to mutch be wedded vnto temporall thinges but with more ernest desier séeke for thynges eternall Vnto which purpose and meanyng S. Peter writeth Deerely beloued bee yee not troubled in this heat whiche now is come among you to trie you as though some straunge thyng had hapned vnto you but rather reioyce in as mutch as you are made partakers of Christes passions that when his glory appereth yee may be mery and glad Peter the first Epistle the. 4. chapter Wherunto also tende the wordes of the Apostle S. Paule We reioyce also in tribulations knowyng that tribulation bringeth pacience pacience bringeth experience experience bringeth hope and hope maketh not ashamed Paule to the Romans the. 5. chapter Agayne when the Lorde layeth the Crosse vpon those whom hée loueth and suffereth men which are not altogether wicked to bée afflicted but sutch as feare God and serue him although notwithstandynge they haue some blemishes therwithall hée sheweth what wicked men the children of this worlde must looke for Like as the Lord himself witnesseth who bearyng his owne Crosse when hée was lead to execution sayed It it be thus in the greene tree that beareth frute what shall bee in the drye and vnfrutfull And Saint Peter For it is time saith hée that iudgment begin at the house of god then if it begin first with vs what shalbée the ende of those y obey not the gospel of God And if the iust bée scarce faued where shall the wicked sinful man shew his face By persecutions also God draweth vnto him and directeth in the right way those which before that time walked not strait in the waies of the lord And hée complaineth by his prophetes and blameth his people y being put in mind of their duty with many stripes yet wold they not turne vnto him Moreouer in persecutions afflictions there is geueÌ„ vnto vs matter occasion of trouble that we may bring foorth good works w pacieÌ„ce w a good hope y we may cal vpon god in our passioÌ„s neuer waxe wery with calling like as the lord Iesus hath manifestlye taught vs in Luke the. 18 chap. And in very déed we finde this dayly to be true that wée are slouthfull and cold in prayer when wée are gréeued with no persecution nor touched almost w ani kind of aduersity Last of all God exerciseth the faithful with persecutions swiping from them as it were the dust of worldly desire or fleshly lusts that they should not perish in their sins w the wicked worlde For it is sure and true which S. Paul writeth But wheÌ„ we ar iudged of the lord we are chastined that we should not be damned with the world 1. Cor. ca. 11. Now when we be thus instructed we must humble and submit our selues vnto the mightye hande of the Lord who when he seeth his time can deliuer vs againe when it shall séeme conuenient vnto his good plesure Wherof we haue an example in Dauid who wheÌ„ he was persecuted by his owne sun Absolon among other thinges he saide If I haue found fauour in the sight of the Lord he will restore mee But if he say vnto me I haue no delight in thee Behould I am here let him doe vnto mee that which is acceptable in his sight The same Sainct Peter willeth al men to do which suffer persecution writing thus VVherfore let al them that suffer afflictions according to the will of God commit their soules to him with well doyng as vnto a faithfull creator These causes and effectes of the persecutions of the Christian Churche I haue bréefly chosen out amongst many lest that the store and ouer long reciting of them at large should be gréeuous vnto any The End Herode the great firste persecuted our sauiour A cruell slaughter Math. 2. Curious questions touching these Children The cause of this persecution Iohn Baptist firste preacher of the Gospell What Iohn preached Iohn 1. Iohn taken Iohn beheaded Sundryâ—e opinions of this dede Causes of Herods parsecution Christes doctrine Pharisaical doctrine Christes persecution Accusation aginst christ His passion Apostles Sermons Sorrowe and praiers of the church Steuen stoned Actes 8. Actes 76. Rom. 10. Rom. 9. Cause of persecutyon at this time Actes 8. Actes 4. Actes 2. Wee muste not ask why God suffereth his churche to bee persecuted Iames Apostle slayne 2. Tim. 2. Actes 9. 2. Cor. 12. Actes 13. Actes 14. Actes 17. Actes 18. Actes 19. 1. Cor. 1. Actes 〈◊〉 Act. 23. Act. 25. Act. 2 7. Act. 28. Rom. 15. Paules affliccions 2. Cor. 11. Deut. 25. Al the apostles after afflictions were put to death Peter and Andrevv Iames the elder Iohn Euan. Phillippe Bartelmew Thomas Mathew Iames the lesse Simon and Iude. Mathias Note Nero persecuteth the Christians Rome punished with fire as Sodome was Nero imputeth the fire to Christians Wee must not dispute with God. Diuelyshe pride Note Iohn the Euangelist Read Cyp. against Demetri Traians persecution God is iust and the faith true Polycarp Pionius Iustinus Iraeneus Phoianus Maturus Sanctus Blandina Atalus Triumphyng of the people Quadratus sereous Granius Aristides In the eccles Hist boke 4. cha 9. Iustinus Asianus Appolinaris Milciades Athenagorar Apollonius Tertulian Note Origen Helchesaites heresie Babilas seradion Martirs prouoked with pleasure to reuolt Origin all of Monkes Friers and heremites Eusebius bisshop of Caesarea Abuse of peace Mauritius Foelix and Regula Edictes against christians Done at Nicodemus Nicomedia the Emperours Pallace burned Persecucion in siria In Tyrus In Egipe Phileas A wofull deede Dorothea Sophronia siluanus â—etrus Lucianus Christian Relygion 2. Pet. 4. Abuse of peace Arrius heresye Athanasius Iulians reuoltyng Gentilisme encreased Christians termed Galileans The Romane Ensigne changed A francke confession Although he were very ritche Iulian sendeth the Iewes build the Temple at Ierusalem Dan. 9. Mat. 24. Luk. 21. 80 Legats miserably brent Athanaricus King of the Gothes Genserick King of the vandals To whome Fulgentius wroat The beginning of the false prophet Machomet Alcoran what it signifieth Iohn 9. 2. Thes 21. The whole summe of the turkishe religion God. Christe Remission of sinnes Faith and iustification Workes Eternall lyfe Congregations rites and Sacramentes Holydayes Prayers 1. Iohn 2. Matrymony and deuorcement The wrath of God. What the Sarracens were Machomet is made King. souldanes The holye warre The originall of the Sarracens warre Claromont counsell The. 1. expedition The. 2. expedition The 3. expedition Ierusalem taken The. 4. expedition The. 5. expedition The. 6. expedition The. 7. expedition The 8. expedition The Lateran counsell The. 10. expedition See howe the Pope helpeth the Christians The 11. expedition The. 12 expedition Counsell at Lyons vrspurgeÌ„sis pag. 240. Originall of Turkes The popes Iubilee Original of Othoman the firste Prince of Turkes Orchannes the. 2. Amurates the. 3. Baiazetus 4. Machomet 5. Amurates 6. The reward of periurie Machomet the. 7. The firste Emperour of Turkes Constantinople taken Machomets great victories Baiazet 2. second emperour of Turkes Selimus 3. Emperour Soliman 4. Emperour Rhodes Vienna Buda Lige 〈…〉 selimus 5. Emperour Note Motions vnto these persecutions Dan. 2. Mat. 24. Luk. 21. The firste Bishops of Rome were Martirs Papa or Pope what it signifieth 1. Cor. 4. The auntient Popes aucthoritie Apostolick Sea. Tertul. de prescript haeres FroÌ„ wheÌ„ce the Romish church receiued her power How the Byshoppes of Rome vsurped Popes rose against Emperours Anno Domini 739. Emperour of Constant by Popes driuen out of Italy an honest practise Charles made Emperour by the Pope Emperours swere to the pope vrban 2. Paschalis 2. Popes oppresse the emperours 2. Thes 2. Anno 1271. Kinge of Rome without Rome Se Theodor Nyem of scismes 3. booke 43. chap. and sleidan de Monar Pag. 120. 171. 172. Excommunication The popes Legates Warres and sedition Counselles Cruciata or Croysados Mendicanâ— Friers Preachyng Friers The Pope vaunteth himselfe to be Empe. Iohn the. 22 against the emperour Ludou 4. Zurick excommunicated Warres for sicill and Naples Popes rulers of faith and the Church Errours crept into the Church Originall of the Cannon law Gratianus Scholes and Vniuersities vnder the pope Swere to the Pope Peter Lumbard Agreement of the Church A popishe decree Counselles do consent The sum of papisticall counsel Counselles Whom the Pope calleth heretieks Counselles cause wars and persecutions The counsell of Constance The Counsell of Basile The Trident counsel Persecurtions of our time Note Iob. Captiuitie of Babilon The godly suffer persecution The trueth is knowen by persecutions Persecutions are tokens of the iudgment of God vpoÌ„ the wicked 1. Peter 4. Persecutions awake vs. 1. Pet. 4.
vngodlye séeke to rule There is also very great difference béetwéene the auntient Churche of Rome and the firste Bisshoppes thereof and the Churche of Rome Pope Cardinalles and byshops which be now at this day The antient Byshopes of the Church of Rome whiche lyued and sate there from the yere of Christ 70. vnto y yere 314. and during the time of Constantine the great were in number 32. who wer all faithfull in their callyng profitynge the Churche by teachinge and otheir meanes and for christe and his Gospels sake were martyred and slayne They medled not at all with the ciuill gouerment there was no Court of Rome no senat of scarlet Cardinalles no guarde for the body no other superfluities which now adayes are frequented by Popes Histories of credit do confirme this same such as were not writen in flatterie of the Popes Also the name of Pope at that time was not proper onely to the Bysshoppe of Rome but other Bishoppes also abroade in other Prouinces were called by the same name For Aurelius and Ciprian Byshops of Carthage Ambrose Byshop of Millaine and other Byshops in other places were also called Popes And lykewise Saincte Ierome termeth S. Augustine whiche was Bysshop of Hippo in certen Epistles by the name of Pope For this woorde Papa Pope in the Syracusian tounge signifieth as mutch as this word Pater a Father as Suidas testifieth For it behooueth the Ministers of the church to be faithfull fathers of the people as Sainct Paule writeth Moreouer amonge all the Byshops of Rome from Constantinus the great and Pope Syluester vnto Gregorye the firste which were in number xxxvi ther was not one within compasse of 280. yéeres that vsed y pompe pride maiestie and power which the Popes vse accustomably now now a daies Their aucthoritie was great amonge other Churches and Byshops because for the most parte they were learned and skilfull men neither infected with heresies as some other Byshops in other Churches were but principally because thei were Ministers of the same Churche whiche the Apostles planted at the béeginninge which was therfore called the Apostolick Churche and the Apostolick seate and Sainct Peters Chaer. Howbeit the title and name of the Apostolick seat was not giuen only to the Romane Church but vnto other Churches also namely Ierusalem and Antioche And this woord seate signifieth not a iudgment seat or a princes throne but an ecclesiasticall preachers pulpit So that our forefathers in the ould time termed the aboue named churches Apostolike seates of the Apostolicke doctrine bycause the Apostles taught in those places and from those Apostolick Churches the Apostolick doctrine stretched foorth vnto other Churches aswell farre as nere Wherfore those places in which is not the Apostolick doctrine can not glory of the Apostolick seat although indéed it were ther many hundred yéeres béefore For there is also a seate of the Diuell as Saynt Iohn declareth in the 2. Chapter of the Reuelation But in the time of Pope Gregory the first whiche was within 300. yéeres after the birth of Christe the Church of Rome was so farre from the dominion which now it obtaineth that Gregorye very vehemently with stood Iohn which was bisshop of Constantinople who ambitiously sought to haue cheif place and superioritie in the Church would also bée called vniuersal bysshop Which title notwithstandinge and greater to the bysshops of Rome do vse at this day but Gregorie said that this was a Deuilish pride and the malice of Antichriste Hée that lust let him reade the fourth sixte books of Saint Gregories Epistles touchinge this matter Howbeit not longe after the death of Gregory Bonifacius the 3. vsurped that title which was graunted vnto him by Phocas the emperour a naughtie and wicked man For Otho bysshop of Frisingen a writer of Cronacles in the v. booke and eight Chapter reporteth how Pope Bonifacius the 3. had obtained of Phocas the Emperour that by his aucthoritie power and commaundement the Churche of Rome might bée cauled and also bée indéede the head of all other Churches Beda also writeth the same And Vrspurgensis saith that Rome ought to bée mother of all other Churches Nauclerus writeth that al other Churches in the worlde ought to obey the Churche of Rome and the Bishop therof Wherby it may bée easely perceaued how that this decrée of Phocas the Emperour whom all Hystoricians do verie mutch reprooue was no decree or institution of the Apostles made by Peter or Paule The Sea of Rome béeyng exalted after this maner the bishops which consequently ensued began more more to busie and medle themselues with ciuile matters neither sought they only for power and dominion but deuised how they might plucke their necks from the emperours iurisoiction and extol themselues aboue them how they might challenge bryng in subiection vnder them their prouinces peoples and maiestie But in y meane season they quight forgot their submission and duty departing far wide from thence became altogether vnlike vnto y first bishops of Rome At length the matter proceeded so farre that they durst boldly withstande y emperours and rise agaynst them for euen so Gregory the .ij. and Gregory the .iij. Popes of Romes opposed themselues against Leo the .iij. and Constantine the .v. emperours For these calling certen coūsels vnto which there assembled a great numbre of learned men and bishops of Asia Grecia and other regions they argued the controuersie of Images namely whether it were lawfull to haue and to woorship the Images of Christe and the holly saincts in the Churches of the Christians Whereas at that time it was concluded and confirmed out of the holy scriptures and doctrine of the auncient fathers that Images ought not to be worshipped nor to be suffred in churches but to bée taken away whersoeuer they were founde But after that th' emperors had giuen foorth cōmaundment to the Popes and vnto other vnder the Roman Empire that all of them accordyng to the woord of God and the meaning therof discussed in this present coūseil should take downe th'images out of their Churches sutch was the presumption of the Popes that béeyng called to y counsel they neither appered and afterwarde by their owne aucthoritie contrary to the cōmandement of the Emperours they called peculyer Counsels of Italian Byshops wherein they decréede y Images ought bée to retained in churches and more worshipped then euer they had bin before Nether presumed they onely thus farre but withdrue the Emperours subiectes from due obedience towards hym excommuncaityng the Emperours themselues withoute cause raising morouer tumults great feditions wherein the Emperours lieutenantes and debites were slayne as namely Paulus at Rauenna and Mauritius with Adriane his sunne in Campania And by this meanes all dutifull seruice and obedience was denied to the Emperours they were driuen from the gouerment of Italye But by what right the Popes brought these thinges to passe by
tenderly then the restdue Of whose trauile employd to the plesure and furtherance of the pope many thinges might be written At length the state of Christianytie proceeded so farre after the time of the kinges Radulphus and Adulphus vnder Albertus the firste in the yéere of Christe 1300. that the Pope vaunted hymselfe to be Emperour For at the same time Bonifacius the. 8. brought in agayne the yéere of Iubilee which was abrogated by the Apostles Actes the. 15 Chapter promising forgiuenesse of sins vnto all the would come to Rome vpon the first day of which Iubilee being adorned in his pōtificalrobes he came abroad shewing himselfe as Pope to all men blessing the people the next day he came foorth in his Emperiall apparell openly declaring that the Empire and Papacie together with all ciuill and ecclesiastical power were in the popes hands These things are written by Albertus Crantzius in the eight booke 26. Chapter of his Saxonie The same Pope also set foorth Decretals whiche are called the Decretals of Bonifacius the eight where in muche more impudentlye hée challengeth all power to the Popes This power or rather tirannie and intollerable arrogancye not longe after Bonifacius Iohn the twenty and two put in practise and declared towardes Ludouick For he most reprochefully misused him excommunicated him cast him into gréeuous warres causinge an vnspeakable deale of mans bloud to be shead throughout all Germanie These thinges are described dilligently and at large by Iohn Auentine in the seuenth booke of the yeerely recordes of the Boi whiche I declare for this intent that who so desireth to haue an exacte knowledge of these thinges may know wherto finde it Moreouer in the reigne of Ludouick the fourth as also before vnder Friderick the second the Citie of Zurick béecause it tooke part with the Emperours against the Pope keeping alwaies their oth and allegance towardes hym stood many yéeres excommunicated whiche was not withoute great hinderance of the commonwealth although since that time it hath againe bin indued with sundrye priuiledges and honours At which time the first ground and foundation of the Swicers league through the gifte of God was layde most happely Ludouick the Emperour most largely and liberally graunting to the same and fauoring the Swicers whom I pray god to blesse and kéepe and defend moste mercifully Nowe perhaps you wyll aske mée whether these Actes of the Popes and Emperours and the increase of the Popish power and aucthority doo any thing appertaine to the persecutions against the churh wherof at the beginning we purposed to write yea indeede altogether surely most properly they appertaine to the same For in asmuch as the first bisshops of Rome persecuted no man but themselues suffred persecution were Martires and those whiche next followed were most parte of them holye and faithfull doctours subiectes to the Emperours and ciuill Maiestrates and ruled ouer no Prouinces nor Peoples so that none of them were Princes and the later Popes in these laste times stirred vp moste gréeuous persecutions within the circute of Christendome it is expedient to know by what means and maner how why and when the state of the bysshops of Rome was so shamefully deformed and chaunged that the later Popes béecomminge so farre diffrent from the first bysshops béecame Lordes of kinges and emperours and cruell persecuters of them Now therfore so many moste cruell and sharpe warres which the Popes béeing aduanced to so great power haue stirred amōg Christians in which sutch aboundance of Christian blood hath bin shead maye they not rightfully be reckned amongst the persecutions of Christians For like as abroad they haue bin sticklers of most gréeuous warres vnto the Christians against the Sarracens and Turkes as wée haue declared béefore so haue they bin also at home aucthours of persecutions troubles and destruction to Christians Doth not this verie well deserue the name of a persecution when as Christian emperours with such as duetifully obeyd his hestes ar by Popes vexed and wasshed with their own blood discourteously dealt withall with weapons and warlike torments which as we haue shewed béefore out of historys many yéeres with infinite spillinge of blood were most cruelly and tyrannically committed But in the midst of so many calamities the wofull kinges and emperours perpetuallye suffringe affliction and miserie at length they and theirs quayled and gaue ouer and the Popes béeinge conquerours triumphed and althinges hapned accordinge to their desier and so they established their power that they might stand heerafter in awe of no man but rule at their pleasure without all controulement And in very déede these are not vnlike vnto Daniels prophecy wherin hée hath left thus written While the vngodly are a growyng there shall arise a king with an impudent face which shall vnderstand darck sayinges and his power shal encrease but not in his own strēgth and hée shal destroy aboue measure and all that hée goeth about shal prosper and hée shall destroy the valient and holly people And through his craftines deceit shal prosper in his hand and hée shal magnifie himselfe in his hart and in his prosperity hée shall confound many Yea hée shall rise vp against y prince of princes but hée himselfe shalbée destroyed with out hand Daniell the .viii. Chap. But if I would here declare the vnspekable deal of mans blood which by means of Popes hath bin shead in Sicile Naples and Apulia surelye the recitall would bée ouer longe For from the time of Innocentius the. 4. vnto Clemente the vii the space of 284. yéeres sumtime the Germans afterward the Frenchmē again the Spainiards against the Frenchmen then a fresh the Germans against them then againe the Frenchmen and Hungarians were by Popes called to sutch and sutch kingdomes and sutch and sutch peoples were at warre and by them set togither by the eares All which troubles are diligently set downe by historicians Moreouer through the immoderate and vnlawfull power or rather tyranny of y Popes no lesse also by other meanes blooddy persecutions and murthers haue risen For after that as wée haue shewen béefore they had mightely vsurped vpon all Ecclesiasticall and Ciuill iurisdiction and power also ouer counselles then might they afterward institute and ordeine all ordres of the Church the doctrine of faith and religion rites and customes in the Churche at theyr owne will and pleasure And hereof arose persecutions For who so euer resisted those they cried out vppon for heretickes and vnder that pretence persecuted them And this same béesides the warres of the Popes I terme properlye the Papisticall persecution agaynste Christians and the Christian Churche whiche was mooued againste the godlye and faithfull onely for their faithes sake as it was sumtime in the primitiue Church Wherfore like as at the beeginninge the first faithfull were persecuted by the Emperours of Rome euen so towards the ende of the worlde the faithfull of the latter times do suffer persecution by the Popes
their practizes euery man that is indued with common sence and hath any knowledge of iustice mai soone vnderstand Al these things were doone with in 30. yéeres after y yere of our lorde 724 or nere therupon vnto the yéere of our Lorde 754 In the yéere of our Lorde 750. Pope Zacharie the. 1. of that name tooke vpon him teÌ„porall matters began to medle with the ciuill gouerment assisted to depose the king of France froÌ„ his crowne and to place another in his rowme For through his help and counsell Hilderik king of France of the antient familie of Merouingi was deposed from y crown and Pipine of the familye of Charles thurst into his place But shortly after this great benifite of the Popes Pipine brought an army of FrenchmeÌ„ into Italy against Estulphus king of Lumbardy when hauing taken in war the greater parte of the cuntrey hée gaue it for reward vnto pope Steuen the second and then first S. Peter obtained an inheritaÌ„ce who béefore y time y space of 700. yéeres neuer had any and although y Constantius y emperour sent Embassadours vnto Pipine that hée would not alienate the Prouinces of the Romane Empire yet notwithstanding Steuen the Pope gladlye receiued those Prouinces peopls and ciuill gouerment whiche certenly S. Peter would neuer haue doone forasmuch as hee refused the charge ouer the poore Actes the vi The Popes followinge thereafter immitated the déedes of theÌ„ which went before nothinge lyke the déedes of the Apostles For Hadriane the Pope lykewise receiued all those thinges willyngly which Charles surmamed the great King of Fraunce gaue vnto him when he had vanquished and ouercome the Lumbards and taken prisoner Desiderius their king But Leo the third attempted more For he tooke vpon him the aucthoritie ouer all the Empire which then appertayned to the Emperours of Constantinople and crowned Charles Emperour of Rome withoute the knowledge and consent of the lawfull Emperours when as then as Palmerius accompteth the west had lacked their owne Emperour the space of 330. yéeres The yéere of Christe 860. Pope Nicholas the firste ruled the sea of Rome a passinge ambitious man institutinge sundry thinges not appertayning to the gouerment of the Church but to confirmation and establishinge of the popishe tyrany First that no prince no not the emperour himselfe should bée present in the counseiles of the Clergie Also that no lay man should set in iudgment ouer a clarke or ecclesiasticall person Moreouer that the Popes decrées and sentences ought to bée iudged by no man yea that the Pope is subiect vnto no ciuile power bicause he is god Reade Antoninus Titul xvi Paragra 9. and likewise in the decrées in the 76. and. 28 â–ª distinction Afterward in the yéere of Christ 962. the Popes of Rome grue vnto so great power that when Otho the. 1. emperour of that name came vnto Rome hée must néedes take an othe vnto Pope Iohn the xii that hée would defende the inheritance of Peter c. Reade the. 63. distinction which béeginneth Tibi Domine Ioanni But in the yéere after the birth of our Lord sauiour Christ 1000. the tyranny of Popes against y emperours brak foorth into light for casting away their yoke from their neckes they béegan fréely to bear rule at their owne plesure nothinge regardynge any Magistrate yea bringynge Princes kynges and Emperours into subiection vnder them and compellyng to obey them or otherwise through deceit and couen bryngynge them to the bent of their bow For I pray you what horrible tragedies and turmoiles did pope Gregory the seuenth stirre vp against Henrie the fourth For not only hée excommunicated him and intreated him most disdainfully but also discharginge his subiectes princes and nobles that were vnder the empire from their othe and allegeance raised a sedition against him causing an infinitie deale of blood to bée shead Who so is disposed let him reade this most cruell and strange historie in the yéearlye recordes of Ihon Auentine and in other historicians Pope vrbane the .ii. which succéeded Gregorie in the sea of Rome his verie true and vndoubted Disciple in the Claromont counsell was causer of the most cruell warre which the Christians made against the Sarracens wherof we haue spoken béefore Béesides hee prouoked Conrade the prince of Italye to rebell against his father the emperour Henrye the fourth which was a deede altogither against nature Likewise Paschalis the .ii. egged the sunne Henrye the v. against his father Henrye the fourth and thrise accursed him tausinge the bysshoppes of Ments and Coleine wourmes in his palace of Ingelheim by force to turne him out of his imperiall ornamentes disgrading the good ould emperour and adorninge therwith his sunne Henrye the fifte If anye man can bée delighted herewith let him read this wofull historye in his Saxonie of Albertus Crantius the firâ—â— booke the xx chapter The same Paschalis was troublesom also vnto the emperour Henrye the fift and was the cause of mutch bloodshead and all only for the donation and gift as they call them of certein ecclesiasticall benefices and prefermentes which vnto that time the emperour had alwayes and now the Pope went about forcibly to take them away But that which hée could not bringe to passe the same afterward Calixtus the. 2 assaid nether relented vntill hée had taken away from the emperour the same right of donation of spirituall prefermentes Wherof Abbas Vrspurgensis hath writen diligently These thinges were doone in the yéere of our lord God 1122. But the Popes of Rome were not contented with this but the later sorte haue insued the trade of their predicessours touching wickednes and mischeif in persecutinge the emperours For afterward they béecame gréeuous vnto them neuer makinge an ende of cursing seditions warres and perpetuall fraud and deceipt vntill at length they had oppressed the wéerie emperours and exalted their seate aboue theirs placinge themselues in power and superioritie aboue all other Who so desireth to haue a sounde and perfect knowledge of these matters let him reade the storye of Fridericus Barbarossa and those thinges which the Popes Adrian the fourth and Alexander the thirde practized against him of which the later most presumptiously trode vpon the Emperours necke with his foote Also what Caelestinus the fourth wrought against Henry the first Let him also there béeholde with what arrogancie pride and insolencie Pope Innocentius the third a loftie and bould Preist vsed against Philip the Emperour But specially let it bée well considered what the popes Honorius y third Gregorie the .ix. and Innocentius the. 4 committed wickedly and deceiptfully against Fridericke the seconde a notable and most excellent Emperour a man indued with most singular giftes whom most vnworthely and reprochfully they troubled afflicted as they did likewise his sunne Conradus the fourth emperour of that name These contentions persecutions and most cruell and perpetuall warres béetwéene the Popes and the emperours continued
true reformation reprehending the disorders and abuses and specially y popes vnlawfull aucthorytie the filthye and lecherous lyfe of the Clargye which all men are constrained to confesse to bée very culpable the same men neuerthelesse are condempned for scismatickes and Hereticks ar sharply persecuted For vnto them all are Heretickes whosoeuer do not submit themselues to the Sea of Rome and the Pope in all thinges and beléeue in althinges which that Sea beléeueth and commandeth to bée beléeued accordyng to the aboue named conspiracie and so Lucius the pope defineth Heretickes in his Decretall wherof we haue made mention before in the Chapter Ad aboliendum to abolyshe Wherefore with them it is not sufficient that a godlye man confesse all the articles of the antient true vndoubted and Apostolick faith saying that hée beléeueth in one God the father c. that hée also alowe and confesse the foure orders of our beléefe set foorth by the auntient counselles and S. Athanasius and whatsoeuer are taught and confirmed out of the holy scriptures of both Testaments moreouer doo condemne y heresies which were conuicted condemned in y antient counsels In ould time this kinde of confession was sufficient enough for christiās in y auntient church but amongst these men all these things aveile nothinge neither suffice to the confession of the faith but a man muste néedes confesse and beleue in the church of Rome as it is now vnder the Pope and follow the consent thereof or else he shall léese honour goodes bodie lyfe and all And therefore during the time of the Counsels before and after them haue bin many bateiles murthers and foule wastings committed nether were these things done onely against the Sarracens and vnfaithfull men but with mutche more extreamitie and crueltie against Christians which would bée indéed and named Christians and not papists and which disallowed and also be wayled the pride and tyrany of the Pope his great and manifest abuses and deprauations of holy thinges Wherefore in the ould time it grewe into a prouerbe Euery counsell breedeth warre which is to be vnderstoode of Papisticall counsels and found indéed to be true by proofe For that I may passe ouer in this place warres and moste bloody persecutions of faithfull men but enemies to the Sea of Rome whiche were waged and committed in the reigne of Pope Innocentius the thirde and certen other Popes next ensuing let vs onli examin those thinges which are not farre past the memory of men that are aliue The counsel of Constance I pray you what warres persecutions burninges wastyngs and murthers purchased it vnto Boheme Germanie He that knoweth not this let him learne it at least wise out of Pope Pius the seconde who when he was called as yet Aeneas Syluius wroat these thinges very dilligently in his storye of Boheme The troubles seditions slaughters which the counsel of Basile brought forth are in part recited by Platina in the life of Eugenius the fourth But béesids this we haue a more fresh and certeine example of the Tridentine Counsel which beeing first appoynted at Mantua and afterwarde at Vincentia was at the last by Paule the thirde in the yeare of our Lord. 1542 called at Trident nigh Athesis wholy in manner and fourme as we haue béefore recited whiche was conluded and ended by Pope Pius the fourth in the yéere of our Lorde 1563. Howbeit what thinges were doone certen yéeres before this counsel and also since against holie and faithfull men which only beleeued in the Gospell but not in traditions of Popes nor in the sea of Rome by Leo. x. Clemēt 7. Paul. 3. and ▪ 4. Iulius the 3. Pius the 4. and. 5. and by this present Pope Gregorye the. 13. the space of 53. yéeres I néede not repeat For they are knowen vnto God and al the world and as it were writen in heauen vnto which place the blood of all innocents together with the blood of Abel crieth from the earth vnto God for vengeance Many gréeuous longe and bloodye warres for sundry causes were waged in those yéeres but at the same time no lesse gréeuous and bloody persecutions wer committed against the faithfull for faith and religions sake Faithfull and Godly men were reprochefully and iniuriously dealt withal apprehended thrown out of dores driuen into exile spoyled of their goods beheaded hanged on gallowes burned vexed with al kindes of tormentes and punishment And by this meanes were oppressed tormented slayne hundred thousands of faithfull men and professours of the Gospell both in the higher and lower Germanie in Scotlād England Spaine which found out the new practize of the inquisition in Italie and other regions But cheiflye what hath bin doone in France ther is no man at this day but knoweth And there are extant whole bookes written of the gréeuous and long Papisticall persecution and the thinge doone is yet fresh in memory wherfore it is not néedefull that I should specially declare it againe at large since yet at this present they make no end of their crueltie and sheding of blood Since therfore thei which would séeme to be Fathers and pastours of the church do make themselues executioners of this last papisticall persecution wée may not only compare it w the olde persecutions but in respect of the greatnes prefer it aboue it Moreouer as in auntient times the ould persecutors of the church were egged forwarde to rigour through an vnsatiable desire to rule to th' intent they might kéepe and increase their dignitie pleasures ritches and superstition so likewise is the Papisticall persecution committed for the same cause But like as the Christian faith in the ould time was no whit the lesse estéemed of for the persecutions so at this present the Euangelicall doctrine is nothinge the woorse nor viler bicause the Papists do persecute the professours of the Gospell and manie times ouercome them There are sundrie causes why God suffreth this to bée doone neither ought any man to accuse or call the iudgment of God into question And this mutch I had to saye of the persecutiōs which the Church of Christ hath suffred from the birth of our Sauiour vnto our time comprehendinge breefely the whole summe wherby the matter beeing otherwise verie large might seeme ouerlonge and tedious to the reader Howbeit much more might and oughte to haue bin written of thys manifold and ample argument Of the Sundry causes why God suffreth the Christian Church to be torne with Tyrantes and afflicted with persecutions Chapter xvii HEerafter I intende to declare the causes and effectes of the aboue recited persecutions of y christian church which doo worke in the faithfull And although I haue already almost in euery one shewed them notwithstandyng ther remaine some more speciall which are of vs with more diligence to bée considered Persecutions are sent to the Churche by the iust iudgment of god as the scripture plainely witnesseth were sent vnto Iob the