l 680. The Clergie of England murmureth and complaineth that they were constrained to finde and paie souldiers to serue at the Popes pleasure which opportunitie the Emperour tooke to draw them to concurrence with him and m 682. by his letters aliened many Princes hearts from the Pope because they feared the pride of the court of Rome if the Emperour were brought vnder The sonne of perdition Wherfore the Pope endeauoureth by setting vp the Landgraue to tread in peeces the Emperour irrecouerably For now the beast doth destroy breake in peeces and stampe the residue vnder foote But the Emperour intercepted the money he sent to the Landgraue Conradus the sonne of Fridericus comming with an armie against the Landgraue by the Popes meanes his souldiers ranne to his enemie and so he was constrained to flie n Paral. Vrsp For much distraction of mindes and many troubles were in Germanie by this occasion And o Mat. Paris p. 684. now there was a new fashion in the court of Rome For when any great persons were at warres they would by absolution or excommunication strengthen or weaken them as might best serue for the profit of the court The Pope raketh money and gathereth aide against the Emperour And contrarily the Emperour sendeth victuals to the holy land See the difference between the monstrous beast and the Lambe a Mat. Paris p. 688. The French king leuieth money for his voyage the Pope for the Landgraue against the Emperour The Emperour by his humilitie getteth much fauour and the Pope for his insolent reiections of his submission exasperateth many There b 690. 691. followed such lightenings and thūders as haue not bin seene the like after which the Pope sent certaine traitors to murther Fridericus but missing their purpose they were stricken with feare as with lightening from heauen c 695. After which it is thought the Pope to crie quittance with the Emperour falsely reported that two ruffians sent by Fridericke should haue killed the Pope Now d 697. grew the Pope detested for rapine who raked money insatiably to maintaine the Landgraue against Fridericus e 703. 704. But when the Landgraue was ready to be crowned Conradus the Emperours sonne came vpon them with a mightie armie and by wisdom and valour after much Christian bloodshed ouerthrewe the Landgraues forces who for sorrow died ignominiously The f Trith p. 241. Landgraue liued fiue yeares with the title of a king but did nothing worth the marking For as long as Fridericus liued neither the Pope nor any prince preuailed against him He contemned the Popes deposition as friuolous and found so strong a faction of the Gibellines that he plagued Italie in such sort that he made the Pope wearie of his life and wish he had neuer deposed him g Mat. Paris p. 704. Vpon this successe the Pope sendeth foure Cardinals into the foure quarters of the world and pettie Legates to speciall places to defame Fridericke and his sonne and to preach pardons to all that would inuade persecute and teare them in peeces if they could and to that purpose by couetous craft and craftie couetousnesse to rake what money could be got But while the beast thus rageth Fridericke inforceth the Apulians c. to sweare homage to his sonne and causeth Hensius his sonne to plague the Popes kinsmen and hang them vp whom the Pope loued best In h Paral. Vrsp p. 330. Sueuia many preachers are countenanced by Conradus the sonne of Fridericus who preached against the vices authoritie and pardons of the Popes and preached pardon by Christ i Mat. Paris p. 704. whereupon the Pope heaped anger vpon anger and hate vpon hate and excommunicated him so terribly that all quaked that heard him l Gesner lib. 5. for k cap. 13.11 he speaketh like the Dragon whose voice did affright the whole armie of Alexander the Great After m Mat. Paris p. 781. the Landgraue was elected the Count of Geldre hee refusing followed in election the Duke of Braband after his refusall was chosen Richard brother to the king of England who also refusing the Pope procureth William Count of Holland to be chosen Emperour who vnaduisedly consented The n Mat. Paris p. 768. Pope thinking to deale more warily sent treasure to William by secret messengers but both his money and prouision were intercepted The Popes a Mat. Paris p. 711. 171. Legate assisted with the Archbishop of Colen make barbarous waste where Fredericke was fauoured raked money by excommunications c. and chased Conrade The Emperour comming to besiege the Pope at Lugdunum was hindered by those of Parma c. and so b Trith p. 244 is William crowned with great solemnitie But c Mat. Paris p. 712. because all the Princes agreed not to the election there sprung vp new contentions Fridericke is enraged against his Italian rebels and straiteth them by siege d 721. 722. But while Fridericke was absent the Parmenses sally out take the Emperors treasure and kil or disperse his forces which made the Pope incredibly ioyfull But Fridericke reunited his forces and there was neuer anger betweene any so great as was betweene the Pope and the Emperour The Emperour vexed the Pope the more and afflicted the Parmenses as before e 724. The French king taking his voyage importuneth the Pope for the peace of Fridericke but in vaine though hee shewed the Pope that els the impediment of the businesses of the holy land would be imputed to the Pope So the king taketh shippe leauing behinde him many choise souldiers which f 725. presently began to mutine but the Pope so charmed them that he got from them their money and armes and victuals and sent them pennilesse away g 736. By the Cardinals inuectiues the reputation of Frediricke did stinke and he was accounted worse than Herod Iudas or Nero and they had preuailed against him had it not beene h 738. for the couetousnesse vsuries simonies and other filthie vices of the Court of Rome i 739. By the Popes meanes it is said the Emperours Physitian should haue poysoned him but it was discouered and k 741. his aides to the Emperours rebels were intercepted l 742. Fridericke now toyled with sicknesse and losse of his sonnes offereth an honest forme of peace The Pope reioycing in his calamities beeing such a one as will neuer be appeased would not accept it Rom. 1. wherefore the Pope was hated by many and they comforted Fridericke and claue to him detesting the pride of the seruant of the seruants of God Hereby m 748. Fridericus so preuailed that in abhomination of the Court of Rome many thrust out William and the Popes Legate and bound themselues by oath to bee faithfull to Fridericus The rebels of Italie were so vexed that the Marchants longing for peace detested the Pope for his rebellion and because hee would not accept
of Charles the Emperor putteth out the flaming eyes of the word of God and maketh the Scriptures to bee as darke as Sibyllaes oracles iumping herein with the heretike Tatianus Hosius the Popes Legat in the Councell c. are wholy against the authoritie of the scriptures Thus the beast and false Prophet with their armies maketh warre against the word of God who hath many crownes on his head and eyes like a flame of fire c. d Can. Trid. ses 25. de reform cap. 20. Vnder this Pope the Councell decreeth that the immunitie of the Popish Church and her iurisdiction was required to be defended by all Princes as the principall things of God for he exalteth himselfe aboue all that is called God e Geneb 1167. And from hence is that league falsely called holy Anno 1566. Pius the fifth f Geneb 1168. 1169. 1179. a most seuere obseruer of the Councell of Trent he twice proscribed the realme of England and exposed it as a pray to whosoeuer would take it the force of which thunderbolt the godly papists continually do pray to see howsoeuer they doe otherwise dissemble g Buchol Ann. 1566. About 400. nobles of the low-countries make supplication to the Gouernesse the Dutchesse of Parma that the Spanish inquisition might not be brought in amongst them and that she would graunt them libertie in religion a Geneb 1170. In many places images are cast downe and here begin the warres for religion in the low countries b Annales Belgiâ— Oratio Phil. Mornix Then came the tyrant the Duke of Alua into the low countries who was sent to roote out all the Protestants there He there committed most bloudie executions cruell warres and most horrible persecutions of which he insulted when he left the countries c Christopoli Apologia Yet doe the papists blame him and exclaime vpon him for his ouer much clemencie for the scarlet beast is full of names of blasphemie and nothing but death will satisfie them d Specul Tragicunt p. 97. The King of Spaine caused his sonne Charles to be apprehended imprisoned and put to death because he suspected him to fauour the distressed estate of the low countries Gregorius the thirteenth restoreth Papistrie Anno 1572. excommunicateth Queene Elizabeth and changeth the computation of the yeare This e Histo Gallica Buchol yeare after many mercilesse murthers in France at the mariage of the king of Nauar in Paris most horrible bloudie and cruell Councels were assembled and massacres committed vpon the Admirall of France and many other Nobles of the reformed religion which were insâ—sted thither As also vpon others in diuers places to the number of 30,000 were murthered at this time in France So were the French men murthered 290. yeeres before in Sicilia for their abhominable wickednes like death but farre vnlike cause f Buchol Ibid. Arias Montanus finished that excellent worke of the Bible in foure languages After these murthers in France followed g 1574. Annales Belgi a bloudy battaile at sea neere Romerswall in the low-countries where the Spaniards were ouerthrowen that yet they can recouer no strength at sea there and the sea in a manner steyned with the blood of the slaine For thou hast giuen them blood to drinke h 1588. Mer. Gallo bel Meteranus alij The Spaniards and all the confederats of the papists sent into the narrow seas against England c. a nauie which they called inuincible i cap. 13.1 c. For the beast hath the face of a Lyon which by the great and wonderfull mercy of God strangely disposing of the windes and by the valour of the English nauie was scattered and in a manner destroyed k 15â—9 Histo Gallica The next yeere the King of France Henry the third was murthered by a Frier in the same chamber in which the massacre was concluded vpon which was committed 1572. this King being then the principall person in the deliberation and consent For now of long time religious men had learned of the l Genff de Turcorum origine lib. 3. p. 152. Saracenicall Assasines to carrie kniues in their sleeues to murther Princes in their houses as a step to paradise Then did the most sacred Queene of England vnder the leading of the mirrour of true Christian nobilitie and cheualrie Peregrine Lord Willoughby send forces into France to assist Henry the fourth King of France and Nauarra against the Duke de Maine and the league who had driuen the King to an exceeding straight at Diepe By which seruice the King so succeeded against his enemies that a Mercu. Gallo Belg. if he had followed his fortunes he had cleaâ—e ouerthrowen the league for euer b 1598. Specul Trag. Apologia Christopoli historiae de Indi occidentaâ—i c. Fox Mart. At last died Philip the second King of Spaine who made peace with the Turke the better to roote out the Gospell vnder whom in Spaine England the low-countries India c. an infinit number of pore innocents were put to death Whether his death were more strange or miserable is very hard to say For he died all his partes in a manner eaten with lice c Edict of the F. K. The French King published an edict by which the Protestants in France haue libertie to professe the Gospell and to beare offices to the great increase of the Gospell there d 1603. The kingdomes of England and Scotland were most happily vnited the crowne discending to the most godly learned and excellent King Iames by the merciful dispensation of the grace of almighty God King of Scots Who to shew that he acknowledgeth to hold his crownes of Christ hath published this Sonet Basllicon doron GOd a Psal 82.1 giues not Kings the stile of Gods in vaine For b cap. 7.17 on his throne his Scepter doe they sâ—ey And as c cap. 16.17.18 their subiects ought them to obey So d cap. 4.10 5. 8 9.10 11.16 c. Kings should feare and serue their God againe If then you would e cap. 10.1.2 11.15 enioy a happie raigne f cap. 17.16 Obserue the statutes of your heauenly King And g cap. 10.11.12 from his law make all your Lawes to spring Since h cap. 17.17 his Lieutenant here ye should remaine i cap. 11.18 〈…〉 the â—â—st he sâ—â—d fâ—â—st trâ—â— and plaine Eâ—â—resse the proud k cap. 7.17 〈…〉 are the right Walâ—â— l cap. 19.12 alwayes so at euer in his sight Who guards the godly m cap. 15.1 plaguing the prophane And n cap. 1.13 c. so ye shall in Princely vertues shine Resembling right o cap. 4.2.3 c your mightie King Diuine Hallelu-iah for the Lord that God that almightie God hath reigned Amen Hallelu-iah To the Reader THere remaine yet to be powred out the sixth and seauenth Phials The great Hallelu-iahs The waâ—â—â— of Gâ—g
against a Prince I read and read againe the gestes of the Romane kings and Emperours yet no where doe I finde any of them before this Emperour to bee excommunicated by the Pope or depriued of his kingdom wherefore it is prooued to be fabulous m Geneb p. 591 which is reported of Innocentius that he excommunicated Arcadius or degraded Eudoxia then Empresse except it were done in secret or in conceipt In this Councel was Guibertus Archbishop of Rauenna n Mass 16. 224. who staied in Rome after the Synode to be made Pope by the Emperour which when Gregorie knew hauing beene rescued from the hands of Cincius by the furie of the people he degraded all those which were in schisme against him The o Abb. Vrsp p. 221. Trith Hirs p. 93. Emperour in a Councel at Wormacia with in a manner all the Germane Bishops depriued the Pope and by the instructions of Hugo a Cardinall published their sentence thus Because thine entrance began with so great periuries and that the Church of God is so indangered by so grieuous a storme by the abuse of thy nouelties and hast dishonested thy life in thy conuersation with so manifolde infamies as wee neuer promised thee any obedience so doe we renounce to keepe any towards thee hereafter And because none of vs as thou hast publikely declaimed hath bin esteemed by thee to be a Bishop neither shalt thou henceforth by any of vs be called Apostolicall The Pope in a Councell readeth these letters and againe excommunicateth the Emperour and his fauourers beeing p Massaeus 16. p. 224. encouraged by certaine letters out of Germanie that gaue life to the beast At Openheim was a Colloquie in which most of the Princes especially Saxons and Almanes renounced the Emperours subiection pretending that hee stood excommunicated by the Pope though he were absent and not heard By a Trith Hirs 1655. this necessitie the b Gobelinus Emperour goeth humbly towards Rome to aske his pardon of the Pope but c Epit. Blond d. 2. l. 3. his humilitie was slaundered to the Pope as if hee meant some violence and finding the Pope at Canusium barefoote and woolward in a most horrible frost with his wife and sonne indured with much patience the repulse for three daies By his bitter teares hee mooued those that were with the Pope d Vrsp p. 218. Mathildis a harlot c. so that they preuaile with the Pope who absolueth him and e Gobel ae 6. 55. put the imperiall crowne vpon his head f Mat. Paris p. 9. But guile was found in his mouth falsely pretending peace for he g Abb. Vrsp p. 222. said after that he restored him to communion but not to his Empire Hee h Crant Met. 5 14. inioyned the Emperour penance to staie at Rome a yeare and visit Churches with fasting and praier And in the meane time by certaine Princes and many Bishops was Rodulph a man altogether a stranger to the Princes blood elected Emperour the i Trith p. 93. Pope so commanding it by k Fri. d◠ges Fri. 1. 7. manifest and secret letters and receiueth his crowne from the Pope Hee l Geneb p. 882. absolueth the Princes and people from the oath of subiection which they had taken to the Emperour and commandeth them not more holily but traiterously to cleaue to Rodulphus and decreeth that all m 15. q. 6. Nos mē were absolued from obedience to him whom the Pope should excommunicate The n Wigor Ann. 5. E. Ann. 1100. Princes and Bishops fortifie the Alpes against the Emperour who was in Italie Howbeit o Cran. M. 5. 15 ex annalibus knowing of this treason by the Bishop of Auspurge his friend that sought him out in Italie he returned by Aquileia and gathered an armie against Rodulph After p Fri. ges Fr. 1. 7. much bloodshed and that the Emperor could get no fauour of the Pope against Rodulph but was againe excommunicated the q Trith Hirs p. 98. 99. Emperour in a Councel at Brixia setteth vp another Pope and deposeth Gregorie as a firebrand of sedition c. as a Necromancer and one vsing familiar spirits to get the papacie c. The Pope excommunicateth with a curse terrible enough the Emperour his Pope and Councell But the Emperour pursuing his warre r Cran. Metro 5. 16. Rodulph is wounded and before his death with griefe and sighing complaineth of them that had induced him to periurie and to seeke his masters crowne In his ſ Fris ges F. 1. 2 roome Hermanus was elected against the Emperour by the Popes commandement The t Crantz Met. 5. 17. Emperour goeth with an armie into Italie and in Rome inuesteth his Antipope and is crowned by his Pope Gregorie flieth and renueth the excommunication At u Trith Hirs p. 108. Mogunce in a great Synode Gregorie is deposed againe and all of them sweare obedience to the Pope called Clement the same yeare died Gregorie at Salerna when * Wigor Anno 1106. Mat. Paris p. 11. he had confessed to a Cardinall that he had troubled the Church by the perswasion of the diuell and sent to absolue the Emperour and all Christian people quicke and dead the Clergie and laitie This x Geneb Gregorie is said to worke diuers miracles and to haue the gift of prophecie but falsly For y Abb. Vrsp p. 223. ex Bruone when he so farre arrogated vnto himselfe to be a prophet that he did cry out of the deske at Easter esteeme me not for Pope but pull me from the Altar if the Emperor die not before Whitsontide he hired some by treasonable practises to kill him at his prayers in the Church a Mat. Paris p. 10. He also prophecied of the death of a false King meaning Henry the Emperor but that yeere Rodulph the false King that he had set vp died b Abb. Vrsp p. 222. In his time the whole world was moued He c Geneb p. 881. excommunicated the King of Polonia and the d Epit. Blond 2. 3. Emperor of Constantinople which was the cause of great stirres In e Mat. Pari. p. 8. Geneb 887. 886. 888. his time and by reason of the contentions which hee stirred vp the state of the Church was lamentable the Priests were of most vile conditions and the people despised holy things The Turkes preuaile in the East The f Fasc Temp. order of the Carthusian Monkes of a most rigorous abstinence from flesh began because of the apparition of a dead man in his funerals For those Papists g Deut. 18.11 are great consulters with the dead which was forbidden in the law of God These are Ebeonites in abstaining from flesh Victor the third corrupted h Frisin Chr. 7.1 the watch men with money Anno 1087. entred the citie was consecrated in the night He i Geneb p. 189. condemned the Emperour by his excommunication
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
e Trith 273. 274. 275. entred when the Empire was distracted by two which the Princes deuided into factions did set vp The greater part elected Ludouicus Banarus the lesse Fridericus Duke of Austria f Par. Vrs 352. Fridericus was fauored by the Pope the French King c. It seemeth the Pope willing to aduance Fridericus whose election was not good thought to declare the Empire to be voyde that he might weaken Ludouicus of such offices in Italy c. that might stand him in stead For in his first yeere he decreed g Extr. Iho. 22. Si fratum that in the vacancie of the Empire which he said then was by the death of Henry the seuenth the regiment iurisdiction and disposing of the Empire deuolued to the Pope vnto whom in the person of Saint Peter God committed the rights of the earthly and heauenly Empire He also accursed all Imperiall offices as well spirituall as temporall that in the vacancie were not authorised by the Pope After h Par. Vrs 353. Trith p. 278. many conflicts Fridericus is ouercome and taken and by capitulation yeeldeth all to Ludouicus At this time i Trith p. 277. 278. Walter Lolliard the chiefe teacher of many against the popish Church who had written diuers treatises in the Dutch tongue applying the Scriptures to his opinions was apprehended he sharpely defended his opinions for which he was burned a Mass 18. p. 246. Michael Cesenas Generall of the order of the Minorites with the Fratricelli of the habit of Saint Francis preached that Christ and his Aopstles possessed nothing of their owne Against whom the Pope published his decree that b Extr de ver fig. tit 14. Cum inter whosoeuer held that Christ and his Apostles possessed nothing were heretiks They also taught that the Emperor is not subiect to the Pope but in spirituall causes which the Emperor beleeued and c Trith 279.280 despising the Pope who by admonition and commination required him to come to Auinion to be crowned by the Pope went into Italy requested the Pope to send some Cardinals into Italy to crowne him as Clement did for Henry the seuenth The Pope refusing so to doe d Par. Vrs 353. at Millaine the Emperor receiued his second crowne And the Emperors Chancellor vnknowne to the Emperor wrote to the Pope calling him e Reuel 13.1 the beast arising out of the sea c. Michael Cesenas wrote that the Pope was Antichrist f Fox Marty and Rome Babylon in the Reuelation Also Petrus de Carbano Iohannes de Poliaco and William Occam wrote against the Pope and his vsurped authoritie in aduancing Friers decaying purish Churches c. The * Mass 18.246 Emperor goeth to Rome and is crowned by an Antipope whom he set vp The Pope hearing hereof g Gob. aet 6. c. 68. Mass 18. excommunicated the Emperor for taking vpon him as Emperor in Italy without the Popes approbation and excommunicated Michael and all their adherents sent an armie against the Fratricelli Many were burned There h Trith 285. was a very great mortalitie euery where and such a dearth that many were famished The Syrians tooke many thousands of Christians prisoners The i Mass 18.247 Gob. ae 6. c. 71. p. 246. Pope also preacheth heresie that the soules departed did not enioy the sight of God till the last iudgement an k Geneb 1002. heresie of the Fratricelli He sent a Dominican and a Minorite to Paris l Mass 18. p. 247. to preach his heresie there Thomas Walleis an Englishman herein resisted the Pope in his publike sermons For which he was imprisoned and vexed with famine The m 246. Emperor held a Councell vnto whom Iendinus and Marcellus students of Paris doe come and comfort him confirming that the Emperor is not subiect to the Pope n Trith 279. Occam also said to the Emperor Defend me with thy sword against the iniuries of the Pope and I will defend thee with words and writing with indissoluble arguments And o Par. Vrs 354. Marsilius Patauinus wrote to the Emperour a booke called Defensor pacis maintaining that the Pope is subiect to the Emperor In this a Trith 280. Councell the Emperor deposeth the Pope as an heretike and schismatike and b Par. Vrs 354 setteth vp his appeale against the Pope c Geneb 1015. The Pope reuoked his heresie by the authoritie of the faculty of Paris He d Volat. 21. instituted a new order of Knights in Portugall of Iesus Christ and granted them the Templars goods that they might be ready to resist the irruptions of the Saracens that were next their colours were Sables a crosse gewles In the same countrie c. were the Knights of Alcantara with a greene crosse He e Extr. Con. l. 1. Supra gentes excommunicated ipso facto those that hindered the Popes Legats and messengers from being entertained and interdicted their land as long as they should stand contumacious f Trith p. 284. When he died he left an inestimable summe of gold behind him in the treasuries Anno 1335. Benedictus the twelfth g Par. Vrs 354. Geneb p. 1025. though he desired to absolue the Emperor yet for feare of the French King confirmed the censure of his predecessor * Par. Vrsp p. 355. The Emperor reiecteth the acts of Iohn the twentith two against him looking to the Canon Imperator where is required that neither the Emperor shall vsurpe the rights of the Pope nor the Pope of the Emperor and that the Emperor hath not his Empire of the Pope but of God At Franckeford in an assemblie of Princes was decreed that if the Emperor be good and Catholicke c. and that the Pope refuse to crowne him he may be consecrated by any other Catholike Bishop c. h Mass 8.447 He sent his Orator to Rome who perswaded them to administer the dignity of the senate in the name of the Church and not in the name of the King or Emperor as they had done of long How was then Rome the Popes He i Geneb p. 1027. caused the King of Hungary to restore the kingdome of Naples to Ioane from whom he had taken it because she had strangled her husband the Kings brother In reward of which restitution she gaue the city Auinion to the Pope for euer He k 1026. published a decree against this heresie of Iohn his predecessor determining against his opinion l Extr. Con. 5. de haeres c. 1. This Pope made the inquisitors the receiuers of heretikes goods and rents and to be accountable to none but the Pope * Par. Vrs 354. Dulcinus and Durandus are held to bee heretikes m Fox Marty Hagar imprisoned for preaching against the Masse Iohannes de Rupe scissa imprisoned for writing and preaching Rome was Babylon and the Cardinals were false prophets n Geneb pag. 116. Occam writeth
Missae 17. p. 235. foure hundred of them were burned fourescore beheaded their chiefe Prince Aimericus was hanged and his Lady was cast in a pit and stones vpon her The o Trith p. 222. Pope bringeth forth Fridericus and opposeth him openly to Otho the Emperor because he labored not for absolution and peace commaunded the Princes to chuse Fridericus and to cleaue vnto him which they did The Pope also sent his a Abb. Vrsp p. 314. 315. letters to the Clergie and Princes for ayde against the Saracens in the holy land His chiefe argument to perswade by was this The Saracens from the time of Gregorius the first when they began haue continued 666. yeeres almost which time according to the b cap. 13. vlt. ReuelatioÌ„ they should certainly be rooted out So foolishly did this false Prophet vnderstand that place c Vrsp p. 319. Betweene Otho and Fridericus were warres and Otho because his friends forsooke him was constrained to giue ground awhile Fridericus pursued him and vexed his fauorites yet did Otho gather vp himselfe to fight both with Fridericus and the French King But by the French King he was put to the worse Anno 1214. d Trith Hirs p. 223. Conradus de Marpurge was by the Apostolike sea made Generall inquisitor for heresies This Dominican Frier continued nineteene yeeres and caused many to be burned as heretikes no man forbidding him For the beast hath power giuen vnto him to do what he list Aâ—no 1215. The e Geneb p. 955. Pope also held the Lateran Councell at Rome maketh the fiue bookes of Decretals consisting for the most part of the decrees of this Councell and epistles of this Pope In this volume are diuers things for the aduancement of the Church of Rome in authoritie and doctrine For the woman sitteth on the scarlet coloured beast As f 5. Decret tit 33. cap. 23. the Church of Rome hath the principalitie of ordinarie power aboue all other Churches as the Mother and Mistris of all faithfull people for she saith in her heart I sit a Queene and am no Widow g 1. Decr. tit 7. cap. 23. That the authoritie of the Pope is as the authoritie of God For he exalteth himselfe c. shewing himselfe that he is God h 3. Decr. tit 41. cap. 6. He brought transubstantiation into the Sacrament and decreed that the words in the Canon of the Masse are to bee beleeued as the holy euangelists Thus he blasphemeth the tabernacle of God i 1. Decr. tit 6. cap. 34. He decreeth that it is in the Popes power to approue that Emperour which he thinketh worthie and to reiect him whom he thinketh vnworthie They are there also made heretikes k 5. Decr. tit 7. de haresibus that teach or thinke any other thing then the Church of Rome doth teach and obserue and so maketh the Church of Rome a right Cataphrygian And generally whom so euer the Church of Rome or popish Clergie shall so iudge Such may not be suffered to haue house substance fauour reliefe counsell credit nor may buy or sell nor liue And when they be dead they deale with them l Eus 5. 1. Theod. 4. 22. 2. 14. Soc. 2. 23. as the heathen Emperors and bloody Arians did with the Christians and Catholikes for they will not suffer them to be put in graues or Monuments So that his tyrannie is worse then that of m Eus 10. Licinius Yea he also decreed n 3. Decr. tit 28. cap. 12. that the bones of excommunicated persons if they may be discerned should be cast out of their graues from Christian communion He also giueth the lands and goods of such as he calleth heretikes their fauorers or complices c. to such papists as can get them And that this beast might appeare to be the image of the Dragon the heathen Empire of whom it is said o cap. 12. 4. He stoode before the woman c. to deuoure her childe when she had brought it forth p 5. Decr. tit 7. it was decreed that the beleeuers receiuers defenders and fauorers of such whom they called heretikes should likewise be excommunicated This kinde of excommunication was taken from the q Caesar bell Gallico lib. 6. Druides For such as stoode not to their decree were interdicted from sacrifices and hereupon accounted amongst the wicked All flie their company and speech they receiue no benefit of law nor are admitted to honors r 5. Decr. tit 6. cap. 7. 8. But Saracens and Iewes may haue houses and synagogs and exercise marchandise by the Popes warrant In this Councell a 1. D.T. 31. c. 14. See N. D. Warneword was decreed that where were people of diuers rites and languages the Bishops should prouide them fit men which should celebrate diuine seruice and minister the Sacraments and preach vnto them according to the diuersitie of their rites tongues So that yet it was not concluded that the seruice of God should be in a strange tongue as the papists would perswade This Councell ended the Pope preacheth the crosse b Mat. Paris p. 263. Vrs 315. and pardon of all sinnes for aide of the holy land and c 5. D.T. 7. de haeresib against heretikes promising to those catholikes that take the crosse to roote out heretikes as large priuiledges as were graunted to them that fight against the infidels and now doe the Popes teach as d Curio 1. p. 28. Mahomet did that who died for his religion should goe to paradise Hereupon many tooke the crosse to goe against the Saracens And many orders of souldiers arose the crosse-bearing souldiers were aduanced In e Volat. 21. f. 244. Arragon were two orders of souldiers the first Saint Mary for the redemption of captiues whose colours were white a crosse blacke The other Monlesiae with a red crosse these were to defend the countrie from the irruptions of the Saracens There were also the Dominicans or preaching Friers aduanced In f Trith p. 224. those dayes were many called heretikes men and women which spread their opinions in Almania France and Italy In the citie of Argentine were more then fourescore apprehended whom Conrade the inquisitor thus examined He caused an iron to to be made red hot and whom the hot iron did hurt hee condemned for heretikes and deliuered them to be burned for the beast hath teeth of yron and nailes of brasse many beleeued he condemned many innocents In g Geneb p. 958. Alsatia many held against the Pope and the Grecians against transubstantiation So did Almericus a very learned man his bones and the bones of diuers that followed him were digged vp againe and burned at Paris for the beast suffereth not their carcasses to be put in graues h Fasc Temp. l. 80. As the Pope preached the crosse so did the diuell 20 000 boyes c. in Almania tooke the signe of the crosse to goe
exhausted the King of Englands treasure k P. 882. 891. 895. 904. He also continued strange exactions of mony in England binding Monasteries c. to pay his creditors vpon paine of interdiction c. l P. 897. This exaction cooled mens affections towards the Pope m P. 910. In his time the preaching Friers had much dammaged the Christian saith by preaching Reade more hereof before Anno 1200. reading teaching certaine doctrines new dotings taken out of the book of Abbas Ioachim condēned by Gregorius the ninth They also had composed a booke which it pleased them to intitle The euerlasting or eternall Gospel which now they inforced to roote out the Gospell of Christ written by the foure Euangelists They also vrged many other things not to be spoken Hereupon grew so many and great scandales one preaching against the other that the vniuersitie of Paris with great counsaile and deliberation sent sixe men very excellent for learning and of noble blood to the Pope in commission for the repaire of the decay in faith The Friers sent speedy messengers to resist these great men to their faces before the Pope At length after much a doe their new Gospell is commaunded to be burned secretly without any scandall to the Friers And so was that Gospel abolished that by a false Prophecy threatned the cessation of the Gospell written by the foure Euangelists The n Geneb p. 978. Mass 17. pag. 238. Fo◠Marty 326. Speculum minorum tract 1. f. 10. b. Pope also commaunded that the booke which Gulielmus de sancto amore had written of pouertie against the Friers going vnder the name of the masters of Paris intituled a treatise of the perils of the latter times should be abolished publikely and banished him France For this Pope much fauored the Friers and o Spec. min. tract f. 7. b. wrote his bull requiring all that had disputed or preached against them to recant teach and preach the contrary vnder paine of suspension and excommunication For he esteemed the Friers as the a cap. 11.4 two golden candelstickes and two great lights that shined in the Church of God b Fox Marty 326. Yet did Laurentius a master of Paris strongly and stoutly teach preach and write in the defence of the said Gulielmus against the Popes and their Friers This Pope exceedingly encreased the bloudie lawes made against them which the Church of Rome calleth heretikes c Dec. 5. tit 2. cap. 2. He decreed that whosoeuer wittingly should bury heretikes or their beleeuers receiuers defenders or fauorers should bee excommunicate till with his owne hands openly he cast those dead bodies out of their graues againe Hee forbad lay men priuately or publikely to dispute of the Catholike faith vnder paine of excommunication as d Carion Mahomet did of his law vnder paine of death He also furnished the inquisition with many bloudy and vnmercifull lawes e 6. Dec. 5. tit 2. c. 4. denying mercy to the penitent and confiscating the goods of such as died before sentence f Par. Vrsp p. 332. One beyond the seas called himselfe Iesus by magicke he wrote prodigious miracles and many armies being vnited to him he subdued many kingdomes vnder him g Geneb p. 979 Ludouicus King of France instituted many things to the profit of the kingdome He would not haue offices and dignities sold and branded them in the forehead with a hot yron that blasphemed or sware by God in vaine he forbad stewes he thrust stage players out of his court Anno 1261. Vrbanus the fourth h Trith p. 249. Clemen 3. tit 16. de reliquijs ven instituted the feast of Corpus Christi day and to encourage the people to keepe it he gaue pardons to such as were present at the seruice a cup of abhominations i Geneb p. 982. c. The host was caryed about in a box as the arke in the time of the law and the booke of the law is among the Iewes or rather k Moris pap p. 58. as Iupiter and Isis were caryed among the Gentiles and it was worshipped l Geneb p. 982. Thomas Aquinas composed the office of this feast This m Part. 3. q. 25. an 31. Thomas wrote that images must be worshipped with the same worship as is due to them whose images they be n Trith p. 249. The Pope conferred the kingdome of Sicilia which Monfred held vpon Charles the French Kings brother and by Legates called him into Italy who draue out Monfred and possessed Sicilia not without much bloodshed The Pope also o 6. Dec. 5. tit 2. cap 9. decreed that the lawes of no place should hinder the proceedings of the inquisition In his time the p Curio Saracens draue the Christians cleane out of Syria yet q Geneb p. 985 granted the free preaching of Christ in Aphryca Anno 1265. Clemens the fourth r Trith 250. p. 251. in his time the monasteries of the order of Benedict in Germanie were filthily corrupted the Monkes and Abbots rushed violently into the very sinke of all vices Carolus the French kings brother whom Vrbane the fourth had made king and a Geneb 986. Clement annointed at Rome vnder condition to paie to the Pope yearely 42,000 crownes in name of a tribute cruelly killed Monfrede And when after him b Par. Vrsp p. 243. Conradine the next heire a very gallant gentleman went to take his inheritance in Apulia by Clement and Charles he was iniuriously repulsed taken by treason derided and by the commandement of the Pope was put to death miserably by c Carion a common executioner That as many as would not worship the beast should be killed Hee d Decr. 5. Tit. 2 c. 10. c. informeth the inquisitors to feare no man but to proceede rigorously to censure with the aide of the secular arme any preachers religious persons vniuersities or other priuiledged places that are impediment to their inquisitiō To cause all ciuill and militarie magistrates to sweare and cause all them that were vnder them to sweare to obserue the lawes made against heretickes their fauourers hearers defenders their sonnes and their nephewes Thus the beast with his hornes maketh warre with the Saints f Geneb p. 986. In his time Antioche was sacked by the Sultan And Ludouicus king of France signed with the crosse in the siege of Tunetum and one of his sonnes died of the pestilence and so the siege was raised Gregorius the tenth g Trith p. 252 worthy the honour Ann. 1271. if a mortal man can be worthy to be Christs vicar in earth who raigneth in heauen Hee h Westmon p. 403. held a Councell at Lugdunum for the holy land to which purpose he decreed that all Ecclesiasticall liuings for seauen yeares space should paie a tenth There i Geneb p. 989. was also handled the reconciliation of the Greeke Churches which was
concluded the thirteenth time Michael Paleologus the Emperour did diuersly punish the Greekes which would not receiue the faith and rites of the Church of Rome by confiscation banishment prisonment pulling out their eies whipping dismembring of them c. Thus they drinke of the wine of the wrath of the fornication of the great where The Pope k Trith p. 253. commanded the Germane Princes to elect a fit Emperour else he said himselfe would prouide for a gouernour of the Empire Hereupon Rudolphus is chosen who being admonished by the Princes at the instance of the Pope to goe to Rome to be crowned answered Italie hath consumed many Germane Emperors I wil not go to Rome I am king I am Emperour I trust I shall doe as well for the profit of the comon weath as if I were crowned at Rome Wherefore raigning neere nineteene yeares he receiued no crown of the Pope for the cause which he shewed a Geneb p. 988 This Pope instituted the vse of the conclaue whence the Cardinals may not come forth till they haue chosen a Pope b 990. The heresie of such as whipped themselues began Ann. 1276. Adrian the fifth c Geneb 990. reuoked the vse of the Conclaue appointed by Gregorie the tenth He d Trith p. 255. called Rodulph the Emperour into Italie against Charles king of Apulia who forgetting the benefit bestowed vpon him by Vrbane who tooke the kingdom from the right heires Conrade and Conradine and bestowed it vpon him did what him list at Rome thus God reuenging their wrong But the Emperour beeing otherwise let came not and the Pope died by the fall of a newe chamber vpon him A slouthfull age the Monkes cared not to write c. Ann. 1277. Nicolaus the third e Geneb p. 992 993. tooke away notaries and registers out of the court of Rome as pestilent The Sicilians impatient of the lust and pride of the French men communicating their counsell with Nicolaus the third which was displeased with Carolus with Paleologus and Petrus Aragoniae on Easter day when the bell rang to Euensong euery where killed the French aboue 8,000 in two houres with their wiues great with childe Whereupon arose a Prouerb the Sicilian vespers for suddaine slaughters The Turkes who before had beene worne by the Tartars recouer courage returne to their wonted spoile for murther among the remnant c. Martinus the fourth Ann. 1281. f Trith p. 258. by his Legate in a Councel exacted of the people the tenth pennie whereto though many Princes did condescend yet the Archbishops of Colen and Trouers did couragiously resist this new and grieuous exaction and dashed that businesse Many miracles are said to be wrought at the Popes graue Ann. 1288. Nicolaus the fourth g Fox Mart. p. 326. in his time Petrus Iohannes a Minorite maintained the Pope to be Antichrist the Synagogue of Rome to be Babylon Also Robertus Gallus a Dominican Frier declared the Pope an idol and prophecied of his destruction Iohannes was burned when he was dead by the inquisitors This h Geneb p. 996. c. Curie time the Sultan of the Saracens with lamentable slaughter by fire and sword draue the Christians cleane out of Tripolis Tyrus c. and all Syria Calestinus the fifth Ann. 1294. i Trith 263. was thought to be chosen by God himselfe and was called from his Eremitage to the Papacie to whose a Mass 17. p. 242. coronation came 200 000. people In his first consistorie while he desired strictly to reforme the Church of Rome that the Clergie thereof might be an example to others he incurred such displeasure that they whispered of him to dote and to be a foole Of whom one Benedict or blessed not indeed but in name caused one through a cane to speak like an Angel to Calestine aduising him to resigne because the burthen was too great * Bergo 23. in Bonifacio 8. when hee had resigned his successor Bonifacius the eight craftie and vngrateful shut him vp in a secret prison where he died miserably This b Geneb 998. Calestinus is reported to haue commanded that the Popes and Cardinals henceforth should not ride on horses and males but on Asses after Christs example O law prodigiously ouerthrowne Bonifacius the eight c Fasc Temp. an arrogant and craftie man Ann. 1294. d Gobel alii Of him it was said hee entred like a Foxe by deceiuing his predecessor ruled like a Lyon by crueltie died like a dogge in contempt He e Bergo 13. contemned all men f Geneb p. 1000 raised great warres in Italie g Epit. Blond persecuting and extinguishing despitefully the faction of the Gibellines h Mass 17.243 When Albertus the Emperour sent to him desiring to be confirmed by him in his Empire hee despised his request i Proemium sexti Curio He digested the Popes lawes into sixe bookes after the example of Mahomets Alcaron In his sixth booke he k 6. Dec. 5. tit 2. cap. 12. c. published many bloodie lawes and increased the inquisitors authoritie to cite arrest imprison examine and confiscate c. He l Geneb p. 1001 6. Dec. 3. tit 23 cap. 3. also excommunicated all the Clergie that paid the Prince any subsidie without the consent of the Apostolike seate But m Platina in B. 8. Buchol that you may not thinke that God was at peace with men suddainly in winter was so great an earthquake as neuer was before which ouerthrewe many houses castles c. whereby many of all sortes were slaine The Pope at Masse was frighted with the ruine of the place and beeing carried forth ranne away with the best and for feare of beeing killed with the fall of some buildings dwelt in a tent made of thin board which was set vp in a large medow There was also a comet an euill presage happily of the pride of the Pope and his superstition He n Trith 266. Mass 17. first instituted at Rome the yeare of Iubile for full remission and pardon of all sinnes from paine and guilt to bee kept from the Euen of Christs Natiuitie to that day twelue month and so to be againe kept euery hundred yeare A thing newe and neuer heard of before o Poly. Jnu. 8.1 This Iubile was made in imitation of the feasts of Apollo and Diana which the heathen kept euery hundred yeare And whereas in his decrees he had published p Extr. Com. la. cap. vnā sanct that vpon paine of damnation all must be subiect to the Pope of Rome in a Paral. Vrsp 344. his Iubile he came forth into sight one day like a Pope the next day like an Emperour with a sword carried before him and cried with a loud voice Behold here are two swords And this his triple crowne witnesseth which is called regnamundi the kingdomes of the world And b Mass 17.
supper of the Lord vnder one or both kindes Podiebrachius who was next vnto the King was moued by a parasite why he liked not their religion of popery required by the example and authoritie of so many and great Princes rather then the Hussites He answered we doe those sacrifices which we beleeue are pleasing to God neither is it in our owne choyce to beleeue what we list The minde is ouercome with great reasons c. I am perswaded of my ministers religion If I follow thy religion I may perchance deceiue men contrary to my soule I cannot deceiue God which looketh into the hearts of men c. p Bucholcer Par. Vrsp 406. Calistus the third in his second yeere Mahomet with a 150,000 beseeged Belgrade Capistranus a Minorite Frier stoode to encourage the Souldiers But he vsed not any superstitions For crying out he said Iesus looke on vs be present with thy people that suffereth for thee where are thy mercies of old Come and defend thy people least they say among the Gentiles where is now their God c. The Christians got a rich and noble victory In memory whereof the Pope according to his wonted superstition foolishly instituted the feast of the transfiguration of Christ Hunniades who had been a noble victor ouer the Turkes after this his last battaile fell sicke but hee would not haue the Sacrament brought to him as the superstitious manner was but commaunded himselfe to be carried to the Church where after the confession of his sinnes he receiued the Eucharist c. Thus much of the two witnesses and the things which fell out vpon their death and resurrection Thus the remnant giueth to glory to God And now the q cap. 11.14 second woe to the inhabitants of the earth by the Turkes c. seemeth to be past But the third woe will come anon CHAP. XII Of the third a cap. 11.14 woe to the inhabitants of the earth by Kings conuerted to Christ WE are now come to speake of the third woe which shal be inflicted vpon the inhabitants of the earth namely such which doe rather desire to possesse the earth then to inherit heauen And this containeth the abolishing of the kingdome of Antichrist and the victorious reigne and triumph of the word of God That which is spoken hereof is comprehended in the doctrine which came abroad when b cap. 11.15 the seuenth Angell blew the trumpet The summe whereof is manifestly knowne and euidently spoken by all godly men as if there were great voyces in heauen expressing their assurance of the things that are to come to passe And the summe is this that certainelie it can not be but the kings will also be conuerted to the Gospell by whose onely and holy administrations The kingdomes of this world are to be our Lords and his Christs and he shall reigne for euermore Hereupon all godly magistrates and ministers called by the name of the c cap. 11.16 foure and twentie elders which make any consciecne of their places as those which sit before God on their seates First doe humble themselues euen falling on their faces and subiecting themselues to this kind of administration Secondly they doe also leaue the seruice of idols and men and in their places worship God both with praises and administration of iustice As for their praises they do in effect say d cap. 11.17 we giue thee thankes Lord God almightie which art and which wa st and which art to come euen the same God which art euerlasting for that taking the power out of the hands of mortall weake and mutable men who of long time haue trodden thy sanctuarie vnder foote thou hast receiued the entrance and possession of thy great might and hast obtained thy kingdome in due time to bee fully and alone administred by thee As for their sincere administration of iustice they shew that they so regard the faithfull profession of the Gospell that thereupon such which rather professed the vanitie of the Gentiles then Christ euen the Antichristian Papists were a cap. 11.18 angrie The cause of their anger is first that the time is come of the wrath of God to be inflicted vpon whosoeuer shall deserue it without respect of persons Secondly because they see that the time is come of the dead which haue been martyred for the witnes of Iesus that they should be iudged whether they died as innocents or not so that the proceedings against such come to be looked into and examined againe by iustice faithfully which they are angrie should be knowen Thirdly because that God hath raised vp Christian Kings that God by them should giue rewarde vnto his seruants the prophets which doe sincerely speake the truth from the Lord whereas Antichrist did tread them vnder foote Yea because the time was come that he by Princes should giue reward also to the Saints and to them that in deede doe feare his name to small and great whom Antichrist exposed to death and confiscation loading them with reproches c. Fourthly because the time is come that God by Princes should vtterly destroy them which destroy the earth be they Turkes or Papists The aduancement of the godly and destruction of the wicked according to the exact rule of iustice in the word of God being thus drifted by godly Gouernors those of the spirit of Saint Iohn b cap. 15.1 saw another great and marueilous signe in heauen the Church of God Namely that God hath prepared seuen Angels hauing the seuen last plagues which he would inflict vpon his enemies for not by men but by them euen by a diuine hand is now to be fulfilled the wrath of God Of these plagues we are to consider the place whence these Angels doe receiue them and the powring of them forth These plagues are deliuered vnto them in the temple which after the godly doe put on zeale and thankesgiuing is opened Concerning the zeale of the godly first is declared how the true doctrine of Christian baptisme is restored namely that Christians ought to be vndefiled and zealous in the cause of Christ For the lauer of regeneration is now figured a cap. 15.2 by a glassie sea mingled with fire godly Princes and people being baptised b Mat. 3.11 with the holy Ghost and fire whereas hitherto they were baptised vnto repentance with patience Here therefore stand the Boemians which had gotten the victorie ouer the beast the ciuell estate which beareth vp the whore of Babylon and of his image the Ecclesiasticall policie and his marke of superstitious ceremonies and of the number of his name his armies which he sent against them These I say stand constantly at the glassie sea mingled with fire continuing sincere and zealous professors being so farre from being ouercome that contrarily they haue the harpes of God to sing praises vnto their God for their deliuerance from Antichrist And they being deliuered from the kingdome of Antichrist which spiritually
whom afterwards the diuell killed in the arte of sodomie wringing his necke behind him f Moris papat He permitted the Cardinals to haue harlots g Platina in Greg. 4. Of this time Platina speaking of the lawe which Ludouicus the Emperour made to restraine the pride of the Clergie crieth out I would O Ludouicus thou didst liue in our daies For now the Church doth stand in neede of thy most holy censures The Ecclesiasticall order is giuen ouer to riot and luxurie like a harlot that thou mightest behold not onely men but horses and beasts in their scarlet and princely robes with which the harlot is arraied When they goe there waite before them great troupes of young men and of the Clergie Not on asses as Christ the author of our religion did ride who was the onely example of well liuing in the world but on great horses in their caparisons as if they triumphed ouer some enemies lately ouercome c. h In Ioan. 16. He further of this time faith that this pestilent custome was then that Priests desired the papacie c. not for religion but to fill the greedines of their sonnes nephewes and familiars c. i Poly. 8.1 Pardon 's also in this time were very rife k Geneb This Pope opened his mouth to blasphemie and condemned Georgius Podiebrachius king of Boemia for an hereticke and l cap. 13.7 as if power were giuen him ouer euery nation gaue his kingdome to Mathias king of Hungarie m Lanquet Fox But Mathias in seauen yeares warres could not put him out for his feete were as pillars of fire n Geneb p. 1080 The Turkes destroyed two Empires tooke from the Christians twelue kingdomes and 200. cities for fornication sorcerie c. of the remnant o Volat. 21. The order of the souldiers called the Minimes Iesus Maria began Anno 1471. Sixtus the fourth p Volat. 22. a man rather borne for the warres than for religion q Fox Mart. p. 701. For he stirred vp many warres and when he heard that the Princes made peace he died for sorrow He as the common baude or mother of fornications c erected stewes in Rome of double abhomination both males and females and kept multitudes of harlots for his friends and followers a Moris Pap. And as Caligula laid a tribute vpon harlots the common harlots paid to him in the yeare about 40,000 ducates b Strab. lib. 7. Geog. This coÌ„munity of women did the Church of Rome learne either of Plato the heathen Philosopher or else of the Scythians and Gothes where Plato had his example He c Ext. com de poeni remis c. 4. reduced the yeare of Iubile to 25. yeares and d ibid. cap. 1. ordained the feast of the conception of the virgin Marie giuing large indulgences to all those which should be deuoutly present at the solemnitie and yet e N.D. Warn-word the Doctors agree not among themselues whether the virgin Mary were conceiued without sinne vpon which ground the feast was instituted by the Pope f Fox He brought the vse of beades into prayer g Geneb pag. 1084. 1088. In his time the Spanish King expelleth the Mâ—â—es and Iewes out of Spaine and instituteth the Spanish inquisition whereunto he also subiecteth himselfe Of the cruell proceedings of the inquisition against the godly see h Fox p. 9â—â— Fox and other bookes of the Spanish inquisition c. For by this kinde of crueltie the woman is drunken with the bloud of the Saints Innocentius the eight i Volat 22. f. 160. b. of a slow wit Anno 1484. and farre from learning as Licinius the tyrant He first of any Pope brought in a new example of making ostentation of his bastards and violating all antient discipline he heaped riches vpon them He fawned on all but was friendly to none and passed his inbred couetousnes with iests and scoffes He as k 2. Tim. 3.4 a louer of pleasure more then of God l Crantz Met. 12. 1. p. 814. adorned the papacy with a pallace and strongly beautified the house of Solace called Bell-vedere He m Volat. 21. f 244. annexed the Knights of the order of Saint Sepulchre to the Knights of Saint Iohn with a red and double crosse n Geneb pag. 1089. 1087. The Turkes abolished the gouernment of the Paleologi and Venetians in Pelopâ—nesus Lesbos Eubuâ— and Lemnos The Spaniards finde the land of Guinnea and many other Iles. o Mass 20.268 Iohannes Langlois at Paris strooke the host and wine out of the Priests hand and stamped on them denying any reall presence to be in the Sacrament for which he was burned The diuels possessed the Monastery of the Nunnes Quersetensium in a most strange manner a See Fox Mâ—r. Very many Martyres suffer About this time died Laurentius Medicis Duke of Florence b Eucholcerus Anno 1492. who in Italy much holpe to restore tongues and arts from whence they spread into Germany By this instauration of learning the whole world in a manner began to be renewed as with a first resurrection and to be encreased and enriched with this kinde of wealth The Boemian Hussites in token that their glassie sea was mingled with fire doe rise and endanger Mathias the King their enemie and persecutor enforcing him to flie they kill the Senate and pull downe Monasteries Thus Kings begin to receiue the Gospell by whom d cap. 11.15.28.19 15.8 the kingdomes of this world are the Lords and his Christs And thus the temple the profession of the Gospell against Antichrist is open in heauen the Church notwithstanding the Gentiles the Papists be angrie CHAP. XIII Of the seuen last plagues by which the wrath of God is fulfilled vpon the inhabitants of the earth SO mightily hath the power of God appeared as that he hath kept the temple open and continued the preaching of the Gospell notwithstanding all oppositions of enemies And now that his iudgements might be made manifest according to the word of God he sendeth out his plagues to the a 2. Thes 2. consuming of the man of sinne in this third woe In the prophecie of powring out of b cap. 15.1 the plagues by which is fulfilled the wrath of God first is declared how they are prepared and secondly how they are executed Concerning the preparation it is said that the persons who are prouided to execute them are c 6. the seuen Angels the instruments of these punishments being mightie more then humane The place whence they came is out of the temple d Psal 76.23.8.9 whence the Lord doth send his blessings and plagues They are e cap. 15.6 clothed in pure and bright linnen in token of their a cap. 19.8 most righteous and holy proceedings And lastly they haue b cap. 15.6 their breasts girded with golden girdles to signifie their c Luk. 12.35
yeere So did Danie But especially Iohn hus and Ierom of Prage e Geneb p. 1109 Elias Leuita a Iew publisheth his Hebrue Grāmar to the great benefit of Christians Luther f Par. Vrsp p. 447. writeth to the Pope of indulgences Ann. 1518. complaining that the pardon-preachers to the scandall and mockerie of the Ecclesiasticall power and blasphemie of God did write and preach with insatiable couetousnesse the like whereof was neuer heard of before requiring the confessors by oth to enioyne them that confesse to them to buy their pardons terrifying all men with the name of the Pope threatning fire and the reproch of heresie to them that refused to buie their pardons He shewed that with his schedule of articles which he had set vp he onely purposed to prouoke the learned to disputations That it seemed miraculous to him that his propositions were so soone gone abroade as vpon a white horse posted in all the earth That against his will he made himself so publike that he could not recall his propositions a Par. Vrsp p. 448. Hee also answered a dialogue of Siluester Pierius teaching that b 1. Thess 5. All things are to be tryed c Galat. 1. an Angell must teach no other doctrine Fathers may erro and concludeth thus Let opinions remaine opinions and no burthens to the Church Opinions may not be equall to scripture Let the diuines be ashamed of these and such like speeches which they bolt out Thus would I speak in schooles but yet doe not tel any bodie it cānot be prooued by scripture c. Luther before the Legate a Cardinall d Par. Vrs p. 449. iustifieth his doctrine Wherefore the Pope citeth Luther to Rome and commandeth the Princes to deliuer him prisoner to the Legate excommunicating and accursing all Princes and interdicting their landes which would not bee assistant excepting none but the Emperour and giuing plenarie indulgences to them that obeyed e Mass 20. p. 273. Luther appealeth from the Pope not well informed to the Pope to be better informed and after that to a general Councell f Nou. Orb. Cortesius discouereth to the south By g Peuc 5. f. 266. b. Luthers bookes and sermons when godly men in monasteries did heare that idols were to be fled from they according to the commaundement h cap. 18.4 Come out of her my people and be not partakers of her sinnes c began to depart from that wicked seruitude and so were the monasteries left emptie i Par. Vrs 250. c. Anno 1520. There was a disputation of the Popes authoritie c at Lipsia Luther auoucheth his articles which were condemned by the Popes bull k 454. 455. and wrote against the three fortifications of poperie which are 1. The ciuill Magistrate hath no power ouer the spirituall but the spirituall Magistrate hath power ouer the ciuill 2. If they be vrged with scripture they say None can expound the scripture but the Pope c. 3. If they be vrged with a Councell they faigne that none can call a Councell but the Pope c. Erasmus writeth to the Archbishop of Mogunce of Luthers cause saying that the Monkes and Diuines doe condemne the things in Luthers bookes for heresie which in the bookes of Bernard and Augustine are read as true and godly c. They were heretofore heretikes that dissented from the Euangelists and from the Articles of faith c. Now if any dissent from Thomas hee is an heretike Whatsoeuer pleaseth them not what they vnderstand not is heresie to vnderstand Greeke to speake good Latine is heresie with them The * Buchol Ann. 1520. Geneb 1106. diuines of Louane and Colen doe adiudge many of Luthers bookes to the fire to be burned which the same yeere by the commaundement of the Pope and Charles the Emperor was done in Germany a Mass 20. p. 273. Luther at Wittenberge openly burneth the Popes lawes the decretals and decrees with the Popes bull saying b cap. 18.6 I haue done to them as they haue done to me rewarding her as she hath rewarded me c Buchol c. 1521. Luther among other bookes which hee published wrote an exhortation to the nobilitie of Germany of the reformation of the Christian affaires Luther answereth before the Emperour at Wormes where the Emperour proscribed him d Geneb 1110. This yeere began that long and bloudie warre betweene Charles the Emperour and Francis the French King both Papists and this lasted 38. yeres Thou e cap. 16.5.6 Geneb p. 11 10. Lord hast giuen them blood to drinke because they killed thy Saints f Par. Vrs p. 457. Ignatius Layolo a Spaniarde began the order af the fellowship of Iesus and Luthers bookes are burned at Antwerpe and Gant Pope Leo died as it was thought by poison And now is powred forth the fifth Phiall The fifth Phiall Henceforth to the former foure Plagues the fifth Angell powreth out the plague which he was to inflict g cap. 16.10 And the fifth Angell powred out his Phiall vpon the throne of the beast that popish Antichrist and the wonted glorious administration of his kingdome waxed darke and obscured being regarded euery day lesse then other Wherefore the Gentiles the Papists are angrie and gnaw their tongues for sorrow and griefe Yea whereas the Lord plagued them also by the other Phials a cap. 16.11 1521. they blasphemed the God of heauen for their paines and for their plague sores and repented not of their workes but became as cruell proud couetous and euery way as wicked as before though they saw their sinnes The Complement When b Eucholce the Emperor had proscribed Luther c Slei lan 1. f. 18. a. Fridericus the Elector of Saxonie consulted with Erasmus about the doctrine of Luther and standing at the glassie sea mingled with fire protested to despise all dangers for the truth Beeing satisfied by Erasmus that Luther had the truth hee committed Luther to certain Nobles whom he trusted to bring him safe to a castle where he might be vnknowne d cap. 16.10 Thus was the kingdome of the popish beast obscured Here Luther wrot many bookes and calleth the place his Patmos or wildernesse so that in him e cap. 10.11 S. Iohn doth preach againe Ann. 1522. Adrian f Par. Vrsp p. 458. the sixt acknowledging the faults of his time attempteth reformation at Rome g Lanquet ann 1522. Hee sent his letters to the Councell at Argentine charging them to see that none of Luthers bookes were printed and that they which were alreadie printed should bee burned Hee also by his Bull required Fridericke the Elector of Saxonie to maintaine the Church of Rome and by his Legate hee commanded the Princes of Germanie Lanquet anno 1523. assembled at Norimberge to proceed against Luther and his fellowes as against men alreadie heard and condemned Howbeit because the Phiall was powred on