straight charge that the priestes should be perfitte in the Popes decrees He sent these bishops Germanus into Englande Palladus into Scotlande and Patricke with a certaine Segetian into Irelande to roote out the Pelagian heresie He died Anno. 435. being put in among the number of confessours 12 Sixtus the thirde SIxtus the thirde a Romaine called the enricher of churches he builded the churche of S. Mary the greater after a miracle of snowe and enriched it with great giftes and garnished the pallayces with golde At the persuasion of a woman called Eudoxia he did hallowe Peters chaynes and appointed a yearely feaste daye in honour of them to be kept at Midsommer He died a confessour Anno. 440. and was buried in the citie About the yeare of our Lorde 456. Genesericus came out of Aphrica into Italy with a great armye against Rome and coÌ„ming thether he finding the citie empty inuaded it And for the space of xiiii dayes continually caried out the spoyle of it and toke away many prysoners 13 Leo the first LEo the first a Thuscane borne added to the masse these wordes to name it Sanctum sacrificium ImmaculataÌ„ hostiam hanc oblationem whiche cannot be without blaspheming God haynously â–ª He like an Idolatour builded a pallayce in the honour of Cornelius a byshop and appointed clarkes to kepe the Apostles sepulchres He decreed that men should worship the images of the dead allowed the sacrifice of the masse he died a confessour Anno. 462. 14 Hilarius HIlarius borne in Sardinia a man daily exercised in building and beautifying of churches decked the post of Christe his crosse with golde and precious stones He made decrees by synodes proclayming them to be kept through the whole worlde He made a lawe that euery minister should be put from his calling whiche maried either a widowe or deuorced woman and not a mayde He died a confessour Anno. 469. In his time Mamertus Claudius bishop of Vienna made the Letanies or procession to be saide thrise a weke whereof Mantuan sayth Fast. 4. By Rodanus there standes a towne Vienna men it name Sorenoied while one Mamertus was bishop of the same And suffred many sturdy stormes for oft with firy flake Of thonderclap it burnt while the treÌ„bling soyle did shake The grounde did gape as torne in twayne whereby the daungerous dell VVith yawning mouth stoode open downe to glowing goulphe of hell Among the dungeons depe of Ioue and rauening wolues vvithall VVere driuen to madnes through the haggs of hell that vp did crall The fraÌ„ticke neat begaÌ„ to murther meÌ„ in field tovvne VVherevvith mens hartes amazed vvere that thus the Lord should frovvne And so coÌ„straind they asked aide and succour froÌ„ aboue And vvith their humble prayers sought Gods mercy for to moue And herevppon the Letanye at first deuised vvas And aftervvard it did from thens to other people passe In the time of this Pope about the yeare of Christ 476. Odoacer with an army of HerulaÌ„s Turcihugians came from Panonia and wanne Rome and all Italye and raigned there xiiii yeres About this time Rome was so terriblie shaken wyth earthquakes that manye houses fell downe wythall 15. Simplicius SImplicius a Tiburtinian borne did dedicate Pallaces and deuided the towne into fiue parts for the priestes to serue and appointed the sacrificing priestes their weekes hee shewed that the Church of Rome was the chiefe Church of all He vsurped auctoritie vppon the people of Rauenna like a tyraunte and commaunded that none of the Clergy should acknowledge that he held any Ecclesiasticall benefice of a lay maÌ„ And this maÌ„ dyed a confessor Anno. 484. 16. Foelix the third FOElix the thirde a Romaine the sonne of one Foelix a priest decreed that onelye a bishoppe and no priuate priestes should dedicate the Churches and allowed a feast for the dedication of them Hee hallowed Agapetus hys Pallaice He decreed that the Clergye being accused of anye matter should haue dayes graunted to returne theyr aunswere and dyed in peace a confessor Anno. 494. 17. Gelasius GElasius an Aphrican sonne to Valerius a bishop burned the bookes of the Manichies hee made hymmes prefaces â–ª graduals collects and prayers hee seueâ—ed the Apocrypha from Canonicall Scripture and allowed maryed wydowers after they had maryed their seconde wyfe to be priestes if they toke his dispensation He encreased y Clergye he dedicated Pallaices and decreed that priestes orders should bee geuen foure times in the yeare he added to the Masse the conclusions of the prayers Et te igitur at lengthe auouched that he his successors should be iudged by no bodye And dyed a confessor Anno. 497. 18. Anastasius the second ANastasius the seconde a Romaine leaned to the Eutichians and Nestorians he did coÌ„municate wyth heretikes he excommunicated the Emperour And in the yere of our Lorde 499. on the stoole of easemente his bowels issued out of his bellye He dyed a confessor so writeth Volaterranus 19 Symmachus SYmmachus borne in Sardinia was chosen bishop with much dissention among the Clergye He ordayned that virgins which had once professed chastitye shoulde neuer marrye afterwarde and that none of the Clergye shoulde keepe in house wyth anye woman but such a one as were his kinswoman He builded many Pallacies euen out of the ground He brought the masse into fashion hee commaunded to singe Gloria in excelsis vppon the byrth dayes of saincts And if any maÌ„ may trust Gregoryes Dialogues he coÌ„mitted to Purgatorye the stubborne soule of one Paschasius a deacon after his death And yet this man dyed a confessour Anno. 514. Vspergensis sayth that wheÌ„ this Pope was chosen one Laurence was also chosen by some wherevppon manye slaughters both of the people Clergye were made in Rome during the space of iii. yeres but Symachus preuailed 20. Hormisda HOrmisda borne in Campania did set quietnes among the Clergie he appointed that the Psalmes should be songe by course enterchaungeable He commaunded that the decrees of counsels should be kept and bestowed many thinges to y furniture of churches he lefte a wedge of syluer waying a thousande fourty poundes in saint Peters churche and commauÌ„ded that no aultar should be builded without the consent of the byshop He added ceremonies to publique mariages and excommunicated Anastasius the Emperous because he sayde that it was an office dewe only to the Emperoure to commaunde and not to be at a byshops commaundement suche then was the courage of the spirite of Antichriste Iustinus the Emperoure as Isiodorus wryteth made this Hormisda a Patriarch of Rome being before but an Archebishop who died a confessour Anno. 523. From the time of Syluester the Romaine prelates were Archebishops for the space of twoo hundreth yeares that is from the yeare 320. vntill this yeare 520. at what tyme they were first made Patriarkes by the Emperour Iustinus I declare this more diligently whereby the attentiue reader may knowe by what degrees the Romain bishops crept vp to
doughter choaked the mother and engendred the mōster ambition who also like the cursed impe of the bastard her morher did in the ende deuoure her grandmother Religion THE PRELATES or Archebishops of Rome 1. Marcus MArcus a Romaine bestowed a pall vpon the bishop of Hostia who had consecrate the bishop of Rome before other He also cōmaunded that the people and the clergie should on Sondayes after the Gospell were redde singe the Nicean Crede He builded churches and gaue many giftes vnto them died a confessour in the yere 335. 2. Iulius the first IVlius the first a Romaine appointed that a priest shoulde as they forge of him not aunswer his cause any where but before an ecclesiasticall iudge and he reprehended the bishops of the east onlesse they slaunder him because they had helde counsels without his authoritie but they scorned him for his pride he caused churcheyardes to be made and at the lenghth died a confessour in peace Anno. 351. Platina sayth that this Pope appointed certaine notaries to wryte the actes of other men the whiche office sayth he is yet about the Pope remaining But these notaries of our time saith he are such doultes for the moste parte that for wante of learning they can not wryte their owne name in Latin of their maners I will not speake because these offices are bestowed on bawdes and flatterers vnmete to wryte the actes of other men 3. Liberius LIberius a Romaine for ambition as Hierome witnesseth falling into the Arrian heresie forsooke the trew faith and subscribed to Arrius articles And yet this man died a confessour also Anno. 366. though in dede taynted with damnable heresie 4. Foelix the seconde Foelix the seconde a Romaine was preferred by the Arrians who thrust out Liberius and aduaunced him because they hoped he agreed with them in opinion But in the seconde yeare after he was driuen from his seate and Liberius restored And in the yeare of our Lorde 359. He with other spirituall persones was slayne in a tumulte This man sayth Isidorus made lawes for the defense of the Clergie Also Sozomenus lib. 4. ca. 10. Eccle. histor saith that he being bishop did both admitte Arrian heretikes to the ministery and also vsed their communiō though els he yelded to the counsell of Nice 5. Damasus DAmasus a Spanyarde being made Pope in a certaine faction and vehemently accused of adultery did condemne Liberius his dedes he builded temples and beawtified them with iewels he gaue landes and bathes to the Clergie he encreased strange seruice in the churche he added Confiteor to the seruice he appointed the singing of the Psalmes and allowed Hieroms translation of the Bible For then the myndes of the Prelates began to bee more puft vp with ambition Afterward ▪ Damasus as they saye being a diligent gatherer of thinges doone in times past wrote the lyues and decrees of his predecessours the byshops of Rome enterlacing them with many open and manifest vntruthes And in the yere 384. died a confessour Socrates in the eight booke of his ecclesiasticall history and the 24. chapter sayth that when this Damasus was chosen bishop one Vrsinus a Deacon of the same churche did stande in suite against Damasus but whē he sawe that Damasus was preferred for anger he began by all endeuour to gather congregations to him selfe seuered from the churche Also he perswaded certaine obscure and abiect byshops to chose him bishop secretly in a corner And so he was created not in the churche but in a close place of the pallaice called Sicona Whiche being done the people began to wrangle And hereof arose a bitter contention and deadly sedicion not touching religion ▪ but whether of these two Prelates should be bishop Of this grewe so many assemblies and so often brawlinges that in the end the tumulte was so great that many were slayne about it And therfore Maximinus then liuetenant of the citie did punishe sharpely a great numbre both the Clergie and layetie so suppressed Vrsinus and his faction Thus it appeareth that bloudy ambition is not a newe thing in Rome 6. Siricius SIricius a Romaine medling and making decrees in many matters remoued those from saying seruice that had bene twyse maried was the firste that admitted monkes into orders for pretence of single life who before were neuer reckened to be as clarkes He mingled y Antiphones with the Psalmes and appointed that orders should be geuen some at one time some at an other he died a confessour Anno 399. 7. Anastasius ANastasius a Romaine appointed that whyle the Gospel was reading they should stand not sitte He exempted from the ministery those that were lame impotēt or diseased persons and slept with his forefathers in peace being a confessour Anno. 404. 8. Innocentius INnocentius borne in Albania aduaūced the sea of Rome aboue all other and would haue it to be iudged by none He commaunded the faithfull to faste on the Saturday to bewayle with Mary Magdalene our sauiour Christe that was buried ▪ euen as on that daye He deuised that at masse time the Pax should be geuen about in the church and cōmaunded that the church a wayghty matter being ones consecrate should neuer be consecrate any more He made certayne decrees concerning Iewes Pagans Monkes and made the anoyling of the sick to be a sacrament And is counted among the dead confessours Anno. 416. The yeare before being the yeare 415. Alaricus king of Gothes ouerranne Italy wan Rome wasted spoyled and burnt it miserably And sone after him his cosen Athoulfus came thether againe and spoyled all that he had left 9. Sozymus SOzymus a Greke appointed that tapers should be blessed on the holydaye and that the Deacons in saying seruice should haue their lefthandes couered He forbad that clarkes should vse tipling in opē place or haunte tauernes and that no bondmen should be admitted to be of the Clergie And died a confessour Anno. 420. Also this Sozymus suppressed the Nouacian heretikes whiche in time past had borne great swaye in Rome But nowe they were kept vnder for sayth Isocrates the byshop of Rome as well as the byshop of Alexandria had stretched his power beyond the limittes of priesthood stepping into temporall authoritie Socrat. histor eccle lib. 7. cap. 11. 10. Bonifacius BOnifacius a Romaine the sonne of one Iucundus a priest was chosen Pope at suche time as there was great sedition among the Clergie He made decrees that were very necessary God graunte they proue so as that a woman yet though she were a hoodded noonne should not openly touche the altar cloth nor the holy vessels nor smell to the incense And that none should be made priest till he were thirty yeres olde After he had decreed that sainctes eueninges should be kept he died a confessour Anno. 426. 11. Coelestinus Caelestinus borne in Campania patched the Popishe masse vp with these thinges Introitum Graduale Responsorium Tractum Offertorium as his owne deuices And gaue
Idolatry in worshipping them then that the saluage people should harme the dead bodies Hee died ere he had raigned Pope two yeares Anno. 638. Platina reporteth that in this mans tyme a certaine priest robbed the tombe of Rothaeris in S. Iohn Baptistes churche for sayth he they were wonte to burie certayne precious thinges with kinges bodies The like thing happened of late tyme to Cardinall Allouisius Patriarke of Aquilia for his graue being burste vp he was robbed by those whome he from very base estate had aduaunced to the dignitie of priestes and better calling 8. Theodorus THeodorus the firste was a Grecian borne the sonne of Theodorus byshop of Hierusalem hee builded manye churches in Rome and golden shrines for sainctes He â—et vp the reliques of Sainctes in golde siluer in the church He forbad that mariage made after a single vowe shoulde be broken He depryued Pyrrus byshop of Constantinople for heresy He appointed that tapers should be halowed on Easter eue for Easter time He died Anno. 646. 9. Martin the first MArtin the first a Tuderdinian borne made lawes for keping holy dayes and decking of churches suche as the Idolatours before were woÌ„t to kepe He gaue straight charge that priestes should shaue their polles and that bishops should make euery yeare as they call it an holye Chrisme and sende it to euery churche in their Diocese He burthened the Clergie with vowe of single life and appointed that a couple being married ere they lay together the bridegrome bryde should haue the priestes blessing He commaunded also that priestes houses should be buylt next to the churche That Monkes shoud not go out of the abbies without the Abbots leaue in a Synode at Rome that bishops should not transpose the churche goodes to their owne priuate vse He died Anno. 656. VVicelius sayth he was very vehement against certaine sectes excoÌ„municating them whome he ought by the scripture to haue admonished He deposed Paule Patriarke of Constantinople not admonishing him first once or twise according to S. Paule rule for the whiche he was bounde in chaynes and so brought to Constantinople by the Emperour ConstaÌ„tinus wher in banishmeÌ„t he died in great miserie An. 653. 10. Eugenius the first EVgenius the firste was a Romaine commended for his manners But VVicelius saith this Pope did neuer any notable dede but decreed that bishops should haue prisons to punishe priestes Thus by little and little they encroched the power of temporall swearde certaine letters were sent vnto him from Constantinople contayning heresie whiche were so detested that saith Platina the Clergie it selfe toke vppon them to forbidde the Pope to saye masse in S. Maries churche vnlesse he would firste burne the letters then might the Clergie controll the Popes slackenes or errour in religion 11. Vitellianus VItellianus borne in Campania being an excellent musician wrote the ecclesiasticall Canon he broughte singing and organs into the churche He accused one Iohn minister in a certaine churche in Crete vnto the bishop of that place for hauing a wife He made the Latin howers songes masses idolatry and ceremonies adding and turning all into Latine about the yeare of Christes incarnation 666. which was the number of the name of the beast spoken of in the 13. of the Apocal. Here therefore is to be noted that the nuÌ„ber of the beast agreeth vnto this time secondly the number of the yeares conteined in the name of the beaste is founde out in this woorde λατεινοσ as who would saye that Antechriste shal be a Latin or in the Latin churche who shall come to his perfection in the yeare 666. Also the letters of his name shall amounte to this number and last of all is to be noted how that beside this Lateinos expressed the Latin bishop and the time of Antechriste it agreeth with the straunge doinges of this tyme that all thinges were turned into Latin in the churche And because that this mistery of sixe hundred sixty sixe spoken of in the Reuelation may appeare euen to the moste simple to agree vnto the churche of Rome as in this place is saide it is first to be considered that the auncient father Irenaeus being immediatly after the Apostles reading this place and considering of the woordes of S. Iohn saying Let him that hath wisedome counte the nuÌ„ber of the beast for it is the number of a man and his number is sixe hundred sixty sixe Irenaeus I saye considering of these wordes did at the length finde out that this number agreed to this Greeke name λατεινοσ and therefore he sayde that surely Antechriste should be a Latin and in the Latin churche for the Grekes in whose tongue the Reuelation was written do expresse their numbers by their letters as we do by figures And in their numbringe this letter λ the firste letter of that name standeth for thirty the next letter α standeth for one the thirde letter Ï„ for three hundred the iiii letter ε for fiue the fift letter ι for tenne the sixte letter ν for fiftie the seuenth letter ο for threscore and tenne and the eight and last letter σ standeth for twoo hondred So that if these eight numbers that is thirty one three hundred fiue ten fifty seuenty and two hundred be added together they make sixe hundred sixty sixe â—umpe Againe nuÌ„ber so the letters in this worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ecclesia Italica that is the Italian churche and ye shall finde it also make iump six hundred sixty sixe For in the former worde of these two there are right letters whereof the firste is ε standing for fiue the second κ in value twenty and so the thirde is κ that is twenty the fourth λ that is thirty the fift η that is eight the sixt Ï‚ that is twoo hundred the seuenth is ι that is tenne the eight is α and that standeth for one All whiche numbers added together make 294. Nowe to coine to the latter woorde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Italica in it are seuen letters the firste is ι and is euer set in the Grecian numbers for ten the seconde Ï„ for three hundred the third α for one the fourth λ for thirty the fift ι for tenne the sixt κ for twenty the seuenth and last is α for one all whiche seuen numbers amounte to three hundred seuenty and two then vnto this adde the nuÌ„ber of the former word whiche was two huÌ„dred ninty foure and the whole somme is lumpe sixe hundred sixty sixe Furthermore in the same thirtene chapter and the firste verse thereof S. Iohn speaking of this beaste saith that the beaste had seuen heades And in the seuententh of the Reuelation the Angell doth expounde this mistery vnto Iohn saying the seuen heades were vii mountaines vpon which the woman meaninge the forenamed whore of Babilon doth sit and afterwarde againe he saith that the same woman whom Iohn saw sitting on the beast with seuen heades is that great Cittye which hath rule ouer the kinges of the earth At
which time it is manifest to all the world that Rome had the soueraignitye and Empyre of all the world and that it was then the great Cittie and none but it of whom this might be said neither is it knowen that anye other Cittye is or hath bene built vppon seuen hilles And that Rome is so it appeareth by diuers writers Romaines and other that report it as they haue seene it Amonge other Munster in his Topographie doth not only in the descriptioÌ„ of Rome testifie that there are seuen hilles but also sheweth the names of them euerye one which are these Auentinus Capitolinus Palatinus Caelâ—us Exquilinus Viminalis and Quirinalis hill Properâ—ius the Poet confirmeth it briefely in a verse saying thus of Rome Septem vrbs alta iugis toti quae presidet orbi the like hath Virgil in hys Georgicks Septem quae vno sibi muro circundedit arces speakinge it of Rome Mantuan in his Fast. li. 2. doth in like maner describe Rome calling it RomuleaÌ„ septem cuÌ„ Collibus vrbem So of the Grekes it is called Heptalophos wherin Hepâ—a signifieth 7. and lophoâ— an hil head or top This Vitellianus commaunded shauings and annointings of the clergye to be vsed geuing vnder these markes liceâ—s to buy and sell pardons in the Churche as was prophesyed of Antichrist after he had choaked the Church with much palcry he dyed At this time at the fulnesse of Antichrist moÌ„kery grew into superstitious estimation At this time also these two straunge thinges were wrought Abbeis were first founded for monkes kinges were shaued and made monkes 12. Theodatus the second THeodatus the second a Romaine borne was made Pope beinge but a monke He bestowed great cost to make a sumptuous abbey of that from whence he came He gaue licence to moÌ„kes to transport Benedict Nursin patriarcke of his own order with a scholesister of theirs from Cassim mount into Fraunce At this time were manye straunge thinges as a blasinge starre appearing 3. monethes continually with great raine often thonders with a strauÌ„ge Rainbowe and earthquakes suche as the like were neuer heard of And some say that the corne being beaten downe with these strauÌ„ge tempests of raine did spring vp againe and grew to ripenesse For these thinges Theodatus caused prayers often to be said and dyed Anno 675. 13. Donus the first DOnus the firste was made Pope in a miserable tyme when the fieldes and the corne were burnt vp with thoÌ„der lightninges and showers He as Popes vse beautified S. Peters porche with pillers And after he had punished certaine Nestoria heretikes he scattered theÌ„ in diuers abbeis in Italy He restored certayne olde churches he deuided the Clergie into diuers orders and aduaunced them with seuerall kindes of honour and dignitie After muche controuersie he made subiect to Rome Rauennas churche Theodorus the Archebishop therof agreing to it through the Popes flattery whiche churche before was called Alliocephalis After he had done many â—uche dedes he died Anno. 679. 14. Agathon the first AGathon the first as Gratian writeth Distinct. 19. being a Monke of Sicill coÌ„maunded that the Popes decrees should be taken for as canonicall and authenticall as the Apostles wrytings So he gaue as great auctoritie to the masse whiche was clouted together by sondry Popes But wickedly he coÌ„demned the mariage of ministers of the Latine churche He sent one Iohn a Monke and Archedeacon of Rome into Englande Anno 679. to teache them here the manner of their reading singing ceremonies in their churches And the better to vtter his knackes of celebrations and sacrifices as Beda wryteth in his fourth booke 18. chapter de Gestis Anglorum He â—ent his Oratours Iohn bishop of Portua and Iohn Deacon of the Romaine churche to the sixt Sinode of Constantinople and against the Monothelites he sent one Agathus In the whiche Sinode the Clergie of the Greke churche were allowed mariage and the Latin churche forbidden it Also among other thinges then done the eight daye after Easter Anno 681. the said Iohn of Portua did first of al say the Latin masse openly before the Prince and the Patriarke and people of Constantinople all men allowing it for nouelties sake as a newe founde thing whiche taking roote hereupon was receiued in all churches whiche helde vpon the Pope In this Popes time after straunge Eclipses both of Sunne and Moone was a Pestilence so contagious in Rome that the Pope him selfe died thereof The seate then was vâ—yde a yeare and a halfe 15. Leo the second LEo the seconde was a Monke very learned as well in Greke as in Latin and so skilfull in Musick that hee brought the notes of the Psalmes and Hymnes to better harmonie He coÌ„firmed the sixt Synode partly to establishe the masse partly because by it also the Clergie of the West churche were forbidden mariage He translated into Latin the ordinaunce of mariage He appointed that the Pax shoulde be borne aboute and be kissed of the people while masse was saying Also that if neede did require there shoulde be Christening euery daye He would haue for their sake of Rauenna no election of any bishop to stande in force vnlesse hee were first confirmed by the bishop of Rome But sayth VVicelius without payinge for his pall or anye other money which saith Platina I would it were kept still in Rome for out of this bribing at this day many mischieues aryse For as yet they durst not enterprise wholly such polling as they did afterwarde aboute 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yeares after Christe for in time past the vi Princes of Italye did confirme the bishops of Italy yea and the Pope him selfe Afterwarde the Emperour Constantine the fourth agreing thereunto the election was againe ratified in the handes of the Clergie and the Laitie But the Prelates of Rauenna being emboldened because that the court of the sixe states was among theÌ„ would not obey the churche of Rome but auouched that they were egall in dignitie And thus Foelix being their bishop after Theodorus went about to shake of the Popes yoke and to recouer their lost libertie But the Emperour that was then Iustinian sonne of the sayde Constantinus being set on by Leo with standeth the purpose of Foelix and after he had by assaulte wonne the towne he boared out the byshops eyes with a whot burning iron Leo before the ende of his tenne monethes died Anno. 685. in which time the moone was in a moÌ„sterous and straunge Eclipse appearing as redde as bloud all the night long diuers nightes together 16 Benedictus the second BEnedict the second whose holinesse they said moued the Emperour Constantine the fourth if they father not a falsehode on him after his death to decree that henceforth the Pope of Rome should haue authoritie ouer the people without the licence of the Emperoure or the sixe states of Italy whiche lasted not long He reedified diuers temples enriching them with vessels of golde syluer and guilt with coapes of
cloth of tissue and cloth of gold and other iewels according to the Iewishe ceremonies and this Pope was the firste that toke vpon him to be called Christes vicar on earth Out of Vesunius hyll in Campania suche aboundaunce of fier spouted that it burnt vp all the countries men and cattell rounde about after whiche it is euident that there ensued Anno 686. bloudshed burning spoyling and the death of Princes and especially of this Benedict a Pope of tenne monethes 17. Iohn the fift IOhn the fifte was borne in Siria he first of all toke consecration of three bishops of the bishop of Hostia Portua Veliterne whiche custome he appointed to be kepte of his successours And his posteritie do kepe this vse euen vnto this daye in our Sauiours church at Lateran In his Popedome he fell sicke in the whiche time he wrote a vayne and vnlearned booke touching the dignitie of the pall of an Archebyshop 18. Conon COnon a Thracian was made Pope after much wrangling betwene the Romaines who would haue elected one Peter an Archebishop and the host preferring one Iohn a priest This Conon being established fell sicke and died Anno 689. He made one Kilianus being before a Scottishe Monke a bishop and sent him with other into Germanie to winne the East part of Fraunce to the church of Rome But this Kilian his company were at the first â—layne of their Auditours and buried at Herbipolis One Paschal an ArchedeacoÌ„ and Treasurer to the said Conon in this Popes life bribed Iohn Platina one of the sixe princes of Italy to make him Pope after the death of Conon Platina tooke the mony but he perfourmed not the couenaunt neyther restored the money 19. Sergius the first AT this time was great hurlie burly about the election of the Pope Some chose Theodorus a prieste some Paschal an Archedeacon And whyle euery one did ambitiouslye maintaine his owne faction either partie with the men of his owne side kept possessioÌ„ in some part of Lateâ—an pallaice But when the chiefe of the clergye the Romaines the army sawe that this sedition would wexe bloudye they agreed to appease this tumult reiecting both the other they chose Sergius an Assyrian borne brought him to Lateran Church and brasting vp the doores they driue oute the seditious electors and compelled Theodor Paschal to salute Sergius as Pope He bestowed great cost in trimming the temples with guilding images golden caÌ„delsticks and curious masons worke riche clothes such stuffe He they say founde a peece of Christ his Crosse in a brasen cofer He repayred the images of the Apostles being worne out with continuance He set a new patche vpoÌ„ the masse commaunding that Agnus Dei should be songe thrise wheÌ„ the priest is breaking the bread And on the day of the annuntiation of the virgin to sing procession He reclaymed the Church of Aquilia which began to decline from Papistrye He also by his monks allured the Saxons Frisians to the same superstition While Aldhelmus an Englishman waited at Rome to be admitted to a bishopricke he hard the Pope accused of adulterye the childe being new borne which was fathered vppon him Aldhelmê° therefore did secretlye admonishe the Pope of this wickednes Sergius dyed Anno. 701. 20. Iohn the sixt IOhn the sixt a Grecian borne beinge much delighted in vanityes as his predecessors were was very curious in decking the temples In the time of famine and warre he nourished a great nomber of poore men with the treasures of the Church being in deede the worthiest of al Popes for such almes deedes also he redeemed diuers prisoners oute of bondage And with threatninge caused Gisulphus captaine of Beneuent who then wasted Campania to returne home This man as it appeareth was because of Sergius adultery elected only Pope and not confirmed Sergius being restorde againe and therfore he is not reckened amoÌ„g the Popes Peter Premonstratensis sayth that Iohn was thrust out againe because of his vnlawful entrance therfore he is not enrolled among the Popes 21. Iohn the seuenth IOhn the seuenth a Grecian was delighted in nothinge but superstitious garnishinge Churches and images of Saincts for which he is muche commended but not one worde spoken of him touching preaching the Gospell Hee dyed Anno. 707. 22. Sisinius the second SIsinius or Sozymus after great conteÌ„tion with Dioscorus about the Popedome at lengthe obtayned it Hee was so sore sicke of the goute that hee liued Pope but xx dayes being neither able to sturre nor to eatâ— any thinge Nauclerus wryteth that he was poisoned by the said Dioscorus in the same yeare that Iohn the seuenth dyed 23 Constantine the first COnstantine the first being sent for by Iustitian the Emperour to come to Constantinople was the first that euer offered his soueraigne to kisse his feete At his returne home he condemned Philip Burdan of impiety because he could not abide the abhominations of Idols and toke the Images out of the Churche Furthermore he commaunded that the picture of the Emperour counting the godly Prince a wicked heretike should not be receiued thoughe it were engrauen in golde or siluer he cursed all the Emperours coyne And holdinge a counsell at Rome he decreed that Images should be had in the Church shoulde be worshipped with great reuerence contrary to al Scripture After this hee moued one Anastasius a mainteyner of images against the said Philippicus who appreheÌ„ding him reft him of his kingdome and put out his eyes when the bishop of Ticinum rebelled against his Metropolitan the Archbishop of Mediolan the Pope would not recoÌ„cile him but falselye made him tributary by stelth to the Sea of Rome whereby that bishopricke hath brought it selfe to perpetual bondage Kinredus and Offa two kings of the Englishe Saxons for their pleasures made a voyage to Rome and when they were there the Pope made theym forsake their kingdomes turned them into monkes hee dyed Anno 715. He was the first that gaue his feete to be kissed of Emperours 24. Gregory the seconde GRegory the second bestowed his time in repayring and building spiritual houses Churches with great coste Hee forbad a nonne a nouesse an abbesse a deaconesse or a spirituall Godmother to marrye He ordained that masse should be said euery friday in Lent and caused prayers often to be said because of strauÌ„g sights in the ayre He would haue masse said no where but in an hallowed place He persecuted euen to death those that woulde not worship images By his authority he compelled Luith Prandus king of Italye at the first withstanding it to ratifye Arithpertus donations beinge vniuste onely to maintaine the roâ—at of the clergye He moued the subiectes of the Emperour Leo to breake into opeÌ„ rebellioÌ„ because their images were taken away He caused Spaine Aemilia Luguria Italye and other countreys to reuolt and defye their obeysance to the Emperour The Emperour would haue no worshipping of images in the Church and therefore the
Pope did both excoÌ„municate him put hym from his kingdome threatned him eternall dampnation And thus the Emperours of the East lost their title in Italye Gregory dyed Anno 731. 25 Gregory the third GRegory the third was a stout champion for the Church of Rome and their ambitioÌ„ He did excommunicate his soueraigne the Emperour Leo because he destroyed images He ioyned to him Carolus Metellus the bastard lieuetenaunt of the Frenchmen to maintaine the estate of the bishop of Rome against the Lombardes By helpe of the Lombardes he draue the Grecians out of Italy And afterwarde oppressed the Lombardes them selues by the helpe of Fraunce and absolued all Italy from the oath of their dewe alleageance sworne to the Empire He busied him selfe in taking care and bestowing costes on churches abbyes celles altars Images In a Synode at Rome he maintained that the Images of dead sainctes should be worshipped decreeing excommunication against those that would do the contrary He layde vp in Peters Pallayce the reliques of sainctes and commaunded that on euery daye masse should be said there to them In the Cannons wherof hee addinge certaine clauses clowted it with this pece Quorum solemnitates hodie c. Hee forbad to eate horse fleshe He traÌ„slated the tuicioÌ„ of the churche from the Grekes to the Frenchemen He set the Apostles Images in churches seuerally by them selues He wrote to Boniface an Englisheman that their priestes ought to haue shauen crownes that should pray for the dead at masse and that they ought to praie and to offer sacrifice for the dead After these and like dedes he died Anno 742. 26. Zacharias a Grecian ZAcharias emplied his witte and wealth in pompeous and gorgeous buylding AmoÌ„g other vaine sumptuousnes he was the first that gaue golden coapes decked with pearles and stones to the churche for holy vses He gaue a stipende to the churche towarde the charge of the lampe oyle He deuised the manner and fashion of priestes apparell He deuided the East churche from the West churche He translated out of Latin into Greke Gregories foure bookes of Dialogues to the entent to plante the opinion of Purgatorie among the Grecians which they neuer receiued yet He made it vnlawefull to mary the vnkles wife the vnkle being dead although Gregorie the third allowed it He coÌ„maunded gosseps as we call them in no wyse to marye together He commaunded the Venetians a Godly dede that vpon payne of curse they should not for lucre sel their children of Christians to the Saracenes Taking vpon him the power of God after a sort he presumed very churlishly and cruelly to depose kings from their estate and to make kynges He was the firste that attempted to release subiectes of their alleageance For Pipinus sonne of the bastarde Charles Martell traytour to his Prince by his messengers obtained of Pope Zacharye that he woulde depose king Childericus from the crowne of Fraunce and geue it to him and his heyres The Pope remembring the late dede of Pipinus his father in the Popes behalfe against the Lombardes thinking by this meanes that he should be the better able to encouÌ„ter the Emperoure of the East grauÌ„ted this trayterous request And sent straight charge and highe commission to the estates of Fraunce that they shoulde depose their present king Childericus shaue his head put him into an Abbey and so make him a Monke And after this they should acknowledge Pipin beinge coÌ„firmed and annoynted by the Archebishop Boniface to be their soueraigne and kyng Furthermore he chaunged Lachis king of Lombardy Charolomannus and other from their royall estate and made them Monkes After tenne yeares raigne he died Anno 752. One Steuen a DeacoÌ„ was chosen to succede him who being wakened out of slepe to go about his affaires being taken with the falling sickenesse died presently and therefore is not accompted Pope 27. Steuen the second STeuen the seconde immediatly stept in after this other Steuen who for his superstitious and ambitious dealing in their religion is compted of the Papistes a Godly byshop But note the misterie of his iuggling he hauing thus by craft and guyle obtayned the Popedome he immediatly subdued to the sea of Rome all the dominion of Rauenna which had wrought the Pope so much displeasure and beside many other countreys in Italy thereby to obtaine the kingdome of Italy He craued of Pipin importunatly to reuenge his quarell against Aâ—stulphus kyng of Lombardy for demaunding subsidie of him and his Prelates Pipin to gratifie the Pope in consideration of the kingdome of Fraunce gotten by his meanes after he had longe besieged often assaulted the dominion of Rauenna at the length deliuering it from the garison of Lombardy yelded it as a present to the Pope with al the townes thereof eueÌ„ to the goulph of Uenice And thus they robbed the Emperour of that dominion and withal pulled down the thirde part of the strengthe of the Romaine Empire empairing thereby the East Empire And as for the weste Empire which then was arising it lost his strengthe likewyse But Pope Steuen hereupon annoynting bastarde Pipin and his two sonnes agaynâ— and geuing him a pardon for falsefying his oath of alegeaunce did more ratifie him and his in the kingdom for euer cursing all those that at any time should speake against him Also he shaued Childericus againe and made him newely Monke and so put him afreshe into an Abbey to make all sure Pipin for this fel downe flat on the ground kissed the Popes feete held his stirropes and toke the bridle in his hande and played the osteler anâ— vowed perpetuall fealtie to the Pope The Pope to thanke God for this benefite of so great honour whiche nowe began caused procession to be song through all Rome and the Apostles tombes and other sainctes reliques to be borne about and shewed openly and him selfe to be caried triumphantly through the middes of the people on his porters shoulders in his Pontificalibus Which vse of being borne on mens shoulders his successours haue estemed as a moste holy thing He confirmed by his auctoritie that all Popes tradicions should be taken for good He forgaue all treasons against Princes for the hatred he bare the Grecians he studied to chaunge the Empire froÌ„ them into Fraunce He furnished the churches in Fraunce with pricke song and descant And whatsoeuer henceforth could be wrested from the Empire he coÌ„mauÌ„ded it should be S. Peters see and so dedicated to the churche of Rome he died Anno 757. 28 Paule the first PAule the first was brother to the said Steuen hee after wrangling and iarring betwene him and one Theophilact succeded and followinge the daunce that his auncetours had ledde him threatningly and fearcely he restored the images which CoÌ„stantine Emperour of CoÌ„stantinople had abrogated but Constantine staÌ„ding stoutly in his opinion and defyinge his vaine curses and threates wythstoode images wyth all his power euen to his death This Paule
barbarous Pyrates then this churlishe Boniface He hated the Gibelines with such rancour that in persecuting them he heard saye that some of them were fled to the Genewaies therupon he poasted thether to destroy them vtterly to roote out the very name of them vpon earth And when vpon Ash wednesdaye he should according to the superstitious vse crosse al commeâ—s on the forheade with ashes and saye vnto them thus Remember man that thou art ashes and to ashes thou shalte returne Upon the same day for the same cause the archbishop of Porchet who was a Gibeline came vnto him kneelinge downe vnto the Pope put of his cappe to haue the ashes put on his head whoÌ„ when Boniface had espyed beinge neither ashamed for the time nor the place nor the people present vttered his rancour towarde the bishoppe most shamefullye For takinge vp an handfull of ashes he threwe them spitefullye in the eyes of the bishop sayinge reprochfullye wyth malicious chaunge of woordes Remember man thou arte a Gibeline and to the Gibelines thou shalt returne And beside this depriued him of his archbishopricke though in the ende he restored it In his time were great and cruell warres betwene the Sicilians and Robert duke of Calabria which wroughte much mischiefe to all Italye and yet the Pope being ofteÌ„times requested thereunto would neuer with his auctoritye steppe in betwene them to pacifye the matter But by the prouidence of God they that before fled out of Italye with the rouers arriued in Italye againe and gathering together a fewe who fled and lurked here there for feare of the rage of Boniface came to Anagnia ere the Pope mistrusted any such matter they brast open the gates vpoÌ„ him apprehended him and brought him to Rome where frettinge and raginge in a great agonye most desperatlye for the space of xxx dayes throughe the extremitye of his malady he dyed myserablye Anno 1304. This Pope sent a commaundement to the king of England charging him not to molest Scotland as he did then anye longer because the Scottes were a priuiledged people belonging to his Chappell but the kinge stoode stoutlye in the defence of his righte and quarrell and claymed it as his right not the Popes After this the Pope moued kinge Edwarde to warre vppon the Frenche kinge because he had offended the Pope but the kinge would not be so abused by him After this when the kinge had bestowed the bishopricke of Canterbury vpon Robert Burnel bishop of Bathe the Pope in spite of his teeth did not onlye place another called Iohn Peccam but also sent downe his Bull to the spirituall men of England for their discharge not to paye one penye tribute to the kinge in any case to his no small trouble for vpon this the most of them were at defiaunce with the kinge and his Parliamente especiallye the bishop of Canterburye This is that Pope of whom it was coÌ„monlye said He entred like a foxe he raigned like a Lion he died like a dogge He thinking that kingdomes and Empires were all in his owne hande did vsurpe the aucthority of both swordes woulde be counted the Lord of all the world He gaue sentence the vnlesse kinges woulde receiue their kingdomes at his hand they should be accursed and oughte to be deposed He excommunicated Philip kinge of Fraunce because he would not suffer the treasure of his Realme to be transported oute to Rome he cursed both him and his to the fourth generation Also he would not confirme Albertus to be Emperour whom before he had three or foure times reiected vntill he woulde inuade Fraunce and depose king Philip. He maintayned the discorde that was in Italye and purposed to nourishe them continuallye He forbad that the clergye should paye anye tribute to their Princes without his commaundement He boasted that he bare the keyes of heaueÌ„ and published this Canon that he oughte to be iudged of none althoughe hee shoulde drawe thousandes of soules to hell with him He was the first that deuised the Iubelye according to the Iewishe tradition He gaue full remission of sinnes and pardons to all that shoulde come on pilgrimage to Rome At the first daye of Iubelei hee prancked himselfe gorgeouslye in his pontificalibus The seconde daye he being arrayed most royallye with Emperiall insignes commaunded a naked sword to be caryed before him and said with a loude voice Ecce potestatem vtriusque gladij Lo here is the power of both swordes Finallye he being as is said apprehended and offeringe rather his head to be cut of then he would yelde vp his Papacye those conditions beinge put to him his house was first spoyled of so much treasure that as it is reported all the kinges of the earth together were not able to make so much oute of theyr treasurye as was caryed oute of his Pallaice and from three Cardinals and a Marquesse that were with him Then afterward he was set vpon an vnbroken coult with his face to the horse tayle and so caused to ride a gallop iaunted til he were breathlesse and then was he imprisoned and there almost pined by kinge Philips souldiours of Fraunce till the people of the towne of Aragon where he was did releue him and yet neuerthelesse for thought of this misery and losse he dyed He bestowed on S. Peters Pallaice a chayme of belles making a sweete and pleasaunt noyse and encreased the reuennues therof he yet encreased very much that priuiledges of the begginge fryers He doubled the idolatrous honour of the Apostles the 4 Euangelistes and the foure doctours of the Church He gaue auctoritye to the Ecclesiastical parsons generally in England to excommunicate the people twise in the yeare He caused one Hermanus of Ferraria to be taken oute of his graue and burned xxx yeares after he had beene buryed He said that to be subiect to the Church of Rome is of the necessitye to saluatioÌ„ He deposed diuers Cardinals he deuested diuers kinges of their estate he fostered harlots â—e begat diuers bastardes beside sondrye other lâ—ude pranckes He sommoned kinge Edwarde the first to Rome vpon the coÌ„plaint of Robarte VVinchelsey bishop of Canterbury after the death of Iohn Peccam both which Archbishops troubled the kinge as almost all their auncetours from the time of Hildebrand had done to the Princes in their time for so VVilliam Rufus and Henry the first were troubled wyth Anselmus Archbishop of Canterbury Henry the second also with Thomas Becket King Richard and all England with VVilliam bishop of Elye the Popes Legate King Iohn with Steuen LangtoÌ„ bishop of Canterburye Henry the thirde with Edmonde Archbishop and now this kinge Edwarde wyth these two The kinge beinge cited to Rome was there suspended till he had purchased full dearely his absolution but of the said Peccam this one thing is to be noted that he caused to be ordayned that no spirituall mynister should haue any more benefices theÌ„ one which was also
stil in his Apostelship at Hierusalem and not in his pontificall dignitie at Rome But here it may be fayde that S. Hierome and diuers other whiche followe him do recken that this synode was helde Anno domini 51. and do grounde it vpō the foresaid wordes of Paule ▪ for where as Paule speaking of his conuersion at Damasco sayth that after three yeares he came to Hierusalem and then after fourtene yeres he retourned agayne to Hierusalem this is to be vnderstoode not xiiii yeares from his conuersion but from his former being at Hierusalem and so cōsequently in the xvii yere of his conuersion whiche should be also the ix yeare of the raigne of Claudius This is the computation of Hierome but this is easely disproued for in the ninth yeare of Claudius the Iewes were all banished from Rome because saith Suetonius they made tumultes Impulsore Christo by meanes of Christe And at this time Paule was at Athens as Vspergensis writeth and it appeareth like wyse by the history of the Actes for Paule departing from Athens went to Corinth where he met with Aquila and Priscilla who saith the text were lately come frō Italy because Claudius had commaunded that all Iewes should depart from Rome This being euident that Paule was at this time at Athens it is further to be considered whether he might not be at Hierusalem the same yeare at the counsell or no. Moste certaine it is that Paule was at the counsell and that it was held before his comming to Athens and that so long time that the onely consideration thereof might be sufficient to proue that the same synode was not helde the same yeare For those questiōs being discussed about which they were assembled Paule and Barnaba with certaine other returned with letters from Hierusalem to Antioche where they stayed and taried preaching and teaching for a tyme till at the length Paule agreed with Barnabas to go visite the brethren in those cities wher they had taught the gospell So that Paule passed from Antioche to Syria Cilicia confirming the churches Afterwarde he came to Derba and Lystra where he founde Timothie and hauing circumcized him he toke him with him and as they passed forth saith Luke from citie to citie they gaue vnto them the institutions of the Apostles and Elders of of Hierusalem that they should obserue them so that the churches were confirmed in faith and encreased daily Also they walked throughout Phrygia and Galacia and being forbiddē by the spirite to preache in Asia they went to Nysia from thence to Troada from thence to Samothracia then to Neaples and so to Philippis and stayed there certayne daies from thence to Thessalonica where Paule preached three wekes from thence he went to Beraea and there preached with great fruite till the Iewes came thether from Thessalonica to disquiet him and from this Berea Paule was conueied to Athens Nowe let the diligent reader cōsider all these iourneies with other circumstances as continuance of time and distance of place and Paules abiding in euery place to preache diligently and then iudge whether the forsayde synode could be held this same yeare that Paule came to Athens Waying also that many more notable cities are in these coūtreies Galacia Mysia Phrigia and the rest visited by Paule but not spokē of in the Actes Againe considering that the Apostle traueled by lande all moste altogether that by leasurable iourneyes on foote he could not finishe thousandes of miles in short time but that it were very harde for him to come to Athens the same yere Beside al this if it were to be vnderstode as Hierome maketh it then if ye accompt it in the table ye shall finde it to be one yeare further that is the yeare 52. and it is plaine to be more vntrue for then by this time Paule had continued a yeare in Corinthe and so had not bene in Hierusalē in two yeares before The conclusion therefore is that the said counsell could not be holdē according to the accompte made by Hierome ▪ and therfore S. Paules wordes must be vnderstoode as I sayde before namely of fourtene yeares after his conuersion and then it is euident that Peter was yet in Hierusalem in the yeare 49. But to procede it may be demaūded where Peter was from the time of his deliuery out of pryson at Hierusalem to the time of this synode that is from the fourth yeare of Claudius to the seuenth yere of his raigne Perhaps Peter went to Rome at some time betwene those yeares Nicephorus sayth that in the fifth yere of Claudius Peter was at Hierusalem at the death of the virgin Mary But if we weigh diligently the history of the scripture conferring one place with an other it shall appeare that although it be not specified in the actes yet Peter was at Antioche in this time For Paule in the secōd to the Gallathians saith that Peter came to Antioche whiche could not be at anye time before this time of his deliuery out of pryson as may appeare by the former part of this discourse Againe diuerse reasons there are whiche moue me to thinke that it was before the tyme of this counsell for first Peter being at Antioche Paule sayth of him self that he reproued Peter euen to his face because that he did eate with the Gentils till certaine came from Iames from Hierusalem and then Peter being afrayde to offende those circumcised did shrinke away from the Gentils And the rest of the Iewes yea and Barnabas also fell into the same dissimulation with them This dissembling of Peter is one reason to proue that it was before the counsell for it semed to Peter a doubtfull matter whether he might be conuersaunt with the Gentils whiche if it had bene as it was afterwarde by the counsell determined that circumcision was not necessary then had Peter bene out of doubt what to do therein and would haue delt plainely according to the truth which he had knowen manifestly Agayne if it had bene after the counsell the matter being discussed and agreed vpon Peter should not haue had any cause to dissemble for feare of offending them in that point that came from Iames neyther neded he to haue mistrusted that they would mislike of that whiche should haue bene allowed by the churche neither would Peter haue regarded more their vniust offēce then the decre of the counsell Last of all in the beginning of the 15. of the Actes Luke maketh mencion of suche that came from Hierusalem and troubled the churche at Antioche about circumcision and howe Paule and Barnabas stoode against them and hereupon ensued the said counsell And thus it appeareth that Peter was at Antioch at this time and hetherto therfore to the yeare of the incarnacion 49 he came not within a thousand miles of Rome ¶ Anno Domini 50. and 51. IN the latter yeare of these twayne being the ninth yeare of Claudius al the Iewes as is proued
before were vanished from Rome whiche ouerthroweth the establishing of Peters bishopricke for that yeare And as for the former yeare by their owne stories it semeth not to be the time of his comming for at his first cōming Simon Magus as Platina reportes was in suche honour at Rome through the admiration of his sorcery that he was honoured as a God for a piller was set vp betwene two bridges whereupon it was written Simoni sancto Deo To Simon the holy God so that Peter had a great cōflict ere he could roote out the credit of Simon Magus and plant the Gospell and Iesus Christe in the hartes of the Romaines whiche by the testimony of Platina he did so effectually ere he left that in the ende Simon Magus being brought to contempt Simon Peter was reuerēced and honoured almoste like a God All this asketh more time leasure to be brought to passe then Peter could hetherto obtayne in Rome Concerning these former two yeares this may be sayde briefely Platina and the rest of the Romaine registers doe auoutche that Peter after he left Hierusalem went to Antioche and continued there byshop seuen yeares or as some other thinke fiue yeares at the least or he came to Rome This being allowed of them for a manifest truthe on the one side and it being euident by the scripture by the premisses that this bishoprike at Antioche could not be established at the vttermoste tyll the yeares 49. it foloweth by their accompt that it is sure that for these yeares 52. 53. being within the compasse of the forenamed fyue yeares Peter was not at Rome but at Antioche nothing nearer to Rome then is Hierusalem ¶ Anno 52 53 and 54. TOuching the last yeare of these that is the yeare 54. and the twelth yeare of Claudius it is euident that Peter was not bishop at Rome for then Paule wrote his epistle thether to the Romains in the sixtenth chapter wherof he endeth his epistle with particular salutacions to xviii persones by name beside priuate housholdes and amōg those xviii eight or nine were women and yet there is no mention made of Peter surely if Peter had gone thether before the wryting of this epistle so that Paule might haue then thought that he had bene there Paule would not so haue neglected the worthy Apostle among the rest onlesse he should seme to make lesse accompt of him in the churche then of women if therfore the epistle were nowe written it is probable Peter was not nowe at Rome But it is apparent inough that the epistle was written at this time Paule in the xv chapter and the 24 verse to the Romains promiseth that he would come to Rome but excuseth him selfe that hee came not presently for nowe saieth he I am going to Hierusalē so that hereby it semeth to be written in his iourney at some time going to Hierusalem But it is nedefull to consider at what time especially this was because he went thether fiue seueral times as it appeareth first in the ninth secondly in the twelfth thirdly in the xv fourthly in the xviii fiftly and last that is mencioned in scripture in the xxi chapter of the Actes And touching the first three times it could not be at any of those voiages because Paule had not yet met with Timothe for he founde him not as it is shewed in the sixtenth of the actes til after his thirde comming from Hierusalem from the synode but at the writing of this epistle Timothie was in his cōpanie for in the ende of his epistle he sendeth commendacions in the name of Timothie Then of those two ascendings after his acquaintaunce with Timothie it is plaine that it could not be that he wrote it at the first time mencioned in the 18 of the Actes for in the 18. verse of the same chapter ere Paule returned to Hierusalem it is saide that he departed from Corinthe to Syria and Priscilla and Aquila went with him to Ephesus where he left them and would not stay being thereto requested because he hasted to Hierusalem whether he wēt immediatly At this ascending to Hierusalem this epistle semeth not to be written because in the 16. chapiter thereof he sendeth cōmendaciōs to Aquila and Priscilla who were with him in the moste part of this iourney and almoste two yeares before continually at Corinthe who parting from Paule went not to Rome as he knewe but stayed at Ephesus where he lefte them promising to retourne thether to them But if any make this obiection that because of these salutacions to Aquila and Priscilla this epistle might be written before they came from Rome at some time of Paules going to Hierusalem this is aunswered with that whiche I haue noted before that it could not be so because Paule was not then acquainted with Timothie with whome he met but euen lately before he came to Corinthe and went not to Hierusalem from the time that he founde Timothie till nowe that he left Aquila and Priscilla at Ephesus the cōclusion therefore is that this epistle was written to Rome at the last time that Paule went vp to Hierusalem and by that time might Aquila and Priscilla he retourned to Rome Beside all this in the 19. of the Actes the 20. verse Luke sayth that Paule purposed through the spirite after he had walked through Macedonia and Achaia to go to Hierusalem saying after I haue bene there I must go to s◠Rome here he semeth to be first that is mēcioned mindfull of Rome and this was at his last going to Hierusalē But conferre this place with his owne wordes in the xv chapter and 23. verse of his epistle and it will plaine appeare that the same epistle was written at this time aboue named his wordes be these I haue longed many yeares to se you when so euer I go into Spayne I wil come to you c. But nowe I go to Hierusalem to minister to the saintes for it hath pleased Macedonia and Achaia to imparte somewhat to the poore saintes at Hierusalem c. As soone as I haue dispatched this c. I wil go from hence into Spayne Finally Paule mistrusting the crueltie of the Iewes against him at this time more then heretofore and that truly as it fell out Actes the 21. desireth the Romaines earnestly to praye for him that God would deliuer him from those rebelles whiche were in Iudea All the whiche I alleadge to testifie against the iudgemēt of diuers other that this epistle by moste presumpciōs was writtē the last time of Paules going to Hierusalem whiche was in the twelft yeare of Claudius the 54. yeare of the incarnatiō for Luke testifieth that Paule was two yeare there prysoner before that Foelix the president of Iudea departed Festus came in his steade who was sent thether by Nero in the beginning of his raigne immediatly vpon the death of Claudius who departed in the 14. yeare of his Empier as Iosephus testifieth Antiquit. lib. 20.
very learnedly and fully entreating hereof wherin as wel the allegacions of the Papistes for Peters being at Rome substantially confuted as reasons brought to improue the same And therefore had it not bene so necessarely appertinent to the argument of this booke I would rather haue referred the reader to their doynges then haue spoken any thing thereof Nowe it remayneth to leaue Peter and to come to the bishops of Rome The order of this history requirth that euerye byshop should be here placed as eche succeded other But there is suche confusion amonge them that wryte of them that no man can certainly tell whome to place first second thirde nor fourth And least it be thought to be spoken rather of affection then otherwyse I thought good to shewe out of Vspergensis their owne authour what wrangling and disagreement there is for those that succeded Peter which though it be somwhat loÌ„g yet is it necessary to be shewed that it may appeare what certaintie they haue of Peter those to whome he committed this vniuersall Popedome The wordes of VspergeÌ„sis in the life of Claudius be these Touching the succession of the Romaine byshops their order â—and the tymes wherein they raigned from the beginning diuerse men thinke diuersly whose opinions I wil here briefly set downe c. Some wryte whereunto the ecclesiasticall history agreeth that after the death of Peter sitting at Rome chiefe of the Churche xxv yeares Linus did next take the gouernement vpon him And when he had ruled xii yeares in the second yeare of Titus he lefte it to Anacletus who also after other xii yeares gaue it to Clement whiche semeth to be in the xiii yeare of Domician Clement after nine yeares suffered vnder Traian After him in the fourth place came Euaristus the nexte was Alexander and then Sixtus and so forth But other wryte that Linus and Cletus were both vnder Peter as his vicars or curates and that Peter as soone as he had taken the Papacy vpon him did appointe Linus in his steade to gouerne the churche whereby he him selfe might the better folowe his function of preaching and that he departing after twelue yeres Peter did substitute Cletus in his place who also dying after twelue yeres euen the same yere that Peter suffered vnder Nero. Then Peter committed his seate to ClemeÌ„t giuing to him and his successours power to bynde and loose whome Anacletus succeded in the tyme of Domician then folowed Euaristus c. But because these accomptes do not agree let vs consider wherein they differ and so trie whiche semeth more credible Therefore if Linus left Anacletus and he Clemens then is Clement thrust out of the beadroll of Popes whose reuerence is so great among all Churches that he is not only mentioned among martyrs but also in the Canon of the masse and in the Letany or procession is placed betwene Linus and Clemens But if after Linus Cletus be placed and then Clemens then Euaristus then Alexander c there is no place for Anacletus to get in And Beda in his Martyrtologie that Anacletus was the fourthe after Peter and suffered vnder Domician making Linus first Cletus second Clemens thirde and Anacletus fourth But if Anacletus be placed after Clement and as Beda sayeth died vnder Domician then cannot it holde that his predecessour Clemens should suffer vnder Traian because it may euideÌ„tly be proued that he suffered vnder Domician if his successour Anacletus bee not denied to suffer vnder the same Emperoure Furthermore if Linus and Anacletus as some saye or Linus and Cletus as other saye did bothe rule twelue yeares a peece after the death of Peter dyinge the xiiii yeare of Nero then it arysing to 24. yeares it falleth out that the latter of them should suffer in the xii of Domician so Clemens could not receaue power to binde and loose neither the seate of Peter Whiche opinion also is coÌ„firmed of diuerse and to this is added that Dionysius Areopagita hasting from Athens to Rome againste the martyrdome of the Apostles Peter and Paule but comming a little to late and sone after their deathes did there finde Clemens his scholefellowe bishop of Rome c. Who sent the same Dionysius into Fraunce to preache But it is saide that this Dionysius was martyred Anno domini 96 whiche is the xiiii yeare of Domician and before his death he had continued long had done very muche in FrauÌ„ce and yet it is sayde that Clemens who sent him thether was made byshop but the twelfth yeare of Domician Againe the booke of the passion of Pope Alexander saith that Clemens was the first after Peter for so it is there written In the fift place after Peter came Alexander But if it were the second from Peter then it foloweth that Cletus being before Clement and Anacletus after him be pushed out because Alexander must be the fifte Namely Peter first Linus seconde Clement thirde Euariste the fourth and Alexander the fifte For otherwyse Alexander cannot be the fift from Peter because if Linus be the seconde froÌ„ Peter and Cletus after Anacletus be placed before Clement Alexander shal be the sixt But if Cletus be before Clement and Anacletus after him then shall Alexander be the seuenth vnlesse Clement be the second after Peter Thus farre doth Vspergensis wander in this maze and thus it appeareth what certaintie the Churche of Rome hath of her beginning of Peters being there of bequeathing his supremacy to whome neither they nor any other for them can tell But ye se howe many bishops here wrestle for the first place and howe they are tossed from the first to the seconde and an other whyle hoisted to the third and fourth place yea and some time shoued cleane out of place So harde a thing it is to finde a sure man that for the beginning of this history a man may wel doubt with whome to beginne but we must be content in this hurly burly either to cast lottes to finde out the ring leader or els to take and set an order among them though perhap not the same wherein they liued yet as if it were the same And if any of the good byshops lese his place of senioritie we must desire him to take it paciently and to blame the negligence of their parishioners and successours of Rome who because nature vseth not to ascende but to discend so muche regarded them selues and their children with the tyme present that they forgat their forefathers if these were they and the tyme past ¶ The first face of the Romaine churche vnder Heathen Emperours FOr the first sorte of Romayne byshops that is from Linus to Syluester they liued continually vnder persecutions For as Eusebius sheweth from the yeare of our lord 67. till the time of Constantine being about thre hundred yeares were tenne persecutions The first by Nero with al rigour and crueltie that might be wherof Hierome in his epistle to Cramatius and Heliadorus
saith that there wer fiue thousand Christians martyred euery daye in the yeare sauing the first daye of Ianuary For they were persecuted by Nero his commaundement in all places with diuerse straunge kinde of tormeÌ„tes and reprochefull villanies not to be mencioned The seconde persecution was moued by the Emperoure Domician Anno. 96. who was a man so much delighted in killing murthering that as the prouerbe went of him he would not haue a flye aliue with him for being as he coueted moste solitary by him selfe in his pallaice he vsed to catche and kill all the flies that came in his waye Againe he was so hawty aboue measure that he woulde nedes be counted a God and therefore it may easely be iudged what rest the Christians had in his time The thirde persecution was raysed by Traianus Anno 100. so bloudely that euen the Heathen Pliny moued with pitie bewayled it vnto the Emperoure The fourth persecution was styrred Anno. 167. by the Emperour Marcus Antonius lasting long vnder sondrie Emperours vnmercifully The fift persecution was caused by Seuerus the Emperour with all seueritie forbidding that any more should be baptized purposing so to roote out the name of ChristiaÌ„s Anno. 205. The sixth persecutioÌ„ was enkindled by Maximinê° 237. The seuenth was enflamed by Decius the Emperoure Anno. 250. as terrible as the rest The eight was broched by diuerse parsones in diuerse places As by Galerius Maximus and Paternus proconsuls in Aphrica by Emilianus Liuetenaunt in Egypt beside diuers other great magistrates in Rome els where Anno. 259. The ninth by the Emperour Aurelianus Anno. 278. The tenth and last as the last acte of a tragedy was brought vpon the churche with all kinde of saueige cruelty without pity or compassion by the bloudy tyrant Dioclesian and continued by other till the comming of the noble Constantine And this was the state of the churche vnder the Emperours of Rome for these yeares Nowe let the reader iudge of what maiestie and countenaunce the prelates in this time were like to be of what wealth abilitie to maintaine a poÌ„pous estate Or what it was that might moue them to make any suche ambicious decrees as haue bene falsely forged on them And hereby discerne the after age in the Romaine churche to this daye howe farre they differ from this as shall appeare THE FIRST COMPANIE OF ROMAINE BISHOPS being in nomber to Syluester the first xxxij all whiche were godly and faithfull pastours farre from all wordly pompe and glory either in pride of attier as miter and pall or of hawty and ambicious title of Christes generall vicar but paynfull preachers of the Gospell with all humilitie and constant martyrs in the ende 1. Linus the first bishop of Rome as some thinke THe first bishop was one Linus a Thuscane borne a man of pure and godly life according to the example of the Apostles who for preaching the Gospell suffered martyrdome vnder Saturninus the Consull while Vespasian raigned Diuerse fansies are fathered vpon this man as that he decreed by the commaundement of Peter being dead that no woman should enter into the temple bareheaded whiche cannot be for there were no temples in Rome til the time of Constantine the Emperour for Christian Congregations And Manâ—uan Fastor 1. testifieth that they were fayne for feare of the tyrantes to forsake towne and City and to lyue in these dayes in desertes woodes and mountaynes whiche maye bewraye the dotage of Platina and other who charge these first godly martyrs with diuerse supersticions diuised by other long after 2. Anacletus the first ANacletus borne at Athens by Irenaeus is placed next after Linus He was of an excellent and feruent spirite and of great learning planted the churche of God with daily labour He was put to death by DomitiaÌ„ Anno. 94. Certaine epistles and decrees stuffed full of falsehoode and vntruthes ioyned with ambicion touching the ordering primacie of bishops are counterfaited in his name But Flaccus Illyricus in the first Centurie doth so rip the seames of them that euery man may perceiue what botched stuffe it is Beside Mantuan saith that he liued long not in any suche estate to haue occasion to wryte of suche matters but in caues and dennes among woodes 3. Clement the first THe next was Clement a Romaine who aduaunced the Gospell by continuall preaching and good dedes They forge of him that he did deuide Rome into parishe churches who had scant a lodging in it Againe they slaunder him that he made orders in Rome for confirmation of children for masses apparell vestures and popishe ceremonies and yet he sylly man was of so smale power and authoritie to establishe these thinges in Rome that he was a long tyme banished by the Emperour to hewe marble stones and at the length with an anchour about his necke was cast into the sea Anno. 102. so writeth Mantuan Fasto 11. 4. Euaristus the first EVaristus a Grecian was especially endewed with the grace of God whereby in the time of persecutioÌ„ he ceased not to encrease the churche of Christe by his diligent preaching till he was martyred vnder Traian An. 110. 5. Alexander the first ALexander a Romaine did trauayle painfully both to preache and baptize He suffered great tormentes till he died thereof vnder one Aurelianus president to the Emperoure Anno. 121. 6. Sixtus the first SIxtus a Romaine did both preache diligently and did many good workes He beautified the churche with godly deedes being euer vigilant and carefull for his flocke and died for it Anno. 129. These three good byshops are slaundered with certaine popishe decrees as touching consecrating of the Clergy holy water and holy vessels but olde verses made of these times do testifie that they were not at suche leasure to furnishe or rather disguise the churche with these supersticious ceremonies Thus do some wryte of these tymes Vrbibus antiqui patres fugiere relictis c. The tyrantes did our auncetours compell To flye to woodes and not in townes to dwell 7. Telesphorus the first TElesphorus a Grecian was a worthy man for learning and godly life He bare witnesse of Christe moste faythfully both by his wordes and death vnder the Emperoure Antoninus who executed him Anno. 140. He is slaundered to haue decreed that thre masses should be sayde on Christmas daye And yet at this time the masse was vnhatched yea the dame thereof except Sathan the bell sier was as a man maye saye not yet an egge in the neaste of that vncleane byrde Neyther was the superstitioÌ„ of making difference of dayes yet crepte into the churche being contrary to the doctrine of Paule Galath 4. But suche supersticious fasting as afterward choked the churches was not diuised by this bishop but rather by Montanus the heretike who beside this made it lawfull to breake wedlocke and to dissolue the band of matrimony 8. Higinus the first HIginus borne in Athens being of a Christian philosopher made a byshop discharged the dutie of
a good pastour and painfull labourer in the Lordes haruest and at length was put to death cruelly Anno. 144. It is reported that he wrote out of a caue where he hid him selfe an Epistle touching God and the incarnation of the sonne of God 9. Pius of Aquilia PIus borne in Aquilia is reported to haue done many godly dedes in the church vnder Antonius Verus And in the end watered the churche of Christe with his bloud in martyrdome Anno. 159. 10. Anicetus ANicetus a Sirian was a diligent pastour of the churche of Rome till he was martyred Anno. 169. 11. Sother SOther borne in Campania as the valiaunt souldiour of Christe Iesus serued vnder his spirituall banner in the time of Antonius Cōmodus He employed him self moste diligently to bring the soules of the baptized to saluation in Christe both by doctrine and example of life And in the ende confirmed the Gospell whiche he had faithfully preached with his bloud in martyrdome Anno. 177. 12. Eleutherius ELeutherius a Grecian was also a carefull and vigilant pastour in his time the persecution of the tyrants did somewhat decreace many godly writers bestowed great paynes to wryte sondry learned bookes against diuerse heresies and heretikes whiche then enfected the churche And among other this Eleutherius did also defende against Titianus that no vsuall trade of life is to be reiected But not withstanding that the stormes of persecution were somewhat calmed in his time because many of the Romayne nobilitie beleued on Christe yet Masseus saythe he was beheaded Anno. 191. 13. Victor VIctor borne in Aphrica did succeade Eleutherius This man was the first that when the storme of persecution was calmed vsurping authoritie vpon straungers sought to haue an oar in an other mans boate In the former byshops saith Vincelius the spirite abounded but in these that folowe the temptacion of fleshe and bloud preuayled Policrates bishop of Ephesus and Iraeneus bishop of Lions did bouldly reproue this Victor for exempting his bretheren in Asia from the communiō because in keping Easter day they folowed not the vse of the churche of Rome So that the churche was then rent in twayne by meanes of his obstinacy He died Anno. 203. 14. Zepherinus ZEpherinus was a Romaine borne a man as writers do testifie more addicted with all endeuour to the seruice of God then to the cure of any worldly affayres Where as before his time the wine in the celebrating the cōmuniō was ministred in a cup of woode he first did alter that and in steade thereof brought in cuppes or chalices of glasse And yet he did not this vpon any supersticion as thinking woode to be vnlawefull or glasse to be more holy for that vse but because the one is more comly and semely as by experience it appeareth then the other And yet some wooden doultes do dreame that the wooden cuppes were chaunged by him because that part of the wine or as they thought the royall bloud of Christe did soake into the woode and so it can not be in glasse Surely soner may wine soake into any woode then any witte into those winie heads that thus both deceiue them selues and slaunder this Godly martyr Who in the yeare of our lorde 220. suffered martyrdome vnder Aurelius In the time of this Zepherinus the Artemonites were a secte of vaine Philosophicall diuines who as our late scholemen did corrupt the scripture with Aristotle and Theophrastus turning all into curious and subtile questions 15. Calixtus the first CAlixtus borne at Rauenna when persecution began to wexe hotte againe did like a constant Christian hide him selfe with many moe in a certaine place on the farther side of Tiber. In these daies saith Platina al thinges were kept close and hidden because the persecution was so great euery where yea their churches and places of assembly were in corners and caues for the moste parte But Anno 226. this Calixtus was apprehended by the commaundement of Alexander Seuerus and was beaten with coodgiels pent in prison afterwarde hurled headlong out of a wyndowe and then his bodie was drowned in a depe pitte 16. Vrbanus VRbanus a Romaine liued vnder that moste lasciuious wreatche Heliogabalus the Emperoure and with his sinceritie of life and excellencie in learning he drewe many men on all sides to the Gospell He was oftentimes banished the citie for the Christian faithe but being secretlye brought in againe by the faithfull he was martyred by cōmaundement of Seuerus Anno. 233. 17. Pontianus POntianus a Romaine in the time of the sayde Emperour Seuerus being one of Christes ministers and a distributer of Gods misteries suffered both banishement punishement for the Gospell and the churche sake For when they ran thicke to him to heare him preache the worde by the princes commaundement being set on by the Idolatrous priestes he is caried frō Rome to the Isle Sardinia where after many miseries and sore tormētes he was put to death Anno. 239. 18. Antheros ANtheros was borne in Grece a man of God if any wer He preached Christe stoutely euen vnder the tyranny of Maximinus the Emperour This byshop prouided first of all that the actes of martyrs should be diligently writtē by notaries least the remembraunce of Gods hardie souldiours should be lost with their liues This Antheros in the yeare 243. did with his bloude beutifie the churche whiche with his woorde he had fed before 19. Fabian AFter him came Fabius a Romain borne who as Eusebius witnesseth as he was returning home out of the fielde and with his contrimen present to electe a newe byshop there was a pygeon sene standing on his head and sodenly he was created pastour of the churche whiche he loked not for While he liued he him selfe sawe that the recordes of martyrs should be written and that burying places should be prepared for them who afterwarde vnder Decius that afterwarde dealt cruelly with his owne brethren ended his life with most glorious death Anno. 150. 20. Cornelius COrnelius a Romaine being in the time of Decius accounted the seuēth persecutour of Christe his church had a Godly care ouer the safetie of his neighbours He entertayned curteously and restored to the churche as many as hauing denied Christe in tormentes did yet repent thē of their deede afterward O the aboōdant spirite of Christ that was in this byshop O worthy minister of the Gospel for although this mā of God Cornelius was caried away into banishemēt yet he neuer fayled the churche of Christ. But as a valiant champiō in the maintenaūce of the truth did yelde his necke vnto the sworde of Decius 21. Lucius LVcius a Romain being a faithful seruant in the lordes house and driuen into banishment by Gallus Hostilianus the persecutour of Christianitie was comforted of S. Ciprian by his letters And at the lengthe after Gallus death euen by Gods wil retourned to Rome enriched the churche with healthful doctrine and afterward being purified in the lambes bloud he pearced the heauenly paradise
being put to death at Valerianus cōmaundement 255. 22. Stephen STephen a Romaine borne a man in al pointes iuste and good and one that was counted worthy to haue the ecclesiasticall function Whereupon as VVicelius saithe the churche gaue vs many worthy examples of Prelates so longe as they were called but bishops of the citie of Rome While Galienus a wicked Emperor raged Steuen Anno 257. after he had cōuerted many of the Gētiles to the faith of Christe loosing his head was with many other sacrificed to God receiuing the crowne of iustice 23. Sixtus the seconde SIxtus the seconde was a Grecian borne in Athens he being of a worldly Philosopher become Christe his disciple and of an earthly man made an heauenly stewarde did shine like an ornament of the churche as an example worthy to be folowed This man also enstructing the people in Gods holy woorde was slayne with many thousands of martyrs in the persecution of Decius and Valerius An. 267. S. Laurence claue vnto this holy byshop vnseperably euen to the last tormentes of his life of whiche twoo the one was slayne with swearde the other burnt to death Whereof Mantuan in the 8. of his Fast. saith These men whose vertues florished by Decius dire decree VVere bid with other lockt in chaynes and dungeon darke to bee In time of this bishop about the yeare of our lorde 260. one Paule being terrified with the vnmercifull persecutiō of tyrantes gat him into wyldernesse and solitary places and so became the firste Eremite For at that time as Eusebius saith many Christians for feare of death denied their faythe Upon this Monkery had his beginning as Hierome shewes in the life of the same Paule the Eremite 24. Dionysius DIonysius was a Grecian whome Pope Damasus calleth a Monke He was a worthy man in preaching the faithe and a notable encreacer of the Christian churche vnder Claudius the seconde Neither did he want other churches whiche with the doctrine of truthe did reforme heresies that sprange in those dayes As appeareth by the churche of Antioche which calling a counsell in the yeare of our Lorde 273. did conuince of errour Paulus Samosatenus notwithstanding he him selfe coulde not be there present because he was olde Dionysius conuerted to Christianitie the daughter of the Emperour Decius and Triphonia her mother with 46. thousand other And at the length was martyred with them many other at Salarie gate Anno. 277. 25. Foelix Foelix a Romain being a good man and of perfect conuersation florished in preaching the Gospell at suche time as Aurelianus did persecute his brethren While this accursed manslear exercised his tyranny Foelix among other martyrs departed moste happely vnto Christe that is to saye from death to life But to saye that this martyrdome working their glory caused temples to be made yearely sacrifices to be done therein in their names it is to open blasphemy Who will beleue that these holy fathers of the primatiue churche would so charely haue suche regarde to kepe stockes and stones or dead mens bones in time of so many persecutions and heresies as if they had nothing els to doe But such forgeries vse our Romanistes to maintayne their idolatry 26. Eutychianus Eutychianus borne in Thuscia being geuen wholy to Godlynes and commended to the churche for his learning and vertue saued many people by preaching the Gospell This man by report did bury with his own handes 342. martyrs and appointed an order for the burying of martyrs and in the ende he him selfe was made a martyr Anno. 283. It appeareth that this man did nothing to establishe the fantasticall toyes of our age but the Papistes foarge of him that he blessed vpon the altar grapes and beanes and that he buried the dead in purple vestimentes a deede mete for a Christian martyr 27. Gaius or Caius GAius borne in Dalmatia cosen to Dioclesian the Emperour succeded Eutychianus in preaching the comfortable Gospell and was a moste worthy president in the churche of God Carsulanus and Platina the Popes claw-backes reporte of this man that he encreased the dignitie of the Clergie marueilously by making difference of degrees among them so that from one degree to an other they should arise to the estate of a bishop Furthermore thei prattell that he commaunded that a man in holy orders should not be sewed of prophane men Pagans or Heretikes But who is so fonde to beleue that the bishops power was so great at Rome at that time when Pagans them selues bare all the sway executed the ciuill lawe Gaius was in the time of the raigne of the foresayde Dioclesian vnder whome cruell persecution continued so that for a great time he lurked in caues and hoales vnder the groūd and had no pontificall pallaice or stately temple And in the ende being plucked out with his brother Gabinius a maried priest he was slayne with a swoard 28. Marcellinus MArcellinus was a Romaine who in the tenth persecution after Nero was cruelly vexed of the tormentours vnder Dioclesian and Maximinian being terrified with feare of the paynes he offered vnto the Idols a graine of frankinsens In those dayes as Gildas writeth the scripture where soeuer it was founde was burnt in the streate and the chosen shepeheardes of Christes flocke were slaine with their innocent shepe But Marcellinus immediatly after his dede remembring him selfe reproued Dioclesian to his face and offred him selfe willingly to death for the truthe of Christe and striuing valiauntly he preuayled receiuing the crowne of martyrdome Anno 303. Hereunto agreeth Mantuan in the life of the sayde Basill 29. Marcellus MArcellus a Romaine was pastour of the churche feading it with wisedome and doctrine And as I maye saye with the Prophete a man according to Gods harte full of Christian woorkes This man admonished Maximianus the Emperour endeuoured to remoue him from persecuting the sainctes But the Emperoure being more hardened commaunded him to be beaten with cogiels and to be driuen out of the citie wherefore he entred into the house of one Lucina a widowe and there he kept the Congregation secretly whiche the tyrant hearing made a stable for cattell of the same house and cōmitted the kepinge of it to the byshop Marcellus After that he gouerned the churche by wryting Epistles without any other kynde of teaching ▪ being condemned to suche a vile seruice And being thus dayly tormented with stinke and noysomenesse at length gaue vp the ghost Anno 308. 30. Eusebius EVsebius a Grecian being a very Godly man a doctour and teacher among the Christiās gouerned the church in the great storme of persecution He trauayled stoutly in the worde of the Lorde as well at Rome as els wheare through his countrey in the time of Maxentius that horrible tyrant vntill he were destroyed by martyrdome as Massaeus writeth Anno 309. whereupō as Mantuan writeth an Aungell sayde to Basill Of thinges that are reueald to me I le make the vnderstād The ioyful dayes of
peace draw on the time is nie at hand That tyrants rage shal shortned be er many years be rōne This cruel kind that ioyes in bloud shal wasted be done Rome hath beheld her prelats al ēbrewd in their own gore Three cruel ones yet shal she se and then shal be no more The death of next Melchiades shal ende the bloudy age His karkas being buried then peace shal all assuage 31. Melchiades MElchiades an Aphrican being a man very religious and a leader of the Christiā flocke proceaded in preaching the Gospell and in the affaires of the truthe so farre vntill he spent his bloud for it vnder Maximinianus Galerius And in the profession thereof died Anno 314. Reade the Ecclesiasticall history of Eusebius bishop of Caesaria concerning manifolde and vnaccustomed cruell deathes of the sainctes of that time Cursulanus Platina Stella and other the Popes flatterers doe falsely father vpon these martyrs whole loades of decrees and lyes that the lewde inuentions of their ceremonies might be established by the authoritie of these men For they are not afraide for the aduauncement of the Popes trone with these vnclenly dregs to staine the bloud of sainctes and defile this beautiful face of the primatiue churche being through continuall persecution euer agreable to Christe the head therof But what wyse man can thinke that suche simple ministers and pastours of Gods worde as the bishops then were dwelling in holes dennes and corners and looking for nothing but dayly death vnder tyrantes should haue minde of pontificall pompe stately buildinges or Papisticall solemnities when as they had neither churches nor dwelling houses The churche as yet obtained no peace they liued not yet in vnprofitable idlenes neither had they the chiefe pleasures of the worlde But those were the imaginations which false prophetes according to their custome deuised for their bellies sake But Sabellicus speaking of the saluage persecution of the churche vnder Dioclesian saythe alleaging it out of Eusebius that the Christian flocke was plaged at this time by the iudgement of God because sinne began to growe vp in the churche aboue measure and the priestes seemed nowe rather to sauour of tyranny and not humilitie and therefore when this persecutiō came it was rather a reformation of the churche corrupted by ease and peace then a scattering thereof Whereby it semeth that euen then God geuing but a pauze of persecution and whyle tyranny did but staye to breathe it selfe they began to decline and growe crooked yet is it not to be thought that they were caried so farre away as yet to newe fashiō and transport with māglinges addicions the Christian religion as the Papistes dreame they did And thus is the popishe synagoge groūded on vntruthe But it were a fond matter to beleue these scoffes toyes contriued for priestes aduauntage as our forefathers haue done we should rather trie of what spirites they be as S. Iohn commaūdeth whether they be of God or no. Iohn 4. For many false prophetes haue crept into the worlde Hetherto the pastors were starres shining in the firmament of the churche as well in life and manners as in doctrine and preserued in his right hande who walked in the middest of the seuen candelstickes Apocal. 1. Hetherto they were counted Angels reuealing the euerlasting wyll of almighty God purely without mans diuices 32. Syluester the first AFter that Melchiades was put to death Syluester a Romaine succeded in the ministery of the woorde but because that the tyrant Maximinus continued his bloudy persecution against the Churche Syluester was fayne to hide him selfe and to lyue solitarily in the hille Soracte But at the length it pleased God to laye his terrible hand vpon the persecutour Maximinus forcing the tyrant to reclaime his cruel decrees against the Christians Touching the death of Maximinus who among other tyrantes was a Scorpion to the Christians it is to be noted that Eusebius writeth first in the eight booke and 28. chapter of his ecclesiastical history thus First in the secrete partes of his body arose an impostume then in his bowels grewe a fistulowe within the whiche a great swarme of woormes and magettes gnawed and deuoured his guttes wherof arose a noysome stinke so ranke that no man could by any meanes abide it beside the ougly loathsom sight of the soare it selfe so that some of his phisicions not able for the horror of it to endure to dresse him were put to death by his cōmaundement Afterward the disease increasing all his body was swollen and rankled with it so that with extremitie of his panges and fainting through honger he fel down and lay sprawling on the grounde Then all his body by the hande of God was terribly enflamed and burned exceadingly odious to beholde so that the scorched fleshe being by little and little eaten awaye pyned and consumed he was so disfigured and deformed his feauter so vaded that a man could discerne no resemblance of his former shape His gastly and naked carkasse was euen as an image of drye bones And yet the glowing heate boyled more feruently so that the marrowe fried out of his bones and his eyes all moisture being wasted dropped out of his head Thus his limmes and members through scalding heate ranke disease rotting one from an other his body laye miserably as it were a graue to the soule vntil the tormentes thereof wrested out from his cancred harte to acknowledge Christe Iesus and to repent his bloudy persecuting the cause of this his woful ende the last persecutour Eusebius lib. 10. cap. 8. Furthermore it pleased the almighty to woorke so graciously in the hart of the noble Emperour Constantine that by his procurement the churche at the length obtained peace vniuersally so that euery mā might safely returne to his owne countrey and citie whereupon Syluester returned to Rome and was the firste Romaine byshop that escaped martyrdome There are many some indifferent but moste detestable grosse and fonde decrees falsely fathered vpō this Syluester as halowing of Chrismes geuing of orders confirming of children decking of churches couering of altars making masse priestes annoynting and attiring of them and of making the howsell to be God called deifying the host of worshipping and preseruing it Also touching coyfes hoodes corporals albes mitars palles cloathes churching kerchiefes for women rochettes sacrifices ceremonies chappels anoyling of the sicke with a rablement of diuers other Iewishe and Heathen ceremonies Platina Polidor Virgill and other the Popes parasites slaunder this Syluester that he tooke vpon him in steade of a golden crowne to weare a mitar after the Phrygian fashion Touching certaine miracles whiche are also with like credit sayde to be done by this Syluester Mantuan wryteth thus Fast. lib. 12. Men talke of many miracles that Syluester hath wrought But authour yet sufficient hath neuer forth ben brought Nor witnesse good to proue the same therfore I let alone Such things as fables fondly faind for our religion Condemneth toyes
the Popedome it selfe and what crafte the deuill wrought in them before the great Antechriste came and was reuealed to the full So that as ye see the bishops of Rome Here againe altered their name the seconde tyme to title of greater dignitie that is froÌ„ Archbishops to Patriarkes and so the rest folowing for a season were called 21. Iohn the first IOhn the firste a Thuscane whome Theodoricus kyng of Italy sent for then they were subiect to Princes as his oratour with certaine other vnto Iustinus the Emperoure This bishop being the worthiest man of all this latter company gaue a testimonie of his pure life by suftring paciently vndeserued death He decreed and that very godly that if any man were robbed of any thing he should haue all restored againe But I take it to be false that he should restore three churcheyardes enriched the churches with giftes or decked the altars with golde syluer or precious stones as Platina and other wryte least he should seeme nothing to haue encreased the kingdome of Antichriste There is to be seene comfortable Epistles of his to the byshops of Italy whereby he warneth them that they should not shrinke from their purpose but stande to it stoutly although that the said king Theodoricus fowly tainted with the Arrian heresy had threatened to destroye them and all Italy For the whiche at the tyrannous commaundement of Theodoricus Anno 527. hee perished at Rauenna through famine stinke noysomnes in the pryson As touching Arrius thus Mantuan writeth of him This Arrius euen the deadly bayne infecting mankinde And borne to breake Gods lawe and quenche the faithe of Christian minde Had venomd sondry nacions infecting all the world 22. Foelix the fourth Foelix the fourth was borne in Samia being not verye carefull in his pastorall charge and casting of the office of preaching builded the churche of Cosma and Damianus he restored Saturninus temple and repaired other temples of the dead He commaunded that masse should be said only in halowed places He made a partition betwene the Clergie and the people in the churche He excommunicated the Patriarke of Constantinople misdemed of heresy he commaunded that if a priest died another should succeade him twoo dayes after and commaunded precisely that they that lye a bying should be annoynted with hallowed oyle and died a confessour Anno. 530. 23. Boniface the seconde BOniface the seconde a Romaine was made bishop wheÌ„ the Clergie were at great iarre ready to go together by the eares He made canons especially this one that within three dayes after one bishop were dead another should be appointed in his rowme He following Foelix did seuer the Clergie froÌ„ the layetie by making the quier in the church and that for double pollicie the one was that by this meanes he might at length take froÌ„ the people both their place and their voyce whiche they had in chusing the bishops that it might not be lawefull for any of them to sewe a byshop or any of the Clergie in any cause ciuill or criminall before a temporall magistrate But marke what happened these wretches through their pryde as I thinke Whyle euen like the Pharisies they wil be counted holier then other with their shauen heades their annoynted fingers seuered chauncelles deuiding them selues from the faythfull that were redemed with the bloud of Christe It is to be feared least hereby they become the Goates that in the last day shal be deuided froÌ„ the lambes Math. 25 as not pertaining to the misticall body of Christe It is easy to iudge howe muche these men swarue from Peter the Apostle of whome they boaste so muche to whome it was not lawefull in the tenth of the Actes to decree of Cornelius that he should be either a layeman or a prophane persone Boniface died a confessour Anno. 532. 24. Iohn the seconde IOhn the seconde was a Romaine who otherwyse for his eloquencie was called Mercurie or Iuppiter his embassadour Iustinianus the Emperoure sent vnto this man a cup of gold of sixe pound waighte beset with precious stones and two syluer cuppes of seuen pounde weight and twoo syluer chalices waying fiftene poundes for a present from Constantinople after he had condemned Athenius the Patriarke of heresie and the sayde Emperoure commaunded his bishops as Crantzius witnesseth to talke with the byshop in his name moste friendly vnder benediction this byshop died a confessour Anno. 534. And as VVicelius saith he did nothing of any valewe 25. Agapetus the firste AGapetus the first a Romaine sonne of a priest called Cardinall Gordian was sent by Theodatus kyng of the Gothes as his Embassadour to pacifie Iustinianus the Emperour for the cruell murther of Amalasimitha a noble queene and an excellent learned woman whose worthy vertues the same Emperour reuerenced highly who also procured his peace with spending saint Peters treasure He decreed that on the sonday they should go in procession in the churches And died a confessour Anno. 535. 26. Syluerius SYluerius borne in CaÌ„pania sonne of Hormisda a bishop of Rome when Agapetus was dead as he went on his voyage to the Emperoure this man by the commaundement of Theodatus kyng of Gothes was placed in his steade without the Emperours consent Therefore by the prouocation of Vigilius a Dâ—acon who also did accuse him that he would betraye Rome to the Gothes he was banished into the Isle Pontus by Theodora the Empresse and Antonina the wife of duke Bellisarius So that it appeareth the Popedome at that time was a thing but of small countenaunce when they were sent as Embassadours at the commaundement of inferiour princes could be depriued of their authoritie put from their seate by women At length Syluerius died miserably in his banyshement being an hooded confessour Anno. 537. 27. Vigilius VIgilius a Romaine the crafty accuser of the sayd Syluerius compassing the bishoprike by subtiltie was aduaunced into the sayde place by the forenamed women Whereby Rome had then twoo bishops one made by the Gothes another by the Grekes or rather by those Grekishe dames And were vsed vngently but not vnworthely of them for either of them receiued the reward of his rashnesse for the one attayned the Popedome by crafte the other by might and yet the Papistes will haue them bothe reckened among martyrs Theodora did sue Vigilius because he brake promisse with her and caused him first to be brought to Constantinople there to be reuiled and beaten and afterwarde with an halter about his necke to be draweÌ„ through the streate and last of all bee driuen into banishement This man made certaine lessons of his owne for the holydayes to be redde in the churche He woulde haue the church of Rome to be taken for the mother of other churches He appointed Candelmas daye to be kept holy daye and that the masse should be sayde the priest standing with his face into the East He died a confessour in the yere 554. in Cicilia In these dayes was one Maurus who
preached and taught the hipocriticall life of moÌ„kes Also in his time Anno. 542. there was a terrible earthquake ouer all the world as Vspergensis sayth 28. Pelagius PElagius a Romaine aspired to the pontificall dignitie in that time when the tyrant Totila called Gods scourge to the great comfort of the Goathes being their king inuaded Italy as Procopius wryteth This Pelagius to please Totila and his companie made a publique decree that it was nedeful to haue the authoritie of the prince and consent of the people in creation of byshops He in the middest of troubles of that time hauing more regarde to aduaunce the Popedome then Christianitie decreed that the Clergie should momble euery daye seuentimes the canonicall howers Abbots should be chosen by order one magistrate should be sufficient to punishe an hereticke that in Lent priestes might say masse at nine of the clocke and that euery Prouince should contayne twelue or tenne cities at the least This man first auouched that the premacie of the churche of Rome was fette from Christe himselfe and not from men nor geneâ—all councels He buried together the bones of the firste Martyr Stephen and S. Laurences carkasse He allowed solemnities in remeÌ„braunce of the dead and for loue of gaynes he mingled them with the masse And because he sometime him selfe was accused in a libell that he had geuen occasion why Vigilius his predecessour was troubled and depriued therfore he prouided that such libelles should not be harde But it is reported that he purged him selfe from the infamy of that libell by takinge an oathe and kissing the crosse He liued in the extreame tyme when Rome was besieged died a confessour Anno. 566. About the yeare of our Lorde 557. Totila king of Gothes besieged Rome whiche being miserably oppressed with extreame famine was compelled to yelde it self to the slauery of the saluage people vnder whiche it continued tenne yeares In the time of this Pope a Pestilence raigned ouer all Italy beginning in Liguria so contagiously that the contreye was almoste destroyed of the inhabitours thereby Vrspergensis 29. Iohn the third IOhn the thirde a Romaine was an especiall friende to Narsetes the Eunuche gouernour of Italy when the Gothes were ouercome for he recouered his fauour towarde Rome when it was in displeasure and obtayned that hee was made consull for then the bishop had almoste all the swaâ—e in Rome This man decreed contrary to his predecessour that none ought to be called chiefe prieste or vniuersall bishop Distinctione 99. Nullus Furthermore taking away from the bishops chauncelours the laying on of handes graunted it only to bishops as Isidorus writeth Afterwarde turning his minde and taking delight in building he finished Philip and Iacobs churche whiche Vigilius had begonne and restored the Sainctes tombes in the citie Finally being a very olde maÌ„ taking great thought vpon occasion of straunge tempestes he died at Rome Anno 577. In his time the Armenians became Christians 30. Benedict the first BEnedict the first a Romain was bishop when the Lombarde spoyled Italy And wâ—s a good bishop because he did nothing worthy memorie as Barnus and Functius write of him But yet whiche is to be noted for the worthinesse of the dede he forbad that meÌ„ should treade on crosses made of marble stone or woode And when there was great dearth in Rome he or at the least wise Tiberius Augustuâ— in his steade brought corne out of Egypt to succour them withall He died for sorowe to se so many miseries in the citie Anno. 582. 31. Pelagius the second PElagius the seconde while the citie was besieged without the Princes coÌ„maundement coÌ„trary to the custome was made bishop Therefore to pacifie the Emperoure he sent one Gregory a monke to Constantinople afterwarde he made the cloyster of Hermes a martyr and builded vp S. Laurence pallaice from the foundacion He renewed the Canon for saying the howers and commaunded Subdeacons either to forsake their wiues or els their ecclesiasticall functions and appointed nyne prefaces to be song in the masse before the Canon Pestis inguinaria arising of great tempestes and the contagiousnes of the aire tooke awaye this bishop among many other This pestilence was cause of many supersticions for then they firste began to thinke that Gods wrath was to be pleased and the Letany of seuen partes was made by Gregorie The occasion hereof saith Vspergensis was that a great part of Italy was drowned with great flouddes 32. Gregorie the great GRegorie the great a Romaine was made byshop being before but a Monke and a Deacon He was the best maÌ„ of all these Romaine Patriarkes for learning and good life He succeded Pelagius vnwillingly refusing it and in the ende coÌ„pelled thereunto he though otherwyse he was learned and Godly yet because he was a Monke burthened the churche and religion of God aboue all other with more ceremonies then had the Iewes He turned his parentes houses into Monasteries and dedicated the firste of them to S Andrewe the Apostle He made Scholes of quiresters and made certaine songes for the church according to Ambrose maner which we call Anthemes He appointed one to be chaunter for the daye another for the night He gathered together the lawes of the holy fathers He did deuise the order of masses linked the Cannons therof together he caused the masses to be begonne with peces of Psalmes He commaunded to saye Kyriaeleison nine tymes and to chaunt Alleluia after the Graduall hee ioyned the same Alleluia for Easter tyme to the Offertories Hee added three peticions to the Cannons of the masse That is Dies nostros in tua pace c. He coÌ„maunded that the Lordes prayer should be either song or sayde with a loude voyce ouer the communion bread He commauned that masse shoulde be saide ouer the dead carkases of sainctes And added to the Canonicall howers Deus in adiutorium with Gloria patri He deuised Letanies and processions deuided theÌ„ into these seuen orders Clarkes Monkes Nonnes Boyes Laymen Widowes and maried wyues He suffered the Image of the blessed virgin Mary to be caried about withall But not to be worshipped Furthermore this Gregorie as they shamefully imagine compelled an Angeli to put vp his terrible swerde into his sheathe By his indulgences he established certaine stacioâ—s and pilgrimages vnto Images in the citie according to the peoples deuocion He solemnized the feast of the Purification of our Lady with wex candels whereof it is called Candelmas daye and appointed the solemnitie of Palme Sondaye to be kept with processions He added iiii dayes to Lent faste and hallowed the beginning thereof with Ashwednisdaye He forbad those that should faste to eate fleshe milke butter chese or egges because they seme to beare a taste of fleshe and suffered them only to eate fishe excepting also the greater sorte of fishes whereof Mantuan sayth Fastor 2. Yet was it not against the lawe to fede on fishes small For Gregorie forbad the great but time
misordred all And stately tables combred are with fishe of larger sort So Gregories laws â—r kept wher nede doth bear a siÌ„ple port That in the shallowe brookes and floodes to find his fare As for the great grown fulsom fishe in depth of seas they are But holy peers that do with Peters line and gredy hooke Down to the bottom angle can eche sort of fishes brooke Gregorie gaue tapers to the churche and furnished it with quier Psalmodis Canticles Oades Hymnus and other Heathen ceremonies He buylded sixe Monasteries of his owne coste in Sicilia and dedicated Agathas churche He forbad that women should resorte to abbeyes or that Monkes should resorte to Nonneries Also he woulde not haue MoÌ„kes baptize neither Nonnes to be Godmothers He forbad him that had bene twise married to bee made priests And that priestes should geue testimony of honest life by taking an oathe He was an vphoulder of pardons but not a seller of them He was the first that gaue pardons vpon certayne dayes to suche as frequented the churche He entertained straungers at his table He ayded the MoÌ„kes of Hierusalem with necessaries and gaue stipendes to three thousande maydes He allowed by decree the first fiue counsels He forbad that sainctes Images should be brokeÌ„ or that one of the Clergie should at the Emperours commaundement serue in the warres or that there should bee twoo Metropolitanes in one Prouince He would haue a bishop to be consecrate but ones and would haue the laste will and testament of euery man to be ratified He made foure bookes of Dialogues to boulster vp Purgatorie He allowed hallowing of ashes washing of feete worshipping of the crosse and massâ—s to be saide for the dead and wherin the Papistes horribly belie him he deliuered Traian the Emperours soule from hell He coÌ„temning the Britaines sent Augustine a Monke to reclaime the English Saxons to the churche of Rome He reft from London the right of the Archebishoprike and translated it by the same Augustines meanes to Caunterburie Al these thinges did Gregorie as Patriarke of Rome and died a confessour Anno. 604. But although he doted in many supersticions yet more is falsely fathered on him theÌ„ euer he did or thought 33. Sabinianus SAbinianus borne in Thusca was a Prelate of no value who for the hate he bare to his predecessour Gregorie after he had published certaine flaunders against him coÌ„maunded that his bookes should be burned This man being the last of the Romaine Patriarkes commauÌ„ded that the howers of the daye shoulde bee deuided by ringing of belles for the ecclesiasticall offices that they should haue continuall burning lampes in the churche At lengthe he died an infamous death through feare that he conceiued of a terrible vision which he sawe in the night time An. 606. The Christian deedes of Gregorie NOwe to say somewhat touching the ChristiaÌ„ sayinges and doinges of the foresaid Gregorie he fought stoutly against the supremacie of the Popishe kingdome in the very entraunce of the Popedome and hewde in pieces with sharpe tauntes the title of vniuersal Patriarkeship saying that suche an one was the foreronner of Antichriste an hipocrite a tyrauÌ„t and Lucifer the vsurper of Gods power He commaunded certaine Images that were of wonderfull excellent workemanship to be throwen into the Riuer Tiber least religion should be corrupted by them He commaunded prayer and fasting for the asswaging of the pestilence He reclaymed the Gothes from the Arrians to the vnitie of the church He wrote Homilies in a pleasaunt stile following S. Augustine Hee xpounded the moste part of the holy bookes of the Bible He by common consent defaced the name of vniuersall byshop And professed him selfe in his wrytinges Seruus seruorum Dei seruaunt to Gods seruauntes whereby he might shewe howe farre he was from all ambicion and desire of soueraintie This title his posteritie hath continued bearing the name but forbearing the humilitie that belongeth therunto At the length Gregorie did greatly lamente to se that howling and chauÌ„ting in the church had so taken place that preaching of the Gospell was neglected Beholde quoth he among other sayinges the worlde is full of priestes yet in the lordes haruest are founde fewe labourers We haue taken vpon vs the office but wce do not discharge the office Brethren I thinke that God suffereth dishonour of none more then of priestes for the moste parte If they se any liue in lowly estate or liue continently they scorne them Consider therfore what becoÌ„meth of the flocke when Wolues are made shepeheardes These take charge of the sheepe who are not afrayde to endaunger the liues of the Lordes foulde but they chaunge the office of their blessed function to the encrease of their ambicion We leaue Gods cause ronne to worldly affaires we enioye the place of holines and are entangled with earthly matters so that Baptist Mantuan saith of him in the thirde booke of his Fastor In speache he was ful eloquent his workes are yet in store He speaketh still and by his workes he shall do euermore He taught the quyristers to sing in soÌ„gs was his delight Huldricus bishop of Aâ—gusta sheweth a wonderful story of this bishop in his Epistle to Nicolas the first the effect whereof is that this Gregorie did firste coÌ„maunde priestes to liue single life but afterwarde when he perceiued that they were geuen secretly to fleshly pleasure and that hereupon many children were murthered hee disanulled that commaundement and sayde that it was better to mary theÌ„ geue occasion of murther For wheÌ„ on a time he sent a certaine woman vnto a fishepoole to take fishe there were founde in the same poole sixe thousande heades of infantes that had bene drowned therein whiche he perceauing to procede of forced single life with sighing and sorrowing he reuoked that Canon For as that Huldericus sheweth they accompanied not onely with virgins and wyues but also euen with their owne kindred with mankind yea and that whiche is horrible to be sayde with brute beastes After the tyme of this Gregorie ensued more blindnes theÌ„ was before The puritie of doctrine decayed the churche was darkened maruelously with mans tradicions For Monkery with his manifolde supersticions waxed great Herewithall sprang vp sale of masses and praying to the dead and the Lordes supper began to be an offering for the dead Bishops also being deluded with visions of spirites or rather of diuels began to reuolte from the doctrine of faithe to put affiance in good workes and mans satisfactioÌ„ as appeareth of Gregorie As it is euident of Gregorie who in his Dialogues to Theodolinda a very superstitious woman telleth of dead men that appeared and craued to haue prayers and suffrages This while Christianitie began to fall to ceremonies forthwith blinde supersticion by meanes of Monkery began to crepe in â–ª Gregorie as is mentioned before sent Augustine a Romaine Monke and other his compaignions to the Englishemen Anno. 596. not to preache Christe vnto them whose doctrine
the Brytaines had receiued more sincerely of Ioseph the churches of Asia But to thrust vpon them the Romain religion patched vp with mans diuices and tradicions The Britaynes had always the preaching of the truthe syncere doctrine and the liuely faith and such seruice as was deliuered to the Apostles by Gods commaundement They had Christian churches whereof Godfrey of Munmuthe in the eight booke and fourth chapiter of the actes of the Britaines sayth thus In the contrey of the Britaines Christianitie florished hetherto which neuer failed among them since the Apostles time But when Augustine came hee founde in their prouince seuen bishoprikes and one Archebishoprike maintained by godly Prelates and many Abbots liuing by their handy labour among whome the Lordes stocke kept true waye It appeareth also that there were shepeherdes among theÌ„ that were diligent to preserue the puritie of doctrine as was Dionotus Anonius and his fellowes who in conteÌ„pt of the Romaines ceremonies stacke stoutly to it euen to the death Augustine entred the lande not with the Gospell of Christian peace but with the banner of his Aposticship with his syluer crosse his Letanie his procession images painted puppettes reliques canticles and bookes of ceremonies But when by the authoritie of the king in the west part of England he sommoned the byshops and doctours that they accepting and communicating the Romaine customes should submitte them selues to him Anno. 602. They going to the synode did firste demaunde of a certaine wise man that liued solitarely whether it was laweful to followe his commaundement and forsake those tradiâ—ions whiche they had receiued of their fathers to whome hee aunswered If he be a maÌ„ of God followe him They further asked howe they should proue that Ye knowe quoth he that the Lord commaunded saying Take my yoke vpoÌ„ you and learne of me because I am gentle and lowlye of harte Therefore if this Augustine be suche an one it is credible that he also beareth Christes burtheÌ„ and offereth it to you to beare but if he be proude and cruell it is euideÌ„t tha he is not of God and ye ought not to regarde his talke And howe shall we knowe that quoth they Let Augustine quoth he and his company goe firste to the Synode And if when ye come he ryse vp to salute you knowe ye that he is Christe his seruaunt and obey ye him But if he disdayne you or make smale accompt of you and shewe no token of curtesie in his countenaunce seing ye are the greater number doe ye likewyse contemne him Therfore when they came to Augustine sitting ambiciously on his stalle and sawe that he gaue them no token of frendship they by and by conceiuing displeasure noting him to be a proude persone did forthwith ouerthwart euery thing that he put forth For he charged them that they did many thinges coÌ„trary to the custome of the catholicke churche especially in keping their Easter in ministring of baptisme and in their preaching and that they regarded not mans tradicioÌ„s and he commaunded that in these and other thinges they should followe the vse of the church of Rome But they aunswered that they would do none of these neither take him for their Archebishop Whereupon he promised them warre should ensewe and threatned them fiercely to reuenge it by death whiche immediatly ensued Reade Beda in his ecclesiasticall history of Englande the seconde booke and the second chapter and likewyse the sayde Godfrey But I wonder muche of this crueltie of Augustine For Gregorie before had so discussed it and wrote vnto him that it was not nedefull in all churches to haue the same order of ceremonies but that euery churche might ordaine the beste for it selfe But suche was wonte to be the tyranny of hypocrites whereof Mantuan saythe The fathers of the Latin churche to taxe they enterprise And make them fondly force the Britains bend vnto the guise Of Romish church against al right with foolish hardines They rashly cause the auncient league of amitie to cease â–ª As touching peace they saye that Rome should rather make then marre To kepemans lawe so that Christes lawe therby do neuer larre And faith with doctrine whiche allowed by the firste Synode was As it from Christe the light of life to all mankinde did passe And to speake in fewe wordes the Romaine bishops were starres euen hetherto yet but falling from Christes right hande to the grounde from whome the heauen departed Apocal. 6. and they are prefigured by the redde horse vnto whose ryder power was geuen to take awaye peace from the earth and to murther to and fro whereupon as in the firste order the Romaine Prelates called bishops by their true ministring the worde of God and constant faith were starres abiding in Christe his right hande so in this second sort vnder the name of Archebishops and Patriarkes by the neglecting of the same woorde and their earthly affections they were starres falling to the earth Apocal. 6. But in the thirde ranke whiche shall followe vnder the name of Popes and Antichristes for their absolute reuolting from Christe and open idolatries they shal be the starres falling from heauen to the earthe Apoc. 9. THE THIRDE Booke ¶ Nowe ensueth the thirde sorte of Romaine bishops coming from euill to worse For as the former company in the seconde booke shewed declining from pure Christianitie and enclining to Antichriste so now appeareth in these that the seede sowed by the forainer is groweÌ„ vp Antichrist as it were appearing aboue the grounde who grewe still forwarde froÌ„ grenenesse to ripenesse as shall appeare by these that followe and so from ripenesse to rottennesse which is to be hoped for in that already he is wexed so mellowe that if he be not plucked from the tree if it please God to sende a smale blaste of winde he will fall of him selfe Note therfore diligently gentil Reader what fruite ensueth and springeth of the former grayne Reade conferre and then iudge whether these men shewe them selues to be the vicars of Christe or deceitful and mischeuous Antechristes for bye their fruites ye shall knowe them whether they are suche as they would be accompted Abadon or the Latin Antichriste IN the yeare of our Lorde sixe hundreth and foure Phocas the tyrant murthered his soueraigne lord Mauricius the Emperoure with his wife his brother his children and many nobles From this yere adding to it two yeres to the beginning of the Popedome established by Phocas are sixe hundred sixty sixe yeares from the coÌ„sulship of M. T. Cicero and Antonius as Bibliander Funccius and other do euidently recken it at whiche time the Iewes while their bishops iarred for supremacie lost their libertie For Christe as Bibliander gathers in his reuelation whiche by his dearely beloued Apostle Iohn he deliuered to the church foare tolde that a certaine tyrannicall Empier should afflicte the true church as Nero and Domician with others did And calleth the beaste hauing two hornes like a lambe
the ennemy of Christe whiche neuerthelesse should speake like a Dragon like an euill spirite and should rage as vnmercifully as the firste beast did whiche destroyed Peter and Paule and great companies of fainctes whiche with her charmes should so bewitche the worlde and with monstrous workes should growe into suche admiration that none might by or sell but such as had the seale or the name of the beaste in his forehead But as touching the name of the beaste he shewes it mistically by these letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ch X St reciteth it to be discussed This saith Iohn is wysedome let him that hath vnderstanding accompt the number of the beast for it is the number of a man and his nuÌ„ber is this 666. Apocal. 13. What meane thefe markes but that wee should searche the time wherein this beaste should arise from the earth and the bottomlesse pitte and should destroye the Christian common wealth But howe shall a man apply it if he haue not the certaine time when Pompeie toke the scepter from the Iewes according to the notable prophecie of Iacob entring the temple prophaned the Sanctum sanctorum But that was done as Iosephus wryteth in the time of Tullius consulship the 60. yeare before Christe was borne To these three score yeares adde six hundred vntill after the death of the sayd Gregorie the great who prophecied that he should be Antechriste whiche would be compted vniuersall bishop or head of all churches Therefore marke well what kinde of times happened in the 666. yeare after Hierusalem was taken by the Romaines Pompeie being their general and you shall se straunge matters fal out at the time that this Phocas was Emperour of whome VVilliam Stantphurdius wryteth as foloweth The Empier Phocas chokes and doth the Popedome first aduaunce By wicked writts about his Empier sent for to enhaunce And to confirme moste sure foray vnto the after age The premacy of Rome and of the dragon that doth rage Against Gods power Furthermore applie this misticall number of 666. containing highe wisedom in iâ— froÌ„ the time of Christes birth or from the tyme of his passion or from the xv yere of Domician at whiche time the reuelation was written and stil ye shal finde some moÌ„sterous thing wrought in the church But to returne to the matter of Englande In the yeare of Christe 593. Colman Harding and Fabian saye that the raigne of the seuen kinges at one time began whereby 173â— yeares after Brutus their first king the royall estate of the Brytishe king ceased For as Paulus Diaconus writeth in his fourth booke the Britaines founde tâ—at the Saxons were in steade of succourers suppressours and cruell ennemies vntrusty warring rigorously vpon them who had entertained them for ayde Anno 596. the foresaid Augustine sent from Gregorie came into Englande who at his comming did not reproue but maintaine and vpholde the wicked treasons the horrible robberies the slaughters more cruell then were Neroes whiche the Saxons coÌ„mitted Anno â–ª 600. Gregorie gaue to Augustine his byshops pall Thereby as was sayde London was spoyled of her right without all order to the destruction bothe of the commonwealth and of religion and finally the vndoing of the Brytishe kingdome and thereupon are sumptuous teÌ„ples builded Before that time the Britains had their churches dedicated to eternall God the father and to our sauiour his sonne Iesus Christe But afterwarde the SaxoÌ„s did coÌ„secrate their temples to Images and dead sainctes â–ª Anno. 604. the ChristiaÌ„ Emperour Maurice being slaine Phocas an adulterer and a murtherer obtayned the seate imperiall and in him the maiestie of the Caesars and the moste noble Empire of the Grekes decayed together As for the Romaine Empire that was weakened and empaired yea and at length brought to nothing by meanes of the Popedome whiche he had graunted and established Anno 606. in Nouember and December as Paulus Diaconus writeth in his 18. booke euen at the rising and beginning of the Popedome there appeared a wonderfull great blasing starre There were straunge sightes and monsters of the Sea shewed them selues to the terrour of many Thus in the time of this Phocas murderer of the Emperour whiche is to be noted as a misterie concerning the Popes Papistrie and Mahumets religion began bothe together at one time which corrupted darkened and weakened the doctrine of the sonne of God in many regions For in another yeare of the same Phocas as Bibliander writeth Mahumet recited the Alcoran so that saieth hee the Egles three heades awaked all at ones according to the heauenly vision in the fourth booke of Esdras that is to saye Phocas him selfe Pope Boniface Mahumet the Arabian now followeth the thirde troupe of Romishe Popes whiche is deuided into fiue partes The firste parte of this thirde troupes of the Popes or Romaine Antechristes prophecied of by the names of Sodome or Egypt Apocal. 11. vntill the time of Pope Iohn the eight 1. Boniface the thirde ABout this time the bishoppers of Constantinople endeuoured to obstaine the title of vniuersall bishop and to haue their Church called the head of all Churches vsing these fonde reasons that because the Emperour beinge chiefe of all Princes kepte at Constantinople therefore that shoulde be the chiefest Church and there the chiefe bishop This ambitioÌ„ enflamed many to speake and wryte against it but especiallye the late Gregorye who in this wyse reproued Iohn bishop of Constantinople for the same Sayinge None of my predecessors although the Emperours began first in Rome and were wont to byde there onelye and yet do keepe the title thereof durste take vppon them this title of vniuersall bishop And againe Gregorye sayd plainlye that such a one was the forerunner of Antichrist Yet notwithstanding that the Church of Constantinople with great infamye preuailed not herein because that Antichrist or the whore of Babilon according to the 13. of the Reuelation should be in the Citty builded on seuen hilles that is Rome it selfe For so diuers auctors testifye that onelye Rome is knowen to be builded on vii hils and certaine it is that when this Reuelation was written Rome was then the greatest Cittye being built on seuen hils as Mantuan testifyeth in the life of Syluester speaking of S. Blaze at the ende of the first booke And the fulnesse of that time prophecied of now drawing nighe this Boniface the thirde Anno 607. by the meanes of Phocas the Emperour an adulterer traytour and murtherer of his Lorde and soueraine Maurice the Emperour with his wife and children was aduaunced to be bishop of Rome with much hurley burley and greate tumulte and in despite of manye bishops and Churches standinge against it he is extolled confirmed and worshipped as Lorde and Prince of all bishoppes By great sute but greater bribery he obtayned of the sayde bloudye Emperour that Rome should be called the head of all Churches partlye by the same reasons that Constantinople vsed as Platina sayth that where the heade
the Pope From this time being in the yeare 801. the honour of the Romayne Empire was first translated froÌ„ the Grekes to the French men by the Pope and after at his good pleasure from theÌ„ to the Germaines This Pope also pronounced Pipin of Fraunce sonne to the saâ—e Charles king of the same parte of Italy whiche neither he nor any of his predecessours could euer sudduâ— whiche he did for this pollicie that the kinges of Fraunce hauing the title Emperial should neuer suffer him to lose his maiestie For this cause saith Hieronymus Marius the Pope wrought perpetual dissentions betwene the Emperours of the West and of the East to the great spoyle of Christian bloud Thus vpon condiâ—ion that Charles and his should sweare perpetuall homage and fealtie to the churche of Rome he made him Emperour He first appointed to hallowe the altar with frankinsense He made the Popes decrees to be of greater auctoritie then al the writinges of the doctours Also he caused that a certain counterfeit bloud made by a conueiaunce to ronne from a wodden roode should be taken to be the very true bloud of Christe And caryed it to Mantua where to this daye it is preserued reuerenced and worshipped He by his auctoritie allowed it to be so appointing for it yearely a solemne holydaye Such was the dotage of the time wherof Mantuan bewitched with this enchauntement writeth to the Emperour Charles of the Popes iourney VVhyle Leo hearing of the brute of counterfaited blood VVhiche founde was lately streaming from a crucifixe of wood He hieth him to Mantua where he perceiuing well The wonderous woorkes wherein this bloud so straungely did excell He thought wee should it as the bloud of Iesus Christeesteme That earst was shed vpon the crosse our soules for to redeme An abhominable elusion and blasphemy to say teache that the glorified bloud of Christe should shead it selfe in a rotten idoll whiche as the Apostle saith was ones shed for all that out of his precious body But the Popes auctoritie in this matter caused this to be beleued almoste of all men But so Paule prophecied the coÌ„ming of Antechrist to bee in false signes to deceiue the vnbeleuing Leo died Anno. 816. Vspergensis saith that in this time of Leo the Sunne was darkened and lost his light for eightene days so that the shippes ofte on the sea wandred to and fro Also that in an other yeare it was twyse in the Eclipse firste in Iune secondly in December Likewise the same yere the Moone was twyse in the Eclipse in Iuly and in Ianuary 33. Steuen the fourth STeuen the fourth the thirde moneth after he had taken the Popeship vpon him made a voiage into Fraunce to Lewis the Emperour to purge him selfe of election wherby he was made Pope because he was chosen and confirmed by the Clergie and the people contrary to the decree made by Hadrian and Leo. And thus their owne decrees whiche the former predecessour made the next successour broke But to flatter and dally with the Emperoure for a while he brought with him a fayre crowne of Remis and put it on the Emperours head put another on the Empresse head naming her Augusta When he had receiued his rewarde of the Emperour should returne the churche of Reata wanted a bishop and yet Steuen very subtelly would electe none onlesse he might firste knowe whether the Emperour would allowe his doing but note the sequele As sone as he was returned safe to Rome he began to consider that the prerogatiue which was geuen to Charles and his successours might be a bridelling to the sea of Rome being embouldened the more because Lewis was a gentle persone and a tractable man he disanulled al that â–ª auctoritie and right and affirmed that it ought to belonge to the Clergie the people the senate to electe the Pope But to auoyde the Emperours displeasure he vsed this interpretation that it was lawefull for them to chuse him without the Emperours auctoritie but not to consecrate him but in the presence of him or his embassadours And thus the Emperours were a litle shouldered out from the election of these prelates And beside this because he raigned but eight monethes he coulde not any further enhance the pompe of his seate dying Anno. 817. 34. Paschal the first PAschal the first a Romishe monke was chosen withoute the consent of the Emperour according to the glose deuised by Steuen but when the Emperour complayned that he found himselfe agreeued with the election Paschall verye craftelye wrote vnto him purging himselfe therof In processe of time when he perceyued y the Emperour vpoÌ„ blinde zeale to religion was a greate maintayner of the Church of Rome he thinking that it were daungerous if he shoulde delaye the enlarging of his auctoritye did so craftelye charme and enuegle the Emperour that he yelded whollye to the Romaynes all his auctoritye touching the election of the Pope which was giuen to Charles and he confirmed by wrytinge hys auncetours presentacions which they had wrongfully purloyned This did the Emperour confirme with hande and seale not knowing theyr crafte But after that when this Emperour Lewes minding to haue his sonne Lotharius ioyned w t him in the Empyre and for the more coÌ„uenieÌ„t doing therof sent him to Rome to be crowned there by the Pope king of Italy which after that the Pope had done whiile Lothariê° because of a certaine tumulte and sedition there arysing fled to his father for ayde to suppresse it leauing behind him one Theodorus and Leo chiefe officers aboute him who stoode stoutlye in theyr maisters quarrel the Pope secretly and trayterouslye caused certaine seditious persons to pul out theyr eyes and afterward to strike of their heades And when he was accused to the Emperour both of the sedition and of this murther he picking out for his purpose a counsell of Prelates purged himselfe by his othe notwithstaÌ„ding he absolued and pardoned those that were giltye and knowen offenders he accused them that were slaine to be giltye of treason against the Emperour and finallye auouched that they were lawfully put to death This Paschall they say if they ouer reach not in the nomber did take vp ii thousand saincts karkases that were buryed in Churchyards and bestowed more honourable tombes vppon them in other places He commaunded to worship and reuerence the reliques of Saincts He was beneficiall to stone walles as Churches and altars diuersly Last of all he gaue coÌ„maundement to the clergye that they should not take any benefice or Ecclesiasticall lyuinge at the handes of a layeman He dyed Anno. 824. 35. Eugenius the second EVgenius gat the Popedome with much brablinge and strife among the fathers of the election for first one Zizimus had it graunted him but the discorde beinge ended Eugenius gat it both for his curtesye eloquence as they say who as Premonstratensis sayth that while he was Cardinal of S. Sabines bestowed on the Church a siluer
space as fourty dayes driue out the other and kepe the place him selfe Leo seing him selfe reft of the renowne and thus defaced euen by his owne familiar frend on whome he had heaped so many benefites conceiued so great thought that immediatly he died thereof 56 Christopher the first CHristopher the first was of so base linage that neither his countrie nor his fathers name was knowen Hee hauing shoued out Leo and his concubines ayding him thereto wan the Popeship by strong hande But as he gate it naughtely so was he shamefully thrust out again by one Sergius the peramour of one Marozia a notable harlotte and beawtifull concubine who sought to place him selfe in it So Christopher was put downe the vii moneth of his Popeship And as Platina sayth compelled to be a Mōke whiche thing was then become the refuge of all caytiffes And afterwarde he was againe pulled out of the Monasterie by the same Sergius and caste into a straight pryson where at length in muche misery and sorowe he died Anno 905. 57 Sergius the third SErgius the thirde when as he was but a Deacon gaue a proude attempt to aspire to the Popedome and was in dede chosen thereto with great tumult among the people when Formosus was chosen But taking the foyle he fled into Fraunce but nowe espying his oportunitie by the aide of Charles Simplex king of Fraunce and Adelbert Marques of Thuscia he returned by stelth into Rome And as it is sayde he deposed Christopher apprehended him and clapte him in pryson inuaded violently the Popes place Being setled and remembring his ranke mallice againste Formosus not withstanding the long time that had since passed and eight Popes betwene Formosus and him yet freshly to reuenge his olde grudge Hee the seconde tyme toke vp the karkasse of the sayd Formosus out of his graue after it had lyen thus long setting it in y Popes chaire did drawe him from thence agayne and as if he had bene a liue strake of his head And where as since his laste mangling he had but three fingers remaining on his right hād Sergius chopped of those also After all this he caused his body and all these peeces therof to be hurled into the riuer Tiber as if he had not bene worthy to lye amōg Christiās And yet not satisfied with this reuenge hee defaced condemned and disanulled al his actes so that it was then nedefull to admitte them a newe to their orders whome he being aliue thought mete to make priestes He compelled the Romaines to subscribe to this for feare of the Frenche king This Sergius among other newe ceremonies appointed that the people should beare candels on the daye of the purification of the Uirgin Mary whereupon it is yet called Candelmasse daye to geue their bodies vnnecessary light at noone daye because their soules wanted their necessary light at all times This lasciuious Pope begat a bastarde which was afterwarde Pope Iohn the twelfth whome he had by the moste shamelesse harlotte Marozia So Luthprandus testifieth in the thirde booke and xii chapter De gestis Imperat. This and other like prankes among harlottes and bawdes he practised euen in his Popeship At the time of whose death Anno. 913. there were sene in the element great flakes of fier running to and fro 58 Anastasius the third ANastasius the thirde after Sergius all their vnclenlye ceremonies being obserued was elected Pope But some write of him that he did neither good nor euill in his time and therefore is he more commendable They wryte that in his time the bodye of Pope Formosus was founde by certaine fyshers in the ryuer Tiber and so taken vp and with great worship buried in S Peters pallaice and as some are not a shamed to fayne the Images of the church did salute it whyle it was burying A notorius vntruthe and grosse blasphemie against God although in the tyme of suche blindnesse God might suffer Sathan to moue and sturre the Idols before these idolatours as in times past the diuel◠hath doone when he spake and gaue oracles and prophecies out of Idols Anastasius died Anno. 915. 59 Laudo the first LAudo the firste being a fruytfull Prelate in begetting children as Petrus Premonstratensis sayth hee begat Pope Iohn the xi in detestable adultrye This Popes life sayth Platina was so obscure that some do not recken him among the Popes especially Vincentius This Laudo as it appeareth spent the more parte of his chast life as chastitie went then among harlottes till at the length he was destroyed among them For one Theodora the Lady that gouerned Rome a shamelesse curtezane could not longer forbeare the company of her louer Iohn Archbishop of Rauenna who was apparent sonne to this Pope Laudo Rauenna sayth Luthprandus was two hundred myles from Rome whereby Theodora could not so often enioye the byshop her louer and therefore she caused him to giue ouer Rauenna and to vsurpe the Popes place in despite of the auncientes of Rome Here sayth Funcius a man might demaūde which of al these Popes did erre from the truth seing they were all called holy fathers and heads of the vniuersall churche Let the Popes partakers aunswere if they can 60 Iohn the eleuenth IOhn the eleuenth borne at Rauenna the bastard and adulterous sonne of his forefather Laudo as saythe Praemontratensis he obtained the Popedome by right of inheritaunce though whoredome were his ayde For thus wryteth Luthprandus in his seconde booke and thirtene chapter of Emperours Theodora an impudent harlot and the Lady of Rome burning in fleshly lust was so enflamed with the comlye countenaunce of this Iohn comming to Rome that she did not only request him but compelle him to satisfie her carnall desire For the whiche afterwarde she made him byshop firste of Bononia secondly Archebishop of Rauenna and thirdly to obtaine her filthy pleasure more conueniently she made him Pope of Rome Thus at this tyme was the holy mother churche subiect to an harlot ruled only by her and is made an whore according to the xvii chapter of the Apocalips This Iohn hauing a warlike courage played rather the warriour then the byshop For when the Sarasins wasted Calabria Apulia and Italy he putting him selfe in armour stew a number of them in these countries draue them cleane out As cōcerning the ende of this man thus wryteth Luthprandus in his thirde booke and xii chapter In the meane time Guido Marques of Thuscia began to conferre earnestly and diuise with his wife Marozia the doughter of the saide Theodora howe he might depose this Iohn Guido had many souldiours gathered together at Rome the which apprehending Pope Iohn in Lateran pallayce Anno. 928 cast him in prison and holding a pillowe to his mouthe did smother him to death very miserably After his death they set vp Iohn the twelth the bastard sonne of this Marozia whome she had by Pope Sergius Thus the young harlot Marozia for the aduauncement of her
sayth Benno the Emperour made Theophilact to flye he put Gregorie in prison and afterward he banished him wyth Hildebrād into Germanye and cōpelled the bishop of Saba to returne to his bishopricke So Gregorie dyed in Germanye of whose falsehod and money together sayth Benno Hildebrand was made heyre who after his death returned to Rome 90. Clement the second CLement the seconde was made Pope in a Synode at Rome by the Emperours commaundement while the other three Popes were yet liuinge Hee caused the Romaynes to giue ouer to the Emperour theyr title in electing the Pope for the auoydinge of those broyles which arose there vppon But some saye that it was the Emperour who made the Romaynes sweare that they shoulde neuer name anye to be Pope But the Emperour beinge gone into Germanye they forgettinge theyr oath did poyson this Pope Clement because he was chosen wythoute theyr consente the ninth monthe after his creation which poyson was tampered by Steuen who succeded him called Damasus the second or as some thincke that Brazutus being commonlye practised in these thinges and companion to Theophilact and Hildebrand was auctor therof At this time were great and straunge contencions about the Sacramente of the alter and by the deuils doinge manye wonders and myracles were wroughte but the Pope forbad manye to vtter their conscience hereof least it shoulde be preiudiciall to the masse And therefore manye of the doctours as appeareth by theyr wrytings wrote doubtfully 91. Damasus the seconde DAmasus the second otherwise called Steuen Bagniarie gate the Popeship by force at the Emperours cōmaundement with consent of the clergye and laitye for sayth Platina it was now a common thinge for euery ambitious parson to prease into Peters seate violentlye but he kepte it not long for the thirtenth day after he was poysoned by the sayde Brazutus Anno 1049. This Damasus beinge chaūcelar to Clemēt his predecessour did poyson his maister and therefore dranke worthely of the same cuppe After this sayth Benno Theophilact who before was fled returned to Rome and there wyth his olde acquaintaunce Laurence wroughte much mischiefe and by the letters of his scholer Hildebrande beinge then in the Emperours Court and a traytour about him he knewe all the Emperours secretes While he thus did greatlye vexe the Romaynes they by the counsell of Cardinals sent Embassadours to the Emperour desiringe him to assigne one to be Pope And therefore one Bruno afterwarde called Leo the ninthe was made Pope and perforce againste his wyll brought to Rome In whose company through ouermuch gentlenes of the Emperour Hildebrand was suffered to returne to Rome who afterward wrought such mischiefe in the worlde as neuer was harde of both againste Emperour Church clergye and common wealth vnder colour of religion meaninge not to keepe his oath longe sworne to the Emperour So sayth Benno of him 92. Leo the ninth LEo the ninth a Germaine borne of the countrey of Dasburg being also himselfe countye Etistheim and bishop of Tulledo he became Pope in this maner Because the Romaynes not for the loue of the Emperour but beinge wearyed wyth those ambitious and seditious prelates that straue for the Popeship desyred him to appointe one to be Pope he sent them this Bruno bishop of Tulledo a man of a simple witte for none of the other Germaine bishoppes durste aduenture to come amonge the poysoned cuppes of Rome He goinge on forwarde in his pontificall roabes had wyth him in companye the abbot of Clunace Hildebrand the monke the clergye of Rome meetinge him seing him come on this manner altered his Popes vesture did most dispitefullye charge him wyth apostasye because he had receyued his auctoritye from the Emperour therefore they perswaded him to put of his pōtificals and to returne to Rome in his wonted apparell Saying the election of the Pope was not graūted to the Emperours but to the clergye and people of Rome Bruno obeyed theyr commaundement and came to Rome in his owne priuate apparel And through the counsaile of Hildebrand did cōfesse openly before the auncients that he had offended and therefore because he ascribed the auctoritye to them they chose him Pope more willinglye and for this deede called him Leo or Liō whose courage argued him rather to be a sheepe Afterward he made Hildebrand a Cardinall and partner of his Popeship with him committing to him the charge of S. Peters Churche whereof Benno wryteth thus As sone as he came to Rome meaning Hildebrād he obtayned of Leo to be made one of the keepers of the alter of S. Peters Church and within a while he filled his cofers and to the end he might put out his money to some man for dailye enterest he became familiarlye acquainted with the sonne of a certaine Iewe who though he were latelye become a Christian yet he left not his Iewishe trade of vsurye And before this hee had well acquainted himselfe wyth the famous worker of mischiefe Brazutus frende to Theophilact who is reported to haue poysoned by his cūning these Popes wythin xiii yeares Clement the second Damasus the second Leo the ix Victor the second and Nicholas the seconde Pope Leo held a counsell at Vercella wherin he condemned the doctrine of Berengarius who helde opinion against transubstantiacion and the real presence of Christ in the Sacrament Likewise he held a nother counsell at Maguntia wherein was concluded that priests should not keepe hounds nor haukes neither medle with any such profane things Also the mariage of the clergye was vtterlye condemned by the procurement of Hildebrād And it was decreed to be simonye for a priest to be preferred to an ecclesiastical lyuing by a layman By the enticement of Hildebrand and Theophilact this Leo not knowinge their disposition moued warre against the Normans whose power was thē great in Apulia But Theophilact meaning to worke the Pope mischiefe secretelye because he durst not openly do it bewrayed first al his secrete coūsell and finallye with Hildebrands aduise betrayed the Pope himselfe to the Normans from whom his men beinge slaine he himselfe escaped narrowly who yet returninge to Rome was poysoned by Brazutus the fift yeare of his Popedome 93. Victor the second VIctor the second a Germaine borne in Bauaria was made Pope not by free election but because the Romaynes did so much stande in awe of Henry the Emperour that they durste do nothinge against the oath made to the sayde Henry in the time of Clement the seconde And therefore to gratify the Emperour they sent Hildebrād as Embassadour to him to know his pleasure in the election and by this meanes this Victor beinge a Germaine came to be Pope In this Embassage Hildebrande toke vppon him by vertue thereof to make Henry the Emperours sonne heyre to the Empire This Victor helde a great Synode at Florence wherin he condemned all those priestes of Symonie who had bene presented to their spiritual liuinges by any temporall parsons Immediatly after the establishmente of
and that he that had deuorced other men from theyr wiues and honest matrimonye liued in whoredome with another mans wyfe Also this Gregory iudged to death three men before they were conuict or confessed theyr cryme without the sentence of anye seculer Iudge and caused them to be hanged forthwith Another time he cast Centius the sonne of a Senatour into prison being his especial friend caused him to be tormented rolled in a barrel of sharpe nayles till he was almost dead But Centius escaping apprehended the sayde Hildebrand and mighte haue quitted his quarrel yet the people disappointed him but the Pope ere he were deliuered sware openlye that he would forgeue him and the rest that had apprehended him But being at libertye contrarye to his oath he reuenged it causing Centius and ix of his company to be hanged for it the other he condempned to banishment and among them the sonne of a widow who after the yeare of his vanishment was expyred did returne was led with an halter about his necke by his mother to Gregorie whoÌ„ the mother for full satisfaction desired to take her sonne and deliuer him againe as a new purged maÌ„ But Gregorie had hanged him but that the Iuâ—tices â–ª coÌ„sidering the penaunce that he had done were more iuste and wyse and refused to do it and therefore Gregorie in a rage commauÌ„ded one of his feete to be cut of wherof the yongmaÌ„ dyed wythin fiue dayes to the great griefe of the poore wydowe his mother Abbas Vspergensis other write thus It is manifest say they that this Hildebrand was not chosen by God but intruded himselfe by money guile who tossed the ecclesiastical estate vpside downe and troubled the kingdome of Christen Empier practised to murther the quiet Prince defended oath breakers fostred debate sowed discentioÌ„ raysed offences made deuorcemeÌ„ts and disordered euery thing that seemed to be well among the godlye He was the first that put the ministers of the Church from their wyues by excommunicatioÌ„ He moued broyles through Fraunce Germany and Englande tedious to be tolde This deuorcement of ministers wiues did offende a great nomber of learned men at that time for in Germanye and Fraunce there were yet xxiiii and more bishops who wyth the clergye of theyr Diocesse were then maryed and did stoutly maintayne theyr mariage still beside those that were in England Italye Amonge other things Gregorie commaunded the Saturday to be fasted He canonized Pope Liberius sainte who was an ArriaÌ„ heriticke also he apointed an holye daye in reuerence of him He toke awaye the Crowne from the kinge of Poland He condemned Berengarius opinion againste reall presence was the first that is noted to haue established the doctrine of transubstantiatioÌ„ He condemned a layman of sacrilege that should reape the commoditye of tenthes as of impropriat parsonages but condemned him of heresye that inuested a priest and him of Idolatrye that should take a benefice of a layman These and other like attemptes gaue Hildebrand whereby hee made the Popes leaden blade to hew asonder almost the Emperours iron sworde Many of the clergye as 14. Cardinals beside diuers bishops other did so abhorre the detestable treachery of this coniurer Gregorie that they forsoke him for shame his villanyes were so manye and so monstrous encreasinge dailye In steedâ— of God he serued the deuill of Princes whom he shoulde honour hee made worse then slaues finallye as his name was Hildebrand so in deede he was an helly brande to all Christendome tormoyled by his meanes with rebellions treasons murders c. But at the length Henry the Emperour began to set himselfe against the Popes practises and in the yeare of Christ 1083. in a Synode at Brixia layinge his treacheryes to his charge hee did depriue him of his place and appointed another in his steede whom hee called Clement the thirde He sent his armye to Rome to driue out Gregorie and to establishe this Clement and by his longe siege he brought Rome to so great penurye that they were compelled to sue for peace But Hildebrand because he would not come in the Emperours sighte beinge reiected forsaken of the Romaynes fled to Salerne wher he ended his wretched life in great miserye Anno 1086 Antonius and Vincentius shewe that this Hildebrand euen at the latter gaspe called to him a certaine Cardinal and confessed to him that he had haynouslye offended because at the deuils enticemeÌ„ts he had sturred vp hurlye burlies hatred and warres among many and bad the cardinal go to desire the Emperour to pardon him Diuers meÌ„ wrote against him his vile life as CaÌ„didus a Cardinall VValramus bishop of Niemburg Venericus bishop of Vercellen Rowland priest of Parmen Sigebertus Gemblacensis Also of this Gregorie it is said that he neuer weÌ„t without a booke of coniuring about him 99. Victor the thirde VIctor the third abbot of Cassa was made Pope not by the election of the Romaynes or Cardinals but was thrust in by the ayde of his harlot Mathilda and the Normans that were of his faction He being established began to defende Gregories prankes against the Emperour and Clement appointed by him but the hastines of hys death shortened his mallice who as Hermannus Contractus Carsulanus Praemonstratensis and sondrye other testifye was poysoned by his deacoÌ„ who at masse time put the poyson into the challice against that Pope should receiue it Diuers wonders are reported to haue happened at that time as of tame birds geese cockes hennes pigions pecocks flewe into the mountaynes and became wild houge store of fishe died in the Sea diuers Cityes were so shaken w t earthquakes so as the greater Pallas at Syracuse falling downe did slaye all that were then in the Church sauing a couple 100. Vrban the second VRban the seconde an Hetrurian borne called Otho before was made Pope by the harlot Mathilda and the Norman Lords in Apulia in dispite of the Emperour This is a scholer of Hildebrand whom for followinge his maisters steppes Benno calleth a blind guide a sciesmaticke an heriticke and companion of Liberius the Arrian hereticke He watred those graftes of mischiefe which Gregorie had planted and was therefore called the turmoyler of the world by descantinge of his name and in steede of Vrban calling him Turban He excommunicated Clement the seconde established by the Emperour and also the Emperour for establishinge of him procured manye forsworne rebels both nobles and commoners to conspire againste him and likewyse the same Clement as being Pope did againe excommunicate him as an vsurper wherevppon it moued many reasonings amonge both spirituall temporall who should be right Pope And these controuersyes were tossed both in Germanye and other countryes But when Vrban would absolue none whom Gregorie had excommunicated he was fayne for feare of his life to flie by stealth from Rome He held fiue couÌ„cels in sondrye places and all for the establishing of Gregories
decrees and to coÌ„firme that auctoritye which the Church had gotten Amonge many other enormities he coÌ„cluded that no priests sonne shoulde be capable of orders He made the archbishop of Toledo primate of Spaine vppon condition that he should sweare fealtye to the Pope so by that meanes he broughte Spaine vnder his winge He cursed the kinge of Fraunce for imprisoning a bishop He caused all that should take order to sweare with this clause So God helpe me and the holye Euangelistes finally he standing in awe of one Iohn Pagan a Romaine did hide himselfe for two yeares in the house of one Peter Lion where he dyed Anno 1099. And his bodye was conueyed by nighte ouer Tiber for feare of his foes the same yeare also dyed Clement the thirde who had seene in his time the death of three Popes Of the former Hildebrand and this Vrban his scholler Theodor Bibliander writeth thus to Princes of al estates Hildebrand sayth he by sturringe vp the Greeke Emperour against the Turkes did sowe the seede of the voiage of Gog Magog vppon-whom the bloude of the Church cryeth vengeaunce that was shed wyth the sworde of his tongue But this Vrban by causinge Christians to goe warre vppon Pagans with vaine colour of fighting for the holye Lande for Christes Sepulcher hath caused more Christian bloud to be shedde of all Nations then can be esteemed and did it onelye to oppresse Clement the second and his faction the while to restore himselfe to be Pope In the time of this VrbaÌ„ VVilliam Rufus kinge of England was sore combred with the proude prelate Anselmus archbishop of Canterbury who wheÌ„ he was commaunded to aunsweare to his misbehauiour did auoide it in appealinge to the Courte of Rome both against the liking of al the bishops in Englande and in spite of the kinges harte went to complaine to the Pope 101. Paschal the second PAschal the seconde was an Italian called before Rainerus hee was made Cardinall of S. Clements by Hildebrande his Scholemaister succeded Vrban He when he sawe he shoulde be chosen woulde not take the place vppon him vntil the people had cryed thre times S. Peter choseth thee worthie man Raynarde Then hauinge a purple roabe vppon him and a Miter on his head he was brought vppon a white horse vnto Lateran where hee receyued the Popes Scepter and had the gyrdle put about him wheron are hanged seuen keyes and as manye Seales All the time he raigned he was continually busyed in warres and â—editioâ—s attemptinge by all meanes possible to aduaunce yet hier the estate of the Popedome He draue out furiouslye from their places all those bishops and abbots that were established by the Emperour At this time there was a certaine prelate called Fluentinus who seinge the greate enormityes that presently choaked the Christian Church held opinion that Antichrist was incarnate and borne and that he was reuealed herein And therefore sayth Sabellicus the Pope held a councel against him with the bishops of Italy and Fraunce in Rome amonge other canons he concluded it heresye to denye obedience to the Pope and made a canon for paying of tenthes to priestes concluding it siane against the holye Ghoste to sell the tenthes He renued and published the excommunication against the Emperour and caused the bishop of Mentz of Collen and of VVormes to thrust him froÌ„ his estate taking his Crowne from him with al princelye title dignitye and honour Yea and which is horrible to be heard not content with this he did prouoke and arme his onelye sonne Henry the fifte to rebell against him being his naturall father A lamentable and pitifull case to see the onelye child of so good noble a father not beinge prouoked by any iniurye on the fathers part not onely to despise to forsake and reuolt from his father denying to ayde him but also to assault hym by force of armes to enclose him with his armye as he did and toke him entrapped by treason spoyled robbed him of his royal estate and forced the wretched and miserable man captiue to his owne child to dye a double and dolefull death Thus could the Pope put the sworde in the sonnes hand forsing him to sheath it in his fathers bowels Neither could this vnnaturall death of the good olde man cause the vnnaturall rancour to dye in the Popes breast but for further reuenge he coÌ„maunded that the Emperours carkasse should not be buryed but first be cast out of the Church and be caryed from Leodos to Spira where it rotted fiue yeares without any Christian burial But lo what a wonder God wrought in the meane time To testify sayth Abbas Vspergensis the Popes tyrannye it rayned bloud at Spira It were a lamentable thing to tell at large the maner of the Popes vnmerciful dealing with this good Emperour For first the forenamed bishops comminge to him to Hilgeshem they coÌ„maunded him to deliuer vp his Diademe his Purple roabes his Signet and other like ornaments belonging to the Empyre WheÌ„ he required a reason thereof they aunsweared partly for sellinge spirituall liuinges but chiefely for the Popes pleasure Wyth that the good Emperour sighing saide Ye know you receyued your bishoprickes at my hande that I gaue them freelye and am giltye of no suche cryme and yet do you thus quite my curtesye But the vnthankful prelates moued neither with allegeaunce oath nor benefite prosecuted their purpose and first yelding him no reuerence they plucked froÌ„ him sitting in his place of estate his Crowne Emperial and his Purple roabe and his Scepter He beinge thus stripped out of his royaltye and forsaken sayde pacientlye Let God see and iudge They leauing him bestowed these things vppon the sonne creating him causing him forthwith to pursue his father forcing him to flye but wyth ix parsons to the Dukedome of Limborough where the duke beinge his deadly ennemye did also make speede to apprehende him The Emperour perceyuing himselfe thus entrapped and fearing death submitted himselfe to the duke beseaching him rather to shewe mercye then vengeaunce Herevpon the noble harted duke thoughe the Emperour had whilom displaced him of his Dukedome yet pityinge his miserye he both forgaue him entertayned him curteously in his Castel and w t an armye conducted him to Collen where he was well receyued But the sonne hearinge thereof besieged the Citye but the father fled by night to Leodium where so manye louinge hartes resorted to him that he bad his sonne a battaile and ouerthrewe him and still desyred that if his sonne were taken he should be saued harmelesse Yet the sonne ceased not but renuinge the battaile preuayled and so dispossessed his father whoe in the ende was brougth to such penurye that he craued of the bishop of Spire to giue him but a prebende to liue vppon in the Church But the earle forgetting the benefites receyued of him in his prosperitye denyed him flatlye and said by ladye ye get none here Thus after he
to the Popes letter FRederick by the grace of God Emperour of the Romaynes Augustus euermore to Hadrian Pope of Rome and to al those that are vvilling to cleaue to that vvhich Christ began to do and teach sendeth greetinge The lavve of Iustice restoreth to euerye man his ovvne For vve do not dishonour our auncestours to vvhom vvithin this our kingdome vve yelde due reuerence by vvhom vve haue enherited our Crovvne and regall dignitye Is it knovvne that Syluester bishoppe of Rome in the time of Constantine the Emperour had anye kinglye poart But by his godlye graunte the Church obtayned libertye peace vvas restored and vvhat soeuer your princelye pontificality is knovvne to haue it came by the bountifulnes of Princes VVhereby vvhen soeuer vve vvrite to the Pope by good righte vve set our ovvne name former and accordinge to the rule of Iustice vve allovve it to him vvritinge to vs. Loke ouer the Recordes and if ye marked not in readinge vvhich vve auouche there ye shall finde it But vvhy shoulde vve not require homage and royal oathes tovvarde our parson of them that are Gods by adoption and possesse the royaltye belonging to vs Seing that he vvho taught both vs and you takinge nothing of a Prince but geuinge al goodnes to all men yet payde tribute to Caesar for himselfe and Peter and gaue you an example that ye shoulde do the like And so he teacheth you saying Learne of mee for I am humble and gentle of harte Therefore let them eyther graunte vnto vs that belongeth to our royaltye or els if they vvill challenge this for their more commoditye then let them paye vnto God that is due vnto GOD and vnto Caesar that is due vnto Caesar. The Churches are shut to your Cardinals and the Cityes are not open vnto them and reason good because vvee see that they are not feeders but steâ—â—ers of their flockes not kepers of peace but catchers of pence not those that amend the vvorld but that deuoure it But vvhen vvee shall see them such as the Church requireth bearinge peace giuinge light to their countreye assistinge the cause of the lovvlye in equity vve vvil forthvvith succour them vvith necessarye stipends and sustinaunce But ye do much discredit your humilitye and curtesye beinge the sauegâ—rde of all vertues vvhen ye moue to secular parsons such questions as do not much further religion Let therefore your fatherlye vvisedome prouide least vvhile ye sturre aboute such vnmeete matters yee giue offence vnto those vvhich applye themselues to giue eare to the vvords of your mouth as it vvere to a shovver of raine after Harueste For vve cannot but aunsvveare to those thinges vvhich vve heare vvhen vve see the detestable beast of pride to haue crept euen to Peters seate so long as vve purpose God vvillinge continuallye to prouide for peace and the Church Fare ye vvell Here may you discerne somwhat the dealing and spirite of the Romain bishops which I leaue to euery one 's owne indifferent consideration To returne to the matter hereuppon this Pope Hadrian did excommunicate the Emperour and by his Legates sent from Rome prouoked rebellions against him in Italye and other places and brought it secretly to passe that the conspiracye of the rebels should be made the stronger by these lawes confirmed among them by oath that none of them should take peace with him wtoute the whole consent of all the rest And againe that if this Pope Hadrian should dye they should choose none to be Pope but one of those Cardinals that were of the conspiracye against the Emperour But shortlye after God punished this Hadrian very straungelye for sayth Abbas Vspergensis in Frederico primo it came to passe that this Pope Hadrian the fourth going to Agnania to denounce the excommunication against the Emperour after he had taryed there a fewe dayes walked forth with some of his companye to coole him selfe And when he came to a certaine springe of water he drancke thereof and forthwith a flye did enter into his mouth and did cleaue to his throte in such sort that no art of the PhisitioÌ„s could get it away and so he was choaked therew t and died therof Anno 1159. in the fift yeare of his Popeship But the Italians being thus set on by the Pope deuised continuallye treasons against the Emperour amonge other practised to haue murthered him by a certaine counterfeit foole beinge in deede an excellente Musician who had surelye slaine him but that the Emperour driuen to his shift leaped out at the fifte window downe into a riuer which ranne vnder the place where he was The foole beinge taken was also throwne downe out of the same windowe and so he brake his necke After this they hyred an enchanter of Arabia who poysoned his bridle his spurres his ringes and his stirope and such other thinges that with the onlye touching thereof he should haue beene slaine But he was bewrayed and hanged vp This Pope Hadrian made king Henry the second of Englande Lorde of Irelande Carion in his Chronicle wrytinge of Conradus the thirde Emperour of Germanye sayth that it is found written that this Pope Hadrian the fourth euen a little before his death should say that there is no kind of life vpon earth more wretched theÌ„ to be Pope and to get the Popedome by bloud is not to succeede Peter but Romulus whoe for the kingdome slue his owne brother III. Alexander the thirde ALexander the third was borne in Hetruria called first Rolland Chancelour After Hadrian the fourth had his breath stopped and was choaked with a flye this man succeded him beinge farre worse then the other But because that all partyes coulde not agree to elect him nine of the Cardinals that held on the Emperours part did choose another Pope called Octauianus a citizen of Rome being a priest and Cardinall of S. Clements whom they called Victor the fourth And after the death of this Victor the sciesme and discention beinge continued three Popes succeeded in order Paschalis Calixtus and Innocentius all which withstoode this Pope Alexander and made greate turmoyles in the Church of Rome and al perished he yet lyuinge But when the Emperour sommoned a councell at Papia wherby the strife might be ended and the matter debated that he might be confirmed Pope that had the better right this Alexander defyinge the Emperours Embassadours aunswered proudlye that the Pope as he toke himselfe to be is to be iudged by no man and thus sent awaye the Embassadours with great contempte and sendinge his letters throughe all Christendome he plagued both the Emperour and this Victor with excommunications And because he might assure Rome to himselfe hee sente letters forthwith to Iohn Cardinall of sainct Peters Church who supplyed his roume there who by briberye and flatterye so curried fauor with the people that he allured the most parte of the Citye to fauour Alexander and to make those Consuls that did most leane to his part In the meane
time Alexander comminge out of Fraunce into Italy returned forth with to Rome and was curteously receyued and the Cityes of Italy being emboldned by his comminge to shake of their allegeance to the Emperour contrarye to their oath did forthwith reuolte from him king Philip of Fraunce fauouring their part The Emperour knowing of these rebellions conspiracies against him did forthwith gather a newe armye and went into Italye but when he came to Brixia one Hartman the bishop thereof beinge of the Emperours priuye councell but a false hipocrite did disswade him from the warre And perswaded him by the Popes secrete councell to make warre rather against the â—urkes ennemyes to Christian fayth then against the holye father and Christian men addinge withal that now the Soldan oppressed enioyed Hierusalem and al the holy land which his vncle had whilom coÌ„quered with greate power charges He prayed him to trye the force of his army vpon the Agarens Saracens and to recouer these landes therewith furthermore he promised the Emperour to perfourme this that the kinge of FrauÌ„ce likewise should leuye an army to ayde to conquer the Soldan kinge of Aegipt At his supplication the Emperour ledde his armye against the Paganes which he had prepared against the Pope his rebels He traueyled throughe Hungary to Constantinople and sendinge ouer his army he wan manye townes from the Turke as amonge other Philomenia and Ionicus passed into Armenia the lesse conquering all yea God so prospered his victoryes that the Soldan him selfe feared the losse of his kingdome At the length he came to Hierusalem where he suffred the Pagans to passe with life out of the Citye At length hauinge gotten great victories in Iewry he coÌ„sidered how he might defende from the Turkes that which he had wonne and repayre that which was wasted But while he was thus busye here in the East Pope Alexander was not yet quieted but both he and his conspiratours stil feared him if he should euer returne into Italye and therefore Alexander still deuised how to haue him destroyed He sent a cunning painter to go to the place where the Emperour was who the Emperour not knowing thereof shoulde drawe his picture this being perfectly done he commauÌ„ded a secret messenger to conuey it to the Soldan wrote a letter wtall to the Soldan certefying him that it was the Emperours picture and tellinge him that if he would liue quietlye he must worke the feate to haue him destroyed by som traine The Soldan hauiÌ„g receyued these letters the Emperours liuely picture deuised howe to gratifye the Pope and to slay his ennemye but he could neuer get oportunitye neither in battell nor in his tentes to haue him slaine But when the Emperour hauinge wonne Hierusalem retired wyth his army homeward he hauing no feare of himselfe did deuide his armye into diuers partes whereby they might returne the more conuenientlye for vittaile and lodginge one after another But in Armenia being on a time in a great heate and sweatinge partly with trauell partly with the heate of the Sunne mistrusting no daunger in the saluage country full of woddes he taking a fewe horsemeÌ„ with him his chaplein did step froÌ„ his armye Beinge a litle gone a side he alighted from his horse and was about to put of his apparell at a riuers side where coÌ„maunding his horsemen to depart he purposed by himselfe his chaplen alone to baath himselfe because he was exceeding hot where it so hapned that the Soldanes which had lyen in wayte for him as he trauelled negligentlye came and toke him and ledde the noble Emperour prisoner through the woods to the Soldan his horsemen not knowinge thereof attending for him in vaine at length came and sought diligentlye for him till the nexte daye The rumour was broughte to the armye that he was drowned whereuppon all the hoast lamented wepte and mourned heauilye and sought him alonge the floude almost the space of an whole month but when they could not finde him they chose them newe Captaynes and so marched homeward The Emperour being brought to the Soldan did dissemble that he was one of the Emperours chamberlaynes but the Soldan perceyuinge by the picture which he had from the Pope resembling his face that he was the Emperour commaunded the picture to be broughte forth and the leâ—ters to be read before him The Emperour beinge astonished at this treason sawe that it auayled not to denye himselfe he confessed the truth and besought the Soldan humblye to haue compassion on him After the Soldan had talked much with him and saw both by his wordes deedes that he was a worthie and noble gentlemaÌ„ in whom there was no vertue meete for so princely a parsonage wanting and hauinge him in great estimation for his wisedome his good demeanour his faythfulnes and vprighte dealinge thoughte he should purchase himselfe great glorye and renowne to deliuer him Therefore afterward he called the Emperour vnto him offered him liberty vppon conditioÌ„s and curteouslye profered him that he should laye in hostages for his raunsome paying And on this condition he let him go that he shoulde make a perpetuall league of peace with him and should paye an hundred thousand ducates should leaue his chaplen that was takeÌ„ prisoner with him to lye in pledge till it were payd so writings were drawne of the conditions and the Emperour prepared his iorney and bad his chaplen be of good courage promisinge him that he would not take his rest in Germany vntil the moneye were sent and that he saw him returned thether Then the SoldaÌ„ bestowed giftes on the Emperour prouided for his voyage and with xxxiiii horses certaine souldiours conducted him to Brixia and stayed there The Princes vnderstandinge of the Emperours returne for ioye resorted fast vnto him The Emperour loadinge the Soldanes men wyth diuers rewardes sent them backe againe and other with them to conduct them to the coast of the Empire Afterward he held a Parliament at Norimberg callinge together all the Princes of the Empyre to whoÌ„ he detected the treason of Pope AlexaÌ„der and read the traytours Epistle which he sent to the Soldan and tolde them by what meanes he escaped The Princes promised to assist him to performe his promise to the Soldan and in great disdaine against Pope Alexander traitour to the Empyre they offred to ayde him The armye was gathered hee came to Rome and not a man through out Italye withstoode him and sending his Embassadours into the Citye he demauÌ„ded of the Romaynes concealing his owne iniurye that the Church might be brought to quietnes by hearing both the Popes causes heard and that the right bishop mighte haue his place whereby the Church might be gouerned by one If they would do this he promised that he woulde graunte them not onely peace but would restore them all their righte Pope Alexander perceyuinge that by this meanes the Emperour mighte obtayne his purpose to be reuenged on him fled
by night to Caieta afterward to Beneuent last of all in the 17 yeare of his Popeship he came to Venice disguised in the apparell of one that was his cooke where lurking in an abbey he became a Gardener A while after he was bewrayed and knowne and there vpon calling a councell by the commaundement of duke Sebastian he was receyued with great honour and brought into S. Maryes Church w t pontificall pompe The Emperour hearing that the Pope was at Venice desyred the Venetians to yeld to him his ennemye being likewyse the ennemye of the common wealth The Venetians denyed to do it therefore the Emperour sente his sonne Otho with a nauye of souldiours to demaund Alexander of them but he charged him withall that he should attempt nothing in any case till he himselfe were come vnto him But Otho being a lustye yonge Prince ful of courage and desirous of renowne neglecting his fathers commaundement would needes encounter the Venetians whereby hee was ouercome taken prisoner bounde brought to Venice Herevpon Alexander began to set vp his crest and put out his hornes and woulde not take peace with the Emperour in anye case vnlesse the Emperour would come to Venice take suche conditions of peace as hee woulde offer him Whereuppon the good and carefull father to prouide for the infortunate miserye of his sonne promised hee woulde come at the time appointed and so came where they commoned vppon conditions of peace But the Pope woulde not absolue the Emperour of excōmunication till he came to S. Markes Church where before all the people Pope Alexander commaunded the Emperour to prostrate himselfe on the ground and to craue pardon The Emperour did as hee commaunded him then the Pope trode on the Emperours necke with his foote sayinge it is written Thou shalt walke vppon the serpent and adder and shalt treade downe vnder rhy feete the Lion and dragon The Emperour disdayninge this reproche aunswered It was not sayd to thee but to Peter The Pope then treadinge downe his necke againe sayde Both to mee and to Peter The Emperour then fearing some daunger durst saye no more so the peace was concluded The conditions wherof are these that the Emperour should vphold Alexander to be true Pope that he should restore all that did belonge to the Church of Rome which had beene taken away in the warres Thus the Emperour departed with his sonne The Pope to shew himselfe thankfull to Venice bestowed of his liberality giftes vppon duke Sebastian the Senate First he gaue them a white Taper which onely the Popes vsed to Beare Secondlye he lycensed them to seale theyr letters with leade and he graunted theyr Duke the third seate in the Popes Theatre Fourthly he graunted that on Ascention daye they should haue whole and perfit pardōs for euer at S. Markes Church Fiftly he gaue the Duke viii banners of silke and an attier for the head like an hat Afterward Alexander depriued the bishop of Papia of his Pall exempted him of the dignitye of caryinge the Crosse because he toke the Emperours part He made many Canons in a councel at Lateran as that an archbishop should not receyue his Pall vnlesse he had sworne first to be true and obedient to the Pope And that a man should not marrye his brothers wyfe beinge wydowe that they that toke orders should vowe chastetye that a bastarde should not be made a bishop that the canonizinge of Saincts belonged onlye to the Pope that such sainctes should haue deuine honour Amonge other he made Thomas Becket archbishop of Canterbury a rancke traytour to his prince but stoutlye vpheld therein by the Pope a sainct He bounde kinge Henry the seconde of Englande excusing himselfe of the death of Thomas that his subiectes should franklye freely appeale frō him to the Court of Rome that afterward none should be king of England vnlesse he were first called king by the Pope This arose vppon the quarel betwene the king and Thomas Becket who so vexed and disquieted his soueraigne prince with all the nobles and prelates of this Realme with cursinges excommunications interditinges threatninges mouing both French kinge Pope to moleste the kinge in his behalfe and finallye as then Pope Alexander played the incarnate deuill against the Emperour so did Becket rage like a subdeuill against the kinge in England till certaine not able to endure his arrogante seditious and trayterous doinges in great despite therof slue him at Canterbury He decreed that a mā shoulde not be deuorced frō his wyfe though she had the Leprosye Also that those that could be proued vsurers shoulde neyther be admitted to the Communion nor buryed in the Church after these other like deedes he dyed Anno 1181. Robert Montēsis Chronicle hath that Lewes king of Fraūce and Henry kinge of Englande wayted on Pope Alexander as his gentlemē vsshers and footemen the one leading his horse by the bridle on the right syde and the other on the left throughe the whole City Taciacū to Legeris In this Popes time the Sunne was Eclipsed and earthquakes were euery where Also there were certaine called VValdenses who defended manye articles against the Pope and his doctrine as transubstantiation Purgatorye c. 112. Lucius the thirde LVcius the thirde borne in Thuscia of an honourable stocke succeded by consente of all the Cardinals But the Romaynes so vexed him that hee was driuen oute of the Citye and manye of his frendes and companye taken by the Romaynes some were set vppon Asses with their faces towardes the tayle and Miters on their heades and so ledde throughe the Citye in mockadge some vsed despitefullye otherwyse Some had their eyes put oute by the Romaynes in a madnes othersome murthered for this cause onelye that he wente about to take away the name of Consuls in the Citye The Pope sufferinge this great shame wente to Verona where in a councell he condemned the Romaynes doinges and euen then when the Christians were persecuted in Asia which pretence of holines wrought the perill of many that they might be succoured because the ennemyes were emboldned to wast the bolye lande vnder their Captaine Saladinus presuminge for that our Princes were at discētion This Pope being mindfull of his coūtrye Thuscia bestowed large giftes vppon it and obtayned of the Emperour that the Hetruriās should haue the selfe same coyne that the Lucēsians amōg them had euen as the Lombards had onelye the money of Papia with the Emperours coyne Valerius Anselmus wryteth that this Pope contrarye to other allowed the Sacraments that were done by whoremaister chapleins he dyed in Verona Anno 1185. In his time were greate earthquakes which did destroye diuers notable Cityes in Sicil were destroyed thereby fiue and twentye thousand parsons The Armenians being at this time at greate debate with the Greeke Church did for hatred thereof become subiect to the Church of Rome 113. Vrbanus the thirde VRbanus who because of his
sorrowe a certaine monke as Caxton sayth named Simō of Swinested abbey in Lincolnshire did there temper a cuppe of wyne with the poyson of a toade drinking thereof to the kinge both hee and the king were poysoned and dyed For which doinge the sayde monke had a certaine masse songe for his soule confirmed by the abbots procurement for euer This Innocentius vnder the colour of recouering Hierusalem held a councell at Lateran Anno 1215 against the Emperour to excommunicate him depose him because he had inuaded certaine Cityes of the Popes In this coūcell the Pope first wrested oute Auricular confession and robbed the laitye of the Cōmunion cuppe He condemned one Almericus a learned man for an hereticke commaūded his bones to be burned w t the rest of his sect at Paris this he did sayth Dominicus Soto in a certaine Sermon because he preached that Images should be put out of the Church Amonge manye other dotinge decrees he disanulled the mariage of the clergye for euer he required priuye tithes to be payde and to maintayne warre in Asia he commaunded the fourtye part of all reuenues to be paide He toke from many Partriarkes archbishops bishops their ordinarye auctoritye in many thinges He commaunded that the quarels of Princes should be broughte before the Pope to be determined by him and if the electiō of the Emperour could not be agreed vpon then it should belōg onelye to the Pope He deuised that the Communion cake should be kept in a boxe in the Church and that when the priest shoulde visit the sicke he shoulde go with a burninge Taper and a bell before him He made the Canon of the masse to be equal in auctority with the Scripture and that the Pope should haue power to correct and controll Princes that none should be Emperour vnlesse he were crowned by the Pope finally he dyed Anno 1216. In his time Liuonia first recouered papistrye Peter kinge of the Arrogons was inueigled to yeild his kingdome all his dominions tributarye to Rome to purchase his saluation A certaine noble man in England hearing that this Pope had againe condemned priestes mariage in Lateran councel did make a certaine rime thereof the yeare following which one Iohn Pullan founde in an olde booke at Oxeforde as followeth PRisciani regula penitus cassatur Sacerdos per hic haec olim declinatur Sed per hic solum modo nunc articulatur Cum per nostrum praesulem haec amoueatur Olde Priscians rule doth whollye go to wracke Because sacerdos earst declinde with hic and haec Must be declined nowe but euen with hic alone Our prelat hath compelled nowe haec for to be gone Ita quidam presbyter cepit allegare Peccat capitaliter qui vult seperare Quod Deus coniunxerat foeminam amare Tales dignum duximus fures appellare A certaine priest began in this wyse for to reason Against the lawe of God he sinneth in hye treason Who parteth that which God hath toynde as wyfe from man To call these robbing theeues full well auouch we can O quà m dolor anxius quà m tormentum graue Nobis est dimittere quoniam suaue O Romane pontifex statuisti prauè Ne in tanto crimine moriaris caue Alas what paine it is what torment and what griefe For vs to leaue our wyues our comfort and reliefe Thou Popishe prelat dost this wicked lawe beginne Take heede thou do not dye continuing in this sinne Non est Innocentius immò nocens verè Qui quod facto docuit verbo vult delere Et quod olimiuuenis voluit habere Modò vetus pontifex studet prohibere He is not Innocent but nocent may be termed That doth condemne by word that he by deede confirmed And thoughe that he himselfe in youthfull yeares did loue it Now he a doting Pope doth labour to impriue it Gignere nos praecipit vetus testamentum Nouum quod non retinet nusquam est inuentum Praesul qui contrarium donat documentum Nullum necessarium his dat argumentum Thould Testament sayth multiplye and increase Which in the newe Testament is not found to cease The prelate that bidding the contrary seemeth to abhorre it ▪ Of this his doing brings no lawfull reason for it Dedit enim dominus maledictionem Viro qui non fecerit generationem Ergo tibi consulo per hanc rationem Gignere vt habeas benedictionem For by the mouth of God the man is cursed and band Which hath not raysed seede and children to the land Therefore I do aduise you prouide you may haue isseu Whereby it may be so the Lord our God may blesse you Non ne de militibus milites procedunt Et reges à regibus qui sibi succedunt Per locum à simili omnes iura laedunt Clericos qui gignere crimen esse credunt Do not men of warre of men of warre procede And kinges of kinges that do vppon their throne succede So the similitude houldes they do offend in dotage That thinke it is a fault the clergye should haue mariage Zacharias habuit prolem vxorem Per virum quem genuit adeptus honorem Baptizauit etenim mundi Saluatorem Pereat qui teneat nouum hunc errorem Zachary had both a wyfe and a sonne By him whom he begat great dignitye he wonne Baptizing him on whom our soules health doth depend Then cursed be hee that doth this error new defend Paulus rapitur ad coelos superiores Vbi multas didicit res secretiores Ad nos tandem rediens instruensque mores Suas inquit habeat quilibet vxores Up vnto the third heauen S. Paule was translated Whereas he hard many misteryes debated And after comming downe and teaching vs trade of lyfe Let euery man quoth he enioye his proper wyfe Propter haec alia dogmata doctorum Reor esse melius magis decorum Quisque suam habeat non proximorum Ne incurrat odium vel iram eorum For these thinges and diuers doctours decrees With right and comlinesse I thincke it more agrees Ech should his owne wyfe haue and not his neighbours borrow Lest thereby he procure wrath malice mischiefe and sorrow Proximorum foeminas filias neptes Violare nefas est quare nil deceptes Verè tuam habeas in qua delectes Diem vt sic vltimum tutius expectes It is a deadly sinne therefore be not beguiled Thy neighbours wyfe neice or doughter to be of the defiled Therefore take thee a wyfe in whom thou maist delight thee And at the latter daye more safely to acquite thee Ecce iam pro clericis multum allegaui Nec non pro prestyteris plura comprobaui Pater noster nunc pro me quoniam peccaui Dicat quisque presbyter cum sua suaui Thus for the clergye much I haue alleaged And also for our priestes largelye haue I pleaded Now all priestes with your wyues to God for me render A Pater noster for that I am an offendour
FINIS 118. Honorius the thirde HOnorius the thirde a Romaine borne was made Pope at Prusium at what time the Cardinals distressed for want of foode did there dispatch the election of him Who byinge to Rome as fast as he coulde toke order about the warre in Asia to maintaine it stil knowiÌ„g how auaylable it was to their matters wroughte heare at home in Christendome forth with Iohn Columna a Cardinal of Rome was appointed to proceede as ambassadour with that armye which Innocentius had prouided for that purpose He crowned Frederick the seconde sonne of Constance the Nonne Emperour against Otho the fourth whom notwithstanding afterward for vsinge his owne right in the coastes of Sicil Apulia the Pope excommunicated Yea this Honorius sayth Marius was so enflamed against this Emperour Frederick that hee did trayterouslye maintaine Thomas and Mathewe Earles of Thuscia with other rebels that put themselues in armoure against the Emperours maiestye whereby the Emperour coulde not punishe them as they deserued which sayth Vspergensis caused him much to complaine that the Sea of Rome did euer maintaine traytours and rebels which presumed vpon that refuge Also he discharged his barons of their fealty to their Lorde which mischiefe was yet for a while stayed by the meanes of Hermannus maister of the flemings of Zeland He coÌ„firmed the orders of Dominican Franciscan friers deuised in the time of Innocentius He maintayned the white fryers and Augustinian fryers that they should vphould transubstantiation against the Valdenses who then began to defye the Church of Rome in many matters for the Dominicans forged that Pope Innocentius a little before his death had a vision wherin was reuealed vnto him that Lateran Church should fall vnlesse their patron Dominicus shoulde bolster it vppon his shoulders whereof Mantuan deluded with such fansyes maketh mention Al. so he wryteth of another dreame for the Franciscan fryers of which though they dreamed as necessarye yet I omitte as vaine and fonde In this Popes time while these thinges were doing there were seene in the ayre strauÌ„g sights testifying the horror of Antichrist encreasing in his members as shall appeare by the Popes following While the ChristiaÌ„ estates were turmoyled abrode fighting for Hierusalem the Pope in pompe and ease at home was at leasure to build sondrye sumptuous Pallaces and gorgeous Temples dedicating them to diuers Saincts He published Epistles decretall and decreed that vnlearned parsons should not be made priestes He commaunded that when the singinge cake was heaued and lifted vp the people should fal downe on their knees and that it should be caryed in comlye order to the sicke with a burning Taper before it He grauÌ„ted Archbishops power to giue pardons faculties dispensations dualities pluralities wtin their diocesse Anno 1223 one Adam CathaneÌ„sis a bishop in Scotlande as Boethius wryteth was burned of his own neighbours in his owne kitchin because he had excoÌ„municated certaine of them for with holding theyr tythes the Pope knowing of this murther neuer ceased till to reuenge the same foure hundred of these men were hanged and their children gelded by king Alexander A sufficient reueÌ„ge for the death of one man Furthermore this Pope warred vppon the Emperour in Apulia and condemned the Earle of Tholos for an hereticke geuinge his landes to the French kinge and finallye would not suffer his bodye to be buryed like a Christian. At length the Pope died Anno 1227. of whom Mattheus Parisius in the 8. booke of his Chronicle wryteth thus Pope Honorius sent his Legate Otho to require to haue Prebendes giuen vnto him throughe all England For sayth the Pope the naturall children must assist their mother in pouertye Therefore he required ij prebends of euery Cathedrall Church one of the bishops stipende and the other from the charter And so he â—raued diuers porcioÌ„s out of the religious houses At this time the Pope was sicke of the spiritual dropsye so that by his Legat he drancke vp the treasures of the clergye and cloystermongers and vsed straunge tyrannye amonge them for Hugh VVells bishop of Lincolne to recouer his bishopricke paide an hundred markes to the Popes Legat and a thousande markes to the Pope At this time it rayned bloude for the space of three dayes in Rome whereuppon one wrote these two Verses O pater Honori multorum nate dolori Est tibi dedecori viuere vade mori O Pope Honorius borne thou werst to mischiefe many men Thou liuest with shame conuaie with speede thy boones to deadly den 119. Gregorie the ninth GRegorie the ninth borne in Campania was nephew to Innocentius the thirde He maintayned the quarell of his predecessour Honorius against the Emperour This Gregorie as Marius wryteth was more maliciouslye disposed toward the sayd Frederick for he accused him because he woulde not fulfill that vaine promise to the needelesse sheddinge of Christian bloud which he made to Honorius for the vnprofitable recoueringe of Hierusalem And therefore this Gregorie did excommunicate him before the Emperour coulde be hearde to speake or were conuicted by reason neither woulde hee suffer the Emperours Embassadours to come to his presence nor heare them in the councell which came to alleadge good and reasonable excuses in the Emperours behalfe as his owne sickenes at his settinge forward caused him to staye besides the death of the Lautgraue Therfore sayth Vspergensis this Pope like a proude man began in his first yeare to excoÌ„municat and curse the Emperour for certaine foolish and false causes neglectinge all order of iudgement as the Emperour sheweth in excusinge himselfe in his epistle to the Princes of Almanye openinge to them because the Pope refused to heare it his innocencye and vpright dealing And therfore certaine noblemen in Rome namely of the house called Frangentes panem when the Pope did the second time excommunicate Frederick they caused the Pope to be driuen oute of the Citye with foule shame so that he ranne awaye byding at Peruse al that yeare the yeare folowing Yet no meanes could asswage his furye but he prouoked Iohn kinge of Hierusalem the foresaid Earles of Thuscia rebels to the Emperour and manye other Princes to trouble him The Emperour appointed a day of assembly for diuers Christian Princes at Rauenna and the Princes were making speede thether to obeye him but by the Popes commauÌ„dement they went backe againe and certaine souldiours wearing the Crosse by the Emperours appointment for the voyage to Hierusalem were robbed and spoiled of all their prouisioÌ„ The Emperour seing this sought to appease the Popes furye and to get his goodwil prepared his iourney according to his promise to Hierusalem he tooke shippe and sayled into Cyprus and afterward to Acon and striued much against the Soldan for the Christian fayth with great paine and trauell In the meane time the Pope seing the Emperours absence seruinge his turne gat Apulia to be vnder his obeisance and forbad that the souldiours wearing
whereof he had diuers especiallye one called VVilliam One Robert Capito bishop of Lincolne had a great controuersye with this Pope for he detested defyed both in preachinge and wrytinge the Popes couetousnes pride and tyrannye He would not admit one of the Popes bastardes because he was vnlearned and but a boye of yeares to a canonship of Lincolne but rebuked the Pope for it in a letter and withstoode the Popes pollinge â—obbinge the Realme and therefore the Pope receyuinge the sharpe letter from this Robert Grosted for anger rayled not onlye on the bishop but also brast into these arrogante wordes against his Prince king Henry the third sayinge as Mattheus Parisius testifyeth Is not the kinge of EnglaÌ„d our vassel our slaue our page who may at our pleasure to hamper him put him in prison to vtter shame And finallye because he coulde not tell howe otherwise to ease his rancke stomacke against the bishop hee excommunicated him but he constantlye defyed and despised his excommunication euen to the death He defended in disputation that the Pope could do nothinge against iustice truth and that he was worse then Lucifer and Antichrist at the length being cited to appeare in the court and condempned by the Pope wrongfullye he appealed to the iudgemente of Christe This good bishop after he had detected much of the Popes treachery before his death vttered these two Uerses applying them against the Pope Eius luxuriae meretrix non sufficit omnis Eius auariciae totus non sufficit orbis One concubine could not suffice his burning lust to quenche Nor yet his honger after golde one world serude not to stenche Also this bishoppe by diligent searche tryed it that this Pope and his clarkes had in reuenewes out of Englande aboue iii. score and tenne thousande markes where as the reuenewes of the Crowne came not to 30. thousand Cestrensis in his seuenth booke wryteth that when this bishop of Lincolne dyed a voyce was heard in the Popes court sayinge Veni miser in iudiciuÌ„ dei that is Come thou vvretch to be iudged of God And that the Pope was found deade in his bedde the next daye and a blewe stroke in his bodye as if he had beene beaten wyth a staffe This was done Anno 1253. he being at Naples and loking soone after to haue enioyed the whole kingdome of Sicill where he lyeth buryed Thaddition to Vspergensis sheweth that the yeare before as the Pope was going from LioÌ„s to Millen these straunge tokens happened certaine bloudy cloudes were seene in the ayre streames of bloud gusshed out of breade as oute of wounded bodyes After his death the seate was voide two yeares 124 Alexander the fourth ALexander the fourth borne in Campania being Cardinall of Hostia succeded Innocent He persecuted Ecelinus of Runcan and Manfred king of Sicill because they had beene ennemyes to the former Popes thus he began his raigne And first he craftelye admonished them not to stande against the dignitye of the Church in anye point before he gaue them this charge he had prouided his army in a readinesse meaning to course them if they should seeke to preuent him and his Cardinals of the kingdome of Sicill yet these Princes very couragiouslye with an oast of Saracens and other fearinge not the Popes threates did set vppon his army at vnawares euen in a trench ere they wist and partly slue them partly toke them prisoners In the meane while Pope Alexander goinge to Anagnia excommunicated Manfred and sent a Cardinal called Octauian to Naples to make the Neapolitans to stand faithful to him against Manfred promysing speedely to bring ayde to all Campania and to the Neapolitans but Manfred not pacifyed with troubling Naples did also moue factions in Hetruria but chiefely in Florence where he brought in the Guelphis againe who euer were at deadly foode with the Gibelines Thus was al Italy in a myserable vprore torne in sonder with cruell and saluage warre But Manfred hauing poysoned Conrad king of Sicill was proclaymed kinge at Panorme and with an armye of hyred souldiours he ouerthrew the Popes Legat with great slaughter This Pope sent one Rustand Legate into Englande Anno 1255. to gather vp the tenthes in Englande Scotland IrelaÌ„d to warre against Manfred And saith Mattheus Parisius manye mischiefes detestable issued from the burning fountayne of Rome in those dayes to the destruction of manye for after the begginge fryers had preached the power of the Crosse he required infinite sommes of moneye the exaction of the Pope was such sayth he that the like hath not bene heard Whereupon Fulck bishop of LoÌ„don sayd with great griefe Ere I giue my consent to oppresse the Church vvith such iniurye seruitude and bondage surely I will first loose my head for although that Courte hath often in times past pinched euen to the bone the faithfull flocke of Christ yet it neuer wouÌ„ded in such deadlye sort all and euery one of Christes seruaunts as it did this yeare and the yeare following c. The money the was gathered for the holy land was transposed into Apulia against Christians and sayth Mattheus vnmeete meÌ„ are made gouernours of noble Churches the prelates are sould as oxen and asses this is the extreame point of seruitude c. About this time the said Rustand the Popes Legate being PrebeÌ„dary of Paules Church in LoÌ„don dyed beyond the sea king Henry the third hearing therof gaue the same prebend to one Iohn Crakehale his chaplein but after the sayde Crakehale had full possession thereof came one Iohn Grasse from Rome wyth the Popes embulled letter to chalenge the sayde lyuing Hereupon the matter being in controuersye it was brought before Boniface bishop of Canterbury who finding that the Popes gift was dated before the kinges dispossessed the Englishman and inuested the Popes man which was taken so in despite by certaine repyning to see the Pope and his Italian priestes in this and all such cases to beare more sway then the king and to reape all commodyties from the kinge and his subiects that the said ItaliaÌ„ and a coÌ„panion of his were murthered in a thronge by whom no man knewe Rustand in a conuocation at London alleaged that all Churches were the Popes to whom one Leonard an Englishman answeared modestly yea sir in tuition not in fruition to defend not to expende Seuell bishop of Yorke by the example of the former bishop of Lincolne did likewyse wtstande this Pope Alexander and desyred him by letter to leaue of his wonted polling according to Peters example to feede the sheepe not to flece them not to flea them not vnbowel them neither as a wolfe deuoure them Further it followeth in the sayd Mattheus that the Pope sente yet other Legates into England namelye Arlot Mansuet minorite fryers who had power to pardon for money eyther lyers forswearerers vowbreakers adulterers and Sodomits traytors poysoners murtherers and all suche Whereuppon a certaine woman
decreed by Octo and Octogonus the Popes Legates in England at that time An Epistle of Peter Cassiodorus to the Englishmen reprouinge the extreame robbery filching and slauerye vvhereby the Popes spoyled this lande about the yeare of our Lord 1302. to moue them to shake of the bondage of the Popes tyrannye taken out of an ould booke in S. Albons Church TO the noble Church of Englande seruing in claye and bricke as the Ievves did in times past vnder the tyrannie of the EgiptiaÌ„s Peter the sonne of Cassiodore a catholike Souldiour and deuoute champion of Christe sendeth greeting and vvishinge to caste of the yoke of bondage and to receiue the revvard of libertie To whom shall I compare thee or to whom shal I liken thee O daughter Hierusalem to whom shall I matche thee O daughter of Sion Great is thy perturbation like vnto the Sea Thou sittest alone without comfort all the daye long thou art confounded and coÌ„â—umed with heauines Thou art giuen vp into the handes of him from whence thou canst not ryse without helpe of one to lift thee vp for the Scribes and Pharisies sittting vpon the chayre of Moyses thy enemyes the Romaynes are as thy heades and rulers enlarging their garded philacteries seeking to be enryched wyth the marowe of thy bones laying heauie burdens and not able to be borne vpon thy shoulders and of thy mynisters and they set thee vnder tribute which of old time hast beene free beyonde all honestye or measure But maruell not therat for thy mother which is the ladie of people lyke a wydowe hauinge maryed and coupled her selfe to her subiect hath appointed him to be thy father that is to saye the byshoppe of Rome who sheweth no point of any fatherlye loue towards thee He magnifyeth and extendeth to the vttermost his authoritye ouer thee And by experience declareth himselfe to be the husband of thy mother He remembreth oft wyth himselfe the prophetical saying of the Prophet and well disgesteth the same in the inward parte of his breste Take to thee a great booke and write therein quicklye with the pen of a man take the spoyle robbe quickly But is this it which the Apostles sayth that he was appointed for where he wryteth thus Euerye bishop taken from amonge men is appointed for men in those thinges that belonge to the Lorde not to spoyle not to laye on them yearelye taxes not to kill men but to offer giftes sacrifices for sinnes and to sorowe wyth them that be ignoraunt and do erre And so we read of Peter the fisher whose successor he boasteth himselfe to be that after the resurrection of Christ he turned with other Apostles to the office of fishinge who when he could take nothing of the left syde of the ship at the bidding of Christ turned to the right side and drewe to the lande a net full of fishes Wherefore the profitable mynisterye of the Church is to be exercised on the right syde by the which the deuill is ouercome and plentye of soules be lucrifyed and wonne to Christe But certainlye the labourer on the left side of the ship is farre otherwyse for in it the fayth stumbleth heauines beareth rule whan that thing that is desired by seekinge is not founde For who is so foolishe to thinke that hee can both at one time serue God and man and to satisfye his owne will or to sticke to the reuelations of flesh and bloud and to offer worthy giftes to Christ And doubtles that shepeheard that watcheth not for the edifyinge of the flocke prepareth an other way to the roringe Lyon and seeking whoÌ„ he maye deuoure And nowe behold I say O daughter the deedes of him that is called thy father such as haue not beene hearde of before he dryueth away the good shepeheard from the sheepefold and placeth in their steade bishops to rule but not to profyte his nephewes cosins and parentes some that knewe no letters and other some domme and deafe which vnderstand not the plaine voyce of the sheepe nor curing their wounds that be hurt of the wolues but like hyrelinges pluckinge of the fleeses a pase and reaping that which other men haue sowen whose handes moreouer be alwayes readye in theyr baskets and pouches but theyr backes are turned from theyr burdens By which thinge it is manifest that the priesthoode is cleane chaunged at these dayes the seruice of God decayed almes diminished and broughte to noughte the whole deuotion of princes and kinges is banished Maye not this be thought wonderful in the eyes of all men that where as Christ commauÌ„ded tribute to be payd to kinges for him for Peter he nowe goeth about dominion of his stile to subdue to him both realmes and princes of realmes against his will whose Uicar he sayth he is and who refused the realmes iudgements of this world which this bishop contrarywyse chalengeth clayming al that which he in his stile wryteth to be his Alacke O daughter what doth he yet more against thee marke he draweth from thee what so euer pleaseth him and yet he thinketh not himselfe content to haue the tenth part onely of thy goodes from thee except he haue also the first fruites of the benefices of the Ministers wherby he may get a newe patrimony aswell for himselfe as for his kynred contrary to the godly wyls of the first founders Ouer and besides all this he inferreth other execrable taxes and stipends for his Legates and messengers whom he sendeth into England which not onely take awaye the feeding and clothing of thee and thine but also teare in peeces like dogges your fleshe and skinnes Maye not this prince be compared to kinge Nabugodonoser which destroyed the temple of the Lorde and robbed awaye the siluer and goldeÌ„ vessels thereof The very same doth this man also he robbed the mynisters of Gods house and left destitute of due helpe In like maner doth he Truly they be better that are killed wyth the sword then they which be pined with hunger for they are dead straight but these are wasted with the barrennes of the earth O daughter all they that passe by the waye let them haue pitye and compassion on thee for there is no sorrowe like thy sorrowe For nowe thy face is blacker then coales through much sorrow and weepinge and thou art no more knowen in the streates thy foresayd ruler hath placed thee in darcknes and hath giuen thee wormewood and gall to drincke O Lord heare the sorrowe and sighinges of thy people behold Lord and descende for the hart of this foresaid man is more indurate then the hart of Pharao For hee wil not suffer thy people to departe excepte in the fortitude onelye of thy hande For he scourgeth them not onely myserablye vppon the earth but also after theyr death he intendeth to incroche the goodes of Christians vnder the name and title to dye intestate or making no will Therefore let the chiualrye of Englande well remember howe the
sommoned a councell into his Pallaice in Viciana sylua where the whole assemblye subscribed against the Popes heresye and therefore the kinge sent to Pope Iohn willinge him both to reforme his heresye and also to deliuer the prysoner so the said Thomas was set at libertye This Pope reformed and transposed the orders decrees of the Church at his owne pleasure made Colledges of Scribes according to the nomber of the Apostles who receyuing their fee should write such letters as he should appoint He cōdemned Iohn Poliacus a deuine because he taught that mē should not trust the begging fryers He cōpelled certaine Nonnes called Biginae to marrye and detested pictures He helde it for a grounded article that Christ gaue none other rule of godlinesse to his Apostles then to other Christians and that the Apostles neuer vowed pouertye Iohn Mandeuil in his first booke and seuenth Chapter sheweth that this Pope wrote at large to the Greekes that there is but onely one Christian Church and that he was head thereof and vicar of Christ to whō the Greekes aunswered briefely VVee do assuredlye acknowledge your highe power ouer your subiectes but wee cannot abide your high pride wee cannot stanch your greedye couetousnes the deuill is with you but God is with vs. Thus briefely in a worde they reuealed the Popes estate This Pope condemned Lewis Bauare a noble Emperour to be a rebell to the Church a scismaticke and hereticke because he toke vpon him by the Electours choyse the gouernment of the Empyre not vowing anye fealtye to the Pope Thus wryteth Iohn Marius of this Emperour Lewis Pope Iohn sayth he hated vnto death Lewis Bauare partly because he beinge chosen by the estates of Germanye kinge of the Romaynes did disdaine to receyue at the Popes hand according to the Canon of Pope Clement the fifte the name and title Emperiall partly againe because he defended from the Popes power certaine monkes whom he had condemned for heretickes therefore Pope Iohn auouched Lewis to be an hereticke Lewis comminge into Italye appointed his deputies in euery Cittye and came to Millen and because he desired to qualifye the Popes displeasure he sent Embassadours to him kepinge his courte then at Auenio in Fraunce to require of him the ornamentes belonging to the estate imperiall with freindlye affection as his auncestours had done the Pope did not onelye denye the sute but sent awaye the Embassadours with great reproche and cited the Emperour him selfe peremptory wyse as they terme it to come to Auenio submit himselfe to the Canons of the Church The Emperour knowinge the Popes tyrannye vsed in his Church vnderstanding that he had his estate giuen him from God desired to keepe and defende the same holye and vndefiled and therefore woulde not submit himselfe like a slaue vnto Popes and so denyed to come to Auenio And yet being desirous of peace he besought the Pope by Embassadours once againe to bestowe on him with curtesye the ornamentes of the Empyre the Pope stoode peuishlye in his wilfulnes vaunting and boasting in his wrytings that he had power to playe make marre w t Princes and that at his pleasure he might set vp and depose whom he listed and that the Empyre being voyde the Pope is ful Emperour And for malice against Lewis he excōmunicated the Uicounts whom the Emperour had appointed to gouerne Millen The Emperour perceyuinge the Popes obstinate minde taking with him many Princes of Italye came to Rome and was honourablye receyued of al the people and required according to the custome to receiue the solemnityes of the Empyre The Romaine peeres and all the people sent Embassadours to Pope Iohn in Fraunce and humbly besought him to come to visit his City Rome to bestowe vpon the king of the Romaynes the imperiall rites which if he would not do they said plainly that they them selues would keepe the ould law priuiledge of the Romaynes Iohn hauing heard the Embassadours vsing great threates and terrours draue them away with foule rebuke frō him The Romaynes seing this decreed to yeld to the noble Lewis his lawfull request and so by the commaundement of the clergy and people both he and his wyfe together were crowned by Steuē Nicolas being Senatours in the meane time the nobilitye shouted oute saying God saue Lewis Augustus Emperour of the Romaynes The Pope hearing this though the Emperour did nothing but that was lawful and godly did accuse him for a traytour and an heretick he published sore processe against him put him frō his estate imperial depriued him of his kingdome condemned him by vile and cruel curse of excōmunication as a rebell and Captaine heretick againste the Church of Rome by meanes whereof he enflamed all Christendome with such discord deadly warres as could not afterward be quenched in thirty yeres Thus farre wryteth Marius Thus the Pope had nothing to defende his forged supremacye and auctoritye but the dreadfull boultes of his excommunication But there were certaine at this time as well deuines as lawyers which preached that Christe and his Apostles did possesse nothinge properlye and that the Emperour in temporall cases was not subiect to the Pope Amonge these men were Michael Coesenus VVilliam Occam minorites Marsilius of Padua Iohn of Iandane lawyers with diuers other Lewis the Emperour was so comforted by these that he did stoutly withstand the Popes ententes and published this his appellation about the coastes of his Empyre ¶ The Emperours letters WE Lewis kinge of the Romaynes doe pronounce against Iohn who saith that hee is Pope that he doth naughtelye execute the testament and will of Christe cōcerning peace troubling the cōmon tranquility of Christendome neither is he mindfull that what honour soeuer he nowe doth enioye was first giuen by the holye Emperour Constantine to Syluester euen when he forfeare lurked in forrestes Thus doth he shewe himselfe vnthankful to the Romaine Empire from whence hee reaped all the roialty which now he abuseth c. Thus when Lewis and the peeres of Rome perceyued well the iniquitye of Pope Iohn and the people of Rome from the hyest to the lowest did take it in euill part that the Embassadours whō they had sent were so mocked of him they all agreed together that the ould custome of chosing the Pope should be brought into the Church that is that he being chosen by the people of Rome should be admitted and allowed by the Emperour Therefore one Peter of Corbaria a minorite was made Pope and was called Nicolas the fifte and as for Iohn they cōcluded of him that he was an heretick and a tyrant of the Church not a pastour but a breaker of the common peace of Christians In the meane time Pope Iohn Anno 1335. in the fourscore x. yeres of his age dyed at Auenio About the yeare of our Lord 1326. in the time of this Pope Iohn the prelats of Englād played a stout prancke for the bishop of Hertford
was by the kinges commaundement w t other mo impeached of treason finally arested in the ParliameÌ„t house to aunswere to his endightmeÌ„ts Whereunto after long pauze he aunswered clayming the priuiledge of the Church saying thus I am humble mynister of the holye Church c. and cannot neither ought to aunswere to such matters without the auctoritye of the bishop of Canterbury my directe iudge nexte vnder the Pope c. whereupon the other bishops stept vp and sued to the kinge for this their fellowe But when the king would not yeld the said bishops together w t the archbishops and the clergye comming with theyr crosses toke him away perforce chalenginge him to the Church wtout any other aunswere charging moreouer vnder the censure of terrible excommunication none to presume to laye any further handes vpon him And yet the kinge encouraged herewith commaunded lawe to passe vpon him and he being found gilty his goodes to be confiscate but yet the partye remayned safe vnder protection of the Archbishop of Canterbury This Pope lefte more abundance of treasure then euer any other did namely fiue and twenty thousand thousande Crownes in gould and yet but latelye before he ioyned in warre with Robert kinge of Apulia to defende Genua in which warre sayth Antonius Florentinus eyther syde spente as much treasure as woulde haue boughte a good kingdome 138. Benedict the xij BEnedict the xii borne in Tholos in profession a white fryer sath Paleonidorus called Iacob or Iames of Furne the sixtenth daye after the death of Iohn he was enstalled Pope This man sayth Marius was as vncurteous to the Emperour as euer was Pope Iohn he renued the curses against him he reft him of all regall dignitye by his sentence depriued him of the dukedome of Bauary The noble Emperour wente into Germany and called together behoulde his vertue and wysedome all the Princes electours Dukes Counties bishops and the best learned either in diuinitye or humanitye And in presence of them all with open and solemne proclamatioÌ„ he added and established his late confirmatioÌ„ with ould lawes and very wiselye proued that onelye the Princes electours no man els ought to medle w t the election of the king of the Romaynes so that he that had most voyces amonge them was to be accepted berely be it eyther king or Emperour which in effect are al one though in name they differ Because that he that is Emperour may take vpon him the gouernment beloÌ„ging to his estate without the confirmatioÌ„ of the Sea of Rome and he being lawfullye chosen ought after aduisemente giuen by the Princes to be annointed by the Pope Which if the Pope refused to do he might be proclaymed Emperour by any Catholick prelate as the vse hath long beene for these ceremonyes enioyed by the Pope are but imagined toyes and solemnityes deuised by the prelats of Rome who onely haue but the geuinge of the name not the thinge for a signe of vnitye and mutuall helpe and succoure betwene the Empire and the Church For the Emperour vowed to the Pope not an oath of alleageance and fealtye but of defendinge the Christian fayth for as much as the taking of this oath maketh not greater dignitye in temporall thinges Furthermore the Emperour shewed how that the estate being voide the righte thereof shoulde not belonge vnto the Pope and that to haue it so was against the libertye righte honour and maiestye of the Empire but by longe and allowable custome notwithstandinge the Clementine Canon and by decree vnmoueable hytherto kept bie his aâ—ncetours in the time the Empire is voyd the right of gouerning the Empire the bestowing of fealtyes and ordering of other affayres belongeth to the Palsgraue of Rhene Afterward for his owne defence he made proofe of his vpright and trusty dealing before them all plainlye confessed that he as a ChristiaÌ„ man ought to do did beleeue the Articles of Christian fayth euen as the Church taught and purged himselfe of all those accusatioÌ„s which Pope Iohn the xxiii and Benedict the xii had layed to his charge Thus did the godly Emperour of his owne good motion when as if he had not pitied the shedding ChristiaÌ„ bloude he might haue tryed the matter with the Pope by the dint of the sworde At the length Pope Benedict began to consider of the goodnes of this Emperour for wheÌ„ a certaine grudge happened betweene this Lewis Philip kinge of Fraunce by and by peace was made betwene the Emperour and the Pope And the Pope loued the Emperour so entirelye that he defended him against the Embassadours of the French king which euer spake sharpely against the Emperour stoutlye defended the Emperours innocencye So that it came to passe that the Pope was by them called defeÌ„der of an heretick whose words although Benedict for a while did much feare for they threatned to set vpon him with all their powers if he absolued the Emperour yet in the end he absolued him And commaunded to proclaime throughe Germanye that all the processes of Iohn what soeuer they were should voyde and of no effecte and that it did not become Pope Iohn thus to deale with the Emperour seinge their two functions as diuers testifyed openly that Lewis had in all thinges behaued himselfe as mighte best beseeme so noble Christian an Emperour Yet it is to be noted that the Pope did not this of hartye good will to the Emperour but vpon pollicye for wheÌ„ he perceyued the king of Fraunce within whose precinct he was then abyding dealt vnfreindlye with him he feared that if he should also haue the Emperour his enemye he should haue no succour left if the French kinge should go about to do him displeasure And for this cause Benedict thoughte it stode with his commoditye to haue the fauour of the Emperour hoping it would so fall out that he durst attempt nothing against the Pope Such from time to time hath bene the pollicy of these prelats to maintaine their estate But to returne to the purpose and leaue these words of Marius Pope Benedict auouched the iudgmeÌ„t of his predecessour against Lewis He appointed deputies in those townes of Italye that belong to the Empire and toke to himselfe from the Emperour the Senatourship of Rome He deuised that euery thing did belonge to the Court of Apostolicall peniteÌ„ciary He appointing subsidyes gathered houge sommes of money out of euery nation He first toke vpon him to vsurpe the presentments of all bishopricks prelatships and benefices He abridged vnlearned men of priesthoode He reformed manye sectes of monckes He commaunded that all his chapleins shoulde lye in one dormitorye together and should haue none other reuenues then for their diet and apparell He with a great somme of money bought for his carnall desire the sister of Frauncis Petrarcha a beutifull woman of her brother Gerard he denyed that the Pope had any kindred he published certaine actes as Leander testifyeth against the
he yelded soueraignity to the sea of Rome he builded scholes for those that should studye Phisicke and the Decretals Briget a woman of Sweaueland came to him to Rome because of a vowe that she had made and procured that there should be Religious parsons both men women of the order of S. Briget Afterward be returning into Fraunce made one Iohn Hawcuth an Englishmā liefetenaunt of his army in the steade of Giles that was dead that he might still defende the Ecclesiastical iurisdiction vntil he should returne for he purposed not to returne to Italye But while he wente into Fraunce hopinge to returne to his court in Rome Anno 1371. he dyed at Massilia poysoned as it is thought Sabellicus wryteth that he made great warre in Italye yea euē with the Princes that his auncetours had set vp against the Emperour he slue manye of them In this Popes time sayth Premonstratensis the archbishop of Collen had a wyfe In his time also the order of the Iesuits Scopetines orders first began as Iohn Palionedorus testifyeth in the third booke and second Chapter of his tripartite historye 142. Gregorie the xi GRegorie the eleuenth borne in Lenomony called before Peter Belfortius was Cardinall of newe S. Maryes and nephewe to Pope Clement he succeded Vrban This Gregorie sayth Platina was made Cardinall when hee was scante xvii yeares old by his vncle Clement and least he should seeme to haue more regard to his kindred then to the Church he sent him to the best learned doctours in Italye to be brought vp in learning especiallye to one Baldus whoe then read the Popes decretals at Peruse where he profited in all kinde of such learninge as Baldus coulde teache him so much that the sayd Baldus for the assurance of his owne affayres being in daunger vsed his auctoritye for his owne safetye Gregorie being Pope sent a Cardinall into Italye to ouersee according to custome the estate of the Church But because as Volaterain sayth almost all the Cityes reuolted frō him by the councell of Katherine a Nonne of Scene which afterward became a saint of Baldus his scholemaster he returned from Fraunce vnto Rome with xii galleyes Or as Sabellicus saith because that he reprouing a certaine bishop for being nonresident was by the same bishop reproued againe that he being the chiefe bishop did yet lye so farre and so long from the place of his Church Anno 1376. he excommunicated out of the Church the Florentines who were the auctours of the reuolting and had taken to their vse al the Popes townes lying about them and because they despised and defyed the terrour and vaine boults of his excommunication he warred vpon them Some other saye he returned into Italye for other causes Masseus sayth that one Briget a woman returned from Hierusalem to Rome wrote to Pope Gregorie that it was the Lords pleasure that the Popes court should returne to Rome Crantzius saith it was because a certaine bishop did sharpelye rebuke him that he woulde leaue his Church and followe the Courte Of whom the Pope receyued this aunsweare And thou quoth he beinge Pope of Rome that ought to be an example to other doest not returne to this bishopricke And therefore he did againe translate his seate from Fraunce to Rome by the perswasion of two women and one bishop in the 70. yeare after the translation thereof This Gregorie demaunded tenthes throughout the whole Empyre and repayred the walles of the City and old buildings with great pompous cost He added the eue to the holye daye of the byrth of the blessed virgin Mary In the time of this Pope king Edwarde the third of Englande made many profitable lawes abridginge the Popes pilladge vsurpation and ambition within the Realme Also certaine souldiours of this Pope Gregorie lyinge in a Citye called Cesenata did not onelye take thinges as victuals and other necessaryes refusinge to paye for it but also did beate like slaues the Citizens vpon further sturre they murthered them pityfully◠sparing neyther man woman nor child though they were sucking babes so that they filled all pittes in the Citye wyth dead karcasses for in a fewe houres vpon one daye they slue in the Citye of all ages viii Thousande and then robbed spoyled the towne and so left it desolate emptye Theodoricus lib. 3. Cap. 2. At the length Anno 1378. he dyed of extreame paine of the bladder Euen at the houre of the Popes death the report is that the Pallaice of Auenio was set on fyer coulde not be quenched till the greater part thereof were burnt Afterwarde ensued the greatest sciesme and deuision that euer happened in the Popedome Then sayth Massaeus the clergye and people of Rome complayning to the Cardinals besought them to choose an Italian not a French man Pope that the Courte mighte not go into Fraunce againe But when they began to make an election sodenlye a controuersy began for the Italians were but foure and the French Cardinals were xiii who mighte easelye haue preuayled but they durst not for the Romaynes stoode readye in armour and made a tumult Therefore on Saturdaye being the ix day of Aprill they choose Vrban the sixt to be Pope who was Crowned on Easter daye being the xviii daye of the sayde moneth Praemonstratensis sayth that in the time of this Vrban the sixte began a newe and straung sect of bedlams both of men and womē who vsed to skip and daunce against all modestye who Anno 1375. came sayth he from Aquisgran into Hannonia and so into Fraunce which might prognosticate the returne of Pope Gregorie and his Cardinals to Rome This sect of Daūcers imagined with themselues that they daūced in riuers of bloud but they that stoode by could perceiue no such thing The people thought that these dauncers were euill baptized by priestes keepinge harlots and therefore the people thoughte to haue risen against the clergye to slaye them to spoyle them of their goods vnlesse God had withstoode it sayth he by certaine coniurations 143. Vrban the vi VRban the sixt being but a poore man and very obscure borne in Naples called otherwyse Barthelmew and at length archbishop of Bare but neuer Cardinal and absent the Romaynes vrging it very sore was chosen Pope He being chosen Pope Iane Queene of Sicill bestowed great cost in tryumphing for ioye and sente to him for presentes fourty thousand dukates in gould siluer besides wynes victuals and other thinges yelding also to him her kingdome and all that she had to be at his commaundemente Likewise her husband the noble Otto duke of Brunswick and Prince of Tarentum offered him the like curtesy But sayth Theodoricus of Nyem lib. 1. cap. 7. sone after Otto after dinner amonge many great estates and Cardinals drancke to the Pope but Vrban was so proud that he suffered the noble Prince to kneele before him a great while ere he would take the cup out of his hande in so much that
because he was an heretick a simonist a lyer an hypocrite a poysoner a dycer an adulterer a Sodomite of all kinde of trecherye shamefullye attainted Therefore he chaunging his apparel began to steale awaye the xxi daye of Marche followinge to Scafuse a towne in Austria and from thence to Friborow But the councell prouided so that the xxix daye of May in the v. yeare of his Popedome he was vncased of al offices sought out founde and committed to pryson in a stronge hould in Germanye where he was lockt vp three yeares and had none that assisted him but onely the Germaynes who to theyr great domage did not vnderstand neither the Latine nor the Italian tongue It it also noted in the storye of Albanus that this Pope Iohn was spoyled of al his riches at his deposinge which amounted to 75. Thousand FloreÌ„ces of gould siluer In the meanetime sayth Massaeus the presidents of the Sinode published a decree wherin they shewed that a general councel being lawfullye gathered together is aboue the Pope that it hath power and auctoritye from Christ who is the head of the Church In this councell whereas manye thinges might haue beene done both for the glorye of Christ and for the coÌ„mon wealth yet nothing was done but canons deuised against those that sought to reuiue the light of the Gospell to suppresse both it and them In this couÌ„cell Iohn VVicliffe a famous godlye and learned man was excommunicated and condemned for an heretick because he by the Scripture in preachinge and writinge detected the delusions of the Pope and his monkes fryers nunnes and such other and manye yeares after his death his bâ—dnes were taken out of his graue here in England where he was buried and were burnte Also Iohn Husse and Ierom Prage hauing a safeconduct to come safe and go safe were cited to this councell when they were come because they had inueighed against the Church of Rome notwithstanding theyr warrant graunted and sealed with the Popes bull yet they were taken and cruelly burnt Platina sayth they were burnt partly because they auouched that the clergye ought according to the example of Christ and of the Apostles liue poorelye Such is the libertye which the Pope graunteth those that come to his councelles such is the warrante that he giueth for safetye and thus he keepeth his fayth Amonge other Popelike pageants played by this Pope Iohn he also broched and styrred most cruell bloudye warre against Ladislaus and helde a conspiracye at Rome to driue him out of his kingdome He commaunded that they should say seruice w t S. Iohn Baptistes heade set out in shew the whilest the which he did for this pollicye because he purposed to sell it to the Florentines While Martin the fift who did succeede him supplied his roume was at Florence this Pope Iohn being deliuered oute of pryson against all mens hope to the greate marueile of the people he came thether to him and kissing the feete of Pope Martin he did acknowledge him to be his Pope to be Peters successour and honoured him like a worldly God Pope Martin being moued with this his greate humilitye did make him Cardinall within a fewe dayes after and made him bishop of Tusculan but within a fewe monthes after he ended his dolefull lyfe throughe sorrowe and griefe of minde Anno 1419. where his Phisition Cosmus that did euer loue him hartelye caused him to be buryed in S. Iohn Baptistes Church with great solemnitye where this Epitaphe was made on him in Latine Uerse First Balthazer and then the name of Iohn I did obtaine But being novve vnpoped I am Balthazer againe Of late I vvas the vvelthiest vvight vvithin the heauenly cope But in one houre all I lost deposed from being Pope VVhile I did sit on Peters chayre as soueraigne for a space Then manye men vvith lovvlye lookes vvere humbled to my face The greedy plague of couetousnes so bleard mine eyes vvith gould That for to staunch my hungrye minde all holy thinges I sould Alas my loathed life hath stainde and tainted very fore The spouse of Christ that neither spot nor vvrinkle had before For this my filthy trechery Saint Peters councell pure VVould suffer mee in hauty trone no longer to endure Then let all Popes by mee bevvare that shall hereafter liue Do not vvith mee for cursed bribes your holy matters giue 151. Martin the fift MArtin the fift was borne in Rome called Otho Columna Cardinall of S. George he was made Pope by the decree of the councell of Constance which to establish him did depriue three other that is Benedict Gregorie Iohn He being broughte vp by his parentes in learninge from his youth when he grewe to yeares attended vpon the Popeship still at Peruse in such order as he mighte creepe forward toward it He returning to Rome was made Rememberer vnto Vrban the sixt which office he discharged with so great shew of humilitye and curteous nature that Innocent the seuenth made him Cardinall For in all controuersyes he woulde agree to neither parte no not to the truer but so keepe in a meane that he pleased all offended none For this cause he was so in fauour with the Emperour and Cardinals that in the foresaide councell he was made Pope At whose election the Emperour Sigismond was so ioyfull of it that he thanked them all for chusinge such a Pope humbling himselfe to him kissed his feete The Pope again embrasing him like a brother did thanke him on the other side because his diligence had at the length restored the peace to the Church After this salutacioÌ„ the Pope mouÌ„ted on his palfreye his coronation being also ended w t great triumph he passed pompously from the place where he was crowned through the Citye of Constance with his horse trapped in skarlet and all his abbottes and bishops in roabes and miters rydinge after him his Cardinals wyth their horses trapped in white silke But the Emperour on the one side of the Popes horse and the prince Electour on the other side wayted on foote vpon him throughe the Citye And yet soone after he conueyed himselfe away and as Volateranus sayth maugre the Emperours head he returned in all poast hast into Italy He passed through Millen Mantua Ferraria Rauenna and other townes til he came to Florence but mistrusting daunger he shonned Bononia He abode at Florence two yeares lyuing in all fleshlye pleasures pompe and idlenesse and preached not the Gospell so much as once Furthermore while he was before at Constance when the Emperour other Princes made often complaintes to him of naughty behauiour and detestable maners of the clergye he deferred the time to redresse it saying that it was a matter that required both leasure and good aduise For quoth he as Ierome sayth Euerye prouince hath his fashions and customes which cannot be altered without much hurlye burlye And nowe because it was feared that the generall
Paule created him Cardinal when he was absent sone after sending for him to Rome againe he ordered all thinges by his aduise He gaue him the title of the holye Crosse in Hierusalem also he made him generall Inquisitour of heresye and commissioner w t Cardinal Burgensis whereby much crueltye and vntollerable dealing was vsed When an Embassage shoulde be sent to the Tridentine Councell Pope Paule ioyned to Cardinall de Monte and to Cardinall Poole this Ceruinus as third in Commission The first of these was sent as a man cunning in the Law Poole was sent as one that did desire to haue reformation in the Church although it appeared afterward that he neuer wished it in his harte Thirdlye Ceruinus was sente as one in whom the Pope reposed all his trust Therfore he charged him especiallye that he should suffer nothing to be spoken in the Church that should tend any waye against the maiestye of the Church of Rome And therefore when one Iames Nachiantes bishop of Clodia Possa saide that he could not allow the decree wherein it was written that Tradicions ought to be receiued and kept with as holy affection and reuerence as the Scripture and Gospell Ceruinus procured that he was driuen from the CouÌ„cell Furthermore because one of S. Dominicks order called Don VVilliam of Venice said in the councel that the councell of Constance was aboue the Pope Ceruinus called him to him and taunted him verye bitterlye But when the monke aunswered that the thinge it selfe woulde testifye it to be so that the councell was aboue the Pope because the couÌ„cell deposed him Ceruinus aunswered that it was not so but that the Pope gaue ouer of his owne accord for proofe wherof he could shewe a â—eaden bull and so he charged him to be packinge forthwith out of the councell Aboute that time Paulus Vergerius bishop of Iustinople who had serued the sea of Rome in sondrye Embassages in Germanye came froÌ„ Mantua to this Tridentine councell But because he was vehementlye suspected that he fauoured the Lutheranes in some pointes yet the two other Cardinals Poole and de Monte with them Tridentinus Paciecus were contente to allow him to sit with them least they should bewray that the councell was not free for euery maÌ„ if they should exempt this Vergerius being so wel knowen in Germanye Yet Ceruinus would not be quiet vntill he sawe him put out Manye of the bishops when they sawe how it was purposed to driue Vergerius out of the councell did determine to write to the Pope thereof to admonish him not to suffer it to be done because manye would saye it was not a free councell from whence bishops were forced to depart Hierom Vida bishop of Alba an eloqueÌ„t man had penned the letters in his owne name and the rest of the bishops When Marcellus heard thereof he charged Vida with sore woordes that he shoulde not in anye wise sende those letters to the Pope â–ª Sayinge it was an euill example that bishops summoned in councell should write such letters to the Pope as though they woulde appointe him what he should do which was a matter so haynous that the suspicion therof were to be auoyded Vida and the other bishops being terrifyed herewith suppressed their letters and sent them not Vergerius when he shoulde departe out of the sinode came to Ceruinus and demauÌ„ded of him for what articles especiallye he would haue him cast out from the companye of the other bishops Ceruinus aunsweared him saying because I haue hard that thou deniest that the Legendes of S. Gregory and S. Christopher are true So it is quoth Vergerius I haue denyed them do still denye them to be true emboldning my selfe herein by the auctoritye of Pope Paule the thirde for when he commaunded both these Legendes to be taken out of the Breuiary he sheweth in that preface that he commaunded that onelye such Legendes should be razed as were not true Ceruinus being thus entangled made aunswere that they were not to be counted good meÌ„ which would agree with the Lutheranes in any one point therefore auaunt out of our councell Such was the rancour of this Ceruinus against the Gospell and yet he was one voyde of all knowledge in diuinitye but peuishe in retayning superstitioÌ„ But otherwyse he was a man of good discretion of verye honest life and of great wysedome and therfore he was had in great estimation and reuerence so that if he might haue raigned Pope it was to be hoped that he would haue reformed many thinges in the Court of Rome especially that he would haue eschewed all royotousnes And so it came to passe for Pope Iulye the third being dead Ceruinus was chosen Pope But wheras he was long before sicke of the yelowe iaundise then the disease began to woorke so sore vpon him that he died the twentye daye after the election The report was that he was poysoned but there was no such thing A litle before he would haue bin crowned but with moderate coste Cardinall Farnesius wyth his freinds in election gaue his voyce to this man although he had long before had a brawle with him because he hoped that no man would more diligently aduauÌ„ce him as Paule the thirde did determine But especiallye he hoped that he would maintaine the house of Farnesia that they should not be depriued of the dukedome of Parma and Placentia For Cardinal Farnesius debated it wyth Iulye the thirde to make promise thereof before he would assist him to obtaine the Papacye Some said that many Cardinals did therfore chose Ceruinus Pope because they saw him so decayed by sicknes that there was no hope of longe life in him For that is their practise of old 169. Paule the fourth PAule the fourth borne in Neaples called first Iohn Peter Carapha the same yeere Anno. 1555. was chosen Pope the xxiii daye of Maye with one agremente of the Cardinalles and exalted with all ceremonies This man founded a new sect of Religious men in Venice called by an holy name Iesuites of the name of Iesus but this he did before he was Pope but after this deede he beinge made Cardinall applied his minde to other matters namely to scrapinge richesse together Before his Papacie he publyshed a booke concerninge reformation of the Churche but in his raigne he regarded it not All his mynde was on warres delightyng rather in battell then in peace and so he played rather Saule the persecutour then Paule the preacher of the Gospell Caelius Secundus and Vergerius do thus report of him Paule the fourthe a Neapolitan called Iohn Peter Carapha was chosen in May to succede Marcellus by the consent of the Cardinalles desirous therein to gratifie Henry kinge of Fraunce This Pope saith Caelius dyd found a sect of priestes at Venice called Iesuites but afterwarde hauinge obteyned his purpose which by this meanes he aymed at he gaue them ouer For he so cast his net that forsaking
a byshoprike he fisshed for a Caldinalship caught it Therevpon when he shoulde departe from Venice the Iesuites demaunded of him whither he went to whom he aunswered sayinge Whither I go ye cannot come meaninge thereby that he wente to the Pompe and dignitie of Rome as to an other heauen and that he shoulde leaue them in wretchednes and beggerye Thus it pleased hym to dally sport him selfe with the phrase of the holy ghost Many thinges are reported of him as that he was a stoute Champion for Purgatory and that he knewe the secretes of some mindes and that he dyd many wonders Vergerius sayth he dedicated a booke of reforminge the Churche to Paule the thirde and yet hee made no reformation in his owne time But saith hee who so euer readeth that â—ooke shall see that he confirmeth al those poyntes almost whiche we reproue in the papistes that is to say that the Churche is so decayed amonge them as it is rather the Churche of Sathan then of Christ. For he saithe that the Popes do for their owne luste store them selues with maysters hauing itching eares that the name of Christ is blasphemed amonge the Gentiles throughe Cardinalles and Bishops that the power of the keyes is wiped away with money that lewde persons are made priestes that Simonie is vsed as it were in open fayres that the prelates doe swell with Ambicion and Couetousnes that horrible villanies are practised in monasteries that Rome swarmeth w t shamelesse harlots and struÌ„pets beside many lyke matters onely towching theyr detestable maners but of their manifold superstitions of theyr butcherly slaughters and cruell tyranny raging at that time in Italy England France Spayne and other countries he speaketh not a woorde And yet saith Vergerius who made faithful searche therof wtin lesse then thirty yeares theyr inquisition of heresye hath deuoured and destroyed by diuers kinde of torments an hundred and fiftie thousande Christians This acompt Vergerius made aboue twenty yeares ago And since that time sauynge onely God be thanked for it in England in al the former countries this bloudy persecution for Religion hath not onely continued but mightely encreased Italy dayly tasteth the bytter gall of it as occasion serueth Spaine findeth that the heate therof burneth more feruently in the middest of winter then the scorching Sonne in the middest of sommer at noone daye the flame of the one turneth and tanneth theyr skynnes to black the coales of the other burneth theyr bodies to graye asshes And as towching Fraunce al Europe knoweth that as yet the worme in the grounde hath scant taynted the karkases of thousandes whiche within these fewe dayes haue ben martyred Thus we see howe that prowde Prynce of Babilon hath made all Christendome as it were his burning furnace to destroye those that wyll not fal downe to worshyp his golden image and yet howe that this littell Ilande walketh as it were in the myddest of this vniuersall flame and not so muche as our garmentes are once cinged therewith And yet it is well knowne howe carefull and busie the byshoppe of Rome with his accomplices hath bene to sturre coales amonge vs and to enkendle that fier in Englande the smoke wherof were sufficient to destroy vs who knoweth not howe that if his hotte thunderboltes of excommunication could any thing harme vs we had therewith ben beaten to pouder longe since If the rancke breath of his blacke curses might haue preuayled we had bin blowne to hell bequeathed aliue both bodye and soule to the deuil dampnation longe since If holye leagues as they terme them and conspyring vowes of sondrye estates by his procurement could haue bin stronger against vs then the hand of God with vs how many are we that should haue tasted miserye but how fewe should haue bin left to be waile it at this day When forren inuasions haue bin to weake hath not that Romaine prelate â—ought to procure treason amoÌ„g vs heare at home to delude the simple with bulles pardons entising them to renounce their alleageaunce to reuolt from their naturall Prince to rayse rebellioÌ„s against their owne countrey Hath not his bulls roared at Paules Church gate discharginge subiectes of their dutye And howe they haue wroughte in huggur mugger to steale awaye the hartes of Englishe subiectes manye poore widdowes and wretched orphanes at this daye in the North part of England with heauye harts ran testifye who haue lost their parentes and husbandes throughe detestable rebellion and sedition the roote whereof is the Romishe religion But because that these tumultes treasons and broyles wroughte since the raigne of oure most Gracious Queene against her maiestye and royall estate haue bin practised not in the time of this Pope Paule the fourth but by those that haue succeded him as Pius the fourth Pius the fift the gentle Reader is to be desired not to looke for the perfite discourse hereof as yet neyther the historye of their liues treachery and hurlye burlyes sturred in Christendome for so much as yet they are not to be sufficiently gathered by those Chronicles that haue bin latelye set forth or augmented As for Onuphrius who hath writteÌ„ their liues added to the historye of Platina because he is one hyred by the Pope to put his pen in vre for the cracked credit of their estate at this daye there is iust cause to thincke his wryting to be parciall as one that turneth the best side of his Popes face outward and that which is blemished eyther he hideth it or paynteth it with a fayre coloure to couer the foule blots thereof And therefore seing maister Bales trauaile doth staye heare in Paule the fourth this maye suffice till it shall please God to giue occasion of proceeding in the liues of those that haue succeeded during the raigne of the Queenes maiestye In the meanetime good Christian Reader coÌ„sider those treacheryes which by thy owne experience thou maiest knowe since her highnes came to the Crowne of the Popes dealinge against her Maiestye and her Realme weigh whereunto they tende by the example of these former historyes set forth in this woorke then I doubt not but euerye one shall finde that he hath iust cause to saye Blessed be Almightye God that hath thus preserued vs from the mouth of the Lion and from the wolfe in a Lambes skin I doubte not but they that haue ben false hartâ—d againste our most gracious Queene wyll consider theyr own folly theyr owne iniquitie madnes in enuyinge the good estate of so noble merciful godly most lawful a prince whom it hath pleased Iehoua to make oure Debora a most blessed and worthy instrument to the aduauÌ„cing of his glory the comfort of his Churche the preseruation of the happy and quiet estate of all trewe Englishe hartes the whiche greate treasures of Gods mercye so plentifullye powred vpon vs the Lord geue vs grace to vse them more thankfully then heretofore to glorifie his name with greatter zeale
Gyrenfalck Iohn Ibelhard Sebastian Lepusculus Seuerinus Erimontanus Iohn Maeder Iohn Brandmiller and other ministers of Gods word whose beneuolēce is daily seene I omitte the griefes which you moste willingly suffered not without great paines and trauayle But this onely I will saye that although the good will of the people and magistrate was sufficiently inflamed of them selues toward yet it did seeme to arise and spring for the moste part through your sermons so that whatsoeuer beneuolence happened vnto vs at that tyme was through your request and impulsion But here as I sayde before I desire breuitie bicause I am one of them which haue experience of you I will speake more of Tigur and Geneua For Tigur alwayes being a safegard to such as flye frō their countreyes and a moste excellent vniuersitie of learned diuines and a moste renoumed schole doth open vnto me a large fielde in which this my oration may walke and haue his full course Whether I haue respect vnto the common profite of al nations or that that is only proper to England for what a notable oracle there is as it were for all Christendome what a notable quire of most learned men For that I may say nothing of thee O Bullinger whō so many notable bookes compiled with such singular pietie and manifold learning with suche varietie of all thinges and sentences of aunciēt writers decked as it were with starres doth praise enough to the Catholike church although I holde my peace But that I may omitte al the other which were borne and bread at Tygur As Bibliander and Hippius whiche knewe all thinges Radulph Gualther the eloquent preacher and politik writer Cōradus Gesnerus a notable library as it were of all disciplines and my singuler friend Iosias Simler and Iohn Vuolphius most learned men also my very friends with many other notable professors of other artes Good Lorde what notable olde men were those learned straungers M. Peter Martyr and Barnardine Ochinus whiche you receiued into your citie One of the whiche if some other congregatiō should haue they should seeme to be blessed and enriched with a great treasure and ornamēt Happy was Englande when she possessed them miserable whē she lost them of this congregation sithe thou art president most learned Bullinger I haue iustly chosen thee to be my patrone with whose authoritie the Romaine court may be weakened and my discription be established Who if thou wouldest call into the fielde these noble captaines stoute souldious with their furnished bandes with a reasonable power thou shalt ouercome at the first one onset the whole troupes and bondes of the Papistes But I will omitte these thinges as common and knowen to all men what he hath done to our Englishe men at Tigur seeing that is proper to my purpose and not the other I will here leue that and touch this but briefly For when I was with you and had tasted thy hospitalitie O Bullīger the humanitie of others I vnderstode the great good will you did beare to our coūtremen which were with you That worthy man Iohn Parckhurst and worthy of a better fortune did declare to me howe much bounde he was to thee to M. Gualter and to the whole citie It was tolde me also of thē which were at Basill with me of thy care and fatherly affection toward them whyle they liued with you together in one house euen vnder the shadowe of your citie being defended from all persecution with the great cōsent and loue of your citizēs Also the incredible liberalitie of your magistrates the which frely gaue vnto them corne and wine sufficient to susteine .xiii. or .xiiii. men and when they refused to take it they were sory that they hadde not oportunitie to pleasure them But nowe I haste to Geneua of which if I should make any long oratiō when I had saide all I should seeme scarce to haue declared halfe that whiche might be saide In the which I greatly marueile at the notable prouidence of our God which so stirred vp the mindes of the citizens and magistrates that they were not afrayde to receiue so many thousand straungers into the suburbes of one citie Againe did so turne the heartes of the straungers that although they were more in nūber the superiours yet woulde submitte them selues vnder their power as though they were the inferiours in so muche that they did not acknowledge them selues to be Lordes and citizens but priuate men and straungers Let other men fayne other miracles but Geneua seemeth to me to be the wonderfull miracle of the whole worlde so many from all countries come thether as it were vnto a sanctuary not to gather riches but to liue in pouertie not to be satisfied but to be hungry not to liue pleasauntly but to liue miserably not to saue their goodes but to leese them Many marchantes do rushe thether for gaynes souldiours for spoyles all for their owne profitte But it seemeth to be a monsterous and a wonderfull miracle that men should flye to scarcenes from plenteousnes to trauaile frō ease from plenteousnes of ryches to miserable pouertie Lutetia London Franckfort are newe markets for marchandize vnto the which men come not for gaine not for marchandise not for tauerning to chaūge heauenly thinges w t earthly things that in steede of humane treasures they may gather heauenly treasures in heauen We haue read that consuls haue bin taken from the plough to beare rule but from florishinge fortune from great riches and dignities to the plough to great labours and trauayle frō an horse to an asse weeting and knowing it is it not a great marueile Is it not wonderfull that Spanyardes Italians Scottes Englishemen Frenchemen Germaines disagreeing in manners speache and apparell sheepe and wolues bulles and beares being coupled with the onely yoke of Christe should liue so louingly and friendly and that Monkes Laymen and Nunnes disagreeing both in life and secte should dwell together like a spirituall and Christian congregation vsing one order one cloyster and like ceremonies Is it not wonderfull that so many stoute enemies hanging ouer them and looking still to deuoure them as Sathan and the Pope their moste bitter enemies they should not onely be safe but also liue so long time in quietnes Thankes be therfore vnto God because he hath appointed the pastour of his scattered and dispersed flocke the captaine of the vanished to be the chiefe of the miserable people with whose counsell gouernment wisdome so great a congregation of people being not only diuerse but contrary one to another hath bene nourished together vnder one bande of loue so that nowe nothing is more louing thē those enemies nothing more like then their vnlikenes no body more happy then these miserable men I thanke thee in this my writing in the name of them all because when they would purely honoure God in their owne countrey can not it may be lawefull for them to come to the churche and celebrate the
congregation in the which they may frely call vpon their God sincerely administer the Sacramentes and may fulfill other rites as they were citizens with the priuiledge and highe fauour of the magistrates Happy is that people who enioyeth these thinges and haue so worthy a bishop which gathereth together the dispersed comforteth the broken in heart fauoureth exiles and confirmeth the weake with example and doctrine But perchaunce I may seeme to haue sayde to much to you and to you all most gentle fathers who are troubled with grauer matters and haue no leysure to reade your prayses And indued with suche modestie that you will scarse attende vnto it But beare with me while I doe but my dutie for I prayse not you but the giftes of God that are of you and commende the happy state of your churches vnto the faythful that they may learne to giue thankes and to imitate you I would haue showen the causes why I inscribed to your name the Papall historie of new Rome partly to haue declared my loue towardes you for your benefites bestowed vpon England other countreis Partly that the learning which you haue spread abroade in these days may be defended with your ayde Our Lorde Iesus Christe the prince of sheepeheardes the maister of al truthe the enemy of Antechriste strengthen and confirme you and all your fellowe ministers with the power of the holy ghoste and preserue you in long health to the comfort and ioye of the Christian flocke to the ouerthrowing of Antichriste and the amplifying of his name Amen Iohn Bale Iohn Bale to the Reader I Desire thee Christian Reader vvhosoeuer thou art that delightest in the glory of Christ against the malyce of Antichriste and I beseech thee in the Lord to conster all thinges to the beste euen those matters vvhich seeme to be spoken more bitterly against that mōstrous beast and not to depraue them vvith slaūderings as I vnderstand some of late haue taken occasion to do by my late booke published of the vvriters of Englande Among vvhom some are not ashamed vntrulye to saye that I deale vniustlye vvith some Princes that gouerne the estates of Christēdome Othersome saye that I speake malepertlye and that against all Christiā modestye that I speake vnreuerentlye of Queene Mary of England because in one place I haue vvritten that Iesabell raigneth in Englāde and glutteth her selfe vvith the bloude of Martyrs vvhere as by that name I did not meane Queene Mary but the tyrannie of Rome that miserablye ouerrunneth all Englande For the places in Nicolas Grimoald Traherne Turner the Phisition Hooper ▪ Ridley Rogers Bradford Filpot and other do sufficientlye interprete themselues to be spoken of the greate Antichriste and his mitred and scraped tormentours For as the holye ghoste hath taughte mee I haue called that Romaine Sinagogge the murtherer of Godlye men vvicked Iesabell the horned beast the impe of the Dragō the doughter of the deuill the spouse of Sathan speaking blasphemies the purple beast the misticall Babilon the great strumpet vvith vvhom the kinges of the earth haue cōmitted fornication vvhich haue dronke of the vvyne of her fornication the vvomā cloathed in purple scarlet gould pearles and precious stones hauing a goulden cuppe full of all filthines lustes of the vvorld the mother of fornication and droncke vvith the bloud of the saintes of IESVS CHRIST the habitatiō of deuils and the cage of all euill spirites and hatefull birdes The occasiō vvhich first moued mee herevnto vvas this Anno domini 1554. our Realme of Englande after the xx yeare of her deliueraunce throughe the mercye of God most shamefullye forsooke the holye Gospel of Christe vvhich is the povver and vertue of God to the health of all beleuers made a nevve professiō vnto the great ennemye of God the Romaine deuil and vvicked Antichrist Of the vvhich execrable deede thou shalt read more in the end of this booke Partlye also the horrible vices vvhich follovv this monster vvhereof the most prudent K. Henry the eight had good proofe vvhen he caused the houses of the hooded hypocrites the colleges of the massemongers in his kingdome before their vtter destruction vvhich vvas in the yeare of our Lord God 1538. to be visited by the vvorshipfull doctours of the lavve Thomas Lee Richard Laiton Thomas Bedill Thomas Barthlet the publicke notarie such others In the vvhich there vvere such svvarmes of vvhoremōgers ruffians filthie parsons giltye of sinne against nature Ganimedes and yet votaries and vnmaryed all so that thou vvouldest thincke that there vvere a nevve Gomorrha amonge them The booke of them is called the breuiary of thinges founde out in abbeyes assemblies colleges c. Out of the vvhich booke I vvill shevv but one or other example to an vnsauery tast thereof In the monasterye called Battel abbey in the Diocesse of Chichester these many gilty of sinne agaīst nature vvere foūd in the visitation Iohn the Abbot Richard Salchurst Thomas Cuthberth VVilliam March Iohn Hasting Gregorie Champiō Clemēt VVestfild Iohn Crosse Thomas Crambroke Thomas Basill Iohn Hamfild Iohn Hierome Clemens Grigge Richard Touye and Iohn Austine These vvere incontinente liuers Thomas Lyuet vvyth one maryed vvife one harlot Thomas Cranbroke vvith the same and other beside Lo this is the chast Religion of the Pope At Canterbury amonge the Benedictine monkes these vvere gilty of sinne against nature Richard Godmersham VVilliam Lichfild Christopher Iames Iohn Goldmistone Nicolas Clement VVilliam Causton Iohn Ambrose Thomas Farlegh and Thomas Morton VVhoremongers Christopher Iames aforesaide vvith three maried vvomen and Nicolas Clement vvith one harlot In the Abbey of S. Augustine these vvere found vnchast Iohn the Abbot vvith one vvoman Iohn Langdan vvith tvvo Iohn Langport vvith one Richarde Compton vvith one VVilliam Reynsforth vvith one VVilliā Godmerstone vvith tvvo Dauid Franckes vvith tvvo Robart saltvvood one Laurence Goldstone one VVilliam Holingborne one VVilliā Milton one Iohn Shrevvsbery one and Thomas Barhā gilty of sinne against nature In the abbey of Bath amonge many other Richard Lincombe had vii harlots iij. maryed vvomen and iiii singlevvomen and he vvas giltye of sinne against nature also VVilliam Benushon had xi harlots beside diuers gilty of sinne against nature In the abbey of Monkenferlege in Salisbury diocesse Levvis the Prior had 9. harlots Richard the Prior of Mayden Bradley had v. harlots and sixe bastardes VVilliam the Abbot of Bristovve had iiij harlots iij. vnmaried one maryed Thomas Abbot of Abingtō beside his ovvne naturall sister of vvhom he begat tvvo children had three other harlots and this mā vvas the father of many that vvas gilty of sin against nature In the abbey of Sulbred in the diocesse of Cicester George VValden Prior had vij harlots Iohn Standney vij Nicolas duke v. Henry Selvvood tvvo vvith many others Iohn Blanke Prior of Bermondsey had xi harlots At the castel of VVyndsor Henry VVoodvvard had very many harlots Nicolas VVhyden had iiij George VVhitthorne v. Nicolas
and doting dreames and listeneth not to lyes c. This Syluester died a confessour Anno domini 334. Mantuan in his thirde booke of the life of S. Blase bringeth in an Angell talking with the sayde Blase among other martyrs of the Empyre of the foresayde Constantine and of the estate of the churche for the time folowyng of the wickednes that should raigne both among the Clergie and the people and finally of the vengeance that should ensue His wordes are these ¶ The woordes of the Angell to Blase concerning Constantine THe tyraÌ„tes being daunted now a gracious prince shal raigne In Romain empier vnder whoÌ„ the world shal peace obtaine And worship Idols olde no more the mighty Constantine Shall kepe his court in Thracia and to the Lorde diuine Christe Iesus Italy he leaues and Rome with mountaines seueÌ„ Then shal the crosse despised earst aduaunced be to heauen And far excel the Romain mace the â—cepter the crown c. ¶ Of the euels to come vpon the churche But euen vpon this gentle calme there shal alas ensewe Destruction such as wel thou mayst with woful wepings rewe And poyson ranke shall surely from the hony swete pâ—ocede The sound of ease the name of peace are plesant words in dede But out alas more wretchednes more villany and vice More greuous wouÌ„ds more shame wo shal to the church arise Euen of this peace then did of all the bloudy broiles and warre For auncient vertue shal decline and pleasure vaine shal marre â–ª And spoile the bodies chast of meÌ„ through waÌ„tonesse welth The lazy mide shal quayle droupe neglecting heaueÌ„ly helth O leude delightes O wicked guise O cursed time I se The people of their Lord and Christ forgetful quite to be I se their vnbeleuing hartes doth treade down and defie The faith hedlong into sinne by thousandes thick they flie I se how men are beastes become and Rome is now transport Into a stable c. ¶ Of the plagues that folowe Then shal we heaueÌ„ly gostes at length most wrathfully be bent And God shal frowne against those laÌ„des wheÌ„ vp to him is sent The shew of this their wicked age heaueÌ„ shal shut vp his grace And al reliefe froÌ„ earth whom hell with horrour doth deface At wrath of God the noysome starres shal altogether conspire And fling down fearcely froÌ„ aboue most fearful flakes of fire And heaueÌ„ shal make his wrath away to daunt driue to dust This saluage kinde of faithlesse folke and people most vniust And meÌ„ with grim grisely lookes with stern gastly mind To rise vp from the Northren poale shal be by God assind The Hunnes the Gothes the Vandals Turkes rude creatures lacking lawe Of God and maÌ„ to guide and kepe their saluage hartes in awe The ChristiaÌ„s eke amoÌ„g theÌ„selues shal wrangle braule iarre And as mad dogges one eate anothers hart through ciuil warre The Romaynes shal destroy the Greekes the Almaynes waste the Frenche VVith more then deadly hate that one the others power may quenche They shall forbeare the Saracens and Turkes And thus muche concerning this matter Nowe let the reader consider that whiche foloweth whether it agree not to this that Mantuan hath written If it be true as Mantuan saithe that Blase had this reuelacioÌ„ then the estate of Rome folowing this time was condemned as detestable by the Angell But if it be but fayned by Mantuan and other then we se howe they noting howe farre this latter churche of Rome in her pompe and royaltie swarued from the former in persecution iudged of it and yet was Mantuan an Italian Carmelite or whyte Fryar Thus hath it pleased God that some of the braunches shoulde both discerne and bewray the loathsomnesse of this wicked tree But it shall not be amisse here to adde the saying of Sleidan talking of this time of Syluester in his seconde booke of the iiii Monarches Then sayth he the byshops of Rome began first to be in safetie for hetherto they were almoste all put to death From Peter whom they will haue to be the first to this time they accompt xxxiii Their decrees are set downe among the generall counsels but the moste of them are suche trifles suche toyes and so diuers from the scripture that it is credible that they were deuised by other that came long after But if it were true that they came from these former prelates saint Paules wordes may be well applied hereunto being veryfied saying in prophecy That lost childe and maÌ„ of sinne did euen then beginne to worke the mystery of iniquitie Coloss. 2. Anacletus as some saye the fourth froÌ„ Peter hath this decree extant in his name That the Churche of Rome should by the commaundemeÌ„t and institution of Christ be the head of other Churches Also to Alexander is attributed that he commaunded that water should be hallowed with salte to purge the people of sinne and to dryue awaye the snares of the deuill But howe muche do these banities differ from the maiestie of the Apostles doctrine from the wryting of Iohn the EuaÌ„gelist who liued almost till the time of these bishops These two decrees may suffise for wyse men to iudge of the reste being euen of the self same mould for the moste part bearing with them an open shewe of ambition But to returne to the purpose this CoÌ„stantine for the loue and zeeale whiche he bare vnto the Churche did endewe the pastors thereof with many large benefites ryches and possessions that they might with better oportunitie addicte them selues to preache the Gospel But where as he gaue them an inche some haue since stollen an elle fathering vpon him the forged donacion for their supremacy But of his liberalitie toward the church Eusebius wryteth at large He sommoned the first generall counsell at Nicea wherein the detestable heresie of Arrius was condemned though it could not be with all so vtterly quenched but that it did yet afterward enflame again so that some of the sparcles therof did alight euen in the pontificall seate of Rome sone after as shall appeare by some of these that follow Finis libri primi THE SECONDE SORTE OF ROMAINE BIshops from Syluester to Boniface the thirde ¶ These bishops persecution being ceased began to take estate more vpon them then the former for Constantine and other Christian princes began of deuocioÌ„ and zeale to aduaunce the prelates to wealth and therupon they liuing in wealth and ease began also to aduaunce theÌ„selues in dignitie aboue the former estate putting riche mytâ—rs on their heades taking vpon them the name of Archebishops Also they began by litle and litle to adde their own deuices to Gods seruice to alter chop and chauÌ„ge and make Canons as liked euery ones fantasie and so pecemeale began to plante and sowe in Rome the seade of Antichriste which afterwarde grewe vp to so great pride and abhomination Thus at the firste in the churche deuotion bredde wealth but the
addition to Vspergensis sayth After the Pope had depriued and excommunicated both Frederick his sonne Cōradus Frederick did so shake and worrye the Pope and the Church of Rome that some marked w t crosses set themselues in battaile againste him when hee came to batter downe the gates and walles of Rome where he encountred with a mightye armye of these crossed fellowes But ouer comminge them and takinge them prisoners some of them he hewed a fonder w t foure square woundes in forme of a Crosse of some he cleft their sculs a crosse in 4. parts some he marked on the forhed with a crosse cut and as for the clergye hee caused their shaued crownes to be pared a crosse When the said Henry Landsgraue of Thuringe was chosen kinge of the Romaynes and Frederick deposed by this fourth excommunication then the bishoppe of Strosborough like a peaceable prelate of that time to gratifye the Pope tooke part with the Landsgraue and assisted him with such power strength as he coulde both against the father and Conradus the sonne for he assaulted wan diuers townes some he sacked and razed to the grounde some he burnt with fier which townes and Cityes themperour had recouered to the Empyre in Alsatia On the other syde Conradus the sonne of Frederick gathered an armye against Henry but was easely ouerthrowne and manye of his armye being slaine diuers of his nobilitye were taken prisoners But soone after this Henry beinge thus foysted into the Empire by the clergy grew into cōtempt with them that liked not his election whereupon he was in mockadge termed King of clarkes Prince of priestes but the Pope did straitly charge by his Legates al the Almaine Princes to obeye Henry as their soueraigne and to defye Frederick his sonne In the meane time this Hēry dyed and yet the Pope ceased not but sent a Legate into Germanye one Peter Caputius a Cardinall who summoninge the Princes at Collen caused them to electe one VVilliam Earle of Holland a readye man to maintaine any quarell by the sworde In the ende the Emperour beinge in Apulia one hired by the Pope gaue him poyson by meanes whereof he was daungerouslye sicke but seemed to recouer it but was smothered to death with a pillowe by Manfredus his bastard sonne who as some thinke was allured by bryberye and fayre promises of the Pope to do it The truth hereof is written in sixe bookes of Epistles written by Peter of the Uine Anno 1250. Frederick dyed and as some write in his last will and testamente he gaue a summe of moneye for satisfaction to the Church of Rome and bequeathed his estate and the order of all thinges to his sonne Conradus This Will was brought to the Pope to be approued but the Pope did whollye disanull and frustrate the Will sayinge that the Prince whom he had deposed could make no Wil and so it was voide Within a while after a yonge Prince to whom the Emperour by his sonne Kinge Henry was graūdfather was murthered but by whō no mā could tell About this time before the death of Frederick there were certaine preachers in Sweueland who stoutlye and openly preached against the Pope and his Cardinals iustifyed the doinge of Frederick and his sonne Conradus sayinge bouldly that the Pope his bishops and Cardinals had no auctoritye because they were al stayned with that one blot of simony and that their power depended not vppon Christ that a priest committing deadly sinne coulde neither binde nor loose nor consecrate that no man in the world might forbid a Christian to execute diuine functions that they should be hearde celebrated without any difference And in the ende of their Sermons this pardon quoth they which we do pronounce vnto you wee do not declare it to you as forged by the Pope and his prelates but procedinge from Almightye God These preachers were maintayned by Conradus and therfore he incurred almost danger of his life In the former councell helde at Lions it was decreed that the Cardinals should ryde on their trapped Gennets throughe the streates and weare red hattes and crimsen roabes to signifye sayth Parisius that they are readye to spend their bloud for the Catholicke fayth and the safetye of the people but as Platina sayth for the honour of their estate Also in that councell Innocentius decreed amonge manye matters that the Pope mighte depose the Emperour He did greatly fauoure the order of begging fryers and bestowed on them manye priuiledges and benefittes He preferred the Dominicans to dignityes Ecclesiastical and aduaūced the Franciscās to be the Popes confessours He adopted the White fryers and Augustine friers to be his sonnes wher as they liued before in deserts he brought them into Cityes teachinge them to begge their breade w t idlenes By the helpe of the Dominicans he reformed the rule of the Whitefryers mitigated it and finallye with his blessinge confirmed it that as the sayd rule sheweth they should hope to be saued not onlye by Christ He graūted these the begging fryers lycence to preach to dispute and to shriue people Also he exempted them from all power iurisdiction of kinges and bishops whereupon they crammed the worlde ful and chaoked it with their gloses vpon Sentences decretals cannons wich their commentaries vpon Aristotle their Sophisms Repertories Sūmaries Tables Trinies Quatrinies Conclusions Questions Distinctions Quidities Quodlibets Myracles of the dead Legendaryes Saincts liues Martyrdoms Uisions Dreames Reuelatiōs Exorsisms Concordances Discordāces Marials perspectiues Aphorismes wyth a thousande vaine and combrous pamphlets full of grosse deceitful heresyes and then nothing was counted deuinitye nor lawe but their fansyes and canons And in these dayes the world was fallen into such grosse blindnesse ignorance and barbarousnesse that not onelye knowledge in diuinity but also other learning was almost decayed the knowledge of the tongues as Greeke and Hebrew buried in ignoraunce though some rubbishe of the latine tongue were left yet it was rustye corrupte and broken stuffe as appeareth yet by theyr wrytings that the like barbarousnesse is not in any tongue But to returne to Pope Innocent he canonized diuers makinge them saincts that for his aduauncemente had played the traytours and rebels against theyr owne Princes as one Edmond Archbishop of Canterbury and other of sondrye places Till the time of this Innocentius the 4. sayth Bibliander it was not an article of fayth nor a law of the Church that men should worship the breade and the wyne in the Sacrament therefore sayth he the Pope as a creator brought forth a newe God Mauzis by transubstantiation This Pope offred to sell to king Henry the third of England the kingdome of both Sicils to the vse of his sonne Prince Edmond and yet Conradus kinge thereof was lyuinge He vexed and polled the Churches of England with myserable exactions for money he maintayned and licensed anye wickednes amonge the clergye suffering worser matters in his bastards