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
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
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
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
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
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