sentence Giuen at Rome the fift of the Ides of Septemb. Anno 1585. Psalm 109. O Lord they shall curse and thou wilt blesse those which shall rise against me shall bee confounded but thy seruant shall reioice THE BRVTISH THVNDERBOLT of Pope SIXTVS the fift against HENRIE the most noble King of Nauarre and the most excellent HENRIE BORBON Prince of Condie Togither with the protestation and declaration of the manifold nullitie or inualiditie of the same WHeras of late there was a declaration pronoūced by Pope SIXTVS the fift of that name being a Franciscan Frier and it was shortly after published and printed that Henrie the most noble King of Nauarre and also Henrie Borbon the most excellent Prince of Condie should first be excommunicate as notorious heretiks from among Christians and also that they should be put from their empires honors and al dignities and principally from hope of succéeding in the kingdome of France secondly that their subiects and vassals should be absolued from the oth of alleageance wherewith they were bound to them last of al that they shuld be set vpon by force sword arms and camps by the most mightie king of France the most excellent and noble Princes aforesaid haue thus protested touching that matter that with the good leaue of all Catholikes and without anie hurt of the cōcord of both religions which the same princes do greatly desire to be kept intire in France that proscription or declaration of the pope being a Franciscan Frier was pronounced published diuulgate against all lawes diuine and humane and that for that cause it is in law none and to be accounted for none that all that furious curse is nothing but a brutish thunderbolt of the Romane papacie whose force is friuolous vain and of none account that principally for fower causes namely for the incompetencie of the rash iudge the falsenes of the allegation the want of iudiciall order and for the foolishnes of the forme wherein it is written wherof we wil héerafter intreat in the same order wherein they are set downe Of the incompetencie or insufficiencie of the iudge THerefore the first cause of Nullitie is the incompetencie of a rash iudge which appéereth therby bicause the papacie of Rome which hath taken this iudgement vpon it against so great princes hath long ago béene condemned for seuen most grieuous crimes by the most part of Christendome namely England Scotland Denmarke Sweueland the most part of Germanie and also the most part of Heluetia namely for impietie for exercising tyrannie in the Church for corrupt religion sacrilege treason rebellion and forgerie And it is certaine that although the popedome had not béene condemned for so great crimes but had béene onelie found guiltie yet notwithstanding I do not saie that it is not lawful for it to be a iudge but not so much as to accuse the basest or simplest man of anie crime of offence vntill it haue fitly purged it selfe of all crimes so far off is it that in this so great a state of matters the pope can condemne so great and so famous and mightie princes of so great wickednes especially being vnheard and before their cause is tried a l. neganda 19. c. de publ iudic Which the Canonists themselues doe teach b 4. quaest 1. c. 1. 25. q. 1. c. omnes 24. q. 1. ca. ait duobus cap. seqq And which more is séeing in this cause of the foresaid princes the matter and state of the paparie it selfe is handled none either ciuill or natural reason doth suffer the pope to sit as iudge in his owne matter and to giue sentence for himselfe in his owne cause c l. qui iurisdictioni D. de iurisd l. 1. c. ne quis in sua causa iud l. Julianus 17. de iud But and if the pope be not a fit iudge in this matter but an vncompetent and vnfit iudge as it shall plainly appéere by those things which we shall héerafter speake it followeth that the sentence pronounced by him is none in law that of it selfe and without any appeale it falleth to the ground And we cannot doubt but that l. 1. pass ca. si a non compe iud l. 6. § quod si quis D. de iniust rupt test the iudgement and authoritie of the most part of Christendome aforesaid shall be of great importance with magistrates and orders and principally with the Parleament of France séeing it is euident that this is the law of all nations that in deliberations especially being hard weighty iudgement be alwaies giuen according l. item si vnus 17. § vlt. l. seq D. de recep arbit to the sentence and opinion of the most part especially where the more part is iudged not onelie by the number of persons but also by the maner and quantitie of the vniuersall order as when of thrée parts of iudges two make a departure suppose eight of twelue but that England l. 3. de decret ab ordin fac l. 3. l. 4. D. quod cuiusque vniuer l. nominationum 46. c. de decurio l. quod maior 19. D. ad municip Scotland Denmark Sweueland the most part of Heluetia and part of high and low Germanie are two parts of thrée of Christendome and that therfore they shal haue great weight and authoritie with the orders and Parleament of France we neither can nor ought to doubt for our singular iudgement of their wisedome Moreouer it séemeth that we ought not to let slip euen that that the pope is reiected for an vnméete and incompetent iudge not onely of the most part of Europe but also of those Churches and nations which in Africa Egypt Syria the East Asia and Grecia do professe their name among Christian Churches The manifold crime of impietie and first for arrogating to himselfe the Godhead THerefore the first crime wherof the papacie is conuict and condemned of the most part of Europe we saie is impietie and that thréefold the first bicause the pope doth get to himselfe a certaine Godhead secondly he derideth and mocketh Christian religion last of all he bringeth in into the Church false and forged religions The testimonies of the first impietie are these The pope doth both reioice and boast that he is called God * where it is written thus It is sufficiently declared dist 96. satis that the pope cannot at all be either bound or loosed by the secular power who as it appeereth euidently was called of the most godlie prince Constantine God seeing that it is manifest that God cannot bee iudged of men Which place Augustine Steuche a most earnest defender of the pope and the kéeper of his librarie in the booke of the donations of Constantine pag. 141. praising and reciting addeth this Doest thou heare that the highest bishop was called of Constantine God and that he was taken for God This was done when he adorned him with that excellent edict He
the true religion of Christ deliuered to the Church by Christs Apostles or a feigned fable of satan brought purposely into the Church by the popes that they might either vtterly extinguish the desire to read the sacred scriptures or at least that they might both be of like authoritie Surely we hope that no man doubteth but that the pope is already conuict most manifestly of false and forged religions and therefore if he excommunicate the king of Nauarre and Prince of Condie out of the communion of his Church which maintaineth these monsters he doth not exclude them out of the Church of Christ but out of the iakes of Dominicans or rather out of the synagog of satan Which thing that it may more plainly and firmely be confirmed we will cite out of the same Antoninus a like inuention of the popish church For in the chapter following he writeth thus Dominic saith he being one night earnest Pag. 190. in praier saw at the fathers right hand the sonne rise vp in his anger that he might slea all the sinners on the earth and destroy all that wrought wickednes And he stood in the aire being terrible to behold and he shaked three lances or iauelings against the world that was set vpon wickednes the first whereof shoulde pearce through the out stretched necks of the prowd another should let out the bowels of the couetous the third should bore through those that were giuen to the lusts of the flesh Whose wrath when no man could resist the mild virgin his mother met him and imbracing his feet besought him that he would spare those whom he had redeemed and that he would temper his iustice with mercie To whom hir sonne made answer Seest thou not saith he what iniuries are done to me Then said his mother Thou knowest saith she which knowest all things that this is the way by the which thou shalt bring them backe vnto thee I haue a faithfull seruant whom thou shalt send into the world that he may preach thy words to them and they will turne to thee the sauiour of all men Also I haue another seruant whom I will adioine to him to be his helper that he may worke likewise The sonne said Lo I am pacified and haue accepted thy face but shew mee whom thou wilt assigne vnto so great an office Then our Ladie his mother offered to Iesus Christ S. Dominic and the Lord said to his mother He will do that which thou hast said well and carefully Also she offered him S. Francis whom in like sort the Lord praised Then S. Dominic marking his fellow well in the vision whom before he knew not on the morow he reknowledged him by those things which he saw in the night and kissing him with holie kisses and imbracing him sincerely he said Thou art my fellow thou shalt run with me And a little after Dominic praied by night in the church and lo the hand of the Lord was suddenly vpon him and was rapt in spirit before God and he saw God sitting and his mother who sate at his right hand clothed in a cope of a saphire color And looking about him he saw reioicing in the sight of the most highest infinite multitudes of spiritual fathers out of euery nation that had begotten both sons and daughters to Christ of holie religions And when he saw none of his sonnes there blushing and being pricked at the hart he wept most bitterly Therfore being abashed with the glorie of Gods maiestie he stood a far off and durst not draw neare to the countenance of glorie and to the excellencie of the virgin But our Ladie beckened to him with hir hand that he should come to hir But he trembling and fearing presumed not to draw neare vntill in like sort the Lord of maiestie called him Then came the man being pricked and of an humble spirit and contrite with his teares and did most lowly and humbly throw downe himselfe at the feet of the son and his mother But the Lord of glorie the comforter of those that mourne said to him Arise Who when he was risen and stood before the Lord he asked him saieng Why weepest thou so bitterly Who said Bicause I see in the presence of thy glory men of al religions but of the sons of mine order alas for wo I see here none To whom the Lord said Wilt thou see thine order But he said That is my desire Lord. Then the sonne putting his hand vnder his mother the virgins cloke he said to him I haue committed thine order to my mother And when he continued in this godlie affection desiring to see his order the Lord said to him againe Wouldest thou so gadly see them He answered This do I earnestly desire And lo the mother of the Lord pleased hir sonne and opening wide hir golden cope wherwith she seemed to be couered and holding it open before hir mourning seruant Dominic and this was so large and huge a garment that it did sweetly contain the whole countrie of heauen by imbracing it Vnder this couering of securitie in this bosom of godlines that beholder of high things viewer of the secrets of the Lord Dominic saw an innumerable multitude of the friers of his order Then his mourning was turned into ioy and his sorrow into solace Thus writeth Antoninus Ridiculously blockishly and absurdly peraduenture some man will say Who denieth it But as we said before of Bernardo his trifles of what sort soeuer these be yet are they both approoued by the authoritie of the pope and also receiued by the church of Rome and therefore séeing religion is vndiuisible for as M. Tullius saith either take away religion quite or else preserue it wholie they must be counted in the place and number of oracles of al those which wil giue their name to the church of Rome a heauie decrée being added that he that shall thinke otherwise be counted an heretike schismatike forasmuch as by these inuentions allowed by the pope as well Dominic as Francis is registred in the number of the Saints of the church of Rome as the same author Antoninus doth witnes By which we Tit. 23. §. 17. fol. 197. vnderstand first for how manie for how iust causes most Christian kings princes and magistrates haue condemned the papacie for impietie and forged religion Secondlie what authoritie this execrable declaration ought to haue in the Parlement of France which was published by Sixtus the fift a frier lately vncowled in which the most excellent princes aforesaide were pronounced heretiks for none other cause saue onely bicause they thought that they ought not to make like account of such inuentions as of the holie Scripture For as they did oftentimes professe before and at this day they do professe so much as in them lieth before all sortes and orders of men yea they do openly denounce séeing the church of Rome hath religion mixed and confused with such inuentions and fables those things
mine owne eies touching me out of heauen vnder which I knew I was cleansed from leprosie For who séeth not that this inuention is of the same sort whereof those be which we read euerywhere in the booke of the Conformities of Francis or in the life of Dominick The ninth bicause it is not likely that pope Syluester and his deacons would be so improuident that they would baptize Constantine a most deadly enimie to Christians and especially to the church of Rome so soone and suddenly after he had told them his dreame and would not first teach him the mysteries of Christ and religion as they vse to do to those whom they catechize Moreouer Zosimus an enimie to Christian religion as I said reporteth that he was taught that religion by a certaine Spaniard and learned how great the force therof was in blotting out mens sinnes and that then he banished out of his court soothsaiers and flamines and other priests of the Romish superstitions The tenth bicause principall authors and historiographers do witnes that Constantine onely a little before his death and in the yéere of his age 65. was baptized and that not at Rome neither yet by Syluester the pope who was dead almost fiue yéeres before but at Nicomedia by Eusebius of Nicomedia in a great assemblie of bishops Thus writeth Eusebius in his fourth booke of his life Hierome in his Chronicles Rufinus in his first booke and eleuenth chapter Socrates in his first book chapter 39. Theodoret in his first booke chapter 31. Ambrose in his booke of the death of Theodosius Neither must we giue credence to Nicephorus who in his seuenth booke 35. chapter when he writeth that he was baptized at Rome addeth afterward that he followeth the church of Rome therein as his authour Especiallie séeing Vincentius in his 24. booke of histories feared not to write according to S. Hierome that Constantine did truellie murder his wife Fausta and his son Crispus and that in the later end of his life he was baptized by Eusebius bishop of Nicomedia The eleuenth bicause it is not likelie if Constantine had appointed to cure his disease with the warme blood of infants either that he would haue their throtes cut openlie by the priests of the Capitolium or that he néeded so much blood that a whole cesterne might be filled therewith No more credible is that that Constantine did so long oppugne christian religion but that he had hard somwhat of Peter and Paul most famous Apostles of Christ and that he was not so vnskilfull in christian affaires that after he was raised out of that dreame he should aske of Siluester what gods they were that were called Peter and Paul for though he had learned nothing saue the vision only it is not likely that Peter Paul did boast themselues before him for gods The thirtéenth bicause it had bin a wicked thing to haue acknowledged that he had receiued the benefite of his health rather at the hands of Peter who was Gods messenger than from God himselfe from whom Peter was sent to him Secondly to Peter alone rather than to Peter Paul iointly For he vseth these words And by the benefits of the same Peter I felt the health of my bodie returne most fully and perfectly Also that is more absurde that is written that Constantine hauing fiue sons did notwithstanding according to the sentence of all his dukes which word is altogither new geason and vnused in the lawes and moniments of the emperors of Rome and of his whole senate and nobles and of all the people that was in subiection to the Romane empire gaue halfe his empire to a seelie poore priest séeing al men know that the senate of Rome retained their countrey superstitions not onely at that time but also vntill the empire of Valentinian which we vnderstand by the epistle of Simmachus writtē to the emperors Valentinian Theodosius and Arcadius * wherein in the Lib. 10. Epist. 54. name of the senate of Rome he praieth them that superstition and worshipping of Idols may be restored againe in the citie of Rome whom S. Ambrose in two epistles written to the same emperor Valentinian and Aurelius Prudentius in godly and fine verses answereth As absurd is it and altogither vnméete for a christian bishop which followeth that Constantine did not onely giue power equall with his imperiall power to pope Syluester but also greater principalitie of power than saith he our princely soueraigntie is knowne of all men to haue And shortlie after Giuing him power and dignitie of glorie strength efficacie and honor imperiall Touching which matter and the ambition of the popes it is woorth the paines to heare the iudgement of Barnard abbat of Clareuall written to Eugenius the pope in his second booke of consideration Learne saith he by the example of the prophets to sit as chiefe not so much to beare rule as to do that which time requireth Learne that thou hast need of a weedhook not of a scepter that thou maist do the worke of a prophet Also Admit thou dost take these things thy self by som other meanes yet not by apostolike right For Peter could not giue thee that he had not that he had he gaue carefulnes for the churches Did he giue lordship Heare what he saith Not as ouer Gods heritage but being a patterne to the flock And least thou think it to be spoken onely in humilitie and not in truth it is the voice of the Lord in the Gospell The kings of the nations reign ouer thē but you shal not do so It is plain the apostles are forbidden lordship Therfore go thou vsurpe greedilie to thy selfe either lording it apostleship or being apostolike lordship Thou art flatlie forbidden to do either If thou wilt haue both togither thou shalt loose both No more tollerable is it that he addeth that he giueth to the pope of Rome principalitie ouer foure principall seas of Antiochia Alexandria Constantinople and Hierusalem Wherein we finde not onely manifest but also ridiculous falsehoode First bicause there was not as yet anie Constantinople which began to be builded afterward in the tenth yéere of the empire of Constantine as Nicephorus witnesseth * Lib. 8. cap. 4. and all the citizens were for the most part giuen to idolatrie at that time So far off is it that there was there either any church or any mother-citie of the churches or prerogatiue Also that is lesse tollerable that followeth that the pope of Rome is placed ouer all churches in the whole world For I omit that which we shewed in another place that this is a most true most certain mark of antichrist whē any man taketh to himselfe principality ouer al churches But we plainly sée notorious madnes of the popes in this place which also we touched briefly in another place séeing they auouch out of this instrument that they had that principalitie by the gift of Constantine which notwithstanding in infinite other
to pope Innocentius and praied him to confirme his order of predicants The pope shewed himselfe at the first hard to be intreated but vpon a certaine night in a reuelation shewed him by God he saw in his sleepe that the ioints and couplings of the Laterane church were as it were loosed and did threaten that it would shortly fall Which when he beheld trembling and also sorrowing the man of God Dominic came to preuent it who setting to his shoulders he did vphold all that frame that was like to fall at the strangenes of which vision whiles he did woonder and wisely vnderstanding also the signification thereof he did ioifully accept the petition of Dominic anno Domini 1210. Thus saith he But what if the Dominicans also who haue now more than thrée hundred yéers with their shoulders vnderpropped the papacie that is like to fal do also begin to faint and to be weakened There is another helping piller found For the Iesuits are risen of late that they being sound fresh may aide the wearie Dominicans So that the matter is now brought to the third rank as it is in the prouerbe Who being now weakened the pope is descended to the vaine thunderbolt of excommunications mistrusting the principall matter It followeth in the bull That not onely the times of our seruice but also all times to come may bring peace to all parts of Christendome We spake before of this kind of seruice Which we prooued to consist therein that kings and emperors do hold the popes stirrop when he alighteth from his horse that they wait vpon him when he entreth into cities like pages that they giue him diuine reuerence worship as he sitteth in his princely throne and that lieng prostrate vpon the ground and lieng at his féet for testifieng their bondage they kisse his shooes But what words are these At this time we condemne heretiks that the times to come may bring peace to Christendome Would our Sixtus vnles he had béen full gorged well whitled and starke drunke not rather haue writen That in time to come we may bring peace to Christendome But let vs procéed to the rest of the oracles of this bull For he addeth afterward In the realm of France Christian religion hath at all times beene in force and so great hath been the godlines faith and deuotion of those kings so manie haue been their good deserts toward the church of Rome that they had from it the sirname of most Christian. If alwaies Christian religion hath béen so greatly imbraced by the French kings why haue so many popes so and so often molested so manie kings of France with these most mad curses and proscriptions of theirs Surely this was the reward and thanks which the popes haue repaied for so great merits of the French kings toward them and their sea For what power soeuer the popes haue it is euident they had all that by the benefits and great liberalitie of the French kings and especially of king Pipinus Charles the great and Ludouike sirnamed Pius as we shewed before It followeth We are compelled to exercise our weapons that are not carnall against two Sonnes of wrath Henrie somtime king of Nauarre and Henrie somtime prince of Condie Surely if any man do not remember by the sword of Iulius the second whereof we spake before that the weapons of the popes are not carnall or fleshly but of iron and as Boniface the eight saith materiall yet shall he knowe this by these words of the same Boniface * Surely saith he he that denieth that Peters in c. vnam sanctam Extra de maiorit obedient sword is temporall he doth ill marke the word of the Lord who saith Turne backe thy sword into thy sheath Therfore both swords are in the power of the Church namely the spirituall and the materiall sword Was there euer any Sannio more ridiculous in any comedie than Bonifacius who saith that Peters sword which inasmuch as he was a fisherman he then peraduenture had at his girdle was such a sword as Paul writeth was giuen by God to magistrates that they might punish wicked and condemned persons Furthermore what great doltishnes is this bicause Christ forbiddeth Peter to vse his sword and commandeth him to put vp his sword into his sheath which he had drawen to reason thus That therefore it is lawfull for the popes to vse the materiall sword Therefore let our Sixtus looke about him how he can winde out himselfe out of this repugnance that the popes weapons are not carnall and that the pope hath power of the temporall sword the material sword the iron sword That the popes weapons are not of iron but that the king of France is commanded by the pope to pursue the king of Nauarre his néerest kinsman with sword armes and camp and to execute this his sentence in such sort that all France may be filled with burnings and murders For this is the very same which Boniface writeth in the same place that The spirituall sword is exercised by the church the temporall for the church the former by the hand of the priest the latter by the hand of kings and soldiers but at the beck and sufferance of the priest These be the words of pope Bonifacius written out in as many letters * least any man ex d. c. 1. de maior obed should doubt but that kings must be ready in arms at the popes becke as fencers at the becke of the maister of fence and that they must lay down their weapons when he beckeneth to them againe that no man I say may doubt but that the most cruell and fierce tyrant pope Sixtus the fift who in this place calleth the king of Nauarre and the prince of Condie by a new and strange kind of reproch Sonnes of wrath denounceth to al French men sword fire torture torment plague destruction and finally an vtter ouerthrow We are all indéed by nature sonnes of wrath as saith Paul Rom. 3. and Ephes 2. But the pope is a sonne of wrath by iudgement malice and will But what is that which he doth often repeate in this bull Sometime king We shall afterward sée more touching his kingdome But by what right hath our Henrie lost his name of king by the same whereby a Sharuebug a scholler of Francis Bernardo doth in this bul cal himselfe the monarch of the church Wo to thy head detestable vile-thiefe and most holie Antichrist Thou doest boast reioice that thou art called God as we haue shewed before Thou hast kings and emperors in stead of bondslaues thou desirest to haue diuine honor giuen thée by them If anie man denie to thée that seruile idolatrie shall he loose the name of a king or prince Let vs heare how greatly Saint Bernard detesteth this Antichrist in his sixt sermon vpon the CXCI. psalme The very offices saith he of the dignitie of the holie Church are gone into filthie gaine and the busines
worshipped him as God as the successor of Christ and Peter he gaue him diuine honor so far as he could he worshipped him as the liuelie image of Christ. Thus writeth Steuchus in the foresaid booke printed at Lyons anno 1547. Of the same kind of impietie is that of the glosse in the preface of Clement The pope is neither god nor man but he is a neuter betweene both Also that other in ca. fundamenta de elect in 6. where when it was written in the text that the pope is subiect to no man he addeth thus And in this point the pope is no man but Gods vicar There followeth another blasphemie out of the booke of the popes ceremonies The pope saith he in the 1. tit 7. night of the natiuitie of the Lord doth blesse a sword which he doth afterward giue to some prince for a token of the infinit power giuen to the pope according to that All power is giuen me in heauen and earth Also He shall beare rule from the one sea to the other and from the riuer vnto the worlds end But there is no more deadly and detestable blasphemie found any where than is that * where in c. quoniam de immunit in 6. the pope calleth the Church his spouse We saith he being vnwilling to neglect our righteousnes and the righteousnes of our spouse the Church c. For all men agrée in this that this is proper to Christ onelie to be called the husband of the Church and that the Church should be called his spouse as it is in Paul * I haue coupled you to one husband 2. Cor. 10. to present you a pure virgin to Christ. But let vs heare other such as is that The pope is he whom the whole Church ought to obey 1. dist 93. Also When the pope dissolueth matrimonie C. inter corporalia de translat praelat it séemeth that God alone dissolueth it bicause the pope is canonically chosen to be God vpon earth The pope hath Fel. in cap. ego N. de iureiur the place vpon earth not of a pure man but of a true God Also If the pope should c. si Papa dist 40. thrust into hell whole troups of souls yet were it not lawfull for anie man to aske him this question Why doest thou this Is there any that thinketh aright of Christian religion which in these monsters of words doth not plainly know Antichrist of whom Paul saith thus 2. Thes 2. That wicked man shall be reuealed that sonne I saie of perdition which setteth and extolleth himselfe against that which is called God or diuine power so that he sitteth in the temple of God boasting himselfe as if he were God What that he durst also professe and openly boast that the force and holines of his seat is so great that what baudie person soeuer or man how wicked soeuer periured person or vngodlie person shall sit in that seat he doth drawe holines foorthwith from that sitting Of which wicked blasphemie this in cap. non nos dist 41. testimonie is extant Saint Peter transmised the euerlasting gift of his merits with the inheritance of his innocencie vnto his posteritie That which was granted him by the light of his actions appertaineth to those whom like brightnes of conuersation doth illuminate For who can doubt that he is holie whom the top of so great dignitie doth aduance In whom if good things gotten by merit be wanting those are sufficient which are performed by the predecessor of the place What me thinks we heare that fable which the poets feigned touching the thrée-footed stoole of Apollo and of the déepe hole from which came such a breth that so soone as the prophetesse of Apollo was once set vpon that stoole hauing receiued behind hir the spirit of diuination she did foorthwith powre Strab. 9. out oracles And yet that detestable blasphemie of the popes champion is shortly after a in c. multi most manifestly reprooued by the words of Chrysostom by which and sixe hundred other places of the decrée of Gratian we may iudge of the follie of that booke But go to let vs now bring to light other testimonies The pope is God vpon earth according to Baldus b in l. vltim c. sent rescind Decius in c. 1. de const Felin in c. ego N. de iure The pope and Christ make one consistorie so that except sinne the pope can do as it were al things which God can do and he can be iudged of none according to Abb c in c. licet de elect and those things he doth he doth them as god not as man d c. inter incorpor de translat praela Car. Paris in conc 63. num 162. vol. 4. The pope is a certaine diuine power and as it were bearing a shew of a visible God as Ludouicus Gomes saith e in reg cancel The pope can make righteousnes of vnrighteousnes f ca. debitus de appellat The pope can dispense against the Apostle and against the Apostolike canons g 31. dist c. lector 87. dist praesbyter The pope is aboue the law h c. proposuit de conc praeb That which the pope doth must be counted as don of God i c. quanto de transl praelat A part of which blasphemies Philip. Deci. k in consil 137 diligenter pro tenui num 3. vol. 1. reckoneth vp And Iason besides these before mentioned reciteth these out of the opinion of the same canonists which notwithstanding as it doth plainly appéere he doth not allow The pope is all and aboue al according to Baldus l in l. Barbarius De officio Praetoris The pope can do all things aboue law contrarie to law and without law according to Baldus m in c. cum super de causis prop. pos The pope is Lord of lords and he hath the authoritie of the King of kings ouer his subiects n in c. Ecclesia vt tit pendent according to Baldus The pope can change square for round according to Hostiensis o in c. cum venissent de iud It is sacrilege to doubt of the popes power p l. sacrilegij c. de crim sacril For the pope is the cause of causes Wherefore we must mooue no question about his power seeing there is no cause of the first cause according to Baldus q in d. c. Ecclesia vt tit pend And no man can say to the pope why dost thou so according to Specul r in tit de leg § nunc ostend ver 89. Bal in praelud feud Thus writeth Iason word for word ſ in consil 145. circa primam num 3. vol. 1. Which self same things in a maner he doth repeate againe only a few words being changed t in consil 95. requisitus coll pend vol. 4. Me thinks we haue set down arguments ynow of the first impietie of the
pope so that the famous Councellers of the king of France and the Senators of the Parleament may know and vnderstand that the most part of Christendome hath for most iust and weightie causes reiected and refused the papacie But notwithstanding we will ad moreouer some other things and that especially That the pope hath so great power both in purgatorie and also in hell that he may deliuer by his indulgences and foorthwith place in heauen and in the habitation of the blessed as manie soules as he will which are tormented in those places as it is in the bull of Clement the 6. and in Ant. Florent That the pope hath so great power in heauen part 3. tit 22. cap. 6. that he may canonize and place in the number of the Saints what dead man soeuer he wil maugre the heads of al the bishops and cardinals Thus writeth Troilus in tract de canonis sanct 3. dub Maluit By which and such like we may know how true that oration of Eberard somtimes Archbishop of Salisburge was which he made two hundred yéeres ago in a publike assemblie of the Empire of Germanie which we will recite out of the 7. booke of Iohn Auentine his Chronicle printed at Ingolstade anno 1554. The chiefe priests of Babylon saith he desire to reigne alone they cannot abide an equall They will neuer haue done vntil they haue troden all vnder their feete and they sit in the temple of God and they be exalted aboue all that which is worshipped Their hunger for riches and thirst for honor can neuer be satisfied The more you grant to a greedie man the more he desireth reach out your finger and he will couet your whole hand He which is the seruant of seruants doth couet further to be Lord of lords as if he were God He speaketh great things as if he were God He changeth laws he establisheth his owne he polluteth he robbeth he spoileth he coseneth he slaieth that wicked man whom they commonly call Antichrist in whose forehead is written a name of blasphemie I am God I cannot erre He sitteth in the temple of God he beareth rule far and wide Thus saith Eberard Moreouer in the same Auentine in the same booke there is extant this complaint of Frederike the 2. being Emperor in an epistle which he wrote to Otho Duke of Bauaria The popes of Rome do seeke after lordship and diuine power namely that they may be feared of all no otherwise yea more than God For it is euident that there be manie Antichrists amongst those Romanists and that none other are the ouerthrowers of Christian religion And shortly after That man that is called the pope namely being become verie wealthie with the great losse of Christian godlines doth thinke that he may do whatsoeuer he will as tyrants vse to do He will render an account of his doings to none As if he were God He vsurpeth that which belongeth to God alone that he cannot erre or be holden with anie religion of a lie he doth require most impudently and imperiously to be beleeued Thus writeth he Moreouer Erasmus in his Annotations of the new Testament 1. Tim. c. 1. doth witnes that in his time in the schooles of the diuines these things were woont to be called in question and disputed vpon Whether the pope could abrogate that which was decreed by the apostolike writings Whether he could decree any thing which is contrarie to the doctrine of the Gospell Whether he can make a new article of the faith Whether he haue greater power than Peter or like power Whether he can command the Angels whether he can take away all purgatorie whether he be onlie man O detestable blaspemie whether as he is God he do participate both natures with Christ whether he be more gentle than was Christ seeing it is not read that he called backe anie from the paines of purgatorie Whether he alone of all men cannot erre Sixe hundred such like things are disputed in great printed bookes And that by great diuines especially famous for the profession of religion These things doth Erasmus write in as many words Annotat. pag. 663. The crime of mocking religion BVt some peraduenture will saie it is onely impietie blasphemie of words Let vs therefore bring to light the wicked factes of the same papacie a few of many as it were for examples sake that euerie one may vnderstand that the popes many yéeres ago did make but a mock and scoffe of Christian religion And first of all that of Gregorie the seauenth which we will lay downe in the words of cardinall Benno The Emperour Henrie the third saith he was woont often to repaire to praier to the church of S. Marie which is in the mount Auentine But Hildebrand who being afterward made pope was called Gregorie the seauenth when as by his spies he made diligent inquirie after all his works he made the place be marked where the Emperour was woont to praie and he perswaded one by promising him money to lay great stones vpon the beames of the church secretly and that he should so order them that he might throwe them downe from aboue vpon the Emperours head as he was at praier and so beat out his braines which thing when he that was appointed to do so great wickednes did make haste to accomplish and sought to laie an huge stone vpon the beames with the weight thereof the stone drew him downe and the boorde being broken vnder the beames both the stone and the miserable man by the iust iudgement of God fell downe into the church floore and by the same stone was he quite crushed to peeces Of which fact after that the men of Rome knew and of the order therof they tied a rope to the wretches foot caused him to be drawen three daies through the streetes for the example of others But the Emperour of his woonted clemencie caused him to be buried Thus far goeth Benno Whence we vnderstande how detestable the impietie of the pope was who hauing no regard either of the place wherein the Emperour praied and which the pope professeth to be holie to himselfe nor of the time wherein he praied but seruing his blinde furie and madnesse sought the destruction of the Emperour his prince But go too let vs cite another testimonie of impietie out of the same Benno Iohn bishop of Portua saith he who was throughlie acquainted with Hildebrands secrets went vp into Saint Peters pulpit and amongst many things in the hearing of the cleargie and people he saith Hildebrand hath done some such thing for which we ought to be burned aliue speaking of the Sacrament of the Lords bodie which Hildebrand demaunding oracles from God against the Emperour threw into the fire though the cardinals his assistants did speake against it These are the goodly testimonies of the papall pietie in Gregorie the seauenth Now let vs cite another touching Syluester the seconde out of the booke of Iohn
Stella a Venetian written vnto the patriarch of Aquileia being cardinall priest of the church of Rome of the title of Saint Marke Last of all saith he he was made pope of Rome through the deuill his assistance Yet vpon this condition that after his death he should be wholie his both in bodie and soule by whose crafts he had attained vnto so great dignitie After this Syluester asked him how long he should liue pope He answered thou shalt liue vntill thou shalt say masse in Hierusalem Last of all in the fourth yeere of his popedome when as in the Lent-time in the solemne feast of the holie crosse he song masse in Hierusalem at Rome he knew foorthwith that he should die by destiny Wherefore repenting himselfe he confessed his fault before all the people and he praied them all that they would cut in quarters and peeces his body that was seduced by the deuils pollicie and being cut and torne a sunder they would lay it in a cart and that they woulde burie it there whither the horses should carie it of their owne accord Therefore they say that the horses came by Gods prouidence that wicked men may learne that there is place left for pardon with God so they repent in this life of their owne accorde to the church called Lateranensis and that he was buried there Thus writeth Stella the Venetian There is extant also a certaine sermon made in the Easter time by Iohn Gerson gouernour of the Vniuersitie of Paris wherin he left it written that pope Iohn the xxij did holde that the soules of the wicked are not in paine before the day of iudgement Which heresie of his the schoole of Sorbona in the same Vniuersitie did stoutlie condemne and caused that pope to recant his errour Of the same sort of impietie is that which we will set downe in the wordes of Raphaell Volaterane out of his fift booke of Geographie where speaking of pope Sixtus the fourth whose name this our Quintus tooke and whose godlines also he doth follow he writeth thus The pope being priuie and helping thereto the conspiratours come to Florence and they meete all togither in the church of S. Reparata at the masse and sacrifice in the morning In the meane while Saluiatus departing the church priuilie with his confederates being armed he goeth into the court that he might speake vnto the banner-bearer feigning that he had some other busines Yet to this end and purpose that when the murder should begin in the church he might be present and readie to set vpon the court and magistrate Therefore when the watch word was giuen in the Eleuation time marke the notable testimonie of the popes holines The watch word saith he being appointed in time of the Eleuation Bandinus did stick Iulian de Medicis brother to Laurence Antonie which was desirous to be chiefe setteth vpon Laurence on the other side behinde his backe and smote him a little below the throte When as he forthwith turning himselfe vnto crieng did auoide the stroke he fled with speed from him as he was about to strike again into the vestrie of the church that was neere to him Then the popes ambassador who gaue that watch word to commit the murder in the time of the Eleuation being caught by the citizens and led by them out of the church into the court was committed to ward and was handled as he had deserued In the meane season Saluiatus bishop of Pisa who of set purpose did protract his speech with the banner-bearer that he might see the ende was foorthwith caught and was the same day hanged vp at the court windowes which message when it came to the popes eares he did excommunicate Laurence de Medicis who as we haue said was faine to saue himselfe by flieng bicause he had laid hands on Gods priests and legate and he proclaimed open war against the Florentines Thus writeth Volateranus Whereby euerie man may sée what great account the popes vse to make of their Eucharist And yet notwithstanding they will haue all Christian religion placed in worshipping carieng about reuerencing and honoring with all maner honor the same But we must bring foorth another argument For what more certaine thing can be brought to shewe the impietie of the popes than that which is common in euery mans mouth that the order at Rome is so often as the popes go on progresse that that Eucharist being laid vpon some leane carrian iade about whose necke a bel is hanged is committed to some horse-kéeper and is sent before amongst the scullions and drudges and other cariage as a messenger to shew the pope was cōming For in the booke of the popes ceremonies 1. sect cap. 3. it is thus written After them is led by a friend of the Sextins clothed in red and carrieng a staffe in his left hand a white horse being gentle carrieng the sacrament of the Lords bodie hauing about his necke a shrill little bell Next after the sacrament rideth the Sextin who as the other prelates hath an horse all couered with buckerom c. Also sect 12. ca. 1. After them is led a white horse trapped gentle and faire hauing a shrill little bell about his necke which carrieth the coffer with the most holie bodie of the Lord. Also cap. 4. Before the pope is alwaies carried the crosse by the Subdeacon and after the crosse is carried the bodie of Christ vpon a white horse with a little bell c. And these are the ordinances of the popes pompe but they are but ordinances For those which frequent Rome do with great consent witnes both concerning the iade that is sent before and also touching the sending of him amongst other carriage There is a booke extant written by Iohn Monlucius bishop of Valentia who was often sent ambassador to Rome for the king of France which booke was written touching religion to Quéene mother whose words are these * being Pag. 101. turned out of French into Latin Quoties Papa c. So often as the pope goeth on progresse least he seeme to giue too much honor to his Eucharist he doth not carrie it in his hands but he sendeth it away before him three or fower daies before he himselfe goeth out of the citie being laid vpon an horses back wherwith he sendeth to beare it companie singers mulitors horse-keepers and other such of his garde of his court that is cookes kitchingboies and curtisans these are his words Then the pope who saith that he is his vicar followeth afterward garded and trouped with cardinals bishops and other such peeres When he commeth to the towne then that which he calleth the bodie of Christ which hath rested it selfe a while there is brought out of the towne to meet him and straightway they salute one another by becking saieng not one word And then he sendeth it before him againe but with how great honor The pope is carried into the citie vnder a rich canapie the bodie
of Christ is carried open What need was there to bring that out of Rome and to carrie it into another citie seeing there is no parish that is not full of this sort What need is there to send it away three fower sixe ten daies before the popes comming If the pope haue instituted that to this end that it may be brought to meet him to accompanie him and to set forth his entrance into the towne there is no towne so simple or poore where there are not such bodies to bee found If it must needs be brought out of Rome why doth not the pope himselfe bring it foorth or at least giue commandement that it be carried with him rather than send it before him amongst packe horses and his scullerie But if for obtaining of rain as they vse to do at Paris and in other places they carrie the image of any Saint or Saintesse from one church to another they vse to do it with great pompe and assemblie of men they haue torches banners crosses and other ornaments borne before them Nay for the most part those which carrie those images are naked and only clad in linnen or at least they go bare foote And the pope will not be ashamed to send that before him which he will haue men to beleeue to be the bodie of Christ with a little lanterne and shut vp in a pixe being laid vpon an horse and accompanied with the riff raff of his court Who wil think it to be a thing like to be true that he that professeth himselfe to be head of the church would commit so great an offence if he had verily beleeued that the bodie of Iesus Christ was corporally vnder that sacrament Thus writeth Monlucius Wherunto we may also adde that which is approoued by the authoritie of many popes and is openly receiued in the Romish church out of the booke of the Conformities of S. Francis As Frier Francis Fol. 72. was saieng masse he found a spider in the chalice which he would not cast out but drank hir with the bloud Afterward as he rubbed his thigh and scratched where he felt it itch the verie spider came out of his thigh without doing the Frier any harme Also One named Fol. 67. Bonelus would not beleeue that the consecrated host was the bodie of the Lord and he said that his asse would eate the hosts which when S. Anthonie heard he said masse and brought a consecrated host to the asse and shewed it hir Forthwith the asse kneeled downe and bowing downe hir head did worship it Which when Bonelus saw he became a catholike Doth it not séeme that the pope learned in the schoole of this asse that wherof we spake before that when the Eucharist is brought to him he vseth to becke and bow downe his head and so to salute it Of feigned religions THe third argument of the popes impietie remaineth For although we haue both a forme of Christian religion and also to worship God prescribed both by Christ and also by his apostles and though we haue the same deliuered vnto vs in the bookes of the new Testament and God doth accurse those so often which bring in feigned religions into the Church yet the papacie hath brought in new inuentions of religion so absurd and rediculous that in so great calamitie we must notwithstanding giue thankes to the immortall God that he hath suffered so great wickednes to befall the dull wits alone The inuentions of religions are these in a maner first the innumerable troupes of Munks as Augustinians Battuti Benedictines Bernardines Carmelites Capuchines Cartusians Caelestines Dominicans of ignorant Friers Franciscans Hieronymitans Maturines of which euerye order hath his particular forme of cowléd gownes distinct from the rest and of diuers colors euery one of them haue their proper and seuerall prescript forms to worship their Gods and as they say in plaine words their prescript forms of their religion their rites and ordinances far vnlike to the rest Yet there is such a multitude of them that in our Europe the number is thought to amount to fiue hundred thousand Which we may easily coniecture For Sabellicus hath left in writing * that the sect of Franciscans did Ennead 9. li. 6. so swarme throughout the whole world that there were of them fortie prouinces and that vnder euerie one there were sundry kéepers of the conuent Wardons they call them and thréescore thousand men So that the maister of the whole order which they call their generall hath oftentimes béen heard promise the pope at such time as he was to set out an army against the Turke of the familie of the Seraphicall Francis thirtie thousand men of war which coulde play their parts stoutly in the wars without any hinderance of the holie seruice Againe their inuentions of miracles and doctrines are so false that now the most of them are not onelie wearie but also ashamed of so great follie Neither would it séeme to be a thing like to be true in any mans iudgement at this time that the vanitie of mankind was so great in times past and that the darknes of religion was so great vnlesse there were proofes héerof extant more cléere than the sunne For no man in déed denieth that amongst the Romans and other profane nations there were most absurd inuentions of religions but sillie men liued then in cruell and darke clouds and as it were in a night when the moone shineth not that is without any moniments of holie scripture But when as the same bookes of scripture were extant where Christ gaue light to mankind as the sunne beame who would thinke that sathan and the pope could preuaile so much by their messengers that in so great light they should notwithstanding blind mens eies and as it were kéepe them fast bound with bands Go to then let vs also fet out of the moniments of the Franciscans and Dominicans some examples of this kind of forgerie For séeing this pope Sixtus came out of that crew and sinke we must sée what maner forme of religion he bringeth vs out of that schoole Therfore let be ranged in the first ranke that common oracle which we wil prooue out of the booke of the Conformities of Francis to be commonly receiued and approoued in the church of Rome that Francis sonne of Peter Bernardo was in a trance conioined with Christ and had as many stripes marks and was pricked by Christ in the selfsame places as Christ had when he hanged vpon the crosse and that for this cause he was called the Typicall Iesus that is as it were a type and figure of Christ crucified So that as the seale or print maketh a marke in the wax so Christ did imprint his wounds in the bodie of Francis like Iesus Christ is the image of the father so is Francis the image of Christ finally that Christ appéereth in the bodie of Francis as the image in the glasse Wherupon commeth that wicked
was more than Iohn the Baptist Fol. 18. bicause Iohn Baptist was onelie a preacher of repentance Francis was both a preacher and also an ordainer of the order of Repentance He was a fore-runner of Christ Francis was a preacher and standerd-bearer of Christ wherin he surmounteth Iohn Baptist. Also Francis went before Iohn bicause he conuerted more vnto the Lord and in more places namely in the whole world Iohn preached but two yeeres and a little more but Francis preached eighteene yeeres Iohn receiued the word of repentance from the Lord Francis receiued it both from the Lord and the pope that 's more It was told by an Angel to Iohn Baptists father it was declared by the holie Ghost and the prophets what a one he should be But S. Francis was declared to his mother and the seruants in the shape of a stranger by the prophets the Lord Iesus Christ and also by an Angell S. Iohn prophesied in and without his mothers wombe S. Francis foretold with ioy in the wombe that is being prisoner at Perusius that he should bee some great man S. Iohn was the friend of the bridegroome S. Francis was like the Lord Iesus Christ. Iohn was the most singular in the world for holines Francis was the most excellent of all other with Christ for the conformitie of his marks S. Iohn was aduanced in the Seraphicall order S. Francis was placed in the verie same order in the place of Lucifer What is it to mocke Christian religion and to deride the sacred historie of S. Iohn Baptist if this be not O God thou Lord of vengeāce how long wilt thou suffer these monsters of popes to mocke thy most holie maiestie so reprochfully How long wilt thou suffer them to rage in thine holie temple But surely there is another place in that same storehouse of blasphemies almost more detestable For * he saith Francis Fol. 39. is better than the Apostles bicause they forsooke onely their ship and other things but yet not their garments which they had on their backe But S. Francis did not onely forsake all earthly things but he did also cast from him his clothes and breeches and offered himselfe being cleane both in bodie and mind to the arms of the crucified which we read not of any other Saint Wherefore he might well saie to Christ I haue forsaken all and followed thee Where be those Pharaos and the woorser champions of the Pharaos which count the iuggling casts of the magitians better than the miracles of Moses and make semblance that they take delight in these munkish monsters that they may remoue the vnskilfull people from reading the holie scripture and from studieng the same and that they may abuse their subiects as beasts And yet these things were beléeued in former ages and no maruell sith Paul foretold so plainely that Antichrist should come with the effectuall working of satan with all power and signes and lieng woonders and with all fraud of vnrighteousnes in those that perish bicause they receiued not the loue of the truth that they might be saued Therfore God shall send vnto them the efficacie of deceit 2. Thes 2. that they may beléeue a lie that all that haue not beléeued the truth may be condemned The inuention of the religion of Dominic BUt let these things hitherto be spoken of the feined religions in the person of Francis Bernardo let vs héereafter sée somwhat of the inuentions of another frier called Dominic Wherin we must giue the first place to that wicked comparison wherin Dominic God the father of mercie pardon vs which are compelled to recite these blasphemies is matched with Christ being God For in Antonie bishop of Florence it is thus written The Lord In hist. par 3. tit 23. ti 24. Christ saith he is Lord absolutely and auctoratiuely Dominic possessiuely He had manie diuine visions he saw Christ once purposed to iudge and make an end of the world but the virgin Marie besought him that he would staie and send Dominic and Francis to preach And againe when he saw the heauen open and friers of all sorts in glorie and he saw not his Dominicans but it was told him by the sonne of God that they were vnder the garment of the virgin Marie whom he saw there and a certaine master of the order of the Minors which made a very great masterly booke of S. Dominic saith that in the said vision it might be said that Dominic did then see God in his essence as Paul when he was caught vp But it shall appeere that he was very like to Christ by the discourse of his life and works Therfore he was most fitly named Dominic being most like to the Lord Christ The Lord saith I am the light of the world the church singeth of Dominic You are the light of the world All the prophets beare witnes of the Lord of Dominic and his Act. 10. Zach. 11. order Zacharie said in the person of God I haue taken to my selfe two rods I haue called the one Decorem or beautie the other Funiculum or a little cord Beautie or comlines is the order of predicants the little cord is the order of the Minors bicause they are girt with a plaine rope Before Dominic was borne in the world there appeered the images of two painted at Venece in the church of S. Mark the one whereof was like a religious man in the apparell of the order of the predicants with a lilie in his hand The other was like vnto the Apostle Paul as he was woont to be painted ouer which was written Agios Paulus S. Paul and vnder the feete of the picture Per istum itur ad Christum by him men go to Christ vnder the other picture was written Agios Dominicus S. Dominic and vnder him Faciliùs itur per istum men go more easily by him And woonder not at this writing bicause the doctrine of Paul as of the other Apostles was a doctrine leading vnto faith The doctrine of Dominic a doctrine leading to the obseruations of Counsels and therefore men go more easily by him vnto Christ. 2. The Lord was borne vpon the bare ground but least the colde should hurt him too much he is placed in a manger by his mother the virgin When Dominic was borne being but a little one and committed to the keeping of his nurse he was often found gone out of his bed and lieng naked vpon the ground as if he did alreadie abhor the pleasures of the flesh 3. When the Lord was borne there appeered a bright star which guided the wise men vnto him insinuating that the whole world should be illuminate by him Dominic arose and vpon him when he was to be baptised his spirituall mother saw a star in his forehead foreshewing a new sunne beame of the world 4. The Lord being twelue yeere old was brought by his parents into the temple and there he remained alone being but a boy
signification by which signification is vnderstood Christ the rocke Peter the Church Thus saith Augustine which thing he repeateth in his book against Iud. paga And also in the tenth tract vpon Iohn and of the word of the Lord ser 20. Concerning which opinion Cyrillus saith He called the rocke nothing In dial de trinitate lib. 4. else but by agnomination the vnshaken and most firme faith of the disciple wherein the Church of Christ is grounded And this verie In epist. ad Eph. ca. 2. same thing doth Ambrose * In hom in Mat. 55. Chrysostom * in c. quodcunque 24. q. 1 and also the Canonists * confirm They alledge this same saieng of Augustine Bicause in the person of Peter the Church hirselfe receiued the keies Which thing is inculcate out of Hierom * in c. omnibus ead q. But Bernard inueighing bitterly against that arrogancie of the popes breaketh out at length into these words And in times past truly In epist. 230. you did rule as Lords ouer the Clergie contrarie to the Apostle Peter yea and ye ruled as lords ouer the faith of the whole world contrarie to his fellow Apostle Paule But now you haue added some new thing vsurping also ouer religion it selfe what remaineth but that you proceed to rule as lords euen ouer the holie Angels themselues And Gregorie surnamed the Great writeth thus to Mauritius Epist 30. li. 16. the emperour I say boldlie that whosoeuer he be that calleth himself the vniuersal priest or desireth to be so called doth in his pride go before Antichrist bicause in waxing proud he setteth himselfe before the rest The like wherof we may sée in many places in the Lib. 6. epi. 188. epi. 194. also lib. 7. epist 3. 74. 79. 80. same writer and vnto the said Mauritius And thus much concerning the former part of the Dilemma Now let vs sée touching the other that is the donation of Constantine Though séeing it may séem that we shall haue a fitter place to handle the same when we come to intreat of the crime of forgerie it be fitter for vs at this time in this one word to passe ouer al that disputation namely that all that instrument of the donation which the pope bringeth forth is false feigned and forged and that it came out of the same shop out of which we shewed before the volume of the Conformities of Francis came wherof bicause we shall in their place bring to light 25. most sure arguments we will now make an ende to this second crime Onelie in stéede of a conclusion we will propounde a question of this Franciscane frier of ours which will not easily be answered as I thinke Our Sixtus is pope and also a Franciscane inasmuch as he is pope he hath as we haue shewed before not onely chiefe dignitie vpon earth but also great in heauen purgatorie and hell inasmuch as he is a Franciscane no doubt according to his dutie towarde his patron he granteth that S. Francis deserueth dignitie aboue the Cherubins We say not amongst the Cherubins saith Antoninus of Florence but aboue the Cherubins and it is certaine according to the doctors that the Seraphins are aboue the Cherubins Thus writeth Antoninus Therfore the question is when this pope departing Lib. hist. 3. tit 23. ca. 1. this life shall be receiued by S. Francis whether he shall be placed aboue the Cherubins or the Seraphins For we haue shewed that the Dominicane friers onlie are placed vnder the mantle of the blessed virgin It causeth great doubtfulnes bicause as Augustine Steuchus writeth the pope is God as the Canonists dispute halfe a God But Francis as we saide before out of the testimonie of the deuill is nothing but a stout frier On the other side this our frier calleth Francis the Typical Iesus as if one should saie Another Iesus or one that is made like to the former Iesus If we should place Francis aboue the pope we should place him aboue his God or demie God which were most absurd If we should giue him a place below the pope neuerthelesse we should absurdlie make another Iesus subiect to the pope and peraduenture the Iesuites could not abide that for the high dignitie of their name What shall we saie then Bartolus was woont in hard questions to admonish his hearers to bethinke themselues We in the meane season without any preiudice of the truth will leaue to this pope that same place which Gregorie the Great giueth him which what maner one it is we shall set downe shortly after where we shall make mention of Lucifers comming to hell Of the crime of corrupt Religion HItherto haue we spoken briefely of the second crime of the papacie according to our method and order set downe It followeth that we intreat of the crime of corrupt religion For when as the pope tooke vpon him that chiefe lordship ouer Christian religion he then determined as it were by his own right to innouate new trim and transforme it at his pleasure Whereof this is the first testimonie The holie Scripture teacheth vs that there is one onely forme of religion and worshipping of God the same which is set downe in writing in the writings of the Prophets Apostles so that it is not lawfull to adde any thing thereto or to take any thing there fro no not for an Angell in heauen Therefore Christ saith In vaine do they worship me teaching doctrines which Iohn 14. 2. Tim. 3. Matth. 15. are the commandements of men And Ier. 7. Which I neuer commanded neither ascended they into mine hart Therefore Irenaeus bishop of Lyons an authour most ancient for he wrot about the yéere of Christ 198. After that saith he our Lord rose from the dead and the Apostles had the holie Ghost giuen them after that power came vpon them from aboue they were filled with all things and they had perfect knowledge of saluation Also Cha. 4. We must not seeke the truth at others seeing the Apostles haue most fully bestowed all things in the church which belong to the truth that euery one that will may take of the same drinke of life Also Athanasius in the beginning of his second booke against the Gentils The holie scripture saith he and inspired by God is alone abundantly sufficient to all instruction of the truth Thus saith he But the pope setteth downe on the contrarie that The discipline of the Church besides holie scripture so saith he in the Councell of Trent is contained in the traditions of the elders Triden concil session 4. cap. 1. which being deliuered as it were by hands came vnto vs also as being deliuered either by word of mouth by Christ or else by the holie Ghost Now let vs sée what maner traditions being deliuered to vs by our ancetors as it were from hand to hand are to be obserued And first of all let vs cite that The pope vseth vpon
a certaine and set day to make certaine little images like to a lamb of white wax tempered with oile He affirmeth that these if they be hoong about the neck do in like sort purge mens sinnes euen as the blood of Christ doth purge them he affirmeth that they driue away lightening that they helpe women in childbirth and that they saue men from burning and shipwrack What more wicked thing can be spoken or thought vpon But these are called the traditions of the elders deliuered to this pope by his predecessors as from hand to hand For in the booke of the popes Ceremonies it is written thus Balme and pure waxe with holie oile Togither mixt a lambe do make 1. Sect 7. Which gift of price and vertue great To the beloued I betake As borne of fountaine and adiured By sacred words Whose power is great For flashing lightnings it depels And euery euill away doth beat It breaketh sinne like Christs owne blood It vexeth it It doth preserue Women with childe and infant saues It giues those gifts that do deserue The fires force it will destroy And faire doth saue from flouds annoy Let this then be the first tradition of the popes which is deliuered to vs with like the same authoritie as the holie scripture There followeth another The holie scripture teacheth vs that the sacrament of baptism is the sprinkling of the blood of Christ Iesus for the remission of our sins and the Acts. 22. Rom. 6. 1. Cor. 6. 15. imputation of his righteousnes But the popes traditions doe grant baptisme to bels and the priests of the papacie do abuse so great a sacrament euery where so wickedly and vngodlily that the emperor Maximilian the first wrote a complaint concerning that matter which is extant among his grauamina or burdenings in these words Also the suffragans haue inuented that they alone and none other priest should baptise bels That done the simpler sort do beleeue the suffragans affirming the same that such bels thus baptised do driue away diuels and tempests Wherefore they haue sometimes an infinite companie of God-fathers and especially those that are of wealth are intreated In the time of which baptising they touch the rope wherwith the bell is tied and then the suffragan he singeth first as they vse to do at the baptising of infants and then they altogither make answer and do double the name of the bell and they put a new garment vpon it as they vse to do to Christians And shortly after Therefore a thing so wicked and vnlawfull ought to be abolished Maximilian saith excellently and cléerly But as the sow in wallowing so are the popes delighted in this filth and corruption And concerning this most filthy customary pollution of the In tract de super num 3. nu 9. num 14. sacrament let vs read Martin de Arles Go to now let vs prosecute other corruptions of religion The scripture teacheth vs that there is but one mediator of God and 1. Tim. 2. 1. Ioh. 2. Rom. 8. Heb. 7. Amb. in epist. ad Heb. men Iesus Christ * And therefore Ambrose saith They are woont to vse a miserable excuse saieng that by iust men we may go vnto God as by earles vnto the king Go to now is any man so mad and so vnmindfull of his safetie that he will attribute the maiestie of the king to an earle seeing that if any be found but euen to talke of this matter they may by good right be condemned as guiltie of treason And these men will not thinke those to be guiltie that giue the honor of the name of God to a creature and forsaking the Lord do worship their fellow seruants as if they could do God any greater seruice For therefore do men go to a king by tribunes and earles bicause surely the king is a man and he knoweth not to whom he ought to commit the cōmon-welth But to please and intreat God who is ignorant of nothing for he knoweth all mens merits we need no spokes-man but a deuout mind For wheresoeuer such a one shall speake he will answer nothing at all This saith Ambrose What How religiously doth the papacie kéepe this ordinance of the holie scripture and the old Church It denieth that there did euer any saint depart this life which was receiued into the place of the blessed which doth not execute the office of a mediator and intercessor Only so Nay whatsoeuer bawds Francisses Dominiks and other deceiuers and coseners they would canonize among the saints they brought vs in the same for mediators and spokesmen The scripture teacheth vs that there be onely two places for soules of the dead Iohn 5. Matth. 25. after this life heauen for the blessed hell for the cursed Therfore Augustine saith * Lib. hypognost The faith of the catholiks by the authoritie of God beleeueth the first place to be the kingdome of heauen the second hell where euerie reuolt and stranger from the faith of Christ is punished Of any third we are altogither ignorant neither do we find in the holy scripture that there is any such Thus writeth he But the papacie feigneth that there is a third place where the soules of certaine that are guiltie of light and as they terme them of veniall sinnes are purged before they go vp into heauen which place for this cause they call the fire of purgatorie as if ouer and besides the blood of Christ that was shed for our sinnes to purge vs we néed either those pictures of lambs or this supposed fire whereas notwithstanding the scripture doth euidently teach vs that our soules are purged by the onely blood of Christ and that their blots are washed away by this medicine alone 1. Ioh. 1. His blood purgeth vs from al sin And Mat. 26. My blood shall be shed for many for the remission of sinnes Finally these are the words of the Tridentine Councell that There is a purgatorie Sess 25. and that the soules that are there kept are holpen by the praiers of the faithfull and especially by that acceptable sacrifice of the altar We sée how great corruptions the papacie hath brought into Christian religion Item sess 6. ca. 30. Sess 22. ch 2. c. 3. But besides these innumerable other may be reckoned vp The scripture teacheth vs that there be onely two sacraments namely baptisme and the supper the former whereof was instituted Matt. 28. Mark 16. and the latter Matth. 26. Mark 14. Luc. 22. and 1. Corin. 11. 23. Therefore Augustine saith Christ knit togither Ep. 218. ad Ianuar the societie of the new people with sacraments in number fewest in obseruation easiest in signification most excellent as baptisme consecrate to the Trinitie and the communicating of the bodie and blood of Christ. Also The Lord and the apostolike doctrine gaue but a Lib. de doctr Christ. ca. 9. few signes as is the sacrament of baptisme and the celebration of the bodie
statutes sometimes aduancing their empire sometimes depressing it a little and a little But to what end saue onely that by little and little they might put all things vnder their feete both heauenly things as also earthlie things both temporall and also spirituall things as they call them as they do openly boast Let the second author come foorth which is Iohn Peter of Ferrara in whose publike practises which hée wrote aboue an hundred and fiftie yéeres ago we find it thus written This desire did In formula act confess so increase that not onely the lay men but also the high priests and clerks are throughly infected with such an infection and vice For thou seest him that should follow the footesteps of Iesus Christ as his true vicar possesse and seeke with a strong hand to detaine the iurisdiction vpon earth in cities and townes and places which belong naturally both by the creation of the world and also by the ordinance of Christ to the empire of Rome according to that Giue to God that which is Gods and to Caesar that which is Caesars Yea the pope himselfe endeuoreth to haue the superioritie ouer the emperor which to speake is ridiculous and to heare abhominable Also * Note how and how manie In forma resp rei conuen nu 10. waies these clerks do insnare the laymen and inlarge their owne iurisdiction But alas for you sillie emperors and secular princes which endure this and other things and make your selues slaues to the popes and see the world vsurped by them infinite waies and do not seeke to remedie these things bicause you giue not your selues to wisedome and knowledge Therefore marke and remember what Hierom saith Perusing old histories I cannot find that anie did diuide the Church and seduce the people from the Lords house saue those that were made priests to God Thus wrote that practitioner an hundred and fiftie yéeres ago as we said fréely stoutly and couragiously wheras notwithstanding about that time the Church of Christ was most of all oppressed with the tyrannous lordship of the popes Why should any man therefore maruell at this time if we detest the impietie of Sixtus the fift in defending the feigned religions of his Francis his crueltie in renting in péeces the kingdome of France so often his madnes in treading vnder foote the maiestie of kings his robberie and sacrilege in taking away church-goodes Let vs heare another saieng of the same practitioner * where he In formu rei con §. Praes saith thus Italie shall neuer be in quiet vntill the church do not possesse all cities or castels and vntill the Donation made by Constantine be quite reuoked by some good and mightie emperour seeing the Psalter harpe do not well agree togither neither was it granted by Christ or S. Peter that they ought to possesse such things but let that be giuen to Caesar that is Caesars and let that be giuen to God that is Gods Also * Men saith he may In formu sent indefinit §. sed ad quemcunque appeale to the pope omitting any meane Which promise was put in for this cause that they might draw suites to their court and satisfie their couetousnes which notwithstanding they will neuer do bicause the minde desire indeuour of clearkes aboue the rest is in heaping vp money contrarie to common honestie and their promise made to God giuing none attendance not bending their studie to good maners nor to the scriptures of God Also * Thou ignorant In for libel quo agitur ex sub §. ex suo corpore lay man thou must know that the empire had sometime both swords namely the temporall and the spirituall and so consequently that at that time the emperours gaue al ecclesiasticall benefices throughout the whole world and they did ouer besides choose the pope as it is in c. Adrianus 13. dist not at Innocent in c. 2. de maior obedient The emperours granted a priuilege that the goods of those that betooke themselues to lead a munks life should be applied to the monasteries by reason of which priuilege monasteries haue bin multiplied and an infinite number haue bin founded throughout the whole world in times past for deuotions sake though at this day for spoile and couetousnes sake in so much that they haue destroied the world and haue annihilated the state of the empire and of all the laitie Therefore those places whether made or to be made may woorthily be called nets to catch the goods of lay men Therefore let a good emperour arise let al men say Peace be in thy strength and abundance in thy towers The crime of Treason IT followeth that we come to the crime of treading vnder foote maiestie For why should we say that it is hurt or diminished Séeing the papacie for the space of these foure hundred yéers hath so proudly contemned all both emperors kings and potentates of Europe that it accounted them not onely vassals and feudataries but also most base bondslaues Of which furious pride these are most sure Extrauag de maior obedientia testimonies first in c. vnam sanctam Vpon necessitie of saluation we must beleeue that euerie creature is subiect to the pope of Rome Also that The bishop of Rome is placed ouer nations and kingdomes * The pope hath superioritie c. 1. Extrauag de consuetud ouer the empire and when the empire is vacant he succeedeth the emperor Clement Pastoralis de re iudic The pope can translate the empire from nation to nation * The pope c a. venerabil de elect c. 2. de re iud may depose the emperor * The pope of Rome hath the monarchie of both powers both spirituall and temporall he hath the principality of the priesthood and he is the head of Christian religion * Looke how much the sun doth surpasse c. fundament de elect in 6. the moone so much doth the pope surpasse the emperor * Al men of what dignitie and preeminence c. solit ext de maior obed soeuer they be so soone as they come in the popes presence standing a good way off they must kneele thrise before him and kisse his feet In the first booke of the popes ceremonies * When the pope climeth vp the lader Sect. 3. c. 3. to take horse the greater prince that is present yea though he were a king or emperour he must holde the popes styrrop and then leade his horse by the brydle a little way If the emperour or king were alone that is there were not another king they must leade the horse alone with the right hand But if there were another king then the more woorthy should holde the brydle on the right hand and the other on the left hand But if the pope were not carried vpon an horse but in a chaire or litter also if the emperour or a king were present they must carrie the chaire or litter and
Vrbane the 6. he said that if they would choose him that they did choose him bicause he did intend to be pope Notwithstanding those cardinals departed from him after a while and flieng to the citie of Funda they chose another who was called Clement the 6. he translated his court to Auenion and France Spaine Catalonia reuerenced him for pope And to the other did Italie Almaine and Hungarie cleaue obediently and this wicked schisme continued aboue xxx yeeres During this schisme after Vrbanus succeeded on that side Boniface the 9. After Boniface came Innocentius the sixt After Innocentius succeeded Gregory the 12. On the other side after Clement came Benedict the 13. who was called Peter de Luna or of the Moone vnder whom was kept a counsell at Pise anno 1410. wherein after they were deposed Alexander was chosen who was called Peter of Candie in whose roome came Iohn the 23. by reason whereof arose another schisme At length when there was a Councell gathered at Constance by the emperor Sigismunde the saide Iohn the 23. and Gregory the 12. agreeing togither and the cardinals of the Lord Benedict being there also Gregorie the 12. gaue place there and the other two were deposed for their stubburnnes and to appease the schisme Thus writeth Guimerius Now let vs heare another testimonie of this out of the same booke Martin saith Fol 5. col 2. he was chosen pope by the Councell of Constance the other that did contend being deposed who did long time cause a schisme And he commanded that there should a Councell be held at Basill where he was not by reason he was preuented by death Yet he sent Iulian thither then his legate of the title of Saint-angel in the eleuenth yeere of his popedome the first of Februarie to keepe the Councell and after him succeeded Eugenius the fourth who thogh he had approoued the Councell of Basill and had sent the foresaid legate to Basill the day before the Calends of May the first yeere of his popedome and had also reuoked the dissolution of the said Councell being attempted by him ann 1433. and in the third yeere of his popedome in his publike session kept at Rome in S. Peters the 17. day before the Calends of Ianuarie in the same yeere and had by his buls patents promised from that time forward to obey the said Councell confessing that the same Councel was alwaies truly continued Yet would he not afterward keep the decrees of the Councell of Constance neither obey the Councell of Basill affirming that he ought rather to do the contrarie and he dissolued the same againe and translated it to Ferrarie for the bringing backe of the Grecians and thence to Florence bicause of the plague that began there Wherupon arose great strife among those that wrote touching this matter For one side said that the pope is aboue the Councell the other that the Councell is aboue the pope Therefore he was cited by the Councell of Basill the last of Iulie in the yeere 1437. he was suspended from the administration of the papacie the eleuenth day of the Calends of Februarie 1438. and was also deposed the seuenth before the Calends of Iulie in the yeere 1439. into whose place the Councell of Basill chose Amedaeus the duke of Sauoy being afterward called Felix the fift But Eugenius regarded it not for which arose a schisme which continued nine yeers and euen vntill the death of Eugenius Into whose roome was chosen in the citie Nicolas the fift to whom Felix gaue place bicause he fauoured the vnitie of the Church Pope Pius the second who was before called Aeneas Syluius who was present at the Councell of Basill made a treatise for the authoritie of the Councell of Basill but when he was made pope he reuersed the same Thus far goeth Guimerius sometimes a Senator of Paris as we said that the Senators of this age may more attentiuely perceiue with how great ambition contention and madnes the champions of Rome haue vsed rebellion in the Church and how furiously they went by the eares togither among themselues how manie fires they haue kindled in all parts of Europe that they might satisfie their owne ambition Moreouer how ancient and old this madnes of theirs is we may know by the historie of Ammian Marcel a man expert Lib. 29. in Christian religion Whose words are these Damasus and Vrsicinus being inflamed aboue mans measure or capacitie to catch the bishops sea being diuided in studies they made manie sharpe conflicts with danger of death and wounds the aide of both going forward which when Viuentius the gouernor of the citie could not redresse nor mollifie being inforced with great violence he departed into the suburbs and in the conflict Damasus gat the vpper hand that side which did fauour him being instant And it is manifest in the church of Seruinus where there is an assemblie of the Christian rite that in one day were found one hundred and seuen and thirtie carcases of dead men and that the outragious multitude was hardly afterward appeased Neither do I deny considering the ostentation of citie affaires that those that are desirous heereof ought to chide with all their might and maine for obtaining that after which they long seeing that after they haue obtained that they will become so secure that they are inriched with the oblations of matrones and come abroad in their coches brauely apparelled giuing themselues to prodigall banqueting so that their banquets surpasse the banquets of kings who might indeed be blessed if despising the gorgiousnes of the citie which they set against vices they would liue like certaine prouinciall bishops whom slender diet and moderate drinking also basenes of apparell and countenances looking downe to the ground do continually commend to God and his true worshippers as pure and chaste Thus writeth Ammianus whereby it plainly appéereth how ancient this ambition and desire to beare rule which was and is in the bishops of Rome was which was also coupled with fiercenes and crueltie But to omit old things and to come to touch those things which touch vs and our countrie of France more néere is there any of so great a number of the kings Senators that is ignorant how manie wars the popes of Rome haue raised in Europe among christian princes within these fiftie yéers either to defend or else to amplifie their power The first was that of Heluetia wherein they set at variance most peaceable cities which were linked togither not so much by most néere league as by mutuall loue and desire to preserue their common countrie Then followed the war of Germanie and after it that of England and of Scotland which also euen at this day the same fiends and champions go about to renew by their messengers the squibbish Iesuits being most assured firers of Christendom What shal we say of our ciuil and deadly wars of France For first of al the popes of Rome did earnestly desire
Francis the first that if any would imbrace the reformed religion they might be burnt aliue hauing their toongs cut out and hauing fire put vnder them Among the king of France his constitutions there be extant the edicts of that king published in the yéere 1534. and also in the fortieth and againe in the 42. by the authoritie whereof the Senators of the Parleament shed so much blood and yet with so great godlines and constancie of the martyrs that it séemeth that the posteritie will scarce beléeue it What these hellish fiends gained by this crueltie it is woorth the knowing by the testimonie of him thā whom no more plentifull witnes can be brought foorth in this kind That is king Henrie the second the father of these latter kings a prince as most men may remember most famous both at home and in war For his edict written at Castrobriant in the moneth of Iune 1551. is extant the words wherof are these All men might see before this with what studie and with how great contention our father whom God absolue king Francis being a most Christian king and most catholike endeuoured greatly during all his life time to roote out heresies which budded out in his realme against our holie faith and catholike religion and how manie lawes and constitutions the same king with the same mind and purpose did publish as the varietie and necessitie of times did require Notwithstanding that so great studie and indeuour did no great good For that disease was so spred through al the most noble families of our realm that it did infect like a certaine contagion the families of all sorts and orders Thus saith he in his edict which containeth six and fortie articles being all of them written most bitterly and sharply to stop the course of that religion Moreouer shortly after that is in the yéere 1547. there was another edict published by the same king wherin by name he professeth in manie words and doth plainly denounce that he hath omitted no labour no indeuor no diligence in suppressing that religion Onely so Nay surely saith he the more carefully and painfully we labored to do this so much the more that doctrine gat the vpper hand Surely we may coniecture what was his indeuor and trauell euen by that that all men know that there died of that miserable and bitter kind of punishment a great number of all sorts of men There succéeded these kings to wit the grandfather and father king Francis the second his edicts to wit sixe in number were most sharpe and vehement besides innumerable broad seales and letters patents which he sent continually through all parts of his kingdome with so great heate of mind and stomach that aboue thrée hundred men were in lesse than thrée moneths space tormented scortched burnt and as it was commonly written in the decrées of the senate brought into ashes by the decrées especially of the senate of Paris and Tholosa This so great abundance of blood that was shed might peraduenture satisfie euen the most bloodie tyrants such as the report goeth Cyclops Busiris Siron Phalaris Tython Gyges were in times past But so great crueltie cannot satisfie the pope of Rome whom we may rightly tearme a rebell against mankind It is woorth the hearing what good he did For there is extant a decrée of the same king Francis the second published at Ambosia in the moneth of March anno 1559 in these words which we would haue the kings Counsellers to read very attentiuely and to consider of what weight it is We to the end we might answere and satisfie our princely office were inforced to vse diuers kinds of punishments and paines as the state of things and times did require But by the instruments of criminall causes it is knowen and reuealed that a great number of men women ages kinds and of all orders were present at vnlawful and priuy sermons suppers baptizings administred by those for whom it was not lawfull to do that But and if euerie one of these should be put to torture as the rigor of our authoritie and lawes doth require there should woonderfull much blood be shed of men women virgins yong men of florishing age whereof some being induced and suborned other some being persuaded through a certaine simplicitie and ignorance other some inticed rather with a certain curiositie than of malice haue fallen into such errors and discommodities Which things if it should come to passe we should be greatly and continually sorie neither should that well agree either with our age or nature both which do inuite vs to vse clemencie gentlenes and mercie in this kinde Therefore we will haue all men know that when this whole matter was in due time handled by our Counsellers in our presence we are not determined to leaue this first yeere of our reigne famous to our posteritie as cruel bloodie and full of the murders of our silly subiects though they had greatly deserued this yea after the example of our heauenly father we are determined to spare the blood of our people and to bring backe our subiects to the way of saluation and to preserue their life hoping that through the Lords mercie it will come to passe that we shall do more good by the way of gentlenes and clemencie than by the rigor of punishments Therefore according to the opinion of our foresaid Counsellers we say appoint ordain that heerafter our subiects be not molested for the cause of crimes that are past which concern faith religion by our iudges of what sort and condition soeuer they be neither in iudgement nor without iudgement Moreouer we declare that we grant to our subiects a general pardon remission absolution for such crimes as concerne faith religion And shortly after By the authority of the king who was chiefe in this counsel according to the sentēce of the lords cardinals of Bourbon of Lorraine of Chastillon the dukes of Montpensier of Guise of Niuernois and of Aumale Thus far goeth Francis the second plainly as it appéereth declaring and testifieng that the tortures and punishments of former times did nothing at all auaile to extinguish this religion What did then the fiends and enimies of mankinde the popes of Rome What did they So soone as they perceiued that some of the nobles of that realme and furthermore that some of the princes of the blood roiall had tasted of that religion and had reiected the deceits of Bernardo and Dominick so soone as they foresaw that France would by little and little winde hir selfe out of the bondage of the papacie into Christian libertie finally so soone as they saw that so fat a praie would be taken out of their iawes they began to cast new firebrands of ciuill war throughout all parts of France That done when this would not serue they appointed furious massacres and butcheries to the euerlasting discredite of the name of France last of all when they perceiued that euen this way they
by the inspiration of God and intercession of S. Peter shall with one Councell and consent without any promise choose to the order of the popedome and when he shall be consecrated let ambassadours bee sent to vs or our successours the kings of the Frenchmen that they may conclude friendship loue and peace betweene vs and him By this comparison it is euident by what deceit and how wicked policies the papacie did vse to obtaine that highest lordship of Italie For as the true emperor Constantine l. scripturae 14. c. de fide instru saith in Iustinian Diuers writings and such as discredit one another can haue no l. si is qui 13. § vtrum D. de rebus dubijs l. vbi pugnam 188. D. de reg iur strength séeing that two spéeches containing contrarie things cannot bée true Therefore so often as there be manie instruments of one and the same act they must agrée togither in as many words though an error in some little mark be tollerable as if L be written for C. * But an l. Sempronius 47. D. de leg 2. error in the note of the nūber is one thing the diuersitie in the things themselues is another thing as in this place where in one instrument there be only certaine places néere to Rome named in the other besides the greatest part of Italie there is mention made of Sicilia Sardinia and Corcyra in which case bicause they be diuers donations there were diuers instruments required * Finally if Constantine l. sancimus 34. §. si quis autem C. de dona l. quingenta 12. D. de probat had giuen to the papacie the empire of the west so long before what new right could the pope get by this new donation of Ludouike Séeing that as it is commonly said There is no getting of that which is l. 4. C. de contrah emp. a mans owne Fiftly bicause the popes in another place also spake things contrarie one to another touching this same matter For in the same decrée of Gratian * there 12 q. 1. c. futuram is extant the testimonie of pope Melchias who held the popes sea before Syluester where euen then I say before the papacie of Syluester he maketh mention of this donation of Constantine made euen before his papacie in these words He gaue very great gifts and he built the frame of the temple of the first sea of S. Peter so that he forsooke his imperiall seat and he gaue it to S. Peter and his successors that it might profit them For if Constantine made that gift before the times of Melchias what argument or substance can this fable of Syluester haue who affirmeth that Constantine was both baptized by him and also that he gaue him so great an empire But now we must come néerer to the very instrument of the donation and to the words of the historiographer For who will thinke it to be a thing like to be true that a dreame was offered by God to a man that was not onely a painim and a worshipper of idols but also to a most cruell persecutor of Christian religion Or if it had béene offered who can beléeue that God would not rather haue done that by some angell according to the old and perpetuall custome as the scripture doth witnes than by the apostles that were dead Finally it is follie to beléeue any thing of dreames without the authoritie of the scripture Wherefore no man ought to doubt but that this instrument came out of the same shop whence innumerable other such inuentions fictions and lies of the papacie came such as is that in Antoninus As Dominick was at Rome and made Par. 3. tit 14. §. 3. his praier in the cathedrall church of S. Peter for the preseruation and dilating of his order the hand of the Lord was vpon him and he saw the glorious princes Peter and Paul comming to him of whom Peter seemed to deliuer him a staffe and Paul a booke saieng Go preach bicause thou art chosen of God for this ministerie Or that other of pope Stephen the second in Reginon in his chronicle anno 753. where pope Stephen to whom Pipinus gaue the Exarchate of Italie as I said a little before writeth that As he slept in the monasterie of S. Dionysius in the streete of Paris these be his words vnder the bels he saw before the altar S. Peter and the teacher of the Gentils Paul whom he knew by their scars for S. Dionysius was slenderer and taller and that The Lord Peter said This our brother desireth to be healed and that S. Paul answered He shall be healed euen now And that hee drew neere and laid his hand on the brest of the Lord Dionysius friendly and that S. Peter said merily to the Lord Dionysius Thy grace is his health And that by and by the Lord Dionysius holding in his hand a censar and palme said to the priest and deacon Begin to pope Stephen Peace be with thee brother Feare not arise vp whole And by and by saith he I was healed and I would haue fulfilled that which was commanded me and those that were there said that I was mad and so foorth Which things are so foolish and blockish that it séemeth that pope Stephen sought by that inuention to be laughed at But we are to praise God that he hath suffered so great wickednes to befall blocke-heads onely But moreouer that is not to be omitted touching the séeing of the apostles Peter and Paul in a dreame which we read in the booke of the Conformities Fol. 51. As S. Francis went to Rome he was swéetly imbraced of the holie apostles Peter and Paul and there Peter and Paul being requested by Francis did obtaine of Christ the confirmation of the rule of the Minorits The seuenth bicause it is not likely that Constantine the great was sicke of the leprosie forasmuch as neither Eusebius who wrote his life in fiue bookes carefully as I haue already said neither Zosimus who for hatred of religion doth raile vpon Constantine so much as euer he can neither Paulus Diaconus neither any other maketh any mention of that disease to omit the argument of Baptist Mantuan * who de patient 1. cap. 30. Plin. lib. 21. cap. 1. after he had taught out of Plinie * that that kind of disease was long ago extinguished in Italie he inferreth thus If therefore in the time of Plinie who florished vnder Vespasian this disease was now extinguished in Italie it is not likely that Constantine had it who reigned long time after The eight bicause there is a wicked inuention and lie added afterward in that place and such as the eares and minds of Christians doe loath that Constantine whiles he was in the font baptized by the pope saw the hand of God sent down from heauen vpon his bodie which clensed him from his leprosie Being put into the font saith he I saw an hand with
or to sing and say their masses furnished and armed with brest-plates helmets tergats swords with other weapons Onely so Yea saith he as the emperor his power is adorned with diuers offices of chamberlaines door-keepers and garders so we wil haue the holie church of Rome garded and adorned and that they ride vpon horses most white and that like as our senate vseth shooes with latchets * so let them be clad in most white linnen Is there any of so great a number of the Senators of the king of France who when he remembreth the humilitie and modestie of Christ and his apostles doth not with all praiers detest this pride and hautines of the popes Moreouer he saith that if the pope will choose any of Constantines senators into the order of the clergie let them not proudly refuse that honor With a mischiefe what tyrannous barbarisme is this that it is lawful for any college of clerks to choose at their pleasure any one of the order of the senators whom they will also make a clerke or munke against his will He procéedeth and that the lawiers may remember that a doubled spéech hath greater force he saith again that he giueth both his pallace and citie of Rome and the prouinces places and cities of all Italie and of the west countries to all the popes of Rome vntil the end of the world Moreouer he adioineth the forme of his grant and deliuery that he may afterward translate himselfe vnto the East countries hauing left the empire of the West in the popes possession and that he may place the sea of his empire in Bizantia adding moreouer a very fit cause Bicause saith he it is an vnmeet thing that an earthly king should beare rule in that countrie where the head of Christian religion and the principalitie of priests is placed by the king of heauen He did excellently make himselfe the beginning of this sentence for in the time of Constantine that is two hundred yéeres before Iustinian the deliuerance of the emptie possession was requisite to make a donation but there be many other things that do disturbe the matter First bicause if Constantine gaue to Syluester the emptie possession of that countrie he could not afterward in his will leaue it to his sonne Constantius séeing the alienation of any thing made among those that are aliue doth leaue no place for making anie will l. 6. c. de test l. sequens 52. D. de leg 2. thereof * But if the donation were made after that diuision made among his sons it was plainly void and of none effect bicause the diuision that a father maketh among his sonnes hath the force of a testament l pen. l. vlt. C. fam excisc cum similibus and therefore of a last will Secondly with what godlines could Constantine who had thrée sonnes and two daughters do so great iniurie to his children as to depriue them of halfe their inheritance and to giue the same to a stranger especially to a wretch and vile person For that is a pretie saieng of Augustine Whosoeuer he be that will disinherit his sonne and make the church his heire let him seek another to take it than Augustine Where also the fact of that 17. q. vlt. c. vlt. bishop is cōmended who restored al again to a certaine testator who hauing no children left his goods to the church then afterward had children contrarie to his hope and expectation Which selfe same thing is set downe 13. q. 2. c. si quis irascitur But nothing is so ridiculous as is that reason of his purpose which the counterfet Constantine addeth That it is vnmeet that in the same citie wherein a priest sitteth as chiefe the emperor should haue the sea of his empire Wo to thy head most holie hangman For what shall we say of Salomon of Aza of Iozia and other godlie kings of the Israelites who placed the sea of their kingdome at Ierusalem What of Theodosius who had his at Mediolanum But that we may not go far for examples what shall we say of Constantius sonne to Constantinus who according to his fathers testament did not onely exercise his empire and iurisdiction at Rome but also he put from the popedome and thrust out of Rome pope Liberius for taking vpon him the defence of Anastasius a bishop a certaine magician sacrilegious person as Theodoricus Zozomenus and Ammian Marcellin lib. 15 haue left it written But now let vs returne to our purpose for last of all there is a fearfull decrée set downe If any saith he of our successors shall be a violater or contemner let him be subiect to eternall damnation being insnarled and let him burne in the neathermost hell with the diuell and the wicked But Constantine brought this curse first vpon himselfe who as we said euen now in his last wil gaue the empire of the West to his eldest son finally he was bound with the same curse whosoeuer possessed as his owne either the West or any part of the West either by the name of king or duke or by any other name And by this reason there hath béene none that hath béene king either of France or Spain héertofore that burneth not in the neathermost hel with the diuell and all the wicked And now can we find any so ignorant of the Latin toong that séeth not that the maner of spéech which the writer of the same instrument vseth is far vnlike to the custome of that age Which part of reprehension Platina did not omit in that Syluester But Laurentius Valla a man of most sharpe iudgement in this kinde did more at large prosecute it Whereto we will adioine this one thing if anie man consider the maner of phrase wherein the lawes of Constantine are written in the booke of Theodosianus and Iustinian he shal soone perceiue without any great ado that this instrument came out of the same shop which we shewed before out of the Conformities of Francis or out of the life of Dominick And we must not passe ouer with silence another cosoning knacke of a certain latter pope of Leo the 10. as it séemeth who to the end he might with some color couer that corruptiō of spéech basenes of stile he heaped falsehood vpon falsehood For he suborned a certaine hungrie Grecian called Bartholomew Picernus and afterward Augustine Steuchus the maister of his librarie to saie that they found in I cannot tell what librarie of the popes that instrument written in the Gréeke toong and that then they translated it somwhat more fitly into the Latine toong Which inuention Gregorie the 13. hath now of late confirmed in the last edition of the decrée of Gratian. But all the lawes of Constantine are extant in the foresaid bookes of Theodosianus and Iustinian written in the Latin toong though they were published both at Constantinople and in a citie of the Grecians and among the Grecians Furthermore Eusebius in his thirde booke
of darknes Neither is the saluation of soules but riot of riches sought for in these For this they will be bounsed for this they frequent churches they say masses they sing psalms They striue impudently for bishoprikes archdeaconries abbats places and other dignities so that the reuenues of the Churches are wasted vpon the vses of superfluitie and vanitie It remaineth that the man of sin be reuealed the sonne of perdition a diuell not onely of the day but also of noone day which is not onelie transfigured into an angell of light but is extolled aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped By which words our Sixtus is shewed to be Antichrist not yesterday or to day or somtimes but to day to morrow the next day and so long as he shall retaine his tyrannie which he exerciseth in the Church of God wickedly and vngodlily It followeth in the bull He followed errors and heresies from his youth vntill such time as being by the exhortations of manie conuerted to the church of Rome as it was thought he abiured publikely all his heresies in the church at Paris What words be these From his youth Séeing that he receiued that religion in a maner from his cradle and almost with his milke which this our hangman dare call heresie But that is much more absurd He which was falsely thought to be turned from heresies condemned those heresies For how can he be said to haue changed his former opinion who is falsely thought to be conuerted And wheras our cowled Frier bableth of abiuring we must make that a little more plaine The yoong man being scarce one and twentie yéers old being lodged by the king his cosin was called out of his bed naked long before day he was brought amongst fearfull swords and such as were wet with blood he did and pronounced quiuering and shaking those things which he was commanded to do and pronounce he told pope Gregorie those things by his legats which he was commanded to tel him Was that law receiued euer in any part of Barbarie that those things that were thus done should either be counted firme and sure or that they should be thought to be done from the hart That is an old and a true saieng of doctor Baldus The holie Ghost put this into the mouth of the praetor That which is done through feare will I not count firm Also that The presence and much more the threatening of a prince and mightier man causeth true feare Thus writeth Angel * And also Abb. Sicul. in his 3. cons in cons 223. cons 378. vol. 2. Therefore the holie scripture doth witnes that Peter the apostle being terrified by the voice of a sillie woman did denie God euen with all cursing but forsomuch as it was euident that that was done through feare and terror he did easily obtaine pardon at the hands of God The Canonists report that pope Marcellinus being terrified with the feare of the painims did burn incense in the idol sacrifices but yet that it repented him afterward of his fact heinous offence * Why C. nunc autem dist 21. shall that which is done for feare be excused in the pope who professeth himselfe to be the piller of Christian religion and shal it be counted firme in a yoong man compassed about with fearefull swords dropping as it were with blood It followeth in the Bull The same Gregorie giuing credence to the letters of the king of Nauarre as of a king absolued him from the censures giuen vpon him taking from him all inhabilitie The pope would haue these words to be of importance As of a king as if the authority of kings letters letters patents and edicts ought to be most firme In which place we would gladly know of him whether he were alwaies an author and perswader that the letters and edicts of kings should alwaies continue firme Of which thing there shall alwaies continue in all nations and amongst all people of the world shall I say a remembrance or a most shamefull infamie But séeing pope Gregorie the thirtéenth is said to haue béen so great a doctor and professor of law ought he not to haue remembred that no authoritie ought to be giuen to letters and instruments wroung out by violence and feare * It followeth He dispensed that notwithstanding l. si donationis 7. c. de his quae vi metu causs l. interpositas 13. C. trans the lets of the third and peraduenture of other degrees of consanguinitie between them they might contract matrimonie togither as they did contract it in the face of the church It can scarce be vttered how many tokens of follie and popish fondnes appéere in these few words The first is in that that he saith that the king of Nauarre his matrimonie was contracted through his grant and dispensation after that the same king had abiured religion Let vs returne vnto the computation of the time The cardinall of Bourbon vncle to the same king in the yéere 1572. the seauentéenth day of the moneth of August after a masse celebrated in the chief church of Paris with great pompe and solemnitie yet at fower of the clocke after noone did celebrate that matrimonie in the presence of the king of France Charles the ninth and of his two brethren and in a great assemblie of princes Then followed the massacre of Paris vpon the feast day of S. Bartholomew that is vpon the fower an twentith day of the same month of August But the king of Nauarre did abiure many daies after But some peraduenture wil say the dispensation of pope Gregorie was brought after that abiuring at the intreatie of the cardinall of Bourbon Whether was it then brought that it might be lawful to contract the matrimonie which was contracted and ended so long before or rather that being not lawfully contracted before it might nowe be confirmed by the popes authoritie and dispensation If to the end it might be Libro aduersus Faustum 25. lawfull to contract it the popes power is greater than that which the diuines philosophers lawyers do grant to almighty God that things that be past can be changed that that which is done can be made vndon as witnesseth Augustine * Lib. de legi 2. Plato * Arist moral ad Nicomachum 6. c. 2. Nouel de aequalit dot §. 1. l. in bello 12. §. facta D. de captu l. verba C. de testam l. verum D. de reg iur Aristotle * I wil speak boldly saith Hierom that though God can do all things yet he cannot raise a virgin after her fall * c. si Paulus 32. quaest 5. Therefore as I said there is greater power granted to the pope than to God who causeth that matrimonie alreadie contract finished celebrated and ended was yet notwithstanding neither contract nor celebrated But if the pope dispensed that wicked matrimonie and such as was contract contrarie to the lawes of the church
the cause of faith as in the same gloss And if it so fall out that these men defend themselues by their temporall power they may be bridled for the fact euen by secular power * Thus saith Zabarella But Baldus * writeth more bréefly thus Against the pope abvsing his authoritie we must first vse words that is admonitions then herbs that is threatenings thirdly stones and that where the nature of vertue is not sufficient the aid of armes must be of force there And to the like effect writeth Iason in his 95. councell requisitus col 4. It is lawfull saith he to resist the pope when he offendeth the church and he is not to be borne with * c. etsi illa 1. q. 7. c. sunt quidam 25. q. 1. Also Innocentius * in c. inquisitionis de sent excom in c. quanto de consuetud And the Abbat * in c. cum teneamur de appellat Also Hierom speaking of the pope * in c. non omnes episcopi 2. q. saith that Vnsauerie salt is good for nothing but to be cast out at doors to be troden vnder foot of hogs Thus writeth Iason with as good corage it séemeth as either Ludouike of Rome or Zabarella though notwithstanding they wrote these things in Italie and in so great darknes of the church of Christ And to the same effect speaketh Philip Decius in his councell 151. maximi ponderis num 4. vol. 1. When saith he the pope is incorrigible in any notorious crime by reason whereof the church is offended glo in terminis in c. si papa 40. dist he holdeth that the pope may be accused and out of that glosse there was a great foundation laid against Eugenius the fourth in the councell of Basil and that glosse is commonly holden by all as the abbot saith in c. significasti * de elect in disput episcopus quidam rector where he saith that the whole world approueth that glosse and Ludouicus of Rome approoueth that glosse by many reasons * in concil 523 First bicause the pope that persisteth in a notorious crime and will not be reformed falleth into suspicion of heresie * 38. dist c. fin 86. dist c. si qui sunt c. fin de poenit But the pope may be accused for heresie * d. c. si papa Therfore for such a crime Secondlie bicause a bishop is remooued from a particular church that the offence may be taken away as Innocentius noteth * in c. cum pridem de renun it seemeth we may saie the same of the stronger in the highest bishop in whom the vniuersal church is in danger Thirdlie by the authoritie of the Gospell If thine eie or thy foote offende thee Whereupon the text saith finelie in c. illud sanè 24. q. 3. For it is expedient that one man die for the people and that all the people do not perish Therefore let that pope that cannot be reformed die ciuilly that all the church do not perish bicause the pope being set to gouerne the people ought not to be their fal as the text saith * 11. q. 3. in c. ta corporis For he is woorthy as manie deaths as he sendeth examples of perdition to those that are his * 11. q. 3. Which things séeing they are so we conclude againe without delay that not onely the excommunication of the foresaid pope Sixtus the fift is to be counted as nothing by reason of the insufficiencie of the rash iudge the allegation of a false cause the want of iudiciall order and the follie of the sencence conceiued but also to the end the curses of the same pope Sixtus may turn vpon his own pate he is conuict of seauen most heinous faults and that by most assured testimonies and therefore ought to be héerafter accounted of all Christians an execrable and detestable Anathema Maranata Amen THE DECLARATION OF OVR MOST HOLIE LORD POPE SIXTVS Against HENRIE BORBON the supposed King of NAVARRE and also HENRIE BORBON the pretensed Prince of Condie being heretiks and also against their successors And the deliuerance of their subiects from all dutie of fidelitie and alleageance For the perpetuall memorie of the thing THe authoritie granted to Saint Peter and his successors by the infinite power of the eternall king surpasseth all the powers of earthlie kings and princes and standing vpon a firme rock and being not turned aside from the right course with anie contrarie or prosperous blasts it vttereth such iudgement against al men as cannot be shaken doth diligently prouide especially that Gods lawes may not be broken and if it finde any resisting Gods ordinance it doth sharply punish them casting downe from the kinglie seat euen those that are more mighty it throweth them downe euen to the lowest part of the earth as ministers of proud Lucifer Wherfore according to that care for all churches and people and nations that lieth vpon our shoulders that the saluation of their soules may especially be prouided for and that not onelie the times of our seruice but also all times to come being purged from wicked and detestable monsters may bring peace and rest to all parts of Christendome and especially to the most ample realme of France wherein Christian religion hath so florished alwaies and so great hath beene the godlines faith and deuotion of the kings thereof so many haue bin their deserts toward the church of Rome that they by full good right had from the same the most glorious sirname of Most Christian and also that we may neuer be accused before God for neglecting the care of our office we are at this time compelled to exercise the weapons of our warfare which are not carnal but mightie through God to throw downe strong holds against two sons of wrath especially Henrie Borbon somtimes king of Nauarre and Henrie Borbon somtimes prince of Condie For that king quondam hath followed from his verie youth the errors and heresies of Caluin and hath so long shewed himselfe a stubborne patrone thereof vntill being conuerted as it was thought vnto the catholike and apostolike faith of Rome by the godlie and often exhortations of Charles the ninth of famous memorie king of France of our most deerely beloued daughter in Christ Queene Katherine his most godlie mother and also of our welbeloued sonne Charles of the title of S. Chrysogonus cardinall priest of Borbon his vnkle and of Ludouike duke of Mompenser and by most manifest exhortations of diuines of excellent learning and vertue he did openly in the church at Paris condemne all hereticall opinions contrarie to the catholike faith he accursed them and abiured them did openly professe the catholike faith and hauing sent sundrie times his letters to pope Gregorie the thirteenth our predecessor of blessed memorie wherin he now acknowleging the same our predecessor to be supreme hed of the church humbly besought him that he would
vouchsafe to accept the confession of his repentance conuersion and obedience and to grant him pardon for those things that were past and also the grace of remission firmly promising that he would continually keepe soundly and inuiolably the catholike faith To the which letters as being a kings letters our predecessor giuing credence and being mooued with the bowels of fatherlie loue and also being perswaded with the most graue testimonie of the king of the Queene his mother of the cardinall and duke aforesaid touching such his conuersion absolued him confessing his former errors and humbly crauing pardon from the crime of heresie and from the ecclesiastical censures which he had therefore incurred and he admitted him into the bosom of the holy mother the church and into the fellowship of the faithfull taking from him all incongruitie Nay furthermore that he might be bound with a more strait and firm bond he dispensed with him and Margaret sister to the said king Charles who being borne of that most Christian stocke and being well brought vp was thought to be able easily to keepe hir husband in his dutie and in obseruing the catholike religion that notwithstanding the lets of the third and peraduenture of other degrees of consanguinitie betweene them and also of spirituall kindred they might contract matrimonie betweene them as they did contract it in the face of the church and that done after a few moneths he sent Iohn Lord of Duratium his orator to our said predecessor that in his behalfe he might promise concerning his repentance conuersion faith and constancie in presence of the sea apostolike after that a publike and solemne consistorie was made for him in the kings hall according to the custome in the assemblie of the cardinals and prelates of the holie church of Rome and in a great concourse of others hauing professed all the foresaid things the same Henrie was admitted as a king lately conuerted to the faith and as catholike the whole citie reioicing and triumphing and giuing great thanks for the sheep that was found recouered But he as he was of a diuers and inconstant mind falling awaie shortly after from the catholike faith and from due obedience toward the apostolike sea and from other things professed by him expressely and with an oth and turning backe to that filth wherin he tumbled before withdrawing himself secretly from the most christian king hauing gathered togither in a place a good way distant from the kings court so great a multitude of wicked heretiks and of wicked men of that stampe as he could he openly reuoked there all those things which he before had done concerning the detestation of Caluinisme the abiuring of all heresies and the profession of the catholike and apostolike faith of Rome testifieng that he did professe Caluinisme as he professed it and hath alwaies sticked to that heresie with an obstinate and hardened mind and liuing therein vntill this day he hath raised vp sundrie times heretical rebels and seditious persons whose head captain and defender he hath alwaies been in France and also a most earnest fauorer of outlandish heretiks to beare armes against the foresaid Charles and also against our most deerly beloued sonne in Christ Henrie the most Christian king though he ought to haue reuerenced him as his king and maister to haue loued and followed him as his wiues brother I saie forgetting all dutie and godlines he hath raised them vp against him and all catholikes he hath gathered most deadly armies hauing gotten vnto him heretiks of other nations by whom all places euerie where are defiled with the bloodie murders of godly men holie temples are polluted and pulled downe priests and religious men are slain with torments furthermore he hath taken the cities fortresses of the catholiks partly by policie and partly by force and armes and in them hath he forbidden and taken away the rites of the catholike church he hath appointed heretical ministers preachers he hath inforced the citizens inhabitants to tread in the steps of the same impietie euen with threatnings stripes But thinking with himself that he had not yet don ynough amongst others he sent a certaine deere friend of his furnished with his wicked subtilties without the borders of France to diuers places by whom he imparted his wicked counsels with certaine chiefe heretiks and he prouoked their strength and forces against the catholike religion and the power of the bishop of Rome also he caused certain secret conuenticles of heretiks to be kept in diuers prouinces at some whereof whiles those most vniust leagues against the catholike faith and principally against the churches clergie and all the catholikes of the realme of France were handled he himselfe was not onely present but also a principall actor therein And as for Henrie Borbon prince of Condie hauing two heretiks for his parents forasmuch as they during their whole life had obstinately cherished the deadlie opinions of Caluin and the ministers therof he following the heresies of the same his father and mother did commit like offences being but a yongling afterward with like indeuor as the other Henrie vsed taking the way of truth through repentance and humblenes of hart so much as could be gessed and detesting likewise and abiuring publikely all errors and dotings of heretiks he professed the catholike faith as is said before Which things being brought to the same popes eares and like intercession being made for him the same our predecessor absolued from heresie and such censures him and Marie somtimes of Clieue his pretensed wifc being at that time infected with the same crime of heresie being in like sort penitent detesting and professing and he receiued them into the bosome of the catholike church and companie of the faithfull yea moreouer he dispensed with them according to the abundance of his fatherlie loue that they might contract matrimonie betweene themselues notwithstanding the let of the second degree of consanguinitie wherewith they were holden both of them But he shortly after returning vnto his old impietie and entring that most wicked waie wherin the footsteps of Ludouike of Condie his most wicked father a persecutor of the catholike church had troden and walking in the same footesteps he likewise shewed himselfe a captaine and defender of the same heretiks and wicked persons of the said realme of France and also an author of ciuill wars and seditions he conueied into France bands of hereticall soldiers being strangers he assaied to besiege townes and cities he ouerthrew churches he did profane and destroie holie things he did most cruelly murder priests appointing in their places ministers of wickednes he commanded their peruerse doctrine to be published retained and finally he vsed all kind of crueltie and sauagenes as well against Gods ministers as also against other professors of the catholike faith All which things forasmuch as they be manifest publike and notorious and forasmuch as we do fully perfectly know especially