Legats of the other Easterne Patriarches of the Archbishops and Prelats euerie one in his order And hence may the Reader discerne what the Patriarch might judge of the pride of the Latine Bishop But what may we say of Baronius who in diuers places contesteth That the left hand in Councels was euer the more honourable As touching the matter it selfe for the concluding of the controuersies of the Latine and Greeke Churches is made an instrument of a vnion Laetentur coeli wherein they agree on both sides That the holie Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne That the Sacrament may be indifferently made of leauened or vnleauened bread That the soules of the faithfull that haue not yet satisfied for their sinnes goe to Purgatorie That the Pope of Rome is Head of the vniuersall Christian Church All which articles the Greeke Emperor causeth to be approued by the most part of his hoping he should haue assistance against the Turkes But Michael Bishop of Ephesus with some others doth euer withstand the same reiecting especially the two later Which is more when Ioseph Archbishop of Constantinople was dead Eugenius would haue them proceed before him to the chusing of another promising against his disposition to ordaine him without money yea to giue them some if need were and to depose him that did obtaine with him the place of Patriarch which he would not doe if they deferred his election till they came into their countrey The Greekes perceiuing whereto he tended namely that he might enter possession of the supreme power in the Church by that meanes and that with their consent answer him with one accord That their Patriarch cannot bee by their laws chosen any where else than at Constantinople That it is their custom he should be chosen and consecrated in his owne Church That the Emperour who was not ignorant of these ceremonies would not suffer it to bee otherwise Which the Pope vnderstanding Concisium Florent Sess vltim though much against his mind with gracious words he let them depart Now they were no sooner returned into their countrey but they were reiected of their Churches in this especially that they had admitted the supreme authoritie of the Pope of Rome whose pride being more neerely looked into they at last refute it in their writings published notwithstanding that he had endeuoured to bind vnto him some of the best learned as Isidore Bishop of Russia and Bessarion Bishop of Nicea to whom he had giuen a Cardinalls hat which he chose rather to weare in Italie than in Greece And from that time forth were by the Popes neglected the affaires of Greece and abandoned to the furie of Infidels But it is in no wise here to be omitted That during the time that Eugenius held his Councell partly at Ferrara and partly at Florence hee published diuers writings against that Decree of Basil That a Councell is aboue the Pope in which he did not sticke to affirme That so farre was it off that he ought to obey generall Councels that then he most merited when he contemned the Decrees of the Councell and which is more he declareth this proposition to be hereticall The Councell is aboue the Pope although both then and euer since it was held and affirmed by all the Vniuersities of Christendome Whence it came that whilest the Roman Church sayd she is superior to all other Churches and the Roman Bishop to all other bishops by this decree of Eugenius should the Bishop of Rome be made superiour or of higher authoritie than the Vniuersall Church and consequently that pretended infallibilitie of the Church shold be deriued not now to the Romish Church but to one onely man which is the highest degree of Antichrist in the Church according to that of S. Augustine in his booke of the citie of God August de Ciuitate Dei l. 18. cap. 2. That Antichrist should not onely sit in Templo Dei in the Temple of God but as Saint Paule hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Templum into the Temple as if he himselfe were the Temple it selfe he alone the Church In the meane time let the Reader judge of that Infallabilitie of the Church represented in a Councel by these Councels which at one same time and in one same matter doe decree things directly contrarie As touching the affaires of the Bohemians for which particularly the Empeperour Sigismund had so instantly requested the Councell the most part of the Churches terrified with the perfidious treacherie vsed towards Iohn Hus and Hierome of Prague refused to send any one thither but the principall of the Nobilitie ouer-ruled the matter that some should appeare for to render a reason of the innouation in religion imputed vnto them So soone as they came thither they were receiued verie curteously by Cardinall Iulian the Legat who was not yet called backe Then in the Councell he maketh an Oration wherein he bringing in the Church of Rome speaking to them in his words and attributing to it selfe alone all that is spoken in holie Scripture concerning the Church the Spouse of Christ and presupposing that which is chiefely in question flattereth himselfe in this perpetual Elenche Sheweth that in her power are the keyes of the kingdome of heauen That she is without spot or wrinkle That whosoeuer departed from her was an Heathen and a Publican That the decrees of Councels are her decrees which are no lesse to be beleeued than the Gospels seeing they giue authoritie to the Scriptures To this the Bohemians in few words That they despised neither the Church nor Councels that they had beene condemned at Constance without being heard Oratio Iulian. Cardinal Legati in Append. Concilij Basiliens notwithstanding that they affirmed nothing but by the holie Scriptures and then they propound their Articles And on both sides were chosen such as shold enter into conference The disputation lasted fiftie dayes and after many spent on this side and on that it was thought best to leaue Theologicall questions and prouide for the Common wealth and to send some thither who hauing made search how matters stood might compound with them Here was the policie To permit the Communiō vnder both kinds to such as in other things would submit themselues to the Councell and proceeded with all rigour to the rest that embraced not the same condition These were the auntient Waldenses and their Disciples who requested that the Church might be reformed in most of the Articles which are conteined in their and our confessions who for this cause suffered much both by the warres that Sigismund made vpon them and by the diuision and back-sliding of their companions Yet doe we see their Churches outliue so many miseries vntill these times consist and continue most flourishing and largely propagated As touching the Fathers of the Councell of Basill they seeme to be somewhat ashamed of that Decreee of Constance concerning the Communion vnder both kinds And whereas they of
Emperour and because according to the Canons and auncient customes there are present no embassadors or other from the Emperor to hinder such disorders Canonico ritu we therefore will and command That when a Bishop of Rome is to be chosen the election be made by the Bishops and Clergie in the presence of the Senat and people and that the Bishop thus elected be afterwards consecrated in the presence of the Emperours embassadors Which ordinance is a foot at this day hauing scaped Gregorie the thirteenth his censure in his late edition Baron vol. 9. an 616. art 101 and what matter then though Baronius as he saith doubteth of it Yet was this law transgressed in the next election which was but one yeare after of Paschal in the roome of this Stephen This Paschal being solemnely and fully consecrated sent away presents and letters of excuse vnto the Emperour Aimoni. li. 4. c. 105. post completam solemniter ordinationē telling him that the Papacie was layed vpon him against his will and after much resistance This excuse presupposeth a confession of an act done contrarie to the law yet shortly after he sent another embassadour to entreat the Emperour That what had beene heretofore accorded betweene the Popes and his predecessors might stand good meaning betweene Charlemaigne and Adrian and Leo which we haue seene before Hostien li. 1. c. 18. for of anie other accord can it not be vnderstood and so Leo Hostiensis expoundeth it all which was graunted Here the Historians of the Popes produce a certaine graunt pretended to haue been made by this Lewis which the more ample it is the more also is it to be suspected And this is the first Graunt which is suffered to come abroad as for those others of Charles and Pepin they only quote them but produce them not to our scanning especially that of Charlemaigne produced by Anastasius Anastas in Adriano of the same stile tenor with that Palea of the donation of Constantine though written so long after in so different an age which graunt of Lewis containeth as they say an absolute renunciation of all right in the election of Popes expressed in the Canon Adrianus recited all at length by Sigonius and Baronius and taken by them word for word out of the Decrete of Gratian which the more learned sort haue euer rejected as false and counterfeit and that for many reasons First for that many lands and lordships are passed in that grant which we find many yeres after comprised in that donation which Maud the Contesse made vnto the Church Secondly because that of manie of those lands there passed the successors of Lewis disposed as of their owne Thirdly because there are graunted manie Prouinces Islands Demaines Ports and Riuers vnto which the Emperour Lewis neuer did or could lay anie claime and which in the treatie betweene the Emperors were left for a partage properly belonging to the Emperor of the East Fourthly because Lewis giuing Italie afterwards to one of his sonnes for his portion had left him small meanes to support his estate if besides the part of the Grecian Emperour and the state of Venice all those lands comprised in that donation had beene taken out of it Fifthly because the Citie of Rome was long after gouerned by the officers of the Empire and the Popes Buls dated as Guicciardine recordeth Imperante domino nostro c. Sixtly because this renunciation is not found obserued in those Elections which ensued afterward which were as we shall hereafter see ordered and confirmed by the Emperours who tooke it in great redainder if anie thing happened to be attempted to the contrarie Seuenthly because the Authors of that time as Nitare Aimonius and other Annalists make no mention thereof no not Anastasius himselfe in the life of Paschal who for the good will he bare vnto the Popes would not haue omitted so high a point of their honour Eightly because the Popes neuer pretended anie such grant vntill long after and when the house of Charlemaigne was fallen to the ground Ninthly and which cutteth the throat of all because Otho the third Diploma Othonis 3. Emperour in that donation which is kept in the Muniment house of the Charters of the Church of Rome at the Cordeliers of Assisa hauing by way of Preface declared That he purposed to giue vnto S. Peter and to Syluester the second his master things of his owne giueth him in that Charter eight Counties Pesaro Fano Senigallia Ancona Fossombrone Calle Haesio and Occimo being the verie same which are contained in the donation of Lewis pretended to haue beene made so manie yeares before For had there beene anie such what needed anie new donation or with what face could Otho in that his Charter haue vsed these words following We not regarding those forged Mandats and imaginarie writings doe out of our owne bountie and liberalitie giue vnto S. Peter things of our owne and not as ours that which is his alreadie By which words it is apparent that he dasheth that donation of Lewis and all others whatsoeuer And Syluester the second accepted of this donation though he vnderstood his writings as Lawyer like as anie Pope that went before him But whether that donation of Lewis be true or false we cannot doubt of their ambitious encroaching vpon other mens estates seeing that Paschal pulled out the eyes and cut off the nose of Theodore Anastas in Valentin chiefe Secretarie to the Church of Rome and of Leo the Nomenclator his sonne in law for carrying themselues loyally towards Lotharius sonne to Lewis and associated in the Empire and as little doubt may we make of their pride seeing that Anastasius their Historian glorieth in this That Pope Valentine elected in the yeare 828 made all the Senat of Rome come kisse his foot And this was the first Pope that euer suffered this so to be done vnto him and God suffered not him to sit aboue fortie dayes Helmold in hist Sclauor l. 1. c. 4. But Helmoldus obserueth a huge encrease of the pride of the Church in the dayes of this Lewis where he saith That he made them who in the regard of their care of soules were Princes of Heauen by his largesse and liberalitie Princes of his kingdome OPPOSITION Lewis for all his kind nature yet suffered not the Popes to do what pleased them and there wanted not those who spake broadly ynough of the encroachments and vsurpations of the Popes The Emperour himselfe tooke Paschal in hand and sent Adalong Abbot of S. Vast and Humfrey Countie of Coire to enquire vpon the murder committed as was said either by his commaundement or not without his priuitie and aduise Paschal thought to preuent him by his embassadors whom he sent to request him not to giue credence to any such report But when Adalong and Humfrey continuing on their journey were come to Rome they found that the Pope had purged himselfe by oath
himselfe as well as to the Pope of Rome And that Saint Peters priuiledge taketh place onely where men iudge according to the equitie of Saint Peter and is of force wheresoeuer that equitie is vsed no more at Rome than at Reimes no lesse at Reimes than at Rome in euerie place alike according as the Bishops doe or doe not their duetie So likewise when this Leo presuming vpon the pretended Apostleship of Boniface encroached vpon the Churches of Germanie more than reason was he should Luithpert Archbishop of Mence writing to Lewis king of Germanie Luithpertus Episc Moguntinens spareth him not The cause saith he will not suffer me to keepe silence for I were inexcusable before God and your Highnesse if seeing with my eyes the imminent danger of the Church I should dissemble my knowledge as an hired seruant and no longer a true Pastor of my sheepe The Primacie therefore and the dignitie thereof now shaketh and is growne infamous in the verie chaire of Saint Peter for after a secret and vnheard kind of persecution she is wronged not by those who know not God but by such as ought to be conductors and leaders of the people of God which make more account of earthlie trash than they doe of heauenlie treasure And this ache of the head if speedie remedie bee not applied In Capite will quickly distill vpon the members c. You know the danger wherein the people of God standeth euerie man seeth it and the verie elements tremble at it to see how the gouernours and conductors thereof whose duetie is to seeke to saue the weake forsake themselues the way of saluation and run headlong to their downfall drawing those which follow them into the like pit of perdition Wherefore I exhort your wisedome which loueth veritie and iustice that according to the knowledge giuen you by God you would aduise with such as know the Law and are louers of equitie and iustice how peace and vnitie may be restored to the Church c. For the whole bodie of the Church is not hurt though the Head being wounded all the members are weakened thereby Wherefore the sound parts must helpe the sick at least if they will take the medicine if not then cut them off according to the precept of that true Physitian least all the bodie perish with them Wherefore I thinke it necessarie that Charles your brother and a religious Prince should be requested by your letters and embassadour to come to a conference with you concerning this matter as soone as may be to the end that he and the Bishops of his kingdome who are yet cleane from those pollutions may ioyne with you and your Bishops and all together take vpon you this common care to reforme by the assistance of God the peace and concord of the Catholike and Apostolike Church This Luitpert was a man much esteemed for his integritie wisedome and sanctitie of life and conuersation and for this cause of so great authoritie in the world that the two kings of Germanie and France made him arbitrator betweene them in differences of their kingdomes And yet saw he euen then corruption so farre growne in that pretended Head that hee could hope for redresse and remedie from none but from these two great Princes For that hee meant the Pope no man can doubt who knoweth the Historie of the times and the contentions which they had at that time with Germanie and France Neither may we here forget before we passe any farther that we haue a certaine Canon of this Leo his making Leo. 4. ad Epist Britan. by which he taketh away all authoritie from all Decretall Epistles of Popes vntill the times of Syluester and Syricius and so blotteth out with one dash of a pen all those which are attributed to them D. 2. ca. de Libellis during the three or foure first ages which yet our aduersaries at this day vse as good authoritie against vs. And the Roman Code seemeth to point hereat seeing that it neuer vseth any before that time Here now are we to obserue shall I say a Proceeding or rather a headlong stumble of this Mysterie of Rome that prodigious accident and monster of this time A stumble indeed and a fall withall it should haue beene if either the Church of Rome had had any forehead or the people eyes I meane that which fell out in the yeare 854 after the death of Leo the fourth An. 854. which yet I had rather set downe in Platina his words Plat. in Iohan. 8. as we find them in his Historie which he dedicated to Pope Sixtus the fourth A woman or rather a wench sitting in the See of Rome saying Masse creating Bishops offering her foot to bee kissed by Princes and people As if God purposed to expose to the view of the world in this liuing picture that mother of fornications foretold in the Apocalyps Iohannes Anglicus therefore saith Platina borne at Mence aspired to the Papacie as it is said by euill practises For being a Female and dissembling her sex she went with her paramour a learned man to Athens and there grew so expert in the liberall Sciences that comming afterward to Rome she found there few equall none superiour to her selfe And what by lecturing what with disputing both wittily and learnedly withall grew so farre in grace and fauour with all men that vpon the death of Leo as saith Martinus by a generall consent she was chosen Pope in his roome But not long after being great with child by her seruant hauing for a while hid her great bellie in the end going to Latran betweene the Theatre which they call the Colosse of Nero and S. Clements falling into her throwes she was there deliuered and died in the place hauing sat Pope two yeres one month and foure daies and was buried without honor Some write that vpon this occasion the Pope when he goeth to Latran shunneth this street of purpose and that to preuent the like inconuenience in time to come when the Pope first sitteth in S. Peters Chaire wherein is a hole made for this purpose the punie Deacon is to handle his priuities I will not denie the first to be true for the second I suppose that the Chaire is so pierced to the end that he which shall be set in so high a place may know that he is a man and no God and subiect to like necessities of nature as other men are and therefore it is called Sedes Stercoraria we in English may call it by a more cleanelie name a close-stoole But Platina for feare no doubt of the hole or dungeon where he had long lyen in the time of Paule the second after all this addeth that which followeth That saith he which I haue said is a common bruit the authors thereof vncertaine and of no great name which yet I thought good briefely and nakedly to set downe that I might not seeme wilfully to omit a
the old fashion that he shall be deposed for a whole yeare if the Prince be cause of his so liuing that he be excommunicated for two yeares And the 17 Canon forbiddeth Princes and Emperours to be present at Synods vnlesse it be at generall Councels And the 22 disableth them and all Laies whomsoeuer to be present at the election or promotion of anie Patriarch Metropolitan or Bishop vnder paine of excommunication whereby no doubt the Popes Legats thought they had shut the Emperours of the West cleane out of their Conclaues vsing one Emperour as a rod alwaies to scourge the other As for the point of Appeales to Rome they could not effect it for the 26 Canon is plaine That who so findeth himselfe aggrieued with his Bishop shall appeale to his Metropolitan and from the Metropolitan to the Patriarch à quo litibus finis imponatur who shall make a full end of the controuersie and therefore meant not to run to Rome as Nicholas would haue had them And it was euen at the instant when the Articles were offered them to subscribe that they made their protestation against them In this Synod there appeared yet another notable ambition of the Popes for the Bulgarians being formerly Painims receiued Christianitie in the time of Nicholas who sent them Bishops for their instruction Michael their Prince sent his embassadors to the Synod who comming before them That we may not say they seeme to erre in our owne opinions we desire to be informed by you which supplie the places of the Great Patriarches to what Church we are to belong The Popes Legats replied presently That they ought to belong to the Roman Church The Bulgarians requested That the matter might be resolued and agreed vpon with the Legats of other Patriarches there present The Romanists replied That there was no more to be done with them and therefore without euer putting it to the Synod pronounced absolutely That they must belong to Rome The Easterne Bishops put this question to the Bulgarians When you first tooke the countrey said they from whom tooke ye it and the Priests which you found there were they Greekes or Latines They answered That they tooke the countrey from the Grecians and that they found there none but Greeke Bishops Whereuppn the Easterne Bishops inferred That they were doubtlesse ordained at Constantinople and so consequently should belong to that Church Thereupon the Legats replied That Churches were not bounded by the diuersitie of tongues That kingdomes and Sees differed in their jurisdictions That they had the presumption on their side who had giuen them their first Bishops That all Epirus Thassalie and Dardania had bin euer belonging to their jurisdiction The Easterne Bishops on the contrarie demaunded vpon which of these they would principally stand In the end the violence and pride of the Roman Legats ouerswayed who told the Synod That the Church of Rome held not that Councel for a competent Iudge of her controuersies who was her selfe by speciall prerogatiue to iudge of all other Churches That decree they what them lusted it should be as little regarded as it was lightly enacted That from this present time they by the authoritie of the holie Ghost pronounced a nullitie in whatsoeuer they should decree vntill the See of Rome had determined thereof And so the holie Ghost who was to Preside in the Councell Resided onely in their persons And they farther adiured the Patriarch Ignatius by the authoritie of the Apostles and of Adrian who had restored him to his See not to suffer Bulgaria to be taken from them Who made them a doubtfull answer telling them That he was neither so young as to be lightly deceiued neither yet so verie a dotard as to do that himselfe which he found fault withall in others And there rested this contestation betweene them being questionlesse a great scandall to the consciences of these poore conuerts who saw at first that these men sought not the enlargement of Christs kingdome but of their owne jurisdiction and iniurious to the Emperour who offended with these proceedings though dissembling it tooke no order for their passe and safe-conduct into their countrey So that hauing been certaine dayes at sea they fell into the hands of the Sclauons who stript them of all that euer they had took away the original of the Councell with the subscriptions of the Bishops and left them nothing but the copie of Athanasius and had peraduenture lost their liues but that some of their companie escaping the Sclauons feared the matter might come to light and they one day receiue the like measure The issue of all was That doe Adrian what he could the Bulgarians put out the Latine Priests and sent for others in their roomes to Constantinople and so remained they in obedience to that Church Whereupon they grew so odious to the Popes that they called that sinne condemned from heauen after their name Bulgarie thereby to make them odious and abhominable to all men And this was the end of Adrians enterprises in the East 33. PROGRESSION Of the attempts of Pope Adrian both vpon the Clergie and also vpon the kings of France LEt vs now see whether he sped any better in the West Hincmar Bishop of Laon nephew vnto Hincmar Archbishop of Reimes the most learned Bishop of France had surrendred certaine Church goods into the hands of Charles the Bauld to bestow them vpon a certaine Norman captaine Aimon li. 5. c. 24 from whom he would needs shortly after take them away againe and because the Norman would not resigne them but into the hands of the king from whom he had them therefore Hincmar excommunicated him for which in a Synod held at Vernons he was reproued and sharpely censured he thereupon appealed to Rome but they refused to grant him any letters dimissorie yet he continued still in his stubbornnesse vntill at length there was assembled another Councel at Attigni consisting often Prouinces where he was againe condemned and thereupon promised to submit himselfe to the good pleasure of the king and of Hincmar his Metropolitan and vncle and yet vnder hand signified the matter vnto the Pope procuring him to euocate the whole cause to Rome and himselfe to be serued with Processe to appeare there at a day making the best of his owne cause to Adrian Whereupon Adrian wrot vnto king Charles who yet would not license the other to goe to Rome and then did Adrian write him that bloudie letter calling him Tyran periured perfidious and a spoyler of the Church goods and what not And for conclusion as well to him as to Hincmar the Metropolitan We saith he by authoritie Apostolike will and commaund That thou cause Hincmar of Laon and his accusers to come before our Clemencie to the end that we may pronounce our sentence of his cause And wee shall see anone how well he was obeyed But not long after he made a farre more violent attempt vpon him The Emperour Lewis hauing as
worshippers of false gods were woont to doe he vsurpeth both the Empire and the Popedome c. He resisteth the diuine maiestie and the most Christian King ordained from aboue and inaugurated by God himselfe he impugneth And cunningly and craftily and closely he goeth about in a sheepes skin and vnder the title of Christ to get into his hands the Empire of the whole world For these causes the Emperour the Bishops the Senat the people pronounce him deposed being vnwilling to commit the flocke of Christ to the gard and custodie of such a wolfe And so both those pretended heresies of Simonie and Nicholaisme with one consent they ouerthrew and this verie Decree not onely the Bishops of Germanie and France but of Italie it selfe in a Synod holden at Pauia did vnder their Seales and by oath confirme They writ likewise by the authoritie of the Synod of Wormes to Hildebrand that he should giue ouer the Popedome and betake himselfe to a priuat life and also to the Clergie and people of Rome that according to the Law of their auncestors they should chuse another but yet so as that they should lay no violent hands vpon the person of Hildebrand but leaue him to the iustice of God Amongst all these Bishops there was not any that contradicted the decree but Albert of Wirthsbourg and Herman of Metz who likewise were soone persuaded by the admonitions and reasons of William of Vtrecht to be of the same opinion and to subscribe with the rest Gregorie so soone as hee vnderstood hereof is nothing at all discouraged but borrowing a great summe of money of Mathilda distributeth it amongst the people with the poore mens money payed his souldiers wages flattereth the people of Rome setting before their eyes their auncient renowme and giues them hope of libertie and so calls a Councell at Rome where in a full assemblie in the name of the Synod of Wormes one Rowland a Prelat of Parma vpon the suddaine stands vp and without any duetie done vnto him speakes vnto him in these words Our most Christian Emperour and the reuerend Bishops of Italie Germanie and Fraunce commaund thee to resigne that charge which thou hast vsurped by subtilty money and fauour For it is not lawfull for thee against their willes and the authoritie of the Emperour and decree of the Church of Christ to meddle with the Sheepefold of Christ And presently turning himselfe towards the assemblie Most holie brethren saith he chuse according to your owne Law a Pastor which choice of yours the sacred Consull Tribune and your Prince according to the maner of your auncestors will authorise For this Hildebrand is neither Pastor nor Father nor Pope but a theefe a wolfe a robber and a tyran Whereupon they rushed vpon him and he wanted not much of being ouerborne by the people In the Letters which he deliuered there were these words Because thine entrie began with so many periuries and the Church of God by the abuse of thy nouelties hath beene endaungered in this so great a tempest and hast dishonoured thy whole life by thy infamous conuersation as we haue promised vnto thee no obedience so will we neuer performe any to thee Gregorie therefore returning the fault vpon themselues the day following depriued Henrie as much as in him lay of the kingdome of Germanie and Italie discharged the Princes of their oath of allegiance excommunicateth Sigefrid Archbishop of Mence and the Bishops of Vtrecht and Bamberge threatning to proceed in like maner against the rest if they came not to Rome to purge themselues In which decree let the Reader note the cunning he speakes to Peter as to his reuenger Heare me saith he O Peter Prince of the Apostles thou and thy brother S. Paule can best witnesse for me besides others that I was drawne against my will to the gouernement of thy holie Church and therefore I persuade my selfe that it pleaseth thee that I should rule the people of Christ committed by God especially to thy charge c. Being therefore confident herein for the honour of thy Church in the name of the omnipotent God the Father sonne and holie Ghost and by right of thy authoritie I interdict Henrie the King the sonne of Henrie the Emperour who by a straunge pride the like whereof was neuer heard of hath risen against the Church all the Kingdome of Germanie and Italie c. To the end all people may see and vnderstand that thou art Peter super tuam Petram and vpon thy rocke the sonne of God hath built his Church c. These selfesame words hath Sigonius and not vpon this rocke And some denying that the King could be subiect to the Popes curse or excommunications Thinke you saith he that God when thrise together he committed the charge of his Church to S. Peter saying feed my sheepe that he excepted Kings And so what he would he obtayned Thus Hildebrand being by the Bishops of Italie Germanie and Fraunce deposed in a Councell at Wormes and Henrie excommunicated and depriued his kingdome by Hildebrand and the Clergie at Rome they both endeuour to strengthen their owne part But forasmuch as such Kingdomes as are long time gouerned vnder a minoritie are seldome or neuer without factions there arose presently against Henrie many Princes of Germanie to whom Hildebrand alledged that Pope Zacharie had deposed Childerick king of Fraunce onely for his negligence and placed Pepin in his Throne Why then should it not be lawfull for him to do the like against whomsoeuer should rebel against S. Peter And they on the other side vnder his patronage are content to comfort and to flatter their consciences with these toyes Of this number was Hugh Duke of Alsatia who was growne far in debt Rodulphus Duke of Sueuia the Emperors brother in law fed with the hope of the Empire Bertholdus Duke of Zaringia his sonne in law Welfo Duke of Bauaria the Bishops of Mence Mets and Wormes and certaine Abbots eyther stroken with a feare of the excommunication or for some speciall causes bound to these Princes who with one consent reuolt from the Emperour ioyne their counsels and forces to the Saxon rebels and fill all Germanie with robberie sword and fire Insomuch that the Historiographers of those times want words to expresse the horror and abomination of that disordered confusion which by all good men was imputed to Gregorie who crie out against this vnworthie and wicked act in their sermons curse Gregorie wish all ill to Hildebrand publish him to be Antechrist vnder a shew of pietie say they he exerciseth his furies with honest words he makes shew of seeking the publike good vnder the title of Christ he playes the part of Antechrist in Babylon he sits in the Temple of God and extolleth himselfe aboue all that is worshipped as if he were God he glorieth that he cannot erre and for the greater increase of his glorie he takes vpon him to make an Emperor at his pleasure
he absolues men not of their sinnes but the Law of Christ Iesus and his Sacraments he weakneth the peace and pietie of our Religion stirres vp warres and seditions He giues himselfe to whoredome murder periurie treacheries rapines burnings And the better to hide his ambition he doth not onely find out new fables corrupt the Annales alter the Histories but he likewise adulterateth the heauenlie Oracles giues false interpretations of the Scriptures making them to serue his turne he teares in pieces the sacred Historie and amongst women discourseth of holie writ whatsoeuer he saith he will haue it to be thought the Law of God he seekes testimonies that are too weake to defend his auarice and wrests the Scriptures to his owne will against the true sence He sauours too much of the pride of the Pharisies in that he makes men beleeue that he bindes and loosseth as he pleaseth whereas with God it is not the sentence of the Priest but the life of the man that is required Moreouer Hildebrand oppugneth the Diuine maiestie resisteth the most Christian Prince ordayned from aboue and inaugurated by God himselfe To this end tend all his endeauours that the captaine of the flocke being oppressed and brought into order he might the more freely exercise his tyrannie against the poore sheepe destitute of the Emperours protection If all power be of God much more the imperiall and greatest of all other Christ Iesus when the people would haue crowned him and made him gouernour refused it and those two that were at variance for the inheritance and would haue chosen him for their Iudge he sent to Caesar to whom the Empire of the whole world was committed So likewise he commaunded the chiefe Priests of the Iewes to giue vnto Caesar those things that did belong vnto Caesar to whom they payed their customes their tribute their subsidies S. Peter teacheth vs the same Feare God honour the King The precept of Saint Paul is To keepe faith to the King c. To this man and such as are like him belongs that saying of our Sauiour to Saint Peter Goe behind me Satan thou art an offence vnto me And againe He that striketh with the sword shall perish with the sword Here let euerie man imagine what opinion all Christendome had of this pretended Apostle They in the meane time in Germanie that tooke part with Gregorie gaue him to vnderstand That these his violent proceedings had got him many enemies wherupon hiding the crueltie of his mind he writ a more moderat Epistle to those that tooke part with the Emperour the summe whereof was That if he would become a new man he should find that what he had hitherto done he had done for his good and that all former matters being vtterly forgotten which he ernestly protested he would receiue him into the Church Henrie therefore being now brought into great danger of the losse of his kingdome to the end he might take away the cause of all these euils accepteth of the condition and is content to vndergoe any manner of submission so he may pacifie the anger of Gregorie and reconcile himselfe vnto him Departing therefore from Spire with a small traine came to Bezanson passed the Alpes so came downe into Lombardie And notwithstanding all the Bishops and Prelats that tooke part with him vpon just suspition did giue him warning of that he did in the meane time neuerthelesse seeking their owne grace with the Pope yet he proceedeth in his purpose to appease the wrath of Gregorie and came neere to Canuse where the Pope was with the Countesse Mathilda who as the Authors of those times affirme did seldome part from his side There he earnestly intreateth Mathilda Azo Marquesse of Este and the Abbot of Clugni and some others whom he knew to be in the grace and fauor of Gregorie to be intercessors for him That first he might be absolued and receiued into the Church and so into the grace of Gregorie To which their earnest supplications Gregorie at the last answereth If he repent from the bottome of his heart let him deliuer vnto me in token thereof his Crowne and other ensignes of his kingdome and confesse himselfe after this his great contumacie vnworthie the name and honour of a King To which they replying that it was too heauie a sentence Let him come then saith he and purge that sinne which he hath committed against the Apostolike See by obeying the Decrees thereof And hauing obtained thus much at his hands they thought they had brought the matter to a good passe This wretched man Henrie therefore came as he was commaunded neere vnto him and being receiued within the second wall for the citie had three all his companie left without and disrobing himselfe of his princely attire bare footed in the coldest time of Winter and fasting vntill the euening he expected his answer of Gregorie William of Malmesburie addes That he came barefooted with a paire of sizzers and a scourge in his hands to signifie that he was there readie to be polled and whipped There he gaue him leaue to attend his answer within that second wall vntill the euening but had it not He came againe the second and third day and he handles him in the same manner At the last the fourth time partly moued with his constancie partly fearing he should be blamed by euerie man for his rigor he admits him to his presence The resolution was this that Henrie at a day and place appointed by Gregorie should appeare in a common assemblie of the German Princes and there answering to such crimes as should be obiected by the Pope should stand to his judgement In the meane time he should lay aside all the ornaments belonging to his princelie dignitie nor intermeddle with matteers of State hee should remoue from him the Bishop of Bamberge Vlrick of Cosheim and the rest whose counsell he had formerly followed and absolue all those that had sworne faith and allegeance vnto him all which when hee had solemnly bound himselfe by oath to performe he receiued him into the Church Neither did Henrie all this while thinke but that he had made a good market But he had no sooner trampled this Prince vnder his feet but according to the proportion of his humilitie his pride increased and the more submisse the Emperour became the more perfidious was he He dispatched therefore to his associats in Germanie especially the Saxons Bernard a Cardinall of Rome and the Abbot of Marselles to let them to vnderstand That he would not haue them to rest themselues vpon that which he had concluded with Henrie For though he were reconciled to the court of heauen yet not to his kingdome His confederats therefore joyning with his Legats An. 1077. assembled themselues at Forchame in March 1077 and by a generall consent chose Rodolph Duke of Sueuia and Burgondie and brother in law to Henrie King vpon condition That he should renounce all right to the creation
of this inuestiture hee had made himselfe the doore Epist Paschalis ad Henric. Regem Anglorum data Beneuenti That they who entred not by him forsooke God who is the true doore and were theeues and robbers applying that vnto himselfe which our Sauiour spake of himselfe and was to be communicated to no other putting himselfe thereby into his place This saith he is to handle the Church as a handmaid not as a spouse This repugneth the Canons of the Apostles and the Synod of Antioch And yet was there euer word spoken hereof By which allegations neuerthelesse he abused the ignorant and simple people 45. PROGRESSION Of the strange pride of Calixtus the second and of his barbarous crueltie towards Gregorie the eighth Of the degrading of maried Priests and of that which happened to Cardinall Iohn of Creme the Popes Legat comming into England to put downe the mariage of Priests IOhn of Gaieta succeeded Paschal called Galasius the second being created without the knowledge of Henrie who remained at Pauia but vnderstanding hereof went directly to Rome wherewith Galasius being amazed fled by sea to Tarrachina and there caused himselfe to be consecrated by the Bishops of his owne faction at the same time that Henrie caused Mauritius Burdinus to be consecrated at Rome who crowned him the second time and was called Gregorie the eighth Whereupon Galasius excommunicated them both being vpheld and defended by the Princes of Apulia He restored to Gualterus Archbishop of Rauenna the jurisdiction ouer the Bishops of Aemilia whom his predecessors had taken away that he might draw him away from the Emperour And yet neuerthelesse finding no safetie in Rome by reason of the Frangepanes was resolued to leaue there the Bishop of Port An. 1119. and to goe into France where in the yeare 1119 he held a Councell at Vienna but died soone after at Clugni in whose place the Cardinals that were there present with the helpe of the Clerkes and Laitie of Rome chose Guido Bishop of Vienna the brother of Stephen Duke of Burgondie vncle to Baldwin Earle of Flanders and a neere kinsman of Henries who was called Calixtus the second but it is to be doubted whether their great affinitie could support him in the Popedome D. 12. c. Non Decet which otherwise would be verie feeble and subiect to ruine But let the Reader note touching their pretended succession what this election might be without Rome in a monasterie made by the followers and traine of a Pope newly dead and a few others although the Romans afterward gaue their consent thereunto Hauing saith Auentine Auent l. 6. corrupted the Romans with money he bestowed vpon them which he had borrowed and begged of his friends In the meane time Cunon Bishop of Prenest the Legat of Galasius continued his practises in Germanie withdrawing vnder the shadow of excommunication the Princes from the seruice of Henrie and to this end holding diuers Councels at Cologne Fritzlare and elsewhere alwayes vnder a pretence to reconcile the kingdome with the Priesthood that is to say to draw to the Popedome the authoritie of the Empire So that in the end in a Councell at Wormes in the yeare 1122 An. 1122. the Emperour wearied with so many molestations and seeing no other end but the ruine of the State granted to Calixtus whatsoeuer he would The forme of whose agreement written by Vrsperge is as followeth I Henrie Abbas Vispergensâ—in Chron. Krantz Saxon. l. 6. c. 41.42.43 Sigon de regno Italiae l. 10. by the grace of God Emperour Augustus of the Romans for the loue of God and the holie Church of Rome and our Lord Pope Calixtus and for the soueraigne good of my soule I leaue to God and to his holie Apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paule and to the holie Catholike Church all inuestiture by the ring and the staffe and I grant election and consecration to be made in all Churches See here for what Gospell these Popes did striue Calixtus in like sort I Calixtus c. grant that the election of the Bishops and Abbots of the kingdome of Germanie be done in thy presence without simonie and violence c. but let him that is chosen receiue his inuestiture of thee by the Scepter except in all thinges which are knowne to belong to the Church of Rome and doe all things which by right belongs vnto thee But in token of this insolence the Legats of Calixtus would that these letters should be published with a lowd voice in the open fields neere the Rhene where were assembled people from all parts But Calixtus when they were brought to him caused them to be hanged in the church of Lateran to the end that all men might behold them But Otho of Frisingens saith Otho Frising l. 7. c. 16. That the Romans boasted that this agreement was but onely for Henrie and not for his successors by which couenant saith he the Church vnder Calixtus the second in magnum montem creuisse encreased to a great height Whereupon this was written of him at Rome Ecce Calixtus honor patriae decus Imperiale Burdinum nequam damnat pacemque reformat Behold Calixt our countries honour worth Imperiall That wicked Burdine punisheth and peace reformes with all Neither did his affaires lesse succeed at Rome for Gregorie the Antipope vnder the fauour of certaine Earles was maintained at Sutri But Calixtus returning out of France to win his fauour they deliuered him into his hands And here the notable insolencie of Calixtus is recited by the Abbot Suggerus Abbas Suggerus in vita Ludouici Crassi in the life of Lewis the Grosse They put saith he this Antipope or rather Antichrist ouerthwart the backe of an ill fauoured Camell clothed with raw and bloudie Goats skinnes and the better to reuenge the ignominie of the Church of God they carried him through the middest of the citie Calixtus condemning him to perpetuall prison in the mountaines of Campania and to preserue the memorie of so great a reuenge they painted him in the chamber of the Palace troden vnder the feet of Calixtus This Gregory neuerthelesse held the See of Rome three yeares D. 12. c. 1. but no fault was imputed to them when Calixtus was not ashamed to write to all the Bishops It is not lawfull in the least point to wander from the rules of the Apostolike church that is the Roman for as the sonne of God came to doe the will of his father so fulfill you the will of your mother whose head is the Church of Rome The Reader may note in this comparison not so much the absurditie as the blasphemie when neuerthelesse this Canon did still continue reformed in a Decree by Gregorie the thirteenth and strengthened by a lye For whereas the old Decree said simply Calixtus Papa omnibus Episcopis that he might make this Gregorian Canon more auncient by a thousand yeares saith Calixtus Papa primus and addeth in the first Epistle
and the other of Lombardie that the one with his power might euer be readie to suppresse the Germans beyond the Alpes and the other to ouer awe the French within the kingdome of Naples but against these principally he stirred vp Peter king of Arragon whom he persuaded that enioying his fauour and assistance he would set afoot againe his title that grew from his mariage with Constantia Manfreds daughter although formerly both by verie many Buls of his predecessors as also by the Decree of two Councels at Lyons all Fredericks posterity was excluded And doubtlesse some two yeres after this Peter by him incited plotted the Sicilian Vespers or Euensong so by writers tearmed on an Easter Monday euery one killing his lodger and guest And so by this meanes Peter was reduced into his kingdome by the inhabitants Here we must note that after he had taken from Charles the Vicariate of Tuscan and the dignitie Senatoriall by some priuie intelligencers of his he diued into his mind to see whether he now ought any rancor or reuenge against him who affirming That they found him no other wayes affected to the Church than before Yea yea saith he measuring the Princes nature and disposition by his owne his fidelitie he hath from the House and race of France his pregnancie of wit from the kingdome of Spaine but the grauitie and weight of his words from his often frequenting the Court Wel we may tollerat others but this man is no wayes to be endured Furthermore this good Nicholas was author of that famous Decretall which is extant in the chapter Fundamenta de electione electi potestate in sexto Ca. Fundamēta de electione electi potestate whose words run thus Peter saith he God called into the societie of the indiuiduall Trinitie to be called as he was the Lord saying Thou art Peter c. that from him as from a certaine head hee might deriue and powre forth all his gifts throughout the bodie meaning the Church That the worser men they be and the wickeder actions they enter into Ca. Fundamenta de electione electi potestate An. 1282. so much the more they might continually and impudently arrogat and assume to themselues Nicholas dying in the yeare 1282 Simon of Tours succeeded him who was called Martine the fourth the French Gardinals preuayling in number and he was consecrated at Oruetto He prosecuted the same designe which his predecessours begun of getting all Italie into his hands but by contrarie meanes for he restored the Senatorian dignitie to Charles and in fauour of him excommunicated Peter of Aragon publishing the Croisado against him and all his abettors as if the spirit that gouerned them had been quite contrarie in himselfe Iohannes Nouio dunensis in illustrationibus Beatae concurring onely with his predecessour in this that he retayned his concubine and because she brought forth to him a beare to auoid the like inconuenience he caused all the armes of the Vrsin within the Court to be rased out least by continuall beholding the same she might againe conceiue such a forme Historiographers here report that Peter of Aragon being mightily pressed by Charles his forces who intended a reuenge of the Sicilian butcherie he tooke occasion out of this mans letters to turn the warre into a duell and therefore he offered to decide the quarrell of the kingdome in a battell of a thousand to a thousand an hundred to an hundred or in single fight Charles chearefully embraced the condition of single combat a day was constituted and the field appointed at Burdeaux in Aquitane and the king of England as a kinsman to them both was to be judge of the field Blondus decad 2. l. 8. Collenu l. 4. They relate also that Martine though this seemed verie absurd consented thereunto and sent thither Gerard Cardinall of Parma to obserue both the progresse and euent of this matter Charles appeared attending there the greatest part of the day which the judge of the field did testifie but Peter of Aragon fayling of his presence he departed and left the field the Pope for this cause excommunicating Peter and denouncing him vnworthie and incapable of the kingdome of Naples as also he deposed him from the kingdome of Catalogna which then was conferred vpon Charles second sonne to Philip king of Fraunce Not long after he turned likewise the Croisado against him and in the assistance and fauor of Charles he promised plenarie remission of sins to all those that would assume this conscription military vpon them Genle Reader doe but obserue what manner of Christs Vicar this is who permitted two such mightie Princes to entertaine a duell make you any doubt but Christ did abjure him All the Sicilians beeing likewise included in the same excommunication Peters affaires obtaining hard successe in most submissiue manner they had recourse to Martine and so prostrat on the earth they were enjoyned to crie out aloud far off from him Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi dona nobis pacem Lambe of God that takest away the sinnes of the world graunt vs thy peace which blalphemie he no wayes refused to but backe neither did these miserable soules discerne that while he shewed the hornes of the Lambe a Dragon spake out of his mouth Nicholas de Biberach Pul. Aemilius in Histor Francorum in Philip. tertio a Diuine of Erford complains of this selfesame Pope that in his young yeres at Rome he would prostitute himselfe in the detestable office of a Ganymed these are his words that he mortally hated Germanie that he often wisht it were turned into a standing mere whereupon also he framed vnto him this Epitaph Hic iacet ante chorum submersor Teutonicorum Pastor Martinus extra qui totus ouinus Nicholaus de Biberachin l. qui in scribitur occultius Et lupus introrsus cui nulla redemptio prorsus Sed sit ad inferna detrusus ab arce superna Before the Quire a restlesse enemie To German name Pope Martin here doth lye Without a sheepe within a rauening wolfe From heauen thrust downe into th' infernall gulph And hereupon many instile him Teutenicorum inimicum the Germans enemie but especially the Author of the historie of the South There succeeded him about two yeres after Iacobus Sauellus a Roman who was called Honorius the fourth who proceeded in the reduction of Romania vnder the obedience of his See and at last obtained his desire partly by subjugating in a warre Guido of Montefeltro head of the Gibelline faction that principally withstood it and partly vrging him to come to an accord who was faine to retire himselfe into the countie of Ast and so vpon this condition was receiued into grace and fauour But that which principally then set the Popes agog in Italie was Rodulphes either too great simplicitie or too great wisedome from the one side he fearing the powerfull oppositions which the Popes had raised against his
scantly satisfie their ambitious thirst to which the Legats and Mendicants were like cloukes and talons to gripe and fasten on their prey For first Princes feared their censures not so much out of religion as that they feared least their people would be abused by these stratagems or that ambitious neighbours vnder this pretext might make some vse of them for their owne auarice and greedinesse And yet there wanted not those that opposed and withstood them euen as aboue all others our king S. Lewis who shined in an example herein beyond all the rest in that his pragmaticall sanction which discreetly runnes in this manner Bochellus l. 4. Decret Gallican p. 647. We will and commaund that the pestiferous crime of simonie which defaceth and ruinates the Church be vtterly banished and extirpated out of our kingdome As also we will in no wise permit any such exactions and grieuous pecuniarie impositions laid or to be leuied vpon our Church by the Court of Rome whereby our kingdome is miserably impouerished or that hereafter shall be imposed and layd to be leuied or collected except vpon a reasonable pious and verie vrgent occasion or ineuitable necessitie and that by our owne voluntarie expresse consent as also by that of the Church of our whole kingdome He likewise reformed the location of benefices called Prouisiones according to the auncient Canons of the Church expresly forbidding the transporting of any money to Rome Matth. Paris in Henrico 3. for the confirmation of Prelats either electiue or presentatiue But the Clergie of England were yet somewhat more bold for seeing the Legats neuer came thither but to pill and poll the kingdome and the Clergie they humbly intreated the king That according to the auncient lawes and priuiledges of England no Legat might be suffered to crosse the seas without expresse leaue and permission first demaunded They likewise instantly required That the like Decree might be enacted about the Mendicants Predicants and Minorites especially those who are vulgarly called Legatos sophisticos sophistical Legats and no doubt they had obtained this suit but that they light on a king who was ready to joyne hands with the Pope that so by a common accord they might both glib and euen flea the people Rustand the Popes Legat vrging a most tyrannicall and cruell exaction whereto the king gaue his consent steeming out of the sulphurie fountaine Oh miserable of the Roman Church Fulco Bishop of London in a verie solemne assembly said Before I will agree to such a seruitude iniurie to the Church I will by intollerable oppression yeeld first my head to be cut off Then followed the Bishop of Worcester who spake in a lowd voyce Before holie Church shall be subiect to such corrodiation and vtter subuersion I will be hanged on a gibbet Rustand replied All Churches were vnder the Pope when master Leonard modestly made this exception Tuitione non fruitione in tuition not in fruition not to be ruined but preserued The king to whom the Legat had granted a share in this gaine threatned the Bishop of London with seuere punishment as he that instigated the rest when he replied and said The Pope and the King who are stronger than I may take away my Bishoprick which notwithstanding by no equitie they can doe they may take away my Myter but yet I shall haue an head-peece left All this occurred vnder Alexander the fourth to which the people added This is the Pope who at his first comming to the chaire caused prayers and supplications to be made to God for him that hee might raigne and gouerne well how can it be that he should performe worse things than all the rest God forbid But no man bore himselfe herein more stoutly than Seuual Archbishop of York of whom S. Edmond Archbishop of Canturburie out of whose schole he came had presaged so many excellent things This man perceiuing how the Pope with his prouisions left nothing throughout his whole Archbishoprick vnharrrowed he with a noble constancie oppugned his proceedings First because he placed all the Ecclesiasticall benefices in Italians that were about himselfe and so consequently were leauers of their flocks and secondly in that he commanded all the Prelats of England to passe personally ouer the Alpes to be confirmed at Rome Our Lord the Pope therefore bare an heauie hand ouer him Math. Paris in Henrico 3. and procuring him ignominiously to be excommunicated all England ouer with lighting of tapers and ringing of Bels that by this terrible and fearefull forme he might quaile and daunt his constancie but he no wayes dispaired of comfort to be sent downe to him from heauen patiently vndergoing the Popes tyrannie neither would he suffer the large reuenewes of his church to be conferred vpon vnworthie and vnknowne Transalpineans nor yet leauing the letter of strict equitie and right effeminatly stoop to the Popes will and pleasure Wherefore the more he was cursed by the Popes order commandement the more the people blessed him although closely for feare of the Romans Flying out of this worldly prison he ascended into heauen while most constantly with his whole power he stoutly defended his Church from the tyrannie of the Roman Court and so being depressed and vext with many tribulations for this earthlie life as all men firmely beleeued he purchased the kingdome of the highest heauens And here it must not be omitted that S. Edmond was euer wont to say vnto this his deare and speciall disciple O Seuual Seuual thou must leaue this world a Martyr eyther by the sword or else ouerlayed and euen killed with insuperable and grieuous worldlie afflictions Yet let him be thy comfortor who inspired that saying into his Psalmist Multi tribulationes iustorum de quibus quandoque liberabit omnibus eos Dominus Many are the tribulations of the righteous but God shall deliuer them out of all The same Author also recounteth that perceiuing himselfe approching to death lifting vp his watrie eyes vnto heauen he burst out into these words I call the Pope by appeale before the supreame and most incorruptible Iudge and both heauen and earth shall be my witnesses how vniustly he hath prosecuted and scandalized me with sundrie important oppressions Wherefore in this bitternesse of soule after Robert the bishop of Lincolns example he by letters layd down to the Pope all his enormious actions and that he would obserue his admonitions in abandoning his accustomed tyrannies and returning againe into the humble pathes of his holie predecessours For the Lord sayd vnto Peter Feed my sheepe doe not sheare or flea them doe not euiscerat and by continuall deuorations consume and destroy them But our Lord Pope scoffing and deriding hereat conceiued no small indignation that they would breake out into such a presumption and rashnesse as to dare in any wise to sollicit and moue him and therefore he stopped his eare to the healthfull admonitions both of Archbishop Seuual as also of Robert of
their names to Boniface at Rome and there should summon him to renounce his Popedome that a new election might be made wherein that right which he had should be still reserued and hauing receiued his answer hee should likewise doe the like to Benedict the Emperour and king promising each of them for the kings and Princes their allies and confederats to confirme this their decree The Bishop therefore one of the greatest men of name in those times tooke his journey to Rome where hauing had audience the Cardinalls thinking it necessarie to dissemble aduise Boniface to answer That he would willingly yeeld to whatsoeuer he should be by them aduised prouided that Benedict should renounce the name of Pope and then he would be readie wheresoeuer it should please them to appoynt the Conclaue And yet the Romans at that time murmuring hereat because they feared they should thereby loose that gaine they hoped for by the Iubilie he answereth them ingeniously My sonnes assure your selues I will continue Pope and whatsoeuer these kings shall determine I will neuer stand to their arbitrement This was concealed from the Bishop of Cambray He therefore returned to the Emperour who sent him to the king with this message That he was first to make Benedict to submit himselfe since Boniface his obedience depended thereupon Whereupon our Nobles and Prelats assembled at Paris whither neuerthelesse the king out of his wisedome thought it not good to call the Archbishops of Rheimes Rouen and Sens because the Pope had many wayes bound them vnto him There by the councell of the Vniuersitie of Paris it was determined That the king should presently send Monsieur Boucicant his Marshall into the parts of Auignon who either by treatie or any other meanes should endeuour that Benedict should yeeld his Popedome to the Counsell of the king of France and that the Church to the vtmost bounds of the kingdome should follow neither part vntill by the iudgement and decree of the Prelats who were deligated to that purpose the vnion were confirmed The Bishop of Cambray arriued at Auignon leauing the Marshall at Lyons there to attend the newes but as he deliuered his message Benedict saith Froissard changed colour and with a lowd voyce sayd They will that I yeeld to renounce my Popedome whilest I liue I will neuer doe it And I would haue the king of France to vnderstand that what he appointeth I will not doe but I will retaine my name and Popedome to the death To which the Bishop answered I tooke you to be wiser than I find you take a day to consider better of the matter with your brethren Whereupon they being assembled together and the Cardinall of Amiens shewing That whether they would or no they must be obedient to the kings and that the king of France did alreadie threaten the losse of the fruits of their benefices whereby many did alreadie stagger he grew the more obstinat I will not resigne saith he nor submit my Popedome to any treatie for any King Duke Earle whosoeuer And with those words he dismissed the Bishop adding withall You shall say to our sonne of France That hitherto we haue taken him for a good Catholike whom now wee see by a wrong information fallen into errour but he shall repent him of it Whereupon the Bishop went presently to the Marshall Boucicant who was come as farre as Port S. Andrew nine leagues distant from Auignon who presently vpon the newes sent for the nobilitie and men of warre from all parts stopping the passages both by land and water and by a Herauld denounced warre against Benedict within his palace His Cardinals almost all studied how to satisfie the king and so did the citizens of Auignon but he persisting still obstinat told them their citie was strong that he would send for the king of Arragon to his ayd who he knew would come to serue him being bound therunto both by propinquitie in bloud and that obedience which he did owe vnto the Pope and that they were frighted with small matters But the Marshall hauing threatned the inhabitants That he would burne all their vines and houses in the field without the knowledge of the Pope they resolued with some of the Cardinals who ioyned with them that is to say of Amiens Poictiers Neufchastel Viuiers and diuers others to receiue him into the citie and to besiege the palace vpon condition that he should offer no violence to them or theirs which was performed on both sides Benedict in the meane time defended himselfe in his palace being well furnished with all manner of victuall and still expecting the comming of the king of Arragon to whom if he would now set him at libertie hee promised by an instrument drawne to that purpose to keepe his residence at Perpignan but his answer was this Doth this Priest thinke that I to defend his subtilties will vndertake a warre against the king of France the world would thinke I was ill aduised And the nobilitie likewise that were about him were of opinion That the king of France was so wise that he would do nothing that was vnlawfull and that it was fit that the Clergie should learne how to obey their Lords from whom they had their maintenance remember from whom they receiued their good He therefore resolued by the king of France his example and at his request to follow neither part And the greatest part of his Clergie kingdome were of this opinion since by no other means the peace and vnion of the Church could be restored Benedict therefore seeing himselfe thus forsaken and his prouision to decrease apase began to flie vnto mercie The conditions were these That he would not depart out of the palace of Auignon vntil the vnion of the Church were restored a speciall gard in the meane time being appointed ouer him and some of the principall Cardinals citizens bound to haue him forth comming dead or aliue which being done the armie was dismissed These are the words of Froissard Froissard c. 97. 98. 99. So the king of France performed that which he had concluded with the Emperour whereof he presently gaue him to vnderstand by an honourable embassage the chiefe whereof was the Patriarch of Hierusalem who was to require of the Emperour according to promise the like faith and diligence in this businesse Now there were that had giuen their consent to this neutralitie the kings of Spain Scotland Arragon Nauarre to whom by the authoritie and endeuour of the Emperour there joyned the Germans Hungarians Bohemians Italians so that England onely remained for whom the king of France had past his word But king Richard could not persuade his Clergie thereunto they alledging That this Richard of Bourdeaux was wholly French Cap. 120. and that they would be aduised by some other than a Frenchman Besides he was shortly after troubled in such sort with his domesticall affaires that he had no leysure to thinke of foreine matters Yea
Princes being taken prisoners by the Palatine whereupon they fell to this agreement Krantzius in Saxon. l. 12. c. 1. Naucler vol. 2. Gener. 49. That Adolph should possesse till his death the places which he had surprised and that Diether should peaceably enioy all the rest and also should succeed Adolfe whensoeuer he should decease which happened six yeares after And this was the fruit of ouerthrowing the Pragmaticall sanction which Pius said would be so profitable to the Church Neither was France better contented with the Decree of Pius the second than Germanie and so much the lesse for that Pius to gratifie Ferdinand bastard of Alphonsus had troden vnder foot the right of the Frenchmen in the kingdome of Naples He therefore sent a Legat into France for to abolish the Pragmatical sanction which was there obserued by vertue of the Councell of Basil and moued the king by letters in these words If thou be the sonne of obedience wherefore doest thou hold and defend the Pragmaticall sanction Eugenius warned thee to leaue it as not being according to God the same did Nicholas and Calixtus as the cause of great euill and discord in the Church and yet thou wouldst neuer heare the voyce of the Church And the king was somewhat moued with these words But the Court of Parliament of Paris came to him and earnestly declareth vnto him of how great importance it was for the Christian Commonweale the want whereof would most certainely bring foure principall inconueniences First A confusion of the whole Order Ecclesiasticall Secondly The depopulation of the subiects of the kingdome Thirdly An emptying the kingdome of money Fourthly The ruine and totall desclation of Churches All which they at large lay open vnto him from point to point This their admonition may be seene at large recited by Iohn Cardinall of Arles comprehended in 89 Articles in the workes of Peter Pithou which is worthie the Readers perusing There among other things they declared vnto him out of the holie Scriptures the practise of the Primitiue Church Canons of Councels Decrees of the Fathers ordinances of Popes themselues and by the lawes of Christian Emperours and Kings especially of ours That the Election of Bishops Abbots and other Prelats of the Church doth no whit depend and neuer haue depended of the Bishop of Rome That such was neuer the intention of Charlemaigne Lewis the Meeke Philip Augustus S. Lewis Charles the Wise and others who haue euer ordained and maintained Canonicall election so that whatsoeuer things are done otherwise is by meere vsurpation Then they come to speake of the pillages and buying and selling of the Court of Rome which in France alone doth amount to many millions of gold of which they set downe examples draw a roll of them and cast vp the particulars For what doe they say that in one onely Diocesse in one yeare the expectatiue graces are found to bee in number six hundred c. Whereupon the Pope was so moued Jacob. Cardin. Papiensis in Epistolis that as Iames Cardinall of Pauia writeth to king Lewis when he heard of a refusal he cried out Guerra vsque ad capillos But knowing wel that this king was diuersly intangled with many affaires and hauing found out his easie disposition that he wold do all things of his own head he could warily obserue him That thus had Constantine the great the two Theodosius Charlemaigne and many other of his predecessors gotten themselues an immortall name and a neuer-fading glorie to wit by abolishing the Pragmaticall sanction And what can be farther off from the truth and therefore what more vnworthie But principally because he heard his humor was in many things to goe contrarie to his fathers doings and wold be absolutely obeyed in what he pleased he there taketh hold Aeneas Syluius Epist 387. data Romae 26. Octob 1461. and tickleth him in that We commend saith he this among other things that without the assemblie and consultation of many thou hast resolued to take away the Pragmaticall Surely thou art wise and shewest thy selfe to be a great king which art not gouerned but doest gouerne c. Thou doest that which is meet for thee knowing that the Pragmaticall sanction is without God thou hast decreed to banish it out of thy kingdome and wilt not enter into deliberation whether those things ought to bee done or no which thou knowest are to be done This is to be a king and a good king whom good men loue and euill doe feare c. Betimes make knowne thy wisedome as to vs it is so to the whole world to the end that none may say he was a long time vnwilling because long in deliberating And if the Prelats and vniuersities require any thing of vs let them haue recourse to vs and make thee their Mediator Knowing without doubt if the matter once had come to deliberation he should surely haue had againe the repulse And he addeth Neither do we doubt but that when thou wert exiled namely when he was out of his fathers fauour as it were out of the kingdome thou wouldest often say with thy selfe O if I one day sit on my fathers throne I will doe many acceptable seruices to thee O God Surely I will not suffer thine inheritance to be spoyled by the furie of the Turkes c. But what doth he conclude of this Now shew thy slefe gratefull to his diuine goodnesse seeing he hath made thee his sonne king and hath restored the kingdome with great glorie and for so great benefits doe this againe for him take away the Pragmaticall sanction as thou hast promised our embassadour to doe and that done which is no hard thing to doe addresse thy selfe wholly to the succouring of Christian religion against the Turkes c. Thus to abrogat this law which respected onely the Canonicall election of Bishops and the restraint of the pillages of Rome was a matter of greater importance with him than the purpose or vow of making warre against the Turkes So then Lewis resolued to disannull it vnder colour that it had beene published in the time of schisme although he concealed not to encrease the benefit That it had beene concluded in a great assemblie of Prelats and with great deliberation of time and was now hardened and had taken firme footing But to what purpose he so eagrely pursued this businesse anon after appeared whereof wee haue a shew and example in the letters of Iames Cardinall of Pauia to Francis Spinola William Cardinall of Hostia saith he told vs a storie of an Abbie in France famous for wealth and religion of which there was an Abbot old and decrepit who seeing himselfe vnprofitable in his charge for conscience sake would leaue the administration of the same I know not what Bishop whose Church was farre thence requested that the Abbay should be giuen him in Commenda The Abbay as we haue sayd was of great fame in Fraunce hauing no ill in
satisfie thee herein if I can Thou wouldest know when Antichrist inuaded this chayre which for a long time hee coueted and now possesseth It was necessarie that the Palladium le Garde corps of the Church should first be stollen before he could be receiued before that fatall horse could be admitted The word of God the Candlesticke of the holie Scriptures must first bee hid vnder a bushell before the theefe durst creepe in or make any assault vpon the Church which still continuing in force in vaine could that sinke of superstitions besiege it but we kept it farre off from our Troy our rampiers our territories much more from the porch the Temple the Sanctuarie of the Lord. That old Dragon vnder the colour of a not written word cunningly and closely brought in Traditions to betray the Church which the wisedome of the flesh their neere alliance better agreeing with carnall reason did willingly and with good countenance receiue equalled them with the Written word the sacred oracles made them sit cheeke by cheeke with them This law of equalitie being often attempted in the seuenth age and seuenth Idolatrous Synod it was established yea and by vertue thereof Traditions preferred before the Word opposed against it Then Simon rather vnder the name than shape of Simon began to appeare by diuers cunning deuices couering his treacherie persuading vs to receiue that dangerous engine that Troian horse that Epitome as it were of all the Painims impieties into the place of our Palladium the word of God Capis then and diuers others who were of a sounder iudgement fearing their subtilties and finding them cried out to haue it burnt The most famous Fathers of the Church throughout the world foretold threatened the euill to come resisted banded themselues against it But you vnaduised or rather ill aduised ita ferentibus fatis being necessarie that the Prophesies should be fulfilled in their due time Diuiditis muros moenia panditis vrbis Et licet Vtero sonitum quater arma dedêre Diuide your walls and make them plaine euen with the ground Though foure times the armor in his bellie did sound Nothing regarding either the aduertisements of the Apostles the counsell of the Fathers of the Church or the suspitions that it gaue of it selfe But Instantes operi immemores caecique furore Hoc monstram infoelix sacrata sistitis Arce Blind with furie the more is the pitie You place this monster within your citie From thence forward he put all to fire and sword in the citie ransacked the Church polluted the holie things left nothing vntouched with the infectious hands of his Harpies powred out of that fatall horse all manner of superstitious seruices in the Church calling this horse although a marke of the Greekes the Troian horse These superstitions Catholike Orthodoxall because consecrated and hallowed these are their owne words by the Popes though from their bginning they were Heathenish and Idolatrous Now in the middest of this fire this vniuersall confusion thy neighbours house being on fire nay thine owne nay thy beard being singed thou gapest stretchest thy selfe as if thou were halfe asleepe thou cauillest and disputest where it first tooke fire where it began and in the meane time thou burnest thy selfe Wise Antenor deuout Aeneas did not so but breaking through the Grecian troupes got themselues out of the citie with their fellowes gathered together what they could and to sea they goe and putting themselues into the first ships they met with hoyse vp sayles to seeke a new countrey and find it and there they settle being stil Troians whither soeuer they went in what place soeuer they rested carrying with them their houshold gods and the ensignes of their countrey Being still Christians professors of the Catholike faith carrying with them the word of God vntouched by the fire of the Greeks keeping the Sacraments of our Lord sound and pure The Grecians are no Troians though they hold the place and possesse it whatsoeuer title they alledge neither art thou that hast yeelded thy selfe forsaken thy countrey a true Christian since the enemie is where Troy was Antichrist where Christ was furious in the middest of the Temple as once Antiochus was sacrilegious euen betweene the Altars the sacrifices Doe you yet doubt my brethren heare what S. Iohn saith Apocal. 13. v. 5. 2. Thess 2. v. 4. And there was giuen vnto him a mouth that spake great things and blasphemies S. Paule likewise Hee doth sit as God in the Temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God Hearken now and behold Paul 5 your Pope at this day Lib. Benedicti de Benedictis Bononiae excusus Anno 16â—8 Jtem Thes Caraffae Neapoli excusae 1609. He is placed in the beginning of the books lately printed counterfeited as it were in a table euen to the life with this inscription PAVLO V. VICEDEO to Paule the 5 Gods Vicegerent The inuincible Monarch of the Christian Commonwealth and the most valiant Protector of the Pontificall power And in the same stile we read at Tolentine To Paul 3 The most great and excellent God on earth The scepters and diademes of Princes Kings and Emperours are his Trophes who stand about him beholding him with astonishment bowing downeward strooken with his lightning adoring him with this inscription ouer his head His countenance presageth an Empire The word of God soundeth on euery side but God knowes strangely wrested and applyed The nation and kingdome which will not serue him I will visit saith the Lord with the sword and with the famine and with the pestilence Ierem 27. That which was once foretold of Nabuchadnezzar the destroyer of the Church he like another Caiphas applyeth to himselfe and will haue it fulfilled in him the Alastor and vsurper of the Christian Church Againe He gaue him dominion and honor and a Kingdome and all the people shall serue him his dominion is an euerlasting dominion which shall neuer be taken away and his Kingdome shall neuer be destroyed Dan. 7 With their faces towards the earth they shall licke the dust of thy feet Esay 49.23 That which was spoken of Christ onelie the eternall sonne of God gouerning his Church and to be applied to no man else is without blasphemy communicated to others These things were done by the commaund of the Superiors and printed at Bononia and at Naples And that not rashly or by the priuat endeuors and inconsiderat zeale of some priuat men but by a decree of the Popes Senat the matter solemnly deliberated and in Loco Maiorum in the presence of Paul himselfe in a famous assembly of Cardinals and a great concourse of people disputed and determined Here Reader thou beginnest to bend thy browes but they are not secrets that I vtter Rome knowes these things and these monsters are set out to the view of euery man And thou art a great stranger in thine owne Church if thou knowest them not a traytor to thy selfe if knowing them
Paul and borrowing as Saint Iohn speaketh the hornes of a Lambe that is as a seruant of God and vnder colour of his seruice for otherwise euerie man would haue shut gates against him And this is that which all the Fathers aimed at Origen in Matt. tract 27. Origen saith Antichrist hath nothing of Christ but the verie â—ame he neither doth his deeds neither teacheth his doctrine Christ is truth it selfe Idem in Matt. tract 24. and Antichrist a counterfeit And to the end saith he that he may haue some colour to exalt himselfe aboue God he taketh the testimonies of his false doctrines out of the Scriptures to deceiue those who will not otherwise be satisfied Hee taketh possession of the chaire of the Scriptures he builds vpon them and from thence sheweth himselfe as God Which when and so often as I read me thinke I heare him come in with his Tibi dabo with his Pasce oues meas with Oram pro te Petre and the like Saint Ciprian also He shall teach saith he infidelitie vnder a shew of faith Cypr. epist 7. the night for the day destruction for saluation and Antichrist vnder the name of Christ August in Apocal Hom. 11. And we read saith Saint Augustine in the Apocalips that the Beast hath two hornes like a Lamb that is two Testaments like the Church thereby the more easily to shed out the poyson of Antichrist vnder the name of Christ And Saint Ierome yet more particularly Hieron in Dan. c. 13. according to the interpretation of Symmachus saith That Antichrist shall speake as God He shall attribute to himselfe as well the words as the power of his Maiestie Hee shall goe about to change the lawes and ceremonies instituted by God to enthrall all religion to his owne authoritie And in another place He shall change saith he Idem in 2. ad Thessal c. 2. and seeke to encrease the Sacraments of the Church Now therefore seeing that the Pope maketh himselfe to be called The most holie Father seeing he deposeth kings new moulds at his pleasure all Religion all Commaundements all Sacraments instituted by God may we not say that Saint Ierome prophesied And thus you see how these predictions of Saint Paul and of Saint Iohn were vnderstood by the ancient holie Fathers of the Church This Mysterie therefore of iniquitie which our age now beholdeth in her height and exaltation began to worke and to set it selfe forward euen in S. Paules time This monster of pride was alreadie conceiued in the mind of Satan shewing it selfe in mens ambition From hence proceeded those sidings in the Church I am of Paul I am of Apollo I am of Cephas and I am of Christ And what 1 Cor. c. 1. v. 12. 13. sayth Paul Is Christ diuided or was Paul crucified for you The like would he haue said of Cephas and Cephas of himselfe But Paul to reserue all entirely vnto Christ speaketh cleerly and saith He that planteth is nothing and he which watereth is nothing Ib. c. 3. v. 7. 8. but God which giueth the encrease as for those others they were all one and seruants in the same degree And farther to cut off all pretence of inequalitie Gal. 2. v. 6. I was nothing different saith he from those which seemed to be some bodie They which seemed to be great added nothing to me aboue that which I had before and who were they but Iames and Cephas and Iohn which were accounted pillars of the Church Who also acknowledged saith he that the Gospell of the vncircumcision was committed vnto me as the Gospell of the circumcision was vnto Peter and therefore gaue vnto me and vnto Barnabas the right hand of fellowship in all which no one jot of superioritie is to be found And farther in another place he saith From Hierusalem to Illiricum Rom. c. 15. v. 19. 20. I haue made to abound the Gospell of Christ and not there where he had beene alreadie preached that I might not seeme to haue built vpon another mans foundation much lesse therefore did he preach by another mans commission And Cephas himselfe that is Saint Peter putteth off from himselfe and others this claime of superioritie where he saith I beseech the Elders which are among you 1. Pet. 5. v 1.2.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I that am a fellow Priest or Elder with you And againe Feed saith he the flocke committed to your charge c. not domineering ouer the heritage of the Lord But that yee may bee ensamples to the flocke decked as he speaketh afterward with humilitie because God resisteth the proud and giueth grace to the humble Math. cap. 20. vers 25. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Baron Annal. to 1. an 34. art 275. idem an 57. to 1. art 39. As well remembring the lesson of his Lord whose tearme he vseth You know saith Christ that the Princes of the earth lord it ouer them but saith he it shall not be so with you you shall not doe so ouer my Church ouer mine inheritance Far and wide is this from that claime which Baronius maketh in the Popes behalfe where he saith That Christ after his resurrection translated vpon the Popes both Priesthood and Kingdome and that this was signified by that shadow of Saint Peter whereby the sicke were healed namely that the Popes should alwayes haue the same power which Saint Peter had though neuer so farre different from him in life and conuersation because they should euer retaine the shadow And what is it now that they would conclude out of this shadow no power to heale the sicke but to destroy kings and kingdomes for what other miracles haue they wrought these thousand yeares But shortly after the death of the Apostles this ambition began to sway more violently in the Church And true in this poynt as also in many others is that saying of Hegesippus Euseb lib. 3. c. 26. lib. 4. c. 21. as Eusebius reporteth him That to the times of Traian or thereabouts the Church continued cleane and vndefiled as a virgine but since that sacred companie was taken out of the world the conspiracie of iniquitie began to worke with open face And this fell out about the yeare one hundred since which time what progression this Iniquitie hath made vntill these our dayes we will here set downe as we find recorded in the Histories of the times 1. PROGRESSION Of the difference which fell betweene the Churches of the East and of the West conâ—erning the obseruation of Easter day ABout the yeare 195 touching the Feast of Easter whether it should be held vpon the foureteenth day of the Moone after the Iewish manner or rather vpon the Sunday following diuers Synods were assembled and different decisions made those of Palestina Rome Corinth France Osroene and Pontus held for the Sunday and those of the lesser Asia for the foureteenth day of the Moon the first pretending
the other and both alike And what credit ought in reason to be giuen to Sixtus in a cause so neerely concerning himselfe especially when in the next precedent Epistle he contenteth himselfe with the title of Archbishop Secondly he produceth a certaine place out of Tertullian in his booke of Chastitie Lib. de Pudicit c. 1. where he taxeth a certaine Edict of Victor by which he receiueth adulterers vnto penance and whereof he baffleth the inscription I heare talke saith Tertullian of an Edict and that a peremptorie one to Pontifex Maximus i. The high Pontife the Bishop of Bishops saith I remit sinnes to adulterers and whoremasters which come to penance True it is that after that attempt of his vpon all Asia any thing may seeme credible of that mans insolencie and pride But who seeth not that Tertullian frumpeth only and jeasteth at him as also he doth at that other decree of Pope Zepherin For where saith he shall this liberalitie of his be proposed if in the Church how so seeing she is a virgine But a little after in the same booke he driueth this naile a little closer If saith he because our Lord said to Saint Peter Vpon this stone I will build my Church and To thee will I giue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen thou doest therefore presume that the power of binding and loossing is deriued vpon thee what art thou that crossest the purpose and intention of our Sauiour who collated it onely vpon Saint Peters person And consequently not vpon you Victor nor vpon you Zepherin farther than you represent Peter not in shadow onely as Baronius would haue it but in truth and veritie But grant we that he did call himselfe Vniuersall Bishop might not euerie Bishop haue done the same in regard of his charge yes verily and many of them vpon better reason considering the worth and dignitie of their persons But would the Pope trow you suffer their successors now to ground any thing thereupon in prejudice of himselfe Saint Clement whom commonly they thrust vpon vs as next successor vnto Saint Peter had not be like well perused and vnderstood his euidences Clement Constitut lib. 6. c. 14. when in his Constitutions he spake in this manner Wee haue written to you this Catholike and vniuersall doctrine to confirme you you I say to whom the Vniuersall Bishopricke is committed Jgnatius in Epistola ad Philadelph And Ignatius speaking of a Bishop of Philadelphia of his time saith That he was called of God to vndertake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the ministerie of the common Church as Baronius himselfe rendreth it Nazianz. in laudem Cypriani And Nazianzene saith of Saint Cyprian That he presided not onely ouer the Church of Carthage and Africke but also ouer all the East all the West ouer all the North Idem in laudem Athanas and all the South And of Athanasius That he presided ouer the Church of Alexandria nay ouer the whole world But he expoundeth himselfe in both of the first he addeth wheresoeuer the admiration of his name came and of the other That he gouerned the Church of Alexandria in such sort that the Vniuersall Church was benefited by him And would God the Bishops of Rome had done the like we neuer would haue enuied them the like honourable title Euseb in vita Constantin lib. 5. c. 57. Also the Emperour Constantine himselfe writing to Eusebius vpon the refusall which he made of the Bishopricke of Antiochia when it was offered vnto him You are saith he a most happie man in this That you are thought worthie in the opinion of all to rule the Vniuersall Church taking this word in that sence which Saint Cyprian doth when he saith That there is but one Bishopricke of which euerie Bishop holdeth his part in solid Cyprian de vnitat Eccles Baron to 2. an 216. artic 9. 10. As for the title of High Priest or Pontife Baronius alledgeth no other proofe but onely the imitation of the old Iewish law where there was a High Priest and of Paganisme which had Pontificem Maximum i. a High Pontife and groundeth himselfe especially vpon this later He saith he which was most eminent in iudiciall authoritie aboue all the rest was onely Pontifex Maximus Soueraigne Pontife among the Pagans Whence Festus saith that it was he who was reputed Iudge in all matters diuine and humane And to this purpose alledgeth this Cardinall all that which is spoken in holie writ of the royall Priesthood of our Lord Iesus O how weake a foundation is this for so huge a building Why did he not rather ground himselfe vpon their Rex Sacrificulus who according to his owne author Festus seemeth to be the greatest among the Priests after him Dialis the Priest of Iupiter then Martialis of Mars afterwards Quirinalis the Priest of Romulus and last of all Pontifex Maximus the High Pontife all which you shall find in Festus in the word Ordo whence we learne by the way that this word Orders was anciently taken from the Heathen 2. PROGRESSION Pope Stephen attempteth to restore two Bishops of Spaine deposed by their Metropolitan ABout the yeare 250 Stephen Bishop of Rome made the like attempt against the Bishops of Spaine and Africke In Spaine Basilides Bishop of Asturia and Martialis Bishop of Merida in time of persecution sacrificed vnto Idols and were therefore deposed from their charges Whereupon they had secret recourse vnto the said Stephen hoping to be restored by his authoritie which hee attempted to effect and thereupon wrot to the Bishops which were in Spaine OPPOSITION But this matter rested not there for the Churches of Spaine gaue notice of this attempt vnto those of Africke and presently assembled themselues in Synod The Synodall Epistle is yet whole to bee read in Cyprian the summe and effect whereof is In editio Turneb Epist 35. Pamelij 68. That the law of God suffereth them not to readmit such persons to their charge in holie Church That where the ordinances of God are in question there ought to be no acceptance of persons no relaxation in fauour of any man That their running to Rome or to Stephen might not cause the ordination of Sabinus to be reuersed he being there placed by due course of law and the other remaining incapable of restitution That Basilides might deceiue Stephen by wrong information but God he could not That they ought to hold themselues to that which themselues and all Bishops throughout the world and Cornelius himselfe their Collegue had formerly decreed namely That such persons might well be receiued vnto penance but neuer to Priestly dignitie in the Church In the whole course of which Epistle they euer call Cornelius and Stephen Bishops of Rome their Collegues Not vnlike vnto this was that attempt of Cornelius not long before vpon the Bishops of Afrike in the case of certaine false Bishops which fled vnto him against the censures of
rate set downe in the Code of Theodosius But grant we that Regiones Suburbicariae and Vrbicariae were all one what getteth hee for Constantine in the third law de Annona Tributo sheweth plainely that by Regiones Suburbicariae were meant onely those which lay within Italie and were neere adjoyning vnto Rome where he speaketh in this manner Anatolius late Consul certified vs that he hath taken away the frauds of the a Tabulariorum Lib. 8. de Annon Tribut l. 3. 11. in Cod. Theodos Collectors per suburbicarias Regiones Which course saith he we commaund also to be held throughout all the other Regions of Italie so that the more remote regions of Italie it selfe are not comprised vnder this name of Suburbicariae Regiones but commaund giuen that these should be ordered after their example So likewise would Baronius faine comprise Sicilie and Afrike vnder the appellation of Vrbicariae Regiones Lib. 11. de Extraord sord muner But the words of Constantine and Constantius in the same Code giue him the lye where it is said That lands of inheritance and fee farme throughout Italie shall be free from all extraordinarie taxes paying only their customarie rates as the lands in Afrike doe The reason followeth For not onely in Italie but also in vrbicarijs Regionibus and in Sicilie lands of inheritance and lands held in fee farme must be rated according to their abilities Whereby it appeareth that Italie was to be eased after the example of Afrike and both Italie and Afrike and Sicilie it selfe distinguished from those which were properly called Vrbicariae Regiones So likewise in that law of Gratian Valentinian and Theodosius it is said by the Emperours vnto Probus Grand Master of the houshould in this manner Let thy sinceritie and vprightnesse obserue an equalitie throughout Italie Tit. Si per obreptioneÌ„ l. vnic Cod. Theodos as likewise in the Regions of Afrike and those which are called Vrbicariae and throughout all Illyria where again he distinguisheth them both from Italie and also from Afrike Now if he will aske what those Suburbe cities were that law of Gratian Theodosius teacheth vs L. 1. de Indulgent debit in Cod. Theodos We commaund say they that Picenum and Thuscia now called La Marca d'Ancona and Tuscanie and yet not all Tuscanie neither being the suburbe Regions shall beare the seuenth part of the tribute not comprising therein so much as Campania now a parcell of the kingdome of Naples nor other Regions of like distance And now let Baronius cast vp his reckonings and see what hee hath gotten by quarelling that place of Ruffinus But be this what he will can he denie that the Bishop of Rome was here ordered and confined as well as the rest As for that Canon which he would put vpon vs Art 57. sequent That from all Churches a man might appeale vnto Rome besides that there is no historie that reporteth it no not Gelasius Cyzicenus himselfe I would aske Whether this sixt Canon be not vtterly repugnant thereunto And farther let him say when men were long after this time sent of purpose to search the Archiues of the Churches of Constantinople Alexandria and Antioch to decide the controuersie betweene the Churches of Carthage and of Rome whether there were any such Canon there found or can he produce any one appeale made to Rome in all that time As for that goodlie Canon of the Councell of Rome which he would thrust vpon vs in these words The first See let no man iudge Baron to 3. an 324. art 130. because all other Sees seeke for equitie at her hands as of the chiefe neither may the Iudge be iudged by any Clergie Emperour or King or people whatsoeuer who is so ill aduised as to beleeue them in their owne cause or who seeth not that this is a meere tricke and gâ—llerie put vpon the reader For what kings could they meane if Pagans what can be more ridiculous if Christians where were any in those dayes and consequently what more vaine moreouer doe we not see the contrarie practised in the Nicene Councell immediatly ensuing And why is he not then ashamed to cousen the world with a false coyne so apparently discouered and bored thorough by all Historians and writers It is said in the acts of that Synod That there were 139 Bishops ex vrbe Roma aut non longè ab illa i. out of the citie of Rome or not farre from thence What were there more Bishops than one at Rome and where I pray you should a man find so many Bishops so neere to Rome It is also there said That Helena the mother of Constantine was there and subscribed to the acts And what had they so soone forgotten the saying of the Apostle That it is not permitted to a woman to speake in the Church Constantine also is there called Domnus which is meerely Gothish and joyned in Consulship with Priscus which was neuer heard of He should not for shame haue alledged this Synod seeing that the verie barbarousnesse of the stile is ynough to conuince it of open forgerie Last of all he saith That the Fathers of the Nicene Councell wrot to Syluester to craue his confirmation of their acts and decrees alledging for proofe hereof the acts of Pope Syluester and not remembring how oft himselfe in other places hath condemned them as false and counterfeit The truth is this that vpon any question arising about religion the Fathers assembled in Councel were wont to send their Synodal Epistle throughout all parts of Christendome Ruffin l. 1. c. 13. and some particulars among them to write their priuat letters to some chiefe and principal Bishops of other countries to acquaint them with the tenor of their acts and to request them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. to giue their suffrage and approbation thereunto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So also were they wont to addresse another Epistle to the Emperour to entreat him to confirme and ratifie their acts and to cause them to be receiued of both which sorts we haue examples in this very Synod of the one in that Synodall Epistle which they wrot to the Church of Alexandria and the rest in Aegypt in which manner they wrot also another Epistle to all Churches in generall without attending any leaue from the Bishop of Rome of the other among the patents of Constantine who was present at this Councell which Epistle we haue in Eusebius Socrates Gelasius Theodoret Euseb de vita Constant lib. 13. Socrat. lib. 1. and others whereby he ordained That Easter day should be kept vpon the day which they appointed and that the bookes of Arrius should bee burnt in all places Which decree was published onely to authorise and to put in execution the Canons agreed vpon and enacted in the Councell And those patents of the Emperour were directed sometimes to the Bishops and people and sometimes to the Churches
haue receiued saith he his Synodall Epistle Epist 34. wherein he requireth vs not to trouble the peace of the Church and I haue likewise aduertised him of that superstitious and haughtie name of Vniuersall Bishop that he could haue no peace with vs vnlesse he did reforme the haughtinesse of this word c. otherwise saith he we corrupt the faith of the Vniuersall Church c. and not to speake of the wrong which he doth vnto vs Eleuationem if there be one called Vniuersall Bishop then must the Vniuersall Church goe to the ground if he which is Vniuersall happen to fall but neuer may such foolerie befall vs neuer may this weaknesse come vnto my eares But to Cyriacus himselfe he wrot requesting him at his first entrie to abolish that word of pride by which there was so great scandale giuen in the Church for whosoeuer saith he is desirous of honour contrarie to the honour of God shall neuer be accounted honourable by me tearming this title of Vniuersalitie a thing contrarie to God and to his honour And because Antichrist that enemie of the Almightie Epist 28. is now at hand my earnest desire saith he is that he may find nothing of his owne or anie waies appertaining to him either in the manners or in the names of the Priests And when the Emperour Maurice commanded that for a friuolous name there should no such scandale arise betweene them Consider saith he vnto the Emperour that when Antichrist shall call himselfe God the matter it selfe is but small and friuolous yet most pernitious if you looke to the qualitie of the word it consisteth only of two sillables but if you regard the weight of iniquitie which dependeth thereon you shall see an vniuersall enemie Wherefore I speake it boldly that whosoeuer calleth himselfe or desireth to be called by others the Vniuersall Priest or Bishop is in his elation of mind the forerunner of Antichrist because that in like pride he preferreth himselfe before others like I say for that as that wicked one would seeme as God aboue all men so will this man exalt himselfe aboue all Bishops And in like manner writeth he to Eulogius Bishop of Alexandria Epist 30. And that no man may say That Gregorie went to take away that from another which he yet reserued as due vnto himselfe in his Epistle to the same Eulogius he thus writeth You haue beene carefull saith he to aduertise me That you forbeare now to write vnto any by those proud names which spring meerely from the root of vanitie and yet speaking to me you say Sicut iussistis i. As you commaunded Let me I pray you heare no more of this word Commaund for I know well ynough both what I am and what you are In degree you are my Brethren and in maners you are my Fathers Wherefore I commaunded you nothing onely I aduised you what I thought fittest to be done And yet I do not find that you haue perfectly obserued that which I desired to leaue deepest grauen in your best remembrance for I told you That you should not write in any such manner either to me or to any other and yet in the verie Preface of your Epistle you call me by that name of pride and vanitie Vniuersall Pope which I would intreat you to forbeare hereafter seeing that your selues lose whatsoeuer you giue vnduely to another For my owne part I seeke to encrease in vertue and not in vanitie of Titles That addeth nothing to my honour which I see taken from my brethren my honour is the honour of the Vniuersall Church and the sound vigour of my brethren Then am I truely honoured when my brethren haue euerie man his due For if you call me Vniuersall Pope you denie your selues to bee that which indeed you are in that you call me Vniuersall but God forbid let vs rather put farre from vs these words which puffe vs vp to pride and vanitie and woundeth charitie to the death Distinct 99. c. Ecce in praefatio 5. All which part of his Epistle is inserted in the Decret which Gregorie the thirteenth in his Reformation of the Canon Law knew not how to redresse but onely by giuing S. Gregorie the flat lye Now we may not for all this thinke that Gregorie would lose any thing of his owne or was carelesse to set foot and to encroach vpon another mans for it appeareth by his Epistles that he spread his wings as farre and farther than his neast would giue him leaue taking all occasions to gaine credit and to be dealing not onely in Italie but also in other more remote Prouinces of the West making himselfe sometimes arbitrator betweene parties and sometimes Iudge of controuersies betweene Church and Church and eftsoones a sanctuarie and refuge for those who had beene censured and cast out by their own Metropolitans whereof we haue but too many examples in his Epistles And if we will ground our opinion vpon certaine Epistles which goe commonly vnder his name he was the first which brought in the Pall of the Archbishops which was a certaine Mantle or Cloake which he sent vnto them in honour thereby to oblige them to the subiection of his See namely to Virgilius Bishop of Arles and by vertue thereof conferred vpon him his Vicarship ouer the Churches of king Childebert with power to watch ouer their doctrine and behauiours But it hath beene right well obserued that those Epistles are of another growth because the whole course of the Historie of Gregorie of Tours who liued in the same time with Gregorie the Great sufficiently teacheth vs That the authoritie of our Prelats and Archbishops depended not of the Popes neither did they euer heare talke of that Pall which is more than probable Greg. li. 4. Epist 51. 52. because that in so many changes of Bishops and Metropolitans as we read of we find no mention at all made thereof Wherefore those words Idem ad Interroga Augustin ca. 9. Quod iuxta antiquum morem Pallij vsum ac vices Apostolicae sedis postulasti And Cum priscam consuetudinem Fraternitas vestra repetat by which they say That Virgilius requested of Gregorie the vse of the Pall and the Vicarship of the Roman See according to the ancient custome were ill deuised And how vnlikely a thing is it that Childebert should intreat the Pope to commit the ouersight and charge of the Churches of his kingdome to the Bishop of Arles who was at that time subiect to king Gontran with whom hee might in time vpon occasion haue open warre Adde we hereunto That notwithstanding this pretended Pall Gregorie expresly forbad Augustine his Legat to exercise any jurisdiction ouer the Churches of France We saith he giue you no authoritie in the Churches of France c. Thou mayest not presume to iudge them by thine authoritie but onely by warning and speaking them faire and by making thy vertues to shine before them To
to passe so long as he stood vpright yet Zonaras An. 718. though a Monke and a great maintainer of Images saith no such matter no more doth Cedrenus But the Popes must haue some colour for so hauâ— an enterprise Gregorie hereupon called in the Lombards against the Exarch who poasted to Rome in all hast but was repulsed by the Lombards and faine to returne vnto Rauenna and there brake off the peace betweene the Exarches and the Lombards which had continued euer since Rhotharis his time to the finall ruine of both Estates and first of that of the Exarches whose chiefe seat and citie Rauenna Luitprand king of the Lombards tooke and sacked But Gregorie liked not this sudden encrease of the Lombards power and therefore altered his course and carrying the matter verie closely got aid of the Venetians and thereby suddenly reestablished Paul in the Exarchat of Rauenna In the meane time the Emperor Leo ceased not to exhort Gregorie to forbeare the maintenance and support of Images in the Church Gregorie replied That it belonged not to the Emperour to innouat any thing in matters of faith for so he tearmed the vse of Images Neither staied he here but farther as the Histories report he solicited the Venetians and the inhabitants of Rauenna to rise in armes against the Emperour and his Exarch caused cities and townes to thrust out their lawfull magistrats Blond Dec. 1. li. 10. Sigon de Reg. Ital. li. 3. and to put others of their owne choyce in their roomes persuaded the citizens of Rome to abandon him as an Heretike if he persisted in those his opinions and in the end absolued the people of Italie from their oath and allegeance to him freed their conscience forbad them to pay their tribute or to yeeld him obedience in any kind The people feeling the reines to lye loosse vpon their neckes presently murdered Paul Exarch of Rauenna pulled out Peters eyes who was Duke of Rome killed Exhilarate Duke of Campania and his sonne Zonar p. 8. 85. to 3. Cedren p. 373. 1 filled euerie corner of Italie with sedition and bloud And in conclusion finding themselues so farre ingaged in these disorders that they saw no hope of reconciliation left them with the Emperour they shooke off and first of all the citizens of Rome the yoke of the Emperour taking a solemne oath to become liege seruants obedient in all points and to all purpose Baron 9. an 726 art 34. to the Pope And here saith Baronius was an end of those Dukes and Gouernours which the Emperours were wont to send to commaund in Rome and places neere adioyning This reuolt would he faine justifie Onuphr in Annot ad Plat. in Constant vnder colour of conspiracies made against the Pope which no Author reporteth but Anastasius a domestike of the Popes And therefore Sigonius saith also That Rome and the dukedome of Rome were translated from the Grecians to the Pope of Rome by reason of their wicked Heresie and impietie What impietie saue onely that pretended sinne against the vse of Images But he goeth on and setteth downe a beadroll of places which came to the Pope by this new conquest Rome with her castles and borough townes in Tuscanie Zonar to 3. in Leo. 3. p. 85. Port Centocella Cere Bleda Matuta Sutri Nepet Castelgalesi Orta Polimarte Ameria Tuderta Perusia Narni Oricoli and in Campania di Roma Signia Cedren pa. 373. Anagnia Ferentino Alatrio Patrico Frusigno Tiuoli and in Terra di Lauoro Sora Arces Aquino Teano and Capua whereunto we may adde That Luitprand king of Lombards who at his entrie vnto his kingdome redemanded the Cottian Alpes as a part of his demaines restored them againe and confirmed the grant of Aripert hauing as good right the one as the other to grant away that which belonged to neither of them And thus by the Bishops of Rome were the Emperours thrust out of Italie whither they neuer after looked but with a sigh Onuphrius speaking of Gregorie and this his fact saith in plaine tearmes That he was more hardie than his predecessor Constantine and that he lawfully rest out of Leo the third his hands all the Empire of Italie which was not possessed by the Lombards in the yeare 729. Thus haue we seene the ruine of the Exarches It remaineth now that we shew how they suppressed the kingdome of the Lombards of whom Gregorie stood in bodily feare because Luitprand their king comming with his armie before Rome gates Sigon de Reg. Ital. li. 3. had alreadie forced him to intreat for peace moreouer Gregorie saw that he was linked with Charles Martell at that time Maior of the kings house in France Blond Dec. 1. li. 10. who had sent vnto him his son Pepin with request that he would adopt him as his owne and in token thereof after the manner of the Lombards to cut off his lockes Aimon li. 4. ca. 57. which Luitprand accordingly had done though Aimonius saith He did it as his godfather and after the manner of the Christians Wherefore to preuent a mischiefe he sent vnto Charles a solemne embassage the Keyes of the holie Sepulchre and Saint Peters Chaines with other rich presents which as Aimonius saith had neuer beene heard of nor seene before vpon condition That he should free the Church of Rome from the present tyrannie of the Lombards and preferring heauenlie rewards before earthlie and transitorie respects should breake off all alliance and confederacie which he had with them Charles hereupon dispatched another embassage to Rome to ratifie an accord with the Pope whereof ensued the deliuerance of the Pope out of that imminent danger wherein he was Appendix Greg. Turmens 1. c. 110. and the vtter ruine of the Lombard State in Italie Gregorie in his Epistle vnto Charles bringeth in the Lombards speaking in this wise Let Charles now come with his French men and helpe thee if he can c. And againe Saint Peter could doe well ynough of himselfe but his purpose is to trie the courage of his children c. Howbeit Baronius would attribute this Epistle to Gregorie the third his successor Gregorie the second died in the yeare 731 and after him succeeded Gregorie the third An. 731. both in place and also in purpose Concerning Images hee decreed in a Synod of 93 Bishops That whosoeuer would not doe them religious honour should be cut off from the bodie and bloud of Christ and from the vnitie of the whole Church thereby putting Leo and his sonne out of all hope euer to reenter againe vpon Italie As for the Lombards it happened that Thrasamond Duke of Spoleto intended to rebell against Luitprand and for that purpose made alliance with Gregorie and to oblige him the more because his power was great in Italie hee surrendred vnto Gregorie certaine places which had beene formerly litigious betweene them and thereupon rise in open rebellion Luitprand presently came downe vpon him
and forced to crie to Gregorie for helpe Gregorie according to their articles receiued and defended him Luitprand summoned Gregorie to deliuer him into his hands An. 739. if not threatened to take him for an open enemie and when Gregorie refused to doe according to his summons Luitprand moued from Spoletum where he lay tooke by the way sundrie places of the Popes dominion and at length came and encamped before Rome gates Sundrie gentlemen of the citie growen wearie and scorning this new Church gouernment came ouer to Luitprand and offered him their seruice France was too farre off to helpe in time yet Charles intreated Luitprand by an embassador sent vnto him to raise his siege which he did holding onely in his hand what he had alreadie taken Luitprand was no sooner returned to Pauia but Thrasamond supported by Gregorie tooke the field againe surprising many of those cities and places which he had lost But shortly after all in one yeare died the Emperour Leo Charles Martel and Gregorie the Pope An. 741. After Gregorie succeeded Zacharie who redemaunded his places of Luitprand and tooke part as his predecessors had done with the rebels but seeing himselfe in danger entreated a parley and there got of this vertuous prince for so they tearme him what euer he desired who was contented at the Popes entreatie to giue ouer the action which he intended against the Exarch of Rauenna In like sort dealt hee with Rachis successor vnto Luitprand sometimes trying his patience and otherwhiles flying to his mercie but still abusing his deuotion vntill at length building vpon the foundation which his predecessors had laid hee resolued to ruine this ouer powerfull neighbouring Estate of the Lombards by a forreine power which though greater in it selfe yet was lesse dangerous to him and of lesse annoyance to his proceedings And the ambition of the French easily hearkened to such a motion Pepin succeeded his father Martel in his Mairaltie of the houshold and vnder this name in the royall authoritie But not content with the thing vnlesse he might also haue the Title sent to consult Zacharie Whether it were not reason that he which tooke all the paines in administration of all affaires of the kingdome should be king rather than he Aimon l. 4. c. 61. Sigon li. 3. Blond Dec. 2. li. 1. who contenting himselfe with the Title tooke care of nothing but onely in pleasures and pastimes pointing at Chilperic his Lord and Soueraigne whom he would faine haue pulled from his throne by force onely he wanted authoritie cloaked with deuotion Zacharis who vnderstoood by the halfe what the whole meant presently commaunded as saith Aâ—monius by his authoritie That Pepin should be created king who was accordingly that same yeare sacred by the Archbishop Boniface the subiects discharged of their allegeance and Chilperic degraded Pope Zacharie saith Sigonius anteâ—posing his Decree out of the greatnesse of his authoritie What authoritie but that which was foretold vs by the Apostle of that sonne of perdition placed in the Temple of God 2. Thessal 8.4 exaltting himselfe aboue all that is called God and carrying himselfe as if be were God God saith the Prophet to whom alone it appertaineth to set vp and to pull down kings to continue kingdomes or to translate them from one stocke vnto another And Sigonius cannot hold but must needs say That he dyed hauing carried matters more for the behoofe of the Church and of the Apostolike See than according to rules of true pietie and religion And this fell out in the yeare 750. An. 750. Pepin now owed Zacharie a good turne and quickly had occasion to requite his kindnesse Rachis king of the Lombards entring into religion Aistulphus his brother who succeeded in the kingdome set vpon the Exarch of Rauenna tooke the citie made him saue himselfe in Greece And this was the period of the Exarchat after two hundred yeares space that they had borne sway in Italie This done whether Aistulph grew more insolent than before or whether a fright tooke the Pope to see such proceedings Stephen who had now succeeded Zacharie resolued for preuention to flie to Pepin And Aistulph by his predecessors examples grew wise and would not be led with words Stephen knew not whom to trust and to passe himselfe in person ouer the Alpes had beene to runne into the diuels mouth wherefore he vsed the credit of Pepin to make faire weather with him to win him to withdraw his forces and to grant him safeconduct through his countries towards France which he did and receiued him in his journey with all honour at his Court Whence he passed into France where meeting with Pepin at Pontigon An. 754. in the yere 754 exhorted him in remembrance of the kindnesse which he had receiued of Zacharie to stand Saint Peters good friend nothing came amisse vnder so plausible a name And Pepin desired no better office both in regard saith Sigonius of the kindnesse of Zacharie in degrading Chilperic making that iust and lawfull by his sacred authoritie which otherwise seemed vtterly vnlawfull as also because he desired to haue this right of succession established by Stephen vpon his two sonnes Charles and Carloman The conclusion of all was That the next Summer Pepin should passe with his armie into Italie and force Aistolph to surrender the Exarchat and all other places which he had taken And that the Pope should spend the Winter in France to annoint and sacre his two children But vpon the holding of the Parliament in France when he saw all matters sort after his desire he went a step farther and drew a promise from Pepin That he would not restore either the Exarchat or Pentapolis vnto the Emperour of Greece who had made himselfe vnworthie thereof by his cowardise and heresie but that he would bestow them vpon Saint Peter and his successors for euer for the good of his soule and for the remission of his sinnes Which Pepin sware vnto him to performe and made his two children take the same oath and he presently deliuered him a Patent thereof signed with his owne hand Pepin had no sooner set foot in Italie but Aistulph presently promised to yeeld vp the Exarchat and what euer else he had taken for performance whereof he gaue fortie hostages which were presently conueyed into France Pepin had no sooner turned his backe but Aistulph immediatly repented him of his surrender drew his forces into the field and Pepin was faine to repasse the mountaines and to hasten backe into Italie againe Then was Aistulph faine to personne his promise with effect And when the Emperor of Greece required him to restore to him the Exarchat and Pentapolis as to him properly appertaining and not vnto the Pope his answer was That he had bestowed it vpon the Church for his soules health and for the remission of his sinnes And thereupon renewed his grant to Stephen giuing him liuerie and seisin for him and his
Exarchat tooke Ferrara Comachio Faenza and entred verie farre vpon Romagnia and la Marche Adrian hereupon sent an embassage by sea to Charlemaigne in Fraunce and the more to interest him in the quarrell told him That Didier would force him to annoint the sonnes of Carloman his brother that his refusall was the cause of all this trouble Adrian all this while was in a piteous plight for Didier either for or vnder colour of deuotion came before Rome gates when by meanes of an excommunication which Adrian cast out against him his priuat familie and others would not suffer him to passe anie farther But when Charles was once passed the Alpes those of Spoleto and Riete and others came presently and yeelded to the Pope Moreouer those of Didiers owne dominions fell from him by heapes so that he was forced to breake vp the siege Then came Charlemaigne to Rome where he was receiued as the sole author of the life and libertie of the Church the people singing before him by the appointment of Adrian as the children once did at the entrance of our Sauiour into Ierusalem Blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lord Hosanna c. And after some few dayes spent in pompous deuotions Charles was requested to confirme the donation of the Exarchat Romania and la Marche which his father himselfe and his brother Carloman with all the Iudges of France had long before promised at Creci in Fraunce all which he presently accorded giuing ouer and aboue of that which was none of his the Islands of Corsica Sardinia and Sicilie the territorie of the Sabines with the Duchies of Spoleto and Tuscanie which belonged to the Lumbards reseruing alwaies to himselfe the soueraignetie of them And thus came the kingdome of the Lumbards to an end by the practises of the Popes whereas yet their Kings haue this testimonie affoorded them euen by the Historians of their greatest enemies That from the time they receiued the Christian Religion and Catholike Faith they had euer beene great Iusticers and deuoutly giuen witnesse saith Sigonius their good lawes which so seuerely punished thefts robberies rapes murders and adulteries carefully preseruing euerie man in his owne estate goods and libertie witnesse also the sumptuous Temples and ample Monasteries with which they beautified and adorned Italie the faire and goodlie Cities which they either built or repaired the honours they did to holie persons the Lordships and riches which they bestowed vpon the Popes with the great reuerence they vsed towards them insomuch that some of them at the Popes persuasions left Crowne and Kingdome to confine themselues within a cloister But the Popes ambition was great and the Lumbards payed the price of their deuotion towards that See by the finall ruine of their state and kingdome Neither is Onuphrius ashamed to vaunt Onuphr in Constant that Gregorie the second had chased the Emperour out of Italie That Gregorie the third by the helpe of Pepin had begun the warre vpon the Lumbards which being pursued by his successors must needs as it did end in the ruine of that Kingdome And this fell vpon the yeare 773. Where note also An. 773. for the more perfect view of these proceedings that about the yeare 740 the King of West Saxons in England purposing to take the Frocke vpon him first made his realme tributarie to the Pope binding it to pay yerely a pennie for euerie chimney in the land So likewise in the same Island did Offa King of Northumberland vnder Adrian the first The Author setteth downe the cause which was the feare he had to be punished for his sinnes as thinking he should neuer be able to make sufficient satisfaction to God for them though he had alreadie giuen the tenth of all his goods vnlesse he gaue other mens goods also and made the kingdome to beare the penaltie of his offences so well did the inuention of Purgatorie suit alreadie with their ambition But Gregorie the seuenth called Hildebrand Gregor 7. in ep ad Pet. Alban G. Principem Salernitanum would make the world beleeue That Charlemaigne in humble acknowledgement of S. Peters helpe in his victories vpon the Saxons had giuen the countrey of Saxonie as an offering to the Church of Rome and that he commaunded smoake pence to be payed throughout Fraunce vnto the Pope but he alledgeth no author saue onely his pretended Charters by vertue whereof he commaunded Peter Bishop of Alba and G. Prince of Saleme his Legats to make demaund of those said pence in Fraunce But the French euer laughed at such claimes and Charlemaigne was too wise to fall into such a trap About this time also was it that Boniface falsely surnamed the Martyr a great champion of the Popes and Pope himselfe published the Decree Si Papa containing That if the Pope happen to neglect his owne saluation and others c. he euer draweth with him multitudes of soules to hell Distinct 46. A great mischiefe but what remedie for it followeth This no mortall wight may presume to reproue him for his faults because he himselfe iudgeth all men and is iudged of none vnlesse he be found erring in faith Which doctrine once layed for a ground what wonder if Popes haue alwaies run so headlong to all manner of impietie And the better to see how the Apostasie from true doctrine hath alwaies encreased with the Tyrannie of the Papacie we must further note that the most grosse abuses grew vp in this lamentable time We haue said before that Gregorie the first altered the Liturgie of Rome this was now receiued in Italie by the meanes of Adrian the first in Germanie by the diligence of Boniface and in Fraunce by the authoritie of Charles and where euer they found opposition there they brought it in by force and violence The holie Supper was for the most part left off priuat Masses vsed in stead thereof the Sacrament was turned into a Sacrifice and then began the opinion of Transubstantiation to giue it the greater credit Purgatorie also now came to be vndoubtedly beleeued of the common people hence came those multitudes of foundations the Church euer parting stakes in the reuenues Now began men to flocke to Rome in pilgrimage hoping thereby to purchase remission of all their sinnes insomuch that the Bishops and Fathers of Fraunce in the Councell of Tours began to oppose against it Concil Turoni An. 813. sub Charo Magno Concil Nice 2. and to entreat the Emperour to stay the current of this abuse And lastly in the yeare 788 was held that second Councell of Nice called the seuenth Generall Councell vnder Constantine the seuenth and his mother Irene wherein after strong opposition was finally established the adoration of Images Adrian the first there assisting by his Legats whom Irene the Empresse hoped so to satisfie and content by giuing way to this Decree that by his fauour she might once more set foot in Italie OPPOSITION Neither may
Bishop much renowned for his pietie and learning in Bauaria for affirming That there were Antipodes as hee was indeed a man seeme in all sciences especially in the Mathematikes Which Boniface persuaded Zacharie a couple of scholers well met to condemne in him as Heresie and irreligion And thereupon were letters dispatched to Vtilo king of Bauiere to depose him from his charge To conclude this section we may not forget that this Adrian was the first that is said to haue sealed in lead as also that he laid the first stone of that doctrine which since that time hath beene so well practised by his successors to the cost of so many kings and princes Adrian in Epist ad Charo mag de Nicae Synod That if any man hold any Church goods if he refuse to restore them he is an Heretike The verie seed of so many excommunications spoyles and reuolts of subiects from their lawfull Lords and Soueraignes and vnder this colour did he animat Charlemaine against the Emperours of the East and hereupon also Leo the third tooke occasion to crowne him Emperour of the West and if we will beleeue Baronius to translate the Empire vpon him Now from this coronation of Charlemaine at Rome by Pope Leo Baronius after his accustomed boldnesse in this kind draweth in consequence a cruel and a bloudie doctrine wherein all Christian Princes haue their interest namely That the Bishop of Rome hath authoritie and power to translate Empires and kingdomes Baron vol. 9. â—â— 800. art 6 7 8 sequent filling with this argument six or eight pages Leo set the Crowne vpon Charlemaines head We grant what followeth Ergo saith he Leo collated the Empire vpon him translated it from the Greekes to the French did it and had right so to doe What Reader can endure such a non sequitur as this For when the Patriarch of Constantinople was wont to crowne the Emperour or when Archbishops in other places crowne their kings doe they bestow the Empire or kingdome on them or because they are instruments vsed for the performance of this ceremonie doth it implie a power or right in them of conferring kingdomes whether hereditarie or electiue No doubt neither he that did consecrate nor he that was consecrated had euer any such opinion And therefore the Emperors crowned by the Patriarches and Charlemaine by the Pope were neuerthelesse teermed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. crowned of God as appeared in Charles by the acclamation before mentioned of the people made at his coronation Charolo à Deo coronato c. But peraduenture his authorities are better than his reasons All this saith he was according as it is written Dan. 4. The most high ruleth ouer the kingdomes of men and he giueth it to whom it pleaseth him True but how doth he proue that the Pope is God or that the most high hath surrendred his place to him And againe By me kings raigne and by me princes beare rule Prouerb 8. which words Salomon spake of the eternall wisedome of God And where doth he proue that this wisedome was hypostatically and essentially residing in the person of the Pope And yet as if he had deliuered some high point of doctrine Reader saith he consider well this matter c. and what I pray you followeth of this wide gaping but meere gallerie and cogging Secondly Who doubteth saith he but God hath giuen as great authoritie to his Church as heretofore he gaue to the Iewish Synagogues And doe we not for how Samuel translated the kingdome of Saul to Dauid Elias and Eliseus from the house of Achab to the stocke of Iehu Nothing but trickes againe for where readeth he that the Synagogue had euer right to translate the kingdome that euer it did it or medled with it And if the Pope for this purpose will needs be master of the Synagogue and circumcise himselfe yet how wil he proue vnto vs that vnto this decayed Synagogue of the Iewes the Church of Rome hath now succeeded rather than that of Ierusalem of Alexandria or of Antioch or which is more where will he shew vs That God hath spoken to him and giuen him any speciall commaund either by Oracle or by myracle or by any other way Doth he not see that this worke was altogether extraordinarie wherein the High Priest was not vsed but a Prophet and vessell elected of God for this speciall purpose which should not haue beene if the office had beene properly affected to the Synagogue And shall these men be ouer suffered thus to abuse the world Thirdly saith he it was said to Ieremie Ierem. 1. I haue set thee this day ouer nations and kingdomes to plucke vp and to destroy to plant and to build And it was also said by the Prophet Haggei The glorie of this house i. of the second Temple shall bee greater than the glorie of the first And Saint Paul saith If the ministration of condemnation i. the Law was glorious much more shall the ministrie of righteousnesse exceed in glorie meaning the ministrie of justification by faith in Christ Ergo saith Baronius much more hath the Pope power to plucke vp and to pull downe to collate and to translate kingdomes Who can but grind his teeth to heare such prophane abuse and blasphemie of the word of God For was Ieremie either Synogogue or High Priest or was he to denounce and threaten the ruine of the Iewish Estate by the Babylonians as a Priest of Anatoh or as a Prophet and was it not said vnto him when he would haue excused himselfe Ierem. â— 6 9. Before thou camest out of the womb I sanctified thee and ordained thee a Prophet for the nations And did nor the Lord put forth his hand and touch his mouth saying Behold I haue put my words into thy mouth What can Leo and the rest of such companions alledge for themselues like vnto this And last of all doth he make no difference betweene denouncing the judgements of God as they were reuealed vnto him by speciall commaund from him and the intruding himselfe without commission to the deposing of one king and installing of another Ieremie though founded as you see vpon a greater power yet did he presume to depose Sedechias or to annoint Nabuchadnezzer in his roome Saint Ierome truely was of another mind concerning this place of Scripture who expoundeth it by another in the fiue twentieth of the same Prophet where God deliuered to the Prophet a cup to make drunke all nations with the wine of his wrath all which are there specified by their names that is to forwarne them of the plagues which God was redie to powre out vpon them And yet doe we any where find that the Prophet intermedleth with the affaires of those seuerall nations And when Saint Ierome will goe a little farther and allegorise this peece of Scripture he expoundeth these words of planting and pulling vp the one of bad doctrines which
with vs that we will very sufficiently proue that he was lawfully and orderly accused and conuicted To conclude because you haue ouershot your selfe in what is alreadie past we now entreat you for the honour of God and in reuerence to the holie Apostles that from hence forward you send no such mandats either to vs or to our Prelats or to the great men of our kingdome least we be enforced to dishonour them and those which bring them Which we tell you of beforehand for the honour of your priuiledge because we desire to be obedient vnto you in all things that are fitting as vnto the Vicar of Saint Peter But you must also take heed that you driue vs not to take that course which is both approued and commended in the fift generall Councell concerning the Apostolike authoritie and in the Synodall Epistle of Saint Gregorie to the foure Patriarches and the foure precedent Epistles all which treat of the ordering and limiting of Ecclesiasticall powers and jurisdictions which we would not insert into these our letters till we might see whether we may bend you to mitigat the rigour of your commaunds For looke what is sent vnto vs in the name of the See Apostolike according to the holie Scriptures and the preachings of our auncestors and the Decrees of the Orthodox Fathers we know we ought to follow But what euer commeth besides come it from whom it will we know how to reiect and to controll it Last of all if in this answer there be any thing misbeseeming me or you you haue forced me thereunto Such were the letters which passed betweene king Charles the Bauld and Adrian the second though he had giuen him not long before some hope to make him Emperour though any other would giue him bushels of gold Baron vol. 10. an 871. art 79. offering him indeed an Empire but as he did in the desart vpon condition That he would fall down and worship him And this Charles was he which a few yeares before An. 853. first made a breach vpon the liberties of the French Synods when about the yeare 853 hauing held a Synod at Soissons two or three yeares after he sent the Acts thereof to Benedict the third thinking onely to gratifie him and neuer considering vnto what consequence his successors might draw the same Our French Bishops wrot much after the same maner vpon the same argument vnto Adrian being assembled in Synod at Dousy wherein they call him Primae Sedis Papam complaining That they were vtterly mistaken and casting the fault vpon his multitude of other businesses that he had not more maturely considered of their Acts which were in all points agreeing with the holie Canons As for the Excommunication which Adrian thundered out against this Charls we could wish we had his owne Epistle in answer to it but Hincmars the Archbishop of Reimes we haue who receiued command from the Pope to pronounce it and we will here produce the principall clauses thereof And first of all hauing complained of many grieuous reproofes and menaces receiued he declareth vnto him That he had imparted the tenor of his letters to the great ones and Prelats of the kingdome and which was more had caused them to be openly read in an assemblie of Bishops of France and Lorraine and had shewed Lewis king of Germanie the aboue mentioned letter wherein he was commaunded by Adrian to excommunicat by his authoritie all those who attempted any thing vpon the kingdome of Lotharius deceased I vnderstand saith he Qui de regno eius estis that like letters haue beene sent to the glorious king Lewis and to the great ones and Bishops of his kingdome which you who are his naturall borne subiect should best know But comming afterwards to the matter he letteth him to vnderstand That he is informed by diuers that the two kings had agreed to diuide this kingdome equally betweene them without which the people had long ere this beene vp in armes That therefore hee knoweth not what to doe seeing he must either disobey his commaund or disallow of the treatie and accord made betweene the two kings That whereas he saith That no man better than himselfe knoweth the great wrong which Charles doth herein he plainely telleth him That in case he did know yet would hee not thereupon doe any thing seeing that Charles confesseth no such matter of himselfe neither standeth he legally or canonically conuict thereof But rather protesteth and many there are which beare him witnesse That this part of the kingdome of Lorraine was by the consent and assent as well of the Bishops as of the great ones of the Empire giuen him by his father Lewis and confirmed to him by oath by his brother Lotharius That therefore he taketh that Canon of the Councell of Afrike to be spoken to him as well as to all other Bishops whereby men are forbidden to lay a crime to a mans charge which he is not able to euict by proofes because as S. Augustine who was there present saith Manie things are true which yet a Iudge may not beleeue without sufficient proofes That he hath no power to put anie man from the Communion for a crime neither confessed by the defendant nor proued by the informer That otherwise they should make themselues both judges and accusers which were not lawfull alledging for his authoritie the rule of the Apostle and the practise of the Church with sundrie places out of Augustin Gelasius Boniface and others And whereas he is charged by him as a partaker or rather author of this vnjust inuasion because he held his peace and stirred not as he was commaunded his answere is That Adrian should remember that it was written The cause which I vnderstood not I searched out with diligence and that Gregorie sayth That God to whose eyes all things are open yet in the verie case of Sodome sayth Descendum videbo I will goe downe and see to teach vs to be well informed before we beleeue a fault And whereas he commaundeth him to seperate himselfe from Charles and not to bid him so much as Good morrow whereas yet he desireth to be receiued to the Communion of Adrian that this toucheth him to the heart and that manie men of great sort both secular and Clergie now met at Rheimes hauing heard this commaund say that the like was neuer heard of to be sent from Rome though in their dayes there had beene warres before this time not onely betweene confederat Kings but also betweene the brothers and betweene the father and the sonnes That for his owne part he must needs thinke that this displeasure is befallen him for his other sinnes seeing it fareth better with some others who haue not doubted to call Charles into the kingdome of Lorraine That for the rest the Parliament of that kingdome sayth That Popes and Bishops excommunications are no titles to claime kingdomes by That the Scripture teacheth that
by degrees he put off and resigning to the king that which he had receiued from him and deliuering the ensignes of his Priestly dignitie into the hands of the Bishops he recited with his owne mouth the forme of the deposition in the middest of this assemblie according to the example of his predecessor Hebo which was there read word by word and by all the Bishops that were present subscribed all of them saying vnto him Cap. 54.55 according to thy profession and subscription cease from thine office Which being done they discharged the Clergie and people from their oath they had made vnto him that it might be free for euerie man to subiect himself to the authoritie of any other man And here the Synod ended which we haue thought good to repeat the more at large that it might appeare with what grauitie wisedome moderation circumspection our Fathers of France haue proceeded in this businesse all of them with one accord speaking by the mouth of Arnulph Bishop of Orleans and withall what they thought and judged of Rome and the Bishop thereof Sixtly Pope Iohn hereupon waxeth angrie and full of discontent in so much that he threateneth his excommunications against the Kings But Hugh least his competitors should thereby take aduantage sendeth him the whole course of proceeding in writing and withall sends him letters to this effect We know we haue done nothing against your Apostolike See and if you vouchsafe not to giue credit to vs that are absent being present your selfe learne the truth of those that are present Grenoble is a citie situat vpon the confines of Italie and France where the Bishops of Rome were wont to meet the Kings of France If it shall so please you you may doe the like or if it shall content you better to visit vs and ours we will receiue you at the foot of the Alpes with all honour and follow you with all due obseruances both staying here and returning backe This we speake from the bottome of our hearts that you may know and vnderstand that neither we nor any of ours wil refuse your iudgemēt But Iohn resolued rather to send Legats And in the meane time whilest these things were thus delayed Gerbert afterwards Pope Siluester the second writ an Epistle to Siguin Archbishop of Sens who to the Pope seemed to fauour Arnulph the man accused and now condemned Which Epistle was read at the end of this Synod Gerbertus in Epist ad Siguinum Senomens Your wisedome saith he should haue auoided the wilie subtilties of craftie men and haue hearkened to the voyce of the Lord which saith If they shall say vnto you Here is Christ and there is Christ follow them not It is said that he is at Rome who iustifieth that which you condemne and condemnes that which you take to be iust and we say that it is God and not man that condemnes those things that seeme iust and to iustifie that which seemeth euill c. God saith If thy brother haue sinned against thee goe and reproue him c. How then doe these that emulate vs say That in the deposing of Arnulph we were to expect the iudgement of the Bishop of Rome Can they teach vs that the iudgement of the Bishop of Rome is greater than the iudgement of God when the first Bishop of Rome and the Prince of the Apostles tels vs that we must rather obey God than men yea the great Doctor of the world Saint Paul telleth vs That if any man shall preach vnto you any other doctrine than that ye haue receiued though he be an Angell from heauen let him be accursed Thinke you that because Pope Marcelline burnt incens to Idols therefore all the Bishops must doe so too I dare boldly say that if the Bishop of Rome shall sinne against his brother and being often admonished shall refuse to heare the Church this Bishop of Rome I say by the commaundement of God is to be accounted as a Heathen or Publican For by how much higher his degree is by so much greater is his fall And if he shall therefore account vs vnworthie his communion or fellowship because none of vs consent vnto him against the Gospell yet he cannot therefore seperat vs from the Communion of Christ A Priest if by his owne confession or otherwise he be not conuicted cannot be put from his office especially since the Apostle himselfe saith Who shal seperat vs from the loue of Christ Iesus And againe Sure I am that neither life nor death c. The priuiledge then of S. Peter saith Leo the great is not in force wheresoeuer iudgement is not executed according to equitie And therefore we are not to giue occasion to those that emulate vs to thinke that Priesthood that is euerie where one as the Catholike Church is in all places one should in such sort be subiect to one onely man though he be corrupted with money fauour feare or ignorance none may be a Bishop but only he that is commended for such or the like vertues Let the Canon Law of the Catholike Church the Apostles the Prophets the Canons ordained by the spirit of God and consecrated with the reuerence of the whole world the Decrees of the Apostolike See not disagreeing from them c. Fare ye well and depend not vpon holie mysteries But Pope Iohn in the meane time hardly enduring these things appointed a Synod sometimes at Rome sometimes at Aix where our Bishops pretending that they were not bound to goe forth of the realme would not be found at the last at Mouson vpon the borders of France where onely Gerbert whom Hugh had nominated Archbishop of Rheimes appeared and in the presence of Leo Abbot of S. Boniface the Popes Legat many of the Bishops of Germanie and Italie assisting he defended the cause of the Fathers of France in such sort that the Legat durst not proceed any farther before he had consulted with the Pope and therefore referred the determination thereof vnto another Synod at Rheimes but yet in the meane time he forbad Gerbert to vse his Episcopall function who not fearing to answer him to his face told him That it was not in the power of any Bishop Patriarch or Pope to remoue from the communion any of the faithfull who hath not been conuicted or of his owne accord confessed the fact or hath not refused to come vnto the Councell but of all these three was none that might hinder him since he had neither confessed nor was conuicted and had onely amongst all the Bishops of France appeared at this Councell But in the meane time Gerbert went into Germanie to the Emperour Otho the third with whom he had been formerly brought vp who shortly after made him Archbishop of Rauenna perceiuing wel that our kings not yet setled in their new kingdomes nor approued by all did much feare to offend the Pope and indeed he saw that whatsoeuer our Bishops could alledge to the contrarie in the
not beene the custome of the world in our times but these are but small matters in respect of those we shall see if God preuent it not Of Siluester he expresly saith he entred not by the gate but by the posterne like a theefe and robber And yet these were the men that managed the affaires of the Church and therein did beare rule at their owne pleasure euen to the vttermost bounds of the earth yea they disposed of kingdomes and Empires according to their own lusts that that Prophesie might be fulfilled That they should make drunken the kings of the earth with the wine of their cup. And therfore Benedict the ninth according to Glaber was not afraid to make this Decree Glaber l. 1. in fine That no man should be said or held for Emperour but whom the Pope should chuse and for his honestie and sufficiencie should thinke fit for the Commonweale and to whom he had committed the Imperiall Ensigne that is saith the same Author a golden globe or apple which he caused to be made of purpose enriched with many pretious Iewels with a crosse fastened on the top thereof The Empire likewise being vacant by the death of Conrade he offered it by his Legats to Peter king of Hungarie with a Diadem whereon was this inscription Petra dedit Romam Petro tibi Papa Coronam The Rocke gaue Rome to Peter the Pope to thee the Crowne For such Princes as were farthest from them were fittest for their purpose but yet euer with that condition that they should confirme their donations But let vs now see what the Church thought of these confusions OPPOSITION All this we haue learnt from none other but Monkes for they were the onely writers in these times and therefore their testimonie must needs be beyond all exception being taken as it were out of their owne bosome Glaber therefore the Monke of Clugnie An. 1047. and writer of these times in his historie dedicated to Odibo the Abbot brings in the Emperour Henrie the second speaking to the Archbishops and Bishpos assembled together Glaber Hist li. 6. c. 5. in these words All Ecclesiasticall degrees from the Pope to the Porter are oppressed with the price of their owne damnation and in all according to the word of our Sauiour spirituall theft is verie cruell The Author addeth And this iniquitie was not onely sprung vp among the Bishops of France but was farre worse in Italie for all Ecclesiasticall offices were at that time as vendible as other wares in a market place The Bishops astonished and confounded herewith had no other refuge but to his mercie He for their comfort gaue them this answer Glaber li. 5. c. 4. Goe your wayes saith he and what you haue vnlawfully receiued endeuour to vse lawfully and so he made a law for the repressing of such sales Of the See in particular he saith The See of Rome which is held by right to be the vniuersall Church of the whole world had for the space of fiue and twentie yeares beene miserably sicke of this aforesaid pestilent disease for there was chosen to that See an infant of twelue yeares of age against all law and equitie whom gold and siluer had more commended than age or sanctitie of life who as he had an vnhappie entrance so he had a worse departure The foulenesse of his conuersation it is a shame to relate In another place the aforesaid Glaber saith At that time the whole gouernement both of the secular power Glaber li. 4. c. 5. and Ecclesiasticall religion consisted in the person of a child For the sinnes of the people that saying of Salomon was then verified Woe be to the earth For the vniuersall Pope of Rome who was then chosen by the Romans was the nephew of two that were his predecessors Benedict Iohn a child of ten yeares of age and that by the helpe of a great summe of money who being often reiected and dishonestly receiued againe ruled with no power And as wee haue partly touched before the rest of the Prelats of the Church in those times preferred gold and siluer before merit Out and alas of these the Scripture speaketh plainely or rather the mouth of God himselfe Principes extiterunt non cognoui He speaketh likewise of Siluester the third He telleth vs in another place That the auarice of Rome was growne to such a height that it contended with ambition in such sort that about the yeare 1024 certaine Legats being come from the See of Constantinople to Rome An. 1024. with wonderfull rich presents as well of the Emperour Basilius as the Patriarches to intreat that by the consent of the Pope the Church of Constantinople might be taken for the vniuersall Church of the East as the Roman of the West there wanted but little but that Iohn the one and twentieth had yeelded thereunto And the Greekes saith the Author Glaber li. 4 c 1. with a dagger of gold had broken a wall of yron For he addeth That though auarice for a time might be called the Queene of the whole world yet she had placed at Rome her insaciable couch for they had no sooner seene the glorious lustre of those riches the Greekes brought vnto them but their hearts were wholly bent to deuise new fraudes and deuises how they might priuily yeeld vnto that that they desired But the businesse being come to the cares of diuers who opposed themselues against it the Greekes departed not doing any thing William an Englishman and Monke of Malmesburie sets before our eyes how bad the state of all things was at Rome in these times speaking thereof as of a publike robberie What shall I say saith he of that citie that was heretofore the habitation of sanctitie Willielm Malmesb l. 2. de Gestis Regum Anglor It is now the place where theeues robbers walke in open market place a wicked and a craftie generation If any man come to Rome euen with the danger of his life to visit the Churches of the Apostles he falls into the hands of these kind of people and seldome or neuer returnes without the losse either of his goods or his life Vpon the bodies of the holie Apostles and Martyres vpon the holie Altars swords are drawne and oblations are no sooner offered but their hands are vpon them who take and spend them in banqueting with their whores Such a tempest of euills troubled the Popedome of Gregorie which could not be remedied with Excommunications the Cardinals themselues withstanding him the whole time of his abode in that See Fasciculus Temporum Rolwinck in his Fasciculus Temporum speakes of the pluralitie of benefices which in those times grew to be verie common and so continued afterwards Of the lamentable ambition and simonie of the Prelats notwithstanding there were found many writings of the Fathers that bewrayed how much they had in detestation these abuses Note also that there were some poore Clergie men
herein than the rest That oath which he made Richard Prince of Capua to take Gregor 7. in Epist post 21. l. 1. l. 8. post Epist 10. is verie notable I Richard by the grace of God and Saint Peter Prince of Capua by what diuinitie doth he couple the creature and the Creator together from this houre and euer hereafter will be faithfull to the holie Church of Rome and to the Apostolike See and to thee a helper to hold obtaine and defend the royalties of Saint Peter and his possessions with a true faith against all men and I will giue my best assistance that thou maist securely and honourably hold the Popedome of Rome and the dominions of S. Peter These clauses according to his owne interpretation goe farre And I will neither seeke to inuade or obtaine thy principalities nor presume to rob or wast them without the leaue and licence of thee and thy successors that to the honor of S. Peter shall enter What other words could he vse to a captaine of theeues But to King Henrie when I shall be admonished by thee or thy successors I will sweare alleageance reseruing still my fidelitie to the holie Church of Rome These things fell out about the yeare 1073. And the same oath tooke Robert for Apulia and Calabria doing his homage Gregor l. 2. Epist 71. And if we may beleeue the Epistle of Gregorie the seuenth in the yeare 1073 there came to Rome in pilgrimage the sonne of Demetrius king of Russia whom he inuested into his kingdome in the name of S. Peter Vndoubtedly affirming that this his petition should be ratified and confirmed by the consent of his father if he should possesse his kingdome by the gift of the See of Rome Thus abusing as it appeareth by the stile the sottish deuotion of this young man In like manner in the yeare 1081 was the Earle Bernard besotted who gaue for the remission of his sinnes the earldome of Prouence As for the donation of the Countesse Mathilda we shall speake thereof in his due place But it is worthie the consideration from what ground it should arise that he writes to Philip K. of France daring to promise him remission of his sinnes if he would take part with him We will An. 1080. saith he and in the name of the Apostle we commaund that thou hinder not in any sort that election which the people and Clergie of the Church of Rheimes are to make whereby it may be thought lesse canonicall but if any man shall goe about by any endeuor whatsoeuer to hinder it thou shalt giue thy best helpe to withstand him Goe forward therefore that we may not be thought in vaine to haue spared the sinnes of thy youth and to haue expected thy amendment but especially endeuour to make S. Peter thy debtor that is Hildebrand who makes himselfe Peters successor in whose power is thy kingdome and thy soule who can bind and loosse thee in heauen and in earth by which thy diligence and execution of iustice thou maiest deserue his eternall grace and fauour Here I may aske who discernes not the voyce of the diuell tempting our Sauiour in the Gospell But the Aphorismes which they call the Popes Dictats published by him about the yeare 1076 lay him open to the view of euerie man That the Church of Rome hath no other foundation but from God Why then alledge they Peter That the Bishop of Rome onely is by right called Vniuersall and therefore he alone hath right according to S. Gregorie the Great to be either the forerunner of Antichrist or Antichrist himselfe That he alone may depose and restore Bishops what then shall we say of so many Bishops that in the Church for so many yeares and ages in so many countries haue beene lawfully by good and worthie lawes without any respect of him nay in despight of him placed and displaced That his Legat though otherwise inferiour in degree must take place aboue all other Bishops in Councels and may denounce the sentence of deposition against them The reuerend generall Councels therefore in which diuers Bishops haue beene Presidents and taken the vpper place and pronounced sentence in the presence of his Legats yea many times against them too whither are they now gone That the Pope may depose such as are absent And this saith Baronius is to cut off occasions and excuses from our aduersaries yea the Emperor himselfe who being absent he had excommunicated why then doe they so much wonder that he should vse the same law against him That we must not remaine in the same house with such as he hath excōmunicated What is this but like the Pagan high Priests to interdict fire and water Greg. l. 2. Epist 37. But how happie is it for Christendome that few beleeue it To conclude That it is lawfull for him onely according to the necessitie of the time to make new lawes to ordaine colonies of a religious house to make an Abbie and contrarily to diuide a rich Bishopricke and to vnite the poorer That he onely may vse the Imperiall ensignes That all Princes are to kisse the feet of the Pope onely That his name onely is to be recited in Churches That no generall Synod is to be called without his commaund That no booke may be accounted canonicall without his authoritie That all causes of greatest importance of what Church soeuer must be referred to him That he may absolue subiects of their allegeance towards their Prince That he can iudge of all men and no man can iudge of him And all this because the Church of Rome hath neuer erred nor as the Scripture witnesseth shall euer erre That the Pope of Rome if he be canonically ordained is vndoubtedly made holy by the merits of S. Peter That there is but one onely name in the world that is the Pope he had almost said that which the Apostle speaks of our Sauiour A name aboue euery name Phil. 2.9 Acts 12.4 the onely name vnder heauen whereby we must be saued Now gentle Reader what doest thou expect but that ouer and aboue all this he should adde Because the Pope is Christ he is Antichrist himselfe But before we come to the chiefe Oppositions we are to note some particular things not to be contemned Leo the ninth saith the Abbot of Vrsperg being at Menze and the Archbishop himselfe celebrating Masse An. 1052. it fell out that a certaine Deacon called Hunibert read a lesson that made not for the Pope Leo being admonished hereof by one of his friends commaunded him twice or thrice to bee silent who neuerthelesse proceeded The lesson being ended he called him before him and presently degraded him Wherewith the Archbishop being offended and much moued protested That neither he nor any man else should end the seruice at that time except his Deacon were restored vnto him in the same state he was in before in so much that the Pope to satisfie
attempts his fortitude in the middest of dangers his incredible courage patience in labours counsell answerable to his magnanimitie and his diligence as farre forth as his age is capable in militarie affaires his knowledge of diuine and humane lawes an euerlasting desire of peace care of religion bountie towards the poore clemencie towards the vanquished benignitie towards his friends beneuolence towards souldiers in all which he hath excelled all the German and Roman Princes that euer were And if he had beene a wicked tyran yet it had beene our dueties to haue obeyed him not to rebell against him and all humane lawes and the decrees of our forefathers doe forbid a mans aduersaries his enemies to be his accusers witnesses and Iudges The Emperour made peace with Hildebrand in Italie whilest by the perfidious treacherie of a few Saxonie fell from him A traiterous tyran who receiued due punishment for his treacherie contemning all oathes and promises and all affinitie and kindred inuaded him At the last he concludeth No man may proceed or pronounce sentence against a man that is depriued vntill he be restored to his former estate See the booke and read the law and so he deliuered it to Wesilus Archbishop of Mence Guebhard Bishop of Saltzbourge being for his age eloquence and learning chosen Prolocutor by the Bishops that tooke part with Hildebrand was mute and answered not a word From that time forward many of the Bishops and Princes of Saxonie abiure the sect of Hildebrand that name they retained in the time of Vrban and repenting themselues of what they had done came to the Emperour Onely foureteene persist obstinat therein who being assigned to appeare the moneth following at Mence at their day of appearance came not There the rest of the Bishops of Germanie being present with the Legats of the Bishops of France and Italie by the common consent of all the sect of Hildebrand is judged to be contrarie to Christian pietie Otho called Vrban being conuicted of sacriledge and irreligion was excommunicated and those foureteene being condemned of rebellion periurie murder were deposed Moreouer Historiographers doe obserue that in one yeare all the Bishops and Princes died that had kindled those ciuile warres wherewith the whole Empire for the space of seuenteene yeares had beene set on fire and they recite them by name which was in the yeare 1090. An. 1090. Waltram in Epist ad Ludouic Comitem It was at this time that Waltram Bishop of Magdeburge writ an Epistle to the Earle Lodowick whom hee calls a glorious Prince wherein he proues out of the Scriptures that obedience is due to lawfull Kings and Princes to the end he might arme him against the imposters of that age who to women and the vulgar sort of people preached contrary doctrines setting likewise before his eyes the judgements of God vpon Rodolph Hildebrand the Marquesse Egbert and diuers other Princes who bare armes for the Pope against the Emperour Sigebert in Chron. At which time likewise Sigebert speaking of Vrban chosen against Clement and of those things that followed thereupon From hence saith he grew scandalls in the Church and diuisions in the State the one disagreeing from the other the Kingdom from the Priesthood one excommunicating another the one contemning the excommunications of the other either out of a preiudicat opinion of the cause or the person and whilest the one abuseth the authoritie of excommunicating against the other by doing it rather according to his owne lusts than with any respect of iustice he that gaue the power of binding and loossing is altogether contemned Doubtlesse this noueltie that I may not say heresie did not till now appeare in the world That his Priests who causeth the hypocrite to raigne for the sinnes of the people should teach the people That they owe no subiection to wicked Kings and though by oath they bind themselues vnto him yet they owe him no fidelitie neither are they to be accounted periured persons who resist the King but rather to be accounted an excommunicat person that obeyes the King and that man to be absolued from all iniustice and periurie that opposeth himselfe against him Others speake more confidently Then did there arise false Prophets Apostles Priests who deceiued the people with a false religion doing great signes and wonders and of some he makes instance who began to sit in the Temple of God and to be extolled aboue all that is worshipped and whilest they goe about to establish their owne power they extinguish all charitie and Christian simplicitie c. As if the decree of the immortall God kept not alwayes one course That no periured persons shall inherit the kingdome of heauen The most part of the best sort of men such as were iust and honest and ingenuous and simple haue left in writing That at that time they foresaw the Empire of Antichrist to be beginning and those things to come to passe that our Sauiour Christ Iesus had long before foretold Sigebert and Auentine after diuers others doe note Auent l. 5. That the prodigious wonders that were obserued in those times did astonish the minds of most men The heauens saith he seene many times to burne the Sunne and Moone to lose their light the starres to fall from heauen to the earth burning torches fierie darts flying through the ayre new starres neuer seene before Sigebert in Chron. Auent l. 5. pitched pauillions and armies in the ayre encountring one another and innumerable the like whereby the people were confirmed in their opininion But especially when they saw the sonne to conspire against the state and life of his father Conrade against Henrie who had appointed him to be his successor An. 1095. and that by the persuasion compulsion and approbation of Pope Vrban instigated or rather bewitched by the cunning of Mathilda his father in the meane time leauing nothing vndone that might regaine him to his duetie obedience who preuailing nothing by his just gentle exhortations was enforced in the Councels and solemne assemblies of the Empire to beg vengeance from heauen and earth euen with teares in his eyes All this in the meane time was couered vnder a pretence of that sacred and plausible expedition to Hierusalem the mysterie whereof William of Malmesburie opened before vnto vs That by that meanes Vrban might recouer his authoritie at Rome or rather diuert the minds of men imployed about remote affaires from those more necessarie businesses that touched them more neerely at home That whilest they bended all their endeuors abroad to persecute the Infidels they might neglect Antichrist freely wasting all at home in the Church Neither wanted he in that impure and darke world a bait whereby to win and allure the simple people to that war which was an absolute absolution from all their sinnes without any penance What greater encitement could there be to men who were to inuade a countrey wherein all things were left to the
Decree they degrade him and put his sonne into his place The circumstances are set downe by Krantzius and Helmoldus Helmold l. 1. cap. 32. Krantzius l. 5. ca. 20. in Saxon. which let not the Reader thinke tedious to read The Bishops saith he of Mence Cologne and Wormes were commaunded to goe vnto him and to bring from him howsoeuer vnwilling the Imperiall Ensignes the Crosse Scepter Halberd Kingdome sword and Crowne but the Emperour enquiring the cause thereof they answere him That he committed Symonie in conferring of Bishoprickes and Abbies To whom the Emperour replied Tell me yee Bishops of Mence and Cologne by the name of the eternall God what I haue receiued from you they answered Nothing Glorie to God on high saith the Emperour that in this point we are found faithfull doubtlesse your great dignities might haue brought great gaine into our Chamber if we had sought after it my Lord of Wormes knowes we are not ignorant whether freely or for gaine we receiued him My good fathers violate not your faiths we now wax old haue patience a little and end not our glorie with confusion we require a generall Court If we must yeeld we will deliuer our Crowne to our sonne with our owne hands But they making offer to inforce him he retired himselfe a little and putting on his Imperiall ensignes and returning vnto them The goodnes of the eternal God saith he the election of the Princes gaue them vnto me God is able to preserue them vnto me and to withhold your hands from this your enterprise although we want our forces to defend vs not doubting of any such violence But yet let the feare of God bridle you since pietie cannot and if neither of them will behold here am I vnable to withstand your force Hereupon the Bishops paused a while but at the last the one encouraging the other they went to the Emperor tooke the Crown from his head and taking him out of his seat spoyled him of all his royall robes The Emperour fetching a deepe sigh spake in this manner The God of vengeance behold and reuenge this iniquitie you commit against me I suffer an ignominie the like whereof was neuer heard of before but it is God the iust Iudge that punisheth me for the sinnes of my youth But yet you are not free from this offence because you haue broken your oaths and therefore you shall not auoyd the reuenge of a iust Iudge God neuer prosper you vpon the earth but let your portion be with him that betrayed Christ This saith Krantzius is the narration of our Annales And Sigonius describes this matter almost in the same words Sigon l. 9. de regno Italia By which narration it plainely appeareth that this poore Emperour was not deposed because he had inuested Bishops for money which they of their owne accords acknowledge but purely and simply because according to the antient laws of his predecessors he did inuest them which the Synod calleth the Henrician heresie or of Guibert alias Clement 3 the Guibertine by which account all Princes were in those dayes heretikes But so farforth did the crueltie of Paschal extend Krantz Saxon. l. 5. cap. 21. Henric. Herford cap. 68. that he caused all that were inuested by Henrie to be digged out of their graues sixe yeares after their death but he demanding penance of the Legats is proudly reiected vntill he did humbly submit himselfe to Paschal But Paschal euerie thing thus falling out according to his owne mind by an honorable embassage is entreated to come into Germanie whilest the Emperour being depriued of his Kingdome is left to lead a priuat life in the Castle of Ingelheim But yet shortly after by the helpe of some of his friends he retireth himselfe into Cologne and being conducted by the Citizens to Liege he was honorably receyued by Othbert Bishop of that place and Henrie Duke of Lorraine And from thence hee dispatched Orators to all Christian Princes especially Philip the first King of Fraunce to lay open vnto them this miserable tragedie But his sonne pursueth him euen to that place notwithstanding those protestations he made that he only fought some little place of rest where he might end his life And at the last by his indeauours he brought it to passe that he got him againe by force into his power where his estate was such at the last that he intreated the Bishop of Spire sometimes his deare friend and aduaunced by him to giue him a place where he might liue as a Clerke in the Church of S. Maries which he had founded which was cruelly denied him And so a few dayes after being ouercome with griefe he dyed And that it might appeare that the impietie of his sonne had not altogether extinguished his loue and pietie towards him he sends vnto him for his last present testimonie of his fatherlie loue his Seale-ring and his sword who neuerthelesse in fauour of the Pope Auent l. 5. Annaliū Boior Helmold l. 1. cap. 33. and to expresse his obedience towards him kept his father for fiue yeares together vnburied in a solitarie Chappell of the house Here saith Helmoldus the Historiographer He was verie good to those Churches which he found to be faithfull vnto him but as for Gregorie and others who lay in ambush against his honour as they endeauoured the worst they could against him so he the like against them extreame necessitie as many affirme enforced him thereunto for who would willingly endure the least losse of honour We read of many that haue sinned who haue beene relieued by repentance Dauid sinning and repenting continued a King and a Prophet But King Henrie casting himselfe downe at the Popes feet praying and repenting is trodden vnder foot and could not obtaine that in the time of grace that Dauid obtayned in the time of the Law But let those dispute hereof that dare or know these things This only one thing we may know that the See of Rome at this day rues that fact For as many as since that time haue raigned of that stocke haue vsed their best endeauours to humble the Churches least they should gather strength against Kings and attempt as much against them as they haue done against their forefathers But Henrie the junior raigned for his father and there was peace betweene the Kingdome and the Priesthood but yet not long For neither did he prosper being all his life time ensnared as his father was by the Apostolike See And he was a Priest that here speaketh This Henrie according to most writers was called the fourth we following Onuphrius and Sigonius make him the third All this happened from the yeare 1099 to 1106. An. 1106. But let vs not forget an Epistle of this Paschal writ to the Archbishop of Polonia at the entrance of this age An. 1102. about the allegation of Councels Pascha l. Epist ad Archiep. Poloniae As if saith he any Councels may
of sheepe Thinke you S. Peter did thus or S. Paule played thus Thou seest that all Ecclesiasticall zeale is feruent for the keeping onely of dignitie All is giuen to honour little or nothing to sanctitie If the cause so requiring you endeauor to beare yourselfe a little more humble and sociable Far be it say they it becommeth not it fitteth not the time it agreeth not with Maiestie consider what person thou bearest Of pleasing God is the thing they last of all speake with the losse of soules they trouble not themselues vnlesse we call that salutaris that is high that iust that sauoureth of glorie c. The feare of the Lord is counted simplicitie that I say not foolishnesse What then wilt thou doe c I know where thou dwellest vnbeleeuers and subuerters are with thee Wolues they are and not sheep yet of such art thou Pastour It is good to consider how if it be possible thou mayest conuert them least they subuert thee c. Here here I spare thee not to the end that God may spare thee Eyther denie thy selfe a Pastour to this people or shew thy selfe one Thou wilt not denie it least thou shouldest denie thy selfe to be heire of him whose seat thou holdest It is that S. Peter who was neuer knowne to haue gone adorned with precious stones or with silkes nor couered with gold nor carried on a white horse accompanied with souldiers and a troupe of seruants making a noyse about him Yet without these things he beleeued he might sufficiently fulfill that wholesome commission If thou loue me feed my sheepe In these things thou hast succeeded not Peter but Constantine Though thou goe in purple and gold yet thou shouldest not neglect thy Pastorall worke or charge thou shouldest not be ashamed of the Gospell Howbeit if willingly thou preach the Gospell thou hast glorie among the Apostles To preach the Gospell is to feed doe thou the worke of an Euangelist and thou fulfillest the worke of a Pastour Yea say you thou warnest me to feed Dragons and Scorpions not sheepe Euen for that I say so much the rather vndertake it but with the word not with the sword And hence he enlargeth himselfe seriously to shew vnto him of what weight and moment is the charge that hee pretendeth how largely the same is extended and that if he will well discharge his duetie he hath a greater burthen vpon him than can euer be well home Therefore it better stood with wisedome that he should renounce all other affaires and namely secular which haue their Iudges the Princes and Magistrats of the earth there being no need he should thrust his sickle into other mens haruest A lesson truely far different from that of the Palatines so call they them of the Court of Rome Seeing then neuerthelesse Eugenius sticketh in the mud being so mightily adiured by Bernard and leaueth the true inheritance of Saint Peter for that of Constantine of feeding sheep for to deuoure the world what iudgement hereupon might Saint Bernard make or what might he leaue for vs to make but euen this that this is the second beast that hath taken as S. Iohn had prophecied the place of the first and vnder the name of the seat of S. Peter hath inuaded the throne of Constantine hath changed his sheepe-hooke into his Scepter vnder pretext of the Church of Christ hath stollen into the temporal Monarchie that kingdome which the Apostle had foretold should perish before the man of sinne were reuealed to build vp his ruines and which now sheweth it selfe reuiued and renewed For in many of his Epistles he leaueth vnto vs traces whereby it appeareth that Eugenius was not bettered by his admonitions Whence he oftentimes sayd Ego liberaui animam meam I haue deliuered my soule and discharged my conscience c. But in one Epistle he telleth vs Bernard Epist 125. that the Beast mentioned in the Reuelation to whom is giuen a mouth speaking blasphemies and to make war with the Saints occupieth the Chaire of S. Peter as a Lion prepared for the prey If they will needs haue it that he speaketh of an Anti-Pope yet doth it not remaine firme out of this verie place that it is possible that Antichrist should sit at Rome and hold the Chaire of S. Peter and that S. Bernard hath so beleeued and thought How far is this from the Doctors of these dayes which suppose he is to be exepcted out of Babylon Neither is it hereto be omitted that when by the diligence of good S. Bernard our French Church had held a famous Councell at Poitiers to reduce into a better life by authoritie thereof one Gilbert Porretan Bishop of that place holding an ill opinion concerning the Trinitie and there had conceiued in a certaine writing what ought to be held and beleeued concerning that point the consistorie of Cardinals beeing greatly moued thereat came thus to reproch the same to Pope Eugenius Otho Frisingen de gestis Frederic 1. l. 1. c. 57. What hath that thy Abbot done and with him the French Church with what impudencie haue they dared to erect their heads against the Primacie of the See of Rome For it is this alone that shutteth and no man openeth openeth and no man shutteth Shee alone can discusse of the Catholike faith and in her absence may suffer preiudice of none in this singular honour Surely if the same had beene done in the East as in Alexandria or Antioch before all the Patriarkes yet were their authoritie of no force without ours for to define any thing that might hold firme and stable c. At length Eugenius was brought by them to that passe that he earnestly resolued without delay to punish so great a rebellion and noueltie Insomuch that S. Bernard is constrayned to go to Rome with great submission to purge himselfe And the Symbole of the French Church though it were good and approued of all good men was accounted for none So hard a matter it was at that time to doe well and to please them both together Otho of Frisinghe noteth that S. Bernard disputing with that Gilbert had vttered some words that might displease the Cardinalls whereupon Gilbert had sayd Et hoc scribatur let this also bee written S. Bernard replied Yea and with an yron stile and nayle of Adamant And this perhaps did sting them Petrus venerabilis Abbas Cluniacens 16. Epist 47. Peter Abbot of Clugni who liued in these times could neuer satisfie himselfe with praysing Pope Eugenius especially in his seuen and fortieth Epistle of the sixt Booke of S. Bernard in which neuerthelesse hee ingeniously saith But some man may say the Church hath no sword Christ hath taken it away when he said to Peter Put vp thy sword into the scaberd whosoeuer smiteth with the sword shal perish with the sword Verum est inquam verum est It is true I say it is true The Church hath not the sword of a King but
doing something won the Kings heart with many persuasions to intreat the Pope to come againe into the campe and comming againe he receiued him integrato officio with intire duetie that is hee held his right stirrop Otho Frising de gestis Frederici l. 2. c. 20. But whilest they all reioyced at it thinking all matters well Adrian saith vnto them There remaineth yet one thing for your Prince to doe hee must conquer Apulia for Saint Peter which William of Sicilia possesseth by force and that done let him come to vs to be crowned And verie hardly obtained they of him to deferre this conquest till after his coronation The Acts of the Vatican produced by Baronius Baron an 1155 art 8. sequēt doe onely say That Frederick refused to hold the stirrop in the end was brought to doe it stregulam say they fortiter tenuit that otherwise Adrian would not receiue his kisse Yet this is the Adrian that said To couet the Popedome is not to succeed S. Peter in feeding the sheepe but Romulus in committing paricides because a man cannot attaine thereto without shedding the bloud of his brethren and now he is entred is as hot in the businesse as any of the rest Anton. ex Ioh. Sarisbur Halinando Part. 2. Tit. 17. c. 1. § 9. Now Frederick at the last hauing recouered his good fauour Arnold was apprehended in Tuscan by the seruants of Adrian and deliuered vnto him and was condemned vnder pretence of heresie and burned aliue and his ashes cast into the riuer Tiber. But when Frederick returned into Germanie either because of the hot season of the Canicular dayes which the Germans could not well endure or for the cold satisfaction he had receiued from Adrian or some other affaires calling him backe thither Adrian in his absence made so good vse of his opportunitie that William Duke of Calabria and King of Sicilia who had vndertaken the inuestitures of Bishops in his lands by the rebellion that he stirred vp of the Lords his subiects against him is constrained to fall downe at his feet to obtaine pardon and to acknowledge himselfe his liege vassall And so this successe besides his naturall disposition raised vp his heat against Frederick vpon the first occasion offered A Bishop of London then was taken by robbers in Germanie and it seemed vnto Adrian that Frederick stirred not in it as he ought who in the meane time was at Bezanson in Bourgondie whither he was come to marie Beatrice the Earls daughter He sendeth to him his Legats the Cardinall Rowland Bernard with his letters of complaint or rather of reproach for that he ill remembred saith he Radcuicus Canonic Frising l. 1. c. 10. Sigon de regno Jtal. l. 12. Quanto studio Imperialis Coronae insigne tibi contulerimus With what affection we haue giuen him the Imperiall Crowne beneficia and the good turnes or rather benefits Thus saith mildly Sigonius But Radeuicus an Author of that time Canon of Frisingen produceth a copie of the letters in rougher tearmes Remember thou Quantam tibi dignitatis plenitudinem honoris contulit mater tua Romana Ecclesia What ample dignitie the Church of Rome hath bestowed vpon thee and that thou hast receiued from her hand maiora beneficia the greatest benefits that might be Clauses which properly offended the Princes as if the Pope should haue said That the Emperour held the Empire by homage of him and that the Empire were his fee. And so much the more saith Radeuicus did they hold themselues to the strict interpretation of his words because they knew that the Romans rashly affirmed That the Empire of the citie and the realme of Italie had not beene possessed till then by our Kings but of the donation of Popes Which they were not content onely to say but represented in writings and pictures and so conueyed to posteritie Insomuch saith he that there was written ouer a certaine picture of the Emperour Lotharius which was set vp at the Palace of Lateran Rex venit ante fores iurans prius vrbis honores Post homo fit Papae sumit quo dante Coronam The King before his gates doth come which sweares first to the towne Whom both the Pope his seruant makes and after him doth crowne That after he had taken his oath he was made the Popes seruant and receiued the Crowne in gift of him When Frederick was told of this picture being then about Rome he complained thereof to Adrian who promised him to cause both the writing and picture to bee taken away least so vaine a thing should giue matter of strife and discord betweene two the greatest persons in the world And indeed that such was the meaning of Adrian appeareth by his owne letters to Arnulph Archbishop of Mence Fredericke of Cologne and Hillin of Treuers in these words Auent l. 6. The Roman Empire was translated from the Greekes to the Germans so as that their King was not called Emperour till after he was crowned by the Pope Before the consecration he is King after he is Emperour Whence hath he then the Empire but from vs From the election of his Princes he hath the name of King from our consecration the name of Emperour of Augustus and Caesar From vs then he hath the Empire Call to mind antiquitie Zacharie aduanced Charls and gaue him a great name that he might be Emperor to the end that frō thenceforth for euer the king of Germanie might be an Aduocat of the Apostolike See that Apulia by him reduced might be subiect to the Bishop of Rome which is ours with the citie of Rome and not the Emperours For Rome is our seat the seat of the Emperour is Aix in Ardenna All that the Emperor hath he holdeth of vs. As Zacharie translated the Empire of the Greeks to the Germans so may we from the Germans to the Greekes Behold it is in our power to giue it to whom we will and for this are we established of God ouer nations and ouer kingdomes for to destroy and plucke vp to build and to plant c. Thus you see the enterprise of Adrian it remaineth for vs to shew what Frederick doth thereupon without forgetting by the way that this is that Adrian who writing to Henrie King of England Adrian Epist ad Regem Angliae Henr. apud Matth. Westmonaster was not ashamed to say That Ireland and all islands on which Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse hath shone by right appertaine to Saint Peter and to the Church of Rome Therefore that he should honourably receiue him thither without preiudice of the said rights and namely pay him a penie pention by the yeare for euerie houshold OPPOSITION Krantz l. 6. c. 35 So soone as Frederick had seene that picture of Lotharius doing homage hee suddenly turned away his sight and fretted at it without speaking a word for there was Innocent the second sitting in his Pontificall chaire
commended by all Histories for his pietie vertue clemencie forgetfulnesse of all iniuries whereby he left a desire in all men of his continuance yet no man euer endured greater more vnjust dealings by the Popes Through his death arose many molestations to his son Henrie as well in Germanie as in Italie But the thing that most troubled him was to get into his possession the kingdome of Sicilie in the right of Constance his wife by the death of William the which Pope Clement for want of an heire male challenged to belong to the church and had sent his forces to inuade it if the States and gouernours thereof had not opposed against him one Tancred the Bastard son of Roger by which meanes the inuasion of Clement being delayed Henrie had the better opportunitie to prouide for himself Thus did he obserue the promise made by his predecessor to those that went into the holie Land to defend and protect their estates and rights in that state they should leaue them Platina in Clement 3. Frederic being dead in this expedition his sonne Henrie besides the griefe for the losse of his father through so extraordinarie and vnexpected an accident was no lesse diuersly disquieted and disturbed in the kingdome of Germanie But Clement while he was endeauouring to put by Henrie from the imperiall Diademe died in Aprill in the yeare 1191 whom Cardinall Iacynthus succeeded a Citizen in Rome and was called Celestine the third By this change Henrie sped the better and with all diligence came to Rome where he was crowned by Celestine whom hee had before bound vnto him Naucler vol. 2. Gener. 40. by restoring into his hands the citie of Tusculus which had been deliuered into his protection a meanes for Celestine to gratifie the Romans because that for the space of 50 yeares before it had beene either the cause or pretence of many dissentions and brawles betweene them and the Popes Vignier ex Chron. Germā manuscr Baro an 1191. Sect 1. 10. ex Rogero authore Coaetaneo parte posteriore in Richardo primo But as soone as hee had restored it vnto them hee refrained not any kind of crueltie that he might practise against those miserable people But the manner of his coronation is worthie to bee noted After the Emperour had taken his oath to defend the Church and the patrimonie of Saint Peter and to restore whatsoeuer belonged to the Church whole and entire if any thing were withheld or detayned from it the Emperour and the Empresse are brought into the Church by the Pope and Masse being solemnely celebrated by him he annoynteth first the Emperour with words instituted to that purpose and afterward the Empresse Then sitting downe in his pontificall Chaire holdeth the imperiall Crowne betweene his feet and the Emperour bowing downe his head and likewise the Empresse receiue it from his feet And after this immediatly the Pope striking the Crowne with his foot kickes it from his head to the ground in token hee hath power if his merits so deserue to depose him then the Cardinals standing round about receiue the same Crowne and reuerently puts it vpon the heads of the Emperour and the Empresse Baronius himselfe is the Author and likewise Ranulph in the same words Ranulph in Polycr l. 7. ca. 26. Thus this proud mysterie did still rise by degrees Now by the death of the Bastard Tancred it was the easier for Henrie to make his peace with the kingdome of Sicilia But Celestine was now readie to excommunicate Henrie and also his brother Philip if his death had not preuented it by an auntient pretence wherby he had vsurped the possessions of the Countesse Mathilda though before to the end that Henrie should ruinate and destroy Tancred whom hee saw now established by the States hee had inuested the sayd Henrie into these dominions as his feudatarie But Henrie dying in the yeare 1197 left onely a sonne by Constance his wife of the age of one yeare and the troubles that euerie-where rise about the succession gaue Celestine meanes or rather a fit opportunitie to his successour Innocent the third to doe whatsoeuer they would in prejudice of the Empire For as Philip the brother of Henrie and Otho Duke of Saxonie striued for the Kingdome of Germanie Innocent taking an oath of faithfull homage of the Gouernour of the Citie of Rome inuadeth the Dukedome of Tuscane which Henrie had giuen to Philip his brother and sending to the Bishoppes of Germanie commaundeth them to deliuer the hostages which Henrie had brought out of Sicilia with him namely Sibilla the widow of Tancred his children and the Archbishoppe of Salerne Butt if Vezilus de Berco their keeper should refuse to deliuer them then they should excommunicate him by which meanes he seemed to haue composed the businesse of Sicilia to his owne desires The verie same way partly by force and partly by excommunication hee chased away Marcoaldus out of Romania and Conradus out of the Dukedome of Spoleto whom Henrie had inuested and interdicted all the Cities that any whit fauoured them and strengthened and confirmed the Cities of Lombardie in their societie to remayne free in such sort that the Emperours who afterward came into Italie found they had no authoritie left vnto them Furthermore hee enforced Constantia the widow of Henrie to take an oath to hold of him and his successours in homage Apulia and Calabria paying yearely sixe hundred squifats and for the Countrie of Mercia foure hundred vpon condition that her sonne comming to age shall take the same oath And as Constancia not long after chaunced to dye hee tooke vpon him to bee the Tutor and Gardian of the child who was Frederic the second and by these cunning sleights hath made himselfe Arbiter of the Kingdome Againe in Germanie he refused the election of Philip brother of Henrie as excommunicated by him and approued that of Otho Duke of Saxonie thereby taking from his pupill the support and helpe of the Vncle neither doth hee dissemble it that what hee did was in hatred of his predecesours who had opposed themselues against due See of Rome that is to say for defending the rights of their Empire And here the Reader may see the care they had of the affaires of the East that whilest they were bent wholly to the care of themselues all things went to ruine And here we make an end of the twelfth age OPPOSITION I willingly omit those frequent contentions betweene the Emperours and the Popes in these times contenting my selfe to haue noted here what the better sort haue thought of the Church of Rome Clement the third solicited the kings of Fraunce and England to the voyage of the holie Land who for the differences that grew betweene them thought it not fit and conuenient for them to go forward into a strange Countrie vnlesse the cause of the discord were first taken away and it seemed to Clement that Philip the second our king was
the cause to delay and prolong it whereupon he threatned to excommunicat him and to interdict his Realme Mat. Paris in Richardo if he did not the sooner agree Mathew Paris the author of the English Historie saith he made him this answer That he nothing feared his sentence as being vpheld with no equitie he addeth that it belongeth not to the church of Rome to punish by sentence any King especially of France if the sayd King be disposed to reuenge himselfe vpon his ill deseruing vntamed people and rebellious to his Kingdome He addeth moreouer that the Cardinal of Anagne his Legat had smelt the sterlings of the King of England by whose odour beeing attracted according to the fashion of the Romans he became more fauourable to him and therefore had the more reason to suspect him to be his iudge Moreouer the Earle Richard did hardly contayne himselfe and as hardly could the Lords hold his hands but that with his sword drawne he had furiously assaulted the Cardinall insomuch that the Cardinall retiring and hiding himselfe for feare Verba continuit ampullosa stayed his swelling words Both these Kings hoise vp saile and Richard of England arriued within the Riuer of Tiber where met him Octauian Cardinall of Ostia sent from Clement the third to whom as Roger Houenden saith he spake many reprochfull words Blaming the Simonie of the Romans that to consecrate the Bishop of Mans they had taken 700 markes Rogerus Houenden in Annalium parte posteriore and 1500 for the legation of the Bishop of Elie and besides a great summe for not deposing the Bishop of Burdeaux accused by his Clergie But he saith besides that he arriued at Messine about the same time that Philip King of Fraunce went with a desire to see Ioachim Abbot of Courace of the order of the Cistertiens a man in that age verie famous and thought to haue a propheticall spirit whom hee requested to expound vnto him and his followers the vision of S. Iohn in the Apocalyps wherein he receyued much content Apud Rogerum de Houenden Annal. parte posteriore especially when he spake of seuen Kings Whereof one was not yet come he sayd vnto him this man is Antichrist who is now in the Citie of Rome and is set on high in the Apostolike seat and of this Antichrist saith the Apostle he is an aduersarie and exalteth himselfe against all that is called God c. The king replied vnto him I thought that Antichrist should be borne in Antioch or in Babylon of the progenie of Dan and should raigne in the Temple of the Lord at Hierusalem c. But Ioachim persisted in his exposition adding That the seuen Diademes signified the Kings and Princes of this world who should beleeue in Antichrist c. but he saith in the times of this Antichrist many of the Christians should preserue the Christian faith in the feare of the Lord in dennes and caues of the earth and in solitarie rockes and desert places euen vntill the consummation of Antichrist All this he spake notwithstanding the Archbishops of Roan Pamiers and Dauch who were there present haue endeuoured to proue the contrarie And to this purpose it was that the Abbot spake vpon Ieremie There is another fig tree who through the malediction of his preuarication is now withered The Latine Church or the little barke of S. Peter whose leaues are temporall things whereof they make breeches to hide their wicked conuersations wherewith they excuse the dishonestie and shame of their life as well of Adam the High Priest as Eue that is to say the Church subiect vnto them and miserably hide themselues in the wood of Ecclesiasticall glorie Now Baronius toucheth this historie Boron an 1190 art 2. lom 12. but hee taketh good heed for disclosing the principal clauses which expresly disciphers the Pope of Rome King Richard returning from Palestina was stayed by the Duke of Austria passing through his countrey who deliuered him to the Emperour Henrie the sixt who would not release him without a great ransome Queene Elinor his mother thinking that Pope Celestine was content to winke at this shamefull act because of the friendship that was yet betweene him and Henrie writ three letters vnto him which we may read in the Epistles of Peter of Blois the last for as much as hee seemed to neglect the former was more sharpe and in more expresse tearmes as followeth Deliuer vnto me saith she thou man of God my sonne Petrus Blaesens Epist 144.145.146 if thou be a man of God and not rather a man of bloud if thou beest carelesse and negligent in giuing libertie to my sonne that the omnipotent God may require his bloud at thy hands Oh and alas that the Soueraigne Pastor should become mercenarie that he should flie from the face of the Wolfe that he should leaue his sheepe committed to his charge yea a chosen Bell-weather the leader of the Lords flocke in the iawes of a cruell beast Hardly truely wilt thou aduenture thy soule for him for whom thou hast not dained to speake or write one word and now three times we haue beene promised Legats and yet they are not sent that to say the truth I may thinke them rather Ligati than Legati bound that they shall not come than appoynted to come If my sonne were in prosperitie they had come with all possible speed because out of his great bountie and the publicke profit they make of the kingdome they expected plentifull rewards of their Legations And what greater glorie can there be than to set free a captiue King to bring peace to the people safetie to the religious and ioy and comfort to euerie one But now they faile at a pinch The Wolfe holdeth his prey and the dogges either cannot or will not barke Is this the promise which you made vnto vs at the castle of Radolphus with so much protestation of loue and fidelitie What can it profit you to deceiue simple people and by a vaine confidence to mocke the prayers of the innocent So long since King Achab made a couenant of friendship with Benhadab but their mutuall loue had a dismall euent comparing the Pope to this Infidell King and God prospered the battels of Iudas Iohn Simion brothers of the Machabees but so soone as by their embassage they made a contract of friendship with the Romans they lost the succour and helpe of God and not once but often their mercenarie familiaritie was turned into sobs and bitter sighes c. I would to God they would remember that for the negligence of Hely their Priest ministring in Silo the glorie of the Lord was translated from Israell neither is it a parable of the time past but the time present because God forsooke the Tabernacle of Silo his owne Tabernacle where himselfe dwelt amongst men deliuered their power into captiuitie and their beautie into the enemies hands meaning the Church of Rome It was imputed to their
known multiplici experiencia by deere experience Math. Paris in Johan that the Pope was ambitious and proud aboue all men liuing and an insatiable thirster after money Et ad omnia scelera pro praemijs datis vel promissis cereus procliuus Prone to all wickednesse whatsoeuer for rewards either promised or giuen was resolued to make a benefit of this his ill fortune purposing with himselfe a reuenge of the Barons and Bishops of the kingdome with the good liking and leaue of Innocent nay he being the author Whereupon he sent Embassadors vnto him who carried with them a great part of his treasure and withall promising more sware vnto him That he would alwayes be his subiect and tributarie vnto him so that he would find some subtile occasion to excommunicat his Barons and Bishops especially the Archbishop of Canturburie for whom the Pope had so much molested him Nicholas Bishop of Tuscule his Legat came into England to release the interdict that had continued six yeares three moneths and foureteene dayes To the irreuocable losse saith the Author of the Church both in temporall matters and in spirituall Iohn gaue him this infamous resignation of his realme no more in wax as to Pandolph but sealed in gold And because there was made a question of the losses which the Bishops had receiued the Legat in fauour of the king deferred it to a farther day But Innocent who desired to gratifie the king by his Legat of all the vacant Churches to the prejudice of the Archbishop of Canturburie Intrusione magis quà m electione canonica disponit Disposed of them rather by intrusion than canonicall election Hereupon this Archbishop appealed but the Legat reiected his Appeale proceeded in his purpose and Innocent ratified the acts of his Legat speaking now of nothing but the praises and commendations of the Prince The Barons they assembled to demaund their libertie with whom also joyned the citie of London The Pope as the chiefe Lord reuoketh them and because they would not presently obey he excommunicated them and stirred vp all the subiects of the realme against them promising them remission of their sinnes and included in the same excommunication all the Bishops that delayed to publish the Anatheme But because Stephen Archbishop of Canterburie hauing lately beene his fauourite declared that hee could not publish it before he had seene the Pope and being readie to take shipping for the Councell assigned at Rome because tacita veritate sententia erat in Barones lata The sentence was pronounced against the Barons trueth it selfe being silent the Bishop of Winchester Pandolph the Legat the executioners of this sentence forbad him the Church and suspended him from the celebration of his office of so great force and efficacie was the money king Iohn powred into the lap of the Pope But besides he was no sooner come to Rome but the sentence of suspension was confirmed by Innocent These proceedings now put the Barons of England into despaire who saith the historie seeing all hope of their good to be taken away and knowing not what to doe Matth. Paris in Johan curst the fraud and infidelitie of the king Woe be to thee O Iohn say they the last of the Kings the abhomination of the Princes of England the confusion of the English Nobilitie O miserable England being now wasted and readie to be more wasted and destroyed O wofull England England that hitherto hath beene the Prince of Prouinces in all good things art made tributarie not onely subiect to fire famine and sword but to the empire and commaund of base slaues and strangers though there be nothing more vnhappie than to be enthralled to such people We read that many other kings yea and but petie kings too haue fought for the libertie of their countrey euen to death but thou Iohn of a mournefull memorie to all posteritie thy countrey that hath beene free for many yeares thou hast found the meane to bring it into bondage and employed thy endeuors to draw others with thee into slauerie thou hast first debast thy selfe being made of a free king a tributarie and a vessell of seruitude Thou hast bound the noblest of all countries with a band of eternall slauerie neuer to bee freed from seruile fetters vnlesse he hauing pitie vpon vs and the whole world vs I say whom auncient seruitude hath held vnder the yoke of sinne vouchsafe at the last to set vs at libertie Neither doe they lesse complaine of the Pope Thou say they who ought to be an example of light to the whole world the father of sanctitie the myrrour of pietie the defender of iustice the keeper of veritie consentest thou to such a thing doest thou approue and defend such a man But doubtlesse thou defendest him because hee hath exhausted the money of England exacted vpon the English Nobilitie to the end that all this might be swallowed vp in the gulfe of the Roman auarice But this cause and excuse is an offence and accusation before God In the end they resolued to make choyce of some Potent Prince to be their King who might restore vnto them their auncient possessions and liberties and this was Lewis the sonne of Philip Augustus the father afterward of S. Lewis to whom they sent twentie foure hostages to assure him the kingdome which he accepted Innocent vnderstanding hereof sent Waldo his Legat to Philip into France willing him That he suffer not his sonne to trouble England nor Iohn the King but rather to defend him as a vassall of the Church of Rome and England as the demaine thereof Philip plainely told him That the kingdome of England neuer was the patrimonie of S. Peter nor is nor euer should be and that Iohn condemned of treason against his brother Richard is not nor euer was the true and lawfull king nor could giue the kingdome although he had aspired to the Crowne by the murder of Arthur for which he was condemned in his owne Court. Moreouer no King or Prince can giue away his kingdom without the consent of his Barons who are bound to defend it And if the Pope be determined to defend such an errour he will giue a most pernitious example to all kingdomes All the Nobilitie therefore of the kingdome cried out with one voice That for this point they would fight euen to death This was at Lyons a little after Easter in the yeare 1216. An. 1216. The day following Philip gaue the Legat audience commanding his sonne Lewis to be present where all this businesse was againe disputed The Legat notwithstanding all these reasons forbad Lewis to enter into England and threatened the father vnder pain of excommunication not to permit him wherevpon Lewis departeth the Legat demaunding of Philip safe conduct for himselfe which Philip willingly granted vnto him by his letters But if perhaps saith he you fall into the hands of the Monkes of Eustachius or any other belonging vnto Lewis which keepe the
Frederick but Ricobaldus discouers the ground of this malice That wheras Gregorie was desirous to make Frederick more firme vnto him by an alliance of mariage this offer was reiected by the Emperors children and Frederick was afraid least in his absence hee should inuade the kingdome of Sicilia Abbas Vrsperg The Abbot of Vrsperge being a man of note in that age hath giuen this judgement of him This Gregorie saith he being a proud man in the first yeare of his Popedome began to excommunicat Frederick the Emperour vpon false and friuolous causes and contrarie to all order of iudicious proceeding He vpbraided him That the Church of Rome vnder the tuition of Innocent the third had been a mother vnto him Frederick answers That she was rather a stepmother being the root and fountaine of all his troubles And therefore hee sets before the eyes of Princes her rapines sacrileges simonies and iniurious attempts against kings and kingdomes alledging for instance how cruelly shee dealt with Iohn king of England and others Math. Paris in Henrico 3. concluding at the last That it was to be feared least the Church whose foundation was layed in pouertie and simplicitie should by her wealth and aboundance be brought to ruine and that therefore it is high time for them that see their neighbours house on fire to looke to their owne Let vs note by the way that the Popes earnest soliciting of this voyage to the Holie Land promising pardon of all their sinnes to such as should goe thither was suspected by those of best judgement which did not onely foresee the mischiefe that would follow thereof but felt the present euill which alreadie it had wrought Abbas Vrsperg The same Abbot saith thus Cardinall Conradus Bishop of Portua when he went Embassadour into Germanie to aduance the seruice of the Croysado as they call it and did appoint Preachers for the publishing thereof Then a certaine frier predicant called Iohn comming from Strasbourge preached daily and earnestly laying mens sinnes to their consciences with great vehemencie and for the intangling of their soules broached certaine doctrines before vnheard of which albeit in some sort they might be maintained yet it was found by experience that much euill ensued thereof being misconceiued by the hearers who were thereby incouraged to commit many enormous crimes and offences for at that time Engilbert Archbishop of Collen was slaine by his owne kinsmen and many Priests murdered For some damnable companions said I will commit villanies for by the taking of the crosse I shall be not onely absolued from them but shall also deliuer the soules of many wicked men Whereupon Auentine speaking of the same Iohn and such like saith Auent l. 7. That to incourage men to vndergoe the hazard of this dangerous warre they deliuered many strange doctrines That whatsoeuer sin a man had committed were it parricide incest or sacriledge as soone as he had sowed a crosse vpon his coat he was presently absolued both from the fault and punishment And for proofe hereof he brought many examples Let vs now returne to Frederick Gregorie vpon that day which is commonly called Coena Domini excommunicats him The Frangipanes being an honourable familie in Rome taking offence thereat incite the people against him and droue Gregorie out of Rome who retired himselfe to Perusia Now Frederick hauing setled his affaires in Sicilia with as much speed as he could to the end hee might approue his actions to the whole world vpon Christmas eue he arriued with his whole armie in Palestina and therefore Gregorie might well haue pacified his anger had not somewhat else than the zeale of Christ inflamed him But Sigonius himselfe tells vs That Gregorie was so much the more incensed against him that he durst vndertake that voyage before he was reconciled to him Wherefore taking opportunitie of his absence vnder the conduct of Iohannes Bremensis he inuades Apulia stirres vp the confederat cities of Lombardie against Frederick diuides or rather rents asunder all Italie into the factions of the Guelfes and Gibellines the one holding for the Pope the other for the Emperour that scarce any citie or towne was to be found where the higher part against the lower one quarter against another the commons against the nobilitie the nobility against the commons did not exercise hostilitie with all manner of crueltie so that this fire could scarcely be quenched without the vtter ruine of Italie Frederick for all this desisted not from his purpose which he so effectually pursued that he did not so much as thinke of Italie before he had recouered the citie of Hierusalem But so soone as he had taken the citie and caused himselfe to be crowned King of Hierusalem and had setled his affaires there being informed that the Pope played rex in his dominions for redresse thereof in the yeare 1229 he returnes into Italie Mathew Paris a writer of that age though fauouring Gregorie saith thus Matthaeus Paris in Henric. 3. Hee taking it in euill part that the Emperour of Rome being excommunicated and rebelling against him went to the Holie Land did not a little despaire of his repentance and satisfaction and returning againe to the vnitie of the Church and therefore he determined to depose him from his Empire for his contumacie and rebellion and to place in his roome some other that would bee a peaceable and obedient sonne vnto him And yet a little before he had told vs that Frederick at his arriuall in the Holie land found them in such a desperat case that the Templers Hospitallers at his comming adored him vpon their knees kissed his knees Moreouer he produceth a letter of the Earle of Aterne aduertising Frederic that Iohannes Bremensis his father in law by the instigation of Gregory had inuaded his dominions set on fire his townes and villages c. And if any man made mention of the emperor vnto him he said there was no other emperour but himselfe Your friends saith he wonder hereat most mightie emperour especially those of the Clergie vpon what ground and with what conscience the Pope can doe thus Cuspinian in Frederico Abbas Vrsperg Collenutius l. 4. Neapol Histor. and warre against Christians The Abbot of Vrsperge and some other say further that Gregorie to the end he might weaken the forces of Frederic in the holie land forbad those of the Croysado in Apulia and Lombardie to goe thither and caused the Lombardes in their journey thitherward to be ransackt and spoyled and that he might crosse the good successe of these warres scattered letters in Fredericks campe admonishing his soldiers to take heed of him moreouer that he did write to the Souldan to be of good courage and not to restore any thing to Frederic Whereupon this good Abbot breakes out into these speeches Who would not saith he both bewaile and detest these dealings which are manifest forerunners and prodigious signes of the Churches ruine He saith further
some remedie for these mischiefes they write letters to the Bishops and Chapiters with this subscription To such a Bishop or such a Chapiter Vniuersitas the whole bodie of them that had rather die than be confounded by the Romans send greeting In these letters they particularly complained That the Pope had commaunded the Bishops vnder paine of suspension that they should not giue a benefice to any home-borne of the kingdome till first fiue Romans in euery Church were prouided of benifices throughout all Dioceses to the value of a hundred pounds sterling the yeare Neither did they designe them by their names but the sonne of Rumfred or of such a one as if they would fulfill that prophesie They haue spoiled the Aegyptians for to enrich the Hebrews Wherefore seeing they had resolued with themselues to deliuer the Church the King and the kingdome from so great a tyrannie vnlesse they themselues the Bishops would feele and suffer in their goods that which they prepared for the persons of the Romans ere long to suffer they should not entermedle in their affaires In like manner they wrote vnto them that had their lands at farme That they should not pay them their yearely reuenues and their letters were sealed with a seale wherein was grauen two swords with this inscription Ecce duo gladij hic Matthew Paris in Henrico 3. heere are two swords And the matter came to that passe that their corne was taken away throughout all England freely and without contradition They distributed them in large almes to the poore and sometime cast their monies about on the ground and exhorted the poore to gather it vp The Romane Clergie-men hid themselues in Abbaies not daring once to mutter at the iniuries done them choosing rather to lose their goods than incurre the Sentence of death Vntill at length Gregorie being aduertised of these things wrote vnto the King that vnder paine of excommunication and interdict he should proceed against the Authours thereof neuerthelesse he wrote letters of recommendations to the Pope in the behalfe of Robert de Tinghe knight their head that he might more easily obtaine absolution But Gregorie gaue not ouer for all that but the next yeare after sent his Nuncio's with Legantine power into all parts one while pretending the ruine of Frederick another while for the recouerie of the holy Land for to exact money on all sides Matth. Paris in Henrico 3. Inuenting saith the Historie and multiplying argumentosas extorsiones extorsions fortified with arguments especially in England he appointed his Legats in shew simple messengers yet hauing power Legantine who as if it were for succour of the holy Land exacted very much money by preaching entreating commaunding threatning excommunicating and exacting procurations whereby infinite many in England were brought to forsake their countrey and to beg and yet the Church had neuer any aduancement therby And here he giueth vs a copie of his letters Excellent words saith he able to pierce the stonie hearts of men had they not beene followed with deeds notoriously contrarie to humilitie and iustice he would haue said had it not been for that it was meere hypocrisie of such as represented in their Buls as it were on a stage the pason of Christ and desolation of the Holy Land not so much for to moue the people as to pull out their bowells He therfore addeth To these men was giuen power to presse crossed soldiers and for money also to release them of that vow wherefore many without number crossed themselues But the Friers Preachers Minorites who had chosen with humility a voluntary pouerty were in a short time aduanced to so great Nobilitie that I say not arrogancie that they made themselues be receiued into Couents and Cities with solemne procession with banners and lighted tapers each man in his best apparell and due order and they had power to grant pardon for many daies to their auditors and such as to day were crossed for the warres in giuing money they absolued the morrow after from that vow And in a short space so great an exchange is made and exaction of money so manie waies neither could it be knowne into what bottomlesse gulfe so much money as the Popes agents did gather could be drowned so that the busines of the Holy Land went not forward and the charitie of the faithfull yea of all in generall waxed cold Cardinall Otho comming as a Legat into England at his first arriuall refuseth all gifts contrary to the custome of the Romans saith the Authour and with his gesture woon the good liking of the people but scarcely hath he giuen this tast of him but he taketh all things with both the hands from the Bishop of Winchester alone fiftie fat oxen an hundred measures of wheat eight buts of the best wine and so from the other Bishops And when there was a Councell to be held he commandeth there should be set vp in the Church of S. Paul a seat nimis fastigiosam solemnem too solemne and too high raised vp mounting with many steps There he propoundeth new inuentions to the preiudice of the Clergy and Nobility from the Nobilitie he tooke away the right of patronage seised it for the Pope and from the other he tooke away part of their benefices and gaue it vnto strangers And hence arose new complaints of the States against the Court of Rome But he taxed also all the Ecclesiasticall liuings for the succour of the Pope against the Emperour and exacteth it vnder paine of most rigorous censures and for monie absolueth from the vow of the holy Land and a certaine sum was set by the Fryers Preachers Minorites according to the rate the same voiage ouer seas might cost them Thence saith Mathew Paris a great scandall is made among the people with a schisme euen the most simple obserued the absurditie quam diuersis muscipulis by how many mouse-trappes the Court of Rome endeuoured to depriue the simple people of God of their substance requiring nothing but gold and siluer He exacted moreouer of all the Clergie the fift part of their reuenues to bee employed against Frederick and wrested it away perforce the Lords of the kingdome in vaine crying out to the King Most renowned Prince why sufferest thou England to be made a prey and desolation of strangers as a Vineyard without enclosure common to all that passe by and for the wild bores to root vp The King answering them I neither will nor dare gainsay the Pope in any thing And thereupon a lamentable despaire grew among the people We must not omit that at the same time was taken at Cambridge a certain Carthusian Monke bearing the habit and gesture of an honest and austeer life who would not enter into the Church he is brought vnto the Legat to be committed prisoner to the Tower of London and being questioned by him he saith Gregorie is not Pope is not head of the Church The Church is prophaned
occasion fell out Whence it came that some said he had many papers vnwritten yet sealed that he might write in them what he pleased which farre be it But Iste Legatus sophisticus That sophisticall Legat commeth to the king beseeching him That he himselfe would diligently labour in the Popes behalfe that the Prelats of England might generally giue consent to make contribution to the Pope of at least ten thousand markes The king answereth That his Barons and Prelats are so often spoyled of their goods vnder diuers pretences that they neither would nor could thenceforth promise any thing They will not neither are they able to contribute either to me their king or to the Pope who yet haue promised to aid me And at this master Martin being greatly troubled departed from the kings presence And when he presented his letters to the Prelats they say vnto him The king our Lord and patron and founder and repairer of many of our Churches being destitute of treasure demaundeth ayd of vs for the strength and defence of the realme that is of the Commonwealth the same also doth the Pope instantly request vs for the king And there commeth moreouer another vnexpected demaund from the Pope so that on this side we are assailed on that side wee are distressed on this side we are troden downe on that side sorely pressed we are bruised as it were betwixt the anuill and the hammer and tormented as betweene two milstones Neuerthelesse master Martin vrgeth and is instant vigilantissimè incessantèr vigilantly and incessantly for the gathering and bestowing of reuenues in what fashion they would for the vse of the Pope and his kindred and of his saucinesse and iniurious extotion I thinke it honester and safer for reuerence of the holie Church of Rome to be silent than to offend the eares of the hearers and trouble the minds of the faithfull in rehearsing such things In the meane time the Ports of England are verie narrowly obserued that the Popes carriers might bring no more dispatches from Rome and there was one of them stayed a Douer who brought many bulls Multas abominationes de diuersis argumentis emungendi pecuniam continentes saith the Author contayning many abominations for to wrest away money so that the king detesting the insatiable couetousnesse of the Court of Rome resolued to prouide a remedie and to that end sent certaine honourable persons embassadours to the Councell of Lions in the name of the whole kingdome And to Maister Martin in the meane time is signified by one Fulke Warin that he should forthwith depart out of England he asketh from whom he hath that commaundement he is aunswered from them which of late were assemble in armes at Luithon and that if he were wise he should not tarrie three yeares longer then went he to the king and asked if that were done by his authoritie the king answereth no but that hee could hardly withhold his Barons from rising vp against him for hauing endured such robberies in his kingdome Martin trembling requesteth of him safe-conduct for the honour of the Pope the king answereth in anger The Diuell lead and carie thee into hell yet he commaunded his Knight Marshall to bring him safe to the Sea side So soone as he is come to Rome he declareth this his ill successe to the Pope And behold with what repentance he is touched The king saith he of Fraunce and the king of Aragon haue forbidden our Nuncios entrance into their kingdomes we must therfore saith he in great anger make peace with prince Frederic that we may breake in pieces these pettie kings vt hos regulos cōteramus which kick against vs for the draggon foiled or appeased the little serpents will soone be trodden down Voce sursurra saith the Historiographer oculos obliquando nares corrugando thus describeth he his choler which word being spread among the people beget a scandal of indignatiō in the hearts of many But the embassadors of the realm of Englād being arriued at the Councel of Lions partly by the words of Williā of Powerick partly by a most large letter declared quantū est extortum tributū iniuriosè how great is the tribute wrongfully extorted And after some accustomed complements to the Pope Behold say they by you and your predecessours not hauing any consideration besides the subsidies abouesayd Italians now are enriched in England of whom there is alreadie an infinit number in Churches the patronage whereof belongeth to the religious persons themselues and are called rectors of Churches leauing the foresaid religious persons whom they ought to defend altogether vndefended hauing not any care of soules but suffering most rauenous wolues to disperce the flocke and deuoure the sheepe Whence it may truely be said that they are not good Pastors for they know not their sheepe neither their sheep them they abide not in the Churches for to keepe good hospitalitie and to giue almes as is appointed yet they receiue yearely in England sixtie thousand markes and more diuers other receipts excepted they reape more profit of the mere reuenues of the Kingdome than the king himselfe who is the defender of the Church and gouernour of the Realme Now we firmely hoped and yet doe hope bearing that affiance of you that we shall reioyce by meanes of the mercie of your fatherhood that our sayd Almes deeds shall in your dayes be reformed to the due and former estate it hath beene But we cannot conceale our grieuance wherewith we are not onely grieued but also beyond measure oppressed concluding with entreatie that he would remedie the same so soone as might be especially that violent oppression intollerable griefe and impudent exaction which is committed by that hatefull clause often inserted in the Popes letters Non obstante c. But the Pope put them off to a long day for their answer neither could he dissemble the passion of his mind for that they complained to the Councell threatning among his familiars that if he had once repressed Frederic he would trample vnder his feet the English men and their King The English Embassadors then are vrgent for an answer to whom by a third he aunswereth that they could not obtayne what they demaunded And thereupon they protesting that they would neuer pay that detestable tribute he priuily sendeth secret messengers into England who made euerie bishop particularly to subscribe to that lamentable Charter of king Iohn namely as it is likely to supplie the want of the originall burnt at Lions with a copie thus made authenticall But the king hearing of it made an oath that whatsoeuer the Bishops did he would neuer pay it though it cost him his life Math. Paris And the authour addeth that in the conference that Innocent had with the king S. Lewis at Clugni he vsed all the art hee could to persuade the king to reuenge him of this jurie and to make warre against ipsum regulum Anglorum the pettie king of the
English either for to depriue him of his kingdome or to make him will he nill he submit himselfe to the pleasure of the Court of Rome which if hee would doe the Church with the Papall authoritie should to the vttermost of his power assist him But yet that the king of Frannce constantly refused him In the yere following are made new admonishments to the Pope and Cardinals by the letters of the king States and Prelats of the kingdome whereby were represented vnto them innumerable grieuances the articles of which are rehearsed by the same author These among others were new that the Pope by his letters enjoyned the Prelats that they should euerie man at their owne proper charges furnish forth one man fiue another tenne and another fifteene c. men of warre well horsed and armed for to doe him seruice wheresoeuer he should commaund to whom they should giue a yeares pay which is a militarie seruice due to the king alone and from which neuerthelesse they might be dispensed for money Also that to the end the king might not hinder it the Popes Nuncios fraudulently had forbidden the Prelats vnder paine of excommunication that they should not reueale this exaction to any in sixe moneths Innocent then was so farre off from reuoking them that in despite of the king he made a new statute in England That the goods of such as died intestate should be conuerted to his vse and appointed the Preaching Friers diligently to put the same in execution Which the king hauing intelligence of expresly forbiddeth detesting Romanae curiae augmentosam multiplicem ac multiformem auaritiam the augmenting multiplying and euerie way manifold couetuousnesse of the Court of Rome He also forbiddeth thenceforth to pay tribute to the Pope whereat the Pope being greatly moued resolueth to excommunicat the king and kingdome Hereupon Cardinall Iohn an Englishman a Cistertian Monke saith vnto him For Gods sake my Lord refraine your anger which is if I may so speake vndiscreet and with temperance bridle the passions of your will considering that the dayes are euill The holie land lieth open to daunger the Greeke church is departed from vs Frederic is our aduersarie then whom none among the Christian Princes is mightier or yet like vnto him You and we which are the highest of the church are banished from the Papall seat yea from the Citie it selfe yea from Italie Hungarie and the adiacent prouinces expect nothing but vtter ruin from the Tartarians Germanie is shaken with ciuile warres Spaine is growne to that crueltie as to cut off the tongues of Bishops Fraunce is by vs alreadie brought to pouertie and hath conspired against vs and England so oftentimes hurt by our iniuries as Balaams asse spurred and beaten with a staffe at last speaketh and speaketh against and complaineth that shee is ouermuch and intollerably wearied and vnrestoreably damnified After the manner of Ismael beeing hatefull to all wee procure all men to hate vs And when for all that the Popes mind was not appeased nor inclined to compassion or humilitie but was inflamed to punishment and reuenge there came messengers from England who mitigated the Popes mind gaping after profit assuring him that by his most speciall friends in England the kings heart was bowed so that he remitted it to the Clergie to effect his wish the ioy whereof wonderfully calmed his mind and countenance Yet whilst he waited and expected the same taking boldnesse of this hope he commandeth the Prelats of England solito imperiosius more imperiously than he was woont That they should cause to be paid him from all beneficed persons resident the third part of their reuenues and by nonresidents the one halfe with this detestable clause Non obstante c. which abolisheth all iustice And for to vrge these exactions are sent Iohn and Alexander Friers Minorites who armed with Bulls from the Pope and couering vnder sheepes clothing their woluish rauening presented themselues to the king and with a simple looke humble countenance and fawning speech entreated leaue of the king to wander throughout the Realme ad opus Domini Papae charitatem petituri to demaund a charitie for the need of the Pope promising that they would doe nothing by constraint But a while after they became proud with the gifts of the Clergie mounted vpon noble horses with golden saddles decked in most costly apparell and with souldiers shooes vulgarly called Heusees shod and spurred after a secular or rather a prodigall manner which turned to the hurt and opprobrie of their Order and profession exercising the office and tyrannie of Legats and exacting and extorting procurations and account twentie shillings for a procuration but a small matter First then they goe to the chiefest Prelats of England and shamefully exact money from them for the Popes vse vnder terrible paines setting too short a time for answer or payment and shewing the Popes thundering letters as so many threatning hornes put forth In so much that the Bishop of Lincolne who had euer protected the Order of the Minorites and was minded to haue made himselfe one of them seeing such a monstrous transformation was wholly astonied and that so much the more for that they demaunded of his only Bishopricke six thousand markes Neither yet is the Pope moued at the complaint made vnto him thereof at Lyons but although they appeale vnto him yet are they constrained with all kind of rigour But we must bring here the whole Author throughout if we should set downe all that he saith of these tyrannicall exactions it sufficeth vs here for conclusion to shew the description that he maketh of the miserable state of the Church of England vnder Gregorie and Innocent vnder Gregorie in these words In those times faith waxed cold and scarcely seemed to sparkle being almost brought to ashes For simonie was practised without blushing vsurers openly by diuers occasions did shamelesly extort money from the meaner sort of people Charitie is dead the libertie of the Church is withered away Religion is become vile and base and the daughter Sion is as a bold-faced harlot hauing no shame And of the Court of Rome he properly speaketh plentifull setting forth the iniuries thereof which he concludeth in this one word Armato supplicat ense potens He entreateth vs with a sword set to our throats It were better for vs to dye than to see the euils of our nation of the Saints But these are scourges to Englishmen they hauing committed many offences and God being angrie maketh the hypocrite raigne and the tyran rule for the sinnes of the people But vnder Innocent Heu heu Alas alas now the naturall inhabitants of the kingdome are despised men holy learned and religious and strangers are intruded that are vnworthie of all honour altogether ignorant of the letters and language of the countrey wholly vnprofitable for confessions and preachings not stayed neither in gestures nor in manners extorters of money and contemners of soules In times
paine of deposition from his Crowne and State with which summes of money the Pope being backed he leuied an armie Conrade on the other side was no whit hereat dismayed but intended to resist the Pope and therefore he the more encouraged his nobles and subiects And here our Historiographer a Monke bursts out into these words Whether the Pope did well herein or no let the Iudge of all Iudges decide But for an abridgement of this warre this miserable Prince had poyson presented him who wasting away by little and little when he drew neere to his last breath in complaining manner he vttered these words The Church which should bee a mother to my father and me is rather a stepmother and so he left behind him a sonne who was but two yeares old Some impute this poyson to a brother of his others to the Popes ministers which of the two were most likely as may be presumed by the state and condition of the present affaires Mathew saith That hauing heard this newes with great ioy of heart cheerefulnesse of countenance and eleuation of voice he vttered these words I reioyce certainely and so let all the vpholders of the Roman Church exult together with me because two of our greatest enemies are now dead one Ecclesiasticall the other of the Laitie Robert Bishop of Lincolne and Conrade king of Sicile He therefore embracing this opportunitie found it an easie matter to recouer into his hands Naples Capua and a part of the kingdome But Manfred being assisted by the nobles of the kingdome he both crossed him in this prosperous course of his proceedings and daring to wage battell vanquished and ouerthrew him in the same and so his last errour was worse than the first Whereupon Innocent tooke such sorrow to heart that within a few dayes after he dyed at Naples suruiuing Conrade but a few moneths and being molested by the Bishop of Lincolns meanes euen to his last gaspe as in proper place shall plainely appeare These things occurred in the yeare 1254 An. 1254. in the moneth of December And so both the king of Englands treasure and ambitious designes perished together with him The volume of the Decretals is ascribed to this Innocent wherein his drift and maine scope was That whatsoeuer had beene by his predecessors out of wonderfull pride digested and decreed against the temporall Monarchie by them it might be ratified and made authenticke as also whatsoeuer profane or sacrilegious act they had performed against the Spirituall it might be in them as it were hallowed and consecrated To him also the Canonists haue reference ouer whom hee was head and principall hauing promoted them to some of the highest dignities of the Church and many of them also he raised to the Cardinalls hat out of which fountaine sprung that hideous gulph of forensiall contentions and first of all that detestable clause of Non obstante of which Mathew so often makes mention after the induction whereof all the auncient Canons of the Councells and Decrees of the old Popes as also the verie liberties and priuiledges of the Churches began at length to bee put downe So that this abuse breaking afterwards into the ciuile Courts it wrought wonderfull subuersions of equitie and justice From hence proceeded that common complaint Out alas alas why looked we after these dayes Behold the Courts ciuile are now corrupted according to the example of the Ecclesiasticall and the riuers are poysoned by a sulpherous fountaine Now the manner was that the money ordayned for warre in the Holie Land and the Indulgences of the Croysadoes were then in their vse by the Popes diuerted against the Emperours and other Princes This man that he might exceed all others divulged out of the Pulpit That whosoeuer tooke vp armes against Conrade he should obtaine more ample remission of sinnes than if hee fought against the Souldan So that if any man were crossed against Conrade both he his father and mother should gaine full pardon of all their sinnes He maried also his neeces verie highly and amongst the rest one he maried to Henrie Fredericks sonne and nephew to the king of England that thus hee might be adopted a sonne of the Church Which seemed a thing maruellous strange to all the Nobles of the Empire That a Pope said they would presume so to disparage a noble royall gentleman In conclusion he so pilled and polled the Christian Commonwealth as vpon due competation made it was found saith our Author and that most truely and exactly that this present Pope Innocent the fourth had more impouerished the Church vniuersall than all his other predecessours from the time of the primitiue Papacie and the reuenues of the Clergie by him alienated in England which had aunciently beene endowed therewith by the Church of Rome amounted to more than seuentie thousand markes whereas the kings meere reuenue could not be valued at a third part so much OPPOSITION And for that same Robert Bishop of Lincolne whom we formerly spake of it should seeme Innocent had commaunded him to performe some wicked office Which saith Mathew he did both to him and diuers other Prelats of England Wherefore he made answer by an Epistle which he produceth whole and entire in this tenor Health Your discretion shall vnderstand Matth. Paris in Henrico 3. that deuoutly and reuerenly I obey with filiall affection the Apostolicall iniunctions and so affecting reuerent honour I oppugne and resist such as are opposit to commaunds Apostolicall for to both these courses I am obliged by commaundement diuine The Apostolicall commaunds neither can be nor are any other than the doctrine of the Apostles and of our Lord Iesus Christ Master and head of the Apostles whose figure and person our Lord the Pope specially representeth in the Hierarchie of the Church being consonant and conformable And there he enters into a detestation of that clause Non obstante From whence springeth vp saith he the head and fountaine of inconstancie boldnesse and obstinacie of shamefull lying deceiuing distrustfully beleeuing or giuing credit to another and so from these a number of other subsequent vices which doe but disturbe and coinquinat the puritie of Christian religion and the peace and quiet of ciuile conuersation Furthermore saith he next to the sinne of Lucifer which shall be the same of Antichrist the sonne of perdition in the end of times whom God shall destroy with the breath of his mouth there neither is nor can be any kind of sinne so opposit and contrarie to the doctrine Euangelicall and of the Apostles and to the same our Lord Iesus Christ so odious detestable and abhominable as to kill and destroy soules by defrauding them of Pastorall offices and ministeries c. The introductors of such manquellers and butcheries amongst the sheepe in the Church of God are worse than the murderers themselues neerer both to Lucifer and Antichrist and particularly they are worse in this degree in that being supereminent of place out of
ingratitude of Boniface But aboue all others Colenucius speakes plainely to the poynt and auers That he cruelly caused him to be put to death in prison His Papacie afterwards exceeded in all kind of iniustice and violence so as not without cause Langius Monachus Citicensis said of him Langius ad An. 1295. Tyrannizing rather with a Lyon-like mind than Papizing he sought to strike a feare and terrour of himselfe in all the world Being jealous of Iames and Peter Colonna Cardinalls as also of the whole familie of the Colonesi he raised the Croysado against them so as they were driuen to retire into Preneste which then was held by Sarra Colonna their vncle This towne he presently besieged with the Croysadoes who to escape his hands left the towne and the same afterwards being driuen to yeeld in reuenge and hatred to them he vtterly demolished it extending the same furie and rage to Zagaruolo and other places whither they fled Afterwards he depriued both the Cardinals of their hats he excommunicated and banished out of Rome the Church the whole familie and Sarra by name their vncle as Petrarch sayes hee droue to such plunges as he was constrained to roue priuily vp and downe the woods and desarts not daring to commit his life into any ones hands for feare of being betrayed vnto Boniface They complained to all Christian Princes of this violence offered them which he stucke not to insert into the sixt booke of Decretals which he then published glorying therein as in a thing honestly and justly performed With the same furie and intemperance he proceeded against all the Gibellines and allies of the Empire Blondus Decad. 2. l. 9. Ex Petrarcha And here we will make mention of a stratageme well beseeming and worthie of this prophane Pope Porchetto Spinola one of the Minorites Order was nominated to succeed Iames Varagine Archbishop of Gennes for his confirmation he came to Rome on an Ashwednesday amongst many others Porchetto also fell down at his feet Blondus ibid. to be signed on the forehead with a crosse of Ashes when Boniface Carmine mutato changing the words of that Scripture Remember saith he that thou art a Gibbeline and with the Gibbellines thou shalt returne to ashes and so casting ashes in his eyes the same day he depriued him of his Archbishopricke The Reader may hereby euidently judge in what esteeme and reuerence he held his owne ceremonies and afterwards in the yeare 1300 An. 1300. celebrating the jubilie whereof he was the inuentor he vsed no better respect being the first according to Historiographers that opened the golden gate a gate at the opening whereof there is such a concourse of people from all parts of the world as if by this they expected infallible saluation and plenarie remission of sins the which he ordayned to be opened euerie hundreth yere Krantzius in Saxon. l. 8. c. 36. And let but the Reader here obserue how this sacred ceremonie was derided and mocked euen by the Author and inuentor thereof Before him saith the Historiographer the Popes neuer dreamt of troubling Christendome with such glorious festiuitie to shew his pompe and maiestie in this Iubilie which then was celebrated in Rome he is reported to haue shewed himselfe on the first solemne day to all the people in his Pontificalibus bestowing vpon them his Apostolicall benediction but the day after Krantzius ibidem John Marius Belga lib. antiq quinto Liberties of the French church Extra Tit. de moioritate obedientia C. vnam sanctam Ecclesiam he presented himselfe in imperiall habit which was verie resplendent and remarquable in an imperiall Diadem when hauing a naked sword borne before him and sitting on a throne he vttered with a loud voyce Behold here two swords And now Authors exclaime Here O Peter thou seest thy successour and Sauiour Christ thou maist here discerne thy Vicar The which words notwithstanding many father vpon himselfe See to what height the pride of the seruant of seruants is mounted vnto And because he would not be satisfied in these extremities he prosecuted the matter hotly in effect For he published a decretall which is in the extrauagants wherein he peremptorily declared That faith vrging vs thereunto we were bound and obliged to beleeue one holie Catholike Church and that to be Apostolicall And from this he brings vs to the Roman Church to obey one Pope to whom in the person of Peter it was sayd Feed my sheepe so as whether they were Grecians or others they were not to be accounted Christs sheepe except they obayed him In this and his power saith he are comprehended two swords that is the temporall and spirituall as in the sayd gospels we are taught For the Apostles saying to our Sauiour Behold here two swords that is to sway in the Church when the Apostles thus spake our Lord did not answer It was too much but It was sufficient And questionlesse he that denies the temporall sword to bee in Peters power ill vnderstands our Lords words when he saies Put thy sword into the scabberd Arguing out of these words quite contrarie to the Fathers sence made thereof That both the materiall and spirituall sword was in the Churches power but the one to be vsed for the Church the other of the Church one by the hand of the Priest the other by the hand of Kings and souldiers but this by direction and permission of the Priest that is of the Pope but saith he one sword must be vnder another and the authoritie temporall must be subiect to that spirituall For when the Apostle saies there is no power but of God and that power which is is ordayned of God and ordayned it should not be except one sword were vnder another and as the inferiour were not by another reduced to supremest power And here againe shamelesly against his owne vnderstanding and conscience he cites the Apostle in these words behold the place Let euerie soule be subiect to the higher powers for there is no power but of God and whatsoeuer power is is ordained of God In which words by all the Fathers explications it is manifest that the Apostle in this place meant temporall powers he in those generall words excepting no man from their obedience of what qualitie or order soeuer he were Then he goes forward affirming That we must needs confesse the spirituall power so farre in dignitie and worth to excell the temporall as things spirituall goe beyond things temporall and thus the prophesie of Ieremie is verified in the power of the Church and persons Ecclesiasticall Behold this day I haue set thee ouer nations and kingdomes with the rest which ensues If therefore any temporall power erre and offend he must be iudged by the spirituall but if the spirituall inferiour swarue or erre he must be tryed by his superiour Which sence of that place none of the Auncients euer applied to the Pope and thus he might easily be
victorious where he had no opposite But if this supreme spirituall power should offend whether in this case must be our refuge I pray you see how perspicuously he resolues this doubt If this supreme power erre 1. Cor. 1. v. 14. 15. must onely be iudged by God and not by man the Apostle testifying The spirituall man iudgeth all things but he is iudged of no man but is this spirituall man of Paules to be onely vnderstood by the Pope doth he not there rather oppose one to another the man meerly animal and liuing to the man spiritual the man regenerat by the spirit of God to one vnregenerat and haue all the faithful this power to judge of Kings and Princes as their superiours Is the Bishop of Rome then onely a faithfull one in that he onely assumes to himselfe this power and prerogatiue And thus in their Decretalls the Popes make as meere a mock of the Scriptures no lesse than Roman Pasquill doth Yet notwithstanding out of these ridiculous antecedents he impudently concludes We therefore affirme declare determine and pronounce That vnder paine saluation euerie creature must be subiect to the Pope of Rome But now let vs see how wicked an vse he makes of so impious a Decretall After the Emperour Rodulphes death there grew a schisme and rend in the Empire there concurring at the same time a vacancie of the Popedome for part of the Princes especially the Ecclesiasticall chose Adolph Count of Nassau and the other part Albert Rodolphes sonne But when Boniface came to be Pope he reiected them both vnder this pretext that without his approbation they could descend to no election Hereupon grew a ciuile warre in Germanie and at a last a battell was fought wherein Adolph was slaine so as then Albert came to be easily confirmed in the dignitie by all the Doctors When the Iubile was ended he sent embassadours to Rome to haue his election by him ratified and confirmed Krantzius in Saxon. l. 8. c. 36. But this stout Pralat made answer That without his authoritie the election past was not validious affirming that he had in his hands the power of both swords Another pregnant testimonie he gaue of himselfe in the Easterne Empire Charles Count of Valois brother to Philip le beau king of France maried Katherine daughter to Baldwin Emperour of Constantinople he permitted him to inuade the Easterne Empire out of which his father in law was driuen vnder colour sayth Platina of vsing his aid in an expedition to the Holie Land Platina in Bonifac 8. Extra in Sexto l. 5. c. 23. Clericus but rather in truth to constitute him his Lieutenant in Tuscan for the extirpation of all the Gibellines And at last he grew to that height of insolencie as that he commaunded by authoritie Apostolicall all Prelats Clerkes and persons Ecclesiasticall to pay no tributes tenthes twenties nor hundreds to any lay powers to Emperours Kings Dukes Counts Barons or inferior Lords c. as also that they should impose nothing vpon them vpon paine of incurring excommunication enioyning the like to all communities and gouernements vpon paine of interdiction from which they could not be absolued before the verie point of death Matthaeus Westmonast in Floribus Temporum an 1301. and that by the Pope himselfe A bold enterprise very iniurious and preiudicial to all Princes and magistrats which notwithstanding presently tooke effect in England where the Clergie proudly answered the king returning from a warre with the Scots That it was no more lawfull for them to pay tribute which he hearing presently layd hold of all the Clergies temporall goods where he also by expresse Patents forbad the attempting of any thing against Scotland because pleno iure in true right and equitie it belonged to the See of Rome Thus farre he preuailed without any resistance but attempting the like oppressions in France he light vpon king Philip the faire who making no such extraordinarie account of his decretall to the great benefit and emolument of all Princes curbed as we see and bridled his vnjust insolencies OPPOSITION In the yeare therefore 1301 An. 1301. Boniface sent the Bishop of Pamiers into France to Philip the faire a man verie like himselfe in pride and arrogancie to stir him vp to a sacred warre with no greater fidelitie questionlesse than his predecessours formerly had done He furnished his Legat with imperious and menacing Letters vnlesse he stoopt at his beck to thunder out against him excommunications as also the Legat out of his own froward disposition inserted with his persuasions verie vnseemely and distastfull words But Philip could not digest so great arrogancie for apprehending his Legat he committed him in custodie to the Archbishop of Narbon while he should further determine of him Boniface grew into a rage herewith and sent the Archdeacon of Narbon by birth a Roman to Philip by whose embassie he commaunded the king forthwith to set his Legat at libertie the Bishops and Peeres of Fraunce also were enjoyned to appeare in Rome at a Councell by a certaine day But Philip mouing some scruple herein Henricus Steron in Annalib Ann. 1301. Chronique de S. Denis Paulus Aemilius in Philippo Pulchro Blondus Decad. 2. l. 9. Naucler vol. 2. Generat 44. Bochellus Decret Gallican Eccles l. 2. c. 32. Chronic. Monsort Theodor. Ã Nyem Gulielm de Nangis Iean le Maire de Belges the Pope protested that the kingdome of Fraunce did belong to the Roman Church and therefore he should refraine the gouernement thereof committing the same to him and the Church forthwith he absolued his subjects from the oath of fidelitie speaking to them personally that were present and for want of obedience in this point he suspended all the indulgences pardons and graunts which vnto that day the Popes had giuen to the kings and kingdome presuming of his owne head to inuent and deuise That in the Treasorie of Rome he found a certaine record which made mention that Fraunce belonged to the Pope Philip being exasperated with these threatnings forbad the Prelats to goe out of the kingdome The Pope ratled out his excommunications the more against him because he had layed hands on a Bishop disposed of the goods of seats vacant and inuested Bishops True it is that Philip to justifie and confirme his owne right freed the Bishop out of prison but snatching the Bull out of the Archdeacons hand while he red it he gaue the same to Robert of Artois to be burned in the Palace Court at Paris commaunding him presently to withdraw which he did And here it is not amisse to see what letters he brought and what he retourned These of Boniface were of this tenour Feare God and keepe his commaundements We would haue you to vnderstand that both in Spirituall and Temporall things you are subiect to vs The collations of benefices and prebends no wayes belong vnto you for though you haue the vacancie of places in your
Clements election Iohn also Duke of Burgondie and many other Princes The recourse was such as at the entring in of the multitude a wall instantly falling downe many were crushed amongst whom Charles the kings brother and the Duke of Britaine were sore hurt and the Pope himselfe was ouerthrowne and his Myter strucke from his head whereof one jewell of inestimable price was lost And all these things presaged disaster and ruine This made all men beleeue that he transferred the Papacie into France for some speciall end because this new Pope at his first entrie created many French Cardinals in whose hands lay the whole authoritie and power of election Then on the other side that the Romans might not grow into any great discontent he sent them three Cardinals on whom he conferred the dignitie of Senators that so they might in some sort supplie his absence Now in the years 1308 Albertus being slaine An. 1308. the electors chose for Emperour Henrie sonne to Henrie Count of Lutzemburg called the seuenth being a Prince of noble valour and fortitude imposing on him the Diademe at Aquisgrane who presently sent embassadours to Clement being at Auignion to obtaine at his hand that his coronation might be celebrated at Rome which Clement yeelded vnto vpon this condition That within the space of two yeares hee should goe into Italie But Henrie not attending an appointed day passing the Alpes came into Italie where he found many cities of the Guelphish faction ill affected towards him who had formerly bound themselues vnto him in very strict league as also Robert king of Sicilia the Popes friend who supplied them with forces to erect strong garrisons where speciall need did require An armie in like manner he brought with him to defend their league and societie But so on the other side many that receiued him with great applause suffered him willingly to haue both succours and captaines but especially in Lombardie which being more remote from Robert was the lesse subiect to his plots and stratagems When he came to Viterbe the Clergie and people of Rome met and saluted him conducting him honourably to Rome At his entrie he discouered a conspiracie on foot against him and therefore for his securitie he bound the Nobilitie to him by oath and put sufficient defensiue forces into all the strong places Many also adde hereunto That out of a new and vnknowne example he would haue exacted a tribute of the people on the same day when other Emperours contrariwise were woont to giue great largesse For these respects therefore the Guelphes found fit opportunitie to stirre vp the people against him especially being backed by Robert king of Sicilia who vnder colour of honouring this festiuitie was come thither Henrie therefore being crowned at S. Iohn Laterans leauing the citie to the Cardinals was enforced to retire to Tiuoli whither he being gone they then manifestly shewed how they were not so precisely enjoyned to set the Crowne on his head as to forbid him the Citie For vpon his occasion Clement presently enacted this Law Henricus Steron in Annaâ—ibus sub annum â—313 Clemès Ne sede vacante aliquid innouetur Jdem de sententia de re iudicata Collenuc lib. 5. Henricus Stero in Annalibus Trithem in Chron. in Abbate Hen. 13. That the elected kings of Romans in Germanie could neither be held nor taken for absolute Emperours before they receiued this title and inuestiture from the Popes owne hands and moreouer That during the Interregnum and vacancie of that dignitie the Pope should rule and commaund ouer all the Cities and precincts of the Empire But the controuersie betwixt them lasted not long For this good Prince going towards Sienna and besieging Bonconuento by the way in few dayes after he was poysoned whereof he died Out of the precedent Storie let the Reader conjecture of his death although in this point all writers consent that this poyson was administred to him by one Bernard a Dominican who was Henries confessor in the Hoast from whence grew this verse Iure dolet mundus quod Iacobita secundus Iudas nunc extat mors Caesaris haec manifestat The world much grieues a Iacobine making great shew of pietie Should proue a second Iudas poysoning th' imperiall Majestie And some affirme the Popes Legat instigating him thereunto They that put their hands into these practises belieue they vnfaynedly thinke you in their hearts Transubstantiation Others relate that the Dominican Priests in commemoration of this haynous deed were commaunded afterwards to communicat onely with the left hand An indictment was framed against this criminall by Henrie Count of Flanders and other Noble men of the Armie but the partie after he saw the effect of this poison made an escape Auentine notes that Clement became an enemie to Henrie because in receiuing the Crowne he denyed to take an othe before the Cardinals saying How it was against the custome of his predecessours and the libertie of Christian religion that a Prince of Princes and Lord ouer all the whole earth should be put to an oath by a seruant of seruants By meanes whereof he stirred vp Robert of Naples and other Princes against himselfe then he perceiuing this Robert's practise to take away his life by poyson appointed him a day of triall when he meant to haue pronounced him a rebell and Traytor and so haue stript them of his kingdome But Clement gaue him to vnderstand that it belonged not to him to dispose any way of the kingdome of Naples but to the Roman See of which he held in homage Clement being made Pope by Charles Count of Valois his procurement according to Antoninus he promised by solemne oath to performe six things which are set downe Antonin parte Tit. 21. c. 1. parag 3. Villan in Historia Florent both in Antoninus and other writers First that he should absolue all those that had colleagued against Boniface and that he should redeliuer the hat to the Cardinals Collanaes one thing he reserued to be propounded in due and conuenient time which was to rase out the verie memoriall of Boniface excluding his name out of the Catalogue of Popes and to disinterre his carcasse An. 1310. Chronic. Martini Chronic. Monsort Thom. Walsingham in Chronico In the yeare therefore 1310 in Auignion Philip King of Fraunce being publiquely excused by him of some matters that hee had attempted against the memorie of Boniface sometimes Pope hee pronounced further in the Kings behalfe That what hee did hee did out of a good mind intention and zeale the Kings Orators beeing then present and these things consequently as hath beene sayd were confirmed by the testimonie of the Popes Bulls this businesse was presently referred to Pope Clement who in this Processe of Boniface tooke vpon him to bee both accusant and defendant the Pope vndertaking both to examine and finally to determine this controuersie Item At the same time Pope Clement absolued William de Nogarete
nor the people them being therefore vnworthie blind leaders of the blind And thus the whole Church may come to be ouerthrowne Fiftly He spake also against Simonie which in the Roman Court so raignes saith he as if it were no sinne Parte 2. tit 2. 11.12.20.21 Titul 32. eiusdem partu 4. Plurarilitie also of benefices he reprehended and Cardinals pensions wherewith the Bishoprickes were charged as also other benefices perpetuated to the Popes nephewes and kinsmen which neuer dye nor are vacant and that Saint Gregorie the Great refused the title of Vniuersall Bishop neither would haue had any other to assume this nomination Further That the old Popes in their Epistles were woont to preferre other Bishops before themselues which hee proueth by examples and therefore the Church of Rome was so to be honoured that the reuerence and honour due to other Churches might not likewise be abridged he auerring That the Canon of the Councell of Miletum was to be confirmed Vt vnaquaque causa in sua prouincia terminetur Sixtly That it seemed very behouefull in this Councel to allow the mariage of Priests seeing hitherto they had idly and in vaine bin vrged to chastitie the Priests of Greece being permitted to marie as also it was vsed in the Apostles time Seuenthly That hand-labour was to bee imposed vpon Monkes conformable to the customes in times past in the Churches of Aegypt who would by no meanes receiue any Monke which had not learnt some trade or mysterie marie aboue all the rest it was no wayes to be suffered that they should discharge pastorall Offices minister the Sacraments visit the sicke or burie the dead Part. 2. Tit. 53 Part. 3. Tit. 16. 28. Part. 2. Tit. 57. Part. 3. Tit. 15. 16. and much lesse therefore the Mendicants Eightly That the abuse of Images was necessarily to be suppressed and the sale of indulgences and penances as also the vagrant libertie and rouing of Monkes in their Sermons who leaue the sacred Scriptures to preach the mere inuentions of men Ninthly Returning euer to the first poynt That there was no hope nor meanes of reforming the Church either in policie discipline or manners except that of Rome would begin with an example whose corruptions in euerie respect he displayed except the Pope before all others prescribed a Law to himselfe and were comprehended within sacred Lawes both diuine and humane affecting nothing in any wise to the contrarie nor performing nothing without the aduise and direction of his fellow Bishops seeing they hold the place of Apostles on whom Christ conferred equall power and dignitie with Peter not on the Roman Courtries Except also the primacie of the Roman Church might be distingusht by Ecclesiasticall and secular Lawes and that the Pope would forbeare to be called the highest Priest of the Church vniuersall taking this person vpon himselfe which Gregorie vtterly forbad But saith he Part. 3. Tit. 32. The Church vniuersall suffers much scandall by the bad examples of the Roman Church and the whole people in generall are infected the rulers of the people according to Esay tollerating by this meanes the name of the Lord to be blasphemed For according to S. Augustine nothing more confounds or hurts the Church of God than when it is sayd That the Clergie is worse than the Laietie And from hence he proceeds to the rapin of Legats Nuntios and of al the Popes Ministers the exactions of indulgences of priuiledges of dispensations the excesse and pride of the Pope and his Prelats by many degrees surmounting that of any King or Prince as also therewithall the ignorance and negligence of a number whereby innumerable soules perish And then here againe he exclaimes casting away all hope as in case of a most desperat disease Part. 3. Tit. 28. seq Oh what a griefe is this saith he for the saying of the Prophet Esay seemes now to be verified euen in the Church it selfe Chap. 34 in the figure of the Citie of Babylon glorious aboue other Kingdome and renouned for the pride of the Chaldees of whom it is sayd It shall be a denne of Dragons a pasture for the Estriges the Diuels shall there meet and the Onocentaures the hairie Hobgoblins shall crie out one to another the Sorceresse shall there haue her couch there the Scrich-Oule shall haue his nest and bring vp his young ones there the Kites assemble meet one with another Also I would the words of the Prophet Esay might not be verified vpon the Clergie when he sayd Part. 3. Tit. 28. 50. This people honors me with the lips but their hearts are far from me with many other places occurrring in this treatise which is verie worthie to be wholly read ouer neither will the Reader repent his paines taken But in the meane while these good admonitions brought forth no fruit Contrariwise in this Councel that Decretall came forth which begins Pastoralis c. wherein Clement magnifies himself far boue the Emperors seeing he was Vicar to the King of kings no other reformation was wrought than that which proceeded from the ridiculous Law whose beginning is set downe in the Clementines I came out of Paradise I sayd I would water the garden of plants saith that heauenlie husbandman who was the true fountaine of wisedome the word of God proceeding from the Father in the Father remayning begotten from all eternitie c. But in vttering these words see what he adds That is to say this garden is the sacred order and institution of the Friers Minorites which being immured round about with the walls of regular obseruance and satisfied onely within it selfe with Gods comforts is wonderfully adorned by the new plantations on initiants and nouices which throughout all this prolixe Bull he studies and contends to ordaine that so those weightie scruples might be remoued wherewith they appeared to be vexed as whether they were bound to obserue all the commaundements comprehended in the Gospell as also whether all the Councels or some onely and particularly the precepts of vestments what stuffe or cloth they should be of what colour what length what breadth what forme Profound mysteries doubtlesse of the Christian religion and worthie the discussion of a generall Councell of which notwithstanding he so ambiguously determined as not long after by new Decrees they were driuen to prescribe and order them Dant the Florentine Poet flourished also in that time who amongst the writers of the same age obtained the prayse both of pietie and learning hee writ a Tractate whose title was Monarchia wherein he proued that the Pope was not superiour to the Emperor hauing no right nor prerogatiue ouer the same which is diametrally opposit to that Clementine Pastoralis wherein the Pope peremptorily arrogates to himselfe both the one and the other hee proceeding thus much further when in his Canto of Purgatorie he sayes Di hoggimai che la Chiesa di Roma Per confonder in
in no sort be scandalized with this negligence of the See Apostolicall for these reasons to make any doubt of the infallible veritie of Christs Gospell seeing he himselfe foretold as much long time before and God had now in one selfe same time made twice denunciation thereof and this Herauld being vnworthily repulsed scorned and cast into bonds was not at all therewith shaken nay more constantly and firmely than euer before he perseuered in the Faith For I know saith he that God will yet the third time denounce his predictions to the Seat Apostolicall but by whom where or when I precisely know not because it is not reuealed vnto me And if this See receiues the denunciation prosecuting it with Moses and Phineas zeale he will honour her by his diuine power both with all auncient and new glories but if she neglect and contemne the same bee assured that God within the foresaid three yeares will bring vpon her most fearefull and terrible iudgements such as shall giue wonder and amazement to the Easterne and Westerne parts what manner of ones I will tell you before my departure in the sence spirituall And certainely much about that time grew that great and long discord betweene the Emperor and the Pope Lewis of Bauaria then wearing the Diademe But this Denouncer and Herauld of whom mention hath beene made was questionlesse Arnoldus himselfe being a man then verie famous all Europe ouer for the knowledge of all Tongues and Arts who deliuering a speech about Church reformation at Rome answer was returned him Meddle in Physicke and not in Diuinitie and we will honour thee In which words saith he they endeuoured to seclude Christs little ones out of the field of Diuinitie desiring onely to haue this field possessed by Giants that is with such as make warre against God Frederick therefore being moued by Arnolds relations he resolued in himselfe verie curiously to search out the truth of the Gospell to frame his life according to Christs doctrine who is truth it selfe and can only bestow on men eternall life That he would by all labour and endeuour procure the propagation thereof rooting out whatsoeuer was aduerse and opposit thereunto And he exhorted the king of Aragon his brother to doe the like whom by letters he certified of all the proceedings to which he likewise with the same resolution and intention made answer Both of them are yet extant being dated in the yeare 1309. We also read an Epistle of king Edwards to Clement wherein he inferres how many kings and nobles of his kingdome from the verie originall of the Church had religiously built many Churches liberally endowed them and placed therein verie sufficient and fit ministers so as the Catholike Faith might the more spread and encrease among the people and nations subiect to him and by this meanes the Lords vine did wonderfully grow and spread But saith he a thing much to be grieued at the verie branches of this vine are degenerated into briers and brambles and the wild boares of the forest extirpate it and all the wild beasts seed thereon But if you doubt whom he meant obserue While saith he the impositions and prouisions of the See Apostolike which daily grow more burdensome contrarie to the intentions of the donors and the best benefices are conferred on strangers and those many times verie vnworthie and not altogether free from iust suspition who are not resident in the sayd benefices know not the countenance of those sheepe committed to their charge nor vnderstand not their language And hee set many discommodities before his eyes that thereof ensued to the vnspeakable and wonderfull detriment of the States Temporall and Spirituall both of Church Kingdome and people earnestly requesting him That he would forthwith remedie these inconueniences because so principall an euill was no wayes to be shuffled vp The successor sayth he of the Prince of the Apostles receiued a commaundement from Christ to feed and not to feed vpon the Lords sheepe to confirme and strengthen and not to suppresse and tread vpon his brethren But because Clement opened not readily his ears to these things Edward forbad the Annates to be conueyed out of his kingdome as also that Prelats should not goe personally to Rome for their ordination The Epistle began thus Pensata sedis Apostolicae clementia c. The Waldenses continued still in diuers Prouinces and vnder diuers nominations according as their aduersaries were for the most part pleased to impose vpon them for we see that in Lombardy they were called Fratricelli Little brethren and because they hated the Pope the Roman Court and such as had brought in deprauation and corruption both into doctrine and manners they were not onely most cruelly put to death but further by calumniation and detraction made infamous to posteritie in many kinds of vncleannesse though their opinions were neuer any other than those of the Waldenses and Albigenses being in the greateh part consonant to the confessions of the reformed Churches This is most apparent out of the relations of Raynerius a writer of those times who sayth he was present both in Lombardie and other places when they were examined by the Inquisitors But formerly out of his workes we extracted those things that were pertinent to their confessions that they need not here any further repetition Concerning their manners he writes they were modest simple medling little with bargaines or contracts to auoyd lying and deceit liuing on their labour being content with a little chast and sober inuiting others by their example to euerie good thing Moreouer hee addes That the first rules and instructions which for rudiments they gaue vnto their children was the Decalogue of the Law the ten Commaundements of God that they should learne to abstaine from those sinnes which vulgarly were called mortalia mortall all which poynts haue small coherence with the distastfull detractions imposed vpon them by many Clement therefore commaunded the Crosse militar to be taken vp against them exposing these poore soules to prey and spoyle proscribing them to be stripped both of life and goods and foure thousand of them he destroyed being assembled together in one place Others of them recouered the inaccessible and insuperable places of high mountaines where till Pope Eugenius time which was about an hundred yeares after our Author Antoninus sayes they abode Antonin Part. 3. Tit. 22. c. 10. And these be the verie race of them from father to sonne which we see in the vallies of Oste Angrogne and other places The same opinion is held of them which at the same time were burned in great numbers within the town of Crema in the Duchie of Austria which the Abbot of Hirsaug beleeuing his predecessors taxeth with the same faith and beleefe inuoluing the truth in many lyes and fictions Yet by his testimonie it is manifest that they reiected the Masse as vaine and vnprofitable and the consecrated Hoast a god inuented by men affirming that the Church
his subiects but of his owne Such are those shepheards that feed not the Lords flocke but themselues to whom it is sayd in Ezechiel 24 Mich. 3 You hate good and loue euill You violently flea the skin ouer their eares and teare the flesh from their bones and so they haue eaten the flesh of my people and flead the skins from off their backes The same saith Ezechiel cap. 34 I will cause them to cease from feeding any more my flocke for I will deliuer them from their mouthes and they shall be no longer their bait and food The sixt signe was The promotion of men vnworthie and contempt of the better sort According to Aristotle these things are the speciallest cause of the dissolution of any politicall gouernement and oftentimes in a secular welfare it happens that the dishonour of men famous and meritorious and the exaltation of the base and inferiour sort breeds great mutine and sedition For both in this respect and because of some of the premised reasons wee doe not onely read in Bookes but further haue seene with our eyes diuers kingdomes to haue beene almost ruined and defaced c. But this hath alwayes beene the incredulitie of humane obstinacie that though they doe not onely heare but also see it with their eyes yet will they not beleeue others perished through such and such vyces except they feele it by experience in the destruction of themselues The 7 signe was The tribulation affliction of temporall policie with the commotion and rebellions of people which is alreadie come to passe in diuers parts And because as Seneca saith euils skorn to come vnaccompanied or alone it is to be feared that after this the Ecclesiasticall policie also will not onely suffer and be replenished with these perturbations outwardly but also inwardly within the verie bowels of the Church which is prefigured in the 3 of Ieremie Desolation shall suddenly come in vpon desolation my Tabernacles are wasted and ruined In the 7 of Ezechiel Tumult vpon tumult terrour vpon terrour and the Law shall faile in the Priest and counsell in the Elders The eighth signe was The refusall of correction and amendment when that comes to passe in the principall Prelats of the Church which was writen by Ieremie cap. 7 They would not attend nor harken but made their hearts of Adamant least they should heare the words which the Lord in the spirit vttered vnto them by the mouthes of his Prophets As also by Esayas Lying children children that would not heare the Law who say stop your eares to the words of truth speake vnto vs things pleasing and acceptable And this shall then be fulfilled when the Prelats do maligne learned men and reuealers of truth euen as it is written of them in the 5 of Amos They hated him who reprehended them at the gates and abhorred him that spake truly and therefore to the Church of Hierusalem the Lord speakes in the 4 of Osee Because thou hast reiected knowledge I will reiect thee so as thou shalt not execute thy Priesthood to me for thou hast forgotten the Law of thy God therefore I will change the glorie of thy sonnes into reproach and ignominie and euen as the people are so shall the Priest be And so obseruing well the forementioned signes you may easily iudge whether the present times be secure and whether those doe not now take place which the Lord deliuereth in the Text Iuxta est justicia mea vt reueletur He could not in more plaine and expresse notes haue described the Congregation that was to entertaine Antichrist It then remayned onely for him to aunswer certayne objections which he omits not There are a sort of men saith he too confident and affirming that the Prelats are the Church which the Lord will alwayes keepe and preserue not leauing the same euen as he promised them in the persons of his Apostles he saying in the 28 of Matth. I remaine with you euen vnto the end of the world But this is to be vnderstood in respect of faith which shall remaine for euer continuing alwayes in some few though charitie and zeale wax cold amidst all worldlie disturbances the which the same our Sauiour oftentimes presaged and foretold And because none may suppose themselues secure from tribulation by being of the Church the Lord refells this opinion when he sayth in Ierem. 7. Trust not to the words of lying and vntruth saying The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord c. which shall no wayes profit you There is another opinion of those that prorogue and protract Gods iudgements for they grant That the Church indeed shall be disquieted and molested but not so quickly because many reasons haue beene heretofore touched and other signes were made manifest seeing not long since the Prelats were reprehended by the Doctors Gregorie and Bernard for receiuing of bribes for their pompe for promoting the vnworthie and for sundrie other vices which then raigned in the Church nay more than now and yet by Gods grace it still remained in prosperous estate God most fitly preuents all these debatements in an example in Ezech. cap. 12. saying Sonne of man behold the house of Israel who sayd The vision that this man saw he hath prophesied of long time agoe Thou shalt therefore tell them saith the Lord My word shall no longer be protracted but I will performe it in your dayes And in Esay 3. We haue seene things come to passe in our dayes which before seemed incredible and the like hath otherwise happened Others say Come what come will we will conforme our selues to this age we will temporize like those which said in Wisdome 2. Let vs enioy those good things that are and replenish our selues Such are very preiudiciall especially to good men in the Church of God And if Ecclesiasticall Prelats were so base as to retaine these bad cogitations they could not be too deepely plunged in hel c. for herein they incurre the temporall danger which they most feare the Lord speaking thus vnto them in the first of the Prouerbs You haue neglected all my aduertisements and counsels and therefore I will returne to your destruction when tribulation and anguish shall euen violently rush in vpon you Some distrust altogether and it seemes that no due remedie in this case can be applied but euen as other things and former kingdoms haue had their periods according to that of Mathew they haue a time in the irreuocable reuolution of ages and so this gouernement of the Church must likewise haue an end the gouernours iust deserts and obstinacies requiring the same as it is in the eighth of Ieremie There is none that repents euerie one returnes to his owne course like an horse that violently presseth into the battell If an Aethiope can change his skinne or a Leopard his spots then you may doe good hauing learned nothing but euill and in the seuenteenth chapter of Iuda which implies the Church The sinne
king the Archbishop and all other the chiefest and principallest Bishops wherein he vsed to them great reprehension for the slight care they had taken in the suppressing of Wicklifs doctrine Those of the Vniuersitie were long time in suspence Whether they should receiue the Popes Bull with honour or reiect it with reproach and at last verie small account was made of it 60. PROGRESSION The contention betweene the Romans and the Frenchmen about the election of the Pope Of the diuision in the Popedome betweene Vrban the sixt and Clement the seuenth Of the Practises of Vrban to aduance Charles Duras to the kingdome of Sicilia and of the treacheries towards Ioan Queene of Naples and Otho Duke of Brunswick her husband Of the Iubilie begun by the said Vrban but ended in the time of Boniface the ninth THe Church of Rome as we haue seene is marked in Histories with many schismes of which some of them lasted for many yeares And now we enter into the six and twentieth so quoted by their Authors and the longest of all the rest for it continued for fiftie yeares Pope against Pope the States of Europe and all the Churches of Christendome diuided or rather rent and torne asunder whiles they repeale the Acts one of another and condemne each others ordinances curse and excommunicat the one the other and openly pronounce the one the other to be Antichrist and that in bookes published and yet extant concerning that matter Whereby many euen in despight of their teeth open their eyes to know them for such as they are insomuch that many detesting openly their hypocrisie forsake their Synagogues and the others are made at least so much the more vnexcusable of their enormities In the yeare then 1378 Gregorie the eleuenth being deceased the Cardinalls enter into the Conclaue at Rome and the Romans requested that they would create Pope if not a Roman yet at least an Italian least if he were a Frenchman he should withdraw his seat to Auignion yea not content with prayers they make a tumult about S. Peters by the instigation as it was thought of Cardinall Vrsino who affected the Seat But the Frenchmen on the other side being desirous to haue the Seat with them left nothing vnattempted to the contrarie though wearie of the Lymosine Popes who for many yeares had transported the Myter ouer from one to another Notwithstanding in the end partly for feare and partly by bribing Bartholmew Archbishop of Barrie a Neapolitan is created Pope and called Vrban the sixt the Frenchmen in the meane time complaining that they had beene forced in their suffrages Theodor. à Nyem l. 1. de Schism inter Vrban 6. Clement 7. Platina in Vrban 6. Blondus Decad. 2. l. 10. And here some Authors note That Vrban had promised by oath to renounce the Popedome whensoeuer they should require it though the Cardinals signified by letters his election to the Christian Princes as lawfull and themselues adored him Three moneths then being past and the weather waxing verie hot for he had beene created in March the French Cardinalls for change of ayre request leaue of him to depart to Anagnia which Vrban granteth and they assigne their place of meeting at Fundi whither they come and to make their partie the stronger they entice thither three Italian Cardinalls with promise to each of them secretly to make him Pope if he came thither and then they chose for Pope the Cardinall of Genoua by the name of Clement the seuenth against Vrban the sixt It is obserued That when Vrban was requested not to returne into France these words chanced to escape from him That he would euer abide at Rome and that he rebuked the Bishops openly for that they resided in Court whereas they ought to be in their Diocesses which the Cardinall of Pampelone tooke verie grieuously against him Platina addeth That these Cardinals had pilled the former Popes after their death and feared to be called in question for it And let the Reader hence judge with what goodlie and lawfull reasons matters were gouerned in these Conclaues Each of them then laboured which could draw more Princes and States of Christendome to their obedience and to Vrban obeyed all the Italians and the Florentines themselues being absolued from the excommunication of his predecessor so that there onely wanted to him the Earle of Fundi Francis de Vico who held Viterbe and Ioan Queene of Naples whom he had lost onely by his peeuishnesse and of strangers the Germans Englishmen and Portugals To Clement obeyed the kings of France and Spaine And some there were which acknowledged neither the one nor the other whence they were called Newters Let vs come to Vrban in him was manifestly verified the prouerbe Theodor. à Nyem l. 1. c. 1. He which maketh a Pope knoweth not what he doth For Theodorie à Nyem his Secretarie who wrot this historie telleth vs That before his Popedome he was an humble and deuout man and withheld his hands from all bribes an enemie and persecuter of simonie and zealous of chastitie and iustice And out of that which followeth may easily be judged whether he were an hypocrite or whether the infection of the Seat did not change his habitude This good Queene of Naples had reioyced exceedingly at his promotion to the Popedome and for many dayes in Naples had caused bone-fires of ioy to be made to honour him and besides other things had sent vnto him in gift 40000 ducats part in gold and part in siluer for his first expences Otho also Duke of Brunswick her husband had held him verie deere before he was Pope and wonderfully reioyced of his Popedome but hee notwithstanding was the first that felt his pride for one day presenting drinke vnto him in his collation in presence of many Cardinalls he out of pride stayd a long time before he would take the cup out of the hand of so great a Prince kneeling before him tell one of the Cardinalls said vnto him Holie Father it is time to drinke And some such like actions helped forward the schisme not a little The Author addeth here of his master That this saying as then fayled not in him Asperius whilest misere cum surgit in altum None 's more proud than the wretch that 's high aduanced And also that Corde stat inflato pauper honore dato A poore man aduanced to honour L. 1. c. 8. hath his heart puft vp with pride But likewise verified that saying of the Wise man His heart shall be hard with euill in his later dayes Notwithstanding Otho before the schisme brake forth omitted nothing that he could to reconcile him with the Cardinalls yet receiueth no better vsage from him for hauing requested him to approue the mariage of his cousen the Marquesse of Montâ—errat with Marie heire of Sicilie whereunto all the Barons of the kingdome consented he flatly refused him hauing an intention by any meanes to make the kingdome of Sicilie
bringeth him to Naples Lib. 1. c. â—3 â—4 That Pregnan was a man giuen to all vices and of whom notwithstanding he was so exceeding fond that when his petulant loosenesse was told him he was woont to aunswer He is young and yet was he then fortie yeares old It happened among other things that he violated and rauished by force a certaine professed Nunne and recluse of the order of S. Clare of the Monasterie of S. Sauiour at Naples and descended from a Noble house her hee kept certaine dayes with him The people is moued with that wicked fact whereupon the guiltie person suddenly saueth himselfe in a Church vnder the protection of his vncle the king according to Law hauing conuicted him condemneth him to die the Pope contesteth against it that he is a superiour Lord in whose presence the king cannot punish a nobleman of his kingdome Thereupon he fortifieth the gates of his palace and gathereth his partakers about him so that this so infamous a crime remaineth vnpunished because it so pleased the Pope yea which is worse that peace might be made betweene the Pope and the king it is agreed vpon by the Cardinals procurement That Pregnan should marie the daughter of the Lord chiefe Iustice of the realme the kings kinswoman and that the king for so long time as the duke of Aniou should remaine in the countrey should pay vnto Pregnan euerie yeare in stead of the reuenewes of those dukedomes seuentie thousand Florins Of his owne accord he gaue him also the castle of Lucera with the appurtenances being between Naples and Salerne Idem c. 40. whither he with the Pope his vncle retired himselfe a place verie pleasant and safe for their persons being lodged in the castle but the towne was not so which was appointed for the Cardinals and courtiers who in a state so troubled betweene two Princes in warre together had many great alarmes L. 1. c. 42. and yet could not make him resolue to depart thence Wherefore at the instance of Cardinall Reatine it was treated amongst them out of the opinion of many Doctors If a Pope were too negligent or vnfit to gouerne and leaned so much to his owne wit that he brought thereby the whole Church into danger or were so vnbridled that without the aduice of the Cardinalls he would doe things after his owne fantasie and pleasure Whether it were not lawfull to substitute by the election of the Cardinals a Curator or some fit Curators by whose counsell and aduice the Pope should be held to dispatch all the affayres of the Church which was concluded to be lawfull But Vrban being aduertised hereof by the Cardinall of Manupello when the Cardinalls of dutie came to visit him he kept six of them whom he most feared prisoners whose goods without any order of law he presently confiscated and by that means terrified all the rest yea a few dayes after he gaue their hats to certaine vnworthie persons of Naples who knowing their owne vnworthinesse were ashamed to weare them in publike Idem l. 1. c. 45. His crueltie was such that he cast them into a dungeon commonly called the old Cisterne and without any respect of age infirmitie or qualitie put them to the racke and all manner of tortures his nephew Pregnan being present and vrging the tormentors so that here Theodorick moueth all to compassion neither yet whatsoeuer these do testifie and protest could he euer be mollified not towards the Cardinall Sangrâ— a man broken with old age and before his Legat in the realme who to please him had exercised so many cruelties and now acknowledged that he was justly punished by himselfe But when Pregnan was so proud and audacious as to seise vpon the castle of Scifatti three leagues distant from Lucera and was presently besieged by the kings seruants and forced to yeeld Charles resolued to besiege Vrban himselfe within Lucera who feeling himselfe extreamely pressed Idem l. 2. c. 45. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. led by a German called Loter of Sweâ—e fled through by-wayes of the mountaines and so saued himselfe at Salerne where he is receiued of certaine gallies of Genua prepared for him and caused the captiue Cardinalls through these incommodities to accompanie him euer by his side gaâ—ded with halberdiers and when the Bishop of Aquila broken with tortures was not able to follow him he commaunded his hangman to kill him and left his bodie in the fields without buriall Then directing his course into Sicilie which was vnder his obedience he arriued at Palermo where hauing made prouision of things necessarie he put to sea againe and came to Genua where he continually kept with him those Cardinalls in bonds all except one Cardinall Adam a poore Monke whom he gaue to Richard king of England on condition that he should euer haue a certaine Clerke of his chamber watching ouer his actions At Genua he receiueth great gifts from Iohn Duke of Milan Perhaps saith the Author that he should absolue him from the fault he had committed for that whilest Vrban remained at Naples the Duke had taken his vncle Lord Barnabo the daughter of whose cousen german hee maried by dispensation from the Pope and strangled her in a castle neere Milan and a while after he impoisoned Barnabo himselfe In the end being readie to depart from Genua to rid himselfe from the cumber of those fiue Cardinals hee made them all in one night be beheaded others say cast into the sea and others burnt in his stable Collenucius saith distinctly Collenuc l. 5. That foure were sowed vp in a sacke and cast into the water and three beheaded whose heads dried in an ouen were layd and carried vpon his sumpter moiles and so by his reckoning there should haue beene seuen but out of Theodorick his Secretarie this at least is cleere That they were neuer seene more And yet this is he whom before his Popedome he describeth vnto vs to be zealous of iustice In the last yere of his Popedome being mindfull of the great gaine that the Iubilie had brought to Clement the sixt in the yere 1350 against all reason he abreuiated the same namely to euerie thirtie three yeres An. 1350. Theodor. Ã Nyem l. 1. c. 68. 69. yet so as that it should begin at Christmas in the yeare of our Lord 1388 and should continue a yeare inclusiuely but being preuented by death he saw it not and so left that fruitfull field to be reaped by his successor Boniface An. 1388. For being departed from Genua to goe to Perouse by the fall of his mule vnder him he was bruised in many parts of his bodie and neuerthelesse hauing still an intention to returne into Sicilie he is carried to Rome where after some few dayes he died some say of poison It is here worth the noting That when Elizabeth Queene of Hungarie had caused the head of Charles Duras king of Naples to be cut off as he
conuersant in the Court of Rome he was reputed humble and deuout but he was no sooner setled in the Popedome but he was changed into another man he began to tyrannize ill demeaning himselfe towards those Cardinals that had chosen him and doing other outrages vnaduisedly He had a nephew called Francis Pregnan an vnprofitable member more licentious than is fit to be spoken vpon whom he would bestow many dukedomes and earledomes in the kingdome of Sicilia and intitled him vnto them and would willingly if it had beene in his power haue made him Souldan of Babylon too notwithstanding it were too apparent that he was vnable to gouerne a small familie To conclude there was no man euer in the Popedome more wicked and more cruell in so much that hee caused many Bishops and Cardinals barbarously and cruelly to be murthered Secum super hoc vt aestimo diabolo dispensante the diuell as I thinke dispensing with him for it or atleast wise ioyning with him in the execution thereof Of Boniface the ninth He was of a goodlie stature but a vicious nature For we read of none that euer bare rule in the Apostolike See that durst presume so publikely and with so little shame to commit the sinne of simonie scandalizing without respect of difference and ordaining Archbishops Bishops Prelats Clerkes and Priests and all for gaine He likewise made his brothers Marquesses Dukes Earles Of Innocent the seuenth In him vertue and vice was at variance he was a great dissembler firie in carnall affection He enriched his kindred with temporalties and tooke no care to confirme the vnion in the Church which he had promised and sworne to doe Of Gregorie the twelfth How he hath and doth carrie himselfe touching his kindred and that vnion that is to be made by him 〈◊〉 is apparent ynough And these foure gaue no almes which is a signe of damnation and though a fault in all yet worst in a Prelat because no man can be saued without charitie And this he writ being notarie of the Apostolike letters An. 1408. in the yeare 1408. There was likewise an Epistle directed to this Gregorie which he calleth delusorie of the officers of the Church of Rome wherein he is called The damnable forerunner of Antichrist Neither is Benedict his competitor forgotten therein There they protest That the world from thence forward will make no account of their excommunications but rather make a jeast of them since it manifestly appeareth that they both draw men into open perdition being the one and the other vnworthie of the Popedome especially Gregorie to whom they attributed most was a drunkard an heretike a destroyer of the Church of God a man accursed And in like manner they speake of his most familiar friends namely of Gabriel who was afterward Eugenius the fourth whom they call his first borne sprung from his raines and of the Cardinall of Raguse they say he was a Demoniacall Monke an infernall Legat and the like of diuers others The Author in the end concludeth That this schisme was come to that passe that the Princes of both parts contemned these Popes and nothing regarding their Bulls knit themselues in friendship alliances and mariages one with the other in such sort that a man might truely say that all things on both sides were doubtfull We haue neither a true Pope nor a true king of the Romans Behold here againe that succession they boast of He likewise writ a treatise of the inuestiture of Bishops and Abbots and attributeth the right to the Emperour Henrie Token Deligat of the Bishop of Magdeburge in the Councell of Basil maketh mention of him in his treatise That the Councell is aboue the Pope Here our France doth the rather offer it selfe to our consideration because one of these contendants was then resident at Auignion Clement therefore being departed the Cardinals chose Petrus de Luna called Benedict Froissard saith That the election was made vpon condition If it pleased the king of France and his Counsell otherwise he was not to be receiued yea that when he gaue the king to vnderstand of his Popedome he carelesly answered That it was doubtfull whether hee should acknowledge him to be the true Pope or no. He sent therefore vnto him some of the most learned of the Vniuersitie of Paris as master Iohn of Gigencourt master Peter Playons others to admonish him That the Christian faith was much weakned by this schisme that the Church could not long continue in that state In so much that the Vniuersitie of Paris was not of opinion that the Clergie seeking grace and fauour should send their petitions to Auignon notwithstanding that Benedict had before opened the fountaine of grace to all Clergie men which the king likewise forbad by their counsell vntill it were otherwise determined The Duke of Britaine did the like notwithstanding some Princes of France fauoured Benedict because he denied them nothing The king therefore without the knowledge of the Pope disposed of such benefices as were voyd in so much that the Cardinals began to feare least he should likewise lay hands vpon those benefices they held within the kingdome and therefore they sent a Legat vnto him to assure him That if Benedict were lesse pleasing vnto him they would enter the Conclaue againe to chuse another to his owne contentment The Legat being heard and withall a Frier Minorite who resided with the king in behalfe of Boniface Pope of Rome it was concluded in Councell not without the consent of the Vniuersitie That both the riuals should be commaunded to resigne the Popedome Froissard l. 4. c. 58. and all the Cardinals their Cardinalships and that certaine Clergiemen that were men knowne to be honest and of a good conscience should be chosen out of Germanie France and other nations who deliberating of the cause amongst themselues with good aduice and without all fraud should restore the Church to her former state and vnitie Which sentence of the Vniuersitie the king approued and so did the Dukes of Orleance and Burgundie and their Counsellors Whereupon he sent embassadous to the kings of Germanie Bohemia Hungarie and England vndertaking for the kingdome of Castille Nauarre Arragon Sicilia Naples and Scotland that they should yeeld their obedience vnto him to whomsoeuer he and his realme should grant his There was much time spent in these embassages but yet with this fruit That Richard king of England agreed to whatsoeuer the king of France thought conuenient and the Emperour Wenceslaus in the yeare 1398 with many other great Princes came to Rheimes to consider of this businesse with the king notwithstanding he pretended the cause of this his journey to bee the mariage of the daughter of the Duke of Orleance to the Marquesse son of Brandebourg There after many deliberations those great Princes being assisted with the greatest and grauest personages of their States decree That Petrus de Alliaco Bishop of Cambray should goe in
not so much as the people of Liege but they resolued to forsake Boniface at Rome and to embrace this neutralitie to whom the better to retaine them in their faith and obedience hee sent a Legat but he not daring to passe any farther stayed at Cologne and from thence by a carrier sent letters who was forbid to returne to the Legat except he loued to be cast into the riuer Mosa Thus was the miserable state of the Church knowne to the whole world And this brings vs to the yeare 1399. An. 1399. There passed many yeares in these contentions betwixt these Popes either of them intending vnion whilest neither of them embraced it and both of them in their owne jurisdictions amongst whom they were obeyed laying exactions burthens and exercising tyrannie vpon the Churches violently exacting likewise certain annuities brought in by the inuention of Boniface wheresoeuer their power did extend Whereupon there followed a Decree of our Parliament assisted by the great Councell dated the eleuenth of September in the yeare 1406 An. 1406. the Vniuersitie of Paris requesting the same by which it was forbidden to be payd to the Pope or any of his Cardinals and if afterwards they shall request it not to receiue any thing from him or to haue ought to doe with him In the narration whereof the Vniuersitie feared not to say that it is written Withdraw your selues from euerie brother that walketh inordinatly presently adding that of the Apostle I know that after my departure shal grieuous Wolues enter in amongst you Arrestum Curiae an 1406. impressum cum Nicholao Clemangis not sparing the flocke and that of the Prophet Because my flocke was spoyled and my sheepe were deuoured of the beasts of the field hauing no shepheard neither did my shepheards feed my sheep but the shepheards feed themselues and feed not my sheep therefore sayth the Lord I will cause them to cease from feeding the sheepe neither shall the shepheards feed themselues any more for I will deliuer my sheepe from their mouthes and they shall no more deuour them Which words the Vniuersitie applies to Benedict shewing likewise that Rome receiued the preheminence of her See from Constantine but yet had not therefore any power to command or to impose any thing vpon others There followeth the Edict of Charles the sixt then raigning dated the eighteenth of Februarie in the yeare 1406 whereby both his annuities and his baser seruices as they call them and innumerable the like grieuances and oppressions which are there particularly expressed are vtterly made voyd as being dangerous to the Church and Commonweale causes of pouertie amongst the people and perdition to a million of poore soules that by that meanes are destitute both of corporall and spirituall nourishment The occasion of this Edict was because the later moderne Popes being often admonished made no account thereof but hardened themselues and stopped their eares against all complaints Another cause was because the regall power for the establishing of the Church is ordained of God in so much that the celestiall kingdome may be amended by the terrestriall when the Church is destroyed by them who hold the highest places therein and are to be repressed by the seueritie of Princes to whom in such cases we are only to flie since by their oath made vnto God they are to prouide for the good of the Church otherwise to yeeld an account In this case especially wherein all the Doctors teach That we are to denie obedience to the Pope himselfe And this whole Edict is yet to be read much differing from that their axiome That the Pope hath the chiefest commaund both in heauen and on earth These things fell out in the time of Innocent the seuenth one of the competitors Gregorie his successor thought good at the first to flatter vs and by his Legat sent a Bull to the king wherein he promiseth in good earnest to doe his best endeuour to procure a vnion vpon those conditions before mentioned It bare date the eleuenth of December 1406 and is to be had in Monstrelet Whereupon the king and the Vniuersitie of Paris the matter being deliberated with the chiefe of the Clergie and Councell sent embassadours to Benedict the Patriarch of Alexandria the Bishops of Cambray and Beauvais the Abbots of S. Denis and Mount S. Michael and certaine Doctors of the Vniuersitie who should let him vnderstand That except he would doe his office and come to some reason that the king and the Dolphine would withdraw themselues from his obedience and refuse his Bulls Benedict continuing obstinat in his purposes entertained the embassadours with fayre words and in the meane time without the knowledge of his Cardinals made a constitution which he sent by speciall messengers to the king and Vniuersitie threatening grieuous punishment to all those that should withdraw themselues from the obedience of himselfe and his successors Monstrelet vol. 1. c. 33. And afterwards with doubtfull speeches sent away the Embassadours The king and his Councell began now to perceiue that these Popes abused the world both the one and the other but yet are nothing terrified therewith But the yeare following they sent Iohn de Castro morando and Iohn de Courseno Jdem 1. Cap. â—0 knights to Benedict to let him know That if the vnion were not restored to the Church by Ascention day that he the Clergie Nobles and people of his kingdome and Dolphine would no longer obey him nor his aduersarie To whom he answered without delay That he would send an answer by a speciall messenger who was a certaine man I know not who that came into the palace of S. Paul where the kings Court then was and entring into the kings Oratorie at the beginning of Masse deliuered Benedict his letters and presently departed The letters were read which contained an excommunication against the king and his subiects but the messenger vanished Wherefore the king by the counsell of his Princes and the persuasion of the Vniuersitie of Paris forsooke the Pope and withdrew himselfe from his obedience The letters are to be read in the same Authour wherein the Pope complaineth That the subiects of his kingdome rebell against the Church of Rome in appealing from him against the canonicall constitutions and that the king permitted diuers errours to be sowed therein contrarie to the puritie of the law So he calleth the reprehension of his exactions Furthermore that the vnion which he dreames of is properly a sinne and a perseuerance in a Schisme and that such as exhort him thereunto doe but abuse him Concluding that if he continue in this vaine errour besides those punishments and sentences pronounced in the law he will send constitutions comprehended in his Bull by the tenor whereof both he and all other that shall offend shal be punished These letters neuerthelesse are intermingled with some flatterie but the Bull marres all We excommunicat all those that shall appeale from vs or our
53. 54. There a certaine bishop of Arragon a great Doctour of Diuinitie in a solemne Sermon chose for his text that of the Apostle Purge the old leauen c. wherein he feared not to say That they were no more Popes than his old shooes worse than Annas and Carphas yea to be compared to the Diuels of hell Whereby let the Reader judge of those Archbishops Prelats that he ordayned and of those things that by them were done whom he ordayned The selfesame is to be read in the letters of the Embassadours of the Vniuersitie of Paris to their Lords and Masters That the neutrallitie and subtraction of obedience was good and lawfull and the processe and sentences of the competitors against those that had withdrawne themselues iustly pronounced to be of no force Approuing in all respects the sentence of the Vniuersitie As there is likewise extant the definitiue sentence against both the contendants for their horrible sinnes and a reuocation of all their acts in the yeare last past with the Epistle of Alexander the fifth to the Bishop of Paris Cap. 67. who expresly pronounced them the enemies of God and his Church for their grieuous and horrible notorious sinnes Iohn the foure and twentieth alias the three and twentieth the successour of Alexander in the yeare 1410 sent his Legats namely the Archbishop of Pisa to demaund the Tenthes due in the vacancie procurations and mortuaries An. 1410. Bochell l. 2. Decret Eccles Gallicanae p. 323.324 Jdem l. 4 p. 51.52.53 54.55.56 ex ijsdem The Vniuersitie assembled at the Bernerdins the three and twentieth of Nouember and calling vnto them such Prelats as were then at Paris concluded that those Lawes and ordinances aboue mentioned made in the yeare 1406 were to be defended that is to say That the Church of Fraunce was freed from all tenthes procurations and other subsidies and annuities whatsoeuer And if the Pope or his Legats shall constrain any man by ecclesiastical censure to pay them that it shold be lawfull to appeale from them to a generall Councell And if any of the collectors shall goe about to exact them they are to be punished with the losse of their goods if they haue any if not with imprisonment They humblie besought the king and the Councell thus to determine the matter and his Proctor generall to joyne with the sayd Vniuersitie But if the Pope should alledge some manifest necessitie of the Church that a Councell should be called wherein some charitable subsidie should be determined of which honest men chosen by the Councell should gather and being gathered by the authoritie thereof distribute it The Munday following there was called a royall Councell where the Archbishop deliuered vnto them That what he demaunded was due to the Apostolike chamber by law Diuine canon ciuile and naturall which whomsoeuer should denie to pay was no Christian Let the Reader here note the definition of a Christian The Rector interrupting him affirmed That these words were pronounced to the dishonour of the king and the Vniuersitie and consequently of the whole realme Wherefore the thirtieth of Nouember he called a generall congregation wherein it was agreed to send Orators to the king to request that the Legat might be commaunded to reuoke his words and if he should refuse to doe it that then the professours graduats of Diuinitie and Law should write against him vpon the Articles of the faith That both he and his Colleagues might according to their desart be punished That they would likewise write to all other Vniuersities and Prelats to ioyne with them in this controuersie and to the Archbishop of Rheimes likewise and others of the kings grand Councell to that purpose who haue bin sworne to the sayd Vniuersitie otherwise to be depriued that dignitie Whereupon the Popes Legats departed without taking their leaue Neuerthelesse the Pope is nothing at all herewith discomfited but sendeth his Legats againe to the king to require the Tenths imposed vpon Fraunce who pronounced in the kings Councell the duke of Aquitan being present That not only the Church of Fraunce but all others whatsoeuer were bound to this subsidie not onely by the positiue law but also by the law of God The Vniuersitie withstood it and in a congregation concluded That the manner in demaunding this subsidie was to be reproued as vniust and contrarie to the law before made in the yeare 1406 which they were resolued to defend And if the Pope or his Legats should proceed any farther that they would then appeale to the generall Councell of the Church and if the gouernours of the new king and kingdome should attempt any thing against the sayd law they would appeale to the king and the Lords of his Councell And if any of the Vniuersitie it selfe should goe about to gather these tenthes he was to lose his rights and priuiledges if other his temporalties if he had any if not to suffer imprisonment But if the Pope by way of charitie would gather this money then the Vniuersitie would beseech his Maiestie that the Prelats of the kingdome might be called to deliberat First What was to be handled in the next generall Councell Secondly What answer was to be made to the supplication of the Popes Legats Monstrelet vol. 1. c. 67. So that if a subsidy should be granted that it might be gathered by some chosen honest men of the kingdome for the vnion of the Greekes and Latines the peace of the kingdome of England the recouerie of Palestina and for the preaching of the Gospell to all creatures since these were the ends for which the Pope as his owne Legats did affirme did leuie this subsidie In all which they humbly beseech the Lords of the Parliament and the kings Proctors to yeeld them their helping hand and to joyne with them Whereupon the Archbishop of Pisa carried himselfe more humbly towards the Vniuersitie and began to flatter the principall amongst them that hee might win them to deale more mildly with him but it was to small purpose for the Vniuersitie continued still constant though the greater part of the Nobles yea the Princes themselues began to faint in their resolutions An. 1416. Here is fit place to speake of the Councell of Constance wherein in the yeare 1416 a bill was exhibited in the name of the Church of France and the Vniuersitie of Paris called Apostoli because Charles the sixt by a Decree of the Court of Parliament and an Edict following thereupon had forbid annuities to be paid It was otherwise called De Annatis non soluendis Which bill was so much the more necessarie because the Cardinals going about to put downe the Antipopes endeuoured neuerthelesse to retaine their gaineful arts and inuentions especially these annuities which their promoters with their reasons likewise defended There it was disputed by our Diuines That those annuities were not due either by the law of God or man That they were extraordinarily granted to
and bound to the holie Scriptures Gerson de examine doctrinar consid 5. tom 1. Neither is it saith he in the power of the Pope or Councell to change traditions giuen by the Euangelists and Paul as some doe dote Yea we are to giue more credit in a case of doctrine to the assertion of a simple man learned in the Scriptures than the declaration of the Pope For it is manifest that we are rather to beleeue the Gospell than the Pope In so much that any such learned man being present at the Councell ought to oppose himselfe against him if hee shall perceiue the greater part against the Gospell either by malice or ignorancee to decline from the truth And touceing that place of Augustine I would not beleeue the Gospell but that the authoritie of the Church moueth mee thereunto He meaneth sayth he the Primitiue congregation of the faithfull who had seene and heard Christ and were witnesses vnto him Neither is it in the power of Pope or Bishop of a proposition not hereticall or not Catholike to make it hereticall or Catholike All which Theses destroy the tyrannie of the Pope and the Church of Rome with those inuentions likewise and vsurpations which vnder the cloke of his pretended authoritie they brought into the Church Let the Reader here note Vide Tractatū de Ecclesia That this was then the doctrine of the Vniuersitie of Paris yea the Sorbonists themselues We haue elsewhere quoted many places by which it may appeare how much they despaired of the reformation of the Church by reason of the malignitie of the Popes and Prelats Touching Indulgences he saith Iohan. Gerson in Tractat. de Indulgentijs Christ is the onely Pope that can grant those Indulgences for a thousand thousand dayes and yeares c. Againe Perhaps such enormous graunts haue beene inuented by wicked men who seeke their owne gaine And againe The graunt of Indulgences will hardly be taken away c. since it is most certaine that Purgatorie ends with the world Idem de absolutione sacramentali consequently the daies of their punishments Again Those institutions of Indulgences for twentie thousand yeares and the like to him that shall say fiue Pater nosters before such an Image c. are sottish and supersitious and contrarie to the truth c. At these fooleries all men in those dayes began to bend their browes But in this sermon intituled Of the ruines of the Church he manifestly proueth the fearefull judgement of God to be then at hand The signes which he setteth downe are these First 2. Thessalonians 2. The dissipation of the Roman Empire betwixt which and the persecutions of Antichrist following therein S. Hierome he setteth downe no distance of time And now saith he the state of the vniuersall Church is so doubtfull that it knoweth not on which side the See of Rome is except perhaps God should reueale it to some one or the iudgement of Salomon touching the diuiding of the infant into two parts giue vs to vnderstand who is the true mother Secondly Impudencie wherein as touching maners it is worse than the Synagogue when the ruine thereof approached for that permitted Pigeons to be sold in the Temple and this sells Spirituall charges for money that honoured God but with the lips onely this dishonours God both in word and deed taking no care at all to couer her owne shame Thirdly Inequalitie or rather Iniquitie the like whereof was neuer amongst the ministers of the Church the vnworthie being exalted the worthie trod vnder foot some set aboue Princes others more contemptible than the basest of the people And from hence arise schismes in the Church Fourthly The pride of the Prelats which purchaseth rather hatred than reuerence And from hence arise schismes in the Church Fiftly The tyrannie of those that beare rule who feed not the flocke but themselues they deuour the flesh and plucke off the skinne Sixtly The troubles of Princes and commotion of the people which we haue experience of in so many kingdomes and Prouinces Seuenthly The refusal of correction in the Principall of the Clergie who detest those that reprehend them hold the Scriptures for a fable and those that meditate thereupon for fantasticall persons Eightly Noueltie of opinions from whence arise heresies schismes are defended and being defended take root c. And this he applies to those that accommodat the Scriptures to their owne affections make them speake according to that loue or hatred hope of aduancement or reuenge wherewith they are carried And some of them vpon euerie light occasion call them heretikes whom they neuer knew to be tainted with heresie All which signes he rehearseth Gerson de signis ruinae Ecclesiae and compareth them with others of former times which being confirmed by the examples of his age and the threats of the auncient Prophets he applieth to the present state of the Church Of the same opinion were diuers others in diuers parts of the world In Germanie Theodoricus Vrias an Augustine in his worke of the consolation of the Church especially in his third book Theodor. Vrias in consolatione Ecclesiae lib. 3. Idem apud Paulum Langium in Chron. Citizensi where inueying against the wickednesse thereof the whoredome simonie ambition contempt of the word of God neglect of the saluation of mankind he pronounceth the Pope to be the forerunner of Antichrist Yea wee haue his verses recited by Paulus Langius in his Chronicle not vnworthie the reading in number eighteene whereof these are the first Papa stupor mundi cecidit secumque ruêre Coelica templa Dei membra simulque caput c. The Pope the worlds astonishment is dead With him are falne Gods house members and head c. Wherein he describeth how the Pope hath drawne the whole Church with himself into ruine supplying the place of Simon Magus not Simon Peter That the Churches vnder his gouernment were fairs of treacherie wherin the Sacraments and all holie things were put to open sale That the Church of Rome grew euerie day worse worse of a golden Church was become a siluer of a siluer an yron of an yron an earthly durtie Church in so much that nothing now remained but that it wold likewise turne into a stinking dung-hill And yet such a Church it was at that time when neuerthelesse it made a beautiful a glorious shew There was likewise another Theodor. Minorita in prophetia vna cum pluribus alijs rithmicis impressa one Theodoricus a Minorite Bishop of Croatia who foretold in a certaine prophesie written in verse That this See polluted with so much corruption should shortly come to naught and the Pope be vtterly ouerthrowne euen by those that had extolled him and that contrarily the Church and in her true pietie should recouer her pristinat beautie more than before Petrus Dresdensis likewise and Iacobus Misnensis the Disciples of the auncient Waldenses were for this
maleficorum Bodin alledgeth out of the booke of Iacob Sprenger Inquisitour of witches a strange dispensation of this Nicholas A certaine German bishop was sicke whom Nicholas greatly loued he vnderstood by a witch that his sicknesse came of witchcraft from which he could not be deliuered but by a contrarie charme by which the witch herselfe that had bewitched him must die He therefore sendeth in post to Nicholas entreating leaue of him to be cured by the witch which dispensation Nicholas granteth with this clause Of two euils auoyd the greater The Bull being receiued the witch vnder the Popes authoritie and at the Bishops entreatie setteth her hand to the businesse about midnight the Bishop was restored to health and at the verie same instant the disease passed into her that had bewitched him whereof she dyed And they would make vs beleeue that this Pope dyed of griefe for the losse of Constantinople but his denying of succours to the Greekes persuadeth vs to the contrarie From this shipwracke he gathered about him some learned Grecians but that was properly to build vp the sepulchres of the Prophets whom before he had suffered to be murdered But Alphonsus Borgia who succeedeth him by the name of Calixtus the third made a shew of repairing that fault and presently denounced warres against the Turkes saying that hee had made a vow to that end a long time before knowing but whence had he this prophesie that he should be Pope and shewed written and subscribed with his owne hand in a certaine booke these words following I Pope Calixtus make a vow to almightie God Platina in Calixto 3. and to the holie indiuisible Trinitie That I will persecute the Turkes most cruell enemies of the Christian name by warre cursings interdictions execrations and to conclude in whatsoeuer manner I can and yet was he alreadie decrepit with age He imposeth therefore a tenth on all the Clergie and publisheth a Croysado throughout all Europe according to custome granting full remission of sinnes to all that contributed to it so that once in his life and once at his death he were confessed yea and giuing authoritie to whomsoeuer would giue fiue ducats to absolue and dispence in many cases And there were set forth to sea onely sixteene gallies vnder the charge of the Patriarch of Aquileia Alphonsus king of Naples and Philip Duke of Bourgondie were admonished to crosse themselues for those warres which they made shew of But as the businesse was for a brunt onely with great earnestnesse stirred forwards so also it easily rested And then saith Platina ad Pontificia negotia animum adijciens Applying his mind to the affaires of the Popedome he began to canonize Saints one Edmund in England one Vincent in Spaine and others Which Bessarion seeing especially how rashly and indirectly the same was done These new Saints saith he make me doubt of the old Gulielm Langaeus in Praefat. suae Hist But it behoued them also in this to imitat the chiefe Bishops of the Pagans Moreouer for a supplie in stead of yeelding succours to the Greekes he ordaineth a bell to be tolled euerie day betweene noone and euening at the sound whereof whosoeuer did on their knees mutter ouer three Aue-maries and Pater-nosters should haue three yeares and three fortieth parts of Indulgences Also hee appointed a generall Procession or Letanie euerie first Sonday of the moneth in which whosoeuer assisted should obtaine seuen yeares and seuen fortieth part of Indulgences besides a prayer in the Masse for victorie against the Infidels which who so sayd should also merit three yeares of Indulgences In the meane time if the safetie and good of Christendome had beene seriously thought vpon there was offered a verie notable occasion Antonin part 3. tit 22. c. 14. for Iohn Vaiuode in that verie time ouercame Mahomet in that famous battell neere Belgrade whom his forces being diminished and he left of our men he could not follow But Calixtus howsoeuer forgat not to looke to his owne affaires and therefore Alphonsus king of Naples being deceased and Ferdinand his bastard hauing obtained his place he presently prouided for the chiefest Bishoprickes of the realme which he durst not doe in the kings life-time And which is more saith Antoninus by Bulls he declared Antonin part 3. tit 22. c. 16. that the realme of Naples vacant pertained to him alone as a feoffee of the Church commaunding Ferdinand to forgoe it and that neither he nor any other whosoeuer vnder paine of excommunication should call himselfe king of that kingdome but that if any pretended there any right the businesse should first be discussed by him who dissolueth all oathes of fidelitie or homage which any had yeelded vnto him He likewise wrot to the States of the kingdome That Ferdinand was not the sonne of Alphonsus but one supposed And this he did that he might transferre the kingdome to Iâ—igni Borgia his nephew or his sonne From which sentence Ferdinand moued with anger appealeth Francis Sforcia Duke of Milan his father in law was also grieuously offended protesting to leaue nothing vnattempted whereby the state of his sonne in law may be defended Pandolf Colenuc lib. 5. Donatus Bossius But thereupon Calixtus dieth who a little before had framed the office or seruice of the Transfiguration with the like Indulgences as hath the feast of Corpus Christri For it was meet that the Popish religion being meerely humane should from day to day encrease with humane inuentions Aeneas Syluius called Pius the second a man of great knowledge I would hee had beene of like conscience An. 1458. succeeded this Calixtus in the yeare 1458 but the Papall chaire soone discouered what a manner of man he was He had bin Scribe in the Councell of Basil Platina in Pio 2. Register of the Apostolike letters one of the twelue which were ordained Censors of the Councell yea had many times sat chiefe among those that had beene deputed touching matters of faith and was twice chosen amongst them which conferred benefices and if any thing of moment were to be determined by the nations he was euer chosen chiefe for Italie He was moreouer appointed embassadour in the Councels name thrice to Strasbourg once to Trent twice to Constance once to Franckford and twice into Sauoy authour or furtherer of all things that were done in this Councell the Acts whereof he writeth downe in two bookes out of which his opinion thereof is manifest ynough In so much that when Eugenius was deposed and Felix set in his place he was sent by Felix embassadour to the Emperour Frederick to declare vnto him the just causes of his election on which occasion admiring the dexteritie of his wit he drew him to his seruice He being sent to Rome by Frederic to deale with the Pope about his coronation was enticed with the delights of the Court of Rome and in fauour of Nicholas sold the renunciation of Felix Whereupon he was
first created Bishop of Triesté and after Cardinall by Calixtus and by degrees according to the encrease of his dignities he changed his stile as appeareth to whomsoeuer readeth his Epistles which hee himselfe hath distinguished by degree Till at length being made Pope he thought nothing better than to reuoke his former and more laudable Acts by his Bull set forth concerning that matter bearing the title of Retractation and the things which before he had seemed to detest in other Popes hee himselfe now both praysed and aduanced forward This is manifest by the Bull which beginneth Execrabilis dated in the second yeare of his Popedome whereby he forbiddeth to appeale from the sentences of the Pope to the future Councell pronounceth all such appeales of Emperours Kings Bishops c. to be voyd vaine execrable and pestiferous excommunicateth such as haue appealed not to be absolued but at the poynt of death He also subiecteth Vniuersities Colledges and other corporations to the Interdict and inflicted vpon all the punishments of high treason and heresie and the Notaries or letter-carriers witnesses and others which were at those Acts c. In another Bull also which beginneth In minoribus agentes directed to the Vniuersitie of Colonia An. 1463. in the yeare 1463 hee professeth That it repented him that hee wrot the Dialogue and other bookes for the authoritie of the Councell saying that he had persecuted the Church of God ignorantly as did S. Paul contrariwise affirming the authoritie of the Pope to bee aboue the Church by the same texts which before he had expounded in a farre other sence Wherefore hee declared That the Pope is the soueraigne Monarch of the Church whose sinnes are left to the judgement of God so that no man may take knowledge of them And neuerthelesse at the end he reuerenced saith he the Councell of Constance which had decreed the contrarie But here Bellarmine inuenteth a notable distinction That the later Sessions are approued not the first because in the first the Councel was placed aboue the Pope and yet notwithstanding in that Councell Martin the fift had beene chosen and what hee had caused to be ordained in the later tooke force and vigour onely from the first Sessions whereby it was judged That the Councell may judge the Pope arraigne him condemne depose and punish him and chuse another in his roome all which they had practised on Iohn the foure and twentieth Benedict the thirteenth and Martin the fift deposing the two former and electing the third and both the Sessions former and later proceeding from one same spirit and from one and the same authoritie But it troubleth them that they know not which way to turne themselues when they are demaunded what was the vocation of Martin Eugenius and others which hath no ground but on the onely decision of this Councell and the Councell of Basil And here we might set before the eyes of Syluius what he hath said of this Councell and that of Basil which now he condemneth and that not being a young man as he said but a man of perfect age and honoured with principall dignities Where is there in the world such a companie of Fathers Where so great light of knowledge Where the wisedome Where is the goodnesse that can be equall to the vertues of these Fathers O most perfect fraternitie O true Senat of the world c. So that these things may not honestly now be denied But as the eye of reason is other than the eye of passion so is the judgement of an vpright mind other than of corrupt desire of Syluius sitting in that most honourable assemblie which he describeth vnto vs than of Pius the second raigning in that contagious chaire And he had cast out a speech of an expedition into Asia against the Turkes in the assemblie of Mantua Bulla quae incipit Quoniam vt proxime in summa Constitution Iohan. 5. Stella in Pio 2. whither the embassadours of many Princes were come from all parts and vnder pretence thereof had imposed a tenth on the whole Clergie yea euen vpon all the profits of the Roman Court but he could not bring it to effect perhaps because he arrogated too much to himselfe with the Princes which were of greatest power For saith Stella for the augmentation of the Papall Maiestie he feared neither Kings nor Dukes neither peoples nor tyrants but if they saw any offending that is to say not obeying in all poynts his desire he persecuted them so long both by warre and by censures till he perceiued them to be recouered And for this cause became he an aduersarie to Lewis King of France who went about to diminish the libertie of the Church in his kingdome to Borsio d'Este because he fauoured Sigismund Malatesta and the affaires of France against Ferdinand He persecuted with terrible execrations Sigismund Duke of Austria for that he had chastised the Cardinall of S. Peter ad Vincula Hee deposed also the Archbishop of Mentz iudging ill of the Roman Church and set vp another in his roome He deposed likewise the Archbishop of Beneuent for attempting new matters against his will and for that he would betray Beneuent to the Frenchmen And he brought many townes of Campania into the power of the Church of Rome Neither doe histories conceale that he confirmed the kingdome of Naples to Ferdinand reuoking the Bull of Calixtus the third and that in fauour of the mariage of Anthonie Picolhuomini his nephew with the sister of the wife of Ferdinand whose dowrie was the Earledomes of Maldeburg and Celano Whereby hee began to set himselfe against the rights of our France Monstrelet addeth Monstrelet vol. 3. That it was commonly thought that Ferdinand had giuen Pius a verie great summe of gold partly to be absolued of his crimes and partly that he might peaceably enioy his kingdome But his ambition cannot not better be knowne than in his 396 Epistle where hee offereth and promiseth the Empire of the Greeks to Mahomet king of the Turkes if he would become a Christian and succour the Church that is to say his faction that hee might the more easily rend Christendome which he vexed with continuall warres presuming to persuade him that that Empire depended on him and was in his gift and that so his predecessors had giuen the Empire of Germanie to Charlemaine It seemeth that to him also is to be ascribed that extraordinarie pompe of Corpus Christi day for that which is commonly boasted of the Temple of S. Peter very fitly agreeth with the Roman superstition which neuer is brought to his full height Antoninus Campanus Bishop of Arrezzo in the life of Pius saith He celebrated at Viterbium the feast of the Eucharist with an vnaccustomed brauerie the citie being vnder foot spread with scarlet ouer head couered with linnen in which starres of gold shined as in the firmament so that the procession went not seeing the skie betweene flowres strewed an ynch thick
it for which it had need to be commended It was apparant that hee required it not for desire of good worke but for couetousnesse In comming therfore to speake their opinions the Cardinall de Porto who was next to the Cardinall of Hostia I feare Holie Father saith he that verie shortly we shall heare that al the Abbayes in France will be in Commenda so that there will not any remain that hath an Abbot for whatsoeuer we ordayne there is nothing else but Commenda's That kingdome will one day when we least looke for it rise against vs and not beeing able to endure our vnprofitable ministerie will attempt some great matter against thy seat The Pope approued his iudgement and added That from the Popedome of Calixtus till that day he thought there were more than fiue hundred Monasteries giuen in Commenda that is in lesse than nine yeares And yet in his Epitaph among his triumphes is obserued this exploit Platina in Pio 2 Pragmaticam in Gallia abrogauit hee abolished the Pragmaticall sanction Wherefore Pius beeing dead who in foure yeares space had taught Fraunce sufficiently what great dammages would ensue thereupon complaints for the Pragmaticall sanction are redoubled whereupon the king commaunded his Court of Parliament to set downe vnto him in writing the causes of this complaint which it did and deliuered them vnto him againe in eightie sixe Articles vnder this Title For the libertie of the French Church against the Court of Rome The principal Articles are the 14 15 16 17 18 in these words Whereas many things had been decreed in the holie Councels of Constance and Basill consonant or agreeable to the auntient Canons and to the royall ordinances abouesayd King Charles the seuenth the king who then was Dolphin being present together with the Princes of the bloud Royall the Prelats and the Colledges Ecclesiasticall and Scholasticall and in the hearing of the Embassadours both of the Pope of Rome and of the holie vniuersall Councell at length he receiued those Decrees and confirmed them by his Edict which commonly wee call Pragmaticall And these things were done a Bourges in the yeare 1438. This sanction therefore was euer held to be of so much the more authoritie because it had the originall from the holie Councels in which the Pope or his Legat sat President For there had beene neuer any law made in Fraunce before that time which had authoritie and force from the vniuersall Church 16. From that time forth the kingdome better prospered and had greater authoritie and glorie than ever before and more plentie and abundance of all things Guienne and Normandie can witnesse what terrour it was to the enemies out of which places they were expulsed and cast out 17. The obseruation of this sanction dured the space of twentie and three yeares and now since hath ceased these foure yeares When in the meane time men of excellent probitie and grauitie haue gouerned and ruled the Churches without molestation and disturbance of which some for the singular sanctitie of their liues after their decease were had in reputation for miracles as Michaell Bishop of Anger 's the Archbishop of Arles and many others 18. Contrariwise of the abrogation of these Canons Decrees and Constitutions innumerable inconueniences would arise which seeme may be referred to foure kinds Those same which were obserued in the admonition afore mentioned But the king being troubled either with continuall warres or with suspitions from time to time put off the businesse to a generall assemblie Yet saith Monstrelet in the yeare 1467 Paule the second being Pope Monstrelet es Chronologiques the king graunted his letters to his Legat being come from Rome in the moneth of September for the abrogation of the Pragmaticall sanction which were exhibited and published in the Chastellet of Paris without any contradiction or disturbance But he addeth on the first day of October following M. Iohn Balue who after was Cardinall came to the hall of the Palace royall at Paris to procure the publication of the same in Court Where he findeth M. Iohn de Saint Romain the kings Atturney generall who verie stoutly opposed himselfe against the execution of the said letters whereat Balue was verie much displeased Balue threateneth him That the king would not be well content with it and would displace him from his office But he despising his threats answered That the king might take away his office from him yet neuerthelesse he was resolued rather to lose it than he would either doe or suffer to be done any thing against his conscience or to the detriment and dishonour of the king and kingdome And to Balue he said That he might blush for shame for hauing vndertaken the dispatch of such a businesse And after that the Rector of the Vniuersitie of Paris and the Deputies of the same came to the Legat himselfe and appealed from him and from the effect of his said letters to the Councell and in whatsoeuer place it should be made They also went to the Chastelet where they requested that their opposition might be inregistred there These are the words of Monstrelet and it is not to be omitted That this Iohn Balua being Bishop of Eureux was made a Cardinall and a little after conuicted of treason against the king and kingdome The yeare following one M. Iohn Loyre by vertue of certaine Bulls from the Pope interdicted the citie and Diocesse of Niuers vsing the authoritie of the Officiall of Besanson But by the sentence of the Court it was decreed the twelfth of December at the suit of the kings Atturney generall and of M. Peter Chartres Doctor and Professor of Diuinitie in the Vniuersitie of Paris That notwithstanding the Interdict the Diuine Seruice should be continued and the Churchmen compelled vnto it being by the kings power set into their temporalties That also the said Loire and Officiall should be layd hold on and be held to procure at their owne charges the abrogation of the Bulls Neither wanted there in all places some who in the middest of the tyrannie powred forth their sighes euen before the Popes Dominicus Bishop of Brescia in Italie wrot a Treatise which he directed to Pius the second and intituled it The Reformation of the Court of Rome truely mild ynough according to the times and yet sometime not without a sting If saith he we consider the former Popes and their Acts the Cardinalls the Bishops Protonotaries and other Prelats Penitentiaries Subdeanes Auditors Clerkes of the Chamber Acolythes or vnder ministers Chamberlains Aduocates Proctors and others appointed in diuers degrees and offices wee shall surely weepe with Ieremie Lament 4. Oh how is the gold become so dimme the most fine gold is changed the stones of the Sanctuarie that is the Prelats are scattered in the corner of euerie street that is of the broad wayes which lead to destruction in the corners whereof they are as Gregorie expoundeth it Her Nazarites were purer than snow and whiter
to the contrarie but let that saying cease which is verie erronious to affirme The state of the Church was neuer in so great daunger from the beginning of the world as it is to be seene at this present There haue been indeed greater persecutions and vexations of the Church but there were euer holie and deuout men who endued with the grace of the holie spirit comforted the faithfull instructing and strengthening them And now the Chruch seemeth to be set in securitie but such holie men are nowhere to be seene Therefore the Church decreaseth in faithfull men and in kingdomes it pineth away in persons notwithstanding the libertie it hath And before when it enioyed not so great libertie but was furnished with those holie men it dayly encreased and augmented as to him that will search the Histories will plainely appeare These things Saint Barnard partly noted in his time in his foure and twentieth Sermon and vpon the 72 Psalme They are the Ministers of Christ but serue Antichrist Which places because we haue aboue coted them in needlesse here to trouble the Reader withall Stephan Brulifer de timore seruili de paupertate Christi cum sermonibus varijs apud Andream Bocord Paris an 1500. Jdem in 4. lib. sentent Bonavent Basil per Jacob. de Pfortzeim 1501 In Fraunce Stephan Brulifer Doctour of Sorbonne of the order of Franciscan Friers whose bookes were Printed at Paris and at Basill in the yeares 1500 and 1501 taught publiquely in lectures in disputations and by writings That neither the Pope nor a Councell nor the Church can prescribe an Article statute or ceremonie which bindeth the conscience of a Christian That their power consisteth onely in this to take care that the commaundements of God bee kept to preach his word to administer the Sacraments so as hee hath instituted them taking heed that they bring in nothing besides that which hee hath commaunded As touching justification which is attributed to merits that it is a diuelish doctrine seeing that the Lambe sacrificed hath satisfied Gods justice for vs of which S. Iohn crieth Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world But when the Sorbonne would not endure him he committed himselfe to the protection of Diether Archbishop of Mentz And what shall we say of Platina Platina in Marcelino that famous Historiographer of Popes not speaking of Paule the second his Master which perhaps might bee imputed to some hatred but of the Popes and Chruch in his time plainely without spleene In the life of Marceline speaking of the persecution of Dioclesian Eusebius saith he sheweth That God permitted that calamitie which they suffered because of the maners of Christians corrupted by too much libertie and indulgence principally of the Churchmen whose peruersenesse the iustice of God would bridle by this persecution seeing dissimulation to be in their countenance guile in their heart and deceit in their words For these striuing who should excell each other in enuie pride enmities and hatreds seemed to sauour rather of tyrannie than Priesthood being altogether forgetfull of Christian pietie and prophaning rather than celebrating the diuine mysteries But what thinke wee shall become of our age wherein our vices are encreased so exceedingly that hardly haue they left any place of mercie for vs with God How great is the couetousnesse of Priests and chiefely of them which haue soueraigne power how great their lust appeareth euerie where how great their ambition and pompe how great their pride and sloth how great their ignorance both of themselues and of Christian doctrine how little their religion and rather in shew than in truth how corrupt their manners which euen in prophane men whom they call seculars were detestable there is no need to speake it They commit sinnes so openly and in sight its if they sought prayse thereby There will come beleeue mee there will come the Turke the enemie of the Christian name more violent than Diocletian and Maximian he alreadie knocketh at the gates of Italie We negligent and sleepie attend a common destruction prouiding rather for priuat pleasure than for common vtilitie In the life also of Stephen the third Pietie and religion is now become so cold Platina in Stephan 3. that they will not pray to God I say not bare-footed but hardly in their hose and buskins Speaking of a certaine procession from Lateran to S. Peters They weepe not as they goe or during the time of Diuine Seruice as those holie Fathers but laugh and that impudently I speake euen of them whose scarlet robes makes them more obseruable They sing not hymnes for that seemeth to them seruile but ieasts and tales they tell among themselues to stirre vp laughter What need many words The more talkative any is and the more wanton the greater prayse he deserueth thereby in that corruption of manners This our Clergie feareth seuere and graue men Why so because they had rather liue in so great licentiousnesse than obey him that admonisheth them or constraineth them to doe well and for this cause Christian religion groweth daily worse and worse The like wee read in many places whereby he left inregistred what he judged of his times not daring so freely to doe it in the liues of them that then raigned or had left after them their creatures as they call them of whom he might receiue iniurie Let vs adde Anthonie de Rosellis a Tuscan a famous Doctor both of the Ciuile and Canon law who in his learned bookes concerning that matter teacheth That no temporall jurisdiction belongeth to the Pope and in spirituall he subiecteth him to a Councell Which bookes were printed at Venice in the yeare 1487 but by their Index Expurgatorius they haue caused them to be raced out It remaineth to say something of thee that spake openly being sequestred from the Pope Platina in the life of Paul the second telleth vs That in the towne of Poli neere Rome were detected many heretikes and the Lord of the place with eight men and six women was taken who being brought to Paul were verie ignominiously vsed And behold the heresie They were saith hee of that sect which wee say is of a peruerse opinion of mind for that they sayd That none of them which haue beene since Saint Peter was truely Christ Vicar sauing onely they who haue imitated Christs pouertie Let the Reader note here the stile of Platina which sheweth that he speaketh out of other mens judgement And as for the Bohemians in the beginning of the Popedome of Pius the second they set forth their Apologie and Confession of Faith against the calumnies wherewith they were traduced among the people which were too long here to be inserted But they are conformable to the doctrine of the reformed Churches of this kingdom and are defended by the same places and reasons both of the holie Scriptures and Fathers But this fell out well for them that after diuers miseries was chosen king with
the writers of those times that many times hee gaue one and the same thing to diuers from whence rose many dissentions Such art hee had in the raysing of troubles and tumults that whether by right or wrong he made warre against the whole world against Vitellius the Florentines the Columni Ferdinand and others though for the most part with bad successe Neither doe these writers conceale that by reason of a griefe he conceiued for that peace that was concluded betwixt the Venetians and the Duke of Ferrara he died notwithstanding that this warre by reason of the multitude of confederats on both sides had set all Italie on fire Heare what his Epitaphs say Non potuit saenum vis vlla extinguere Sixtum Audito tandem nomine pacis obit All force cruell Sixtus defied Yet heard the name of peace and died Againe Dic vnde Alecto pax ista refulsit vnde Tam subitò reticent praelia Sixtus obit Tell me Alecto whence is this our peace Pope Sixtus is dead and therefore warres cease Againe Pacis vt hostis eras pace peremptus obis As peace thou defiedst so by peace thou diedst But where he wanted force there he practised treacherie and therefore saith the Epitaph Fraudis dolique Magister Et sola tantum proditione potens A Master of fraud and deceits And onely powerfull in working treacherous feats For to aduance Ieronimo he endeuoured to make himselfe Lord of Florence but Laurence and Iulian de Medicis withstood him against whom he stirred vp Francis Pazzi a Prince of the contrarie faction to giue an attempt against their liues And to manage that businesse with better safetie he sent Raphael Riere the Cardinall of S. George a young man and nephew to Ieronimo to Florence to giue heart to the conspirators who on a day in the Church of S. Reparade and in the middest of Diuine Seruice assaulted the Medices killed Iulian and wounded Laurence who being receiued by the Sextens into the vesterie escaped The rumor hereof spreading it selfe through the citie the people arose and the Archbishop of Pisa of the house of the Saluiati Iacobus Poggius and diuers others of the conspirators were apprehended and presently hanged out at a window the Archbishop himselfe in his Pontificall habit Pactio Anthonie Volateran and one Stephen a Priest were likewise executed The Cardinall of S. George was taken prisoner and the whole plot in such sort discouered by Montesicco the contriuer thereof that it easily appeared that Pope Sixtus was the chiefe of that conspiracie to whom neuerthelesse least they should prouoke him too farre they redeliuered his Cardinall But he for as much as they had put the Archbishop to death though apprehended in a manifest and apparent offence and had layd hands vpon the Cardinall interdicted the Florentines and denounced warre against them But Laurence being verie wise found a meanes to appease Ferdinand king of Naples and to alienat him from the Pope who had not the Turke at that time by the taking of Otranto troubled all Italie had prepared himselfe for a reuenge At the last being disappoynted of his enterprise touching Florence hee made peace with the Venetians against Hercules Duke of Ferrara with this purpose That by his ruine he might increase the power of Ieronimo But presently after watching his best aduantage he turned his furie against the Venetians themselues Hee spent a great masse of money in these warres for the present supplie whereof he deuised many meanes Writers therefore doe note that he instituted new Colledges for money whereby the Roman robberies were much multiplied These were the Registers minoris praesidentiae Soliciters Recorders Ianizaries Stradiots Mameluchi which he ordained for a certaine summe of money Likewise nine Notaries of the Apostolike Exchequer c. Onuphr in Sixto 4. By which meanes saith Onuphrius the libertie of the Roman Court being as it were cast into fetters all the diligence of industrious and painefull wits was taken away those offices being now sold for money onely which were woont to be freely bestowed vpon learned and honest men Hee was likewise the first that sold the offices of the Procuratorship of the chamber of the Notariship Apostolike of the Protonotoriship of the Capitoll of the Notariship of the Colledge of the measuring of salt of the Chamberlainship of the citie He deuised new imposts augmented the old exacted diuers tithes of Ecclesiasticall persons not without great note of auarice and all this out of an immoderat desire to inrich his kindred He celebrated likewise the Iubilie in the yeare 1475 An. 1475. which was reduced by his predecessor to the fiue and twentieth yeare who prepared for him that haruest of Indulgences But it shall be necessarie at the last to know what maner of man he was that granted them Amongst the bawds of these later times there was none more famous than Sixtus the fourth who built at Rome a goodlie brothel house wherein Agrippa de vanitate Scientiaram c. 64. de Lenonia according to the example of Heliogabalus he nourished multitudes of strumpets wherewith he furnished his friends and followers gathering by this whorish merchandize no small commoditie to his treasurie For the Curtisans of Rome did yet pay weekely Iulium nummum a Iule to the Pope which yearelie rent amounts many times to the summe of twentie thousand ducats And in such request is that office with the principall of the Church that the rents of the bawds are cast vp with the reuenewes of the Church For I haue heard them saith he in this sort cast vp their accounts He hath two benefices one cure of twentie ducats a Priorie of fortie ducats and three whores in the brothel-house By what better meanes could he aduance the kingdome of the Whore Let vs adde hereunto that which Wesellus of Groning Doctor of Diuinitie saith in his booke of the Papall Indulgences a man in those daies famous for his knowledge in the three Tongues and therefore called Lux mundi The light of the world who liued in the time of this Sixtus Wesellus seu Basilius Groningens de Indulgentijs Papalib At the request of Peter Riere Cardinal of S. Sixtus and Patriarch of Constantinople and of Ieronimo his brother of the Cardinal of S. Luce who had had the chiefest place belonging to the hunting vnder Paul the second he permitted Sodomie the three hottest moneths of the yeare Iune Iulie and August with this clause Fiat vt petitur Let it be done as it is requested And therefore Iohannes Sapidus in his Epitaph had good reason to say Deflent sua Busta Cinaedi Scortaque lenones alea vina venus Buggerers bewaile his death Whores bawds dice wine and leacherie Againe Poedico insignis praedo fucosus adulter Gaude prisce Nero c. A buggerer a theefe a false adulterer Reioyce old Nero c. And it followeth verie aptly according to Saint Paul Rom. 1. Riserat vt viuens coelestia numina Sixtus
Sic moriens nullos credidit esse Deos. As Sixtus when he liued mockt God so he When that he died beleeu'd no God to be Trithem de scriptorib Eccles Fra. Leandro Alberti de viâ—is illustribus Ordinis Praedicatorij Alani de Rupe Compend Psal terij Mariani de Myrac Rozarij liber vnus An. 1483. And yet this good man in the meane time writ bookes of the conception of the Virgine Marie authorised that execrable booke of Alani de Rupe a German and Dominican Frier forged and preached for Gospell a certaine Rosarie gathered out of the Virgine Maries Psalter and thereupon instituted a new Societie for the credit whereof Iames Sprenger Prouinciall of Germanie deuised certaine myracles which Sixtus approued and defended with his Bulls and Indulgences There was likewise a booke printed in the beginning whereof we read That the Virgine Marie entring into the cell or chamber of this Alani the doores being locked and hauing wouen a ring with her haire maried her selfe therewith vnto him offering her selfe vnto him to be kissed and her breast to bee handled and sucked in as familiar manner as a wife to her husband Many other the like blasphemies there were in that booke by which let the Reader consider in what a bottomelesse gulfe of impietie the superstitious minds of men were by these Atheists ouerwhelmed Innocent the eighth a Genowais of the familie of Cibo succeeded in the yere 1483 after such a predecessor it was a hard thing to bee thought execrable and yet he was no whit better than the former that he should fill Rome with seditions Italie with fire and sword it was nothing strange since it was a matter long since determined That there was no mischiefe that befel Italie but through the Popes He tooke from Virginius Vrsinus the gouernement of the Apostolike Palace to gratifie Cardinall Iulian who then began to shew his force whereby the citie was brought into great danger Yea he troubled all Italie by defending the Earls of Aquila against Ferdinand their King and Lord Onuphr in Innocent 8. Enforced thereunto saith Onuphrius by the counsell of men ill aduised whereby he got nothing but charge ruine and dishonour Seeking therefore a meanes to supplie his wants and to fill his treasurie he followed the steps of Sixtus He ordained fiftie two Plumbatores Bullarum Bullists by which meanes he got six and twentie thousand crownes Certis Ecclesiae prouentibus attributis As a subsidie out of the reuenewes of the Church He added six and twentie Secretaries who paid euery one as it were for a fine two thousand fiue hundred crownes which came to sixtie thousand crownes He put to sale the office of the President de Ripa and created thirtie officers who payed two hundred crownes apeece and this was said to restore the Church He made peace with Ferdinand because he could not otherwise chuse whom neuerthelesse vnder a pretence of non-payment of tribute he excommunicated depriued him his kingdome and pronounced Charles king of Fraunce who had promised him to come presently with his armie the lawfull heire which he afterward in his owne person performed grounding himselfe vpon the last will and testament of Renat king of Sicilie and of Charles the Earle du Maine his brother who transferred all the right they had vpon him But Innocent had no other purpose but by this meanes reuersing all the Bulls of his predecessours to be reuenged vpon Ferdinand As touching his priuat life let vs giue credit to Volateran though in tearms somewhat too honest he expresse his dishonestie Iohn Baptista Cibo a Genowais after the death of Sixtus sat in the chaire and was called Innocent the eight He was heretofore a poore boy brought vp with the seruants of Alphonsus king of Sicilia but yet of excellent beautie From thence he came to Rome where he was receiued into the familie in Contubernio of Philip Cardinal of Bononia Afterwards he was made Bishop of Sauona and then of Melfe and Dataire of Sixtus who made him in the end Cardinall for his sweet and ciuile cariage wherein he exceeded all men vsque ad vitium euen in vice it selfe For he many times embraced men of basest conditions Is the Popedome to be gotten by such meanes and manners He had before his Popedome sixteen children eight sonnes and eight daughters of which there were onely two lyuing when he obtayned the See whom he endeauoured to raise to the charge of the Church distributing saith the Historie a great masse of money gathered by his indulgences for an imployment against the Turke to his children and kinsfolke Others add That he was the first of all the Popes that openly made his boasts of his bastards and contemning all auntient discipline tooke care to enrich them Onuphrius saith That his sonne Frauncis and his daughter Theodorina his bastards hee enriched beyond reason To Frauncis he gaue certaine Townes neere the Citie and married him to the daughter of Lawrence de Medices and Theodorina to Gerard Vsumar of Genoa a man verie rich Hereupon saith Marullus in an Epitaph Quid quaeris testes sit mas an foemina Cibo Respice natorum pignora certa gregem Octo nocens pueros genuit totidemque puellas Hunc merito poterit dicere Roma Patrem Why seekest thou witnesse to proue Cibo a man Looke on his brats faire gages deny 't if thou can Eight bastard sonnes he got and as many daughters Worthily then may Rome count this man a Pater His Epigrams alwayes alluding to that triall of the sex ordayned after the deceipt of Pope Ioane But he concludeth Spurcities gula auaritia atque ignauia deses Hoc octaue iacent quo tegeris tumulo Vncleanesse auarice sloth gluttonie Are here Octaue intombd where thou doest lye And least there should be no place left for superstition they made men beleeue at that time when Petrus Consaluus de Mendoza repayred the Church of the holie crosse that there was a fragment of the title of the crosse of Christ written in three Tongues found inclosed in the wall This cosinage the letters themselues bewraied for in stead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was barbarously written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with an e in the accusatiue case plurall were all those famous Roman Antiquaries blind At that verie time Baiazet the Emperour of Turkie sent vnto him for a present the poynt of that speare of Longinus wherewith the side of Christ was wounded that he might thereby win him to set a surer gard ouer his brother Gemes whom he had then in his power of that Longinus whose name they deriued from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who knowes not these fooleries and knowing them can endure them From hence there sprung a wonderfull haruest of indulgences vnder Alexander the sixt his successour Summa constitut in Bulla cuius initium admirabile sacrament Bulla cuius initium Apostolicae camerae in sum constitut Hieron Marius in Euseb cap. Onuphr
set ouer Gemes least if hee should escape he should trouble his Empire Vpon this occasion Alexander and Alphonsus giue Baiazet to vnderstand That it was the purpose of the king of France hauing setled his affaires in Naples to passe ouer into Greece which was the more easily beleeued because hee was not ignorant how many troubles the French had raised and how many slaughters they had made in Asia The warres of Charles growing hot they sent Legats againe vnto him Alphonsus making choyce of Camillus Pendon Alexander of Gregorio Bucciardo of Genoa being both skilfull in the Turkish language Bucciardo being employed before in the like seruice by Pope Innocent These promised to ouerthrow the forces of Charles so he would supplie them with some great summes of money Whereby he should redeeme the State of Greece from destruction and entertaine warre in the kingdome of another and should haue for a bulwarke of his Empire the citie of Rome and the kingdome of Naples These embassadours were honourably receiued by Baiazet and so much the rather because hee had receiued the same newes from other parts He therefore gaue thankes to the Pope speaking to Gregorie that he that had the highest place in Christendome would be pleased so friendly louingly to giue him in time admonition notwithstanding he were of another beliefe touching God and of different maners touching men He aduised him to returne into Italie his embassadour Dantius accompanying him by whom he sent money and committed other matters of secrecie vnto him to that purpose Amongst other matters giuen vnto him in charge saith Iouius there was a letter written in Greeke wherein Baiazet with great art persuaded the Pope That he should prouide that by some meanes or other his brother might be taken out of the way by poyson which if he would performe hee promised him vpon his faith two hundred thousand ducats and freely to bestow vpon him the vnfeamed coat of Christ as some few yeares before he had sent the poynt of that speare wherewith Longinus pierced the side of Christ From hence let the Reader judge with how inward a commerce of wickednesse these two were joined since he durst giue that counsell to the Pope which the most wicked men of the world practised in all manner of villanie durst not haue done one to another It fell out in the meane time that the ships wherein they passed the seas were taken neere Ancona by Iohn de la Rouere brother to Cardinall Iulian an enemie to the Pope and a friend to the Frenchmen who seised vpon all the money as due vnto him from the Pope and so Dantius was inforced to make a journey by land to Ancona to saue himselfe But Alexander being verie much moued herewith sought new meanes to continue this entercourse and agreement with Baiazet With which Papall zeale he likewise diuerted the Croysado or money gathered in Spaine vnder a pretence of bearing the crosse against Baiazet to this vse For saith Guicciardine king Ferdinand excusing himselfe That his armie by sea could not so speedily be readie for the defence of the kingdome of Naples for want of money hee consented that the money gathered in Spaine in the naâ—â— of the Apostolike sea vnder a colour of making warre against the enemies of the Faith should be employed to that vse But Charles neuerthelesse passed through all Italie without resistance being led as it were by the hand of God opening not onely the gates before him but the walls too and comming neere Rome where the Pope had fortified himselfe with the forces of Alphonsus and other his confederats hee demaunded passage and to be admitted into the citie commaunding his enemies to depart and not dissembling That if Alexander obeyed not he would make his way through the citie with his sword Alexander hereupon was much troubled in his mind Fearing least Charles presuming vpon the title of Most Christian which the kings of France doe much glorie in should with his people being a nation renowmed for their religion turne his mind to the reformation of the Church a terrible thought to him whose conscience told him by what infamous meanes he had obtained the Popedome and how with great infamie he had administred it Paule Jonij l. 2. Moreouer he feared least he should be persuaded by the Cardinals of Colonna Sabelli and others to require the publication of a Councell with which one voyce saith Iouins the Popes of Rome are more terrified than with any other human accidents whatsoeuer But partly restes himself vpon that assurance which Charles had giuen him not to attempt any thing against his dignitie and partly because being in these straits he saw no surer course to be taken he retired himselfe to his castle S. Angelo suffered the king to enter the citie and sent away Ferdinand Duke of Calabria the sonne of Alphonsus that he might not see his ruine before his eyes Charles therefore entred Rome the last day of the yeare 1494 with his whole armie his ensignes displayed and his lance vpon his thigh no otherwise than he entred Florence a few dayes before Neither must we forget that the armie of the king comming neere Ostia some twentie fadome of the wall fell to the ground euen there where the King had prepared to enter and neere about the same time there fell about fifteene fadome of the antemure or outward wall of the castle S. Angelo as if the walles themselues had inuited the king to enter Here there wanted not some that were verie earnest with the king Philip Comineus in vita Caroli 8. c. 16.17 to remoue Alexander from his seat a man odious to the whole world telling him that it would not be lesse glorious to him to deliuer the Church of God from the tyrannie of a wicked Pope than it was to Pipin and Charlemaine to deliuer the good Popes from such as did vniustly oppresse them But Alexander beeing directed by a more deuout Councell hauing by presents and promises corrupted those that could preuaile most with him they so pacified the king that he came to this agreement That Alexander should deliuer to the king the castles of Ciuita vecchia Tarracina and Spoleto vntill he had conquered the kingdome of Naples That hee should offer no wrong to the Cardinals and Barons that were subject to the Church or seeke to reuenge himselfe vpon those that had taken his part That hee should inuest Charles into the kingdome That forasmuch as there might be good vse made of Gemes Baiazets brother in the warres against the Turke he would deliuer him into his hands That he should pronounce Charles Emperour of Greece Lastly That he should leaue with the king Caesar Borgia his sonne for three moneths as an Embassadour in outward shew but in effect an hostage for the performance of these promises All which for the most part he performed because hee could no otherwise chuse but yet so as that his accustomed false faith
vs that a woman hath beene beleeued and taken for Pope and in our age I remember that a certaine learned man of approued manners and that had obtained honors in his religion pronounced though not publikely that he which was created Pope was not Pope because he had exercised the office of Pope before he was chosen by the two parts of the Cardinals against the lawes of the Church which decree That such a man is not onely farre from being Pope but is also vnfit and vncapable for the Popedome as hauing an Anathema or curse lying vpon him And what then became of his ordinations and missions of his Bishops which hee seemeth to haue spoken of Iulius the second We remember saith he also another beleeued and adored for Pope whom excellent men thought that he neither was nor could be Pope for he beleeuing not any God exceeded all height of Infidelitie which he testified by his most wicked workes in buying the Popedome and exercising therein all kinds of wickednesse Yea confirmed it also by his most detestable speeches for it was affirmed that on a time he had confessed to certaine his domestike friends euen whilest he held the Papall seat That he beleeued there was no God In which words by all likelihood he meaneth Leo the tenth for that he speaketh as an eye witnesse of it He addeth I haue heard of another Pope who in his life time had declared to a familiar friend of his That he beleeued not the Immortalitie of soules but his friend being dead appeared vnto him as he watched manifesting that by the iudgement of God his soule which he had beleeued to bee mortall hee should proue to be immortall to his exceeding torment in eternall fire And here hee preuenteth an obiection What then shal become of those words Oraui pro te Petre c. I haue prayed for thee Peter c. And he resolued with the best interpreters That they are to be referred to the faith which Peter had confessed Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God not of his successors nor of the Church of Rome it selfe according to the Cardinall de Alliaco the Abbot Panormitan Nicholas de Lyra Cardinal de Alliaco in quest Vesperiarum Abbas Panormit extra de sentent Excom Nichol. de Lyra in Math. c. 16. and others So much the neerer reformation of the Church and consequently to the kingdome of God by how much the more neerely he had knowne either the infirmitie or errour thereof In the Oration that he made to Leo the tenth and in the Councell of Lateran for reformation he concealed nothing from them the corrupt manners in all sorts the adulterated Lawes and Canons religion and modestie extinguished among the chiefest and to the matter Pietas in superstitionem penè procubuit c. Pietie is almost turned into superstition c. These are the diseases Orat. Ioh. Francisci Pici ad Leonem in Concil Lateran these the wounds which thou must heale and cure O Soueraigne Bishop otherewise if thou refuse to cure them I feare least he whose place thou holdest on earth will not now vse fomentation but will drie vp and consume the diseased members with fire and sword I certainely beleeue that he hath alreadie giuen signes of his future medicine c. Are not the virgines dedicated to God in Brixia rauished from out the most religious Temples and become a prey to souldiers Are not the Priests in Rauenna slaughtered Are not the Nunnes famous in times past for holinesse prostituted in the discomfiture at Prato What other thing doe we heare than that the Temples haue heretofore beene committed to bawds and buggerers Catamitis That the flockes of Christ the good shepheard haue beene deliuered to detestable wolues that the Couents of virgines in most cities haue beene conuerted into obscene lurking holes and houses of harlots c. Why make I mention of light matters and passe ouer the multitudes of harlots and troupes of prostituted boyes exoletarum greges the Priests office bought and sold one of another c. And after he had thus vehemently inueyed Neither is there any maruell sayth he for all this euill as Iohn Chrysostome noteth proceedeth from the Temple And S. Hierome saith That he found none that seduced the people but the Priests c. Beare in mind I pray you that old High Priest Heli punished for not punishing the wickednesse of his sonnes for it is needful that they which rule ouer others be not onely innocent themselues but resist the wicked and represse their euill facts and crimes And then as the holie historie of Kings doth witnesse with a flesh-hooke hauing three teeth they tooke away the flesh out of the pot which was accounted vnto them for a verie great sin because thereby men abhorred the offering of the Lord And now by their multitudes of euill examples the ignorant people are discouraged from diuine worship from all pietie In those daies they lay with the women at the doore of the Tabernacle but in ours they breake into the sacred houses and cary away from thence the women for the fulfilling of their lusts meritorij pueri à parentibus commodantur the parents for money let out their sonnes to be abused and they are pardoned which ought to keepe themselues vndefiled euen from all lawfull pleasure of the bodie And these men are promoted to degrees of Priesthood after they haue passed away the flower of their youth in being abused against nature c. Moses the Law-giuer though a most meeke man yet was moued to exceeding great anger when he saw the people turned away from God and punished them seuerely for it Christ Iesus both God and man the paterne of all vertues most patiently suffered the iniuries done vnto himselfe but not the dishonour done to God his Father when he draue and whipped the sacriligious buyers and sellers out of the Temple The one punished the worshippers of a golden Calfe with a great slaughter the other cast out the Doues and Turtles out of the Temple that were there to be sold And wilt not thou represse and banish from all honours the worshippers of young Heyfers which in verie great numbers are not onely stabled vp in the Citie but likewise beare rule and goe apparelled with gold scarlet and pretious stones in Royall manner that with their goodlie aspect they make verie many men brutish and destroy them Wilt thou permit the sacred houses to be prophaned with all sorts of wickednesse and so many Circean monsters to grunt in them Wilt thou suffer so many thousand Mere-maids to procure as much as in them lyeth shipwracke to the ship by God committed vnto thee Canst thou endure that the bloud of Christ should be made Merchandise of And yet we haue seene what little care this good Pope had of it whether we consider his Decrees or his example But because this excellent man knew that not onely the manners but the doctrine also
fall into the hands of Francis Pregnan L. 1. c. 12. his brothers sonne And this is that humilitie which Theodorick commended in him before his Popedome When he saw the Cardinalls fall away from him he remained astonished and would haue returned to humilitie yet gathering courage to himselfe he thought he should not want some ambitious to take the Cardinals hat at his hand wherefore in one day he created twentie six three Romans the rest Neapolitans his countreymen The chiefe strife was for the possession of Rome and alreadie he ruled there but the Vrsines that held for Clement and the Frenchman captaine of the castle S. Angelo who shot off thence vpon his people made the citie dangerous vnto him therefore with the forces of his confederats he besieged him and constraineth him through famine to yeeld He woon vnto him also the fauour of the Emperour Charles the fourth and of Lewis king of Hungarie by giuing them hope of great matters and by their helpe got vnto himselfe the obedience of Lombardie and Sicilie Hence therefore taking courage he seriously bendeth his thoughts on the promoting of his nephew and sendeth for Charles Duras out of Hungarie against his promise by oath That he would neuer attempt any thing against the daughters of king Lewis and crowneth him king of Sicilie on this condition That hee should giue the dukedome of Capua and of Melfe in the realme of Naples and many noble earledomes in Sicilie to his nephew though he were a man effeminat and vnprofitable And because this Charles had no money he sold to the Roman citizens the proprieties and rights of many churches of Rome to the summe of eightie thousand Florins more also gold siluer Chalices crosses and other pretious ornaments of the said Churches and Monasteries he tooke away in great number and value and he coyned many siluer Images of Saints into money for to pay wages to the armie of Charles And here againe let the Reader weigh that deuotion which our Author had attributed vnto him before his Popedome His other conditions were found to be no better Charles led by his naturall pride marcheth to Naples and through the treason prepared by Vrban is receiued by his partakers into the citie for he had bound vnto him the best families by his Cardinals hats But Queene Ioan was retired into the new castle and Otho Duke of Brunswick with his armie besieged the citie He then counterfeited the seale of Queene Ioan and forged a letter as from her to Otho whereby she intreated him to come vnto her with six onely of his deerest and most faithfull friends for to resolue together in so great extremitie what was best for them to be done Otho suspecting nothing taketh his journey thitherwards by night accompanied with the Marquesse of Montferrat his cousen Balthasar Duke of Brunswick his brother sonne in law of the Earle of Fundi and three captains in whom he greatly trusted but they fall into a deepe pit prepared for them with their horses in which was hid in ambush fiftie men who kil the Marquesse and the three captains take the Duke Otho and his brother Balthasar and caried them prisoners to Charls who commaunded Balthasars eyes to be put out in the publike market place where the innocent young king Conradine by the commaundements of Charles the first had beene beheaded and he keepeth Otho full three yeares vnder custodie Queene Ioan when she heard that her husband was taken hoped that in yeelding the castle which besides was in distresse for want of victual she might at least redeeme her life but he sent her presently prisoner into a certaine castle of Abruzzo in the chappell whereof as she was kneeling at prayer before the Altar by his command she is strangled by foure Hungarian souldiers All this was done by the counsell of Vrban whose Legat à latere was euer by him the Cardinall of Sangro who thought he offered to God good sacrifice when hee destroyed them that had been faithfull to Queene Ioan as well of the Clergie as Laytie eyther depriuing them of their goods or deposing them of their Ecclesiasticall dignities without any respect of age condition or merit insomuch that in one day at their cost he created thirtie and two Archbishops and Bishops and many Abbots all Neapolitans and followers of Charles his part He addeth that they vsed the enchauntments of a certaine vagabond well knowne to the Author who named himselfe a Knight and a little after was burned by commaundement of Lewis Duke of Anjou whom he would haue deceiued Neither was Clement in the meane time idle A man saith the Authour of a large conscience and of great experience verie needie whom Gregorie the eleuenth by reason he could not otherwise maintaine his prodigalitie had appointed Legat in the Marca de Ancona and in Lumbardie more perhaps Jdem l. 2. c. 21. that he might by that meanes haue wherewith to liue from the inhabitants of those regions vnder pretence of his Legation than for any quiet or safetie that hee might procure vnto them Of which he bringeth vs some examples Neuerthelesse he is couetous or rather a greedie griper by reason of his prodigalitie For Otho Duke of Brunswick hauing taken Verseil and fortie Castles in those parts from Vicount Barnabo then commaunder of Milan who had deliuered them to Gregorie Clement beeing at that time Legat sold them all to Barnabo for readie money who exercised against them all sorts of crueltie and exacted from them the money he had disbursed to Clement And being come to the Popedome he retayned still the same humour granting in fee for a very small yerely reuenew without any difficultie the Lands and demesnes of Cathedrall Churches and Monasteries for to bind great men vnto him and giuing saith the Authour large thâ—ngs of another mans leather that he might recouer money at any price whatsoeuer And when he saw that Vrban had at his pleasure created a King of Apulia he resolued to giue him a competitour this was Lewis Duke of Aniou whom he crowned and sent into Italie with an armie of sixtie thousand men so that Vrban determined to leaue Rome and to goe into the kingdome of Naples whom Charles commeth to meet not farre from Auersa and did vnto him the office of a groome or yeoman of his stirrop And the same Authour being an eye-witnesse of this meeting noteth Lib. 1. c. 29. 30. 31. 32. that many Countrie people came and kissed the sayd Vrbans feet but before they did so they had thrice kissed the ground or earth But Charles vnder colour of shewing him the Castle of Auersa kept him prisoner suspecting some euill of Vrbans journey into Apulia and so much the rather for that hee had not fulfilled his promise in putting Pregnan his Nephew in possession of the Duchie of Capua and of Melâ—e But soone after at the entreaties of the Cardinals and vnder certaine conditions he set him at libertie and