sentence Giuen at Rome the fift of the Ides of Septemb. Anno 1585. Psalm 109. O Lord they shall curse and thou wilt blesse those which shall rise against me shall bee confounded but thy seruant shall reioice THE BRVTISH THVNDERBOLT of Pope SIXTVS the fift against HENRIE the most noble King of Nauarre and the most excellent HENRIE BORBON Prince of Condie Togither with the protestation and declaration of the manifold nullitie or inualiditie of the same WHeras of late there was a declaration pronoūced by Pope SIXTVS the fift of that name being a Franciscan Frier and it was shortly after published and printed that Henrie the most noble King of Nauarre and also Henrie Borbon the most excellent Prince of Condie should first be excommunicate as notorious heretiks from among Christians and also that they should be put from their empires honors and al dignities and principally from hope of succéeding in the kingdome of France secondly that their subiects and vassals should be absolued from the oth of alleageance wherewith they were bound to them last of al that they shuld be set vpon by force sword arms and camps by the most mightie king of France the most excellent and noble Princes aforesaid haue thus protested touching that matter that with the good leaue of all Catholikes and without anie hurt of the cōcord of both religions which the same princes do greatly desire to be kept intire in France that proscription or declaration of the pope being a Franciscan Frier was pronounced published diuulgate against all lawes diuine and humane and that for that cause it is in law none and to be accounted for none that all that furious curse is nothing but a brutish thunderbolt of the Romane papacie whose force is friuolous vain and of none account that principally for fower causes namely for the incompetencie of the rash iudge the falsenes of the allegation the want of iudiciall order and for the foolishnes of the forme wherein it is written wherof we wil héerafter intreat in the same order wherein they are set downe Of the incompetencie or insufficiencie of the iudge THerefore the first cause of Nullitie is the incompetencie of a rash iudge which appéereth therby bicause the papacie of Rome which hath taken this iudgement vpon it against so great princes hath long ago béene condemned for seuen most grieuous crimes by the most part of Christendome namely England Scotland Denmarke Sweueland the most part of Germanie and also the most part of Heluetia namely for impietie for exercising tyrannie in the Church for corrupt religion sacrilege treason rebellion and forgerie And it is certaine that although the popedome had not béene condemned for so great crimes but had béene onelie found guiltie yet notwithstanding I do not saie that it is not lawful for it to be a iudge but not so much as to accuse the basest or simplest man of anie crime of offence vntill it haue fitly purged it selfe of all crimes so far off is it that in this so great a state of matters the pope can condemne so great and so famous and mightie princes of so great wickednes especially being vnheard and before their cause is tried a l. neganda 19. c. de publ iudic Which the Canonists themselues doe teach b 4. quaest 1. c. 1. 25. q. 1. c. omnes 24. q. 1. ca. ait duobus cap. seqq And which more is séeing in this cause of the foresaid princes the matter and state of the paparie it selfe is handled none either ciuill or natural reason doth suffer the pope to sit as iudge in his owne matter and to giue sentence for himselfe in his owne cause c l. qui iurisdictioni D. de iurisd l. 1. c. ne quis in sua causa iud l. Julianus 17. de iud But and if the pope be not a fit iudge in this matter but an vncompetent and vnfit iudge as it shall plainly appéere by those things which we shall héerafter speake it followeth that the sentence pronounced by him is none in law that of it selfe and without any appeale it falleth to the ground And we cannot doubt but that l. 1. pass ca. si a non compe iud l. 6. § quod si quis D. de iniust rupt test the iudgement and authoritie of the most part of Christendome aforesaid shall be of great importance with magistrates and orders and principally with the Parleament of France séeing it is euident that this is the law of all nations that in deliberations especially being hard weighty iudgement be alwaies giuen according l. item si vnus 17. § vlt. l. seq D. de recep arbit to the sentence and opinion of the most part especially where the more part is iudged not onelie by the number of persons but also by the maner and quantitie of the vniuersall order as when of thrée parts of iudges two make a departure suppose eight of twelue but that England l. 3. de decret ab ordin fac l. 3. l. 4. D. quod cuiusque vniuer l. nominationum 46. c. de decurio l. quod maior 19. D. ad municip Scotland Denmark Sweueland the most part of Heluetia and part of high and low Germanie are two parts of thrée of Christendome and that therfore they shal haue great weight and authoritie with the orders and Parleament of France we neither can nor ought to doubt for our singular iudgement of their wisedome Moreouer it séemeth that we ought not to let slip euen that that the pope is reiected for an vnméete and incompetent iudge not onely of the most part of Europe but also of those Churches and nations which in Africa Egypt Syria the East Asia and Grecia do professe their name among Christian Churches The manifold crime of impietie and first for arrogating to himselfe the Godhead THerefore the first crime wherof the papacie is conuict and condemned of the most part of Europe we saie is impietie and that thréefold the first bicause the pope doth get to himselfe a certaine Godhead secondly he derideth and mocketh Christian religion last of all he bringeth in into the Church false and forged religions The testimonies of the first impietie are these The pope doth both reioice and boast that he is called God * where it is written thus It is sufficiently declared dist 96. satis that the pope cannot at all be either bound or loosed by the secular power who as it appeereth euidently was called of the most godlie prince Constantine God seeing that it is manifest that God cannot bee iudged of men Which place Augustine Steuche a most earnest defender of the pope and the kéeper of his librarie in the booke of the donations of Constantine pag. 141. praising and reciting addeth this Doest thou heare that the highest bishop was called of Constantine God and that he was taken for God This was done when he adorned him with that excellent edict He
Stella a Venetian written vnto the patriarch of Aquileia being cardinall priest of the church of Rome of the title of Saint Marke Last of all saith he he was made pope of Rome through the deuill his assistance Yet vpon this condition that after his death he should be wholie his both in bodie and soule by whose crafts he had attained vnto so great dignitie After this Syluester asked him how long he should liue pope He answered thou shalt liue vntill thou shalt say masse in Hierusalem Last of all in the fourth yeere of his popedome when as in the Lent-time in the solemne feast of the holie crosse he song masse in Hierusalem at Rome he knew foorthwith that he should die by destiny Wherefore repenting himselfe he confessed his fault before all the people and he praied them all that they would cut in quarters and peeces his body that was seduced by the deuils pollicie and being cut and torne a sunder they would lay it in a cart and that they woulde burie it there whither the horses should carie it of their owne accord Therefore they say that the horses came by Gods prouidence that wicked men may learne that there is place left for pardon with God so they repent in this life of their owne accorde to the church called Lateranensis and that he was buried there Thus writeth Stella the Venetian There is extant also a certaine sermon made in the Easter time by Iohn Gerson gouernour of the Vniuersitie of Paris wherin he left it written that pope Iohn the xxij did holde that the soules of the wicked are not in paine before the day of iudgement Which heresie of his the schoole of Sorbona in the same Vniuersitie did stoutlie condemne and caused that pope to recant his errour Of the same sort of impietie is that which we will set downe in the wordes of Raphaell Volaterane out of his fift booke of Geographie where speaking of pope Sixtus the fourth whose name this our Quintus tooke and whose godlines also he doth follow he writeth thus The pope being priuie and helping thereto the conspiratours come to Florence and they meete all togither in the church of S. Reparata at the masse and sacrifice in the morning In the meane while Saluiatus departing the church priuilie with his confederates being armed he goeth into the court that he might speake vnto the banner-bearer feigning that he had some other busines Yet to this end and purpose that when the murder should begin in the church he might be present and readie to set vpon the court and magistrate Therefore when the watch word was giuen in the Eleuation time marke the notable testimonie of the popes holines The watch word saith he being appointed in time of the Eleuation Bandinus did stick Iulian de Medicis brother to Laurence Antonie which was desirous to be chiefe setteth vpon Laurence on the other side behinde his backe and smote him a little below the throte When as he forthwith turning himselfe vnto crieng did auoide the stroke he fled with speed from him as he was about to strike again into the vestrie of the church that was neere to him Then the popes ambassador who gaue that watch word to commit the murder in the time of the Eleuation being caught by the citizens and led by them out of the church into the court was committed to ward and was handled as he had deserued In the meane season Saluiatus bishop of Pisa who of set purpose did protract his speech with the banner-bearer that he might see the ende was foorthwith caught and was the same day hanged vp at the court windowes which message when it came to the popes eares he did excommunicate Laurence de Medicis who as we haue said was faine to saue himselfe by flieng bicause he had laid hands on Gods priests and legate and he proclaimed open war against the Florentines Thus writeth Volateranus Whereby euerie man may sée what great account the popes vse to make of their Eucharist And yet notwithstanding they will haue all Christian religion placed in worshipping carieng about reuerencing and honoring with all maner honor the same But we must bring foorth another argument For what more certaine thing can be brought to shewe the impietie of the popes than that which is common in euery mans mouth that the order at Rome is so often as the popes go on progresse that that Eucharist being laid vpon some leane carrian iade about whose necke a bel is hanged is committed to some horse-kéeper and is sent before amongst the scullions and drudges and other cariage as a messenger to shew the pope was cōming For in the booke of the popes ceremonies 1. sect cap. 3. it is thus written After them is led by a friend of the Sextins clothed in red and carrieng a staffe in his left hand a white horse being gentle carrieng the sacrament of the Lords bodie hauing about his necke a shrill little bell Next after the sacrament rideth the Sextin who as the other prelates hath an horse all couered with buckerom c. Also sect 12. ca. 1. After them is led a white horse trapped gentle and faire hauing a shrill little bell about his necke which carrieth the coffer with the most holie bodie of the Lord. Also cap. 4. Before the pope is alwaies carried the crosse by the Subdeacon and after the crosse is carried the bodie of Christ vpon a white horse with a little bell c. And these are the ordinances of the popes pompe but they are but ordinances For those which frequent Rome do with great consent witnes both concerning the iade that is sent before and also touching the sending of him amongst other carriage There is a booke extant written by Iohn Monlucius bishop of Valentia who was often sent ambassador to Rome for the king of France which booke was written touching religion to Quéene mother whose words are these * being Pag. 101. turned out of French into Latin Quoties Papa c. So often as the pope goeth on progresse least he seeme to giue too much honor to his Eucharist he doth not carrie it in his hands but he sendeth it away before him three or fower daies before he himselfe goeth out of the citie being laid vpon an horses back wherwith he sendeth to beare it companie singers mulitors horse-keepers and other such of his garde of his court that is cookes kitchingboies and curtisans these are his words Then the pope who saith that he is his vicar followeth afterward garded and trouped with cardinals bishops and other such peeres When he commeth to the towne then that which he calleth the bodie of Christ which hath rested it selfe a while there is brought out of the towne to meet him and straightway they salute one another by becking saieng not one word And then he sendeth it before him againe but with how great honor The pope is carried into the citie vnder a rich canapie the bodie
the true religion of Christ deliuered to the Church by Christs Apostles or a feigned fable of satan brought purposely into the Church by the popes that they might either vtterly extinguish the desire to read the sacred scriptures or at least that they might both be of like authoritie Surely we hope that no man doubteth but that the pope is already conuict most manifestly of false and forged religions and therefore if he excommunicate the king of Nauarre and Prince of Condie out of the communion of his Church which maintaineth these monsters he doth not exclude them out of the Church of Christ but out of the iakes of Dominicans or rather out of the synagog of satan Which thing that it may more plainly and firmely be confirmed we will cite out of the same Antoninus a like inuention of the popish church For in the chapter following he writeth thus Dominic saith he being one night earnest Pag. 190. in praier saw at the fathers right hand the sonne rise vp in his anger that he might slea all the sinners on the earth and destroy all that wrought wickednes And he stood in the aire being terrible to behold and he shaked three lances or iauelings against the world that was set vpon wickednes the first whereof shoulde pearce through the out stretched necks of the prowd another should let out the bowels of the couetous the third should bore through those that were giuen to the lusts of the flesh Whose wrath when no man could resist the mild virgin his mother met him and imbracing his feet besought him that he would spare those whom he had redeemed and that he would temper his iustice with mercie To whom hir sonne made answer Seest thou not saith he what iniuries are done to me Then said his mother Thou knowest saith she which knowest all things that this is the way by the which thou shalt bring them backe vnto thee I haue a faithfull seruant whom thou shalt send into the world that he may preach thy words to them and they will turne to thee the sauiour of all men Also I haue another seruant whom I will adioine to him to be his helper that he may worke likewise The sonne said Lo I am pacified and haue accepted thy face but shew mee whom thou wilt assigne vnto so great an office Then our Ladie his mother offered to Iesus Christ S. Dominic and the Lord said to his mother He will do that which thou hast said well and carefully Also she offered him S. Francis whom in like sort the Lord praised Then S. Dominic marking his fellow well in the vision whom before he knew not on the morow he reknowledged him by those things which he saw in the night and kissing him with holie kisses and imbracing him sincerely he said Thou art my fellow thou shalt run with me And a little after Dominic praied by night in the church and lo the hand of the Lord was suddenly vpon him and was rapt in spirit before God and he saw God sitting and his mother who sate at his right hand clothed in a cope of a saphire color And looking about him he saw reioicing in the sight of the most highest infinite multitudes of spiritual fathers out of euery nation that had begotten both sons and daughters to Christ of holie religions And when he saw none of his sonnes there blushing and being pricked at the hart he wept most bitterly Therfore being abashed with the glorie of Gods maiestie he stood a far off and durst not draw neare to the countenance of glorie and to the excellencie of the virgin But our Ladie beckened to him with hir hand that he should come to hir But he trembling and fearing presumed not to draw neare vntill in like sort the Lord of maiestie called him Then came the man being pricked and of an humble spirit and contrite with his teares and did most lowly and humbly throw downe himselfe at the feet of the son and his mother But the Lord of glorie the comforter of those that mourne said to him Arise Who when he was risen and stood before the Lord he asked him saieng Why weepest thou so bitterly Who said Bicause I see in the presence of thy glory men of al religions but of the sons of mine order alas for wo I see here none To whom the Lord said Wilt thou see thine order But he said That is my desire Lord. Then the sonne putting his hand vnder his mother the virgins cloke he said to him I haue committed thine order to my mother And when he continued in this godlie affection desiring to see his order the Lord said to him againe Wouldest thou so gadly see them He answered This do I earnestly desire And lo the mother of the Lord pleased hir sonne and opening wide hir golden cope wherwith she seemed to be couered and holding it open before hir mourning seruant Dominic and this was so large and huge a garment that it did sweetly contain the whole countrie of heauen by imbracing it Vnder this couering of securitie in this bosom of godlines that beholder of high things viewer of the secrets of the Lord Dominic saw an innumerable multitude of the friers of his order Then his mourning was turned into ioy and his sorrow into solace Thus writeth Antoninus Ridiculously blockishly and absurdly peraduenture some man will say Who denieth it But as we said before of Bernardo his trifles of what sort soeuer these be yet are they both approoued by the authoritie of the pope and also receiued by the church of Rome and therefore séeing religion is vndiuisible for as M. Tullius saith either take away religion quite or else preserue it wholie they must be counted in the place and number of oracles of al those which wil giue their name to the church of Rome a heauie decrée being added that he that shall thinke otherwise be counted an heretike schismatike forasmuch as by these inuentions allowed by the pope as well Dominic as Francis is registred in the number of the Saints of the church of Rome as the same author Antoninus doth witnes By which we Tit. 23. §. 17. fol. 197. vnderstand first for how manie for how iust causes most Christian kings princes and magistrates haue condemned the papacie for impietie and forged religion Secondlie what authoritie this execrable declaration ought to haue in the Parlement of France which was published by Sixtus the fift a frier lately vncowled in which the most excellent princes aforesaide were pronounced heretiks for none other cause saue onely bicause they thought that they ought not to make like account of such inuentions as of the holie Scripture For as they did oftentimes professe before and at this day they do professe so much as in them lieth before all sortes and orders of men yea they do openly denounce séeing the church of Rome hath religion mixed and confused with such inuentions and fables those things
prouince whereby the priests of Christ may both wisely discerne and constantly hold equitie especially bicause it is granted to euerie one if he shall be offended at the iudgement of those that are appointed to heare causes to appeale to the councels of his prouince or also the generall councell vnlesse peraduenture there be any man which doth beleeue that God doth giue by inspiration to some one man the iustice of hearing and examining matters and doth denie it to infinit priests assembled in a synod Or how shall the iudgement giuen beyond the seas be firme whereunto the necessarie persons of witnesses cannot be brought either for infirmitie of sexe or of old age or for many other hinderances that come betweene And as concerning those thrée legats there are grieuous complaints made of them in those verie same letters and especiallie of Faustinus that they had greatly troubled the assemblie when as they feigned that they mainteined the priuileges of the church of Rome Then we sée that euen at that time the wickednes trecherie and impudencie of the pope of Rome was reuealed and that it was conuict and condemned by a generall councell Do we thinke that he did any thing hauing taken away al his enimies or familiars of out Africa and Asia that he might establish in his west parts the power that he did euen then affect And thus much hitherto touching the first cause of the nullitie and incompetencie or insufficiencie of the iudge which notwithstanding that they may be more apparent to the most excellent senators of the kings parlement and to other lawyers we will confirme them with the authoritie of the doctors And first of all with that cōmon saieng of the canonists that The pope is no méete iudge euen in the onely crime of heresie but that it ought to be iudged by others * And Philip Decius C. si papa dist 40. doth constantly auouch that in that case a councell ought not to be gathered by the popes authoritie * The same doth Panormitanus in c. cum venis num 37. extra de iudic and Decius affirme in c. significasti num 4. num 9. de elect But of al other Ludouike of Rome doth most copiouslie and constantly auouch * out of the authoritie of the decrée it selfe that he that in Concil vlt. nu 15. seqq liueth rebelliouslie and refuseth to learne and do good things is rather a member of C. nullus dist 38. in concil 95. vol. 4. Decius cons 115. the deuil than of Christ that he is shewed to be rather an infidel than a beléeuer * The same saith Iason * and Decius * The second Nullitie by reason of the falsenes of the Allegation THerefore we say that the second cause of the nullitie doth consist in the falsenes of the allegation that is in a false cause alleaged which the pope followed in cōceiuing his sentence For the rule of the law is knowen that a sentence pronounced according to false causes false allegations false instruments is voide in law and without any appeale especially where the l. 1. pass C. si ex fals instru l. si praetor 7. D de iudic l. cum vero 2. §. Subuentum De fideic libert l. Seiae 26. D. de tutor cur dat l. 1. §. haec verba D. ne vis siat ei l. 1. C. si ex fals alleg sentence had for the principall cause and foundation the falsenes of the allegation * But pope Sixtus saith that he hath therfore proscribed the king of Nauarre and the prince of Condee bicause they be as he saith notorious heretikes Finely For by this reason if those princes be notorious heretiks then they must be procéeded against with arms and war if they be not notorious heretiks then the proscription and execration is of none importance Let vs sée then for what cause and allegation the foresaid Princes are condemned for heretiks For so great a crime must not be laid to the charge euen of a man of base estate without a great and weighty cause much lesse of so great princes and the kinsmen of so great a king The emperors Gratian Valentinian and Honorius decréed that they be counted heretiks which shall be detected euen by a light argument to erre and go astraie from the iudgement and path of catholike religion * Who can l. 2. c. de haeret Manich. like of and allow that definition For Augustine doth not account those heretiks which defend their opinion though false and pernitious with no stubborne wilfulnes especially which they haue not brought foorth through boldnes of their presumption but haue receiued it from their parents being seduced and fallen into errors and do seeke the truth with warie carefulnes being readie to be reformed when they haue found it as he saith text 24. dist 3. c. dixit Againe Iohn Auentine in the third book of his chronicles left in writing that a certaine bishop of Germanie called Virgil being skilful in mathematical arts was therefore accused of heresie and was called to Rome by pope Zacharie bicause he affirmed that there were Antipodes * That is such as go with their feete toward ours The canonists decréed that he should bée counted an heretike that should not obey all and singular the popes decrées * The gloss dist 10. c. nulli dist 21. pope himselfe hath decréed that he that denieth emperors kings princes and finally euery humane creature to be subiect to the temporall and materiall sword of the bishop of Rome be counted an heretike bicause it is vpon necessitie of saluation to beléeue this that is it is one of the articles C. 1. in fin extr de maior obedient of faith * In the yéere of Christ cxc 8. Victor pope of Rome did therefore pronounce that the East churches were heretiks bicause they thought not the same concerning Easter which his church thought For which cause Ireneus bishop of Lyons did sharpely reprooue that pope as Eusebius doth witnes in his fift booke 26. and Epist 24. What néede many words He is defined to be an heretike in popery which doth not beléeue al those things which are taught for truth in the church of Rome * But we haue before C. nulli dist 19 shewed that this doctrine was deliuered to the Church of Christ of it to be beléeued by the authority and commandement of the popes that Dominic wrought more miracles than Christ and all his apostles that the same Dominic was much more excellent than Christ and all his apostles That Iohn Baptist to whom the holy scripture gaue this title that there was neuer any mortall man vpon earth greater than he was by many degrées inferior to Dominic that cosener We haue shewed furthermore that the popes haue approoued that fable touching the marks of Francis Bernardo and that it is deliuered to the church of Rome to be beléeued and that that wise man that opposeth himselfe
like sort if the sentence containe an intollerable error as the same canonists affirme * in d. c. solet in d. c. per tuas as in this matter of ours where the bull of pope Sixtus is conuict of most manifest errors as is shewed in the last cause of Nullitie especially where the sentence doth manifestly contain the error of the fact as Augustine * in Sum. contra gloss in d. c. per tuas noteth For a sentence pronounced according to false allegations is in law none as we prooued before at large The fourth Nullitie by reason of the forme of the sentence THere remaineth the fourth cause of Nullitie by reason of the foolish forme of the conceiued sentence For as it is commonly said the foolishnes of spéech declareth the foolishnes of the mind * l. pend D. de cond demon l. 1. §. pen. vlt. D. de aedil edict Therfore a iudge which giueth sentence foolishly fondly and absurdly is called a foole * l. vlt. c. de fideic libert such a one as we shall prooue this Frier a scholler of Francis Bernardo to be by this his sentence and Frierlike bull For he beginneth thus The authoritie granted by the infinite power of the eternall king to S. Peter and his successors doth surmount all the powers of earthly kings and princes Sée how the hangman speaketh sentences But it is an old rule of the Logicians that comparisons are vsed in those things onely that are of the same sort But what agréement is there betwéene the authoritie that was giuen to the apostles which appertaineth to religion and conscience and the power granted to kings which consisteth in ciuil and politike matters Therfore our cowled Frier hath spoken as if he had said The foolishnes of Bernardo his scholler doth surmount the eares of all the asses that are in Arcadia But that we may answer somwhat in earnest let this conclusion come to light A successor of right hath no more than his author had Peter had not authoritie surpassing the powers of kings but he was commanded to obey them as superiors Therefore though the pope were Peters successor which we prooued before to be false yet being inferior to kings he ought to obey them The assumption is plaine out of these words Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers Whosoeuer he be that resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God Rom. 13. Tell them that they submit themselues to principalities and powers that they obey Tit. 3. Be subiect to euery ordinance of mā for the Lords sake whether it be to the king as to the chief ruler or to presidents as to those that are sent by him 1. Pet. 2 But what shall the authoritie of the holie scripture auaile with the pope For it shall euen now be refuted with this one word Constantine granted to the pope all the kingdoms of the West and he commanded that emperors and kings should hold his stirrop when he gat vp vpon horsebacke that they should wait vpon him as pages and finally that prostrating themselues vpon the ground they should kisse his féete This is that preeminence of the popes whereof he speaketh in this place such as either was in times past vpon earth that of his god Francis when being taken vp into the middle region of the aire he talked familiarly with Christ for which cause to auoid that cold he put on a hooded garment or else is at this day in heauen where he is said to sit stradling aboue the Cherubins But now let vs sée what followeth Standing firme vpon the rocke it doth not turne aside from the right course by any contrarie or prosperous blasts Who euer heard before this that either authoritie being set vpon a rocke did saile or that any ship was euer turned aside from the right course by prosperous blasts But notwithstanding howsoeuer this ship doth saile we haue shewed before that he that did boast that he sitteth in the sterne therof and doth hold the helme hath not a place left him so much as in the pumpe or sinke Like to this is that that followeth If he find any that resist the ordinance of God those doth he more sharply punish As if euen in the citie of Rome which is a mansion of al wickednes the ordinances of God were not resisted or the pope did sharpely punish any such as resist But Petrarcha Mantuan Sannazarius and many mo Italians call Rome the shop of all wickednes Babylon Sodom the schoole of errors the temple of heresies a shamelesse strumpet Go shame into the villages If villages be not become Receits of filth For that is now A brothelhouse that erst was Rome saith Mantuan Also in another place At Rome are sold The temples priests and altars braue The sacrifice and diademe The fire incense and praiers eke To sell both heauen and God they seeme Also Albericus Rosat in the word Rome The court of Rome will not be serued With sheepe that 's robbed of hir fleeze Against all those that nothing giue The doors are shut but those which greeze Hir hand with bribes she heares with speed Also S. Bernard in his fourth booke of consideration to pope Eugenius cap. 1. Whom wilt thou shew me of a whole great citie that receiued thee to be pope without reward or hope of reward These being hated of earth and heauen haue laid hands vpon both being wicked against God rash against holie things seditious one against another Also Petrarcha in his epistles Whatsoeuer is read concerning Assyria or Egypt or Babylon whatsoeuer is read concerning the labyrinths finally whatsoeuer is read of the entrie of hell and of the brimstone woods of hell being applied to this hell it is a fable Heere is the turretting and terrifieng Nimrod Heere is Semiramis with hir quiuer heere is Minos that cannot be intreated Heer is Radamantus Heer is Cerberus that deuoureth al things Heer is Pasiphae lieng with the bull and the mixed kinde as saith Maro and the childe hauing two shapes Heer is Minotaurus moniments of lust not to be named Last of all you may see heer whatsoeuer is confused whatsoeuer is blacke whatsoeuer is any where horrible or is feigned so to be and to be briefe a sinke of all wickednes and shamefull things What saith our pope to these things Let vs heare the praise of the citie of Rome out of the chapter fundamenta 17. de elect in vj. Rome saith he is an holie nation an elect people a priestly citie and a princely by the holie sea of S. Peter made the head of the whole world Was there euer any so shamelesse a baud or beast out of whose mouth came a more shamelesse saieng Or what shall we saie of our Franciscan frier who careth for those things that are done beyond the Alpes who regardeth not what things be done at home Séeing Paul hath ordained that he that cannot gouerne his owne family haue not the gouernment of the church
being frée and at libertie he might detest that which he had done being inforced by violence and feare It followeth He hath often raised vp heretiks rebels and seditious persons to beare armes against the most Christian king against him and the rest of the catholikes This Latin of the popes agréeth with the rest of his subtilties The king of Nauarre raised heretiks against the most christian king against him and the rest of the catholikes But let vs rather marke the meaning of these words For the king of Nauarre did neuer beare weapon against the most Christian king but against the popes conspirators and the companions of the popes tyranny his adiutors and ministers and finally against the authors of periurie and treacherie as the king himselfe hath most plainly testified in very many edicts tending to pacification Therefore our chiefe cowled frier doth wicked iniurie in this place to the most mightie kings of France séeing he durst charge their maiestie with lieng by whom it hath béen so often declared in edicts tending to pacification that those that tooke part with the king of Nauarre prince of Condie made war not against them but that it was taken in hand for preseruation of their dignitie and state It followeth He hath compelled his subiects with threatnings and strokes * to take the same capescere impietatem impietie To take the same impietie is a kind of popish eloquence But that any man was inforced these twenty yéers to change his religion either by those that tooke part with the King of Nauarre or Prince of Condie is as true as it is certaine and sure that neuer any beast in the brothel-houses of Rome was more impudent than Sixtus the fift in powring out lies Though it be well and we must thanke this pope that he accuseth those by whom silly captiues were inforced by threatenings and stripes to change their religion For as Lactantius wrote most truly religion cannot be inforced the thing must be done rather by words than stripes But bicause Lactantius doth so dispute in that place that he séemeth purposely to handle the cause both of the king of Nauarre and also of the French churches it is woorth the paines to heare his reasons The aduersaries saith he do feigne that they giue counsell to godlie men and that they would call them backe to a good mind Do they then seeke to do this by any speech or by any reason they render No surely but by violence and torments O strange and blind madnes it is thought there is an euill mind in them which go about to keep faith but in the hangman a good Is there an euill mind in those which are pluckt in peeces contrarie to the law of humanitie against all right Or rather in those which do these things to the bodies of innocents which neither most cruell robbers nor most angrie enimies nor most furious barbarians haue at any time done And by and by after And bicause they can do nothing by violence for the more the religion of God is depressed the more is it increased let them rather deale by reason and exhortations Let the bishops and such as are priests and prelates of religions come foorth Let them call vs togither to an assemblie These are the daily requests of the king of Nauarre and such as haue often béene deliuered to the king of France Let them draw out the sharpnes of their wit If their reason be true let it be brought we are readie to heare if they teach vs. Surely we giue no credence to them so long as they keepe silence as we yeeld not one inch when they rage Let them imitate vs or let them lay downe the reason of the whole matter For we do not intise as they obiect but we teach allow shew Therefore we retaine no man against his will For he is vnprofitable for God which wanteth faith and deuotion And yet no man departeth the truth hir selfe retaining him Let them teach thus haue they any confidence of the truth let them speake learne I say let them be so bold as to dispute any such thing with vs surely the old women whom they contemne and our boies shall now laugh at and mocke their error and follie What fitter thing and more appertinent to the state of these our times could Lactantius write for the king of Nauarre and French churches He procéedeth Butcherie and godlines are greatly contrarie neither can either truth be ioined with violence or iustice with crueltie Thus far goeth Lactantius wherby appéereth plainly how well the lawes of those old churches and of our churches agrée togither It followeth in the bul He sent a certaine deere friend of his being furnished with wicked pollicies without the borders of France by whom he imparted his wicked counsels with the chiefe heretiks and he prouoked their forces and arms against the catholike religion and the power of the bishop of Rome It is nothing appertinent to declare whom our frier meaneth in these words onely we will say thus much Though he whom he calleth the déere friend of the king of Nauarre holdeth a place méete for his birth among the greatest noble men of France and pope Sixtus the fift came of late out of the beggerie and filth of friers yet will not that noble man disdaine to charge him with an impudent lie and to send him sir reuerence of the hearers this paper of defiance if he will haue anie taken out of the 51. leafe of his conformities The diuell tempted Ruffine saieng Thou art damned and Francis himselfe is damned whosoeuer followeth him is deceiued Which when Ruffinus had told Francis Francis answered If he appeere againe and say any thing againe tell him namely the diuell Open thy mouth and I will vntrusse a poynt in it Afterward as Ruffinus did pray the diuel appeered to him again in the likenes of Christ saieng Brother Ruffinus did not I tel thee that thou shouldest not beleeue the sonne of Peter Bernardo Why dost thou vex thy selfe and streightway Ruffinus said to him Open thy mouth and I will vntrusse a poynt in it Then the diuell being displeased departed from him in a rage and with a tempest Sir reuerence as we said before of the hearers But the impudent mouth of that frier should haue béen stopped with this short answer For neither did that noble man at any time make any mention of making war before either any kings or princes but onely of establishing loue and brotherlie good wil amongst the reformed churches Though who doth not sée how profitable it is for all Christendome that that wicked and bloodie murtherer of the Church of Christ that author and defender of feigned religions that he who is conuict of treading vnder foote the maiestie of kings and the most certaine firebrand of our countrie should be quite rooted out of the land of the liuing It gréeueth him indéed to be robbed of so great tributes which héertofore he had
this was the cause that Ferdinando did cast out the king his neighbor though he did also pretend another bicause both the king of France and those that did aid him were pronounced accursed by the popes edict and their kingdoms were made common Thus writeth Ferronus whereby we may coniecture what great danger hangeth ouer the most noble princes of Germanie and so consequently ouer all the kings of Europe by reason of that so néere a conspiracie of the popes and the Spanish inquisition For by this short cut any munke so he be of a craftie and subtill nature hauing taried some time in Spain as this our Sixtus and hauing béene conuersant with the inquisitors of Spaine may make such a bargain and league with them that if through their fauor and commendation he may obtaine the popedome then he may pronounce what king or prince soeuer he will a schismatike or heretike taking to him any occasion he may adiudge to them his kingdom opened and committed as a fée to the sea of Rome Therefore we are to wish that we may once haue some king giuen vs that may be of a valiant courage that he may thrust this whoore of Babylon out of hir seat and may at length rid the Church of Christ from so long and miserable seruitude and restore hir to hir former libertie and dignitie which courage that king of ours Ludouike the twelfth who was called the parent of the countrie being wearie of that bondage tooke vpon him when after that furious curse of pope Iulius he commanded French crownes to be coined in France with this inscription Ludouike 12. by the grace of God king of France duke of Mediolanum And then on the other side the armes of France and Mediolanum ioined togither with this inscription I will destroy Babylon Of which name if happily any man be ignorant let him read the Reuelation of Iohn ch 17. and Hierom in his catalog where he maketh mention of Mark and writeth plainly that Peter did figuratiuely vnderstand Rome by Babylon in his former epistle * Ch. 5. Also in the prolog of his booke touching the holie Ghost where he doth plainly call Rome Babylon and that purple whoore which is described in the Reuelation Which thing he doth likewise confirme vpon Esay c. 14. and againe c. 47. and vnto Aglasia in the 11. question For which cause Paula also and Eustochium in that epistle which they wrote vnto Marcellus do in like sort call Rome Babylon and no whit more obscurely Hierom in his epistle When I was at Babylon saith he a citizen of the purple whoore c. The conclusion of the former protestation THese things therefore being thus set down it remaineth that we conclude this reason Séeing pope Sixtus the fift hath béen condemned by the most part of Christendome of seauen most gréeuous crimes namely of impietie of vsing tyrannie in the Church of corrupt religion sacrilege treason rebellion and forgerie and séeing that hauing followed the insolencie boldnes and crueltie of those that went before him he hath published this most mad decrée contrarie to all lawes diuine and humane vsing false allegations and that without any iudiciall order yea foolishly blockishly impudently against the most excellent king of Nauarre and most noble prince of Condie and hath burdened them with filthie and geason reproches of words forasmuch as he called them sonnes of wrath obstinate heretiks notorious relapsed such as lie tumbling in filth rebels against the most Christian king persecutors of the Church a detestable issue traitors against God and man and did for these causes depriue them of their principalities dukedoms lordships fées and all honors and of the right of lawfull succession in the realme of France and forasmuch as this his old and outragious boldnes of abiudging and adiudging of kingdoms doth plainly appertaine vnto all kings princes and potentates of Europe and it is to be feared least those that shall be desirous of other mens kingdoms will lay wait for peaceable and quiet princes héerafter by this policie of excommunications or proscriptions for these causes the foresaid princes protest that the same pope Sixtus the fift is to be counted a wicked periured sacrilegious person a tyrant an author of feigned religions a cruell and bloodie murderer of the Church of Christ an importunate and wicked enimie of religion and to be most assuredly Antichrist and that al monarchs of Christendome kings princes potentates and those that haue any gouernment or lawful power are to be requested and earnestly intreated that they will helpe these most roiall princes to suppresse the furie of this fierce tyrant and to breake in péeces his cruell and furious assaults and that they will lay their heads togither and ioine togither their forces to extinguish that plague of mankind and to deliuer the Christian commonwealth from that monstrous and deadly monster In the meane season that the foresaid pope Sixtus the fift ought for his intollerable reprochfull words which he hath powred out against our foresaid princes with a beastly mind to be accounted and called of al Christians a most hidious monster a most filthy monster and a monster not woorthie to be bestowed euen in the farthest parts of the world but such a one as ought to be banished out of the coasts and borders of mans nature as a most certaine notorious and manifest Antichrist to whose accursed head all Christians ought to wish an euill plague ruine and destruction that so long as any breth shall remaine in his accursed bodie so long he may be to all the godlie Anathema Maranata as saith the holie Ghost And least happily any of vs do thinke this to be a new and vnwoonted kind of curse we will desire the readers that they will first of all remember those places which we cited before specially out of the books of Saint Bernard where the papacie of Rome is flatly plainly by name called Antichrist the sonne of perdition the man of sinne a diuell not onely of the day but also of the noone day who is not onely transfigured into an angell of light but is extolled aboue al that is called God or that is worshipped Now Hierom calleth Rome Babylon and the purpled whoore Secondly that they read and attentiuely consider the most holie sanction of the popes decrée * where it is ordained In c. 2. dist 23. c. si quis pecunia dist 79. that He which by monie or fauor of men such as it is manifest this frier had in the west parts or by tumult of the people or by anie pollicie that is by ambition and euill arts shall attaine to the papacie let him be accounted not apostolicall but apostaticall and let him togither with his fautors and followers be cast out of the bounds of the holie Church of God being thence separated as Antichrist and as an inuader and destroier of all Christendome Whereto the canonists durst with great consent subscribe and openly professe thus
night in Gods seruice giuing himselfe to meditation and praier he did execute a threefold discipline as it were daily with his owne hand not with a cord but with an iron chaine till the blood came one for his owne offences which were the least another for those that were in purgatorie the third for those that are conuersant in the world 19. When the Lord iournied toward Hierusalem when he saw the citie he wept ouer it and he foretold many secrets of harts and euents of things to come for which it was said in his commendation A great prophet is risen vp amongst vs. When Dominic drew neere to cities beholding in mind he wept bitterly for their sinnes and he reuealed manie hid and secret things as a true prophet as the death of the king of the Aragons in battell the conuersion of the heretike Adiu that was to come whom he therfore commanded to be saued from burning Thus far goeth Antoninus whereby the Councellers of the most mightie king of France may iudge whether the most part of Christendome haue iustly or vniustly reiected these inuentions of religion brought in by the popes séeing they durst so wickedly and heinously set Dominic the munke to be worshipped in the church of God for an idoll and to match him with Christ being God our sauior For we must not giue eare to him that shall saie that these are onelie munkish toies which graue and learned men do loath For that which we said before touching the Franciscane bables of the same sort do we saie in this place of the Dominicans séeing they are receiued for diuine oracles in the church of Rome that all Christians must either worship them or else they must looke for such punishments as are appointed for heretiks by this gallowes cowled and cord bearing frier But now let vs heare somwhat else It séemeth that nothing can be added to this impietie But yet let vs trie what can be done For the same Antoninus in the chapter following where he compareth the miracles of Christ and Dominic togither saith thus Dominic raised Pag. 187. three from death in the citie of Rome the sonne of the widow which being knowne to the pope he would haue published it but Dominic for humilitie did vtterly refuse it The carpenter that was hired by his brethren and crushed in peeces by a wall that fell vpon him and Neapoleon the cardinall of the new ditch his nephew which fell from an horse and was all rent in peeces I am fully perswaded that the Lord did also raise others bicause he saith in the plurall number The dead shall rise againe namely Mat. 11. by me whereas yet he had onely raised the ruler of the synagogues daughter according to the Gospels So likewise we find that S. Dominic did raise other that were dead though not so notorious For what shall we thinke of those fortie strāgers which were in a ship in the great riuer beside Tholosa who after they had stood long time vnder the water after that the ship was drowned by the holie praier of S. Dominic they came out of the water safe and sound what shall we thinke but that either they were restored to life or else they were preserued in the water like fishes 2. God did twise fil the hungrie with bread that he multiplied and he turned water into wine Dominic did twise procure bread for his brethren frō God at Rome and at Bononia which the Angels brought from the heauenly bread wherfore it was most sweet He made an emptie caske full of wine and another time he turned water into sweete wine 3. Christ did perfectly heale Simons mother in law that was sicke of a feuer and also he healed many sicke folks Dominic did thoroughly cure a woman of a quartan ague 4. Diuels came out of manie crieng and saieng Bicause thou art the sone of God Dominic freed many that were vexed of diuels in soule and bodie 5. Christ being made immortall entred in twise to the disciples when the gates were shut but Dominic being as yet mortall which is more miraculous entred into the church by night the doores being shut least he should awake his brethren 6. The Lord after he departed out of this world drew infinite men to the way of truth though Dominic had reclamed thousands of heretiks from errors yet many mo after his departure O woonderfull hope which thou hast giuen singeth the church of S. Dominic to those that weepe to thee in the hower of death whiles that thou hast promised that thou wilt profit the brethren after death 7. And to come to an end The Lord saith Power is giuen me in heauen and earth This power was not a little imparted to Dominic of things in heauen in earth and in hel For he had the holie Angels to wait vpon him Moreouer the very Angels comming to the brethren in mans shape gaue them bread to eate If we speake of the elements the fire forgat his force when as the booke of his doctrine being cast thrise into the fire came out thrise vnhurt when the bookes of the heretiks his aduersaries were suddenly consumed The raine comming downe out of the aire in great abundance doth obey the signe of the crosse when as not so much as one drop did touch him as he iournied though all that countrie were ouerflowen with that shower The water of the riuer into which his bookes fell as he passed ouer it could not wet them but being drawen out in stead of fish by fishers vnhurt and dry as if they had been in a cofer after a few daies they were restored to him againe The earth also which containeth metals did not denie him necessarie monie For when as hauing passed ouer a certaine riuer in a boat the ferrie man did earnestly aske his boat hire of S. Dominic and he forasmuch as he was poore did auouch that he had no monie and the ferrie man held him fast by the cloke asking his monie S. Dominic hauing praied and looking toward the ground saw the monie wherof he stood in need lieng there which he gaue him and so set himselfe at libertie but also which is more when a certaine clerke could not liue chaste hauing kissed the hand of S. Dominic as he returned from masse with a sweete sauor so great a habit of virginitie was diffused through his mind that afterward he could easily containe himselfe What shall I speake of the infernall spirits Surely the diuels did tremble at his becke neither were they able to refuse his power Which appeereth when he led him with him as he appeered in the shape of a frier through the assemblies of the conuent namely of the Dormitall quire fratry locutorie and afterward of the chapter-house and he asked him of euery place what he gained there with the friers All which he was enforced to declare Thus writeth Antoninus By which we leaue it to the kings Counsellers to be iudged whether this be
Francis the first that if any would imbrace the reformed religion they might be burnt aliue hauing their toongs cut out and hauing fire put vnder them Among the king of France his constitutions there be extant the edicts of that king published in the yéere 1534. and also in the fortieth and againe in the 42. by the authoritie whereof the Senators of the Parleament shed so much blood and yet with so great godlines and constancie of the martyrs that it séemeth that the posteritie will scarce beléeue it What these hellish fiends gained by this crueltie it is woorth the knowing by the testimonie of him thā whom no more plentifull witnes can be brought foorth in this kind That is king Henrie the second the father of these latter kings a prince as most men may remember most famous both at home and in war For his edict written at Castrobriant in the moneth of Iune 1551. is extant the words wherof are these All men might see before this with what studie and with how great contention our father whom God absolue king Francis being a most Christian king and most catholike endeuoured greatly during all his life time to roote out heresies which budded out in his realme against our holie faith and catholike religion and how manie lawes and constitutions the same king with the same mind and purpose did publish as the varietie and necessitie of times did require Notwithstanding that so great studie and indeuour did no great good For that disease was so spred through al the most noble families of our realm that it did infect like a certaine contagion the families of all sorts and orders Thus saith he in his edict which containeth six and fortie articles being all of them written most bitterly and sharply to stop the course of that religion Moreouer shortly after that is in the yéere 1547. there was another edict published by the same king wherin by name he professeth in manie words and doth plainly denounce that he hath omitted no labour no indeuor no diligence in suppressing that religion Onely so Nay surely saith he the more carefully and painfully we labored to do this so much the more that doctrine gat the vpper hand Surely we may coniecture what was his indeuor and trauell euen by that that all men know that there died of that miserable and bitter kind of punishment a great number of all sorts of men There succéeded these kings to wit the grandfather and father king Francis the second his edicts to wit sixe in number were most sharpe and vehement besides innumerable broad seales and letters patents which he sent continually through all parts of his kingdome with so great heate of mind and stomach that aboue thrée hundred men were in lesse than thrée moneths space tormented scortched burnt and as it was commonly written in the decrées of the senate brought into ashes by the decrées especially of the senate of Paris and Tholosa This so great abundance of blood that was shed might peraduenture satisfie euen the most bloodie tyrants such as the report goeth Cyclops Busiris Siron Phalaris Tython Gyges were in times past But so great crueltie cannot satisfie the pope of Rome whom we may rightly tearme a rebell against mankind It is woorth the hearing what good he did For there is extant a decrée of the same king Francis the second published at Ambosia in the moneth of March anno 1559 in these words which we would haue the kings Counsellers to read very attentiuely and to consider of what weight it is We to the end we might answere and satisfie our princely office were inforced to vse diuers kinds of punishments and paines as the state of things and times did require But by the instruments of criminall causes it is knowen and reuealed that a great number of men women ages kinds and of all orders were present at vnlawful and priuy sermons suppers baptizings administred by those for whom it was not lawfull to do that But and if euerie one of these should be put to torture as the rigor of our authoritie and lawes doth require there should woonderfull much blood be shed of men women virgins yong men of florishing age whereof some being induced and suborned other some being persuaded through a certaine simplicitie and ignorance other some inticed rather with a certain curiositie than of malice haue fallen into such errors and discommodities Which things if it should come to passe we should be greatly and continually sorie neither should that well agree either with our age or nature both which do inuite vs to vse clemencie gentlenes and mercie in this kinde Therefore we will haue all men know that when this whole matter was in due time handled by our Counsellers in our presence we are not determined to leaue this first yeere of our reigne famous to our posteritie as cruel bloodie and full of the murders of our silly subiects though they had greatly deserued this yea after the example of our heauenly father we are determined to spare the blood of our people and to bring backe our subiects to the way of saluation and to preserue their life hoping that through the Lords mercie it will come to passe that we shall do more good by the way of gentlenes and clemencie than by the rigor of punishments Therefore according to the opinion of our foresaid Counsellers we say appoint ordain that heerafter our subiects be not molested for the cause of crimes that are past which concern faith religion by our iudges of what sort and condition soeuer they be neither in iudgement nor without iudgement Moreouer we declare that we grant to our subiects a general pardon remission absolution for such crimes as concerne faith religion And shortly after By the authority of the king who was chiefe in this counsel according to the sentēce of the lords cardinals of Bourbon of Lorraine of Chastillon the dukes of Montpensier of Guise of Niuernois and of Aumale Thus far goeth Francis the second plainly as it appéereth declaring and testifieng that the tortures and punishments of former times did nothing at all auaile to extinguish this religion What did then the fiends and enimies of mankinde the popes of Rome What did they So soone as they perceiued that some of the nobles of that realme and furthermore that some of the princes of the blood roiall had tasted of that religion and had reiected the deceits of Bernardo and Dominick so soone as they foresaw that France would by little and little winde hir selfe out of the bondage of the papacie into Christian libertie finally so soone as they saw that so fat a praie would be taken out of their iawes they began to cast new firebrands of ciuill war throughout all parts of France That done when this would not serue they appointed furious massacres and butcheries to the euerlasting discredite of the name of France last of all when they perceiued that euen this way they
or to sing and say their masses furnished and armed with brest-plates helmets tergats swords with other weapons Onely so Yea saith he as the emperor his power is adorned with diuers offices of chamberlaines door-keepers and garders so we wil haue the holie church of Rome garded and adorned and that they ride vpon horses most white and that like as our senate vseth shooes with latchets * so let them be clad in most white linnen Is there any of so great a number of the Senators of the king of France who when he remembreth the humilitie and modestie of Christ and his apostles doth not with all praiers detest this pride and hautines of the popes Moreouer he saith that if the pope will choose any of Constantines senators into the order of the clergie let them not proudly refuse that honor With a mischiefe what tyrannous barbarisme is this that it is lawful for any college of clerks to choose at their pleasure any one of the order of the senators whom they will also make a clerke or munke against his will He procéedeth and that the lawiers may remember that a doubled spéech hath greater force he saith again that he giueth both his pallace and citie of Rome and the prouinces places and cities of all Italie and of the west countries to all the popes of Rome vntil the end of the world Moreouer he adioineth the forme of his grant and deliuery that he may afterward translate himselfe vnto the East countries hauing left the empire of the West in the popes possession and that he may place the sea of his empire in Bizantia adding moreouer a very fit cause Bicause saith he it is an vnmeet thing that an earthly king should beare rule in that countrie where the head of Christian religion and the principalitie of priests is placed by the king of heauen He did excellently make himselfe the beginning of this sentence for in the time of Constantine that is two hundred yéeres before Iustinian the deliuerance of the emptie possession was requisite to make a donation but there be many other things that do disturbe the matter First bicause if Constantine gaue to Syluester the emptie possession of that countrie he could not afterward in his will leaue it to his sonne Constantius séeing the alienation of any thing made among those that are aliue doth leaue no place for making anie will l. 6. c. de test l. sequens 52. D. de leg 2. thereof * But if the donation were made after that diuision made among his sons it was plainly void and of none effect bicause the diuision that a father maketh among his sonnes hath the force of a testament l pen. l. vlt. C. fam excisc cum similibus and therefore of a last will Secondly with what godlines could Constantine who had thrée sonnes and two daughters do so great iniurie to his children as to depriue them of halfe their inheritance and to giue the same to a stranger especially to a wretch and vile person For that is a pretie saieng of Augustine Whosoeuer he be that will disinherit his sonne and make the church his heire let him seek another to take it than Augustine Where also the fact of that 17. q. vlt. c. vlt. bishop is cōmended who restored al again to a certaine testator who hauing no children left his goods to the church then afterward had children contrarie to his hope and expectation Which selfe same thing is set downe 13. q. 2. c. si quis irascitur But nothing is so ridiculous as is that reason of his purpose which the counterfet Constantine addeth That it is vnmeet that in the same citie wherein a priest sitteth as chiefe the emperor should haue the sea of his empire Wo to thy head most holie hangman For what shall we say of Salomon of Aza of Iozia and other godlie kings of the Israelites who placed the sea of their kingdome at Ierusalem What of Theodosius who had his at Mediolanum But that we may not go far for examples what shall we say of Constantius sonne to Constantinus who according to his fathers testament did not onely exercise his empire and iurisdiction at Rome but also he put from the popedome and thrust out of Rome pope Liberius for taking vpon him the defence of Anastasius a bishop a certaine magician sacrilegious person as Theodoricus Zozomenus and Ammian Marcellin lib. 15 haue left it written But now let vs returne to our purpose for last of all there is a fearfull decrée set downe If any saith he of our successors shall be a violater or contemner let him be subiect to eternall damnation being insnarled and let him burne in the neathermost hell with the diuell and the wicked But Constantine brought this curse first vpon himselfe who as we said euen now in his last wil gaue the empire of the West to his eldest son finally he was bound with the same curse whosoeuer possessed as his owne either the West or any part of the West either by the name of king or duke or by any other name And by this reason there hath béene none that hath béene king either of France or Spain héertofore that burneth not in the neathermost hel with the diuell and all the wicked And now can we find any so ignorant of the Latin toong that séeth not that the maner of spéech which the writer of the same instrument vseth is far vnlike to the custome of that age Which part of reprehension Platina did not omit in that Syluester But Laurentius Valla a man of most sharpe iudgement in this kinde did more at large prosecute it Whereto we will adioine this one thing if anie man consider the maner of phrase wherein the lawes of Constantine are written in the booke of Theodosianus and Iustinian he shal soone perceiue without any great ado that this instrument came out of the same shop which we shewed before out of the Conformities of Francis or out of the life of Dominick And we must not passe ouer with silence another cosoning knacke of a certain latter pope of Leo the 10. as it séemeth who to the end he might with some color couer that corruptiō of spéech basenes of stile he heaped falsehood vpon falsehood For he suborned a certaine hungrie Grecian called Bartholomew Picernus and afterward Augustine Steuchus the maister of his librarie to saie that they found in I cannot tell what librarie of the popes that instrument written in the Gréeke toong and that then they translated it somwhat more fitly into the Latine toong Which inuention Gregorie the 13. hath now of late confirmed in the last edition of the decrée of Gratian. But all the lawes of Constantine are extant in the foresaid bookes of Theodosianus and Iustinian written in the Latin toong though they were published both at Constantinople and in a citie of the Grecians and among the Grecians Furthermore Eusebius in his thirde booke
to pope Innocentius and praied him to confirme his order of predicants The pope shewed himselfe at the first hard to be intreated but vpon a certaine night in a reuelation shewed him by God he saw in his sleepe that the ioints and couplings of the Laterane church were as it were loosed and did threaten that it would shortly fall Which when he beheld trembling and also sorrowing the man of God Dominic came to preuent it who setting to his shoulders he did vphold all that frame that was like to fall at the strangenes of which vision whiles he did woonder and wisely vnderstanding also the signification thereof he did ioifully accept the petition of Dominic anno Domini 1210. Thus saith he But what if the Dominicans also who haue now more than thrée hundred yéers with their shoulders vnderpropped the papacie that is like to fal do also begin to faint and to be weakened There is another helping piller found For the Iesuits are risen of late that they being sound fresh may aide the wearie Dominicans So that the matter is now brought to the third rank as it is in the prouerbe Who being now weakened the pope is descended to the vaine thunderbolt of excommunications mistrusting the principall matter It followeth in the bull That not onely the times of our seruice but also all times to come may bring peace to all parts of Christendome We spake before of this kind of seruice Which we prooued to consist therein that kings and emperors do hold the popes stirrop when he alighteth from his horse that they wait vpon him when he entreth into cities like pages that they giue him diuine reuerence worship as he sitteth in his princely throne and that lieng prostrate vpon the ground and lieng at his féet for testifieng their bondage they kisse his shooes But what words are these At this time we condemne heretiks that the times to come may bring peace to Christendome Would our Sixtus vnles he had béen full gorged well whitled and starke drunke not rather haue writen That in time to come we may bring peace to Christendome But let vs procéed to the rest of the oracles of this bull For he addeth afterward In the realm of France Christian religion hath at all times beene in force and so great hath been the godlines faith and deuotion of those kings so manie haue been their good deserts toward the church of Rome that they had from it the sirname of most Christian. If alwaies Christian religion hath béen so greatly imbraced by the French kings why haue so many popes so and so often molested so manie kings of France with these most mad curses and proscriptions of theirs Surely this was the reward and thanks which the popes haue repaied for so great merits of the French kings toward them and their sea For what power soeuer the popes haue it is euident they had all that by the benefits and great liberalitie of the French kings and especially of king Pipinus Charles the great and Ludouike sirnamed Pius as we shewed before It followeth We are compelled to exercise our weapons that are not carnall against two Sonnes of wrath Henrie somtime king of Nauarre and Henrie somtime prince of Condie Surely if any man do not remember by the sword of Iulius the second whereof we spake before that the weapons of the popes are not carnall or fleshly but of iron and as Boniface the eight saith materiall yet shall he knowe this by these words of the same Boniface * Surely saith he he that denieth that Peters in c. vnam sanctam Extra de maiorit obedient sword is temporall he doth ill marke the word of the Lord who saith Turne backe thy sword into thy sheath Therfore both swords are in the power of the Church namely the spirituall and the materiall sword Was there euer any Sannio more ridiculous in any comedie than Bonifacius who saith that Peters sword which inasmuch as he was a fisherman he then peraduenture had at his girdle was such a sword as Paul writeth was giuen by God to magistrates that they might punish wicked and condemned persons Furthermore what great doltishnes is this bicause Christ forbiddeth Peter to vse his sword and commandeth him to put vp his sword into his sheath which he had drawen to reason thus That therefore it is lawfull for the popes to vse the materiall sword Therefore let our Sixtus looke about him how he can winde out himselfe out of this repugnance that the popes weapons are not carnall and that the pope hath power of the temporall sword the material sword the iron sword That the popes weapons are not of iron but that the king of France is commanded by the pope to pursue the king of Nauarre his néerest kinsman with sword armes and camp and to execute this his sentence in such sort that all France may be filled with burnings and murders For this is the very same which Boniface writeth in the same place that The spirituall sword is exercised by the church the temporall for the church the former by the hand of the priest the latter by the hand of kings and soldiers but at the beck and sufferance of the priest These be the words of pope Bonifacius written out in as many letters * least any man ex d. c. 1. de maior obed should doubt but that kings must be ready in arms at the popes becke as fencers at the becke of the maister of fence and that they must lay down their weapons when he beckeneth to them againe that no man I say may doubt but that the most cruell and fierce tyrant pope Sixtus the fift who in this place calleth the king of Nauarre and the prince of Condie by a new and strange kind of reproch Sonnes of wrath denounceth to al French men sword fire torture torment plague destruction and finally an vtter ouerthrow We are all indéed by nature sonnes of wrath as saith Paul Rom. 3. and Ephes 2. But the pope is a sonne of wrath by iudgement malice and will But what is that which he doth often repeate in this bull Sometime king We shall afterward sée more touching his kingdome But by what right hath our Henrie lost his name of king by the same whereby a Sharuebug a scholler of Francis Bernardo doth in this bul cal himselfe the monarch of the church Wo to thy head detestable vile-thiefe and most holie Antichrist Thou doest boast reioice that thou art called God as we haue shewed before Thou hast kings and emperors in stead of bondslaues thou desirest to haue diuine honor giuen thée by them If anie man denie to thée that seruile idolatrie shall he loose the name of a king or prince Let vs heare how greatly Saint Bernard detesteth this Antichrist in his sixt sermon vpon the CXCI. psalme The very offices saith he of the dignitie of the holie Church are gone into filthie gaine and the busines
of darknes Neither is the saluation of soules but riot of riches sought for in these For this they will be bounsed for this they frequent churches they say masses they sing psalms They striue impudently for bishoprikes archdeaconries abbats places and other dignities so that the reuenues of the Churches are wasted vpon the vses of superfluitie and vanitie It remaineth that the man of sin be reuealed the sonne of perdition a diuell not onely of the day but also of noone day which is not onelie transfigured into an angell of light but is extolled aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped By which words our Sixtus is shewed to be Antichrist not yesterday or to day or somtimes but to day to morrow the next day and so long as he shall retaine his tyrannie which he exerciseth in the Church of God wickedly and vngodlily It followeth in the bull He followed errors and heresies from his youth vntill such time as being by the exhortations of manie conuerted to the church of Rome as it was thought he abiured publikely all his heresies in the church at Paris What words be these From his youth Séeing that he receiued that religion in a maner from his cradle and almost with his milke which this our hangman dare call heresie But that is much more absurd He which was falsely thought to be turned from heresies condemned those heresies For how can he be said to haue changed his former opinion who is falsely thought to be conuerted And wheras our cowled Frier bableth of abiuring we must make that a little more plaine The yoong man being scarce one and twentie yéers old being lodged by the king his cosin was called out of his bed naked long before day he was brought amongst fearfull swords and such as were wet with blood he did and pronounced quiuering and shaking those things which he was commanded to do and pronounce he told pope Gregorie those things by his legats which he was commanded to tel him Was that law receiued euer in any part of Barbarie that those things that were thus done should either be counted firme and sure or that they should be thought to be done from the hart That is an old and a true saieng of doctor Baldus The holie Ghost put this into the mouth of the praetor That which is done through feare will I not count firm Also that The presence and much more the threatening of a prince and mightier man causeth true feare Thus writeth Angel * And also Abb. Sicul. in his 3. cons in cons 223. cons 378. vol. 2. Therefore the holie scripture doth witnes that Peter the apostle being terrified by the voice of a sillie woman did denie God euen with all cursing but forsomuch as it was euident that that was done through feare and terror he did easily obtaine pardon at the hands of God The Canonists report that pope Marcellinus being terrified with the feare of the painims did burn incense in the idol sacrifices but yet that it repented him afterward of his fact heinous offence * Why C. nunc autem dist 21. shall that which is done for feare be excused in the pope who professeth himselfe to be the piller of Christian religion and shal it be counted firme in a yoong man compassed about with fearefull swords dropping as it were with blood It followeth in the Bull The same Gregorie giuing credence to the letters of the king of Nauarre as of a king absolued him from the censures giuen vpon him taking from him all inhabilitie The pope would haue these words to be of importance As of a king as if the authority of kings letters letters patents and edicts ought to be most firme In which place we would gladly know of him whether he were alwaies an author and perswader that the letters and edicts of kings should alwaies continue firme Of which thing there shall alwaies continue in all nations and amongst all people of the world shall I say a remembrance or a most shamefull infamie But séeing pope Gregorie the thirtéenth is said to haue béen so great a doctor and professor of law ought he not to haue remembred that no authoritie ought to be giuen to letters and instruments wroung out by violence and feare * It followeth He dispensed that notwithstanding l. si donationis 7. c. de his quae vi metu causs l. interpositas 13. C. trans the lets of the third and peraduenture of other degrees of consanguinitie between them they might contract matrimonie togither as they did contract it in the face of the church It can scarce be vttered how many tokens of follie and popish fondnes appéere in these few words The first is in that that he saith that the king of Nauarre his matrimonie was contracted through his grant and dispensation after that the same king had abiured religion Let vs returne vnto the computation of the time The cardinall of Bourbon vncle to the same king in the yéere 1572. the seauentéenth day of the moneth of August after a masse celebrated in the chief church of Paris with great pompe and solemnitie yet at fower of the clocke after noone did celebrate that matrimonie in the presence of the king of France Charles the ninth and of his two brethren and in a great assemblie of princes Then followed the massacre of Paris vpon the feast day of S. Bartholomew that is vpon the fower an twentith day of the same month of August But the king of Nauarre did abiure many daies after But some peraduenture wil say the dispensation of pope Gregorie was brought after that abiuring at the intreatie of the cardinall of Bourbon Whether was it then brought that it might be lawful to contract the matrimonie which was contracted and ended so long before or rather that being not lawfully contracted before it might nowe be confirmed by the popes authoritie and dispensation If to the end it might be Libro aduersus Faustum 25. lawfull to contract it the popes power is greater than that which the diuines philosophers lawyers do grant to almighty God that things that be past can be changed that that which is done can be made vndon as witnesseth Augustine * Lib. de legi 2. Plato * Arist moral ad Nicomachum 6. c. 2. Nouel de aequalit dot §. 1. l. in bello 12. §. facta D. de captu l. verba C. de testam l. verum D. de reg iur Aristotle * I wil speak boldly saith Hierom that though God can do all things yet he cannot raise a virgin after her fall * c. si Paulus 32. quaest 5. Therefore as I said there is greater power granted to the pope than to God who causeth that matrimonie alreadie contract finished celebrated and ended was yet notwithstanding neither contract nor celebrated But if the pope dispensed that wicked matrimonie and such as was contract contrarie to the lawes of the church
much that The pope being chosen otherwise than canonically is a diuell and hath not the keies of heauen but of hell For these be the words of Felinus * Let them furthermore In c. Ego N. de iureiur consider that all the popes cardinals and bishops which haue borne rule in the church of Rome more than an hundred yéeres came assuredly out of the seminarie of schismatiks and apostataes For it is now almost an hundred and fiftie yéers ago sithence the councel of Basill was kept and held with the great desire will of all Christian estates It is well knowen that neuer any councell was called had and kept in the church of Rome with greater solemnitie than this For it was both called by the decrée of two popes namely of Martin the fift and Eugenius the fourth and also it was held their legates being presidents Eugenius being cited and called out of the same councell after that they had solemnly heard the cause he was at length conuict of fraud iuglings craftie conueiances and factions against the libertie of that councell and so put from the popedome and disgraded as a schismatike and reuolt togither with all the cardinals and bishops which tooke his part And Amedaeus duke of Sauoy was put in his place Let vs heare what maner end this tragedie had Soone after the same Eugenius being condemned depriued disgraded was through the fauor of certain princes restored to his sea and he likewise restored with him all the cardinals and bishops that tooke his part And Amedaeus hauing though against his will a cardinals hat giuen him did resigne his popedome Let graue men and such as are of courage now consider whether according to that most holie function of the popes decrée wherof we spake euen now they be to be counted apostolicall or rather apostaticall whether they haue the keies of heauen or of hell who arising out of that seminarie of the Eugenians beare rule in the church of Rome in these times Which that it may more commodiously be iudged it is woorth the labor to heare and knowe the opinions of the doctors and lawiers who haue written somewhat touching this matter and first of all of Ludouike of Rome who was present at the councell of Basill where he wrote the last councell whose words are these * If the num 15. shepheard of shepheards offensiuely gouerning and inordinately handling the church being admonished by the church do not foorthwith repent yea continue in his insolencie of gouernment he may and ought to be put from his office For seeing he honoreth not the church admonishing him wholesomly neither shall he then deserue to be honored of the church so that it should tollerate him gouerning offensiuely and being incorrigible being an argument of that which the orator Domitius saith and Hierom reporteth in his epistle to the Neopolitanes saieng thus Why then should I count thee as my prince seeing thou dost not take me for a senator * Therefore the truth is that the pope dist 95. c. esto subiectus offending the church notoriouslye with his crimes and remaining incorrigible may be accused to the church and by the same be vncased of his popedome Which conclusion is shewed farther thus The pope standing in a notorious crime that offendeth the whole church and being vnwilling to cease of falleth into suspition of heresie * He that liueth rebelliously and refuseth c. nullus dist 38. sic dicente to learne and do good things is shewed to be a member rather of the diuel than of Christ and he is shewed to be rather an infidell than a beleeuer Thus saith Ludouike of Rome who as we said was present at the councell of Basil with great authoritie Where be those that dispute that they are and ought to be counted heretiks which set themselues against the popes tyrannie Which thinke that his outragious boldnes in proscribing kings ought not any longer to be borne with Which detest the impietie of Sixtus the fift in maintaining the feined religions of Bernardo and Dominick But now let vs cite another authoritie of the same notable man out of the same councell for shortly after * he num 17. saith thus If naturall reason tell vs that an incurable member that infecteth the whole bodie ought to be cut off for the safetie of the whole bodie in like sort ciuill reason ought to tell vs that an incurable member that infecteth the whole mistical church must be cut off that the rest of the bodie be not infected or offended and consequently the pope let vprightnes of minds be vsed in reading these things and let these words of Ludouike of Rome be compared with that our curse and detestation who though he be a principall part of the church yet is he also a member of the bodie of the church according to the glosse * Also the reason of the scripture of God in c. ecce 93. dist persuadeth this approouing the asseueration of Caiphas the chiefe priest who said It is expedient that one man die for the people and that all the people do not perish seeing that though he were pope placed to gouerne the people yet ought he not to be their ruine saith text 11. q. 3. ita corporis Yea he is worthie of as manie deaths as he sendeth ouer examples of destruction to his subiects saith text eadem caus q. in c. praecipuè For as it is a laudable and discreet thing to giue reuerence and honor to superiors so it is a point of vprightnes and the feare of God not to cast behind vs by any dissimulation the things that are in them and need any correction least the disease go through the whole bodie if the sicknes be not cured in the head saith text 2. q. 7. c. sicut inquit This conclusion is also prooued by the text in c. in canonibus 16. q. 1. and in d. c. sed illud So likewise he ought to be banished out of the church who is not amended by the admonition of the church as the Lord saith Take away euill from among you For those wounds must be launced which feele not the softening of the medicine * argum de iudic c. cum non ab hom Thus writeth 82. dist c. quia aliquanti 1. q. 1. c. reperiuntur Ludouike of Rome word for word Wherby being compared with that our detestation vpright readers may iudge whether iustly or vniustly we haue so boldly accursed the tyrannous boldnes of that pope Moreouer to that complaint of Ludouike of Rome agrée those things which cardinall Zabarella wrote about the yéere M. ccccvj in his treatise of schisme num 20. For euery notorious crime of the pope saith he if he cannot be reformed and do offend the church he may be accused bicause he is accounted as an heretike * in c. olim col pen. extra de rescrip for this incorrigiblenes not in gloss 40 dist c. si papa concerneth
vouchsafe to accept the confession of his repentance conuersion and obedience and to grant him pardon for those things that were past and also the grace of remission firmly promising that he would continually keepe soundly and inuiolably the catholike faith To the which letters as being a kings letters our predecessor giuing credence and being mooued with the bowels of fatherlie loue and also being perswaded with the most graue testimonie of the king of the Queene his mother of the cardinall and duke aforesaid touching such his conuersion absolued him confessing his former errors and humbly crauing pardon from the crime of heresie and from the ecclesiastical censures which he had therefore incurred and he admitted him into the bosom of the holy mother the church and into the fellowship of the faithfull taking from him all incongruitie Nay furthermore that he might be bound with a more strait and firm bond he dispensed with him and Margaret sister to the said king Charles who being borne of that most Christian stocke and being well brought vp was thought to be able easily to keepe hir husband in his dutie and in obseruing the catholike religion that notwithstanding the lets of the third and peraduenture of other degrees of consanguinitie betweene them and also of spirituall kindred they might contract matrimonie betweene them as they did contract it in the face of the church and that done after a few moneths he sent Iohn Lord of Duratium his orator to our said predecessor that in his behalfe he might promise concerning his repentance conuersion faith and constancie in presence of the sea apostolike after that a publike and solemne consistorie was made for him in the kings hall according to the custome in the assemblie of the cardinals and prelates of the holie church of Rome and in a great concourse of others hauing professed all the foresaid things the same Henrie was admitted as a king lately conuerted to the faith and as catholike the whole citie reioicing and triumphing and giuing great thanks for the sheep that was found recouered But he as he was of a diuers and inconstant mind falling awaie shortly after from the catholike faith and from due obedience toward the apostolike sea and from other things professed by him expressely and with an oth and turning backe to that filth wherin he tumbled before withdrawing himself secretly from the most christian king hauing gathered togither in a place a good way distant from the kings court so great a multitude of wicked heretiks and of wicked men of that stampe as he could he openly reuoked there all those things which he before had done concerning the detestation of Caluinisme the abiuring of all heresies and the profession of the catholike and apostolike faith of Rome testifieng that he did professe Caluinisme as he professed it and hath alwaies sticked to that heresie with an obstinate and hardened mind and liuing therein vntill this day he hath raised vp sundrie times heretical rebels and seditious persons whose head captain and defender he hath alwaies been in France and also a most earnest fauorer of outlandish heretiks to beare armes against the foresaid Charles and also against our most deerly beloued sonne in Christ Henrie the most Christian king though he ought to haue reuerenced him as his king and maister to haue loued and followed him as his wiues brother I saie forgetting all dutie and godlines he hath raised them vp against him and all catholikes he hath gathered most deadly armies hauing gotten vnto him heretiks of other nations by whom all places euerie where are defiled with the bloodie murders of godly men holie temples are polluted and pulled downe priests and religious men are slain with torments furthermore he hath taken the cities fortresses of the catholiks partly by policie and partly by force and armes and in them hath he forbidden and taken away the rites of the catholike church he hath appointed heretical ministers preachers he hath inforced the citizens inhabitants to tread in the steps of the same impietie euen with threatnings stripes But thinking with himself that he had not yet don ynough amongst others he sent a certaine deere friend of his furnished with his wicked subtilties without the borders of France to diuers places by whom he imparted his wicked counsels with certaine chiefe heretiks and he prouoked their strength and forces against the catholike religion and the power of the bishop of Rome also he caused certain secret conuenticles of heretiks to be kept in diuers prouinces at some whereof whiles those most vniust leagues against the catholike faith and principally against the churches clergie and all the catholikes of the realme of France were handled he himselfe was not onely present but also a principall actor therein And as for Henrie Borbon prince of Condie hauing two heretiks for his parents forasmuch as they during their whole life had obstinately cherished the deadlie opinions of Caluin and the ministers therof he following the heresies of the same his father and mother did commit like offences being but a yongling afterward with like indeuor as the other Henrie vsed taking the way of truth through repentance and humblenes of hart so much as could be gessed and detesting likewise and abiuring publikely all errors and dotings of heretiks he professed the catholike faith as is said before Which things being brought to the same popes eares and like intercession being made for him the same our predecessor absolued from heresie and such censures him and Marie somtimes of Clieue his pretensed wifc being at that time infected with the same crime of heresie being in like sort penitent detesting and professing and he receiued them into the bosome of the catholike church and companie of the faithfull yea moreouer he dispensed with them according to the abundance of his fatherlie loue that they might contract matrimonie betweene themselues notwithstanding the let of the second degree of consanguinitie wherewith they were holden both of them But he shortly after returning vnto his old impietie and entring that most wicked waie wherin the footsteps of Ludouike of Condie his most wicked father a persecutor of the catholike church had troden and walking in the same footesteps he likewise shewed himselfe a captaine and defender of the same heretiks and wicked persons of the said realme of France and also an author of ciuill wars and seditions he conueied into France bands of hereticall soldiers being strangers he assaied to besiege townes and cities he ouerthrew churches he did profane and destroie holie things he did most cruelly murder priests appointing in their places ministers of wickednes he commanded their peruerse doctrine to be published retained and finally he vsed all kind of crueltie and sauagenes as well against Gods ministers as also against other professors of the catholike faith All which things forasmuch as they be manifest publike and notorious and forasmuch as we do fully perfectly know especially
by the processe made in the time of the same pope Gregorie our predecessor of blessed memorie by manie other documents most graue testimonies that Henrie sometimes king and Henrie of Condie aforesaid are guiltie of the notorious and inexcusable crime of heresie and that they are relapsed into heresie and also that they are guiltie of fauoring heretiks We being inforced to drawe the sword of vengeance against them according to the dutie of our office are verie loth to do it bicause we must for these offences turne it against this detestable and degenerate issue of the noble house of Borbon wherin there hath alwaies appeered sinceritie of sincere religion worship of vertue and obedience toward the apostolik sea Therfore being placed in this high seat and fulnes of power which the King of kings and Lord of lords himselfe hath giuen vs though vnwoorthie by the authoritie of almightie God and of Peter Paul his Apostles and by our owne authoritie and by the councell of our reuerend brethren the cardinals of the holie church of Rome we pronounce and declare that Henrie somtimes king and Henry of Condie aforesaid haue been and are heretiks relapsed into heresies and impenitent also captaines and fauorers and manifest publike and notorious defenders of heretiks and so to be guiltie of treason against the maiestie of God and to be such enimies of the true and sound Christian faith that they can defend themselues by no cunning shift or excuse and that therfore they haue damnably incurred the sentences censures and punishments contained in the holie canons and constitutions apostolike and in the lawes generall and particular and such as are due to relapsed and impenitent heretiks and specially that the same haue been and are depriued in law Henrie somtimes king namely of the pretensed kingdome of Nauarre and of the part thereof which hee hath as yet enioied and also of Bearne and the other Henrie of that of Condie and either of them and their posteritie of all and whatsoeuer other principalities dukedoms lordships cities places and fees and also of such goods as they haue taken to keepe promising to make them better than when they had them and moreouer of dignities honors functions and offices and princely pallaces and iurisdictions and rights which they hold de facto and wherto they haue had right by anie maner of means or do pretend right that they haue therfore made thēselues vnwoorthie therof and that they haue been are incompetent and vncapable to retaine them and heerafter to obtain any such And also that they are in law depriued vncapable disabled from succeeding in whatsoeuer dukedoms principalities lordships and kingdoms and specially in the kingdom of France wherein they haue committed so manie cruell and wicked crimes and in lordships annexed to the kingdome it selfe in iurisdictions and places and in the rest of the goods and things aforesaid and to get them by anie other meanes whatsoeuer like as also of our abundant power so much as is needfull we depriue them and their posteritie for euer to wit Henrie sometimes king of the kingdome of Nauarre and of that part therof and of Bearne and the other Henrie of that of Condie and either of them their posterity of al other principalities dukedoms lordships fees and of all other goodes and substance and also of the right of succeeding and getting and of all and singular the other premisses and also we make them and their posteritie vnable for euer for them and to succeed in anie principalities dukedomes lordships fees and kingdoms and by name in the kingdome of France and in all the foresaid things annexed therto supplieng all defects of right or fact if any have happened in the same And also that the nobles feudataries vassals subiects and people of the realmes dukedoms principalities other lordships aforesaid euen such as acknowledge none other superior and all the rest which haue by any maner of meanes sworne to them are absolued from all such oth and altogither from al perpetual dutie of lordship fidelitie and allegeance as we by the authoritie of these presents do absolue and deliuer them all as well generally as particularly and we command and forbid that all and euery of them that they presume not to obey them and their admonitions lawes and commandements those that shal do otherwise we insnarle in the sentence of excommunication by the verie same But as for our most welbeloued sonne in Christ Henrie the most christian king of France we exhort beseech and also admonish him by the bowels of the mercie of Iesus Christ that being mindfull of the most excellent faith and religion of the kings his auncetors which he hath receiued from them as an inheritance far better than the kingdom it selfe that being likewise mindfull of that oth which he solemnlie tooke at his coronation touching the extirpation of heretikes he imploie himselfe by his authoritie power vertue and courage altogither princely to execute this our so iust a sentence that in this likewise he may shew himselfe thankfull to almightie God and may performe due obedience to his mother the church Furthermore we command charge all our reuerend brethren the primates archbishops and bishops throughout the realme of France Nauarre Bearne and other places aforenamed in the vertue of holie obedience that so soone as the copies of these letters shall come to their hands they cause thē to be published to be brought to effect so much as in them lieth And we will that the same our present letters be set vp and published vpon the doore of the cathedrall church of the chiefe of the apostles and in the side of the fielde of Flora of the citie as the custome is And that there be like credite giuen both in place of iudgement elsewhere in all places to the copies thereof being printed and signed with the publike notories hand and sealed with the seale of the ecclesiasticall prelate or with the seale of that court which shuld be giuen to these presents if they were exhibited or shewed Therefore let it not be lawfull for any mā at al to infringe this writing of our pronountiation declaration priuation inhabilitation suppletion absolution liberation commandement inhibition innodation exhortation request admonition mandate and will or to contrarie the same with rash boldnes And if anie man presume to attempt this let him know that he shall incur the indignation of almightie God and of his blessed apostles Peter and Paul Giuen at Rome at S. Marks in the yeere of the incarnation of the Lord one thousand fiue hundred fowerscore and fiue the fift day before the Ides of September in the first yeere of our popedome A. de Alexijs Ego Sixtus cath Ecclesiae Episcopus Ego Io. Anto. Episc Tusc Card. Sancti Georgij Ego M. S. Car. ab Altaemps Ego Iu. Aua. Car. de Arag Ego P. Car. Sanctacruscius Ego Gulielm Car. Sirletus Ego Mic. Bo. Car. Alex. Ego Lud. Car. Madrutius Ego N. Card. Senonensis P. Card. Deza Ego Ant. Card. Carafa Io. Ant. Card. SS Quatuor Io. Ba. Card. S. Marcelli Aug. Car. de Verona Ego Vin. Car. Montis Regalis Ego M. Car. S. Stephani Scipio Car. Lancelotus Ego Fer. Car. de Medicis Phil. Vast. Card. Cam. Iul. Ant. Sanctorius Car. Seuerin P. Card. Caesius Ego Hier. Card. Rust. Ego Io. Hie. Car. Albanus Ego Vincē Car. Gonzaga Ego Fr. Car. Sfortia S. Nic Alex. Card. de Montealto In the yeer since the natiuitie of the Lord one thousand fiue hundred fowerscore and fiue the thirteenth indiction and in the 21. day of the moneth of September in the first yeere of the popedome of the most holy father in Christ and our lord L. Sixtus the fift by the prouidence of God pope these letters were written out set vp and published in the Cathedrall church of the chiefe of the apostles of the citie and in the side of the field of Flora by vs Hierom Lucius and Nicolas Talliet Cursitors to our most holie lord the pope Io. Andreas Panizza Mag. Curs Ioannes Caijanus Cur. Card. Camerariae Apostolicae Ibotus Ful. Faults escaped The first number signifieth the page the second the line Pag. 2. Lin. 2. clients 7. 2. the Clementines 9. 19. Pope Symmachus 17. 10. Church and 23. Lateran 38. 13. bring serious effects 39. 19. At Perouse 41. 27. Antonine 62. 14. the archbishop of Toledo was suspected of heresie by the Spanish inquisition 74. 17. when 92. 19. markets 98. 9. Pope Pius 100. 17. curses 112. 11. prouiso 127. 16. Cuspinianus 133. 4. feudall inuestitures ibid. 12. read Alexander the seruant of the seruants of God 137. 18. Trier and Mentz 138. 2. At Aquae in Arduenna ibid. 13. Aquisgranum 145. 22. but how woorthie a king 147. 1. counsell ibid. 8. Millaine 159. 3. in the territorte 164. 9. Furies 183. 14. by Theodore legate of the holie church of Rome 184. 23. Melchiades 186. 17. in Paris 191. 24. giue 193. 6. Not as Lords ouer