sea coasts blame not mee and so with discontent hee departeth the Court. Lewis being resolued to this enterprise who also chalenged a title to the kingdome by the right of his mother protested to his father euen with tears That hauing giuen his word to the Barons of England to aid and succour them he had rather for a time to be excommunicated by the Pope than incurre the discredit of falshood and so presently embarking himselfe with a mightie army past into England and instantly followeth him the Legat Waldo who with all the Bishops of his faction excommunicateth Lewis with burning lights with all his adherents and followers ordaining that euerie Saboth and festiuall day throughout all England this sentence should be published Lewis neuerthelesse proceedeth in his expedition whom the death of Iohn in the meane time stayeth which ended the hatred of the Barons Wherefore recompensing Lewis for his paines and expences imployed in their defence they established his sonne in his place All the circumstances of these proceedings are wholly related by Mathew Paris Math. Paris in Iohan. who was an eye witnesse of these affaires and are there worth the reading Vnder this Innocent the Westerne people hauing taken Constantinople created Emperour thereof Baldwin Earle of Flanders and he as depending of the Latine Church made the Greeke Church forthwith subiect thereunto Notwithstanding he could not hereby keepe the fauour of Innocent who required such things as seemed vniust vnto him complaining That he let the Patriarch of Constantinople sit beneath him on his left hand signifying that Innocent preferred the dignitie of the Priesthood farre aboue the Imperiall and thinking that what in this behalfe he tooke away from the Emperour would be so much the more gayned for himselfe Baldwin therefore writing vnto him could not hide from him that this was not the voyce of Peter who on the contrarie commaundeth 1. Pet. 2. vers 13. 14. Be yee subiect to the King as vnto the superiour and vnto Gouernours as vnto them that are sent of him for the punishment c. And therefore he subiected Ecclesiasticall dignities vnto secular powers Hence it is that we haue that Decretall of Innocent directed to Baldwin wherein he expoundeth vnto him this place of S. Peter and his diuinitie here is worth the noting The Apostle saith he wrot vnto his subiects and prouoked them to the merit of humilitie yea rather vnto strangers of all sorts scattered in Pontus Galatia Cappadocia c. By what right were these his subiects vnlesse it be in as much as they were Christs sheepe who acknowledged his voyce in Peter He proceedeth If thy exposition take place it will then follow Extra de Maioric obedientia c. 6. solicitae that euerie seruant also should beare rule ouer Priests for it is there said Be ye subiect to euerie humane creature for Gods sake But hee ought not to be ignorant that the Greekes interpret the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Order Oecumenius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Excellencie power And here it is he alledgeth that pleasant allegorie of the two great lights of which we haue aboue spoken Whence consequently saith the Summe The Empire is not aboue the Priesthood but vnder it and is held to obey it Also Bishops ought not to be vnder Princes but aboue them and this saying is very worthy to be alledged We haue before made mention of new traditions intruded for articles of the faith in the Councell of Lateran Peter Cantor a most learned Diuine was there present who deliuered there a long speech of the multiplicitie of vayne ceremonies and of the profanation of the seruice of God by occasion of which that which was chiefest in Religion was neglected And we haue yet his Booke intituled Verbum abreuiatum where he sharpely inueyeth against them but he told a tale to them that had no eares to heare Also florished at the same time in England Walter Mapez Archdeacon of Oxford a man of excellent wit who in his verses painteth forth in their right colours the life of Popes the exactions and rapines of the Court of Rome the excesse hautinesse and pride of the Prelats as may be read in his Booke entituled Diuerse poemes of the corrupted state of the Church which are longer than can be here fitly inserted The beginning thereof is thus Roma mundi caput est sed nil capit mundum Quod pendet à capite totum est immundum Rome is our head which nothing but vncleanenesse doth imbrace And in the same all filthinesse that is hath wholly place But among the rest he composed a treatise entituled Apocalypsis Pontificis Goliath by which name he signified that Antichist was reuealed in the Pope Also praedicationem Goliath the beginning whereof is Viri venerabiles c. and other treatises in Papam Curiam de malis Curiae Romanae against the Pope and his Court Girald Cambrens l. 3. c. 1. 14. in speculo Ecclesiae and of the euils of the Court of Rome Giraldus Cambrensis maketh mention of him in his Mirrour of the Church and witnesseth that he was a man in great estimation in that age In the meane season the Waldenses or Albigenses multiplied in France maintayning and publishing euerie where their doctrine aboue mentioned and did so spread themselues from the Alpes to the Pyrenean mountaines that verie many both in Cities and Countries departed from the traditions of the Church of Rome yea many great and noble men joyned vnto them as namely Raymund Earle of Thoulouse and of S. Giles the Kings cousen Raymund Roger Vicount of Besiers and of Carcassonne Peter Roger Lord of Gabaret Raymund Earle of Foix nere kinsman to the King of Arragon Gasto Prince of Bearne the Earle of Bigorre the Ladie de la vaur the Earle of Carman Raymund de Termes Americ de Montrueil William de Menerbe and infinit others both Lords and Gentlemen men truly of that ranke that no man of sound judgement will thinke they would haue exposed to manifest daunger their life fortunes and honour for the defence of vices and errours so execrable as they were charged withall On the contrarie it must needs be whatsoeuer the Monkes of that time and the Popes champions doe prate that by the onely force of their consciences they were moued thereto And this doth William Paradin acknowledge in his Annales of Bourgundie who testifieth that he had red Histories that clearely justified the Albigenses and the Princes and Lords their fauourers from all these false imputations affirming that they were vexed onely because they reproued openly the traditions and corruptions of the Church of Rome Pope Innocent then about the yere 1208 sent first vnto them two Legats the Bishop of Oxford and Dominicus to haue a conference with them at Carman and presently joyned vnto them the Cistertian Abbot with twelue others of the same order and againe held a conference with
and forced to crie to Gregorie for helpe Gregorie according to their articles receiued and defended him Luitprand summoned Gregorie to deliuer him into his hands An. 739. if not threatened to take him for an open enemie and when Gregorie refused to doe according to his summons Luitprand moued from Spoletum where he lay tooke by the way sundrie places of the Popes dominion and at length came and encamped before Rome gates Sundrie gentlemen of the citie growen wearie and scorning this new Church gouernment came ouer to Luitprand and offered him their seruice France was too farre off to helpe in time yet Charles intreated Luitprand by an embassador sent vnto him to raise his siege which he did holding onely in his hand what he had alreadie taken Luitprand was no sooner returned to Pauia but Thrasamond supported by Gregorie tooke the field againe surprising many of those cities and places which he had lost But shortly after all in one yeare died the Emperour Leo Charles Martel and Gregorie the Pope An. 741. After Gregorie succeeded Zacharie who redemaunded his places of Luitprand and tooke part as his predecessors had done with the rebels but seeing himselfe in danger entreated a parley and there got of this vertuous prince for so they tearme him what euer he desired who was contented at the Popes entreatie to giue ouer the action which he intended against the Exarch of Rauenna In like sort dealt hee with Rachis successor vnto Luitprand sometimes trying his patience and otherwhiles flying to his mercie but still abusing his deuotion vntill at length building vpon the foundation which his predecessors had laid hee resolued to ruine this ouer powerfull neighbouring Estate of the Lombards by a forreine power which though greater in it selfe yet was lesse dangerous to him and of lesse annoyance to his proceedings And the ambition of the French easily hearkened to such a motion Pepin succeeded his father Martel in his Mairaltie of the houshold and vnder this name in the royall authoritie But not content with the thing vnlesse he might also haue the Title sent to consult Zacharie Whether it were not reason that he which tooke all the paines in administration of all affaires of the kingdome should be king rather than he Aimon l. 4. c. 61. Sigon li. 3. Blond Dec. 2. li. 1. who contenting himselfe with the Title tooke care of nothing but onely in pleasures and pastimes pointing at Chilperic his Lord and Soueraigne whom he would faine haue pulled from his throne by force onely he wanted authoritie cloaked with deuotion Zacharis who vnderstoood by the halfe what the whole meant presently commaunded as saith Aâ—monius by his authoritie That Pepin should be created king who was accordingly that same yeare sacred by the Archbishop Boniface the subiects discharged of their allegeance and Chilperic degraded Pope Zacharie saith Sigonius anteâ—posing his Decree out of the greatnesse of his authoritie What authoritie but that which was foretold vs by the Apostle of that sonne of perdition placed in the Temple of God 2. Thessal 8.4 exaltting himselfe aboue all that is called God and carrying himselfe as if be were God God saith the Prophet to whom alone it appertaineth to set vp and to pull down kings to continue kingdomes or to translate them from one stocke vnto another And Sigonius cannot hold but must needs say That he dyed hauing carried matters more for the behoofe of the Church and of the Apostolike See than according to rules of true pietie and religion And this fell out in the yeare 750. An. 750. Pepin now owed Zacharie a good turne and quickly had occasion to requite his kindnesse Rachis king of the Lombards entring into religion Aistulphus his brother who succeeded in the kingdome set vpon the Exarch of Rauenna tooke the citie made him saue himselfe in Greece And this was the period of the Exarchat after two hundred yeares space that they had borne sway in Italie This done whether Aistulph grew more insolent than before or whether a fright tooke the Pope to see such proceedings Stephen who had now succeeded Zacharie resolued for preuention to flie to Pepin And Aistulph by his predecessors examples grew wise and would not be led with words Stephen knew not whom to trust and to passe himselfe in person ouer the Alpes had beene to runne into the diuels mouth wherefore he vsed the credit of Pepin to make faire weather with him to win him to withdraw his forces and to grant him safeconduct through his countries towards France which he did and receiued him in his journey with all honour at his Court Whence he passed into France where meeting with Pepin at Pontigon An. 754. in the yere 754 exhorted him in remembrance of the kindnesse which he had receiued of Zacharie to stand Saint Peters good friend nothing came amisse vnder so plausible a name And Pepin desired no better office both in regard saith Sigonius of the kindnesse of Zacharie in degrading Chilperic making that iust and lawfull by his sacred authoritie which otherwise seemed vtterly vnlawfull as also because he desired to haue this right of succession established by Stephen vpon his two sonnes Charles and Carloman The conclusion of all was That the next Summer Pepin should passe with his armie into Italie and force Aistolph to surrender the Exarchat and all other places which he had taken And that the Pope should spend the Winter in France to annoint and sacre his two children But vpon the holding of the Parliament in France when he saw all matters sort after his desire he went a step farther and drew a promise from Pepin That he would not restore either the Exarchat or Pentapolis vnto the Emperour of Greece who had made himselfe vnworthie thereof by his cowardise and heresie but that he would bestow them vpon Saint Peter and his successors for euer for the good of his soule and for the remission of his sinnes Which Pepin sware vnto him to performe and made his two children take the same oath and he presently deliuered him a Patent thereof signed with his owne hand Pepin had no sooner set foot in Italie but Aistulph presently promised to yeeld vp the Exarchat and what euer else he had taken for performance whereof he gaue fortie hostages which were presently conueyed into France Pepin had no sooner turned his backe but Aistulph immediatly repented him of his surrender drew his forces into the field and Pepin was faine to repasse the mountaines and to hasten backe into Italie againe Then was Aistulph faine to personne his promise with effect And when the Emperor of Greece required him to restore to him the Exarchat and Pentapolis as to him properly appertaining and not vnto the Pope his answer was That he had bestowed it vpon the Church for his soules health and for the remission of his sinnes And thereupon renewed his grant to Stephen giuing him liuerie and seisin for him and his
the cause to delay and prolong it whereupon he threatned to excommunicat him and to interdict his Realme Mat. Paris in Richardo if he did not the sooner agree Mathew Paris the author of the English Historie saith he made him this answer That he nothing feared his sentence as being vpheld with no equitie he addeth that it belongeth not to the church of Rome to punish by sentence any King especially of France if the sayd King be disposed to reuenge himselfe vpon his ill deseruing vntamed people and rebellious to his Kingdome He addeth moreouer that the Cardinal of Anagne his Legat had smelt the sterlings of the King of England by whose odour beeing attracted according to the fashion of the Romans he became more fauourable to him and therefore had the more reason to suspect him to be his iudge Moreouer the Earle Richard did hardly contayne himselfe and as hardly could the Lords hold his hands but that with his sword drawne he had furiously assaulted the Cardinall insomuch that the Cardinall retiring and hiding himselfe for feare Verba continuit ampullosa stayed his swelling words Both these Kings hoise vp saile and Richard of England arriued within the Riuer of Tiber where met him Octauian Cardinall of Ostia sent from Clement the third to whom as Roger Houenden saith he spake many reprochfull words Blaming the Simonie of the Romans that to consecrate the Bishop of Mans they had taken 700 markes Rogerus Houenden in Annalium parte posteriore and 1500 for the legation of the Bishop of Elie and besides a great summe for not deposing the Bishop of Burdeaux accused by his Clergie But he saith besides that he arriued at Messine about the same time that Philip King of Fraunce went with a desire to see Ioachim Abbot of Courace of the order of the Cistertiens a man in that age verie famous and thought to haue a propheticall spirit whom hee requested to expound vnto him and his followers the vision of S. Iohn in the Apocalyps wherein he receyued much content Apud Rogerum de Houenden Annal. parte posteriore especially when he spake of seuen Kings Whereof one was not yet come he sayd vnto him this man is Antichrist who is now in the Citie of Rome and is set on high in the Apostolike seat and of this Antichrist saith the Apostle he is an aduersarie and exalteth himselfe against all that is called God c. The king replied vnto him I thought that Antichrist should be borne in Antioch or in Babylon of the progenie of Dan and should raigne in the Temple of the Lord at Hierusalem c. But Ioachim persisted in his exposition adding That the seuen Diademes signified the Kings and Princes of this world who should beleeue in Antichrist c. but he saith in the times of this Antichrist many of the Christians should preserue the Christian faith in the feare of the Lord in dennes and caues of the earth and in solitarie rockes and desert places euen vntill the consummation of Antichrist All this he spake notwithstanding the Archbishops of Roan Pamiers and Dauch who were there present haue endeuoured to proue the contrarie And to this purpose it was that the Abbot spake vpon Ieremie There is another fig tree who through the malediction of his preuarication is now withered The Latine Church or the little barke of S. Peter whose leaues are temporall things whereof they make breeches to hide their wicked conuersations wherewith they excuse the dishonestie and shame of their life as well of Adam the High Priest as Eue that is to say the Church subiect vnto them and miserably hide themselues in the wood of Ecclesiasticall glorie Now Baronius toucheth this historie Boron an 1190 art 2. lom 12. but hee taketh good heed for disclosing the principal clauses which expresly disciphers the Pope of Rome King Richard returning from Palestina was stayed by the Duke of Austria passing through his countrey who deliuered him to the Emperour Henrie the sixt who would not release him without a great ransome Queene Elinor his mother thinking that Pope Celestine was content to winke at this shamefull act because of the friendship that was yet betweene him and Henrie writ three letters vnto him which we may read in the Epistles of Peter of Blois the last for as much as hee seemed to neglect the former was more sharpe and in more expresse tearmes as followeth Deliuer vnto me saith she thou man of God my sonne Petrus Blaesens Epist 144.145.146 if thou be a man of God and not rather a man of bloud if thou beest carelesse and negligent in giuing libertie to my sonne that the omnipotent God may require his bloud at thy hands Oh and alas that the Soueraigne Pastor should become mercenarie that he should flie from the face of the Wolfe that he should leaue his sheepe committed to his charge yea a chosen Bell-weather the leader of the Lords flocke in the iawes of a cruell beast Hardly truely wilt thou aduenture thy soule for him for whom thou hast not dained to speake or write one word and now three times we haue beene promised Legats and yet they are not sent that to say the truth I may thinke them rather Ligati than Legati bound that they shall not come than appoynted to come If my sonne were in prosperitie they had come with all possible speed because out of his great bountie and the publicke profit they make of the kingdome they expected plentifull rewards of their Legations And what greater glorie can there be than to set free a captiue King to bring peace to the people safetie to the religious and ioy and comfort to euerie one But now they faile at a pinch The Wolfe holdeth his prey and the dogges either cannot or will not barke Is this the promise which you made vnto vs at the castle of Radolphus with so much protestation of loue and fidelitie What can it profit you to deceiue simple people and by a vaine confidence to mocke the prayers of the innocent So long since King Achab made a couenant of friendship with Benhadab but their mutuall loue had a dismall euent comparing the Pope to this Infidell King and God prospered the battels of Iudas Iohn Simion brothers of the Machabees but so soone as by their embassage they made a contract of friendship with the Romans they lost the succour and helpe of God and not once but often their mercenarie familiaritie was turned into sobs and bitter sighes c. I would to God they would remember that for the negligence of Hely their Priest ministring in Silo the glorie of the Lord was translated from Israell neither is it a parable of the time past but the time present because God forsooke the Tabernacle of Silo his owne Tabernacle where himselfe dwelt amongst men deliuered their power into captiuitie and their beautie into the enemies hands meaning the Church of Rome It was imputed to their
them at Pamiers And of the part of the Albigenses were defendants Theodore before Canon of Neuers Baldwin and Bernard of Simorre and others But their aduersaries hide from vs here the points in controuersie in these conferences If they had beene Manichees Gnostickes Cathares Montanistes Adamites as they would make men beleeue they were no doubt they would not haue omitted them But when these conferences did little satisfie the Lords and that the people were nothing moued at the preaching of Dominicus whom the Pope hauing beene as he sayd warned in a dreame had chosen to vphold his Palace of Lateran that otherwise was readie to fall to ruine he hath recourse to other counsels which these fore-proceedings did but colour for forme sake He therefore excommunicateth Earle Raymund whose authoritie was chiefest exposeth his Countrie for a prey dischargeth and absolueth all men that were bound vnto him by necessitie league or other couenant from that bond and from their oath of fidelitie and that by Apostolike authoritie affirming that to him that had not kept his faith with God faith ought not to be kept and also giueth leaue to all men to attempt against his person and against all the Albigenses no lesse than against the Saracens largely promising them the like indulgences Insomuch also that the mony that had beene appointed for the holie warre is turned to the slaughter of Christians The crosse which in times past was at least in pretence assumed against the infidels is now taken vp for to crucifie Christ in his members by a new and horrible example So that such was the furie or ignorance of that age he incited many Princes Lords and Prelats to assemble themselues on all parts to set vpon them who might better cheape and easier expiate their vices with the dammage of this people than by fighting against the Saracens in the holie land At their comming with the fright of this deluge Earle Raymund is astonished and promiseth obedience to the Church of Rome But marke here the manner Almarick the Popes Legat Generall of this armie draggeth him into the Church by a stole cast about his necke and with scourgings From thence the countries are laid wast Townes are sacked and all places filled with slaughters fire and ruine neuerthelesse the Albigenses courage fayled not vtterly but many times renewed the warre Earle Raymund also after this so great disgrace finding himselfe no gentlier vsed by the Pope taketh armes again with them assisted with the Earles of Foix and of Comminges till such time as there comming new supplies from all parts of Bishops and Lords of Fraunce into the Popes armie signed with crosses Earle Raymund is constrained to withdraw himselfe into Arragon and the Albigenses forced to forsake the champian Countrie and flie vnto the mountains and some vnwarlike families to seeke new countries to inhabit Meane time it is here to be noted that although this warre was made in Fraunce yet King Philip Augustus was not the head thereof but the Pope and his Legat who made it his owne conquest that was woon in this warre The King onely suffered his subjects to enrol themselues for the Popes wars and the Lords of the Kingdome to lead troupes of souldiers thither An. 1215. For in the yeare 1215 Peter Beneuent the Popes Legat in a Synod holden at Monpellier in the name of Innocent appointeth Simon Earle of Montfort Prince and Lord of his conquest others say Gardian vntill the Councell of Lateran should more fully determine of it The Albigeois Historie also noteth that Lewis the Kings eldest sonne comming at that time into the armie the Legat was not well pleased at it fearing least he would dispose of the Land by right of war gotten to the Pope which the Soueraigne Lord himselfe had so long time abandoned to the poyson of heresie Therefore in the Councell of Lateran the Pope pronounceth Simon Earle Montfort Lord of all that had beene Raymunds yet on condition that hee should doe homage for it to the King which also the King admitteth But presently after all the Townes from Auignon to Thoulouse reuolted from Simon to Raymund his sonne and by this means the hearts of the Albigenses were restored So that new worke is made the war reuiued againe Bishops and crossed souldiers sent for from all parts and whilest they lost in one place and gained victorie in another the Earle of Montfort hauing nine moneths besieged the citie of Thoulouse in a sallie receiued a blow with a stone whereof the same day he dyed so that the citie was deliuered from siege and the Albigenses got the vpperhand This Simon de Montfort was indeed a man of courage and a great captaine but particularly noted of ignorance which perpetuall enemie of truth wee haue also found in our dayes so as they onely haue persecuted it as neuer had nor would haue the care to search after it And thus much brieflly out of the Albigenses historie of Peter des Vallees and out of the Chronicle of Montfort it selfe In the meane season whether it were by reason of the dispersion of the Waldenses or for that in other Prouinces God had made the truth knowne at the same time in diuers places the like sermons were heard and by consequence had the like persecutions Chronic. Hirsaug Naucler 2. vol. Gener. 41. For Trithemius and others both before and after him recite That in the citie of Strasbourge for the same were burned to the number of fourescore and in the countrey about it were slaine an hundred in one day Nauclerus saith That in Italie this doctrine which he calleth heresie wonderfully increased as well among the Nobilitie as the common people and that euery yere they sent to Milan some collection for the maintenance of their Teachers Bruschius saith That at Mentz were burned nine and thirtie And from this time forth nothing is more frequent these ashes hauing beene as it were by the breath of Gods spirit strewed into all the corners of Europe and yet this cannot be ascribed to any conniuence Trithem in Chron. Hirsaug Godofrid Monach in Annalibus or tolleration of it For Trithemius and the Monke Godfrey telleth vs plainely That Conrade of Marpurg an Apostolike Inquisitor was wâ—nt to proue these men attainted of heresie if they denied it Iudicio ferri candentis By touching of red hot yrons and those whom the yron burned hee deliuered ouer to the secular power as heretikes to be burned So all a few excepted that were once accused brought to this triall were condemned to the fire Some beleeued that he had condemned many innocents because the hot yron found not any free from sinne though not infected with any spot of heresie And a few pages after he addeth In this time many noble and ignoble Clergie men Monkes Nunnes Burgesses citizens and countrey people in diuers places of Germanie were vnder the name of heresie condemned to the fire by a sentence as some thought too
bringeth him to Naples Lib. 1. c. â—3 â—4 That Pregnan was a man giuen to all vices and of whom notwithstanding he was so exceeding fond that when his petulant loosenesse was told him he was woont to aunswer He is young and yet was he then fortie yeares old It happened among other things that he violated and rauished by force a certaine professed Nunne and recluse of the order of S. Clare of the Monasterie of S. Sauiour at Naples and descended from a Noble house her hee kept certaine dayes with him The people is moued with that wicked fact whereupon the guiltie person suddenly saueth himselfe in a Church vnder the protection of his vncle the king according to Law hauing conuicted him condemneth him to die the Pope contesteth against it that he is a superiour Lord in whose presence the king cannot punish a nobleman of his kingdome Thereupon he fortifieth the gates of his palace and gathereth his partakers about him so that this so infamous a crime remaineth vnpunished because it so pleased the Pope yea which is worse that peace might be made betweene the Pope and the king it is agreed vpon by the Cardinals procurement That Pregnan should marie the daughter of the Lord chiefe Iustice of the realme the kings kinswoman and that the king for so long time as the duke of Aniou should remaine in the countrey should pay vnto Pregnan euerie yeare in stead of the reuenewes of those dukedomes seuentie thousand Florins Of his owne accord he gaue him also the castle of Lucera with the appurtenances being between Naples and Salerne Idem c. 40. whither he with the Pope his vncle retired himselfe a place verie pleasant and safe for their persons being lodged in the castle but the towne was not so which was appointed for the Cardinals and courtiers who in a state so troubled betweene two Princes in warre together had many great alarmes L. 1. c. 42. and yet could not make him resolue to depart thence Wherefore at the instance of Cardinall Reatine it was treated amongst them out of the opinion of many Doctors If a Pope were too negligent or vnfit to gouerne and leaned so much to his owne wit that he brought thereby the whole Church into danger or were so vnbridled that without the aduice of the Cardinalls he would doe things after his owne fantasie and pleasure Whether it were not lawfull to substitute by the election of the Cardinals a Curator or some fit Curators by whose counsell and aduice the Pope should be held to dispatch all the affayres of the Church which was concluded to be lawfull But Vrban being aduertised hereof by the Cardinall of Manupello when the Cardinalls of dutie came to visit him he kept six of them whom he most feared prisoners whose goods without any order of law he presently confiscated and by that means terrified all the rest yea a few dayes after he gaue their hats to certaine vnworthie persons of Naples who knowing their owne vnworthinesse were ashamed to weare them in publike Idem l. 1. c. 45. His crueltie was such that he cast them into a dungeon commonly called the old Cisterne and without any respect of age infirmitie or qualitie put them to the racke and all manner of tortures his nephew Pregnan being present and vrging the tormentors so that here Theodorick moueth all to compassion neither yet whatsoeuer these do testifie and protest could he euer be mollified not towards the Cardinall Sangrâ— a man broken with old age and before his Legat in the realme who to please him had exercised so many cruelties and now acknowledged that he was justly punished by himselfe But when Pregnan was so proud and audacious as to seise vpon the castle of Scifatti three leagues distant from Lucera and was presently besieged by the kings seruants and forced to yeeld Charles resolued to besiege Vrban himselfe within Lucera who feeling himselfe extreamely pressed Idem l. 2. c. 45. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. led by a German called Loter of Sweâ—e fled through by-wayes of the mountaines and so saued himselfe at Salerne where he is receiued of certaine gallies of Genua prepared for him and caused the captiue Cardinalls through these incommodities to accompanie him euer by his side gaâ—ded with halberdiers and when the Bishop of Aquila broken with tortures was not able to follow him he commaunded his hangman to kill him and left his bodie in the fields without buriall Then directing his course into Sicilie which was vnder his obedience he arriued at Palermo where hauing made prouision of things necessarie he put to sea againe and came to Genua where he continually kept with him those Cardinalls in bonds all except one Cardinall Adam a poore Monke whom he gaue to Richard king of England on condition that he should euer haue a certaine Clerke of his chamber watching ouer his actions At Genua he receiueth great gifts from Iohn Duke of Milan Perhaps saith the Author that he should absolue him from the fault he had committed for that whilest Vrban remained at Naples the Duke had taken his vncle Lord Barnabo the daughter of whose cousen german hee maried by dispensation from the Pope and strangled her in a castle neere Milan and a while after he impoisoned Barnabo himselfe In the end being readie to depart from Genua to rid himselfe from the cumber of those fiue Cardinals hee made them all in one night be beheaded others say cast into the sea and others burnt in his stable Collenucius saith distinctly Collenuc l. 5. That foure were sowed vp in a sacke and cast into the water and three beheaded whose heads dried in an ouen were layd and carried vpon his sumpter moiles and so by his reckoning there should haue beene seuen but out of Theodorick his Secretarie this at least is cleere That they were neuer seene more And yet this is he whom before his Popedome he describeth vnto vs to be zealous of iustice In the last yere of his Popedome being mindfull of the great gaine that the Iubilie had brought to Clement the sixt in the yere 1350 against all reason he abreuiated the same namely to euerie thirtie three yeres An. 1350. Theodor. Ã Nyem l. 1. c. 68. 69. yet so as that it should begin at Christmas in the yeare of our Lord 1388 and should continue a yeare inclusiuely but being preuented by death he saw it not and so left that fruitfull field to be reaped by his successor Boniface An. 1388. For being departed from Genua to goe to Perouse by the fall of his mule vnder him he was bruised in many parts of his bodie and neuerthelesse hauing still an intention to returne into Sicilie he is carried to Rome where after some few dayes he died some say of poison It is here worth the noting That when Elizabeth Queene of Hungarie had caused the head of Charles Duras king of Naples to be cut off as he
cause banished their countrey Theodor. Ã Nyem de schismate l. 3. who repaired to Iohn Hâ—s who as Aeneas Siluius saith gaue him great light in many principall poynts In Italie it selfe Nicholas Lucensis a Carmelite and Doctor of Diuinitie was not afraid out of the pulpet at Lucca in the presence of Gregorie the twelfth to preach against his and the Papall tyrannie whereupon he was cast into prison and hardly got out againe notwithstanding that fauour and helpe he had from the gouernour and from thence forward he was put to silence Besides infinit numbers of all estates and conditions whom euerie where with exquisit torments they put to death in France England and elsewhere some shut vp in barrels some hanged on gibbets some burnt whose memorie remaines in the bookes of their aduersaries themselues Thom. Waldens in Fasciculo Zizoniorum Baptista Panaetius in Chron. in sermon Thom. Walsing in Chron. Thom. Walsing an 1413. in Henr. 5. Waldensis Baptista Panetius Walsingham and others Amongst whom we must not forget Iohn Oldcastle a nobleman of England heire by right of his wife to the Lord Cobham A man saith Walsingham Regi propter probitatem charus acceptus in great fauour with king Henrie the fift for his honestie and likewise renowmed for his valour and great knowledge in feats of armes who in the yeare 1413 is in the historie called the Protector and defender of the Lollards for that name or title was giuen to all those who protested against the corruptions of the Church who sent into the Diocesses of London Rochester Hereford some to publish the truth of the Gospell without the leaue and license of the Ordinaries who were especially in their sermons to confute the doctrine of Transubstantiation the Sacrament of Penitence Perigrinations the worshipping of Images the Keyes vsurped by the Church of Rome For these speciall heads the Authour reciteth Hee therefore reporteth That Oldcastle being by the authoritie of the king committed to the Tower of London and being brought before the Archbishop of Canturburie hee tooke out of his bosome a copie of the confession of his Faith and deliuered it vnto him to read which the Archbishop hauing read said That it contained in it much good and Catholike matter but yet he must satisfie him touching other poynts that is to say the abouenamed but especially that that concerned the power of the Pope and Cardinals and the Roman Hierarchie which Oldcastle refused not to doe but ingeniously professed withall That the Pope was true Antichrist that is his head the Archbishops Bishops and other Prelats his members the Friers his tayle And as touching the other poynts Idem in Ypodigmate Neustriae an 1413. They are ordinances sayth he of the Church of Rome made against the Scriptures after that it grew rich and the poyson had dispersed it selfe therein and not before The place it selfe is worthie the reading that we may acknowledge the agreement of their doctrine with ours against which no man can cauill Wherefore the Archbishop pronounced Oldcastle an heretike and excommunicated him requiring the secular power for the putting of him to death But the king proceeding slowly and vnwillingly in this businesse he escaped out of prison to whom there gathered a great multitude to haue freed him from that danger who were almost all put to the sword and such amongst them as were taken prisoners as well Clergie as Lay vnder a pretence of heresie were put to death whose constancie appeares in these words That the greatest part of them nec quidem poenitere curabant tooke no care to repent If wee may credit Walsingham there were not then lesse than an hundred thousand who made publike profession of this doctrine Another Annalist in few words sayth Iohannes Capgrauius l. 2 de Nobilibus Henricis That Oldcastle was not afraid in the Parliament to say That England would neuer be at peace vntill the Popes power were banished beyond the seas And learned and eloquent as he was he caused many bookes to be scattered in the streets against the inuocation of Saints auricular confession the single life of Priests Transubstantiation and other abuses of the Church of Rome for which cause being led prisoner to London at the last he was burnt But there comes now vpon the stage euen with open faces Iohn Hus and Hierome of Prage men by the testimonies of their aduersaries themselues renowmed for their learning and godlie conuersation who being called to publike charge in the Church did publikely preach against the abuses of the Church of Rome euen those that we in these dayes detest and abiure namely against the tyrannie of the Pope whom as their owne Iudges doe testifie they called Antichrist Aeneas Siluius in historia Bohemia c. 35. Aeneas Siluius himselfe who was afterwards Pope Pius the second sayth With the sound of their voyce the spirit of God assisting the word of God thundering in them the people were awakened out of their dead sleepe ran by flockes to this great light enuiting likewise their neighbours from diuers parts And whereas about that verie time Pope Iohn the foure and twentieth had granted a full remission of sinnes to all that would beare armes in defence of the Church of Rome against Ladislans king of Naples Certaine mecanicall persons saith Pius the second hearing this published with a lowd voyce Pope Iohn to be Antichrist bearing the crosse against Christians These good Fathers in the meane time assembled at the Councell of Constance for the reformation as they sayd of the Church as well in the head as in the members who should haue beene stirred vp thereunto by the sound of these Heraulds vnder a pretence of fidelitie as much as in them lay supprest and opprest them Being therefore called to the Councell vnder the trust of a safeconduct granted by the Emperour Sigismond who had called that Councell there to giue a reason of their doctrine they willingly came but presently they were cast into prison declared heretikes and in the end burnt aliue Iohn Hus first and Hierome about a yeare after Cap. 35. These Fathers leauing this Decree for an example and law to all posteritie Haereticis non seruandam fidem That we are not to keepe faith to Heretikes For such they accounted all those as we haue seene that withstood their opinions euen in matters meerely ciuile and that not without an apparent purpose to cut off all hope of a reformation of the Church by a free and lawfull Councell Siluius telleth vs That they were admonished not to thinke themselues more wise than the Church and that it would be easie for them to obtaine an honourable place in the Church if they would renounce their opinions In which meanes of conuerting we may easily note the stile of that auncient Doctor tempting our Sauiour in the desart Cap. 36. But they answer saith Pius That they teach the truth being the disciples of Christ directing themselues
Sic moriens nullos credidit esse Deos. As Sixtus when he liued mockt God so he When that he died beleeu'd no God to be Trithem de scriptorib Eccles Fra. Leandro Alberti de viâ—is illustribus Ordinis Praedicatorij Alani de Rupe Compend Psal terij Mariani de Myrac Rozarij liber vnus An. 1483. And yet this good man in the meane time writ bookes of the conception of the Virgine Marie authorised that execrable booke of Alani de Rupe a German and Dominican Frier forged and preached for Gospell a certaine Rosarie gathered out of the Virgine Maries Psalter and thereupon instituted a new Societie for the credit whereof Iames Sprenger Prouinciall of Germanie deuised certaine myracles which Sixtus approued and defended with his Bulls and Indulgences There was likewise a booke printed in the beginning whereof we read That the Virgine Marie entring into the cell or chamber of this Alani the doores being locked and hauing wouen a ring with her haire maried her selfe therewith vnto him offering her selfe vnto him to be kissed and her breast to bee handled and sucked in as familiar manner as a wife to her husband Many other the like blasphemies there were in that booke by which let the Reader consider in what a bottomelesse gulfe of impietie the superstitious minds of men were by these Atheists ouerwhelmed Innocent the eighth a Genowais of the familie of Cibo succeeded in the yere 1483 after such a predecessor it was a hard thing to bee thought execrable and yet he was no whit better than the former that he should fill Rome with seditions Italie with fire and sword it was nothing strange since it was a matter long since determined That there was no mischiefe that befel Italie but through the Popes He tooke from Virginius Vrsinus the gouernement of the Apostolike Palace to gratifie Cardinall Iulian who then began to shew his force whereby the citie was brought into great danger Yea he troubled all Italie by defending the Earls of Aquila against Ferdinand their King and Lord Onuphr in Innocent 8. Enforced thereunto saith Onuphrius by the counsell of men ill aduised whereby he got nothing but charge ruine and dishonour Seeking therefore a meanes to supplie his wants and to fill his treasurie he followed the steps of Sixtus He ordained fiftie two Plumbatores Bullarum Bullists by which meanes he got six and twentie thousand crownes Certis Ecclesiae prouentibus attributis As a subsidie out of the reuenewes of the Church He added six and twentie Secretaries who paid euery one as it were for a fine two thousand fiue hundred crownes which came to sixtie thousand crownes He put to sale the office of the President de Ripa and created thirtie officers who payed two hundred crownes apeece and this was said to restore the Church He made peace with Ferdinand because he could not otherwise chuse whom neuerthelesse vnder a pretence of non-payment of tribute he excommunicated depriued him his kingdome and pronounced Charles king of Fraunce who had promised him to come presently with his armie the lawfull heire which he afterward in his owne person performed grounding himselfe vpon the last will and testament of Renat king of Sicilie and of Charles the Earle du Maine his brother who transferred all the right they had vpon him But Innocent had no other purpose but by this meanes reuersing all the Bulls of his predecessours to be reuenged vpon Ferdinand As touching his priuat life let vs giue credit to Volateran though in tearms somewhat too honest he expresse his dishonestie Iohn Baptista Cibo a Genowais after the death of Sixtus sat in the chaire and was called Innocent the eight He was heretofore a poore boy brought vp with the seruants of Alphonsus king of Sicilia but yet of excellent beautie From thence he came to Rome where he was receiued into the familie in Contubernio of Philip Cardinal of Bononia Afterwards he was made Bishop of Sauona and then of Melfe and Dataire of Sixtus who made him in the end Cardinall for his sweet and ciuile cariage wherein he exceeded all men vsque ad vitium euen in vice it selfe For he many times embraced men of basest conditions Is the Popedome to be gotten by such meanes and manners He had before his Popedome sixteen children eight sonnes and eight daughters of which there were onely two lyuing when he obtayned the See whom he endeauoured to raise to the charge of the Church distributing saith the Historie a great masse of money gathered by his indulgences for an imployment against the Turke to his children and kinsfolke Others add That he was the first of all the Popes that openly made his boasts of his bastards and contemning all auntient discipline tooke care to enrich them Onuphrius saith That his sonne Frauncis and his daughter Theodorina his bastards hee enriched beyond reason To Frauncis he gaue certaine Townes neere the Citie and married him to the daughter of Lawrence de Medices and Theodorina to Gerard Vsumar of Genoa a man verie rich Hereupon saith Marullus in an Epitaph Quid quaeris testes sit mas an foemina Cibo Respice natorum pignora certa gregem Octo nocens pueros genuit totidemque puellas Hunc merito poterit dicere Roma Patrem Why seekest thou witnesse to proue Cibo a man Looke on his brats faire gages deny 't if thou can Eight bastard sonnes he got and as many daughters Worthily then may Rome count this man a Pater His Epigrams alwayes alluding to that triall of the sex ordayned after the deceipt of Pope Ioane But he concludeth Spurcities gula auaritia atque ignauia deses Hoc octaue iacent quo tegeris tumulo Vncleanesse auarice sloth gluttonie Are here Octaue intombd where thou doest lye And least there should be no place left for superstition they made men beleeue at that time when Petrus Consaluus de Mendoza repayred the Church of the holie crosse that there was a fragment of the title of the crosse of Christ written in three Tongues found inclosed in the wall This cosinage the letters themselues bewraied for in stead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was barbarously written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with an e in the accusatiue case plurall were all those famous Roman Antiquaries blind At that verie time Baiazet the Emperour of Turkie sent vnto him for a present the poynt of that speare of Longinus wherewith the side of Christ was wounded that he might thereby win him to set a surer gard ouer his brother Gemes whom he had then in his power of that Longinus whose name they deriued from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who knowes not these fooleries and knowing them can endure them From hence there sprung a wonderfull haruest of indulgences vnder Alexander the sixt his successour Summa constitut in Bulla cuius initium admirabile sacrament Bulla cuius initium Apostolicae camerae in sum constitut Hieron Marius in Euseb cap. Onuphr
is it that the Popedome hauing swallowed vp this poore Church at the word of the Lord in these later times should cast it out againe that so the Gospell might be preached more gloriously than before euen to your selues But now giue me leaue to aske thee againe In all this long space of time where was thy Church and of all loues answer me In those six hundred yeares next after Christ in the whole world was there any that was thy Church and that worshipped burnt incense adorned adored and inuocated Images Doubtlesse there was none such except thou seeke it among the Heathen with Simon Magus not Simon Peter In a whole thousand yeares was there any Church that called the Hoast Lord thought it a god adored it In a whole thousand two hundred yeares that shut it vp in a box carried it about appointed vnto it a proper feastiuall day set it out with pomp to be gazed vpon by the people as in a publike Theatre Againe in a whole thousand yeares after Christ was there any Church howsoeuer otherwise corrupted that placed Christ the sonne of God betweene the hands of a Priest yea created him that sold his sacrifice for money to be offered at all times yea euerie moment of time and in all places That abolished the auncient institution of Christ and Communion of the faithfull bringing into the place thereof their solitarie Masses for the liuing and the dead mumbled vp in a corner That depriued the people of the Cup of the Lord to feed them with the smoke of this pretended sacrifice And since I am entred into it to lay open these monstrous abuses to the view of the world Was there any Church that accused the Scriptures of insufficiencie or imperfection writing bookes to that purpose That forbad the reading of them as being daungerous and deadly vpon paine of grieuous punishment and that by a publike Decree Againe was there any Church in the whole world for six hundred yeares after Christ that beleeued the Pope of Rome to be the Vniuersall Bishop an earthlie Prince armed with both swords spirituall and temporall That for a thousand yeres out of Rome acknowledged him to be Pope and Emperour the Lord of the world the true Spouse of the Church That for twelue hundred yeares did affirme him to be aboue generall Councels the Catholike Church the Scriptures That did affirme or teach That he had power to dispose of the state of our soules by his Indulgences That he could shut Purgatorie open heauen canonize for a Saint or damne to hell at his pleasure whom it pleased him commaund the Angels abrogat the lawes of God and therefore a god and aboue God Adde if you will to make vp the matter What Church in those ages euer knew those multitudes of Monkes the foure Orders of begging Friers the scarlet Cardinals this Pontificall pompe his Ianizaries and Mamalukes and lastly his Iesuites who are as it were the rereward of the Popes armie And yet of these doth your Church now consist and they must be beleeued vpon paine of damnation Herein Bellarmine and Baronius spend their labours and he that abates but a haire of that they affirme let him bee accounted as a Heathen or Publican That man on the other side that beleeues all this especially all those poynts that concerne the Pope though he be otherwise an heretike a prophane person an Atheist yet he is a good Catholike and in the right way It is now then your part to proue this your Church out of the Fathers Councels Histories yea euen your owne for I refuse not any But perhaps thou wilt aske though against the rules of disputation By what apparent reason it appeares that your Church hath erred and how it should bee likely that it hath hitherto receiued Christ his enemie for Christ his Vicar and how and in what part that corruption thou speakest of hath crept in Hearken my friend let not this preposterous presumption deceiue thee the Angels in heauen haue erred our first parents in Paradice haue erred Iacob amongst so many visions of God Israel in the desart in the middest of so many myracles haue erred the Church the Spouse of God vnder the Iudges the Kings in the presence of the Arke in that holie land though reproued by the Prophets verie often in the time of the first Temple and as often vnder the second and that which is more puffed vp with the doctrine of the Law euen to the forsaking of Christ himselfe the crucifying of him with her owne hands and consequently in her owne saluation hath erred What then should hinder but that it may now likewise erre euen to the receiuing of Antichrist that man of sinne the sonne of perdition and the adoring of him since both the one and the other proceed from the same spirit of presumption not to erre both the one and the other foretold by the same mouth by the spirit of God in his word and therefore of like certaintie Doubtlesse the Church then hath erred erred by neglecting the word of God and shall erre as often as she shall forsake the sea-mans compasse without which all things are to it vncertaine the heauens the sea the earth In so much that being left to her own discourse her owne cogitations it is no maruell if she haue erred if she doe erre yea rather it were a wonder and more than a wonder if without that compasse she should hold her course but a moment of time and not bee split in peeces against some rocke or suffer shipwracke vpon some vnknowne shore But whereas thou desirest to know the moment of time when this accident happened vnderstand my friend that this Mysterie was wrought in the darke for Antichrist is compared to a theefe that digs through the wall in the dead time of the night At what watch therefore he began his worke it is your part to know and to tell vs that stand sentinell that haue so long time before beene forewarned by God himselfe by whose either negligence or treacherie he hath inuaded the Roman castle and therefore your Church But thou art perhaps sicke of a dropsie thy bellie is swolne as big as a tunne thy bloud turned into water and yet thou wilt not hearken to the Physitian change the course of thy life vntill he tell thee the verie instant time when thy liuer began to be distempered to bee inflamed to grow drie and to be hardened into a Schyrrus whereas thou shouldest haue beene the first that should haue knowne that if it might be because there is no man so neere vnto thee as thy selfe There is nothing more ridiculous than to thinke that another should know it before thy selfe especially considering it is one of those diseases according to Hypocrates that at the first is most hardly knowne most easily cured afterwards by tract of time the symptomes or accidents belonging thereunto encreasing it is easily knowne hardly cured But yet I will not refuse to
thou dissemblest it These Iuglers in the meane time are nor ashamed to tell vs in bookes printed to that purpose That Antichrist is borne at Babylon with the teeth of a Cat with rowling eyes growen to his full stature in an instant made knowen by his miracles and presently marching towards vs with a huge armie What opinion haue these men either of your sottishnesse or their owne sufficiencie that they should thinke to blind you with these fooleries How long shall they with their brazen faces goe scotfree or you euen with the losse of your owne soules with your leaden minds Shall they alwaies lull you asleepe with these fables and will you neuer find a time to awaken neuer haue vnderstanding to discerne them Let me therefore speake vnto you O ye people why doe ye still make delaies Being so often deluded why doe ye not obey the voyce of God thundering from heauen Apoc. 18. v. 4. 9. Goe out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sinnes and that ye receiue not of her plagues And O ye kings so long made drunken why stand ye at a gaze not executing the counsell of the Almightie which cannot be made frustrat nay which in a manner is alreadie fulfilled why doe ye not rather make that beast desolat and naked Apoc. 17. v. 16. and eating her flesh burne her with fire In danger otherwise to lament before her to be partakers of hir punishment her ruine since you haue so long enioyed her pleasures and committed fornication with her But thou O my Sauiour in the middest of this cunctation or rather carelesse securitie awaken and rise vp and come downe and behold the sinnes of this spirituall Sodome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they are now consummat and come to their ful height Tread the wine presse alone though none of the people none of the kings ioyne with thee Esay 63.3 Gird thy sword vnto thee euen thy two edged sword wherewith that man of sinne shal be slaine the spirit of thy mouth thy holie word And let the wicked at the last cry out standing a farre off for feare of her tormonts Alas alas the great citie Babylon Apoc. 18. v. 10. the mightie citie for in one houre is thy iudgement come Let the godlie sing together and let them repeat it againe and againe Halleluiah Saluation and glorie and honour Apoc. 19. v. 2. and power be to the Lord our God for true and righteous are his iudgements for he hath condemned the great Whore which did corrupt the earth with her fornication and hath auenged the bloud of his seruants shed by her hand And let me O Lord sing with old Symion being wearie of this world full of yeres and thirsting after thee Luk. 2. v. 29.30 Now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word for mine eyes haue seene thy saluation The saluation and deliuerance of thy Church from the hands of her enemies the Lambe victorious and triumphant shortly celebrating the mariage of thine elect with the immaculat Lambe Christ Iesus to whom with the Father and the holie Ghost be all honour and glorie for euer and euer Amen ⧠To the Reader POpe Paule the fift caused himselfe to be pourtrayed in the first page of diuers Bookes dedicated vnto him printed at Rome and at Bolognia as hath beene sayd in the Preface The first words of the Latine inscription are PAVLO V. VICEDEO take the numerall letters and you shall find the number of the Beast Apocal. c. 13. v. 18. PAV 5. L 50. O V 5. V 5. I 1. C 100. ED 500. EO 5. 50. 5. 5. 1. 100. 500. 666. THE MYSTERIE OF INIQVITIE That is to say The Historie of the Papacie Declaring by what degrees it is now mounted to this heigth and what oppositions the better sort from time to time haue made against it THE PREFACE Of the person of Antichrist of the time when and of the place where he was to be reuealed THe Mysterie whose proceedings we here intend to set downe in writing is none other than that which was foretold by S. Paule in his second Epistle to the Thessalonians and the second chapter and more particularly by circumstances and signes described by S. Iohn in the thirteenth fourteenth seuenteenth and eighteenth chapters of his Reuelation which Mysterie time it selfe from age to age hath euer interpreted by euents till now at length all prophesies fulfilled we see it clearely reuealed in these our dayes 2. Thess cap. 2. S. Paule therefore telleth vs That that day of Christ meaning that glorious day of his last comming shall not come vnlesse there first come that Apostasie and notable reuolt that is vnlesse some great part of the Church first fall away from the pure and vndefiled seruice of Christ and vnlesse that man of sinne be first reuealed that sonne of perdition which shall be ringleader and chiefe director in this desperate reuolt lost in himselfe and cause of perdition vnto others and is therefore called by S. Iohn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say a Destroyer Apocal. 9. vers 11. And to the end that none should take offence when these things should come to passe he forewarneth vs of the greatnesse of this reuolt by representing it to our vnderstanding vnder the name of Babylon and of an Horrible confusion comparing him who was to haue the chiefe direction and commaund in this worke Apocal. 17. vers 3. to a woman sitting vpon a Beast of scarlet colour eminent and in euerie respect glorious and consequently admired of all those who should behold her Ibid. vers 8. saue onely those whose names are written in the booke of life insomuch that euen Kings those I meane whom she shall make drunke with the wine of her abhominations shall giue her their authoritie and power to helpe warre vpon the Saints and that Peoples and Nations shall serue her for a seat to sit vpon Ibid. vers 13. The waters sayth he on which she sitteth are Peoples and Multitudes and Nations and Tongues So that that Apostasie and that man of sinne make both together a kind of Estate or Kingdome whereof the Apostasie is the Bodie euen the Papacie which hath long since degenerated from the true doctrine of Christ drenching the world with Idolatrie and Superstition and that Man of sinne is the Head euen the Pope or Romane Bishop in whose person all this power and authoritie is combined and in his name executed Apocal. ca. 13. vers 12. And for this cause maketh S. Paule mention of an Apostasie and of a man of sinne and S. Iohn of a second Beast and of a Whore By which second Beast which exerciseth the authoritie of the first what can be meant but the Romane Hierarchie which hath deriued vpon her selfe all the authoritie of that ancient Commonwealth making the earth to adore the first Beast in the second that is the old
Theophilus they cast him into banishment more grieuous than before which while some of his friends sought to mitigate they made it worse till in the end he died in exile through griefe of heart True it is that in this second conflict he tryed all his friends whereupon Baronius is bold Baron to 5. an 404. art 20. seq and sayth That he had recourse by way of Appeale to the Church of Rome as vnto her which was onely able to correct all other Churches and that he appealed to Innocent Bishop of Rome in person Which he reporteth with that confidence as a man would thinke himselfe almost bound in conscience to beleeue him adding farther That all this fell out by the wonderful prouidence of God to shew men how they ought vpon like occasions to flie to the Pope of Rome But let vs see what proofes for our part we are content to stand to his owne allegations and namely to that Epistle of Chrysostome vnto Innocent which Epistle by his leaue is not directed to Innocent alone but jointly to all the Bishops of the West as appeareth in that the whole Epistle runneth in tearmes of the plurall number neither in six whole pages which that Epistle taketh vp is the word of Appeale so much as once named but we find there manie other things which make against them as first that he declareth vnto them the cause of his exile to haue beene onely that he would haue appealed to a Councell meaning a Generall Councell as we said before and consequently not to the Bishop of Rome Secondly that he prayeth their charitie to awake and to helpe to put some end to these his miseries and therefore not their pretended omnipotencie Thirdly I humbly beseech you sayth he my most reuerend Lords to preuent this ruine and therefore not Innocent or his See alone and what ruine was it For if saith he this custome take place and it may be lawfull for one to enterprise vpon anothers Prouince all is lost His meaning was that they should helpe to order this matter by a Councell in execution of that Canon of Nice and therefore he entreateth them to retract and to disannull all that which had beene practised or attempted against him so farre was he from requesting Innocent who dwelt farther off than the other to interpose his authoritie in the cause Fourthly in that he telleth them That he had written the same things to Venerius Bishop of Milan and to Chromatius Bishop of Aquileia and so indeed had he also written to Aurelius Bishop of Carthage By which appeareth that he wrote to sundrie other Bishops which then were of esteeme and authoritie in the Church as well as to Innocentius whom he could not omit in regard that he was Bishop of the first See but he appealed not to one more than to another The like also may appeare by the resolution which Innocentius tooke in this businesse for hauing receiued the letters and heard the embassages of both parties in good discretion he admitted them both to his Communion thereby declaring that the sentence which was giuen against Chrysostome was vnjust Theodor. Romā apud Pallad in Dialog adding farther That it was fit in this case to call a sincere Synod as well of the Easterne as of the Westerne Bishops where neither opposites nor partisans of either of them should be present and there giue iudgement according to the Canons of Nice which was nothing else in effect but only to giue way to the Appeale which Chrysostome had from the beginning put in to a Generall Councell which he requested Innocentius and others according to the practise of the Church in those times to procure from the Emperors Arcadius and Honorius especially from Arcadius who being offended with Chrysostome would neuer haue graunted it but at their intreatie Which plainely appeareth in Sozomene by the letters of Innocent sent to the Clergie of Constantinople Sozom. l. 8. c. 28. It is needfull sayth he that a Synod haue the hearing of this matter for it onely is able to represse these troubles and in the meane time it is meet to referre the cure of this maladie to the will of God and of Iesus Christ our Lord. And a little after We are verie carefull saith he to find the meanes to assemble a Generall Councell which he needed not to haue beene had things beene in his owne disposition Now that which ensued hereupon was that the yere following which was the yere 405 An. 405. there was assembled a Synod of the Westerne Bishops at Rome where they entreated the Emperor Honorius to write to his brother Arcadius requesting him that he would cause a Synod to be assembled at Thessalonica to the end that the Bishops both of the East and also of the West might there meet as in a more conuenient place for the finall hearing and sentencing of this cause Whereupon Honorius sent vnto him and the more to shew him the good opinion which the Bishops of the West had of Chrysostome of manie letters which he had in his hands to that effect he sent him principally two the one of Innocentius Bishop of Rome the other of Chromatius Bishop of Aquileia And the author himselfe noteth that the embassadors sent vnto Arcadius from his brother Honorius deliuered him letters from the Emperour his brother from Innocentius of Rome from Chromatius of Aquileia from Venerius of Milan and from sundrie others all which joyned in this embassage the end whereof was to reestablish Chrysostome in his place for the present vntill a Generall Councell might be assembled In the meane time Chrysostome died in banishment and the rest of this Historie concerneth not this matter What reason therefore hath Baronius so confidently to report that Chrysostome did appeale to Rome For when a Prince oppressed by one neighbour flyeth for helpe and succour to another doth he thereby make him his Lord and himselfe his vassall To flie to his courtesie or fauour is it to be interpreted for an acknowledgement of his jurisdiction or that he confesseth himselfe his tributarie One lye more of Baronius and so an end of this discourse This grand Annalist telleth vs Baron to 5. an 407. art 20. an 408. art 33. Theodor. l. 5. c. 33. 34. that Innocent would neuer communicat with the Easterne Churches no not after the death of Chrysostome till his name was restored to the catalogue of the Bishops of that See and thereupon voucheth Theodoret lib. 5. cap. 33. Whosoeuer will take the paine to read that place shall find no mention there made of Innocentius It is said there I confesse that the Doctor of this Vniuerse being dead the Bishops of the West would not communicat with the Bishops of the East of Egypt and of Thrace vntill they had enrolled him among the Bishops deceased of Constantinople not vouchsafing so much as to congratulat his successor Arsacius Why then should he appropriat that to one
haue or at any time heretofore haue had Baronius saith Baron an 472. art 3 4 5. That the good Emperour was ouertaken by the wiles and subtilties of Acatius and indeed it were hard if he should haue nothing to say But in vaine did Simplicius oppose against it whether before Leo or before Basiliscus and therefore Gelasius An. 493. which came after changed his stile and not alledging for himselfe either the Nicene Canon as Leo did or the ancient obseruation of the Church as others held himselfe fast to his Tues Petrus This goeth not saith he by any Synodall constitutions Gelas in Epist ad Dardanos but by the verie voyce of the Gospell Tues Petrus c. And why then did his predecessors especially Leo make their verie throats hoarse with crying out and alledging alwayes the Nicene Councell But Gelasius hereupon depriued Constantinople of the right of Patriarchship and hauing so done pronounced openly That the See of Rome might without a Synod of himselfe either absolue those whom a Synod had wrongfully condemned or condemne such as had deserued it and so setteth his See vp aboue all Councels Ib. And againe The Canon saith he hath so ordained that all Churches ought to appeale to this See and from this See to none because this See iudgeth of all Churches and no Church of it as being without spot or wrinkle and yet as much without spot or wrinckle as she was his verie next successor Anastasius see I pray you whither this pretended prerogatiue caried the Church was defamed for the heresie of Acatius which was oppugned by Gelasius and he was indeed a meere Acatian doe Baronius what he can to free him from this imputation Liber Pontificalis For the Pontificall booke in expresse tearmes saith That many Priests and others of the Clergie withdrew themselues from his communion for that without the priuitie or knowledge of the Bishops Priests and Clergie of the Catholike Church he had secretly entertained coÌ„munion with a certaine Deacon of Thessalonica called Photinus who was of communion with Acatius and because he sought meanes vnder hand to call home Acatius which yet he could not effect being preuented by God and stroken by his dreadfull judgement By these Maximes therefore of Gelasius it appeareth what a large step he had made into this tyrannie ouer the Church but yet he forbore to meddle with the ciuil gouernment and it seemeth he prophesied to vs as sometimes Caiphas did Gelasius de Anathematis vinculo when he gaue vs this rule following There were saith he before the comming of Christ some in figure appointed ouer temporall affaires who were both Kings and Priests as was Melchisedech which manner the diuell also imitated in some of his seruants as his custome is euer to attribute to himselfe those things which properly belong to diuine worship in that some of the Heathen Kings were also Priests But since the true Priest and King came into the world there hath not beene found an Emperour which hath taken vpon him the Title of a Priest nor yet a Priest which vsurped the regall dignitie c. But Christ remembring well mans frailtie for his elect sake hath distinguished these two authorities by seuerall offices properly appertaining to either of them so that the Christian Emperours haue need of the Priests for their soules health and the Priests of them for the course of worldlie matters so that the spirituall profession is seperated from the world and a souldier of Christ may not busie himselfe in the affaires of this world neither he who is busied in earthlie affaires may presume to gouerne in holie things to the end that the one supporting the other they might not rebell the one against the other I referre me now vnto the Reader whether Gelasius his successors haue kept themselues within those bounds which hee prescribed and whether they haue not fallen within the compasse of his condemnation as followers of the Pagans and guided by the instinct of the diuell Instinctu diabolico while they thus encroach vpon the temporall estate For what Bellarmine or what Baronius can reconcile those maximes and positions of Gregorie the seuenth called Hildebrand with these of Gelasius And for conclusion we may not forget that because Gelasius wrot once in approbation of certaine writings of Honoratus Bishop of Marseilles whom Gennadius reporteth onely to haue sent him his bookes Baronius inferreth That it belongeth properly to the Bishop of Rome to approue and censure bookes What a little wind will serue to fill the sayles of these mens pride and arrogancie Belike so many learned personages as wrot vnto Saint Augustine Hierosme and others for their approbation of their writings tooke them to be Popes and so did they take others when they Imparted their bookes vnto them which is so absurd and friuolous as nothing can be more And thus come we now to the yere of our Lord 500. 13. PROGRESSION What wicked and vnlawfull meanes men vsed about this time to aspire vnto the Popedome ABout the yeare 500 Italie was all wasted by the Northerne nations An. 500. who swarmed there in great numbers which had been ynough to haue suppressed their ambition had it not passed the bounds of all humanitie But it was such that euerie day it attempted something and for want of worke abroad would sometimes busie it selfe at home Insomuch that it grow an ordinarie matter to put in for the Popedome many yeares before the Pope was dead to get voyces before hand by word of mouth and sometime by deed indented and to procure them by presents and other meanes Synod Roma sub Symmach can 2. 3. as appeareth by the Synod which was held at Rome vnder Symmachus Whereof ensued commonly sedition murders and slaughters insomuch that it was necessarie for the Emperours euen such as they called and accounted barbarous to preuent the mischiefes which vsually ensued of their factious combinations Wherein those holie men would neuer haue beene so eagre a they were had they not needed something else more than they did the sheepe of Christ And yet if we may beleeue Gratian in the middest of all these villanies Symmachus had the face to say D. 40. C. non nos Ennod. in Apâ—log Symmach That Saint Peter had transmitted and passed ouer to his successors together with the inheritance of his innocencie a perpetuall gift of well deforming and what was granted him for the brightnesse and beautie of his deeds belongeth to them who are enlightened with the like holinesse of conuersation For who can doubt saith he but that he is holy whom we see now exalted to so high a degree of dignitie who if perhaps he want merits of his owne yet is he sure to be well furnished with the merits of him which went before him in that place for he either prouideth that none shall be preferred thither out such as are worthie or if any other happen
set it downe in Sigibert his owne words But is this all the esteeme he maketh of this great Oracle of the Canonists And I aske farther in all that schisme of Hildebrand or in anie other where this case was so hotly debated was Sigibert euer condemned of a falsehood or accused of forgerie If we should reject their authors as peremptorily as they do their owne what villanie would they not say against vs For whereas he saith that this word Inuestiture was not then in vse euery man knoweth that it came in with the Lumbards But I returne to Charlemaigne In the partage which he made of Italie he left Apulia and Calabria to the Emperour of Greece as heretofore in the time of Iustinian and appointed Dukes of Beneuent Spoletum and Friul as vnder the Lumbards As for the Exarchat of Rauenna Romania la Marche the Duchie of Perousa of Rome Tuscanie and Campania which he had giuen to the Pope he retained the soueraignetie ouer them to himselfe and consequently ouer the Popes who could not hold these Duchies but by oath of fealtie and allegeance conceiued in these words Sigon de Reg. Jtal. l. 4. I T. R. doe promise to be faithfull all my life long without fraud or mal engine to Charles my Lord and to his children c. And the truth is that it appeareth by Adrians Epistles that he held not himselfe all of the best contented with Charlemaignes dealings seeing he so often putteth him in mind of the great debt he owed to S. Peter and that therefore he should remember the promises which he had made vnto him Ep. Adrian ad Charol 30 31 39. complaining euer and anon of those whom he had left behind him in Italie to command euen in matters of the Church That the Bishop of Rauenna since his comming into Italie was growne stouter than before especially since the time that he had sent thither some of his Commissaries to elect a new Bishop reprouing him sometimes for these matters and calling him to answere it before S. Peter All which we shall see more at large hereafter An. 796. In the yeare 796 died Adrian in whose roame succeeded Leo the third by the election of the Clergie and people of Rome who presently vpon his election dispatched an embassadour vnto Charlemaigne to aduertise him of his election and to present vnto him the keyes of the Confession i. of the Sepulchre of S. Peter with the maine Standard of the Citie and manie other honourable presents in token of fealtie and homage requesting him to send some principall man of his Court to minister the oath of Allegeance to the people of Rome thereby to hold them in their dutie and subjection vnto him Ad suam fidem et subiectionem Aimoni. lib. 4. cap. 86. as Aimonius in his Historie reporteth whereupon Anguilbert Abbor of S. Ritharius was dispatched thither to that effect Shortly after the nobilitie of Rome growne wearie of the Popes yoke and willing to shake it off set vpon Leo as he went in solemne procession threw him from his horse and left him there halfe dead his followers tooke him vp and carried him to the Vatican It is reported that they pulled out his eyes but that God by miracle put them into his head againe We may well doubt of this miracle Lib. 4. c. 89. Zonar to 3. pag. 97. seeing that Aimonius reporting it addeth as some thought But Zonaras speaketh plainely and sayth That they who were put in trust to pull them out spared them and onely beat him about the eyes without perishing his sight and yet these men crie out A miracle Leo hereupon tooke a journey into Germanie as farre as Westfalia where Charlemaigne then was to craue justice telling him That the Romanes who had long since taken their Bishop for their Lord seeking now to returne to their auncient libertie and not able to oppresse him with false criminations had attempted vpon his life Whereupon Charlemaigne resolued in the yere 800 to make a voyage into Italie An. 800. Vpon his arriuall at Rome he assembled a multitude of Italian and French Bishops commaunding the accusers and the accused i. Leo the Pope to appeare before them himselfe presiding and sitting in the middest of them Anastasius the Popes Historian sayth That the Bishops then and there declared openly that they might not judge the See Apostolike Aimoni. li. 4. c. 90. but Aimonius a great deale more sincerely reporteth That there being none found that would come forth and charge him with his crimes he purged himselfe by oath And vpon this sedition tooke Charlemaigne occasion to seise into his owne hands all authoritie ouer the Citie of Rome for as an Italian Author of that time reporteth He thereupon resolued to make all the great ones of Rome as well Bishops as Laies Author quidam Jial apud Viguerium to become vassales of the Empire That they and the whole people should sweare fealtie to the Emperor That the Emperour should alwaies haue his L. Deputie residing within Rome in the Palace of Saint Peter at a certaine stipend by the day to void all contentions arising among them Missum suum and this Deputie carried matters so that the least in the Citie had alwaies iustice against the greatest though neuer so neere kinsman to the Pope all fines leuied to the vse of the Emperor who onely could dispense and pardon And this order continued saith that Author vnto the time of Lewis the second sonne of Lotharius This is certaine that vpon a Christmas day as Ado Viennensis writeth Pope Leo set the crowne vpon his head before S. Peters altar all the people crying out To Charles Augustus crowned of God Ado Viennens in Chroni an 798. Ab eodem Pontifice adoratus est great and peaceable Emperour of the Romans life and victories After which salutations he was adored by the Pope himselfe after the manner of the ancient Princes and from that time leauing the name of Prince he tooke the title of Emperour and Augustus And if you would know what is meant by the manner of ancient Princes Saluian telleth vs Saluian in ep ad parent That the manner was for seruants to kisse their Lords and Masters feet And in such qualitie did they acknowledge Charlemaigne euen as liege Lord of the Citie of Rome as Paulus Diaconus speaking to him saith You shall find expressed the names of the streets gates bridges places and Tribes of your Romulean Citie that is of Rome Aimo l. 4. c. 90. Paul Diacon in dedicat Festi Pompeij And thus did Charlemaigne make the Bishop of Rome know himselfe euē in Italie and in the proper place of their magnificence And this was the cause of his comming thither at that time not as they would haue it to kisse the Popes pantofle or to visit S. Peters threshold for we find euen at this very time one Claudius Bishop of Turin crying out
which saith That Siluester ended his life after a base and villanous manner Benno Card. in vita Hildebrandi And Cardinall Benno another of that time speaking of him hath these words Gerbert shortly after the yere of our Lord 1000 ascending from the bottomelesse pit by the permission of God possessed the See foure yeres who changing his name was called Siluester the second and by those selfesame means which he had deceiued others which was the answers of the diuels he likewise deceiued himselfe being surprised by the iust iudgements of God with a sudden death And afterwards he proceedeth in the historie as before Benno addeth That he had for his disciples Theophilact and Laurence who sacrificed vnto diuels and that betwixt them and diuers others after his death there was much contention by the selfesame arts who should attaine to the Popedome and that his successors a long time after made it their profession which hereafter we shall speake of more particularly Baronius though in horror of the miserable end of Siluester he call it into doubt yet he giueth but a hard judgement of him to the end he might both begin and end that Age with the publike abhomination of that See Before his Popedome he painteth him out to be a courtier among courtiers with which profession he began that by his garrulitie flatterie detraction and double heart composed to dissemble and to deceiue Baron an 991. art 6. 7. 992. art 3. he might excell all others But being come to his Popedome he affirmeth that of him which he would haue vs beleeue of all the rest That he was no way transubstantiated by his chaire But to say the truth saith he An. 999. art 2. he was verie vnworthie of that See but such indignities the church of Rome was constrained to endure because the Roman Bishops were elected by secular Princes In the meane time he would not see that better were not chosen by the elections and factions of the Clergie Sergius successor to Siluester made this Epitaph wherein he acknowledgeth him to haue bin created by Otho the third Post annum Romam mutato nomine sumpsit Obtulit hoc Caesar tertius Otho sibi After a yeare he ruled Rome with changed name Otho the third then Caesar gaue the same And whereas Sigonius affirmeth Othone 3. Diploma Donationis quod Assisij seruatur in Archiuis Ecclesiae Romanae That Otho the third at his request renewed the Donations which are said to be of Pepin Charles Lewis to the Church of Rome as he alledgeth no Author so it is easily refelled by the testimonie of Otho himselfe For in that donation whose letters patents are kept in the Popes register at Asisij he giueth onely eight counties to Siluester his master as before wee haue noted by which donation he excludeth all the rest and withall the palea of Constantine he reiecteth and acknowledgeth not that of Charles and Lewis and makes as little account of that of Caluus himselfe Adde hereunto that not without the dishonour of the See this donation is said to be gotten by Siluester by the seruice of the diuell Iohn Sicco a Roman succeeded Siluester in the yeare 1003 according to Platina the nineteenth who continued onely fiue monethes and yet in that short time it is said that he brought to passe that the election of the Roman Popes should belong onely to the Roman Clergie without the consent of the people whereby the authoritie of the Cardinals was greatly encreased alledging these words The people are to be led not to be followed Bacontorpius in Prologo in 4. sent q. 10. An order neuerthelesse ill obserued a long time after Stella likewise attributeth vnto him the Feast of all Soules first inuented by Odilon Abbot of Clugnie the obseruation whereof Iohn afterwards imposed vpon all Iohn the twentieth called Fasanus succeeded him and presently Sergius the fourth neither of them prayse worthie in any thing Afterwards followed Benedict the eigth Iohn the one and twentieth Benedict the ninth Siluester the third Gregorie the sixt which bring vs to the yeare 1045 An. 1045. and were all of one stampe created by the factions of the Earles of Tuscane and if we may beleeue their owne writers all infamous for the art Magicke Cardinall Benno speaking of Hildebrand who was Gregorie the seuenth saith Cardin. Benno in vita Hildibrandi That he had learnt of his masters the doctrine of the diuels of Theophilact whose surname was Benedict the ninth of Laurence the Archbishop of Amelfis and of Iohn Archpriest of S. Iohn Port Latine who was named Gregorie the sixt Particularly of Theophilact or Benedict the ninth he saith That he sacrificed to diuels in woods and mountaines and by the art Magicke won vnto him the loue of women The bookes that were found in his house after he had ended his wicked life in a bad manner witnesse the same He was alwayes assisted by Laurence the Prince of Inchanters who gloried much amongst the Bishops Cardinals and Senators that he had such a disciple In the end saith he he was strangled by the diuell in the forests his Archpriest banished and Laurence enforced to run away In all other things he was so ignorant that he had a Collegue consecrated with him to doe the seruice For which cause Onuphrius himselfe calleth him a man of nothing Martinus in Chron. Platina in Benedict 8. Petrus Damianus in libro qui inscribitur Gratissimus and yet neuerthelesse by certaine intermissions of times hee raigned ten yeares and somewhat more Many Authors report and among the rest Petrus Damianus the Cardinall who liued neere about those times That Benedict after his death appeared to a certaine Hermit neere to a mill in a most horrible shape being in bodie head and taile like to an Asse and being asked why he so appeared he answered Because I liued in the Popedome like a beast without reason without law without God This Damian neuerthelesse being a great champion of the Popes as shall be shewed in his due place Herman contractus in Chron. Waltramus de inuestitura Glaber Hist l. 5. Platina in Siluest 3. alijs The Cardinall Benno saith also of Siluester the third That the Church of God by his occasion was strangely torne and troubled with ciuile wars and infinit murders But Waltramus being guiltie of his owne insufficiencie and perceiuing the Emperour comming to Rome resigned the Popedome to the Archbishop of S. Iohn Port Latine for 1500. pounds of gold And Glaber sayth he was chosen Pope being a child of twelue yeares of age but Baronius saith of ten yeares Platina therefore thus speaketh of them all The Popedome was then come to that passe that he that excelled all others in bountie and ambition I say not sanctitie of life and learning was onely able to obtaine that dignitie the best sort of men being oppressed and reiected I would to God saith he this had
to be next vnder God their supreame Lord who likewise reuerenced him as a Father Gregorie the seuenth contrarily who was Hildebrand putting his confidence in the armes of the Normans who then raged and rioted throughout Apulia Calabria Campania which by violence they had possest and trusting likewise vpon the riches of Matilda an insolent woman and the discord of the Germans was the first that against the custome of his Elders contemning the imperiall authoritie possessed the â—â—pedome and durst to say That Christ had put vpon him both persons giuing him power to bind and to loosse to exercise both charges Ecclesiasticall and secular to transferre all power vnto himselfe not to indure any equall much lesse a superior to contemne Emperors and Kings as holding their Dominions at his will and pleasure to bring Prelats and Bishops into order to denounce to chaunge States to sow discords to raise warres to authorise factions to absolue oaths and though he wrong the Emperour himselfe yet in a certaine Epistle of his he glorieth that he must be feared because it is he that cannot erre that hath receiued of Christ our Lord and Sauiour and S. Peter power to bind and to loosse how and whomsoeuer he please Then he likewise addeth began those perillous times which Christ and Peter and Paule had so long before foretould Then were those fables of Siluester and Constantine no lesse sottishly than impudently deuised and diuers others which it becomes not Christian modestie to relate then did counterfeit religion put on the shape of pietie Then began robberies the sale of holie things and diuine Philosophie to be polluted corrupted and violated by Sicophants subtile interpretations lyes old wiues tayles Insomuch that without the vtter ouerthrow of many true religion cannot be restored to her auntient maiestie All this began with Hildebrand who first built vp the pontificall Empire which his successors for 450 yeares retayned in despite of the world and the Emperours in such a maner that they brought the infernall spirits beneath and gods aboue into seruitude making all subiect to their yoake and terrifying the whole world with their thunderbolts Quo bruta tellus vaga flumina Quo Stix inuisi horrida Taenari Sedes Atlanteusque finis Concutitur mutant ima summis As farre as earth as Sea extends As Stix or horrid Taenaris Yea where the hill Atlanteus ends His fearefull power carried is And all this this Author deliuereth notwithstanding he were by profession a Roman being willing perhaps to haue said more if it had beene lawfull for he concludeth with these words The Roman Emperor is now no more than a bare name without a bodie without forme notwithstanding the fruit be knowne by the tree and no man gathereth grapes of thistles and the souldier knoweth his captaines colours but yet we must not iudge before the time but according to the rule of S. Paul we must attend the perpetuall decree of the eternall Iudge As if he would haue alluded to that place of the Apostle speaking of Antichrist And now ye know what withholdeth the Roman Empire that he might be reuealed in his time What manner of man this Hildebrand was we shall see in his due place But yet at the first he bewrayes not his boldnesse but when the Emperor Henrie sent the Earle Heberard to Rome to admonish the Romans of their offence and threatning withall that except they did satisfie him he would pronounce the election void he humbly answered That he was enforced to vndertake the Popedome against his owne will neither would he euer haue suffered himselfe to be consecrated had he not vnderstood by the relation of his Legats that the election was approued by the Emperour By which words he so pacified the Emperor that he easily yeelded his consent to his consecration But presently after he held a Councell at Lateran where he renewed the Canons against those his Heresies of Simonie and Nicholaisme sufficient preteâ—â—es to diminish the authoritie of Henrie and if he should oppose himselfe against them to make him an Heretike The one of them tooke from him all authoritie at Milan if any were left the other should daily diminish that power which he retained in Germanie by the right of Inuestiture The summe of them was this It shall not be lawfull for a Clergie man to marie a wife nor to take their inuestiture at the hands of a lay man vnder paine of excommunication But it is worth the noting that the Countesse Mathilda was present at this Councell a woman no lesse infamous for her vnchast life than her pride Erlembald gouernour of Milan put the first Decree in execution continuing his rage against the Clergie and vpon the day called Coena Domini the Supper of the Lord he forbad Godfrey whom the Emperour had made Bishop to consecrate the oyle An. 1075. and prouided other The yeare following 1075 he did the like he himselfe ministring the oyle in the Paschall ceremonies but all the Priests refused to receiue it at his hands except Luitprand onely Curat of S. Paul Whereupon the people being much offended forsooke the citie protesting that they would obey no Bishop but him whom the Emperour should nominat and not long after entring into the citie againe they killed both Erlembald and his Luitprand Godfrey in the meane time not being accepted by the Pope stood still excommunicated not without the great indignation of Henrie who neuerthelesse to accommodat himselfe a little vnto him named in his place Theobald Castillon who was kindly receiued by those of Milan And from this onely act let euerie man judge how vnwillingly this yoke of single life was receiued in Italie Gregorie vrgeth the same in Germanie writeth to the Princes and their wiues That they should not frequent the Masses of maried Priests That they should execute his Decree and account those for excommunicat persons that obeyed it not declaring vnto them that they were neither Priests nor might sacrifice Whereupon the common people grew insolent against them and trampled the Hoast consecrated by them vnder their feet though it were at that verie time when the opinion of the reall presence began to spread abroad From this occasion saith Auentinus many false Prophets did arise who with fables myracles examples they cal them turned the people of Christ from the truth interpreting the Scriptures so as that they might serue their owne turnes whilest in the meane time vnder the honest name of chastitie whoredome incest adulterie were euery where freely committed But yet in the meane time notwithstanding the attempts that were made at some Councels in Germanie and the threats that were thundered out by the Legats à Latere of Pope Gregorie they could not persuade the Bishops to yeeld their consent to this Decree or to depose those Priests that were maried defending themselues by the authority of the Scriptures the auncient Councels and the Primitiue Church adding thereunto the commaundement of God and
and Lotharius prostrat at his knees receiuing the Imperiall Crowne and when he was returned into Germanie the Pope by two Cardinalls sent him the Epistle aboue mentioned Therefore all the Princes of the Empire which assisted him were greatly offended hereat and as some of them complained of so insolent a Legation one of the Popes Legats Quasi gladium igni addens as it were adding the sword to fire replied for to take away all ambiguitie Of whom then doth the Emperour hold the Empire if not of my Lord the Pope At which words Otho Count Palatine set his hand to his sword and would haue slaine him had not the Emperour withheld him who also without any other answer sent away the Legats in safetie to Rome by the neerest way for feare least they should goe vp and downe suborning the people In the meane time Frederick writeth to all the States of the Empire complaining of this insolencie and sent them a copie of the letters obseruing vnto them the clauses abouesaid Flowing saith he from the Mammon of Iniquitie that puffeth him vp with a heape of pride of hautinesse of arrogancie and of execrable loftinesse elatione of heart notwithstanding that he held the Empire by the election of the Princes and from God alone That the Apostle S. Peter himselfe had instructed the world in these words Feare God honour the King So that whosoeuer shall say he holdeth the Imperiall Crowne by the benefit of the Pope is contrarie to diuine institution to the doctrine of S. Peter and conuicted of lying To this he added moreouer That he was resolute as he had begun to warrant the libertie of the Churches from the hands of the Aegyptians to wit from the Pope as from a Pharaoh exhorting them to lend him their helping hands And it is not to be forgotten that he found about the Legats many blankes signed and sealed to be filled at their discretion for to sow their venime of iniquitie through the Churches of Germanie to despoyle the Altars carrie away the vessels of the house of God cruces excoriare to slea or fleece the crosses that is to say to plucke off the gold and siluer that couered them which was the cause that he made them take the neerest way that hee might câ—â— off such practises The Legats being come to the Pope who besides was in contention with the Romans resolued vpon their answer to write to the Bishops of Germanie complaining that Frederick had misconstrued the good meaning of his letters and namely these words Insigne beneficium tibi contulimus Radeuicus l. 1. c. 15. 16. We haue giuen thee this notable benefit of the Crowne And much harder were the words in his letters He requested them to pacifie his mind and to induce him to make such satisfaction of the speeches to his Legats as that all men might be edified thereby So doing they should doe a good seruice to Saint Peter But the Bishops and Prelats of Germanie being vpon this Legation assembled together doe answer him That all the Commonwealth of the Empire was moued at the clauses contained in his letters that the eares of the Emperour could not patiently heare them nor of the Princes endure them that themselues for that sinister ambiguitie could not approue them being vnusuall and neuer before heard of till then Radeuicus l. 1. c. 16. That in consequence of his letters they had admonished the Emperour From whom thankes be to God say they we haue receiued such an answer as became a Catholike Prince Note here his words as followeth There are two things saith he whereby our Empire ought to be gouerned the holie lawes of Emperours and the good custome of our Fathers and predecessors These bounds of the Church we neither will nor can transgresse neither admit any thing that departeth from them We willingly yeeld to the Pope his due reuerence but we hold the free Crowne of our Empire onely from God and his diuine bountie The first voyce of election we acknowledge is from the Archbishop of Mentz and then of other Princes euerie one in his order the royall vnction from the Bishop of Cologne the last which is the Imperiall vnction from the Pope Whatsoeuer is more than this ex abundanti est à malo is superfluous and from that wicked one c. Wee haue not neither will we by Edict stop the entrance and passage of Italie from them that goe to Rome be it for voyage or other reasonable causes hauing the testimonie of their Bishops and Prelats but we haue an intention to remedie the abuses wherewith all the Churches of our realme are grieued and almost all cloisterall disciplines dead and buried In time past God exalted the Church by the Empire now the Church not by God as we beleeue ruinateth the Empire They began by a picture from that they came to writing and now writing endeuoureth to passe into authoritie We will not endure it we will not suffer it we will rather for goe our Crowne than consent that by vs it shall fall into decay Let them deface the pictures let them withdraw these writings that there remaine not an eternall memorie of enmitie betweene the Kingdome and the Priesthood In these tearmes represented they to Adrian the resolution of Frederick concluding with a supplication That he would mitigat the former writings by other more mild for to appease the magnanimitie of the Emperour And in the mean time the Emperour sent into Italie Otho of Witelsbach Palatine and Renold Earle of Assell his Chauncellor great personages for to keepe all men in obedience Sigon de regno Jtal. l. 12. and to receiue the oath of the Lords Bishops and Comminalties the forme whereof was this I promise that from henceforth I will be faithfull to Frederick the Emperour of the Romans my Lord against all men c. namely I will not take away from him his royalties of such a Countie or Bishopricke c. Radeuicus l. 1. c. 18.19 I will execute all his commaundements that he shall commaund me by himselfe or by letter or his embassadour to doe iustice c. So that Adrian seeing the commission of these forerunners of the Emperour prosperously to goe forward and perceiuing him about to passe into Italie with an armie he sent vnto him two Legats Henrie and Iacinth Cardinals with letters wherein he correcteth his plea Which Legats saith the Author reuerently with an humble countenance Radeuicus de gestis Frederic l 1. c. 11. and a modest voyce began their Legation in these words Praesul Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae the Bishop of the holie Church of Rome and most deuout Father of your Excellencie in Christ saluteth you as his most deere and speciall sonne of Saint Peter Our venerable brethren your Clerkes all the Cardinalls doe also most humbly salute you as Lord and Emperour vrbis orbis of the citie of Rome and of the world How different is this stile
any proportion which yet had beene too much but simply properly absolutely But if Bellarmine here say Bellarm. de Romano Pontific l. 2. c. 31. Bern. Epist 237. ad Eugenium That Gregorie did this but as he was Christs Vicar I aske him Whether he euer so much as heard that if a Princes embassadour contract any matrimonie in his Masters name he calls himselfe the Bridegroome or if he could doe this without committing an hainous offence Or how can hee in thus doing auoid S. Bernards reprehension who forbids Pope Eugenius this tytle but rather that he should take heed of S. Iohns Prophesie in assuming to himselfe such blasphemous titles Thomas de Corsellis apud Aenean Syâ—uium 7 Comentar de Concil Basiliens Questionlesse Thomas de Corsellis speakes not so in the Councell of Basil We said saith hee that the Church was Christs spouse and the Pope wee know is his Vicar but no bodie substitutes a Vicar in such a sort as that hee will submit his spouse vnto him nay the spouse in matters very important may be thought to haue more authoritie than the Vicar whereas she and her husband haue but one bodie but so it stands not betweene the Vicar and his Lord. This Gregorie died about the beginning of the yeare 1276 whom Peter of Tarento succeeded that was Bishop of Ostia of the Order of Predicants being nominated Innocent the fift and about fiue moneths after Otho Fliscus a Genoway came to the Papacie after this man also who was called Adrian the fift he being chosen at Rome in king Charles his presence who was created and chosen Senator of that citie This manner of election was no wayes pleasing to the Cardinals because their authoritie herein seemed to be somewhat impaired Presently after his comming to the Papacie he departed to Viterbe the better to abate Charles his power and greatnesse for extenuation whereof he sent for the Emperour Rodulphus into Italie to oppugne and make head against Charles who being formerly solicited by Gregorie had promised to come And here the Reader may easily judge whether he was not wonderfully transported with this affaire that hauing occupied the chaire Pontificall but eleuen dayes onely and not yet being fully consecrated he studied and deuised how to supplant Charles Platina in Adriano 5. Neither were the Cardinals satisfied with that forme of Conclaue instituted by Gregorie the which was not obserued in the election of his successor nor likewise of this present Pope but contrariwise it was reuoked by Adrian in the small time he liued by an expresse Bull published to that end that so by this means all ambition and practise might be cut off and all means of attaining to the place by bribes gifts that so they might rather chuse to create the Pope by bandie and partialitie When therefore this Bull could not stand in force and vigor by reason it was made before his consecration Iohn the 22 who succeeded him presently confirmed the same And hereupon Nicholas the third Martine the fourth Honorius the fourth Nicholas the fourth and Celestinus the fift were elected without Conclaue Whereby you may plainly discerne how inconstant the spirit is that leads and directs them Iohn treads his predecessors foot-steps though he was but a foolish and vnworthie man Platina in Johan 22. Bringing as they say more detriment than either honor or profit to the Papacie and therefore hee importuned Rodulphus to come into Italie But hee eâ—cused himselfe through the warre he had in hand with the king of Bohemia and Iohn in the second yere of his Papacie died at Viterbe being by the fal of a vault crushed to death Vpon this occasion the Cardinals returned to Rome and now likewise Charles discharging the Senators place of the citie carried greatest sway in the election who labouring but in vaine that some French man might be nominated after much altercation Platina Stella in Nichol. 3. Machiauel hist. Flor. l. 3. the sixt month after Iohn Vrsinus was chosen being afterwards called Nicholas the third who was a man full of ambition and insolencie for so he is deciphered by Machiauel and he impatiently supporting Charles his so great power he instantly propounded to him how behouefull it was that Rodulph should come into Italie and so from thence to passe by sea into Palestina which otherwise could by no meanes be succoured and releeued also That Tuscan was vnder the jurisdiction of the Empire and except it were restored againe to Rodulphus he would make this serue for him as a just excuse Vnder this pretext therefore he took away from him Tuscan which his predecessors had conferred vpon him by way of Vicariate as also at Rome in that he could not endure to see him a Senator of such soueraigne authoritie he excited his fauouries against him laboring to be chosen Senator himselfe And thus deposing Charles he alone discharged both the Pontificall and Senatorian dignities Blondus Decad. 2. l. 8. He furthermore ordained That no King Prince or any other borne of royall stocke or otherwise of any high eminent dignitie should be preferred to the Senatorship and that the citie vnder no title or office whatsoeuer might not be gouerned by any one for aboue the terme of a yere without his speciall fauour and permission And thus the Sueuian familie being wholly extinct in that he could the more easily forbeare his amitie he now began to tread Charles vnder foot For Rodulph he heard that he had businesse ynough in Germany without attempting any thing in Italie in whose mouth the saying was verie frequent Vestigia Italiam adeuntium videre se non cernere redeuntiuÌ„ He saw the steps of those that entred into Italie but not of such as came well out againe Wherfore out of this confidence he so much the more vrged him seeming to be verie angrie with his delayes but especially in that he prepared not himselfe for a voyage to Ierusalem the which was wont to be a common pretext for excommunicating of the Emperors Rodulph therefore not minding to loose a certaine substance for a greater shadow Martinus Polonus in Chron. ad an 1277. Platina in Nichol 3. Blondus Decad. 2. l. 8. Stella ibid. that he might be freed from this burden he peaceably surrendred and confirmed vnto Nicholas the possession of all Romania vpon this condition That taking Tuscan out of Charles his hands he should restore it vnto him Which being done Nicholas created Bertold Vrsine his brother Count of Romania furnishing him with an armie wherwith to recouer those towns that were held by the Gibellines He also allotted another armie to Franciscus Latinus his sisters sonne being Bishop of Ostia with the same to scoure ouer all Tuscan the Marquisat and Lombardie And thus he disposed of the greater part of Italie Martinus and Platina say That if death had not preuented him hee was minded to haue made two kings of his name one of Tuscan
Christ had giuen to Peter of binding and loossing on earth And by this meanes these chapmen being fatted well returne vnto the citie with many faire horses and a decent familie and make an account of these their collections to Boniface c. which he most seuerely required of them and many taken in fraud he put to death Thus Vrban had sowed the yeare of Iubilie which in his stead Boniface reaped But the testimonie of Theodorick shall not be heard alone though without all exception the greater because his Secretarie Platina himselfe saith Indulgences yea plenarie Platina in Bonifacio 9. were sold euerie where in so much that the authoritie of the keyes and Apostolicall letters were in contempt c. and many wickednesses were done by simonie Krantzius in Metrop l. 11. c. 10. 12. And Krantzius Vnder his Popedome were made many and often translations of Bishops many and often giuings of Indulgences euen to the breeding of loathing in mens hearts Hee gaue graces and Indulgences vnheard of and what he easily gaue he as lightly reuoked stirring vp a report throughout all Christendome that he could not be filled with gold The Romans had hitherto retained the chiefest authoritie in the citie which was the cause that the Popes abhorred to abide there This Pope taking occasion by their discords dealt so with them that in the tenth yeare of his Popedome he got to himselfe alone the temporall domination in alto basso saith the Author high and low in all and through all and to maintaine the same he spared no subsidies nor tributes exacted from the Clergie He reedified the castle of S. Angelo and the Capitoll and therein placed a garrison And this truely hee obtained by a verie notable sacrilege He greatly desired the comming of the yeare 1400 An. 1400. to celebrat the great Iubilie notwithstanding the other that Vrban had interserted Boniface a little before departed to Assisium making a shew to stay there Whereupon the people fearing least by reason of his absence who should giue the blessing the Iubilie would not be celebrated at Rome with that solemnitie they come humbly with great pompe to entreat him to returne vnto them But he the more he is intreated the lesse he is moued and vpbraideth them of their euill behauiour towards him and seemeth to loath the citie That since the later yeares of Vrban they had not receiued any Senators from without but I know not what Conseruers of the chamber men vnsufficient who had suffered all things to be done at the pleasure of the Banderets Wherefore the Romans were brought to that passe being desirous of gaine by that faire that they bought his blessing with the price of their libertie consented that authoritie should bee taken away from the Banderets receiued from his hand a stranger Senator Malatesta de Pisaro admitted also for his safetie a garrison into the citie in which from thenceforth he ruled as absolute Lord all his life time And hereby taking more boldnesse he established the law of Annates in all nations which till then he had practised onely in Italie where he might That by the same saith Blondus hee might make the Roman Bishops his successors no lesse Lords of all Christendome than of Rome for in the law set forth he ordained That it should be lawfull for no man promoted to a benefice to possesse the same before he had payed so much money into the Popes treasurie as the first yeares reuenues thereof might amount vnto and the Englishmen alone obeyed the law in the Cathedrall Churches but in the smaller benefices they contemned the Popes commaund Now in this Iubilie he sold Indulgences to the most giuer as hee had done in the former and though the pestilence grew hot at Rome yet hee would not depart thence Theodor. Ã Nyem l. 1. c. 28. Yea for feare least he should lose in the meane time the temporall dominion of the citie he remained there also in the Sommer time neither gaue hee any almes to sicke pilgrims in that dangerous season although he then abounded in all things for he was accustomed to catch away and not to communicat any thing of his prey to the needie Now betweene the two Iubilies died the Antipope Clement at Auignion who in his obedience was in nothing lesse diligent than Vrban and Boniface To him succeeded Peter de Luna a Spaniard Benedict the thirteenth He being vrged by the king of France who by the aduise of the Vniuersitie of Paris had receiued him onely on condition That hee should indeuour the vnion of the Church sent his Nuntioes to Boniface and his Cardinalls to request him That they might meet together in some place safe to both parties for to take counsell for the concord of the Church This hee propounded indeed discreetly and diligently though as it thought fraudulently And thus also did the Cardinalls of Boniface seeme to take it But Boniface answered not verie gently affirming That he was Pope and the sayd Peter an Antipope and the like words making little or nothing to the cause Whereat the Nuntioes being angrie sayd in his presence That their Lord was not a Simoniack noting Boniface to be one At which words being greatly moued he commaunded them to depart the citie and when they answered That they had safeconduct from himselfe and from the people of Rome and had some time yet left vnexpired which they would enioy he was so immoderatly chafed with anger that his disease of the stone beginning to torment him he went to bed and the third day after dyed Krantzius Saxon l. 10. c. 13. Yet neuerthelesse saith Krantzius that hee might obtaine by the mediation of the mother of God the vnion of the Church hee published by his Buls the feast of the Visitation of Marie instituted by his predecessor Let the Reader judge with what faith in so wicked an intention Neither is it here to be omitted That Francis Pregnan the nephew of Vrban the sixt for whose aduancement he so much laboured when he had a long time beheld a dancing entred into his chamber and gaue himselfe many blowes with a sword and by them that ranne in at his crying out he was hindered of finishing his purpose But the judgement of God which pursued him stayed not long for whiles he was going to Venice with his mother his sonne his daughter and eighteene seruants men and maids his ship was cast away neere Brundusium And so saith the Author all the posteritie of Vrban the sixt was extinguished the waues of the sea requiring vengeance to wit for the Cardinals whom he so wretchedly had cast into the sea And thus are we come to the yeare 1404 when Boniface died for this schisme is longer than can be at once declared OPPOSITION The onely historie of these Antipopes described by such as were neere about them and inward with them the judgement also which they gaue the one against the other the one
the support of Ladislaus king of Sicilie Charles Malatesta his Proctor appeared in Councell hauing on him the Pontificall robes which in token of renunciation he put off before all the assemblie But Benedict hauing beene verie oftentimes cited in vaine by sentence of the Councell is declared to be a periurer Session 11. a scandalizer of the Church a fautor and entermedler of schisme an heretike straying out of the way of faith and for these causes is depriued of his Papall dignitie and cut off from the Church as a withered and dried member forbiddeth all men therefore from obeying him vnder paine of excommunication And though he were almost of all men forsaken yet he continued still in obstinacie Idolum cum idolis suis Cardinalibus saith Krantzius An Idoll with the Idols his Cardinalls Krantzius in Metrop l. 9. c. 1. An. 1414. Yea being at poynt of death in the yeare 1414 he adiureth the Cardinals which remained with him in the castle of Paniscola that they should incontinently chuse him a successor which was Giles Munion Canon of Barcelon by them called Clement the eighth who the fourth yeare after renounced his charge Of this Benedict was that saying of Gerson verie often repeated in Councell There will be no peace to the Churches till Luna be taken away So much did Luna darken the Sunne so much also had these good Popes their hearts set on the vnion of the Church It was meet that impietie of doctrine should grow after the measure of the abuse of power Paulus Aemilius in Carolo 6. Therefore we read that this Benedict the thirteenth was the first that instituted That the Sacrament of the bodie of Christ should be carried before him for the safegard of his bodie that so he might seeme to haue a protector against his aduersaries on earth whom he beleeued to be none in heauen which without doubt he had inuented by the example of the kings of Persia who made their god be caried before them Alexander the fift also because he was a Minorite that he might gratifie the Friers of that Order Theodor. Ã Nyem l. 3. c. vltim who wonderfully reioycing at his creation ran about the streets euerie day verie many in troupes together as if they had beene mad men made a law That all Christians should be bound to beleeue the wounds of S. Francis and in veneration also of those wounds instituted a feast These things as we haue said before although they are judged doubtful yet are found in their owne Histories of those times So Iohn the foure and twentieth Waldensin Fasciculo for that Wicklif had translated the holie Scriptures into the English Tongue would needs haue that translation of the Bible into the vulgar Tongue to be heresie in England But our wise king Charles the fift was of another mind when a little before he commaunded that the sacred Bible should bee translated into the French Tongue for his owne and his peoples vse And let the Reader judge of the inuentions by the pietie and honestie of the deuisors In the meane time the Councell of Constance it selfe whilest it arrogateth power aboue the Pope doth not withall omit in emulation of Popes to extoll it selfe aboue the Lord Christ For when many nations complained vnto them That against the expresse institution of Christ in the participation of the Eucharist the cup of the Lord was taken away from them the Fathers of this Councell feared not to publish a Decree commaunding it seuerely to be excuted which was conceiued in these execrable words Concil Constant Session 13. Although Christ after supper hath instituted and administred to his Disciples this venerable Sacrament vnder both kinds of bread and wine yet notwithstanding the authoritie of the sacred Canons the laudable and approued custome of the Church hath obserued and doth obserue that this Sacrament ought not to be finished after supper c. And seeing that this custome hath beene according to reason brought in and a long time obserued by the Church and holie Fathers it is to be held for a law In which words this clause Non obstante notwithstanding so odious as we haue seene to the Church in former ages for that by it added to the Popes Bulls no lawes so holy but were reuoked now by the authoritie of this Synod manifestly abrogateth not only the vse of the Primitiue Church but the expresse commandement of the Lord himselfe in instituting a Sacrament of so great moment And these things extend to the yeare 1417. An. 1417. OPPOSITION Let vs now consider what the Christian Church thought hereof being distracted and as it were torne in peeces by two sometimes three Popes openly warring one against the other We haue alreadie noted something out of the historie of Theodorick Theodor. Ã Nyem l. 1. c. 7 8. who was successiuely Secretarie to Vrban Boniface Innocent Gregorie and Alexander Neither doth he conceale from vs the murmure and distraction of minds that then was in the whole world whilest some take part with one others content with the conduct of their owne Bishops hold with neither from whence in the meane time this benefit did arise vnto vs in this so great mischiefe That by occasion of this schisme there was a way made vnto the truth and the mouth thereof in diuers things opened And therefore he confesseth ingeniously that it is agreeable vnto reason that the Roman Emperour with the Prelats and Christian people as the spirituall sonne of the Church whose power is immediatly from God should by his authoritie appease these troubles and that they are fooles and flatterers that say That the Pope or Church hath two swords the temporall and the spirituall which great errour being brought into the Christian Church they raise a perpetuall emulation and discord betweene the Pope and the Emperour trampling vnder their feet the Imperiall authoritie to the great hurt of the whole Commonwealth That it appeareth out of the Decrees themselues that whensoeuer any schisme shall arise in the Church that the Emperors are bound and by law haue power to prouide a remedie Which he likewise proueth by the example of Theodoricus the king taken out of the Decree it selfe and is much offended that the Emperor Robert did so flatter and gently intreat Gregorie the twelfth who should haue compelled both parts to haue restored the peace of the Church D. 17. C. Consilia Theud l. 3. c. 9. 10. That the power of the Emperour doth especially tend to the repressing of a wicked and incorrigible Pope scandalizing the Church as it appeareth out of the acts of the Roman Emperours and kings where he alledgeth the example of Otho the first who came out of Germanie to Rome to chasten the disorderly stubborne behauior of Iohn the 13 whom by the authoritie of the Councell notwithstanding he were vpheld by his kindred and friends at Rome he deposed For saith he in those daies the
words We seuerely prohibit this error Matth. Paris in Henrico 3. and excommunicat the maintainers and defenders thereof as men saith our Author that dare touch the holie hill to be oppressed with Gods glorie and that rashly endeuour to search out the inscrutable secrets of God and are presumptuously inquisitiue into the iudgements of God which are like bottomelesse depthes Afterwards the Author also noteth in diuers places how they laboured as much as in them lay to ouerthrow the Parisian Academie to whose lawes and statutes they would in no wise be subiect since they were made Confessors and Counsellors to kings The students therfore were constrained to contribute and make a collection euerie one according to his meanes to send to Rome and euerie ones weekes allowance was cut shorter But they found the Pope aduerse to their proiects as also the Cardinals of the same stampe who in the behalfe of the Mendicants augmented the number of Diuinitie Doctors that so they might be brought in by meanes of which schisme the Vniuersitie was in great danger of a dissipation What was the effect and issue of all these turbulencies will afterwards more manifestly appeare Concerning the Waldenses they did so spread abroad both in France and Germanie that throughout the course of all histories we may as it were discerne their prints and footsteps And also in Lombardie where Petrus Veronensis a Dominican vsed all rigour of Inquisition against those who were called Credentes Beleeuers indicting vpon them all kind of seuere punishment when seising on some of the principall he was found slaine in the territories of Mylan One Carinus was apprehended for this slaughter who notwithstanding the tenth day after was dismissed by the Pretor as guiltlesse and Petrus Veronensis least others should bee discouraged canonized by the Pope for a Saint But we must not omit to mention how Innocent though he imployed much labour and studie to this end and in authorizing his Decretals nor any of his successors could euer effect that the French Churches would be subiect to them As concerning the Canons they rested in the auncient collection of them which commonly is called Corpus Canonum and for the Epistles of the Popes they approued of none but til Gregorie the seconds time that is to say before Boniface Archbishop of Magunce infringed the libertie of the French Synods about the yeare 742 which was so sound and good law Johannes Andreas in Prologū l. 1. Nichol. 1. ad Episc in Gallia constitutos in Epist Bonifacij l. 3. Epist 42. that Iohn Andreas a famous Ciuilian testifies in his Prologue vpon the Decretals That whosoeuer cited any thing not conceiued within this bodie of the Canons he was to be esteemed a criminall of false testimonie The which is farre from that opinion which Pope Nicholas the first held in the nineteenth distinction aboue by vs mentioned 53. PROGRESSION Alexander the fourth succeeds Innocent He treats with Richard Earle of Cornwall and with the king of England for his sonne Edmonds inuestiture in the kingdomes of Apulia and Sicilie Conradinus pretended Emperour and Frederick Duke of Austria not much differing in yeares are both beheaded in the market place of Naples A duell appointed betweene Peter king of Arragon and Charles of Aniou Diuers succession of Popes POpe Innocent dying at Naples the Gouernour shut the gates and enioyned the Cardinals to chuse a successor This was Renaldus of Anagnia Cardinall of Hostia who was called Alexander the fourth This man whether out of the late vision mouing him or his owne natural instinct thereto enclining gaue greater hopes of better regiment which principally was conceiued from this because after his arriuall he solicited in generall by letters to make prayers in his behalfe vnto God That he might proue fit and sufficient for the gouernement of the Church For his other successors saith Mathew neuer vsed any such custome as also for that in his letters especially in those to the Bishops of Germany a copie whereof is to be seene in Auentine Auent l. 7. Matth. Paris in Henrico 3. he sharply rebuked their abuses and vices But saith Mathew giuing too much eare to the imposterous whisperings of flatterers and to the wicked suggestions of men auaricious that is to his Cardinalls his simplicitie was suddenly diuerted and misled And his Bulls which is as it were the earnest and testimonie of Papall integritie came to be tearmed vnexpected fraud although in these poynts also I cannot excuse him that relying on the aduice of some in whom hee was most confident and by the persuasion of Pope Innocent the fourth his predecessor who on his death bed animated the Cardinalls thereunto in that he powerfully determined to continue the warre begun against Fredericks partakers especially against Manfred Fredericks naturall sonne The which resolution was pretended with deuotion and pietie because Nocera a citie of Calabria was then held by the Saracens And in that it was not fit the king of England should so soone discouer the fraud intended to him a Legat was sent which by a ring inuested Edmond his sonne king of Apulia and Sicilia and this incircumspect Prince thought that hee both possessed the cities and the harts of the subiects too Wherfore he presently set forward on his journy taking care for nothing but how he might conuey his treasure through France Presently after another Legat called Rustand was sent to demand a Tenth in England Scotland and Ireland as also he had authoritie to absolue the king of his vow of going to the Holie Land so he would commence a warre against Manfred Thus this credulous Prince suffered himselfe to be deluded with these artes nay and Rustand moreouer both in London and other cities preached the Crosse against Manfred in expresse words And Christians wondered saith the Author when they heard him promise as largely vnto them for the effusion of Christian bloud as sometimes he did for killing of Infidels And the Preachers instabilitie moued mockerie and laughter As also on a certaine day at the end of a sermon not doubting to adde Be sonnes of obedience And wherein should this consist I pray you Why be bound to such or such a Merchant in such or such a summe of money But now obserue the Catastrophe Manfred defeated the Popes forces in Apulia and the subiects of the kingdome vnderstanding that the Pope had constituted them a foraine king vnknowne to their Nobilitie as also that the Croisadoes were diuerted from their first ends and imployed against them as Infidels they all repayred to Manfred yea euen they who before were of the Popes partialitie raising against him a mightie armie Wherefore saith our Author the vsuall respect and deuotion borne by the Prelats and people towards our mother the Roman Church and our Lord our Father and Shepheard the Pope was almost expired For though that Court had many times with great bitternesse of spirit terrified Christs faithfull ones yet it neuer so mortally
wounded both in generall and particular the seruants of Christ as both in this and the yeare following for innocents were enforced to idolatrtes and as Apostates to renounce truth which is God himselfe And here the Author stayes a little in declaring some circumstances which were these Prelats were sold like Oxen and Asses Behold the vttermost condition of seruitude behold the sellers which should haue beene cast out of the Temple and beene whipped But because it is a more vnworthie thing to commit an iniurie violently than to suffer innocently it may be thought that the complaining crie of this will ascend vp vnto the Lord God of reuenge But at length he concludes The Pope hath power in all those things which tend to edification not in those which lead to ruine according to Robert Bishop of Lincolne Neither did matters succeed any better with him in other places for saith he when they perceiued his actions so different from those prayers which at his first comming to the chaire he had caused to be made in his behalfe Manies deuotion grew coole towards him and diuers construed it to be meere hypocrisie and masking of his secular power therefore their former hopes conceiued of his sanctimonie fell to the ground And first at Rome Senator Brancalone of whom former mention was made executing justice at Rome without any exception of persons and the Nobilitie hardly digesting this seueritie after apprehension they put him in prison but his wife escaped out of the tumult and got to Bologna and there caused the hostages to be closely kept The Romans moued the Pope that out of his Pontificall prerogatiue he would commaund the Bolognians to deliuer them who to gratifie the Romans omitted neither threats nor intreats herein yet hee had the deniall Then the people rose against the Nobilitie and in despight both of them and the Pope restored and set at libertie Brancalone The Pope being hereunto solicited by the Nobilitie excommunicated both the Senator and all his followers that is to say the people of Rome omnes cachi nantes all of them with scorne and laughter condemned and mocked at his threatnings The Senator suppressed all the seditious not sparing the Popes friends and neere kinsfolkes and at length he vrged himselfe to forsake the citie and threatned to demolish his natural town and countrey Anagnia The matter came to this passe that will he nill he in verie submisse and humble words he was enforst by Legats to intreat them to forbeare the ruine of his naturall Citie least he should become an opprobrie to the whole world In the meane while Brancalone makes euen with the ground the Palaces of the Roman Nobilitie part of them he casts into prison and other some he hanged maimed many of which were kinsmen and nere allies to the Cardinals being as great a friend to Manfred as he was an enemie to Alexander Yea and after his death his memorie was so venerable amongst the people that in hatred and detestation of the Pope they chose his vncle Senator in his place and closing his head within a rich vrne they set it vpon a marble pillar for a monument of his integritie and justice These things turne the rather to the skorne and contempt of the Roman Court because the Pope vnderstanding of his death admonished the people That they should chuse no man Senator without his consent but they laughing hereat and dispising the Popes iniunction chose forthwith Brancalone his vncle sollemnely electing and constituting him Senator in his nephewes place These things Mathew relates whereby he proues as much as he had formerly spoken in what great contempt and skorne the Pope was held of all men for his euill proceedings and gouernement An. 1259. In Germanie about the yeare 1257 William Count of Holland retayned the Title of Emperour beeing conferred and continued in him by the Popes who retiring out of an hot battaile beeing shot through the bodie with an arrow died Conrades sonne was yet too young to be chosen Emperour Alexander notwithstanding commaunded the Archbishop of Magunza and the other German Prelats threatning them with all in verie grieuous penalties if they did elect this boy sonne to the excommunicated Emperour seeing they could not be ignorant how opposit his grandfather Frederick was to the Popes but so he highly commended vnto them Richard Earle of Cornwall of whom part of the Princes accepted especially for this respect because he was reputed to be rich in treasure and coyne whereupon grew this verse Nummus ait pro me nubit Cornubia Romae The money plainely saies it selfe Rome marries Cornewall for vile pelfe Part of the Electors made choice of Alphonsus king of Castile but the most voices concurred at last with Richard who being sent for out of England he was conducted into Germanie Alphonsus began to moue warre for the holding of his place and sollicited the Pope by Embassadours that no other might be crowned but himselfe Answer was returned from him that the custome was that none could receiue the imperiall crowne except he had formerly beene instald in the Germaine and Italian kingdomes Summa constitut Firma profecto consistit An. 1262. Sigon l. 19. de regno Jtaliae The Empire therefore hanging in doubt Germany was diuided while Octauius his Legat abusing the institution of the crosse proceeded with all kind of crueltie against the imperiall adherents and during these ambiguities Alexander died in the yeare 1261 to whom three moneths after Vrban the fourth succeeded borne of obscure parents in Troie a towne of Campania Celtica Men obserued one notable constitution of his our author cals it most cruell which was That euerie Bishop or Abbot elect was bound personally to trauell beyond the Alpes Math. Paris in Henrico 3. that is to enrich to his owne hurt nay and vtter ruine the Romans purses Vrban called a Councell at Rome not about matters of faith which now grew obsolete but about the expelling of Manfred He thought good therefore to produce against him the Croysadoes and augmented for this end their indulgences Charles Earle of Anjou brother to S. Lewis he also called into Italie out of hope to be installed in the kingdomes of Apulia and Sicilie And thus all the treasure which Henrie king of England had so vnaduisedly disbursed was sunk and swallowed vp in this ambitious gulph And Charls took counsel of king Lewis about this affaire But Vrbans death preuented his comming whom Clement the fourth prosecuting the same designe succeeded borne at Narbone elected at Perugia he presently sent Legats to Charls who commaunding his armie to follow him by land went by sea to Rome where he was louingly entertained by the Romans being created perpetuall Senator which then was the supremest dignitie of that citie And Clement in the meane while held his residence at Viterbe by reason of some controuersies that occurred betwixt him and the Romans Wherefore by foure Cardinals the inuestiture of the kingdome was