who died within 18. daies after to whom succeeded Innocentius In whose time the Emperour hoped for peace but was disappointed for albeit a day was appointed for their meeting together at Festennia and the Pope had promised that hee would be there before the Emperour and expect his comming yet hee mocked the Emperour and secretly in the night tooke ship and first came to Genua and from thence to Lyons in Fraunce where hee gathered a councell and excommunicated the Emperour Notwithstanding the Emperour was determinate to goe to Lyons himselfe and to conferre with the Pope both concerning this sentence pronounced against him as also about the conclusion of peace if by any meanes it could be obtained But as he was vpon his iourney newes was brought to him that Parma was taken by his out lawes assisted by the Popes Legat wherefore being out of hope of peace he set himselfe againe to the warre and besieged Parma planting ouer against it the forme of a towne which he called Victoria wherein his Souldiers camped But the citizens of Parma getting knowledge vpon a time that the Emperour was gone to hunting and his souldiers were stragling here and there without order issued out of the towne and slew a great number of them and burnt his Campe Victoria Soone after the Emperour being in Apulia in a certaine Castle called Florentinium ended his life In this time it is to be noted that there was such dissention betweene the Emperour and the Pope that the factious names of the Guelfes and Gibelins sprang vp in Italie and continued euer since almost to our owne dayes for the Guelfes followed the Pope the Gibelins the Emperour so that it came to passe that all they who followed the Pope were called by the name of Guelfes and these who followed the Emperour Gibelins Conradus Quartus AFter the death of Fredericke succeeded Conradus his sonne who with manly courage began to subdue the Townes of Apulia and of the kingdome of Naples which rebelled against him but he was hastily cut off by his brother Manfred who being couetous to keepe in his owne hand the Dukedome of Apulia which hee had invaded caused to empoyson the Emperour Conrad after hee had raigned 2 yeeres Also hee caused the testament of Conrad to be suppressed wherein hee had appointed Cunradinus his sonne to be heire of all his dominions At this time Innocentius 4. thinking it most convenient to invade the Kingdome of Sicilie and bring it vnder his dominion sent two strong armies to subdue it but they were both ouercome and driuen back by Manfred whereat the Pope was so grieued with Melancholie that hee died But Pope Clemens succeeding Innocentius stirred vp Charles Count of Angeow brother to Lewis king of Fraunce to make war against Manfred who prevailed against him and killed him and possessed Sicilia Calabria and Apulia and all that Manfred before had vnder his obedience Cunradinus the sonne of Conrad being come to perfect age came with an armie to Italie to claime his fathers Dominions and was gladly receiued at Rome soone after was ouercome in battell by Charles Count of Angeow who had slaine Manfred before and was cast into prison and afterward by commandement of the Pope was beheaded at Naples with Fredericke Duke of Austria his assister For Charles vpon a time demanded the Roman Bishop Clemens 4. what hee should doe with his prisoners to whom he answered Vita Cunradini mors Caroli that is the life of Cunradinus is the death of Charles wherevpon ensued their publike execution So the Kingdome of Naples by the crueltie of the Romane Bishop against the iust owner came into the hands of Frenchmen Wilielmus William Count of Flanders whom Pope Innocentius had declared Emperour when hee excommunicated Frederike at Lyons was yet aliue and was accounted Emperour but hee was slaine by the Frisians after hee had raigned one yeere after the death of Cunrad After whose death variance fell betweene the Electors of Germanie for choosing of the Emperour for part named Alphonsus King of Castile others Richard the brother of king Henry of England But because neither of them were receiued by the whole Empire the Emperiall authoritie was counted voyd and vacant the space of seuenteene yeeres In the East raigned Theodorus Lascaris the younger 4. yeeres Rodulphus IN the yeere of our Lord 1273. the Princes Electors being assembled together at Frank foord choosed with one consent Rodulph Count of Halsburg to be Emperour who gouerned 18 yeeres This man neuer receiued the Emperiall dignitie nor entred into Italie for hee vsed to recite to his familiars the fable of the foxe that said to the Lyon hee was affraid to enter into his denne because hee perceiued the stepps of many beasts going inward but of none that returned out againe And so he said many Emperours haue entered Italie with great Pompe and glorie but by the meanes of the Bishop they returned euill handled with great iniuries He had deadly warre with Ottiocarus King of Bohemia who had invaded Austrich and appropriated it to himselfe while as the Empire wanted an head through the variance of the Electors against him he fought a sore battell in the fieldes of Austrich and obtained the victorie and Othocarus there was slaine whose sonne the Emperour gentlie entreated giuing him Suta his daughter in marriage and giuing Agnes daughter to Othocariu in marriage to Rodulph the Emperours sonne Adolphus AFter Rodolph Adolph Count de Nassaw was chosen Emperour and raigned six yeeres he was infortunate in all things hee went about and therewith so needie and poore that when hee had receiued of King Edward of England a great summe of money to aide him against the King of Fraunce hee spent the money vpon his houshold and had not wherewith to fulfill his promise when time required Hee had great warres with Albert Duke of Austrich whom he trauelled to depriue of his Dukedome But Albert led out his armie against him in the fieldes of Spira and discomfited his hoste and killed himselfe and raigned in his steed as will be declared in the next Centurie god willing In Constantinople after Theodorus Lascaris the younger succeeded Michael Paleologus and raigned 35. yeeres He plucked out the eyes of Iohn the sonne of Lascaris and right heire of the Empire His sonne Andronicus againe who succeeded to him caused his father to bee buried in an obscure place and not in a princely Sepulchre because he had agreed with the Church of Rome Now as touching the holy Land many great armies went to Asia in this Centurie for recouering of Ierusalem first vnder the cōduct of Ludouick Duke of Bavaria Leopold D. of Austrich and Andro king of Hungarie with the Florentins and Genuans marked with the badge of the Crosse and diuers Bishops of France and Germanie raised an armie tooke the towne of Damiata in Aegypt but soone after it was lamentably lost by a deuised stratageme of the
England by his brothers wife Whereupon the Emperour forsaking the marriage did couple himselfe with Ladie Isabell daughter to King Emmanuel of Portugall which marriage was done in the yeere of our Lord 1526. The King vpon this occasion casting many things in his minde beganne to consider the matter more deeply and finding that neither his conscience could be cleered in keeping his brothers wife nor yet the estate of the Realme firme by the succession of a daughter begotten in such a marriage he proposed the question to the chiefe Vniversities of all Christendome whose censures all agreed in one that the marriage was vnlawful Yet would not the King proceed to the divorcement without the Popes consent Who sent Campeius his Ambassadour with concurrance of the Cardinall of Yorke to be iudges in that cause The Cardinall of Yorke called Wolsey at the first was verily bent to haue the divorcemēt set forward but afterward finding that the Kings affection was bent towardes Ladie Anne Bulloigne to take her in marriage he changed his purpose sent advertisment to Pope Clement that in case King Henry the eight were divorced from Ladie Katherine then should another infected with Luthers doctrine succeede in her place to the great hurt of the Church of Rome For this cause the Pope calleth backe his Ambassadour Campeius before the Kings cause was decided Neuerthelesse the King proceeded in his purpose and was divorced from Ladie Katherine by meanes of Dr Cranmer This was the ground of that great hatred that fell out betweene the Pope and King Henry for on the one part the Pope cursed King Henry and the Realme of England for the divorcement The King on the other part abolished in his Realme the Bishop of Romes vnlawfull tyrannie with commandement that he should be called no more Pope in his Country but onely Bishop of Rome and that the King should be taken and reputed as supreame head of the Church of England haue full authoritie to reforme and redresse errours heresies and abuses in the same Now to returne againe to Germanie The Emperour was so busied with Warres all this time that he had no leisure to tarry in Germanie and although many assemblies were gathered to suppresse the doctrine of Luther he was onely present at two to wit at the first kept at Wormes the last kept at Auspurg For this cause it seemed good to the Emperour to declare his brother Ferdinand to be King of the Romanes and apparent successor to the Empire to the end he might with greater authoritie gouerne the affaires of the Empire in his absence He sent also letters to the Protestants commanding them to acknowledge him King Wherefore the Ambassadours of the Protestant Cities being gathered at Franckford concluded with the Princes that for their part they would not for this resist the Emperour for denying a title and a name only to his brother to make him more eager against their Religion But the Duke of Saxonie other Princes not agreeing thereto writ to the Emperour that because it was done against the manner and liberty of the Empire they could not allow it This seemeth to be the first ground of the warres that after followed For Ferdinand King of the Romanes expelled Vlrich of Wirtenberge from his Lordship and when no redresse could be had at the Emperours hands the Landgraue of Hesse with his cousin Vlrich gathered an Armie at Lawferme by Wirtenberg ouercame their enemies and put them to flight recouered the townes of Asperge Wrath Tubinge and Niphe and tooke prisoner Philip Prince Palatine and chiefe Captaine of Ferdinands armie Shortly after agreement was made on these conditions that Vlrich should haue againe his Lordship of Wirtenberg but so that he should hold it by the benefit of Ferdinand and the house of Austrich that if issue male did saile in the house of Wirtenberge that Lordship should returne to the heire of the Emperours house of Austrich that the Landgraue and Vlrich should come to Ferdinand and submit themselues to him The Emperour foreseeing that this diversitie of Religion that was in Germanie would in the end burst forth into some bitter fruit and great inconuenience aduised with himselfe by what means reconciliation might be made and all controversie might cease and in the end appointed a Councell at Wormes and communication of Religion and for this cause sent Granuellanus thither But the matter was so long delayed by the fautors of the Sea of Rome vntill Letters came from the Emperour againe to deferre the whole matter to the Councell of Ratisbone To which came all the Princes of the Empire except the Duke of Saxonie who came not himselfe but sent thither a noble ambassage together with Melanchthon and other Preachers Vnto the same Councell also came from the Pope Caspar Conterane a Cardinall In this disputation Fredericke the Palsgraue and Granuellane were appointed moderators Melanchthon Bucer and Pistorius Disputers for the Protestants Pflugius Eccius Gropper for the Papists Vnto these six was offered a booke conteining the definition of most Articles in Controversie which they were willed to ouer-looke and either to allow or disallow those things that they could agree vpon This booke was deliuered againe after a time to the Emperour in many points they could not agree in some they did The Protestants deliuered together with the booke their opinion concerning those controversies and their arguments to proue the same The Emperour deliuered the same to the Princes to be examined but they being most part Popish referred the whole matter to the Popes Ambassadour who exhorting the Bishops to honestie of life and suppressing of Luthers doctrine thought good it should be deferred to a generall Councell This convention which began in Aprill Anno 1541. was dissolued in the end of Iulie after that the Emperour had decreed that the communication begun and whole controversie of Religion should be deferred to a generall or Provinciall Councell of Germanie That the Protestants should teach no other points of Religion then such as were agreed vpon That Bishops should see amendment of life in their Diocesse That there should be a Provinciall Councell within a yeare and an halfe if they could not obtaine a generall Councell of the Pope That the Churches of Monasteries should not be pulled downe but reformed that the Church-goods should not be inverted that the decree of Ausbrough and all Proscriptions of the Protestants should be suspended all those conventions of estates disputations promises of generall or provinciall Councels to be kept in Germanie could not reconcile diuerse Religions but at length lurking hatred behoued to breake out into open hostilitie The first occasion whereof was offered by Henry Prince of Brunswick who by often invasion of Cities confederated with the Protestants in Germany moued the Duke of Saxonie and the Landgraue to make warre against him in name quarrell of all the Protestants confederated by the league of Smalcaldy
their garrisons were remaining supposing vnder the shew of Frenchmen to be let in But the Captaines mistrusting their hasty comming and misdoubting their visages not like to the French-mens shut the gates against them whereby they returned frustrate of their purpose Yet afterward Damiata was rendered to the Saracens as a part of the Kings ransome which citie being twice won and twice lost by the Christians the Souldan afterward caused vtterly to be razed downe to the ground It is to bee noted in this Tragedy that the Pope of Rome was the chiefe ground of all this lamentable calamity For the King wisely considering what great helpe hee might haue gotten by the concurrance of the valiant and wife Emperour Fredericke travailed for reconciliation between him and the Pope before hee vndertooke his voyage but all his travails were spent in vaine and so the King of France went alone to this dangerous enterprise taking with him the Popes blessing as is sayd before But like as Fredericke before prospered not the worse thate he was cursed of the Pope so it may be perceived that Lewis King of France prospered not the better albeit the Pope blessed him Before wee speake of the sixt voyage of his age it is to marked that God raised vp Mango King of the Tartarians to make warre against the Saracens he was baptised and professed the name of Christ and sent his brother Halâ— to fight against the Saracens Who overhailed Persia Assyria Mesopotamia and in the end came to Syria and conquered Damascus appointing his sonne Abaga to bee Governour of the same for hee returned himselfe to inherit the kingdome of his brother Mango whom hee heard to be dead Also Abaga afterward hearing of the death of his father Halo returned to gouerne his fathers kingdome leaving behinde him ten thousand horsemen to support the Christians in the hands of Guirboca who also favoured the Christians for a time vntil they slew his Nephew and then hee also became an enemie vnto them and invaded the towne of Caesarea and set it on fire At this time Nelethinus the sonne of Turqueminius Souldan of Egypt fearing the dominion of the Tartarians in Syria provoked Guirboca to fight and destroyed him and his army and they that escaped of the Tartarians fled to Armenia Thus the small comfort which the Christians had by the Tartarians was first turned into hatred and afterward was vtterly taken away by their destruction The sixt voyage was vnder the King of France and Henrie King of England who sent Prince Edward his sonne to Palestina in his place and Charles Duke of Angeow who was declared by the Pope to be King of Sicile and King of Ierusalem In this voyage the one part of the army to wit French-men arrived at Africa and besieged the towne of Carthage and tooke it also they besieged Tuenetum sixe moneths at which time the army was troubled with a grievous pestilence whereof the King himselfe and the Popes Legat both died But Charles King of Sicile came with a fresh army Mulet the Prince in those parts entreated for peace which was granted vpon these conditions First that if any in Africke would professe the Christian religion they should bee permitted so to doe without molestation Next that the Christians who were detained in captivity should be set at liberty And thirdly that there should bee payd yeerely to the King of Sicile forty thousand crownes The other part of the army vnder the conduct of Edward Prince of England came to Syria where Edward was circumvented by a deceitfull Saracen who came with letters to him from his master and wounded him with an invenomed knife whereby hee was in great danger of his life but being cured by skilfull Physitians he escaped death Also hee staied in Ptolemais vpon the arrivall of the rest of the army out of Africke but when hee had long waited in vaine hee was compelled to returne back againe to his owne countrey In this voyage it is to be noted that the Pope of Rome miserably abused the Christian people for the armies raised against the Turkes and Infidels hee caused to serue the covetous appetite of his bloody heart as plainely appeareth in the French army which Guido Bishop of Altisiodorum conducted to Viterbium Vrbanus Quartus sent his army against Manfred King of Sicile to subdue vnto him Sicilia and to roote out the ofspring of Fredericke which he deadly hated and when this enterprise succeeded not to his hearts contentment Clemens his successor stirred vp this Charles Duke of Angeow who vsurped the kingdome of Sicile destroyed the posterity of Fredericke and at the Popes desire vndertooke this voyage to Asia whereof wee haue last spoken The seventh voyage of this age was vndertaken by the Emperour Rodolph who according to his promise made to Pope Gregory the tenth was willing to raise an army and succour the Christians in Asia but hee was so impeded by the warres hee had with the King of Bohemia that hee could not in his owne person goe to Syria but hee sent Henrie Prince of Mechelburg with a strong army to supply his place who comming to Ptolemais wasted and burnt with fire the region round about Damascus The Barbarians durst not encounter with him in open battell but circumvened him and vpon a time as hee was leading away a great prey they lying in wait for him arose and brought him to the Souldan where hee was detained in captivitie 26. yeeres After this the Christians in Asia were brought to vtter wracke for the Saracens invaded Antiochia and tooke it and destroyed the Christians there Afterward vnder the conduct of Aphir their Souldan they besieged Tripolis and tooke it and razed it to the ground Also Tyrus was rendered vpon condition that the Christians there should safely depart with so much of their substance as they could transport with shippes or drawe with beasts And finally all the townes and holds which the Christians had in Syria were taken by the Saracens onely Ptolemais excepted which afterward was taken by Araphus the Souldan the Christians therein being put to the sword and the citie it selfe vtterly razed to the ground in such sort that there was not so much as a monument of it left vndestroyed Now when all was lost the Christians obtained some new and fresh comfort by the conversion of Cassanus Prince of the Tartarians to the Christian religion who expelled the Saracens out of Syria and repayred the temple and towne of Ierusalem and restored it to the Christians and set at liberty Henry Prince of Mechelburg who had been detained captiue a long time Also he tooke the towne of Damascus and appointed Capcacus to be Governour there like as Molais was left to defend Ierusalem But after the returne of Cassanus to his owne countrey Capcacus revolted to the Souldan of Egypt and Molais finding himselfe alone vnable to resist the force of the Saracens departed to Mesopotamia
erected vp in Churches to that intent the same ought to be taken downe 10. That Matrimony is prohibited to no estate or order of men but for eschewing of fornication generally is permitted to all men by the word of God And forasmuch as all fornicators are excluded by the testimony of Scripture from the communion of the Church therefore this vnchast and filthy single life of Priests is most of all inconuenient for the order of Priesthood At this disputation were present Oecolampadius Bucerus Capito Blanreus with many other moe all which defended the affirmatiue of the conclusions propounded On the contrary part of the opponents the chiefest Captaine was Conradus Trogedus a Fryer Augustine who to proue his assertion when he was driuen to shift out of the Scripture to seeke helpe of other Doctors and the Moderators of the disputation would not permit the same being contrary to the order before appointed he departed out of the place and would dispute no more The disputation indured nineteene dayes in the end whereof it was agreed that the conclusions there disputed were consonant to the truth of Gods Word and should be ratified not onely in the Cittie of Berne but also proclaimed by the Magistrates in sundrie other Citties neere adioyning Furthermore that Masses Altars Images in all places should be abolished The day and yeare when this reformation with them beganne from Popery to true Christianitie they caused in a pillar to be engrauen in Golden letters for a perpetuall memorie to all posteritie to come This was Anno 1528. The rumour of this disputation and alteration of Berne was noysed in other Citties and places abroad and others were encouraged by this occasion to take the like order within their bounds and namely the Townes of Strousbrough and Basile and Geneua All this time by the providence of God the Emperour and the King of France were together occupied in Warres and strife which hapned very commodiously for the successe of the Gospell for otherwise it is to be thought that the Helvetians and other Germanes should not haue had that leisure and rest to reforme Religion and to linke themselues in league as they did albeit Ferdinandus the Emperours brother and Deputie in Germanie omitted no time nor diligence to doe what he could in resisting the proceedings of the Protestants as appeared both by the decrees set forth at Ratisbone and Speirs as hath beene declared The rest of the Pages of the Helvetians which were of a contrary profession hearing of the end of this disputation at Berne and namely because they had not regarded their admonition disswading them to proceed in their intended purpose of disputation and reformation of Religion confederated themselues in league with Ferdinandus to suppresse the Religion of Christ in Berne and Zurik The names of which Pages especially were fiue to wit Lucernates Vrani Suitenses Vnternaldij and Tugiani who for hatred and despite hanged vp the armes of the foresaid Cities vpon a Gallowes beside many other iniuries and grieuances which they wrought against them For the which cause the said Cities of Berne and Zurik raised their power intending to set vpon the foresaid Switzers as vpon their capitall enemies But as they were in the field readie to encounter one Armie against the other through the meanes of the Citie of Strousbrough and other intercessours they were parted for that time and so returned After this the old wound waxing raw againe beganne to burst out and the Tigurines and Bernates by reason of certaine new iniuries and contumelious words spoken against them began to stoppe the passages and straits whereby no corne not victuall should be conveyed to the fiue Pages aforesaid This second debate also was composed by meanes of the King of France and certaine Townes of Switzerland as namely the Glareans Friburgians Soloturnians and some other laboured to set them at agreement vpon certaine conditions which not being kept and the fiue Pages not obseruing the couenant the warre brake vp of new againe amongst them And the Tigurines and Bernates begunne againe to stoppe the passages so that for lacke of victuall the fiue Pages were pinched with penurie Who notwithstanding arming themselues secretly set forward in warre-like aray towardes the borders of Zurike whereas then was lying a Garrison of Zurike men to the number of a thousand and aboue Whereupon word was sent incontinent to the Cittie of Zurike for ayde to their men But their enemies approached so fast that they of Zurike could hardly come to rescue them fot when they were come to the top of the hill whereby they must needs passe they did see their fellowes at the foote of the hill in great distresse Whereupon they encouraging themselues made downe the hill with more hast then order striuing who should goe fastest by reason whereof they were discomfited and ouer-matched by their enemies Amongst the number of them that were slaine was also Vlricus Zuinglius the blessed seruant of God whose bodie after his death they most vildly abused by cutting it in pieces consuming it with fire and practising against it all despite that malice and hatred could deuise The Bernates were willing to come and reuenge their quarrell but before they came their enemies set vpon them the second time and had the vpper hand yet would they of Zurik nothing relent in Religion At the last through mediation a Peace was concluded and thus the matter agreed that the Tigurines Bernates and Basilians should forsake the league which they lately made with the Citie of Strousbrough and the Landgraue Likewise should the fiue Page men giue ouer the league and composition made with Ferdinanâ—us and hereof Obligations were made and sealed for the greater suretie and better keeping of the promises In this Emperours time amongst other places great alteration of Religion fell out in the Countrey of England vpon this occasion Henry the 7. King of England had two sonnes Arthur and Henry Prince Arthur his eldest sonne married Katherine daughter to Ferdinand King of Spaine but he soone after his marriage died without children King Henry with advise of his Nobles to the end her dowrie might remaine within the Realme thought meete to espouse Lady Katherine to Prince Henry brother to King Arthur This marriage seemed very strange and hard for one brother to marry the wife of another but yet by dispensation of Pope Iulian the second this marriage which neither sense of nature would admit nor Gods law suffer was concluded approued and ratified and so continued as lawfull without any scruple or doubt the space of twentie yeares till that a certaine doubt began to be moued by the Spaniards themselues of the Emperours Councell Anno 1523. At which time Charles the Emperour being in England promised to marry Lady Mary daughter to King Henry the eyght King of England with the which promise the Spanyardes were not well contented Obiecting that the Ladie Mary was begotten of the King of
Charitie they entred in the way of Beauce drawing towards Montargis From this time forth a great mutinie began in the army of the strangers being mooved with impatience because they could neither haue money nor sight of the King of Navarre whereof the King being then at Bonevall had intelligence and thereupon vsed all the meanes hee could to sound the hearts of the Switzers and perswaded them to separate themselues from the rest of the army and retyre home whereunto the Switzers condiscended and vpon agreement of 400000. crownes payed to them in ready money they returned backe againe to their owne countrey The Duke of Guise perceiving the army of the Rutters to be as a body dispersed hauing nothing left but the armes and legges tooke boldnesse to set vpon them as they camped at Aunew and entred with his footmen into the streets about the time that the carts and baggage were ready in the morning to issue out and so couragiously surprised the Rutters at their breakefast when the trumpets began to sound a chivall having no meanes to issue out they were constrained to retyre into their lodgings at the pleasure of the assaylants The booty was great being 800. chariots iewels and chaines of gold and two thousand horse both for the field and waggons The gates being seazed vpon and the streets chained there was no meanes to saue themselues but by the walles which the Generall leaped ouer Notwithstanding of this surprise the army of the Rutters was in such estate that by reason of some small assurance they had of the King of Navarres arrivall it was likely to haue overcome the Duke of Guise forces And as it was at point to retyre backe againe the Prince of Condie the Duke of Bulloigne and the Lords of Chastillion and Cleruant promised to pay them all their wages if they would march forward The hope of their pay made them to march in a time not very convenient towards the Forrest of Orleance The King perceived that the longer the armie kept the fields the greater would be the ruine of his Countrey and that being ioyned with the king of Navarre would doe great hurt caused the Sienrs of the Isle of Cormont to certifie the Coronels that if they would yeeld vp their colours and sweare to beare no armes in Fraunce without the expresse commandement of his Maiestie hee would giue them assurance to retire in safetie They on the other part perceauing themselues to be farre from the king of Navarre hardlie handled by the Frenchmen beaten by the league pursued by the king and forsaken of the Switzers assembled themselues together at Marsigni and accepted his Maiesties offers sent by Monsieur D' Esperno and retired out of France toward Geneua The Marques Du pont eldest sonne to the Duke of Loraine and the Duke of Guise against their faith giuen followed the miserable troupe of the Rutters to the mountaine at Saint Clande where they gaue thankes for the good successe of their companie and from thence to please their hungrie troupes they trauersed the Countrie of Bourgoundie entering into the Countries of Mombeliard and Hericourt where his men vsed diuers great cruelties and spared not the lands of the Bishop of Basile After the bloodie ceasing of so lamentable vengeance vpon a poore innocent people which as yet doe feele the losse and destruction of two hundred villages the violence vsed to a number of women and maids the Massacre of so many old men and the furious and beastlie inhumanitie of the League they beare the signes of their spoyles into Loraine Neuerthelesse after this exploite of the Duke of Guise so full of crueltie falshood inhumanitie the Roman Church extolled him aboue all measure The Pope sent vnto the D. of Guise a sword engraued with burning flames in token of his valiantnes accompanied with burning zeale towards the Roman religiō The Preachers of France advāced him aboue the king saying that Saul had slaine his thousand but Dauid ten thousand and so the Duke of Guise puft vp with winds of popular praise seeing also that the greatnesse of the Soueraigne maiestie was embraced and that the Protestants were retired vnto the Rotchell also that England had a proud Spaniard embarked on her backe meaning the great Spanish Nauie by Sea hee assured himselfe to take the king without danger and to this effect aduertised the Cardinall of Burbone not to neglect so good an occasion but to gather his principall friends at Nancie there to aduise the meanes to passe forward and to constraine the king as it were to make his will and so that assemblie concluded that the King should be summoned to ioyne his forces to the league to refuse the Counsell amitie of such as should be named vnto him to establish the inquisition in euerie towne to publish the Councell of Trent euen touching the things that derogated the priuiledge of the French Church to consent to the restitution of the goodes that had bin alienated and sold for the charges of the warres to giue them townes wherein they might place men of warre to make such fortifications as the necessity of the time would require ordaine the sale and confiscation of Hugonits goodes also the disabling of their persons entertaine an armie vpon the Fronteris of Loraine against the returne of the Germans that would come to haue some recompence for the cruelties by the league committed in the countie of Montbeliard The Duke of Guise came to the King at Soissons to constraine the King either to bow or breake and to confirme the articles drawne and deuised at Nancie and Dyion The King on the other part by Mousieur de Bellieure gaue the Duke to vnderstand that he should doe him a pleasure if he would abstaine from comming to Paris in so troublesome a time wherein so many factions raigned and if hee came thither against his will hee would lay the cause of all the troubles that might arise by his presence vpon him But the Duke of Guises heart as it were attainted with a burning feauer could find neither appetite nor pleasure but in that which liked his stomach would needes for the loouer or die by the way and therefore mounted on horsebacke with eight Gentlemen about nine of the clocke at night leauing the Prince de Iumueille his sonne at Soissons and desiring the Archbishop of Lyons to follow him in the morning and so arriued at Paris This maner of arriuall together with the peoples fauour vttered by their ioyfull acclamations at the Duke of Guises lighting increased the distrust of the kings heart so that hee resolued to preuent the enterprises intended against him and commanded the Marescall Biron to cause foure thousand Switzers to enter into the Towne and to lodge them in diuers quarters thereof who seased incontinent vpon the bridges of Nostredame and Saint Michael But the Parisians being abashed at the sight shut vp their shoppes
was Pope For this cause hee called the marriage of the Priests the heresie of the Nicholaitans and the acceptation of Prelacies from the hands of secular Princes Simony And vnder colour of extirpating two heresies hee most craftily travelled to bring vnder his soveraigntie all men who were clothed with civill or spirituall offices And first for the abolishing of the marriage of Priests hee sent strict commandement to the Bishops of France and Germany and other places that they should depose married Priests from their offices vnder paine of cursing and that they should accept no persons in their places but those who would binde themselues by a solemne oath to perpetuall continencie The Priests made greater reluctation to the Popes commandement then the Bishops did in so much that in the Councell of Mentz convocated by the Archbishop for obeying of the Popes commandement the Archbishop accompanied with the Popes Ambassadour could finde no other meanes to saue their liues but onely by flying from the incensed wrath of marryed Priests As concerning his other enterprise in extirping the heresie of Simony as hee called it that no Prelat should receiue investment from Emperours and Princes but onely from the Bishop of Rome This could not bee brought to passe without the thunder-bolts of excommunication whereby he so subdued the noble Emperour Henry the fourth that hee was compelled in sharpe winter weather to iourney to Italy and to seeke absolution from the Popes cursing It were too long to discourse of his sorceries lying prophecies and treasonable attempts against the noble Emperour And the weake apologie of Onuphrius will never be an vmbrage to couer the craft malice and divellish pride of this seditious Pope To Gregorie the seventh succeeded Victor the third who onely continued in his Popedome one yeere and an halfe After Victor the third succeeded Pope Vrbanus the second and ruled twelue yeeres foure moneths and eighteen dayes Hee assembled a Councell at Clermont in France and incited Christian Princes to vndertake a dangerous warfare against the Turkes and Saracens for recovering of the holy Land and for supporting of distressed Christians in those parts A certaine Monke called Peter who had gone on pilgrimage to Ierusalem deplored to the Councell in most lamentable manner the pitifull estate of Christians in Ierusalem And many Christian Princes were moued to vndertake an hazardous warre against the Turkes and Saracens vnder the conduct of Godfrey Duke of Loraine Robert Duke of Normandy Robert Count of Flanders and diverse other noble Princes an army of three hundred thousand Christian people set forward toward Ierusalem which they conquered out of the hands of Infidels with great effusion of blood and Godfrey was crowned King of Ierusalem with a crowne of thornes An. 1099. as Functius recordeth Patriarchs of Constantinople BEcause I reade of no memorable thing done by the Patriarches of Constantinople it shall suffice shortly to point out their names onely and to set forward In this Centurie we finde the names of these Patriarchs following to wit Antonius Nicolaus Sisinnius Sergius Eustachius Alexius Michael Constantinus Lithudes Iohannes Xiphilinus Cosmas Eustratius and Nicolaus Of other Pastors and Doctors PEtrus Damianus was brought vp in the Monasterie of Cassinates and was made a Cardinall and Bishoppe of Ostia by Pope Stephanus the ninth Hee was deposed by Benedict the tenth and deprived of his living because hee disapproved his entry to the Popedome Hee was cast into prison and bonds and when he was set at liberty he sought not restitution to his Bishopricke againe but hee lived an heremiticall life And when Pope Nicolaus the second and Hildebrand an Archdeacon obiected this fact against him opprobriously he writ an apologie and defended himselfe by the example of 36. Fathers who had done the like He was very superstitious and approved the custome of Monks who began to scourge themselues very impertinently cyting the examples of Christ who was scourged by Pontius Pilat and of the Apostle Saint Paul who was thrice beaten with roddes and fiue times received thirty nine stripes as if it were all one thing to scourge our selues and to bee scourged by others He was present at the Councel of Millan as substitute of Pope Nicholaus the second Ino Bishoppe of Charters in France was counted learned in his time nothing is more commendable in all his life then this when hee was cast in prison for disprooving the marriage of Philip King of France the Noblemen dwelling about Charters would haue by force delivered him but hee disswaded them from any such attempts onely willed them to pray to God for him His bookes are miserably spotted with the errours of his time such as Transubstantiation in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Intercession and merits of Saints in prayer and diverse other errors Lanfrancus was borne in Papia a towne of Italy and became Archbishop of Canterburie hee was much reverenced for his learning Hee writ against Berengarius and defended the opinion of Transubstantiation He was in great credite with William the Conquerour King of England in so much that all spirituall and civill affaires seemed to bee ordered according to his appetite and pleasure This great credite procured against him the hatred of many Noblemen notwithstanding they could not prevaile against him all the dayes of King William Rufus the sonne of King William was of a more sterne and angry nature and albeit Lanfrancus had taken paines vpon his education notwithstanding his emulous competitours alienated the Kings heart somewhat from him whereby hee fell into a sharpe fever and dyed Ranulphus writeth of him that he wished to conclude his life either by fever or dysenterie because in these sicknesses the vse of a mans tongue continues oftentimes to the last breath Hee continued in his Prelacie nineteene yeeres and dyed in the third yeare of King Rufus Anselmus succeeded to Lanfrancus both in place and learning for hee was Bishop of Canterbury and a singular learned man Hee was borne in a towne called Augusta in the confines of Burgundie Hee was the disciple of Lanfrancus hee was first a Monke and afterward an Abbot in a Monastery of Normandie called Bettense and foure yeeres after the death of Lanfrancus the King of England promoted him to the Archbishopricke of Canterbury Anselmus in his admonitions to the King who at that time converted to his owne vse the rents of defunct Bishops and Abbots was free and plaine and for his freedome incurred great indignation in so much that hee compared himselfe vnto an Owle For saith he like as shee hath pleasure when shee remaineth in her owne nest and with her owne brood but when shee flyeth abroad shee is miserably misused and beaten with ravens crowes and other soules that forgather with her Even so saith hee when I am in company of you my familiar friends I liue in pleasure but when I goe to Court and am
Saint Peter himselfe were aliue and did rebuke the lewdnesse of their conversation they would not spare to take Saint Peters life also Moreouer hee sayd they were full of vncleannesse and were blinde guides leading the people headlong to Hell but the Lord would haue in remembrance their iniquities and call their wickednesse to account Thus the hatefull indignation of the Clergie being kindled against him for preaching the truth they layed waite for him secretlie and tooke him and drowned him Platina alledgeth that this fact displeased the Pope alwayes there was no inquisition to know the authors of this fact not punishment of malefactours who shed innocent blood in secret that manifested vnto the world the Popes indignation About this time was a booke written called Opus Tripartitum the author whereof was vnknowne but it is supposed to haue beene compiled by Arnulphus It contained great complaints of the manifold abuses of Church-men After Honorius succeeded Innocentius the second and ruled fourteene yeeres seuen months eight dayes Hee was a man of a militarie spirit albeit not fortunate in warfare For he made warre against Rogerius Duke of Sicilie whom hee besieged also in a certaine Castle But William Duke of Calabria Rogerius his sonne not onely relieued his father but also laid hands on the Pope and his Cardinals and made them Captiues and prisoners Rogerius delt friendly with the Pope and his Cardâ—nals and set them at libertie and obtained at the Popes hand whatsoeuer hee pleased except the name and title of a king At this time when the Pope was busied in warrefare the Romans advanced one called Peter the sonne of Leo a man of noble birth in Rome to be Pope And when Innocentius adressed himselfe to Rome hee did finde the faction of his Competitor to be strong and mighty therefore he sayled to Pisca and from thence to Geneua and from thence to France where hee assembled Councels at Clermont and at Rhemes and deliuered his Competitor to Sathan In the end hee was restored to his chaire againe by the Emperour Lotharius the second In his time the Towne of Rome being wearied with the tirâ—nnie of the Popes tooke resolution to be gouerned by Consuls The Pope to obviat this conceite of the people made an ordinance that whosoeuer did violently put hands on any person of the Clergie hee should be excommunicate and no man should haue power to absolue him but onely the Pope After Innocentius succeeded Coelestinus the second Hee was chosen Pope without the consent of the people as witnesseth Onuphrius he ended his course in the fift month of his Popedome To him succeeded Lucius the second and gouerned the Pestilentius chaire as the Magdeburg historie recordeth in a time when the Pestilence had great vpperhand in Rome Hee concluded his course in the eleuenth month of his Popedome After Lucius succeeded Eugenius the third sometime disciple to Bernard and ruled eight yeeres foure months and twentie dayes He so bestirred himselfe against the Senators of Rome that partlie by cursings and partly by force hee brought them in subiection and compelled them to receiue such Senators as the Pope by his authoritie pleased to assigne vnto them But it came to passe that hee who was desirous to be terrible and awfull to the Romans hee feared them in like manner that they were conspiring secretlie against his estate Therefore hee fled to Tybur and from thence to Fraunce to leade an armie to the East for the support of distressed Christians But this voiage had no good successe notwithstanding that the Popes blessing and Bernards Councell who was Abbot of Clarauall and much regarded at that time were both interposed to advance this often reiterated warrefare against the Turks When the Pope returned from France to Rome accompanied with great forces the people of Rome were affraid but the Pope soone after concluded his course at Tybur Anastatius the fourth succeeded Eugenius who continued in his Popedome one yeere foure months and twentie foure dayes To Anastatius succeeded Pope Adrian the fourth a Monke of the English nation employed by Pope Eugenius to goe to the people of Noroway whom hee brought vnder the Roman superstition and therefore was advanced by Pope Eugenius to the dignitie of a Cardinall and after the death of Anastatius the fourth he was promoted to the Popedome Hee would not goe to the Church of Lateran to be consecrated vntill Arnoldus Bishop of Brixia was driuen from the Towne of Rome because hee had counceled the Romans to claime to the auncient gouernment of their Towne to be guided by consuls and Senators But the proud Pope insisted so seriouslie against Arnoldus and the Romanes that hee compelled them by the force of his multiplied curses not onely to expell Arnoldus out of the Towne of Rome but also to submit themselues absolutely to the gouernment of the Pope The proud cariage of this Pope towards the noble Emperour Fredericke the first his bad successe in warrefare against the Duke of Sicilie and his miserable death in the Towne of Anagnia hath all beene touched in the historie of the life of Fredericke He ended his course after hee had ruled foure yeeres and ten months After Adrian the fourth succeeded Pope Alexander the third who had great debate against his competitor Victor the fourth called before Octavianus in respect the Emperour and the Princes of Germanie and a great number of the Clergie of Rome adhered to Pope Victor And on the other part to Pope Alexander adhered the kings of England France and Sicilie And this scisme indured a long time for remouing whereof the Emperour Fredericke appointed one councell at Papia and another at Diuion To the first hee would not appeare because hee thought the Pope should be iudged of no man To the Second he should not appeare because the councell of Diuion was not assembled by his owne authoritie but by the commandement of the Emperour This Litigious decertation tooke this effect that the Emperour and Bishoppes conuened at the foresaid Councels decreed Victor who appeared and was ready to submit hâ—s cause to the iudgement of a lawfull assemblie him I say they decreed to be Pope lawfully elected Pope Alexander fled to France and in the councell of Clermont hee excomunicated both the Emperour and his Competitor Victor these were the weapons of their warrefare against the Emperours and all others whom they supposed to be their aduersaries After the death of his Competitor Victor Pope Alexander being at Rome the Emperour Fredericke came with a strong armie thereto and Pope Alexander fled to the Venetians What Tragedie fell out in Venice forcing the noble Emperour to stoupe vnder the feete of the Pope for excessiue loue that hee caried towards his sonne hath beene declared in the Historie of the Emperour Frederickes life In this Popes dayes was Thomas Becket Bishop of Canterburie slaine Henry king of England purged himselfe to the Pope that hee was innocent of his slaughter Notwithstanding seeing his indignation against the foresaid Bishop was the occasion of his slaughter It was inioyned to the king of
sixt a man of Holland and Schoolemaster to Charles the fift Emperour He endevoured to correct some abuses of the Church of Rome in maners but not the abuses and errours of Doctrine for hee also sent his Ambassadour Cheregatus to Germanie with menacing letters to the Duke of Saxonie because hee maintained Martin Luther But his time was short for hee died before hee had ruled two yeeres in his Popedome To him succeeded Clemens the seuenth and ruled ten yeeres ten months and seuen daies Hee was a man verie inconstant in his friendship to the Emperour Charles the fift but secretlie boūd vp friendship with the king of France but this deceitfull doing redounded to the Popes great hurt For Charles Duke of Burboune chiefe Captaine to the armie which the Emperour had in Italie besieged the towne of Rome and tooke it and albeit the Duke himselfe was slaine yet the rest of the armie invaded the Towne slew great numbers of men defloured women spoyled houses and temples and besieged the Pope himselfe and his Cardinalls seuen months till at length the Pope was free from his Captiuitie by commaund of the Emperour About this same time of the Popes besieging Charles the Emperour was banqueting and reioycing for the Natiuitie of his sonne Philip but hee stayed all banqueting playing and reioycing when the tidings of the Popes besieging was carried vnto him and commaunded to set him at libertie Manie great sinnes are imputed to him by writers and amongst others that hee destroyed the liues of manie by poyson and that in end hee receiued the same recompence himselfe After him followed Paulus the third who ruled fifteene yeeres and twentie nine dayes It grieued him to see the Gospell take so deepe roote and to be ouerspred in many nations and namelie in England by king Henry the eight who abrogated the authoritie of the Bishop of Rome in England called himselfe supreme governour ouer Christ in all Ecclesiasticall causes within the bounds of his owne countrie The Pope being destitute of all other revenging weapons drew forth the old accustomed weapon of the chaire of Rome against Princes and cursed king Henry the eight This Pope ratified the order of the Iesuites and appointed a generall Councell to bee kept in Trent a Towne of Italie bordering neere to Germanie This Councell beganne to be kept in Trent in the yeere 1546. but hereafter was transferred to Bononia as shall be declared God willing The Protestants of Germanie were desired both by the Emperour and the Pope to bee present at the Councell but they would not acknowledge it to be a lawfull generall Councell wherein the Pope or his deputie did sit as a iudge who was indeede partie and whom they were to accuse of false and erroneous doctrine of abusing of the Church of God and vsurping the honour which was onely due to Christ before this Councell ended hee concluded his dayes Iulius the third succeeded in his place who ruled three yeeres one month and sixteene dayes Hee reduced the generall Councell of Bononia backe againe to Trent where it began but the sudden report of the armie of Maurice Duke of Saxonie who tooke armes against the Emperour Charles for detaining the Lantgraue of Hesse his father in law in prison dissolued the Councell againe for a time because they feared lest the Dukes armie should haue come to Trent and set vpon them In this time the Church of England returned backe againe to the Popes obedience in the raigne of Queene Marie and the Pope sent Cardinall Poole to England to absolue that countrie from that curse and interditment which was layed vpon it in the dayes of Paulus tertius After him succeeded Marcellus the second and ruled twentie two dayes After him followed Paulus the fourth and ruled foure yeeres two months and twentie foure dayes Hee was verie contentious and hated the Emperour Charles and brought into Italie 1000. footmen and 2000. horsemen of the french nation vnder the conduct of the Duke of Guise Also hee brought into Italie an armie of Swizers Notwithstanding the Emperour had sent to Italie the Duke de Albe who had taken a great number of townes belonging to the Pope before the Duke of Guise entred into Italie And in the ende the Pope was well content to accept conditions of peace and to receiue backe againe the townes which hee had lost in the warre In his time the Emperour resigned the Emperiall crowne to his Brother Ferdinand entered into a Monasterie where hee concluded his daies but the Pope neither approued nor ratified this election of Ferdinand and Ferdinand on the other part made light account of the Coronation which his Predecessours had receiued from the Pope and was obeyed in Germanie although he wanted the Popes blessing and coronation After him ruled Pius the fourth who continued fiue yeeres two months and fifteene dayes In his time the councell of Trent which was begun in the dayes of Paul the third was finished He sent an Ambassadour to England to invite the learned men of that countrie to the Councell but Queene Elizabeth would not permit the Popes Ambassadour to enter into her Realme Likewise hee sent Ambassadours to the Dukes of Germanie professing the reformed Religion They entertained the Ambassadours honorablie but sent them backe with this answere that they marueled how the Pope could send an Ambassadour to them who acknowledged not his authoritie in such matters From the first meeting of this Councell to the dissolution thereof intervened the space of eighteene yeeres but the time of meeting consultation and sitting of the fathers of that Councell was onely the space of fiue yeeres namely vnder Paulus the third two yeeres vnder Iulius the third one yeere and vnder Pius the fourth two yeeres In this Popes time the reformation of religion in Scotland began images were broken and burnt altars cast downe Monasteries dimolished and the masse abolished The noble men who were the principall authors of this reformation were assisted by Elizabeth Queene of England and defended from the intended persecution of the Frenchmen This Pope made a bloodie massacre in a Towne of Italie called Montalto against a number of Christian people secretlie met together for hearing of the word of God so that one after another were drawne out of the house where they met and their throates cut with a knife in the hand of a bloodie executioner In this massacre were martyred 80. persons and not one of all the number for the feare of death did forsake the true fayth of Christ. In this Popes time was the Isle of Malta invaded by the Turkes but they were strongly resisted and left the siege of the Isle after they had lost 23000. of their number in that siege The disputation of Poissne and grieuous commotions in France after that disputation began in this Popes time whereof is spoken before After him followed Pius the fift
how mens traditions are equalled to the commandements of God 6. Presbyters Abbots and Levites for the dignity of their calling shall not bee punished with stripes by the Bishoppe lest in dispersoning the principall members of his owne body hee bring himselfe into contempt of his subiectes 7. Let no honour be sold for promise of rewards 8. Let governours of Churches haue a greater regard to the weale of the Church then to their owne particular affaires In the end thankes is given to God and the King for their meeting they subscribe the fore named ordinances Here marke that in the country of Spain the King still keepeth in his owne hand power of convocating Councels IN the yeere of our Lord 681. and in the 12. yeare of the raigne of Constantius Pogonatus a general Councell was assembled at Constantinople by the authority of the Emperour and not by the commandement of Pope Donus nor Agatho his successor nor of Leo the 2. the successor of Agatho as the Divall letter of Constantine directed to Pope Donus and received and obeyed by Pope Agatho cleerly testifies As for the number of Bishops convened there is an infinite discrepance betwixt the authors who make rehearsall of their number the least number reckoned is 150. The question discussed in this Assembly was about the wils and actions of Christ. Macarius Patriarch of Antiochia and Stephanus his disciple pertinaciously defended the errour of the Monothelites confirming also their opinion by the testimony of Honorius sometime Bishop of Rome whose letters written to Sergius sometime Bishop of Constantinople being read in the open audience of the Councell made it cleerly knowne that he also was infected with the erour of the Monothelites For this cause Honorius Bishop of Rome Sergius Pyrrhus and Paulus Bishops of Constantinople Cyrus Bishop of Alexandria and Macarius Bishop of Antiochia were all excommunicated likewise Polychronius a ridiculous Monke and his complices were excōmunicated and with great shame and ignominy reiected from the fellowship of the Church For he offered to proue the opinion of the Monothelites to bee the truth of God by writing the summe of that opinion in a paper and over spreading it vpon a beere wherein a dead man was laid hee put the Councell in hope that hee would raise the dead man to life againe but after tryall hee was found to be a lying and a deceitfull fellow and he likewise was excommunicated This Councell made no Canons and Constitutions concerning Church-discipline as other Councels had done before For this cause Iustinian the 2. the son of Pogenatus gathered these same Fathers who had beene in the preceding Councel to perfect the worke which they had begun They made many Constitutions but two in special which displeased the Romane Church First they annulled the doctrine of the Church of Rome concerning prohibition of marriage to men in spirituall offices Secondly they ordained the Patriarch of Constantinople to bee in equall authority with the Pope of Rome These Constitutions and Canons Pope Sergius refused to subscribe albeit his ambassadors in his name had subscribed them in Constantinople BAmbas King of the Goths resigned the title of his royall authority to Euringius and he was content to be shaven and enter into a Monastery In the first yeere of the raigne of Euringius 33. Bishops with some Abbots and 13. Noblemen of the Court convened at Toledo The King amongst many other things protested that he was content that whatsoeuer thing in his lawes seemed repugnant to reason it should be corrected by the prudent advice of this Councel The Fathers of this Councell for confession of Faith adhered vnto the Councell of Nice After this the hand-writings and seales of Bambas and the Nobles of his Court and the testimony of Iulianus ArchBishop of Toledo are presented whereby it is knowne that Bambas had resigned his government in favour of Euringius willing them to chuse him to be his successor So it came to passe that Euringius was solemnly proclaimed to be King and the people were assoyled from the oath of allegeance made to Bambas and were astricted to the obedience of King Euringius In this Councell it was forbidden that new Bishoprickes should be erected in villages and the Bishop of Emerita begged pardon for this that he had ordayned a Bishop in a certaine village being compelled so to doe by the commandement of King Bambas They who stand at the Altar and sacrificeth are commanded to eate of the sacrifice as often as they offer it The acts made in preceding Councels against the Iewes were renewed and amplified in this Councell and thankes was given to God and the King for their meeting Other Councels of Toledo vnder the raignes of Euringius and Egita seeing there is little written of them worthy of Commemoration I over-passe with silence CENTVRIE VIII IN the yeere of our Lord 712. a Councell was assembled at London where Bonifacius was present and Brithuvaldus the chiefe Prelate of England and the Kings of Saxons ruling in England were commanded vnder pain of cursing to be present at this Councell The purposes intreated in this Councell were two to wit concerning the adoration of Images and prohibition of marriage to men in spirituall offices About worshipping of Images no disputation was heard whether that service did agree with the written word of God or not This was counted a sufficient wartant for bringing Images into places of adoration and for worshipping them especially the Image of the Virgin Mary that Eguvinus a superstitious Monke in England of the order of Saint Benet who afterwards was made a Bishoppe affirmed that the Virgine Marie appeared vnto him in a dreame and declared that it was her will that her Image should bee set vp in the Churches and worshipped These dreames once confirmed by the oath of Eguvinus and approoved by Constantine Bishop of Rome and obtruded by Bonifacius the Popes Legate they were embraced in England with little contradiction in such a corrupt time The other purpose entreated in this Councell was prohibition of marriage to men in spirituall offices This doctrine of the Romane Church was not received without reluctation of the Clergie Onely a ground was laid whereupon followed a building of the doctrine of Divels ABout the same time that is about the yeere of our Lord 712. it is supposed that the Emperour Philippicus gathered a Councell at Constantinople for vndoing of the sixt generall Councell in the which the errour of the Monothelites was condemned and that hee did this according to a promise made to a Monke named Iohn who fore-told him that hee would bee made Emperour and craved this promise of him that when hee should bee advanced to the Imperiall dignity he should vndoe the sixt generall Councell But the writers of this History doe not make particular mention of the Fathers who were present at this Councell The rest of the History is cleere that Philippicus razed the pictures of the
The Emperour Henry the fourth assembled a Councell at Mantua for pacifiing the scisme of the Roman Church which arose betweene Alexander the second and Candalus who was called Honorius 2. They contended one against another with armoure violence shedding of blood and cursings For Alexander conueened them who were of his faction at Rome deliuered Honorius to the Deuill as an ambitious and bloodie man On the other part Honorius assembled his fauourers at Parma and cursed Alexander because hee bought the Popedome by money from the Romans and because hee accepted the Popedome without the foreknowledge and consent of the Emperour For pacifying of the outrage of these Roman vultures the Emperour appointed a Councell to be assembled at Mantua wherein Alexander was declared to be Pope Candalus had pardon and Gilbertus by whose Councell Candalus accepted the Popedome was made Archbishop of Rauenna 1. In this Councell it was ordained that no man should heare Masse sayd by a Priest who had a concubine 2. The sonnes of Priests may be accepted to Church orders prouiding the authoritie of the Pope be interponed to giue allowance thereto 3. He who is admitted to a Church-office willingly and wittingly by a Simoniake person shal be remoued from his Order 4. Monks destinat for monasterie shall not be admitted to offices in the Clergie 5. Members of the Clergie shall not accept Ecclesiasticall benefices from Laicke persons 6. No Ecclesiasticall office or benefice shall be sold for money but freelie giuen to them who are learned and godly 7. No person excommunicat shall haue power to excommunicate others POpe Alexander the second sent two Cardinals to Englād to pacifie the troubled estate of the Church there they conueened a Councell at Winchester wherein they deposed certaine Bishops Abbots from their offices and namely Stigandus Bishop of Canterburie Against whom these crimes were obiected First that he had possessed the chaire of Canterburie Robert Archbishop thereof being aliue Likewise that he possessed another Bishopricke with it as namely the Bishoppricke of Winchester and thirdly that he had receiued his pallium from Benedict the tenth a man vnlawfullie elected and reiected by fathers THe Emperour Henry the fourth was young when his father died and it was couenanted amongst the Princes and Bishops of Germanie that during the minoritie of the Emperour Henry the Princes and Bishops by course should attend vpon the young Emperour and should gouerne the estate of the country The Archbishop of Breme when hee had ended his course he gaue not place to others as it was couenanted but insinuated himselfe into the fauour of the yong king by giuing him Libertie to liue according to all the youthly conceits of his owne heart The rest of the Princes and Bishops were offended at this imperious carriage of the Archbishop of Breme and they assembled themselfes in Triburia which in our dayes is called Friburg In this Councell it was decreed that the Bishop of Breme shuld be declared to be an enemie to the countrey except he deliuered the king to be brought vp according to the couenant aforesaid IN the yeere of our Lord 1069. a Councell was assembled at Mentz vpon this occasion The Emperour Henry the fourth disliked his wife and delt secretly with the Bishop of Mentz for divorcement from her promising to bee addicted to his Councell and to interpose his authoritie to bring the people of Turingia vnder the iurisdiction of the Bishop of Mentz and to compell them to pay tithes vnto him The Emperour Henry could not blame his wife of any fault Onely he caried no good liking toward her when the Coūcell was conueened at Mentz Petrus Damianus came Ambassador from the Pope and by many arguments disswaded the Emperour from the intended diuorcement It agreed not with human lawes not with the constitutions of the Church nor with the Emperours honour and it would raise a great scandal in the Church And it was the Emperours dutie to punish such faults in others but not to giue them example of sin in his owne person Finallie if the Emp. would not obey wholsome admonitiō he had power to vse the Censurs of the Church against him and to withhold him from the honour of his coronation The issue of the Councell was this the Emp. desisted from his purpose of diuorcement honoured his Lady with ornaments agreeing to her Princely estate but cohabited not louingly with her IN the yeere of the Lord 1974. Gregorie the seuenth otherwise called Hildebrand hauing alreadie prepared a way to execute Antichristian pride in Councels of Millan and Mantua before hee was authorised Pope Now in his Popedome hee beginneth to execute those vnhappie decrees of Millan and Mantua And hee commaundeth the Bishop of Mentz to separat the Priests of his bounds from their wifes or else to depose them from their offices The Bishop of Mentz willing to obey the Popes commandement assembled a Councel at Ersurd wherein he declared what cōmandement he had receiued On the other part married Priests said they had libertie to marry by the written word of God and in doing so they followed the example of the men of God and fathers of the Church Thirdly they confirmed by many reasons that it was lavefull to marrie speciallie for avoiding fornication and that it was an auncient custome in the Church that men of spirituall offices married wiues Finally with humble supplications and requests they entreated the Bishoppe of Mentz that hee would not separate them from the company of their louing wiues and deare beloved children But all these reasons and supplications mixed with teares prevailed nothing at the Bishops hand because hee said a necessity was laid vpon him to obey the Popes commandement The married Priests arose and departed out of the Councell and consulted amongst themselues what was meetest to be done Some of them thought it expedient to depart from the Councell and not to returne to it againe Others thought it better to returne to the Councell againe and to put hands on the Bishop and spoyle him of his life before hee could promulgate the prohibition of marriage which the Apostle calleth the doctrine of divels The Bishop being advertised of this conspiracy against his life resolued with faultering words to mitigate their wrath promising to write to the Pope to abstaine from imposing such hard conditions to married Priests so was their fury asswaged This tumult was scarce pacified when another greater arose The avaritious Bishop exacted tythes from the people of Turingia besides the covenant that had past betweene him and them at Gerstundun after great contentention and effusion of blood yet the Bishop overpassing the covenant claymed rigourously more then was covenanted The people of Turingia being inraged were purposed to haue revenged the iniuries which this avaritious Prelate had done vnto them with shedding of his blood and the fervent heate of their rage was so great that all the Bishops and members of the Clergie
of the Gospel An assemblie of the Helvetians at Lucerna contrary to that of Zurike A disputation at Baden The causes of Zuinglius absence The conclusion of the disputation A disputation ordained to be holden at Berne Conclusions maintained by the Ministers of Berne The conclusions aforesaid allowed Ferdinand and fiue Pages of the Helvetians enter league against the Bernates The fiue Pages and the Bernates being twise ready to ioyne battell are paâ—ted and the third time the Bernates vanquished Zuinglius killed The occasion of the alteration of religion in England about Henry the eights marriage of his brother Arthurs wife Hatred betwixt the Pope and King Henry the 8. Warres betwixt Ferdinand and the Protestant Princes Agreement made betwixt them A Councell held at Ratisbone about the ending of controversies The conclusion of the Councell Warres betwixt Henry Prince of Brunswick the Duke of Saxonie in name of all the Protestants wherein Henries dominions were subdued A peace concluded betwixt the Emperour and the King of France wherein was determined that both should ioyne against the Protestants The crueltie of Minerius The miserable death of Minerius The Emperour vseth policie to subdue the Protestants The Emperour Proclaimeth the D. of Saxonie Lantgraue outlawes The causes alleadged The Protestants answere vnto the proscription The Bohemians and Maurice invade and subdue thâ— D. of Saxons lands Maurice excuseth by Proclamation what he had done The Duke of Saxonie recouereth what he had lost The Emperour discomfiteth the D. of Saxonie taketh him prisoner and giueth all his his lands to Maurice The Lantgraue detained prisoner by the Emperour A convention at Ausbrough The booke called Interim vrged by the Emperour The foresaid booke hated of all men both Pope Papists and Protestants The Masse forbidden in England Boner and Gardiner depriued of their Bishoprickes Warre betwixt the towne of Magdeburg and Maurice Duke of Spaine Their agreement War betwixt Maurice Duke of Saxonie and the Emperour The conditions of Maurice his agreement with the Emperour Warre betwixt D. Maurice the Marquis of Brandenburg wherein the Marquis was overcome The death of D. Maurice Strange sights seene in Germany Popery embraced in England by means of Q. Mary The Court of Parliament confesse their error in forsaking it and are absolued Q. Maries cruelty against Protestants A bad reward A reference to the Booke of Martyrs Solyman conquereth Belgrade and the Isle of Rhods killeth Lewis K of Hungary and Paulus B. of Collen besiegeth Vienna is repelled Charles restoreth the K. of Tunis to his kingdome Solyman taketh Buda in Hungarie Charles entreth into a religious house and dieth The Bohemians obtaine of Ferdinand the vse of the Sacrament in both kinds Persecution of the Protestants in France The death of Henry the 2. K. of France Francis the 2. having maried the Q of Scots seeketh to reduce the Scottish Nobility to the popish religion but his army was vanquished A Councell kept at Orleance The Prince of Condie taken by the Kings guard is in danger The death of Francis A disputation at Poyssie The Papists policy to cut off further reasoning The Duke of Savoy warreth against the Protestants within his dominions Triniteus by policy spoileth those of Angrona both their money and armour God prospereth the successe of the Protestants The death of Truchetus Peace concluded with the Convallenses The edict of Ianuarie in behalfe of the Protestants The King of Navarre turneth Papist The Duke of Guise killeth 1500 people at a Sermon The Duke of Guise taketh the King and the Queene mother prisoners for whose deliuerie the Protestants binde themselues together The first ciuill warre The Prince of Condie chosen Generall for the Protestants Many townes taken and fortified by the Protestants whereof Burges Roane were recouered by the Papists The death of the Prince of Navarre The death of Augustinus Marlorart Note The battell of Dreux wherein the Prince of Condie was taken by the Papists and the Constable by the Protestants The Duke of Guise his death A new edict in behalfe of the Protestants The end of the first ciuill warre Troubles in the low countries about Religion Duke de Albaes crueltie against the professours of the Gospell The Prince of Orange warreth against the Spaniards The Cardinal of Loraine taketh counsell how to suppresse the Gospell A league made betwixt the Kings of France and Spaine for the rooting out of the Protestants The second ciuill warre in France The Parisians ouercome by the Prince of Condie The Protestants besiege Chartresse The Prince of Condies armie dismissed the townes by him subdued deliuered into the enemies hand through the policie of the Queene mother Euery where crueltie vsed against the Protestants Simile The Prince of Condie the Admirall flie towards Rotchell Note The third ciuill warre in France for Religion Note Note The Papists receiue support from Germanie The Battell of Blansack The death of the Prince of Condie The King of Navarre and young Prince of Condie governe the armie of the Protestants The Duke of Bipont commeth from Germanie to support the Protestants taketh the towne of La charitie and within two dayes dieth having appointed Velrad Count of Manfelt to be Generall in his roome Poictiers besieged The admirall raiseth his siege from Poictiers The battell of Moncontuire wherein the Protestants were discomfited S. Ian Dangely besieged and taken The death of Martiques governour of Britanie an enemie to the Protestants and a blasphemer of the name of God By a new edict of pacification the third ciuill warre endeth The King marrieth The King offereth his sister in marriage to the King of Navarre that thereby he might insnareâ— the Protestants The Queene of Navarre being empoysoned dieth The King of Navarre married to the Kings sister The Admirall shot in the arme The Admirall attended vpon by the Kings Guard The Massacre of Paris the 24. of August Anno 1572. The Admirall killed The Duke of Guise encourageth the companie to murther the Protestants The companies which attended the king of Navarre and Prince of Condie slaine The king vâ—geth the Prince of Condie and king of Nauarre to be come Papists Their resolute Answere Note Count Mongomrie and diuers others escape In this Massacre were killed 30000 persons in France By the example of Rozarius the King of Navarre and Prince of Condie fell away for a time The repentance of Rozarius The Papists defend their crueltie by lies Note The fourth ciuill warre in Fraunce for religion Rotchell besieged God miraculouslie prouideth for the poore during the siege of Rotchell Conditions of peace offered to the towne of Rotchell The towne of Sansarre besieged and some conditions of peace being granted at last surrendered An assemblie of the Protestants at Miliald The conditions which they required of the king Count Mongomrie besieged in Donfront taken sent to Paris Duke Aniow chosen king of Poland depareth thither The Queene mother imprisoneth diuers of thâ— nobilitie who were discontent
and pestilence that there remained not of men women and children so many aliue as there were wont to be of ancient hoare-headed men walking vpon their streets the Lord was so highly displeased with the vnthankfull world that hee was determined to consume them who had consumed his people The good carriage of Christians at this time is worthie to be marked who were full of charitie and loue and visited the sicke and did all offices of humanity to those who were diseased or dead whereas the Pagans by the contrary forsooke their dearest friends left them comfortlesse and thrust out such as were halfe dead into the streets and left them there vnburied and to be eaten with dogs This is written in the letter of Dionysius inserted in the history of Eusebius So great difference is betweene Christians trained vp in the schoole of Christ and others who haue not beene fed with the sincere milke of the Word Christians in time of sicknesse were more dutifull to their enemies then others were vnto their friends If any man would defend worshipping of images to bee an ancient custome in the Church by the two brasen images which were set vp in Caesarea Philippi for a memoriall of the miracle that Christ wrought in curing of the woman who had a bloody issue this place of Eusebius will make nothing for him For these images were not made for adoration neither were they set vp in temples nor worshipping places but in the very street before the doore of the woman who had beene cured The places whereunto Christians were gathered together for divine service at this time are called in the mandate of the Emperour Gallienus Caemiteria In these places no man readeth that images were set vp Besides this these images were graven or molten by the hands of Pagans and not of Christians and this fact was done by imitation of the Gentiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is according to the custome of the Gentiles hee saith not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the custome of her owne kindred but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as is said Yet may wee take warning by this place to beware of the small beginnings of errour Images haue beene like vnto a base borne fellow who at the first can haue no credit to set his head into the Kings palace but afterward hee getteth accesse into the outer court and in the end his credit daily increasing by degrees he getteth favour to lie in the Kings bed-chamber even so in the first 300. yeere of our Lord images were not brought in into places of holy conventions afterward they were brought in into Churches but not worshipped as the Epistle of Gregorius the first written to Severus Bishop of Marsil cleerly testifieth But in the end adoration of images was in so frequent vse as if it had beene the principall point of the worship of God Claudius and Quintilius CLaudius after Gallienus raigned two yeeres And his brother Quintilius seuenteene dayes Hee is not reckoned by Eusebius in the roll of Emperours Aurelianus AFter Quintilius Aurelianus possessed the crowne sixe yeeres In the beginning of his raigne hee was not a great disturber of Christians Notwithstanding in continuance of time his nature somewhat inclinable to severitie was altered to plaine tyranny which tyranny first hee shewed beginning with the murther of his owne sisters sonne as witnesseth Eutropius After that hee proceedeth to moove the ninth persecution against Christians albeit the mercifull working of God did soone overthrowe all the wicked purposes of the Emperour For as the edict and proclamation should haue beene denounced for the persecuting of Christians the mighty hand of God from aboue did suddenly stop his purpose cleerly declaring to all men that there is no power to worke any violence against the servants of God vnlesse his permission doe suffer them and giue them leaue Here I see that D. Iohn Fox writer of the booke of Martyrs taketh leaue of Vincentius Martyrologie If others had done the like they had not heaped vp so many Martyrs in the dayes of Claudius Quintilius and Aurelian as they haue done For Eusebius had assuredly made mention of it if the number had beene so great as Vincentius recordeth Before the Emperours minde was altered and inclined to tyranny against Christians hee assisted with his authority the Bishops convened at Antiochia for the deposition and excommunication of the heretique Samosatenus and so the Emperours authority being interposed this proud Heretike was compelled to stoope and to giue place and with great ignominy was driven from the towne of Antiochia In his place Domnus was elected to be Bishop of Antiochia a man endued with good graces the sonne of Demetrian who immediatly before Samosatenus governed the Church of Antiochia And here againe it is to be marked that the Bishops at this time albeit it was a time of persecution yet did they not abhorre from marriage for Demetrianus Bishop of Antiochia was a married man and had children and Domnus his sonne so that the prohibition of mariage to men in spirituall offices is not an ancient doctrine Annius Tacitus and Florianus AFter Aurelian was slaine betweene Bizans and Heraclea the Imperiall chaire was vacant six moneths The Senate of Rome elected Annius Tacitus to be Emperour Hee continued but six moneths in his government Eusebius overpasseth his name with silence as likewise the name of his brother Florianus who aspired to the Imperiall dignity Aurelius Probus AVrelius Probus a gentle and peaceable Emperour raigned six yeeres three moneths Hee was envied by his Captaines and Souldiers because hee appointed them to plant vineyards and said there was no great need of souldiers where no enemy was to be feared He was slaine by his souldiers Carus Carinus Numerianus CArus with his two sonnes Carinus and Numerianus raigned after Probus All these three continued not aboue the space of three yeeres And Numerianus was slaine by his owne father in law called Aper Carus was slaine by thunder and Carinus was ouercome in battell and slaine by Dioclesian whom the Romane army had declared to be Emperour while Carinus was yet aliue Dioclesianus and Maximinianus LIke as Dioclesian overcame Carinus the sonne of Carus in battell even so likewise hee slew Aper the father in law of Numerianus with his owne hands Whether this was done for detestation of sinne or for desire of government it is vncertaine Alwayes some affirme that his concubine Druas had sayd vnto him that hee should kill a wilde Boare before hee should bee Emperour And after the killing of Aper which name by interpretation signifieth a wilde Boare hee became Emperour In the beginning of his raigne hee chused for his colleague Maximianus surnamed Hercules father to Maxentius And these two chused other two viz. Galerius and Constantius Chlorus the father of Constantine whom they called Caesars but the honourable title of Augustus Dioclesian
his hand they put frankencense into his right hand thinking that hee would haue scattered the incense vpon the altar and sacrificed but hee endured the torment patiently saying the words of the Psalme Blessed be the Lord who teacheth mine hands to fight In the end Licinius made warre against Constantine and being diverse times ouercome both by sea and land hee yeelded himselfe at length and was sent to Thessalia to liue a private life where hee was slaine by the souldiers So Constantine obtained the whole Empire alone Here end the ten Persecutions CENTVRIE IV. Constantine THE Church of Christ flourished in time of the ten Persecutions as a Palme tree groweth vnder the burthen and spreads out her branches by increasing growth toward heaven Satan on the other part that piercing and crooked Serpent who striues against the militant Church of God both by might and slight when his might faileth it is time to try his slight which he did by the canker-worme of hereticall doctrine Now therefore let vs entreate of the Arrian and Eutychian Persecutors in the three subsequent Centuries Other Heretiques albeit they were fierce and cruell such as the Donatists yet their crueltie was like vnto the stighling of a fish when the water is ebbed and shee is not covered with the deepenesse of over-flowing water the more stirre she maketh the nearer shee is vnto her death But the Arrian and Eutychian Heretiques found Emperours favourably inclined to the maintenance of their errors such as Constantius and Valens protectors of the Arrian heresie Anastatius and Heraclius favourers of the heresie of Eutyches This support they had of supreame powers strengthened the arme of Heretiques and made them able to persecute the true Church of Christ. Notwithstanding betwixt the ten great Persecutions and the Arrian persecution a short breathing time was granted by God vnto his Church who will not suffer the rodde of the wicked perpetually to lie vpoÌ„ the righteous lest they put out their hand vnto inquity The dayes of the raigne of Constantine were the breathing daies of the persecuted Church Men banished for the cause of Christ by the Emperours edicts were returned from their banishment restored to their offices dignities and possessions which duely belonged vnto them The heritage and goods of such as had suffered death for the cause of Christ were allotted to their neerest kinsmen and in case none of these were found aliue then their goods were ordained to appertaine vnto the Church These beginnings of an admirable change of the estate of persecuted men wrought in the hearts of all people a wonderfull astonishment considering within themselues what could bee the event of such sudden and vnexpected alteration The care that Constantine had to disburthen persecuted Christians of that heauy yoke of persecution that pressed them downe so long was not onely extended to the bounds of the Romane Empire wherein Constantine was soveraigne Lord and absolute Commander But he was carefull also to procure the peace of Christians who lived vnder Sapores King of Persia who vexed Christian people with sore and grievous persecution so that within his Dominions more then sixteene thousand were found who had concluded their liues by martyrdome Among whom Simeon Bishop of Selentia and Vstazares the Kings eldest Eunuch and his nurs-father in time of his minority Pusices ruler of all the Kings Artificers Azades the Kings beloved Eunuch and Acepcimas a Bishop in Persia all these were men of Note and Marke who suffered martyrdome vnder Sapores King of Persia. While the cogitations of Constantine were exercised with meditation by what meanes the distressed estate of Christians in Persia might be supported by the providence of God the Ambassadours of Sapores King of Persia came to the Emperor Constantine whose petitions when he had granted hee sent them backe againe to their Lord and Master and hee sent with them a Letter of his owne intreating Sapores to bee friendly to Christians in whose Religion nothing can be found that can iustly bee blamed His letter also bare the bad fortune of the Emperor Valerian the eight persecuter of Christians and how miserably hee ended his life and on the other part what good successe the Lord had given vnto himselfe in all his battels because hee was a defender of Christians and a procurer of their peace What peace was procured to distressed Christians in Persia by this letter of Constantine the history beares not alwayes his endevour was honest and godly In Constantines dayes the Gospell was propagated in East India by Frumentius and Edesius the brother sonnes of Meropius a man of Tyrus This History is written at length by Ruffinus Theodoretus Sozomenus and many others Likewise it was propagated in Iberia a country lying in the vttermost part of the Euxine Sea by the meanes of a captiue Christian woman by whose supplications first a childe deadly diseased recovered health and afterward the Queen of Iberia her selfe was relieved from a dangerous disease by her prayers made to Christ. The King of Iberia sent Ambassadours to Constantine craving of him that hee would send Preachers and Doctors to the countrey of Iberia who might instruct them in the true faith of Christ. Which desire also Constantine performed with great gladnesse of heart Now to returne and to speake of the Dominions subiect to the Romane Empire Constantine the sonne of Constantius Chlorus began to raigne in the yeare of our Lord 310. and hee raigned 31. yeares hee gaue commandement to reedifie the Temples of the Christians that were demolished in the time of the persecution of Dioclesian This commanmandement was obeyed with expedition and many more large and ample Churches were builded meet for the conventions of Christian people Likewise the temples of Idols were locked vp better they had beene demolished and equalled to the ground then had it beene a worke of greater difficulty to Iulian the Apostate to haue restored againe Heathen Idolatry Many horrible abuses both in Religion and manners were reformed by the authority and commandement of the Emperour such as cubitus mensuralis called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Egypt whereunto was attributed the vertue and cause of the inundation of Nilus by the Egyptians therefore by the Emperors commandement this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was transported out of their Temples In Rome the bloody spectacle of Gladiatores that is of Fencing men with swords killing one another in sight of the people was discharged In Heliopolis a towne of Phoenicia the filthy manners of young women accustomed without controulment to prostitute themselues â—o the lust of strangers vntill they were maried this filthy custom I say by the commandement of the Emperour Constantine was interdicted and forbidden In Iudea the Altar builded vnder the Oke of Mambre where the Angels appeared to Abraham and whereupon the Pagans offered sacrifice in time of solemne Faires for buying and selling of
seditious Monkes On the other part a great number of Syria Caua came to support the troubled estate of Flauianus For these things as if he had beene a contentious man he was banished and Senerus a notable Eutychian heretique was placed in his roome this is he of whom I haue mentioned diuers times that Alamundarus prince of Saraceus deluded his messengers and sent them backe ashamed and confounded The next attempt was against Helias Bishop of Ierusalem against whom this quarrell was forged that hee would not subscribe the Synodicke letter of Seuerus and damne the councel of Chalcedon and by the Emperours commandement Olympius the captaine came to Ierusalem expelled Helias and placed Iohn a familiar friend of Seuerus in his roome This Iohn by the perswasion of Sabas a Monke of Palestina forsooke the fellowship of Seuerus and was cast into prison by Anastatius the Emperours captaine but when he was brought foorth out of prison againe he disappointed the expectation of Anastatius the captaine for he openly auouched the foure generall councels and anathematifed the followers of Arrius Macedonius Nestorius and Eutyches In doing whereof he was mightily assisted both by the people and the Monks so that Anastatius the Emperours captaine fearing popular commotion fled and returned againe to the Emperour but Seuerus Bishop of Antiochia moued with wrath against the Monks of Syria set vpon them and slew 300. of them and gaue their carcases to the foules of the heauen and the beastes of the earth such mercie was and is to bee found in headstrong heretiques In all this desolation the courage of Cosmas Bishop of Epiphania and Severianus bishop of Arethusa is to be admired who wrote a booke conteining a sentence of deposition of Severus Bishop of Antiochia which booke Aurelianus a deacon of Epiphania clad in a womans apparrell deliuered vnto him in Antiochia and afterward conueyed himselfe away secretly The Emperour was highly offended against Cosmas and Severianus and he wrote to Asiaticus gouernour of Phoenicia that hee should eiect them out of their places but when answere was returned to the Emperour that it could not be done without blood the Emperour left off further pursuing of them Many counted Anastatius a peaceable Emperour because he would haue setled controuersies in the Church as eiuil controversies at sometimes are settled namely by a law of oblivion but there is no capitulation betwixt darknesse and light but darknesse must yeeld vnto the light of God In Africke moe then 900. were crowned with martyrdome vnder the raigne of Anastatius as Magd history recordeth out of the first booke of Regino de Anastatio Platina writeth that he was slaine with thunder Iustinus the elder AFter Anastatius succeeded Iustinus a godly Emperour and governed nine yeeres and three dayes Hee restored the Bshops whom Anastatius had banished Hee banished also Arrian Bishops who were found within his Dominions Severus Bishop of Antiochia a vile Eutychian Heretique and a bloody Foxe hee displaced and caused him to be punished by cutting out of his tongue as some affirme Theodoricus King of the Gothes obtaining domion in Italy persecuted true Christians with great hostility and sent Ambassadors to the Emperour Iustinus to restore the Arrian Bishops whom hee had banished else he would pursue the Bishops who were in Italy with all kinde of rigour And because the Ambassadors returned not backe againe with such expedition as he expected hee put hand to worke and slew two noble Senators Symmachus and Boetius Likewise when the Ambassadors were returned hee cast in prison Iohannes Tuscus Bishoppe of Rome and his companions whom hee had before imployed to goe on message to the Emperour Iustinus The Bishop of Rome died in prison for lacke of sustentation but the Lord suffered not this barbarous cruelty of Theodoricus to be long vnpunished for the Lord strake him with madnesse of minde so when he was sitting at table and the head of a great fish was set before him hee imagined it was the head of Symmachus whom he had slaine and was so stupified with feare that anon after hee died In the dayes of this Emperour Iustinus was a terrible earthquake the like whereof hath not beene heard at any time before wherewith the towne of Antiochia was shaken and vtterly ruined With the earthquake fire was mixed consuming and resolving into ashes the remnant of the towne which the earthquake had not cast down In this calamity Euphrasius Bishop of Antiochia perished The good Emperour mourned for the desolation of Antiochia and put on sackcloth on his body and was in great heavinesse whereof it is supposed that hee contracted that disease whereof hee dyed When he found his disease daily encreasing he made choyce of Iustinian his sisters sonne to be his colleague who governed foure moneths in equall authority with his vncle and then Iustinus ended his course Iustinianus A After the death of Iustinus Iustinianus his sisters sonne governed 38. yeares Hee would suffer no faith to be openly professed except the faith allowed in the foure generall Councells Notwithstanding the Empresse Theodora his wife was a favourer of Eutyches heresie This Emperour was bent to recover all that was lost by his predecessors in Asia Africke and Europe and hee had good successe through the vertue and valour of his Captaines especially Belisarius and Narses Belisarius first fought against the Persians who had overcome not onely Mesopotamia but also many parts of Syria Antrochena and Cava Hee overcame them in battell and compelled them to goe back beyond Euphrates Next he was employed to fight against the Vandales in Africke who possessed great bounds of the Romane dominions ever since the dayes of Gensericus King of the Vandales And it is to be marked that the time was now come wherein the Lord wil declare that the blood of his Saints is precious in his eyes For since the dayes of Dioclesian that bloody persecuting Emperour no race of people persecuted Gods Saints with so barbarous cruelty as the Vandales did for zeale they had to the Arrian heresie wherewith they were infected After Gensericus Hunericus and Amalaricus and Trasimundus who closed the doores of the Temples of Christians and banished their Bishoppes to Sardinia Childericus would haue shewed some favour to Christians and reduced their Bishoppes from banishment for this cause the Vandales did slay him and gaue his kingdome to Gillimer Now the Lord remembred the grones of his owne prisoners and would not suffer the rod of the wicked perpetually to lie vpon the lot of the righteous Belisarius fought against the Vandales prosperously recovered Carthage and all the boūds pertaining to the Roman Empire possessed by the Vandales Also he tooke Gillimer their King and carried him captiue to Constantinople It is worthy of remembrance that Iustinian would not receiue into his treasure the vessels of gold which the Emperour Titus when hee burnt the Temple of Ierusalem
and Constantine had caused their father Romanus to bee shauen and thrust into an Isle called Prote And Constantine after the issue of 26. yeeres wherein Romanus and his sonnes raigned he laied hands on Stephanus and caused him to bee shauen and sent vnto the isle Mytelene and his brother to the Isle of Samothracia Thus the Lord who will not suffer iniquitie to escape vnpunished rendered to the sonnes of Romanus a iust recompence of their vnkindlie dealing with their father Otto Primus OTto the first after the death of his father Henrie was chosen Emperour and raigned 36. yeeres Hee was molested with many forraine and domestique warres but hee prospered in all his enterprises yea and Lyndolphus his owne sonne conspired against him for the marriage of Adelphed the relict of Lotharie sonne to Hugo who contended against Berengarius for the kingdome of Italie This Adelphed the Emperour Otto not onely relieued from her distressed estate but also married her The mother of Lindolphus was daughter to Edmont King of England after whose death it displeased him that his father should marrie Adelphed But when hee made warre against his father he was ouercome and besieged at Ratisbon and in the end was reconciled to his father The tyrannie of Berengarius the second enforced the Romans to implore the assistance of the Emperour Otto who led an armie to Rome at diuerse times The first time hee gathered a Councell at Rome and deposed Ioan. 13. whom others call Ioan. 12. and placed Leo 8. in his steed Likewise hee subdued Berengarius and his sonne Albertus did flie to Constantinople and so the Emperour recouered againe his owne dignitie to be king of Italie and that no man should bee chosen Pope without consent of the Emperour Againe the inconstancie of the Romans in reiecting Leo 8. and receiuing againe Ioan. 13. or 12. compelled the Emperour to returne to Rome and to punish the authors of that sedition to the death After hee had declared his sonne to be Emperour he died and was buried in the Church of Magdeburg which he had builded in his owne time In the East after Romanus the son of Constantine had raigned 3. yeeres Necâ—phorus raigned 6. yeeres a man more magnanimous in warfare then wise in government He was murthered by the Counsell of his owne wife Theophania and Zimisces raigned in his steed Otto Secundus OTto the second after his fathers death raigned ten yeeres he was a vertuous Prince but not like vnto his father Henrie Duke of Bavare contended against him for the title of the Empire but Otto prevailed Likewise Lotharie the King of France invaded the countrie of Loraine onely belonging to the Emperour But Otto gathered a strong armie recouered the Countrey of Loraine and pursued Lotharie to Paris burning and destroying all the Countrey whether hee went The third great conflict was against the Eretians assisted with the Saracons for the Countries of Apulia and Calabria These countries did appertaine of old to the Emperour of the East But Basilius with his brother Constantine willing to recouer these Countries againe did fight against the Emperour Otto and discomfited his armie and the Emperour himselfe hardly escaped in a fisher boate faining himselfe to bee but a simple Souldier and payed his ransome Afterward hee conuerted all his wrath against the Italians who had trayterouslie forsaken him and were the chiefe cause of the discomfiture of this armie hee died at Rome and was buried in the Church of S. Peter Basilius Emperour of the East raigned 50. yeeres and recouered the Isle of Candie from the Saracens and the Countryes of Apulia and Calabria from Otto as is said after whom his Brother Constantine raigned 3. yeeres Otto Tertius OTto the third was young in yeeres when his father died For hee exceeded not eleuen yeeres old notwithstanding he was chosen Emperour and raigned 19. yeeres Hee was wise aboue his yeeres and was called Mirabile mundi that is the admirable thing of the world The Italians continuallie breaking soueraigntie advanced one Crescentius to bee Emperour The Emperour Otto for suppressing such seditious attempts pearced into Italie with an armie at three diuers times and pardoned Crescentius twise But when hee made no ende of his seditious attempts the third time hee hanged him Likewise Iaon 18. whom the Seditious Romanes had advanced reiecting Gregorie the fift who was made Pope with the Emperours consent his eyes were plucked out and hee was throwne headlong from the Capitol By the prudent aduise of Otto Gregorie the fift appointed Seuen electors of the Emperour to wit the Bishops of Mentz Collen and Treer with Count Palatine the Duke of Saxonie and the Marquis of Brandenburgh and in case of contrary opinions the King of Bohemia Which custome doth continue even to our dayes One thing was lacking in the felicity of this noble Emperour that his wife Mary of Arragon was a notable and barren harlot and the widow of Cresentius and had almost bewitched his noble heart Shee being alwayes disappointed of her expectation sent vnto the Emperour a paire of impoysoned gloues which procured his death and hee was buried in Aken CENTVRIE XI Henry the second AFter Otto the third Henry the second Duke of Bavaria by the Princes Electors was declared Emperour hee raigned two and twenty yeeres Platina assigneth vnto him onely eighteene Hee was a wise valiant and godly Emperour He subdued all his rebells He received the Imperiall crown from Benedict the eight Hee expelled the Saracens out of Italy In this Emperours time Sueno King of Denmarke invaded England and subdued it to his obedience A savage Prince in whom if power had not lacked to performe his designes his cogitations were highly bended to extirpate all profession of Christian religion in England Likewise about this time Calipha of Egypt one of the Saracen Princes destroyed some of the temples of Ierusalem and poluted the rest but in speciall he overthrew the Temple builded about the Lords Sepulchre His mother was a Christian woman when that was obiected to him in way of exprobation as if hee had favoured Christians for his mothers sake hee bended all his might against the Christians destroyed and poluted their Temples and massacred in most cruell manner all them who were in spirituall offices This was the first ground of the terrible warfare which afterward ensued vulgarly called Bellum sacrum Conrad the second AFter Henry the second succeeded Conrad the second and was elected Emperour three yeares after the death of Henry In this inter-raigne many cities of Italy desirous of libertie made desertion from the subiection of the Emperour But Conrad was a wise and valiant warriour and reduced the cities of Italy in short time to subiection He was the first Emperour who made a law that the perturbers of the common peace in Germany should be punished vnto the death Hee received the Imperiall crowne from Pope Iohn 21. and raigned 15. yeeres In whose dayes
many followed him When Pope Alexander came to Rome the Townes of Italie were in great â—â—ope of libertie and rebelled against the Emperour they reedefied the towne of Millan which the Emperour had sacked and ruinated and they builded a towne called Alexandria in contempt of the Emperour and in honour of the Pope When the Emperour Frederike came to Italie hee besieged this new builded towne called Alexandria but was betraied by Henry Duke of Bauaria and Saxonia so that he escaped hardlie in the habit of a seruant and returned to Germanie The Emperour renewed his forces againe and pierced into Italie with a great armie Pope Alexander fled to Venice Otto the Emperours sonne on the other part with a well appointed nauie pursued after him hauing receiued a commandement from his father to attempt nothing against the Venetians vntil his owne comming But the young man more hardie then circumspect encountred with the Venetians and was ouercome and taken prisoner The father for relieuing of his sonne from Captiuitie was content to come to Venice and in Saint Marks Church to craue absolution from Pope Alexander When hee kneeled downe at the Popes feete the proud Pope set his foot vpon the Emperours necke and abused the words of holy Scripture Super aspidem basiliscum ambulabis conculcabis leonem draconem that is thou shall walke vpon the Lyon and the Aspe the young Lyon and the Dragon shalt thou tread vnder feet The Emperour answered non tibi sed petro that is not to thee but to S. Peter but the proud Pope replyed Et mihi petro that is both to me and to S. Peter to wit thou doest this homage The Emperour not willing to giue any further occasion of offence held his peace and so was absolued and his sonne relieued with whom hee departed from Venice After this some affirme that he led an armie to Palestina to fight against the Turks and that hee prospered vntill at length he was drowned in a certaine riuer The Christians in Ierusalem had their last helpe and refreshment from Philip king of France and Richard king of England These two besieged Acon and conquered it But there was kindled betweene the two kings a feruent heat and indignation euerie one of them enuying the honour of another so that Philip returned to France and king Richard after hee had conquered Ioppo returned also to England But by the way hee made ship-wracke and hardly escaped the perill of drowning And albeit hee disguised himselfe putting on the habite of a seruant yet he was knowne and taken prisoner by the Duke of Austria and was brought to the Emperour Henry the sixt where hee was detained vntill hee paied the ransome of 10000. pounds money After Baldowine succeeded Amalricus the sixt king of Ierusalem And after him his sonne Baldowine the 4. the 7. king of Ierusalem Hee was sickly and not meet for governement Therefore he committed the gouernement to Guido and Raimundo Count of Tripoli The discord and debate betweene Raimund and Guido presented occasion to Saladin king of Turkes to recouer againe Ierusalem and other Townes possessed by Christians for the space of 88. yeeres Henry the Sixt. AEter the death of Frederike the first his sonne Henry the sixt was declared Emperour who raigned 8. yeeres hee was Crowned by Pope Caelestinus the second who tooke Constantia the daughter of Rogerius out of a Monasterie and gaue her in marriage to Henry the sixt and both Sicils were bestowed to him in way of dowrie paying alwayes to the Bishop of Rome the fee duely that was accustomed to bee paied out of those parts Henry the sixt tooke Trancredus the young king of Sicile put out his eyes and thrust him into a Monastery and vsed great cruelty against the Bishops and other inhabitants of the Isle of Sicile So that Pope Caelestinus did excommunicate him for his Barbarous crueltie but hee went to Rome acknowledged his fault and obtained pardon together with a confirmation of the kingdome of Sicile The Pope sollicited also the Emperour to lead an armie to Asia for support of distressed Christians which thing hee performed albeit he went not thither in his owne person for he sent the Bishop of Mentz the Duke of Saxonie the Duke of Austria and the Duke of Bauaria and the Lantgraue of Thuringia with many other noble persons and with a well appointed armie But the yeere following their arriual at Palestina the report of the Emperour Henries death caused them to returne backe againe to Germanie leauing the Christians in a verie desolate care CENTVRIE XIII Philippus AFter the death of Henry the sixt Philip his brother by the helpe of the Bohems Saxons Bauaroies and Sueuians tooke on him the Emperiall authoritie contrarie to the minde of Innocentius Bishop of Rome and reigned 10. yeeres In his time the country of Germanie was tormented with most cruell wars for the Pope of Rome did excommunicate him and caused the Bishop of Colen and other electors to make Otto Duke of Saxon Emperour betweene whom and Philip were fought diuers battels But Philip defended himselfe so couragiously that by force hee held the Emperiall Crowne all his life-time against the heart both of Otto and the Roman Bishop who oftentimes had threatened that either hee would pull from Phillip the Imperiall Crowne or else that Phillip shold take from him his triple Diademe so meek was this gentle Byshop In the end the Countrey of Germanie being wearied with continuall warres entreated for peace betweene Philip and the Pope which was obtained vpon these conditions that one of Philips daughters should bee giuen in marriage to Count Richard the Popes Nephew and another of his daughters should be giuen in marriage to Otto Duke of Saxon who should for that cause denude himselfe of the Emperiall dignitie Not long after this peace was concluded the Emperour was cruellie murthered in his owne chamber by Otto Count Palatine In this Emperours daies began the kingdome of the Tartarians who came from the mountains of India with their wifes and children in 〈◊〉 1202 and began to spoyle the Prouinces nerest adiacent to themselus afterward they ouerhaled the Parchians Medes Assyrians Persians Armenians and Sarmatians and in the end setled their dwelling place at Meotidis Paludes a barbarous and fierce people practising great crueltie against all nations both of Christians and others Otto Quartus AFter the death of Philip Otto Duke of Saxon was Crowned Emperour by Pope Innocentius the third Now it was the custome that hee who was crowned Emperour vsed to distribute gifts to the Romans which custome being neglected by Otto the Romans made some commotion and tumult wherein they abused the Emperours seruants He therefore departing from Rome with great discontentment invaded certaine townes belonging to the Chaire of Rome whereby hee incurred such hatred at the Popes hands that hee was forth-with excommunicated and although the Pope hated the of-spring of Henry the sixt
Sultan of Aegypt who fained as though hee had beene flying from place to place vntill hee found the Christian armie Camping in a low place beside the riuer Nilus and then opening the sluâ—es of the water the most part of all the Christians were drowned and Damiata againe recouered The second armie was led by Fredericus the second into Asia at what time Ierusalem was recouered againe and all that Baldwine the fourth had of old in his possession was rendered to the Christians and a couenant of peace was bound vp for 10. yeeres to come as hath beene declared in the treatise of the life of Fredericke The third armie was raised vp by Theobald King of Nauarre Americus Count of Montfort Henry Count of Campanie Peter Count of Britan and Anselmus de Insula Theobald hauing the chiefe regiment of the armie which set foreward by the intisement of Gregorie the 9. before the time of the 10. yeeres peace concluded by Fredericke had taken an ende For the which cause it is not to be doubted but this voyage had the more vnprosperous successe for they had lost the third part of the armie before they came to Antiochia from thence they went to Ptolemais and from thence to Gaza The Barbarians perceiuing that this armie was set forth without the Emperours aduice because his Souldiers that were in Asia keeped the bond of peace and assisted not this armie of Theobald they laid there Ambushments in secret places wayting for advantage of the Christian armie and set vpon them when they were wearie returning from their spoiling with great prey but the Christians made strong resistance and put the aliens to flight The day next following the Barbarians renewed their forces and prevailed against the Christians Americus Count of Montfort and Henry Count of Campanie being slaine And Theobald king of Navarre with great difficultie escaped and returned home accompanied with a very few number of men who remained vndestroyed in that vnprosperous voiage The fourth armie was led by Richard Count of Cornwall whom the Pope had put in hope to be made Emperour but when hee came to Ierusalem and vnderstood by Rainoldus the Emperours deputie there of the peace which had beene concluded by a solemne couenant hee enterprised nothing against the Barbarians but subscribed the bond of peace concluded before by the Emperour Fredericke and left he should seeme to haue made all his trauels in vaine hee receiued some dropps of the Lords blood from the Patriarch of Ierusalem so blind was this seduced age that a vaine shew of counterset reliques was counted a worthie price to recompence the ieopardous trauels of Princes leading great armies from one end of the world to another After the death of Rainald the Templaries without all regard of the peace bound vp denounce warre to the Saracens and compelled the Christians in Asiato put themselues in armes But the Soldan of Aegypt sent for support of the Babylonians who sent vnto him a companie of sauadge men called Grossouij who pitched their campe at Gaza and tooke it and destroied all the Templaries that dwelt therein The like did they to the inhabitants of Askelon also the people that came to support the Templaries were vtterly cut off and finallie they set vpon Ierusalem which was easily conquered and all the inhabitants thereof were put to the sword without regard of sexe or age and the towne it selfe was subuerted neither was any building spared though neuer so ample pleasant also they subverted the Sepulchre of the Lord. The first voiage was vndertaken by Lewis King of Fraunce sonne to the Queene Blanch who being diseased and almost at the point of death vowed to God that in case hee recouered health hee would be crossed or marked with the crosse to visit the Lords Sepulchre and there solemnly to render thankes which vow also hee endeuored to performe and in the yeere of our Lord 1248. after he had receiued the Popes blessing at Lyons set forward with a mightie armie hauing in companie with him the Earle Atrabacensis his brother the Duke of Burgundy the Duke of Brabant the Countesse of Flanders with her two sonnes the Earle of Britanie with his sonne the Earle of Barrensis the Earle of Swesson the Earle of S. Paul the Earle of Druise the Earle Retel with many other noble Persons In the beginning of this enterprise they seemed to prosper well for they tooke the Towne of Damiata at their first arriuall into Aegypt which was the chiefe seat and hold of the Saracens in all Aegypt At the losse whereof the Soldan of Aegypt with the Saracens in those parts were so astonished that they offered the Christians the possession of Ierusalem and the holy Land which the Christians so much contended for prouiding they would render vnto them againe the Towne of Damiata But the Earle of Artoys the kings brother puft vp with insolent pride would in no waies suffer the offers of the Saracens to be accepted but required also Alexandria the chiefe Metropolitan towne of Aegypt to be deliuered vnto them But soone after the Soldan of Aegypt beset them so stronglie both by Sea and Land that they were glad to craue againe the peace which was offered and could not obtaine it In the ende they were purposed to leaue a Garrison to keepe Damiata and to march out in battell themselues The Earle of Artoys through his insolent pride thinking all was his owne whensoeuer he gat any small aduantage of the enemie brought himselfe and all the armie to confusion for he passed ouer a shallow foord of Nilus which a certaine Saracen lately converted to Christ had made knowne and hauing in company with him the Master of the Temple and William Longspath with his companie of English souldiers and diuers others euen the third part of the armie set vpon the Saracens when they were not aware and did them great harme This victorie obtained he would needs goe forward deuiding himselfe from the maine Hoast and besieged the Castle and Village of Mansor But the Saracens finding him separated from the rest of the army compassed him about and destroyed him and all his company in so much that scarce one man escaped aliue except two Templars one Hospitular and one poore Souldier to bring newes thereof to the King After this the Souldan suddenly appeared with multitude of innumerable thousands against the King himselfe In this miserable conflict the King with his two brethren and a few that claue vnto him were taken captiues all the residue were put to the sword or else stood to the mercy of the Saracens whether to bee slaine or remaine in wofull captivity The Souldan after the captivity of the King fraudulently suborned an army of Saracens to the number of the French army with the armes and ensignes of them that were slaine and sent them toward Damiata where the Duke of Burgundie with the French Queene and Odo the Popes Legat and other Bishops and
Iulius Caesar did write and comprehend in Latin Historie his owne acts and feats of warre done by him In this Emperours time Baiazeth the second Emperour of Turkes after long siege tooke a strong towne of Peleponesus called Methon or Modon being vnder the dominion of the Venetians and caused all the Noblemen of the Venetians and Grecians that were found in the towne to be brought into his owne presence and there most cruelly to be slaine Carolus quintus AFter Maximilian Charles King of Spaine Duke of Austria and Burgundie and nephew to Maximilian was chosen Emperour and raigned 37. yeeres He was a Prince of singular wisedome expert in warre slow to wrath and if it had pleased the Lord to haue illuminated his heart with that true light that begun to shine in his time hee might haue beene reckoned amongst the most renowned Emperours His inclination to wisedome may appeare by these witty sentences vttered by him Like as Saturne which is counted the most supreme planet hath the slowest course of all the rest even so they that are in supreme authority ought to doe all things with greatest deliberation and advisement And like as the Sunne sendeth out his beams in like brightnesse both vpon poore and rich so ought supreme Magistrates minister iustice without partiality both to poore and rich And like as the eclipse of the Sunne is a foretoken of great commotions so likewise the errors and oversights of Princes bring with them great perturbations to countries Hee was intangled with great and dangerous warres all the time of his government either against forraine Princes or some of the Empire In his warrs against the King of France hee had better successe then he could haue looked for for as much as the towne of Millaine being already taken by the King of France and the towne of Pavie in Italy likewise besieged yet the Emperours army shortly after encountred with the French-men and both vanquished them and also tooke the King himselfe prisoner and from thence conveyed him away to Spaine where through care and griefe hee fell into sicknesse but when hee was comforted by the Emperour and put in some hope of agreement hee began to take heart vnto him and recovered and in the end a peace was agreed vpon at Madruce in Spaine and the King was set at liberty leaving for pledges his two eldest sonnes But shortly after hee revoked his oath being absolved by the Bishop of Rome and said he was forced to swear or else hee should never haue beene delivered The Emperor after the delivery of the King of France gaue to Charles Duke of Burbon the Dutchie of Millaine on condition to pay 4000. ducats and finde a number of souldiers yeerely This Charles Duke of Burbon passing through Italy to Naples afterward in the Emperours quarrell besieged Rome and in the assault was slaine but his souldiers tooke the citie spoyled it and besieged the Bishop Clement with his Cardinalls in the Mount Adrian from whence hee could not be dismissed by any meanes vntill hee agreed with the souldiers Notwithstanding this the Emperour Charles being then in Spaine and staying the thunderbolt of Excommunication which the souldiers nothing regarded did excuse himselfe by letters that hee knew not of that his men had done and therefore willed the Bishop to bee set at liberty In this Emperours dayes begun reformation of religion in Germany by meanes of the disputations writings and doctrine of Martin Luther whom the Emperour laboured by all meanes to suppresse First by gathering a convention of the estates of Germany in the towne of Worms Which convention was kept in the yeere of our Lord 1521. and Martin Luther being cited by an Herald of armes to appeare before the said Councell with a letter of safe conduct by the Emperour and Princes appeared and although many perswaded him not to adventure himselfe to such a present danger yet Luther answered that he was resolved and certainely determined to enter Worms in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ although hee knew that there were so many divells to resist him as there were tyles to cover the houses in Wormes thus being presented before all the Estates of the Empire Iohn Eccius who then was the Bishop of Triers generall officiall at the Emperours command demanded of Martin two questions First whether hee confessed those bookes which were given out vnder his name to be his or no shewing herewith an heape of Luthers bookes written in the Latin and Dutch tongues Secondly whether hee would revoke and recant them or stand to all that hee had written To the first point hee answered affirmatiuely that hee would acknowledge his owne bookes As touching the second whether he would recant any thing contained in his bookes or no he craved time to premeditate what hee should speake in that matter which was the more easily granted because they were in some hope that Luther would recant some of his writings but it fell out farre otherwise then they looked for For at the time of his next appearance hee divided his bookes into three sorts some of them opened the grounds of Christian religion simply which his very enemies had counted inculpable and therefore hee would not condemne them himselfe Another sort contained invectiues against the Papacie and others of that retinue which had with their pestiferous doctrine and pernitious examples corrupted the whole estate of Christianity which bookes if hee should revoke hee should adde more force to their tyranny and his retraction should be a cloake and shadow to all their impiety and naughtinesse The third sort of his bookes were written against certaine particular persons who with tooth and naile laboured to maintaine the Romane tyranny and to deface his doctrine and these likewise hee could not recall left by his recantation it should come to pasle that tyranny and impiety supported by his meanes should rage more violently against the people then ever it did before When no recantation could be obtained nor yet submission of his writings to the iudgement of the Emperour and his Estates Martin Luther departed from Wormes being dismissed according to his promise of his safe conduct and returned to his owne countrey Soone after this the Emperour Charles to purchase favour with the Pope because hee was not yet confirmed in his Empire provideth and directeth out a solemne writ of outlawry against Luther and all them that take his part commanding the said Luther where-ever hee might be gotten to be apprehended and his bookes burned After this another convention of the Estates of Germanie was gathered at Norinberg for the suppressing of Martin Luther to which Councell Pope Adrian the sixt sent his Ambassadour Cheregatus to desire that the sentence of the Apostolick Sea and the Emperours edict against Martin Luther should bee put in execution The Princes of Germany on the other part declared great vrgent causes wherefore they were compelled to forbeare
corrections This booke also was impugned both by Protestants and Papists Of the Protestants Caspar Aquila a preacher in Turingia impugned it as a booke replenished with false doctrine and on the other side Robertus Abrincensis Episcopus impugned it for giuing libertie to Priests to marrie and permitting the people to haue the Sacrament vnder both formes While this great stirre and trouble was in Germanie in England by the authoritie of a Parliament the vse of the Masse was altogether forbidden and a booke made of an vniforme order of common prayers and administration of the Sacraments in the English tongue Edmond Boner Bishop of London and Stephen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester for obstinate defending of the Roman doctrine were depriued of their Bishoprickes and cast in prison where they continued all the time of king Edwards raigne But to returne againe to the troubles of Germanie of all the Cities of the Protestants there was none that more constantly beared out the Emperours indignation as the Citie of Magdeburg For neither would they acknowledge the councell of Trident neither yet the Emperours booke of Interim but fortified their towne against Maurice Duke of Saxonie whom the Emperour made Captaine in that warre vntill at last an agreement was made vpon easie conditions When Maurice with his garrison entered into their Citie hee grieuously blamed their Preachers that both in their bookes and pictures they had done much to his reproach but yet he exhorted them to pray for the good successe of the Emperour and the generall councell of Trident. To whom they answered that they could not pray any otherwise for that Councell that was assembled to oppresse the truth but that God would soone disturbe it and breake it vp The end of the warre against the Citie of Magdeburg was the beginning of great warre and dangerous trouble against the Emperour For Maurice Duke of Saxonie perceiuing the Emp. would not stand to his promise consulteth with forraine Princes how hee might by force deliuer his wifes father the Lantgraue and when hee found that all things were in readinesse hee begun to muster his souldiers shortly after set forth a Proclamation to the states of the Empire in the which first hee lamenteth the discord of Religion secondly he rehearseth grieuouslie the imprisonment of the Lantgraue his wifes father signifying that hee was so kept against all truth and honour to the report of all Germanie Lastly he bewaileth the pittifull estate of all Germanie and oppression of their libertie protesting that the cause of this warre was to restore the old dignitie and freedome Albert Marques of Brandenburge maketh also his Proclamation and after a long rehearsall of the miseries of Germanie referreth the cause of all to the Churchmen and therefore signifieth this warre to bee chiefely against them William the Lantgraues sonne ioyned his power with Duke Maurice at Shuinforde The king of Fraunce also ioyned in this warre and led an armie vnto Germanie As they went forward they caused the Cities to submit themselues commaunded them to pay great summes of money and displaced such as the Emperour had set in authoritie and restored their old Senatours willing them to vse their priuiledges and liberties that the Emperour before had forbidden The report of this warre and the good successe of Maurice namely after the citie of Ausbrough was by him taken made the councell of Trident to breake vp and dissolue The Emperour on the other part set at libertie Fredericke the olde Duke of Saxonie as it were to signifie to Maurice that hee should claime againe the Dukedome of Saxonie and Electorship that he enioyed and thereby to put him in more feare Albert Marques of Brandenburge in this warre shewed great extremitie to diuers cities and noble personages against the mind of Maurice and the other confederates The King of Fraunce led forward his armie to Strawsburge and hearing that communication of peace was betwixt Maurice and the Emperour and that they were in good hope to haue their Princes deliuered hee to gratifie them was content to returne to Fraunce but was much displeased that Duke Maurice would enter in communication of peace without his knowledge In the end agreement passed betweene the Emperour and Duke Maurice vpon these conditions That the Lantgraue should be set at libertie That their Religion should be quiet vntill a certaine order were taken for the same in the next assemblie of of the Empire That Maurice and the Princes confederats should suffer their souldiers to serue king Ferdinand in Hungarie That the Protestants should bee admitted Iudges in the Chamber-court with diuerse such other like conditions The end of this warre was also the beginning of another cruell warre betwixt Duke Maurice and the Marquis of Brandenburg which fell out vpon this occasion The Marquis being reconciled to the Emperour and in great favour with him did many iniuries in Germany not onely to the Bishops whom hee ever deadly hated but also to diverse Princes and Cities yea and that vnder the name of religion Duke Maurice with certaine other went against him and met at the river of Visurg where Albert was overcome But Duke Maurice was so stricken with a gun that hee died within two dayes after Before this in Germanie were seene drops of blood vpon the trees and certaine other strange sights In England about this time fell out a great alteration in religion through the death of King Edward of whom the world was not worthy Lady Mary his sister succeeding to the kingdome Shee ioyned her selfe in mariage with Philip sonne to Charles the Emperour and restored not onely the Popes supremacie dissallowed by her father King Henrie the eight but also the masse and all superstitions of the Romane Church abrogated in the dayes of King Edward her brother Also shee caused the Realme of England in the high Court of Parliament to confesse their defection from the Catholike Church and to craue absolution having there in readinesse Cardinall Poole the Popes Ambassadour to absolue them What excessiue cruelty was vsed in her time no tongue can expresse The very name of Dioclâ—sian begunne to bee lesse abhorred when the name of Queene Mary came forth Her cruelty beginning at Iohn Hooper Bishop of Glocester Iohn Bradford Laurence Saunders Rowland Taylor Iohn Rogers Preachers proceeded shortly after to Ferrar Bishop of Saint Davids whose constant death amazed the people and confirmed their mindes in the true doctrine that they had learned of him This persecution raged in all parts of the Land but specially in Kent Essex and Norhfolke Some of those parts were chiefe maintainers of her authoritie and against the mind of the Nobilitie and Councell set forward her right to the Kingdome but this reward they receiued in the end at her hands The cruell martyrdome of Cranmer Bishop of Canterbury Ridley Bishop of London Latymer Bishop of Worcester Doctor Philpot and many others with the
raising vp of the bones of the men of God Bucer and Fagius out of their graues and the cruelty intended against her owne sister Lady Elizabeth all these things being so well and amply discoursed in the Booke of Martyrs the godly Reader is to be remitted to the reading of the sayd booke Now to conclude this Historie of Charles something is to be noted of his warres with the Turkes In his time Solyman the great Turke conquered the citie of Belgrade the most sure and strong garrison of the Christians and vexed the countrey of Hungarie He besieged the Isle of Rhodes and tooke it to the great shame and rebuke of Christian men who provided not support for the Rhodians that resisted the common enemy so long and so couragiously After this Solyman slew Lewis King of Hungarie and Paulus Bishop of Collen who more rashly then wisely with a small power of foure and twenty thousand men encountered the great Turke leading an army of 200000. souldiers Also hee besieged Vienna but was mightily resisted and repulsed with losse of a great number of his army all this was done before the Emperour Charles began to stirre himselfe against the Turke but when the matters of religion in Germanie were put to some point in the Councell of Ratisbon the Emperour raised an army of eighty thousand footmen and thirty thousand horsemen and compelled the Turke to raise his siege from the towne of Gunza and with speed to retyre backe to Constantinople After this Charles sayled with an army vnto Africa and restored the King of Tunis to his kingdome againe whom Barbarossa Admirall of the Turkes Navie in Africke had dispossessed and deprived of his kingdome In this same voyage he delivered 20000. captiues out of servitude Notwithstanding Solyman with vnsatiable ambition pnft vp to conquer all Europe was ever subduing townes and Isles as Corcyra Zacynthus Cythara Naxus with diverse others also the towne of Newcastle in Dalmatia and Buda in Hungarie which hee obtained by meanes of Frier Cogdridge Tutor to Stephen sonne to Iohn Vaivod of Transilvania and meanes of the relict widow of the sayd Vaivod These two sent for aide to the Turke against Ferdinand and the Turke not neglecting so good an occasion came to Hungarie discharged the Hoast of Ferdinand that was besieging Buda and got the citie into his owne hands Which done hee prevailed mightily in Hungarie and tooke the towne called Quinque ecclesiae and Strigonium Alba regalis and Vizigradum and it was an easie matter for him to haue conquered all Hungarie in respect the Emperour Charles was so busie in warres with the King of France that the common enemy of all Christian people had leave to rage at his owne pleasure and had it not beene the gracious providence of God pitying the misery of Christian people who stirred vp the Persian Sophie against Solyman and droue him backe out of Europe for a time and likewise the murther of his owne sonne Mustapha which stirred vp a peece of a Tragedie in his owne house the Christian people had no doubt beene brought to greater extremities in Solymans dayes The vnprosperous voyage of the Emperour to Argier I passe by and many conventions of Estates in Germanie kept for quieting of religion and preparation for warre against the Turkes In the end the Emperour finding himselfe troubled with sicknesse resigned the gouernment of the Low Countries into the hands of King Philip his sonne and surrendred the Imperiall crowne vnto the Electors of Germany sayled vnto Spaine where hee entered into an house of religion and gaue himselfe to meditation and prayer and there concluded his life Ferdinandus AFter that Charles the fift had surrendered the Imperiall crowne into the hands of the Electors of Germany they assembled at Frankford and there elected Ferdinand King of Bohemia and brother to the forenamed Charles the fift to bee Emperour who raigned seven yeeres The ancient manner was that he should be crowned in the forenoone at masse but because diverse of the Electors would not in any wise come to masse the coronation was solemnized in the afternoone and the masse with other like ceremonies omitted To this King before hee was elected Emperour his Nobles in the countrey of Bohemia made earnest supplication that they might bee permitted to vse the Sacrament in both kindes according to Christs institution but he strictly commanded them they attempted no alteration in religion Neverthelesse the Nobility continuing constant in the purpose of their mindes at last after many earnest suits obtained their desire In France about this time the persecution of the Protestants waxed hot and King Henry the second was sore grieved that the Parliament of Paris it selfe could not be kept free of this new doctrine as hee called it Wherefore hee caused Annas Burgeus an honourable and wise Counsellor to be taken to whom hee spoke in great wrath that hee would stand by and see his body burnt for that new religion which hee favoured But hee was wonderfully cut off before hee could get his heart satisfied with that pitifull spectacle of the burning of a noble Counsellor For God so disposed the matter that the King cloathed all in armour put a speare in one of his subiects hands and compelled him against his will to runne at him at which time the said speare broke and a small splinter of it entring at the Kings eye pierced into his braine whereby hee died Yet by his death was not the foresaid persecution relented but rather vehemently augmented for Francis the second succeeding to his father Henry in the the kingdome married Mary Queene of Scots who was descended of the linage and stocke of the house of Guise By this meanes the Guisians were in great credit and authority with the King and presumed to high things not onely to suppresse the Gospell vtterly in France but also in Scotland For at this time a great part of the Nobility and people of Scotland had shaken off the yoke of the Romane Bishop they had throwne downe Altars and Images and had forsaken all the superstitious ceremonies of the Romane Church The Guisians purposing to supresse the Scotish Nobility sent out of France into Scotland an army of 4000 men vnder the conduct of Monsieur La Broch This army assisted the Queene regent to reduce backe againe the kingdome of Scotland to the Romish religion But the Scottish Nobility obtayned helpe of the Queene of England and brought the Frenchmen to such extremity that they were compelled to accept conditions of peace and to retyre backe againe to France So this first high attempt of the Guisians against the reformed religion in Scotland was by the providence of God disappointed In France the King with advice of the Guisians had appointed a nationall Councell to bee kept in Orleance for the quieting the tumults which were like to ensue for religion in France but all was done in hypocrisie and with deceitfull
the Protestants in crauing so great liberties put the enemies in suspicion and feare that the Nobles of Fraunce had secretlie banded themselues with the Protestants About the same time Count Mongomry had returned out of England had taken some townes in Normandy but soone after he was besieged in Donfront a town of Normandy by Matigonus the kings Lieutenant in those parts to whō he yeelded himself vpon certain conditions which were not kept vnto him but he was sent immediatly to Paris to the king The Duke of Aniow had departed from France to the kingdome of Polonia the king of France was fallen sicke also many noble men in the land were highlie offended at the ambition pride and crueltie of the Queene mother who had not onely cut off the noble men of the Protestants but also intended the like crueltie against many other noblemen in Fraunce whose names were insert in the bloody roll of the Massacre albeit they professed the Roman religiō The Queene mother knowing that she was vehementlie hated in the land and fearing left this matter should tend to her vtter disgrace and abandoning of all her authoritie thought meete to prevent all the deuices of the nobilitie of France against her and begun to lay hands on those of the Nobilitie whom she most suspected and cast them in prison such as D. Alauscone her owne son whom she knew to be discontent with her forme of gouernment and the king of Navarre also Monmerance and Cassens Marescallis The Prince of Condie also was to be taken but he conveyed himselfe away secretly vnto Germanie In the meane time the king died in the moneth of May Anno. 1574. with greateffusion of blood from many parts of his body And the Queene mother had all the gouernment in her owne hand vntill the returning of her son out of Polonia whom shee aduertised of the death of his Brother Charles and desired him without all delay to returne againe to Fraunce In the meane time the cruell heart of the Queene mother thirsting for blood procured that Count Mongomrie should be condemned to death This is that noble man who had slaine king Henry the father of Charles with a speare whom king Henry would not suffer to be harmed for that cause it being done in game and against Mongomries heart Neuerthelesse when he came in the hands of this mercilesse woman he must die Before king Henry returned out of Poland vnto France the Prince of Condie had sent from Germanie to France Messengers to declare to the Protestants the great care of his minde to advance the Religion and to procure the peace and libertie of his countrie who also was chosen to be generall commaunder of all the Protestants Many Catholikes were associate with him who being of a contrarie religion notwithstanding tooke armes with the Prince of Condie to restore the countrie to the owne libertie In the moneth of December Anno 1574. the king came to Lyons where the Queene mother accōpanied with Alauscon her son and the king of Navarre and Duke of Guise were awaiting for his cōming In this towne they aduised what was most expedient to be done whether they should prosecute the war or they should quiet the countrie with new edicts of pacification The Queene mothers aduise was that the king should assault the townes of Languedok Delphine that were kept by the Protestants because the presence and terrour of the king would so astonish the peoples hearts that incontinent they would yeeld and giue ouer the townes into the kings hands This aduise was followed and the king besieged the towne of Pusinum in Viuaret tooke it also the towne of Libero in Delphin was strōgly besieged but the king was cōpelled to leaue his siege to depart from the towne which according as the name of it foretokened remained free and vnconquered by the aduersaries during the time of this siege the Cardinal of Loraine died vpon this occasion The king being in Avinion some Paenitentiaries fortuned to scourge themselues in a cold winter season the Cardinall would ioyne himselfe to their fellowship and walked barefooted in the companie of those Paenitentiaries wherby he contracted a deadlie disease and soone repented this repētance The king himselfe was content to afflict his body after the same forme which was expoūded by many to be an euil presage that he should not conquer that little towne of Libero but should be scourged from the towne leaue the siege of it with shame which truly came to passe From thence the king went to Paris to his Coronation where many Ambassadours came to the king not only from the Prince of Condie who as yet remained in Basile but also from the D. of Sauoy and the Cantons of the Switzers and from the Queene of Englād to treat for peace but al their trauels were ineffectuall for the conditions of the peace could not be agreed vpon so the war continued waxed hote In Languedoke Anvillius although he was of the Romane religion yet had ioyned himselfe to the Protestants and tooke Agnes Mortes a towne of great importance in those parts with many other townes In Delphin Mombruniris was chiefe commaunder and had so good sucesse in all his attempts that he was a great terrour to the aduersaries In the end he was sore wounded and taken beside Dia a towne in Delphine and by the commaundement of the king and Queene mother was carried to Grenoble and there was executed in the sight of the people This war was much different from the former warres wherein those that were of one religion were also on one side but now the Catholikes were mingled with the Protestāts which thing albeit it seemed for a time to augment their number yet in the end it turned to euill as shall be declared hereafter God willing The Prince of Condie had required helpe of Cassimire the sonne of Count Palatine who also had condiscended to support the distressed Church of Fraunce and very strict obligations of mutual duties were passed between them as these namely that they should not dissolue their armes vntill that libertie were obtained to the Protestants fullie to enioy their owne Religion And likewise that Cassimire should haue the townes of Metis Tullion and Verdum in his hands besides other townes in all the Provinces of France which the Protestants were to require for there further assurance and as pledges of the Kings fidelitie faithfulnesse towards them While this armie of Cassimire was marching forward towards Loraine Alauscon the kings brother departed from Court and many of the nobilitie of France resorted to him all pretending that they could not suffer the countrie to be exhausted with ciuill warres and the people to be vexed with exorbitant and vnnecessarie taxations All those tumults were found in the end to be the subtile policies of the Q. mother by the meanes of Alauscon her son to
In the beginning of March the Duke de Maine with all his forces passed over the bridge of Maule which is about eight miles from Dreux whereof the King being advertised provided for his affaires and the twelfth of the same moneth set himselfe on the way to goe against his enemies On the thirtith day the King after hee had ordered his army made an earnest prayer to God and looked for battell but there were nothing but skirmishes wherein the Leaguers had the worst The next day the battels ioyned neere to the towne of Dreux wherein the King obtained a great victory and overthrew all the footmen of the Leaguers which were counted to the number of twelue thousand men Onely the Switzers who cast downe their weapons and yeelded to the King together with the Frenchmen who were mingled amongst them had their liues spared also fifteene hundred horsemen of the Leaguers were slaine and drowned and foure hundred taken prisoners The Duke de Maine fled towards Dreux and when he was entred the towne broke vp the bridge before his owne people were all come which was the cause of the death of a great number of his army especially of the Rutters of whom a great sort were drowned In this battell the army had their ioy mixed with sorrow at the first for they saw not the King returne but within a while after they espyed him comming all stained with the blood of his enemies not having shed one droppe of his owne whom they discryed onely by the great plume of white fethers which hee had in his creast and that which his palfrey had on his head all the army gaue hearty thankes to God for his safetie crying with one voyce God saue the King The Duke de Maine and other Captaines of the league being frustrate of their hope and seeing their army thus spoyled betooke themselues to their ordinarie shifts which was to feed the Parisians with fable and lyes publishing that in the battell they had almost eqâ—all losse and that the King if hee was not already dead hee was neare vnto it But the people being every day more and more ascertained of the truth began to grudge and to be desirous of peace so that the Duke of Maine tooke his iourney towards the Duke of Parma to obtaine support from him The King drew nigh to Paris and shut vp the passages of the river of Seane being master of Mance and Poyssie on the one side and Corbell Melum and Monterean on the other side of Paris so that neither from aboue nor from below could any provision bee carryed to Paris by the river of Seane likewise by taking of Lagnay and the fort of Gonrey hee stopped the passage of the river of Merue and by taking Compienge Creil and Beaumont hee stopped the passage of the river of Oisso or Ayne In that populous towne the famine was soone felt and within the space of three moneths moe then an hundred thousand dyed in the towne yet the most part of them stirred vp by the seditious Preachers were content rather to endure an hundred deathes then to acknowledge their owne soveraigne King whom they called an Heretique and a favourer of them The Duke de Maine having obtained promise of support from the Duke of Parma returned from Beuxellis whom the King pursued from Laon to Meux where hee inclosed himselfe betweene two rivers waiting for the comming of the Duke of Parma The King hoped for battell so soone as the Duke of Parma was ioyned with the Duke de Maine but the Duke of Parma got vp to an hill to view his enemies army and after hee had throughly noted it hee tooke resolution not to fight but to fortifie and entrench his army within a great marrash and so by meanes of his intrenchments hee eschewed the hazard of battell and came to Paris and named himselfe the deliverer of it But after he had stayed a while in Paris the principall Captaines of the league began to giue the Duke of Parma thankes for his good will and entreated him to goe with his people to Breuxelis againe This request or secret command fell out very well for the Duke For on the one part his army was seene by all men dayly to waste and himselfe did plainely behold that hee stood in the midst of an inconstant multitude Therefore hee dressed himselfe homeward with all possible speed and the king pursued him to the very frontiers of Artoys The Duke of Parmaes comming serued to none other purpose but to fill their purses with the gold of Peru and to entangle and bring their affaires vnto a remedilesse end for in the beginning of the yeere 1591. the King continued his siege and the Parisians were fallen into their wonted distresses as before But we leaue for a while and marke the estate of the rest of the countrey In the countrey of Dauphein Francis de Bonne Lord of Diguireres chased the Leaguers out of that part and became master of Grenoble In Normandy the Duke of Montpensier wonne Honfleur and forced the Leaguers to forsake field In Poictou the Vicount dela Guerche commanding over certaine regiments of footmen and horsemen and finding about a thousand of naturall borne Spaniards newly come from Brittaine to doe some great exployt they were all charged by the Baron de la Rotche Pose and others of the Kings chiefe servitors In this conflict la Guerche was compelled to see 300. Gentlemen of his most assured favourers slaine and lying on the ground at the which sight hee was so abashed that hee fled to the next river where finding the boat and thinking to goe over easily the throng was so great that the boate and all the passengers sunke to the bottome La Guerche was there drowned with a great number of others There perished in the water and in the fight moe then seven hundred Spainards some supposed this losse of the Leaguers to be little lesse then that of Coutras by reason of the great number of the Nobility that dyed therein Likewise the Lord Digners overthrew in the plaine of Portcharre the Duke Savoyes army commanded by Amedio the Dukes bastard sonne and Don Pleneres a Spanish Captaine and the Marquis of Treuic and others There were slaine vpon that plaine 2000. and 500. of the Dukes army and a great number were taken prisoners being for the most part Gentlemen of command The booty which was gotten amounted to the summe of two hundred thousand crownes The next day two thousand Romanes and souldiers of Millaine who with their Commander the Earle of Galcot of Belioyense were saved within the Castle of d' Analon at length yeelded themselues to the Kings mercy but the fury of the souldiers could not bee quenched till they had slaine sixe or seven hundred of them The rest having white roddes in their hands given them in stead of pasports were sent home to Italy In the meane time the King handled his affaires so
busily that hee had taken the townes of Chartresse and Noyon and taken order that Paris should still bee inclosed on every side so that the great tribute and taxes which were gathered for the bringing in of victuals to the Parisians and for the maintenance of their troopes did gleane away their money peece after peece and brought the people to great poverty Likewise the King after the taking of Noyon sent som of his troops to Normandie to tame those of Roan who shewed themselues no lesse obstinate then the Parisians The Leaguers had none other shift but againe to cry for ayde of the Duke of Parma who entred into France the second time with foure thousand footmen and three thousand horsemen besides some Italians conducted by S. Fondrat Earle of Mont Martian and three thousand Switzers At this his approaching to Roane the towne of Candebec was yeelded to him howbeit he did not keep it long and hee entred into Roane but made no tarrying there because his purpose was to set forward to Paris The King on the other part sent to all the neighbour townes such as Louviers Mance Menlan Vernon and others where his garrisons were that they should march towards him which was speedily performed so that in sixe dayes his army grew to more then three thousand horsemen and six thousand footmen With this companie the King followed the Duke of Parmaes army and charged diverse times so roughly that at one time they lost six hundred of their number another time two thousand and fiue hundred and so fled shamefully towardes Paris and from thence to Brie and last they came to Artoys where within few moneths the Duke of Parma with his troopes melted like waxe in the Sunne S. Fondrat saw his people also confounded Besides this good successe the Kings favourites in many other parts of the Land still continued prevailing against their enemies The Duke of Bouillone Mariscall of France accompanied with foure hundred horse and two hundred hagbuziers onely overthrewe before Beaumont the Lord of d' Amblise high Mariscall of Loraine and the Dukes Lieutenant generall accompanied with two thousand footmen and eight hundred horsemen Amblize was slaine in the field with more then seven hundred others his artillery wonne all his corners and ensignes taken and 400. Lance-knights sent away vnarmed In Languedocke Duke de Ioyense the brother of him who was slaine at Coutras had besieged Montaban and Villemure but Thimenes issuing out of Villemure constrained the Duke to forsake the held with the losse of three thousand men three canons and two culverines The bridge which the Duke had builded over Tie was cut vp and was almost the cause of all their deaths Ioyense himselfe overcome with dispaire in this distresse was heard to vomit out these desperate words Farewell my great canons ha I renounce God I runne this day an high fortune and therewith desperatly hee plunged himselfe horse and all into the river Tae This was the miserable end of this cruell proude and blasphemous young Duke who was much lamented of the Leaguers for whom hee had done many great exployts The Kings army in that part consisting of fiue hundred horsemen and two thousand and fiue hundred hagbuziers besides those that were within the towne of Villemure withdrew themselues in good order vnto their garrisons after they had given thankes to God for so prosperous a victory After all those successes which God granted to the King followed his defection from his religion in the moneth of Iuly Anno 1593. The Archbishops Bishops and Doctors of Sorbon were appointed to meet at Mance the fifteenth of Iuly without any mention of the Protestants Ministers who were before put from the King By whose perswasion the King was induced to heare and see masse sung in the Cathedrall Church of Saint Denise the fiue and twentith day of Iuly All this asswaged not the furie of the Leaguers who still continued in their wonted malice against the King and stirred vp a wicked man called Peter Burrier alias Bar borne at Orleance to slay the King This man was committed to prison at Melun the sixe and twentith day of August where hee confessed that hee was seduced by a Capushan Fryer at Lyons and by a Curat and Vicar of Paris and also by a Iesuit closely to follow the King and to murther him with a two edged knife which also was found about him He was drawne through the streets of Melun where then the King was they cut off his right arme holding the murthering knife therein and after burned the same also his armes legs and thigh-bones were broken vpon a wheele where he languished certaine houres till hee dyed The King seeing that the malice of his enemies still continued resolued no longer to beare the same wherefore hee caused a declaration to be imprinted and published in the beginning of the yeere 1594. containing an Oration of the mischiefes and vnfaithfull practises of the Leaguers Prescribing a moneths liberty as well to the chiefe of the Leaguers as to the clergie cities townes communalties yea and to all men generally within the same to acknowledge him their King and to submit themselues to his gouernment The time once past hee would revoke his grace favour accounting them to be rebells and guilty of high treason for contempt of his Kingly offer The report of this declaration and the preparations which the King made to chastise their stubborne opinions amazed the very principall of the league and the most part of the rebellious townes and commons The towne of Meux in Brie a small iourney from Paris yeelded themsselues to the King the eleventh of Ianuary and by a pithy letter exhorted the Parisians to follow their example Soone after the cities of Orleance Lyons Roane Poicters Bourges Haure de grace Pontean de Mervernueil at Perche Pointoise Riome in Anergne Peron and mondidier in Picardie were received in favour and those of Annens and Abeveil after they had remained neuters a while shortly after acknowledged their soveraigne King Last of all the towne of Paris yeelded to the King in the moneth of March Wherein it is to bee noted that the Kings troopes entred so peaceably into the towne that within two houres after the shops were all set open and the towne appeared so peaceable as if there had never beene any change In Picardie the towne of laon was fortified against the King by the Spaniards forces yet was compelled to yeeld Soissons and La Fere which were possessed by the Duke de Maine and the Spaniards would not yeeld and the towne and fort of Blauel in Britannie was also fortified against the King But now seeing the League inclined to an hastie ruine the last refuge was by horrible treason to cut off Henry the fourth as they had done Henry the third before To this effect they stirred vp a young stripling named Iohn Castill about 18. or 19. yeeres of age
to slay the King as he was returning from Picardie to Paris Thus vpon the 27. day of December Anno 1584 â—as the King was readie booted and spurred to returne from Picardie to Paris within a chamber at Lououre this stripling went into the chamber amongst the presse and as the King was busily occupied in receiuing his Nobles and in a princely manner kissing them for his farewell suddenly he would haue stricken the King in the bodie with a knife he had in his hand But by reason his Maiesty was very readie to take vp the Lords which were on their knees before him in his stooping he strucke him in the face on the vpper iaw on the right side therewithall cutting out one of his teeth Presently this miserable caitiue was taken and after examination vnderstanding that he was a scholler of the Iesuites the King said And must it needs be that the Iesuits must be confounded by my mouth This parricide being brought to prison freely declared all the circumstances of his euill intent discouering many of the Iesuits secret practises Amongst many other things he remembred he heard the fathers of that holy societie say that it was lawfull to kill the King that he was excommunicated out of the Church that he was not to be obeyed nor taken for their King vntill such time as he was allowed by the Pope The Court of Parliament condemning this Castile of Treason in the highest degree caused him to be brought naked in his shirt before the principall part of the Cathedrall Church in Paris holding in his hand a taper of waxe lighted there to confesse his haynous sinne asking forgiuenesse of God the King and the lawes which done he was conveyed to the place of execution carrying in his hand the murthering knife wherewith he intended to murther the King the which was there first cut off his flesh pulled off with hot burning Pincers both from his armes and thighs after that his bodie was drawne in peeces with foure horses and cast into the fire and consumed to ashes and the ashes scattered in the winde Likewise the said Court of Parliament ordeined that all the Priests and Schollers of Clermont colledge and all other of the same societie of Iesus to be holdeâ— and reputed as corrupters of youth disturbers of the publique peace enemies to the King and State and to avoyde within three dayes after the Proclamation of this edict out of Paris and all other townes and places where their Colledges are and within 15. dayes after out of the kingdome on paine if being found after the time prefixed to be punished as guiltie of the said crime of treason Besides these horrible troubles that were in France in the dayes of this Emperour Rodulph the King of Spaine prepared a great armie to invade the Realme of England This armie was counted invincible and of most admirable preparation it conteined an hundreth and thirtie Ships wherein were as many Regiments having an hundreth seuentie two Ensignes and 20000. fighting men besides the number of 1000. moe that had nothing to doe with armes also their furniture and provision was exceeding great for they had 11000. Quintals of Biscat 14170. Pipes of Wine 6500. Quintals of Bacon 3433. Quintals of Cheese 8000. Quintals of dried fish of all sorts 6320 Bushels of Beanes and Pease 11398. Roues and Measures of oyle 23870. Roues of Vineger And 11850. Pipes of fresh Water besides the victuals and necessaries of houshold that were in great number and of all sorts The armes reserued for store were 7000. Caleeuers their furnitures a 1000. Muskets a 1000. Lances a 1000. Partisants and Halbards 6000. Pikes More Pickaxes Payles and other instruments then would serue for 700. Pioners With this number and in this manner being prepared the armie departed out of Lisbone vnder the conduct of the Duke de Medina Gidonia assisted with 22. Lords of estate councell and experience But it had searce entred into the sea sailing toward the Gnongnes in Gallicia but there arose a storme with so great force that the Navie was constrained to put to land and there to stay till winde and weather serued hauing lost in that storme three Gallies of Portugalls and many of them so scattered and bruised that they were not seruiceable for that Voyage The storme being calmed and the weather good about the 22. of Iulie the Generall caused them to set saile so fortunately that in lesse then fiue dayes after they descryed the point or end of Cornwall and at the same time they were seene from Plimmouth by the Admirall of England and Sr Francis Drake Vice admirall who made them turne their faces and gaue them such a skirmish and that so neere that the Ships were in disorder and a great Gallion lost wherein was found a part of the treasures that the Armie brought with it and all the instructions which the Duke de Medina had and what he should doe having Conquered England At the last the Navie got as farre as Callis where it should haue ioyned with the Duke of Parma but the Armie of England that fought to impeach it followed it and that so nie that it was forced to leaue her Anchor-hold confusedly to flie away Their principall Gallias among other Vessels was by the streames cast vpon the sands hard by the hauen of Callis there with his Ordnance was left for the governor of Callis After this it made toward the North seas passing betweene Norway and Scotland and so toward Ireland where those northerne seas being as then risen according to the time of yeare were very tempestuous and vsed the rest of the armie very hardly for it drowned and sunke 17. great Vessels vpon the coast of Ireland and spoyled broke and ouerthrew diuers others in such manner that of 130. Shippes there were scarcely 30. that returned to SPAINE Here endeth the first Booke THE SECOND BOOKE OF THE HISTORY OF the Church Containing a briefe Catalogue of the beginnings proceedings and deaths of all the Bishops Popes Patriarches Doctors Pastors and other learned men in Europe Asia and Africa since Christs dayes vntill this present CENTVRIE I. Of Apostles AFter the Lords resurrection his twelue Apostles were indued with grace from aboue and sent forth to convert all people to the obedience of Christ whose travels the Lord so wonderfully blessed that within a short time many thousands of all Nations Languages whom God had appointed to eternall life were converted to the faith of Christ. This conquest that Christ made by the Ministrie of twelue poore and contemptible men is more worthie to be called a Conquest then all the valiant exployts of Cyrus Alexander Caesar and other Conquerours For he made this conquest by a small handfull of poore and infirme Disciples also he conquered not onely the bodies of men but also their hearts to his obedience and finally he made this conquest not by shedding of peoples blood but by
relieued Rome from the siege of the Lombardes but also bestowed vppon the chaire of Rome the dominions of Rauenna and Penta-polis appertaining to the Emperour of the East and which they enjoyed since the death of Narses 170. yeeres In so doing there was such bargaining betwixt the kinges of France and the Popes as was of olde betwixt Herod and the Iewes he gratified them with the blood of Christes Apostles and they gratified him on the other part by giuing to him the glory of God Euen so Zacharias bishop of Rome bestowed vpon Pipinus the kingdome of France which duly appertained to another and Pipinus againe bestowed vpon the chaire of Rome the dominion of Rauenna Pentapolis which duely appertained to the Emp. of the East It shall not be amisse to make a particular rehearsall of the townes territories bestowed vpon the church of Rome by the donatioÌ„ of Pipinus but not of Constantine as they haue rumored most fabulously many yeares agoe In primis Rauenna Bononia Imola Fauentia Commaclum Hadria Pompilii Forum Leuii Forum Cesena Bobium Ferraria Ficoclas and Gabellum all these townes were vnder the dominion of Rauenna And in Pentapolis Ariminum Pisaurum Concha Fanum Senogallia Ancona Auximum Hummanam Aesium Sempronij Forum Mons Feretri Vrbium Balmense territorium Callas Luceolos Engubium together with the Castles and lands appertaining to these townes to wit the Prouinces called in our time Romandiola Marca Anconitana and of olde Aemilia Flaminea PicenuÌ„ Thus we see what a rich reward the chaire of Rome obtained for their defection froÌ„ the Emp. of the East and their fauour towards the kings of France Also for further confirmatioÌ„ of friendship betwixt the bishops of Rome and the kings of France Pope Stephanus the 2. procured that he should be inuited to be witnes at the baptisme of the king of Fraunce his yong son at which time as a man couetous of vaine glorie he suffered Pipinus Charles his son to kisse his feet to hold his stirrope to lead his horse by the brible and finally he was content to be mounted vp and carried vpon the shoulders of men leauing behind him an example of stinking pride to the posterity after following After Stephanus the secoÌ„d succeeded his brother Paulus the first who continued 10. yeeres and one month In antichristian pride he was nothing inferiour to his predecessours for he sent Ambassadours to the Emperour of the East Constantinus Copronymus to exhort him to restore againe the images of the Saints which hee had demolished with intermination of cursing if hee refused to bee obedient to the popes counsell In his time Aâ—stulphus King of Lombardes dyed and Desidâ—rius the last King of Lombards raigned in his stead Constantine the brother of Desiderius King of Lombardis succeeded to Paulus the first a man admitted to the Popedome before he received Ecclesiasticall orders therefore hee was hated of the people of Rome and denuded of his Papall dignity after hee had continued one yeere and one moneth Some writers affirme that his eyes were thrust out and that hee was sent to a Monasterie others affirme that hee was burnt with fire by the hatefull malice of the Romanes To him succeeded Stephanus the third who ruled foure yeeres fiue moneths and twenty seven dayes Hee gathered a Councell at Rome in the which twelue Bishops of France sent thither by Charles de Maine were present with the Bishoppes of Italy who disauthorized Constantine his predecessor and annulled all his decrees Likewise they damned the seventh generall Councell convened in Constantinople by Constantinus Copronymus wherein the worshipping of Images was disallowed But in this Laterane Councel assembled by Stephanus the third the worshipping of Images got allowance And it was thought that God and the Saints were in worser case then mortall Princes in case that Images might be made to represent mortall Princes but not to represent God and his Saints It was rumored in this Popes time that Charles King of France was of intention to marrie Bertha the daughter of Desiderius King of Lombards Stephanus fearing left this marriage should vndoe the friendship lately tracted betwixt the Bishops of Rome and the King of France disswaded Charles from the marriage aforesayd as if the marriage of a woman of the kindred of the Lombards were a mixing of darkenesse with light and of Belial with Christ. And the menacing letter of Stephanus the third prevailed so farre at the hands of Charles the Great that he repudiated Bertha the daughter of Desiderius his lawfull maried wife after he had cohabited with her one yeere and hee married another woman named Hildegarde of the Dukerie of Sweue These are the fruits of Antichristian pride to threaten the torments of hell against the Princes of the world for marriage if so be they fore-see any damage may redound to the chaire of Rome by the marriage of Princes After Stephanus the third succeeded Adrian the first and governed twenty three yeares ten moneths and seventeene dayes In his dayes Charles the Great came into Italy with an army and Desiderius King of Lombards his wife and children to Lions in France and vtterly subdued the kingdome of the Lombards which had continued in Italy 204. yeeres Now in the yeere of our Lord 776. this kingdome was abolished and vndone by Charles the Great king of France for the fauour he carried towardes the chaire of Rome Likewise hee augmented the donation of his father Pipinus and he bestowed vpon the Church of Rome the Isle of Corsica and the places lying betwixt Luca and Parma with the Dukedomes Spoleto and Benevento This being done Charles returned back againe to France carying with him Bertha his brothers wife and her children who came to Adrian Bishop of Rome hoping for favour at his hands and that he should haue anoynted her sonnes to bee Kings of France seeing Carolamannus their father was now dead but he delivered them into the hands of Charles and so Charles the Great raigned without exception as absolute Commander of France Irene the Empresse of the East during his Popedome assembled a great Councell at Nice in Bythinia where the adoration of Images was allowed In this Councell the Popes Ambassadors were present and his owne letter was read in the Councell no man gaue greater allowance to the worshipping of Images then Pope Adrian did as shall be declared God willing in the head of Councels It is to be marked that Platina writing of the death of Constantinus Copronymus is compelled to beare witnesse to the truth and testifie that the opinion of the leprosie of Constantine the Great was a notable fable and that it sprung vp by occasion of the disease of Constantinus Copronymus the father in law of the Empresse Irene To Adrian succeeded Leo the third and governed one and twenty yeeres He was hated by Pascalis and Campalus who lay in wait for him at the Church
of S. Silvester threw him down to the ground spoyled him of his pontificall garments beat him with many strokes and finally cast him into prison and bonds but hee escaped by the meanes of a cubiculare named Albinus and lurked in the Vaticane vntill the time that Vnigisius Duke of Spoleto conveyed him safely vnto his bounds At this time Charles King of France had warres against the Saxons The Bishop of Rome who came to him to complaine of the iniuries which hee had received was sent backe againe very honourably accompanied with the souldiers of Charles King of France and with promise that he should without delay addresse his iourney towards Italy When Charles came to Italy the Popes enemies were so dashed with feare they durst not appeare to accuse him and the Clergie of Rome thought meet that no man should iudge of the Apostolike chaire but the Bishop of Rome should bee his owne iudge Leo tooke the booke of the Gospell in his hands and swore that hee was innocent of all the crimes obiected against him and so hee was absolved and Pascalis and Campulus the friends of the late deceased Pope Adrian were counted worthy of death but Pope Leo interceded for safety of their liues so they were banished to France For this benefit Leo caused Charles to be declared Emperour of the West and crowned him with the Imperiall Diadem And from that time forwards the custome began that Emperours should receiue their Coronation from the Bishop of Rome Notwithstanding of this it was ordained that no man should be elected Bishoppe of Rome without advise of the Emperour of the West and without receiving investment from him Patriarchs of Constantinople THe Patriarches of Constantinople in this Centurie placed and displaced according to the changeable conceits of the Emperours Vnder th raigne of Iustinian the second Cyrus was Patriarch whom Philippieus removed and advanced one named Iohn who had fore-told that hee should bee made Emperour This Iohn was infected with the heresie of the Monothelites and was remooved by Artemius by whom Germanus was advanced to the chaire of Constantinople Germanus continued vntill the raigne of Constantinus Copronymus Hee was deposed and excommunicated by the generall Councell assembled by Constantinus because he allowed the worshipping of Images To him succeeded Anastatius who albeit hee disliked Images yet hee was vnthankfull to the Emperour and favoured the seditious attempts of the people of Constantinople who advanced Artabasdus to the Imperiall dignity Moreover hee slandered the Emperour as if hee had spoken against the divinity of Christ. Hee received a iust recompence of his vnthankefulnesse for he was deposed and scourged and set vpon an Asse with his face towards the Asses tayle and made a ridiculous spectacle to the people After him Constantine a Monke was made Patriarch who at the first seemed to condemne Images but afterward hee was found to bee a maintayner and allower of them The Emperour banished him to Iberia where hee spake contumeliously both of the Emperour and of the Councell holden at Constantinople therefore he was brought back againe from banishment and was beheaded and his body was drawn through the town with a cord and cast into a pit where the bodies of malefactors were accustomed to be cast After him succeeded Nicetas a man vnlearned and advanced by the Emperor Const. Copron. for none other cause but onely for his zeale against the worshipping of Images After him succeeded Paulus Cyprius who in the dayes of Const. Copron. damned the worshipping of images but afterward changed his minde and vnder the raigne of Irene entred into a Monastery and lamented that hee had consented to the abolishing of images The vaine inconstancy of this timorous and superstitious man was the chiefe occasion of the convocation of the second Councell of Nice by the Empresse Irene To him succeeded Tarasius who was present and gaue allowance to the adoration of Images The prevailing power of the Saracens in Alexandria Antiochia and Ierusalem did so obscure the names of the Patriarchs of there cities that I haue no remarkeable thing to write of them in this Centurie Of Pastors and Doctors IN this declining age wherein spirituall grace dayly decayed and nothing increased except an heap of earthly treasures which God permitteth to be poured into the bosomes of them who loue the wages of iniquity Alwayes even at this time some men of good literature and learning did manifest themselues vnto the world such as Bonifacius Bishop of Mentz Damascene a learned Monke Paulus Diaconus a learned writer of histories and Beda a man counted venerable in his time yet all these were miserably infected with the superstitions of their time such as the opinion of Purgatory invocation of Saints worshipping of Images and prohibition of Mariage Bonifacius was a man borne in England in place neere adioyning to Excester he was familiarly acquainted with fiue Popes to wit with Pope Constantinus the first Gregorius the second Gregorius the third Zacharias the first Stephanus 2. And by them he was advanced to many honours First to be the Popes Legate in England Germany and France and afterwards to be Archbishop of Mentz All his studies and travailes tended to this to bring the people of England Germany and France to the subiection of the Romane Bishop and to a conformity of the superstitions of the Romane Church In the name and at the commandement of Pope Zacharias hee disauthorized Childericus King of France thrust him into a Monasterie and anoynted Pipinus the son of Carolus Martellus to be King of France So zealous was he to performe all the desires of the Roman Bishoppes by whom also his name was changed for hee was first named Vinofridus but the Bishops of Rome who delighted in his service called him Bonifacius After he had served the Romane Bishops in slavish subiection 36. yeeres he was slaine by Pagans because he had anoynted Pipinus King of France and for hope they had to enrich themselues by his coffers in the which when they had opened them they found nothing except bookes and reliques of Saints whereof they made no account And his body was buryed in the Monastery of Fulda Damascene a superstitious Monke the disciple of Cosmas lived vnder the Emperours Leo and Const. Copron. hee was a long time in company of the Saracens and with the Prince of Saracens he went to the sepulchre of Mahomet and like vnto a timorous body worshipped the bones of Mahomet fearing to haue beene put to death if hee had not done such homage Hee was a patron of worshipping of Images and was excommunicated in the generall councell assembled by Const. Copron. It is written by Iohn Patriarch of Ierusalem in the History of Damascenes life that the Prince of Saracens was moved to indignation against him by a deceitfull letter sent from the Emperour Leo Isaurus in the which Damascene was charged as a man willing to haue betrayed
father Ludouicus Pius Hee augmented the liturgie of the Masse with the addition of Agnus Dei and ordained that the Hostia should be diuided in three parts To Sergius the second succeeded Leo the fourth and ruled 8. yeares 3. months He was a man of many trades a builder a warriour and a Bishop He compassed the Vatican with a wall and made it in the similitude of a Towne and builded bull-warkes in the passages of Tyber as it issued from the towne He was a warriour fought against the Saracenes against whom also he preuailed And finally at some time he was a Bishop and he gathered a Councell of 47. Bishops in the which Athanasius a Cardinall Presbyter was damned for negligence in the worke of his calling This is the first time in the which mention is made of a Cardinall in the Historie for the Decretall Epistles as I haue alreadie declared are but fabulous lying writings In this Popes dayes Edelwulphus King of England came to Rome for performance of a vowe that hee had made He was courteously accepted by Pope Leo for which cause hee ordained a tribute yeerely to be paide to the bishop of Rome to wit a pennie Sterling out of euery house in England that kindled fire It is well remarked by Philip Morney that Leo the fourth in a certaine Epistle written to the Bishops of Britannie derogateth credit to all the Decretall Epistles assigned to the bishops of Rome preceding the dayes of Pope Siricius except onely to the Decretall Epistles of Pope Syluester So all the authorities that are alleadged by the Romane Church out of the Decretall Epistles for the space of 384 yeeres are of none effect by the confession of Pope Leo the fourth After Leo the fourth succeeded Pope Ioane the eight an English woman borne in the towne of Mentz She went to Athens cloathed with the apparell of a man accompanied with a Learned man and she profited in learning beyond her fellowes When shee came to Rome shee was regarded for her learning and was promoted to the dignitie of the Popedome and ruled two yeeres fiue months and foure dayes About the yeere of our Lord 854 being Pope she played the Harlot and by the prouidence of God this villanie of the Roman church which cannot erre was manifested to the whole world For in the time of a solemne Procession as she was going to the church of Laterā she trauelled in birth died and was buried without honour Onuphrius the Aduocate of all euill causes cannot ouer-passe this matter with silence but he bringeth an argument from the authority of Anastatius a writer of Chronologie to infringe the credit of this historie in this manner Anastatius saith hee liued about this time knew best who succeeded to Leo the fourth he maketh no mētion of Ioane the eight but of Benedictus the third as successor of Leo the fourth To this Philip Morney answereth That an argument taken from authoritie negatiuely hath no force Anastatius maketh no mention thereof ergo it was not done It followeth not for he bringeth in the testimonie of Ranulphus declaring the cause wherefore Anastatius omitted the name of the foeminine Pope to wit Propter deformitatem facti that is For the deformitie of the fact The nature of a short Compend permitteth me not to insist but let them who are desirous accurately to trie out the veritie of this matter reade that worthie Booke of Philip Morney called Misterium iniquitatis Then followed Benedictus the third and ruled two yeeres six months and nine dayes A man in honouring the Funeralles of the Clergie with his presence ready at all times and desirous likewise that the Funerall of the Bishop should bee honoured with the presence of the whole Clergie To Benedict the third succeeded Nicolas the first and gouerned seuen yeeres nine months and thirteene dayes He subdued the Bishop of Rauenna to his obediēce He suffered the Emperour Ludouicke the second to light from his horse to leade his bridle vntil he came to the Campo which was the space of a mile He permitted diuorcement betwixt married persons for Religions cause without consent of parties And that persons in spirituall offices should not be subject to the justice seates of ciuill Magistrates Hee ordained also that no man should receiue the holy Sacrament from a married Priest And that the Emperour should not be present at Ecclesiasticall Conuentions except when questions concerning Faith should bee intreated Likewise hee ordained That the seruice of God in all countries should be celebrated in Latine dispensing in the meane time with the Solauonians and the Polonians to haue the seruice of God in their owne Vulgar Language He added vnto the Liturgie of the Masse Gloria in Excelsis Hadrianus the second succeeded to Nicolas the first and ruled 5. yeeres nine months and twelue dayes He vsed Antichristian authoritie not onely against Hincmarus Bishop of Rhemes but also against Carolus Caluus king of France whom hee commanded imperiously to present one Hincmarus Bishop of Laudunum and nephewe to Hincmarus Bishop of Rhemes to the ende that his cause might bee judged by the Apostolike seate The King tooke these letters in a very euill part and writ vnto the Pope That the Kings of France had euer beene Soueraigne Lordes in their owne countrie and not vice-gerentes vassales to Bishops and That hee would not permit any man who had beene damned in a lawfull Councell in his owne country to wit in the Councell of Acciniacum to make appellation to Rome In this Popes time the eight generall councell was assembled whereof I shal speake in its owne time God willing Ioannes the ninth succeeded to Adrianus the second and gouerned ten yeeres and two dayes This is he who for rewardes crowned Carolus Caluus to be Emperour and was cast into prison because hee was more affectionated to Ludouicus Balbus sonne to Carolus Caluus and king of France than to Carolus Crassus king of Germanie Neuerthelesse hee escaped out of prison and fled to Ludouicke king of France whom also hee crowned to be Emperour But Balbus after his coronation incontinent died and Pope Iohn the ninth must seeke new acquaintance because his olde friends were gone therfore he crowned Carolus Crassus to bee Emperour This was the first Pope who in time of his Popedome crowned three Emperours Martinus the second ruled one yeere and fiue months Hadrianus the third succeeded to Martinus the time of his gouernment was also short for he continued not aboue one yeere and two months yet neuerthelesse men who are busie may make much stirre in short time He perfected that worke which his predecessours had beene busied in bringing to passe many yeeres preceding namely That the Clergie and people of Rome should not attend vpon the allowance of the Emperour but they should freely choose whom they thought meetest to bee Pope Hee tooke
the Bishop of Rome Likewise in the cause of Rhotardus Bishop of Soission whom Hincmarus deposed and removed from his office Nicolaus the first Bishop of Rome absolved him Hadrian 2. gaue him commandement to excommunicate C. Calvus King of France his soveraigne Lord but he refused to performe such an vnlawfull commandement and writ vnto the Pope to be circumspect and not precipitate rashly his sentences of excommunication The question whereunto Hadrian 2. was so serious was about division of lands betwixt C. Calvus and his brother Lotharius C. Calvus denyed that he did vniustly invade any of his brothers lands but lands duely belonging to himselfe by paction and covenant And the Nobles of the country said that it was a strange and an vnaccustomed thing that the Pope would take vpon him to be iudge in a controversie concerning the Titles and Rights of kingdomes because he could not be both a Bishop and a King CENTVRIE X. Popes of Rome TO Thedoricus succeeded Pope Iohn the tenth hee abrogated all the decrees of Pope Stephanus the sixt and allowed the decrees of Formosus whereupon great tumult and vprore arose in Rome For this cause the Pope fled to Ravenna and gathered a Councell of 74. Bishops also Carolus Simplex King of France was present at this councell There hee ratified the decrees of Formosus and damned the decrees of Stephanus Here let vs marke that the Bishops of Rome doe both mocke God and the world in saying that their Councels are guided by the holy Spirit and cannot erre in the meane time one of their Councels damning another and being altogether opposite one to another After hee had come backe to Rome he concluded his life having ruled two yeeres and fifteene dayes To him succeeded Benedictus the fourth and continued three yeeres and foure moneths After Benedictus ruled Leo the fift and continued not in his Popedome aboue forty dayes for he was cast into prison and bonds by Christophorus his owne domestique servant Christophorus by vnlawfull meanes attained to the Popedom and lost it againe vnworthily in the seventh moneth of his government for hee was thrust into a Monastery as the only refuge of all disasterd people Those monsters saith Platina God permitted them not long to liue After Christophorus Sergius the third ruled seven yeeres foure moneths and fifteene dayes Hee raised againe the body of Formosus out of the graue wherein hee had lien buried eight yeeres and beheaded it as if it had beene aliue and cast it into the river Tyber accounting it vnworthy of a buriall place Platina doth marke that Formosus had been his competitor and hindered Sergius from attaining to the Popedome they who are so overtaken with ambition and hatefull malice that they cannot moderate their owne affections how shall they governe and rule the vniversall Church of God Beside this barbarous cruelty he was a vile whoremonger and begate Iohn the twelfth who afterward was made Pope with Marozia the wife of Guido a famous harlot After him Anastatius the third ruled two yeers of whom nothing worthy of memory is written except this that he was not so malicious in damning the memorials of other men as his predecessors had beene Landus succeeded to Anastatius and ruled sixe moneths and 21. dayes To Landus succeeded Iohn the eleventh and ruled thirteene yeares two moneths and three dayes Hee was more martiall in exployts of warfare then religious and expert in knowledge of heavenly things For hee fought against the Saracens who had been brought into Italy by the Grecians and discomfited them But when hee returned againe to Rome hee incurred the hatred of Albericus Marquis of Hetruria who had fought with him against the Saracens and could not abide the pride of a presumptuous Bishop who in his triumph ascribed the whole praise of the victory to himselfe onely This variance was the occasion of great trouble in Italy for Albericus allured the Hungarians to enter into Italy who did greater damage to the Countrey then the Saracens had done before On the other part the Italians who could not avenge themselues by rendering like evill to the Hungarians they poured out their wrath vpon Albericus and killed him The Pope also by the souldiers of Guido was cast in prison and strangled by stopping a pillow in his throat The villany betweene him and Theodora a notable harlot I haue overpassed with silence fearing to be prolixe Leo the sixt followed and continued seven moneths and fifteene dayes After Leo followed Stephanus the seventh and ruled two yeeres one moneth and twelue dayes The two preceding Popes are supposed by Italian heights to be made out of the way by Marozia a notable harlot to the end that her sonne Iohn the twelfth whom shee had borne to Pope Sergius the third might bee promoted to the Popedome who ruled foure yeeres ten moneths and fifteene dayes Marozia was an incestuous harlot who like vnto Herodias was not ashamed to marrie two brethren namely Guido and Hugo according as the verse made thereof witnesseth Nubere Germanis satagens Herodia binis Herein appeareth the terrour of the wrath of God punishing the vngodlinesse of the Romane people they were guided by the Popedome and the Popedome was guided by notable harlots After him succeeded Leo the seventh and ruled three yeeres six moneths and ten dayes Stephanus the eight was a Germane and ruled three yeers foure moneths and ten dayes Hee was mightily troubled with the seditions of the people of Rome and was so miserably wounded that hee was ashamed to come forth vnto publique places to be seene Martinus the third succeeded to Stephanus the eight and governed three yeeres six moneths and ten dayes Platina calleth him a devout man and altogether bent to religion because he repaired old Churches that were tending to ruine and decay the substance of religion being lost the care of the fabricke of the Church and such other externall things was counted the onely devotion Agapetus the second successor to Martinus continued in his Popedome nine yeeres seven moneths and ten dayes In his time Berengarius King of Italy and his sonne Albertus tyrrannously abused the countrey not sparing those of the Clergie So that Agapetus was compelled to send messengers to Otto the first whose fame was spread abroad in all Nations and Otto without delay addressed himselfe to Italy and suppressed the insolencie of Berengarius and his sonne Albertus as hath beene already declared in the historie of the life of Otto the first To Agapetus succeeded Iohn the thirteenth and governed nine yeeres three moneths and fiue dayes A man from his very youth replenished with all kinde of abhominable vices a libidinous beast a monstrous varlet of whom I haue made so frequent mention already and the head of Councels will cast vp the filthinesse of his infamous name of new againe so that for the present I write the lesse He
conversant with secular men I am discontented and as it were dilacerate with a multitude of secular cares Hee was a stout defender of the authority of the Bishoppe of Rome in so much that he was content to forgoe the favour of his Prince and to bee banished for the excessiue loue hee caryed to the priviledges of the Romane Chaire After the death of Rufus Anselmus was received from banishment by King Henry But because hee would not admit and consecrate those Bishops who had received investment from the King but called them bastards and abortiue births whosoever received investment from secular men great contention arose betweene the King and the Prelat the issue whereof was this that the decision of the question was referred to the Bishoppe of Rome who gaue sentence in favour of Anselmus because Anselmus suffered trouble for maintaining of the Popes authoritie The King was irritate and exasperate with the Popes decree and spoyled Anselmus of all his dignities Who remained for the most part in Lions during the time of his second banishment But the King reduced him againe from banishment and was reconciled with him After his returning from his second banishment hee lived three yeeres and died in the yeerâ— of our Lord 1109. having continued Bishop of Canterburie thirteene yeeres In his bookes no errour is more intollerable then this that hee equalleth the Virgine Mary with Christ attributing to her all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge as the Apostle Paul atiributeth them to Christ our Saviour CENTVRIE XII Popes of Rome AFter Vrbanus the second followed Paschalis the second and ruled eighteene yeeres 6. moneths and 7. dayes Called before Reginerus a man brought vp in the Monasteries of Italy hee seemed to shun the high preheminencie of the Popedome but the acclamations of the people often repeating that Saint Peter had chosen good Reginerus to be Pope bowed his flexible minde and inclined it to the Popedome hee then putting on a purple garment and a Diadem vpon his head was brought vnto the Church of Lateran vpon a white pamphrey where a Scepter was put in his hand and a girdle tyed about him having seven Seales and seven Keyes hanging thereupon for a recognizance of his seven-fold power and seven-fold grace of God resting vpon him to wit of binding loosing shutting opening sealing resigning and iudging He excommunicated the noble Emperor Henry the fourth following the example of three of his predecessors to wit Gregorie the seventh Victor the third Vrbanus the second Hee stirred vp Henry the fift against his naturall father Henry the fourth and caused the body of the noble Eemperour Henry the fourth who died at Leodim to bee raised out of his sepulchre to be carryed to the towne of Spire and to want the honour of Christian buriall five yeeres O Antichristian pride O barbarous inhumanity O cruelty and rage ranscending the cruelty of Pagans who persecuted the Church of Christ for the space of three hundred yeeres In his time the Bishop of Florence taught that Antichrist was already borne and manifested to the world Vpon which occasion Paschalis assembled a Councell at Florence and with terrible threatnings put him to silence and damned his bookes Also hee assembled another Councell at Tretas a famous towne in Campanie in France where hee ratified the decrees of his Predecessors in condemning the mariage of Priests as the heresie of the Nicolaitans and receiving Ecclesiasticall rents from Lay persons as Simonie Of his revocation of the priviledge of investment of Bishops granted to the Emperour Henry the fift I haue spoken already in the historie of the life of the Emperour His Competitors were Albertus Theodoricus and Maginulphus whom hee easily subdued To him succeeded Gelasius the second and ruled one yeere and fiue dayes He was elected without consent of the Emp. Henry 5. which procured vnto him great griefe For Cincius a noble man of Rome of the family of Frangepanis invaded the Pope and Cardinals and trod the Pope vnder foot and cast him in prison and bonds but the citizens of Rome relieved him and threatned to destroy the familie of Frangepanis if they set not the Pope at liberty After this trouble another followed the Emperour sent an army to Rome and authorized another to be pope whom they called Gregorius the eight The Pope fled to Caieta the place of his nativity but when the army returned to Germany hee came to Rome where hee found his estate to be ieoperdous Therefore hee fled to France and dyed of a plurisie in the Abbey of Clumack After Gelasius succeeded Calixtus the second sometime Bishop of Vier and kinsman to the King of France he governed fiue yeeres ten moneths and thirteene dayes Hee compelled the Emperor Henry the fift to agree to his election albeit Mauritius Burdinus otherwise called Gregorie the eight whom the Emperour himselfe had authorized was yet aliue Also hee compelled the foresayd Emperour to ouergiue all right which hee claimed to investment of Bishops and election of Popes so much did the Roman Antichrist prevaile by the thunder bolts of his curses that hee compelled the Emperour by these means to stoupe vnder his feete Also he besiedged Sutrium a Towne of the Romans wherein Mauritius Burdinus his Competitor had his remaining Hee tooke the Towne and his Competitor hee carried Captiue to Rome setting him vpon a Camel with his face toward the hinder-parts thereof and in the end thrust him into a Monasterie He assembled a Councell at Rhemes wherein he renewed the ordinance against married Priests ordaining that not onely they should be spoyled of their liuings and offices but also that they should be debarred from the communion of Christian people Like as these verses doe testifie O bone Calixte nunc omnis clerus odit te Quondam presbyteri poterant vxoribus vti Hoc destruxisti postquam tu Papa fuisti Also hee held another Councell at Rome where it was statute and ordained that it should not be lawfull to the people to repudiat their Bishop or to choose another during his life-time grounding their ordinance vpon a place of Scripture a wife is bound to the law of her husband so long as her husband is aliue After hee is dead shee is loosed from the Law of her husband So learnedly did these Aecumenique Asses expound places of holy scripture After Calixtus succeeded Pope Honorius the second and ruled fiue yeeres and two months In his time Arnulphus an eloquent man a famous Preacher came to Rome whether out of the wildernesse or out of any other place wherein he had exercised a ministeriall office it is vncertaine alwayes it is thought of all men that he was sent of God hee sharpely rebuked the dissolute Loosnesse incontinencie auarice and pride of the clergie of Rome so that hee incenced their hearts against him speciallie for this that hee said it was no wonder that they sought his life for if
England that hee should hinder no man in his kingdome from appealing to the chaire of Rome And that in time to come no man should be declared king of England without the Popes consent Thus are the neckes kingdomes honours and liues of the mightie Monarchs of the world troden vnder the feete of the Roman Antichrist After this proud Prelat had tyrannized 21. yeeres and 29 dayes hee ended his course After Alexander the 3. succeeded Lucius the 3. and gouerned foure yeeres two months and eighteene dayes Hee was no lesse desirous to abolish the consults of Rome then his predecessours were but his attempts succeeded not so well For hee was driuen out of Rome with his complices and a number of his fauorits were punished by thrusting out their eyes Others were carried thorow the streets vpon Asses hauing their Miters vpon their heades and their faces toward the hinder part of the Asse The Pope fled to Verona where he Lurked vntill he died To him succeeded Vrbanus the third and continued one yeere ten months and twentie fiue dayes In his daies was Ierusalem recouered by Saladin a Prince of the Turkes and commander of Aegypt which tidinges so pierced the Popes heart with griefe that hee ended his life at Ferrara Gregorie the eight followed who continued not in his Popedome aboue the space of fiftie dayes To him succeeded Clemens the third and ruled three yeeres and fiue months In this time died William King of Sicilie without children and the people of the Isle elected Tancredus a bastard sonne of Rogerius to rule ouer them After Clemens succeeded Pope Celestinus the third and continued six yeeres seuen months and eleuen dayes In his time died Saladin a mighty Prince of the Turkes And Pope Celestinus thinking it was a meete time to fight against the Turkes for the recouering of the holie Land incited the Emperour Henry the sixt and the King of France to vndertake the ieopardous warfare against the Turks wherein many had spent their blood and seldome with good successe The Emperour Henry sent the Duke of Saxonie and the Bishop of Mentz with a well appointed armie to the foresaid warrefare but went not himselfe The King of France was willing to haue vndertaken a iourney toward the East but was stayed by the irruption of the Saracens who dwelt in Mauritania They had passed the straites and invaded that part of Spaine which was called Betica and conquered it The king of Fraunce then fearing left the Saracens should be puft vp in pride for their late victorie and that they should invade his dominions kept his armie at home in France for safegarde of his owne countrey The Germane armie returned againe within short time as hath beene declared in Henry the sixts life Patriarchs of Constantinople TO Nicolaus succeeded Leo Styppiota and Michael and Theodosius and Basilius Nicetas and Leontius and Dositheus of whom I thinke not expedient to write any further except simplie to insert their names Patriarchs of Alexandria IN this age the armie of Christians which went to fight against the Turkes conquered out of their hands not onely Ierusalem but also Antiochia and the region round about it Whereupon it followed that the Patriarchs were established of new againe after long intermission in Antiochia and Ierusalem Not such as were accustomed to be of olde hauing equall power with other Patriarchs within their owne bounds but rather vassals and slaues to the Bishoppes of Rome as may appeare by the Catalogue following The first of these Latine Patriarchs was Bernardus who ruled that church thirtie sixe yeeres After him succeeded Radulphus who would not be subiect to the Bishop of Rome but affirmed that both Antiochia and Rome were the chaires of S. Peter Antiochia was before and a more ancient chaire and therefore should haue the prerogatiue aboue Rome Notwithstanding of all this hee was cited by his Aduersaries to appeare before the Bishoppe of Rome and to answere to the faults that should be obiected against him Namely for violent vsurpation of iurisdiction ouer churches belonging to the Archbishop of Tyrus as Biblus Tripolis and Aradus This citation Raymond Prince of Antiochia compelled him to obey He was sent backe againe to Antiochia but the people and Clergie receiued him not Therefore hee lurked in Monasteries and in the ende was deposed from his office by a councell assembled in Antiochia After him succeeded Raimericus and ruled twelue yeeres Hee was hated of Raynoldus gouernour of Antiochia because hee disallowed his marriage bound vp with Constantia Likewise hee was misvsed by him and the balde part of his heade was ouerlaied with honey and he was compelled to sit in the time of the feruent heat of the sommer day to be molested with the flies and waspes The king of Ierusalem hearing of this pitifull demeanour of the Patriarch of Antiochia sent Ambassadors to Raynold and so the Patriarch was set at libertie who dwelt at Ierusalem forsaking Antiochia all the rest of his life-time After him Sotericus was Patriarch who continued in office short time To him succeeded Theodorus Balsamus a very ambitious man whom Isacius Angelus Emperour of Constantinople put in hope that he would promote him to be Patriarch of Constantinople if the Canons of Church did not hinder When all was done the ambitious Prelat staied stil at home for the Emperour did not sollicit him seriously but was onely trying him to see if for hope of further preheminencie he would violate the Canons of the Church To whom succeeded Almericus Patriarchs of Ierusalem THe first Latin Patriarch of Ierusalem after it was conquered from the Turkes was Dabertus sometime Bishop of Pisa. He crowned Godfrey the first King of Ierusalem with a crowne of thornes To him succeeded Gibelinus sometime Bishop of Arls. Hee was sent to Ierusalem to decide the question that fell out betweene Dabertus and Ebremarus but it happened that Dabertus about the same time dyed and Ebremarus was remooved because hee had intruded himselfe in office Therefore with vniforme consent Gibelinus was made Patriarch of Ierusalem To whom succeeded Arnulphus who for his vicious life was called Mala corona Pope Pascalis the second hearing of his bad conversation sent to Ierusalem the Bishop of Aurange who deposed him from his office Notwithstanding hereof this vitious Prelat tooke iourney to Rome and with flattering speeches and largition of mony prevailed so much at Rome that he obtained his office againe After him followed Guarimundus a man more expert in warfare then in his owne calling For hee supplyed the place of King Baldwin who was detained captiue by the Turkes And hee was a couragious Warriour at the siege of Tyrus To him continued Stephanus who continued not
second or third day after his soule shall not be blessed but polluted Therefore the Gibeonites because they brought old bread to the children of Israel it was ioyned them to hew wood and beare water In this age also are found some learned men who detested the pride of the Bishop of Rome such as Hildebertus Archbishop of Towrs a disciple of Berengarius and an excellent Poet who made this distinchon of the towne of Rome Vrbs foelix si vel dominis vrbs illa careret Vel dominis esset turpe carere fide Bernard Abbot of Claravall borne in Burgundie was respected in his countrey aboue others who although hee lived in a most corupt age yet he was found in the doctrine of iustification as may appeare by the words which hee vttered on a time being diseased after this manner I grant saith he I am vnworthy and that I cannot obtaine the kingdome of heaven by mine owne merits neverthelesse my Lord hath a double right to it First by this right that he is his fathers heire Secondly by right of the merit of his suffering With the first right he contenteth himselfe The second he bestoweth on vs by whose free gift I claime a right thereto and am not confounded Hee detested the corruption of manners which abounded in his time as may bee knowne by the words of Hugo Cardinalis It seemeth saith he good Iesus that the whole vniuersitie of Christian people haue conspired against thee and these are the chiefe persecutors who haue the principall roomes in thy Church Hee admonished Count Theobald who bestowed great cost in building of Abbies and Churches that he would rather support them who were of the houshold of faith and that he would be carefull to build the immortall and everlasting tabernacles of God Hee subdued his body by fasting beyond all measure whereby his stomacke became so diseased that oftentimes it rendered againe the small portion of food which it had received Hee was very superstitious in receiving the reliques of the Saints In so much that when hee came to Rome and the head of the Martyr Casarius was offered to him to take of it what part hee pleased hee was content to take one tooth onely And when his associates could not draw out the tooth it was so fast fastened vnto the Iawbone Bernard counselled them to pray that the Martyr would willingly conferre vnto them one of his teeth Many visions and miracles are attributed to him but they smell so much of superstition as it is easily knowne that the most part of them are invented and forged by the deceiving teachers of this age He died in the 64. yeere of his age leaving them that were about him three testamentall lessons 1. That they should offend no man 2. That they should giue lesse credite to their owne opinion then to the iudgement of other men 3. That they should not be vindictiue nor desirous of revenge for wrongs done vnto themselues He esteemed much of the prophecies of Hildegardis a Prophetesse in France whose wordes Bernard thought to be indyted by divine inspiration In this age also flourished Anselmus Bishop of Havelburg whom the Emperour Lotharius 2. sent to Calowannes Emp. of Constantinople Hee disputed with Nichetes Bishop of Nicomedia in the temple of Sophia about the old error of the Grecians who affirmed that the holy Spirit proceeded onely from the Father and not from the Sonne Hee refuted very learnedly the obiections of Nichetes who obiected that two fountaines and beginnings were set vp in the Godhead if the holy Spirit proceeded both from the Father and the Sonne Wherevnto Anselmus answered that when the Councell of Nice sayd Deus de Deo lumen de lumine They established not two Gods nor two lights in the Trinitie Euen so when it is sayd Principium de principio there is not brought in two beginnings but one only And whosoever saith he denyeth that the holy Spirit proceedeth from the Son denyeth also that he proceedeth from the Father For the Scripture saith I and the Father are one I am in the Father and the Father in me and againe Hee that seeth mee seeth the Father From this argument they went to another concerning the supremacie of the Bishop of Rome Anselmus prooved the supremacie of the Bishop of Rome by three arguments 1. Because the Councell of Nice had preferred the chaire of Rome to all other chaires 2. Because Christ assigned superiority to Peter when hee sayd Thou art Peter and vppon this Rocke will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevaile against it And I will giue vnto thee the keyes of the kingdome of heaven and whatsoever thou shalt binde on earth is bound in heauen and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven 3. The chaire of Rome was free of heresies when Constantinople and other Churches of the East were defiled with heresie To the first argument Nichetes answered that the Councell of Nice called the Bishop of Rome the Bishop of the principall chaire but not the principall Bishop for that dignitie hee received from the Emperour Phocas but not from the Councell of Nice To the second argument he answered that the power of binding and loosing was not given to Peter onely but also to all the rest of the Apostles And like as they were all partakers of that same heavenly grace whereof Peter was partaker in the day of Pentecost so likewise they all received that selfe same power of binding and loosing And Peter alone received not the power like as he received not the grace alone Thirdly whereas it was alledged that the Romane Church remained vnspotted with heresie when as other Churches were defiled with it Nichetes answered that it was true that Arrius Macedonius Nestorius and Eutiches did spring vp among the Grecians and they likewise were chiefly refuted and suppressed by the the Grecians And the fountaine of all heresies being humane Philosophie it was no marvell that greatest heresies sprung vp where men of greatest learning and vnderstanding were found and it is likely that the fewer heresies sprung vp in the West because they were men of lesse learning and not of so deepe vnderstanding as the people of the East CENTVRIE XIII Popes of Rome AFter Caelestinus succeeded Innocentius the third and ruled eighteene yeeres he excommunicated Iohn king of England for not receiuing of Stephen Langtowne Archbishop of Canterbury being approued by the Pope he brought the said king so low that he was in the ende constrained to resigne his crowne of England and Ireland to the Pope and to receiue the same backe againe from the Pope to him and his heires for yeerely payment of a thousand marks He confirmed the order of the Dominike or blacke friers and the order of Franciscans or begging Friers To him Henry the sixt when hee departed this life left the tuition and
Millan with his brother Askanius captiues and prisoners to France This Pope as hee was fraughted with many great faults in his owne person so is he likewise noted to haue beene a fosterer of the wicked vices and villanous behaviour of his children namely of Caesar Borgia his sonne who not only cast off his Religious apparrell and became of a Cardinall a Duke and warriour but also most vnnaturally slew his owne elder brother Duke of Gandia and became captaine and leader of his fathers armie in his brothers place Also the vilde conversation of Lucretia his Daughter and her familiar conversation both with her father and brethren maketh this Pope to be more famous for wickednesse then many other His end in the righteous iudgement of God answered well vnto his life for as hee had destroied the liues of many by poyson so vpon a certaine time through the ouersight of the Butler the empoysoned wine that was prepared for to destroy the liues of some Cardinals who were bidden to the banquet was put in the hands of the Pope and his sonne Duke of Valentinois The Pope immediatlie thereafter died and the Duke although he vsed manie conterpoysons and other remedies yet fell he into a sharpe and dangerous disease and carried about all his time the remembrance of that nights banquet To Pope Alexander succeeded Pius the third who immediatly after his admission to the Popedom finished his course the 26. day after his inauguration After him followed Iulius the second and ruled nine yeeres and a eleuen months hee was a sharpe warriour and not onely recouered from the Venetians the townes of Ariminuim Faventia and Ravenna which townes belonged to the Church but also by cursing them making a couenant with Maximilian the Emperour and the king of France and Spaine in Cambrey against the Venetians he brought them so low that in short time they were spoyled of all the Dominion which they had by land in Italie For Verona Vicentia and Padua and the territories of Carinthia were alloted to Maximilian the Emperour also Bergama Brixia Cremona and Crema were possessed by Lewis king of Fraunce also the townes of Tranmu Monopolis and Barletta in Apulia were giuen ouer to the king of Spaine Also the Duke of Ferrare recouered Rodigium the Duke of Mantua recouered Asula from the Venetiās Thus was the flourishing estate of Venice in this Popes time vtterlie abandoned and brought to nought Notwithstanding hee receiued againe the Venetians into fauour and relieued them of his interditment and cursing and thereby procured against himselfe the great hatred and indignation of the king of France and the Emperour who both being willing to abandon the pride of the Pope and to abrogate his authoritie and to substitute another in his roome appointed a generall Councell to be holden at Pisa and warned the Pope to be present thereat the first day of September But the Pope on the other part to frustrate all the attempts of his adversaries appointed a generall Councell to be holden at Rome in the Church of Lateran wherein all things that were done in the Councell of Pisa were disanulled and abrogated Also he stirred vp the kings of Spaine and England to make warre against the king of France and the Pope with the Venetians and Switzers ioyned their forces together to eiect him out of Italie Thus the king of France being beset with enemies on all sides thought meete to try his cause by the sword first in Italie and gaue commandement to the Generall of his armie named Gasto Foiesseius a valiant Captaine and an expert warriour to giue battel to the enemies Thus was a cruell battell fought neere vnto Ravenna wherein the number of 20000. men were reckoned to haue beene slaine And although the armie of the Pope and the confederates was put to flight yet the Frenchmen bought their victorie deere with the losse of their Chieftan Foiesseius and an hundreth and fiftie moe of the noble men of France besides a great number of others that were slaine in this battell Yea this victorie was with so great dammage to the forces of the king of Fraunce in Italie that within the space of 70. dayes after the victorie they were compelled to retire backe out of Italie So was the Dukedome of Millan in a verie short time plucked out of the hands of the Frenchmen and was possessed by Maximilian Sforce sonne to Lodonike Sforce In the end this restlesse Pope breathing battells and warres euen vnto the day of his death conspired of new againe with the Emperour against the Venetians because they would not render vnto the Emperour the Townes of Verona and Vicentia and the Venetians on the other side entered in league and couenant with Lewis king of Fraunce who stirred vp a new faction of Cardinalls and Bishops against the Pope and this Pope Iulius assaied all possible meanes to diuert the Venetians from their new league bound vp with France But when hee perceiued that his trauells availed nothing and fearing the power of his aduersaries hee fell sicke and died in the verie time of the Councell of Lateran which was begunne vnder Pope Iulius and ended vnder Leo 10. his successour Pope Leo the tenth was a learned and eloquent man of the house of Medices and ruled eight yeeres eight months and twentie dayes He delighted in Musicke and loued and aduanced learned men The Councell of Lateran which was begun in his Predecessors dayes was ended by him He receiued in those Cardinalls who were degraded by his Predecessour after they had abiured their schisme and damned their couventicles at Pisa Millan and Lion and restored them to their former dignities In this Popes time Francisse de Valloise king of Fraunce came into Italie for recouering of the Dukedome of Millan and ouercame his enemies in battell Sforce the Duke of Millan rendered himselfe to the king and was sent prisoner to Fraunce and the Dukedome was againe recouered and the Townes of Parma and Placentia were recouered out of the Popes hands and ioyned to the Dukedome againe yet within a short time after the Pope and the Emperour banded themselues together for expelling of the Frenchmen out of Italie For restoring the Dukedome to Francisse Sfortia and finallie for restoring of the townes of Parma and Placentia to the Pope and when the enterprise succeeded well and the Victorie was atchieued the report of those glad tidings so exhilarated the Popes heart that for heart that for excessiue gladnesse hee died or as others write he contracted an ague whereof immediately after he died He sent Caietanus his Ambassadour to Germanie to suppresse the Doctrine of Martin Luther but by the prouidence of God his rigorous dealing against Martin Luther made him to search out the scriptures better and to discouer greater impieties in the Church of Rome then hee did at the beginning After him succeeded Hadrian the
at Occumenicke Councels as were at this convention Secondly to declare the effromed peartnesse of Heretiques when they are met together all that they doe is ascribed to the holy Spirit for in their definitiue sentence against Maximianus they borrow the words of the holy Apostles Placuit Spiritui sancto qui in nobis est that is It hath pleased the holy Spirit who is in vs. Yet were they guided by Satan and not by the holy Spirit in all the actions of this Councell IN the eight yeere of the raigne of Theodosius the second was a general Councel assembled in Ephesus against the Heretique Nestorius Bishop of Constantinople of whom Socrates writeth that the first ground of his heresie was the speeches of a Presbyter in his Church called Anastatius whom hee had in reverent account This Anastatius vpon a time teaching in the Church sayd let no man call the Virgin Marie the mother of God whereupon ensued great trouble in the Church for they were assured of the divinitie of Christ. And Nestorius not willing that the man should bee disesteemed whom he so much regarded he chopped oft in his Sermons vpon the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not willing to giue vnto the blessed Virgin so great an honour When the Councell of Ephesus was assembled consisting of the number of two hundreth Bishops and aboue and Cyrillus Bishop of Alexandria was appointed Moderator by the ordinance of the Emperours who commanded the Councell to bee gathered Cirillus began to embarke and to agitate the question before Iohn Patriarch of Antiochia and his companie could be present at the Councell At the first meeting Nestorius being present in the towne of Ephesus vtterly spoyled his cause and added to his former opinion borrowed from Anastatius that they thought it an indignity done to the onely begotten Sonne of God to speake of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were all reproachfull words to be spoken of the Sonne of God that is that hee was nourished vpon milke that he was borne of a maide that hee was two moneths or three moneths old all these words hee counted to bee reproachfull words to be spoken of the Sonne of God The Fathers of the Councell were all highly offended at these wordes and warned him to bee personally present at the Councell but hee refused to appeare vntill the time that Iohn Patriarch of Antiochia should be present at the Councell Cirillus Bishop of Alexandria was a man prompt and forward in all causes both good and bad and hee would not linger vntill the comming of Iohn Patriarch of Antiochia and his company but forthwith hee caused his books and writings to be examined wherein it was cleerly found that hee sayd the Sonne of the Virgin Mary was not God but onely that God was with him so hee denyed the personall vnion of the divine and humane Nature The Fathers of the Councell vpon this ground damned Nestorius as an Heretique and Nestorius on the other part gathered the Bishops of his ownefaction and damned Cirillus Bishoppe of Alexandria and Memnon Bishop of Ephesus After this Iohn Patriarch of Antiochia came to Ephesus whose comming rather increased then diminished the schisme for hee was so angry against the precipitation and hastinesse of Cirillus that hee would not adioyne himselfe to the Councell hereupon followed mutuall excommunications Iohn Patriarch of Antiochia excommuicated Cyrillus and Memnon and they on the other part excommunicated him and his 〈◊〉 who came not to the Councell yet in the mercy of God this schisme that fell out last amongst good men was cured and they were reconciled and the Heretique Nestorius was banished to Oasis BEfore Theodosius the second had ended his life Flavianus Bishop of Constantinople had gathered a particular Councell and damned Eutyches an Abbot of Constantinople because hee affirmed that in Christ after the vnion of the divine and humane natures there was no longer two natures This absurd opinion Flavianus damned as hereticall Notwithstanding Chrysaphius the chiefe Governour of the Emperours Palace was a friend to Eutyches and a favourer of his heresie And hee procured at the Emperours hands that Eutyches cause should bee iudged in a more frequent assembly to bee gathered at Ephesus and wherein Dioscorus Bishop of Alexandria should be Moderator In this assembly Dioscorus dealt imperiously like vnto an head-strong Heretique Hee called vpon Eutyches and required a confession of his faith which when hee had given not expecting the votes of others who were present with clamour and out-crying hee gaue allowance vnto it as if no more were requisite in a Councell except onely the suffrage and vote of the Moderator Likewise hee suffered not the letters of Leo Bishop of Rome sent to the Councell to be read Thirdly he absolued Eutyches and 300 Monks all intangled with this heresie whom Flavianus had iustly excommunicated and last of all he excommunicated Flavianus and caused him by the tumult of his factioners to be so rudely and discourteously entreated that he was trod vnder foot and was so wounded that within three dayes after hee ended his life for this cause this Councell was called a Councell of brigandrie THe Councel of Berytus in Phoenicia wherein the cause of Ibas Bishop of Edessa whom Dioscorus had deposed was wakened and he was iustified and absolued I purposely passe by because the controversie against Ibas will be discussed in a greater assembly And the Councell called Agathense in France wherein albeit there be a great number of Constitutions yet nothing is more remarkable in it than this that they grant they had libertie to meete together by cōmandement of Alaricus king of Gothes who at that time had soueraigntie in that part of France called Gallia Narbonensis where the Councell was gathered so that in al countries Councels both generall and nationall were conueened by the authoritie of Princes IN the yeere of our Lord 454. and in the third yeere of the raigne of the Emperour Martianus a generall Councell was assembled at Chalcedon a towne of Bythinia lying directly ouer against Constantinople Martianus the Emperour was in person present at the Councell and of Bishops and reuerend Fathers from all partes of the world sixe hundreth and thirtie The like whereof hapned not in any generall Councell preceeding this time The Patriarches were all present at this Councell either in proper person or by their Ambassadours Anatolius Bishop of Constantinople Dioscorus Bishop of Alexandria Maximus Bishop of Antiochia Iuvenalis Bishop of Ierusalem and in stead of Leo Bishop of Rome his Ambassadours Pascasianus a Bishop Lucentius Bonifacius and Basilius Presbyters with a Christian brother Iulianus Martianus entreated all the Fathers of the Councell to thinke that he gaue his presence to the conuention not for ostentation of his power or vertue but onely for desire that the true faith should be confirmed and
with great libertie they may attend vpon spirituall seruice Let Bishops have some of their owne Clergie to be rulers of their house-holde-affaires according as the Councell of Chalcedon hath ordained A man is made a monke either by his parents deuotion or by his own profession but whether he be embarked into the Monasticke life the one way or the other there is no redresse againe vnto a secular estate Persons of the Clergie who are desirous to enter into a Monasterie and to leade a contemplatiue life let not their Bishops hinder the purpose of their minde because they haue intention to enter into a better trade of living Bishops haue power to constitute Abbots to governe Monasteries and to correct enormities that shall happen to fall out amongst them but not to redact them to servile offices nor to convert the rents of the Abbie to their owne vse as a possession duly belonging to themselues The Monks who leauing their Monastery returne againe to a secular life and marrie wiues let them be brought back againe to their owne Monasterie there to doe penance and to lament for their by past sins Religious men who wander vp and downe in a Nation and are neither members of the Clergie nor Monkes of any Monasterie let the Bishops restraine their licentious libertie and appoint them either to serue in the Clergie or in a Monasterie except such as through infirmity or age haue gotten an exemption They who haue confessed the committing of any deadly sinne cannot be promoted to Ecclesiasticall honors Secular men who in receiving their penance haue been content to be shaven and to put on a religious habit if they revolt againe and will needs become Laickes and be incorrigible then let them be counted apostates and excommunicate from the fellowship of the Church Widowes who haue put on a religious habit and vowed chastitie if they marrie they haue damnation according to the wordes of the Apostle 1 Tim. 5.12 Iewes are not to bee compelled to receiue the Christian faith but these who already by constraint haue received it in the dayes of the noble King Sisebutus seeing they haue been already partakers of our Sacraments let them be compelled to persevere left the Name of the Lord Iesus bee blasphemed and the Faith which they haue embraced bee counted vile and contemptible They who receiue the bribes and rewards from the Iewes to cloake their vngodlinesse and to foster them in their infidelity let them be accursed and counted strangers from the Church of Christ. Iewes after their conversion to the Christian faith if they be found to haue circumcised their sonnes or servants by the commandement of the most religious King Sisenandus it is ordained that the circumcised children of the Iewes shall be separated from the fellowship of their parents and the servants shall bee set at liberty for the iniury done vnto their body by circumcision Iewes who are punished to death for any contempt done by them against Christ after their baptisme this punishment shall not preiudge their children from right to enioy their goods if they be faithfull because it is written The sonne shal not beare the iniquity of the father Ezech. 18.20 Let not Iewes after their conversion haunt the company of other superstitious Iewes as yet addicted to the abolished law of ceremonies left they be perverted if they transgresse this ordinance such of them as haue professed Christianity shall be given in service to Christians others shal be appointed to be publickly scourged Iewes who haue married Christian women if they will not embrace Christian religion let them be separated from their wiues company and let the children be brought vp in the faith of their Christian mothers Iewes who haue once professed Christian Faith and haue sliden backe againe from it shall not bee admitted witnesses before a Iudge albeit they professe themselues to be Christians because like as their faith is suspected so in like manner their humane testimony is to be doubted of Let no Iew be preferred to any publique office Let no Iew presume to buy a Christian servant which if hee doe the servant shall be taken from him and shall be set at liberty Bishops who haue not benefited the Church by any proper donation of their owne goods they should not impoverish their Church by setting at liberty Church-servants which thing if hee presume to doe his successour shall reduce those servants againe to the possession of the Church whom iniquity without any iust right hath absolved A Bishop who setteth a servant at liberty having first by permutation set another of the like worth and merit in his place shall deny liberty to the fore-said servant either to accuse or to beare witnesse against the Church wherein hee was a seruant else he shall forfeit his liberty and bee reduced to his former servile condition in that same Church which he would haue harmed and in the meane time the permutation afore sayd shall stand firme and stable Hee who hath augmented Church-rents either by conferring or accquiring some augmentation vnto it hath some liberty to set Church-servants at liberty prouiding alwayes they abide vnder the patrociny of the Church Because the patronage of the Church never dieth let those servants whom the Church hath set at liberty and their posterity be obedient to the Church depend vpon their patrociny If they be vnthankfull let their liberty bee forfeit and let the Church defend them from all insolency and wrong Servants who are set at so full liberty that their patrons haue kept no band of subiection over their heads if they be vnspotted and vnreproueable they may bee promoted to Ecclesiasticall offices But it is vnseemly that any man shal be received into a spirituall office who is bound vnto the servile subiection of an earthly Master In the end earnest supplications are ordained to be made to God for preservation of King Sisenandus and the Nation of the Gothes and many Anathenus are pronounced against them who shall presume to violate the oath of allegeance made to the King In the end the Acts of this Councell are subscribed by Isidorus Bishoppe of Hispalis and seventie other Bishops IN the first yeare of Chintilla King of the Gothes and about the time of the raigne of the Emperour Heracleon convened with Eugenius Bishoppe of Toledo twenty other Bishops In this Councell nothing was entreated except a mandate was given concerning the yeerely Letanies that should be made three dayes immediatly following the Ides of December and if the Lords day intervened these three dayes Letanies should be deferred vntill the beginning of the next weeke In these three dayes pardon for sins should be humbly begged at the hands of God with teares The rest of the ordinances of this Councell appoint supplications to be made to God for the preservation of the King and his
children and that they shall be accursed who dare presume to seeke the kingly authority without the consent of the whole countrey of Spaine and the Nobility of the nation of the Gothes and that no man shal raile vpon the King or lie in waite for his life IN the yeere of our Lord 652. or as others reckon 650. Pope Martinus gathered a Councell at Rome of moe then an hundred Bishops The errour of the Monothelites obstinately defended by Paulus Bishop of Constantinople was the occasion of this Councell together with the impious edict of the Emperour Constans set out in favour of the heresie of the Monothelites In this Councell over and besides an ample confession of Faith many decrees and constitutions were made all tending to damne those who denyed the Trinity or the divine vnity in the divine nature or the manifestation of the second person of the Trinitie and his suffering in the flesh or the perpetuall virginity of the Lords mother or the two nativities of Christ one before all times and another in time by the operation of the holy spirit or the distinction of the two natures after the ineffable vnity or the distinction of wils and operations in Christ. In like manner all were damned who made opposition to the fiue preceding generall Councels In particular Theodorus of Pharatrita Cyrus of Alexandria Sergius Pyrrhus and Paulus Bishops of Constantinople were condemned as patrons and obstinate defenders of the heresie of the Monothelites There is more frequent mention of Fathers than of Scriptures in this Councell a perilous example to the posterity IN the yeere of our Lord 653. and in the third yeere of Chintilla King of the Gothes in Spaine the sixt Councell of Toledo was assembled of 52. Bishops Eugenius Bishop of Toledo being President The occasion seemeth to haue beene the renovation of old heresies and contradiction to preceding Councels After a confession of the Faith Letanies are ordained to be said as was appointed yeerly for preservation of the King It was ordained by the advice of the Councell with consent of the King and his Nobles that no man should be tolerated to dwell in the kingdome of Spaine who did not professe the Catholike Faith and that Kings in all time to come before they were placed in their royall seate should be bound by the obligation of a solemne oath to interpose their authority that this act might bee obeyed Otherwise let the King refusing to put this act in execution be counted accursed and be a faggot of the flames of everlasting fire What Ferdinandus King of Spaine did in driving out of his dominions the Iewes and the Saracens some alledge that it was done vpon the ground of this act but now it is not a fit time to examine that question No man shall presume by Simony or largition of mony to attaine to Ecclesiasticall offices If any of the Clergie obtaine a pension out of the Church-rents let him possesse it vnder the title of Praecaria lest by long possession the Church rents be diminished If any person be cloathed with a religious habite which hee hath voluntarily accepted if afterward hee forsake it let him be excommunicated if hee returne not againe vnto his order The seuenth Canon is a renewing of the foure and fifty Canon of the fourth Councell of Toledo A married man who voweth chastitie in time of sicknesse if he recouer health and haue not the gift of continencie let him cohabite againe with his wife but if shee die he is debarred from the second marriage which notwithstanding is permitted to the wife if shee haue not vowed This Canon is not set downe by precept and commandement but permissiuely through indulgence and a consideration of humane infirmitie Seruants whom the Church hath set at libertie when one Prelate dieth and another succeedeth they are bound to renew the charters of their land which they possesse else their charters shall be voyde and of none effect if they be not renewed within the space of a yeere next after the election of the new Prelate The children of them whom the Church hath set at libertie if their parents bring them vp in learning they shall be brought vp in that same Church from which their libertie did arise and shall serue the Bishop of that Church alwayes without prejudice of their libertie Let no man vpon occasion of an accusation be punished vnlesse his accuser be presented and in case he be a vile and infamous person let no sentence be giuen out vpon the ground of such accusation except in an action of treason against the life of the King He who hath committed hainous offences and fearing punishment fleeth to the enemies of his countrey for refuge let him be excommunicated Let young men honour them who are in great credite and fauour with Princes And let Seniors louingly cherish the younger sort and present vnto them profitable examples of a good conuersation The 14. and 15. Canon intreate of the reward due to them who are found faithfull seruants to the King in whatsoeuer estate especially in the Church and that rentes and landes bestowed vpon the Church shall abide firmely in their possession without reuocation In the 16.17.18 and 19. Canons there is a commemoration of the bountiful kindnesse of king Chintilla toward the Church a prouision that no Church-men should be allured by no deceitfull perswasion to take a course against the king A protestation before God his Angels Prophets Apostles Martyrs and whole Church That no man should enterprise any attempt against the King his Noble estate And they who shall presume to doe to the contrarie are appointed to eternall damnation In the end prayers are made to God to giue a good successe to their meeting and thankes are giuen to the King by whose authoritie they were assembled So it is manifest that by the authoritie of Princes Nationall Assemblies were conueened at this time IN the yeere of our Lord 662. as Functius reckoneth and in the 6. yeere of Chindasuvindus king of Spaine the 7. Coūcel of Toledo was assembled consisting of 4. Archbishops 30. Bishops and a great number of presbyters and messengers from them who could not be present The occasion of this meeting was Theodisclus Bishop of Hispalis a Graeciā borne He had corrupted the bookes of Isidorus and dispersed many errours in his Church he contended for supermacie with the Bishop of Toledo In this Councell Theodisclus was remooued from his office The prioritie of dignitie was conferred to the Bishop of Toledo In the second Tome of Councels six Canons are referred to this meeting First Laickes and men also in spirituall office are forbidden to attempt any thing against the estate of their countrie either by sedition or treason Secondlie it is appointed and ordained That in case any man ministring the Sacrament of the Lords holy Supper be hindred by
precept concerning prohibition of marriage than to all the ten Commandements of Gods law Let not a servant be accepted to serue in the Ministery of the Church before he be first set at liberty When servants are set at liberty let the supputation of time begin at the death of him who set them at liberty and not at the time when the charter was made Servants set at liberty shall neither marry a woman of the Romane nor of the Gothes blood and they shall be subiect to the Church that set them at liberty and if necessity compell them to sell lands let the land be first offered for a competent price to one Minister in that Church from which their liberty did arise Iewes who are baptized shall in time of solemne feastes attend vpon the Bishop of the parts where their dwelling is to the end that hee may beare testimony of the integrity of their faith If this cōmmandement be◠ansgresed the Bishop shall ordaine the Iew either to be scourged or to be subiect to such abstinence as he thinketh most fit In the end thanks being rendered to God for their meeting and for the vnitie of their iudgements and supplications being made to God for the weale of the King Recesuvindus in soule and body the Councell was dissolved IN the eight yeere of the raigne of Recesuvindus King of Gothes assembled in Toledo one and twenty Bishops They decerned concerning the Feasts of the nativity of our Lord and of the Lords mother at what times they should be kept Punishments are appointed for men of the Clergy and Monkes who are not found dutifull to the King and the Countrey That men vnmeet for spirituall offices should not bee intruded into the Church neither for propinquity of blood nor for hope of lucre and gaine That widowes professing a religious order shall receiue an habit convenient for that order And that women who depart againe from their professed order shall be punished That Parents shall not render their children to religious orders before they be eighteene yeeres of age Finally Protamius Bishop of Bracara being convict of adultery was removed from his office and Fructuosus was placed in his roome IN the seventh yeere of the raigne of Bamba King of the Gothes ninteene Bishops and seven Abbots were assembled in Toledo by the Kings Commandement Quiricus Bishop of Toledo being President In the beginning after a protestation of a decent order to be kept in their Assembly that no tumult nor contentious disputation nor indecent laughter should disturb the comely modesty of their Assembly they set downe a prolixe confession of Faith and Canons belonging to Ecclesiasticall discipline in the forme following 1. That Bishops should bee well acquainted with Scriptures and apt to teach 2. That Metropolitan Bishoppes should try how the Pastors of their Dioces increase in knowledge◠That the forme of singing vsed in the Metropolitane Church shal be likewise vsed in other inferiour Churches 4. That persons who haue discorded shall not stand at the Altar vntill the time they bee reconciled againe 5. That Church-men shall not judge in actions of blood 6. That Bishops should not giue sentence before a sufficient triall of the cause 7. Bishops who commit adulterie or murther shall be deposed and excommunicated beside the punishment to be inflicted by the secular Iudge 8. No reward shall be taken for ministration of the Sacramentes 9. Bishops before their ordination shall giue their oath that they haue not acquired that dignitie by rewards either giuen or to be giuen 10. He who is to be preferred to any Ecclesiasticall office let him first sweare that hee shall continue constantly in that true Catholicke faith and that hee shall be obedient to Ecclesiasticall Canons 11. Let no man refuse to receiue the Sacrament of the Supper when it is offered by him who hath a lawfull calling to ministrate it 12. Absolution should bee pronounced when perill of death impendeth albeit complet satisfaction be not made 13. The holy Sacrifice shall not be ministered by persons possessed with deuils or transported with the passions of madnesse 14. He who ministreth at the Altar shall haue other concurring with him to the end that if he be suddenly oppressed with any infirmitie the other assistant brother may supply his place 15. Councels are ordained yeerely to bee kept IF order of time be not precisely kept in commemoration of the Councels of Bracara and Toledo let no man maruell some regard must be had to the memorie of the Reader and it is not meet◠that the Councels of Toledo being many in number and so frequently conueened following vpon the necke of another except the eleuenth Councell conueened twelue yeeres after the 10 should be miserably disioyned if such things be not comported with by the fauorable Reader it will bee hard to abridge this head of Councels to the contentment of a learned Reader This Councell of Bracara by Caranza is called the first Councell of Bracara In it many old opinions of the Priscillianists and Manicheans concerning prohibition of marriage and meates are condemned together with the heresies of Samosatenus Photinus Cerdon and Marcion Canons set forth in this Councell are so coincident with the Canons of other Councels that there is no necessity to make rehearsall of them In the 30. Canon of this Councell it is ordained That no poesie shall be sung in the Church except the Psalter of the old Testament IN the 4 yeere of Bambas King of Gothes eight Bishops were assembled in Braga In the beginning of the Councell for confession of their Faith they made a new rehearsall of the summe of the Nicene Faith After this they set downe eight ordinances in manner following 1. That all superstitious opinions being reiected bread and wine mixed with water onely should be offered in the Sacrifice and not the liquor of milke nor pure vnmixed wine nor bread dipped in wine Here marke that the giving of vnmixed wine to the people in the Sacrament or Sacrifice is called superstition such bitter fruits do ensue vpon magnifying the traditions of men that Christs owne institution is called superstition 2. That vessels dedicated to God bee not abused and imployed to secular and humane vses 3. A Presbyter when he sayeth masse let him bee cloathed with his Orarium on both his shoulders and be signated on his brest with the signe of the Crosse. 4. Let no person of the Clergy cohabit with women no not with their owne sisters without witnesses of their conversation 5. Vpon Festivall dayes reliques enclosed in an Arke shal be borne vpon the shoulders of the Levites as the Arke of God in the old Testament was accustomed to bee borne 1 Chron. 15.15 and not about the necke of a Bishop and in case the Bishop will needs carry them himselfe then shall he walke on foot with the rest of the people and not be carryed in a coach by his Deacons Here marke
not distribute the Lords bodie indiscreetly to children and to all persons who happen to be present who if they be entangled with great sinnes they procure vnto themselues rather damnation then any remedie to their soules according to the saying of the Apostle Whosoeuer eateth this Bread and drinketh this Cup unworthily hee shall be guilty of the bodie and blood of the Lord Let a man therefore try himselfe and so let him eate of this Bread and drinke of this Cup. By this let the iudicious Reader marke that even in the dayes of Carolus Magnus priuate masses had no place but they who were duly prepared did communicate with the Priest 20. Presbyters shall not suffer the holy Chrisme to be touched by every man 21. Presbyters shall not resort to Tavernes to eate or drinke 22. Bishops and Presbyters shall prescribe to sinners who haue confessed their sinnes penance discreetly according to the waightinesse of their fault 23. Chanons who dwell in Cities let them eate in one Cloyster and sleepe vnder one roofe to the end they may bee ready to celebrate their Canonicall houres From the 24. Canon vnto the 32. are contained constitutions concerning Monkes and Nunnes which I ouer-passe with silence fearing to be prolix Canon 32. All men should studie to peace and concord but especially Christians forsaking hatred discord and envie 33. Lords and Iudges should be obedient to the wholsome admonitions of their Bishops and Bishops on the other part should reverently regard them to the end they may be mutually supported every one with the consolations one of another 34. Lords and Iudges are to bee admonished that they admit not vile and naughty persons to beare witnesse in their iudicatories because there are many who for a contemptible price are ready to make shipwracke of a good conscience 35. Let no man for his decreet receiue a reward For divine Scripture in many places forbiddeth this as a thing that blindeth the eyes of the blind 36. Let euery man be carefull to support indigent persons of his owne family and kindred for it is an impious and abominable thing in the sight of God that men abounding in riches should neglect their owne 37. Christians when they make supplications to God let them in humble manner bow downe their knees following the example of the Martyr Steven and of the Apostle Paul Except vpon the Lords day and other solemne dayes on the which the vniversall Church keepeth a memoriall of the Lords resurrection and at such times they are accustomed to stand and pray 38. Faithfull people must be admonished not to enter into the Church with tumult and noyse and in time of prayer and celebration of the masse not to be occupied in vaine confabulations and idle speeches but even to abstain from wicked cogitations 39. Let not the Consistories and Iudgement-seates of secular Iudges be in the Church or portches thereof in any time to come because the house of God should bee an house of Prayer as our Lord Iesus Christ saith 40. Let it be forbidden that Merchandize be vsed vpon the Lords day or Iustice-Courts because all men should abstaine from servile labours to the end this day may be spent in praising and thanking God from morning till evening 41. Incestuous persons parracides and murtherers are found who will not hearken to the wholsome admonitions of Church-men but persevere in their vitious conversation who must be reduced to order by the discipline of the secular power 42. Let the people be admonished to abstaine from Magicall Arts which can bring no support and helpe to the infirmities of men and beasts but they are the deceitfull snares of the Divell whereby he deceiveth man-kinde 43. A frequent custome of swearing is forbidden wherein men vpon euery light occasion willing to purchase credit to that which they speake they take God to be witnesse of the verity of their speeches 44. Many free subiects by the oppression of their Masters are redacted to extreame pouerty whose causes if our element Soveraigne please to examine hee shall finde that they are vniustly redacted to extreame indigence 45. A false measure and a false ballance is an abomination vnto the Lord as Salomon recordeth The 46. Canon containeth a regrate that tythes were not duly payed to the Church notwithstanding that the Church had giuen in their complaint to the civil Magistrate whereby it came to passe that not only lights in the Church and stipends to the Clergie began to inlacke but also the very parish Churches became ruinous 47. When generall Fastings are appointed for any impendent calamity let man neglect the fellowship of the humble Church for desire to feed his belly with delicate foode 48. Drunkennes and surfeiting are forbidden as offensiue both to soule and bodie and the ground of many other sinnes 49. Lords and Masters are to be admonished not to deale cruelly and vnmercifully with their subiects yea and not to seeke that which is due vnto themselues with excessiue rigour 50. Let Laicke people communicate at least thrise in a yeere vnlesse they be hindred by some grivous sinnes committed by them 51. In the last Canon mention is made that they diligently examined the cause of them who complained to the Emperour that they were dis-inherited by thâ— donation of lands which their Fathers and friends had bestowed vpon the Church and in their bounds they found no man who did complaine Alwaies in that matter if any thing was done amisse they humbly submitted themselues to be corrected by their Soveraigne Lord and King THe Councell of Chalons was the fourth Councell convened in the yeere of our Lord 813. by the commandement of Charles the Great for the reformation of the Ecclesiasticall Estate Many of the Canons of this Councell are coincident with the Canons of the former therefore I shall be the shorter in the commemoration thereof 1. That Bishops acquaint themselues diligently with reading the bookes of holy Scripture and the Bookes of ancient Fathers together with the Pastorall bookes of Gregorius 2. Let Bishops practice in their workes the knowledge which they haue attained vnto by by reading 3. Let them also constitute Schooles wherein learning may be increased and men brought vp in them that may be like to the salt of the earth to season the corrupt manners of the people and to stop the mouthes of Heretiques according as it is said to the commendation of the Church A thousand Targes are hung vp in it even all the Armour of the strong Cant. chap. 4 vers 4. â— 4. Let Church-men shew humility in word deed countenance and habite 5. Let Priests bee vnreproueable adorned with good manners and not given to filthy lucre 6. The blame of filthy lucre wherewith many Church-men were charged for this that they allured secular men to renounce the world and to bring their goods to the Church they endeuour with multiplyed number of words to remoue 7. Bishops and Abbots who with deceitfull speeches haue circumvened