mine owne eies touching me out of heauen vnder which I knew I was cleansed from leprosie For who séeth not that this inuention is of the same sort whereof those be which we read euerywhere in the booke of the Conformities of Francis or in the life of Dominick The ninth bicause it is not likely that pope Syluester and his deacons would be so improuident that they would baptize Constantine a most deadly enimie to Christians and especially to the church of Rome so soone and suddenly after he had told them his dreame and would not first teach him the mysteries of Christ and religion as they vse to do to those whom they catechize Moreouer Zosimus an enimie to Christian religion as I said reporteth that he was taught that religion by a certaine Spaniard and learned how great the force therof was in blotting out mens sinnes and that then he banished out of his court soothsaiers and flamines and other priests of the Romish superstitions The tenth bicause principall authors and historiographers do witnes that Constantine onely a little before his death and in the yéere of his age 65. was baptized and that not at Rome neither yet by Syluester the pope who was dead almost fiue yéeres before but at Nicomedia by Eusebius of Nicomedia in a great assemblie of bishops Thus writeth Eusebius in his fourth booke of his life Hierome in his Chronicles Rufinus in his first booke and eleuenth chapter Socrates in his first book chapter 39. Theodoret in his first booke chapter 31. Ambrose in his booke of the death of Theodosius Neither must we giue credence to Nicephorus who in his seuenth booke 35. chapter when he writeth that he was baptized at Rome addeth afterward that he followeth the church of Rome therein as his authour Especiallie séeing Vincentius in his 24. booke of histories feared not to write according to S. Hierome that Constantine did truellie murder his wife Fausta and his son Crispus and that in the later end of his life he was baptized by Eusebius bishop of Nicomedia The eleuenth bicause it is not likelie if Constantine had appointed to cure his disease with the warme blood of infants either that he would haue their throtes cut openlie by the priests of the Capitolium or that he néeded so much blood that a whole cesterne might be filled therewith No more credible is that that Constantine did so long oppugne christian religion but that he had hard somwhat of Peter and Paul most famous Apostles of Christ and that he was not so vnskilfull in christian affaires that after he was raised out of that dreame he should aske of Siluester what gods they were that were called Peter and Paul for though he had learned nothing saue the vision only it is not likely that Peter Paul did boast themselues before him for gods The thirtéenth bicause it had bin a wicked thing to haue acknowledged that he had receiued the benefite of his health rather at the hands of Peter who was Gods messenger than from God himselfe from whom Peter was sent to him Secondly to Peter alone rather than to Peter Paul iointly For he vseth these words And by the benefits of the same Peter I felt the health of my bodie returne most fully and perfectly Also that is more absurde that is written that Constantine hauing fiue sons did notwithstanding according to the sentence of all his dukes which word is altogither new geason and vnused in the lawes and moniments of the emperors of Rome and of his whole senate and nobles and of all the people that was in subiection to the Romane empire gaue halfe his empire to a seelie poore priest séeing al men know that the senate of Rome retained their countrey superstitions not onely at that time but also vntill the empire of Valentinian which we vnderstand by the epistle of Simmachus writtē to the emperors Valentinian Theodosius and Arcadius * wherein in the Lib. 10. Epist. 54. name of the senate of Rome he praieth them that superstition and worshipping of Idols may be restored againe in the citie of Rome whom S. Ambrose in two epistles written to the same emperor Valentinian and Aurelius Prudentius in godly and fine verses answereth As absurd is it and altogither vnméete for a christian bishop which followeth that Constantine did not onely giue power equall with his imperiall power to pope Syluester but also greater principalitie of power than saith he our princely soueraigntie is knowne of all men to haue And shortlie after Giuing him power and dignitie of glorie strength efficacie and honor imperiall Touching which matter and the ambition of the popes it is woorth the paines to heare the iudgement of Barnard abbat of Clareuall written to Eugenius the pope in his second booke of consideration Learne saith he by the example of the prophets to sit as chiefe not so much to beare rule as to do that which time requireth Learne that thou hast need of a weedhook not of a scepter that thou maist do the worke of a prophet Also Admit thou dost take these things thy self by som other meanes yet not by apostolike right For Peter could not giue thee that he had not that he had he gaue carefulnes for the churches Did he giue lordship Heare what he saith Not as ouer Gods heritage but being a patterne to the flock And least thou think it to be spoken onely in humilitie and not in truth it is the voice of the Lord in the Gospell The kings of the nations reign ouer thē but you shal not do so It is plain the apostles are forbidden lordship Therfore go thou vsurpe greedilie to thy selfe either lording it apostleship or being apostolike lordship Thou art flatlie forbidden to do either If thou wilt haue both togither thou shalt loose both No more tollerable is it that he addeth that he giueth to the pope of Rome principalitie ouer foure principall seas of Antiochia Alexandria Constantinople and Hierusalem Wherein we finde not onely manifest but also ridiculous falsehoode First bicause there was not as yet anie Constantinople which began to be builded afterward in the tenth yéere of the empire of Constantine as Nicephorus witnesseth * Lib. 8. cap. 4. and all the citizens were for the most part giuen to idolatrie at that time So far off is it that there was there either any church or any mother-citie of the churches or prerogatiue Also that is lesse tollerable that followeth that the pope of Rome is placed ouer all churches in the whole world For I omit that which we shewed in another place that this is a most true most certain mark of antichrist whē any man taketh to himselfe principality ouer al churches But we plainly sée notorious madnes of the popes in this place which also we touched briefly in another place séeing they auouch out of this instrument that they had that principalitie by the gift of Constantine which notwithstanding in infinite other
and blasphemous verse in the beginning of the same booke Francisce Iesu typice dux normáque minorum Sedes nobis perpetuè da regni coelorum Francis whom Typicall Iesus we call The captaine and rule of Minorites all Grant vs in heauen places perpetuall And now that euery one may vnderstand what maner marking that was which the church of Rome setteth downe to be beléeued of all the faithfull it is woorth the pains to marke the very words of the writer or rather of our Frier pope Sixtus which hath decréed that that writer be beléeued and reuerenced commonly For he saith * Not onelie his hands and feet were bored Fol. 228. but also nailed so that the nailes might be seene in them Againe the heads of the nailes were blacke whereas notwithstanding they should haue beene like to the flesh or sinewes whereof they were made thirdly the heads of the nailes were very long and turned backe againe wheras notwithstanding there was neither hammer nor stroke fourthly the marks were imprinted in a bonie place and not in any soft place fiftly though the nailes were fleshie or sinowie yet were they hard as iron strong solid sixtlie the nailes themselues were not short hauing onely tops or heads but they were long and went through seauentlie the nailes did not sticke out on the other side but they turned backe so that you might thrust your finger in vnder the crooke and bent thereof eightlie though the nailes were made of flesh or nerues and were bent on both sides of his feet and hands and were longer than they were thicke truely neither his handes nor his feete were disfigured or drawen togither ninthlie the nailes were on euery side seperate from the other flesh so that there were tents put in on euerie side to stay the blood tenthlie the nailes did wag and yet they could not be remooued from his handes or feete though S. Clare and others had assaied to do this eleuently the markes of the nailes and of his side during this long time were not putrified namely for the space of two yeeres and vpward tweltfthlie the wound of his side was like the wound of Christs side Moreouer it was a woonder how S. Francis seeing his paine was so great by reason of the opening of his bodie in fiue places namelie in his hands feet and side and the blood issued thence continually could liue so long to wit aboue two yeeres all which time he liued after he had gotten his markes Our cowled frier hearest thou this who séeing thou hast so manie yéeres béene a generall chiefetane of the Franciscane order and a great maister hast taught these fables in thy schooles being now the chiefe stay and top of the same order and being become the pastour of the vniuersall church as thou saiest thou goest about to deliuer vnto vs these same monsters in stéed of diuine oracles What If there were in thée and thy Franciscanes any shame or shamefastnes should there remaine continue at Blese a noble citie in France that wicked superscription written openlie vppon the church doores touching Francis Bernardo His sinne shall be sought And it shall not be founde But it delighteth vs a little to declare whence these oracles haue their authoritie For a few lines after he writeth thus The deuill saide that when Christ sawe that Francis was giuen him to be the standerd-bearer of so great an order he imprinted in him the markes of his wounds and the nailes in his hands and feet and the wound in his right side Thus saith the deuill And why it was done the deuill being coniured by a certaine priest to tell the troth after more things by the mouth of a woman abiding at Rauenna called Santese saith thus There be two in heauen that are marked namelie Christ stout Francis Therfore when Christ knew that he would giue stout Francis the bull of his markes he did not suffer him to receiue a bull from the pope made with mans hands Thus said the deuill These Fol. 230. col 4. fol. 231. col 1. words are written in as many letters out of the same book of Conformities Wherby we may vnderstand what authoritie is due to these oracles and to this woorthy testimonie of theirs vttered by sathan although neither Christ neither yet his apostles could abide that he should beare anie witnes of them Now let the noble and famous Counsellors of France consider according to their singular wisedome séeing that Sixtus the fourth and Sixtus the fift being both Franciscanes and presidentes of the Franciscanes many other popes haue brought in these forged and blasphemous fables into the church and haue confirmed them so long by their authoritie and do so greatly confirm them at this day whether they be iustly or vniustlie condemned by the most part of Christendome of impietie and wickednesse Whereof that they may the more commodiouslie consider we wil also adde another place out of the same booke where it is thus written Francis was bodilie lifted Fol. 231. up in the holie mountaine of Aluerne as frier Leo his fellow saw him For somtimes he found him in the aire lifted vp so high that he could scarse touch his feete and then he did imbrace them with teares sometimes he found him lifted vp from the earth halfe as high as beeches sometimes he founde him lifted vp so high that he could scarce see him And frier Leo did oftentimes finde him speaking with Christ. O good Iesu Who is he that doth not shake euerie iointe when he heareth these monsters of words For what other thing is it to deliuer these things to the people in sermons than to make Francis a bodied God and to set him foorth to be worshipped of the people of Christ And yet there followe more cruell and filthy things For Francis himselfe is brought in speaking thus After these things Christ Iesus crucified laid his hands to my bodie and Fol. 232. first to mine hands and secondlie to my feete thirdlie I felt the marke of his side with great paine and he did imprint them euery time when I cried out sore and he told me certaine secret words which I neuer told any as yet Doth our cowled Sixtus thinke that there is any so void of vnderstanding in this our age that he doth beléeue these blasphemous and wicked fables Doth he thinke that the Counsellers of the king of France and the Senators of the Parleament are so dull and sottish that they do not detest these wicked inuentions togither with their author the sonne of Peter Bernardo Vnlesse peraduenture some man will say these things are shut vp in the selfe-same cloisters and prisons of Munks and are kept in as mysteries of Ceres there where they first tooke their beginning and that no man is at this day so void of wit that he doth not know that these are old wiues fables and dreams of doterels But on the other side behold we haue in
could do no good there arose a Franciscan frier our Sixtus the fift who trusting to his whoorish and munkish impudencie did proscribe our most excellent Princes and commanded the most mightie king of France to pursue them with force arms and camps and that he should afresh fill his realme with murders spoils and burnings But me thinks we haue already spoken sufficiently of the furious rebellion of the hellish Champions of Rome The crime of Forgerie IT resteth that we speake of that crime which we ranged in the last place so briefly as we can namely of forgerie or of false and corrupt writings And wée haue very many testimonies euerie where of this wickednes and especially out of the pontificall decrée of Gratian which is full of such corruptions and forgeries Wherof we will onely set downe a few as for examples sake and first of al that instrument of the donation of Constantine wherein the pope affirmeth that that emperor gaue him the citie of Rome and also Italie Sicilia Sardinia Spaine Germanie and Britaine * and more fully and at large in Dist. 96. c. Constantinus Bartholomew Picerne and Augustine Steuche which affirmed that that instrument was found at Rome in the popes librarie written in Gréeke and they published it being translated into Latine For this is the summe thereof The emperor Constantine being an enimie to Christians and infected with the disease of leprosie being in a dreame admonished by Peter and Paul the Apostles that he should commit himselfe to pope Syluester pope of Rome to be clensed being foorthwith baptised healed by him for recompence of so great a benefit he gaue the same Syluester and his successors the citie of Rome and al the empire of the west also his crowne of gold and scepter and the other insignes of the empire that the pope of Rome might haue greater dignitie than the emperor himselfe Also he wisheth to his successors till the end of the world that they might burne in the lower hell with the diuel and the wicked vnlesse they confirme and kéep that donation Giuen at Rome the third before the Calends of Aprill Constantino A. quater Gallicano Coss Therefore we will prooue by very many arguments that this instrument whereby alone the lordship of the popes is vpholden is false feigned forged and cogd in by som od pope euen as the book of the Conformities The first argument is this That séeing there be so many historiographers that wrote the facts of Constantine yet there is no plentifull author that maketh mention of so great so bountifull and of so inofficious prodigalitie amongst these Eusebius who wrote fiue bookes of his life Also Socrates Theodorit Euagrius Rufinus Eutropius Paulus Diaconus Orosius Beda Zonaras Nicephorus who it is not likely would haue passed ouer so great a matter with so great silence if that donation had béene true Moreouer the popes of Rome themselues who haue oftentimes greatly contended with other bishops about their power and honor yet in prosecuting their title and in publishing their instruments they are neuer read to haue spoken any word of that instrument The second bicause many patrones and defenders of the popes lordship do witnes that all that chapter is wanting in the ancient copies of the decrée of Gratian and amongst these Antoninus of Florence a bishop in the 8. title and first chapter of the first historicall part and Volateranus where he speaketh of Constantine That chapter saith Antoninus is not in the ancient decrees Therefore we are not very sure what and how much Constantine gaue But Nicolas Cusanus in his third booke of the concord of Catholikes saith Without doubt if that instrument had not been apocryphal Gratianus would haue found it in the old copies and collections of canons and bicause he found it not he set it not downe Moreouer Eneas Syluius he that after he was made pope was called pope Pius doth in a certaine dialog which he wrote being as yet cardinall manifestlie conuince that instrument of forgerie and he calleth them blockish pelting lawyers which tooke so great paines in disputing whether that donation be of force which was neuer made The third bicause Eusebius in his 4. booke of the life of Constantine hath recorded that a little before his death he made this diuision of his empire amongst his sonnes he assigned to the eldest the west to the second the east to the third the countrie lieng betwéene Also Socrates Forasmuch saith he as he had three sonnes he Hist. eccle 3. cap. vlt. appointed that euerie one of them should be parteners in his empire The eldest sonne being called Constantine after his owne name of the west parts The second being called Constantius after his grandfather did he appoint in the east And the yoongest named Constans did he ordaine in the middle region Also Sextus Aurelius victor saith The gouernment of the Romane empire was brought vnto three Constantinus Constantius and Constans sonnes of Constantine All these had these parts to gouerne Also Zosimus His children saith he hauing gotten the succession in the empire did Lib. hist. pr. 2. diuide the nations among them And Constantinus indeed being the eldest togither with the yoongest named Constans got al that is beyond the Alpes and Italie and Illyricum Now let vs consider the historie of later times For as al Chronicle writers do witnesse the empire not onely of Italie but also of Rome continued in the gouernment of Constantine his successours an hundred and fortie yéeres vntill the yéere of Christ 401. at what time that empire of the west began to be troubled with the Gothi Franci Alani Burgundi Vandales yet it did alwaies continue vnder the dominion of the Romane emperors vntill the time of the emeperor Augustulus whom Odo king of the Goths droue out of Italie hauing gotten the citie of Rome anno 476. at which time the Romane empire failed in the west the Barbarians raigning both at Rome and also in Italy For the princelie name of the Romanes continued in the power of the posteritie successors of Odiacrus 325. yéeres Therfore we may sée in Cassiodorus verie many letters of Theodoricus the king written partlie to the senate of Rome and partly to the people of Rome in the kings name and by his authoritie so that none can doubt but that both Italie and the citie of Rome it selfe did continue vnder the dominion of the Gothes and not vnder the lordship of anie pope vntill such time as the Gothes being driuen out of Italie by the emperor of Constantinople they began to sende presidents into that prouince which were called Exarchi who though they had their abode at Rauenna yet they bare rule in Italie many yéeres Againe the Longobardi whose reigne began in the yéere 568. kept all Italie besides the citie of Rome two hundred and sixe yéeres that is vntill the yéere 744. all which things are gathered out of the writings of Procopius Iornand
of the life of Constantinus hath recorded that he spake in Latine in the Nicene synode And in the second booke he witnesseth that he turned into Gréek his epistles and decrées which were written in Latine so that som man may suspect that either he neuer wrote that instrument in Gréeke or if he wrote it both in Gréeke and Latine that surelie he did not vse that Beotian and foolish kind of phrase But now it séemeth that we haue spoken sufficiently of the falsehoode and wicked inuention of the popes touching the donation of Constantine so that al men may plainly sée that the whole papacie which rested onely vpon this foundation cannot stand any longer forasmuch as the foundation is taken away Another most ancient crime of Forgerie NOtwithstanding it séemeth to be a thing most fit to set downe som other examples of the popes forgeries and periuries and specially those wherby it may be vnderstood that the pope of Rome hath affected that tirannicall lordship not onely against the authoritie of the holie Scripture but also of the old primatiue church For after that ambition and desire to lord it had at that time possessed some bishops the Nicene synode was gathered in the yéere of Christ 325. wherin it was decréed that in euery prouince or diecese for these old fathers vsed both words some pastor excelling as we may thinke in age and doctrin should be chosen who should haue authoritie when néed was to call togither his fellowes in office and to make report to them of the affaires of the common churches This man was in those times somtimes called the Patriarch somtimes Metropolitane somtimes Archbishop indifferently yet so that neither the lesser bishops without this mans consent nor this man without their consent and authoritie did any great and weightie matter The words of the senate were these Let the ancient custome be of force which was Chap. 6. in Egypt Lybia and Pentapolis that the bishop of Alexandria haue authoritie ouer all these bicause euen the bishop of Rome obserueth this custome And likewise let the priuileges be kept both at Antioch and also in the rest of the prouinces And that is plaine that if any be made bishop without consent of the Metropolitane the great senate hath appointed that this man ought not to be bishop And Rufinus doth Lib. 10. eccle hist. thus interpret that decrée Let this custome be kept in Alexandria and in the city of Rome that both the bishop of Alexandria take care for Egypt and that the other be carefull for the churches lyeng about the citie Whereby we vnderstand that the Nicene synod did hedge in the bishoprike of Rome within the bounds of the churches of the suburbs so far off is it that either principalitie or authority was giuen him by Constantine the emperor ouer al churches of the whole world Let vs now heare what was decréed sixe and fiftie yéeres after in the first Synode of Constantinople touching the selfe same matter that is in the yéere of Christ 321. For in the second chapter it is thus written Let not the bishops which haue their seuerall diocese incroch vpon the churches that are without their bounds neither let them confound their churches but according to the canons let the bishop of Alexandria gouerne those things only that are in Egypt And let the bishops of the east gouern onely the east And let the church of Antioch retain her dignitie declared in the Nicene synod And let the bishops of the diocese or prouince of Asia gouern those things onely that are in Asia let those that are in Pontus gouerne those things onelie that are in Pontus And those of Thracia those things onely that are in Thracia And let not the bishops vnlesse they be called intrude themselues into another mans diocese or prouince either to giue voices or to any other ecclesiasticall functions And if the foresaid canon be obserued in diocese and prouinces it is plaine that euery prouinciall Synod shall gouerne all businesses of euerie prouince as is decreed by the Nicene Synod Moreouer Socrates * confirmeth Lib. hist. eccl 3 the same thing in these words Againe they confirmed the faith deliuered by the Nicene Synod and they appointed patriarks in the described prouinces that bishops being placed and set ouer a certaine diocese might not thrust themselues into other mens churches And anon after Notwithstanding reseruing the chiefe degree of honor and dignitie to the church of Antiochia which they gaue to Miletius who was then present And they decreed that so often as need should require the Synod of euerie prouince should determine the busines of euerie prouince Thus saith Socrates And we may sée the selfesame description of churches deliuered and set downe by the emperors Gratian Valentinian and Theodosian Let the bishop of Rome now In. l. 3. C. Theo. de fide cath go and boast that Constantine the emperor gaue him principality ouer al churches of the whole world and by name ouer the sea of Antiochia Hierusalem Alexandria and Constantinople For we haue prooued that this state and condition of the primitiue Church continued vntill the yéere of Christ CCCXXCI Moreouer in the fift chapter of the same Synod it is thus written Let the bishop of Constantinople haue the primacie of honor after the bishop of Rome bicause it is new Rome Which is also reported dist 22. cap. Constantinopolitanae Wher the canonist Gregorie the 13. hath of late noted that that canon was not receiued by the sea of Rome And no maruell séeing by that canon the papacie is manifestly conuict of forgerie Let vs also heare Iohn Chrysostom his iudgement touching this matter who florished about the yéere of Christ 300. and doth in plaine words attribute that primacy to the church of Antiochia in these words * Our citie Hom. 3. ad pop Antiochenum of Antiochia is of all other most deer to Christ and like as Peter did first preach Christ among al the apostles so among cities as I said before this hath first of all the name of Christians as a certaine woonderfull crown Also Hom. 16. And what is the dignitie of our citie It fell out that the disciples of Antiochia were first called Christians and no citie in the world hath this besides no not the citie of Romulus wherefore Antiochia may lift vp hir eies against all the whole world And this truly was as I haue said the condition of those times when the pope of Rome was most far from that tyraunie which afterward he had and vsed in the Church Now let vs consider what was obserued afterward For in the Synod of Ephesus which was kept fiftie yéeres after that is in the yéere of Christ 431. in the last chapter it is thus written It seemed good to the holie and vniuersall Synod keeping to euerie prouince the priuileges pure and sound which do long ago and from the beginning belong to the same according to the ancient custome
worshipped him as God as the successor of Christ and Peter he gaue him diuine honor so far as he could he worshipped him as the liuelie image of Christ. Thus writeth Steuchus in the foresaid booke printed at Lyons anno 1547. Of the same kind of impietie is that of the glosse in the preface of Clement The pope is neither god nor man but he is a neuter betweene both Also that other in ca. fundamenta de elect in 6. where when it was written in the text that the pope is subiect to no man he addeth thus And in this point the pope is no man but Gods vicar There followeth another blasphemie out of the booke of the popes ceremonies The pope saith he in the 1. tit 7. night of the natiuitie of the Lord doth blesse a sword which he doth afterward giue to some prince for a token of the infinit power giuen to the pope according to that All power is giuen me in heauen and earth Also He shall beare rule from the one sea to the other and from the riuer vnto the worlds end But there is no more deadly and detestable blasphemie found any where than is that * where in c. quoniam de immunit in 6. the pope calleth the Church his spouse We saith he being vnwilling to neglect our righteousnes and the righteousnes of our spouse the Church c. For all men agrée in this that this is proper to Christ onelie to be called the husband of the Church and that the Church should be called his spouse as it is in Paul * I haue coupled you to one husband 2. Cor. 10. to present you a pure virgin to Christ. But let vs heare other such as is that The pope is he whom the whole Church ought to obey 1. dist 93. Also When the pope dissolueth matrimonie C. inter corporalia de translat praelat it séemeth that God alone dissolueth it bicause the pope is canonically chosen to be God vpon earth The pope hath Fel. in cap. ego N. de iureiur the place vpon earth not of a pure man but of a true God Also If the pope should c. si Papa dist 40. thrust into hell whole troups of souls yet were it not lawfull for anie man to aske him this question Why doest thou this Is there any that thinketh aright of Christian religion which in these monsters of words doth not plainly know Antichrist of whom Paul saith thus 2. Thes 2. That wicked man shall be reuealed that sonne I saie of perdition which setteth and extolleth himselfe against that which is called God or diuine power so that he sitteth in the temple of God boasting himselfe as if he were God What that he durst also professe and openly boast that the force and holines of his seat is so great that what baudie person soeuer or man how wicked soeuer periured person or vngodlie person shall sit in that seat he doth drawe holines foorthwith from that sitting Of which wicked blasphemie this in cap. non nos dist 41. testimonie is extant Saint Peter transmised the euerlasting gift of his merits with the inheritance of his innocencie vnto his posteritie That which was granted him by the light of his actions appertaineth to those whom like brightnes of conuersation doth illuminate For who can doubt that he is holie whom the top of so great dignitie doth aduance In whom if good things gotten by merit be wanting those are sufficient which are performed by the predecessor of the place What me thinks we heare that fable which the poets feigned touching the thrée-footed stoole of Apollo and of the déepe hole from which came such a breth that so soone as the prophetesse of Apollo was once set vpon that stoole hauing receiued behind hir the spirit of diuination she did foorthwith powre Strab. 9. out oracles And yet that detestable blasphemie of the popes champion is shortly after a in c. multi most manifestly reprooued by the words of Chrysostom by which and sixe hundred other places of the decrée of Gratian we may iudge of the follie of that booke But go to let vs now bring to light other testimonies The pope is God vpon earth according to Baldus b in l. vltim c. sent rescind Decius in c. 1. de const Felin in c. ego N. de iure The pope and Christ make one consistorie so that except sinne the pope can do as it were al things which God can do and he can be iudged of none according to Abb c in c. licet de elect and those things he doth he doth them as god not as man d c. inter incorpor de translat praela Car. Paris in conc 63. num 162. vol. 4. The pope is a certaine diuine power and as it were bearing a shew of a visible God as Ludouicus Gomes saith e in reg cancel The pope can make righteousnes of vnrighteousnes f ca. debitus de appellat The pope can dispense against the Apostle and against the Apostolike canons g 31. dist c. lector 87. dist praesbyter The pope is aboue the law h c. proposuit de conc praeb That which the pope doth must be counted as don of God i c. quanto de transl praelat A part of which blasphemies Philip. Deci. k in consil 137 diligenter pro tenui num 3. vol. 1. reckoneth vp And Iason besides these before mentioned reciteth these out of the opinion of the same canonists which notwithstanding as it doth plainly appéere he doth not allow The pope is all and aboue al according to Baldus l in l. Barbarius De officio Praetoris The pope can do all things aboue law contrarie to law and without law according to Baldus m in c. cum super de causis prop. pos The pope is Lord of lords and he hath the authoritie of the King of kings ouer his subiects n in c. Ecclesia vt tit pendent according to Baldus The pope can change square for round according to Hostiensis o in c. cum venissent de iud It is sacrilege to doubt of the popes power p l. sacrilegij c. de crim sacril For the pope is the cause of causes Wherefore we must mooue no question about his power seeing there is no cause of the first cause according to Baldus q in d. c. Ecclesia vt tit pend And no man can say to the pope why dost thou so according to Specul r in tit de leg § nunc ostend ver 89. Bal in praelud feud Thus writeth Iason word for word ſ in consil 145. circa primam num 3. vol. 1. Which self same things in a maner he doth repeate againe only a few words being changed t in consil 95. requisitus coll pend vol. 4. Me thinks we haue set down arguments ynow of the first impietie of the
pope so that the famous Councellers of the king of France and the Senators of the Parleament may know and vnderstand that the most part of Christendome hath for most iust and weightie causes reiected and refused the papacie But notwithstanding we will ad moreouer some other things and that especially That the pope hath so great power both in purgatorie and also in hell that he may deliuer by his indulgences and foorthwith place in heauen and in the habitation of the blessed as manie soules as he will which are tormented in those places as it is in the bull of Clement the 6. and in Ant. Florent That the pope hath so great power in heauen part 3. tit 22. cap. 6. that he may canonize and place in the number of the Saints what dead man soeuer he wil maugre the heads of al the bishops and cardinals Thus writeth Troilus in tract de canonis sanct 3. dub Maluit By which and such like we may know how true that oration of Eberard somtimes Archbishop of Salisburge was which he made two hundred yéeres ago in a publike assemblie of the Empire of Germanie which we will recite out of the 7. booke of Iohn Auentine his Chronicle printed at Ingolstade anno 1554. The chiefe priests of Babylon saith he desire to reigne alone they cannot abide an equall They will neuer haue done vntil they haue troden all vnder their feete and they sit in the temple of God and they be exalted aboue all that which is worshipped Their hunger for riches and thirst for honor can neuer be satisfied The more you grant to a greedie man the more he desireth reach out your finger and he will couet your whole hand He which is the seruant of seruants doth couet further to be Lord of lords as if he were God He speaketh great things as if he were God He changeth laws he establisheth his owne he polluteth he robbeth he spoileth he coseneth he slaieth that wicked man whom they commonly call Antichrist in whose forehead is written a name of blasphemie I am God I cannot erre He sitteth in the temple of God he beareth rule far and wide Thus saith Eberard Moreouer in the same Auentine in the same booke there is extant this complaint of Frederike the 2. being Emperor in an epistle which he wrote to Otho Duke of Bauaria The popes of Rome do seeke after lordship and diuine power namely that they may be feared of all no otherwise yea more than God For it is euident that there be manie Antichrists amongst those Romanists and that none other are the ouerthrowers of Christian religion And shortly after That man that is called the pope namely being become verie wealthie with the great losse of Christian godlines doth thinke that he may do whatsoeuer he will as tyrants vse to do He will render an account of his doings to none As if he were God He vsurpeth that which belongeth to God alone that he cannot erre or be holden with anie religion of a lie he doth require most impudently and imperiously to be beleeued Thus writeth he Moreouer Erasmus in his Annotations of the new Testament 1. Tim. c. 1. doth witnes that in his time in the schooles of the diuines these things were woont to be called in question and disputed vpon Whether the pope could abrogate that which was decreed by the apostolike writings Whether he could decree any thing which is contrarie to the doctrine of the Gospell Whether he can make a new article of the faith Whether he haue greater power than Peter or like power Whether he can command the Angels whether he can take away all purgatorie whether he be onlie man O detestable blaspemie whether as he is God he do participate both natures with Christ whether he be more gentle than was Christ seeing it is not read that he called backe anie from the paines of purgatorie Whether he alone of all men cannot erre Sixe hundred such like things are disputed in great printed bookes And that by great diuines especially famous for the profession of religion These things doth Erasmus write in as many words Annotat. pag. 663. The crime of mocking religion BVt some peraduenture will saie it is onely impietie blasphemie of words Let vs therefore bring to light the wicked factes of the same papacie a few of many as it were for examples sake that euerie one may vnderstand that the popes many yéeres ago did make but a mock and scoffe of Christian religion And first of all that of Gregorie the seauenth which we will lay downe in the words of cardinall Benno The Emperour Henrie the third saith he was woont often to repaire to praier to the church of S. Marie which is in the mount Auentine But Hildebrand who being afterward made pope was called Gregorie the seauenth when as by his spies he made diligent inquirie after all his works he made the place be marked where the Emperour was woont to praie and he perswaded one by promising him money to lay great stones vpon the beames of the church secretly and that he should so order them that he might throwe them downe from aboue vpon the Emperours head as he was at praier and so beat out his braines which thing when he that was appointed to do so great wickednes did make haste to accomplish and sought to laie an huge stone vpon the beames with the weight thereof the stone drew him downe and the boorde being broken vnder the beames both the stone and the miserable man by the iust iudgement of God fell downe into the church floore and by the same stone was he quite crushed to peeces Of which fact after that the men of Rome knew and of the order therof they tied a rope to the wretches foot caused him to be drawen three daies through the streetes for the example of others But the Emperour of his woonted clemencie caused him to be buried Thus far goeth Benno Whence we vnderstande how detestable the impietie of the pope was who hauing no regard either of the place wherein the Emperour praied and which the pope professeth to be holie to himselfe nor of the time wherein he praied but seruing his blinde furie and madnesse sought the destruction of the Emperour his prince But go too let vs cite another testimonie of impietie out of the same Benno Iohn bishop of Portua saith he who was throughlie acquainted with Hildebrands secrets went vp into Saint Peters pulpit and amongst many things in the hearing of the cleargie and people he saith Hildebrand hath done some such thing for which we ought to be burned aliue speaking of the Sacrament of the Lords bodie which Hildebrand demaunding oracles from God against the Emperour threw into the fire though the cardinals his assistants did speake against it These are the goodly testimonies of the papall pietie in Gregorie the seauenth Now let vs cite another touching Syluester the seconde out of the booke of Iohn
Stella a Venetian written vnto the patriarch of Aquileia being cardinall priest of the church of Rome of the title of Saint Marke Last of all saith he he was made pope of Rome through the deuill his assistance Yet vpon this condition that after his death he should be wholie his both in bodie and soule by whose crafts he had attained vnto so great dignitie After this Syluester asked him how long he should liue pope He answered thou shalt liue vntill thou shalt say masse in Hierusalem Last of all in the fourth yeere of his popedome when as in the Lent-time in the solemne feast of the holie crosse he song masse in Hierusalem at Rome he knew foorthwith that he should die by destiny Wherefore repenting himselfe he confessed his fault before all the people and he praied them all that they would cut in quarters and peeces his body that was seduced by the deuils pollicie and being cut and torne a sunder they would lay it in a cart and that they woulde burie it there whither the horses should carie it of their owne accord Therefore they say that the horses came by Gods prouidence that wicked men may learne that there is place left for pardon with God so they repent in this life of their owne accorde to the church called Lateranensis and that he was buried there Thus writeth Stella the Venetian There is extant also a certaine sermon made in the Easter time by Iohn Gerson gouernour of the Vniuersitie of Paris wherin he left it written that pope Iohn the xxij did holde that the soules of the wicked are not in paine before the day of iudgement Which heresie of his the schoole of Sorbona in the same Vniuersitie did stoutlie condemne and caused that pope to recant his errour Of the same sort of impietie is that which we will set downe in the wordes of Raphaell Volaterane out of his fift booke of Geographie where speaking of pope Sixtus the fourth whose name this our Quintus tooke and whose godlines also he doth follow he writeth thus The pope being priuie and helping thereto the conspiratours come to Florence and they meete all togither in the church of S. Reparata at the masse and sacrifice in the morning In the meane while Saluiatus departing the church priuilie with his confederates being armed he goeth into the court that he might speake vnto the banner-bearer feigning that he had some other busines Yet to this end and purpose that when the murder should begin in the church he might be present and readie to set vpon the court and magistrate Therefore when the watch word was giuen in the Eleuation time marke the notable testimonie of the popes holines The watch word saith he being appointed in time of the Eleuation Bandinus did stick Iulian de Medicis brother to Laurence Antonie which was desirous to be chiefe setteth vpon Laurence on the other side behinde his backe and smote him a little below the throte When as he forthwith turning himselfe vnto crieng did auoide the stroke he fled with speed from him as he was about to strike again into the vestrie of the church that was neere to him Then the popes ambassador who gaue that watch word to commit the murder in the time of the Eleuation being caught by the citizens and led by them out of the church into the court was committed to ward and was handled as he had deserued In the meane season Saluiatus bishop of Pisa who of set purpose did protract his speech with the banner-bearer that he might see the ende was foorthwith caught and was the same day hanged vp at the court windowes which message when it came to the popes eares he did excommunicate Laurence de Medicis who as we haue said was faine to saue himselfe by flieng bicause he had laid hands on Gods priests and legate and he proclaimed open war against the Florentines Thus writeth Volateranus Whereby euerie man may sée what great account the popes vse to make of their Eucharist And yet notwithstanding they will haue all Christian religion placed in worshipping carieng about reuerencing and honoring with all maner honor the same But we must bring foorth another argument For what more certaine thing can be brought to shewe the impietie of the popes than that which is common in euery mans mouth that the order at Rome is so often as the popes go on progresse that that Eucharist being laid vpon some leane carrian iade about whose necke a bel is hanged is committed to some horse-kéeper and is sent before amongst the scullions and drudges and other cariage as a messenger to shew the pope was cōming For in the booke of the popes ceremonies 1. sect cap. 3. it is thus written After them is led by a friend of the Sextins clothed in red and carrieng a staffe in his left hand a white horse being gentle carrieng the sacrament of the Lords bodie hauing about his necke a shrill little bell Next after the sacrament rideth the Sextin who as the other prelates hath an horse all couered with buckerom c. Also sect 12. ca. 1. After them is led a white horse trapped gentle and faire hauing a shrill little bell about his necke which carrieth the coffer with the most holie bodie of the Lord. Also cap. 4. Before the pope is alwaies carried the crosse by the Subdeacon and after the crosse is carried the bodie of Christ vpon a white horse with a little bell c. And these are the ordinances of the popes pompe but they are but ordinances For those which frequent Rome do with great consent witnes both concerning the iade that is sent before and also touching the sending of him amongst other carriage There is a booke extant written by Iohn Monlucius bishop of Valentia who was often sent ambassador to Rome for the king of France which booke was written touching religion to Quéene mother whose words are these * being Pag. 101. turned out of French into Latin Quoties Papa c. So often as the pope goeth on progresse least he seeme to giue too much honor to his Eucharist he doth not carrie it in his hands but he sendeth it away before him three or fower daies before he himselfe goeth out of the citie being laid vpon an horses back wherwith he sendeth to beare it companie singers mulitors horse-keepers and other such of his garde of his court that is cookes kitchingboies and curtisans these are his words Then the pope who saith that he is his vicar followeth afterward garded and trouped with cardinals bishops and other such peeres When he commeth to the towne then that which he calleth the bodie of Christ which hath rested it selfe a while there is brought out of the towne to meet him and straightway they salute one another by becking saieng not one word And then he sendeth it before him againe but with how great honor The pope is carried into the citie vnder a rich canapie the bodie
of Christ is carried open What need was there to bring that out of Rome and to carrie it into another citie seeing there is no parish that is not full of this sort What need is there to send it away three fower sixe ten daies before the popes comming If the pope haue instituted that to this end that it may be brought to meet him to accompanie him and to set forth his entrance into the towne there is no towne so simple or poore where there are not such bodies to bee found If it must needs be brought out of Rome why doth not the pope himselfe bring it foorth or at least giue commandement that it be carried with him rather than send it before him amongst packe horses and his scullerie But if for obtaining of rain as they vse to do at Paris and in other places they carrie the image of any Saint or Saintesse from one church to another they vse to do it with great pompe and assemblie of men they haue torches banners crosses and other ornaments borne before them Nay for the most part those which carrie those images are naked and only clad in linnen or at least they go bare foote And the pope will not be ashamed to send that before him which he will haue men to beleeue to be the bodie of Christ with a little lanterne and shut vp in a pixe being laid vpon an horse and accompanied with the riff raff of his court Who wil think it to be a thing like to be true that he that professeth himselfe to be head of the church would commit so great an offence if he had verily beleeued that the bodie of Iesus Christ was corporally vnder that sacrament Thus writeth Monlucius Wherunto we may also adde that which is approoued by the authoritie of many popes and is openly receiued in the Romish church out of the booke of the Conformities of S. Francis As Frier Francis Fol. 72. was saieng masse he found a spider in the chalice which he would not cast out but drank hir with the bloud Afterward as he rubbed his thigh and scratched where he felt it itch the verie spider came out of his thigh without doing the Frier any harme Also One named Fol. 67. Bonelus would not beleeue that the consecrated host was the bodie of the Lord and he said that his asse would eate the hosts which when S. Anthonie heard he said masse and brought a consecrated host to the asse and shewed it hir Forthwith the asse kneeled downe and bowing downe hir head did worship it Which when Bonelus saw he became a catholike Doth it not séeme that the pope learned in the schoole of this asse that wherof we spake before that when the Eucharist is brought to him he vseth to becke and bow downe his head and so to salute it Of feigned religions THe third argument of the popes impietie remaineth For although we haue both a forme of Christian religion and also to worship God prescribed both by Christ and also by his apostles and though we haue the same deliuered vnto vs in the bookes of the new Testament and God doth accurse those so often which bring in feigned religions into the Church yet the papacie hath brought in new inuentions of religion so absurd and rediculous that in so great calamitie we must notwithstanding giue thankes to the immortall God that he hath suffered so great wickednes to befall the dull wits alone The inuentions of religions are these in a maner first the innumerable troupes of Munks as Augustinians Battuti Benedictines Bernardines Carmelites Capuchines Cartusians Caelestines Dominicans of ignorant Friers Franciscans Hieronymitans Maturines of which euerye order hath his particular forme of cowléd gownes distinct from the rest and of diuers colors euery one of them haue their proper and seuerall prescript forms to worship their Gods and as they say in plaine words their prescript forms of their religion their rites and ordinances far vnlike to the rest Yet there is such a multitude of them that in our Europe the number is thought to amount to fiue hundred thousand Which we may easily coniecture For Sabellicus hath left in writing * that the sect of Franciscans did Ennead 9. li. 6. so swarme throughout the whole world that there were of them fortie prouinces and that vnder euerie one there were sundry kéepers of the conuent Wardons they call them and thréescore thousand men So that the maister of the whole order which they call their generall hath oftentimes béen heard promise the pope at such time as he was to set out an army against the Turke of the familie of the Seraphicall Francis thirtie thousand men of war which coulde play their parts stoutly in the wars without any hinderance of the holie seruice Againe their inuentions of miracles and doctrines are so false that now the most of them are not onelie wearie but also ashamed of so great follie Neither would it séeme to be a thing like to be true in any mans iudgement at this time that the vanitie of mankind was so great in times past and that the darknes of religion was so great vnlesse there were proofes héerof extant more cléere than the sunne For no man in déed denieth that amongst the Romans and other profane nations there were most absurd inuentions of religions but sillie men liued then in cruell and darke clouds and as it were in a night when the moone shineth not that is without any moniments of holie scripture But when as the same bookes of scripture were extant where Christ gaue light to mankind as the sunne beame who would thinke that sathan and the pope could preuaile so much by their messengers that in so great light they should notwithstanding blind mens eies and as it were kéepe them fast bound with bands Go to then let vs also fet out of the moniments of the Franciscans and Dominicans some examples of this kind of forgerie For séeing this pope Sixtus came out of that crew and sinke we must sée what maner forme of religion he bringeth vs out of that schoole Therfore let be ranged in the first ranke that common oracle which we wil prooue out of the booke of the Conformities of Francis to be commonly receiued and approoued in the church of Rome that Francis sonne of Peter Bernardo was in a trance conioined with Christ and had as many stripes marks and was pricked by Christ in the selfsame places as Christ had when he hanged vpon the crosse and that for this cause he was called the Typicall Iesus that is as it were a type and figure of Christ crucified So that as the seale or print maketh a marke in the wax so Christ did imprint his wounds in the bodie of Francis like Iesus Christ is the image of the father so is Francis the image of Christ finally that Christ appéereth in the bodie of Francis as the image in the glasse Wherupon commeth that wicked
our hands the fearfull decrées of the popes wherein they most sharply forbid that no man presume to doubt of the credit of these histories and they decrée that they be receiued in the catholike Church of Rome that if any man thinke otherwise he be counted an heretike and a schismatike For in the same booke * Dist. 22. c. omnes it is thus written Pope Gregorie the 9. hath made sundry buls of the holines Fol. 234. col 3. of S. Francis and his marks wherein he affirmeth that S. Francis had truly in his bodie imprinted by Christ the marks of the L. Iesus And he commandeth all the faithfull to hold this and to beleeue it and that the wise man opposing himselfe against it be punished for an heretike The Lord Alexander the fourth who saw the marks of S. Francis with his owne eies whiles S. Francis was yet aliue speaketh thus in his bull The eies that sawe faithfully saw and the most sure fingers of those that handled felt the marks in the bodie of the same S. whiles he was yet liuing Thirdly the L. pope Nicolas the 3. gaue the like bul Fourthly the L. pope Benedict the 12. And forasmuch Dist. 11. in fi dist 12. c. 1. seq dist 22. c. reputatur dist 22. ca. omnes in fine as the determination of the holie Church of Rome is most true and certain for the Church of Rome must be followed as a mistresse in all things and he that speaketh against hir is counted an heretike * 24. q. 1. bicause she hath neuer erred frō the path of the apostolike tradition * dist 11. c. palam dist 12. c. praecep 24. q. 1. c. quoties 11. q. 3. episcop § Sola 17. q. 4. nemini vnto which we must haue recourse in doubtful and hard matters * and she is of force to iudge all and none is permitted to iudge hir * and the same church of Rome hath declared that S. Francis was marked by Christ as it appeereth by the foresaid buls Wherefore this must be holden most firmly as true and he that holdeth the contrarie must be despised of all as an heretike and especially seeing the foresaid two popes Gregorie and Alexander did not onelie see it with their owne eies but do also expressely say that it hath beene witnessed by witnesses woorthie of credit And streightway Sixtly Col. 3. the marking of S. Francis is made authenticall euen by the testimonie of the wicked spirits of whom we haue spoken before Thus far out of Fol. 234. the booke of the Conformities so that all men may now plainly sée that it is not for nothing that we do so greatly vrge these things For our frier the excommunicator of kings and princes will not suffer these things to be counted but trifles especially séeing he hath tumbled so long in the filth of the Franciscans and doth now professe himselfe to be a patrone and defender of that order and commandeth that they be counted heretikes which will not beléeue and highly estéeme of the church of Rome in all points Whereof that no man may doubt these things are taught not in one place of that booke that is fol. 234. but euen in the verie entrie of the booke also * Fol. 3. in these words In what saint was the monstrous marking made Surely in none other but in our holie father Francis as the church of Rome doth auouch and commandeth the faithfull to beleeue Secondly pope Benedict also granted the order a feast to be celebrated and kept for the marks Moreouer Antoninus bishop of Florence saith thus Pope Alexander the 4. anno 1254. taking into his speciall Lib. hist. 3. tit 24. § 10. protection immediately the mount of Aluerne bicause of the impression of the holie marks made there in the bodie of S. Francis and making the same subiect to the church of Rome and giuing S. Francis great commendation he gaue an effectuall commandement that the friers should neuer forsake that holie mountaine The same yeere being at Anagnia he sent a seruant to carrie letters to the faithfull seruants of Christ according to the tenor of Gregorie the 9. touching the holie marks of Saint Francis wherein he affirmeth that he saw them with his owne eies Also he sent other letters to the Archbishop of Genua commanding that he should personally cite and call before him those that had maliciously put out the marks of the image of S. Francis in the church of S. Marie and ministerie of S. Xistus to be punished as they had deserued inhibiting vnder danger of cursing that no man heereafter should attempt to do the like Nicolas the third being pope about the yeer 1280. sent letters to al the faithfull seruants of Christ containing a certaine testimonie of the holie marks of Francis Thus writeth Antoninus So that no man ought now to doubt but that all Christians especially so long as this Franciscane frier beareth rule in the Church must prepare themselues either to abide the punishment appointed for schismatikes and heretikes or else to imbrace these inuentions of the Franciscanes for diuine oracles giuen by the church of Rome And that we may haue other and more commodious store of choice it séemeth not vnappertinent to cite out of the same booke of Conformities certaine other notable things such as is that A certaine citizen Fol. 66. saith he slept and was rapt vp into heauen where he saw Christ and S. Marie and other Saints all which went as they go on procession giuing reuerence to Christ and his mother But when he saw not S. Francis he said to the Angell that led him where is S. Francis with his crue in this place The Angell answered Tarie and thou shalt see S. Francis and in what state he is and he saw and behold Christ lifted vp his right arme and out of the wound in his side came Saint Francis with the banner of the crosse displaied in his hands and after him a great multitude of friers and others Then that citizen gaue his goods to the friers and he became a frier minor Also S. Francis Fol. 2. making a representation of the natiuitie had Christ in his armes and whiles he praied the virgin that she would grant him comfort of hir sonne Iesus the most beautifull virgin hir selfe stood by him and gaue him to S. Francis to hold in his armes and kisse from the euening till it was day Some will say these are toies and very bables but these trifles as it was somtimes said are counted among them matters of weight Also by these we vnderstand how wickedly these former popes haue mocked the Church of Christ in feining religions vsing the helpe of one Bartholomew Pisanus in patching these fables togither and in forcing them vpon the vnskilfull multitude in stéed of holie scripture What Whether may we call these trifles or rather detestable and execrable things which are written in these words Francis
a certaine and set day to make certaine little images like to a lamb of white wax tempered with oile He affirmeth that these if they be hoong about the neck do in like sort purge mens sinnes euen as the blood of Christ doth purge them he affirmeth that they driue away lightening that they helpe women in childbirth and that they saue men from burning and shipwrack What more wicked thing can be spoken or thought vpon But these are called the traditions of the elders deliuered to this pope by his predecessors as from hand to hand For in the booke of the popes Ceremonies it is written thus Balme and pure waxe with holie oile Togither mixt a lambe do make 1. Sect 7. Which gift of price and vertue great To the beloued I betake As borne of fountaine and adiured By sacred words Whose power is great For flashing lightnings it depels And euery euill away doth beat It breaketh sinne like Christs owne blood It vexeth it It doth preserue Women with childe and infant saues It giues those gifts that do deserue The fires force it will destroy And faire doth saue from flouds annoy Let this then be the first tradition of the popes which is deliuered to vs with like the same authoritie as the holie scripture There followeth another The holie scripture teacheth vs that the sacrament of baptism is the sprinkling of the blood of Christ Iesus for the remission of our sins and the Acts. 22. Rom. 6. 1. Cor. 6. 15. imputation of his righteousnes But the popes traditions doe grant baptisme to bels and the priests of the papacie do abuse so great a sacrament euery where so wickedly and vngodlily that the emperor Maximilian the first wrote a complaint concerning that matter which is extant among his grauamina or burdenings in these words Also the suffragans haue inuented that they alone and none other priest should baptise bels That done the simpler sort do beleeue the suffragans affirming the same that such bels thus baptised do driue away diuels and tempests Wherefore they haue sometimes an infinite companie of God-fathers and especially those that are of wealth are intreated In the time of which baptising they touch the rope wherwith the bell is tied and then the suffragan he singeth first as they vse to do at the baptising of infants and then they altogither make answer and do double the name of the bell and they put a new garment vpon it as they vse to do to Christians And shortly after Therefore a thing so wicked and vnlawfull ought to be abolished Maximilian saith excellently and cléerly But as the sow in wallowing so are the popes delighted in this filth and corruption And concerning this most filthy customary pollution of the In tract de super num 3. nu 9. num 14. sacrament let vs read Martin de Arles Go to now let vs prosecute other corruptions of religion The scripture teacheth vs that there is but one mediator of God and 1. Tim. 2. 1. Ioh. 2. Rom. 8. Heb. 7. Amb. in epist. ad Heb. men Iesus Christ * And therefore Ambrose saith They are woont to vse a miserable excuse saieng that by iust men we may go vnto God as by earles vnto the king Go to now is any man so mad and so vnmindfull of his safetie that he will attribute the maiestie of the king to an earle seeing that if any be found but euen to talke of this matter they may by good right be condemned as guiltie of treason And these men will not thinke those to be guiltie that giue the honor of the name of God to a creature and forsaking the Lord do worship their fellow seruants as if they could do God any greater seruice For therefore do men go to a king by tribunes and earles bicause surely the king is a man and he knoweth not to whom he ought to commit the cōmon-welth But to please and intreat God who is ignorant of nothing for he knoweth all mens merits we need no spokes-man but a deuout mind For wheresoeuer such a one shall speake he will answer nothing at all This saith Ambrose What How religiously doth the papacie kéepe this ordinance of the holie scripture and the old Church It denieth that there did euer any saint depart this life which was receiued into the place of the blessed which doth not execute the office of a mediator and intercessor Only so Nay whatsoeuer bawds Francisses Dominiks and other deceiuers and coseners they would canonize among the saints they brought vs in the same for mediators and spokesmen The scripture teacheth vs that there be onely two places for soules of the dead Iohn 5. Matth. 25. after this life heauen for the blessed hell for the cursed Therfore Augustine saith * Lib. hypognost The faith of the catholiks by the authoritie of God beleeueth the first place to be the kingdome of heauen the second hell where euerie reuolt and stranger from the faith of Christ is punished Of any third we are altogither ignorant neither do we find in the holy scripture that there is any such Thus writeth he But the papacie feigneth that there is a third place where the soules of certaine that are guiltie of light and as they terme them of veniall sinnes are purged before they go vp into heauen which place for this cause they call the fire of purgatorie as if ouer and besides the blood of Christ that was shed for our sinnes to purge vs we néed either those pictures of lambs or this supposed fire whereas notwithstanding the scripture doth euidently teach vs that our soules are purged by the onely blood of Christ and that their blots are washed away by this medicine alone 1. Ioh. 1. His blood purgeth vs from al sin And Mat. 26. My blood shall be shed for many for the remission of sinnes Finally these are the words of the Tridentine Councell that There is a purgatorie Sess 25. and that the soules that are there kept are holpen by the praiers of the faithfull and especially by that acceptable sacrifice of the altar We sée how great corruptions the papacie hath brought into Christian religion Item sess 6. ca. 30. Sess 22. ch 2. c. 3. But besides these innumerable other may be reckoned vp The scripture teacheth vs that there be onely two sacraments namely baptisme and the supper the former whereof was instituted Matt. 28. Mark 16. and the latter Matth. 26. Mark 14. Luc. 22. and 1. Corin. 11. 23. Therefore Augustine saith Christ knit togither Ep. 218. ad Ianuar the societie of the new people with sacraments in number fewest in obseruation easiest in signification most excellent as baptisme consecrate to the Trinitie and the communicating of the bodie and blood of Christ. Also The Lord and the apostolike doctrine gaue but a Lib. de doctr Christ. ca. 9. few signes as is the sacrament of baptisme and the celebration of the bodie
Another being not so gainefull but notwithstanding filthy detestable is that which is called the tax of the Apostolike penance when as impunitie of all sin and wickednes is so manifestly sold euery sin hauing a certaine sum of money set vppon it that euen some canonists do detest that vnsatiable couetousnes and robbery As in the glosse * where Iohn the munke c. fundamenta de elect in 6. saith that Rome being builteby Pirates doth as yet retaine of his first beginning And surely so it is that yéerely an incredible weight of gold is caried to Rome out of the most wealthy treasuries in the world which the popes and cardinals and other epicures of the same order doe spend vpon the most insatiable and bottomlesse gulfe of their lustes with great infamie of the name of Christians The names and titles of the former are infinite but of so great store these are chiefely reckoned The tribute of first fruites or vacances which is the name of the reuenues of the first yéere which the popes gather into their treasurie but these are for the most part doubled and tripled Also the tribute of preuentions resignations for fauour commendations dispensations for age order irregularitie corporall faultes Also of expectatiue graces deuolutions benefices that are like to be void priuileges exemptions for not visiting or to visit by a deputie of confessions of those that are agréed of transactions made vnder the popes good pleasure of changinges of benefices with dispensation of mandates of bishops of expeditions in form by reason of congruitie for making notories and protonotories apostolike with their coadiutors for letters of greater or lesser iustice for secular dignities for dignities ecclesiasticall for new foundations or changing the old or for reduction of regular monasteries into secular state or for restoring them againe for receiuing fruites during absence for legitimations portable altars for non obstances for indulgences of secular clerks for reuocations and reductions for Toleramus or tollerances of concubines and for rescriptions to suites Time should faile vs if we should go about to reckon vp all sorts of their vnlawfull scrapings and robberies Neither is it greatlie néedfull For there is a booke of the popes extant concerning these matters markets hauing this title The taxes of the Apostolike chancery with the Notables as they write them at this day of the church of Rome in which booke there is a woorthy saieng expressed in these words in a certaine place And note diligently that such graces and dispensations are not granted to poore men bicause they are not therefore they cannot be comforted Who is he that is so secure a contemner of God who is he altogither so voide of conscience amongst the kings counsailers whom these monsters of robberies sacrileges simonies do not mooue Who is so hard harted and such an enimie to his countrie which is not throughly touched with so great spoile of the wealth of France and with the ruin of the poore people out of whose marrowes and bowels this money is fet which the déepe lustes of the popes cardinals haue deuoured That which we are now about to say will séem a thing incredible but yet it is certaine and tried to be true When as in times past the Romane empire stoode there was such abundance of wealth and riches so great store of gold and siluer caried thither out of all partes and places of the world of the tributes and taxes of all people and nations in a maner that that citie was commonly called by the Gréeke word The little Epitomie Athenaeus li. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the whole world What if we now shew that the pope of Rome doth draw to Rome yéerely by his shifts cosenage and wicked policies out of Europe onelie which is counted but the third part of the world no lesse store of gold and siluer than the emperors of Rome did exact of all coastes of the earth for so many legions that lay euerie-where in garison Let vs heare Flauius Blondus his testimonie being a man that was an Italian a great flatterer of the popes out of his booke of Rome restored 3. Now saith he the princes of the world do adore and worship the perpetuall dictator not of Caesar but the successor of Peter the fisherman and the vicar of the foresaid emperour the chiefe and high bishop Now the whole world doth worship the senate of cardinals in Rome next to the pope What That almost all Europe sendeth to Rome tributes being greater then at least equall with the tributes of ancient times when euery citie receiueth from the pope of Rome benefices for priestes Thus writeth Blondus But we must a little more diligently frame the reason of this cruel sacrilege For Suetonius in the life of Iulius Caesar writeth thus He brought all France into the forme of a prouince and he laid vpon the same yeerely foure hundred sesterties by the name of a stipende Eutropius left this same written in a maner in as many words in the sixt booke of his breuiarie If we folow William Budeus his account we shal find that this number of sesterties is in our coin ten hundred thousand crownes or as they commonly cal it a million as the Germanes vse it ten tuns of gold This was a great tribute for France which it did yéerely pay to the emperours in such sort that yet notwithstanding there was paide out of the same to some legions that lay in garison a stipende What if we now prooue that the pope of Rome doth with his iuglings and shifts gather to Rome yéerly no lesse sum without paieng any thing out of the same Peraduenture it wil séeme to som a thing incredible and altogither monsterous as I saide before but yet notwithstanding we shall prooue by a most sure testimonie that it is most true Who is then a witnes of that so great robberie or rather sacrilege The senate of Paris that beareth chiefe rule in France which about an hundred yéeres ago presented to Ludouicus the eleuenth certaine requests for the churches of France which Francis Duarene a lawyer translated into Latine and published with the kings priuilege twise at Paris and also twise at Lyons toward the end of the booke concerning benefices For in the 72. article of the same requests it is thus written That we may speciallie and particularly shew how greatly the money of the realme is wasted within those three yeeres we must marke that in the holie bishops time there haue bin void in this realme more than twentie archbishoprikes and bishoprikes and it is not to be doubted but that as well for the yeerely tribute which we call the first fruits as for other extraordinarie costes vpon euerie bull there haue bin paide downe sixe thousand crownes which sum amounteth to an hundred and twentie thousand crownes The 68. article followeth There haue bin voide in this realme threescore abbots places whereof euerie one cost two thousand crownes
the pope a little vpon their shoulders Also * The chiefe man Sect. 12. ca. 5. of the citie into which the pope shall enter though he were a king shall leade the popes horse by the bridle or if the pope be caried in a chaire or litter he beareth the litter togither with his nobles a little way and then when the pope commandeth him he taketh horse and rideth in his order * But if it so please the pope d. lib. 1 tit 2. that he will not be caried on a horse but in a litter then the emperour or king if any be there must beare the litter vpon his owne shoulders Tit. 2. The emperour must powre water vpon the popes handes at a feast At the popes banquet the emperour or king of the Romanes must beare the first dish in the same 2. Tit. The emperour is bound to sweare to be true and obedient to the pope the forme of which in c. 1. de iureiur c. tibi domino dist 63. oth is extant * Is not the intollerable boldnes of the popes sufficiently conuict by these testimonies Surely it séemeth so specially with those iudges and senatours of the parleament in whom remaineth any feare of conscience and of God especially séeing that euen the canonist doctors do cōfesse the same For cardinal Zabarella who wrote a treatise cōcerning schism about the yéere of Christ 1406. writeth thus in that treatise We must consider vpon doing honor and homage to the pope least men passe measure therein so that they may seeme not so much to honor the pope as God For he must so be honored that he be not worshipped which S. Peter did not suffer to be done to him of whom we read in the Acts. 10. that Cornelius fell downe at his feet and worshipped him but Peter tooke him vp saieng Arise I my selfe am a man like to thee Thus wrote Zarabella wherto agréeth that of Iohn Faber * The pope saith he in words in praefat instit calleth himselfe a seruant of seruants but indeed he suffereth himselfe to be worshipped which the angell in the Reuelation did refuse Thus writeth Faber But the popes fet this title and authoritie of so great pride from the benefite of Constantine the great whose instrument is extant first in Latine * and secondly in in dist 96. c. Const. Gréek in Augustine Steuchus the master of the popes librarie in the booke of the Donation of Constantine imprinted at Lyons anno 1547. as followeth that the empire of the west that is of Italie Sicilia Sardinia France Spaine England Germanie be in the pope of Rome his power and that he haue the name like attire like and also greater dignitie maiestie empire and power as Constantine had that he haue also the like troupe of horsemen to wait vpon him so that when he rideth on horse-backe the emperor do for a time go by him as his footeman and wait vpon him some space holding his horse by the bridle Concerning which matter the same Steuchus in his second booke and thréescore and sixt chapter writeth thus * Also that part of the edict wherin Pag. 134. the mightie emperor saith that he held the bridle of S. Syluesters horse being pope of Rome and that he led his horse wherin is knowne the kissing of the feet is prooued to be true bicause the emperors that were successors did the like not long after For as the pope of Rome entred into Constantinople Iustinian hauing his crown on his head did prostrate himselfe and kissed the popes feet Also when pope Stephen went to Pipinus the French king the same king hearing of his comming went with al haste to meet him togither with his wife and children and nobles and he sent his sonne Charles almost an hundred miles to meet him togither with some of his nobles Also he himselfe in his pallace that is called Ponticone almost three miles off alighting of his horse with great humilitie lieng prostrate vpon the ground togither with his wife children and nobles receiued the same pope on whom he waited still as an vsher vnto a little place besides his sell and brought him with glorie to the pallace These things haue I cited word for word out of Iuo Carnotensis he as I thinke out of Anastasius the keeper of the librarie Thus writeth Steuchus the like whereof Platina reporteth of Pipinus and Charles in the life of Stephen the second Now let vs confer with these flattering and glosing words of the pope of Rome the modestie and commandements of Christ whose successor and vicar the pope affirmeth he is You know saith he that the princes of the nations beare rule ouer them and that those that are great do exercise authoritie ouer them But it shall not be so among you but whosoeuer will be great among you let him be your seruant and whosoeuer will be chiefe among you let him be your minister as the sonne of man came not that he might be ministred vnto but that he might minister * I am in the middest of you as he Matt. 20. that ministreth * Therefore so often as he gaue any commandement or committed Luk. 22. busines to his Apostles he did in no place prefer one before another but he made like account of all as being fellowes in office and fellowes in one busines As when he commanded them to go into the world and to preach the Gospell and to confirme that preaching by miracles * Or Mat. 10. 7. 8. Luk. 10. 9. when he forewarneth them that it will come to passe that they shall iudge the twelue tribes of Israell he saith not that some one of them shall sit in the tribunall seat and the rest in lower places * as the Mat. 19. 30. false Constantine writeth I grant to the pope of the church of Rome that the priests haue him to be their head in like sort as iudges haue the king for their head * When the holie Ghost was sent C. Const 96. dist downe vpon the Apostles as they were togither when power to bind and loose was granted to them when they were sent to preach the Gospell to which of them I pray you is any prerogatiue of right or Iohn 20. Mat. 28. Acts. 1. priuilege granted * And surely these are great examples of the popes insolencie pride and hautines but that is somwhat more and more woonderfull which manie historiographers haue recorded touching the emperor Friderike Ahenobarbus and amongst these Helmodus in the eight chapter of Scl. Chronic. 1. Naucler generat 39. Barnus of the life of popes When he and pope Adrian were agréed togither that he should giue to the pope as great reuerence as he could as to S. Peters successor finally that when he did alight he should hold his stirrop it is said that the emperor stood on his right side and touched the right stirrop Wherat the pope was displeased and reprooued the emperor but he
a band-dog or Cerberus than this But as I haue alreadie said this boldnes of the pope against the king of Nauarr is not greatly to be woondered at séeing such was his vnbridled furie against the most mightie king of France Wherefore let vs heare rather other testimonies of like and the same pride for it is not for man to contend with satan in railing spéeches and it shall be sufficient to vse that curse of Michael the archangell The Lord Jude 1. 9. rebuke thee Therefore to returne to our purpose we must not passe ouer that testimonie of the same popish seruice which is reported touching the same Boniface who in the yéere 1300. when there was great concourse of people at Rome by reason of the Iubilie in the first solemne day the pope shewed himselfe to the people in his Pontificalibus the day following hauing on the attire of the emperor he commanded a naked sword to be borne before him crieng with a lowd voice I am the pope and emperor and I beare rule in earth and heauen And a few daies after hée proudly reiected Albertus created emperor by the electors of Germanie when he came to craue his confirmation denieng that the election had without his authoritie ought to be counted firme séeing he alone had the authoritie of both swords After some good space he confirmed him vpon condition that with al expedition he shuld make war against the French king whose kingdome he gaue him for a pray and reward of his victorie Which things are witnessed by Cuspianus in the life of Albertus in the chronicle of Vsperge and by the writers of the French chronicles But to what end do we prosecute these light and trifling things We haue before declared that the pope of Rome doth claime by the donation of Constantine the empire of al the west parts These be but bare words Wherefore let vs looke into the thing it selfe For we denie that there is any king in the west I meane of France Spaine Aragon Portugal Hungarie Bohemia England Scotland Denmarke Sueueland Ruscia Croatia Dalmatia whom the papacie of Rome will not haue to be vassall and feudatarie to it as if he had receiued his kingdome from him as a fée and benefit and ought for that cause to ow allegeance and to do homage to him It is much that we say and almost incredible to be spoken but the truth shall appéere by instruments that we wil bring to light and by testimonies that we will vse For we wil touch euery realme according to the order of the letters Of that of England AVgustine Steuchus the maister of the popes librarie doth witnes in his book of the donation of Constantine that in 2. pag. 138. that librarie of the popes there is extant a register of pope Alexander the 3. wherein is found an epistle to William king of England For as we vnderstand by that booke of Steuchus the maister of the librarie all the actes of euerie pope are written in seuerall registers to the which what credit we ought to giue the verie rule of the law doth show wherein it is said that a priuate writing must be beléeued but onely against the writer himselfe Therfore this was Alexander his epistle Your wisedome knoweth that the kingdome of Englande sithence the time that the name of Christ was there glorified hath bin vnder the hand and tuition of the chiefe of the Apostles For as you know full well the Englishmen were faithfull and in respect of godly deuotion and knowledge of religion they gaue a yeerely pension to the apostolike sea wherof some part was giuen to the bishop of Rome some part to the church of S. Marie which is called the schoole of the Englishmen to the vse of the brethren These things are cited out of Steuchus But I finde these testimonies in other places besides Steuchus Flauius Blondus in his 6. booke Decad. 2. Then saith he Iohn king of England fearing that he was not of sufficient force to deale with the French king fled to the mercy of Innocentius the third pope of Rome for making England and Ireland feudataries to the church of Rome by league he promised to pay for either Iland an hundred markes in gold yeerely Antonie of Florence saith * Iohn king of England of his own accord Hist. part 3. tit 19. §. quinto anno 1223. by the counsell of his princes offered and did freely grant to God and his most holie Apostles Peter Paul and to the holie church of Rome and to the lord Innocentius the third being pope all the kingdome of England and also of Ireland with all their rights and appurtenances and he hath done and sworne homage for the same kingdomes to the saide Innocentius the pope that he should hold them hereafter as a feudatarie of the said pope and his successours Whereof also Polidore Virgill maketh mention in his 15. booke By this instrument of the pope if as I said we may giue credence to a priuate writing the realme of England is feudatarie to the pope Go to let vs sée the rest Of the kingdome of Arragonia STeuchus in the selfe same booke * saith Pag. 193. Peter king of Arragonia in the third yeer of the L. Innocentius the third being pope came to Rome to the same Innocentius and he receiued from him solemnely an honorable knighthood and he offered willinglie to S. Peter and to the holie church of Rome his whole kingdome and there he had for his fee the same kingdome Also he appointed to pay a certaine summe of money for the kingdome of Sardinia Of the kingdome of Croatia and Dalmatia STeuchus in the same booke * in the register of Gregorie the seauenth we reade thus In the name of the lord of the holie Pag. 191. and indiuisible Trinitie in the yeere of the Lords incarnation one thousand seuenty sixe in the 14. indiction of the moneth of October I Demetrius which am also called Suinumir by the grace of God duke of Croatia and Dalmatia being made and constituted by thee L. Gebizus hauing the power of Pope Gregorie by the ambassage of the apostolike sea by the synodall and generall election of the whole cleargie and people in the Solantine church of S. Peter and being inuested and appointed king in the gouernment of the kingdome of the Croatians and Dalmatians by the banner sword scepter and crowne to thee I vowe and promise that I will vnchangeably fulfill all things which thy reuerend holines shall inioine me that I may keepe mine oth to the Apostolike sea in all things and that I may keepe irreuocably whatsoeuer as well the sea apostlike as the legates thereof haue or shall establish in this realme that I may execute iustice and defend the church also I appoint to pay to S. Peter yeerely in the resurrection of the Lord the tribute of two hundred Bizanties of al my consulships and primacies for the kingdome granted to me Furthermore seeing to
serue God is to raigne in steed of S. Peter and of our lord pope Gregorie and after him insteed of his successors in the apostolike sea I commit my selfe to thine hands and in committing my self I establish this fidelitie with an oth I say I Demetrius which am also called Suinumir by the grace of God and the gift of the apostolike sea being from this day and heretofore king shall be faithfull to S. Peter and my L. pope Gregorie and his successors that enter canonically As for the kingdome L. Gebizo that is giuen me by thy hand I shall faithfully keepe it and I shall not take away the same and the right thereof from the apostolike sea by anie meanes or policie at any time I shall honorablie receiue and honestly handle send back my L. Gregorie the pope and his successours and ambassadours if they come into my dominion and I shall humble serue them what seruice soeuer they shall appoint vnto me These things writeth Steuchus Whereby we may know what eloquent and learned scribes the popes vse to haue which cannot onely set downe in writing the déedes and famous factes of Francis and Dominic but also write the instruments and witnessed briefes of inuested feudataries Of the kingdome of Denmarke STeuchus in the same 2. booke * The Pag. 189. kingdome of Denmarke saith he doth properlie belong vnto and is the tribute of the holie church of Rome which thing the true monuments of the popes do witnes Alexander the holie bishop the holie L. to his beloued sonne Sueuis king of Denmarke sendeth greeting and the apostolike blessing We admonish your wisedome that you prouide to send to vs and our successours the tribute of your kingdome which your predecessours were woont to paie to the church of the apostle yet so that it be not laide as an oblation vpon the altar but that it be offered aswell to vs as to our successours presentiallie that it may be more certainlie approoued Of the kingdome of France THere is extant in Nicolas Gillius a french man and a Chronicle writer an excellent epistle of pope Boniface the 8 which we will set downe Boniface the seruant of the seruants of God to Philip the french king Feare God and keepe his commandements We will haue you know that in spirituall things and temporall things you are subiect to vs there appertaineth to you no bestowing of benefices and prebends and if you haue the keeping of anie that are void reserue the profit therof for the successors and if you haue bestowed anie we decree that the gift thereof is voide we count those fooles that beleeue otherwise Geuen at Laterane 4. of the Nones of December in the 6. yeere of our popedome This instrument of pope Boniface is without doubt set downe in his register according to the custome by the kéepers of the librarie but let vs heare what the other partie answereth For we shall know by the kings answer what credence and authoritie we ought to giue to these registers of the popes Philip by the grace of God king of France to Boniface that carrieth himself for the chief bishop sendeth smal greeting or none at all Let your great follie know that in temporal things we are subiect to none that the bestowing of any churches or prebends that are vacant doth belong vnto vs by our princely right and to reape the fruits thereof against all possessours to maintaine our selfe profitablie and as for those that thinke otherwise wee count them doltes and mad men These things are cited out of the Britaine Chronicles of Armorica the 4. booke ch 14. and out of Nicolas Gillius in the french Chronicles whereby we may easilie coniect that howsoeuer we grant that these furious letters aforesaid were sent vnto kings by the popes yet did they sharpelie and vehemently represse their boldnes and rashnes And yet the same Steuchus the master of the popes librarie as we haue saide trusting to his register durst in the same book of his * write thus Pag. 198. and cause it to be printed at Lyons Boniface the 7. against Philip the king of France bicause hee did exalt himselfe against the Church when the pope had vnfolded to him the old monuments whereby he taught that France was subiect to the church of Rome both in holie and prophane things for which it was necessarie that he should reuerence and worship the pope as Lord of his kingdom when he despised him he did excommunicate him Of the empire of Germanie THe same Steuchus writeth nothing touching this empire by reason of the great power of Charles the fift whom Steuchus was afraide to offend But we haue else where verie manie testimonies First in the canonists * wherin is contained c. tibi Domino dist 63. the oth of the emperor Otho which he gaue to the pope Which pope Clement affirmeth to be the oth of alleageance in c. de iureiur in Clem. which vassals do giue to their patrones when they receiue a fée Whence the Canonists do stoutly dispute and reason that the emperor is the popes vassall and that he holdeth of him his empire by the name of a fée but also pope Innocentius the 3. writeth * that the right to choose the emperor in c. venerabilem extra de elect c. 2. de re iud in 6. in c. 1. ext Ne sed vacan came vnto the princes of Germanie from the apostolike sea And * that the emperor may be deposed by the pope And * that the pope when the empire is void is emperor And héerupon rose that boldnes of pope Innocentius the second that hée painted in the Laterane church at Rome the emperor Lotharius as a vassall lieng prostrate at his féete and receiuing the imperiall crown at his hands and did write these verses vnder the same picture Rex venit ante fores iurans prius vrbis honores Pòst homo fit papae sumit quo dante coronam The king before the doores did come The cities honors first he sweares That done the popes man he is made Of whom he takes the crowne he weares The memoriall whereof is extant in the chronicles of Hirsaug in the life of the abbat Hartuing in Radeuic * And when as lib. 1. num 9. 10. the same day the emperor Friderike had reasoned with the legates of pope Adrian Radeuic writeth that they answered thus Of whom thē hath he the empire if not from our Lord the pope Moreouer there is extant in Iohn Auentine * an epistle of pope Adrian vnto Lib. 6. pa. 636. the archbishops of Treuirs Moguntine and Colen written thus The Romane empire was translated from the Grecians vnto the Almaines so that the king of the Almaines was not called emperor before he was crowned by the Apostle Before the consecration he was king after the consecration emperor From whence then hath he his empire but from vs By the election of his princes he hath the name
of king by our consecration he hath the name of emperor and of Augustus and of Caesar Therefore by vs he reigneth our sea is at Rome the emperors at Aquis nigh Arduenna which is a wood of France The emperor hath all that he hath from vs. As Zacharie translated the empire from the Grecians to the Almains so we may translate it from the Almaines to the Grecians Lo it is in our power to giue it to whomsoeuer we will being therefore set ouer nations and kingdoms to destroy and pluck vp to build plant Thus writeth the pope of the Germane empire boldly ynough as it séemeth séeing he sendeth him to Aquisgranus and into the wood Arduenna as if he were some shéepherd or neatheard Shall there be any of the Counsellers of the most victorious emperor that can abide that fierce importunate voice of that tyrant But let vs heare more Of the kingdome of Spaine STeuchus in the same second booke Gregorie Pag. 133. the seuenth saith he writing to the kings and princes of Spaine saith thus You know that of old the kingdome of Spaine belongeth to the church of Rome And shortly after out of the register of Epistles of the same pope which he affirmeth to be kept religiously in his librarie he setteth down this epistle Gregorie the bishop the seruant of the seruants of God to the kings earles and other princes of Spaine greeting We will haue it knowne to you that the kingdome of Spaine was giuen by the ancient decrees to S. Peter and the holie church of Rome for their right and propertie and so foorth Of the kingdome of Hungarie COncerning the same there is a testimonie of like sort extant in the same maister of the librarie Gregorie the holie bishop Pa. 186. the holy lord to his beloued sonne Salomon king of Hungarie greeting As thou maist learne of the ancients of thy countrie the kingdome of Hungarie is proper to the holie church of Rome being in times past offered and deuoutly deliuered by king Stephen to S. Peter with all the right and power thereof And againe The same Gregorie writing to Geusus king of Hungarie we beleeue thou knowest that the kingdome of Hungarie as also other most noble kingdoms ought to be in the state of their owne libertie and to be in subiection to none other king of any other realme saue onely to the holie and vniuersall mother the church of Rome Of the kingdome of Polonia ALbertus Krantz in Wandal lib. 8. ca. 2. Lakoldus was duke of Cracouia at this time and he that bare rule throughout all Polonia He had from Iohn bishop of Rome the crowne bicause he did 〈…〉 Lodwik lawfull emperor bicause the pope did curse and excommunicate him For the popes were now come to that maiestie which secular princes cal presumption that they made kings citing the words of him that was first pope after Christ Behold saith Peter heer be two swords Against which the princes interpret the words of the eternall bishop Put vp thy sword into the sheath of the carnall humane and secular sword as if it were not lawfull for the pope to fight with it But Lakoldus being named and consecrated king by the pope made al the kingdome tributary to S. Peter that there should be paid yeerly for euerie one a penie which pence are called Peter-pence Of the kingdome of Ruscia STeuchus in the same booke * Also the Pag. 1â—â— kingdom of Ruscia is of right and destraint of the church of Rome as appeereth by the same ancient moniments Gregorie the seuenth writing to the king and queene of Ruscia To our beloued children saith he Demetrius king of Ruscia and to the queene his wife greeting and the apostolike blessing Your sonne visiting the shrines of the Apostles came to vs and bicause he would obtaine that kingdome by the gift of S. Peter by our hands he craued it with deuout petitions hauing giuen due alleageance to the same S. Peter the Apostle affirming vndoubtedly that that petition of his should be confirmed and established by our consent if he might be rewarded with the grace and defence of the Apostolike authoritie to whose petitions we gaue consent and we gaue him the gouernment of our kingdome in the behalfe of S. Peter namely with that intention of loue that S. Peter should defend you and your kingdome by his intercession to God Of the kingdome of Sicilia CLement the fift * Againe we must not In clem pastoralis de sent reiud passe ouer with silence that the king of Sicilia himselfe being our knowne subiect and the subiect of the church of Rome by reason of the foresaid kingdome and being a liege man and vassall hath his continuall abode in the same kingdome Of the kingdome of Scotland POlydore Virgil writeth thus in his seuentéenth booke In the meane season Boniface the pope being wearied by the Scots with their petitions forbad king Edward that hee should not heereafter trouble the Scots with war bicause that realme was before committed by the Scots to the tuition and made subiect to the power of the pope of Rome And therfore he auouched that it was in his power alone to giue it to whomsoeuer he would or to take it from whomsoeuer he would Hitherto haue we reckoned vp all the kingdoms of Christian kings which the pope auoucheth they hold and possesse as a fée or benefit receiued from him By euerie one whereof and by them all in generall we leaue it to men of courage to iudge whether this séemeth to be the humilitie of a modest pastor of the church so greatly commended of Christ or rather boldnes and hawtines of a fierce and intollerable giant Also we would haue them thinke with themselues whether this so great proud speaking of the popes came not from the same spirit from whence that oration of the tyrant Nero came which is left by Seneca to the posteritie in his first booke of Clemencie Of al mortal men I was liked and chosen to serue in the place of the Gods vpon earth I am to the nations the iudge of life and death It is in my hand what condition and state euery man hath What thing soeuer fortune would haue giuen to any mortall man she pronounceth it by my mouth People and cities conceiue causes of ioy by our answer No part doth any where florish saue onely when I am willing and fauourable These so manie thousands of fencers which my power doth suppresse shall be girded at my becke It is my iurisdiction what nations ought to be quite cut off which ought to be transported to whom libertie ought to be granted from whom it ought to be taken what kings ought to be bond-slaues and vpon whose head the princely crowne ought to be set what cities shal come to ruine and which shall florish The crime of Rebellion THe fourth crime followeth whereof we said the pope of Rome was long ago not onely accused by the
by the inspiration of God and intercession of S. Peter shall with one Councell and consent without any promise choose to the order of the popedome and when he shall be consecrated let ambassadours bee sent to vs or our successours the kings of the Frenchmen that they may conclude friendship loue and peace betweene vs and him By this comparison it is euident by what deceit and how wicked policies the papacie did vse to obtaine that highest lordship of Italie For as the true emperor Constantine l. scripturae 14. c. de fide instru saith in Iustinian Diuers writings and such as discredit one another can haue no l. si is qui 13. § vtrum D. de rebus dubijs l. vbi pugnam 188. D. de reg iur strength séeing that two spéeches containing contrarie things cannot bée true Therefore so often as there be manie instruments of one and the same act they must agrée togither in as many words though an error in some little mark be tollerable as if L be written for C. * But an l. Sempronius 47. D. de leg 2. error in the note of the nūber is one thing the diuersitie in the things themselues is another thing as in this place where in one instrument there be only certaine places néere to Rome named in the other besides the greatest part of Italie there is mention made of Sicilia Sardinia and Corcyra in which case bicause they be diuers donations there were diuers instruments required * Finally if Constantine l. sancimus 34. §. si quis autem C. de dona l. quingenta 12. D. de probat had giuen to the papacie the empire of the west so long before what new right could the pope get by this new donation of Ludouike Séeing that as it is commonly said There is no getting of that which is l. 4. C. de contrah emp. a mans owne Fiftly bicause the popes in another place also spake things contrarie one to another touching this same matter For in the same decrée of Gratian * there 12 q. 1. c. futuram is extant the testimonie of pope Melchias who held the popes sea before Syluester where euen then I say before the papacie of Syluester he maketh mention of this donation of Constantine made euen before his papacie in these words He gaue very great gifts and he built the frame of the temple of the first sea of S. Peter so that he forsooke his imperiall seat and he gaue it to S. Peter and his successors that it might profit them For if Constantine made that gift before the times of Melchias what argument or substance can this fable of Syluester haue who affirmeth that Constantine was both baptized by him and also that he gaue him so great an empire But now we must come néerer to the very instrument of the donation and to the words of the historiographer For who will thinke it to be a thing like to be true that a dreame was offered by God to a man that was not onely a painim and a worshipper of idols but also to a most cruell persecutor of Christian religion Or if it had béene offered who can beléeue that God would not rather haue done that by some angell according to the old and perpetuall custome as the scripture doth witnes than by the apostles that were dead Finally it is follie to beléeue any thing of dreames without the authoritie of the scripture Wherefore no man ought to doubt but that this instrument came out of the same shop whence innumerable other such inuentions fictions and lies of the papacie came such as is that in Antoninus As Dominick was at Rome and made Par. 3. tit 14. §. 3. his praier in the cathedrall church of S. Peter for the preseruation and dilating of his order the hand of the Lord was vpon him and he saw the glorious princes Peter and Paul comming to him of whom Peter seemed to deliuer him a staffe and Paul a booke saieng Go preach bicause thou art chosen of God for this ministerie Or that other of pope Stephen the second in Reginon in his chronicle anno 753. where pope Stephen to whom Pipinus gaue the Exarchate of Italie as I said a little before writeth that As he slept in the monasterie of S. Dionysius in the streete of Paris these be his words vnder the bels he saw before the altar S. Peter and the teacher of the Gentils Paul whom he knew by their scars for S. Dionysius was slenderer and taller and that The Lord Peter said This our brother desireth to be healed and that S. Paul answered He shall be healed euen now And that hee drew neere and laid his hand on the brest of the Lord Dionysius friendly and that S. Peter said merily to the Lord Dionysius Thy grace is his health And that by and by the Lord Dionysius holding in his hand a censar and palme said to the priest and deacon Begin to pope Stephen Peace be with thee brother Feare not arise vp whole And by and by saith he I was healed and I would haue fulfilled that which was commanded me and those that were there said that I was mad and so foorth Which things are so foolish and blockish that it séemeth that pope Stephen sought by that inuention to be laughed at But we are to praise God that he hath suffered so great wickednes to befall blocke-heads onely But moreouer that is not to be omitted touching the séeing of the apostles Peter and Paul in a dreame which we read in the booke of the Conformities Fol. 51. As S. Francis went to Rome he was swéetly imbraced of the holie apostles Peter and Paul and there Peter and Paul being requested by Francis did obtaine of Christ the confirmation of the rule of the Minorits The seuenth bicause it is not likely that Constantine the great was sicke of the leprosie forasmuch as neither Eusebius who wrote his life in fiue bookes carefully as I haue already said neither Zosimus who for hatred of religion doth raile vpon Constantine so much as euer he can neither Paulus Diaconus neither any other maketh any mention of that disease to omit the argument of Baptist Mantuan * who de patient 1. cap. 30. Plin. lib. 21. cap. 1. after he had taught out of Plinie * that that kind of disease was long ago extinguished in Italie he inferreth thus If therefore in the time of Plinie who florished vnder Vespasian this disease was now extinguished in Italie it is not likely that Constantine had it who reigned long time after The eight bicause there is a wicked inuention and lie added afterward in that place and such as the eares and minds of Christians doe loath that Constantine whiles he was in the font baptized by the pope saw the hand of God sent down from heauen vpon his bodie which clensed him from his leprosie Being put into the font saith he I saw an hand with
places they boast they had immediately from Christ himself For as all men know that which is euerie mans owne cannot be his own by many causes for as much as lordship or mastership commeth not by manie causes but onely by one * And it is ridiculous that they bring l. ◠§. ex pluribus D de acq poss 18. in Constantine boasting thus of himselfe That In building the church of Rome he bare vp vpon his owne shoulders twelue baskets of earth being equall in number to the twelue Apostles For séeing that he doth so often giue greater honor to Peter alone than iointlie to all the other eleuen did not the reason of the proportion require that he should carrie vp more baskets full of earth in honor of him alone than of all the rest And no lesse ridiculous is that which he addeth afterward that For continuing those lights which did burne in that temple he gaue not onely lands and possessions but also he gaue thereto his libertie that is his right power in the east west north and south climate namelie in Iudea Asia Thracia Graecia Africa Italie and in diuers Iles that they may be disposed by the hands of S. Syluester and of all his successors These things writeth the pope in as manie words and sillables wherby we may vnderstand that those tapers and lights were woonderfull déere for maintaining wherof the tributes and yéerly reuenues of the whole world and specially of fower parts thereof must be giuen And not onely so but also bicause the faithfulnes of treasurers is somtime had in suspicion in such a case it is reported that Constantine appointed that when hée was dead the gouernment and dispensation of those reuenues should be committed to the popes themselues So that it séemeth that it cannot easily be iudged whether the impudencie of the popes that séeke to inforce vpon vs these old wiues fables or the madnes of those men if euer they beléeued an old wiues fable so foolish was greater Furthermore as ridiculous and false is that which followeth touching the tenne gifts which the pope saith were bestowed vpon him by Constantine The first the Lateran pallace 2. the crowne of gold 3. the miter 4. the imperiall collar 5. the purple robe 6. the scarlet cote 7. the imperiall attire 8. pompe of horsemen going before him 9. the imperial scepter 10. al insignes banners and standerds Therefore admit that Peter the apostle was in times past shriueled old clad in a patched cote like a fisherman his vicar will now wander throughout the whole world in broidered garments clad in princely apparell enuironed with a troupe of footemen and horsemen with a fower square traine with pompe and great preparation How much better is the state of the chiefe vicar of the chiefe of the apostles than of the chiefe apostle himselfe O almighty God how great is thy clemency gentlenes patience which dost so long suffer that filth and brothelhouse to mocke thy Christ so fréely O miserable kings and princes which do so long licke the fowle and filthie flowres of that whoore O good Iesus how great difference was there betwéene that thy show and shape and the pride of that cruell and vile tyrant There was saith Esaias no beautie in Christ no comlines When we saw him we turned away our eies and countenance An abiect and contemned of men full of sorrowes troubled with continuall diseases hiding away his face from vs. So despised that he is counted as nothing And will anie man woonder that the pope durst boast that Constantine called him God For in this distinction 96 c. satis he writeth thus It is sufficiently prooued that the pope can neither be bound nor loosed at all by the secular power who as appéereth was called of the godly prince Constantine God séeing it is manifest that euen God cannot be iudged of men But it is woorth the paines to heare the iudgement of the doctor Bernard touching all this kind of pompe who in his fourth booke of consideration writeth to pope Eugenius in these words It is not knowne that Peter at any time came foorth bedeckt either with pearles or silke he was not couered with gold not carried on a white horse not garded with soldiers neither inuironed with ministers making a blundering about him Without these he both beleeued that the holesome commandement might well be fulfilled If thou loue me feede my sheepe Also in another place Consider before all things that the holie church of Rome ouer which thou art placed by God is the mother not the mistresse or ladie of churches and thou thy selfe art not the lord of the bishops but one of them Thus saith Bernard but what will we say of the clause following where Constantine after that princely inuesting of pope Syluester addeth that he held the popes bridle with his hand For reuerence of S. Peter and that he serued him as an apparitor Wo wo to that bewitching whoore whose filthie flowers so great princes do so licourishly licke so long For pope Stephen the second suffered king Pipinus to giue him this selfe same honor néer to Paris Alexander the third would haue had the emperor Friderike to haue done the like so that it is not without cause that S. Hierom in the prolog of the holie Ghost doth in plaine words call Rome Babylon and that purple whoore which is described in the Reuelation But let vs againe heare the iudgement of the foresaide Bernard touching all this kind who writeth thus They go honored for the goods of the Lord Vpon the Cantic ser 33. which Lord they do not honor Thence commeth that whoorish glistering which thou seest daily that stagelike apparell that princely preparation thence is that gold in his bridle sadle and spurs and his spurs shine brighter than the altars Thence are his gorgious tables and costly meates and cups Thence come banqueting and droonkennes Thence are the lute harpe and pipe Thence are the ouerflowing winepresses and full sellers one filling another Thence are the fats of spices and ointments thence are the strouting pouches Fie for shame Prouosts of churches deanes archdeacons bishops archbishops will be and are such For these things do not giue place to that busines that walketh by darke and by and by after FOR HE IS ANTICHRIST Did euer either Luther or any other such as did inueigh against the papacie bring foorth any more plaine or vehement thing to accuse the pope of Rome of the crime of Antichristianisme But let vs hold on For this séemeth not ynough for the purple whoore for in the verse following she maketh Constantine say thus We giue the clerks that serue the church of Rome the same glorie and power and preeminence which our most honorable senate hath and we decree that the clergie of the church of Rome be worshipped euen as the imperiall armie Therefore the cardinals and other clerks trusting to this libertie will héereafter go either to preach the Gospell
or to sing and say their masses furnished and armed with brest-plates helmets tergats swords with other weapons Onely so Yea saith he as the emperor his power is adorned with diuers offices of chamberlaines door-keepers and garders so we wil haue the holie church of Rome garded and adorned and that they ride vpon horses most white and that like as our senate vseth shooes with latchets * so let them be clad in most white linnen Is there any of so great a number of the Senators of the king of France who when he remembreth the humilitie and modestie of Christ and his apostles doth not with all praiers detest this pride and hautines of the popes Moreouer he saith that if the pope will choose any of Constantines senators into the order of the clergie let them not proudly refuse that honor With a mischiefe what tyrannous barbarisme is this that it is lawful for any college of clerks to choose at their pleasure any one of the order of the senators whom they will also make a clerke or munke against his will He procéedeth and that the lawiers may remember that a doubled spéech hath greater force he saith again that he giueth both his pallace and citie of Rome and the prouinces places and cities of all Italie and of the west countries to all the popes of Rome vntil the end of the world Moreouer he adioineth the forme of his grant and deliuery that he may afterward translate himselfe vnto the East countries hauing left the empire of the West in the popes possession and that he may place the sea of his empire in Bizantia adding moreouer a very fit cause Bicause saith he it is an vnmeet thing that an earthly king should beare rule in that countrie where the head of Christian religion and the principalitie of priests is placed by the king of heauen He did excellently make himselfe the beginning of this sentence for in the time of Constantine that is two hundred yéeres before Iustinian the deliuerance of the emptie possession was requisite to make a donation but there be many other things that do disturbe the matter First bicause if Constantine gaue to Syluester the emptie possession of that countrie he could not afterward in his will leaue it to his sonne Constantius séeing the alienation of any thing made among those that are aliue doth leaue no place for making anie will l. 6. c. de test l. sequens 52. D. de leg 2. thereof * But if the donation were made after that diuision made among his sons it was plainly void and of none effect bicause the diuision that a father maketh among his sonnes hath the force of a testament l pen. l. vlt. C. fam excisc cum similibus and therefore of a last will Secondly with what godlines could Constantine who had thrée sonnes and two daughters do so great iniurie to his children as to depriue them of halfe their inheritance and to giue the same to a stranger especially to a wretch and vile person For that is a pretie saieng of Augustine Whosoeuer he be that will disinherit his sonne and make the church his heire let him seek another to take it than Augustine Where also the fact of that 17. q. vlt. c. vlt. bishop is cōmended who restored al again to a certaine testator who hauing no children left his goods to the church then afterward had children contrarie to his hope and expectation Which selfe same thing is set downe 13. q. 2. c. si quis irascitur But nothing is so ridiculous as is that reason of his purpose which the counterfet Constantine addeth That it is vnmeet that in the same citie wherein a priest sitteth as chiefe the emperor should haue the sea of his empire Wo to thy head most holie hangman For what shall we say of Salomon of Aza of Iozia and other godlie kings of the Israelites who placed the sea of their kingdome at Ierusalem What of Theodosius who had his at Mediolanum But that we may not go far for examples what shall we say of Constantius sonne to Constantinus who according to his fathers testament did not onely exercise his empire and iurisdiction at Rome but also he put from the popedome and thrust out of Rome pope Liberius for taking vpon him the defence of Anastasius a bishop a certaine magician sacrilegious person as Theodoricus Zozomenus and Ammian Marcellin lib. 15 haue left it written But now let vs returne to our purpose for last of all there is a fearfull decrée set downe If any saith he of our successors shall be a violater or contemner let him be subiect to eternall damnation being insnarled and let him burne in the neathermost hell with the diuell and the wicked But Constantine brought this curse first vpon himselfe who as we said euen now in his last wil gaue the empire of the West to his eldest son finally he was bound with the same curse whosoeuer possessed as his owne either the West or any part of the West either by the name of king or duke or by any other name And by this reason there hath béene none that hath béene king either of France or Spain héertofore that burneth not in the neathermost hel with the diuell and all the wicked And now can we find any so ignorant of the Latin toong that séeth not that the maner of spéech which the writer of the same instrument vseth is far vnlike to the custome of that age Which part of reprehension Platina did not omit in that Syluester But Laurentius Valla a man of most sharpe iudgement in this kinde did more at large prosecute it Whereto we will adioine this one thing if anie man consider the maner of phrase wherein the lawes of Constantine are written in the booke of Theodosianus and Iustinian he shal soone perceiue without any great ado that this instrument came out of the same shop which we shewed before out of the Conformities of Francis or out of the life of Dominick And we must not passe ouer with silence another cosoning knacke of a certain latter pope of Leo the 10. as it séemeth who to the end he might with some color couer that corruptiō of spéech basenes of stile he heaped falsehood vpon falsehood For he suborned a certaine hungrie Grecian called Bartholomew Picernus and afterward Augustine Steuchus the maister of his librarie to saie that they found in I cannot tell what librarie of the popes that instrument written in the Gréeke toong and that then they translated it somwhat more fitly into the Latine toong Which inuention Gregorie the 13. hath now of late confirmed in the last edition of the decrée of Gratian. But all the lawes of Constantine are extant in the foresaid bookes of Theodosianus and Iustinian written in the Latin toong though they were published both at Constantinople and in a citie of the Grecians and among the Grecians Furthermore Eusebius in his thirde booke
cōmitted to him It followeth Casting down from their throne those that are mightier he throweth them downe euen to the ground as ministers of proud Lucifer How madlie the drunken frier inuadeth the place of Isaias * which doth properlie Ch. 14. concerne the popes of Rome and the vniuersall priests of the church For Gregorie the great doth plainly testifie that vnder the person of Nabuchadnosor the vniuersal pope is described For in hel there are brought in the damned kings princes comming out as it were to méete the pope and to welcome him comming vnto them after his death and mocking him thus Hell was afraide bicause of thee against the meeting of thy comming al the princes of the earth that are dead arise to thee All the kings of the nations rise out of their throns and they speak vnto thee on this wise Art thou also become weake as one of vs and art thou become like to vs Thy pride is drawne vnto the hell O Lucifer when didst thou fall from heauen thou sonne of the morning and art cut downe to the earth that didst terrifie the nations But thou saidst in thine hart I will clime vp into heauen I will exalt my throne aboue the stars of heauen I will clime vp aboue the height of the cloud and will become like to the most highest Those that see thee shall saie Is this he that troubled the earth and did shake kingdoms Now let vs heare Gregorie out of his fourth booke of Epistles ch 82. where he applieth that place of Isaias vnto him that did professe himselfe to be pope and vniuersall bishop I will clime vp saith he aboue the height of the clowdes I will be like to the most highest For what are all thy brethren the bishops of the vniuersall church but stars of heauen Before whom whiles thou couetest to set thy selfe by a worde of pride and to tread their name vnder foote in comparison of thee what else dost thou say but I will clime vp into heauen I will exalt my seat aboue the stars of heauen Whom whiles your brotherhood despising them doth go about to tread vnder foote what other thing saith it but this which the old enimie saith I will clime vp aboue the height of the clowds Al which things when I behold weeping c. By which words it is vnderstood that the place of Isaias concerning Lucifer cast downe into the neather most part of the earth and of his crueltie thrust downe into hell doth not belong to the most noble king of Nauarre than whom the sunne beholdeth nothing more méeke more gentle but vnto our Polyphemus Sixtus the fift and vnto his pride in treading vnder-foote the maiestie of kings But if we must cut the throat of this gyant with his owne sword lo we haue a plaine text in his owne decrée * where it is thus written Lucifer de poeniten dist 2. §. qui vero reprobi whiles that he presumed of himselfe in pride he was cast downe from paradyse into hell Also * Whiles Nabuchadnosor waxing proud in 23. q. 5. §. hinc notandum his hart said Is not this Babylon which I haue built c. God did foorthwith change his reasonable mind and he changed him into the forme of beastlines so that flieng from men he liued with beasts Which words he reciteth referring them vnto the pope which we wil haue especially noted and he commendeth Ludouike of Rome * But now let vs procéed in cons vlt. num 2. to the rest after we haue added that one thing out of the 38. leafe of the booke of the Conformities bicause mention is made of the seat of Lucifer The peace making Frier being caught vp into heauen whether in the bodie or without the bodie God knoweth let the readers consider how wickedly the vile munk doth mock the words of Paul and he saw in heauen manie seates amongst which he saw one higher than his fellowes bedeckt with pretious stone And he heard a voice saieng to him This was Lucifers seate and in his place shall humble Francis sit And this surely is that which we said before that Francis Bernardo togither with the rest of his stage plaiers and comicall mates shall haue a place in Lucifers kingdome so that we néed not greatly dispute whether Francis or pope Sixtus the fift a bishop of the order of Francis is worthie the seate It followeth in the bull According to the care for all chruches people and nations that lieth vpon vs. Good Lord What a burden hath our great cowled Frier taken vpon him séeing he hath taken vp vpon his shoulders the care both for all churches and people nations We will héerafter cease to woonder what is the cause that painters haue in his image painted the form of one that stoupeth Scarce Atlas who they say held vp heauen did beare a heauier burden What shall then become of vs if the pope begin to faint and faile vnder that so great a burden which he complaineth to lie vpon his shoulders alone They say that the cause of a certain melancholy persons gréefe was bicause he was afraid least Atlas who had so long borne so great a burden should at length sinke vnder it But we thinke it good to set downe in this place a certaine pleasant narration of William Budeus a man as I said before that loued his countrie and was very learned touching these Atlasses out of his fift booke De Asse A certain pleasant and merie preacher saith he was woont not long ago to cauill at them and to say that they seemed to him to be such as are those corbat images in churches which are set vpon posts or pillers For as we see some of these images as it were yeelding vnder their burden which are either in stead of corbats or else they reach without the mortesses of the corbats and they seeme to one that beholdeth them as if they tooke great paines and swet with bearing the worke whereas indeed they are without feeling and they help the strength of the stones nothing howsoeuer they seeme to take great paines so we see these Atlasses set and placed vpon the very tops of the pillers in the temple of the Lord hauing indeed that false honor and maiestie of titles like reuerend old men and their custome is to pretend holines and to beare a faire shew of reuerend old men that vnderprop the Lords sanctuarie but when we behold their blockish ignorance or dissolute carelesnes it is euident that they do no more good than images of stone But it séemeth that we ought not to omit that which Antoninus archbishop of Florence whom we haue sundry times before mentioned hath taught vs that when as long ago the pope began to faint vnder so great a burden there were some found that did vnderprop him with their shoulders namely Dominican Friers For he writeth thus * Dominic Histor. part 3. tit 23. §. 3. fol. 191. went
out of Denmarke Sueueland England Scotland Germanie and Heluetia But the noble man whom in this place he touched saith that he was neuer so mad as now when he is like to loose the realme of France and that he doth the same which the asses that are fed with hemlocke are said to do in Thuscia of whom Matheolus writeth that the fall so fast asléepe that they séeme as dead so that the countrimen come oftentimes to flea them and haue almost taken off halfe the skin before they are awaked But when they come to the backe then at a sudden they start vpon their féet and hauing the one halfe of their skin hanging about their héeles they make an euill fauored braieng so that somtimes the countrimen are sore afraid The howling of pope Sixtus séemeth to be like this at this time being spoiled almost of half his kingdoms and being out of hope of the rest and being now readie to put his necke in the halter to hang himselfe vnles most mightie kings and princes for restoring his power do fill poore France with murders and burnings But let these things hitherto be spoken concerning the protestation of the king of Nauarre And as for those things that are spoken properly and apart by themselues against the dignitie of the prince of Condie we take them to be sufficiently refuted with this common answer The pope chargeth him that he came of parents which were both of them heretiks As it is an excellent thing to be commended but of a man commendable so it is an excellent thing to be discommended if it be of a discommended and discommendable knaue such as it is euident that both this cowled baud is and I cannot tel what other slaues of his the cardinals who haue so hammered and wrought that thunderbolt at Rome as the Cyclops did sometimes forge thunderbolts for Iupiter in the mountaine Etna For who doth not vnderstand to what end this wicked reproch touching the hauing of two heretiks for his parents vttered properly against the prince of Condie doth tend For there is a rule among the canonists that no ecclesiasticall dignitie be granted to the sonnes of heretiks vnto the second generation * Therefore no doubt our Sixtus C. quicunque §. Haeretici c. statu De H. erit in 6. gloss in c. 1. in verb regnum Extr. de praeb doth prepare this way by the counsell of certain poyoners to take from the most noble prince Charles brother to the prince of Condie and comming of the same hereticall parents his cardinalship and benefices which we hope he will easily marke such is his wisedome But let vs now procéed to the rest of the sentences of Sixtus his bull For a few lines after the pope hitteth the same prince of Condie in the téeth with his dispensation that it might be lawfull for him to marrie his most noble kinswoman What blindnes of mind appéereth in such an impudent lie The prince had contracted that matrimony certaine moneths before that dispensation was brought from Rome He neuer asked any dispensation but being hedged in with armed men which did command him that he should with his hand subscribe an epistle by them written and desiring a dispensation he obeied against his will euen in like sort as we noted before in the king of Nauarre cosin to the same prince But it is woorth the paines to consider what maner liberalitie this was in the pope that he should grant leaue to the prince to marrie his cosin-german which matrimonie is not forbidden either by the law of God or by the ciuill law for in that book before mentioned the title wherof is The Taxes of the apostolike penance the popes absolution for him that hath contracted in the fourth degrée is taxed onely at seuentéene grosses For in the 37. page it is thus written A dispensation for the fourth degree of consanguinity for marriage to be made or made ignorantly gross 17. For the third and fourth degree gross 27. For the fourth and fift gross 27. and he must agree with the popes treasurie But if they haue contracted themselues wittingly and haue dispatched it gross 21. and in like sort for affinitie gross 29. What hath not the pope now somtimes dispensed contrarie to the manifest inhibition of the lawes of God that it might be lawfull for the vncle by the father or mother to coÌ„tract matrimony with the brother or sisters daughter Which notwithstanding ought to séeme so much the lesse strange bicause pope Martin the fift entring into consultation with his doctors and diuines as saith the historiographer dispensed with a certain person that he should take his owne naturall sister to wife For Antoninus of Florence hath committed to writing this sacrilege * in l si tibi filius l. si paterfamilias §. in arrogationibus D de adopt of In sua sum 3. par tit 1. ca 11 §. quod papa whom Angel de claua maketh mention and followeth in his summe in the word Papa and Nicolas Boetius in his 20. counsell vtrum papa num 26. And bicause the pope hath begun to speake of dispensations we must not passe ouer euen that other famous dispensation that it may be lawfull for a frier laieng aside his cowle for a time to marrie a wife for a certaine time namely vntil his wife be with child least the noble stocke do die without issue vpon that condition that so soon as he hath a child then the father letting downe his eares do returne to his cowle Touching which thing we may sée Baldus his testimonie * Iohan. Andr. in c. actus legitimi in c. semel Deo de reiur in 6. Innocent in c. cum ad monast in verb. lic Iohn Andreas * ibi Panormitanus de stat monach Petr. Ancha in con 339 parum du bitationis Marian cons 13. praesens consultatio con 28. circa priâ—â—â—n Panormitanus * who doth also cite others more ancient * William Benedict * in c. Raynutius in ver qui cum alia num 26. part 3. who noteth that the popes power is to dispense that a marriage may be made to last onely for a time Therefore such was the popes liberalitie in permitting to the munks to be married onely for a time bicause he had learned out of the apostle Paul that it was honorable amongst men of all orders But on the other side sée either woonderfull great nigardlines or seueritie of the same man For pope Callistus 3. saith Boerius refused to dispense for a deacons marriage who alledged that he had not the gift of continencie and that he could not resist the law of the flesh ne yet want a wife though cardinall Senensis did at that time make intreatie for him who did afterward succeed Callistus being called Pius the second as he witnesseth in his epistles made in the time of his cardinalship writing to that his friend that he must wait for another
of Nauarre his kinsman and subiect For in the yéere M. DXI. at which time that war whereof we spake before waxed hot betwéen pope Iulius the second and Ludouike the 12. king of France who was called father of his countrie and that same furious tyrant went about to terrifie him with his vaine thunderbolts and had made his kingdome a praie and spoile to him that could get it Iohn great grandfateer to this our Henrie reigned in Nauarre He forasmuch as he both was in the realme of France and was neighbor to the French king and also by reason of the great fées he had in his realme was his client and vassall was requested by king Ludouike that he would aide him against his enimie according to the right of senioritie and ordinances of seruiceable clientships The king of Nauarre being not vnmindfull of his dutie toward the king hauing with all spéed mustered and gathered bands of footemen and horsemen in his kingdom he brought so great an armie into the borders of France that he left his realme in a maner naked and destitute of men Which thing being knowen pope Iulius determined foorthwith to deale by messengers with Ferdinando king of Spaine to whom he then first of all gaue the sirname of Catholike anno 1492. that with all spéede he should make readie an armie and should inuade the dominion of the king of Nauarre who was absent and he promiseth that for his part he would both proscribe Nauarre for an heretike and schismatike and would also giue him his kingdome for a reward Ferdinandus hauing gotten so fit an opportunitie to do an exploit determined not to be wanting to himselfe After the curse was pronounced and published against the king of Nauarre he assembled his forces and entering the borders of the king his neighbor being absent he tooke first the principall citie of the kingdome named Pompiopolis and then afterward the most part of the whole realm hauing as we said pope Iulius for his author a good one and without all doubt a fit one if in the rule of the law wherin it is written that He possesseth vniustly which possesseth hauing the pretor for his author it were written the pope for his author in stead of the pretor for his author Soone after the king of France being not ignorant that the senior ought to deliuer his vassall from the danger of that euent which thing euen Bellaius Langaeus somtimes a most excellent light of France doth plainely testifie in his first booke of commentaries sent his armie to recouer Pompiopolis ouer which he set as captaine Dunosius chiefe gouernor of Aquitania and duke of Longouilla But it séemeth more conuenient to defer vntil some other time what happened both at that time and many yéeres after and to set it downe in a booke written of those things For it is sufficient for vs to vnderstand at this time that the king of Nauarre great grandfather to him that now is was spoiled of his kingdome for none other cause saue onely bicause he aided as he ought the king of France his neighbor his senior being excommunicate by pope Iulius proscribed and pronounced to be an heretike and schismatike Whereof not onely the French historiographers are witnesses and amongst these Arnoldus Ferronus and Bertrandus Helias but also the Italians and Spaniards and chiefly Stephen Garibaius in his 29. book Francis Tarapha and Anthonie Nebrissensis in his booke concerning the war of Nauarre * In which places me thinks we 1. c. 1. 2. 3. should not omit the arrogancie of a Spanish peasant as we say commonly who railed vpon and slandered the most wise and moderate king of France that euer was and that in these words Ludouike saith he the French king a man most inconstant Ch. 2. after the maner of his nation being not content to kéepe himselfe within his owne little skin that is within the borders of his own kingdom set his mind toward Italie And shortly after Therefore pope Iulius the second being angrie tooke the sword out of Peters hands and drew it against the rebellious and stubborne he declareth them to be schismatiks and therefore heretiks he maketh their goodes common for the execution of which sentence he calleth vpon Christian princes chiefly vpon our prince Also chap. 3. Therefore the gouernor of the countrie of Spaine fearing the rage of the French men doth exhort Henrie king of the Britans to whom Aquitania did belong to require it againe by war and that he might haue iuster cause to aske it againe the apostolike authoritie commeth betweene whereby he depriueth the French king of Aquitania let the senators and kings counsellers in France marke and giueth it to the king of Britane to possesse and enioie And by and by in that place where he bringeth in the pope conferring with his cardinals The king of Spain saith he must be holpen We must draw out both our swords against the common enimies of all good men the kings of France and Nauarre and whiles that we whet the one that is the secular in the meane season let vs bend the other namely the spirituall against the necks of schismatiks Therfore by the common decree of the cardinals the king of Nauarre was declared to be a schismatike and therefore an heretike bicause being often admonished he was waxen stubborne and he did openly professe that he was French He was fined in his kingdome and all his goods not onely he but also his wife and his sonnes with all their posteritie and all his right of being king was translated vnto Spain The Spanish Nebrissensis saith thus in as manie words wherby we vnderstand by what right by what author and for what cause the king of Nauarre was robbed of his kingdome Indéed Guicciardin in his 11. booke of his Italian historie setteth downe his iudgement touching this matter in these words When the king of Spaine saith he could not affirme that he did lawfully possesse the kingdome of Nauarre for any other cause or by any other title he reasoned that he had possession by the right of the popes commandement and authoritie of the holie sea For the pope being not well content with things that fell out happily in Italie had a little before published a decree against the king of France wherin calling him no more most Christian but most noble he made him and all that tooke his part subiect to the penalties of heretiks and schismatiks and hauing granted power by right to take and enioy their goods kingdoms and all that they had he declared them to be condemned To the same effect also writeth Arnoldus Ferronus a most learned historiographer in matters of France and sometimes senator of the Parleament holden at Burdeaux in these words Ferdinandus saith he king of Spaine so soone as he vnderstood of the league made betweene the kings of France and Nauarre turned his forces prepared against the French king against the king of Nauarre and