't is ignorance and indiscretion that causes all this and should the like case happen to me I could very well make the Father an answer The other was of a certain young Student that went to a Jesuite to Confession amongst other of his Confessions he told him that he had lay'n a whole night with his Fatherships Neice and began to faint almost under the shame and apprehension of his Sin so that he had no mind to proceed but the good Father to incourage him told him That it was no such great matter to lye a night with the Neice for he had ly'n ten years together with the Mother And with this good exhortation he sent the young man back to his house And this second Example I heard my self in a Sermon in a certain Town in the Territories of the Venetian Preach'd by an Augustine Fryer who by his face look'd as like to do such a business as the Jesuite And thousands of these instances may be heard dayly in their Pulpits the Church of Rome by reason of the licentiousness of its Ministers being the laughing-stock of the Catholicks and the obloquy of the Protestant And truly 't is sad that those Confessions that were at first requir'd as conducing to the Salvation of Souls should be turn'd now by the iniquity of the Confessors into the scandal of the Church The Bishops shut their eyes at every thing because the Cardinals connive at them The Cardinals commit all things to the Pope contenting themselves with the magnificence of their Station The Pope because they let him alone in a Pinnacle of Grandeur above all exhalation of scandal leaves them to themselves and retains his opinion of their Piety not regarding what Heresies the Ignorance Malice or Lasciviousness of his Confessors may create To this the Ecclesiastick answers that we ought not to look so severely to the faults of the scandalous because they are but frailties and so will be judged by the Divine Justice it self And for instance they alledge the example of Judas who was a Traytor even in the company of the Holy Apostles so as our eye they say ought not to be upon him but upon the rest To which I answer that if there were indeed but one ill Churchman in twelve all Hereticks both Jew and Gentile would be converted to the Faith but as the case stands there is scarce one good to be found in ten thousand bad and therefore how can they be converted that have so many scandals in their prospect But some will say perhaps how can these things be redress'd I answer with the greatest facility in the world if the Cardinals pleas'd I speak not of the Pope because let the Divines say what they will for His absoluteness to speak the truth the Church of God is not a Monarchy but a Republique the Cardinals and Bishops being Supreme and Soveraign Senators and the Pope as Christs Vicar President of the Senate for though Christ created St. Peter his Vicar he took not away the Authority from the rest of the Apostles they alwayes with Supreme Authority in their Colledge decreeing what ever they thought necessary for the benefit of the Church St. Peter being allow'd no more than his single voice So that the Care and Government of the Church belonging by legal succession to the Cardinals the right of appointing remedies against such scandals as do afflict us belongs likewise to them And indeed whilst the Church was under a kind of Aristocrasie Miracles and Holiness and Goodness were observ'd to flourish But since the Priests began to flatter the Popes conceiving preferment and advantages easilier obtain'd by the adulation of one person than a Senate they put all into the hands of the Pope and made him a Monarch so that Miracles were lost immediately Sanctity was banish'd and a thousand wickednesses introduc'd because that which was Monarchy in the hands of the Pope became Tyranny in those of the Nephews Insomuch that to reduce the Church to its Primitive Holiness it will be necessary to restore it to its antient Aristocrasie Since my being at Rome I heard of hundreds of Decrees put out by the Congregation of Regolars but I never heard of any of them put in Execution as they ought to have been the Popes for the most part having dash'd them motu proprio besides the application being superficial and only to the top branches of the Tree it was impossible it should reach the Corruption that was in the Root The wickedness of the Churchmen is like a Wart upon a mans hand the more you cut it unless you cut it to the bottom the greater it grows To put out fire it is necessary to remove that matter that sustains it and if the Cardinals would apply any remedy to the scandals that throng dayly out of the Cloysters to the detriment of the Church they ought not to consider the nature of the Fryers after they are made Fryers so much as the qualities of those who make themselves Fryers The Method of the Italians in this age I speak not of other Countreys is good indeed for the advancement of their Arms but not at all for the benefit of the Church For example an Italian that has three Sons picks out the wisest and most gentile and Marryes him to keep up his Family him that is most sprightly and vigorous he sends to the Wars and if any be more foolish or extravagant than other he is sent to the Covent In short those Fathers whose Sons are given to Theft to Drunkenness Lust Dissoluteness or Prodigality if they be Lyers Swearers Cheats Blasphemers c. do presently devote them to the Cloyster where putting on the Habit of a Fryer they put them out of their sight indeed but put them into a Religious house where they become Devils because wickedness or rather a heap of wickedness cannot be taken away by fifteen yards of Cloth Were these disorders but regulated a great part of the scandal that lyes at present upon the Church would be taken away 't is a shame the worst should be given to God and the best to the Devil 't were better to suppress Cloysters and Fryers than to suffer such Fryers to be made In the Church of Rome the quality of the persons that are to enter into Religious Habits is not so much consider'd as their quantity so their number be great no matter for the rest Cheats Back-biters the Hunch-back'd the Lame and the Blind are all admitted into the Cloysters as if the number not the qualities made the Religion O most diabolical policy and fit to be exploded Did it belong to me to supplicate the Pope and the Colledge of Cardinals I would do it upon my knees because I observe goodness and piety declining in the Church and all by reason of the multitudes of Priests whose qualities ought to be more regarded than their numbers One truly Religious man is worth a thousand wicked and edifies the Church more with
difference at the Election of Damascus and Ursinus Of the Persecutions of the Emperours overcome by the Church with the force of patience Of the preceedency of the Bishops and Cardinals and how the Cardinalship was a step to the degree of a Bishop Of the effects that the blending and confusion of Temporal things with Spiritual brought into the Church Of the Ecclesiastical Government and its policies Of the resemblance of the Church with the Galley of Salamin How the Supreme Government of the Church was taken from the Bishops and transferr'd to the Cardinals How ambition first flourish'd in the Church Of the Election of Cardinals and the quality of their Electors Of the great ardour with which the Italian Prelats negotiated the Cardinalitial Dignity Of the Honours and Dignities invented by the World and by fortune Of the Titles the Cardinals enjoy at present Of the number that forms the Colledge of Cardinals Of the great Prerogative that follow the Majesty of Cardinals Of the time the Popes create their Cardinals Of the manner of their creation formerly and of the way they are created at present Of a certain example of a Catholick and a Protestant about the manner of creating of Cardinals Of Maldochino's promotion to the Cardinalship Of the seven Offices in the persons of the Cardinals Of the Pension and Jurisdiction of the Popes Vicar Of the charge and antiquity of the Vice-chancellorship Of the number of Congregations the Cardinals hold Of the three Arch-Priestship in the persons of the Cardinals Of the order observ'd at the death of a Cardinal and of the ceremonies at their Funerals Of the diminution of the Cardinalitian authority by the Popes Of the manner in which they receive their Caps Of the ceremony of stopping the mouths of the Cardinals Of the Cardinalitial Habits Of their Cavalcades Of the usual Function when the Pope sends a Cap to a Cardinal out of Rome Of the visits the Cardinals receive and return Of the manner how the Prelats of the Church are receiv'd by the Cardinal Padron Of the scandal taken by the Protestants by the irregular lives of some of the Cardinals Of the manner of their stopping their Coaches Of the civility amongst the Ecclesiasticks Of the Cardinals courtesie to Strangers when they are Legats of Provinces Of the Presents the new Cardinals give to the Officers of the Popes Court and the Cardinal Nephews Court and to others Of the manner observ'd by the Cardinal Legats when they receive the relations of any Serene Prince The manner how the Cardinals receive the great Ladies as they pass by their houses Of the Popes Titles resemblance with the Titles of Christ. Of the great contempt the Popes in the Primitive times had of Honors and Titles Of the introduction of Titles amongst the Ecclesiasticks according as Riches were introduc'd Of the Titles the Popes us'd antiently Of the Title of Servant of the Servants of God introduc'd by Gregory That Schism and Heresie were begot in the Church by the introduction of so many several Titles Of the variation of many Titles in the persons of the Cardinals Of the Title of Eminence invented by Urban the eight and upon what occasion Of his first design to have conferr'd that Title upon his Nephews only Of the troubles brought into the Church by the assignation of the Title of Eminence to the Cardinals Of the Title of Highness assum'd by the Princes after the Cardinals had taken upon them the Title of Eminence How common the Title of Excellence became after that time Of a Princes Secretary that refus'd a Letter from a Cardinal to his Prince because it was not directed with the Title of Highness Of the Divines the Cardinals keep alwayes about them Of the office of a Theologist how honourable it is when exercis'd by a person of Learning and Worth Of a certain Divine and his impious Services to his Cardinal Of the honour good Servants bring to the persons of the Cardinals and of the dishonour if they be wicked and of other particularities THere are some Ages past already since all Europe not to restrain my self to Italy which has found the greatest sweetness of it had had experience how pleasant that Fortune is that receives its Original from the Church For from thence it is that that which before was despis'd by the most abject Citizens is now eagerly aspir'd to by the most considerable Families in Europe Some ten Ages past there was not a Mendicant or Artificer much more that could be perswaded to leave his Cabane or his Shop to take upon him the Authority of a Prince in the Territory of the Church The Pastors in those dayes choosing rather to sweat and toyl like a Husbandman at Plough than like a Prince to command the Monarchy of Christ At present or for these two last Ages rather the nature of things has been alter'd so much there seems no Room left in the Ministry of the Church but for the Richest and most Illustrious Families that are Princes themselves aspiring to those preferments changing willingly their Sword for a Gown and their Mantle Royal for a Fryers Cowle Amongst the Protestants also I observe no small alteration in former Ages one of the most able and eminent Ministers of the Gospel could not without great difficulty get a Wife even amongst the meanest people of the City Now a dayes the Tables are turn'd and the greatest Ladies are ambitious to marry themselves to the most abject and ignorant of that Ministry To the Catholick and Protestant both this matter appears wonderfull yet if it be consider'd narrowly the mystery is not impenetrable the truth is the Pay of the Church that before was bitter is now sweet and easie A Preacher of the Gospel has now no more to do than to furnish himself with a dozen Sermons afore-hand and according to the revolution of the year to beat them over and over again into the Ears of the People whereas formerly it was their custom to study early and late from morning to night and be alwayes ready not to expose only but spend their blood in the Service of the Church Formerly the Clergy thought of nothing but executing the duty of their Functions taking no care nor pleasure in the world and therefore the world despis'd them At present they are so farr inveighed and inamour'd with the world they show but little affection to the Church and the world respects them for it Antiently they serv'd the Church for no other end but to gain Souls to Heaven but now they served it only to gain applause and riches to themselves then they were 〈…〉 â—â—d despised now they are rich and adored In those dayes the Popes were constrain'd with tears in their eyes to beseech such and such that they would vouchsafe to take the Ecclesiastical Habit upon them because then their humility and meekness made them contemptible to the world Now the Scene is chang'd and people beg and intreat with
Priests and Deacons Insomuch that whereas heretofore the Priests and Deacons promiscuously and without any distinction were admitted into their Ecclesiastical Assemblies they were after this resolution excluded and the greater and principal of the Clergy only receiv'd to their no small dis-satisfaction which they were forc'd to put up leâ—t they should otherwise disturb that repose they were in pursuit of amongst the sorrows and calamities of the Church In those times the Bishops had the preceedence before the Priests and Cardinal Deacons the Cardinalship being only a scale and step towards Episcopacy conformable to what is mentioned in the life of St. Gregory where it is said several Cardinal Priests were preferr'd to be Bishops And because there was great difference betwixt their orders there was great difference in their corrections also For the conviction of a Bishop there was seventy two witnesses requir'd and if of that whole number there wanted but one the whole accusation was void whereas for the conviction of a Cardinal Priest forty was enough and for a Deacon twenty seven But the Ecclesiastical orders and degrees have chang'd dayly with the times and their dignities have been more considered for their Titles than any reality of advantage The Cardinals since found means to advance themselves before the Bishops and Episcopacy now is but a degree towards the Cardinalship whereas formerly for the space of eight hundred year they had as principal Ministers of the Church manag'd all her affairs The chief causes of these changes and revolutions was from the same mutations in the Monarchy of the Popes and from the medly and confusion of Temporal affairs with Spiritual and of the Ecclesiastick Government with the Civil For the Pope having â—â—larg'd his Dominions by the annection of several Provinces in the time of Pipin and Charles the Great his Successors found themselves forc'd upon another Model because so many Secular Principalities being added to the Church several important affairs did dayly arise that could not be deferr'd to the next Councel of Bishops which meâ— not but every two or three years The Church in its minority was like the Galley of Salamin that by the appointment of the Athenians was never to sayl but upon some Religious design it being sufficient now and then upon occasion to call their Councels to negotiate and regulate the most important affairs of Christendome but after the acquisition of so many States and Seignories they were forc'd upon new wayes for the conservation of their Temporals For this reason it was judged necessary to establish a Councel or Senate that should be alwayes near his Holiness and that it should be compos'd of Cardinal Priests and Deacons and Rectors of the principal Parishes of Rome as those that were more capable to consult and determine in matters of greatest importance both in Spirituals and Temporals which succeeded without much difficulty the Ministers of Rome to prevent any resentment in the Bishops that the administration of the affairs of the Church was taken out of their hands endeavouring to perswade them that what was done was for the benefit of Christendome that it was unfit the Bishops should leave their charges with so much inconvenience to the people and come so often to Rome to treat of affairs that more poperly belong'd to those who had no Cures to distract them and thus were the poor Bishops constrain'd to truckle to the Cardinals and become inferiour that had been superiour so long The Cardinals being advanc'd in this manner and the Bishops excluded from the Government of the Church they continu'd very dexterously to wrest the Election of their Popes out of the hands of the Emperours the People and the Bishops and not contented with that they presum'd to incroach also upon the Election of the Emperour so as the authority of Electing the two principal dignities of the world being in their power in spight of their former subordination they advanc'd themselves so far above the Bishops that the Bishops are now but Slaves as it were to the Cardinals and by some of them imploy'd with great arrogance in Mechanick affairs Antiently there was no greater esteem of a Cardinal than there is now of a Deacon or Arch-Deacon in comparison of a Prelate because they had no other authority in the Election of Bishops who were then the principal Ministers in the Church than the common Clergy and People of Rome without any difference or exception bearing an equal share with the rest of the Clergy in the Service of the Church But when the world began to take notice that they made and unmade Popes at their pleasure choosing them alwayes out of the Colledge of Cardinals they became so incens'd in a short time that the dignity of Cardinal grew the most envied yet the most covered and ambition'd dignity in the world And this ambition which was deriv'd from the exaltation of Cardinals in the Church hath been the Parent and Hidra of all the mischiefs and calamities in the Church And this ambition that was so detestable even among the Pagans that Lucian desir'd that all they that aspir'd to any thing above their sphear might perish before the year went about is indeed the source and nourishment of all the Wars Schisms and Heresies that have sprang up in the bosome of the Church At first the Cardinals were chosen out of such Priests and Ministers only as serv'd in the particular Churches in Rome and that custom lasted for about an Age and a half that is to say till the Bishops taking notice at last of the injury was done them and that they were excluded from any concurrence in the Election of the Pope they did very much insist that the Cardinals might not be chosen any longer out of the Romans only but out of the number of all the Bishops of Italy excluding Foreigners The Church increasing after this manner extraordinarily and the number of Bishops multiplying in all parts both of Europe and Asia it was resolv'd that the Cardinals should be chosen out of all the Provinces in Europe and Asia without exemption of any it being but reasonable as St. Bernard sayes That they who judge the whole world should be chosen out of all parts thereof In the same manner the Rules for Election of Popes were observ'd as we shall relate in the third part of this Work the Priest of Rome not permitting any stranger to be created Pope for the space of above nine hundred years electing only such persons as were benefic'd in some Church in Rome till that in the year 891 there happen'd a great contest betwixt the Romans and the Foreign Bishops these last pretending to a concurrence in the Election of Popes the other refusing as obstinately the infringement of so antient a custom but at last the Foreign Bishops prevail'd and chose Formosus Bishop of Porto For some years successively the Italians that had a great part in the Election of the Pope would by no means consent
in force Martin would have it confirm'd by a Bull and authenticated in the usual form and besides that every one might know how well he was inclin'd to the meeting of Councels and to take away those suspicions which some people would have conceiv'd of the rectitude of his mind he declar'd by the consent of the whole Councel of Constance Pavia to be a proper place and accordingly he sent out his Briefs every way and it follow'd in the month of April the next year At length being desirous to put an end to the Councel in the year 1418. he made a publique Assembly after which by common consent but especially of Sigismond Ibaldo Cardinal of San Vito by Order from his Holiness pronounc'd these words of dismission Domini ite in pace and therewithall all of them had liberty to depart to their houses In the mean time the Pope was intreated by the Emperour first of all to remain in Germany for a while and afterwards he was invited by the Princes of France to retire into those parts But Martin excus'd himself to them all demonstrating that he could not do it by reason that the Patrimony of Saint Peter which was in Italy did suffer much by the absence of the Pope and Rome the head of the Christian Religion was as being without a Pastor involv'd in such civil seditions as caus'd the Churches of the Saints to go utterly to ruine for which reason it was necessary for him to hasten his journey to Rome as indeed he did travelling by Milan as the nearest way He was Pope 14 years and died of an Apoplexy the 20. of Febr. 1421. The first of March the Cardinals enter'd into the Conclave with a general agreement to choose Gabriel Condulmera a Venetian Pope who in his Legation della Marca given him by Pope Martin gave great essays of his prudence in the correction of those who under pretence of ill Ministers had rebell'd against the Church Before their entrance into the Conclave things seem'd not a little imbroil'd one part of the Cardinals pretending to Elect Cardinal Cesarino another propos'd Anthonio Cassino both of them persons of greater parties than parts But those kind of projects remain'd without for as soon as they were enter'd the Conclave in the first scrutiny which follow'd the very next day after their entrance Condulmera was chosen Pope by the consent of all but 3 in 40. which was the number in the Conclave This was the most expeditious and peaceable Election that had ever happen'd before for it is certain there was never any Pope chosen in the first scrutiny but he Being demanded what name he would be call'd by he took a little time to resolve them and desiring to retire into a private place he staid there a considering above half an hour from whence some of the Cardinals took occasion to say That it was easier for them to choose a Pope than for him to choose a Name Some there were that believ'd that he would draw lots for his Name as if the goodness of the person consisted in his Name it is sufficient that about half an hour after he came forth and declar'd he would be call'd Eugenius the 4th The People receiv'd the Election with great applause but a while after taking disgust they took up Armes against him and he was forc'd out of Rome in the habit of a Monk to escape the fury of the people There were many accidents which happen'd in the Papacy of Eugenius in which he commonly remain'd Victor He chastis'd those Cardinals who under the name of the Council endeavour'd to depose him In the Wars he was alwayes neutral and unconcern'd and it was he who drew over the Jacobites to the Christian Faith But that which afflicted him most was to see that he had lost the obedience of the Germans which happen'd in this manner Philip de Florentini had taken a prejudice against Eugenius because it was he that had caus'd Sforza to be sent into the service of the Venetian to be reveng'd he fell in treaty with those who were assembled in the Council of Basi to cite Eugenius which they did three several times and because Eugenius refus'd to appear and his design did not take he made him be declar'd divested of the Papacy and got Amadeo Duke of Savoy his Father-in-Law to be created in his place who liv'd then in the company of some Gentlemen in Ripalta like a Hermit Amadeo having receiv'd the news of this new Election which was made by 26 Cardinals after he had caus'd himself to be shav'd stript of his Hermitical habit and taken upon him the name of Felix he went immediately for Basil accompanied with a multitude of the Gentry of his own Country where being arriv'd and consecrated he began to exercise the functions of a Pope ordaining confirming consecrating administring the Sacraments excommunicating creating Cardinals and Bishops granting pardons and indulgences and in short deporting himself as he had been Pope indeed By reason of this Schism great seditions were hatch'd in the Church the Christians dividing themselves into three factions one was for Felix another for Eugenius and a third being neuter was for neither of the two one side maintain'd that the Pope was to be inferiour to a Council another asserted the contrary and there wanted not others who deny'd the greatest part of the Popes Authority making a dispute whether he should be call'd the Head of the Church or not About this time Eugenius dyed on the 23. of February 1496. after whose death the King of Aragon dispatch'd Ambassadors to the Sacred Colledge to assure them that they need not have any apprehension of him he being resolv'd to give them assistance upon occasion in the Election of a Pope to which he did exhort the Cardinals At the same time Cardinal Capuano arriv'd at Rome a person of great worth and whom the people cry'd up as a fit person to be chosen Pope But the opinion of the people and of the Colledge did not agree in which there were very few for Capuano's Election It was order'd that the Conclave should be kept in the Church della Minerva though the Canons oppos'd it so that the obsequies of Eugenius being over the Cardinals enter'd into the Conclave the command of their Guards was given to the Ambassador of the Order of Saint John which is as much as to say of the Knights of Malta then of Rhodes but the Keys were kept by the three Archbishops of Ravenna Aquileia and Sermoneta besides the Bishop of Ancona When the Cardinals were entring into the Conclave many of the Roman Barons came to them and Gio. Battista Savelli amongst the rest pretending a right they had to be present at the Election But they were refus'd and made sensible that they had not now the same reason for that as in former times they had had There were but 18. Cardinals in the Conclave though there were 23. living so that the two thirds
and Courtezans besides I know not what power over the concourses of Curats for Benefices in Rome which are not in partibus and this Office affords the Cardinal Vicar for his Pension a hundred Ducats of Gold a month paid him out of the Chamber This Vicar has in his Court two Deputies one for Civil Causes the other for Criminal and a Vicegerent who is a Titulary Bishop and can exercise all the Episcopal Functions in Rome and he has the Superintendancy and Care of the Monasteries and Nuns he has his Provost Marshal and a certain number of Serjeants and comes with the rest of his Officials into the Congregations held before the Vicar about matters belonging to his Court. Besides these there are four Notaries belonging to that Office each of which executes his charge apart and has eight or ten Clerks under him perpetually The office of chief Penitentiary is given by the Pope to a Cardinal alwayes and yeilds him that has it a yearly Rent of about five thousand Ducats of Gold His jurisdiction lyes in cases reserv'd for the Pope in giving absolution gratis ubique and giving faculty to absolve in Parchment Seal'd with the Penitentiary Seal to such Confessors as he approves This Penetentiary has a Prelat under him that is call'd the Regent of the Penitentiary office to whom the Confessors repair upon occasion if they cannot have immediate dispach from the Cardinal And here it is to be advertis'd that this Penitentiary assigns penance according to the quality of the offence though the Confessor perhaps conceals the person This Penitentiary sits in great state sometimes in the Cathedral of Saint John de Lateran sometimes of St Peter in the Vatican and sometimes in the Church of Sancta Maria Maggiore upon a kind Throne or Tribunal four or five steps high with a wand in his hand to hear the Confessions of reserv'd Cases I had once occasion to make use of him but I would not go to Cardinal Francisco that was chief Penitentiary to confess my self lest all that were present in the Church should understand the quality of my Conscience for as soon as they observe any body at the feet of the Cardinal they imagine immediately he has some great load upon his Conscience which makes many people forbear going thither This Penitentiary can call a Congregation and by the assistance and intervention of his Regent who keeps the Seal two or three Jesuit Priests and some few Canonists deliberate about the interest and affairs of the office the History of whose Original follows About two hundred years after Christs Incarnation Saint Cornelius being Pope and many Christians having Sacrificed to Idols there was a great controversie whether those that were laps'd might be reconcil'd and re-admitted again which was the Foundation of the Novatian Schism After long dispute it was concluded by the major part that they might but because some were less Sinners than others some had not Sacrificed others had indured Persecution but were not able to persevere There were certain Priests deputed who Pro modo culpae admissam Paenitentiam indulgerent That is Proportion the Penance to the quality of the Crime And from hence sprang the Penitentiaries who after the Church was in peace and tranquility extended their jurisdiction by degrees to other delinquents for which reason it was establish'd that in every Patriarchical Church in Rome there should be two Priests who should have the care of imposing of Penances according to the Penitential Canons which are very antient by the testimony of the Keeper of the Library And this is all is written or recorded in the case from whence they argue that in probability these Priests had a head or chief to whom they repair'd to communicate their business of importance to the Pope and this they would have to be their chief Penitentiary who if so must be very antient though there be no Records of it as Pauvinus sayes before Gregory the tenth The antientest memorial of the Office of the Vice-Chancellor is to be found in an Epistle about Monarchy written by Saint Jerome who was then Chancellor ad Gerontiam It is most certain the Pope is the only Chancellor of the Church so as the other are call'd Vice-Chancellors only yet there are some that believe it is only out of respect to Saint Lawrence that was formerly Chancellor that they suffer not his Successors to enjoy the same title that he did Antiently the Chancellor writ whatever belong'd to the Pope to write and sometimes he answer'd those quaeries and scruples in matters of Faith as were made him by the Bishops and others he writ also of the Spiritual Dominion of the Pope and had the same Authority the Secretary of the Breves or the Secretary ab intimis have now Besides which he had the same Jurisdiction the Chancellors have now in France or any other Principality as Luca de Penna affirms in an Epistle of his to Isidore in which he sets down distinctly the particular faculties of this Office He had under him twelve Scrineraries and one Proto-Scrinerary all of them assisting him to undergo the weight of his Charge according to orders others were to have a care of the draughts and others to transcribe them This Office till the time of Gregory the 7th which was in the year 1187. was ordinarily conferr'd upon Bishops or Cardinals and in the year 1100. the Cardinal Bishop of Saint Ruffina was Chancellor by concession of Benedict the eight during the Papacy of Alexander the second it came to be disused which was in the year 1071. and so it continued to Gregory the eights time being frequently given to Cardinal Priests or Cardinal Deacons The said Gregory having that Office as soon as he was made Pope took it away from the Colledge of Cardinals and put into it a Canon of Lateran who because he was no Cardinal was called Cancellarii vicem agens and so it continued for a hundred years out of the hands of the Colledge of Cardinals the Ministers instead of vicem agens calling him that executed it Vice-Chancellor by degrees as a more commodious name Under Boniface the eight this Office return'd to the Sacred Colledge again being given to Richardo Padroni a Noble man of Siena who afterwards was made Cardinal as some think but forgetting the antient institution he continued Vice-Chancellor by inadvertency taking the name of the Office upon him They that had this Office call'd themselves either Chancellors or Library-keepers as they pleas'd because Praeerat Bibliothecae Whilst the Emperor had the nomination of the Popes the keeper of the Records was call'd Archicancellarius Imperii pro Italia Apostolicae sedis Bibliothecarius vel Cancellarius vel Archicancellarins and they that were in Rome said Datum Romae per manum N. Diaconi Cardinalis Vicecancellarii Archiepiscopi Coloniensis Apostolica sedis Bibliothecarii seu Cancellarii Where is to be noted the Date was made by the same Chancellor at that time the