severity mitigating the punishment of those who assemble without Arms only for Religion instructing and admonishing them and to this purpose to cause the Prelates to reside hoping that by these remedies they would need neither National nor General Council A Decree was made the 27. of that month That there should be an Assembly of the States at Meaux the 10. of December and if the General Council shall not be called suddenly the Bishops shall assemble on January 13. to treat of celebrating a National in the mean-while the punishments for cause of Religion were suspended except against those who took up Arms. The Pope hereupon wrote to Cardinal Tournon to hinder the meeting of the Bishops and if he could not to return to Rome The Pope makes shew to call a General Council suddenly He received answer from Tournon that having tried all means he was not able to remove the King or any of his Council nor could hope for any better success hereafter The Pope's secret purpose was to avoid the Council or to defer it but makes a contrary resolution against his Will and is much troubled with the occurrences of France A Currier went in haste to Rome out of France with protestations from the King that if the General Council were not called he could no longer defer the National adding that if any place in France were chosen for the meeting of the Council it should be most secure Then the Convocation of the Council was published in the Consistory the Bull whereof was entitled Of the Intimation of the Council of Trent the Latine word was Indictionis Vergerius wrote a Book against this Bull. At this time News came to Rome that the French King had imprisoned the Prince of Conde and set a guard upon the King of Navarre which pleased the Pope much as a thing that might hinder the National Council Saga servant to the King of Navarre is taken at Estampes with divers letters about him and being tortured confesseth certain practices against the Crown The Prince of Conde had attempted to possess himself of Lions but without success The Governour of the City condemned many of the Hugonots to be hanged and the rest he sent alive to the Court who served afterwards to confirm the Depositions of the Prisoners against the discontented Princes The King departeth with his Guard from Fountainbleau and summoneth the States to meet at Orleans where the first thing that was done was to make a profession of their Faith Which being set down by the Doctors of the Sorbon conformable to the belief of the Roman Church and publickly read by the Cardinal of Tournon President of the Ecclesiastical order was by a solemn Oath approved and confirmed by every one of the Deputies because none should be admitted into that General Assembly either unwittingly or on purpose that was not a true Catholick Then the High Chancellour in presence of the King proposed those things which were necessary to be consulted of for the reformation of the Government But this was the least thing in every mans thought for the minds of all men were in suspence about the Prince of Conde's imprisonment who being interrogated excepts against his trial and appeals to the King but the Appeal is not accepted and he was declared to be held as convict because he had refused to answer the Delegates So they proceeded judicially until the very last pronouncing of sentence The Commissaries having pronounced the sentence against the Prince of Conde the King one morning being under the Barbers hand was on a sudden taken with an Apoplexy and laid by his servants on his bed and on Decemb. 5. he died Charles IX brother to Francis and second Son to the Queen succeeded to the Crown being yet but about eleven years old in regard of his Minority the Government fell principally upon the King of Navarre as first Prince of the Blood Navarre did almost openly favour the new Religion and was wholly governed by the Counsel of Jasper Coligni the old Admiral who made profession of it so that the Protestants were more confident to obtain liberty of Religion as they desired They assembled almost publickly Hereupon the King's Mother and the chief of the Council resolved to hold the States at Orleans and begun to do it on the 13. of December where the business of Religion was debated The Chancellour shewed That there was need of a Council which the Pope had promised and that in the mean time it was not to be tolerated that every one should shape out his own Religion and bring in new rites at his pleasure He said That it was necessary that the names of Lutherans Hugonots and Papists no less factious than those of the Guelphs and Gibilines were to be taken away and Arms to be taken against those who cover their avarice ambition and desire of innovation with the cloak of Religion John Angelo Advocate in the Parliament of Burdeaux spake much against the bad manners and discipline of the Clergy James Earl of Rotchford said That all the present evils did arise from the large donations made by the King and other Grandees to the Churches especially of jurisdictions in the end he gave a Petition in the name of the Nobility demanding to have publick Churches for their Religion Jacobus Quintinus a Burgundian spake for the Clergy he said The States were assembled to provide for the necessities of the Kingdom not to amend the Church which cannot err though the Discipline in some small part may somewhat need reformation He said That they that demand Churches apart from the Catholicks are to be punished as Hereticks and that the King ought to force all his Subjects to believe and live according to the form prescribed to the Church that those who have forsaken the Kingdom for Religion ought not to be suffered to return that those who are infected with Heresy ought to be proceeded against Capitally that the Ecclesiastical Discipline will easily be reformed if the Clergy be freed from payment of Tenths c. In the end he demanded that all priviledges of the Clergy should be confirmed and all grievances removed The King ordained That the Prelates should prepare to go to the Council of Trent commanded that all that were in prison for Religion should be set at liberty their offences until that time pardoned and their goods restored The Pope sends a Nuncio to the Queen-Mother praying her to be careful of the Religion in which she was born and bred and not to suffer Schism to arise by too much licence nor to seek remedies else-where for the present and imminent evils but from the Church of Rome for which end the Council was intimated The Prince of Conde was set at liberty and by an Edict in the Parliament of Paris absolved from the imputation laid upon him and the Sentence declared null and irregular which was pronounced against him by the Judges Delegates as incapable of judging the Princes of the blood
Mother's side with repetition of the obscenities divulged throughout all Italy in the time of that Popedom which made the Cardinal ridiculous to the people The first thing he undertook was to hinder the preaching of the Reformatists who after the Colloquy did practise it more freely than before To gain reputation he made acquaintance with the Nobles of the Hugonots and went to their feasts and sometimes was present at their Sermons in the habit of a Gentleman But this displeased the Court of Rome The Queen-Mother understanding that the King of Spain took the Colloquy in ill part sendeth an Ambassadour into Spain to excuse it After the Colloquy was ended and the Protestants departed the Prelates remained and treated of the Communion of the Cup the Bishop of Valence with consent of the Cardinal of Lorain proposing that if it were allowed the increase of the Protestants would be interrupted But the major part would not consent it should be done but by grant or at least by favour of the Pope Lieve is given to the Legate by the King 's Brief to exercise his faculties which the Chancellour refuseth to subscribe according to the style of the Kingdom Yet was it subscribed by the Queen the King of Navarre and by the principal Officers of the Kingdom For this favour he began to think well of the Communion of the Cup and to write thereof to Rome In conclusion of the Assembly at Poisy the Prelates granted power to the King to sell an hundred thousand crowns of the yearly rents of the Lands of the Church so that the Pope would allow it The Legate informeth the Pope that there are but two wayes to preserve Religion in France One to give satisfaction to the King of Navarre and to interest him in the defence of it the other to grant the people generally the Communion sub utraque specie And the French Ambassadour desireth the Pope to grant the Communion of the Cup to the French men The Pope giveth a favourable answer for which afterwards he was sorry and at length resolveth not to grant the Communion of the Cup to the French At the same time when the Petition of the French Prelates was published in Rome News came out of Germany that the same men had sent to the Protestants there to perswade them to persevere in their Doctrine promising to favour them in the Council of Trent and to draw other Prelates to do the like for which they are suspected in Trent and in Rome The Nuncio resident in France returned to Rome who having related the state of that Kingdom the Pope wrote to the Legate that he should represent to the King's Council that the Council in Trent was to be celebrated for France only because neither Italy nor Spain had need of it and Germany did refuse it and tell them that therefore it did concern them to promote it Hist Concil Trident. li. 5. But the bad conceit which the Court of Rome had of the French was increased by an advice sent from Paris that the Parliament had with much solemnity condemned to recant one John Tancherel a Bachelor of Divinity because with intelligence of some Divines he had proposed and defended publick questions That the Pope Vicar of Christ is Monarch of the Church and may deprive Princes who disobey his commands of their Kingdoms States and Dignities who being accused cited and having confessed the fact did flie And the Judges as in a Comedy caused the Bidel of the University to represent his person and to make a publick satisfaction and recantation forbidding the Divines to dispute such questions hereafter making them go to the King to ask pardon for having suffered so important a matter to be disputed on and to promise to oppose themselves alwayes against that Doctrine For which the French men are much censured in Rome The Pope promiseth a reformation in the Court and hasteneth the opening of the Council John Fernelius was a learned French man and Physician to Henry the second King of France Medicinam Vniversam doctissimis politissimis scriptis complexus est Thuan. Hist Tom. 1. li. 21. About this time also flourished Andrew Tiraquel an excellent Lawyer He is styled by Conradus Ritterhusius Varro ille Gallicus He hath written well upon Alexander ab Alexandro his Book Genialium dierum What Alexander hath written briefly and without mention of Authours he hath illustrated with his Commentary and shewed to whom he was beholden for what he had Thuanus thus extols him Cùm vario literarum genere excultus tum celeberrimus nostrâ aetate Juris-consultus Julius Caesar Scaliger died near this time at Agen in France He was thirty years old before he fell to study yet was a singular Philosopher and an excellent Greek and Latin Poet. Vossius calls him naturae miraculum Voss instit orat Li. 4. ca. 11. and saith thus Vir ille nunquam sine laude dicendus vir ad unguem factus Lipsius highly admires him He was an excellent Historian and great was his skill in Physick and his Practice therein was happy A Noble and learned pen doth thus commend him Non hunc fefellit ulla vis recondita Steph. Boetius Senator Burdigalae ad Vidum Brassacum Praefidem Salubris herbae saltibus siquam aviis Celat nivosus Caucasus seu quam procul Riphaea duro contigit rupes gelu Hic jámque spectantes ad orcum non semel Animas repressâ—t victor membris suis Haerere succis compulit foelicibus NigrÃque avaras Ditis elusit manus On Snowy Caucasus there grew no root Of secret Power but he was privy to 't On cold Riphaean Hills no Simple grew But he the force thereof and vertue knew Wherewith apply'd by his successful Art Such sullen Souls as would this world depart He forc't still in their bodies to remain And from death's door fetcht others back again His skill in Physiognomy was wonderful But his excellent Parts were attended with prodigious Pride His Son Joseph Scaliger was one of the great lights of France and Holland too One saith thus of him In antiquos Scriptores nimiùm petulans protervus Montacut Exercit. 2. sect 10. For variety of Learning and Skill in the Oriental Languages besides his acuteness in Chronology he exceeded his Father In the first Volume of the Lord of Plessis his Letters and Memoirs Casaubon relating to him Scaliger's death Julius Scaliger Vir incomparabilis nisi Josephum genuisset Meric Casaub saith This loss of so Learned a man wrought in him an incredible grief and that he for his particular had lost another Father Monsieur du Plessis likewise condoles with him in so great a loss and saith That Scaliger indeed made one of the integral parts of the better Learning of this Age. Thuanus honourably mentions him in his History Leighs Treat of Relig. and Learninâ— li. 5. ca. 12. and in the first book of his Commentaries De vita sua saith
STATUS ECCLESIAE GALLICANAE OR THE Ecclesiastical History OF FRANCE From the first Plantation of CHRISTIANITY there unto this Time Describing the most notable CHURCH-MATTERS the several Councils holden in FRANCE with their principal CANONS The most Famous Men and most LEARNED WRITERS and the Books they have written with many Eminent French Popes Cardinals Prelates Pastours and Lawyers A description of their UNIVERSITIES with their FOUNDERS An impartial account of the State of the Reformed CHURCHES in FRANCE and the Civil Wars there for Religion With an exact succession of the FRENCH KINGS By the Authour of the late History of the Church of GREAT BRITAIN Historia est lumen Veritatis vita Antiquitatis LONDON Printed for Thomas Passenger at the Three Bibles on London-Bridge and Ralph Smith at the Sign of the Bible under the Tiazz of the Royal Exchange in Cornhill 16â—6 Amplissimis Admodum Reverendis in Christo Patribus ac Dominis HENRICO Providentiâ Divinâ Episcopo Londinensi Joanni eadem Providentiâ Episcopo Roffensi necnon Decano Westmonasteriensi Salutem in Christo sempiternam Venerandi Patres Domini Colendissimi EA quâ par est submissione Historicum hocce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex antiquis recentibus Authoribus Collectum vobis offero nuncupo dedico ut splendore clarorum vestrorum nominum lux aliqua opusculo huic per viam affulgeret omnisque sinistra obmurmurantium scaeva propitio vestro favore procùl amoveatur Flosculus est quem Ego pauperculus humilisque Christi Hortulanus vobis proesento non ille quidem Lectissimus sed is tamen qui in vestris primùm sacratis manibus cupiat sua qualiacunque folia explicare Carpent illum e vestris manibus alii quoque delibabunt Si enim vestro olfactui sagacissimo non ingratus fuerit si vestrae gratiae calorem fenserit non dubito quin Piis omnibus bonum publicae aedificationis odorem captantibus gratus jucundus sit futurus Hoc mihi solamen est quòd viri praestantissimi Honore Doctrinâ proecellentes non tam muneris oblati dignitatem quam gratum offerentis animum perpendere soleant Si hunc librum accipere diligenter perlegere dignemini honestabor gratia meis laboribus optima referetur De Materia Methodo hujus Historiae modum an satis servarim Vos pro vestris acerrimis Judiciis aestimabitis Illam siquando fortè inspexeritis in ea aliquid observabitis de quo me admonendum putabitis illud rogo significetis quicquid egeritis meam non modò voluntatem sed etiam sententiam cum vestrâ conjungam hoc etiam Beneficium quidem summum accipiam quo nimirum melior doctior evadam Deus Amplitudinem vestram in Ecclesiae suae nostraeque patriae utilitatem quam diutissimè servet incolumem Vestrae Reverentiae Observantissimus G. G. THE PREFACE TO THE READER THe Design of this Treatise is to set forth the State of the Gallican Churches both of the Popish and the Reformed As to the Popish Church in France it is holden to be the best Privileged of all the Churches in Christendom under the Pope As touching their power the Gallican Clergy stands more stoutly to their Natural Rights against the Encroachments and Vsurpations of the See of Rome than any other that liveth under the Pope 's Authority which they acknowledge so far only as is consistent with their own Privileges and the Rights of their Soveraign for it was long e're they could submit to the Decrees of the Council of TRENT nor have they yet admitted of the Inquisition The Doctors of the Sorbon are accounted together with the Parliament of Paris the principal Pillars of the French Liberty whereof they are exceeding jealous as well in matters Ecclesiastical as Civil When Gerson Chancellour of Paris had published a Book in approbation of the Council of Constance where it was Enacted that the Authority of the Council was greater than that of the Pope the Sorbon Doctors declared that also to be their Doctrine For John Gerson in his defence of the Decree of that Council speaking of the Adversaries saith Perniciosos esse admodum adulatores qui Tyrannidem istam in Ecclesiam invexere quasi nullis Regum teneatur vinculis quasi neque parere debeat Concilio Pontifex nec ab eo judicari queat The Kings themselves also befriend their Clergy in the cause and therefore not only protested against the Council of Trent wherein the Spiritual Tyranny was generally consented to by the Popish faction but Henry the second King of France would not acknowledge them to be a Council calling it in his Letters by no other name than Conventus Tridentinus An indignity which the Fathers took grievously Moreover when King Lewes XI to gratifie Pope Pius the second purposed to abolish the Pragmatick Sanction the Sorbonnists in behalf of the Church Gallican and the Vniversity of Paris Magnis obsistebant animis saith Sleidan in his Commentary a Papâ provocabant ad Concilium The Council unto which they appealed was that of Basil where that Sanction was made so that by this Appeal they verified their former Thesis that the Council was above the Pope And before the Pragmatick Sanction was ordained the Pope had yearly drained the State of a Million of Crowns as the Court of Parliament manifested to King Lewes the eleventh Since which time the Kings of France have sometimes omitted the vigour of the Sanction and sometimes also exacted it according as their affairs with the Pope stood therefore it was called Froenum Pontificum And in the Year 1613. casually meeting with a Book written by Becanus entituled Controversia Anglicana de potestate Regis Papae the French called an Assembly and condemned it For although the Main of it was against the Power and Supremacy of the King of England yet did it reflect also on the Authority of the Pope over the Christians by the By which occasioned the Sentence So jealous are they of the least circumstances in which any of their immunities may be endangered The Pope hath no power in France to pardon criminals Le Rescript C. de precib Imp. offer Gratian. caus 25. The very faculties of the Legates heretofore sent into that Kingdom make not any mention of it but of the Remission of Sins proceeding from crimes And though there should be any such thing yet they are still curbed in with this Bridle To use it in such things as are not contrary derogatory nor prejudicial to the Rights and Prerogatives of the King and Kingdom nor against the sacred Councils the Laws of the Vniversities the Liberties of the Gallican Church and the Ordinances Royal. The Clergy of France do not hold their Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of the Pope but of the King alone Bellarm. Tom. 1. controv 2. li. 4. ca. 24. howsoever the Jesuits teach the contrary when they do not use it as they ought when
they saved his Life at Tours and delivered him from extream danger And in the Year 1617. they had the Testimony of their fidelity from their own King Lewes XIII written to their Deputies assembled in a Synod at Vitre in these terms We have received with good satisfaction the new assurances and protestations which you have made unto us of your fidelity obedience in the which if you persist as ye ought and as ye have done before you may also be assured that we shall always have a care to maintain and preserve you in all the advantages which have been granted unto you A Reverend Divine on the Revelation speaking of the French Churches saith God hath made the Church of France a wonder to me in his proceeding toward them from first to last and therefore to me great and special honour would seem to be reserved for them yet at the last For the first light of the Gospel the first and second Angels preaching Rev. 14. which laid the Foundation of Antichrist's ruine was from them namely those of Lyons and other places in France and they bare the heat of persecution which was as great as any since if not greater Moreover the Churches of France have ever since had as great a share in persecutions yea greater than any of the Protestant Churches And although it be well nigh five hundred years since they began to separate first from Antichrist yet they never had the great honour and priviledge which other Churches have been so blest with as to have a supream Magistrate professing their Religion except one who also continued not therein Pareus in his Commentary on the Revelation writing concerning the destruction of Rome Paraei Com. in 17. Apoc. Vis 6. inserts a Prophecy taken out of an Antient Manuscript found in the house of Salezianus and a little before his writing on that Chapter sent unto him which is as followeth Ex Natione Illustrissimi Lilii orietur Rexquidam c. There shall arise a King out of the Nation of the most illustrious Lily viz. France having a long forehead high brows great eyes and an Eagle's nose He shall gather a great Army and destroy all the Tyrants of his Kingdom and slay all that fly and hide themselves in the Mountains and Caves from his face For Righteousness shall be joyned unto him as the Bridegroom to the Bride with them He shall wage War even to the fortyeth year bringing into subjection the Islanders Spaniards and Italians Rome and Florence he shall destroy and burn with fire so as salt may be sowed on that Land The greatest Clergy who have invaded St. Peter's seat he shall put to death and in the same year obtain a double Crown and at last going over Sea with a great Army he shall enter Greece and be named King of the Greeks The Turks and Barbarians he shall subdue making an Edict That every one shall dye the death that worshippeth not the crucified one and none shall be found able to resist him because an holy Arm from the Lord shall always be with him and He shall possess the Dominion of the Earth These things being done he shall be called The rest of Holy Christians Thus far the Prophecy which every one may credit so far as it likes him saith my Authour There is another common Prophecy viz. That from the Carolingians that is of the race of Charlemaigne and Blood-Royal shall arise an Emperour of France by name Charles who shall be a great Monarch and shall reform the Church and State He that is curious to see this Prophecy may find it among the vulgar Revelations Whether this Prophecy hath any weight in it I refer my self to other Mens Judgements When God hath appointed it to be done he will touch their hearts that shall do it W. G. THE Ecclesiastical HISTORY OF FRANCE Century I. BEing about to write the History of the Gallican Church Ephr. Pagit Christianogr I shall begin with the first Plantation of the Gospel in France Some Writers tell us that Philip the Apostle of the City of Bethsaida first preached the Gospel in France and having afterwards preached in Phrygia he was honourably buried with his Daughters at Hierapolis Others say Heylin's Cosmogr Lib. 1. that the Christian Faith was first planted among the Gauls by some of St. Peter's Disciples sent thither by him at his first coming to Rome Xystus Fronto and Julianus the first Pastors of Rhemes Peregort and Mantz being said to be of his Ordaining in the Martyrologies The like may be affirmed but on surer grounds of Trophimus said to be the first pastor or Bishop of Arles For afterwards in a controversie betwixt the Archbishops of Vienna in France and Arles for the Dignity of Metropolitan in the time of Pope Leo the first it was thus pleaded in behalf of the Bishop of Arles Quod prima inter Gallias c. That Arles of all the Cities of Gaul did first obtain the happiness of having Trophimus ordained Bishop thereof by the hands of St. Peter Trophimus was a partaker with St. Paul in all his afflictions and his daily companion Zosimus writeth that out of his Spiritual Fountain all the Rivers and Brooks of France were filled Neither is St. Paul to be denied the honour of sending some of his Disciples thither also to preach the Gospel Euseb Eccles Hist Lib. 3. cap. 4. Crescens a companion of St. Paul mentioned by him in his second Epistle unto Timothy is said to have departed into Galatia 2 Tim. 4.10 which Eusebius saith was France That he was the first Bishop of Vienna forementioned not only the Martyrologies but also Ado Viennensis an ancient Writer of that Church doth expresly say And that it was into this Countrey that he sent Crescens at that time and not into Galatia in Asia Minor the testimonies of Epiphanius and Theodoret Doroth. de LXX Discip which affirm the same may sufficiently confirm Dorotheus saith that Crescens preached the Gospel in France and was there martyred and buried in the time of Trajan the Emperour In the History of Lazarus and Maximinus we find that they with Mary Magdalen and her sister Martha came to Marseilles Maximinus was one of the seventy Disciples of Christ as divers Authors tell us The French Antiquities tell us That after the Ascension of our Lord Anno 14. the Jews raised so horrible a persecution against the Christians that the most part fled whither they could That Maximinus accompanied with Lazarus took Mary Magdalen Martha Marcella her handmaid and some others and committing themselves to the Sea to avoid the fury of the Jews they arrive at Marseilles where the Prince of Marseilles was baptized Lazarus became first Pastor of Marseilles and Maximinus of Aquens They were ordained to those Churches in the Year of Christ 46. in which Year these Authors tell us that Simon the Leper whom our Saviour cured of that infirmity was Ordained to be Minister of
that Council Witness the Bishop of Panormo in his advice touching the Council of Basil This decree concerneth the general Estate of the Church and the matters belong to a general Reformation which may be hindred by a dissolution as it was by the dissolution of the Council of Vienne Durand further said in that Council that the Court of Rome and the Colledge of Cardinals together with the Pope would have a certain allowance of all Bishops that are preferred there it seems very requisite that this were taken order with For this errour doth much corrupt the Catholick Church and the common people and the remedies which have been applyed hitherto are quite disregarded inasmuch as the contrary is usually practised in the Court of Rome as if it were no sin at all to commit Simony or as if it were not all one to give first and then take as first to take and then to give The thing was taken into consideration at the Council of Vienne so as they were once advised Joann Andr. in Ca. inter coer de offic ordinar to allow the twentyeth part of all livings in Christendom to the Pope and his Cardinals but at last it was shifted off without resolving upon any thing A Doctor of the Canon Law saith it was better for that because their covetousness is so unsatiable that if that had been resolved upon they would have taken both This Bishop of Mende mentioned another abuse fit to be reformed For after he had said that every Bishop's jurisdiction ought to be preserved entire to himself he addeth That Ecclesiastical Benefices which belong to the collation and disposal of Bishops are bestowed by the See Apostolick and others even before they be void and that not only in the Court of Rome but out of it howbeit the Bishops must give account of the cure and of those that execute them whose Consciences they are utterly ignorant of inasmuch as they are none of their preferring He would never have demanded the reformation hereof unless the abuse had been notorious Durand also perswaded the abolition of Fraternities for two reasons for their dissoluteness and for their conspiracy against superiours It would be also useful saith he that Fraternities Durand de modo celebr concilii part 2. tit 35. wherein both Clergy and Laity do nothing but pamper themselves with delicates live in dissoluteness and drunkenness and busie themselves in divers plots against their superiours were abolished Then speaking of dispensations he saith That the very Nerves of the Canons and decrees are broken by the dispensations which are made according to the stile of the Court of Rome Durand de modo celebr concil Tit. 4. part 1. that they are against the common good And citing the Authority of St. Hierom writing to Rusticus Bishop of Narbon he saith Since Avarice is increased in Churches as well as in the Roman Empire the Law is departed from the Priests and seeing from the Prophets He gives us the definition of a dispensation according to the Lawyers which he saith is a provident relaxation of the general Law countervailed by commodity or necessity that if it be otherwise used it is not a dispensation but a dissipation that the question is now about the staining of the state of the Church that those who dispense upon unnecessary causes do err Lastly for matter of dispensation he would have that observed which Pope Leo said viz. That there are some things which cannot be altered upon any occasion others which may be tempered in regard of the necessity of the times or consideration of Mens Ages but always with this Resolution when there is any doubt or obscurity to follow that which is not contrary to the Gospel nor repugnant to the Decrees of Holy Fathers Concerning Exemptions he further declareth in that Council That they give occasion to the persons exempted to live more dissolutely and more at their liberty That they take away the reverence and obedience which the exempted owe unto their Prelates and Ordinaries Durand de modo celebr concil general Tit. 5. part 1. and make them think themselves as good men as the Bishops and other their superiours That the correction and punishing of faults and excesses is hereby hindred and brought to nothing That they are prejudicial to the whole Church Catholick inasmuch as the exempted cannot be judged but by the Pope and he cannot do it by reason of his remoteness from them That they rob men of the means of doing many good works in Religion That they are cause of many scandals That those to whom they are granted abuse their priviledges That they draw after them the ruine of Monasteries being rather a burthen than an honour or profit to them The same Durand maintaineth that the Pope hath no power to grant such exemptions considering that they overthrow the general order of the Catholick Church which proceeds from God the Apostles the Holy Fathers and general Councils and which was approved and confirmed by Popes That by this order all the Monasteries Religious places Abbots Abbesses Monks and Nuns and all other Religious and Ecclesiastical persons are immediately subject to the government and guidance of Bishops within their Cities and Diocesses as unto their Superiours the Apostles Successours and such as have power and Authority over them Pasquier saith there were these remarkable excellencies in William Durand he was a great Divine a great Lawyer Pasqu Recherch de la France li. 9. ca. 35. Leigh's Treat of Relig. and Learning and an excellent Poet He put out a Book entituled Speculum Juris divided into three great Tomes As Lumbard among Divines is not usually quoted by his own name but by that of Master of the Sentences so among the Lawyers he is not quoted by the name of William Durand but he is stiled Speculator He delivered this Sentence about the Sacrament Verbum audimus modum Sentimus modum nescimus praesentiam credimus I find this given as his Character Gulielmus Durandus omnis Divini Humanique juris Consultissimus Natione Vasco Gallus Episcopus Mimatensis Scripsit Speculum juris undè speculator est dictus Multa profectò utilia author monuit praecipuè de Reformatione Papae Cleri Illyr Catal. Test verit lib. 16. Lewes Hutin called Lewes X. began to reign over France Anno 1315. and dyed Anno 1316. He left his Wife with child who was delivered of a Son which lived but eight days Lewes left one Daughter named Jane which was Queen of Navarr and Countess Palatine of Brie and Champagn Philip V. called the long succeeded his Brother Lewes Anno 1316. He dyed in the sixth year of his Reign viz. Anno 1322. Pope Clement V. dyed Anno 1314. after whose death the Papacy stood void two years and three months The Cardinals at last did yield all their suffrages unto Jacob de Ossa Cardurcensis who afterwards went up into the Papal Chair and said I am Pope This
the Council of Constance He was counted a subtle disputer and profound School-Doctor One calleth him the learned and devout Chancellour of Paris He was much acquainted with Temptations and wrote a Book de variis Diaboli tentationibus He was sirnamed Doctor Christianissimus His works are Printed in four Volumes his French works are mentioned by Antoine du Verdier in his Bibliotheque Gerson de defect Viror Eccles ca. 52. In his Treatise de defectu virorum Ecclesiasticorum he sets down such things as ought to be reformed in the Church and among others mentions this That known Men and such as are most fitting be Elected out of the same Countrey that strangers in manners language and education be not sent and set over Churches And in his Book of Ecclesiastical power Gerson lib. de Eccles potest after he hath spoken of the divers abuses of the Popes he addeth What shall we think is to be said of an infinite number of such like things that are done casting aside all care and regard of all Spiritual and Divine matters which concern the Christian Faith and Religion What think you What shall we say for the present of that so easie a dispensation as they speak of granted by the Pope and the Prelates over lawful Oaths reasonable Vows for the excessive plurality of Benefices the general non obstantes of Councils the privileges and exemptions against common right Who can number all the ways whereby the force of Ecclesiastical yea of Evangelical Discipline is enfeebled consumed and quite annihilated He addeth the cunning and glozing flattery of Vp-starts whispering the Clergy but especially the Pope in the Ear. Oh how great is the height of your Ecclesiastical power O sacred Clergy all secular Authority is but a Toy in comparison of thine seeing that as all power is given to Christ both in Heaven and Earth so Christ hath bequeathed all to St. Peter and his Successours So that Constantine gave nothing to Pope Silvester which was not originally his own but only restored unto him what he unjustly detained from him Again as there is no power but is of God so there is nothing Temporal or Spiritual Imperial or Regal which is not of the Pope upon whose Thigh God hath Writ King of Kings and Lord of Lords So as to dispute his power is a kind of Sacrilege To whom no Man may say why do you so Although he should exchange purloin or sell all the Temporals the Goods Lands and Lordships of the Church Let me be a Lyar if all these things be not written by such as seem to be wise men in their eyes and if they have not been believed also by some Popes Stephanus Paschasius in his Icones hath these Verses of Gerson Quid potuit Sorbona doces meritissimè Gerso Tu magni Gerso luxque decusque Chori At the same time flourished Nicholas de Clemangiis a Master of Paris and Arch-Deacon of Baion a man pious and Learned one calls him one of the most Learned and Eloquent Divines of his time He wrote a Book of the ruine and reparation of the Church Nic. de Clemang de ruin repar Eccles Of which I shall set down some passages in general terms First saith he let us speak of the Head upon whom all the rest depends He afterwards addeth For the supream Bishops who by how much they see themselves ranked above others in greatness and Authority by so much they labour the more to overthrow them out of a domineering humour for the enlarging of their primacy and supreme power considering that the commodities of the Bishoprick of Rome which is very large and above any Kingdom though it hath been sufficiently curtail'd by their negligence can no way suffice to maintain the greatness of their State which they have purposed to raise high enough above all the Kings and Emperours in the World have cast themselves into those flocks of others that abound in breeding in Wool and Milk He afterwards specifies the looseness the luxury vanities worldliness Clemang lib. de lapsu reparat justit p. 10. rapines vexations usurpations oppressions and other such like abuses and vices of the Popes and their Courts In another Book of his he sheweth that the Court of Rome hath infected France by coming there specifying all the vices and blemishes that are communicated unto it and those not a few There was a time saith he when the Apostolick Bishop being vexed with the Tyranny of the Italians made choice of France for his seat and for all the Court of Rome supposing he could not find assured refuge else-where to whom I could with saith he the strength of France had not proved a Staff of a Reed as it was a long time before fore-told that it should What was it else that brought France upon the sudden into these miseries making her fall away from eminent glory which made her flourish above all other Nations but that degenerating from those Ancient vertues which adorned her with such an excellency of Honour she is changed from Valour to cowardise from diligence to sloath from honesty to ignominy from gravity to a wanton lightness from temperance to luxury from courage to presumption from liberality to covetousness and unrestrained spoiling from order to confusion from zeal of the publick good to private gains from correction and discipline to a general impunity and license of all wickedness and mis-demeanours and from Justice to all iniquity And elsewhere he complaineth thus So the Church which Christ hath taken for his Spouse without blemish disfigured by this horrible villany Tract de praesul p. 66. is now the shop of all Pride of all Trading filching and stealing where the Sacraments are hung out for a shew and all the orders even the Priesthood it self where favours are sold for silver dispensations for not preaching licenses for non-residence Where all Offices and Benefices yea even sins are bought and sold Lastly where Masses and Administration of the Lord's body are set to sale Would any Man have a Bishoprick let him provide his Money and that no small sum but a great one for so great a Title and let him not stand upon emptying his purse for the purchase of such a Dignity seeing he will quickly fill it again and that more soundly than he could do by many sorts of Merchandize Doth any desire a Prebend a Provost's place or some other dignity it is no matter for knowing his deserts his Life and Conversation but so many Crowns as he hath in his Chest such hopes may he conceive of compassing his desire For what should I speak of poor folks who are accounted unprofitable in all things and unworthy of all charge or government and who have no other hopes but to wax old and pine away in misery disrespected and despised What should a poor Man go to Market for with an empty pouch when he hath nothing to buy the Wares with And in
another place speaking of the Popes he saith They have arrogated unto themselves the right of disposing of all Churches in all places as far as the Christian Religion reacheth of all Bishopricks and Dignities which are conferred by election voiding and disanulling the Decrees formerly made by the Holy Fathers with so much care and commodity that so they may by this means fill their own Budgets the better And since this custom was used there have been none but Dunces Worldlings Money-men and such as were raised to those Dignities by Simony And again To the end that the Rivers of Gold derived from all parts may flow unto them in a fuller stream they have taken away the power of presentations and the liberty of bestowing and disposing of Benefices by any means whatsoever from all Diocesans and lawful Patrons forbidding them upon pain of Anathema rashly to presume for so their Writs run to institute any person into a Benefice within their jurisdiction till such time as some one be presented to it to whom by their Authority they have granted it And again saith he What greediness is this speaking of the Cardinals to hold such a number of repugnant and incompatible Benefices They are Monks and Chanons Regulars and Seculars Vnder the same habit they enjoy the Rights Degrees Offices and Benefices of all Religions of all Orders of all Professions not two or three but ten twenty an hundred two hundred yea sometimes five hundred and upwards and those no petty ones nor contemptible but of the best and fattest And how great a number soever they have of them they are never content but still would have more They are daily suing for new Graces new Grants Thus they catch up all the Vacancies and go away with all Charles VII now King of France was so distressed that he had only two entire Provinces left him viz. Gascoign and Languedoc and his enemies were about them and all the rest was possessed by the English who besides had besieged the City of Orleans and brought it to that pass that the highest hopes of those therein was to yield on good terms Three French Noble men conclude to set up a Virgin called Joan of Arc to make her pretend that she had a Revelation from Heaven to drive all the English out of France By the mediation of the Lord of Baudricourt she is brought to the presence of King Charles whom she instantly knew though never seen before and at that time of set purpose disguised To the King she saith boldly That this was the time wherein the sins of the English and the sufferings of the French were come to the height and she appointed by the God of Heaven to be the French Leader to conquer the English Ever after she went in Man's cloaths being armed Cap-a pe and mounted on a brave steed No sword would please her but one taken out of the Church of St. Katherine at Firebois in Tourain Polid. Virgil in Henr. VI. p. 471. Her first service was in twice victualling of Orleans whilst the English made no resistance Under her conduct the French drive away the English from Orleans Hence she marched on into other Countries which instantly revolted to the French Crown The English in many skirmishes were worsted and defeated with few numbers The French following their blow in one twelve-month recovered the greatest part of that the English did possess This was done Anno 1429. But this Joan of Arc after the Coronation of King Charles at Rhemes seeking to surprize St. Honories Ditch near the City of St. Denis she was not only wounded her self but also lost a Troop of her stoutest Souldiers and not long after nigh the City of Compiegne was taken prisoner by the Bastard of Vendosme who sold her to the Duke of Bedford and by him she was kept a prisoner a twelve-month and burnt in Rhoan being condemned by the English for a Witch The pragmatick Sanction of King Charles VII was made in a Synod assembled at Bourges consisting of Arch-Bishops Bishops Chapters Abbots Deans Provosts and other Ecclesiastical persons together with Doctors of Law Divine and humane and other Learned Men of the Realm and also of the chief Lords of France and others of the King's Council about receiving the Councils of Constance and Basil The Sanction hath this complaint The Prelates and other ordinary dispensers as also the Patrons are deprived of their right the Hierarchy of the Church is confounded and many other things are committed contrary to the Laws of God and Man to the loss of Souls and the oppression of the Churches of our Realm The Council of Basil did provide a remedy against this abuse and the pragmatick after it but so as the Popes have cast off the yoke of it having disanulled almost all the Decrees of that Council Du. Moulin contr Porron li. 3. cap. 37. The Popes for a long time branded all the French for Hereticks by reason of that pragmatick Sanction Pope Martin V. dyed Anno 1431. whom Eugenius IV. succeded who was deposed by the Council of Basil assembled by himself to reform the Church In the place of Eugenius the Council chose Amadeus Duke of Savoy who called himself Felix But Eugenius brought against Basil the Daulphin of France who was afterward Lewes XI who in all things opposed his Father Charles VII and his confederates He brought four thousand horse against Basil to break the Council which yet he could not have effected had not the pestilence within Basil forced the Fathers of the Council to separate themselves after they had condemned Eugenius as an Heretick and unworthy to govern the Church But Eugenius took Arms and being held up by Princes maintained himself against the Anti-Pope Felix who after he had been five years Pope retired to Ripaille a pleasant house in Savoy there to lead a private Life So the Popedom remained in the hands of a Man deposed by a Council assembled by the Pope himself where Bishops met out of all parts of the Roman Church Note that after this deposition he created many Cardinals and Bishops whose Office was null since they were created by an Usurper who had by force maintained himself in the Office of a Pope after his deposition And yet those very Cardinals created by this Usurper of the Popedom are those very men that elected the Successours of Eugenius Nicholas and Pius the second from whom is descended the succession of the Popes of our time as the learned Dr. Du-Moulin hath well observed The Arch-Bishop of Lyons in the Council of Basil did declare that in the time of Pope Martin Fox Act and Monum there came out of France to the Court of Rome nine millions of Gold which was gathered of the Bishops and Prelates besides innumerable sums of the poor Clergy which daily without number ran unto the Court of Rome carrying with them all their whole substance The Arch-Bishop of Turenne said also at Basil that three
In France though the Queen and Prelates did desire to satisfie the Pope in referring the causes of Religion to the Council yet a Congregation of Prelates was put in order at which the Pope is offended and sendeth for Legate the Cardinal of Ferrara into France giving him four particular Commissions viz. to favour the Catholicks and oppose the Protestants to divert the National Synod and Assembly of the Prelates to solicite the going of the Prelates to the Council and to cause an abrogation of the Constitutions made in matters Ecclesiastical Afterwards it was ordained in France that the Bishops should meet in Poisy on August 10. The Colloquy of Poisy in France and that the Protestant Ministers should have a safe-conduct to come thither At the time prefixed the Prelates assembled in Poisy the Cardinals of Tournon Lorain Bourbon Anno 1561. Armagnac and Guise many Doctors of the Sorbon and other Divines sent for from the most famous Universities of the Kingdom There appeared for the Protestants Theodore Beza Peter Martyr Francis de Saint Paul John Raimond John Virel with many other Preachers which came some from Geneva some out of Germany and other neighbouring places in number fourteen These gave a Petition to the King which had four parts 1. That the Bishops might not be Judges in that business 2. That the King with his Councellours would preside 3. That the Controversies might be decided by the word of God 4. That what should be agreed on and decreed might be written by Notaries elected by both parties The Queen would have one of the four Secretaries of the King to write and granted that the King should preside but so that this should not be committed to writing alledging that it was not fit for them nor profitable for the King considering the present times Before the Parties were called to the combate the Prelates made a Procession and did all Communicate except the Cardinal Chastillon and five Bishops The others protested one to another that they meant not to handle points of Doctrine nor matters of faith The second of September they began in presence of the King Hist Concil Trident. li. 5. Queen Princes of the blood and the King's Councellours together with six Cardinals and forty Bishops The King spake desiring them to labour to compose the differences of the Kingdom and not to depart till that were done The Chancellour speaks more largely to the same purpose The Queen commandeth Beza to begin Who having prayed on his knee and recited the profession of his Faith complained that they were accounted seditious and perturbers of the publick peace though they had no other end than the glory of God nor desired to assemble themselves but to serve him and obey the Magistrates appointed by him Then he declared in what the Protestants agree with the Church of Rome and in what they dissent he spake of faith of good works of the authority of Councils of sins of Ecclesiastical Discipline obedience to Magistrates and of the Sacraments and entring into the matter of the Eucharist he spake with such heat that he was commanded to conclude And having presented the Confession of his Churches and desired it might be examined he made an end Cardinal Tournon disdaineth at Beza's speech The Queen answered that nothing was done but by the advice of the Princes of the King's Council and the Parliament of Paris not to change or innovate any thing in Religion but to compose the differences The Assembly being dissolved the Bishops and Divines consulted what to do The Congregation being again assembled the 16. of the month the Cardinal of Lorain makes a long Oration for the Papists to whom Beza was willing to answer but was not suffered But on the 24. day in another Assembly Beza spake of the Church and of the conditions and authority thereof shewing they may err and the dignity of the Scripture Espenceus answered he had alwaies desired a colloquy in matter of Religion and abhorred the punishments the Protestants had endured but he much wondred by what authority the Protestants were called into the Ecclesiastical Ministery who had laid hands on them to make them ordinary Ministers and if they pretended an extraordinary vocation where were the miracles to demonstrate it Then he treated of Traditions shewing that many things are believed by Tradition only as the Consubstantiality of the Son the Baptizing of Infants and the Virginity of the Mother of Christ after his birth He added that no General Council was ever corrected by another in point of Doctrine Divers Replies and Disputations passed on both sides so the Colloquy was put off till the next day In which Beza who began to speak provoked the Bishops For having justified his vocation to the Ministery he discoursed of the vocation of those Prelates shewing what Simony was committed and passed from thence to the Article of the Eucharist The parties not being able to agree a Spanish Jesuite having reproached the Protestants did reprehend the Queen for meddling in matters which belonged not to her but to the Pope Cardinals and Bishops Finally not being able to conclude any thing by this manner of parly it was ordered that two Bishops and three Divines of the most moderate should confer with five of the Protestant Ministers to see if they could find out a way to make an agreement But this doth as little good as the former so an end was put to the Colloquy The Pope was glad to hear that the Colloquy was dissolved without doing any thing and much commended the Cardinal of Lorain and Tournon more The zeal of the Jesuite pleased him He said the Oration of the Chancellour was heretical in many parts and threatened to call him into the Inquisition The Cardinal of Ferrara had been received by the King and Queen with much honour and acknowledged for Legate of the Apostolick See But the Parliament having discovered that among his Commissions one was to desire a revocation or moderation at the least of the things accorded in the States of Orleans concerning the distribution of Benefices and particularly the paying Annates to Rome and sending money out of the Kingdom to obtain Benefices there or other favours did immediately publish the Decrees which had hot been published until that time under the date of September 13. that the Cardinal might not obtain his purpose and did resolve not to give the Legate lieve to use the faculties given him by the Pope For the custom of that Kingdom is that a Legate cannot exercise his office if his faculties be not first presented and examined in Parliament and regulated by a Decree thereof and confirmed in that form by the King 's Brief So that when the Bull of the Faculties of the Legation was presented to be approved it was refused by the Chancellour and Parliament Besides Pasquins were made and spread abroad concerning the loves of Lucretia Borgia his Mother and Pope Alexander VI. his Grandfather by the
had lately taken Geneva into his Protection shewing clearly to all the world how little he esteemed the Catholick Religion and how much he was inclined to the enemies of the Bishop and See of Rome That therefore he had excluded all the Catholick Lords from any access to the Court or administration in the Government particularly those who had spilt so much blood for the preservation of the Kingdom and Religion and had brought in a new people that were privy to his designs and friends to the House of Bourbon That therefore he deprived all the old Servants of the Crown of all their Offices and Honours of the most Principal Governments and most suspected Fortresses to put them into the hands of men that were Catholicks in shew but really partial to Hereticks and inwardly adherents to the King of Navarre He added that notwithstanding the King 's publick shews of Devotion yet in his private Lodgings he gave himself over to the unbridled lusts of the flesh and to the perverse satisfying of his loose depraved appetite From which things set forth with many specious reasons he concluded it was time to unite themselves for their own defence and to destroy those designs before they were brought unto perfection Now the Duke of Guise by means of the Preachers and Friers in Pulpits and other places of Devotion labours to insinuate the Catholick League into the People Among these the chief were Guilliaume de la Rose a man of great eloquence who came afterward to be Bishop of Senlis Jean Prevost chief Priest of S. Severin an eloquent and learned man Jehan Boucher by birth a Parisian and Curate of S. Benet's Parish in the same City one Poncet a Frier in the Abby of S. Patrick at Melun Don Christin of Nizza in Provence and Jehan Vincestre all famous Preachers And finally most part of the Jesuites And as these prosecuted the business of the League in Paris the same was done at Lions by Claude Mattei a Priest of the same Society at Soissons by Mathew de Launoy Canon of that Cathedral at Roven by Father Egide Blovin of the Order of the Minims at Orleans by Bourlate a very noted Divine at Thoul by Francois de Rosier Arch-Deacon of that Church and an infinite number of others dispersed through the several places of France who by their Credit and Eloquence sometimes in their Pulpits sometimes in the Congregations of the Penitents sometimes in their secret conferences at Confessions did allure the people and entice them to enter into that Combination which it is likely very many did out of a respect to Religion believing that thereby the Calvinists would utterly be rooted out and the Authority of the Church be restored to its pristine greatness But many entred into that League invited by other ends and drawn to it by different hopes or else necessitated by their particular interests though all shrouded themselves under the same cloak of the preservation and maintenance of Religion Charles Cardinal of Bourbon the third Brother of Anthony King of Navarre and Louys Prince of Conde deceased and Unkle to Henry the present King of Navarre is desired for the Head of the League a man alwaies most observant of the Romish Religion and an open enemy to the Hugonots Then the Preachers did publickly in all places term the King a Tyrant and favourer of Hereticks the people did applaud them and from this deadly hatred which they had conceived against the King his Council and favourites sprung that fury which soon after was dispersed over all the body of France On July 15. 1582. Renauld of Beaune Archbishop of Bourges and Primate of Aquitain had then spoken at Fountainbleau in this sort The whole Church Christian and Catholick assisted by the Legates and Ambassadours of the Emperour of this your Kingdom and of all other Christian Princes Did call assemble and celebrate the Council of Trent where many good and wholesome Constitutions useful for the Government of the Church were ordained To which Council all the Legates and Ambassadours did solemnly swear in the behalf of their Masters to observe and keep and cause it to be inviolably kept by all their Subjects yea even the Ambassadours of this your Kingdom solemnly took that Oath Now it is received and observed by all Christian Catholick Kings and Potentates this Kingdom only excepted which hath hitherto deferred the publication and receiving of it to the great scandal of the French Nation and of the Title MOST CHRISTIAN wherewith your Majesty and your Predecessours have been honoured so that under colour of some Articles touching the liberty of the Gallican Church the stain of Schism resteth upon your Kingdom among other Countries Wherefore the Clergy doth now most humbly beseech your Majesty that you would be pleased to hearken to this publication and make an end of all to the glory of God and the union of his Church There was a Nuncio from the Pope who arrived in France in the beginning of the year 1583. who prosecuted this matter with great vehemency yet for all this he could not move King Henry III. at all the King of Navarre having written to King Henry III. concerning it the King of France made him this answer Brother Those that told you that I would cause the Council of Trent to be published were not well-informed of my intentions for I never so much as thought it Nay I kiow well how such publication would be prejudicial to my affairs and I am not a little jealous of the preservation of my Authority the priviledges of the Church of France and also of the observation of my Edict of Peace But it was only proposed unto me to cull out some certain Articles about Ecclesiastical Discipline for the Reforming of such abuses as reign in that State to the glory of God the edifying of my Subjects and withal the discharge of my conscience A thing which never toucheth in those Rules which I have set down in my Edicts for the Peace and tranquillity of my Kingdom which I will have inviolably kept on both sides On October 14. 1585. the Bishop and Earl of Noyon in the name of the Clergy assembled in the Abbey of St. German near Paris presented to the King a Book written by the advice of the Prelates of the Council of Trent They told him They brought unto him the Book of the Law of God which they humbly entreated him to receive The Provincial Synod held at Roven made this instance to the same Prince After that a good number of Bishops and Proxies for those that were absent together with Ecclesiastical Personâ— from all quarters of our Province of Normandy were met in our Metropolitan Church at Roan they tendered nothing more than earnestly to sollicite the publishing and promulgation of the Council of Trent within this Realm Wherefore this our Assembly by common consent have resolved to present their humble Petition to our most Christian King in like manner as was
grants Liberty of Conscience in those places he had taken and publisheth a Manifesto offering to take Arms against those that rebelled against their natural King The Duke of Espernon after the death of the Guises returned to his former greatness with the King Captain Du-Gast who killed the Cardinal of Guise treats about an accord with those of the League by the perswasion of the Archbishop of Lions The Truce was concluded by the Kings of France and Navarre upon these Conditions That the publick exercise of the Romish Religion should be restored in all places held by the Hugonots without any exception That the goods of the Clergy should be restored to them wheresoever they were and that all Prisoners which were in their hands should be set at liberty That the King of Navarre should be obliged to serve the King Personally with 4000. Foot and 1200. Horse wheresoever he should be Commanded and that all the Cities Towns and places of his party should observe the Laws and Constitutions of the Kingdom obey the Parliament and the King's Magistrates and on the other side that the King of Navarre should receive the City of Saumur and keep it in his power to have a Pass over the River Loire which yet he would be obliged to restore at the King's pleasure without any contradiction Which Capitulations after they were agreed upon and ratified Beaulieu the Secretary of State delivered up Saumur to the King of Navarre who gave the Government thereof to Sieur du Plessis Mornay his old Confident The same truce was made in Dauphiné between Colonel Alfonso Corso on the King's part and Monsieur de lesdiguiers for the King of Navarre and they united their Forces for their common defence The Protestants rejoyced exceedingly at this reconciliation magnifying their Faith and Obedience toward the King to the confusion of those who till then had published and defamed them as tumultuous and disobedient Rebels The King receives an aid of mony from the Great Duke of Tuscany and sends to the Swisses and Germans to assist him with Forces both of Horse and Foot He calleth all the Presidents and Counsellours of the Parliaments of Paris Roven and Dijon who were fled from the popular fury resolving that the Parliament of Paris should reside in Tours that of Roven in Caen in the same Province of Normandy and that of Dijon at Chalons and then by a sharp Edict declared them all Rebels who being chosen to the dignity of the Parliaments should continue to reside in those Cities and places which had withdrawn themselves from his obedience and forbad all men to have any recourse to them to seek for justice declaring all sentences to be void which they should pronounce under the name and title of Parliament The same declaration he made against the Duke of Mayenne against the Duke of Aumale and others Then having appointed Governours in all Provinces he gave Commission to make Levies to draw Souldiers together and that the War should be begun in every place The Parisians at the news of the Truce between the King and the Protestants besides many publick signs of contempt forbid the King to be prayed for any longer in the Canon of the Mass The Duke of Montpensier begins the War against those of the League defeateth the Gautiers in Normandy and the Count of Brisac's Forces who came to divert the siege of Falais The Duke of Mayenne takes Vendosme and the Count de Brienne Prisoner An interview was had between the French King and the King of Navarre at the Parc du Plessis without the Walls of Tours Mayenne assaults the King's Army at Tours where they fight a long time The King himself orders and disposeth his Souldiers puts himself among those that fight But Supplies coming from the King of Navarre he gives off the enterprize The Duke of Aumale besiegeth Senlis Monsieur de Longueville goes with small Forces to relieve it and raiseth the siege with a great slaughter of the Leaguers Aumale fighteth and loseth the day with his Artillery Baggage and thirty Colours Monsieur de Sancy having raised great Forces in Switzerland and begun the War with Savoy marcheth towards Paris against the Leaguers whither the King was also advancing But the Count de Soissons being assaulted by the Duke de Mercoeur is taken Prisoner The Sieur de Saveuse going with 400. Horse to joyn with Mayenne is routed by the Sieur de Chastillon and taken Prisoner The King takes Gergeau and Piviers But Chartres set open their Gates and having driven out the dependents of the League received the King with all his Army The Pope by Monitory declares the King liable to censure if within sixty daies he releases not the Prelates and doth not penance for the Cardinal of Guises death The King being troubled at it fasteth forty hours he said he thought it hard that he who had ever fought and laboured for Religion should be rashly Excommunicated because he would not suffer his own throat to be cut by the Arms of his Rebellious Subjects and that those who had sacked Rome and kept the Pope himself Prisoner had never been Excommunicated The King of Navarre being present answered But they were Victorious Let your Majesty endeavour to Conquer and assuredly the censures shall be revoked but if we be overcome we shall all die condemned Hereticks The King taking Estampes hangs the Magistrates and gives the pillage of the Town to the Souldiers Montereau was also taken by Storm and sacked Poissy yielded it self and now the King was Master of that spacious Bridge which there gives passage over the Seine Here Montpensier joyned with the King's Army Pointoise was after a bloody assault also forced to yield The next day the forreign Army arrived at Poissy-bridge there the Swisses joyn with t e King All the Bridges being lost all the neighbouring Towns surrendered all the passages of the River stopped and the City straitned on all sides there was no other hope left but what the presence of the Duke of Mayenne and of the Army afforded which was all shut up within the Circuit of the Suburbs of Paris The City of Paris being much straitned and under great terrour a thing well known to the King by the frequency of those who ran every hour from the City to his Camp upon the last day of July he would needs Personally view the Enemies Posts resolving on the 2. of August to assault their works on every side In his return toward S. Cloud stopping his Horse upon an hill from whence he saw all the City distinctly he brake forth into these words O Paris thou art the head of the Kingdom but an Head too great and too Capricious it is necessary by letting blood to cure thee again I◠hope that within few daies here shall be neither walls nor houses but only the very footsteps of Paris But now there was in Paris one Jaques Clement a Frier of the Order of S. Dominick born of
cared not for the talk of the people nor for challenges And to get out of that mire he moved a question to Du Moulin whether he could tell after what manner of Creation the Angels were created Du Moulin knowing that this was their last meeting answered that the Question in hand was only of subscribing the Acts. But Cayer refusing turned his back and said you shall hear of me and so went away to the great scandal of the Romanists there present A Protestant made the company laugh saying that Cayer was not yet of Age to sign Thus was the Conference broken to the great satisfaction of many faithful souls and the instruction of many ignorant Papists who since gave glory to God by an open Profession of the truth The Acts of the Conference are extant published by Archibald Adaire a Reverend Bishop of Scotland The Doctors of the Faculty of Sorbon stung with the ill success of this Conference provoked him to another in which the body of the University took interest They were to oppose three daies upon what points they thought best and Du Moulin was to oppose three daies also and choose what points he pleased He was then Respondent for three daies and found in the Dispute that blessing of God which never was wanting to him in the defence of his truth After the Dispute of the third day he being returned home and retired to his study a man in a Priest's habit came in the dark evening up the stairs and knockt at his Study door When Du Moulin had opened it the man thrust the door with all his strength to have rusht in and Du Moulin with all his strength in which he was inferiour to few men of his size kept him out and called for help The man hearing some stirring below ran hastily down the stairs and so into the Street It is supposed upon probable ground that the man was come to kill him before he presented himself to be opponent according to the Covenants of the Conference But on the next morrow he met with a Prohibition from the King to continue that Conference any longer These passages raised his reputation very high whereby God was glorified his Truth confirmed and his Church edified and increased with many Converts The last sickness of the King's Sister gave a great exercise to his zeal and industry whereby he did faithfully and constantly assist her in that extremity Du Perron did his utmost to pervert her and to fright him away When she drew near to her end Du Moulin standing by her Bed side Du Perron came and said he was sent by the King and would remove him by plain force But Du Moulin held fast the Bed-post And when Du Perron told him he was to take place of him in all Companies Du Moulin answered that his place was before Du Perron's at the Princesses Beds side and in that service He added that he believed not that the King would offer violence to his Sisters Conscience appealing to her self and beseeching her Highness to declare her pleasure She declared that she would die in the Reformed Religion and that she would have Du Moulin to stay by her Whereupon Du Perron withdrew and the good Princess persevered in God's truth to her last breath The King wisht she had died in the Roman Profession and did all he could without violence to pleasure the Court of Rome in that point A little before there was a Conference between the Bishop of Eureux and Philip de Mornay Lord of Plessis Marly Governour of Saumur in the presence of the King Princes and Officers of his Crown Counsellours of State and other Noblemen of Mark. It was touching a Book which Monsieur du Plessis had published of the Institution of the Lords Supper and against the Mass wherein the Bishop did tax him to have falsified many Authorities Whereupon Du Plessis presented a Petition unto the King that his Majesty would be pleased to appoint Commissioners to examine every passage of Scripture cited in his Book The King yielded to this Conference referring the care thereof to his Chancellour The Commissioners appointed for the Catholicks were Augustus Thuanus President of the Court of Parliament at Paris Pithou Advocate in the Court and Fleure Schoolmaster to the Prince of Conde in whose absence came Martin the King's Physitian And for the other the President of Calignon Chancellour of Navarre in whose place entred De Fresnes Gavay President of the Chamber of Languedoc and Isaac Casaubon his Majesties Reader for the Greek Tongue All men of great Learning and well skilled in the Tongues This Conference began on May 4. in the Hall at Fountainbleau De Serres Hist in Henry IV. in the midst whereof was a Table of a reasonable length At the one end sat the King on his right hand the Bishop of Eureux and on the left right against him Du Plessis Pasquier Vassaut and Mercier Secretaries of the Conference were at the lower end of the same Table Somewhat higher on the right hand sate the Chancellour and the Commissioners Behind the King stood the Archbishop of Lions and the Bishops of Nevers Beauvais and Chastres On the King 's left hand were the four Secretaries of State Behind them which conferred were the Dukes of Vaudemont of Nemours of Mercoeur of Mayenne of Nevers of Elbeuf of Aiguillon and of Janville the Officers of the Crown Counsellours of State and other Noblemen of quality All were commanded to keep silence The King said that the Dispute was not betwixt party and party but particular betwixt the two Conferents not for any question of Right and Doctrine but for the literal truth of some passages He desired they would treat with all mildness and moderation without any bitterness or passion but that of the truth Declaring moreover that he did not mean that this Dispute should in any thing alter or disquiet the peace of his Subjects as the Chancellour did then Declare unto them at large by the King's Commandment After the first daies Conference M. Du Plessis fell very sick so as they could proceed no further The King did write the same day unto the Duke of Espernon what had past in the Conference and shewed by his Letter what his judgement was My friend the Diocess of Eureux hath vanquished that of Saumur Wherewith Du Plessis was discontented so that in a Discourse Printed soon after touching this Conference he termed this Letter A spark of fire and said That the Bishop of Eureux Fly was made an Elephant Some Months after Canay one of the Commissioners and President in the Chamber of the Edict at Castres a man learned in Philosophy and the Tongues and well read in the Church History left his Profession of the Reformed Religion and became a Romish Catholick Philip Mornay Lord of Plessis his work concerning the truth of Christian Religion was written in French against Atheists Epicures Paynims Jews Mahumetists and other Infidels began to be translated
time flourished Jacobus Sirmondus a Learned French Jesuite he was Confessour to King Lewes XIII Dallaeus saith he was a most Learned and most diligent man Natione Gallus Biblioth societ Jesu A Philip. Alegamb edit Rector olim Collegii Parisiensis vir totius antiquitatis curiosus investigator Latine Graecéque impensè doctus in omni penè literarum genere excultissimus qui humaniores literas theologicas admodum decore conjunxit As for his Works there are his Eucharisticon pro Adventoria de Regionibus Ecclesiis suburbicariis Censura conjecturae Anon. Scriptoris de suburbicariis Regionibus Ecclesiis Propempticum Cl. Salmasio adversum ejus Eucharisticon and other Works of his We owe unto him saith Dr. Du Moulin the Works of Facundus an African Bishop who lived in the time of the Emperour Justinian Claudius Salmasius was a Learned French Critick Vir incomparabilis maximus Salmasius de primatu Papae post quem Homerum siquis Iliada conscribere velit inutilem laborem suscipiet Rivet Grot. Discus Dial. Sect. 5. Vir nunquam satis laudatus nec temerè sine laude nominandus Claud. Salmasius Voss de Orig. progress idol li. 4. ca. 91. Nostri seculi miraculum antiquitatis promus condus Gul. Rivet Praefat. ad vindic Evang. Non Galliae suae duntaxat sed jam hujus Bataviae ingens decus atque adeo totius Reipublicae literariae praesidium Voss de anal li. 3. ca. 46. Clariss Salmasius notis ad Vopiscum ubi post Guilandinum Dalecampium in Plinium ac Scaligeri Diatribam adversus Guilandinum pulchrè indictaque aliis de hoc disserit argumento Voss de art Gram. li. 1. ca. 38. Vir alioquin ad literas summo honore tractandas illustrandas natus si modestiam adhibere arroâ—â—â—ti de se persuasione ac erga alios mdlignitate excussa mentem animi in iis sedulo occupare potuisset Herald animadvers in Salmas observat Ad jus Att. Rom. li. 2. ca. 7. Desiderius Heraldus a Learned French man hath written a Comment on Martial and the other Books forecited and other Learned Works Franciscus Vieta was a Learned French Mathematician There are his Opera Mathematica Vol. 2. Relatio Calendarii vere Gregoriani cum aliis opusc Vniversalium inspectionum ad Canonem Mathematicum lib. singularis De Aequatione recognitione emendatione Thuanus thus saith of him Vir ingeniosa profunda meditatione cujus vi nihil illi inaccessum in abstnusioribus scientiis nihil quod acumine mentis possit confici difficile confectus fuit Thuan. Hist Tom. 5. part 2. li. 129. Nicholas Vignerius was a Learned French Historiographer There are To. 3. de la bibliotheq Hist and other works of his vid. Thuan. Hist Tom. 5. li. 117. part 1. His Son Nicholas Vignerius was a Learned Divine He hath published an excellent Treatise in French styled Theatre de l'Antichrist and a Dissertation in Latine of the Excommunication of the Venetians against Cardinal Baronius And Theses of the satisfaction of Christ which Rivet highly commendeth and annexeth unto his own Disputations Benedict Turretine was also a Learned French man These Books of his are published in French Defense de la fidelité des traductions de la S. bible faictes a Geneve Recheute du Jesuite Plaigiaire Profit des Chastiments Quod adversus Petri Cottoni Jesuitae plagiariam Genevam manifestum fecit vir dum viveret doctissimus accuratissimus Benedictus Turretinus Andr. Rivet Apologet. pro vera pace Ecclesiae The Works of Cardinal David Du Perron are in four Volumes in Folio in French Replique A la Response du Serenissime Roy de la Grand Bretagne Les Diverses Oevres c. Du sainct sacrement de l'Eucharistie Les Ambassades Negotiations He is well answered by Du Moulin Rivet and Blondel The Jesuites seek to be incorporate in the University of Paris whom the University opposed by all means presenting a Petition unto the Queen Regent against them therein laying down at large their damnable Doctrine and strange Equivocations Hereupon Factions began in Paris some standing for others siding against the Jesuites But these Clouds were quickly dispersed and the State preserved for the continuance whereof Monsieuer Pasquier one of the Masters of Requests a man of great Learning and Judgement wrote unto her a Discourse of advice The Abbot of Bois in his Sermons treating of the Question Whether it be Lawful to kill a Tyrant and refuting Mariana's Book and others he made an exhortation to the Jesuites that they should hereafter have a great care that no Book should be published to the prejudice of France under the name of their Society nor with the approbation of their Superiour if they would not willingly expose themselves to those dangers which all their wisdoms fortified with the Authority of their confident friends could not avoid For this did the Jesuites complain and informed against him who answered for himself both wisely and discreetly October 17. the young King was Crowned at Rhemes by Cardinal Joyeuze On November 26. the Great Chamber the Turnelle and the Chamber of the Edict being assembled by a motion made by Monsieur Servin the King's first Advocate against Bellarmines Book touching the Pope's Temporal Power made a Decree against the same whereat the Pope's Nuncio did mightily storm On May 27. 1611. began the Assembly of the Reformed Churches at Saumur whereat many Dukes and Noblemen of the Reformed Religion were present where Du Plessis was chosen President Which Assembly was dissolved September 29. Monsieur de Bullion letting them understand that their Majesties had given him in charge to say that all their just requests should be favourably answered and whatsoever had been promised should be paid The Duke of Espernon to manifest his gratitude to King Henry III. his Master and Benefactor begged of the Queen Regent to give him leave to perform his Funeral Rites he having formerly after the death of the said King attended his Body to Compeigne where the misfortunes of War and the confusions of the times permitted not at that time the performance thereof The Queen readily consented to his request so that the Duke with a great company of Lords and Gentlemen went to fetch the body from Compeigne from whence he conveyed it to St. Dennis where it was deposited in the ancient Sepulchre of the Kings of France A little before his death the Duke caused a Marble Pillar one of the most excellent pieces of Architecture of these late times to be carried and set up in the Church of S. Clou wherein he was so curious as to make it to be wrought in his own house and almost in his own sight his design being to found a Revenue of a thousand Liuvres yearly for the service of the Chappel where it was erected which was also adorned with Pictures and paved with Marble at his own charge But some difficulties arising about the settlement of that foundation which
Cognard a Professour of the Reformed Religion for writing a Book by order and with approbation of the Synod of Normandy in answer to a book full of calumniations and falsities written by a Physitian of that place who from a Protestant had a little before turned Papist And the said Archbishop by his violent persecution having obliged the said Cognard to leave this City by a just judgement of God who useth ordinarily to punish men in the very things wherein they have sinned He the said Archbishop fell into the same pit which he had digged for another having at Roven published a most dangerous Pamphlet containing this seditious doctrine That it is lawful to fall on the Hereticks and granting either by his Archiepiscopal authority or otherwise an Indulgence or Pardon of an hundred years to any one that should fall on any pretended Heretick This cursed doctrine coming to the knowledge of the French Court and the dangerous consequences of it having been there seriously weighed the King sent order to the Duke of Longueville Governour of that Province to apprehend the said Archbishop but he timely hearing of it ran away and absented himself from thence An English man was imprisoned at Bourdeaux having been taken as he was endeavouring to seduce divers persons to turn to the Sect and Opinions of the Quakers a thing not heard of in France before that time Great talk was in Paris of a Miracle which they say hapned in the Monastery of Port-royal in that City upon one that was a Pensioner belonging to that Monastery who was said to have been cured of a Fistula in the eye called Fistula lachrymalis by the touch of one of the thorns which the Priests say was taken out of the Crown of our blessed Saviour But how it came into France I cannot tell you And albeit in this prying age the Church of Rome hath not been very forward to broach any new miracles especially on this side the Alpes yet this hath been much cried up The Grand Vicar of the Arch-bishoprick of Paris was the first that was Patron of it and afterward it was approved by the Curat of S. Severin the present grand Vicar assisted therein by five Doctors of the Sorbon and a publick mass and thanksgiving was celebrated for it Hereupon many were drawn to the said Monastery to be cured by the holy Thorn The Assembly of the Clergy lay so heavy with their importunities upon the King that it was yielded at length that a Declaration should be issued forth contrary to the sence of former Declarations which were made in favour of the Protestants Hereupon the Parliament of Tholouse proceeded so far as to ratifie the said Declaration against the Protestants of France and ordered that two Counsellours should go into upper and lower Languedoc to put it in Execution and to cause such Churches to be demolished as had been built since the Wars Soon after the Bishop of Soissons died a Prelate of much reputation who had served King Henry IV. in the quality of Almoner He was promoted to the said Bishoprick in the year 1623. He had the honour to consecrate the present King at his Coronation Since the Declaration forementioned another Declaration of the French King was published at Paris in behalf of the Protestants intimating that the Edict of Nantes should be punctually observed and that two Commissioners one Protestant one Papist should repair to the places where any innovations or contraventions had been made to reform the same Some Bishops of the Assembly of the Clergy viz. those of Montauban and Alby represented to the said Assembly that the answer made in the behalf of the Protestants to the late speech of the Archbishop of Sens ought to be burnt as a Book pernicious and injurious to the King as they reported and other Bishops affirming the contrary for the proving of the truth the same answer was read in their Assembly by the Secretary from one end to the other and upon reading of it the Assembly concluded thâ—t there was no just ground therein to complain of it to the King and so the said Assembly dissolved without prosecuting the business any farther at that time Not long after a certain Popish Priest discoursing one day with a French Protestant with design to draw him over to the Church of Rome he thought he had brought him into a very hopeful way when the Protestant had told him that all the Protestants in France would submit themselves to the Pope if the Pope would submit himself to the Councils to whom the Priest replyed it will be necessary then that a Council be called and such rules established by common consent as shall be thought necessary for the Government of the Church To which the Protestant replyed a little fiercely How will the Pope observe the Decrees of a Council that cannot be kept â—rom violating the Precepts of the Gospel but if you will undertake to bring the Pope to a submission to them I do not question to convert all of my Religion to the Pope for to tell you the truth Sir I hold one as feasible as the other After the taking of Dunkirk by the English and French and put into the hands of the English Crequi is sent Embassador to O. Cromwel with Mazarine's Nephew in his pompous train Cromwel died not long after Divers places in Flanders were surrendered to the French but amidst these prosperous successes the French King falls into a Fever at Calais judged to be mortal Supplications were made for him at all Altars and prayers for his recovery were publickly enjoyned Mazarine day and night sate by his bed side to make him governable in taking Physick which he would taste himself either to take off the unpleasantness or to make proof of it The eleventh day accounted Critical the King seemed at the point of death could scarcely life up his eyes that now appeared almost set in his head His Majesty having Antimony with judgement given him by Geunault recovered and being conveyed to Paris pay'd his Vows in Nostre-Dame Church An heart of massy Gold was hung upon the wall as an oblation afterwards to confirm his health he removed to Fontainbleau Mazarine stayed some time behind to advance the siege of Graveling The taking of Graveling was the last Monument of the French glory before the conclusion of the peace At twenty four Sessions the business of the peace between France and Spain was compleated and at length on November 7. 1659. the Articles agreed on by the two Ministers were signed and published The Cardinal at Tholouse rendered the King and Queen an account of the peace concluded whereat they received much satisfaction From hence the Court made a Progress into Provence till the King of Spain should come with his daughter who was to be married to the French King to compose the disorders at Marseilles which had broken out about the Priviledges of their Consuls Gaston Duke of Orleans born of Henry IV. and
Jurisdiction nor Domination of the Bishop of Rome over the Churches of France Hilary called himself Primate of the Churches of Gauls subject to the Roman Empire that is of Provence and Daulphine for the rest of the Gauls was then held by the Visigoths and by the Francks The quarrel was that Hilary conferred the degree of Bishop in his Diocess not expecting the consent and approbation of the Bishop of Rome but Leo would oblige him to acquaint the Roman See with it and to get his approbation Upon that Leo sends Letters to the Bishops of Daulphine where after he haâ—◠〈◊〉 swe ling words exalted the Dignity of the Roman See he addâ—â—h Hillary To trouble the State of the Church Leon. Epist 87. ad Episcop per Viennensem provinciam constitutos and the Concord of Bishops by new presumptions hath exceeded measure desiring so to subject you to his power that he will not suffer you to be subject to the blessed Apostle Peter challenging to himself the Ordination of all the Churches in Gauls But Hilary came to Rome not regarding the Anathema's of Leo and to his face affirmed that neither did Christ appoint Peter to be Head of the rest of the Apostles neither had the Bishop of Rome a Sovereignty over the Churches of France In that strife Leo according to his custom had his recourse to Valentinian who presently without hearing what Hilary could say for himself gave sentence for Leo and made a Law which is extant in the Theodosian Code among the Novel Constitutions in the 24th Title the Law runs in these words Whereas the merit of Peter who is the Prince of the Episcopal Society and the Dignity of the Roman City and Authority of the Sacred Synod have established the Primacy of the Apostolick See let not presumption attempt any lawful thing against the Authority of that See for then shall the peace of the Churches be maintained every where if the Vniversality do acknowledge their Governour In which words we may observe by the way that Valentinian doth not ground the Popes Primacy upon the Word of God He addeth We Decree by a perpetual Ordinance That it be not lawful either to the Bishops of Gauls or to those other Provinces to attempt any thing against the venerable Pope c. but that to them and to all whatsoever the Authority of the Apostolick See hath decreed or shall decree may be a Law so that what Bishop soever being evocated to the judgement of the Roman Prelate shall neglect to appear he be constrained by the Governour of the Province to make his appearance But Valentinian being deprived of Africa by the Vandals of Africa and of Spain and Guienne by the Gothes and of most part of Gauls by the Franks nothing remaining to him but Italy Sicily Provence and Daulphine all the East being in the power of Theodosius that Law was but of little force How much that Law was despised in the Empire of the East it is easie to see for in the Year 472. that is about 22 or 23 years after that Law of Valentinian a contrary Law was established by the Emperour Leo which is the 16th Law in the Code De Sacrosanctis Ecclesiis The words of the Law are these Whereby the Emperour decreeth that the Church of Constantinople be the first of all Churches and the Bishop of Constantinople be the first of all Bishops We judge and decree that the most holy Church of this Town which is Mother of our Piety and of all Christians of the Orthodox Religion and the most holy See of the same most Religious City have all the privileges and honours concerning the Creation of Bishops and the right of sitting before others c. Baronius declaimeth against that Law of Leo and saith It proceeded from him who is the Head over all the Sons of pride Baron Annal. ad Ann. 472. Then lived Sidonius Apollinaris Bishop of Clermont in Auvergn whose Epistles are extant great part of which are written to the Bishops of France his Colleagues but in none of them is there any trace of subjection to the Roman See or of communication with the Bishop of Rome The same Sidonius calls Lupus Bishop of Troyes Bishop of Bishops and the first Bishop of the world and saith That he is sitting in the Apostolick See This Man wrote all his Epistles in Latin and Preached also in Latin In the tenth Epistle of the second Book he complaineth That in his time among the Vulgar the purity and property of the Latin Tongue decayed and degenerated into barbarousness And in the Epistle to Pope Perpetuus for then all the Bishops that were a little more respected than the ordinary Bishops were called Popes there is a Latin Sermon made by the said Sidonius unto the people of Bourges a certain proof that the people of Bourges understood Latin About this time flourished Prosper of Aquitain so called from his Countrey not the place of his Bishoprick as Baronius saith He wrote De Vitâ Contemplativâ Of a Contemplative Life In his first Book Chap. 23. he prescribeth That the Preacher's Language be simple and plain though it be not very good Latin yet that it be orderly and grave Usser de Britan. Eccles Primord Cap. 8. that it may hinder no body though ignorant to understand it He wrote a Book De Ingratis by which name he alway marketh out the Pelagians that sprung out of the ashes of that Arch-Heretick Pelagius Regiensem Episcopum fuisse recentiores commemorant In sententias quasdam Augustini Epigrammata varia conscripsit Catal. Test Verit. He wrote many excellent things in defence of the Grace of Christ against the Pelagians and sheweth himself to be a Disciple and vehement defender of St. Augustine saith Bellarmine Salvianus Bishop of Marseilles lived then when the Nation of the Goths oppressed France and many began to doubt of the Providence of God in regard that those wicked wretches had got the upper hand and prospered so much in the world therefore he wrote an excellent Treatise De Judicio Providentia Dei to Salonius Bishop of Vienna One entitleleth him Gallicae Gentis Episcoporum Magistrum The Master of the Bishops of the French Nation Salonius wrote upon the Books of the Proverbs and Ecclesiastes Claudianus Mammertus Bishop of Vienna is praised by Sidonius with excessive commendations as if all the Graces of Jerome Augustine Patr. Syms Eccles Hist Basil Nazianzen and many other Fathers had been incorporated in him He wrote three Books De Statu Animae Of the State of the Soul to the same Sidonius with two Epistles How much the Popish Bishops differ from those Famous Bishops that flourished in those dayes the Reader may understand by this following Epitaph of Claudianus Mammertus made by Sidonius Hoc dat cespite membra Claudianus Triplex Bibliotheca quo Magistro Romana Attica Christiana fulsit Quam totam Monachus virente in aevo Secreta bibit instructione
Hereupon Charles the Bald Convocated a Council in France at Acciniacum consisting of ten Bishops the Bishops of Lions Vason and Triers were Chief Presidents in the Council Hinckmarus Bishop of Rhemes proposed unto the Council fifty Canons which he desired to be read in the Synod Hinckmar of Laon to defend himself brought forth the Collection of the Decretals of the ancient Popes made by Isidorus where by the Popes Decrees such causes are reserved to the Apostolick See Hinckmar of Rhemes being not learned enough to know the forgery of the Author of these Decretals and not daring to reject them openly brought divers things to invalid their Authority He said that Hinckmar of Laon was mistaken if he thought that he was the only man that had those Epistles that the Countrey was full of them and that Riculfus Bishop of Mentz had published the Book of Epistles collected by Isidorus which was brought to him out of Spain Hinckmar also to defend himself against those Epistles said that they had been good in their time but that the Fathers Assembled in Council had altered those things and made Canons of greater Authority which are to remain perpetually and that those Decretals were never put in among the Canons of the Church That strife between the two Hinckmars happened Anno 870. The Synod forenamed accused Hinckmar Bishop of Laon of petulancy and compelled him to subscribe obedience to King Charles and to his Metropolitan He was also deprived of his Office and both his eyes were thrust out But Pope John IX Hist Magdeb. Cent. 9. cap. 9. under the Reign of Charles the Gross restored him to his Office again being the more affectioned to him because he had appealed from his own Bishop and from a Decree of a Synod in his own Countrey to be judged by the Chair of Rome Pope Nicholas bestirred himself with violence against Hinckmar of Rhemes complaining that he despised the Decretals collected by Isidorus Hinckmar resisted him stifly neither did he ever suffer the causes which he had judged to be revised at Rome nor any man that had been deposed by the Synods of France to be restored by the Pope And all his life time he maintained with great constancy so much liberty as remained to the Gallican Church which liberty suffered by his death a great diminution The Popes durst not touch him because he was the King's Unckle Baronius writing of this Hinckmar of Rhemes notably abuseth him for he saith That upon the testimony of Fredoard Hinckmar had obtained of Pope Leo IV by the mediation of the Emperour Lothary a Pallium or Archiepiscopal Cloak with a privilege to use it every day But Hinckmar himself in the Book of the fifty five Chapters saith the contrary speaking in this manner Leo IV and Benedictus did confer upon me some privileges which I did not ask for For the privileges which are conferred upon every Metropolitan by the sacred Canons are sufficient for me It was a generous part of Hinckmar to declare that he had no need of the Pope's privileges and that he held his dignity from the Canons not from the Roman Prelate As for the writings of this Hinckmar there are his Opuscula Epistolae Admonitio de potestate Regia Pontificia We find this character given of him Fuit vir doctus pietatis studiosus sub Carolo secundo Lu◠vici pii filio circa 870 Domini annum tametsi magni Caroli tempora adolescens attigerit Is dum corrigere vitia morbosque Clericorum conatus est multum molestiarum a perditae vitae Clero eorumque ad Papam appellationibus imo à Papis ipsis sustinuit Illyr Catal. Test verit lib. 9. In this Century Claudius Bishop of Turin was defamed as an Heretick by Theodomire an Abbot Petries Church-Hist Cent. 9. who did accuse him unto the Pope He wrote his own Apology that it might appear wherefore he was accused and to shew how Godly men have been traduced from time to time Agobard Bishop of Lions took part with Lotharius against Lewes his Father and therefore was deposed after their reconciliation he was restored and being a man of wisdom and knowledge was employed about the great Affairs of the Kingdom His Works were printed at Paris Anno 1605. from which Impression these passages are extracted pag. 52. There is one immovable Foundation one Rock of Faith which Peter confesseth Thou art the Son of the Living God And pag. 128 The uncleanness of our time deserves a fountain of tears when so ungodly a custom is become so frequent that there is none almost aspiring to temporal honour who hath not a Priest at home not whom he obeyeth but of whom he exacteth all manner of obedience incessently not in Divine but in worldly things so that many of them do serve at Table or mix wine and lead dogs feed horses or attend Husbandry neither regard they what manner of Clerks these be but only that they may have Priests of their own and so they leave Churches and Sermons and publick Service it is clear that they seek them not for honour of Religion because they have them not in honour and speak disdainfully of them He is large against the worship of Images Bellarm. de scriptorib Eccles Sect. 9. Bellarmine saith that Jonas and other Bishops of France in that Age were overtaken with Agobard's errour By the Jesuites confession then many Bishops of France were against the present errours of Rome Catal. Test verit Lib. 10. Then Angelom a Monk of Luxovia a man of great reading at the entreaty of Drogo wrote many Books Druthmarus of Aquitain wrote some things upon the Evangelists Then Raban Magnentius otherwise sirnamed Maurus was famous in the University of Paris Trithem Catal. illustr viror for Poesie Rhetorick Astronomy Philosophy and Theology unto whom neither Germany nor Italy brought forth an equal saith Trithemius He became Abbot of Fulda where he was born and there he wrote Commentaries on all the Books of the Bible He was sometime Scholar to Alcuinus His Monks were offended that he did so much study the Scriptures and did no better attend their Revenues therefore after 24 years he left the Abby they besought him to return but he would not He abode with Lewes the Emperour until Orgar Bishop of Mentz died and then succeeded Thomas Walden in the Acts of Pope Martin V. reckoned him and Herebald or Reginbald Bishop of Auxerre among Hereticks because they favoured Bertram At that time there was much debate about the Doctrine of Predestination Gotteschalk by birth a Franck or Belgick Avent Lib. 4. Annal. Bojor as Aventinus calleth him was Ordained a Priest by Rigbold Chorepiscopus in the vacancy of the See of Rhemes The forenamed Hinckmar writeth that he held these five Articles 1. God did before all Ages and e're he made any thing Hinckmar in Epist ad Eccles Lugdun predestinate unto salvation whom he would and
ANno 1107. Pope Pascal the second gathered a Council at Troyes in France to throw out of the hands of the Emperour Henry V. the right of Investiture of Bishops In the beginning of this Century Great Hugh of France was buried at Tarsus in Cilicia Duke Guelpho at Paphos in Cyprus Diemo the Arch-Bishop of Saltzburgh saw his own Heart cut out and Martyred by the Turks at Chorazin so many thousand Souldiers were consumed with Plague Famine and the Sword that Conrade Abbot of Vrspurg Urspurg in Chronico p. 38 39. who went and wrote this Voyage saith God manifested by the event that this War was not pleasing to him Rabbi Solomon-Jarchi a learned French Jew who hath commented on the whole Bible to whom Lyra is beholden for the Hebrew dyed Anno 1105. Philip King of France having resigned his Crown to his Son Lewes at Orleans and caused him to be Crowned King dyeth at Melun Anno 1109. Calixtus the second before called Guido of Burgundy descended of the Kings of England and France succeeded Pope Gelasius He was chosen Pope at Clugny in France by a few Cardinals whom Gelasius had brought with him yet was Pope Gregory alive whom the Emperour himself had created Calixtus besiegeth Satrium a Town where Gregory was and having taken the Town and his fellow Pope he caused him to be set upon a Camel with his Face to the Camel's Tail so he was brought through the streets of Rome holding the Tail in his hand instead of a Bridle and afterwards being shorn he was thrust into a Monastery This Pope Calixtus was the first that established the decrees of the Papal See against the Emperour He held a general Council at Rhemes and decreed that Priests Deacons and Sub-Deacons should put away their Concubines and Wives and whosoever was found to keep his Wife should be deprived of Benefice and all other Ecclesiastical living whereupon a certain English Writer made these Verses following O bone Calixte nunc omnis Clerus odit te Quondam Presbyteri poterant Vxoribus uti Hoc destruxisti postquam tu Papa fuisti Ergo tuum meritò nomen habent odio He sate five years and ten months Honorius the second succeeded him In the time of this Honorius Arnulph a singular preacher of Christian Religion flourished Hugo Platina and Sabellicus say he was Bishop of Lions in France Trithemius saith he was a Priest whose History I will briefly set down Arnulph was a devout and zealous Man a worthy preacher Coming to Rome he rebuked in his preaching the dissoluteness incontinency avarice and pride of the Romish Clergy provoking all to follow Christ and his Apostles rather in their poverty and pureness of Life by reason whereof this man was well accepted and liked of the Nobility of Rome for a true Disciple of Christ but of the Cardinals and Clergy he was no less hated than favoured of the other insomuch that privily in the night season they took him and destroyed him This his Martyrdom saith he was revealed unto him before by an Angel he being in the desert when he was sent forth to preach Whereupon he thus spake unto them publickly I know saith he ye seek my Life and will destroy me privily because I preach to you the truth and blame your pride avarice incontinency with your unsatiable greediness in getting and heaping up riches therefore you are displeased with me I take here Heaven and Earth to witness that I have preached unto you that which I was commanded of the Lord but you contemn me and your Creator who by his only Son hath redeemed you And no marvel if you seek my death being a sinful man preaching to you the truth whereas if St. Peter were here this day and rebuked your vices which do so multiply above measure you would not spare him neither And as he was saying this with a loud voice he added for my part I am not afraid to suffer death for the truth's sake but this I say unto you that God will look upon your iniquities and be avenged of you You being full of all impurity play the blind guides to the people committed to you leading them the way to Hell Thus the hatred of the Popish Clergy being incensed against him for preaching they conspired against him and killed him Sabellicus and Platina say Fox Act. Monum ad ann 1131. that they hanged him and others that they drowned him All the Clergy were defamed for his death the Pope took it ill but he revenged it not Hildebert forementioned Arch-Bishop of Tours about this time wrote many Epistles in one unto an Earl going in Pilgrimage he condemneth Pilgrims for visiting of Monuments And speaking of the Romanists he saith their business is in ease their prey is in peace their fighting is in fleeing and victory in cups they regard no man nor order nor time they are in Judgement Scythians in Chamber vipers at Feasts peasants in understanding stones in respect of anger fire to forgive iron in discretion pratling Daws in friendship Panthers in deceit Foxes in pride Bulls to devour Minorants He wrote to Honorius II. refuting appellations to Rome because it was a novelty contrary to the Scripture and very hurtful to the Church He sheweth the condition of Rome briefly in two Verses Morn in Myst Vrbs foelix si vel Dominis urbs illa careret Vel Dominis esset turpe carere fide He was apprehended and imprisoned at Rome King Lewes called a Council of the Lords and Bishops of France at the City of Orleans where of the Bishop of the same place he was solemnly anointed and Crowned but not without the grudging of the Arch-Bishop of Rhemes The French begin to fall from their obedience and rebellions are kindled in divers places of his Realm and the places near unto Paris began these first revolts his Reign was very troublesome He had crowned his eldest Son Philip who going to take the Air on Horse-back an Hog passed under the Belly of his Horse which being scared threw him down and bruised him so that within few days after he dyed Then King Lewes marrieth his Son Lewes to the Heir of Guienne He made Henry his third Son Bishop of Beavois another Philip Arch-Deacon of Paris Peter Earl of Courtney Robert Earl of Dreux and married his only Daughter Constance to Reimund Earl of Tholouse and St. Giles Lewes the gross having thus settled his Children dyed Anno 1137. His Son Lewes VII succeeded him and reigned three and forty years his long reign was nothing happy and contains in it nothing that was memorable but that the foundation was laid for a long calamity for France After the death of Baldwin King of Jerusalem Baldwin de Burgo his Kinsman was chosen King This Baldwin was a proper Personage and of able body born nigh Rhemes in France Son to Hugh Count of Roster He was very charitable to the poor and pious toward God witness the brawn on his hands
of Auxerre in France Henry's Son-in-Law 4. Robert 5. Baldwin the fifth and last At this time the Tartarians over-run the North of Asia and many Nations fled from their own Countries for fear of them Among other the Corasines a fierce and Warlike people were forced to forsake their Land Being thus unkennelled they have recourse to the Sultan of Babylon who bestows on them all the Lands the Christians held in Palestine They march to Jerusalem and take it without resistance Soon after the Corasines elated herewith fell out with the Sultan himself who in anger rooted out their Nation so that none remained The French-men make War against Reymund Earl of Tholouse and think to enclose him in his Castle of Saracene but the Earl lying in Ambush for them in Woods slew many of them and 500 of the French Souldiers were taken and of their Servitors to the number of 200 men in armour were taken of whom some lost their eyes some their ears some their legs and so were sent home the rest were carried away Prisoners into the Castle Thrice that Summer were the French-men discomfited by the aforesaid Reymund King Lewes puts a stop to the persecution of the Albigenses saying that they must perswade them by reason and not constrain them by force whereby many Families were preserved in those Provinces In those times lived Gulielmus de sancto amore a Doctor of Paris and Chanon of Beauvois exclaiming against the abuses of the Church of Rome He wrote against the Fryars and their hypocrisie but especially against the begging Fryars In his days there was a most detestable and blasphemous book set forth by the Fryars which they called Evangelium Aeternum or Evangelium spiritûs sancti The Everlasting Gospel or The Gospel of the Holy Ghost Wherein it is said That the Gospel of Christ was not to be compared to it no more than darkness to light That the Gospel of Christ should be preached but fifty years and then this everlasting Gospel should rule the Church He mightily impugned this pestiferous Book Fox Act and Monum p. 410. ad 416. He was by the Pope condemned for an Heretick exiled and his Books were burnt His story and Arguments may be read in Mr. Fox his first Volumn Pope Alexander armed Thomas Aquinas and Bonaventure men of violent spirits against him but he was too hard for these reprovers his followers were called Amoraei Pope Gregory succeedeth Innocent and is a great Enemy to Frederick the Emperour who had entred Italy with a great Army After his Election he sends his Nuncio into France to exhort Lewes to succour him The Pope comes into France and calls a Council at Lyons whither he cites Frederick but yet upon so short a warning as he could not appear Frederick having sent his Ambassadours to require a lawful time and to advertise the Pope of his coming begins his Journey to perform his promise Being arrived at Thurin he hath intelligence given him that the Pope had condemned him as Contumax excommunicated him and degraded him of the Empire But this was not without the consent of the Princes Electors of the Empire who after mature deliberation proceeded to a new Election They chuse Henry Landgrave of Thuring for Emperour but he besieging the City of Vlmes was wounded with an Arrow whereof he dyed shortly after Frederick writes to the French King against the sentence against him at Lyons Then the Electors chose William Earl of Holland for Emperour In all the chief Cities the Guelph's Faction was the stronger through the Authority of the Council of Lyons Frederick over-pressed with grief dyeth leaving Italy and Germany in great combustion The Pope having Canonized Edmond Arch-Bishop of Canterbury soon after Blanch Queen Regent of France came into England to worship that Saint representing to him that he had found refuge for his Exile in France and beseeching him not to be ungrateful She said my Lord most Holy Father confirm the Kingdom of France in a peaceable solidity and remember what we have done to thee Now Lewes IX came to assist the Christians in Palestine His nobility diswaded from that design Lewes takes up the Cross and voweth to eat no Bread until he was recognized with the Pilgrim's Badge Their went along with him his two Brothers Charles Earl of Anjou Robert Earl of Artois his own Queen and their Ladies Odo the Pope's Legat Hugh Duke of Burgundy William Earl of Flanders Hugh Earl of St. Paul and William Longspath Earl of Sarisbury with a band of valiant English-men The Pope gave to this King Lewes for his charges the tenth of the Clergy's revenues through France for three years and the King employed the Pope's Collectors to gather it whereupon the Estates of the Clergy were shaven as bare as their crowns and a poor Priest who had but twenty shillings annual pension was forced to pay two yearly to the King Having at Lyons took his leave of the Pope and a blessing from him he marched toward Avignon Where some of the city wronged his Souldiers especially with foul Language His Nobles desired him to besiege the city the rather because it was suspected that therein his Father was poisoned To whom Lewes most christianly said I come not out of France to revenge mine own quarrels or those of my Father or Mother but injuries offered to Jesus Christ Hence he went without delay to his Navy and so committed himself to the Sea Lewes arrives in Cyprus where the pestilence raging two hundred and forty Gentlemen of note dyed of the infection Hither came the Ambassadours from a great Tartarian prince invited by the fame of King Lewes his piety professing to him that he had renounced his Paganism and embraced Christianity and that he intended to send Messengers to the Pope to be further instructed in his Religion but some Christians which were in Tartary diswaded him from going to Rome King Lewes received these Ambassadours cuurteously dismissing them with bounteous gifts And by them he sent to their Master a Tent wherein the History of the Bible was as richly as curiously depicted in Needle-work hoping thus to catch his Eyes and both in his present pictures then being accounted Lay-mens books The French land in Egypt and Damiata is taken by them Discords grew between the French and English the cause was for that the Earl of Sarisbury in sacking a Fort got more spoil therein than the English Then dyed Meladine the Egyptian King Robert Earl of Artois Brother to King Lewes fighting with the Egyptians contrary to the Counsel of the Templars is overthrown In his flight he cryed to the Earl of Sarisbury flee flee for God fighteth against us To whom our Earl God forbid my Father's Son should flee from the face of a Saracen The other seeking to save himself by the swiftness of his Horse and crossing the River was drowned The Earl of Sarisbury slew many a Turk and though unhorsed and wounded in his Legs stood
trusted by us and such as neither can nor ought to perform those Duties and Services which they are bound to do unto us by reason of the said Benefices In this Century flourished Stephen Pasquier a learned French-man a notable moral Philosopher Ludov. Jacob. de Clar. script Cabilon a Man well skilled in the Greek and Latin Tongues and in all the liberal Sciences He hath published also Icones Epigrams and Epitaphs and several other works He hath written an excellent Treatise in French stiled La Recherche de la France After the death of Pope Nicholas V. which happned in the year 1455. tne Cardinals entring into the conclave made four factions eleven of them pretending to the Papacy themselves and yet there were but XV. for any one After this there began strong practices in the behalf of Cardinal Bessarion a Grecian of Constantinople an opposite to the Latin Church He had disputed much against purgatory unleavened bread and against the very person of the Holy Ghost who he asserted proceeded from the Father alone and not from the Father and Son Cardinal Bettone Arch-Bishop of Avignon laboured to frustrate that enterprize who thus expressed himself Most Illustrious Lords shall we prefer a Grecian to the Latin Church and establish a Neophite in the highest place of the Vatican 11 Cardinalismo part 3. lib. 1. Who can assure us his conversion is true Heterodox opinions in matter of Religion though renounced and altered with the Tongue do yet leave a muddiness and disturbance upon the heart Shall we give the Keys of Heaven to him who for so many years and with so many Arguments denyed that there was a purgatory Shall we make him Head of the Catholick Church who opposed it with so much boldness Is the Church of Rome so poor and indigent that there cannot be one person found out who was born in her bosom and is worthy of the Government of the flock of Christ What will the rest of the Nations say to see us go up and down begging our Popes of this Countrey and of that Rouze up your selves most noble Companions and permit not a thing so scandalous in the Church of Christ I am sure of this He which is a Friend to Christianity will not give his voice for such a Pope These words being spoken with great energy had such an effect upon the Cardinals that they chose Cardinal Alphonso Borgia of the City of Valenza in Spain who took the name of Calixtus III. He lived three years and dyed August 6. 1458. and on the 20 th of the same Month Cardinal Aeneas Piccolomini of Siena was created Pope by 18. Cardinals which were present in the conclave in which there were but two competitors for the Papacy viz. Cardinal Rotomagensis and Aeneas aforesaid so that for the four days time in which it was debated in the conclave they had no other difficulty but to make choice of the one or the other of these two It was strange to see each of these two persons driving on his own promotion magnifying his own virtues and debasing the qualifications of his Adversary Rotomagensis in this manner went from one Cardinal to another saying What have ye to do with Aeneas How can ye think him worthy of the Papacy What passion blinds you so as to confer an office of that import upon a gouty Beggar Where is his Knowledge Where is his Learning Will ye make him a Pope because he is a Poet It is not long since he came out of Germany and may he not be likely to transfer the See into Germany I should not have ambition'd it had I not seen a person stand for it of much weaker parts than my self Besides I am the Ancienter Cardinal of the two And I believe you think I have parts and Learning enough to govern the Church of Christ Moreover I am of Royal extraction and have wealth friends and faculties wherewithall to accommodate and alleviate the necessities of the Church and upon my Election the many Benefices I hold will be divided among you The Cardinal of Avignon pursued the interest of William Rotomagensis not so much as he was a French-man as because upon the promotion the Church of the said William he hoped with his Palace and Chancery would fall to him He assembled therefore certain Cardinals in an house of Office as in a secret place in the night and agreed with them about the way how William should be chosen The Cardinal of Bologna discovered the business to Aeneas after midnight In the morning early Aeneas went to Cardinal Roderigo a Spaniard and one of the conspirators for Rotomagensis who had received a promise in writing from the said William and the Cardinal of Avignon that the Chancellourship should not be taken from him He excused himself to Aeneas that he had concurred because he certainly believed he would be chosen and he was unwilling to hang off and lose his Chancellours place Aeneas answered will you then sell your Vote and by Simony run your self into the displeasure of God Do you take so little care then to obtrude a youth upon the Vatican and one that is an enemy to your Nation Know that the Chancellourship which is promised to you is promised likewise and confirmed to the Cardinal of Avignon and can you think that a French Pope will do more for a Spaniard than for one of his own Nation But Roderigo Borgia gave him not a word So Aeneas departing found out the Cardinal of Pavia who was one of the conspirators likewise and accosted him in this manner I hear you resolve to choose Rotomagensis Pope you ought to be ashamed to degenerate so much from Cardinal Brando your Uncle who with so much labour and sweat tyred himself out to transfer the Pontifical court from Germany to Rome and you that are his Nephew would transport it from Italy into France Surely Rotomagensis will never give the Italians the precedence before the French and yet you an Italian will confederate sooner with France than with your own Countrey Can you have the heart to see your self a slave to the French when it is in your power to make the French obedient to our Nation Cardinal Pavia replyed that he did not believe that the French had any thoughts against the profit of the Church they having given with so much generosity most of the Provinces it possessed and they would not probably take away that which they had so lately given To which Aeneas replyed thus But suppose that should be ought it not to stir up your heart against Rotomagensis to consider the infamy of his manners who is given to all lasciviousness You have often told me you would sooner dye than give your voice for Rotomagensis What is the reason of so great a change Is he in the twinkling of an eye become an Angel of a Devil Or are you become a Devil of an Angel Pavia was astonished at these words and
the Heretical and forbidden Books The King was informed of their shifts and of that Letter Wherefore he ordereth the Bishop to require them again After divers exhortations to this purpose they send fifteen places which they had marked The Bishop conferreth with their Deputy Gagneius upon these Instances and writes a large Letter unto them commending the Annotations and shewing what course they should observe in their censure They were the more enraged at that commendation and would not go on in their censure but would have the Book to be condemned which they had declared Heretical Then the King sent his Letters Patent and sealed charging them to proceed in their censure and to deliver it unto his Printer They do still refuse and at that time King Francis dyeth viz. on March 31. Anno 1547. His Son King Henry II. who succeeded him sendeth the like charge unto them on August 16. 1547 They return Answer that they shall perfect their censure before November 1. But then in place of the censure they send a supplication craving that the Books may be forbidden because he is a Sacramentarian and had written that mens Souls are mortal The Printer is informed of it and addresseth himself to answer before King and Council Then they return unto Paris But he shews how false their calumnies were At that time they sent unto the King forty six Articles which they had collected It was told unto their Deputies that they had spoken of some thousands of Errours and were these all turned to forty six They answered the University had more but had not as yet put them in form The Printer returns to Paris chiding some of the Divines for accusing him falsly The Printer craves of the King protection from the malice of his Enemies The King grants it under his Seal This storm being over he gathereth fifteen old Manuscripts of the new Testament in Greek and printeth it with the divers lections on the Margin and gives the first copy unto Castellan The Pope sends into France Jerome Boccaferrius a Roman Cardinal of St. George in shew to condole with the King for the death of his Father and to give him joy of the beginning of his Kingdom but with commission to make confederation with him The Pope gave the Legate most ample power to grant the King all his demands in matter of Benefices without regarding the Decrees of the Tridentine Council a strong Alliance is made between the Pope and the French King and two Cardinals are created at the King's instance viz. Charles of Guise Arch-Bishop of Rhemes and Charles of Vandosme of the Blood-Royal The Cardinal of Guise made an open discourse in publick consistory in the name of the French King shewing Hist Concil Trident li. 3. that King Francis had never spared any cost or danger to maintain the liberty of other Princes In conformity whereof Henry not degenerating from the vertue of his Ancestors as soon as he had left to mourn for his Father's death was willing to declare his observance towards the See of Rome That the merits of the Kings of France were famous and exceedeth all those of other Nations But this was above all which the King now doth promising all his Forces to preserve the Papal Dignity now when it is so contemned He prayed the Pope to receive the King for his Son and to promise to himself all assistance from him and to take care that the Church should receive no damage nor shame in regard that from small beginnings great factions have risen which have brought the Popes into great calamities He exemplified in many Popes afflicted who were defended and raised by the Kings of France concluding that the present King will not yield to his Ancestors in preserving the Dignity of the Apostolick See In the year 1549. The French King making his first entry into Paris caused a solemn procession to be made and published an Edict wherein he signifieth that he received the protection of the Catholick Religion and of the See of Rome and the care of the Ecclesiastical Order and that he abhorred the Novity of Religion and testified unto all his will to persevere in the Doctrine of the Church of Rome and to banish the new Hereticks so he called the Protestants out of all his Dominions He caused this Edict to be printed in French and sent it into all parts of his Kingdom He gave leave also to his Prelates to make a Provincial Assembly to reform the Churches Which being known at Rome was thought to be a bad example and might be a beginning to make the French Church independent of the Church of Rome He caused also many Lutherans to be put to death in Paris himself being present at the Spectacle and in the beginning of the next year he renewed the Edict against them laying grievous punishments upon the Judges who were not diligent in detecting and punishing them Pope Paul III. dyeth Anno 1549. the Cardinals were divided into three factions about the choice of a new Pope Imperialists French and dependents on the dead Pope and by consequence on his Nephews Hist of Cardin. part 3. li. 2. They made agreement among themselves that nine Cardinals should be named of each Faction three but that the nomination should be made by two only of the Faction of France and that afterwards it should be lawful for the Imperialists to take one of the said nine at their pleasure and that the rest should be obliged to concur Of the French Faction accordingly were named the Cardinals of Lorrain Tornon and Bellai Of the Imperial Faction Theatino Monte and San Marcello and three others of the other Faction Salviati Ridolfi and Trani The Imperialists refused all the nine persons which were named which gave great offence to the other two Factions insomuch that it was proposed by the French to the Farnesians to unite among themselves and to choose a Pope in spite of the Imperialists But they could not agree in the choice of their persons because there were several Cardinals among the Farnesians who were much obliged to the Emperour and much afraid of his displeasure But after a tedious discussion of the Cardinals for the space of three months during the vacancy of the See Gio Maria del Monte was created Pope on February Anno 1550. by the name of Julius the third And now the Faction of the Nipotisme was introduced into the conclave having over-powred the Factions of the Emperour and King of France with no small reputation The Council having been translated to Bolonia the Emperour having protested against it the Pope deliberates about the remitting of it to Trent The French King offered to the Pope whatsoever he was able to do for him promised to assist the Council and to send the Prelates of his Kingdom and all favour and protection for the maintenance of the Papal Authority The Book of Francis Duraneus a learned Lawyer entituled De Sacris Ecclesiae Ministeriis came
forth Anno 1551. At this time a War was denounced against King Henry the second by the Pope and the Emperour and that upon an unjust quarrel He gave some hopes saith Onuphrius of composing the differences in Religion Onuphr in Julio 3. when at the request of the Emperour he declared by his Bull in the first year of his Popedom that the Council should be continued at Trent at the beginning of the next May. And presently after he addeth he unwittingly put himself upon the War of Parma and thereby set all Italy nay all Europe on fire The first Session of the Council on May 1. 1551. and the second upon the first of September were only for Ladies for there was nothing done King Henry II. set forth an Edict at the same time dated the third day of September the same year containing a restraint of transporting Gold and Silver to Rome where he sets down at large the occasions of the War of Parma begun by the Pope And among other things he saith Which holy Father upon a sudden fit of Choler had caused a certain company of Men of War both Horse and Foot to be levied and set forth and also enticed and perswaded the Emperour with whom we were in good Terms of Peace and Amity to take Arms to aid his forces in the design of the recovery of Parma And after he had harassed and laid wast all things whatsoever he pleased in the Countrey of Parma Edict du Roy Henric. 2. imprime a Paris l'ann 1551. he caused his said Forces to march toward the Territories of Mirandula which hath for a long time even during the Life of our late most Honoured Lord and Father been in the known protection of the Crown of France which he beleagured using most incredible and inhumane cruelties towards the Inhabitants of the said Territory yea such as Barbarians and Infidels would not have used the like giving the World to know very stoutly that he meant them to us who have not deserved any such things at his hands or the Holy See There were six Sessions holden in the time of that War those two forementioned and four more in two whereof the most material points of Faith of Manners and Church Discipline were discussed and determined as those of the Sacrament of the Eucharist Transubstantiation Penance and extreme Unction as also about the Jurisdiction of Bishops where many blows were struck at the Liberties of the French Church and the rights of the Crown Another Edict of King Henry II. was made at the Camp near Weldenaggbes May 21. 1552. and Printed at Paris the same year From this time till the beginning of the year 1560. the Council of Trent did nothing What time Pope Pius IV. as soon as he got into the Chair sent forth a Declaration for the continuation of it against Easter-day the next year The French King makes preparation for a National Council and protesteth against the Council then assembled in Trent Jacobus Amiotus Hist Concil Trident. li. 4. Abbot of Bellosana appeared in the name of the French King with Letters of his Majesty which he presented to the Legate desiring they might be read and his credency heard The Legate receiving them gave them to the Secretary to be read The Superscription was Sanctissimis in Christo Patribus Conventûs Tridentini Much fault was found with the word Conventûs The Bishop of Mentz said if they would not receive a Letter from the King of France who called them Sanctissimus Conventus how would they hearken to the Protestants who called them Conventus Malignantium Then the King's Letter was opened and read The French King dismisseth the Pope's Nuncio but fearing that by his dissention with the Pope those that desired change of Religion would make some innovation or that himself might come into the bad opinion of his people as if his mind were averse from the Catholick Faith and perhaps to open a way for reconciliation with Rome he made a most severe Edict against the Protestants confirming all the other which he had published before adding greater punishments more ways to discover the guilty and greater rewards to the promoters Hereupon many were apprehended condemned and burnt as I have shewed before in the Table of French Martyrs concluding it at the year 1557. On the fifth of September 1557. in Paris at night about two hundred persons were assembled in an house to celebrate the Communion which being discovered by the common people the house was assaulted and some fled but the women and weaker sort were taken and seven were burnt and the greater part of the others reserved for the same punishment to be inflicted when the complices were found out The Suisses made intercession for these and the King gave order that the proceeding against them should be moderate but the Pope is angry with the French King for using any moderation But the number of the Protestants being now increased in France thâ—ir courage increased also And there being a custom among the people of Paris in the Summer Evenings to go out of the Subburbs of St. German in great multitudes to take the Fresco and to solace themselves with divers kinds of sports those of the new Religion instead of doing so began to sing the Psalms of David in French Verses 〈…〉 The multitude first laughed at the Novity then leaving the sports joyned themselves unto the singers And the number of those who came to that place began to increase more than usually The Pope's Nuncio told the King of this Novity as of a thing pernicious and dangerous because said he the Ministeries of Religion usually celebrated in the Church in the Latin Tongue by Religious men only were put into the mouth of the common people in the vulgar Language which was an invention said he of the Lutherans telling him that if he did not resist the beginnings all Paris would be Lutheran The King gave order that the principal Authours should be proceeded against wherein they went not very far having found Anthony King of Navar and his Wife in that number But for hereafter it was forbid upon pain of death The King now understanding that some of the Parliament were Protestants in a Mercurial so they call the Judicature instituted to examine and correct the actions of the Counsellours of Parliament and Judges of the King held in Paris June 15. 1558. where they were to treat of Religion after the congregation was assembled entred in person And having commanded them to prosecute the things begun Claude Viole one of them spake much against the manners of the Court of Rome and the bad customs grown to be pernicious errours which have caused the new Sects Therefore it was necessary to mitigate the severe punishments until the differences of Religion were removed and the Ecclesiastical Discipline amended by Authority of a General Council the only remedy for these evils as the Councils of Constance and Basil have judged
example and perswasions the King of Navarre and the Prince of Conde were induced to renounce the Protestant Profession for a time Yet afterwards this same Rozarius being gravely admonished of the vileness of his Apostasie departed out of France into Germany and writ Letters to the Prince of Conde wherein he acknowledged his errour begged mercy of God for that he had been a snare and stumbling block unto him I read in the life of the learned Dr. Peter du-Moulin the elder that his Father Joachim du-Moulin See the Life of Dr. Peter du Moulin written by his Son was called to be Minister at Coenures near Soissons Anno 1570. The Protectour of that Church was Monsieur d'Estree called since Marques de Coanures who then professed the Protestant Religion But when he heard of the great Massacre of Paris August 24. 1572. and that the like was to be speedily executed over all France he presently forsook the Protestant Profession and to approve himself a true Convert expelled the said Joachim du-Moulin out of Coenures Then was the good man in great extremity and in this general Massacre the murtherers were seeking for him And how to dispose of his Wife and four little Children he knew not At last this he did he left his Children with a Woman of contrary Religion half a mile from Coenures Himself with his Wife fled to Muret a Town belonging to the Prince of Conde and so to Sedan with the Duke of Bovillon of the house of de la March who passed that way flying from the Court The Murtherers that were sent to kill Joachim and his Family for they spared neither Age nor Sex found the Womans house where the Children were left Ruffina the Woman to whom the Children were committed hid the Children in the straw of a Bed the ordinary bottom of beds of the lower sort in France and laid a feather-bed and a blanket over them Scarce had she laid the blanket when the Murtherers came into the room and searched it but lookt not in the Bed Peter then under four years of age not liking to be thus laid up would cry but his Sister Esther then seven years old who had been made apprehensive of their danger stopt his mouth with her hand whereby she made him struggle and to make some noise which to drown with another Ruffina pretending to reach something upon a shelf made the Pewter fall and then took it up again with much rustling till the Murtherers were gone As soon as they were out of doors she ran to help the Child whom she found well-nigh smothered with the stopping of his wind but he soon recovered and the Children were kept safe in her house till their Parents sent for them Thus God doth many times preserve the infancy of his servants from the rage of Satan and the world The day before that terrible execution the King dispatched Posts into divers parts of the Kingdom commanding the Governours of Cities and Provinces to do the like but this Commission was performed with more or less severity according to their several inclinations for the same night at Meaux and the daies ensuing at Orleans Roven Bourges Angiers Tholouse and many other places but above all at Lions there was a most bloody slaughter of the Hugonots On the other side in those places where the Governours were either Dependants on the Princes or followers of the family of Montmorancy the Order was but slowly and remisly executed And in Provence the Count of Tende refused openly to obey it for which cause being a while after at the City of Avignon he was secretly made away and as it was believed by the King's Commission The third day after the death of the Admiral the King accompanied by all the Princes and Lords of his Court went unto the Parliament where he pretended that he had miraculously discovered the conspiracy of the Admiral and his Complices to take away his life and not his alone but the lives of the Queen-Mother and the Dukes of Anjou and Alanâ—ou his Brothers and even the King of Navarre's also who because he was alienated from their party was esteemed no less their enemy than all the rest He gave order it should be recorded among the ordinary Acts of that Court that whatsoever had befallen the Admiral and the rest of his faction either in Paris or any other part of the Kingdom was done by his will order and express Commission Then he commanded them to proceed to the examination of Prisoners to defame the memory of the dead by laying open their Rebellions and by inflicting such punishments upon them as the strictness of the Law required And lastly he caused to be published not only in the Parliament but likewise in all the Streets of Paris that they should desist from further effusion of blood The Parliament condemned Briquemald and Cavagnes two Protestant Noble-men They laboured by torturing them to extort from them a confession of the fore-alledged Conspiracy But the Noble-men died constant in the true Faith without any confession of such Treason as was alledged They were publickly torn with Pincers and their bodies quartered Notwithstanding they were not ashamed in their names after their death to publish a confession of horrible Treason which they never confessed whilst they were yet alive Davil Hist of the Civil Wars of France lib. 5. The King commanded also a Statue of the Admiral 's to be broken in pieces and burned declaring him a Rebel a disturber of the Kingdom an Heretick and an enemy to all good men The Magistrates also sentenced the Hostel de Chastillon to be razed to the very ground and all his Posterity to be deprived of Nobility and made incapable of bearing any Office or possessing any goods in the Kingdom of France The King therefore dispatched his Grand-Provost with all diligence to seise upon his Wife and Children But his eldest Son with the Widow-Lady his Mother-in-Law the Wife of Teligni and Monsieur de la val the Son of Andelot deceased were already fled secretly to Geneva and the better to avoid their danger went to live among the Swisses in the Canton of Bearn The younger Children were condemned to death in their tender years coming to that end which in the variety of worldly affairs accompanies the ruine of great Families At the same time this execution was done in Paris la Charite which was still held by the Protestants was surprized by the Gens d'Arms of the Duke of Nevers The Town of Rochel was the Town of greatest importance of all the rest of the Towns that were yet in the hands of the Protestants The King with a mighty Army besieged it by Sea and Land which siege began in the Month of December and endured until the Month of July next following Anno 1573. The marvellous providence of God was seen in this siege for God sent a number of Fishes called Surdonnes to the support of the poor during the time of
the siege and at the end of the siege the Fishes were found no more in that coast Sanserre a Protestant Town after eight Months siege was forced to surrender to Castrius the King's Lieutenant in those parts Upon the ninth day of May 1572. Henry Duke of Anjou was with a general consent chosen King of Poland Wherefore he having long besieged Rochel and seeking to come off from that siege with such moderation that his reputation might be safe and the minds of his new subjects not unsatisfied from whom he endeavoured to remove all suspicion of his taking away their liberty of Conscience he proceeded not so violently against the Protestants who now being quite tyred out desired peace This was favoured by the Duke and the City was yielded upon these conditions That the King should declare the Inhabitants of Rochel Nismes and Montauban to be his faithful Subjects pardoning all faults whatsoever had been committed by them during the Civil War That in those three Cities he should allow the free and publick exercise of the Reformed Religion they meeting together in small numbers and without Arms the Officers appointed for that purpose being there among them That in all other outward matters except Baptism and Matrimony they should observe the Rites and Holy-daies observed and commanded by the Church of Rome That the King should confirm all the liberties and priviledges of those three Towns not permitting them to be in any part diminished altered or violated That the Rochellers should receive a Governour of the King's appointment but without a Garrison who might freely stay there inhabit go and return into the City at his pleasure That they should be governed by the Laws and Customs with which they had been governed under the Kings of France ever since they were Subjects to that Crown That they should not lend any aid to those which should continue up in Arms though of the same Religion That the use and exercise of the Catholique Religion should be restored in those Cities whence it had been taken leaving freely unto the Church-men not only the Churches Monasteries and Hospitals but likewise all the Profits and Revenues belonging to them That all Lords of free Manours through the Kingdom might in their own houses lawfully celebrate Baptism and Matrimony after the manner of the Protestants provided the Assembly exceeded not the number of ten persons That there should be no Inquisition upon mens consciences and that those who would not dwell in the Kingdom might sell their Estates and go live where they pleased provided it were not in places that were enemies to the Crown And that for the observing these Articles the said three Cities should give Hostages which should be changed every three Months and alwayes should follow the Court. When these conditions were established and the Hostages given which by the Duke were presently sent to the Court Monsieur de Byron the Governour appointed by the King entred Rochel with one of the publick Heraulds took possession of the Government and caused the Peace to be Proclaimed After which the Duke of Anjou now King of Poland having dismissed the Army went with a Noble Train of Princes Lords and Gentlemen unto the City of Paris where assuming the title of his new Kingdom and having received the Polish Ambassadours he prepared for his journey to go and take possession of the Crown All the Protestants dwelling in Languedoc Dolphinè and Provence were offered those conditions which the Rochellers had embraced But they craved liberty first to assemble themselves together before they should give their answer Which being granted and the Assembly convened at Miliald they craved these Conditions viz. That in every Province of France two Towns might be granted unto the Protestants for their further security and those Towns to be kept by the Guards of their own Souldiers and have all their pay out of the King's Treasury and that liberty should be granted to all that were of their Religion to exercise the same freely without any exception of places Also that all those that should be found guilty of the horrible Murthers committed at Paris August 24. should be severely punished The Queen-Mother when she had read the Conditions which were required said with great indignation That if the Prince of Conde had been in the midst of France with twenty thousand Horse-men and fifty thousand Foot-men yet would he not have required the half of those conditions This great boldness of the Protestants put the Enemies in suspicion that the Nobles of France were confederate with them About the same time Count Montgomery had returned out of England and taken some Towns in Normandy but soon after he was besieged in Donfront a Town of Normandy where he is taken and sent to Paris and condemned to death This is that Noble man who had slain King Henry the second with a Spear whom King Henry would not suffer to be harmed for it But when he came into the hands of this cruel woman he must die She caused divers of the Nobility to be imprisoned and spared not her own Son the Duke of Alançon The Prince of Conde conveyed away himself secretly into Germany In November following after the bloody Massacre a new Star was seen in the Constellation of Cassiopeia which continued full sixteen Months being carried about with the daily motions of the Heaven Theodore Beza wittily applyed it to that Star which shone at the Birth of Christ and to the murthering of the Infants under Herod and warned Charles IX King of France who confessed himself to be the Authour of that bloody Massacre at Paris to beware in this Verse Tu verò Herodes sanguinolente cave Cambden's Hist of Qu. Elizab. And thou bloody Herod look thou to thy self And he was not wholly deceived in his belief for in the fifth Month after the vanishing of this Star King Charles died of a bloody Flix As he had caused much Protestant blood to be shed so in his sickness before his death great store of blood issued out by vomiting Thuan. Hist li. 57. and by other passages of his body in the two last weeks of his sickness and in his bed he could have little rest but horribly Blasphemed the name of God which he had accustomed himself unto even from his Child-hood Such was his unquietness and affrightments in the night that he endeavoured to appease it by Musick Andrew Melvin hath these Verses to Charles IX dying with an unusual Flux of blood Naribus ore oculis atque auribus undique ano Et pene erumpit qui tibi Carle cruor Non tuus iste cruor Sanctorum at caede eruorem Quem ferus hausisti concoquere haud poteras In those Verses are comprised both the cause and manner of his death He died May 30. 1574. before he was full five and twenty years of Age. As soon as Henry King of Poland heard of his Brother's death he returned privily and speedily and was
that should seek to hinder the effect of the precedent Articles To cause Judges to be appointed to examine the crime committed by the Duke of Alançon declaring himself Chief of the Hereticks To cause the said Duke to come to Court with the King of Navarre and the Prince of Conde and to seize upon the said Duke King and Prince and all their Accomplices That the Captains that should be under the Duke of Guise should put all Protestants and adherents to the Sword both in the Country and in Walled Towns To subdue the revolted Princes To be Masters of the Field To block up the Towns that were opposite and to put all to fire and sword that should make head against them Then to take exemplary punishment of the Duke of Alanâ—on now henceforth to be called the Duke of Anjou and his Complices Then by the Pope's consent to put the King and Queen into a Monastery as King Pipin in former time had done Childeric and in favour of the Roman See to abolish the liberties and priviledges of the French Church These high projects were hearkened unto received and favoured in the Court of Rome The Articles of this Association were first drawn at Peronne in Picardy but disguised with goodly shews to blind them that would examine them more exactly which were To maintain the Law of God to restore the holy service thereof To preserve the King and his Successours in the Estate Dignity Service and Obedience due unto him by his Subjects To restore unto the Estates of the Realm their Rights Preheminencies and Ancient Liberties And for the execution of these Articles a certain form of Oath was propounded inflicting pains of eternal damnation to the Associates that for any pretext whatsoever should withdraw themselves from this League and a Bond for such should be enrolled to employ their goods persons and lives to punish and by all means to ruine the enemies and perturbers thereof and to punish them that should fail or make any delays by the Authority of the Head as he should think good This being done many Posts went to and fro carrying the news of these designs They cast many Libels through the Streets in many great Towns They murmure that the Protestants are too much supported by the Edict And under this plausible name of the Church the people give ear to such as are ready to thrust them into Mutiny The King was daily advertised of these things But on the other side he hated the Protestants and sought to ruine them by degrees but not by any Instruments without his Authority His Mother likewise hated them to the death She causeth the Duke her Son to come to the Court and the King to be reconciled to him The King calls an Assembly of the States at Bloyes where Peter d'Espinac Arch-Bishop of Lions and the Baron of Senecey are Speakers the one for the Clergy the other for the Nobility and both conclude a publick Exercise of one only Religion in France Peter Versoris Advocate in the Court of Parliament in Paris Oratour for the third Estate insists on the Union of all the Kings Subjects in one Religion but by mild means and without War The King seemed to encline only to alter some Articles in the last Edicts of Pacification and not to abolish it quite But at length the King consenteth to root out all other Religion but the Popish to banish all Ministers Deacons and Overseers of the Reformed Religion and yet to take all his other Subjects of the said Religion into his protection attending that by better instructions they might be brought into the bosome of the Church But the King of Navarre the Prince of Conde the Marshal of Montmorency d'Anville and other Noble-men both of the one and the other Religion refusing to assist at this present Parliament conclude a nullity of all that was Decreed to prejudice the Edict of Pacification protesting to maintain themselves in the Rights Liberties and Freedoms which the last Edict had granted them The King of Navarre beseecheth the Estates by the Duke of Montpensier who was sent unto him not to infringe the Edict of Peace but to suffer the Protestants to enjoy that which had been so formerly granted He desireth time to attend the opinion of an Assembly of those of his Religion and of the Catholick-Associates which was to be shortly made at Montaubon The Prince of Conde answers more sharply That he doth not acknowledge the Assembly at Bloys for the Estates of the Realm but a Conventicle of persons corrupted by the sworn enemies of the Crown who have sollicited the abolition of the Edict to the subversion of the Realm That he hath alwaies honoured the Clergy and Nobility but he pities the people whom this Assembly at Bloys sought to ruine The chief of the Politicks declare that they adhere not to any other Religion than that of their Fathers but they are against the taking from the Protestants the publick Exercise which had been so solemnly allowed them The Duke of Montpensier being returned perswaded to have the Edict confirmed John Bodin a man famous for Learning and experience in State-affairs one of the Deputies of the Commons of Vermandois sheweth to the Assembly how ruinous and fatal the new taking up of Arms would be repeating from the beginning all the dangers and miseries of the late Wars which made a deep impression on the minds of the third Estate But the other Orders being byassed and pre-ingaged it was determined by plurality of voices that request should be made unto the King to establish only the Romish Religion in the Kingdom and to exclude for ever all Communion with the Hugonots Nevertheless Bodin procured certain words to be entred in the Records of the Order of Commons to certifie their desire of unity in Religion without the noise of Arms and the necessity of War This Bodin was a man eminent as well among Protestants as Papists though himself professed the Romish Religion His Learning and skill in Politicks appears in his great Book de Republicâ Thuanus highly commendeth his writings Possevine dislikes his Methodus Historica because he makes such honourable mention of the Protestants there Some commend his Theatrum Naturae for a choice piece a Book full of natural curiosities The King gives notice to his Governours and publisheth by his Letters Patents that he is resolved to grant the Estates their requests touching the Exercise of one only Religion And thus the sixth Civil War begins in Guienne During the Parliament the Deputies of the Low Countries demand succours of the King and the Duke of Anjou for Pfotectour of their Liberties against the insolencies of the Spaniards Anjou is now declared the King's Lieutenant General They deliver him a mighty Army with which contrary to the Oath taken by him in the observation of the accord and promise pass'd with the Prince of Conde and Duke Casimire he besiegeth and taketh La-Charitè by Composition and Ysoire in
contained in the writing framed at Nancy with the privity of the Duke of Lorain which had been presented to the King in the beginning of the year That the King should again declare himself Head of the Catholick League he promiseth never to make a Peace nor Truce with the Hugonots nor any Edict in their favour He shall by a publick Edict oblige all Princes Peers of France Lords and Officers of the Crown Towns Colledges Corporations and the whole people to swear the same and bind themselves with a solemn Oath never to suffer any one to reign that was not of the Romish Religion and that for time to come none should be admitted to Offices Places and Dignities in any part of that Kingdom but such as were Catholicks and made profession of their Faith according to the Doctrine of Sorbon and the Belief of the Church of Rome That the Council of Trent should be received and observed through the whole Kingdom upon the conditions and exceptions formerly mentioned the priviledges of the Gallican Church being within three Months to be declared by a Congregation of Prelates and the King's Council with divers other Articles The Articles concluded and confirmed the King presently sent forth his Letters Patents into all Provinces and several Bailages to appoint the Assembly of the States in October following at Blois a place far from Paris where the people were at his devotion far from any commerce or intelligence with the League and near those Towns which were held by the Hugonots The Duke of Guise goeth with the Queen-Mother to Chartres unto the King and is received by him with great demonstrations of honour in appearance The King causeth the Edict of the union to be published in his Council and sworn to by every one and the War against the Hugonots to be openly Proclaimed for the prosecution whereof two several Armies were appointed one in Dauphiné under the Duke of Mayenne the other in Poictou under Ludovico Gonzaga Duke of Nevers The King gives the Duke of Guise the General Command over all the men at Arms of the Realm This though not the name and title yet in effect was the Office and charge of Constable He makes the Cardinal of Guise Legate of Avignon the which he promiseth to obtain for him of the Pope He determined to give the Seal unto Peter of Espinac Archbishop of Lions He declares the Cardinal of Bourbon first Prince of the blood And the King 's late Counsellours are dismissed the Court. But two things trouble the League one iâ— the news of the defeat of the Spanish Armado at Sea by the English the other is that the King will not return to Paris howsoever they importune him Pope Sixtus V. writes congratulatory Letters to the Duke of Guise full of praises comparing him to those holy Macchabees the Defenders of the People of Israel and exhorting him to continue successfully and gloriously to fight for the advancement of the Church and the total extirpation of the Hugonots Which Letters to encrease the Duke's Fame were by his dependants caused to be Printed and divulged in Paris with as much applause in the people as anger and trouble in the King who could not be pleased that another should have more Credit and Authority in his Kingdom than himself The Assembly of the States meet at Blois at the time prefixed viz. on October 16. After dinner all being met in the great Hall of the Castle the King sate down in a Throne raised by many steps from the Earth and covered with a rich cloth of State The Queens Princes Cardinals Peers and Officers of the Crown sate upon Seats fitted for that purpose in two long rowes on the right hand and on the left and between them in the inner part of the Theatre sate the Deputies according to the Ancient preheminence of their degrees and the Duke of Guise as Grand-Mastre with the Staff of Office in his hand sate down upon a Stool at the foot of the State on â—he right hand and on the left sate the Sieur de Monthelon who represented the Person of the High Chancellour of the Kingdom The King begins the Assembly with an elegant Oration wherein attesting the earnest desires of the good of his people and shewing the dangerous condition wherein intestine discords had involved the Crown he exhorted every one to lay aside their passions to forget their enmities to reunite themselves sincerely under his obedience forsaking all novelties condemning all Leagues c. which had disturbed both him their Lawful Sovereign and the peace of the Kingdom For as he pardoned all that was past so for the time to come he would not endure it but account it as an Act of absolute Treason That as he resolved to persecute and tread down Heresie to favour those that were good to restore the splendour and force of justice to advance Religion to uphold the Nobility and to disburden the Common people so he earnestly prayed and conjured every one of them to assist him with their good Counsels and sincere intentions This speech of the King 's stung the Duke of Guise to the quick and all those of his party He caused his Speech to be Printed which served much to excuse those things which followed afterward After the King's Speech followed the Oration of Monthelon who prosecutes and amplifies the King's Speech To which the Archbishop of Bourges answered for the Order of the Clergy the Baron de Seneschay for the Nobility and the Prevost des Merchands of Paris for the third Order of the Commons The Tuesday following the King and the States swear in solemn manner to perform the Edict made before of persevering in the Romish Religion The Archbishop of Bourges shewed the States the greatness and obligation of the Oath which they were to take Beaulieu the new Secretary of State inrolled an Act of that Oath in memory of so solemn an Action After it was done they gave thanks to God publickly in the Church of S. Saveur The Proposition of receiving the Council of Trent made in the Assembly of the States is generally rejected The King is requested to declare the King of Navarre incapable of the Crown and all others suspected to be Hugonots and after much opposition he coldly consents unto it and gives unto the Deputies a Protestation which had been presented unto him from the King of Navarre who having called a Congregation of those of his party at Rochel had caused a writing to be printed wherein he demanded the execution of those Edicts and Grants which had been so often made to those of his party the Convocation of a National or universal Council wherein he might lawfully be instructed in those things that were controverted in matter of Faith and finally he protested to count invalid whatsoever should be determined against him in that Assembly at Blois To which Propositions of the King of Navarre the French King added That if justice requires no man
a select number of Prelates to accompany the Legate men of good Learning and experienced in the matters of Government among whom were Lorenzo Bâ—anchetti and Filippo Sega who after were Cardinals Marco Antonio Mocenigo Bishop of Ceneda a man well versed in affairs and highly esteemed by the Pope Francesco Panigarola Bishop of Asti a renowned Preacher and Robert Bellarmine a learned Jesuite To the choice of these men the Pope added Bills of Exchange to the Merchants of Lions for three hundred thousand crowns with Commission to the Legate to dispose of them according to occasion but particularly to spend them for the infranchisement of the Cardinal of Bourbon upon which he shewed his mind was fixed more than upon any other thought whatsoever But the Pope by letters from the Duke of Luxemburg found that what the Agents of the League had represented to him was vain whereupon the Pope gave Orders and Commissions to his Legate to shew himself no less Neutral in the secular pretensions of the Princes than most zealous concerning Religion and not to value one French-man above another provided he were obedient to the Church and generally liked by the Kingdom and that he should not shew himself an open enemy to the King of Navarre so long as there was any hope he might return into the bosom of the Church But these advertisements were very contrary to the principal scope of the Embassy which was to uphold the Catholick party of the League as the foundation of that Religion in France so that the substance of the business changed in the variety of circumstances did so disturb the Execution that it was afterwards governed more by the diversity of accidents than by any determinate resolution The Cardinal-Legate being come into France required Colonel Alfonso Corso not only to forbear molesting Grenoble and Valence which Cities alone held for the League in Dauphiné but also that as a Catholick and stranger he should forsake the King's party and joyn with the union But he answered that he was indeed a Catholick and an obedient Son to the See of Rome in spiritual things but that having made his Fortune as a Souldier in the service of the King of France he could not desist from following him but was bound to do what he could in the affairs of the Prince whom he served This answer troubled the Legate and the rather because being come to Lions he found the business of the League in great disorder by the King 's prosperous success The Count of Brisac appointed at first to meet the Legate and sercure his passage was forced to face about and employ himself in the affairs of Normandy The Duke of Nevers invited him to come into his State where standing Neuter he might freely take those wayes as might appear most convenient to him On the other side the Duke of Mayenne ceased not to sollicite him to come to Paris shewing him that without the authority of his name and those helps which were hoped for from him the League was in danger to be dissolved and subdued by the King's Forces and all the rest of the Kingdom would remain oppressed by the Hugonot's party The Legate having overcome many difficulties arrives at Paris where he caused the Pope's Breve of the 15. of October to be published wherein after an honourable commemoration of the merits of the Kingdom of France toward the See of Rome c. He attested that he had chosen Cardinal Gaetano Legate to the Kingdom of France with power to use all means fitting to protect the Catholick Religion to recal Hereticks into the bosome of the Church to restore the Peace and tranquillity of the Kingdom and finally to procure that under one only good pious and truly Catholick King the people of France might to the glory of God live in quietness and tranquillity after so many calamities of War Wherefore he prayed and exhorted all the Orders and Degrees of France to persevere in the Catholick Religion and to labour to extinguish and root up the evil of Heresie to cut off the occasions of discord and that particular enmities quarrels and Civil Wars being laid aside they should resolve to yield obedience to a lawful truly Catholick King and the Divine worship being restored under his shadow to live in charitable union and concord Two different Declarations followed upon the publication of this Breve one of the Parliament of Tours by which all persons were forbidden to obey or acknowledge the Legate the other of the Parliament of Paris by which all were exhorted to receive the Fatherly love of the Apostolick See and to give due Reverence to the Legates admonitions After which contrary Declarations many Learned men fight for their Factions with their Pens as the Souldiers with their Swords Aid being desired by the League from the King of Spain the Sieur de la Mothe refuseth to advance beyond the Frontiers of France from Flanders unless the King of Spain be declared Protector of the Crown of France with authority to dispose the chief part of the Temporal and Ecclesiastical Dignities which Prerogatives they called las Marcas de Justitia marks of justice The Duke of Mayenne will not hearken to an agreement with the King The Archbishop of Lions lately imprisoned at Amboise being newly set at liberty by Captain Du-Gast for a great summ of money and come to Paris is made High Chancellour to the Duke of Mayenne and President of the Council The Pope's Legate grants unto Mayenne the three hundred thousand crowns brought for the enlargement of the Cardinal of Bourbon Mayenne besiegeth Meulan a small place but seated upon the pass of the River Seine at the entring into Normandy which therefore next to Pointoise hindered the bringing of Victuals to Paris where after 25. dayes siege news came that the Old Castle at Roven was seized by some Seditious persons which caused him to raise the siege and march to Roven to appease the troubles On the other side the King besiegeth Dreux and the Duke of Mayenne being joyned with the Spanish supplies from Flanders marching towards Dreux resolveth to fight The German Infantry raised for the King of France turn for the League under the Command of Colonel S. Paul The Army of the League had in it four thousand five hundred Horse and twenty thousand Foot The King's Army was but three thousand Horse and eight thousand Foot The King's Army being refreshed they marched toward the field of Yvry appointed by the King for the place of Battel Here the Armies joyned wherein the King obtained a great Victory The King all Armed on Horse-back visits every Division with great diligence and exhorts his Souldiers with great vehemency At last standing still at the head of the main Battalion joyning his hands and lifting up his eyes to Heaven He said so loud that he was heard by many O Lord thou knowest the intentions of my heart and with the eye of thy Providence thou piercest into
of Provisions The Duke of Parma marcheth away into Flanders in good order The King assaulteth Clermont takes it and sacks it The Duke of Parma departing leaves aid of men and promiseth supply of money to the League The King marcheth toward Picardy Grenoble in Dauphiné after a long siege returns to the King's obedience The King assaulteth Corby and takes it The Parliament of Burdeaux who with much ado had been brought to the King's obedience make complaints for the King 's persevering in Calvinism The King studieth how to conserve the affections of those of his party and to keep them in obedience He recalls the Duke of Espernon to the Army and other Popish Lords to reconcile them unto him The Viscount of Turenne obtains of Queen Elizabeth of England that she should send the King one hundred thousand crowns That she should send 6000. Foot into Bretagne for the relief of the Prince of Dombes That along with him she should send Horatio Palavicino a Genovese who for Religion was fled into that Island to perswade the States of Holland and the Princes of Germany to assist the King with men and money on their Part. She promised likewise that if the Duke of Parma should return again into France she would assist Grave Maurice and the Hollanders to make a strong diversion by entring into Brabant and Flanders Now the party of the League make a disgust against the Duke of Mayenne which is fomented by the Spaniards And the Lords of the house of Lorain grow jealous one of another and the Duke of Nemours lays aside the Government of Paris The Duke of Mayenne dispatcheth President Jeannin to the King of Spain and the Sieur des Portes to the Pope to solicite aid The Chevalier d'Aumale goes to surprize S. Dennis and without resistance enters with all his men but the Governour with only thirty Horse chargeth and routs the Enemy and d'Aumale being thrust through the throat falleth down dead Those that were curious observed that he fell dead before the door of an Inn whose sign was the Espeè Royale a Sword embroidâ—red with golden Flower-de-luces and that his Body being laid upon the Bier in the Church of the Friers of St. Dennis his carkass the night following was all gnawed and mangled with Rats Pope Gregory XIV assigneth fifteen thousand crowns by the Month for the service of the League and Marsilio Landriano a Milanese is chosen Legate for the Kingdom of France Chartres is besieged and surrendered to the Baron de Biron The Duke of Mayenne receives Chasteau Thierry with the composition of twenty thousand crowns Then the Popish Princes and Noblemen following the King did solicite his Majesty to turn to the Romish Religion Anno 1591. The Petitions made to the King to provide for his dutiful Subjects of both Religions to prevent the new attempts of the Pope and his adherents to the prejudice of the Crown of France were the cause of two Edicts made at Mante in the beginning of July The one confirmed the Edicts of Pacification made by the deceased King upon the troubles of the Realm and dissannulled all that passed in July 1585. and 1588. in favour of the League The oâ—her shewed the King's intent to maintain the Catholick Religion in France with the Ancient Rights and Priviledges of the French Church The Court of Parliament of Paris resident at Chalons and Tours having verified these Edicts had dissannulled all the Bulls of Cardinal Gaetan's Legation and other Bulls that came from Rome on March 1. the Proceedings Excommunications and Fulminations made by Landriano terming himself the Pope's Nuncio as abusive scandalous seditious full of impostures made against the holy Decrees Canonical Constitutions approved Councils and against the Rights and Liberties of the French Church They Decree that if any had been Excommunicate by vertue of the said proceedings they should be absolved and the said Bulls and all proceedings by vertue thereof burnt in the Market-place by the Hang-man That Landriano the pretended Nuncio come privily into the Realm without the King's leave or liking should be apprehended and put in the King's Prison And in case he should not be taken he should be summoned at three short daies according to the accustomed manner and ten thousand Franks given in reward to him that should deliver him to the Magistrate Prohibitions being made to all men to receive retain or lodge the said pretended Nuncio upon pain of death And to all Clergy-men not to receive publish or cause to be published any sentences or proceedings coming from him upon pain to be punished as Traytors They declared the Cardinals being at Rome the Archbishops Bishops and other Clergy-men which had signed and ratified the said Bull of Excommunication and approved the most barbarous and detestable Parricide traiterously committed upon the Person of the late deceased King Henry III. to be deprived of such Spiritual Livings as they held within the Realm causing the King's Proctor General to seise thereon and to put them into his Majesties hand forbidding all persons either to carry or send Gold to Rome and to provide for the disposition of Benefices until the King should otherwise Decree Du recueil de l'Histoire de la ligne That of Tours added this clause to the Decree They declared Gregory calling himself Pope the fourteenth of that name an enemy to peace to the union of the Roman Catholick Church to the King and to his Estate adhering to the Conspiracy of Spain and a favourer of Rebels culpable of the most inhumane and most detestable Parricide committed on the Person of the most Christian and Catholick King Henry III. of famous memory The Parliament of the League did afterwards condemn and cause those Decrees to be burnt at Paris which were made against the Bulls and Ministers of the Romish See So one pulled down what another built up The Cardinal of Vendosme begins to raise a third party of Catholicks to make himself Head of them and thereby to bring himself to the Crown Scipio Balbani is sent to Rome by the Cardinal of Vendosme to treat with the Pope and to communicate his design unto him The Cardinal of Lenoncourt gives the King notice of the designs of the Cardinal of Vendosme The High Chancellour thereupon perswades him to turn to the Romish Religion Charles Duke of Guise having been long kept Prisoner at Tours escapes at noon-day and fleeth to Bourges and then meets with the Duke of Mayenne The Council of Sixteen falls into an emulation with the Parliament of Paris and with the Council of State chosen by the Duke of Mayenne Brigard who had been imprisoned upon suspicion of Plots against the League being escaped the Judges that made his Process are by the people in Arms tumultuously put in Prison and by the Council of Sixteen are caused to be strangled in the close Prison and the next day their bodies are hanged at the Greve with infamous writings on their Breasts The Duke
of Mayenne posts to Paris to appease this tumult and causeth Louchart Auroux Hamelin and Emmonot four of the chief of the Council of Sixteen which were most guilty to be strangled The King marcheth into Normandy layes siege to the City of Roven The Duke of Parma with the Spanish Army marcheth to relieve that place They fight at Aumale the King is wounded his men routed and he is put hard to it to save himself Villars the Governour of Roven sallying out enters the trenches and gains the Artillery The Duke of Parma retiring the King returns to Roven and reneweth the siege The Duke of Parma also returns to bring relief and the King's Forces being wasted he riseth from the siege and marcheth to the Banks of the River of Seine Those of the League begin to think of a peace The Catholicks of the King's party are displeased that the peace should be treated by the Sieur de Plessis a Hugonot The Mareschal de Biron is killed with a Canon shot before Espernay The King wept bitterly at the news of his death The Baron de Biron to revenge the death of his Father scales a great Tower at Espernay and takes it but is sorely wounded and the Town is delivered up into the hands of the Duke of Nevers Governour of thâ—t Province August 9. 1592. Now the King desireth a reconciliation with the Catholick Church by way of agreement not by way of pardon The King takes Dreux and being constrained by the importunities of his own Catholick party who threaten to forsake him resolves to change his Religion And being instructed by the Archbishop of Bourges by René Benoist Curate of S. Eustache of Paris and of some other Doctors desires to be admitted into the bosom of the Romish Church And on July 25. he went to Mass at St. Dennis and made a publick and solemn Profession to the said Arbhbishop assisted by Charles Cardinal of Bourbon Archbishop of Roven and Nephew to the deceased nine Bishops with many other Prelates and Religious men protesting to live and die in the Romish Religion swearing to defend it against all men Having made profession of his Faith he performed all Ceremonies requisite in so solemn an Act and then he received absolution and blessing with wonderful joy and acclamation of the people Presently after this Act the King sent the Duke of Nevers the Marquess of Pisani and Henry of Gondy Bishop of Paris to the Pope to yield obedience by them to the See of Rome to beseech him to allow of his Conversion and to countenance it with his own blessing Whilst Elizabeth Queen of England upon account of Religion did with so great expences relieve the French King a strong rumour was spread in England that he either would or had already changed his Religion hereupon was Thomas Wilkes sent over into France to understand the certainty thereof But before his arrival the King had made a publick Profession of the Popiâ—h Religion at St. Dennis as hath been before expressed although some Papists of Religious Orderâ— at that time plotted against his life But he ingenuously declared unto Wilkes the causes that moved him to forsake his Religion And Morlante the French Agent in the mean time telleth the Queen all the very same things and with fair and specious words offereth her all kindness in the King his Masters behalf The Queen being much troubled and disquieted in mind snatched up her Pen and a while after sent this Letter to him Alas what deep sorrow Cambden hist of Q. Eliâ—abeâ—h what vehement grief what sighs have I felt at my heart for the things which Morlante hath told me of Alas is the world come to this pass Was it possible that any worldly matter should make you quit the fear of God can we expect any happy issue of such a fact or could you think that He who hath hitherto with his own right hand upholden and preserved you would now forsake you It is a very dangerous thing to do evil that good may come of it Yet I hope a sober spirit will put you into a better mind In the mean time I will not omit to make it a principal part of my prayers the recommending you to God beseeching him that the hands of Esau may not lose you the blessing of Jacob. Whereas you do Religiously and solemnly offer me your friendship I know to my great cost I have well deserved it neither should I repent that had you not changed your Father Verily from henceforth I cannot be your Sister by the Father for the truth is I shall ever more dearly love and honour my own Father than a false and counterfeit one which God knoweth very well who I beseech him bring you back again to a better mind Subscribed Your Sister if it be after the old manner as for the new I have nothing to do with it Elizabeth R. Yet notwithstanding a Contract was made between him and the Queen at Melun in the Month of August to make War offensive and defensive against the Spaniards And the Queen recommended again and again the Reformed Religion and the Professours thereof to his Care and Protection by Sir Robert Sidney He promised Thâ—t as he had been hitherto their Protectour so he would not for the future fail them though most of the Nobler sort of them had forsaken him On August 26. Peter Barrier born at Orleans was taken Prisoner at Melun where the King then was by the discovery of a Jacobin Florentine to whom he had confessed himself in Lions He confessed that seduced and perswaded by a Capuchin of Lions and afterwards confessed by Aubry Curate of St. Andrews des Acts at Paris by his Vicar and by Father Varade a Jesuite he was come thither expresly to murther the King The Priest revealing this Crime incurs no Ecclesiastical censure The wretch was found seized of a sharp knife with two edges He was pinched with hot Pincers his right hand burnt off holding the said knife his arms legs and thighs broken and his body burnt to ashes and cast into the River Upon a general surceasing of Arms the King assembled some of the chief of the Realm at Mante especially to hear the complaints of such as stood in doubt of the King's change in Religion and were grieved at divers contraventions of his Majesties Edicts whereby they suffered wrongs in all Provinces For the Partisans of Spain continually exclaimed of the incompatibility of two Religions in France and many were of opinion That the King ought not to be admitted but he should promise expresly to banish all such as made Profession of any other Religion than that which he did embrace or at least to abolish all publick Profession But the King employed all his care to unite his people in concord Vitry desiring to be the first that should re-enter under the King's obedience as he had been the first that had separated from it brought back the City of Meaux Aix
by Sir Philip Sidney and at his request finished by Arthur Golding He published a Treatise containing the reasons why the Council of Trent could not be admitted in France He was sent by the King of Navarre to the National Synod of Vitray in Bretagne where he was joyfully received by the whole Company He was likewise present in the General Assembly of the Protestants held at Montauban by the King's permission Anno 1584. Where he was desired by the Assembly to draw up the form of their Complaints against the violation of the Edict for Peace which He together with the Count de la Val presented afterwards to the King at Blois When the League of the House of Guise brake forth which was formed first against the King under pretence of the Defence of the Catholick Religion and afterwards declared against the King of Navarre and the Protestants That famous Declaration in the name of the said King was Penned by Du Plessis In the following Civil Wars for Religion he did many important services for the King of Navarre and the Protestants both with his Sword and Pen having answered a virulent Book published by the League against the King of Navarre called the English Catholick In the year 1590. he built a Church for the Protestants in Saumur and obtained a Grant from the King for the instituting an University there which was afterwards confirmed by a National Synod held in the same place Anno 1593. he wrote a large Letter to the King who then had changed his Religion desiring the continuance of his favour to the Protestants and withal expostulating that sudden change Anno 1598. he Printed his Work of the Lords Supper The Jesuites of Bourdeaux Petitioned the Parliament there that it might be burnt Jacobus August Thuanus is a most faithful Historian He wrote an History of things done throughout the whole World from the year of Christ 1545. even to the year 1608. in a most elegant style He is highly commended by divers Learned men Suae aetatis Historiam summo judicio fide sine odio gratia ad Dei gloriam publicam utilitatem prudentissimè conscripsit opus styli elegantiâ gravissimarum rerum copiâ ac majestate cum quibusâ—is sive veterum sive recentium in eo genere scriptis conferendum Lans Orat. pro Gallia Inter multa quae in te admiratura est posteritas ego illud unicè obstupesco unde tibi modo in fori arce modo in summâ Republicâ versanti otium unde vis indefessa animi ut res tot ac tantas aut scribendas cognosceres aut cognitas scriberes Grot. Epist 16. Jac. Aug. Thuano Quem ego virum divinitus datum censeo saeculo isti in exemplum pietatis integritatis probitatis Casaub Epist Append. Vir immortali laude dignus Historicae Veritatis lumen Montac Antidiat Vir non minus eruditione quà m officij dignitate Nobilis siquis alius Veri studiosus Morton Causa Regia Isaac Casaubon was a great Linguist a singular Grecian and an excellent Philologer He hath written in twelve Books of his Exercitations Animadversions on those twelve Tomes of Baronius his Annals Scaliger in an Epistle to Casaubon commends his Bok de Satyra and in another his Theophrastus his Characters He is thus styled by Salmasius Incomparabilis Vir seculi sui decus immortale Isaacus Casaubonus nunquam sine laude nominandus nunquam satis laudatus Salmas Praefat. ad Hist August script The Marriage between the King and Queen Margarite being pronounced void and a Contract past between him and Mary of Medices the Duke of Florence's Daughter She being blessed of Aldobrandino the Pope's Legate at Florence went from thence and arrived at Marseilles from wheâ—ce being every where Royally entertained she came to Lions and there after eight daies stay met with the King where in St. John's Church the Nuptial solemnity was performed to this Couple by the Legate On September 27. 1601. the Queen was delivered of a Son which was named Lewes The King blessing him put a Sword in his hand to use it to the glory of God and the defence of his Crown and people The Pope sent presently unto the King and Queen to congratulate with them of this Birth and to carry unto the young Prince swadling bands bearing clothes and other things blessed by his Holiness Then the Pope granted a Jubilee and pardons to all the French that should go visit the Church of St. Croix at Orleans doing the works of Christian Charity An infinite number of people went thither from all parts of France the King and Queen went thither with the first and gave means to help to build this Church which had been ruined during the fury of the first Civil wars The King laid the first stone of this building Then the King did forbid the superfluous use of Gold and Silver in Lace or otherwise upon garments and made an Edict also against Usury and another against Combates Not long after the Duke of Biron's Conspiracy was discovered who was sometimes heard say he would die a Sovereign Refusing to submit hiâ—self to the King's Clemency he is seized on at the King's Chamber door and his Sword being taken from him is carried Prisoner to the Bastille There uttered he those passionate words That if they desired to put him to death they should dispatch him that they should not brag they had made him to fear death that they should speedily drink themselves drunk with the blood which remained of thirty five wounds which he had received for the service of France The King sent his Letters to the Court of Parliament to make his Process In the end being found guilty the Chancellour pronounced the sentence of death whcih was inflicted on him in the Bastille which he took most impatiently King James of happy memory before his coming to the Crown of England sent expressions of Royal favour to the Consistory of Paris who chose the forementioned Du Moulin to address their humble thanks by Letters to his Majesty And when his Majesty publisht his Confession of Faith against which Coeffeteau since Bishop of Marselles writ an eloquent Book Du Moulin undertook the defence of the King's Confession and wrote a French Book with that Title which was most welcome to the King and to the English Clergy and his Majesty made Royal and bountiful expressions of his acceptance And because other Adversaries besides Coeffeteau had writ against the King Du Moulin wrote another Book in his defence in Latine entituled De Monarchia Pontificis Romani The Duke of Bovillon having been accused by those which had been examined in Council upon the Conspiracies of the Duke of Biron being sent for refuseth to come to the King but afterwards in the year 1606. he made his peace and came to the King being then at Dunchery on April 11. The King with the Queen Princes of the blood and other Officers of the Crown
sitting can produce can countervail the dissipation of so many Churches that lie open to the wrath of their enemies whether when they are fallen you can raise them again whether in the evident division that is among us you are able to rally the scattered parts of that divided body which if it were well united yet would be too weak to stand upon the defensive part Pardon me Gentlemen if I tell you that you shall not find aâ—â— our Protestants enclin'd alike to obey your resolutions and that the fire being kindled all about you shall remain helpless beholders of the ruine you have provoked Neither can it be unknown to you that many of the best quality among us and best able to defend us do openly blame your actions professing that suffering for this cause is not suffering for the cause of God These making no resistance and opening the Gates of their places or joining their arms with the King 's you may easily judge what loss and what weakening of the party that will be How many of our Nobility will forsake you some out of conscience some out of treachery some out of weakness Even they who in an Assembly are most vehement in their votes and to shew themselves Zealous are altogether for violent waies are very often they that first revolt and betray their Brethren They bring our distressed Churches to the hottest danger and there leave them going away after they have set the house on fire If there be once fighting or besieging of our Towns whatsoever may the issue be of the Combate or the siege all that while it will be hard to keep the people animated against us from falling upon our Churches that have neither retreat nor defence And what order soever the Magistrates of contrary Religion take about it they shall never be able to compass it Certainly this stirring of yours is altogether unseasonable and you set sail against wind and tide If any thing can help it must be the zeal of Religion c. But in this cause you shall find that zeal languishing because most of our people believe that this evil might have been avoided without any breach to our Conscience c. When I call to mind our several losses as that of Lectoure Privas and Bearn I find that we our selves have contributed to them and it is no wonder that our enemies take no care to remedy our faults and join with us to do us harm But hence it follows not that we must set our house on fire our selves because others are resolved to burn it or take in hand to remedy particular losses by means too weak to redress them but strong and certain to ruine the general God who hath so many times diverted the Counsels taken for our ruine hath neither lost his Power nor altered his Will we shall find him the same still if we have the grace to wait for his assistance not casting our selves headlong by our impatience or setting our minds obstinately upon impossibilities Certainly although our enemies seek our ruine yet they will never undertake it openly without some pretence other and better than that of Religion which we must not give them For if we keep our selves in the obedience which Subjects owe to their Sovereign you shall see that whilst our Enemies hope in vain that we shall make our selves guilty by some disobedience God will give them some other work and afford us occasions to shew to his Majesty that we are a Body useful to his State and put him in mind of the signal services that our Churches have done to the late King of glorious memory But if we are so unfortunate that whilst we keep our selves to our duty the calumnies of our enemies prevail at least we shall get so much that we shall keep all the right on our side and make it appear that we love the peace of the State Notwithstanding all this Gentlemen you may and ought to take order for the safety of your persons For whereas his Majesty and his Council have said often that if you separate your selves he will let our Churches enjoy peace and the benefit of his Edicts c. And whensoever you Petition for your safe dissolution I trust it will be easie to obtain it if you make possible requests and such as the misery of the time and the present necessity can bear And in the mean time you may advise before you part what should be done if notwithstanding your separation we should be opprest That order your prudence may find and it is not my part to suggest it unto you If by propounding these things unto you I have exceeded the limits of discretion I hope you will impute it to my zeal for the good and preservation of the Church And if this advice of mine is rejected this comfort I shall have that I have discharged my Conscience and retiring my self unto some foreign Country there I will end those few daies I have yet to live lamenting the loss of the Church and the destruction of the Temple for the building whereof I have laboured with much more courage and fidelity than success The Lord turn away his wrath from us direct your Assembly and preserve your Persons I rest c. From Sedan February 12. 1621. Vid. P. H. his voyage to France p. 206. These men not only gave Audience to Ambassadours and received Letters from forreign Princes but also importuned his Majesty to have a general liberty of going into any other Countries and assinging in their Councils a matter of special importance And therefore the King upon a foresight of the dangers wisely Prohibited them to go to any Assemblies without a particular Licence upon pain to be declared Traytors Since that time growing into greater strength whensoever they had occasion of business with King Lewes they would never Treat with him but by their Ambassadours and upon special Articles An ambition above the quality of those that profess themselves Sorbonets and the only way as De Serres noteth to make an Estate in the State But the answers made unto the King by those of Alerack and Montauban are pregnant proofs of their intent and meaning in this kind The first being summoned by the King and Army July 22. Anno 1621. returned thus That the King should suffer them to enjoy their Liberties and leave their Fortifications as they were for them for their lives and so they would declare themselves to be his good Subjects They of Montauban said That they were resolved to live and die in the Union of the Churches but said not for the service of the King This Union and Confederacy of theirs King Lewes used to call the Common-wealth of Rochel for the overthrow of which he alwaies protested that he had only taken Arms. On the second of April before he had as yet advanced into the Field he published a Declaration in favour of all those of the Potestant Religion which would contain themselves
to the Duke The peace that had been concluded before Montpelier in the year 1622. Vid. The Histâ—ry of the life of the Duke of Espernon part 3. had hitherto continued the affairs of the Kingdom in some repose and although those of the Reformed Religion expressed some dispositions to a new Commotion there was as yet no manifest breach Soubize by an attempt made upon the King 's Shipping at Blavet made the first breach All the rest of the party broke into Arms at the same time and the Duke of Rohan who had long been known to be the Head of that party stirred them into insurrection A promptitude in his Partizans so much the more to be wondered at as he commanded a sort of people whose obedience was only voluntary Montauban was one of the Cities not only of Guienne but also of the whole Kingdom that engaged the deepest in this revolt the Inhabitants whereof by having had a siege raised from before their Walls and by having baffled a Royal Army even when animated by the presence of the King himself began to think themselves invincible and their City a place not to be taken The King therefore sent order to the Duke of Espernon to take Arms which he did and laid waste the Country about Montauban Many smart engagements there were with great loss of men on the side of the besieged who made a vigorous resistance Many lamentable objects were every where to be seen from Picqueros 〈◊〉 place famous for having been the King's quâ—rter during the siege of Montauban and from whence the whole Plain betwixt the Rivers Tarn and Vairan lay open to the view so soon as the obscurity of the night gave colour to the fire that had been kindled by day one might have seen a thousand fires at once the Corn Fruit-trees Vines and houses were the aliments that nourished this flame Soubize in the mean time endeavours to divert the Duke from his enterprize by Landing three thousand five hundred Foot and some few Horse in the lower Gascony in the Country of Medoc This little Country which is almost all the Duke's environs a great part of the Metropolis of Burdeaux extending it self to the very Gates of the City but Soubize was shamefully repulsed his Forces routed the few that escaped the Victors hands with much ado recovered their Ships leaving their dead their Arms Artillery and Baggage as infallible testimonies of a total defeat About the year 1623. the famous Book of Cardinal Du Perron against King James of famous memory came forth That Book was extolled by the Romanists with great brags and praises His Majesty being especially interessed and provoked by that Book was pleased to recommend the confutation of it to his old Champion Dr. Du Moulin who undertook it upon his Majesties Command And that he might attend that work with more help and leisure his Majesty invited him to come into England And together being moved with compassion by the adversities the Doctor had suffered for his sake he offered him a refuge in England promising to take care of him and to employ him in one of his Universities He accepted that Royal favour He set out of Sedan in March 1624. and went to Bruxels and Antwerp and so to Holland whence after some daies stay at the Hague with his worthy Brother in law Doctor Rivet he took Shipping for England He was graciously received by his Majesty God visited him with a grievous sickness by an heavy oppression in his Hypochondries with an inflammation of black choler which seldom let him sleep and kept him in perpetual agony Yet even then he spent much time in his great work against Cardinal Du Perron and preached often in the French Church In the depth of his pain and anguish he was beyond measure afflicted with the persecutions that ruined the Churches of France and the divisions then increasing in the Churches of England There was at London at that time the Marquess d'Effiat See the Life of Dr. Du Moulin extraordinary Ambassadour of France a zealous Papist who upon a false information of Fisher and other Jesuites that were about him that Doctor Du Moulin by his long watchings and other melancholy fumes was decayed in his Intellectuals did malitiously invite him to his house to engage him in a Conference and insult over his weakness After dinner the Ambassadour desired him to hear a Scottish man who would tell him the reasons that made him leave the Protestant Religion to embrace the Catholick The Scottish man then assisted by Fisher and others of his sort made an elaborate Discourse half an hour long of the Church of St. Peter's Primacy of succession of Chairs and the like When he had done the Doctor resumed all his points and allegations in the same order and answered them with his ordinary vigour and presence of wit And because the principal matter in question was about the Marks of the true Church he maintained that the Profession of the true Doctrine was the Mark of the true Church and thence took occasion to lay open the foulness of the errors of Popery with so much pregnancy that the Ambassadour a Cholerick man rose from his seat in great fury and gave many foul words to the Doctor who thereupon went out and returned home But the Ambassadour sent his Coach to him the next day and invited him to dinner And after dinner the Scottish man spake again of the same points and when the Doctor in his answer had turned his Dispute against the grossest errours of Popery incompatible with the true Church Fisher would have taken the Scottish man's part but the Ambassadour's passion gave him no time to answer but broke vehemently out saying that he could hear no longer that one should revile before him the Catholick Religion and maintain to him that he did wilfully damn himself his Wife and his Children Then the Doctor went out of his house Soon after King James fell sick of the Sickness whereof he died That death of his Royal Patron and the Plague raging in London soon perswaded the Doctor to return to Sedan The labour of the journey and the intolerable heat of the season increased his sickness which to heal the Physitians of Sedan made him drink Spaw-waters which were broâ—ght to him from Spaw to Sedan These waters brought him to a most violent Feaver and the Feaver consumed all those humours and winds that opprest him and left him in health So he returned to his former Function in the Church and University serving God with chearfulness and assiduity and blessed with great success He lived at Sedan thirty and three years from his return into England unto his death without any notable change in his condition but one of publick concernment by the miserable change of the Duke of Bovillon That Duke being Prince of Sedan the Protectour of a flourishing Protestant Church and the refuge of many oppressed Protestants in France was perverted by falling in
his presence But the Prelates refusing to stoop to this Order it being contrary to the Rules of the French Church took a middle course They went so habited to salute him and accordingly accompanied him in the Cavalcade to Nostre-Dame whither being come they took off their Mantlets but all was done under a Proviso of saving their antient right He proposed to the King what the Pope had given him in charge He urged the King in general terms to peace to restore things in the Valtoline to their former state as they were before the Army of the Confederate Princes entred into it and desired him to grant a Cessation of Arms in Italy The King answered to the three Propositions That he was ever enclin'd to Peace and that he would still be induced to it provided it were for the publick safety and honourable for him and his Allies That as to what concern'd the Valtâ—line the late Treaty of Madrid had made provision for all those difficulties which have risen ever since and that he desired the execution of it As to the Cessation of Arms that he could by no means hearken to it because of the great prejudice it would be to himself and his Allies and the great advantage those of the adverse Party might make out of it Thereupon the Legate unexpectedly departeth from the French Court and goeth toward Rome The Hugonots now begged his Majestie 's pardon by their Deputies whom they sent unto him to testifie the sense they had of their fault and to assure him of their future fidelity and obedience His Majesty was well pleased with it and the Deputies coming to him at Fountainbleau about the end of August whilst the Legate was there there was no kind of acknowledgements and submissions which they did not make both in behalf of themselves as also of the Duke of Rohan and the Sieur de Soubize who sent to supplicate him by their particular Deputies that he would be pleased to employ them in the War of Italy that they might testifie by their passion to serve him that there was not any danger by Sea or Land to which they would not cheâ—rfully expose themselves to contribute to his glory Having made their speeches they presented the paper of their Complaints which they said were grounded upon several Graces which had been conferred upon them by the Edict of Nantes and several other grants The King received it and appointed it to be examined After the paper of their grievances had been examined the French King confirmed to them whatever had been granted to them by the Edict of Nantes granting them free liberty for the exercise of their Religion in such Towns where they had Churches and Church-yards and an Act of Oblivion for any thing done in the War but be would not consent to the demolishing of Fort Lewes as being of great importance for the keeping of Rochel in awe and obedience These favours were accepted by the general Deputies of the Protestants in the name of all their Towns excepting those of Rochel Montauban Castres and Milhaud who having been gained by the Duke of Rohan and Sieur de Soubize and finding that their Leaders had obtained only a single Pardon without any other advantage and without being employ'd in Italy according as they desired they entreated his Majesty upon other pretences that he would be pleased to grant some time till their two chief Officers and those four Cities were joyned with them The King granted to them that delay upon condition it were not over long who presently sent away the heads of those resolutions which had been taken But the Duke of Rohan excuseth himself from accepting those Articles which were granted to those of his Party He did his utmost to surprize some places in Languedoc He made an attempt upon Tillet in Albigeois He had some time before caused the Towns of Masdazil Pamiers and several other of Foix to revolt from which places he sent out his Scouts who committed great havocks in the plain Countrey But the Marshal de Themines and the Count de Carmain fell upon the Hugonots charged and killed many of them and took divers places from them some by storm some by composition Hereupon the Duke of Rohan went to the Assembly at Milhaud where he made those of his Party send a Currier to the King to accept of the Articles of Peace which his Majesty had granted to them His Majesty confirmed them though they had rendered themselves unworthy by their new Acts of Rebellion But it was necessary so to be for the better opposing of the enterprizes of Spain though Rochel was still excepted by reason of the little inclination they had testified of keeping themselves within their duty Then the Bishops and Clergy of France assembled at Paris The chief intent of their meeting was for the renewing of that Contract which they made every tenth year with the King for the payment of those Rents which are imposed on them They also condemned certain Libels sent abroad by the Spanish ambition which had been sent into France They condemned the Authours of them as enemies to the publick quiet and seducers of the people to Sedition And they granted to the King Six hundred thousand crowns upon the Churches oâ— France as a Contribution toward the Wars in which the State was engaged as also to preserve the Catholick Religion in its splendour and to maintain the glory of the Crown But many sordid spirits grudged at it who considering but one of those ends for which Lands were given to Churches began to oppose it as if the Church which is part of the State were not bound to contribute to the good of those Corporations of which they were members and as if the publick necessities were not more considerable than the private profits of some particular people who often employ their Revenues to bad uses The Cardinal now endeavoureth the procuring of Peace for those of Rochel And the same reasons which enclined his Majesty to shew his Clemency to the rest of that party did also perswade him to do the like to those of Rochel The King consented that the Town should be delivered into the hands of the Corporation on condition that they kept no Ships of War that they observed those Orders for traffique which were established in the rest of the Kingdom That they should restore to the Ecclesiasticks all the goods which had been taken from them That they should suffer the Catholicks to live freely and quietly in the exercise of the Roman Catholick Religion and in the enjoyment of those goods which appertained to them That his Majesty should leave what Garrison he thought fit in Fort Lewes and the Islands of Reé and Olleron only promising that he would settle such a course in it as those of Rochel might receive no trouble by it either in their Commerce or in the enjoyment of their goods These Articles were agreed on about the beginning of February An.
King himself He calls him the Grand Director and most puissant Genius of France the perfectest of men who doth penetrate things to come and is ignorant of nothing great and incomparable Cardinal the most eminent among mortals to whom the â—rabbed iâ— and most mysterious affairs of State are but pastimes visible God and tutelar Angel of the Universe a spirit that moves the Heavens and and the Stars the bliss of the world the Supreme Intelligence the Phoenix of the earth who never had nor ever shall have his parallel As there were a number of such profane Sycophants among the Wits of France that idolized him in that manner so there wanted nor others that aspersed him by Pasquils and Libels One calleth the Capuchin the Cardinal and the Devil the three degrees of Comparison Horel's Hist of Lewes XIII One hath made this Epitaphical invective on him Adsta viator quò properas Quod nusquà m videbis aut audies heic legitur Armandus Johannes de Plessis Cardinalis de Richlieu Clarus Origine magnus ingenio fortunâ eminentissimus Quodque mirere Sacerdos in Castris Theologus in Aula Episcopus sine plebe Cardinalis sine titulo Rex sine nomine unus tamen omnia Naturam habuit in numerato fortunam in consilio Aerarium in peculio securitatem in bello victoriam sub signis Socios in praecinctu cives in servitute Amicos in obsequio inimicos in carcere Hoc tamen uno miser quod omnes miseros fecit Tam seculi sui Tormentum quà m ornamentum Galliam subegit Italiam terruit Germaniam quassavit Afflixit Hispaniam coronavit Briganzam cepit Lotharingiam Accepit Cataloniam fovit Sueciam truncavit Flandriam Turbavit Angliam lusit Europam Poeta purpuratus Cui scena mundus gloria stiparium Regia gaza Choragium fuit Tragicus maximè quam fabulam malè solvit Post regnum Testamento suis distributum paupertatem populo imperatam Dissipatos Principes nobilitatem suppliciis exhaustam Senatum authoritate spoliatum exteras Gentes bello incendiis vastatas Pacem terra marique profligatam Cùm fatiscente corpore animum gravioribus consiliis aegrè vegetare Et nullius non interesset ipsum aut vivere aut mori Jamque bona sui parte mortuus aliorum tantum morte viveret Derepente spirare desiit timeri O fluxa mortalitas Quà m tenue momentum est inter omnia nihil Mortui corpus rheda extulit Secuti equites peditesque magnó numero Faces praetulerunt Ephebi crucem nemo quia currus pâ—blicam ferebat Denique hunc tumulum implet non totum Quem tota Europa non implebat Inter Theologos situs ingens disputandi argumentum Quò migravit sacramentum est Haec te lector volui heic te metire Et abi Stay passenger where hast'nest thou Here maist thou read what thou shalt not see nor hear any where else Armand John du Plessis Cardinal of Richlieu Noble by descent great in wit most eminent in fortune And what thou maist admire A Priest in the Field a Divine at Court A Bishop without a Cure a Cardinal without a Title a King without name Yet one who was all these He had nature in all her numbers Fortune in his Counsels The Royal Treasure in possession security in War Victory under his Banner He kept his Confederates in compass his Countrey-men in servitude His friends at a distance his enemies in Prison In this only wretched that he made all men so Being as well the torment as the ornament of his time He subdu'd France he scar'd Italy he shook the Empire He afflicted Spain he Crown'd Braganza he took Lorrain He accepted of Catalonia he fomented Sweden he maim'd Flanders He troubled England he cousened all Europe A purpled Poet Whose Stage was the world glory his Curtain the Exchequer his tyring house His subject for the most part tragical to which he put an ill Catastrophe Having turn'd the Kingdom to Legacies bequeathed poverty to the people Dissipated the Princes exhausted the Nobility with punishments Bereft the Parliament of power destroy'd other Nations with fire and sword Driven away peace by Sea and Land His body now fainting his mind not recreable for restlesâ— thoughts When it concern'd every one that he should live or die Being in good part already mortifi'd and living only in others death He suddenly ceas'd to breath and to be feared O the frail things of mortality What a small moment is there betwixt something and nothing The Corpse were carried in a Chariot Horse and Foot followed in great numbers Pages carried Torches none the Cross for the Chariot carried the publick Cross In fine he hardly fill'd up his grave Whom all Europe could not fill He lies among the Sorbonists Of Dispute a mighty Argument Whither he is gone 't is a Sacrament Reader this is all I would have with thee Hereby measure thy self and be gone He died at Paris December 4. 1642. in the 57. year and third month of his Age. After the decease of Richlieu Cardinal Julius Mazarin a Gentleman of an ancient Roman Extraction was put to sit at the Helm He together with Leo Bouthiller Chavigni and Soublet Noyer both Secretaries of State were the Cabinet Counsel to the King Mazarin was a bosom friend and a great intrinsick Confident of Richlieu before who had imparted his designs infused all his Maxims into him and opened unto him all the Arcana Imperii He had been an active Political Instrument employ'd by the Pope before in sundry Treaties and difficult traverses of State wherein he had good success and in all his negotiations he was discovered to be a Person of excellent address and rare endowments Five months after the death of Cardinal Richlieu the King fell sick at S. German's and died on May 14 1643. the same month the same day of the month and about the same hour of the day that his Father died thirty three years before but with this mark of difference that the one went out the other was sent out of the world about the same time His bowels were presently carried to be interred at Saint Dennis whither his Body followed after in the height of all solemnity and magnificence that his Queen could devise whom he left Regent of the Realm He was a great Zealot in the Religion and Ceremonies of the Church of Rome When the Queen found her self quick he caus'd a solemn Declaration to be published wherein he made the blessed Virgin Protectress under the holy Trinity of all his Estates all which he consecrated to her and for an immortal Mark of this Consecration he commanded the great Altar in the Cathedral Church of Paris to be built anew with the Image of the Virgin which should hold in her Arms that of our Saviour and the K. to lie prostrate before the Son and Mother offering them his Crown and Scepter The Archbishop of Paris was enjoyn'd to Commemorate this Declaration once every year
upon Assumption-day at the Altar in the Morning and that in the Evening a general Procession should be made wherein the Provost of Paris and all the Soveraign Companies should be assistant with the Court of Parliament This Command extended to all other Archbishops and Bishops throughout France that they should in every Cathedral Church erect one special Altar to the Virgin Mary for this end and in commemoration of this Act to pepetuity One Instance more I shall add of his Zeal to the Romish Religion When the Old Marshal de la Force a Protestant was admitted to see him a little before he expired he told him on his death-bed That he thought God Almighty suffer'd him meaning the Marshâ—â— to live so long upon Earth expecting his Conversion as he had done that of Lesdiguiers He put out sundry Proclamations against Swearers against Pride in apparel as also against Duels and the last was so strict That both the appellant and defendent whosoever did survive should suffer death without mercy and be deprived of Christian burial but both rot upon the Gallows with their heels upwards Here I shall put down a List of divers Books that were Printed in France for sundry years past Francisci Garciae Evangelicus concionator Printed at Lions Anno 1622. Petri Damiani Cardinalis opera Printed at Lions 1623. Bibliothica Veterum Patrum Graecorum Printed at Paris 1624. Deus Natura Gratia by Saint Clara Printed at Lions 1625. Puteani Commentaria in summam D. Thomae Printed at Tholouse 1627. Biblia Septuaginta cum Graeco Testamento Graec. Lat. in three Volumes Printed at Paris 1628. Biblia Vulgata Printed 1628. Bibliotheca Ordinis Praemonstratensis per Job le Praige Printed at Paris 1633. Ludov. Dolae de Concursibus Dei creatura Printed at Lions 1634. Concilia Generalia Graec. Lat. ten Volumes Printed at Paris Franc. Lanovii Chronicon generale ordinis Minimorum Printed at Paris 1635. Didacus Baeza de Christo figurato in Vet. Testam Printed at Lions 1636. Francis Hallier de sacris electionibus ordinationibus at Paris 1636. Historia Ecclesiae Gallicanae at Paris 1636. Franc. Bouquet de Pontificibus Romanis è Gallia oriundis Jacobi Sirmondi propemptrion contra Eucharist Cl. Salmasii Jac. Sirmundi opuscula Dogmatum veterum Scirptorum Andrew de Saussay Martyrologium Gallicanum at Paris 1637. Mart. Bonacinnae opera omnia Printed at Paris 1638. Jacobi Saliani Annales Ecclesiastici Steph. Fagundez in Decalog at Lions 1640. Theses Theologicae Protest Academiae Salmuriensis at Saulmur 1641. Hâ—ttingeri Historia Ecclesiastica five Volumes compleat Hottingeri Analecta Historico-Theologica Octavo Afterwards Anno 1646. there was published Annalium Ecclesiasticorum Epitome at Roven Novissima Galliae Concilia à Tempore Concilii Tridentini ad Annum 1646 at Paris Lewes XIV the present French King succeeded his Father in the Kingdom being about five years old Mazarine casting with himself what is hutful and profitable past this sentence upon the Clergy These are his words counselling the Queen Regent The Sacred Order for these many years hath had but a thin harvest of excellent Persons however it come to pass Men follow after nice Questions live idly do not embrace serious Studies All is done with pomp nay if any Sermons be to be made and the very venerable sacrifice offered Of their Office they lay claim to nothing but their Rents the duty of Preaching which is the principal dignity of a Bishop they quit to any one though never so insufficient They think themselves Bishop enough if they can but ride in fine Coaches with their Arms set on out-vie one another in rich Liveries and Lacquies and punish with rigour those that transgress in the least matters Perpetual haunters of Ladies Couches not without undervaluing the Pastoral staff This is for the most part for there are some that lead holy and unreprovable lives He that shall take offence will own himself not to be one of these but those other So much power hath Religion over the minds of men that as often as among men in holy Orders any eminent vertue hath got up and overcome the common attainments and the vices of mankind it is adored like a Deity At that time that company was of no weight nor moment in France said Mazarine There was Francis Paul Gondy by extraction a Florentine but born in France Abbot of Rhetz afterwards Coadjutor to the Bishop of Paris Archbishop of Corinth one that if occasion had offered would have aspired high as Cardinal Mazarine confessed he was perswaded Over and above an honourable Family he had eloquence and learning with promptness of spirit All was now prosperous and quiet in France whose power reached over Almania from the Mazelin Brink beyond the Rhine By the Victory at Norlingue the parts confining on the Danube were afterwards invaded and terror struck on all sides In Spain by seizing Tortosa and Flix the French got to the River Iber. Their Fleets ranged over the Mediterranean and Ocean All Italy from the Pope who then was Vrban VIII to the least Princes bore reverence The Dukes of Savoy Mantua and Modena then rather Instruments of French slavery than free Princes The Kings of Sweden and Denmark boasted of their friendship the Pole sued for it The Electors of Germany sought to interest themselves in their favour Portugal rent from Spain depended on the looks of France whose Yoak Catalonia had put on being weary of the Spanish Dominion The Low Countries stuck close to them All Europe with astonishment stood gazing at such a state of the French affairs nothing was then wanting to compleat their happiness besides moderation and the art enjoying it Paul Gondy designed Archbishop of Paris is consecrated of Corinth it is the Bishop of Rome's practice that so the whole world may be thought depending on the Vatican Oracle to exercise his authority even upon the dissenting parts That day was first occasion of much ensuing mischief Ferraro Pallavicini a Canon Regular a Parmesan of a Noble house sharply inveighing in libellous Pamphlets against the practices of the Roman Court lost his Head at Agivnon in France and gave instance how unsafe a thing it is to touch upon the Roman State in writing though never so truly The Divisions of Italy being closed up Pope Vrban VIII died July 29. 1644. after he had sate twenty one years and some months Then Gio Battista Pamphilio a Noble Roman was Proclaimed Pope after the See had been vacant 45. daies He assumed the name of Innocent the Tenth The Hist of Cardinals part 3. lib. 2. This Election was not at all displeasing to the French though they were not a little displeased at Cardinal Antonio who for his own private Interest had by his reiterated instances perswaded that Crown to the exclusion of Pamphilio and afterwards consented to it contrary to the King's order and without expecting the return of the Currier which was dispatched to that Court that they might consult upon the
Empress of the world and the Secular power must be its Lacquey which is scandalous The Queen tolerated these and such like disorders and others cherished them The Parliament condemned them as prejudicial to their Authority The Princes could not well digest the hardiness of the Parliament of Paris The Council of the Nobles slighted both Court and Parliament and joyned with the Clergy Conde removes divers Ministers of State He takes the Government of Guienne rejecting his present one of Burgundy He withdraws from Court The Civil commotions break out afresh and a third Bourdeaux war ariseth Now Mazarine is revoked upon this ground to succour the King who was again distressed by the faction The day of the Kings Majority approached The King with the Queen Regent came into the Parliament on September 7. 1651. with a solemn pomp The Queen having made a short recital of her Regency delivereth up her Government to her Son The first Action of the new King was to fall on Conde's Forces at Marle Guise and Vervain They were partly routed and some slain part under the command of Tavan recovered Stenay From thence was the rise of the Civil War Then did Corinth compass that Hat so often promised and so often put by which Pope Innocent granted not so much for gratifying the King as the eclipsing Mazarine by setting up an equal to him in dignity No longer is he called Corinth but de Rhetz shall he be hereafter called The King leaving St. Germans goes and falls upon Conde's Forces at Estampes They having barricadoed up the place make a stout defence and elude the assaults of Thurenne who upon the approach of the Lorrainer is forced to draw off and convey ths King to Corbeil The Armies meet and fight from five in the morning till five in the evening with great fury There were slain on both sides men of quality besides an innumerable company of common souldiers The port of S. Anthony being clear Conde with his mangled Retinue comes into the City Conde draws off into Flanders And Mazarine counterfeits a departure into Spain to divert the blame of the troubles upon Conde alone The faction declines The King returneth to Paris Orleans withdraweth without waiting on the King De Rhetz is imprisoned at Vincennes He was brought to Nantes and he escapes from thence and afterwards assisted at Rome at the election of Pope Alexander VII Then returning to France he voluntarily laid down the Arch-bishoprick of Paris to gratifie the King he lives quietly in splendour suitable to his disposition Mazarin after his return pursues nothing so eagerly as the peace setleth France makes a peace with Cromwel and reduceth his enemies to extremities Complaint was made unto the King against the Protestants of the City of Montauban accusing them for beating a Priest and making a tumult to the breach of the Kings peace The King upon the complaint of the Clergy appointed Monsieur Melian master of Requests by special commission to go and make enquiry at Montauban touching the truth of what passed there between the Protestants and the Catholicks Whereof the Deputy of the Protestants residing at Paris being informed he addressed himself to Monsieur Melian and gave him an account of all passages according to the testimonies and depositions that had been already taken about me business as how that they were most of them Papists that were in the Tumult at the death of the Woman And in ease this were not true then he desired himself might suffer the same punishment that the â—ffenders do deserve In the mean time he prayed the said Commissioner that the Protestants might have a full and fair hearing from him when he should arrive at Montauban In August 1656. the Assembly of the Clergy sitting in Paris they resolved that the Deputies of the Province of Paris should go to Court to represent to his Majesty the state of the Church of Paris the great need that there was of his countenance and direction to put all things in order The Deputies of the said Assembly having conferred with the Chancellour and the other Ministers of State there residing could not then come to any conclusion upon those pretensions which the Clergy alledged against those of the Reformed Religion And therefore the Archbishop of Sens the Bishop of Montpelier and two Abbots spent some time at Court to sollicite the King to put forth some Declaration in favour of the Clergy and Catholick Religion Madam the Dutchess of Orleans arrived at Chartres to perform a Vow which she hâ—d made which was that once every year she would visit the Church of Chartres there to make her devotion On August 9. the Deputies of the Assembly of the Clergy went with the Chancellour to consider of the differences and quarrels which they had against those of the Reformed Religion the King having deputed the Chancellour to joyn with them in the examination of that business In the same month the Bishhop of Chartres died at Paris He had been Confessour to Cardinal Richlieu It was then affirmed by letters from Paris that the King had consented to a declaration drawn up in favour of the Clergy and Catholicks to be presented to the Parliament for their verification revoking his declaration of the year 1652. which was made in favour of the Protestants The Abbot of Marolles was apprehended and sent prisoner to the Bastille for words spoken against Cardinal Mazarine Christiana late Queen of Sweden having renounced the Protestant Religion and revolted to the Catholick Religion came into France and on September 4. 1656. lodged at Fontainbleau where she was complemented with an Oration by the Sieur Hambrocus the Kings Professour extraordinary for the Hebrew Syriack and Arabick Tongues he being presented to her by the Duke of Guise On the sixth she was at the House of Monsieur Hesselin who entertained her with all manner of divertisements in that most delicious place On the seventh she was at Conflans in the house of the Duke of Richlieu where she was likewise very nobly treated by the Duke and Duchess who at night gave her a Comedy On the eighth she made her entrance into Paris on Horseback passing through ten thousand Citizens who stood in Armes to receive her Before her went an hundred Switzers of the Kings Guard with drums beating At the Gate of S. Anthony she had a speech made her by the Sieur de Seve Provost of Merchants in head of all the companies of the City Then she marched on with a Canopy carried over her the great Guns being discharged and the Streets all adorned with rich hangings towards the Church of Nostre-Dame At the entrance whereof she was entertained with an Oration by the Dean all the Clergy giving attendance and then passing to the Quire they sang Te Deum with admirable musick after which she was most magnificently conducted to the Louvre The Archbishop of Roven having most unjustly prosecuted an Advocate of that Parliament called Monsieur de
compelled all the Reformed Churches within the Kingdom to appear before those Commissioners and to reproduce their Titles to verifie their Right for the publick Exercise of their Religion and to be judged a second time as if the Edict had never been put in execution And albeit particular Churches produce Acts made in their favours by the first Commissioners Executors of the Edict yet those new Commissioners without any regard thereof reject the same as utterly invalid The Council past an Act Anno 1662. by which it was Ordained That the Protestants shall not be admitted before the Commissioners to prove the Rights for the Exercise of their Religion by Inquests or Witnesses even although the Witnesses be Roman Catholiques Now beside that this manner of probation was never rejected yet are they deprived of the only Mean which in most places is left them to justifie their Titles For during the late Wars many Churches being pillaged or burnt they cannot otherwise evidence their possession than by the testimony of Ancient men yet alive who can depose the condition wherein Affairs stood in the years 1596. and 1597. Moreover each Province hath two Commissioners one a Papist the other a Protestant And from the Popish Commissioners what justice can they expect They in effect proceed according to the instructions of Menier the Jesuite who hath Printed a Book wherein fastning impertinent Expositions upon the plainest terms of the Edict and changing his Majesties Authentick and Royal Words into Jesuitical Equivocations he hath perverted all things according to his own inclination So that their strongest reasons are scorned and their best Titles rejected as Trifles whilst the false Allegations of their Adversaries are admitted as the best of Arguments And they condemn some Churches which produce the like and much better Titles than those alledged by some other Churches whose Priviledges they have ratified And for the Protestant Commissioners what justice or protection can they expect from them because the greatest part of them are chosen by direction and recommendation of the Popish Prelates And some of those Commissioners have parted or shared the places of Publick Worship between the Papists and the Protestants And this sharing of Churches is alwaies determined in Council by advice of the Popish Commissioners their Protestant Colleagues being never either called or heard and hereupon the Hugonots have lost three parts of four of all their Churches And a multitude of Acts have been published by the Council which have been very grievous to them One Act hath bereaved them of the liberty of praising God May 6. 1659. and March 17. 1661. by forbidding the singing of Psalms even privately in their houses though it be an eminent part of Christian Worship Another Act compelleth them to bury their dead clandestinely Aug. 7. and November 3. 1664. and in the night forgetting that the very Heathens had respect to the Tombs of their enemies c. Another hath divested Protestant Magistrates whatever be their charge or quality of the priviledge of presiding in their Courts Octob. 5. 1663. Another hath taken away all means of instructing and educating their Children Feb. 26. 1663. leaving them at most and that only in some places the smaller Schools where is only taught to Read Write and Compt. Another hath restrained the liberty of Printing any Books in favour of their Religion Jan. 19. 1663. by imposing upon them a necessity of obtaining Licences from the Kings Council which cannot be had Another ordaineth Parents to give Pensions to their Children who change their Religion Declar. Oâ—tob 24. 1663. and Act of Council Jan. 30. 1665. even although the said Children will not dwell with them as if Paternal Authority were nulled by Childrens Apostasie Octob. 5. 1663. Another prohibits the exercise of Charity toward their Brethren who are in want Another dischargeth payment of debts by those of the Commonalty who shall turn Papists Feb. 22. 1664. Another prohibits Ministers to Preach without the place of their Residence thereby depriving the Hugonots of the benefit of Annexations that is the priviledge of one Ministers supplying two Churches which singly are not able to afford a competent maintenance Sepâ— 13. 1660. Another deprives them of the liberty of their Classical meetings in the Intervals of Synods whereby the Exercise of Discipline is restrained c. Octob. 5. 1663. Another prohibits the Censuring of Protestant Parents by the Parochial Eldership or otherwise for sending their Children to be educated by Jesuites or Popish Tutors Sepâ— 18. 1664. Another gives liberty to Priests and Friers to enter the houses of Protestants and to come to their Bed-sides when sick or dying to solicite them to change their Religion And after their death they carry away their Children alledging falsly that their Parents at their death gave some sign of willingness to embrace the Romish Religion June 30. 1663. Another makes it Criminal in Ministers to style themselves Pastors or Ministers of the Word of God They forbid Ministers to wear a long Garment that they might have nothing to distinguish them from the Common people And in the Declaration Declar. 1663. of pretended Relapses it is Ordained That those among the Hugonots who have once embraced the Popish Religion shall never again return unto them under pain of perpetual banishment from the Kingdom This is utterly to destroy all liberty of Conscience They seem also to forbid them all hope of being heard in their own defence And there is little hope of being heard at the Council it self where all their Affairs have their last Appeal and audience For it hath often come to pass that the Protestant Deputies sent by the Provinces and Cities to plead their Cause have been expresly commanded to return without so much as only liberty to appear And some have spent six months some a whole year to procure an hearing whilst the Acts sued against them by the Catholick Clergy have been obtained in less than twenty four hours and in fine after a thousand cares they have only had the grief to return to their Provinces with the news of the loss of the Cause which they solicited The Clergy also do endeavour to intimidate and affright the Protestant Ministers some they have violently silenced others they seek to ensnare on every hand some they criminally indict for very trifles some are bâ—nished others are transported whither their Adversaries please and they vex them so to the end no man may be willing to embrace the calling of a Minister Those Cities where Protestants for number are most considerable seem to be the principal Object of their Enemies fury Of these Montauban Rochel and Milan formerly three flourishing Cities are now brought very low and exposed to sufferings of divers kinds Their Adversaries vex them also with Civil and Criminal Law-suits as well against the Body of their Church as particular persons sometimes in the name of the Kings General
love with a beautiful Lady a Subject born of the Spaniard and a Papist of the deepest Jesuitish dye which seduced and turned him both to the Romish Religion and to the Spanish Party Soon after the Duke declared himself a Papist to the incredible loss of the Protestant Party Sedan was grown by the persecutions in France The greatest number and the richest sort consisted of the Posterity of persons that had transported their Families and their Estates to Sedan during the Wars of Religion and that place was a refuge at hand for the Protestants when any trouble arose in France This change therefore in the Prince wrought a great consternation in the people of Sedan and a great grief in the generality of all the French Protestants Which the Duke of Bovillon perceiving and judging that as they lived at Sedan upon the account of their Religion they might retire from it upon the same account he called the Church and the University and told them that he would lend them the same Protection as before and innovate nothing Only whereas he gathered the Tythes of his Dominions and therewith gave wages to the Ministers Professours and Regents as also Stipends to the Priests now the Priests must have the Tythes as their ancient right and he would pay to the Ministers Professours and Regents their ordinary Stipends out of his own Estate Sedan enjoyed that rest for a year or two till the Duke won by his Wife to forsake the Protection which he enjoyed under the King of France who paid his Garrison agreed with the Spaniard to put himself under his Protection to turn out the French Garrison and receive his Which Plot being discovered by some of Sedan was made known to the French Court and such order was taken that the Duke's design was prevented Himself his Lady and all his Retinue were turned out of Sedan and are kept out of it to this day and the place continueth under the subjection of France This year the Inhabitants of the Valtoline were much distressed The Valtoline is a Country scituate at the foot of the Alpes not unlike a great ditch separated by the high Mountains from the Grisons â—nd those which are on the Coast of Italy It is not of very large extent not above twenty Leagues in length and one in breadth but is very fertile and of great importance serving as a Gate to the Spaniards and Venetians to bring Forces out of Germany into Italy as well to defend as to increase their States The Venetians were not ignorant of it when they were embroiled with Pope Paul V. Anno 1603. They made a League with the Grisons who are natural Lâ—â—ds of it to have free passage through it as their occasions should require though France had the only power to dispose of it according to the Treaty made with them by Lewes XII and renewed by Henry IV. Anno 1602. during the time of his own life the life of Lewes XIII and eight years after his decease Which Alliance with them gives great offence to the Spaniards which caused them to make another League with the Grisons to whom the same passages were assured for the safeguard of Milan But after a long Treaty made in the year 1613. these two new Alliances were overthrown and that of France re-setled which was not for any long time for from the year 1617. to the year 1621. there were nine insurrections among them At last the Valtolines made a general revolt and at the perswasion of the Governour of Milan massacred all the Protestants they met with In July 1620. the Governour of Milan sent them Souldiers and builded them Forts in their Valley The French King then being engaged in re-taking those Towns which the Hugonots had gotten into their possession could not succour the Grisons with his Armies but sent the Marshal de Bassompiere extraordinary Ambassadour into Spain in his name to demand that the Valtoline might be restored and all things replaced into their former state It was obtained and accordingly it was signed at Madrid in May 1621. on condition that certain great liberties might be accorded to the Catholicks there and with a Proviso that the Cantons of the Swisses and the Valtolines should encline the Grisons to consent to what had been agreed upon But the Spaniards procured the Catholick Cantons to deny their consents which being wanting they would put off the execution of the whole Treaty and moreover made one at Milan with the Deputies of the Grisons and unto others with the same Grisons and the Arch-Duke Leopold by which they got great advantages in those Countries and so kept to themselves the power of passing any Forces through that Country France never made any difficulty of according to any thing which might contribute to the exercise of the Catholick Religion in the Valtoline or for security of all such as made profession thereof But they would never agree to those demands which the Spaniards made concerning the having of passages with so much peremptoriness During which time Pope Gregory XV. died and Vrban VIII being set in his place proposed new Articles of Accommodation which comprised as much as could be of advantage for the Church and Catholicks which were readily accepted of by France but as stoutly rejected by the Spaniards for that it did not grant to them the enjoyment of the passages Then Cardinal Richlieu advised the King not to stand dallying upon the means of a Treaty as formerly but forthwith to make use of his Arms to reduce tâ—â—m to terms of justice The King resolves to send the Marquess de Coenures to the Cantons of the Swisses for the Grisons affairs at the same time that the Sieur de Bethune was dispatched toward Rome His instructions were first to re-unite all the Swisse Cantons with his Majesty to dispose the Catholicks to give their assent to the Treaty of Madrid and to espie if in this re-union there might not some way be found out for to re-place the Garrisons into the Soveraignty of the Valtoline The second was to be kept private if the first took effect else he was commanded to encourage the Grisons to rise who should receive assistance from his Majesty of such Troops as should be necessary according to such orders as should be received Then the French King Duke of Savoy and Common-wealth of Venice made a League for the restitution of the Valtoline The Marquess de Coenures takes the field to make himself Master of the Forts in the Valtoline which were all taken in the three first Months of the following year New Orders are sent to the Marquess to prosecute his Conquests there The Pope seems to the Cardinal de la Valette and the Sieur de Bethune to be very angry that the King should attempt upon the Forts in the Valtoline which were in his keeping and sends the Sieur Bernardino Nary to his Majesty to testifie to him his great discontent at it The King of Spain to break