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
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
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
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
thou didst alwaies thirst Sing a song bicause thou hast ouercome the world through the wickednes of men and not through thy religion Not deuotion or a pure conscience doth draw men vnto thee but the committing of many heinous facts and the deciding of controuersies gotten by monie Let vs also heare the complaint of Theodore Nihemius being not vnlike Tract 6. c. 37. to this that the king of France his Counsellers may know how fréely many good men haue long ago detested these sacrileges of the papacie of Rome and haue detested them at the same time when the Church of Christ was oppressed with the most cruell lordship of the same papacie The popes treasure-house saith he is like to the sea into which all riuers run and yet it doth not ouerflow For so into this are caried out of diuers parts of the world thousand waights of gold and yet it is not filled wherein there is a generation which changeth swords for teeth that it may eate vp the needie of the earth and the poore from among men wherein there be many blood-suckers which say Bring Bring The officers of which treasurie are called Gentes camerae and that truly For the Gentils be barbarous nations which haue maners that are discrepant from the maners of men O most iust Gentils which shall haue their lot with the infernall furies or Harpies and with Tantalus being a thirst which neuer are satisfied Moreouer there be certaine verses of certaine Canonists extant which accurse the wicked couetousnes of the popes and amongst these of one Iohn a munke of whom we made mention a little before out of whose excellent monuments these are recited and commended Rome gnawes hir hands but as for those Whom gnaw she cannot those she hates To those that giue she listeneth Against all those she shuts hir gates That nothing giue That hellish court The mother is of euils and care Vnknowen with knowen she equall makes And beasts with those that honest are Also in another place The court doth emptie purse and chests For why she longeth after marks If thou disposed be to spare Thy purse flie popes and patriarks If marks thou giue and with the same Their chests shalt fill thou loosed shalt be And cleane absolued from all offence And vglie sinne that holdeth thee Who keepes the house Whose there It s I. What would you haue I would come in Do you bring ought No Stand at doores I bring ynough then come you in Hitherto haue we spoken of the monsterous robberies of the popes and of the former sort of the crimes of sacrileges and simonie now order doth require that we speake of the other which is commonly called the penitentiarie tax if first we adde that one thing which Francis Petrarcha an Italian left in writing touching pope Iohn the two and twentie that his heires found in his treasure house after his death no lesse than twentie times fiue thousand thousand crowns Which sum the French men expresse thus fiue and twentie millions of Gold And the Germans two hundred and fiftie tuns of gold By the which euery man may easily iudge of other sacrileges and spoiles of the like théeues Therfore the booke is extant being published at Paris anno 1520. with the priuilege of the Parleament of Paris the sixt day of Iune the same yéere the title whereof is The Taxes of the apostolike chancerie and also the holie penitentiarie taxes being likewise apostolike where fol. 36. you may sée these prices of absolutions and apostolike markets An absolution for a munke that weareth voided shooes and that weareth knit garments seuen grosses Absolution for a priest that hath ioined togither in matrimonie those that are within degrees of kindred and hath said masse before them seuen grosses For him that hath lien with a woman in the church and hath committed other euils six grosses For a priest that hath married priuily certaine persons and hath been present at secret matrimonies seuen grosses For a layman that hath taken away holie things out of an holie place seuen grosses Absolution for him that hath had any carnall copulation with his mother sister or other kinswoman or allie or with his godmother fiue grosses For him that hath defloured a virgin six grosses For a periured person six grosses For a layman that hath slaine an Abbat or another priest vnder a bishop which hath slain a munke or a clerke 7. 8. or 9. grosses Absolution for a layman killing a lay-man gross 5. For a priest a deane or clerke when the supplication is signed with Fiat gross 18. or 16. Absolution for him that hath slaine his father mother brother sister or wife or any other kinsman being a layman bicause if any of them were a clerke the murtherer should be bound to visit the apostolike sea gross 5. or 7. For an husband that hath beaten his wife of which beating she brought foorth hir child before hir time gross 6. For a woman that hath droonken any drinke or done some other thing whereby she hath destroied the child that was quicke within hir gross 5. Is not the state of Christian nations miserable and to be lamented out of whose blood and bowels so great heaps of monie are caried to Rome to be consumed foorthwith in dennes brothelhouses and gluttonie of the popes cardinals and such epicures Doth not the spectacle of the common people of France séeme lamentable and deadly séeing that in these times the persecutions of the reformed churches being so often restored and renewed we sée innumerable families cast out through hunger necessitie beg in the stréets being destroied and quite past hope of recouerie And to sée the wealthie fat epicures of Rome to be glutted with the blood of our citizens To sée the naturall countrimen of France that came of most ancient houses wander vp and down with their wiues and children in strange countries being driuen out of their own countrie and places where they were borne And to sée the Romish ruffians which are put into their place by Sixtus the fift to be intertained so courteously by those that are in authoritie O nation of France derided of all other nations that can so long beare that tyrannicall lordship of the papacie O Iesu Christ that wast crucified for vs and raised againe and art placed at the right hand of God the father what end dost thou shew vs or O thou great King what end dost thou giue vs of our labors And to the end the most famous Senators of the Parleament being lawiers may vnderstand that there were long ago of the same order learned men which haue openly detested that cruell and barbarous tyrannie I will héerafter cite some testimonies out of their bookes wherof that is the first out of D. Albericus * The presidēts l. bene a Zenone nu 18. c. de quad praescrip of the church of Rome saith he throgh their craftie suttel wisedō according to the varietie of times haue varied their
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
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
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
prouince whereby the priests of Christ may both wisely discerne and constantly hold equitie especially bicause it is granted to euerie one if he shall be offended at the iudgement of those that are appointed to heare causes to appeale to the councels of his prouince or also the generall councell vnlesse peraduenture there be any man which doth beleeue that God doth giue by inspiration to some one man the iustice of hearing and examining matters and doth denie it to infinit priests assembled in a synod Or how shall the iudgement giuen beyond the seas be firme whereunto the necessarie persons of witnesses cannot be brought either for infirmitie of sexe or of old age or for many other hinderances that come betweene And as concerning those thrée legats there are grieuous complaints made of them in those verie same letters and especiallie of Faustinus that they had greatly troubled the assemblie when as they feigned that they mainteined the priuileges of the church of Rome Then we sée that euen at that time the wickednes trecherie and impudencie of the pope of Rome was reuealed and that it was conuict and condemned by a generall councell Do we thinke that he did any thing hauing taken away al his enimies or familiars of out Africa and Asia that he might establish in his west parts the power that he did euen then affect And thus much hitherto touching the first cause of the nullitie and incompetencie or insufficiencie of the iudge which notwithstanding that they may be more apparent to the most excellent senators of the kings parlement and to other lawyers we will confirme them with the authoritie of the doctors And first of all with that cōmon saieng of the canonists that The pope is no méete iudge euen in the onely crime of heresie but that it ought to be iudged by others * And Philip Decius C. si papa dist 40. doth constantly auouch that in that case a councell ought not to be gathered by the popes authoritie * The same doth Panormitanus in c. cum venis num 37. extra de iudic and Decius affirme in c. significasti num 4. num 9. de elect But of al other Ludouike of Rome doth most copiouslie and constantly auouch * out of the authoritie of the decrée it selfe that he that in Concil vlt. nu 15. seqq liueth rebelliouslie and refuseth to learne and do good things is rather a member of C. nullus dist 38. in concil 95. vol. 4. Decius cons 115. the deuil than of Christ that he is shewed to be rather an infidel than a beléeuer * The same saith Iason * and Decius * The second Nullitie by reason of the falsenes of the Allegation THerefore we say that the second cause of the nullitie doth consist in the falsenes of the allegation that is in a false cause alleaged which the pope followed in cōceiuing his sentence For the rule of the law is knowen that a sentence pronounced according to false causes false allegations false instruments is voide in law and without any appeale especially where the l. 1. pass C. si ex fals instru l. si praetor 7. D de iudic l. cum vero 2. §. Subuentum De fideic libert l. Seiae 26. D. de tutor cur dat l. 1. §. haec verba D. ne vis siat ei l. 1. C. si ex fals alleg sentence had for the principall cause and foundation the falsenes of the allegation * But pope Sixtus saith that he hath therfore proscribed the king of Nauarre and the prince of Condee bicause they be as he saith notorious heretikes Finely For by this reason if those princes be notorious heretiks then they must be procéeded against with arms and war if they be not notorious heretiks then the proscription and execration is of none importance Let vs sée then for what cause and allegation the foresaid Princes are condemned for heretiks For so great a crime must not be laid to the charge euen of a man of base estate without a great and weighty cause much lesse of so great princes and the kinsmen of so great a king The emperors Gratian Valentinian and Honorius decréed that they be counted heretiks which shall be detected euen by a light argument to erre and go astraie from the iudgement and path of catholike religion * Who can l. 2. c. de haeret Manich. like of and allow that definition For Augustine doth not account those heretiks which defend their opinion though false and pernitious with no stubborne wilfulnes especially which they haue not brought foorth through boldnes of their presumption but haue receiued it from their parents being seduced and fallen into errors and do seeke the truth with warie carefulnes being readie to be reformed when they haue found it as he saith text 24. dist 3. c. dixit Againe Iohn Auentine in the third book of his chronicles left in writing that a certaine bishop of Germanie called Virgil being skilful in mathematical arts was therefore accused of heresie and was called to Rome by pope Zacharie bicause he affirmed that there were Antipodes * That is such as go with their feete toward ours The canonists decréed that he should bée counted an heretike that should not obey all and singular the popes decrées * The gloss dist 10. c. nulli dist 21. pope himselfe hath decréed that he that denieth emperors kings princes and finally euery humane creature to be subiect to the temporall and materiall sword of the bishop of Rome be counted an heretike bicause it is vpon necessitie of saluation to beléeue this that is it is one of the articles C. 1. in fin extr de maior obedient of faith * In the yéere of Christ cxc 8. Victor pope of Rome did therefore pronounce that the East churches were heretiks bicause they thought not the same concerning Easter which his church thought For which cause Ireneus bishop of Lyons did sharpely reprooue that pope as Eusebius doth witnes in his fift booke 26. and Epist 24. What néede many words He is defined to be an heretike in popery which doth not beléeue al those things which are taught for truth in the church of Rome * But we haue before C. nulli dist 19 shewed that this doctrine was deliuered to the Church of Christ of it to be beléeued by the authority and commandement of the popes that Dominic wrought more miracles than Christ and all his apostles that the same Dominic was much more excellent than Christ and all his apostles That Iohn Baptist to whom the holy scripture gaue this title that there was neuer any mortall man vpon earth greater than he was by many degrées inferior to Dominic that cosener We haue shewed furthermore that the popes haue approoued that fable touching the marks of Francis Bernardo and that it is deliuered to the church of Rome to be beléeued and that that wise man that opposeth himselfe
sentence Giuen at Rome the fift of the Ides of Septemb. Anno 1585. Psalm 109. O Lord they shall curse and thou wilt blesse those which shall rise against me shall bee confounded but thy seruant shall reioice THE BRVTISH THVNDERBOLT of Pope SIXTVS the fift against HENRIE the most noble King of Nauarre and the most excellent HENRIE BORBON Prince of Condie Togither with the protestation and declaration of the manifold nullitie or inualiditie of the same WHeras of late there was a declaration pronoūced by Pope SIXTVS the fift of that name being a Franciscan Frier and it was shortly after published and printed that Henrie the most noble King of Nauarre and also Henrie Borbon the most excellent Prince of Condie should first be excommunicate as notorious heretiks from among Christians and also that they should be put from their empires honors and al dignities and principally from hope of succéeding in the kingdome of France secondly that their subiects and vassals should be absolued from the oth of alleageance wherewith they were bound to them last of al that they shuld be set vpon by force sword arms and camps by the most mightie king of France the most excellent and noble Princes aforesaid haue thus protested touching that matter that with the good leaue of all Catholikes and without anie hurt of the cōcord of both religions which the same princes do greatly desire to be kept intire in France that proscription or declaration of the pope being a Franciscan Frier was pronounced published diuulgate against all lawes diuine and humane and that for that cause it is in law none and to be accounted for none that all that furious curse is nothing but a brutish thunderbolt of the Romane papacie whose force is friuolous vain and of none account that principally for fower causes namely for the incompetencie of the rash iudge the falsenes of the allegation the want of iudiciall order and for the foolishnes of the forme wherein it is written wherof we wil héerafter intreat in the same order wherein they are set downe Of the incompetencie or insufficiencie of the iudge THerefore the first cause of Nullitie is the incompetencie of a rash iudge which appéereth therby bicause the papacie of Rome which hath taken this iudgement vpon it against so great princes hath long ago béene condemned for seuen most grieuous crimes by the most part of Christendome namely England Scotland Denmarke Sweueland the most part of Germanie and also the most part of Heluetia namely for impietie for exercising tyrannie in the Church for corrupt religion sacrilege treason rebellion and forgerie And it is certaine that although the popedome had not béene condemned for so great crimes but had béene onelie found guiltie yet notwithstanding I do not saie that it is not lawful for it to be a iudge but not so much as to accuse the basest or simplest man of anie crime of offence vntill it haue fitly purged it selfe of all crimes so far off is it that in this so great a state of matters the pope can condemne so great and so famous and mightie princes of so great wickednes especially being vnheard and before their cause is tried a l. neganda 19. c. de publ iudic Which the Canonists themselues doe teach b 4. quaest 1. c. 1. 25. q. 1. c. omnes 24. q. 1. ca. ait duobus cap. seqq And which more is séeing in this cause of the foresaid princes the matter and state of the paparie it selfe is handled none either ciuill or natural reason doth suffer the pope to sit as iudge in his owne matter and to giue sentence for himselfe in his owne cause c l. qui iurisdictioni D. de iurisd l. 1. c. ne quis in sua causa iud l. Julianus 17. de iud But and if the pope be not a fit iudge in this matter but an vncompetent and vnfit iudge as it shall plainly appéere by those things which we shall héerafter speake it followeth that the sentence pronounced by him is none in law that of it selfe and without any appeale it falleth to the ground And we cannot doubt but that l. 1. pass ca. si a non compe iud l. 6. § quod si quis D. de iniust rupt test the iudgement and authoritie of the most part of Christendome aforesaid shall be of great importance with magistrates and orders and principally with the Parleament of France séeing it is euident that this is the law of all nations that in deliberations especially being hard weighty iudgement be alwaies giuen according l. item si vnus 17. § vlt. l. seq D. de recep arbit to the sentence and opinion of the most part especially where the more part is iudged not onelie by the number of persons but also by the maner and quantitie of the vniuersall order as when of thrée parts of iudges two make a departure suppose eight of twelue but that England l. 3. de decret ab ordin fac l. 3. l. 4. D. quod cuiusque vniuer l. nominationum 46. c. de decurio l. quod maior 19. D. ad municip Scotland Denmark Sweueland the most part of Heluetia and part of high and low Germanie are two parts of thrée of Christendome and that therfore they shal haue great weight and authoritie with the orders and Parleament of France we neither can nor ought to doubt for our singular iudgement of their wisedome Moreouer it séemeth that we ought not to let slip euen that that the pope is reiected for an vnméete and incompetent iudge not onely of the most part of Europe but also of those Churches and nations which in Africa Egypt Syria the East Asia and Grecia do professe their name among Christian Churches The manifold crime of impietie and first for arrogating to himselfe the Godhead THerefore the first crime wherof the papacie is conuict and condemned of the most part of Europe we saie is impietie and that thréefold the first bicause the pope doth get to himselfe a certaine Godhead secondly he derideth and mocketh Christian religion last of all he bringeth in into the Church false and forged religions The testimonies of the first impietie are these The pope doth both reioice and boast that he is called God * where it is written thus It is sufficiently declared dist 96. satis that the pope cannot at all be either bound or loosed by the secular power who as it appeereth euidently was called of the most godlie prince Constantine God seeing that it is manifest that God cannot bee iudged of men Which place Augustine Steuche a most earnest defender of the pope and the kéeper of his librarie in the booke of the donations of Constantine pag. 141. praising and reciting addeth this Doest thou heare that the highest bishop was called of Constantine God and that he was taken for God This was done when he adorned him with that excellent edict He
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
at the least therefore the sum is an hundred and twentie thousand crownes 74. At the same time there were voide priorships deaneries prouostships masterships and other dignities which haue not the pastorall staffe for their insigne more than two hundred and for euerie one of these benefices there were paide downe fiue hundred crownes the summe therefore is an hundred thousand crownes 75. It is manifest that in this realme there be at least an hundred thousand parishes which are inhabited and replenished Neither is there any one wherein at that time some one did not obtaine an expectatiue grace and for euerie one of these they paied fiue and twentie crowns as well for the charges of the iournie as for the making of the buls non obstances prerogatiues annullations and other especiall clauses which were woont to be adioined to the graces expectatiues Also for the executorie processe vpon the same graces This summe is twentie times fiue hundred thousand crownes Thus saith the Senate of Paris Now let vs collect the totall summe of the summes We shall find that it amounteth to the summe of nine hundred six and fortie thousand six hundred thréescore and six crownes and moreouer to the eight part of one crowne which is the third part of that sum which the Senate of Paris sheweth to haue béen caried to Rome in that thrée yéeres space namely eight and twentie hundred and fortie thousand crowns or to speak plainly in our countrie spéech thrée millions of gold lacking an hundred thréescore thousand or as the Germans say almost eight and twentie tunnes of gold Moreouer we haue found out that the taxe of the vacations written in the bookes of the treasure-house of the cathedrall churches and abbaies of France being taxed onely doth euery sixt yéere amount to the summe of six hundred ninetie seuen thousand seuen hundred and fiftie French pounds besides the prelacies and other benefices that are not taxed the exactions whereof do almost arise to that summe And shal there be any in the kings Parleament of France that will confesse that he can with a quiet mind suffer this whirlepit or rather Scylla Charibdis or gulfe And will not rather so soone as he heareth this losse of so great summes detest and accurse that huge and cruell beast with all praiers And yet we will not cite this testimonie onely Lo we haue another out of the booke whose title is The Forest of common places which was published about the end of the Councell holden at Basill wherein is gathered into a grosse summe the summe of monie that during the time of pope Martin the fifts popedome was caried to Rome out of France alone which is saide to haue amounted to ninetie hundred thousande crownes And do we woonder that that same Senate of Paris did in the same requests artic 71. sore and bitterly complaine that so great a summe of gold and siluer was yéerely caried to Rome so that they were compelled somtimes for the vse of the common people of France to coine brasse monie for siluer monie But let vs heare the 62. article of the same requests Heertofore saith the Senate of Paris the people of this kingdome ran to Rome by heapes whereof some serued the cardinals and courtiers some being seruants to no man but being intised by some vaine hope did spend their owne and their parents substance other some and that a great manie went to Rome for this purpose that they might procure trouble to the rest that staied heere and that they might wring out of their hands by hooke or by crooke their churches and benefices For we find by experience that the greatest part of those which went hence to Rome was woont to die straightway either through wearisomnes and danger of the iournie or through the plague which is oftentimes very rife at Rome and those which escaped out of these dangers they procured trouble to old men sicke persons and to such like which were continually resident in their churches and benefices But it did oftentimes fall out that silly men being cited to the court of Rome when as they could not defend themselues against these false accusers were inforced to end their life through wearisomnes and sorrow 62. Most of those that did hunt after benefices did quite emptie their parents and friends bagges and at length they were brought to great pouertie and beggerie Neither did they indure so great iniuries vpon any other hope saue onely that they might somtimes bring home lead for gold and it fell out sometimes that the gaping crow was deceiued and that the lead that was bought with gold was nothing else but lead For whiles they trusted to their leaden buls there came in one between which brought at a sudden an annullation and sometimes there were ten or twelue that did gape and catch for one benefice And when the strife was once begun they must backe againe to Rome to follow the sute so that whiles all men ran to Rome from all quarters the realme was miserably destitute of hir people and subiects And this surely was the complaint of the Senate of Paris of the vnsatiable couetousnes and gréedie robberie of the popes aboue an hundred yéeres ago which was presented to king Ludouike and yet not sproong from the new and fresh robberies of the popes For there is extant a decrée of that Ludouike that was called Blessed anno 1228. which doth plainly shew how great the couetousnes of the popes was in France euen at that time The exactions Sub. tit de Talijs saith he and heauie burdens laid vpon the churches of our realme by the court of Rome whereby the realme is woonderfully impouerished or which shall heerafter be laid vpon vs will we haue to be leuied and gathered no farther foorth saue onely for reasonable godly and most vrgent necessitie and such as cannot be auoided and according to our expresse and free consent and of the church of our realme It séemeth good to me likewise to cite in this place that excellent conclusion of the Abbat of Vsperge out of the life of Philip the emperor wherby it may be vnderstood Pag. 321. how ancient this complaint was concerning the robberies of the papacie of Rome which Sixtus the fift hath determined to maintaine stoutly with all his tyrannie There scarce remained saith he any bishoprike or ecclesiasticall dignitie or parish church which was not in suite and the cause it selfe was brought to Rome but not with an empty hand Our mother Rome be glad bicause the sluces of the treasuries of the earth are set open that the streames and heapes of monie may flow vnto thee in great abundance Reioice ouer the iniquities of the sonnes of men bicause thou hast a reward giuen thee in recompence of so great euils Be glad ouer thine helper discord bicause she is broken out of the pit of hell that thou maist haue many rewards of monie heaped vpon thee Thou hast that after which
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
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
against it must be punished as an heretike for the popes vse these selfe same words in their buls * Wherefore this saith Lib. conformit fol. 234. col 3. he must be holden most firmely as true and he that holdeth the contrarie must be despised of all men as an heretike In like sort Anthonie of Florence writeth thus The church hath Hist. part 3. c. 1. §. 3. vndoubtedly approoued and declared that there be a solemne feast kept for this that the Lord Iesus who was crucified appeered to Francis as he praied and was transformed like to a Zeraphin that is hauing six wings and that he imprinted in his hands and side the signes of his passion wherein he felt great paine Let the most excellent and most wise Counsellers of the French king iudge now whether that be a true definition of an heretike that he that shall not beléeue those most filthie inuentions touching Dominic and Bernardo allowed by the authority of the church of Rome shal be counted and taken for an heretike and thrust from the felowship of the church If they do not thinke that that is an equall decrée of the papacie of Rome then let them remember that rule wherein it is taught that rash and light accusers are not onely condemned of false accusing and so noted with infamie but also they are condemned to abide like punishment which the other should haue suffered whom they accused * and therefore l. vlt. C. de accus that pope Sixtus the fift who hath falsly accused the king of Nauarre and prince of Condie of heresie ought flatly to be taken for a schismatike and heretike But let vs now a little more attentiuely consider to whom that wicked crime and name of heretiks doth properly belong Forsomuch as we can gather by the authoritie of holy scripture and of the ancient doctors of the Church he onely is to be counted an heretike which stubbornly holdeth and seditiously soweth doctrine that is contrarie to the rule of faith that is the Christian Créed notwithstanding he hath béen lawfully admonished and conuict For thus doth Augustine define him * Those saith De ciuita Dei 18. c. 51. he that in the Church of Christ do tast of any sicke or corrupt thing if being rebuked that they may sauour of that which is sound and right they resist stubbornly and they will not amend their pestiferous and deadly opinions but persist to defend them are made heretiks and going out adoores they are counted in the number of exercising enimies And now as touching the créede of Christians which Tertullian calleth the rule of faith there is this notable testimony of the same Tertullian extant in his booke of Prescriptions of heretiks It is the rule of faith saith he wherein it is beleeued that there is one only God note this periphrasis of the Christian créed and none other besides the creator of the world who hath brought foorth all things out of nothing by his word P. That that word was called his son that he appeered diuersly to the patriarks that he was alwaies heard of the prophets last of al that he was brought into the virgin Marie by the spirit and power of God his father that he was made flesh in hir womb and that Iesus Christ came out of hir being borne that thencefoorth he preached the new law and the new promise of the kingdome of heauen that he wrought miracles that being fastened to the crosse he rose againe the third day that being taken vp into the heauens he sitteth at the right hand of the father that he sent the power of the holy Ghost to be his vicegerent to gouerne the beleeuers that he shall come with glorie to take the saints into the fruit of eternal life and of the heauenly promises and to adiudge the profane to euerlasting fire both parts being raised againe with restoring of the flesh This rule instituted by Christ hath amongst vs no questions saue onely such as heresies cause and such as make heretiks Thus writeth Tertullian Whereby we vnderstand that those are by him defined to be heretiks which bring in into the Church a doctrine contrarie to the Christian créed which is consonant and agréeable to that commandement of the apostle Hee that bringeth you another Gospell than that which we haue brought let him be accursed Therefore Tertullian in another place of the same booke saith Whence came strangers and heretiks enimies to the apostles saue onely from diuersitie of doctrine which euerie one hath either broched or receiued of his owne head against the apostles Therefore we must make account that the corruption both of the scriptures and expositions is there where there is found diuersitie of doctrine Also in another place Let heretiks bring to light the beginnings of their churches let them turne ouer the order of their bishops so descending from the beginning by successions that first of all the same bishop had some one of the apostles or apostolike men Who notwithstanding continued with the apostles for his author and predecessor Tertullian doth in plaine words call those apostolike men neither doth he suffer any other to be called by this name saue onely those that haue agréed with the doctrine of the apostles and haue continued therein so that it may easily be vnderstood that apostolike men must not be estéemed by the sea and place but by succession and perpetuitie of doctrine Therefore he saith in another place The doctrine of heretiks being compared with the apostolik doctrin shall by the diuersitie and contrarietie thereof pronounce that it neither hath any apostle for the author thereof nor apostolike man for as the apostles had not taught things that were diuers among themselues so the apostolike men had not published things that were contrarie to the apostles saue onely those that fell away from the apostles and preached otherwise Lo how manifestly Tertullian sheweth that those ought properly to be called heretiks which bring in a doctrine contrarie to the Christians créed though they call themselues apostolike men forasmuch saith he as they be fallen away from the apostles and as he said a little before haue inuented of their owne head that is their owne wit and inuention somwhat besides holie scripture Furthermore we must marke that Tertullian doth not properly chiefly call those apostolike men which succéeded Peter but generally which succéeded any of al his fellow apostles and that not precisely that it ought to be referred to some certaine place and citie but iointly which succéeded the apostles in deliuering the doctrine of Christ by hand Whereby appéereth the impudencie of the popes who did not onely properly restraine the name of apostolike vnto the bishop of Rome but also they gaue the same to foolish things as the apostolike sea the apostolike legate the apostolike messenger the apostolike chancerie apostolike penance the apostolike notarie the apostolike treasurie the apostolike priuilege apostolike prouision the apostolike bul so that
this was the cause that Ferdinando did cast out the king his neighbor though he did also pretend another bicause both the king of France and those that did aid him were pronounced accursed by the popes edict and their kingdoms were made common Thus writeth Ferronus whereby we may coniecture what great danger hangeth ouer the most noble princes of Germanie and so consequently ouer all the kings of Europe by reason of that so néere a conspiracie of the popes and the Spanish inquisition For by this short cut any munke so he be of a craftie and subtill nature hauing taried some time in Spain as this our Sixtus and hauing béene conuersant with the inquisitors of Spaine may make such a bargain and league with them that if through their fauor and commendation he may obtaine the popedome then he may pronounce what king or prince soeuer he will a schismatike or heretike taking to him any occasion he may adiudge to them his kingdom opened and committed as a fée to the sea of Rome Therefore we are to wish that we may once haue some king giuen vs that may be of a valiant courage that he may thrust this whoore of Babylon out of hir seat and may at length rid the Church of Christ from so long and miserable seruitude and restore hir to hir former libertie and dignitie which courage that king of ours Ludouike the twelfth who was called the parent of the countrie being wearie of that bondage tooke vpon him when after that furious curse of pope Iulius he commanded French crownes to be coined in France with this inscription Ludouike 12. by the grace of God king of France duke of Mediolanum And then on the other side the armes of France and Mediolanum ioined togither with this inscription I will destroy Babylon Of which name if happily any man be ignorant let him read the Reuelation of Iohn ch 17. and Hierom in his catalog where he maketh mention of Mark and writeth plainly that Peter did figuratiuely vnderstand Rome by Babylon in his former epistle * Ch. 5. Also in the prolog of his booke touching the holie Ghost where he doth plainly call Rome Babylon and that purple whoore which is described in the Reuelation Which thing he doth likewise confirme vpon Esay c. 14. and againe c. 47. and vnto Aglasia in the 11. question For which cause Paula also and Eustochium in that epistle which they wrote vnto Marcellus do in like sort call Rome Babylon and no whit more obscurely Hierom in his epistle When I was at Babylon saith he a citizen of the purple whoore c. The conclusion of the former protestation THese things therefore being thus set down it remaineth that we conclude this reason Séeing pope Sixtus the fift hath béen condemned by the most part of Christendome of seauen most gréeuous crimes namely of impietie of vsing tyrannie in the Church of corrupt religion sacrilege treason rebellion and forgerie and séeing that hauing followed the insolencie boldnes and crueltie of those that went before him he hath published this most mad decrée contrarie to all lawes diuine and humane vsing false allegations and that without any iudiciall order yea foolishly blockishly impudently against the most excellent king of Nauarre and most noble prince of Condie and hath burdened them with filthie and geason reproches of words forasmuch as he called them sonnes of wrath obstinate heretiks notorious relapsed such as lie tumbling in filth rebels against the most Christian king persecutors of the Church a detestable issue traitors against God and man and did for these causes depriue them of their principalities dukedoms lordships fées and all honors and of the right of lawfull succession in the realme of France and forasmuch as this his old and outragious boldnes of abiudging and adiudging of kingdoms doth plainly appertaine vnto all kings princes and potentates of Europe and it is to be feared least those that shall be desirous of other mens kingdoms will lay wait for peaceable and quiet princes héerafter by this policie of excommunications or proscriptions for these causes the foresaid princes protest that the same pope Sixtus the fift is to be counted a wicked periured sacrilegious person a tyrant an author of feigned religions a cruell and bloodie murderer of the Church of Christ an importunate and wicked enimie of religion and to be most assuredly Antichrist and that al monarchs of Christendome kings princes potentates and those that haue any gouernment or lawful power are to be requested and earnestly intreated that they will helpe these most roiall princes to suppresse the furie of this fierce tyrant and to breake in péeces his cruell and furious assaults and that they will lay their heads togither and ioine togither their forces to extinguish that plague of mankind and to deliuer the Christian commonwealth from that monstrous and deadly monster In the meane season that the foresaid pope Sixtus the fift ought for his intollerable reprochfull words which he hath powred out against our foresaid princes with a beastly mind to be accounted and called of al Christians a most hidious monster a most filthy monster and a monster not woorthie to be bestowed euen in the farthest parts of the world but such a one as ought to be banished out of the coasts and borders of mans nature as a most certaine notorious and manifest Antichrist to whose accursed head all Christians ought to wish an euill plague ruine and destruction that so long as any breth shall remaine in his accursed bodie so long he may be to all the godlie Anathema Maranata as saith the holie Ghost And least happily any of vs do thinke this to be a new and vnwoonted kind of curse we will desire the readers that they will first of all remember those places which we cited before specially out of the books of Saint Bernard where the papacie of Rome is flatly plainly by name called Antichrist the sonne of perdition the man of sinne a diuell not onely of the day but also of the noone day who is not onely transfigured into an angell of light but is extolled aboue al that is called God or that is worshipped Now Hierom calleth Rome Babylon and the purpled whoore Secondly that they read and attentiuely consider the most holie sanction of the popes decrée * where it is ordained In c. 2. dist 23. c. si quis pecunia dist 79. that He which by monie or fauor of men such as it is manifest this frier had in the west parts or by tumult of the people or by anie pollicie that is by ambition and euill arts shall attaine to the papacie let him be accounted not apostolicall but apostaticall and let him togither with his fautors and followers be cast out of the bounds of the holie Church of God being thence separated as Antichrist and as an inuader and destroier of all Christendome Whereto the canonists durst with great consent subscribe and openly professe thus