Embassadours to the General Councel at Constance at whose procurement it was there ordained saith Stowe that England Stovv 1416 should obtain the name of a Nation and be one of the fiue Nations that owe their deuotion to the Church of Rome which thing vntil that time men of other Nations for enuie had Note this letted Behold what an honor king Henrie V the Alexander of England and Conquerour of France in his most flourishing and triumphant time accounted it to owe deuotion to the Church of Rome which now Ministers would account so dishonorable And for king Henrie K. HENRIE VII Bacon in Henr. 7. VII your Majesties great grandfather his affection is euident by the sword and cap of maintenance sent to him from the Pope anno 1505. 22. But none of the kings of K. HENRIE VIII the Norman blood euer shewed so great signes of loue and affection to rhe sea Apostolick as king Henrie VIII did for a long time For first in the year 1511 he wrote to the French king to desist from molesting Pope Iulius II and in the next year sent an armie of ten thousand men into Onuphr in Iulio 2. Stovv anno 1511. 1512. 1513. France for the Popes defence And in the year 1513 he went himself in person with a royal armie and conquered Turwin and Tournay And not content to defend the Pope with his sword in the year 1521 wrote an excellent booke in his defence against Luther And again in the yeare 1527 when Pope Clement was taken prisoner by the Emperors soldiers he gaue monthly 60 thousand Angels to the maintenance of an armie for the Popes deliuerie And in this singular affection towards the sea Apostolick continued he vntil the 22 year of his raigne anno 1530 when not vpon anie iniurie offered by the Pope or dislike of his religion which except the matter of supremacie he defended to his death and persecuted the Protestants but only vpon occasion of delay saith Stow made by the Stovv anno 1530. seq Pope in his controuersie of deuorcement and through displeasure of such reports as he heard had been made of him to the court of Rome and thirdly pricked forward by such Councellers to follow the example of the Germans he first forbad the procurement of anie thing from Rome and soon after prohibited al paymēts and appeals to Rome and lastly tooke vpon him that supremacie which al his Christian predecessours had acknowledged to bee in the Pope 23. Thus your Majestie seeth how long how honorably and how profitably also vnto both parties hath the mutual amitie and league of freindship betwixt the sea Apostolick and the Princes of al the foure Nations that haue swayed the Scepter of England cōtinued and flourished and how of late it was broken by one Prince vpon meer passion contrarie to the example of al his predecessors and successors also except one child a woeman What dangers troubles he and his kingdome incurred thereby and how his progenie according as Friar Paeto and House anno 1533. Elston did then foretell him is now consumed and his crown translated to an other royal line against which in his time he Hungtinton lib. 6. p. 359. made verie sharp war I need not heer declare Only I will say that himself being after more free from passion laboured to be reconciled to the sea Apostolick and employed therein Bishop Gardiner as he professed in a sermon at Pauls Cross and had easily obtained it if he would haue acknowledged his fault and done penance What remaineth for me to conclude this long Epistle but prostrat at your Majesties feet humbly to beseech you for your own good and in the name of the foresaid Christian Princes as you are the head of the 5 natiō which according Hungtinton supra to Gods prouidēce foretold by a holie man manie years ago hath attained to the rule of the land so you would continue that most ancient honorable and profitable league of freindship which was betwixt them al and the sea Apostolick Who I beseech your grace will giue you more faithful councel then your own Progenitors and forefathers Who can giue more safe and secure direction in government of your Kingdome then your own predecessors who so happily and so long time gouerned it who are so worthie to giue you example or whom can you with so much honor imitate as so manie so valiant so prudent Princes And yet they al with one voice counsel and request you to follow in this so important a matter not so much themselues as the counsel of the wisest king rhat euer was yea of God himself in these words Thine owne freind Prouerb cap 27. and thy fathers freind see thou forsake not especially such a one as hath euer been not only your own freind and particularly your blessed Mothers freind but of al your Christian forefathers who as they haue left vnto your grace their crown and kingdome so haue they also bequeathed their faith religion and freindship with the sea Apostolick as no smal portion and stay of their inheritance We esteem your publick acknowledging of Rome to be the Mother Church and your Speech in the Rarlament self to be beholding to Pope Clement VIII for his temporal cariage and kinde offices as sparks of a greater fire of loue in kindled Proclamat An 1. regni in your princelie hart towards that sea which we beseech Almightie God so to increase as it may one day burst forth to your own good and the vniuersal joy of Christendome Our Lord IESVS long preserue your Majestie with al grace health and prosperitie Your Majesties dutiful subject and dailie Orator R. S.
assisted them Popes haue more benefited Engl. then al ChristdeÌ„ome hath done Weigh I beseech your grace in the balance of your princelie wisedome the foresaid benefits with such as your self or ancestours haue receaued from the rest of Christendome and you shal finde that the sea Apostolick alone hath more benefited England then al Christendome besids and consequently that the forsaking the Popes freindship hath more endammaged your realm then if it had forsaken the rest of Christendome But especially I humbly beseech your Majestie weigh them with such as Bel or anie Minister can shew you to haue receaued from their two seats of pestilence in Wittenberg and Geneua What kingdoms haue they bestowed vpon you vnto what Imperial or Royal dignitie haue they exalted you from what Paganisme haue they conuerted you what enemies haue they appeased what assistance haue they afforded you in any need what good litle or great haue they brought to this land Nay what mischiefe haue they not brought That one Apostata firebrand of sedition Knox sent from Geneua brought more mischief to your grandmother your B. Mother to your Father and Kingdome of Scotland then I can rehearse or your Majestie without great griefe can remember Ministers pretend the loue of the Gospel as the cause of persuading you from freindship with the Pope but yet dissuade not from Cenference at Hampion court p. 80. 81. freindship with the Turke They pretend also your Graces securitie but the true cause indeed your Majestie descried and discouered in Knox to wit their own securitie and aduancemeÌ„t which they fear would be endangered if you kept your ancient and surest freind and therefore with your losse as your Majestie perceaued in your Grandmothers case they worke their owne wealth and securitie And thus much of the Popes 15. As for the Christian Princes of this land though they haue been of foure different and most opposite nations to wit Britons English Danes and Normans yet haue they al aggreed in keeping the league of freindship with the Pope being officious vnto him and accounting him their especial freind Of the British kings of K. LVCIVS this land first is king r Beda lib. 1. cap. 1. Lucius whose particular affection towards the sea Apostolick is euident by that he neglecting other Christian Churches neer CONSTANTIN the Great vnto him he sent so far as to Rome for preachers As for Constantin the great the immortal glorie of rhe British kings his extraordinarie loue and affection vnto the sea of Rome is more notorious then I need rehearse For he not only gaue vnto the Pope the gouernment of Rome and of a good part of the West as besids Å¿ In edicto Eugubin dc Donat. Constant Genebrard in Chron. Ciaconus in S. luest 1. Victorellus in notis ad Ciac himself and Latin Histriographers both t Photius in Nomocan Greecks and u Abraham Abben Efra Iewes professed enemies to the Pope doe testifie but also serued him as a lackey holding his stirrop and leading his horse by the bridle Cad wallader also the last British king in England K. CADVALADER ann 652. hauing left his countrie went no whether but to Rome and there ended his days And if the histories of those ancient times were more perfect or the Britons had raigned longer in this Iland no doubt but wee should haue more examples of their deuotion to the sea Apostolicke as appeareth by Salomon K. SALOMON Argentreus hist Britan. lib 2. c. 27. Baron anno 869. their king in litle Britanie after they had been driuen hence by the Saxons who writing to Pope Adrian II. beginneth his letter thus Domino ac beatissimo Apostol sedis Rom. Hadriano Salomon Britannorum rex flexis genibus inclinatoque capite And sendeth him his statua in gold with diuers rich gifts and money promiseth a yearly pension and acknowledgeth his Royal title to haue been giuen to him by Popes This was the loue of the British king vnto the sea Apostolick 16. To the British kings succeded the Saxons or English as wel in their loue and reuerence to the sea of Rome as in their K. ETHELBERT anno 597. Kingdome For king Ethlebert at the verie first receaued saint Gregorie his Legats verie courteously prouided them of al things necessarie and freely licensed them to preach vsing these gracious words worthie to be imitated of your Majestie For so much as you are come so far to impart vnto vs such knowledg as you take to be true we wil not trouble you but rather withall courtesie receaue you After him king Osuin hauing perfectly K. OSVIN anno 665. learned that the Church of Rome saieth saint Bede lib. 3. cap. 1. was the Catholiek and Apostolick Church sent thither in the year 665 a Priest to be consecrated Archbishop of Canterburie And in a conference about the obseruation of Easter hearing that the keyes of heauen were giuen to S. Peter concluded thus I will not gainsay such a â—â—b 3. cap. 25. â—aronius â—nno 664. Porter as this is but as far as I know and am able I wil couet in al points to obey his ordonnance And in the year 670. He bare saith S. Bede such loue and affection to the Apostolick sea of Rome as if he might haue escaped his sicknes he purposed to goe to Rome and to end his life in those holie places there 17. But what he could not through death perform the valiaÌ„t â— CEDâ—ALLA â—â—no 6 9. Prince Cedwalla did in the verie flour of his age and prosperitie For in the year 689 Forsaking his kingdome saieth saint Bede he went to Rome thinking it to be a singular glorie and renoune for him to be regenerated with the Sacrement of Baptisme at the sea Apostolick and withal conceaued hope that as soone as by baptisme he was cleansed from sinne he should depart from this world to immortal ioy Which by Gods prouidence was performed and he honorably buried by the Pope in S. Peters Church Not long after him to wit in the year 709. two English kings Coenred and Offa forsooke their K. Coenred 3706. K. Offa. kingdoms went to Rome and there became Monks coÌ„tinuing saieth saint Bede at the Apostles lib. 5. cap. 10 K. Ina ann 726. tombes in praying fasting and dealing alms vntil their dying lib. 5. cap. ij Baronius anno 729. Ethelvverd lib. 2. cap. 13. Malmesbur lib. 1. Reg. cap. 2. Polidor l. 4. Stovv in Ina. p. 96. day Ina alias Hun successor to king Cedwal in his kingdome succeded him also in his deuotion to the sea Apostolick For after he had raigned saith Bede 37. years he gaue ouer his kingdome and went himselfe to the tombs and monuments of the Apostles in Rome as in those dayes manie English both of the Nobilitie and Commons spiritual and temporal men and women were wont to doe with great emulation Neither went he only to Rome but became there a
Monke and was the first that paied the Peter pence appointing that euerie householder of K. Ina gaue the Peter pence his kingdome who had thirtie pennie worth of cattle of one sort should pay yearly one pennie to Rome Which money English Seminarie in Rome 900 years since VVestmon anno 727. 764. was partly for the Popes vse partly for maintenance of an English schole or Seminarie which he then built in Rome for bringing vp of English youths there in vertue and learning 18. Not long after about the year 750 saint Richard king K. RICHARD anno 750. Surius to 1. Baronius anno 750. forsoke his kingdome and leaving his two sonnes in Germanie with saint Boniface an Englisman the Popes Legat there went himself in pilgrimage to Rome but dying in the way at Luca is there honorably buried And the year 775 king K. Offa anno 775. Malmesbur lib. 2. Reg. cap. 4. VVestmon anno 194. Polidor l. 4. Fox p. 101. Offa though a warlick Prince went to Rome and imitating the example of king Ina increased the English Seminarie begun by him and imposed the like pension of Peter pence vpon his kingdome of Mercia as Charles the great about the same time imposed vpon France the like tribute to be paied to Rome The loue and affection of king Kenulph a worthie K. KENVLPH anno 808. Malmesbur l. 1. Keg c. 4. Baronius anno 828. Prince and successor to king Offa appeareth by his redeeming the Popes Legat taken of Pirats in the year 808. and by his submissiue letter to the Pope wherein he humblie craueth his blessing as al his Predecessors had desireth to be adopted for his sonne as I saith rhe king loue you like a father and embrace you with al obedience And protested to be willing to spend his life for the Pope K. ETELVVOLPH anno 855. 19. After him king Ethelwolph in the year 857. went to Rome tooke with him his best beloued sonne Alfred to be instructed saith Westmonaster of the VVestmon anno 854. Ethelvverd lib. 3. cap. 3. Stovv anno 839. Ingulfus Bale Cent. 2 p. 113. Asserius in vita afredi Pope in manners and Religion where he aboad a whole year and procured his sonne to be crowned of the Pope and adopted of him for his sonne he also notably repaired the Englith Seminarie at Rome which had been burnt a little before confirming the guifts of king Malmesbur lib. 2. Reg. cap. 2. Stovv anno 839. Fox p. 136. Ina and Offa imposed the pension of Peter pence vpon al England which was afterward paid vntil the later end of King Henrie VIII About the same K. BVRDRED Ethelvverd lib. 4 cap. 3. Malmesbur lib. 1. cap. 4. Stovv anno 875. time king Burdred leauing his kingdome went to Rome and was there buried in the English schole Neither would King Canute though a Dane be K. CANVTE anno 1032. Florent anno 1031. Matmesbur lib. 2. c. 11. Ingulfus Huntington lib. 6. Marian. anno 1033 Stovv in Canute found vngratefull to the sea Apostolick but went to Rome in the year 1032 confirmed the payment of the Peter pence gaue great gifts of gold and silver and pretious things to saint Peter and obtained of Pope Iohn immunitie for the English Seminarie And finally King Edward Confessor last but one of the Saxon bloud would haue K. EDVVARD sonfessor Ealred in vita Edvvardi Baronius anno 1060. gone to Rome in pilgrimage had not his people vpon fear of the Danes inuasion hindred him yet sent he Embassadors to Rome with great presents and confirmed al the duties and customes belonging thereto in England And thus continued the English Kings al the time of their raign in singular affection and deuotion to the sea Apostolick 20. To whom as the Norman K VVILLIAM Conquer anno 1066. Malmesbur lib. 3. Reg. Ingulfus p. 900. Stovv in Harald p. 131. Princes succeded so they followed them in their pietie and religion For besids that they paied the Peter pence in particular Willam the Conquerour having subdued and slain king Harald in the year 1066 sent K. HENRIE I. Malmesbur lib. 1. Pontif. pag. 226. K. HENRIE II. anno 1180. Rob. Montensis Genebrard anno 1180. Sigebertus anno 1163. Neubrigens lib. 2. c. 14. Bale Cent. 2 cap. 94. Holinshed anno 1163. Baronius anno 1162. straight his standard to the Pope as to his particular freind And king Henrie I. professed by his Embassadour to Pope Paschal II. that England was a peculiar prouince of the Church of Rome and paied vnto her yearly tribute King Henrie II. about the year 1180 together with Lewis king of France led Pope Alexanders horse and with great pompe coÌ„ducted him through the citie Tociacum King Richard Coeur K. RICHARD I Polid. l. 14. Genebrard â—n Chron. Stovv â—ale Cent. 2 â— 104. Houeden â— 609. de Lion at the exhortation of the Pope went in person to the holie land with an armie of thirtie thousand foot and fiue thousand horse in which voyage he conquered the kingdome of Ciprus and citie of Ptolemais and ouerthrew the Souldan in a great battel and the like enterprise afterward tooke king Edward I. in the year 1241. King K. HENRIE III. â—tovv anno â—241 Henry III. placed the Popes Legat in the most honorable roome of the table at a publick banquet in Christmas betwixt himself and the Archbishop of Yorke and afterward with great pompe saith Stow and innumerable companie of nobles and trumpets sounding before brought him to the sea How deuout king Richard II. and Englishmen K. RICHARD II. Stovv anno 1407. in his time were to the sea of Rome appeareth by their building an hospital there for receit of English Pilgrims instead of the foresaid Seminarie which as it seemeth was destroyed in that great burning of Rome in the year 1084. in the place whereof S. Thomas of Canterburie had before built a Chappel in honour of the blessed Trinitie This Hospital was afterwards in the raigne of king Henrie VI and Henrie VII reedified and much increased and lastly in the year 1570 was much bewtified and augmented both in buildings and reuenews by Pope Gregorie XIII and by him converted to the ancient vse of a Seminarie retaining stil the obligation of an Hospital 21. The affection of King K. HENRIE IV. Stovv anno 1409. Henrie IV. appeareth by his letter to the Pope in the year 1409 which he beginneth thus Most holie Father our recommendations in humble wise premised And afterward Hauing taken with our said sonne and also with our Prelats and Nobles mature deliberation we beseech with al humilitie and require your clemencie whose state and honor vpon diuers causes as a deuout sonne of the Church so far as we might with God we haue euer embraced and doe embrace by the expresse and whole assent of the estates aforesaid c. And as for king Henrie K. HENRIE V. V he in the year 1416 sent his
Who not obeying the Pope he soone dyed miserably and was left vnburied vntil his sonne had sent home the pledges and sworn to stand to the iudgment of the Church And in the year P. INNOCENT III anno 1207. Paris anno 1207. Stovv anno 1207. 1207 Pope Innocent III. sent to king Ihon an eloquent Epistle and diuers pretious jewels And in the year 1215 when the Barons had extorted from the said king certain l Paris ann 1216. Polidor l. 15. Stovv anno 1215. Godvvin in vita Steph. Lang. Bale Cent. 3. p. 260. charters and liberties the same Pope at the kings request disannulled those charters and excommunicated the Barons who had rebelled against him And when the said Barons had called in Lewis the Prince of France King Ihon put al his hope in the Popes Legat. Paris anno p. 377. chosen him their king and yeelded the chiefest cities and holds into his hands so that England was in manifest danger to be lost the said Pope sent his Legat to assist king Iohn and to forbid the French vpon paine of excommunication to enter into England which he stoutly performed and was a great means of saueing England In the year P. INNOCENT IV anno 1258. Paris anno 1254. Stouv anno 1254. 1258 Pope Innocent IV. bestowed the royal title of the kingdomes of Naples and Sicilie vpon Edmund sonne to king Henrie III and by a Cardinal sent to him the inuestiture P. ALEXANDER IV. anno 1257. VVestmon anno 1254. Bale Cent. 4 p 290. Paris anno 1254. thereof And in the year 1257 Pope Alexander IV. sent messengers to Richard Duke of Cornwal brother to the said king Henrie for to goe into Germanie to receaue it which he did and was crowned at Aquisgran And in the year 1292 when the Barons had wrested from the said King Henrie 3 certain liberties Pope Vrban IV at the said kings request P. VRBAN IV. anno 1292. Stovv anno 1262. Bale CeÌ„t. 4. p 293. 326. Paris p. 1322 sent a Legat to accurse those Barons who had rebelled in defense of those liberties 12. In the year 1272 at the petition of king Edward I. Pope Gregorie X. excommunicated P. GREGORIE X anno 1272. VVestmon anno 1272. Polidor l. 17 VValsingaÌ„ Ypodig anno 1273. Guy of Montfort for killing the kings cousin germain in his return from the holie land condemned him of wilful and priuie murder of sacriledg and treason declared him to be infamous and incapable of anie office in the commonwealth disinherited his posteritie to the fourth generation and excommunicated al those who entertained him and interdicted their dominions And in the same Kings time was m Camden in Cantabrig p 435. Cambridge of a schole made on vniuersitie by the Pope And vnder Edward II. Pope Clement V. apointed that in Oxford should be read two Lectures Clement tit de Magistris cap. 1. of the Hebrew Arabick and Chaldaick tongues and authorized it for one of the foure famousest Vniuersities in Christendome Also in the year 1316. Pope Ihon XXII at the P. IHON XXII anno 1316. Polidor l 17 Stovv anno 1316. VValsingam anno 1312. 1317. said king Edward II. his request sent two Legats to make peace betwixt England and Scotland and to reconcile Thomas Earle of Lancaster to the king who excommunicated the Scots because they would not aggree to peace And in the same year at the same kings petition the Pope confirmed al the ancient priuiledges of the Vniuersitie of Cambridg which of long time they had enjoyned by the benefit saieth n Anno 1317. Stow of the Popes predecessors 13. Moreouer in the year 1489 Pope Innocent VIII P. INNOCENT VIII anno 1489. Godvvin in Episc Bathon n. 42. sent a Nunce to appease the the dissension betwixt the king of Scotland and his people but before his arriual the king was slain And about the year 1504. when there arose a contention betwixt king Henrie VII and Ferdinand king of Spain about precedence of their Embassadours P. IVLIVS II. anno 1504. Spondanus anno 1433. Volateran Comin ventura Stovv 1505 Bacon in Henrie 7. with the Pope Pope Iulius II. hauing heard both Embassadours gaue sentence in favour of the king of England And in the year 1505. sent to the king a sword and cap of maintenance as to a defender of the Church But as no king of England deserued better of the sea Apostolick then King Henrie VIII did for long time so none receaued more honor from thence then he For he receaued not only from Stavv anno 1514. Pope Iulius II in the year 1514. a sword and cap of maintenance for defending him against the king of France but also of P. LEO X. anno 1521. Stovv in Chron. Onuphrius in Chron. Pope Leo X in the yeat 1521 the most honorable title of DEFENDFR OF THE FAITH for his writing against Luther Which title as it is more honorable then the title of most Christian or Catholick giuen by Popes to the kings of France and Spain so was it euer most highly estemed by king Henrie and o Stovv anno 1547. engrauen on his tombe where is left out the title of his supremacie 14. And though Queen Elizabeth had vtterly cast of the Popes freindship yet he forsoke not her For Pope Pius P. PIVS IV. anno 1560. IV. supposing that she had reuolted from that sea rather for fear that her title to the crown might be called in question because one Pope before had declared her birth to be vnlawful then for dislike of the religion which in her fathers and sisters days she had professed sent à Nunce to promise her al fauour touching her title to the crown and p 1562. soone after an other to request her to send her Deuines to the Councel of Trente with promise of al securitie and libertie Neither P. CLEMENT VIII anno 603. may I leaue your Maiestie out of the number of the Princes of this land who haue tasted the loue of the sea Apostolick because out of your own grateful minde you haue q Proclaâ—at anno â—egni 1. publickly professed your self beholden vnto Pope Clement VIII for his temporal cariage and diuers kind offices towards you Besids he hath as is reported censured al such as shal molest your grace and hath often times professed that he would willingly giue his life for the eternal good of your countrie which is the greatest loue that one can bear as our Sauiour testifieth to his freind Oh how great enemies are they vnto England who seek by fals slanders to make such freinds odious vnto vs. 14. By this which hath been said omitting much more for breuitie your Maiestie cleerly seeth how greatly and how continually the sea Apostolick hath euer fauoured the Christian Princes of this land how manie and how great benefits both spititual and temporal Popes haue bestowed vpon them and in their dangers and distresses according to their power