THE HISTORY OF Popedom Containing the RISE PROGRESS AND DECAY Thereof c. Written in High Dutch BY SAMUEL PUFFENDORFF Translated into English by J. C. LONDON Printed for Joseph Hindmarsh at the Golden Ball over against the Royal Exchange 1691. Imprimatur C. Alston October 2 d. 1690. To the Right Reverend Father in God HENRY Lord Bishop of LONDON Dean of the Chappel Royal and one of the Lords of His Majesties most Honorable Privy Council This TREATISE is most humbly Dedicated By John Chamberlayne CONTENTS Paragraph 1. POlitic Reflections on the Spiritual Monarchy of the Pope Par. 2. Of the Blindness of the Heathens in Matters of Divinity what they proposed to themselves by choosing the Paths of Virtue wherein their Religion consisted Par. 3. Of the Jewish Religion why other Nations did not embrace the Religion of the Jews Par. 4. That the Christian Religion is adapted to the humours of all People that it admits no Respect of Persons that it is not contrary to Civil Government that there is no other sort of Religion or Philosophy that can equal it why many of our Christians live like Heathens Par. 5. Of the External Government of Religion what is here to be understood by the External Government of the Christian Religion of the Ministry of the Church of the calling of the Apostles Par. 6. The Division of this Question that this necessity does not proceed from the nature of every Religion in general how the External Government of Religion was transmitted from the Fathers of the Family to the Sovereigns of each State Par. 7. That it is not inconsistent with the Christian Religion for the Sovereign to have the direction of it as to its External Government Par. 8. The First Progress of the Christian Religion the Divine Conduct in the Establishment of this Religion how the Jesuits Preach the Gospel to the Chineses why God called the Ignorant rather than the Wise and Learned Men. Par. 9. The Persecution of the Primitive Church the New Christians Slandered and Calumniated the Romans upon Reasons of State oppose their Religion the Roman Persecution condemn'd Par. 10. Of the Ancient Government of the Christian Religion Differences arising about Religion Terminated by Assemblies why the Authority of these Assemblies ought to be permitted under Heathen Emperours Par. 11. That the External Government of the Church by being lodged in the hands of the Primitive Christians has produced strange disorders that from hence some have supposed two Powers in the State that Ecclesiastics ought to receive their Call from the Sovereign of each State Par. 12. That it was not in Constantin's Power wholly to change the State of the Church how the Bishops and other the Ecclesiastics came to Vsurp the Sovereign Power that the Sovereign may preside in the Assemblies where Controversies are treated of the abuse of Councils Par. 13. The Jurisdiction of Bishops abused other Abuses concerning Marriages Ecclesiastical Discipline abused the Popes misuse the Power of Excommunication Par. 14. The Rise of the Popes Authority that Ignorance and the Barbarity of the Age contributed much thereto the causes of this Ignorance that ignorance help'd much to the Establishing of the Popedom the Introduction of Pedantry into the Schools that the Politiques of the Greeks and Romans were contrary to Monarchy two dangerous effects of the ignorance of Politiques Par. 15. Why the Monarch of the Romish Church has chosen Rome for the place of his Residence how the Pope Establish'd his Hierarchy of the Metropolitan Bishops how the Bishops of RomeVsurp'd the Preheminence Reflections on the Popes Power Par. 16. How the Pope came to Domineer o'er all the Western Part of the World of the Confirmation of Bishops by the Pope Decisions of the Pope Dispensations of the Popes Vicar in France of the Monk Winifred the Pope makes him his Vicar he advances the Grandeur of the Popes of the Annates the Popes annul the Decisions of Provincial Synods they force the Bishops to swear Fidelity to them Par. 17. The Riches of the Church and how first gotten the Avarice of the Church-men and divers effects thereof the Institution of the Crusado a stratagem of Popes Par. 18. Of the great number of Ecclesiastics the Original of Monks and other Religious Orders of the Multitude of Monasteries of the Order of Begging Friars why they chose that sort of Life the Reasons that induce men now adays to choose a Monastic Life that Monks have been very prejudicial to other Church-men that they alone hinder the Bishops from opposing the Pope 's Authority that a great many Bishops would be glad to shake off the Yoke of Rome that it is the Interest of Bishops to submit to the Pope Par. 19. How the Church has shaken off all Temporal Jurisdiction how the Bishops of Rome slipt their Neck out of the Emperours Collar Par. 20. The Pope implores the French Kings Protection against the Lumbards the French enter Italy they bestow the Exarchat on the Pope that the Popes did heretofore hold those Countries under them of the Emperour Par. 21. The Popes Establish an Ecclesiastical Sovereignty Pope Gregory Excommunicates the Emperour Henry the Fourth the Pope endeavours to Domineer o'er the Emperour a quarrel between the King of England and his Bishops that succeeding Emperours have in vain endeavoured to regain their lost Authority Par 22. The Pope exalts himself above all Temporal Powers the use he made of his Excommunicating Power how the Pope colour'd his usurpations the Pope takes upon him the cognisance of Matrimonial Affairs that the Pope allur'd the most knowing Men into his service the unbounded Ambition of Pope Boniface the Eighth Par. 23. The Popes find their Authority oppos'd that the great Schisms in the Church have much weakened their Authority the first Schism the second Schism the third Schism the fourth and last Schism that the Pope has not been able to Lord it over Councils the Confession of several Popes concerning the Authority of Councils that Popes have been Depos'd by Councils Par. 24. The removal of the Popes Seat from Rome to Avignon that it was prejudicial to the Pope 's Authority the Pope reduces to his Obedience the City of Rome the History of Caesar Borgia natural Son of Alexander the Sixth the Ecclesiastical State reunited to the Popedom Par. 25. That the Papal Authority receiv'd a terrible blow by the Doctrine of Luther the Virtues and Vices of Leon the Tenth of Indulgences Luther Preaches against them and against the Power of the Pope Par. 26. That Luther's opposition met with a seasonable juncture of the times the miserable State of Christendom at that time the ignorance of Luther's adversaries Erasmus favours Luther that his silence alone was very prejudicial to Luther's adversaries that the Princes of Germany were unsatisfied with the Pope why Charles the Fifth was willing that Luther's Doctrine should make some progress the Popes ill conduct in the Business of Luther the imprudence of Cardinal Cajetan
proportionably augmented whilest there were not a few that were glad to be fed by a fat Kitchin and make good cheer without taking any care for the provision thereof and it was not enough that each Church had its ordain'd Priests Chaplains and other necessary Servants but the most considerable must have an addition of Canons and Prebends which places consisting of so great profit and so little pains were soon fill'd by men of all sorts and sizes and thus the inconveniences of a single life which the Popes not without a great deal of pains and opposition had introduc'd in the eleventh and following Centuries were sweetned by the Honours and large Revenues of these Charges which they so quietly enjoy'd Besides all Christendom swarm'd with a prodigious number of Monks and Nuns which springing up in the times of Persecution in the fourth and fifth Centuries have afterwards strangely increas'd These sort of people at the first were content to get their living by their own Industry many of 'em gave all their goods to the poor without being in the least oblig'd thereto and liv'd under the care and inspection of the Bishops according to the Discipline that was prescrib'd them in the Canons In the seventh Century through all the Western Empire was the Monastical way of living extreamly in fashion and all places were fill'd with Cloysters in the founding of which the Princes and Great Men did seem to vie with each other but after that their Liberality was as it were quite exhausted by the Endowments and Gifts made to so many old Monasteries and that there was not place enough for such as desir'd to be receiv'd into those Orders There was at length in the thirteenth Century form'd an Order of Mendicants or Begging Monks which made a greater show of Holiness forasmuch as they would not be thought to go into a Cloyster in hopes of a plentiful and lazy Life but renouncing all the pleasures of the World they would live by Alms and the Beggars-Basket The Fancy of a singular Merit and Supererrogative Holiness induced the People to this Austerity and Hardship of living or rather an unbounded Ambition and Pride so natural to all mankind that not contented to live up to the Commandments of God and barely to fulfil what he prescribes they had rather deserve Heav'n than accept it as a pure Gift of their Creator or purchas'd for them by the Merits of their Redeemer and the desire they have of Superiority and Preference above the rest does even extend it self to the other life To the embracing of this single and solitary Life some are carried by despair others out of a prospect of ease and laziness others are thrust into Cloysters by their Parents and Relations either out of a motive of Religion or Poverty or else for fear of ruining their Family by the division of their Goods amongst a great many Children From these Monks has the Pope form'd his Pretorian Band or Regiment of Guards whom he has not alone quarter'd as troublesome Companions upon the Laity but does make use of 'em also as spies over the actions of the Bishops and rest of the Clergy Therefore it is that the Popes have with so much zeal maintain'd the privileges of the Monks especially when in the thirteenth Century they would have forc'd themselves from the Bishops Jurisdiction and subjected themselves immediately to the Pope and the Pope has found out the way to carry himself so evenly with them that altho' there are great Jealousies betwixt their Orders as for example betwixt the Franciscans and Dominicans yet he holds the Balance always so even and dispenses his Favours so impartially that one Order cannot be oppress'd by the other nor has reason to complain of the Pope's injustice These Monks are very prejudicial to the ordinary Priests insomuch as they attract to themselves the greatest part of the Alms Legacies and Gains proceeding from the Burials of the Rich besides the Direction of Consciences and Administration of the Sacraments which has drawn upon them the immortal hatred of the Bishops and Secular Priests which those other don't much value whilest they are under the care and protection of the Pope and besides when a Bishop at any time oppos'd the Pope the Monks like so many Blood Hounds were immediately after his heels and by their bawlings and exclamations soon made him lose his Credit with the People by whom their Hypocrisy and pretended Sanctity made them much respected so that the Bishops were forced to truckle to the Pope's Authority because the People would afford them no Support or Assistance thus the Monks were set as so many spies over the Conduct of the Bishops which when they found blamable they did not fail immediately to signify to the Generals that resided always at Rome so that the Pope might make a timely opposition against their practices In short these Monks were not the least cause of the Bishops not resisting the growing Power of the Pope for finding it always in vain they were forced with the rest to yield to the mighty Torrent Tho' there were a great many of 'em likewise that were well enough contented to submit to this slavery in hopes of sharing the Prey with their Chief and because they were thereby freed from the Jurisdiction of their Temporal Princes whose power they more dreaded than that of a distant Tribunal the Judges whereof being of the same Trade as they were not so terrible to them for one Crow will not pick out its fellow's Eyes In the mean while 't is most certain that a great many Bishops especially of this side the Alps do with a great deal of impatience groan under the yoke of Rome which did appear sufficiently in the Council of Trent where the French and Spanish Bishops did with great earnestness endeavour that it might be declar'd quod Residentia Episcoporum sit Juris Divini or that by the Divine Appointment each Bishop is oblig'd to reside in his own Church as all the Jansenists of France and the Low-Countries do maintain Now the wisest could easily penetrate what lay hid under this specious Doctrine for if God has commanded that it must necessarily follow that he would afford the way and means of putting it in practice qui dat jus ad finem dat jus ad media and then by consequence it is no longer needful to run to Rome and buy the permission of exercising their charge And it cost the Pope a great deal of pains and a great deal of fears before he could oblige the Council of Trent to desist from a design which extreamly shook his usurp'd Authority and therefore we may be assur'd that that shall be the last General Council nor will the Pope ever more venture his Authority in such like Assemblies which besides will be but very useless things as long as the Jesuits and others teach That the Pope is above the Councils and That he cannot err and That the Councils themselves
the effects thereof Luther appeals to a Council Par 27. Why Luther's Doctrine did not make greater advances a Schism among the Protestants the Protestants abuse the liberty of the Gospel of the Academy of Paris of Zwinglius and Calvin that Luther took a great many of the Romish Ceremonies that the riches of the Church have been one cause of the progress of Protestant Religion Par. 28. The Pope recovers from the fright which Luther had put him into that he now acts more cautiously than heretofore that Priests and Monks live more regularly at present of the reestablishing of Learning in the Church of Rome the ways of enticing Protestants to that Church that the House of Austria has mightily contributed to the Papal Grandeur Par. 29. Of the Temporal Dominions of the Pope of the Countries that are under his Jurisdiction of the Popes Militia of the Popes Interest in relation to Germany France and Spain that the Pope need not fear the Power of the other States in Italy Par. 30. Of the Popes Spiritual Dominions that the Pope has different Interests from those of other Princes the Foundation of the Papal Monarchy that the absolute Power of Popes can't be prov'd from Scripture nor from the example of the Apostles in General nor from that of St. Peter in particular how the Papists Answer these Objections Par. 31. Why the Sovereignty of the Roman Church could not well admit of any other Form than a Monarchical that there could not be invented a more regular Monarchy than that of the Popes why this Monarchy ought to be Elective why the Popes don't Marry of the Conclave why the Popes are generally Italians why they usually chuse an old Man for Pope why they don't chuse one of kin to the last Pope nor one that is too much devoted to the French or Spanish Interest of the Colledg of Cardinals of the Dignity of Cardinals of their Number of their Election that the Popes always endeavour to enrich their Kindred with the spoils of the Church of the Cardinal Patroon why the chief Ministers of the Pope are his Nephews Par. 32. Of the Celibacy of the Ecclesiastics of their great number the several sorts of Ecclesiastics Par. 33. That the Doctrine of the Church of Rome does very well square with the Popes Interests that it prohibits the reading the Holy Scriptures of Traditions of Venial and Mortal Sins of the Remission of Sins of Works of satisfaction of the merit of good Works of Works of Superrogation of Ceremonies and Feasts of forbidding the Cup of the Sacrament of Marriage of the forbidden Degrees of extreme Vnction of Purgatory of the Adoration of Relicks of the Invocations of Saints and of Canonisation other means that the Clergy uses to drain the Purses of ignorant People Par. 34. That Vniversities have been no small means of supporting the Papal Authority that the Professors were the Popes Creatures that the Philosophers were his Slaves of the Scholastic Divinity and Philosophy that the same Pedantry is yet in vogue Par. 35. Why Jesuits intrude themselves into the Government of Schools and Colleges the service they render thereby to the See of Rome that they have insinuated themselves into the Courts of Princes of the Censuring Books that the Romish Priests inspire their auditors with an ill opinion against Protestants of the false rumors they spread to their own advantage Par. 36. That the Excommunication of the Popes is not so terrible as it used to be Par. 37. The Reasons that oblige these People to stick to the Romish Religion that a great many of them do it for Interest others through ignorance why some of them are guilty of Atheism that there is Preferment in the Roman Church for all sort of People why the Princes of the Roman Religion do not abandon it Par. 38. Of those States whose Interest it is to maintain the Authority of the See of Rome of Italy of Poland of Portugal of Germany that Charles the Fifth neglected the occasion of making a Reformation in Germany what had probably happened if Charles had turned Protestant of Spain of France of the Formalities that the Nuncioes are oblig'd to observe in France a project of making a Patriarch in France that the Pope has an aversion for the French Monarchy of the principal support of the Popes of their conduct heretofore in respect of the Spaniards and also in respect of the French Par. 39. How the Popes stand dispos'd towards Protestants why they have favour'd them upon certain occasions Par. 40. If there are any hopes of an accommodation between the Pope and Protestants the Reasons of the Impossibility that such propositions are chimerical and dangerous of the strength of Protestants and Catholicks of the Protestant States Divisions between the Protestants other inconvenients of the Jealousie that reigns between the Protestant States of the Huguenots of France of Poland how strong the Protestants are in Germany if they are able alone to defend themselves without the aid of France and Swedeland that the security of the Protestant States does not depend on Treaties of the Sovereign States of the Protestant Religion of the means of maintaining the Protestant Religion whether the Lutherans and Reformed may be brought to any accommodation of the Socinians and Anabaptists THE HISTORY OF Popedom THE POPEDOM may be consider'd Two ways First As it's Doctrine which is singular and different from that of other Christians does fall in with the Holy Scripture and does either impede or promote the means of our Salvation the consideration thereof as 't is taken in this Sence we leave to the Divines And Secondly As the Pope does not only make a very considerable Figure amongst the rest of the Italian Princes but does also pretend to the Soveraignty of Christendom at least in all Spiritual Affairs and does in effect Exercise such a Supreme Authority over all the States of Europe that have the same Sentiments in Religion with him 'T is this second Consideration which particularly and immediately belongs to the Politicians since such a spiritual Soveraignty does not only bridle the Supreme Power of every State but is altogether absurd and inconsistent with the nature of such a Power Hence is it That Religion is so confounded and intangled with the politick Interests of Rome that he who will understand the latter must be perfectly inform'd of the Rise of that spiritual Monarchy and by what means it is Arriv'd to so prodigious a Growth and what Intrigues are used to preserve its usurped Greatness For thereby will likewise appear what relation it has with the Controversies so rife at present among the Western Christians and how far one may attribute those disagreeing Sentiments of Religion either to different Interpretations of the Scriptures or to the prospect of Temporal Interests After a strict Examination of which we will leave it to the Judgment of Wise and Impartial Men to determine whether there can be any hopes of a
France they had gain'd nothing unless it be the Art of Chicaning Simony and another abominable Crime which it is hardly lawful to pronounce to which we may add that the Papal Court being thus translated from its natural Seat into a Foreign Country its imperfections were the more easily expos'd and consequently the Popes became more despicable This absence of the Popes was no less prejudicial to the Ecclesiastical Lands in Italy for after that the Emperor had lost all his Authority there every petty Prince was for erecting himself into a Soveraign and by the divisions of the Guelphs and Gibelines all things were brought into confusion The neighbouring Princes without any scruple pillag'd the Church's Patrimony whilest the absence of the Pope had made them forget all the respect they ow'd him the most of his Cities at the perswasion of the Florentines drove out his Legates and either erected themselves into Free States or chose them a Prince of their own City to which we may add that the Emperor Lewis of Bavaria having quarrell'd with the Pope and gain'd the Subjects of the Ecclesiastical State to his Interests made himself Master of most of the Country as being a Feoff of the Empire and invested therewith such as took his part against the Pope so that St. Peter's Patrimony was at that time in a very bad condition nor have the Popes been since able to reduce the better part of what was thus taken from them into their power but are forced to leave the possessors thereof in a free enjoyment of what they have gotten In the mean time the City of Rome was at last oblig'd to submit to the Pope's Soveraignty which it had so long oppos'd after that Pope Boniface the ninth in the year 1393. had fortified the Castle of St. Angelo which serv'd to bridle the City and keep it in subjection Alexander the sixth was chiefly the cause that the Patrimony of the Church fell again into the hands of the Pope he had a natural Son nam'd Caesar Borgia who upon the account of the Dukedom of Valence brought to him as Dowry by his Wife Charlotte d'Albret was commonly call'd il Duca Valentino Now whilest the Pope used all his endeavours to make his Son a powerful Prince in Italy to attain to his ends he bethought himself of this expedient He drove out those little Signiori that were possess'd of small parcels of the Church's Territory making himself Master of those places which they held and then gave his Son the Propriety thereof This his design succeeded very happily and he made a shift to reduce either by force or treachery most of those little Lordships into his subjection and tho' Borgia us'd a great deal of temerity in the management of this affair yet he said he knew well enough what he did since his Father who was inspir'd by the Holy Ghost approv'd of all his actions But when he wanted Money to pay his Souldiers he plotted with his Father to poison several of the richest Cardinals at a Banquet design'd for that purpose and thereby not only to put himself in possession of their goods but likewise to be rid of hateful persons who he fear'd might oppose themselves to his design but in the mean time the Servant he had employ'd in this his devilish design by mistake gave the Pope and his Son the empoison'd drink so that the Pope died immediately thereof and the Duke very hardly escaped at the expence of a terrible sickness nor could he afterwards with all his Authority oblige the Cardinals to chuse a Pope that should be in his Interests Thus Borgia's vast ambitious projects dwindled into nothing for after the Death of Pius the third who held the Chair a very few Weeks came Julius the second the sworn implacable enemy of Borgia to succeed him who reduced all that he had taken and drove him at last out of the Country and this Pope prevailed so far by his Bribes and Artifices that he regain'd all that the Church had had before in its possession except the Dutchy of Ferrara which likewise at the latter end of the last Age the legitimate Race of all the Princes of Est being ended fell into the Popes hands again he also hinder'd the French from making themselves Masters of all Italy Sect. 25. But now whilest the Popedom seem'd to be in its greatest Splendor and at as high a point of perfection as it could ever aspire to all the West having join'd it self to the Communion and Fellowship of the Roman Church excepting some few relicks of the Vaudois in France and the Hussites in Bohemia which were altogether inconsiderable and the quarrel betwixt Pope Julius the second and Lewis the twelfth of France which had easily occasion'd a new Schism being happily compos'd after that Pope's death by Leon the Tenth and the old complaints that were us'd to be made against the ambition of the Court of Rome being almost all laid asleep there happen'd upon a very slight occasion so terrible an Insurrection against the Papal Chair that a great part of Europe did withdraw its self from the Tyranny thereof and did run the risque of an irrecoverable destruction In which Affair as in all other we will only observe how much humane prudence and designs contributed thereto and will rather adore with an humble respect and admiration the Counsel and Work of God Almighty than presumptuously penetrate into his Holy Mysteries and here we may not unfitly quote that expression which Tacitus uses in his History Abditos Numinis sensus exquirere illicitum nec ideo assequare Now Leon the tenth was a peaceable magnificent and very liberal Prince to Wise and Learned Men and might have pass'd for a good Pope had he had but an indifferent knowledge of Religion and inclination to Piety for both which on the contrary he was very insensible He living very splendidly and having exhausted his Treasures by the extravagant Pomp and Magnificence of his Court did not understand the Art of making Gold but was forc'd in his necessities to have recourse to the Cardinal Laurentius Puccius who finding all the other means of getting Money quite exhausted bethought himself of Indulgences which the Pope dispers'd for Money through all Christendom in the most ample form for the service as well of the dead as of the living with permission to eat Eggs and Milk-Victuals on Fast-days with several such like privileges and the Money which he hoped to collect by this infamous commerce was already dispos'd of and that especially which was to be gather'd in Saxony and in all that Country to the Sea was destin'd for Magdalen the Pope's Sister and that they might extract greater gains from this sort of Merchandice a Commission of collecting such Money was given to one Arcimboldus a Bishop in name and habit only but a man that was incomparably well versed in the tricks of the Genoa Merchants and that would only deal out Commissions to
such as bad most for them and whose only prospect was the advantage and gain that could be made of ' em Now 't was anciently the Custom in Saxony for the St. Austin's Hermets to preach the Indulgences but Arcimboldus his Commissioners knowing the great Experience they had in that sort of work durst not trust them for fear of being out-witted by 'em therefore they made choise of the Dominicans this procedure touch'd the Austin Monks to the quick whilest they saw it reflected on their reputation and infring'd their rights and privileges But the Dominicans to shew their diligence in their new employ preached up their Merchandice extreamly to the great scandal of their Auditors whilest the Commissaries spent in riotous Debauches what the poor peasants had scrap'd together to redeem their sins withal Thereupon Luther a Monk of St. Austin's Order took occasion to preach against this impudent and scandalous commerce and after that he had throughly examin'd the whole contrivance he propos'd Ninety Five Theses upon that Matter at Wittenburg in the year 1517. against which John Tetsel a Dominican Fryar of Frankford on the other propos'd as many quite contrary the dispute being thus commenc'd they began both to write at large in defence of their propositions but whilest Luther had the Scriptures and Reason on his side his Adversary could not defend his Opinion by any stronger Arguments than the Church and Pope's Authority this oblig'd Luther to go farther and to search into the ground and foundation of the Pope's Authority and to examine in what condition the Church then was whereby he more and more discover'd the errors and abuses thereof and sharply reprehended the scandalous Lives of the Popes and Monks and prov'd that the Soveraign powers were oblig'd to reform such abuses and to the end that he might be supported by them he very advantageously represented their condition power and grandeur whereof the Priests had before given little and contemptible Idea's and vilifi'd them extreamly by which means his Doctrine was receiv'd by a great number of persons and spread it self mightily in a small time Sect. 26. But that we may the better understand how a poor inconsiderable Monk could give so terrible a blow to the Pope's Authority we must observe that next to the Divine Direction and Concurrence the fit juncture of time did not a little contribute to the so strange success of this mighty Work as likewise the Dispositions of the people's minds at that very time For first the Cause of Luther concerning the Indulgences was so just and reasonable that several Famous Divines ranged themselves on his side though they afterwards fell off from him as well as some Cardinals and George Duke of Saxony himself And his Adversaries were such persons that all honest men were scandaliz'd at their ignorance and malice Besides there was no body at first that could have been perswaded the business would have gone so far Luther himself did not then dream of his revolting from the Pope Maximilian the Emperor was not averse to Luther's Doctrine and when he heard of him he is reported to have said They should keep that Monk for him there were only a few Monks and the Commissaries of the Indulgences whose Trade was like to go to wrack that opposed themselves and they made such a-do that by their folly and imprudence they rais'd a little spark of fire into a mighty and dangerous combustion Now Christendom at that time was in a very miserable condition the whole World was plung'd into unnecessary Ceremonies the malicious Monks rul'd uncontrouledly over the minds and consciences of the Laity which they had fetter'd in undissoluble bands The Divinity of those times was degenerated into meer Sophistry and Bantering The Priests defin'd their opinions and laid down their propositions without ever putting themselves to the trouble of proving them and the way of living of the then Clergy from the highest to the lowest did contract the Odium and contempt of all the World the two preceding Popes Alexander the sixth and Julius the second had made their Memory stink and left a very bad name behind 'em upon the account of their vices their quarrelsomness infidelity ambition and other such qualifications very much disagreeing with the requisites of a Clergy-man the Bishops if they were any thing worth were nevertheless deeply embroil'd in worldly Affairs and most of 'em lead a very scandalous life being better versed in the hunting of Beasts than in the Apostolick way of catching Men the Priests and Monks were plung'd over head and ears in ignorance and gave a great Scandal to the common People by their Debauches and irregular Lives as they were become unsupportable to all the World by their insatiable Avarice and Thirst after Riches Besides those that oppos'd themselves first against Luther were miserably ignorant and for the most part infamous Monks who not being us'd to his way of disputing were at the first bout confounded and could not tell where to lay hold on him and tho' in the preceding times the Clergy were as bad as then yet the universal ignorance of those barbarous Ages did not let it appear but afterwards when Europe began to be enlighten'd by the blooming dawn and restoration of Letters their Spots and Deformities were expos'd to every man's naked Eye And therefore it was that the Priests and Monks whose Eyes were offended and dazled by the new-appearing Light were so much incens'd against those Instauratores literarum and sought all ways to suppress 'em and because they would do it with good grounds they made a Work of Religion of it which oblig'd the Men of Learning to ridicule their simplicity and to labour more and more to discover their shameful ignorance Thus the Monks began an impudent Quarrel against Johannes Reuchlinus and right or wrong would prove him a Heretick where they shamefully confounded themselves and gave occasion to that learned Gentleman Ulrich van Hutten as I take it to rally them most strangely in his Epistolis obscurorum virorum Now whilst the War was carried on with a great deal of heat and bitterness between the Champions and Persecutors of Learning the business of Luther very opportunely fell out at the same time therefore the Monks us'd all their Arts and Perswasions to engage the Learned to oppose Luther thereby to suppress both Parties with their own Arms Which was the occasion that most of the Cultores bonarum literarum ranged themselves on Luther's side as in effect no man can deny but that the learned Erasmus of Roterdam had a great share in this Reformation by discovering and publickly reprehending a great number of their Errors and Abuses by rejecting their Scholastick Divinity by exciting the People to the reading of the Bible and the Ancient Fathers by turning into Ridicule the Barbarity and Ignorance both of the Priests and Monks and in short by favouring in general the Cause of Luther at the first though his hot