That they should receiue his aduise in writing Now what can a man imagine to haue beene the cause of this his tergiuersation but onely this That he saw his pretended Presidencie neglected and himselfe called thither not to commaund but onely to conferre not to make shew of his omnipotencie but of his learning So that in the end for such his contempt against the authoritie both of the Emperour and of the Councel he was cast into banishment and hauing afterward by the meanes of Narses gotten leaue to returne home againe he died by the way in Sicilie And thus we see that the calling of the generall Councels was not as yet deuolued nor did belong to the Bishop of Rome no not so much as the calling of Nationall Synods seeing that wee find the second Councell of Orleans which was held about this time speaking in this manner We say the Fathers being now to deliberat concerning the obseruation of the Catholike law by the commaundement of the most glorious King c. and that other of Auvergne That they were there assembled by the consent of our most renowmed Lord the King Theodebert and so of others And which is more Iustinian himselfe whose fauour toward them they do so much magnifie and extoll made no difficultie to create a Pope by his owne authoritie which appeareth in that which Anastasius reporteth and Baronius cannot denie it That he put the citizens of Rome to their choise Whether they would receiue Vigilius againe or take Pelagius his Archdeacon to be their Bishop Neither was this a matter of fact onely but a lawfull right For Onuphrius Onuphr in Pelag 10.2 a man of their owne saith and groundeth his saying vpon the authoritie of Vigilius That when the Gothes were turned out of Italie by Narses and both Italie and Rome were now annexed to the Easterne Empire vnder the Emperour Iustinian by the authoritie of Vigilius there was brought in a new fashion to be obserued in the creation of Popes which was In Comitijs Pontificalibus That so soone as the Pope was deceased the Clergie Senat and People should presently fall to the choise of another after the custome of their forefathers More maiorum But the Pope so elected by them might not be consecrated by the Bishops vntill his election were first confirmed by the Emperour of Constantinople and his pleasure herein signified by his letters patents for the authorising him in the execution of his Pontificall iurisdiction for which licence the Pope elect was to send the Emperour a certaine summe of money How farre is this from that pretended donation which done he was then consecrated and took vpon him the administration of that See Whereas before that time he was euer elected and consecrated all in a day And it is certaine that either Iustinian himselfe or Vigilius by his authoritie brought in this fashion to the end that the Emperour might stand alwayes assured of the Popes inclination towards him because his authoritie was growne great in Italie since the time that the Emperors seated themselues in Greece and the feare was least that if a Pope should happen to be chosen either of a factious and turbulent disposition or peraduenture ill affected to the Emperour he might by his authoritie draw Italie from his alleageance in fauour of the Gothes a thing once before attempted by Syluerius at least the Emperour was so persuaded And this custome as he saith and citeth many authors for it dured till the dayes of Benedict the second 19. PROGRESSION That Pelagius the first caused the fift generall Councell of Constantinople to be receiued in Italie AFter the death of Vigilius who deceased in Sicilie as he returned from Constantinople Pelagius the first who succceded him in that See neuer consulting vpon the matter but onely seeking to gratifie the Emperour who had named him to the place went about to make the Bishops of Italie to receiue the fift generall Councell held at Constantinople whereas there were verie few Bishops of the West and not one Metropolitan of Italie which was present at it OPPOSITION The Bishops of Italie fearing some attempt against the Councell of Chalcedon and purposing to be better informed of the matter refuse to admit of that other of Constantinople at that present especially those of Liguria Venetia Sigon de Imper. Occident l. 20. and Istria and among them Macedonius Bishop of Aquileia Honoratus of Milan and Maximinian of Rauenna all which presently assembled in Synod at Aquileia to deliberat of the admittance or refusall of that Councell which Pelagius sought to thrust vpon them at which time Macedonius Archbishop of Aquileia fell sicke and died and Honoratus Archbishop of Milan consecrated Paulinus in his roome and all with one consent reiected the Councell vnder colour of certaine chapters therein contained which pleased them not and farther drew their neckes from vnder the yoke of the Roman Church Pelagius then thought it high time to run to Narses whom he requested by his letters to send the chiefe of those Bishops prisoners to Constantinople and to represse the rest by rigour of law and his own authoritie Where we may obserue that he alledgeth not his owne interest in that Paulinus was ordained Archbishop of Aquileia without receiuing the Pall from him but onely the interest of the Emperour Seeing saith he that euen then when Totilas possessed and held all this countrey in his subiection he would neuer suffer a Bishop of Milan to be consecrated vnlesse he had first acquainted the Prince with his election and obtained leaue in writing from him That therefore Narses should make no scruple to vse his authoritie vpon these fellowes because such persons were by order of the Canons to be excommunicated to be ordered by rigour if reason could not rule them Narses hereupon grew so violent that he drew an excommunication from the Bishops vpon his owne head Pelagius egged him on still by his letters which we find recorded in the Councels and reported by Sigonius and Baronius and importuned him againe to send Honoratus and Paulinus prisones to Constantinople vntill at length Narses apprehended some of them made others to flie the countrey among the rest Vitalis Bishop of Altin fled to Meuce in Germanie And hence it is that some writers hold opinion That this Pelagius was the first which decreed to pray in aid of the secular power against such as stood condemned for schisme or heresie An. 556. Neither was he any thing better respected or obeyed in Tuscanie which yet lieth euen at Rome gates witnesse his owne letters which he wrot vnto Gaudentius Baron vol. 7. an 556. art 31. Maximilian Gerontius Iustus Terentius Vitalis and Laurence his beloued brethren as he tearmeth them throughout Tuscanie where he complaineth That they had separated themselues from him and consequently from the communion of all the world in not mentioning his name in the ordinarie seruice of the Church All which Bishops
against those Rome-wandrings or Pilgrimages made to Rome Jonas l. 3. aduers Claudi Turinens That it was a follie to run thither for penance or there to seeke remission of their sinnes That the saying of our Lord Vpon this stone will I build my Church was meant of the Confession not of the Person of S. Peter That the keies power of binding and losing had another meaning That none but ideots had recourse to Saints and relikes That the place and See was nothing That he was not to be deemed Apostolicall who sat in the Chaire of an Apostle but he that did the office of an Apostle And more no doubt should we learne of him if we had his books themselues for now we haue no more of them than we find in the inuectiues of those that write against him and no maruell since the Councell of Tours before mentioned complained of these abuses and faine would haue found a remedie against them As for the spirituall power the Emperour Constantine and Irene his mother sought the most they could the fauour of the Popes Concil Nicen. 2. in princ to 2. Ib. in epist ad Iohan. Presby yet as touching the second Councell of Nice they say in their Patent That they themselues called it by their commaundement at the suit of Tharasius Patriarch of Constantinople c. And in the Acts of that Councell it is said This Synod assembled by their religious Decree in this famous Citie of Nice So likewise speaketh the Synodall Epistle directed as well to the Emperours in speciall as to all Bishops in generall and so doth the said Patriarch Tharasius writing vnto Iohn the Priest Zonaras sayth Zonar to 3. pag. 95. By the permission of the Emperours and Theophanes The Empresse Irene saith he assembled all the Bishops to celebrate the Councell at Nice and which is more Pope Adrian himselfe writing to the Emperours acknowledgeth as much requesting them vpon his knees and prostrat at their feet to reestablish Images by the authoritie of that Councell As for the Presidencie though the Popes Legats were indeed there present being summoned as other Patriarches were and though they had their prioritie of place Concil Nicaen 2. Act. 3. yet it no where appeareth of their presiding The Patriarch Tharasius most commonly propounded gaue order spake last and concluded as appeareth in the third Action And when any Decree was to passe it passed alwayes vnder the name of the whole Synod The Synod saith it The Synod ordaineth it And when the Councell was broken vp Those saith Zonaras who were of it came to Constantinople Zonar to 3. pa. 95. and there in open Court the Emperours presiding read the Acts of that Councell in the eares of all men which Acts were there approued authorised and subscribed by the Emperours Adrian in Epist ad Tharas in Synod Nicaen 2. Action 2. And Adrian himselfe writing to the said Tharasius in the second Session of this Councell stileth him by the Title of Vniuersall Patriarch Bellarmine saith That the Emperour did nothing there Nothing at Nice I confesse for he was not there and yet it cannot be denied but that he sent thither the Proconsull Petronius Bellar. de Concil li. 1. c. 19. and other Senators to see good order kept Bellarmine addeth That vndoubtedly the Popes Legats Presided there his reason is because they are named first and first subscribed Wherein as euer he confoundeth Preseancie or prioritie of place with Presidencie But what will he say if a man tell him That the Bishops of Sicilie at the entrie of the Synod make this proposall as of a matter fit and conuenient That the Soueraigne or Supreme Pastor of the Imperiall citie of Constantinople should make the ouerture of this Synod Concil 7. vniuers Action 1. Aperiat Ianuam and the Synod ordaineth That it should be done according to the desire of those holie Bishops and so it was As for the Westerne Emperour and the Councell which was held at Francford there is no colour of controuersie whether we speake of the calling of it or of the presidencie in it though the Bishops of Italie and Adrians Legats were there present For the Epistle of Charlemaine to Elipand Archbishop of Toledo Iussimus speaketh plainely saying We haue commaunded a Councell to be assembled of all the Churches of our Prouinces of Germanie France Spaine England and all the Prouinces of Italie which he there specifieth inuiting thither by his speciall mandat the Patriarchs of Milan Aquileia and others immediatly from himselfe and by absolute authoritie True it is as himselfe saith that he had sent thrice or foure times to Adrian Bishop of Rome to haue his opinion concerning the Heresie of Elipand but he presently addeth That he had likewise called certaine personages out of England for the same purpose well seene and conuersant in the discipline of the Church the one and the other to assist with their skill and knowledge neither of them to supplie any want of authoritie in himselfe And as he in person presided so is the Synodall Epistle sent forth in his name And as was this of Francford so likewise were all those Councels of Germanie and France held at Arles Aix Tours Chaalons and Meuce all I say assembled by the authoritie of the Emperour with these words By the commaund By the iniunction c. of the most glorious king or Emperour Charles Neither can that Councell held at Rome shield it selfe from this authoritie seeing that both Yuo and Gratian speaking thereof say as before That Charles appointed to be held that Councell with Pope Adrian in the Patriarchat of Lateran D. 6. c. Adrianus in the Church of S. Sauiour celebrated with fiftie three holie Bishops and Abbots If then the Pope could not of himselfe call a Synod in Rome what could he doe in other countries who though he had shaken off the yoke of the Emperour of the East yet by a kind of continuation of respect dated alwaies his Councels by the yeare of his raigne So did Pope Zacharie that Councell which he held at Rome wherein were condemned Adelbert Godescale An. 745. and Clement bearing date Imperante Domino Pijssimo Augusto Constantino Imperatore anno 26 Imperij eius c. so did they certaine ages after To be short at this time Princes euery where according to the exigencies and necessities of their seueral Churches assembled Synods by their owne authoritie which Synods if need then were prouided for the vacancies reseruing alwayes to the Prince the right of consent and approbation of them in regard of the great possessions lordships which euen thē they stood seised of So that where it is said in that Synod of Rome That the Bishops should receiue inuestiture from the Emperour it was no nouell constitution but onely a renouation of an old ordinance of long time suppressed by the Popes but vsed in France and Germanie since the
and gaue vnto him tribute and obedience and the Popes forces consisted in his holie execrations which the Christian kings did then greatly feare What thing then is more plaine than this to giue vs to vnderstand That the authoritie of the Pope consists onely in matters spirituall After Iohn succeeded Benedict the sixt by the verie same law of Leo the eigth and authoritie of Otho But Otho being dead and his sonne much troubled in the warres of Germanie and France the Romans returned to their former naturall conditions and vpon the death of Benedict strangled as is said by Cardinall Boniface being incouraged by one Cincius a citizen of Rome they created Donus the second for successor presently Boniface the seuenth the murderer of Benedict corruptis comitijs as the Author saith whom Benedict the seuenth thrusts out of the seat through the fauour of the Tusculan Earles So much was this seat swayed by theft and corruption Wherefore Otho the second came into Italie and vsed extraordinarie seueritie to represse these inconueniences and yet there wants not those that would persuade vs that they were Martyrs Fascicul tempo but the author of Fasciculus temporum maketh a fit distinction of them They were slaine saith he as in the Primitiue Church but they were no Martyrs the punishment all one but the cause different Otho died and not long after Benedict and Peter Bishop of Paula succeeded who was saith Platina Iohn the fifteenth who being scarce warme in his seat Boniface the seuenth before expeld through the helpe of a great masse of money which by sacriledge he had gathered together cast him into prison there died he of famine or otherwise within eight moneths following into the possession of whose vacant chaire he was admitted by the Romans who neuerthelesse left it soone after through sudden death to Iohn the sixteenth the sonne of a Priest and this Iohn the sixteenth left it to Iohn the seuenteenth that the saying of Platina may here be found true That to the great good of the Christian Commonwealth these monsters while mutually they banded one against another they liued not long Boniface the seuenth is noted by him malarum artium to attaine to the Popedome by wicked meanes sacriledge corruption and tyrannie and also Iohn the sixteenth to be prodigall to his kindred and friends of all things both diuine and humane without any respect of the seruice of God or the honour of the dignitie of the See of Rome Which errour saith Platina he hath so left by tradition to his posteritie that it continueth euen to our time insomuch that the Clergie of this age desire not the Popedome for the seruice and worship of God but that they may satisfie the gluttonie and auarice of their brethren kindred and familiars And so of the rest At length one Crescentius a citizen of Rome Otho the third being farre distant dared to attempt the gouernment of the citie the people distasting a strange Empire Iohn who loued better a Lord farre off than neere at hand rather forraine than domesticall inuiteth Otho who was afterward the third to come into Italie and promised to crowne him Emperor But Iohn dying before Otho arriued at Rome Otho by his authoritie created at Rauenna Bruno Pope of the house of Saxonie his kinsman then in his companie and sent him to be created at Rome This was Gregorie the fift who likewise in the yeare 996 receiued him An. 996. and crowned him with Marie his wife in the citie of Rome But so soone as Otho was returned into Germanie Crescentius made chiefe Consul taking courage to himselfe expeld Gregorie as not chosen by the people but by the onely authoritie of the Emperour and created a certaine Greeke Bishop of Plaisance with the consent both of the Clergie and people no lesse rich saith Platina than learned whose name hath beene concealed because hee was vnlawfully created Whereupon Gregorie flyeth to Otho who from Germanie returneth with his armie into Italie entreth Rome and assayleth Crescentius in the castle taketh this Iohn the eighteenth putteth out his eyes and reestablisheth Gregorie This Gregorie saith Martin Platina in Gregor 5. and after him Platine who in fauour of him established a law to continue for euer That it should onely appertaine to the Germanes to chuse the Prince who is called Caesar and King of the Romanes but yet not held for Emperour till he were crowned and confirmed by the Bishop of Rome But Onuphrius sheweth by good arguments that they are deceiued attributing to Gregorie the fift that which belongeth to the tenth Baron an 996. art 71. And Baronius after a long disputation comes to this That the Electors of the Empire create him not but that the Emperours should be chosen by the Princes of Germanie without anie necessitie to goe to Rome to consult thereon And these matters reach to the yeare 998. As for the affaires of Rome and Italie An. 998. euerie man may judge what their miserie might be among these frequent mutations of Popes being neuer almost without murther sedition ciuile warres and forreine forces Baronius notwithstanding attesting and detesting all these disorders the cause whereof he could neither dissemble nor ouerslip the Historie could not endure that the Emperor in a solemne Synod of the Church wherof Luitprand describeth all the circumstances should bring matters to a better state but thought it more tollerable that the Church should sticke in the depth of all filthinesse and gluttonie than to be drawne forth by the hands of a lawfull Prince This Synod sayth he held at Rome vnder the authoritie of the Emperour Otho the first in the yere 963 to depose this execrable Iohn the thirteenth whom he tearmeth a monster was a false Synod Baron an 963. art 31 32. if euer were anie wherein the Ecclesiasticall law was neuer more wronged more Canons violated nor pernitious traditions and iustice prostrate trodden vnder foot and oppressed with greater shame But how forsooth Because saith he that they hauing once acknowledged him for Pope be it right be it wrong by freewill or by force as he hath said before that nothing was lawfully acted in his election they could assemble no Councell against the Pope without his consent And hereupon he groweth verie testie and cholericke a Priest fit to adore Antichrist in the Church and carrie his traine after him Now then after he had apparantly demeaned himselfe as a Tyran and a ruffian in the Church doest thou doubt whether he will be a suppresser of brothel-houses or a supporter of them or that he will recall those by whom he hath beene expelled or be brought into order by Parliaments And all that which besides he alledgeth is nothing but pedantrie And the same sayth he of the Councell of Lateran held after the death of this miserable Iohn the thirteenth that is they that were subrogated Popes in a solemne manner after such a monster were all vnlawfull
of this inuestiture hee had made himselfe the doore Epist Paschalis ad Henric. Regem Anglorum data Beneuenti That they who entred not by him forsooke God who is the true doore and were theeues and robbers applying that vnto himselfe which our Sauiour spake of himselfe and was to be communicated to no other putting himselfe thereby into his place This saith he is to handle the Church as a handmaid not as a spouse This repugneth the Canons of the Apostles and the Synod of Antioch And yet was there euer word spoken hereof By which allegations neuerthelesse he abused the ignorant and simple people 45. PROGRESSION Of the strange pride of Calixtus the second and of his barbarous crueltie towards Gregorie the eighth Of the degrading of maried Priests and of that which happened to Cardinall Iohn of Creme the Popes Legat comming into England to put downe the mariage of Priests IOhn of Gaieta succeeded Paschal called Galasius the second being created without the knowledge of Henrie who remained at Pauia but vnderstanding hereof went directly to Rome wherewith Galasius being amazed fled by sea to Tarrachina and there caused himselfe to be consecrated by the Bishops of his owne faction at the same time that Henrie caused Mauritius Burdinus to be consecrated at Rome who crowned him the second time and was called Gregorie the eighth Whereupon Galasius excommunicated them both being vpheld and defended by the Princes of Apulia He restored to Gualterus Archbishop of Rauenna the jurisdiction ouer the Bishops of Aemilia whom his predecessors had taken away that he might draw him away from the Emperour And yet neuerthelesse finding no safetie in Rome by reason of the Frangepanes was resolued to leaue there the Bishop of Port An. 1119. and to goe into France where in the yeare 1119 he held a Councell at Vienna but died soone after at Clugni in whose place the Cardinals that were there present with the helpe of the Clerkes and Laitie of Rome chose Guido Bishop of Vienna the brother of Stephen Duke of Burgondie vncle to Baldwin Earle of Flanders and a neere kinsman of Henries who was called Calixtus the second but it is to be doubted whether their great affinitie could support him in the Popedome D. 12. c. Non Decet which otherwise would be verie feeble and subiect to ruine But let the Reader note touching their pretended succession what this election might be without Rome in a monasterie made by the followers and traine of a Pope newly dead and a few others although the Romans afterward gaue their consent thereunto Hauing saith Auentine Auent l. 6. corrupted the Romans with money he bestowed vpon them which he had borrowed and begged of his friends In the meane time Cunon Bishop of Prenest the Legat of Galasius continued his practises in Germanie withdrawing vnder the shadow of excommunication the Princes from the seruice of Henrie and to this end holding diuers Councels at Cologne Fritzlare and elsewhere alwayes vnder a pretence to reconcile the kingdome with the Priesthood that is to say to draw to the Popedome the authoritie of the Empire So that in the end in a Councell at Wormes in the yeare 1122 An. 1122. the Emperour wearied with so many molestations and seeing no other end but the ruine of the State granted to Calixtus whatsoeuer he would The forme of whose agreement written by Vrsperge is as followeth I Henrie Abbas Vispergensâ—in Chron. Krantz Saxon. l. 6. c. 41.42.43 Sigon de regno Italiae l. 10. by the grace of God Emperour Augustus of the Romans for the loue of God and the holie Church of Rome and our Lord Pope Calixtus and for the soueraigne good of my soule I leaue to God and to his holie Apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paule and to the holie Catholike Church all inuestiture by the ring and the staffe and I grant election and consecration to be made in all Churches See here for what Gospell these Popes did striue Calixtus in like sort I Calixtus c. grant that the election of the Bishops and Abbots of the kingdome of Germanie be done in thy presence without simonie and violence c. but let him that is chosen receiue his inuestiture of thee by the Scepter except in all thinges which are knowne to belong to the Church of Rome and doe all things which by right belongs vnto thee But in token of this insolence the Legats of Calixtus would that these letters should be published with a lowd voice in the open fields neere the Rhene where were assembled people from all parts But Calixtus when they were brought to him caused them to be hanged in the church of Lateran to the end that all men might behold them But Otho of Frisingens saith Otho Frising l. 7. c. 16. That the Romans boasted that this agreement was but onely for Henrie and not for his successors by which couenant saith he the Church vnder Calixtus the second in magnum montem creuisse encreased to a great height Whereupon this was written of him at Rome Ecce Calixtus honor patriae decus Imperiale Burdinum nequam damnat pacemque reformat Behold Calixt our countries honour worth Imperiall That wicked Burdine punisheth and peace reformes with all Neither did his affaires lesse succeed at Rome for Gregorie the Antipope vnder the fauour of certaine Earles was maintained at Sutri But Calixtus returning out of France to win his fauour they deliuered him into his hands And here the notable insolencie of Calixtus is recited by the Abbot Suggerus Abbas Suggerus in vita Ludouici Crassi in the life of Lewis the Grosse They put saith he this Antipope or rather Antichrist ouerthwart the backe of an ill fauoured Camell clothed with raw and bloudie Goats skinnes and the better to reuenge the ignominie of the Church of God they carried him through the middest of the citie Calixtus condemning him to perpetuall prison in the mountaines of Campania and to preserue the memorie of so great a reuenge they painted him in the chamber of the Palace troden vnder the feet of Calixtus This Gregory neuerthelesse held the See of Rome three yeares D. 12. c. 1. but no fault was imputed to them when Calixtus was not ashamed to write to all the Bishops It is not lawfull in the least point to wander from the rules of the Apostolike church that is the Roman for as the sonne of God came to doe the will of his father so fulfill you the will of your mother whose head is the Church of Rome The Reader may note in this comparison not so much the absurditie as the blasphemie when neuerthelesse this Canon did still continue reformed in a Decree by Gregorie the thirteenth and strengthened by a lye For whereas the old Decree said simply Calixtus Papa omnibus Episcopis that he might make this Gregorian Canon more auncient by a thousand yeares saith Calixtus Papa primus and addeth in the first Epistle
suffered to doe thus Secondly he sayth That in that decree against Iudgements giuen beyond the seas the Church of Rome was still excepted whereas indeed it was enacted directly against that Church and against no other but for proofe he alledgeth a certaine decretall Epistle of Fabianus In 1. vol. Concil Epist Decret Fabian ad Hilar. 3. Bishop of Rome written to Hilarius with these words Salua in omnibus Apostolica authoritate i. sauing alwayes the authoritie of the See Apostolike as if he had said sauing the case for which the Canon was principally made than which what can be more ridiculously absurd Now as touching all those Epistles which are inserted into the Councels vntill the time of Syricius it is agreed of on all hands that they are of no credit and though they were yet were it reason that Fabianus should be credited in his owne cause But besides the sottishnesse of the stile of this Epistle the verie date which it beareth Baron an 55. art 21. Africano Decio Coss bewrayeth the stampe for they can shew vs no such date either in their Fasti or in Onuphrius himselfe And it is noted in the margent of the first volume of the Councels vpon this Epistle that the greatest part thereof is found word for word in the decree of Sixtus the third which was but as yesterday to speake of a professed Annalist should not so doe Thirdly that notwithstanding all this yet Cyprian did aduow the authoritie of the Church of Rome For sayth he in that Epistle which he wrote to the Clergie of Rome vpon the death of Fabianus he tearmeth him Collegue in regard of his function but Praepositum in respect of his place and dignitie a meere tricke not fitting anie simple scholler much lesse a learned Diuine and Cardinall for what must Praepositus needs signifie a Pope Doth he not in the same Epistle call him a Bishop and doth he not tearme him Praepositus in regard of those to whom he wrote and not of himselfe Or doth he not giue the same style to other Bishops and to himselfe also when as in his seuenth Epistle to Rogatian his Deacon in the Church of Carthage Cyprian epist 7. ad Rogatian editio Pamel congratulating him for the firme and stedfast confession of his Clergie he vseth these words The glorie of the Church is the glorie Praepositi i. of him that is set ouer it meaning himselfe as Bishop as appeareth by the next precedent clause In this common ioy the portion of the Bishop is the greatest Idem epist 11. ad Marty confesso editio Pamel And in the eleuenth Epistle we read Praepositorum est i. It is the part of them which are set ouer the Church to instruct the hastie and ignorant that of Pastors they become not butchers of the flocke to wit in suffering them which had fainted in the confession of Christ to come ouer hastily to the Communion where he expoundeth this word Praepositos by Pastors so likewise in the 13 15 23 27 Epistles as Pamelius himselfe cannot denie But as you see a little stuffe will serue this Cardinall to make the Pope a coat Fourthly he sayth That all questions of heresie were referred to the judgement of the Bishops of Rome exclusiuely to all other at least that others came but onely to stand as cyphers alledging the example of Origen who when he was accused of heresie sent sayth he his confession first of all to Fabian Bishop of Rome as to the Bishop of all the Catholike Church and to this purpose citeth Eusebius but Eusebius joyneth Fabian with others He wrote sayth he to Fabian and to manie other Gouernours of the Church concerning his true profession and so runs the Latine translation and who doubts but that among them all such a man as Fabian Bishop of the imperiall Citie should be respected and written to with the first Fifthly and lastly he saith That Fabian being dead the Clergie of Rome he should haue said the Colledge of Cardinals tooke vpon them the care of all the Churches Baron an 245. ex Euseb lib. 6. c. 8. Grae. ad his proofes in this point are like the rest for sayth he The Clergie of Rome aduertised S. Cyprian of the death of Fabian as appeareth by his third Epistle and knowing that S. Cyprian had withdrawne himselfe from Carthage wrote vnto his Clergie exhorting them to take heed that none went astray Cyprian epist 3. edit Pamel And this they did sayth he Vice Pastoris i. doing as Fabian should haue done if he had liued sending vnto all Churches copies of the order taken at Rome in Lapsorum negotio i. touching their case which had fallen in persecution And what must these mutuall offices of care and loue this interchangeable aduising one another be taken for an argument of soueraigntie and power Cannot one Church consult another but with losse of her libertie nor take counsaile but with prejudice to her freedome or must counsaile serue the giuer for a claime of homage and the taker for a yoke of thrall and bondage Those golden Epistles of S. Cyprian written whether to the Pope or whether to the Clergie of Rome vpon so manie points of great importance wherein he instructs exhorts and sometimes sharpely reproues them shall they serue for so manie presidents to his successors in the Church of Carthage of superioritie and vsurpation ouer other Churches and ouer the Church of Rome it selfe See here Reader the course of their impostures and withall remember which Baronius wittingly suppresseth That this third Epistle of the Clergie of Rome to the Clergie of Carthage on which he grounds himselfe In notis ad epist 3. is not to be found either in the edition of Manutius or in anie manuscript as Pamelius himselfe acknowledgeth 3. PROGRESSION Of the variance which arose betweene S. Cyprian and Stephen Bishop of Rome touching those which had beene baptized by heretikes An. 258. ANother question arose not long after Whether those which had bin baptized by heretikes if afterward they returned to the true Church should be rebaptized or no Stephen held that no Cyprian that they should Stephens cause no doubt was the better had he carried the matter with discretion and sobrietie and had he stood as much vpon ground of argument and reason as he did vpon his authoritie for vnto a letter which was sent vnto him from a Councell consisting of 71 Bishops his answer for all was this Whatsoeuer the heresie be let the partie come to vs let nothing be innouated or changed onely as it hath beene deliuered to vs from hand to hand let them receiue imposition of hands in penance Seeking by authoritie to make the rest of the Churches dance after him and because they would not he excommunicated first the Churches of Africke and then all the Churches of the East which joyned with them OPPOSITION But neither Cyprian nor yet the Churches suffered themselues to
vnderstand that this belonged onely to the Bishop of Rome which saith he the Emperour testifieth by that Epistle which he wrote vnto him thereupon by which letter at the solicitation of Anulinus he joyned him in commission with those other three for the hearing and determining of that cause in the Synod Seeing therefore that he groundeth the reformation of the Emperours judgement vpon this Epistle it shall not be amisse to examine the contents thereof First the title of it is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb lib. 10. cap. 5. A copie of the Emperour Constantine his letter by which he commaundeth to call a Synod at Rome for the vnitie and concord of the Churches The superscription this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. To Miltiades Bishop of Rome and to Marcus Where Baronius impatient to see a companion joyned with the Pope to make him all in all in stead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 readeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by what authoritie I know not nor what copie he hath to follow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But graunt we that it is so what doth I pray you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie in all auncient Writers and euen in Dionysius himselfe whom they falsely surname the Areopagite but onely a Bishop that is a man hauing charge and ouersight of diuine Seruice But to the purpose it is farre more likely if we will stand vpon conjectures that that word Marcus was written short to stand for Maternus or Marinus with an abbreuiation in the end in this manner Materno or Marino c. a thing vsuall in those Patents which they called Formatas or Sacras when they were directed to manie at once of whom in the exemplifications they named onely some few of the first and then added 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. and to the rest And such might that copie of Eusebius be But what sayth the Patent it selfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word vsuall in their solemne decrees that is It hath seemed good vnto me that Caecilian with ten other Bishops should repaire to Rome there to haue hearing before you and before Rheticus Maternus and Marinus your Collegues whom I haue commanded to hasten thither for this purpose according to that of S. Augustine where he sayth August in breu Collat. That then and thâ—â—e were read the letters of the Emperour before them by which he enioyned them to heare the cause of Caecilian Also I haue caused to be deliuered into their hands the copies sent vnto me by Anulinus the Proconsall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the end that your Grauitie a great inciuilitie of the Emperour not to say your Holinesse may the better aduise of some course to be held in the proceedings and finall determination of this cause And now let the reader judge where the authoritie then rested and what omnipotencie the Pope then had But so eagre are they in this matter that of a simple voice and suffrage of the Pope they will needs make a definitiue sentence By the sentence of Miltiades sayth Baronius this cause was ended and controuersie decided Baron an eod art 26. hauing no colour for his assertion but onely this that Miltiades spake last whereas the Author speaketh onely in this manner Caecilian was pronounced innocent by all the aboue named Bishops and by the sentence of Miltiades himselfe with which the iudgement was concluded and reason good for he presided as was fit he should being Bishop of Rome in a Synod held at Rome Yet would not the Donatists here rest Optat. cont Parmen lib. 1. and Optatus thereupon sayth That Donatus thought fit to appeale from the Bishops he sayth not from Miltiades or from the Bishop of Rome and that Constantine grew highly offended with this course and cried out O the boldnesse of these mad fellowes they haue entred their appeale as the Gentiles vse to doe in their suites at law so distastfull and vnpleasing to him was this bangling of the Clergie Yet for all this though Baronius should burst for anger the Emperour in the end admitted of their appeale and gaue order that a Councell should be called at Arles for the oyer and terminer of this cause writing to sundrie Bishops and Metropolitanes to be present at it And we find in Eusebius a copie of his Letters Patents directed to Chrestus Bishop of Syracuse the title whereof is as of that other to Miltiades by which he commaundeth a Councell to be called c. and the tenor as followeth Euseb lib. 10. cap. 5. edit Lat. Hauing declared the first judgement which was giuen in this cause by expresse order from himselfe by certaine Bishops of France and Afrike the Bishop of Rome also being there present he saith not President in the end Wee sayth he haue commaunded certaine Bishops to assemble in Synod vpon such a day at Arles giuing him likewise straitly in charge to be there in person to the end saith he that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. by thy Grauitie which qualitie and no other he vsed before vnto Miltiades and by the wisedome of the rest this controuersie may be composed Episto Constant ad Abla ab ipso Baron citat ex Biblioth Pet. Pyth. August ep 68. August cont Parmen lib. 1. cap. 5. To which purpose also he wrote vnto Ablauius Grand Master of the household willing him to follow this businesse and euer with these tearmes Preceperam venire iniungendum duxi facias nauigare and the like So that S. Augustine speaketh verie properly when he sayth Alterum Episcopale iudicium dedit habendum c. that is He appointed another hearing of this cause to be had by the Bishops at Arles leauing it a cleare case to whom it appertained of right to call a Councell And this Emperour caused at length as S. Augustine reporteth two hundred Bishops out of France Italie and Spaine to assemble at Arles himselfe also was there present Baron an 314. art 53. he presided and in the end gaue sentence himselfe in fauour of the Catholiques whereupon Baronius citeth that vnto vs which we find in Eusebius his first booke Euseb de vita Constant lib. 1. cap. 37 38. namely that Constantine taking a particular care of the Churches of God by reason of sundrie dissentions which he saw daily to arise betweene the Bishops himselfe in person as a generall Bishop appointed by God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. assembled Synods of the Ministers and consequently did that which the Pope now claimeth as properly belonging to himselfe Well saith Baronius yet at least this appeareth That the Fathers of this Councell wrote their Synodall Epistle to the Bishop of Rome entreating him thereby to ratifie and confirme their Acts and thence inferreth that the custome and manner of the Church at that time was whensoeuer anie decrees of Councels were agreed vpon and enacted to send them first to the Bishop of Rome as not to be published without his approbation
last Will and Testament Which Law Ambrose caused shortly after to bee somewhat mitigated Such a doe they had euen in those dayes to intrench and fortifie themselues against their greedie auarice 7. PROGRESSION Of the vsurpations of Pope Damasus vpon seuerall Churches DAmasus if we will stand to the Epistles which goe vnder his name though a man commended for some good parts and qualities which were in him yet treading the path of his predecessors sought to establish a Primacie in his owne person especially in that Epistle which hee wrot to Stephanus Archbishop of Mauritania wherein he pretendeth that all the greater sort of causes ought to be referred vnto his hearing and that they could not be decided but by his authoritie as also that the prouision of Bishops belonged to him And Isidorus Mercator would yet farther persuade vs that Aurelius Bishop of Carthage sent to entreat of him the decrees of the Roman Church to gouerne his owne thereby Baron vol. 4. an 314. art 10. But Baronius himselfe blusheth at this for that in all the time of Damasus this Aurelius was onely a simple Deacon OPPOSITION But the practise of the Church was cleere against the vsurpation of Damasus seeing that all the greater offices and dignities of the Church haue in all times and places beene bestowed by those which were of the same place without asking the Popes aduise or leaue therein And seeing that the Fathers assembled at Constantinople openly declared vnto him Theodor. l. 5. c. 9 That there was an ancient law and decision of the Nicene Councell that the Bishops of euerie Prouince with those which dwelt neere vnto them should ordaine their owne ministers That by vertue of this decision Nectarius was ordained at Constantinople Flauianus at Antioch and Cyril at Ierusalem which they there tearme the mother of all other Churches Requesting him to reioyce for companie as for a thing rightly and canonically done And that he would not suffer any humane affection to carrie him beyond the bounds of reason Neither doe they addresse their letters to him alone but also to Ambrose to Britto to Valerian to Acholius and others assembled in the Synod of Rome And seeing also that Ambrose himselfe was elected Bishop of Milan by the suffrages of the people and that the Emperour Valentinian immediatly vpon the newes receiued Ruffin l. 2. c. 11. gaue order for his installation without sending to Rome And which is more about the yeare 381 Damasus then sitting Pope An. 381. Socrat. lib. 4. c. 24. 25. this second generall Councell of Constantinople was held and two yeares after was receiued and acknowledged by the Synod of Rome which Councell Theodosius the elder called and Nectarius Bishop of Constantinople ordered Onuphr in Fast without any Legat from the Bishop of Rome and there also these Fathers trod the path of the Nicene Councell diuiding the Prouinces for the auoidance of confusion in such sort That the Bishops of one Diocesse should not offer to goe vnrequested into the Diocesse of another there to giue orders vnto any which yet saith Socrates was in former times tolerated in the Church because of persecutions Concil Constant can 5. 7. can Graec. 3. And that if in anie Prouince a matter of difference happened to arise it should be decided by the Synod of the same Prouince As for the Bishop of Constantinople it was ordained that he should haue his prerogatiue of Precedencie next to the Bishop of Rome all which to stand for good if the Emperor were so pleased without anie reference at all vnto the Pope And both Socrates and Sozomen giue the reason of this equallising of them Socrat. Histor Eccles l. 5. c. 8. Sozom. l. 7. c. 9. because that Constantinople had not onely the name of Rome with like Senat and other magistrats but bare also the same Armes and held all other Rights and Honors which belonged to old Rome which reason is apparantly grounded vpon a ciuile respect and policie not vpon any precept of the Gospell Bellarm. in Recognit p. 46. Yet must Bellarmine needs tell vs that these Fathers writing to Damasus acknowledged that they were assembled by his appointment intimated to them by the Emperor and he citeth to this purpose Theodoret lib. 5. cap. 9. where the words themselues make cleane against him shewing That they had bin formerly inuited to come to Rome by the Emperor and were after that called to Constantinople by letters which the Synod of Rome after that of Aquileia sent to Theodosius not that Damasus gaue forth anie summons for their assembling And Bellarmine himselfe in his Recognitions acknowledgeth That this Epistle was neuer written by the Fathers of Constantinople and so it maketh not to the question now in hand But yet he addeth farther Bellarm. de Roman Pontif. l. 2. c. 13. That they acknowledged the Pope for their Head and themselues as members of that Head Here againe is a bundle of manifest vntruths for first the letter was not directed to Damasus neither yet to the Church of Rome but to the Synod of the Bishops of the West assembled that time at Rome to whom they vse indeed these words following You haue inuited vs thither as members of your Bodie shewing thereby your brotherlie affection whereby they acknowledge not anie Head but onely declare that all Christian Congregations are each others members and therefore hauing signified vnto them That according to the ancient Canons especially that of the Nicene Councell they had prouided their own Churches they conclude in maner following Wherefore we thus agreeing and being established in one faith and mutuall loue will now no longer vse that saying condemned by the Apostle I am of Paule I am of Apollo and I am of Peter but knowing that we are all of Christ who is not diuided in vs will by the grace of God keepe that Bodie of the Church vnrent and so appeare with confidence before the Iudgement seat of Christ not to say that it is found written in some copies at the foot of this Epistle Reuerend sonnes we pray God to preserue you In these dayes who durst speake so vnto the Pope In the meane time Pope Leo the Great Leo. ep 55. Theodor. l. 5. c. 10. a strong maintainer of this Primacie quarrelleth the authoritie of this Councell making the world to beleeue that he would hold himselfe wholly to the Councell of Nice which as we haue alreadie proued maketh as little for his purpose as the other But he cannot denie that his predecessor Damasus rested satisfied therewith and wrot backe vnto the Fathers in that Councell his kind and louing letters without euer calling the authoritie thereof into question though yet to retaine a respect and reuerence to his owne person or happily to crie quittance with them he also calleth them in his letter His much honored sonnes and telleth them in the verie beginning of his letters that indeed they had
themselues content and satisfied therewithall Seeing that the verie words of the Acts are cleare against them and seeing that Liberatus the Archdeacon affirmeth That the opposition made by the Popes Legats was not regarded neither by the Bishops Liberat. in Breuia c. 13. nor yet by the Iudges And although saith he that the Apostolike See excepteth against that Canon euen to this day being supported by the Emperour yet the decree of the Synod continueth still for firme and good and seeing also that we haue the Epistles of Pope Leo himselfe to Anatolius Bishop of Constantinople written after this Councell was concluded wherein he debateth this point with all eagrenesse and vpon this occasion rejecteth that second Councell of Constantinople Leo epist 53. ad Anatol. Item ep 54 55 ad Martian Pulcher. Et epist 62. ad Maximum Antiochenum calling it a rotten ruinous Councell from the beginning and that it was now too late to set it vp againe and drawing the Bishop of Antioch into the quarrell complaineth sometimes to Martian the Emperour sometimes to Pulcheria the Empresse not knowing to what Saint first to turne himselfe and all this partly vnder colour of these words Tu es Petrus though to me it seemeth a strange matter that those 630 Bishops should not be able to reach vnto the mysterie of these words and partly vpon a false supposition of that Canon of the Nicene Councell which he protesteth that he will euer hold as sacred and inuiolable and which he will neuer suffer to be infringed whereas yet there is no one word to be found in all that Councell which maketh for his pretended Primacie It remaineth now the better to vnderstand what degree of authoritie and power the Bishop of Rome had at this time aspired to for Leo by his good will would not loose one ynch of his heigth that we consider who it was which called this Councell and who presided in it Concerning the former of these two the first action of this Councell telleth vs. Concil Chalced. Act. 1. That it was called by the commandement of the most religious and Christian Emperors Valentinian and Martian And Martian himselfe in a certaine Constitution of his Martian l. 3. Co. de sum Trinit saith it was called by his commaundement And the Fathers themselues when all things were now ended asked leaue of the Emperors to returne euerie man to his owne home But perhaps it were best to heare what Leo himselfe saith concerning this matter Leo therefore vpon the first bud of the Eutychian heresie wrote to the Emperour Theodosius in this manner Leo. ep 9. ad Theodos Iubeatis If your pietie saith he will vouchsafe to yeeld so much to our petition commaund we beseech you that a Councell of Bishops be assembled in Italie Where you see that euen in Italie where himselfe was all in all he requested that a Councell might be called by order from the Emperor And not long after vnderstanding that Theodosius had assigned it to be held at Ephesus Idem ep 12. 17. Constituit Since so it is saith he that your pietie hath appointed a Councell to be held at Ephesus I haue therefore sent thither my brethren Iulian a Bishop Reinold a Priest and my sonne Hilarie a Deacon to supplie my roome And afterward Vicem praesentiae meae when he was pressed to be present in person at the Councell which Theodosius commaunded to be held he verie mannerly excused himselfe vpon the shortnesse of the time and the troubled estate of Italie And againe You haue commaunded it saith he to be held at Ephesus and hauing shewed the inconueniences of holding it at that place Commaund saith he I pray you Leo epist 13. ad Pulcher. Augustam Idem ep 23 24 34 49 50 51. that it be held in Italie Which request he therefore so often made that he might thereby justifie the Appeale which Eutyches had formerly put in to the See of Rome as he affirmed and which Flauian Bishop of Constantinople had remonstrated to be false And in the 49 Epistle to the Emperour Martian he vseth the like stile as before We hoped saith he that your clemencie would haue yeelded so much to our entreatie as to haue appointed this Synod at a more conuenient time but since out of the zeale which you beare to the Catholike faith you are pleased that a Synod should be at this time assembled I therefore send my brother Paschasin to supplie my roome And euen like tearmes and phrase of speech doth he vse in his 50 and 51 Epistles And we farther obserue that all these his Epistles beare date according to the Consuls as the vse and custome of those times was as an euident marke and argument that the Pope at that time acknowledged their authoritie without claiming to himselfe the dominion and seigniorie of Rome Neither may we giue credit to Bellarmine when he affirmeth that Dioscorus was thrust out of this Councell for presuming to call a Synod without the authoritie of the Pope quoting these words as out of the Councell which was neuer lawfull to be done nor neuer was done before for so is he pleased to abuse his reader for these are the words of Lucentius one of the Popes Legats and not of the Fathers of the Councell To be short Epist Synod ad Leon. in Concil Chalced. Baron vol. 6. an 450. art 7 8 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Epistle of the Synod vnto Leo would not suffer him to doubt who they were whom they acknowledged as Authors of that their assemblie namely the Grace of God and the most religious Emperours and so speaketh that Epistle throughout and Baronius himselfe doth not denie it As for the Presidencie which we distinguish from the Precedencie or Preseancie for we denie not but that in regard of the honour of that Citie he held the first place Leo telleth the Emperours Leo. ep 12. 49. that he sent his Legats to supplie his roome or presence And in his Epistle to the Synod he speaketh yet more aduantagiously for himselfe saying Idem ep 47. That in the person of his Legats or Vicegerents they should imagine that he himselfe was there to preside among them whether he meant properly of the Presidencie or else of the Preseancie I know not but this is certaine that in the Acts of this Councell we find no certaine order obserued Which disorder grew from hence because that Leo had drawne Anatolius Bishop of Constantinople into suspition and Dioscorus of Alexandria was alreadie attainted for not to enuenome their minds which were alreadie but too much exasperated towards each other their order in speaking was manie times of set purpose altered and sometime the Iudges who represented the person of the Emperor were faine to order the proceedings to propose matters to take the voices to pronounce judgement as we haue shewed before And we haue yet farther a more
would proue vnto vs that Leo disposed absolutely of all matters in France Baron an 445. art 9. vol. 6. For saith he vpon the difference which fell betweene the two Bishops of Vienna and Arles by petition made vnto Valentinian the Emperour he obtained that famous Rescript directed to Aetius Lieutenant Generall for the Emperour in Fraunce It is true and the Historie saith as much that the Emperours of that age growing weake in the reines vsed all meanes possible to hold in with the Bishops of Rome But what are the words themselues of that Rescript namely these Nouell Valentin post Codic Theodos tit 24. de Episco ordin That no man presume or attempt to doe anie vnlawfull act against the authoritie of this See Item that he shall be beleeued concerning this variance now in question Item that whatsoeuer the Pope of the eternall Citie of Rome shall decree in this case shall be taken reputed and held as a law I could wish that this man would but remember a saying of his owne so often reiterated by him and with so vehement exclamations O how dangerous a thing is it for Princes to meddle with matters of the Church Jdem an 448. art 47. for they wrest them to their owne purposes which words he vseth of this verie Emperour Valentinian But I wonder that he obserueth not in this verie Rescript that the Emperour there testifieth that these pretended successors of S. Peter held their prerogatiues from the dignitie of their Citie from the bountie and liberalitie of the Emperors from custome and not from anie ordinance of God where he saith That the worthinesse and deserts of S. Peter the glorie of the Citie and the authoritie of the Synod haue established this Primacie of the Popes Of what Synod saue onely as they made him to beleeue of that of Nice Now if the law of God ordained it what needed the honour and dignitie of the Citie But his words are plaine where he willeth them to obserue in all points what the Fathers haue granted to the Church of Rome But in doubts and questions of this nature I would know who is most to be credited Valentinian or Hilarie Hilarie I say who as Baronius confesseth was the first which subscribed to the Councell of Orange an inward companion of Prosper Gennad de Script Eccles c. 69. and the scourge of the Pelagians which were in France a man commended in the writings of Antiquitie for his zeale charitie and learning so much honoured by Prosper and one which deserued to haue his life written and published by S. Honoratus Bishop of Marseilles reckoned in the number of Saints Martyrolog Roma 5. Maij. euen in the Martyrologie of Rome it selfe and to conclude so much renowmed in the Histories of the Lumbards for opposing himselfe against this Leo which yet in all probabilitie so good a man would not haue done had not Leo passed those bounds which the lawes and customes of the Churches had prescribed to him Thirdly Baronius extendeth this omnipotencie of Leo as farre as Spaine for saith he he assembled there a Generall Councell of all those prouinces For the clearing whereof we must obserue that when Turibius a Bishop of Asturia who had in times past beene his Notarie consulted him concerning the Heresie of the Priscillianists which much infested the Churches in Spaine as the Popes wits euer serued them to take all occasions at the first bound if they made for their purpose Leo returned him an answere in all choise and select tearmes of aduantage which could be deuised interpreting this consultation of theirs for an argument of their subjection and in stead of counsell which the other requested layed his commaundements vpon him Leo. ep 93. c. 17. Let there be saith he a Synod of Bishops called amongst you which words may seeme to proceed onely from aduise and counsell but a little lower in that Epistle We haue written saith he to the Bishops of Arragon of Cartagena and of Portugall ijsque Concilium Synodi Generalis indiximus i. and haue commanded them or as Baronius rendreth it haue inioyned them to call a Synod although a Latinist would peraduenture say that it should be written Consilium Synodi and not Concilium as if he had giuen them aduice and counsell onely to call a Generall Synod for what can Concilium Synodi be seeing that these two words signifie one and the selfesame thing But this is not all for the first Councell of Bracara which he alledgeth as held vnder Honorius the first about some 180 yeares after teacheth vs that euen at that time the calling of Synods belonged to Kings Concil Baracaren ian praefat and not to Bishops We say they here assembled by the commaundement of King Aremirus who hath licenced vs by his royall commandement c. Shall we thinke that the Popes would in that meane time haue lost their priuiledge or may we not rather beleeue that it was onely a counsell and not a commaund for such requested and for such accepted by them Fourthly Flauian Bishop of Constantinople in a certaine Councell of Bishops of his jurisdiction degraded Eutyches from his Priesthood Epist Flauia ad Leon. post ep 8. and depriued him of his Church by occasion of his Heresie hauing so done he aduertised Leo thereof to the end that he should shun him in his Church This brotherlie office Baronius interpreteth for a seruitude Knowing well saith he that to this first See it appertained of right to take knowledge of such Heresies as should arise Baron vol. 6. an 448. art 53. whereas the words of Flauian shew sufficiently that that care was cared for alreadie Epist Flauia post epist 9. We haue giuen you to vnderstand saith he by our letters that we haue vnpriested him and haue giuen order that he be no more receiued in the Monasteries and haue excluded him from our Communion Which sheweth that the blow was alreadie giuen without expecting anie aduice from Rome To what purpose then may some man say serued his aduertisement his words declare That your Holinesse saith he knowing what hath beene done in his case may informe the rest of your Bishops of his impietie for feare least anie through ignorance of his opinion should communicate with him taking him to be Orthodox As if he should haue said We haue discouered his venome and do aduertise you thereof that you may take heed And who can say that this is to request ratification or rather to acknowledge it as due without contradiction as Baronius falsely seeketh to persuade vs Fifthly it is to be noted that Eutyches old fox as he was fell in first with Leo and knowing his humor told him That he had appealed vnto him but that Flauian would not giue way thereunto Whereupon Baronius inferreth that such Appeales were ordinarie and vsuall in those times and yet hitherto we find not one True it is that in the second Councell of Constantinople
which ensued shortly after Leo made instant suit for it and was earnest to see the Acts where he found it thus written Constantine a reuerend Deacon sayth Extant in Concil Chalced. Act. 1. Eutyches when his condemnation was read vnto him appealed to the Councell of the Bishops of Rome of Egypt and of Ierusalem and of Thessalonica I would aske now Whether this Appeale seemeth to haue beene made to the Bishop of Rome or to a Generall Councell and it followeth Florens said The assemblie being broken vp in the middest of the prease he told me in my eare that he appealed to the Councell of Rome of Egypt and of Ierusalem Basil Bishop of Seleucia addeth farther Eutyches the Abbot while the companie was yet sitting said That if the Fathers of Rome and of Alexandria should tell him that he ought to confesse that there were two natures in Christ inseperable though not confounded no not after the vnion then he will confesse it but he spake not these words by way of Appeale But this is it which I would know Whether by vertue of this surmised Appeale the Bishop of Alexandria might not also take as much vpon him and yet Leo himselfe as he confesseth in his Epistles was almost surprised by this stratageme Sixtly Theodosius the Emperour by occasion of this trouble in the Church assembled another Councell at Ephesus he called thither Leo Bishop of Rome Vol. 6. an 449. art 65 66 67 68. Knowing well saith Baronius that a Generall Councell could not be assembled without his authoritie a thing saith he deepely to be grauen in the readers memorie But now what proofe Leo saith he in the beginning of his Epistle to the Synod of Ephesus telleth them in this manner The religious Emperour hath yeelded this respect and reuerence to the diuine ordinances to vse the authoritie of the Apostolike See for the bringing of his holie intents and purposes to passe All which I confesse was fit and requisit to be done but is there no difference whether the Emperour call Leo to the Councell or Leo him or whether the Emperor by his authoritie call a Councell And he addeth these words As if the Emperor had beene desirous to have that now declared by Peter himselfe which was once so highly commended in his confession and thereupon he falleth to ruffling with his Tu es Petrus as if these words had beene spoken not by Leo but by the Emperor himselfe But see the frothinesse and vanitie of this man who neuer considereth that this verie Theodosius wrot in like manner to Dioscorus Bishop of Alexandria and to all other Bishops threatning them That for default in appearance they should not be held excused either before God or him In Concil Chalced art 1. because no man could now absent himselfe but such as was wounded with a guiltie conscience Neither doth he regard that the Emperor was purposed to make Dioscorus himselfe President of that Councell We saith the Emperour according to the Canons of the holie Fathers do giue and grant vnto him the authoritie and Primacie c. The reason was because he thought as well he might that the Bishop of Rome would not be there in person no more than he had beene in the former Synods and held Flauian Bishop of Constantinople as a partie in this quarrell Wherein saith Baronius the Emperor vsurped the authoritie of the Pope seeing that Hosius presided in the Councell of Nice and Cyrill at Ephesus both of them as Legats from the Pope All which are meere surmises and as we call them demands of Principals Petitio principij taking those things for granted which are principally in question and most contradicted But where was shame when he aduentured thus to abuse vnto his owne purpose the graue and religious proceedings of the Emperor in this Councell Seuenthly in this Councell which was no doubt packed in fauour of Eutyches the Popes Legats were by Eutyches chalenged and refused as partakers with Flauian Bishop of Constantinople Whereby Leo first began to haue his eyes opened and to perceiue the tricke that Eutyches had put vpon him And Flauian himselfe was there condemned and degraded as a man set vpon by a companie of rogues and theeues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore was this Councell afterward called an Assemblie of Theeues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In this extremitie Flauian Appealed from them and this is the first place where we read this word vsed properly and as a tearme of law And hereupon Baronius groundeth himselfe Liberat. in Breuia c. 12. and saith That he Appealed to the Bishop of Rome and voucheth for his author Liberatus Archdeacon of Carthage who saith That hee Appealed in writing to the See Apostolike an author whose estimation Baronius himselfe hath cried downe in so many places Adde hereunto That the Councell of Chalcedon wherein the acts of this Synod are repeated reporteth That he said onely Appello à te i. I Appeale from thee without specifying to whom And Hilarie a Deacon of the Roman Church saith onely That vpon the sentence giuen contradicitur that is It was gainsaid meaning that he appealed from that roguish companie to a more lawful Synod which he entreated Leo to obtaine of the Emperour for the justifying both of his cause and person And to speake a troth there was none other now left to whom he might addresse himselfe the Bishops of Alexandria and Ierusalem being his professed enemies and he of Antioch deposed Now what became of this appeale no man can tell for as one mischiefe lightly commeth not without a fellow Flauian was outragiously beaten and shortly after partly of griefe partly of his wounds dyed And euen such was that Appeale also of Theodoret vnheard and yet condemned who in his Epistle to Leo vseth these words Helpe me saith he who do Appeale vnto your Holinesse and command me to appeare before you that I may yeeld an account of my faith vnto you Now whether he spake this properly and as a tearme of law or onely by a metaphor wee should better discerne if we had the Greeke though the Greeke word it selfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he not alwayes taken in this rigor For when the Fathers in the Councel of Aegypt vpon the banishment of Athanasius in their Synodal Epistle request all Bishops to receiue him vnto their communion they vse these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epist Synod ad omnes Episcopos that is We Appeale you or call vpon you as reuengers of such iniustice In which sence this word is found in many other places Wherefore when it is said That he Appealed to Leo the meaning is that he had recourse vnto him hoping by his meanes to procure a more lawfull Synod And in effect the letters of Valentinian the Emperour Extant in Concil Chalced. act 1. who at that time resided at Rome and of Galla Placidia to her sonne Theodosius testifie the same In which
did by vertue of that Canon of Chalcedon Extat inter Epist Illustr Concil Chalced. And the truth is that this Anatolius in the Epistle which hee wrot to the Emperour Leo vpon this occasion brandeth Pope Leo with the marke of an heretike and censureth him to be vnworthie of the Priesthood 12. PROGRESSION Of sundrie variances which fell out betweene the Churches of Rome and Constantinople by occasion of the Canon of Chalcedon AFter this Canon of Chalcedon there was euer debate continuing betweene the two Churches of Rome and Constantinople the one refusing a superiour the other not admitting of an equall the one seeking to stretch the wings of his authoritie and jurisdiction ouer the East the other ouer all And this was the cause why the Bishops of Antioch and of Alexandria seeking to crosse the attempts of the Bishop of Constantinople who was lately start vp to this authoritie and was therefore the more obnoxious to hate and enuie had recourse oftentimes to him of Rome and as it had beene in despight of the one subiected themselues to the tyrannie of the other Baron vol. 6. an 482. art 1. Whence the Pope himselfe and Baronius his champion for him take no small aduantage for if we will beleeue them Simplicius hereupon gaue confirmation to Calendinus Bishop of Antioch Simplicius Epist 14. hauing no other proofe or ground than this That Simplicius in a certaine Epistle of his to Acatius Bishop of Constantinople saith That he had receiued vnder the wing of the See Apostolike Euagrius li. 3. c. 10. the Priesthood of Calendius But Euagrius an Historian of that time saith simply without any reference vnto any That Calendius vndertooke the sterne of that See and persuaded all which came vnto him to pronounce Anathema against Timotheus as against one which troubled the Church of Alexandria and whose predecessor Stephen was notoriously installed by Acatius as Baronius himselfe affirmeth but he addeth farther That Simplicius had made Acatius his Vicar generall in the East His reason is for that Simplicius vpon the troubles of the Church of Alexandria Simplic Epist 17 Delegatum tibi munus attendes sensus tuos prudenter attolle complaineth to him That he had not aduertised him therof willing him to behaue himselfe wisely in the charge which was delegated vnto him Committed then it was but by whom must we needs vnderstand that by him and why not as well either by the Church or by the people seeing nothing is expressed And farther these are Simplicius his own words And if he did delegate such a charge vnto him yet where shal we find that the other accepted of it as from him Acatius in Epist ad Simplic And I would know whether in his Epistle to Simplicius he euer calleth him by any higher Title than the Archbishop of Rome and in the cause of Timotheus he professeth That as for his so great a dignitie he held it onely from Christ the Prince of Priests And a man may easily perceiue by the complaint which Simplicius made vnto him Simplic Epist 1. that if euer he did make him offer of such an office hee made but little reckoning of his kindnesse And the like may be said when he offered to make Zeno Bishop of Seuile his Vicar in those parts Simplicius also in his Epistle to Acatius speaking of one Iohn who was elected in the roome of the said Timotheus It remained only saith he that after our thanksgiuing vnto God he should by the assent of the See Apostolike receiue his desired confirmation Whereupon Baronius setteth his marke in the margent Baron an 482. vol. 6. art 14. with these words It belongeth to the Bishop of Rome to confirme the Patriarches and doest thou see O Reader saith he that the ancient custome was that the election neither of the Bishop of Alexandria neither yet of Antioch was held for good without the authoritie of the Bishop of Rome and yet he produceth no one Canon to this purpose or any one case wherein it was so practised Nay we find that when Acatius made light of his commaund and when he was willed by the Emperour Zeno to beare out Petrus Moggus against Iohn who was an Orthodox Bishop he qualified his stile with faire words and reasons It was reason saith he that one condemned by publike decree meaning this Petrus Moggus should also be acquited in a common assemblie Where was then this omnipotencie of the Pope when he spake in this manner Yea but in the end saith Baronius when this Iohn was deposed be appealed to the Bishop of Rome as Athanasius had done before him and for proofe hereof voucheth Liberatus the Archdeacon Liberatus in Breuia c. 18. who dwelt too farre off to be a good witnesse in this cause But if his appeale was no other than was that of Athanasius we are at an accord for we haue alreadie proued that Athanasius did not appeale in forme of law as we commonly call Appeales but had onely recourse vnto him and so Euagrius expoundeth it vnto vs Iohn saith he as Zacharie reporteth Euagr. Histor Eccle. c. 12. 15 hauing giuen a summe of money contrarie to his oath taken to the Emperour was chosen Bishop of Alexandria whence the Emperour commaunded him to be banished who flying thence went vnto old Rome where he made much trouble saying that for obseruing the decrees of Leo and the Canons of Chalcedon he had beene deposed from his See Where you see there is no mention of any appeale or of judiciall proceeding For saith he Simplicius moued with these words wrot vnto Zeno thereupon who sent him word againe That he was deposed indeed but that it was for periurie And shortly after Simplicius died and Iohn withdrew himselfe into Italie where the Bishopricke of Nola was conferred vpon him And Liberatus also saith That Acatius by his letters required the See of Rome That if any of his Clergie fled vnto him Ad eundem confugerint he would be pleased not to receiue them which are the proper tearms vsed in these and the like cases OPPOSITION All these contentions about jurisdiction proceeded from that Canon of Chalcedon An. 472. to which the Popes would by no meanes stand and yet they neuer talke vnto vs but of Councels especially of those foure first generall Synods which they vse commonly to paralell with the holie Scriptures But in the meane time came forth a certaine Edict from Leo the Emperor Leo Imperat. li. 16. c. de Saâ—ros Eccles in this maner We decree and ordain That the holie Church of this most religious citie Mother of our pietie and of all Christians whatsoeuer of the Orthodox religion and the most holie See of this royall citie meaning Constantinople in regard that she is the royall citie shall haue all priuiledges and honours concerning the creation of Bishops and taking of place before all others and all other poynts whatsoeuer which they now
in Apelog in l. 20. l. Concil or ended in a lawfull Synod which Synod was held the yeare following at Rome in the Acts whereof we find it thus written Synod Roma 4. Palmaria dicta The Synod here assembled out of diuers countries by the commandement of the most religious King Theodorie c. And againe The Royall authoritie hauing so commaunded that the Bishops should assemble here at Rome out of diuers Prouinces c. The reason is for that one Metropolitan hath no power ouer another and therefore when Bishops of diuers Prouinces had occasion to assemble themselues in a Synod it could not be done without the Kings authoritie and in this Synod were present the Bishops of Liguria Emilia and Venice to decide this cause wherein the Bishop of Rome was defendant Yea but saith Baronius the Bishops told him that it belonged not vnto him true but read on and you shall find that he replied That the Pope himselfe had by his letters declared his will touching the calling of this Synod which was that Theodoric should call it and thereupon thanketh him for so doing as hauing thereby giuen him the meanes to justifie and to cleare himselfe And it followeth afterward That this Synod presumed not to decree anie thing without making the King first acquainted therewith And againe it is there said That Symmachus was forced by the Emperour to enter the lists against his aduersaries and that before the Fathers assembled in this Synod as before his lawfull Delegates or Commissioners Nunquam commisisset For saith he he would neuer haue committed this cause to them as a new cause had he held him as alreadie conuict Then follow the Acts themselues Whiles they were in deliberation what was fit to be done Symmachus came and offered to plead his cause And hauing expressed the violences which his aduersaries had vsed towards him the Fathers spake and said That they must yet againe flie to the iustice of the Prince c. who declared there openly That the knowledge and ordering of Church matters belonged vnto them that he brought nothing but reuerence with him when he came to the hearing of such causes and that he committed it to the power of the Bishops to heare or not to heare it and to dispose thereof at their discretion prouided that by the care and wisedome of the Councell the Christians might haue peace within the Citie By all which it appeareth that he did not put off his authoritie from himselfe to conferre it vpon the Bishop of Rome In the end these Fathers proceeding according to the commaundement of the Prince resolued in this intricate cause to arbitrate and to compose the variance rather than as Iudges to decide it and for the peace of the Church to cloake offences rather than to expose them to the view of the world and therefore commaunded they the people to receiue Symmachus againe leauing the judgement to God of those things which could not sufficiently be proued by men And let the reader note these words of the Fathers According to the commaund of the Prince which giueth vs this power But we restore all Ecclesiasticall power to him againe as well within the Citie as without And who will say that by these words they acknowledged the Pope for Bishop of all the world or that Theodoric called this Councell by the Popes authoritie especially seeing that we find at the same time An. 509. That the Councell at Agda in Languedoc of Orthodox Bishops was assembled and held by the authoritie of Alaric an Arrian by profession and a Goth by nation which yet the Fathers themselues acknowledge in the verie beginning of that Councell Acta Concil Agath This Synod assembled say they in the name of the Lord in this Citie of Agda by the permission of King Alaric and therefore they ordained prayers and supplications to be made for his prosperitie And seeing also we read that shortly after whiles the same Symmachus was yet Pope the first Councell of Orleans was held whereof Hincmar speaking in the life of S. Rhemigius saith That by the aduise of S. Rhemigius An. 512. Acta Concil Aurelian 1. in 1. to Concilior Clouis called a Synod of Bishops at Orleans where were manie good things ordained And the Fathers themselues of that Councell in their Synodall Epistle to King Clouis speake in this manner We say they whom you haue commaunded to come vnto this Synod here to treat of necessarie matters c. Which things they desire afterward to be confirmed by his rightfull iudgement though in his Patent directed to them he speaketh with as much respect to them as he could haue done to the Bishop of Rome himselfe King Clouis saith he to our holie Lords the Bishops most worthie of the Apostolike See c. and at the foot thereof Pray ye for me my holie Lords Popes most worthie of the Apostolike See This good King had neuer yet learned this lesson though instructed by S. Rhemigius that there were no more Popes but one no other Apostolike See but that of Rome All which we haue beene faine to deduce at large to right the Historie of that wrong which our great Annalist hath done vnto it 14. PROGRESSION Of sundrie opportunities and meanes which the Popes about the yeare 500 had to raise themselues to their pretended Primacie IN this age which came to close vp the first fiue hundred yeares manie opportunities offered themselues to open the passage to the Popes ambition First the absence of the Emperors who now resided wholly at Constantinople and yet to maintaine their authoritie in the West thought it fit to make faire weather alwaies with Popes of Rome who neuer let slip anie opportunitie which might serue to encrease their Estate Secondly the comming downe of the Northerne nations who one after another assayled Italie and spoyled it at their pleasure all which were faine to sooth and to flatter the Popes onely to haue their fauour and furtherance at their need Thirdly diuerse Heresies which then sprung vp both in the East and also in the South from whence the heretikes when they were condemned at home fled presently to Rome whether by Appeale or whether by way onely of Reuiew to haue their cause heard againe before his pretended Primacie Adde we hereunto that in all places men were willing to hold correspondencie with the Bishop of the first See who resided in the chiefe Citie of the Empire and who was held for the source and fountaine of all good and found aduise in matters of importance the greater part of the world in the meane time not obseruing how the Popes by little and little made their aduises to stand for lawes and interpreted all requests made vnto them for consultations how they turned their mediations into Commissions and that being chosen for arbitrators they euer made themselues Iudges And note withall to the end you may discerne how their doctrines crept into the
certainely tooke not the See of Rome much lesse euerie one that should come to sit thereon as infallible in points of faith seeing that Pelagius himselfe was faine for his owne discharge to send vnto them the confession of his faith as it appeareth by that Epistle As for those other Bishops of Venetia and Istria they proceeded so farre as to constitute and ordaine the Bishop of Aquileia Ouerseer of their Church by the name of Patriarch a knot which the Popes were neuer afterward able to vndoe Baron vol. 7. an 570. art 11. and Baronius himselfe giueth that Patriarchship no other beginning than this As for France he was as little obeyed there as in any place whatsoeuer For the second Councell of Tours saith Iuxta conniventiam That they were there assembled by the sufferance and permission of the most renowmed king Cheribert and the fift of Orleans That they were assembled by Childebert to learne from the mouth of these Fathers what was holy Pela in Epist ad Childibert in 2. tom Concilio And the like is to be seene in the second Councell of Paris where Pelagius writing vnto Cheribert then king What paine saith he ought wee to take to free our selues from scandall and suspition by presenting to you the obedience and dutie of our confession that is to giue them an account of their true beliefe and Orthodox profession adding a reason farre different from the learning of these times For that saith he the holie Scriptures doe commaund that we also be subiect to higher powers Which Epistle is also taken into the Decret And to conclude the first Councell of Paris decreed That so often as Bishoprickes fell void Synod Paris ca. 8. to 2. Concil Satisdandum 25. q. 1. prouision should bee made by the joynt election of Clergie and people and that the Metropolitan assisted by the Bishops of his owne Prouince or of some Prouince next adjoyning should consecrate and ordaine him according to the ancient Canons without any reference at all to Rome though we find that euen at this verie time Iohn the third successor to Pelagius pursued the chase of his predecessors writing not only to the Bishops but to all in generall in France and Germanie in manner following We will and commaund that you and euerie of you all Bishops also and Priests whatsoeuer to obserue all the Decretals and ordinances of our predecessors in matters belonging to the Church And if any shall attempt the contrarie let him know that there is no place for repentance left vnto him Yet we find Greg. Turon l. 8. c. 20. that Vrsicin Bishop of Cahors at that verie time was excommunicated in the Synod of Mascon which was there called by the commaundement of king Gontran for entertaining Gombalt who then stood out in rebellion against him and that vpon his humble confession and penitent acknowledgement of his fault they enjoyned him not to cut either his haire or his beard neither yet to drinke wine nor to eat flesh nor to celebrate the office neither yet to minister the Communion during the space of three yeares An euident token that these Bishops assembled in Synod held still in their owne hands an absolute authoritie ouer their delinquent brethren And no maruell if these Bishops which dwelt so farre off made so light of the Popes commands seeing that euen vnder his nose the Archbishops of Aquileia Rauenna and Milan held their owne against him especially he of Rauenna which citie the Emperor Honorius and his successors had made the seat of the Empire from thence to looke a little neerer and to see what was doing in the East and where at that time Iustinus the second had commaunded Longinus his Exarcke or Vicar generall of the Empire in Italie to reside with power to commaund ouer all Dukes and other officers of those Prouinces who vpon the first entrance of the Lombards into Italie planted strong garrisons in euerie citie of defence especially in Rome and Rauenna Whence it ensued that the Pope could doe nothing in temporal matters by reason of the presence of the Exarck who did all in all and in spirituall affaires he was faine to keepe himselfe within his owne bounds because he saw that his spirituall authoritie which as a shadow followeth euer the bodie of the temporall power grew towards the wane and minished as that other of Rauenna encreased Neither was that his power at all acknowledged at Aquileia and Milan Sigon de Regno Italiae li. 1. where the Archbishops pretended That they held not of the See of Rome not at Aquileia because as Rome gloried in Saint Peter so did she in the Euangelist Saint Mâ—â—ke as first founder of her Church which had since that time beene ennobled with sundrie holie Bishops and Martyrs Not at Milan because her Church was first founded by Barnabas the Apostle and after that honoured by the Bishoprick of Saint Ambrose and had either of them a multitude of Suffragant Bishops vnder them and peraduenture they thought that tradition of Saint Peters chaire not to be all of the truest and easier to be said than proued And this is that which Sigonius reporteth though a writer of their owne Guicciard Histor li. 4. and which Guicciardine also deliuereth in these words In this time saith he meaning of the Exarchat the Bishops of Rome had nothing to doe in matters temporal and because the beautie of their ancient manners and pietie was now decayed men had them not in such admiration and reuerence as before but they liued vnder the commaund and subiection of the Emperours and Exarchs without whose leaue and licence they might not accept or presume to execute the office of the Bishopricke though chosen by the Clergie and people of the Citie and which is more the Bishops of Constantinople and of Rauenna because the Seat of Religion vsually followeth the Seat of the Empire began now to contest and to quarrell him vpon the point of Primacie And of this we shall find examples in that which followeth 20. PROGRESSION That Iohn Bishop of Constantinople assumed to himselfe the name of Vniuersall Bishop THe two generall Councels of Constantinople and Chalcedon had as we haue alreadie declared An. 580. in all points of prerogatiue equalled the two Bishops of Rome and of Constantinople sauing alwaies the prioritie of place to him of Rome This much offended the Bishop of Rome who neuer looked with a good eye vpon an equall neither could the other brooke the dealings of him of Rome as loth to acknowledge a superior Wherefore when the Bishop of Rome carried himselfe in the nature of an Vniuersall Bishop as farre as men would suffer him Jeuinator Iohn the fourth surnamed the Faster Bishop of Constantinople thought to preuent him by assuming to himselfe the title of Vniuersall Bishop about the yeare 580 being the more emboldened thereunto because he saw the seat of the Empire established at Constantinople the
for the enormitie of his crimes that yet he brought him forth there to be heard and judged by them that he might not seeme to doe anie thing contrarie to the Canons Antiquit. de Fauchet to 1. fol. 212. 218. And then Gregorie Bishop of Cahors though fauouring the person of Praetextatus stood vp and said If anie of vs offend it is in thy power O King to punish vs. Whereupon notwithstanding the ernest suit that was made for him they proceeded against him vpon his confession condemned him and cast him into banishment So likewise King Gontran commaunded a Synod to be called at Chaalons Gregor Turon l. 5. c. 18. Aimon Monach l. 3. c. 26 27 28. vpon the riuer of Saosne or as Gregorie of Tours reporteth at Lions against Salonin Bishop of Ambrum and Sagittarius of Gap where there were manie crimes of high nature layed vnto their charge for which they were degraded and deposed from their charges in which Synod Nicetius Bishop of Lions presided whom Gregorie of Tours calleth by the name of a Patriarch It fell out after a time that these complained of injustice and wrong done vnto them and thereupon became petitioners to the King That the Bishop of Rome might review their cause which he graunted and to that effect at the instance of their friends in Court wrot vnto him yet not as of a matter of right belonging to his jurisdiction but as Constantine long before wrote vnto Miltiades Bishop of Rome and others in the case of the Donatists The words of Gregorie of Tours are these They knowing that the King was fauourably inclined towards them asked leaue to goe to the Pope of the Citie of Rome which by his letters he permitted them to doe Baron vol. 7. an 570. art 23. 24. An. 589. Now vpon this example Baronius inferreth that it was belonging to the Popes ordinarie jurisdiction to appeale from the Synods in France to Rome but had it beene so they would no doubt immediatly vpon sentence giuen haue put in their Appeale to Rome and not haue gone by way of request vnto the Prince And as for authoritie of calling Nationall Councels we find another Synod called about the same time at Valentia in the 24 yeare of the reigne of Gontran wherein the Fathers speake in this manner We say they here assembled in the Citie of Valentia Ex imperio by the commaundement of the glorious and renowmed King Gontran And the Bishops of those other Synods of Mascon and Chaalons speake in like manner Ex iussu saying That they were assembled by the commaundement of Prince Gontran And Gregorie of Tours speaketh of them after the same fashion And in the third Synod of Toledo When as say they the renowmed King Recared had commaunded all the Pontifes or Bishops to assemble themselues c. And Recared himselfe in his letter to them We sayth he haue commaunded you to assemble in this Synod But because this Councell is famous by reason of the conuersion both of the King and also of the people of the Gothes which was there wrought Baronius chalengeth this honour as due vnto Pelagius the second For this Generall Councell sayth he was not held without the priuitie consent and authoritie of Pelagius And farther he addeth That Leander Bishop of Seuille was there in qualitie of Legat from the Pope But when as the Fathers of that Councell and when Leander himselfe saith The king hath commaunded vs what hath he to replie Seeing also that we find no mention made of Leander in anie such qualitie nor yet of the Pope himselfe and seeing that Leander himselfe in that Oration which he made with thanksgiuing vnto God for the conversion of the King and of his nation carrieth himselfe in no such qualitie and that the king himselfe was the first which signed the Councell and then follow the Metropolitans of Merida in Portugall and of Toledo namely Mausonius and Euphemius and Leander in the third place with the addition onely of Metropolitan of the Prouince of Betica And I would but know of Baronius whether this be a meet place for a Popes Legat to stand in or no moreouer in some copies there is no mention at all made of his subscription and lastly Isidore neither in his Chronicle nor yet in the life of Leander speaketh aught of his Legatship so that a man may well say that Baronius here speaketh more like a dreamer than an Annalist The like is of that Councell which the same Recared caused to be held at Narbone a Citie at that time of his dominions which Councell Baronius produceth for himselfe and yet there the Fathers say that they were assembled per ordinationem by the ordinance of the most renowmed Recared Neither may we forget a certaine Canon which was made in that Councell namely Baron vol. 8. an 598. art 30. extra locum That no Clergie man might weare Scarlet it being a colour more properly belonging to worldlie pompe and ostentation than to anie dignitie of Religion whose inward deuotion ought to shew it selfe by the outward habit of the bodie and because the Scarlet Robe belongeth rather to lay men which are in authoritie than to professors of Religion And there also is a certaine punishment inflicted vpon the transgressors of this Canon Baronius to justifie the vse of Scarlet in his Clergie alledgeth the example of the High Priests of the Iewes which went sometimes clothed with Scarlet as if he meant to bring vs backe againe to Iudaisme But to returne to our former matter the quarrell of the Bishops of Istria and Venetia who would acknowledge no subjection to the Bishop of Rome continued as before Pelag. ep 1. ad Episcopos Istria and it appeareth out of the Epistles of Pelagius the second though we haue not theirs that they questioned and debated his Title seeing that he in his Epistles complaineth that they had sent him an answere in nature of a definitiue sentence and seeing also that he paineth himselfe so much in telling them That Leo neuer ratified the Councell of Chalcedon but onely for points of faith and that he retracted and disannulled all the rest meaning especially that Canon wherein Bishops as well himselfe as others are taught to know their places But all his eloquence would not serue him whereupon he was faine to practise with Smaragdus the Exarch to force them to obedience Smaragdus saith Paulus Diaconus comming from Rauenna to Grado Pau. Diaco l. 3. de gestis Longobard c. 27. drew Seuerus with his owne hand out of the Temple and carried him by force to Rauenna with three other Bishops of Istria Iohn Parencius Seuerus and Vindemius whom he constrained through feare of banishment and other violence to communicate with Iohn Bishop of Rauenna But Paulus Diaconus addeth farther That when at the yeres end they were returned from Rauenna to Grado hauing I warrant you first giuen full contentment to the
all along giuing him fairely to vnderstand That all the Apostles were endowed with equall authoritie and certifying him onely An. 649. That he was consecrated Bishop of Carthage without euer asking confirmation at his hands only he requesteth him to recommend him in his prayers vnto God that he might wel discharge his office After this came Martin who taking occasion vpon the fame and suspition that was of the Patriarches of the East that they were Monothelites sent thither certaine Bishops and made some of those which yet remained Orthodox in the East his Vicars This was a faire attempt but the Emperour Constans hindered him in his walke for the yeare following he sent and caused him to be apprehended in Rome and to be brought prisoner to Constantinople where he died a banished man hauing beene accused for conspiring with the Sarasens against the Emperour as appeareth by his letters written to Theodorus Martinus in Epist ad Theodor 14. Sanctuâ— Audoenus in vita Sancti Eligij Sacerdotalem Concilium This Martin was a man of a hautie mind and a great vndertaker yet could not he maintaine his pretended authoritie no not in the West For when a certaine Heretike had crept into the Bishopricke of Authun the Bishop of Noion who was then in Court solicited the king and obtained of him saith Saint Ouin That by his commaundement a Councell of Priests or Bishops should be called at Orleans where the Heretike was condemned and banished the realme of France without expecting any higher authoritie So likewise vnder Pope Eugenius his next successor there was a Councell held at Chaalons vpon the riuer of Saosne which as appeareth in the verie front thereof Ex euocatione ordinatione Domini Clodouaei Regis Synod Epist ad Theodo Arelat was assembled by the conuocation and ordinance of king Clouis as also in the Synodall Epistle to Theodore Archbishop of Arles wherein they presume to declare vnto him by the authoritie of that Synod That considering the time of his penance was not yet expired he might not offer to meddle with his Bishopricke nor with the good belonging thereunto Ordaining farther Ib. can 10. That vpon a vacancie no successor might be chosen but by the Clergie and people of that Prouince that otherwise the election should be held as voyd and of none effect where you shall find no exception or reseruation at all to the Pope of Rome And in Spaine there were held at that time the 7 8 9 and 10 Councels of Toledo all which acknowledge their assembling to haue proceeded onely from their owne care and from the authoritie of the Prince namely the seuenth By our deuotion say they and by the care of king Chindasuinda the eighth By the commaund of the king Reccesuinda and the tenth By his most holie desire Sanctissimâ— Vote without any mention of the Pope at all though in those Synods the highest points of our religion were in question as namely in the eight whose Synodall Epistle hath yet onely this inscription The Decree of the Vniuersall Councell published in the name of the Prince And againe A law published in the same Councell Imperante Principe glorioso by the commandement of the renowmed Prince In all which besides those high poynts of Christian religion order was also taken against intrusions extortions and other abuses of Bishops proceeding to the punishment of some and finall deposition of others insomuch that in the tenth Synod one Pontamius Bishop of Bracara a thing neuer before heard of accused himselfe and was thereupon deposed by the Synod and Fructuosus Bishop of Duna chosen in his place with these words We doe here constitute and appoint by a common election Fructuosus to be Gouernour of the Church of Bracara to take vpon him as Metropolitan the care of all the Prouince of Galleece and of all Congregations and Bishops of that countrey Patrum sententia And this was done by the Decree of the Fathers annexed to his letters of Ordination without binding him to take a journey to Vitalian at Rome for confirmation who sat not in that pride which Popes now vse to sit in For as Anastasius reporteth when the Emperour Constans came to Rome he with all his Clergie went to meet him six miles off and there receiued they him with all tokens of submission and reuerence though he was a sacrilegious and bloudie Emperour and one which had confined Pope Martin the first to a certaine place in banishment as Baronius reporteth 24. PROGRESSION Wherein the religion of this age principally consisted and what was the purpose of the Popes when they sent Preachers into forreine Countries THe good Bishops of the Primitiue Church heeded onely the building and reedifying of the spirituall Temple of God in gathering together liuing stones but from hence forward shall you find the Histories stuffed onely with relations of materiall Edifices Oratories Images Marbles Incrustations Ouerlayings with gold and such like which the worser sort of men were euer most spendfull in thereby to shadow and obscure the memorie of their euill acts And those princes which all histories leaue vnto vs stained with dishonor recouer fame and good report of vertue pietie and religion by either building or beautifying some Church or other after their example Beda l. 1. c. 20. 26. 29. Histor Eccl. l. 4. c. 1. 2. 16. 19. Galfri Monumet l. 8. c. 4. And if any Bishops of Rome did send to make a conquest of some farre countrey as Gregorie the Great into England and after him Honorius Vitalis and others it was not principally to preach the Gospell but to broach their owne ceremonies their Singings their Seruice in Latine Houres Organs Altars Tapers Anelings and such other nifles stirring vp Princes to inforce their subiects to the vse practise of them who would faine haue kept themselues to the first institution of the Church in the puritie of the Gospell Malmesbu de gest Anglo li. 1. c. 50. And the more to win vnto themselues credit in forreine parts where euer they saw any ambitious spirit thirsting after some preheminence ouer the rest of his brethren presently their fashion was to send him their Pall either as a bare token of honour or as a liuerie of their Vicarship and to vse meanes to draw all causes vnto them yet found they not credit in all places alike but as they caried it away cleere in some places so in others they met with a balke especially in those Churches which being well planted at the first grew vp and prospered in puritie of doctrine OPPOSITION Wherefore doe they what they could yet the Churches of the East euer reiected that Decree of Phocas 2. To. Concil Epist Vitalian 2 3 4. Sigo de Reg. Italiae l. 2. Blond Deca 1. li. 9. An. 680. neither would Paule Archbishop of Candia suffer Iohn Bishop of Lampeon when he had beene condemned by his owne Synod to appeale to Rome as
we thinke in this so great an alteration both in the doctrine and also in the gouernment of the Church that euerie man held his peace for the doctrine we haue elsewhere declared how euerie article and when it came to be corrupted as also what opposition was alwaies made against it so that we shall not need to rehearse it here farther than as it was vsed by the Popes to the corruption of the policie and gouernment of the Church The Popes as we haue said thrust the Emperors out of Italie the colour was because they rejected the adoration of Images it being therefore cleare that the three seuerall Councels of Constantinople the one held in the yeare 713 the other in the yeare 729 and the third called the seuenth vniuersall Councell An. 713. An. 729. An. 755. consisting of 338 Bishops in the yeare 755 all held in the times of Constantine Gregorie the second and Stephen the third who were those that did abuse this article of Images to thrust the Emperours out of Italie it being I say cleare that all these condemned the adoration of Images Is it not manifest what they judged of the Popes proceedings against the Emperours seeing they condemned the ground of their proceedings And we may easily imagine what the Churches of Fraunce thought of those Popes whom they saw to trouble the world vnder a colour of Images seeing themselues neither at that present nor in long time after vsed them or at least vsed no religious honour towards them no not those who yet condemned the Greekes for breaking and defacing them Anastas Biblioth in ep ad Joh. 8. Baron in Annal. an 794. art 40. witnesse Anastasius a Writer of that verie time and Baronius of this present and seeing that a Councell held at Gentilli others say at Saumur in Fraunce vnder Pepin himselfe not daring to speake more plainely for feare of the Pope yet counsailed the Emperours of Greece to hold them to the ancient vsage of the Church seeing also that another Councell of the Westerne Churches held vnder Charlemaigne at Francford composed as sayth Sigonius of a great multitude of Bishops of Fraunce Germanie and Italie present there the Legats of the Pope condemned openly and shamefully that second Councell of Nice and consequently censured all those Councels which were held at Rome in the yeare 713 716 742 768 vnder Constantine Gregorie the second Zacharie and Stephen the third for the support of Images Moreouer they published a booke against that second Councell of Nice declaring it to haue beene a false Synod and no Councell at all against Pope Adrian who had approued it and who can doubt but that Pepin and Charlemaigne themselues would haue condemned it but that they could not meddle with the point of state without quarrelling the Pope vpon a matter of the Church But to come vnto the Historie of those times Zacharie had holpen Pepin in his vsurpation of the Crowne of France and Pepin in thankfulnesse came to assist him in his exaltation ouer the Emperors and Lumbards in Italie Carloman his owne brother which was entred into a Monasterie at Mount Cassin in Italie tooke a journey of purpose into France to dissuade the enterprise Annon lib. 4. c. 62. and with great earnestnesse in open Parliament pleaded the cause of the Lumbard King which how could he doe without condemning the Popes ambition Some say he did it not of his owne will Sigon l. 3. de Reg. Jtal. Anastas in Stephan 3. but by the commandement of his Abbot but was not the good of the Church if he had so thought it more to haue beene regarded Or what could an Abbot haue done to so great a Prince as he was In the end Charles came to an end of his conquests in Italie then was he moued to ratifie to Adrian the pretended donation of Pepin at what time Charles let him to vnderstand well ynough that he held not his Crowne from the Pope but that the Pope held both his dignitie and Rome it selfe in fee from him and homage to his Empire for there it was by generall consent of Bishops and Abbots ordained That Charles should be Prince of the Senat in which verie point Adrian encroached vpon the prerogatiue of the Emperour to whom onely it appertained to giue that title and that he should haue power to inuest the Archbishops and Bishops of all Prouinces meaning of Italie with prouiso That if they were not allowed and inuested by him they could not be consecrated by anie moreouer that he should elect the Pope and dispose of the See Apostolike all which we find in Gratian in the Decrete standing yet after the correction of Gregorie the thirteenth So likewise Sigebert Abbot of Gemblons D. 63. C. Hadrianus 22. Sigon de Reg. Ital. l. 4. Dignitatem Principatus Sigibert in Chron. Charles saith he held a Councell at Rome with Pope Adrian with 150 other Bishops and Abbots to whom the Pope with the whole Synod gaue authoritie to elect the Pope and to prouide the See Apostolike and gaue him also the title of Prince ordaining farther that the Archbishops and Bishops throughout the Prouinces should receiue inuestiture from him and that a Bishop not approued and inuested by him should not be consecrated by anie and that such as should be refractarie to this decree should be Anathema and if they repented not their goods should be confiscated Which Gratian expresseth in these words Whosoeuer shall doe contrarie to this decree the Synod layeth the band of Anathema vpon him and ordaineth that his goods shall be confiscated if he repent not So also saith Sigonius adding farther that this Rite of Inuestiture was so called because it was giuen them by a Ring and a staffe in regard no doubt of those lands which they euen then possessed This Rite of confirming the Popes continued as we haue alreadie shewed in the Emperors hands vntill the time of Constantine Pogonatus who about 100 yeares past had released it to Pope Benedict the second and so it continued vntill now when Charlemaigne tooke it into his hands againe Sigonius graunteth all this to be true but he addeth that Charlemaigne out of his good nature released it againe but there is no author for it and the practise long after was to the contrarie Baronius here setteth vpon poore Sigibert Baron vol. 9. an 774. art 10 11 seq and crieth out ô scelus ô imposture ô fraus laying to his charge that he was of the Emperor Henrie his faction and that in fauour of him he inuented this fable and that the Historians of Charles say no such matter But what was Gratian were all the rest of later times schismatikes for reporting the same thing after the same manner Was Gregorie the 13 a schismatike who hath in his late correction left that Canon standing and vncontrolled yea but Gratian had it from Sigibert and gaue too light credence to him It is true that Gratian hath
his predecessors haue done before him Vita Ludouici Aimon l. 5. c. 14. why commeth he not vnto me all this while The Bishops said If he be come to excommunicate we will send him away excommunicated againe And Hincmar Archbishop of Rheimes writing to Pope Adrian the second Flodoard in Hist Rhemensi Jdem l. 5. c. 16. telleth him in plaine tearmes That Gregorie came into Fraunce with an euill intent and purposing to beare out the children against the father He came saith he into Fraunce and after his comming our peace continued not also he returned not with so good credit as was fit he should and as his predecessors were wont before him And the Chronicle of S. Denis The ministers of the diuell saith he preuailed so farre Chron. Dionys as to vnite all the sonnes against him and maliciously made the Apostolike of Rome to come into Fraunce vnder colour of pietie as it had beene to mediate a peace betweene the King and his children but the truth it selfe afterward appeared And of the Apostolike it was commonly said That his comming was onely to excommunicate the King and the Bishops if they supported the father and were not in euerie respect obedient to the sonnes but when the Bishops heard say this they protested That they would neuer obey him for feare of his excommunication for say they the authoritie of the auncient Canons is farre different from this course And when Lewis was fully reestablished in his kingdome not by the authoritie of Gregorie but as the Historian of the Church of Rheimes reporteth by the common consent of the Bishops Gregorie vnable to maintaine those Bishops whom he had drawne into this practise they were glad though vnder a most gracious Soueraigne yet to saue themselues in Italie from the rigor of the lawes the others were faine to confesse the action and plead guiltie acknowledging themselues vnworthie of the place they held and in effect to be deposed especially Hebo Archbishop of Rheimes and Agobard of Lions And this was in those dayes all the feare that the Bishops of Fraunce had of the Popes excommunications And in this time it was That Claud of Turin taught openly both by tongue and pen That he was not Apostolicall who sat in the Chaire of an Apostle but he that did the office of an Apostle And this reacheth vnto the death of Lewis An. 839. which fell in the yeare 839. Adde we hereunto that the Emperour Lewis treading the path of Charlemaigne and other his predecessors with the aduise and counsell of the Prelates and the rest of the learned of his kingdomes enacted lawes for the better ordering of the Churches of his dominions not onely concerning their policie and gouernment but also touching Faith without asking leaue or expecting a Mandamus from the Pope whatsoeuer Baronius and his Benedict the Leuite prate vnto vs as may appeare by the Articles of Lewis Capitularia and the Abbot Andegisus who collected those Lawes maketh no mention of the Pope in the Preface to them Also he assembled Councels within his owne Estates at Thionuille at Aix and Pauia where you shall euer find Extat ante Concil Paris To. 3. Concil By the commaund By the wholesome commaund of the glorious Prince By the grace or gift of God Emperour c. making bookes of this subject And in the Councell of Aix la Chapella the Bodie of the people speaketh of the Clergie in generall and sayth By them are we made Christians who hauing the keyes of the kingdome of heauen in their hands iudge in a sort before the day of iudgement and so had no need to be beholding to Rome for the keyes An. 828. But in the yeare 828 we find a particular Edict of Lewis whereby to appease the wrath of God incensed at that time against him and his people for the manie corruptions growne in among them he commaunded a fast to be held throughout his kingdomes And besides sundrie other Councels he called foure seuerall Synods for the reformation properly of the Church of Fraunce namely at Mence at Paris at Lions and at Tolousa there to handle discusse and find out things belonging to Christian Religion Concil Aquisgra 3. to Concil what the Prince what the people held either answerable or contrarie to the reuealed will of God what had beene retained what omitted either in part or in whole how the Clergie behaued themselues wherein they erred and departed away from the rule of holie Scripture And in all this no mention made of the Popes authoritie Baronius maketh much of certaine Epistles written about this time by a Monke of Greece named Theodorus with his complices in Idolatrie to the Pope of Rome Baron an 817. art 21 22. sequent by reason of the haut titles which he giueth him magnifying him aboue all other Bishops It were a verie sufficient answere to say That this was a Monke offended with his Patriarch of Constantinople for taking away his Images and therefore no matter what he sayth But yet examine we his letters Coaequandum Angelis First he calleth the Pope Equall to the Angels Will Baronius abet this flatterie seeing that the Apostle to the Hebrewes after the Psalmist speaking of our Lord and Sauior Christ saith Thou hast made him little lesser than the Angels How can he make the Pope equall to them but as he is more than a man as God himselfe as he that maketh himselfe God as S. Paule speaketh in the second of the Thessalonians chap. 2. Secondly he calleth him The Great Light Prince of Bishops and Apostolike Pope In that he calleth him Prince of Bishops it imports nothing but the Primacie of his See But you shall see how this same Monke wrote at the same time scarce changing a penne betweene to other Patriarchs for to him of Alexandria he wrote To the most holie Father of Fathers and Light of Lights Doe not these words weigh downe those other of Great Light And as he calleth the one Pope of Rome Apostolicum verticem so doth he the other Pope of Alexandria as he calleth him of Rome Apostolike so the other The crowne or top of all Apostolikes And what aduantage now hath Baronius gotten for the Pope Yes sayth he for the Pope of Rome is called The supreame Light and the other is called onely the Light of Lights First what faire play to turne a die And whereas but two pages before by his owne confession the Monke called him onely Magnum Lumen a Great Light now to make him say Supremam Lumen the Supreame Light Secondly who knoweth not that Light of Lights in all tongues especially in the language of the Scriptures implieth more than a Great Light Baronius his replie is That the Bishop of Alexandria was so called in regard that Cyrill his quondam predecessor was Legat à Latere for the Pope of Rome First that hath alreadie beene proued to be false Secondly
in an abridgement of the historie Author Coaetaneus apud Vigner pa. 214. saith in expresse words That after many mischiefes done vpon the people of Rome they made them sweare fealtie to the Emperour and confirmed Sergius in his See againe as not holding his Title of the Popedome for good before much lesse of the Seigneurie of Rome And Anastasius doth not sticke to tell vs That the Popes authoritie was then and there questioned and debated for saith he Drogo Archbishop of Metz and other Archbishops and Bishops gathered together against this Vniuersall Church and Head of all other Churches without the leaue of their Metropolitan and did euerie day make new quarels against our most holie Pope and his Bishops And if you aske who they were that joyned with Drogo he telleth you That they were Gregorie Archbishop of Rauenna Anguilbert of Milan Ioseph Bishop of Iuree Agin of Verona Almaric of Coma Norchauld of Verseils Saufredus of Rhegium Toringar of Concorda Odelbert of Aqui Ambrose of Luques Iohn of Pisa Peter of Volaterra Gauspran of Pistoria Cancio of Sienna Lupus of Textina Sisimond of Aprusia Pico of Scolana Fratellus of Camerin Gisus of Ferma Racipert of Nocera Amadis of Pinna Donate of Frisoli and others and with them the Counts Boso Adelgisus Iohn Guido Vernard Wifrid Maurinus and others that is the better part of the Bishops of all Italie Insomuch that Anguilbert Archbishop of Milan separated himselfe wholly from the Roman Church which one of his predecessors had newly acknowledged some sixty yeres before And this separation dured as the sequell of this historie will declare two hundred yeres Sigonius obserueth this separation but concealeth the cause which was the pride of that See Simonie other disorders there vsed in the time of Sergius Besides that Theodorus Abbot of Fulden reporteth of this Anguilbert That he was much affectioned to the memorie of good S. Ambrose whose liturgie continued in the Church of Milan at that day and long after To go on with the time Baronius vpon the yere 839 produceth out of the Vatican a certaine Epistle of Gregorie the fourth An. 839. written to the Bishops of France Germanie of Europe and of all Prouinces he might haue made shorter work and haue written to all the world wherein vpon the complaint of Aldric Bishop of Mans made of the wrongs done vnto him by the other Bishops he giueth them to vnderstand That according to the ancient Canons an Appeale from them lay to Rome or to his Legat à Latere exhorting them in all hast to take horse and come away to him This pretence of the Popes was no newes to them and wee haue said alreadie That Charlemaigne was content to sooth the Popes in their humor But Baronius telleth vs not what became of this letter or whether the Bishops of France gaue way to this Appeale or no and it is verie likely that no for had there beene any thing for his purpose or not something against it we should haue beene sure to haue heard of it Baronius told vs before That Charlemaigne disposed not of the Empire as properly depending of the Popes election and we there shewed the contrarie Loe now Lewis surnamed the Courteous Charlemaines sonne he from whom they claime that goodlie donation who disposeth absolutely of the Empire and of Rome it selfe Thegan de gest Ludouici as we haue alreadie declared And farther Theganus saith That he named his sonne Lotharins after his decease to receiue all the kingdomes which God had giuen him by the hands of his father Nomen Imperium Nitard li. 1. and to haue both the name and Empire of their father which the other sonnes much stormed at And Nitard saith That he diuided his whole Empire among his sonnes in such sort that Pepin should haue Gascoine Lewis Bauiere but Lotharius after his decease should haue the whole Empire and suffered him in his life time to beare with him the name of Emperour And when the brothers after many hot bickerings Helmold l. 1. c. 4 came at last to an agreement In the end saith Helmoldus by the mediation of Pope Sergius this discord was appeased and the realme diuided into foure parts in such sort that Lotharius had Rome with Italie Lorraine and Burgundie for his part Lewis the riuer of Rhine and all Germanie Charles France and Pepin all Guiene both which were writers of that time or not long after 30. PROGRESSION That Leo the fourth was consecrated without the Emperours leaue and how the matter was excused An. 847. WHen Lewis was returned into France Pope Sergius the second dyed in the yeare 847 and the same day was elected Leo the fourth and presently consecrated contrarie to the law and without expecting the pleasure of the Prince The people excused their doing by reason of the Sarasens who at that time pressed sore vpon them and Leo his sufferance as being forced thereunto by the people Anastas in Leo. 4. who yet as Anastasius reporteth liued in feare of Lewis his second returne to Rome vpon the like occasion as feeling their wounds yet bleeding of his first being there And farther he obserueth That they carried him to the Patriarches Palace of Lateran and there after the ancient custome kissed his feet And yet all the antiquitie of this custome was but since the time of Valentine who as himselfe reporteth was the first author of it and liued some thirtie yeares past And for the rest this was that Leo which walled and fortified the Vatican against the Sarasens OPPOSITION An. 854. Leo about the yeare 854 cried for helpe to Lotharius against the Sarasens who presently sent his sonne Lewis with an armie into Italie but withall because he was informed That the discipline as well of the Church as Estate of Italie established heretofore by his father and grandfather was much fallen to decay he commanded him as soone as the warres would giue him leaue to call together the Bishops and the chiefe men of Italie to aduise of some course for the restoring thereof Lewis hauing assembled them at Pauia and calling vnto him Anguilbert Archbishop of Milan he who as we haue alreadie said separated himselfe from the Roman Church judge Reader by that which followeth how farre the regall authoritie then reached and Andrew Patriarch of Aquileia signified vnto them That his pleasure was to take a particular account of the liues and dueties of the Bishops and the rest of the Clergie of their sermons of the repâ—â—ation of Churches and Hospitals of the regularitie of Monkes of the jurisdiction of the Counties De Iurisdictione Comitum and to reforme in euerie person and degree what he could find amisse commaunding those two to make relation of what he had said vnto the other Bishops who were so farre from declining his jurisdiction that they yeelded him a particular account vpon euerie of the said articles humbly requesting him to grant such as
haue in the Decrete sayth That he tooke knowledge of this cause of Lotharius which gaue occasion to all these stirres as an arbitrator by consent of parties and consequently not as a judge founded in right of law or nature And Lotharius himselfe in his letters to Pope Adrian who succeeded Nicholas saith That he committed this cause to him Ad tempus in parte and therefore not to vse his absolute authoritie herein but onely such as was committed by way of delegacie vnto him As for the attempts which Pope Nicholas made vpon our Bishops in restoring so farre as he could Rothard Bishop of Soissons deposed before by his Metropolitanes in the presence and with the assent of his fellow Bishops Hincmar Archbishop of Rheimes telleth him his owne Ep. Hincmari Archiepiscopi Rhemen ad Nicolaum apud Flodoardum Whereas sayth he your Benignitie hath willed me to assemble the whole companie of our brethren and there according to the tenor of your letters to reintegrate Rothard Bishop of Soissons in his former place your Paternitie must know that I could not so doe for manie sundrie reasons namely because he cannot be replaced but by the consent of those by whom he was deposed of which a great part say they will not meddle with his restitution because they find not in him either life or learning or zeale fit for that ministration and that whereas it was expected that at least he should haue beene somewhat ashamed of his deposing he was on the contrarie growne more refractarie against the holie constitutions the regall dignitie and the priuiledges of the Metropolitans and liuing now more scandalously than before meaning since he had felt the support and tasted the ayre of Rome And whereas Nicholas alledged to him the Canon of Sardica he remonstrated vnto him That by vertue of that verie Canon the Bishop of the first See ought not to restore a Bishop of another Prouince deposed if he came vnto him to haue his cause reuiewed but that he should send him backe againe to his owne Prouince to haue his cause reuiewed there if the cause so required for that as in the Councell of Carthage was contained the matter can no where be so well examined as in the place where the crimes objected were said to haue beene committed That if anie other course than this should be held in the restoring of Rothard the censures of Bishops would be vilified and contemned both by the Clergie and by the people who alreadie begin to speake hardly of the Popes authoritie and in a word that he could not doe this thing without wrong not onely to the priuiledge of Metropolitanes but also of all Ecclesiasticall constitutions Neither was there anie stronger beleefe in Germanie of the Popes not erring than you haue heard in France as appeared when he went about to establish his Decree of Single life For hauing directed it to Vldaric Bishop of Ausbourg with charge to put it in execution not to rehearse what he said of the question it selfe which we haue elsewhere set downe more at large he telleth him in plaine tearmes That he was deuoid of reason vniust and insupportable That hardly could the members of the bodie continue sound seeing the Head was so ill affected so farre estranged from true discretion contrarie to the Euangelicall Institution contrarie to the foretelling of the holie Spirit to the examples of manie holie men and the common aduise of the wiser sort exhorting him to remoue this Pharisaicall scandalous and pestilent doctrine from the flocke of Christ and the verie stile it selfe of this Epistle is a sufficient warrant against all forgerie to those who know what belongeth to it This Pope Nicholas went yet farther for Michael Bardas vncle to the Emperour Michael succeeding in the Empire had diuorced his wife and was married to his daughter in law Ignatius Patriarch of Constantinople cut him off for this sinne from the vnion of the Church Bardas offended herewith assembled a Synod deposed Ignatius and put one Photius in his place whereupon arose a mutinie in Constantinople some holding for Photius others for Ignatius The Emperour to stint this strife requested the Pope to send his Legats thither who presently dispatched away Rodoald Bishop of Port and Zacharie of Anagnia giuing them instructions withall to set vp Images againe and aboue all to get in if they could his old patrimonie of Sicile and Calabria These Legats contrarie to his imagination woon as it should seeme by the Emperour ratified the deposition of Ignatius and installation of Photius Nicholas frustrate of his desire which was vpon this occasion to oblige Ignatius to himselfe disauowed his Legats and for exceeding the bounds of their commission degraded them Now in the declaration of this matter we are especially to obserue the answere which he made vnto the Emperour who in his letters to him had sufficiently made knowne vnto him That he desired not his helpe as to judge of a cause alreadie sentenced but onely for the more easie execution of the sentence giuen and for the more speedie pacifying of the troubles ensuing thereupon and it is great pitie that we haue not his letter at large but must be content with so much of it as the Pope is pleased to alledge vnto vs. But we may by Nicholas his answeres easily perceiue that Bardas spake mainely against his Primacie because he is so earnest in the defence thereof For saith he if they which sit in Moses chaire ought to be heard Nicol. ep ad Michael Imperator to 2. Concilior how much more they who sit in the chaire of S. Peter and will not see that a man may denie him the ground on which his argument is founded And againe he telleth him That neuer anie Bishop of Constantinople was deposed without the consent of the Pope How hard a matter had it beene for him to haue proued this assertion For what consent was euer required of them other than as they were deposed in Councels where peraduenture the Popes Legats had their place as other Bishops had Or should he not rather haue shewed that at least some one Archbishop of Constantinople had beene ordained by them Thirdly he alledgeth the Councell of Chalcedon where it is said saith he in this manner If a Clergie man hath a controuersie either against his owne Bishop or against anie other let the cause be heard in a Prouinciall Synod if a Bishop or a Clerke complaine against a Metropolitan of the same Prouince let him repaire to the Primat of the Dioces or to the See of Constantinople Who would haue thought that the Pope had had such Logicke in store to proue by these words that men ought to appeale from Constantinople to Rome Yet he concludeth What could the Synod saith he meane by the Primat of the Dioces but the Vicar of the chiefe Apostle Now the Canon which he meaneth is the ninth Canon of this Councell where it is said
Diocesis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exarchum adeat Let him goe to the Exarch of the Dioces not the Primate where Balsamon teacheth vs That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a Dioces contained more Prouinces than one and consequently the Exarch had more than one Metropolitan vnder him but that this power of the Exarchs is now no longer vsed in the Church and therefore from the Metropolitan the plaintife was to goe directly to the See of Constantinople But Nicholas addeth farther Whereas saith he it is said the Primat of the Dioces in the singular number we must vnderstand it as if it had beene said the Primat of the Dioces in the plurall as it is said in the Scriptures A fountaine sprung out of the earth that is manie fountaines c. What presumption is this to thinke that the world will hold it selfe well apaied with such copper coyne But with like impudencie doth he alledge the sixt Canon of the Nicene Councell and the decrees of his owne predecessors for the Primacie of his See witnesses as a man would say taken out of his owne bosome and brought to testifie in his owne cause such as were Boniface Gelasius and the rest The onely thing which he alledgeth as pertinent and proper to debarre the Emperour from intermedling in Church matters is this which followeth Before the comming of Christ saith he there were such as was Melchisedech both Kings and Priests together which the diuels also counterfeited in as much as the Heathen Emperors were also high Priests but since we are come to him which is the true King and Priest all in one the Emperour hath not medled with the office of the Priest nor the Priest with the title of the Emperour who had he foreseene the vsurpations of his successors in possessing the seat of the Empire in Italie and making themselues to be called and taken for no lesse than Kings of Kings and Lords of Lords he would no doubt haue forborne this clause for what followeth thereof but that in this point they are like Sathan D. 96. C. Cum ad verum who by a tyrannicall inspiration would take vnto themselues both the one and the other as Gratian himselfe expresseth in his Decrete 32. PROGRESSION How Pope Nicholas flattered and iustified Basilius in the murder of the Emperour Michael by his fauour to encrease his owne authoritie in the East NIcholas hauing sent away this goodlie dispatch to Michael by his Legats Donate Bishop of Ostia Stephen Bishop of Nepete and Marinus a simple Deacon died and his Legats arriued at Constantinople at the instant when Basilius whom Michael had associated in the Empire had traiterously murdered him to take the Empire wholly into his owne hands and much about that verie time it was An. 866. that Nicholas also departed this life about the end of the yeare 866 or as other say in the yeare 867. After Nicholas succeeded Adrian the second elected by the Clergie and people without once calling the Emperours Lieutenants to the election though then present in the Citie And when the Lieutenants complained thereof answere was made That it was done in no contempt of the Emperour but onely to shun an inconuenience hereafter in attending and expecting his embassadors if they should happen to be away Sigonius sayth Sigon de Reg. Jtal. lib. 5. For feare least that by staying for the Kings embassadors for the choise of a Pope there might some new right accrue vnto the King Anastasius saith it was to prouide for time to come Anastas in Nico. 1. least that by this meanes they should grow to a custome of staying for the embassadors which yet the Emperour troubled at that present what with the Sarasens abroad what with secret practises at home was faine to swallow Meane while it came to passe that Basilius offered himselfe to receiue the holie Communion but was put backe by the Patriarch Photius who declared vnto him that hauing killed a man and him an Emperour with his owne hand he had made himselfe vnworthie so much as to come into the Church Basilius to be reuenged of this affront resolued to call a Synod and by his embassadors requested Nicholas to be present at it The embassadors finding Nicholas dead and Adrian in his roome deliuered their message vnto him who knew well how to make his profit both of this murder and of the rage and choler of Basilius as Boniface the third one of his predecessors had done before him in the case of Phocas it being naturall to all things to receiue their encrease in the same manner as they had their beginning and therefore he continued those Legats before named which Nicholas had sent The particular clauses of Adrians letter to Basilius are worth the noting He saith Adrian which holdeth in his hand the power and authoritie of Kingdomes hath from heauen set vp thy Empire at this time in earth by which the Apostolike See might come to the end of that worke which it hath long since begun c. Thou art another Salomon who hast harkened to the words of God thy father and hast not forsaken the law of thy mother and so goeth on justifying his proceedings against the Patriarch Photius who for his murther had barred the Emperour from the communion of the Church all which tended onely to procure a Synod to be called by the meanes of the Emperour wherein his Legats as he said should preside Missi sui which to that day they neuer could get to doe in anie Generall Councell And this is that Councell which they called the eight Generall Councell wherein Photius was deposed and Ignatius restored And with what violence these things were carried it may appeare by the verie preface wherein the Patriarch Photius is tearmed Lucifer and Pope Nicholas another Elias But the carriage of this Councell is worth the obseruation being such as it is described by Anastasius Bibliothecarius Anastas in Adrian 2. one of the embassadors which was this Pope Adrian had giuen instructions to his embassadors taken from Nicholas the first wherein was contained what he would haue beleeued and decreed concerning the primacie of the Bishop of Rome and the adoration of Images with strict charge to admit none to the Councell who had not first set his hand to Articles drawne to these two effects which was so exactly put in execution that whosoeuer would not set to his hand was repelled from the Synod and so was it no hard matter to carrie a cause where there was no aduerse part to contradict him And it is scarce credible what absurdities these good Legats committed or let to passe onely that they might obtaine what they desired making no scruple of anie blasphemie wherefore they got this Decree to passe That none might write or speake against the Pope of Rome Concil vniuers 8. sub â—asil Can. 21. vnder paine of Anathema That if anie Generall Councell should assemble and question should there happen
to arise concerning the Church of Rome the Church her selfe should be reuerently consulted thereupon That they should receiue her answere and doe accordingly without passing anie bold sentence or decree in preiudice of the soueraigne Pontifes of old Rome and this is the 21 Canon And further note that this is the first Generall Councell wherein the Popes Legats presided which they mention almost in euerie line so great need had this wretched Emperour to seeke their fauour And these you see were the meanes they vsed to set forward their authoritie in the East neither were those anie better which they vsed in the West namely in our Fraunce where besides the continuall jarres which they alwaies maintained in the race of Charlemaigne they euer cherished those Bishops who were most engaged in them namely the Archbishop of Bourges vpon the controuersie which he had with Hincmar and which was debated in the Synod at Troies in Champaine alluring him by the profer of a Pall and Actard though not yet prouided of anie Bishopricke to make them sure on his side against Hincmar the defendor of the Liberties of the French Churches whom himselfe in his letters commendeth for his sanctitie of life The renowme of thy sanctitie saith he is neuer without commendation and againe Persuade your selfe sayth he that we beare as great loue vnto you as if we had conferred together a thousand times c. and yet ceased not to persecute him with all extremitie and violence OPPOSITION But to returne to this falsely so called the eight Generall Councell notwithstanding that Basilius were verie desirous to oblige Adrian to him yet would he not forgoe his right in calling the Councell for in the Preface thereunto he vseth these words To. 4. part 11. editio Venet. apud Binnium part 2. to 3. pag. 886 892 900. The diuine bountie saith he hauing committed vnto vs the sterne of the vniuersall ship meaning thereby the Church we haue speciall care aboue all other things to breake the tempests of the Clergie Neither was this anie controuersed point betweene them for the Bishops themselues there assembled in the sixt Action say That the Emperour crowned of God hath called this holie Generall Councell And in the seuenth He hath vsed all diligence say they to summon thither the Legats of the other Patriarchaâ—s and hath so farre preuailed as to make it a Generall Councell And Pope Stephen himselfe in his letter to Basilius Wherein sayth he hath the Church of Rome offended Hath not she according to the auncient custome of the Synods of Constantinople Te imperante at thy commaund sent thither her Legats And thus much for the calling of it As for the manner of proceeding Anastasius telleth vs That the Bishops hauing committed that grosse fault in setting their hands vnaduisedly to the Articles came weeping to the Emperour and told him That by their subscription they had put the Church of Constantinople in subjection vnder the Church of Rome That all the Decrees of this Councell ought to be reuised that they would take out their bookes againe that otherwise it was impossible to recouer their lost libertie So that they got some part of their bookes againe notwithstanding the anger of Basilius who stood wholly for the Church of Rome But the mischiefe was that the Popes Legats forecasting this inconuenience had gotten into their hands the papers of the most principall among the Bishops wherein they vsed the helping hand of one Sypon the archminister and of Anastasius himselfe And hence it is that the Grecians no waies hold this Councell as Generall saying That all things therein were carried by oppression and violence Jouerius in vâ—litati de octa Synodo and therefore they call the Councell of Florence held fiue hundred yeares after the eight vniuersall Councell and that other a Prouinciall onely and called not vpon anie question of faith but onely to bring in the authoritie of the Pope for the deposing of Photius in fauour of the Emperour And our Aimonius speaking of this Councell according to the judgement no doubt which men had of it in Fraunce in those daies speaketh in this wise Hauing sayth he assembled a Councell which they that were at it called the eight vniuersall Councell they tooke away the schisme concerning the deposition of Ignatius and the election of Photius restoring Ignatius and pronouncing Anathema against his competitor In this Synod they decreed concerning the adoration of Images otherwise than the Orthodox Fathers had aunciently defined Aimoni. Monachus l. 4. c. 28. besides some thing which they there decreed in fauour of the Pope in regard that he had concurred with them in the adoration of Images some things also did they ordaine contrarie to the auncient Canons and some things contrarie to their owne Synod as he shall easily perceiue that will but take the paines to read this Councell yet was he a Monke that spake these words Baron vol. 10. an 869. art 59 62 63. And shall Baronius be admitted to say that this was one of those old doting Frenchmen which could not away with Images yet can none of all these things be found now in the Tomes of the Councels And Bartholmew Caranza a Iacobin sayth That he found the Latine copies of this Councell so false that he knew not which to chuse and that he could not find anie Greeke copie to correct them by so that the case thus standing they may put anie thing vpon vs. Baronius to proue vnto vs that this is one of the Generall Councels telleth vs That the Popes were wont at their election to take an oath for the obseruance of the Generall Councels amongst which this is reckoned the eight in order But who seeth not that they did so for their owne proper interest and yet can he not pardon the Cardinall Iulian who presided in the Councell of Florence as Legat to the Pope for that vpon the reasons vsed by Marc Bishop of Ephesus he consented to haue this Councell discarded I will free you saith he speaking to the Greeke Bishops of this feare there shall no one word of this Councell be recited c. And againe We care not for this Councell whereas saith Baronius to goe from this Councell were to cast away both sword and buckler of the Church of Rome In which Councell yet there were but 101 Bishops and all corrupted by Adrian and Basilius Now in stead of repressing the impietie of this Emperour they made good vse of it for to make it yet more euidently to appeare that they aimed at no other marke but onely at the greatnesse of the Clergie in the 14 Canon it is thus ordained That Bishops should not goe forth to meet Princes and that when they happened to meet with them they should not alight from their Mules or Horses That Princes and Emperors should hold them as fellowes and equall to themselues If anie Bishop shall liue base and meanely or rustically after
the old fashion that he shall be deposed for a whole yeare if the Prince be cause of his so liuing that he be excommunicated for two yeares And the 17 Canon forbiddeth Princes and Emperours to be present at Synods vnlesse it be at generall Councels And the 22 disableth them and all Laies whomsoeuer to be present at the election or promotion of anie Patriarch Metropolitan or Bishop vnder paine of excommunication whereby no doubt the Popes Legats thought they had shut the Emperours of the West cleane out of their Conclaues vsing one Emperour as a rod alwaies to scourge the other As for the point of Appeales to Rome they could not effect it for the 26 Canon is plaine That who so findeth himselfe aggrieued with his Bishop shall appeale to his Metropolitan and from the Metropolitan to the Patriarch à quo litibus finis imponatur who shall make a full end of the controuersie and therefore meant not to run to Rome as Nicholas would haue had them And it was euen at the instant when the Articles were offered them to subscribe that they made their protestation against them In this Synod there appeared yet another notable ambition of the Popes for the Bulgarians being formerly Painims receiued Christianitie in the time of Nicholas who sent them Bishops for their instruction Michael their Prince sent his embassadors to the Synod who comming before them That we may not say they seeme to erre in our owne opinions we desire to be informed by you which supplie the places of the Great Patriarches to what Church we are to belong The Popes Legats replied presently That they ought to belong to the Roman Church The Bulgarians requested That the matter might be resolued and agreed vpon with the Legats of other Patriarches there present The Romanists replied That there was no more to be done with them and therefore without euer putting it to the Synod pronounced absolutely That they must belong to Rome The Easterne Bishops put this question to the Bulgarians When you first tooke the countrey said they from whom tooke ye it and the Priests which you found there were they Greekes or Latines They answered That they tooke the countrey from the Grecians and that they found there none but Greeke Bishops Whereuppn the Easterne Bishops inferred That they were doubtlesse ordained at Constantinople and so consequently should belong to that Church Thereupon the Legats replied That Churches were not bounded by the diuersitie of tongues That kingdomes and Sees differed in their jurisdictions That they had the presumption on their side who had giuen them their first Bishops That all Epirus Thassalie and Dardania had bin euer belonging to their jurisdiction The Easterne Bishops on the contrarie demaunded vpon which of these they would principally stand In the end the violence and pride of the Roman Legats ouerswayed who told the Synod That the Church of Rome held not that Councel for a competent Iudge of her controuersies who was her selfe by speciall prerogatiue to iudge of all other Churches That decree they what them lusted it should be as little regarded as it was lightly enacted That from this present time they by the authoritie of the holie Ghost pronounced a nullitie in whatsoeuer they should decree vntill the See of Rome had determined thereof And so the holie Ghost who was to Preside in the Councell Resided onely in their persons And they farther adiured the Patriarch Ignatius by the authoritie of the Apostles and of Adrian who had restored him to his See not to suffer Bulgaria to be taken from them Who made them a doubtfull answer telling them That he was neither so young as to be lightly deceiued neither yet so verie a dotard as to do that himselfe which he found fault withall in others And there rested this contestation betweene them being questionlesse a great scandall to the consciences of these poore conuerts who saw at first that these men sought not the enlargement of Christs kingdome but of their owne jurisdiction and iniurious to the Emperour who offended with these proceedings though dissembling it tooke no order for their passe and safe-conduct into their countrey So that hauing been certaine dayes at sea they fell into the hands of the Sclauons who stript them of all that euer they had took away the original of the Councell with the subscriptions of the Bishops and left them nothing but the copie of Athanasius and had peraduenture lost their liues but that some of their companie escaping the Sclauons feared the matter might come to light and they one day receiue the like measure The issue of all was That doe Adrian what he could the Bulgarians put out the Latine Priests and sent for others in their roomes to Constantinople and so remained they in obedience to that Church Whereupon they grew so odious to the Popes that they called that sinne condemned from heauen after their name Bulgarie thereby to make them odious and abhominable to all men And this was the end of Adrians enterprises in the East 33. PROGRESSION Of the attempts of Pope Adrian both vpon the Clergie and also vpon the kings of France LEt vs now see whether he sped any better in the West Hincmar Bishop of Laon nephew vnto Hincmar Archbishop of Reimes the most learned Bishop of France had surrendred certaine Church goods into the hands of Charles the Bauld to bestow them vpon a certaine Norman captaine Aimon li. 5. c. 24 from whom he would needs shortly after take them away againe and because the Norman would not resigne them but into the hands of the king from whom he had them therefore Hincmar excommunicated him for which in a Synod held at Vernons he was reproued and sharpely censured he thereupon appealed to Rome but they refused to grant him any letters dimissorie yet he continued still in his stubbornnesse vntill at length there was assembled another Councel at Attigni consisting often Prouinces where he was againe condemned and thereupon promised to submit himselfe to the good pleasure of the king and of Hincmar his Metropolitan and vncle and yet vnder hand signified the matter vnto the Pope procuring him to euocate the whole cause to Rome and himselfe to be serued with Processe to appeare there at a day making the best of his owne cause to Adrian Whereupon Adrian wrot vnto king Charles who yet would not license the other to goe to Rome and then did Adrian write him that bloudie letter calling him Tyran periured perfidious and a spoyler of the Church goods and what not And for conclusion as well to him as to Hincmar the Metropolitan We saith he by authoritie Apostolike will and commaund That thou cause Hincmar of Laon and his accusers to come before our Clemencie to the end that we may pronounce our sentence of his cause And wee shall see anone how well he was obeyed But not long after he made a farre more violent attempt vpon him The Emperour Lewis hauing as
general Councel held vnder Basilius caused this his Synod to beare the name of the eighth Oicumenicall Synod And indeed this is that Councell which Zonaras a Greeke Monke putteth in this place and alledgeth by this name with all the Actions and Sessions thereof in his Collection of the Synods In this Synod were present three Legats from Pope Iohn namely Paul and Eugenius Bishops and Peter a Cardinall Priest who were so trimmed by Photius as appeareth in the Acts as neuer were Popes Legats in all their liues First it is noted That there were in this Councell three hundred and eightie Bishops whereas there were onely one hundred and two in the other Secondly Nicholas the first and Adrian the second were there condemned as Masters of misrule and causers of all euils and Pope Iohn for amends highly commended Thirdly for the Churches of Bulgaria the Legats were put ouer to the Emperour as being a question of confines and borders of the Empire Fourthly it was enacted and that by their consents That whomsoeuer the Pope did excommunicat the Patriarch might not receiue nor the Pope those which were excommunicated by the Patriarch Whereby all Appeales from thence to Rome were abolished for the purchasing whereof Pope Adrian was content to make himselfe a consort with a murderous Parricide And last of all whereas the Pope had straitly charged his Legats to Preside Photius in their presence euer tooke his place first And this is the reason why Baronius so bestirreth his stumps Idem an 879. art 72. Iohan. ad Photium Epist 250. Baron an 881. art 5. sequent crying out This Councell was forged by Photius that indeed there was neuer any such Whereas yet besides the Canons thereof which we find in Zonaras and Balsamon he himselfe produceth the verie same Acts in Greeke taken out of their Vatican telling vs farther That this Councell being brought afterward to Iohn he condemned it and disauowed his Legats Well then it appeareth that they suffered things to passe which the Pope disliked what other things but those which are contained in those Acts Whereupon ensued fresh excommunications against Photius and the rent made worse betweene the East Churches and the West Besides this Historians here obserue That vnder this Iohn the citie of Rome was diuided into two factions one depended of the Earles of Tusculana who sometimes by force sometimes by briberie brought in their friends or kindred to the Popedome Whiles our French Peeres were at variance betweene themselues and were withall ouerlaid by the Normans who so often set foot in France that at last they tooke vp their habitation there Hence say they ensued corruption of good discipline simonie and decrees of Popes crossing and abrogating each other And indeed after Iohn succeeded Marinus or Martinus This was he which was chiefe author of clapping vp Iohn in prison Malis artibus Pontificatum adeptus Platin. in Martino saith Platina Aspiring to the Popedome by indirect courses who presently restored Formosus to his Bishopricke absoluing him from his oath After Marinus succeeded Agapit aliàs Adrian the third brought in by the same faction And now also died Charles the Grosse Emperor and with him the Empire of the French and the honour of Charlemaigne his race in Italie And the Italians themselues confesse Sigon de regno Ital. l. 5. sub finem sub initium That during the Empire of the French in Italie they flourished in multitudes of people and statelinesse of buildings in ciuile policie and discipline but aboue all that they grew glorious in sanctitie of religion and Imperial dignitie And that when the Scepter was once translated in other hands though of Italians yet their gouernment decayed the Church vanished the times grew so filthie and abhominable as the like had not beene seene in any precedent age Wherfore from hence forward let vs prepare our eyes to behold nothing but corruption of life and manners and to behold this Mysterie of Iniquitie past her height and exaltation and growing to the West of her declining 36. PROGRESSION 1 The Edicts of Adrian the third and what successe they had 2 Of the factions in Italie about the election of the Pope 3 Of the barbarous inhumanitie of Pope Stephen towards the dead corps of Formosus his predecessor An. 885. ADrian the third therefore in the yeare 885 making benefit of the occasion being partly persuaded by the Romane Princes by whose helpe he was promoted to the Popedome and partly moued for his owne commoditie ordained two decrees by which he seemed to set at libertie the Church of Rome and all Italie and so much the rather Platina in Adriano 3. Sigon li. 5. de regno Ital. because the Normans with their ordinarie outrodes and incursions held the French and the Germanes busied to defend their owne countrey the first Edict was this That in creating the Pope the authoritie of the Emperour should not be required for the attaining whereof the Popes had long before bent their wits and spent their best endeuors the other Simonet l. 5. c. 15. Martin Polon in Hadrian 3. That the Emperor Charles the Grosse dying without sonnes the kingdome together with the title of the Empire should be translated to the Princes of Italie which not manie yeares since Albertus Marques of Tuscane chiefe leader of the Tusculans and promoter of Adrian to the Popedome striued to attaine vnto The one and the other were pernitious both to the Church and Commonweale and both though proiected and resolued on before the death of Charls the Grosse yet were they both within and without at home and abroad as we haue seene before opposed Berengarius therefore Duke of Friuli and Guido Duke of Spolete whilest they both striued to attaine to the kingdome of Italie they diuided it into two factions of which two that of Guido was more strong though lesse just saith Sigonius being vpheld by the authoritie of Pope Stephen who succeeded Adrian the third Wherefore after certaine battels fought betweene them in which he had the victorie in the yere 891 he crowned him at Rome but yet vpon condition An. 891. That he should confirme those donations which were pretended to haue beene giuen by Pepin Charles and Lewis the first This Stephen grew so proud and insolent that he made a Decree yet extant in Gratian That whatsoeuer the Church of Rome doth ordaine or decree D. 19. c. Eminuero must be for euer and irreuocably obserued of all For how much the lesse sanctitie learning and vertue there is in them by so much they thinke they must bee the bolder to strengthen their commaunds with authoritie and power In this time Stephen the sixt died whereupon the Roman factions began to reuiue The Tusculans chose one Sergius of their owne house and familie the other Formosus who by Iohn had before beene excommunicated a man commendable for his learning but yet had receiued some impeachment of credit
Theodora surprised with the beautie of this Iohn that is to say the eleuenth who then had some charge in the Church of Rauenna did not onely entice but forst him to lye with her These things whilest they were thus impudently carried the Bishop of Bologne dying this Iohn was chosen in his place at the last Sergius dying to the end she might not be too farre from her paramour for Rauenna is distant from Rome two hundred miles she caused him to leaue the Archbishopricke of Rauenna and to vsurpe Luitprand l. 2. c. 13. proh nefas the Popedome of Rome This Historie in Luitprand is set downe more amply and with words more scandalous which I willingly spare to deliuer Frodoard Hist Rhemens l. 4. c. 19. Baron vol. 10. an 925. art 9 10 11. This is that Iohn who as Frodoardus reporteth to gratifie Rodulph the King created a child of fiue yeares age Bishop of Rheims whereupon Baronius thus crieth out Thou seest gentle Reader by the authoritie of what Pope this was first brought into the Church of God if he may be called a Pope that is by Iohn the tenth whom Platina cals the eleuenth than whom there was no man more wicked whose entrance into the Chaire of Peter was most infamous and his departure most execrable Now Marozia her daughter hauing lost her husband the Marquesse Albert not knowing how to liue a priuat life married her selfe to Guido Duke of Tuscan with purpose to get into his hands the gouernment of Rome which Albertus had and because Pope Iohn withstood it she persuaded her husband to take him out of the way who afterwards hauing caused his brother to be slaine in his sight Luitprand l. 3. c. 12. cast Iohn into prison and smothered him with a pillow Guido shortly after died and Marozia still greedie of gouernment made a motion of marriage with Hugh King of Arles assuring him the gouernment of the Citie of Rome who being called from elsewhere into Italie came and married her and with speedie journies comming to Rome was admitted without anie resistance But he being otherwise a wise Prince it so fell out that when Alberick by the counsell of his mother with lesse dexteritie than was fitting brought water vnto him to wash his hands he gaue the young man a box on the eare to reuenge which contumelie the youth in a furie presently went to the Romans and persuades them to sedition against Hugh whom he assayling in the castle droue him to such a strait that he was enforced to leape ouer the wall Whereupon Alberick both renewes the name of Consull in Rome and made himselfe a Consull changing the whole order of the gouernment and in such sort altereth the State that from thence forward for a long time the election of the Popes depended vpon him and his so to Leo the sixt the successor of Iohn the eleuenth in the yeare 928 An. 928. he substituted Stephen the seuenth but according to Onuphrius the eight and in the yeare 930 Iohn the twelfth An. 930. the bastard sonne of Pope Sergius the third and of Marozia gotten as is said before in adulterie and consequently his brother by the mothers side whom Sigonius not vnfitly saith sedere iussus was commanded to take the See and againe in the yeare 935 he constituted Leo the seuenth An. 935. successor to Iohn the twelfth An. 938. And whereas King Hugh in the yeare 938 had caused Stephen the eight to be nominated in the place of Leo the seuenth the faction of Alberick by a ciuile tumult wounded in such sort his good name that being ashamed to shew himselfe publikely he died with discontent in whose place Martin the second alias Martin the third succeeded whose place foure yeares after Agapete the second held who also about the yeare 956 dying An. 956. the Consull Alberick was of such power and authoritie that he caused Octauian his owne sonne to be chosen Pope though young of yeares and a child in manners This man according to Platina was Iohn the thirteenth according to Onuphrius the twelfth Here Baronius searcheth into the age of Octauian Baron vol. 10. an 955. art 2 3 4. because the Emperour Otho comming into Italie was wont to say He is but a child and therefore may hereafter easily be changed by the example of good men When he had held the Seat eight yeares his natiuitie being cast concluded that notwithstanding he had beene the eldest sonne of Alberick which he was not yet he could not be aboue eighteene yeares of age Iudge now Reader what Father of fathers he was to gouerne saith he the spirituall regiment of all the Christian world and so he pronounceth him an vntimely birth which the tyrannie of Rome had brought forth excelling in power confounding euerie thing with warres daring and subuerting all things in such sort that by no meanes he could be said to be a lawfull Pope in whose election there was no law obserued but all things carried by force and feare he that wanted yeares to be a Deacon seemeth as a vice playing the Popes part vpon a stage After all this saith Baronius by common consent it was agreed that he should be tollerated rather than by Schismes to trouble the Church of God and note withall that not long after he preferreth him before those that were solemnely chosen in a full Councell But it is not amisse to heare what Luitprand an eye-witnesse saith of both the Iohns Luitprand l. 3. c. 12. that it may the better appeare how farre the impudencie of this Seat had proceeded To Iohn therefore the twelfth besides what I haue alreadie alledged of him and of Marozia his mother he hath these verses where she inuiteth Hugh by the marriage of her to the Principalitie of Rome Quid veneris facibus compulsa Marozia saeuis Coniugis ecce tui spectas tu suauia fratris Nubere germanis satagens Herodia binis c. Reproaching his incest and againe Aduenit optatus ceu bos tibi ductus ad aram Rex Hugo c. Moreouer he bringeth in Alberick exhorting the Romans to shake off this infamous yoke with these words Is the dignitie of the Citie of Rome so besotted as to be obedient to the gouernment of a strumpet What thing more base more abhominable than to yeeld to the incest of a woman For Theodora his mother had made Iohn the twelfth her fauorite Pope and as for Iohn the thirteenth he describeth his life not with his owne but the words of the best of the people of Rome Witnesse Raineria a widow of one of his souldiors to whom he gaue the gouernment of manie Cities the keeping of the Crosse of gold and the Cups of S. Peter And witnesse Stephana his loue who died in the deliuerie of that child which she had lately conceiued by him and if all things should hold their peace the Palace of Lateran sometimes the lodging of Saints
they teach that which they neuer learned And so examining all the Canons and Decrees alledged by the defendants he sheweth them That nothing hath bin done in prejudice of them setting before their eyes many examples of the same case of one Aegidius Archbishop of Reimes deposed in the citie of Metz by the Bishops of France and being confined to Strasbourge Romulph was made his successor because contrary to his faith giuen to king Childebert he had joyned in friendship with Chilperie And yet neuerthelesse saith he Gregorie the Great an earnest defender of the priuiledges of the Roman Church neuer spake word for or against these The same he affirmeth of Hebbo Archbishop of Reimes deposed for treason by the BB. of France at Thionuille c. What then saith he if our passage to Rome should by the swords of Barbarians be intercepted or that Rome it selfe seruing a Barbarian his couetousnesse and ambition mouing him thereunto in aliquod regnum efferatur note efferatur should be raised against any Realme shall there be in the meane time either no Councels or shall the Bishops of the whole world to the hurt or ouerthrow of their owne kings seeke for counsell and the calling of generall Councels at the hands of their enemies especially seeing the Nicene Canon which the Church of Rome acknowledgeth to be aboue all Councels and Decrees hath ordained That two Councels must be held euerie yeare and withall forbiddeth any respect to be had to the authoritie of the Bishop of Rome And to proue that the Churches were now in that state that they needed not any more to haue recourse to Rome To speake more plainely saith he and to confesse openly the truth After the fall of the Empire this citie hath vndone the Church of Alexandria and lost that of Antioch and to say nothing of Africa and Asia Europe it selfe is departed discedit For the Church of Constantinople is retired and the inward parts of Spaine know not her iudgements There is made therefore a departure as the Apostle speaketh not onely of nations but of Churches because the ministers of Antichrist who is now at hand haue alreadie possessed France and with all their force begin to presse vs too And as the same Apostle saith now the Mysterie of Iniquitie worketh onely that he that now holdeth may stil hold vntill he be taken away to the end that the sonne of perdition might be reuealed the man of sinne who opposeth himselfe and is exalted aboue the name of God and his seruice which now begins to be discouered in that the Roman powers are shaken religion ouerthrowne the name of God with oathes and blasphemies troden vnder foot and that without punishment and religion it selfe and the seruice of God contemned by the chiefe Priests themselues and that which is more Rome it selfe now almost left alone is departed from her selfe By this his speech giuing them plainly to vnderstand That then there was no respect had nor is now to be had of the Church of Rome but as it shall be seene to flourish with men of worth and learning at whose hands they were to seeke for counsell and if such be wanting then to seeke it elsewhere in Flanders Germanie or the vtmost parts of the world being tied to no particular place in the world A matter formerly concluded by many other Churches and therefore to be the rather executed by them because they felt more neerely the tyrannie of Rome now no more the seat of Peter whose memorie they did honour but of Antichrist himselfe Intreating them for a conclusion That since Rome had beene consulted by them but yet no forme of iudgement from thence had beene pronounced Cap. 29. 30. that they would aske counsell of the Canons By how many Bishops a Bishop conuicted of a crime may be heard and what sentence he is to receiue who refuseth to appeare to defend his owne cause Hereupon were read the tenth and seuenth Canons of the Councell of Carthage to which the defendants of the partie accused yeelding themselues the Bishop is sent for and commaunded by the Synod to take his place he presently either denying all or endeuouring to couer it Arnulph Bishop of Orleans made him presently to blush conuicteth him with his owne words confronted him with his owne domesticall seruants who were readie to go through fire water to make good their testimonie It was requested by some of the Abbots That he might haue libertie giuen him by the Synod to make choyce of whomsoeuer he liked best to be aduised by which was granted Whereupon he maketh choice of Siguin Bishop of Sens Arnulph of Orleans Cap. 30. 31.32.33.34.35.36.37.38.39.40.41.42.43.44.45.46.47.48.49 Bruno of Langres Godzman of Amiens in whose absence many Canons were read that concerned this question In the end being pressed after many tergiuersations partly by the force of such proofes as were brought against him partly by the pricke of his owne conscience Arnulph of Reimes breaketh out into an open confession of his sinnes with teares and gronings confessing much more than they knew and acknowledging himselfe vnworthie of his Priesthood Whereupon the Bishops of the Synod were sent for that being his owne witnesse and his owne judge he might before the multitude relate his owne cause Wherefore by his owne consent nay himselfe desiring it he was depriued of his Bishopricke Cap. 49. 50. onely there was a question of the forme for which they searched the auncient Councels And whilest diuers thought diuersly thereof some pitying him for his race some for his youth and the Bishops themselues moued with the ruine of their brother and that scandall that hereby fell vpon the Priestly dignitie in came the Kings and Peeres of France who putting themselues into that holy assemblie thanked the Bishops for their justice and that zeale and care they had shewed in this their Councell for the good and safetie of their Princes and withall desired to be further satisfied touching the whole course of their proceedings which presently was performed by Arnulph Bishop of Orleans And then the better to discharge the Synod of enuie and partialitie the partie accused was brought in to pronounce his owne condemnation with his owne mouth which he did in expresse words requiring neuerthelesse Arnulph of Orleans because shame stopped his owne mouth to relate the whole matter at large which hauing performed he asked him Whether he would confesse that which he had hitherto spoken of him which he affirming to be true the Bishop of Orleans willed him to cast himselfe downe before his Lords and Kings whom he had so hainously offended and confessing his fault to beg his life at their hands who being bent to mercie Let him liue say they for the loue of you and remaine vnder your custodie fearing neither yrons nor bands vpon condition that he offer not to saue himselfe by flight Whereupon that heigth of honours that by degrees he had attained vnto
to be next vnder God their supreame Lord who likewise reuerenced him as a Father Gregorie the seuenth contrarily who was Hildebrand putting his confidence in the armes of the Normans who then raged and rioted throughout Apulia Calabria Campania which by violence they had possest and trusting likewise vpon the riches of Matilda an insolent woman and the discord of the Germans was the first that against the custome of his Elders contemning the imperiall authoritie possessed the â—â—pedome and durst to say That Christ had put vpon him both persons giuing him power to bind and to loosse to exercise both charges Ecclesiasticall and secular to transferre all power vnto himselfe not to indure any equall much lesse a superior to contemne Emperors and Kings as holding their Dominions at his will and pleasure to bring Prelats and Bishops into order to denounce to chaunge States to sow discords to raise warres to authorise factions to absolue oaths and though he wrong the Emperour himselfe yet in a certaine Epistle of his he glorieth that he must be feared because it is he that cannot erre that hath receiued of Christ our Lord and Sauiour and S. Peter power to bind and to loosse how and whomsoeuer he please Then he likewise addeth began those perillous times which Christ and Peter and Paule had so long before foretould Then were those fables of Siluester and Constantine no lesse sottishly than impudently deuised and diuers others which it becomes not Christian modestie to relate then did counterfeit religion put on the shape of pietie Then began robberies the sale of holie things and diuine Philosophie to be polluted corrupted and violated by Sicophants subtile interpretations lyes old wiues tayles Insomuch that without the vtter ouerthrow of many true religion cannot be restored to her auntient maiestie All this began with Hildebrand who first built vp the pontificall Empire which his successors for 450 yeares retayned in despite of the world and the Emperours in such a maner that they brought the infernall spirits beneath and gods aboue into seruitude making all subiect to their yoake and terrifying the whole world with their thunderbolts Quo bruta tellus vaga flumina Quo Stix inuisi horrida Taenari Sedes Atlanteusque finis Concutitur mutant ima summis As farre as earth as Sea extends As Stix or horrid Taenaris Yea where the hill Atlanteus ends His fearefull power carried is And all this this Author deliuereth notwithstanding he were by profession a Roman being willing perhaps to haue said more if it had beene lawfull for he concludeth with these words The Roman Emperor is now no more than a bare name without a bodie without forme notwithstanding the fruit be knowne by the tree and no man gathereth grapes of thistles and the souldier knoweth his captaines colours but yet we must not iudge before the time but according to the rule of S. Paul we must attend the perpetuall decree of the eternall Iudge As if he would haue alluded to that place of the Apostle speaking of Antichrist And now ye know what withholdeth the Roman Empire that he might be reuealed in his time What manner of man this Hildebrand was we shall see in his due place But yet at the first he bewrayes not his boldnesse but when the Emperor Henrie sent the Earle Heberard to Rome to admonish the Romans of their offence and threatning withall that except they did satisfie him he would pronounce the election void he humbly answered That he was enforced to vndertake the Popedome against his owne will neither would he euer haue suffered himselfe to be consecrated had he not vnderstood by the relation of his Legats that the election was approued by the Emperour By which words he so pacified the Emperor that he easily yeelded his consent to his consecration But presently after he held a Councell at Lateran where he renewed the Canons against those his Heresies of Simonie and Nicholaisme sufficient preteâ—â—es to diminish the authoritie of Henrie and if he should oppose himselfe against them to make him an Heretike The one of them tooke from him all authoritie at Milan if any were left the other should daily diminish that power which he retained in Germanie by the right of Inuestiture The summe of them was this It shall not be lawfull for a Clergie man to marie a wife nor to take their inuestiture at the hands of a lay man vnder paine of excommunication But it is worth the noting that the Countesse Mathilda was present at this Councell a woman no lesse infamous for her vnchast life than her pride Erlembald gouernour of Milan put the first Decree in execution continuing his rage against the Clergie and vpon the day called Coena Domini the Supper of the Lord he forbad Godfrey whom the Emperour had made Bishop to consecrate the oyle An. 1075. and prouided other The yeare following 1075 he did the like he himselfe ministring the oyle in the Paschall ceremonies but all the Priests refused to receiue it at his hands except Luitprand onely Curat of S. Paul Whereupon the people being much offended forsooke the citie protesting that they would obey no Bishop but him whom the Emperour should nominat and not long after entring into the citie againe they killed both Erlembald and his Luitprand Godfrey in the meane time not being accepted by the Pope stood still excommunicated not without the great indignation of Henrie who neuerthelesse to accommodat himselfe a little vnto him named in his place Theobald Castillon who was kindly receiued by those of Milan And from this onely act let euerie man judge how vnwillingly this yoke of single life was receiued in Italie Gregorie vrgeth the same in Germanie writeth to the Princes and their wiues That they should not frequent the Masses of maried Priests That they should execute his Decree and account those for excommunicat persons that obeyed it not declaring vnto them that they were neither Priests nor might sacrifice Whereupon the common people grew insolent against them and trampled the Hoast consecrated by them vnder their feet though it were at that verie time when the opinion of the reall presence began to spread abroad From this occasion saith Auentinus many false Prophets did arise who with fables myracles examples they cal them turned the people of Christ from the truth interpreting the Scriptures so as that they might serue their owne turnes whilest in the meane time vnder the honest name of chastitie whoredome incest adulterie were euery where freely committed But yet in the meane time notwithstanding the attempts that were made at some Councels in Germanie and the threats that were thundered out by the Legats à Latere of Pope Gregorie they could not persuade the Bishops to yeeld their consent to this Decree or to depose those Priests that were maried defending themselues by the authority of the Scriptures the auncient Councels and the Primitiue Church adding thereunto the commaundement of God and
worshippers of false gods were woont to doe he vsurpeth both the Empire and the Popedome c. He resisteth the diuine maiestie and the most Christian King ordained from aboue and inaugurated by God himselfe he impugneth And cunningly and craftily and closely he goeth about in a sheepes skin and vnder the title of Christ to get into his hands the Empire of the whole world For these causes the Emperour the Bishops the Senat the people pronounce him deposed being vnwilling to commit the flocke of Christ to the gard and custodie of such a wolfe And so both those pretended heresies of Simonie and Nicholaisme with one consent they ouerthrew and this verie Decree not onely the Bishops of Germanie and France but of Italie it selfe in a Synod holden at Pauia did vnder their Seales and by oath confirme They writ likewise by the authoritie of the Synod of Wormes to Hildebrand that he should giue ouer the Popedome and betake himselfe to a priuat life and also to the Clergie and people of Rome that according to the Law of their auncestors they should chuse another but yet so as that they should lay no violent hands vpon the person of Hildebrand but leaue him to the iustice of God Amongst all these Bishops there was not any that contradicted the decree but Albert of Wirthsbourg and Herman of Metz who likewise were soone persuaded by the admonitions and reasons of William of Vtrecht to be of the same opinion and to subscribe with the rest Gregorie so soone as hee vnderstood hereof is nothing at all discouraged but borrowing a great summe of money of Mathilda distributeth it amongst the people with the poore mens money payed his souldiers wages flattereth the people of Rome setting before their eyes their auncient renowme and giues them hope of libertie and so calls a Councell at Rome where in a full assemblie in the name of the Synod of Wormes one Rowland a Prelat of Parma vpon the suddaine stands vp and without any duetie done vnto him speakes vnto him in these words Our most Christian Emperour and the reuerend Bishops of Italie Germanie and Fraunce commaund thee to resigne that charge which thou hast vsurped by subtilty money and fauour For it is not lawfull for thee against their willes and the authoritie of the Emperour and decree of the Church of Christ to meddle with the Sheepefold of Christ And presently turning himselfe towards the assemblie Most holie brethren saith he chuse according to your owne Law a Pastor which choice of yours the sacred Consull Tribune and your Prince according to the maner of your auncestors will authorise For this Hildebrand is neither Pastor nor Father nor Pope but a theefe a wolfe a robber and a tyran Whereupon they rushed vpon him and he wanted not much of being ouerborne by the people In the Letters which he deliuered there were these words Because thine entrie began with so many periuries and the Church of God by the abuse of thy nouelties hath beene endaungered in this so great a tempest and hast dishonoured thy whole life by thy infamous conuersation as we haue promised vnto thee no obedience so will we neuer performe any to thee Gregorie therefore returning the fault vpon themselues the day following depriued Henrie as much as in him lay of the kingdome of Germanie and Italie discharged the Princes of their oath of allegiance excommunicateth Sigefrid Archbishop of Mence and the Bishops of Vtrecht and Bamberge threatning to proceed in like maner against the rest if they came not to Rome to purge themselues In which decree let the Reader note the cunning he speakes to Peter as to his reuenger Heare me saith he O Peter Prince of the Apostles thou and thy brother S. Paule can best witnesse for me besides others that I was drawne against my will to the gouernement of thy holie Church and therefore I persuade my selfe that it pleaseth thee that I should rule the people of Christ committed by God especially to thy charge c. Being therefore confident herein for the honour of thy Church in the name of the omnipotent God the Father sonne and holie Ghost and by right of thy authoritie I interdict Henrie the King the sonne of Henrie the Emperour who by a straunge pride the like whereof was neuer heard of hath risen against the Church all the Kingdome of Germanie and Italie c. To the end all people may see and vnderstand that thou art Peter super tuam Petram and vpon thy rocke the sonne of God hath built his Church c. These selfesame words hath Sigonius and not vpon this rocke And some denying that the King could be subiect to the Popes curse or excommunications Thinke you saith he that God when thrise together he committed the charge of his Church to S. Peter saying feed my sheepe that he excepted Kings And so what he would he obtayned Thus Hildebrand being by the Bishops of Italie Germanie and Fraunce deposed in a Councell at Wormes and Henrie excommunicated and depriued his kingdome by Hildebrand and the Clergie at Rome they both endeuour to strengthen their owne part But forasmuch as such Kingdomes as are long time gouerned vnder a minoritie are seldome or neuer without factions there arose presently against Henrie many Princes of Germanie to whom Hildebrand alledged that Pope Zacharie had deposed Childerick king of Fraunce onely for his negligence and placed Pepin in his Throne Why then should it not be lawfull for him to do the like against whomsoeuer should rebel against S. Peter And they on the other side vnder his patronage are content to comfort and to flatter their consciences with these toyes Of this number was Hugh Duke of Alsatia who was growne far in debt Rodulphus Duke of Sueuia the Emperors brother in law fed with the hope of the Empire Bertholdus Duke of Zaringia his sonne in law Welfo Duke of Bauaria the Bishops of Mence Mets and Wormes and certaine Abbots eyther stroken with a feare of the excommunication or for some speciall causes bound to these Princes who with one consent reuolt from the Emperour ioyne their counsels and forces to the Saxon rebels and fill all Germanie with robberie sword and fire Insomuch that the Historiographers of those times want words to expresse the horror and abomination of that disordered confusion which by all good men was imputed to Gregorie who crie out against this vnworthie and wicked act in their sermons curse Gregorie wish all ill to Hildebrand publish him to be Antechrist vnder a shew of pietie say they he exerciseth his furies with honest words he makes shew of seeking the publike good vnder the title of Christ he playes the part of Antechrist in Babylon he sits in the Temple of God and extolleth himselfe aboue all that is worshipped as if he were God he glorieth that he cannot erre and for the greater increase of his glorie he takes vpon him to make an Emperor at his pleasure
writ vnto Richard Archbishop of Sens to consecrat him but Richard as we learne by the letter of Vrban himselfe refused to doe it vpon which his refusall Vrban himselfe was inforced to consecrat him commanding Richard to yeeld his helping hand to Yuo in the gouernement of the Church reseruing still his obedience to his Church Yuo Carmitens Epist 12.8 but Richard neuerthelesse would not obey him but writ saith Yuo sharpe letters and such as were derogatorie to the Maiestie of the Apostolike See Wherupon Yuo warneth him that the Scriptures pronounce him an heretike because he agreeth not with the Church of Rome I appeale vnto his owne conscience out of what peece of Scripture he proueth that But he likewise acknowledgeth ingeniously that by the hand of Vrban he had bin raised from the dunghill and therefore he held himselfe obliged in duetie to aduaunce his honour and commoditie and to that end tendes that salutation of his in a certaine congratulatorie Epistle Cum Petro pugnare cum Petro regnare To fight with Peter and to raigne with Peter that is as the Popes courtiers say to follow the Popes fortunes through what dangers so euer But here the Archbishop stayed not for he assembled at Estampes the Bishops his Suffragans namely of Paris Meaux and Troy to deliberat hereupon wherein he sheweth that this ordination was against the Maiestie royall which Yuo had greatly offended in receiuing it all of them concluding to restore Iefferay into his place and to depose Yuo whereupon he appealed to Rome to which appellation they refused to obey for which cause he complaineth to Vrban imployeth his helpe That he would be pleased to write to the Archbishop and his Suffragans in his behalfe that it was necessarie to send a Legat into France to prouide for these and the like matters But in the mean time whilest they vnited themselues together for the libertie of the French Church King Philip the first sent to the Pope for a dispensation to marie his concubine Bertrade and so withdrew his hand and commanded Yuo to be established in his Bishopricke Thus it oftentimes falleth out that the priuat vices of Princes doe greatly prejudice their publike dignities In these Epistles in the meane time it is worth the noting That Yuo doth not alwayes agree in doctrine with Vrban For whereas diuers Bishops had condemned the inuestitures of lay persons for heresie because by this means the great Prelats got vnto themselues the right and prerogatiue of lay founders and patrons An. 1099. Yuo neuerthelesse hauing gotten the Bishopricke and being out of their reach maintained against Hugh the Popes Legat the Primat of Lyons and others Yuo Carnutens Epist 235.238.239 That it was no heresie since there was nothing here that concerned faith which had nothing common with Orders This was Yuo who otherwise held with Vrban and did omit no occasion whereby he might serue him and did carefully aduertise him to assist Manasses with his authoritie for his confirmation in the Bishopricke of Rheimes Idem Epist 48. Because saith he it is necessarie that the Church of Rome should haue one in that See that should be a true and trustie seruant vnto him He armeth him likewise in such a sort with his counsels against those obstacles that may any way hinder the course of his Legats or Decrees in France that he feared not to say of himselfe I thinke of my selfe that there is no man on this side the mountaines that hath suffered greater wrongs endured more contumelies for the maintenance of your commaunds and that fidelitie that is due vnto you Yea Richard the Archbishop of Sens being dead and Daribert canonically nominated to his place Yuo being prohibited by Hugh Primat of Lyons and Legat to Vrban to consecrate him Bishop because he had not performed vnto him his due obedience Yuo deales sharpely with the Legat by letters giuing him to vnderstand That he would not obey him to the preiudice of the auncient Canons and the venerable authoritie of his forefathers he therefore bitterly reproueth him But Baronius who had hitherto approued him begins now to chide him because he had not spoken of inuestitures as was fitting Baron an 1099 art 8. That which remaineth saith he in this Epistle of Yuo is more harsh as speaking too abiectly of the auncient inuestitures yea of many things he speakes with contempt which if they were not corrected in other Epistles of the same Author would call into question that his glorious reputation which he hath gotten by defending the Apostolike See and the Catholike veritie So much doth reason and affection disagree euen in great personages An. 1093. In England Anselme by nation an Italian being chosen Archbishop of Canterburie by the consent of King William the second craues leaue of him to goe to Rome to receiue his Pall of Pope Vrban wherewith the King being greatly offended answered That no Archbishop or Bishop in his realme was subiect to the Court of Rome or to the Pope and that he had that libertie in his realme that the Emperour had in his Empire Anselme therefore was accused of high treason all the Bishops consenting thereunto except Gondoulfe Bishop of Rochester Vrban hereupon sent Gualter Bishop of Alba into England to bring him the Pall and to reconcile him to King William But Anselme being still desirous to goe to Rome King William answered him in plaine tearmes That if he would promise and bind himselfe by an oath vpon the booke neither to goe nor to appeale to Rome for any affaires whatsoeuer he should then well and peaceably enjoy his Bishopricke if not that it should be free for him to passe the seas but neuer to returne And this he spake in Common Councell He neuerthelesse went to Rome where by his counsell the Decree was renewed vnder paine of excommunication against the inuestiture of Layman Mathias Paris in Guilielmo 2. and so he continued at Lyons so long as William liued Let vs adde hereunto in these times the report of the Monke of Malmesburie touching the Romans The Romans sometimes Lords of the world Malmes l. 5. a people that goe in long gownes are now of all others the most ignorant An. 1097. selling iustice for gold and the Canons rule for siluer We must not forget that it was at this verie time that Pope Vrban granted to Roger Earle of Calabria and Sicilia those letters patents so much disputed by Baronius against the King of Spaine Baron an 1097 art 20. 21. sequent who now possesseth the kingdome both of the one and the other Sicile where in consideration of his good and loyall seruices done vnto the Church of Rome and against the Sarasens he made him the sonne of the vniuersall Church and by a speciall priuiledge he granteth vnto him and to his sonne Simon or any other his lawfull heire that they should neuer haue during their liues within their dominions
giue Lawes to the Church of Rome To what end then are Councels held But contrarily saith he all Councels by the authoritie of the Church of Rome are called and haue their force and in all their Statutes the authoritie thereof is manifestly excepted But where can they shew one sillable OPPOSITION Platina in Paschaū 2. Prodigious spectacles in the ayre the earth and the sea still continued obserued by all the writers of these times Neither was Paschal moued with these saith Platina because he beleeued them to be wrought by nature nay hee could not indure that others should obserue them but there was no prodigious wonder that so much troubled the world as himselfe which no man could deny that saw him entring into his Popedome with this belt whereon hung the seuen keyes and the seuen seales play so formally the part of Antichrist whether it were to attribute vnto himselfe all that was proper vnto Christ alone or to represent in his person that Abbadon described vnto vs in the Apocalyps And this no doubt moued the Bishop of Florence in the yeare 1106 publikely to preach Acta vitae Paschalis that Antichrist was borne which Paschal vnderstanding of and being much grieued therewith tooke the paynes to goe in person to Florence and there held a Councell to stop the mouth of this Bishop being content neuerthelesse fearing to stirre in the matter too much to admonish him openly to desist from this bold enterprise that is to say Sigon l. 9. de regno Jtal. least the matter should more apparently breake out The Emperour Henrie as we haue seene retired himselfe to Liege Sabellici Aenneade 9. Platina in Paschali 2. which Paschal could not endure wherefore vnder a shew of congratuling Robert Earle of Flanders beeing happily returned from Hierusalem to his Countrie he writ this vnto him It is the part of a loyall and lawfull souldier to pursue the enemies of his King by all possible meanes We giue thee therefore thankes for executing our commaund in the Diocesse of Cambray and we commaund thee to doe the like vpon the excommunicated people of Liege who falsly terme themselues Clerkes c. And not onely in those parts but euerie where else when thou canst with thy whole power to persecute Henrie the head of the heretikes and his followers Thou canst offer no sacrifice vnto God more acceptable than to withstand him who rayseth himselfe against God and his church c. This we commaund thee and thy souldiers to doe in remission of your sinnes c. Hereby making this his reuenge equall both in right and merit with that famous expedition to the holie Land But what doe the Bishops Canons and Clergie of the Diocesse of Liege There is the second volume of the Councels both the Epistle of Paschal to them and their aunswere to him Epist Leodiens Cleri in 2. vol. Concilior Edition Coloniens apud Quiritel pag. 809. I crie saith the Church of Liege with sighs and astonishment as the Prophet Esay speaketh who exaggerating the burden of the desart Sea crieth out As the Whirle-windes in the South vse to passe from the wildernesse so shall it come from the horrible Land a grieuous vision was shewed vnto me He that vnderstood not hetherto what this desart Sea was by heresay let him now vnderstand it by the eye It is not onely Babylon but the world and the Church c. The Church sigheth to see herselfe abandoned and forsaken by the holie Councels and Prelats for was there euer greater confusion in Babylon than there is at this day in the Church In Babylon the languages of Nations were confounded in the Church the tongues and minds of beleeuers are diuided S. Peter saith in his Epistle 1. Petr. 5. The Church that is at Babylon elected together with you saluteth you Hetherto I interpreted it that Peter would therefore by Babylon decipher Rome because at that time Rome was confounded with all Idolatrie and all manner of wickednesse But now my griefe enterpreteth it vnto me that Peter by a propheticall spirit foresaw the confusion of that dissention wherewith the Church at this day is torne in pieces c. What those whirle-winds are that come from Africa we rather learne by suffering than by reading from that horrible Land that is the Church of Rome a grieuous vision is shewed vnto me from thence commeth a whirle-wind as a tempest from Africa For the Bishop of Rome the father of all the Churches hath written Letters against vs to Robert Earle of Flanders And so they insert the Epistle What is he whose reynes reading these letters are not filled with sorrow not for the horror of the daunger but the horrible noueltie of the thing That a mother should write such lamentable Letters against her daughters yea though they had offended In that iudgement of Salomon is exprest the greatness of a mothers loue because Salomon giuing sentence that the infant for which they contended should be diuided with a sword the true mother chose rather that her child should liue with a stranger Esay 21. than be slayne with the sword The Prophet Esay saith speaking of Babylon The might of my pleasures is turned into feare vnto me But I say Rome my beloued mother is turned into feare vnto me For what is more fearefull nay what more miserable Dauid saw once the Angell of God standing with his sword drawne ouer Hierusalem wee the daughters of the Church of Rome see the Pope of Rome who is the Angell of the Lord for the place he supplieth with his sword drawne ouer the Church Dauid prayed that his people might not be slayne But our Angell deliuers the sword to Robert and prayes him to kill vs. From whence hath our Angell this sword There is but one sword of the spirit which is the word of God c. There is another sword of the spirit wherewith the sinnes of the flesh beeing mortified we buy the crowne of Martyredome The Apostles therefore receiuing of the Lord onely two swords from whence comes this third to the Apostolicall that is the Pope which he hath deliuered to Robert against vs Ezechiel 21. Perhaps he hath recourse to the Prophet Ezechiel that taking a third sword out of his hand he might goe to the right hand and to the left killing both the righteous and the wicked c. This is the sword of occision with which Ezechiel makes me astonished for what heart faints not to thinke that he that is annointed to giue life should be girt with this third sword to kill vs c And if it be lawfull to speake it with reuerence of the Apostolicall dignitie he seemeth to vs to haue beene a sleepe yea all his Counsellers slept with him when he hired at his charge a destroyer of the Church of God S. Paule commaundeth that the word of a Bishop be sound and irreprehensible we therefore reprehend not the word of the Bishop of
and thy souldiers to doe in remission of your sinnes c. Here I know not what I should say or whether to turne my selfe For if I should turne ouer the whole volume of the old and new Testament and all the auntient expositers that writ thereupon I should neuer find any example of this Apostolike commaund Only Pope Hildebrand hath offered violence to the sacred Canons whom we read commaunded the Marquesse Mathilda in remission of her sinnes to make warre against Henrie the Emperour And so hauing discoursed out of the Scriptures and some places of Gregorie of the true manner and meanes of the remission of sinnes and shewing to a sinner his sinnes and making him to confesse them to feele the burthen of them to bee sorie for them to seeke the remedie by a liuelie faith in Christ Iesus the church of Liege concludeth in these words This manner of binding and loossing thou hast heretofore held and taught vs O my mother the Church of Rome From whence then comes this new authoritie by which there is offered to offendours without confession or repentance an immunitie from all sinnes past and a dispensation for sinnes to come what a window of wickednesse doest thou hereby set open to men The Lord deliuer thee ô mother from all euill Let Iesus be the doore vnto thee let him be the Porter that no man enter into thee but to whom be shall open He deliuer thee I say and thy Bishop from those who as the Prophet Michah speaketh seduce the people of God that bite with their teeth and yet preach peace This was the letter of the church and Clergie of Liege to Pope Paschal the second fortified with the testimonies of the holie Scriptures and authorities of the Fathers Neither need we doubt that such in those times was the voyce of the greatest part of the Churches of Christendome who consequently acknowledged Satan to be let loose wasting the Church of God in the person of Antichrist sitting in his Throne which the Emperour Henrie instructed by his Prelats spake plainely in his Epistle to the Christian Princes exhorting them to haue regard to their posteritie the royall Maiestie Auent l. 5. and the saluation of all Christian people because saith he the Pope vnder the honest title of Christ goeth about to oppresse the publike libertie of all Christian people whom Christ hath bought with his bloud and indeauoureth day and night to bring vpon all Christians a slauish seruitude except the Kings and Princes of the earth preuent it neither will he cease to doe it vntill like Antichrist he sit in the Temple of God and be worshipped of all as if he were God These and the like letters saith Auentine are to be found in many antient Libraries written to the kings of France Denmarke England and to other Kings and Princes of Christendome who neuerthelesse became not the more strange vnto him but being rather sorie for this his condition detested the author An. 1104. It was at this time that Yuo Bishop of Chartres writ a letter to Richard Bishop of Alba the Popes Legat who would censure his Clegie of simonie whom he openly giueth to vnderstand that he had done his best endeauors to mend that fault but all in vayne because they maintained it by the custome of the Church of Rome You Epist 133. If the Deane saith he and Chapter or other officers doe exact any thing of those that are made Canons my selfe forbidding it and persecuting the fault they defend themselues by the custome of the Church of Rome wherein they say the Chamberlaines and other officers of the Palace doe exact much of such Bishops and Abbots as are consecrated which they couer vnder the name of oblations or benedictions for there they say neither penne nor paper will be had without money and with this collop they stop my mouth not hauing any other word to answer them but that of the Gospell Doe that which they say that is to say the Pharisies and not that which they doe If therefore I cannot pluck vp this plague by the root impute it not onely to my weakenesse because from the first growth of the Church of God the Church of Rome hath been sicke of this disease nor to this houre cannot free herselfe of those that seeke their owne gaine Moreouer the same man being much molested by the Clergie at Rome makes a grieuous complaint vnto Paschal against the Appeales to Rome which are the cause of much disorder rebellions in the Clergie against their superiours whom abusing that libertie they slaunder at Rome Epist 75. he neuerthelesse not long before in the cause of Godfrey appealed to Rome whose place by the authority of the Pope he supplied out of the selfesame humor as aboue acknowledging reason and justice when it made for their owne purposes 43. PROGRESSION Of the turbulent estate of the Church and Common-wealth through the factious pride of Pope Paschal NOw to follow againe the course of our Historie Auentine concealeth not ratiunculas some smal reasons as he calleth thē why these Popes since Hildebrand pretended a right to deiect from their Throne vel potentissimum Imperatorem any Emperor how mightie soeuer That all power had been giuen of God to Christ and from Christ vnto S. Peter and to the Bishops of Rome his successors vnto whom by Religion of oath all Christians were bound perpetually to obey and to other Princes onely a limited time and vnder condition so long as it shold please them That therefore it was lawfull for the Pope if the Emperour disobeyed him who represented Christ on earth to excommunicate and depose him no lesse than any other Christian insomuch as he raigneth but by precarie right and holdeth the Empire in homage of him That in case he should rebell he might root him out of the Common-wealth as a Tyran by any meanes whatsoeuer And the people saith he bewitched by Hildebrand with such reasons as they are subiect to let themselues be carried away with euerie wind of doctrine Fraunce Italie and Germanie were pierced to the heart for the space of three and thirtie yeares Namely Paschal following from point to point this instruction who seeing his enemie dead reenforced the rigor of his Decrees and will not receiue to absolution the inhabitants of Liege till they had taken him out of the Sepulcre where they had layed him when Henrie also his sonne demaunded permission of him to giue him buriall he flatly refused him saying that the authoritie of holie Scriptures and of diuine miracles and of the Martyrs receyued vp into heauen repugned thereunto This writeth Peter the Deacon l. 4. ca. 38. And Auentine noteth expresly that till that time the Bishops of Rome had accustomed to date their Bulls Epistles and other affaires from the yeres of the Emperours raigne which he first ceased to doe and began to date from the yeare of his Popedome He was also the first that gaue
immunitie to Colledges though erected by others than himselfe He noteth further that till then in Germanie Ecclesiasticall persons Bishops Priests Abbots Monkes c. had not any care of their worldlie goods but imploying themselues in the seruice of God and at their studie referred the managing of those affaires to some neighbour Lord ordayned of the Emperour who administred vnto them prouision of meat apparell and other necessaries for life and distributed also to the poore and this they called Vogt Patron or Curator which the Roman Lawes call gouernour or Steward But from that time forth the Churchmen reiected them and took the administration into their owne hands promising to giue euerie yeare to the Pope nummum aureum quem Bizantium vocant diplomata a piece of gold which the Bulls call a Bizantium nothing being more easie to Paschal than in giuing away anothers right to take neuerthelesse tribute of it And hereupon for the space of sixteene yeares all things diuine and humane were in confusion vntill in the end he had attained his purposes In Italie also his power encreased by two occasion The one was the death of the Marquesse Mathilda in the yeare 1115 An. 1115. Platina in Paschal Vrspergensis in Chronico who in the time of Hildebrand had made donation of Lumbardie and of Tuscan to S. Peter which ministred new matter of contention betweene Henrie and him because he pretended to be her heire and comming into Italie endeauoured to take possession thereof and so did of a part Blondus and Platina make the limit thereof to extend from the Riuer of Pissia S. Quirico in the Countrie of Siena vnto Ceperan betwixt the Apennine and the Sea adding thereunto Ferrara Auentine saith here that Eneas Siluius which is Pius the second saith that Mathilda bequeathed by Testament to the Bishop of of Rome that which is called Patrimonium Petri the Patrimonie of S. Peter And then was heard a voyce from heauen as I haue learned of most graue Diuines Venenū melle litum foemina propinasse Christianis that a woman had giuen Christians poyson to drinke tempered with honie The other occasion was the diminution of the Archbishopricke of Rauenna Platina ibidem which as the Histories of those times say had oftentimes till then opposed it selfe against the Church of Rome whose power to abate he caused a Councell to be held at Guastall wherein was decreed that the Cities of Romania Placentia Parma Regio Modena and Bononia should no more acknowledge the Archbishop of Rauenna Sigon de regno Jtaliae l. 10. Let vs adde yet a third That Arnulfe Patriarch of Hierusalem being accused by his Clergie was deposed in another Synod held in Syria by the Bishop of Orange by authority from the Pope who neuertheles being come in person to Rome Larga muneruus profusione by his many gifts Guliel Tyrius l. 11. c. 26. li. 9. ca. 17. l. 11. cap. 14. 15.16 saith William of Tire pleased again Paschal by him was absolued reestablished in his seat A thing neuer before seene that one of the antient Patriarches should be judged by the Bishop of Rome But this was because they that commaunded in the holie Land were Westerne Princes and to maintaine their enterprise had need of his good fauor In effect Dabert Bishop of Pisa Patriarch of Hierusalem saith William of Tire is created in an assemblie of Princes by the common consent of the people and presently after installed in the Throne There was no speech of sending to Rome The onely extremitie he found himselfe in being iniured by the King whose dissolute life he would not winke at made him take this course against Ebremarus whom he moued thereunto And as for this Arnulfe who by his gifts had saith the author circumuented the Religion of the holie See it is he who as he saith elsewhere had when hee was but Archdeacon set the whole Church in confusion Inuita Diuinitate vti credimus Gibelino substitutus created for successour saith he in another place of the Patriarch Gibeline in despite of the Diuinitie as we beleeue And such a one was it behoofefull he should be for to fit Paschals liking But let vs come againe to the principal quarrell of inuestitures for that it is the Theame of this age Paschal by setting the sonne against the father had so ruinated the credit of the Empire in Italie shaken euen in Germanie it selfe that hee thenceforth thought any thing lawfull for him And Historiographers doe particularly obserue that vnder this confusion the Cities of Italie had taken a new forme and vsurped libertie the Pope fauouring the same who had rather their forces should be diuided than vnited together vnder the authoritie of the Empire And yet thereby shall we see so much the greater disorders and ruine hereafter Paschal then being inuited to be present at Augsbourg for ordering of affaires being in good hope of this sonne whom he had authorised against his father An. 1106 resolued in the yeare 1106 to goe thither But by the way he held that Synod of Guastalla a Towne of the Countesse Mathilda where were present the Embassadours of Henrie the fourth he fore-judgeth the sayd affaires confirming all the rigours of Hildebrand Vrban and his owne prouideth absolutely for the Bishoprickes of Germanie Gebhard to Trent Conrade to Salzbourge and others to the Ecclesiasticall Colledges he giueth immunities on all Churchmen imposeth a certaine tribute Auent l. 6. and reenforceth his faction To such saith Auentine as take his part he giueth preferment without delay others if within a certaine day they change not opinion he forbiddeth their office pronounceth and will haue all men beleeue that all Lawes are resident within the closet of his breast and maketh no scruple of any lie So that he must more aduisedly he dealt withall than before and men must hold for Law whatsoeuer he saith he being resolued to destroy all that oppose themselues against him and his seat These are the Authors words This was hard newes to the Emperor who expected better for his seruices thinking at least before he had passed further he would haue conferred with him about it Which the Pope vnderstanding at Verona changed his journey and in the yere 1107 passed the Alpes An. 1107. came to Clugni and from thence to Troyes in Campania where he thought to hold a Synod more fauourably for his pretences Philip the first then raigning in Fraunce in trouble for his Concubine Bertrade and withal troubled by the Princes Barons and Prelats of his kingdome borne out namely by the king of England and therefore not in good estate to dispute himselfe for his priuiledges This was the renewing of a quarrell betweene the Pope and the Emperour wherein Henrie the fourth clearely shewed that what he had done by the Popes instigation against his father had not beene for zeale of Religion but rage of ambition seeing he now contended for the same right being
of sheepe Thinke you S. Peter did thus or S. Paule played thus Thou seest that all Ecclesiasticall zeale is feruent for the keeping onely of dignitie All is giuen to honour little or nothing to sanctitie If the cause so requiring you endeauor to beare yourselfe a little more humble and sociable Far be it say they it becommeth not it fitteth not the time it agreeth not with Maiestie consider what person thou bearest Of pleasing God is the thing they last of all speake with the losse of soules they trouble not themselues vnlesse we call that salutaris that is high that iust that sauoureth of glorie c. The feare of the Lord is counted simplicitie that I say not foolishnesse What then wilt thou doe c I know where thou dwellest vnbeleeuers and subuerters are with thee Wolues they are and not sheep yet of such art thou Pastour It is good to consider how if it be possible thou mayest conuert them least they subuert thee c. Here here I spare thee not to the end that God may spare thee Eyther denie thy selfe a Pastour to this people or shew thy selfe one Thou wilt not denie it least thou shouldest denie thy selfe to be heire of him whose seat thou holdest It is that S. Peter who was neuer knowne to haue gone adorned with precious stones or with silkes nor couered with gold nor carried on a white horse accompanied with souldiers and a troupe of seruants making a noyse about him Yet without these things he beleeued he might sufficiently fulfill that wholesome commission If thou loue me feed my sheepe In these things thou hast succeeded not Peter but Constantine Though thou goe in purple and gold yet thou shouldest not neglect thy Pastorall worke or charge thou shouldest not be ashamed of the Gospell Howbeit if willingly thou preach the Gospell thou hast glorie among the Apostles To preach the Gospell is to feed doe thou the worke of an Euangelist and thou fulfillest the worke of a Pastour Yea say you thou warnest me to feed Dragons and Scorpions not sheepe Euen for that I say so much the rather vndertake it but with the word not with the sword And hence he enlargeth himselfe seriously to shew vnto him of what weight and moment is the charge that hee pretendeth how largely the same is extended and that if he will well discharge his duetie he hath a greater burthen vpon him than can euer be well home Therefore it better stood with wisedome that he should renounce all other affaires and namely secular which haue their Iudges the Princes and Magistrats of the earth there being no need he should thrust his sickle into other mens haruest A lesson truely far different from that of the Palatines so call they them of the Court of Rome Seeing then neuerthelesse Eugenius sticketh in the mud being so mightily adiured by Bernard and leaueth the true inheritance of Saint Peter for that of Constantine of feeding sheep for to deuoure the world what iudgement hereupon might Saint Bernard make or what might he leaue for vs to make but euen this that this is the second beast that hath taken as S. Iohn had prophecied the place of the first and vnder the name of the seat of S. Peter hath inuaded the throne of Constantine hath changed his sheepe-hooke into his Scepter vnder pretext of the Church of Christ hath stollen into the temporal Monarchie that kingdome which the Apostle had foretold should perish before the man of sinne were reuealed to build vp his ruines and which now sheweth it selfe reuiued and renewed For in many of his Epistles he leaueth vnto vs traces whereby it appeareth that Eugenius was not bettered by his admonitions Whence he oftentimes sayd Ego liberaui animam meam I haue deliuered my soule and discharged my conscience c. But in one Epistle he telleth vs Bernard Epist 125. that the Beast mentioned in the Reuelation to whom is giuen a mouth speaking blasphemies and to make war with the Saints occupieth the Chaire of S. Peter as a Lion prepared for the prey If they will needs haue it that he speaketh of an Anti-Pope yet doth it not remaine firme out of this verie place that it is possible that Antichrist should sit at Rome and hold the Chaire of S. Peter and that S. Bernard hath so beleeued and thought How far is this from the Doctors of these dayes which suppose he is to be exepcted out of Babylon Neither is it hereto be omitted that when by the diligence of good S. Bernard our French Church had held a famous Councell at Poitiers to reduce into a better life by authoritie thereof one Gilbert Porretan Bishop of that place holding an ill opinion concerning the Trinitie and there had conceiued in a certaine writing what ought to be held and beleeued concerning that point the consistorie of Cardinals beeing greatly moued thereat came thus to reproch the same to Pope Eugenius Otho Frisingen de gestis Frederic 1. l. 1. c. 57. What hath that thy Abbot done and with him the French Church with what impudencie haue they dared to erect their heads against the Primacie of the See of Rome For it is this alone that shutteth and no man openeth openeth and no man shutteth Shee alone can discusse of the Catholike faith and in her absence may suffer preiudice of none in this singular honour Surely if the same had beene done in the East as in Alexandria or Antioch before all the Patriarkes yet were their authoritie of no force without ours for to define any thing that might hold firme and stable c. At length Eugenius was brought by them to that passe that he earnestly resolued without delay to punish so great a rebellion and noueltie Insomuch that S. Bernard is constrayned to go to Rome with great submission to purge himselfe And the Symbole of the French Church though it were good and approued of all good men was accounted for none So hard a matter it was at that time to doe well and to please them both together Otho of Frisinghe noteth that S. Bernard disputing with that Gilbert had vttered some words that might displease the Cardinalls whereupon Gilbert had sayd Et hoc scribatur let this also bee written S. Bernard replied Yea and with an yron stile and nayle of Adamant And this perhaps did sting them Petrus venerabilis Abbas Cluniacens 16. Epist 47. Peter Abbot of Clugni who liued in these times could neuer satisfie himselfe with praysing Pope Eugenius especially in his seuen and fortieth Epistle of the sixt Booke of S. Bernard in which neuerthelesse hee ingeniously saith But some man may say the Church hath no sword Christ hath taken it away when he said to Peter Put vp thy sword into the scaberd whosoeuer smiteth with the sword shal perish with the sword Verum est inquam verum est It is true I say it is true The Church hath not the sword of a King but
ouer the sacred Altars that these things are bought aforehand c. As for manners they are the last they make mention of and the Canon lawes were in no sort made for these men Jdem l. 8. c. 17. alluding to the words of the Apostle Lex non posita est iusto They are free from iustice and are led with that spirit that they haue no need to be vnder the law c. Openly mocking them You would wonder that Simon were come againe to deceiue the credulous and simple In another place Who would beleeue that the Fathers of the Church the Iudges of the world and that I may so say the most cleere lights of the world loue gifts follow rewards Prouincias concutiant vt excutiant By their concussions ruinat Prouinces emptie other mens purses to fill their owne preach pouertie in words and by crimes hunt after riches condemne the trafficke of spirituall goods but to the end men may contract with none but with them hauing no other end but to be feared of all and loued of none preaching peace that they may raise contentions seeming humble to dissemble their owne pride beating downe other mens couetousnesse to feed their owne auarice inioyning liberalitie and persist themselues in niggardnesse and to knit vp all in a word putting their portion with all sorts of wicked people and applying themselues to wickednesse in solidum wholly that they may seeme a Councell of vanitie the wicked Synagogue of the Gentiles Ecclesia malignantium the Church of the enuious and euill doers in whose hands are iniquities and their right hand filled with gifts Of the head of this Synagogue what may then be thought Wee must not here forget the matters of the East that Pope Adrian for to oblige vnto him the Templers hauing exempted them from the jurisdiction of the Patriarch which the Author calleth Perniciosam libertatem a pernicious libertie the Patriarch with his principall Bishops being neere an hundred yeares old is constrained to come to Rome to make his complaints vnto him whom the Pope deluded long with many fained delayes till at length consumed with griefe and great charges he is forced to giue ouer his cause William the Archbishop of Tyre saith plainely Guiliel Tyrius l. 18. c. 6.7.8 The Templers had corrupted the Pope with gifts and therefore hee held them for his lawfull children and the Patriarch with all his for bastards and as vnworthie put them away from him Moreouer Of so great a troupe of Cardinals there were scarcely found two or three who following Christ would fauour his minister the Patriarch in his cause all the other hunting after rewards haue followed the wayes of Balaam as sonnes of Bosor Soone after died the poore Patriarch to whom succeeded Almaricus who receiued the Pall from Rome but by meanes of great bountie and liberalitie Thus spake they of the corruption of Rome 48. PROGRESSION Of the factions in the Popedome and the diuers molestations procured by Rowland called afterward Alexander the third Of the strange pride and insolencie of the said Alexander and how he insulted ouer the Emperour Frederick doing him all the honour he could How this Alexander was the first Pope that tooke vpon him the canonizing of Saints ADrian was no sooner dead but this fire began to kindle more and more The Cardinals being diuided fell to sedition and the one part of them chose Octauian Cardinall of S. Caecill whom they called Victor the fourth the other Rowland Cardinall of S. Marke whom they named Alexander the third This Rowland was one of the two Legats whom Adrian had sent to Frederick into Germanie with his sharpe and thundering letters which caused their welcome to be the worse and thereby nourished as it seemed some inward hatred in him toward Frederick These two therefore vsed their best indeuours to justifie and fortifie their owne causes from whence arose those two famous factions in Italie of the Guelfes and Gibellines Rowland alledged for himselfe That he was chosen by the voices of twenty three Cardinals Octauian albeit had he but fiue was the first that wore the scarlet Robe and sat in S. Peters chaire with the consent and approbation both of the people and Clergie But Rowland not daring to contend with Octauian in the Citie beeing a Citizen of Rome retired himselfe to Tarracina and there was the first that was consecrated and then condemned all those to the pit of hell that should consecrat Octauian Radeuicus l. 2. ca. 43. seq Neuerthelesse he within few dayes following was consecrated by his owne companie and requited him with the like execrations But with the helpe of Otho Countie Palatine he inuaded Campania and the Patrimonie of S. Peter Both in the meane time abiding without Rome because the Senat of Rome held authoritie in the Citie a thing not compatible with the Papacie So Alexander the third held his residence at Anaigne Victor the fourth at Sienna both the one and the other had need of the Emperours fauour who then lodged at Creme in Lombardie but Alexander who had offended him had the lesse hope to be supported by him This is that which we haue vnderstood by their Letters related by Radeuicus to the Patriarches Archbishops and Bishops c. of which Letters those of Alexander are more sharpe Radeuicus l. 2. cap. 51.52.53.54.55 wherein speaking of Victor these words are to be noted He prefiguring the time of Antichrist is exalted so high aboue himselfe that he sits in the Temple of God as if he were God and many haue beheld with their owne eyes the abomination of desolation in the holie place not without great effusion of teares And it is not to be doubted but that Victor saith the like of Alexander so that the aduerse part of either judgeth the other Antichrist by which name they excommunicat one another with burning lights and condemne the contrarie part of each other to the pit of hell with the Diuell their Authour These are their verie words Frederic gaue them to vnderstand that he would not meddle in this controuersie either with the one or with the other thinking it fitter to be referred to the judgement and censure of the Church Therefore according to the example of the auntient Emperors he assembled a Councell at Pauia by his authoritie in the yeare 1160. An. 1160. And to summon them both he sent two reuerent and prudent men Daniel Bishop of Prague and Herman Bishop of Verde whereby it should appeare he would not doe any prejudice either to the one or to the other and thither also inuiteth the Archbishops Bishops and Priests not onely of the Empire but of Fraunce England Spaine Radeuicus l. 2. cap. 55.56 Hungarie Denmarke with protestation of all securitie and safe conduct for their persons and sinceere justice in the conduct of these affaires Hauing truely vnderstood saith he of the Decrees of the Popes and Statutes of the Church That a Schisme
pusillanimitie that the Church was troden vnder foot faith in danger libertie oppressed deceit and iniquitie rather nourished than punished c. Where is that which the Lord did once promise to his Church Thou shalt sucke the milke of the Gentiles and shalt milke the breasts of Kings c The Pope sees these things and yet keepes S. Peters sword hid in the scabberd so he giueth strength to sinners his silence argueth his consent One polleth another taketh by extortion one holds the foot another strips off the skinne The time foretold by the Apostle is euen at hand a time of departing of Apostacie and reuolt that the sonne of perdition may be reuealed Now begins the perillous times that the vnseamed coat of Christ may be cut asunder that S. Peters net may be torne in peeces and the soundnesse and soliditie of the Catholike vnitie may be dissolued these are the beginning of all euils we feele and suffer that which is grieuous but we feare things more grieuous and intollerable And it is here a Queene wounded with griefe that speaketh it but by the mouth of the Chancellor the Archbishop of Canterburie and no doubt with the consent of the Clergie of England and they differ not much from the judgement and opinion of the Abbot Ioachim albeit the one in Italie the other in England but he also describeth vnto vs in the person of an Officiall the manner and fashion of the Church of Rome writing to the same For as much saith he as I loue thee with all affection euen in the bowels of Iesus Christ I thought good to exhort thee with wholesome admonitions that thou in time depart from Vr of the Chaldes and from the midst of Babylon and leaue the mysterie of this most wicked and damnable Stewardship c. I beleeue that these Officials are so called not from the Nown Officium but from the Verb Officio which signifieth to hurt for the whole intention of an Officiall is ad opes Episcopi to be carefull for the profits of the Bishop whereof he hath the charge to sheere for him miserrimas oues the poorest sheepe to poll them and to pull off their skinnes he sets riches against sheepe and afterward pursues their rapines with foule tearmes These Offcialls are those hidden doores where the Ministers of Bell secretly carried away the sacrifices which the King caused to be set vpon the table So the Bishop cunningly and as it were with along reach gets other mens goods and if the crime happen to be discouered to quit himselfe of discredit layeth the blame on his Officials c. The office of an Officiall now a dayes is to confound law to stirre vp contentions to breake off agreements to find delayes to supprese truth to foster lyes to hunt after gaine to sell equitie to gape after exactions and to bee cunning in working and contriuing deceits These are those who burthen their clients with superfluous charge being prodigall of another mans purse and sparing of their own lying in wait to catch men in their words hunt after sillables and lay snares to get money They interpret the law at their owne will and pleasure and according to their owne wills they admit them or disallow them Good sayings they depraue and peruert those that are prudently alledged breake couenants nourish contentions dissemble fornications breake matrimonie maintaine adulterie thrust themselues into other mens houses and lead captiue simple women burthened with their sinnes they defame the innocent and absolue the guiltie and to conclude many things in a few words whilest these sonnes of auarice and seruants of Mammon doe all things for money they make sales of themselues to the diuell c. If thou beleeuest me nay if thou beleeuest in God leaue in time this office of an Officiall the ministerie of damnation the wheele of all euill this spirit of giddinesse which carrieth thee about to that which is vaine and idle Haue compassion of thy soule pleasing God whom thou canst not please with this office of perdition Of Bishops hee spake not more mildly In the house of a Bishop saith he comprehending the Lord with his family nothing is more damnable for merit nothing more dishonest for manners nothing more vncleane for conscience nothing more culpable for reputation and nothing more pernitious for example And therefore he oftentimes calleth the heads of the Clergie Syria Edom the calues of Bethel the Idols of Aegypt the fat of Samaria the Priests of Baal and verie bitterly calls them backe to their duetie The profession of thy order admits not the cares of the world nor the rigour and tyrannie of the materiall sword the Kings of nations beare rule ouer these and not thou If thou accept the ministery of Christ if thou refuse not his yoke stay in that condition in that ranke whereto thou art called and leaue to the Laitie the gouernement of the people But we may read among other things an Epistle of his written to Pope Alexander the third in the name of the Archbishop of Canterburie who found himselfe grieued because hee had vsurped to himselfe the onely Abbie that was in his Archbishopricke which is the more to be noted because hee would seeme elsewhere to referre all things to the Popes After the death of Vrias saith he and the adulterie of Bersabee Idem Epist 68. the Prophet sent to Dauid proposeth vnto him the example of a certaine poore man who had onely one sheepe which a certaine rich man tooke from him that had many sheepe But Dauids aduice being requested giueth iudgement of death against this rich man and consequently against himselfe And who is now the rich man that hath innumerable sheepe but the Bishop of Rome who possesseth all the Churches of the world And who poorer than the Church of Canterburie who hauing but one onely Abbie that is to say the Monasterie of S. Augustine which in the bosome of his pastorall prouidence he cherished with a fatherlie care and this rich man I dare not say the Bishop of Rome hath vsurped it as peculiar and proper to himselfe If we may be bold to say what we thinke when the office of iustice willeth a man to giue to euerie one that which is his is it not manifest iniustice in the Pope to bestow a benefit vpon one to wrong another to commit that in ecclesiastical things which worldlie authority abhorreth euen in secular Then repeating againe the general complaint for that he exempted the Abbies from the obedience of the Bishops and so reserued them to himselfe in so much that the Proctor of the Abbots did not feare to say Base and miserable are those Abbots that banish not the power of the Bishops when for the yerely paiment of an ounce of gold they may obtainful libertie of the See of Rome That is to say to liue without a controller letting loosse the raines of the bridle to lust without any discipline and feare of correction They
wonder that the Pope then preached Going from thence he confirmed all the cities of Romania and Tuscan leauing Cardinall Octauiano behind in Lombardie with an armie but yet being verie doubtful in mind he delayed his entrie into Rome for the Romans through his absence augmented in reputation the Popes leauing Rome had now for many yeres held their seat in diuers other places as at Viterbe Oruietto Perugia Anagnia Assisia that there they might rule and gouerne ouer other Prouinces being vncertaine what authoritie or power they should retaine within the citie And at this verie instant the Romans called Brancalone from Bologna a man very famous for his justice and equitie to be a Senator of Rome who doubting the petulancie and insolencie of their Youth would not accept of it without being confirmed therein for three yeares and pledges giuen him of thirtie of the chiefe citizens sonnes as also they themselues bound by solemne oath to doe their vttermost endeuours that they might faithfully obey him whom he presently sent to Bologna there to be kept vnder safe custodie And questionlesse he bare himselfe so strictly in this charge as he stroke terrour into the best of them but the more authoritie was ascribed to him the more the same was extenuated towards the Pope In the meane while the Romans began to grieue that the mightie gaine which daily accrued by the wonderfull concourse to the Roman Court did now through the Popes absence both cease was otherwhere diuerted and so at length they supposed that without singular imputation they could not for so long time haue their Bishop wanting Wherefore they sent embassadours to Innocent being at Perugia to intreat him that he would returne to Rome That so he might helpe his flocke Matth Paris in Henrico 3. like a good Pastor and that Rome might enioy her Bishop as other cities enioyed their Prelats For they thought it a great abuse and errour that onely Rome which was instiled the Empresse of other cities should among so many other cities for so long time be depriued of her Prelat and Bishop For saith Mathew Paris while he liued beyond the Alpes gaping after the profit of concurrents and opening his bosome to gifts he was vagrant and altogether vnsetled by being resident amongst the Cisalpines But he framing delayes they once againe vrged him after a preualent maner Intimating to him how they greatly wondered that he would run vp and downe here and there like a wandering and instable person leauing Rome his Pontifical seat together with his sheep wherof he was to yeeld a strict account to the supreme Iudge he left them to be rent torne by the incursions of wolues himself only gaping and thirsting after coyne as also with this peremptorie clause annexed That he should either come then or neuer But when he saw that the Romans threatned the Perugians Assisians both with siege ruine if they longer detained him departing from Perugia he went towards Rome yet trembling fearefull he made his entrie because it was reported that the Romans would presently redemaund of him that money which at his instigation they had disbursed in the attempts against Frederick And in effect not long after the people required at his hands the damages which they had sustained through his absence For say they the world knew well ynough that he was neither Bishop of Lyons Perugia nor Angiers where hee did often reside but of Rome In which verie words wee may see they did not acknowledge him for vniuersall Bishop and out of doubt had not the Senator pacified the people he would haue vndergone some great troubles Now on the other side Conrade Fredericks sonne passed ouer into Italie the more to encourage his adherents and diuers times conflicts and slaughter fel out in the cities while the Guelphes rose against the Gibellines and the Church raged against the Empire both of them cruelly prosecuting and subuerting one another and the more horrible this warre was in that it fell out within the selfe-same walls and vnder one roofe and building that the like plots and examples of reuenge were neuer read of throughout all Antiquitie Afterwards marching further vp into his kingdome he tooke in Naples which had formerly yeelded it selfe to the Pope ouerthrowing his armie ouer which his kinsman William was Generall and putting to the sword foure thousand foot which were euen the flower of the Italian Youth he recouered all his cities reduced his subiects vnder due obedience and thus brought the Pope to a verie hard poynt But amidst these anxieties the Pope thought good to excite an opposit against Conrade which was Richard Earle of Cornwall brother to the king of England being a Prince according as the fame ran of him of indomptable courage Wherefore to this end and scope he offered vnto him the kingdomes of Naples and Sicily to be held in homage of him Vsing herein as the Historiographer saith his diabolicall sophistication who said All this will I giue thee if falling downe thou wilt worship me Besides his Bulls should not be spared against Conrade wherein hee should be anathematized and his subiects absolued of their oath of obedience with other like interdictions for he had formerly denounced him an heretike and the heresie was in that he obeyed not his interdict and left not the kingdome to his disposition Richard though he was earnestly sollicited by Legat Albertus who was sent to this end and purpose not remaining satisfied in words required pledges to be giuen him of the most eminent persons of his familie as also sufficient summes of money to defray the charges of the warre certaine holds also which lay on the frontiers of his kingdome he demaunded to bee deliuered into his hands whereinto being vrged he might at any time retire Otherwise said he speaking to the Legat it is as much as one should say I sell or giue vnto thee the Moon ascend and lay hold on her When therefore they could no wayes agree vpon the matter hee had recourse to the king of England himselfe Richards brother a Prince saith Mathew verie credulous and apt to embrace his owne preiudice to whom he made offer of all the Croisado forces destined for Palestina and they should serue in this expedition Hereupon grew a wonderfull discontent and murmure of the Patriarch of Ierusalem and all the Prelats of Palestina together with the Templers and Hospitalers who fell into a great detestation of the Popes delusions that hauing long time beene fed with such large hopes hee went now about not to forsake but rather to betray them Yet the king of England proceeded on and accepted of the kingdome of Sicile offered in his son Edmonds name whatsoeuer money he was able to raise either of the Christians or Iewes he sent to the Pope and gaue him authority to raise what treasure soeuer he could or at what rates soeuer any where in his name and hereunto he obliged himselfe vpon
forbeare all gouernment publike adminstrations and managing of affaires disanulling all things formerly by him acted and neuer hereafter to reassume the dignitie except by our expresse iniunction and commaund But if he delay any wayes in this case to obey Wee commaund all Patriarches Bishops Priests Princes and immunified cities to fall from him and forcibly to vrge him to submission Dated and published in Auignion the eighth of the Ides of October in the eighth yeare of our Pontificall dignitie and in that of Christ 1321. And that wee may aggrauat nothing out of our owne constructions let the Reader but onely obserue this forme of speaking which retaines with it a certaine similitude of that which hee sayes in one of his Extrauagants where without any ambiguitie God hath cōmitted to me saith he the prerogatiue of Emperor both celestiall and earthlie When this Bull came to Lodouikes hands prudent as he was he seriously consulted with all the famous Diuines and Ciuilians both of Italie Extrauag ne sede vacante C. si fratrum Germanie and France but especially with those of Bologna and Paris and all their opinions agreed in this conclusion That Iohns Decrees and promulgations against Caesar were altogether repugnant to Christian integritie and diuine Philosophie These resolutions of the Diuines saith Auentine are yet extant in Libraries written in parchment Many renowmed men also of whom some were Ciuilians and some Diuines writ stifly against Iohn whom they sharpely refuted out of the holie Scriptures and the auncient lawes and Canons And amongst others some Minorites of greater note forsooke Iohn to cleaue vnto Lewis summoning Iohn as it were to a day of hearing Lodouike in the meane while being constituted published a solemne Diet to be held at Ratisbone whither all the greatest Princes and Bishops of Germanie had recourse Amongst these there assisted Iohn king of Bohemia Mathew Henrie and Baldwine of Magunce and the two Archbishops of Collen and Treuers Where it was decreed That Lodouike the Emperour should be prouident to preuent the bringing of the German libertie into seruitude and that the Maiestie Imperiall might be freed from tyrannicall talons and therefore by the Acts of this Diet all the Decrees of Iohn the two and twentieth were declared void and inualidious and whosoeuer stood in defence of them hee was to be reputed an enemie to the Commonwealth and his goods to be confiscated By the force of these Acts Otho Bishop of Carinthia and Lambert of Tolouse the Popes Legats were expelled out of Germanie and all the Bishops Prelats Priests Monks yea and the Franciscans themselues obeyed this Decree only the Dominicans hung neutrall bending sometimes to Iohn and sometimes to Lewis as their owne interests moued them one while obseruing Iohns interdict another time for feare of being expelled celebrating and discharging sacred functions as also by the high authoritie of this Diet an Act was published which is to be read absolute and entire in Auentine whose principall heads to auoyd tedious prolixitie it may suffice here to insert Christ the Sauiour our Lord and God Auentine l. 7. and his chiefe Legats Peter Paule Iames and Iohn ascending into heauen told vs of verie dangerous times imminent and hanging ouer our heads but aboue all they instantly admonished vs That being subtile in some sort as serpents we should take heed of the leauen of the Pharisies and auoid false Christs false Apostles and false Prophets being so tearmed by reason of the lying and hollow hypocrisie of their religion who call themselues Christs Priests when they are the verie messengers of Antichrist They may be discerned by their vnquenchable thirst of honour power and worldlie treasure and their excesse auarice and pride is growne to a prouerbe We cannot denie but must cleerely confesse that our times can abide no strict examination or censure For now manners being wholly corrupted Christian sinceritie is troden vnder foot inured customes more preualent than truth ouercome but yet indignation cannot but breake silence and being placed in a most high watch tower of discouerie of humane proceedings we must not hold our peace least as the holie Prophet sayes we shew our selues like to dumbe dogs that cannot barke And though we be not able vtterly to expell such Wolues clad in sheepes skinnes yet it is our parts and dueties to resist and in some sort to discouer them For though we cannot doe as we would yet our mere good will when we can attaine no further is both honourable and commendable At last he applies this theame to Pope Iohn declaring how many sundrie waies he wasted and spoiled the Christian Church as he that prouoked Christians to draw their swords against their owne bowels and stirred vp nations to periurie treacherie rebellion and conspiracie And this Antichrist saith he will not suffer vs to keep that peace recommended to vs by God so great is the peruersenesse of that man or rather of Sathan as in publike sermons he sets forth his owne flagitions for singular benefits When Christian Princes are at discord then the Roman Priest raignes In briefe the Pope is then of greatest authoritie and power when all others being weakened and pluckt downe by discords seditions and mutuall hatreds his thunderings grow terrible euerie becke of his obeyed and wee obserue euen his verie spittings c. And questionlesse it was by this policie that both of vs were created to the dignitie whom a verie briefe letter from him might easily haue reconciled or at least haue persuaded vs to determine our right rather by iuridicall proceedings than by armes But contrariwise he no wayes laboured to procure peace betwixt vs but rather to nourish discord enclining one while to mee and then another while to my aduersarie of Austria Now he would be on Fredericks side and then on Lodouikes partie and which of them grew weaker him would hee alwayes fortifie with his aydes and supplies First of his owne accord hee inuited vs secretly to communicate giuing faire and equiuocall speeches to vs both and being almost come to agreement he would then againe persuade vs to reassume armes All this he did politically that while we thus ruine one another with domestical and intestine wars he might racke the Empire demolish castles and cities and inuade and spoyle both the people and the Common-wealth whose destruction he hath conspired reduce Christs flocke into seruitude and fight against the Saints and holie ones of God He boasts that he may presently without all delay denounce sentence against vs before we are condemned Being our capitall aduersarie and publique enemie yet in his owne cause he sayes he is both sutor witnesse and Iudge The which we neuer red of amongst the Turkes Iewes Saracens nor Sarmatians Those that hold their loyaltie to Caesar obseruing herein Christ our Sauiours commandement he for no other cause condemnes of heresie What is his will he thinkes to be lawfull wealth purchaseth authoritie for all things c. He
before his consecration at Rome might execute all his authoritie and prerogatiues and whosoeuer thought otherwise were traitors and heretikes Of which kind also that information is De nullitate processu Iohan. 22 whether Marsilius Patauinus or Ockam be Authour thereof Wherein Lodouike appeales from a Citation vnduely made in Auignion vnto a generall Councell conuocated in some safe and secure place with due forme and according to the sacred Canons and after a lawfull Appeale hee auerres that no place remaines for any Excommunication or Interdict And thus it was enacted against Iohn the two and twentieth or according to Platina the three and twentieth Furthermore Trithemius in Chronic. Hirsaugiens the Diuines and Ciuilians of these times argued this question by way of Thesis De potestate Imperiali Papali earumque distinctione Of the Emperours and Popes power and their seuerall distinction For to omit what Vldarick the Emperour Lewis his Chancellor Apologia Ludovic 4. contra Ioh. 22. publicē proposita wrot to Iohn in certaine letters directed to him in his Masters name wherein amongst other things he calls him Bestiam illam de mari ascendentem That beast arising out of the sea of which mention is made in the Apocalyps an Apologie was publisht in Lodouikes behalfe by the Diuines whereby they stifly affirme Quod nullus Papa potestatis plenitudinem in temporalia sibi arrogare potest That no Pope could arrogate to himselfe any plenarie power in temporall things much lesse in the Empire and yet much more lesse such an one as Iohn a man most vnworthie of the Papall chaire as also that the Pope swaruing from the Faith might haue a superiour on earth which is the whole Church represented in a generall Councell which out of their authoritie may judge him and to which for this cause it was lawfull to appeale And the same we read printed at this day But beyond all others out of doubt William Ockam a Franciscan an Englishman borne being a verie wittie and learned Doctor assayles him verie stoutly Defend me Caesar saith he with thy sword against the Popes iniuries and I will by word writing and irrefragable reasons maintaine thee against him the which indeed he performed while he liued hee constantly auerring That the Pope was an heretike and schismatike whose censures were nothing at all to be esteemed From hence came those Dialogues of his Pro Ludouici defensione Liber nonaginta trium dierum pro Michaele Caesennate Generall of the Franciscans excommunicated for the same cause Errores Iohannis 22 Dialogus inter Clericum militem and other such like In which he debates this poynt with so vnanswerable arguments as no man need to call his opinion into doubt or question The principall heads were these That the Pope ex iure diuino hath no Primacie That Peter neuer had nor neuer sat at Rome and therefore the Pope cannot haue it That the Pope may erre yea and the whole Roman Church and therefore ought to be liable to a Councell Concerning the controuersie betwixt the Pope and the Emperour he discusseth eight seuerall questions First Whether the Imperiall and Pontificiall dignities might be joyntly discharged in one man Secondly Whether Caesar onely receiued his authoritie from God or from the Pope of Rome also Thirdly Whether by any authoritie from Christ the Pope and Church of Rome haue power to confirme Caesar and other kings in the exercise of royall jurisdiction Fourthly Whether Caesar being elected hath at the same instant absolute right to gouerne the Commonwealth Fiftly Whether other kings besides Caesar and the king of Romans being consecrated by Bishops receiue any authoritie from them Sixtly Whether such kings are in any sort subiect to those which consecrated them Seuenthly Whether if they should vse any other rite or solemnitie or assume another Diademe they lost in so doing their royall title and prerogatiue Eightly Whether the seuen Electors conferre as much right vpon the Emperour elected as other Kings and Princes haue by lawfull succession All which questions he arguing on both sides he determines in the greatest part for the ciuile Magistrat I meane for Kings and Princes vtterly ouerthrowing by the way the Extrauagants of Iohn the two and twentieth as false hereticall and by many condemned Whosoeuer thinke otherwise they may be numbred amongst them of those times whereof the Apostle to Timothie admonisheth vs 2. ad Timoth. c. 3. v. 3. 4. The time will be when they shall not giue eare to sound doctrine but according to their owne lusts they shall seeke out for teachers that may delight their eares which themselues shall stop against all truth and open wide vnto fables For this is the state of the present time that all men in a manner enquire not what was the doctrine of Christ of the Apostles or of the Fathers but onely they listen what the Pope wills and commaunds them Ascentius in his Preface sayes That he writ six other Tractats which he wittingly omitted because they were somewhat too sharpe and bitter against the Pope of Rome Editus Basiliae Marsilius Patauinus the Author of that golden Treatise whose title was Defensor Pacis of the authoritie of the Emperour and of the Pope writes much out of the same veine where out of the holie Scriptures the Lawes the Canons and both the sacred and ciuile historie he affirmes and auerres these propositions ensuing That Christ was the onely head and foundation of the Church and not Peter That he constituted none of the Apostles no not Peter himselfe Vniuersall Vicar and head of the Church and that by as good right any one else may vsurpe to himselfe this title That Peter was neuer Christs generall Vicar neither did Christ appoynt the other Apostles to be subiect vnto Peter How it was most probable that Peter was neuer at Rome much lesse that there hee held his seat who as the rest of the Apostles had no peculiar seat That the Pope labouring to confirme his Primacie by succession hath no right at all and therefore it is not validious That he hath no greater authoritie than other Bishops no not in that which appertaines to Indulgence and remission of sinnes and that otherwise by diuine right all men are equall with him the Bishops of Magunce Collen and Treuer are Primats as well as he That the plenarie power attributed to him was a manifest lye an execrable title and the verie originall of all euils and the vse thereof was to be interdicted the Popes by some good generall Councell But concerning temporall things Christ whose Vicar he would be thought to be neuer exercised any temporall authoritie vpon earth but contrariwise both himselfe and the Apostles submitted themselues to the ciuile Magistrat and after his ascention into heauen they both obeyed Princes and enioyned their disciples to this obedience and therefore that no temporall jurisdiction did any wayes belong to the Pope ouer any man much lesse ouer Princes
the support of Ladislaus king of Sicilie Charles Malatesta his Proctor appeared in Councell hauing on him the Pontificall robes which in token of renunciation he put off before all the assemblie But Benedict hauing beene verie oftentimes cited in vaine by sentence of the Councell is declared to be a periurer Session 11. a scandalizer of the Church a fautor and entermedler of schisme an heretike straying out of the way of faith and for these causes is depriued of his Papall dignitie and cut off from the Church as a withered and dried member forbiddeth all men therefore from obeying him vnder paine of excommunication And though he were almost of all men forsaken yet he continued still in obstinacie Idolum cum idolis suis Cardinalibus saith Krantzius An Idoll with the Idols his Cardinalls Krantzius in Metrop l. 9. c. 1. An. 1414. Yea being at poynt of death in the yeare 1414 he adiureth the Cardinals which remained with him in the castle of Paniscola that they should incontinently chuse him a successor which was Giles Munion Canon of Barcelon by them called Clement the eighth who the fourth yeare after renounced his charge Of this Benedict was that saying of Gerson verie often repeated in Councell There will be no peace to the Churches till Luna be taken away So much did Luna darken the Sunne so much also had these good Popes their hearts set on the vnion of the Church It was meet that impietie of doctrine should grow after the measure of the abuse of power Paulus Aemilius in Carolo 6. Therefore we read that this Benedict the thirteenth was the first that instituted That the Sacrament of the bodie of Christ should be carried before him for the safegard of his bodie that so he might seeme to haue a protector against his aduersaries on earth whom he beleeued to be none in heauen which without doubt he had inuented by the example of the kings of Persia who made their god be caried before them Alexander the fift also because he was a Minorite that he might gratifie the Friers of that Order Theodor. Ã Nyem l. 3. c. vltim who wonderfully reioycing at his creation ran about the streets euerie day verie many in troupes together as if they had beene mad men made a law That all Christians should be bound to beleeue the wounds of S. Francis and in veneration also of those wounds instituted a feast These things as we haue said before although they are judged doubtful yet are found in their owne Histories of those times So Iohn the foure and twentieth Waldensin Fasciculo for that Wicklif had translated the holie Scriptures into the English Tongue would needs haue that translation of the Bible into the vulgar Tongue to be heresie in England But our wise king Charles the fift was of another mind when a little before he commaunded that the sacred Bible should bee translated into the French Tongue for his owne and his peoples vse And let the Reader judge of the inuentions by the pietie and honestie of the deuisors In the meane time the Councell of Constance it selfe whilest it arrogateth power aboue the Pope doth not withall omit in emulation of Popes to extoll it selfe aboue the Lord Christ For when many nations complained vnto them That against the expresse institution of Christ in the participation of the Eucharist the cup of the Lord was taken away from them the Fathers of this Councell feared not to publish a Decree commaunding it seuerely to be excuted which was conceiued in these execrable words Concil Constant Session 13. Although Christ after supper hath instituted and administred to his Disciples this venerable Sacrament vnder both kinds of bread and wine yet notwithstanding the authoritie of the sacred Canons the laudable and approued custome of the Church hath obserued and doth obserue that this Sacrament ought not to be finished after supper c. And seeing that this custome hath beene according to reason brought in and a long time obserued by the Church and holie Fathers it is to be held for a law In which words this clause Non obstante notwithstanding so odious as we haue seene to the Church in former ages for that by it added to the Popes Bulls no lawes so holy but were reuoked now by the authoritie of this Synod manifestly abrogateth not only the vse of the Primitiue Church but the expresse commandement of the Lord himselfe in instituting a Sacrament of so great moment And these things extend to the yeare 1417. An. 1417. OPPOSITION Let vs now consider what the Christian Church thought hereof being distracted and as it were torne in peeces by two sometimes three Popes openly warring one against the other We haue alreadie noted something out of the historie of Theodorick Theodor. Ã Nyem l. 1. c. 7 8. who was successiuely Secretarie to Vrban Boniface Innocent Gregorie and Alexander Neither doth he conceale from vs the murmure and distraction of minds that then was in the whole world whilest some take part with one others content with the conduct of their owne Bishops hold with neither from whence in the meane time this benefit did arise vnto vs in this so great mischiefe That by occasion of this schisme there was a way made vnto the truth and the mouth thereof in diuers things opened And therefore he confesseth ingeniously that it is agreeable vnto reason that the Roman Emperour with the Prelats and Christian people as the spirituall sonne of the Church whose power is immediatly from God should by his authoritie appease these troubles and that they are fooles and flatterers that say That the Pope or Church hath two swords the temporall and the spirituall which great errour being brought into the Christian Church they raise a perpetuall emulation and discord betweene the Pope and the Emperour trampling vnder their feet the Imperiall authoritie to the great hurt of the whole Commonwealth That it appeareth out of the Decrees themselues that whensoeuer any schisme shall arise in the Church that the Emperors are bound and by law haue power to prouide a remedie Which he likewise proueth by the example of Theodoricus the king taken out of the Decree it selfe and is much offended that the Emperor Robert did so flatter and gently intreat Gregorie the twelfth who should haue compelled both parts to haue restored the peace of the Church D. 17. C. Consilia Theud l. 3. c. 9. 10. That the power of the Emperour doth especially tend to the repressing of a wicked and incorrigible Pope scandalizing the Church as it appeareth out of the acts of the Roman Emperours and kings where he alledgeth the example of Otho the first who came out of Germanie to Rome to chasten the disorderly stubborne behauior of Iohn the 13 whom by the authoritie of the Councell notwithstanding he were vpheld by his kindred and friends at Rome he deposed For saith he in those daies the
Legats of the other Easterne Patriarches of the Archbishops and Prelats euerie one in his order And hence may the Reader discerne what the Patriarch might judge of the pride of the Latine Bishop But what may we say of Baronius who in diuers places contesteth That the left hand in Councels was euer the more honourable As touching the matter it selfe for the concluding of the controuersies of the Latine and Greeke Churches is made an instrument of a vnion Laetentur coeli wherein they agree on both sides That the holie Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne That the Sacrament may be indifferently made of leauened or vnleauened bread That the soules of the faithfull that haue not yet satisfied for their sinnes goe to Purgatorie That the Pope of Rome is Head of the vniuersall Christian Church All which articles the Greeke Emperor causeth to be approued by the most part of his hoping he should haue assistance against the Turkes But Michael Bishop of Ephesus with some others doth euer withstand the same reiecting especially the two later Which is more when Ioseph Archbishop of Constantinople was dead Eugenius would haue them proceed before him to the chusing of another promising against his disposition to ordaine him without money yea to giue them some if need were and to depose him that did obtaine with him the place of Patriarch which he would not doe if they deferred his election till they came into their countrey The Greekes perceiuing whereto he tended namely that he might enter possession of the supreme power in the Church by that meanes and that with their consent answer him with one accord That their Patriarch cannot bee by their laws chosen any where else than at Constantinople That it is their custom he should be chosen and consecrated in his owne Church That the Emperour who was not ignorant of these ceremonies would not suffer it to bee otherwise Which the Pope vnderstanding Concisium Florent Sess vltim though much against his mind with gracious words he let them depart Now they were no sooner returned into their countrey but they were reiected of their Churches in this especially that they had admitted the supreme authoritie of the Pope of Rome whose pride being more neerely looked into they at last refute it in their writings published notwithstanding that he had endeuoured to bind vnto him some of the best learned as Isidore Bishop of Russia and Bessarion Bishop of Nicea to whom he had giuen a Cardinalls hat which he chose rather to weare in Italie than in Greece And from that time forth were by the Popes neglected the affaires of Greece and abandoned to the furie of Infidels But it is in no wise here to be omitted That during the time that Eugenius held his Councell partly at Ferrara and partly at Florence hee published diuers writings against that Decree of Basil That a Councell is aboue the Pope in which he did not sticke to affirme That so farre was it off that he ought to obey generall Councels that then he most merited when he contemned the Decrees of the Councell and which is more he declareth this proposition to be hereticall The Councell is aboue the Pope although both then and euer since it was held and affirmed by all the Vniuersities of Christendome Whence it came that whilest the Roman Church sayd she is superior to all other Churches and the Roman Bishop to all other bishops by this decree of Eugenius should the Bishop of Rome be made superiour or of higher authoritie than the Vniuersall Church and consequently that pretended infallibilitie of the Church shold be deriued not now to the Romish Church but to one onely man which is the highest degree of Antichrist in the Church according to that of S. Augustine in his booke of the citie of God August de Ciuitate Dei l. 18. cap. 2. That Antichrist should not onely sit in Templo Dei in the Temple of God but as Saint Paule hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Templum into the Temple as if he himselfe were the Temple it selfe he alone the Church In the meane time let the Reader judge of that Infallabilitie of the Church represented in a Councel by these Councels which at one same time and in one same matter doe decree things directly contrarie As touching the affaires of the Bohemians for which particularly the Empeperour Sigismund had so instantly requested the Councell the most part of the Churches terrified with the perfidious treacherie vsed towards Iohn Hus and Hierome of Prague refused to send any one thither but the principall of the Nobilitie ouer-ruled the matter that some should appeare for to render a reason of the innouation in religion imputed vnto them So soone as they came thither they were receiued verie curteously by Cardinall Iulian the Legat who was not yet called backe Then in the Councell he maketh an Oration wherein he bringing in the Church of Rome speaking to them in his words and attributing to it selfe alone all that is spoken in holie Scripture concerning the Church the Spouse of Christ and presupposing that which is chiefely in question flattereth himselfe in this perpetual Elenche Sheweth that in her power are the keyes of the kingdome of heauen That she is without spot or wrinkle That whosoeuer departed from her was an Heathen and a Publican That the decrees of Councels are her decrees which are no lesse to be beleeued than the Gospels seeing they giue authoritie to the Scriptures To this the Bohemians in few words That they despised neither the Church nor Councels that they had beene condemned at Constance without being heard Oratio Iulian. Cardinal Legati in Append. Concilij Basiliens notwithstanding that they affirmed nothing but by the holie Scriptures and then they propound their Articles And on both sides were chosen such as shold enter into conference The disputation lasted fiftie dayes and after many spent on this side and on that it was thought best to leaue Theologicall questions and prouide for the Common wealth and to send some thither who hauing made search how matters stood might compound with them Here was the policie To permit the Communiō vnder both kinds to such as in other things would submit themselues to the Councell and proceeded with all rigour to the rest that embraced not the same condition These were the auntient Waldenses and their Disciples who requested that the Church might be reformed in most of the Articles which are conteined in their and our confessions who for this cause suffered much both by the warres that Sigismund made vpon them and by the diuision and back-sliding of their companions Yet doe we see their Churches outliue so many miseries vntill these times consist and continue most flourishing and largely propagated As touching the Fathers of the Councell of Basill they seeme to be somewhat ashamed of that Decreee of Constance concerning the Communion vnder both kinds And whereas they of
vniuersall authoritie both of Councels and of the Church it selfe to the person of the Pope alone Eugenius in the Councell of Florence Pius the second in his eloquent bull on that matter and others afterward it followeth that the Pope is exalted aboue the holie Scriptures yea aboue God himselfe and is therfore to be accounted for him of whom the Apostle speaketh 2. Thes 2. He exalteth himselfe against all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he sitteth in the Temple of God as God who dare correct God alter the sence of his word after his owne pleasure commoditie And thus Reader thou seest how this Mysterie of Iniquitie still aduaunceth forward OPPOSITION The precedent progression is intermixed with so many and mightie oppositions that there seemeth to be no need of any other notwithstanding as sighes encrease according to the euill so in this place aboundeth vnto vs verie manie The Emperour Sigismund had framed certaine Articles of reformation to be exhibited to the Councell of Constance diuers others also in diuers Nations had conceiued also some patternes M. Peter de Alliaco Cardinal of Cambray is particularly commaunded to write these things for to shew them to the Councel in the yere 1415 An. 1415. the first of Nouember foure monthes after that Iohn the foure and twentieth had renounced the Popedome the Seat being vacant two yeres before Martin was chosen to succeed during which space this matter of reformation seemed fittest of all to be thought vpon The Preface of his discourse is by a place of S. Bernard vpon the Canticles Sermon 33. A rotten vlcer spreadeth it selfe at this day ouer all the bodie of the Church so much the more desperat by how much the more it is farre and wide extended and by how much the more it is inward so much the more it is dangerous For if an heretike enemie should openly arise he might be cast out and so wither if a violent enemie she might perhaps hide her selfe from him but now whom shal she cast out or from whom shall she hide her selfe All are friends and all enemies c. they are the minister of Christ and serue Antichrist c. The wound of the Church is inward and incurable therfore in peace her bitternesse is most bitter And this place haue we aboue alledged at length out of which he draweth this conclusion Seeing that the Church from henceforth was fallen from euill to worse vnlesse betimes it be looked to and preuented after the horrible darknesse of so many schismes much more horride things were in very few daies to be expected He prosecuteth afterwards by degrees those things that he thinketh doe belong to reformation of the vniuersall body of the Church First That it is necessarie there shold be eftsoons held generall and Prouinciall Councels for the correction of abuses especially generall which can with greater authoritie correct both all sorts of persons and all things Neither are we to expect remedie from the Church of Rome as if it were able to satisfie all cases that fall out Many saith he suspect that she hath dissembled these things and for this cause hath neglected the holding of Councels that she might the more fully beare dominion according to her owne lust and pleasure and vsurpe the more freely the rights and prerogatiues of other Churches That before the time of Constantine because the Church might not with free libertie hold Councels it hath fallen into diuers heresies therefore no maruell if in these later times through neglect of Councels it fall into diuers schismes and innumerable other euils ad haereses disponentia which dispose it to heresies That generall Councels are first of all necessary for the reformation of the body of the Church Dist 19. C. Anastas ibid. Glossa Archid dist 15. especially of the Roman which is de arduis pertinentibus ad fidem difficult in things pertaining to faith in as much as that which the Glosse saith That the Pope ought to require a Councel when matters of faith is debated is not to be referred onely to the articles of faith but to those things that belong to the state of the faithfull Church whereas otherwise it would be too dangerous a thing to commit our faith to the judgement and fancie of one man alone Lastly that now if euer was a fit opportunitie either to procure the vnion of the Greekes with the Latines or to represse the designements of the Turks who after they haue rent and torne in peeces the Empire will with all violence rush vpon the Church and so make way for Antichrist And already saith he many very godly deuout men not without cause doe feare praesentialiter presently both the one and the other ruine namely of the Empire by the Turks and of the Church by Antichrist 2. For the reformation of the Court of Rome That for the auoiding of schismes which proceed from the factions of the Cardinals it is sufficient to haue of euery each Prouince but one onely Cardinall Also that the Pope ought to prouide remedies cut off the grieuous burdens wherwith the Roman Church oppresseth other Churhces seeing that the Greeke Church is alienated from it because of her exactions excommunications and statutes and that to take away those exactions it were meet she should abate of her pompe of her excesse and of the number of the Cardinals Excommunications which after the example of the Primitiue Church for to make them the more to be feared ought not come forth but for graue and weightie causes whereas in these dayes they are thundered forth for verie light and for the most part temporall causes and the Anathemaes themselues whereupon they are growne into contempt with all men That there be a meane vsed in Statutes Canons and Decrees which oblige to mortall paines and of which may be said that of our Lord to the Pharisies They lay burdens on mens shoulders which they wold not touch with the top of the finger And this article reached very farre 3. For the Prelats That they should be chosen capable in doctrine exemplarie in manners resident in their charges moderat in diet and expence abstaining from corporall armes from secular affaires cutting off all simonie That it was necessarie to declare that many obseruations are of that kind that they are rather counsels than precepts He bringeth for example Lent to be moderated out of the circumstances the Seruice to be abridged to a deuout and entire breuitie the varietie of Images in Churches to be repressed a meane and bounds to be set in new Holidayes Churches and Saints on Sondayes and solemne feasts onely to abstaine from labour and out of the Diuine Seruice to banish and put forth all Apocripha Scriptures new prayers and to be short all nouelties 4. For religious persons That their great number and diuersitie is altogether pernitious whilest the one boasteth and is proud in his Rule against the other aboue all
the Bishops to be there and the other exhorting them to their duetie and commaunding the Lay-men to be present Ibid. c. 15. And that indeed the Pope chalengeth not the conuocation of them to himselfe alone but affirmeth that it ought not to be held without his authoritie yet so as that the Emperour in case the Pope bee negligent in it may and ought to commaund and assigne a Councell praeceptiuè with authoritie That the Emperour did euer sit chiefe in them assisted with fifteene or twentie of the greatest Noblemen of his Court to whom he commaunded place to be giuen Ibid. c. 16. 20 yea he himselfe also and his Lieutenants propounded such things as seemed to make for the peace and profit of the Church That whatsoeuer the Church possesseth in temporall things is come from the benefits of Emperours Kings and Princes Jbid. c. 21. 28. 30. Dist 63. c. in Synodo who to cloath him haue stripped themselues And here he exclaimeth What doe the temporalties of Churches profit the Commonwealth what the Empire what the subiects Surely little or nothing Otho was enioyned to giue the inuestitures of Bishops without money Wee haue seene whether the Pope hath taken away from the Emperour the sole inuestiture because the Bishop of Rome hath not onely drawne to himselfe the meere inuestiture without receiuing money but also onely for money so that throughout all Germanie all complaine that they are not onely grieuously burdened but euen destroyed An enraged desire after the earthly possessions of the Church at this day possesseth ambitious Bishops so that wee see them seeke after those things after they are promoted as they did before all their care is for temporall things none of sprituall Such was not the intention of the Emperours their will was not that the temporall things that they gaue them for their further maintenance should swallow vp the spirituall Of the Cardinall de Alliaco we haue seene what Articles of reformation he exhibited in the Councell of Constance And in the Preface he saith he hath written more concerning that matter Petrus de Alliaco in Encomio Theologico Jdem in conclusionibus But in his Encomium Theologicum expounding these words Vpon this rocke will I build my Church vpon Christ and his word saith he As also in his conclusions he tieth the Church to the holie Scripture maintayneth that the Church of Rome may erre and taketh away the temporall Monarchie from the Pope Panormitan de Electionib c. signific Likewise Panormitan though the champion of Eugenius in the Councell of Basil A priuat faithfull man is more to be beleeued alledging reason or authoritie out of the Scripture than all a Councell or than the Pope himselfe because a Councell may erre as at other times they haue erred c. Also hee concealeth not That the Popes in his age liued in such sort that they made it euidently appeare that they beleeued not there was another life after this resurrection or judgement Against the luxurie also pride and tyrannie of the Pope and his Clergie is extant a booke of one Alain Chartier Secretarie to king Charles the seuenth which saith That he expected euerie day when a thunder-bolt would fall from heauen on the Roman Church But Thomas of Redon a Carmelite and famous Preacher durst doe yet more Antonin part 3. Tit. 22. ca. 10. he had euer in his mouth the abominations of Rome which had need of great reformation He saith Antoninus when he had for many yeares preached through Fraunce with verie great concourse of people making good motions vnto good though not according to knowledge he commeth to Rome with the Embassadours of the Venetians by whom he is recommended to the Pope But by the Popes commaund he was apprehended at the instigation and instance of William d'Estouteuille Cardinall of Rouan then Vice-Chauncellour and of the Proctour of the order of the Carmelites and as an Apostate was solemnely degraded and burned Monstrelet commendeth his pietie and holinesse Monstrelet volu 1. Baptista Mantuan lib. de vita beata cap. vltimo Mantuan also in his Booke De vita beata so that he bringeth him in as a true Martyr of Christ in whose heart was resident the auntient feruencie of faith whom enuie by manifest in justice deliuered to the cruel fire I make no doubt saith he but that the flames of this man may be compared to the fire not of Scaeuola but of S. Lawrence There are also read verses in his praise in which are celebrated his holinesse myracles and martyrdome among which are these that follow Nicholaus Harlemens in Collectaueis Lippis Lux oculis nocuit non substinuere Viuere tam sanctum foeda Romana cohors Their poor-blind eyes could not endure the light Nor filthie Rome that holie man in sight Antonin part 3. Tit. 22. cap. 7. parag 8. And almost the like had happened a little before to Manfred of Verfeil Manfred saith Antoninus a man of venerable life religious of the order of Preachers was learned and feared God he preaching in the parts of Lombardie led by I know not what spirit told the people That the comming of Antichrist was neere and as if he were to be in his time he brought in for this his reasons out of the Scriptures chiefely out of the Apocalyps c. He gathered together therefore about foure hundred persons of euerie age and sex and Pope Martin would haue dissolued this assemblie but he could not doe it because their conuersation had gained a good opinion among all men though he forbad any thing to bee giuen them that through need they might be compelled to returne home They come then to Bononia Florence and at last to Rome where verie many of them died expecting the manifestation of Antichrist but saith Antoninus without seeing him he should rather haue sayd without knowing him And Manfred some time after died at Rome vnder Eugenius who commaunded Frier Barnardine that monster of superstition to write against him And Manfred on the other side reproued his superstitious doctrine in many points In our Fraunce Charles the seuenth in the yeare 1438 Paulus Aemilius in Carol. 7. Epist ad Episcop Lauzanens in volum Concil in Appendice Concil Basiliens commaunded a Councell of the French Church to be held at Bourges in which vnder the title of the Pragmaticall sanction was read and approued the acts of the Councell of Basil and by this the collations of the benefices of Fraunce and appeales to Rome were cut off Whereunto belongeth an Epistle which we haue in the Councels directed to the bishop of Lauzanne with which were sent vnto him the decisions of this Councell by him whom the Councel of Bourges had sent Embassador to Rome He signifieth to the bishop of Lauzanne that he hath in charge with one consent from the French Church that whatsoeuer the Pope endeauours to the contrarie he should in no wise
it for which it had need to be commended It was apparant that hee required it not for desire of good worke but for couetousnesse In comming therfore to speake their opinions the Cardinall de Porto who was next to the Cardinall of Hostia I feare Holie Father saith he that verie shortly we shall heare that al the Abbayes in France will be in Commenda so that there will not any remain that hath an Abbot for whatsoeuer we ordayne there is nothing else but Commenda's That kingdome will one day when we least looke for it rise against vs and not beeing able to endure our vnprofitable ministerie will attempt some great matter against thy seat The Pope approued his iudgement and added That from the Popedome of Calixtus till that day he thought there were more than fiue hundred Monasteries giuen in Commenda that is in lesse than nine yeares And yet in his Epitaph among his triumphes is obserued this exploit Platina in Pio 2 Pragmaticam in Gallia abrogauit hee abolished the Pragmaticall sanction Wherefore Pius beeing dead who in foure yeares space had taught Fraunce sufficiently what great dammages would ensue thereupon complaints for the Pragmaticall sanction are redoubled whereupon the king commaunded his Court of Parliament to set downe vnto him in writing the causes of this complaint which it did and deliuered them vnto him againe in eightie sixe Articles vnder this Title For the libertie of the French Church against the Court of Rome The principal Articles are the 14 15 16 17 18 in these words Whereas many things had been decreed in the holie Councels of Constance and Basill consonant or agreeable to the auntient Canons and to the royall ordinances abouesayd King Charles the seuenth the king who then was Dolphin being present together with the Princes of the bloud Royall the Prelats and the Colledges Ecclesiasticall and Scholasticall and in the hearing of the Embassadours both of the Pope of Rome and of the holie vniuersall Councell at length he receiued those Decrees and confirmed them by his Edict which commonly wee call Pragmaticall And these things were done a Bourges in the yeare 1438. This sanction therefore was euer held to be of so much the more authoritie because it had the originall from the holie Councels in which the Pope or his Legat sat President For there had beene neuer any law made in Fraunce before that time which had authoritie and force from the vniuersall Church 16. From that time forth the kingdome better prospered and had greater authoritie and glorie than ever before and more plentie and abundance of all things Guienne and Normandie can witnesse what terrour it was to the enemies out of which places they were expulsed and cast out 17. The obseruation of this sanction dured the space of twentie and three yeares and now since hath ceased these foure yeares When in the meane time men of excellent probitie and grauitie haue gouerned and ruled the Churches without molestation and disturbance of which some for the singular sanctitie of their liues after their decease were had in reputation for miracles as Michaell Bishop of Anger 's the Archbishop of Arles and many others 18. Contrariwise of the abrogation of these Canons Decrees and Constitutions innumerable inconueniences would arise which seeme may be referred to foure kinds Those same which were obserued in the admonition afore mentioned But the king being troubled either with continuall warres or with suspitions from time to time put off the businesse to a generall assemblie Yet saith Monstrelet in the yeare 1467 Paule the second being Pope Monstrelet es Chronologiques the king graunted his letters to his Legat being come from Rome in the moneth of September for the abrogation of the Pragmaticall sanction which were exhibited and published in the Chastellet of Paris without any contradiction or disturbance But he addeth on the first day of October following M. Iohn Balue who after was Cardinall came to the hall of the Palace royall at Paris to procure the publication of the same in Court Where he findeth M. Iohn de Saint Romain the kings Atturney generall who verie stoutly opposed himselfe against the execution of the said letters whereat Balue was verie much displeased Balue threateneth him That the king would not be well content with it and would displace him from his office But he despising his threats answered That the king might take away his office from him yet neuerthelesse he was resolued rather to lose it than he would either doe or suffer to be done any thing against his conscience or to the detriment and dishonour of the king and kingdome And to Balue he said That he might blush for shame for hauing vndertaken the dispatch of such a businesse And after that the Rector of the Vniuersitie of Paris and the Deputies of the same came to the Legat himselfe and appealed from him and from the effect of his said letters to the Councell and in whatsoeuer place it should be made They also went to the Chastelet where they requested that their opposition might be inregistred there These are the words of Monstrelet and it is not to be omitted That this Iohn Balua being Bishop of Eureux was made a Cardinall and a little after conuicted of treason against the king and kingdome The yeare following one M. Iohn Loyre by vertue of certaine Bulls from the Pope interdicted the citie and Diocesse of Niuers vsing the authoritie of the Officiall of Besanson But by the sentence of the Court it was decreed the twelfth of December at the suit of the kings Atturney generall and of M. Peter Chartres Doctor and Professor of Diuinitie in the Vniuersitie of Paris That notwithstanding the Interdict the Diuine Seruice should be continued and the Churchmen compelled vnto it being by the kings power set into their temporalties That also the said Loire and Officiall should be layd hold on and be held to procure at their owne charges the abrogation of the Bulls Neither wanted there in all places some who in the middest of the tyrannie powred forth their sighes euen before the Popes Dominicus Bishop of Brescia in Italie wrot a Treatise which he directed to Pius the second and intituled it The Reformation of the Court of Rome truely mild ynough according to the times and yet sometime not without a sting If saith he we consider the former Popes and their Acts the Cardinalls the Bishops Protonotaries and other Prelats Penitentiaries Subdeanes Auditors Clerkes of the Chamber Acolythes or vnder ministers Chamberlains Aduocates Proctors and others appointed in diuers degrees and offices wee shall surely weepe with Ieremie Lament 4. Oh how is the gold become so dimme the most fine gold is changed the stones of the Sanctuarie that is the Prelats are scattered in the corner of euerie street that is of the broad wayes which lead to destruction in the corners whereof they are as Gregorie expoundeth it Her Nazarites were purer than snow and whiter
it was afterwards printed by it selfe at Basil in 8o. in Italian Latine French The title of the booke is Francisci Guicciardini loci duo c. which it were not labour lost to read Baptista Mantuanus a Carmelite a man famous for his learning in those times in many places but especially in his ninth Eclogue freely describeth the state of the Church of Rome in his time which he saith was in such sort degenerated that the shepheards and their dogs were become rauening wolues and those whom they should feed and defend they deuoured But let that which he hath in his third booke of Calamities be to vs in stead of the rest Petrique domus pollûta fluente Marcescit luxu nulla hîc arcanareuelo Non ignota loquor licet vulgata referre Sic Vrbes populique ferunt sic fama per omnem Iam vetus Europam mores extirpat honestos Sanctus ager scurris venerabilis ara Cynaedis Seruit honor andae Divum Ganimedibus Aedes Quid miramur opes recidiuaque surgere tecta Thuris odorati globulos cinnama vendit Mollis Arabs Tirij vestes venalia nobis Templa Sacerdotes Altaria sacra Coronae Ignis Thura preces coelum est venale Deusque And Peters house defil'd pines with excesse I name not things vnknowne nor secrets I rehearse Things common let me speake all countries say the same Yea through all the parts of Europe it is the same That honestie from Rome is fled that holie place Serues jeasters buggerers the Altars doe disgrace The houses of the gods with Ganimedes are fild Why doe we admire their wealth the houses they build Arabia Frankincense and Cinamon sells The Tirians goodlie garments Rome all things else Temples and Priests Altars and Crownes they fell for pelfe Fire Frankincense prayers heauen and God himselfe And all this in Italie Neither were they silent in Germany for it is noted that about these times the prouerbes were verie common The neerer to Rome the worse Christian In the name of God begins all mischiefe for this was the beginning of their Bulls He that goes once to Rome sees the man of sinne he that goes twice knowes him hee that goes thrice brings him home with him that is to say being neere the man of sinne is made like him But among the learned many haue left behind them a good testimonie of their conscience Iohn of Vesalia a Doctor and Preacher at Wormes was accused before the Inquisitors for holding these propositions That Prelats haue no authoritie to ordaine new lawes in the Church but to persuade the faithfull to the obseruation of the Gospell That the best interpreters of the Scriptures expound one place by another because men obtaine not the spirit of Christ but by the spirit of Christ That the Doctors be they neuer so holy are not to be beleeued for themselues and the Glosse as little That the commaundements of the Church bind not to sinne That the elect are saued by the onely mercie of God That the Popes Indulgences are vaine and so are the Chrisme Lent difference of meats holie-dayes auricular confession pilgrimages to Rome c. But for as much as he impugned the opinions of Thomas the Frier-Preachers who were of the Inquisition were moued against him Diether also Archbishop of Meniz to auoyd that suspition of heresie the Pope had of him was enforced to yeeld vnto them in so much that without any respect of his yeares or his long sicknesse they proceeded against him whereby he was enforced to reuoke his opinions He that writ his examination which bare date the yeare 1479 saith and takes God to witnesse That he was compelled to that recantation that he made and the burning of his bookes Examen Magistrate Iohannis de Vesalia Moguntia 1479. M. Engeline of Brunswic a great Diuine and M. Iohn Keiserberg withstanding it both men learned and free addicted to neither part especially it seemed to M. Iohn Engeline that they had taken too precipitat a course with so great a personage yea he feared not to affirme that most of his articles yea the greatest part might verie well be defended There are many bookes of his extant and among the rest a Treatise of Indulgences where he peremptorily affirmeth That the supremacie of the Pope is a humane inuention That the Church militant may erre That all things necessarie to saluation are contained in the Scriptures There liued at the same time but somewhat younger Doctor Wesellus of Groning called The Light of the world who in a certaine Epistle of his saith That he did expect that the Inquisitors hauing condemned Vesalius would haue come vnto him hauing defended his opinion both at Paris and at Rome against diuers articles of the Church of Rome And he feareth not to say That many of the Court approued it though it differed not much from the opinion of the Waldenses as we may gather by his writings Iohan. Wesellus de subditis superioribus In his booke of Subiects and Superiors he affirmeth That the Pope can erre and that erring we ought to resist him That by his simonie and wicked gouernement he made it to appeare that he had no care either of God or the good of the Church That his commands bind no farther than they are agreeable to the word of God That his excommunications are no more to be feared than those of any other learned and godlie man for so did the Councell of Constance hearken rather to Iohn Gerson than Iohn the 24 and all good and godlie men to S. Bernard sometime than to Pope Eugenius the third Philip. Melancton in vita Rodolfi Agricolae His workes are to be read printed by pieces at Leipsic Antuerpe Basill Also in this countrie his familiar friend Rodolphus Agricola was verie famous a man worthily accounted one of the lights of this darke age who was of the same opinion And Iosquin of Groning then yong witnesseth That he had often seene them both send forth many a sigh and grone to thinke of the doctrine of the Church so much deformed Gocchius Pupperus a Priest and Curat of Malin in Brabant taught the same reformed doctrine almost in all the Articles especially in that of the free justification of a sinner by the bloud of Christ rejecting all the glosses of Sophisters and Schole men betaking himselfe wholly to the Scriptures and namely to that which S. Paule teacheth vs That those interpretations which they commonly alledge differ from the word of God and smel of the heresie of Pelagian That they haue turned Christianitie into Iudaisme and Pharisaisme His bookes are Printed in Germanie namely Of grace faith the dignitie of the holie Scriptures and others In the Vniuersitie of Tubingue Paulus Scriptoris a Doctour in Diuinitie expounding the fourth booke of the Master of sentences openly condemned transubstantiation as not being grounded vpon the holie Scriptures whom the Augustinians the Disciples of Iohn Stauffich Prouinciall followed with diuers
Constance sayd Although Christ hath instituted the holie Supper vnder both kinds c. Yet notwithstanding c. These of Basill say hauing well examined the Diuine Scriptures and the doctrines of the holie Fathers That the faithfull of the Laitie or of the Clergie communicating are not bound by the commaundement of the Lord to receiue the Sacrament of the Eucharist vnder both kinds of bread and wine altering and wresting the decision beside the purpose whereas indeed the Bohemians complayned not that they were constrained to a whole Communion by the Romish Church but that they were excluded from it And what greater necessitie can there be to a Christian man than to sticke vnto the precept and prescript rule of his Sauiour These are euer their subtile deceits Lastly this Councel of Basil had forbidden to exact or pay Annates vnder pain of Simonie Eugenius who willingly wold loose nothing complaineth as of an iniurie done to the Church That this could not neither ought to haue beene done without hauing first consulted with Eugenius and his Colledge of Cardinals Respons factae per Domin Anton Auditorem pro parte Eugenij If any pretended abuses in them they ought to haue prouided against them without priuation of the substance that so Iustice and peace might meet each other euidently abusing the Scriptures For said he whence shall the Apostolike See defray charges in prouiding for the necessities and commodities of the vniuersal Church and for those things that belong vnto peace and the extirpation of heresies and errors And with the same reason ouerthroweth he that which they had ordained concerning indulgences election causes and vacations of Scribes and Abbreuiators of the Court of Rome and other like pillages And this was not the least cause why he would dissolue the Councell An Authour of those times not to be suspected saith That he was so prodigall of Indulgences that the Englishmen Thomas Gascoigne in Dictionario Theologico who perceiued it commonly sayd Rome commeth now to our gates The church of Rome is a great harlot for now she prostituteth herselfe to euerie one that offereth money And all being full of pardons the Popes negotiators at length gaue indulgences for a supper for a lodging for a draught of wine or beere for tennis play and sometime for brothelrie or leacherie We are not to omit that Eugenius who from the time of Martin his predecessour had accustomed himselfe to warfare and all the time of his Popedome had beene entangled in warre made such a wound in Christendome as hath bled euer since Vladislaus king of Hungarie had made peace with the Turke Eugenius sendeth vnto him Cardinall Iulian who promising vnto him some succours and a Nauie at Sea to stay and incumber the enemies persuadeth him to breake that peace seeing that it could not subsist with the enemies of Christ without his commaundement whereupon ensueth a bloudie battaile in which the Turkes had the victorie Aeneas Syluius l. 1. Epist 81. for to shew vs saith Aeneas Siluius after Pope Pius the second That oaths ought to be kept not onely with the domestick friends of faith but also with the enemies thereof In that battaile was slaine king Vladislaus a patterne of singular valour and of renowned Nobilitie Cardinall Iulian was wounded and in his retiring is slayne of the Christians themselues as Author of this miserable discomfiture by the desloyaltie of which he was instrument And from this misfortune arose others without end and without number so daungerous is it for any to enterprise any thing against faithfulnesse and beyond his vocation Memorable against perfidious persons Bonfinij Hist Hungar. Dec. 1. lib. 6. is that which we read in the Hungarian Historie When Amurath beheld his armie put to flight by king Vladislaus not without great slaughter pulling forth of his bosome the Articles of peace solemnely sworne vnfoldeth it and lifting vp his eyes stedfastly vnto heauen saith These are O Iesu Christ the couenants of peace which thy Christians haue made with me they haue holily sworne by thy Diuine Maiestie and haue violated the faith giuen in thy name they haue perfidiously denied their God Now O Christ if thou be God I beseech the reuenge here these thine iniuries mine and to them that as yet acknowledge not thy name shew the punishment of violated faith Scarcely had he said these words who expected the last of extremities against himselfe when the battell which before had beene doubtfull enclined towards his side c. This happened in the yeare 1444 An. 1444. from which time the state of Christendome could neuer well recouer it selfe More our the Councell of Basill or at leastwise they which in their name wrot against the Bohemians on their part set forward the progresse of abomination For when those Churches had determined not to admit any doctrine that was not grounded on holie Scripture Cardinal Cusan was charged by letters to confound them with this Axiome which they were not ashamed to maintaine That the Scriptures can by no meanes be of the essence of the Church either begun or continued but onely of the seemely order thereof Item That the Church is not knowne by the Gospell but the Gospell by the Church Item That so much the more worthily is the word of God giuen of God by how much the farther off it is from all Scripture yea and from all vocall word That by this reason he might reduce all things to the Church which they call Catholike from the Catholike to the Roman and at last draw them from the Roman to their Councell And when those Churches replied That that was not the mind nor voyce of the auntient Church which had otherwise celebrated the holie Eucharist and had in another sence interpreted the Scripture than now in these dayes it is Cardinal Cusanus Epist 2 3. ad Bohemos Let not this moue thee saith he that in diuers times diuerse are the ceremonies of Priests and that the Scriptures be found applied to the time and diuersly vnderstood so that in one time they be expounded according to the vniuersall ceremonie then currant but the ceremonie being changed the sence thereof again is changed Wherfore although of the same precept of the Gospel the interpretation of the Church be other than in times past yet this sence now currant in vse inspired for the gouernement of the Church ought to be receiued as befitting the time and as the way to saluation The reason followeth because the iudgement of the Church being changed the iudgement also of God is changed And by this accoūt whether it be their Church or their Councell it is not onely extolled aboue the holie Scripture but also aboue God himselfe who is held if we beleeue them to change his counsell after their pleasure of which doctrine truely euen the Iewes in their Thalmud and the Turkes in their Alcoran would be ashamed And when afterwards the Popes haue reduced the