was more than Iohn the Baptist Fol. 18. bicause Iohn Baptist was onelie a preacher of repentance Francis was both a preacher and also an ordainer of the order of Repentance He was a fore-runner of Christ Francis was a preacher and standerd-bearer of Christ wherin he surmounteth Iohn Baptist. Also Francis went before Iohn bicause he conuerted more vnto the Lord and in more places namely in the whole world Iohn preached but two yeeres and a little more but Francis preached eighteene yeeres Iohn receiued the word of repentance from the Lord Francis receiued it both from the Lord and the pope that 's more It was told by an Angel to Iohn Baptists father it was declared by the holie Ghost and the prophets what a one he should be But S. Francis was declared to his mother and the seruants in the shape of a stranger by the prophets the Lord Iesus Christ and also by an Angell S. Iohn prophesied in and without his mothers wombe S. Francis foretold with ioy in the wombe that is being prisoner at Perusius that he should bee some great man S. Iohn was the friend of the bridegroome S. Francis was like the Lord Iesus Christ. Iohn was the most singular in the world for holines Francis was the most excellent of all other with Christ for the conformitie of his marks S. Iohn was aduanced in the Seraphicall order S. Francis was placed in the verie same order in the place of Lucifer What is it to mocke Christian religion and to deride the sacred historie of S. Iohn Baptist if this be not O God thou Lord of vengeāce how long wilt thou suffer these monsters of popes to mocke thy most holie maiestie so reprochfully How long wilt thou suffer them to rage in thine holie temple But surely there is another place in that same storehouse of blasphemies almost more detestable For * he saith Francis Fol. 39. is better than the Apostles bicause they forsooke onely their ship and other things but yet not their garments which they had on their backe But S. Francis did not onely forsake all earthly things but he did also cast from him his clothes and breeches and offered himselfe being cleane both in bodie and mind to the arms of the crucified which we read not of any other Saint Wherefore he might well saie to Christ I haue forsaken all and followed thee Where be those Pharaos and the woorser champions of the Pharaos which count the iuggling casts of the magitians better than the miracles of Moses and make semblance that they take delight in these munkish monsters that they may remoue the vnskilfull people from reading the holie scripture and from studieng the same and that they may abuse their subiects as beasts And yet these things were beléeued in former ages and no maruell sith Paul foretold so plainely that Antichrist should come with the effectuall working of satan with all power and signes and lieng woonders and with all fraud of vnrighteousnes in those that perish bicause they receiued not the loue of the truth that they might be saued Therfore God shall send vnto them the efficacie of deceit 2. Thes 2. that they may beléeue a lie that all that haue not beléeued the truth may be condemned The inuention of the religion of Dominic BUt let these things hitherto be spoken of the feined religions in the person of Francis Bernardo let vs héereafter sée somwhat of the inuentions of another frier called Dominic Wherin we must giue the first place to that wicked comparison wherin Dominic God the father of mercie pardon vs which are compelled to recite these blasphemies is matched with Christ being God For in Antonie bishop of Florence it is thus written The Lord In hist. par 3. tit 23. ti 24. Christ saith he is Lord absolutely and auctoratiuely Dominic possessiuely He had manie diuine visions he saw Christ once purposed to iudge and make an end of the world but the virgin Marie besought him that he would staie and send Dominic and Francis to preach And againe when he saw the heauen open and friers of all sorts in glorie and he saw not his Dominicans but it was told him by the sonne of God that they were vnder the garment of the virgin Marie whom he saw there and a certaine master of the order of the Minors which made a very great masterly booke of S. Dominic saith that in the said vision it might be said that Dominic did then see God in his essence as Paul when he was caught vp But it shall appeere that he was very like to Christ by the discourse of his life and works Therfore he was most fitly named Dominic being most like to the Lord Christ The Lord saith I am the light of the world the church singeth of Dominic You are the light of the world All the prophets beare witnes of the Lord of Dominic and his Act. 10. Zach. 11. order Zacharie said in the person of God I haue taken to my selfe two rods I haue called the one Decorem or beautie the other Funiculum or a little cord Beautie or comlines is the order of predicants the little cord is the order of the Minors bicause they are girt with a plaine rope Before Dominic was borne in the world there appeered the images of two painted at Venece in the church of S. Mark the one whereof was like a religious man in the apparell of the order of the predicants with a lilie in his hand The other was like vnto the Apostle Paul as he was woont to be painted ouer which was written Agios Paulus S. Paul and vnder the feete of the picture Per istum itur ad Christum by him men go to Christ vnder the other picture was written Agios Dominicus S. Dominic and vnder him Faciliùs itur per istum men go more easily by him And woonder not at this writing bicause the doctrine of Paul as of the other Apostles was a doctrine leading vnto faith The doctrine of Dominic a doctrine leading to the obseruations of Counsels and therefore men go more easily by him vnto Christ. 2. The Lord was borne vpon the bare ground but least the colde should hurt him too much he is placed in a manger by his mother the virgin When Dominic was borne being but a little one and committed to the keeping of his nurse he was often found gone out of his bed and lieng naked vpon the ground as if he did alreadie abhor the pleasures of the flesh 3. When the Lord was borne there appeered a bright star which guided the wise men vnto him insinuating that the whole world should be illuminate by him Dominic arose and vpon him when he was to be baptised his spirituall mother saw a star in his forehead foreshewing a new sunne beame of the world 4. The Lord being twelue yeere old was brought by his parents into the temple and there he remained alone being but a boy
THE BRVTISH THVNDERBOLT or rather FEEBLE FIER-FLASH of Pope SIXTVS the fift against HENRIE the most excellent King of Nauarre and the most noble HENRIE BORBON Prince of CONDIE Togither with a declaration of the manifold insufficiencie of the same Translated out of Latin into English by CHRISTOPHER FETHERSTONE Minister of Gods word Nahum 3. I wil reueale thy filthines vpon thy face and wil shew thy nakednes amongst the nations and thy shame in the kingdoms Imprinted at London by Arnold Hatfield for G. B. and R. Newbery 1586 TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE LORD ROBERT DVDLEY Earle of Leicester Baron of Denbigh Knight of the most noble orders of the Garter and of S. Michael Maister of the Queenes horse one of hir Highnesse most honourable priuie Councel and Lord Lieutenant and Captaine general of hir Maiesties forces in the Low countries THE EXPERIence of your honorable acceptation of my last simple trauell in translating Maister Caluins Commentaries vpon Saint Iohns Gospell hath imboldened me further to present your Honor with another slender fruit of the same Which though it be not of like qualitie with the former yet I doubt not but it shal prooue profitable to as manie as with diligence and indifferencie shall vouchsafe it the pervsing The Author albeit not specified heerin by name seemeth to be a man of great reading singular iudgement and excellent dexteritie in handling the matter which he vndertooke The worke a notable discouery of that Abaddon or destroieng enimie the sonne of perdition that sitteth in the temple of God as God wherein both his defacing of the glorie of the sonne of God in heauen whose vicegerent he would be counted and his trampling vnder feete whatsoeuer is called God amongst men besides his manifold violences committed against the Church and Saints of God are most liuelie depainted and set before our eies Many woorthie wits of rare gifts haue trauelled in laieng open his vsurpations villanies and outrages with the originall and processe causes and effects precedents and consequents of the same acording as they were occasioned But this man hath drawen into one entire bodie a great manie memorable points which are dispersedly found in others so that he that listeth may at once take a view as it were of such an vglie monster as would trouble the strongest fantasie in the world to imagine and the most curious hand to pourtray the like Howbeit it is not much to be hoped for that the Italianate atheists and discontented Papists of which there are such swarmes amongst vs will any thing at all be mooued with the cleere light of these most euident demonstrations to reforme their iudgements and preiudicate opinions alreadie conceiued and rooted within them touching his pretended supremacie ouer Gods Church For it is greatly to be feared least by a iust iudgement of the almightie they are become past feeling so that they grope as the blind at noone day giuen ouer to all deceiueablenes of vnrighteousnes through a strong spirit of delusion bicause they would not receiue the loue of the truth that they might be saued But howsoeuer their harts be as hard as the adamant and their eies couered with the mist of palpable darknes euen to this day yet wisedom shal be iustified of hir children Whom God hath foreappointed to be beholders of his glorie they shall in their due time be inlightened with the knowledge of his sauing truth and come out of Babylon with as great speede as euer the Israelites posted out of Egypt Yea they shall clap their hands at the ruine of that Antichristian synagog which being now tottering and readie to fall to the ground laboreth with might and maine by force and fraud by treacherous attempts by cruell practises and open inuasions as it were by mingling heauen and earth togither to vphold it selfe as may be seene in most places of Europe at this day But he that sitteth in heauen laugheth them to scorne the Lord shall haue them in derision Whose words touching the ouerthrow of Babylon cannot fall to the ground but must be fulfilled in their time For doubtles Babylon must fal be rewarded according to hir works the kings of the earth shall loath and persecute this vniuersall strumpet to make hir desolate naked to eate hir flesh consume hir with fire Thrise blessed are they that band themselues togither bend their whole forces to execute these iudgements of the Lord which he hath decreed vpon hir In which respect your H. hath great cause to magnifie the Lord for his gratious mercies toward you in that he hath vouchsafed you this honor to stand in armes against one of hir principall louers in so iust and holie a quarell as is the maintenance of his sacred religion and the deliuering of the helplesse out of the hands of the oppressor so aduisedly and necessarily vndertaken by hir excellent maiestie A thing iustifiable by the lawes of God and man of nature and nations yea warranted by the like practise of most Christian Emperors in former ages and sundrie other good presidents of antiquitie Now seeing God hath dealt so mercifully with you it is your H. part to behaue your selfe valiantly and to fight the Lords battels with courage He is on your side therefore you are on the mountaines and your enimies in the vallies he shall be a brasen wall to defend you on euerie side if you set his feare before you and repose your trust in him The garde of his holie Angels shall be a surer protection vnto you than any trench bulwarke or fortresse you can deuise The praiers of all the godlie in the land being deeply touched with an inward sympathie and fellow-feeling of their neighbors calamities are powred out continually for your safetie and happie successe in this noble enterpise and your H. may be well assured that they shall procure more fauour to you at the hands of the Lord than any either aduersarie forces or associations of the holy Tridentine league shal be able to preuaile to the contrarie Wherfore my Lord arme your selfe with Christian courage policie and warines against these vncircumcised Philistins remember that they with whom you fight are deuowed vassals to that beast which is described in this booke whose power God be thanked hath been found too weake to shake the throne of our gratious Souereigne notwithstanding his often assaults His thunderbolts of excommunications and bannings haue beene esteemed as paper-shot by those noble Princes of the house of Borbon and Vendosme in France He sitteth in his Vaticane as one at his wits end destitute of counsel knowing that the assurance of his kingdom standeth but vpon one or two such Egyptian reedes as are mentioned by the prophet of no great safetie or suretie to be leaned vpon Should not the consideration of these things increase your fortitude and magnanimitie that you neuer faint nor giue ouer before you see a blessed end of your labors Which the Lord of heauen in a
pope so that the famous Councellers of the king of France and the Senators of the Parleament may know and vnderstand that the most part of Christendome hath for most iust and weightie causes reiected and refused the papacie But notwithstanding we will ad moreouer some other things and that especially That the pope hath so great power both in purgatorie and also in hell that he may deliuer by his indulgences and foorthwith place in heauen and in the habitation of the blessed as manie soules as he will which are tormented in those places as it is in the bull of Clement the 6. and in Ant. Florent That the pope hath so great power in heauen part 3. tit 22. cap. 6. that he may canonize and place in the number of the Saints what dead man soeuer he wil maugre the heads of al the bishops and cardinals Thus writeth Troilus in tract de canonis sanct 3. dub Maluit By which and such like we may know how true that oration of Eberard somtimes Archbishop of Salisburge was which he made two hundred yéeres ago in a publike assemblie of the Empire of Germanie which we will recite out of the 7. booke of Iohn Auentine his Chronicle printed at Ingolstade anno 1554. The chiefe priests of Babylon saith he desire to reigne alone they cannot abide an equall They will neuer haue done vntil they haue troden all vnder their feete and they sit in the temple of God and they be exalted aboue all that which is worshipped Their hunger for riches and thirst for honor can neuer be satisfied The more you grant to a greedie man the more he desireth reach out your finger and he will couet your whole hand He which is the seruant of seruants doth couet further to be Lord of lords as if he were God He speaketh great things as if he were God He changeth laws he establisheth his owne he polluteth he robbeth he spoileth he coseneth he slaieth that wicked man whom they commonly call Antichrist in whose forehead is written a name of blasphemie I am God I cannot erre He sitteth in the temple of God he beareth rule far and wide Thus saith Eberard Moreouer in the same Auentine in the same booke there is extant this complaint of Frederike the 2. being Emperor in an epistle which he wrote to Otho Duke of Bauaria The popes of Rome do seeke after lordship and diuine power namely that they may be feared of all no otherwise yea more than God For it is euident that there be manie Antichrists amongst those Romanists and that none other are the ouerthrowers of Christian religion And shortly after That man that is called the pope namely being become verie wealthie with the great losse of Christian godlines doth thinke that he may do whatsoeuer he will as tyrants vse to do He will render an account of his doings to none As if he were God He vsurpeth that which belongeth to God alone that he cannot erre or be holden with anie religion of a lie he doth require most impudently and imperiously to be beleeued Thus writeth he Moreouer Erasmus in his Annotations of the new Testament 1. Tim. c. 1. doth witnes that in his time in the schooles of the diuines these things were woont to be called in question and disputed vpon Whether the pope could abrogate that which was decreed by the apostolike writings Whether he could decree any thing which is contrarie to the doctrine of the Gospell Whether he can make a new article of the faith Whether he haue greater power than Peter or like power Whether he can command the Angels whether he can take away all purgatorie whether he be onlie man O detestable blaspemie whether as he is God he do participate both natures with Christ whether he be more gentle than was Christ seeing it is not read that he called backe anie from the paines of purgatorie Whether he alone of all men cannot erre Sixe hundred such like things are disputed in great printed bookes And that by great diuines especially famous for the profession of religion These things doth Erasmus write in as many words Annotat. pag. 663. The crime of mocking religion BVt some peraduenture will saie it is onely impietie blasphemie of words Let vs therefore bring to light the wicked factes of the same papacie a few of many as it were for examples sake that euerie one may vnderstand that the popes many yéeres ago did make but a mock and scoffe of Christian religion And first of all that of Gregorie the seauenth which we will lay downe in the words of cardinall Benno The Emperour Henrie the third saith he was woont often to repaire to praier to the church of S. Marie which is in the mount Auentine But Hildebrand who being afterward made pope was called Gregorie the seauenth when as by his spies he made diligent inquirie after all his works he made the place be marked where the Emperour was woont to praie and he perswaded one by promising him money to lay great stones vpon the beames of the church secretly and that he should so order them that he might throwe them downe from aboue vpon the Emperours head as he was at praier and so beat out his braines which thing when he that was appointed to do so great wickednes did make haste to accomplish and sought to laie an huge stone vpon the beames with the weight thereof the stone drew him downe and the boorde being broken vnder the beames both the stone and the miserable man by the iust iudgement of God fell downe into the church floore and by the same stone was he quite crushed to peeces Of which fact after that the men of Rome knew and of the order therof they tied a rope to the wretches foot caused him to be drawen three daies through the streetes for the example of others But the Emperour of his woonted clemencie caused him to be buried Thus far goeth Benno Whence we vnderstande how detestable the impietie of the pope was who hauing no regard either of the place wherein the Emperour praied and which the pope professeth to be holie to himselfe nor of the time wherein he praied but seruing his blinde furie and madnesse sought the destruction of the Emperour his prince But go too let vs cite another testimonie of impietie out of the same Benno Iohn bishop of Portua saith he who was throughlie acquainted with Hildebrands secrets went vp into Saint Peters pulpit and amongst many things in the hearing of the cleargie and people he saith Hildebrand hath done some such thing for which we ought to be burned aliue speaking of the Sacrament of the Lords bodie which Hildebrand demaunding oracles from God against the Emperour threw into the fire though the cardinals his assistants did speake against it These are the goodly testimonies of the papall pietie in Gregorie the seauenth Now let vs cite another touching Syluester the seconde out of the booke of Iohn
signification by which signification is vnderstood Christ the rocke Peter the Church Thus saith Augustine which thing he repeateth in his book against Iud. paga And also in the tenth tract vpon Iohn and of the word of the Lord ser 20. Concerning which opinion Cyrillus saith He called the rocke nothing In dial de trinitate lib. 4. else but by agnomination the vnshaken and most firme faith of the disciple wherein the Church of Christ is grounded And this verie In epist. ad Eph. ca. 2. same thing doth Ambrose * In hom in Mat. 55. Chrysostom * in c. quodcunque 24. q. 1 and also the Canonists * confirm They alledge this same saieng of Augustine Bicause in the person of Peter the Church hirselfe receiued the keies Which thing is inculcate out of Hierom * in c. omnibus ead q. But Bernard inueighing bitterly against that arrogancie of the popes breaketh out at length into these words And in times past truly In epist. 230. you did rule as Lords ouer the Clergie contrarie to the Apostle Peter yea and ye ruled as lords ouer the faith of the whole world contrarie to his fellow Apostle Paule But now you haue added some new thing vsurping also ouer religion it selfe what remaineth but that you proceed to rule as lords euen ouer the holie Angels themselues And Gregorie surnamed the Great writeth thus to Mauritius Epist 30. li. 16. the emperour I say boldlie that whosoeuer he be that calleth himself the vniuersal priest or desireth to be so called doth in his pride go before Antichrist bicause in waxing proud he setteth himselfe before the rest The like wherof we may sée in many places in the Lib. 6. epi. 188. epi. 194. also lib. 7. epist 3. 74. 79. 80. same writer and vnto the said Mauritius And thus much concerning the former part of the Dilemma Now let vs sée touching the other that is the donation of Constantine Though séeing it may séem that we shall haue a fitter place to handle the same when we come to intreat of the crime of forgerie it be fitter for vs at this time in this one word to passe ouer al that disputation namely that all that instrument of the donation which the pope bringeth forth is false feigned and forged and that it came out of the same shop out of which we shewed before the volume of the Conformities of Francis came wherof bicause we shall in their place bring to light 25. most sure arguments we will now make an ende to this second crime Onelie in stéede of a conclusion we will propounde a question of this Franciscane frier of ours which will not easily be answered as I thinke Our Sixtus is pope and also a Franciscane inasmuch as he is pope he hath as we haue shewed before not onely chiefe dignitie vpon earth but also great in heauen purgatorie and hell inasmuch as he is a Franciscane no doubt according to his dutie towarde his patron he granteth that S. Francis deserueth dignitie aboue the Cherubins We say not amongst the Cherubins saith Antoninus of Florence but aboue the Cherubins and it is certaine according to the doctors that the Seraphins are aboue the Cherubins Thus writeth Antoninus Therfore the question is when this pope departing Lib. hist. 3. tit 23. ca. 1. this life shall be receiued by S. Francis whether he shall be placed aboue the Cherubins or the Seraphins For we haue shewed that the Dominicane friers onlie are placed vnder the mantle of the blessed virgin It causeth great doubtfulnes bicause as Augustine Steuchus writeth the pope is God as the Canonists dispute halfe a God But Francis as we saide before out of the testimonie of the deuill is nothing but a stout frier On the other side this our frier calleth Francis the Typical Iesus as if one should saie Another Iesus or one that is made like to the former Iesus If we should place Francis aboue the pope we should place him aboue his God or demie God which were most absurd If we should giue him a place below the pope neuerthelesse we should absurdlie make another Iesus subiect to the pope and peraduenture the Iesuites could not abide that for the high dignitie of their name What shall we saie then Bartolus was woont in hard questions to admonish his hearers to bethinke themselues We in the meane season without any preiudice of the truth will leaue to this pope that same place which Gregorie the Great giueth him which what maner one it is we shall set downe shortly after where we shall make mention of Lucifers comming to hell Of the crime of corrupt Religion HItherto haue we spoken briefely of the second crime of the papacie according to our method and order set downe It followeth that we intreat of the crime of corrupt religion For when as the pope tooke vpon him that chiefe lordship ouer Christian religion he then determined as it were by his own right to innouate new trim and transforme it at his pleasure Whereof this is the first testimonie The holie Scripture teacheth vs that there is one onely forme of religion and worshipping of God the same which is set downe in writing in the writings of the Prophets Apostles so that it is not lawfull to adde any thing thereto or to take any thing there fro no not for an Angell in heauen Therefore Christ saith In vaine do they worship me teaching doctrines which Iohn 14. 2. Tim. 3. Matth. 15. are the commandements of men And Ier. 7. Which I neuer commanded neither ascended they into mine hart Therefore Irenaeus bishop of Lyons an authour most ancient for he wrot about the yéere of Christ 198. After that saith he our Lord rose from the dead and the Apostles had the holie Ghost giuen them after that power came vpon them from aboue they were filled with all things and they had perfect knowledge of saluation Also Cha. 4. We must not seeke the truth at others seeing the Apostles haue most fully bestowed all things in the church which belong to the truth that euery one that will may take of the same drinke of life Also Athanasius in the beginning of his second booke against the Gentils The holie scripture saith he and inspired by God is alone abundantly sufficient to all instruction of the truth Thus saith he But the pope setteth downe on the contrarie that The discipline of the Church besides holie scripture so saith he in the Councell of Trent is contained in the traditions of the elders Triden concil session 4. cap. 1. which being deliuered as it were by hands came vnto vs also as being deliuered either by word of mouth by Christ or else by the holie Ghost Now let vs sée what maner traditions being deliuered to vs by our ancetors as it were from hand to hand are to be obserued And first of all let vs cite that The pope vseth vpon
like sort if the sentence containe an intollerable error as the same canonists affirme * in d. c. solet in d. c. per tuas as in this matter of ours where the bull of pope Sixtus is conuict of most manifest errors as is shewed in the last cause of Nullitie especially where the sentence doth manifestly contain the error of the fact as Augustine * in Sum. contra gloss in d. c. per tuas noteth For a sentence pronounced according to false allegations is in law none as we prooued before at large The fourth Nullitie by reason of the forme of the sentence THere remaineth the fourth cause of Nullitie by reason of the foolish forme of the conceiued sentence For as it is commonly said the foolishnes of spéech declareth the foolishnes of the mind * l. pend D. de cond demon l. 1. §. pen. vlt. D. de aedil edict Therfore a iudge which giueth sentence foolishly fondly and absurdly is called a foole * l. vlt. c. de fideic libert such a one as we shall prooue this Frier a scholler of Francis Bernardo to be by this his sentence and Frierlike bull For he beginneth thus The authoritie granted by the infinite power of the eternall king to S. Peter and his successors doth surmount all the powers of earthly kings and princes Sée how the hangman speaketh sentences But it is an old rule of the Logicians that comparisons are vsed in those things onely that are of the same sort But what agréement is there betwéene the authoritie that was giuen to the apostles which appertaineth to religion and conscience and the power granted to kings which consisteth in ciuil and politike matters Therfore our cowled Frier hath spoken as if he had said The foolishnes of Bernardo his scholler doth surmount the eares of all the asses that are in Arcadia But that we may answer somwhat in earnest let this conclusion come to light A successor of right hath no more than his author had Peter had not authoritie surpassing the powers of kings but he was commanded to obey them as superiors Therefore though the pope were Peters successor which we prooued before to be false yet being inferior to kings he ought to obey them The assumption is plaine out of these words Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers Whosoeuer he be that resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God Rom. 13. Tell them that they submit themselues to principalities and powers that they obey Tit. 3. Be subiect to euery ordinance of mā for the Lords sake whether it be to the king as to the chief ruler or to presidents as to those that are sent by him 1. Pet. 2 But what shall the authoritie of the holie scripture auaile with the pope For it shall euen now be refuted with this one word Constantine granted to the pope all the kingdoms of the West and he commanded that emperors and kings should hold his stirrop when he gat vp vpon horsebacke that they should wait vpon him as pages and finally that prostrating themselues vpon the ground they should kisse his féete This is that preeminence of the popes whereof he speaketh in this place such as either was in times past vpon earth that of his god Francis when being taken vp into the middle region of the aire he talked familiarly with Christ for which cause to auoid that cold he put on a hooded garment or else is at this day in heauen where he is said to sit stradling aboue the Cherubins But now let vs sée what followeth Standing firme vpon the rocke it doth not turne aside from the right course by any contrarie or prosperous blasts Who euer heard before this that either authoritie being set vpon a rocke did saile or that any ship was euer turned aside from the right course by prosperous blasts But notwithstanding howsoeuer this ship doth saile we haue shewed before that he that did boast that he sitteth in the sterne therof and doth hold the helme hath not a place left him so much as in the pumpe or sinke Like to this is that that followeth If he find any that resist the ordinance of God those doth he more sharply punish As if euen in the citie of Rome which is a mansion of al wickednes the ordinances of God were not resisted or the pope did sharpely punish any such as resist But Petrarcha Mantuan Sannazarius and many mo Italians call Rome the shop of all wickednes Babylon Sodom the schoole of errors the temple of heresies a shamelesse strumpet Go shame into the villages If villages be not become Receits of filth For that is now A brothelhouse that erst was Rome saith Mantuan Also in another place At Rome are sold The temples priests and altars braue The sacrifice and diademe The fire incense and praiers eke To sell both heauen and God they seeme Also Albericus Rosat in the word Rome The court of Rome will not be serued With sheepe that 's robbed of hir fleeze Against all those that nothing giue The doors are shut but those which greeze Hir hand with bribes she heares with speed Also S. Bernard in his fourth booke of consideration to pope Eugenius cap. 1. Whom wilt thou shew me of a whole great citie that receiued thee to be pope without reward or hope of reward These being hated of earth and heauen haue laid hands vpon both being wicked against God rash against holie things seditious one against another Also Petrarcha in his epistles Whatsoeuer is read concerning Assyria or Egypt or Babylon whatsoeuer is read concerning the labyrinths finally whatsoeuer is read of the entrie of hell and of the brimstone woods of hell being applied to this hell it is a fable Heere is the turretting and terrifieng Nimrod Heere is Semiramis with hir quiuer heere is Minos that cannot be intreated Heer is Radamantus Heer is Cerberus that deuoureth al things Heer is Pasiphae lieng with the bull and the mixed kinde as saith Maro and the childe hauing two shapes Heer is Minotaurus moniments of lust not to be named Last of all you may see heer whatsoeuer is confused whatsoeuer is blacke whatsoeuer is any where horrible or is feigned so to be and to be briefe a sinke of all wickednes and shamefull things What saith our pope to these things Let vs heare the praise of the citie of Rome out of the chapter fundamenta 17. de elect in vj. Rome saith he is an holie nation an elect people a priestly citie and a princely by the holie sea of S. Peter made the head of the whole world Was there euer any so shamelesse a baud or beast out of whose mouth came a more shamelesse saieng Or what shall we saie of our Franciscan frier who careth for those things that are done beyond the Alpes who regardeth not what things be done at home Séeing Paul hath ordained that he that cannot gouerne his owne family haue not the gouernment of the church
cōmitted to him It followeth Casting down from their throne those that are mightier he throweth them downe euen to the ground as ministers of proud Lucifer How madlie the drunken frier inuadeth the place of Isaias * which doth properlie Ch. 14. concerne the popes of Rome and the vniuersall priests of the church For Gregorie the great doth plainly testifie that vnder the person of Nabuchadnosor the vniuersal pope is described For in hel there are brought in the damned kings princes comming out as it were to méete the pope and to welcome him comming vnto them after his death and mocking him thus Hell was afraide bicause of thee against the meeting of thy comming al the princes of the earth that are dead arise to thee All the kings of the nations rise out of their throns and they speak vnto thee on this wise Art thou also become weake as one of vs and art thou become like to vs Thy pride is drawne vnto the hell O Lucifer when didst thou fall from heauen thou sonne of the morning and art cut downe to the earth that didst terrifie the nations But thou saidst in thine hart I will clime vp into heauen I will exalt my throne aboue the stars of heauen I will clime vp aboue the height of the cloud and will become like to the most highest Those that see thee shall saie Is this he that troubled the earth and did shake kingdoms Now let vs heare Gregorie out of his fourth booke of Epistles ch 82. where he applieth that place of Isaias vnto him that did professe himselfe to be pope and vniuersall bishop I will clime vp saith he aboue the height of the clowdes I will be like to the most highest For what are all thy brethren the bishops of the vniuersall church but stars of heauen Before whom whiles thou couetest to set thy selfe by a worde of pride and to tread their name vnder foote in comparison of thee what else dost thou say but I will clime vp into heauen I will exalt my seat aboue the stars of heauen Whom whiles your brotherhood despising them doth go about to tread vnder foote what other thing saith it but this which the old enimie saith I will clime vp aboue the height of the clowds Al which things when I behold weeping c. By which words it is vnderstood that the place of Isaias concerning Lucifer cast downe into the neather most part of the earth and of his crueltie thrust downe into hell doth not belong to the most noble king of Nauarre than whom the sunne beholdeth nothing more méeke more gentle but vnto our Polyphemus Sixtus the fift and vnto his pride in treading vnder-foote the maiestie of kings But if we must cut the throat of this gyant with his owne sword lo we haue a plaine text in his owne decrée * where it is thus written Lucifer de poeniten dist 2. §. qui vero reprobi whiles that he presumed of himselfe in pride he was cast downe from paradyse into hell Also * Whiles Nabuchadnosor waxing proud in 23. q. 5. §. hinc notandum his hart said Is not this Babylon which I haue built c. God did foorthwith change his reasonable mind and he changed him into the forme of beastlines so that flieng from men he liued with beasts Which words he reciteth referring them vnto the pope which we wil haue especially noted and he commendeth Ludouike of Rome * But now let vs procéed in cons vlt. num 2. to the rest after we haue added that one thing out of the 38. leafe of the booke of the Conformities bicause mention is made of the seat of Lucifer The peace making Frier being caught vp into heauen whether in the bodie or without the bodie God knoweth let the readers consider how wickedly the vile munk doth mock the words of Paul and he saw in heauen manie seates amongst which he saw one higher than his fellowes bedeckt with pretious stone And he heard a voice saieng to him This was Lucifers seate and in his place shall humble Francis sit And this surely is that which we said before that Francis Bernardo togither with the rest of his stage plaiers and comicall mates shall haue a place in Lucifers kingdome so that we néed not greatly dispute whether Francis or pope Sixtus the fift a bishop of the order of Francis is worthie the seate It followeth in the bull According to the care for all chruches people and nations that lieth vpon vs. Good Lord What a burden hath our great cowled Frier taken vpon him séeing he hath taken vp vpon his shoulders the care both for all churches and people nations We will héerafter cease to woonder what is the cause that painters haue in his image painted the form of one that stoupeth Scarce Atlas who they say held vp heauen did beare a heauier burden What shall then become of vs if the pope begin to faint and faile vnder that so great a burden which he complaineth to lie vpon his shoulders alone They say that the cause of a certain melancholy persons gréefe was bicause he was afraid least Atlas who had so long borne so great a burden should at length sinke vnder it But we thinke it good to set downe in this place a certaine pleasant narration of William Budeus a man as I said before that loued his countrie and was very learned touching these Atlasses out of his fift booke De Asse A certain pleasant and merie preacher saith he was woont not long ago to cauill at them and to say that they seemed to him to be such as are those corbat images in churches which are set vpon posts or pillers For as we see some of these images as it were yeelding vnder their burden which are either in stead of corbats or else they reach without the mortesses of the corbats and they seeme to one that beholdeth them as if they tooke great paines and swet with bearing the worke whereas indeed they are without feeling and they help the strength of the stones nothing howsoeuer they seeme to take great paines so we see these Atlasses set and placed vpon the very tops of the pillers in the temple of the Lord hauing indeed that false honor and maiestie of titles like reuerend old men and their custome is to pretend holines and to beare a faire shew of reuerend old men that vnderprop the Lords sanctuarie but when we behold their blockish ignorance or dissolute carelesnes it is euident that they do no more good than images of stone But it séemeth that we ought not to omit that which Antoninus archbishop of Florence whom we haue sundry times before mentioned hath taught vs that when as long ago the pope began to faint vnder so great a burden there were some found that did vnderprop him with their shoulders namely Dominican Friers For he writeth thus * Dominic Histor. part 3. tit 23. §. 3. fol. 191. went
this was the cause that Ferdinando did cast out the king his neighbor though he did also pretend another bicause both the king of France and those that did aid him were pronounced accursed by the popes edict and their kingdoms were made common Thus writeth Ferronus whereby we may coniecture what great danger hangeth ouer the most noble princes of Germanie and so consequently ouer all the kings of Europe by reason of that so néere a conspiracie of the popes and the Spanish inquisition For by this short cut any munke so he be of a craftie and subtill nature hauing taried some time in Spain as this our Sixtus and hauing béene conuersant with the inquisitors of Spaine may make such a bargain and league with them that if through their fauor and commendation he may obtaine the popedome then he may pronounce what king or prince soeuer he will a schismatike or heretike taking to him any occasion he may adiudge to them his kingdom opened and committed as a fée to the sea of Rome Therefore we are to wish that we may once haue some king giuen vs that may be of a valiant courage that he may thrust this whoore of Babylon out of hir seat and may at length rid the Church of Christ from so long and miserable seruitude and restore hir to hir former libertie and dignitie which courage that king of ours Ludouike the twelfth who was called the parent of the countrie being wearie of that bondage tooke vpon him when after that furious curse of pope Iulius he commanded French crownes to be coined in France with this inscription Ludouike 12. by the grace of God king of France duke of Mediolanum And then on the other side the armes of France and Mediolanum ioined togither with this inscription I will destroy Babylon Of which name if happily any man be ignorant let him read the Reuelation of Iohn ch 17. and Hierom in his catalog where he maketh mention of Mark and writeth plainly that Peter did figuratiuely vnderstand Rome by Babylon in his former epistle * Ch. 5. Also in the prolog of his booke touching the holie Ghost where he doth plainly call Rome Babylon and that purple whoore which is described in the Reuelation Which thing he doth likewise confirme vpon Esay c. 14. and againe c. 47. and vnto Aglasia in the 11. question For which cause Paula also and Eustochium in that epistle which they wrote vnto Marcellus do in like sort call Rome Babylon and no whit more obscurely Hierom in his epistle When I was at Babylon saith he a citizen of the purple whoore c. The conclusion of the former protestation THese things therefore being thus set down it remaineth that we conclude this reason Séeing pope Sixtus the fift hath béen condemned by the most part of Christendome of seauen most gréeuous crimes namely of impietie of vsing tyrannie in the Church of corrupt religion sacrilege treason rebellion and forgerie and séeing that hauing followed the insolencie boldnes and crueltie of those that went before him he hath published this most mad decrée contrarie to all lawes diuine and humane vsing false allegations and that without any iudiciall order yea foolishly blockishly impudently against the most excellent king of Nauarre and most noble prince of Condie and hath burdened them with filthie and geason reproches of words forasmuch as he called them sonnes of wrath obstinate heretiks notorious relapsed such as lie tumbling in filth rebels against the most Christian king persecutors of the Church a detestable issue traitors against God and man and did for these causes depriue them of their principalities dukedoms lordships fées and all honors and of the right of lawfull succession in the realme of France and forasmuch as this his old and outragious boldnes of abiudging and adiudging of kingdoms doth plainly appertaine vnto all kings princes and potentates of Europe and it is to be feared least those that shall be desirous of other mens kingdoms will lay wait for peaceable and quiet princes héerafter by this policie of excommunications or proscriptions for these causes the foresaid princes protest that the same pope Sixtus the fift is to be counted a wicked periured sacrilegious person a tyrant an author of feigned religions a cruell and bloodie murderer of the Church of Christ an importunate and wicked enimie of religion and to be most assuredly Antichrist and that al monarchs of Christendome kings princes potentates and those that haue any gouernment or lawful power are to be requested and earnestly intreated that they will helpe these most roiall princes to suppresse the furie of this fierce tyrant and to breake in péeces his cruell and furious assaults and that they will lay their heads togither and ioine togither their forces to extinguish that plague of mankind and to deliuer the Christian commonwealth from that monstrous and deadly monster In the meane season that the foresaid pope Sixtus the fift ought for his intollerable reprochfull words which he hath powred out against our foresaid princes with a beastly mind to be accounted and called of al Christians a most hidious monster a most filthy monster and a monster not woorthie to be bestowed euen in the farthest parts of the world but such a one as ought to be banished out of the coasts and borders of mans nature as a most certaine notorious and manifest Antichrist to whose accursed head all Christians ought to wish an euill plague ruine and destruction that so long as any breth shall remaine in his accursed bodie so long he may be to all the godlie Anathema Maranata as saith the holie Ghost And least happily any of vs do thinke this to be a new and vnwoonted kind of curse we will desire the readers that they will first of all remember those places which we cited before specially out of the books of Saint Bernard where the papacie of Rome is flatly plainly by name called Antichrist the sonne of perdition the man of sinne a diuell not onely of the day but also of the noone day who is not onely transfigured into an angell of light but is extolled aboue al that is called God or that is worshipped Now Hierom calleth Rome Babylon and the purpled whoore Secondly that they read and attentiuely consider the most holie sanction of the popes decrée * where it is ordained In c. 2. dist 23. c. si quis pecunia dist 79. that He which by monie or fauor of men such as it is manifest this frier had in the west parts or by tumult of the people or by anie pollicie that is by ambition and euill arts shall attaine to the papacie let him be accounted not apostolicall but apostaticall and let him togither with his fautors and followers be cast out of the bounds of the holie Church of God being thence separated as Antichrist and as an inuader and destroier of all Christendome Whereto the canonists durst with great consent subscribe and openly professe thus
much that The pope being chosen otherwise than canonically is a diuell and hath not the keies of heauen but of hell For these be the words of Felinus * Let them furthermore In c. Ego N. de iureiur consider that all the popes cardinals and bishops which haue borne rule in the church of Rome more than an hundred yéeres came assuredly out of the seminarie of schismatiks and apostataes For it is now almost an hundred and fiftie yéers ago sithence the councel of Basill was kept and held with the great desire will of all Christian estates It is well knowen that neuer any councell was called had and kept in the church of Rome with greater solemnitie than this For it was both called by the decrée of two popes namely of Martin the fift and Eugenius the fourth and also it was held their legates being presidents Eugenius being cited and called out of the same councell after that they had solemnly heard the cause he was at length conuict of fraud iuglings craftie conueiances and factions against the libertie of that councell and so put from the popedome and disgraded as a schismatike and reuolt togither with all the cardinals and bishops which tooke his part And Amedaeus duke of Sauoy was put in his place Let vs heare what maner end this tragedie had Soone after the same Eugenius being condemned depriued disgraded was through the fauor of certain princes restored to his sea and he likewise restored with him all the cardinals and bishops that tooke his part And Amedaeus hauing though against his will a cardinals hat giuen him did resigne his popedome Let graue men and such as are of courage now consider whether according to that most holie function of the popes decrée wherof we spake euen now they be to be counted apostolicall or rather apostaticall whether they haue the keies of heauen or of hell who arising out of that seminarie of the Eugenians beare rule in the church of Rome in these times Which that it may more commodiously be iudged it is woorth the labor to heare and knowe the opinions of the doctors and lawiers who haue written somewhat touching this matter and first of all of Ludouike of Rome who was present at the councell of Basill where he wrote the last councell whose words are these * If the num 15. shepheard of shepheards offensiuely gouerning and inordinately handling the church being admonished by the church do not foorthwith repent yea continue in his insolencie of gouernment he may and ought to be put from his office For seeing he honoreth not the church admonishing him wholesomly neither shall he then deserue to be honored of the church so that it should tollerate him gouerning offensiuely and being incorrigible being an argument of that which the orator Domitius saith and Hierom reporteth in his epistle to the Neopolitanes saieng thus Why then should I count thee as my prince seeing thou dost not take me for a senator * Therefore the truth is that the pope dist 95. c. esto subiectus offending the church notoriouslye with his crimes and remaining incorrigible may be accused to the church and by the same be vncased of his popedome Which conclusion is shewed farther thus The pope standing in a notorious crime that offendeth the whole church and being vnwilling to cease of falleth into suspition of heresie * He that liueth rebelliously and refuseth c. nullus dist 38. sic dicente to learne and do good things is shewed to be a member rather of the diuel than of Christ and he is shewed to be rather an infidell than a beleeuer Thus saith Ludouike of Rome who as we said was present at the councell of Basil with great authoritie Where be those that dispute that they are and ought to be counted heretiks which set themselues against the popes tyrannie Which thinke that his outragious boldnes in proscribing kings ought not any longer to be borne with Which detest the impietie of Sixtus the fift in maintaining the feined religions of Bernardo and Dominick But now let vs cite another authoritie of the same notable man out of the same councell for shortly after * he num 17. saith thus If naturall reason tell vs that an incurable member that infecteth the whole bodie ought to be cut off for the safetie of the whole bodie in like sort ciuill reason ought to tell vs that an incurable member that infecteth the whole mistical church must be cut off that the rest of the bodie be not infected or offended and consequently the pope let vprightnes of minds be vsed in reading these things and let these words of Ludouike of Rome be compared with that our curse and detestation who though he be a principall part of the church yet is he also a member of the bodie of the church according to the glosse * Also the reason of the scripture of God in c. ecce 93. dist persuadeth this approouing the asseueration of Caiphas the chiefe priest who said It is expedient that one man die for the people and that all the people do not perish seeing that though he were pope placed to gouerne the people yet ought he not to be their ruine saith text 11. q. 3. ita corporis Yea he is worthie of as manie deaths as he sendeth ouer examples of destruction to his subiects saith text eadem caus q. in c. praecipuè For as it is a laudable and discreet thing to giue reuerence and honor to superiors so it is a point of vprightnes and the feare of God not to cast behind vs by any dissimulation the things that are in them and need any correction least the disease go through the whole bodie if the sicknes be not cured in the head saith text 2. q. 7. c. sicut inquit This conclusion is also prooued by the text in c. in canonibus 16. q. 1. and in d. c. sed illud So likewise he ought to be banished out of the church who is not amended by the admonition of the church as the Lord saith Take away euill from among you For those wounds must be launced which feele not the softening of the medicine * argum de iudic c. cum non ab hom Thus writeth 82. dist c. quia aliquanti 1. q. 1. c. reperiuntur Ludouike of Rome word for word Wherby being compared with that our detestation vpright readers may iudge whether iustly or vniustly we haue so boldly accursed the tyrannous boldnes of that pope Moreouer to that complaint of Ludouike of Rome agrée those things which cardinall Zabarella wrote about the yéere M. ccccvj in his treatise of schisme num 20. For euery notorious crime of the pope saith he if he cannot be reformed and do offend the church he may be accused bicause he is accounted as an heretike * in c. olim col pen. extra de rescrip for this incorrigiblenes not in gloss 40 dist c. si papa concerneth