say for if this be not legal how can Martin V be a true Pope being set up and chosen by it and if he fail there cannot have been a true one since And besides this we may suppose that there hath been a notable jumbling of Cardinals when in this very Schism there was about two hundred created besides those who were made by Martin V and Nicolas V. But though this Schism was some trouble to Christianity yet the succession of the Emperours went peacebly on onely Wenceslaus was deposed for his vitious life as if the troubles of the Popes were the peace of the Empire and at these times probably the Popes are too busily imploy'd to disturb the German Government As for the Council of Basil Aeneas Sylvius afterwards Pope Pius II hath wrote much in its vindication But when he came to be Pope he changed his note and declared against his former writings decreeing that the Pope is above a Council thus Interest can work Miracles but for his unconstancie he is pointed at by this Proverb What Aeneas approves of that Pius condemns And Quod Aeneas probavit Pâ—us damnavit to this Proverb which others made of him we will add this saying of the Clergy a Sacerdotiâ—us magna ratione sublatas Nuptias majori restituendas videri Platin edit Antiqu Mariage hath been for great reason taken away from Priests but yet for greater it ought to be restored to them After Pius sat in the Roman Chair Paulus II such an Enemy was he to all good Learning that b Humanitatis autem studia ita oderat contemnebat ut â—jus studiosos uno nomine Haereticos appellaret Hanc ob rem Romanos adhortabatur ne filios diutius in studiis litterarum paterentur satis esse si legere scribere didicissent Plat. p. 340. Is enim nec literatur nec moribus probatus Volaterran lib. 2. fol. 259. Platina tells us he used to call Scholars Hereticks and the better to carry on his design of Ignorance he perswaded the Romans from bringing up their children in Learning to write and read being knowledge enough He would have been an excellent companion for the Emperour c Suetor in vita Dâ—mit § 10. Domitian that banish'd all Learned men and had one kill'd for making a Map of the World yet if in this he came not near him enough he might for greediness of money for which in his time at Rome all Church-preferments were publickly
out and thrown in also lastly his head was cut off and fixt upon the most eminent place of the City and his body divided and parts of it sent to the chief places in the Kingdom As for Robert Graham he was thus punished a Gallows was raised in a Cart then he had his right-hand nailed to it and so drawn along the streets whilst the Executioners with burning Pincers tâ—re pieces from his Shoulders Thighs and suchlike fleshy places which were farthest from his Vitals thereby to keep him the longer alive and in greater pain yet did these terrors bring little repentance to him as may be ghâ—st by his impious answer for being asked during all these tortures How he durst lay hands on his Prince made this Reply That if he had Heaven and Hell at his choice he durst leap out of Heaven and all the joys there into the flaming bottom of Hell At last having all his flesh almost pull'd off his Heart and Intrails were thrown into the fire his Head stuck up and his Quarters sent to several places for a terror to others And here I shall hastily pass by the unfortunate Raign of King James III how his own Subjects covenanted against him confined or forced him to Edinbourgh Castle and at last came to open Battel against him at Bannoch-Burn not far from Sterlin where his Army being beaten he was after in cold blood murdered in the Mill but whether this abominable murther was done by Patrick Lord Gray Robert Sterling of Keer or Andrew Borthwick a Priest or all of them must be left as their Histories hath it uncertain Sect. 4. The deaths of Henry the Sixth and Edward the Fifth Kings of England BUt leaving Scotland here might I treat of the miseries of England at the same time of the long but unfortunate Raign of good Henry VI of his dethronement and which was worst of his year 1471 murther in the Tower of London as the common opinion goeth by a Bacons Hist Hen. VII pag. 2. Richard Duke of Glocester afterwards call'd Richard the III. Though Mr. b Hist Rich. III. pag â—0 Spondan calls him a Martyr an 1471. § 6. Buck of late would deny the fact and clear the said Richard from this and all other imputations laid to him by all other Historians The body of this King Henry was carryed to Chertsey in Surrey and there buryed in the Monastery belonging to the Benedictines And 't is said that many Miracles have been done at his grave above two hundred of which was gather'd into one c Vâ—d Harâ—sfield Hist Eccles p. 595. Volume nor was there any disease but they say was cured by him Blind Lame Dumb Kings-evil and what not And as if these were not enough they make him cure another Miracle viz. a Woman that used to go with Childe above d Ib. p. 596. two years Richard III envying the fame of Henry if we may believe King * Spelman Concil tom 2. pag. 71â— Henry VII removed the Corps from Chertsey to the Chappel of Windsor where he was also worshipped by the name of Holy King Henry and here they say that his Red-velvet-Hat e Stow pag. 424. heal'd the Head-ach of such as put it on their heads there his body rested for a time but now his Tomb being taken thence it is not commonly known what is become of his body 'T is true King Henry VII had a desire to have it removed to Westminster to which purpose the Abbot desired the f Spelâ— Concil pag. 712 71â— consent of Pope Alexander VI. King Henry VII also desired to have this Henry VI Canonized to which purpose he wrote to the said Alexander who gave the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Durham g Spelm. pag. 720. Authority to inquire into his Miracles and Life Nor did Henry VII cease here but Alexander dying he sollicited h Harpsfield pag. 594. Julius II very earnestly and some think that had the King lived a little longer he had obtain'd his request But this I shall leave with these words of Edward Hall These and other like Offices of Holiness Ed. Halâ—'s Châ—on fol. 223. b. caused God to work miracles for him in his life-time as old men said By reason whereof King Henry VII not without cause sued to July Bishop of Rome to have him Canonized as other Saints be but the fees of the Canonizing of a King were so great a quantity at Rome more then the Canonizing of a Bishop or a Prelate although he sate in St. Peters Chair that the said King thought it more necessary to keep his money at home for the profit of his Realm and Country rather then to impoverish his Kingdom for the gaining of a new Holy-day of St. Henry remitting to God the judgement of his will and intent And here passing by the cruel death of the young Innocent Prince Edward eldest Son to this King Henry VI in cold bloud after the fight at Tewkes-bury I might come to Edward V and shew how he was deposed by his Uncle Richard by means of his wicked Instruments Stafford Duke of Buckingham Dr. John Shaw Brother to Edmond Shaw Gold-smith then Lord Mayor of London and suchlike and from this I might lead you to the making away of the said young Innocent Prince Edward and his Brother by the means of the said Richard III but because all Histories will not exactly agree upon the manner how I shall refer you to the Chronicles themselves where the juggle if not the murthers may be seen at large Sect. 5. The troubles in Spain and the miseries of Don Henry the Fourth King of Castile and Leon by reason of his proud and rebellious Nobility IF we look into Spain we shall finde those Territories miserably wasted by Tumults and Rebellions we might see how the young King of Castile Henry III was so neglected by his proud and L. de Mayâ—â—â— Hist d' 〈◊〉 liâ— 18 19 20 21. greedy Nobility who pocketed up his Revenues that once he was forced to pawn one of his Robes for two Shoulders of Mutton to help out his Supper And we might see their Rebellions against his Son King John II whose troublesome Reign might be an Item to Kings to beware of confiding in and favouring too much one Subject by the neglect of the rest And the unhappy end of the Constable Don Alvaro de Luna may be a caution to the greatest favourites in their carriage for Kings at last in whose protection lyeth their greatest safety may be perswaded to leave them to Justice and then no mercy can be expected from the solong-abused Law and People But proceed we to greater troubles and misfortunes then these This King John II had by his First wife Maria of Arragon HENRY IV King of Castile and Leon. Leonora Catharine dyed young Second Wife Isabel of Portugal Daughter to D. Jean Master of S. Jago Son to John I. King of Portugal Alphonso whom
carrying himself so cunningly that at last by his own commendations and flatteries he inveagled himself into the esteem and favour of Pius V Bishop of Rome whom this Stukely had perswaded that with three thousand Italians he would drive the English out of Ireland and fire all their Fleet Things which old Pius greedily wish'd for with the destruction of the Queen But this Pope whom they have almost sanctifyed and made a a Worker of Miracles dying there succeeded to him Gregory XIII who carryed on with the same desires bare the same favour to poor Stukely hoping to get the Kingdom of Ireland for his own son Giacopo de Boncompagno whom a little before he had made Marquess of Vineola and of this Royalty Stukely assured him and made proud the Bastard Thus the Pope and his Son full with hopes of a new Kingdom the better to countenance this their beggerly boasting Factor Gregory as if all Ireland and Authority were his own honours Stukely with the Noble Titles of Baron of Ross Vicount Morough Earl of Wexford and Caterloghe And Marquess of Leinster Thus with a muster of Titles and a Band of eight hundred Italian Foot some say a Jeron Conestaggio 600 others b Cicarella in vita Gregor XIII 6000 with a plenary c Tho. Bell's Motives p. 34. Indulgence for Stukely's soul to avoyd Purgatory he imbark'd in a Genoa Ship at Civita Vecchia In the mean time Sebastian the youthful King of Portugal had rais'd a Potent Army some think to fall upon Ireland But a dissention falling out for the Kingdoms of Morocco and Fez between d Mulei signifieth a Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈…〉 Royal bloud Mulei Moluc some call him Abdala Meluc or Abdelmeluch the Uncle and his Nephew Mulei Mahomet in which it hapned the latter to have the worst and to be beat out of the Kingdom which for some time he had possest as eldest Son to old Abdala Mulei Mahomet the Nephew thus routed addresseth himself by his Agents to Sebastian for assistance The King of Portugal spur'd on as some have fancyed by the Jesuits the better to make way for the Spanish sway over that Kingdom should Sebastian miscarry promiseth to relieve and resettle him and so provides for his passage into Africa Whilst things are preparing Stukely arrives with his Titles and Followers at the mouth of the River Teio in Portugal lands at Oeras whither Sebastian goeth to see him and perswades him and the rest to venture with him in his Mauritanian expedition The King and his Army take Ship and land in Africa the Chieftains more like Courtiers then Souldiers the other liker Pesants then men at Arms Thus under the fickle conduct of a rash King they meet the Moors in the plain of Tamita fight are routed and cut to pieces and this by some is call'd the Battel of the three Kings because here three ended their days but in different fashions I. Don Sebastian King of Portugal was slain valiantly fighting But some would have him to live many years after and appear at Venice to the fobbing up of some Portugals the little trouble to the Spaniard but a certain imprisonment and ruine to the undertaker though he had a minde to King it for a while II. Mulei Meluc came sick to the Field and dyed before his Victory was fully accomplish'd And after the fight and Victory his younger Brother Mulei Hamet who here acted as General of his Horse was saluted King of Morocco and Fez. III. Mulei Mahomet the Nephew and Competitor seeing his friends the Portugals beaten thinking to save himself by flight was drown'd as he thought to pass the River Mucazen And amongst these great ones our Thomas Stukely had the fortune and honour to end his days And thus Ireland escaped a mischief for the carrying on of which Treasons of Stukely Dr. Lewis Archdeacon of Cambray Referendarie to the Pope and afterwards Bishop of Cassano though born a subject to England was very forward and active very much soliciting Gregory XIII in behalf of the said Stukely and his projects against his own Queen and Country About the beginning of King Charles I his Reign I meet with one call'd a James Wadsworth his English-Spanish Pilgrime chap. 7. pag. 64. Edit 2. Sir Thomas Stukely living at Milan as a Pensioner to the Spanish King and him I finde branded as a Traytor and Enemy to his Country but of what relation or kin to the former Stukely I know not Thus this mischief intended against Ireland was for a time cut off For Portugal thus deprived of her King his great Uncle Cardinal Henry was proclaimed who being old the Spaniard after his death resolved for the Crown for the better securing of which he staid and kept his great forces lately levyed in Italy as some think for Ireland to pour upon and win Portugal when occasion served which he afterwards accomplish'd of which see at large b Istoria dell ' Unione del Regno di Portogallo alla Corona di Castiglia Jeronimo Conestaggio an excellent and understanding Genoes Historian though I meet with a c A Book call'd in Spanish Trattade Parenetico and Fuoro Villaco as Dralymont translating it into French la Liberte de Portugal The English bad Translator calls it The Spanish Pilgrime and so the Author subscribes himself in his Dedicatory Epistle to Henry IV of France Portugallized Spaniard very sharp and severe with him which Kingdom the Portugais regain'd again 1640 in the name of Don Juan Duke of Braganza whom they Crown'd and saluted King John the Fourth This storm thus blown over another appears We heard formerly how James Fitz-Morice submitted himself to Sir John Perot but in his pretended loyalty and honesty he could not long continue for he steals into France addresseth himself to Henry III offers him the Kingdom of Ireland but desires a few Forces to beat out the English and so to subdue that Nation to the French obedience Henry having his thoughts at home straitned between the Guisian and Hugonot wisely rejects such idle thoughts Upon which Fitz-Morice hastes to Spain where he makes the same offers to the Catholick King Philip II lends him an ear sends him to Gregory XIII who year 1579 hugs the designe and joyns with him Nicolas Sanders an English-man born in Surrey well known by his writings and one Allan an Irish man both Doctors and Priests The first was by the Pope declared his Nuncio for Ireland and bless'd with a Consecrated Banner to be known by its Cross-Keyes Thus sanctified wâ—â—h an Infallible Authority and a little money in their fists with Letters of Commendation to the Spanish King they haste to Spain thence ship for Ireland and land in Kerry Upon which the English Romanists at Rome a 〈…〉 cap. 11. pag 156 157 158. rejoyce and triumph not quâ—stioning but all would be their own And for a farther reâ—râ—iâ— the Pope orders more Souldiers to be rais'd in his
And his Countryman Paulus Melissus seems as it were to bestow his whole time in her c Poet. Germ. vol. 4. pag. 342 418 425 428 440 441 443 452 462 468 478 486 493. praises and at last endeavours to go as high as his wit could reach so far will he have her above all other Goddesses d Id. pag. 475. Te Venerem te Junonem te Pallade quisquis Dixerit haud abs re dixerit ille puto Quin idem Charin Musam te dixerit imo Musa es Musarum tu Charitumque Charis Ignoscas Regina minus quam par sit aequum Dicenti laudis copia quanta tui est Divitiis Juno forma Venus Indole Pallas Dote Charis cedit nomine Musa tibi Junones Veneres Charitas Musasque Minervasque Omnes una simul tu superare potis Cui culper si te Divis ex omnibus unam Natam Pantheiam virgo Britanna loquar Amongst the Belgians e Poet Belg. vol. 2 pag. 681 718 719 721 Janus Gruterus so famous for his Learning is her great admirer And of later days f De laudibus vica Elizabetha Adolphus van Dans hath wrote a whole book in her Commendations Nay Johannes Bochius of Bruxels who was so inveterate against her Government and Religion that he assisted Richard Verstegan in the composing of his lying and bloudy Theatre yet cannot let her pass without this grand applause g Poet. Belg. vol. 1. pag. 800. Pallas Juno Venus nemorosae in frondibus Idae Discrimen formae cum subiere suae Inter formosas si tu Dea quarta fuisses Vicisses reliquas O Dea pulchra Deas Quam Juno jejuna foret quam pallida Pallas Quam Dea vana Venus quam Dea sola fores How ready she was to answer Ambassadors and other people in several Languages on the sudden Historians do h Edm. Howe 's enlargement of Stow pag. 813 814 815. testifie at large But one thing I finde Recorded of her which is not usual that when three Ambassadors viz. the Imperial French and Swedish addrest themselves to her at the same time she on the sudden i Rog. Ascham Epist Sturmio answer'd each of them in different Languages the first of them in Italian the second in French and the third in Latine k Epist dedicat ad artem Gram. Vossius l Hist Belg. l. 1. Meteranus m Lib. 82. l. 119. Thuanus and a world of other Learned Writers have weilded their Pens in her Commendations and though some Popes have endeavoured as far as in them lay to over-cloud her Reputation by commanding the Commendatory expressions in her behalf to be dasht out of n Index librorum Prohibitorum Cambden and some other Writers yet I finde Pope Sixtus V a very Zealous Assertor of his Pontifical Chair to bestow upon her and Henry the Fourth of France this following noble Character a Persaepe auditus est cum dicerat toto orbe se unum virum â—oeminam videre dignos nisi labe sectaria infecti essent qui Regnarent quibus cum ipse de ingeâ—ribus rebus consilia quae animo agitabat communi caret Navarrum Elizabetham Reginam intelligens Aug. Thuan. Hist lib. 82 and Perefixe Hist Henry le grand part 1. That amongst all the Princes of the world he could finde but two viz. Queen Elizabeth and Navar setting aside their opinions in Religion who were worthy to Rule and with whom he could most fittingly consult and take advice Having thus somewhat hinted on her Commendations and at last brought the Pope himself to be an Advocate for her Discretion Prudence and good Government we may now the more exactly perceive where the Shooe pincheth and what is the cause of the ill will against her Not denying but that she as well as the best of Monarchs might have some miscarriages and oversights in such a long Raign as she continued especially since the Earl of Leicester and some others had the Fortune to sway in her time it being granted that Robert Dudly was as great an Oppressor as ever breath'd for a Favourite and so let him and all such never be mentioned but with ignominy As for her Religion whether Haeretical or not As the Question is too large to be here discuss'd so is it nothing to the purpose seeing Religion doth not intitle one to Kingdoms nor is Dominion founded in Grace a Pagan having as much right to his Goods and Territories as the best of Christians to what is his As to her personal concerns no question but she thought her self in the best and surest way to her Salvation And as she was a Princess of great Ingenuity and Parts understood many Languages read many Books and was so studious as to translate some her self out of Greek Latine and French so we need not doubt but thus furnisht and industrious in Learning she was able to give a good account of her Religion and to vindicate it and her self And as for Religion as it related to the publick it hath had famous Champious and Martyrs to justifie it and to wipe off all the pretended blots of Schism and Heresie which malice or ignorance could throw upon it for a farther proof of which it being not material to my History in hand I shall refer the Reader to Bishop Bramhal Bishop Morton Dr. Hammond Mr. Hooker Mr. Mason and suchlike Learned Defenders of our Church Certain it is that every Kingdom is supream within it self and 't is as true that the Religion in England was reform'd in a peaceable and legal manner by the greatest Authority in it viz. the Prince Parliament and Convocation of Divines Regulation here did not begin at the wrong end it was not carryed on by any b Vid Chr. 〈◊〉 Câ—ta 〈◊〉 Relig. â—â—ag 11. Rebellious Leagues or Covenants The Soveraign was free and not fought to a compliance and as we may suppose the reasons to be just so are we certain that it was acted by the highest Authority in the Kingdom which is according to the Laws of God and Mâ—n and the practice of other Potentates both ancient and modeâ—â— As 〈◊〉 â—he alteration it self we may suppose it was done with dâ—e â—â—â—sideration being acted by such a considerable Body and Authâ—rity and not on a sudden but by degrees as they found just occasion to reject and admit And as on the one hand we may suppose it was agreeable to the Majority of the Laity considering it past their Representives the Parliament nor opposed by any considerable number after so year 1559 may we justly conclude it conformable to the sentiments of the Clergy seeing that the Parishes Headships of Colledges and Halls in the Universities with the Prebendships Bishopricks and the other Dignities of the Church in England and Wales did then amount to the number of very neer ten thousand Yet of all that number of Preferments adding to them the Lord
by the Emperours Ambossador And the better to retain in Memory this Massacre the Pope had it c George Wheâ—ston's English Mirrour pag. 17â— painted about his great Hall in the Lateran and there Recorded in d Jo. Niâ—hâ—l's Pilgrimage B. 8 Marble And what must be the cause of all these e Catholicorum Apologiis propugnata quae â—t Romae atque in Hispania immensis landibus celebrata Jo. de Bussiers Hist Fran. Vol. 4. pag. 120. De eâ— Laetitia ob vindicatos Haereticos piorum animis concepta non parum est Summar ad Hist Hispan Jo. Mariana anno 1572. Joyes Gaities and Triumphs in France Spain Italy and where not amongst the Romanists but that thirty thousand Protestants were in a small time destroyed by divers sorts of deaths some drown'd some hang'd some starv'd some Pistol'd others had their throats cut their bodies drag'd about streets denyed Christian buryal c. without any consideration of Age Sex Quality or Relations And all this in a supposed time of security and tranquillity a peace being made and the King passing his word and promise for their safety Now here would I ask the Romanists whether ever Queen Elizabeth did such a cruel Action as this If not then why must Charles IX go away with all these Glories and Trophies and our Queen laden with nothing but black accusations of cruelty As if Religon intitled one to more authority over his Vassals then the other The year viz. 1572. of this Massacre some have troubled themselves to lay down in these Numeral Letters Upon Gaspar Coligny the Admiral gVIsano oCCVbV It pIVs ah CoLLIgnIVs astV LVX qVater aVgVst I sena DoLen Da Ven It. Or thus bartho Lo MaeVs fLet qVIa FranCICVs oCCVbat atLas And upon the City of Paris this LVtetI a Mater sVos natos DeVoraVIt And here I cannot but take notice of one pretty cheat the Pope makes use of to shew to the world his great liking of this Massacre viz. that whensoever the famous Catholick Thuanus in his Narrative of this Butchery hints as he doth several times of the cruelty of these Throat-cuttings These expressions sound so harsh in the ears of his good Romanists that in the Index Expurgatorius they are all order'd to be dasht out and to appear no more in print lest good people should be corrupted by them so wo be to them who dare think amiss of this Parisian slaughter But it is not here alone but in many other places that they have endeavour'd to falsifie and corrupt this Learned Thuanus though one of their own Church yet one that hated lying For which Jacobus Gretser Johannes Baptista de Machand or Macaldus under the false name of Jo. Baptista Gallus I. C. with Adam Contzen and other Jesuits cannot pass him by without throwing some dirt upon him But though de Thou's book were a Adam Cantzen Discepâ—atio de Secretis Societat Jesu pag. 40. burnt at Rome yet will it remain as an instructive Monument to future Ages though endeavour'd to be corrupted as appears by the Index Expurgatorius and possibly hath been as is manifest by the late little Thuanus Restitutus But leaving these forraign comparisons let us return home and take a short view of our two Sister-Queens of different perswasisions in Religion Queen Mary whose Piety and Mercie is much commended by Sanders and other Romanists Reigned about five years yet in that short time were put to death for Religion above 260 without any regard to Sex Quality or Age Rich and Poor Learned and Ignorant Old and little Children that knew not the right-hand from the left one springing out of its Mothers Womb whilst burning at the Stake and unhumanely the little infant thrown into the fire to burn with its Heretical Mother as they term'd it In twice this time viz. for the first ten years of Elizabeth not one Romanist suffer'd death for Religion and though she Reigned above 44 years yet in that long Rule there were not so many put to death of the Romanists for Treason or what else the Romanist pleaseth almost by an hundred as there were in the short time of Queen Mary To which we may add as is confest by b In numerabiles Ang licaâ—i Martyres Duâ—em Ed mundum Campianum secuti docuetunt Pontificem Rom. posse quemcunque etiam Regem dig nitaâ—e Regâ—a exuete Abr. bzovius de Rom. Pont. cap. 46. pag. 621. Bzovius their Papal Champion that there was not any that suffer'd in Queen Elizabeth's time but did teach the dangerous Doctrine That the Pope could depose Kings This were enough to testifie that Queen Elizabeth was as happy and merciful to her Subjects as her Sister Queen Mary And to perswade those who throw so many commendations on the latter not to rob the former of her due praise The first that the Romanists pretended Martyrologist puts down to have suffer'd in Queen Elizabeth's days is one John Felton year 1570 and yet this was not till the XII year of her Reign so that they can pretend to no bloud for so many years And what small reason they have to glory in this mans Martyrdom let us judge by the Cause in short thus for I shall have occasion to speak more of him hereafter Queen Elizabeth having triumphantly Raigned above X years in the Nation to the great joy and comfort of her Subjects at last Pope Pius V takes a humour in his head and he forsooth must declare her to be no Queen to which purpose he thunders out a Bull declaring her Heretick Excommunicated Deprived and Deposed from her Dominions Absolves all her Subjects from Allegiance and interdicts any that shall obey her c. Felton gets this Bull hangs it upon the Bishop of Londons Palace-gates scorns to seek an escape boldly vindicates the Pope and himself in what was done defying the Queen and her Authority for which he was arraigned condemn'd and hang'd August 8. neer the same place in St. Pauls Church-yard Now for any thus to contemn and vilifie his Soveraign null her Authority renounce his Allegiance and so far to submit himself to a Forreign jurisdiction even in Temporalities as to declare his own Soveraign deprived and depos'd from her Kingdom I say what punishment this man incur'd let the Reader judge provided he will also consider that had a Protestant thus renounced his Obedience in Queen Mary's days not but that there were some Calvinistical fire-brands then the party should have dyed for it and those who commend Felton would have call'd the other Traytor And yet Felton did it to procure a National Rebellion This and some other Disturbances occasioned the next Parliament to put forth some a 13 Eliz. cap. 1. 2 3. Acts for the preservation of the Queens person and the better quieting and securing her Subjects and Dominions all people having time given them to consult either their own safety or a complyance So that who suffer'd afterwards was for their
him Yet if she will renounce her Title and refer her self wholly to him he would do what would stand with the honour of the Apostolick See As for the Queen she never troubled her thoughts to satisfie his Holiness in his demands and for Sir Edward Karn he dyed some c years afterwards at Rome being the last Ambassador d 1561. that went from the English Crown to the Pope This angry Pope dying another succeeded of a milder temper who though he was earnestly prest to thunder out his Bulls against the Queen yet now knowing that Princes were too wise to deliver up their Kingdoms at the noise of such Paper-claps he goeth another way to work He sends Vincentio Parpalia Abbot of St. Saviors with a civil pen'd Letter for the Queen His year 1560 Instructions are said to be That if she would joyn her self to the Romish Church and acknowledge the Primacie of that Chair that he would disanul the sentence against her Mothers Marriage as unjust confirm the English Common-prayer-book by his Authority and grant the use of the Sacraments under both kindes to the English Add farther that several thousand Crowns were promis'd to those who would procure her complyance But this Parpalia went no farther then Bruxels being not suffer'd to enter England Yet the said Pope would not desist here but resolveth to try again and send another Nuncio viz. Abbot Martinego but he also year 1561 is deny'd the Council suspecting he might make some troubles by his presence in England the very noise of his coming having already fob'd up some indiscreet Romanists to vent themselves more boldly then formerly to spread abroad false News of the Queens conversion some by Astrology and other ways to consult the length of her Reign and Life and the Popes Nuncio then in Ireland did not onely joyn himself with the Rebels against her but also by his pretended Authority deprived her of all Right and Title to that Kingdom That which they call the General Council of Trent now sitting Sanders de Schâ—â—m l. 3. pag. 360. the Queen is desired to send some thither but this she thought would be to little purpose seeing the designe of that Convention as the Emperour and the French King b Hist Council of Trent pag. 279 318. call'd it was more of Interest then real honesty Besides it had now continued about XV years and so improbable to alter any thing upon her desire Nor was the Council it self free as appears by the several c Id. pag. 167 168 507 508 530 551 566 569 635 644 659 661 683. complaints put in there against such forcible abuses some things as the d Id. pag 589. Institution of Bishops not being permitted to be discussed the Pope fearing to be the looser Nor was the e Id. pag. 660. Secretary just in taking and setting down the suffrages whereby he turn'd the Votes as he pleas'd Nor would they allow any thing to be concluded on but as they received f Id. pag. 497 703. Instructions from the Pope which occasioned the Proverb That the Holy Ghost was sent from Rome to Trent in a Cloak bag Besides Ambrose Goligna a Dominican publickly g Id. pag. 374. preach'd against the Protestants affirming that Faith and safe-conduct is not to be kept with them And when some of the Reformed Divines went thither the h Id. pag. 374 375. Legat brake off the Debates not lâ—tting the Council proceed and suspended the Council for two years pretending fear of Wars against which action the Spanish Bishops i Id. pag. 366. 367. protested And when the Legats party fears to be out-voted then do they send to the Pope to make more Bishops and convey them to k Id. pag 254 255 256 257. Trent which Legats undertook not onely to direct but command the whole Council which spoil'd its Freedom To these may be added the tricks used to carry on their designes and prevent a baffle either by new making of Bishops the better to out-vote or suspending of all from acting or voting or by removing them to other places so to divide the Council as when they were adjourn'd to l Id. pag 267 268 269 277 278 279 281 282 283 284 285 286 300 301 302 c. Bologna whither those that depended on the Pope went the rest refusing staid still at Trent not submitting to this removal or division And little might here be expected but partiality seeing the Italians were almost three to one of the number there all the Subscribers amounting to no more then 255 of which 187 were Italians so that bating the interested Italians there remains but a poor Catalogue of Bishops in respect of the great number that are in the Christian World yet must this be look'd upon as one of the most famous General Councils in the whole World yet the Romanists cannot agree about its Jurisdiction or Authority for though the a Id. pag. 661 719 French hold the Council to be above the Pope yet his Holiness looks upon himself as no wise b Pag. 818. bound to observe the Canons of Trent In short should the English Clergy have appear'd in this Council they must either have been there as Free-men frankly to Dispute and Debate as others did But thus they could not having been before condemn'd as Hereticks by Julius III. And at Trent here they were so Zealous as to Excommunicate the Archbishop and Elector of c Id. pag. 165 189 259 260. Colen for Heresie before they had determin'd what was Heresie If they could not appear as Free-men then they must under the capacity of Offenders as it were to receive sentence of condemnation but to this they thought they had no reason to submit themselvs and we need not doubt how things would have gone with them For we finde those of Trent so busie and zealous that they were going to throw their d Sanders de Schism lib. 3. pag. 3â—1 Censures against the Qâ—een but that the Emperour Ferdinand I. used his Interest to dâ—sswade them from it thinking by this to ingratiate himself wiâ—h her hoping to marry his Son to her But no more of this seeing that the Learned Bishop Jewel wrote an Apologie for our English Bishâ—ps not going to that Council which may be seen at the latter end of Father Paul's History But leaving these Disputes and passing by the designe of Arthur Pool Antony Fortiscue and some others who contrived to joyn themselves with the Duke of Guise so from France to land year 1562 an Army in Wales to Proclaim the Queen of Scots and make her Queen of England we shall proceed and finde the Pope himself to be the greatest Stickler in the troubles against Elizibeth Pope Pius the Fifth being strongly bent not onely to get Queen Elizabeth deposed but to have her e De medio tâ—â—â—eâ—e câ—gitaba â— Anâ—â—â— Gabutiâ—s vita Pâ—â— vâ— 3. o. Murder'd and in this humour he was pleas'd
not afraid with a wonderful contentment to assure our selves in our publick and private communications of your Holiness favourable inclination towards us But seeing that our grief daily increaseth and that honest and godly men daily sustain and receive hourly great loss and damages that it lacketh but little but that we God punishing our sins in his heavy judgment begin to feel the ruine of the State of France and which worse is the uttermost decay and overthrow of Catholick Religion the people beginning to waver and to be removed from their accustomed constancy suspecting that the goodwill of your Holiness and the Credit and Authority of your Preachers and which is more not without our great grief almost esteem little or nothing of the Legacy of the most renowned Cardinal Cajetan that wheresoever we can turn our selves are importun'd and wearied with these continual complaints that our want is not relieved by the plentifulness of the See Apostolick and that these fifteen moneths somewhat more or less being spent in hoping and Watching the foresaid Legat hath not had or used a particular power of Excommunicating and Deposing therewith to bridle and subdue all the ungodly and enemies of the Church of what Quality or Condition soever they be seeing that as yet no special Excommunication of Henry of Bourbon and his Favourites hath been published which long ago should have been done they say before they being hardened in their impiety would have despised it so that it is very easie to persuade unto the weak wavering and discontented people being already discouraged with long wars with poverty and need almost dismayed and dead that which the Politicians whisper in their ears namely that your Holiness either favoureth Henry of Bourbons side or at the least will not contraid or displease them or else that you make but a small account of our affairs and that to content the minds of honest and good men your Holyness hath sent your Legat as to Adversaries void and destituted almost of power and money and therefore being infected with the pestilent policies of this time for this the wicked ones seek to persuade endeavoureth to please both Parties and therefore cease not to affirm that your Holiness hath excogitated and invented onely these delays And to that intent * * Francis Duke of Luxenburg a strict Roman Catholick sent to Rome to see if he could get the Pope and King Henry reconciled 1589. Luxenburg the greatest enemy of the Catholicks hath been received at Rome with such humanity and was entertained so liberally and in great dissimulation excluded but afterwards most friendly recalled again unto whom they say your Holiness hath promis'd that Navarre should be used favourably and that another shall be sent the first Cardinal being called back again in a most honourable Legacy Moreover we are not a little grieved that some of the better sort astonished and dismayed through the imminent dangers unto the Catholick Religion and wearied with long delays foreseeing partly the issue of our affairs by the present state thereof begin to confess that which is true to have an ill opinion of our actions and to interpret all things to the worst And further to testifie that which we have seen we know that not long since out of Italy Letters have been written in plain words by men of Authority and Account whose Credit was never yet suspected in like or greater matters that in vain we look for money and assistance from the See of Rome because all things are not done there plainly and sincerely as they should be Whereby as much as we can guess it is probable enough that all things stand in danger of Schism and that a most perilous fire unless God provide otherwise is already kindled to the overthrow of the whole Church O what a painful and troublesom striving and wrestling sustain we against those noisom rumours and tidings O with what a great labour is this to be drawn again out of the peoples minds if in any wise it can yet be rooted out again which if it go further and take faster hold we pray your Holiness to judge what shall at the end become hereof and likewise to consider if there can be any cross more grievous unto honest and good-zeal'd men then this so that not without cause our lives are unto us altogether unsavoury and unpleasant And although we invent certain probable causes of your Holiness delay therewith something contenting the peoples minds and easing their griefs notwithstanding we cannot satisfie our selves herewith ceasing not to bewail these long delays but chiefly when we remember the words of the Poet saying A wound which at first was to be cured with ease With lingering is come a dangerous disease But this is far worse that all things almost are come into an extremity as much as any mortal man is able to judge and which is worst of all now every one saith that this is come to pass through the negligence of the See of Rome and we are not able any longer to disprove their objections To no other end tend our daily and mighty Meetings and Assemblies with the most renowned Cardinal Cajetan and his Assistants whereof they will perhaps complain unto your Holiness inquiring importunately and with full Assembly daily desiring to know what there is done at Rome as touching our matters and the occasion that we are kept thus long in suspence and if there be yet any hope left where to rest upon which as often as we do and bring home nothing else but the common answer and always one song namely that his Holiness hath a great care of our affairs and that he will never abandon our Cause being our most loving and careful Father very wise and expert in that he hath to do and that ere long will quench this burning Fire and that he hath not in vain ordain'd this worthy Legacy and such like things many more We see and not onely we but every particular man that this is told us but to drive us off as those that mask their faces with mirth and cheerfulness but being sifted narrowly this which the Poet saith fitteth them of right In sight they feign good hope and mirth in countenance bear But pinching grief in heart and mind closely they wear Of what mind thinketh your Holiness we should be or how to repose any trust in those answers which are altogether without substance and frivolous Well to what end soever this Council tendeth this generally we fear that whiles you in lingering seek for fitter opportunity and in the mean time the Romans take council * * Meating paâ—is Saguntum shall be assaulted and won and your Instruments and Engines of war as Brutus said shall come too late after the battel In the mean while the * * Henry IV. Heretick prospereth in his succeedings and the unconstant people speak well of him but we must often with grief approach near unto the gates of
c daughter of your Catholick Majesty upon whom for her rare Vertues the eyes of all men are fixed and set as a most pleasant object and in whom most gloriously shineth the Bloud of France and Spain to no other end or purpose but by a perpetual Alliance to fraternize and joyn in one brotherhood as it were these two great Monarchies under their Government to the advancement of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ the beauty of his Church and union of all the Inhabitants of the world under the Ensigns of Christianism As your Catholick Majesty with so many notable and triumphant Victories by the favour of God and his aid hath mightily prevail'd and advanced the same so we most heartily pray to God who is the Lord of Battels to continue your proceedings therein with such accomplishment that the whole work may be finished and perfected in all points To which end and purpose that it would please him to prolong your Catholick Majesties days in perfect and happy health accompanied with daily success of Victories and Triumphs over all your Enemies From Paris this second of November 1591. The reverend Father Matthew this bearer who hath greatly comforted us and fully instructed with the state of our affairs shall satisfie your Catholick Majesty in all things which may seem defective and wanting in our Letters Beseeching your Majesty most humbly to credit him in whatsoever he shall report unto you from us Whether this Matthew Aquarius the Agent of the League was a Jesuite or no I shall not possitively affirm though there be good Authority for it but the best Authors may have their mistakes I shall onely observe by the by that there was at this time one Matthaeus Aquarius a Dominiâ—an and in vogue as well for his Philosophy as Schoolmanship both in Rome and Naples so a trusty servant both to Pope and Spain And though the Jesuites will attribute the title of Fathers to themselves yet I find this Aquarius as oftentimes others are also before his printed books so intituled that any might mistake him for a Jesuite because called Father I shall not say nor can I affirm that this Aquarius the Dominiean was the same man with the Leaguers Agent This Letter was intercepted near Lyons by Gilbert de Chaseron Governour of the Province of Bourbon and by him sent to the King whereby their Honesty Religion and Loyalty was discovered Now as the Sixteen and their Associates had laid the Design to humble the Parlement of Paris to them which they thought to depend too much upon Mayeune they began to stir up the people persuading them Religion was betrayed their Cause and good Covenant quite undone that the Parlement intended to deliver the City into the hands of the Navarrois i. e. the King And to obtain their designs with greater ease and facility they consulted about a new * 5 Novemb Jo. de Bâ—ssieâ—es vol. 4. p. 364 3â—5 Gomberville Meâ—â— de M. de Nevers Tom. 2. pag. 623. Oath whereby all that favour'd them not should be driven out of the City and all the Bloud Royal to be excluded from the Succession and the Crown In the mean time they take an occasion to be stark mad for one Brigard once a violent Covenanter being suspected by them of too much favouring the King was hurried to prison resolving to have him hang'd for it but the Parlement not agreeing in this with their humours cleared him in a full trial and he at last finding means to escape from their fury out of the City they in a giddy zele turn their malice upon his Judges Thus resolved they hurry the people to Arms seise upon Barnaby 15 Nov. Brisson the Chief President Claude l'Archer Counsellour of the Chastelet with Jean Tardif whom they carry to the Sessions-house there in a haste condemning them without rule or reason Brisson desireth them to spare him a little time till in prison he had finished his book De Formulis so much cried up by learned and knowing men but no favour or mercy being granted they are all three instantly strangled in prison scarce a quarter of an hour being allow'd to Brisson to confess in Thus murder'd he is presently hung out of his own Chamber-window and the next day hung on the Gallows publickly to be seen of all Such was the end of the learned but unfortunate Brisson who before had in * Poet. Gal. v l. 1. p. 713 714. verse bewail'd the mischiefs of a Civil war and it may be in relation to this League This done they meet at the house of Pellettier the Covenanting Lecturer of S. Jacques de la Boucherie where they conclude that a Court of 17 Nov. Justice shall be form'd of men of their Faction to proceed against Hereticks and the Favourers of the King that the moneys and Treasuries how expended shall be look'd into that the Council of State shall be fill'd up and the men were there named by them that a Council of war shall be chosen upon whose consent the Governour de Belin left by Mayâ—nne should act nothing that the Seals of the Crown which Mayenne carried about with him should for the future always remain in the City c. To these they adde the sending of the Letter to the King of Spain formerly writ with which they now forthwith dispatch Mathieu Yet Thuanus dates the Letter the 20th of November and * Memoires en suite de ceux de Vâ—lleroy tom 3. p. 24 25. another the 20th of September but herein I follow Arnauld who maketh a particular observation upon the timing or dating it the Jesuits themselves not objecting any thing against his date viz. 2 Novemb. and Davila saith it was sent this day viz. 17 Novemb. and so most probably writ before this day they being too busily implied in other mischiefs However the day is no great matter the difference being but small and probably a mistake in the writing or printing This done they arise from Council get the Council of State presently to assemble to whom they propound the Articles to the end to have them confirm'd and executed but at this time they are put off it being alledged the day was too far spent and the Dutchess of Nemours carried her self so powerfully with them that they were willing to let the execution of them alone till they had heard from her son the Duke of Mayenne who being inform'd of these hurly-burlys thought it best to quell them before they went any further for which purpose well guarded he hastes towards Paris at whose approach the Sixteen discouraged 28 Nâ—v crave pardon let him enter the City the Bastile is also yielded to him then he seizeth on Lauchort Emmenot Auroux and Ameline great Sticklers amongst the Sixteen whom he caused to be strangled in the Louvre and publickly hung on the Gallows and others had tasted the 3 Dec. same sauce had they not fled for it At this the Priests and
or that Crown * 15 Jan. Affirming that to think that the Priviledges of the Gallican Church extendeth so far as to admit of an Heretical King is the dream of a Madman and an Heretical Contagion That those who had acknowledg'd Navarre had forgot the Piety of their Ancestors the Reputation of their Countrey and the safety of their souls their salvation being desperate That Navarre had violated all Laws both divine and humane And that the Parliament of Paris is a true and lawful one and so perswadeth them to proceed to an Election To these the King returning Answers endeavoring to clear himself from their Accusations not forgetting also to shew what a favour he had for the Roman Religion And though the death of the Duke of Parma had been no small Hindrance to the Spanish designs yet now Lorenzo Suarez de Figuerâ— Duke of Feria cometh Embassador to manage the Interest of that Crown at the meeting of the States several at this time aiming at the Throne and every one not despairing of their Cause or Interest The Spanish daughter Izabella Clara Eugenia the Dukes of Guise Lorain Nemours and Mayenne having all hopes In short the States-General meet at Paris in the Great Hall of the 26 Jan. Louvre amongst the rest of the Drolleries of these times nothing took more then a Book call'd Satyre Menippee or le Catholicon d'Espagne Composed in abuse of this Convention * Debit Pret. Belg. Tom. 3. p. 339. Justus Lipsius will have a fling at this Book but the greatest honour it received was from Rome where their Wisdomes there as if they had nothing else to do did many years after very gravely call it to remembrance and at last thought it fit to pass under their * 16 Mar. 1621. vid. Ind. Expurgat Alexandri VIII p. 218. Censure of Reprobation The prose of it was made by the Almoner to Cardinal de Bourbon the Verses were composed by Nicholas Rapin commended by * Poet Gall. vol. 3. p. 165. Johannes Passeratius * Ib. p. 420 421. Scavâ—la Sammorthanus with others and Rapin himself hath some * Ib. p. 204 c. 28 Jan. Poems out in Latin The States being met as aforesaid Mayenne King-like sitteth under the Cloth of State desiring them to choose a Catholick King an Enemie to Heresie which was seconded by others The next day at a private meeting the Legat moved that at the next Sessions of the States all should take a solemn Oath never to acknowledge Navarre for their King though he should turn Romanist but this was quashr at the Proposal as to swear against the Popes Authority suppose he should turn and his Holiness command him to be received The next day the Romanists with the King with his consent send Propositions to the States for a Treaty with them at which the Legat stormeth affirming the Proposal to be Heretical and so not fit to be Answer'd Cardinal Pelleve and Diego d'Ivarra one of the Spanish Agents agreâ—ing with him but this was opposed and because the Paper was directed to all the States 't was judged fit to be communicated to them which so netled the Legat that he got the Colledge of Sorbonne to declare it Heretical as intimating a declared Heretick might be King and ought to be obeyed Yet the Proposal is shewn to the States a Conference with the Royal Romanists is consented to but in their Answer they had this odd Conclusion That to oppose an Heretical King is not Treason The place agreed on is Surenne between Paris and St. Denys and Persons are nominated on both sides In the States the Spaniards carried high for the Infanta many seeming willing to it for interest-sake but when they named Ernest Arch-Duke of Austria the Emperors Brother for her husband it was rejected as not fitting to give the Kingdom to a stranger The Spaniards smelling the design offered to admit of a French Prince to be married to Philips daughter which took pretty well Guise Nemours Lorain and Mayenne his sons each of them hoping to be the Man and King Nay some who seem'd to be the Kings Friends and Allies as Cardinal Bourbon Count de Soissons the Prince of Conti with some others began to hearken to this Proposal every one fancying to make the Crown his upon which conceits they were not so earnest in the Kings Cause and Interest as they seem'd to be The King perceiving that the Authority of the Pope was one of his greatest Enemies or Pretences had a great minde to have him pacified to which purpose he formerly had the Republick of Venice and Ferdinando de Medici Grand Duke of Tuscany to use their interests in his behalf at Rome and to further it had also been sent Cardinal Pietros de Gondy Bishop of Paris and the Marquess de Pisani in the name of the Romanist with the King upon the same Errand But the Pope commanded them not to enter into the Ecclesiastical Territories as being Favourers of Hereticks well-Wishers to Navarre with whom they had presumed to speak and treat to which some Reasons and Excuses being returned the Pope at last permits them to enter Rome And at last the King himself gave fair Signes and Proffers to the Conference at Surenne not only of his being willing to be instructed in the Roman Religion but as it were ready to be of it This amazeth the Covenanters to the purpose the Legat protesteth against the Conference as dangerous that they could neither treat with nor admit of a peace with Navarre being a declared Heretick and that if they did either he for his part would quit the Kingdom and this he publish'd in Print that every one might take notice of it Nor were the Spaniard less concerned who fearing the Kings Conversion would make haste and be excepted of thinking to spoil it Nominates the Duke of Guise for Husband to the Infanta shewing it was so in his Instructions At this Mayenne is stung to the heart nor could he so much dissemble but his thoughts were perceived however he thanks them for their kindness to his Nephew and desires time till things were better prepared But this Nomination being known the Embassadors Nobles Citizens and every one flock to pay their service to Guise and give him joy his Palace is fill'd himself cried up and now they vapour of a new Kingling * Charles de Guisâ— Charles XI At all this the Dutchess of Mayenne is mad she frets storms and weeps three days and not able any longer to endure she falleth upon her troubled husband with Sighs Exclamations Threatnings and Railings jearing him as one that hath lost all his labour and pains if he who had hitherto borne the brunt must at last only thus truckle to his young Nephew The Duke also thus perplext to see himself as it were laid aside puts many into young Guise his head demands strange and exorbitant Conditions of the Spaniard for performance yet thinking
Scaffold When Henry III. was kill'd some of them would not acknowledge his Successor Henry IV. but would have a Government or Ruler of their own making others would admit him if he would turn Romanist As when King Charles I. was martyred some would not at all have his heir K. Charles II. to reign whilst others would not reject him provided he would turn Presbyterian otherwise not They often endeavour'd to seize on their King then to kill him or depose him by clapping him up in a Monastery but fail'd in their designes whilest ours had the luck of it to conquer and so to act with our King as they pleased Though 't is plain the French had as bad intents though not the like success and opportunities it may be their Kings were not so much betray'd as ours Yet herein lay the difference whereby the Romanists were most culpable their Troubles and Seditions being countenanced acted and headed by the most learned and knowing of their Clergy as Popes Cardinals and their Prelats whilst our Rebellion and Schism was hurried on and noised up by an ignorant pack of Lecturers fellows of no Religion having not Learning to apprehend any In short our Covenanters and Rebels followed and trod in the Footsteps of the French Leagne a Warr which first occasioned the multiplicity of Pamplets and from which all latter Rebellions have taken the Items Rules Principles and Methods Yet how abominable and wicked soever this French-Roman Solemn League and Covenant was it had its Admirers of those no way engaged in it Amongst whom our English Father Parsons was none of the hindmost vaporing to the world * Andr. Philopater Resp ad Edict Reginae Angl. p. 210 211. § 172 173 How just how famous and how holy the Cause was That it was not only lawful praise-worthy or holy but necessary and of Duty by Divine Command and Christian Obligation Nay that they could not do otherwise without danger of their souls It may be grounding all this upon his Papal Rule That †Nulli populo sub damnationis poena licet Regem haeredicum admittere Ib. margin no People whatever are to admit of an Heretical King under pain of Damnation But 't is known well enough that his Pen is no slander nor are his Commendations of any Credit The End of the Eighth BOOK A CONTINUATION OF THE HISTORY OF THE Romish Treasons AND USURPATIONS BOOK IX CHAP. I. The Quarrels betwixt Pope Paul the Fifth and the Venetians NEer the beginning of this Century by the Death of Leo XI 1605 who sat as Pope but a few days Paul V. succeeded as Bishop of Rome Scarce was he warm in his Chair when he began to consider how to advance the Priviledges and Honour of his See which by Degrees had been neglected and worn out For this purpose he was earnest with the French King to receive the Councel of Trent He procured that in Spain the Jesuits might be exâ—mpted from paying Tithes At Naples he wrought in such sort that the Marquis of Morcone was sent to Rome as punishable in the Inquisition for having condemned to the Gallies a Bookseller The Inquisition pretending the Crime to belong to his Cognisance He offer'd to trouble the Duke of Parma for laying Imposts on his own Subjects in the absence of the Bishop He fell out with the Duke of Savoy for presenting an Abbey to Cardinal Pio so that his Highness for Peace-sake was forced to give it to the Popes Nephew Thus his design went on to ruin the Temporal Authority In the mean time the Commonwealth of Luca considering that many of their Citizens changed their Religion and retired into the Protestants Countries publish'd an Edict prohibiting any of their Subjects to have any Commerce with such people The Pope lik'd the Law but would not have it made by Lay-men so commanded them to â—ase the Edict out of their Records and he would publish another but the same in Substance by his Papal Authority At the same time the Commonwealth of Genoa being informed that the Governours of certain Lay-Fraternities their Subjects instituted by Devotion â—ad not â—â—ithfully dispensed the Revenues intrusted them resolved to examine their Accounts and Commanded their Books should be brought to the Duke At the same time divers Citizens used to meet as for Christian Exercises in the Jesuits Colledg which Club resolved to favour none in pâ—omoâ—ion to Offices but their Associates The State taking notice of it and considering what mischief in time this would bring upon the Commonwealth prohibited all such Assemblies and Conventicles The Pope takes Pet at these honest Orders affirming they were against the Ecclesiastical Liberty so Commands the Commonwealth to revoke these Edicts or else he would thunder against them his Censures of Excommunication By which Terror both the States of Luca and Genoa were forced to obey his Holiness Thus the Popes design went fairly on nor did he doubt any place in Italy unless the Republick of Venice which used to act upon Principles most honourable and beneficial to themselves without any respect to the Interest or Bribery of other Potentates The Pope had now resident at Venice as his Nuncio Horatio Matthei Bishop of Gierace a great Stickler and Boaster of the Ecclesiastical Liberty as they call'd it and in his way so zealous that he thought all Christian Actions and Graces were of no validity unless this also were promoted beyond all proportion The Senate of Venice considering the mistake of Charity and Devotion the Zealots thinking nothing so holy as the multiplying of Churches where no * need is made a Decree 1603. that None la Republique se tronea contrainle d'y mettre la main Autrement il fast arrivè bientost que toutes leurs villes n' eussent plus estè qne Convens Fglises et que tours leurs Revenus qui doivent porter leâ— charges de l'estat qui servent a la Nourriture deâ— Gens Maries les quelâ— ' ournissent des Soldats des Marchande des Laboureurs n' eussent plus servi q◠á l'en tre tien des Religieux eâ— des Religieuses Hard. de Perefixe Ev. de Râ—â—ez Hist du Hen. le Grand part 3. an 1606. within the Precincts of the City should build any new Church or Monastery without the Senats Consent Truly thinking that they were stored well enough having already within the City where ground is so scarce 150 Churches Monasteries and such like places of Devotion The Senat also agreeable to the old Statutes of their Republick anno 1333 and 1536. made a Decree like our English Mort-maine That None should sell give or alienate any more lands to the Clergy without the Senats Commission A little after the making of these Laws the Troubles between them and the Pope began The Occasion taken thus One Scipio Sarraceno a Canon of a Church of Vicenza had with great Contempt desaced the seal of the Magistrate which was put to for the custody
Joyeuse returns with the Papal Instructions and Authority to Venice At Venice the Cardinal hoping in some thing to uphold the Popes Honour told the Senate that now all the Difficulties were shrunk to two viz. To send an Ambassador to Rome before the Censures were removed and to re-establish the Jesuits But finding these would not be granted he proceeds more moderately and Proposeth They Answer That the Ecclesiasticks should be restored and their goods redelivered That they consent provided the Pope will receive into Favour those who had writ in defence of the State And what ever the Pope did with the writings in behalf of his cause they would do the same with those Papers in vindication of theirs That the Prisoners should be delivered without any Protestations The Prisoners should be deliver'd to the French Ambassador but the Senate would make a Protestation That their Protestation against the Interdict should be revoked as also their Letter writ unto their Cities They will take away their Protestation or Manifesto when the Monitory or Interdict upon which it is grounded is taken away but the Letter need not taking notice of He is also very earnest for the Restitution of the Jesuits but the Senate absolutely * But upon the earnest desire of Pope Alexander VII and the great offers of the King of Polands Brother a Jesuits himself they were restored were restored 1657. 20. January 30. deny's it upon any account what ever Recounting several of their Seditions and Ingratefull actions it having been one of the first places that foster'd them At last after several Reasonings was concluded and agreed on That the Cardinal should declare in the Colledg without any other Ceremony that the Censures were taken away And that at the same time the Duke should put into his hands a Revocation of the Protestation That the Prisoners might be delivered to Freâ—ne the French Ambassador at Venice as to the French King with the Republick Protestation the Pope being not supposed to be concerned in it That the Religious who had retired themselves upon the Interdict should be restored the Jesuits excepted and XIV others who had fled for certain Crimes and not in Obedience to the Pope That no mention should be made of any Letter written unto Governours or Cities but only a Manifesto publish'd for the revocation of the Protestation which was printed That after the Censures were taken away the Republick should name and send an Ambassador to reside with his Holiness according to the common Custom of Princes And if there were any other particulars that they should not now be spoken of but should be remitted to be fairly treated of with the Pope Before these were fully agreed on there had been some dispute about the manner of the Ceremony in taking off the Interdiction for the Senate had absolutely deny'd to receive Absolution affirming they were Innocent and had in what they had done committed no falt Then the Cardinal proposed to go to St. Mark 's Church with the Duke and Senate and there to celebrate Masse and give a Benediction which was enough he said to intimate that the Censures were taken away But the Duke and Senate jealous of their Reputation would not allow of this For though they confess'd That the Apostolick Benediction ought not to be refused when offer'd yet at this time it might give occasion to some to believe a falsity as if they had needed it by some falt in this Quarrel alledging farther the Custom of the Popes who if Princes do some acts to them through Devotion or Humility presently esteem it as done of Duty or in acknowledgment of their falts At last to end this Obstacle it was agreed on as abovesaid That the Cardinal should declare without any other Ceremony that the Censures were taken away Now nothing remain'd undecided but the form of the Manifesto to null the Senate's Protestation against the Monitory or Interdict but of this all was accepted only this sentence The Censures being taken away the Protestation in like manner was taken away The Cardinal urged that they ought not to use the words Taken away in the Protestation but Revoked The Senate though they affirm'd they could not comprehend what subtilty or difference laid in the alteration yea for some time refused to admit of a change But perceiving the Cardinal would have it so or else break all at length yielded to the Cardinals request and so it was concluded thus The Censures being taken away the Protestation in like manner is revoked All Obstacles thus removed the Agreement was compleated with these Ceremonies The XXI of April in the morning de Fresne the French Ambassador The XI according to the English Account being at the Cardinal de Joyeuse's Lodgings Marc Ottobon the Venetian Secretary had the two Prisoners Marc Antony Brandolino Valdemarino Abbot of Nervese and Scipio Sarazin Canon of Vicenza carryed thither He telling the Ambassador that these were the Prisoners which the Illustrious Prince the Duke of Venice had sent to be deliver'd to his Excellence in gratification of the most Christian King But with Protestation not to Prejudice hereby the Authority the Republick hath to judg Ecclesiasticks The Ambassador answer'd That so he received them Of which a publick Instrument being drawn de Fresne went into a Gallery where the Cardinal was sent for the Prisoners saying to the Cardinal These are the Prisoners that are to be deliver'd to the Pope The Cardinal pointing to one neer him said Give them to him meaning Claudio Montano a Commissary sent by the Pope to this effect who touch'd them in token of Dominion and Possession and pray'd the Ministers of Justice who conducted them that they would be pleas'd to keep them for him This done the Cardinal and Ambassador went to the Colledg where they met the Duke and Senat and all being set as usually The Cardinal pronounced these words I rejoyce very much that this day so much desired by me is come wherein I declare unto your Serenitie that all the Censures are taken away as indeed they are and I take therein much pleasure for the benefit which shall redound hereby to all Christendom and particularly to Italy This said the Duke put into his hand the Decree of the Revocation of their Protestation and after some words of Complement they all rose and departed an end of this Quarrel being thus made That afternoon a Rumour was spred about that that mouring at the meeting in the Colledg the Cardinal had given an Absolution At this the Venetians so jealous were they of their reputation were somewhat troubled and made it their business to find out the Original of such a Report which at last they found to be scatter'd by some French-men who giving for their assertion only this Reason viz. That the Cardinal being enter'd into the Colledg before any thing was done made the sign of the Cross under his Hood The idle story and discontent vanish'd the
Venetians smiling to see on what little things some fond people would build a Submission or Conquest And it may be upon this Rumour or some such idle Report some Historians do say that they did receive Absolution But in this History I find most reason to rely upon the Credit of Father Paul One of the most famous Pen-Champions that the Venetians imploy'd in this Quarrel was the said learned and judicious Fryer of the Order of the Servi commonly known by the name of Father Paul of whom a word or two by the by He was born at Venice M. D. LII He naturally addicted himself to his book whereby when young he gain'd great Reputation so that William the famous Duke of Mantoua intertain'd him as his Chaplain in the year M. D. LXXIX he was created Provincial of his Order which he executed without partiality he went and lived some time at Rome where he got acquainted with the best his parts making him known to Pope and Cardinals as well as others Being return'd to Venice he followed his studies close and in all manner of learning was so excellent that all Strangers that went â—o Venice desired his acquaintance upon which he was foolishly accused by the Court of Rome as a Company-keeper with Hereticks At this time the Order of the Servi was in some trouble by reason of their Protector Cardinal Santa Severina who against all right or reason was resolved to make one Gabriel Collison General of the Order being thereto perswaded by his Briberies the whole Order opposed this and herein Father Paul was a little ingaged but carried himself with great discretion and moderation But at last Gabriel was made General and a seeming peace was made When the late Quarrel began between the Pope and the Venetians they chose Father Paul to be one of their chief Assistants who by his solid reasons staggerd the Papal Pretensions which so concern'd the Pope that he would have had the Father brib'd from his Duty to the Commonwealth but this failing other designs were set on foot Gaspar Schoppius a man well known for his railing and pernicious principles of Government freely told Father Paul that the Pope had long Hands and might reach him but wisht rather to have him alive at Rome and the Father was by several great Personages informed that Plots were laid against his Life but he trusting to his Innocency neglected his Security But this confidence might have cost him his Life for one Evening in the Street at Venice he was assaulted received two wounds in his Neck and one in his Face entring at his right ear and passing through the Jaw bone and out again betwixt his Nose and his Cheek and the Stelletto was left sticking in the Villain not having strength enough to pull it out The number of these Assassins were five who having a Gondola ready got presently to the House of the Pope's Nuncio then resident in Venice thence in a flat Boat with Ten Oars and well armed prepared for the purpose they departed that night towards Ravenna Being now in the Papal Territories they were secure and vapour'd of the Fact and were nobly received at every place at last they got to Rome where they were well also entertain'd with assignation of Entertainment And here they staid some time till the world cryed shame that such abominable Villains should be sheltred and entertain'd from Justice by his Holiness upon which the Pope was forced for Honour sake to order their departure out of the City yet had they some Allowance granted them but so small in respect of those Glories they expected that they became mal-content so that at last every one of them came to an evil end But to return to Father Paul he was had home to his Monastery the most famous Physicians and Chyrurgions in those parts imploy'd about him so that after some time he perfectly recovered to the joy of the whole Senat who by publick Proclamations took order for his future Security assigning him a Guard increase of Stipend with a House at St. Mark 's at the publick Charge But the Father desired to be excused from all such state cost and trouble resolved to continue in his Monastery amongst his Brethren of the Order The Senate perceiving this to be his earnest desire gratified him but caused some building to be added to his Chamber from whence by a little Gallery he might have the Commodity to take Boat the better to avoid Treachery in his returns sometimes by night from the publick Service Seeing the Senat had thus carefully provided for his security so that there was danger to use any more force some other designs were set on foot 1609. Fra. Antonio da viterbo who served as an Amanuensis to the Father was solicited to make him away with a Razor which he might conveniently do considering his intimacy and the great trust the Father put in him or if not this to poyson him Antonio refused to act this wickedness himself especially to such a good Friend and Patron but would afford his Assistance if others would be the Actors So at last it was concluded that he should take the Print in Wax of his Keys which he should deliver to another Fryar Giovar Francisco whom Fryar Bernardo the Favourite of Cardinal Borghese Nephew to the Pope had imploy'd about this thing by which means having Counterfeit Keys they might send in some Ruffians or Bravo's to murther the Father But some Letters of this Plot by chance being taken there was enough discovered to have Francisco and Antonio seised on Francisco was condemn'd to be hang'd but had his pardon by a full discovery of the whole design and delivering unto them all the Letters concerning this black Plot what great Personages were in this action is not known the Councel of Venice thinking it best to conceal them for the Honour of Religion To tell all the Attempts against him would be tedious these are enough and against him it was that the Court of Rome bent all their spight he being an Enemy to the prop of all their Greatness viz. their Usurpations and Authority over Temporal Princes and his Reasons obtain'd him the greater ill-will from that Bishop because they seem'd to be favour'd by other Potentates The Pope fearing that in time other Territories might follow the Example of the Venetians And when his Coercive Authority is once despised he will remain but a weak Governor within the narrow Limits of his Churches Patrimony which may render him incapable of preferring his Favourites abroad and the Interest thus gone the Splendor of his Seat will fail and the Glory of his idle and wasting Courtiers will be eaten up by the more thrifty Citizens Thus their Charity to themselves made them the more violent against the Fryar Paul though he acted nothing but what became the duty of a good Subject to his Prince and Country The Father hoped that the malice of his Enemies would vanish by degrees and
Worth and Quality attempted through the Undertaking spirits of some more fiery and turbulent than zealous aâ—d dis-passionate Catholicks hath made the general state of our Catholique Cause so scandalous in the eye of such whose corrupted Judgments are not able to fan away and sever the fault of the Professor from the Profession it self as that who now is found to be of that Religion is perswaded at least in mind to allow though God knoweth as much abhorring as any Puritan whatsoever the said former most inhuman and barbarous Project And whereas some of his Majesties Council but especially your Lordship as being known to be as the Philosopher termeth it a Primus Motor in such uncharitable proceedings are determined as it is feared by taking advantage of so foul a scandal to root out all the Memory of Catholique Religion either by sudden Banishment Massacre Imprisonment or some such unsupportable Vexations and Pressures and perhaps by decreeing in this next Parliament some more cruel and horrible Laws against Catholiques than already are made In regard of these Premises there are some good men who through Good men and Roman Catholiques their earnest desire for the continuing the Catholique Religion and for saving many souls both of this present and of all future posterity are resolved to prevent so great a mischief though with a full assurance aforehand of the loss of their dearest lives You are therefore hereby to be admonished that at this present mayâ— murther Privy-Councellors there are Five which have severally undertaken your Death and have vowed the performance thereof by taking already the Blessed Sacrament if you continue your daily plotting of so Tragical Stratagems aginst Recusants It is so ordered that none of these Five knoweth who the other Four be for the better preventing the discovery of the rest if so any one by attempting and not performing should be apprehended It is also already agreed who shall first attempt it by shot and so who in order shall follow In accomplishing of it there is expected no other than assurance of death yet it will willingly be embraced for the preventing of those general Calamities which by this your transcendant Authority and grace with his Majesty are threatned unto us And indeed the Difficulties herein are more easily to be digested since two of the intended Attempters are in that weak state of body that they cannot live above three or four Months The other Three are so distressed in themselves and their Friends as that their present Griefs for being only Recusants do much dull all apprehension of Death None is to be blamed in the true censuring of Matters for the Nor are they to be blamed for it undertaking hereof For we protest before God We know no other means left us in the World since it is manifest that you serve but as a Match to give fire unto his Majesty to whom the worst that we wish is That he may be as great a Saint in Heaven as he is King on Earth for intending all Mischiefs against the poor distressed Catholicks Thus giving your Lordship this Charitable Admonition the which may perhaps be necessary hereafter for some others your Inferiors at least in Grace and Favour if so they run on in their former Inhuman and Unchristian Rage against us I cease putting you in mind That where once True and Spiritual Resolution is there notwithstanding For 't is a True and Spiritual Resolution all dangers whatsoever the Weak may take sufficient Revenge of the Great Your Lordship 's well-admonishing Friends c. A. B. Câ— c. It may be your Lordship will take this but as some forged Letter of some Puritans thereby to incense you more against Recusants But we protest upon our Salvation It is not so Neither can any thing in human likelihood prevent the effecting thereof but the change of your course towards Recusants This Letter at the beginning offers fair seeming to detest the Gunpowder-Plot but little of truth and sincerity may be expected from it when we consider that the design of it is to Apologize for Murther to which it appears there is a Club or number of them consenting and attempting and they are not ashamed to assert That though they murther Privy-Councellors yet the Murtherers may be good men nor are they to be blamed for it for 't is a True and Spiritual Resolution But enough of this Letter to which the Earl himself was pleased to give an Answer The Oath of Allegiance was prudently drawn up and confirmed by Act of Parliament which Oath being the Foundation and Sum of this Treatise take as followeth word for word and for distinction sake divided into several Branches or Articles The Oath of Allegiance Anno Tertio Jacobi I A. B. do truly and sincerely Acknowledg Profess Testifie and Declare in my Conscience before God and the World That our Soveraign Lord King is Lawful and Rightful King of this Realm and of all other his Majesty's Dominions and Countreys And that the Pope neither of himself nor by any Authority of the Church or See of Rome or by any other means with any other hath any Power or Authority to Depose the King Or to dispose any of his Majesties Kingdoms or Dominions Or to Authorize any Forreign Prince to Invade or Annoy him or his Countreys Or to Discharge any of his Subjects of their Allegiance and Obedience to his Majesty Or to give License or Leave to any of them to bear Arms raise Tumults c. Or to offer any violence or hurt to his Majesties Royal Person State or Government or to any of his Majesties Subjects within his Majesties Dominions Also I do swear from my heart That notwithstanding any Declaration or Sentence of Excommunication or Deprivation made or granted or to be made or granted by the Pope or his Successors or by any Authority derived or pretended to be derived from him or his See against the said King his Heirs or Successors or any Absolution of the said Subjects from their Obedience I will bear Faith and true Allegiance to his Majesty his Heirs and Successors And him and them will defend to the uttermost of my Power against all Conspiracies and Attempts whatsoever which shall be made against his or their Persons their Crown and Dignity by reason or colour of any such Sentence or Declaration or otherwise And will do my best endeavour to disclose and make known unto his Majesty his Heirs and Successors all Treasons and Trayterous Conspiracies which I shall know or hear of to be against him or any of them And I do further swear That I do from my heart Abhor Detest and Abjure as Impious and Heretical this Damnable Doctrine and Position That Princes which be Excommunicated or Deprived by the Pope may be Deposed or Murthered by their Subjects or any other whatsoever And I do believe and in Conscience am resolved That neither the Pope nor any Person whatsoever hath
power to absolve me of this Oath or any part thereof Which I acknowledg by good and full Authority to be lawfully ministred unto me And do renounce all Pardons and Dispensations to the contrary And all these things I do plainly and sincerely acknowledg and swear according by these express words by me spoken and according to the plain and common sense and understanding of the same words without any equivocation or mental evasion or secret reservation whatsoever And I do make this Recognition and Acknowledgment heartily willingly and truly upon the true Faith of a Christian So help me God A. B. Unto which Oath so taken the said person shall subscribe his or her Name or Mark. King James doubted not but that all honest and good Subjects would Apol. for the Oath of Allegiance pag. 49 50 51. submit to this Oath Because as he said that he that shall refuse to take this Oath must of necessity â—old all or some of these Propositions following I. That I King James am not the lawful King of this Kingdom and of all other my Dominions II. That the Pope by his own Authority may depose me if not by his own Authority yet by some other Authority of the Church or of the See of Rome If not by some other Authority of the Church and See of Rome yet by other means with others help he may Depose me III. That the Pope may dispose of my Kingdoms and Dominions IV. That the Pope may give Authority to some Forreign Prince to invade my Dominions V. That the Pope may discharge my Subjects of their Allegiance and Obedience to me VI. That the Pope may give license to one or more of my Subjects to bear Arms against me VII That the Pope may give leave to my Subjects to offer violence to my Person or to my Government or to some of my Subjects VIII That if the Pope shall by Sentence excommunicate or depose me my Subjects are not to bear Faith and Allegiance to me IX If the Pope shall by Sentence Excommunicate or Depose me my Subjects are not bound to defend with all their power my Person and Crown X. If the Pope shall give out any Sentence of Excommunication or Deprivation against me my Subjects by reason of that Sentence are not bound to reveal all Conspiracies and Treasons against me which shall come to their hearing and knowledg XI That it is not Heretical and Diabolical to hold That Prinees being Excommunicated by the Pope may be either Deposed or Killed by their Subjects or any other XII That the Pope hath Power to absolve my Subjects from this Oath or from some part thereof XIII That this Oath is not administred to my Subjects by a full and lawful Authority XIV That this Oath is to be taken with Equivocation Mental Evasion or secret Reservation and not with the Heart and good will sincerely in the true Faith of a Christian man Now whether there was just cause for drawing up and imposing of such an Oath King James can tell you best himself And first that the Romanists had no reason to contrive his ruin he declares at large in these words But now having sacrificed if I may so say to the Manes of my late Apol. for the Oath of Allegiance pag. 18 19 20. Predecessor Q. Elizabeth whose Government and Moderation he vindicates I may next with St. Paul justly vindicate my own Fame from those innumerable Calumnies spread against me in testifying the truth of my Behaviour toward the Papists Wherein I may truly affirm That whatsoever was her just and merciful Government over the Papists in her time my Government over them since hath so far exceeded hers in Mercy and Clemency as not only the Papists themselves grew to that height of pride in confidence of my mildness as they did directly expect and assuredly promise to themselves Liberty of Conscience and equality with others of my Subjects in all things but even a number of the best and faithfullest of my said Subjects were cast in great fear and amazement of my Course and Proceedings ever prognosticating and justly suspecting that sowr fruit to come of it which shew'd it self clearly in the Powder-Treason How many did I honour with Knighthood of known and open Recusants How indifferently did I give Audience and Access to both sides bestowing equally all Favours and Honours on both Professions How free and continual Access had all Ranks and Degrees of Papists in my Court and Company And above all How frankly and freely did I free Recusants of their ordinary Payments Besides it is evident what strait Order was given out of my own mouth to the Judg to spare the execution of all Priests notwithstanding their conviction joining thereunto a gracious Proclamation whereby all Priests that were at liberty and not taken might go out of the Countrey by such a day my General Pardon having been extended to all Convicted Priests in Prison whereupon they were set at liberty as good Subjects and all Priests that were taken after sent over and set at liberty there But time and paper will fail me to make enumeration of all the benefits and favours that I bestowed in general and particular upon Papists in recounting whereof every scrape of my Pen would serve but for a blot of the Pope's Ingratitude and Injustice in meteing me with so hard a measure for the same Yet for all these Favours His Majesty in another place tells us That The never-enough wondred at and abhorred POWDER-TREASON Monitory Preface to all Christian Monarchs p. 6 7 8 9. though the Repetition thereef grieveth I know the gentle-hearted Jesuit * His Majesty alludes to Parsons Letter against his Book call'd The judgment of a Catholick English man p. 6. §. 10. Parsons This Treason I say being not only intended against me and my Posterity but even against the whole House of Parliament plotted only by Papists and they only led thereto by a preposterous zeal for the advancement of their Religion some of them continuing so obstinate that even at their death they would not acknowledg their Fault but in their last words immediately before the expiring of their breath refused to condemn themselves and crave Pardon for their Deed except the Romish Church should first condemn it And soon after it being discovered that a great number of my Popish Subjects of all Ranks and Sexes both Men and Women as well within as without the Countrey had a confused Notion and an obscure Knowledg that some great thing was to be done in that Parliament for the Weal of the Church although for Secrecy's cause they were not acquainted with the Particulars certain Forms of Prayer having likewise been set down and used for the good success of that Great Errand Adding hereunto That divers times and from divers Priests the Arch-Traytors themselves received the Sacrament for confirmation of their Heart and observation of Secresie Some of the principal Jesuits likewise being found
and imprisoned and the Oath offer'd him which he freely took Cardinal Bellarmine upon notice of this writes a long Letter to Blackwell telling him how joyous the news of the Imprisonment seem'd to him because forsooth now you draw near unto the glory of Martyrdom than the which there cannot be a gift of God more happy and therefore bids him for the comfort of the Church be valiant and stout 'T is easie giving advice afar off but the Cardinal did not care to put himself into the danger of Hereticks ever since he assisted the Rebellious League against the French King But there is one thing that clouds all this Rejoycing viz. that Blackwell should take the Oath This troubles the Cardinal who tells the Arch-Priest That the Oath is so craftily composed that no man can detest Treason against the King and make profession of his Civil subjection but he must be constrained perfidiously to deny the Primacy of the Apostolick See But the Servants of Christ and especially the Chief Priests of the Lord ought to be so far from taking an unlawful Oath where they may endamage the Faith that they ought to beware that they give not the least suspition of Dissimulation that they have taken it For if you will diligently weigh the whole matter with your self truly you shall see it is no small matter that is called in question by this Oath but one of the principal Heads of our Faith and Foundations of Catholique Religion And for proof of this he produceth little scraps out of Gregory the Great Pope Leo and such like Instances nothing at all God wot to the Business in hand as Blackwell himself in his Answer to Bellarmines Letter may testifie The Pope considering Father Blackwell's Humour and it may be his Confinement appointed 1608 Mr. George Birket to be Arch-Priest and sent him a Breve to forbid the taking of the Oath and to deprive all Priests of their Faculties that should take it Part of which take as followeth Tibique injungimus Mandamus ac specialem facultatem ad hoc tribuimus ut Authoritate nostra omnes singulos Sacerdotes Anglos qui quoddam Juramentum in quo multa continentur quae fidei atque saluti animarum aperte adversantur praestiterunt vel ad loca ad quae Haeretici ad eorum superstitiosa Ministeria peragenda convenire solent consulto accesserunt aut qui talia licite fieri posse docuerunt docent admonere cures ut ab hujusmodi erroribus resipiscant abstineant Quod si intra tempus extrajudicialiter tamen arbitrio tuo illis praefigendum hoc facere distulerint seu aliquis illorum distulerit illos seu illum facultatibus Privilegiis omnibus ab Apostolica sede seu illius Authoritate a quocunque alio illis vel cuivis illorum concessis eadem Authoritate prives ac privatos esse declares c. Datum Roma apud S. Petrum sub Annulo Piscator die 1 Feb. 1608 Pontificatus Nostri Anno 3. And we enjoyn and command you and for this we give you special Faculty that by our Authority you take care to admonish all and every English Priest who have taken a certain Oath wherein many things are contained which are manifestly against Faith and the salvation of souls or do willingly repair to such places where the Hereticks use to meet to celebrate their superstitious Services or Worship or have taught and do teach that such things may lawfully be done that they may repent and abstain from such Errors And if within the time extrajudicialiter notwithstanding by you as you think fit to be appointed unto them they or any one of them shall defer to obey this That then you by the same Authority do deprive and declare them or him to be deprived of all Faculties and Priviledges granted them or any of them from the See-Apostolick or by her Authority from any other whatsoever c. Dated at Rome at St. Peters c. 1 Feb. 1608. Birket upon the receit of this Breve draws up and sends abroad this Admonishing-Letter To all the Reverend Secular Priests of England Most dearly beloved Brethren WHereas I have always desired to live without Molesting or Offending others it cannot be but a wonderful Corsive Sorrow and Grief unto me that against mine own inclination I am forced as you have seen by the Breve it self to prescribe a certain time for such as do find themselves to have been contrary to the points which are touched in the said Breve concerning the Oath and going to Church that they may thereby return and conform themselves to the Doctrine declared by his Holiness both in this and the other former Breves And therefore now by this Present do give notice unto you all That the time which I prefix and prescribe for that purpose is the space of two Months next ensuing after the knowledg of this my Admonition Within which time such as shall forbear to take or allow any more the Oath or going to Church I shall most willingly accept their doing therein Yet signifying unto you withall That such as do not within the time prescribed give this satisfaction I must though much against my will for fulfilling his Holiness commandment Deprive them and Denounce them to be Deprived of all their Faculties and Priviledges granted by the See-Apostolique or by any other by Authority thereof unto them or to any of them and so by this present do Denounce hoping that there is no man will be so wilful or disobedient to his Holiness Order but will conform himself as becometh an Obedient Child of the Catholique Church And so most heartily wishing this Conformity in us all and that we may live and labour together Unanimes in Domo Domini I pray God give us the Grace to effect that in our Actions whereunto we are by our Order and Profession obliged This 2d of May 1608. Your Servant in Christ GEORGE BIRKET Arch-Priest of England and Protonotary Apostolical Now were Pens employed on both sides the Romanists cuffing one another bravely about the Oath Voluminous Coquaeus comes railing from France against it Getser opposeth it in Germany Andraeus Eudaemonioannes of Greece declares it Abominable In Italy Cardinal Bellarmine is very busie against it sometimes under his own other times masked under false Names as Tortus and some think Schulckenius was one and the same person with the Cardinal In Spain now flourish'd Franciscus Suarez he also by order from the Pope and Conclave is commanded to undertake it which he doth But the good old man thought he was hardly dealt withall by the Inquisitors to whom having sent his Book for Approbation they alter'd Vid Bishop of Chichester Dr. King his Letter to Is Walton before Hookâ—r's Eccles Poliy Edit 1666. and added according to their own humours as was * confest by Mr. John Salikill then Suarez his Amanuensis but afterwards reconciled to the Church of England But above all the opposers
and dated his Letters from the year of his Popedom And now I talk of datings I might speak here of Philip the First of France of his Excommunication An. 1100. and how some would thence conclude that he was thereby deprived from his Kingdom and bring for a proof some datings not with the Raign of the King but the year and Rule of Christ under this form Regnante Christo But seeing c Hist de France tom 2. p. 89. § 5. Scipion Dupleix slights it as of no validity and that vastly read David Blondellus hath in a particular large a De formulae Regnante Christo usu Treatise shewn its mistake and that such Forms have been many times used when no Excommunication or Censure obliged it I shall not trouble the Reader nor my self any farther with it CHAP. III. 1. The Kings of England denyed the Popes Coercive Authority over them or their Dominions 2. The troubles of England by the arrogancie and obstinacie of Thomas à Becket against his Soveraign King Henry the Second Sect. 1. The Kings of England denyed the Popes Coercive Authority over them or their Dominions HAving now seen in part how the greatest Emperours have been tost about by the Popes it will not be amiss to hint at their indeavours to reduce England to the slavery of their humours and what may we not expect from their pretended grand Spiritual jurisdiction when we shall see an Archbishop and a born Subject too bandy against his Soveraign Henry the Second which story is here related As for England the Pope would be Lord over it as well as other Nations nor did his Religion any way advance the Obedience and Allegiance of Subjects For though one Pope had approved of King William the First his Conquest by sending him a b Speed book 9. c. 2. § 2. consecrated Banner an Agnus Dei and one of St. Peters Hairs in way of his good speed Yet the next Pope viz. Gregory the Seventh demands fealty from him as may appear by the Kings Dr. Geo Hakewell's Answ to Dr. Cariers Letter pag. 141. Answer in Sir Robert Cottons Library Hubertus Legatus tuus Religiose Pater ad me veniens ex tua parte me admonuit quatenus tibi successoribus tuis fidelitatem facerem de pecunia quem Antecessores mei ad Romanam Ecclesiam mittere solebant melius cogitarem unum admisi alterum non admisi fidelitatem facere nolui nec volo quia nec ego promisi nec Antecessores meos Antecessoribus tuis id fecisse comperio Hubert your Legat Holy Father coming unto me advertised me as from you that I was to do fealty to you and your Successors and that I should bethink my self better of the Money which my Predecessors were wont to send the Church of Rome the one I admitted the other I admitted not The fealty I would not perform neither will I because neither my self promised it nor do I finde that my Predecessors performed it to yours Upon which refusal some suppose Gregory returned that furious and uncivil Letter seen amongst his other a Lib. 7. Ep. 1. Epistles to his said Legat Hubert in which he accused the King of Impudence and that he had done more against the Church than all the b Nemo omnium Regni etiam Paganorum contra Apostolicam sedem hoc praesumpsit centare quod is non eâ—ubuâ—â— facere Ib. Pagan Kings themselves had offer'd Nor did his Son King Henry the First acknowledge any subjection to the See of Rome for though Pope Paschal the Second expected it and accordingly thus wrote to him to put him in minde of it Paschalis servus servorum Dei dilecto filio Henrico illustri Anglorum Regi salutem Apostolicam Benedictionem Cum de manu Domini largius honorem divitias pacemque susceperis miramur vehementius gravamur quod in Regno potestateque tua Beatus Petrus in B. Petro Dominus honorem suum justitiamque perdiderit Sedis enim Apostolica Nuntii vel literae praeter jussum Regiae Majestatis nullam in potestate tua susceptionem vel aditum promerentur nullus inde clamor nullum inde judicium ad sedem Apostolicam destinatur Paschal the servant of servants of God to our beloved Son Henry the renowned King of England health and Apostolical Benediction Since you have plentifully received Honour Riches and Peace from the hand of the Lord We exceedingly wonder and take it in ill part that in your Kingdom and under your Government St. Peter and in St. Peter the Lord hath lost his Honour and Right in as much as the Nuntio's and Breves of the See Apostolick are not thought worthy entertainment or admittance into your Dominions without your Majesties Warrant No Complaint now no Appeal comes from thence to the Apostolick See To which King Henry the First after some terms of Complement replies in this manner Eos Honores eam Obedientiam quam tempore Patris mei Antecessores vestri in Regno Anglia habuerunt tempore meo ut habeatis volo eo videlicet tenore ut dignitates usus consuetudines quas Pater meus tempore Antecessorum vestorum in Regno Angliae Ego tempore vestro in eodem Regno meo integre obteneam Notumque habeat Sanctitas vestra quod me vivente Deo auxiliante Dignitates usus Regni Angliae non minuentur Et si Ego quod absit in tanta me dejectione ponerem Optimates mei imo totius Angliae populus id nullo modo pataretur Habita igitur Charissime Pater utiliori deliberatione ita se erga nos moderetur benignitas vestra ne quod invitus faciam à vestra me cogatis recedere obedientia That Honour and Obedience which your Predecessors had in the Kingdom of England during the raign of my Father my will is that you should have in my time with this condition That my self fully and wholly enjoy all the Dignities Prerogatives and Customs which my Father enjoy'd in the said Kingdom in the time of your Predecessors And I would that your Holiness should understand that during my life the Dignities and Prerogatives of the Crown of England by Gods Grace shall not be diminished And if I should so far debase my self which God forbid my Lords and Commons would by no means indure it Wherefore most dear Father upon better advice let your gentleness be so tempered towards us that I be not inforced which I should unwillingly do to withdraw my self from your obedience But to save my self trouble I shall refer the Reader to Sir a Rep. part 5. Edward Coke and Mr. b Hist of the the Popes intolerable Usurpations Prynne where he may abundantly satisfie himself that the Kings of England not onely slighted the Papal Coercive Power but all along exercised Authority in and over Ecclesiastical Causes Though the Pope made it his business to trample upon all Temporal Jurisdiction and make it a meer