weaknesse was found in him At the councell of Syrmium he was compelled to be present in that assembly of Arrian Bishops to whose wicked constitutions fearing torture and banishment from which he was lately reduced he subscribed Ierom was borne in a towne of Dalmatia called Stridon and was instructed in the Rudiments of Learning at Rome From Rome he went to France of purpose to increase his knowledge and to diuerse other places and he returned againe to Rome where he acquainted himselfe with honourable women such as Marcella Sophronia Principia Paula and Eustochium to whom he expounded places of holy Scripture for he was admitted presbyter He was counted worthie to succeed Damasus B. of Rome his gifts were enuied at Rome therefore he left Rome and tooke his voiage toward Palestina By the way he acquainted himselfe with Epiphanius B. of Cyprus with Nazianzenus B. in Constantinople with Didymus Doctor in the Schoole of Alexandria and sundry other men of Note and Marke In the end he came to Iudea and made choise of the place of the Lords Natiuitie to be the place of his death At Bethlehem Paula a Noble woman who accompanied Ierom and his brother Paulinianus from Rome vpon her owne charges builded foure Monasteries Ierom guided one Monasterie wherein were a number of Monkes The other three wherein there were companies of holy Virgines she guided her selfe Ierom was a man of sterne disposition and more inclinable to a solitary and Monkish life then to fellowship and societie Neither Heliodorus in the Wildernesse nor Ruffinus out of the Wildernesse could keepe inuiolable friendship with him The Letters that passed betwixt August and Ierom declare that Ierom knew not how great a victory it was in loue in humilitie and friendship to ouer-come them who seemed to contend against him Ierom wanted not his owne grosse errours Concerning the creation hee thought that Angels Thrones Dominations were existent before the world was created In his Bookes written against Iouinian he writeth not reuerently of Mariage and he seemeth to condemne the second Mariage He ended his life about the twelfth yeere of the raigne of Honorius in the yeere of his age 91. Ecclesiasticall Writers haue filled their Bookes with excessiue commendations of Heremites and Monks of whom God willing I shall write in a particular Treatise of Monasticall life CENTVRIE V. Patriarches of Rome AFter Stricius succeeded Anastatius and gouerned the Church of Rome three yeeres About the yeere of our Lord 401. hee entred into his office vnder the raigne of Honorius Hee made a constitution that men should not sit but stand when the Gospell was read After him succeeded Innocentius and continued in his office fifteene yeeres hee was an aduersarie to the Novatians and Pelagians and was friendly to Iohn Chrysostome whose deposition Eudoxia the Emperours wife had procured Innocentius sent to Honorius and Arcadius fiue Bishops and two Presbiters to procure the appointment of a Councell wherein the cause of Chrysostome might be examined for hee counted the gathering of an Ae cumenicke Councell the only remedy whereby the vehement tempest of so great commotions as followed the deposition and banishment of Chrysostome could be settled but the aduersaries of Chrysostome procured the messengers of Innocentius to be ignominiously entreated and sent backe againe Heere let the iudicious Reader marke that the power of conuocating generall Councells appertained to the Emperour and not vnto the Bishop of Rome In this mans time according to mine opinion the Roman Church began to swell in pride and to vsurpe iurisdiction ouer other Churches hauing no better ground than a personall and temporall act of the councel of Sardica Zosimus the successor of Innocentius continued not aboue the space of a yeere and 5. months in office or 2. yeeres as Socrates writeth To him Platina ascribeth this constitution that no seruant should be assumed into the clergie but he lamenteth that not onely seruants but also the sons of strange women and flagitious persons were admitted to spirituall offices to great detriment of the Church He sent Faustinus a Bishop to the Councell of Carthage with 2. Presbyters of the Romane Church to craue that no matter of moment and importance should be done without aduise of the Roman Bishop He pretended an act of the councell of Nice allotting this dignitie to the Romane chaire but after diligent search of the principall register no such act was found I expected that Onuphrius now should haue compeared in so maine a point said something to the cause which with tooth naile he defendeth but in his annotations I see nothing except a diuersity of couÌ„ting of yeres for in his reckoning Zosimus continued 3. yeeres 4-months To Zosimus succeeded Bonifacius 1. and gouerned 3. yeeres At his election there was a schisme in Rome Some elected Bonifacius others Eulalius to be their bishop The Emperour Honorius baÌ„ished them both from Rome but after 7 months Bonifacius was restored and was Bishop of Rome at this time they were bishops of Rome to whom the Emperour gaue allowance but they were not Emperours to whom the Bishop of Rome gaue allowance After Bonifacius Coelestinus gouerned the Church of Rome eight yeeres ten months and seuenteene dayes He was an aduersary to the Novatians Pelagians and to Nestorius and his adherents Socrates taketh him vp right that hee was bitter against the Novatians for desire of preheminence In Constantinople they who professed the true faith had libertie to meete together â—albeit in matters of discipline their opinion was not found but Coelestinus silenced Rusticola the Bishop of the Novatians For desire to haue all Bishoppes stouping vnder his soueraignitie Marke the words of Socrates in the Latine translation bearing these words Romano Episcopatus iam â—dim periâ—de atque Alexandrinâ— ultra sacredâ—â—â— luâ—â—tes aâ—d exterum dominatum progrâ—ssâ— that is the bishoprick of Rome euen of old hauing stepped beyond the limites of Priesthood to an externall domination as the Bishopricke of Alexandria had done before Pelagius had propagated his heresie in the Isle of Britaine But Coelestinus hindred the propagation of a wicked heresie by sending Germanus to the Brittaines and Palladius to the Scots Coelestinus more impudently than his predecessours Innocentius Zosimus and Bonifacius vrged a submission of the Churches of Carthage vnto the Romane chaire and that they should accept in fauour Appiarius whom they excommunicated for his appellation from his owne Bishop to the Bishop of Rome but the fathers of the sixt Councell of Carthage would neither absolue Appiarius before his repentance were knowne neither would they stoup vnder the iurisdiction of the Roman Church To Coelestinus succeeded Sixtus the third and continued in office eight yeeres ninteene dayes Hee was accused of the crime of Adultery by Bassus but Sixtus was found innocent and Bassus was found a calumniator and a false accuser
in office aboue the space of two yeeres And after him Gulielmus ruled fifteene yeeres After whom succeeded Fulcherus and continued Patriarch twelue yeeres Hee was hated of Raymond master of the Templaries who caused the bells to bee rung in the time when hee preached to the people so that the people could not profit by hearing his Sermons For this cause he went to Rome to complaine of the iniuries done vnto him but some of the Cardinalls were corrupted with money so that he obtained nothing at the hands of Adrian the fourth who was Pope at that time and so returned againe with shame After him followed Amalricus and ruled two and twenty yeeres In whose dayes Saladinus a Prince of the Turkes recovered Ierusalem out tht hands of the Christians Of other Pastors and Doctors FRom the beginning of this Compend I haue kept this order that I haue not overcharged a little booke with mention-making of all things that are written neither haue I pretermitted in the heads which I entreat matters of greatest importance so farre as my memory and vnderstanding could comprehend In this age the Scholastique Doctors began to arise of whom Petrus Lombardus was the first who afterward was made Bishop of Paris but I supersede to write of them vntill the next Centurie Arnulphus was an eloquent man and a mighty preacher who reprooved the Clergie of Rome for the lewdnesse of their conversation Wherefore the Clergie hated him and drowned him secretly in the night time as hath been declared in the historie of the life of Honorius the second At this time was set forth a booke called Opus Tripartitum Arnulphus was supposed to bee the Author thereof It contained an heavie complaint of the enormities and abuses of the Church of the number of their holy-dayes and all lusts of vncleannesse according to the saying of whores and naughty women who bragged that they gained more in one day then in fifty other dayes Likewise it complained of the curious singing in Cathedrall Churches whereby many are occasioned to spend much time in singing which might bee better spent in more necessarie sciences It also complained of the rabble and multitude of begging Fryers shewing what idlenesse and vncomely behaviour hath proceeded thereof Also it toucheth the vnchaste and voluptuous behaviour of Church men aggravating their faults by the similitude of storks who are accustomed to beate those storkes out of their number that having a mate ioyne themselues vnto another What then is to bee done with Church-men who professing chastity doe defile other mens houses so that the stinke of their vncleannesse is knowne to the whole world Finally it wisheth reformation to begin at the Sanctuary as the Prophet speaketh In this age also was Vualdus a Merchant-man of Lions in France whom God enlightned with the true knowledge of his word and remooved from the eyes of his minde the common vaile of ignorance that overcovered the eyes of the most part of men who liued at this time in such sort that albeit Antichrist was sitting in the chaire of Christ yet very few either perceived him or abhorred his tyrannie This man Vualdus was stirred vp by God after this manner Some of the chiefest heads-men of Lions were walking abroad and it chanced one of them the rest looking on to fall downe by sudden death This Vualdus being one of the company and a rich man beholding the matter more earnestly then the rest was touched with a deepe and earnest repentance whereupon followed a carefull study to reforme his former life in so much that hee first begun to distribute large almes to the poore and to instruct his familie in the knowledge of the Word of God and to exhort all them who resorted vnto him to repentance and amendment of life The Bishops envyed the travels of Vualdus nothing regarding the words of holy Scripture Let the Word of God dwell plentifully in you and edifie one another with Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall songs And being mooved with great malice against him threatned to excommunicate him if hee ceased not from catechizing those who resorted to him But Vualdus neglecting the threatnings of the wicked sayd hee must rather obey God then men Whereupon followed cruell persecution of him and of all his adherents So that they were compelled to fly from Lions and the Bishop seazed vpon their goods These were called Waldenses or Pauperes de Lugduno The doctrine and articles which they professed were these 1. That onely the holy Scripture is to bee believed in matters pertaining vnto eternall life and that it contayneth all things necessary to salvation 2. That there is onely one Mediator of God and man the man Christ Iesus and that Saints â—re not to be invocated as Mediators 3. That there is no Purgatorie fire but all men are either iustified by faith in Christ or else they are in the state of condemnation 4. That all masses namely such as are sung for the dead are wicked and to be abrogated 5. That all mens traditions are to be reiected at least not to be accounted necessary vnto salvation 6. That constrained and prefixed fasts bound to dayes and times difference of meats such variety of degrees and orders of Priests Fryers Monkes and Nunnes superfluous holy-dayes so many sundry benedictions and hallowing of creatures vowes peregrinations with all the rablement of such rites and ceremonies brought in by man should be abolished 7. The supremacie of the Pope vsurping aboue all Churches and especially aboue all politique Realmes and Governments or for him to vsurpe both the swords is to be denyed 8. That no degrees are to bee received into the Church but onely Priests Deacons and Bishops 9. The Communion vnder both kinds to bee necessarie to all people according to the institution of Christ. 10. That the Church of Rome is Babylon spoken of in the booke of the Revelation and the Pope the fountaine of errors and the very Antichrist 11. The Popes pardons and indulgences to be reiected 12. The mariage of Priests and men in spirituall offices they hold to be lawfull and necessary 13. Such as heare the true Word of God and beleeue it are the true Church of God to whom the keyes belong to driue away wolfes to institute true Pastors to preach the Word and to administer the Sacraments These are the most principall articles of Vualdenses to the which the rest may be reduced 14. Concerning the Supper of the Lord their faith was that it was ordayned to be eaten and not to bee shewed and worshipped for a memoriall not for a sacrifice to serue for the present ministration not for reservation to be received at the table not to be caryed out of the doores in pomp And this they proue by an old Chronicle called Chronica gestoruÌ„ and by the testimonie of Origen who writing vpon Levit. saith thus Whosoever receiveth this bread of Christs Supper vpon the
of God who would not for gaining of their liues once fashion themselues according to the similitude of Idolaters in outward and externall things Tertulian in his booke de corona militis declareth that true Christian souldiers abhorred from setting a garland of flowers vpon their heads when they received wages for their painfull seruice in warfare because it was the habit of Idolaters who sacrificed to Iupiter O happy men of God whose vertues the dead colours of Painters cannot represent and the festered manners of this corrupt age cannot imitate When shall the fresh oyle of the grace of God bee powred into our lampes that the light of our faith patience and constant perseverance may shine clearely to the world as theirs did The occasion of this great persecution of Nero was his owne barbarous and cruell fact hee caused the towne of Rome to be set on fire which wasted the buildings of the towne for the space of sixe dayes and to eschew the vile infamy of this barbarous fact hee layde the blaine vpon the Christians and gaue forth edicts and commandements to to persecute them to the death Nero was so hatefull an aduersary to all righteousnesse that Eusebius following the example and words of Tertullian affirmeth that if the Gospell had not beene an excellent good thing it had not been condemned by Nero. It is supposed that Peter was crucified and Paul was beheaded at Rome in the time of this persecution If this be true the very dead bones of Peter and Paul are witnesses against the Romane Church if they continue not in the same faith that Peter and Paul sealed vp with their blood The estate of the Iewes vnder Nero was very hard in respect of the oft change of the Romane Deputies For in Neroes time continued Felix for a space whom the Emperour Claudius had sent to Iudea and after him Festus Albinus and Florus This last Deputy was fashioned according to the similitude of the manners of Nero his Master and the Proverb holdeth true in Nero and Florns Such man such master In the time that Felix was Deputy a certaine Egyptian man pretending to be a Prophet and promising great things perswaded foure thousand of the Iewes to follow after him but Felix sent forth companies of horsemen and footmen who slew foure hundreth of the people that followed the Egyptian and tooke two hundreth of them aliue the rest were scattered but the seducing Prophet escaped and could not be found When Festus was Deputy King Agrippa heard the Apology of Paul and sayd that in a part Paul perswaded him to be a Christian. This Agrippa I say the sonne of Herod whom the Angell of God slewe was advanced to great honours by the Emperour Claudius as his father had beene before him by the fauour of Caius and he possessed not onely his fathers dominions but also the Tetrarchy of Iturea and Trachonitis sometime belonging to Philip the sonne of Herod the great His might and riches procured trouble to the Nation of the Iewes He had a palace situate vpon the West-side of the Temple of Ierusalem and in regard it was builded vpon a mountaine he had a delectable prospect of the towne of Ierusalem yet not content with this hee mounted vp the walles of the Palace by a new building so high that they who were in the Palace might haue seene the Altar and sacrifices of the Iewes offered in the inner court which at that time was called Atrium Iudaorum This doing grieved the hearts of the Iewes They on the other part to cut off the sight of those who dwelt in the Palace from beholding their sacrifices raysed vp the wall of the inner court on the West-side to such eminency that no man could behold the sacrifices of the Iewes from the Palace King Agrippa and Festus with authority commanded the Iewes to demolish their new builded wall In end this matter was referred to the Emperour Nero who being solicited by his wife Poppea gratified the Iewes in this poynt and compelled them not to cast downe their wall Festus died in Iudea and Albinus was sent to be Deputie in Iudea Ananus was the high Priest of the Iewes in those dayes and finding opportunity of time to practice the malice of his heart against Iames the sonne of Alpheus furnanamed Iustus an holy Apostle and kinsman of our Lord Iesus When Albinus was vpon his iourney and had not as yet arriued neither to the coasts of Egypt nor of Iudea this Ananus I say caused Iames furnamed Iustus and the brother of our Lord to bee stoned to death Eusebius writeth that he was throwne down from the pinacle of the Temple This cruelty of Ananus albeit it displeased both King Agrippa and Albinus the Deputy of the Romans and the people of Ierusalem yet wicked men are wiser in their owne generation then the children of light and Ananus sawe that if hee had lingred vntill the Romane Deputy had arriued hee could not haue procured the death of a man counted so inst and so welbeloved of the people as the Apostle Iames was It is to be marked that Eusebius in the forementioned place describeth the Martyrdome of Iames furnamed Iustus before the edict of the persecution of Nero after which folloshed the martyrdome of Peter and Paul in the 12. yeere of Nero his raigne neuerthelesse the Romane Church had forged Epistles decretall whereinto Clemens Bishop of Rome writeth to Iames furnamed Iustus after the death of Peter What credit these decretall Epistles deserue it shall be declared hereafter God willing But Florus who succeded to Albinus was an avaritious and cruell man hee exhausted the treasure that was in the Temple and tooke out of it sixteene talents of siluer And when the Iewes at Ierusalem murmured against him hee came to the towne in great wrath and permitted the souldiers to slay and to spoyle the Citizens of Ierusalem at their pleasure Likewise he afflicted with vnaccustomed cruelty men of noble birth by scourging and crucifying them This was the ground of the warre betweene the Romanes and the Iewes wherein Ierusalem came to that lamentable ruine foretold by our Saviour Christ. Now to returne to the Emperour himselfe and forme of his death After he had raigned 13. yeares and eight moneths the Senate of Rome proclaimed him to bee an enemy to mankind and condemned him to be whipped with wands to the death and to be harled through the City For feare of which punishment he was forced to flie and by slaying of himselfe made an end of his most wretched life Iustin. Vespatian AFter Nero Otto Vitellius and Galba contended for the Empire and were all hastily cut off and made out of the way and Flavianus Vespatian was chosen Emperour by the Roman Arny he reigned ten yeares The Nation of the Iewes at this time for the most part was given ouer into a reprobate minde according as it was
to bee inhabitants of it and was called by the Emperours name AElia Thus we see that the Iewes who would not receiue Christ who came in his Fathers name yet they received another who came in his owne name and like vnto babes who are easily deceived with trifles they were bewitched with the splendor of a glorious name for Barcochebas signifieth the sonne of a starre and hee said to the Iewes that hee was sent as a light from heaven to succour their distressed estate but hee might haue beene called more iustly Barchosba the sonne of a lie Here I giue warning againe that we take heed to our selues left wee bee circumvented with the deceitfull snares of the diuell for it is an easie thing to fall but a difficult thing to rise againe The Christians who lived in the dayes of Adrian were glad to bee refreshed with the crums of outward comfort which are denyed to no accused person in the whole world viz. that Christians shall not be condemned to death for the importunate clamours and cryes of a raging people accusing them except it be prooved that they haue transgressed the Law and haue committed some fact worthy of death Reade the Epistle of Adrian written to Minutius Fundanus Deputy in Asia The good intention of Adrian in building a Church for the honour of Christ voyd of Images because such was the custome of Christians was hindered by some of his familiar friends who sayd that if hee so did all men would forsake the temples of the gods of the Gentiles and become Christians In this point good Reader marke what Church is like vnto the ancient Primitiue and Apostolike Church whether the Church decked with Images or the Church voyd of Images Antoninus Pius TO Adrian succeeded Antoninus Pius his adopted son and raigned 23. yeares Hee was so carefull to preserue the liues of his Subjects that hee counted it greater honour to saue the life of one Subiect then to destroy the liues of a thousand enemies In this Emperours time Iustinus Martyr wrote notable bookes of Apologie for the Christians which were presented and read in the Senate of Rome and mollified the Emperours minde toward Christians as clearely appeareth by his edict proclaimed at Ephesus in time of most solemne conventions of all Asia Antoninus Philosophus and L. Verus AFter Antoninus Pius succeeded his sonne in law Antoninus Philosophus otherwise called Marcus Aurelius with his brother L. Aurelius Verus This is the first time wherein the Romane Empire was governed by two Augusties Albeit Titus had associated his brother Domitian to be a fellow labourer with him in the worke of government yet was not Domitian counted or called Augustus vntill the death of his brother Titus But now at one and the selfe same time two Emperours do raigne Antoninus Philosophus raigned nineteene yeares Lucius Verus his brother nine yeares And so after the death of Verus the whole gouernment returned to Antoninus Philosophus onely Hee was called a Philosopher not onely in regard of his knowledge but also in respect of the practise of Philosophie He was neither greatly pust vp by prosperity nor cast downe by aduersity yet he was a cruell persecuter of innocent Christians Now is the fuell added to the furnace the fourth time and the flame is great and the arme of wicked men who hated the name of Christians is strengthened by the Emperours commandement The trumpets of the Monarches of the world found the alarme against him who made them Kings rulers on the earth The poore innocent lambs of the sheepfold of Christ appointed for the shambles strengthened their hearts in God and in the power of his might chose rather to suffer adversity with their brethren then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season they were content to be racked and would not be delivered that they might bee partakers of a better resurrection whose bodies torne with stripes vntill their very inward bowels were patent to the outward sight witnessed the vnrent firmenesse and stability of their faith They were so supported with the power of that grace that commeth from aboue that they were not terrified with the multiplied numbers of cruell torments newly devised for dashing that invincible courage of faith which was seene in Christians Yea further then this When the persecuting enemies were compelled to change the high tuned accent of their menacing speeches and to craue but a little conformitie to the Emperours desire in swearing by his fortune the holy men of God would not once seeme to fall away from their profession by answering with timerous and doubtfull words but glorified God with a cleare and constant confession of their Christian faith Polycarpus Bishop of Smyrna and Iustinus Martyr a man of singular erudition were both martyred in the fervent heat of this persecution But aboue all other places the consuming flame of the furnace brast out most vehemently in France that happy Nation wherein both of old and late time so many were found worthy to giue their blood for the name of Christ. Vetius Epagathus Maturus Prothenus Attalus Sanctus and Photinus Bishoppe of Lyons all suffered for the testimony of Christ in France And Blandina a worthy woman suffered many torments and renewed her spirituall courage by continuall iteration of these words Christiana sum that is I am a Christian. In like manner Christians were persecuted with the slanderous speeches of Pagans obiecting vnto them the banquets of Thyestes and the chambering of Oedipus that is the eating of mens flesh and incestuous coppulations But men who are giuen to the momentaneall delights of sin are not willing to die because that by death they are separated from all bodily pleasures The Christians by patient and willing suffering of death for Christs sake clearely witnessed vnto the world that they were not addicted to the deceitfull pleasures of sinne Neverthelesse these slanderous speeches were credited by the pagans and tooke such deepe roote in their hearts that those who seemed before to be more meek and moderate then others now they became full of madnesse and rage against Christians and that which was foretolde by our master Christ it was fulfilled at this time to wit The time shall come that whosoever killeth you shall thinke hee doth God good service The huge number of Martyrs that were slaine in the fury of this persecution are both accurratly and at great length set downe by that worthy instrument of Gods glory who lately wrote the Booke of Martyrs I onely point out shortly the estate of the Church at this time In this Emperours time good men were not wanting who admonished him to appease his wrath against Christians such as Claudius Apolinaris Bishop of Hierapolis and Melito Bishop of Sardis But nothing could asswage his cruell heart vntill hee was cast into the furnace of grievous troubles himselfe for his army that fought against the Germanes and Samaritanes fell
seditious Monkes On the other part a great number of Syria Caua came to support the troubled estate of Flauianus For these things as if he had beene a contentious man he was banished and Senerus a notable Eutychian heretique was placed in his roome this is he of whom I haue mentioned diuers times that Alamundarus prince of Saraceus deluded his messengers and sent them backe ashamed and confounded The next attempt was against Helias Bishop of Ierusalem against whom this quarrell was forged that hee would not subscribe the Synodicke letter of Seuerus and damne the councel of Chalcedon and by the Emperours commandement Olympius the captaine came to Ierusalem expelled Helias and placed Iohn a familiar friend of Seuerus in his roome This Iohn by the perswasion of Sabas a Monke of Palestina forsooke the fellowship of Seuerus and was cast into prison by Anastatius the Emperours captaine but when he was brought foorth out of prison againe he disappointed the expectation of Anastatius the captaine for he openly auouched the foure generall councels and anathematifed the followers of Arrius Macedonius Nestorius and Eutyches In doing whereof he was mightily assisted both by the people and the Monks so that Anastatius the Emperours captaine fearing popular commotion fled and returned againe to the Emperour but Seuerus Bishop of Antiochia moued with wrath against the Monks of Syria set vpon them and slew 300. of them and gaue their carcases to the foules of the heauen and the beastes of the earth such mercie was and is to bee found in headstrong heretiques In all this desolation the courage of Cosmas Bishop of Epiphania and Severianus bishop of Arethusa is to be admired who wrote a booke conteining a sentence of deposition of Severus Bishop of Antiochia which booke Aurelianus a deacon of Epiphania clad in a womans apparrell deliuered vnto him in Antiochia and afterward conueyed himselfe away secretly The Emperour was highly offended against Cosmas and Severianus and he wrote to Asiaticus gouernour of Phoenicia that hee should eiect them out of their places but when answere was returned to the Emperour that it could not be done without blood the Emperour left off further pursuing of them Many counted Anastatius a peaceable Emperour because he would haue setled controuersies in the Church as eiuil controversies at sometimes are settled namely by a law of oblivion but there is no capitulation betwixt darknesse and light but darknesse must yeeld vnto the light of God In Africke moe then 900. were crowned with martyrdome vnder the raigne of Anastatius as Magd history recordeth out of the first booke of Regino de Anastatio Platina writeth that he was slaine with thunder Iustinus the elder AFter Anastatius succeeded Iustinus a godly Emperour and governed nine yeeres and three dayes Hee restored the Bshops whom Anastatius had banished Hee banished also Arrian Bishops who were found within his Dominions Severus Bishop of Antiochia a vile Eutychian Heretique and a bloody Foxe hee displaced and caused him to be punished by cutting out of his tongue as some affirme Theodoricus King of the Gothes obtaining domion in Italy persecuted true Christians with great hostility and sent Ambassadors to the Emperour Iustinus to restore the Arrian Bishops whom hee had banished else he would pursue the Bishops who were in Italy with all kinde of rigour And because the Ambassadors returned not backe againe with such expedition as he expected hee put hand to worke and slew two noble Senators Symmachus and Boetius Likewise when the Ambassadors were returned hee cast in prison Iohannes Tuscus Bishoppe of Rome and his companions whom hee had before imployed to goe on message to the Emperour Iustinus The Bishop of Rome died in prison for lacke of sustentation but the Lord suffered not this barbarous cruelty of Theodoricus to be long vnpunished for the Lord strake him with madnesse of minde so when he was sitting at table and the head of a great fish was set before him hee imagined it was the head of Symmachus whom he had slaine and was so stupified with feare that anon after hee died In the dayes of this Emperour Iustinus was a terrible earthquake the like whereof hath not beene heard at any time before wherewith the towne of Antiochia was shaken and vtterly ruined With the earthquake fire was mixed consuming and resolving into ashes the remnant of the towne which the earthquake had not cast down In this calamity Euphrasius Bishop of Antiochia perished The good Emperour mourned for the desolation of Antiochia and put on sackcloth on his body and was in great heavinesse whereof it is supposed that hee contracted that disease whereof hee dyed When he found his disease daily encreasing he made choyce of Iustinian his sisters sonne to be his colleague who governed foure moneths in equall authority with his vncle and then Iustinus ended his course Iustinianus A After the death of Iustinus Iustinianus his sisters sonne governed 38. yeares Hee would suffer no faith to be openly professed except the faith allowed in the foure generall Councells Notwithstanding the Empresse Theodora his wife was a favourer of Eutyches heresie This Emperour was bent to recover all that was lost by his predecessors in Asia Africke and Europe and hee had good successe through the vertue and valour of his Captaines especially Belisarius and Narses Belisarius first fought against the Persians who had overcome not onely Mesopotamia but also many parts of Syria Antrochena and Cava Hee overcame them in battell and compelled them to goe back beyond Euphrates Next he was employed to fight against the Vandales in Africke who possessed great bounds of the Romane dominions ever since the dayes of Gensericus King of the Vandales And it is to be marked that the time was now come wherein the Lord wil declare that the blood of his Saints is precious in his eyes For since the dayes of Dioclesian that bloody persecuting Emperour no race of people persecuted Gods Saints with so barbarous cruelty as the Vandales did for zeale they had to the Arrian heresie wherewith they were infected After Gensericus Hunericus and Amalaricus and Trasimundus who closed the doores of the Temples of Christians and banished their Bishoppes to Sardinia Childericus would haue shewed some favour to Christians and reduced their Bishoppes from banishment for this cause the Vandales did slay him and gaue his kingdome to Gillimer Now the Lord remembred the grones of his owne prisoners and would not suffer the rod of the wicked perpetually to lie vpon the lot of the righteous Belisarius fought against the Vandales prosperously recovered Carthage and all the boūds pertaining to the Roman Empire possessed by the Vandales Also he tooke Gillimer their King and carried him captiue to Constantinople It is worthy of remembrance that Iustinian would not receiue into his treasure the vessels of gold which the Emperour Titus when hee burnt the Temple of Ierusalem
of the West Now Irene was deposed and banished by Nicephorus who raigned eight yeeres after her banishment CENTVRIE IX Carolus Magnus IN the yeere of our Lord 801. Charles the Great King of France was declared Emperour by Leo the third Bishop of Rome and hee raigned sixteene yeeres in his Imperiall dignity for hee continued King of France forty and six yeeres The Empire of the West had beene cut off since the dayes of Augustulus the sonne of Orestes whom Odoacer King of Rugiheruli c. had compelled to denude himselfe of the Imperiall dignity Now after the issue of 300. yeeres and after the Hunnes the Gothes the Lombards and other Nations had obtained dominion in the West all abstaining notwithstanding of their prevailing power from the name dignity and stile of Emperours Now at length I say Charles the Great is anoynted and crowned Emperor by Leo the third in the towne of Rome And this was the beginning of that evill custome which after followed to wit That Emperours should receiue their coronation from the Bishops of Rome At this time the Empire of the East was in the hands of the Empresse Irene and in the hands of the Emperour Nicephorus who had banished Irene and raigned in her stead The Empire of the East was also weake at this time as appeareth by a covenant of peace which they concluded with Charles Emperour of the West in the which no mention is made of Exarchatus Ravennae to be rendred againe vnto them onely that the Isle of Sicile and the townes and lands which lie from Naples Eastward on the right hand and from Manfredonia sometimes called Syponto on the left hand compassed about with the Seas called Superum Inferum these should remaine in the possession of the Emperours of Constantinople ' Charles a prudent and godly Emperour more sound and vpright in sundry heads of Christian doctrine then many others for hee detested the worshipping of Images as vile Idolatry as appeareth by his bookes written against the second Councell of Nice Charles was very friendly to Christians and defended them against the violence and tyranny of their persecuting enemies namely against Godfridus King of Denmarke a fierce adversary against the Christians who dwelt in Saxony Likewise hee subdued the Slavonians and Bohemians enemies to Christian Religion and was iustly called Magnus for his great exploits and valiant acts which God prospered in his hand Pipinus the sonne of the Emperour Charles was declared King of Italy who died before his father and after his death hee appointed Bernard his nephew to raigne in Italy with expresse commandement That hee should bee obedient to his sonne Ludovicke whome hee ordained to be successour to himselfe in the Imperiall office So the Emperor Charles full of dayes died in the 71. yeere of his age and was buried in Aken Ludovicus Pius AFter Charles succeeded his sonne Ludovicus Pius and raigned 26. yeeres For his gentle and meeke behaviour he was called Pius He received the Imperiall Diadem from Stephanus the fourth at Aken Bernard his brothers sonne forgetfull of the mandate of Charles the Great rebelled against Ludovicus Pius and was beheaded at Aken Likewise his owne sonnes assisted with Hugobortus Bishop of Lions and Bernhardus Bishop of Vienne and other Bishops who did excommunicate the Emperour for adherence to Iudith his wife behaued themselues very vndutifully towards their father Neverthelesse he freely pardoned his sonnes and accepted them againe into favour Also Fredericke Bishop of Vtrecht threatned to excommunicate the Emperour if hee did noâ— forsake the company of Iudith his welbeloved wife and daughter to the Duke of Bavaria because shee was his neere kinswoman to wit in degrees of consanguinity for bidden in the Popish lawe The Empresse willing to bee revenged of the Bishop shee hired two Gentlemen who set vpon him after Church service and slew him in his Priestly garments In his time also the Saracens in huge numbers like vnto Locusts swarmed out of Egypt and Africke and invaded the Isle of Sicile By cutting downe all fruitfull trees burning Townes Temples and Monasteries and by killing Bishops Priests and Monkes they brought the I le to an vtter desolation Gregory the fourth at that time was Pope and hee exhorted the Emperour and his sonne Lotharius to support the distressed estate of the Isle of Sicile They answered That albeit that matter duly belonged to Michael Emperour of Constantinople yet neverthelesse they refused not to vndertake the worke vpon the common charges of the Countrey Now whilest these things were in reasoning Bonifacius Count of Corsica and his brother Bertarius with support of the people of Hetruria arrived with a Navie at Africke and betwixt Vtica and Carthage encountred with the Saracens foure times and slew of them so great a number that they were compelled to recall their forces backe againe from Sicile like as of old the Carthaginians vexed by Scipio recalled Hanniball for the safety of his owne country So Bonifacius returned back againe with an army victorious and richly lodened with the spoyle of his enemies Nothing was more vnprovidently done by the good Emperour Lodovicus Pius then the giving ouer of that right voluntarily conferred to Charles his father by Adrian the first and Leo the third to wit That no man should be elected Pope without the consent and allowance of the Emperour This foresaid right Ludovicus gaue over to the Clergie and people of Rome onely the Romanes for keeping of friendshippe should send an Ambassadour to the King of France declaring whom they had elected to bee Pope Hereby a patent doore was opened to all mischiefe which after followed and to that horrible contention betwixt Emperours and Popes concerning investment of Bishops In his time three Emperours raigned in the East at Constantinople to wit Leo Armenius Michael Balbus and Theophilus Leo Armemenius raigned seven yeeres Hee banished Nicephorus Patriarch of Constantinople for defending adoration of Images Michael Balbus slew Leo his predecessor whilst he was praising God in the Church and raigned in his stead nine yeeres In his time the Saracens mightily prevailed a number of them issued out of Spaine and tooke the Isle of Candie Another company comming from Africke wasted the Isle of Sicile Theophilus raigned ten yeeres and fought against the Saracens who did oppresse the countrey of Asia but he had no good successe Lotharius LOtharius the sonne of Ludovicus Pius was declared King of Italy and Augustus before his fathers death He was anoynted by Pope Paschalis in the Church of Saint Peter and he raigned 15. yeeres Great hostility and bloody warres fell out amongst the children of Ludovicus Pius to wit Lotharius Lewis Charles and Pipinus fordividing of their fathers Lands In this civill dissention the Nobility of France was so miserably weakened that the Normans and Danes tooke boldnesse to invade the countrey of France which they vexed for the space of twenty yeeres In the East after Theophilus had concluded
Iulius Caesar did write and comprehend in Latin Historie his owne acts and feats of warre done by him In this Emperours time Baiazeth the second Emperour of Turkes after long siege tooke a strong towne of Peleponesus called Methon or Modon being vnder the dominion of the Venetians and caused all the Noblemen of the Venetians and Grecians that were found in the towne to be brought into his owne presence and there most cruelly to be slaine Carolus quintus AFter Maximilian Charles King of Spaine Duke of Austria and Burgundie and nephew to Maximilian was chosen Emperour and raigned 37. yeeres He was a Prince of singular wisedome expert in warre slow to wrath and if it had pleased the Lord to haue illuminated his heart with that true light that begun to shine in his time hee might haue beene reckoned amongst the most renowned Emperours His inclination to wisedome may appeare by these witty sentences vttered by him Like as Saturne which is counted the most supreme planet hath the slowest course of all the rest even so they that are in supreme authority ought to doe all things with greatest deliberation and advisement And like as the Sunne sendeth out his beams in like brightnesse both vpon poore and rich so ought supreme Magistrates minister iustice without partiality both to poore and rich And like as the eclipse of the Sunne is a foretoken of great commotions so likewise the errors and oversights of Princes bring with them great perturbations to countries Hee was intangled with great and dangerous warres all the time of his government either against forraine Princes or some of the Empire In his warrs against the King of France hee had better successe then he could haue looked for for as much as the towne of Millaine being already taken by the King of France and the towne of Pavie in Italy likewise besieged yet the Emperours army shortly after encountred with the French-men and both vanquished them and also tooke the King himselfe prisoner and from thence conveyed him away to Spaine where through care and griefe hee fell into sicknesse but when hee was comforted by the Emperour and put in some hope of agreement hee began to take heart vnto him and recovered and in the end a peace was agreed vpon at Madruce in Spaine and the King was set at liberty leaving for pledges his two eldest sonnes But shortly after hee revoked his oath being absolved by the Bishop of Rome and said he was forced to swear or else hee should never haue beene delivered The Emperor after the delivery of the King of France gaue to Charles Duke of Burbon the Dutchie of Millaine on condition to pay 4000. ducats and finde a number of souldiers yeerely This Charles Duke of Burbon passing through Italy to Naples afterward in the Emperours quarrell besieged Rome and in the assault was slaine but his souldiers tooke the citie spoyled it and besieged the Bishop Clement with his Cardinalls in the Mount Adrian from whence hee could not be dismissed by any meanes vntill hee agreed with the souldiers Notwithstanding this the Emperour Charles being then in Spaine and staying the thunderbolt of Excommunication which the souldiers nothing regarded did excuse himselfe by letters that hee knew not of that his men had done and therefore willed the Bishop to bee set at liberty In this Emperours dayes begun reformation of religion in Germany by meanes of the disputations writings and doctrine of Martin Luther whom the Emperour laboured by all meanes to suppresse First by gathering a convention of the estates of Germany in the towne of Worms Which convention was kept in the yeere of our Lord 1521. and Martin Luther being cited by an Herald of armes to appeare before the said Councell with a letter of safe conduct by the Emperour and Princes appeared and although many perswaded him not to adventure himselfe to such a present danger yet Luther answered that he was resolved and certainely determined to enter Worms in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ although hee knew that there were so many divells to resist him as there were tyles to cover the houses in Wormes thus being presented before all the Estates of the Empire Iohn Eccius who then was the Bishop of Triers generall officiall at the Emperours command demanded of Martin two questions First whether hee confessed those bookes which were given out vnder his name to be his or no shewing herewith an heape of Luthers bookes written in the Latin and Dutch tongues Secondly whether hee would revoke and recant them or stand to all that hee had written To the first point hee answered affirmatiuely that hee would acknowledge his owne bookes As touching the second whether he would recant any thing contained in his bookes or no he craved time to premeditate what hee should speake in that matter which was the more easily granted because they were in some hope that Luther would recant some of his writings but it fell out farre otherwise then they looked for For at the time of his next appearance hee divided his bookes into three sorts some of them opened the grounds of Christian religion simply which his very enemies had counted inculpable and therefore hee would not condemne them himselfe Another sort contained invectiues against the Papacie and others of that retinue which had with their pestiferous doctrine and pernitious examples corrupted the whole estate of Christianity which bookes if hee should revoke hee should adde more force to their tyranny and his retraction should be a cloake and shadow to all their impiety and naughtinesse The third sort of his bookes were written against certaine particular persons who with tooth and naile laboured to maintaine the Romane tyranny and to deface his doctrine and these likewise hee could not recall left by his recantation it should come to pasle that tyranny and impiety supported by his meanes should rage more violently against the people then ever it did before When no recantation could be obtained nor yet submission of his writings to the iudgement of the Emperour and his Estates Martin Luther departed from Wormes being dismissed according to his promise of his safe conduct and returned to his owne countrey Soone after this the Emperour Charles to purchase favour with the Pope because hee was not yet confirmed in his Empire provideth and directeth out a solemne writ of outlawry against Luther and all them that take his part commanding the said Luther where-ever hee might be gotten to be apprehended and his bookes burned After this another convention of the Estates of Germanie was gathered at Norinberg for the suppressing of Martin Luther to which Councell Pope Adrian the sixt sent his Ambassadour Cheregatus to desire that the sentence of the Apostolick Sea and the Emperours edict against Martin Luther should bee put in execution The Princes of Germany on the other part declared great vrgent causes wherefore they were compelled to forbeare
maketh little contradiction to that setled and receiued opinion of the feminine Pope But I leaue Onuphrius sporting with his owne conceits as a Pleasant doth with his owne fingers when no other body will keepe purpose with him Euaristus finished the course of his ministration in eight yeeres Alexander who is in expresse words called the fift B. of Rome after the death of Peter and Paul gouerned ten yeeres and suffered martyrdome in the dayes of Adrian as Platina writeth After him Xistus 1. continued ten yeeres and died a martyr Platin. Telesphorus the 7. Bishop of Rome after the dayes of the Apostles liued in that ministration eleuen yeeres and was honoured with martyrdome Hyginus An. 4. And Pius the 1. ministred 11. yeeres These two suffered not martyrdome because their lot was to liue in the calme dayes of a meeke Emperour Antoninus Pius Anicetus ministred in that office 11. yeeres with whom Polycarpus B. of Smyrna conferred at Rome concerning the obseruation of the festiuitie of Easter day He concluded his life with the glorious crowne of Martyrdome To him succeeded Soter An. 9. After him Eleutherius An. 15. In whose time Lucius King of the Britons desired that he and his people should be baptized and receiued into the fellowship of Christians to whom Eleutherius sent Fugatius and Damianus who satisfied the desire of the King and his people so they were baptized and counted Christians After him Victor An. 10. He intended to haue excommunicated all the Churches of the East because they kept not the festiuitie of Easter day conforme to the custâ—me of the Church of Rome but rather vpon the day wherein the Iewes were accustomed to eat their Paschall Lambe But this rashnesse of Victor was somewhat abated by the graue and prudent counsell of Ireneus B. of Lyons who admonished Victor that there was no lesse discrepance of customes concerning keeping of Lent then was concerning the keeping of Easter day yet was not the vnitie of the Church violated nor rent asunder for this discrepance And when Polycarpus B. of Smyrna came to Rome in his conference with Anicetus neither of them could perswade the other to change the custome of keeping of dayes which they had receiued by tradition of their predecessours Notwithstanding they kept fast the bond of Christian fellowship and Anicetus admitted Polycarpus to the communion of the Romane Church and they departed in peace one from another Quadratus B. of Athens liued in the dayes of Adrian This Emperour vpon a certaine time wintered in Athens and went to Eleusina and was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say initiate into all the mysteries of Grecia This fact of the Emperour gaue encouragement to those who hated Christians without allowance of the Emperours commandement to vexe the Christians Concerning his apologie for Christians giuen into the Emperour together with the apologie of Aristides a learned Philosopher and eloquent Orator in Athens wee haue spoken already in the description of the life of Adrian Agrippas Castor a very learned man answered to the books of the Heretique Basilides who with the noueltie of barbarous and vncouth words troubled the hearts of rude and ignorant people talking of a god whom he called Arbraxas and of his Prophets Barcab and Barcob words inuented by himselfe to terrifie simple people Such delusions of Satan Quintinists in our dayes an ignorant race of braine sicke fellowes haue vsed And so the blind led the blind and both fell into the ditch In this age Hegesippus of the nation of the Iewes was converted vnto the faith of Christ and came to Rome in the dayes of Anicetus and continued vntill the dayes of Eleutherius But for what cause he came to Rome or in what part of the world he bestowed the trauels of his ministrie no mention is made neither by Eusebius nor by any other ancient Writer no not by Ierome himselfe a most accurate explorator of all antiquities Melito B. of Sardis a famous towne in Lydia wrote an apologie for the Christians to the Emperour Antoninus Philosophus whom Eusebius calleth Marcus Aurelius Verus His apologie was written with Christian freedome and courage for he was not afraid to declare to the Emperour what good successe Augustus Caesar had in whose dayes Christ was borne and what vnprosperous successe Nero and Domitian had who persecuted the Christians Eusebius calleth him an Eunuch In the fourth persecution died Iustinus Martyr accused and delated by Crescens He was converted to Christs Religion by the trauels of an old man whom he supposed for his grauitie to haue beene a Philosopher but he was a Christian This ancient man counselled Iustinus to be a diligent reader of the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles who spake by diuine inspiration who knew the veritie and were not couetous of vaine glory neither were they dashed with feare whose doctrine also was confirmed with miraculous workes which God wrought by their hands Aboue all things willed him to make earnest prayers to God to open vnto him the ports of true light because the truth cannot be comprehended except the Father of light and his sonne Christ Iesus giue vnto vs an vnderstanding heart He wrote two bookes of apologie for Christians to the Emperour Antoninus Pius and to his sonnes and the Senate of Rome In the second booke of his apologie he declareth that Christians were put to death not for any crime they had committed but onely for their profession In witnesse whereof if any of them would denie his Christian profession straight way he was absolued because there was no other thing wherewith he was charged In this same persecution also suffered the holy martyr of Christ Polycaryus B. of Smyrna He was willing to haue remained in the towne of Smyrna but by the earnest supplications of friends was mooued to leaue the towne and lurke secretly in the countrie Three dayes before hee was apprehended by his persecuters he dreamed that his bed was set on fire and hastily consumed which he tooke for a diuine aduertisement that he behooued to glorifie God by suffering the torment of fire His conference with the Romane Deputie and how he refused to deny Christ whom he had serued fourescore yeeres and euer found him a gratious Master also how he refused to sweare by the fortune of Caesar and how patiently he suffered death for the name of Christ this history is set downe at large by Eusebius Ireneus B. of Lyons in France and successour to Photinus a martyr and Disciple of Polycarâ—us in his youth flourished in the dayes of the Emperour Commodus whose meeke conuersation and peaceable carriage answered to his name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is peaceable made his name to be in great account amongst Christians How he pacified the furie of Victor B. of Rome and the pernicious schisme springing vp in the Church of God vpon very small
in probation hee should be counted infamous how eminent so euer his dignitie and estate shall be The compiler of this supposititious decretal epistle had no consideration of the time wherein Caius liued It was a time of persecution Christian Bishops were continually drawne before secular Iudges accused of odious crimes whereof they were most innocent and Caius himselfe was compelled to lurke a long time in a subterraneall caue At this time to bring in Caius as it were sitting in a throne commanding that no Bishop should be accused before a secular Iudge c. what is this else but profusion of words without judgement and vnderstanding If this decretall epistle had beene attributed to Bonifacius 8. Gregorius 7. Alexander 3. it had bin a more competent time and the constitution had seemed more probable to the reader Moreouer the language is like vnto the matter it selfe Intelligat jacturam infamiae se sustinere in place of jacturam famâ— Marcellinus the 28. Bishop of Rome succeeded to Caius and ruled 9. yeeres he fainted in time of the persecution of Dioclesian and sacrificed to idols but afterward hee repented as Peter did and gaue his life for the testimonie of Christ. He who accuseth himselfe closeth all other mens mouths from accusation of him hee who truly repenteth by his repentance is restored to all the dignities of the children of God which were lost by sinne hee who suffered martyrdome for Christ and he whose body lacked the honour of buriall for the space of 30. dayes for the cause of Christ onely I say his name should be kept in reuerent remembrance as if hee had not fallen After Marcellinus succeeded Marcellus the 29. B. of Rome who continued in that Ministration 5. yeere 6. months 21. dayes He liued in the dayes of Maxentius by whom he was enclosed into a filthie stable to the end that lacking the salubritie of wholsome aire he might be destroyed with the filth stinke of the dung of beast which thing also came to passe indeed for he died in the stable This holy martyr so long as he liued he made the stable likâ— vnto a sanctuarie for he neuer intermitted the holy exercises of prayer fasting and the church when peace was granted to them by the mercy of God builded a temple in that same place where the stable had beene wherein Marcellus died The name of Marcellus is pretermitted by Eusebius After Marcellus succeeded Eusebius the 30. Bishop of Rome and continued 6 yeeres 1. month 3. dayes In his time Platina writeth that Helena the mother of Constantine found the crosse of Christ. But Onuphrius himselfe is compelled to grant that both Damasus and Platina erred in that narration because Constantine at this time had no dominion in Syria neither was he as yet conuerted to the faith of Christ. But the tyrant Maximinus with great crueltie oppressed the Church of Christ in the boundes of Syria and Iudea And therefore such as read the historie of the primitiue Church let them read with judgement because it is an easie thing to erre if any man giue such vndoubted credit to ecclesiasticall writers as he giueth to sacred scripture Of other Preachers and Doctors TErtullian a learned Preacher of the African Province of the citie of Carthage a man of a quick pregnant wit flourished vnder the raigne of Severus the fift persecuter When hee came to Rome hee was not free of the envie and reproaches of the clergie of the Romane Church and mooved with anger hee declined to the opinion of the heretique Montanus and wrote books against the true Church such as the volumes following De pudicitia De persecutione De iâ—iuniâ—s De monogamia De exsasi lib. 6. and his seventh booke against Apollonius This lamentable defection of Tertullian may bee an example to all men of great vnderstanding and excellent learning not to bee puft vp nor to be high minded lest they fall into the snare of the divell For Tertullian wrote learned apologies for the Christians and mightily confuted the errour of Marcion notwithstanding of all this hee was high minded and ioyned himselfe to the opinion of Montanus If hee had kept himselfe free of this foule spot hee was worthie for his gifts to haue beene counted amongst the most famous Doctors of the Church after the dayes of the Apostles Origen the sonne of Leonides an Egyptian was a young man of seventeene yeeres of age when his father was martyred in the persecution of Severus His wit was so pregnant in his youth and so capable of all kinde of instruction that his father would often vncover his brest when hee was a sleepe and kisse it giving thankes to God who had made him father of so happy a sonne After his fathers death hee sustayned himselfe his mother and six brethren by keeping a Schoole for all his fathers goods was confiscate for his confession of Christ. When Origen had spent his young age the description of his life in Greeke saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is when hee was in his mid-age the Churches of Achaia vexed with heretiques sent for him and as hee was vpon his iourney to Athens hee went through Palestina and was ordained to be a Presbyter or Priest by Alexander Bishop of Ierusalem and Theoctistus Bishop of Caesarea This fact offended Demetrius Bishop of Alexandria so highly that he was full of rage against Origen and wherefore because he being a man of Alexandria received ordination to an Ecclesiasticall office from the Bishops of Ierusalem and Caesarea When Bishops become serious in trifling matters and haue a greater regarde to their owne glory then to the advancement of the kingdome of God then that may bee spoken of them which Ierome writeth of Demetrius Qui tanta in eum debacchatus est insania vt per totum mundum super eius nomine scriberet that is Hee was so full of rage against him that hee replenished the world with writings mentioning the name of Origen But consider what fault was in Origen who was craving no ordination And what fault was in Alexander and Theoctistus men whose names shall be had in everlasting remembrance They did nothing of intention to grieue the heart of Demetrius Bishop of Alexandria but onely being carefull of the advancement of the kingdome of God they endeavoured to strengthen the hands of Origen against the heretickes of Achaia by conferring vnto him the calling of a Presbyter No man can iustly offend against me if I cast in this sentence as a common admonition to all Preachers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let vs not bee ouer serious in ridiculous matters The name of Origen was so famous that not onely the Bishops of Achaia sollicited him to come to their bounds for stopping the mouthes of Heretickes but also hee was sent for at two diverse times to be present at the Councels convened in Arabia against heretickes Some Heretickes
brought vp amongst the Monkes of Palestina and Egypt In the ende he was ordained Bishop of Salamina the Metropolitane towne of the Isle of Cyprus He refuted the Heresies preceding his time in his booke called Panarium and set downe a summe of the true faith in his booke called Anchoratus He had a great regard to the poore in so much that he was called Oeconomus pauperum And like as Cyprus was naturally situated in a place neere approaching to Asia the lesse and to Syria and to Egypt and Pentapolis and not farre distant from Europe so it fell out that Christians who were disposed to support their indigent brethren they sent their collections to Epiphanius and he distributed them to the poore With all these commendable vertues there was mixed a reproueable simplicitie in him he was circumveened by Theophilus Bishop of Alexandria and tooke a dealing against Iohn Chrysostome Bishop of Constantinople because he would not be suddaine in damning the Books of Origen Also he taught in Constantinople with indeuour to alienate the hearts of the people from their owne Pastour and celebrated the communion and ordained a Deacon in Constantinople without the foreknowledge and consent of Chrysostome and contrary to the Church order Chrysostome on the other part sent him aduertisement that in case he receiued any disgrace or harme in the fury of popular commotions he should blame himselfe who by his own inordinate doings was procuring the same After this Epiphanius ceased from such doings and entered into a ship of purpose to returne backe againe to Cyprus but he died by the way It is reported of him that when he entered into the ship he said he left three great things behinde him to wit a great towne a great pallace and great hypocrisie It were a matter of infinite labour and not agreeing with the nature of a Compend to write of all the worthie men of God in the Easterne parts who did fight a good fight runne a good race and kept the Faith Asclepas in Gaza Luciâ—â— in Adrianopolis Basilius presbyter in Ancyra a mightie adversarie to the Arrians vnder the raigne of Constantius and to the Pagans vnder the raigne of Iulian in whose time he was martyred Philogonius Bishop of Antiochia Hellanicus Bishop of Tripolis and Spyridion who of a keeper of cattell became Bishop of Trimythus Hermogenes Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia who was present at the Councell of Nice Iames Bishop of Nisibis in Mesopotamia in the dayes of Constantius by whose prayers the armie of Sapores King of Persia was miraculously disappointed Paulus Bishop of Neocaesarea this towne is situated vpon the bankes of Euprates and Paphnutius Bishop in Thebaida two notable Confessors who were both present at the Councell of Nice Eusebius Samosatenus to whom many of Basilius Epistles are directed and who refused to redeliuer vnto the Emperour Constantius the subscriptioÌ„s of the Arrian Bishops who consented to the admission of Meletius to be Bishop of Antiochia which subscriptions were put in his custodie And albeit the messenger sent from the Emperour threatned to cut off his right hand in case he deliuered not the subscriptions aforesaid yet he constantly refused to deliuer them and the Emperour both admired and commended his constancie Barses Bishop of Edessa in Mesopotamia Eulogius and Protogenes presbyters there vnder the raigne of Valens were banished to Antinoe in Thebaida whose travailes God wonderfully blessed to the conversion of many soules to the kingdome of God Theodulus Bishop of Trianopolis Amphilochius Bishop of Iconium in Lycaonia Pelagius Laodicenus whose name is the more famous for his insolent fact for he married a young woman and the first night after her marriage he perswaded her to preferre Virginall chastitie to matrimoniall copulation Antiochus the brother sonne of Eusebius Samosatenus could not abide the imposiâ—on of the hands of an Arrian Bishop Letoius Bishop of Meletina in Armenia who burnt the Monasteries or rather as Theodoretus writes the dennes of theeues wherein the Heretiques called Massaliani had their abiding Ephem Syrus a man borne in Nisibis brought vp in the wildernesse was counted a famous Writer in the Syrian Language The bookes shrowded vnder his name are thought for the most part to be supposititious Aeas who liued in company with Zenon Bishop of Maioma neere vnto Gaza is much reported of because he married a young woman procreated three children with her and in the end left her and entered into a Monasterie forgetting his matrimoniall couenant Zebeâ—nius Bishop of Eleutheropolis in Phaenicia to whom Sozomenus affirmeth that by diuine revelation the places were manifested wherein the bodies of the Prophets Habacuk and Micheas were buried So superstitious are Ecclesiasticall Writers alreadie become that the searching out of things nothing appertaining to eternall life are ascribed to divine revelations The judicious Reader will pardon me that I write not in particular of the liues of all the fore mentioned Bishops and Pastors because the nature of a short Compend cannot permit it to be done Bishops and Doctors in Africke IN Africke ouer and besides the Bishops of Alexandria was Didymus a Doctor of the schoole of Alexandria who through occasion of a dolour that fell into his eyes became blind from his very youth Yet by continuall exercise of his minde he became excellently learned in all Sciences But aboue all things the exact knowledge of divine Scriptures made him a terrour to the Arrians Many doe write that the very last period of time wherein Iulian the Apostate concluded his wretched life was revealed to Didymus in a dreame and that he againe tolde it to Athanasius who lurked secretly in Alexandria during the time of the raigne of Iulian. Arnobius was an Oratour in Africke afterward he became a Christian and craued to be baptized Christian Bishops lingered to conferre the holy Sacrament to a man who had beene a hater of Christian Religion of a long time Yet Arnob. freed himself from all suspition of Paganisme by writing Bookes wherein he confuted the Idolatrie of the Pagans and was baptized about the yeere of our Lord 330. About the suffering of our Lord he writes very judiciously That like as the beames of the Sunne that shine vpon a tree when the tree is cutted the Sunne-beames cannot be cutted Euen so in the suffering of Christ the diuine Nature suffered no paine Lactantius Fâ—rmianus was the Disciple of Arnobius In eloquence he was nothing inferior to his Master yet it is thought that he impugned errours with greater dexteritie then he confirmed the Doctrine of the Truth Optatus Bishop of Meleuitanum in Africke in the dayes of Valentinian and Valens set his Pen against the Donatistes especially against Parmenianus whose absurd assertion he clearely refutes First Whereas the Donatists affirmed that the Church of Christ was onely to be found in a corner of Africke He refutes it by Scripture
against Iohn Chrysostome Bishop of Constantinople whom he hated because he had received and courteously intreated Isidorus and Longifratres who came to Constantinople with intention to accuse him In this matter hee dealt deceitfully like vnto a crafty foxe lying in waite vntill hee found occasion to set on First hee reconciled himselfe to Epiphanius Bishop of Salamin in Cyprus and mooved him to gather a Councell in Cyprus for damning the bookes of Origen and to write to Iohn Chrysostome that he would do the like in his bounds but Chrysostome tooke little regard of the counsell of Epiphanius other things were more necessarie then to trouble the memoriall of a man that was dead long agoe Theophilus was glad to haue this advantage that Epiphanius a man of great account was on his side and so soone as hee found that Eâ—doxia the Emperor Arcadius wife with Courteours and some of the Clergie were incensed against Chrysostome hee was in readinesse as a firebrand of Satan to execute all evill turnes So the man of God as hath beene declared was deposed banished and vniustly put to death by Eudoxia and Theophilus two chiefe procurers of it Cyrillus the nephew of Theophilus on his brothers side succeeded to Theophilus and governed two and thirty yeers A man learned zealous and actiue his ministration was vnder the raignes of Theodosius the second and Valentinian the third Hee was an adversary to Heretiques in his dayes especially to Nestorius Bishop of Constantinople who denyed the personall vnion of the divine and humane Nature in Christ whose opinion as hereticall was damned in the Councell of Ephesus Cyrillus tooke too much vpon him for hee revenged the iniury that the Iewes had done vnto Christians in the night time by setting vpon their Synagogues slaying a great number of them banishing others and distributing their substance as a prey to the multitude that followed him The Iewes had dwelt in Alexandria from the dayes of Alexander the Great to that time but now by the fury of Cyrillus they were vtterly vndone and scattered Orestes the Deputy of Theodosius the second was in the towne to whom Cyrillus would not complaine of the iniury done by the Iewes against the Christians but at his owne hand vsurping the office of a civill Magistrate hee set vpon the Iewes slew scattered and spoyled them as hath beene aboue mentioned This was the ground of vnsupportable discord betwixt Orestes and Cyrillus in so much that fiue hundred Monkes of Nitria came out of the wildernesse to Alexandria to support Cyrillus their Bishop One of them called Ammonius wounded the Governour Orestes and when he was taken and punished vnto the death Cyrillus called him a Martyr buried him in the Church changed his name and called him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is admirable The Romane Bishoppes claimed a superiority over their brethren but Cyrillus Bishop of Alexandria plainely pretended a superiority over civill Magistrates This mooued Socrates writing of Coelestinus the first to say that the Bishops of Rome and Alexandria had stepped beyond the limits of Priesthood to the affectation of an externall domination The Bishops of Rome kept their owne pride and borrowed from Alexandria a proud vsurpation of domination over civill Magistrats but the wise providence and provident wisedome of our God would haue the mouthes of the Bishops of Rome opened to condemne that civill domination which their successors afterward most proudly vsurped Marke what Gelasius writeth that before the comming of Christ some persons such as Melchisedecke were both Kings and Priests This saith hee Satan imitating in his members would haue Pagan Emperours to be called Pontifices maximi Imperatores but when he came who was indeed both King and Priest to wit Christ neither did the King take vpon him the priestly dignity neither the Priest kingly authority Dioscorus who succeeded Cyrillus his name is to reade in the catalogue of Heretiques but Proterius was the true successour in regard hee kept the true Faith but hee was cruelly slaine by the favourers of Diâ—scorus immediately after the death of the Emperour Martianus Timotheus Salophaciolus governed as Bishop in Alexandria 23. yeeres six moneths in the dayes of Zenâ— and Basiliscus Albeit Basiliscus advanced another Timotheus surnamed Aelurus to be Bishop of Alexandria yet when Zeno was restored to his soverainty againe Salophaciolus received his place againe After Timotheus Salophaciolus followed Iohannes Tabennesiota whom the Emperour Zeno iustly hated for his periury for hee came Ambassador to the Emperour and craued that when their Bishop were dead the Church of Alexandria might haue liberty to choose their owne Bishop the Emperour suspected that hee was ambitiously suting the place to himselfe and therefore did binde him with an oath that when the place should happen to be voyd hee should make no meanes to possesse himselfe of that roome but hee did the contrary and accepted the place therefore the Emperour Zeno banished him hee fled to Felix Bishop of Rome who being mis-informed by Iohannes Tabennesiota made him to thinke that hee was persecuted for the true Faith as Athanasius was who fledde to Iulius Bishoppe of Rome but the Emperours letter assured him of the contrarie that hee was banished for periurie Petrus Moggus who followed is to bee reckoned in an other Catalogue Patriarchs of Antiochia TO Flavius in Antiochia succeeded Porphyrius whose ordination was more secret then becomes the ordination of Bishoppes to bee in absence of the people when they were delighting themselues with the sight of Stage-playes in Daphne Hee consented to the deposition of Iohn Chrysostome No man whom I haue read maketh reverent record of him except Theodoretus who possibly doth not examine him narrowly but for the dignitie of his place letteth him passe with a note of commendation After Porphyrius succeeded Alexander a man much commended by Theodoretus for eloquence but more for peace for hee was not onely an instrument to quiet the estate of his owne Church of Antiochia but also to quiet the estate of other Churches he was the first who inserted the name of Iohn Chrysostome into the catalogue of holy Bishops and perswaded others to doe the same Theodotus was his successor foure yeeres of whom little is written To Theodotus succeeded Iohannes Grammaticus and ministred eighteene yeeres In his time the Councell of Ephesus was assembled by Theodosius the second and Valentinian the third In it there was a pitifull distraction betwixt Iohn Bishop of Antiochia and Cyrillus Bishop of Alexandria for a light cause Not because Iohn Bishop of Alexandria favoured the heresie of Nestorius but in respect hee gaue out definitiue sentence before the full number of his brethren were assembled together This dissention was afterward reconciled and Iohannes sent to Cyrillus Paulus Emisenus and craved his friendshippe and was reconciled vnto him Domnus the successour of Iohannes was an vnconstant man Hee consented to the
was Pope For this cause hee called the marriage of the Priests the heresie of the Nicholaitans and the acceptation of Prelacies from the hands of secular Princes Simony And vnder colour of extirpating two heresies hee most craftily travelled to bring vnder his soveraigntie all men who were clothed with civill or spirituall offices And first for the abolishing of the marriage of Priests hee sent strict commandement to the Bishops of France and Germany and other places that they should depose married Priests from their offices vnder paine of cursing and that they should accept no persons in their places but those who would binde themselues by a solemne oath to perpetuall continencie The Priests made greater reluctation to the Popes commandement then the Bishops did in so much that in the Councell of Mentz convocated by the Archbishop for obeying of the Popes commandement the Archbishop accompanied with the Popes Ambassadour could finde no other meanes to saue their liues but onely by flying from the incensed wrath of marryed Priests As concerning his other enterprise in extirping the heresie of Simony as hee called it that no Prelat should receiue investment from Emperours and Princes but onely from the Bishop of Rome This could not bee brought to passe without the thunder-bolts of excommunication whereby he so subdued the noble Emperour Henry the fourth that hee was compelled in sharpe winter weather to iourney to Italy and to seeke absolution from the Popes cursing It were too long to discourse of his sorceries lying prophecies and treasonable attempts against the noble Emperour And the weake apologie of Onuphrius will never be an vmbrage to couer the craft malice and divellish pride of this seditious Pope To Gregorie the seventh succeeded Victor the third who onely continued in his Popedome one yeere and an halfe After Victor the third succeeded Pope Vrbanus the second and ruled twelue yeeres foure moneths and eighteen dayes Hee assembled a Councell at Clermont in France and incited Christian Princes to vndertake a dangerous warfare against the Turkes and Saracens for recovering of the holy Land and for supporting of distressed Christians in those parts A certaine Monke called Peter who had gone on pilgrimage to Ierusalem deplored to the Councell in most lamentable manner the pitifull estate of Christians in Ierusalem And many Christian Princes were moued to vndertake an hazardous warre against the Turkes and Saracens vnder the conduct of Godfrey Duke of Loraine Robert Duke of Normandy Robert Count of Flanders and diverse other noble Princes an army of three hundred thousand Christian people set forward toward Ierusalem which they conquered out of the hands of Infidels with great effusion of blood and Godfrey was crowned King of Ierusalem with a crowne of thornes An. 1099. as Functius recordeth Patriarchs of Constantinople BEcause I reade of no memorable thing done by the Patriarches of Constantinople it shall suffice shortly to point out their names onely and to set forward In this Centurie we finde the names of these Patriarchs following to wit Antonius Nicolaus Sisinnius Sergius Eustachius Alexius Michael Constantinus Lithudes Iohannes Xiphilinus Cosmas Eustratius and Nicolaus Of other Pastors and Doctors PEtrus Damianus was brought vp in the Monasterie of Cassinates and was made a Cardinall and Bishoppe of Ostia by Pope Stephanus the ninth Hee was deposed by Benedict the tenth and deprived of his living because hee disapproved his entry to the Popedome Hee was cast into prison and bonds and when he was set at liberty he sought not restitution to his Bishopricke againe but hee lived an heremiticall life And when Pope Nicolaus the second and Hildebrand an Archdeacon obiected this fact against him opprobriously he writ an apologie and defended himselfe by the example of 36. Fathers who had done the like He was very superstitious and approved the custome of Monks who began to scourge themselues very impertinently cyting the examples of Christ who was scourged by Pontius Pilat and of the Apostle Saint Paul who was thrice beaten with roddes and fiue times received thirty nine stripes as if it were all one thing to scourge our selues and to bee scourged by others He was present at the Councel of Millan as substitute of Pope Nicholaus the second Ino Bishoppe of Charters in France was counted learned in his time nothing is more commendable in all his life then this when hee was cast in prison for disprooving the marriage of Philip King of France the Noblemen dwelling about Charters would haue by force delivered him but hee disswaded them from any such attempts onely willed them to pray to God for him His bookes are miserably spotted with the errours of his time such as Transubstantiation in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Intercession and merits of Saints in prayer and diverse other errors Lanfrancus was borne in Papia a towne of Italy and became Archbishop of Canterburie hee was much reverenced for his learning Hee writ against Berengarius and defended the opinion of Transubstantiation He was in great credite with William the Conquerour King of England in so much that all spirituall and civill affaires seemed to bee ordered according to his appetite and pleasure This great credite procured against him the hatred of many Noblemen notwithstanding they could not prevaile against him all the dayes of King William Rufus the sonne of King William was of a more sterne and angry nature and albeit Lanfrancus had taken paines vpon his education notwithstanding his emulous competitours alienated the Kings heart somewhat from him whereby hee fell into a sharpe fever and dyed Ranulphus writeth of him that he wished to conclude his life either by fever or dysenterie because in these sicknesses the vse of a mans tongue continues oftentimes to the last breath Hee continued in his Prelacie nineteene yeeres and dyed in the third yeare of King Rufus Anselmus succeeded to Lanfrancus both in place and learning for hee was Bishop of Canterbury and a singular learned man Hee was borne in a towne called Augusta in the confines of Burgundie Hee was the disciple of Lanfrancus hee was first a Monke and afterward an Abbot in a Monastery of Normandie called Bettense and foure yeeres after the death of Lanfrancus the King of England promoted him to the Archbishopricke of Canterbury Anselmus in his admonitions to the King who at that time converted to his owne vse the rents of defunct Bishops and Abbots was free and plaine and for his freedome incurred great indignation in so much that hee compared himselfe vnto an Owle For saith he like as shee hath pleasure when shee remaineth in her owne nest and with her owne brood but when shee flyeth abroad shee is miserably misused and beaten with ravens crowes and other soules that forgather with her Even so saith hee when I am in company of you my familiar friends I liue in pleasure but when I goe to Court and am
Saint Peter himselfe were aliue and did rebuke the lewdnesse of their conversation they would not spare to take Saint Peters life also Moreouer hee sayd they were full of vncleannesse and were blinde guides leading the people headlong to Hell but the Lord would haue in remembrance their iniquities and call their wickednesse to account Thus the hatefull indignation of the Clergie being kindled against him for preaching the truth they layed waite for him secretlie and tooke him and drowned him Platina alledgeth that this fact displeased the Pope alwayes there was no inquisition to know the authors of this fact not punishment of malefactours who shed innocent blood in secret that manifested vnto the world the Popes indignation About this time was a booke written called Opus Tripartitum the author whereof was vnknowne but it is supposed to haue beene compiled by Arnulphus It contained great complaints of the manifold abuses of Church-men After Honorius succeeded Innocentius the second and ruled fourteene yeeres seuen months eight dayes Hee was a man of a militarie spirit albeit not fortunate in warfare For he made warre against Rogerius Duke of Sicilie whom hee besieged also in a certaine Castle But William Duke of Calabria Rogerius his sonne not onely relieued his father but also laid hands on the Pope and his Cardinals and made them Captiues and prisoners Rogerius delt friendly with the Pope and his Cardâ—nals and set them at libertie and obtained at the Popes hand whatsoeuer hee pleased except the name and title of a king At this time when the Pope was busied in warrefare the Romans advanced one called Peter the sonne of Leo a man of noble birth in Rome to be Pope And when Innocentius adressed himselfe to Rome hee did finde the faction of his Competitor to be strong and mighty therefore he sayled to Pisca and from thence to Geneua and from thence to France where hee assembled Councels at Clermont and at Rhemes and deliuered his Competitor to Sathan In the end hee was restored to his chaire againe by the Emperour Lotharius the second In his time the Towne of Rome being wearied with the tirâ—nnie of the Popes tooke resolution to be gouerned by Consuls The Pope to obviat this conceite of the people made an ordinance that whosoeuer did violently put hands on any person of the Clergie hee should be excommunicate and no man should haue power to absolue him but onely the Pope After Innocentius succeeded Coelestinus the second Hee was chosen Pope without the consent of the people as witnesseth Onuphrius he ended his course in the fift month of his Popedome To him succeeded Lucius the second and gouerned the Pestilentius chaire as the Magdeburg historie recordeth in a time when the Pestilence had great vpperhand in Rome Hee concluded his course in the eleuenth month of his Popedome After Lucius succeeded Eugenius the third sometime disciple to Bernard and ruled eight yeeres foure months and twentie dayes He so bestirred himselfe against the Senators of Rome that partlie by cursings and partly by force hee brought them in subiection and compelled them to receiue such Senators as the Pope by his authoritie pleased to assigne vnto them But it came to passe that hee who was desirous to be terrible and awfull to the Romans hee feared them in like manner that they were conspiring secretlie against his estate Therefore hee fled to Tybur and from thence to Fraunce to leade an armie to the East for the support of distressed Christians But this voiage had no good successe notwithstanding that the Popes blessing and Bernards Councell who was Abbot of Clarauall and much regarded at that time were both interposed to advance this often reiterated warrefare against the Turks When the Pope returned from France to Rome accompanied with great forces the people of Rome were affraid but the Pope soone after concluded his course at Tybur Anastatius the fourth succeeded Eugenius who continued in his Popedome one yeere foure months and twentie foure dayes To Anastatius succeeded Pope Adrian the fourth a Monke of the English nation employed by Pope Eugenius to goe to the people of Noroway whom hee brought vnder the Roman superstition and therefore was advanced by Pope Eugenius to the dignitie of a Cardinall and after the death of Anastatius the fourth he was promoted to the Popedome Hee would not goe to the Church of Lateran to be consecrated vntill Arnoldus Bishop of Brixia was driuen from the Towne of Rome because hee had counceled the Romans to claime to the auncient gouernment of their Towne to be guided by consuls and Senators But the proud Pope insisted so seriouslie against Arnoldus and the Romanes that hee compelled them by the force of his multiplied curses not onely to expell Arnoldus out of the Towne of Rome but also to submit themselues absolutely to the gouernment of the Pope The proud cariage of this Pope towards the noble Emperour Fredericke the first his bad successe in warrefare against the Duke of Sicilie and his miserable death in the Towne of Anagnia hath all beene touched in the historie of the life of Fredericke He ended his course after hee had ruled foure yeeres and ten months After Adrian the fourth succeeded Pope Alexander the third who had great debate against his competitor Victor the fourth called before Octavianus in respect the Emperour and the Princes of Germanie and a great number of the Clergie of Rome adhered to Pope Victor And on the other part to Pope Alexander adhered the kings of England France and Sicilie And this scisme indured a long time for remouing whereof the Emperour Fredericke appointed one councell at Papia and another at Diuion To the first hee would not appeare because hee thought the Pope should be iudged of no man To the Second he should not appeare because the councell of Diuion was not assembled by his owne authoritie but by the commandement of the Emperour This Litigious decertation tooke this effect that the Emperour and Bishoppes conuened at the foresaid Councels decreed Victor who appeared and was ready to submit hâ—s cause to the iudgement of a lawfull assemblie him I say they decreed to be Pope lawfully elected Pope Alexander fled to France and in the councell of Clermont hee excomunicated both the Emperour and his Competitor Victor these were the weapons of their warrefare against the Emperours and all others whom they supposed to be their aduersaries After the death of his Competitor Victor Pope Alexander being at Rome the Emperour Fredericke came with a strong armie thereto and Pope Alexander fled to the Venetians What Tragedie fell out in Venice forcing the noble Emperour to stoupe vnder the feete of the Pope for excessiue loue that hee caried towards his sonne hath beene declared in the Historie of the Emperour Frederickes life In this Popes dayes was Thomas Becket Bishop of Canterburie slaine Henry king of England purged himselfe to the Pope that
protection of his sonne Fredericke the second But Innocentius followed the footesteps of Iudas but not of Saint Peter made Otto Duke of Saxon Emperour in preiudice of Fredericke who was committed to his protection But thorow the prouidence of God the spirit of dissention fell betweene the Emperour Otto and the Pope so that hee was excommunicated by the Pope and the Empire was giuen to Fredericke Also hee gathered a generall Councel at Rome called Lateranense whereof hereafter After him succeeded Honorius 3. and ruled ten yeeres 7. months 13. daies he excommunicated the good Emperour Fredericke 2. and in this age it is to be noted that almost no Pope can be found who set not out his thunderbolts of cursings against kings and Emperours Next to him succeeded Gregorius the ninth and ruled one yeere three months he caused the booke of the Popes decretalls to be compiled and had cruell warres against the Emperour Fredericke whom hee excomunicated diuers times as hath at length beene declared in the life of Fredericke Caelestinus 4. followed after him who liued not in the Popedome aboue the space of 18. dayes To him succeeded Innocentius 4. and ruled 11. yeeres 12. months 12. dayes he helde a Councell at Lyons wherein he excommunicated the Emperour Fredericke of new againe and deposed him from his Emperiall dignitie and gaue the same to William Count of Holland Hee died miserably for hee invaded the kingdome of Sicilie with an armie hoping to bring it vnder his subiection after the death of Fredericke but was disapointed and repulsed by Manfred king of Sicilie And as hee was in Naples a voyce was heard in the Popes Court saying Surge miser ad iudicium that is rise O wretched person and appeare to iudgement and the day following he was found lying dead in his bed To him succeeded Alexander the fourth who did fight against Manfred king of Sicilie vnprosperously but being ouercome in battell hee had refuge to his old armour of cursing and excommunicated Manfred He damned the Booke of William de Sancto amore which hee writ against the order of begging Friers and died in the seuenth yeere of his Popedome After him followed Vrbanus the fourth and ruled three yeeres and one month Hee stirred vp Charles Duke of Angeow against Manfred and gaue vnto him the kingdome of Sicilie and Calabria with the Dukedome of Apulia to be holden of the Pope as superior for yeerely paiment of a certaine duety to the Church of Rome which was the occasion of great troubles which after followed To him succeeded Clemens 4. and ruled 3. yeeres 9. months 21. daies He finished the worke which Vrbanus begun for hee gaue to Charles Count of Angeow not onely the Dukedome of Sicilie but also the stile of the kingdome of Ierusalem prouiding alwayes hee should pay yeerely in few-farme to the church of Rome fortie thousand crownes This Charles by instigation of the Roman Bishop first slew Manfred king of Sicilie and afterward slew Conradinus sonne to Conrad who came to Italie to possesse the kingdomes duely appertaining to him So was the kingdome of Sicilie taken from the posteritie of Fredericke and put in the hands of Frenchmen After him Gregorius the tenth ruled foure yeeres two months ten dayes He held a generall councell at Lyons whereat Michael Palcologus Emperour of Constantinople was present as will be hereafter delared God willing He made peace beweene the Venetians and the Genuans who not onely at home but also in Asia had bloodie warres one against another to the great encouragment of the Infidels Also hee interdyted the Florentines from all holy seruice because they eiected the Gibelius out of their towne whom the Pope being in France had receiued in favour and brought backe from banishment Hee was so highly displeased with them that passing by the towne of Florence vpon a time being required of his fatherly clemencie to lose them from the foresaid interditment hee vtterly refused to doe it Next after him Innocentius the fift died after hee had ruled sixe months ad two daies After him Hadrianus the fift died hauing ruled fortie dayes Ioannes 22. who succeeded to Adrian died after he had ruled 8. months Hee was smothered by the sudden fall of a chamber newly built in the place of Viturbium for his solace and pleasure and this iudgement fell vpon him immediatlie after he had foolishly promised to himselfe long life and said to his friends that he knew by the position of the starres that he would liue a long time in this world After him followed Nicolaus the third and ruled three yeeres three months fifteene daies He was a mortall enemie to Charles king of Sicilie whom his predecessours Vrbanus and Clemens advanced He tooke from him the lieutenanrie of Hetruria the dignitie of a Roman Senator Likewise hee stirred vp Peter King of Arragon to claime the kingdome of Sicilie as iustly pertaining to him by right of Constantia his wife Daughter to Manfred king of Sicilie And finally by his craft and wickednesse the countries of Flaminea and Bononia with the exarcht of Rauenna which had remained a long time vnder the Emperours iurisdiction were brought vnder the dominion of the Pope of Rome In Religion he was verie superstitious and caused cases of siluer to be made wherein he put the skulls of Peter Paul Next vnto him followed Martinus the fourth and ruled foure yeeres and one month Hee receiued Charles king of Sicilie in fauour and restored vnto him the dignitie of a Roman Senator which Nicolas his predecessour had taken from him and was so contrarious in all his doings to Nicolaus that whereas Nicolaus stirred vp Peter king of Arragon to claime the kingdome of Sicilie as belonging to him by right Martinus by the contrarie excōmunicated the king of Arragon as a spoiler of the Church-goods because hee invaded the kingdome of Sicilie Notwithstanding in this Popes time the Frenchmen who were in Sicilie being hated of the people were pitifullie destroied For they had agreed among themselues that vpon a certaine day at euening time when a signe was giuen by ringing of a bell that they should cut off in one houre all the French blood that was found in Sicilie which thing also they performed with such crueltie that they ript vp their owne countrie-women that were with child by the Frenchmen to the end there should no remnant of French blood remaine among them and from this excessiue crueltie the Prouerb yet remaineth Vesperae Siculae This Pope also tooke the Concubine of his Predessour Nicolaus and caused to abolish all the pictures of Vrses and Beares that were found in his palace fearing left his harlot by a deepe imagination and impression of these Pictures should bring forth children rough like Beares as shee had done before Honorius 4. followed and ruled 2. yeeres one month he ratified the sentence
of excommunication giuen out against Peter king of Arragon for invading the kingdome of Sicilie After him followed Nicolaus the fourth and ruled foure yeeres one month after whom the Chaire of Rome was vacant for the space of two yeeres and three months because of the intestine discord of the Cardinals who could not condiscend among themselues who should be chosen to succeede In the end Caelestinus the fift is chosen and ruled one yeere and fiue months hee was an Heremit had liued such a solitarie life that he was altogether vnmeet for gouernment in great and weightie affaires Neuerthelesse he was a notable Hypocrite and pretended a reformation of the abuses of the court of Rome and namely in this that the Cardinalls Bishops should ride not vpon horses mules with Pompous traines but vpō Asses following the example of Christ who did ride to Ierusalem vpon one of them But the Cardinals were so farre from yeelding to this ordinance howbeit the Pope in his owne person gaue them example so to doe that they counted him an old doting foole and finding him to be a verie simple man so abused his simplicitie that they caused him voluntarily resigne and giue ouer his office For Caietanus a certaine Cardinall digged a hole thorow the Popes chamber and sounded in a voyce admonishing him to resigne his office to another who was more fit to gouerne then hee was which the Pope supposing to be an Angelicall voyce an heauenly admonition willingly resigned his office desiring the Cardinals to choose another man more fit for the Popedome then himselfe was who choosed thereafter this same Cardinall Caietanus and named him Bonifacius 8. who ruled 8. yeeres 9. months 17. daies Besides the subtile policie wherby he attained the Popedome he ioyned Barbarous crueltie for his predecessor Caelestinus hauing dimitted his Popedome he returned againe to the wildernesse to liue a solitarie life as before But Bonifacius brought him by force backe from the wildernesse emprisoned him where he died for heart-griefe This Pope renewed the old factiōs of the Gibelines Guelses hated the Gibelines to the death in so farre that he deposed the Cardinals that were found to be of the families of the Gibelines and disposed their dignities rents castles and heritages to others and proceeded in hatred and crueltie against them that he could abide no man that was of the stocke of the Gibelines Insomuch that Porthecus Archbishop of Geneua comming vnto him falling downe at his feete Die cinerum hee would not lay the Ashes vpon his head nor say to him Memento homo quod cinis es in cinerem reuerteris as the custome was but hee threw the ashes in his eyes and said Memento homo quod Gibellinus es cum Gibellinis in cinerem redigeris that is remember O man that thou art one of the Gibelines and with them thou shalt be turned to ashes He instituted the first Iubily that was kept at Rome promising a full remission of all their sins to so many as would take paines to visit the Apostolike Sea In solemnising whereof the first day he shewed himselfe to the people in his Pontificall garments with S. Peters keies caried about him but the second hee shewed himselfe vnto them in royall apparell with a naked sword carried before him and an Harold proclaiming Ecce potestas vtrinsque gladij that is beholde the power of both the swords to wit both ciuil and spiritual claiming to himself a soueraigne authoritie in al things both ciuil ecclesiasticall He excommuincated Philip king of France and his posteritie to the fourth generation because he made an ordinance that no mony nor revennue should bee caried out of his countrie to Rome But Philip assembled a Councel at Paris and appealed from the Bishop of Rome to the first generall Councell to be holden And sent William Nogaretius steward of his house together with Scarra Columnensis one of the noble men of Rome whom the Pope persecuted because he was a Gibeline These two I say he sent to Rome to publish his appellation against the Pope but they had another purpose in hand as the euent declared For Scarra disguised himselfe entered in Italy with a seruants habite and secretlie gathered a number of his friends Gibelines and set vpon the Pope by night as hee was lying at Anagnia the towne of his natiuity Nogaretius also cōcurred with 200. horsmen who brake in vpon him by night and spoiled al his rich treasures and put himselfe vpon a wanton Colt with his face towards the taile and made him a ridiculous spectacle to all the people Soone after he went to Rome and died for displeasure that he had loosed his riches and sustained so great shame This is he of whom it was truly said that he entered in as a Foxe liued as a Lyon and died as a Dogge Patriarchs of Constantinople AFter Georgius Xiphilinus succeeded Ioannes Cametarus after him Thomas Maurocenus who being made Patriarch tooke his iourney to Rome receiued confirmatiō of the Roman B. Innocentius 3. He was also present at the coūcel of Lateran holden at Rome in the yeere of our Lord 1215. Next to him succeeded Pantoleo Iustinianus after him Germanus and Arsenius to whose tutorie the Emp. Theodorus cōmitted his yong sonne Ioannes but Michael Paleologus being chosen Emp. plucked out the eyes of the yong Emp. for the which he was excōmunicated by Arsenius Paleologus on the other part gathered a Councel of Bishops against him accused him for suffering of Azetines the Sultan to be present at the holy seruice for conferring with him in the temple In this councell Arsenius was deposed because he appeared not to answere to the foresaid accusation immediatly after was bāished by the Emp. Nicephorus placed in his roome After whom succeeded Germanus and after him Iosephus to whom the Emperour confessed his sinnes of periurie and crueltie in plucking out the eyes of Ioannes the son of Theodorus Lascaris and receiued absolution from him But when he perceiued how the Emperour was purposed to make an agreement with the Bishop of Rome hee would not consent thereto but voluntarily dimitted his office and entered into a monasterie where hee ended his life After him followed Becus whom the Emp. traueled to perswade to giue his consent to the foresaid agreement with the B. of Rome but all in vaine for which cause the Emp. imprisoned him there giuing him many books to reade confirming the opinions of the Latine church which made Becus change his opinion and both by word and writ defend the doctrine of the Latin church To whom succeded Hugolinus Of other Doctors IN this age many were found who taking example of Petrus Lombardus invented subtile and intricat disputations questionin̄g reasoning and calling all things in doubt after the maner of the Academik Philosophers insomuch that there
was no head of doctrine howbeit plaine in it selfe which they did not obscure and darken with the mist of vaine Philosophie curious disputation And that which was more lamentable the pure foundations of the word of God were vtterlie forsaken Theologues began to reuerence Aristotle his writings as if hee had bin a Prophet of God the Apostle of Iesus Christ. Yea things coÌ„tained in the holy scripture were counted vulgar common base of little importance but they who were deeply learned in Aristotles Philosophie and in the volumes of the ancient doctors were counted excellent teachers Angelicall and Geraphicall Doctors Then were set out prolixe commentaries vpon the master of SenteÌ„ces by Albertus Aquinae Alexander and Scotus and all the schooles were filled with contentious disputations This Albertus was a Dominik frier who for his great learning was called Magnus was made B. of Ratisbon by Pope Alexander 4. but he being wearied with the painefull trauels of that calling returned home again to Colen to speÌ„d his time more quietly in reading and writing of bookes Where hee writ those commentaries vpon the Master of Sentences vpon Aristotle with many other volumes Also hee defended his owne order of friers against Guil. de S. Amore who impugned the same as shal be hereafter declared God willing before he died he pointed out a place for his owne burial and dailie visited it Et vigâ—lias pro se ac si vita sâ—nctus esset legit Thomas de Aquino otherwaies called Angelicus Doctor was disciple to Albertus Magnus and profited in Theologie and Philosophie beyond others while he was yong at the schoole he was quiet stil more inclined to heare al men then to speake was called by his condisciples Bos that is a kow because hee was so silent Neuerthelesse afterward by his penne this kow lowed louder then all his coÌ„disciples filled al nations with the sound of his Doctrine He was of the order of the Dominike or preaching Friers defended his order against William de S. Amore as Albertus his Master had done before He died in the way as he was iourneying to the couÌ„cel at Lyons was canonised by Pope Ioannes 22. and was supposed to haue wrought miracles after his death because this age was full of lying miracles Alexander Neckam was learned in Philosophie Poetrie Oratrie and Theologie obtained a glorious name to be called Ingenij MiraculuÌ„ hee was made Abbot of Excester in England vpon whose Sepulchre when hee died were written these Barbarous verses Eclipsin patitur sapientia Sol sepelitur Cui si par vnus minus esset flebile funus Vir bene discretus in omni more facetus Dictus erat Nequam vitam duxit tamen aequam Ioannes Duns otherwise called Scotus Subtilis was a man borne in Dunce a towne of Scotland who departed from his natiue countrie and ioyned himselfe to the companie of the gray friers in Oxford from thence he passed to Paris from thence to Colen where hee died being yet yong in yeeres Hee was called Subtilis from the subtilitie of his wit In his commentaries vpon the Master of Sentences hee entreateth largely of the head of the Sacrament of the supper where it may be seene that hee would neuer haue condiscended to the opinion of Transubstantiation if hee had not beene induced thereto by the authoritie of the church of Rome Likewise in this age liued Alexander de Ales an English man brought vp in Paris and expert in Philosophie Theologie who amplified the doctrine of Petrus Lombardus with many subtile arguments and was called Doctor irrefragabilis In the end hee tooke vpon him the habit and order of the Graye Friers vpon this Occasion Hee had vowed that hee should doe all things which he was required to do in the name of the blessed Virgin if so be they were possible to be done and vpon a time hee forgathered with a begging Frier seeking almes who besought him for the Loue of our Lady to ioyne himselfe to their order because they had no Master to gouerne and rule them Thus Alexander de Ales without delay tooke vpon him the habit of a graye frier and became their doctour He died at Paris and was buried in one of the Abbacees of the graye friers Now in this time of most palpable darkenesse the Lord lacked not witnesses of his truth but stirred vp many who damned the grosse ignorance and superstition of those times Of this number was Arnoldus de Nova Villa a Spainard a man famously learned and a great writer whom the Pope with his Clergie condemned among Heretikes for holding writing against the corrupt errours of the Popish Church His teaching was that Sathan had seduced all the world from the truth of Christ Iesus First That the faith which then Christian men were commonly taught was such a faith as the Deuils had Secondly That Christian people were led by the Pope to hell Thirdly That all Cloysters are voyde of Charitie and that they doe all falsifie the doctrine of Christ. Fourthly That the Diuines doe euill in mixing Philosophie with Diuinitie Fiftly That the Masses are not to be celebrated and that they ought not to sacrifice for the dead Certaine other opinions there be which the slaunderous sects of Monkes and Friers doe attribute to him as is their custome rather of envious taking then of any iust cause giuen In this number also was the worthy and valiant Champion of Christ and aduersary of Antichrist Guilielmus de S. Amore a Master of Paris and a chiefe ruler then of that Vniuersitie He in his time had no small adoe writing against the Friers and their Hypocrisie but especiallie against the begging Friers both condemning their whole Order and also accusing them as those that did disturbe and trouble all the churches of Christ by their preaching in churches against the will of the Ordinarie Pastors by their hearing of confessions and executing the charge of ordinarie preachings in their churches All the testimonies of Scripture that make against the Antichrist hee applied them against the Clergie of Prelats and the Popes spirituallie The same Guilelmus is thought to be the author of the booke which is attributed to the schoole of Paris and intituled De Periculis ecclesiae where hee prooueth by 39. arguments that Friers be false Prophets Moreouer he doth wel expound this saying of Christ. If thou wilt be perfect goe and sell all that thou hast and come follow mee declaring there pouertie to be inioyned vs of Christ non actualem sed habitualem not in such sort as standeth in outward action when no neede requireth but in inward affection of heart when neede requireth as though the meaning and precept of our Lord were not that wee should cast away actuallie all that wee haue but that when the confession of the name of Christ and his glorie shall so require
againe after the issue of that Councell seuen yeeres after an other generall Councel should be kept and after that third Councell an ordinarie forme should be obserued of assembling generall Councells euery tenth yeere whereby reformation of abuses in the Church might bee more easilie obtained This Pope Martine after hee had gouerned 14. yeeres and 3. months died at Rome After him succeeded Eugenius the fourth gouerned sixteene yeeres In his time was the Councell of Basile kept which the Pope with aduice of his Cardinalls was minded to translate to Bononia But the Emperour Sigismund and other Princes and Prelats assembled at Basile were so highly offended against the Pope that they warned himselfe and his Cardinalls to appeare before the generall councill otherwise they would proceed against them as persons contumacious and disobedient to the voyce of the Church This warning so terrified Eugenius that hee gaue out his Apostolike letters to ratifie and approue the Councell of Basile neuerthelesse after the Emperours death the authoritie of the Councell being greatly empaired hee tooke vpon him greater boldnesse to transferre the Councell to Ferraria and from thence also to Florence pretending that the Emp. of CoÌ„stantinople Paleologus the rest of the Grecians who were now to be present at the generall councell would not trauell beyond the Alpes but would abide in some neerer place The Councell of Basile on the other part proceeded to the deposition of Eugenius 4. For his contumacie and placed Amecdeus Duke of Sauoy in his roome whom they called Foelix 5. Thus was the peace of the Roman church troubled of new againe some following Eugenius and others followed Foelix and the third sort being Neutralls neither following the one nor the other because they were so tossed with the contrarie decrees of the councell of Basile and Florence that they knew not what to follow This Pope as Platina writeth was bent to warres not being seemely in a Bishop for besides those which hee made in Italie hee stirred vp the Dolphin of France to invade the towne of Basile with an armie of horsmen of purpose to dissolue the Councell there and finallie hee stirred vp Vladislaus King of Poloma to fight against Amurathes King of Turkes contrary to his promise and truce taken betweene them to the great shame and hurt of Christianitie as hath beene declared After his death Nicolaus the fift was chosen to be Pope and ruled eight yeeres To him Foelix quintus who was elected Pope in the Councell of Basile was content to submit himselfe prouiding alwayes that hee might haue the dignitie of a Cardinall and that hee should bee appointed the Popes Legat in Germanie and in his owne countrey of Sauoy The Cardinalls also whom hee had made in his time should keepe their dignities and honours This hee did at the earnest desire of Frederike the Emperour in the yeere of our Lord 1449. In the which yeere also Nicolaus the fift set forth a decree of approbation of the Councell of Basile howbeit neither this Pope nor any other following him will bee subiect to the authâ—â—itie of generall Councells yet did hee approue the Councell of Basile wherein it was ordained that the Bishop of Rome should bee subiect to the Councell as a child is subiect to the voyce of his mother After Nicolaus succeeded Calixtus the third and gouerned three yeeres three months sixteene dayes hee was verie bent to fight against the Turkes and sent Messengers to all Christian Princes in Europe to stirre vp their hearts to make warre against the Turke with one consent of minde and to stay his further progresse and conquest in Europe but all his trauailles were spent in vaine for the Princes harkened not to his Councell Likewise hee sent messengers to Vsumcassanus king of Armenia and Persia whom with supplications and gifts hee stirred vp to make cruell warres against the Turke which warres also haue since that time continued vntill our dayes to the great disturbance of the crueltie of the Turke intended against Europe After him succeeded Pius the second who before his Popedome was called Aenâ—as Syluius a man of great witt learning and eloquence and gouerned six yeeres Hee was no lesse bent to make warre against the Turkes then was his Predecessour before him but his enterprise was staied by the dissention which was amongst Christian Princes for then and long after was great warre betweene Ferdinand of Naples and the Duke of Angeow and in diuers other parts of Italie Likewise These wise and worthie sentences vttered by him declared that he had a great gift of vnderstaÌ„ding knowledge Hee said that popular men should esteeme learning as siluer and noble men should count it like gold and Princes should count it in steade of pearles and precious stones Also that like as all riuers haue their courses to the sea and poure in their waters into the Ocean euen so great Courts are the maine Ocean receiuing the floudes of all kind of vices Likewise that if there seemed of old great reason to inhibit the marriage of Priests there was now greater reason to permit it Also that hee who giueth too great libertie to his child fostereth a domestike enemie within his owne bosome That lust dishonoureth in euery age but vndoth him vtterlie in his old age He died in the towne of Ancona where he was minded to haue blessed the armie which was to haue gone against the Turkes After Pius succeeded Paulus the second and gouerned six yeeres ten months Likeas he was not very learned in his own person so was hee also an aduersarie to learning and counted all men that were learned in humanitie to bee heretikes as Platina who writeth this of the Pope had good proofe in his owne person for hee was cast in prison and cruelly tormented by the Pope without a cause and in the ende lest his crueltie against many learned men should make him to bee hated of the people hee accused them of heresie hauing no better ground for it then this that they accounted much of the old Academique Philosophers For he laied this as an vnfallible ground that who soeuer would once make mentioÌ„ of Academia either in earnest or iesting words he was to be reputed an heretike Of other Doctors IN this age sprung vp Iohn Husse in the couÌ„try of Bohemia who by reading of the bookes written by Wickliff attained to knowledge and deprehended many grosse errours of the Roman church in so much that Pope Alexander 5. hearing thereof begun at last to direct his bull to the Archbishop of Suinto requiring him to see to the matter in due time to prouide that no man in churches schooles or other places should maintaine any such doctrine citing also Iohn Husse to appeare before him After whose death Pope Iohn 23. in like maner sought by all meanes to suppresse Iohn Husse because he seemed more willing to teach the Gospell of Christ
perceiving that Iohn Hus was denyed to be heard and that watch was layed for him on every side hee departed to Iberling a Citie of the Empire a mile distant from Constance and from thence caused a letter to be directed to the Councell and to bee affixed vpon the doores of the chiefe Churches Cloysters and Cardinalls houses in Constance bearing in effect that hee was ready to come to the Councell and to answer vnto any of his accusers who would stand vp to accuse him of erroneous and hereticall doctrine providing alwayes that hee might haue sure and safe accesse But when hee saw that through such intimations being set vp as is before sayd hee could haue no safe conduct hee thought meete to returne backe againe to Bohemia taking with him the letters patents of the Lords of Bohemia that were at Constanâ—e for a testimonie and witnesse of the premises As hee was in his iourney by treason and conspiracie of his enemies hee was taken in Hirsaw by the officers of Duke Iohn and sent backe to the Councell bound with chaines where hee was cast into prison and so hardly vsed that hee fell sore sicke almost to the death But after he was recovered and Iohn Hus was already put to death they brought forth Master Ierome whom they had long kept in chaines in the Church of Saint Paul and threatning him with death being instant vpon him they forced him to abiure and recant and consent vnto the death of Master Iohn Hus that hee was iustly condemned and put to death by them Neverthelesse his enemies perceiving that this abiuration was not made sincerely from his heart but onely for feare to escape their hands they gaue in new accusations against him And in the yeere of our Lord 1416. the 25. day of May the sayd Master Iereme was brought forth vnto open audience before the whole generall Councell vnto the great cathedrall Church of Constance Where many things were layd to his charge that day as likewise the third day after which was another Diet assigned to him for answering where hee refuted his adversaries with such eloquence and wisdome that the hearts of all the Fathers of the councell were marvelously bent and mooved to mercy toward him But in the end hee entered to the praise of Iohn Hus and affirmed that whatsoever Iohn Hus and Wickliffe had holden and written specially against the pompe and pride of the Clergie hee would affirme even to the death And likewise hee added that of all the sinnes that ever hee had committed the sinne of his recantation did most grievously gnaw and trouble his conscience especially in consenting to the wicked condemnation of that good and holy man Iohn Hus which fault as hee did it through weakenesse of faith and feare of death so did hee vtterly deny and revoke that wicked recantation After this hee was led away againe to prison and the Saturday before the ascention day hee was brought to the Cathedral Church before the Congregation where the sentence of his condemnation was given out against him and a paper with pictures of red divels was brought to bee put vpon his head which hee himselfe receiving put it thereupon saying Our Lord Iesus Christ when hee suffered death for me most wretched sinner did weare a crowne of thornes vpon his head and I for his sake will willingly weare this miter and cap. Afterward hee was layd hold on by the secular power and carried to the place of execution where his body was burnt with fire which paine he suffered with a lowd voyce praising God in the midst of the fire and commending his soule to the gracious custodie of the Lord Iesus And finally his ashes were diligently collected and throwne into the river of Rhene In this age also was Hieronimus Savonarola a man no lesse godly in heart then constant in profession who being a Monke in Italy and very learned preached against the evill life of the Spiritualty and specially of his owne order Which thing the Pope perceiving and fearing that the said Hierom who was already in great reputation amongst all men should diminish and overthrow his authority he ordained his Vicar or Provinciall to see reformation in those matters who with great superstition began to reforme them But the sayd Hierom did alwaies withstand him whereupon hee was complained of to the Pope and cursed by him Notwithstanding hee continued preaching in the towne of Florence And albeit hee was cited to appeare before the Pope he made his excuse and came not Then was hee againe forbidden to preach and his doctrine pronounced and condemned as pernicious false and seditious Thus Hieronimus forseeing the perils dangers that might come for feare left off preaching But when the people which sore hungred for the word of God were instant vpon him that hee would preach againe hee began againe to preach in the yeere 1496. and albeit many counselled him that he should not so doe without the Popes commandement yet did he not regard them but constantly went forward of his owne good will When the Pope and his shavelings heard newes of this they were grievously inflamed and incensed against him and now againe cursed him as an obstinate and stifnecked heretique Notwithstanding all this Hierom proceeded in preaching and instructing the people saying men ought not to regard such curses as are against the true and common profit of the people In all his teaching he desired to teach none other thing but the onely pure and simple word of God making often protestation that all men should certifie him if they had heard him teach or preach any thing contrary thereunto For in his owne conscience he knew that he had not taught any thing but the pure Word of God What his doctrine was all men may iudge by his bookes which hee hath written After this in the yeere of our Lord 1498. hee was taken and brought to Saint Markes Cloyster and and two other Fryers with him named Dominicke and Sylvester who favoured his learning and were carryed to prison and from thence were brought forth by the chiefe Councellors of Florence and the Popes Commissioners who had gathered out certain articles against them whereupon they should be condemned to death which were these 1. The first article was as touching our free iustification through faith in Christ. 2. That the Communion ought to bee ministred vnder both kinds 3. That the Indulgences and Pardons of the Pope were of none effect 4. For preaching against the filthy and wicked living of the Cardinals and Spiritualty 5. For denying the Popes supremacy 6. And that hee had affirmed that the Keyes were not given to Peter alone but vnto the vniversall Church 7. That the Pope did neither follow the life nor the doctrine of Christ for that hee did attribute more to his owne pardons and traditions then to Christs merits and therfore he was Antichrist 8. That the
Popes excommunications are not to be feared and that hee who doth feare or flie them is excommunicate of God 9. That the auricular confession is not necessary 10. That hee had mooved the Citizens to vprore and sedition 11. That hee had neglected and contemned the Popes citation 12. That he had shamefully slandred and spoken against the Pope 13. That he had taken Christ to witnesse of his naughtinesse and heresie 14. That Italy must be cleansed through Gods scourg for the manifold wickednesse of the Princes and Clergie These and such like articles were layd to their charge and reade before them Then they demanded of the said Hierom and his companions whether they would recant and giue over their opinions Whereunto they answered that thorow Gods help they would stedfastly continue in the manifest truth and not depart from the same Then were they degraded one after another by the Bishop of Wasson and so delivered to the secular rulers of Florence with strict commandement to carry them forth and handle them as obstinate and stifnecked Heretiques Thus was that worthy witnesse of Christ with the other two aforesayd first hanged vp openly in the market place and afterward burnt to ashes and the ashes gathered vp and cast into the river of Arum the 24. day of May 1499. In this age likewise sprang vp many men of great erudition and learning as namely Laurentius Valla Picus Mirandulae Comes Angelus Politianus with many others whose names for learning are worthy rememberance The meane whereby learning so exceedingly increased in this age seemeth to bee the Art of printing found out in Germany by a certaine Gold smith named Iohn Faustus in Strausbrugh and Guttemberg his copartner as some write but whosoever was the inventer of it it is certaine that this faculty was given to the vse of man by the providence of almighty God at what time the Bishop of Rome with all the whole and full consent of all the Cardinals Patriarchs Archbishops Bishops Abbots Priors Lawyers Doctors Provosts Deanes Archdeanes assembled together in the Councell of Constance and had condemned poore Iohn Hus and Ierom of Prague to death for heresie and after subdued the Bohemians and in a manner the whole world to be vnder the supreme authority of the Romiâ—h Sea In the very time so dangerous and desperate where mans power could doe no more The blessed wisedome and omnipotent power of God began to worke for the Church not with sword and target to subdue his exalted adversary but with printing writing and reading to convince darknes by light error by truth ignorance by learning So that by this meanes of printing God hath heaped vpon the proud kingdome of Antichrist a double confusion For whereas hee could not abide to haue the enormity of Prelats liues to be condemned by Iohn Hus who neither denyed his Transubstantiation nor his Purgatory nor yet spake any thing against his Masse but onely exclaimed against his excessiue and pompous pride his vnchristian or rather antichristian abhomination of life Now of late dayes God hath found a way by this faculty of printing not onely to confound his life and conversation which before hee could not abide to be touched but also to cast downe the foundation of his standing that is to examine confute and detect his doctrine lawes and institutions in such sort that albeit his life were never so pure yet his doctrine standing as it doth no man is so blinde but may see the Pope to be Anti-Christ For by this Art Tongues are knowne knowledge groweth iudgement increaseth bookes are dispersed the Scripture is seene the Doctors are read the stories bee opened times compared truth decerned falshood detected and with the finger pointed at and all as I haue said God hath wrought by the benefit of printing CENTVRIE XVI Popes of Rome AFter Paulus the second succeeded Sixtus the fourth and ruled thirteen yeeres and foure dayes Hee changed the custome of keeping the Iubilie every 50. yeere and would haue it kept every 25. yeeres After him succeeded Innocentius the eight and ruled seven yeers ten months and twenty seven dayes After him Alexander the sixt ruled eleven yeeres and eight dayes Hee was a notable tyrant and a scourg of God to all Italy and in speciall to that corrupt Colledge of Cardinals which had chosen him to be Pope not for his good graces and vertues but for the heapes of gold which hee had distributed amongst them of whom some he banished others hee caused to be impoysoned and cruelly slaine In his time Charles the eight King of France clayming right to the Kingdome of Naples entred into Italy with a mighty army and without great resistance came to the towne of Rome and from thence to Naples Alphonsus King of Naples at this time finding himselfe to be hated of all men had denuded himselfe of the Kingdome and given it to his sonne Ferdinand and hee himselfe was fled into Sicilie Also his sonne Ferdinand not being able to resist the puissant army of King Charles was likewise compelled to flie to the little Island of Istria for safety of his life and the whole kingdome of Naples was in short time ouer-run and subdued to the King of France This victorious conquest so hastily atchieved made the name of Charles to be terrible to other Princes even to the Duke of Millan and Estate of Venice who had beene his confederate friends assisters in this warfare Notwithstanding fearing lest his increasing power should in time be the overthrow of their Estates they conspired with the Pope and the Emperour and the King of Spaine against him and as hee returned backe againe to France fought against him at Fornovo not farre distant from the towne of Parma The victory was vncertaine notwithstanding Ferdinand King of Naples was so encouraged with this encounter that hee recovered againe all his kingdome which hee had lost Likewise in this Popes time Lewis the twelfth who succeeded to Charles the eight came into Italy claiming right not onely to the kingdome of Naples but also to the Dukedome of Millan He had before bound vp a covenant with the Pope the King of Spaine and the Venetians vpon these conditions that having possessed himselfe first in the Dukedome of Millan hee should give Cremona a famous towne in the Dukedome of Millan to the Venetians and hee should assist Caesar Borgia Duke of Valentinois and sonne to Pope Alexander the sixt to eiect out of Romagna the Lords presently bearing sway in that Countrey to the end that all might come vnder the Soveraignty and commandement of this Duke of Valentinois only and finally that he should divide the Kingdome of Naples betwixt himselfe and Ferdinand King of Spaine Vpon these conditions was King Lewis assisted by the Pope the King of Spaine and the Estate of Venice and so with little adoe obtained the Dukedome of Millan and carryed away Lodovick Sforce Duke of
Now are yee cleane through the word that I haue spoken vnto you The heresie of Sabellius began to shew it selfe vnto the world about the yeere of our Lord 257. vnder the raigne of Gallus It was set forth by Nortus in Ptolemaida afterward by Hermogenes and Prazeas and last it was propagated by Sabellius the disciple of Noetus Alwaies the heresie rather taketh the name from the disciple then from the master They confessed that there was but one God onely but they denyed that there were three distinct persons in this one Godhead viz. the Father Sonne and holy Ghost By this their opinion they confounded the two Greeke words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if there were no difference betwene them No man dare presume to say that in God there are three distinct substances therefore Sabellius and his adherents sayd that there were not three distinct substances or persons in the Godhead but the three names of the Father Sonne and holy Ghost were given to one person only but pointed not out distinction of persons or substances in the Godhead By this opinion they were compelled to grant that it was the Father who cloathed himselfe with our nature and dyed for our sinnes and they were called Patrispassâ—ani because their opinion imported that the Father suffered In the raigne of Gallienus and about the yeere of our Lord 264. a certaine Bishop in Egypt called Nepos began to affirme that at the later day the godly should rise before the wicked and should liue with Christ heere in the earth a thousand yeeres in abundance of all kinde of delicate earthly pleasures The ground of this errour was the misvnderstanding of the words of the Revelation of Iohn chap. 20. vers 5.6 In refuting of this heresie Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria bestowed his travels with good successe for hee disputed against Coracion a man professing this errour in Arsenoitis a place of Egypt whom hee refuted in presence of many brethren who were auditors of that disputation for the space of three dayes from morning till evening So that in the end Coracion yeelded and promised that hee should not maintaine any such opinion in time to come About that same time that is in the time of the raigne of Gallienus Claudius and Aurelianus Paulus Samosatenus Bishop of Antiochia a pestilent fellow denyed the divinity of the Sonne of God and affirmed that Christ obtained the name of the Sonne of God through his vertuous behaviour and patient suffering but he was not naturally and truely the Sonne of God begotten of the substance of the Father His life correspondent to his doctrine was wicked and prophane He was so covetous of vaine-glory that he built vnto himselfe in the Church a glorious seat according to the similitude of a princely throne and from this seat hee spake vnto the people whom he was accustomed to reproue with sharpe words if they had not received his words with cheerfull acclamations and shoutings such as were wont to bee vsed in Stage-playes The Psalmes also that were sung in Church to the praise of God hee abrogated and was not ashamed to hire women to sing his owne praises in the Congregation of the Lords people For this his damnable doctrine and lewd life he was most iustly deposed by the Councell convened at Antiochia and excommunicated by all Christian Churches in the whole world and was so detested by all good men that Fâ—rmilius Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia and Dionysius Alexandrinus who for his olde age might not travell and be present at the Councell of Antiochia yet they both damned the Heretique Samosatenus by their letters sent to the Congregation of Antiochia but not to the Bishop thereof because hee was not worthy that any man should salute him either by word or writ Manes a Persian otherwise called Manicheus a man furious and mad answering well vnto his name set forth the venome of his heresie in the time of the raigne of Diclesian a man both in speech and manners rude and barbarous in inclination divelish yet hee durst to call himselfe the holy spirit as Montanus had done before and to represent Christs actions in chusig vnto him twelue disciples whom hee sent forth to propagate his errors into diverse parts of the world His heresie contained a masse or venomous composition of old extinguished errors which hee renued and massed together such as the error of Cerdon and Marcion concerning two beginnings The error of Encratitae in prohibition of meates which God hath appointed for the vse of man with thanksgiving specially flesh and wine Hee vtterly reiected the old Testament as many other Heretiques had done before him Hee ascribed not sinne to the free will of man and his voluntary defection from the estate of his first creation but to necessity because mans bodie was made of the substance of the Prince of darknes This was that heresie wherewith Augustine was infected before his conversion but the Lord who brought forth light out of darknesse and made Paul sometime a Persecuter to be a Preacher of his Gospell and Cyprian a Sorcerer to be a worthy Preacher and Martyr this same gracious Lord I say in the multitude of his vnspeakeable compassions drew Augustine out of this filthy myre of abhominable heresie and made him liste vnto a bright starre sending forth the beames of light to comfort Gods house The opinion of Manes concerning the creation of the world and the creation of man the manifestation of Christ in our nature rather in shew and appearance then in verity and the horrible abhomination of their vile Eucharist no man can be ignorant of these things who hath read but a little of the bookes of Augustine written against the Maniâ—heans In the end like as Manes exceeded all the rest of the Heretiques in madnesse of foolish opinions even so the Lord pointed him out among all the rest to be a spectacle of his wrath and vengeance For the King of Persia hearing of the fame of Manes sent for him to cure his sonne who was deadly diseased but when hee saw that his sonne died in his hands hee cast him into prison and was purposed to put him to death but he escaped out of prison and fled to Mesopotamia Neverthelesse the King of Persia vnderstanding in what place Manes did lurke sent men who pursued him tooke him and excoriated his body and stopped his skin full of chaffe and set it vp before the entry of a certaine Citie of Mesopotamia If any man bee desirous to haue greater knowledge of this remarkeable Heretique both in respect of his life and death hee may reade the fore-mentioned chapter of the Ecclesiasticall history of Socrates and he shall finde that the first man called Manicheus who renued the error of two beginnings was a man of Scythia He had a disciple first called Buddas afterward Terebynthus who dwelt in Babylon This man
Terebynthus was the composer of these bookes which Manes gaue out vnder his owne name Manes was but a slavish boy bought with money by a woman of Babylon in whose house Terebynthus had lodged and shee brought vp the boy at schoole his name was Curbicus when he was bought but when this woman died shee left in legacie to Curbicus the money and bookes of Terebynthus and he went from Babylon to Persia changed his name and called himselfe Manes and set forth the bookes of Terebynthus as if they had beene composed by himselfe so that he added vnto the rest of his villanies this fault also that he was from his very youth a dissembling and deceitfull fellow After Manes sprang vp Hierax who spake of the Father and the Sonne as of two lights different in substance Hee damned mariage denyed the resurrection of the bodie and excluded infants from the kingdome of God Marke in this Catalogue of heresies of the first three hundred yeeres how many of the divels trumpeters sounded the doctrine of the prohibition of marriage The Nicolaitans Gnostici Encratitae Montanistae Apostolici Origeniani called Turpes Manichei and Hieracitae Satan hateth mariage to the end that his kingdome might be advanced by fornication and all kind of vncleannesse CENTVRIE IV. OLd heresies before mentioned such as the heresies of the Novatians Sabellians and Manicheans did more hurt in this Centurie then in the time wherein they were first propagated as appeareth by the books and Sermons of learned Fathers seriously insisting to quench the flame of hereticall doctrine which was kindled before their time In this Centurie the plurality of Heretiques did most mightily abound Meletius a Bishop in Thebaida was deposed by Peter Bishop of Alexandria who suffered martyrdome vnder Dioclesian because hee was found to haue sacrificed to Idols After his deposition he was factious and seditious raysing vp tumults in Thebaida and practizing tyranny against the chaire of Alexandria and his disciples were found to haue communicated with the Arrians The Councell of Nice suffered Miletius to enioy the name of a Bishop without power of ordination In the yeere of our Lord 324. sprang vp Arrius a Presbyter in Alexandria who denyed that the Sonne of God was begotten of the substance of the Father but that hee was a creature and made of things not existent and that there was a time wherein the Sonne was not Alexander Bishop of Alexandria dealt with him to reclaime him from his hereticall opinions but his travels were spent in vaine Therefore Alexander was compelled to vse the last remedie to depose and excommunicate Arrius with his complices to wit Achilles Euzoius Aethalus Lucius Sarmata Iulius Mâ—nas Arrtus alter and Helladius This excommunication had allowance by the Bishops of Thebaida Pentapolis Lybia Syria Lycia Pamphylia Asia Cappadocia and many other places But Arrius an head strong heretike was incorrigible neither the letters of the good Emperour Constantine nor the trauelts of Osius Bishop of Cordubae could worke any amendment in him He laboured to fortifie himselfe in his hereticall opinion especially by the assistance of Eusebius B. of Nicomedia a perilous deceitful man Arrius was condemned by the Councel of Nice was banished by the Emp. Constantine Albeit he was reduced againe from banishment by the meanes of Constantia the Emp. sister of an ArriaÌ„ presbiter whom she coÌ„mended to the Em. her brother when she was concluding her life Yet the Lord punished the insolent pride of this heretike with a shamefull vnquoth death as hath bin already declared This heresie was propagated by Constantius by Iustina and her sonne Valentinian the second by the Emp. Valens and by the kings of Gothes and Vandalles The principall defenders of the heresie were Eusebius B. of Nicomedia Menophantes B. of Ephesus Theogonius B. of Nice Vrsatius B. of Sygdonia and Valens B. of Mursa in vpper Panonia Theonas B. in Marmarica Secundus B. of Ptolemaida in Aegypt Maris B. of Chalcedon Narcissus B. in Cilicia Theodorus B. of Hearaclea in Thracia and Marcus B. of Irenopolis in Syria In the number of most impudent Arrian Bishops was Ishyras the chiefe accuser of Athanasius to whom the Arrians gaue the wages of iniquity and ordained him B. of Mareotis The ouer-throwing of the holy Table the breaking of the holy Cup the burning of the holy bookes the slaughter of Arsenius many other accusations were all forged against Athanasius by Ishyras for hope of reward Eulalius Euphronius Placitus Stephanus LeoÌ„tius Spado and Eudoxius Bishops of Antiochiaâ—all these were defenders of the Arrian heresie with many others of whom I will haue occasion to spèake hereafter Albeit Anomaei were a branch of the stocke of the Arrians yet they differed from other Arrians in this that they abhorred from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which other ArriaÌ„s embraced The principall authors of this heresie were Acatius Ennomius and Aetius whereof it came to passe that some called them Acatiani others Eunomiani and some Aetiani Acatius in the Councell of Seleucia manifested the Hipocrisie of his deceitfull speeches because in his books he had called the Son of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of like Substance with the Father he was demaunded in what sence he had so written he answered that the Sonne of God was like vnto the Father in will but not in substance Eunomius bishop of Cyzicus in Bythynia was the inuenter of this miserable Heresie of Anomaei a man who delighted in multitude of wordes as many Heretikes doe Sozomen blames him for altering the custome of thriee dipping the water in Baptisme The people of Cyzicus complained to the Emp. Constantius of the bad and reprobate opinion of Eunomius The Emperour was offended against Eudoxius bishop of Constantinople who had placed him in Cyzicus Hereof it came to passe that Eudoxius who was of that opinion himself but durst not auow it sent secret aduertisement to Eunomius to flie out of Cyzicus Basilius Magnus in his fiue bookes written against Eunomius as it were filled with the spirit of Phineas who with one speare killed Ombri and Cosbi euen so Basilius with one penne confounded both Eunomius and his master Aëtius This Aetius was a Syrian admitted to the office of a Deacon by Leontius Spado he spake vnquoth things of the Trinitie and was justly called an Atheist The Emp. Constantius albeit he loued other Arrians yet he disliked Anomei and procured his deposition and excommunication by the Bishops who came to Constantinople from Ariminum and Seleucia Eudoxius first Bishop of Germanitia in the confines of Cilicia after Bishop of Antiochia last Bishop of Constantinople a hunter for preheminence of place he was a fauourer of the sect of Arrians called Anomei or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet he had the heart of a beast for neither would he embrace the true faith neither durst he defend
Whitsonday except necessitie feare of death require preuening of these times 5. That vnitie and concord should bee kept in the Church because we haue one common Father in heauen one Mother to wit the Church in earth one Faith one Baptisme and one Celestiall inheritance prepared for vs Yea and God is not the God of dissention but of peace according as it is said Blessed be the peace-makers for they shall be called the children of God The sixt and seuenth Canons intreat of Orphanes and poore people whose weaknesse is to be supported but no man should take vantage of their poore and desolate estate The eight Canon recommendeth vnitie to be kept betwixt men in spirituall offices and ciuill Iudges a Canon indeede if it had beene obserued verie necessarie for the estate of this time The ninth tenth Canon prescribeth to the Clergie Preceptes of a modest and sober life with abstinence from the delicate pleasures of the world and from Theatricall Spectacles from pompes and vnhonest banquets and to bee more readie to goe to the house of mourning to comfort them who are heauie hearted than to the house of banquetting Vsurie auarice ambition and taking of rewardes for the benefites of God such as vse to be taken for medicinall cures is forbidden To beware of deceit and conjurations to flee hatred emulation backe-biting and enuying wandering eyes and an vnbridled tongue a petulant and proude gesture are forbidden filthie words and workes are altogether abhorred chastitie is recommended the frequent visitations of the houses of Widowes and Virgines is prohibited due obedience is to bee giuen to Seniors to take heede to doctrine reading and spirituall songes as it becommeth men who haue addicted themselues vnto diuine seruice Precepts concerning the behauiour of Monkes Nunnes and the fabricke of their dwelling places I ouer-passe with silence left I should ouercharge a short Compend with an heape of vnnecessarie thinges In the 32. Canon the difference betwixt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is set downe 33. The great Litanie or Rogations to bee obserued three dayes by all Christians with fasting fackecloath ashes walking barefooted and all kinde of humble carriage 34.35 and 36. Publicke Fastings and keeping of Festiuall dayes is commanded 37. The Sabboth day is to be kept holy In it no Merchant Wares to be sold and no criminall cause to be judged 38. and 39. Tythes are precisely to be payed And men fleeing to Churches for safeguard are not to be violentlie drawne out of their refuge 40. In Churches and the portches thereof let no secular judgements be exercised 41. Let no ancient Church be spoyled of tythes and possessions for the building of new Oratories 42. Concerning Church-rentes bestowed for reparation and vpholding of Churches 43. and 44. That no Priest say Masse himselfe alone for if hee haue no person present except himselfe how can hee say Dominus vobiscum or Sursum corda or such other passages Also frequent offering of the Sacrifice of the Masse and presenting of the Paxe is recommended to Christian people 45. That euery person bee acquainted with the Lords Prayer and the Beliefe and they who can no otherwise comprehend these things let them learne them in their owne vulgar language 46. Drunkennesse is detested and they who continue in this sinne without amendement are ordained to be excommunicated 57. God-fathers shall attend that their spirituall children bee brought vp in the true Faith 48. Filthie libidinous songes are not to bee sung about Churches 49. The cohabitation with women is forbidden to all the members of the Clergie 50. Let all Bishops Abbots and Church men haue such Aduocates and Agentes in their affaires who are men that feare God and are haters of all vnrighteous dealing 51. Let not the dead bodies of the Saincts be transported from place to place without the aduice of the Princes of the countrey or the Bishop and Synode 52. No dead bodie shall bee buried within the Church except the bodie of a Bishop or of an Abbot or of a worthie Presbyter or of a faithfull Laicke person 53. Incestuous persons are to bee searched out and separated from the fellowship of the Church except they bee penitent 54.55 and 56. Marriage in the fourth degree of consanguinitie is forbidden and that no man shall marrie his spirituall daughter or sister neither the woman whose sonne or daughter hee hath led to the Sacrament of Confirmation and in case they be found to be married they shall be separated againe And no man shall take in marriage his wiues sister neither shall a woman marrie her husbands brother IN the yeere of our Lord 813. a Councell was assembled at Rhemes by the cōmandement of Charles the great for it is to be remarked that he not only assēbled that famous Coūcell of Frankford Anno. 794. in the which adoration of Images was condemned but also when he was now aged saw many abuses in the Church hee endeuoured by all meanes possible to procure reformation of the lewd manners of Church-men Therefore he appointed at one time to wit Anno 813. fiue National Coūcels to be conueened in diuers places for reformatiō of the Clergie people One was conueened at Mentz as hath bin declared Another at Rhemes the third at Towrs the fourth at Cabilone or Chalons the fift at Arles In all these Councels no opposition is made to the Councell of Frankford neither was the adoration of Images auowed in any of these Councels So much auaileth the authority of a Prince for suppressing of false doctrin and heresie In this Councell at Rhemes Wulfarius Archbishop was president 44. canons are rehearsed in the 2. Tome of Councels made in this Councell In the 1. Can. it was cōcluded That euery man should diligētly acquaint himself with the Articles of his faith 2. That euery man shuld learn the Lords Praier cōprehēd the meaning thereof 3. That euery man promoted to Ecclesiasticall orders shal walke worthily cōforme to his calling 4. The Epistles of Paul were read to giue instructiōs to sub-deacons how they shuld behaue thēselues Yet is there not one word in all the Epistles of Paul of a sub-deacon 5. The Gospell was read to giue instructiō to Deacons to minister condingly in their office 6. Ignorant Priests are instructed to celebrate the Seruice with great vnderstanding 7. In like manner they are instructed how to prepare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Sacramēt of Baptisme 8. The holy Canons were read out of the Decretall of Innocentius for ordering the life of Chanons 9. The rule of Saint Benedict was read to reduce Abbots and their Conuents to a remembrance of their order 10. The Pastorall booke of Gregorius was read to admonish Pastors of their dutie 11. Sentences of diuers ancient Fathers were read to admonish men of all rankes both Prelates and subiects to bring forth the fruit of a good conversation 12. These things being done they set downe
a forme of receiuing of confessions and prescribing of penance according to the Canonicall institutions 13. They reasoned about the eight principall vices to the end their diuersitie being distinguished every man might know what vices he should eschew and teach others to beware of the same 14. That Bishops should take heed of the reading of the bookes of the Canonicke Scripture and the bookes of Fathers and should attend vpon the preaching of the Word of God 15. That Bishops should preach the Sermons and Homilies of holy Fathers in such sort as all the people might vnderstand them The 16. Canon is coincident with the 12. 17. That Bishops and Abbots permit no man to solace the company with filthy gesting in their presence but let poore and indigent people be refreshed at their tables with lectures of divine Scripture and praising of God according to the Precept of the Apostle that whether wee eate or drinke let all things be done to the glory of God 18. Gluttony and Drunkennesse forbidden to Bishops and the Ministers of God 19. Let not Bishops bee rash to iudge in things secret which are to bee referred to the iudgement of God who can manifest things hid vp in darknesse and discouer the secrets of the heart 20. Presbyters shall not transport themselues from a low place to a greater 21. Whosoever by paying money procureth a preferment in the Church shall be deposed 22. No Church-man shall cohabite with a woman except it be with his mother or sister or such like persons by whose company no suspition of vncleannesse can arise Precepts given to Monkes and Nunnes I passe by as I did in the former Councell Canon 35. The Sabbath day shall be kept holy and in it no servile worke shall bee done according to the Lords commandement 36. Let no man bestow vpon the Church that thing which by vnlawfull meanes hee hath fraudulently with-drawne from others 37. Nor yet by lies and deceitfull meanes with-draw any thing duly belonging to the Church 38. Let tythes be precisely payed 39. Let no man presume to receiue rewards for his decreet and sentence 40. Let prayers and oblations be made for the Emperour and his noble race that it would please God to preserue them in all happines in this present life and vouchsafe vnto them celestiall ioyes in company of the Angels in the life to come In the 41. Canon mention is made of a certaine rent left by King Pipinus of Good memory which they wish the Emperour Charles Pipinus sonne should not alter nor transferre into another summe in respect that by so doing many periuries and false testimonies might ensue 42. And that no man should be remoued from his mansion to whom the Emperours almes is distributed 43. And that the statute may bee confirmed by his Highnesse allowance whereby all contentions and strifes are ordained to haue a decision and end 44. And that the statute made in Bononia concerning false witnesses may be ratified and confirmed with augmentation if neede require for eschewing of periuries false testimonies and many other inconueniences IN the yeere of our Lord 813. and at the commandement of the Emperour Carolus Magnus a Councell of many Bishops and Abbots was assembled about establishing of Ecclesiasticall discipline in the towne of Towers In the first Canon all men are admonished to be obedient to the Emperour Charles the Great and to keepe the oath of allegeance made vnto him and to make prayers and supplications for his prosperity and wel-fare 2. All Bishoppes shall diligently reade and frequently peruse the bookes of holy Scripture the histories of the Euangels and the Epistles of Paul together with the bookes of ancient Fathers written thereupon 3. It is not lawfull for any Bishop to bee ignorant of the Canons of the Church and of the Pastorall booke of Gregorius in the which every man as in a liuely mirrour might see himselfe 4. Let every Bishop feede the flocke committed vnto him not onely with doctrine but also with examples of good conversation 5. A Bishop must not be giuen to sumptuous banquets but be content with a moderate diet lest hee should seeme to abuse the counsell of our Lord saying Take heed that your hearts be not surfeited with gluttony or drunkennesse but let holy lecture be at his table rather then the idle wordes of flattering fellowes 6. Let strangers and indigent people bee at Bishops tables whom they may refresh both with corporall and spirituall repast 7. The delicate pleasure of the eare and eyes are to bee eschewed left by such pleasures the minde be effeminate and inchanted 8. Let not the Lords servants delight in vaine gesting nor in hunting nor hawking 9. Let Presbyters and Deacons follow the foot-steps of their Bishops assuring themselues that the good conuersation enioyned vnto their Bishops is also enioyned vnto them 10. Let Bishops haue a great sollicitude and care towards the poore and be faithfull dispensators of Ecclesiasticall goods as the Ministers of God and not as hunters after filthy lucre 11. It is lawfull for Bishops with consent of Presbyters and Deacons to bestow out of the Church treasure to support indigent people of that same Church 12. A Presbyter is not to be ordained vntill hee bee thirtie yeere old 13. Let the Bishop make diligent inquisition in his owne parish Church that no Presbyter comming from any other parts make seruice in his Church without letters of recommendation 14. Let a Presbyter leaving a low place and presuming to an higher incurre that same punishment which a Bishop deprehended in the like fault should incurre 15. A Presbyter who attaineth to a Church by giving money for it let him bee deposed 16. Let tythes bestowed vpon Churches by advice of Bishops be faithfully distributed to the poore by the Presbyters 17. The families of Bishops shall be instructed in the summe of the true faith In the knowledge of the retribution to be given to good men and the condemnation of people and of the resurrection and last iudgement and by what kinde of workes eternall life may be promerited and that the Homilies containing these instructions shall bee translated into Rusticke-Latine-language to the end that every person may vnderstand them Marke in what estimation the Latine language hath beene at this time that instructions in Rusticke and barbarous Latine are counted better then instructions in good French language 18. It is the dutie of the Bishop to instruct his Presbyter concerning the Sacrament of Baptisme what it is that they should desire the people baptized to renounce namely that they should renounce the divell and all his workes and his pomps Now the workes of the Diuell are murther fornication adulterie drunkennesse and other such like faults But the pompes of the Divell are pride ostentation swelling conceits vaine-glory loftinesse and such other faults as spring vp from such grounds 19. Presbyters are precisely to be admonished that when they say the masse and do communicate they doe
and Iudges of the Citie 24. Let fugitiue Presbyters and Church-men bee inquired and sent backe againe vnto their Bishop 25. He who hath a benefice bestowed vpon him for helping the fabricke of Churches let him support the building of them 26. They who sinne publickely let them make their publicke repentance according to the Canons These things haue wee shortly touched to bee presented vnto our Lord the Emperour and to be corrected by his Highnesse wisedome IN the yeere of our Lord â—â—â— and in the third yeere of the raigne of Basilius Emperour of the East and vnder the raigne of Lewis the second Emperour of the Westâ— the Ambassadours of Pope Adrian the second came to Constantinople Basilius the Emperour gathered a Councell against Photius the Patriarch of Constantinople In this Councell great policie was vsed to haue all things framed to the contentment of Adrian Bishop of Rome Foâ— no man was admitted to the Councell except only they who had subscribed the supremacie of the Bishop of Rome aboue all other Bishops They who refused to subscribe the fore-saide supremacie were contemptuously rejectâ—d and not admitted to the Councell So did the authoritie of the Bishop of Rome proceede to further grouth by flattering of Basilius who slew his associate Michael as it was founded in the flatterie of Bonifacius the third who flattered that vile murtherer Phocas who slew his master Mauritius In this Councell Photius was deposed and excommunicated his bookes which he wrote against the supremacie of the Bishop of Rome were commanded to be burnt Photius was accused for this that he had accepted the office of a Bishop before hee he receiued other Ecclesiasticall orders Photius alleadgâ—d that this was no sufficient cause of deposition in respect that Ambrose Bishop of Millan Nectarius bishop of Constantinople and of late dayes Tarasius with consent of the Bishop of Rome of Laickes were made Bishops The Ambassadours of Pope Adrian the second answered that Ambrose was endewed with extraordinarie giftes Nectarius was called at an extraordinarie time to wit when heresie was so ouerspred that it was an harde thing to finde out a man who was not spotted with heresie and concerning the aduancement of Tarasius to be Bishop of Constantinople to whose admission Adrian the first gaue consent they answered That it was done for a speciall cause in regard hee was a zealous maintainer of the adoration of Images This answer declareth that in case Photius also had beene a zealous maintainer of the adoration of Images the Roman Bishop and his Ambassadours could haue dispensed with the want of Ecclesiasticall orders preceeding his admission to his Bishopricke as they did in the person of Tarasius In this Councel also the Ambassadoures of Adrian magnifying the authoritie of the Pope affirmed that the Bishop of Rome might judge of the actions of all other Bishops but no man might judge of him And albeit the Orientall Bishops in the sixt Generall Councell cursed Pope Honorius after his death yet it is to be marked say they that hee was accused of heresie And in this case onely it is lawfull for inferiours to resist their superiours and to disclaime their peruerse opinions In this point also they said That none of the Patriarches and Bishops proceeded against the defunct Bishop of Rome without the consent of the Roman Chaire going before them Now obserue good Reader with what fidelitie Onuphrius defendeth the name of Honorius the first as free of all suspition of heresie when as the Ambassadours of Adrian the second for verie shame durst not presume to doe it More-ouer the worshipping of Images in this Councell got a new allowance againe and it was commanded That the image of Christ should be holden in no lesse reuerence than the bookes of the Gospell The Bulgarians also were made subject to the Romane Bishop And Ignatius Patriarch of Constantinople in regarde he was restored to his place againe by the meanes of the Bishop of Rome hee made no opposition to the contrarie Neuerthelesse this alteration continued but short time for the Bulgarians droue out of their bounds the Latine Priests and were serued with Greeke Priests againe Diuers Canons were constituted in this CouÌ„cell but so coincident with the Canons of other Councels that it is a superfluous thing to make a rehearsall of them In the subscription of the Actes of the Councel great controuersie fell out for the Grecians could not abide the name of Ludouicke Emp. of the Weâ— because they thought that the honourable name of an Emp. only belonged to their owne Soueraigne Lord who was Emp. of CoÌ„stantinople More ouer a number of them came to the Emp. Basilius and requested him that their subscriptions might be redeliuered vnto them againe wherein they had subscribed to the supremacie of the Romane Bishop or else the Church of Constantinople would be in perpetuall subiection to the chaire of Rome These subscriptions afore-sayd were restored againe but with great difficulty CAarolus Caluus convocated a Councell in France at Acciniacum consisting of ten Bishops The Bishops of Lions Vason and Trier were chiefe Presidents in the Councell Hincmarus Bishop of Rhemes accused in this convention his owne nephew Hincmarus Bishop of Laudunum as a man disobedient to his Metropolitan and a man who for private iniuries had excommunicated all the Presbyters of his Church debarring them from saying masse baptizing Infants absolving of Penitents and burying of the dead And Hincmarus Bishoppe of Rhemes proponed vnto the Councell 50. Canons which he desired to be read in the Synode and they allowed all the Canons written by the Bishop of Rhemes Also they condemned Hincmarus Bishop of Laudunum of petulancy and compelled him to subscribe obedience to Charles his King and to his Metropolitan hee was also deprived of his office and his eyes were thrust out But Pope Iohn the ninth vnder the raigne of Carolus Crassus restored him to his office againe being the more affectioned vnto him because hee had appealed from his owne Bishop and from the decreet of a Synode in his owne countrey to be iudged by the chaire of Rome IN the yeere of our Lord 899. and in the eight yeere of the raigne of the Emperour Arnulphus in the Towne of Triburium twenty and two Bishops of Germany were assembled who made many constitutions a great number whereof Caranza is compelled to over-passe with silence lest he should make a superfluous repetition of Canons mentioned before First it was concluded in this Councell that excommunicate persons if they repent not are to be subdued by the Emperour Canon 10. That a Bishop shall not bee deposed before his cause bee iudged by twelue Bishops and a Presbyter by sixe Bishoppes and a Deacon by three Bishops 11. A Church-man who committeth slaughter shall bee deposed albeit hee hath beene enforced vnto it 12. Baptisme shall not bee ministred except at Easter and Whitsunday without necessity require 13. Tythes are to be paid for
Eucharist Penance Extreme Vnction Orders and Matrimonie After this seventh Session the Popes Physition affirmed that the ayre of Trent was corrupted whereupon many of the Bishops were moved to depart from Trent to Bononia onely the Bishoppes of Spaine remained still at Trent being commanded by Charles the Emperour so to doe For the Emperour had gathered in Ausbrugh an assembly of the States of Germany and had induced the most part by menaces and threatenings and some also by alluring promises to submit themselues to the generall Councell of Trent And this being obtained of the States of Germany the Emperour sent the Cardinall of Trent together with his Ambassadour Mendoza desiring that the Pope would cause the Bishoppes that were retyred to Bononia to come backe againe to Trent But the providence of God pitying the weakenesse of Germany whom the Emperour had induced to bee obedient to the Councell of Trent hardened the Popes heart who would not consent that the Bishops should goe backe againe to Trent but vpon strict conditions 1. That the Bishops of Spaine who remained yet still at Trent should first come to Bononia 2. The Emperour should make good that all the States of Germany should absolutly submit themselues to the Councell of Trent 3. That the Fathers to be gathered againe at Trent might haue liberty to depart out of the towne freely and safely when they pleased and to make an end of the Councell when they would thinke good The Emperours Ambassadour Mendoza seeing that his Masters petition was little set by declared that the Councell was not lawfully translated from Trent to Bononia and therfore protested that all things that should bee done there should bee of no force Thus the first meeting of the Councell of Trent vnder Paulus the third had an end and their remaining together at the Councell of Trent was two yeeres The second meeting of the Councell of Trent THe second meeting of Bishoppes in the Councell of Trent was in the dayes of Pope Iulius the third in the month of September anno 1551. In the first Session of the Councell which was kept the first of September Abbas Bollosanus Ambassadour of the King of France appeared declaring that the King was so disturbed with warres within his dominions that he could not send the Bishops of his Land to Trent Next that the King of France acknowledged not the convention kept at Trent for a generall Councell but for a convention gathered for the weale of a few not for the common vtility of all the Church and therefore neither hee himselfe nor the subiects of his kingdome were bound to be obedient to the decrees of that convention The second Session was kept the eleventh day of October wherein the doctrine of Transubstantiation was confirmed yet diverse questions pertaining to those matters were deferted till the comming of the Protestants of Germanie to whome allso they granted their safe conduct The third Session was kept the 25. of November wherein was confirmed that Penance and extreme Vnction were Sacraments of the new Testament The Ambassadours of the Protestants would haue given in the confession of their Faith and summe of their doctrine to the Councell but the Popes Legate repelled them because they did not signifie in the title thereof that they would submit themselues to the Councell In the meane time there was warre in Germany betweene Charles the Emperour and Maurice Duke of Saxonie which was the cause of the hastie dissolution of the second meeting of the Councell of Trent vnder Pope Iulius For the Bishops of Mentz and Cullen made haste to returne to Germany Likewise all the Bishops of Italy hearing that Duke Maurice had taken the town of Ausbrough returned home the Spanish Bishops alone who remained a space behind the rest at Trent assembled themselues together the 29. of Aprill anno 1552. and put off the Councell till a new meeting after the issue of two yeeres or more as should be found meet The third meeting of the Councell of Trent THe Bishops of Spaine supposed that the Councell should haue met againe within two yeeres Neverthelesse there intervened nine yeeres before it could be gathered againe For after the death of Iulius the third vnder whom the second meeting was succeeded Marcellus who lived not aboue the space of 20. dayes in his Popedome and after him Paulus the fourth who governed foure yeeres two moneths and 27. dayes And after him Pius the fourth in whose time this last meeting of the Councell of Trent was appointed Their first Session was kept the 18. day of Ianuary anno 1562. wherein was decreed that the bookes written by diuerse Authors since the springing vp of heresies for so they called the preaching of the Gospell should be viewed and revised and that all who had fallen backe from the vnity of the Church of Rome vnto any kinde of heresie should be exhorted to returne againe with promise of great clemency and indulgence if they would so doe The second Session was kept the 26. day of February anno 1562. wherein certaine persons were specially nominated and chosen to examine those bookes which was suspect of heresie and to report their iudgement backe againe to the Councell Likewise all men were exhorted to resort to the Councell with peaceable hearts voyd of all contention and heate and safe conductors were promised to them who would come thereto In the third and fourth Session nothing was done but the time of keeping the next Session was appointed In the fift Session kept the 26. day of Iuly anno 1562. it was decreed that the Laike people were not bound by an absolute necessitie to communicate vnder both formes of bread and wine But the Church had power to dispose concerning the outward ministration of the Sacraments providing the substance were kept according as they should find expedient for the good of the receiuers The sixt Session was kept the 17. day of September anno 1562. wherin was cōcluded that the whole Masse was a propitiatorie sacrifice for the quicke the dead whosoeuer should say that it was onely a sacrifice of thanksgiving and a commemmoration of Christs death onely are pronounced to be accursed The seventh Session was kept the 15. day of the moneth of Iuly anno 1563. wherein certaine Canons were set forth concerning the Sacrament of Orders and it was accounted a Sacrament of the new Testament In the eight Session it was not onely decreed that mariage is a Sacrament of the new Testament but also the Roman Church assembled at Trent as a troubled Sea that can not rest but cast out her froth and filth to the shore laying aside all shame and due reverence to the Scriptures of God they pronounce all men to be accursed who will not grant that the Church hath power to dispense with the Law of God conteined in the 18. of