he let them go Don Fenando 3. reigned in Spaine When Innocent the fourth a Genoway was Pope of a most deere friend to the Emperour Fredericke he beame a mortall enemie I will here recite what saith Ieronymus Marius concerning this Pope of him saith he that being Pope he held a Councell against the Emperor at Lyous in Fraunce in which Councell the Pope himselfe cited the Emperour The Embassadors of the Emperour besought the Pope to giue him time to come to the Councell this time the Pope refused to graunt but there like a mad man excommunicated and deposed the Emperour commaunding that none should obey him and the Princes to choose another Emperour whom he so sollicited and with promises deceiued that they chose for Emperour Henrie Lantgraue of Turingia Fredericke the second vnderstanding hereof against the Pope and the rest defended himselfe valiantly vntill being in Pulla he could not escape the snares of the Pope where a certaine man by the Pope corrupted did poyson him Yet began he notwithstanding to recouer vntill a young man called Manfredo with money also as some say by the pope corrupted strangled him with a towell Concerning this good Emperour no credite is to be giuen either to Blundus Platina Estella nor Sabellicus because they wrote the sayings of the Pope and his flatterers to stirre vp the world if they might against this good Emperour Who listeth to knowe the truth let him reade Petrus de Vinea in his sixe bookes of Epistles Hitherto Marius In Sueuia at this time were preachers that with great libertie preached the truth against the Pope and his Cardinals they iustified the cause of the Emperour Fredericke the second and Conrad his sonne and boldly affirmed that neithe the Pope Cardinals nor Bishops had any authority because they were stained with Simony and that they held no power which Christ had giuen them The Priests sayd they being in mortall sinne did neither bind nor loose nor yet consecrate at al c. At the end of their sermons they said that the indulgēces which they preached were not feigned of the Pope nor inuented of his Prelates but graunted by the omnipotent God In the foresayd Councell of Lugdanum Innocent ordeined that the Cardinals should vse red shadowes which they call hattes and cloakes and ride vpon trapped horses and this saith Platina to adorne his order of Cardinals Note for this purpose concerning the Cardinals that which Pero Mexia vpon the life of the Emperour Henry the fourth saith where to paint Saint Ierome with a hat is made a mockerie for Saint Ierome died aboue 850 yeares before Innocent inuented the hattes This Pope Innocent the fourth had many bastards whom after the popish custome he called Nephewes Vntill the time of this Pope as noteth Bibliander there was no article of faith nor law of the Church that men should worship the bread and wine in the Eucharist This Pope was the first that created a new God by his transubstantiation albeit true it is that Honorius 3. began this building This Pope offered to Henry 3. king of England the kingdome of both Sicils if he would buy it In the 1254. yeare he died and Don Alonso 10. called the wise which was Emperour reigned in Castile Alexander 4. an Italian was the first that persecuted and excommunicated Manfred king of Sicilia By reason whereof many reuolts happened in Italie William de S. Amor a learned man who wrote against the feigned pouertie of the begging Friars was in the time of this Pope which bookes with a terrible edict the Pope prohibited This good man affirmed these idle poore and lazie fellowes which liued by almes were not in the state of saluation This Alexander 4. secretly fauoured Richard the sonne of king Iohn of England for money which he had promised if he would make him Emperour but publikely hee made shewe to fauour Don Alonso 10. king of Spaine of whome hee had receiued verie much money A double hearted man is neuer good In the 1262. yeare or after others 1261. he died and Don Alonso the tenth reigned in Castile Vrban 4. a Frenchman was Pope he tooke against Manfred as his predecessour Alexander the fourth had done And the better to be enabled for his owne reuenge he prayed Lewis king of France to send Charles his brother Earle of Prouince and Aniou whom he called king of both Sicils with a great campe into Italie Charles in the end after many warlike conflicts ouercame and slew Manfred neere vnto Benauente and so took he vnder fealty the kingdoms of Sicilia with Dukedome of Calabria and Pulla the pope against all right as he that faulteth in whatsoeuer he doth giuing the same vnto him This manifest roberie was the cause of manie ensuing murders This Vrban the fourth at the instance of a certain woman called Eua a Recluse in the land of Leege familiarly by him knowne before he was Pope did institute the great feast of the breaden God called Corpus Christi This woman Arnoldus Bostius and Petrus Premostratensis report had a reuelation a diuellish one no doubt vpon the celebration of the feast of the Sacrament which shee by her letters signified to the Pope requesting him by his papall authoritie to cause it to be celebrated Which thing the pope graunted as by a letter in answere thereof appeareth This letter thus beginneth Vrbanus Episcopus seruus seruorum Dei dilectae in Christo filiae Euae salutem c. Vrban Bishop the seruant of Gods seruants to Euah his beloued daughter in Christ health and Apostolique blessing We know ô daughter that with great desire hath thy soule desired the solemne feast of the body of our Lord Iesus Christ to be instituted in the Church of God and for euer celebrated of all faithfull Christians c. The Letter is long and therefore contenting my selfe to haue put downe the summe I haue spared here to recite it Behold heere my brethren the cause of this solemne feast with so manie daunces Castles Maygames playes maydes borne vpon mens shoulders streetes strowed with boughes and decked with Tapistrie A day it is of most great superstition and Idolatrie a day wherein more villanies then vertues are committed For who he or shee vpon this day will not see and be seene that beside which passeth more to be lamented then laughed at True it is that Pope Honorius the third laid the foundation and made the ground-worke of this building In the 1265. or after some others 1264. yeere died Vrban and Don Alonso 10. reigned in Castile Clement 4. a Frenchman was like his predecessors cruell and a great bloodshedder He called into Italy against Manfred king of Cicill Charles Earle of Aniou Charles vanquished and killed Manfred whom this vngentle Clement made king of Sicilia and Ierusalem with this condition to pay him yeerely 40000. duckats This caused infinite numbers of men
Elephant fell to the ground vppon him and there he dyed Iudith cutte of the head of Holophernes The warre that Antiochus and Holophernes made against the people of God was vniust but the warre which Henry the third made against the league which had conspired against him to kill him and take from him his kingdome was most iust So that herein was hee no tyrant Besides this both liuing and dying hee was of the same religion of the league as at his end appeared For in that small time that he liued after he was wounded hee confessed communicated and was anoynted But leauing these humane reasons come we to the holy scripture It appeareth by the scripture that Saule was a wicked king an hypocrite a tyrant forsaken of God and so hath God to Samuel How long doest thou morne for Saul seeing I haue forsaken him and that he shall not reigne ouer Israell And commanded him to goe and anoynt for king one of the sonnes of Issai which was Dauid and in the same chap. verse 14. it is said The spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and the euill spirit of the Lord did torment him Albeit such a one was Saul yet did not God commaund Samuel or any other to kill him And so Dauid although God had chosen him and Samuell annointed him for king when manifest occasion and meanes were twise offered him to kill Saul yet killed he him not Also when Dauid and his followers were hid in a caue for feare of Saul as 1. Sam. 24. appeareth Saul entred the same caue to doe his needs then did Dauids men aduise him not to let slippe occasion but to kill Saule But Dauid instructed in a better schoole then were they answered The Lord keepe me from doeing such a thing against my maister and the annointed of the Lord that I stretch not out my hand against him for he is the Lordes annointed And not only did not kil him but grieued to haue cut of the lap of his garment as if herein he had done some great disgrace And in the 26. chap. of the same booke it is reported that Dauid Abisai came by night to the camp of Saule found him sleeping c. Then Abisai said to Dauid God hath closed thine enemy into thine hands this day now therfore I pray thee let me smite him once with a speare vnto the earth and I will not smite him agayne And Dauid said to Abisai Destroy him not for who can lay his hand on the Lords Annoynted and be guiltlesse Moreouer Dauid said As the Lord liueth either the Lord shall simite him or his day shall come to dye or he shall descend into battayle and perish The Lord keepe me from laying myne handes vpon the Lordes annoynted c. And when one brought newes of the death of Saule saying that hee had slaine him what gaue Dauid vnto him for his good tidings He said vnto him How wast thou not affraid to put forth thy hand to destroy the Annointed of the Lord Then Dauid commanded one to kill him who wounded him and so he died And Dauid said vnto him Thy bloud be vpon thine owne head for thine owne mouth hath testified against thee saying I haue slaine the Lords annointed And Dauid mourned for Saule c. Whereupon we will conclude that wickedly did this Friar and those of his counsell in murthering their king and that wickedly did the Pope in praising and cannonising this fact What reuelation had Sistus 5. that God had wholly cast off Henrie the third that he should forbid any obsequies and honours accustomed to be made for the dead should be made for him commanded also that they should not pray for him Samuel and Dauid had most sure reuelation that Saule was forsaken of God and that as such a one was he fallen into a reprobate sence yet notwithstanding did they let him liue coÌ„spired not his death If a Prince in our time be he heretike as they call him or Catholike shall not fully obey whatsoeuer the Pope commandeth him albeit it be to the depriuing him of his kingdome and giuing it to another then shall he be cursed and excommunicate both in bodie and soule and the most vile person if we beleeue Sistus 5. with good conscience may kill him And such a one that shall murther him shall haue done an act very meritorious and holy for the which he deserueth to be cannonized What Christian religion is this that one shall be cannonized for committing that which by the word of God as by exaÌ„ples we already haue proued is expresly forbidden Oh times oh customes But vpon such will his day come these swine shall not escape as they say without their Saint Martin With Sistus 5. conclude we saying that in the moneth of September and 1590. yeare he died whom Vrban 7. which poped 12 dayes succeeded At the end of the yeare 1590. Gregorie 14. succeeded him and died in September 1591. Innocent 9. succeeded Gregorie 14. who a small time poped So that in the space of 14. moneths foure Popes died Sistus Vrban Gregorie and Innocent and it is to be thought the most or all of them died of poyson For Brazuto is not dead that giueth theÌ„ poyson This Brazuto killed 6 Popes with poison as vpon the life of Damasus 2. we haue declared In the 1592. yeare Innocent 9. being dead Clement 8. or 9. or 10. succeeded This Clement poping in the 1599. yeare a Friar Capuchan incited by the Iesuits attempted to kill the French king Henry 4. but his treason was discouered and so was he caught In the time of this Pope in September 1598. died the king Don Philip 2. aged 70 yeares Don Philip 3. sonne of the forenamed Don Philip 2. and of the daughter of Maximillian the Emperour and of the Empresse Dona Maria de Austria sister of the king Don Philip 2. succeeded him God grant him grace as the dutie office of a king requireth night and day to meditate in the law of the Lord accomplish that which God Deut. 17. 18. commandeth a king shuld do When he shall sit saith God speaking of the king vpon the throne of his kingdome he shall cause to be written the booke of this law c. And it shall be with him and he shall reade therein all the dayes of his life Note ye Spaniards that God commandeth the king to reade the holy Scriptures and then saith he he is to reade them that he may learne to feare the Lord his God that he may keepe all the words of this Law and these ordinances to do them That he lift not vp his heart aboue his brethren nor turne fâ—rm the commandement to the right hand nor to the left that he may prolong his dayes in his kingdome he and his sonnes c. And God not onely comaundeth the king to reade the holy scripture but his captaines also when they be in warres to reade the
scarlet guilded with golde and decked with pearles and precious stones c. In the 9. verse he plainely mentioneth 7 mountaines whereon the woman sitteth adding afterwards in the 18. verse That great citie which reigneth ouer all the kings of the earth And Saint Paule 2. Thes 2. 4. saith that Antichrist shal sit in the temple of God Largely writeth Daniel chap. 7. 5. 8. concerning the estate life and doctrine of Antichrist where Behold saith he there came vp another litle horne and then addeth That in this horne were eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth speaking presumptuous things And in the 20. and 21. verses And he appeared greater then any of his fellowes And I beheld and the same horne made war against the saints and ouercame them And verse 25. And hee spake wordes against the most high and shall consume the Saintes of the most high and thinke that he may change times and lawes And chap. 8. vers 23. 24. 25. There shall rise vp a king of fierce countenance and vnderstanding darke sentences and his power shall increase but not in his owne strength and shall destroy wonderfully and prosper and practise and shall destroy the mightie and holy people and through his policie also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand and he shall extoll himselfe in his heart and by peace shall destroy many He shall stand vp against the Prince of Princes but he shall be broken downe without hand Also in the eleuenth chap. vers 36. And the king shall doe what he lifteth he shall exalt himselfe and shall magnifie himselfe against all that is God and shall speake maruellous thinges against the God of Gods and shall prosper till the wrath bee accomplished for the determination is made vers 37. Neither shall hee regard the God of his Fathers nor the loue of women nor care for anie God for he shall magnifie himselfe aboue all vers 38. But in his place shall he honour his God Mauzim A God whom his fathers knewe not shall he honour with golde and vvith siluer and with precious stones and thinges of great price vers 39. This shall hee doe in the strong holds of Mauzim vvith a strange God whom hee shall acknowledge hee shall increase his glorie and shall cause them to rule ouer many and shall diuide the land for gaine The Apostle Saint Paule in the second epistle to the Thessal chap. 2. 4. saith that this man of sinne and sonne of perdition shall exalt and lift vp himselfe against all that is called God or that is vvorshipped So that he doth sit as God in the temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God And in the ninth verse Who shall come by the effectuall working of Sathan vvith great power signes and lying wonders and in all deceiuablenesse of vnrighteousnesse Also 1. Timoth. chap. 4. vers 2. 3. Which speake lies through hypocrisie and haue their consciences seared vvith an hoteyron forbidding to marrie and commaunding to abstaine from meates vvhich God hath created Also in the Apoc. 13. 11. And I beheld another beast comming vp out of the earth which had two hornes like the Lambe but spake like the Dragon And cap. 17. 6. And I saw the woman drunken with the bloud of saints and with the bloud of the martyrs of Iesus These prophesies doe teach vs that Antichrist must bee a king who from meane estate shall become exceeding great and mightie and prosper That he shall bee also a blasphemer an Idolater a sacrileger exceeding proud subtill an hypocrite a contemner of marriage couetous a great Tyrant a persecutor of the Saints a deceiuer full of impietie Examine we now these testimonies of holy scripture which wil appear to be most properly belōging to the Pope of Rome So as by these prophesies we are warned as it were with the finger of God from heauen that the Pope is Antichrist Therfore the time of his reuelation considered the Popes reigne began in the fourth monarchie and want of the Romane Empire For about the yeare 606. Pope Boniface the 3. receiued of Phocas the Emperour who was a tyrant and murthered Mauricius his Lord with his wife and children the title of Vniuersall Bishop and Head of the Church which once being graunted the Popes whole endeuors were to lift vp themseues with the Empire of Rome and the whole world besides For the seat of Antichrist it is cleare and to all men knowne that the Pope sitteth at Rome which is a city scyted betweene the two seas Thyrren and Adriartike hath 7 mountains reigned ouer all the kings of the earth which cannot be said of any other city in the world And seeing Rome is in Europe neither in India Asia nor Africa it plainly appeareth that Antichrist sitteth in the temple of God to wit in Christendome as Saint Paule 2. Thes 2. 4. declareth Meane at the beginning was the estate and condition of the Pope but it mightily and with great successe increased So that he holdeth not authoritie and one crowne as a king onely but three crownes declaring thereby his power to be greater then that of all kings and Emperours As he attributeth also to himselfe the two swords or powers spirituall and temporall figured by the two hornes Apoc. 13. 11. A Blasphemer is the Pope in saying he is Christs Vicar head of the Church that he can pardon sinnes may not be iudged of any cannot erre in conclusion that he is God in the earth can change nature holdeth an heauenly power and the fulnes of power and of vnrighteousnesse can make righteousnesse See lib. 1. Decret Gregor tit 7. Can. 5. An Idolater he is when he commandeth Image-worship inuocation of Saints maketh of the Sacramēt an Idol of Mauzim a God whom neither the Apostles nor their fathers knew because they worshipped and honoured one only God in spirit and truth Ioh. 4. 23. A Sacriledger he sheweth himselfe to bee when he robbeth the Church of the second commandement of Gods law the lay people of the cup in the Lords supper and forbiddeth Christian people to reade the holy scripture contrary to the doctrine and expresse commandement of Christ Ioh. 5. 39. Most proud he appeareth when he is carried on mens shoulders as they carryed in time past the Arke of the Lord vppon the shoulders of the Leuites when hee calleth himselfe most holy Father and Holinesse it selfe dares to breake and change the ordinances of God and impose new lawes vpon mens consciences compareth himselfe to the Sunne and the Emperour to the Moone lib. 1. Gregor tit 33. and both Emperors and kings do kisse his feet Subtill hee is in all his kingdome but then chiefly when by meanes of auricular confession he diueth into the hearts of all men not of the common sort onely but also of the greate States of the world vnderstanding thereby all secrets A manifest hypocrite hee is when vnder the title of Seruant of seruantes hee ruleth as
that the Images do weepe laugh sweate and doe other great Miracles Moses declareth that when God spake with his people the people hard the voice of his wordes but they sawe no figure sauing only a voice what God would haue vs to vnderstand hereby the same Moses there declareth Take good heede then to your Soules for ye sawe no figure c. and then That ye corrupt not your selues nor make you any grauē Image or representation of any figure whether it be the likenes of Male or female The common edition which the Roman church alloweth saith Ne fortè decepti faciatis vobis sculptam similitudinem aut Imaginem masculi vel feminae That is to say least being deceaued ye make to your selues a grauen similitude or Image of man or woman Let our aduersaries behold if they make to themselues Images of hee and shee Saints which be of men and women And suppose that the making of Images were not against the expresse comanndement of God but that to make thē or not to make them were a thing indifferent yet ought the good magistrate seeing the superstition and Idolatrie which the ignorant common people commit to forbid Images and breake them notwithstanding imitating therein the holy king Ezechiah that brake the brasen serpent which Moses had made when he sawe the Israelites to burne incense vnto it as in the 2. Kings 18. 4. appeareth Read the chapter See if our aduersaries adorne their Images with flowers with garlandes with crownes decke them cloth them girde them hang vpon them purses light tapers candles and lampes before them perfume incense carry them vpon mens shoulders in procession kneele before them and in their necessities craue helpe and succor of them Reade for this purpose the epistle of Ieremy recited to Baruc in his 6. chap. and thou shalt fully see the same that nowe is done in Spaine Italy and manie other places of the world besides If this be not Idolatrie and superstition what shall be If that good king Ezechiah nowe liued what would he doe to these Images That which he did to the brasen Serpent breake and bray them in peeces Our Aduersaries excuse the matter The same might the Israelites also and it may be they did so yet for all their excuses the good king brake it And thinke not that this Serpent set vp on high which Ezechias brake was of small signification Knowe thou that it was a figure of the same Christ that was to be lift vp and placed as an Ensigne which all those might followe that should beleeue in him beleeuing in him might haue euerlasting life euen as those which beheld the Brasen serpent were cuted of their bodily infirmities So they which behold Christ beleeue in him and follow him are no lesse healed of their spirituall infirmities This is not mine but Saint Iohns interpretation whose words be these And as Moses lift vp the serpent in the vvildernesse so must the Sonne of man be lifted vp that all that beleeue in him c. Ioh. 3. 14. Although this Serpent was made by Moses and by the commandement of God and with so high a signification as Saint Iohn giues it making it the image and figure of Christ And albeit it had so many yeares remained among the people of God from the Israelites being in the wildernesse vntill the reigne of Ezekiah all this notwithstanding this good king seeing the superstition of the people that burned incense to it cast it to the earth and brake it This good zeale of his is commended in the Scripture And in the second booke of Kings chap. 18. 3. these words are vsed He did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord according to all that his father Dauid had done Hee tooke away the high places and brake the Images and cut downe the groues and brake in peeces the brasen serpent which Moses had made For vntill that time the children of Israell burned incense vnto it and he called it Nehustan as much to say as a peece of brasse Would God the Christian and Catholike kings would imitate the holie zeale of this good king Would God they would seeke to be truly informed and see with their eyes what be the relikes and Images which they haue in their kingdomes and their miracles and the truth or falshood of them But ô griefe that the old prouerbe in our dayes is verified Sease Milagro y hagado el diablo A miracle it is and the diuell doth it Would God they would take count of the great riches that is offered vnto images Oh what should be found The Romistes excuse them by a distinction which they make An idoll say they is one thing and an image is another That the law of God forbideth Idols and permittteh images that the Idoll is an abomination but not an image That they detest Idols and honour Images Let vs now proue this their distinction of Idoles and Images to be vaine God Exod. 20. 4. Deut. 5 8. saith Thou shalt not make to thy selfe Pesel All the difficulty is to knowe what this word Pesel is Pesel is an Hebrewe word deriued of the verbe Pasal that is to engraue carue hew And lest we should thinke as thought the Grecians that onely Pesel which is a carued picture statue or grauen Image is onely forbidden God presently addeth Temuna that is any figure forme shape or painted Image He then forbiddeth grauen carued hewed or painted Images And commandeth vs not to worship nor do reuerence to them Call them as you wil Idols or Images Idoll is a Greeke word and is the same which in Latine is Simulachrum or Imago Simulachrum or Imago is that which in Spanish we called Imagen These foure wordes Pesel Eidolon Simulachrum and Imagen be all one thing and of one selfe signification but that the first is Hebrewe the second Greeke the third Latine and the fourth Spanish And Saint Ambrose as noteth Erasmus in his Annotations vpon the 1. Cor. 8. chap. for Idolum euer readeth Simulachrum Lactantius deriueth Simulachrū of Simulando Eidolon of Eidos asmuch to say as apparance or shew It appeareth to be a person is none It hath eyes and seeth not eares and heareth not feete and walketh not Dauid in the 115. Psalme doth liuely depaint them let our aduersaries behold if their Images haue eyes and see not eares and heare not c. Saint Augustin lib. 4. de Ciuitate Dei cap. 9. and 31. Origen lib. 8. contra Celsum S. Ciprian Tract contra Demetrianum and S. Epiphanius and S. Ambrose make no difference betweene an Idoll and an Image Thomas Aquinus that great captaine of the Dominickes putteth this difference betweene Idolum and Simulachrum as noteth Erasmus in the place a little before alleaged Simulachrum saith he is a thing made to the likenes of some naturall thing but Idolum is Si corpori humano addatur caput equinum to
attend him so came he to Brixia where he abode The Gemane Princes hearing of the Emperours arriuall came to kisse his hands and giue him the welcome-home The Emperour rewarded the Souldans people that had attended on him and sent them backe to their Lord againe This done the Emperour held a Diet in Norinberge where he recouÌ„ted that which had hapned the great treason of the Pope read the letter sent by the Pope to the Souldan which seene the Princes promised their aid both for performance of his promise to the Souldan and also for the chastising of Pope Alexander A great campe he leuied without any let passed through Italy and went towards Rome The Emperour sent Ambassadors to Rome by whom he required without mentioning the receiued villanies and iniuries by Pope Alexander that the cause of the Popes might be heard examined that he which had most right might be Pope and so the Sisme cease Alexander seeing his part vnfurnished fled by night to Gaeta and from thence to Beneuente and there attiring himself in the habite of his Cooke in the 17. yeere of his Bishodome came to Venice where he was made Gardiner of a Monasterie from whence by commandement of Sebastian Duke of Venice with great pome he was taken and very pontifically carried to the Church of Saint Marke This historie is cited by Nauclerus Barnus Funcius and others The Emperour hearing that the Pope was in Venice requested the Venetians to deliuer so pernicious a man his enemie vnto him which denied by the Venetians the Emperor with an Armie sent Otho his sonne commanded him not to fight before his comming The young Prince desirous of fame sought with the Venetians against the commandement of his father of whom he was vanquished and carried prisoner to Venice This was a notable victorie for the Generall of the Venetians called Ciano brought but thirie Gallies and Otho 75. I will here recite that which Frier Iohn de Pineda lib. 25. cap. 7. ¶ 3. saith Glorious Ciano entered into Venice c. and somewhat lower The Pope gaue him the glorie of the victorie a little gold ring he also deliuered him saying he gaue him that in token he graunted him the segniorie of the sea which he had gotten and would he should cast it into the sea to bind the sea thenceforth as his wife to be alwayes kept vnder the Venetian Empire And that all the after Dukes should vpon some speciall day celebrate this ceremony euerie yeare And somewhat after the ceremony passed was vpon the day of the Ascension and the Pope granted in that Church vpon such day full remission c. for euer Thus farre Pineda Alexander growne proud with this victorie would not make peace with Fredericke vntill he himselfe should come to Venice at such day as the Pope would appoint The father for the loue he bare to his sonne did all whatsoeuer he was commanded He came to Saint Markes where the Pope before all the people commanded the Emperour to prostrate himselfe and craue mercie which the Emperour there did Then trode the Pope with his feete vpon the necke of the Emperour who was prostrate on the ground and with his mouth that spake blasphemies said It is written Thou shalt go vpon the Aspe and Basiliske and vpon the Lyon and Dragon shalt thou treade The Emperour herewith ashamed made answere Not to thee but to Peter Whereat the Pope stamping vpon the necke of the Emperour said Both to me and to Peter Then was the Emperour silent and so the Pope absolued him of his excommunication Another such like thing as this to the Emperor Henry of whoÌ„ we haue spoken in the life of Gregory 7. hapned The conditions of peace were That the Emperor shold hold Alexander for rightfull Pope restore all whatsoeuer that during the war he had taken The peace thus made the Emperor with his sonne departed Robert Montensis in his historie reporteth that Lewis king of France and Henry king of England going on foot and holding the bridle of the horse whereupon this Alexander rode the one with the right-hand and the other with the left with great pompe they led him through the citie of Boyanci which is vpon the riuer Luera In the time of this Alexander God to reproue the pride and tyranny of the Bishop raised vp the Waldenses or as other call them the poore of Lyons in the yeare of the Lord 1181. in which yeare this beast died and Don Sancho 3. reigned in Castile Lucius 3. who purposed to abolish the name of Consuls in Rome by the commoÌ„ consent of the Cardinals was chosen For which the Romans much offended expelled him from Rome disgraced with diuers kinds of reproches those of his part and some of them also they killed In the 1185. yeare he died and Don Sancho 3. reigned in Castile Vrban 3. whom for his troublesomenesse they called Turbano as saith Albertus Crantzio in the 6. booke and 52. chap. of his Saxon historie determined to excommunicate the Emperour because he was a let vnto him and wold not permit him to do what he listed but he did it not because in the 1187. yere he died before he would Don Alonso 8. reigned in Castile and at this time the Moores tooke Ierusalem Gregorie 8. before he was two moneths Pope died When Clement 3. was Pope he incited the Christian Princes as had done his predecessours to warre beyond the seas which did the Popes not so much for the increase of Christendom as for their own peculiar intents commodities as vpon Alexander 3. we haue already declared because the Princes being so farre remote and intangled with warres against the Infidels the Popes might do and did whatsoeuer they listed The Danes this Pope excommunicated because they would their Priestes should be married and not concubine keepers In this 1191. yeare he died Don Alonso the eight then reigned in Castile The next day after Celestine 3. was made Pope He crowned Henrie 6. and much repining that Tancred the bastard son of Roger whom the Sicilians had chosen for king William their king being dead without heire should be the king of Sicilia The Pope married the Emperour with Constantia the daughter of Râ—gero taking her out of the Monasterie of Panormo where she was a Nunne vpon this condition that expelling Tancred who then possessed it He should demaund for dower the kingdome of both Sicils and for being king of Sicilia should pay his fealty to the Pope which was the cause of much bloudshed When this Emperour Henry was dead great sisme arose in the Empire such and so great was the discord that hardly one parish agreed with another By these coÌ„tentions amoÌ„g the priests the Pope greatly enriched himselfe because in Rome they were to be ended as noteth Conrado Lichtenao Abbot of Vespurg whose words for that
to be murdered For Conradino the sonne and heire of Conrade king of Sicilia sought to defend his right but Charles ouercame and tooke him prisoner together with Fredericke Duke of Austria neere vnto Naples and by the counsell of the pope did behead them For Charles wrote to the Pope what he should doe with Conradino his prisoner The Pope answered The life of Charles the death of Conradino c. After him Adrian 5. against this Charles demanded aide of Rodolph the Emperour The kingdome of Naples by meanes of this cursed Pope came to the French and the Dukedome of Sueuia tooke end In the 1270. yeere this butcher died The seat of Sathan was long time to wit two yeeres and nine moneths and two dayes voide And Don Alonso 10. then reigned in Castile Clement the fourth being dead the Cardinals which were 17. number to chuse a new pope assembled together Amongst whom so great discord arose that in almost three yeeres space they could not agree for euery of them pretended to be pope Philip king of France and Charles king of Sicill hearing of this great discord came to Viterbo where the Cardinals were and prayed them to dispatch and chuse a chiefe bishop but so great was the ambition of the Cardinals that all this trauell and sute of the two kings were to no purpose so they returned without any thing done When they were in the election inuocating the holy spirit bishop Iohn Cardinall Portuensis seeing the great forwardnesse of the Cardinals said vnto them My Lords let vs vncouer this chamber for the holy spirit through so great roofes cannot enter vnto vs. When the same Cardinall vnderstood that Gregory was Pope he cōpiled these two verses Papatus munus tulit Archidiaconus vnus Quem patrem patrum fecit discordia fratrum To wit an Archdeacon attained to the Popedom whom the discord of brothers made father of fathers All this reporteth Panuinus an Augustin Frier Behold here what the Romists thēselues report of the elections of their Popes behold here Ambition the holy spirit which in their election gouerneth Gregory 10. thus elected in the yere 1273. at Lyons in France did celebrate a Councell where Michael Paleologus Emperour of Constantinople who approued the doctrin of the Romaine church his predecessors hauing 12 times done the like as many times more reuoked the same was present In this councell it was ordeined that the Pope being dead the Cardinals shold shut thēselues in the Conclaue And that moreouer which Panuinus in the note vpon Platina vpon the life of this Gregory 10. saith He renued a fresh the warre of the holy land And in 5 yeres that he poped neuer saw Rome In the 1276. yere he died and Don Alonso 10. reigned in Castile Innocent 5. a Burgonion was the first begging friar that was made pope for which cause he much fauored his dominicks And hauing poped 6. moneths 2. daies the same yere with his predecessor he died Adriā 5. a Genoway was the nephew or as is thought the son of Innocēt 4. whē he was Pope he went frō Rome to Viterbo frō whence he wrote to Rodulph the Emperour to aide him against Charles king of Sicilia which Charles had the former popes against all right made king of Sicil as in the life of Clement 4. we haue noted but the Emperor occupied in the wars of Bohemia could not succor him He poped but one moneth 7 daies then died Iohn 22. or 21 or 20 before he was pope called in latin Petrus Hispanus was born at Lisbon by professiō a Phisition Albeit this mā was holden for very learned yet was he very vnskilfull to gouerne And as saith Platina wrought more domage thē profit to the popedom Many things he did which shew his folly lightnes One good property he had that whē he saw a yong man inclined to study with benefits money he would aide him This mā foolish as he was promised by the stars long life to himselfe so would tell it to all men But it farre otherwise happened to him for a certaine chamber which Valerius calleth a sporting chamber Estella calleth it a precious bed chamber which he had builded for his pleasure in the pallace of Viterbo at the end of 4. dayes fell suddenly to the ground the Pope was found betweene the timber the stones who hauing poped 8. moneths and 8. daies at 7. dayes end in the 1277. yere died Six moneths after the death of his predecessor was Nicholas 3. chosen for the Cardinals could not agree at the end of which time Charles king of Sicilia ruling as a Senator in the Conclaue Nicholas 3. was chosen who after he was pope began thē to persecute Charles he tooke frō him the vicaredge of Hetruria he tooke frō him also the power of Senator giuē him by Clement 4. he forbad that no king or prince thenceforth should dare to demand or administer that office tooke it to himselfe But Martin the 4. his successor did restore it vnto him For so agree the Popes that that which one doeth another vndoeth This Nicholas with great wars vexed Italy And the better to effect his purposes he perswaded Don Pedro king of Arragon to demand the kingdom of Sicilia seeing it was his in the right of his wife Constance This counsell much pleased Don Pedro which was afterwards the cause of much bloodshed In the yere 1381. died Nic. Martin 4. a Frenchman Panninus cals him 2. with great humanity receiued Charles king of Sicilia and restored him to the dignity of Senator that moreouer which his predecessor had taken frō him He excōmunicated Don Pedro king of Arragon who leuied a great armie to inuade Charles in Sicilia gaue his kingdome for a prey to the first that could take it absolued all his vassals from their oth to him made as their king c. yet Don Pedro of al this made no reckoning but passed into Italy aided by Paleologus Emperor of Constantinople wan Sicilia The Sicilians for their pride luxuritie bare great hatred to the French so that they conspired against Charles his frenchmen toulling the bels they issued out killed all nor sex nor age regarded yong old men and women albeit great with child they destroyed These be the Euensongs which the Sicilians call so famous After this Charles with his armie comming to Naples was vanquished taken as saith Platina sent into Arragon This Pope Martin tooke the concubine of his predecessor Nicholas 3. when Martin had 4. yeares and one moneth poped in the 1285. yeare he died of whom saith Platina that after his death he wrought great miracles Don Alonso 10. then raigned in Castile Honorius the fourth following the steps of his predecessor Martin 4. confirmed the excommunication and interdiction against Don Pedro which held
¶ 3. sayeth he added that which to many others seemed meere noueltie namely that he as wrote also Papyrus Saonensis was Lord of all the world which thing Philip king of France did denie him c. And a little lower sayth the same Pineda Crantzio sayth that on a solemne day to declare himselfe Lord as well of the temporaltie as of the spiritualitie pontifically arrayed as a Pope he shewed him selfe to and blessed the people and another day clothed as an Emperour carying before him a sword naked shewed himselfe and cryed out saying Ecce duo gladij hic c. Beholde here two swords c. wherein he would say that he was Lord of both swords ciuill and spirituall This is that Pope of whom say the Historians that he entered like a Foxe liued like a Lyon and died like a dogge Thus died that Boniface sayth Platina that more endeuoured to terrifie Emperours Kinges Princes Nations and people then make them religious He attempted to giue and take away kingdomes dispatch men and eftsoones call them backe euen as hee listed himselfe much thirsting after golde seeking for it on all sides more then can be spoken Pandulphus Calenucius in the fifth booke of his Neapolitane historie recounteth manie great villanies of this Pope With Boniface the eight will I conclude saying that which Frier Iohn de Pineda in his twentie and two booke chapter 12. ¶ 1. saith Let ambitious men saith hee note the life and death of Boniface so openly practised in his popedome and who coueteth more saith Frier Iohn de Pineda let him read Iohannes Vilaneus in the eight booke of his historie And notwithstanding he was such a one as manie men worthy of credite doe paint him out yet did Clement the fifth for all this celebrate a Councell in Vienna where were present as saith Frier Iohn de Pineda three hundred Bishoppes with very many other Prelates and it was there determined that Pope Baniface had bene most Catholike a Christian and true Pope and Vicar of God Wo vnto you that call good euil and euill good Behold here if the Pope and Councel may erre Don Fernando 4. the sonne of Don Sancho reigned in Castile Benedict 11. or after others the 9. a Dominican was very liberall to entertaine Idolatrie When he was Pope he cited those that had taken Boniface his predecessour and for not appearing before him he excommunicated them for their contempt Hee absolued of the excommunication the king of France and receiued into fauour Iohn and Iames Cardinals of Colen whom Boniface so much abhorred This good is reported of him that he would not see his mother poore but poorly clothed In the 1305. yeere 9 moneths of his popedome not fully complete he died and of poyson as is thought giuen him in certaine figs sent him by an Abbesse Don Fernando 4. then reigning in Castile After great differences who should be Pope Clement 5. a Gascon was chosen being absent His election being knowne he departed from Burdeux where he was Archbishop and came to Lyons in Fraunce whither he commanded and they so did all the Cardinals to come and so the Court of Rome in the 1305. yeare passed into Fraunce and there continued almost 74. yeares At the coronation of this Clement Philip king of Fraunce Charles his brother and Iohn Duke of Brittaine were present vpon whom and other twelue also fell a wall whereof they all there died The king also himselfe receiued some part of the euill and the pope sawe himselfe in so great a straite that he fell from his horse and lost a Carbuncle which he bare in his Miter or as they call it Reyno worth 6000. Florences How could he say with Saint Peter whose successour saith he he is Gold and siluer haue I none The pompe of this coronation ended many Cardinals he made all were French men To Rome he sent three Cardinals with authority of Senatours which should gouerne the same and Italy also He made a decree that to the elected Caesars in Almaine albeit they were called kings of the Romanes the pope notwithstanding should giue both authoritie and name a Brotheller was this Clement and Patron of whores and so for his pleasure and delight setled his Court at Auignon At Vienna in the 1311. yeare he celebrated a Councel in which for their goods sake wherewith he inriched those of S. Iohns order of the Rhodes most cruelly he dissolued the Templars which were more rich then the French king himselfe The great maister of the Templars one of his companions in the presence of the Cardinals he burned at Paris Against the Fraticellians Begardians and Begninians that denied to adore the bread in the Sacrament he published a Bull. He excommunicated the Venetians Florentines and Lucquesians The feast of the Recluses dreame in the life of Vrban 4. before mentioned which feast is called Corpus Christi he confirmed Celestine 5. he cannonized But why condemned he not Boniface 8. who was a traitor to his Pope Lord Celestine In the 1314. yeare Clement died In which same yeare as the Emperor Henry from Lucemberg meant to come into Sicilia offered and giuen him by the Sicilians themselues a cursed man called Bernardus de Monte Policiano a Dominick Friar who fained of set purpose great seruice to the Emperor gaue him poyson in the Sacrament And whē the good Emperor perceiued that he had giuē him poison he said vnto him Sir depart hence for if the Almaines perceiue what thou hast done thou shalt die an euil death The cursed Dominick fled to Sena where like another Iudas he receiued the money promised for his treason But his fellow Dominickes could he not deliuer for in Tuscan Lombardie and diuers other partes many of them were murthered and they and their monasteries by fire and sword perished Fryar Iohn de Pineda lib. 22. cap. 24. ¶ 4. of this Clement speaketh these words Saint Antoninus Iohannes Villaneus and Papirius say that hee was very couetous of money and thence it happened that he suffered Simony in matter of benefices to goe so openly through his court meerly ignorant bee they which say the Pope cannot be a Simonist seeing we know by deuine law that to buy or sell things holy and spirituall is called sinne and is that of Simony c. It is no marueile being such though he approued that good peece Boniface 8. Two yeares 3 moneths and 17. dayes the Sea was voyd In the time of this Pope Don Alonso 11. reigned in Castile After many contentions among the 23 Cardinals Iohn 23 or 22. or 21 was chosen The Cardinals as saith Saint Antoninus whom Friar Iohn de Pineda alleageth disagreeing they yeelded the court to this Iohns disposing and whomsoeuer hee should name was to be holden for Pope c. he named himselfe And somewhat lower saith Pineda Titus Liuius saith that the Romans were
offended because Apius Claudius had chosen himselfe of the Decemuiri and Lucius Furius Camillus to be Consull and they were pagans and to be named Pope he being a Christian held it no let c. Such like vnto him was this Iohn 24. that elected himselfe This Pope depriued Hugh Bishop of Catura disgraded and deliuered him to secular power to be tormented embowelled and burned till he were dead The cause of his great crueltie was this that the said Bishop he said had conspired against the Pope This Iohn much affected nouelties of one Bishopricke he made 2 and contrarywise of 2 one Of an Abotship he made a bishoprick and of a bishoprick he made an Abbotship Caragoça he made an Archbishoprick and fiue bishopricks of 11 in the Prouince of Taracona hee gaue it for suffraganes The Knights of Christs order as they call it to fight against the Moores he instituted in Portugale and by consent of Don Alonso king of Portugal gaue them the goods of the Templars Those he condemned for heretiques which said Christ and his Apostles had nothing proper He forbad this question in the vniuersities to be disputed He condemned one Peter a Franciscan Friar because he exhorted men to follow Christs pouertie For which cause many were condemned and burned This Pope so cruell against such as he called heretiques erred in the faith and was an heretike For hee taught that the soules seperated from the bodies saw not God nor reioyced with him before the day of iudgement For so as saith Masseus deceiued by the visions of one Tundall an Irishman had his father taught him By that saying of the Lord to the theefe vpon the Crosse This day shalt thou be with mee in Paradice Luke 22. 43. and by the speech which he vttered concerning Lazarus whose soule saith he was in Abrahams bosome Luke 16. 22. by that which saith S. Stephen Act. 7. 59. Lord Iesus receiue my spirit imitating therein his maister who being vpon the crosse said Father Into thy handes I commend my spirit And by the saying of S. Paul Phil. 1. 21. To me Christ is gain whether in life or death and verse 23. I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ and that he saith is better for him Also Eccle. 12. 7. And dust returne to the earth c. the spirit returne to God that gaue it Also Matth. 22 23. the Lord speaking of Abraham Isack Iacob who were dead as touching the body saith that God is not a God of the dead but of the liuing And Luke 16. 9. Make ye friends of the vnrighteous Mammon that when ye shall haue neede to wit when ye shall die They may receiue you into euerlasting habitation And 2. Cor. 5. 8. we loue to be out of the body and to be with the Lord is this heresie confuted Whereupon it followeth that the soules of the faithful which die in the Lord see God and at the parting from their bodies enioy his presence in these two thinges to see God and enioy his presence our happinesse consisteth To teach and preach this heresie this Pope sent 2 Friars to Parris the one a Dominican the other a Franciscan vnto whom Thomas Vales an English Dominicke opposed himself for which the Pope cast him into prison many others likewise opposed themselues In conclusion the vniuersitie of Paris ayded by the fauour of their king Phillip the faire who had withdrawne himselfe and all his kingdome from the Popes obedience compelled the Pope as he did to recant not without sound of trumpet for feare of loosing his Popedome as Iohn Gerson in the sermon of Easter doth witnes The errors of this Pope which now we will reckon are according to the papists errors but according to Christian religion perfect truth He commaunded the Nunnes called Beguinas to marry He could not abide to see pictures nor Images He affirmed that Iesus Christ gaue no other rule to his Apostles then that which he had giuen to all faithfull Chistians The Apostles said he neuer vowed Chastitie And that vowes make not them perfect which vowe them nor put them in the state of perfection We will now returne to his wonders Iohn Mandeuell lib. 1. cap. 7. reporteth this Pope to haue written a large Epistle to the Greciās saying That there was but one church whose head he was the vicar of Christ Whereunto the Grecians in few words answered thy power ouer thy subiects we verily beleue to be great thy excaeding pride we cānot suffer thy couetousnesse we cannot satisfie the deuill be with thee for the Lord is with vs. In this Laconismo or breuitie well declared the Grecians the whole state of the Pope This Pope Iohn proclamed the Emperour Lodowicke of Bauiera for a Rebell Sismatique and heretique The cause was as saith Ieronymus Marius for that the Emperour being elected by the Princes without othe of subiection to the Pope as Clement 5. had commanded tooke vpon him the administration of the Empire The Emperour to auoyd contention sent his Embassadours to the Pope being then at Auignon requesting at his hands the authority and title of the Emperour But so farre of was the Pope from graunting this that he sent home with a mischiefe and verie euill intreated the Ambassadours peremptorily cyting the Emperour himselfe personally to appeare in Auignon and submit himselfe to the decrees of the Church But the Emperour knowing the tyrannie which the Pope vsurped in the Church and perceiuing that he had receiued onely of God his Emperiall Maiestie would not as a seruant subiect himselfe nor come to Auignon Affecting peace notwithstanding he eftsoones by Embassadours did gently request him to graunt what he demaunded The Pope was still obstinate and for the hate which he bare to the Emperor excommunicated the Vicounts whom the Emperour had placed to gouerne Millan When the Emperour sawe his obstinacie he came to Rome where he was very magnifically receiued and demaunded of the Romanes that which the Pope had denyed him The Nobles of Rome hearing this sent their messengers to the Pope beseeching him to come to Rome and graunt that which the Emperour desired which if he denyed to doe they would doe said they according to the law and auncient custome of the Romans yet for all this was the Pope nothing moued but rather much more incensed and cast them from his presence with many iniuries and threatnings When the people of Rome saw this they determined to graunt that which the Emperour demaunded and so the Senators Stephen and Nicholas by commaundement of the Clergie people crowned the Emperour with his wife the Emperesse This knowne to Pope Iohn he made great processe against the Emperour calling him heretique and saying he had committed high treason he depriued him of all that he had excommunicating him a new with a most cruell excommunication Thus farre Ieronymus Marius Diuines and lawyers in those times
hee surely pretend it Thus farre Platina Eight of the French Cardinals fearing the seuerity and cruelty of Vrban went to Fundo where for the causes aboue said and alleaging that the seat was voyd yet there were 18 Cardinals ayded by Iane Queene of Naples another Pope they elected whom they called Clement 7. This was the most pernicious Sisme longest lasted of any others For vntill the Councell of Constance began which was 40 yeares after 10 yeres after that it continued so that it endured 50 yeares Who listeth to know the deceipts subtilties periuries dissimulations c. of those that poped in the time of this Sisme let him read Theodoricus de Nyem who as an ey-witnes wrote the historie of this Sisme Bonin Segino in the Florētine history Frier Iohn de Pineda lib. 22. cap. 37. ¶ 3. 4. This Vrban saith Estella was a man subtil reuengefull bearing iniuries in mind not that which he had done but that he had receiued Crantzio saith that he was fierce cruel vntreatable so being Pope he sought not to set peace but wars to reuenge himself on the Frēch Cardinals Queen Iane. For which cause to make thē on his part he absolued the Florentins of the excōmunication which Gregorie his predecessor had giuen out against them This Vrban caused 5 Cardinals to be put in 5 sacks and so cast into the sea where they were drowned From this kind of death but very hardly escaped Adam an English Cardinall The cause why the Pope did this was for that these Cardinals taking part with Clement 7. had conspired against him After this for the better strengthening of his faction he made in one day 29 Cardinals three of them saith Platina were Romans all the rest almost Neapolitans Pandulphus Colenucius a most learned Lawyer addeth in his Latine Neapolitan history another cruelty much greater then this we haue spoken of This Vrban saith he being in Genoa cōdemned to death three Cardinals commanded their heads to be cut off their bodies to be rosted in a furnace being rosted to put thē into sackes and whēsoeuer he went frō one people to another he caried them vpō 3 horses that it might be known they had bin Cardinals they placed their red hats vpon the sackes All this he did to be feared that none shold dare to attempt ought against him Thus far Colenucius This Vrban vnable by force and artes to be reuenged on Queene Iane sent to intreat Charles nephew of the king of Hungarie to come aid him with an host he would make him king of Naples Charles aided with the counsel people of the king his vncle came and seazed the kingdome of Naples tooke Queene Iane who was retired to Newcastle a fort in Naples and so taken put her to death The Pope vntil this time was a great friend vnto Charles but as peace among the wicked doth not long continue so this great loue of the Pope turned into much more hatred And why deeme you his Diuellishnesse was so much offended The cause was for that Charles refused at the Popes request to make the Nephew or as some thinke the sonne of the Pope Prince Campano Platina Colenucius and others recite this historie When the Pope could not obtaine this being a man vnciuill vngentle and ill beloued began to threaten Wherere with the king was so much offended that the Pope for certaine dayes durst not go abroad But the Pope a while dissembling this iniurie for excessiue heate as he said departed by the Kings consent from Naples to Nocera The Pope come to Nocera there fortified himselfe and made new Cardinals He made processe against the king and sent to cite him to appeare before him whereunto the king answered that he would come quickly to Nocera not only with words but with weapons to iustify his cause The king came and with a great campe besieged the citie The Pope seeing himself so besieged escaped and went to Genoua where he acted that which we haue before spoken of the Cardinals When Lodowicke king of hungarie and vncle to Charles was dead the Nobles of Hungarie sent for Charles king of Naples to make him king of Hungarie whither Charles went in the yeare 1385. by great treason of her that had bene Queen of Hungarie was slaine When Vrban as reporteth Colenucius in his Neapolitane historie heard of the cruell death of Charles he tooke great pleasure and when the sword as yet bloudie wherewith Charles was slaine was presented vnto him he beheld and did contemplate the same with great ioy aud contentment So did not Iulius Caesar being a pagan no Christian nor holy Father who saith Plutarch when one presented to him the head of Pompey his mortall enemie in detestation of so great an euill turned away his eyes and would not beholde it Note that which the same Plutar. reporteth of Lycurgus who pardoned him which had put out his eye These exāples I draw from pagans for his greater shame who calleth himselfe holy Father vicar of Iesus Christ Vicar of Sathan I call Vrban who was a murtherer from the beginning With the death of Charles ended not the malice of Vrban it passed further for a yeere after the death of Charles this Pope practised to disinherite Ladislaus Iohn sons of Charles as then but little ones but those of Gaeta kept thē safely The pope returned to Rome and not without suspition of poison hauing cruelly poped 11 yeres and eight moneths in the 1390. yeere died whose death saith Platina very few lamented because he was a man rude and vntreatable In the time of this cruell Pope was founde the cruell inuention of gunnes in Almaine Don Iohn 1. bastard son of Don Fernando K. of Portugal at this time reigned in Portugal This Don Iohn got the victory of Aliubarota another Don Iohn 1. being king of Castile This is that battell against the Castillians which the Portugals so much prize and glory of And so vpon a time as Don Charles the Emperor almost threatened the Portugal Embassadour and said vnto him Behold Embassador there are not many riuers to passe from hence to Portugall It is true answered the Embassador because there are now no more riuers then were in the time of Aliubarota The king of Portugall for this answer rewarded the Embassador Don Iohn 1. and Don Enrique his son raigned in Castile From the election of Clement 7. fully spokē of in the life of his Antipope Vrban 6. the Sisme endured 50. yeres Almaine Italie and England fauored Vrban France Castile Aragon Nauarre and Cathaluna fauored Clement 7. and many there were also that were neuters and neither fauored Vrban nor Clement This Clement celebrated a Councel in Paris In his time and the 1387. yere arose a question betweene the vniuersitie of Paris and the Dominicks about the conception of the virgin Marie And
afterwardes was much brawling betweene the Dominicans and Franciscans the question as yet being vndetermined For the Popes therein haue put them to silence lest the foolish deuotion and superstition of the ignorant common people should be despised In the 1392. yeare Clement died Very many and terrible Bulles sent these Antipopes into diuerse partes of the world many famous libels cast they one against the other where with they did bite detest and curse the one calling the other Antichrist Sismatike Heretike Tyrant Theefe Traitor wicked sower of tares and sonne of Beliall And verily in this that the one saith against the other doe they not lie neuer in their liues spake they more truly For aswell the sonne of Beliall as the rest was both one and other Many holding this Pope for Antipope count him not in the Catalogue of the Popes But certenly he hath wrong for more canonically was he chosen then Vrban if there be any election of the pope canonically made and was not in his life so great a villaine nor so cruell as Vrban was Hereby moreouer great iniurie is done to our countrie of Spaine and to Fraunce which held Clement for true Pope and Vrban for Antipope and Antichrist as Clement called him And so Don Iohn 1. king of Castile that his kingdome should not be seperate from the communion of the Seat Apostolike caused as saith Don Rodrigo Bishop of Palencia in his historie speaking of K. Iohn the Prelates and men most learned in diuinitie and humanitie and the estates of his Realme to assemble together who after they had well examined and debated the businesse declared that Clement 7. was to be obeyed And when Clement was dead they gaue it to his successor Benedict 13. as hereafter we will declare Boniface 9. not being as thē 30 yeares old by the parciality factiō of Vrban 6. who as saith Crantzio intreated the Romans not like a bishop but like a cruel Emperor or tyrant was chosen in Rome And for that he held them suspected put many of thē to death This Pope made a law that no Priest should inioy his liuing without paying to the pope the first fruits called the Annales which is one whole yeres value of his liuing The English only did resist this decree as Platina Volateranus Blundus Polidorus Virgilius Pantaleon c. do note Hee caused Ladislaus sonne of Charles to be crowned king of Naples Vrban 6. as in his life we haue said for the hatred which he bare vnto his deceased father endeuoured to disinherite and vtterly destroy Ladislaus A great Simmonist was this Boniface by his Bulles Indulgences pardons and the great Iubile which in the 1400. yeare he celebrated at Rome he gathered much money which against al law right he with his kindred prodigally wasted In the 1404. yeare he died And Don Henry 3. reigned in Castile Benedict 13. or 11. a Spaniard for the same causes as was Clement 7. is not reckened among the Popes but sith our countrey of Spaine and Fraunce held him for Pope we will not displace him A Spaniard he was borne in Cataluna and called before he was Pope Pedro de Lunae by 20 Cardinals of Clements faction he was chosen in Auignon a man learned he was and before he was Pope disputed against the authoritie of the Pope and concluded that he was not to be feared For this so true doctrine he was by the Pope which then held the seat of Antichrist as an heretike condemned Pope he was vntill the Councell of Pisa deposed him He was afterwards deposed by the Councel of Constance who albeit by two Councels deposed yet left he not for all this to be called Pope vntill the 1424. yeare after he had bene Pope 30 yeares and more he died in his land of Cataluna At his death he commaunded the Cardinals when he was dead to choose for pope Gill Nunoz Cannon of Barcelona whom they called Clement 8. who at the instance of Don Alonso king of Aragon created new Cardinals and did all that the popes were accustomed to do But when pope Martin 5. elected in the Councell of Constance ioyned in friendship with the king Don Alonso Nunoz after he had 4 yeares poped by commandement of the king renounced and was made Bishop of Mallorca and his Cardinals of themselues forsooke their functions In the time of this Sisme liued a learned good man called Theodoricus of Nyem bishop of Verda who as before we haue sayd wrote the historie of this Sisme which historie is now hard to be found because the papists for that it manifested the truth almost cast it out of the world But in the 1566. yeare was it againe newly printed to the popes great griefe in Basilea Among other things this Author said proued that the pope held no politike right ouer the Emperour but contrariwise that the Emperour ought to chasten wicked Popes said moreouer that they which dissemble such enormious abhominations and tyrannies which the popes commit are not worthy to be called Emperours In the time of Benedict 13. Don Henry and Don Iohn 2. reigned in Castile Innocent 7. was chosen in Rome to succeed Boniface 9. whiles he was Cardinall he reproued the negligence and fearfulnesse of Vrban and Benedict saying that they were the cause of the Sismes so long continuance which to al Christendom wrought so great mischiefe But when he was pope he changed his opinion and not only did that which before he had so much reproued but was also much offended if any spake to him thereof In doing what he would he tyrannized ouer the people of Rome but his popedome not long endured and so in the 1407. yeare he died Don Iohn 2. then reigning in Castile Gregorie 12. whom Thodoricus de Nyen alwayes called Errorius and his followers Errorians was elected at Rome in place of Innocent 7. Benedict 13. then liuing in Auignon With this condition was Gregorie chosen that were it for the good of the Church he shold renounce the popedome which being pope he cōfirmed before witnesses Notaries that wrote the same so that Benedict 13. would doe the like But as Benedict would not renounce no more would Gregorie albeit both the one the other being great dissemblers and subtill gaue great hope that they would do it And so they appointed Sauona whither they should come and agree yet al was but wind For this cause in the 1410 yeare was holden a great Councell in Pisa where manie Cardinals on the one side and the other 124 Diuines and almost 300 Lawyers were present Both the Popes in this Councell were deposed and Alexander 5. a Cretian in their place elected This did al Christendome approue Spaine Scotland and the Countie of Ameniaco which claue firmely to Benedict 13. excepted Gregorie and Benedict nought esteeming the Councell of Pisa yet held themselues for Popes but fearing to be caught
Gregorie went to Arimino and Benedict to his land of Cataluna Thus at this time were there three Popes Benedict 13. made in Auignon Gregorie 12. made in Rome and Alexander the Cretian made in the Councell of Pisa Poets do feigne Cerberus the porter of hell to haue three heads which fable we see now verified in the Popedome whose porter which is the Pope hath three heads and as touching the kingdome of Antichrist as well the one as the other was the head Gregorie cast Nicholas de Luca downe from the pulpit and for punishment to him and example to other put him in prison because in his preaching for the good of the Church he exhorted him him to vnitie The fathers in the end and the 1415. yeare assembled in the Councell of Constance wrot vnto him to come or at least to send some in his place to the Councell who seeing their desire was to haue him renounce forthwith there renounced but shortly after for very griefe and sorrowe dyed Petrus de Luna was alwayes called Benedict 13. against whom Iohn Gerson a famous diuine often said in the Councell whiles Luna liueth there shall no peace be in the Church but neither the authoritie of the Councell nor the threates nor requests which they vsed could cause him renounce and so till he died which was aboue thirtie yeares was Pope In the 1424. yeare he dyed Alexander 5. a Cretian was made Pope in the Councell of Pisa as before we haue said An Alexander he was in giuing and so was he accustomed to say merily of himselfe that he had bene a rich Bishop a poore Cardinall and a begging Pope So haughty was his humour that being in the Councell of Pisa Ladislaus king of Naples of whō we haue made mention in the life of Vrban 6. he depriued of his kingdome This Pope ordeyned that all Christians should beleeue as an article of their faith that his Saint Frauncis had the 5 woundes which Christ imprinted vpon him and commaunded solmnely to celebrate the feast of the woundes of Saint Frauncis Herein did Alexander shew himselfe to be very Antichrist seeing he vsurped authoritie to make new articles of faith which whosoeuer would not beleeue should for the same be condemned Saint Paul doth teach vs that if any albeit an Angel from heauen shall preach another Gospell vnto vs then that which he had preached vnto vs he should be anathematized cursed and excommunicate such a one then was Pope Alexander This Alexander which afore time called himselfe Petrus de Candia being as reporteth Theodoricus of Nyem at the point of death said that he neuer knew father nor mother nor brother nor any of his kindred that when he was yong he liued by begging for Gods sake from dore to dore He said that a Franciscan Italian Friar tooke him from that course of life and taught him Grammer afterwardes made him Friar of his orders and carried him with him into Italic And that from Italic he went into England and in Oxeforde studied and after he had continewed many yeares in this vniuersitie he went to Paris where he was made maister in diuinitie from thence he went into Lombardie where by the meanes of Duke Iohn Caleaço he was made bishop of Vincentium and afterwardes Archbishop of Milan then Cardinall and in the end Pope In the 1411. yeare he died The cause of his death as saith Baptista Panecius in his 6. sermon was poyson which his Phisition Marcillias of Parma corrupted with money by Cardinal Baltassar Cossa who sought to be pope as he was gaue him D. Iohn 2. thē reigned in Castil Iohn 24. as Platina calleth him or 23. or 22. for the causes before mentioned with the poyson which he caused to be giuen to Alexander his predecessor was made Pope Hee better knew how to manage armes then bookes and so as noteth Friar Iohn de Pineda lib. 23. cap. 10. ¶ 5. a man he was notable for matters of the world but ignorant in spirituall things a very good beginning for confirmation hereof he aleageth Leonardus Aretinus Blundus Flauius Pius 2. More by violence thē free election as the papists themselues do witnes was he made Pope For when Alexander was dead the Cardinals assembled to chuse a Pope in Bologna he being Legat in Bologna and hauing like a good captaine many souldiars very much threatned the Cardinals except they should chuse a Pope according to his wil. For this cause named they many saying wilt thou haue this wilt thou haue this other but with none of thē was he pleased And when they praied him to name whom he would haue Pope Giue me said he the mantle of S. Peter and I will put it vpon him that shal be Pope And when they had giuen it he put it vpon himself said I am Pope This is like that which is reported of Don Fernando grandfather of Don Charles the Emperor king of Spaine maister for maister this let it be so casting vpon him the habit made himselfe maister of S. Iames. The like election to this was that of Pope Iohn 23. as before we haue declared This deed of the Pope displeased the Cardinals Yet thought they it best to dissemble with him and for that he was so terrible a man to passe with the election In this man saith Platina was more fiercenes boldnes then besemed his profession all his life almost was soulderlike such were his customes that many things vnlawfull to be spoken of he thought it lawfull to doe And such were his abhominations that Platina shamed to speake them When he was Pope he wrote to the Emperor Sigismund that he would crowne him He began to hold a Councell in Rome whereunto when the Emperor and diuers nations could not freely come by reason of the discord that the Pope had raised in Italy at the request of almost all nations the Pope apointed Constance the 1. of Nouember in the 1414. yeare In which Councel he himselfe would be present And albeit that some did coūsel him not to go to the Councell lest he thence returned without his bishoprick yet went he notwithstanding carying with him subtil aduocats to defend him if ought were obiected against him Thē begā the general Coūcel by cōsent of pope Iohn Sigismūd the Emp. other Christian princes The night of the natiuitie the Emp. as a Deacon sang the Gospel which began Exijt edictum à Caesare c. When the Coūcel was set licence of free speech to each one giuē they obiected and proued against Pope Iohn in the presence of the Emp. more then 40. hainous offences he was then cōstrained by the Coūcels cōmand to renounce The causes were for that to make himselfe Pope he had caused poyson to be giuē to Alexander 5. because he was an heretique Symonist a liar an hipocrite a murtherer a witch a gamester an Adulterer a
friendship the Pope secretly departed from Constance as saith Volateranus against the will of the Emp. and so came to Florence where taking his pleasure he 2 yeares remained Before he departed from Constance the Emp. and other Princes exhorted him to giue some good order for reformation of the ouermuch libertie euill customes of the Clergie Whereunto Martin answered That this was with time nature consideration to be done and for confirmation of his answere hypocritically aleaged the saying of S. Ierome that euery prouince hath it customes maners which could not sodainly be abolished without great trouble and damage How much better should he haue put his hand to the worke begun to reforme himselfe and his court of Rome To speake of reformation to the Popes is to speake or preach death vnto them And this is the cause why they cannot brook to heare tel of a Coūcel because they then know that each one tam in capite quà m in membris Aswell in the head as in the members wil begin to speake of reformation They remēber that the Councels haue deposed Popes and placed others They remember that in the Councell of Pisa celebrated in the 1410. yeare 2 Popes were deposed and Alexander elected that in the Councell of Constance in the 1416. yeare were 3 deposed and Martin chosen And in the Councell of Basil in the 1432. yeare Eugenius was deposed and Amadeus chosen For this cause would the Popes haue willingly no Councels And albeit for shame they cannot but graunt that a Councell shal be the Pope feareth as to eate poyson to be present therein but sendeth his Legats which accustomably as in the last Trident Councel which buried so many Popes and none of them appeared in the Councell was seene The Popes doe feare as before we haue said least the like to them as to the others Popes should happen in the Councels For these causes made Martin a decree that no Councel after that of Constance before 5 yeares passed should be holden after that Coūcel ten yeares should passe before another Coūcell were holden See here the reformation which the Popes desire If any Pope in maners be lesse wicked for in Doctrine be they al Antichrists in his Roman Court wisheth practiseth some reformation then doubtlesse ensueth some conspiracy against him that they giue him a morsel wherewith they dispatch him An example we haue in Celestine 5. whō his Cardinal that after him was Pope dispatched in Adrian 6. as afterward we wil declare It is said of this pope Martin that he dispensed with one to mary his own sister After 2 yeeres he went frō Florence to Rome The cause of this going was for that the pages as saith I. de Pineda sang in his disgrace a Sonet which began El Papa Martino no vale vn quatrino Martin the Pope is not worth a rope Whē he came to Rome saith Pineda his face shewed him to be quite chāged for before he was pope he was demed a man gētle simple vnwise wāting that gētlenes that was suposed to be in him was afterwards discouered to be most wise And a litle lower So scraping he was couetous a mony-gatherer that he gaue great cause of slander chiefly because what he euilly got he worse spēt c. whē he was come to Rome he gaue himself to repaire not the true Church of Iesus Christ which is his mēbers but the wals of the citie Churches he adnulled the decrees of the Popes passed in the time of the Sisme he depriued Dex Alonso king of Arragon of the kingdom of Naples gaue it to Lewes And in the 1431. yere died D. Iohn 2. reigned in Castile Eugenius 4. a Venetian after the death of Martin his predecessor was elected in Rome In so great a straite was seene this Eugenius that to saue his life being Pope be left his owne garments in a Friers habit put himselfe with his companion in a fishers boate which he found certaine Romanes which perceiued his flight cast many stones and arrowes at him In the end he scaped and went to Florence where some yeeres he abode and for his better defence made 16 Cardinals In the 1432. yeare was the Eugenius cited by the Councell of Basil But he knowing that the Councell would be aboue the Pope and that vpon appearance he should answere the exhibited accusations against him would not appeare Eugenius not appearing was deposed by the Councel Amadeus Duke of Sauoy who had made himself an Hermit and now called Felix 5. was elected in his place yet for all this would not Eugenius leaue to be pope And so to defeat the Councel of Basil hee assembled another Councel in Ferrara frō thence went to Florence Don Iohn 2. king of Castile albeit he had sent his Embassadors and learned men to the Councel of Basil yet fauored this Eugenius Eugenius incited Lewes the Dolphin of France with an host to go to Basil and breake off the Councell whereof ensued great mischief This Eugenius was the cause of the vnfortunate death of Ladislaus king of Hungarie in counselling him to breake his faith word giuen to the Turke which counsell this poore yongling but of 22 yeares tooke so set vpon the Turke when by reason of the peace betweene them he least suspected The Turke seeing this vnfaithfulnes reinforced himselfe returned vpon him In which battel the king with Cardinal Caesarinus the Popes Legate was slaine his host destroyed It hath wontedly bene argued whether faith and promise giuen to an infidell might lawfully be broken wherunto I answer that which Frier Iohn de Pineda lib. 26. cap. 28. ¶ 1. to this purpose saith There is no doubt saith he but faith is to be kept aswel to an enemy albeit he be an Infidel as to a friend Christian the reason which he giueth is this because the bond to obserue it issueth from the law of nature which is indispensable God hauing bin put for witnes of the truth that each one promiseth to another c. So that Eugenius the fourth was wicked indispensing and Ladislaus was periured against God notwithstanding the Popes dispensation Wickedly did the Councel of Constance which brake faith with Iohn Hus and Ierome of Prage Much better did the Emperour Don Charles who being but young of 21 yeares sent with safe conduct for Luther who appeared before the Emperour at Wormes and publikely gaue an account of his faith and the Emperor keeping with him his word sent him backe albeit the Spaniards did incite him to kill him Much better did the Captaine Mondragon in keeping the faith which he had promised to the Prince of Orange whose prisoner he was This Eugenius most cruelly burned a Frenchman called Thomas Rēdon a Carmelit for saying that in Rome were committed great abominations that the Church had need of great reformation and that
of Burbon as noteth it frier Iohn de Pineda this election was cause of great mischiefe He depriued the Archbishop of Beneuente He cited George king of Bohemia vpon paine of loosing his kingdome to appeare many bishops deposed he for mony celebrated a councell in Mantua where he disabled the lawe Pragmaticall which was made in France as a thing pernicious to the Roman seate gaue himselfe much to build made Corsiniano the place where he was borne a cittie and after his owne name called it Piencia imitating therein Alexander who after his name called a Cittie Alexandria and Constantine who called Bizantium Constantinople In the 1464. yeare he died Platina and Sabellicus say that Pius 2. was accustomed to say that matrimonie with great reason was forbidden to the Priests but with greater reason it should be restored to them againe dna that moreouer mentioned in the life of Pope Gregorie 1. done and said by this Pope touching this matter Don Henrie 1. reigned in Castile Paul 2. before called Petrus Barbus hearing that his Vncle Gabriel called Eugenius 4. was Pope he changed his estate of liuing For leauing merchandise which he professed he applyed himselfe to learning but he was of hard and dull vnderstanding and so neither loued learning nor vertue To Rome hee went to his Vncle and so was made Cardinall and afterwards Pope Of him saith Platina that in Pontificall habite and chiefly the Miter hee exceeded all the Bishops his predecessours wherein hee consumed much money buying where and for great price hee could Diamondes Sapphires Emeralds Chrysolites Pearles and other most precious stones furnished and adorned wherwith like another Aaron he went forth to be seene and worshipped Great diligence hee vsed to gather gold and sold benefices also He commanded that none should beare the red hatte except he were a Cardinall In the first yeare of his bishopdome he presented red cloth to the Cardinals wherewith they might couer their horses or mules when they rode abroad hee endeuored with armes to entertaine his maiestie Papall Very wickedly he dealt with all the decrees and acts of his predecessour Pius exceeding ambitious he was and as saith Volateranus gaue himselfe to pleasure Estanislaus Reuthenus reporteth that this Paul 2. reading certaine verses compiled against him and his bastard daughter wept and complained to his friendes of the cruell law of constrained single life seeing that he which ought to be not onely Prelate of the Church but an example of chastitie sawe his daughter with great shame in the mouthes and eyes of all the citie who although she was most beautiful yet he grieued said he she should be thought to be a bastard knowing that by the law she should haue bene borne in lawfull matrimonie had not vnhappy forced single life hindered it So that he purposed say they to restore mariage to Ecclesiasticall persons which he could not do because he died Against forced single life note that which Paphnucius in the first Nicen Councel that which we haue said vpon Siricius Gregory 1. Nicholas 1. and Pius 2. This Paule 2. promised long life vnto himselfe but hauing supped well to his liking in the 1471. yeare vnseene of any he sodainly died D. Illescas Hist Pontif. of him saith A most great eater he was of fruits and chiefly of Melons and they in the ende killed him for one night finding in himselfe a strong appetite he lusted to suppe vppon both flesh and fish and eate infinitely of all and afterward did eate two whole Melons with many other thinges of ill disgestion and a little lower And halfe an hower after a chamberlaine entered and found him fallen to the grounde and dead that he neuer spake more Carion lib. 5 of his historie saith Paule 2. was openly infamous and execrable for his most filthie and vnaturall lust the report was publique that he was strangled of the deuill and his neck broken in the verie act of his abomination Notwithstanding that such a one was Paule 2. yet did D. Illescas praise him for most liberall an almes-giuer charitable and pitifull to the diseased a friend of iustice and verie mercifull But who so listeth to know what a one he was let him reade Platina At him ended Platina his liues of the chiefe Bishops of whom he receiued notable losses and iniuries he depriued him of his goods and dignities cast him into prison and caused him to be tortured as Abbot Iohn Tritemio reporteth Platina remained in prison vntill Paule died Don Henrie 4. reigne din Castile Sistus 4. a Genowey on the day of his coronation was in great perill of his life for as they carried him in his horslitter to Saint Iohn de Lateran there arose great tumult against him among the people that they hurled stones at him So liberall he was that what he had promised to one he wold promise also to another and so to many if many did demand it He was ouermuch addicted to his kinsfolkes and chiefly to his Nephew Pedro Râ—irio a Franciscan Frier whom he made Cardinall a cursed filthy and ryotous person This Seraphicall Minorit consumed with fleshly delight at the age of 28 yeares died Many make mention of this cursed Nephew of the Pope Iohn Rauisius Textor saith that when Sistus 4. was chiefe Bishop Petro Presbitero Cardinall consumed in two yeares and that in vanities three hundred thousand duckets Iohannes Riuius Baptista Mantuanus and Baptista Fulgosus report fearfull monstrousnesse of this beast For he made no reckoning to walke by his house clothed with cloth of gold the couerings of his beddes were of cloth of gold the basens wherein he did his necessaries were of siluer that he caused the shooes of his friend Teresa to be couered with precious stones All this is nothing Baptista Mantuanus in his Alphonso lib. 4. bringeth in Pluto that gaue him the welcome to hell Sistus this Pope much coÌ„sumed in wars which to entertain he inuented sold new offices A solemne stewes he builded in Rome where enormious and wicked sinnes were committed What Pope or what incarnate diuell is this Euery whore in Rome did paie vnto him as nowe also they doe to the Pope a Iulio which is euery weeke a ryall which then came to 20000 duckets But the reÌ„t say they is now increased that it is brought to 40000. duckets of yearely rent Horrible things of this Sistus Fryer Peter his Nephew writeth Mantuan A great warriour also was this Pope and that vniustly as Volateranus witnesseth he made warres against Vitellius Tiphernatus against the Florentines Venetians Colonnists against Don Fernando king of Sicillia and Duke of Callabria and against nations and Princes He sought to hold at his command kings and Christian Princes whom hee aduaunced or put downe as himselfe listed He moued the Swissars to make wars with the Lombards whom he had excommunicated He caused the Iubile to be from 25 yeeres to 25
French English and Flemish In this booke it is liuely depainted and with many notable exampeles confirmed This is to be noted that how many soeuer entred into the Inquisition for what cause soeuer all came out with confusion and losse of goods and many of their liues and none at all instructed Such is the intreatie wherewith the Fathers of the faith doth intreat them They haue not leysure to teach them but to robbe and kill them Would God that according to the lawdable custome of Spaine in other Audienecs Iudges of residence should be sent men learned and voyd of passion which might examine the Inquisitors and those that be and haue bene prisoners in the Inquisition O what would then bee discouered Aragon as it were by force receiued afterwardes the Inquisition and so they killed the first Inquisitors In the 1546. yeare Don Pedro of Toledo attempted to place it in Naples but could neuer effect it as Doctor Illescas vppon Paul 3. reporteth For the Neapolitanes did vehemently withstand it Thinges standing in these termes Pope Paule before certified of what passed in Naples dispatched forth a writ apostolique whereby he declared that the knowledge of causes touching the offence of heresie apperteyned to the ecclesiasticall Court and Iurisdiction apostolique commaunding the viceroy and all whomsoeuer secular Iudges to surcease in them and not entermedle to proceede against any heresie by way of Inquisition nor any other manner reseruing to himselfe the determination of such causes as of a thinge concerning the Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction Thus farre Doctour Illescas Some yeares after one Sayavedra Cordoves perswaded the king of Portugale that he was sent a Nuncio from Paul 3. vnto him And so in the 1545. yeare thus brought in the Inquisition into Portugale There went out of Portugale 30000. Iewes Time brought it to light that the Pope had not sent him and so was he condemned to the gallies Another pleasant conceate haue I heard of this Nuncio an excellent writer he was and well knewe to counterfeite what handsoeuer This Nuncio remayning in the gallies came a poore woman to beseech the Generall of the gallies to ayde her with some almes for the mariage of her poore daughter The General made answere that very willingly would he helpe her but present want of money was the cause he could not The poore woman with this answere departed weeping of whom when the Nuncio saw her weepe hee demaunded the cause of her weeping She told him that which she had passed with the Generall Then did he comfort her saying that he would effect what she desired And taking inke and paper he wrote these words Steward vpon sight of these presents giue so many thousand marmades the number I remember not to her that shall giue you this scedule which scedule the Nuncio subcribed as if the Generall himselfe had done it The poore woman departed with her scedule to the Stewarde The steward answered that he wondered his Lord would in such a time send that scedule But sith such was his pleasure he would giue her that which he commaunded him to giue her and so gaue it indeede When the day came that the Generall tooke account of the steward the steward presented the said scedule vnto him which he read againe and said to the steward True it is that such a poore woman came to me to aske an almes but I answered her that I could not helpe her for the present And beholding the subscription said this is my hand but I wrote it not Wherefore he made inquirie in the gally who had written it and it was proued to be the Nuncio For which cause the generall would haue caused his hand to be cut off but at request of many his hand cutting was spared and he put to the oares For by reason of his wealth he rowed not-before D. Illescas in the life of Clement 6. saith that he saw him in the gally rowing One of the chiefe causes of the low countries reuolt wherein so many thousands of Spaniards and other nations haue died and so many millions of crownes haue bene wasted y aun el rabo como dizen estápor desollar yet the taile as the say is to be fleyed for to begin anew is each day needfull was that the Duke d' Oliua sought to bring in the inqusition You see here the profit which the Inquisition hath brought to Spain This saie I not as though I would that there were neither king nor ruler but that each one might doe and beleeue what he listed Good lawes be necessarie in euery cōmon wealth for this cause committed God the sword to the Magistrate for the chastisement of the wicked and praise of the good as saith the Apostle Saint Peter Let them then that doe euill be punished but not tyrannically All lawes permit the delinquent to know who is his aduersarie and the witnesses that depose and who they be that he may except against them if they be infamous or his enemies c. In this Inquisitorie Audience the Lo. Treasurer who it may be neuer knewe nor saw the delinquent is made partie the witnesses howe infamous what villaines soeuer or great enemies they be are neuer named and so cannot be excepted against The which is contrary to all diuine and humane Iustice If the witnesses haue witnessed against one three or foure things the Inquisitors doe charge him as though the witnesses had spoken of ten or twelue things much more horrible then the witnesses haue deposed And so maie the Inquisitors doe what they list knowing that there is no residēt Iudge which is to take account of that they haue done Against this tyrannie doe we speake Maie it please the diuine Maiestie which hath geuen to the king the sword authoritie and commaund ouer all whatsoeuer that liue in his kingdomes be they secular as they terme them or ecclesiasticall to put into the kinges heart willingnes to be informed of the wronges and grieuances which the Inquisition doth and to geue as is his dutie remedie for the same which one day I hope the Lord will performe reuenge the blood of the iust which the Inquisition vniustly hath spilled The blood of the Iust is as the blood of Abell crying for vengeance How long say the dead for the word of God c. Lord holy and true wilt thou not iudge auenge our blood c. The brotherhood hath done and doth great good to Spaine for it clenseth the waies and wast places of the eues and robbers and so men may walke and sit safely vnder their figge trees and at the foote of their vine A common prouerbe it is that in Spaine are three holy sisters the holy Inquisition the holy Crosse and the holy brotherhood frō the one which is the Inpuisitiō they pray God to deliuer them from the other will they keepe themselues The tyrrany of the Inquisition in this saying is noted God of his great loue
deliuer vs from it The Bubos a disease vntill then vnknowne in Spaine they brought with them which returned from the Indies wherewith God did punish them for taking the wiues that were not theirs This filthie and contagious disease hath spread it selfe so greatly throughout all Europe that they make now almost no reckening thereof And he is not holden for a gentleman which hath not had two or three times the bubos as they call them Other nations call them the French euill The Frenchmen call them the disease of Naples A disease it is wherewith God punisheth such as liue in that filthie single life dispising mariage which God in Paradice the state of innocencie ordeined and Iesus Christ with his first miracle as saith Saint Iohn at a mariage in Cana of Galile confirmed albeit the popish votaries call it filthie c. Returne we to Alexander 6. Of him saith the Enchiridion of times that many thinges in his time did he license which neither for his person his estate nor for Rome being that it ought to be were lawfull and honest Machauell lib. de Principe cap. 18. of him saith Nought else but deceiue men did euer Alexander the sixt nor euer did hee thinke vppon other thinges and found meanes suficient to effect it and neuer had man more efficacie in striuing to affirme and with greater oathes would promise a thing and lesse performe it notwithstanding his deceit did alwayes prosper with him c. Guicciardine a graue author and of much credit as faith Doctor Illescas in the life of Alexander 6. ¶ 2. lib. 2. of his Historie giueth this notable testimonie of him The most vile nature saith he of the bishop made what wickednesse soeuer in him credible Who listeth to know further of this abhominable Alexander 6. great shame of our countrie of Spaine let him read Paulus Iouius In the 1503. yeare Alexander with poyson as before we haue said died Don Fernando and Dona Isabella then reigning in Spaine Pius 3. of Sena nephewe of Pius 2. was thus chosen when Alexander was dead Caesar his sonne which murdered his brother c. aduanced with al the treasure and iewels of the Pope and with twelue thousand men garded the Vaticano a place where the Cardinals vse to assemble for a new election And this he did that the Cardinals should make Pope whom he best pleased But to another place they went called Minerua which when Caesar vnderstood he sent thither his people and beset thē about Then ran the report through Rome that the Cardinals were prisoners and that there was nothing but death to be expected throughout all Rome So great was the feare that it only seemed Haniball was eftsonnes to enter Rome Caesar in the end at the request of the Romans and the Embassadours of Spaine and Fraunce And for that his purpose he saw would not preuaile with all his people departed from Rome And so the Cardinals went to their Conclaue where after long contention they elected Pius 3. who being Pope he presently conspired against the French which occupied a great part of Italy But he proceeded not further for hauing Poped but 27. dayes in the 1503. he died Iulius 2. a Genowey nephew of Sistus 4. by his great and subtill wit obteined great dignties and in the end to be Pope A man he was naturally inclined to warres which inclination albeit he were Pope yet mortified he not but holding rather absolute power as the Popes faine to haue put the same in execution He had great warres with the Venetians the king of France the Duke of Ferrara the Bentiuolians and other Princes This Iulius in the space of 7. yeares that he warred with his excommunications and armes he tooke many things from Christian Princes In which seuen yeares through the intollerable tirany of the Pope ther died by the sword aboue 200000 men And yet nothing at all he grieued imitating therein the cruell Nero who hauing caused Rome to be fired reioyced to see it burne as saith the Spanish song Mira Nero de Tarpeya A Roma como se ardia Gritos dan ninos y vieios Y el de nada se dolia Tarpeyan Nero did behold Rome Citie how it burned Yeeld shrikes and cries did young and old His heart yet nothing turned This Iulius was the cause of that so cruell and bloudy battell of Rauenna betweene the Spaniards and Frenchmen wherein both the conquerors and the conquered remained loosers He seeing himselfe vnable to vanquish the French king by armes attempted another way and so excommunicated him and also with him the king of Nauarre which tooke part with France he gaue their kingdomes for a pray to such as could get them By vertue of this excommunication Don Fernando the king that wanne Granada entered into Nauarre and in the 1512. yeare by force of armes tooke it Guicciardine in his 11. booke of his historie speaking of this taking of Nauarre saith these words The king of Nauarre being vnprepared and hopeles of power to make resistance fled to Bierna on the other side of the Piren mountaines The kingdome of Nauarre being abandoned except certaine forts kept for the fled king without any cost or difficulty and this more through the reputation and neerenes of the English then his owne force came into the power of the king of Aragon who vnable with other title to auouch his lawfull possession alleaged the occupation thereof to be rightfully for the seate Apostolique The noble Acts of king D. Fernando be summed vp in this Sonnet Iunté Aragon con Castilla Gané à Nauarray Granada Puse in Napoles mi silla Conquiste desde Sevilla Otro mundo con miarmada Castile with Aragon I ioyned I wanne Nauarre and tooke Granada In Naples my seat I placed Another world from off Seuilla I conquered with my Armada In this selfe same yeare 1512. as Frier Alonso Venero in his Enchiridion of the times reporteth died Pascall Bishop of Burgos In this Bishopricke he ordeyned that no vigils should be kept in Churches for the dissolute behauiour dauncings and other thinges much offensiue to God which there passed and oft times whordomes and other grieuous sinnes Thus farre Venero fol. 117. For the same causes in all Spaine were they also taken away for Pilgrimages were commonly turned into whoredoms Doctor Illesoas vpon the life of Eugenius 1. saith that in the time of this Eugenius was celebrated the Councel of Cabilona c. In which it was cōmanded that in Churches hermitages other houses of deuotion where it is accustomed to goe on pilgrimage to make watches no dauncing nor vauting should be vsed c. alittle lower This is a thing that requireth remedy I hold it for good if the prelates should cōmand to shut by night the houses of deuotion that there should not be in thē the crie small deuotion the other inconueniences which we
the Pope that against their owne conscience affirme Panl 3. to haue bene married And so D. Illescas vpon the life of this Paul 3. ¶ 17 saith Paul 3. was married and after he had put away his wife of whom he had Poro luys he was made Priest obteyned the hat c. ¶ 23. he saith the vnthought of death of Pero luis lawfull son of this Pope c. But Illescas telleth not who was the mother of Peroluys nor how loÌ„g time he was married nor wher he was married nor yet where he liued married This Paul poysoned Fulgosius and Contarenus Cardinals Iohannes Baptista Vergerius Bishop of Pole because they tasted how sweete and good was Christ and how bitter and euill was Antichrist Paulus Vergerius Bishop of Iustinopole brother of the abouesaid Iohn escaped and fled into Germany and from thence with his writings made warre against him In his time with fire and blood c. Suffered the Church great persecution In the 1546. yeare Alexander Farnesius Cardinall and Octauius his brother Duke of Parma sonnes of the cursed Poro luys and nephews of the Pope going to make war in Almaigne bruted it a broad they there purposed to shed so much blood of the Lutherans that the horses might swimme therin This Paul enioyed the rent of aboue 40000. whores or as they call theÌ„ Curtesanes which were in Rome The rent as before we haue said is a Iulio or Spanish royal euery weeke Multiply the same thou shalt see if the Pope may make a mighty birthright of his whorish rents This Paul 3. did excommuncate an anathemise Henry 8. king of England and gaue his kingdome for a praie to them that could take it Al which this Magnanimious king nought esteemed but so valliantly defended his kingdome that they whom the Pope had incited against him themselues sought peace with him In the biginning of his Popedome the 1534. yeare hapned one notable villany done by the Franciscan Friars in Orleans The tale is this that in that yeare died the wife of the Corregidor or maior of OrleaÌ„s who commanded that she should simply without any pomp at al be buried With her father and grandfather did they bury her in S. Frauncis Church of Orleans The Friars the person being qualified and rich supposed they should haue a rich reward commanded many masses to be said c. but they were deceiued For they had but only six crownes which the widdower Corregidor sent theÌ„ whereat the Friars were highly offended and for reuenge with deuiâ—lish minds they suborned one of their nouices whom they placed aboue in the feeling of the Temple that he might make a great noise froÌ„ theÌ„ce at the time wheÌ„ they said their mattens which the Nouice persormed and said he was a soule as they cal it sinful damned By some that knew the mistery of Iniquitie was this soule coniured being demaÌ„ded of the coÌ„iurers whoÌ„ he was he answered that he was the soule of the wife of the Crrregidor which a little before was deceased that she was for euer coÌ„demned being demanded whereof answered for Lutheranisme WheÌ„ the Friars hard this they made great exclamations heald their Church for excommunicate drue theÌ„ce the sacrameÌ„t wold not there say masse but went within the monastary The fame hereof ran throughout all the citie when the Corregidon vnderstood his villany he called the Friars before the Chauncellor of Paris where the cause being examined before the Chauncellor Antonias praetentis the villanie was proued and so Colimanus and Stephen of Arras both preachers and chiefe authors of this tragedie were by publique sentence condemned But to what To shame the villanies deseruing a 1000. deathes for mocking at God his religroÌ„ defaming of men So gentle was the punishmeÌ„t because they seemed not to faourthe Lutherans In the time of this Paul 3. arose vp froÌ„ the depth bottoÌ„e of hell the new sect called of the fellowship of Iesus or Iesuites Whom with greater reason may we call Iebusites or Iebuseans Their first author inuentor and founder was Inigo Layola whom the more to authorize his name they called father Ignacius This Inigo was a Guipuscuan borne who being a simple and ignorant man applyed himselfe to the the warres and so in the yeare las Comunidades as they call it in Spaine which was about eyeare 1520. or 1521. he was a souldiour in the castle of Pamphona which Castle was then beleagred by the king of Nauarre and the Frenchmen And vpon a day as the enemies shot at the Castle one of the bullets stroke a stone of the Castle and brake it some of the peeces of the stones stroke into the feet of this souldiour Inigo so that vnable to stand he fell to the earth Inigo finding himselfe vnfit for the war changed his purpose and so of a souldiour became a holy hypocrite yet recouered he his feete and so gaue himselfe to foolish deuotion and superstition which men of themselues without the word of God haue inuented and so deceaue all those whose names are not written in the booke of life Inigo then hauing bene a souldiour and anignorant man gaue himselfe to study and when he vnderstood somewhat of the Grammer to prosecute his study he came to Alcala de Henares where to gaine the greater credit reputation of a holy man he went barefooted which maner ofliuing when the students of Alcala laughed and Iested at Inigo confounded and ashamed that they nought esteemed his course of life leauing Alcala he went to Salamanca where the Students much more mocked him then before For which cause Inigo leauing Salamanca went to Paris where he was made maister and gayned the opinion of an holy man with whom in the 1537. yeare there ioyned ten companions and so went they into Italie Whiles Panle 3. Poped the Iesuits began to be knowne in Italie but not without great gainesaying and contradiction They were permitted in the end to heare confessions and by this meanes they obteyned great reputation of holy chiefely among Ignorant people These ten companions in the 1538. yeare were all together in Rome whereof they obteyned of Pope Paul 3. confirmation of their sect and were receiued vnder the protection of the Romane seate but this holy viua vocis oraculo remitting them in asmuch as touched the dispatch of the perpetuitie of their sect to Cardinall Guidiccion Luques And being ayded by him they were approued and confirmed by Letters and Bulles of the first of October in the 1540. yeare geuen at Tiuoli vnder the name and title of the fellowship of Iesus with licence and power to receiue into their companie which then was onely ten to the nomber of of sixttie perâ—ons In the 1543. yeare of the said Paul 3. they obteyned license to receiue into their companie so many as they would which Paul in the 1545. yeare did graunt them all the priuilledges faculties and
maleficae snperstitionis qui rempublicam turbant quorum instinctu piacularis adolescens dirum facinus instituerat As much to say as Banished from all France that kind of men which with their new and pestilent supersticion disturbe the weale publique by whose instinct and perswasion that miserable young man committed so great abhomination It was also by the same Parliament of Paris which is the Chaūcery royall of France commanded that the Priests and students of the Colledge of Claremont aud all the rest of the same fellowship as corrupters of youth perturbers of the publique quiet enemies of the king and common-wealth should within three dayes after the publication of the present sentence depart from Paris and from the other Cities and people where they haue their Colledges and auoyd the whole Realme within 15 dayes after vpon paine wheresoeuer they were found the said time expired to be punished as offenders culpable of high treason their goodes aswell moueable as vnmoueable to them any wayes belonging to be imployed in Godly workes and the distribution thereof to be made according to the oder which the Parliament shall prescribe Moreouer it was commaunded to all the kings subiects that none of them send their students to any Colledge of the said company which were out of the kingdome to be in them instructed vpon the same paine Laesae Maiestratis All that which I haue said be the selfe words of the Sentence Thus then were the Iesuits for their treasons and villanies out of all France banished But they as vnquiet spirits and friends to blodshed haue not ceased to effect their busines And so haue printed a booke wherein wickedly they speake against the king and the Parliament that gaue such Sentence They iustifie sanctifie and Canonize the foresaid traitor Iohn Castell incite the people and euery one of them either by force or treason to kill their Princes and Lordes if in and by all things they agree not with that which the Iesuites teach This their shamelesse boldnesse caused the most prudent Parliament in the 1598. yeare eftsoones to confirme the Sentence which it had formerly giuen against the said Iesuites Don Sebastian king of Portugale for listening to these Iesuites and being gouerned by them destroyed himselfe and his kingdome They perswaded his going into Barbarie where he valiantly fighting with the whole Niobilitie of Portugale was destroyed These Iesuites are the cause of the vprores in the kingdome of Swethland They of the kingdome being protestants would not that the king at his returne from Polonia should place Iesuites about him The king who was gouerned by the Iesuites would place them So that of necessitie it came to blowes Then let other princes and Lordes beware of strange directions and in no wise suffer the Iesuites in their lands because they nought serue for but spies and disturbers of the peace publique setting Princes against Princes And that which worse is all this which they do they sanctifie with the title pretext and collour of religion Much puffed vp they are with the title which they haue taken of the fellowship of Iesus as though the rest of the Priests and Fryars and all other Christians were of the fellowship of the deuill Many of their owne Papists doe now begin to smell and vnderstand And so the Franciscans Dominicans others eate no good crommes as they say with them I wil here conclude this matter of the Iesuites with a terrible lie which to aduaunce the kingdome of their king Abaddon that is to say destroyer they haue forged All the world knoweth that in the land of Sauoy is a Cittie called Geneua This Citie in these last times hath God perticularly blessed with the true knowledge of his holy word With these weapons hath this Citie warred against the Ignorance supersticion and Idolatrie of the Popedome And that to the great aduauncemēt of the kingdome of Iesus Christ confusion of Antichrist The Antichristians for this cause and cheifly the Iesuits beare secret hatred towards the citie haue practised the totall ruine and destruction thereof And seeing they could not by violence destroy it because God did helpe defend it with notable lies haue they often practised to defame it And so inuented they that which their father the deuill who is the father of lies could not more inuent They wrote one to another with great reioycinges that Geneua was reduced as they call it to the lappe of the Church They sayd that Theodor de Beza the chiefe minister of Geneua who with his learned sermons and writinges in that citie hath aduaunced the kingdome of Christ for fortie yeares space and more beeing readie to die had repented and turned to the Church Catholique and that being in this holy purpose he sent to request the Lordes of Geneua and the ministers to come visit him which had some what to impart vnto them they came say they and that Beza exhorted them to be come Catholiques And that with such vehemencie he spake vnto them that he conuerted them and that hee also reduced al Geneua to the catholique Roman faith They proceede with their lie The Lantgraue of Hessen said they hearing this newes sent some of his Gentlemen to Geneua to vnderstand what had passed who returning from Geneua said that Geneua was reduced to the catholique Roman Religion They said also that their Iesuites had gone to dispute with the ministers of the elector of Brandenberg and that they had shamed confounded them To these most notable lies answered the most learned Beza the other ministers of Geneua did briefly also answere but very liuely in their proper coullours and shaddowes depainted the Iesuites To which answere I referre me The deuill as our redeemer painteth him out hath bene a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth for there is no truth in him When the deuill speaketh lies he speaketh of himselfe For he is a liar and the father of lies The sonnes of such a father cannot be but murderers and liars Perque de mal Cueruo conforme al Commum refran mal hueuo For of an euill crow after our Spanish Prouerbe an euill egge Such except by miracle cannot leaue their nature When the Blackmore shall change his skinne and the Leopard his spots then these sonnes of the deuill taught to worke wickednesse to murther and lie may doe good and speake the truth The gaine which these wretches haue gotten by their lie is that very many which before well conceited them seeing their lies so palpable knowne that God to aduaunce his holy catholique faith hath no neede of lies now nought account of them Amongst wise people and such as feare God by little and little will they loose their credit and so returne to the bottomlesse pit from whence they came For God abhorreth all those that worke iniquitie and those that speake lies will he destroy The bloodie and deceitfull man as are the Iesuites murderers
seeing that the Bishops were expulsed the same Ierâ—nimus Vida Bishop of Cremona had in the name of the other Bishops indited the letter to the Pope Which knowne to Marcellus with most vehement words he warned Vida in no wise to send the letter to the Pope For that it should be a thing euill in example that the Bishops assembled in the Councell should write such letters to the high Bishop as though they would seeme to prescribe him a law which would be so great a mischiefe that they should be holden for suspected Vida vanquished with this saying so tempered with the other Bishops that the letter was not sent When Vergerius was to departe the Councell he went to speake with Marcellus and among other thinges that he sayd vnto him he demaunded for what cause he did cast him from the Councell and what Articles he could obiect why he would exclude him from the company of the other Bishops To this answered Marcellus because I haue heard thou hast sayd the Legends of Saint George and Saint Christopher were not true Vergerius answered so it is I sayd so and so I say still For I relie vpon the authoritie of Pope Paul 3. who hauing commanded that both the one and the other Legends should be spunged out of the Roman Breuiarie In the preface of the said Breuiarie he had commaunded saith he the Legends which were not true to be taken away Marcellus thus caught answered that they ought not to be holden for good men that seeme in the least thing to consent with the Lutheranes and so said he vnto him depart then from our Councell This haue I said that it may appeare what hope is to be had of the Councelles where the Pope and his Legates gouerne If there be any that will speake with good zeale of Gods glorie his mouth they will stoppe and if he will not yet be silent cast him out of the Councell Behold how free is that Councell where each one is not suffered to speake that is meet Such a one was Marcellus before he was Pope and such and worse being Pope would he haue bene had not God taken him from the world when he had Poped but twenty three dayes and some say that hee dyed of Poyson Paul 4. a Neapolitane before called Iohannes Petrus Carafa Cardinall Chietino or Theatino in the 1555. yeare with ful consent of the Cardinals who desired to please Henry the French king was chosen Pope He being in Venice before he was Pope with his hypocrisie and fayned holynesse did Institute or reforme the new order of the fellowship of diuine loue which of him that was Bishop of Chiety was called Chietinos or Theatinos as we haue said vpon Paul 3. He forsooke this order by him instituted or reformed and being ready to depart Venice his religious consort demaunded whither he went Whether I goe answered he can ye not come giuing them to vnderstand that he went to Rome to be Pope if he might He gaue it out before he was Pope that he nought else desired but reformation of the Church and so of this argument wrote a booke which he dedicated to Paule the third But when he was Pope he for nothing lesse cared Who listeth to read this booke shall see that almost he confirmeth those Articles whereof we accuse the Papists To wit that so ruyned is the Church among them that it is not now the Chuch of Christ but of the diuels The Popes saith he hauing itching eares haue heaped vp Maisters which entertaine them in their lustes and concupiscence That through the Cardinals and Bishops the name of Christ is blasphemed among the Gentiles That the power of the keyes serueth onely to â—ake together money That wicked men are ordeyned That nothing but Symony is seene in the Church That the Prelates bee verie ambitious and couetous That in monasteries are committed enormious offences That Rome is full of whores These thinges and other such doth this booke conteyne of wicked customes and life it onely speaketh but not once intreateth of the false doctrine Idolatrie and superstition which is taught in Rome nor yet of the tyranny of fire bloud wherewith such are handled as indeauor to serue God in spirit and truth doth it speake But when he was Pope how did he amend it As did Benedict 13. Pius 2. Pius 4. his predecessors and others who before they were Popes much spake of the dutie of the Pope but being Popes did the like or worse then the rest euen so did he For the cause of Religion certaine Augustine Friars many Bishops and a great nomber of the faithful he imprisoned tormented and did them in the end what euill he could Not for that they were adulterers nor Incestuous persons Simonists nor blasphemers was all this but for the Christian religion which they professed Reformation then cast aside he was occupied in the warres against Don Phillip our king and the Spanish blood Deny him then O Spaine for father who from the sonne taketh the cloake The which this Paul from the king Don Phillip and Clement 7. from Don Charles the Emperour indeauoured to take as in the life of Clement 7. we haue before declared This Paul being a Neapolytan and so vassall to the king was to him a traitor teacher taking part with Frauncis his kinges enemy His great seruant Panuinus saith that ayded by the French Swizzars he raised great warres against king Phillip and renewed the old hatred For the Spanish name had he long before detested that as saith Panuinus for publique and particular Iniuries and so the Neapolitanes he well hoped would haue risen against their king When he was Cardinall he perswaded Paule 3. to warre against the Imperials in the kingdome of Naples promising him his seruice and the ayd of many Neapolitans of whom he had many friends said he within that kingdome But Paul 3. was more wise and refused his Councel Then Duke Dalua vnderstanding that this Pope Paul 4. conspired against the king to take Naples with a great camp came vpon Rome and sent a letter to the Pope wherein he shewed all that sithens he was Pope he had practized against the king c. and vehemently exhorted him to peace warning him that if hee said not and that quickly what he would doe touching warre or peace that he should be assured the warre was proclamed To the Colledge of Cardinals he wrote also to the same purpose and after fifteene dayes when the Duke perceiued that the Pope prolonged the time he entred vpon the Church lands and very many of them tooke which he kept said he for the Church and the succeeding Pope All this notwithstanding would not the Pope yeeld to peace vntill he heard newes of the great victorie which the king in the yeare 1557. hadhad against the French at the taking of Saint Quintanes wherein all the nobilitie almost of France and Saint
Quintanes also were taken In the 1558. yeare and the moneth of September died in Spaine Don Charles the Emperour And the 17 of Nouember the same yeare dyed Mary Queene of England and Cardinall Poole in her place reigneth Ladie Elizabeth by whose meanes the great persecutions of fire and blood prisonment and banishment which the Church in the time of Queene Mary had suffered in England ceased Fortie whole yeares that this magnanimous and most prudent Queene hath reigned hath this kingdome by the mercie of God enioyed this freedome In which time this kingdome hath bene and is a refuge and sanctuarie for many straungers who escaping the tallons of the haukes and the teeth of the lyons and woulues haue thither retired God for his infinite mercie enrich it with his spirituall and temporall riches sith it hath entertayned and holpen poore straungers in the time of so great affliction and calamitie In the time of this Pope Paul 4. began the great persecution in Spaine and chiefly in the Cittie of Seuill and Valladolid At the end almost of the 1557. yeare this pesecution began as we will afterwardes declare The Cittie of Seuil is one of the most Ciuill populous rich ancient fruictfull and of most sumptuous buildings that is this day in Spaine To be most rich it plainely appeareth seeing all the Treasure of the west Indies cōmeth vnto it that the king hath thence euery yeare a million and a halfe of Duckets Which rent is so great that fewe kings there be that haue so much of one whole entire kingdome Most ancient it is For if we credit Histories Hispalo Nouono king of Spaine of whom it is called Hispalis built it and Hercules before the destruction of Troy did augment it That it is fruitfull is proued by that place Axarase where be such and so many oliue trees from which is drawne so great plenty and aboundance of oyle that it storeth not onely a great part of Spaine but many other landes also farre distant from Spaine It is seene also by the fieldes of Carmona and Zeres so abounding with wheate and by the pastures so full stored with vines oreng trees figge trees pomgranate and other infinit fruites And where nothing is sowne the earth bringeth forth much spirage and palme trees c It hath also much cattle chiefly sheepe from whence much woole is sent into Italy and flaunders The father of mercy hath not onely enriched this citie making it so ciuill populous rich auncient fruitfull and of such sumptuous buildings but hath also enriched blessed it with all spirituall blessings in heauenly thinges in Christ electing it before the foundation of the world all this saith Saint Paul of the citie of Ephesus to be the first citie of our Countrey of Spaine that in these times should knowe the abuses supersticions Idolatries of the Roman Church Wherwith Spaine hath so long time bene deceiued and knowing them to cause it to amend should publish as it hath published and dyuulged the same And so Iesus Christ might reigne in his Church and Antichrist be banished destroyed and slaine About the yeare 1540. one Rodrigo de Valer borne at Lebrixa liued in Seuill where also was borne the most learned Aentonius de Brixa restorer of the Latine tongue in our Countrie of Spaine This Valer passed his youth not in vertue nor spirituall exercises not in reading nor meditation of holy scripture but in vaine and worldly exercises as rich youth accustomably doth Hee delighted to haue good and well barded horses To day was he suited in one apparell and to morrow in another hee gaue himselfe to play to hunt and to such other exercises whereunto knights and Gentlemen applye themselues In the middest of which his vaine exercises he knew not how nor by what meanes God touched altered and changed him into a new man farre different from the former So that by how much the more he formerly loued and followed his vaine exercises by so much the more did he afterwardes abhorre detest and forsake them hartely applying himselfe and bending all the forces of his body and minde to the exercise of pietie reading and meditation of holy scriptures Some small knowledge he had in the Latine tongue did much herein auayle him For now is the tyranny of Antichrist knowne which suffereth not in Spaine the bookes of holy scripture in the vulgar tongue Many that vnderstood not the misteries which God wrought in Valer held for foolishnesse and want of Iudgement such a suddaine and great alteration For this is the Iudgement which flesh holdeth of spirituall and diuine thinges it holdeth them for foolishnesse and drunkennesse as saith S. Paul 1. Cor. 1 18. The word of the crosse is truly foolishnesse to them that are lost c And in the 12. verse It pleased God by the foolishnes of the Gospell to saue those that beleeue And in the 2. chap. 14. The Carnall man vnderstādeth not the things that parteine to the spirit of God for to him they be foolishnes c. And S. Luke Act. 2. 13. reporteth that many ignorant of the suddaine alteratiō which the spirit of God wrought in the Apostles said they were drunken but those that haue eies may see that it was not folly nor drunkennesse but a change wrought by the hand of the most high and that the spirit of God it was that moued Valer When Valer was thus changed he conceaued great sorrowe and repentance for his vayne life passed and so imployed himselfe wholly in the exercise of Godlinesse alwayes speaking and intreating of the principall poyntes of Christian Religion reading and meditating in the holie Scriptures and gaue himselfe so to read them that he knewe much thereof by hart which he very aptly applyed to that which he handled In Seuill where he dwelled had he dayly disputations and contentions against the Priestes and Friars And told them to their faces that they were the causes of so great corruption as was not in the ecclesiastical state onely but also in euery Christian common-wealth which corruption said he was so great that there was none or very little hope of amendmēt For this cause he reproued thē sharply that not in corners but in the middest of the markets streets vpon the exchange in Seuill a place where Marchants twise a day meete about their businesse he pardoned nor spared them not S. Paule as saith Saint Luke Actes 17. 16. and 17. seeing the citie of Athens so greatly giuen to Idolatrie was much moued and disputed with the Iewes in their Sinagogue and in the open market or assembly of men with those that encountred him Euen so our Valer seing so noble a citie as Seuill is giuen to so great superstition and Idolatrie and so full of scribes and Pharesies of so many priests and Friars he disputed with them in the markets streetes and reproued and conuinced them by the
encountered the Inquisitor when he saw him he coÌ„manded his seruant with a good cudgell which he carried to abate the fearcenes of the vnhappy Pereto Infâ—â—lix being thus cudgelled returned to Rome and recounted his mischaunce to Pope Pius 4. very much complayning vpon the Magnifico The Pope hereat disdayning sent him backe to Venice with much more authoritie power then before When Felix was returned vnto Venice he presented his coÌ„omission to the Segniory The Segniory being wise prudent knowing the quarrilous humor of this man wel perceiuing that he came with a desire to reuenge commanded a wax candle to be kindled and Felix if he were wise precisely to depart their dominion and iurisdiction before that candle were consumed This Infoelix vnable to doe otherwise returned eftsoones to Rome complained to the Pope The Pope seeing this man meete for his seruice made him maister of his Pallace After this when the Spanish Inquisition of all men how high soeuer feared liked of none held the Archbishop of Toledo for suspected of heresie the Pope sent Felix into Spaine to heare this cause The General of the FranciscaÌ„s the chiefe dignitie among them now happened to die This dignitie gaue the Pope to Felix whom a few yeares after the same Pope made Cardinall In conclusion when Gregorie 13 was dead Felix by meanes of his good friends in Spaine was made Pope and called himselfe Sistus 5. This name he tooke in memorie of Sistus 4. who was as was he a Franciscan Friar So abhominable truly are the thinges read of this Sistus 4. that their memorie with him deserueth to be buried in hell and perpetuall obliuion Read his life which we haue culled out of diuers authors Notwithstanding all this would Felix be called Sistus 5. because he thought to be another and yet worse then Sistus 4. When he was Pope as though in himselfe his Romane court his Rome his Babilon which for her customes is the mother of all fornications and more then beastly abhominations and for Doctrine the schoole of error and Temple of heresie said her renowned Petrarque now 200 yeares past nothing there were to be corrected or amended he gaue himselfe I say as though in his owne house he had nothing to doe to seeke to correct after his maner to entermedle in the houses of others And so by all possible wayes deceites crafts treason and violence he practized to disturbe the quiet and happinesse of the kingdome of England suborning and animating most wicked men and abhominable traitors promising them that which he neither had for himselfe nor could giue to others at least the kingdome of heauen if they should murder the most illustrious Queene of England who for forty yeares space with so great peace clemencie most prudently hath gouerned her kingdome In which time with temporal riches abundance of bodily necessaries with spiritual riches which is the preaching of the Gospel hath God blessed this kingdome From all these treasons God as a most mercifull father maugre Antichrist of Rome hath deliuered the Queene Let the Pope then burst for anger So also hath this Pope opposed himselfe to the most illustrious king of Nauarre and his first brother the prince of Conde cursing and depriuing them of all whatsoeuer they had and were to haue and chiefly of the vndoubted right which for waÌ„t of right heire male hath the king of Nauarre to the crowne of France God for his infinit goodnes haue mercy on his poore Church which this Antichrist in these princes doth persecute Arise Lord put to flight thine enemies break the hornes of this beast that he doe no more harme to thy poore children hasten to destroy Antichrist with the spirit of thy mouth with the preaching of the Gospel The God of peace beate downe Sathan that speedely vnder our feete and exalt his sonne Christ Iesus subiecting al things vnder his feete placeing him aboue all things for head of his Church which is his body he the fulnes thereof which filleth al things in al persons This most ChristiaÌ„ prince of Conde whom Sistus 5. baÌ„ned in the 1588 yeare died of poyson In the same yeare did Henry 3. K. of France cause the Duke of Guise to be slaine another day the Cardinal brother to the Guise the cause was for that the Duke had coÌ„spired to kil the king vsurpe the kingdom Shortly after but of her natural death died also the mother of the king The death of the Duke of Guise of his brother caused many the most principall cities of of FraÌ„ce as Paris Roan Lyons Tholous others to rebell against the king The yeare following which was the 1589 the king came vpon Paris and besieged it straightly The Parisians seing themselues in that estate resolued of no other remedy for deliuerance froÌ„ their present miserie but to kill the king To him that would kill him did they promise great rewards so there wanted not some desperate persons which offered to doe it Amongst al these was a Dominican Friar called Clement before the rest preferred aman vnlearned of little honesty for such a one had ofteÌ„ bene chastised with the discipline of the couent To the kings campe came he fayning busines to deal with the king of most great importance The king in affection much inclined to these Friars coÌ„maÌ„ded he should come in The Friar being entered kneeled on his knees befor the king the king who was sitting the better to heare him somewhat dubled his body The cursed Sinon then drawing a poysoned knife which he had brought for that purpose thrust it into the bowels of the king The king feeling himselfe wounded cried out to the crie ranne many who stabbed and killed this vnmercifull Clement albeit the king commaunded they should not kil him This wound of the king caused sadnes and sorrow in the kings campe contrariwise great mirth amongst the enemies who instantly demanded aloud if the Friars knife were sharp enough The king after he had appointed the king of Nauarre his brother in law called Henry 4. who was the neerest in bloud for his successor the night following died When newes of the kings death came to Rome Pope Sistus 5. made a solemne Oration in the concistorie of Cardinals the 11. of September 1589. where he not only compared the treason of this cursed Dominick with the act of Eleazar and of Iudith but said also it surpasseth them Of Eleazar is made mention 1. Macha 6. who seing an Elephant more mighty then the rest armed with the armes of the king supposing that king Antiochus was vpon him to deliuer his people and purchace eternall glorie he aduentured himself ran couragiously to the EelephaÌ„t through the middest of the squadron killing on the right hand and on the left and all sides throwing downe vntill he came vnder the Elephant and placing himselfe vnder him slew him the
young maidens also This was the first occasion of the warres This warre ended others much more great had they wherein they so much increased and inriched themselues that not contented with Italy they made warres also vpon forreigne nations and leauing their owne limits they inuaded Affrike and Asia Thus were they dayly increasing vntill another Prince and Lord arose vp in Rome thrusting himselfe into the same seat of the Empire and at the side as it were of the Roman Emperour This new Prince at the first made no shew that he purposed ought to diminish the authority of the Emperor but only took care of the affaires of the Church wherein whiles he was so employed the strength of the Emperour Empire flourished But afterwards he began to thinke how to benefite himselfe of that opinion of religion and holinesse which he held and to attaine hereunto he doubted not to intreat the Emperour that by his authority he might hold the souereignty ouer all Churches The cause that this new Prince alleaged was that Rome was alwayes the Lady of the whole world and therefore was it meet that the Bishop of that city shuld go before other Bishops in degree dignity To obtaine this was a thing most difficult For albeit that the Emperour let it slip yet did the Bishops of other nations confidently gainesay him alleaging lawfull causes why they withstood him vnwilling to acknowledge the Bishop of Rome otherwise then for a brother companion and in power equall with them Notwithstanding all this he of Rome forslowed not but continually vrged to attaine to his purpose vntill he obtained of Phocas the Emperour who murthered Mauricius his good Lord and Emperour that which he would and so called himselfe vniuersall Bishop and what besides he best pleased Here may ye see that olde Rome was founded vpon one murder and the new which is the Popedome vppon another In this concerning the primacie was the Pope merely oposit to Christ who sharpely in his disciples reproued the like strife and ambition But the Pope mounted to this height by the benefit of the Emperours did nowe further dare to promise to himselfe greater matters yet long time proceeding with great dissimulation A hundred yeares almost after the death of Constantine the great was the Empire much weakned it lost Fraunce England and Almaine The Hunnes held Italie the Vandals Africke Such was the dissipation that the Emperours leauing Rome which is in the West went to Constantinople where they made their abode The Bishop of Rome seeing the scattering of the Empire minded not to let slippe occasion but armed a question for his parte against the Emperour The chiefe cause was that the Emperour commaunded all statues and Images to be taken out of the Churches So greatly did the Pope withstand this commaund that hee dared to excommunicate the Emperour so much nowe was the horne increased At this time in the East arose vp Mahomet who tooke many landes form the Empire The Emperours notwithstanding would haue it vnderstood that all the dignitie power and Maiestie which the Pope did hold depended vppon them The Pope then to bee freed from this subiection and the warres which the king of Lumbardie made in italie deuised a notable policie and this it was To aduaunce of himselfe another whom he liked and to name him Emperour of the Romans Who accknowledging the benefit should deeme himselfe happie to please and serue him in all that he would And so Charles the great he elected and declared Emperour who had chased out of Italie the king of Lumbardy and enemie to the Pope This caused great anger and strife betweene the Easterne and Westerne Emperours and not betweene them onely but the Churches also of both the one and other partie of all which the couetousnes and ambition of the Pope of Rome were the cause Much contention was there afterwards among the Italians French and Almaynes about the election of the Emperour But in the end when Otho the third Duke of Saxoni◠was Emperour and Gregorie 5. an Almayne Pope order was giuen that seuen electors should choose the Emperour as in the life of this Gregorie the fift we haue declared And this was done to exclude straunge nations that none but an Almayne should be Emperour Great garboyles arose afterwardes betweene the Pope and the Emperour who could no longer endure the vnmeasurable arrogancie and ambition of the Pope Reade the Histories of Henry the third and fourth and of Frederick the first second and to come neerer our time those of the Emperour Charles 5. whose host in the 1527. yeare sacked Rome tooke Pope Clement 7. and held him prisoner This Clement as sang the Spaniardes at the Popes windowe whiles hee was prisoner would haue taken away the cloke from the Emperour as vppon the life of this Clement we haue before declared So also sought Paule the fourth to take away the cloake from our king Don Philip the second The kingdome of Naples would he haue taken from him but the host of the king whose captaine was the Duke Dalua put the Pope into such a straight that he was contented to make peace and chiefly hearing of the taking of Saint Quintans which was in the 1557. yeare as vppon the life of this Paul the fourth before we haue said So proud is the Pope become that he hath made the forme of an oath the which he causeth the Emperour to sweare being in time past his maister and Lord and so Saint Gregorie called Lord the good Emperour Mauricius but now is he his seruaunt and vassall This forme of oath conteyneth that the Emperour by all possible wayes keepe increase and defend the goodes of the Roman Church and chiefe Bishopes their dignitie priueledges and decrees And so no Emperour but if he would be holden infamous a faith breaker durst in any thing contradict him The oath which the Emperour Charles 5. made to Clement 7. or 8. in the 1530. yeare at the time of his Coronation will I here put downe Ego Carolus Romanorū rex c. That is to say I Charles king of the Romans which by Gods assistance hold to be Emperour promise protest affirme and sweare to God blessed S. Peter that I will henceforth be protector and defendor of the chiefe Bishop and of the holy Church of Rome in all their necessities and profits keeping and preseruing their possessions dignities and rightes c. When he had made this oath was Don Charles made king of Lumbardy and after he was king of Lumbardy another oath in this forme hee made Ego Carolus c. I Charles king of the Romanes and Lumbardes promise and sweare by the father sonne and holy Ghost and by the word of the liuing flesh and by these holy reliques that if the Lord permit mee to come to be Emperour I shall to my power aduaunce to holy Romane Church the holinesse thereof and her
that of the ruyne of the Romane Empire the Pope who is Antichrist by little and little hath erected his kingdome All this to one man cannot be applyed but to an estate and condition of men Antichrist is a Greeke word as much to say as contrary to Christ See wee then some thinges wherein the Pope doth oppose himselfe to Christ The people sought to make Christ a king but Christ would not For his kingdome he saiâ—h is not of this world The Pope without demaunding or seeking it of the people hath made himselfe vniuersall king ouer all the kings of this world and so at his fantasie doth place and displace them The second opposition Christ being God humbled himselfe and to saue vs became man reconcyling vs with the father The Pope being a man maketh himselfe God saying that in hell he hath authoritie and power casting into it whom soeuer he will and also drawing out from thence If he please as did Pope S. Gregorie say they drawe the soule of the Emperour Traian who was an Infidel persecutor of the Church Authoritie hee hath in purgatorie drawing soules from thence as say they hee doth dayly Hee hath authoritie in earth binding and loosing whomsoeuer hee will He hath authoritie also in heauen placing therein whom hee will commaunding the Angels to carrie the Soule of whomsoeuer he shall please without passing the paynes of purgatorie as by the bull which Pope Clement the sâ—xt graunted to such as comming to Rome to obteyne the Iubile should die by the way doth appeare All this saith the Pope that hee can doe And so also saith his Parasites Yet all is but lies to condemne and carry vs with him to the house of his Father the diuell The third opposition Christ doth commaund vs to search the scripture and giueth a reason for by them shall we know him The Pope vnder most greiuous payne commaundeth vs not to reade them nor looke vppon them least that wee knowing Christ by reading of the Scriptures may also know him to bee Antichrist And to busie vs with some thing hee commaundâ— vs to reade lying Legends he commaunds vs to pray the Rosarie which Alanus with so great falsehood and impietie as we haue said in the life of Sistus 4. renewed So many Paternosters and so many Aue Maries before a câ—â—â—â—fixe before the Image of the virgin Mary or of this or that other he or she Saints he commaunds vs to pray To a certaine great Lady called Isabell graunted Pope Leo pardon of all her sinnes if kneeling in her owne lodging before the Image of any he or she Saint she should say fiue Paternosters and fiue Aue Maries Behold what agreement is there betweene the Aue Marta and the Crucifixe or the Paternoster and the virgin Mary What maner of prayer is this when he that prayeth neither knoweth nor vnderstandeth what he prayeth Oh blindnesse Oh ignorance The fourth opposiâ—ion Christ calleth vnto him all those that trauell and be afflicted in conscience that he may refresh them The Pope commands vs to goe to the virgin Marie and to hee and she Saints What other thing is this but to leaue the fountaine of liuing water as saith Ieremias and to dig pooles that can hold no water Between Christ and the Pope are there many other opposicions yet will we set downe but the last of all that Christ with great triumph is ascended into heauen and there sitteth at the right hand of his father And shamefully the Pope descendeth into hell and to the depth of hell falleth in the company of Iudas whose successor hee is and there by his owne Father the diuell shal be euerlastingly tormented Yee see here that the Pope is an aduersarie and opposeth and lifteth vp himselfe against all that is God or that is worshipped and sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himselfe to bee God By that which the Apostle saith that Antichrist sitteth in the Temple of God hee giueth to vnderstand that Antichrist shall neither bee Turke Moore Iewe nor Pagan but a Christian and that professeth Christian religion The Pope sitteth in Rome a City very ancient in Christian Religion where were so many good Bishops for almost the space of 300 yeares which sealed with their bloud the Doctrine which preached and nowe also in Rome notwithstanding the tyranny of Antichrist hath God his Church as hee had in Sodome where was Lot and his familie That which Saint Paule saith that the comming of Antichrist shal be with great power signes and lying woonders is to be noted and all this shall hee doe by the working of Sathan Here also it appeareth that the diuell worketh his miracles Which confirmeth the Spanish prouerbe Sease milagro y hagalo eldiablo Be it a Miracle and the diuell doth it but all to decâ—iue The mightie power of the Pope who is ignorant of That which Christ of himselfe saith dareth the Pope to say of himselfe Data est mihi omnis potestas all power is giuen vnto mee O blasphemy intollerable As touching his signes and lying wonders the world is full The very papists themselues that haue any vnderstanding are ashamed of them But the simple the Idiots the vulgar sort beleeue and holde them for true miracles and for them rather will die then for the Doctrine of the Prophetes or Apostles or Christ Iesus himselfe whereof they are wholly ignorant Oh ignorant blindnesse and blinde ignorance How many Images haue spoken How many haue sweate and that droppes of bloud The ignorant people beleeueth that the beard haires and nayles of the crucifixe of Burgos doe grow How many miracles say they doe the Images of our Lady of Guadalupe and that of Monsarrate How many Captiâ—es deliuer they How many dead doe they rayse againe How many blind giue they sight vnto c. Either this which they say is vntruth and not therefore to bee beleeued or else verily doe they these miracles if they doe them by the operation of Sathan that the vnbeleeuers â—hich wil not beleeue the truth may beleeue lies as in this selfe same chapter Saint Paule doth aduise vs not to beleeue such miracles as are â—or founded vpon the word of God In the Treatise of the Masse more shal be said concerning miracles Not to make an Image nor any likenesse c. Not to worship or do them reuerence doth God commaund vs. To make Images to worship and doe reuerence vnto them doth the Pope commaund vs that purgatory should be better beleeued O how many mâ—râ—cles howe many dreames visions apparitions haue there bene only one I will recite which is read in the Enchiridion of times composed by Friar Alonso Venero Thus then saith hee fol. 118. In the yeare of our Lord 1164. a certaine holy Hermit before deceased appeared in visioÌ„ to the bishop of LigoniuÌ„ said vnto him there dyed in all parts
remit they are remitted vnto them and whosesoeuers sinnes ye retaine they are retained To all equally doth Christ shewe mercy to all equally graunteth Christ the priueledge and giueth authoritie To thinke that Christ reserued matters for the sea Apostolique of Peter which neither Iohn nor Iames nor Paule nor any of the other Apostles were able to dispatch is meere mockerie and Impietie also In authoritie and dignitie were all the Apostles equall And long continewed this order in the Church among the ministers of the Gospell vntill couetousnesse and ambition crept in and confounded this good order making one greater and another lesse because one was more rich then another we speaking of the Primacy confirme this with the sayings of the ancient Doctours If Christ by these words Thou art Peter c. had appointed Saint Peter vniuersall Bishop and head of the whole Church as they say to what purpose did then the Apostles so often reason among themselues vpon this questioÌ„ of the Primacie who should be chiefe amoÌ„g them Saint Matthew from the 1 verse to the 5. of the 18 chapter maketh mention hereof S. Marke cap 9 from the 33. verse vnto the 37. S. Luke from the 46. verse vnto the 48. of the 9. chapter doth mention it S. Matth. 20. 20. saith That the mother of the sonnes of Zebedeus and as saith Saint Marke the sonnes themselues 10. 15. besought Christ that one might sit at his right hand and the other at his left for which cause as say both the Euangelists the tenne Apostles disdained at the 2. brethren Saint Luke cap 22. 24. telleth that there was a contention among the Apostles which of them should be greatest What answereth Christ Iesus to the demaund which the Apostles made Matth. 18. 1. who shal be the greatest c. He set in the middest of them a little child and said vnto them Whosoeuer shal humble himselfe as this little child he shal be the greatest c. S. Marke 9 35. saith he that will be the first he shal be the last seruant of al. S. Luke 9. 48. he that is least among you shal be great Christ reproueth the sonnes of Zebedeus for their ambitious demand He said vnto them ye know what yee aske c. the tenne were angry with them for this superioritie which they pretended Christ said vnto them that in a Politicall kingdome there it superioritie and so kings and princes holde authoritie ouer all But that in his kingdome which is spirituall wherein there neither is nor ought to bee superioritie it is not so But it shall not bee so saieth Christ among you c. Would our aduersaries well examine this they would be ashamed of their primacy and principalitie that they seeke to gâ—ue to their Pope which neither Saint Peter nor any other of the Apostles euer had For had Christ giuen the primacie to Saint Peter when hee heard them contend which of them should bee the greatest doubtlesse hee would haue said vnto them Wherefore striue you know yee not that I haue giuen the Primacy to Peter Doe yee not knowe that I haue made Peter the chiefest of you all Quiet then your selues and for such a one doe yee holde him The same also would Saint Peter haue said I am hee whom Christ hath appointed to bee the head of the whole Church c. But neither did Christ so say but rather for their ambition and affectation of the primacie reproued them Nor yet did Saint Peter alleage that Iesus Christ had said vnto him Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke c. The second place fundamental which our aduersaries doe alleage to mainetaine the primacy of the Pope is that Christ saide to Peter Louest thou mee c. Peter answered Yea Lord c. Then said Christ vnto him Feede my sheepe Here doe they inferre that seeing that Christ said this to Saint Peter and sayd it not to any other of the Apostles that by the same reason hee made him Prince of the Apostles The most high wisedome and loue of Christ in Peters confirmation and comfort they nothing consider There times had Peter denyed Christ And Christ three times demaunded if hee loued him Twise answered Peter Yea Lord but the third time he waxed sorrowfull and to comfort him Christ saide vnto him Feede my sheepe As if he should haue sayd Thou hast thrise denyed mee Peter but hast repented and with most bitter weeping craued pardon for the same Thy sinnes I pardon and restore thee to the same state thou wast formerly in Feede then my sheepe And to cheere him the more he said â—nto him that he should be constant should not denie him And gaue him to vnderstand as there saith the Euangelist with what death he should glorifie God The same charge and office of feeding gaue Iesus Christ to all the Apostles Mark chap. 16. vers 15. when he commanded them to goe through the world and preach the Gospell to euery creatuâ—e and when he said vnto them Receaue yee the holy Ghost Whosoeuers sinnes ye remit c. So that in this carried not Saint Peter any preheminence ouer the rest of the Apostles In dignitie and authoritie all are equall and principall members of the mysticall body of Christ which is his Church which body seeing it is no monster hath but one only head which is Christ And yet say I further suppose that Saint Peter had bene Prince of the Apostles and of much greater authoritie then they all yet not withstanding the Pope not being Peters successour nor the Vicar of Christ as already we haue proued shall not be prince of Bishops nor vniuersall Bishop ouer all Churches He should content himselfe to be Bishop of Rome nor is he yet so but Antichrist These two be the principall fundamentall places wherewith the Romists endeuour to maintaine their primacy And seing they proue not these thinges much lesse will they prooue the rest by them alleaged to which may be answered that which I haue before said One thing wil I demaund of them and this it is If it be necessary for a man to beleeue the Pope to bee the successour of Saint Peter Vicar of Christ and vniuersall head of all the Church as Boniface the eight ordeyned what shall become of the Greeke Church which neuer so beleeued what shal become of all those that liued in the time of Pope Ione what shall become of all them that liued in the time of Anastasius 2. Liberius and Felix 2. these three Popes were Arians Iohn the 24. an heretique For the which and other great abhominations proued against him in the Councell of Constance he was deposed What shall become of them which liued in the time of this Pope and other heretiques and of the Popes that by Armes or bribes or both armes and bribes ioyntly obteyned the Popedome Such according to the decrees of the Popes themselues be not Popes And yet notwithstanding is this almoste
displaceth and placeth kings and transferreth kingdomes from one nation to another Ergo say they the Pope hath authoâ—iâ—ie to dispose kingdomes giuing them to whom he will and taking them from whom he listeth Herehence came it that kinges and Emperours began striâ—ingly to kisse their feete beeing present or by their Embassadous being absent Hence it is that the Emperour himselfe â—erueth him for a horse boy holding the stirrop to his Sathanship when he mounteth on horsebacke And yet brawleth the Pope if he hold not the stirrop featly So shamelesse was Pope Boniface 8. that he made an Article of faith without which there could bee no saluation That the Pope aswell in the temporalltie as spiritualltie is absolute Lord presenting himselfe in the Iubile to the viewe of all men with a keye in the one hand and a Sword in the other His successor Pope Clement the sixt not contenting himselfe to commaund kinges and Emperours dared in a bull to commaund the Angels In the Popes Rota which is his Chauncerie was it concluded and determined that whatsoeuer the Pope doth God holdeth for good and approueth it That the will of the Pope is the rule of all lawe and Iustice That the Pope may doe absolutely in this world all whatsoeuer God doth Seeing that he is all and aboue all thinges And that if hee chaunge his opinion it ought to be presumed that God also hath chaunged That ableit the Pope should send many thousands of soules to hell none can reproue him That the power extendeth to heauen earth and hell it selfe That from him may no man appeale to God That he may dispence and commaund against the Epistles of S. Paul as hee that is greater then Paul The same may he doe against the old Testament as hee that is greater then the authors of the old Testament And yet haue they gone further they haue disputed whether the Pope might dispence against the Gospell Whether the Pope hath more power then Saint Peter Whether the Pope be simple man or as God Briefly the deuill hath so farre further proceeded that a little before the comming of Luther and afterwards also it was disputed in the schooles whether the Pope did participate as did Iesus Christ of the â— natures to wit diuine and humane Better should they haue demaunded if the Pope were an Hermophrodit which well may be because a woman hath bene Pope Read Erasmus Annot. 1. caput 1. Epistle ad TimotheuÌ„ They also disputed to vse their proper Latine An mille Angels possint saltare in summitate digiti To wit whether a thousand Angels might daunce one the end of a fingar Item an Christus sub forma scarabei posset saluare genus humanum Whether Christ in forme of a beetle could saue mankind Item whether the Pope were more mercifull then Christ O blasphemy they conclude yea The reason which they giue is this That it is not read in all the scripture That Iesus Christ drewe any soule out of Purgatorie But the Pope of his great pietie and mercy an infinite number of Soules doth daily deliuer And yet go they further and in their disputations conclude that the Pope hath power to kindle and quenche the fire of Purgatorie Flattering the Pope conclude they in all these questions lying against their owne consciences and making no reckoning of the honour onely due to God nor of his onely sonne Christ Iesus And Ca. Quoniam de imunit in 6. the Pope saith we not willing to contemne our Iustice nor that of our spouse the Church The Church is well knowne to haue no other spouse but onely Christ The Pope passeth further Hee saith and commaundeth that so it be said and preached and that we also so beleeue the vertue and holinesse of his seate to be such and so great that what wicked man soeuer how impious periured and abhominable hee be which shall sit therein euen then in a moment for hauing sitten therein is altered and changed to another man and is made holy But heare we the selfe same words which the beast himself speaketh as in Ca. Non nos dist 41. they be written and these they be The blessed S. Peter transferreth to his successors together with the inheritance of innocency an euerlasting dowery of merits That which to him was granted by the light of his workes pertaineth to those that be lightened with like clerenesse of conuersation For who may doubt him to be holy which is lifted vp to the height of dignitie wherein if he want goods gotten by his owne merit those that are giuen by the predecessor of the place suffice c. If this were truth then no Pope should be euill either in life or Doctrine sith that in being Pope he is learned and holy and in a word to speake all he is God vpon earth and so all whatsoeuer he doth God approueth it in heauen But the liues of the Popes by vs recited and the same liues also which the Popes parasites haue written doe shew vs the contrary This is that seate papall this is the heritage which one Pope inheriteth of another that one sitting therein were he not so euill before he is made euill And if he were euill he becommeth most euill and in the end each one is made the sonne of perdition and man of sinne opposing and lifting vp himselfe against all that is called God or that is worshipped So that as God he sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God All these things which here we haue gathered together concerning the doctrine of the Pope are blasphemies such as were the diuell himselfe clothed with humane flesh he could not speake greater nor more horrible yet for all this art thou blind ô Spaine and seest not nor yet knowest thou Antichrist whom supposing thou doest seruice to God and honour to Iesus Christ his sonne thou adorest and honorest God shewe thee his mercie and open the eyes of thine vnderstanding that thou maist reade heare and vnderstand the will of God which his Maiestie hath reuealed in his holy Scriprure without the reading or meditation whereof vnpossible it is for a man to attaine to the truth Search saith Iesus Christ the Scripture for they be those that testifie of me so by consequence of Antichrist also When with the Spirit of humilitie thou shalt well haue read and meditated vpon them thou shalt then vnderstand how great hath bene thy blindesse and ignorance Then turning thy selfe hartily to the true God that created redeemed and sanctified thee thou shalt abhorre the idols of siluer and the Idols of gold which thy sinfull hands as saieth Esaie haue made And thou blind and ignorant supposing thou didst great seruice to God diddest honor and adore them Then shalt thou cast them from thee stampe them in peeces and consume them so greate shall be thy hatred against Idolatrie Then then by how much
king of kings and vnder the name of Pastor he sheweth himselfe a rauening Wolfe and vnder pretence to be S. Peters successor he declareth himselfe the follower of Iudas For as Iudas with a kisse fayned friendship betrayed his Lord so with fayned holinesse and outward ceremonies doth the Pope draw the common people into the chaines and snares of ignorance and superstitions The said title therefore which Christ gaue vnto Iudas Ioh. 17. 12. the Apostle giueth to Antichrist 2. Thess 2. 4. A contemner of mariage when he esteemes it a carnall estate and therefore with such seuerity forbiddeth it to his Clergie that although fornicators and adulterers can easily purchase absolution of their sinnes no pardon remaineth for the Clergie that mary according to the ordinance of God but the same is reputed and punished by the Pope for an vnpardonable sinne Albeit the holy scripture teacheth 1. Cor. 7. 9. That it is better to marry then to burne And Hebr. 13. 4. Marriage is honorable among all men Also 1. Timoth. 3. 2. Euery Bishop must be the husband of one wife Insatiable is the couetousnesse of the Pope and extendeth into all parts For money he pardoneth sinnes selleth ecclesiasticall functions maketh marchandize of his Bulles indulgences Iubilies Reliques Masses praiers and sacraments and compelleth the miserable people to buy his marchandize not on such dayes onely as other marchants vse to traffique but also and principally on the feast dayes the Lords dayes and Sabboths when other men rest And raketh together euery day in the yeare and of all sortes of people euen of the Iewes and Curtesans of Rome A tyrant he is and persecutor of Saints being the cause of the sheding of so much Christiā blood inciting kings princes to persecute such as contradict him and abandon his Idolatries and superstitions to serue God according to his will and word whom the Pope condemneth for heretiques to be burned and least they should speake putteth a gagge in their mouthes And to fill vp the measure of his crueltie he spareth not Emperours nor kings being the Lords Annointed when they refuse to execute his tyrannies as histories plainely witnesse A deceauer he is sundry waies because he deceaueth the common people with false doctrine and vaine promises with high titles and fayned holinesse with bulles Pardons false miracles and illusions of the diuell c. He is full of impietie because he pleaseth and delighteth himselfe not only in sinne but causeth others also to sinne because he hath depraued the worship of God with idolatrie the authoritie of kings with tyrany The common faith with deceit and the life of his Clergie with shame and filthinesse occasioned by constrayned single life To conclud in the kingdome of the Pope is the fountaine and spring af all abhominations and slaunder according to the old prouerbe The neerer to Rome the worse Christian So the neerer to Antichrist the further from Christ By these demonstrations it appeareth plainely that the Pope is Antichrist whom the Holy scripture hath foretold and by whom the Church of Christ hath so much suffered The second Treatise of the Masse and the holinesse thereof WE haue passed by the Lords assistance the Laborinthe not of Creete but of Rome of the Pope and his Roman Court another much worse and for more intricate troublesōe The Pope haue we proued to be a false Preist and very Antichrist to be the man of sin sonne of perdition to be that whereof whom speaketh S. Iohn in his Reuelation This haue we proued by his euil life wicked Doctrine by the sayings of Doctors and ancient Councels and by three notable passages of holy scripture Now will we shew the Masse which is the second pillar that supporteth and vpholdeth the Roman Church to be a false sacrifice an inuention of the diuell and a profanation of the holy supper which Iesus Christ our redeemer instituted And if such bee the Masse as we will proue it to bee it followeth that wee ought to flie and detest it and so doe we flie and abhorre it as a thing condemned and abhominable before the face of God This done wee will shewe by the Lordes assistance without which we can doe no thing that good is Iesus Christ to be the true and onely priest and chiefe bishop And his propper body blood which he offered vpon the crosse to his father to be the true only sacrifice the memory wherof we shew forth so oftē as we celebrate his holy supper A table wil we place at the end of this Treatise wherein we will shew the conformity vnion and likenesse which the holy supper instituted by Iesus Christ holdeth with the holy supper in the reformed Churches celebrated And thē also wil we shew the differēce disconformity contrariety that the Masse which our aduersaries celebrate holdeth with the holy supper of Christ which is the same we now celebrate As the name of Pope is not found in the holy scripture as little also is there found the name of Masse And doubtlesse had it bene so necessarie for a Christian to beleeue the authoritie of the Pope and holinesse of the Masse without which faith say they it is vnpossible for a man to bee saued It is I say to bee beleeued that Iesus Christ or his Apostles would haue made some mention thereof For all whatsoeuer is necessary for our saluation doth Christ and his Apostles teach vs. Saint Paule speaking to the Ephesians saith Ye knowe that I keepe backe nothing that was profitable but haue shewed you and haue taught you openly and throughout euery house Witnessing both to the Iewes and Grecians the repentance and faith in our Lord Iesus Christ But this holy Apostle so diligent in teaching that which we ought to beleeue maketh no mention of the Pope nor of the Masse Hereuppon it followeth that to beleeue the authoritie of the Pope or holinesse of the Masse is no Article of faith But true it is will they saie vnto me that this word Masse is not found in the scripture but its equiualent is found the supper of the Lord And if we ought to admit the Lords supper thē must we admit this name Missa Whereunto we aunswere that most great Iniurie and wrong doe they to the holie supper which the Lord instituted in saying it to be the same that is their Masse which they haue imagined and forged For how great difference there is betweene Truth and Falshood Light and darkenesse God and Belial So great is the difference betweene the holy supper and the profane Masse Had the question bene concerning the name whether the holy supper were to be called Missa or no. It should not be of great importance Agree wee in the substance of the things and call it as ye list Albeit it bee il done when the holy spirit calleth a thing by such or such name that man dare call it by another name The Apostle calles it
the day houre and moment when Christ offered it for which cause it neither ought nor may be reiterated without doing most great iniurie to Christ as though his sacrifice which he once offered were not fufficient to obtain pardon for all sins that therefore another new sacrifice were needful or at the least to reiterat the old All as many as were or shal be saued not onely since the death of Christ but before his death also frō the first iust Abel vnto the last were are shal be saued by the vertue of this only sacrifice once offered Otherwise must he often haue suffered since the foundation of the world But now in the end of the world hath he appeared once to put away sin by the sacrifice of himselfe These be the words of the Apostle against which nothing impugneth that which S. Iohn saith in his Reuelatiō That the Lambe Christ was slaine frō the beginning of the world for Iesus Christ but onely once died this was whē Tiberius Caesar was Emperor which is now 1566. yeares since How thē saith S. Iohn that he died frō the beginning of the world To this say we that S. Iohn meant that the sacrifice which Christ offred did not only profit those that in the time of Christ or sithence liued but all those also which were long time before frō the beginning of the world For all before the death of Christ which beleeued that the seed of the woman which is Christ should breake the head of the serpent which is the diuel were neither more nor lesse saued then these which sithence the death of Christ beleeue that he is come and that by dying he hath ouercome the deuill In the same God whom we beleeue beleued they the same faith which wee hold held they and by the same sacrifice of Iesus Christ one only time no more offred they we are saued The same Sacraments as touching the substance that we haue had they So wittnesseth Saint Paul when he saieth Moreouer Brethren I would not that yee should be ignorant That all our fathers were vnder the cloud and all passed through the Sea and were all baptised vnto Moses in the cloud and in the sea and did all eate the same spirituall meate and did all drinke the same spirituall drinke for they dranke of the spirituall Rocke that followed them which Rock was Christ This is the difference between them and vs that they beleeued Christ the Messias shuld come and we beleeue that he is already come and hath fulfilled all whatsoeuer was written of him We then here conclude that with one only sacrifice which Iesus Christ offred and this one only time and no more he sanctified for euer all those that from the beginning of the world haue bene are and shall be sanctified The Lord God which whē we were the children of wrath and his enemies hath shewed vs such mercie giue vs grace firmely and constantly to perseuer in this faith perseuering may liue in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life The holy Scripture as we haue seen mentioneth two kinds of Priests which offer sacrifice for sinnes the one after the order of Aaron the other after the order of Melchisedech Many there were after the order of Aaron because being mortall they died and being dead one succeded another After the order of Melchisedech no other Priest there is but only Christ who being an euerlasting Priest and his sacrifice being of euerlasting vertue admitteth no companion for he only is sufficient This priesthood shall shall endure for euer and it is proper to the new Testament wherein there is not nor can be more then one onely Priest which neither hath nor can haue companion nor successor in his office For he is an euerlasting priest and therefore his offering one only time offered is of euerlasting vertue Hereupon we then conclude that if the Masse-priests which say they offer Christ in Sacrifice for the sins of men be Priests instituted by God either they so be after the order of Aaron or after the order of Melchisedech for of these two only orders the scripture maketh mention But Priests they be not after the order of Aaron which already ceased with the death of Christ As little are they of the order of Melchisedech for after this order there is but one only Priest which is Christ Hereuppon it followeth that if they be Priests not by God but by the diuell be they instituted and so be they the Priests of Baal May it please our God and Lord to conuert them Or if they bee vessels of wrath to breake them with his rod of yron that they doe not more mischiefe to the Catholique Church the Spouse of Iesus Christ and with his precious bloud redeemed I trust in mine omnipotent God that one day he will haue mercie vppon our country of Spaine and send the true Elias which with the power of Gods word shal kill these false prophets filthy priests Besides the expiatory sacrifice wherof we haue spoken anothere there is called Eucharisticall of thanksgiuing This sacrifice offereth and ought to offer euery faithfull and Catholique Christian and for such a one he that offereth it not neither is nor ought to be holden What maner of sacrifice this is in the beginning of this Treatise of the Masse we haue before declared And if euery Christian offer vnto God this kind of sacrifice it followeth hereupon that euery Christian seeing he offreth sacrifice is a priest And for this cause God commanded Moses to say these words to all the people of Israel Ye shall be vnto me a kingdom of Priests and a holy nation And S. Peter speaking to all the faithfull saith Ye are a chosen generation a royall priesthood an holy nation a peculiar people that ye should shew forth the vertues of him that hath called you out of darknesse into his maruellous light c. S. Iohn in his Reuelation speaking of the Lambe saith Thou hast made vs vnto our God kings priests Of this which we haue said we conclude Christ only to be the Preist who offring vp himselfe this onely once obtained for vs remission of sins that all faithful christians are priests that not once but manie times euery day euery houre euery moment so ought it to be done do offer sacrifices of praises vnto God And why ought we to praise God to giue him thanks For al the benefits which we receiue ech momēt of him touching both body soule But for this benefit chiefly that passeth all others which is the inestimable benefit that we receiue by the death passion of Christ By the sin of the first Adam we were all made sinners and seruants of sinne sonnes of wrath enemies of God and to two sorts of death temporall and eternall of body soule condemned Strangers we were from the common wealth of Israel
ninth Session Where in as little then did they For the Spaniards and the rest except the Italians stayed at Trent willing to end the Councell where it was begun The 10. Session was held in Bologna wherein was nothing done For those of Trent there abode expecting them of Bologna and those of Bologna expected them of Trent And so in this 10 Session was there no other thing done but a prolongation to the 15. of September Which day being come they did nothing also so the one and the other for a long time brake vp the Councell In this time died Paule 3. and Iulius 3. succeeded him who at the importunity of the Emperour being much displeased at the translation and discontinuance of the Councel commanded that the Session following should the first day of May 1557. be holded at Trent wherein nothing else was concluded but that the twelfth Session should be holden the first day of September which day being come As little was ought done For the prelates were not yet come In the thirteenth Session were found fourtie Bishops and fourty two diuines In the 15. Session was there nothing done In the 16. Session no other thing was concluded but the suspension of the Councell for two yeares And so Iulius 3. Marcellus 2. Paul 4. Pius 4. was elected in whose time the rest of the Sessions were holden The number of Bishoppes then increased the Councell was ended and confirmed by the Pope For knowe this that all is nought woorth whatsoeuer the Councell decreeth if it bee not confirmed by the Pope Knowe also that so subiect was this Councell to the Pope that it made a decree Wherein it was ordayned that all whatsoeuer was in the Councell ordayned was intended So that it nothing derogated from the Authoritie and commodity of the Pope and the Councell was not only subiect to the Pope but to whatsoeuer other Bishops also And so in the 18 decree it was ordayned that the Bishops and the rest to whom it should appertayne might dispense with whatsoeuer decree or decrees of this Councell so that he knew the cause commoditie so required This decree was it which gaue most content to the Ecclesiasticall persons For by vertue of this decree each thing remayneth polluted as before and so nothing reformed So that the ecclesiasticall Lordes take courage reioyce because if there be any thing in this Councell that seemeth ouer harsh hard or bitter irksome they reioyce I say For that by vertue of this decree shall they easily for money haue dispensation of the Bishop or of the Pope Which dispensation will make them so tender and so as a peece of soft bread and so sweete as the honie Moreouer this Councell was not admitted of the kings of England and Denmarke nor of the Protestant princes nor of the common wealthes of Germany All these be one good part of Christendome inhabiting in Europe But they will say vnto me that these which I haue named be heretiques Whereunto I answere that if they hold them for heretiques for the same cause are they to be suffered to speake freely that which they thinke in the Councell Their sayings being heard they ought to dispute with them and conuince them by the bookes of holy scripture And by that which the Doctors and auncient Councels gouerned by Gods word belieued and maintayned And now that they say the foresayd protestants to be heretiques What will they tell me of kings of Fraunce whom the Pope himselfe calleth most Christian for the great seruice they haue done to the seat Apostolique which tooke not this of Trent for a generall Councel nor lawfully called And so Frauncis 1. sent not of all his kingdome one prelate or diuine to the Councel No more did his sonne Henry that succeeded him in his kingdome he tooke it not for a generall Councell As by the protestation which this king in the 1551. yeare by his Embassadours made in the Councell was proued The report is this Iames de Annot Abbot de Bellosana Embassadours of the king came sodainely vnto Trent presented to the Councell a letter from his king The superscription whereof sayd To the assembly of Trent Asmuch to say As to the meeting at Trent This superscription being read the Spanish Bishops spake saying that such a letter was in contempt of the Councell and that it ought not to be read nor yet opened But notwithstanding the rest of the Councel after they had well debated the buisines concluded that the letter ought be opened and read presupposing that most Christian king had not vsed such a superscription either for contempt of the Councel nor to derogate from it authority and so was it read The some of this letter was that he protested as before he had protested in Rome that he could not send to Trent by reason of the warres the Bishops of his kingdome He said also that he held not this Councel for general or lawful but for a particular meeting calnot for the publique good of Christendome the which ought led togither for the profit cōmoditie of some particular persō to be the principal cause of the calling togither of a Councel That he thought neither himselfe nor his subiects bound to obserue the decrees that there in should be made But that concerning the same he will vse if need should be the remedies which his progenitors had in the like cases vsed c. And the king of Fraunce not contented to haue made this protestation in Rome and in the Councell but passed yet further and sent an Embassadour called Marlot and of his Councell to the assembly which the Cantons of the Swizers held at Bade to persuade them not to take this of Trent for a Councel nor to make any reckoning thereof Whereunto he persuaded also the same Cantons which were papists The Grisons also which had sent Thomas Planta their Bishop to the Councell nor approuing the Councell caused him to returne home They will not say Frauncis and Henry his sonne kings of Fraunce to be Lutherans but most Christen as our aduersaries the papists themselues cal them which hold not for a Councell the Councell of Trent but an assembly of particular persons for their particular profit The same account then that so many Nations kings mightie princes and great States of Europe not of the protestants onely but also of the papists without passing to the Christians of Affrique and Asia none of whom doe I know or haue read to be found in this Councell made of this Councell make wee also so demand we a Councel general lawfull free where each one may freely speake his opinion Let the Councell and not the Bishops onely who only with a deliberate voice haue tyrannically lift vp themselues examine iudge what euerie one shall say according to the word of God Were there such a Councell God we trust would giue vs speech and wisdome to maintaine defend
like fictions of wounds and other miracles to deceiue the simple poore common people But now that the Lord hath giuen so great light of his Gospell a verie hard thing shall it bee to be long time manitained with like opinion of holinesse by and by flyeth away hypocrisie by and by God raiseth vp some to speake and write against it Vnhappy therefore was this Nunne as touching the word that in our time and not in their dayes she liued Had those sayd to haue the wounds bene well examined and with hot water and hard sope washed their hypocrisie no no doubt had bene discouered as well as that of our Marie de la Visitacion Wherein as touching the soule were they more vnhappy then she seeing they died in their hypocrisie wherewith they deceiued many and vntill this day do deceiue with it But our Mary liuing of her hypocrisie conuinced in time it may be will she employ her great wit to better purpose and craue mercie at the hands of God whom so wickedly she hath offended And so his Maiestie giue her grace truly to conuert to the true Christian religion which not with dreams nor false miracles but with the word of God it selfe is confirmed His Maiestie shewe her this grace and mercie Had this miserable creature as did the others died before her hypocrisie had bin discouered cannonized had she bene as they were and for â—o holy had bene holden that hardly in all heauen should her Dominickes haue found place to haue set her Had she bene a Franciscan as she was a Dominicke her Franciscans would haue placed her next to Saint Francis in the most highest place of the Quire of the Seraphins ioyning to the seat of Lucifer where they themselues sayd that their Saint Frauncis is placed Much do I maruell at the Lords which examined the processe of this diuelish creature this truly possessed of the diuell another Magdâ—len de la Cruz. Another such as she whom they called in England The holy Mayd of Kent who in the time of Henry the eight king of England did wonderfull and most false miracles Against whom was made processe and all proued to be false and fained as was that of our Nunne For which she was senâ—enced to death and so was executed That which passeth in the Pontificall kingdom is a thing against all â—ustice that one for speaking as in his conscience hee thinketh and according to that which the word of God in the holy scriptures hath reuealed that he knoweth no other Purgatorie but the only bloud of Christ that he knoweth no other righteousnesse but that which is receiued by faith and that none is to be called vpon but God alone by the onely meane of Iesus Christ c. That he shall die without redemption and with greatest disgrace before the world and that Magdalen and Marie and other such like being cursed blasphemers periured in publike audience possessed of the diuell mockers of Christian religion of God and of Iesus Christ his sonne shall liue True it is that they were condemned yet not to bee burned but to certaine Fâ—iaâ— like peâ—anâ—es and restraints Arise Lord iudge thine owne cause Behold those die that confesse thee and they that blaspheme thee do liue Very much I say do I maruell aâ— these Lords which condemned this cursed Mâ—rie that they should vse these words in their sentence which they giue against her All that which this Nunne hath done is and hath bene fained of 〈◊〉 onely that they should hold her for holie and that she had not dealt with nor inâ—ocated the diuell Surely they speake in this let their Lordships pardoâ—â—e against their owne consciences which told them her miracles to haue bene done by the aâ—â—e of the diuell with whom doubtlesse was she verie familiar and he was her husband conductor and guide For how could she do the miracles she did without the helpe of the diuell and her inuocation vpon him That which she saith that Iesus Christ appeared vnto her now accompanied with hee and she saints and now alone that very familiar he was with her that he hoâ—p her to pray ouer the houres that he was her husband and imprinted the wounds vpon her Let all this be fained of her as all is fained that men should take her for holy and more foolish they that beleeued her and did not remember Magdalen de la Cruz. But what will they say vnto me of the diseased and franticke Nunne which was healed as the Prouinciall in his letter witnesseth That the Prouinciall lyed will they say and that the Nun was not healed I think not so Healed she was by the meane which the Prouinciall reporteth by miracle wrought by the diuell What will they say vnto me of the Lady of qualitie that had the â—anker and was healed as the same Prouinciall doth witnesse and saith that all this was taken by faith and testimonie before a Notarie publike by commandement of the Cardinall What will they say vnto mee of the diseased persoâ— who forâ—aken of the Physitions with drinking of the water wherein was the little 〈◊〉 of the wodden crosse which the Prioresse had giuen to Anna Rodriguez was healed What will they say vnto me of this little 〈◊〉 which set it selfe vpright and of the other also that being cast into the water claue vnto and was ioyned with the first so that of them twaine one faire little crosse was made which moued to great deuotion all those that saw it and this was that which the diuell with this false miracle of the crosse pretended to cause theÌ„ to commit Idolatrie of this also was information taken by commandement of the Legat. Of many other such like things that the Prouinciall faith he could declare what will they say vnto me How could these things and the rest bee done without the art of the diuell without his help and inuocation vpon him I demaund of theÌ„ what was that which the three Moores saw in the Prioresse which were things so great maruellous that the Moores were not able to speake To the Archbishop of Lisbon in the presence of the Prouinciall and many others they confessed that they saw neere to the Prioresse Iesus Christ in humane shape put vpon the crosse throughout all Portugall was this miracle published Will they say vnto mee that it was the true Iesus Christ or that it was the illusion of the diuell that it was Iesus Christ will they not say For in their Sentence they say All whatsoeuer this Nunne hath done to haue bene fained It followeth then that it was the diuell in humane shape that appeared vnto her Saint Paul doth aduise vs 2. Cor. chap. 14. that Satan is wont the better to deceiue to transforme himselfe into an Angell of light But here in the businesse of these three Moores much more bold was Sathaâ— transforming himselfe into Christ crucified and taking his forme vpon him O the great patience of God And the Prouinciall
the Councel of Constance with the death of Iohn Hus confirmed contrary to the publike faith false conduct The ancient Doctrine of God doth teach that euery soule ought to be subiect to the higher powers which are the magistrates Ro. 13 1. Pet. â— â—3 The new Doctrine of men teacheth that ecclesiasticall persons are not subject to the secular power or politique magistrate but that all ought to be subiect to the Pope who compareth himselfe to the Sun and the Emperour to the Moone And therefore Emperours kings in token of subiection and obedience doe kisse his feete lib. Decret Gregor Tit. 33. The ancient Doctrine of God doth teach that Antichrist as God sitteth in the Temple of God attributing to himselfe that which is proper to God â— Thess 24. And that the place of his sitting is the great City which hath 7 mountaines and raigned ouer the kings of the earth Apoc. 17. 9. 18. The new Doctrine of men teacheth that Antichrist is to come of the race of the Iewes of the tribe of Dan. And that the place of his kingdome or seat shal be in Ierusalemâ— Bellar de Roman Pontific lib. 3. cap 12. and 13. The ancient doctrine of God doth teach that for those that depart out of this world there remaine but two wayes for the faithfull which passe froÌ„ death to life heauen Iohn 5. 24. And hell for the wicked and 〈◊〉 As Saint Iohn Baptist very expressly doth teach vs. Iohn 3. 36. He that beleeueth saith â—e in the Son hath euâ—â—lasting life But he that beleeueth not in the Son shal not see life But the wratth of God abideth vpon him And as is confirmed in Lazarus who was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome And in the ritchman that was tormented in â—ell Luke 16â— 22 23. The new doctrine of men teacheth that there are many places for the soules after death To wit heauen hell the Lymbeâ— of the fathers and 〈◊〉 infants dying without Baptisme purgatorie and another place more honorable ioyning to purgatorie Bellar 〈…〉 By these Antitheses the Christian Reader shall easily vnderstand and iudge what doctrine he ought to beleeue follow to be saued To wit the ancient doctrine of God which cannot erre not lie which is the true mark of the Christian Catholique and Apostolique Church As contrariwise the new doctrine inuented by men is the true mark of the Antichristian Apostaticall Church which the godly ought to fly detest abhor as damnable a deceiuer Albeit she glory triumph with high titles and outward appearaunce But the almighty God beholdeth not the outward appearaunce but his eyes behold the truth in the inward part which he loueth Ier. 5. 3. Psal 51. 8. 1. Sam. 16. 7. Esaie 11. 3. Let princes and Magistrates be aduised what doctrine by their authorities they maintaine Least by inconsiderate zeale they persecute Christ in his members As in time past did Saule which afterwards was called Paule Acts 9. Let doctours teachers of the people also beware what doctrine they publish in the world that they be not of the number of deceiuers and euill laborers in the Lordes vineyard which vainely boasting of antiquity holinesse Multitude and power accuse the ancient doctrine of God of nouelty and shroude the new doctrine of men with the title and cloake of antiquity shewing themselues not the followers of Christ nor his Apostles But of the priests prelates ancients of Ierusalem which alwayes gloried of the fathers of the law the succession of Aaron of the Temple of it ornaments and priuiledges And notwithstanding did resist and persecute Christ and his Apostles accusing and condemning the doctrine of the Gospell for new and straunge As the Euangelists doe very clerely and largly witnesse And as S. Paul in the first Epistle Thess chap. 2. verse 18. 16. also declareth Woe vnto them that speake euill of good and good of euill which put darknes for light and light for darknesse Esaie 5. 20. Take heede that no man deceiue you for many shall come in my name saying I am Christ and shall deceiue many Mat. 24. 4. 5. An end of the booke to God be the glorie THe good Bishops of Rome continued almost 300. yeares The first of whom was Linus and the last Siluester pag. 23. The Archbishops of Rome continued 200 yeares To wit from the 320 yeare vnto the yeare 520. page 26. The Patriarkes of Rome continued from the 520. yeare vnto the 605 yeare page 26. The Popes began in the 605. yeare the first was Boniface 3. page 34. Whose tiranny to this day continueth As is seene by all the progresse of the former Treatise The names of the Popes follow after the order of their Alphabet Of whom mention is made in the former Treatise Adrian 1. pag. 40. Adrain 3. 50 Adrian 4. 73 Adrian 5. 90 Adrian 6. â—50 Agatho 37 Alexander 2. 64 Alexander 3. 75 Alexander 4. 87 Alexander 5. 112 Alexander 6. 113 Anastatius 2. 30 Anastatius 3. 52 Anastatiu 4. 73 B Benedict 2. 37 Benedict 3. 49 Benedict ◠〈◊〉 Benedict 6. or 5. 55 Benedict 7. or 8. 59 Benedict 9. or 8. 60 Benedict 10. or 9. 61 Benedict 11. or 9. â—3 Benedict 12. or 10. 102 Benedict 13. or 11. 111 Boniface 1. 30 Boniface 2. 31 Boniface 3. 34 Boniface 4. 35 Boniface 5. 36 Boniface 6. 50 Boniface 7. 55 Boniface 8. 92 Boniface 9. 110 Calistus 2. 71 Calistus 3. 123 Celestine 3. 79 Celestine 4. 85 Celestine 5. 92 Clement 2. 61 Clement 3. 68 Clement 4. 89 Clement 5. 96 Clement 6. 102 Clement 7 107 Clement 8. 111 Clement 9. or â— 150 Constantine 1. 37 Constantine â— 39 Comelius 26 Cunon 37 Damasus 1. 28 Damasus 2. 62 Deus dedit or Theodatus 35 Donus 55 Eugenius 2. 42 Eugenius 4. 120 Felix 2. Felix ◠〈◊〉 For 〈◊〉 50 Gelasius 1. 30 Gelasius 2 70 Gregory 1. 32 Gregory 2. 37 Gregory 3. 37 Gregory 4. 42 Gregory 5. 56 Gregory 6. 60 Gregory 7. 65 Gregory 8. 71 Gregory 9. 83 Gregory 10. 89 Gregory 11. 105 Gregory 12. 112 Gregory 13. 196 Gregory 14. 200 Honorius 1. 64 Honorius 2. 71 Honorius 3. 82 Honorius 4. 92 Hormisda 30 Innocent 1. 30 Innocent 2. 72 Innocent 3. 80 Innocent 4. 86 Innocent 5. 90 Innocent 6. 104 Innocent 7 111 Iooncent 8. 130 Innocent 9. 200 Iohn 1. 30 Iohn 3. 32 Iohn 5. 37 Iohn 8. 43 Iohn 9. or 8 50 Iohn 11. or 10. 52 Iohn 12 or 11. 53 Iohn 13. or 12. 53 Iohn 14. or 13. 55 Iohn 16. or 15. 55 Iohn 17. or 16. 56 Iohn 18. or 17. 56 Iohn 19. or 17. or 18. 58 Iohn 20. or 18. or 19. 58 Iohn 21. or 14. or 20. 60 Iohn 22. or 20. or 21. 90 Iohn 23. or 21. or 22. 89 Iohn 24. 22. or 23. 114 Iulius 2. 143 Iulius 3. 163 Lando 52 Leo 2. 37 Leo 3. 41 Leo 4. 42 Leo 5. 51 Leo 8. 54 Leo 9. 62 Leo 10.