the Archbishop of Mogunce My Lord Archbishop we command you vpon your oath of fidelitie that you reforme your Clergie c. And if they will not be reformed that you command the fruits of their benefices to be taken from them and presented to our Exchequer and we will conuert it to more godly vses Ann. 1367. Gregorie the eleuenth c Geneb p. 1040. 1041. remooued the Popes court from Auinion to Rome Edward king of England laid a grieuous paine vpon those that thenceforth would receiue any benefices of the Bishop of Rome shee is fallen Carolus the French king coÌ„manded â—he Bible to be faithfully traÌ„slated into the French tongue d Fox Mart. p. 415. 416. 417 Militzius sometimes a Canon vrged by the holy Ghost to finde by the scriptures the comming of Antichrist was compelled by the holy Ghost to preach at Rome before the Inquisitor and said publikely that the same great Antichrist prophecied of in the Scripture was already come He conuerted many from their vngodly life and held a congregation Catharina Senensis spake of the reformation of the Church Mathew Paris noteth the Pope to be Antichrist Henricus de Iota Henricus de Hassia who writeth out of a prophecie of Hildegrade that the diuell spake of the Priests of this time daintie bankets and feastes wherein is all voluptuousnesse doe I finde among these men c. Hee saith further that they clime with Lucifer til with him they fall deeper and deeper This Pope very violently persecuted such as were against him as namely Militzius Wickleife c. But e 425. Wickleife continued and interpreted the articles obiected against him and finished his testimonie Vrbanus the sixt Ann. 1378. a Gobel aet 6. cap. 27. in his time were great seditions in all places and there began a most grieuous schisme amongst the Popes as Rupe scissa prophecied For there were then two Popes the other was called Clemens the seauenth and this schisme lasted almost 40. yeare b Fasc Temp. f. 86. From Vrbane the sixth to Martine the fifth I know not who was Pope c Gobel at 6. c. 76.81 This Pope was very rigorous he tormented Cardinals to death buried them in a stable by Carolus the bastard he strangled in prison Ioan the Queene of Sicilia Against the Antipope hee was very violent d Fox Mart. p. 441. For hee proclaimed to all that would fight for him against any of his enemies as large pardons as were granted to them that fight against the Turke And whereas e Caran A. 33. p dist 50. clericus Nicolaus the first maketh the Clergy that fighteth irregular he contrarily f Gob. 6. cap. 70. proclaimed that the Clergie of all sortes that should kill or maime any of the Popes enemies should both bee free from irregularitie and inioy the same priuiledges which are granted to them that warre vpon the infidels g Peucer 5. f. 157. Neither was Clement the Antipope of a more gentle disposition for he spared not the Embassadors of Emperours and Princes which were sent vnto him to perswade him to concord for some he killed in prison and others hee tormented to death vpon the racke h Fox Mart. p. 440. 567. 4â—0 446. Wickleife escapeth the hands of his persecutors his books suddainly spread abroad by such which came from Boemia with the Queene of England c. i 416. 417. Mountzigger Rector of the Vniuersitie of Vlme taught against reall presence but was resisted by the monks and friers Nilus Archbishop of Thessalonica chargeth the Pope to be the only cause of the schisme betweene the East and West Churches 36. were burned at Bringa for the opinions of the Waldenses k Geneb 1044. Hus spreadeth Wickleife opinions in Boem This Pope maketh more superstitious feasts vz. the feast of the visitation and reduceth the Iubile to 33. yeares The Iesuites begin The Turke entred Greece and made Constantinople subiect to tribute Anno 1389. Bonifacius the ninth l Gob. aet 6. cap. 84. 85. 86. 87. of an incredible thirst of money monstrous in his deuises to get it He graunted reuersed antedated c. diuers of his graces for money He increased the fees of Archbishops for their Pall c. aboue tenne folde some paide 80,000 florens for it and hee that would giue most had what he would Hee dispensed for money against the Apostles and Euangelists For money he made Iubiles to be held not onely in great cities but also in base places a Geneb p. 1048 The king of England bounded the Popes authoritie at the Ocean sea so that no English man vnder paine of perpetuall imprisonment should deale with the Pope to excommunicate any in England Against this Pope sate Benedict the thirteenth vnto whom b Vincent prog part 1. 2. Saint Vincentius submitted his booke and doctrine of his prognostication of Antichrist and of the ende of the world In which booke though there be many things fabulous and false after the manner of all the Friers in their prophecies yet there be also some things worth the marking as of the ruine of the popish Prelates of Antichrist mixt which must be a Pope of the abhominable life of the Friers and the falshood of Francis prophecie of his order c. In c Fox Mart. p. 446. c. 456. 457. c. the time of this Pope Boniface were many constant confessors of the truth as Swinderbie who was persecuted for beeing earnest against the wicked liues of Friers and Priests of his time refused the popish iudgement appealed to the kings iustice because the Pope was Antichrist And Water Brute who most excellently interpreteth the mysticall numbers in Daniel and prooueth the Pope to bee Antichrist The d Fasc Temp. opinions of Wickleife in England Hus and Ierom of Prage in Boemia doe spread amongst many The heresie of the Adamites sprung vp in Boem but was presently suppressed by the Hussites e Geneb 1048. The Greeke tongue which had exiled seauen hundred yeares is brought into Italie by Chrysoleras c. f Buchol Anno 1399. Yea all good artes and tongues began to spring and to be husbanded and to growe fresh againe whereas for 700. yeares all learning was troden vnder foot and defiled with horrible barbarousnesse c. And here beginneth a happie age of all skilfull learning in Italie which farre and wide did spread abroad the glistering light thereof into other kingdomes A g Mass 8. Pp. 253. 254. Priest came from the Alpes to whom were gathered 70,000 they sharpely reprehended vice c. The Pope apprehended and tormented him Some said that there was no euill found in him others thought that he sought to be Pope that whom the Pope commanded to be burned should not bee said to be burned without cause From h Peâ—e 5. f. 157. c. 168. this time to the Councell of Constance continued the schisme
violence and disgrace both to the Cardinals and to all men and women The spoile was infinite and the ransomes of the great men was more The Pope was as a prisoner and him the souldiers derided setting some drunken fellowe to be carried like a Pope c. and among hand crying and terrifying the Pope and Bishops with the name of Luther i Geneb p. 1117. Lanquet Fox Mart c. The same yeare was a disputation at Berne where no Papists would appeare the next yeare the Bernites Geneua and diuers of their neighbours abolished poperie A k Par. Vrsp p. 469. 473. great pestilence was at Genua and a great famine in and about Venice of which many died A great famine is in Germanie for three yeares There was also the sweating sicknesse in England Braband and Germanie a Lanquet Stransbrough laieth away the masse and Basil is reformed b Par. Vrsp p. 471. Geneb p. 1118. At Spires the Princes assembled where a Papist preached that he rather would depart from the Gospel than from the ceremonies of the Church Thus the beast blasphemeth God and maketh warre against his word The Princes and certaine cities protested that they could not agree to certaine things concluded in that Councell because they were contrarie to the doctrine of pietie and Christian faith Anno 1530. thereupon arose the name of Protestants c Fox Mart. Then followed the most Antichristian and horrible persecution of Merindol and Cabriers d Par. Vrsp p. 474 475. The Emperour at Augusta commanded the Princes which were Protestants to bring in their confessions of their faith which they did The papists would answer them but cleane without scripture and so that they might be allowed to load the innocent cause with horrible reproches and blasphemies for the beast openeth his mouth to blaspheme There followed a fearefull inundation of the sea which destroied many in Braband Holland Flaunders and Zealand And at Rome besides most fearefull thundrings and much heate and many fires such a power of water fell from heauen that men thought they should haue perished with a second flood houses and people were carried downe the riuer Tybur In the lower places of the citie the water was 33. or 34. foote high The e Geneb p. 1119. French king erecteth Lectures in Paris for the tongues giuing reward to the Prophets Florence by fire and sword was ouerthrowne by the armies of the pope and Emperour For they killed the Prophets of the Lord Sauanorola c. f Fox Mart. The Heluetians fight one against the other the papists against the protestants but presently after enter league of perfect amitie The Turkes make an irruption into Hungarie and Austria Paulus the third m Morise papa p. 95. had a register of 45,000 harlots Ann. 1534. that paid him weekely tribute for their whoredome As yet the harlots pay euery one a Iuly by the weeke which amounteth for the most part to 45,000 Ducates by the yeere Henry n Geneb 1121. the eighth king of England defecteth from the Pope whereby the kingdome of the beast is obscured in England o Par. Vrsp. p. 478. Diuerse cities in Germany erect stipends for students of diuinitie and good artes In p Lanquet France they cruelly persecuted all such as they called Lutherans a 1535. Lanquet At this time were giuen to the King of England by the consent of the Abots all such religious houses which were vnder 300. Markes for the foules eate the flesh of great and small The Emperour rebuketh the Protestantes for taking away the goods and lands of the Clergie b Bucholcer Pomeranus reformeth the Churches in Denmark The c Par. Vrsp. p. 480. Protestants which heretofore differed in the doctrine of the supper do now accord d 1538. Lanquet Fox c. Abbies were suppressed in England and all Friers Monkes Canons Nunnes and other sorts of religious persons were rooted out of the Realme and the liuings distributed by gifte or sale to Noblemen Gentlemen and all sorts that would buy them e cap. 19.17.18 for al the foules that do flie through the middest of heauen are called to come to eate the flesh of Captaines c. f 1539. Fox But the king declined to Poperie and set forth sixe articles which caused many godly men to loose their liues The g Sleidan Lanquet same time the Emperour obiected to the Princes of Germany that they became Protestants not for religion but for the desire of the spirituall liuings and that they delighted in discord and enclined vnto his enemies Hereby the Protestants feared war and diuerse Princes and Bishops enter into a league in dispite of the Protestants There followed presently a h Lanquet yere of great heate drowght in England many gaue halfe their corne for grinding the other halfe diuerse great Riuers were dried vp many died of burning agues boyling in heate i Orig. Ephemerid In other places also was like heate drought great Riuers might be ridden ouer small Riuers were dried vp diuers woodes were burned with the heate of the Sunne There were in Germany and Boem many fiers so that at Prage the kings principall pallace was consumed with fier k Geneb 1130. The greatest part of Germany leauing the Pope desolate by forsaking his religiō begin to neglect the authoritie of the Emperour that laboured to abolish the Protestants religion l Buchol Ann. 1541. The Emperour intending to conquere Algiers in Affrica is repelled by shipwrack at sea and by stormie weather which the Emperour did iudge to be the wrath of God against him m 543. Ibid. Hermannus Archbishop of Colen attempteth the reformation of religion in his countries The n 545. Geneb p. 1130. Anno 1546. Councell of Trent began against Luther c. This Councell taking all prerogatiue and superioritie from the word of God which the Lord hath crowned a Ses 4. p. 8. 10. a. 130. 131. doth receiue and adore with like affection of piety and reuerence as well the traditions of the Church as the old and new testament and doth holde that none may interpret the Scriptures against that sense which the Church of the time holdeth b Geneb pag. 1132. 1127. Charles the Emperor hauing concluded a peace with the Turke and with the French King the better to roote out the Gospel by the instigation and with the confederacie of Pope Paul the twentie sixth of Iune maketh warre vpon the protestants who defende themselues with their swords Yea c Sleidan 17. pag. 315. b. Fernesius the Generall of those aydes which the Pope sent to the Emperor against the Protestants is reported to say that he would make such a slaughter in Germany that his horse might swim in the blood of the Lutherans d cap. 19.19 Thus the beast and the Kings of the earth and their hosts are gathered together to make battaile against the
the Emperours humiliation but desired to tread him vnder foote whom hee called the great Dragon that when hee had him vnder hee might with more ease stampe also vpon the Kings of England and France and other princes whom he called Basilisks or little kings and little serpents and might at his pleasure spoile their prelates of their treasure n p. 760. The French king taketh Damiata For o 762. which the Soldan offereth the kingdom of Ierusalem much treasure and peace so that there was hope that he purposed to become a Christian But as the pope formerly commanded all was refused by the popes Legate It seemeth that he that writeth a Annot. in Sonn 107. annotations vpon Petrarchs Sonets speaketh of this storie when he saith that the king of Spaines brother I thinke he should say the king of France his brother proclaimed the pope Soldan of Babylon which he calleth Baladac When they had refused the Soldans offer they could not afterwards intreate but found bloodie warre But b Mat. Paris 762. 763. Fridericke subdued happily many of his rebels The popes souldiers robbed them that were signed with the crosse for the holy land taking their money from them And the armie in the holy land was deuided In c 767. 768. fight the French king is taken who though at first he refused yet at last is constrained to surrender Damiata vpon hard conditions and d 772. 773. sendeth by his two brethren to the pope to relieue his shame and difficulties by the absolution of Fridericke His brethren said to the pope that it were best to absolue him els all would thinke the pope of an obstinate hatred they would remooue him from Lyons and raise all France against him Because they vrged the Pope to make peace with Fridericke as he loued the honour of the vniuersall Church and would auoid to be charged to be the cause of the losse of the holy land by his couetousnesse and marchandise of such souldiers that tooke the crosse for the aide of such souldiers that tooke the crosse for the aide of the holy land the e 777. pope craueth to be at Burdeux and groweth inexorable Then also died Fridericus the wonder of the world and so ended the sixth Thunder The seuenth Thunder COnradus a Caron the sonne of Fridericus the second Anno 1250. b Trith p. 239. who had before been chosen King of Romanes did reigne c Mat. Paris 780. In signe of the wrath of God there were exceeding horrible thunders a heauie prognostication d 781. Conrade maketh sure his prisoners that rebelled against his father and with his brethren and friends doth rise against the Pope who for the insatiable couetousnes of his whole race was hatefull to the Imperials e 783. and feared such ginnes and snares of the Romanes to recouer an inestimable summe of money from him which he caused them to lay out in his warres against Fridericke that he durst not returne to his seate in Rome f 791. Yea the hearts of many departed from the father the Pope who raged as a fierce stepfather and from the mother the Church of Rome who was cruell in persecution as a stepmother The g 792. pope departing from Lugdunum calleth the people together to bid them farwell By his Orator after other speeches concludeth that the city had receiued this benefit and almes by the Popes presence that where at his comming there were onely found three or foure whorehouses in the city he left but one and that reached from the East gate to the west Thus is the Popes courte the mother of fornications and abhominations of the earth a Mat. Prris p. 795. many heardsmen foolishly take the crosse to fight against the Turkes in the holy land The Pope setteth forth new decretals and minding peace b 798. 799. absolueth some nobles from their excommunication Whom he marrieth to his neeces by which holy marriage they which were the children of wrath become forsooth the sonnes of grace and chosen vessels But hee excommunicateth Conrade Whereupon the enemies of the Church are multiplied c Pag. 800. Conrade hauing got the fauour of many of the Princes of the Empire the Pope preacheth the crosse against him with farre larger pardons then were graunted to them that fought against the Turkes in the holy land For the fathers and mothers of such were to be pardoned that sought against Conrade When the Queene and Nobles of France saw the Pope to minde onely his ambition and to neglect their distressed King in the holy laud they tooke into their hands the goods and lands of those that were signed against Conrade bidding them liue of the Pope that fought for him The like was don in other places Hence the Pope through shame began to treate of peace with Conradus d Pag 801. There were more fearefull thunders The Pope to make peace desireth to marry a neece of his e Pag. 805. to the brother of Conradus and strengtheneth himselfe by making of new Cardinals But the Princes of the Empire conceiued much indignation against the presumption of the Pope for seeking to ignoble Princes by the marriage of his neeces William Earle of Holland being sorrowfull for his presumption in accepting the Empire resigned f Pag. 781. and hauing lost his owne Earledome and all detested the mousetrappes and promises of the Pope being constrained to begge g 808. Conrade hauing gained the fauour of all the Italians in a manner had poyson giuen him as was thought by the Popes faction but hee recouered stangely and grew into more fauour Yet would not the Pope be perswaded to crowe him least he should proue like his father h 813. but seeing the daunger of Christendome by the contention the Pope sought to make peace with his foes by giuing them his neeces in marriage Howbeit the poyson which Conrade escaped and imputed to the Pope and the contradiction of the Princes of the Empire to such presumptuous marriages gained Conrade much fauour hindred this kinde of peace and lost the Pope many friends and much credit Whereupon Conradus persecuted the Pope with fire and sworde and spoyled such as went to the court of Rome i 814. And so our father the Pope who rather followed the steps of Constantine then Peter stirred vp many calamities in the world The a Mat. Paris p. 829. Pope considering that Richard the King of Englands brother was very rich baited a hooke sweetely to catch his seruice and wealth For trusting vpon his sophistry and deceit that said All b Mat. 4.9 these things will I giue thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship me caused him to be elected and called King of Apulia Sicilia and Calabria c Mat. Paris p. 832. At this time such was the couetousnes and rapine of the Pope in England that vpon a computation which the Bishop of Lincolne caused to
be made it appeared that this Pope impouerished the vniuersall Church more then all his predecessors and that in England his gaine was more then the Kings reuenue d 838. The Romanes threaten them of Perusium with sieg and desolation if they held the Pope any longer Wherefore the Pope with feare and trembling goeth to Rome fearing least the mony should be exacted of him which was dispended in the warres against Fridericke But he paliated his sorrow as well as he could and went to Rome For the beast hath a face like a Lyon that taketh scorne to looke vpon the nettes he is intangled with e 843. The Pope wrote to Grosthead Bishop of Lincolne to make a boy a Prehend at Lincolne which the Bishop refused to doe shewing that the sinne of the diuell and Antichrist was to kill the soules of men by defrauding them of ministers able to teach With f 844. which answere the Pope was enraged and sware by Saint Peter and Saint Paul were it not for the gentlenes of his owne nature his slaue the King of England should make the Bishop a fable c. The Cardinals labored much to pacifie the Popes fury partly by preferring the goodnes of the Bishop before the Pope and his Cardinals partly by aduising the Pope to winke at all least there should arise some tumult especially because it is knowen that there must come a departing from the Church of Rome g 846. 847. 848. This Grosthead on his death-bead reproued the preaching Friers and Minorites as heretikes for their negligence and the Pope of heresie for offering to place a boy ouer the soules of men and proueth that the Pope is Antichrist Of the court of Rome he deliuered this censure Eius auaritiae totus non sufficit orbis Aegypte Sodom Eius luxuriae meretrix non sufficit omnis Aegypte Sodom He also prophecied that the Church should not be deliuered from the Aegyptian seruitude in which it was but by a bloudy sword Here is the policy of Rome h cap. 11.8 called Egypt Conrade prospereth in Italy in despite of the Pope i Mat. Paris p. 850. 855. At this time ignorant persons and boyes were aduanced to Church dignities fit builders for Babel The Pope in a most furious rage purposing to auenge himselfe of Grosthead as of an infidel and rebel c. in k Ibid. Et Poly. Chr. lib. 7. cap. 36. the night Grost bead in his Bishops ornaments appeared vnto him and with a sterne countenance and angry speech said arise wretch and come to thy doome c. and smote him on the left side right to the heart with his crosse staffe so that the Pope awaked with feare and paine horribly frighted Neither did the vengance of the indignation of God so rest towards him for in his warres against Conrade he lost 4000. of his army neither had the Pope euer any good night or day afterwards The a Mat. Paris p. 861. dissention grew great betweene the pope and Conrade and the pope sorged falsely many blasphemous accusations against him as of heresie murther c. thereby to stirre vp the King of England against him b 863. 864. There was in England a miraculous thunder-clap When the pope saw that Richard the King of Englands brother would not be taken in his nettes but held his gift of Apulia c. as if he had giuen him the mone for the fetching he solicited the King of Emgland to accept it promising to turne the souldier that were signed with the crosse for the aide of the holy land to assist him This made all the princes and prelates of the holy land deteste the Romane falsehoodes c Fox Marty pag. 3. Arnoldus de noua villa taught that Sathan by popery had deceiued the world Gulielmus de sancto amore applieth all the textes of Scripture that spake against Antichrist to the pope and his Clergie d Mat. Paris p. 864. 865. The King of England with ioy accepted the popes offer of the kingdome of Sicilia c. and fed the pope with mony But vpon the resistance of Conradus the popes army failed Conrade also died e Gobel 6.65 as is reported of poyson f Mat. Paris p. 865. The pope exceedingly reioyced and laughed for the death of his two great enemies Grosthead and Conradus g 868. Shortly after the pope himselfe dying comforted his weeping friends thus do not I leaue you rich enough what would you more when he was dead he was seene by a Cardinall condemned to hell for the hurt he did to the Church Thus h cap. 10.3 c. when the Angel Christ the King by princes had reared for their possessions seuen thunders of the popes execrations vtter their voyces which the writers of the time doe seale vp by a darke kinde of deliuerie i Carian f. 203. Par. Vrs p. 332 After which time the Empire stoode without any certaine Caesar for seauenteene yeeres for feare of the danger that might befall by the popes meanes And the affaires of Asia came into great danger by the popes proceedings Thus also he maketh warre against the Saints and doth ouercome them So here is fulfilled that which is written k cap. 13. 7. 8. And power was giuen him ouer euery kindred and tongue and nation Those thunders lasted 150. yeeres For from the time of Hildebrand which was 1074. to Alexander the fourth which was 1254. is 180. yeeres From whence if we take the time of peace from Honorius the second to Adrian the fourth which was 30. yeeres the remainder will be 150. yeere CHAP. IX The beast doth principally dispose himselfe to make warre with the Saints that worship in the Tabernacle and sheweth Lyons pride and Beares feete for couetousnes tearing the earth by raking mony THus the princely Angel a cap. 10.3 who had roared as a Lyon is cryed downe by the beast whose execrations were fearefull and violent as Thunder Now the beast doth principally set himselfe against the Saints b cap. 13.7 For it is giuen to him to make warre with the Saints and to ouercome them And now he hath authoritie to make lawes as it is said c 15. it is permitted to him to speake His speciall law is now turned vpon the Saints namely d 15. to cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed For now he rageth with the bloudy lawes of the inquisition which henceforth are much increased Anno 1254. Alexander the fourth e Trith p. 246. when the seat had been almost two yeeres voyde to the perill of many soules was elected Pope and at first f Mat. Paris p. 869 seemed a holy man But yet g Pag. 875. though he were frighted by a fearefull vision he h P. 877. continued the warres begun by his predecessors against Manfred in Apulia c. i P. 881. 885. in which he