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A42559 Status ecclesiæ gallicanæ, or, The ecclesiastical history of France from the first plantation of Christianity there, unto this time, describing the most notable church-matters : the several councils holden in France, with their principal canons : the most famous men, and most learned writers, and the books they have written, with many eminent French popes, cardinals, prelates, pastours, and lawyers : a description of their universities with their founders : an impartial account of the state of the Reformed chuches in France and the civil wars there for religion : with an exact succession of the French Kings / by the authour of the late history of the church of Great Britain. Geaves, William. 1676 (1676) Wing G442; ESTC R7931 417,076 474

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also unto destruction whom he would 2. That they who are predestinated unto destruction cannot be saved 3. That whereas the Apostle saith God willeth that all men be saved he meaneth only all them who shall be saved 4. That Christ came not to save all men nor did he suffer for all men but only for them who shall be saved by the mystery of his passion 5. Since the first man fell of his Free-will none of us can use Free-will to do good but only to do evil Remigius Bishop of Lions in the name of the Church of Lions defended these five Articles whereupon Hinckmar wrote unto Pope Nicholas against Gotteschalk and calleth these Articles the heresie of the Predestinarians which was overthrown in Africk and afterwards in France by Authority of Pope Celestine When Gotteschalk returned from Italy Raban Bishop of Mentz summoned him to a Synod and when he could not perswade him to change his mind he wrote unto Hinckmar and others Hinckmar summoned Gotteschalk unto a Synod of twelve Bishops and some Priests and Abbots in Carisiac on Isara where four Articles were enacted against him He was condemned of Heresie and contumacy he was whipt with rods Vid. Petries Ch. Hist Cent. 9. and cast into prison The Church of Lions after sight of these four Articles sent forth their censure of them Remigius was a man of a most holy Conversation and very learned as appeareth by the Comments which he wrote upon the Old and New Testaments At this time was published a Commentary on the thirteen Epistles of the Apostle St. Paul which was lately printed at Rome under the name of Remigius of Rhemes Lupus Abbot of the Monastery of Ferraria by the water Lupa running into Sein at the same time wrote several Epistles unto King Lewes and to Hinckmar which were printed at Paris Anno 1588. He comforteth his Master Einhard after the death of his Wife He speaks honourably of Marriage and comfortably of the estate of the Godly after this life without any mention of purgatory or Mass for the defunct At the same time also was a question of the presence of Christ's body in the Sacrament Charles the Bald King of France commanded Bertram a Priest at Corbey to search and write what was the Doctrine of the Fathers and Ancient Church in this Article Trithemius saith Bertram was singularly learned of an excellent eloquence and utterance pregnant in judgement and no less famous for holiness of life and wrote many excellent Treatises In obedience unto King Charles he compiled a Treatise De corpore sanguine Domini which is all inserted in Catal. Test verit lib. 10. This Book was forbidden to be read by order from the Roman Inquisition confirmed afterward by the Council of Trent Usher's Answ to the Jesuites challenge The Divines of Doway perceiving that the forbidding of that Book did not keep men from reading it but gave them rather occasion to seek more earnestly after it thought it better Bertram should be suffered to go abroad but handled in such sort as other ancient Writers that made against them were wont to be Bishop Ridley highly commends this Bertram Ridl Pres at coen Dom. Paschasius Rathbert Abbot of Corbey at the same time wrote a Book of the Eucharist Remigius Bishop of Auxerre flourished about the year 880 he wrote many Books He was called Doctor Sententiosus Charles the Bald died at Mantua Anno 879 being poisoned by Sedecias the Jew whom he employed for one of his Physicians leaving the Realm to his Son Lewes the second called the Stuttering Lewes King of Germany had vowed that he would take both Empire and Kingdom from Charles the Bald but was arrested with sickness at Frankford There he divided his Kingdom among his three Sons to Lewes he gave Saxony Turingia Frisia and the Provinces within them with the Title of East-France to Carloman he gave Bojaria Austria Bohemia and Moravia with the Title of King of Bavaria To Charles his third Son he gave Suevia Franconia with some parts of Lorain which he had taken after the death of Lotharius with the Title of King of Germany De Serres Hist Charles the Fat King of Germany strove for the Empire and was Crowned by the Romans Pope John would not consent and therefore was imprisoned he escaping goes into France and confirmeth Lewes the Stutterer He was courteously received by Lewes stays in France a whole year and there holds a Council at Troyes in Champagne The Pope was scarce gone but Lewes dieth having reigned only two years He had no lawful Children but two Bastards he left his Wife with Child The Queen was afterward delivered of a Son which was saluted King and called Charles During the minority of Charles Lewes and Carloman Brothers the two Bastards of Lewes the Stutterer are chosen by the States to Govern the Realm of France Lewes was defeated by the Normans and dies for grief Soon after his Death it is said that Carloman fell down and brake his neck Another Lewes succeedeth to these two Brethren but he quickly dyed Then the States called Charles the Gross King of Bavaria to this high Dignity He began his reign Anno 885 and reigned nine years His entrance was goodly but his end Tragical He was crowned King with promise to restore the Crown to the lawful Heir and to govern according to the will of the States He was Son to Lewes called Germanicus Son to Lewes the Gentle Being defeated by the Normans he yieldeth to a prejudicial peace and is much hated of the French At length the French and the Grrmans resolve to dispossess him The Germans made choice for their Emperour of Arnulph Son to Carloman the Son of Lewes the Gentle The French likewise reject this miserable Charles from the Regency of the Realm and call Eudes of Odon Duke of Anger 's named by the will of Lewes the Stutterer So this poor Prince is cast out both from Realm and Empire and remains naked without an house to shrowd himself in from this disgrace being banished from Court and driven into a poor Village of Suevia where he lived some days in extreme want without any means of his own or relief from any Man in the end he dyed neither pitied nor lamented of any in a corner unknown but to have been the Theatre of so extraordinary a Tragedy that one of the greatest Monarchs in the World should dye without House without Bread without Mourning and without Memory but the note of this end so prodigiously memorable Century X. CHarles the Third called the Simple was Crowned in the Year 902. Eudes governing with him eight Years from his Coronation Charles remaining alone after the Death of his Regent Reigned 27 Years His Reign was miserable throughout Now begins a notable league against the King Robert Duke of Anjou becomes the Head of this League accompanied with many great Men of France This Robert was Governour by the Death of his
was John XXII He was a Cistercian Monk he sate in that seat eighteen years This John believed that the Souls do not enjoy the presence of God before the day of Judgement He sent two Preachers to Paris the one a Dominican the other a Franciscan to assert and maintain the same Heresie But one Thomas an English Preacher withstood the Pope and the Pope threw him into prison Hereupon the French King summoned a Council unto his palace in Vintiana Sylva the whole Assembly subscribed against the Pope Immediately the King sent to Pope John to reform his errour and to set the Preacher at liberty which he did Some say that the Divines of Paris made him to recant his errour publickly Append. to Martin Polon in Joann 22. sub Ann. 1317. This John XXII erected the Church of Tholouse in France to an Arch-Bishoprick divided the Diocess of Tholouse into six Bishopricks the Bishops whereof should be suffragans to the Arch-Bishop of Tholouse and turned six Villages into Cities viz. Montauban Rieux Lombez-Abbey St. Papoul Lavaur and Mirepoix He created two Bishopricks within the Arch Bishoprick of Narbon the first at Limoux whose Seat he translated to Alet not long after the second in the Abbey of St. Pons setting out their Diocesses He divided also the Bishoprick of Alby into two and created one at Castres He erected divers others besides which are reckoned up in particular by the Authour of the continuation to Martinus Polonus Clement V. predecessour to this Pope had ordained that Emperours by the German Princes elected might be called Kings of the Romans but might not enjoy the Title or right of the Empire to be nominated Emperours without their confirmation given by the Pope Wherefore because Lewes of Bavaria being chosen Emperour used the Imperial dignity in Italy before he was authorized by the Pope the said Pope John therefore Excommunicated the Emperour who often desired of him a Treaty of peace which the Pope refused to hearken to At the same time divers learned Men disallowed the doings of the Pope as William Ocham whose transactions were afterward condemned by the Pope for writing against that See and Marsilius Pativinus who wrote the Book entituled Defensor pacis which was put into the hands of the said Emperour wherein the controversie of the Pope's unlawful jurisdiction in things Temporal is largely disputed and the usurped Authority of that See is set forth to the uttermost Some Writers say that a great cause of the variance was for that one of the Emperour's Secretaries unknown to the Emperour had likened in divers of his Letters the Papal See to the Beast rising out of the Sea in the Apocalypse At length when the Emperour after much suit made to the Pope at Avignon could not obtain his Coronation from him he went to Rome where he was received with great honour and both he and his Wife were both crowned by the consent of all the Lords and Cardinals there and another Pope was there set up called Nicholas V. Not long after Pope John dyeth at Avignon after whom succeedeth Benedict XII Anno 1335. This Man was as uncourteous to the Emperour as John had been he renewed the curses against him bereft him of all Regal Dignity and by his sentence deprived him of the Dukedom of Bavaria Hereupon the Emperour cometh into Germany and assembleth the Princes Dukes Nobles Bishops and other learned men in a Council at Franckford where he caused an injunction to be dispatched wherein he affirmed the sentence pronounced against him unjust and that his Excommunication did no way bind him Wherefore he commanded upon great penalties that no man should obey his censures and interdictions in that behalf which injunction caused great alterations in Germany especially among the Clergy some holding with the Emperour others with the Pope Dante 's a man of profound Learning at that time wrote a Book called The Monarchy wherein he favoured the Emperour for which he was afterward condemned and his Book held for Heresie And other great men wrote Books and Treatises defending the Pope's supream Authority Charles IV. Brother to Philip the long succeeded in the Kingdom of France being the last Son of Philip the Fair. He dyed Anno 1328. having reigned six years leaving the Crown to the second royal Branch of Capets whereunto the order of the fundamental Law did lawfully call them Philip the Hardy had left two Sons Philip the fair and Charles Earl of Valois of whom it is said that he was the Son of a King Brother to a King Unckle to a King Father to a King and yet no King Philip the Son of Charles of Valois is saluted and proclaimed King of France and anointed and crowned at Rhemes according to the usual custom Near the beginning of his Reign De Serres Hist in vit Philip. de Valois the Courts of Parliament and all the Soveraign Judges assembled from all the Provinces made a general complaint against the Clergy of France accusing them of sundry abuses and namely that against the right of their charges they intermeddled with the politick jurisdiction The suit was vehement and famous for the greatness of the parties The King to reconcile this quarrel calls a general Assembly of his whole Realm at Paris The cause was pleaded before him with great liberty by Peter de Cugneriis this is He whom in derision they call M. Peter Cugnet who is in the great Temple in Paris noted with a little Monkey's head placed betwixt two pillars to put out the Candles being odious by reason of his pleading and as coldly defended by Peter Bertrand both famous Advocates in those times The issue was doubtful and Philip seriously exhorted the Prelates to reform themselves and in reforming the abuse to avoid these popular complaints refering the matter to a further hearing This Pope Benedict took from the Emperour the Senatourship of Rome he first took upon him to usurp the presentments of all Bishopricks He abridged many unlearned men of Priesthood He reformed many Sects of Monks He commanded that all his Chaplains should lye in one Dormitory together and should have no other Revenues than for Dyet and Apparel He published certain Acts against the Dominicans he kept divers Concubines And leaving great store of Treasure to the Church he dyed Anno 1342. of whom these verses were made Iste fuit verò Laicis mors vipera Clero Devius a vero turba Repleta mero Clement VI. born in Lemonia by profession a Benedictine called before Peter Rogers being Abbot of Fisca succeeded Benedict at Avignon This Man Excommunicated all the Princes Lords and Bishops that consented to the doings of Lewes the Emperour He made Avignon part of St. Peter's patrimony He ordained that the Jubilee should be kept every fiftyeth year after the manner of the Jews and so it was kept at Rome Anno 1350. Now there were great Wars in France between Edward III. King of England and the King of France
and wicked example He was a Man of great Learning and worthy to be had in perpetual memory for this cause especially that He and Cardinal Bellay Leigh's Treatise of Religion and Learning l. 3. c. 8. Bishop of Paris did counsel and perswade this King Francis to do a most noble Act that is to appoint great stipends for the Readers of Tongues and good Arts in Paris Buchanan hath this distich of him Gallia quod Graeca est quod Graecia Barbara non est Buchan li. 2. Epigram Vtraque Budaeo debet utrumque suo Stephanus Paschasius in his Icones hath these Verses of him Et Latiae nobis debent Graiaeque Camenae Laudem utram quaeras magnus utraque fui He dyed at Paris Anno 1539. The several courses King Francis took for the restoring of Learning in France Antoin du Verdier mentions in his learned preface to his Bibliotheque and in his Book he saith he was deservedly called The Father of Learning because he founded Colleges in Paris for the instructing of youth in the Hebrew Greek and Latin Tongues and gathered together Learned men of good life out of all parts of the World to read publickly in the University of Paris Thevet and Postellus travelled into the East to procure him rare Books for his Library Through long use and custom he had acquired much knowledge for Dining and Supping his talk was commonly of Learning and that most eagerly using many years for the same purpose James Coline a Learned man and in the vulgar Tongue most eloquent and after him Peter Castellan Of these two he had learned whatsoever was written in the Books of Poets Historiographers and Cosmographers Moreover he attained to a perfect knowledge of whatsoever Aristotle Theophrastus Leigh of Relig. and Learn Pliny and such other like have written of the nature of Plants Herbs Beasts Mettals pretious Stones and by daily use and hearing did remember them He used also to confer much of the Mathematical Sciences and often to reason out of the Scriptures In his own Tongue he was always accounted right grave and eloquent Throughout Greece and Italy Sleid. Comment li. 19. p. 283. he had those that sought and copied out for him the works of old Writers and he made a great Library the keeper whereof was Castellan William Bellay was a man of much honour and vertue and a special Ornament of the French Nobility by reason of his notable Learning Eloquence Experience and singular Dexterity in all affairs Andrew Thevet was Cosmographer to the King of France He hath written an Universal Cosmography in French in two Tomes in Royal paper in which he doth not only rehearse what he learned from the Books of others but what himself had seen by travelling almost over the World and by viewing all the Seas so that some think there is no thing more learned and more orderly disposed He hath also written Les vies des hommes illustres the lives of Illustrious men in French in a great Folio with their pourtraicts Bibliand de at Comm. on n. lingu William Postellus was a good Linguist but he was little better than mad for he held that Adam's Soul was in him with many other gross opinions Bibliander makes honourable mention of him because he was the first Christian man that published the rudiments of the Arabick Grammar There are these works of his De Linguarum 12 Differentium Alphab Clavis absconditorum aeternae veritatis De Phaenicum Lit. De Orbis Terrae Concordiâ De Etruriae Origine Peter Castellan was Bishop of Orleans a Man highly esteemed in France at this time for his excellent Learning Tur●eb advers li. 24. He hath written four Books de esu carnium Marguerite Queen of Navarr was Sister to Francis the first There are her Memoires In the Epistle to the Reader are these words Que Rome vante taut qu' il luy plaira les Commentaires de son premier Empereur La France a maintenant les Memoires d'une grande Roine qui ne leur cedent en rien Her poetical works are joyned together Clandius Espencaeus a Doctor of Sorbon flourished at this time None of the Divines of Paris had a greater concourse of all Degrees and was more admired for his frequent Sermons to the people than He. There are many questions concerning Religion discussed by him in Latin and French with great sub●ilty He was very eloquent His Commentaries upon Timothy and Titus are well approved In his Comment on Titus he proves by many good Authorities that Clergy-men are subject to Secular Princes and owe all honour unto them as to their Lords On the same Epistle he sets down a List of the many tricks and devices of the Court and Chancery of Rome invented meerly for catching of Money where he puts in among the rest expectative graces or reversions secret reservations bestowing of Benefices upon the first comer uniting of many Benefices to one Chappel Prebend or other Benefice Mandates preventions propinations small or ordinary services conditional resignations detaining of all the revenue in lieu of pension and a number of such like things which were not heard of for a long time in the Church and which would be strange news to Peter and Paul if they should come into the World again This learned Divine hath spoken much of these things And those that desire further to be informed herein I will refer to the Book entitled Taxa Cancellariae Apostolicae Printed at Paris by Toussaint Denis Anno 1520. And yet this is nothing in comparison of the Penitentiary Tax Printed with the same book where every sin every crime how hainous soever hath it's price set so that to have a License and impunity for sinning there needs no more but to be rich to have a pasport to Paradise both for a man's self and for his misdeeds But that which might make Rome blush if there were any shame in her brow is that pardons and indulgences are denyed to the poor and indigent who are not of means sufficient to raise these criminal and incestuous impositions It may seem that the Bull of Pope Leo X. added at the end of the Concordat and confirmed by the Letters of King Francis I. hath derogated from the Pragmatick Sanction But that Bull was never received and approved in France Petr. Rebuff in Concord Rubric de m●ndat Apostol as Mr. Peter Rebuffus doth testifie This constitution saith he as being about a money-mater was never received by the Inhabitants of this Kingdom Nor is it comprehended within the Concordate nor the King's Declaration concerning it verified in the Court of Parliament In the year 1516. Pope Leo X. under pretext of collecting money to wage War against the Turk sent Indulgences through all Christendom granting pardon of sins both for guilt and punishment unto all which would give Money Tecelius exposeth these Indulgences to sale in Germany and Luther writeth against the abuses of them some write
Mother's side with repetition of the obscenities divulged throughout all Italy in the time of that Popedom which made the Cardinal ridiculous to the people The first thing he undertook was to hinder the preaching of the Reformatists who after the Colloquy did practise it more freely than before To gain reputation he made acquaintance with the Nobles of the Hugonots and went to their feasts and sometimes was present at their Sermons in the habit of a Gentleman But this displeased the Court of Rome The Queen-Mother understanding that the King of Spain took the Colloquy in ill part sendeth an Ambassadour into Spain to excuse it After the Colloquy was ended and the Protestants departed the Prelates remained and treated of the Communion of the Cup the Bishop of Valence with consent of the Cardinal of Lorain proposing that if it were allowed the increase of the Protestants would be interrupted But the major part would not consent it should be done but by grant or at least by favour of the Pope Lieve is given to the Legate by the King 's Brief to exercise his faculties which the Chancellour refuseth to subscribe according to the style of the Kingdom Yet was it subscribed by the Queen the King of Navarre and by the principal Officers of the Kingdom For this favour he began to think well of the Communion of the Cup and to write thereof to Rome In conclusion of the Assembly at Poisy the Prelates granted power to the King to sell an hundred thousand crowns of the yearly rents of the Lands of the Church so that the Pope would allow it The Legate informeth the Pope that there are but two wayes to preserve Religion in France One to give satisfaction to the King of Navarre and to interest him in the defence of it the other to grant the people generally the Communion sub utraque specie And the French Ambassadour desireth the Pope to grant the Communion of the Cup to the French men The Pope giveth a favourable answer for which afterwards he was sorry and at length resolveth not to grant the Communion of the Cup to the French At the same time when the Petition of the French Prelates was published in Rome News came out of Germany that the same men had sent to the Protestants there to perswade them to persevere in their Doctrine promising to favour them in the Council of Trent and to draw other Prelates to do the like for which they are suspected in Trent and in Rome The Nuncio resident in France returned to Rome who having related the state of that Kingdom the Pope wrote to the Legate that he should represent to the King's Council that the Council in Trent was to be celebrated for France only because neither Italy nor Spain had need of it and Germany did refuse it and tell them that therefore it did concern them to promote it Hist Concil Trident. li. 5. But the bad conceit which the Court of Rome had of the French was increased by an advice sent from Paris that the Parliament had with much solemnity condemned to recant one John Tancherel a Bachelor of Divinity because with intelligence of some Divines he had proposed and defended publick questions That the Pope Vicar of Christ is Monarch of the Church and may deprive Princes who disobey his commands of their Kingdoms States and Dignities who being accused cited and having confessed the fact did flie And the Judges as in a Comedy caused the Bidel of the University to represent his person and to make a publick satisfaction and recantation forbidding the Divines to dispute such questions hereafter making them go to the King to ask pardon for having suffered so important a matter to be disputed on and to promise to oppose themselves alwayes against that Doctrine For which the French men are much censured in Rome The Pope promiseth a reformation in the Court and hasteneth the opening of the Council John Fernelius was a learned French man and Physician to Henry the second King of France Medicinam Vniversam doctissimis politissimis scriptis complexus est Thuan. Hist Tom. 1. li. 21. About this time also flourished Andrew Tiraquel an excellent Lawyer He is styled by Conradus Ritterhusius Varro ille Gallicus He hath written well upon Alexander ab Alexandro his Book Genialium dierum What Alexander hath written briefly and without mention of Authours he hath illustrated with his Commentary and shewed to whom he was beholden for what he had Thuanus thus extols him Cùm vario literarum genere excultus tum celeberrimus nostrâ aetate Juris-consultus Julius Caesar Scaliger died near this time at Agen in France He was thirty years old before he fell to study yet was a singular Philosopher and an excellent Greek and Latin Poet. Vossius calls him naturae miraculum Voss instit orat Li. 4. ca. 11. and saith thus Vir ille nunquam sine laude dicendus vir ad unguem factus Lipsius highly admires him He was an excellent Historian and great was his skill in Physick and his Practice therein was happy A Noble and learned pen doth thus commend him Non hunc fefellit ulla vis recondita Steph. Boetius Senator Burdigalae ad Vidum Brassacum Praefidem Salubris herbae saltibus siquam aviis Celat nivosus Caucasus seu quam procul Riphaea duro contigit rupes gelu Hic jámque spectantes ad orcum non semel Animas repress●t victor membris suis Haerere succis compulit foelicibus Nigríque avaras Ditis elusit manus On Snowy Caucasus there grew no root Of secret Power but he was privy to 't On cold Riphaean Hills no Simple grew But he the force thereof and vertue knew Wherewith apply'd by his successful Art Such sullen Souls as would this world depart He forc't still in their bodies to remain And from death's door fetcht others back again His skill in Physiognomy was wonderful But his excellent Parts were attended with prodigious Pride His Son Joseph Scaliger was one of the great lights of France and Holland too One saith thus of him In antiquos Scriptores nimiùm petulans protervus Montacut Exercit. 2. sect 10. For variety of Learning and Skill in the Oriental Languages besides his acuteness in Chronology he exceeded his Father In the first Volume of the Lord of Plessis his Letters and Memoirs Casaubon relating to him Scaliger's death Julius Scaliger Vir incomparabilis nisi Josephum genuisset Meric Casaub saith This loss of so Learned a man wrought in him an incredible grief and that he for his particular had lost another Father Monsieur du Plessis likewise condoles with him in so great a loss and saith That Scaliger indeed made one of the integral parts of the better Learning of this Age. Thuanus honourably mentions him in his History Leighs Treat of Relig. and Learnin● li. 5. ca. 12. and in the first book of his Commentaries De vita sua saith
Confirmation of the bordering Churches or out of the Epistles which he wrote to certain Brethren for Admonition or Exhortation-sake Thus far Irenaeus There are but few of the Fathers but have some particular Opinion which the Church of Rome disalloweth as well as we The Learned Dr. Du Moulin mentioneth many of the Ancients Du Moulin Contr. Perront Lib. 1. cap. 49. and among them Irenaeus who saith that Jesus Christ Taught until the Age of forty or fifty years Fevardent who hath Commented upon the Book hath written in the Margin Naevus de aetate Christi it is a fault of Irenaeus about the Age of Christ The same Father also Teacheth that the Souls separated from the bodies have a bodily shape and keep the character or form of the body to which they were joyned The same Irenaeus saith Iren. Lib. 4. cap. 30. That the Law was not given to the Fathers that lived before the Law because they were Righteous and there was no need they should be warned by Reprehensions but that this Righteousness being given in Egypt God then had given his Law The same Father in the Fifth Book Chap. 33 and 34 brings in bodily Feasts after the Resurrection because Christ said He should drink of the New Fruit of the Vine in the Kingdom of his Father The same Father opposeth them as Hereticks that hold that the Souls of the Faithful departed do enjoy the Heavenly Glory His Opinion was that at their going out of the Body they go down into an invisible place where they expect the Resurrection Besides those Epistles of Irenaeus forementioned there is extant another very learned and necessary Book of his against the Gentiles Entituled A Book of Science or Knowledge Another unto Marcianus his Brother Entituled A Declaration of the Apostles Preaching And another Book of divers Tracts where he makes mention of the Epistle to the Hebrews and the Book of Wisdom called Solomon's Ex Platina in vita Sixti In the time of the Emperour Commodus Peregrinus flourished who had been sent before by Xistus Bishop of Rome into the parts of France to supply there the room of a Bishop and Teacher Because of the horrible Persecutions thereabout those places were left desolate and destitute of Ministers and Instructors where after he had Preached with much success among the Flock of Christ and had established the Congregation there returning to Rome he there finished his Martyrdom Six several Synods were held about the Observation of Easter and the fourth was held in France in which Irenaeus was Chief Century III. AFter the Death of the Emperour Commodus Reigned Pertinax but few months after whom succeeded Septimius Severus under whom was raised a notable Persecution against the Christians Great Persecution was stirred up on every side whereby an infinite number of Martyrs were slain as Eusebius reporteth Vincent Lib. 11. cap. 6. Ex Martyrol Vincentius speaketh of one Andoclus whom Polycarpus before had sent into France which Andoclus because he spread there the Doctrine of Christ was apprehended of Severus and first beaten with staves and after was beheaded About the same time died Irenaeus Henry of Erford Ado and other Martyr-writers do hold That he was martyred with many more for the Confession and Doctrine of Christ about the fourth or fifth year of Severus This Irenaeus as he was a great Writer so was he greatly commended of Tertullian for his Learning whom he calleth Omnium doctrinarum curiosissimum exploratorem a great searcher of all kind of learning In the time of this Irenaeus the state of the Church was much troubled not only for the outward persecution of the foreign enemy but also for divers Sects and Errours then stirring against which he diligently laboured and wrote much although but few Books be now remaining Calixtus succeeded Zepherinus Bishop of Rome and after him Vrbanus which both as some Writers affirm did suffer under the Emperour Alexander Severus This Calixtus in his two decretal Epistles written to Benedictus and to the Bishops of France giveth forth divers Ordinances concerning the Bishops and Ministers of the Church Vincentius affirmeth that Calixtus was tied to a great stone and so out of a window was thrown into a ditch Under the Emperour Decius as Gregory of Tours observeth Gratian came to Tours to preach the Gospel among the Pagans Gregor Turonens Hist Lib. 5. Anno Christi 252. Saturninus preached at Tholouse and was the first Bishop of that place Dionysius also came to Paris where he was Bishop and suffered Martyrdom This is he who is falsly named Dionysius or Denis the Areopagite Saturninus also was thrown down from the Capitol of Tholouse Rusticus and Eleutherius also there suffered Martyrdom The Author of St. Omer's Life relateth that Fuscianus and Victorinus the Companions of Dionysius preached at the same time the Faith of Christ That St. Quintin did the same among the Ambianians and suffered Martyrdom Aurelius Probus being invested with the Empire Anno 276. went into France where he regained sixty Towns out of the Barbarians hands and killed of them near seventy thousand Having quieted all things in France he went into Sclavonia and overcame the Nations in Scythia And being gone thence into the East he gave battel to the Persians and having overcome them and taken some of their Cities as he was returning to Italy passing through Sclavonia he was killed at Sirmium by the Soldiers Anno 282. M. Aurelius Carus born at Narbon in France succeeded Probus who soon after Created his Sons Carinus and Numerianus Caesars And having sent Carinus into France to keep it in peace he with his Son Numerianus went against the Persians there having overcome Mesopotamia he was strucken dead by a Thunderbolt Numerianus was slain by the conspiracy of Aper his Father in Law Carinus was slain by a Tribune whose Wife he had defloured Dioclesian succeeded him Dioclesian upon his Establishment associated unto him Maximianus Hercules in the Government of the Empire and they both chose Constantius Chlorus and Galerius to be their Colleagues and they were Created Caesars In the time before the Tenth Persecution the Church of Christ having had above forty years of outward rest and peace through the connivance and indulgence of some Emperours viz. from the death of Valerian until the nineteenth year of Dioclesian this prosperity being abused by the Clergy and other Christians unto idleness contentions c. moved the Lord to scourge them whereupon followed that sharp and cruel Persecution under Dioclesian Maximianus in the West and Dioclesian in the East bent all their Forces to root out the profession of Christian Religion Dioclesian endeavoured to destroy all the Churches and Temples of the Christians that they might not Assemble together to Pray and to use Divine Service he burnt all the Books he could get of the Holy Scripture and would not permit any man if he were a Christian to hold any Office or Magistracy The Soldiers being
Jurisdiction nor Domination of the Bishop of Rome over the Churches of France Hilary called himself Primate of the Churches of Gauls subject to the Roman Empire that is of Provence and Daulphine for the rest of the Gauls was then held by the Visigoths and by the Francks The quarrel was that Hilary conferred the degree of Bishop in his Diocess not expecting the consent and approbation of the Bishop of Rome but Leo would oblige him to acquaint the Roman See with it and to get his approbation Upon that Leo sends Letters to the Bishops of Daulphine where after he ha●● 〈◊〉 swe ling words exalted the Dignity of the Roman See he add●●h Hillary To trouble the State of the Church Leon. Epist 87. ad Episcop per Viennensem provinciam constitutos and the Concord of Bishops by new presumptions hath exceeded measure desiring so to subject you to his power that he will not suffer you to be subject to the blessed Apostle Peter challenging to himself the Ordination of all the Churches in Gauls But Hilary came to Rome not regarding the Anathema's of Leo and to his face affirmed that neither did Christ appoint Peter to be Head of the rest of the Apostles neither had the Bishop of Rome a Sovereignty over the Churches of France In that strife Leo according to his custom had his recourse to Valentinian who presently without hearing what Hilary could say for himself gave sentence for Leo and made a Law which is extant in the Theodosian Code among the Novel Constitutions in the 24th Title the Law runs in these words Whereas the merit of Peter who is the Prince of the Episcopal Society and the Dignity of the Roman City and Authority of the Sacred Synod have established the Primacy of the Apostolick See let not presumption attempt any lawful thing against the Authority of that See for then shall the peace of the Churches be maintained every where if the Vniversality do acknowledge their Governour In which words we may observe by the way that Valentinian doth not ground the Popes Primacy upon the Word of God He addeth We Decree by a perpetual Ordinance That it be not lawful either to the Bishops of Gauls or to those other Provinces to attempt any thing against the venerable Pope c. but that to them and to all whatsoever the Authority of the Apostolick See hath decreed or shall decree may be a Law so that what Bishop soever being evocated to the judgement of the Roman Prelate shall neglect to appear he be constrained by the Governour of the Province to make his appearance But Valentinian being deprived of Africa by the Vandals of Africa and of Spain and Guienne by the Gothes and of most part of Gauls by the Franks nothing remaining to him but Italy Sicily Provence and Daulphine all the East being in the power of Theodosius that Law was but of little force How much that Law was despised in the Empire of the East it is easie to see for in the Year 472. that is about 22 or 23 years after that Law of Valentinian a contrary Law was established by the Emperour Leo which is the 16th Law in the Code De Sacrosanctis Ecclesiis The words of the Law are these Whereby the Emperour decreeth that the Church of Constantinople be the first of all Churches and the Bishop of Constantinople be the first of all Bishops We judge and decree that the most holy Church of this Town which is Mother of our Piety and of all Christians of the Orthodox Religion and the most holy See of the same most Religious City have all the privileges and honours concerning the Creation of Bishops and the right of sitting before others c. Baronius declaimeth against that Law of Leo and saith It proceeded from him who is the Head over all the Sons of pride Baron Annal. ad Ann. 472. Then lived Sidonius Apollinaris Bishop of Clermont in Auvergn whose Epistles are extant great part of which are written to the Bishops of France his Colleagues but in none of them is there any trace of subjection to the Roman See or of communication with the Bishop of Rome The same Sidonius calls Lupus Bishop of Troyes Bishop of Bishops and the first Bishop of the world and saith That he is sitting in the Apostolick See This Man wrote all his Epistles in Latin and Preached also in Latin In the tenth Epistle of the second Book he complaineth That in his time among the Vulgar the purity and property of the Latin Tongue decayed and degenerated into barbarousness And in the Epistle to Pope Perpetuus for then all the Bishops that were a little more respected than the ordinary Bishops were called Popes there is a Latin Sermon made by the said Sidonius unto the people of Bourges a certain proof that the people of Bourges understood Latin About this time flourished Prosper of Aquitain so called from his Countrey not the place of his Bishoprick as Baronius saith He wrote De Vitâ Contemplativâ Of a Contemplative Life In his first Book Chap. 23. he prescribeth That the Preacher's Language be simple and plain though it be not very good Latin yet that it be orderly and grave Usser de Britan. Eccles Primord Cap. 8. that it may hinder no body though ignorant to understand it He wrote a Book De Ingratis by which name he alway marketh out the Pelagians that sprung out of the ashes of that Arch-Heretick Pelagius Regiensem Episcopum fuisse recentiores commemorant In sententias quasdam Augustini Epigrammata varia conscripsit Catal. Test Verit. He wrote many excellent things in defence of the Grace of Christ against the Pelagians and sheweth himself to be a Disciple and vehement defender of St. Augustine saith Bellarmine Salvianus Bishop of Marseilles lived then when the Nation of the Goths oppressed France and many began to doubt of the Providence of God in regard that those wicked wretches had got the upper hand and prospered so much in the world therefore he wrote an excellent Treatise De Judicio Providentia Dei to Salonius Bishop of Vienna One entitleleth him Gallicae Gentis Episcoporum Magistrum The Master of the Bishops of the French Nation Salonius wrote upon the Books of the Proverbs and Ecclesiastes Claudianus Mammertus Bishop of Vienna is praised by Sidonius with excessive commendations as if all the Graces of Jerome Augustine Patr. Syms Eccles Hist Basil Nazianzen and many other Fathers had been incorporated in him He wrote three Books De Statu Animae Of the State of the Soul to the same Sidonius with two Epistles How much the Popish Bishops differ from those Famous Bishops that flourished in those dayes the Reader may understand by this following Epitaph of Claudianus Mammertus made by Sidonius Hoc dat cespite membra Claudianus Triplex Bibliotheca quo Magistro Romana Attica Christiana fulsit Quam totam Monachus virente in aevo Secreta bibit instructione
calumny by witnesses yet first of all he propoundeth it to be debated by the Synod whether witnesses ought to be admitted against a Bishop or whether the bare assertion of the Bishop only ought to be believed The Synod pronounceth That they could not safely give credit to an inferiour person bearing witness against a Bishop Yet they require Gregory to say Masses at three Altars and that he purge himself by Oath which being done by Gregory he was absolved But the Synod excommunicated his Accuser and certified other Bishops by Letters concerning the absolution of Gregory In this Century Rupertus Bishop of the Francks with twelve other Divines came into the Country of the Boii and there Rupertus by preaching the Gospel converted Theodon the Prince of the Countrey with his Son from Heathenish Idolatry unto Christ and baptized them both at Ratisbon Many others also were converted by him In this Age flourished German Bishop of Paris forementioned Osiand Eccles Hist Cent. 6. Lib. 2. When he was an Abbot in a dream he saw the Keys of the Gates of Paris delivered to him and demanding the cause of it he was answered That he should as Pastor feed the Lords Flock belonging to that Church Not long after the Bishop of Paris dying he was Constituted Bishop there by King Childebert With singular zeal he provoked the People to Godliness great was his gravity in preaching and his words were weighty and powerful he was liberal towards the poor and redeemed many Captives King Chilperic after his death who was wont to deride and contemn other Ministers wrote this honourable Epitaph upon him which I thought fit to set down Ecclesiae speculum patriae vigor ara reorum Et pater medicus pastor amorque gregis Germanus virtute fide corde ore beatus Carne tenet tumulum mentis honore polum The Histories of this Age make mention of one Etius Arch-Deacon of the Church of Paris who when he understood that Innocent Praetextatus Bishop of Rhothomagum accused of Treason against the King was in danger to be condemned in a Synod at Paris he with great boldness entred into the Synod and admonished the Bishops and Assessours to beware of having an hand in the condemning of an Innocent person he told them they ought rather to reprove King Chilperic for his sins In the Reign of this King many Jews were baptized in France but many of them returned to their vomit and perfidiously renounced the Christian Religion In those dayes there were great inundations of waters which did much hurt in many places especially at Lions where part of the walls of that City were thrown down Horrible earthquakes made great concussions in part of France and overturned some mountains toward Spain which overwhelmed many men and beasts A fire falling from Heaven consumed the City of Orleans and the streets of Bourdeaux together with the fruits of the earth Other places were sorely afflicted with a grievous hail There followed almost through all France a malignant Cough and bloody Flux which destroyed very many men and women by which disease that wicked Austigildis Wife of King Gunthran perished The cause of these evils was said to be the dissentions civil wars and horrible impieties of those three Brothers forementioned Sigebert Chilperic and Gunthran Kings of France and their Counsellours and Ministers who provoked them to those impieties who were punished of God for their flagitious practices with most grievous judgements Here I shall make mention of the various fortune of Theodorus Bishop of Marseilles in the Reign of Childebert Divamius a most wicked man being Governour of that Province This man hated Theodorus and laid divers snares to entrap him And when Theodorus was going to King Childebert to implore his help he was seized on by Divamius in the midst of the City of Marseilles and injuriously dealt with and so dismissed In his journey Theodorus by the instigation of Divamius is taken by Gunthran King of Orleans then the Clergy of Marseilles being no better than Divamius being very joyful at the news of it do immediately invade and plunder all the substance and treasures of the Church and load Theodorus with divers calumnies King Chilperic setteth Theodorus at liberty and sendeth him back with Gundulphus the Governour to Marseilles that there he might be restored to his former dignity At the coming of Gundulphus and Theodorus Divamius and the Clergy do shut the gates and drive them back reproachfully But Gundulphus by Art getting into the City with his Soldiers soon brake the power of Divamius and sharply rebuked him yet Gundulphus being appeased with deprecations and gifts Divamius having taken an oath that he would restore Theodorus to his Bishoprick and for the future be faithful to the King he returned to his house But Divamius despising his Oath signifieth the restitution of Theodorus to King Gunthran adding That while Theodorus held his Government King Gunthran could never enjoy the City of Marseilles Gunthran being angry sendeth Soldiers to take Theodorus who seizing upon the Bishop unexpectedly they carry him on horseback bound with chains most ignominiously to their King But King Gunthran knowing the innocency of Theodorus without doing him any harm suffers him to return to his charge bestowing many gifts upon him Upon this occasion great enmity grew between King Gunthran and Childebert Many other calumnies and grievous indignities did this innocent Bishop suffer from other of his wicked and malicious enemies About that time Mundericus Episcopus Ternoderensis being by force taken away from his Church is thrust into a close and strong Tower built upon the bank of the River Rhodanus and there was detained almost two years and most grievously handled Under the Jurisdiction of Gregory Bishop of Tours there was a certain Presbyter who denied the Resurrection of the Body The foresaid Gregory disputed against him which disputation you may read at large in the Magdeburgensian History The disputation being ended the Presbyter promised that he would afterward believe the Resurrection of the dead Chidet Anast Child Reg. cap. 10. This Gregory hath put out these works Hist Francorum de Gloria Martyrum de Gloria Confessorum de vitis quorundam Patrum I find him by a certain Writer thus stiled Osiand Cent. 6. Lib. 4. cap. 17. Antiquissimus fidelissimus Francorum scriptor He wrote sharply against the Jews and Arians yet there are divers errours found in his writings which are mentioned by Osiander He was very intimate with Gregory the Great Bishop of Rome flourishing at that time Century VII THe Author of the Book called the Catholick Traditions first in French and then Translated into English searcheth the difference of all Churches and except in Rites or Ceremonies hath not marked any great difference of the Abyssines and Jacobites from our Reformed Churches And in his Preface he saith They pretend to have their name Jacobites from Jacob the Old Patriarch and the name Cophtes because
battel But Charles Martel getting out of prison assisteth Plectrude gathereth Forces and overcometh the new King and Rainfroy Charles is now received and installed Major of France and having assured himself of the Children of King Dagobert he caused them to be gently brought up in a Monastery At Colen he seizeth on Plectrude and Thibauld and inflicts no other punishment upon them but enjoyns them to live quiet and to attempt nothing without his liking He pardons Rainfroy and gives him the Government of Anjou He degradeth Chilperic being advanced against Law and causeth the eldest Son of Dagobert to be chosen King named Chilperic the third Chilperic dies having reigned five years and in his place his Brother Thierri was crowned King He reigned ten years and dying left his Son Childerick the last King of this first race of the Merovingiens Charles Martel from Major of the Palace is chosen Duke or Prince of the French Eudo Prince of the Gascoigus to whom Rainfroy joyned himself called in the Saracens with their King Abdiram out of Spain Anno 725. whom Charles met and killed them with an universal slaughter there were slain in one day three hundred seventy and five thousand and of the French fifteen hundred among which were many of the Nobility and men of Note And having recovered Burgundy and Lions in the year following Eudo dying he invaded Aquitain and overthrew the Saracens in great numbers invading France in the year 731 and regained Avignon taken by them and forceth them to abandon Narbon and the whole Country to his mercy At that time divers devout Monks lived in France viz. Vandegrisil of Fontinel a builder of Monasteries of whom Sigebert makes mention Vrsmar of Lobia a Founder of a Monastery Bertine Abbot of Sithiena and holy Aegidius Childeric was King in shew nine years Anno 744. Pepin in the time of King Childeric called a Council at Soissons where he assisted in person together with the greatest Peers of the Land five under the Authority of Charles Martel and four under Pepin the Son of Charles who dispossessed him Charles Martel having governed the Kingdom five and twenty years dieth He had four Sons Carloman Pepin Giles and Grypho Giles was made Bishop of Rhotomagum and left his Government assigned him by his Father unto Carloman and Pepin and they two divide the Kingdom and Govern each one his own part under the Title of their Father as is apparent by the first words of the Council under Carloman In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ I Carloman Duke and Prince of the French in the year from the incarnation of Christ 742. on the 11th of the Kalends of March by the advice of the servants of God and of my Nobes I have Assembled the Bishops in my Kingdom c. Within seven years after this Synod he laid aside his Princely Authority saith Bellarmine and entred into a Cloyster becomes a Monk and so dieth at Vienna and then all the Authority was in Pepin alone Grypho had rebelled against Carloman but at last Pepin took him in Italy and caused him to be beheaded Anno 753. Pepin having the Government alone aimed at an higher Title Blondus and others who have written the Acts of the French Blond dec 14. Lib. 10. say that the Nobility and Commonalty of that Nation duly considering the worthiness of Pepin and sottishness of Childeric consulted with Zachary Bishop of Rome whether they should tolerate so foolish a King any longer and defraud Pepin of his deserved Princely honour And when the Pope answered That he was most worthy to be a King who could best discharge the Office of a King Petrie's Church-Hist Cent. 8. the French with the publick consent of the whole Nation did pronounce Pepin for their King and Childerick was shaven and made a Monk Then the Pope wrote unto Boniface Bishop of Mentz to Anoint Pepin King of France and declare all his Subjects free from their Oath of Allegiance unto their lazy Soveraign The Pope was chiefly moved hereunto with hope to draw help from Pepin against the Lumbards Concil apud Palat Vernes his mortal enemies Pepin Anno 755. called almost all the Gallican Bishops to meet at the Council of Vernes the Palace About this time Aponius a French man wrote several Books In the Council called by Carloman of which I hinted before he beginneth thus I Carloman c. have Assembled the Bishops which are in my Kingdom with the Priests into a Council and Synod These are Boniface Arch-Bishop of Mentz Burchard of Wirtzburg Reginfrid Guntharius with the rest of the Bishops and their Priests That they should give me Counsel how the Law of God and Religion of the Church may be restored which in the dayes of former Princes hath been shattered and fallen and how Christian People may attain the salvation of their souls and not perish being deceived by false Priests And by the advice of my Priests and Nobles We have Ordained Bishops through Cities and set over them the Arch-Bishop Boniface who is the Legate of St. Peter And we have Ordained that Synods should be called every year Concil Tom. 2. Edit Crab. that in our presence the Decrees of Canons Rites and Laws of the Church may be restored And we restore unto the Churches the Monies that have been taken from them We have also discharged all the Servants of God from hunting and wandring in woods with Dogs and that they have no Hawks nor Faulcons We have also Decreed according to the Holy Canons That each Presbyter dwelling in a Parish be subject unto the Bishop where he dwelleth and that alwayes in Lent he give an account of his Ministry whether of Baptism or Catholick Faith and prayers and order of Masses Then he forbiddeth sacrifice to the dead and other profane Rites of the Heathen He appointeth punishments against the Fornications and Adulteries of Monks It was also decreed that Monks and Nuns should live within their Abbies and Cloysters according to the Rule of their Father Benedict Pope Stephen confirmed Pepin and his Heirs for Kings of France and of him asked aid to withstand the Power of Aistulphus then King of Lombardy who then had exacted Tribute from certain Lands belonging to the Bishop of Rome and because it was refused took up Arms. The Pope wrote a Letter directed to the Kings of France and to all Bishops Abbots Priests and Monks and to the Glorious Dukes and Counts and unto the whole Army of the Kingdom of France Stephen Pope and all the Bishops Priests and Deacons Dukes Counts People and Army of the Romans all being in anguish with how doleful and bitter grief we are encompassed on every side with how great perplexity and doubtfulness we are distressed and how many tears our eyes do shed because of the continual troubles which are multiplyed upon us we think that the smallest part of all the elements do declare for who beholding our
Learning and learned men Paul of Pisa instructed him in the Greek and Latin Tongues and Aimon in Philosophy and the Mathematickes He delighted in Poetry but especially in History in which he was well read The University of Paris built or enriched by him doth witness the love and honour he bare to learning A valiant man none commanded with more obedience nor performed any thing with greater fortune nor used his Victories with more mildness and judgement Never did King reign with more Authority nor was more reverently obeyed than Charlemagne About the Year 786 Charles King of France made a league with Archaius King of Scots Archaius sent unto him Albinus or Alcuinus John Melrose so named from the Abby Melrose Claudius Clemens and Anthony all very devout and learned men John Melrose became Abbot of the Augustinians at Ticino Bale in Cent. 14. and Claudius was Bishop of Auxerre They wrote several works as John Bale sheweth Alcuinus had good knowledge of the Latin and Greek Languages Biblioth de la Bigne Tom. 3. Charles calleth him his Master in an Epistle written unto him De Septuages Sexages He hath many excellent things in divers of his Books and Writings Desiderius began to make War first against the City of Ravenna and the Marches thereof and took the Cities of Ferrara Faventia and other Towns The Pope sent to Charles the Great for aid who came into Italy with great Forces Desiderius fled to Pavia and was there besieged Charles leaving an Unkle of his at the siege of Pavia went against Verona which he took without any great difficulty From thence he went to Rome to kiss the Pope's Foot and to hold the Feast of Easter where he was received with great Solemnity After this his coming thither he confirmed to the Church and Popes of Rome the Donation which his Father Pepin had made of Ravenna and other Lands and made another of many other places among which is reckoned the Isle of Corsica and all the Coast of Genoua with the Cities of Parma Ancona Vrbin and many other Towns besides Rome and the Territories thereof which the Popes had already in possession so as to the Emperours remained only that part of Italy which is part of Calabria and of Puglia and a great part of that which now is the Kingdom of Naples Charles having been only eight dayes in Rome returned against Desiderius who after six moneths besieging in Pavia yielded upon composition and Charles carried him with him and banished both him and his Sons into a certain Island and then took Milan and all the other Cities in Lombardy which is the Ancient Gallia Cisalpina where he placed French men for Dukes and Governours So Italy remained in his Obedience excepting those Lands and Provinces which were left to the Church of Rome so ended the Kingdom of the Lombards which had continued 204 years in Italy Rhegno Sub. Annum 787. In the Year 787 Charles being departed from Rome to come into France as soon as he was arrived at Wormes saith Rhegno he called a Synod and declared the Reasons of his journey to the Clergy and Princes of his Realm We find the French Synods in those dayes oftentimes to have consisted both of Lay-men and Clergy-men joyntly to determine of matters as well Ecclesiastical as Civil Charles the Great did the like in the Council of Franckford where he discoursed points of Faith and made them deliver their Opinions upon such as himself proposed The Canons and Decrees also run in his Name the Emperour saith he hath Ordained with the consent of the Synod c. Vide Acta Concil Francf in libello sacro Tom. 3. Concil pag. 635. In the Year 794 Charles Assembled this Council at Franckford partly in regard of the Heretick Foelix who called Christ The Adoptive Son of God in humane nature and was condemned in a Council Assembled at Ratisbon But he was returned to his vomit again and therefore was now again condemned as a notable Heretick in the Council of Franckford partly also in respect of the great contention which arose every where concerning the worshipping of Images disallowed in the Council of Constantinople and allowed in the second Council of Nice Not only the Bishops of France but also of Germany and Lombardy as Provinces subject to the King of France were present at this Council The Pope sent his Ambassadors Theophilact and Stephanus to the Council King Charles himself also was present thereat Alcuinus wrote against the Heresie of Foelix Alcuin contr Foelic Lib. 2. and Elipandrus Bishop of Toledo and in his second Book saith Shew us any Nation Town or Church either Roman or Constantinopolitan or of Jerusalem which was Dedicated by the presence of the Lord himself or of Antioch where first the Name of Christianity is read to have been or of Alexandria or of any other Church either in Italy or Germany or in France or in Aquitain or in Britain which agreeth with you in your assertion Here he acknowledgeth all these to be true Churches at that time and distinguisheth them one from another Foelix continued in his errour till Alcuinus wrote against him and then he became Zealous of the Truth and wrote a Recantation unto the Presbyters and Deacons of his Church That as he had been a scandal unto them so by his means they may be brought again from Errour unto the Truth as he himself writeth And this Recantation is printed among the Works of Alcuinus But Elipant Arch-Bishop of Toledo having read the seven Books of Alcuinus wrote very sharply for maintaining the same Errour R. Hoveden writeth R. Hoveden in continuat Bedae that Charles the Great sent over into England the Acts of a Synod sent him from Constantinople for the Adoration of Images Against this Adoration saith he Alcuinus wrote an Epistle well-grounded on Divine Scriptures and carried it with some Synodical Acts in the names of the English Princes and Bishops to the King of France All Italy being now in peace under the protection of King Charles two Cardinal Priests of great account called Pascal and Capulus conspired against Pope Leo who with their complices apprehended him on a day as he was going in Procession Some say they put out his eyes and cut out his tongue committing him prisoner to the Monastery of St. Erasmus publishing abroad that they did it for the crimes by him committed and the Errours by him maintained Some Authors affirm that he was miraculously restored to his sight and speech Hereupon King Charles cometh to Rome accompanied with many great Dukes and other Princes his Subjects To him came out of Italy and from many other parts many Bishops and Prelates After eight dayes abode there he commanded all the Princes and Prelates which then were in the City to be Assembled and the Pope himself and all the rest being together there were some that accused the Pope to the Emperour Then the Emperour
and pretending another not to intermeddle nor usurp the cognizance of the Feoffs belonging to the King which he knoweth to appertain to the King and the Peers of France but only to have the cognizance of the perjury And he afterwards adds All this he wrote to appease the Peers of France Cujac in d. c. novit de Judic extr and bear them in hand that he proceeded justly against their King and put all his Kingdom into an Interdict upon this occcasion yet for all that he gained nothing by it In this Century William Arch-Bishop of Senon wrote unto the Pope thus Let your Excellency most Holy Father hear patiently what we say for our Soul is in bitterness and so is your devoted Son the Most Christian King of France how all the Church of France is troubled with scandals flowing in time of your Apostle-ship from the Apostolical See seeing as our Nation saith Satan is let loose there to the ruine of all the Church there Christ is Crucified again and manifestly sacrilegious persons and murtherers go free Peter a Monk of Paris being of great Age dyed Anno 1167. he commendeth God's Word and taxeth the idleness and impieties of Priests the curiosity of School-men the multitude and abuses of Masses the multitude of Men's Traditions whereby the precepts of God are made void He calleth Indulgences a godly deceit Bernard a Monk of Clugny about that time wrote a large Satyr not sparing the Pope nor Cardinals of which here are some passages Pontificalia corde carentia corde probavit Pontificalia corda pecunia contenebravit Pontificum status antè fuit ratus integer antè Ille statum dabat ordine nunc labat ille labante Qui super hoc mare debuerat dare se quasi pontem In Sion omnibus est via plebibus in Phlegetontem Stat sibi gloria pompa superbia divitiarum Hoc propè tempore nemo Studeus fore pons animarum Qui stat in agmine primus in ordine Presbyteratus Est vitio levis officio brevis inguine fractus Then of the Popish Prelats and Clergy he saith Vos volo credere quod volo dicere Pseudoprophetas Nulla feracius ac numerosius hâc tulit oetas His sacra nomina sacraque tegmina corda superba Agnus eis patet in tunica latet anguis in Herbâ Quilibet improbus extat Episcopus Abba creatur Vi precio prece Dignus homo nece sceptra lucratur Nullus ei timor haudque sui memor est aliarum Non sine Simone sed sine Canone dux animarum Divers others he hath of this Nature which I shall pass by Peter Abailard spoke and wrote against the Holy Trinity and against the Office of Christ In the Doctrine of the Trinity he was an Arian of Grace a Pelagian of the person of Christ a Nestorian He was summoned to answer in a Council at Soissons where he did appear but would not answer but only did appeal unto the Court of Rome and did glory that his books had found acceptance there The Bishops did note and condemn his Errour and the sentence against his person they did refer unto Pope Innocent Peter Cantor flourished about this time he was of Paris He wrote a Book de verbo abbreviato In that Book he not only taxeth the loose life of the Clergy and the neglect of their Office but also many other abuses of the Pope and his Mass-Priests John de Vesalia in his Book against Indulgences writeth that this Cantor said that Indulgences are pious frauds Among other things he sharply taxeth many abuses of the Mass especially the too-frequent multiplication and prophanation of it he reprehendeth the heap and impiety of Popish Traditions saying that for the Commandements of Men they made void the Commandements of God Hugo de Sto. Victore was by Nation a Saxon but Abbot of St. Victor at Paris His Works are extant in three Volumns and many of them mentioned in Oxford Catalogue Richard of St. Victor flourished at the same time with Hugo aforementioned and lived in the same Monastery with him His Works are extant in two Volumns Catal. Test veric lib. 15. In that he was esteemed for a very learned Man and was Religious in his outward conversation he wrote many things of which much is lost Peter Lombard Bishop of Paris at this time followed the footsteps of his Brorher Gratian and gathered the sum of Divinity into four Books of Sentences out of the writings of the Fathers Pezel Mellif Hist and he is called The Master of the Sentences Gratian compiled the Pope's decrees or the Canon-Law These two Brethren were the greatest doers in finding out and establishing the blind opinion of the Sacrament that the only similitude of Bread and Wine remained but not the substance of them and this they call the spiritual understanding of the mystery Lombard's Sentences were authorized as the Text in all Schools and to the end that no man from thenceforth should search antiquity and truth any more from Fathers or Councils under no less danger than guiltiness of Heresie Hear what Cornelius Agrippa saith of this Scholastick Theology It is saith he of the kind of Centaures Cornel. Agripp de vanit scient ca. 97. a two-fold Discipline blown up by the Sorbon of Paris with a kind of mixture of Divine Oracles and Philosophical reasonings written after a new form and far different from the Antient Customs by questions and sly syllogismes without all ornament of Language c. He addeth that the faculty of Scholastick Divinity is not free from errour and wickedness These cursed Hypocrites and bold Sophists have brought in so many Heresies which preach Christ not of good will as St. Paul saith but of contention so that there is more agreement among Philosophers than among these Divines who have extinguished antient Divinity with humane opinions and new errours Bartholomew Gravius a Printer at Lovain in his Preface before his Edition of these Sentences telleth us that he had a purpose to reduce all the Testimonies unto the first Fountains sincerely but to his gr●●t admiration he was told by the Masters there it could not be so because albeit in their Editions innumerable places were corrected yet many errours were as yet remaining and these not little ones And not a few things in the Edition at Paris were changed not according to the truth of the old Books but in conjecture yea and oft-times the old words were corrupted through an immoderate desire of amending and in many places the worse was put for the better c. And seeing these Books have been so often changed little credit can be given to any of their late Editions and that even the Master himself had not written soundly according to the Fathers which he citeth Century XIII ALegat came into France and commanded King Philip upon pain of Interdiction to deliver one Peter out of Prison that was Elected to a Bishoprick and thereupon he was delivered In the Year 1203.
feared wherein that sentence was alledged Quòd virtus reddit non copia sussicientem Et non paupertas sed mentis hiatus egentem That great riches stop not the taking of much but a mind contented with a little 6. They added that great riches would cause factions among the Romans and taking of sides and parties so that by great possessions sedition might follow to the ruine of the City 7. That though they would oblige themselves to that contribution yet their Successours would not be so bound nor yet ratifie that bond of theirs 8. They desired the Legat that the zeal of the Universal Church and of the Church of Rome would move him for if this oppression of the Church should be Universal it were to be doubted lest an Universal departing might follow from the Church of Rome which God forbid said they should happen The Legat hereat excused himself that he being in the Court never agreed to this exaction and that the Letters came not to him before he was in France and as for him he would stir no more in the matter before it were proved what other Countries would say and do therein King Lewes passing with a great Host by Bourges and Nevers marched to Lyons and from Lyons to Avignon which for disobedience to the Church of Rome had stood accursed by the Pope for seven years The Citizens of Avignon shut their gates against the King and his Army not suffering them to come within the City Wherefore the King assaulted the City Fabian's chronic and lost there many of his Men among which Guy Earl of St. Paul and the Bishop of Lemerick and others to the number of two and twenty thousand there were slain In the end they submitting to the King's pleasure and the correction of the Pope an agreement was made and the King and his Army were received into the City and the Citizens received absolution from the Pope's Legate King Lewes to avoid the pestilence that was in his Camp went into an Abbey not far off where shortly after he dyed and was carried to Paris where he was interred Anno 1226. Near unto this time Gulielmus de Alta Petra Bishop of Paris wrote a Book de Clero wherein he thus speakerh of the Clergy of his time No godliness or Learning is seen in them but rather all devilish filthiness and monstrous vices they are not the Church but Babylon and Egypt and Sodom the Popish Prelats build not the Church but destroy it they mock God and they and their Priests do prophane the body of Christ they lift up to the Heavens with all manner of Ecclesiastical honour the limbs of the Devil in a word they bring Lucifer into the Church of Christ He taught also that there is no Law belonging to the salvation of man but the Gospel of Christ King Lewes IX called St. Lewes succeedeth his Father in the Kingdom of France being but twelve years old and was Crowned at Rhemes There is extant a constitution of this King Lewes bearing date Anno 1228. sub Tit. de Taliis wherein he regrateth the Avarice of Popes saying that exactions and grievous burthens of Moneys are laid on the Churches of our Kingdoms by the Court of Rome whereby the Kingdom is miserably exhausted We will therefore that these be levied upon no condition nor gathered except only for a reasonable pious and most urgent necessity and by our express and willing consent and with the consent of the Church it self of our Kingdom At that time the Senate of Paris did present unto John Santroman the King's Advocate the Pope's Bull to be read and answered He replyed saying The greatest confusion of all things would arise upon the accepting of that Bull for by authority of such in former times the French people had in great numbers gone out of the Kingdom to Rome of whom some became slaves or clients to the Cardinals and some living more liberally had idly wasted their Patrimony Brut. Fulmen ex Chronic. Britan. Armoric li. 4. and others in the City or by the way had perished with the badness of the Air and frequent pestilence and so France was exhausted of Subjects especially of Learned men He sheweth also how vast sums of Moneys were carried away for vacancies ad Advouzons of Bishopricks and Abbeys and other Titles in the Church so that sometimes ten or twelve Bulls were sold for one Priesthood And if this custom shall continue saith he it shall come to pass that who hath any store of Moneys will send to Rome and buy a Priesthood unto his Son or Cousin The Rector of the University of Paris spake to the same purpose and having protested at length against the Bull he appealeth from the iniquity thereof to the next Council The Pope's Legate having raised an immense sum of Money in France Lewes prohibited that the Money which was yet in France should be delivered to the Pope's Assigns or transported out of the Kingdom King John Bren resigneth the Kingdom of Jerusalem to Frederick the second Emperour There was also a Peace with the Turks concluded for eight years John got now more in a twelve-month than in seven years before P. Aemil. in Phil. 2. going from Country to Country In France besides rich gifts left to himself he had the managing of sixty thousand Crowns the Legacy which Philip Augustus the King on his Death-bed bequeathed to the Templars and the Holy War In England he received many presents from King Henry III. though afterward he proved but unthankful for them Math. Paris p. 627. In Spain he got a rich Wife marrying Beringaria the Daughter of the King of Castile In Italy he tasted largely of the Pope's bounty but at last perfidiously raised rebellions against Frederick his Son-in-Law by the Pope's instigation It is conceived that the Pope provided that match for Frederick to employ him in Palestine whilst he at home might play his game at pleasure Frederick recovereth all Palestine and Jerusalem without expence of time or blood and concluded a ten years truce with the Sultan without the Pope's consent And on Easter-day tryumphantly entring Jerusalem crowned himself King with his own hands For Gerard Patriarch of Jerusalem and Oliver Master of the Templars with all the Clergy absented themselves neither was there any Mass sung in the City so long as the Emperour being excommunicated remained there In the Interim the Christians every where build and repair the Cities of Palestine being now resigned into their hands Joppa and Nazareth they strongly fortified the Walls of Jerusalem were repaired the Churches adorned But short were the smiles of this City which groaning under God's old curse little joyed her self in this her new bravery About the year 1232. the Greeks recover their Empire from the Latines who had made an hard shift to hold Constantinople almost sixty years under five succeeding Emperours 1. Baldwin the first Earl of Flanders 2. Henry his Brother 3. Peter Count
of Auxerre in France Henry's Son-in-Law 4. Robert 5. Baldwin the fifth and last At this time the Tartarians over-run the North of Asia and many Nations fled from their own Countries for fear of them Among other the Corasines a fierce and Warlike people were forced to forsake their Land Being thus unkennelled they have recourse to the Sultan of Babylon who bestows on them all the Lands the Christians held in Palestine They march to Jerusalem and take it without resistance Soon after the Corasines elated herewith fell out with the Sultan himself who in anger rooted out their Nation so that none remained The French-men make War against Reymund Earl of Tholouse and think to enclose him in his Castle of Saracene but the Earl lying in Ambush for them in Woods slew many of them and 500 of the French Souldiers were taken and of their Servitors to the number of 200 men in armour were taken of whom some lost their eyes some their ears some their legs and so were sent home the rest were carried away Prisoners into the Castle Thrice that Summer were the French-men discomfited by the aforesaid Reymund King Lewes puts a stop to the persecution of the Albigenses saying that they must perswade them by reason and not constrain them by force whereby many Families were preserved in those Provinces In those times lived Gulielmus de sancto amore a Doctor of Paris and Chanon of Beauvois exclaiming against the abuses of the Church of Rome He wrote against the Fryars and their hypocrisie but especially against the begging Fryars In his days there was a most detestable and blasphemous book set forth by the Fryars which they called Evangelium Aeternum or Evangelium spiritûs sancti The Everlasting Gospel or The Gospel of the Holy Ghost Wherein it is said That the Gospel of Christ was not to be compared to it no more than darkness to light That the Gospel of Christ should be preached but fifty years and then this everlasting Gospel should rule the Church He mightily impugned this pestiferous Book Fox Act and Monum p. 410. ad 416. He was by the Pope condemned for an Heretick exiled and his Books were burnt His story and Arguments may be read in Mr. Fox his first Volumn Pope Alexander armed Thomas Aquinas and Bonaventure men of violent spirits against him but he was too hard for these reprovers his followers were called Amoraei Pope Gregory succeedeth Innocent and is a great Enemy to Frederick the Emperour who had entred Italy with a great Army After his Election he sends his Nuncio into France to exhort Lewes to succour him The Pope comes into France and calls a Council at Lyons whither he cites Frederick but yet upon so short a warning as he could not appear Frederick having sent his Ambassadours to require a lawful time and to advertise the Pope of his coming begins his Journey to perform his promise Being arrived at Thurin he hath intelligence given him that the Pope had condemned him as Contumax excommunicated him and degraded him of the Empire But this was not without the consent of the Princes Electors of the Empire who after mature deliberation proceeded to a new Election They chuse Henry Landgrave of Thuring for Emperour but he besieging the City of Vlmes was wounded with an Arrow whereof he dyed shortly after Frederick writes to the French King against the sentence against him at Lyons Then the Electors chose William Earl of Holland for Emperour In all the chief Cities the Guelph's Faction was the stronger through the Authority of the Council of Lyons Frederick over-pressed with grief dyeth leaving Italy and Germany in great combustion The Pope having Canonized Edmond Arch-Bishop of Canterbury soon after Blanch Queen Regent of France came into England to worship that Saint representing to him that he had found refuge for his Exile in France and beseeching him not to be ungrateful She said my Lord most Holy Father confirm the Kingdom of France in a peaceable solidity and remember what we have done to thee Now Lewes IX came to assist the Christians in Palestine His nobility diswaded from that design Lewes takes up the Cross and voweth to eat no Bread until he was recognized with the Pilgrim's Badge Their went along with him his two Brothers Charles Earl of Anjou Robert Earl of Artois his own Queen and their Ladies Odo the Pope's Legat Hugh Duke of Burgundy William Earl of Flanders Hugh Earl of St. Paul and William Longspath Earl of Sarisbury with a band of valiant English-men The Pope gave to this King Lewes for his charges the tenth of the Clergy's revenues through France for three years and the King employed the Pope's Collectors to gather it whereupon the Estates of the Clergy were shaven as bare as their crowns and a poor Priest who had but twenty shillings annual pension was forced to pay two yearly to the King Having at Lyons took his leave of the Pope and a blessing from him he marched toward Avignon Where some of the city wronged his Souldiers especially with foul Language His Nobles desired him to besiege the city the rather because it was suspected that therein his Father was poisoned To whom Lewes most christianly said I come not out of France to revenge mine own quarrels or those of my Father or Mother but injuries offered to Jesus Christ Hence he went without delay to his Navy and so committed himself to the Sea Lewes arrives in Cyprus where the pestilence raging two hundred and forty Gentlemen of note dyed of the infection Hither came the Ambassadours from a great Tartarian prince invited by the fame of King Lewes his piety professing to him that he had renounced his Paganism and embraced Christianity and that he intended to send Messengers to the Pope to be further instructed in his Religion but some Christians which were in Tartary diswaded him from going to Rome King Lewes received these Ambassadours cuurteously dismissing them with bounteous gifts And by them he sent to their Master a Tent wherein the History of the Bible was as richly as curiously depicted in Needle-work hoping thus to catch his Eyes and both in his present pictures then being accounted Lay-mens books The French land in Egypt and Damiata is taken by them Discords grew between the French and English the cause was for that the Earl of Sarisbury in sacking a Fort got more spoil therein than the English Then dyed Meladine the Egyptian King Robert Earl of Artois Brother to King Lewes fighting with the Egyptians contrary to the Counsel of the Templars is overthrown In his flight he cryed to the Earl of Sarisbury flee flee for God fighteth against us To whom our Earl God forbid my Father's Son should flee from the face of a Saracen The other seeking to save himself by the swiftness of his Horse and crossing the River was drowned The Earl of Sarisbury slew many a Turk and though unhorsed and wounded in his Legs stood
the Council of Constance He was counted a subtle disputer and profound School-Doctor One calleth him the learned and devout Chancellour of Paris He was much acquainted with Temptations and wrote a Book de variis Diaboli tentationibus He was sirnamed Doctor Christianissimus His works are Printed in four Volumes his French works are mentioned by Antoine du Verdier in his Bibliotheque Gerson de defect Viror Eccles ca. 52. In his Treatise de defectu virorum Ecclesiasticorum he sets down such things as ought to be reformed in the Church and among others mentions this That known Men and such as are most fitting be Elected out of the same Countrey that strangers in manners language and education be not sent and set over Churches And in his Book of Ecclesiastical power Gerson lib. de Eccles potest after he hath spoken of the divers abuses of the Popes he addeth What shall we think is to be said of an infinite number of such like things that are done casting aside all care and regard of all Spiritual and Divine matters which concern the Christian Faith and Religion What think you What shall we say for the present of that so easie a dispensation as they speak of granted by the Pope and the Prelates over lawful Oaths reasonable Vows for the excessive plurality of Benefices the general non obstantes of Councils the privileges and exemptions against common right Who can number all the ways whereby the force of Ecclesiastical yea of Evangelical Discipline is enfeebled consumed and quite annihilated He addeth the cunning and glozing flattery of Vp-starts whispering the Clergy but especially the Pope in the Ear. Oh how great is the height of your Ecclesiastical power O sacred Clergy all secular Authority is but a Toy in comparison of thine seeing that as all power is given to Christ both in Heaven and Earth so Christ hath bequeathed all to St. Peter and his Successours So that Constantine gave nothing to Pope Silvester which was not originally his own but only restored unto him what he unjustly detained from him Again as there is no power but is of God so there is nothing Temporal or Spiritual Imperial or Regal which is not of the Pope upon whose Thigh God hath Writ King of Kings and Lord of Lords So as to dispute his power is a kind of Sacrilege To whom no Man may say why do you so Although he should exchange purloin or sell all the Temporals the Goods Lands and Lordships of the Church Let me be a Lyar if all these things be not written by such as seem to be wise men in their eyes and if they have not been believed also by some Popes Stephanus Paschasius in his Icones hath these Verses of Gerson Quid potuit Sorbona doces meritissimè Gerso Tu magni Gerso luxque decusque Chori At the same time flourished Nicholas de Clemangiis a Master of Paris and Arch-Deacon of Baion a man pious and Learned one calls him one of the most Learned and Eloquent Divines of his time He wrote a Book of the ruine and reparation of the Church Nic. de Clemang de ruin repar Eccles Of which I shall set down some passages in general terms First saith he let us speak of the Head upon whom all the rest depends He afterwards addeth For the supream Bishops who by how much they see themselves ranked above others in greatness and Authority by so much they labour the more to overthrow them out of a domineering humour for the enlarging of their primacy and supreme power considering that the commodities of the Bishoprick of Rome which is very large and above any Kingdom though it hath been sufficiently curtail'd by their negligence can no way suffice to maintain the greatness of their State which they have purposed to raise high enough above all the Kings and Emperours in the World have cast themselves into those flocks of others that abound in breeding in Wool and Milk He afterwards specifies the looseness the luxury vanities worldliness Clemang lib. de lapsu reparat justit p. 10. rapines vexations usurpations oppressions and other such like abuses and vices of the Popes and their Courts In another Book of his he sheweth that the Court of Rome hath infected France by coming there specifying all the vices and blemishes that are communicated unto it and those not a few There was a time saith he when the Apostolick Bishop being vexed with the Tyranny of the Italians made choice of France for his seat and for all the Court of Rome supposing he could not find assured refuge else-where to whom I could with saith he the strength of France had not proved a Staff of a Reed as it was a long time before fore-told that it should What was it else that brought France upon the sudden into these miseries making her fall away from eminent glory which made her flourish above all other Nations but that degenerating from those Ancient vertues which adorned her with such an excellency of Honour she is changed from Valour to cowardise from diligence to sloath from honesty to ignominy from gravity to a wanton lightness from temperance to luxury from courage to presumption from liberality to covetousness and unrestrained spoiling from order to confusion from zeal of the publick good to private gains from correction and discipline to a general impunity and license of all wickedness and mis-demeanours and from Justice to all iniquity And elsewhere he complaineth thus So the Church which Christ hath taken for his Spouse without blemish disfigured by this horrible villany Tract de praesul p. 66. is now the shop of all Pride of all Trading filching and stealing where the Sacraments are hung out for a shew and all the orders even the Priesthood it self where favours are sold for silver dispensations for not preaching licenses for non-residence Where all Offices and Benefices yea even sins are bought and sold Lastly where Masses and Administration of the Lord's body are set to sale Would any Man have a Bishoprick let him provide his Money and that no small sum but a great one for so great a Title and let him not stand upon emptying his purse for the purchase of such a Dignity seeing he will quickly fill it again and that more soundly than he could do by many sorts of Merchandize Doth any desire a Prebend a Provost's place or some other dignity it is no matter for knowing his deserts his Life and Conversation but so many Crowns as he hath in his Chest such hopes may he conceive of compassing his desire For what should I speak of poor folks who are accounted unprofitable in all things and unworthy of all charge or government and who have no other hopes but to wax old and pine away in misery disrespected and despised What should a poor Man go to Market for with an empty pouch when he hath nothing to buy the Wares with And in
manners and religion of the Parents And he shall try what progress the youths have made in learning he shall also have regard to their wit vertue and disposition either to good or evil And whom by manifest conjectures he shall judge to be unfit for learning piety and the Priesthood he shall by no means admit into the Seminary Before any one be admitted into the Seminary he is to be often admonished that he may not be educated and nourished in the Seminary if he propound to himself any other kind of life than an Ecclesiastical life Therefore let him by oath vow and holily promise that he will never depart to any other course of life but will alwayes faithfully serve the Church of Christ in that degree and order which shall be assigned to him by the Bishop He shall also promise to obey the Governour of the Seminary and his Substitutes in all things and that he will observe all the Laws and Statutes of the Seminary which shall be read unto him c. Let none be received till he be instructed concerning his Bed Gown Cap Wastecoat and other Garments Surplice and Breviary 3. Of the President and Overseers of a Seminary None are to be admitted into any Office in a Seminary unless he be first diligently examined and tryed by the Bishop Great care shall be taken that the Governours of a Seminary be men grave prudent and adorned with all kind of vertue who by their example and exhortations may provoke those that are under their charge to the study of Piety and Vertue Let all first put the confession of their faith according to the form expressed in the Provincial Council in the hands of the Bishop In the Seminary there shall be one President of venerable gravity and a Priest of singular piety whom all in the Seminary shall obey as well in Spirituals as Temporals And to the President two other Priests shall be joyned whereof one shall be an Overseer of all businesses of the Seminary the other shall have the care of the houshold affairs and shall be called the Under-Master of the Seminary In the Seminary shall be so many servants as the Bishop or those delegated by him shall think fit The Governours of the Seminary shall diligently require of their Scholars a repetition of the Lecture and direct them in their manners and behaviour And one of them shall teach the Clerks an Ecclesiastical Song Let the President be daily in the Seminary and with his presence and care contain all in their duty and to the Bishop let him often give an account of the whole Seminary Let the President have a Book in which he may set down the names sirnames condition the day and year of the reception of all those who shall be admitted into the Seminary and whatsoever houshold-stuff every one shall bring 4. Of the Oeconomy or Houshold-Government of the Seminary A skilful Procurator shall be set over the house in temporal matters who shall take care of affairs at home and abroad he shall gather in time all the yearly rents and profits of the Seminary and the moneys collected he shall straightway deliver to the President to be kept in a chest And he shall have a Book in which he shall diligently and faithfully set down whatsoever profits and moneys he shall receive and of whom and for what cause and shall note the day the month and the year He shall give an account to the President of what he receiveth and expendeth every month and the President shall sign the book of accounts with his own hand and the same accounts shall the Bishop examine every third month c. He that shall buy in food and other things shall be one that is found to be a man faithful and conscientious who shall every day receive so much money as is necessary from the Procurator and every day give an account to the Procurator of what is received and expended and that particularly and by piece-meal The houshold-stuff and all the several Vessels and Instruments of the Seminary shall the Procurator set down in a Book and shall give an account of them to the Governour in the sixth month Moderate food frugal and not very delicate shall be described by the Bishop and his Delegates 5. Of the Discipline of the Seminary and first of Piety Let the Clerks be excited to Piety and Religion Let every one be raised up at four a clock in the morning then let them come together in one place and with bended knees apply themselves to Prayer for half an hour and they shall rehearse one going before others answering with a clear voice the hourly prayers of the blessed Virgin They who shall be initiated to sacred orders shall recite the Breviary in convenient time and with great attention Before nine a clock in the evening before they lye down to rest they shall all together rehearse the Litanies and by and by shall search and examine their consciences c. Every month shall every one confess his sins to the Priest and being prepared let them receive the holy Eucharist with great devotion unless their Confessor see cause to with-hold it from them Every holy day going out two by two out of the Seminary and putting on their Surplices let them come together to the greater Mass and Vespers of the Cathedral-church of the City in which the Seminary shall be and there let them stand and sit in places appointed for them and sing with the Quire and on those days they shall be present at the publick Sermon in the same Church or another place The President also shall diverse times in every month give brief exhortations to the Clergy concerning the dignity of Vertues and the filthiness of Vices with the remedies thereof concerning blessedness the pains of Hell concerning death the last judgement In the beginning of Dinner and Supper one of the Priests shall pray for a blessing and give thanks after Supper or Dinner all modestly answering the Priest going before them The Psalm de profundis c. is to be added and other Collects for the Founder and Benefactors In the time of Dinner and Supper let one read by suggestion some Chapter out of the holy Bible to which may be added the reading of some pious Book which they shall all diligently hear that whilst the body is refreshed with food the mind may never be idle Among other Writings of Pious and Learned men let them often read privately and publickly that famous Epistle of S. Hierom to Nepotian de Vita Clericorum that unto that Rule every one may endeavour to direct himself 6. Of obedience and other duties of the Clerks of the Seminary The Clerks of the Seminary are to be obedient to their Governours in all things Let none go out of the Colledge without leave and a companion joyned to him with whom let him also return back again into the Seminary Let none send or otherwise receive Letters unless by
STATUS ECCLESIAE GALLICANAE OR THE Ecclesiastical History OF FRANCE From the first Plantation of CHRISTIANITY there unto this Time Describing the most notable CHURCH-MATTERS the several Councils holden in FRANCE with their principal CANONS The most Famous Men and most LEARNED WRITERS and the Books they have written with many Eminent French Popes Cardinals Prelates Pastours and Lawyers A description of their UNIVERSITIES with their FOUNDERS An impartial account of the State of the Reformed CHURCHES in FRANCE and the Civil Wars there for Religion With an exact succession of the FRENCH KINGS By the Authour of the late History of the Church of GREAT BRITAIN Historia est lumen Veritatis vita Antiquitatis LONDON Printed for Thomas Passenger at the Three Bibles on London-Bridge and Ralph Smith at the Sign of the Bible under the Tiazz of the Royal Exchange in Cornhill 16●6 Amplissimis Admodum Reverendis in Christo Patribus ac Dominis HENRICO Providentiâ Divinâ Episcopo Londinensi Joanni eadem Providentiâ Episcopo Roffensi necnon Decano Westmonasteriensi Salutem in Christo sempiternam Venerandi Patres Domini Colendissimi EA quâ par est submissione Historicum hocce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex antiquis recentibus Authoribus Collectum vobis offero nuncupo dedico ut splendore clarorum vestrorum nominum lux aliqua opusculo huic per viam affulgeret omnisque sinistra obmurmurantium scaeva propitio vestro favore procùl amoveatur Flosculus est quem Ego pauperculus humilisque Christi Hortulanus vobis proesento non ille quidem Lectissimus sed is tamen qui in vestris primùm sacratis manibus cupiat sua qualiacunque folia explicare Carpent illum e vestris manibus alii quoque delibabunt Si enim vestro olfactui sagacissimo non ingratus fuerit si vestrae gratiae calorem fenserit non dubito quin Piis omnibus bonum publicae aedificationis odorem captantibus gratus jucundus sit futurus Hoc mihi solamen est quòd viri praestantissimi Honore Doctrinâ proecellentes non tam muneris oblati dignitatem quam gratum offerentis animum perpendere soleant Si hunc librum accipere diligenter perlegere dignemini honestabor gratia meis laboribus optima referetur De Materia Methodo hujus Historiae modum an satis servarim Vos pro vestris acerrimis Judiciis aestimabitis Illam siquando fortè inspexeritis in ea aliquid observabitis de quo me admonendum putabitis illud rogo significetis quicquid egeritis meam non modò voluntatem sed etiam sententiam cum vestrâ conjungam hoc etiam Beneficium quidem summum accipiam quo nimirum melior doctior evadam Deus Amplitudinem vestram in Ecclesiae suae nostraeque patriae utilitatem quam diutissimè servet incolumem Vestrae Reverentiae Observantissimus G. G. THE PREFACE TO THE READER THe Design of this Treatise is to set forth the State of the Gallican Churches both of the Popish and the Reformed As to the Popish Church in France it is holden to be the best Privileged of all the Churches in Christendom under the Pope As touching their power the Gallican Clergy stands more stoutly to their Natural Rights against the Encroachments and Vsurpations of the See of Rome than any other that liveth under the Pope 's Authority which they acknowledge so far only as is consistent with their own Privileges and the Rights of their Soveraign for it was long e're they could submit to the Decrees of the Council of TRENT nor have they yet admitted of the Inquisition The Doctors of the Sorbon are accounted together with the Parliament of Paris the principal Pillars of the French Liberty whereof they are exceeding jealous as well in matters Ecclesiastical as Civil When Gerson Chancellour of Paris had published a Book in approbation of the Council of Constance where it was Enacted that the Authority of the Council was greater than that of the Pope the Sorbon Doctors declared that also to be their Doctrine For John Gerson in his defence of the Decree of that Council speaking of the Adversaries saith Perniciosos esse admodum adulatores qui Tyrannidem istam in Ecclesiam invexere quasi nullis Regum teneatur vinculis quasi neque parere debeat Concilio Pontifex nec ab eo judicari queat The Kings themselves also befriend their Clergy in the cause and therefore not only protested against the Council of Trent wherein the Spiritual Tyranny was generally consented to by the Popish faction but Henry the second King of France would not acknowledge them to be a Council calling it in his Letters by no other name than Conventus Tridentinus An indignity which the Fathers took grievously Moreover when King Lewes XI to gratifie Pope Pius the second purposed to abolish the Pragmatick Sanction the Sorbonnists in behalf of the Church Gallican and the Vniversity of Paris Magnis obsistebant animis saith Sleidan in his Commentary a Papâ provocabant ad Concilium The Council unto which they appealed was that of Basil where that Sanction was made so that by this Appeal they verified their former Thesis that the Council was above the Pope And before the Pragmatick Sanction was ordained the Pope had yearly drained the State of a Million of Crowns as the Court of Parliament manifested to King Lewes the eleventh Since which time the Kings of France have sometimes omitted the vigour of the Sanction and sometimes also exacted it according as their affairs with the Pope stood therefore it was called Froenum Pontificum And in the Year 1613. casually meeting with a Book written by Becanus entituled Controversia Anglicana de potestate Regis Papae the French called an Assembly and condemned it For although the Main of it was against the Power and Supremacy of the King of England yet did it reflect also on the Authority of the Pope over the Christians by the By which occasioned the Sentence So jealous are they of the least circumstances in which any of their immunities may be endangered The Pope hath no power in France to pardon criminals Le Rescript C. de precib Imp. offer Gratian. caus 25. The very faculties of the Legates heretofore sent into that Kingdom make not any mention of it but of the Remission of Sins proceeding from crimes And though there should be any such thing yet they are still curbed in with this Bridle To use it in such things as are not contrary derogatory nor prejudicial to the Rights and Prerogatives of the King and Kingdom nor against the sacred Councils the Laws of the Vniversities the Liberties of the Gallican Church and the Ordinances Royal. The Clergy of France do not hold their Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of the Pope but of the King alone Bellarm. Tom. 1. controv 2. li. 4. ca. 24. howsoever the Jesuits teach the contrary when they do not use it as they ought when
they connive at the punishment of crimes whereof they have the Cognizance the Courts of Parliaments may interpose by means of an Appeal as from Abuses especially considering it is it that grants them Jurisdiction over Spirituals And if the Question be of granting pardon to a Priest or other Ecclesiastick not only in a priviledged case but also in a common crime by him committed it belongs to the King only to grant it not to the Pope nor the Bishop And so it hath been always accustomed to be done in France Moreover the Pope cannot there restore Clergy-men to their former State Papon ca. 15. 16. des libertez de l'Eglise Gallic so as to free them from the infamy which they have incurred nor Lay-men unless it be to receive them into Orders Offices and Ecclesiastical Acts not otherwise As also that within this Realm he cannot pardon or remit the Honorary Amends adjudged by a Lay-man albeit the condemnation were passed by an Ecclesiastical Judge and that against a Clerk as making such Honorary condemnation a part of the civil satisfaction The Pope cannot make any Vnions or annexations of the livings in France during the life of the Incumbents nor at other times but he may grant out Writs of Delegation concerning unions which is conceived to be done according to the form prescribed in the Council of Constance and with the consent of the Patron and not otherwise The Kings of France have always reserved this authority and prerogative to themselves to determine of the Residence of Bishops to compel them to feed their Flocks and wait upon their Churches when need required and that by seizing upon their Temporals to call them from Rome to return into France to dispense with them and approve the causes of their absence The Pope cannot in France dispense for any cause whatsoever with that which is of the Law of God or Nature or with that wherein the Councils do not allow him to dispense And the Ordinances of the French Kings do expresly forbid all the Judges of the Land to have any regard to dispensations granted contrary to the sacred Decrees and Councils upon pain of losing their places And declare furthermore That such as procure the said Proviso's and dispensations shall not make use of them unless they get leave and permission from his Majesty The Gallican Church is also more free from payments to the Pope than the Church of Spain as also to the King The Clergy of France pay only the Disme whereas in Spain the King hath his Tertia's Subsidio Pyla Escusado in all a moiety of the Church-livings As to the French Churches separating from Communion with the Church of Rome they have often been brought very low by the Popish party Sad was the condition of the Church of Merindol which was cruelly rooted out by vertue of an Arrest of the Parliament of Aix Men Women and Children being destroyed And yet I doubt not but some small remainder of them was preserved For so the story saith expresly pauci quidem profugi Genevam alia loca Vicinia pervenerunt Osiand Eccl Hist Some few of them escaped by flight to Geneva and other Neighbouring places What Persecutions did the Waldenses or Albigenses suffer when the Pope sent about his Fryars in France it seemeth to preach Crusado 's viz. That whosoever would take the Badge of the Cross upon his Garment and serve the Pope forty days in his Wars against those Christians who denyed him obedience and opposed his Pride and Tyranny should have full pardon of all his sins and if he dyed in the Wars should presently go to Heaven and escape the flames of Purgatory and by this means as I remember he had at one time about an hundred thousand of the silly people in Arms whom he used against the most faithful Christians seeking utterly to extirpate them and by this means much Blood was shed It was easie for him in those times of darkness to draw multitudes of poor blind Souls to Destruction And Reimond Earl of Tholouse a great Prince and Peer of France was ruined the Pope seizing on his Estate and holding it unto this day A French Historian speaking of the bloody massacre in the Reign of Charles IX saith Thuan. Hist li. 54. that many wise men that were Papists themselves did think that in all Antiquity there could not be found an example of like cruelty But even then remarkable was God's Providence towards those of the Reformed Religion in France In the time of that cruel massacre at Paris the Protestants being in great fear shifted for themselves here and there Among the rest many of them fled to a certain honourable Lady for protection who being near of kin to the King was the more bold but being a faithful Christian she was also willing to receive them Hereof complaint being made the King in great displeasure commands her to dismiss them all which she could not withstand so that in one day about 300 Waggons for the most part filled with Women and young Children were constrained to dislodge and without a guard to go to a strong Town for the safety of their lives In this Journey they were to pass through their bloody enemies stragling up and down in Armes and ready to seize on such a booty But by the special providence of God a certain Troop of Armed Gentlemen on Horse-back hapned to meet them who soon perceiving and pitying their danger conducted them along in safety and often repulsed their enemies that were ready to assail them And though the French Kings have all of them professed the Roman Religion yet the Lord hath had many Instruments who with the hazard of their lives and outward Estates have stood for the defence of his Church divers Princes of the Blood Nobles Gentlemen and others and did strangely raise his Church again after that horrid massacre by which it seemed to have been extinguished And King James of happy Memory speaketh thus of those worthy Patriots whom God raised up for the defence of his Church at that time in his book of the defence of the right of Kings I never knew yet saith he that the French Protestants took Arms against their King In the first troubles they stood only on their defence Before they took Arms they were burnt and massacred every where And the quarrel did not begin for Religion but because when King Francis the second was under Age they had been the Refuge of the Princes of the Blood expelled from the Court even of the Grandfather of the King now reigning and of that of the Prince of Condè who knew not where to take Sanctuary it shall not be found that they made any other War Nay is it not true as a learned Divine of ours hath well observed that King Henry III. sent Armies against them to destroy them and yet they ran to his help as soon as they saw him in danger Is it not true that
Christians which would not renounce their Faith he cashiered and deprived of all military honour and some of their lives Many of the Bishops were plundered slain and martyred Great Cruelties were exercised against the Christians in Egypt Syria Phrygia and in other parts Vincentius saith Vincent in Specul Lib. 12. That at Triers which is a City situated by the River Mosella one Bietionarius exercised so great cruelty that the River was red with the blood of the Christians that were slain In France likewise he sent Posts up and down hither and thither with Decrees and express Commissions to this end that in whatsoever place any Christian was found he should presently be put to death But these two bloody Emperours seeing the number of the Christians rather to encrease than to diminish notwithstanding all the cruelty that they could shew and having now as it were their fill of blood they ceased at last of their own accord to put any more Christians to death and finding themselves not able to destroy the Church they gave over the Empire and became private men Constantius Chlorus and Maximinus Galerius succeeded in the Empire Constantius parted the Empire with Galerius and would Rule but in Britain Spain and France Galerius chose to him his two Sons Maximinus and Severus and Constantius took Constantine his Son Caesar under him Constantius was a great supporter of the Christians And when in the other Jurisdictions of the Empire the Congregations of the Christians were molested with Persecutions Constantius gave liberty to the Christians Century IV. COnstantius dying at York ANNO 306. Constantine his Son succeeded him in the Empire Constantine who Ruled France did not only abstain from shedding Christian blood but also had the Christians in great esteem Nazarius and Patera were esteemed rare Oratours in France living at that time The Histories of those Times make mention of one Sebastian a Martyr he being born in that part of France called Gal●ia Narbonensis Fox Act. Monum Vol. 1. was a Christian and a Lieutenant General in the Army of Dioclesian who also encouraged many Martyrs of Christ by his Exhortations unto Constancy and kept them in the Faith He being therefore accused to Dioclesian was apprehended and brought into the open field where of his own Soldiers he was thrust through the body with innumerable arrows and after that his body was thrown into a jakes or sink St. Ambrose makes mention of this Sebastian the Martyr in his Commentary upon the 118. Psalm Constantine restored Peace unto the Church Anno 311. he Reigned thirty and two years great Tranquility enjoyed the Church under this good Emperour Before he had subdued Licinius he set forth many Edicts for the restitution of the Goods of the Church for the revoking the Christians out of Exile for taking away the Dissentions of the Doctors out of the Church for the setting of them free from publick charges A Copy of his Constitutions may be seen in Eusebius his Ecclesiastical History in his tenth Book and fifth Chapter In the fourteenth Year of Constantine there was holden a Council at Nice for the debating of the Controversie about the Feast of Easter and for the rooting out the Heresie of Arius There was likewise a Council holden at Arles under Constantine's Reign Constantine left three Sons whom he had by Fausta Maximian's Daughter Heirs of the Empire who also divided the Empire among themselves A sudden Sedition after their Father's death embroiled them all in blood and wars by the commotion and dissimulation of the Emperour Constantius In his Time the Arrian Heresie which for fear of Constantine had been suppressed began now again to lift up it's head for Constantius propagates that Heresie Hilary Bishop of Poictiers in France lived under the Reign of Constantius a man in Religion constant in Manners meek and courteous he wrote sharply against the Arians Ruffin Lib. 1. cap. 31. he was banished immediately after the Council of Milan into Phrygia as some suppose Among divers others he dedicated his Book De Synodis fidei Catholicae contra Arianos to the Bishops of the Provinces of Britain during his Exile for the Orthodox Faith commending them for their constancy in the profession of that Faith Theodor. Lib. 3. cap. 4. Theodoret writeth that he was banished to Thebaida and recalled from Exile again under Julian But it is more apparent that he remained in Phrygia until the Council of Seleucia unto which Council he was brought from banishment not by any special Commandment from the Emperour but by a general command given to his Deputy Leonas Hist Magdeb. Cent. 4. cap. 10. to assemble together the Bishops of the East under pretence of executing the command of the Emperour Hillary being banished in the East was brought to the Council of Seleucia from thence he went to Constantinople The Emperour refused to hear him dispute with the Arians in matters of Faith but gave him liberty to return to his own Countrey again He took great pains to purge the Countrey of France from the Arian Heresie and he prevailed so far that Jerome compares him to Deucalicon who both saw the flood of waters overflowing Thessalia and the abating of them also even so Hillary saw both the growth and decay of Arianism in France Hilar. Lib. 10. de Trinit Yet even this Father had his Errours for in his Tenth Book of the Trinity and upon Psal 138 and 53 he maintaineth That Jesus Christ in his death suffered no pain but that only he would make us believe that he suffered and that the blows did not give him any pain no more than if an arrow pierced the water or prickt the fire or hurt the air and that the virtue of the body of Christ received the violence of pains without feeling The same Father saith That Christ did eat and drink not out of any necessity but to comply with Custom for which Opinion he is reproved by Claudius Bishop of Vienna Du Moulin cont Perron Lib. 1. cap. 49. in the Book of the State of the Soul That Errour so gross hath brought him to another that in these words of the Lord Father let this Cup pass from me Jesus Christ desired his Father that his Disciples also might suffer in the like manner so that by his account St. Peter felt no pain in suffering martyrdom It is also one of his Opinions that Souls are Corporal He lived six years after his return from banishment and died under the Reign of Valentinian Stephanus Paschasius hath these Verses of him in his Icones Et nos exhilaras Hilari sanctissime Praesul Et monitis victa est Arria secta tuis Jerome although he was born in a Town of Dalmatia called Stridon and was instructed in rudiments of Learning at Rome yet from Rome he went into France of purpose to increase his Knowledge and to divers other places Constantius being dead Julian his Cousin German alone governed
Hereupon Charles the Bald Convocated a Council in France at Acciniacum consisting of ten Bishops the Bishops of Lions Vason and Triers were Chief Presidents in the Council Hinckmarus Bishop of Rhemes proposed unto the Council fifty Canons which he desired to be read in the Synod Hinckmar of Laon to defend himself brought forth the Collection of the Decretals of the ancient Popes made by Isidorus where by the Popes Decrees such causes are reserved to the Apostolick See Hinckmar of Rhemes being not learned enough to know the forgery of the Author of these Decretals and not daring to reject them openly brought divers things to invalid their Authority He said that Hinckmar of Laon was mistaken if he thought that he was the only man that had those Epistles that the Countrey was full of them and that Riculfus Bishop of Mentz had published the Book of Epistles collected by Isidorus which was brought to him out of Spain Hinckmar also to defend himself against those Epistles said that they had been good in their time but that the Fathers Assembled in Council had altered those things and made Canons of greater Authority which are to remain perpetually and that those Decretals were never put in among the Canons of the Church That strife between the two Hinckmars happened Anno 870. The Synod forenamed accused Hinckmar Bishop of Laon of petulancy and compelled him to subscribe obedience to King Charles and to his Metropolitan He was also deprived of his Office and both his eyes were thrust out But Pope John IX Hist Magdeb. Cent. 9. cap. 9. under the Reign of Charles the Gross restored him to his Office again being the more affectioned to him because he had appealed from his own Bishop and from a Decree of a Synod in his own Countrey to be judged by the Chair of Rome Pope Nicholas bestirred himself with violence against Hinckmar of Rhemes complaining that he despised the Decretals collected by Isidorus Hinckmar resisted him stifly neither did he ever suffer the causes which he had judged to be revised at Rome nor any man that had been deposed by the Synods of France to be restored by the Pope And all his life time he maintained with great constancy so much liberty as remained to the Gallican Church which liberty suffered by his death a great diminution The Popes durst not touch him because he was the King's Unckle Baronius writing of this Hinckmar of Rhemes notably abuseth him for he saith That upon the testimony of Fredoard Hinckmar had obtained of Pope Leo IV by the mediation of the Emperour Lothary a Pallium or Archiepiscopal Cloak with a privilege to use it every day But Hinckmar himself in the Book of the fifty five Chapters saith the contrary speaking in this manner Leo IV and Benedictus did confer upon me some privileges which I did not ask for For the privileges which are conferred upon every Metropolitan by the sacred Canons are sufficient for me It was a generous part of Hinckmar to declare that he had no need of the Pope's privileges and that he held his dignity from the Canons not from the Roman Prelate As for the writings of this Hinckmar there are his Opuscula Epistolae Admonitio de potestate Regia Pontificia We find this character given of him Fuit vir doctus pietatis studiosus sub Carolo secundo Lu● vici pii filio circa 870 Domini annum tametsi magni Caroli tempora adolescens attigerit Is dum corrigere vitia morbosque Clericorum conatus est multum molestiarum a perditae vitae Clero eorumque ad Papam appellationibus imo à Papis ipsis sustinuit Illyr Catal. Test verit lib. 9. In this Century Claudius Bishop of Turin was defamed as an Heretick by Theodomire an Abbot Petries Church-Hist Cent. 9. who did accuse him unto the Pope He wrote his own Apology that it might appear wherefore he was accused and to shew how Godly men have been traduced from time to time Agobard Bishop of Lions took part with Lotharius against Lewes his Father and therefore was deposed after their reconciliation he was restored and being a man of wisdom and knowledge was employed about the great Affairs of the Kingdom His Works were printed at Paris Anno 1605. from which Impression these passages are extracted pag. 52. There is one immovable Foundation one Rock of Faith which Peter confesseth Thou art the Son of the Living God And pag. 128 The uncleanness of our time deserves a fountain of tears when so ungodly a custom is become so frequent that there is none almost aspiring to temporal honour who hath not a Priest at home not whom he obeyeth but of whom he exacteth all manner of obedience incessently not in Divine but in worldly things so that many of them do serve at Table or mix wine and lead dogs feed horses or attend Husbandry neither regard they what manner of Clerks these be but only that they may have Priests of their own and so they leave Churches and Sermons and publick Service it is clear that they seek them not for honour of Religion because they have them not in honour and speak disdainfully of them He is large against the worship of Images Bellarm. de scriptorib Eccles Sect. 9. Bellarmine saith that Jonas and other Bishops of France in that Age were overtaken with Agobard's errour By the Jesuites confession then many Bishops of France were against the present errours of Rome Catal. Test verit Lib. 10. Then Angelom a Monk of Luxovia a man of great reading at the entreaty of Drogo wrote many Books Druthmarus of Aquitain wrote some things upon the Evangelists Then Raban Magnentius otherwise sirnamed Maurus was famous in the University of Paris Trithem Catal. illustr viror for Poesie Rhetorick Astronomy Philosophy and Theology unto whom neither Germany nor Italy brought forth an equal saith Trithemius He became Abbot of Fulda where he was born and there he wrote Commentaries on all the Books of the Bible He was sometime Scholar to Alcuinus His Monks were offended that he did so much study the Scriptures and did no better attend their Revenues therefore after 24 years he left the Abby they besought him to return but he would not He abode with Lewes the Emperour until Orgar Bishop of Mentz died and then succeeded Thomas Walden in the Acts of Pope Martin V. reckoned him and Herebald or Reginbald Bishop of Auxerre among Hereticks because they favoured Bertram At that time there was much debate about the Doctrine of Predestination Gotteschalk by birth a Franck or Belgick Avent Lib. 4. Annal. Bojor as Aventinus calleth him was Ordained a Priest by Rigbold Chorepiscopus in the vacancy of the See of Rhemes The forenamed Hinckmar writeth that he held these five Articles 1. God did before all Ages and e're he made any thing Hinckmar in Epist ad Eccles Lugdun predestinate unto salvation whom he would and
with such an enemy as never bare Arms nor came into the field it is reported that he said he never dealt with any enemy which used so little armour and put him to so much trouble For King Charles after he came to the Crown never put on Armour himself but managing all his affairs by Wisdom and policy committed the execution thereof to his Brothers In the time of Charles V. a Book was written in France called The Vergers Dream Review of the Counc of Trent lib. 6. ca. 6. first in Latin then translated in French by his command In the seventh and eighth Chapter whereof the Clergy-man and the Knight confer together on this wise I call saith the Clerk and account the Decrees and Decretals of the Holy Fathers of Rome to be good Law which oblige every true Christian as a Subject and Son of a Holy Church our Mother To whom the Knight replyeth If the terms of Rome be Decrees or Decretals Ordinals or Constitutions touching the Temporal affairs of Kings Princes or other Secular Lords you Clerks among your selves shall call and account them Law if you please But the truth is That no Man can establish or ordain any thing where he hath no power nor Authority So as the King of France hath no power to make a Law or Ordinance to bind or tye the Empire so neither can the Laws of the Emperour bind the King of France and his Subjects And a little after I hold it therefore a frivolous thing and very ridiculous that the Holy Father should make any Decree Decretal or constitution about Temporal matters In the thirteenth years of the aforesaid Charles V. Charles IV. Emperour of Germany came into France by Cambray to do certain pilgrimages at St. Denis and elsewhere and so was conveyed with honourable men unto St. Quintin and from thence to Paris Mathias a Bohemian abode a long time in Paris and was called Pariensis he wrote a large Treatise of Antichrist in which he proveth that the Pope is the Antichrist He inveigheth against the Clergy for negligence in their callings and calleth them the Locusts mentioned in the Revelation He complains that every City and almost each man had his proper Saint or Saviour besides Christ the Images and Reliques that are set up in Churches to be adored he calleth the Invention of Antichrist He saith the worship of God is not tyed to persons places nor times he rebuketh the Cloysterers for contemning the Lay-men and calling themselves the only Religious he refuteth the merit of works and calleth them the cause of salvation sine quâ non In the end he prophesied Catal. Test Verit That God will once again send Godly preachers who in the zeal of Elias will openly disclose Antichrist unto the eyes of all the world After the death of Pope Gregory the Church began to be miserably torn with new schismes which began to arise betwixt the French and Italian Cardinals each Nation choosing it's own Pope and in it's own manner The French not able to digest the affront they received from Gregory in transporting the See from France into Italy departing privately from Rome they removed to Fondi and being arrived there they used many invectives and Satyrs against Vrban VI. whom they had already with the Italian Cardinals elected in Rome They pretended that they were forced to it by the people of Rome otherwise it was never their intention to make an Italian Pope For these reasons the Chair in their Judgements being vacant by the favour of Joan Queen of Sicily who was their friend Il. Cardinalismo part 3. lib. 1. they chose another Pope one Roberto a Cardinal with the Title of the Holy Apostles He was of Geneva and particularly of the Antient Family of the Conti in that City he took upon him the name of Clement VII From Fondi Clement removed with his Cardinals to Avignon where he was obeyed by the French and Spaniard These disputes lasted long the Legitimate Pope at Rome and and the Anti-Pope at Avignon firing their Bulls upon one another and sending them forth into all parts of the World The adherents of both sides set forth several defamatory Libels calling one another Schismatick Heretick Tyrant Thief Traytor Wicked Sower of Sedition Son of Belial and such like Stuff of which there are two Treatises extant at this day one of them written by Dr. John de Ligni in favour of Vrban against Clement and the other by the Abbot of St. Vast in favour of Clement against Vrban Whilst Clement was contriving which way to remove the Pope who resided in Rome he dyed Anno 1392. and was buried in Avignon He being dead Boniface IX who was Pope at that time in Rome writ a Fatherly Letter to the French Cardinals exhorting them to desist from their Schism and return to their obedience to the Holy Mother the Church of which he was he said the lawful Head But the French laughing as it were at such perswasions chose a successour to Clement which was Pietro della Luna who took the name of Benedict XIII who had argued very much in Clement's justification and that was the principal point upon which he was chosen by the Cardinals who concluded that he who defended another's cause with such ardour would doubtless more vehemently defend his own Whilst this Anti-Pope had his residence in Catalonia in the Castle of Paniscola administring the Sacramentss and conferring of dignities He was condemned together with the Cardinals which elected him by the Authority of a general Council Afterwards he assembled a Council at Perpignan where he created several Cardinals and commanded them after his death to follow his orders which were to choose another Pope without losing of time which they did For this Anti-Pope being dead at Paniscola the Cardinals chose one Giles Mungot a Chanon of Barcelona in his place calling him Clement IX who at the Instance of King Alphonso created Cardinals forthwith and began to Act in every thing as the true Popes use to do But afterwards upon Pope Martin the fifth's accomodation with King Alphonso Giles being commanded renounced the rights of the Papacy and was declared Bishop of Majorca and the Cardinals which he had created were likewise forced to renounce their Cardinalitial dignity Charles VI. succeeded his Father in the Kingdom of France at the Age of 12 years he was crowned in the year 1380. married in 1384. he falls into a Phrensie Anno 1393. and dyes Anno 1422. Charles the Wise left two Sons viz. this Charles VI. and Lewes Duke of Orleans And Charles VI. had three Sons Lewes John and Charles and one Daughter named Katherine These three Sons were Daulphins one after another in their Father's Life And Katherine was married to Henry V. afterwards King of England a mournful gage of an horrible confusion for this Realm Century XV. CHarles VI. having called a Council at Paris to consult about the schism which then was in the Popedom
against Luther and others defend him Luther proceedeth and writeth against other corruptions of the Church of Rome and many are enlightned by him Charles V. being Emperour calleth a Dyet at Wormes and thither is Luther summoned Anno 1521. who stoutly defendeth his Doctrine and many Priests began to preach and even in Wormes after they had seen the constancy of Luther they receive the preachers of the Gospel and because they could not have the liberty of the Churches they set up a portable pulpit and heard the preachers in many places of the Town until the year 1525. The Gospel was preached in Saxony and embraced there as also at Halberstat Hamburgh Pomerania Liveland and many other places Charles Duke of Savoy was desirous of truth and purity Luther understanding it by Annemund Coot a French Knight writes unto him a confession of Faith to confirm him in the zeal of piety In the closure he saith Well! Illustrious Prince stir up that spark which hath begun to kindle in thee and let fire come from the house of Savoy as from the house of Joseph and let all France be kindled by thee yea let that Holy fire burn and encrease that at last France may be truly called for the Gospel's sake the most Christian Kingdom In the year 1523. the Gospel began to be openly preached in France at Gratianople in the Daulphinatè by Peter Sebevilla Zuinglius by writing encouraged him to lift up his voice like a Trumpet and sound forth the Gospel in France At the same time in Melda about ten miles from Paris was Bishop William Brissonnet he was a Lover of Truth and Light he passeth by the Monks and sought learned Men to teach the Gospel So from Paris he calleth Jacobus Faber William Farel Arnold and G●rard Red who did most fervently instruct the people in the truth But the Bishop's courage was soon abated by terrible menaces of the Sorbonnists nevertheless the word of God was planted in the hearts of many and by the wondrous counsel of God from the persecution of that one Church many Churches through France were planted for both the Teachers and hearers were spread abroad After Martin Luther had opened the way in Germany John Calvin born at Noyon in Piccardy a Man of a great wit marvellously eloquent and generally Learned departing from the Faith then generally held proposed in his Books which he published in Print and in his Sermons which he preached in divers places in France one hundred twenty eight axiomes so he called them disagreeing from the Roman Church The French Wits curious by Nature and desirous of Novelties began at first rather for pastime than through choice to read his writings and frequent his Sermons But as Davila a Papist observeth in his History of the civil Wars of France as in all business of the World it useth often to fall out that things beginning in jest end in earnest so these opinions sowed in God's Church Davila Hist of the Civil Wars of France lib. 1. so crept up saith he that they were greedily embraced and firmly believed by a great number of people and persons of all qualities insomuch that Calvin came to be reverenced of many in a short time and believed for a new miraculous Interpreter of Scripture and saith my Authour as it were a certain infallible Teacher of the true Faith The foundation of this Doctrine was in the City of Geneva scituate upon the Lake Antiently called Lacus Lemanus upon the confines of Savoy which having rejected the Government of the Duke and Bishop to whom formerly it paid obedience under the name of Terra Franca under pretext of liberty of conscience reduced it self into the form of a Common-wealth From thence books coming out daily in print and men furnished with Wit and eloquence insinuating themselves into the Neighbour Provinces who secretly sowed the seeds of this new Doctrine in progress of time all the Cities and Provinces of the Kingdom of France were filled with it though so covertly that there appeared openly only some few marks and conjectures of it This began in the time of King Francis the first who though sometimes he made severe resolutions against the preachers and professours of this Doctrine yet notwithstanding being continually busied in Forreign Wars took little notice thereof Peter Viret was an eloquent French Divine whom Calvin desired for his Colleague His French Books are mentioned by Antoine du Verdier in his Bibliotheque William Farel was also a learned Divine of Geneva He hath written De Vray Vsage de la Croix and other Books Upon Calvin Farel and Viret there is this Epigram of Beza Gallica mirata est Calvinum Ecclesia nuper Quo nemo docuit doctiùs Est quoque te nuper mirata Farelle tonantem Quo nemo tonuit fortiùs Et miratur adhuc fundentem mella Viretum Quo nemo fatur dulciùs Scilicet aut tribus his servabere testibus olim Aut interibis Gallia Stephen Pasquier a French Writer and a Papist doth much extol Calvin's piety wit and learning Recherch de la France li. 8. ca. 55. John Clerk was apprehended at Melden in France Anno 1523. for setting up upon the Church-door a certain Bill against the Pope's pardons lately sent thither from Rome in which Bill he named the Pope to be Antichrist For which he was three several days whipped and afterwards had a mark imprinted in his Forehead as a note of infamy His mother being a good Christian-woman though her Husband was an Adversary when she beheld her Son thus grievously scourged and ignominiously deformed in the face did boldly encourage her Son crying with a loud Voice Blessed be Christ and welcome be these prints and marks After this execution and punishment sustained the said John departed that Town and went to Rosie in Brie and from thence to Metz where he was taken for casting down Images and there his hand was first cut off from his right Arm then his Nose with sharp pincers was violently pulled from his Face after that both his Arms and his paps were likewise pluckt and drawn with the same Instrument He quietly endured these Torments in a manner singing the Verses of the 115 Psalm Their Idols be Silver and Gold the work only of Man's hand The rest of his body was committed to the fire and therewith consumed Anno 1525. Doctor John Castellan after he was called to the knowledge of God he b●came a true preacher of his word in France at Barleduc also at Vittery in Partoise at Chalon in Champagne and in the Town of Vike which is the Episcopal Seat of the Bishop of Metz in Lorrain After he had laid some foundation of the Doctrine of the Gospel in Metz in returning from thence he was taken prisoner by the Cardinal of Lorrain's servants and carried to the Castle of Nommenie from thence he was carried to the Town and Castle of Vike always constantly persevering in the same Doctrine He was degraded by
1547. 27. Michael Mareschal John Camus Great John Camus John Serarphin were burnt the same year in Paris 28. Octavian Blundel a Merchant of precious Stones at Paris was also burnt for his profession Anno 1548. 29. Hubert Burre a young Man a Taylor of nineteen years was burned for the Gospel at Diion 30. Florent Venote a Priest at Paris after four years and nine hours imprisonment having endured many torments at last when there was a great Show in Paris at the King 's coming into the City and divers other Martyrs in sundry places of the City were put to death he having his Tongue cut out was brought to see the execution of them all and last of all was burnt in the place of Maulbert Anno 1549. 31. Ann Aubert a Widow at Orleans Anno 1549. going to Geneva was taken and brought to Paris and by the Council there judged to be burnt at Orleans 32. A poor Taylor at Paris dwelling in St. Anthonie's street who boldly defended the Gospel before the King and his Nobles he was burnt in the presence of the King his strength and courage in suffering did greatly astonish the King and others Anno 1549. 33. Claudius Thierry was apprehended coming from Geneva and was burned at Orleans Anno 1549. 34. Leonard Galimard was burnt at Paris the same year 35. Macoeus Morcou was burnt in Troyes Anno 1549. 36. John Godeau and Gabriel Beraudinus were burnt at Chamberiace 37. Thomas Sanpaulinus after cruel wracking was burnt in Paris Anno 1551. 38. Maurice Secenate was burnt in Provence Anno 1551. Joannes de puteo sir-named Medicus was also burnt at Vzez in Provence the same year 39. Claudius Monerius was burnt at Lyons he was meek and learned some of his Judges wept at his death while he was in prison he wrote certain Letters but one especially very comfortable to all the faithful He also wrote the questions and interrogatories of the official with his answers likewise to the same which being summarily contracted you may read in Mr. Fox Act. and Monument Vol. 2. p. 137. 40. Renate Poyet Son of William Poyet which was Chancellour of France for the sincere profession of the Gospel was burnt at the City of Saulmure Anno 1552. 41. John Joyer and a young Man his Servant were burnt at Tholouse 42. Hugh Gravier a School-master and after Minister of Cortillon was burnt at Burge in Bresse a days Journey from Lyons Martial Alba Peter Scriba Bernard Seguine Charles Faber Peter Navihere five Students of the University of Lausanna were burnt at Lyons Anno 1553. Peter Bergerius shortly after suffered the same Martyrdom at Lyons Stephen Peloquine and Dyonisius Peloquine Brethren suffered at Ville Franche about Lyons in the same year 43. Lewes Marsacus Michael Gerard Stephen Granot suffered also at Lyons Anno 1553. Matthew Dimonet Merchant suffered there also At his burning he spake much to the people and was heard with great attention 44. William Neele an Austin Fryar suffered at Eureux in France Simon Laloe at Diion The Executioner called Justus Silvester seeing the faith and constancy of Laloe was converted and he with all his Family removed to the Church of Geneva 45. Nicholas Nayle a Shoo-maker was burnt at Paris and Peter Serre a Priest was burnt at Tholouse Anno 1553. 46. Stephen King and Peter Denocheus were burnt at Chartres Anno 1553. 47. Antonius Magnus was burnt at Paris Anno 1554. 48. William Alencon a Bookseller and a certain Clothworker were burnt at Montpelliers Anno 1554. 49. Paris Panier a godly Lawyer for constant profession of the Gospel was beheaded at Dola Anno 1554. 50. Peter du Vall Shoo-maker after grievous wrackings was burnt at Nismes Anno 1554. 51. John Filieul Carpenter Julian le ville Point-maker were burnt at Sanserre Anno 1554. 52. Dyonisius Vayre leaving his Popish Priesthood went to Geneva where he learnt the Art of Book binding and many times brought Books into France Afterwards in the Reign of Edward VI. King of England he preached the word in Jersey but after his death thinking to return again to Geneva he came with his Books into Normandy unto a Town called Fueille where he was taken with his Books and after the suffering most cruel torments was burnt at Rhoan 53. Thomas Calbergn at Tourney was burnt Anno 1554. 54. Richard Feurus a Goldsmith born at Rhoan after he had been in London where he first tasted of the Gospel he went to Geneva where he remained nine or ten years From thence returning to Lyons he was apprehended and condemned Then he appealed to the High Court at Paris where in the way as he was led to Paris he was met by certain whom he knew not and by them taken from his Keepers and so set at liberty Anno 1551. After that continuing at Geneva for the space of three years he came into Daulphinè and there as he found fault with the Grace said in Latin he was detected and apprehended The next day he was sent to the Justice from him to the Bishop who ridding their hands of him he was brought to the Lieutenant who sent his Advocate with a Notary to him in Prison to examine him of his Faith for which I shall refer the Reader to Mr. Fox Act. and Monum Vol. 2. p. 146. 147. 148. He was sent back to the Bishop's prison and from thence shortly after to Lyons where he had his Tongue cut out and then was burnt 55. Nicholas du Chesne suffered at Ory near Bizancon Anno 1554. 56. John Bertrand Keeper of the Forrest of Marchenoir was burnt at Blois Anno 1556. 57. Peter Rousseau after three wrackings had his Tongue cut out and a ball of Iron put in his mouth He was drawn upon an Hurdle all broken to the fire where he was lifted up into the Air and let down thrice And when he was half burnt the ball fell from his mouth and he with a loud voice called on the name of God saying Jesus Christ assist me so he dyed 58 Arnold Moniere and John de Cazes were burnt at Bourdeaux Anno 1556. 59. Philip Cone James his fellow Archambant Seraphon Mr. Nicholas du Rousseau were burnt at Diion Anno 1557. 60. Philip Hamlin suffered at Bourdeaux 61. Nicholas Sartorius at Oest near Piedmont Anno 1557. 62. George Tardiff with one of Tours a Broiderer Nicholas a Shoo-maker at Jenvile suffered at Tours I must now return back to the Reign of King Francis I. The Lutherans having presented a confession of their Faith the Princes of Germany being assembled before the Emperour in a Hall Anno 1530 capable to receive 200 persons Hist Concil Trident. li. 1. it was read with a loud voice And the Cities which followed the Doctrine of Zuinglius presented apart the confession of their Faith not differing from the former but only in the point of the Eucharist The confession of the Princes was afterwards from this place called the Augustan Confession The Pope's Legate would not censure
be enjoyned to bestow them not upon such as seek after them but on those that are worthy of them and avoid them and for certain proof of their Merits to make them Preach sometimes and those such as have taken some Degree in the Universities upon whom only Livings might be conferred by the consent of the Bishop and people Augustine Marlorat one of the Ministers of the Reformed Church at Rhoan in France was taken by the Guisians and hanged upon a Gibbet there before our Ladies Church He was a man excellently learned and of an unblameable Life who had the testimony even of the Papists themselves that in his Sermons he never uttered ought tending to Sedition or Rebellion He hath written upon Genesis Isaiah and the Psalms and an Ecclesiastical Exposition upon the New Testament which hath been well esteem'd of Clement Marot was a famous French Poet. Pasqu Recherch de la France li. 7. ca. 5. He turned fifty of Davids Psalms into French Metre which are read with admiration of his excellent Wit He set them forth at Geneva for he might not safely longer abide in France for suspicion of Lutheranism Marcus Antonius Muretus was a very eloquent and diligent Writer Scarce hath he passed by any Latine Authour either Historian Oratour or Poet which he hath not explained amended and restored to his purity either with his Commentaries Scholia or Notes Terence Petronius Tibullus Catullus Propertius Seneca Salust Tacitus His Book of divers readings sheweth how Learned he was His excellent Orations shew his great Eloquence Gesner mentions his Latine works and Antoine du Verdier his French Thuanus styles him Magnum non solum Galliae nostrae sed ipsius Romae lumen not only a great light of our France but also of Rome it self About this time Father Edmond in a Book of his Printed at Paris by Sebastian Nivelle and by him dedicated to King Charles IX with this Inscription The Pedagogue of Arms Le Pedagogue d'Armes ca. 8 9. to instruct a Christian Prince to undertake a good War well and accomplish it with success to be Victorious over all the Enemies of his State and of the Catholick Church gives such Rules as these That Wars have been alwaies accounted not only profitable but necessary That the Pope is bound to take Arms against Hereticks That to a Monarch undertaking such a War a man cannot urge any of his former Edicts or Ordinances That no man how Potent soever he be can Contract with an Infidel or one that hath revolted from his Conscience He gives this reason For what King is there how redoubted soever he be that can without falsifying his Oath made to God permit and give lieve to the Enemies of all truth and condemn'd by the general sentence of all the world to sow heresies in his Countries and allure souls He adds further That what conditions of Peace soever he can grant unto his Rebels in this case will not endure long But it will behove him not to awake such strong and Potent Enemies That to make a Peace with them at last he must resolve to make a good War And anon As oft as by the Articles of Peace licence is granted to every man to adhere to which of the two opposite Parties he please without being offended at it it is all one in my opinion as if one should cast a man into the fire and forbid him to burn himself In the seventh Chapter he saith If such persons were Infidels or hereticks I would never excuse the Monarch that having sufficient means in his own hands should not assay by all waies even of fact to reclaim such a Kennel or drive them far out of his Country out of the Territories of Catholicks And so much the more roughly ought he to proceed against them as he knows them perverse in all respects and of the Hugonote stamp which should be accounted the most pernicious most devilish upholders of lies that ever rose up against the Church Thus he Waseri Comment ad Mithrid Gesneri In this Age flourished Gulielmus Sallustius Bartassius and excellent French Poet. Ille Poetarum Gallicorum Coryphaeus Sallustius Barthasii Dominus cujus Poemata apud exteros etiam in laude sunt He is translated into many Languages He may be read in Latine French Italian English Dutch Pasquier sheweth that the French Poets imitating the Latine have often equalled and sometimes exceeded them Antoine du Verdier and Thuanus do commend him Near this time also lived Guido de Bres a holy Martyr He hath written against the Anabaptists in French of the Authority of the Magistrate and the immortality of the Soul Johannes Quiquarboreus was Professour of Hebrew and Chaldee to the French King in Paris There is his Chaldee Paraphrase with Scholia upon Ruth Lamentations Hosea Joel Amos. Franciscus Rabeloesus was a witty but Atheistical French writer and Doctor of Physick Robert Constantine was Beza's great friend he was saith Thuanus trium linguarum peritissimus most skilful in three Languages especially in Greek and Latine He lived till he was a hundred and three years old his Senses of Body and Mind being perfect and his Memory strong These are his Works Nomenclator insignium Scriptorum Dictionarium abstrusorum vocabulorum Lexicon Graeco-Latinum John Croy was a learned French Divine He hath written a Treatise entitled Observationes Sacrae Historicae in novum Testamentum That B●●k and his Specimen conjecturarum observationum in quaedam loca Origenis Irenaei Tertulliani Epiphanij c. and his French Book entitled La verite de la Religion Reformee declare him to be a good Linguist and a General Scholar He hath written a Book against Morinus not yet published but commended and quoted by those who have perused it John Morinus was a learned Papist There are his Exercitationes Biblicae de Hebraeo Graecoque Textu Exercit. Ecclesiasticae In the late Progress of King Charles IX was discharged all Preaching and exercising of the Reformed Religion in the Towns of France wherein it should happen the King to be during the time of his Progress Many new interpretations of the Edict of March were invented whereby the liberty granted to the Protestants was utterly infringed The Prince of Conde having heard that the Kings of France and Spain had made a League for the rooting out of the Protestants addresseth himself to the King on the behalf of the Protestants Symson Eccles Hist li. 1. Cent. 16. complaining that contrary to the Edict of March they were injured and cruelly slain demanding redress for the foresaid injuries and that they might have liberty to enjoy their Religion without molestation The King hearing of the Prince's coming being with four hundred Armed men with all expedition in great fear hastens to Paris and caused the Parisians to give thanks to God as if he had been delivered from a great peril and imminent danger After this the second War for Religion
Crowned King of France Michael Hospitalius Chancellour of France under Charles IX Thuan. Tom. 3. lib. 56. was removed from the Court and made a Prisoner as it were only because he opposed those wicked Counsels against the Protestants in the Massacre at Paris Beza mentions him in his Icones illustrium virorum And Grotius stiles him Grot. Praef. ad Poem Vnicum aevi nostri decus the only ornament of our Age. There are these of his Works published Six Books of Epistles in Latine Verse De Caleto expugnato Epistola carmen cum aliis In the Preface to his Epistle one saith it appeared by a most Ancient Coyn that he much resembled Aristotle Summum illum omnium Philosophorum principem Aristotelem sic ore toto retulit ut alterius ex altero Imago expressa videri posset At this time flourished Michael Montanus or Michael de Montaigne Knight of the Noble Order of St. Michael and one of the Gentlemen in Ordinary to the French King Henry III. his Chamber His elegant Books of Miscellanies written in French are by him modestly styled Essayes or Moral Politick and Military Discourses He hath thereby gotten a great opinion of his Learning and Wisdom and Rome hath chosen and adopted him for one of her Citizens Charles Cardinal of Lorain dieth December 23. 1574. of a Frenzy in the midst of a cruel tempest and violent whirl-wind which uncovered the houses and loosened the bars of Iron in the Carthusians Covent in the Suburbs of Avignon According to the advice of the Queen-Mother the King assaults the Protestant Towns in Provence Languedoc and Dolphiné Lusignan was besieged and yielded upon Composition Pousin is besieged and taken but the Town of Libero in Dolphinè though besieged was not taken In Languedoc D'anville although he was of the Roman Religion yet had joyned himself to the Protestants and took Aques Mortes a Town of great importance in those Parts with many other Towns In Dolphinè Mombrim was chief Commander and had great success in his attempts But in the end being sore wounded he was taken beside ●ia a Town in Dolphinè and by the Commandment of the King and Queen-Mother was carried to Grenoble and there was executed in the sight of the people The Prince of Conde had required help of Casimire the Son of Count Palatine who had also condescended to succour the Protestants The Conditions they agreed on were these That they should not lay down their Arms until that liberty were obtained to the Protestants fully to enjoy their own Religion And likewise that Casimire should have the Towns of Metis Tullion and Verdum in his hands besides other Towns in all the Provinces of France which the Protestants were to require for their further assurance and as pledges of the King's fidelity and faithfulness to them The Army of the Germans and French entered into France under the Prince of Conde and Casimire and came forward to Charossium a Town in Bourbon not far from Molins where Alançon the King's Brother joyned with them and the whole Army conjoyned was found to be of horse-men and foot-men thirty thousand The King of Navarre at the same time departeth from Court and returneth into his own Country The Army draws near to Paris but at length was concluded upon certain Conditions That Casimire should receive from the King a great summ of money instead of those Towns which should have been put in his hands and that liberty should be granted to the Protestants to exercise their own Religion openly and freely without exception of places the Court and the City of Paris with a few leagues about only excepted They were also declared to be capable of places in Parliament and Courts of Justice and all Judgements which were made against them for any enterprize whatsoever were declared void the cruel day of St. Bartholomew disavowed and for better assurance and performance of these conditions they had eight Towns delivered unto them with the Conditions of their Governments Aques Mortes Benecaire Perigneux Le mas de Verdun Nions Yissure La grand tour The Edict of Pacification was Proclaimed May 10. 1576. and an end was put to the fifth Civil War in France for Religion By the Bull of Pope Gregory XIII sent into France Anno 1575. we may see all the Judges Royal both superiour and inferiour utterly despoiled of the Cognisance of criminal Causes The Sixteenth Article is this Vide Collect. diversar constitut Romanor Pontif. in fine Et Eclogam Bullarum motuum propriorum p. 316. We Excommunicate and anathematize all and every one the Magistrates Counsellours Presidents Auditors and other Judges by what name soever they be called the Chancellours Vice-Chancellours Notaries Registers and Executors their servants and others which have any thing to do in what sort or manner soever with Capital or Criminal Causes against Ecclesiastical persons in banishing or arresting them passing or pronouncing sentence against them and putting them in Execution even under pretence of any priviledges granted by the See Apostolick upon what causes and in what tenour and form soever to Kings Dukes Princes Rcpubliques Monarchies Cities and other Potentates by what name and title soever they be called which we will not have to be useful to them in any thing repealing them all from henceforth and declaring them to be nullities The twelfth Article speaks on this sort We Excommunicate all and every the Chancellours Vice-Chancellours Counsellours Ordinary and Extraordinary of all Kings and Princes the Presidents of Chanceries Councils and Parliaments as also the Attorneys General of them and other Secular Princes though they be in Dignity Imperial Royal Ducal or any other by what name soever it be called and other Judges as well Ordinary as by Delegation as also the Archbishops Bishops Abbots Commendatories Vicars and Officers who by themselves or by any other under pretence of Exemptions Letters of Grace or other Apostolical Letters do summon before them our Auditors Commissaries and other Ecclesiastical Judges with the causes concerning Benefices Tithes and other spiritual matters or such as are annexed to them and hinder the course of them by 〈◊〉 authority and interpose themselves to take Cognisance of them in the quality of Judges This is not all for in the following Article he goes yet further striking an heavy blow at the Ordinances of the French Kings Those also which under pretence of their Office or at the Instance of any man whatsoever draw before them to their Bench Audience Chancery Council or Parliament Ecclesiastical persons Chapters Covents and Colledges of all Churches or cause them to be brought in question before them or procure them directly or indirectly under what colour soever beyond the appointment of the Canon Law Those also which ordain and set forth Statutes Ordinances Constitutions Pragmatiques or other Decrees whatsoever in general or in special for any cause or colour whatsoever even under pretence of Apostolical Letters not now in practice or
at Paris after he had taken his leave of the Ladies and some other friends becometh a Capuchin The King commended his resolution and dining one day where there was only the Duke of Mayenne l'Esdiguiers and himself he said That in the world there were men of all conditions and qualities to be found but they should hardly find four so different as they were Whereof there was a Sinner converted a Leaguer repented a Capuchin diverted and a Hugonot perverted Century XVII THe Pope prest King Henry to make his Sister turn Catholick and the King to please the Pope used his utmost endeavours for it employing the most learned and subtil of his Clergy to seduce her especially Du Perron then Bishop of Eureux and Father Cotton These two had several bickerings with the Learned Du-Moulin who in his Book entitled the Novelty of Popery opposed to the Antiquity of true Christianity giveth an account of an occasional encounter of his with M. Du Perron But they had another which was a pitched field It was at the Court before a few but Grave and Select assistants After some dispute when Du Perron gave back to the force of an Argument and was at a loss some body hid behind the hangings cried up One. And when the like hapned to him the second time the same voice cried up Two and so till Five Upon which Du Perron complaining of interruption broke the Conference One Beaulieu Bouju a young Clergy-man having got some Manuscripts of Du Perron about the Eucharist made use of them to write against Du Moulin who thereby was provoked to answer him and confute him There are Letters extant and Printed among Du Perrons Works wherein he chides that same Beaulieu Bouju both for stealing and more for ill using his meditations and tells him in substance that though he could get his weapon yet he could not wield it King Henry IV. to satisfie the Court of Rome and the French Clergy of the care he took of his Sister's Conversion would often desire her to hear the Sermons of his Chaplains which she would not yield unto till once being made sensible how the King's credit was interessed that she should once at the least hear one Court Sermon she condescended so far to the request of a King and a Brother as to promise to hear Father Cotton who therefore was appointed to preach before the King and her immediately after Du Moulins Sermon and in the same Room for those two contrary services were performed in the same Room every Lord's day morning as long as the Princess lived and was at the Court. The Princess to strengthen her self against that assault gave notice of it to Du Moulin and after his Sermon brought him into a private Room whence he might hear the Jesuites Oratory His Subject was the dwelling of the Holy-Ghost in the Soul and he made his entry into that matter after this manner I went once saith he to visit the Hospital of Fools where a grave old man received me kindly at the door and went about with me to shew me the distracted persons and inform me about their several kinds of folly Here is one said he that thinks himself made of Snow and will not come near the fire for fear of melting This thinks himself metamorphosed into an earthen Pitcher and will not suffer any to come near him for fear of being broken with a knock These four think themselves top full with the spirit of Prophecie one will be Elias another Jeremiah another Daniel another St. Paul But I that am the Holy-Ghost said he can assure you Sir that they are all either Fools or Impostors for I never sent them The like folly is to be seen among those of the pretended Reformed Religion There you shall find wise and Religious Princesses intimating the King's Sister Wise and valiant Treasurers intimating the Duke of Sully Wise and valiant Generals of Armies intimating the Duke of Bovillon Wise and learned Counsellours of State intimating Mr. Du Plessis Mornay All wise in all things but that they think they have the Holy-Ghost but have it not The Sermon was suitable to the Preface and wrought an answerable effect in the Hearers making them all merry but no Converts The worthy Dr. Peter Du Moulin Son to the said Du Moulin tells us in his life that in the end of the year 1601. time and place being appointed for a Conference between Du Moulin and Cayer sometimes a Minister and then a Doctor of Sorbon Cayer put off the meeting several times till the King's Sister going to Lorain took Du Moulin along with her In his absence Cayer put forth a Book with this Inscription A Conference by Ministers granted and by them refused In which Book he accuseth Du Moulin of deserting his Cause and runing away But Du Moulin being returned in May to Paris the challenge was renewed on both sides So they met on May 28. 1602. in an house next to the King's Sisters house The Conference held a fortnight They had Scribes on both sides multitudes of hearers and good order kept The Questions agitated Propounded by Cayer himself were Of the Sacrifice of the Mass of the Adoration of the Prope and of the veneration of holy Images Cayer was assisted with two Doctors Carmelites Du Moulin had no assistant Toward the midst of the Conference the Faculty of Sorbon grievously censured Cayer for ill defending the Catholick cause and suffering the Adversary to wade too deep into questions and the B●shop of Paris forbad him to sign that which he had indicted to the Scribes The Doctors of Sorbon perceiving that the more the Conference continued the more their Cause was discredited came in a body to the King's Advocate in the Court of Parliament to complain of that Conference saying that it was a pernicious thing tending to Sedition that they had contrived how to break it and that the effects of it would shortly appear This hindered Du Moulin from coming to the ordinary place where he was before Cayer The Master of the house would have kept him out but Cayer coming soon after the door was opened to him and the people pressing in after him Du Moulin got in with the Crowd There they considered how to get another place for their meeting But the Conference being discountenanced by Authority no body durst offer his house for it So the parties agreed to continue the Conference in writing and to publish nothing but by mutual consent But Du Moulin asked two Conditions upon which Cayer brake The one that the Conference should be limited and that it should not be permitted to make replies in infinitum but Cayer would have no limitation The other that Cayer should sign the Acts of that Conference till that day which Cayer utterly refused saying It was enough that it was subscribed by the Scribes When Du Moulin represented to him what disgrace he put upon himself and his Cause and challenged him Cayer answered that he
by Sir Philip Sidney and at his request finished by Arthur Golding He published a Treatise containing the reasons why the Council of Trent could not be admitted in France He was sent by the King of Navarre to the National Synod of Vitray in Bretagne where he was joyfully received by the whole Company He was likewise present in the General Assembly of the Protestants held at Montauban by the King's permission Anno 1584. Where he was desired by the Assembly to draw up the form of their Complaints against the violation of the Edict for Peace which He together with the Count de la Val presented afterwards to the King at Blois When the League of the House of Guise brake forth which was formed first against the King under pretence of the Defence of the Catholick Religion and afterwards declared against the King of Navarre and the Protestants That famous Declaration in the name of the said King was Penned by Du Plessis In the following Civil Wars for Religion he did many important services for the King of Navarre and the Protestants both with his Sword and Pen having answered a virulent Book published by the League against the King of Navarre called the English Catholick In the year 1590. he built a Church for the Protestants in Saumur and obtained a Grant from the King for the instituting an University there which was afterwards confirmed by a National Synod held in the same place Anno 1593. he wrote a large Letter to the King who then had changed his Religion desiring the continuance of his favour to the Protestants and withal expostulating that sudden change Anno 1598. he Printed his Work of the Lords Supper The Jesuites of Bourdeaux Petitioned the Parliament there that it might be burnt Jacobus August Thuanus is a most faithful Historian He wrote an History of things done throughout the whole World from the year of Christ 1545. even to the year 1608. in a most elegant style He is highly commended by divers Learned men Suae aetatis Historiam summo judicio fide sine odio gratia ad Dei gloriam publicam utilitatem prudentissimè conscripsit opus styli elegantiâ gravissimarum rerum copiâ ac majestate cum quibus●is sive veterum sive recentium in eo genere scriptis conferendum Lans Orat. pro Gallia Inter multa quae in te admiratura est posteritas ego illud unicè obstupesco unde tibi modo in fori arce modo in summâ Republicâ versanti otium unde vis indefessa animi ut res tot ac tantas aut scribendas cognosceres aut cognitas scriberes Grot. Epist 16. Jac. Aug. Thuano Quem ego virum divinitus datum censeo saeculo isti in exemplum pietatis integritatis probitatis Casaub Epist Append. Vir immortali laude dignus Historicae Veritatis lumen Montac Antidiat Vir non minus eruditione quàm officij dignitate Nobilis siquis alius Veri studiosus Morton Causa Regia Isaac Casaubon was a great Linguist a singular Grecian and an excellent Philologer He hath written in twelve Books of his Exercitations Animadversions on those twelve Tomes of Baronius his Annals Scaliger in an Epistle to Casaubon commends his Bok de Satyra and in another his Theophrastus his Characters He is thus styled by Salmasius Incomparabilis Vir seculi sui decus immortale Isaacus Casaubonus nunquam sine laude nominandus nunquam satis laudatus Salmas Praefat. ad Hist August script The Marriage between the King and Queen Margarite being pronounced void and a Contract past between him and Mary of Medices the Duke of Florence's Daughter She being blessed of Aldobrandino the Pope's Legate at Florence went from thence and arrived at Marseilles from whe●ce being every where Royally entertained she came to Lions and there after eight daies stay met with the King where in St. John's Church the Nuptial solemnity was performed to this Couple by the Legate On September 27. 1601. the Queen was delivered of a Son which was named Lewes The King blessing him put a Sword in his hand to use it to the glory of God and the defence of his Crown and people The Pope sent presently unto the King and Queen to congratulate with them of this Birth and to carry unto the young Prince swadling bands bearing clothes and other things blessed by his Holiness Then the Pope granted a Jubilee and pardons to all the French that should go visit the Church of St. Croix at Orleans doing the works of Christian Charity An infinite number of people went thither from all parts of France the King and Queen went thither with the first and gave means to help to build this Church which had been ruined during the fury of the first Civil wars The King laid the first stone of this building Then the King did forbid the superfluous use of Gold and Silver in Lace or otherwise upon garments and made an Edict also against Usury and another against Combates Not long after the Duke of Biron's Conspiracy was discovered who was sometimes heard say he would die a Sovereign Refusing to submit hi●self to the King's Clemency he is seized on at the King's Chamber door and his Sword being taken from him is carried Prisoner to the Bastille There uttered he those passionate words That if they desired to put him to death they should dispatch him that they should not brag they had made him to fear death that they should speedily drink themselves drunk with the blood which remained of thirty five wounds which he had received for the service of France The King sent his Letters to the Court of Parliament to make his Process In the end being found guilty the Chancellour pronounced the sentence of death whcih was inflicted on him in the Bastille which he took most impatiently King James of happy memory before his coming to the Crown of England sent expressions of Royal favour to the Consistory of Paris who chose the forementioned Du Moulin to address their humble thanks by Letters to his Majesty And when his Majesty publisht his Confession of Faith against which Coeffeteau since Bishop of Marselles writ an eloquent Book Du Moulin undertook the defence of the King's Confession and wrote a French Book with that Title which was most welcome to the King and to the English Clergy and his Majesty made Royal and bountiful expressions of his acceptance And because other Adversaries besides Coeffeteau had writ against the King Du Moulin wrote another Book in his defence in Latine entituled De Monarchia Pontificis Romani The Duke of Bovillon having been accused by those which had been examined in Council upon the Conspiracies of the Duke of Biron being sent for refuseth to come to the King but afterwards in the year 1606. he made his peace and came to the King being then at Dunchery on April 11. The King with the Queen Princes of the blood and other Officers of the Crown
1626. and the next day the General and particular Deputies ratified and confirmed them King Lewes made a severe Edict against Duels and took a solemn Oath not to shew any favour to those who should break it About this time there arose very great Disputes in the University of Paris especially between the Doctors of Divinity about a certain Book composed by Sanctarellus a Jesuite which treated of the power Popes had over Kings which Book had been approved by their chief President by the Pope's Vicegerent and by the Master of the holy Palace His Doctrine was That Popes had a power of direction or rather correction over Princes that they might not only Excommunicate them but deprive them of their Kingdoms too and absolve their Subjects from their Oaths of Allegiance whether it were for Heresie Apostasie or any other great publick crime whether it were for the insufficiency of their persons or for their not defending the Church and that the Pope might at last give their States to such as he should think fit For the present it made a great noise among the Doctors and was opposed by several Books which then were published The whole Body of Divines did condemn it some indeed of the old League seemed to favour it But the Parliament called the chief of the Jesuites before them and obliged them to sign a Declaration by which they should condemn the said Book and to cause another of the like to be subscribed by all the Provincials and Rectors and by Six of the most ancient of every one of their Colledges in France and so ordered the Book to be burnt by the common Hangman with prohibition to the Stationers to sell any of them At this time there were Combinations of divers Grandees of the Court against the King and State Madam de Chevuruse being discontented that her private intelligences with the English Ambassadour were so publickly taken notice of did not a little promote the undertakings by her animating of Monsieur the Grand Prior and Chalais to execute it both which were engaged by love to her as also that the Colonel d'Ornano abusing Monsieur's goodness and the credit which his place gave him did absolutely divert him from the Marri●ge which his Majesty had so earnestly desired should be celebrated The Cardinal discovered that Chalais was one of chief Instruments of the Enterprize and that Colonel Ornano was the Ring-leader of the Plot. That their chief end was to unite all the Provinces so close together that they might enforce his Majesty not to remove any thing from the Court and withal to permit them to live in the same licentiousness that they had a long while formerly enjoyed That to this effect they endeavoured the breaking of the match between Monsieur and Madamoiselle de Montpensier and to bring on that of Madamoiselle de Bourbon which would more nearly engage Monsieur to their Interests or else to persuade him to marry some other stranger Princess which might be a means to shelter and defend their designs by the forces and assistances which they might reasonably expect from such a Family That this once effected they intended the Count de Soissons should Marry Madamoiselle de Montpensier that the Houses of Guise and Bourbon might be united together and in this manner they would in a moment huddle up together all the leading potent persons of the Court. The Marshal de Ornano is arrested at Fountainbleau and carried Prisoner to the Castle of Bois de Vincennes where he died a few months after of a stoppage in his Bladder The Cardinal beseecheth the King to permit his retirement from the Court. And the King causeth the Duke de Vendosm and the Grand-Prior of France his Brother to be imprisoned at Blois The Marriage of Monsieur and Madamoiselle de Montpensier was celebrated soon after to the quiet and content of the whole Kingdom Chalais the Master of the King's Wardrobe is arrested from the Chamber of Justices at Nantes who condemned him of Treason and sentenced him to be beheaded which was done accordingly Then was the Sieur de Baradas removed from the Court who had been much in favour with the King About the end of this year great differences arose between the Bishop and the Officers of Verdun This being a Frontier Town was then lookt upon as considerable in regard Monsieur de Lorrain seemed to be active and able to attempt something upon France which obliged the King to go on with a design which he had long before resolved of the building a Citadel there The Abbey of S. Vannes was ever reputed the most fit place of all the City for that purpose whence it happened that in the Charter of the said Abbey there had been divers Articles concluded between the Bishop of Verdun and those to whom that place hath ever belonged in which they bound themselves to build their Church in some other place if it should be found necessary to make use of some part of it for the raising of a Citadel However the lines were so contrived that the Church was saved but that of the Capuchins was forced to be taken down which was afterwards done and rebuilt in another place Now the Bishop of Verdun being Lorrain's kinsman was wholly moved by him so that not considering what dependence he had upon the King he suffered himself to be engaged by the Duke to prevent the building of the Citadel On December 30. he published a Monitorium fixed upon all publick places against all such as should labour about it This proceeding was lookt on as a strange thing by the King's Officers The Sieur Guillet presently called a Council of his Majesties Officers of the Town to consider of what was to be done where it was concluded to tear down such Papers as had been any where posted up and to set others in their places of a contrary tenour in the King's behalf which was presently done The Bishop offended at it thundered out an Excommunication the next day against Guillet which he fastened in divers places and having given order to his Vicars not to act any thing in prejudice to his pretended authority he departed from Verdun and rode Post to Cologne In the mean while the Sieur Charpentier his Majesties President in Metz Thoul and Verdun being acquainted with the whole proceeding he declared the said Monitorium to be abusive and scandalous and commanded it to be torn and burnt by the Hangman That the said Bishop should be sent Prisoner to Paris That his Benefices in the mean time should remain in his Majesties hands and that he should pay a fine of ten thousand livres for his said fault This Judgement was put in execution with the usual form excepting only as to the Bishop's being sent to Paris so that he resolving not to suffer himself to be thus despoiled of his goods thought it his best course to send to the King to pacifie him for his rashness he also gave order to
degrees turned to an absolute revolt from their Sovereign natural King insomuch that they fled to France The French quickly hearken unto them so there was a Treaty at Narbon whither they sent twelve persons of quality for Hostages and an Order issued out That He should be branded with an hot Iron who spake of any accommodation with Castile It was agreed on that upon putting themselves under the Royal Protection of the most Christian King he should furnish them with an Army of six thousand Foot and two thousand Horse to be maintained by the Catalans Hereupon three Commissioners were sent to Paris one for the Clergy another for the Nobility and a third for the Gentry and Commonalty The chiefest Incendiaries were the Preaching Friers and Monks who in lieu of obedience and conformity to Government and compliance with the King having so many Irons in the fire did teach and obtrude to the people nothing more than common Priviledge and resumption of Liberty whereby the affection of the Vassal was withdrawn from his Prince There came a Messenger of State to Paris who brought news of the Great Turks death in the flower of his youth though of a robust constitution He died by excess of drinking some sorts of Wine wherewith he was used to be oft distempered not withstanding the strict Law of Mahomet who often Preached this Doctrine That there was a Devil in every berry of the Grape and therefore absolutely interdicted the use of Wine in his Alchoran Soon after Don John of Bragansa was upon a general revolt of the Portugueses within less than a month fully setled in the Kingdoms of Portugal and the Algarves without any opposition at all This Revolt of Portugal was no great news to the French Cardinal who had his spirits walking there as well as in Barcelona and every where else The Spanish Ambassadours negotiate at Rome that the Duke of Bragansa be Excommunicated for an Usurper If this had taken effect it had made the King of France incapable to assist him being an Excommunicated person But France had such a powerful Faction in the Consistory and the Pope was such a friend to the French that the Catholique King could do little good in this point Then was France blessed with another Masculine Royal Offspring the Duke of Anjou In the year 1642. Mary de Medices Queen-Mother and Dowager of France expired at Colen She had been Regent of France m●ny years during which time she discovered great abilities transcending her Sex She was afterwards twice in Arms against her Son and she came at length to conceive such a Junonian indignation against the Cardinal Richlieu who had been chief of her Counsels and her Creature afterwards in point of greatness for she first preferred him to the King that the breach could never be made up between them And she was used to say that the worst thing she ever did was the advancement of Richlieu In the sense of this indignation she forsook France and drew a voluntary Exile upon her self She first retired to Flanders thence she removed to Holland thence to England and her last retirement was to Colen where she died The Cardinal of Richlieu was sick that time that the Queen-Mother died at Colen yet he forced himself to creep to the Altar and officiated many Church-duties for her soul From that time he was never perf●ctly recovered and now more like a Skeleton than his Eminence being carried upon the shoulders of men hath houses broken down to make him room to come in at so much French blood lost at home so much shed in the field disquiets and dejects his spirit now imprisoned in a languishing body Cinque-Mans the Grand Constable and de Thou late Master of Requests were apprehended at Narbon the very day that the King had but in the morning embraced and kissed Cinque-Mars and had talked very courteously to de Thou The ●ame was done to de Bovillon at Casailles The Prisoners are brought to Lions where by chosen Judges they are condemned and upon a Scaffold beheaded De Bovillon got off with the surrender of Sedan At length Cardinal Richlieu's scarcely breathing Corpse nothing benefited by the Waters of Borbogne is brought to Paris he died in the end of the year 1642. Richlieu was no great Zealot in his own Religion but as he made it subservient to his political ends nor would he ever employ any Jesuite He had a moderate opinion of the Reformists which made him to be called the Hugonot Cardinal And he would have often in his mouth this saying Maneat moralis benevolentia inter discordes sententia Yet he wrote a Book against them which is extant He did them more mischief by Complementing with them than by combating He was a great cherisher and promoter of vertuous men and would find them out wheresoever they were insomuch that he gave every year in Pensions little less than an hundred thousand Franks He erected two Academies one in Paris called l'Academie de Beaux Esprits where the Prime Wits of the Kingdom met every Monday and another at Richlieu where the Mathematiques and other Sciences were read in the French Language the difficulty of the Latine deterring many of them from studying other places He did so oblige all the Wits of the Kingdom that they strove who should magnifie him most never were there such hyperbolical expressions of any man and not without some mixture of profaneness Some blasphemously said That God Almighty might put the Government of the World into his hand That France in God and the Cardinal's hands were too strong That what the soul was to the body the same he was to France Si foret hic nullus Gallia nulla foret Some appropriate the reduction of the Rochellers solely to him Therefore to sooth him one French Chronicle impiously writeth that in the taking of that Town Neither the King nor God Almighty himself had any share in the Action but Cardinal Richlieu Thereupon Another made this Distich Richelii adventu portae patuere Rupellae Christo infernales ut patuere fores The Gates of Rochel opened to Richlieu As those of Hell to Christ asunder flew Divers other Latine Distichs there were of like nature And in the French Language there are abundance of such Hyperboles I will instance in some Et si nous faisons des ghirlandes C ' est pour en couronner un Dieu Qui soubs le nom de Richlieu Recoit nos Voeux nos offrandres Another Heros a qui la France crige des Autels Que prevois qui fais le bon heur des mortels Qui scais mieux l'advenir que les choses passcès Penetre dans mon Ame c. Another Si quelq ' un dans ces vers parl● de Richlieu Qui sous l'habit d'un homme il nous descrive un dieu Vous n' estes point suiet a l'humaine impuissance c. A Royal Chronologer attributes more to him than to his Master the
upon Assumption-day at the Altar in the Morning and that in the Evening a general Procession should be made wherein the Provost of Paris and all the Soveraign Companies should be assistant with the Court of Parliament This Command extended to all other Archbishops and Bishops throughout France that they should in every Cathedral Church erect one special Altar to the Virgin Mary for this end and in commemoration of this Act to pepetuity One Instance more I shall add of his Zeal to the Romish Religion When the Old Marshal de la Force a Protestant was admitted to see him a little before he expired he told him on his death-bed That he thought God Almighty suffer'd him meaning the Marsh●● to live so long upon Earth expecting his Conversion as he had done that of Lesdiguiers He put out sundry Proclamations against Swearers against Pride in apparel as also against Duels and the last was so strict That both the appellant and defendent whosoever did survive should suffer death without mercy and be deprived of Christian burial but both rot upon the Gallows with their heels upwards Here I shall put down a List of divers Books that were Printed in France for sundry years past Francisci Garciae Evangelicus concionator Printed at Lions Anno 1622. Petri Damiani Cardinalis opera Printed at Lions 1623. Bibliothica Veterum Patrum Graecorum Printed at Paris 1624. Deus Natura Gratia by Saint Clara Printed at Lions 1625. Puteani Commentaria in summam D. Thomae Printed at Tholouse 1627. Biblia Septuaginta cum Graeco Testamento Graec. Lat. in three Volumes Printed at Paris 1628. Biblia Vulgata Printed 1628. Bibliotheca Ordinis Praemonstratensis per Job le Praige Printed at Paris 1633. Ludov. Dolae de Concursibus Dei creatura Printed at Lions 1634. Concilia Generalia Graec. Lat. ten Volumes Printed at Paris Franc. Lanovii Chronicon generale ordinis Minimorum Printed at Paris 1635. Didacus Baeza de Christo figurato in Vet. Testam Printed at Lions 1636. Francis Hallier de sacris electionibus ordinationibus at Paris 1636. Historia Ecclesiae Gallicanae at Paris 1636. Franc. Bouquet de Pontificibus Romanis è Gallia oriundis Jacobi Sirmondi propemptrion contra Eucharist Cl. Salmasii Jac. Sirmundi opuscula Dogmatum veterum Scirptorum Andrew de Saussay Martyrologium Gallicanum at Paris 1637. Mart. Bonacinnae opera omnia Printed at Paris 1638. Jacobi Saliani Annales Ecclesiastici Steph. Fagundez in Decalog at Lions 1640. Theses Theologicae Protest Academiae Salmuriensis at Saulmur 1641. H●ttingeri Historia Ecclesiastica five Volumes compleat Hottingeri Analecta Historico-Theologica Octavo Afterwards Anno 1646. there was published Annalium Ecclesiasticorum Epitome at Roven Novissima Galliae Concilia à Tempore Concilii Tridentini ad Annum 1646 at Paris Lewes XIV the present French King succeeded his Father in the Kingdom being about five years old Mazarine casting with himself what is hutful and profitable past this sentence upon the Clergy These are his words counselling the Queen Regent The Sacred Order for these many years hath had but a thin harvest of excellent Persons however it come to pass Men follow after nice Questions live idly do not embrace serious Studies All is done with pomp nay if any Sermons be to be made and the very venerable sacrifice offered Of their Office they lay claim to nothing but their Rents the duty of Preaching which is the principal dignity of a Bishop they quit to any one though never so insufficient They think themselves Bishop enough if they can but ride in fine Coaches with their Arms set on out-vie one another in rich Liveries and Lacquies and punish with rigour those that transgress in the least matters Perpetual haunters of Ladies Couches not without undervaluing the Pastoral staff This is for the most part for there are some that lead holy and unreprovable lives He that shall take offence will own himself not to be one of these but those other So much power hath Religion over the minds of men that as often as among men in holy Orders any eminent vertue hath got up and overcome the common attainments and the vices of mankind it is adored like a Deity At that time that company was of no weight nor moment in France said Mazarine There was Francis Paul Gondy by extraction a Florentine but born in France Abbot of Rhetz afterwards Coadjutor to the Bishop of Paris Archbishop of Corinth one that if occasion had offered would have aspired high as Cardinal Mazarine confessed he was perswaded Over and above an honourable Family he had eloquence and learning with promptness of spirit All was now prosperous and quiet in France whose power reached over Almania from the Mazelin Brink beyond the Rhine By the Victory at Norlingue the parts confining on the Danube were afterwards invaded and terror struck on all sides In Spain by seizing Tortosa and Flix the French got to the River Iber. Their Fleets ranged over the Mediterranean and Ocean All Italy from the Pope who then was Vrban VIII to the least Princes bore reverence The Dukes of Savoy Mantua and Modena then rather Instruments of French slavery than free Princes The Kings of Sweden and Denmark boasted of their friendship the Pole sued for it The Electors of Germany sought to interest themselves in their favour Portugal rent from Spain depended on the looks of France whose Yoak Catalonia had put on being weary of the Spanish Dominion The Low Countries stuck close to them All Europe with astonishment stood gazing at such a state of the French affairs nothing was then wanting to compleat their happiness besides moderation and the art enjoying it Paul Gondy designed Archbishop of Paris is consecrated of Corinth it is the Bishop of Rome's practice that so the whole world may be thought depending on the Vatican Oracle to exercise his authority even upon the dissenting parts That day was first occasion of much ensuing mischief Ferraro Pallavicini a Canon Regular a Parmesan of a Noble house sharply inveighing in libellous Pamphlets against the practices of the Roman Court lost his Head at Agivnon in France and gave instance how unsafe a thing it is to touch upon the Roman State in writing though never so truly The Divisions of Italy being closed up Pope Vrban VIII died July 29. 1644. after he had sate twenty one years and some months Then Gio Battista Pamphilio a Noble Roman was Proclaimed Pope after the See had been vacant 45. daies He assumed the name of Innocent the Tenth The Hist of Cardinals part 3. lib. 2. This Election was not at all displeasing to the French though they were not a little displeased at Cardinal Antonio who for his own private Interest had by his reiterated instances perswaded that Crown to the exclusion of Pamphilio and afterwards consented to it contrary to the King's order and without expecting the return of the Currier which was dispatched to that Court that they might consult upon the
Popes Nuntio the Ambassadors of Venice Sweden Savoy the Vnited Provinces and all Forreign Ministers to be present as also the Peers of the Realm the Chancellor and four Secretaries to register it In this concourse Fuentes thus spake to the King There being nothing more upon the King my Masters heart than Religiously to observe the Laws of Consanguinity He hath sent me hither with a charge to confirm them which at his Personal presence he established with his Royal mouth His Person I sustain this day not representing a King that knows not to yield but a Father whose spirit only nature works to a complyance He hath thought fit voluntarily to quit to you those Transitory honours which he hath enjoyed so long since shortly death is liks to put a period to them These Gallantries may become your Age. Such youthful Ambition an old man and your Father-in-law envies not The London outrage hath sunk deeper into his than your heart He could not more effectially redress it than by punishing the Author The revocation of Batteville is a publick declaration of inflicting punishment on him But what could have been added more to this than to lay strict injunctions that his Embassadors for the future do not contend with yours about precedency This is the occasion of the Embassie which I the rather perform because the Peace lately concluded is hereby confirmed May it stand in full force to all Generations The King receiving satisfaction in his due honour gave him a nod when he had concluded his speech He advised the Embassadors to be mindful of what had passed and to report to their respective Princes what they had seen and heard Now Dunkirk by contract is delivered up by the English into the hands of the French A Book had been published entituled The Journal of Monsieur de St. Amour D. of Sorbonne containing a full account of all the Transactions both in France and at Rome concerning the five famous Propositions controverted between the Jansenists and the Molinists from the year 1646. till 1653. and an addition was made to this Journal in the year 1662. The same year the King by Proclamation commanded the Tenets of the Jansenists condemned by Pope Innocent X. and Alexander VII Franc. Albici was employed by Pope Innocent X. in the business of the Jansenists which he transacted so well that the Pope made him a Cardinal in the year 1654. to be abolished The Jansenists received their denomination from Cornelius Jansen Bishop of Ypres who about the fortieth year of his Age put out a Book about Grace and Free-will About this time an affront is offered unto Crequi the French Embassador at Rome The Corsi the Soldiers that are the Popes Guard upon pretence of some trivial quarrel with Crequi's Pages shoot Pistolls in at his windows set upon his Wives Coach as she is coming home and offer all sorts of injuries trampling upon the Sacredness of the Embassy Crequi departeth from Rome unsatisfied and the Corsi triumph Hereupon the King his Master applyeth himself to the Colledge of Cardinals for redress and his Letter was exactly as followeth Cousin THe assault that was made the twentieth currant upon the person of my Cousin the Duke of Crequi my Embassador Extraordinary his Lady and all the French the Corsi of Rome could meet with in the Streets that day is an enormity so great in all its circumstances that perhaps in no time nor place even among the Barbarians themselves can an instance be found in which the jus Gentium hath been with so much inhumanity violated and abused And forasmuch as your Eminence is a member of that sacred body that is the natural Council of the Popes I have charged Monsignor Burlemont Auditor of the Rota to wait upon you in this conjuncture and acquaint you with my resentment of so great an offence to the end that by your interposition which I doubt not but you will willingly undertake as far as you shall be able I may receive a satisfaction adaequate to the quality and extravagance of the affront But if your Eminences good offices should happen to be ineffectual they shall not be imputed to me after this application whatsoever mischiefs or calamities shall happen assuring my self I shall be excusable both to God and to man whatever the consequences be And thus referring the rest to what Monsignor Burlemont will present to you by word of mouth I beseech God my good Cousin to preserve you in his holy favour St. Germans en ley August 20. 1662. LEWIS De Lominie This Letter was read and deliberated in the Sacred Colledge and the Cardinals answer to the Kings Letter was as followeth Most Christian and most Royal Sir I Am very sensible of the transcendent favour your Majesty hath done me in vouchsafing to impart to me your resentment for the unhappy accident between the Corses and certain of the Duke of Grequi's train besides the honour you have done me by the benign confidence expressed in your Letter and by the mouth of Monsignor Burlemont your Majesty also hath given me occasion with all reverence to represent the great displeasure conceived by our whole Court but more especially his Holiness in whose heart there is already so great an impression and augmented by so many glorious actions so many perpetual testimonies of your valour and piety in demolishing the Garrisons of Hereticks and shutting their Chuches in palces under their Command So that his Holiness could not evidence with more paternal demonstration the disgust that action hath given you which he hath not only declared publickly in his Briefs upon that occasion but in the Consistory also and in his private discourse but much more in his actions bending all his thoughts to your Majesties satisfaction as he hath alwayes designed I hope therefore your Majesty with your wonted generosity will reflect upon the just motives and remain satisfied even for the entire quiet and consolation of your servants among which I being not inferiour to any in point of observance neither have failed nor will fail in my obedience to your Majesty nor in employing my self to the utmost of my abilities in your Majesties service On the other side likewise I shall rejoyce if in your Majesties Resolutions your Majesties Royal Bounty and Prudence doth mroe and more appear So that to make me perfectly happy there remains nothing but your Majesties fresh commands which I most obsequiously do beg of your Majesty and make my most humble obeisance Rome 24. Septemb. 1662. The Count de Brienne was sent by the King of France to the Popes Nuntio at the French Court to Command him to leave Paris and to retire to Meaux and not to stir from thence till further Order from his Majesty pretending it aa an expedient to secure his person against some such tumult as hapned in Rome Piccolomini replied with all possible respect that he would obey his Majesties Order but he desired first to be heard and went
the hand of the President who shall diligently read them c. None shall eat with any one without the Seminary unless with his Parents and Kindred and that very seldome and with leave neither shall he sleep out of the Seminary If any go forth and abide without the President being ignorant of it he may not be admitted without consulting the Bishop whose right it is to appoint whether he be to be received into the Seminary or not Let none touch another so much as in jest but every where and among all preserve modesty and gravity Let silence every where be kept religiously in the Temple in the Schools in the Chamber between going to and returning from the School and in all places let Ecclesiastical modesty appear They shall not discourse with those they meet except by decent and modest salutation which may be done in passing by As often as they shall go either to the Temple or the School they shall proceed modestly two by two their Governour following them to whom they are committed When they are at study let none speak with other neither in the morning before nor in the evening after prayer All shall go to bed at nine a clock and rise at four all shall lye single in their beds that they may preserve their health After Dinner and after Supper they shall spend one hour in honest recreation c. Let them keep their clothes chambers beds books clean let them make up their beds early in the morning 7. Of their Learning Let all first learn the Compendium of the Catholick Catechism so exactly that by mutual interrogations concerning it they may be able to render an account of the Catholick Faith to every one requiring it And to that end a repetition of it shall be made twice in a Week And when they shall be advanced herein let the reading of the Roman Catechism be diligently commended to them that from thence they may learn the higher Doctrine of the Sacraments Let them alwayes keep the Law of speaking Latin and let them be diligent in learning their lessons and getting them by heart in the time prefixed c. Let none be absent from School in the appointed time In the School let the Clerks who shall be of the same form sit together and endeavour to excel others with all modesty Let them neither buy nor have any Books but those whom the President shall judge to be profitable for them Books that are condemned by the holy Apostolical Chair and immodest Books let them not so much as know them by name much less let them dare ever to read them They shall be exercised in all kind of Disciplines which do especially help to the knowledge of Divinity and when they shall learn more humane Learning and Philosophy they are to be chiefly instructed in that part of Divinity which unfoldeth cases of conscience Let them also learn Ecclesiastical Books diligently and those which they call Ritual Let all be exercised in their order in making Orations and Exhortations concerning the commandments of God and of the Church concerning the Articles of faith Vertues to be followed and Vices to be shunned or some other sentence of Scripture c. 8. Of Correction If any be wayward and sawcy especially who infect and corrupt the manners of others all endeavours are to be used lest they bring any detriment to the Seminary if the Moderators are somewhat indulgent toward them neither are they who are of a crabbed nature long to be retained in the Seminary unless they shall reform them by words or correction As they are not to be born in a Seminary who are ignorant and slothful so much less they who neglect piety who violate the Statutes of the Seminary who enter into society with dissolute persons who are delighted in the discourses of those that are without who are wont to whisper and backbite c. who art wont to lye and excuse their own faults who impatiently bear punishments injoyned who speak or answer malapertly undecently or ironically These and the like Vices are first of all to be stopt by the whole Seminary and sharply to be corrected without excepting any 9. Of the reason of promoting Clerks and dismissing them from the Seminary As often as Orders shall be celebrated the President shall give to the Bishop a Catalogue of those who for their age piety and learning may be promoted to some Order In examinations which shall be had to vacant Benefices the Seminary-Clerks if they be fit let them be preferred before all others They shall be sent at the pleasure of the Bishop to Churches destitute of Pastors or to govern Schools or to undergo other Ecclesiastical Offices for the necessity of times and places Whosoever shall be sent away from the Seminary for what cause soever let him render an account of his Office to the President which he hath exercised at home and restore all things to its place which have been committed to him Those who have been educated in the Seminary and without the licence of the Bishop have delivered up themselves to any place or person or have fled out of the Diocess in which they ought to serve the Church shall be bound to make restitution of that maintenance which they have received in the Seminary They who depart if they come to better preferment yet are they to remember that they ought to be beneficial and grateful to the Seminary Departing let them take their leave of the Lord Bishop if he be in the City his Vicars the President the Priests and the rest of their companions and let them earnestly entreat them all to pray for their prosperity The Decrees of another Provincial Synod follow made partly at Tours in the month of May 1583. and partly at Anjou in the month of September I shall only set down an Index of the Titles 1. THe Prologue of the Synod 2. Supplications to the Pope and the Most Christian King 3. Of the care of defending the Profession of Faith 4. A Form of Confession of Faith is set down 5. Of the Extirpation of Simony 6. Of the Sacraments and their use 7. Of Baptism 8. Of Confirmation 9. Of the Eucharist and Sacrifice of the Mass 10. Of Matrimony 11. Of Order 12. Of the celebration of Festivals the Veneration of Reliques and of Images 13. Of Ecclesiastical Discipline the Reformation of the Clergy as well as the people 14. Of Chapters Dignities and Canons 15. Of Parish-Priests Presbyters and other Clerks 16. Of Christs faithful Laity This Synod requireth Women not to go abroad and especially not to come into the Church without their heads and breasts veiled Indignum est c. It is an unworthy thing say they that Christian women whom it becometh to be adorned with modesty and sobriety to profess piety by good works after a whorish manner to expose themselves to the people with curled hair and naked breasts They forbid all temporal businesses to be done
Of Matrimony 9. Of extreme Unction 10. Of care to be had for the dead and of their Funerals and burials 11. Of the Relicks and Images of Saints 12. Of Indulgences 13. Of prohibited meats and a dispensation of them 14. Of Holy-daies and their veneration 15. Of Vows and Religious Pilgrimages Part 3. 1. Of Churches Chapels Altars and other things of like sort 2. Of Oratories scituate in the way 3. Of Schools and Fellowships of Christian Doctrine 4. Of Universities and Colledges 5. Of Seminaries of Clerks 6. Of Hospitals houses for Lepers and other pious places 7. Of confraternities and fellowships Part 4. 1. Of Excommunication 2. Of Ecclesiastical jurisdiction and the judicial Court of a Bishop 3. Of letting to hire or the Alienation of Benefices and Ecclesiastical things 4. Of Tenths and Oblations 5. Of Simony 6. Of Provisions and renouncing of Benefices 7. Of Residency 8. Of a Visitation 9. Of the right of Patronage 10. Of the holy Inquisition 11. Of prohibited Books 12. Of Hereticks Magicians Soothsaiers and Astrologers 13. Of Blasphemy 14. Of Usuries 15. Of pious Testaments and Legacies 16. Of exempt and priviledged persons 17. Of the things which generally belong to these Decrees The Admonitions of the Synod of the Clergy of France Assembled at Paris in the year 1595. and 1596. sent into the Provinces of France for restoring the state of the Church The Index of the Titles 1. DEs conciles Provinciaux concerning Provincial Councils 2. De la Vacance aux Prelatures of Vacancy to Bishopricks 3. Des Provisions abusives de ce temps of the abusive Provisions of Benefices 4. Of Simonies and Confidences 5. Des Syndies Diocesains of Diocesan Commissioners Then followeth Advis de l'Assemble'e du CLERGE de l'An 1598. envoye aux Provinces contre les Oeconomats spirituels constitutions des Pensions aux personnes seculiers sur les Benefices The Admonition of the Assembly of the Clergy of France at Paris Anno 1598. sent into the Provinces of France against spiritual Oeconomies and Pensions upon Benefices granted to Lay persons The Statutes of the Assembly of the Clergy of France at Paris Anno 1606. for the Administration of Ecclesiastical jurisdiction Then follow THe Decrees of the Provincial Council of Narbon Which are of the same nature with the Decrees of Divers of the former Councils This Council assembled Anno 1609. A Council Assembled at Aquens to censure a Book De Ecclesiastica Politica potestate of Ecclesiastical and Politick power Another Assembly of the Clergy of France met at Paris Anno 1615. for the reception of the Council of Trent A Provincial Council was congregated at Bourdeaux Anno 1624. in the month of September the Decrees whereof were of the same kind with some of the foregoing Councils There was also a General Council of the Clergy of France Assembled at Paris Anno 1625. Divers Propositions were collected out of a Book set forth in English Entitled Apologia pro modo procedendi Sanctae sedis Apostolicae in regendis Catholicis Anglie durante persecutionis tempore cum defensione Status Religiosi Auctore Daniele à Jesu Then followeth an Epistle of the Cardinals Archbishops and Bishops then acting at Paris to the Cardinals Archbishops and Bishops through France concerning the condemning of two Volumes to which these Titles are prefixed 1. Traictez des Droicts Libertez de l'Eglise Gallicane 2. Preuue des Libertez de l'Eglise Gallicane February 14. 1639. The first Council of the Province of Paris under Francis de Gondy the first Archbishop of Paris in the time of Pope Vrban VIII and King Lewes XIII was celebrated in the year 1640. against a Book entituled Optati Galli de cavendo schismate c. Whosoever shall desire to be satisfied fully concerning the French Cardinals I shall refer him to a Book entituled Gallia Purpurata Of the Universities of France Paris PAris the Metropolis is the first and most antient University of France Erasmus saith That Lutetia Academiarum omnium Regina Paris is the Queen of all Universities The Emperour Charles the Great instituted this famous University Having made a League with Archaius King of Scots he entreated that King to send unto him Professours of the Greek and Latin Tongues and of other Learning for his University of Paris Archaius sent unto him the forementioned Alcuinus or Albinus John Melrose so named from the Abbey Melrose Claudius Clemens and Anthony Florentius reckoneth them among Hereticks who followed the Greek Church because they opposed the Romish Rites The Kings of France have beautified this University from time to time with many sumptuous Edifices endowed it with many great Priviledges and Princely Revenues The principal Colledges are the Sorbonne and the Colledge of Navarre King Lewes IX by the Counsel of Robert of Sorbon which took his sirname as they say from the place of his Nativity his Almoner and Confessour erected a Colledge of Divines which retains the name of Sorbon Pope Clement IV. confirmed the foundation of this Colledge He that answereth there continueth from morning to night The Colledge of Navarre was founded by Joan Queen of France and Navarre Amo● 1304. She likewise enriched this Colledge with an excellent Library The greatest part of the young Princes Lords and Gentlemen in France are customarily nourished and instructed in this Colledge Peter de Alliaco Chancellour of Paris hath bestowed so much on this Colledge that he is esteemed as a second founder Poictiers Poictiers is an University especially for the Civil Law and a See Episcopal It was erected under Charles VII King of France and confirmed by Pope Eugenius IV. Scaliger in his Cities thus speaks of it Si studium est animae veniunt à corpore vires Galliaque à meritis poscit utrumque sibi Haec studiis aliae belli exercentur amore Pictavium est animus caetera corpus erunt John Capnion and Christophorus Longolius were Professours here Lions Lions is pleasantly seated on the confluence of the Soasne and the Rhosne anciently a Roman Colony testified by many old Inscriptions and honoured with a magnificent Temple dedicated by the Cities of France to Augustus Caesar now the most famous Mart of France and an University which is very ancient being a seat of Learning in the time of Caius Caligula For in those times before an Altar consecrated to Augustus Caesar in the Temple forementioned this Caligula did institute some Exercises of the Greek and Roman Eloquence the Victor to be honoured according to his merit c. The Archbishop hereof is the Metropolitan of all France Angiers In it is an University founded by Lewes the Second Duke of Anjou the Son of King John about the time that Rupertus Palsgrave of Rheine founded Heidelberg in Germany about the year 1346. It flourisheth in the Study of the Latine especially Henry Valois Brother to King Charles IX augmented the same He invited thither many very Learned Scholars among the which was Francis Baldwin who therein
renounce Gregory was hereupon declared Legate Della Marca and went to his charge but he dyed soon after at Ricanati of discontent John and Gregory being removed there remained a third still which was Benedict XIII who declared that he would never renounce Hereupon Sigismund the Emperour went in person to the Kings of France and of England to advise with them about forcing Benedict to a renouncing also Sigismund having received a satisfactory answer from these two Princes he went to Narbon and discoursed personally with Ferdinand King of Arragon whose Subjects paid obedience to Benedict But Benedict still alledged that he was the true Vicar of Christ saying that Constance was not a place convenient for the liberty of an Ecclesiastical Council seeing that John had been condemned and deposed from the Papacy by those very persons who had been formerly his Friends and received him to the Pontifical dignity The Princes of Spain observing the pertinacity of Benedict concurred with the opinion of the Council which was managed by five several Nations viz. Italy Germany England France and Spain What these Nations had done was approved and published by a Trumpet or a publick Notary Then Benedict's cause being discussed he was at last deposed and declared void of the Papacy no reckoning being made of the absent Scots and Count d'Armignac who continued their obedience to him About this time John Huss and Jerome of Prague his Disciple were condemned and burnt for Hereticks On Novemb. 8. Anno 1417. thirty two Cardinals entred the conclave with thirty others for the several Nations which is six a piece and on the 11 th of the same Month which was the Feast of St. Martin about three in the Morning Cardinal di san Gregorio called Oddo Colonna before was created Pope with great satisfaction to the people The Emperour presently went into the conclave and having thanked the Cardinals kissed the Pope's Feet The Pope embraced him and thanked him for his great industry in that affair This Pope would needs be called Martin because his Election hapned on that Saint's day Then all the French Cardinals left Benedict and came in unto Martin the Scots and d'Armignac did the same and all Christendom except Paniscola which remained divided Martin being desirous to put an end to the Council Anno 1418. he made a publick Assembly after which by common consent but especially of Sigismund Ibaldo Cardinal of St. Vito by order from the Pope pronounced these words of dismission Domini ite in pace and so all had liberty to depart Then Martin hastned to Rome travelling by Milan as the nearest way He sate fourteen years and dyed of an Apoplexy Febr. 20. Anno 1431. When Benedict had sate thirty years and was dead his Cardinals chose Pope Clement VIII but he compounded with Martin and so the schism was ended Henry V. King of England had invaded France and soon after at the Battle of Agin-Court ten thousand French-men were slain Anthony Duke of Brabant with his Brother Philip Earl of Nevers were also slain by the English Bow-men These were Brethren to John Duke of Burgundy Charles Duke of Orleans and Lewes of Burbon the Earls of Richemont Ew and Vendosme the strongest pillars of the Orleans faction with many other Noble-men and Gentlemen were taken prisoners and carried into England Lewes the Daulphin dyeth soon after this defeat The Emperour Sigismund cometh into France making shew of the great desire he had to make a peace betwixt the French and the English The English take all Normandy and Rhoan is besieged and taken and all the Isle of France yieldeth to King Henry even to the Gates of Paris France was now strangely divided into divers factions The King's Authority were for the Queen and the Burgundian Piccardy Burgundy and many other Towns in Bry Champagne and Beausse obeyed them absolutely after the great massacres that had been lately done in Paris Only Sens adhered to the Daulphin Charles The Prince of Orange of the Burgundian Faction makes War in Daulphinè and Languedoc to cross the affairs of Charles who notwithstanding had the greatest part of the Countrey at his devotion with the friendship of Avignon and the Earldom of Veness The English possessed all Normandy and a great part of Guienne But Rochel Poictiers St. John de Angelo Angoulesm Fontenay and some other Towns acknowledged the Daulphin All Anjou was his Avergne Berry Burbonois Forrest and Lionois obeyed him He likewise took upon him the Name of Regent The Duke of Britain leaves the English and joyns with the Daulphin The people grow in dislike with the Duke of Burgundy and the Parisians mutiny against the Burgundian faction and kill his Servants At length a peace is made betwixt the Daulphin and the Burgundian Anno 1419. but soon after the Daulphin causeth John Duke of Burgundy to be murthered in his presence This John had slain Charles Duke of Orleans traiterously and now he is treacherously slain by Charles the Daulphin Philip Son to John Duke of Burgundy stirs up great troubles against Charles the Daulphin in revenge of his Father 's death By his means Isabel an unkind Mother makes War against Charles her Son and peace with Henry V. King of England then a Capital Enemy to the State She gives him her Daughter Katherine in Marriage and procures King Charles VI. her Husband to declare Henry his lawful Heir and to disinherit his only Son Charles from the Realm of France But in the midst of these occurrences Henry V. dyeth in the vigour of his age and spirit on the last day of August Anno 1422. and Charles VI. the French King dyed fifty days after on the 22. of October the same year After his Funerals Henry VI. an Infant Son to Henry V. is proclaimed King of France and after is crowned King at Paris Charles VII after the decease of his Father Charles VI. took upon him the name of King of France notwithstanding the pretension of the English He was 21 years old when he began to reign and reigned 39 years The beginning of his reign was troublesome till he was installed King and thereby acknowledged of all the French Afterwards he reduced the Cities subdued by the English to his obedience beginning with the City of Paris and so proceeding to the rest of the Realm expelling the English from all except Calais In the close of his Reign he had many Domestical discontents which hastened him to his Grave after the happy events of all his difficulties At this time flourished John Gerson a divine of Paris he was present at the Council of Constance and in some written Treatises highly commendeth the decree Bishop J●el's preface to his defence of his Apol●gy Bishop Bedel Waddesw ●e●● p. 107. that the Bishop of Rome should be subject to the Council and saith The thing is worthy to be written in all places for a perpetual memory He was the most learned Man of his time and the only Doctor and Leader of
he continued in a league of friendship with him thirty eight years And saith also That in all that while in which he was acquainted with him he never heard him dispute of the Controverted points of Religion or that he was accustomed to write to others about them Adrian Turnebus was Professour of Philosophy and Greek in Paris under King Charles IX Thuanus calls him grande nostri seculi ornamentum Illa aeternitate digna Advers●ria Thuan. Hist Tom. 2. li. 36. He was admirable both in the Greek and Latin Languages and in knowledge of all Antiquity as his Books entitled Adversaria do evidently testifie of which H. Stephanus thus speaketh Vtinam non tantâ brevitate in suis Adversariorum libris esset usus Paulò enim luculentior plenior quorundam locorum explanatio majorem illi operi gratiam laudémque conciliasset lectori multò magis satisfecisset Stephanus Paschasius in his Icones saith thus of him Quicquid in arcano condebat avara vetustas Turnebus tacitis eruit è latebris He hath rectified Plinies Preface to his Natural History by Ancient Copies and added Annotations upon it He hath commented also upon Horace's first Book of verses and upon his obscurer places Vide Lectium de vita Sadeelis et scriptis At this time flourished Anthony Sadeel Anthony Bourbon King of Navarre greatly respected him and was wont to hear him Preach His friends in France were especially Beza Hottoman Goulartius Faius and others John Auratus Regius Professour in Paris for the King of France was much respected by Charles IX and was the chiefest Poet of his time He was most skilful in Greek and Latine Some of his Poems are published Papyr Masson Auratum nemo te dicat magne Poeta Aurea namque tibi Musa lepósque fuit Antoine de Chandieu was a learned French Divine Beza highly commends his Book of the Marks of the true Church There are other works of his also viz. De l'unique sacrifice Contre les traditions Beza gives him this character De la trefare erudition pietè entiere diligence incroyable dexteritè admirable Beze Epistre au Roy devant son Traicte Des Marques De l'Eglise Catholique Andreas du Chesne was the King of France his Geographer he hath put out divers French Books Gilbert Genebrard was a Divine of Paris and the King's Professour of Hebrew He was a most petulant writer By whom saith B. Andr. it is verified that much Learning and railing may be accidents in one Subject Papyrius Massonius was such a writer of the French Chronicle as Cambden of the English There are four Books of his Annals One speaks thus of him Non tam undiquaque Pontificius quin verò Pontificum vitia libere fateatur Mortoni causa Regia cap. 3. Sect. 19. Jacobus Cujacius was a great light of France His Life is written by Papyrius Massonius He is praised by Peter Faber whose Master he was as the greatest Lawyer of his time Pasquier saith In many Universities of Germany when those in the Chair alledge Cujacius and Turnebus they put their hands to their hats for the respect and honour they bear them He was thought to be somewhat inclinable to the Protestant Religion But when any Theological question was askt him he was wont to answer Nihil hoc ad Edictum Praetoris John Passeratius was a learned French man the King's Professour of Eloquence in Paris an excellent Oratour and Poet. He hath put out Orations and Prefaces a Commentary on Catullus Tibullus and Propertius Varia Opuscula His French Works are mentioned by Antoine du Verdier in his Bibliotheque At the same time lived Dionysius Lambinus a Learned French man he hath Commented well on Lucretius Horace Plautus Turnebus often makes honourable mention of him in his Adversaria The Queen of Navarre Prince of Conde the Admiral and the Dutchess of Ferrara having for many Months made request that places should be allowed to the Protestants for their Sermons and Ceremonies and all these and many more Grandees even in the Court it self making Profession thereof the inferiour Protestants Assembled themselves apart whereupon dangerous Popular tumults were raised in many parts of the Kingdom with slaughter on both sides Two divers tumults were raised by Sermons one at Dijon the other in Paris Hereupon the Presidents of all the Parliaments were called and certain Councellours Elected to deliberate what was best to be done All these being Assembled at Saint German where the Chancellour told them That the differences in Religion should be referred to the Prelates but when the Peace of the Kingdom is in question this could not belong to the Ecclesiasticks but to those whom the King would appoint to consult of it That this Particular was then to be considered of whether it were good service for the King to permit or prohibit the Congregations of the Protestants wherein they were not to dispute which Religion was the better because they took not in hand to frame a Religion but to put in order a Republick In the end they concluded that the Edict of July was to be remitted in part and the Protestants to have lieve to Preach The Edict contained many Points That the Protestants should restore the Churches Possessions and other Ecclesiastical goods usurped That they should forbear to beat down Crosses Images and Churches upon pain of death That they should not Assemble themselves to Preach Pray or Administer the Sacraments in publick or in private by day or by night within the City That the Prohibitions and Punishments of the Edict of July and all others made before should be suspended That they shall not be molested in their Sermons made out of the City or hindered by the Magistrates That none shall scandalize another for Religion or use contumelious words of Faction That the Magistrates and Officers may be present at the Sermons and Congregations That they shall not make Synods Colloquies or Consistories but with lieve and in presence of the Magistrate That they shall observe the Laws for Feasts and Degrees prohibited for Marriage That the Ministers shall be bound to swear to the Publick Officers not to offend against this Edict nor to Preach any Doctrine contrary to the Nicene Council and the Books of the Old and New Testament This was Registred and published by way of Provision with this express Clause and Condition Until such time as the General Council or the King himself should order it otherwise The Duke of Guise the Constable and the Cardinals among which the Cardinal of Tournon was lately dead with the Marshals of Brisac and St. Andre being discontented hereat left the Court contriving how they might hinder the execution of the Edict and oppose the Protestants But because they saw that whilst the King of Navarre stood united with the Regent they had no right to intermeddle with the Government of the Kingdom therefore they proposed to themselves to dissolve that Union And knowing that