which are drawne out of the pure fountaines of Scripture those do they most carefullie embrace those things which are brought in into religion out of these munkish pits filthy sinks doe they reiect and detest And yet this is the onely cause why pope Sixtus the fift hath so proudly cruelly cursed thē both Of which pope Sixtus it séemeth good to me to speake somewhat in this place that all men may perceiue both what manner of man he is and also from what roots he sprang to such pride and became so hawtie Therfore his first name was Felix Peretus He was borne in a base village nigh to Formana called Montalto in the yéere 1521. the thirtéenth day of December Being a boy he was brought vp among munkes that is not to say any more among goate buckes at length being a yoong man hée was chosen into the order of the Franciscanes vnto whose holie rites after hée was admitted now growne vp he was at last chosen by the inquisitours of the Romish faith into their colledge Which office when he did so execute a fewe yéeres ago that few could abide his cruel nature it fell out so by hap at that time that he called a certaine noble man of Venece before him When he did more cruelly handle the man vnacquainted with hearing reproches not many daies after he met the same noble man by chance whom so soone as the same noble man perceiued he commanded one of his waiters to beate downe with a cudgell he had in his hand the pride of vnfortunate Peretus The vnfortunate man who of Felix was become Infelix went straightway to Rome and tolde pope Pius the fourth who was then high gouernour at Rome The pope being highly displeased sendeth him back againe to Venece with greater authoritie and power So soone as he shewed the senate his bull the wise men which knew ful wel the troublesome nature of the man and how that he was inflamed with desire of reuenge commanded foorth-with a torche to be lighted and did straightly command him that before the torch was burnt he shoulde get him with spéede out of their coastes if he were wise Infelix going to Rome againe made his complaint to the pope When the pope perceiued that he was a man most fit for his purpose he did first aduance him to this honor that he made him master of his pallace that done when Toledanus the archbishop one of the spanish inquisition which is fearefull to all nations was suspected of heresie the pope sent him into Spaine that he might be present at that question iudgement It happened by chance at that time that he that was then generall that is chiefe prelate of the Franciscanes which is the highest office and dignitie of that sorte of men died Which inheritance the pope gaue to Felix Peretus who by this means was made the archcowled chiefe cowled and cloaked cowled frier of that order of Franciscanes and a few yéeres after he was also chosen cardinall by the same pope At length when pope Gregorie the 13. was dead our archcowling Felix was chosen into his roome in troubling France by his commendation and fauour who is chiefe at Rome in furthering these matters and whom he doth plainely aide in holding the residue of the kingdome of Nauarre By these degrées procéedings he which a fewe yéeres ago was a cowled a roped a most vile frier créeping in his slitted shooes is now become a thunderer a thunderbolt caster an excommunicator of kings and princes Most mightie now with double sword And high aduanced to kisse whose toe Both Caesar comes and also kings In broydred purple which do go As Mantuan wrote of Iulius the second The crime of vsing tyrannie in the Church IT followeth that we come to the second crime of the papacie which consisteth in vsing lordship ouer the church of Christ For the holie Scripture teacheth vs that Christ alone is the head of the Church 1. Pet. 2. 5. Heb. 5. 7. 9. Eph 4. 15. 16. Ibid. 5. in another place that Christ is the head of the bodie of the Church * The same scripture giueth this name to Christ alone that he is the chiefe pastour high priest * 1. Col. 18. 1. Pet. 2. 5. Heb. 6. 7. But the pope of Rome saith All the church saith he through out the world knoweth that the holy church of Rome hath right to iudge all men and no man may giue iudgement of his iudgement c. And as followeth All the whole church throughout the worlde knoweth that the seat of S. Peter hath power to loose those things that are bounde by the iudgements of any bishops whatsoeuer which hath power to iudge the whole church Also The pastorall charge of carefulnes is inioined Clement pasto de sent re iudicat Cap. 1. extrauag de emp. vend vs by God ouer all nations of the Christian people Also Bearing rule ouer the gouernment of the church vniuersall by the lords prouidence Also * Cap. ad Regimen extrauag de praebend c. 1. de treug pac Being called by the disposition from aboue to gouerne the vniuersall church Also * Being called to the gouernement of the vniuersall Church by the disposition of Gods clemency Also * The bishop of c. 1. de consuet Rome is appointed by the Lord ouer nations and kingdoms Also * The holie church of c. 3. de elect Rome which by the Lords disposition hath from God the principalitie ouer all other churches as being the mother and mistresse of all the faithfull Also That therefore all churches 24. q. 1. c. rogamus c. sacrosancta are subiect to the sea of Rome bicause Peters sea was translated from Antioch to Rome Also That the sea of Rome is the head and hinge d. ca. sacro-sancta of all churches and as the doore is gouerned by the hinge so all churches are gouerned by that authoritie of that sea But to what end do we séeke out those olde things Séeing our Franciscan Sixtus the fift began this his bull on this wise That The authoritie giuen him by Christ and S. Peter doth surmount the power of all kings and princes and that the care for all churches people and nations lieth vpon him Thus therefore writeth the pope of Rome Now we must also consider by what right or authoritie he taketh vpon him so great power and lordship For we sée he bringeth and alleageth a double cause of this lordship and principalitie the former from the decrée of Christ Feed my sheepe and Thou art Peter and vpon this rock For in that the Lord said saith the pope Feede my sheepe and that generallie Mine not particularly Those or These by this it is vnderstood that he committed the whole flocke to him The pope alledgeth c. vnam sanctam Extrauag de maior obed another cause out of the Donation of the emperor
THE BRVTISH THVNDERBOLT or rather FEEBLE FIER-FLASH of Pope SIXTVS the fift against HENRIE the most excellent King of Nauarre and the most noble HENRIE BORBON Prince of CONDIE Togither with a declaration of the manifold insufficiencie of the same Translated out of Latin into English by CHRISTOPHER FETHERSTONE Minister of Gods word Nahum 3. I wil reueale thy filthines vpon thy face and wil shew thy nakednes amongst the nations and thy shame in the kingdoms Imprinted at London by Arnold Hatfield for G. B. and R. Newbery 1586 TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE LORD ROBERT DVDLEY Earle of Leicester Baron of Denbigh Knight of the most noble orders of the Garter and of S. Michael Maister of the Queenes horse one of hir Highnesse most honourable priuie Councel and Lord Lieutenant and Captaine general of hir Maiesties forces in the Low countries THE EXPERIence of your honorable acceptation of my last simple trauell in translating Maister Caluins Commentaries vpon Saint Iohns Gospell hath imboldened me further to present your Honor with another slender fruit of the same Which though it be not of like qualitie with the former yet I doubt not but it shal prooue profitable to as manie as with diligence and indifferencie shall vouchsafe it the pervsing The Author albeit not specified heerin by name seemeth to be a man of great reading singular iudgement and excellent dexteritie in handling the matter which he vndertooke The worke a notable discouery of that Abaddon or destroieng enimie the sonne of perdition that sitteth in the temple of God as God wherein both his defacing of the glorie of the sonne of God in heauen whose vicegerent he would be counted and his trampling vnder feete whatsoeuer is called God amongst men besides his manifold violences committed against the Church and Saints of God are most liuelie depainted and set before our eies Many woorthie wits of rare gifts haue trauelled in laieng open his vsurpations villanies and outrages with the originall and processe causes and effects precedents and consequents of the same acording as they were occasioned But this man hath drawen into one entire bodie a great manie memorable points which are dispersedly found in others so that he that listeth may at once take a view as it were of such an vglie monster as would trouble the strongest fantasie in the world to imagine and the most curious hand to pourtray the like Howbeit it is not much to be hoped for that the Italianate atheists and discontented Papists of which there are such swarmes amongst vs will any thing at all be mooued with the cleere light of these most euident demonstrations to reforme their iudgements and preiudicate opinions alreadie conceiued and rooted within them touching his pretended supremacie ouer Gods Church For it is greatly to be feared least by a iust iudgement of the almightie they are become past feeling so that they grope as the blind at noone day giuen ouer to all deceiueablenes of vnrighteousnes through a strong spirit of delusion bicause they would not receiue the loue of the truth that they might be saued But howsoeuer their harts be as hard as the adamant and their eies couered with the mist of palpable darknes euen to this day yet wisedom shal be iustified of hir children Whom God hath foreappointed to be beholders of his glorie they shall in their due time be inlightened with the knowledge of his sauing truth and come out of Babylon with as great speede as euer the Israelites posted out of Egypt Yea they shall clap their hands at the ruine of that Antichristian synagog which being now tottering and readie to fall to the ground laboreth with might and maine by force and fraud by treacherous attempts by cruell practises and open inuasions as it were by mingling heauen and earth togither to vphold it selfe as may be seene in most places of Europe at this day But he that sitteth in heauen laugheth them to scorne the Lord shall haue them in derision Whose words touching the ouerthrow of Babylon cannot fall to the ground but must be fulfilled in their time For doubtles Babylon must fal be rewarded according to hir works the kings of the earth shall loath and persecute this vniuersall strumpet to make hir desolate naked to eate hir flesh consume hir with fire Thrise blessed are they that band themselues togither bend their whole forces to execute these iudgements of the Lord which he hath decreed vpon hir In which respect your H. hath great cause to magnifie the Lord for his gratious mercies toward you in that he hath vouchsafed you this honor to stand in armes against one of hir principall louers in so iust and holie a quarell as is the maintenance of his sacred religion and the deliuering of the helplesse out of the hands of the oppressor so aduisedly and necessarily vndertaken by hir excellent maiestie A thing iustifiable by the lawes of God and man of nature and nations yea warranted by the like practise of most Christian Emperors in former ages and sundrie other good presidents of antiquitie Now seeing God hath dealt so mercifully with you it is your H. part to behaue your selfe valiantly and to fight the Lords battels with courage He is on your side therefore you are on the mountaines and your enimies in the vallies he shall be a brasen wall to defend you on euerie side if you set his feare before you and repose your trust in him The garde of his holie Angels shall be a surer protection vnto you than any trench bulwarke or fortresse you can deuise The praiers of all the godlie in the land being deeply touched with an inward sympathie and fellow-feeling of their neighbors calamities are powred out continually for your safetie and happie successe in this noble enterpise and your H. may be well assured that they shall procure more fauour to you at the hands of the Lord than any either aduersarie forces or associations of the holy Tridentine league shal be able to preuaile to the contrarie Wherfore my Lord arme your selfe with Christian courage policie and warines against these vncircumcised Philistins remember that they with whom you fight are deuowed vassals to that beast which is described in this booke whose power God be thanked hath been found too weake to shake the throne of our gratious Souereigne notwithstanding his often assaults His thunderbolts of excommunications and bannings haue beene esteemed as paper-shot by those noble Princes of the house of Borbon and Vendosme in France He sitteth in his Vaticane as one at his wits end destitute of counsel knowing that the assurance of his kingdom standeth but vpon one or two such Egyptian reedes as are mentioned by the prophet of no great safetie or suretie to be leaned vpon Should not the consideration of these things increase your fortitude and magnanimitie that you neuer faint nor giue ouer before you see a blessed end of your labors Which the Lord of heauen in a
sentence Giuen at Rome the fift of the Ides of Septemb. Anno 1585. Psalm 109. O Lord they shall curse and thou wilt blesse those which shall rise against me shall bee confounded but thy seruant shall reioice THE BRVTISH THVNDERBOLT of Pope SIXTVS the fift against HENRIE the most noble King of Nauarre and the most excellent HENRIE BORBON Prince of Condie Togither with the protestation and declaration of the manifold nullitie or inualiditie of the same WHeras of late there was a declaration pronoūced by Pope SIXTVS the fift of that name being a Franciscan Frier and it was shortly after published and printed that Henrie the most noble King of Nauarre and also Henrie Borbon the most excellent Prince of Condie should first be excommunicate as notorious heretiks from among Christians and also that they should be put from their empires honors and al dignities and principally from hope of succéeding in the kingdome of France secondly that their subiects and vassals should be absolued from the oth of alleageance wherewith they were bound to them last of al that they shuld be set vpon by force sword arms and camps by the most mightie king of France the most excellent and noble Princes aforesaid haue thus protested touching that matter that with the good leaue of all Catholikes and without anie hurt of the cōcord of both religions which the same princes do greatly desire to be kept intire in France that proscription or declaration of the pope being a Franciscan Frier was pronounced published diuulgate against all lawes diuine and humane and that for that cause it is in law none and to be accounted for none that all that furious curse is nothing but a brutish thunderbolt of the Romane papacie whose force is friuolous vain and of none account that principally for fower causes namely for the incompetencie of the rash iudge the falsenes of the allegation the want of iudiciall order and for the foolishnes of the forme wherein it is written wherof we wil héerafter intreat in the same order wherein they are set downe Of the incompetencie or insufficiencie of the iudge THerefore the first cause of Nullitie is the incompetencie of a rash iudge which appéereth therby bicause the papacie of Rome which hath taken this iudgement vpon it against so great princes hath long ago béene condemned for seuen most grieuous crimes by the most part of Christendome namely England Scotland Denmarke Sweueland the most part of Germanie and also the most part of Heluetia namely for impietie for exercising tyrannie in the Church for corrupt religion sacrilege treason rebellion and forgerie And it is certaine that although the popedome had not béene condemned for so great crimes but had béene onelie found guiltie yet notwithstanding I do not saie that it is not lawful for it to be a iudge but not so much as to accuse the basest or simplest man of anie crime of offence vntill it haue fitly purged it selfe of all crimes so far off is it that in this so great a state of matters the pope can condemne so great and so famous and mightie princes of so great wickednes especially being vnheard and before their cause is tried a l. neganda 19. c. de publ iudic Which the Canonists themselues doe teach b 4. quaest 1. c. 1. 25. q. 1. c. omnes 24. q. 1. ca. ait duobus cap. seqq And which more is séeing in this cause of the foresaid princes the matter and state of the paparie it selfe is handled none either ciuill or natural reason doth suffer the pope to sit as iudge in his owne matter and to giue sentence for himselfe in his owne cause c l. qui iurisdictioni D. de iurisd l. 1. c. ne quis in sua causa iud l. Julianus 17. de iud But and if the pope be not a fit iudge in this matter but an vncompetent and vnfit iudge as it shall plainly appéere by those things which we shall héerafter speake it followeth that the sentence pronounced by him is none in law that of it selfe and without any appeale it falleth to the ground And we cannot doubt but that l. 1. pass ca. si a non compe iud l. 6. § quod si quis D. de iniust rupt test the iudgement and authoritie of the most part of Christendome aforesaid shall be of great importance with magistrates and orders and principally with the Parleament of France séeing it is euident that this is the law of all nations that in deliberations especially being hard weighty iudgement be alwaies giuen according l. item si vnus 17. § vlt. l. seq D. de recep arbit to the sentence and opinion of the most part especially where the more part is iudged not onelie by the number of persons but also by the maner and quantitie of the vniuersall order as when of thrée parts of iudges two make a departure suppose eight of twelue but that England l. 3. de decret ab ordin fac l. 3. l. 4. D. quod cuiusque vniuer l. nominationum 46. c. de decurio l. quod maior 19. D. ad municip Scotland Denmark Sweueland the most part of Heluetia and part of high and low Germanie are two parts of thrée of Christendome and that therfore they shal haue great weight and authoritie with the orders and Parleament of France we neither can nor ought to doubt for our singular iudgement of their wisedome Moreouer it séemeth that we ought not to let slip euen that that the pope is reiected for an vnméete and incompetent iudge not onely of the most part of Europe but also of those Churches and nations which in Africa Egypt Syria the East Asia and Grecia do professe their name among Christian Churches The manifold crime of impietie and first for arrogating to himselfe the Godhead THerefore the first crime wherof the papacie is conuict and condemned of the most part of Europe we saie is impietie and that thréefold the first bicause the pope doth get to himselfe a certaine Godhead secondly he derideth and mocketh Christian religion last of all he bringeth in into the Church false and forged religions The testimonies of the first impietie are these The pope doth both reioice and boast that he is called God * where it is written thus It is sufficiently declared dist 96. satis that the pope cannot at all be either bound or loosed by the secular power who as it appeereth euidently was called of the most godlie prince Constantine God seeing that it is manifest that God cannot bee iudged of men Which place Augustine Steuche a most earnest defender of the pope and the kéeper of his librarie in the booke of the donations of Constantine pag. 141. praising and reciting addeth this Doest thou heare that the highest bishop was called of Constantine God and that he was taken for God This was done when he adorned him with that excellent edict He
pope so that the famous Councellers of the king of France and the Senators of the Parleament may know and vnderstand that the most part of Christendome hath for most iust and weightie causes reiected and refused the papacie But notwithstanding we will ad moreouer some other things and that especially That the pope hath so great power both in purgatorie and also in hell that he may deliuer by his indulgences and foorthwith place in heauen and in the habitation of the blessed as manie soules as he will which are tormented in those places as it is in the bull of Clement the 6. and in Ant. Florent That the pope hath so great power in heauen part 3. tit 22. cap. 6. that he may canonize and place in the number of the Saints what dead man soeuer he wil maugre the heads of al the bishops and cardinals Thus writeth Troilus in tract de canonis sanct 3. dub Maluit By which and such like we may know how true that oration of Eberard somtimes Archbishop of Salisburge was which he made two hundred yéeres ago in a publike assemblie of the Empire of Germanie which we will recite out of the 7. booke of Iohn Auentine his Chronicle printed at Ingolstade anno 1554. The chiefe priests of Babylon saith he desire to reigne alone they cannot abide an equall They will neuer haue done vntil they haue troden all vnder their feete and they sit in the temple of God and they be exalted aboue all that which is worshipped Their hunger for riches and thirst for honor can neuer be satisfied The more you grant to a greedie man the more he desireth reach out your finger and he will couet your whole hand He which is the seruant of seruants doth couet further to be Lord of lords as if he were God He speaketh great things as if he were God He changeth laws he establisheth his owne he polluteth he robbeth he spoileth he coseneth he slaieth that wicked man whom they commonly call Antichrist in whose forehead is written a name of blasphemie I am God I cannot erre He sitteth in the temple of God he beareth rule far and wide Thus saith Eberard Moreouer in the same Auentine in the same booke there is extant this complaint of Frederike the 2. being Emperor in an epistle which he wrote to Otho Duke of Bauaria The popes of Rome do seeke after lordship and diuine power namely that they may be feared of all no otherwise yea more than God For it is euident that there be manie Antichrists amongst those Romanists and that none other are the ouerthrowers of Christian religion And shortly after That man that is called the pope namely being become verie wealthie with the great losse of Christian godlines doth thinke that he may do whatsoeuer he will as tyrants vse to do He will render an account of his doings to none As if he were God He vsurpeth that which belongeth to God alone that he cannot erre or be holden with anie religion of a lie he doth require most impudently and imperiously to be beleeued Thus writeth he Moreouer Erasmus in his Annotations of the new Testament 1. Tim. c. 1. doth witnes that in his time in the schooles of the diuines these things were woont to be called in question and disputed vpon Whether the pope could abrogate that which was decreed by the apostolike writings Whether he could decree any thing which is contrarie to the doctrine of the Gospell Whether he can make a new article of the faith Whether he haue greater power than Peter or like power Whether he can command the Angels whether he can take away all purgatorie whether he be onlie man O detestable blaspemie whether as he is God he do participate both natures with Christ whether he be more gentle than was Christ seeing it is not read that he called backe anie from the paines of purgatorie Whether he alone of all men cannot erre Sixe hundred such like things are disputed in great printed bookes And that by great diuines especially famous for the profession of religion These things doth Erasmus write in as many words Annotat. pag. 663. The crime of mocking religion BVt some peraduenture will saie it is onely impietie blasphemie of words Let vs therefore bring to light the wicked factes of the same papacie a few of many as it were for examples sake that euerie one may vnderstand that the popes many yéeres ago did make but a mock and scoffe of Christian religion And first of all that of Gregorie the seauenth which we will lay downe in the words of cardinall Benno The Emperour Henrie the third saith he was woont often to repaire to praier to the church of S. Marie which is in the mount Auentine But Hildebrand who being afterward made pope was called Gregorie the seauenth when as by his spies he made diligent inquirie after all his works he made the place be marked where the Emperour was woont to praie and he perswaded one by promising him money to lay great stones vpon the beames of the church secretly and that he should so order them that he might throwe them downe from aboue vpon the Emperours head as he was at praier and so beat out his braines which thing when he that was appointed to do so great wickednes did make haste to accomplish and sought to laie an huge stone vpon the beames with the weight thereof the stone drew him downe and the boorde being broken vnder the beames both the stone and the miserable man by the iust iudgement of God fell downe into the church floore and by the same stone was he quite crushed to peeces Of which fact after that the men of Rome knew and of the order therof they tied a rope to the wretches foot caused him to be drawen three daies through the streetes for the example of others But the Emperour of his woonted clemencie caused him to be buried Thus far goeth Benno Whence we vnderstande how detestable the impietie of the pope was who hauing no regard either of the place wherein the Emperour praied and which the pope professeth to be holie to himselfe nor of the time wherein he praied but seruing his blinde furie and madnesse sought the destruction of the Emperour his prince But go too let vs cite another testimonie of impietie out of the same Benno Iohn bishop of Portua saith he who was throughlie acquainted with Hildebrands secrets went vp into Saint Peters pulpit and amongst many things in the hearing of the cleargie and people he saith Hildebrand hath done some such thing for which we ought to be burned aliue speaking of the Sacrament of the Lords bodie which Hildebrand demaunding oracles from God against the Emperour threw into the fire though the cardinals his assistants did speake against it These are the goodly testimonies of the papall pietie in Gregorie the seauenth Now let vs cite another touching Syluester the seconde out of the booke of Iohn
the true religion of Christ deliuered to the Church by Christs Apostles or a feigned fable of satan brought purposely into the Church by the popes that they might either vtterly extinguish the desire to read the sacred scriptures or at least that they might both be of like authoritie Surely we hope that no man doubteth but that the pope is already conuict most manifestly of false and forged religions and therefore if he excommunicate the king of Nauarre and Prince of Condie out of the communion of his Church which maintaineth these monsters he doth not exclude them out of the Church of Christ but out of the iakes of Dominicans or rather out of the synagog of satan Which thing that it may more plainly and firmely be confirmed we will cite out of the same Antoninus a like inuention of the popish church For in the chapter following he writeth thus Dominic saith he being one night earnest Pag. 190. in praier saw at the fathers right hand the sonne rise vp in his anger that he might slea all the sinners on the earth and destroy all that wrought wickednes And he stood in the aire being terrible to behold and he shaked three lances or iauelings against the world that was set vpon wickednes the first whereof shoulde pearce through the out stretched necks of the prowd another should let out the bowels of the couetous the third should bore through those that were giuen to the lusts of the flesh Whose wrath when no man could resist the mild virgin his mother met him and imbracing his feet besought him that he would spare those whom he had redeemed and that he would temper his iustice with mercie To whom hir sonne made answer Seest thou not saith he what iniuries are done to me Then said his mother Thou knowest saith she which knowest all things that this is the way by the which thou shalt bring them backe vnto thee I haue a faithfull seruant whom thou shalt send into the world that he may preach thy words to them and they will turne to thee the sauiour of all men Also I haue another seruant whom I will adioine to him to be his helper that he may worke likewise The sonne said Lo I am pacified and haue accepted thy face but shew mee whom thou wilt assigne vnto so great an office Then our Ladie his mother offered to Iesus Christ S. Dominic and the Lord said to his mother He will do that which thou hast said well and carefully Also she offered him S. Francis whom in like sort the Lord praised Then S. Dominic marking his fellow well in the vision whom before he knew not on the morow he reknowledged him by those things which he saw in the night and kissing him with holie kisses and imbracing him sincerely he said Thou art my fellow thou shalt run with me And a little after Dominic praied by night in the church and lo the hand of the Lord was suddenly vpon him and was rapt in spirit before God and he saw God sitting and his mother who sate at his right hand clothed in a cope of a saphire color And looking about him he saw reioicing in the sight of the most highest infinite multitudes of spiritual fathers out of euery nation that had begotten both sons and daughters to Christ of holie religions And when he saw none of his sonnes there blushing and being pricked at the hart he wept most bitterly Therfore being abashed with the glorie of Gods maiestie he stood a far off and durst not draw neare to the countenance of glorie and to the excellencie of the virgin But our Ladie beckened to him with hir hand that he should come to hir But he trembling and fearing presumed not to draw neare vntill in like sort the Lord of maiestie called him Then came the man being pricked and of an humble spirit and contrite with his teares and did most lowly and humbly throw downe himselfe at the feet of the son and his mother But the Lord of glorie the comforter of those that mourne said to him Arise Who when he was risen and stood before the Lord he asked him saieng Why weepest thou so bitterly Who said Bicause I see in the presence of thy glory men of al religions but of the sons of mine order alas for wo I see here none To whom the Lord said Wilt thou see thine order But he said That is my desire Lord. Then the sonne putting his hand vnder his mother the virgins cloke he said to him I haue committed thine order to my mother And when he continued in this godlie affection desiring to see his order the Lord said to him againe Wouldest thou so gadly see them He answered This do I earnestly desire And lo the mother of the Lord pleased hir sonne and opening wide hir golden cope wherwith she seemed to be couered and holding it open before hir mourning seruant Dominic and this was so large and huge a garment that it did sweetly contain the whole countrie of heauen by imbracing it Vnder this couering of securitie in this bosom of godlines that beholder of high things viewer of the secrets of the Lord Dominic saw an innumerable multitude of the friers of his order Then his mourning was turned into ioy and his sorrow into solace Thus writeth Antoninus Ridiculously blockishly and absurdly peraduenture some man will say Who denieth it But as we said before of Bernardo his trifles of what sort soeuer these be yet are they both approoued by the authoritie of the pope and also receiued by the church of Rome and therefore séeing religion is vndiuisible for as M. Tullius saith either take away religion quite or else preserue it wholie they must be counted in the place and number of oracles of al those which wil giue their name to the church of Rome a heauie decrée being added that he that shall thinke otherwise be counted an heretike schismatike forasmuch as by these inuentions allowed by the pope as well Dominic as Francis is registred in the number of the Saints of the church of Rome as the same author Antoninus doth witnes By which we Tit. 23. §. 17. fol. 197. vnderstand first for how manie for how iust causes most Christian kings princes and magistrates haue condemned the papacie for impietie and forged religion Secondlie what authoritie this execrable declaration ought to haue in the Parlement of France which was published by Sixtus the fift a frier lately vncowled in which the most excellent princes aforesaide were pronounced heretiks for none other cause saue onely bicause they thought that they ought not to make like account of such inuentions as of the holie Scripture For as they did oftentimes professe before and at this day they do professe so much as in them lieth before all sortes and orders of men yea they do openly denounce séeing the church of Rome hath religion mixed and confused with such inuentions and fables those things
he is neither dead but liueth an euerlasting and blessed life and séeing he is perpetually present in his church hée doth alwaies execute the office of the chiefest pastor and priest Moreouer we may 1. Pet. 2. Mark 16. 20. Psal 110. Heb. 2. 4. 7. 9. adde that also without any doubting that no bishop can be called the successor no not of Peter or of any other Apostle as the canonists vse to call the pope Peters successor Apud Decium in l. qui per successionem D. regul iur in Decius where when the lawiers vse to say that The heire of an heire that is the Testator is the heire of the testator though he be heire by the longest succession the Canonists reason that euery pope is the successor of Peter though there came manie betwéene For no bishop hath his cause from Peter or any other Apostle but from the choice made by the authoritie of Christ neither doth the place sea or chaire make the succession but the continuance of the doctrine of Christ when as the religion receiued of Christ is continually deliuered by all the successors as by hands to the Christian people Wherefore those new shifts of certaine of the popes clawebacks make nothing against vs who being mooued by hope of some benefice dispute thus that the pope of Rome is not the spirituall head of the catholike church but the ministeriall bicause like as Christ doth gouerne particular churches that is particular dioces by particular bishops his vicars in like sort the same Christ doth gouerne his vniuersall Church by some one vniuersall vicar of his namely the pope of Rome who kéepeth in doing their duty those inferior and particular bishops that are subiect to his iurisdiction For we answere this obiection thrée manner of waies First that this principalitie is not onely not ordained of Christ but also that it is brought in by the pope of Rome by ambition and desire to lord it For when Christ sent his twelue Apostles about to preach his Gospell he gaue not to som one some singular and principall commandement but the like one to them all thus Go ye into all coasts of the earth and preach the Gospell among all people and nations And therefore in the Reuelation the heauenlie Ierusalem is not said to be founded vpon one and a particular piller or especially vpon one of all the rest but simplie vpon twelue and when as vpon the day of Pentecost the holie Ghost was powred out vppon the twelue Apostles he was not powred out vpon some one of them especially and chiefly but he was simply powred out vpon all Last of all when Paul describeth the functions and offices of the pastors of the Church he doth not giue to any one the principalitie or lordship ouer the rest but he expoundeth to them the same in plaine words Christ is gone vp on high he hath led captiuitie captiue and hath giuen gifts to men For he hath made some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists some pastors and teachers for the restoring of the Saints for the worke of the ministerie to the edifieng of the bodie of Christ. The other answere is that if Christ or Peter had ordained any principalitie and one ministeriall head in his Church no doubt the primitiue Church would haue retained that ordinance being so fresh in memorie But on the contrarie we sée that the most ancient generall Synods of all namely the Nicene that of Constantinople of Ephesus and Chalcedon did ordaine that ouer euery citie should be appointed a bishop that done that euery prouince should haue an Archbishop or patriarke hauing all like dignitie authoritie iurisdiction power degrée besides that it was granted to the Archbishop of Rome that for the antiquitie and honor of the city he should sit in the first place but yet not in an higher place and next him should sit the Archbishop of Constantinople for the selfe-same cause bicause he was bishop of new Rome being the emperors citie wheras if they had had regard of the more ancient Church that first or else the second place shuld haue béen due to the bishop of Antiochia then the bishop of Alexandria of Hierusalem afterward the thrée archbishops of Iustinian made by the emperor Iustinian for most light causes shuld take place in like seats which causes we will shew afterward vnder the crime of forgerie where we will reckon vp the forgeries cossenages and corruptions deuised by the pope of Rome to fill vp this his ambition The third answer is that séeing Christ did appoint his Apostles to be messengers and preachers of his commandements to go throughout diuers coasts of the earth we read not that any one of them was appointed to be an Archmessenger especially to be mute and to be at ease that he might lie busking and loitering at Rome and harken after those things that were done in other places of the world wheresoeuer and might in the meane season serue his ambition For bishops are nothing else but messengers of Christ and proclaimers of his commandements ordained in euery citie like as in times past the emperors of Rome were woont to giue things in charge to the Proconsuls and Presidents as all those that are students of the law and antiquities of the Romans do affirme Therefore he that is dumbe either by nature or will that is he that kéepeth silence and doth not execute the office of a messenger herald and doth not preach the Gospell he is not only not woorthy of the authoritie but not so much as of the name of bishop or archbishop But bicause the popes in their decretals do in euery third line inculcate that song Bicause it was said to Peter Feede my sheepe and Vpon this rocke it is woorth the paines to set downe the true and naturall interpretation of those places For Augustine in his 124. tract vpon Iohn When saith he it was said to Peter I will giue thee the keies of the kingdome of heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt bind vpon earth he ment the vniuersal church that is founded vpon the rocke From whence euen Peter tooke his name For the rocke was not called Petra of Peter but Peter of Petra or the rocke as Christ tooke not his name of Christians but Christians of Christ. For therefore the Lord saith Vpon this rocke will I build my Church bicause Peter had said Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God Therefore vpon this rocke saith he which thou hast confessed will I build my Church For Christ was the rocke vpon which foundation euen Peter himselfe was builded For no man can lay any other foundation than that which is alreadie laid which is Iesus Therefore the Church that is founded in Christ receiueth from him the keies of the kingdome of heauen in Peter that is power to bind and loose sinnes For the same which Christ is in the Church by propertie the same is Peter in the rocke by
at the least therefore the sum is an hundred and twentie thousand crownes 74. At the same time there were voide priorships deaneries prouostships masterships and other dignities which haue not the pastorall staffe for their insigne more than two hundred and for euerie one of these benefices there were paide downe fiue hundred crownes the summe therefore is an hundred thousand crownes 75. It is manifest that in this realme there be at least an hundred thousand parishes which are inhabited and replenished Neither is there any one wherein at that time some one did not obtaine an expectatiue grace and for euerie one of these they paied fiue and twentie crowns as well for the charges of the iournie as for the making of the buls non obstances prerogatiues annullations and other especiall clauses which were woont to be adioined to the graces expectatiues Also for the executorie processe vpon the same graces This summe is twentie times fiue hundred thousand crownes Thus saith the Senate of Paris Now let vs collect the totall summe of the summes We shall find that it amounteth to the summe of nine hundred six and fortie thousand six hundred thréescore and six crownes and moreouer to the eight part of one crowne which is the third part of that sum which the Senate of Paris sheweth to haue béen caried to Rome in that thrée yéeres space namely eight and twentie hundred and fortie thousand crowns or to speak plainly in our countrie spéech thrée millions of gold lacking an hundred thréescore thousand or as the Germans say almost eight and twentie tunnes of gold Moreouer we haue found out that the taxe of the vacations written in the bookes of the treasure-house of the cathedrall churches and abbaies of France being taxed onely doth euery sixt yéere amount to the summe of six hundred ninetie seuen thousand seuen hundred and fiftie French pounds besides the prelacies and other benefices that are not taxed the exactions whereof do almost arise to that summe And shal there be any in the kings Parleament of France that will confesse that he can with a quiet mind suffer this whirlepit or rather Scylla Charibdis or gulfe And will not rather so soone as he heareth this losse of so great summes detest and accurse that huge and cruell beast with all praiers And yet we will not cite this testimonie onely Lo we haue another out of the booke whose title is The Forest of common places which was published about the end of the Councell holden at Basill wherein is gathered into a grosse summe the summe of monie that during the time of pope Martin the fifts popedome was caried to Rome out of France alone which is saide to haue amounted to ninetie hundred thousande crownes And do we woonder that that same Senate of Paris did in the same requests artic 71. sore and bitterly complaine that so great a summe of gold and siluer was yéerely caried to Rome so that they were compelled somtimes for the vse of the common people of France to coine brasse monie for siluer monie But let vs heare the 62. article of the same requests Heertofore saith the Senate of Paris the people of this kingdome ran to Rome by heapes whereof some serued the cardinals and courtiers some being seruants to no man but being intised by some vaine hope did spend their owne and their parents substance other some and that a great manie went to Rome for this purpose that they might procure trouble to the rest that staied heere and that they might wring out of their hands by hooke or by crooke their churches and benefices For we find by experience that the greatest part of those which went hence to Rome was woont to die straightway either through wearisomnes and danger of the iournie or through the plague which is oftentimes very rife at Rome and those which escaped out of these dangers they procured trouble to old men sicke persons and to such like which were continually resident in their churches and benefices But it did oftentimes fall out that silly men being cited to the court of Rome when as they could not defend themselues against these false accusers were inforced to end their life through wearisomnes and sorrow 62. Most of those that did hunt after benefices did quite emptie their parents and friends bagges and at length they were brought to great pouertie and beggerie Neither did they indure so great iniuries vpon any other hope saue onely that they might somtimes bring home lead for gold and it fell out sometimes that the gaping crow was deceiued and that the lead that was bought with gold was nothing else but lead For whiles they trusted to their leaden buls there came in one between which brought at a sudden an annullation and sometimes there were ten or twelue that did gape and catch for one benefice And when the strife was once begun they must backe againe to Rome to follow the sute so that whiles all men ran to Rome from all quarters the realme was miserably destitute of hir people and subiects And this surely was the complaint of the Senate of Paris of the vnsatiable couetousnes and gréedie robberie of the popes aboue an hundred yéeres ago which was presented to king Ludouike and yet not sproong from the new and fresh robberies of the popes For there is extant a decrée of that Ludouike that was called Blessed anno 1228. which doth plainly shew how great the couetousnes of the popes was in France euen at that time The exactions Sub. tit de Talijs saith he and heauie burdens laid vpon the churches of our realme by the court of Rome whereby the realme is woonderfully impouerished or which shall heerafter be laid vpon vs will we haue to be leuied and gathered no farther foorth saue onely for reasonable godly and most vrgent necessitie and such as cannot be auoided and according to our expresse and free consent and of the church of our realme It séemeth good to me likewise to cite in this place that excellent conclusion of the Abbat of Vsperge out of the life of Philip the emperor wherby it may be vnderstood Pag. 321. how ancient this complaint was concerning the robberies of the papacie of Rome which Sixtus the fift hath determined to maintaine stoutly with all his tyrannie There scarce remained saith he any bishoprike or ecclesiasticall dignitie or parish church which was not in suite and the cause it selfe was brought to Rome but not with an empty hand Our mother Rome be glad bicause the sluces of the treasuries of the earth are set open that the streames and heapes of monie may flow vnto thee in great abundance Reioice ouer the iniquities of the sonnes of men bicause thou hast a reward giuen thee in recompence of so great euils Be glad ouer thine helper discord bicause she is broken out of the pit of hell that thou maist haue many rewards of monie heaped vpon thee Thou hast that after which
Francis the first that if any would imbrace the reformed religion they might be burnt aliue hauing their toongs cut out and hauing fire put vnder them Among the king of France his constitutions there be extant the edicts of that king published in the yéere 1534. and also in the fortieth and againe in the 42. by the authoritie whereof the Senators of the Parleament shed so much blood and yet with so great godlines and constancie of the martyrs that it séemeth that the posteritie will scarce beléeue it What these hellish fiends gained by this crueltie it is woorth the knowing by the testimonie of him thā whom no more plentifull witnes can be brought foorth in this kind That is king Henrie the second the father of these latter kings a prince as most men may remember most famous both at home and in war For his edict written at Castrobriant in the moneth of Iune 1551. is extant the words wherof are these All men might see before this with what studie and with how great contention our father whom God absolue king Francis being a most Christian king and most catholike endeuoured greatly during all his life time to roote out heresies which budded out in his realme against our holie faith and catholike religion and how manie lawes and constitutions the same king with the same mind and purpose did publish as the varietie and necessitie of times did require Notwithstanding that so great studie and indeuour did no great good For that disease was so spred through al the most noble families of our realm that it did infect like a certaine contagion the families of all sorts and orders Thus saith he in his edict which containeth six and fortie articles being all of them written most bitterly and sharply to stop the course of that religion Moreouer shortly after that is in the yéere 1547. there was another edict published by the same king wherin by name he professeth in manie words and doth plainly denounce that he hath omitted no labour no indeuor no diligence in suppressing that religion Onely so Nay surely saith he the more carefully and painfully we labored to do this so much the more that doctrine gat the vpper hand Surely we may coniecture what was his indeuor and trauell euen by that that all men know that there died of that miserable and bitter kind of punishment a great number of all sorts of men There succéeded these kings to wit the grandfather and father king Francis the second his edicts to wit sixe in number were most sharpe and vehement besides innumerable broad seales and letters patents which he sent continually through all parts of his kingdome with so great heate of mind and stomach that aboue thrée hundred men were in lesse than thrée moneths space tormented scortched burnt and as it was commonly written in the decrées of the senate brought into ashes by the decrées especially of the senate of Paris and Tholosa This so great abundance of blood that was shed might peraduenture satisfie euen the most bloodie tyrants such as the report goeth Cyclops Busiris Siron Phalaris Tython Gyges were in times past But so great crueltie cannot satisfie the pope of Rome whom we may rightly tearme a rebell against mankind It is woorth the hearing what good he did For there is extant a decrée of the same king Francis the second published at Ambosia in the moneth of March anno 1559 in these words which we would haue the kings Counsellers to read very attentiuely and to consider of what weight it is We to the end we might answere and satisfie our princely office were inforced to vse diuers kinds of punishments and paines as the state of things and times did require But by the instruments of criminall causes it is knowen and reuealed that a great number of men women ages kinds and of all orders were present at vnlawful and priuy sermons suppers baptizings administred by those for whom it was not lawfull to do that But and if euerie one of these should be put to torture as the rigor of our authoritie and lawes doth require there should woonderfull much blood be shed of men women virgins yong men of florishing age whereof some being induced and suborned other some being persuaded through a certaine simplicitie and ignorance other some inticed rather with a certain curiositie than of malice haue fallen into such errors and discommodities Which things if it should come to passe we should be greatly and continually sorie neither should that well agree either with our age or nature both which do inuite vs to vse clemencie gentlenes and mercie in this kinde Therefore we will haue all men know that when this whole matter was in due time handled by our Counsellers in our presence we are not determined to leaue this first yeere of our reigne famous to our posteritie as cruel bloodie and full of the murders of our silly subiects though they had greatly deserued this yea after the example of our heauenly father we are determined to spare the blood of our people and to bring backe our subiects to the way of saluation and to preserue their life hoping that through the Lords mercie it will come to passe that we shall do more good by the way of gentlenes and clemencie than by the rigor of punishments Therefore according to the opinion of our foresaid Counsellers we say appoint ordain that heerafter our subiects be not molested for the cause of crimes that are past which concern faith religion by our iudges of what sort and condition soeuer they be neither in iudgement nor without iudgement Moreouer we declare that we grant to our subiects a general pardon remission absolution for such crimes as concerne faith religion And shortly after By the authority of the king who was chiefe in this counsel according to the sentēce of the lords cardinals of Bourbon of Lorraine of Chastillon the dukes of Montpensier of Guise of Niuernois and of Aumale Thus far goeth Francis the second plainly as it appéereth declaring and testifieng that the tortures and punishments of former times did nothing at all auaile to extinguish this religion What did then the fiends and enimies of mankinde the popes of Rome What did they So soone as they perceiued that some of the nobles of that realme and furthermore that some of the princes of the blood roiall had tasted of that religion and had reiected the deceits of Bernardo and Dominick so soone as they foresaw that France would by little and little winde hir selfe out of the bondage of the papacie into Christian libertie finally so soone as they saw that so fat a praie would be taken out of their iawes they began to cast new firebrands of ciuill war throughout all parts of France That done when this would not serue they appointed furious massacres and butcheries to the euerlasting discredite of the name of France last of all when they perceiued that euen this way they
vsed long ago c. Where is that principalitie that was long ago giuen to the pope of Rome ouer the churches of the whole world by the emperor Constantine Let vs heare the next generall Synod gathered twentie yéeres after at Chalcedon that is in the yéer of Christ cccclj For when the bishop of Constantinople by reason of the sea of the east empire placed in his citie was sicke of the like and very same disease of ambition whereof our bishop of Rome is now sicke he did effect by his policie and subtil shifts that that mother citie which had so great dignitie should haue a certain priuilege aboue the rest and that he alone should appoint the Metropolitans of Asia Pontus and Thracia Whereby it came to passe that the authoritie of the church of Antiochia so greatly cōmended by Chrysostom and established first in the Nicene Synod and then afterward in the Synod of Constantinople was quite ouerthrowen Also by these deceits it was brought to passe that fower men should be appointed to gouerne the whole world who had metropolitans vnder their dominion or prouince For Africa was granted to the bishop of Alexandria the west to the bishop of Rome and to the bishop of Constantinople almost all that part of Europa and Asia except a few churches which were left to the bishop of Hierusalem for the antiquitie and authorities sake of the citie Therefore when as in times past archbishops patriarks and metropolitans were all one and were called by so many names confusedly somtimes by one somtimes by another afterward there were onely fower archbishops made who were also called patriarks which did beare rule ouer the metropolitans as we haue alreadie said For in the 28. chapter of the same Synod it is thus written And where the lawes of our most holie fathers that follow the same things do we also determine and decree touching the dignitie and excellencie of this most holie Church of Constantinople being newe Rome For our fathers did woorthily giue the first degree of honor to the sea of old Rome bicause that citie did then reigne And vpon like consideration the Cl. bishops louing God most deerly haue giuen like degree of honor to new Rome note these words the most holie sea decreeing for good causes that that citie which hath got so great honor that it should be both the sea of the empire and that it should haue a senate and should haue like degree of dignitie as the old sea of the empire of Rome hath haue euen in ecclesiasticall affaires like honor and dignitie as it hath seeing it is next to it Where did then that principalitie and lordship of the pope of Rome hide it selfe which Constantine gaue him as it is said ouer al Churches Let vs heare the words of the second Synod of Constantinople out of the 36. chapter Renewing those things which were ordained by the 150. fathers which were assembled in this citie preserued by God and in this princely citie and by the sixe hundred and thirtie that were gathered togither in Chalcedon we decree that the sea of Constantinople haue like dignitie with the sea of old Rome and that it be magnified as well as the other in ecclesiastical businesses note these words seeing it is next to that and next to it let be the bishop of the great citie of Alexandria and next to this the bishop of Ierusalem But afterward the number of the archbishops was increased by little and little as pleased the emperors For the emperor Iustinian gaue that honor to the citie of his countrie Nouel 11. where hée writeth thus Being desirous to increase our countrie manie and diuers waies wherein we were borne by the appointment of God we command that the most holie bishop thereof be made not onely a metropolitan but also an archbishop and that certain prouinces be vnder the authority therof that is Dacia that lieth in the continent Dacia that lieth neere the sea coast Mysia the second and Dardania and Preualitana c. Also in the conclusion We decree that the archbishop thereof be ordained by the reuerend councell of metropolitans There were also other cities called by the same name Iustinians cities in Africa Instinians Carthaginensis which the same emperor adioined to the Romane empire in the yland Cyprus Iustiniana the country of his wife Theodora whereto Iustinian gaue like prerogatiue of right honor and dignitie Therefore by these appéereth the manifold impudencie of the popes of Rome first therein bicause in those times they reckon onelie fower patriarchies or archbishops seas also in that that they make their sea to surmount those fower seas do challenge to themselues superiority and iurisdiction ouer them secondly bicause they take to themselues the authoritie and power of those patriarks séeing it appéereth most euidently that that authoritie and power did belong to the emperors all which that they may appéere more plainly and euidently we will content our selues with one onely testimonie of the same Iustinian whose words are these in the 230 Nouel turned into Latin by Iulian Antecessor Therfore we command the most blessed patriarks that is the pope of Rome and of Constantinople and of Alexandria and of Theopolis that is of Antiochia and of Ierusalem seeing that it is a custome c. And by and by And the metropolitans which are consecrated by their counsell or by the most blessed patriarks or by the metropolitanes c. Also Nouel 131. Let the pope of Rome saith he sit aboue all bishops and patriarks and after him the bishop of the citie of Constantinople let the archbishop of the first Iustiniana haue vnder him the bishops of Dacia in the continent and Dacia toward the coast also those of Praeualena and of Dardania and of the vpper Mysia and of Pannonia and also let him bee consecrated by them and let him haue the same priuileges ouer them which the pope of Rome hath ouer the bishops that are placed vnder him Therfore it is euident that in the first times of Christian libertie there were only fower patriarks being all of equall honor dignitie iurisdiction authoritie degrée saue onely that the patriark of Rome sat vppermost in generall Synods bicause of the old dignitie of old Rome and that then the number of the patriarks was increased not by the pope of Rome but by the emperor of Rome so that there were first fiue then six then seuen and last of all eight for we reckoned so manie vnder Iustinian Wherby we will also haue men marke the notorious fraud and impudencie of the pope of Rome in corrupting that 36. chapter of the Synod of Constantinople For in Gratian dist 22. c. renouantes they haue thus translated the Gréeke words of the Synod Renewing the decrees of the holie Councell of Constantinople we craue yea we decrée 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the sea of Constantinople haue like priuileges which the former Rome hath Yet let it not be magnified in
prouince whereby the priests of Christ may both wisely discerne and constantly hold equitie especially bicause it is granted to euerie one if he shall be offended at the iudgement of those that are appointed to heare causes to appeale to the councels of his prouince or also the generall councell vnlesse peraduenture there be any man which doth beleeue that God doth giue by inspiration to some one man the iustice of hearing and examining matters and doth denie it to infinit priests assembled in a synod Or how shall the iudgement giuen beyond the seas be firme whereunto the necessarie persons of witnesses cannot be brought either for infirmitie of sexe or of old age or for many other hinderances that come betweene And as concerning those thrée legats there are grieuous complaints made of them in those verie same letters and especiallie of Faustinus that they had greatly troubled the assemblie when as they feigned that they mainteined the priuileges of the church of Rome Then we sée that euen at that time the wickednes trecherie and impudencie of the pope of Rome was reuealed and that it was conuict and condemned by a generall councell Do we thinke that he did any thing hauing taken away al his enimies or familiars of out Africa and Asia that he might establish in his west parts the power that he did euen then affect And thus much hitherto touching the first cause of the nullitie and incompetencie or insufficiencie of the iudge which notwithstanding that they may be more apparent to the most excellent senators of the kings parlement and to other lawyers we will confirme them with the authoritie of the doctors And first of all with that cōmon saieng of the canonists that The pope is no méete iudge euen in the onely crime of heresie but that it ought to be iudged by others * And Philip Decius C. si papa dist 40. doth constantly auouch that in that case a councell ought not to be gathered by the popes authoritie * The same doth Panormitanus in c. cum venis num 37. extra de iudic and Decius affirme in c. significasti num 4. num 9. de elect But of al other Ludouike of Rome doth most copiouslie and constantly auouch * out of the authoritie of the decrée it selfe that he that in Concil vlt. nu 15. seqq liueth rebelliouslie and refuseth to learne and do good things is rather a member of C. nullus dist 38. in concil 95. vol. 4. Decius cons 115. the deuil than of Christ that he is shewed to be rather an infidel than a beléeuer * The same saith Iason * and Decius * The second Nullitie by reason of the falsenes of the Allegation THerefore we say that the second cause of the nullitie doth consist in the falsenes of the allegation that is in a false cause alleaged which the pope followed in cōceiuing his sentence For the rule of the law is knowen that a sentence pronounced according to false causes false allegations false instruments is voide in law and without any appeale especially where the l. 1. pass C. si ex fals instru l. si praetor 7. D de iudic l. cum vero 2. §. Subuentum De fideic libert l. Seiae 26. D. de tutor cur dat l. 1. §. haec verba D. ne vis siat ei l. 1. C. si ex fals alleg sentence had for the principall cause and foundation the falsenes of the allegation * But pope Sixtus saith that he hath therfore proscribed the king of Nauarre and the prince of Condee bicause they be as he saith notorious heretikes Finely For by this reason if those princes be notorious heretiks then they must be procéeded against with arms and war if they be not notorious heretiks then the proscription and execration is of none importance Let vs sée then for what cause and allegation the foresaid Princes are condemned for heretiks For so great a crime must not be laid to the charge euen of a man of base estate without a great and weighty cause much lesse of so great princes and the kinsmen of so great a king The emperors Gratian Valentinian and Honorius decréed that they be counted heretiks which shall be detected euen by a light argument to erre and go astraie from the iudgement and path of catholike religion * Who can l. 2. c. de haeret Manich. like of and allow that definition For Augustine doth not account those heretiks which defend their opinion though false and pernitious with no stubborne wilfulnes especially which they haue not brought foorth through boldnes of their presumption but haue receiued it from their parents being seduced and fallen into errors and do seeke the truth with warie carefulnes being readie to be reformed when they haue found it as he saith text 24. dist 3. c. dixit Againe Iohn Auentine in the third book of his chronicles left in writing that a certaine bishop of Germanie called Virgil being skilful in mathematical arts was therefore accused of heresie and was called to Rome by pope Zacharie bicause he affirmed that there were Antipodes * That is such as go with their feete toward ours The canonists decréed that he should bée counted an heretike that should not obey all and singular the popes decrées * The gloss dist 10. c. nulli dist 21. pope himselfe hath decréed that he that denieth emperors kings princes and finally euery humane creature to be subiect to the temporall and materiall sword of the bishop of Rome be counted an heretike bicause it is vpon necessitie of saluation to beléeue this that is it is one of the articles C. 1. in fin extr de maior obedient of faith * In the yéere of Christ cxc 8. Victor pope of Rome did therefore pronounce that the East churches were heretiks bicause they thought not the same concerning Easter which his church thought For which cause Ireneus bishop of Lyons did sharpely reprooue that pope as Eusebius doth witnes in his fift booke 26. and Epist 24. What néede many words He is defined to be an heretike in popery which doth not beléeue al those things which are taught for truth in the church of Rome * But we haue before C. nulli dist 19 shewed that this doctrine was deliuered to the Church of Christ of it to be beléeued by the authority and commandement of the popes that Dominic wrought more miracles than Christ and all his apostles that the same Dominic was much more excellent than Christ and all his apostles That Iohn Baptist to whom the holy scripture gaue this title that there was neuer any mortall man vpon earth greater than he was by many degrées inferior to Dominic that cosener We haue shewed furthermore that the popes haue approoued that fable touching the marks of Francis Bernardo and that it is deliuered to the church of Rome to be beléeued and that that wise man that opposeth himselfe
vnder the garment of the virgin Marie touching more and greater miracles done by Dominic and Francis than either by Christ or his Apostles which are such wicked hainous and vngodlie blasphemies that the minds of al the godly do abhor the rehearsal therof Secondly bicause hauing taken to himselfe lordship and princely power ouer the whol church and vsing ministers and officers dukes and purpled cardinals to defend him and furnish him he professed himselfe to be the captaine and prince of a new faction and synagog Last of all bicause being about fower hundred whole yéers ago requested by the praiers of al Christian princes and admonished to admit some amendement and reformation he did prowdlie reiect their request and precepts Of which not to fet testimonies far surely the memorie of our fathers and grandfathers may be a witnes out of the councell of Constance Basil Florence and Trent in which last false and erronious doctrines were not only not taken away but also more and more confirmed so that no man can now doubt but that these thrée markes whereby we said a little before an heritike is discerned from one whose iudgement is sound do most euidently appéere in the pope of Rome Which things séeing they are so we thinke that it is now euident enough of what importance this accusation of pope Sixtus ought to be with the counsellers of the French king whereto the most part of Europe hath subscribed it selfe also we vnderstand of what authoritie this accusation by him made against the king of Nauarre and prince of Condie ought to be with them For to cut his throat as they saie with his owne sword lo in his owne decrées 24. distinct 1. it is euerie where in manie testimonies set downe that he that is fallen into heresie cannot depriue any man of his office or insnarle him in any sentence as in c. acasius If therefore a bishop saith he be fallen into an heresie alreadie condemned being condemned by an ancient excommunication he cannot condemn others For he that is excōmunicate cannot excommunicate others Which self-same thing is confirmed in that which followeth by this reason being added thereto For the power to binde or loose was giuen by the Lord to true not to false priests And in the chapter following Peters priuilege remaineth wheresoeuer sentence is giuen according to his equitie Hereto belongeth that which Iason writeth in his 145. councell requisitus num 3. vol. 2. That the pope cannot depose any man placed in dignitie without cause bicause the power granted to Peter to feed the sheepe of Christ is not extended to kill them c. in nouo 21. dist for Peters power continueth so long as he iudgeth truely and doth not erre with the keies * The self-same writeth d. c. manet c. Abba * Also Iason writeth more plain in in c. vlt. col pe vlt. de confi vtil vel inut in c. constitutus col 3. de relig dom in c. vlt. de postul praelat in c. de multa de praebend his 95. councell requisitus vol. 4. When as saith he the pope is guiltie of heresie seeing he may for this crime be deposed c. si papa 40. dist by this he ceaseth to be pope seeing he is without the catholike church according to the notes by Innocentius in c. ex parte de verb. sig in like sort when the pope shal be a notorious criminal person intangled in greeuous crimes so that he doth offend the church c. Also col 3. But the old glosse held more strōgly than the whole world alleageth in d. c. si papa that the pope may be accused for another fault as symonie or adulterie which is notorius and the pope being admonished cannot be reformed so that he offendeth the church of God seeing he is counted as an heretike and so the pope may be accused and punished not onely for the cause of heresie but also for anie other crime wherein the pope committeth excesse offending the church if it be notorious and the pope cannot be reformed bicause notable disobedience is counted heresie wherefore as the pope may be accused for heresie and condemned so likewise for any notorious crime wherein he is incorrigible Moreouer Felinus saith * The pope which is not canonicallie in c. Ego N. de iureiur elect is a deuill not hauing the keies of the kingdome of heauen but of hell The third Nullitie by reason of the want of iudiciall order LEt vs now come to the third cause of nullitie which we said to be the want of forme iudiciall order For as in times past the great orator saide what is more vnséemely than that iudgement should be giuen of his life and of all his goods who was neither commanded to be present nor yet cited nor accused We shewed before that this forme and order of ecclesiasticall iudgement was appointed by Christ and his Apostles in iudging heretikes first that they should be sometimes conuict of their error then if they would not obey not one but many and often admonitions of the church but would as saith Augustine stubburnely resist and perseuere in their error then they should be counted as enimies and profane persons Therefore admonitions are necessarie and a solemne and lawful hearing of the cause God was not ignorant what Adam and Eua had committed against his commandement or inhibition Yet he called both of them foorth and made as it were a question and hearing of the cause and then at length he gaue sentence against them after they were conuict The same God being a most seuere punisher of wickednes was not ignorant with how great and how vile wickednes the Sodomites and Gomorrheans had defiled themselues But yet notwithstanding that he might shew an example of equitie to mortall men that are iudges he tooke vpon him to heare the cause and he said that he would descend and know Which thing likewise the canonists haue in many words euery where deliuered in 1. q. 2. but specially in c. Deus omnipotens But moreouer the same scripture doth in another place testifie that the elders of the people of the Iewes who iudged matters at the foote of the mount Sinay gaue not sentence before they had heard both parties and vntill both parties had laied downe their matter Moreouer the Iewes though they did malitiously séeke to put Christ to death and to destroie him yet they kept the vsual order of iudgements so that they accused him before Caiphas the highest priest and a competent iudge and then they did bring him before the iudgement seat of the same high priest after they had caught him and also they did bring foorth witnesses for their accusation Therefore both sides laid downe their cause and the opinions of those that sat with the highest priest were asked and then at length iudiciall order being kept the condemnation was pronounced But what néed more testimonies When the woman was taken in adulterie as
cōmitted to him It followeth Casting down from their throne those that are mightier he throweth them downe euen to the ground as ministers of proud Lucifer How madlie the drunken frier inuadeth the place of Isaias * which doth properlie Ch. 14. concerne the popes of Rome and the vniuersall priests of the church For Gregorie the great doth plainly testifie that vnder the person of Nabuchadnosor the vniuersal pope is described For in hel there are brought in the damned kings princes comming out as it were to méete the pope and to welcome him comming vnto them after his death and mocking him thus Hell was afraide bicause of thee against the meeting of thy comming al the princes of the earth that are dead arise to thee All the kings of the nations rise out of their throns and they speak vnto thee on this wise Art thou also become weake as one of vs and art thou become like to vs Thy pride is drawne vnto the hell O Lucifer when didst thou fall from heauen thou sonne of the morning and art cut downe to the earth that didst terrifie the nations But thou saidst in thine hart I will clime vp into heauen I will exalt my throne aboue the stars of heauen I will clime vp aboue the height of the cloud and will become like to the most highest Those that see thee shall saie Is this he that troubled the earth and did shake kingdoms Now let vs heare Gregorie out of his fourth booke of Epistles ch 82. where he applieth that place of Isaias vnto him that did professe himselfe to be pope and vniuersall bishop I will clime vp saith he aboue the height of the clowdes I will be like to the most highest For what are all thy brethren the bishops of the vniuersall church but stars of heauen Before whom whiles thou couetest to set thy selfe by a worde of pride and to tread their name vnder foote in comparison of thee what else dost thou say but I will clime vp into heauen I will exalt my seat aboue the stars of heauen Whom whiles your brotherhood despising them doth go about to tread vnder foote what other thing saith it but this which the old enimie saith I will clime vp aboue the height of the clowds Al which things when I behold weeping c. By which words it is vnderstood that the place of Isaias concerning Lucifer cast downe into the neather most part of the earth and of his crueltie thrust downe into hell doth not belong to the most noble king of Nauarre than whom the sunne beholdeth nothing more méeke more gentle but vnto our Polyphemus Sixtus the fift and vnto his pride in treading vnder-foote the maiestie of kings But if we must cut the throat of this gyant with his owne sword lo we haue a plaine text in his owne decrée * where it is thus written Lucifer de poeniten dist 2. §. qui vero reprobi whiles that he presumed of himselfe in pride he was cast downe from paradyse into hell Also * Whiles Nabuchadnosor waxing proud in 23. q. 5. §. hinc notandum his hart said Is not this Babylon which I haue built c. God did foorthwith change his reasonable mind and he changed him into the forme of beastlines so that flieng from men he liued with beasts Which words he reciteth referring them vnto the pope which we wil haue especially noted and he commendeth Ludouike of Rome * But now let vs procéed in cons vlt. num 2. to the rest after we haue added that one thing out of the 38. leafe of the booke of the Conformities bicause mention is made of the seat of Lucifer The peace making Frier being caught vp into heauen whether in the bodie or without the bodie God knoweth let the readers consider how wickedly the vile munk doth mock the words of Paul and he saw in heauen manie seates amongst which he saw one higher than his fellowes bedeckt with pretious stone And he heard a voice saieng to him This was Lucifers seate and in his place shall humble Francis sit And this surely is that which we said before that Francis Bernardo togither with the rest of his stage plaiers and comicall mates shall haue a place in Lucifers kingdome so that we néed not greatly dispute whether Francis or pope Sixtus the fift a bishop of the order of Francis is worthie the seate It followeth in the bull According to the care for all chruches people and nations that lieth vpon vs. Good Lord What a burden hath our great cowled Frier taken vpon him séeing he hath taken vp vpon his shoulders the care both for all churches and people nations We will héerafter cease to woonder what is the cause that painters haue in his image painted the form of one that stoupeth Scarce Atlas who they say held vp heauen did beare a heauier burden What shall then become of vs if the pope begin to faint and faile vnder that so great a burden which he complaineth to lie vpon his shoulders alone They say that the cause of a certain melancholy persons gréefe was bicause he was afraid least Atlas who had so long borne so great a burden should at length sinke vnder it But we thinke it good to set downe in this place a certaine pleasant narration of William Budeus a man as I said before that loued his countrie and was very learned touching these Atlasses out of his fift booke De Asse A certain pleasant and merie preacher saith he was woont not long ago to cauill at them and to say that they seemed to him to be such as are those corbat images in churches which are set vpon posts or pillers For as we see some of these images as it were yeelding vnder their burden which are either in stead of corbats or else they reach without the mortesses of the corbats and they seeme to one that beholdeth them as if they tooke great paines and swet with bearing the worke whereas indeed they are without feeling and they help the strength of the stones nothing howsoeuer they seeme to take great paines so we see these Atlasses set and placed vpon the very tops of the pillers in the temple of the Lord hauing indeed that false honor and maiestie of titles like reuerend old men and their custome is to pretend holines and to beare a faire shew of reuerend old men that vnderprop the Lords sanctuarie but when we behold their blockish ignorance or dissolute carelesnes it is euident that they do no more good than images of stone But it séemeth that we ought not to omit that which Antoninus archbishop of Florence whom we haue sundry times before mentioned hath taught vs that when as long ago the pope began to faint vnder so great a burden there were some found that did vnderprop him with their shoulders namely Dominican Friers For he writeth thus * Dominic Histor. part 3. tit 23. §. 3. fol. 191. went
this was the cause that Ferdinando did cast out the king his neighbor though he did also pretend another bicause both the king of France and those that did aid him were pronounced accursed by the popes edict and their kingdoms were made common Thus writeth Ferronus whereby we may coniecture what great danger hangeth ouer the most noble princes of Germanie and so consequently ouer all the kings of Europe by reason of that so néere a conspiracie of the popes and the Spanish inquisition For by this short cut any munke so he be of a craftie and subtill nature hauing taried some time in Spain as this our Sixtus and hauing béene conuersant with the inquisitors of Spaine may make such a bargain and league with them that if through their fauor and commendation he may obtaine the popedome then he may pronounce what king or prince soeuer he will a schismatike or heretike taking to him any occasion he may adiudge to them his kingdom opened and committed as a fée to the sea of Rome Therefore we are to wish that we may once haue some king giuen vs that may be of a valiant courage that he may thrust this whoore of Babylon out of hir seat and may at length rid the Church of Christ from so long and miserable seruitude and restore hir to hir former libertie and dignitie which courage that king of ours Ludouike the twelfth who was called the parent of the countrie being wearie of that bondage tooke vpon him when after that furious curse of pope Iulius he commanded French crownes to be coined in France with this inscription Ludouike 12. by the grace of God king of France duke of Mediolanum And then on the other side the armes of France and Mediolanum ioined togither with this inscription I will destroy Babylon Of which name if happily any man be ignorant let him read the Reuelation of Iohn ch 17. and Hierom in his catalog where he maketh mention of Mark and writeth plainly that Peter did figuratiuely vnderstand Rome by Babylon in his former epistle * Ch. 5. Also in the prolog of his booke touching the holie Ghost where he doth plainly call Rome Babylon and that purple whoore which is described in the Reuelation Which thing he doth likewise confirme vpon Esay c. 14. and againe c. 47. and vnto Aglasia in the 11. question For which cause Paula also and Eustochium in that epistle which they wrote vnto Marcellus do in like sort call Rome Babylon and no whit more obscurely Hierom in his epistle When I was at Babylon saith he a citizen of the purple whoore c. The conclusion of the former protestation THese things therefore being thus set down it remaineth that we conclude this reason Séeing pope Sixtus the fift hath béen condemned by the most part of Christendome of seauen most gréeuous crimes namely of impietie of vsing tyrannie in the Church of corrupt religion sacrilege treason rebellion and forgerie and séeing that hauing followed the insolencie boldnes and crueltie of those that went before him he hath published this most mad decrée contrarie to all lawes diuine and humane vsing false allegations and that without any iudiciall order yea foolishly blockishly impudently against the most excellent king of Nauarre and most noble prince of Condie and hath burdened them with filthie and geason reproches of words forasmuch as he called them sonnes of wrath obstinate heretiks notorious relapsed such as lie tumbling in filth rebels against the most Christian king persecutors of the Church a detestable issue traitors against God and man and did for these causes depriue them of their principalities dukedoms lordships fées and all honors and of the right of lawfull succession in the realme of France and forasmuch as this his old and outragious boldnes of abiudging and adiudging of kingdoms doth plainly appertaine vnto all kings princes and potentates of Europe and it is to be feared least those that shall be desirous of other mens kingdoms will lay wait for peaceable and quiet princes héerafter by this policie of excommunications or proscriptions for these causes the foresaid princes protest that the same pope Sixtus the fift is to be counted a wicked periured sacrilegious person a tyrant an author of feigned religions a cruell and bloodie murderer of the Church of Christ an importunate and wicked enimie of religion and to be most assuredly Antichrist and that al monarchs of Christendome kings princes potentates and those that haue any gouernment or lawful power are to be requested and earnestly intreated that they will helpe these most roiall princes to suppresse the furie of this fierce tyrant and to breake in péeces his cruell and furious assaults and that they will lay their heads togither and ioine togither their forces to extinguish that plague of mankind and to deliuer the Christian commonwealth from that monstrous and deadly monster In the meane season that the foresaid pope Sixtus the fift ought for his intollerable reprochfull words which he hath powred out against our foresaid princes with a beastly mind to be accounted and called of al Christians a most hidious monster a most filthy monster and a monster not woorthie to be bestowed euen in the farthest parts of the world but such a one as ought to be banished out of the coasts and borders of mans nature as a most certaine notorious and manifest Antichrist to whose accursed head all Christians ought to wish an euill plague ruine and destruction that so long as any breth shall remaine in his accursed bodie so long he may be to all the godlie Anathema Maranata as saith the holie Ghost And least happily any of vs do thinke this to be a new and vnwoonted kind of curse we will desire the readers that they will first of all remember those places which we cited before specially out of the books of Saint Bernard where the papacie of Rome is flatly plainly by name called Antichrist the sonne of perdition the man of sinne a diuell not onely of the day but also of the noone day who is not onely transfigured into an angell of light but is extolled aboue al that is called God or that is worshipped Now Hierom calleth Rome Babylon and the purpled whoore Secondly that they read and attentiuely consider the most holie sanction of the popes decrée * where it is ordained In c. 2. dist 23. c. si quis pecunia dist 79. that He which by monie or fauor of men such as it is manifest this frier had in the west parts or by tumult of the people or by anie pollicie that is by ambition and euill arts shall attaine to the papacie let him be accounted not apostolicall but apostaticall and let him togither with his fautors and followers be cast out of the bounds of the holie Church of God being thence separated as Antichrist and as an inuader and destroier of all Christendome Whereto the canonists durst with great consent subscribe and openly professe thus