Gregorius coram nobis and made him stand at my gate three dayes and three nights bare-footed and bare-legged with his wife and chyld in the deepe of winter both in frost and snow intreating for his absolution and after excommunicated him againe so that hee was twise excommunicated in my dayes 79. And did not I Paschalis after Gregorie set vp the son of the said Henricus against his father in warre to possesse the Empyre and to put downe his father and so hee did 80. Item did not I Pope Alexander bring vnto Henrie the second King of England for the death of Thomas Becket and to cause him goe bare-foooted to his tombe at Canturberrie with bleeding feet 81. Did not I Innocentius the third cause King Iohn to kneele downe at the feete of Pandulphus my Legate and offer vp his Crowne to his hands also to kisse the feete of Steven Langtoun Bishop of Canturberrie and besides that merced him a thousand merks by yeare 82. Did not I Vrbanus the second put downe Hugo Erle in Italie discharging his subjects from their oath and obedience to him 83. Did not I Paschalis excommunicate also his son Henry the fifth and gotte out of his hands all his right and title of elections and donations of spirituall promotions 84. Did not I Gelasius the second bring the Captaine Cnitius vnder vnto the kissing of my feete and after Gelasius 85. Did not I Calixtus quaile the foresaid Emperour Henricus and also bring in subjection Gregorie whom the said Emperour had set vp against mee to be Pope bringing him into Rome vpon a Camell his face to the horse taile making him to hold the horse taile in his hand in stead of a brydle 86. Further did not I Innocentius the second set vp and make Lotharius to bee Emperour for driving out Pope Anacletus out of Rome 87. Did not I the said Innocentius take the Dukedome of Sicilie from the Empyre and made Roger to bee King thereof whereby afterward the Kingdome became the patrimonie of S. Peter 88. Did not I Alexander the third suspend all the Realme and Churches of England for the Kings mariage 1159 88. But what doe I speake of Kings did not I the saide Alexander bring the valiant Emperour Frederick the first to Venice by reason of his son Otho their taken prisoner and there in S. Marks Church made him fall downe flat vpon the ground while I did set my feete vpon his necke saying the verse of the TSALME Super aspidem basiliscum ambulabis 89. Did not I Adrianus Pope an English man borne excommunicate William King of Cicile and refuse his peace which hee offered and had he not overcome me in plaine field I would haue shaken him out of his kingdome of Cicile and Dukedome of Apulia 90. Also did not I the said Adrianus controll and correct the foresaid Fredericus Emperour for holding the left stirruppe of my horse when hee should haue holden the right 91. And afterward did not I excommunicate curse him for that he was so sawsie to set his owne name in wrytting mine 92. And although a poore flie afterward overcame and strangled me yet I made Kings and Emperours to stoup 93. Did not I Innocentius 3. deject Philippus brother to Fredericus from the imperiall Crowne being elected without my leaue and after set him vp againe and also set vp Otho of Brounswick and after did excommunicate and also depose the same foure yeares setting vp the French King to warre against him 94. Then was Fredericus 2. by mee set vp and reigned thirtie seven yeares and yet fyue yeares before he died 95. Did not I Honorius interdict him for not restoring certaine to their possessions at my request 96. Whom also Gregorius 9. did excommunicate twyse together and raised vp the Venetians against him 97. And at length Innocentius spoyled him of his Empyre after that hee caused him to bee poysoned at length to bee strangled by one Manfredus and did excommunicate his sonne Conradus after him not onely depryving him of his right inheritance but also caused him with Frederick Duke of Austria to be beheaded 98. Thus then did not I excommunicate and depose all these Emperours in order Henricus 4. Henricus 5. Fredericus I. Philippus Otho Fredericus 2. and Conradus his sonne 99. Did not I interdict King Henrie the eight 100. And all his kingdome of England 101. And had not his prudence and power prevented my practise I had displaced him from his kingdome also briefly who is able to comprehend the greatnesse of my power and of my seate 102. For by mee only generall Councills take their force and confirmation 103. And the interpretation of the saids councils and of all other causes hard and doubtfull ought to bee referred and stand to my interpretation 104. By me the workes of all wrytters whatsoever they bee either bee reprooved or allowed 105. Then how much more ought my wryttings and decrees to bee preferred before all other 106. In so much that my letters and epistles decretall bee equivalent with the generall councils 107. And where GOD hath ordained al causes of men to bee judged by men hee hath onely reserved mee That is The Pope of Rome without all question of men vnto his owne judgement 108. And therefore where all other creatures bee vnder their judge onely I who in earth am the judge of all can bee judged of none neither Emperour nor the whole Clergie nor Kings nor of the people 109. For who hath power to judge vpon his judge 110. This judge am I and that alone without any other assistance of any counsell joyned to mee for I haue power vpon counsels counsels haue no power over mee But if the counsell determine amisse it is my aurhoritie alone to infring it or to condemne whō I list without any counsell 111. And all for the preheminene of my predecessor blessed S. Peter which by the voyce of the LORD hee receaved and ever shall retaine 112. Furthermore and whereas all other sentences and judgements both of counsels person or persons may and ought to bee examined 113. For that they may be corrupted foure wayes by feare by gifts by hatred by favour onely my sentence and judgement must stand 114. As given out of Heaven by the mouth of Peter him selfe which no man must 115. Breake nor retract 116. No man must dispute or doubt of 117. Yea if my judgment statute or yoke seeme scarcelie tolerable yet for remembrance of S. Peter it must bee humblie obeyed 118. Yea and moreover obedience is to bee given not onely to such decrees set foorth by mee in time of my Popedome but also to such as I doe foresee and commit to wrytting before I bee Pope 119. And although it bee thought by some wrytters to bee given to all men to erre and deccaved 120. Yet neither am I a poore man 121. And againe the sentence of my Apostolick seat is alwayes conceaved with such moderation is
and set vp Otho Duke of Saxon. But when the said Otho began to bee so saucie to dispossesse the Bishops of their cities and lands which they had incrotched into their bands they could not beare that but incontinent they put him besides the cusheon The like also fell vpon Otho the 4. that followed after Philip who was suffered no longer then foure yeares to reigne about the yeare of the LORD 1209. At this time Fredericus 2. the sonne of Fredericus Barbarossa was but young whom the Bishops of Rome supposing to finde more mortified and tamed to their hand advanced to bee Emperour after his father But that fell out much contrarie to their expectation for hee perceiving the immoderate pompe and pryde of the Romane Bishops which hee could in no case abyde so netled them and cut their combs and waxed so stout against them intending to extirpe their tyranie and to reduce their pompous riches to the state and condition of the primitiue Church againe putting some of them to flight and prisoning some of their Cardinals that of three Popes one after another hee was accursed circumvented by tieason at last deposed and after that poysoned and last forsaken and died After this Frederick followed his sonne Conradus whom the foresaid Bishops for his disobedience soone dispatched exciting against him in mortall warre the Lantgraue of Thuring whereby at length hee was driven into his Kingdome of Naples and there deceast This Conradus had a sonne called Conradinus Duke and Prince of Swevill where this Conradinus after the decease of his father came to enjoy the Kingdome of Naples The Bishops stirred vp against him Charles the French Kings brother in such sort that through craftie conveyance both Conradinus which descended of the blood of so many Emperours and also Frederik Duke of Austria were both taken and after much wretched handling in their miserable indurance vnseeming to their state at length were both brought vnder the axe by the Popes procurement and so both beheaded and thus ended the imperiall stocke of Frederik the first surnamed Barbarossa The like also happened to Frederik the Emperour had almost fallen vpon Philip the French King by Pope Boniface 8. who because hee could not haue his commodities and revenewes out of France after his will sent out his bils and letters patents to displace King Philip aforesaid and to possesse Albertus King of Romans in his rowme And this hitherto of forraine stories Now touching our countrie Princes heere in England so speake somewhat likewayes of them did not Pope Alexander the third presumptuously taking vpon him where hee had nothing to doe to intermeddle with the Kings subjects For the death of Becket the rebell albeit the King fusficiently cleared himselfe thereof yet notwithstanding did he not wrongfully bring the said King Henry 2. to such pennance as it pleased him to enjoyne and also violently constrained him to sweare obedience to the Sea of Rome The like also was shewed before in this storie to happen to King Iohn his sonne for when the said King like a valiant Prince had held out the tyrranie of those Bishops eleven yeares together was not all the Churches of England barred vp and his inheritance with all his dominions given away by Pope Innocent the 3. to Lodovicus the French King and he afterward compelled to submit both himselfe and to make his whole Realme fedetary to the Bishops of Rome and moreover the King himselfe driven also to surrander his Crowne to Pandulphus the Popes Legate and so continued a privat person 5 dayes standing at the Popes courtesie whether to receive it againe or not And when the Nobles of the Realme rose afterward against the King for the same was not hee then glad to seeke and sue to the foresaid Pope for succour as by his owne letter taken out of the publicke rolles may appeare King Iohns supplication to Pope Innocent the third REverendiss domino suo patri sanctiss Innocentio dei gratia Ioanni eadem gratia R. Angliae c. Cum comites Barones Angliae nobis devoti essent antequam nos nostram terram dominio vestro subjacere curassemus ex tunc in nos specialiter ob hoc sicut publicè dicunt violenter insurgunt Nos vero preter Deum vos specialem dominum patronum habentes defensionem nostram totius regni quod vestrum esse credimus vestrae paternitati commissam nos quantum in nobis est curam solicitudinem istam vestrae resignamus dominationi devotius supplicantes quatenus in negotijs nostris que vestra sunt consilium auxilium efficax apponatis prout melius videritis expedire latores praesentium c. Teste meipso apud Dour 18. Septemb. 6. And yet notwithstanding that the said King Iohn did so yeeld to the Pope he was both persewed by his Nobles and also in the end w as poysoned by asubject of the Popes ownereligion a Monke of Swinsted as I haue sufficiently to proue not onely by William Caxton but also haue testimonie of the most part of Chronicles for the same a few onely excepted as of Thomas Gray in his French Chronicle also of another French Chronicle in meeter of Ranulphus Cestrenses Thomas Rudburne also doth witnesse the same So doth Richard Rid in novo Chronico ad tempora Hen. 6. the like also doth the Chronicle called Eulogium Monachi Cant. The words of Walter Gisborne an ancient Historiographer bee plaine No lesse is to be found in Ioan. Major de gestis Scotorum lib. 4. cap. 3. fol. 56. where hee not onely maketh mention of the Monke and of the poyson but also of the Abbot of his absolution and of the 3. Monks everie day singing for the said Monks soule To these I could also annex dyvers other wrytters both English and Latin without name which witnesse that King Iohn was poysoned one beginning thus Heere beginneth a booke in the English tongue called Bruce Another beginneth Because this booke is made to tell what tyme any thing notable The thrid in English beginneth the reigne of Britaine that now is called England c. Of Latin bookes which haue no name one beginneth thus Britannia quae Anglia dicitur ae Bruto nomen est sortita Another hath this beginning Adam pater gener is humani Besides this King Henry 2 and King Iohn his sonne what Kings haue heere reigned in England since their time vntill the reigne of King Henry the 8 who althogh they were prudent Princes and did what they could against the proud dominion of those Bishops were forced at length sore against their wils for feare to subject themselues together with their subjects vnder their vsurped authoritie in so much as some of them as M att Paris wryteth by King Henry the third were faine to stoup and kisse their Legats knee The image of Antichrist exalting himselfe in the Temple of GOD aboue all that is named God out of his owne decrees
decretals extravagants pontificals word for word as it is out of the said bookes heere alledged and quotted FOR as much as it standeth vpon necessity of salvation for everie bumane creature to bee subject to mee the Pope of Rome It shall bee therefore requisite nd necessary for all men that will bee saved to learne and know the dignitie of my Sea and excellencie of my dominion as heere is set foorth according to the trueth and very works of my owne lawes in style as followeth 2. First my institution began in the old Testament and was consummate and finished in the New in that my Preift-hood was prefigurated by Aaron and other Bishops vnder me were prefigured by the sonnes of Aaron that were vnder him 3. Neither is it to bee thought that my Church of Rome hath beene preferred by any generall Councill but obtained the Primacy onely by the voyce of the Ghospell and the mouth of the Saviour 4. And hath in it neither spot nor wrinkle nor any such like thing 5. Wherefore as other seats bee all inferiour to mee and as they cannot absolue me so haue they no power to bind mee or to stand against me no more then the axe hath power to stand or presume aboue him that heweth with it or the Saw to presume aboue him that ruleth it 6. This is the holy and Apostolick mother Church of all other Churches of CHRIST 7. From whose rules it is not meete that any person or persons should declyne but lyke as the Sonne of GOD came to doe the will of his Father so much yee doe the will of your mother the Church the head whereof is the Church of Rome 8. And if any other person or persons shall erre from the said Church either let them be admonished or els their names taken to bee knowne who they bee that swerue from the customes of Rome 9. Thus then for as much as the holy Church of Rome whereof I am governour is set vp to the whole world for a glasse or example reason would what thing soever the said Church determineth or ordaineth that to bee receaved of all men for a generall and a perpetuall rule for ever 10. Wherevpon we see it now verified in this Church that was foreprophecied by Ieremie Saying Behold I haue set thee vpover nations and kingdomes to plucke vp and to breake downe to build and to plant 11. Who so vnderstandeth not the prerogatiue of this my Preist-hood let him looke vp to the firmament where he may see two great lights the Sunne and Moone one ruling over the day the other over the night So in the firmament of the vniversall Church 12. GOD hath set two great dignities the authoritie of the Pope and the Emperour Of the which two this our dignitie is so much weightier as wee haue the greater charge to giue accoumpt to GOD for Kings of the earth and the lawes of men 13. Wherefore bee it knowne to you Emperours which know it also right well that yee depend vnto the judgement of vs we must not bee brought and reduced to your will 14. For as I said looke what difference there is betwixt the Sunne and the Moone so great is the power of the Pope ruling over the day that is over the spirituality aboue Emperours and Kings ruling over the the night that is over the Laytie 15. Now seing the earth is seven times bigger then the Moone and the Sunne eight times greater then the earth it followeth that the Popes dignitie 56 tymes doeth surmount the estate of the Emperours 16. Vpon consideration whereof I say therefore and pronunce that Constantine the Emperour did naught in setting the Patriarch of Constantinople at his feete on his left hand 17. And although the said Emperour wrote to mee alledging the words of S. Peter commanding vs to submit our selves to everie humane creature as to Kings Dukes and other for the cause of GOD. 1. Pet. 2. Yet in answering againe in my decretall I exponed the minds and words of S. Pet. to pertaine to his subjects and not his successors willing the said Emperor to consider the person of the speaker and to whom it is spoken for if the minde of Peter had beene there to debase the order of Priest-hood and to make vs vnderlings to everie humane creature then everie lack might haue dominion over Prelats which maketh against the example of CHRIST setting vp the order of Priesthood to beare domination over Kings According to the saying of Ieremie Behold I haue set thee vp over Kings and Nations 18. And as I feared not then to wryte this boldly vnto Constantine so now I say vnto all other Emperours that they receaving of mee their approbation vnction consecration and Crowne Imperiall must not disdaine to submitte their heads vnder mee and sweare vnto mee their alleadgeance 19. For so you reade in the decree of Pope Iohn how that Princes heeretofore have beene wont to bowe and submit their heads vnto Bishops and not to proceede in judgment against the heads of Bishops 20. If this reverence and submission was wont to be given to Bishops how much more ought they to submit their heads to me being superior not only to Kings but Emperours and that for two causes first for my title of succession that I Pope of Rome haue to the Empyre the rowme standing vacant Also for the fullnesse of power that CHRIST King of Kings Lord of Lords hath given to mee tho vnworthie in the person of Peter 21. By reason whereof seeing my power is not of man but of GOD who by his celestiall providence hath set mee over his vniversall Church maister and governour it belongeth therefore to my office to looke vpon everie mortall sinne of everie Christian man 22. Whereby all criminall offences al 's well of Kings as all other bee subject to my censure 23. In such sort that in all manner of pleading if any manner of person at any time either before the sentence given or after shall appeale to mce it shall bee lawfull for him so to doe 24. Neither must Kings and Princes thinke it much to submit themselues to my judgement for so did Valentinianus the worthie Emperour so did Theodosius and also Carolus 25. Thus yee see must bee all judged by mee and I of no man yea although I Pope of Rome by my negligence or evill demanure bee found vnprofitable or hurtfull either to my selfe or others Yea if I should draw with mee innumerable soules by heaps to hell yet no mortall man be so hardie so bold so presumptuous to reproue mee 26. Or to say to mee Domine cur it a facis Sir why doe yee so 27. For although yee read that Balaam was rebuked of his Asse by the which Afse our subjects by Balaam wee Prelats are signified Yet that ought to bee no example to our subjects to rebuke vs. 28 And though wee read in the Scripture that Peter who receaved power of the Kingdome and being cheife of
they are not vpon the earth yet they are about the earth at least they be not in Heaven because oft times a question may arise vpō another the heads of mē now a days are curious a man hearing now that I can deliver out of Purgatorie will ask here a question whether I be so to empty all Purgatorie at once or not to whom my Canonist August de Ancho doth answere by a triple distinction Quantum ad absolutam meamjurisdictionem Quantum ad ordinatam executionem Quantum addivinam acceptionem First touching my absolute jurisdiction hee sayeth I am able to rid out all Purgatorie together for as many as bee vnder my jurisdiction as all be except onely infants vnbaptised in limbo and men departed onely cum Baptismo slaminis that is with the Baptisme of the spirit and such as haue no friends to doe for them that therefore pardons bee given these onely excepted for all other besids the Pope hee sayeth hath power to release all Purgatorie at once as touching his absolute jurisdiction Albeit Thomas Aquixas part 4 denyeth the same forsomuch as CHRIST himselfe hee sayeth when hee came downe did not onely vtterly at once release all Purgatorie As touching my ordinarie execution they hold that I may if I will but I ought not to doe it Thirdly as concerning the divyne acceptation that is how GOD would accept it if I did it that they say is vnknowne to them to everie creature yea and to the Pope himselfe And to the intent I would all men to see and vnderstand that I lack not witnesse besids these if I list to bring them out you shall heare the whole quyre of my divine Clergie brought out with a full voyoe testifying in my behalfe in their bookes tractations distinctions titles glosses and summaryes as by their owne words heere followeth The Pope say they being the viccar of IESVS CHRIST through out the whole world in the stead of the living GOD hath that dominion and lordship which CHRIST heere in earth would not haue although hee had it in habitu but gaue it to Peter in actu that is the vniversall jurisdiction both of spirituall things and also of temporall which double jurisdiction was signified by the two swords in the Ghospell And also by offering of the wise men who offered not onely incense but also gold to signifie not onely the spirituall dominion but also the temporall to belong to CHRIST and to his viccar For as wee read the earth is the LORDS and the fulnesse thereof and as CHRIST sayeth all power is given to him both in Heaven and earth So it is to be asfirmed inclusive That the viccar of CHRIST hath power on things coelestiall terrestiall and infernall which hee tooke immediatly of CHRIST All other take it immediatly by Peter and the Pope wherefore such as say that the Pope hath dominion onely in spirituall things in the world and not in temporall may bee likned to the councillers of the Kings of Syria 2. Reg. 20. Which said that the gods of the mountaines be their gods and therefore they haue overcome vs but let vs fight against them in the low meadows valleys where they haue no power and so wee shall prevaile over them so evill counsellers now a dayes through their pestiferous flatterie deceave Kings and Princes of the earth saying Popes and Prelats bee gods of mountaines that is of spirituall things onely but they bee not gods of valleyes that is they haue no dominion over temporall things and there fore let vs fight against them in the valleyes that is in the power of the temporall possessions and so we shall prevale over them But what sayeth the sentence of GOD vnto them let vs heare because saith hee the Sirians say that the God of mountaines is their god and no the god of valleyes therefore I will giue all this multitude into your hand and you shall know that I am the Lord what can bee more effectuall spoken to set foorth the Majestie of my jurisdiction which I receaved immediatly of the LORD of the LORD I say and no man For whereas Constantine the Emperour gaue to Silvester indowing him with this possession and patrimonie that is so to be exponed and taken not so much for a donation as to bee counted for a restitution made of that which tyranously was taken from him before And againe whereas I haue given at sundrie times to Lodovicus and other Emperours of my temporall lands and possessions yet that was done not so much for recognising of homage to thē as for keeping peace with them for I ow to Emperours no obediene that they can clame but they ow to mee as their superior And therefore for a deversitie betwixt their degree and mine in their consecration they take their vnction in their arme I on the head and as I am superior to them so am I superior to all lawes and free from all constitutions Which am able of my selfe and by my interpretation to preferre equitie being not writen before the law writen having all lawes within the chest of my breast as is aforesaid and whatsoever this my Sea shall enact approue or disproue all men ought to approue and reproue the same with out either judging disputing doubting or extracting Such is the priveledge given of CHRIST in the behalfe of Peter to the Church of Rome 186. That what kingdome soever countrie or province choosing to themselves bishops Ministers although they agree with all other Christsfaithfull people in the name of IESUS that is in faith charitie believing in the same GOD and in CHRIST his true Sonne and in the holie Ghost having also the same Creid The same Evangelists and Scriptures of the Apostles yet notwithstanding vnlesse that Bishops and Ministers take their origine and ordination from this Apostolicall state they are to bee counted not of the Church so that succession of faith only is not sufficient to make a Church exceptt he Ministers take their ordination by them which haue their succession from the Apostles so their faith supremacy and chayre of Peter keyes of Heaven power to binde and lowse all these bee inseparable to the Church of Rome So that it is to be presumed that GOD alwayes providing and S. Peter helping the Bishoprick and dyocy of Rome shall never fall from the faith and likewise is to bee presumed and presupposed that the Bishop of that Church is alwayes good and holy yea although hee bee not alwayes good or be destitute of his ownemerits yet the merits of S. Peter predecessor of that place bee sufficient for him who hath bequeathed and left a perpetuall dowrie of merits with inheritance of innocency to his posteritie 187. Yea though hee fall in homicide or adulterie hee may sinne but yet hee cannot bee accused but rather excused by the murtherers of Samson the shifts of the Hebrewes the adulterie of Iacob 188. And likewise if any of his Clergie should bee found