chaires and forsaking their flockes to goe a gadding and roming into other countries haunting Marts and Faires for filthie lucres sake and little caring to feed and releeue their hungrie and staruing brethren so that themselues might haue money at their will getting lands by fraud and money by griping vsurie and what did we not An. 253. saith he deserue for these ill doings This was after the yeare 253. And as bad weeds grow apace in the Church if God from time to time crop them not so Eusebius imputeth that succeeding persecution of Dioclesian to the same causes as before An. 302. Euseb lib. 8. c. 1. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There was saith he among vs nought else but cursed speakings and continualliarres of Prelats falling out with Prelats and congregations with congregations They also which seemed to be Pastors casting off the law and rule of pietie kindled contentions betweene themselues seeking onely to encrease debates threats iealousies heart-burnings and reuenge with an immoderat desire to commaund and sway as in a Tyrannie And therefore lesse wonder is it if afterward taking their ease vnder Constantine the Great many of them became fit instruments some more some lesse to aduance the Mysterie whereof we speake An. 310. 2 Constantine therefore affecting the Christian religion about the yeare 310 set himselfe to bestow huge largesses vpon the Christian Churches especially vpon that of Rome as chiefe citie of the Empire and the place where his person most vsually resided largesses I say and heritages of great reuenewes with sumptuous ornaments all inuentaried in the life of Syluester Lib. 4. de Episc Cler. in Co. Theod. Damasus Anastas in Syluestro written by Damasus Bishop of Rome and by Anastasius surnamed Bibliothecarius and his greatest princes becomming conuerts after his example did the like both by deeds of gift and legacies which Constantine ratified and authorised by law expresse And the more to win credit and to inure his people to Christianitie about the yeare 330 as he pulled downe Idolatry so he applied the reuenewes of their temples to the maintenance of the Christian Churches so that in short time the Roman Church grew exceeding rich All which and euerie particular thereof appeareth in the said life of Syluester and by Cedrenus in his historie where he saith Cedrenus pag. 243. That in the 26 and 27 yeares of his Empire Constantine laboured to pull downe the Idols with their Temples and to conuey their rents and reuenewes to the Churches of God And herewithall went forward still and encreased that pretence of the Bishops of Rome vnto the Primacie whereof we find too many markes in their Epistles euen in those of Syluester himselfe but I make a conscience to alledge them because the more learned sort and Cardinall Casanus himselfe hold them all or the most part for counterfeit vntill the time of Pope Syricius which was the yere 400 as we haue elsewhere declared 3 Neither doe we here speake of that pretended donation of Constantine made vnto the Church of Rome in the person of Syluester as well of the citie of Rome as of a great part of Italie as being a thing contrarie and repugnant to the whole course of histories for that we find no fourth Consulship of Constantine the son and Gallicanus which yet is the date of that donation Because Damasus Bishop of Rome in the life of Syluester so particularly by him described maketh no such mention and Anastasius as little Because all Italie and Rome it selfe came afterwards in partage among the sonnes of Constantine as Eusebius Victor Zozimus Euseb lib. 4. c. 51 Idem de vita Constant lib. 4. c. 49. 50. 51. Zozimus lib. 2. Victor in Constantin Zonaras to 3. Agaâ—â—n Epist ad â—â—â—stant Pogâ—â—â—t in Actis 6. Synod and Zonaras report Because Isidore Burchard and Iuo judging it Apocryphal haue omitted it in their seuerall Collections of decrees Because Pope Agatho himselfe writing many yeares after to Constantine Pogonatus calleth Rome Vrbem Imperatoris seruilem i. The seruile towne or citie of the Emperour Because the most reputed men of the Roman Church haue refuted and reiected it namely a Anton. Archiep part 1. tit 8. c. 2. § sic inquit Antonine Archbishop of Florence b Volaterra in vita Constantin Raphael Volaterranus c Hieron Catalan in practica Cancella Apostol Hieronimus Catalanus Chamberlaine to Pope Alexander the sixt d Otho Frisingens in Annal. Otho Frisingensis e Cardin. Cusanus in concord Cathol lib. 3. Cardinall Casanus f Laurent Valla de ficta donatione Laurentius Valla Senator of Rome g Franciscus Guicciard in locis duobus de Papa Francis Guicciardine and others euerie one of them famous in their seuerall generations Aeneas Syluius himselfe afterward Pope Pius the second in a particular treatise cited by the foresaid Catalanus Because Platina the Popes Historian is ashamed to mention it to be short Because that in the pretended originall it selfe kept in the Vatican and written in letters of gold the scribe which wrot it hath added at the foot thereof in false Latine Quam fabulam longi temporis mendacia finxit i. Which fable a lye of long continuance hath forged And forged indeed with monstrous impudencie when it is there said That Constantine the fourth day after his baptisme gaue this priuiledge also to the Bishop of Rome That all the Priests throughout the Empire should acknowledge him for their head as Iudges acknowledge their King Surely it should seeme that this good Emperour was not well instructed by Syluester in the rights and priuiledges of the Bishops of Rome since it appeareth that he knew not that they came from heauen nor Syluester himselfe well learned in this point since he chose to hold them as from the Emperour rather than from Saint Peter And againe it is there said That Constantine gaue to Syluester and to his successors the Primacy ouer the Sees of Alexandria Antioch Hierusalem Constantinople and all other Churches of the world Doubtlesse Syluester had neuer gone to schoole with the Iesuites where he might haue learned That it belonged properly to him to haue giuen the Empire vnto Constantine as for himselfe that this Primacie and preheminence ouer all other Churches was giuen him in the Gospell And farther it is there said That of purpose to make roome for the Pope the Emperour built Constantinople It being vnfit as it is there said that where the Empire of Priests should be there the earthlie Emperour should intermeddle or haue any thing to doe Yet is it euident that afterward Constantine allotted Rome to one of his sonnes and that many Emperours after him made that their ordinarie dwelling And to conclude this priuiledge was to endure to the end of the world with Crowne and Mantle and other Imperiall robes and he by Constantine damned to the pit of hell without hope of remission that should offer
of the sentence of excommunication which was laid vpon him for the surprizing of Pope Boniface A further clause of fauour was added by the consent of the whole Consistorie which was That neither the kings nor kingdome of France could not be subiect to any excommunication or interdict which Bull is reserued in the Treasurie of the Charters Momforts Chronicle sayes expresly That he reuoked two of Bonifaces Decrees one wherein he had written to the king That he was subiect to the Church of Rome both in spirituall and temporall things and another inserted in the sixt of the Decretals whose beginning is Clericos c. The Colonnaes were alreadie prouided for but the defacing of Bonifaces memorie remained yet to be performed being sufficiently conuicted by Philips testimonie and the absolution of the attemptors but this poynt was referred to the Councell of Vienna which began about the end of this present yeare There it was debated on the behalfe of king Philip That Boniface was to be condemned for an heretike which three Cardinals aboue all the rest vehemently argued but at last the stronger partie ouercame partly because the Cardinals by him created feared least by this meanes they should endanger their owne places and partly because Clements election wherein their hands bare the stroke might wonderfully by this proceeding bee weakened and disioynted But certaine it is that king Philip was so perseuerant in this affaire Walsingham Chronic. That by speciall messengers saith Walsingham he with much importunitie demaunded the bones of his predecessor Boniface to be burned as an heretikes And this questionlesse he did not without the consent of the Parisian Senat and of the Sorbon In this Councell three heads were propounded The affaire of the Templers The warre of the Holie Land and The reformation of the Church The Templers were condemned both of heresie and other crimes and hereupon cruelly burnt in many places proscribed ouer all Europe and spoyled of their goods And yet many Authors affoord testimonies of their innocencie as Bocatius Villanus Antoninus Nauclerus Auentinus and others Some say that greedinesse of enioying their goods brought vpon them this prosecution and herein they blame Philip and Clement himselfe who would denie him nothing Others affirme that the Popes choler was incenst against them because they detested the Court of Rome which was the onely cause of all the miseries in Christendome and of the vtter destruction of the Holie Land So as by no torments nor crueltie of punishment inflicted they could be brought to confesse the crimes imposed and layd vpon them Paulus Aemilius in Philippo pulchro And they of Germanie proued their owne innocencie in an assemblie called at Mogunce as Aemilius witnesseth They be not obscure Authors saith he which alledge that Iames Burgond Principall of that Order some call him Molanus being brought forth to dye and enuironed with a mightie multitude while the fire was a setting about him and being offered his life and release of that paineful punishment if confessing publikely that which he had deliuered during his imprisonment both of himselfe and his whole Order he vttered these words In these my last actions it being vnpardonable impietie to lye I freely and frankely confesse that I committed a great offence both against my selfe and my Order and that I haue therein deserued a most tormenting punishment because in fauour of them for whom I should not and allured with the sweetnesse of life I haue in my tortures slaunderously imposed many impieties and detractions vpon my Order which hath euer deserued well of the Christian religion I haue now no need of a life obtained by intreatie much lesse retained by lying and defamation And then being set to the pile and fire kindled about the nether parts of his feet to wring out from him some confession euen when the flames began to wast and frie his entrails he neuer swarued from the constancie of his former speech or shewed the least change or alteraion of mind neither he nor two others of his Order being of a great familie one of which was brother to the Dolphine of Vienna From hence the Reader may easily obserue and judge of the calumniations and slanders that the Popes in all ages haue imposed and laid vpon their oppugnants Some Authors of no small esteeme adde Supplementum Martini Parad in Historia Burgundica That two Cardinals were present at this execution and that this great Master summoned Pope Clement before the tribunall of the euerliuing God to answer to the judgement and sentence hee had denounced against him who some fortie dayes after died justly on the same day for this execution was the eleuenth of March and he dyed the twentieth of Aprill a moneth after the publication of his Clementines For that which concernes Palestina The crosse was published to be assumed against the Turkes with a more ample and large grant of Indulgences than euer before that is to say Whosoeuer tooke vpon them the Crosse for this expedition he could not incurre damnation in these plaine words We will not that he be subiect to the torments of hell We further granting to those that be signed with the Crosse for this end three or foure soules at their pleasure to be deliuered out of Purgatorie by their supplications and prayers Whereat the Parisian Diuines were wonderfully scandalized and so much the rather because there was a speciall clause annexed to this Bull We commaund the Angels that absolutely freeing the soule from Purgatorie they conduct it into the glorie of Paradise Conformable to a doctrine taught then by themselues and their adherents That the Pope could command the Angels as his officers and serieants And many copies of this Bull are yet reserued at Vienna Poictiers and Limoges As for Church reformation little or nothing was spoken at all as shall appeare in the section ensuing But by the conclusion and shutting vp of Clements life we shall see what manner of man he was which with such confidence tooke vpon him to dispose of Paradise These be therefore the verie words of Antoninus himselfe After the celebration of a generall Councell in the yeare 1313 Clement going from Vienna to Bourdeaux fell sicke by the way and dyed This man as Chronicles relate was too much addicted to concupiscence and for this cause the sinne of simonie so deepely detested and punished by the Canons tooke deepe root in his Court about the recommendations to benefices And whereas some say That simonie cannot concurre nor stand with the Pope S. Thomas sharpely reproues them Besides it is reported That when he was departing out of this world a certaine nephew of his whom he had sensually before affected mark well these words brought in one that was skilfull in the art of Negromancie that by his wicked art he might seeke out how his nephew should be disposed of in another life who putting in practise his skill he cause one of the Popes Chaplaines a bold
to the contrarie but let that saying cease which is verie erronious to affirme The state of the Church was neuer in so great daunger from the beginning of the world as it is to be seene at this present There haue been indeed greater persecutions and vexations of the Church but there were euer holie and deuout men who endued with the grace of the holie spirit comforted the faithfull instructing and strengthening them And now the Chruch seemeth to be set in securitie but such holie men are nowhere to be seene Therefore the Church decreaseth in faithfull men and in kingdomes it pineth away in persons notwithstanding the libertie it hath And before when it enioyed not so great libertie but was furnished with those holie men it dayly encreased and augmented as to him that will search the Histories will plainely appeare These things Saint Barnard partly noted in his time in his foure and twentieth Sermon and vpon the 72 Psalme They are the Ministers of Christ but serue Antichrist Which places because we haue aboue coted them in needlesse here to trouble the Reader withall Stephan Brulifer de timore seruili de paupertate Christi cum sermonibus varijs apud Andream Bocord Paris an 1500. Jdem in 4. lib. sentent Bonavent Basil per Jacob. de Pfortzeim 1501 In Fraunce Stephan Brulifer Doctour of Sorbonne of the order of Franciscan Friers whose bookes were Printed at Paris and at Basill in the yeares 1500 and 1501 taught publiquely in lectures in disputations and by writings That neither the Pope nor a Councell nor the Church can prescribe an Article statute or ceremonie which bindeth the conscience of a Christian That their power consisteth onely in this to take care that the commaundements of God bee kept to preach his word to administer the Sacraments so as hee hath instituted them taking heed that they bring in nothing besides that which hee hath commaunded As touching justification which is attributed to merits that it is a diuelish doctrine seeing that the Lambe sacrificed hath satisfied Gods justice for vs of which S. Iohn crieth Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world But when the Sorbonne would not endure him he committed himselfe to the protection of Diether Archbishop of Mentz And what shall we say of Platina Platina in Marcelino that famous Historiographer of Popes not speaking of Paule the second his Master which perhaps might bee imputed to some hatred but of the Popes and Chruch in his time plainely without spleene In the life of Marceline speaking of the persecution of Dioclesian Eusebius saith he sheweth That God permitted that calamitie which they suffered because of the maners of Christians corrupted by too much libertie and indulgence principally of the Churchmen whose peruersenesse the iustice of God would bridle by this persecution seeing dissimulation to be in their countenance guile in their heart and deceit in their words For these striuing who should excell each other in enuie pride enmities and hatreds seemed to sauour rather of tyrannie than Priesthood being altogether forgetfull of Christian pietie and prophaning rather than celebrating the diuine mysteries But what thinke wee shall become of our age wherein our vices are encreased so exceedingly that hardly haue they left any place of mercie for vs with God How great is the couetousnesse of Priests and chiefely of them which haue soueraigne power how great their lust appeareth euerie where how great their ambition and pompe how great their pride and sloth how great their ignorance both of themselues and of Christian doctrine how little their religion and rather in shew than in truth how corrupt their manners which euen in prophane men whom they call seculars were detestable there is no need to speake it They commit sinnes so openly and in sight its if they sought prayse thereby There will come beleeue mee there will come the Turke the enemie of the Christian name more violent than Diocletian and Maximian he alreadie knocketh at the gates of Italie We negligent and sleepie attend a common destruction prouiding rather for priuat pleasure than for common vtilitie In the life also of Stephen the third Pietie and religion is now become so cold Platina in Stephan 3. that they will not pray to God I say not bare-footed but hardly in their hose and buskins Speaking of a certaine procession from Lateran to S. Peters They weepe not as they goe or during the time of Diuine Seruice as those holie Fathers but laugh and that impudently I speake euen of them whose scarlet robes makes them more obseruable They sing not hymnes for that seemeth to them seruile but ieasts and tales they tell among themselues to stirre vp laughter What need many words The more talkative any is and the more wanton the greater prayse he deserueth thereby in that corruption of manners This our Clergie feareth seuere and graue men Why so because they had rather liue in so great licentiousnesse than obey him that admonisheth them or constraineth them to doe well and for this cause Christian religion groweth daily worse and worse The like wee read in many places whereby he left inregistred what he judged of his times not daring so freely to doe it in the liues of them that then raigned or had left after them their creatures as they call them of whom he might receiue iniurie Let vs adde Anthonie de Rosellis a Tuscan a famous Doctor both of the Ciuile and Canon law who in his learned bookes concerning that matter teacheth That no temporall jurisdiction belongeth to the Pope and in spirituall he subiecteth him to a Councell Which bookes were printed at Venice in the yeare 1487 but by their Index Expurgatorius they haue caused them to be raced out It remaineth to say something of thee that spake openly being sequestred from the Pope Platina in the life of Paul the second telleth vs That in the towne of Poli neere Rome were detected many heretikes and the Lord of the place with eight men and six women was taken who being brought to Paul were verie ignominiously vsed And behold the heresie They were saith hee of that sect which wee say is of a peruerse opinion of mind for that they sayd That none of them which haue beene since Saint Peter was truely Christ Vicar sauing onely they who haue imitated Christs pouertie Let the Reader note here the stile of Platina which sheweth that he speaketh out of other mens judgement And as for the Bohemians in the beginning of the Popedome of Pius the second they set forth their Apologie and Confession of Faith against the calumnies wherewith they were traduced among the people which were too long here to be inserted But they are conformable to the doctrine of the reformed Churches of this kingdom and are defended by the same places and reasons both of the holie Scriptures and Fathers But this fell out well for them that after diuers miseries was chosen king with
Exarchat tooke Ferrara Comachio Faenza and entred verie farre vpon Romagnia and la Marche Adrian hereupon sent an embassage by sea to Charlemaigne in Fraunce and the more to interest him in the quarrell told him That Didier would force him to annoint the sonnes of Carloman his brother that his refusall was the cause of all this trouble Adrian all this while was in a piteous plight for Didier either for or vnder colour of deuotion came before Rome gates when by meanes of an excommunication which Adrian cast out against him his priuat familie and others would not suffer him to passe anie farther But when Charles was once passed the Alpes those of Spoleto and Riete and others came presently and yeelded to the Pope Moreouer those of Didiers owne dominions fell from him by heapes so that he was forced to breake vp the siege Then came Charlemaigne to Rome where he was receiued as the sole author of the life and libertie of the Church the people singing before him by the appointment of Adrian as the children once did at the entrance of our Sauiour into Ierusalem Blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lord Hosanna c. And after some few dayes spent in pompous deuotions Charles was requested to confirme the donation of the Exarchat Romania and la Marche which his father himselfe and his brother Carloman with all the Iudges of France had long before promised at Creci in Fraunce all which he presently accorded giuing ouer and aboue of that which was none of his the Islands of Corsica Sardinia and Sicilie the territorie of the Sabines with the Duchies of Spoleto and Tuscanie which belonged to the Lumbards reseruing alwaies to himselfe the soueraignetie of them And thus came the kingdome of the Lumbards to an end by the practises of the Popes whereas yet their Kings haue this testimonie affoorded them euen by the Historians of their greatest enemies That from the time they receiued the Christian Religion and Catholike Faith they had euer beene great Iusticers and deuoutly giuen witnesse saith Sigonius their good lawes which so seuerely punished thefts robberies rapes murders and adulteries carefully preseruing euerie man in his owne estate goods and libertie witnesse also the sumptuous Temples and ample Monasteries with which they beautified and adorned Italie the faire and goodlie Cities which they either built or repaired the honours they did to holie persons the Lordships and riches which they bestowed vpon the Popes with the great reuerence they vsed towards them insomuch that some of them at the Popes persuasions left Crowne and Kingdome to confine themselues within a cloister But the Popes ambition was great and the Lumbards payed the price of their deuotion towards that See by the finall ruine of their state and kingdome Neither is Onuphrius ashamed to vaunt Onuphr in Constant that Gregorie the second had chased the Emperour out of Italie That Gregorie the third by the helpe of Pepin had begun the warre vpon the Lumbards which being pursued by his successors must needs as it did end in the ruine of that Kingdome And this fell vpon the yeare 773. Where note also An. 773. for the more perfect view of these proceedings that about the yeare 740 the King of West Saxons in England purposing to take the Frocke vpon him first made his realme tributarie to the Pope binding it to pay yerely a pennie for euerie chimney in the land So likewise in the same Island did Offa King of Northumberland vnder Adrian the first The Author setteth downe the cause which was the feare he had to be punished for his sinnes as thinking he should neuer be able to make sufficient satisfaction to God for them though he had alreadie giuen the tenth of all his goods vnlesse he gaue other mens goods also and made the kingdome to beare the penaltie of his offences so well did the inuention of Purgatorie suit alreadie with their ambition But Gregorie the seuenth called Hildebrand Gregor 7. in ep ad Pet. Alban G. Principem Salernitanum would make the world beleeue That Charlemaigne in humble acknowledgement of S. Peters helpe in his victories vpon the Saxons had giuen the countrey of Saxonie as an offering to the Church of Rome and that he commaunded smoake pence to be payed throughout Fraunce vnto the Pope but he alledgeth no author saue onely his pretended Charters by vertue whereof he commaunded Peter Bishop of Alba and G. Prince of Saleme his Legats to make demaund of those said pence in Fraunce But the French euer laughed at such claimes and Charlemaigne was too wise to fall into such a trap About this time also was it that Boniface falsely surnamed the Martyr a great champion of the Popes and Pope himselfe published the Decree Si Papa containing That if the Pope happen to neglect his owne saluation and others c. he euer draweth with him multitudes of soules to hell Distinct 46. A great mischiefe but what remedie for it followeth This no mortall wight may presume to reproue him for his faults because he himselfe iudgeth all men and is iudged of none vnlesse he be found erring in faith Which doctrine once layed for a ground what wonder if Popes haue alwaies run so headlong to all manner of impietie And the better to see how the Apostasie from true doctrine hath alwaies encreased with the Tyrannie of the Papacie we must further note that the most grosse abuses grew vp in this lamentable time We haue said before that Gregorie the first altered the Liturgie of Rome this was now receiued in Italie by the meanes of Adrian the first in Germanie by the diligence of Boniface and in Fraunce by the authoritie of Charles and where euer they found opposition there they brought it in by force and violence The holie Supper was for the most part left off priuat Masses vsed in stead thereof the Sacrament was turned into a Sacrifice and then began the opinion of Transubstantiation to giue it the greater credit Purgatorie also now came to be vndoubtedly beleeued of the common people hence came those multitudes of foundations the Church euer parting stakes in the reuenues Now began men to flocke to Rome in pilgrimage hoping thereby to purchase remission of all their sinnes insomuch that the Bishops and Fathers of Fraunce in the Councell of Tours began to oppose against it Concil Turoni An. 813. sub Charo Magno Concil Nice 2. and to entreat the Emperour to stay the current of this abuse And lastly in the yeare 788 was held that second Councell of Nice called the seuenth Generall Councell vnder Constantine the seuenth and his mother Irene wherein after strong opposition was finally established the adoration of Images Adrian the first there assisting by his Legats whom Irene the Empresse hoped so to satisfie and content by giuing way to this Decree that by his fauour she might once more set foot in Italie OPPOSITION Neither may
lust of the souldier to commit all manner of wickednesse whatsoeuer For we learne sufficiently out of histories what manner of men for the most part they returned from thence being all polluted with the abhominations of the Cananites To the same remedies they had euer recourse consecrating their children if they had any to the selfesame warres and giuing such goods as they had to expiat their sinnes On the otherside euerie vnskilfull souldier carried with a feruent desire of this warre fell vpon the Iewes against whom they had libertie as they thought to offer any violence and if they did not presently turne Christians to massacre them at their owne pleasures to the great scandall of Christian Religion as if there had beene no other meane to conuert them to the Faith of Christ And therefore in many Prouinces the souldiers preparing themselues to depart fell vpon the miserable people making their ruine to beare the charge of their voyage Insomuch that we read of tenne or twelue thousand slayne in one place an euident argument of that false and adulterat zeale wherewith they were carried and a manifest presage of an vnfortunat end We are not to forget by the way amongst other things that that Godfrey of Buloin that was the first who by assault entred Hierusalem was the selfesame who before vnder the commaund of the Emperour Henrie was the first that scaled the walls of Rome Let no man doubt that there wanted in those times wise men who looked more inwardly into the nature of this expedition Auentine beleeuing those that writ before him saith that it was a report spred amongst the common people Auent li. 5. that this voice was heard from heauen Deus vult God will haue it so whereupon all sorts of people from all parts ran to those warres some from their Kingdomes some from their Cities their Castles their flocks their Temples their families their wiues their children their fields their plonghes and into Asia past by flockes Captaines Gouernours Tetrarches Bishops Monkes who vnder a shew of Religion Berthold in Chron. committed all manner of wickednesse They carried a Goose saith he before them saying it was the holie An. 1096. Ghost and that Charles the great was come againe into the world As for the Iewes wheresoeuer they met them they slew them except they did presently conuert and whosoeuer refused to turne they spoyled of his goods Some of the Iewes out of their loue to their Law slew each other others for the time dissembling Christianitie relapsed from Christ to Moyses And these were the exploits of Peter the Hermit the authour and procuror of these warres Sigon de regno Jtaliae li. 9. A voyage whereof Sigonius himselfe in the middest of his panegyrique could not temper himself but that he gaue his judgement in these words Vrban saith he applied his mind to the recouerie of Hierusalem which had beene a long time held by the Sarasens an enterprise not so famous for the increase of pietie Gulielm Malmelsburiens li. 4. as renowned for the glorie therof in future times Which expedition to the end he might colour with some deuotion he ordayned that no Clergie or Lay man should eat flesh from Shrouetide to Easter Thus doth superstition alwayes increase with hipocrisie The controuersie touching the inuestiture of Bishops pretended by the Popes to the preiudice of Kings and Emperours did still continue though not without some difficultie and resistance Waltramus de inuestituris Episcoporum especially in Germanie Waltram therefore Bishop of Naumburg writ in his time of this matter against the Pope his reasons were That Hadrian in a full Councell was of opinion with Charles the great and his successours that it belonged to them to inuest Bishops yea and to confirme the Bishop of Rome except some certaine Bishops of Italie who by an auncient graunt from the Kings were to be consecrated by the Pope In which graunt he comprehendeth the Abbies and other regall dignities That Gregorie the great euen before this agreement had by Letters admonished Theodorick Theodobert Brunichild to inuest without simonie and that himselfe was not consecrated but by the consent of Mauritius the Emperour That Pope Leo and his successors obserued the same towads Otho and his and that vnder payne of excommunication And therefore it is verie strange that Gregorie the seuenth should go about to alter it and that vnder absolution That the Popes are to take good heed that God doe not vnbind in heauen what they bind vpon earth which many times comes to passe by the glorie of precedencie which sets mens spirits on fire when the successors goe about to change the Decrees of their predecessors And if any man reprehending them they shal answer that The iudgements of Rome are not to be reuoked why then doe they reuoke those of their auncestors that made for the Emperours why doe they scandall the little flocke of Christ why vnder the shaddow of Religion doe they gather euen with open hands all vnto themselues since that our Sauiour saith Giue vnto Caesar those things that are Caesars c That in Spaine Scotland England Hungarie the Kings vsed this right purely and entirely In France a long time before Hadrian the consecrated Kings and gouernors of the Palace inuested the Bishops that is to say Dagobert Sigebert Theodoricus Hildericus Pepinus Theodebertus by whom Remaclus Amandus Odemarus Antbertus Elisius Lambertus and other holie Prelats were inthronised and setled in their seats without respect of the maner of their inuestiture whether it were done by word or by the staffe the ring yet it was no matter But we must know that that homage that is done vnto the king vnder the name royaltie is before the consecration And that from the time of S. Peter to Siluester it was not so both because the Emperours were heathens and the Churches poore but afterwards being enriched by kings and endowed by other good men they made new laws especially hauing gotten into their possession Lands and great reuenues yea became Lords of Townes and Cities into which places they might withdraw themselues against the enemie That it fell out verie happily that the Emperors put themselues into the gouernement of the Church of Rome which had beene so often rent with schismes in the election of their Bishops and could neuer obtaine any setled peace without their mediation All this he saith with many other good reasons too long to rehearse Trithemius in lib. de scriptorib Ecclesiast And in the selfesame sence writ Venericus Bishop of Verseil in Italie dedicating his booke to the Pope himselfe which he intituled Of the discord of the Kingdome and Priesthood It was at this time also that we haue the Apologie of Sigebert Abbot of Gembloux for the Emperor Henrie mentioned by Auentine in his fift booke In France Vrban hauing ordained Yuo Abbot of S. Quintine An. 1072. bishop of Chartres by the deposition of Iefferay
Clements election Iohn also Duke of Burgondie and many other Princes The recourse was such as at the entring in of the multitude a wall instantly falling downe many were crushed amongst whom Charles the kings brother and the Duke of Britaine were sore hurt and the Pope himselfe was ouerthrowne and his Myter strucke from his head whereof one jewell of inestimable price was lost And all these things presaged disaster and ruine This made all men beleeue that he transferred the Papacie into France for some speciall end because this new Pope at his first entrie created many French Cardinals in whose hands lay the whole authoritie and power of election Then on the other side that the Romans might not grow into any great discontent he sent them three Cardinals on whom he conferred the dignitie of Senators that so they might in some sort supplie his absence Now in the years 1308 Albertus being slaine An. 1308. the electors chose for Emperour Henrie sonne to Henrie Count of Lutzemburg called the seuenth being a Prince of noble valour and fortitude imposing on him the Diademe at Aquisgrane who presently sent embassadours to Clement being at Auignion to obtaine at his hand that his coronation might be celebrated at Rome which Clement yeelded vnto vpon this condition That within the space of two yeares hee should goe into Italie But Henrie not attending an appointed day passing the Alpes came into Italie where he found many cities of the Guelphish faction ill affected towards him who had formerly bound themselues vnto him in very strict league as also Robert king of Sicilia the Popes friend who supplied them with forces to erect strong garrisons where speciall need did require An armie in like manner he brought with him to defend their league and societie But so on the other side many that receiued him with great applause suffered him willingly to haue both succours and captaines but especially in Lombardie which being more remote from Robert was the lesse subiect to his plots and stratagems When he came to Viterbe the Clergie and people of Rome met and saluted him conducting him honourably to Rome At his entrie he discouered a conspiracie on foot against him and therefore for his securitie he bound the Nobilitie to him by oath and put sufficient defensiue forces into all the strong places Many also adde hereunto That out of a new and vnknowne example he would haue exacted a tribute of the people on the same day when other Emperours contrariwise were woont to giue great largesse For these respects therefore the Guelphes found fit opportunitie to stirre vp the people against him especially being backed by Robert king of Sicilia who vnder colour of honouring this festiuitie was come thither Henrie therefore being crowned at S. Iohn Laterans leauing the citie to the Cardinals was enforced to retire to Tiuoli whither he being gone they then manifestly shewed how they were not so precisely enjoyned to set the Crowne on his head as to forbid him the Citie For vpon his occasion Clement presently enacted this Law Henricus Steron in Annaâ—ibus sub annum â—313 Clemès Ne sede vacante aliquid innouetur Jdem de sententia de re iudicata Collenuc lib. 5. Henricus Stero in Annalibus Trithem in Chron. in Abbate Hen. 13. That the elected kings of Romans in Germanie could neither be held nor taken for absolute Emperours before they receiued this title and inuestiture from the Popes owne hands and moreouer That during the Interregnum and vacancie of that dignitie the Pope should rule and commaund ouer all the Cities and precincts of the Empire But the controuersie betwixt them lasted not long For this good Prince going towards Sienna and besieging Bonconuento by the way in few dayes after he was poysoned whereof he died Out of the precedent Storie let the Reader conjecture of his death although in this point all writers consent that this poyson was administred to him by one Bernard a Dominican who was Henries confessor in the Hoast from whence grew this verse Iure dolet mundus quod Iacobita secundus Iudas nunc extat mors Caesaris haec manifestat The world much grieues a Iacobine making great shew of pietie Should proue a second Iudas poysoning th' imperiall Majestie And some affirme the Popes Legat instigating him thereunto They that put their hands into these practises belieue they vnfaynedly thinke you in their hearts Transubstantiation Others relate that the Dominican Priests in commemoration of this haynous deed were commaunded afterwards to communicat onely with the left hand An indictment was framed against this criminall by Henrie Count of Flanders and other Noble men of the Armie but the partie after he saw the effect of this poison made an escape Auentine notes that Clement became an enemie to Henrie because in receiuing the Crowne he denyed to take an othe before the Cardinals saying How it was against the custome of his predecessours and the libertie of Christian religion that a Prince of Princes and Lord ouer all the whole earth should be put to an oath by a seruant of seruants By meanes whereof he stirred vp Robert of Naples and other Princes against himselfe then he perceiuing this Robert's practise to take away his life by poyson appointed him a day of triall when he meant to haue pronounced him a rebell and Traytor and so haue stript them of his kingdome But Clement gaue him to vnderstand that it belonged not to him to dispose any way of the kingdome of Naples but to the Roman See of which he held in homage Clement being made Pope by Charles Count of Valois his procurement according to Antoninus he promised by solemne oath to performe six things which are set downe Antonin parte Tit. 21. c. 1. parag 3. Villan in Historia Florent both in Antoninus and other writers First that he should absolue all those that had colleagued against Boniface and that he should redeliuer the hat to the Cardinals Collanaes one thing he reserued to be propounded in due and conuenient time which was to rase out the verie memoriall of Boniface excluding his name out of the Catalogue of Popes and to disinterre his carcasse An. 1310. Chronic. Martini Chronic. Monsort Thom. Walsingham in Chronico In the yeare therefore 1310 in Auignion Philip King of Fraunce being publiquely excused by him of some matters that hee had attempted against the memorie of Boniface sometimes Pope hee pronounced further in the Kings behalfe That what hee did hee did out of a good mind intention and zeale the Kings Orators beeing then present and these things consequently as hath beene sayd were confirmed by the testimonie of the Popes Bulls this businesse was presently referred to Pope Clement who in this Processe of Boniface tooke vpon him to bee both accusant and defendant the Pope vndertaking both to examine and finally to determine this controuersie Item At the same time Pope Clement absolued William de Nogarete
Princes being taken prisoners by the Palatine whereupon they fell to this agreement Krantzius in Saxon. l. 12. c. 1. Naucler vol. 2. Gener. 49. That Adolph should possesse till his death the places which he had surprised and that Diether should peaceably enioy all the rest and also should succeed Adolfe whensoeuer he should decease which happened six yeares after And this was the fruit of ouerthrowing the Pragmaticall sanction which Pius said would be so profitable to the Church Neither was France better contented with the Decree of Pius the second than Germanie and so much the lesse for that Pius to gratifie Ferdinand bastard of Alphonsus had troden vnder foot the right of the Frenchmen in the kingdome of Naples He therefore sent a Legat into France for to abolish the Pragmatical sanction which was there obserued by vertue of the Councell of Basil and moued the king by letters in these words If thou be the sonne of obedience wherefore doest thou hold and defend the Pragmaticall sanction Eugenius warned thee to leaue it as not being according to God the same did Nicholas and Calixtus as the cause of great euill and discord in the Church and yet thou wouldst neuer heare the voyce of the Church And the king was somewhat moued with these words But the Court of Parliament of Paris came to him and earnestly declareth vnto him of how great importance it was for the Christian Commonweale the want whereof would most certainely bring foure principall inconueniences First A confusion of the whole Order Ecclesiasticall Secondly The depopulation of the subiects of the kingdome Thirdly An emptying the kingdome of money Fourthly The ruine and totall desclation of Churches All which they at large lay open vnto him from point to point This their admonition may be seene at large recited by Iohn Cardinall of Arles comprehended in 89 Articles in the workes of Peter Pithou which is worthie the Readers perusing There among other things they declared vnto him out of the holie Scriptures the practise of the Primitiue Church Canons of Councels Decrees of the Fathers ordinances of Popes themselues and by the lawes of Christian Emperours and Kings especially of ours That the Election of Bishops Abbots and other Prelats of the Church doth no whit depend and neuer haue depended of the Bishop of Rome That such was neuer the intention of Charlemaigne Lewis the Meeke Philip Augustus S. Lewis Charles the Wise and others who haue euer ordained and maintained Canonicall election so that whatsoeuer things are done otherwise is by meere vsurpation Then they come to speake of the pillages and buying and selling of the Court of Rome which in France alone doth amount to many millions of gold of which they set downe examples draw a roll of them and cast vp the particulars For what doe they say that in one onely Diocesse in one yeare the expectatiue graces are found to bee in number six hundred c. Whereupon the Pope was so moued Jacob. Cardin. Papiensis in Epistolis that as Iames Cardinall of Pauia writeth to king Lewis when he heard of a refusal he cried out Guerra vsque ad capillos But knowing wel that this king was diuersly intangled with many affaires and hauing found out his easie disposition that he wold do all things of his own head he could warily obserue him That thus had Constantine the great the two Theodosius Charlemaigne and many other of his predecessors gotten themselues an immortall name and a neuer-fading glorie to wit by abolishing the Pragmaticall sanction And what can be farther off from the truth and therefore what more vnworthie But principally because he heard his humor was in many things to goe contrarie to his fathers doings and wold be absolutely obeyed in what he pleased he there taketh hold Aeneas Syluius Epist 387. data Romae 26. Octob 1461. and tickleth him in that We commend saith he this among other things that without the assemblie and consultation of many thou hast resolued to take away the Pragmaticall Surely thou art wise and shewest thy selfe to be a great king which art not gouerned but doest gouerne c. Thou doest that which is meet for thee knowing that the Pragmaticall sanction is without God thou hast decreed to banish it out of thy kingdome and wilt not enter into deliberation whether those things ought to bee done or no which thou knowest are to be done This is to be a king and a good king whom good men loue and euill doe feare c. Betimes make knowne thy wisedome as to vs it is so to the whole world to the end that none may say he was a long time vnwilling because long in deliberating And if the Prelats and vniuersities require any thing of vs let them haue recourse to vs and make thee their Mediator Knowing without doubt if the matter once had come to deliberation he should surely haue had againe the repulse And he addeth Neither do we doubt but that when thou wert exiled namely when he was out of his fathers fauour as it were out of the kingdome thou wouldest often say with thy selfe O if I one day sit on my fathers throne I will doe many acceptable seruices to thee O God Surely I will not suffer thine inheritance to be spoyled by the furie of the Turkes c. But what doth he conclude of this Now shew thy slefe gratefull to his diuine goodnesse seeing he hath made thee his sonne king and hath restored the kingdome with great glorie and for so great benefits doe this againe for him take away the Pragmaticall sanction as thou hast promised our embassadour to doe and that done which is no hard thing to doe addresse thy selfe wholly to the succouring of Christian religion against the Turkes c. Thus to abrogat this law which respected onely the Canonicall election of Bishops and the restraint of the pillages of Rome was a matter of greater importance with him than the purpose or vow of making warre against the Turkes So then Lewis resolued to disannull it vnder colour that it had beene published in the time of schisme although he concealed not to encrease the benefit That it had beene concluded in a great assemblie of Prelats and with great deliberation of time and was now hardened and had taken firme footing But to what purpose he so eagrely pursued this businesse anon after appeared whereof wee haue a shew and example in the letters of Iames Cardinall of Pauia to Francis Spinola William Cardinall of Hostia saith he told vs a storie of an Abbie in France famous for wealth and religion of which there was an Abbot old and decrepit who seeing himselfe vnprofitable in his charge for conscience sake would leaue the administration of the same I know not what Bishop whose Church was farre thence requested that the Abbay should be giuen him in Commenda The Abbay as we haue sayd was of great fame in Fraunce hauing no ill in
faine disguise either beleeuing it himselfe or willing to put the gull vpon other men to make them beleeue that from the verie cradle and infancie of Christianitie there hath euer beene a Pope wrapt in such clouts as now we see him in and that Constantine because among others he gaue largely also to the Church of Rome therefore deuested himselfe of his imperiall robe and dignitie to clad him withall And obserue by what degrees he commeth to it First saith he To the end that the soueraigne Bishop of Christian religion should no longer dwell in a priuate house Baron to 3. an 312. art 80 81 82 83 84 85. he gaue vnto Miltiades for him and his successors after him one of his palaces to wit that of Lateran in Rome And whence had Baronius this report He is ashamed to alledge that Epistle of Isidore the Collector but whence had he it After much trash We haue it saith he from an approued Author Can. 12. q. 1. c. 15. § denique namely from Optatus Mileuitanus who telleth vs that Miltiades Bishop of Rome held the Councell of Rome in the house of Fausta in the Lateran he should haue added Optat. Mileuit aduers Parm. lib. 1. That he kept the Iubilie there also But what can he argue or proue out of these words That that was the Bishops house or if it were that it was giuen him by Constantine We read that not long after Syluester held another Councell Intra Thermas Domitianas was that house therefore his also or if that stately palace of Lateran was his before what needed he now to borrow another mans Yet this were a small matter if he stayed there but taking this as granted he wisely groundeth thereupon and inferreth That seeing the Emperour bestowed his Palace on him reason it selfe would that we beleeue that he gaue him his imperiall robes also which conjecture of his vanisheth like smoake so soone as it is denied Secondly he telleth vs Baron to 3. an 324. art 78. sequ that Constantine in the 24 yere of his reigne ordained That the Bishops of the Christian law should from that time forward haue the same priuiledges which the idolatrous Priests had and enioyed in times past not seeing at least not considering what prejudice he doth to his owne cause whilest he maketh it to appeare vnto vs that what euer they haue of this sort they haue it all from thence But yet what author hath he Baron an 311. an 315. art 10. None but the Acts of Pope Syluester in Latin which himselfe in so manie places vilifieth as being full of enormous falsities And yet from this sinke raketh he all those priuiledges of idoll Priests and Pontifes to settle them vpon the Christians They had sayth he as chiefe among them Rex Sacrificulus who in their solemne feast was wont to watch and haue an eye ouer all the rest They had also their soueraigne Pontife An. 324. art 79. Pontifex Maximus arbitrator of all questions arising about matters diuine or humane among them And who can thinke that Constantine would long endure that these should exceed the Christians in pompe and glorie the Christians I say to whom himselfe was contented to bow his necke Such are the proofes of this absolute authoritie and power of the Bishop of Rome yet may we learne from him those proud and pompous obseruances vsed by the Popes wherein if he erre somewhat in the times yet he maketh amends for it in the matter The Idoll Priests sayth he as Tacitus reporteth Tacit. lib. 12. had this priuiledge to enter the Capitoll in their Litter Plutarch q. 9. 10. Cic. ad Attic. lib. 2. ep 24. Prudent Hym. 10. so may you see the Pope alwayes carried through the Citie Whomsoeuer they met saith Plutarch they neuer vncouered vnto him no more doth the Pope at this day They were clad sayth Tullie with scarlet of the deepest dye so are the Pope and his Cardinals To conclude the High Priest as Prudentius reporteth at the time of his consecration had his labels and his crowne of gold O how much are we beholding to Baronius who presenteth vnto vs their Pope attyred from top to toe in habit of a Pagan But to say the truth the Popes were no such jollie fellowes in those dayes neither can anie proofe be made thereof As for the name of High Priest Pontifex Maximus it had beene no lesse than flat treason to haue vsurped it seeing that Histor lib. 4. as Zosimus reporteth as well Constantine himselfe as other Emperours after him by the space of one hundred yeares vntill the time of Gratian both retained the name and vsed the pontificall robes and ornaments presented vnto them by the Priests at the time of their coronation Which Baronius himselfe elsewhere not onely affirmeth Baron to 3. an 312. art 94. sequ but also proueth by sundrie old inscriptions which he produceth and giueth the reason thereof himselfe namely that therefore the High Priesthood was ioyned with the imperiall dignitie that the Senat and people of Rome those which were yet of the Heathenish faction might not so easily be drawne to conspire against the Christian Emperours as being of a foreine and different religion And who can then imagine that anie other durst vsurpe that name in Rome and in their presence Thirdly Baronius maintaineth That if the Pope had not perhaps the title yet he had in effect the power of a supreame Iudge in all causes of Religion and Heresie and that he was so commonly reputed and taken in the world much troubled in mind as it seemeth that Constantine himselfe tooke knowledge of the cause of the Donatists receiued their Appeale appointed Delegates and in the end sentenced and decided the cause himselfe in person whereof to doubt were to call all Historie into question The truth of the Historie is this The Donatists being moued by Anulinus the Proconsull by order from the Emperor to reconcile themselues to Caecilian Bishop of Carthage had thereupon recourse vnto the Emperour And because they held the Bishops of Afâ—ike as suspect preferred a petition vnto him That he would be pleased to appoint them Iudges out of Fraunce And Optatus sayth That the Emperour hereupon grew verie wroth and said You craue iudgement of me in my secular Courts Optat. Mileui cont Parm. lib. 1. which am my selfe to attend my doome from the hands of Christ as being justly incensed with the brawles and wranglings of these Bishops who in Christian dutie should haue fallen to an accord without an vmpire And yet as Optatus sayth at their suit Iudges were appointed namely Maternus Bishop of Cullen Rheticus of Authun and Marinus of Arles Here Baronius telleth vs Baron to 3. an 313. That Constantine was as yet a â—â—â—ce in the Faith not skilled in the courses and proceedings of the Church but that afterward he reformed this error being giuen to
others all which were found in the Popes Librarie Now therefore let vs see what answere the Bishops of the East made to those letters of Pope Iulius They tooke sayth Socrates his reproofes in scorne Socrat. lib. 2. c. 11. edit lat Greca cap. 13. and calling a Synod at Antioch by common aduise and consent they returned his imputations backe vpon himselfe with all bitternesse telling him That he was no more to controll them if they thought fit to depriue anie man in their Churches than they intermedled at what time Nouatus was cast out of the Church at Rome Sozomene addeth Sozom. edit lat l. 3. c. 7. Graec. c. 8. That their answere was full of scoffes and threats For sayth he they attributed indeed verie much to the Church of Rome as the mother Citie and schole of pietie and of religion though so it were that their first instructors in Christian religion came vnto them out of the East yet for all this disdained they to be reckoned their inferiors as they who made it not their glorie to excell in pompe and riches but in vertue pietie Socrat. l. 2. edit lat c. 13. Graec. c. 17. and Christian resolution c. offering peace and communion vnto Iulius but still vpon condition that he should put out of his protection those Bishops of theirs which were fled vnto him This answere sayth Socrates much offended Iulius and it seemeth that it wrought vpon him for in his next letter he complaineth onely That they called him not to their Synod whereas before he pretended that they might not call a Councell without his authoritie he alledgeth now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That the Canon of the Church forbad to impose anie Law vpon the Churches without the aduise of the Bishop of Rome whereas before he pretended a right absolutely to dispose of all which was the thing which moued them to replie that they would not be ordered nor concluded by him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By which it appeareth that that answere of Iulius to the Easterne Bishops which we find in the Councels is meerely counterfeit seeing he is there made to speake worse than in the former euen to alledge That in the Councell of Nice there is a Canon which forbiddeth to call a Councell or to condemne anie man without the aduice of the Bishop of Rome though there be there no such word to be found witnesse the Glosse vpon that verie Epistle where he confesseth that there is no such thing there said apertè sed reducibilitèr i. not in plaine tearmes but onely by collection And thus we see how vnder colour of protecting Athanasius the Pope made way to his owne ambition Neither is Baronius his cause anie jot furthered and aduanced all this while He brought in Syluester who good man as he was neuer dreamt of anie such gay clothes attyred like an Emperour as we saw before and now he telleth vs that his successor Marcus began first to giue the Pall to other Bishops Pallium We read sayth he in the life of Marcus Baron an 336. art 62. to 3. that he ordained that the Bishop of Ostia whose office it was to consecrate the Bishop of Rome should at the time of consecration vse a Pall whereupon sayth he non inficias imus we denie not that he gaue him the Pall. Had Baronius beleeued it himselfe he would no doubt haue spoken it more roundly But let that passe this I aske when he sayth That this is the first place where the Pall is mentioned doth he not thereby acknowledge it to be a noueltie When he giueth it to the Bishop of Ostia at Rome gates is it not an argument that he sent it not at that time to the Metropolitans and Archbishops of farther countries Neither indeed is there anie mention made of this weed in all this age nor in manie succeeding ages after neither in the East neither in the West nor yet in Italie it selfe and must we then stand vnto a Legend as to a sufficient proofe For whereas he would proue it out of Isidore Pelusiota Baron an 216. vol. 2. art 15. 16. Isidor Pelusio l. 1. ep 136. a scholer of Chrysostomes it maketh cleane against him for it is there said that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Baronius interpreteth to be Pallium was worne by euerie Bishop in time of celebration and consequently no priuiledge of Metropolitanes or prerogatiue of certaine Bishops much lesse a present to be receiued or a commoditie to be bought for readie money at the Bishop of Rome his warehouse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his words are these The garment which the Bishop weareth vpon his shoulders made of wooll and not of linnen signifieth vnto vs the skin of the lost sheepe which the Lord sought and hauing found him layed him vpon his shoulders For the Bishop bearing a type and figure of Christ must also performe his office So farre is he from deriuing it from the High Priests of the Iewes to appropriat it to the Pope and to such as he for a fauour is pleased to impart it We haue alreadie shewed what maine opposition was made against the attempts of Pope Iulius yet doth Baronius vpon that attempt onely without effect ground an absolute and soueraigne power of the Bishops of Rome in generall He called saith he a Councell at Rome Baron an 340. art 1. sequ requested thereunto by the Arrians themselues who being cast out of the East hoped to find reliefe and succour in the West For answer we say that this was no Generall but a Nationall Councell such as euery Metropolitan might and the Bishops of Alexandria Antioch Hierusalem and Constantinople often did call in their seuerall dioces such as did Athanasius himselfe in this verie cause of Arrius Athanas Apologes 2. But this we affirme that no one of the generall Councels was euer called by other than the Emperour himselfe though at the request of Bishops so oft as cause required An euident argument that there was not at that time anie one Bishop acknowledged as soueraigne ouer all the rest by occasion whereof they were forced to haue recourse to a supreme secular power whensoeuer there was cause for Metropolitans and Patriarchs for the Clergie of sundrie Prouinces for the Bishops of the East and West Churches to assemble and meet together for the ordering of matters in the Church whence also it came to passe that during the space of three hundred yeares vntill the reigne of Constantine we neuer read of any Generall Councell and but of few Nationall yet were there in all that time Bishops of Rome neither during that eclipse of Christian Emperours in the reigne of Iulian could anie Councell be assembled how great soeuer the necessitie of the Church at that time was and yet the Bishops of Rome were at that time growne to some jolitie and began to looke somewhat big vpon the matter and
Vulcans boyling 〈◊〉 For we now enter into an age wherein the people was not fed but with such fables Now this Pope Iohn passeth for a Martyr and was enrolled among the Saints as hauing suffered for conuerting the Arrian Temples into Christian Churches But Anastâ—sius Bibliothecarius seemeth to report the contrarie Anastas in Iohan. 1. Greg. Tureneâ—s de gloria Martyr c. 40. and Gregorie of Yours speaketh too confusedly to be beleeued It is therefore more probable that he was so handled vpon a poynt of State as about the same time Boetius and Symmachus lost their heads for that they had intelligence with the Emperour against Theodoric For it is cleere that Iohn crowned the Emperor at Constantinople though he had bin alreadie Sacred by the Patriarch which was too much for an embassador to do who would not voluntarily fall into suspition with him which sent him An. 525. So likewise it was a meere matter of State which moued Theodoric when hee saw the factions bandings which were vsed in the election of Popes to put to the hand of his authoritie and to appoint him to be Pope who was at that time in greatest reputation of honestie among the Orthodox which was Felix the fourth Whereupon Athalaric who succeeded his grandfather Theodoric the same yere Athalar Epist ad Senat. Roma apud Cassiodo li. 8. Epist much reioyced as appeareth by the letters which he wrot to the Senat of Rome which had receiued him You haue saith he receiued a personage instituted by God and approued by the iudgement of the Prince And had reason seeing that Baronius proueth out of this verie Epistle that for the space of fiftie eight dayes which the See was vacant the citizens of Rome had beene in continuall ielousies readie alwayes to come to blowes as in the former schisme which was between Symmachus and Laurence had not Theodoric interposed his authoritie But Baronius can by no meanes be brought to dispence with Theodoric for this grieuous sinne but whereas he was woont highly to commend his moderation hee now blazoneth him for a barbarous and a cruell tyran And see Reader saith he who it was which first made the ouerture to Emperours to confirme the Popes a Barbarian a Tyran and an Arrian Yet should he haue remembred that for preuention of the like confusion Odoacer long before had made the same law Which they neuer imposed vpon other places because they saw no where else the like disorders And which is more Athalaric was faine at the request of the most Orthodox among them though himselfe and Arrian by a law made to represse their vnlawfull simonie Whom yet they cannot accuse as ouer hard vnto them seeing that at the humble suit of the Roman Clergie he released them of the law of Valentinian the second Athalaricus apud Cassiod l. 8. c. 24. by which they were iusticiable in all causes both ciuile and criminall before the secular Magistrat in like sort as any other persons were and ordained That in the first instance they should goe onely to the Bishop of Rome Idem li. 9. Variar Epist 15 and not to the secular Iudge but by Appeale of which more at large hereafter And likewise in the East the Emperour Iustinian was faine to meddle in Church gouernement to rectifie what was amisse therein And this sticketh sore in the stomacke of Baronius and of his companions for that the more to represse the ambition of certaine Bishops which haunted the Court L. 14. Co. de Episc Cler. by a law directed to Epiphanius Bishop of Constantinople he forbad all Bishops to come at Court vnder what colour or pretence soeuer saue onely vpon expresse order and commaundement from himselfe vpon paine and perill not onely of his displeasure but also of excommunication to be inflicted if the partie offending were a Metropolitan by the Bishop of Constantinople if an inferiour Bishop by his Metropolitan And it seemeth that this canker was farre gone when he was forced to applie so sharpe a remedie when by another law directed to Atarbius Grand Master of the houshold he ordained That so often as any See fell void the inhabitants should nominat three men of Orthodox religion and of sound life of which one to be chosen to the See whom the Emperour should thinke fit with many other circumstances there added forbidding also any Bishop Visitor Priest or other Clergie man of what dignitie soeuer or any Master of an hospitall to be made for money vnder paine as well to the giuer as to the receiuer of exclusion from all offices and dignities in time to come Which lawes would neuer haue beene made L. 42. Co. de Episc Cler. Nouell 123. but by occasion of a strange dissolution and corruption of discipline in suing for dignities in the Church And farther he was constrained to proceed to the reformation of the ordinarie Liturgie and of the Sacraments commaunding vnder paines both temporall and spirituall throughout the Empire that both the one and the other should bee celebrated in a knowne language and that in such absolute and mandatorie tearmes as a man may well perceiue that they proceeded not from a borrowed jurisdiction Which law of his was also to take place and to stand in full force within the walls of Rome it selfe 17. PROGRESSION Of Boniface the second and that he restored the Churches of Afrike to the communion of the Roman Church An. 530. ABout the yeare 530 vpon the death of Felix successour vnto Iohn the first new strifes arose about the election of a Pope some standing for Boniface and others for Dioscorus Lib. Pontif. in Bonifac. 2. but Dioscorus happening to dye about eighteene dayes after left the roome voyd for Boniface the second of that name who vnder colour of preuenting the like inconuenience in time to come called a Councell where he passed a Decree That a successor should there present bee created and thereupon he nominated to it Vigilius the Deacon but finding him to be a man of more sufficiencie than he thought for hee called another Synod wherein he declared Vigilius to be guiltie of treason Reum maiestatis and thereupon burnt the nomination which was made of him So well was this new forme of election alreadie ordered by the holie Ghost And yet this man in a certaine Epistle of his to Eulalius Bishop of Alexandria Bonifac. in Epist ad EulaliuÌ„ in 1. to Concil vaunteth That he had receiued authoritie from Saint Peter to be a helpe to the Vniuersall Church and that he ought to haue a superioritie ouer other Priests and Pastors of the Church as the Archangels haue ouer the ordinarie sort of Angels Which comparison serueth well for Archbishops but vnlesse he will compare himselfe to God how will he find a Pope among the Angels And it followeth in that Epistle That by vertue of this authoritie hee had by his Legats restored the Church of Carthage
all along giuing him fairely to vnderstand That all the Apostles were endowed with equall authoritie and certifying him onely An. 649. That he was consecrated Bishop of Carthage without euer asking confirmation at his hands only he requesteth him to recommend him in his prayers vnto God that he might wel discharge his office After this came Martin who taking occasion vpon the fame and suspition that was of the Patriarches of the East that they were Monothelites sent thither certaine Bishops and made some of those which yet remained Orthodox in the East his Vicars This was a faire attempt but the Emperour Constans hindered him in his walke for the yeare following he sent and caused him to be apprehended in Rome and to be brought prisoner to Constantinople where he died a banished man hauing beene accused for conspiring with the Sarasens against the Emperour as appeareth by his letters written to Theodorus Martinus in Epist ad Theodor 14. Sanctuâ— Audoenus in vita Sancti Eligij Sacerdotalem Concilium This Martin was a man of a hautie mind and a great vndertaker yet could not he maintaine his pretended authoritie no not in the West For when a certaine Heretike had crept into the Bishopricke of Authun the Bishop of Noion who was then in Court solicited the king and obtained of him saith Saint Ouin That by his commaundement a Councell of Priests or Bishops should be called at Orleans where the Heretike was condemned and banished the realme of France without expecting any higher authoritie So likewise vnder Pope Eugenius his next successor there was a Councell held at Chaalons vpon the riuer of Saosne which as appeareth in the verie front thereof Ex euocatione ordinatione Domini Clodouaei Regis Synod Epist ad Theodo Arelat was assembled by the conuocation and ordinance of king Clouis as also in the Synodall Epistle to Theodore Archbishop of Arles wherein they presume to declare vnto him by the authoritie of that Synod That considering the time of his penance was not yet expired he might not offer to meddle with his Bishopricke nor with the good belonging thereunto Ordaining farther Ib. can 10. That vpon a vacancie no successor might be chosen but by the Clergie and people of that Prouince that otherwise the election should be held as voyd and of none effect where you shall find no exception or reseruation at all to the Pope of Rome And in Spaine there were held at that time the 7 8 9 and 10 Councels of Toledo all which acknowledge their assembling to haue proceeded onely from their owne care and from the authoritie of the Prince namely the seuenth By our deuotion say they and by the care of king Chindasuinda the eighth By the commaund of the king Reccesuinda and the tenth By his most holie desire Sanctissimâ— Vote without any mention of the Pope at all though in those Synods the highest points of our religion were in question as namely in the eight whose Synodall Epistle hath yet onely this inscription The Decree of the Vniuersall Councell published in the name of the Prince And againe A law published in the same Councell Imperante Principe glorioso by the commandement of the renowmed Prince In all which besides those high poynts of Christian religion order was also taken against intrusions extortions and other abuses of Bishops proceeding to the punishment of some and finall deposition of others insomuch that in the tenth Synod one Pontamius Bishop of Bracara a thing neuer before heard of accused himselfe and was thereupon deposed by the Synod and Fructuosus Bishop of Duna chosen in his place with these words We doe here constitute and appoint by a common election Fructuosus to be Gouernour of the Church of Bracara to take vpon him as Metropolitan the care of all the Prouince of Galleece and of all Congregations and Bishops of that countrey Patrum sententia And this was done by the Decree of the Fathers annexed to his letters of Ordination without binding him to take a journey to Vitalian at Rome for confirmation who sat not in that pride which Popes now vse to sit in For as Anastasius reporteth when the Emperour Constans came to Rome he with all his Clergie went to meet him six miles off and there receiued they him with all tokens of submission and reuerence though he was a sacrilegious and bloudie Emperour and one which had confined Pope Martin the first to a certaine place in banishment as Baronius reporteth 24. PROGRESSION Wherein the religion of this age principally consisted and what was the purpose of the Popes when they sent Preachers into forreine Countries THe good Bishops of the Primitiue Church heeded onely the building and reedifying of the spirituall Temple of God in gathering together liuing stones but from hence forward shall you find the Histories stuffed onely with relations of materiall Edifices Oratories Images Marbles Incrustations Ouerlayings with gold and such like which the worser sort of men were euer most spendfull in thereby to shadow and obscure the memorie of their euill acts And those princes which all histories leaue vnto vs stained with dishonor recouer fame and good report of vertue pietie and religion by either building or beautifying some Church or other after their example Beda l. 1. c. 20. 26. 29. Histor Eccl. l. 4. c. 1. 2. 16. 19. Galfri Monumet l. 8. c. 4. And if any Bishops of Rome did send to make a conquest of some farre countrey as Gregorie the Great into England and after him Honorius Vitalis and others it was not principally to preach the Gospell but to broach their owne ceremonies their Singings their Seruice in Latine Houres Organs Altars Tapers Anelings and such other nifles stirring vp Princes to inforce their subiects to the vse practise of them who would faine haue kept themselues to the first institution of the Church in the puritie of the Gospell Malmesbu de gest Anglo li. 1. c. 50. And the more to win vnto themselues credit in forreine parts where euer they saw any ambitious spirit thirsting after some preheminence ouer the rest of his brethren presently their fashion was to send him their Pall either as a bare token of honour or as a liuerie of their Vicarship and to vse meanes to draw all causes vnto them yet found they not credit in all places alike but as they caried it away cleere in some places so in others they met with a balke especially in those Churches which being well planted at the first grew vp and prospered in puritie of doctrine OPPOSITION Wherefore doe they what they could yet the Churches of the East euer reiected that Decree of Phocas 2. To. Concil Epist Vitalian 2 3 4. Sigo de Reg. Italiae l. 2. Blond Deca 1. li. 9. An. 680. neither would Paule Archbishop of Candia suffer Iohn Bishop of Lampeon when he had beene condemned by his owne Synod to appeale to Rome as
loth to lose his money came thither in all hast and finding Sergius quietly in possession demaunded of him the money which was promised to him by Paschal Sergius to content him gaue him the Vessell and Crownes of gold which hung vp before S. Peters House and yet all was too little This fell out about the yeare 690. And so within foure yeares after their libertie of election restored to them fell out two schismes next kinne to commotions in the State and the souldiors began alreadie to haue a hand in the election of the Popes as the Praetorians had heretofore in the choice of the Emperours Anastas in Sergio And Anastasius farther reporteth That this Paschal one of the competitors was afterwards thrust into a Monasterie for worshipping of trees for lotteries and other enchantments which he vsed Also we may obserue that after the time of Leo the second the Popes were consecrated by three Bishops namely those of Ostia Port and Velitre as all other Bishops were whereas before he was only consecrated by him of Ostia but after all they grew impatient to see themselues so ordered by the sixt Generall Councell and Iustinian the second sonne to that Constantine of whom they had receiued so manie and so large fauours felt it to his cost OPPOSITION Sigon l. 2. an 692. This Iustinian therefore after the death of his father who had before his death associated him in the Empire following as Sigonius saith the steps of his father wrote presently to Pope Iohn the fift That he had found the holie bookes of the sixt Generall Councell digested and set in order by his father which eftsoones he presented to the Patriarchs Sacra Iustin ad Iohan. 5. in 2. To. Concil and to his Holinesse his Solicitor to the sacred Senat to the Metropolitans and Bishops to the chiefe officers both of his Court and Armie to be read before them and to be subscribed by them to the end that they might neuer hereafter be falsified or corrupted whereof he thought good to aduertise him assuring him that he purposed neuer to depart from them But this dispatch found Iohn dead Lib. Pontif. in Conone and Conon placed in his roome who receiued the letters and the Emperour shortly after vnderstanding of his election spared for no kind of gratulations which are not I warrant you forgotten in the Historie But this Conon happening to die shortly after his election hauing beene all the while sickly Sigon l. 2. de Reg. Jtal. Anastas in Conone and Sergius succeeding in his place Iustinian sent like letters vnto him requiring him to subscribe to this Councell so carefully compared with the Originals and alreadie subscribed by his Lieger Solicitors Sergius because there were some Acts there which pleased him not namely those which concerned the ordering of his See tooke occasion to say that some bodie had falsified the Acts and thereupon he disauowed his Solicitors Anastasius saith his Legats and refused to subscribe vnto them Anastas in Sergio Whereat Iustinian tooke such offence that he renounced the Church of Rome which vntill then he had euer maintained and sent to apprehend Iohn Bishop of Port and Boniface chiefe Counsellor of the See Moreouer Zacharie Protospatarius or as we say High Constable came himselfe to apprehend the Pope But Sergius had taken such order that all the souldierie of Rome was at his deuotion Anastas in Sergio so that Zacharie was faine to submit himselfe and to crie him mercie The pretence of his not subscribing was as Anastasius sayth because he would not consent to errors of nouelties Paul Diacon de gest Longobard l. 6. c. 11. or as Paulus Diaconus reporteth to a Synod of Error as if they had beene Monothelites But the Canons which are come vnto our hands haue no such smell about them but in expresse tearmes they pronounce Anathema against them neither indeed was there anie thing in them that troubled his conscience saue onely that they equalled the Bishop of Constantinople with himselfe And Anastasius seemeth to say as much when he sayth it was by reason of certaine articles there added contrarie to the Rites of the Church and therefore not contrarie to anie article of religion or point of doctrine but in the life of Iohn he speaketh plainely saying it was for certaine articles contrarie to the Romane Church for indeed the Emperor sent him an Orthodox confession of his faith withall And this came vnto the yeare 700. An. 700. Baronius seeketh to discredit and to annihilate the Canons of this Councell Baron vol. 8. an 692. art 1 2. Pseudosynodum but we haue sufficiently justified them elsewhere he calleth it a false and erronious Synod grieuing to see his Head bounded and limited by law and reason as if all the members should thereby fare the worse But let him thanke those Fathers for it and the Popes Legats themselues who were present at it But aboue all Tharasius Patriarch of Constantinople is he which offendeth him for that in the second Councell of Nice he sayth Syno Nice Act. 2. What ignorance is this of some which trouble themselues about these Canons It is a scandale to doubt whether they are of the sixt Generall Councell or no Know all men therefore that that Councell was first assembled vnder Constantine c. And afterwards the same Fathers assembled themselues vnder Iustinian his sonne and then made these Canons and that therefore no man should doubt thereof And is it ynough now to find some little error in the date thereby to reject all these Canons And Balsamon Bishop of Antioch pleaseth him as little Because sayth he that the fift and this sixt Synod had made no Canons this therefore came in supplement vnto them c. and is also reckoned as Generall For although the Westerne Bishops to wit Italians and Latines because they are there touched say it is no Councell and that the Popes Legats were not there c. yet I find looking ouer the old Nomocanon Balsamon in Nomocanone that Basill Bishop of Gortyna Metropolitan of Candie and another Bishop of Candie were there as Lieutenants of the whole Synod of the Church of Rome and not they onely but also the Bishops of Thessalonica Sardana Heraclea in Thrace and Corynth as speciall Legats from the Pope and were called Legats a facie who also had particular iurisdiction as appeareth by the second title of the fift booke Imperiall What spunge can wipe this out or who can thinke that this can be controlled by giuing Balsamon the lye or by saying that he was an heretike Can Gratian endure this injurie who hath canonized these Canons Or the second Councell of Nice Actio 2. 3. or the Popes Gregorie the second and Adrian who haue cited them for good proofe alledging the 83 Canon to justifie their vse of Images Or is it ynough for Baronius to say that these Popes kill the Greekes with their
his predecessors haue done before him Vita Ludouici Aimon l. 5. c. 14. why commeth he not vnto me all this while The Bishops said If he be come to excommunicate we will send him away excommunicated againe And Hincmar Archbishop of Rheimes writing to Pope Adrian the second Flodoard in Hist Rhemensi Jdem l. 5. c. 16. telleth him in plaine tearmes That Gregorie came into Fraunce with an euill intent and purposing to beare out the children against the father He came saith he into Fraunce and after his comming our peace continued not also he returned not with so good credit as was fit he should and as his predecessors were wont before him And the Chronicle of S. Denis The ministers of the diuell saith he preuailed so farre Chron. Dionys as to vnite all the sonnes against him and maliciously made the Apostolike of Rome to come into Fraunce vnder colour of pietie as it had beene to mediate a peace betweene the King and his children but the truth it selfe afterward appeared And of the Apostolike it was commonly said That his comming was onely to excommunicate the King and the Bishops if they supported the father and were not in euerie respect obedient to the sonnes but when the Bishops heard say this they protested That they would neuer obey him for feare of his excommunication for say they the authoritie of the auncient Canons is farre different from this course And when Lewis was fully reestablished in his kingdome not by the authoritie of Gregorie but as the Historian of the Church of Rheimes reporteth by the common consent of the Bishops Gregorie vnable to maintaine those Bishops whom he had drawne into this practise they were glad though vnder a most gracious Soueraigne yet to saue themselues in Italie from the rigor of the lawes the others were faine to confesse the action and plead guiltie acknowledging themselues vnworthie of the place they held and in effect to be deposed especially Hebo Archbishop of Rheimes and Agobard of Lions And this was in those dayes all the feare that the Bishops of Fraunce had of the Popes excommunications And in this time it was That Claud of Turin taught openly both by tongue and pen That he was not Apostolicall who sat in the Chaire of an Apostle but he that did the office of an Apostle And this reacheth vnto the death of Lewis An. 839. which fell in the yeare 839. Adde we hereunto that the Emperour Lewis treading the path of Charlemaigne and other his predecessors with the aduise and counsell of the Prelates and the rest of the learned of his kingdomes enacted lawes for the better ordering of the Churches of his dominions not onely concerning their policie and gouernment but also touching Faith without asking leaue or expecting a Mandamus from the Pope whatsoeuer Baronius and his Benedict the Leuite prate vnto vs as may appeare by the Articles of Lewis Capitularia and the Abbot Andegisus who collected those Lawes maketh no mention of the Pope in the Preface to them Also he assembled Councels within his owne Estates at Thionuille at Aix and Pauia where you shall euer find Extat ante Concil Paris To. 3. Concil By the commaund By the wholesome commaund of the glorious Prince By the grace or gift of God Emperour c. making bookes of this subject And in the Councell of Aix la Chapella the Bodie of the people speaketh of the Clergie in generall and sayth By them are we made Christians who hauing the keyes of the kingdome of heauen in their hands iudge in a sort before the day of iudgement and so had no need to be beholding to Rome for the keyes An. 828. But in the yeare 828 we find a particular Edict of Lewis whereby to appease the wrath of God incensed at that time against him and his people for the manie corruptions growne in among them he commaunded a fast to be held throughout his kingdomes And besides sundrie other Councels he called foure seuerall Synods for the reformation properly of the Church of Fraunce namely at Mence at Paris at Lions and at Tolousa there to handle discusse and find out things belonging to Christian Religion Concil Aquisgra 3. to Concil what the Prince what the people held either answerable or contrarie to the reuealed will of God what had beene retained what omitted either in part or in whole how the Clergie behaued themselues wherein they erred and departed away from the rule of holie Scripture And in all this no mention made of the Popes authoritie Baronius maketh much of certaine Epistles written about this time by a Monke of Greece named Theodorus with his complices in Idolatrie to the Pope of Rome Baron an 817. art 21 22. sequent by reason of the haut titles which he giueth him magnifying him aboue all other Bishops It were a verie sufficient answere to say That this was a Monke offended with his Patriarch of Constantinople for taking away his Images and therefore no matter what he sayth But yet examine we his letters Coaequandum Angelis First he calleth the Pope Equall to the Angels Will Baronius abet this flatterie seeing that the Apostle to the Hebrewes after the Psalmist speaking of our Lord and Sauior Christ saith Thou hast made him little lesser than the Angels How can he make the Pope equall to them but as he is more than a man as God himselfe as he that maketh himselfe God as S. Paule speaketh in the second of the Thessalonians chap. 2. Secondly he calleth him The Great Light Prince of Bishops and Apostolike Pope In that he calleth him Prince of Bishops it imports nothing but the Primacie of his See But you shall see how this same Monke wrote at the same time scarce changing a penne betweene to other Patriarchs for to him of Alexandria he wrote To the most holie Father of Fathers and Light of Lights Doe not these words weigh downe those other of Great Light And as he calleth the one Pope of Rome Apostolicum verticem so doth he the other Pope of Alexandria as he calleth him of Rome Apostolike so the other The crowne or top of all Apostolikes And what aduantage now hath Baronius gotten for the Pope Yes sayth he for the Pope of Rome is called The supreame Light and the other is called onely the Light of Lights First what faire play to turne a die And whereas but two pages before by his owne confession the Monke called him onely Magnum Lumen a Great Light now to make him say Supremam Lumen the Supreame Light Secondly who knoweth not that Light of Lights in all tongues especially in the language of the Scriptures implieth more than a Great Light Baronius his replie is That the Bishop of Alexandria was so called in regard that Cyrill his quondam predecessor was Legat à Latere for the Pope of Rome First that hath alreadie beene proued to be false Secondly
little he got by his Excommunication bolted out against the Archbishop of Rauenna The Iniunction also which he laid vpon him to come once in euerie two yeares to Rome turned to his losse for he saw indeed the Archbishop at Rome oftner than he was willing because he was euer borne out and maintained by the Emperour But aboue all it troubled the Popes conscience to see so great an authoritie so neere at hand ouershadowing his own as lesse offensiue when it was farther off For saith the same Author whose verie simplicitie is warrant ynough for his truth and honestie this Emperour because hee resided still in Italie made himselfe alwayes a neere neighbour to Rome and exercised his authoritie to the full being assisted by the chiefe of the citie who knew themselues and gaue also the Emperour to vnderstand the ancient customes of the Empire persuading him to resume into his owne hands the Soueraigntie and commaund which in alder times belonged to the Emperours Which no doubt he would haue done but for the reuerence which he bore to the holie Apostles which reuerence yet was such as that it pleased not the Popes For saith he whiles these matters so passed the Bishops of Rome sent embassadors with letters to Charles the Bauld king of France requesting him vnder hand to make a iourney into Italie and because he was in some sort a Philosopher they requested him to lend a helping hand to S. Peter and to deliuer his Church from bondage as if it had beene oppressed by some forreine enemie As for his proceedings against Lotharius we will not here enter into the merits of the cause it selfe but you shall see the letters which Gontier Archbishop of Collen and Thietgaud of Treuers wrot to this Nicholas wherin they complaine of his tyrannicall behauiours The Bishops our Fathers and our Brethren and fellow Bishops sent vs vnto thee and we of our owne accord went willingly to Rome and presented thee with the Acts of the whole processe requesting thee as a good Father to reforme what thou foundest amisse in them c. And thou madest vs dance attendance twentie dayes before euer we could heare one word from thee much lesse be admitted to thy presence After a whole monethes attendance thou sentest for vs we came in all hast without feare of harme and thou causedst vs to bee vsed like a companie of theeues for so soone as we were entred within thy gates they were presently shut vpon vs and we beset with a companie of rascals there saw we our selues destitute of all helpe Paganorum and thou causedst vs to be debarred the vse of all things both holy and humane There contrarie to all law contrarie to the decrees and customes of our ancestors without calling any assemblie of Ecclesiastikes no Bishop no Archbishop there present not so much as thy selfe discoursing vpon our errour either by way of argument or by testimonie of witnesse or out of any writing hauing no bodie to sit by thee but onely the Monke Anastasius a man long since conuicted and condemned for a common wrangler thou diddest abruptly read out of thy paper against vs an vniust a rash and a wicked sentence repugnant to all Christian religion and diddest insolently in thy words taunt and reuile thy brethren fellow seruants The euer-liuing Emperour of all hath set an incorruptible border of gold about the head of his Spouse the Church he hath honoured her with an euerlasting dowrie with a diademe and scepter of immortalitie hath giuen her authoritie to consecrate Saints to assure them of heauen to make them of mortall immortall creatures All which prerogatiues Robber as thou art thou hast violently reft and taken from the Church to appropriat them vnto thy selfe Thou art a Wolfe vnto the Sheepe a murderer of the liuing and one which thrustest men into hell couering thy sword all ouer with honie so farre is it that by thy helpe the dead may liue againe Thou bearest the shew of a Pontife but art a verie Tyran thou art in habit a Pastor in heart a Wolfe Thy Title promiseth vs a Father Et tu te factis Iouem ostentas but in thy deeds thou carriest thy selfe as a god thou callest thy selfe a Seruant of Seruants and seekest by all means to become a Lord of Lords and consequently according to the doctrine of our Sauiour thou art the least of all the Ministers of Gods Church who yet in thy ambition runnest headlong to perdition thinking euerie thing lawfull to be done which it lusteth thee to doe Fucusque factus es Christianis and art become a Wâ—spe vnto the Christians What could these men haue said more vnlesse in plaine tearmes they should haue called him Antichrist seeing that they plainely allude to that place in the Epistle to the Thessalonians Shewing himselfe as if he were God But for conclusion of all they adde yet farther For these causes say they we and our Collegues set not by thy commaunds we care not for thy words we feare not thy Bulls nor yet thy thunders Thou damnest all men as impious which obey not thy Decrees and forbiddest them to sacrifice But wee returne thy sword into thy owne throat thou which spittest in the face of our Lord Gods commaundement and decree thou which breakest the vnitie and peace of our Christian societie the verie badge and cognisance of the Prince of Heauen After this they come to his pretended Primacie The Holie Ghost say they is the author of all Churches in euerie corner of the world The Citie of our God of which we are free denizens reaching to euerie point of heauen and is greater than that Babylon foretold by the Prophets which vsurpeth vpon the Truth maketh it selfe equall with heauen boasteth it selfe to be eternall as if she were God falsely glorying that she neuer erred nor can erre This Epistle related by an Annalist of these dayes in the same sence though somewhat different in words with this conclusion in expresse tearmes We care not for thy sentence as being a curse vnaduisedly pronounced we will not communicate with thee who doest communicate with the excommunicate sufficeth it vs to communicate with the whole Church which thou despisest Annal. incerti Author per Pet. Pythaeum in vulgus editi whilest thou exaltest thy selfe about it Et elationis tumore the verie word long before vsed by S. Gregorie and by thy swelling pride and insolencie hast made thy selfe vnworthie of her and hast distracted thy selfe from her Communion c. And know farther that we are not thy Clerks as thou braggest ouer vs but thou shouldest take and account of vs as of thy brethren and fellow Bishops Si elatio permitteret if thy pride would giue thee leaue They should haue said Thy pride which is vnseparable from the person of him whom thou representest at this day in the Church And for the matter it selfe we may not omit that this Nicholas in his letter which we
we haue alreadie said quietly swallowed the election of Adrian made without calling his Lieutenants to it made the Pope to like well of him and gaue him an appetite to trie his authoritie somewhere else It came to passe about this time that Lotharius king of Lorraine died and Charles king of France and Lewis of Germanie both vncles to the deceased intending to succeed in his inheritance Adrian set vp Lewis of Italie Emperour thundering more violently than euer had done his predecessor wrot to all Kings Barons and Prelats of France namely to Hincmar of Reimes That none should presume to inuade or take vnto him the kingdome of Lotharius deceased nor yet his subiects and vassals because saith he it appertaineth to the Emperour Lewis his spirituall sonne by right of inheritance and ought to fall vnto him by the others decease And if any officer shall presume the contrarie he declareth him Anathema no longer to be called a Christian and to dwell for euer with the diuell if he be a Bishop and hath in any sort consented thereunto or winked thereat declareth him to be no longer a Pastor but an hireling and as one that hath no care of his sheepe depriued of his Pastorall dignitie and honour Yet Charles hearing of the death of Lotharius remoued into Lorraine and being receiued by the Barons and Prelats there as their lawfull king was crowned at Metz by Hincmar Archbishop of Reimes So that Adrian pursuing his point charged him by his Legats vnder paine of excommunication to forbeare and Hincmar to pronounce the censures of the Church against him and to separat himselfe from him and not to say so much as Good morrow to him And this was a great way gone in a little time But let vs see what answer our French made hereunto OPPOSITION Hincmar Epist ad Adria Extant etiam apud Baron an 861. art 93. sequent to 10. Hincmar therefore Archbishop of Reimes answered him That as touching Hincmar of Laon He had no power without expresse order from the king to send him or any other Bishop of his diocesse to Rome or to any other place much lesse the Bishops of other Prouinces and that himselfe without leaue from the king might not offer to set foot out of the realme The kings answer though it be long as taking vp after his owne account foure leaues of paper and therefore not fit to be inserted into this discourse yet shall it not be amisse to alledge the chiefe points and principall causes thereof which are as followeth We read saith he in the booke of Paralipomenon That the children of Israel went forth to battell with a quiet mind because they were not to fight in malice or enuie for reuenge but with a desire in hope of peace And we let you to know you which by letters your little befitting the authoritie of a king much lesse the humble modestie of a Bishop haue disgraced vs by reproches that you make vs write vnto you otherwise than we would to the end that you may perceiue that we are a man though subiect to mens passions yet one that walketh in the Image of God not void of common sense raised to this kinglie throne by the grace of God and by right of succession to our father and grandfather and which is more than this a Christian a Catholike an obseruer of the Orthodox and true religion brought vp from our cradle as well in knowledge of the Scriptures as in the vnderstanding of good and wholesome lawes both Ecclesiasticall and Ciuile not accused either Legally or Canonically in any Episcopall audience much lesse conuicted of any publike and notorious crime who yet haue not beene able to preuaile so farre by our honourable letters as to receiue any reasonable answer from you nor yet to haue that respect and due regard as was wont to passe betweene your predecessors and ours c. In the entrance of your letters you commend indeed our wisdome but presently you charge vs in shew more fairely in effect more grieuously with murmuring repining grutching against your Fatherhood with sundrie other reproaches and imputations In your former letters you called vs Tyran periured and spoiler of Church goods whereas we haue neither confessed any such thing against our selfe neither by any course of law haue any such crimes beene proued against vs And in this other which you haue sent by Actard one of our Bishops you accuse vs of murmuring and mutinie For our owne part wee would not beleeue that those letters came from you because the holie See hath euer beene woont to correct euerie man according to his qualitie and ranke with good sobrietie and discretion Now if we haue spoken euill beare witnesse of the euill but if well why grow you into such choler against vs Abraham could say vnto God and God tooke it not in ill part Wilt thou destroy the iust with the wicked and yet you grow much offended when we tell you That you ought not to pronounce any man guiltie of a crime without either confession of the partie or conuiction by course of law much lesse vse a king as a priuat person and condemne him as conuicted You are not ignorant how great a sinne it is to say vnto his brother Racha how much greater to say so to a king both by the doctrine of the Apostle and by the practise of Dauid in the person of Saul though a reprobat from God And yet in your letters you aduise vs to receiue ioyfully and with an humble heart all that commeth from the Apostolike See of Rome Is it your meaning then that we should so wel relish these tearms of Tyran periured and perfidious person or must we needs say of you with the Poet Quicquid calcaueris Rosa fiat Whereuer you tread red Roses grow Or may we not rather say with the Prophet Woe be to them which call that sweet which is bitter c. Or if we should hold our peace and winke at this should wee not confesse our selues fallen from this royall dignitie and from the communion of the Catholike Church c. Write you vnto vs things befitting our calling and yours and then will we as you did receiue them with a willing and a thankfull mind As for your letters at least those which come vnto vs in your name they euer charge vs with some fault without either proofe or inquest yet the Apostle giueth you a rule in these cases Argue obsecra increpa Argue beseech reproue in all patience and doctrine And saint Augustine saith That the Apostle would not that one man should condemne another vpon suspition neither yet should run to extraordinarie proofes but rather after the law of God and order of the Church either confessing of himselfe or conuicted by his accuser And afterward comming to the matter concerning Hincmar of Laon You write saith he vnto vs in you letters in this manner We will and command by Apostolike authoritie
to be next vnder God their supreame Lord who likewise reuerenced him as a Father Gregorie the seuenth contrarily who was Hildebrand putting his confidence in the armes of the Normans who then raged and rioted throughout Apulia Calabria Campania which by violence they had possest and trusting likewise vpon the riches of Matilda an insolent woman and the discord of the Germans was the first that against the custome of his Elders contemning the imperiall authoritie possessed the â—â—pedome and durst to say That Christ had put vpon him both persons giuing him power to bind and to loosse to exercise both charges Ecclesiasticall and secular to transferre all power vnto himselfe not to indure any equall much lesse a superior to contemne Emperors and Kings as holding their Dominions at his will and pleasure to bring Prelats and Bishops into order to denounce to chaunge States to sow discords to raise warres to authorise factions to absolue oaths and though he wrong the Emperour himselfe yet in a certaine Epistle of his he glorieth that he must be feared because it is he that cannot erre that hath receiued of Christ our Lord and Sauiour and S. Peter power to bind and to loosse how and whomsoeuer he please Then he likewise addeth began those perillous times which Christ and Peter and Paule had so long before foretould Then were those fables of Siluester and Constantine no lesse sottishly than impudently deuised and diuers others which it becomes not Christian modestie to relate then did counterfeit religion put on the shape of pietie Then began robberies the sale of holie things and diuine Philosophie to be polluted corrupted and violated by Sicophants subtile interpretations lyes old wiues tayles Insomuch that without the vtter ouerthrow of many true religion cannot be restored to her auntient maiestie All this began with Hildebrand who first built vp the pontificall Empire which his successors for 450 yeares retayned in despite of the world and the Emperours in such a maner that they brought the infernall spirits beneath and gods aboue into seruitude making all subiect to their yoake and terrifying the whole world with their thunderbolts Quo bruta tellus vaga flumina Quo Stix inuisi horrida Taenari Sedes Atlanteusque finis Concutitur mutant ima summis As farre as earth as Sea extends As Stix or horrid Taenaris Yea where the hill Atlanteus ends His fearefull power carried is And all this this Author deliuereth notwithstanding he were by profession a Roman being willing perhaps to haue said more if it had beene lawfull for he concludeth with these words The Roman Emperor is now no more than a bare name without a bodie without forme notwithstanding the fruit be knowne by the tree and no man gathereth grapes of thistles and the souldier knoweth his captaines colours but yet we must not iudge before the time but according to the rule of S. Paul we must attend the perpetuall decree of the eternall Iudge As if he would haue alluded to that place of the Apostle speaking of Antichrist And now ye know what withholdeth the Roman Empire that he might be reuealed in his time What manner of man this Hildebrand was we shall see in his due place But yet at the first he bewrayes not his boldnesse but when the Emperor Henrie sent the Earle Heberard to Rome to admonish the Romans of their offence and threatning withall that except they did satisfie him he would pronounce the election void he humbly answered That he was enforced to vndertake the Popedome against his owne will neither would he euer haue suffered himselfe to be consecrated had he not vnderstood by the relation of his Legats that the election was approued by the Emperour By which words he so pacified the Emperor that he easily yeelded his consent to his consecration But presently after he held a Councell at Lateran where he renewed the Canons against those his Heresies of Simonie and Nicholaisme sufficient preteâ—â—es to diminish the authoritie of Henrie and if he should oppose himselfe against them to make him an Heretike The one of them tooke from him all authoritie at Milan if any were left the other should daily diminish that power which he retained in Germanie by the right of Inuestiture The summe of them was this It shall not be lawfull for a Clergie man to marie a wife nor to take their inuestiture at the hands of a lay man vnder paine of excommunication But it is worth the noting that the Countesse Mathilda was present at this Councell a woman no lesse infamous for her vnchast life than her pride Erlembald gouernour of Milan put the first Decree in execution continuing his rage against the Clergie and vpon the day called Coena Domini the Supper of the Lord he forbad Godfrey whom the Emperour had made Bishop to consecrate the oyle An. 1075. and prouided other The yeare following 1075 he did the like he himselfe ministring the oyle in the Paschall ceremonies but all the Priests refused to receiue it at his hands except Luitprand onely Curat of S. Paul Whereupon the people being much offended forsooke the citie protesting that they would obey no Bishop but him whom the Emperour should nominat and not long after entring into the citie againe they killed both Erlembald and his Luitprand Godfrey in the meane time not being accepted by the Pope stood still excommunicated not without the great indignation of Henrie who neuerthelesse to accommodat himselfe a little vnto him named in his place Theobald Castillon who was kindly receiued by those of Milan And from this onely act let euerie man judge how vnwillingly this yoke of single life was receiued in Italie Gregorie vrgeth the same in Germanie writeth to the Princes and their wiues That they should not frequent the Masses of maried Priests That they should execute his Decree and account those for excommunicat persons that obeyed it not declaring vnto them that they were neither Priests nor might sacrifice Whereupon the common people grew insolent against them and trampled the Hoast consecrated by them vnder their feet though it were at that verie time when the opinion of the reall presence began to spread abroad From this occasion saith Auentinus many false Prophets did arise who with fables myracles examples they cal them turned the people of Christ from the truth interpreting the Scriptures so as that they might serue their owne turnes whilest in the meane time vnder the honest name of chastitie whoredome incest adulterie were euery where freely committed But yet in the meane time notwithstanding the attempts that were made at some Councels in Germanie and the threats that were thundered out by the Legats à Latere of Pope Gregorie they could not persuade the Bishops to yeeld their consent to this Decree or to depose those Priests that were maried defending themselues by the authority of the Scriptures the auncient Councels and the Primitiue Church adding thereunto the commaundement of God and
of the Pope and inuestiture of the Bishops and declare his children to be no successors of his by right of inheritance for that he had euer in his mind And shortly after he sent vnto him in signe of his confirmation the Imperiall Crowne with this inscription Petra dedit Petro Petrus Diadema Rodolpho This change neuerthelesse was so odious that Sigefridus Bishop of Mence annoynting him the citizens rose in armes against them as traitors to their countrey and faith-breakers to their Prince and after much effusion of bloud on both sides Rodolph and his followers were compelled to saue themselues by flight in the night time and to retire themselues into Saxonie In the meane time Henrie partly instigated by this great dishonour the Pope had done vnto him and partly by those his followers whom to purchase his own grace he had left as a prey to the Pope resolues with himselfe to shake off this yoke calls his friends about him and by all the meanes he could reconciled himselfe to his câ—â—â—â—â—â—s and by the indignitie of the fact stirres vp all that had good minds and coâ—â—â—gious hearts to indignation and so shortly after brings his armie into the field â—â—â—ets Rodolph giues him battell puts him to flight and with a great slaughter of his men giues him the ouerthrow There dyed in the field amongst others Bernard Archbishop of Magdeburg the author of the ciuile warre the great Duke of Saxonie and Herman his vncle Sigefride the Bishop of Mence who consecrated Rodolph and Warnerus of Me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being dragged to the gallowes by the souldiers were freâ—d from their 〈◊〉 Henrie not suffering any man in so just a warre to be slaine the battell being ended From thence forward Rodolph not know◠〈◊〉 to renew his forces vpon the sudden Henrie is not idle in vsing his 〈…〉 welcome this newes was to Gregorie let the Reader judge who 〈◊〉 â—ing the Crowne to Rodolph vsed these words In our name of Saint Peter and Saint Paul I giue to all those that shall keepe faith and loyaltie to Rodolph remission and pardon of all their sins both in this life and in the life to come And as I haue deposed Henrie from his royall dignitie for his pride so I haue placed Rodolph for his humilitie and obedience in his throne And with this assurance he expressed his law in harder tearmes If any hereafter shall receiue a Bishopricke or an Abbotship or other Ecclesiastical dignitie of any lay man let him not be numbred among the Bishops or Abbots neither let any doe obedience vnto them as to a Bishop or Abbot and let him be interdicted the grace of Saint Peter and entrie into his house And if any Emperor King Duke Marquesse Earle or other secular power or person shall bestow any Bishopricke or other Ecclesiasticall dignitie let him be subiect to the same sentence At the humble intreatie therefore of Rodolph he excommunicateth Henrie againe vnder pretence That against his oath he had taken into his hands the ornaments or marks of the Empire All those that follow Rodolph he freeth from hell and placeth in heauen and whatsoeuer may make for the strengthening of their warres as fire and sword and the like he assureth vnto them but all that take part with Henrie and refuse to fall from him and to ioyne with his enemie he accurseth to hell and damnation c. But all this saith Auentinus to most of the Bishops and all learned and honest simple people except those that were of the conspiracie seemed a new doctrine and the most dangerous heresie that euer troubled the Christian Church On the other side there assembled together in the yeare 1080 the Bishops of Italie Germanie France An. 1080. at Brixen in Bauaria and condemne Hildebrand againe of ambition heresie impietie sacriledge Because say they he is a false Monke a Magitian a Diuiner an expounder of dreames and prodigious wonders hauing an ill opinion of Christian religion he hath bought the Popedome against the order of his auncestors and the wills of all good men and in despight of vs and as the Lord of the whole earth endeuoreth to keepe it c. He is a sworne enemie to the Commonwealth Empire and Emperour who hath oftentimes offered peace to him and his followers He lyeth in wait for the bodies and soules of men Diuine and humane lawes he peruerteth For truth he teacheth lyes allowes for good periurie falsehood homicide yea and commends them and giues incouragement thereunto According to his manner he defends a perfidious tyran sowes discord among brethren friends kindred Procures diuorcements betwixt maried couples Denies those Priests that are lawfully maried to chast and sober matrons to sacrifice and admits whoremasters adulterers and incestuous persons to the Altar We therefore by the authoritie of Almightie God pronounce him deposed and remoued from his Popedome And if whensoeuer he shall heare hereof he shall not willingly depart but refuse to obey this our Decree we iudge him excluded and withstand his entrance Sigonius reciting this Decree addeth He was a manifest Negromancer possessed with a Pythonicall spirit which is worth the noting because of that which shall hereafter be spoken of his 〈◊〉 But being famous in the art of Diuination the better to giue heart to 〈…〉 the Saxons he tels nay assures them as saith Sigebert Histor Saxon. that he knew by reuelâ—â—â—â—â— That the false King must this yeare dye whom he interpreted to be Henrie which 〈◊〉 it proue not to be true saith he and that this my prophesie haue not effect before the â—â—â—st aforesaid account not me for Pope Rodolph trusting to this Oracle makes warre the second time and the third and euer 〈◊〉 happie successe and the fourth time resoluing to trie the vtmost he is not onely ouerthrowne but his right hand by which hee had plighted his faith to the Emperour being cut off he 〈◊〉 his life Gregorie presently thinkes of a successor like vnto him and thereof 〈◊〉 writes to the Bishop of Passaw and the Abbot of Hirtzaugen his faithfull friends That they should with mature deliberation prouide that there should be no Prince chosen that was not true and faithfull to the Church of Rome An. 1081. or lesse true than he that was lately dead and withall sends the forme of an oath as followeth which they should enforce him to take From this houre and euer after Gregor li. 5. Epist 3. I will be faithfull in all true loyaltie to Saint Peter the Apostle and his Vicar Saint Gregorie who now liues and sits in his chaire and whatsoeuer he shall commaund me vnder these words Per veram obedientiam By true obedience I will faithfully as becomes a Christian obserue As touching the ordination of the Churches and the lands and reuenues which either Constantine the Emperor or Charles gaue to Saint Peter and all the Churches and lands that haue beene at any time offered or granted by any men or women
without their owne will and allowance any Legat of the Church of Rome By the speciall grace and fauour of this priuiledge giuing all to vnderstand how burthensome and dangerous the presence of a Legat was In so much that what was to be done by a Legat his meaning was should be executed by the sayd Roger and his son Legati vice instead of a Legat And if there shall be called any generall Councell it shall be lawfull for them to send such and so many Bishops as they shall thinke fitting retaining the rest for the seruice of their Churches Thus this good and zealous man ouerthrew the whole order of his Church to content Roger who knew well ynough to vse the occasion to the best aduantage of his owne affaires 42. PROGRESSION Of the entrance of Paschal the second into the Popedome Of the conspiracies procured by the Pope against the Emperour with the rebellion of his son Henrie Of the treacherous deposing of the Emperour and of the miserable estate he fell into and of his sonnes most vnnaturall dealing with him THe Agewe are now entring into hath his Progression whether we respect the authoritie or wickednesse of the Popes which together made way one to the other But by how much the more they discouer themselues by so much the more witnesses do they exhibit vnto vs who saw this Mysterie of Iniquitie either openly or at least through a cloud Vrban the second being dead in the yere 1099 An. 1099. Rainerius a Thuscan succeeded him who was Paschal the second a disciple of Hildebrand commended by Vrban for this onely cause That he was a likelie man to walke in his steps The principall matter then in hand was the inuestiture of the Bishops and Abbots which they tooke from the Princes and got to themselues affirming that it had beene vsurped by the Princes as we haue seene before that it was a wickednesse and an heresie and that they might pretend some shew of religion therein they couple it in all their proceedings with that faction of the Nicholites prosecuting with the selfesame rigour the single life of Church-men notwithstanding the generall clamor of the whole Clergie against it and that crie of their sins and abhominable wickednesse that ascended vp vnto heauen This Rainerius therefore would not take vpon him the Popedome before the people had thrise cried out Platina in Paschali 2. S. Peter hath chosen Rainerius an excellent man to be Pope Afterwards putting on his scarlet robe and his mitre on his head being accompanied with the people and Clergie he mounted vpon a white Palfrey richly furnished and so was brought to Lateran where resting himselfe a while in a throne prepared for that purpose he was girt with a girdle on which there hung 7 keyes and seuen seales to giue all men to vnderstand that he according to the seuenfold grace of the spirit of God had power in all Churches ouer which he bare rule to open and shut to seale and vnseale He likewise visited carrying his pontificall Scepter in his hand all those places into which the Popes only might come At the last he went to S. Peters Church to be consecrated in which he was annointed by the Bishop of Ostia and others Neither was this new preparation without a mysterie Clement the third in the meane time persisted in his purpose against whom Paschal first bent his forces insomuch that hee compelled him to depart Rome which that he might the more easily performe he fed the Emperour with a hope of peace and inuited him to a generall Councell at Lateran whereunto he willingly harkened being now wearied with his ciuile and domesticall molestations The Prince persuading himselfe that Paschal was desirous of peace and much alienated from warre or rather because hee sayd hee desired peace he striued to be as forward therein as himselfe But he had no sooner obtained his purpose but he reneweth in the Synod the excommunication against Henrie raiseth new factions in Germanie and because he went not in his owne person to Palestina he stirreth vp new hatreds against him for he who in regard of the place he held should haue beene the first and by his example haue incouraged others left the place emptie that he might doe euerie thing according to his owne lust To be briefe following the steps of his predecessours he stirreth vp Henrie the sonne against his father who had made him copartner in the Empire being persuaded as before that he should neuer liue peaceably without the grace and fauour of the Pope and that he was not to preferre his dutie towards his father beeing guiltie of heresie before that which hee did owe vnto the Pope Auentin l. 2. And what this heresie was we haue seene before And therefore saith Auentine Henrie hauing spent his winter came to Mence that from thence he might take his iourney to Rome and so into Asia leauing his sonne at Bauiers but he in the meane time persuaded by certain Lords c. amongst others he nameth Welfo Duke of Bauaria and husband to Mathilda and Albert his Secretarie and a Chaplaine of his that if his father should die an enemie to the Popes of Rome and in disgrace with the Pope the Empire would be taken by some other and so vnder a pretence of pietie he rebelleth against his owne father And as touching the accusation against him That he did not his best indeauor for this holie expedition he told vs a little before that he had sent into Asia with a purpose to follow himselfe the greatest part of his men of warre that remayned in Germanie after three and twentie yeares ciuile warres and that by his commaund there went out of the Low-countries Godfrey of Bullion with his two brethren Baldwinus and Eustachius and Robert Earle of Flaunders out of Bauaria the Duke Welfo Otho and Eckardus Princes of Scheurn and diuers others whereby it appeared that this was onely a pretence of the Pope The father in the meane time gathered courage giues his sonne battell and conquers him but looking more narrowly into the height of this conspiracie and finding that it could not be represt but with the ruine of the commonwealth he is content to seeke meanes of peace and a parley being appointed betwixt him and his sonne he simply dismist his forces the conspirators commaunding all theirs to retire themselues to Mence The place which was chosen for this parley was Binga where the Emperor being the fourth that entred the citie was no sooner in but the gates were shut his friends kept out of the city His enemies were appointed to be his Gard his son as if he had done an act worthie commendations triumphantly speeds himself to the conspirators at Mence where he found the Legats of Paschal the Bishops of Alba and Constance with fiftie other Bishops who in this Councell armed with force and treason doe againe excommunicat Henrie and for the better strengthening of this
belong to that Court that vseth to commaund both Emperours and Kings And Baronius hath set downe this excellent Apothegme in great letters Baron an 1169. art 11. By the pride of the seruant we may iudge the modestie of the Master Doubtlesse the wisest of this world judge otherwise of the power and authoritie of the Pope Otho Bishop of Frisinghen saith Otho Frisingens in prologo l. 4. Chron. Two persons are constituted in the Church by God the Priestlie and the Princelie the one hath the administration of the Sacraments of Christ and to exercise Ecclesiasticall descipline with the spirituall sword the other carieth the materiall sword against the enemies of the Church defending the poore and the Churches of God from the oppression of the wicked punishing euill doers and exercising secular iudgement These are the two swords whereof we read in the Passion of our Sauiour but Peter is said to vse but onely one Therefore euen as to the spirituall sword spirituall possession belong that is to say the tithes the oblations of the faithfull and others of like sort so to the materiall are subiect all worldlie dignities as Duke domes Earle-domes and the like Now God would that these things should be in his Church orderly and not confusedly that is to say not in one person alone but diuided betweene two as I haue formerly named Euen as these persons therefore that carrie the materiall sword are not to meddle with those things that are spirituall so is it not fit for the spiritual to vsurp the other And to make good this saying many testimonies of the Scriptures and of our Lord himselfe besides the example of Saints may be alledged as that Gospell that saith Giue vnto Caesar the things that belong vnto Caesar and vnto God the things that are Gods That which our Lord Iesus Christ had deliuered in words he declared also by effects when yeelding tribute to whom tribute belonged he gaue tribute for himselfe and Peter And S. Paul acknowledged that we ought to yeeld honour to whom honour belongeth considering that all power is from God who being brought to iudgement did not appeale to Saint Peter who then possest the chaire at Rome but to Nero a most impious and a wicked man ordained by the will of God King of the whole world And thus much touching the honour of Kings But he goeth about to defend the Pope by some poore weake reasons but in the end concludeth I confesse I know no other refage but this that we haue known holie men both of Apostolike faith and merit as Syluester Gregorie Vlric Boniface Lampert Gothard and diuers others that haue had these things but for my selfe to speake my owne opinion I doubt whether this exalting of the Church in these dayes be more acceptable to God than the humilitie of former times Verily it seemeth that state was the better this the happier Neuerthelesse I agree with with the Church of Rome c. That is to say to be rather temporally happie with the one than spiritually happie with the Apostles and the holie Fathers and shortly after he hides not from vs vpon what foundation he groundeth his reason That all scruple saith he of that controuersie being resolued by his authoritie and example is againe secretly signified by that which was sayd to S. Peter Duc in altum lanch into the deepe and cast your nets to take fish Luke 5. yea it is so secret that for the space of 500 of the first and best yeres none of the auntient Doctors could perceiue this mysterie Jdem l. 3. Chron. 1.3 But the same authour speakes more openly in another place After the donation of Constantine the Church of Rome affirmeth that all Realmes of the West belonged to it by the gift of Constantine this he refuteth himselfe In token whereof it doubted not to exact tribute euen to this present of all those except the two Kingdomeâ— of the French that is to say the Gaules and the Germans which hee would gladly draw into his Net if they would suffer him But in our France at the verie same time they that were called Waldenses or Albienses earnestly set against the Church of Rome condemning all the traditions thereof rejecting the ceremonies and declaring it in expresse words to be that Babylon in the Apocalyps the mother of fornications and the Pope verie Antichrist the man of sin foretold by the holie Scriptures These people maintayned the puritie veritie and simplicitie of the Christian Religion in all the Countries both on the mountaines and vallies of Daulphine Prouence Languedoc and Guyan where the corruptions and papall inuentions could not so easily penetrat no otherwise than as we see the Tongues customes and habits of nations to be preserued in Countries more remote against the inundation and mingling of the people as the originall Tongue of Spaine in the mountaines of Biscay and the auntient Tongue of the Brittons in Wales with their manners and customes also and so likewise of others For that so great a multitude of people spread from the Alpes euen to the Pirence by the instruction of Waldo had beene as it were hatcht vp in one day exceedeth all beliefe all reason Contrariwise he that would retire himselfe from the world seriously to contemplate his owne saluation it is likely he rather learned it of them and afterward taught at Lyon where for the renowne of the citie they that were his followers or affected his doctrine were called Waldenses as they who preached in the citie of Alba ware called Albienses and not many yeres before Peter Bruitzius Henrie his disciple publiquely teaching at Tholouse were called Tholousians and so likewise were they called at the Councell of Lateran held vnder Alexander the third Of this antiquitie to the end we need not doubt thereof the aduersaries themselues auouch the truth amongst whom Frier Rainerius who writ about the yeare of our Lord 1250 Among all the sects that are saith he or euer will be none can be more pernitious to the Church of God than that of Lyons An. 1250. Frater Rainerius de Waldensibus for three causes the first because it hath continued a longer time than any some say that it hath beene euer since the time of Syluester others say from the time of the Apostles that is to say inasmuch as integritie euer went before corruption and the same maintayned by them as it is said of the true Church in the Apocalyps that it was preserued euen in the desart The second because it is more generall for there is not almost any Countrie where into this sect hath not crept whereas in the meane time they aske vs where our Church then was The Third because all the other procure horrour by their blasphemies against God this of the Lionists hath a great apparence of pietie in as much as they liue vprightly before men and put their trust in God in all things and obserue all the Articles
ruinate Frederick not forbearing to say that the Empire of Germanie flourished more than was for his profit But saith Auentine that could not well be brought to passe by the meanes of the Bishops of Germanie and the reasons are these Because they were then yet vniuersally giuen to the loue of artes Auent l. 7. Annal. Boiorum and of the common good and not subiect to seruitude not as now shunning labours and giuen to sloth idlenesse and pleasures they applied themselues to wisedome in study on bookes in louing Christ and diligent feeding their sheepe they tooke care of the Common-wealth and prouided for Christian preaching The Ecclesiasticall dignities of these men were first conferred vpon them by our Emperors and Princes then fom the time of the Emperour Henry the fift the Clergie and people being assembled and suffrages by each man particularly giuen they were chosen with the ioint consent of the people and all the Priests the common Pastours of soules and at length in the time of this Frederick the second by the Clergie alone the people excluded For which causes the Bishops of those times in their titles beginnings of Epistles and Decrees did not write Apostolicae sedis gratia that is to say By the fauour of man as now they doe but after the manner of S. Paul sola miseratione diuina By the only mercy of God they acknowledged they had receiued that gift and office c. Wherefore Gregorie would take away and make voide this order and subuert this authoritie of Bishops and reduce all things to the power of one man neither could he otherwise oppresse Frederick whom they openly proclaimed their most deare and most pious Prince and seemed they would in no wise for sake him matters remaining as they did The Emperour then saith the Authour after he had appeased the rebellion of Austria came to winter at Turin and Gregorie by the counsaile of one Mathew a preaching Frier for there is nothing that such sort of men will not vndertake entreth into a league with Iames Tiepoli Duke of Venice hauing allured into the same confederacie the Bishops of Milan Bononia Bresse and others of Lombardie ouer whom was appointed Generall Gregorie de Montelongo that they might breake forth into open rebellion vpon the first occasion offered And least Frederick should receiue aid from Germanie he won the Germane Princes and Captaines according as he vnderstood they were led with couetousnesse or ambition in distributing vnto them the Tenthes and other Ecclesiasticall goods for to engage them against their Bishops and did so much by the cunning practises of himselfe and of the Preaching Friars that working vpon the passions and naughtie affections of men he brought a good part of Germanie to sheath their swords in their owne bowels Wherefore things thus set in order he proceedeth to excommunicate Frederick and vnder pretence of zeale the conspirators of Italy take armes at the same time assemble the troupes of Germanie assisted with his Legats men of chiefe authoritie but particularly pricked forwards by one Albert Behan a noble Churchman factious and learned to whom he had committed the care of the whole businesse for foure yeares hauing first by oth secretly bound him vnto him and armed him to that end with three Bulls The first was an inuectiue against Frederick a Prince as it said beleeuing amisse concerning Christ hauing none other drift than to ouerthrow Christian Religion which that he may more easily effect he laboureth to bring the Pope and Cardinalls into extreame pouertie The second conteined an interdiction of Diuine seruice to all the followers of Frederick and pronounced all his officers vassalls and subiects absolued from their oth of fidelitie The third a prohibition that no man of what qualitie or condition soeuer should assist him in deed word or will vnder paine of eternall damnation And he fortified these Bulls with gifts benefices and dignities for to corrupt and win more easily the Counsellors Secretaries of Princes according as he knew each man more or lesse capable of this seruice And here Auentine declareth particularly all the circumstances Thus at length this mightie rebellion in Germany brake forth and at the same time were these Buls carried about by the Preaching Friers But on the other part Conrade sonne of Frederick calleth to him all the good men and inuiteth the faithfull Princes and cities of the Empire to their duetie and setleth himselfe to a defence Of all the Bishops to whom those Buls came not any one obeyed the Pope and of all the Abbots as few they all were astonied at this noueltie all are inflamed with anger all protest publikely That the Pope hath in Germanie no right without the consent of the Bishops of Germanie Let the Bishop of Rome say they feed his Italians We being ordained of God dogs of the flocke will keepe away the Wolues that come couered in sheepes skinnes Learne hence what this counterfeit Vicar would doe to others when he beareth himselfe thus towards his brethren and collegues And in like manner said Sigefride Bishop of Ratisbone and others in a solemne sermon before Otho Duke of Bauaria promising at their owne charges euerie yeare to maintaine six hundred horsemen for the excellent most Christian and most pious Emperour Frederick So Conrade Bishop of Frisingen so Eberard of Saltzburg and Radiger Bishop of Bathaw or Passaw in so much that he gaue a boxe on the eare to him that deliuered him those Bulls in the temple and cast him into prison Wherefore they all declared that Albert and in him the Pope himselfe to be an enemie of the Christian Commonwealth a disturber of peace a most dangerous hypocrite and a false Prophet Neither yet is Eberard content with this he reconcileth Frederick of Austria with the Emperour and the Pope excommunicateth this Prince of Austria but Eberard presently absolueth him and moreouer writeth to Otho Duke of Bauaria That he could doe nothing more acceptable to God than to expell that Albert a serpent in his bosome out of his dominions Also the Bishop of Bamberge taketh the messengers of Albert and strippeth them the Bishop of Brixen stoppeth the passages of the Alps to the end that none might go to Rome the same did also the Bishop of Alteich whom he had excommunicat for praying to God for Frederick In a word All the Bishops not onely called his commaundements into doubt but as a hater of Christian concord and as a most pernitious arch heretike throughout the religions of all Priests and Monkes excommunicat him and declare him worse than the Turkes Iewes Saracens or Tartarians published with a lowd voyce That such things were done by the Pope among Christians against diuine and humane right against the lawes against the Commaundements against the law of nations and the doctrine of Christ as would not be committed among the most cruell Tartarians It came so farre that the Bishops of Ratisbone and of Bathaw led troupes of crossed
paine of deposition from his Crowne and State with which summes of money the Pope being backed he leuied an armie Conrade on the other side was no whit hereat dismayed but intended to resist the Pope and therefore he the more encouraged his nobles and subiects And here our Historiographer a Monke bursts out into these words Whether the Pope did well herein or no let the Iudge of all Iudges decide But for an abridgement of this warre this miserable Prince had poyson presented him who wasting away by little and little when he drew neere to his last breath in complaining manner he vttered these words The Church which should bee a mother to my father and me is rather a stepmother and so he left behind him a sonne who was but two yeares old Some impute this poyson to a brother of his others to the Popes ministers which of the two were most likely as may be presumed by the state and condition of the present affaires Mathew saith That hauing heard this newes with great ioy of heart cheerefulnesse of countenance and eleuation of voice he vttered these words I reioyce certainely and so let all the vpholders of the Roman Church exult together with me because two of our greatest enemies are now dead one Ecclesiasticall the other of the Laitie Robert Bishop of Lincolne and Conrade king of Sicile He therefore embracing this opportunitie found it an easie matter to recouer into his hands Naples Capua and a part of the kingdome But Manfred being assisted by the nobles of the kingdome he both crossed him in this prosperous course of his proceedings and daring to wage battell vanquished and ouerthrew him in the same and so his last errour was worse than the first Whereupon Innocent tooke such sorrow to heart that within a few dayes after he dyed at Naples suruiuing Conrade but a few moneths and being molested by the Bishop of Lincolns meanes euen to his last gaspe as in proper place shall plainely appeare These things occurred in the yeare 1254 An. 1254. in the moneth of December And so both the king of Englands treasure and ambitious designes perished together with him The volume of the Decretals is ascribed to this Innocent wherein his drift and maine scope was That whatsoeuer had beene by his predecessors out of wonderfull pride digested and decreed against the temporall Monarchie by them it might be ratified and made authenticke as also whatsoeuer profane or sacrilegious act they had performed against the Spirituall it might be in them as it were hallowed and consecrated To him also the Canonists haue reference ouer whom hee was head and principall hauing promoted them to some of the highest dignities of the Church and many of them also he raised to the Cardinalls hat out of which fountaine sprung that hideous gulph of forensiall contentions and first of all that detestable clause of Non obstante of which Mathew so often makes mention after the induction whereof all the auncient Canons of the Councells and Decrees of the old Popes as also the verie liberties and priuiledges of the Churches began at length to bee put downe So that this abuse breaking afterwards into the ciuile Courts it wrought wonderfull subuersions of equitie and justice From hence proceeded that common complaint Out alas alas why looked we after these dayes Behold the Courts ciuile are now corrupted according to the example of the Ecclesiasticall and the riuers are poysoned by a sulpherous fountaine Now the manner was that the money ordayned for warre in the Holie Land and the Indulgences of the Croysadoes were then in their vse by the Popes diuerted against the Emperours and other Princes This man that he might exceed all others divulged out of the Pulpit That whosoeuer tooke vp armes against Conrade he should obtaine more ample remission of sinnes than if hee fought against the Souldan So that if any man were crossed against Conrade both he his father and mother should gaine full pardon of all their sinnes He maried also his neeces verie highly and amongst the rest one he maried to Henrie Fredericks sonne and nephew to the king of England that thus hee might be adopted a sonne of the Church Which seemed a thing maruellous strange to all the Nobles of the Empire That a Pope said they would presume so to disparage a noble royall gentleman In conclusion he so pilled and polled the Christian Commonwealth as vpon due competation made it was found saith our Author and that most truely and exactly that this present Pope Innocent the fourth had more impouerished the Church vniuersall than all his other predecessours from the time of the primitiue Papacie and the reuenues of the Clergie by him alienated in England which had aunciently beene endowed therewith by the Church of Rome amounted to more than seuentie thousand markes whereas the kings meere reuenue could not be valued at a third part so much OPPOSITION And for that same Robert Bishop of Lincolne whom we formerly spake of it should seeme Innocent had commaunded him to performe some wicked office Which saith Mathew he did both to him and diuers other Prelats of England Wherefore he made answer by an Epistle which he produceth whole and entire in this tenor Health Your discretion shall vnderstand Matth. Paris in Henrico 3. that deuoutly and reuerenly I obey with filiall affection the Apostolicall iniunctions and so affecting reuerent honour I oppugne and resist such as are opposit to commaunds Apostolicall for to both these courses I am obliged by commaundement diuine The Apostolicall commaunds neither can be nor are any other than the doctrine of the Apostles and of our Lord Iesus Christ Master and head of the Apostles whose figure and person our Lord the Pope specially representeth in the Hierarchie of the Church being consonant and conformable And there he enters into a detestation of that clause Non obstante From whence springeth vp saith he the head and fountaine of inconstancie boldnesse and obstinacie of shamefull lying deceiuing distrustfully beleeuing or giuing credit to another and so from these a number of other subsequent vices which doe but disturbe and coinquinat the puritie of Christian religion and the peace and quiet of ciuile conuersation Furthermore saith he next to the sinne of Lucifer which shall be the same of Antichrist the sonne of perdition in the end of times whom God shall destroy with the breath of his mouth there neither is nor can be any kind of sinne so opposit and contrarie to the doctrine Euangelicall and of the Apostles and to the same our Lord Iesus Christ so odious detestable and abhominable as to kill and destroy soules by defrauding them of Pastorall offices and ministeries c. The introductors of such manquellers and butcheries amongst the sheepe in the Church of God are worse than the murderers themselues neerer both to Lucifer and Antichrist and particularly they are worse in this degree in that being supereminent of place out of
nor the people them being therefore vnworthie blind leaders of the blind And thus the whole Church may come to be ouerthrowne Fiftly He spake also against Simonie which in the Roman Court so raignes saith he as if it were no sinne Parte 2. tit 2. 11.12.20.21 Titul 32. eiusdem partu 4. Plurarilitie also of benefices he reprehended and Cardinals pensions wherewith the Bishoprickes were charged as also other benefices perpetuated to the Popes nephewes and kinsmen which neuer dye nor are vacant and that Saint Gregorie the Great refused the title of Vniuersall Bishop neither would haue had any other to assume this nomination Further That the old Popes in their Epistles were woont to preferre other Bishops before themselues which hee proueth by examples and therefore the Church of Rome was so to be honoured that the reuerence and honour due to other Churches might not likewise be abridged he auerring That the Canon of the Councell of Miletum was to be confirmed Vt vnaquaque causa in sua prouincia terminetur Sixtly That it seemed very behouefull in this Councel to allow the mariage of Priests seeing hitherto they had idly and in vaine bin vrged to chastitie the Priests of Greece being permitted to marie as also it was vsed in the Apostles time Seuenthly That hand-labour was to bee imposed vpon Monkes conformable to the customes in times past in the Churches of Aegypt who would by no meanes receiue any Monke which had not learnt some trade or mysterie marie aboue all the rest it was no wayes to be suffered that they should discharge pastorall Offices minister the Sacraments visit the sicke or burie the dead Part. 2. Tit. 53 Part. 3. Tit. 16. 28. Part. 2. Tit. 57. Part. 3. Tit. 15. 16. and much lesse therefore the Mendicants Eightly That the abuse of Images was necessarily to be suppressed and the sale of indulgences and penances as also the vagrant libertie and rouing of Monkes in their Sermons who leaue the sacred Scriptures to preach the mere inuentions of men Ninthly Returning euer to the first poynt That there was no hope nor meanes of reforming the Church either in policie discipline or manners except that of Rome would begin with an example whose corruptions in euerie respect he displayed except the Pope before all others prescribed a Law to himselfe and were comprehended within sacred Lawes both diuine and humane affecting nothing in any wise to the contrarie nor performing nothing without the aduise and direction of his fellow Bishops seeing they hold the place of Apostles on whom Christ conferred equall power and dignitie with Peter not on the Roman Courtries Except also the primacie of the Roman Church might be distingusht by Ecclesiasticall and secular Lawes and that the Pope would forbeare to be called the highest Priest of the Church vniuersall taking this person vpon himselfe which Gregorie vtterly forbad But saith he Part. 3. Tit. 32. The Church vniuersall suffers much scandall by the bad examples of the Roman Church and the whole people in generall are infected the rulers of the people according to Esay tollerating by this meanes the name of the Lord to be blasphemed For according to S. Augustine nothing more confounds or hurts the Church of God than when it is sayd That the Clergie is worse than the Laietie And from hence he proceeds to the rapin of Legats Nuntios and of al the Popes Ministers the exactions of indulgences of priuiledges of dispensations the excesse and pride of the Pope and his Prelats by many degrees surmounting that of any King or Prince as also therewithall the ignorance and negligence of a number whereby innumerable soules perish And then here againe he exclaimes casting away all hope as in case of a most desperat disease Part. 3. Tit. 28. seq Oh what a griefe is this saith he for the saying of the Prophet Esay seemes now to be verified euen in the Church it selfe Chap. 34 in the figure of the Citie of Babylon glorious aboue other Kingdome and renouned for the pride of the Chaldees of whom it is sayd It shall be a denne of Dragons a pasture for the Estriges the Diuels shall there meet and the Onocentaures the hairie Hobgoblins shall crie out one to another the Sorceresse shall there haue her couch there the Scrich-Oule shall haue his nest and bring vp his young ones there the Kites assemble meet one with another Also I would the words of the Prophet Esay might not be verified vpon the Clergie when he sayd Part. 3. Tit. 28. 50. This people honors me with the lips but their hearts are far from me with many other places occurrring in this treatise which is verie worthie to be wholly read ouer neither will the Reader repent his paines taken But in the meane while these good admonitions brought forth no fruit Contrariwise in this Councel that Decretall came forth which begins Pastoralis c. wherein Clement magnifies himself far boue the Emperors seeing he was Vicar to the King of kings no other reformation was wrought than that which proceeded from the ridiculous Law whose beginning is set downe in the Clementines I came out of Paradise I sayd I would water the garden of plants saith that heauenlie husbandman who was the true fountaine of wisedome the word of God proceeding from the Father in the Father remayning begotten from all eternitie c. But in vttering these words see what he adds That is to say this garden is the sacred order and institution of the Friers Minorites which being immured round about with the walls of regular obseruance and satisfied onely within it selfe with Gods comforts is wonderfully adorned by the new plantations on initiants and nouices which throughout all this prolixe Bull he studies and contends to ordaine that so those weightie scruples might be remoued wherewith they appeared to be vexed as whether they were bound to obserue all the commaundements comprehended in the Gospell as also whether all the Councels or some onely and particularly the precepts of vestments what stuffe or cloth they should be of what colour what length what breadth what forme Profound mysteries doubtlesse of the Christian religion and worthie the discussion of a generall Councell of which notwithstanding he so ambiguously determined as not long after by new Decrees they were driuen to prescribe and order them Dant the Florentine Poet flourished also in that time who amongst the writers of the same age obtained the prayse both of pietie and learning hee writ a Tractate whose title was Monarchia wherein he proued that the Pope was not superiour to the Emperor hauing no right nor prerogatiue ouer the same which is diametrally opposit to that Clementine Pastoralis wherein the Pope peremptorily arrogates to himselfe both the one and the other hee proceeding thus much further when in his Canto of Purgatorie he sayes Di hoggimai che la Chiesa di Roma Per confonder in
things were spoken freely boldly and resolutely and so at length Iohn being deposed another was chosen in his place It will be verie materiall here to expresse the principall points of that decree Auent l. 7. which may bee read in Auentine whole and entire which Lewis in forme of patents directed to all Christians in generall He therefore declares with what patience hitherto he had borne so many grosse and important injuries to whom notwithstanding God had giuen a sword to be reuenged of them but because that which he did out of a mere loue to peace might not be ascribed to him for cowardise or that by sparing the wicked he should but be iniurious to good men hee meant to plucke vp this euill by the root According to the prerogatiue granted to vs from aboue saith he we will pluck the Lambes skinne ouer the Wolfes eares and to tell you in few words without any collusion the whole affaire doe but giue eare and attend for all in generall in this matter are interessed We are all vulgar Communities without authoritie without fauour at home or abroad exposed to base sale True Maiestie and authoritie the libertie of religion the Empire of the Christian people the lawes and whatsoeuer is either diuine or humane is come into the hands of a most cruell enemie his repose lyes in sedition and his trouble in peace a most wicked man of bloudie hands of brutish auarice most nocent and most proud also in lusts effeminat in ambition precipitant with whom fidelitie modestie and pietie are vices and the vices vertues all things honest and dishonest end in vnlawfull gaine he possesseth the Christian Commonwealth stirring tumult out of tumult and warre out of warre The head of all these factions is Iames de Baburco but more truely Cadurco who cals himselfe Pope the mightie treasure which he fraudulently amassed together from all the Christian nations he employes against the Saints of God and the subiects of the Christian Empire like Abiathar the Priest who followed Absolon against Dauid conuerting the Imperiall sword granted to vs from heauen euen against our selues contrarie to diuine precept be onely intends the temporall cares of this world gapes after worldlie dominion As he is a masked shepheard so is he a mysticall Antichrist who being couered with a dogs skinne like a rauenous Wolfe he deuoures the flocke of Christ sels sinnes makes merchandise of hell heauen and celestiall benefits He entred into league and societie with the Saracens who molested the Armenian Christians for fiue yeares together they daily imploring his aid and succours with terrible threats and menaces he enioyned the Duke of Prusia to take truce with the Lituanians cruell enemies to Christian religion betraying the countrey vnto the enemie and opening vnto them a way whereby to inuade the Christians of the Marquisat of Brandenburg For the Lituanians combining at Baburco they forraged without feare ouer all the confines of Brandenburg put the Christians to slaughter and sword and most cruelly killing crying infants in their cradles and in their parents armes The Temples Monasteries and Colledges of Priests and Monkes were pilled burnt and demolished sacred virgines violently enforst the sacred Hoast fastened on the end of a lance the enemie insulting and vsing this exprobration Behold here the Christians God And all these things came to passe through the impietie of Iohn the two and twentieth This two headed monster will needs bee both spirituall and temporall Christ our Sauiour to whom all power was giuen in heauen and earth yet he refused the Empire and kingdome of the earth offered vnto him by the people And it is most manifest by the opinions of all the most learned in diuine Philosophie the lawes ciuile and laws Pontificall that both the dignities sacred and prophane stand not with the Bishop of Rome We absolutely denie the sacred Roman Empire which Christ and his disciples obeyed and were tributaries to to be the fee and propertie of a sillie arrogant Priest This Iames therefore formerly by the diuine and learned Prelats denounced an heresiarke by the Councels Decrees and after the manner of our predecessors being deposed from his Seat and by Christ reiected I renounce and disclaime We haue before our eyes the examples of many good men whereby we thinke the same lawfull for vs to doe which others haue done before vs. Otho the first together with the people of Rome and the whole tribe of Priests rased Iohn the twentieth out of the Catalogue of Popes for certaine impieties which compared to those of Iohn the two and twelueth are but verie May-games constituting another Pastor both ouer the world and that citie And as it is related to vs in the Fasts and Annales many Emperours and good Princes haue done the like and therefore this Iames for the crime of true irreligion being before by the Franciscans and other Diuines branded with heresie a contemner of Christian pouertie and author of Antichristian Empire by our prerogatiue decree sentence and common consent of all the Princes and Prelats of Germanie and Italie the Priests likewise and people of Rome instigating vs hereunto we declare and proscribe as exaugurated abiured and condemned of heresie and so annihilat and frustrat the force of all his Acts. Let all Christians therefore from this time forwards repute him in the number of the impious and wicked all men depart from him let them flie his accesse and conference and like a contagion for feare of infection let them shunne and auoyd him Affoord him no honour nor reuerence and let them whom it may any wayes concerne vse all endeuour to apprehend him that after the custome of our predecessors he may be iustly punished And whosoeuer does any thing contrarie to this Decree be he proclaimed enemie to the Commonwealth Wee forthwith assisted by the Clergie and people of Rome will by common consent and after the institution of our Elders conformable to the lawes of holie histories constitute a Pastor ouer the citie and the whole world This Edict was signed by the Emperour as also by the Clergie and people of Rome and published in a most celebrous assemblie of Bishops Roman Lords Gouernours and Cardinalls in the Minorites Conuent Apud Marquardum Frelierum rerum Germanic Tom. 1. in Appendice An. 1328. Giuen and publisht before the famous Temple dedicated to Saint Peter and Paul Christs Legats the eighteenth day of Aprill in the citie of Rome Anno 1328. And to this time or much thereabout ought to bee referred the answer of the same Emperour to Iohn the two and twentieth his Bull directed to all Princes and States as well Ecclesiasticall as Secular in which contrarie to that the other contended to proue both by the Canon law Glosses and opinions of Doctors he auerred That the Empire no wayes depended on the Pope and how all the lawes neuer approued the Popes plenarie power both in spirituall and temporall things That an Emperour formally elected
and least of all ouer the Maiestie Imperiall and if he vsurpe the same they are bound by diuine lawes to resist him therein by word by deed by all meanes and all endeuours and not doing so they should be vniust and iniurious to God as on the contrarie they that fight for him and these false prerogatiues may be reputed to be the diuels champions That the Emperours confirmation belonged not to the Pope much lesse his election nay and this manner of his coronation by reason of many abuses growing from the same brings some danger to the Empire But so on the contrarie the Emperour being a Christian Prince by the consent of the Clergie and people may nominat a Pope and the partie being absent confirme him nominated If he be accused or obiected against he may reduce him into the true way and judge him by a Councell That Peter when he liued as he was a man might fall nay and erre neither was the Pope by any priuiledge exempted from error And whereas it was said to Peter Oraui pro te this may be extended likewise to the rest of the Apostles therfore he could be no surer of his faith constancie than the rest of the Bishops That only the Canon of the sacred Bible is the fountaine of truth in whose disesteeme wee must neither beleeue the Pope nor the Church That we ought not to beleeue the Popes and Cardinall onely about the sence and meaning of the Scriptures or any principall poynt of faith because verie often by their wicked interpretations and opinions they haue led miserable men to hell That the Christian Church is properly the generall bodie and number of the faithfull not the Pope or the Cardinals no not the Roman Church it selfe and the same is truely represented in a lawfull and general Councel of the Churches which was to be called by the Emperour with the consent of other Christian Princes and in times past was so perpetually called And surely my verie conscience vrgeth me to comprehend as briefly as I can what hee speakes of these things because neuer any man more plentifully displayed by what degrees and pretences the Popes haue attained to this height of tyrannie As also I would request the Reader not to thinke it tedious to read ouer the booke it selfe especially speaking of the Court of Rome Marsil Pataui part 2. c. 24. Those saith he which haue visited the Roman Court or to speake more significantly a Staple of traffickes more horrible than a denne of theeues Or they who haue not seene it may vnderstand by the report of a multitude of men worthie of credit that it is at this day become the verie receptacle of all bad and wicked practicioners both spirituall and temporall For what other thing is it than a concourse of Simoniacks What other than an harsh rude bawling of Barretters an Asylum for slaunderers and the trouble and vexation of honest men There the innocents iustice is hazarded or at least so long protracted if they be not able to compasse it by money and bribes that at last exhausted and toyld with innumerable disturbances they are enforced to let fall their miserable and tedious suites For there indeed humane lawes reecho and sound out but diuine precepts are are silent or seldome heard There are counsels and consultations of inuading Christian Princes by armed and violent power conquering and taking the same from them to whose custodie and iurisdiction they were lawfully committed but for purchasing of soules there is neither care nor counsell taken Whereunto we may annexe That there no order but perpetuall horror and confusion inhabites And as for my selfe that haue seene and beene present me thinkes I behold that fearefull statue which in the second of Daniel was represented to Nabuchadnezzar in a dreame hauing an head of gold armes and breast of siluer bellie and thighes of brasse yron legs and the feet one part yron and the rest of earth And so applying it in euerie part Brasen breasts and thighes saith he because of the shrill and large promises and the vocall though fallacious absolution from sinnes and penalties and the vniust and terrible maledictions and condemnations of such as but defend their owne libertie or obserue due fidelitie to their Soueraignes though through Gods protection all this rage and tumor is but vaine and innocuous And no maruell it is that the Index Romanus forbad all men the reading thereof Iohn de Iandun a Gantois maintained the same propositions who also was comprehended in the same sentence of condemnation a man of rare learning in those tempestuous dayes as may plainly be collected by his workes printed both at Venice and Florence Also Leopald of Bebemburg Doctor of the lawes and Bishop of Bamburg who handled the same argument namely That the Emperour had absolute power of gouerning the Empire presently after his election and the Popes coronation added nothing to him to whom he was neither vassall nor feudatarie He also conuicted Constantines donation to be a mere fable The title of the booke is De translatione Imperij printed at Paris anno 1540 but Michael of Cesenna Generall of the Franciscans spake much more broadly and confidently for he said expresly The Pope was Antichrist the Roman Church Babylon which was drunke with the bloud of the Saints And therefore Antoninus placeth him among the Fratricelli or poore Friers of Lyons who as formerly wee saw were the verie progenie of the Waldenses This man and his followers particularly auerred That Pope Iohn was an heretike and all the Popes and Prelats that should come after him Antonin parte 3. tit 21. c. 5. sect 1 And diuers saith Antoninus were burnt in sundrie parts of the world that stood firme in this opinion He also notes That long time after the Marquisat of Ancona Florence it selfe was full of them from whence being expelled they dispersed themselues ouer the countries of Greece as also that Lewis of Bauaria the Emperour was a supporter of these opinions and amongst others he makes mention of one Iohn Castiglio and Francis de Harcatara Franciscans Paulus Aemilius in Carolo Pulchro who were burnt Hereupon our Paulus Aemilius descends into these words Vnder king Charles the Faire there liued many admirable wits and most learned men This age flourished in learning Some of them were verie holie men and some contending ambitiously to excell others exceeding a meane grew to be wicked and impious Others there were of whose manners and intentions a doubtfull coniecture may bee made Good men grieued for the euils of the times and silently lamented And they who were called Fraterculi condemned both by deed and writing Ecclesiasticall wealth and opulencie and preached That riches the purple robe and domination were vnbeseeming and vnproper for religion c. But in the life of Philip de Valois we learne both out of him and other French writers That Pope Iohn what need soeuer he had of our
tops and Doues on dung-hils Wolues at libertie and Lambes in bonds and in briefe Christ an exile Antichrist a Lord and Belzebub a Iudge I am reuoked to these spectacles but I will not heare I can neither humor them nor they me O cruell and wicked sect of men louing nothing nor anybodie but themselues and that most peruersly and wickedly Who shall releeue the oppressed world Who will redeeme the afflicted citie Who will reforme manners corrupted Who shall call together the dispersed sheepe Who will correct erronious shepheards Who shall reduce and bring them backe againe vnto their proper seats Will there be no meane of the licentiousnesse of sin Shal the holie Ghost thunder out in vaine by the Prophet These things thou didst and yet I held my peace thou wicked wretch supposing that I was like vnto thee but I will conuince thee and set my face and countenance against thee c. These poynts Petrarch roundly touched to his familiar friends from whence we may collect that many were of the same opinion being terrified with the horrour of those monsters and some there wanted not who were euen ouercome with zeale An. 1351. Albertus Argent in Chronic. as Albertus Argentinensis in his Chronicle anno 1351 A certaine preaching Carmelite making a Sermon vpon the Popes Masse so reprehended both him and the Cardinalls of their enormious vices that all who were present were wonderfully astonished and for this he was disgraded He also addes A closed letter was fastened on a Cardinals doore directed to the Pope and Cardinalls which being opened they found there written That Leuiathan the Prince of darkenesse saluted the Pope his Vicar and the Cardinalls his seruants by whose endeuour he hoped to ouercome Christ labouring to exalt the poore and humble against the Commonwealth of this world and so bringing in the Prophets he sets them forth with all vices Afterwards And your mother Pride and your sisters Auarice and Luxurie salute you c. who reioyced that by their assistance they were verie well With many other things And it was subscribed Giuen in the infernall Centre before a multitude of diuels And the Pope being mightily stirred vp with this Pasquill laboured what he could to find out the Author but presently vpon it he fell into a daungerous infirmitie whereof notwithstanding he recouered but the writer of this letter could neuer come to be knowne Albert it seemes had reference to that Epistle of Lucifers a little before mentioned but that seemes to haue beene written at Paris and that with the consent of the better and more learned sort because it was printed together with that Tractat of William of Paris De Beneficiorum Collatione And many writings of this nature came forth at the same time Not long before which in the yeare 1345 An. 1345. Haiabalus a Franciscan preached publikely many times at Auignion and plainely said That he was commaunded from God to declare the Roman Church to be the Babylonian Harlot the Pope and his Cardinalls to be true Antichrist and that Benedict and Iohn his predecessors were damned with many other things pertaining to this purpose Henr. Eâ—ford in Chron. And being brought before the Pope he constantly euerred That this was expresly commaunded him by God in a vision and that out of office and duetie he was bound to preach it And here the Author doth not cleerely set downe what was decreed of him For matters of doctrine though we haue spoken more copiously hereof in another place yet by the way let vs here note That the article of Free justification through faith in Christ the principall Base and foundation of Christian religion began in these times to rise as it were out of darkenesse For Thomas Brandwardine who was vulgarly called The profound Doctor taught the same in his publike Lectures not onely in England but also in the Vniuersitie of Paris And there is yet extant a booke written by himselfe of this subiect at the intreatie and persuasion of many godlie men diuided into three parts Wherein he complaines That the same had happened to him which sometimes fell out with Elias when the eight hundred and fiftie Prophets of Baal rose vp against him in this cause How many O Lord saith he contend with Pelagius at this day for Free will against free grace and against Paul the spirituall champion of grace How many at this day reiect free grace and onely declare free will to be sufficient vnto saluation Or if they make any vse of grace they speake of it but for forme sake onely And so he extends himselfe at large in the explication of this doctrine agreeing herein with Augustine Ierome Fulgentius Prosperus Bernardus and many other auncient writers In such a conflict saith he not being lightly afraid I was long time perplexed but with my whole heart I had refuge to diuine ayd and so being presently comforted with the spirit of fortitude I grew to haue great hope for it was not my cause nor my warre but the cause of the God and Lord of science of armies and of powers but vnder him I maintaine his right Whose countenances or high lookes need I therefore to feare or whose rage and furie being garded and enuironed with the safe protection of so mightie a Patron Whosoeuer therefore belongs to the Lord let him ioyne with me or rather let vs both be ioyned to the Lord let vs stand stoutly to it for who can be against vs For I know the man with whom the Lord is will be able to sustaine the charge of a thousand enemies and twelue thousand he shall profligate These things he properly deliuered against the scholers of those times he preaching also vnto his disciples That the dayes would come and they were not now farre off when their false doctrine should be plainely detected and themselues contemned amongst all the godlie But I would not willingly range beyond the bounds of our historie Raphael Volterranus and Iohn Picus Mirandola who had perused his bookes make mention of him with singular prayse and commendation also Gregorius Ariminensis of the Order Heremeticall a man of great fame among scholers who flourished at this time in Paris in his Commentaries vpon the sentences calls all them that thought otherwise Semie pelagians Thomas Scotus and others There backed him in this his opinion Iohn Buridanus and Andreas de Castello men at that instant of great renowme This was the first poynt wherein the Church was likely to haue recouered her former state And yet Conradus Hager of Wirtzberg proceeded somewhat further and taught That the Masse was in no sort a sacrifice neither profitable for the liuing or for the dead and therefore not at all to be celebrated That money bequeathed by men on their death-bed for Masses could not be receiued without sacriledge And many in that diocesse for the space of foure and twentie yeares he had confirmed in that doctrine Wherefore being cast into prison by
of Iuda is written with an yron penne with the point of a Diamant as if he should say it is indelible But all these things pretend not impossibilitie but onely difficultie because the peruerse are hardly corrected or reformed For in the third of Ionas it is sayd Who knowes whether he may be conuerted and acknowledge God It is therefore said in the 26 of Ieremie Doe not withdraw the word for it may be they will heare and euerie one may be conuerted from his euill way At last he concludes with a serious exhortation to repentance conuersion and amendment of life This is that Nicholaus Oremus who by Charles the fift his persuasion our king and surnamed the Wise turned the whole Bible into the French Tongue Many copies of the same are to be found at this day in the libraries of the noble families of this land but especially there is one in the kings librarie wherein Charles testifies by his owne hand writing That this Bible was translated by his commaundement And here we may fitly set downe That Charles the Sage was the Author of a booke written by Alanus Charterius his Secretarie whose title was Somnium Viridarij The Gardens Dreame printed at Paris aboue an hundred yeares since against the Papall tyrannie both spirituall and temporall That booke stifly maintaines and so consequently our king Charles That the Roman Church from Constantines dayes had obtained prioritie through a silent and voluntarie consent of the Churches not that it had any authoritie properly ouer them as also because there did reside in that place many famous men who out of their charitie were verie carefull to admonish brotherly the other faithfull and these men againe embraced their admonitions as the rules and precepts of learned men which seemed wonderfull beneficiall and profitable They also were subiect to their censures to preserue the vnitie of the faithfull and this their voluntarie obedience was in stead of a formall election though no wayes by any diuine or humane lawes they were no more tyed to the commaunds and institutions of the Roman Church or the Pope than the Pope himselfe was to him or his Churches And the reason hereof certainely was because they had not yet ouer them any supreme Christian Prince to comprehend and keepe them within order and vnitie the which is most plaine and perspicuous because we cannot gather out of any place of the holie Scriptures That by the commaundement of Christ of any one of the Apostles or of any primitiue Councell that the Churches or Bishops in generall were subiect to the Church or Bishop of Rome no not in those things that appertaine to rites Ecclesiasticall Which in no apparance Christ and his Apostles would haue omitted if it had concerned the saluation of the faithfull much lesse in that which concernes iura coactiua lawes of constraint not onely ouer Clerkes but ouer secular Princes themselues the which the Popes take vpon them against the expresse precepts and iniunctions of Christ and his Apostles And therefore the Church and Bishops of Rome obtained prioritie out of the commendable ends aboue mentioned from Constantine the first Christian Emperour which afterwards they persuaded the world but most falsly that they held ex iure diuino by law diuine further extending the same ouer all Kings and Princes as also that they are to gouerne during a vacancie in the seat Imperial Which the later Popes haue presumed to ratifie by many Decretalls by which out of a plenarie power they pretend to create or depose kings and they not obeying their Decree in this poynt are subiect to interdict and excommunication All which propositions are sharpely refuted in that booke the Pope being reduced to these tearmes That both he and the Church of Rome had no further authoritie ouer other Churches than what by the same Churches was voluntarily conferred vpon them Hereunto let vs annex That Edward the third king of England after he had oftentimes complained in vaine to the Popes of the exactions wherewith the Churches of England were continually pressed hee at length determined to free England from that jurisdiction which the Pope vsurped in England Wherefore in the yeare 1374 he ordained An. 1374. That the Bishops afterwards should be created by himselfe and so other inferiour Ministers by the Bishops and thereupon not long after it came to passe that the Pope lost the tenthes which before time he vsed without checke or controll to impose vpon the Clergie As also it was prohibited vnder grieuous paines That for the obtaining of any benefice in England no man should repaire to the Pope wheresoeuer he were and the Peter pence which were yearely payed to Rome were quite put downe The which when Gregorie the eleuenth vnderstood he was mightily vexed and exclaimed That this was nothing else but to diuide the Christian Church to annihilat Religion and to cut off all lawes both diuine and humane Wherefore he first dealt with Edward to reuoke this law but after this Popes death Polidorus l. 19. schisme arising in the Church saith Polidore there was no other of his successors that minded this matter till Martine the fift wrot letters of great vehemencie and persuasion to king Henrie the sixt but both the one and the other receiued a like answer which was That the Decree of a Councell or Parliament that is of England could not be abrogated without the authoritie of another Councell or Parliament which he would presently cause to be summoned the which notwithstanding was neuer performed At this verie time S. Bridget and Katherine of Sienna were celebrated for Saints both supposed to haue receiued diuine reuelations from aboue and therfore they were canonized both of them notwithstanding conceiuing verie well what manner of monster the Pope was And Bridget being borne in Scotland and maried in Suethen came to see Vrban the fift who was then at Montefiascone neere Rome supposing by her journey to haue gained great Indulgences And yet in her reuelations she calls the Pope a murderer of soules the disperser and deuourer of Christs sheepe more abhominable than the Iewes more despightfull than Iudas more vniust than Pylat worse than Lucifer and that his seat should sinke like a weightie stone the Apocalyps sayes like a mill-stone and that his assistants should burne in a sulphurous and inextinguishable fire Afterwards she reprehends the Bishops and other Priests that through their default the doctrine of Christ is cleane neglected and almost abolished the diuine wisedome and knowledge was by the Clergie conuerted into wicked and vaine sciences That they were leapers and dumbe men turning all Gods commaundements into one onely saying Da pecuniam giue money To conclude she affirmes that she saw the blessed Virgine speaking thus to her sonne Rome is a fertile and plentifull field when Christ made answer So indeed it is but of Cockle and Darnell But yet she said she was admonished in a vision to go to Rome rather to
no better nor more lawfully being created or raigning than the other might suffice without seeking any other Opposition for what can we haue of greater proofe than this That such as were in most eminent place amongst them being maliciously bent one against another haue related how rudely they vexed and annoyed each other Yet is it worthie our paines to see what was the opinion of the better sort of them which may easily be gathered out of their writings and by the Acts of those times I know saith Froissard Froissard vol. 3. c. 24. that in time to come men will wonder by what meanes the Church could fall into such troubles and to sticke in them so long But this was a wound inflicted by God for to admonish the Clergie in what great excesse and superfluitie they liued But no man tooke heed thereof beeing blinded all with pride and arrogancie whereby each man would be equall one to another Wherefore all things became worse and if our faith had not beene strengthened by the hand and grace of the holie Ghost who inlighteneth the hearts of them that goe astray and confirmeth them in vnitie without all doubt it had fainted and fallen Therefore if we beleeue Froissard it is but ill grounded on Popes He addeth For the Princes of the earth from whom in the beginning came the wealth of the Church giue themselues wholly to playes and ieasts whilest I write this Chronicle in the yeare 1390 whereat a verie great number of the common people exceedingly wondered that so great Princes especially the Kings of Fraunce and Germanie thought not vpon any remedie or counsaile So then after his opinion remedie is rather to be expected from the Princes than from the Popes who are themselues the disease of the Church and the principall peccant humour in the bodie thereof And there he sheweth at large that euerie Prince tooke part with the one or the other of them according as stood best for the wise gouerning of their affaires But he commeth to this that the pride of the Church is such that it must of necessitie be chastised and purged and to this purpose he bringeth that storie of Frier Iohn de Rupescissa Epistol Vniuersit Paris Oxoniens Pragens de tollendo schismate editae per Huttenum An. 1520. The Vniuersitie of Paris had approued Clement That of Oxford and Prague on the contrarie Vrban the sixt In this they all agreed as by their writings on both sides published doth appeare That the Pope and Cardinals exercise a tyrannie ouer the Church of Christ That the Emperour hath the right of the patronage ouer the Pope and Church of Rome That the Pope with his Cardinals may erre and verie often haue erred That the election of the Pope belongeth not to the Cardinals by diuine right but to the people as also to the Emperour the confirmation of the same And that before Gregorie there were no Cardinals Moreouer there was pulished in Germanie an Epistle from the part and authoritie of the Emperour Wenceslaus though he were but weake wherein he grauely exhorted the Church to free themselues from the seruitude of the Pope Epistol Wenceceslai Jmperat de eodem By those Princes saith he of Priests the Church is prophaned the Priesthood defiled all order confounded and whatsoeuer is of religion is corrupted what is of the Law of life of manners of faith of discipline is destroyed and confounded insomuch that although the blessed sonne of God hath suffered many grieuous things by men of the Sinagogue yet now he suffereth much more grieuous things of princes of Priests There is also recited there a vision of a certaine holie man concerning the state of the Church Seeing her apparelled as a Queene he thought she had beene the blessed Virgin Marie but she expresly told him I am not her whom thou deemest but the figure of her for whom thou so often sighest and prayest namely of the Church whose dolour is wonderfull and corruption descending from the head throughout all the limmes euen to the feet and that thou maist sorrow with me behold argument of sorrow and taking off her head her most glorious Crowne she bowed her head vnto him And he saw the vpper part of her head cut into foure parts in forme of a Crosse and wormes breaking forth of her braine and sores running with corrupt matter and she sayd vnto him Behold by these which thou seest in my head thou maist iudge of my corruption and griefe in the other members and hauing said this she vanished from his eyes Neither is it to be omitted that in this Epistle honourable mention is made of Marsilius of Padua and Iohn de Iamduno who as we haue aboue seene had defended the Emperour Lewis of Bauiere against the wicked enterprises of Popes Johannes Petrus Ferrariens in Practica vtriusque iuris in forma libelli actionis confessoriae si verbo plenam c. With the same mind wrot Iohn Peter of Ferrara a famous Lawyer of Pauia That it is a thing ridiculous to be spoken and abhominable to be heard that the Pope hath superioritie ouer the the Emperor That he cannot by any right haue temporall dominion or possesse Prouinces cities that he doth so is of meere violence That the temporall sword must bee taken from him that otherwise Christendome will neuer be quiet That it is by the foolishnesse of Princes that they are made the slaues of the Clergie That the Pope in absoluing men from their oath maketh them perjurers And that Clergie-men carrie their consciences in their coules which being layed aside their conscience is no more to bee found Jdem in forma libelli de substitutione And in another place he crieth out That there may arise a good Emperour against them which in time past through deuotion drew the world after them and now by reason of their couetousnesse and rapine haue destroyed and brought to nothing the state of the Empire and of all the Laitie Not without cause seeing that Iohn Andreas surnamed Speculator that great interpretour of the Canon law was wont to say That Rome hauing beene first founded by theeues hath returned to her first estate Jndex Expurgat Hispan fol. 135. Antuerpian p. 116. But the fathers of the Councel of Trent in their Indexes in Spaine and Antuerpe commaund these places to be raced out At the same time was set forth the Dialogue of Peter and Paule the title whereof was The golden Mirrour in the yeare 1404. An. 1404. In the Preface is this All the Court of Rome from the sole of the foot to the crowne of the head is manifestly blinded with errours and the same hath with the poyson of their errours made drunke almost all the parts of the world as if the Pope could limit the infinit power of the creator Then he diuideth his matter into three points First saith he I will discouer the most grieuous errours of the
the begging Friers ought to be bridled being burdensome to the people dammageable to spittles and hospitals and to other truely poore and needie wretches preiudiciall also to the Curats and poore of Parishes and likewise if it be well considered to all estates of the Church Those Preaching money-gatherers aboue all because they defile the Church with their lyes and make it ridiculous and the office of Preaching contemptible Monkes after the Canon of Chalcedon to be restrained in their monasteries to fastings and prayer excluded from Ecclesiasticall and secular affaires and to be debarred from all studies Diuinitie excepted seeing it is euident That the Court of Rome in contemning Diuines haue preferred to all Ecclesiasticall degrees the students of gainefull sciences when neuerthelesse the Primitiue Diuines haue edified the Church which some wrangling Lawyers haue destroyed and now seeme to bring to extreame ruine so that now this horrible prouerbe is vsed of some That the Church is come to that state that it is not worthie to be gouerned by any but reprobats Neither doe they withdraw themselues from the jurisdiction of Ordinaries against the holie Decrees by humane priuiledges obtained by importunitie For it is not a little to be doubted saith hee whether such men are in state to be saued All which things although they respect more the circumstance than the substance of Christian religion yet are they in no sort touched in that Councell Moreouer Petrus de Alliaco in Vesperijs this same Peter de Alliaco in his Questions hath disputed Vtrum Petri Ecclesia lege reguletur Whether the Church of Peter meaning the Roman may be ruled by a law where he concludeth affirmatiuely and subiecteth both the Pope and the Roman Church to a Councell Yet there wanted not at the same time euen in France it selfe busie spies of the Pope who maintained contrarie positions for in the yere 1429 one Frier Iohn Sarazenus of the order of Preachers durst teach and maintaine these same that follow First That all powers and iurisdictions of the Church which be other than the Papal power are from the Pope himselfe as touching their institution and collation 2. Such like powers are not de jure diuino of diuine right nor immediatly instituted of God 3. It is not found that Christ hath expressed such powers to wit different from the Papall but only that supreme power to whom hee hath committed the foundation of the Church 4. Whensoeuer any Statuees are made in any Councell the whole authoritie giuing force to those Statutes resideth in the Pope alone Fiftly It is not expresly shewed by the text of the Gospell That the authoritie of iurisdiction was bestowed on any of the Apostles sauing onely on Peter Sixtly To say that the power of iurisdiction of inferiour Prelats whether they be Bishops or Curats is immediatly from God like as is the Popes power is after a a sort repugnant to the truth Seuenthly Like as no flower no bud neither yet all flowers and buds together can doe any thing in the tree which are all ordained for the tree and deriued from the tree so all other powers can de jure by right doe nothing against the chiefe Priesthood or Priest being instituted by him Here after is said that the Spirituall power is the Pope as sayd Hugo de Sancto Victore 2 De Sacramentis out of which it may seeme that here by chiefe Priesthood hee meaneth the Pope Eightly That the Pope cannot commit Canonicall simonie prohibited by the positiue law The professors of Diuinitie in Paris being solemnely assembled on the eighth day of March and hauing duely weighed these positions condemne them publikely and compell the said Iohn to abiure them and force him to answer vnto others contrarie which here doe follow First That all powers of iurisdiction of the Church which are not the Papall power are from Christ himselfe as touching their primarie institution and collation but from the Pope and from the Church as touching their limitation and ministeriall dispensation Secondly Such like powers are de jure diuino of diuine right and immediatly instituted by God Thirdly It is found in holie Scripture that Christ hath founded the Church and hath expresly ordained the powers diuers from the Papall Fourthly Whensoeuer in any Councell any Statutes are made the whole authoritie giuing vigour to the Statutes resideth not in the Pope alone but principally in the holie Ghost and in the Catholike Church Fiftly By the text of the Gospell and by the doctrine of the Apostles is expresly shewed That the authoritie of iurisdiction was bestowed on the Apostles and on the Disciples sent of Christ Sixtly To say that the power of iurisdiction of inferiour Prelats whether they be Bishops or Curats is immediatly from God is consonant to the Euangelicall and Apostolicall truth Seuenthly Any power that is to say of the Church by right may doe something and in certaine cases against the Pope Eightly Any whosoeuer that is but meere man hauing the vse of reason of whatsoeuer dignitie authoritie and preheminence yea though he be a Pope may commit simonie Lastly If I haue vttered or written any other things which seeme contrarie to the foresayd truthes or which are otherwise written I will not stand in them but will and entreat that they be accounted for not sayd or written and all other things whatsoeuer which may seeme to yeeld occasion of scandall or errour The Acts of all which are solemnely kept in the Arches of the Sorbone The Councell of Basil was able perhaps to take in hand a reformation with more courage than that of Constance but it had Eugenius to contend with who as before we haue seene defended stoutly euen the least articles so that by admonitions gaine sayings and oppositions he left nothing vnattempted Notwithstanding the historie of the Councell of Basil written by Aeneas Syluius then Clerke of the Ceremonies who was there present and since Pius the second and therefore a most fit witnesse assureth vs that many things were there grauely pronounced according to the truth although he plainely sheweth that Eugenius had intruded into it many of his which were incorporated and had taken oath in the Councell and yet neuerthelesse in all things tooke the part of Eugenius who were vulgarly named the Grisean sect An. 1438. In the yeare then 1438 when Eugenius had assigned his Councell at Ferrara to the preiudice of that of Basil the Emperour Albert came in betweene to be a mediator of peace and for that intent assembled a Parliament first at Norimberg and after at Mentz wherein were present the Deputies of the Councell of Basil of all nations in Eugenius name appeared none in shew yet verie many in deed who set forward his intention The Fathers of Basil consented that for the commoditie of the Greekes the place of the Councell should be changed Eugenius for to retaine his authoritie would haue the Councell of Basil bee dissolued In the meane
say If we admit the Councell to be kept the Lay-men will come and take away our temporaltie But as by the iust iudgement of God it came to passe that the Iewes lost their place which would not let goe Christ so by the iust iudgement of God it will come to passe That because wee will not let the Councell be called wee shall lose our temporaltie and I would to God that not also our bodies and soules too To that which at last he replied That the Councell of Basil was not lawful Yea rather answereth he it dependeth on the Councell of Constance if that were a true one then also this No man hath seemed to doubt whether that were lawfull nor likewise of whatsoeuer was there decreed for if any should say That the Decrees of that Councell are not of validitie hee must needs also confesse that the deposition of Iohn the foure and twentieth by vertue of those Decrees was of no force If they were of force neither could the election of Pope Martin hold good being done whilst the other was yet liuing If Martin was not Pope then neither is your Holinesse who were elected of the Cardinals by him created it importeth therefore none more than your Holinesse to defend the Decrees of that Councell And let the Reader note the argument of the Cardinall against the Papists which call into doubt the authoritie of these two Councels and consequently the vniuersall vocation and succession of Rome whereas Iulian maintaineth on the contrarie That there hardly is found any grounded on so manyfold authoritie And therefore hee defendeth the Decree whereby is affirmed That the Councell is aboue the Pope by the same reasons and examples as the Fathers of the Councell of Basil It was the ordinarie question of that time in which besides the decision of the Councell of Basill the greatest learned men in particular defend the sentence of the Councell And Aeneas Syluius before he came to the Popedome in the Historie of the Councell of Basil which wee haue aboue abridged had plainely declared his mind Aeneas Syluius Epist 54. 55. In his Epistle also to Gaspar Schlicke the Emperours Chauncellour wherein he approueth the Councell of king Charles the seuenth for the re-vnion of the Church It is lawfull saith he for secular Princes to assemble whether the Clergie will or no and neuerthelesse an vnion may be made thereby for hee should be vndoubtedly Pope whom all the Princes obeyed I see no Clergie-men that will suffer martyrdome for the one nor for the other partie Wee all of vs haue the same faith that our Princes haue if they did worship Idols wee would worship them also And wee would not onely deny the Pope but euen Christ also if the secular power did vrge it because charitie is waxed colde and all faith is perished How euer it be wee desire peace be it by another Councell or by an assembly of Princes I weigh not for wee are not to contend for the name but for the thing Call bread if thou wilt a stone and giue it me when I am an hungrie Let it not be called a Councell let it be called a Conuenticle a Congregation a Synagogue it mattereth not prouided that schisme be taken away Therefore that which the king of France writeth pleaseth me exceedingly and I would sticke to his opinion for he seemeth to permit to our king to wit of the Romans the assembling of this congregation How farre is he from them who acknowledge no Councell but that which the Pope is author of And not without cause truely considering what he writeth of the Councels of his time to Lupus of Portugal Jdem Epist 10. Now the Church is a play such as we see of the ball whilest with the strokes of the players it is stricken to and fro But God beholdeth these things from on high and although he seldome inflict on earth deserued punishments on men yet in his last iudgement hee leaueth nothing vnpunished But so soone afterwards as he sat on that chaire of pestilence hee retracteth yea when first the Cardinals hat touched his head he changeth his mind and declineth to the left hand as appeareth in his last Epistles In the same maner spake Laurence Valla a Senator of Rome and wrot a booke of purpose against the Donation of Constantine at the time when Pope Eugenius caused the Emperour Sigismund to sweare vnto it and otherwise would not crowne him and if you aske what was the state of the Church in his time I say Laurentius Valla de Donatione Constant and exclaime saith he that in my time there hath beene none in the Popedome either a faithfull or a wise Steward so much wanteth it that he hath giuen bread and food to the familie of God that the Pope maketh warre on peaceable people and nourisheth discord betweene the chiefest cities the Pope with his consumeth both other mens riches and his owne The Pope pilleth not onely the Commonwealth more than Verres or Catilina or any other robber of the common treasurie durst do but also makes a gain euen of Ecclesiastical goods and the holie Ghost which Simon Magus himselfe detesteth And when he is of some men admonished and reproued of these things he denieth them not but confesseth them openly and boasteth of it as lawfull and by any meanes will haue the patrimonie of the Church giuen by Constantine wrested out of the hands of them that occupie it as if that being recouered Christian religion would be more happie and not rather more oppressed with wickednesse luxuries and lusts if yet it can be any more oppressed and that there is any place further left for wickednesse c. And in the meane time Christ in so many millions of poore dyeth with hunger and nakednesse c. There is therefore no more religion no holinesse no feare of God and which I speake with horrour impious men take the excuse of all their wicked crimes from the Pope For in him and in them which accompanie him is the example of all wickednesse so that we may say with Esay and S. Paul against the Pope and them that are about him The name of God is blasphemed because of you among the Gentiles Yee which teach others teach not your selues Yee who teach that men should not steale yee play the robbers Yee which teach to abhorre sacriledge commit the same Yee which glorie in the Law and in the Papacie by preuarication of the Law dishonor God the true high Bishop And if the Roman people by too much riches lost veram illam Romanitatem that true Roman heart If Salomon also for the same cause fell through the loue of women into Idolatrie thinke we that the same is not done in the Pope and in the rest of the Clergie Yea so farre is he carried that he saith Alledge no more vnto mee thy Dabo tibi claues c. I will giue thee the keyes c. to proue thence thy
in practise stabbing some poysoning strangling others And his father striuing as it were to exceed his sonne practised the like against the chiefe Barons of the citie in so much that Volateran and Guicciardine are wearie with describing his wickednesse Machiauel himselfe setting downe the true pourtract of a tyran preferres the example of Borgia before all others as Xenophon in Cyrus described a lawfull Prince And all this impietie sayth Guicciardine among others Guicciard l. 5. proceeded from the Prince of our Christian religion the which that he might the better with money maintaine besides those rapines and robberies hee was woont to commit through the whole countrey Alexander found out new at Rome euerie day as a new Colledge of fourescore Registers who payed euerie one seuen hundred and fiftie crownes a creation of six and thirtie new Cardinals who for the most part payed well for it a wonderfull tribute imposed vpon the Mores who being driuen out of Spaine by the Catholike king Alexander for lucre receiued into Rome Adde hereunto diuers Cardinals and Prelats poysoned whose goods he chalenged to himselfe Onuphr in Alexand. 6. Doubtlesse saith Onuphrius he had a purpose to haue put in practise the like experiments vpon the rest that were rich had hee not by the wonderfull prouidence of God hastened his owne death by the fatall errour of the cup-bearer for he was a man borne to the ruine of all Italie He had an infinit number of tale-bearers and the least ill word that might bee was death Volateran in Antropol l. 22. Rome saith Volateran that was woont to be a refuge and sanctuarie for all other nations and in former ages a tower of defence was now become a publike shambles and for as much as it was lawfull for his to doe whatsoeuer pleased them there was no safetie by night in the citie nor by day in the fields All places were full of theeues and robbers And in the middest of all these disorders saith he Alexander celebrated a Iubilie selling it by his Bulls to as many as either could not or refused to come Being told that Caesar Borgia had lost an hundred thousand ducats at play his answer was That these were the sinnes of the Germans So good opinion had he of his owne wares The end at the last crownes the worke Guicciard l. 6. In the greatest height of all their hopes sayth Guicciardine Alexander supping in a Vine neere the Vatican to enioy the coolenesse of the ayre he was suddenly carried desperatly sicke into the Palace and the next morning he died blacke swollen and beyond all credit deformed which happened as it is credibly reported by reason of poyson in this mannor Caesar Borgia his sonne Duke of Valentia had resolued with himselfe to poyson Adrian Cardinall of Coruoto in whose vineyard they were to sup that night He sent therefore before certaine flagons of poysoned wine which he caused to be deliuered to a seruant of his with a strict commaund that no man should tast or touch it It happened that before the houre of supper Alexander came who being verie hot and thirstie called for wine and because his supper was not yet brought from the Palace the partie to whom the wine was giuen in custodie thinking that charge that was giuen him for the safe keeping thereof was because it was a more excellent wine than the rest filled some of that wine that the Duke had sent to another purpose and gaue it to the Pope It happened that whilest his father was drinking the Duke came in and dranke of the same wine to but the sonne saith he partly because hee was young and partly because hee vsed present remedies escaped though oppressed with a long and a grieuous sicknesse Hee addeth For it is most certaine that both the father and the sonne were woont to vse poyson not onely to bee reuenged of their enemies or to secure themselues against daungers suspected but also to satisfie their vnsatiable desire of riches and to spoyle the richer sort of their goods Cardinalls and Courtiers that had neuer offended them Thus they tooke out of the way the Cardinall of S. Angelo who was verie rich and thus diuers others of their neerest and most faithfull friends and followers as the Cardinalls of Capua and Modena To conclude there was saith he a wonderfull concourse of people out of all parts of the citie who with vnspeakable ioy came to Saint Peters Palace to glut their eyes if they could with the sight of the dead carkasse of this serpent who with his vnbridled ambition perfidious treacherie horrible crueltie monstrous luxurie insatiable auarice selling without difference or respect things holie and prophane had infected the whole world In the selfesame manner speakes Onuphrius the Popes Historiographer His treacherie was more than Punicall his crueltie barbarous his couetousnesse and extortion vnmeasurable his desire to enrich his children whether by right or by wrong vnsatiable Hee was strangely giuen to women by whom hee had foure sonnes and two daughters His principall courtisan was Vannoccia a Roman whom for her singular beautie pleasant carriage and admirable eloquence in the time of his meaner fortunes hee tooke for his wife Which giues credit to diuers Epitaphes which otherwise might haue beene attributed to Poeticall libertie Wee onely will respect these few Vendit Alexander Cruces Altaria Christum Emerat ille prius vendere iure prtest Pope Alexander sold Altars Christ and his Crosse He bought them had he not sold had liued by the losse Againe Tot regna vertit tot Duces Letho dedit Natos vt impleret suos c. Kingdomes he ouerthrew Dukes he did kill And all this his childrens purses to fill c. Againe I nunc Nerones vel Caligula nomina Speake now no more of Caligula or Nero. The rest yee may read elsewhere namely in the Epigrams of Sanazara Iacob Sanazar. l. 1. 2. Epigram Lugd. 1560. Hieron Marius in Eusebio Captiuo an excellent Poet which hee writ of him and his daughter Lucretia wherein there is an abridgement of all his wickednesse both publike and priuat But the Spanish Index Expurgatorius hath wisely prouided that they shall bee rased out in all future impressions Marius reporteth That by the helpe of the diuell hee got the Popedome and that without his counsell he did nothing And hee noteth That he carried himselfe verie kindly towards Petrus Mendosius a Spaniard and Cardinall of Valentia to the end he might abuse the Marquesse of Zaneta his bastard What can the diuell himselfe adde to this wickednesse And yet this is that man whom Wicelus affirmeth to be alwayes reading or imployed about some holie exercise or other and euer meditating how to withdraw the Princes of Christendome from ciuile warres to ioyne against the Turke That man who graunted those goodlie Indulgences to as many as vsited the title of Christ his Crosse at Rome Summa constit in Bulla cuius initium inter
others amongst whom in the age following was Conradus Pellicanus a man expert in the knowledge of the Tongues and all manner of learning who being instructed by Stanffich in the knowledge of the abuses of the Church of Rome did afterwards good seruice in the reformation of the Church but yet by the diligence of the Franciscans he was banished In Carnia Andrew the Archbishop of whom we haue spoken before importuned the Emperour Frederick the third for a Councell for the reformation of the Church who had alreadie assembled certaine Bishops at Basill with a purpose to proceed farther had not Pope Sixtus the fourth beeing much moued therewith compelled Frederick to breake off that assemblie in such sort that to gratifie the Pope he cast Andrew in prison where being for a time kept and attended with a certaine gard in a priuat place they of Basill denying him any publique prison he died being found strangled with a halter the Pope out of all doubt saith Stumphius procuring it Henrie the Agent then Inquisitor Johan Stump in Historiae Holuetica writ against him and accused him for reprehending the Pope as well in those things that belonged to matter of faith as manners and for that hee had exhorted the Prelats and Vniuersities by his letters to a Councell a hainous offence for the reformation of the Church In Rostoc a citie of the lower Saxonie Nicholas Rus a Priest and Bachelar in Diuinitie preached not onely with his tongue Nicholas Rus in lib. de tripl funiculo German conscripto but his penne to That the power of the Pope was not such as they boasted it to be That hee that wandereth from the word of God is not to be obeyed That the Popes indulgences were meere impostures and those onely true which did proceed from God and his free mercie for his sonne Christ Iesus sake That Saints are not to be inuocated much lesse their bones to be adored That they who call themselues spirituall persons that is to say the Clergie of Rome haue placed all Christian religion in humane traditions and vayne superstitions neglecting their duetie in the rest and that they are the Ministers of Antichrist These are all read in his Treatise Of the threefold cord where he expoundeth the Symbole the Decalogue and the Lords prayer which he writ in the Saxon Tongue for the better instruction of the common people in the puritie of religion There he had his Auditors and his assemblies and was sometimes visited by the Pastours of the Waldenses in Bohemia from whose companie and comfort he gathered heart vntill at the last the Popes catchpoles following him he was enforced to flie into Liuonia where he dyed It appeareth by those his workes that are come to our hands that he was a man very learned and well seene in the Scriptures There was likewise in that countrey Ernestus Archbishop of Magdeburg a man famous for his pietie and justice Clement Schaw his Chaplain who was present at his death witnesseth That a Minorite vsing this speech vnto him Take a good heart most worthie Prince we communicat to your Excellencie all the good workes not onely of our selues but our whole Order of Frier Minors and therefore doubt not but you receiuing them shall appeare before the tribunall seat of God righteous and blessed His answer was By no meanes will I trust vpon my owne workes or yours but the workes of Christ Iesus alone shall suffice vpon them will I repose my selfe It is verie likely that there were many in all parts of the world that professed the same faith since in despight of their aduersaries there remaine so many witnesses It is a strange thing and doubtlesse cannot bee attributed to any thing but the good motion of Gods spirit which we read verie common in this age and noted almost in the histories of all nations That many in their soundest judgement and vnderstanding and not otherwise noted of any notable crime after the consecration of the Priest carried with a kind of horrour and detestation of that Idolatrie should lay violent hands vpon the Hoast and that vpon the most solemne feast dayes when there was greatest concourse of people and with an assured danger of their liues teare it in peeces To omit others we read of one M. Iohn an English man that did it in Paris the day after the feast of Corpus Christi in the chappell of S. Crispin An. 1491. An. 1493. An. 1502. and in the yeare 1491 of one Hemon of Picardie in that which they cal the holie chappell in the yeare 1493 of another student in the yeare 1502 vpon S. Lewis his day in a chappell on the right hand all of them continuing constant and detesting this Idolatrie euen to the death Christoph Maslaeus in Chron. Monstrelet in Additionib especially the last notwitstanding all the admonitions of the Sorbonists the teares of his parents who were brought vnto him to persuade and the horrour of the punishment which was passing grieuous But there was at this time in Italie Hieronimus Sauanaruola of Ferrara by profession a Dominican a famous Preacher and much renowmed for his pietie sanctitie and doctrine in so much that by many he was taken for a Prophet Philip Comineus being sent into Italie by king Charles the eighth Philip. Comineus in vita Carol 8. c. 25. 52 reports That he saw him at Florence commended of all for his godlie conuersation who did alwayes affirme that Charles should come into Italie whatsoeuer others write to the contrarie and that nothing could withstand him or defend it selfe against his power Moreouer That whatsoeuer preparations and oppositions should bee made against his returne were to small purpose for he should breake through them and returne home with glorie for he that was his conduct into Italie would not forsake him at his returne And as touching his death he sayd That if in that expedition he reformed not the Church according to that charge hee had receiued from God his sentence was pronounced against him in heauen the execution whereof presently followed vpon the returne of this miserable Prince Comineus giues there this testimonie of him That he was a man of a commendable life and his sermons verie profitable to win men from vice vnto vertue The Earle likewise Iohannes Picus Mirandulanus a man admirable both for his profound learning and rare pietie calleth him a Prophet and writes an Apologie in the defence of him against the Pope And in like manner Marsilius Fiscinus that famous Philosopher in a certaine Epistle spends much time in his commendations liuing both at one time But let vs heare what Guicciardine saith aboue all the rest Guicciard l. 2. who liued at Florence and was an eye-witnesse of his conuersation He witnesseth therefore that most men that knew him accounted him a Prophet Guicciard l. 3. Because in Italie at a time when there were greatest tokens of peace he many times in his
Sermons publiquely foretold That Italie should be inuaded by foraine powers with so great astonishment that neither Councell nor walles nor armes should be able to resist them And this he did for fifteene yeares together whilest he liued at Florence But saith he when Charles was returned into Fraunce and the Pope freed from his feares he began to remember Hieronimus who hauing beene long before accused vnto him for inueying against the Clergie and Court of Rome not without the great scandall of them both for nourishing discords at Florence for preaching doctrines that were not Catholike was for these causes many times cited to Rome but he refused to appeare and therefore in the yere 1479 he was excommunicated But he still continuing in his preaching his aduersaries by the authoritie of the Pope getting the vpper hand drew him out of the Monasterie of S. Mark where he liued cast him into the common prison-house In which tumult the kinsfolke of those who the yeare before lost their heads slew Franciscus Valori an excellent citizen and his chiefe patron This saith Guicciardine Sauanarola was examined with tortures vpon which examination a processe was published which discharging him of those calumnies which were imposed vpon him touching his auarice his dishonest behauiour his secret practises with foraine Princes tended onely to this that such things as he had foretold were done not by Diuine reuelation but out of his owne opinion grounded vpon the doctrine and obseruation of the Scriptures And that he was not moued thereunto for any ill intent or out of couetousnesse to obtayne any ecclesiasticall dignitie but this one thing he onely respected that by his meanes a generall Councell might be called wherein the corrupt manners of the Clergie might be reformed and the degenerate estate of the Church of God as farre forth as was possible might be reduced to the similitude of that it was in the Apostles times or those that were neerest vnto them And if he could bring so great and so profitable a worke to effect he would thinke it a farre greater glorie than to obtaine the Popedome it selfe because that could not proceed but from excellent learning and vertue with a singular reuerence of all men whereas the Popedome is obtayned for the most part either by wicked meanes or the benefit of fortune Here let the Reader judge how great a sinne it is with them to desire or to forward the reformation of the Church by a generall Councell and to make it conformable to that of the Apostles times Hauing confirmed this processe in the presence of diuers religious of the same order he with two others his fellowes was depriued of his holie orders by the sentence of the Generall of the Dominicans and the Bishop Romolin who was afterward Cardinall of Surrenta deputed Commissaries by the Pope This being done he was left to the power of the secular Court by the iudgement whereof they were first hanged and then burnt which their deaths forasmuch as they did constantly endure the diuersitie of iudgements and opinions of men still continued for diuers there were that thought him an Impostor and abuser of the people others were of opinion that that confession that was published was forged or that being a man of a weake constitution it was extorted from him by torments against the truth excusing his fragilitie and weakenesse with the example of the Prince of the Apostles who being neither imprisoned nor constrained by torments or any extraordinarie force but onely terrified with the words of a simple maid denied himselfe to be the Disciple of his master notwithstanding he had heard many of his godlie admonitions and seene his miracles And hereby are those slaunders sufficiently disproued which we read in Nauclerus to be imputed vnto him Naucler Genar 50. Guicciardine charging him with no other crime but that those predictions which before he affirmed to proceed from diuine reuelation being neere his death he acknowledged to be gathered from the obseruation and interpretation of the Scriptures no doubt of the Apocalyps which sound no other things but reuelation and which no man doubts but they are written by the penne of the holie Ghost Flaminius a famous Poet of Italie in his Epitaph thought farre otherwise Dum fera flamma tuos Hieronime pascitur artus Religio fleuit dilaniata comas Fleuit ô dixit crudeles parcite flammae Parcite sunt isto viscera nostra rogo B Whilest furious flames O Ierome thy bodie weare Religion weepes and teareth her haire She weeps and cries O cruell flames O stay your ire O stay our bowels burne in this same fire Now if any man shall aske what points of Religion he desired to haue reformed in that Councell he so much thirsted after it sufficiently appeares in his bookes wherein hee ouerthroweth as much as in him lyes all humane traditions placeth all his hope in the free iustification by faith in Christ Iesus stickes onely to his passion acknowledgeth Christes merits onely maintaineth the communion vnder both kinds thundreth against indulgences and as well for life as doctrine acknowledgeth Antichrist in the Court of Rome The doctrine especially of free iustification is excellently handled in his meditations vpon the thirtieth and fiftieth psalme which Posseuinus acknowledgeth to bee composed the night before his punishment As for his sermons and other bookes the Romane Index hath purged them according to their maner But if vnder that yoake of oppression to thirst after a reformation were heresie and worthie fire and fagot doubtlesse he was not onely faultie onely in daunger for Europe was then full of excellent men whose vowes and praiers vnto God tended to the same end Neither wanted there those who foretold a reformation at hand so plainely that there was no man but saw that it proceeded from diuine inspiration We haue spoken before of Wesselus of Groening called the light of the world Iohn Ostendorp a Canon of the Church of Deuentrie visiting that reuerend old man Gerad Nouiomagus in Historia hee sayd vnto him Young man thou shalt liue to see the day wherein the doctrine of these moderne contentious diuines Thomas and Bonauenture and others of that stamp shall bee contemned and hissed at of all diuines that are truely Christian Tilemanus Spengerberg speaking to his children and neighbours Shortly saieth hee this religion which now florisheth shall grow into contempt then shall yee see the Priests and Monkes for their wickednesse auarice hatred vncleanenesse cast out of the Temples and Monasteries and another true religion shall bee reestablished For God will no longer suffer the corrupt manners of these men teaching no one word of the Gospell and leading a life worse then Painims Paulus Scriptoris a Doctor of diuinitie in the Vniuersitie of Tubingue spake likewise to that purpose so did Iohn Keiserberg a preacher at Strasbourg and an Author of certaine diuinitie bookes There shall one come saith hee raised by God that shall establish it
Decree of the Councels of Constance and Basil But Pope Pius the fift caused all his workes to be gelded by Thomas Manriques as may be seen in the librarie of Posseuin the Iesuite who gathered those notes But truely as it was a most grieuous vniuersall euill yet in diuers nations there openly shewed themselues both notable men who acknowledged that tyrannie and also whole corporations that rightly and formally opposed themselues against it In Germanie Bernard de Lublin writing to Simon of Cracouia in the yeare 1515 against the Popes Primacie maintained That it cannot bee that any one man should commaund the whole world That it is sufficient to saluation to embrace the faith of Christ alone That they which neuer heard any thing of the Pope are not the lesse for all that saued That we must stand to the Gospell and lay aside the traditions of men without which saluation may consist but it is a miserable condition of Christians who for the Decrees of men may not giue their assent to the manifest truth the Popes flatterers persuading them That it is not to be endured that any thing should be spoken of them though in a right good and honest zeale whilest in the meane time themselues take libertie to speake against whatsoeuer they list In the Vniuersitie of Erford Sebastian Brand Doctour of Diuinitie and Preacher of the Cathedrall Church of Strasbourg in the yeare 1508 publikely inueighed against Roman Indulgences in these words Deare friends we should this Whit-Sunday haue opened vnto you our wares but here is a Merchant-stranger who boasteth he hath better when he shall be departed hence we will vnfold ours namely the doctrine of the Gospell after the sellers of Indulgences were gone And the same against satisfactions which are performed by other mens workes We haue some which goe to church which pray which sing which mumble ouer their portueis which celebrat Masses for vs but who will goe into hell in our stead This in his Sermon which of many remaineth vnto vs for it is a wonder that they haue left vs any but he was for this occasion driuen away and retired himselfe to Magdebourg chiefely because he was woont to say to his Auditors The time will come when the Gospell shall be read vnto you out of the booke it selfe some of you shall see it Ioh. Alman de domineo naturali Ciuili Ecclesiastico but I shall not liue till then Iames Alman Doctour of Diuinitie in his booke set forth at Colonia 1514 of the Popes power against Thomas de Vio after Cardinall Caietan Legat of Leo for the collection of Tenths Of Indulgences by name It seemeth not to me that the power of binding and loosing ought to be extended to them that be in Purgatorie seeing that wheresoeuer in the Gospell it is promised or giuen it is sayd Whatsoeuer thou shalt bind on earth and whatsoeuer thou shalt loosse on earth super terram mention is neuer made of them that are departed out of this life And hence it followeth that the soules which are in Purgatorie cannot be loossed from payne by bestowing of Indulgences but indeed by suffrages What shall then become of all the Iubilies whereby for so many thousands of yeares true remission by Popes is promised for the deceased And Ludolfe Castrik Curat of S. Michaell at Magdebourg preaching against Indulgences admonished the people to aske remission of sinnes at Gods hands for Christs sake alone giuing them hope of a reformation whereby they should shortly be taken away And Conradus Celtes at Vienna a most learned man in his time many of whose writings yet remaine was excommunicated for that he condemned the Roman Hierarchie and doctrine but being borne out by the Emperour Maximilian he made little account of it Wee read likewise that about this time in Germanie arose one that was held for a Prophet who ran about from Church to Church preaching repentance to Christians and that vnlesse they obeyed and repented they shold vtterly perish Joseph Grundperg in specuto Visionis impresso Norimbergae Anno 1508. these were his words Awake O yee Christians out of the heauie sleepe of wickednesse and blacke darkenesse of death and circumcise your eares and your hearts for to heare with attention my words For yee haue cast the law of the Lord into the takes and his words into the filthy sinkes of obliuion and contempt c. Yee haue wasted the patrimonie of Christ on harlots and haue also fulfilled your vnbridled lusts in adulteries and incests and your insatiable couetousnesse with thefts and sacriledges Lastly the Temple of God by your wickednesse and great iniquitie is made a stewes and the house of theeues and robbers in which soundeth forth not hymmes of prayses to the king of heauen but blaspemies c. In Fraunce in the beginning of that age a little after the yeare 1500 flourished Iames Faber of Estaples a man of excellent learning and knowledge but chiefely in Diuinitie Auentine testifieth that he had heard him sixe hundred times together with Iosse Clithou Doctour of Diuinitie his Master saying That Lumbard had confounded and troubled the trueth and the most pure fountaine of holie doctrine with contaminated and muddie questions and streames of opinions But his Psalter printed in the yeare 1508 and his Commentaries on the Gospels and Epistles of S. Paule doe testifie what his judgement was in many principall points of Christian Religion by occasion of which he was so vexed by the Sorbonists brought to that trouble in his old age such was their rage that king Frauncis then prisoner in Spaine was forced to write from thence for his safegard in fauour of his learning And there need no further proofe thereof vnto vs than this Index Expurgat Hispanic fol. 110. vsque ad 111. 120. That the Diuines of Spaine in their Index Expurgatorius in our time commaunded many places and whole Pages to be raced out in the later editions aboue all that his Commentarie vpon S. Iohn should be wholly abolished because it could not be well amended That is to say because all of it wholly repugned against their corruptions traditions inuentions presumptions of men and imaginarie authorities About the same time grew into reputation William Budè of Paris Master of requests to king Frauncis the first who in many places of that famous booke de Asse describeth the state of the Church in his time The Clergie men in all sorts of vices wickednesse and wanton dissolutenesse worse than the worst of the people the Prelats ignorant enemies of learning hauing no care of the saluation of Christians whom they contrariwise cast headlong into hell both by their ill teaching them and by beeing vnto them examples of all wickednesse moreouer Epicures and Libertines and worse if may be He saw in his time with what violence the Pragmaticall sanction was shaken Therefore after hee had discoursed that the riches of his time was nothing to that of
on the right to be granted to such as die excommunicate or desperate The continuall and ordinarie traffike of all benefices with cure or without cure of Compatible of Incompatible Vancancies Preuentions Resignations Commenda's expectatiue cases reserued expeditions according to certaine clauses and formes infinite farre surpassing them of the antient Law so that hardly would the volume of a Calepine suffice to containe but the names onely And truly how laborious a worke it is to be able to know those intricate turnings and windings and so many cunning subtilties Sure it is needful to bistow more time in them than in the knowledge of all the liberall sciences than in Philosophie or in the whole law And with these are imploied al the bankes of the Money-changers and Vsurers in Europe with the trottings vp and downe of these the Post-horses of al places are wearied hence are so many officers so many brokers both in the Court and dispersed all the world ouer more in number and of more kinds than hath beene euer knowne in the West and East Empires yet out of Simonie alone haue these men not onely their maintenance but excesse and pride Insomuch that they haue brought the Mamelukes and Ianizaries into the Popes Court and thought it not sufficient to haue drawne to themselues all the Romane titles but they must borrow also from Souldans and Infidels both offices and markes of offices And therefore when we consider this traffike of sinne how great a facilitie or facultie of sinning the Pope hath brought in by his dispensations and absolutions for sins either alreadie cōmitted or to be committed euen the most execrable for money shall we not say that he is truely that Man of sinne who at so easie a rate and so lightly giueth leaue and indulgence for all sinnes and also giueth way to all crimes without difference against the law of God and against Nature Seing it is manifest by the Tables of his Mart to euerie man how much each sinne will cost that he may know at what rate to free himselfe from punishment Seeing he would persuade the world that whosoeuer hath satisfied this his Table of Rates hath sufficiently satisfied God and need no more care for Gods justice I pray thee Reader if Sathan himselfe were there in person for to open the floud-gates and sluices of sinne that it might as a deluge ouerflow the whole world could he find any more fit inuention than this This was not the meaning of Saint Paule when he said That sinne hath abounded that grace might superabound who by the justice of God and by the holinesse of the law representeth vnto vs the horrour and filthinesse of sinne and the wrath of God kindled against it yea against those sinnes that seeme vnto vs more light which wrath cannot bee quenched and is not to be appeased by any humane merit by any price but by the bloud alone of the onely begotten Sonne of God shed for sinners vnto whom alone by a right and perfect faith and earnest repentance wee ought to haue recourse How then from one and the same fountaine can there proceed doctrines so contrarie And seeing the one is truely of Christ and the other vnder his name whose can this be but the doctrine of Antichrist Dan. 7. v. 20. Apocal. 13. v. 5.6 Of whom it is sayd Os loquens grandia A mouth speaking presumptuous things c. A mouth opened vnto blasphemie against God c. In this shamefull traffike I say in this infamous selling of sinne whereby the Harlot prostituted vnder euerie greene tree hath engaged all sorts of men Apocal. 13. v. 16.17 doe wee not perceiue it by these words of Saint Iohn Hee made all both small and great rich and poore free and bond to receiue a marke in their right hand or in their foreheads and that no man might buy and sell saue he that had the mark For indeed what condition of men are exempted therefrom for dispensation for absolution for benefit office warfare fraternitie for all occupations of great or of base esteeme for hauing done euill or for to doe euill can free himselfe from this buying and selling Are not these therefore those Merchants of which Saint Iohn speaketh Apoc. 18.3 The Merchants of the earth are waxen rich of the aboundance of her pleasure which distilled from the gulfe of her excesse and from her sacrileges And when we more neerer consider that this Babylon this heape of confusion this loftie building hath none other foundation than absurdities none other matter than iniquities none other morter than impieties may wee not necessarily conclude with the Apostle that God hath sent vnto men a strong delusion 2. Thess 2.10.11 that they should receiue that Man of sinne that Antichrist that they should beleeue lyes because they would not receiue the loue of the truth that they might be saued Whilst that man of sinne therein applaudeth them applying as it were Narcotickes vnto them whereby his pleasing allurements stupefie them without all sence or feeling of conscience or remorse of sinne I omit his other doctrines of the merites of men whereby the merite of Christs passion is brought to nothing his daily sacrifice of the altar whereby that onely and perpetuall sacrifice of our Lord Iesus on the Crosse is abolished Christian Religion swallowed vp and conuerted into Ceremonies into superstition into idolatrie Stations Reliques Agnus dei little Images blessed graines new Lawes new Sacraments new Gospell and if God had not hindered it a new Christ and a meere Alcoran obtruded in stead of the Gospell for of these things haue wee spoken in their place more largely Cerem Roman Chart. 140. 141. 150. But surely if we list to obserue his seate and his furniture he sitteth at Rome on the Citie of seuen hills there ye may see him ride in sollemne manner about the Citie mounted on a white Horse sumptuously caparassoned the Horse led by the hand of an Emperour or a King if any be present if not by the greatest person there he himselfe gorgeously apparelled in scarlet weareth a Tiara or Diadem on his head adorned with a triple Crowne which they commonly call Regnum Kingdome in token say they of supreame dignitie both Sacerdotall and Imperiall enriched with most rare gemmes and pretious stones There followeth him a troupe of Cardinalls glittering also in scarlet But if he goe forth of the Citie he hath his port-mantues ladder couered with red cloth twelue red standards then follow Noblemen carrying the standards of the Citie a Barber and a Taylor then foure Noblemen carrying foure Caps of crimson veluet on the ends of staues some of the measure of three or foure hand-breadth who are called Scutiferi honoris Thus this whole furniture is of scarlet colour When therefore S. Iohn saith in the Apocalyps Come I will shew thee the damnation of the great whoore with whom the Kings of the earth haue committed fornication then presently after
predecessors and then on the other vnderstanding by Princeuall Fliscus his Chauncellor how hard a matter it was to reduce the cities of Italie now for so long time inured to libertie vnder their ancient obedience he resolued to yeeld them their absolute liberties so that each of them would furnish him with a certaine summe of money whereof he stood in great need He therefore sent Princeuall againe to passe these couenants with them He for the summes aboue mentioned gaue them seuerall charters and so from hence came most of their immunities and liberties as the citie of Luca obtained her libertie for 12000 crownes Florence for six thousand and so of the rest Iahannes Nouio magus in illustr Bedae which being by this meanes made free they were afterwards called Imperij fideles Feudatories to the Empire The Historiographers Blondus Sabellicus Trithemius Cuspinianus Krantzius Nauclerus and others reprehend Rodulphus much because herein he wonderfully impeached the authoritie of the Empire But so Pope Honorius say they was no wayes displeased with this redemption though it did altogether misbeseeme so great a Prince because he thought the Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction would in the future come to be the more secure and better confirmed Hereunto may briefly be added the superstition which together with ambition so much augmented vnder Alexander the fourth for then at Perugia where he held his seat rose vp the sect of Flagellantes a certaine hermit being author and patron thereof and men and women stript naked to the nauels for expiation and satisfaction of their sinnes would whip themselues throughout the townes and villages with fearefull howlings and cries calling out vpon the Virgine Marie compassing in this manner the whole citie exciting others by their example to do the like and drawing after them people of all kinds and conditions Out of Tuscan they went and spred themselues in the Marquisat and then in Romania this foolish superstition like a fire deuouring whatsoeuer it met withall Blondus l. 8. Decad. 2. Auentine sayes of this A bloudie kind of penance did then arise at Perugia in Tuscan neither could any weather or way stop them from going forward in their iourney once vndertaken or afflicting vpon themselues these sacred cruelties especially in Germanie where for three and thirtie dayes continuing in these austere regularities without so much as taking their quiet sleepe and rest they then thought themselues absolued from their sinnes and perfectly reconciled vnto God Now saith he they were passed the Alpes gone through high Bauaria and entred as farre within the land as Frisinghen where Lewis forbad them to goe any further forward in his countrey and Henrie commaunded them by publike Edict That as prophane and vagrant persons they should not set foot within his confines But Krantzius deliuering what the better sort of men thought of them Krantzius in Metrop l. 9. c. 44. In this sect saith he horrible errors did lurke which being by Gods goodnesse discouered were occasion to banish these diabolical inuentions In the meane while they being of deiected countenance and framing lookes to moue commiseration and pitie they sung hymnes in prayse of Christs crosse and as often as the name of Christ was mentioned which was not seldome they fell downe flat on their faces no wayes respecting the place whether it were durtie craggie brittle asperous moyst or drie fearing nothing For the diuell amongst mortall men hath also his Martyrs These be the words of the Pontifical Author although this fearefull superstition was not onely by the Popes approued but euen moreouer adored By this Popes authentication also S. Clare was canonized hauing her festiuall day by her selfe apart that she might obtaine the same respect from women as S. Francis had from men Other such blasphemies as these euen scraule and creepe all ouer his Legend Vrban the fourth out of the same spirit at this verie instant instituted the festiuitie of Corpus Christi or Corpus Christi day of whose originall diuers Authors haue written diuersly Some say it sprung from this That the Priest celebrating the Sacrament in the citie of Bolseua bloud was seene to come forth of the Hoast From whence that Bull came which began Summa constitut Et in Clement 3. de Reliquijs Veneratione sanctorum tit 10. c. 1. Petrus Praemonstrat in Chron. qui inscribitur Biblia pauperū Arnoldus Bostius Krantzius Saxoniae l. 8. c. 17. Auent l. 7. Volaterra in Antropologia c. 21. Chron. Aeditui Transituris de hoc mundo c. Others report That a certaine woman a Recluse of the towne of Liege called Eue whom Pope Vrban before his being Pope had knowne familiarly told him it was reuealed vnto her from aboue Whereupon that other Bull came Scimus ô filia c. grounded on the like foundation Vnder Clement the fourth Iohn Semeca was the first that dared to write commentaries against Gratians Decree for thus they relate of him Some call him Iohn Teutonicus gouernor of Haluestat who thought he had not slenderly deserued of this chaire by many good maximes and digests which he had published in fauour of the Popes of which we will speake in their proper place But when vnclement Clement demaunded the tenthes of the German Clergie vnder pretext of an holie warre he discerning the knauerie opposed himselfe and appealed to a Councell for which cause he was excommunicated in which state notwithstanding he dying for the renowme of his myracles he was afterwards canonized Gregorie the tenth as before you saw ordained a forme and vse of electing the Pope in the Conclaue hee also in the Councell of Lyons reduced the Orders of Mendicants to foure speciall obseruants new daily creeping in and were now growne to be in number nine or ten that Saccorum Fratres Fratres Pratorum and others But Nicholas the third would haue the Minorite regularities publikely read in the scholes threatning him with excommunication that should but withstand it And yet we may cleerely see what manner of man he was for as euerie one of the rest did he likewise augmented the esteeme and repute of the Mendicants that so they might make them the ordinarie toll-masters and gatherers of his impositions and exactions But it was Honorius at last that gaue them the height of their authoritie so as afterwards the Popes grew into a jealousie and feare of them that as they that were the sons nephews and progenie of heretikes for thus they might nominat any whom they pleased vnder no pretext or colour whatsoeuer they could not be receiued to no personall dignitie no publike function nor Ecclesiasticall benefice And in France we haue obserued by experience what that beginning of the Bull meant Exhibita nobis c. which was sent forth against the vpholders and fauourers of heretikes that is to say euen as their humor or passion lead them OPPOSITION This monster of the Papacie grew at length to such a greatnesse that all the Christian parts would
scantly satisfie their ambitious thirst to which the Legats and Mendicants were like cloukes and talons to gripe and fasten on their prey For first Princes feared their censures not so much out of religion as that they feared least their people would be abused by these stratagems or that ambitious neighbours vnder this pretext might make some vse of them for their owne auarice and greedinesse And yet there wanted not those that opposed and withstood them euen as aboue all others our king S. Lewis who shined in an example herein beyond all the rest in that his pragmaticall sanction which discreetly runnes in this manner Bochellus l. 4. Decret Gallican p. 647. We will and commaund that the pestiferous crime of simonie which defaceth and ruinates the Church be vtterly banished and extirpated out of our kingdome As also we will in no wise permit any such exactions and grieuous pecuniarie impositions laid or to be leuied vpon our Church by the Court of Rome whereby our kingdome is miserably impouerished or that hereafter shall be imposed and layd to be leuied or collected except vpon a reasonable pious and verie vrgent occasion or ineuitable necessitie and that by our owne voluntarie expresse consent as also by that of the Church of our whole kingdome He likewise reformed the location of benefices called Prouisiones according to the auncient Canons of the Church expresly forbidding the transporting of any money to Rome Matth. Paris in Henrico 3. for the confirmation of Prelats either electiue or presentatiue But the Clergie of England were yet somewhat more bold for seeing the Legats neuer came thither but to pill and poll the kingdome and the Clergie they humbly intreated the king That according to the auncient lawes and priuiledges of England no Legat might be suffered to crosse the seas without expresse leaue and permission first demaunded They likewise instantly required That the like Decree might be enacted about the Mendicants Predicants and Minorites especially those who are vulgarly called Legatos sophisticos sophistical Legats and no doubt they had obtained this suit but that they light on a king who was ready to joyne hands with the Pope that so by a common accord they might both glib and euen flea the people Rustand the Popes Legat vrging a most tyrannicall and cruell exaction whereto the king gaue his consent steeming out of the sulphurie fountaine Oh miserable of the Roman Church Fulco Bishop of London in a verie solemne assembly said Before I will agree to such a seruitude iniurie to the Church I will by intollerable oppression yeeld first my head to be cut off Then followed the Bishop of Worcester who spake in a lowd voyce Before holie Church shall be subiect to such corrodiation and vtter subuersion I will be hanged on a gibbet Rustand replied All Churches were vnder the Pope when master Leonard modestly made this exception Tuitione non fruitione in tuition not in fruition not to be ruined but preserued The king to whom the Legat had granted a share in this gaine threatned the Bishop of London with seuere punishment as he that instigated the rest when he replied and said The Pope and the King who are stronger than I may take away my Bishoprick which notwithstanding by no equitie they can doe they may take away my Myter but yet I shall haue an head-peece left All this occurred vnder Alexander the fourth to which the people added This is the Pope who at his first comming to the chaire caused prayers and supplications to be made to God for him that hee might raigne and gouerne well how can it be that he should performe worse things than all the rest God forbid But no man bore himselfe herein more stoutly than Seuual Archbishop of York of whom S. Edmond Archbishop of Canturburie out of whose schole he came had presaged so many excellent things This man perceiuing how the Pope with his prouisions left nothing throughout his whole Archbishoprick vnharrrowed he with a noble constancie oppugned his proceedings First because he placed all the Ecclesiasticall benefices in Italians that were about himselfe and so consequently were leauers of their flocks and secondly in that he commanded all the Prelats of England to passe personally ouer the Alpes to be confirmed at Rome Our Lord the Pope therefore bare an heauie hand ouer him Math. Paris in Henrico 3. and procuring him ignominiously to be excommunicated all England ouer with lighting of tapers and ringing of Bels that by this terrible and fearefull forme he might quaile and daunt his constancie but he no wayes dispaired of comfort to be sent downe to him from heauen patiently vndergoing the Popes tyrannie neither would he suffer the large reuenewes of his church to be conferred vpon vnworthie and vnknowne Transalpineans nor yet leauing the letter of strict equitie and right effeminatly stoop to the Popes will and pleasure Wherefore the more he was cursed by the Popes order commandement the more the people blessed him although closely for feare of the Romans Flying out of this worldly prison he ascended into heauen while most constantly with his whole power he stoutly defended his Church from the tyrannie of the Roman Court and so being depressed and vext with many tribulations for this earthlie life as all men firmely beleeued he purchased the kingdome of the highest heauens And here it must not be omitted that S. Edmond was euer wont to say vnto this his deare and speciall disciple O Seuual Seuual thou must leaue this world a Martyr eyther by the sword or else ouerlayed and euen killed with insuperable and grieuous worldlie afflictions Yet let him be thy comfortor who inspired that saying into his Psalmist Multi tribulationes iustorum de quibus quandoque liberabit omnibus eos Dominus Many are the tribulations of the righteous but God shall deliuer them out of all The same Author also recounteth that perceiuing himselfe approching to death lifting vp his watrie eyes vnto heauen he burst out into these words I call the Pope by appeale before the supreame and most incorruptible Iudge and both heauen and earth shall be my witnesses how vniustly he hath prosecuted and scandalized me with sundrie important oppressions Wherefore in this bitternesse of soule after Robert the bishop of Lincolns example he by letters layd down to the Pope all his enormious actions and that he would obserue his admonitions in abandoning his accustomed tyrannies and returning againe into the humble pathes of his holie predecessours For the Lord sayd vnto Peter Feed my sheepe doe not sheare or flea them doe not euiscerat and by continuall deuorations consume and destroy them But our Lord Pope scoffing and deriding hereat conceiued no small indignation that they would breake out into such a presumption and rashnesse as to dare in any wise to sollicit and moue him and therefore he stopped his eare to the healthfull admonitions both of Archbishop Seuual as also of Robert of
custodie yet reserue the fruits and profits thereof to the due successours And if you haue conferred any we denounce such collations voyd or being alreadie past we reuoke them againe and whosoeuer belieue otherwise we declare them heretikes Philips of returne were to this effect Let your grosse foolerie take notice That in matters temporall we are subiect to none the collation of certaine Churches and Prebends vacant belongs vnto vs out of our regall prerogatiue and the fruits and benefits during their vacancie shall be ours That collations formerly conferred by vs and to be conferred hereafter shal be validious and by vigour and force of those grants we wil stoutly defend their possessors against all men and whosoeuer thinks otherwise we repute them to be but fooles and mad men Euen as he was answered by Peter Flot Philips embassadour to the like menaces and threatnings Your sword is verball but my Soueraignes sword is reall And here our countrey man Iohn Tillet Bishop of Meaux is worth the hearing Let vs but behold saith he this mans impudencie who dares affirme the kingdome of France to be feudatarie to the Papall Maiestie Platina in Bonifac 8. Nauclerus vol. 2. Gener. 44. Chron. Martin manuscriptum And yet more foolish are they whosoeuer goe about to debate whether the Pope may doe thus much or no. During these controuersies the States of the kingdome assembled at Paris assisted with all the Archbishops Bishops Prelats Decretists Diuines and Masters of Faculties before all whom the Bishop of Narbon making an oration hee produced ten seuerall heads of accusation against Boniface First That he was a Symonist Secondly in that he said he could not commit simonie Thirdly That he was an homicide Fourthly an vsurer which was most manifest Fiftly That he gaue no beliefe to the ministers of the Eucharist Sixtly in that he affirmed the soule to be mortall and there was no other ioy but of this present life Albertus Argentiâ— in Chron. Krantzius in Saxon. l. 8. c. 37. Seuenthly because he was a reuealer of confessions for he enforced a Cardinall to reueale vnto himselfe a confession that was made vnto him by a certaine Bishop of Spaine which being knowne he remoued the Bishop from his place but the Pope afterwards being pacified with money he restored him againe Eighthly because he kept two of his owne neeces as concubines and had begotten children by either of them O fertile and lustie Father Ninthly because he had granted all the tenthes of Ecclesiasticall goods for an aid of warre against the French king And tenthly and lastly for that he entertained the Saracens into pay for the inuasion of Sicilia Wherefore he appealed vnto the See Apostolicall as he sayd then vacant and vnto the next Councell In the meane while it was enacted vnder grieuous penalties That no man might transport any gold or siluer out of the kingdome to the vse or seruice any wayes of the Court of Rome Wherewith Boniface bursting for anger calling a Councell at Rome hee imposed his interdiction vpon the kingdome of France excluding out of the Church the king himselfe and all his posteritie to the fourth generation sending the Archdeacon of Constance to thunder out these things in all parts whose journey notwithstanding was cut short by the apprehension of himselfe and of his Bull at Troyes And now Boniface resolued to confirme Albert in the Empire whom before he had so often repelled so he would promise to vndertake a warre against Philip and to inuade his kingdome vpon which condition he gaue him both the titles of king of Romans and king of France But Albert doubtlesse out of his wisedome and discretion refused these offers but to the end he might not make him his open enemie his answer was That he could not entertaine these offers except he would permit the perpetuation of the Diademe Imperiall to his posteritie and familie But in the meane while this warre turned into royal nuptials and so reiecting Pope Boniface his vaine and hollow counsell he embraced Philips affinitie and alliance by the mariage of his daughter And Philip seeing himself entangled with an implacable man resolued to make an end of this great altercation strife As formerly we heard Boniface had depriued the Cardinals Colonnaes of the hat their uncle Sarra wandring vp and down by sea land fel into the hands of pyrats who now had nothing left but only his wil and desire of reuenge a certaine noble man of France knew him as he was fastened to an oare with a chaine in the Tryreme of a Pyrat and so suing for his libertie he priuily conueyed him to king Philip. Now the king was formerly determined to send William Nogarete of Narbone a gentleman by birth into Italie to declare vnto Pope Boniface presentially how the king appealed from him to a Councell and whatsoeuer came of it to put vpon him such an affront as his insolencie worthily deserued Philip therefore joyned Sarra with Nogarete in commission and Nogarete made some stay at Sienna about taking vp some money out of the Bank of the Petrucci while Sarra in disguised habit visited and solicited his old friends but aboue all others he secured to his partie three hundred French horse which being remainder companies of the Sicilian warre trouped vp and downe here and there Wherefore betimes in the morning he suddenly surprised Anagnia where Boniface then was in his fathers house who vpon so sudden a tumult being ignorant what the matter should be roabing himselfe in his Pontificals hee sat on a throne and Nogarete entring in shewed him the Appeale in the kings name signifying that the Pope must come to Lyons that so afterwards he might be deposed of his dignitie in France and taking him by the necke when he made some resistance he gaue him a good blow on the cheeke with his gantlet and caused him to be carried to Rome The Historie relates That when they had taken him they set him on an vnbridled horse his face turned to the horse tayle and so they made him runne as long as he had any breath in him This Bonifacie saith the Author of Mounforts Chronicle who lately made Kings Popes Prelats and oftentimes the people to tremble and feare now suddenly in one day both feare trembling and griefe assayled and ouerwhelmed and thirsting so much after gold he now lost the same that all superiour Prelats may learne by his example not to tyrannize too insolently ouer the Clergie and people but rather be an example to their flock and to take care of those vnder their charge striuing more to be loued than feared The same Boniface Platin. in Bonifac 8. who saith Platina sought rather to strike terrour and feare into the minds of Emperours Kings Princes nations and people than there to plant religion and pietie as he that at his pleasure would giue and take away kingdomes expell and reduce men backe againe greedily thirsting after gold howsoeuer
gotten or come by But after this just judgement he fell into such a desperation and madnesse as some thirtie dayes after he yeelded vp his life giuing occasion of a prouerbe which did as it were epitomize his whole Popedome He entred like a Foxe liued like a Lyon and dyed like a Dog Some say thus much was presaged vnto him by Celestine in these words Ascendisti vt Vulpes Ranulph in Policronico l. 7. c. 39. Walsingham in histor Angl. thou didst ascend like a Foxe The Tuscan storie questionlesse deliuers it written That in the election of Popes it ranne by way of prophesie Intrabit vt Vulpes which the historie called Fasciculos Temporum notes to haue beene fulfilled in euerie respect This Pope grew to such an height of arrogancie as he would stile himselfe to be the Lord of all the world as well things temporall as spirituall and many things he did out of magnificence which at last failed most miserably Concerning matters of doctrine there flourished at this time in France one Robertus Gallus a man verie famous who of a Prelat became a Dominican and as it seemed he did not approue of the manners and customes of that Order There is a booke of his extant at Paris comming forth together with the prophesies of Hildegard wherein comprehending certaine visions of his owne in the fift chapter he calls the Pope Idolum an Idoll and he brings in God speaking in these words Who set this Idoll on my throne to command ouer my flocke he hath eares yet doth he not heare the clamor and crie of those that lament and descend downe into hell though their howlings drowne the sound of trumpets and the fearefull claps and reports of the thunder Eyes he hath and yet he sees not the abhominations of his people nor the exorbitancies of their pleasures what wickednes does his people performe daily in my presence yet he will not looke into it except he may gather money and coyne thereby A mouth he hath and yet speakes nothing for it is enough for him to say I haue appointed those shall speake good things to them it sufficeth that either by my selfe or others I doe good Accursed bee that ydoll and woe be to him that set it there for who can bee equall to this ydoll vpon earth For hee hath magnified his name vpon earth one sayd who shall bring me vnder Is not my familie linked with the most Noble of the earth I exceed them in all my sumptuous fare Knights and Nobles serue me that which was neuer done to my Fathers is done vnto me Behold my house is paued with siluer and gold and gemmes are the ornaments thereof Could that place of Zacharie be more fitly applied to the Pope O Pastor idolum O ydoll Shepheard In the first and twelfth Chapters in the figure of the Serpent he describes the Pope or Antichrist who extols himselfe aboue measure oppressing the godlie though they be but of a verie small number and beeing enuironed with many false Prophets who in contempt of God and Christ onely preach and magnifie him contrariwise obscuring and defacing the name of Iesus In conclusion deciphering the Roman Church I did pray saith he on my knees with my face towards heauen nere to the Altar of S. Iames at Paris on the right hand and I saw in the ayre before me the bodie of the onely high Priest clad in white silken Roabes and his backe was towards the East and his hands lifted vp towards the West Priests doe vsually stand while they say Masse I did not see head and beholding wistly whether he were altogether without an head or no I saw his head leane withered and as if it had beene all of wood and the spirit of the Lord sayd This signifies the state of the Roman Church that is to say wherein there is no bloud nor humour of life remayning That it might also signifie what maner of bread she distributed to her children Againe saith he intending the same worke another day I saw in the spirit And behold a man of the same habit went about bearing on his shoulders delicat bread and excellent wine and the bread and wine hung downe on his sides but he in his hands held a long hard stone gnawing it with his teeth as an hungrie man would doe bread but effecting nothing at all out of the stone came two Serpents heads and the spirit of the Lord instructed me saying Curious and vnprofitable questions are this stone on which the hungrie chew and gnaw omitting points substantiall for the saluation of soules And I sayd And what meanes those heads And he answered The name of one of them is Vayne glorie and of the other Difference of religion Was it possible in more significant words to expresse the Sophistries cauilations of these times which hauing the word of God readie at hand to distribute vnto the people for their nourishment they rejected this though this was a burthen layed vpon their shoulders continually liuing and dying in chewing and eating of idle and contentious questions The which in like manner the Prophet objects to the Iewes Esay 55. v. 2. Why lay you out your money for no sustenance and bestow your labour in a thing that affords no repletion As also in the vision before he thought that he saw the Church reformed I saw saith he a certaine cleare bright Crosse of siluer like the Crosse the Armes of the Counts of Toulouse but those twelue Apples which are in the extents of the Crosse were like certaine rotten corrupt Apples cast vp by the Sea and I sayd Lord Iesus what meanes this and the spirit sayd vnto me This Crosse which thou seest is the Church which through puritie and cleanenesse of lyfe shall be bright and resonant through the shrill voyce of the preaching of veritie and being inquisitiue I said What is meant by these rotten and corrupt apples and he sayd The future humiliation and digression of the Church The which crosse vndoubtedly did truely decipher the Church in that the crosse of Christ is the Churches saluation the true preaching of this crosse the exact reformation of diuine worship inuolued in humane traditions which doe but obscure the glorie of the Crosse and euen cast a blacke cloud ouer the Church Posseuinus in Apparatu tom 2. An. 1302. And yet Posseuine the Iesuite calls this Author An excellent preacher of the word of God Neither need we to doubt but that in such a general coherence of the French Clergie against Boniface there were many more who together with Robert discerned both the Popes tyrannie and the Churches deformitie For king Philip in the yeare 1302 when hee made his progresse through the Prouince of Narbon heard many complaints made to him against the Inquisitors of the Faith who participating in all forfeitures and confiscations they apprehended whom they thought good without due proofe condemning them whereupon the Vidame of Piquigni was constrained
helpe made no such great account of vs nor we of him but that these amities brust forth many times into open warre and contention Those of the kings Councell and of the bodie of the Parliament shewed him how diuersly the Pope and his adherents sought to infringe and cut off his prerogatiues The kings officers complaine that all iurisdiction was transferred from the royall tribunal to sacred decisions That many more temporall causes and controuersies betweene temporall men were heard and adiudged by the Bishops and other Priests than by the kings officers and Iudges Whosoeuer in any thing stood not to the censure of the Prelats he was expelled the Church remoued from communicating with the godlie and it was come to that passe as euen for debt when the partie was altogether vnable he was interdicted water fire Wherfore the deputies of the Prelats and Clergie were commaunded to appeare in the moneth of December at Bois de Vincennes neere Paris there Master Peter de Cugnieres the kings Atturney defended his Soueraignes cause and producing those words of our Sauiour in Saint Mathew Giue to Caesar that which is Caesars and to God that which is Gods he argued the distinction betwixt the jurisdiction spirituall and temporall verie worthie of obseruation of which the one belonged to the ciuile Magistrat the other to the Church which could not interpose her selfe in matters temporall without mingling heauen and earth together and entangling the whole earth in an vtter confusion His speech hee also confirmed by many apt and well applied places out of the Scriptures and the sacred Canons and insisting much vpon that text of the 22 of the Prouerbes Exceed not the auncient bounds and limits which thy fathers layed Because saith he if any customes were introduced contrarie to the same they could be of no worth nay rather they should be corruptions and Prescription can take no place against the kings royall prerogatiue neither can the king himselfe renounce these lawes and iurisdictions as may be proued by many chapters which are in the tenth Distinction If therefore saith he the king is sworne at his coronation no wayes to alienate the lawes of the kingdome and to reuoke againe those alienated so if they should be supprest or vsurpt by the Church or any other he is bound to renew and reuiue them againe And with that he brought forth a scedule comprehending sixtie six particulars wherein were expressed such aggrauations and oppressions for which the Clergie was to make satisfaction Bertram then Bishop of Hutum being to speake in behalfe of the Clergie hee ript vp the memorie of Charles the Great Lewis the Godlie and S. Lewis and other Pinces who in times past had endowed and immunified the Churches aduancing highly their glorie who had augmented Church liberties and so by many examples exaggerating their reproach and infamie who had preiudiced and impaired the same and this cause being referred for a day of hearing euen to the verie feastiuall of S. Thomas of Canturburie might fitly put the king in mind that this Thomas as on that day shed his bloud for the liberties and immunities of the Church and yet wee formerly obserued that the Diuines of Paris disputed how this Thomas was more probably to be supposed condemned because he suffered death for his rebellion But the king plainely made answer That he would haue a speciall care of all things to come Bertram vrgeth further for the better explication of himselfe when the king replied I would rather haue the liberties of the Church augmented than diminished I meane the true immunities and liberties but not vsurpations And therefore he consulted with them about the preseruation of royall rights and jurisdictions in hatred of which fact they endeuoured to depraue the memorie of Peter de Cognieres This is he who in a corner of our Ladies Church in Paris is commonly called Master Peter de Cogniet An Epistle of Lucifer to the Pope and Roman Church fel fit with these times Epist Luciferi ad Papam Some thinke it was written vnder Philip the Faire but because in some exemplaries it is said to be dated in the yeare of his Palace ouerthrowne 1351 Here seemes in the originall to be some error in computation of the yeares about the yeare from Christs birth 1318 it is referred to that yeare Lucifer is in it brought in discoursing How in times past Christs vicar preaching the word in pouertie of life the world was so conuerted that Erebus was turned into Eremum Hell into Hermitage but he had caried the matter so wisely as to suborne in their places those that should with both their clookes lay hold of worldlie kingdomes which Christ heretofore refused being offered him that therefore they should not now teach as he and his Apostles did Reddite Caesari quae sunt Caesaris c. Subiecti estote Principibus but seising both on spirituall and temporall things they should assume vnto themselues both swords endeuoring proudly to beare rule ouer Princes themselues And hereupon came in all excesse pride wantonnesse wicked deuises and simonie which carried that sway as he plentifully laid open that what aunciently in times past had beene forespoken by the Prophets was completely fulfilled The Church of Rome is become the Synagogue of Sathan The purpled harlot hath committed fornication with the kings of the earth Of a mother she is become a stepmother and of a Bride an adulteresse forgetting her originall charitie and chastitie and principally ruinating the Christian Faith which before she built vp and erected Then hee exhorts the Pope vehemently to perseuere in these offices Because saith he we are about to send forth Antichrist for whom all these treasures are to be reserued in the meane while we would haue you to be our Vicars c. They that spake so broadly in generall of the Roman Church what thought they suppose you of many her particular abuses Hereunto we may adde That Iohn Mandeuil an English man a writer verie neere to those times said Pope Iohn sent to the Grecians exhorting them to bee vnited to him and the Roman Church for the knowne and accustomed reasons of that plenarie power graunted vnto him ouer all the Church in the person of Saint Peter But they answered him laconically We vndoubtedly beleeue thy Soueraigne power ouer those that are subiect to thee but wee cannot endure thy extreame pride nor are we able to satisfie thy greedie auarice The diuell be with thee for God is with vs. 58. PROGRESSION Benedict the twelfth succeeded Iohn He holds the See while the yeare 1342 when as Clement the sixt came to the chaire after him Lewis the Emperour dyes and after some opposition Charles sonne to the king of Bohemia obtaines the Diademe Imperiall BEnedict the twelfth succeeded Iohn the Cardinalls hauing been sixteene daies in the Conclaue before they could agree vpon an election at last they resolued either for enuie or in despight one of another to