encountered the Inquisitor when he saw him he coÌ„manded his seruant with a good cudgell which he carried to abate the fearcenes of the vnhappy Pereto Infâ—â—lix being thus cudgelled returned to Rome and recounted his mischaunce to Pope Pius 4. very much complayning vpon the Magnifico The Pope hereat disdayning sent him backe to Venice with much more authoritie power then before When Felix was returned vnto Venice he presented his coÌ„omission to the Segniory The Segniory being wise prudent knowing the quarrilous humor of this man wel perceiuing that he came with a desire to reuenge commanded a wax candle to be kindled and Felix if he were wise precisely to depart their dominion and iurisdiction before that candle were consumed This Infoelix vnable to doe otherwise returned eftsoones to Rome complained to the Pope The Pope seeing this man meete for his seruice made him maister of his Pallace After this when the Spanish Inquisition of all men how high soeuer feared liked of none held the Archbishop of Toledo for suspected of heresie the Pope sent Felix into Spaine to heare this cause The General of the FranciscaÌ„s the chiefe dignitie among them now happened to die This dignitie gaue the Pope to Felix whom a few yeares after the same Pope made Cardinall In conclusion when Gregorie 13 was dead Felix by meanes of his good friends in Spaine was made Pope and called himselfe Sistus 5. This name he tooke in memorie of Sistus 4. who was as was he a Franciscan Friar So abhominable truly are the thinges read of this Sistus 4. that their memorie with him deserueth to be buried in hell and perpetuall obliuion Read his life which we haue culled out of diuers authors Notwithstanding all this would Felix be called Sistus 5. because he thought to be another and yet worse then Sistus 4. When he was Pope as though in himselfe his Romane court his Rome his Babilon which for her customes is the mother of all fornications and more then beastly abhominations and for Doctrine the schoole of error and Temple of heresie said her renowned Petrarque now 200 yeares past nothing there were to be corrected or amended he gaue himselfe I say as though in his owne house he had nothing to doe to seeke to correct after his maner to entermedle in the houses of others And so by all possible wayes deceites crafts treason and violence he practized to disturbe the quiet and happinesse of the kingdome of England suborning and animating most wicked men and abhominable traitors promising them that which he neither had for himselfe nor could giue to others at least the kingdome of heauen if they should murder the most illustrious Queene of England who for forty yeares space with so great peace clemencie most prudently hath gouerned her kingdome In which time with temporal riches abundance of bodily necessaries with spiritual riches which is the preaching of the Gospel hath God blessed this kingdome From all these treasons God as a most mercifull father maugre Antichrist of Rome hath deliuered the Queene Let the Pope then burst for anger So also hath this Pope opposed himselfe to the most illustrious king of Nauarre and his first brother the prince of Conde cursing and depriuing them of all whatsoeuer they had and were to haue and chiefly of the vndoubted right which for waÌ„t of right heire male hath the king of Nauarre to the crowne of France God for his infinit goodnes haue mercy on his poore Church which this Antichrist in these princes doth persecute Arise Lord put to flight thine enemies break the hornes of this beast that he doe no more harme to thy poore children hasten to destroy Antichrist with the spirit of thy mouth with the preaching of the Gospel The God of peace beate downe Sathan that speedely vnder our feete and exalt his sonne Christ Iesus subiecting al things vnder his feete placeing him aboue all things for head of his Church which is his body he the fulnes thereof which filleth al things in al persons This most ChristiaÌ„ prince of Conde whom Sistus 5. baÌ„ned in the 1588 yeare died of poyson In the same yeare did Henry 3. K. of France cause the Duke of Guise to be slaine another day the Cardinal brother to the Guise the cause was for that the Duke had coÌ„spired to kil the king vsurpe the kingdom Shortly after but of her natural death died also the mother of the king The death of the Duke of Guise of his brother caused many the most principall cities of of FraÌ„ce as Paris Roan Lyons Tholous others to rebell against the king The yeare following which was the 1589 the king came vpon Paris and besieged it straightly The Parisians seing themselues in that estate resolued of no other remedy for deliuerance froÌ„ their present miserie but to kill the king To him that would kill him did they promise great rewards so there wanted not some desperate persons which offered to doe it Amongst al these was a Dominican Friar called Clement before the rest preferred aman vnlearned of little honesty for such a one had ofteÌ„ bene chastised with the discipline of the couent To the kings campe came he fayning busines to deal with the king of most great importance The king in affection much inclined to these Friars coÌ„maÌ„ded he should come in The Friar being entered kneeled on his knees befor the king the king who was sitting the better to heare him somewhat dubled his body The cursed Sinon then drawing a poysoned knife which he had brought for that purpose thrust it into the bowels of the king The king feeling himselfe wounded cried out to the crie ranne many who stabbed and killed this vnmercifull Clement albeit the king commaunded they should not kil him This wound of the king caused sadnes and sorrow in the kings campe contrariwise great mirth amongst the enemies who instantly demanded aloud if the Friars knife were sharp enough The king after he had appointed the king of Nauarre his brother in law called Henry 4. who was the neerest in bloud for his successor the night following died When newes of the kings death came to Rome Pope Sistus 5. made a solemne Oration in the concistorie of Cardinals the 11. of September 1589. where he not only compared the treason of this cursed Dominick with the act of Eleazar and of Iudith but said also it surpasseth them Of Eleazar is made mention 1. Macha 6. who seing an Elephant more mighty then the rest armed with the armes of the king supposing that king Antiochus was vpon him to deliuer his people and purchace eternall glorie he aduentured himself ran couragiously to the EelephaÌ„t through the middest of the squadron killing on the right hand and on the left and all sides throwing downe vntill he came vnder the Elephant and placing himselfe vnder him slew him the
vnto them the name of Most Christen All that which the Pope holdeth and all that almost which was the Kinges of France for that which they say of Constantines donation is mockery and lies as Laurencius Valla and other learned men haue proued it may be and is so to be thought that God will raise vp some of France which will take it from him seeing by himselfe it is so il vsed Zacharie dyed in the 752. yeare In his time Don Alonso the first called Catholique reigned in Spaine Stephen 2. or as some call him 3. because Stephen 2. was before him which was not Pope but 3. or 4. dayes being inuaded by Astolpho king of Lombardie sent with great instance to demaund ayd of Pipin who was very diligent to serue him and taking Exarcado from the Emperour gaue it to the Pope This is the blacke donation which they falsely call Constantines Pipin prostrate on the ground before the Pope kissed his feete held his stirrop with one hand and his bridle with the other Thus the king of France made the Pope rich and the Pope seeing himselfe rich made himselfe mightie high presumptuous a tyrant God in the earth ouer all Christian Princes and them his vassalls and feodaries In the 757. yeare dyed this Stephen In his time in Spaine reigned Froila Paul 1. excommunicated the Emperour Constantine 5. who nothing regarding the foolish excommunication perseuered to forbid that which God in his holy law forbiddeth Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image c. This Paul as saith Vicelius the Popes notable parasite exceeding much reuerenced the body of Saint Petronilla daughter of Saint Peter vpon whose marble tombe as saith Carsulano he found this Epitaph written with the proper hand of Saint Peter a lye qualified with supersticion To Petronilla made of gold most sweete daughter Paul dyed in the 767. yeare and Aurilio in his time reined in Spaine Great Sisme which was the 10. arose in the Roman Church wherin Theophilatus which renounced and Constantine that was deposed were chosen Constantine 2. by meanes of his brothee Desiderius King of Lumbardy albeit he had many competitors was made Pope In this Pope a very rare thing hapned that he being a lay or or secular man was imediately made Pope And therefore of many not reckened among the Popes One yeare very pontifically he executed the Popes office In whose time a Councell was holden wherein he was deposed And it was commaunded that all whatsoeuer Constantine 2. had done and ordeyned Baptisme and holy oyntment excepted should be voyd and of no vallewe I demaund now of our aduersaries what thinke they of the Bishops and priestes in this Popes time and that which they did by his authoritie What say they of the Masses which the celebrated did they consecrate or no If they did not consecrate then the Pope that ordeyned them was not Pope nor they priestes And so both Pope and they were disgraded and by the same reason all those that heard their Masses did commit Idolatrie according to their owne Cannons which say that he cosnecrateth not which is no Priest And moreouer it is meete the priest haue an intent to consecrate which wanting there is no consecration at all Constantine thus depriued was put into a monasterie and his eyes puld out but king Desiderius his brother reuenged this iniurie by pulling out their eyes that pulled out the eyes of his brother Cestantine Silo at this time reigned in Spaine Now also was the eleuenth Sisme wherein Phillip was chosen but at the endeoffiue he dayes was deposed and Stephen elected Stephen 3. or after others 4. demaunded ayde of Charles the great against Desiderius king of Lumbardie This Stephen condemned the actes of his predecessour Constantine He condemned the 7. Councell of Constantinople against Images commaunded they should be worshipped and censed after the maner of the Gods of the Gentiles In the 772. yeare he died and Silo then reigned in Spaine In this busines touching Images insisted Adrian 1. he wrote a booke of the adoration of them and condemned Felix and all the enemies of Images Charles the great the sonne of Pipine for the great benefite receaued of Pope Adrian who tooke part with him against the sonnes of Charles Manno his brothers right heires of the kingdome and made him king deliuered the Pope from all vexation This Adrian called Charles the great Most Christian and gaue him power to choose the Pope When Adrian had bin Pope almost 24. years in the 795. yeare he died Maugaretto at this time reigned in Spaine In the time of this Adrian Constantine and his mother Hirena ruling the Empire was holden the second Councell of Neece called the seuenth generall Councell wherein it was decreed that Images ought to be adored c. and the reliques of saints worshipped This Constantine as saith Rodrigo Sanchez bishop of Palencia in the third part of his Spanish historie was in name 10. years Emperour with Irena his mother who ruled all but 10 yeares expired he reigned alone without his mother Herein saith he did he Imitate Ninus who depriued Simiramis his mother of the kingdome of Babylon But Irena tooke the Empire from Constantine her sonne and incited with infernall rancor put out his eies and so depriued him both of life and Empire Wherefore and for that she sought to marry with Charles the Great the Grecians shut her vp in a Monasterie and made Nicephorus Emperour Thus far Rodrigo Sanchez Terrible was this cruelty when was it heard that a mother to rule pulled out the eies and tooke away the life of her sonne and chiefly being of age to inherite and rule the Empire of his deceased father Frier Iohn de Pineda lib. 18 Cap. 13. of his Ecclesiasticall Monarchie sufficiently speaketh against the wickednes cruelty and ambition of this Irena Leo 3. in an oration which he made to make Charles the Great Emperor in the West among other reasons for that purpose giueth this Seeing saith he that by the renunciation of Augustus the Empire at least in the west was voide and strictly examining the businesse as well may it also be said that the Empire of Greece was voyd sith a woman held it almost by tyrannie These selfe same wordes reciteth Illescas vpon the life of Leo the third And notwithstanding holdeth Irena for most holy and so vppon the life of Adrian the first these words saith he of her Most faire was Irena and one of the most excellent and famous women in all kind of vertues and of all Christendome the most renowmed And a little lower Irena as a holy and Catholike woman which she was and euer had bene c. Thou seest here what a one was Irena the great Patronesse Defendresse of Images In causing images to be adored she sinned against the second commandement
he let them go Don Fenando 3. reigned in Spaine When Innocent the fourth a Genoway was Pope of a most deere friend to the Emperour Fredericke he beame a mortall enemie I will here recite what saith Ieronymus Marius concerning this Pope of him saith he that being Pope he held a Councell against the Emperor at Lyous in Fraunce in which Councell the Pope himselfe cited the Emperour The Embassadors of the Emperour besought the Pope to giue him time to come to the Councell this time the Pope refused to graunt but there like a mad man excommunicated and deposed the Emperour commaunding that none should obey him and the Princes to choose another Emperour whom he so sollicited and with promises deceiued that they chose for Emperour Henrie Lantgraue of Turingia Fredericke the second vnderstanding hereof against the Pope and the rest defended himselfe valiantly vntill being in Pulla he could not escape the snares of the Pope where a certaine man by the Pope corrupted did poyson him Yet began he notwithstanding to recouer vntill a young man called Manfredo with money also as some say by the pope corrupted strangled him with a towell Concerning this good Emperour no credite is to be giuen either to Blundus Platina Estella nor Sabellicus because they wrote the sayings of the Pope and his flatterers to stirre vp the world if they might against this good Emperour Who listeth to knowe the truth let him reade Petrus de Vinea in his sixe bookes of Epistles Hitherto Marius In Sueuia at this time were preachers that with great libertie preached the truth against the Pope and his Cardinals they iustified the cause of the Emperour Fredericke the second and Conrad his sonne and boldly affirmed that neithe the Pope Cardinals nor Bishops had any authority because they were stained with Simony and that they held no power which Christ had giuen them The Priests sayd they being in mortall sinne did neither bind nor loose nor yet consecrate at al c. At the end of their sermons they said that the indulgēces which they preached were not feigned of the Pope nor inuented of his Prelates but graunted by the omnipotent God In the foresayd Councell of Lugdanum Innocent ordeined that the Cardinals should vse red shadowes which they call hattes and cloakes and ride vpon trapped horses and this saith Platina to adorne his order of Cardinals Note for this purpose concerning the Cardinals that which Pero Mexia vpon the life of the Emperour Henry the fourth saith where to paint Saint Ierome with a hat is made a mockerie for Saint Ierome died aboue 850 yeares before Innocent inuented the hattes This Pope Innocent the fourth had many bastards whom after the popish custome he called Nephewes Vntill the time of this Pope as noteth Bibliander there was no article of faith nor law of the Church that men should worship the bread and wine in the Eucharist This Pope was the first that created a new God by his transubstantiation albeit true it is that Honorius 3. began this building This Pope offered to Henry 3. king of England the kingdome of both Sicils if he would buy it In the 1254. yeare he died and Don Alonso 10. called the wise which was Emperour reigned in Castile Alexander 4. an Italian was the first that persecuted and excommunicated Manfred king of Sicilia By reason whereof many reuolts happened in Italie William de S. Amor a learned man who wrote against the feigned pouertie of the begging Friars was in the time of this Pope which bookes with a terrible edict the Pope prohibited This good man affirmed these idle poore and lazie fellowes which liued by almes were not in the state of saluation This Alexander 4. secretly fauoured Richard the sonne of king Iohn of England for money which he had promised if he would make him Emperour but publikely hee made shewe to fauour Don Alonso 10. king of Spaine of whome hee had receiued verie much money A double hearted man is neuer good In the 1262. yeare or after others 1261. he died and Don Alonso the tenth reigned in Castile Vrban 4. a Frenchman was Pope he tooke against Manfred as his predecessour Alexander the fourth had done And the better to be enabled for his owne reuenge he prayed Lewis king of France to send Charles his brother Earle of Prouince and Aniou whom he called king of both Sicils with a great campe into Italie Charles in the end after many warlike conflicts ouercame and slew Manfred neere vnto Benauente and so took he vnder fealty the kingdoms of Sicilia with Dukedome of Calabria and Pulla the pope against all right as he that faulteth in whatsoeuer he doth giuing the same vnto him This manifest roberie was the cause of manie ensuing murders This Vrban the fourth at the instance of a certain woman called Eua a Recluse in the land of Leege familiarly by him knowne before he was Pope did institute the great feast of the breaden God called Corpus Christi This woman Arnoldus Bostius and Petrus Premostratensis report had a reuelation a diuellish one no doubt vpon the celebration of the feast of the Sacrament which shee by her letters signified to the Pope requesting him by his papall authoritie to cause it to be celebrated Which thing the pope graunted as by a letter in answere thereof appeareth This letter thus beginneth Vrbanus Episcopus seruus seruorum Dei dilectae in Christo filiae Euae salutem c. Vrban Bishop the seruant of Gods seruants to Euah his beloued daughter in Christ health and Apostolique blessing We know ô daughter that with great desire hath thy soule desired the solemne feast of the body of our Lord Iesus Christ to be instituted in the Church of God and for euer celebrated of all faithfull Christians c. The Letter is long and therefore contenting my selfe to haue put downe the summe I haue spared here to recite it Behold heere my brethren the cause of this solemne feast with so manie daunces Castles Maygames playes maydes borne vpon mens shoulders streetes strowed with boughes and decked with Tapistrie A day it is of most great superstition and Idolatrie a day wherein more villanies then vertues are committed For who he or shee vpon this day will not see and be seene that beside which passeth more to be lamented then laughed at True it is that Pope Honorius the third laid the foundation and made the ground-worke of this building In the 1265. or after some others 1264. yeere died Vrban and Don Alonso 10. reigned in Castile Clement 4. a Frenchman was like his predecessors cruell and a great bloodshedder He called into Italy against Manfred king of Cicill Charles Earle of Aniou Charles vanquished and killed Manfred whom this vngentle Clement made king of Sicilia and Ierusalem with this condition to pay him yeerely 40000. duckats This caused infinite numbers of men
attend him so came he to Brixia where he abode The Gemane Princes hearing of the Emperours arriuall came to kisse his hands and giue him the welcome-home The Emperour rewarded the Souldans people that had attended on him and sent them backe to their Lord againe This done the Emperour held a Diet in Norinberge where he recouÌ„ted that which had hapned the great treason of the Pope read the letter sent by the Pope to the Souldan which seene the Princes promised their aid both for performance of his promise to the Souldan and also for the chastising of Pope Alexander A great campe he leuied without any let passed through Italy and went towards Rome The Emperour sent Ambassadors to Rome by whom he required without mentioning the receiued villanies and iniuries by Pope Alexander that the cause of the Popes might be heard examined that he which had most right might be Pope and so the Sisme cease Alexander seeing his part vnfurnished fled by night to Gaeta and from thence to Beneuente and there attiring himself in the habite of his Cooke in the 17. yeere of his Bishodome came to Venice where he was made Gardiner of a Monasterie from whence by commandement of Sebastian Duke of Venice with great pome he was taken and very pontifically carried to the Church of Saint Marke This historie is cited by Nauclerus Barnus Funcius and others The Emperour hearing that the Pope was in Venice requested the Venetians to deliuer so pernicious a man his enemie vnto him which denied by the Venetians the Emperor with an Armie sent Otho his sonne commanded him not to fight before his comming The young Prince desirous of fame sought with the Venetians against the commandement of his father of whom he was vanquished and carried prisoner to Venice This was a notable victorie for the Generall of the Venetians called Ciano brought but thirie Gallies and Otho 75. I will here recite that which Frier Iohn de Pineda lib. 25. cap. 7. ¶ 3. saith Glorious Ciano entered into Venice c. and somewhat lower The Pope gaue him the glorie of the victorie a little gold ring he also deliuered him saying he gaue him that in token he graunted him the segniorie of the sea which he had gotten and would he should cast it into the sea to bind the sea thenceforth as his wife to be alwayes kept vnder the Venetian Empire And that all the after Dukes should vpon some speciall day celebrate this ceremony euerie yeare And somewhat after the ceremony passed was vpon the day of the Ascension and the Pope granted in that Church vpon such day full remission c. for euer Thus farre Pineda Alexander growne proud with this victorie would not make peace with Fredericke vntill he himselfe should come to Venice at such day as the Pope would appoint The father for the loue he bare to his sonne did all whatsoeuer he was commanded He came to Saint Markes where the Pope before all the people commanded the Emperour to prostrate himselfe and craue mercie which the Emperour there did Then trode the Pope with his feete vpon the necke of the Emperour who was prostrate on the ground and with his mouth that spake blasphemies said It is written Thou shalt go vpon the Aspe and Basiliske and vpon the Lyon and Dragon shalt thou treade The Emperour herewith ashamed made answere Not to thee but to Peter Whereat the Pope stamping vpon the necke of the Emperour said Both to me and to Peter Then was the Emperour silent and so the Pope absolued him of his excommunication Another such like thing as this to the Emperor Henry of whoÌ„ we haue spoken in the life of Gregory 7. hapned The conditions of peace were That the Emperor shold hold Alexander for rightfull Pope restore all whatsoeuer that during the war he had taken The peace thus made the Emperor with his sonne departed Robert Montensis in his historie reporteth that Lewis king of France and Henry king of England going on foot and holding the bridle of the horse whereupon this Alexander rode the one with the right-hand and the other with the left with great pompe they led him through the citie of Boyanci which is vpon the riuer Luera In the time of this Alexander God to reproue the pride and tyranny of the Bishop raised vp the Waldenses or as other call them the poore of Lyons in the yeare of the Lord 1181. in which yeare this beast died and Don Sancho 3. reigned in Castile Lucius 3. who purposed to abolish the name of Consuls in Rome by the commoÌ„ consent of the Cardinals was chosen For which the Romans much offended expelled him from Rome disgraced with diuers kinds of reproches those of his part and some of them also they killed In the 1185. yeare he died and Don Sancho 3. reigned in Castile Vrban 3. whom for his troublesomenesse they called Turbano as saith Albertus Crantzio in the 6. booke and 52. chap. of his Saxon historie determined to excommunicate the Emperour because he was a let vnto him and wold not permit him to do what he listed but he did it not because in the 1187. yere he died before he would Don Alonso 8. reigned in Castile and at this time the Moores tooke Ierusalem Gregorie 8. before he was two moneths Pope died When Clement 3. was Pope he incited the Christian Princes as had done his predecessours to warre beyond the seas which did the Popes not so much for the increase of Christendom as for their own peculiar intents commodities as vpon Alexander 3. we haue already declared because the Princes being so farre remote and intangled with warres against the Infidels the Popes might do and did whatsoeuer they listed The Danes this Pope excommunicated because they would their Priestes should be married and not concubine keepers In this 1191. yeare he died Don Alonso the eight then reigned in Castile The next day after Celestine 3. was made Pope He crowned Henrie 6. and much repining that Tancred the bastard son of Roger whom the Sicilians had chosen for king William their king being dead without heire should be the king of Sicilia The Pope married the Emperour with Constantia the daughter of Râ—gero taking her out of the Monasterie of Panormo where she was a Nunne vpon this condition that expelling Tancred who then possessed it He should demaund for dower the kingdome of both Sicils and for being king of Sicilia should pay his fealty to the Pope which was the cause of much bloudshed When this Emperour Henry was dead great sisme arose in the Empire such and so great was the discord that hardly one parish agreed with another By these coÌ„tentions amoÌ„g the priests the Pope greatly enriched himselfe because in Rome they were to be ended as noteth Conrado Lichtenao Abbot of Vespurg whose words for that
to be murdered For Conradino the sonne and heire of Conrade king of Sicilia sought to defend his right but Charles ouercame and tooke him prisoner together with Fredericke Duke of Austria neere vnto Naples and by the counsell of the pope did behead them For Charles wrote to the Pope what he should doe with Conradino his prisoner The Pope answered The life of Charles the death of Conradino c. After him Adrian 5. against this Charles demanded aide of Rodolph the Emperour The kingdome of Naples by meanes of this cursed Pope came to the French and the Dukedome of Sueuia tooke end In the 1270. yeere this butcher died The seat of Sathan was long time to wit two yeeres and nine moneths and two dayes voide And Don Alonso 10. then reigned in Castile Clement the fourth being dead the Cardinals which were 17. number to chuse a new pope assembled together Amongst whom so great discord arose that in almost three yeeres space they could not agree for euery of them pretended to be pope Philip king of France and Charles king of Sicill hearing of this great discord came to Viterbo where the Cardinals were and prayed them to dispatch and chuse a chiefe bishop but so great was the ambition of the Cardinals that all this trauell and sute of the two kings were to no purpose so they returned without any thing done When they were in the election inuocating the holy spirit bishop Iohn Cardinall Portuensis seeing the great forwardnesse of the Cardinals said vnto them My Lords let vs vncouer this chamber for the holy spirit through so great roofes cannot enter vnto vs. When the same Cardinall vnderstood that Gregory was Pope he cōpiled these two verses Papatus munus tulit Archidiaconus vnus Quem patrem patrum fecit discordia fratrum To wit an Archdeacon attained to the Popedom whom the discord of brothers made father of fathers All this reporteth Panuinus an Augustin Frier Behold here what the Romists thēselues report of the elections of their Popes behold here Ambition the holy spirit which in their election gouerneth Gregory 10. thus elected in the yere 1273. at Lyons in France did celebrate a Councell where Michael Paleologus Emperour of Constantinople who approued the doctrin of the Romaine church his predecessors hauing 12 times done the like as many times more reuoked the same was present In this councell it was ordeined that the Pope being dead the Cardinals shold shut thēselues in the Conclaue And that moreouer which Panuinus in the note vpon Platina vpon the life of this Gregory 10. saith He renued a fresh the warre of the holy land And in 5 yeres that he poped neuer saw Rome In the 1276. yere he died and Don Alonso 10. reigned in Castile Innocent 5. a Burgonion was the first begging friar that was made pope for which cause he much fauored his dominicks And hauing poped 6. moneths 2. daies the same yere with his predecessor he died Adriā 5. a Genoway was the nephew or as is thought the son of Innocēt 4. whē he was Pope he went frō Rome to Viterbo frō whence he wrote to Rodulph the Emperour to aide him against Charles king of Sicilia which Charles had the former popes against all right made king of Sicil as in the life of Clement 4. we haue noted but the Emperor occupied in the wars of Bohemia could not succor him He poped but one moneth 7 daies then died Iohn 22. or 21 or 20 before he was pope called in latin Petrus Hispanus was born at Lisbon by professiō a Phisition Albeit this mā was holden for very learned yet was he very vnskilfull to gouerne And as saith Platina wrought more domage thē profit to the popedom Many things he did which shew his folly lightnes One good property he had that whē he saw a yong man inclined to study with benefits money he would aide him This mā foolish as he was promised by the stars long life to himselfe so would tell it to all men But it farre otherwise happened to him for a certaine chamber which Valerius calleth a sporting chamber Estella calleth it a precious bed chamber which he had builded for his pleasure in the pallace of Viterbo at the end of 4. dayes fell suddenly to the ground the Pope was found betweene the timber the stones who hauing poped 8. moneths and 8. daies at 7. dayes end in the 1277. yere died Six moneths after the death of his predecessor was Nicholas 3. chosen for the Cardinals could not agree at the end of which time Charles king of Sicilia ruling as a Senator in the Conclaue Nicholas 3. was chosen who after he was pope began thē to persecute Charles he tooke frō him the vicaredge of Hetruria he tooke frō him also the power of Senator giuē him by Clement 4. he forbad that no king or prince thenceforth should dare to demand or administer that office tooke it to himselfe But Martin the 4. his successor did restore it vnto him For so agree the Popes that that which one doeth another vndoeth This Nicholas with great wars vexed Italy And the better to effect his purposes he perswaded Don Pedro king of Arragon to demand the kingdom of Sicilia seeing it was his in the right of his wife Constance This counsell much pleased Don Pedro which was afterwards the cause of much bloodshed In the yere 1381. died Nic. Martin 4. a Frenchman Panninus cals him 2. with great humanity receiued Charles king of Sicilia and restored him to the dignity of Senator that moreouer which his predecessor had taken frō him He excōmunicated Don Pedro king of Arragon who leuied a great armie to inuade Charles in Sicilia gaue his kingdome for a prey to the first that could take it absolued all his vassals from their oth to him made as their king c. yet Don Pedro of al this made no reckoning but passed into Italy aided by Paleologus Emperor of Constantinople wan Sicilia The Sicilians for their pride luxuritie bare great hatred to the French so that they conspired against Charles his frenchmen toulling the bels they issued out killed all nor sex nor age regarded yong old men and women albeit great with child they destroyed These be the Euensongs which the Sicilians call so famous After this Charles with his armie comming to Naples was vanquished taken as saith Platina sent into Arragon This Pope Martin tooke the concubine of his predecessor Nicholas 3. when Martin had 4. yeares and one moneth poped in the 1285. yeare he died of whom saith Platina that after his death he wrought great miracles Don Alonso 10. then raigned in Castile Honorius the fourth following the steps of his predecessor Martin 4. confirmed the excommunication and interdiction against Don Pedro which held
French English and Flemish In this booke it is liuely depainted and with many notable exampeles confirmed This is to be noted that how many soeuer entred into the Inquisition for what cause soeuer all came out with confusion and losse of goods and many of their liues and none at all instructed Such is the intreatie wherewith the Fathers of the faith doth intreat them They haue not leysure to teach them but to robbe and kill them Would God that according to the lawdable custome of Spaine in other Audienecs Iudges of residence should be sent men learned and voyd of passion which might examine the Inquisitors and those that be and haue bene prisoners in the Inquisition O what would then bee discouered Aragon as it were by force receiued afterwardes the Inquisition and so they killed the first Inquisitors In the 1546. yeare Don Pedro of Toledo attempted to place it in Naples but could neuer effect it as Doctor Illescas vppon Paul 3. reporteth For the Neapolitanes did vehemently withstand it Thinges standing in these termes Pope Paule before certified of what passed in Naples dispatched forth a writ apostolique whereby he declared that the knowledge of causes touching the offence of heresie apperteyned to the ecclesiasticall Court and Iurisdiction apostolique commaunding the viceroy and all whomsoeuer secular Iudges to surcease in them and not entermedle to proceede against any heresie by way of Inquisition nor any other manner reseruing to himselfe the determination of such causes as of a thinge concerning the Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction Thus farre Doctour Illescas Some yeares after one Sayavedra Cordoves perswaded the king of Portugale that he was sent a Nuncio from Paul 3. vnto him And so in the 1545. yeare thus brought in the Inquisition into Portugale There went out of Portugale 30000. Iewes Time brought it to light that the Pope had not sent him and so was he condemned to the gallies Another pleasant conceate haue I heard of this Nuncio an excellent writer he was and well knewe to counterfeite what handsoeuer This Nuncio remayning in the gallies came a poore woman to beseech the Generall of the gallies to ayde her with some almes for the mariage of her poore daughter The General made answere that very willingly would he helpe her but present want of money was the cause he could not The poore woman with this answere departed weeping of whom when the Nuncio saw her weepe hee demaunded the cause of her weeping She told him that which she had passed with the Generall Then did he comfort her saying that he would effect what she desired And taking inke and paper he wrote these words Steward vpon sight of these presents giue so many thousand marmades the number I remember not to her that shall giue you this scedule which scedule the Nuncio subcribed as if the Generall himselfe had done it The poore woman departed with her scedule to the Stewarde The steward answered that he wondered his Lord would in such a time send that scedule But sith such was his pleasure he would giue her that which he commaunded him to giue her and so gaue it indeede When the day came that the Generall tooke account of the steward the steward presented the said scedule vnto him which he read againe and said to the steward True it is that such a poore woman came to me to aske an almes but I answered her that I could not helpe her for the present And beholding the subscription said this is my hand but I wrote it not Wherefore he made inquirie in the gally who had written it and it was proued to be the Nuncio For which cause the generall would haue caused his hand to be cut off but at request of many his hand cutting was spared and he put to the oares For by reason of his wealth he rowed not-before D. Illescas in the life of Clement 6. saith that he saw him in the gally rowing One of the chiefe causes of the low countries reuolt wherein so many thousands of Spaniards and other nations haue died and so many millions of crownes haue bene wasted y aun el rabo como dizen estápor desollar yet the taile as the say is to be fleyed for to begin anew is each day needfull was that the Duke d' Oliua sought to bring in the inqusition You see here the profit which the Inquisition hath brought to Spain This saie I not as though I would that there were neither king nor ruler but that each one might doe and beleeue what he listed Good lawes be necessarie in euery cōmon wealth for this cause committed God the sword to the Magistrate for the chastisement of the wicked and praise of the good as saith the Apostle Saint Peter Let them then that doe euill be punished but not tyrannically All lawes permit the delinquent to know who is his aduersarie and the witnesses that depose and who they be that he may except against them if they be infamous or his enemies c. In this Inquisitorie Audience the Lo. Treasurer who it may be neuer knewe nor saw the delinquent is made partie the witnesses howe infamous what villaines soeuer or great enemies they be are neuer named and so cannot be excepted against The which is contrary to all diuine and humane Iustice If the witnesses haue witnessed against one three or foure things the Inquisitors doe charge him as though the witnesses had spoken of ten or twelue things much more horrible then the witnesses haue deposed And so maie the Inquisitors doe what they list knowing that there is no residēt Iudge which is to take account of that they haue done Against this tyrannie doe we speake Maie it please the diuine Maiestie which hath geuen to the king the sword authoritie and commaund ouer all whatsoeuer that liue in his kingdomes be they secular as they terme them or ecclesiasticall to put into the kinges heart willingnes to be informed of the wronges and grieuances which the Inquisition doth and to geue as is his dutie remedie for the same which one day I hope the Lord will performe reuenge the blood of the iust which the Inquisition vniustly hath spilled The blood of the Iust is as the blood of Abell crying for vengeance How long say the dead for the word of God c. Lord holy and true wilt thou not iudge auenge our blood c. The brotherhood hath done and doth great good to Spaine for it clenseth the waies and wast places of the eues and robbers and so men may walke and sit safely vnder their figge trees and at the foote of their vine A common prouerbe it is that in Spaine are three holy sisters the holy Inquisition the holy Crosse and the holy brotherhood frō the one which is the Inpuisitiō they pray God to deliuer them from the other will they keepe themselues The tyrrany of the Inquisition in this saying is noted God of his great loue
deliuer vs from it The Bubos a disease vntill then vnknowne in Spaine they brought with them which returned from the Indies wherewith God did punish them for taking the wiues that were not theirs This filthie and contagious disease hath spread it selfe so greatly throughout all Europe that they make now almost no reckening thereof And he is not holden for a gentleman which hath not had two or three times the bubos as they call them Other nations call them the French euill The Frenchmen call them the disease of Naples A disease it is wherewith God punisheth such as liue in that filthie single life dispising mariage which God in Paradice the state of innocencie ordeined and Iesus Christ with his first miracle as saith Saint Iohn at a mariage in Cana of Galile confirmed albeit the popish votaries call it filthie c. Returne we to Alexander 6. Of him saith the Enchiridion of times that many thinges in his time did he license which neither for his person his estate nor for Rome being that it ought to be were lawfull and honest Machauell lib. de Principe cap. 18. of him saith Nought else but deceiue men did euer Alexander the sixt nor euer did hee thinke vppon other thinges and found meanes suficient to effect it and neuer had man more efficacie in striuing to affirme and with greater oathes would promise a thing and lesse performe it notwithstanding his deceit did alwayes prosper with him c. Guicciardine a graue author and of much credit as faith Doctor Illescas in the life of Alexander 6. ¶ 2. lib. 2. of his Historie giueth this notable testimonie of him The most vile nature saith he of the bishop made what wickednesse soeuer in him credible Who listeth to know further of this abhominable Alexander 6. great shame of our countrie of Spaine let him read Paulus Iouius In the 1503. yeare Alexander with poyson as before we haue said died Don Fernando and Dona Isabella then reigning in Spaine Pius 3. of Sena nephewe of Pius 2. was thus chosen when Alexander was dead Caesar his sonne which murdered his brother c. aduanced with al the treasure and iewels of the Pope and with twelue thousand men garded the Vaticano a place where the Cardinals vse to assemble for a new election And this he did that the Cardinals should make Pope whom he best pleased But to another place they went called Minerua which when Caesar vnderstood he sent thither his people and beset thē about Then ran the report through Rome that the Cardinals were prisoners and that there was nothing but death to be expected throughout all Rome So great was the feare that it only seemed Haniball was eftsonnes to enter Rome Caesar in the end at the request of the Romans and the Embassadours of Spaine and Fraunce And for that his purpose he saw would not preuaile with all his people departed from Rome And so the Cardinals went to their Conclaue where after long contention they elected Pius 3. who being Pope he presently conspired against the French which occupied a great part of Italy But he proceeded not further for hauing Poped but 27. dayes in the 1503. he died Iulius 2. a Genowey nephew of Sistus 4. by his great and subtill wit obteined great dignties and in the end to be Pope A man he was naturally inclined to warres which inclination albeit he were Pope yet mortified he not but holding rather absolute power as the Popes faine to haue put the same in execution He had great warres with the Venetians the king of France the Duke of Ferrara the Bentiuolians and other Princes This Iulius in the space of 7. yeares that he warred with his excommunications and armes he tooke many things from Christian Princes In which seuen yeares through the intollerable tirany of the Pope ther died by the sword aboue 200000 men And yet nothing at all he grieued imitating therein the cruell Nero who hauing caused Rome to be fired reioyced to see it burne as saith the Spanish song Mira Nero de Tarpeya A Roma como se ardia Gritos dan ninos y vieios Y el de nada se dolia Tarpeyan Nero did behold Rome Citie how it burned Yeeld shrikes and cries did young and old His heart yet nothing turned This Iulius was the cause of that so cruell and bloudy battell of Rauenna betweene the Spaniards and Frenchmen wherein both the conquerors and the conquered remained loosers He seeing himselfe vnable to vanquish the French king by armes attempted another way and so excommunicated him and also with him the king of Nauarre which tooke part with France he gaue their kingdomes for a pray to such as could get them By vertue of this excommunication Don Fernando the king that wanne Granada entered into Nauarre and in the 1512. yeare by force of armes tooke it Guicciardine in his 11. booke of his historie speaking of this taking of Nauarre saith these words The king of Nauarre being vnprepared and hopeles of power to make resistance fled to Bierna on the other side of the Piren mountaines The kingdome of Nauarre being abandoned except certaine forts kept for the fled king without any cost or difficulty and this more through the reputation and neerenes of the English then his owne force came into the power of the king of Aragon who vnable with other title to auouch his lawfull possession alleaged the occupation thereof to be rightfully for the seate Apostolique The noble Acts of king D. Fernando be summed vp in this Sonnet Iunté Aragon con Castilla Gané à Nauarray Granada Puse in Napoles mi silla Conquiste desde Sevilla Otro mundo con miarmada Castile with Aragon I ioyned I wanne Nauarre and tooke Granada In Naples my seat I placed Another world from off Seuilla I conquered with my Armada In this selfe same yeare 1512. as Frier Alonso Venero in his Enchiridion of the times reporteth died Pascall Bishop of Burgos In this Bishopricke he ordeyned that no vigils should be kept in Churches for the dissolute behauiour dauncings and other thinges much offensiue to God which there passed and oft times whordomes and other grieuous sinnes Thus farre Venero fol. 117. For the same causes in all Spaine were they also taken away for Pilgrimages were commonly turned into whoredoms Doctor Illesoas vpon the life of Eugenius 1. saith that in the time of this Eugenius was celebrated the Councel of Cabilona c. In which it was cōmanded that in Churches hermitages other houses of deuotion where it is accustomed to goe on pilgrimage to make watches no dauncing nor vauting should be vsed c. alittle lower This is a thing that requireth remedy I hold it for good if the prelates should cōmand to shut by night the houses of deuotion that there should not be in thē the crie small deuotion the other inconueniences which we
ordinariely see in such like places c. And vppon the life of Benedict the eight saith the same Illescas That it should not be amisse for the prelates to commaund that none remayne by night in such like hermitages for many wicked thinges which are there committed should be excused c. This Iulius with his hoste vpon a time issuing out of Rome hurled the keyes of Saint Peter into the riuer Tyber saying Sith the keyes of Peter are now of no force et the sword of Paule preuayle and so drewe he the sword out of the scaberd For like a good captaine he carried the sword at his side Vppon this so notable a deede many Poetts made verses of which I will recite fower that declare the Historie Inde manustrictum vagina diripit ensem Exclamansque truci talia voce refert Hic gladius Pauli nos nunc defendet ab hoste Quando quidem clauis nil iuuat ista Petri. From scaberd then his naked sword he drew Exclaming with cruell voyce he said This sword of Paul shall make our foes to rew Sith Peters keyes nought serue vs for our ayd What religion had this Pope that so shamelesly mocked with Saint Peter and Saint Paule When hee was made Pope he promised that with an othe that within 2 yeares he would hold a Councell Of this oath maketh mention Friar Bartholmew Carrança speaking of the Lateran Councell that in the time of this Iulius was holden But when the 2 yeares yeares yeares more passed and no hope of a Councell was seene the Pope being far of from any such matter for that the Councels are too bitter purges for the Popes as before in the CouÌ„cels of Pisa Constance and Basile we haue seene 9 Cardinals whereof Barnardino Carauaiall a Spaniard was one together with the procurators of Maximilian the Emperour and of Lewes 12 king of France assembled at Millan and nominated Pisa for the Councel to be holden which should begin the first day of September in the 1511 yeare The causes that moued them so to doe were that the Pope had broken the othe which hee had made sith so many yeares passed yet made he no showe of a CouÌ„cel therfore to accuse the Pope of enormious offences had they called a Councell Their purpose was to depriue him of his Popedome where vnto he had aspired through ambition and bribes But Iulius vnderstanding hereof commaunded vnder a greiuous paine that no person of what condition or estate soeuer should goe to Pisa and that nothing of that should be obeyed which those of Pisa decreed ordeyned and nominated Rome for the celebration of a Councell the yeare following which was to begin the 9. of Aprill 1512. At this time liued in Padua Philipus Decius an excellent lawer who by writing defended against the Pope the cause of these Cardinals When the king of France perceiued that the Pope had ioyned with the Venecians to make war with him he called a Councell at Tours and there propounded these 5 questions whether it were lawfull for the Pope to moue warres and that causelesse against any Prince whether such a Prince defending his countrie might set vppon him that had inuaded him and depart from his obedience It was answered that it is not lawfull for the Pope to moue warres c. and that it is lawfull for such a Prince in defence of himselfe to doe that a foresaid and that for the kingdome of France the law pragmaticall ought to be obserued That no account was to bee made of the Popes censures and excommunications if then hee should passe them The King receiuing this answere sent it to the Pope praying him eyther to be content with a peace or else to call a generall Councell purposely to examine and determine this busines but the Pope admitted neither the one nor the other This wretched Iulius as some authors report was reputed for a great Sodomite Queen Anne of France say they sent 2 youthes to Cardinal Robertus Nanetensis to be instructed whom the Pope abused the like report another author maketh of an Almaine youth great Lord with whom he committed the like wickednesse These be things which neither honest pen ought to write nor chast eares to heare yet is it needfull to discouer the shames of the Roman Courte that Spaine thereby be no longer deceiued And for this pardon mee good Christian reader Albeit that such a one was Iulius yet wanted he not those that did extoll him for very Godly wise prudent and a man of Counsell Woe vnto you that call euill good and good euill When Iulius had Poped 10. yeares in the 1513. yeare he dyed In whose time died also Dona Isabella Queene and in her place Dona Iane her daughter which married with Don Phillip of Austra sonne of Maximilian the Emperor reigned And so the low countries were ioyned with Spaine Leo 10. a Florentine was of his owne nature quiet and gentle but leauing himselfe to be ruled by vnquiet and cruell men he suffered many Insolencies to be commited Much giuen he was to Idlenes pleasure taking and carnall delights many bastards he had whom he greatly enriched making them Dukes and mightie Lords and marrying them with great Ladies At the age of 13 yeares was this Leo made Cardinal what age was this to be a pillar of the Church At this CoronatioÌ„ were made most great feasts which should be long to recount Aboue 100000 duckets they affirme were cast among the people as saith D. Illescas vpon the life of Leo c. Leo 10. at one time created 13 Cardinals among whoÌ„ he would make Raphaell Vrbinas a most excelleÌ„t painter that this way he might recoÌ„peÌ„ce the great sum of money which he owed him for his picturs See here wherfore the hats doe serue yet is this to be passed ouer for they are wontedly giueÌ„ for other abhominatioÌ„s Liberal he was in granting of IndulgeÌ„ces much more in taking money for them to enrich his children In the 1515. yeare Leo graunted a Iubile to Fraâ—ucis king of France which Iubile passed also into many other prouinces The comissares Echacueruos deceiuers did preach that whosoeuer would giue the summe of money which was taxed should draw one what soule he would out of Purgatorie They said that God according to the promise made to S. Peter whatsoeuer thou looseston earth shal be loosed in heauen would doe all whatsoeuer they would But not a farthing said they must be wanting of that which was taxed They pardoned those that tooke this Iubile for thinges done and to bee done which gayne as they said displeased many Godly and learned and so they began to debate the question of the authoritie and power of the Pope Which question was the ruine of the Popedome Martin Luther among others opposed himselfe to these Insolent Pardons and preached against them in Almaigne as saith Bartholomew Carança a
the Pope that against their owne conscience affirme Panl 3. to haue bene married And so D. Illescas vpon the life of this Paul 3. ¶ 17 saith Paul 3. was married and after he had put away his wife of whom he had Poro luys he was made Priest obteyned the hat c. ¶ 23. he saith the vnthought of death of Pero luis lawfull son of this Pope c. But Illescas telleth not who was the mother of Peroluys nor how loÌ„g time he was married nor wher he was married nor yet where he liued married This Paul poysoned Fulgosius and Contarenus Cardinals Iohannes Baptista Vergerius Bishop of Pole because they tasted how sweete and good was Christ and how bitter and euill was Antichrist Paulus Vergerius Bishop of Iustinopole brother of the abouesaid Iohn escaped and fled into Germany and from thence with his writings made warre against him In his time with fire and blood c. Suffered the Church great persecution In the 1546. yeare Alexander Farnesius Cardinall and Octauius his brother Duke of Parma sonnes of the cursed Poro luys and nephews of the Pope going to make war in Almaigne bruted it a broad they there purposed to shed so much blood of the Lutherans that the horses might swimme therin This Paul enioyed the rent of aboue 40000. whores or as they call theÌ„ Curtesanes which were in Rome The rent as before we haue said is a Iulio or Spanish royal euery weeke Multiply the same thou shalt see if the Pope may make a mighty birthright of his whorish rents This Paul 3. did excommuncate an anathemise Henry 8. king of England and gaue his kingdome for a praie to them that could take it Al which this Magnanimious king nought esteemed but so valliantly defended his kingdome that they whom the Pope had incited against him themselues sought peace with him In the biginning of his Popedome the 1534. yeare hapned one notable villany done by the Franciscan Friars in Orleans The tale is this that in that yeare died the wife of the Corregidor or maior of OrleaÌ„s who commanded that she should simply without any pomp at al be buried With her father and grandfather did they bury her in S. Frauncis Church of Orleans The Friars the person being qualified and rich supposed they should haue a rich reward commanded many masses to be said c. but they were deceiued For they had but only six crownes which the widdower Corregidor sent theÌ„ whereat the Friars were highly offended and for reuenge with deuiâ—lish minds they suborned one of their nouices whom they placed aboue in the feeling of the Temple that he might make a great noise froÌ„ theÌ„ce at the time wheÌ„ they said their mattens which the Nouice persormed and said he was a soule as they cal it sinful damned By some that knew the mistery of Iniquitie was this soule coniured being demaÌ„ded of the coÌ„iurers whoÌ„ he was he answered that he was the soule of the wife of the Crrregidor which a little before was deceased that she was for euer coÌ„demned being demanded whereof answered for Lutheranisme WheÌ„ the Friars hard this they made great exclamations heald their Church for excommunicate drue theÌ„ce the sacrameÌ„t wold not there say masse but went within the monastary The fame hereof ran throughout all the citie when the Corregidon vnderstood his villany he called the Friars before the Chauncellor of Paris where the cause being examined before the Chauncellor Antonias praetentis the villanie was proued and so Colimanus and Stephen of Arras both preachers and chiefe authors of this tragedie were by publique sentence condemned But to what To shame the villanies deseruing a 1000. deathes for mocking at God his religroÌ„ defaming of men So gentle was the punishmeÌ„t because they seemed not to faourthe Lutherans In the time of this Paul 3. arose vp froÌ„ the depth bottoÌ„e of hell the new sect called of the fellowship of Iesus or Iesuites Whom with greater reason may we call Iebusites or Iebuseans Their first author inuentor and founder was Inigo Layola whom the more to authorize his name they called father Ignacius This Inigo was a Guipuscuan borne who being a simple and ignorant man applyed himselfe to the the warres and so in the yeare las Comunidades as they call it in Spaine which was about eyeare 1520. or 1521. he was a souldiour in the castle of Pamphona which Castle was then beleagred by the king of Nauarre and the Frenchmen And vpon a day as the enemies shot at the Castle one of the bullets stroke a stone of the Castle and brake it some of the peeces of the stones stroke into the feet of this souldiour Inigo so that vnable to stand he fell to the earth Inigo finding himselfe vnfit for the war changed his purpose and so of a souldiour became a holy hypocrite yet recouered he his feete and so gaue himselfe to foolish deuotion and superstition which men of themselues without the word of God haue inuented and so deceaue all those whose names are not written in the booke of life Inigo then hauing bene a souldiour and anignorant man gaue himselfe to study and when he vnderstood somewhat of the Grammer to prosecute his study he came to Alcala de Henares where to gaine the greater credit reputation of a holy man he went barefooted which maner ofliuing when the students of Alcala laughed and Iested at Inigo confounded and ashamed that they nought esteemed his course of life leauing Alcala he went to Salamanca where the Students much more mocked him then before For which cause Inigo leauing Salamanca went to Paris where he was made maister and gayned the opinion of an holy man with whom in the 1537. yeare there ioyned ten companions and so went they into Italie Whiles Panle 3. Poped the Iesuits began to be knowne in Italie but not without great gainesaying and contradiction They were permitted in the end to heare confessions and by this meanes they obteyned great reputation of holy chiefely among Ignorant people These ten companions in the 1538. yeare were all together in Rome whereof they obteyned of Pope Paul 3. confirmation of their sect and were receiued vnder the protection of the Romane seate but this holy viua vocis oraculo remitting them in asmuch as touched the dispatch of the perpetuitie of their sect to Cardinall Guidiccion Luques And being ayded by him they were approued and confirmed by Letters and Bulles of the first of October in the 1540. yeare geuen at Tiuoli vnder the name and title of the fellowship of Iesus with licence and power to receiue into their companie which then was onely ten to the nomber of of sixttie perâ—ons In the 1543. yeare of the said Paul 3. they obteyned license to receiue into their companie so many as they would which Paul in the 1545. yeare did graunt them all the priuilledges faculties and
graces which at this present they enioy Shortly after the maister Petrus Fabrus and Antonius de Araoz and then others also came to Castile When Paul 3. was dead Pope Iulius 3. almost with the confirmation of this sect in the 1550. yeare began his Popedome By the conuersation which Don Francisca de Boria Duke of Gandia and Marquesse of Lombay had with the said Araoz he bare great loue and liking to this sect wherein he was much more confirmed by the perswasions of his wife Dona Leonora de Castro a Portugale much deuoted to the Iesuites And so went the Duke to Rome in the company of the said Araoz who was the first prouinciall in Castile VVhen they both two returned into Spaine the Duke was made a Iesuite in the Colledge of Onate where he tooke all the orders In Rome built Inigo Layola the Almaigne Colledge to instruct the youth of that nation against the Doctrine which they cal Lutheran saw befor he died 16 Prouincials of his owne Institution and more then 70. Colledges he died in Rome in the 1556. yeare and in the 61 yeare of his age The Iesuits were commonly and yet in Italy and Spaine are called Theatinos but so be they not For the Theatinians had another beginning and manner of liuing certaine gentlemen and other people they were which moued with deuotion were giuen to praiers singing other such exercises and were called at the beginning the fellowship of Godly loue Of this company was made Iuan Pedro Carrasa a Neapolitan Bishop of Chiety who holden a person famous as he was for the principall and head of these religious persons they began to bee called Chietinos after corrupting the word for Chietinos were they called Theatinos This passed in the time of Clement 7. These Chietinians or Theatinians by reason of the sacking of Rome fled from Rome to Astia where they found certaine venecian galleys and in them passed to Venice And this was 11. yeares before Inigo layola his 10 cōpanions came to Venice to go to the holi-land The Iesuits stopped in this voyage by the wars between the Turk Venecias went frō Venice to Rome The Romans supposed they were the Chietinians or Thiatiniās which returned to Rome and so through ignorance they confounded these two sects which are far diferent the principal of the Thiatinians Iuan Pedro Carraf◠was afterwards Pope called Paul 4. Of the Thiatinians but few Colledges or monastaries are foūd to wit in Venice Rome Naples Pauia The Iesuites also in Arogon of Inigo their founder are called Iniguistes in Portugal Apostles but in al places else they are called Iesuits and so in the buls processe of the Pope are they called Greatly in short time haue these Iesuites multiplied For the locusts be they wherof speaketh S. Iohn in the 9. chap. of his Reuelation which issued out of the bottomlesse pit whose K. which is the Angell of the deepe in Hebrewe is called Abaddon in Greeke Apolyon both the one and the other word as much to say as destroyer And who but the Pope can be this Abaddon which Popeth and all destroyeth And who be his locusts but the Iesuits which wheresoeuer they come doe destroy consume all things They Insinuate themselues into the houses castles palaces of princes kings and monarches and stay not till they know the very inward secret and intents of the hart with fire blod doe they incite them to war vpon those which speake not nor thinke as they doe And if force and violence suffice not then by crafty treasons poysonings do they practise to kill them And so no Lord prince king nor monarche in his owne house is secure if he speak think not as they doe Sufficient exampls hereof we haue had within these 20 or 30 yeares let the Histories be read Lady Elisabeth the most illustrious Quene of England wel knowing thē for such as she that of the Iesuits great treasons hath so great experience whō so so often they haue practised to murther God the father of mercies hath as often againe deliuered her for the comfort of his Church advancemēt of the kingdome of his Christ the confusion and contempt of Antichrist that Abaddon hath banished them from her kingdome commanding vpon paine of life that they enter not into it These Iesuits haue also practised to murther Henry 4. king of France And so one of this company called Iohn Castell did wound him but by the prouidence of God hee missed his blow and willing to strike him in the throat hit his vpper lip brake one of his teeth The murtherer was caught and as a traitor adiudged to death and so Iustice was executed on Thursday the 29 of Decēber in the 1594. yeare The house where the said Iesuit was borne was pulled down in it place a Piramides set wherupon the cause why the house was puld downe and the pyramides erected are written in marble with letters of gold which in latine say thus Audi viator siue sis extraneu◠Siue incola vrbis cui Paris nomen dedit Hic alta quae sto Piramis domus fui Castella sed quam diruendam funditus Frequens senatus Crimen vltus Censuit Huc me redegit tandem herilis filius Malis magistris vsus et schola impia Sotericum eheu nomen vsurpantibus Which in English is this Listen O thou traueller whether thou be straunger or inhabitant of the Citie which Paris named In this place where I stand the high Piramides was the house of Castel which the cōmon consent of the senate for punishment of the fault appointed to be pluckt downe To this hath the son of my maister brought me because he had ill maisters and was trained vp in a wicked schole which ô griefe vsurpe the name of the Sauiour Iesus There was also written D. O. M. which is Deo Optimo Maximo Pro salute Henrici 4. clementissimi ac fortissime Regis quem nefandus Parricida perniciosissimae factionis haeresi pestiferra imbutus quae nuper abhominandis sceleribus pietatis nomen obtendit vnctos Domini viuasque maiestatis ipsius Imagines occidere populariter docuit dum confodere tentat caelesti numine scelestammanum inhibente cultro in labrum superius delato dentiū occursu faeliciter retuso violare ausus est Which in English is thus For the health of Henry 4. most mercifull and potent king whom whiles the wicked homicide infected with the pestiferous heresie of the most pernicious sect which with abhominable wickednesse here lately pretended the name of pietie taught the people to murther the annoynted of the Lord and dared to violate the sacred Images of his maiestie attempted to stabbe But the dyuine maiestie letting the cursed hand caused the knife to wound the vpper lip and so by the teeth to be most happily hindred Also Pulso praeterea tota Gallia hominum genere nouae ac
maleficae snperstitionis qui rempublicam turbant quorum instinctu piacularis adolescens dirum facinus instituerat As much to say as Banished from all France that kind of men which with their new and pestilent supersticion disturbe the weale publique by whose instinct and perswasion that miserable young man committed so great abhomination It was also by the same Parliament of Paris which is the Chaūcery royall of France commanded that the Priests and students of the Colledge of Claremont aud all the rest of the same fellowship as corrupters of youth perturbers of the publique quiet enemies of the king and common-wealth should within three dayes after the publication of the present sentence depart from Paris and from the other Cities and people where they haue their Colledges and auoyd the whole Realme within 15 dayes after vpon paine wheresoeuer they were found the said time expired to be punished as offenders culpable of high treason their goodes aswell moueable as vnmoueable to them any wayes belonging to be imployed in Godly workes and the distribution thereof to be made according to the oder which the Parliament shall prescribe Moreouer it was commaunded to all the kings subiects that none of them send their students to any Colledge of the said company which were out of the kingdome to be in them instructed vpon the same paine Laesae Maiestratis All that which I haue said be the selfe words of the Sentence Thus then were the Iesuits for their treasons and villanies out of all France banished But they as vnquiet spirits and friends to blodshed haue not ceased to effect their busines And so haue printed a booke wherein wickedly they speake against the king and the Parliament that gaue such Sentence They iustifie sanctifie and Canonize the foresaid traitor Iohn Castell incite the people and euery one of them either by force or treason to kill their Princes and Lordes if in and by all things they agree not with that which the Iesuites teach This their shamelesse boldnesse caused the most prudent Parliament in the 1598. yeare eftsoones to confirme the Sentence which it had formerly giuen against the said Iesuites Don Sebastian king of Portugale for listening to these Iesuites and being gouerned by them destroyed himselfe and his kingdome They perswaded his going into Barbarie where he valiantly fighting with the whole Niobilitie of Portugale was destroyed These Iesuites are the cause of the vprores in the kingdome of Swethland They of the kingdome being protestants would not that the king at his returne from Polonia should place Iesuites about him The king who was gouerned by the Iesuites would place them So that of necessitie it came to blowes Then let other princes and Lordes beware of strange directions and in no wise suffer the Iesuites in their lands because they nought serue for but spies and disturbers of the peace publique setting Princes against Princes And that which worse is all this which they do they sanctifie with the title pretext and collour of religion Much puffed vp they are with the title which they haue taken of the fellowship of Iesus as though the rest of the Priests and Fryars and all other Christians were of the fellowship of the deuill Many of their owne Papists doe now begin to smell and vnderstand And so the Franciscans Dominicans others eate no good crommes as they say with them I wil here conclude this matter of the Iesuites with a terrible lie which to aduaunce the kingdome of their king Abaddon that is to say destroyer they haue forged All the world knoweth that in the land of Sauoy is a Cittie called Geneua This Citie in these last times hath God perticularly blessed with the true knowledge of his holy word With these weapons hath this Citie warred against the Ignorance supersticion and Idolatrie of the Popedome And that to the great aduauncemēt of the kingdome of Iesus Christ confusion of Antichrist The Antichristians for this cause and cheifly the Iesuits beare secret hatred towards the citie haue practised the totall ruine and destruction thereof And seeing they could not by violence destroy it because God did helpe defend it with notable lies haue they often practised to defame it And so inuented they that which their father the deuill who is the father of lies could not more inuent They wrote one to another with great reioycinges that Geneua was reduced as they call it to the lappe of the Church They sayd that Theodor de Beza the chiefe minister of Geneua who with his learned sermons and writinges in that citie hath aduaunced the kingdome of Christ for fortie yeares space and more beeing readie to die had repented and turned to the Church Catholique and that being in this holy purpose he sent to request the Lordes of Geneua and the ministers to come visit him which had some what to impart vnto them they came say they and that Beza exhorted them to be come Catholiques And that with such vehemencie he spake vnto them that he conuerted them and that hee also reduced al Geneua to the catholique Roman faith They proceede with their lie The Lantgraue of Hessen said they hearing this newes sent some of his Gentlemen to Geneua to vnderstand what had passed who returning from Geneua said that Geneua was reduced to the catholique Roman Religion They said also that their Iesuites had gone to dispute with the ministers of the elector of Brandenberg and that they had shamed confounded them To these most notable lies answered the most learned Beza the other ministers of Geneua did briefly also answere but very liuely in their proper coullours and shaddowes depainted the Iesuites To which answere I referre me The deuill as our redeemer painteth him out hath bene a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth for there is no truth in him When the deuill speaketh lies he speaketh of himselfe For he is a liar and the father of lies The sonnes of such a father cannot be but murderers and liars Perque de mal Cueruo conforme al Commum refran mal hueuo For of an euill crow after our Spanish Prouerbe an euill egge Such except by miracle cannot leaue their nature When the Blackmore shall change his skinne and the Leopard his spots then these sonnes of the deuill taught to worke wickednesse to murther and lie may doe good and speake the truth The gaine which these wretches haue gotten by their lie is that very many which before well conceited them seeing their lies so palpable knowne that God to aduaunce his holy catholique faith hath no neede of lies now nought account of them Amongst wise people and such as feare God by little and little will they loose their credit and so returne to the bottomlesse pit from whence they came For God abhorreth all those that worke iniquitie and those that speake lies will he destroy The bloodie and deceitfull man as are the Iesuites murderers
seeing that the Bishops were expulsed the same Ierâ—nimus Vida Bishop of Cremona had in the name of the other Bishops indited the letter to the Pope Which knowne to Marcellus with most vehement words he warned Vida in no wise to send the letter to the Pope For that it should be a thing euill in example that the Bishops assembled in the Councell should write such letters to the high Bishop as though they would seeme to prescribe him a law which would be so great a mischiefe that they should be holden for suspected Vida vanquished with this saying so tempered with the other Bishops that the letter was not sent When Vergerius was to departe the Councell he went to speake with Marcellus and among other thinges that he sayd vnto him he demaunded for what cause he did cast him from the Councell and what Articles he could obiect why he would exclude him from the company of the other Bishops To this answered Marcellus because I haue heard thou hast sayd the Legends of Saint George and Saint Christopher were not true Vergerius answered so it is I sayd so and so I say still For I relie vpon the authoritie of Pope Paul 3. who hauing commanded that both the one and the other Legends should be spunged out of the Roman Breuiarie In the preface of the said Breuiarie he had commaunded saith he the Legends which were not true to be taken away Marcellus thus caught answered that they ought not to be holden for good men that seeme in the least thing to consent with the Lutheranes and so said he vnto him depart then from our Councell This haue I said that it may appeare what hope is to be had of the Councelles where the Pope and his Legates gouerne If there be any that will speake with good zeale of Gods glorie his mouth they will stoppe and if he will not yet be silent cast him out of the Councell Behold how free is that Councell where each one is not suffered to speake that is meet Such a one was Marcellus before he was Pope and such and worse being Pope would he haue bene had not God taken him from the world when he had Poped but twenty three dayes and some say that hee dyed of Poyson Paul 4. a Neapolitane before called Iohannes Petrus Carafa Cardinall Chietino or Theatino in the 1555. yeare with ful consent of the Cardinals who desired to please Henry the French king was chosen Pope He being in Venice before he was Pope with his hypocrisie and fayned holynesse did Institute or reforme the new order of the fellowship of diuine loue which of him that was Bishop of Chiety was called Chietinos or Theatinos as we haue said vpon Paul 3. He forsooke this order by him instituted or reformed and being ready to depart Venice his religious consort demaunded whither he went Whether I goe answered he can ye not come giuing them to vnderstand that he went to Rome to be Pope if he might He gaue it out before he was Pope that he nought else desired but reformation of the Church and so of this argument wrote a booke which he dedicated to Paule the third But when he was Pope he for nothing lesse cared Who listeth to read this booke shall see that almost he confirmeth those Articles whereof we accuse the Papists To wit that so ruyned is the Church among them that it is not now the Chuch of Christ but of the diuels The Popes saith he hauing itching eares haue heaped vp Maisters which entertaine them in their lustes and concupiscence That through the Cardinals and Bishops the name of Christ is blasphemed among the Gentiles That the power of the keyes serueth onely to â—ake together money That wicked men are ordeyned That nothing but Symony is seene in the Church That the Prelates bee verie ambitious and couetous That in monasteries are committed enormious offences That Rome is full of whores These thinges and other such doth this booke conteyne of wicked customes and life it onely speaketh but not once intreateth of the false doctrine Idolatrie and superstition which is taught in Rome nor yet of the tyranny of fire bloud wherewith such are handled as indeauor to serue God in spirit and truth doth it speake But when he was Pope how did he amend it As did Benedict 13. Pius 2. Pius 4. his predecessors and others who before they were Popes much spake of the dutie of the Pope but being Popes did the like or worse then the rest euen so did he For the cause of Religion certaine Augustine Friars many Bishops and a great nomber of the faithful he imprisoned tormented and did them in the end what euill he could Not for that they were adulterers nor Incestuous persons Simonists nor blasphemers was all this but for the Christian religion which they professed Reformation then cast aside he was occupied in the warres against Don Phillip our king and the Spanish blood Deny him then O Spaine for father who from the sonne taketh the cloake The which this Paul from the king Don Phillip and Clement 7. from Don Charles the Emperour indeauoured to take as in the life of Clement 7. we haue before declared This Paul being a Neapolytan and so vassall to the king was to him a traitor teacher taking part with Frauncis his kinges enemy His great seruant Panuinus saith that ayded by the French Swizzars he raised great warres against king Phillip and renewed the old hatred For the Spanish name had he long before detested that as saith Panuinus for publique and particular Iniuries and so the Neapolitanes he well hoped would haue risen against their king When he was Cardinall he perswaded Paule 3. to warre against the Imperials in the kingdome of Naples promising him his seruice and the ayd of many Neapolitans of whom he had many friends said he within that kingdome But Paul 3. was more wise and refused his Councel Then Duke Dalua vnderstanding that this Pope Paul 4. conspired against the king to take Naples with a great camp came vpon Rome and sent a letter to the Pope wherein he shewed all that sithens he was Pope he had practized against the king c. and vehemently exhorted him to peace warning him that if hee said not and that quickly what he would doe touching warre or peace that he should be assured the warre was proclamed To the Colledge of Cardinals he wrote also to the same purpose and after fifteene dayes when the Duke perceiued that the Pope prolonged the time he entred vpon the Church lands and very many of them tooke which he kept said he for the Church and the succeeding Pope All this notwithstanding would not the Pope yeeld to peace vntill he heard newes of the great victorie which the king in the yeare 1557. hadhad against the French at the taking of Saint Quintanes wherein all the nobilitie almost of France and Saint
Quintanes also were taken In the 1558. yeare and the moneth of September died in Spaine Don Charles the Emperour And the 17 of Nouember the same yeare dyed Mary Queene of England and Cardinall Poole in her place reigneth Ladie Elizabeth by whose meanes the great persecutions of fire and blood prisonment and banishment which the Church in the time of Queene Mary had suffered in England ceased Fortie whole yeares that this magnanimous and most prudent Queene hath reigned hath this kingdome by the mercie of God enioyed this freedome In which time this kingdome hath bene and is a refuge and sanctuarie for many straungers who escaping the tallons of the haukes and the teeth of the lyons and woulues haue thither retired God for his infinite mercie enrich it with his spirituall and temporall riches sith it hath entertayned and holpen poore straungers in the time of so great affliction and calamitie In the time of this Pope Paul 4. began the great persecution in Spaine and chiefly in the Cittie of Seuill and Valladolid At the end almost of the 1557. yeare this pesecution began as we will afterwardes declare The Cittie of Seuil is one of the most Ciuill populous rich ancient fruictfull and of most sumptuous buildings that is this day in Spaine To be most rich it plainely appeareth seeing all the Treasure of the west Indies cōmeth vnto it that the king hath thence euery yeare a million and a halfe of Duckets Which rent is so great that fewe kings there be that haue so much of one whole entire kingdome Most ancient it is For if we credit Histories Hispalo Nouono king of Spaine of whom it is called Hispalis built it and Hercules before the destruction of Troy did augment it That it is fruitfull is proued by that place Axarase where be such and so many oliue trees from which is drawne so great plenty and aboundance of oyle that it storeth not onely a great part of Spaine but many other landes also farre distant from Spaine It is seene also by the fieldes of Carmona and Zeres so abounding with wheate and by the pastures so full stored with vines oreng trees figge trees pomgranate and other infinit fruites And where nothing is sowne the earth bringeth forth much spirage and palme trees c It hath also much cattle chiefly sheepe from whence much woole is sent into Italy and flaunders The father of mercy hath not onely enriched this citie making it so ciuill populous rich auncient fruitfull and of such sumptuous buildings but hath also enriched blessed it with all spirituall blessings in heauenly thinges in Christ electing it before the foundation of the world all this saith Saint Paul of the citie of Ephesus to be the first citie of our Countrey of Spaine that in these times should knowe the abuses supersticions Idolatries of the Roman Church Wherwith Spaine hath so long time bene deceiued and knowing them to cause it to amend should publish as it hath published and dyuulged the same And so Iesus Christ might reigne in his Church and Antichrist be banished destroyed and slaine About the yeare 1540. one Rodrigo de Valer borne at Lebrixa liued in Seuill where also was borne the most learned Aentonius de Brixa restorer of the Latine tongue in our Countrie of Spaine This Valer passed his youth not in vertue nor spirituall exercises not in reading nor meditation of holy scripture but in vaine and worldly exercises as rich youth accustomably doth Hee delighted to haue good and well barded horses To day was he suited in one apparell and to morrow in another hee gaue himselfe to play to hunt and to such other exercises whereunto knights and Gentlemen applye themselues In the middest of which his vaine exercises he knew not how nor by what meanes God touched altered and changed him into a new man farre different from the former So that by how much the more he formerly loued and followed his vaine exercises by so much the more did he afterwardes abhorre detest and forsake them hartely applying himselfe and bending all the forces of his body and minde to the exercise of pietie reading and meditation of holy scriptures Some small knowledge he had in the Latine tongue did much herein auayle him For now is the tyranny of Antichrist knowne which suffereth not in Spaine the bookes of holy scripture in the vulgar tongue Many that vnderstood not the misteries which God wrought in Valer held for foolishnesse and want of Iudgement such a suddaine and great alteration For this is the Iudgement which flesh holdeth of spirituall and diuine thinges it holdeth them for foolishnesse and drunkennesse as saith S. Paul 1. Cor. 1 18. The word of the crosse is truly foolishnesse to them that are lost c And in the 12. verse It pleased God by the foolishnes of the Gospell to saue those that beleeue And in the 2. chap. 14. The Carnall man vnderstādeth not the things that parteine to the spirit of God for to him they be foolishnes c. And S. Luke Act. 2. 13. reporteth that many ignorant of the suddaine alteratiō which the spirit of God wrought in the Apostles said they were drunken but those that haue eies may see that it was not folly nor drunkennesse but a change wrought by the hand of the most high and that the spirit of God it was that moued Valer When Valer was thus changed he conceaued great sorrowe and repentance for his vayne life passed and so imployed himselfe wholly in the exercise of Godlinesse alwayes speaking and intreating of the principall poyntes of Christian Religion reading and meditating in the holie Scriptures and gaue himselfe so to read them that he knewe much thereof by hart which he very aptly applyed to that which he handled In Seuill where he dwelled had he dayly disputations and contentions against the Priestes and Friars And told them to their faces that they were the causes of so great corruption as was not in the ecclesiastical state onely but also in euery Christian common-wealth which corruption said he was so great that there was none or very little hope of amendmēt For this cause he reproued thē sharply that not in corners but in the middest of the markets streets vpon the exchange in Seuill a place where Marchants twise a day meete about their businesse he pardoned nor spared them not S. Paule as saith Saint Luke Actes 17. 16. and 17. seeing the citie of Athens so greatly giuen to Idolatrie was much moued and disputed with the Iewes in their Sinagogue and in the open market or assembly of men with those that encountred him Euen so our Valer seing so noble a citie as Seuill is giuen to so great superstition and Idolatrie and so full of scribes and Pharesies of so many priests and Friars he disputed with them in the markets streetes and reproued and conuinced them by the
shalt see if I speake truth Great shame it is for our Spaniards who esteemed themselues of as free and good conceit as the Italians that they disable and deiect themselues slaues to the Pope not daring to whisper against him what villanies soeuer they see him commit Libertie of conscience Libertie away away with the Pope this proud Antichrist Some of these places which Pius 5. hath gelded among the sayings of learned men which haue spoken against the Pope will we afterwards alleage In the 1572 yeare and first day of May died Pius 5. Don Philip being king of Spaine Gregorie 13. a Bolonnist before called Hugo boncompagno the 15. day of may 1572. yeare was set in the seat of Antichrist 13 yeares little more or lesse he Poped when he was Pope he renewed the old hatred of his predecessor Pius 5. against the Queene of England so practized by al possible meanes one while by force as appeareth by the great Armada sent into Ireland had a miserable end another while by craft and deceit as was seene in the great traitor Parry and others by him sent who had also a miserable end and were quatered into 4 parts as they had deserued to doe her all the mischiefe he could But God deliuered the Queene from all those cursed inuentions and the same God a iust iudge in the end chastized this Gregorie by killing his body and sending his soule into hell It was the common voyce and fame in Rome that Gregorie before he was Pope and also being Pope like a father but not most holy nor yet holy but carnall had his concubyne of whom he had also little sonnes which said vnto him such graces as made him to laugh And beeing Pope such was the grace that his little sonne Philippicus sayd that the Pope his father gaue him fiue thousand crownes of rent Marke ô yee Spaniards how the Patrimony which you call Saint Peters is imployed And he is not alone he which hath it doth so also imploy it as we haue seene in the liues of the Popes The ceremony of the stoole needed not this Gregorie for very well was he knowne to be a man and not a woman In the time of this Pope was the most fierce bloudy battaile betweene the Portugales and Moores in Africk wherein 3 kinges died Don Sebastian the king being dead in this battell the Cardinall Don Henry brother of king Don Iohn the third grandfather of Don Sebastian was elected king who like another Anius was king and Priest of whom Virgill saith in the 3. of his Aeneads Rex Anius rex idem hominum Phaebique sacerdos Of this Cardinall say the Portugales that in the Epistle of the moone he was borne and in the Eclipse of the moone he died In the 1581 or 82 yeare in the time of Gregorie 13. his Popeing a very straunge chaunce happened in Valladolid There dwelled in Valladolid a knight quallified who in the Inquisition had 2 daughters which constantly perseuering in the good religion they had learned of the good D. Caâ—alla and other martyrs of Iesus Christ were condemned to be burned The father being a most rancke Papist besought the Inquisitors to permit theÌ„ for their better instruction to be carried to his house which thing the Inquisitors in regard of the great credit they reposed in him graunted And brought thus to his house the father endeauored to diuert them from their constant resolution And seing he could not conuince them he caused Priests and Friars to dispute with them but in vaine were all their disputs For the Lord as in Luke 21. 15. he had promised gaue them vtterance and wisedome which the new Pharesies Priests and Friars were not able to resist nor gainesay The father then seeing al his endeuour nought auailed went himselfe to his groue cut downe wood and caused it to be drawne to Valladolid he himselfe kindled the fire so were they burned And no maruell Seing the Lord in the same place of S. Luke forwarned vs that it so shuld happeÌ„ Ye shal be saith he deliuered vp euen of your owne fathers brothers kinsflolkes friends they shall kill you ye shal be hated of all men for my names sake thus farre of the afflictions miseries of the poore faithful yet that which the Lord then addeth is for our comfort But one haire saith he shall not perish or fall from your head in pacience possesse ye your soules So did these two blessed of the Lord possesse and now enioy that celestiall glorie which the Lord for whom they died had prepared for them before the foundation of the world This cruell father in doing that he did against his daughters vndoubtedly supposed he did great seruice to God Of this also hath the Lord foretould vs Iohn 16. 2. The hower commeth saith he that whosoeuer shall kill you shall thinke he doth God seruice And that we should not bee dismayed but coragious in such afflictions the Lord in the end of this chapter saith These things haue I told you that in me ye might haue peace in the world ye shall haue trouble but be of good comfort I haue ouercome the world This Gregorie carelesse to correct himselfe or Clergie either in life or doctrin by aÌ„ticipating 10 daies in the yere gaue himselfe to correct the callender And to eternize his name this callender he called Gregorilanum At this time were reunited al the kingdomes of Spaine which from the enterance of the Moores into Spaine 880. so many yeares sithens haue bene deuided so Don Philip our king and Lord in all Spaine reigneth I beseech my God from the bottome of my hart to giue him vnderstanding to know who the Pope is In the 1521. yeare the yeare of famine the 13 of December and in a village of 25 or 30 houses called Montalto neere to the citie of Firmo which is in the marches of Ancona was borne Felix Pereto called Sistus 5. In this Sistus 5. the common saying in Spaine was fulfilled Rex por natura y papa por Ventura A king by nature a Pope by aduenture for so poore was his father that he was a swineheard Felix in his childhood was very poorely brought vp but shewing some sufficiencie of wit a geÌ„tlewoman for Gods sake clothed him with the habite of Saint Frauncis intreated the warden to receiue him into his couent where he studied GraÌ„mer logique Philosophie schoole diuinitie and in those sciences much proffited In the end being nowe of age hee was made Inquisitor In which office such was his cariage as few could abide his crueltie And so it happened that he called before him a magnifico of Venice who being come very discourteously inhumanly he intreated This gentleman vnaccustomed to heare such iniuries and disgraces as by that which after he did for reuenge to the Lord Inquisitor appeareth did stomacke the matter A few dayes after this gentleman
Elephant fell to the ground vppon him and there he dyed Iudith cutte of the head of Holophernes The warre that Antiochus and Holophernes made against the people of God was vniust but the warre which Henry the third made against the league which had conspired against him to kill him and take from him his kingdome was most iust So that herein was hee no tyrant Besides this both liuing and dying hee was of the same religion of the league as at his end appeared For in that small time that he liued after he was wounded hee confessed communicated and was anoynted But leauing these humane reasons come we to the holy scripture It appeareth by the scripture that Saule was a wicked king an hypocrite a tyrant forsaken of God and so hath God to Samuel How long doest thou morne for Saul seeing I haue forsaken him and that he shall not reigne ouer Israell And commanded him to goe and anoynt for king one of the sonnes of Issai which was Dauid and in the same chap. verse 14. it is said The spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and the euill spirit of the Lord did torment him Albeit such a one was Saul yet did not God commaund Samuel or any other to kill him And so Dauid although God had chosen him and Samuell annointed him for king when manifest occasion and meanes were twise offered him to kill Saul yet killed he him not Also when Dauid and his followers were hid in a caue for feare of Saul as 1. Sam. 24. appeareth Saul entred the same caue to doe his needs then did Dauids men aduise him not to let slippe occasion but to kill Saule But Dauid instructed in a better schoole then were they answered The Lord keepe me from doeing such a thing against my maister and the annointed of the Lord that I stretch not out my hand against him for he is the Lordes annointed And not only did not kil him but grieued to haue cut of the lap of his garment as if herein he had done some great disgrace And in the 26. chap. of the same booke it is reported that Dauid Abisai came by night to the camp of Saule found him sleeping c. Then Abisai said to Dauid God hath closed thine enemy into thine hands this day now therfore I pray thee let me smite him once with a speare vnto the earth and I will not smite him agayne And Dauid said to Abisai Destroy him not for who can lay his hand on the Lords Annoynted and be guiltlesse Moreouer Dauid said As the Lord liueth either the Lord shall simite him or his day shall come to dye or he shall descend into battayle and perish The Lord keepe me from laying myne handes vpon the Lordes annoynted c. And when one brought newes of the death of Saule saying that hee had slaine him what gaue Dauid vnto him for his good tidings He said vnto him How wast thou not affraid to put forth thy hand to destroy the Annointed of the Lord Then Dauid commanded one to kill him who wounded him and so he died And Dauid said vnto him Thy bloud be vpon thine owne head for thine owne mouth hath testified against thee saying I haue slaine the Lords annointed And Dauid mourned for Saule c. Whereupon we will conclude that wickedly did this Friar and those of his counsell in murthering their king and that wickedly did the Pope in praising and cannonising this fact What reuelation had Sistus 5. that God had wholly cast off Henrie the third that he should forbid any obsequies and honours accustomed to be made for the dead should be made for him commanded also that they should not pray for him Samuel and Dauid had most sure reuelation that Saule was forsaken of God and that as such a one was he fallen into a reprobate sence yet notwithstanding did they let him liue coÌ„spired not his death If a Prince in our time be he heretike as they call him or Catholike shall not fully obey whatsoeuer the Pope commandeth him albeit it be to the depriuing him of his kingdome and giuing it to another then shall he be cursed and excommunicate both in bodie and soule and the most vile person if we beleeue Sistus 5. with good conscience may kill him And such a one that shall murther him shall haue done an act very meritorious and holy for the which he deserueth to be cannonized What Christian religion is this that one shall be cannonized for committing that which by the word of God as by exaÌ„ples we already haue proued is expresly forbidden Oh times oh customes But vpon such will his day come these swine shall not escape as they say without their Saint Martin With Sistus 5. conclude we saying that in the moneth of September and 1590. yeare he died whom Vrban 7. which poped 12 dayes succeeded At the end of the yeare 1590. Gregorie 14. succeeded him and died in September 1591. Innocent 9. succeeded Gregorie 14. who a small time poped So that in the space of 14. moneths foure Popes died Sistus Vrban Gregorie and Innocent and it is to be thought the most or all of them died of poyson For Brazuto is not dead that giueth theÌ„ poyson This Brazuto killed 6 Popes with poison as vpon the life of Damasus 2. we haue declared In the 1592. yeare Innocent 9. being dead Clement 8. or 9. or 10. succeeded This Clement poping in the 1599. yeare a Friar Capuchan incited by the Iesuits attempted to kill the French king Henry 4. but his treason was discouered and so was he caught In the time of this Pope in September 1598. died the king Don Philip 2. aged 70 yeares Don Philip 3. sonne of the forenamed Don Philip 2. and of the daughter of Maximillian the Emperour and of the Empresse Dona Maria de Austria sister of the king Don Philip 2. succeeded him God grant him grace as the dutie office of a king requireth night and day to meditate in the law of the Lord accomplish that which God Deut. 17. 18. commandeth a king shuld do When he shall sit saith God speaking of the king vpon the throne of his kingdome he shall cause to be written the booke of this law c. And it shall be with him and he shall reade therein all the dayes of his life Note ye Spaniards that God commandeth the king to reade the holy Scriptures and then saith he he is to reade them that he may learne to feare the Lord his God that he may keepe all the words of this Law and these ordinances to do them That he lift not vp his heart aboue his brethren nor turne fâ—rm the commandement to the right hand nor to the left that he may prolong his dayes in his kingdome he and his sonnes c. And God not onely comaundeth the king to reade the holy scripture but his captaines also when they be in warres to reade the
young maidens also This was the first occasion of the warres This warre ended others much more great had they wherein they so much increased and inriched themselues that not contented with Italy they made warres also vpon forreigne nations and leauing their owne limits they inuaded Affrike and Asia Thus were they dayly increasing vntill another Prince and Lord arose vp in Rome thrusting himselfe into the same seat of the Empire and at the side as it were of the Roman Emperour This new Prince at the first made no shew that he purposed ought to diminish the authority of the Emperor but only took care of the affaires of the Church wherein whiles he was so employed the strength of the Emperour Empire flourished But afterwards he began to thinke how to benefite himselfe of that opinion of religion and holinesse which he held and to attaine hereunto he doubted not to intreat the Emperour that by his authority he might hold the souereignty ouer all Churches The cause that this new Prince alleaged was that Rome was alwayes the Lady of the whole world and therefore was it meet that the Bishop of that city shuld go before other Bishops in degree dignity To obtaine this was a thing most difficult For albeit that the Emperour let it slip yet did the Bishops of other nations confidently gainesay him alleaging lawfull causes why they withstood him vnwilling to acknowledge the Bishop of Rome otherwise then for a brother companion and in power equall with them Notwithstanding all this he of Rome forslowed not but continually vrged to attaine to his purpose vntill he obtained of Phocas the Emperour who murthered Mauricius his good Lord and Emperour that which he would and so called himselfe vniuersall Bishop and what besides he best pleased Here may ye see that olde Rome was founded vpon one murder and the new which is the Popedome vppon another In this concerning the primacie was the Pope merely oposit to Christ who sharpely in his disciples reproued the like strife and ambition But the Pope mounted to this height by the benefit of the Emperours did nowe further dare to promise to himselfe greater matters yet long time proceeding with great dissimulation A hundred yeares almost after the death of Constantine the great was the Empire much weakned it lost Fraunce England and Almaine The Hunnes held Italie the Vandals Africke Such was the dissipation that the Emperours leauing Rome which is in the West went to Constantinople where they made their abode The Bishop of Rome seeing the scattering of the Empire minded not to let slippe occasion but armed a question for his parte against the Emperour The chiefe cause was that the Emperour commaunded all statues and Images to be taken out of the Churches So greatly did the Pope withstand this commaund that hee dared to excommunicate the Emperour so much nowe was the horne increased At this time in the East arose vp Mahomet who tooke many landes form the Empire The Emperours notwithstanding would haue it vnderstood that all the dignitie power and Maiestie which the Pope did hold depended vppon them The Pope then to bee freed from this subiection and the warres which the king of Lumbardie made in italie deuised a notable policie and this it was To aduaunce of himselfe another whom he liked and to name him Emperour of the Romans Who accknowledging the benefit should deeme himselfe happie to please and serue him in all that he would And so Charles the great he elected and declared Emperour who had chased out of Italie the king of Lumbardy and enemie to the Pope This caused great anger and strife betweene the Easterne and Westerne Emperours and not betweene them onely but the Churches also of both the one and other partie of all which the couetousnes and ambition of the Pope of Rome were the cause Much contention was there afterwards among the Italians French and Almaynes about the election of the Emperour But in the end when Otho the third Duke of Saxoni◠was Emperour and Gregorie 5. an Almayne Pope order was giuen that seuen electors should choose the Emperour as in the life of this Gregorie the fift we haue declared And this was done to exclude straunge nations that none but an Almayne should be Emperour Great garboyles arose afterwardes betweene the Pope and the Emperour who could no longer endure the vnmeasurable arrogancie and ambition of the Pope Reade the Histories of Henry the third and fourth and of Frederick the first second and to come neerer our time those of the Emperour Charles 5. whose host in the 1527. yeare sacked Rome tooke Pope Clement 7. and held him prisoner This Clement as sang the Spaniardes at the Popes windowe whiles hee was prisoner would haue taken away the cloke from the Emperour as vppon the life of this Clement we haue before declared So also sought Paule the fourth to take away the cloake from our king Don Philip the second The kingdome of Naples would he haue taken from him but the host of the king whose captaine was the Duke Dalua put the Pope into such a straight that he was contented to make peace and chiefly hearing of the taking of Saint Quintans which was in the 1557. yeare as vppon the life of this Paul the fourth before we haue said So proud is the Pope become that he hath made the forme of an oath the which he causeth the Emperour to sweare being in time past his maister and Lord and so Saint Gregorie called Lord the good Emperour Mauricius but now is he his seruaunt and vassall This forme of oath conteyneth that the Emperour by all possible wayes keepe increase and defend the goodes of the Roman Church and chiefe Bishopes their dignitie priueledges and decrees And so no Emperour but if he would be holden infamous a faith breaker durst in any thing contradict him The oath which the Emperour Charles 5. made to Clement 7. or 8. in the 1530. yeare at the time of his Coronation will I here put downe Ego Carolus Romanorū rex c. That is to say I Charles king of the Romans which by Gods assistance hold to be Emperour promise protest affirme and sweare to God blessed S. Peter that I will henceforth be protector and defendor of the chiefe Bishop and of the holy Church of Rome in all their necessities and profits keeping and preseruing their possessions dignities and rightes c. When he had made this oath was Don Charles made king of Lumbardy and after he was king of Lumbardy another oath in this forme hee made Ego Carolus c. I Charles king of the Romanes and Lumbardes promise and sweare by the father sonne and holy Ghost and by the word of the liuing flesh and by these holy reliques that if the Lord permit mee to come to be Emperour I shall to my power aduaunce to holy Romane Church the holinesse thereof and her
that of the ruyne of the Romane Empire the Pope who is Antichrist by little and little hath erected his kingdome All this to one man cannot be applyed but to an estate and condition of men Antichrist is a Greeke word as much to say as contrary to Christ See wee then some thinges wherein the Pope doth oppose himselfe to Christ The people sought to make Christ a king but Christ would not For his kingdome he saiâ—h is not of this world The Pope without demaunding or seeking it of the people hath made himselfe vniuersall king ouer all the kings of this world and so at his fantasie doth place and displace them The second opposition Christ being God humbled himselfe and to saue vs became man reconcyling vs with the father The Pope being a man maketh himselfe God saying that in hell he hath authoritie and power casting into it whom soeuer he will and also drawing out from thence If he please as did Pope S. Gregorie say they drawe the soule of the Emperour Traian who was an Infidel persecutor of the Church Authoritie hee hath in purgatorie drawing soules from thence as say they hee doth dayly Hee hath authoritie in earth binding and loosing whomsoeuer hee will He hath authoritie also in heauen placing therein whom hee will commaunding the Angels to carrie the Soule of whomsoeuer he shall please without passing the paynes of purgatorie as by the bull which Pope Clement the sâ—xt graunted to such as comming to Rome to obteyne the Iubile should die by the way doth appeare All this saith the Pope that hee can doe And so also saith his Parasites Yet all is but lies to condemne and carry vs with him to the house of his Father the diuell The third opposition Christ doth commaund vs to search the scripture and giueth a reason for by them shall we know him The Pope vnder most greiuous payne commaundeth vs not to reade them nor looke vppon them least that wee knowing Christ by reading of the Scriptures may also know him to bee Antichrist And to busie vs with some thing hee commaundâ— vs to reade lying Legends he commaunds vs to pray the Rosarie which Alanus with so great falsehood and impietie as we haue said in the life of Sistus 4. renewed So many Paternosters and so many Aue Maries before a câ—â—â—â—fixe before the Image of the virgin Mary or of this or that other he or she Saints he commaunds vs to pray To a certaine great Lady called Isabell graunted Pope Leo pardon of all her sinnes if kneeling in her owne lodging before the Image of any he or she Saint she should say fiue Paternosters and fiue Aue Maries Behold what agreement is there betweene the Aue Marta and the Crucifixe or the Paternoster and the virgin Mary What maner of prayer is this when he that prayeth neither knoweth nor vnderstandeth what he prayeth Oh blindnesse Oh ignorance The fourth opposiâ—ion Christ calleth vnto him all those that trauell and be afflicted in conscience that he may refresh them The Pope commands vs to goe to the virgin Marie and to hee and she Saints What other thing is this but to leaue the fountaine of liuing water as saith Ieremias and to dig pooles that can hold no water Between Christ and the Pope are there many other opposicions yet will we set downe but the last of all that Christ with great triumph is ascended into heauen and there sitteth at the right hand of his father And shamefully the Pope descendeth into hell and to the depth of hell falleth in the company of Iudas whose successor hee is and there by his owne Father the diuell shal be euerlastingly tormented Yee see here that the Pope is an aduersarie and opposeth and lifteth vp himselfe against all that is God or that is worshipped and sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himselfe to bee God By that which the Apostle saith that Antichrist sitteth in the Temple of God hee giueth to vnderstand that Antichrist shall neither bee Turke Moore Iewe nor Pagan but a Christian and that professeth Christian religion The Pope sitteth in Rome a City very ancient in Christian Religion where were so many good Bishops for almost the space of 300 yeares which sealed with their bloud the Doctrine which preached and nowe also in Rome notwithstanding the tyranny of Antichrist hath God his Church as hee had in Sodome where was Lot and his familie That which Saint Paule saith that the comming of Antichrist shal be with great power signes and lying woonders is to be noted and all this shall hee doe by the working of Sathan Here also it appeareth that the diuell worketh his miracles Which confirmeth the Spanish prouerbe Sease milagro y hagalo eldiablo Be it a Miracle and the diuell doth it but all to decâ—iue The mightie power of the Pope who is ignorant of That which Christ of himselfe saith dareth the Pope to say of himselfe Data est mihi omnis potestas all power is giuen vnto mee O blasphemy intollerable As touching his signes and lying wonders the world is full The very papists themselues that haue any vnderstanding are ashamed of them But the simple the Idiots the vulgar sort beleeue and holde them for true miracles and for them rather will die then for the Doctrine of the Prophetes or Apostles or Christ Iesus himselfe whereof they are wholly ignorant Oh ignorant blindnesse and blinde ignorance How many Images haue spoken How many haue sweate and that droppes of bloud The ignorant people beleeueth that the beard haires and nayles of the crucifixe of Burgos doe grow How many miracles say they doe the Images of our Lady of Guadalupe and that of Monsarrate How many Captiâ—es deliuer they How many dead doe they rayse againe How many blind giue they sight vnto c. Either this which they say is vntruth and not therefore to bee beleeued or else verily doe they these miracles if they doe them by the operation of Sathan that the vnbeleeuers â—hich wil not beleeue the truth may beleeue lies as in this selfe same chapter Saint Paule doth aduise vs not to beleeue such miracles as are â—or founded vpon the word of God In the Treatise of the Masse more shal be said concerning miracles Not to make an Image nor any likenesse c. Not to worship or do them reuerence doth God commaund vs. To make Images to worship and doe reuerence vnto them doth the Pope commaund vs that purgatory should be better beleeued O how many mâ—râ—cles howe many dreames visions apparitions haue there bene only one I will recite which is read in the Enchiridion of times composed by Friar Alonso Venero Thus then saith hee fol. 118. In the yeare of our Lord 1164. a certaine holy Hermit before deceased appeared in visioÌ„ to the bishop of LigoniuÌ„ said vnto him there dyed in all parts
remit they are remitted vnto them and whosesoeuers sinnes ye retaine they are retained To all equally doth Christ shewe mercy to all equally graunteth Christ the priueledge and giueth authoritie To thinke that Christ reserued matters for the sea Apostolique of Peter which neither Iohn nor Iames nor Paule nor any of the other Apostles were able to dispatch is meere mockerie and Impietie also In authoritie and dignitie were all the Apostles equall And long continewed this order in the Church among the ministers of the Gospell vntill couetousnesse and ambition crept in and confounded this good order making one greater and another lesse because one was more rich then another we speaking of the Primacy confirme this with the sayings of the ancient Doctours If Christ by these words Thou art Peter c. had appointed Saint Peter vniuersall Bishop and head of the whole Church as they say to what purpose did then the Apostles so often reason among themselues vpon this questioÌ„ of the Primacie who should be chiefe amoÌ„g them Saint Matthew from the 1 verse to the 5. of the 18 chapter maketh mention hereof S. Marke cap 9 from the 33. verse vnto the 37. S. Luke from the 46. verse vnto the 48. of the 9. chapter doth mention it S. Matth. 20. 20. saith That the mother of the sonnes of Zebedeus and as saith Saint Marke the sonnes themselues 10. 15. besought Christ that one might sit at his right hand and the other at his left for which cause as say both the Euangelists the tenne Apostles disdained at the 2. brethren Saint Luke cap 22. 24. telleth that there was a contention among the Apostles which of them should be greatest What answereth Christ Iesus to the demaund which the Apostles made Matth. 18. 1. who shal be the greatest c. He set in the middest of them a little child and said vnto them Whosoeuer shal humble himselfe as this little child he shal be the greatest c. S. Marke 9 35. saith he that will be the first he shal be the last seruant of al. S. Luke 9. 48. he that is least among you shal be great Christ reproueth the sonnes of Zebedeus for their ambitious demand He said vnto them ye know what yee aske c. the tenne were angry with them for this superioritie which they pretended Christ said vnto them that in a Politicall kingdome there it superioritie and so kings and princes holde authoritie ouer all But that in his kingdome which is spirituall wherein there neither is nor ought to bee superioritie it is not so But it shall not bee so saieth Christ among you c. Would our aduersaries well examine this they would be ashamed of their primacy and principalitie that they seeke to gâ—ue to their Pope which neither Saint Peter nor any other of the Apostles euer had For had Christ giuen the primacie to Saint Peter when hee heard them contend which of them should bee the greatest doubtlesse hee would haue said vnto them Wherefore striue you know yee not that I haue giuen the Primacy to Peter Doe yee not knowe that I haue made Peter the chiefest of you all Quiet then your selues and for such a one doe yee holde him The same also would Saint Peter haue said I am hee whom Christ hath appointed to bee the head of the whole Church c. But neither did Christ so say but rather for their ambition and affectation of the primacie reproued them Nor yet did Saint Peter alleage that Iesus Christ had said vnto him Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke c. The second place fundamental which our aduersaries doe alleage to mainetaine the primacy of the Pope is that Christ saide to Peter Louest thou mee c. Peter answered Yea Lord c. Then said Christ vnto him Feede my sheepe Here doe they inferre that seeing that Christ said this to Saint Peter and sayd it not to any other of the Apostles that by the same reason hee made him Prince of the Apostles The most high wisedome and loue of Christ in Peters confirmation and comfort they nothing consider There times had Peter denyed Christ And Christ three times demaunded if hee loued him Twise answered Peter Yea Lord but the third time he waxed sorrowfull and to comfort him Christ saide vnto him Feede my sheepe As if he should haue sayd Thou hast thrise denyed mee Peter but hast repented and with most bitter weeping craued pardon for the same Thy sinnes I pardon and restore thee to the same state thou wast formerly in Feede then my sheepe And to cheere him the more he said â—nto him that he should be constant should not denie him And gaue him to vnderstand as there saith the Euangelist with what death he should glorifie God The same charge and office of feeding gaue Iesus Christ to all the Apostles Mark chap. 16. vers 15. when he commanded them to goe through the world and preach the Gospell to euery creatuâ—e and when he said vnto them Receaue yee the holy Ghost Whosoeuers sinnes ye remit c. So that in this carried not Saint Peter any preheminence ouer the rest of the Apostles In dignitie and authoritie all are equall and principall members of the mysticall body of Christ which is his Church which body seeing it is no monster hath but one only head which is Christ And yet say I further suppose that Saint Peter had bene Prince of the Apostles and of much greater authoritie then they all yet not withstanding the Pope not being Peters successour nor the Vicar of Christ as already we haue proued shall not be prince of Bishops nor vniuersall Bishop ouer all Churches He should content himselfe to be Bishop of Rome nor is he yet so but Antichrist These two be the principall fundamentall places wherewith the Romists endeuour to maintaine their primacy And seing they proue not these thinges much lesse will they prooue the rest by them alleaged to which may be answered that which I haue before said One thing wil I demaund of them and this it is If it be necessary for a man to beleeue the Pope to bee the successour of Saint Peter Vicar of Christ and vniuersall head of all the Church as Boniface the eight ordeyned what shall become of the Greeke Church which neuer so beleeued what shal become of all those that liued in the time of Pope Ione what shall become of all them that liued in the time of Anastasius 2. Liberius and Felix 2. these three Popes were Arians Iohn the 24. an heretique For the which and other great abhominations proued against him in the Councell of Constance he was deposed What shall become of them which liued in the time of this Pope and other heretiques and of the Popes that by Armes or bribes or both armes and bribes ioyntly obteyned the Popedome Such according to the decrees of the Popes themselues be not Popes And yet notwithstanding is this almoste
displaceth and placeth kings and transferreth kingdomes from one nation to another Ergo say they the Pope hath authoâ—iâ—ie to dispose kingdomes giuing them to whom he will and taking them from whom he listeth Herehence came it that kinges and Emperours began striâ—ingly to kisse their feete beeing present or by their Embassadous being absent Hence it is that the Emperour himselfe â—erueth him for a horse boy holding the stirrop to his Sathanship when he mounteth on horsebacke And yet brawleth the Pope if he hold not the stirrop featly So shamelesse was Pope Boniface 8. that he made an Article of faith without which there could bee no saluation That the Pope aswell in the temporalltie as spiritualltie is absolute Lord presenting himselfe in the Iubile to the viewe of all men with a keye in the one hand and a Sword in the other His successor Pope Clement the sixt not contenting himselfe to commaund kinges and Emperours dared in a bull to commaund the Angels In the Popes Rota which is his Chauncerie was it concluded and determined that whatsoeuer the Pope doth God holdeth for good and approueth it That the will of the Pope is the rule of all lawe and Iustice That the Pope may doe absolutely in this world all whatsoeuer God doth Seeing that he is all and aboue all thinges And that if hee chaunge his opinion it ought to be presumed that God also hath chaunged That ableit the Pope should send many thousands of soules to hell none can reproue him That the power extendeth to heauen earth and hell it selfe That from him may no man appeale to God That he may dispence and commaund against the Epistles of S. Paul as hee that is greater then Paul The same may he doe against the old Testament as hee that is greater then the authors of the old Testament And yet haue they gone further they haue disputed whether the Pope might dispence against the Gospell Whether the Pope hath more power then Saint Peter Whether the Pope be simple man or as God Briefly the deuill hath so farre further proceeded that a little before the comming of Luther and afterwards also it was disputed in the schooles whether the Pope did participate as did Iesus Christ of the â— natures to wit diuine and humane Better should they haue demaunded if the Pope were an Hermophrodit which well may be because a woman hath bene Pope Read Erasmus Annot. 1. caput 1. Epistle ad TimotheuÌ„ They also disputed to vse their proper Latine An mille Angels possint saltare in summitate digiti To wit whether a thousand Angels might daunce one the end of a fingar Item an Christus sub forma scarabei posset saluare genus humanum Whether Christ in forme of a beetle could saue mankind Item whether the Pope were more mercifull then Christ O blasphemy they conclude yea The reason which they giue is this That it is not read in all the scripture That Iesus Christ drewe any soule out of Purgatorie But the Pope of his great pietie and mercy an infinite number of Soules doth daily deliuer And yet go they further and in their disputations conclude that the Pope hath power to kindle and quenche the fire of Purgatorie Flattering the Pope conclude they in all these questions lying against their owne consciences and making no reckoning of the honour onely due to God nor of his onely sonne Christ Iesus And Ca. Quoniam de imunit in 6. the Pope saith we not willing to contemne our Iustice nor that of our spouse the Church The Church is well knowne to haue no other spouse but onely Christ The Pope passeth further Hee saith and commaundeth that so it be said and preached and that we also so beleeue the vertue and holinesse of his seate to be such and so great that what wicked man soeuer how impious periured and abhominable hee be which shall sit therein euen then in a moment for hauing sitten therein is altered and changed to another man and is made holy But heare we the selfe same words which the beast himself speaketh as in Ca. Non nos dist 41. they be written and these they be The blessed S. Peter transferreth to his successors together with the inheritance of innocency an euerlasting dowery of merits That which to him was granted by the light of his workes pertaineth to those that be lightened with like clerenesse of conuersation For who may doubt him to be holy which is lifted vp to the height of dignitie wherein if he want goods gotten by his owne merit those that are giuen by the predecessor of the place suffice c. If this were truth then no Pope should be euill either in life or Doctrine sith that in being Pope he is learned and holy and in a word to speake all he is God vpon earth and so all whatsoeuer he doth God approueth it in heauen But the liues of the Popes by vs recited and the same liues also which the Popes parasites haue written doe shew vs the contrary This is that seate papall this is the heritage which one Pope inheriteth of another that one sitting therein were he not so euill before he is made euill And if he were euill he becommeth most euill and in the end each one is made the sonne of perdition and man of sinne opposing and lifting vp himselfe against all that is called God or that is worshipped So that as God he sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God All these things which here we haue gathered together concerning the doctrine of the Pope are blasphemies such as were the diuell himselfe clothed with humane flesh he could not speake greater nor more horrible yet for all this art thou blind ô Spaine and seest not nor yet knowest thou Antichrist whom supposing thou doest seruice to God and honour to Iesus Christ his sonne thou adorest and honorest God shewe thee his mercie and open the eyes of thine vnderstanding that thou maist reade heare and vnderstand the will of God which his Maiestie hath reuealed in his holy Scriprure without the reading or meditation whereof vnpossible it is for a man to attaine to the truth Search saith Iesus Christ the Scripture for they be those that testifie of me so by consequence of Antichrist also When with the Spirit of humilitie thou shalt well haue read and meditated vpon them thou shalt then vnderstand how great hath bene thy blindesse and ignorance Then turning thy selfe hartily to the true God that created redeemed and sanctified thee thou shalt abhorre the idols of siluer and the Idols of gold which thy sinfull hands as saieth Esaie haue made And thou blind and ignorant supposing thou didst great seruice to God diddest honor and adore them Then shalt thou cast them from thee stampe them in peeces and consume them so greate shall be thy hatred against Idolatrie Then then by how much
and so commaunded that the French Office which was now the same with the Roman should bee celebrated through all his kingdome And then all weeping and swearing the old Spanish Prouerbe began to be said Alla van leyes do quieren Reyes As the king will so go the lawes And from that time was the French Office kept in Spaine as well in the Psalter as in the rest which neuer before that time had bin receiued nor vsed in Spaine yet in some monasteries it was afterwards vsed for a time And the translation of the Psalter in manie Cathedrall Churches and Monasteries at this day is also vsed Thus farre the Archbishop In this historie reported by the Archbishop is there much to be noted First that now 500 yeares past for so long time is it since Gregorie the seuenth died in whose time reigned Don Alonso the sixt the diuine Office celebrated in all our countrie of Spaine was not the Roman but the Gothish which they called the Toledane office This office was changed through the desire of a French woman who so greatly pricked forward the king her husband that he chaunged the ancient Office maugre the state Ecclesiasticall Nobilitie and all the Communaltie of Spaine The Pope also that commanded the Office should be chaunged was one of the most abominable that did eate bread in his time Many wrote his life A great inchanter he was by force of Armes without any election he made himselfe Pope A tyrant he was an heretike he burned the Sacrament of the Altar his God And the moreouer which in his abominable life we haue declared For which enormious sinnes in his absence for he would not appeare hee was condemned and depriued in the Councell of Brixa And Clement the third was made Pope in his place The Legate of the Pope which dealt in this businesse of the chaunge of the Office was aso another such like as his maister that sent him and so abode in the same with his maister and Lord. For his wickednesse as the Archbishop reporteth was he depriued In these two Pope and Legate is the old Spanish Prouerbe verified Qual Abad tal Monazillo Such Abbot such Nouice Hereby shall our Spaniards perceiue that the diuine Office and Translation of the Psalter which our forefathers vsed in Spaine vntill the yeare 1080 or little lesse was not the Roman office much lesse was it the Masse which now in Spaine is so greatly esteemed For the Roman Office which before fiue hundred yeares was celebrated was defiled with the superstition and idolatry which we now see in the Masse as be Transubstantiation the taking from the faithful the one half of the Sacrament Intercession and Inuocation of Saintes Purgatorie c. Long time after about the 1215. yeare Innocent 3. being Pope was Transubstantiation admitted and made an article of the faith Albeit true it is that this Gregory 7. was the first that drawing it out of hell began to exalt it And notwithstanding that the Romane Office then vsed was nothing so euill nor ought agreed in Idolatry with that which is now yet is it to be thought there was great difference between the Toledane and the Romane office seeing that all Spaine so purposely and truly opposed it self to the king the Queene the Pope and his legate and receiued not the Romane Office but with great dislike and forced by threats of life goods That also is to be noted which the Archbishop speaketh concerning the combat of the 2 Knights and of the friar which the Gothish Office remaining safe then burned the Roman Office If they will haue miracles this of the fire is strange D. Illescas lib. 5. vpon the life of King Don Alonso the 6. saith almost the same that Don Rodrigo the Archbishop doth for from him hee tooke it but that of affected malice he changed some things whose words I will here set downe When hee that defended the part of the Gothish Office sayth he was Victor the king stroue by all meanes to take it away and hauing cast into the fire two Masse bookes the Archbishop saith it was determined that the booke of the Toledan Office and the booke of the French Office should bee cast into a great fire He saith not Masse bookes the Roman leaped out of the fire and the Gothish was not burned in it The Archbishop saith the booke of the French Office was consumed of the fire and the booke of the Toledan Office arose vp without receiuing any domage Here seest thou the maner of our aduersaries dealings To aduaunce his Catholique faith hath God no need of such lies And note that Doctour Illescas alleageth not the Archbishop from whence hee tooke this report lest his shamelesse falsifying should haue beene seene The Authour and the place which is the sixt booke the 25. and 26. chapters haue I alleaged I beseech the Reader to reade it that it may bee seene whether I or Doctor Illescas doth ly I speaking with the Guardian of S. Francis of Mexico touching this falsification of Doctor Illescaâ— It was so answered he me as Doctor Illescas said and that our booke were falsified But I brought him an old booke with the armes royall printed at Granada and shewed him the place the poore Warden was ashamed And it is to be noted as noteth D Illescas that by the command of Don Sancho 1. king of Arragon the Gothish or Mosorabish Office was least to be sayd in Arragon and the Roman Office which now is vsed brought in In S. Iohn de Pena the 21. day of March in the 1071. yeare was sayd the first Latine Masse after the manner of the Romaines The same Doctor Illescas also saith The 25. day of may in the. 1083. yeare King Don Alonso 6. wan Toledo the great Church whereof called Mesquita was consecrated the 25. of October in the 1086. yeare Thus was the Gothish office chaunged in Arragon fifteene yeares at least before it was in Castile Note ye Spaniards which thinke and beleeue the Latine Masse now sayd in Spaine to be most ancient from the time of the Apostles the first Latine Masse after the Roman maner was said in S. Iohn de Pena in the time of king Don Sancho 1. And in this yeare 1599. is no more but 528 yeares since If ye beleeue not me beleeue D. Illescas and others that say the same which I do A new thing is the Masse which plucketh from the Church the institution of Iesus Christ I meane his holy Supper God giue you grace to returne and restore it to it former place Of this change others also make mention George Cassander in the preface of his booke intituled Ordo Romanus de officio Missae saith these words But the Spaniards As they be most resolute in the institution which they haue once receiued held constantly for manie yeares the rites of their countrey Their rite was called the Rite of the Mosarabes and so was it called because the Christians mingled with
our high priest offered with which wee being sinners and sonnes of wrath he reconciled vs to God Oh good newes Heare them then O Spaine and beleeue them In this Treatise I wil be short for many things which were here to be sayd haue we formerly sayd in the confutation of the false priestes which is the Pope and of the false sacrifice which is the Masse And there haue we sayd it for confutation of falshood For how can falshood be confuted but with the truth walke we then hence forth as Children of truth and light He that listeth to knowe who is this high priest and what is this his onely and eternall sacrifice Let him read the Epistle which the Apostle wrote to the Hebrewes there clerely shal hee find both the one the other And no booke there is in all the holie scripture which more to the purpose and more axcellently handleth this argument then this Epistle An Epistle truely worthie for each faithfull Christian to reade and reade againe and to retaine in memorie Seeing there in is handled a matter so necessary without the vnderstanding knowledge whereof it is impossible for mā to be saued For what thing is more necessary thē to know who my redeemer is how he hath redeemed me so to beleeue in him beleeuing in him to be thankful vnto him by liuing in holines and righteousnesse all the daies of my life His maiesty pardon our imperfections supply that much which is wanting But before we enter into this matter Let vs declare that which we beleue of Christ we confesse that Iesus Christ is truely God and truely man that in as much as he is God he is equall with the father with the holy Ghost in nothing inferior We confesse that in as much as he is man he is lesse then the father and lesse then the holy Ghost and in nothing equal We confesse these two so far different natures diuine humaine not to haue bin vnited nor conioyned for euer but in time as saith S. Paule when saith he the fulnes of time was come God sent his son made of a woman made vnder the lawe c. The same saith S. Iohn And the word was made flesh and dwelled among vs. So that from thenceforth is hee called and is true God and true man and so according to this coniunction Christ is lesse then the father For the father hath made him and giuen him vnto vs. For our king Prophets and priest Which three offices the name of Christ signifieth which is a Greeke word and is the same that is Messias in Hebrewe and Vngido in our Spanish tongue So also is it called because these three kindes of men were in olde time annointed And so doe wee read that Samuel annointed Saul for king Dauid also hee annointed Sadoc annointed Solomon c. Concerning the Prophets wee read that Elias annointed Eliseus Concerning the Priests annoynting it is seene in Exod. 30. 50. These 3. Offices doth the holie scripture attribute to Christ It calleth him king Psal 2. 6. I haue appointed to my selfe a king ouer Sion Also Luke 1. 33. And he shall raigne ouer the house of Iacob for euer his kingdōe shall haue no end Also Iohn 1. 49. 12. 15. Mat. 22. Al the places also which say Christ to be the head of the Church cōfirme Christ to be king a Prophet he is called Esaie 61. 1. Luk. 4. 19. Also Deut. 18. 15. It is promised that God wil raise vp a Prophet which place S. Peter in that excellēt sermō which S. Luke mentioneth vnderstandeth of Christ who is the Prophet of Prophets In the same maner vnderstādeth it S. Stephen A priest is hee called Psal 110. 4. Thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchizedech Which place in the Epistle to the Hebrewes is oftentimes alleaged where it calleth him the only euerlasting priest But the difference between the kings Prophets priests of the olde Testament Christ is this they were the figure of Christ and annointed they were with materiall visible oyle But Christ is the thing figured is annointed not with visible oyle but with the grace of the holy spirit As he himselfe Luk. 4. 18. doth witnes in declaring the prophesie of Esaie The spirit of the Lord c Of this kind of ointmēt thus speaketh the Psal 45. 7. Thou hast loued righteousnes and hated Iniquitie Wherfore God euen thy God hath annointed thee with the oyle of goodnes aboue thy fellowes which place the Apostle vnderstandeth of Christ And Christ being annointed with the spirituall oyntment we vnderstand his kingdome not to be of this world his doctrine to be heauenly his priesthood to be euerlasting diuine Christ as king appointed of the father gouerneth his Church giueth her lawes which no prince nor the mightiest monarch of the world may disdaine or abolish For it is noted that all how mighty soeuer do acknowledge him for king of kings Lord of Lords For God as saith S Paul exalted Christ gaue him a name aboue all names that at the name of Iesus euery knee do bowe in heauen in earth and vnder the earth Christ as a prophet doth teach vs the will of his father doth shewe vs what we ought to fly what we ouht to follow Whō the father gaue vnto vs for our Doctour maisterand teacher whē he said This is my beloued sonne in whom I take delight heare him He wil we should heare another Doctrine albeit an Angel from heauen doe preach it If an Angel from heauen saith Saint Paul shal preach vnto you another gospel thē that which I haue preached vnto you the which he had learned of the Lord Iesus Let him be accursed The office of the priest is to appeare before the diuine Maiestie to appease his wrath and to obtaine grace for vs. The which he performeth Offering a sacrifice pleasing and acceptable vnto him This did Iesus Christ offering vp himselfe vpon the Crosse Which sacrifice one only time offered and neuer more reiteratetd For reiteration should shewe imperfection to haue beene in it was so sweete and so good a sauour vnto God that he was pleased and being pleased was reconciled with men So that he pardoned all our sinnes and sanctified vs for euer Of these three offices treateth also the epistle to the Hebrewes In the 1 chapter it sheweth the excellencie and maiestie of Christ aboue the Angels and consequently ouer all Creatures In which it deuoteth his kingdōe In the third chapter the Apostle calleth him the teacher of the will of God Which thing did the Prophets chapter 13. 20. he calleth him Great Pastor By Pastor he vnderstandeth a teacher And so in the 7. verse he said Remember your Pastors which speake vnto you the word of God c. That Christ is a
ninth Session Where in as little then did they For the Spaniards and the rest except the Italians stayed at Trent willing to end the Councell where it was begun The 10. Session was held in Bologna wherein was nothing done For those of Trent there abode expecting them of Bologna and those of Bologna expected them of Trent And so in this 10 Session was there no other thing done but a prolongation to the 15. of September Which day being come they did nothing also so the one and the other for a long time brake vp the Councell In this time died Paule 3. and Iulius 3. succeeded him who at the importunity of the Emperour being much displeased at the translation and discontinuance of the Councel commanded that the Session following should the first day of May 1557. be holded at Trent wherein nothing else was concluded but that the twelfth Session should be holden the first day of September which day being come As little was ought done For the prelates were not yet come In the thirteenth Session were found fourtie Bishops and fourty two diuines In the 15. Session was there nothing done In the 16. Session no other thing was concluded but the suspension of the Councell for two yeares And so Iulius 3. Marcellus 2. Paul 4. Pius 4. was elected in whose time the rest of the Sessions were holden The number of Bishoppes then increased the Councell was ended and confirmed by the Pope For knowe this that all is nought woorth whatsoeuer the Councell decreeth if it bee not confirmed by the Pope Knowe also that so subiect was this Councell to the Pope that it made a decree Wherein it was ordayned that all whatsoeuer was in the Councell ordayned was intended So that it nothing derogated from the Authoritie and commodity of the Pope and the Councell was not only subiect to the Pope but to whatsoeuer other Bishops also And so in the 18 decree it was ordayned that the Bishops and the rest to whom it should appertayne might dispense with whatsoeuer decree or decrees of this Councell so that he knew the cause commoditie so required This decree was it which gaue most content to the Ecclesiasticall persons For by vertue of this decree each thing remayneth polluted as before and so nothing reformed So that the ecclesiasticall Lordes take courage reioyce because if there be any thing in this Councell that seemeth ouer harsh hard or bitter irksome they reioyce I say For that by vertue of this decree shall they easily for money haue dispensation of the Bishop or of the Pope Which dispensation will make them so tender and so as a peece of soft bread and so sweete as the honie Moreouer this Councell was not admitted of the kings of England and Denmarke nor of the Protestant princes nor of the common wealthes of Germany All these be one good part of Christendome inhabiting in Europe But they will say vnto me that these which I haue named be heretiques Whereunto I answere that if they hold them for heretiques for the same cause are they to be suffered to speake freely that which they thinke in the Councell Their sayings being heard they ought to dispute with them and conuince them by the bookes of holy scripture And by that which the Doctors and auncient Councels gouerned by Gods word belieued and maintayned And now that they say the foresayd protestants to be heretiques What will they tell me of kings of Fraunce whom the Pope himselfe calleth most Christian for the great seruice they haue done to the seat Apostolique which tooke not this of Trent for a generall Councel nor lawfully called And so Frauncis 1. sent not of all his kingdome one prelate or diuine to the Councel No more did his sonne Henry that succeeded him in his kingdome he tooke it not for a generall Councell As by the protestation which this king in the 1551. yeare by his Embassadours made in the Councell was proued The report is this Iames de Annot Abbot de Bellosana Embassadours of the king came sodainely vnto Trent presented to the Councell a letter from his king The superscription whereof sayd To the assembly of Trent Asmuch to say As to the meeting at Trent This superscription being read the Spanish Bishops spake saying that such a letter was in contempt of the Councell and that it ought not to be read nor yet opened But notwithstanding the rest of the Councel after they had well debated the buisines concluded that the letter ought be opened and read presupposing that most Christian king had not vsed such a superscription either for contempt of the Councel nor to derogate from it authority and so was it read The some of this letter was that he protested as before he had protested in Rome that he could not send to Trent by reason of the warres the Bishops of his kingdome He said also that he held not this Councel for general or lawful but for a particular meeting calnot for the publique good of Christendome the which ought led togither for the profit cōmoditie of some particular persō to be the principal cause of the calling togither of a Councel That he thought neither himselfe nor his subiects bound to obserue the decrees that there in should be made But that concerning the same he will vse if need should be the remedies which his progenitors had in the like cases vsed c. And the king of Fraunce not contented to haue made this protestation in Rome and in the Councell but passed yet further and sent an Embassadour called Marlot and of his Councell to the assembly which the Cantons of the Swizers held at Bade to persuade them not to take this of Trent for a Councel nor to make any reckoning thereof Whereunto he persuaded also the same Cantons which were papists The Grisons also which had sent Thomas Planta their Bishop to the Councell nor approuing the Councell caused him to returne home They will not say Frauncis and Henry his sonne kings of Fraunce to be Lutherans but most Christen as our aduersaries the papists themselues cal them which hold not for a Councell the Councell of Trent but an assembly of particular persons for their particular profit The same account then that so many Nations kings mightie princes and great States of Europe not of the protestants onely but also of the papists without passing to the Christians of Affrique and Asia none of whom doe I know or haue read to be found in this Councell made of this Councell make wee also so demand we a Councel general lawfull free where each one may freely speake his opinion Let the Councell and not the Bishops onely who only with a deliberate voice haue tyrannically lift vp themselues examine iudge what euerie one shall say according to the word of God Were there such a Councell God we trust would giue vs speech and wisdome to maintaine defend
when Christs glory was in question the Popes excommunication ought not to be feared Antoninus part 3. tit 22. cap. 10. maketh mention of this Thomas And Baptista Mantuanus in the last chapter of his booke de vita beata giueth him an honorable testimonie calling him holy and a martyr This Eugenius as reporteth Platina was verie vnconstant in his life In the beginning of his popedome guided by euill counsell he troubled things diuine and humane This Eugenius celebrated a Councell in Florence to match with that which was holden at Basil He compelled in this Florentine Councell Iosephus the good Patriarke of Constantinople to translate the bible after the vulgar latin editiō which is that which the Roman Church approueth into Greeke that this translation might among the Grecians as the other among the Latines be esteemed In many things did the Greekes conforme themselues in this Councell with the Latines but could in no wise be induced to admit of transubstantiation notwithstanding did the Councell and Pope allow them for faithful as speaking of Transubstantiation in the Treatise of the Masse we will hereafter declare After he had bene Pope almost 16 yeares in the 1446. yeare he died This Eugenius as is reade in the 16. and 17. Sessions of the Councell of Basil declared the same Councell to haue bene and from the beginning to be lawfully assembled and so adnulled reuoked the Buls geuen out to dissolue it Don Iohn 2. reigned in Castile Felix 5. is not accounted of the Papists for Pope In the Councel of Basil he was chosen after that Eugenius who wold not leaue to be Pope was deposed The 30. Sisme was this 9 yeres endured in which time al Christendom was deuided into 3 parts some were for Eugenius others for Felix others were Neuters which neither tooke the one part nor the other Such as tooke part with Felix said the Councell to be aboue the Pope and those of Eugenius part denied it when Eugenius was dead those of his part chose Nicholas 5. in whose time and the 1447. yeere Felix 5. renounced so the Sisme ceased For this renunciation Nicholas 5. to stop his mouth from further barking made him Cardinall of S. Sabina and Legate in Almaine and Fraunce Iulianus Taboecius in the genealogie of the Dukes of Sauoy proclaimeth this Amadeus for a Cannonicall Pope and holy man Two yeres after he had renounced and in the 1449. yeere died Felix Don Iohn 2. reigned in Castile Eugenius being dead Nicolas 5. was made Pope who in one selfe same yere was Bishop Cardinal Pope He gaue the Hat to Amadeus which renounced the popedom He celebrated the Iubile in the yeere 1450. Boniface as in his life we haue said was the first inuenter of this Iubile frō 100 to 100 yeres These Iubilees the Popes did willinglie celebrate for the great profit therof arising Of this Iubile it is reported that as the people vpō a time came from Vaticano to the citie they encountred a Mule of Cardinall Barbo And when the number was verie great of cōmers goers stumbled vpon the vnhappy Mule which with the multitude was fallen to the ground ouer whom fell many more that it seemed they plaied the play which children vse called Crescael monton more sacks on the Mill and cast one vpon another so great was the presse that 200 men were squized stifled with the waight And for that this hap befel as they cal it on Adrians bridge others fell into the riuer See here the effect of foolish zeale without discretiō or true religion For how many of these had it bin better to haue staied and wrought in their houses for maintenance of thē their wiues children But S. P. Q. R. Stultus populus quaerit Romam to wit foolish people go to Rome but the wise abide at home The Turk in the time of this Pope took the most noble city of Constantinople This Pope was much giuen to drink and edifie not soules but wals Platina recounteth his buildings He approued that which the Basile an Councell and Felix the fift had done and also admitted the Cardinals which Felix had created In the 1455. yeare died Nicholas In which selfe same yeare or a little before died Don Iohn 2. king of Castile In whose time liued Iohn de Mena the Spanish Poet as appeareth by the beginning of his poesie which he dedicated saying To the most potent Iohn c. Calistus 3. a naturall Spaniard of Valencia in Aragon before he was Pope called Alonso de Boria who studied and read the Lecture in Lerida an Vniuersite of Spaine was a most learned Cannonist When he was Pope all his care he bent to make warre with the Turks For which cause he sent many Echacueruos or deceiuers in Spaine so commonly called to preach his mockeries pardons and incited against the Turke the Armenians Persians he caused certaine countreymen to be strangled for that they mocked at his mockeries and Buls he commanded that none should appeale from the Pope to the Councell and more of these things would he haue done had he longer liued Ouer much libertie he gaue to his Nephewes and chiefly to Rodrigo de Boria whom he made his Chancellor and which afterwards was Alexander 6. Calistus for very age in the 1458. yere died In whose time Don Henry 4. reigned in Castile Pius 2. before called Eneas Syluius was a Notary Apostolike in the Councell of Basil In his Orations and Epistles he spake against the authoritie of Pope Eugenius but after he was made Pope he changed his copie When he was Pope he treated of making warre against the Turke but nothing did because he speedily died He wrote two excellent bookes of that which was debated in the Councell of Basil which when he was pope he endeuored what he might to hide and obscure as vnwilling to remember what before he had written for he pretended ambitious as he was to magnify greatly aduance his authority papall Estella Veneto speaking of him saith that they neuer saw him feare either kings Captains or tyrants he tooke part with D. Fernado bastard son of D. Alonso whō dispossessing Iohn the son of king Renato with force of armes he made king of Naples He excommunicated Sigismund Duke of Austria because he chastised for his robberies his Cardinal Nich. Cusanus He excommunicated Gregorie of Hamburg a most learned lawyer He tooke from Dirtherus Enseburgus the Archbishopricke of Maguncia put in his place Adulphus de Nassao because he thought euill as he said of the Roman Church The chiefe causes of the deposing of Dirtherus was for that he constantly opposed himselfe to the Popes vniust exactions wherewith they robbed the prouinces vnder pretence of war against the Turke This Pius made a young man bishop because he was nephewe of the duke of Burgonie and brother of the duke
of Burbon as noteth it frier Iohn de Pineda this election was cause of great mischiefe He depriued the Archbishop of Beneuente He cited George king of Bohemia vpon paine of loosing his kingdome to appeare many bishops deposed he for mony celebrated a councell in Mantua where he disabled the lawe Pragmaticall which was made in France as a thing pernicious to the Roman seate gaue himselfe much to build made Corsiniano the place where he was borne a cittie and after his owne name called it Piencia imitating therein Alexander who after his name called a Cittie Alexandria and Constantine who called Bizantium Constantinople In the 1464. yeare he died Platina and Sabellicus say that Pius 2. was accustomed to say that matrimonie with great reason was forbidden to the Priests but with greater reason it should be restored to them againe dna that moreouer mentioned in the life of Pope Gregorie 1. done and said by this Pope touching this matter Don Henrie 1. reigned in Castile Paul 2. before called Petrus Barbus hearing that his Vncle Gabriel called Eugenius 4. was Pope he changed his estate of liuing For leauing merchandise which he professed he applyed himselfe to learning but he was of hard and dull vnderstanding and so neither loued learning nor vertue To Rome hee went to his Vncle and so was made Cardinall and afterwards Pope Of him saith Platina that in Pontificall habite and chiefly the Miter hee exceeded all the Bishops his predecessours wherein hee consumed much money buying where and for great price hee could Diamondes Sapphires Emeralds Chrysolites Pearles and other most precious stones furnished and adorned wherwith like another Aaron he went forth to be seene and worshipped Great diligence hee vsed to gather gold and sold benefices also He commanded that none should beare the red hatte except he were a Cardinall In the first yeare of his bishopdome he presented red cloth to the Cardinals wherewith they might couer their horses or mules when they rode abroad hee endeuored with armes to entertaine his maiestie Papall Very wickedly he dealt with all the decrees and acts of his predecessour Pius exceeding ambitious he was and as saith Volateranus gaue himselfe to pleasure Estanislaus Reuthenus reporteth that this Paul 2. reading certaine verses compiled against him and his bastard daughter wept and complained to his friendes of the cruell law of constrained single life seeing that he which ought to be not onely Prelate of the Church but an example of chastitie sawe his daughter with great shame in the mouthes and eyes of all the citie who although she was most beautiful yet he grieued said he she should be thought to be a bastard knowing that by the law she should haue bene borne in lawfull matrimonie had not vnhappy forced single life hindered it So that he purposed say they to restore mariage to Ecclesiasticall persons which he could not do because he died Against forced single life note that which Paphnucius in the first Nicen Councel that which we haue said vpon Siricius Gregory 1. Nicholas 1. and Pius 2. This Paule 2. promised long life vnto himselfe but hauing supped well to his liking in the 1471. yeare vnseene of any he sodainly died D. Illescas Hist Pontif. of him saith A most great eater he was of fruits and chiefly of Melons and they in the ende killed him for one night finding in himselfe a strong appetite he lusted to suppe vppon both flesh and fish and eate infinitely of all and afterward did eate two whole Melons with many other thinges of ill disgestion and a little lower And halfe an hower after a chamberlaine entered and found him fallen to the grounde and dead that he neuer spake more Carion lib. 5 of his historie saith Paule 2. was openly infamous and execrable for his most filthie and vnaturall lust the report was publique that he was strangled of the deuill and his neck broken in the verie act of his abomination Notwithstanding that such a one was Paule 2. yet did D. Illescas praise him for most liberall an almes-giuer charitable and pitifull to the diseased a friend of iustice and verie mercifull But who so listeth to know what a one he was let him reade Platina At him ended Platina his liues of the chiefe Bishops of whom he receiued notable losses and iniuries he depriued him of his goods and dignities cast him into prison and caused him to be tortured as Abbot Iohn Tritemio reporteth Platina remained in prison vntill Paule died Don Henrie 4. reigne din Castile Sistus 4. a Genowey on the day of his coronation was in great perill of his life for as they carried him in his horslitter to Saint Iohn de Lateran there arose great tumult against him among the people that they hurled stones at him So liberall he was that what he had promised to one he wold promise also to another and so to many if many did demand it He was ouermuch addicted to his kinsfolkes and chiefly to his Nephew Pedro Râ—irio a Franciscan Frier whom he made Cardinall a cursed filthy and ryotous person This Seraphicall Minorit consumed with fleshly delight at the age of 28 yeares died Many make mention of this cursed Nephew of the Pope Iohn Rauisius Textor saith that when Sistus 4. was chiefe Bishop Petro Presbitero Cardinall consumed in two yeares and that in vanities three hundred thousand duckets Iohannes Riuius Baptista Mantuanus and Baptista Fulgosus report fearfull monstrousnesse of this beast For he made no reckoning to walke by his house clothed with cloth of gold the couerings of his beddes were of cloth of gold the basens wherein he did his necessaries were of siluer that he caused the shooes of his friend Teresa to be couered with precious stones All this is nothing Baptista Mantuanus in his Alphonso lib. 4. bringeth in Pluto that gaue him the welcome to hell Sistus this Pope much coÌ„sumed in wars which to entertain he inuented sold new offices A solemne stewes he builded in Rome where enormious and wicked sinnes were committed What Pope or what incarnate diuell is this Euery whore in Rome did paie vnto him as nowe also they doe to the Pope a Iulio which is euery weeke a ryall which then came to 20000 duckets But the reÌ„t say they is now increased that it is brought to 40000. duckets of yearely rent Horrible things of this Sistus Fryer Peter his Nephew writeth Mantuan A great warriour also was this Pope and that vniustly as Volateranus witnesseth he made warres against Vitellius Tiphernatus against the Florentines Venetians Colonnists against Don Fernando king of Sicillia and Duke of Callabria and against nations and Princes He sought to hold at his command kings and Christian Princes whom hee aduaunced or put downe as himselfe listed He moued the Swissars to make wars with the Lombards whom he had excommunicated He caused the Iubile to be from 25 yeeres to 25