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 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
being frée and at libertie he might detest that which he had done being inforced by violence and feare It followeth He hath often raised vp heretiks rebels and seditious persons to beare armes against the most Christian king against him and the rest of the catholikes This Latin of the popes agréeth with the rest of his subtilties The king of Nauarre raised heretiks against the most christian king against him and the rest of the catholikes But let vs rather marke the meaning of these words For the king of Nauarre did neuer beare weapon against the most Christian king but against the popes conspirators and the companions of the popes tyranny his adiutors and ministers and finally against the authors of periurie and treacherie as the king himselfe hath most plainly testified in very many edicts tending to pacification Therefore our chiefe cowled frier doth wicked iniurie in this place to the most mightie kings of France séeing he durst charge their maiestie with lieng by whom it hath béen so often declared in edicts tending to pacification that those that tooke part with the king of Nauarre prince of Condie made war not against them but that it was taken in hand for preseruation of their dignitie and state It followeth He hath compelled his subiects with threatnings and strokes * to take the same capescere impietatem impietie To take the same impietie is a kind of popish eloquence But that any man was inforced these twenty yéers to change his religion either by those that tooke part with the King of Nauarre or Prince of Condie is as true as it is certaine and sure that neuer any beast in the brothel-houses of Rome was more impudent than Sixtus the fift in powring out lies Though it be well and we must thanke this pope that he accuseth those by whom silly captiues were inforced by threatenings and stripes to change their religion For as Lactantius wrote most truly religion cannot be inforced the thing must be done rather by words than stripes But bicause Lactantius doth so dispute in that place that he séemeth purposely to handle the cause both of the king of Nauarre and also of the French churches it is woorth the paines to heare his reasons The aduersaries saith he do feigne that they giue counsell to godlie men and that they would call them backe to a good mind Do they then seeke to do this by any speech or by any reason they render No surely but by violence and torments O strange and blind madnes it is thought there is an euill mind in them which go about to keep faith but in the hangman a good Is there an euill mind in those which are pluckt in peeces contrarie to the law of humanitie against all right Or rather in those which do these things to the bodies of innocents which neither most cruell robbers nor most angrie enimies nor most furious barbarians haue at any time done And by and by after And bicause they can do nothing by violence for the more the religion of God is depressed the more is it increased let them rather deale by reason and exhortations Let the bishops and such as are priests and prelates of religions come foorth Let them call vs togither to an assemblie These are the daily requests of the king of Nauarre and such as haue often béene deliuered to the king of France Let them draw out the sharpnes of their wit If their reason be true let it be brought we are readie to heare if they teach vs. Surely we giue no credence to them so long as they keepe silence as we yeeld not one inch when they rage Let them imitate vs or let them lay downe the reason of the whole matter For we do not intise as they obiect but we teach allow shew Therefore we retaine no man against his will For he is vnprofitable for God which wanteth faith and deuotion And yet no man departeth the truth hir selfe retaining him Let them teach thus haue they any confidence of the truth let them speake learne I say let them be so bold as to dispute any such thing with vs surely the old women whom they contemne and our boies shall now laugh at and mocke their error and follie What fitter thing and more appertinent to the state of these our times could Lactantius write for the king of Nauarre and French churches He procéedeth Butcherie and godlines are greatly contrarie neither can either truth be ioined with violence or iustice with crueltie Thus far goeth Lactantius wherby appéereth plainly how well the lawes of those old churches and of our churches agrée togither It followeth in the bul He sent a certaine deere friend of his being furnished with wicked pollicies without the borders of France by whom he imparted his wicked counsels with the chiefe heretiks and he prouoked their forces and arms against the catholike religion and the power of the bishop of Rome It is nothing appertinent to declare whom our frier meaneth in these words onely we will say thus much Though he whom he calleth the déere friend of the king of Nauarre holdeth a place méete for his birth among the greatest noble men of France and pope Sixtus the fift came of late out of the beggerie and filth of friers yet will not that noble man disdaine to charge him with an impudent lie and to send him sir reuerence of the hearers this paper of defiance if he will haue anie taken out of the 51. leafe of his conformities The diuell tempted Ruffine saieng Thou art damned and Francis himselfe is damned whosoeuer followeth him is deceiued Which when Ruffinus had told Francis Francis answered If he appeere againe and say any thing againe tell him namely the diuell Open thy mouth and I will vntrusse a poynt in it Afterward as Ruffinus did pray the diuel appeered to him again in the likenes of Christ saieng Brother Ruffinus did not I tel thee that thou shouldest not beleeue the sonne of Peter Bernardo Why dost thou vex thy selfe and streightway Ruffinus said to him Open thy mouth and I will vntrusse a poynt in it Then the diuell being displeased departed from him in a rage and with a tempest Sir reuerence as we said before of the hearers But the impudent mouth of that frier should haue béen stopped with this short answer For neither did that noble man at any time make any mention of making war before either any kings or princes but onely of establishing loue and brotherlie good wil amongst the reformed churches Though who doth not sée how profitable it is for all Christendome that that wicked and bloodie murtherer of the Church of Christ that author and defender of feigned religions that he who is conuict of treading vnder foote the maiestie of kings and the most certaine firebrand of our countrie should be quite rooted out of the land of the liuing It gréeueth him indéed to be robbed of so great tributes which héertofore he had
tender regard of his poore Church in this corner of the world grant vnto you that in the end returning home you may be receiued with such ioifull acclamations and songs of triumph as Dauid was by the daughters of Israel after his victorious subduing of the Lords enimies and in the life to come may be crowned with those pretious blessings which are reserued for them that to the vttermost of their power helpe the Lord against the mightie Your Honors most bounden and at commandement in the Lord CHR. FETHERSTONE London The third of October 1586. To the Reader CHristian Reader my onely drift and purpose in translating this Treatise was to acquaint my countriemen who are not skilfull in the Latine toong with such papall practises as are heerin described The title wherof being in the Latin copie BRVTVM FVLMEN I was first of opinion that I might well english it THE BRVTISH THVNDERBOLT But when I remembred with my selfe that words are no otherwise currant than as they are allowed by vse and the philosopher giueth good aduise when he saith Loquendum Arist. Top. 2. cum vulgo sentiendum cum sapientibus Our speech must be such as is commonly vsed howsoeuer our thoughts be the thoughts of the wiser sort and it hath not bin lawfull for the emperors themselues to giue as it were freedome of citie to words in Rome when they might enfranchise what persons they listed without controlement I would not aduenture to be the first coiner of so strange a terme strange indeed in respect of that sense to which it was to be applied without better warrant than I haue anie and therefore I haue expressed the authors meaning in some other maner thus THE FEEBLE FIER-FLASH that is * Bruta fulmina vana vt quae nulla veniant ratione naturae Plin. lib. 2. cap. 43. dull of force vaine and whereof no sufficient cause can be giuen in reason For such now a daies who knoweth not are those ordinarie anathematicall lightenings that breake foorth from the see of Rome as the Poet in his Aeneis attributeth to king Salmoneus Virgil. Aeneid 6. which may happely amaze and seduce the harts of them that haue bin all their liues long noosled vp in superstition error but as manie as God hath enabled by his grace to trie spirits they make no more reckoning of such foolish flames than they that walke in the night do account of that fire which is commonly called Ignis fatuus by which no wise man would suffer himselfe to be misled For the rest I submit all my trauell to thy gentle and curteous inteâ—preâ—â—â—â—on I haue done what I might seeing what I would I could not by reason of sicknes 〈◊〉 vpon me In which respect I shall the 〈◊〉 pardon for those sundrie ouersights which haue escaped me for want of sufficient conference with my friends Onely I praie thee let not the tedious narrations of Dominick and Francis setdowne almost in the first entrance keepe thee backe from wading through the whole worke No doubt but the author himselfe was halfe ashamed to make recitall of such grosse stuffe and absurd follies sauing that he had good reason to do that he did partly in respect of the present Pope and partly bicause such beastly vanities are highly esteemed in the church of Rome I confesse that the Iesuits are not altogither so palpablie grosse in outward shew howbeit he that listeth to take a taste of their extreem impudencie in lying may read * To which Melch. Canus applieth their common countrie prouerbe De luengas vias luengas mentiras their letters written from Iapan and the Indies with many other reports set downe in the life of their father Ignatius Layâ—â—â— full of like vanity They haue learned to lay fairer colors on their filthie corruptions to dazell the eies of the simple and ignorant But remooue those colours and they will quickly appeere to be birds of the same nest Their first Founder was neuer yet of greater name and fame than Dominic holie S. Francis Their doctrine vowes rules profession either the same in substance or not very much differing The other had their time of florishing in the world and so must these haue likewise till they returne backe againe to the bottomles pit out of the smoke wherof they ascended Reuel 9. 2. 3. to giue place peraduenture to some other new vpstart progenie of Locusts by whom the light of their credit also shal be obscured quite extinguished The Lord make vs thankfull for all his mercies towards vs and either conuert or confound the enimies of his euerlasting truth Thy brother in Christ Christoph. Fetherstone The blessings of our most holie Lord Pope Sixtus the fift against the King of Nauarre and the Prince of Condie Pag. 2. We exercise the weapons of our warfare against two sonnes of wrath Henrie Borbon sometimes King of Nauarre and also against Henrie Borbon sometimes Prince of Condie The former hauing from his youth followed heresies hath stood stubbornely in defence therof Pag. 4. The same lieng wallowing in filth being the head captaine and patrone of heretiks and rebels hath borne weapon against his most Christian king against him and the rest of the catholiks he hath with violence inforced his subiects to become partners in his impietie he hath caused conuenticles of heretiks to be kept Pag. 6. The Prince of Condie hauing two heretiks for his parents hauing followed the heresies of his father and mother entring the way of his father being a most wicked persecutor of the catholike church shewed himselfe an author of ciuil war and sedition he vsed alkind of fiercenes and crueltie being the detestable and degenerate issue of the house of Borbon Pag. 8. We pronounce them to be heretiks relapsed into heresies to be impenitent captains and fauorers of heretiks guiltie of treason against God and also to be enimies to the Christian faith that they are depriued and put from the former of and from the kingdome of Nauarre that the other and the posteritie of either of them are depriued of all principalities dukedoms lordships and fees honors and princelie offices that they were and are vnfit and vncapable to retaine the same In the same Page And in like sort that they are depriued vncapable vnfit to succeed in dukedoms principalities and kingdoms and specially in the kingdome of France and moreouer and besides of that high authoritie we haue we do depriue them and their posteritie for euer and we make them vnable to succeede in dukedoms principalities lordships and kingdoms namely in the kingdome of France Pag. 9. We absolue set free the Nobles feodaries vassals and al other which by any maner means are sworne to them from all such oth and dutie of faith and alleageance we forbid them that they presume not to obeie them In the same Page We admonish and exhort the most Christian king of France that he be diligent in executing our
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
or to sing and say their masses furnished and armed with brest-plates helmets tergats swords with other weapons Onely so Yea saith he as the emperor his power is adorned with diuers offices of chamberlaines door-keepers and garders so we wil haue the holie church of Rome garded and adorned and that they ride vpon horses most white and that like as our senate vseth shooes with latchets * so let them be clad in most white linnen Is there any of so great a number of the Senators of the king of France who when he remembreth the humilitie and modestie of Christ and his apostles doth not with all praiers detest this pride and hautines of the popes Moreouer he saith that if the pope will choose any of Constantines senators into the order of the clergie let them not proudly refuse that honor With a mischiefe what tyrannous barbarisme is this that it is lawful for any college of clerks to choose at their pleasure any one of the order of the senators whom they will also make a clerke or munke against his will He procéedeth and that the lawiers may remember that a doubled spéech hath greater force he saith again that he giueth both his pallace and citie of Rome and the prouinces places and cities of all Italie and of the west countries to all the popes of Rome vntil the end of the world Moreouer he adioineth the forme of his grant and deliuery that he may afterward translate himselfe vnto the East countries hauing left the empire of the West in the popes possession and that he may place the sea of his empire in Bizantia adding moreouer a very fit cause Bicause saith he it is an vnmeet thing that an earthly king should beare rule in that countrie where the head of Christian religion and the principalitie of priests is placed by the king of heauen He did excellently make himselfe the beginning of this sentence for in the time of Constantine that is two hundred yéeres before Iustinian the deliuerance of the emptie possession was requisite to make a donation but there be many other things that do disturbe the matter First bicause if Constantine gaue to Syluester the emptie possession of that countrie he could not afterward in his will leaue it to his sonne Constantius séeing the alienation of any thing made among those that are aliue doth leaue no place for making anie will l. 6. c. de test l. sequens 52. D. de leg 2. thereof * But if the donation were made after that diuision made among his sons it was plainly void and of none effect bicause the diuision that a father maketh among his sonnes hath the force of a testament l pen. l. vlt. C. fam excisc cum similibus and therefore of a last will Secondly with what godlines could Constantine who had thrée sonnes and two daughters do so great iniurie to his children as to depriue them of halfe their inheritance and to giue the same to a stranger especially to a wretch and vile person For that is a pretie saieng of Augustine Whosoeuer he be that will disinherit his sonne and make the church his heire let him seek another to take it than Augustine Where also the fact of that 17. q. vlt. c. vlt. bishop is cōmended who restored al again to a certaine testator who hauing no children left his goods to the church then afterward had children contrarie to his hope and expectation Which selfe same thing is set downe 13. q. 2. c. si quis irascitur But nothing is so ridiculous as is that reason of his purpose which the counterfet Constantine addeth That it is vnmeet that in the same citie wherein a priest sitteth as chiefe the emperor should haue the sea of his empire Wo to thy head most holie hangman For what shall we say of Salomon of Aza of Iozia and other godlie kings of the Israelites who placed the sea of their kingdome at Ierusalem What of Theodosius who had his at Mediolanum But that we may not go far for examples what shall we say of Constantius sonne to Constantinus who according to his fathers testament did not onely exercise his empire and iurisdiction at Rome but also he put from the popedome and thrust out of Rome pope Liberius for taking vpon him the defence of Anastasius a bishop a certaine magician sacrilegious person as Theodoricus Zozomenus and Ammian Marcellin lib. 15 haue left it written But now let vs returne to our purpose for last of all there is a fearfull decrée set downe If any saith he of our successors shall be a violater or contemner let him be subiect to eternall damnation being insnarled and let him burne in the neathermost hell with the diuell and the wicked But Constantine brought this curse first vpon himselfe who as we said euen now in his last wil gaue the empire of the West to his eldest son finally he was bound with the same curse whosoeuer possessed as his owne either the West or any part of the West either by the name of king or duke or by any other name And by this reason there hath béene none that hath béene king either of France or Spain héertofore that burneth not in the neathermost hel with the diuell and all the wicked And now can we find any so ignorant of the Latin toong that séeth not that the maner of spéech which the writer of the same instrument vseth is far vnlike to the custome of that age Which part of reprehension Platina did not omit in that Syluester But Laurentius Valla a man of most sharpe iudgement in this kinde did more at large prosecute it Whereto we will adioine this one thing if anie man consider the maner of phrase wherein the lawes of Constantine are written in the booke of Theodosianus and Iustinian he shal soone perceiue without any great ado that this instrument came out of the same shop which we shewed before out of the Conformities of Francis or out of the life of Dominick And we must not passe ouer with silence another cosoning knacke of a certain latter pope of Leo the 10. as it séemeth who to the end he might with some color couer that corruptiō of spéech basenes of stile he heaped falsehood vpon falsehood For he suborned a certaine hungrie Grecian called Bartholomew Picernus and afterward Augustine Steuchus the maister of his librarie to saie that they found in I cannot tell what librarie of the popes that instrument written in the Gréeke toong and that then they translated it somwhat more fitly into the Latine toong Which inuention Gregorie the 13. hath now of late confirmed in the last edition of the decrée of Gratian. But all the lawes of Constantine are extant in the foresaid bookes of Theodosianus and Iustinian written in the Latin toong though they were published both at Constantinople and in a citie of the Grecians and among the Grecians Furthermore Eusebius in his thirde booke
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
saith the scripture as the déed was a doing and there was none to accuse hir and to bring foorth witnesses then said Christ Neither Iohn 8. saith he will I condemne thée being not conuict * Also in another place when as vpon a certain day the Iewes would haue condemned Christ before they had heard him then Nicodemus rebuked them in these words Doth our lawe condemne anie man before he be heard and his fact knowen Finally there is nothing whereof the olde patrons of the Christians and amongst these Tertullian Arnobius Augustine Lactantius do so greatly complain as that the heathen men did euery where rashly condemne the Christians being vnheard and before their cause was knowen But pope Sixtus and his assessors the cardinals haue followed the rashnes of these Ethnikes in this most mad declaration when as with certaine barbarous and giantlike arrogancie they condemned the foresaide most excellent king of Nauarre and most noble prince of Condie I do not say being vnheard but not so much as commanded to be present or cited But peraduenture some man will say these Princes were condemned not simplie as heretiks but iointly as notorious and manifest heretiks For they are oftentimes thus called in many places in that furious declaration But this law is receiued among the canonists that in manifest and notorious crimes there néedeth none accusation and C. manifesta ccc seqq 2. q. 1. iudiciall order * Wherupon they wil haue this conclusion follow séeing the foresaid Princes do manifestly and openly professe that they are fallen from the sea of Rome there néeded no citation or accusation or hearing of the cause to condemne them But we may easily answer this obiection for the answere is thréefold The first is that the pope taketh that to himselfe as granted which the most part of Christendome doth stoutly denie him that the religion of the foresaid princes and of so many other kings and nobles which thinke the same thing is heretical and that therfore it is an absurd thing that those should be called notorious heretiks which are not euen heretiks The other answer is that all those points of the decrée of Gratian. 1. q. 1. which can be obiected to vs do in no point appertaine vnto the crime of heresie but as pope Nicolas saith * vnto the c. 16. works of the flesh which as he addeth out of the apostle are manifest as manslaughter robberie whooredome incest adulterie and such like Neither shal there in all these places any word be found touching the crime of heresie which crime doth differ from the works of the flesh and other wicked déeds therein bicause in condemning heresie the correction and amendement of the person is sought which Paul doth therefore call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vsing the same word or name which Plato giueth to that chastisement which is vsed for amendements sake for in other punishments the amendement of the person is not sought but there is an example giuen to others that men with feare of like punishment may be terrified from doing euill For which cause the same Plato calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a publike example * Agell 6. c. 4. Plato in Gorg. Therefore though a man wander in some article of religion yea do manifestly erre and slide yet he must not foorthwith be either excommunicate or as Augustine saith be accounted in the number of exercising enimies but he must be once and often admonished chastened taught neither must he be remooued from the fellowship of the faithfull vntil he shew himselfe rebellious and stubborne and to vse the words of the same Augustine do stubbornly resist the Church Wherfore séeing that the foresaid Princes do neither professe any doctrine dissenting from the rule of faith as we said before but do most carefully imbrace the fower forenamed councels neither yet haue bin reprehēded by any apostolike church which as Tertullian defineth it hath perseuered in the doctrine of the apostles neither yet haue shewed themselues stubborne in learning but if they be conuict of any error are readie to amend it we conclude without any delay that we haue abundantly satisfied the cause of Nullitie set down by vs in the third place To what end should I vse many words For euen by the law of the canonists all this declaration of the pope is prooued to be vniust and void forsomuch as when an excommunication is sent out for no iust cause and without obseruing the iudiciall order then the curse of the excommunication is said to redound vpon the head of him that accurseth Touching an vniust cause there be testimonies extant in the writings of Augustine * where in c. temerarium eodem he thus writeth Rash iudgement doth for the most part hurt him nothing vpon whom iudgment is rashly giuen but him that iudgeth rashly must the rashnes of necessitie hurt Also in the chapter following What doth it hurt a man that mans ignorance will blot him out of that table if so be it an euill conscience do not blot him out of the booke of the liuing Thinke of Augustine what thou wilt onely let not my conscience accuse me in the eies of God c. Etsi these things are cited out of the same Augustine Though thou bee condemned of man for a time the earthly seat is one and the heauenlie throne another thing from the lower he receiueth sentence from the higher a crowne Also out of the same Augustine * 11. q. 3. c. Episcopi c. nemo c. certum c. ex parte cap cum olim De sente excom I in c. illud planè will say that boldly and not rashly that if anie of the faithfull shall be vniustly accursed it shall rather hurt him that doth than him that suffereth this iniurie For the holie Ghost dwelling in the saints by whom euerie man is bound or loosed doth not punish any man vndeseruedly But in iudiciall order is required first citation then the stubbornnes of him that is cited * Host. in sum tit de sent excomm num 7. gloss in c. statuimus codem tit in 6. As for example saith Hostiensis if any man being commanded or admonished will not amend his wickednes * cap. ad nostr De consuet vbi concord in gloss Furthermore it is requisite that the excommunicator be a competent iudge otherwise the excommunication of an insufficient iudge is none * c. solet c. venerabilem per tuas eod tit in 6. Thirdly if the excommunicat person haue lawfully appealed or in stead of appealing haue fitly protested * For he that alledgeth no sentence though he desire not to be absolued but as it falleth out in this matter shewing lawful causes of Nullity especially so many and so lawfull he must be heard and in the meane season the sentence is suspended as the same canonists do commonly teach * in d. c. per tuas in d. c. solet In
of Nauarre his kinsman and subiect For in the yéere M. DXI. at which time that war whereof we spake before waxed hot betwéen pope Iulius the second and Ludouike the 12. king of France who was called father of his countrie and that same furious tyrant went about to terrifie him with his vaine thunderbolts and had made his kingdome a praie and spoile to him that could get it Iohn great grandfateer to this our Henrie reigned in Nauarre He forasmuch as he both was in the realme of France and was neighbor to the French king and also by reason of the great fées he had in his realme was his client and vassall was requested by king Ludouike that he would aide him against his enimie according to the right of senioritie and ordinances of seruiceable clientships The king of Nauarre being not vnmindfull of his dutie toward the king hauing with all spéed mustered and gathered bands of footemen and horsemen in his kingdom he brought so great an armie into the borders of France that he left his realme in a maner naked and destitute of men Which thing being knowen pope Iulius determined foorthwith to deale by messengers with Ferdinando king of Spaine to whom he then first of all gaue the sirname of Catholike anno 1492. that with all spéede he should make readie an armie and should inuade the dominion of the king of Nauarre who was absent and he promiseth that for his part he would both proscribe Nauarre for an heretike and schismatike and would also giue him his kingdome for a reward Ferdinandus hauing gotten so fit an opportunitie to do an exploit determined not to be wanting to himselfe After the curse was pronounced and published against the king of Nauarre he assembled his forces and entering the borders of the king his neighbor being absent he tooke first the principall citie of the kingdome named Pompiopolis and then afterward the most part of the whole realm hauing as we said pope Iulius for his author a good one and without all doubt a fit one if in the rule of the law wherin it is written that He possesseth vniustly which possesseth hauing the pretor for his author it were written the pope for his author in stead of the pretor for his author Soone after the king of France being not ignorant that the senior ought to deliuer his vassall from the danger of that euent which thing euen Bellaius Langaeus somtimes a most excellent light of France doth plainely testifie in his first booke of commentaries sent his armie to recouer Pompiopolis ouer which he set as captaine Dunosius chiefe gouernor of Aquitania and duke of Longouilla But it séemeth more conuenient to defer vntil some other time what happened both at that time and many yéeres after and to set it downe in a booke written of those things For it is sufficient for vs to vnderstand at this time that the king of Nauarre great grandfather to him that now is was spoiled of his kingdome for none other cause saue onely bicause he aided as he ought the king of France his neighbor his senior being excommunicate by pope Iulius proscribed and pronounced to be an heretike and schismatike Whereof not onely the French historiographers are witnesses and amongst these Arnoldus Ferronus and Bertrandus Helias but also the Italians and Spaniards and chiefly Stephen Garibaius in his 29. book Francis Tarapha and Anthonie Nebrissensis in his booke concerning the war of Nauarre * In which places me thinks we 1. c. 1. 2. 3. should not omit the arrogancie of a Spanish peasant as we say commonly who railed vpon and slandered the most wise and moderate king of France that euer was and that in these words Ludouike saith he the French king a man most inconstant Ch. 2. after the maner of his nation being not content to kéepe himselfe within his owne little skin that is within the borders of his own kingdom set his mind toward Italie And shortly after Therefore pope Iulius the second being angrie tooke the sword out of Peters hands and drew it against the rebellious and stubborne he declareth them to be schismatiks and therefore heretiks he maketh their goodes common for the execution of which sentence he calleth vpon Christian princes chiefly vpon our prince Also chap. 3. Therefore the gouernor of the countrie of Spaine fearing the rage of the French men doth exhort Henrie king of the Britans to whom Aquitania did belong to require it againe by war and that he might haue iuster cause to aske it againe the apostolike authoritie commeth betweene whereby he depriueth the French king of Aquitania let the senators and kings counsellers in France marke and giueth it to the king of Britane to possesse and enioie And by and by in that place where he bringeth in the pope conferring with his cardinals The king of Spain saith he must be holpen We must draw out both our swords against the common enimies of all good men the kings of France and Nauarre and whiles that we whet the one that is the secular in the meane season let vs bend the other namely the spirituall against the necks of schismatiks Therfore by the common decree of the cardinals the king of Nauarre was declared to be a schismatike and therefore an heretike bicause being often admonished he was waxen stubborne and he did openly professe that he was French He was fined in his kingdome and all his goods not onely he but also his wife and his sonnes with all their posteritie and all his right of being king was translated vnto Spain The Spanish Nebrissensis saith thus in as manie words wherby we vnderstand by what right by what author and for what cause the king of Nauarre was robbed of his kingdome Indéed Guicciardin in his 11. booke of his Italian historie setteth downe his iudgement touching this matter in these words When the king of Spaine saith he could not affirme that he did lawfully possesse the kingdome of Nauarre for any other cause or by any other title he reasoned that he had possession by the right of the popes commandement and authoritie of the holie sea For the pope being not well content with things that fell out happily in Italie had a little before published a decree against the king of France wherin calling him no more most Christian but most noble he made him and all that tooke his part subiect to the penalties of heretiks and schismatiks and hauing granted power by right to take and enioy their goods kingdoms and all that they had he declared them to be condemned To the same effect also writeth Arnoldus Ferronus a most learned historiographer in matters of France and sometimes senator of the Parleament holden at Burdeaux in these words Ferdinandus saith he king of Spaine so soone as he vnderstood of the league made betweene the kings of France and Nauarre turned his forces prepared against the French king against the king of Nauarre and
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