sunne-setting as Masseus witnesseth which endured a long time and shewed what a great fire should after come Moreouer there was great numbers of Grashoppers which after they had destroyed the corne euen all trees were burned As the said Pope was preparing an Armie by sea against the Turkes because the Romanes were in troubles and seditions he was so vexed in his minde that he died with griefe the yeare 1362. and was buried in the said Monasterie of Chartreux without the Towne of Auignon Vrbain fift of Limosin called before Grinnald Grisant the sonne of an English Phisitian called William Monke of S. Benet first Abbot of Auxerre and after of S. Victor nigh to Marseillis being absent in a certaine Embassage was created Pope He was a great Doctor of the Canon Lawe and an exceeding arrogant Maister He straight applied himselfe to defend the libertie of the Papall Church by couetousnesse dissolutions and pompes and chiefly serued himselfe therein with such as affectioned him most in such affaires But aboue all he sent one called Gilles a Spaniard Cardinall of S. Sabin as a Legate into Italie with full power Who as a true Executor of all his bloudie commaundements rode through all Italie and so repressed the Vicounts and other gouernours of Townes bringing vppon them great losses and hurts if they would not submit themselues vnder the obedience of the Romane Church Yues a Brittaine Priest solde his goods and gaue them to the poore and was Canonized after his death Sabell Armacan some call him Richard and qualifie him an Archbishop a learned man published conclusions against Friars teaching that it was a villainous thing for a Christian to begge without constraint Volater Baldus a Lawyer of Peruse was renowned in this time The Monasticke order of Iesuites began by Iohn Colomban and Francis Vincent of Bourgongne Volat. and Sabell They were afterward by the Popes priuiledge called the Apostolike Clarkes Brigide Princesse of Sauabe had foure sonnes and foure daughters a litle before Pope Vrbain died she went to Rome to erect the order which after she instituted Valat lib. 21. She then to accomplish her vow procured that the order of Monkes named with her name as well men as women might be confirmed The Emperour Charles merited great praise by the Bull of gold wherein he gathered many things very necessarie to maintaine publike peace Iohn king of France went into England for the deliuerance of his brother Duke of Orleance and of his sonne Iohn Duke of Berry and of many others which he left in hostage and being there died in London after was carried to S. Denis in France See Emili. lib. 8. 9. Charles fift of that name 51. king of France was surnamed le Sage Hee caused many Latin bookes to be translated into French yea bookes of holy scripture Amurathes the third Emperour of the Turkes raigned 23. yeares and was the first that entred into Europe For hee aided the Emperour of Constantinople and sent him 12. thousand men which passed into Greece This was after cause of the taking of the Couuntrey of Asia the yeare of Christ 1363. Wickliffe beganne as a breake of day the preaching of the Gospell Iohn Wickliffe an English man a man of great spirit flourished in this time and began as from a deepe night to draw out the truth of the doctrine of the sonne of God He studied in the Vniuersitie of Oxford and came to such degree of erudition that hee was thought the most excellenrest amongst the Theologians In his readings with the puritie of the doctrine which hee taught hee also liuely touched the abuses of the Popedome In so much that the Locusts that is to say the begging Monkes lifted themselues vp against him But the Lord gaue him for a Protector the King Edward during whose raigne he had great libertie in his profession Richard the said Edwards successour persecuted and banished him but as a true Champion of the Lord he remained alwaies constant euen to his death His conclusions his bookes and his doctrine shew sufficiently the gifts and graces which God had bestowed vpon him Whosoeuer will more largely know those things let him looke in the booke of Martyrs brought by vs into light since the said Wickliffe Vrbane went to Rome to pacifie Italie where hee builded many things at Viterbe and at Montlacon minding to returne into Italie And as he returned into France in hope to bring againe the Court to Rome he deceased at Marcellis not without great suspition of poysoning Sabel An Vniuersitie founded at Vienna in Austriche by Albert Duke of Austriche Planudes a Greeke Monke liued in this time hee translated Cato and other bookes out of Greeke into Latin Charles King of France often held his seate of Iustice and was altogether a man of peace neither was euer Armed Only walking nigh Paris he made his warres and other his affaires of importance by his brothers and other Committees by whom he recouered as it were all that which the English men had taken from his Father To helpe the charges of the warre he laid a Taxe vpon Salt Wine that men sold He had fiue Armies at once against the English men Gregorie Pope 11. of that name of Limosin ruled in Auignon 7. yeares 5. moneths before he was called Rogier sonne of the Earle of Benfort and Nephew of Pope Clement the sixt hee was the Disciple of Baldus the Legist who then read at Peruse Returne of the Papaltie to Rome Most of the Townes of Italie withdrawing themselues from his obedience as Volateranus saith at the perswasion of Caterine de Siene a Nunne of the order of Iacobins of Baldus his late maister parting frō France with 12. Gallies with 3. ranks of Ores returned to Rome the yeare of the Lord 1376. He pronounced sentence of Interdict against the Florentines which were the first authors of the reuolt and had seized all the Popes Townes which were about them Vpon whom finally he made strong and sharpe warre because they made no account of the thunder of his excommunications which the Legists said were of no validitie because they proceeded of hatred and enmitie Naucler Some set downe certaine causes of his returne into Italie A woman called Brigide saith Masseus returning from Ierusalem writ to Gregorie that the Lord would that the Romane Court should be turned into her house Cranzius addeth that as he reprehended a Bishop that he left his Church and followed the Court he answered him And thou saith he which art Pope of Rome and which ought to giue example to others why goest not thou to thy Bishoppricke Then transported he his seate to Rome at the perswasion of two women and of a Bishop the seuenth yeare after he was departed This Pope demaunded a tenth of all Church goods in Almaigne to gather it sent his Legate But many resisted formed appellations against the Pope saying that they could not pay it
placed in the number of Virgins Katherine de Sienes a Iacobin Because he was a very curious builder as the Papists giue him that praise he repaired the Courts of Vatican and had sooner atchieued a Castle in the Towne of Tiuoli then was thought he had begunne At Sienes where hee was borne hee builded a goodly Porch of wrought stone At a place called Corfinium he founded a Citie and named it Pientia of his owne name and builded there a vaulted Temple very sumptuous and a pleasant house and besides this a Sepulchre of Marble for his father and mothers bones See what Platina sayth thereof The Kingdome of Bosne The kingdome of Bosne stretched euen vnto Macedonia It was made tributary vnto the kingdome of Hungarie the yeare 1415. After it reuoulted from the kings obedience and made alliance with the Turke Sigismond King of Hungarie sought to chase away such as occupied it but the Turke was the stronger and reteined the Countrey of Bosne After the Hungarians got together a great Armie came into Bosne and slew the king Itrarch who was a Turke and subiected to their power all that Region and constituted a king there namely the first Christian which had yet bene There was a Prince in Ruscia called George Despot who had giuen his daughter in marriage to the Turke Hee had three sonnes Stephen George and Lazarus Lazarus succeeded his father and had but one daughter who espowsed Stephen king of Bosne who soone after his enioying the principalitie of Ruscia gouerned with a Turkish spirit full of great impietie and wicked religion But it hapned that about the yeare of saluation 1463. as hee had a great land in the higher Misia Mahomet the Turke by flatteries drew him out of the Castle where hee was and calling him to him to talke vnder the shadow of amitie laid hold on him and caused him to be scorched aliue so lost he both his life and kingdome which he had by his father By this mans temeritie and wickednesse together Ruscia and Bosne with the greatest part of Seruia fell into the Turkes obedience As the Pope Pius was at Ancone vpon his departing to goe to warre he was surprised with a slowe feauer the yeare of the Lord 1464. whereof hee died From thence he was carried to Rome and buried in the Church of S Peter One vice of Ambition saith Volaterane contaminated and defiled all the vertues of this person as he that alwaies greatly desired great estates and honours And for that cause endured hee great trauells and alwaies maintained himselfe in the fauour of Princes The warre called The publike Weale was begunne the yeare 1464. by the conspiration of the Princes of France meaning to reforme the kings affaires who tooke offices and dignities from such as had long time faithfully exercised them He greatly also vexed the Nobles and puissant of the Kingdome by demaunds The Duke of Britaine and the Count de Chaelois the Duke of Bourgongnes sonne perswaded Charles Duke of Berry to bee the chiefe Captaine and Prince of that warre and conspiration which Phillip de Commines handleth at large and truly therefore see his historie The aforesaid Pope Pius as Platina and Sabellicus recyte amongst other sentences which he vsed commonly left this in writing With great reason was marriage taken from Priests but yet there is a farre greater reason wherefore it ought to haue bene yeelded them againe He inserted also this sentence in his second booke of Councells It may be saith hee that it were not the worse if a many Priests were married For many being married Priests should be saued which in their barren singlenesse are damned He himselfe would needs abolish certaine Monasteries of S. Brigide and S. Claire commaunding them out that they might burne no more and vnder the habit of religion they should not hide whoredome saith Caelius Secundus About this time there was no small debate in Italie betwixt the Friars Minors and such as they called Bullists which of those should guard and gouerne the Nunnes there As for the discords which were betwixt the Obseruantins and the Non Obseruantins Baptista Mantuanus accordeth them in his Bucoliques in the tenth Eglogue Paul the second of that name borne at Venice the sonne of Nicholas and of Polixene called before Peter Barbe or Balbe and Nephewe of Eugenius the fourth on his sisters side beeing Cardinall of the title of S. Marke was chosen in the place of Pius and occupied the seate of Antichrist Before he was made Bope he meant to traffique as a Marchant but hearing that his Vncle Gabriel was chosen Pope he gaue his minde vnto Letters and comming to Rome he was first created Archdeacon of Bolongne after that Bishop of Ceruio consequently Cardinall and as hath bene said finally Pope and Romane Antichrist It was he who first vaunted that hee held enclosed in his breast all Lawes both diuine and humane He was a goodly man and of faire representation but of a proud spirit and very couetous to gather riches and yet more to distribute Ecclesiasticall Benefices for his owne gaine and profit As for his Popish apparell saith Platina you neede not doubt but he surpassed all his predecessors and especially in his Mitre which he maruellously inriched buying from all Countries Diamonds Saphyrs Emeraudes Chrysolites Iaspers Pearles and other precious stones of great price Thus adorned and shining he would come publikely abroad with an exceeding magnificall apparence Then would he be seene and adored of each one for that cause would he often stay Pilgrims in the towne deferring the accustomed day to shew the Snaire that at once he might be seene of more people And that hee alone might not differ from others in habits and garments he commanded by publike Edict vpon greeuous paines that none should weare redde Bonnets but Cardinalls vnto which also the first yeare of his Popedome he gaue them a cloath of the same colour for footcloathes for their Horses and Mules when they rode Platina He fought to encrease his maiestie as well by authoritie as by force of Armes All the time of his raigne he stirred great warres in Italie by his deuices and practises Hee assailed the Towne of Ariminum and others and miserably destroyed and wasted not onely the suburbes but euen the Townes themselues with Gun-shot He greatly hated the decrees and acts of Pius his predecessor and depriued also of their goods and authorities such as for their knowledge and doctrine hee should haue sought through the world and haue drawne them vnto him by gifts and promises He declared such to be heretikes as from thenceforth should but onely name an Academie or Vniuersitie eyther in sport or earnest He was of an heauie and grosse spirit and therefore loued neither Letters nor vertues As one that was giuen altogether vnto ambition dissolution and voluptuousnesse He employed all the day either in gourmandizing or waighing peeces of Gold or
deeds remained not long vnpunished and it is profitable we should knowe the issue worthie of such a Tyrant Iosephus in the 8. booke of Antiq. Chap. 17. describeth it thus The kings maladie encreased and God shewed openly that he would punish his impietie For he was burned with a slowe heat yet without none could perceiue it only he felt it within because it grated wasted his entralles He was so hungry that he tooke no leisure to chawe his meate but deuoured all that entred into his mouth and so still some must cast meat into his mouth His entralls were wounded and vlcerated and he was tormented with collicke passions His feete were swelled with flegmaticke humours through which you might see the day His shamefaste parts were rotted and full of wormes his breath was stinking that none durst approach vnto him And in the 21. Chap. of the first booke of the Iewes warres the same Historiographer writeth thus All his bodie was taken with a disease and hee was tormented with diuers dolours He had a burning and intollerable heate in him The Chollick tormented him incessantly his feete were swelled betwixt the skinne and the flesh he sought to aduance his owne death and calling for a knife lifted vp his right hand but Archilaus his cosen-germane perceiuing it ranne to him and held his hand hee died 5. dayes after he made his sonne Antipater die hauing enioyed the kingdome the space of 34. yeares after he had caused Antigonus to die and 37. yeares after hee was declared King by the Romanes In all other things he was happie yea if euer King were for a man of so base condition to acquire that Kingdome and keepe it so long a time and at last leaue it to his children But concerning his domesticke affaires none could be more vnluckie c. Hitherto Iosephus This Historie is worthie of memorie that all that read such a vengeance of God may learne to feare his iudgements After the death of this Herod the Iewes not being able to support the ruling of a straunger sought to raise vp seditions but they were repressed by Archilaus But whilest Archilaus and Herod Antipas pleaded one against an other in Rome againe other troubles arose in Iewrie In so much as Augustus diuided Herods kingdome He constituted Archilaus the Tetrarch of Idumea Iudea and Samaria and the reuenew of those Regions amounted yearely to sixe hundreth Talents He diuided the other part into two Tetrarches He gaue also to Herod Antipas Galilie and Perea out of which Regions he had yearely 200. Talents And to Philippes he gaue Bathania Traconite Aucanite Calcide of which places the reuenew came by yeare to an hundreth Talents This Archilaus was chased from Iudea and finally banished to Vienne which is in Gaul nigh to Lions where he dyed At this time the administration of the Kingdome was againe chaunged in Iudea The Romanes placed Gouernours there one after an other as Coponius Marcus Anius Rufus Valerius Gracchus Poncius Pilate Tiberius succeeded Augustus his father in lawe and raigned 33. yeares He gaue himselfe to Idlenesse and drunkennesse so that in mockerie he was called Claudius Biberius Nero in place of Claudius Tiberius Nero. See Suetonius and Cor. Tacitus Historiograph Iohn Baptist began to preach the presence of the Redeemer shewing with his finger the Lord Iesus he reprehended the false seruices inuented by men so that persecutions began to arise The most enraged persecutors were the Pharisies I meane such as were great in the Church of Ierusalem These crimes they laid against him namely that he vsurped the Ministerie to teach without the will of such as had charge in the Church That he brought a new doctrine diuerse from the vse of the Sinagogues That he shewed a Messias who had no appearance of a King but abiect and poore That hee vsed hard and sharpe words and affirmed that the gouernment of Moses was come to an ende and that they must haue a new Religion That he foretold the reiection and ruine of the Iewes and the vocation of the Gentiles Mat. 3. Luk. 3. Iohn 3. But because the people came euery day in great multitudes to him and was held for an excellent Prophet his enemies were brideled But he endured an other persecution of Herodes Antipas the first king Herods sonne the Tetrark of Galilie who tooke Herodias his brother Philip Herods wife and made him die to please the appetite of that Herodias and her daughter Salome after she had daunced at a banquet As it is Mark. 6. There were amongst the Iewes at this time three Sects namely Pharisies Saduces and Esses as appeareth All the Nation of the Iewes had but that onely Temple which was in Ierusalem called the Temple of God Mat. 21. It was 46. yeares in edifying Ioh. 2. Nabuchodonoser pilled and burned the stately Temple of Salomon and rased it by Nabuzardam Generall of his Armie when the rest of the people were carried into Babilon Cyrus the first of that name King of the Persians at the perswasion of Daniel gaue leaue to reedifie it And the second yeare of Cyrus raigne the Iewes began to build it but they had great hinderances The death of Cyrus followed Cambises followed him a man full of impietie and crueltie hee caused the building to cease Darius Hislaspes succeeded after him who made an end of the Temple And this was the cause it was so long in building This Temple was situated in an imminent and high place therein was great magnificence and great gifts were giuen for ornaments thereof as may be gathered in the 24. of S. Math. Mark 14. Luk. 21. See Ioseph in his last chap. of the 15. booke of Antiquit. The Ecclesiasticall gouernment of the Iewes was this They which held the preheminence in the Church of the Iewes were called principall high Priests It was ordained of God that there should be one high Priest who might remaine in that office vntill the end of his life after his death an other was substituted Exod 29. Nomb. 20. When Christ came all was confused all was solde for money or by deceit and stealth As Iohn 11. It is said that Cayphas was chiefe Priest that yeare After the high Priest there was a great troupe of other Priests which were distinct amongst themselues For Dauid distributed the successors of Aaron into 24. orders Therefore it is said Luk. 1. that Zacharie was a Priest of the Family of Abia which had the eight Lot 1. Chro. 24. There were after Leuites whereof is spoken Iohn 1. and 10. Chap. There were also Scribes which were Doctors of the Lawe Luk. 5. There was the Maister of the Sinagogue who was the principall Doctor Mark 5. Luk. 13. There were they which were called Rabbi or Maister which was an estate or office of teaching Iohn 3. Art thou a Maister in Israel and knowest not these things The Elders of the people were they
was Bishop 12. yeares The yeare 88. Domitian by the conduction of Fuscus passed ouer Danaw and ledde his Army against Dorpaneus King of the Gothes or of the Dares The Gothes ouercame the Romanes and Fuscus was slaine and the Campe pilled or spoiled Clement a Romane the fourth Bishop of Rome ruled nine yeares He instituted notaries to write the acts of the Martirs their constancie and patience for example and perpetuall remembrance Domitian of the age of 45. yeares was slaine in his Pallace by the coniuration of his familiar friends consent of his wife He was buried without any honor all his Images cast down The Senate disanulled all his ordinances and called againe such as he had exiled S. Iohn the Euangelist from his exile of Pathmos which is an I le in the sea Egea which is betwixt Asia the great the lesse returned into Ephesus where he died of the age of an hundreth yeares or there abouts and was there buried Nerua Cocceius now olde was made the 13. Emperour and raigned one yeare 4. moneths He died at the age of 71. yeares Being Emperor he pronounced al Christians absolued whether accused or banished and called them backe Hee was wont to say that men must rather respect a mans vertue then his race or country He was by the Senate deified Now rose there many heresies in the Church after the death of the Apostles Traian a Spaniard the 13. Emperour raigned 19. yeares 6. moneths and 15. dayes Hee was greatly praised of Historiographers as a debonaire and gentle Prince yet he persecuted the Christians Vnder him was Clement martyred Foure Townes perished in Asia and two in Greece with Earthquakes The third persecution made against the Christians in the time of Traian He feared some hurt should haue come to the Romane Empire by the encrease of Religion There were each day a great number of Martyrs slaine In so much that Plinie the younger hauing then the administration of a Prouince namely Bithinia and seeing the great number of men which then dyed writ to the Emperour how each day many thousands of persons were put to death yet was there not found that they committed any fault neither did any thing against their Romane lawes but only for that they sung certaine Hymnes and Psalmes afore day to a certaine God they called Christ And finally that Adulteries Homicides Thefts and other crimes were prohibited them and did keepe themselues from such faults liuing carefully according to common Lawes Wherevnto the Emperour gaue answere and commaundement to make no more any Inquisition against Christians Yet was not thereby the occasion taken away from them which had a will to shew cruelty against Christians Timotheus a Martyr in this time Anacletus 5. Bishop of Rome borne in Greece an Athenian ruled two moneths and ten dayes We now enter into the times which were incontinent after the Apostles and take their beginning in the kingdome of Traian Anacletus ordeined that no Clarke should weare a beard and commaunded all the faithfull that were at the administration of the Lords Supper either to communicate or to be driuen out of the Temple Eusebius placeth Anacletus in the place of Cletus after Linus and after Clement immediately he makes mention of Euaristus which is the cause of the discord that is found amongst Historians in this place Anacletus ordeined that the Cleargie two times in the yeare should haue Sinodes or Congregations for the affaires of the Church In his writings amongst other things he admonisheth the people to carrie honour and reuerence to their Ministers and to support them He that speaketh euill of a Minister saith he speaketh euill of Christ and he iudgeth him to be seperate from Christ He was put to death vnder Traian Heresies at this time grieued the Church within and publicke persecutions without 1. Cerinthus the Hereticke held that Moyses lawe must bee kept alone Also that Christ was not risen againe but that hee should rise againe He made the Kingdome of Christ carnall 2. Ebion held Christ to be a pure man engendred as others And he called S. Paul the Apostle of the Lawe 3. Menander a Nigromancian c. 4. Basilides these did infinitely spread their imaginations touching the procreation of their Gods and Angels And to yeeld the more astonishment they vsed disguised and barbarous words 5. The Nicholaites would women to be common 6. Saturnin following Simon Magus said also that men might vse women indifferently as the Nicholaites Papias Bishop of Hierapolis Policarpus Bishop of Smirna Ignatius Bishop of Antioche good and Catholicke Pastors Disciples of S. Iohn the Euangelist See how God destituted not his Church of true Pastors to withstand Heretickes Euaristus the 6. Romane Bishop ruled 8. or nine yeares He ordeined that seuen Deacons should be chosen in euery Citie which should marke and keepe by the Bishop as hee preached and taught the people He appointed them also for witnesses of the word of God that none might impose that he had preached euill against the truth He ordeined that marriages should be publikely solemnized in Churches That the Church should obey his Bishop and that the Bishop should not leaue his Church during his life no more then the woman her husband There be two Epistles found of him In the first he makes that Apostolicke seate head of the Church wherevnto he wils that all doubtfull affaires should be brought yet in his second Epistle he contradicts it In Gallatia three Cities perished with an Earthquake Eusebius Euaristus was Martired the last yeare of the Empire of Traian The Pantheon of Rome burnt with lightning Lucian the Apostate and Atheist composed his dialogues vnder Traian The towne of Antioch was so shaken that euen the Mountaines nigh did shake and quake yea euen the Mount Cassius the highest in Siria the Flouds there dried vp and the earth sounded in a strange maner Tiles falling clattered in such sort and the cries of men ouerthrowne were so fearefull and with dust the obscuritie was so thick that there was neuer seene or heard speake of so straunge things The Emperour Traian was then there and likewise people of all Nations of the Romane Empire Dion writeth this horrible confusion the calamities which proceeded this Earthquake which happened at Antioch Ignacius Bishop of Antioch was led prisoner to Rome to be cast vnto beasts and so to be aspectacle vnto the people As he went from Siria to Rome and passed through the Countrie of Asia in all places where he came he preached to the people and Churches the Christian faith exhorting them to perseuer and keepe themselues from the infection of Hereticks which then began to spring in carefully keeping the doctrine receiued of the Apostles The cause was that in Antioch hauing reprehended the Idolatrie of Traian he was apprehended as
the taile the which they gaue her for a bridle in her hand and in a mockerie sent her out at one of their gates The Emperour taking iust indignation against this iniury besieged them seuen yeares before they could enter but at the last constraining them to yeeld hee ruinated and sacked the Towne with great effusion of bloud He receiued some to mercie but it was vpon this cōditiō that if they would saue their liues they shuld draw out with their teeth a Figge from behind of the she Asse Many chose rather to die then to suffer that ignominy Others desiring to liue did whatsoeuer was commanded them Frō hence comes a iust mockerie amongst the Italians to shewe the thumbe betwixt two fingers and say Ecco la fico beholde the Figge Crantes reciteth this Story in his 6. booke of Saxonia Frederic sent Embassadors vnto the King of France to take away that schisme from Rome they agreed to meete in a certaine place very conuenient for France and Almaine and that was at Dijon Thither came Henry king of England the king of Scotland the king of Bohemia Alexander would not bee there saying he was not ordained by his authoritie The King of France was not there in fauour of Alexander Frederic not well content that he and so many Princes had thus lost their paines commaunded Victor to drawe into Italie but Victor died in the way at Luques and in his place Guido Bishop of Cremone was chosen who afterward was called Paschall the third vnto whom the Emperour Frederic the Duke of Bauiere the Count Palatin in Rhene the Lantgraue of Turinge the Bishops of Magdeburg of Breme of Treuers of Colongne and of Banberge promised him obedience R. Barns Amaricus the brother of Baudwin was the sixt King of Ierusalem Sigeb Alexander in the meane while held a Councell at Tours But at Rome the Vicegerent of the Pope Alexander the Bishop of Prenestine died and in his place was substituted Iohn Cardinall of the Church of S. Peter He by siluer and other meanes drewe to Alexander the most part of the Romane Citizens and did so much as they created new Consuls such as fauoured the said Alexander They recalled Alexander out of France and he was well receiued at Rome the Bishop of Pauie was put out for that he held on the Emperours side Frederic the third time went into Italie against certaine that rebelled and came to Rome to knowe the cause of those Popes Alexander would not appeare but drewe backe as before The Townes of Italie rebelled against the Emperor at the perswasion of Alexander and they conspired together The Millainois reedified their Towne in fauour of this Alexander and called it Alexandria Frederic the fourth time returned into Italie with a great Armie against the rebells but Henry Leon Duke of Saxonie corrupted by siluer as is thought left the Emperour and returned into Saxonie with his company The Emperour required him not to faile him in that great need but he lost time therefore was hee constrained to withdrawe from Italie and returne into Almaine in a seruants apparell and that with great difficultie Behold how by Popes the world hath euer beene troubled The yeare of Christ 1173. Saladin slew his Lord the Calyphe and raigned in his place Chron. Euseb The yeare of Christ 1175. Frederic the fift time returned into Italie but at the perswasion of his Confessor he conuerted his Armes against the Turkes and passing through Hungarie came vnto Constantinople occupied many Townes and places of the Turkes as Philomenia and Iconium after he came into Armenia the lesse finally euen to Ierusalem Whilest Frederic was thus busied with the Turke the Pope Alexander with his confederates ceased not to thinke how they might destroy him To the end then that hee should not returne victorious the Pope sent to the Souldan the Image of the Emperour which he caused to be drawne very liuely by an excellent Painter with Letters by which he gaue aduertisement vnto the Souldan to sley or destroy the said Emperour by treason if euer hee pretended to liue in peace The Souldan hauing receiued the said Popes Letters with the Emperours figure sought by all meanes to come to his purpose but occasion fell not out so soone But finally as the Emperour returned from the conquest of Ierasalem being in Armenia one day as it was very hotte hee withdrew into a wood with a fewe of his people and with his Chaplaine and not thinking of any daunger there made his people goe aside and hee and his Chaplaine lighted off their horses vnapparelled themselues and so refreshed them in a running streame of water There was hee surprised by the ambushes which the Souldane had laid and were carried through the wood vnto the Souldan His people knowing nothing of his taking sought him all the next morning The brute came vnto the Campe the Emperor was drowned and by the space of an whole moneth they sought him in the floud where he washed The Emperour being brought before the Souldane feigned himselfe to be the Emperors Chaplaine but the Souldan knowing him by the Image the Pope sent him maintained that he was the Emperour of the Christians and indeed commanded that straight some should bring him the said Image and that the Popes Letters should be read The Emperour astonished at this treason confessed the truth and demaunded fauour Certaine time after the Souldan sent him away vnder certain couenants agreed betwixt them The Emperour returning assigned a day at Noremberg and assembling his Court declared the Pope Alexander his treason shewing his Letters and the Image Briefly euery one promised him helpe to pay his ransome and to doo iustice of the said Alexander In this time of darknesse and horrible tempests after the Grashoppers and vermine of begging Friers which deuoured the title graine of the world here gaue the Lord again a light as it were the breake of day The beginning of the Waldois Peter Waldo a Citizen of Lions beganne by litle and litle in this time to cleare the thicke darknesse therof and this was as a first and litle beginning of the Instauration of the Christian doctrine and religion The Historie is this In the Towne of Lions as many of the chief of the Towne in Sommer time to recreate themselues and talke together one amongst them suddenly fell downe dead in the presence of others amongst which was this Waldo a rich man who more then all other men was mooued and surprised with feare and an apprehension of the humane frailtie and began to think the spirit of God drawing him more nearly to repencance and to meditate true pietie more then euer hee had done before He began then to giue much more almes to open his house to all and to speake of penance and true pietie to such as for any cause came vnto him This feare was of God the fruite and the ende sheweth it in this person But the feare that
the English men gaue ouer Hance de grace or New Hauen vnto the French king The same time they of Lubec and the king of Denmarke made warre vpon the king of Snede Henry de Brunswic made many courses into Almaine into the lands of the Bishop of Munster The eight day of September Maximilian king of the Romanes was crowned king of Hungary The 24. of September Charles the ninth king of France caused his Maioritie to be published declaring to the Parliament of Paris that he would take vpon himselfe the managing of the affaires of the kingdome The 28. was published and affixed at Rome on the part of the Cardinals Inquisitors a monitorie personal adiournament against Iane d' Albret Queene of Nauarre who because of the profession of the Gospell was cited to Rome to answere in the Popes consistory therefore and for want of appearance within sixe moneths her Countrey to be giuen vnto the first conquerer thereof and her vassalls and subiects absolued from their oath of fidelitie This was but a subtill deuice tending to an other end and the king of France tooke into his hand the cause of this Princesse so that for that time the Popes thunderclaps turned into smoake The second day of October the Bishop of Wirtzbourge was slaine his Towne occupied and raunsomed wherevpon followed great troubles in Almaine and at that time of Automne the pestilence was vehement in the quarters about Francfort Nuremberge and in the coastes about the Balthique Sea which carried away nigh three hundreth thousand persons The ninth day of Nouember the Armies of Denmarke and Snede encountred together and had a bloudie battaile wherein were slaine 3000. Snedes with great losse of their Artillery and baggage The fourth day of December was ended the Councell of Trent Betwixt the first and last session whereof were eightteene yeares In it all the Articles of the Popish doctrine were confirmed There was a great strife betwixt the Embassadors of France and of Spaine for the primer seat but he of Spaine got it at that time In the same yeare and the 13. day of August died Wolfangus Musculus Doctor in Theologie at Berne a man who by his writings greatly serued and yet doth the Churches of God He was then of the age of 66. yeares The 26. of Ianuary 1564. the Lithuaniens got a great victorie vpon the Muscouites which lost nine thousand men vpon the field with their baggage and many flying perished in pooles and Isy Marishes The first day of February died at Marpurge a Towne of Hesse Andrew Hiperius a very learned Theologian amongst thē of our time who left many profitable bookes to the edification of the Churches of God He was then of the age of 53. yeares In the moneth of April Frederick Elector Count Palatin came with Christopher Duke of Wirtemberge into the Abbey of Malbrun nigh to Spire where by the space of 7. daies their Diuines disputed some against others of two Articles in the doctrine of the holy Supper that is to say of the vbiquitie or presence of the body of Christ Iesus in all places and the interpretation of the words of the holy Supper This is my body After long contestations and strifes they departed without according any thing and after that their debate waxed hotter to the ruine of Churches and to the great contentment of the Pope and his adherents The 27. of May about eight of the clocke at night dyed Iohn Caluin a professor in Theologie a Minister of the word of God in Geneua a person of singular pietie memorie viuacitie of iudgement and admirable diligence of a solide doctrine wherin he hath comprehended the pure Theologie as his writings read without preiudice or sinister affection do apparantly shewe He was moreouer endowed with incredible zeale and prudencie in all the course of his Ministery hauing serued to the aduancement of the doctrine of the Gospel and to the edification of the Churches amongst all the excellent persons raised vp in our time to ruinate the tyrannie of Antichrist and to establish the throne of the celestial veritie He was of the age of 55. yeares saue one moneth and 13. daies he was buried without pompe hauing left many bookes very profitable for such as would seeke to aduance and goe forward earnestly in the intelligence of the holy scripture and an honorable memorie vnto all reformed Churches About this time the Maritimal and Sea Armies of the kings of Denmarke and Snede encountred vpon Balthique Sea in battaile wherein the Snedes remained victors and carried away three great ships of warre with a number of prisoners which the king of Snede caused afterward to be cruelly handled But about the end of Iune they of Denmarke and Lubec had their reuenge and ouercame the Snedes vpon the Sea conquering one ship though inexpugnable vntill then after hauing sunke many moe The Emperour Ferdinand a gentle and peaceable Prince died the 25. day Iuly at Vienna in Austrich hauing liued 61. yeares foure moneths and an halfe leauing for successor to the Empire his sonne Maximilian who soone after was elected and crowned The beginning of his yeare 1565. was very sharpe and colde in many Countries of Europe and there fel an extraordinary quantitie of snowe which beeing frozen and after melted in the spting time there followed great Invndations The Churches of France maintained themselues in some estate whilest the young King guided by his Councell made his voyage of Bayonne A warre in Hungary against the Turkes with losses and ruines on both parts The Churches in the lowe Countries began also to lift vp their heads especially vnder Charles the fift The encrease of the French Churches encouraged them they also published their confession of faith The Ecclesiasticke Romanes that which afterward came to pass e amongst other practises sought to establish the Spanish Inquisition and certaine yeares before made new Bishops to the end more easily to maintaine the Popes authoritie After this erection by the space of foure or fiue yeares whilest Margarite Dutches of Parma gouerned the lowe Countries for her brother the king of Spaine some ceased not to cōtend against others by remonstrances bookes and diuers practises some to abolish others to giue entry and authoritie vnto the Inquisition The I le and Towne of Malte was furiously assailed by the Turkes in the moneth of May but they were Iustained and pushed backe by the knights of Malta being assisted with the succors which were sent from many places In the monethes of Iune and Iuly were great deluges and ouerflowings of waters in diuers quarters of Almaine especially in Thuringe A very sharpe warre was in Hungarie betwixt the Turkes and the Almaines with diuers accidents that befell on both sides The eight of December the Pope Pius the fourth died of the age of 66. yeares and 8. moneths hauing bene Pope about six moneth
he writ to many But finally being tormented by the filthinesse and stench of the place in the end he yeelded his spirit to God the yeare 308. Eusebius a Gretian by Nation a Phisitians sonne after Damasus succeeded in the gouernment of the Romane Church in the great persecutions in the time of Maxentius the horrible Tyrant The Authours of the Ecclesiasticall history make no mention of this Eusebius The booke of Councells attribute to him three Decretall Epistles The first to the Bishoppes of Gaul The second to the Egiptians The third to the Bishoppes of Tuscane and Campania His ordinances contained in those Epistles are these in effect That sheepe shall not draw their Shepheard or Bishop into Lawe vnlesse he denie the Faith That a mayd which shall be espowsed only by words of the present time may enter into Religion That the Sacrifice of the Aultar be consecrated not in cloath of silke but in linnen cloth and such like bables which the infamous fauourers of the seate of Popes haue not beene ashamed to assigne to those good and faithfull Ministers of the Lorde to disfigure and defile with their orders this honest face of the primitiue Church which follow his head Iesus Christ in continuall persecutions to establish their seate of perdition and to pollute the bloud of those holy Martyrs But contrary Eusebius trauailed much in the haruest of the Lords word as well at Rome as other where in the time of persecutions vnder Maxentius vntill that as Christianus Mattoens saith hee finished his life by martyrdome the yeare of the Lord 309. But amongst Histogoriographers there is great diuersitie for the number of yeares Licinius born in Dare was made Augustus companiō of the Empire with Maximin Galari after the death of Seuerus the yeare of our Lord 308. He was a warlike man and Slauonia was first giuen him to gouerne after the East he was noble although he came of a pesant he shewed himselfe cruel towards the children of Galerius his ally He was an enemy vnto letters as hauing no knowledge no not to write his owne name And he called the liberall Arts a publike poyson and pestilence Euseb lib. 4. ca. 13. He deserued praise in that he repressed abuses the boldnesse insolencies of the brauest of his Court which he called the Moathes and Rattes of his Pallace He raigned 14 yeares liued 60. See Pomp. Laet. Constantine the great sonne of the Emperour Constantius and Helena S. Ambrose in his funerall Oration of Theodosius saith that hee was a seruant in a stable and was borne in England Hee was instructed in the Militarie Art vnder Galerius He tamed the Sermates a fearce Nation barbarous brought their Duke captiue to Galerius who cōceiued enuy at the glory of this yong Prince whereof being aduertised he retired from Rome towards his Father into England who dyed soone after By the fauour of Princes he was declared Emperour the yeare 309. The Senate writ vnto him Letters to aduertise him of the euil gouernment Maxentius for the great cruelties hee exercised at Rome wherevpon he marched towards Rome and pursued Maxentius who retiring into the Towne made couer Tyber with Boats nye the bridge Miluius which by subtil deceit as hee thought he made ioyne together to deceiue Constantine and to haue drown'd him whē he followed him But he himself as furious first comming out to flie not remembring his owne stratageme that hee practised for an other entred on horsebacke with a fewe people vpon the bridge where he was drowned in Tyber the 6. yeare of his Empire For this happie deliuerance honors were giuen to Constantius so he acquited Italie and Affrike For his Father had only left him the Gaulois and Spaine and would so haue contented himselfe had it not bene for the warre that Licinius raised making himselfe Cesar and was established in the East Maximian as we haue said with his great griefe had forsakē the Empire being greeued so long to lead a priuate life did his best by the meanes of Maxentius his sonne chosen Emperour to returne to the Empire but because hee succeeded therein not well he retired towards his sonne in lawe Constantine vnto whom he had giuen his daughter Fausta and sought by ambushes to cast him out of the Empire Which Fausta perceiuing well reuealed to her husband preferring him before her father Wherefore the sonne in lawe besieged him at Marcellis tooke him aliue and bad him choose whatsoeuer kind of death he would He strangled himselfe with a cord or girdle And so this wicked and bloudie man which had shead so much Christian bloud vnluckily finished his life of his age sixtie Licinius at the first had some great familiaritie with Constantine and to please him made a shew to loue the Christians in so much that he married Constance the sister of Constantine and by a mutuall consent together caused to publish lawes for the Christians but afterward comming againe to his nature and forgetting the honour that Constantine had done him began to conspire against him because Constantine so fauoured Christians whose enemie he declared himselfe alleadging this cause that in their assemblies they prayed for Constantine and not for him Licinius then beganne the persecution by his owne house after he stretched it farre by Lawes and Edicts into the Prouinces of the East forbidding especially Bishoppes to make assemblies and Sinodes Secondly that men and women to auoyd scandalles and offence not to assemble at prayers Thirdly that such as were appointed prisoners as transgressors of Edicts should not be visited nor succoured in paine to incurre the like condemnation c. He then set himselfe against the Bishops not openly for feare of Constantine but made them die secretly by his Committees Euseb Lib. 10. Chap. 8. In the Towne of Sebasta Losias killed in a poole fortie souldiers whose Martirdome Basile the great described and other Martirs which were cruelly murdered Licinius increased more and more his crueltie but the Lord sent Constantine to represse him who experimented against him the Forces of the Gaules and Italie hauing ouerthrowne him in Hungarie and pursued him into Macedonia where he repaired his forces He was chased into Asia and in the end yeelded himselfe seeing he was vanquished by sea and by land and was sent into Thessalonica to liue priuately yet could he not so escape the true vengeance of his boldnesse crueltie and infidelitie For hee was slaine by Constantines souldiers about the yeare of our Lord three hundred twentie and foure after some writers Melchiades the thirtith Bishop succeeded in the Church of Rome and was of Affrike after Damasus A man of great pietie and a true seruant in the holy Ministerie of the Gospell and in the affaires of the truth of God vntill hee was put to death vnder Maximin Galerius the yeare of the Lord 314. Read herevpon the Ecclesiasticall History of Eusebius where he reciteth diuers cruell kindes of death wherewith the
of Constantine Of the writings of Damasus see Suidas and Hierome in his Epistle ad Eustochium Tome 4. makes mention of Damasus Of Virginitie saith hee read the bookes of that Pope Damasus composed in verse and prose He reuerenced the Sinode of Nice and condemned Auxentius Bishop of Millan an Arrian Theodor. lib. 4. chap. 30. saith that with S. Ambrose hee fought strongly against the Arrian heretikes expresly condemning Sabellius Arrius Eunomius the Macedonians Photin Marcellius and the heresie of Apollinaris Hierome writeth vnto him often and in his Apologie against Iouinian he calleth Damasus a singular man well instructed in the scriptures and Doctor of the Virgin Church Athanasius in his Epistle to the Bishops of Affrike calleth Damasus his deare companion praysing his diligence that hee assembled a Sinode at Rome against the Arrians He was charged to haue committed whoordome whereof beeing accused by two of his Deacons namely Concordius and Calitxtus hee defended his cause in a full assembly of Bishoppes and was absolued and his accusers proscripted Sabelli Enu 7. Lib. 9. There were many vertuous Monkes in this time as Paulus Pior Isidorus Apsius Pierius Enagrius Ammonius c. Hist Trip. lib. 8. chap. 10. One of the Monkes said that the Monke which laboured with his hands was like a theefe Some were cruelly slaine by Valens because they would not goe to warre Anthonie of the age of an hundreth and fiue yeares died at this time Hee sawe in a Dreame as it were swine which destroyed and plucked downe Aultars with their feete and when he awaked hee said that the Church should bee once dissipated and wasted by whoremongers adulterers and men disguised P. Melancton noteth this Prophesie against the whoordome and voluptuos life of Priests and Monkes Amongst other heretickes at this time there was Photinus Hebionite Ennomius an Arrian and Priscilian a Bishop in Spaine who cōfounded the persons in the Trinitie They which they called Donatists said that Christ is lesse then the Father and the holy Ghost lesse then the Sonne and rebaptized the Catholiques The Luciferians and Apollinaries said that Christ receiued an humane body without a reasonable soule The diuinity supplying the place thereof Athalarike King of the Gothes persecuted greatly the Catholiques against his owne people The Burgonions gathered themselues together in number 80000. towards Rhene which afterward receiued the faith Paul Diac. In the Towne of Arras in the Countie of Artois the 4. yeare of Valentinian fell wooll from Heauen with the rayne Hierome in his Chronicle Paul Diac. and Orosius Lib. 7. Herman Gigas saith that it was in the third yeare of Valentinian For Lana some Historiographers haue set downe Manna wherefore yet at this day they of Arras vnluckily do worship it for the Manna of Heauen The Hungarians cast themselues vpon the West Countrie in great numbers The Arrians made burne and drowne many faithfull and Catholique people Hist Trip. lib. 8. chap. 2. The Huns cast themselues vpon the westerne parts and draue away the Gothes which were cōstrained to giue place and passe beyond Danubia and came into Thrace and from thence into Pannonie Vulphilas a Bishop of the Gothes in Sarmathia translated the Bible into the Gothike tongue for the vse of his people As Ierome did into the Dalmatike for his people And in Creatia which is in the lower Pannonie the Churches there and the Bishops vsed the scriptures translated into their vulgar tongue Auxentius an Arrian Bishop deceasing at Milan there fell a great sedition betwixt the Arrians the Catholiques for the electiō of their Bishop The Proconsul his deputie then was Ambrose a Citizen of Rome who hearing such a noise by reason of his office went hastily to the Church where the people were assembled and after he had made many reasons to reduce the people to concord suddenly rose there vp a common and an agreeing voyce that Ambrose must needs be baptized who was yet a Catechumene and after be consecrated Bishop whervnto he would not consent but by the commaundement of the Emperour Valentinian who incited him therevnto hee accepted the office And then the Emperour gaue thankes to God that hee had called this person from the gouernment of the body to the gouernment of soules Councells held at this time 1. In Aquilege where S. Ambrose assisted against Palladius and Secondianus Arrians 2. In Valentia in Dalphine wherein it was ordained that Bigami might not be consecrated 3. In Laodicea whereof is before spoken c. 4. At Rome against Apollinaris Hist Trip. lib. 9 chap. 16. Valentinian of the age of 55. yeares died of a flux of bloud of a veyne breaking He raigned 17. yeares 6. with Gratian and 11. after his body was carried to be buried at Constantinople S. Aurel. Vict. and Pomp. Before his death he againe declared his sonne Graiian Emperour Procopius the Tyrant vanquished by Valens was taken and hauing his two feete bound vnto two trees and let goe they tore him in peeces Naucle Valens gaue a blowe vnto the Gouernour of the Towne of Edesse in Mesapotamia because hee had not chased away the Christians which daily assembled in ths Temple of S. Thomas It grieued him to put the Emperours commaundement in execution and to cause such a multitude to die wherefore he secretly sent thē word that they would assemble no more there But leauing his counsell and searing nothing the Emperours Edict the next morning all assembled in the said place as they accustomed to doo So then as the Prouost of the Towne with a great company of souldiers went to the said Temple to put in execution Valens his commaund hee encountred a woman who ranne with a litle childe of hers to the assembly of the faithfull to whom he said Whether runnest thou Thither said she whether all others haste to goe How said hee hast thou not heard that the Prouost goeth thither to sley all he findes there I vnderstand it said she and therfore do I make so much haste to be with them And whither leadest thou that litle childe That he may also receiue the Crowne of Martyrdome quoth she When the said Prouost vnderstood these things and the courage of the Christians which ran thither he returned towards the Emperor Valens shewed him this storie how they were ready to endure death for their faith that he thought it very vnreasonable to sley so great a multitude of people Vpon these words Valens moderated his anger Socrat lib. 1. cap. 18. Theo. lib. 4. cap. 17. Sozom. lib. 7. cap. 18. Affrates a very olde Monke departed from Antioch being sent into exile Valens seeing him from his Pallace said to him whither goest thou I goe said he to pray for thine Empire Thou shouldest haue done that in thy house said Valens Yea answered Affrates if thou wouldest permit it and so did I when Christs sheepe were in peace Valens in the end fought vnluckily against
because by it wee embrace him that iustifieth vs that is to say Christ our Lord with whom it vniteth and ioyneth vs. In such sort that we are made partakers of him and all the goods he hath and that frō thence good workes should come that is from Iesus who is within vs by the force and free efficacie of whom we begin to will that which is good and to employ our selues therein Zozimus a Grecian by Nation hee ordained that on the Saterday before Easter waxe should in euery Parish bee blessed That Deacons shoule hide their windowes with a cloath And that Clarkes should not publikely drinke He ruled about two yeares The Pelagian heresie was condemned of the Bishops at the Councells of Ephesus Carthage and Mitiuitaine Before Pelagius England knewe not what superstitious Monkery meant neither yet learned to preferre by vaine and friuolous allegories the righteousnes of workes before the merit of Iesus Christ But this Pelagius begun to broach this pestilent heresie vnder Maximus King of Englande the yeare of Christ 390. The Doctors which were before this Pelagius vsed in their writings this word Merite in the signification to obtaine or attaine Peter Martyr The beginning of the Kings of France THe French-men are said to be issued of the Troians and as Histories say came after the destruction of Troy with the Duke Francion to the pooles of Meotides which at this day is called the Golfe de la Tana aboue and something farre frō Constantinople as men draw towards the North neare there they builded a Towne which they inhabited vntil the time of Valentinian the Emperour sonne of Valentinian and the brother of Gratian also Emperours They were honoured by the said Emperour and made free of paying tribute for 10. yeares in consideratiō that they reduced the Almanes vnder the obedience of the Romanes But afterward when the tribute came again to be laid vpon them and they vnwilling to subiect themselues they forsooke the Country and came with their Duke Marcomir into Franconia which is betwixt Saxe and Almaine Pharamond the sonne of Marcomir was chosen for their King and began to raigne ouer them the yeare of the worlde 4383. and of Iesus Christ 420. vnder whom first they vsed Lawes and appointed foure Nobles which iudged of causes and differences betwixt men Then was the Salike Lawe made which stood vpon many articles amongst which there was one which tooke frō daughters the right to succeed in the Crowne and Realme of Fraunce Hee raigned 11. yeares Paul Emil. the first booke Boniface the first of that name a Romane ruled at Rome 4. yeares His Father was a Priest called Iucundus The fourth schisme was by a Priest called Enlalius who was also ordeined whereof came great dissention and schisme which endured 7. moneths but finally Boniface was approued The sixt Councell of Carthage after some the seuenth S. Hierome died of the age of 91. yeares The Affricane Councell was now which is a confirmation and recapitulation of the Councels of Carthage The titles of the Canons are in the number 105. Boniface renewed certaine decrees attributed to his predecessors Amongst others that none should be ordeined a Priest before the age of 30. yeares c. Also that no woman or Nunne might touch or wash the Priests ornaments which are holy The Hunnes a cruell and barbarous people which came out of Scithia did great hurt all ouer and at their comming into Italie many fled towards the Adriatike sea and tooke place in those litle Iles which were in great number and liued as they could of fishing After they beganne to make certaine buildings in these Iles and principally in that which is called Miroalto it being the chiefest of them There was at this time many Churches in Italie Sozom. reciteth them lib. 4. cha 24. where hee makes mention of the faithful which retired into the places where is now builded the Towne of Venice in the Adriatike Sea There is also heereof made mention in the Epistle of the Romane Sinode which was held vnder Constantine Theodor. Liber 2. Chapter twentie and two The Emperour Honorius being at Millan and vnderstanding the dissention for the electiō of the Romane Bishops deposed them both and writ to Boniface that whē two were elected he would ordain that neither should be allowed notwithstanding for this time he allowed the election of Boniface Boniface by his Legate Faustin Bishop a fierce and proud man and Philip and Esellus Priests proposed to the sixt Councell of Carthage that it might be graunted that appellations of Bishops might be sent to Rome and that no Councell should be allowed vnlesse he send thither his Legate to doo it and alledged for his speech the decree of Nice The Bishops caused the bookes to be searched and the Registers of the Councell if it were so Also they caused to come from Constantinople a Copie of the said Councell but finding it not to be so as the said Boniface had alledged by his Legate his request was reiected See the Epistle of the said Councell of Affricke to Boniface and to Celestine in the first volume of the Councells Note here by what meanes the Popes sought to obtaine their primacie Celestine first of that name a Romane or of Campaine after some He ordeined that the Introitus of the Masse should be of some Psalme Dauid yea and the Graduall which they call the Offertorie and added vnto the thē Praiers with the song Naucler Also that the Priest should say before the Introitum the 43. Psalme Indica me Deus Supl. Chron. Item that they should sing three Sanctus Abb. Vsp This said yeare 426. the Emperour Honorius died The third generall Councell at Ephesus against Nestorius Bishop of Constantinople of 200. Bishops It was there concluded that Iesus Christ is one alone person in two natures and that the Virgine Marie by good right is called the mother of God Cyrillus Bishop of Alexandria assisted there Theodosius the younger alone obteined the Empire and raigned 26. yeares Celestine gaue commaundement to all Ecclesiasticall persons to know and obserue the Canons He sent Palladius a Greeke and Patricius into Scotland and Ireland preach the faith He sent into England Saint Germaine Bishop of Anxerce against the Pelagian heresie He ordeined that none should attempt any thing in an others parish Item that no Bishop should be ordeined against the wil of the people but that the consent of the Cleargie and of the people was requisite The Church in that time was greatly troubled and especially in Affrike the Ecclesiasticall people were cast into exile and martyred by Gensericus of the Vandales Palladius composed the life of S. Iohn Chrisostome S. Augustine Bishop of Hipone of the age of seuentie sixe yeares dyed after he had gouerned the said Church fortie sixe yeares the third moneth after his Towne was besieged by the Vandales euen when he writ against Iulian a Pelagian Bishop
Cardinall Deacon he wrote Saint Gregories life in foure volumes Lewis the Emperour being in Italie dyed hauing raigned 19. yeares and was buried at Milaine His successour was Charles the second of that name surnamed le Chauue the sonne of Lewis le Debenaire of his second wife Iudith vncle of the dead Lewis the second After he was King 36. yeares he heard say that the Emperour his Nephew was dead and incontinent went to Rome to receiue the Crowne of the Empire hauing ordeined Boso his wiues brother King of Prouince Pope Iohn in a small time crowned three Emperours and after gaue occasion of great contention and warre First hee crowned Charles le Chauue who two yeares after he came into Italie to driue the Sarrasins out of the kingdome of Naples was taken with a Feuer at Mantone where hee dyed being poysoned by his Physitian a Iewe called Zedechias the yeare 878. hauing bene King 36. yeares and Emperour two yeares and was buried at Verseile and after as some say was transported to S. Denis The Pope vnderstanding of his death would that his sonne Lewis le Begne should be chosen Emperour But the Romanes contradicted it and would that Charles the third surnamed le Gros sonne of Lewis king of Germanie it should be chosen The Pope remaining still in his opinion was sent to prison but he escaped by the helpe of his friends and fled into France where he remained a yeare first in Arles and after at Lions Finally some say at Troy in Champaigne where he assembled the Councell of the French Church and there created and crowned Lewis le Begne Emperour and saluted him Augustus In the meane while Charles the third was at Rome kept it He sent for the Pope who returned to Rome and pronounced that the saide Charles might dwell at Rome and crowned him Emperour And so they raigned together two yeares Finally Lewis was poysoned and Charles raigned alone 12. yeares Plat. Florent and Robert Barns This Pope at the same Councell gaue to the Flemings a Bishop in Tornay Lewis le Begne two yeares after he was crowned in France 1. of that name died at Champaigne and left his wife great with childe who after brought foorth Charles le simple Nauclerus Charles called le Gros the sonne of Lewis King of Germaine being at Rome occupied the Empire and raigned alone And by him the Empire or the French men returned to the Almaines Naucler and R. Barns and came not at the wish of the French nor according to the imaginations and subtill deuices of the Pope This Pope Iohn ordeined that such as offended in Sacriledge should be excommunicated amerced at thirtie pound of siluer 22. quest 4. Chap. Quisquis Iohn le Maire saith that this Pope was a cruell man and disgraded Formosus Bishop of Portensis which was an occasion of many mischiefes Fasci temp Some Historiographers say it was for that he was the cause that the said Iohn Pope was imprisoned at Rome Finally he was poisoned or as some say slaine with the blow of a Mallet vpon a conspiracie made against him Chron. Abb. Vrsp R. Barns Pascasius about this time was Abbot in Saxonie he writ a Booke of the Euchariste and most men followed his opinion which pleased the Schoole-men more then the opinion of Iohannes Scotus or of Bertramus which were reiected as shal be told in his place Martin second of that name a French man by euil arts entered into the Popedome Supple Chron. and gouerned a yeare and fiue moneths before he was called Marin Betwixt Martin Pope second of that name and Adrian the third Sigebert and Visperge place Agapetus but other Historiographers make no mention of them Adrian Pope the third of that name ruled at Rome a yeare and three moneths Hee ordeined that from thenceforth the Emperours should not meddle with the election of the Pope And that his aurhoritie therein should be no more any thing requisite but that the election of the Cleargie should be free Dist 62. chap. Nullus chap. Adrianus Hee made this Lawe whilst the Emperour was occupied in the warre against the Normains which then endured not long For Leo the eight Pope did ordaine cleane contrary as shall bee saide afterward Platina saith heere that William Pyon Duke of Aquitane and Counte Auerne founded the first Monasterie of the order of Clugny vnder the rule of Saint Benet and made Berno Abbot there after whome Odo succeeded who hauing bene a Musitian at Tours came to be a Monke at Clugny Chron. Sigeb The Emperour Charles became iealous of his wife for the great familiaritie shee had with Luitwaldus Bishop of Verseil who in a full assembly protested that hee neuer had her company Shee notwithstanding accepted the diuorce and withdrew her selfe vnto the couent d'Aulaui where shee made an end of her dayes Sigeb and P. Phrig 9. At this time the Normains Northerne people did great hurt in France after they had spoyled Artois Cambray Liege Brabant Gelders and Treuers c. Charles being not able to resist them finally agreed with them in giuing in marriage the daughter of Lotharie his cousin germain called Gille to Geffrey or Rotfrid their King and assigned for her dowrie the Countrey of Frise vpon condition he should be baptised Notwithstanding those Normains afterward afflicted France and besieged the Citie of Paris as shall be said The subiects of Charles le Gros greeued at his cowardlinesse because he let France be so outraged by the violence and crueltie of the Normains and that also hee had forsaken his wife a good woman they deposed him as vnworthy and vnprofitable for the gouernment of the Empire and gaue him a Curator named Arnulfe or Arnould who was his brothers sonne Some say that Charles le Gros finished his dayes in great pouertie in the Abbey of the rich Angell called in Alemand Richenna nigh vnto Constans by the Lake without any great honour of Sepulchre Others say he was strangled by his owne people This is a glasse for great Princes of the world and an excellent patterne of the humaine condition Arnulphus thē his Nephew by his brother Carloman Duke of France Orientall which then was called the Teutonique Kingdome comprehending Bauier Sorabe Saxe Turinge Frise and Lorraine was made Emperour Hee was a valiant man and repressed the Moranians and Slauonians after hee made strong warre vpon the Normains nigh the Riuer of Mense Stephen Pope fift of that name ruled 6. yeares ten moneths in the Romane seate It was in his time that the tale of S. Michael in the Mount Bargamus in Pouile is said to bee true There was one of his Decretals to Hubert Arch-bishop of Manyeance 2. G. v. c. Consuluisti ordeined the song of Crosse de consecrat 6. dist v.c. Nunquid Odo 31. King of France raigned nine yeares He was Tutor vnto Charles le Simple and crowned King to resist the Normains which then
the Popedome of Benet R. Barnes There was great trouble in Hungarie vnder the King Andrewe and after vnder his brother Vela against such as demaunded againe to returne vnto their Paganisme and auncient superstition Naucler Clement Pope second of that name before called Werdigerus or Singerus or Sindegerus Bishop of Bamberge was Canonically elected in full Councel after that the foure others aboue named were deposed He crowned the Emperour Henry the third and his wife Agnes on a day of the Natiuitie of Christ Naucler Henry before he departed from Rome constrained the Romanes by oath to renounce their right of election without any more medling therein thereafter to auoyd Schismes and scandales which commonly rise of such election Others say the poore gaue them that commaundement and defence Naucler The Romanes after the Emperours departure forgetting their oath impoysoned this Pope after he had gouerned nine moneths Some say that Stephen his successour who was called Damasus was authour thereof Benno saith it was Gerard Brazure a friend of Theophilact and of Hildebrand a man expert in poysoning In this time men forged Visions and miracles to establish the Sacrament of the Masse which then was called of the Aulter Many durst not speake what they thought therein for feare of Popes The wickednesse of Popes merited that the power of election should be taken from Ecclesiasticall persons by the iust iudgement of God saith Nauclerus This Pope was poysoned soone after the Emperours departure Damasus Pope second of that name otherwise called S. Stephanus Baguiarius borne in Bauiere Bishop of Brixe ruled by force the seate 23. dayes as Histo and Chron. say For he occupied the Popedome without election either suffrage of people or Cleargie R. Barnes Leo Pope 9. of that name an Almaine of the Countrey of Alsac the Earles of Ausperge and being Count or Earle of Etisheim called Bruno Bishop of Tulles a man of good nature was sent to Rome by the Emperour at the request of the Romanes and being chosen Pope gouerned fiue yeares two moneths sixe dayes after Suppl Chron. Some say that as he came to Rome Hugo Abbot of Clugny and Hildebrand the Monke encountred and met him in his pontificall attire they perswaded him to take off that habite and to enter into Rome in his vsuall and priuate attire vpon this reason that the Emperour had not giuen him the right to chuse the Pope but only the people and Cleargie of Rome Bruno agreeing to their speech confessed his fault and accused himselfe that he had rather obey the Emperour then God At Hildebrandes perswasion the Cleargie elected him for this that hee confessed that the election ought to appertaine to the Cleargie and not to the Emperour Leo then to recompence Hildebrand created him Cardinall and committed vnto him the Church of S. Paul The yeare of Christ one thousand fiftie one Leo assembled a Councell at Verseil where was first handled the opinion of Transubstantiation although that word was not inuented of long time after and there was condemned the opinion of Iohn Scotus of Bertramus and Berengarius Doctor borne at Tours Arch-deacon of Angiers who maintained the opinion of Scotus and of Bertramus touching the Eucharist In the said Councell Berengarius appeared not but sent thither two Clarkes and as they would haue excused Berengarius and haue told the reason they were laid hold on and put inprison Behold how they disputed O Ecolampadius These be the pooceedings of the aduersaries of the truth to ioyne tyrannie with ignorance Berengarius had Lanfrancus for his aduersary who maintained the opinion of Pascasius the first author of this doctrine against Scotus and Bertramus Hubert Cardinall Rogerius Guimondus maintained Lanfancus his part which mingled subtilties with outrages against Berengarius who shewed himselfe litle constant For although he had the truth on his side yet had he a certaine hatred against Lanfrancus Rogerius mingled with glory hope of victorie which made him loose the desire he had to maintaine the puritie of the doctrine For he mingled withal certain speeches of marriage the Baptisme of litle children and therfore they stifled amongst some errours by his fault So commeth it to passe whē without the feare of the Lord we wil maintaine the cause of the Gospell O Ecolamp At this time the Emperour caused a Sinode to be held of an hundreth and thirtie Bishops at Magunce Some write that Leo was there and there it was ordeined that the Clarks should nourish no dogges for hunting nor hawkes That Clarkes should deale with no secular nor prophane affaires That none should be admitted or receiued into a Monasterie for a Monke vnlesse hee were of a lawfull age and that hee should come in of his owne good will without constraint Simony and marriage was forbidden Priests That the houses of Clarkes should be builded nigh vnto Temples and Churches 12. quest 2. cha Necessaria Henry the third gaue to Leo the Towne and Countrey of Beneuent to redeeme the yearly rent of an hundred marks paid as is aboue said yearely out of the Cathedrall Church of Bamberge and Leo confirmed the priuiledges graunted to the said church accorded to the said Archbishop the Mantle which they call Palilium to vse three times in the yeare At Easter at the Feast af S. Peter and S. Paul and vpon S. George his day the Patrone of that Church Naucler Vpon the aforesaid Sinode Nicholas a Monke of Constantinople writ a Booke against the Latines Intituled De nuptijs Sacerdotum Of the marriage of Priests which was condemnemned by Hubert the said Popes Legate and sent to Constantinople Trit Abb. This Pope being at Ratisbone the Legates of Paris being present approued the Relickes of S. Denis whereof there had bene a long doubt whether they were Saint Denis his Relickes or no. Chron. Abb. Vrsp. Vnder Henry the third the Hungarians returned vnto Paganisme and hauing reiected the Faith put to death all their Bishops and Cleargie Naucler Vpon a Christmas day Leo the ninth and Henry the third being at a great Masse in the Towne of Wormes after the Subdeacon had sung the Epistle in the accustomed maner and Tune the Pope presently deiected depriued him of his office because he sung the Epistle in the Popes presence in an other Song and Tune then the Romane Church did The Arch-bishop of Wormes who saide Masse that day greeued that his Subdeacon should be so handled after the Gospell was sung retyred into his Episcopall seate leauing his office vnperfected saying he would make no ende if the Pope would not restore his Subdeacon to his former state The Pope because hee would not hinder that the seruice should not be ended restored his Subdeacon R. Barn Albert. Crane lib. 4. Saxo. ca. 45. Anne Queene of France wife of Henry the first founded in the Towne of Senlis a Church of S. Vincent where are Regular Chanons and an other in the suburbs where were
as he should be at his prayers The Cardinall Benno rehearseth thus the Historie The Emperour saith he had a custome often to goe make his prayers in the Church of S. Marke in the Mount Auentine As then Hildebrand enquired diligently by certaine spies of all that he did hee gaue charge to marke the place wherein the Emperour prayed oftnest either standing or on his knees and suborned one promising him a great summe of money to lay great stones on the beames or vpper lofts of the Church see the holy councell of this Pope and that he should lay thē so wel that when the Emperour should make his prayers he might let them fall on his head to dash out his braines But as he which had enterprised such a villanie was at hand to accomplish it and went about to handle and remoue a stone the heauie for him the stone by the waight deceiued him and the scaffold which was on the beames being broken the stone and the poore miserable man by a iust iudgement of God fell vpon the pauement of the Temple was all burst with the same stone After the Romanes vnderstood how all things was past they bound the feet of that wicked villaine and by the space of 3. daies trailed him through the streets of the towne But vsing their accustomed humanitie commaunded he should be buried The sonne of Benno saith here yet further that Iohn Bishop of Port who was Hildebrands Secretarie and great familiar comming into the Pulpit which was in S. Peters Church said amongst many other things in the hearing of the people and Cleargie Hildebrand hath done such a thing and we also as deseruers should all bee burned aliue meaning to giue to vnderstand that which hee had done of the Sacrament of the body of our Lord. Whereof Hildebrand demaunding Councell of a certaine thing as of old the Painims did of their Idols cast it into the fire because it gaue him do answere although the Cardinalls which were then present spake against his deed This is a beginning of the fruite of that cursed decree of Transubstantiation applied vnto Charmes and Inchauntments He excommunicated also the said Emperour Henry without lawfull accusation without Canonicall appellation without forme of iustice yea euen for that he was but too obedient vnto him Hee diuided also from him the Princes of the Empire and sought by secret treasons to destroy him but God preserued him O straunge treason proceeding from the sanctuarie or rather frō him who seemed to be the high Priest to gouerne the Church to haue superintendancie ouer Iudges and Elders By menaces also he constrained Bishops to sweare that they should not defend his cause neither should they fauour or helpe him in any thing drawing violently the scripture to make them serue his false dealing Notwithstanding saith Benno so soone as hee arose vp from his seate to excommunicate the Emperour the seate which had lately bene made of new and strong wood by the will of God of it selfe brake in many peeces in a terrible maner In such sort as it gaue to know that he that did sit vpō it would sowe terrible schismes against the Church by so arrogant and presumptuous a maner of excommunication This saith Benno But when he sawe that all his Ambushes could serue him for nothing he beganne to vse open force and emnities and after he had excommunicated Henry declaring all his subiects acquited of their oath of fidelitie which they had deliuered him he sent the Crowne of the Empire vnto Rodolphe Sauoic with this Latine verse such as it is Petra dedit Petro Petrus dià dema Rodolpho That is to say the Rocke hath giuen the Diademe vnto Peter and Peter giueth it vnto Rodolphe Henry then being for this cause sore troubled laid downe his royall apparell and came towards him into the Towne of Canuse with his wife and litle sonne in the time of a strong and sharpe winter through a very daungerous way Being before the gate of the Citie sayth Benno from morning till night without hauing eyther meate or drinke in apparell of cloath and barefooted beeing made a spectacle for Angels and men hee required pardon in all humilitie He endured three whole dayes in a very lamentable affliction In so much that Hildebrand who tooke his pleasure the meane while with his whores and Monkes mocked him He desired sore that he might haue entry into the Citie but it was refused him And as with great instance he demaunded it by the space of three dayes he was answered that the Pope had no leisure to speake with him Henry taking not in euill part that they would not suffer him to come into the Citie remained in the suburbes not without great grieuance For the winter was sharper then of custome Yet to the end he would offend no person he kept 3. whole dayes there without departing Finally the fourth day at the request of the Countesse Matilde who as Histories say loued a litle too much the Pope and of the Abbot of Clugny and of the Earle of Sauoy called Adelrans he was permitted to enter of the Pope But when he demaunded pardon of the Pope setting his Crowne betwixt his hands and in his power he would neither pardon nor absolue him of excommunication vnlesse first he promised to purge himselfe in a ful Sinode of his fault with other vnlawful and vnreasonable conditions All which things he promised and confirmed them by estate yet would they not remit him into his Kingdome Can any body haue haue a more liuely portraite of the Image of Antichrist The Princes of Italy after they knew this were exceedingly offended that the Emperour had so made his agreement with Hildebrand and that so dishonestly and vilely he had submitted himselfe to him who had inuaded the Papacie by wicked practises and who had polluted and defiled all with murders and adulteries c. After this the Pope with his Cardinalls glorying that he had brought the Emperour into seruitude durst now aduenture to enterprise greater things But the Emperour afterward tooke courage and straightway dispatched all that by taking Armes And after many sharp and hard warres he vanquished Rodolphe in battaile Who hauing his right hand cut off made call all the Bishops and Priests on his side Which being come after one had brought him his hand he spake in this sort I confesse that this is worthily come vnto me and wel bestowed vpon me Behold the hand wherewith I haue deliuered the oath of fidelitie to my Lord Henry but at the sollicitation of you I haue so many times vnluckily fought against him and also falsified my faith vnto him and therefore I haue receiued a reward such as my periurie meriteth See if you haue guided mee in a right way So then and now keepe to your Prince the fidelitie which you haue promised vnto him As for me I goe to my Fathers and incontinently after Rodolphe
moued Bruno to seeke remedie and comfort to his fancie without the word of the Lord was of the diuel and proceeded of his illusions This liberalitie drew many poore and needfull people vnto him that they came by troupes and he alwaies expounded some place of holy scripture in the vulgar tongue for hee was a man learned as the writings of that time witnesse and the Catalogue of the witnesses of the truth the Bishop of the place and the Prelates which carried the keyes as they say and would neither enter nor let others enter beganne to murmure that a Laie man or secular man as they call them should handle or declare in the vulgar tongue the scripture and make assemblies in his house admonishing to cease to do so vnder the paine of excommunication But for all this the zeale that Waldo had to aduance the glory of God and the desire the little ones had to learne was nothing diminished but contrary the resistance and tyrannie of the Prelates gaue occasion to discouer the errours and superstitions of the Romane seate which then were as it were hid in darknesse The like happened in our time for whē the Pope his Priests could not endure that Martin Luther should reprehend their Indulgences they were the cause that a further search was made into their errours and so discouered their abhominable blasphemies Waldo now gathered in the vulgar tongue many places out of the auncient Fathers to cōfirme and strengthen such as were of his side not only by the authoritie of holy scriptures but also by witnesse of Doctors against the aduersaries It is likely to be true by Historiographers yea euen by the writings of the aduersaries that this assembly endured certaine time it may be foure or fiue yeares that Waldo taught in the Towne of Lyons before he was driuen to exile banishment For because he was mightie and had friends he was not so soone exposed to daungers which afterward were laide for him And thus came the appellation of the Pope of Lions Some called them Waldois some Lyonists and some Insabbatati that is such as obserued neither Sabboth nor Feast and many other like names to make them odious and detestable as shall be shewed in the discourse of this Historie Alexander vnderstanding the Emperor marched to come to Rome perceiuing himselfe culpable of the treason he had done him the 7. yeare of his Popedome fled from Rome in the habit of his Coole came vnto Venice remained in a Monasterie where finally being knowne he was led by the Duke the Senate with great solemnitie into S. Markes Church The Emperor vnderstanding y t Alexander was at Venice sent Embassadors to demaund Alexander The Venetians maintained the Pope which the Emperor seeing sent thither his son Otho with an Army yet commanding him not to fight against the Venetians before his comming But Otho led with youth gaue battell lost the victory was prisoner Which the Pope seeing wold not agree with the Emperor vnlesse fist he came to Venice receiued the meanes that he wold offer Frederic to help his son came to Venice the Pope would not absolue him of y e bond of excommunicatiō vntill he presented himselfe at the doore of S. Mark his Church Whē he was come thither the Pope cōmanded him in the presence of all the people to cast himself vpon the ground and to demand pardon of him The Emperor prostrating himselfe vpon the earth at the Popes feete hee set his foote vpon the Emperors neck pressing it downe said It is written Super aspidem basiliscum ambulabis conculcabis Leonem draconem that is to say Thou shalt goe vpon the Aspe Basilike and tread vnder thy feet the Lyon the Dragō The Emperor taking in ill part the contumely answered This was not said vnto thee but vnto Peter But the Pope stepping againe vpon his neck answered Both to me to Peter The Emperour fearing the peril or an hid danger held his peace so was absolued and an accord was made betwixt them vpō condition that the Emperour should hold Alexander for the true legitimate Pope that he should restore to the Romane church all that he had vsurped takē during the war These things ended the Emperor his son departed frō Venice so ceased y e schisme This Pope gaue many priuiledges to the order of Chartreux and Canonized S. Barnard The bodies of three Kings as they call them were transported from Millaine to Colongne by the Bishop of the said place Sabell Eun. 9. lib. 5. The order of the Carmalites began in this time and the order of Willelmins Hermirs Fasc Temp. About this time Henry the second King of England seeing the power of Bishops Cleargie too great in England and that they by oathes made to the Pope did alienate themselues and the Forces of the Realme by such means weakned renewed the auncient rights called the Dignities of the Kingdome And aboue all that which saith That Bishops and Prelates shal sweare to be loyall and faithful vnto the king and the publike vtilitie of the kingdome Thomas Becket Archbishop of Cāterburie gaue that oath to the King but after repented himselfe thereof as of an vnlawfull oath and demanded therfore the Popes absolution The King grieued at such periurie banished him and about fiue yeares he was in France The questiō was long debated at Rome cost much mony vpō Embassadors going betweene the one partie the other Gratian cōpiler of the Decrees was sent on the Popes side Petrus Lombardus on Becket his side The king fearing apparent daungers on the side of France was glad to be quiet but Becket being restored and stil remaining contrary to the king and vnwilling to absolue such as before he had excommunicated he was slain by certaine Nobles of the Realme The 48. yeare after his death there was a disputation in Paris amongst the Doctors whether he were damned or saued There was one Roger a Normane who maintained that he deserued death being a Rebell against the King who is the Minister of God Others contrary maintained that by good right he ought to be held in the number of Martirs because he died for the Clergie and so the Pope Alexander canonized him This Historie sheweth vs what difference there is betwixt the Popes Martyrs and them of Iesus Christ The punishment makes not the Martyr but the cause Many haue written against this Archbishop Becket and condemning him haue maintained the Kings cause Baleus rehearseth it So doth Iohn Eliot and Iohn Bishop of Poitiers Our Ladies Church of Paris is now builded by the Bishop there called Maurice who also founded besides three Monasteries that is Negranx Hermeries and Yeres The Sea of Histories About this time were there seene in the West Countries three Sunnes in September the yeare after three Moones Chro. Euseb Baudwin fourth of that name the seuenth King of
things to this passe that Wencelaus son of Ottocaire should take to wife Gertrude the Emperors daughter on the other side Rodolphe the Emperour his sonne should espowse Agnes the daughter of Ottocaire Austrich also came vnto the Emperours sonne Albert. The Tartarians Till this time the Tartarians were vnknowne in Europe Now they shewed themselues and finally entred into Hungarie with fiue hundreth thousand men from thence into Polonia Schlesia Morauia See Monstre lib. 4. Some recite that in this time Haalon King of the Tartarians ouercame the Countries of Persia and tooke Babilon then called Baldaca with the great Caliphe who in the Mahumetist lawe is to bee compared vnto the Pope of Rome in authoritie and treasure This Haalon hauing the Caalipho prisoner as is said inuented and ordained in a great mockerie his death in this sort It is conuenient saith hee that that man speake of the Caliphe which loued so much gaine should be nourished with precious viands go then and place him in the middest of heaps of gold and precious stones and let him vse such meates As then he had certaine time bene kept in great affluence of gold and siluer and in the middest of these riches he died with hunger See Paralip Vrsp. Innocent Pope fift of that name borne at Burgongne after Supp Chron. and Cor. Abb. Or in Lombardie after Fasci Temp. before called Peter de Tarentaise Prior Prouinciall of the Iacobins in France Maister and Doctor in Theologie Archbishop of Lyons Cardinall d' Ostia and great Penitenciary of the Pope See how these Grashoppers Mendicants enter alreadie into power to appoint ouer them the King Abadon as is spoken Apocalips 19. Whilest this man was Bishop of Ostia and Cardinall whose office it is to consecrate the Pope Bonauenture Friar was also Cardinall and Bishop of Albe This Peter or Innocent beeing chosen Pope came soone after to Rome Where hauing bene crowned in the Church of S. Peter that hee might rest at his pleasure he sent Embassadors men of great authoritie which commaund them of Tuscane which had conspired to destroy the Pisans and the Geneuois and Venetians beeing at deadly foode to lay downe their Armes vpon paine of excommunication The Embassadors of Charles King of Sicilie were also there present by meanes of whose authoritie hee hoped things should more easily haue such issue as they desired The Tuscanes straight did what was commaunded them And aboue all the Florentines which also for that cause he declared and absolued of the Interdict which Gregorie his predecessor had published against them But the Geneuois Venetian whose hearts had of long time beene inueterated consumed one an other by losses and mutuall victories which notwithstanding Innocent would haue made consent vnto that he pretended if he had longer liued he tooke the matter so much to heart But he dyed sixe moneths and two daies after he was chosen Pope the same yeare of his predecessour Gregorie and was buried in the Church of Laterane This saith Carsulanus although he had determined to do many things yet did nothing worthie of memorie because he was preuented by death This Pope as Platina saith displeased much the secular Priests because that being at Viterbe after he had heard the processe that was betwixt them and the Iacobins touching the sepulcure of Clement the fourth hee ordeined by sentence that his bodie should be buried by the said Iacobins Rodolphe Adrian Pope fift of that name borne at Genes of the house of Tolisques before called Othobonus was created Pope at Rome in the Pallace of Lateran after the death of Innocent his vncle hauing bene ordeined by him Cardinall Deacon of Saint Adrian and sent into England with large power to leuie a great summe of money But as hee sought to appease certaine discordes betwixt the King and his Barons that hee might dispatche his businesse the more easilie hee was clapt vp in prison by the Londiners but finally deliuered againe The yeare of our Lorde 1266. hee helde a Sinode in Northumberland and an other at London whether resorted a great number of Bishoppes and Priests There after they had brought to such estate as he thought good the things appertaining to the Popedome hee published certaine lawes which in time to come England should vse in such things as concerned Popery He declared wicked all such Bishops as had rashly followed the Princes part against King Henry the third which yet were absolued by him partly by gifts presents and partly because he was constrained vnto a quicke transportation to the Pope of Rome Being then created Pope of Rome he tooke incontinently his way towardes Viterbe and sought to bring into Italie the Emperor Rodolphe to diminish the power of Charles King of Sicilie this was hee which a little before they had lifted vp into that roome against all iustice and equitie who at that time did his pleasure and as he would at Rome But Rodolphe being wrapped in warre against the Bohemians could not satisfie Adrians request As for Charles meaning to flie the enuie against him transported into Achaia all his forces which he had prepapared to make warre to the end by that meane to make a way to be Emperour of Constantinople Adrian had a will saith Platina to cause that all Seignories belonging vnto the Church should come into great assurance against such as oppressed them and to reduce into an other forme the constitution of his predecessour Gregorie touching the shutting vp of Cardinalls at the Popes election But death hindered his enterprises and opposed it selfe against the greatnes of his courage What could he do saith Wicelius Apostate of the truth that was a Pope but of fortie dayes For be deceased at Viterbe the yeare 1276. before he could be consecrated and was enterred in the Couent of Friars the fourth day of his Popedome and the seat was vacant about 28. dayes Many debates and contentions happened amongst the Bishops and Pastors against the Mendicant Monkes which troubled Churches because whether Bishops Priests would or no they would ascend into Pulpits to preach Amongst such as complained of them besides Guilliam d'Amour of whom we spake before there was Bernard the Glossator of the Decretalls Godfrey des Fountaines Henry de Gaud and many others Laurent an English man Doctour of Paris in this time maintained the opinion of Guilliam de Saint Amour and writ against the Monkes a Booke conteining an admonition against false Prophets and an other by which he defendeth the said de Saint Amour The Booke that the bogging Friars set out Of the eternall and spirituall Gospell to eâ—â—â—â—ct the true Gospell of our Lord was publikely burnt and to couer their filthinesse and impudencie they saide that a certaine Monke which long time before was dead had made it Iohn 22. of that name of Portugal borne in the Towne of Lisbone making profession of Phisicke called before Peter of Portugall of a Cardinall and
Bishop of Tusoule was created Pope This Pope although he was accounted a very learned man yet because he had not such knowledge of things that hee had to gouerne as was requisite and also because he was of inconstant and mutable maners as Platina saith hee brought much more domage vnto the Popedome then honour or profit For he did many things wherein he shewed himselfe astonished and light There was one onely point wherein he was worthy praise that is that willingly hee helped many young people which had desire to profit in good Letters in giuing them siluer and Ecclesiastical Benifices and aboue all such as were pressed with pouertie The Venetians then did greatly molest them of the Marquesdome of Ancone because they made traffique of Marchandise into Dalmatia without paying any portage to the Venetian the Pope defended them not as he ought they beeing the Churches subiects for hee was readie inough in words but when it came to lay hand to worke he had neither courage nor hardinesse They of Ancone seeing themselues destitute of the Popes succours taking courage made a sallie vpon the Venetians which had besieged their Towne and droue them away after hauing greatly indomaged them In all things this Pope accustomed not to vse any other Councell but of Iohn de Gauiette by the will and direction of whom all things were gouerned for that by his meanes hee was chosen Pope He sent Embassadors as well towards Michael Paleologne as to Westerne Kings exhorting them in his name that they would make Peace one with another and take Armes against the Sarrasins and other enemies of Christian religion which thing if Paleologne would not do and if he kept not the vnion that he had accorded vnto Iohn would giue his Empire vnto Charles king of Sicilie This Pope promised himselfe long life yea he foretold it by the Starres and affirmed before euerie one that he should liue long But as he affirmed such a folly in the presence of his people a new Vault Valerius calls it a playing Hall Stella a rich and precious Chamber which he had builded in his Pallace at Viterbe fell suddenly the fourth day following the yeare 1277. And the seuenth day after the said ruine being found miserably slaine betwixt the stone and the wood was enterred in the great Church the 8. moneth of his Popedome He knew by experience how great was the vanitie of his Diuination The Sea was vacant by the space of sixe monethes by the meanes of debate amongst the Cardinalls Hee writ certaine Problems following therein Aristotle the Canons and rules of Phisicke The treasure of the poore and certaine Epistles The doctrine of the Waldois After that Waldo and his company were driuen from Lyons one company drew towards Lombardie where they multiplied greatly In so much that their doctrine began to be dispearced through Italie and came euen to Sicilie As the Patents of Frederic the second giuen against them when he raigned witnesseth By the recitall of such as writ against them and likewise by one Reinerius who liued and and writ a litle after this time it may be gathered that this was their doctrine That we must beleeue the scriptures onely in that which concerneth saluation and that no other thing ought to bee receiued but that which God commaundeth vs. That there is but one onely Mediator and therefore we must not inuocate Saints That there is no purgatorie but that all men iustified by Christ goe to eternall life and such as do not beleeue goe to eternall death And that there is neither third nor fourth place They receiue and allowe two Sacraments Baptisme and Communion They said that all Masses and chiefly such as were inuented for the dead were abhominable and damned and therefore ought to be abolished All humane traditions ought to be reiected without holding them for necessarie to saluation That singing and recitall of the officiall and fastings tyed to certaine dayes superfluous feasts the difference of meates as well of degrees and orders of Priests Monkes and Nuns as blessings and consecrations of creatures vowes pilgrimages and all the confusion and great heap of ceremonies before inuēted ought to be abolshed They denied the Popes supremacie aboue all the power he had vsurped vpon pollicies And they admitted no degrees but Bishops Priests and Deacons That the Romane seate is very Babilon and that the Pope is the fountaine of all euils at this day That the marriage of Priests is good and necessarie in the Church That such as heare the word of God and haue a right knowledge thereof are the true Church to which Iesus Christ hath giuen the keyes to cause Sheepe to enter and driue away Wolues See briefly the doctrine of the Waldois which the enemies haue impugned and for which by their owne witnesse they were persecuted in this time Mathias Illiricus in the Catalogue which he gathered of the witnesses of the truth saith that he hath by him the consultations of certaine Aduocates of Auignon Also of three Archbishops of Narbone of Arles and of Aix and likewise of the Bishop of Alban to roote out the Waldois written past 300. yeares by which it appeareth that then and before there were a great number of the faithfull heere and there dispearced throughout all France It may also be collected by the consultations of the said Archbishops that as the number was very great the persecution was very cruell For in the end of them there is thus found written Who is so new in France that is ignorant of the condemnation of these Heretikes Waldois made of long time so iustly A thing so famous so publike as hath cost so great expences sweats and trauells for the Catholique and hath bene sealed with so many condemnations and deathes of those wicked Infidells can it be called into doubt It appeareth then what a butcherie in this time was made of the faithfull and what crueltie the supporters of the Romane Antechrist exercise against the good Nicholas 3. borne at Rome of the house of Vrsins called before Iohn de Gauette the election being deferred vntill the sixt moneth not wthout great debate and contentions amongst the Cardinalls occupied the papall seate Charles king of Sicilie as Senator of Rome had the charge of the Conclaue who insisted much that some of the French Nation might be chosen After then that Nicholas had taken possession of the Popedome meaning to diminish the credit and power of Charles tooke from him the Vicariatship of Tuscane and filled all Italie with vprores and tumults of warre and to the end he might prouide well for his businesses he perswaded Peter King of Arragon these be old Popish trickes to redemaund the Kingdome of Sicilie shewing him that by right of heritage it belonged vnto him because of Constance his wife Which counsell pleased Peter well But what fruite wrought the counsell of this S. Peter Peter hauing gotten into his power a puissant Armie
Others that they would not pay it and so was there a schisme in the Churches of Almaigne Naucler Petrarke dyed about this time So did Boccace of the age of 62. yeares Abb. Trit Simon de Cassia was in this time and S. Bonauenture whom Gregorie 2. made Cardinall and Bishop of Albe Abb. Trit Amurathes was slaine with the blowe of a Dagger by the seruant of a Christian called Seruianus For that the said Amurathes had slaine his maister Peter de Premonstre hath left by writing that in this Popes time there was a kinde or new Sect of diuellish people as well men as women which without any shame daunced hardely And he said that in the yeare of the Lord 1375. they came frō Aix in Almain into Henaut and from thence into France Some said this signified the returne of Pope Gregorie his Cardinals to Rome These thought they daunced in a flood of blood although such as were present with them saw no such thing The common people iudged that these people were ill baptized by Priests which keep whores and harlots and therefore they determined to haue risen vp against the Cleargy to slay them and pill their goods but that God remedied it by the meanes of certaine coniurations that which followeth in the said author The yeare of Christ 1375. the English men and Brytons with other people to the number of fortie thousand and more fell vpon the Countries of Alsarce and Sangania and tooke Cities and Castles and raced them to the ground violated virgins and wiues burned Churches and Monasteries and after many other tyrannies they attempted also vpon the Bernois but a great multitude of them and their Duke were slaine and discomfited by the said Bernois at Frowenbrun the rest were assailed by other Swisses and were ouerthrowne and so they all perished miserably Fascic temp The Emperour Charles sought to stretch out the limits of his kingdome of Boheme partly by siluer and partly by warres and other meanes which was cause that he gaue to Iohn Henry his brother the Countrey of Morauia to the end he might renounce the right he had in the kingdome of Boheme Long time after he also caused the Princes Electors to elect Wencelaus his sonne King of the Romanes Finally after many requests hee obtained that he demaunded the yeare of grace 1376. and gained the Princes which elected Wencelaus King of Romanes being but 15. yeares of age After his coronation he espoused Ihehanne or Iane daughter of Albert Counte of Holland and Duke of Bauiere But the yeare following Charles dyed which was the yeare of grace 1378. and of his Empire 33. Hee was an Emperour worthie of praise sauing that he regarded more his kingdome of Boheme then the publike weale of his Empire For knowing his Sonne should succeede him in the Empire hee corrupted the Electors by great and faire promises the which being not able to accomplish hee gaged vnto them the publike taxes and tributes and brought the Romane Empire into that calamitie wherein it is at this day For the Electors retaine that vnto themselues which should be the Emperours A great number of the poore of Lyon were burnt at Paris in the place de Greue The Sea of Histories The Colledge of Benuais was founded at Paris the yeare 1372. otherwise called the Colledge des Dormans because it was founded by three brethren called Dormans the one was Bishop of Beauuais the other Archbishop of Angiers and the other Chauncellour of France Wencelaus sonne of Charles fourth of that name was chosen king of the Romans beeing but 15. yeares of age at the pursuite of his Father and crowned at Aix la Chappelle with his wife the daughter of Albert Duke of Bauiere and Counte of Holland But this Wencelaus was euil made of bodie and spirit his bodie crooked and of an effeminate courage He was borne at Nuremberge and his mother dyed at his byrth Assoone as hee was made king of Boheme and of the Romanes incontinently he gaue himselfe to all Idlenes and dissolution following his pleasures caring for nothing but to make good cheare And because he vsed great tyrannie in the end the Barons of the kingdom tooke him kept him in prison the space of 4. moneths til he was brought forth by his brother the Marquesse called Iohn but he became no better His subiects then seeing that all the Country was infected with his orders tyrannies whoredomes dissolutions they complained to his brother Sigismond king of Hungarie and he was againe taken and imprisoned in Austriche but escaping out of prison he returned into his kingdome and returned to his first manners The Electors of the Empire often admonished him but hee cared not therefore he was depriued of his Empire at Bopard Baiazet fourth King or Emperour of the Turks the sonne of Amurathes after the death of his Father slewe his brother Soliman traiterously and so alone enioyed the Empire of the Turkes the yeare of the world 5335. after Christes Natiuitie 1373. To reuenge the death of his father he made war against Marke Lord of Bulgaria ouercame and slewe him and so subiected a great part of his Country A little after he ouerranne Hungarie Albania and Walachie and did great hurt tooke many Christians and led them into Thracia prisoners In his enterprises and affaires he was so hotte and so suddaine that he was called Baiazet Hildrin that is to say thunder from heauen He brought vnder as it were all Greece being aided with the goods and graces of nature both in body and spirit He besieged Constantinople by the space of eight yeares Wherevpon the Emperour sailed into France requiring succours which was graunted him yet got Baiazet victorie of the French Hungarians Almaines Syrians and Misians in one assembly against him after hee returned to Constantinople and there was no other meane to conserue the Empire of Constantinople but that Tamberlan who was Lord of a certaine Countrie of East Scythia towards Parthia hauing as it were an infinit number of people put to the sworde in one onely battaile on the Mount Stella where Pompey fought with Mithridates 2. hundreth thousand Turkes and ouercame Baiazet and bound him with chaines of Gold and put him into a Cage of Iron and so ledde him through all the Countreys of Asia and Syria In the which miserable estate the said Baiazet died He raigned twentie and sixe yeares Edward King of England who had so many victories in France died of the age of 74. yeares the yeare 52. of his raigne Charles the 4. and Wencelaus his sonne came into France to accord the French and the English but they returned without doing any thing because of the death of the Queene and her daughter Isabel The Pope Gregorie after he had done all that belonged to a good Pope as Platina saith being tormented with an intollerable paine of the blather deceased the yeare of the Lord 1378. Some say that
for that hee derided Churchmen and principally them of the Vniuersitie of Paris which conceiued great enmitie against him but especially because hee caused to bee builded the Towre of the litle Castle vpon the litle Bridge to represse the Insolencies of Schollers and to stay their night courses Wherefore at their pursuite many secret Inquestes were made against him and hee was charged to haue had the company of Iewish women That hee beleeued not in the Sacrament of the Aultar but mocked at it and would neuer bee confessed Beeing charged with these informations hee was imprisoned in the Chastelet and from thence yeelded to the Bishop of Paris his prison and was declared an heretike worthy to bee burned At the Princes request the sentence was moderated and he was publikely placed on a Scaffold in our Ladies Court at Paris as an heretike and contemner of Sacraments and as such an one condemned to perpetuall prison with bread and water Hee was afterward deliuered from the saide prison of Paris by a popularie tumult which would haue made him theyr Captaine but hee withdrewe himselfe to Dijon where he was borne The ninth of Iuly Ludolphe or Lupolde Duke of Austriche with a great company of people of warre deceiued by the counsell of the Nobles fell vppon the Swissers nigh Sempac which were in number of a thousand sixe hundreth which draue away all that multitude and slewe the Duke of Austrich with eighteene other Princes Two yeares after the Gentlemen which escaped returned with sixe thousand combatants but two hundreth men of Glaronne put them to flight and ouercame 2400. Fasc About the yeare 1387 fell there a schisme betwixt the Vniuersitie of Paris and the Friar Iacobins One Doctor of the Friars Preachers called Iohn de Montelon preached and maintained publikely that the Virgin Marie was borne in originall sinne Such questions come of pride and ambition they are not such as the Lord requireth At Rouen an other Doctor of the same order preached publikely that if he prooued not that the Virgin Marie was conceiued in originall sinne let them call him Huet that is Owle Herevpon in despite and derision of them when men sawe any of the said order they called them Huets The Sea of Hist Charles 6. king of France visited the Pope Clement 6. in Auignon Clement died the yeare of our Lord Iesus 1392. and was buried in Auignon as they say These two Popes sent terrible Bulles into diuers parts of the world and sowed diffamitorie bookes wherein they named one an other Antichrists Schismatikes heretikes tyrants traitors theeues vniust sowers of tares and children of Belial Iohn de Ligni Doctor of both lawes published a Treatise in fauour of Vrbaine and the Abbot of S. Vast the kings Councellor of France an other in fauour of Clement The seate of Rome could neuer be better approoued of Antichrist then by the acts of these Popes and the witnesse of their partakers and complices Boniface Pope ninth of that name ruled at Rome 15. yeares hee was a Neapolitain elected of the age of 30. yeares before called Peter Thomocel He was the likeliest amongst the Cardinalls which Vrbain had created He confirmed the feast of the visitation of the Virgin Marie instituted by Vrbain his predecessor Hee fortified the Castle of S. Angelo against the Romane people He made a lawe whereby he obtained the seignorie of all the world that is to say That it should not be lawfull for any person to enioy any Benefice wherevnto he should be promoted before he had paid to the Fiske or Apostolike chamber all the reuenewe of the first yeare He abolished Tribuns which was a noble Magistracie in the Towne of Rome and constrained the Romanes by a cruel Edict to call a stranger to be Senator namely one Maleteste of Piscane Boniface canonized S. Brigide as is aboue said in the life of Vrbain the 5. He made great merchandise of Indulgences and sold them for money The yeare of Christ 1394 Clement the seuenth dyed in Auignon Benet Pope 13. of that name otherwise called Peter de la Lune borne at Catalongne father to the king of Arragon gouerned in Auignon 21. yeares and after went into Arragon in the time of the Councell of Constance Before he was Pope being a Cardinall he made a voyage to Paris to cause the schisme to cease And then in the Vniuersitie of Paris were M. Peter d' Aliaco Cardinall Doctor in Theologie and M. Iohn Gerson who after the said Aliaco was Chancellor of Paris The yeare 1395. the Christian Princes Sigismond king of Hungarie and Boheme brother of the Emperor Wencelaus Phillip d' Artois Iohn Count de Neuers and many other Christian Princes were discomfited nigh Nicopolis going against Baiazet the Turke to giue succours to the Emperour of Constantinople the pride and dissolution of the French was cause thereof The beginning of the Dukes of Millaine Wee haue saide that in the time of Henry the seuenth there was at Millaine two factions that is of the Gibellins and of the Guelphes The Vicounts stucke to the one the yeare 1250. and were the strongest in their families In so much that in the end Mathew Vicount cast out of the Towne of Millaine the great familie of Turrians Galeace succeeded Mathew in the administration of the Common-wealth After Galeace came Actio his sonne out of whose helme fell the Serpent And because this man dyed without issue his Vncle 's Iohn Bishop of Millaine and Luchin tooke the gouernment of the Duchy and had great warres against the Cities of Parme Lande Cremone Bergame Genes and others subiected them The Bishop being dead and Luchin also the administration came to Barnabas who with the aide of his brethren had many warres against the Pope of Rome but principally he a long time molested Bolongne vntill the Citizens redeemed themselues with money See Munster The vnluckie battaile for the Christians in Hungaria against the Turke where 20000. Christians were slaine and infinite others taken and put to death The Count of Neuers was there taken prisoner but his life was saued with 22. others Gentlemen His raunsome was 200000. scutes Naucler the Sea of Histories Benet the 13. graunted to the Vniuersities Rolles to haue prouision of Benefices Mary daughter of king Charles made her selfe a Nunne at Poissy The yeare of Christ 1398. was assembled a Councell by the Prelates of France wherin it was said that because Pope Benet would not accord to that way of cession they would obey him no more in any thing That Ordinaries should make collation of Benefices That vnto electiue dignities men should proceed by election without any more resorting to the Pope Benet The English men imprisoned and after vngently murthered their king Richard because he had made peace and accord with the king of France without consent of the people The yeare 1399. certaine Monkes of the order of S. Bernard brought
Nicholas held a Iubile at Rome wherat there was such a multitude of people that many were stifled as they entred and came out of Churches There perished more then 200. persons besides an infinit number which fell into the floud as they passed ouer the Bridge of S. Angelo This is the reward that such deserue that leauing the truth follow the inuention of Antichrist Amurathes Turke second of that name died after he had raigned 31. yeares whom Mahomet the second succeeded This Amurathes tooke the Lord of Seruia and Mesia and occupied Sophia c. Also he tooke captiues three of his children whereof two were males and put out their eyes with an hotte Iron and the third a maide hee tooke to wife He made warre vpon the Venetians and occupied Thessalonica which at this day is called Salonike The yeare 1453. the 28. day of May after Naucler or of March after some Mahomet the second surnamed the great sonne of Amurathes by the cowardise of Iohn Iustinian of Genoua tooke Constantinople hauing with him 300000. fighters The siege endured 60. dayes Michael Paleologus a Grecian tooke it of the French by the helpe of the Geneuois The said Ionh Iustinian was made king by the space of three daies as the Turke had promised him but the fourth day he was be headed saith Fasci Temp. The Patriarke and all the Christians were slaine without any mercie They had sent to demaund helpe of the Pope and the Christians but no helpe came It is impossible to recyte the horrible crueltie which was there exercised Constantine the last Emperour of the last Greekes as he fled was encountred and murthered nigh the gates His head was stucke on the top of a Launce and carried about the Towne Mahomet also caused to be erected an Image of a Crucifixe and did write vpon it This is the God of the Christians and commaunded to cast dung and other filth against the said Image The Emperours wife with her daughters and the most noblest Damzels there were brought before Mahomet and after he had done them all the shame he could yea the greatest villanies of the world he caused theyr bodies to be cut in peeces Such examples of so extreame crueltie ought to induce vs to abhorre so barbarous an enemie and to detest the Papists Idolatrie which by the adoration of Images are the cause wherefore the passion of Iesus Christ is thus slaundered The King of France recouered all the Townes which the English held in France except the Towne of Callais The Sea of Histories In this time flourished Nicholas Perotus Ioannes de turre oremata a Iacobin Doctor in Theologie Bishop and Cardinall Nicholas Canonized S. Bernardine of Senes a Friar Chron. Euseb He was a louer of Letters and learned people greatly loued such Bookes were also presented and dedicated vnto him on all sides For hee stirred such as were learned to translate Greeke Authors into Latin Naucler He couered with lead S. Marie the round auntiently called the Pantheon he repaired the Church of S. Stephen he also builded the Church of S. Theodore repaired the bridge Miluius paued many streetes hee gaue to many Churches vessels of gold and siluer and many Crosses adorned with precious stones The yeare 1455. the 25. of March Nicholas the 5. died of a Feauer hauing bene sore troubled with the taking of Constantinople Naucler The Sea of Hist saith he was poisoned as was found by effect when he was opened Scanderbeg so called of the Turkes when he was circumcised for before he was called George Castriot was giuen in Hostage by his father king of Epire and Albania of old called Macedonia to Amurathes the 7. Emperour of the Turkes who after he had in many deedes of Armes experimented his prowesse made him chiefe of the Armie against the Hungarians vnto whom he yeelded himselfe and moreouer constrained Bassa the Turkes Secretarie to write Letters to the Gouernours of the Towne and Countrey of Croya whereby was sent in the name of Amurathes that the said Towne should be deliuered into his gouernment So subtilly recouered he his Countrey about this time But Amurathes fell vpon Egipt with a great power after hauing in vaine besieged Croya many monethes he died of griefe Calixtus or Calistus the third of that name a Spaniard called before Alphonsus Borgia being alreadie of a great age by the consent of the Cardinalls succeeded Nicholas a man onely learned in the Lawe or right Canon Some say he was first Secretarie to Alphonsus King of Arragon and was made Bishop of Valence by Martine the fift and vnder Eugenius was made Cardinall of the title of foure Crownes as commonly they say at Rome de Sant quatre As soone as hee had receiued the Papall dignitie hee published warre against the Turkes according to a vow hee had made But by the dutie of his office hee ought rather to haue sought peace with all men Painims should be taught and not assailed by warre The Turke Mahomet went into Hungarie against Alba and was vanquished and more then fortie thousand of his people perished Naucler Iohn Huniades a vertuous Captaine at the iournie of Albe died shortly after the said victorie But the Pope the better to execute so couragious an enterprise sent preachers like himselfe in capacitie and couetousnesse with Bulles and Indulgences That is certaine begging Friars garnished with power like the Scorpions of the earth The principall of them all were Iohn Capistran and Robert de la lice of the order of Friars and hypocrites which euery man receiued with great admiration These men knowing the Popes subtiltie and hauing no certaine hope that they could gather much money out of the Iubile did all their businesse and trafficked by the the meanes of feigned prayers full of hypocrisie of Letanies of Images of crosses of songs of ringing of Bells and of their pastie God to the end they might fill all the purses budgets and sacks of their maister Calixtus ceased not by his Embassadors to exhort other Christian Princes to enterprise that warre as a thing very necessarie and holy Therefore sent he to all Priests that as they sung Masse they should pronounce certaine Prayers or Collects against Painimes and Turkes He also commanded that at noonetime a Bell should toll as there was done at night to salute the Virgin Marie to the end that as Stella the good Popish Theologian saith they which ordinarily fight against the Turkes might be helped by that prayer This is also the reason saith he wherefore hee ordained the Feast and seruice of the transfiguration of Iesus Christ and commaunded it should bee celebrated with like pardons and Indulgences as that of the Feast of the body of Iesus Christ This was for the victorie which the Christians had against the Turkes the sixt day of August before Albe in Hungarie Hee sent also towards the Armenians and Persians to sollicite them to doo the like against the Turkes and caused certaine
warring delighted in nothing but a dastardly idlenesse ful of sloath which brought with it nothing but diuers concupiscences fraudes pleasures pompes gourmandizes dissolutions pailliardizes and Idolatries He erected a new Colledge of Secretaries for his owne profit augmenting the number of them which were there before He builded a new Pallace and an house of pleasure of a new fashion He was the first of all the Popes which in an invsuall maner aduanced his bastards vnto honour and riches For hee gaue certaine Townes nigh Rome vnto his bastard Francis and greatly inriched his daughter called Theodorine which he married vnto a very rich man of Genoa Charles eight of that name King of France succeeded his father Lewis the 11. being of the age of 14. yeares The three Estates were solemnly assembled at Tours for the Kings person Hee was very conscionable yeelding vnto the King of Spaine the Countes of Roussillon and Parpignant Hee conquered the kingdome of Naples and the Princes and Gentlemen went thither of their owne charge At Rome the Pope declared him Emperour of Constantinople The King Alphonsus and his sonne Ferdinand for feare retired into Sicilie and Charles entred triumphantly into Naples Then the Lords and Townes in Italie banded themselues against the King to enclose him at his returne yet he got through with a great victorie ouer them at Fonnone for he had fewe people against many and as vanquisher returned into France But at the end of the yeare Naples reuolted vnto the said Ferdinand King Lewis the 11. would not that his sonne Charles should learne any part of the Italian tongue but onely this Prouerbe Qui nessit dissimulare nescit regnare that is hee that cannot faigne and dissemble knowes not how to raigne A poore lesson better beseeming a Tyrant then a King M. Iohn an English man a Priest in this time was burnt at Paris in the place called the Swine Market because in the morning of the day then called Corpus Christi in the great Church of our Lady in the Chappel dedicated vnto S. Crispin and Crispinian he tooke from a Priest that sung Masse his Host and cast it on the ground The Pope Innocent absolued the Venetians which had bene excommunicated by Sixtus for acts before recited and solde pardons and Indulgences as well for the liuing as for the dead He inriched with great presents many Temples through Italie He gaue vnto the Augustins of Bergoine a Church of siluer of an exquisite and maruelous worke He by his Bulles permitted to them of Norway that they ought to sing Masse without wine Moreouer seeing that Pardons nor the Iubile nor the warre against the Turkes serued him any thing to gather siluer hee inuented a new maner of gathering siluer For he found inclosed in an old wall the title which was set vpon the Crosse of Iesus Christ written in three languages Iesus of Nazareth c. with the Iron of the Launce wherwith Christ his side was pearsed Being hindred by a long disease he could not accomplish that which he purposed in his courage But the yeare of our Lord 1492. he deceased out of this world There was a Poet called Marcellus who made an Epitaph in Latin Verses whose sence is this What needest thou seeke witnesses to know whether Cibe be male or female Behold onely the great troupe of his children they will yeeld a certaine testimonie thereof He begot eight sonnes and as many daughters It is not without cause that Rome calls him Father c. The Towne of Arras was againe taken by the Flemmings in the nigh time The keyes of one of the Towne gates was counterfeited and giuen to foure of the conspiracie poore Mechanikes the one of which was called Grisard who had an ordinarie garde of the gate and vsed customably vpon the wall to sing with an high voyce What houre is it It is not time What houre is it It is not day This was to aduertise the enemies when they should approach And when they were nigh hee sung an other Song Marchez la duron duraine marchez la duron durean So the Towne of Arras was by him deliuered into the Emperours hand without any effusion of bloud Horrible things of Roderic Borgia To shewe the horrour of that abhominable seat of Rome it shal not be impertinent to declare how and by what meanes a Spaniard came thither In the time of Innocent the 8. after that Borgia was placed in the number of the Cardinalls and Fathers of the Romane Church his affection was incessantly set to mount higher and to that ende hee inuented each day all the meanes hee thought good and meete to enioy the accomplishment of his desires Finally he gaue himselfe to the diuellish Art of Necromancie to the end that by the helpe of diuells and euill spirits he might enter into the way whch he sawe shut to him as well by the riches as the great credit and prerogatiue of his companions After hee had certaine time employed his studie and diligently watched about the cursed and dammable Art of Necromancie he began to inquire of his diuels wherewith he prooued very familiar if they would not sauour him so much as in the pursuite of the Papall dignitie they would giue him support and helpe Wherevnto they readily agreed but yet vnder this especiall rescription and couenant that by certaine words he should deliuer an oath to shewe himselfe in all things a faithfull protector of Sathan To which this Cardinall of a wicked minde consented onely he required that when hee should come to do his homage and take his oath the diuell would not appeare vnto him in any hideous and fearefull forme but rather vnder some humane forme namely vnder the person of a Protonotaire which hauing graunted him at the time assigned and established on a Sommers day the Cardinall beeing retired into a place called Montcauallus being alone in a chamber the saide Protonotaire presented himselfe vnto him like a man of meane age honourably apparelled who after certaine talke helde betwixt them hee assured the Cardinall that hee should bee Pope Then Roderic Borgia beeing very ioyous began to inquire of him how long hee should raigne This Protonotaire deliuered him a very ambiguous answere namely that hee should raigne the space of eleuen and eight the Cardinall foolishly promised himself the time of 19. yeares in his Papall dignitie although Sathans meaning was but 11. yeares and 8. monethes After Pope Innocent was dead by pluralitie of voyces hee was established Pope And because there should be no want at the solemnities he named himselfe Alexander the sixt before named Roderic Borgia borne at Valence in Spaine the Nephewe of Calixtus late Pope third of that name As one that long time had had the handling of the office of Vice-chauncellor hee knew all the estate of the Court of Rome and knew all the councels and enterprises of the Princes and Communalties of Italie Being then placed
the consent of all the Cardinalls This man being in Venice in his hypocrisie inuented a new Sect of Monkes called Iesuites as if our Sauiour Iesus had ingendred such Popish Idolaters After this beeing made Cardinall as he departed from Venice to Rome he said vnto his Monkes which asked him whither he went Whither I go you cannot come now Abusing the scripture and prophaning the Lords words hee meant hereby that he left them shut vp in a Cloister in pouertie and miserie that he went vnto Rome to come vnto an high and mightie estate and dignitie wherevnto they could not come He writ a booke sometimes vnto Paul the third touching reformation of the Church but being become Pope he cared neither for Iesus Christ nor his Church In that booke he confirmeth almost all the poynts that we vse to reprehend in the Papists namely that the Church is so ruinated in Poperie that it is no more the Church of Iesus Christ but of the diuell For saith he Popes heape vp Doctors after their owne fancies and desires That Cardinalls and Bishops are cause that the name of Christ is blasphemed amongst people which vnder the colour of keyes gather great summes of money That wicked people are prouided for That Symoniacke Marchandices are greatly practised That Prelates burne with ambition and couetousnesse That horrible sinnes and iniquities are committed in Monasteries That the Towne of Rome is full of whoredomes and many such like More enormious and wicked things are committed at Rome then that which Theatin rehearseth in that booke for hee there only toucheth the vices abuses that are found in their common maner of liuing without making any mention of the contempt of the doctrine there vsed On Thursday the 16. day of May of this yeare there hapned a tumult at Geneua about 10. of the clocke in the night by the conspiracie of some which had for their stirrers Captaines certaine of the petit Councell of the Towne which not being able to beare so happie a prosperitie of the Gospell determined to chase away such as into that Towne had come from France to shun persecutions And as in the night time they ranne too and fro they cryed as for a false ensigne and token that the French were in Armes and the Towne betrayed but the French men stirred not out of their houses The commotion was bridled and stayed by certaine Lords of the Towne As for the seditious people some amongst them were executed others saued themselues by flight But the cause wherefore they would haue driuen away the French amongst others was because lately there were many of them receiued for Burgesses by meanes whereof their faction was weakened and the other part strengthned by the number of the new Burgesses which had bene added therevnto The French at this time raced many Castles by the Count Montferrat that they might haue victuals in greater assurance For if the enemie had occupied them Casal had bene brought into great necessitie In these parts was there a Towne called Vlpian which is of great importance The Spaniards held it then and it was revictualled at the comming of the Duke of Albe who had gathered together a great number of people Mariembourge also which the yeare before had beene taken in the lowe Countries from the Emperour was at the same time againe victualled by the French In the Countrie of Grisons there is a Towne nigh Italie called Lucarne which appertaineth vnto the whole communaltie of the Swisses The Citizens thereof required that they might be permitted to liue according vnto the reformation of the Gospell But because their Superiours and they were not of one Religion there was vpon deliberation diuers opinions Some agreed vnto their demaund others sought to hinder it So that there appeared towards some intestine and ciuill dissention yet in the end they of the Towne preuailed which wished that they should remaine in the Religion of their Auncestors and that they amongst them which accorded not therevnto might goe dwell otherwhere So were there found a great number which forsooke their naturall Countrey and withdrew vnto Zurich where they were receiued ioyfully and much relieued in their pouertie A great number of Vessels laden with all kindes of Marchandize came by Sea from Spaine towards Flaunders but vpon the coast of Normandie they were assailed with all force by the French which had espied them The combat amongst them was horrible many ships both of the one part and of the other were burnt and many sunke many a valiant man died there as wel by the sword as by burning and drowning The French in the end carried away some number of ships which they tooke into Diepe Hauen from whence they departed This happened in the moneth of August in the end of which moneth Phillip of Austrich repassed from England into Flaunders accompanied with a great number of English Gentlemen to finde the Emperour his father at Bruxels In September George Count de Montbellard the Duke of Wittemberge his Vncle tooke to wife Barbe the Lantgraues daughter The dissention of the Lords Supper and the presence of Christs body which had continued the space of thirtie whole yeares amongst the learned renewed againe in this time and there were published by certaine Ministers of Hambourge and Breme certaine litle bookes namely against Caluin and Iohn Alasco Caluin after answered them in earnest so did also Bullinger and Alasco who dedicating his booke to the King of Polongne greatly complained that without knowledge of the cause that without any disputation or amiable talke but onely vpon a certaine preiudice their doctrine was condemned after the maner of the Papists who in lieu of arguments from holy scripture proceed not but by force and commaundement The Marquesse of Marignan dying at Millaine the Cardinall of Trent was sent into Lombardie by the Emperour and King Phillip to bee there Gouernour At Naples the Duke of Albe was constituted About Christmas day the Pope according to his custome created new Cardinalls and amongst others Iohn Gropper the Archbishop of Cologne his Councellor Then also the Cardinall Poole being made Deacon Cardinall prest as they say began to say Masse For by the Popes lawe Deacons haue not yet that power In the beginning of Ianuarie happened great stormes and tempests in Saxonie Misne and Boheme Thunders and Lightnings which endaungered many places especially Churches In the same moneth at Vitodur in Suetia a litle Towne within two leagues of Zurich appeared in the night in one of the towers of the Church there a sparkling fire making such a noise as the Burgesses on all sides ran to put it out being come thither they found no flame yet it twise appeared that is to say the 4. 14. of the said moneth After this certaine of the Cantons of Suetia sollicited by the Pope got them to Rome whereas many maruelled King Phillip after he had receiued of his father the gouernment
Conrad Gesner of Zurich a Phisitian learned in the tongues and humane sciences laborious and painfull amongst others and who very diligently writ a perfect and full historie of all beastes foules fishes and creeping things died also in the moneth of December leauing infinite other writings in all sorts of litterature alreadie Imprinted and others to Imprint About the end of this yeare the King Phillip sent from Spaine into the lowe Countries an Edict wherby he ordained that the auncient and new placarts against them of the Religion should be executed that the Inquisition shuld be throughly established and the Inquisitors fauoured in the exercise of their charge that the decrees of the Councell of Trent should be receiued and obserued from point to point These Letters Patents were the cause of all the troubles following and not yet ended The 7. day of Ianuary 1566. Michael Gillier a Monke of Lombardie being come from one degree to an other till he was Cardinall finally was chosen Pope and called himselfe Pius the fift The 21. day of the said moneth the Emperour Maximilian second of that name held his first Imperiall Iourney at Ausbourge where the affaires of Religion was handled Frederick Count Palatin de Rhene and chiefe Elector of the Empire a Christian and magnanimous Prince constantly maintained the pure doctrine and the true reformation established in his Countrey by meanes whereof he made himselfe redoughted of all such is resisted him either openly or secretly and was well beloued of the Emperour and of the greatest in Almaine He was then accompanied with the Prince Cassimere his sonne who kept him good company and a great company of the Nobilitie In the moneth of March and in the other following hapned great troubles in Scotland and finally the King himselfe was strangled in the night and the chamber wherein hee was ouerthrowne with Cannon powder An Earle of that Realme espowsed his widow but being ouerthrowne in battaile by the Nobilitie he fled out of the Realme The Queene thingking to saue her selfe in France was stayed prisoner in England Iames the sixt the sonne of her and her slaine husband at this present King of Scotland of the age of fifteene or sixteene yeares is a Prince of great hope In the same moneth of March at the Imperiall Iourney at Ausbourge the Emperour there assisting it was decreed that the affaires of Religion should remaine in their present estate but for the affaires of the Empire they prouided especially for the warre against the Turkes In the beginning of Aprill certaine great Lords and Gentlemen of the low Countries leagued themselues in good number against the Inquisition pretending the same to be contrary to the liberties of the lowe Countrie The people banded themselues and the Assemblies of them of the Religion began to encrease In so much that the fourth of May there was publike preaching at Antwerpe without the Towne fiue weekes after within the said Towne At the same time such as were leagued against the Inquisition were surnamed les Gueux The cause hereof was for that some of the principalls going to present a request to the Councell of the estate the Sieur de Barlaimont their aduersary said to an other Councellor that sate nigh him Voici mes Gueux Great and litle after that tooke a deuise wearing apparell of gray cloath and peeces of money about their necke hauing on the one side the kings Image and on the other side a beggers dish with this Inscription Faithfull to the king euen to the begers dish In the moneth of Iune Iuly and the other following fell a sharpe warre in Hungary against the Turkes but the end was not very good for the Hungarians and Almaines lost many men in diuers encounters also many strong holdes especially at Zigeth which was besieged by Soliman himselfe who dyed a fewe dayes before the taking thereof Selim the second of that name succeeded his father Soliman was acknowledged and crowned Emperour of the Turkes in the moneth of September and soone after transported himself into Hungarie to prouide for the affaires of that warre and then straight departed towards Constantinople leauing one of his Bâ—ssâ—es called Pertaw to continew who with a puissant Armie of Turkes and Tartarians forraged Hungarie and Transyluania committing very straunge saccagements and cruelties The Vainoda of Transyluania called this Bassa to his succours to recouer certaine places occupied by the Hungarians but perceiuing such succours did wholly ruinate ouerthrow himself he sound means to surprize the Tartarians cut them all in peeces and so dissipated all that Turkish Armie first himselfe beeing well chastifed for drawing such people into his Countrey Iohn Functius a learned Chronographer amongst all them of our time Matthias Horst and Iohn Shnell Ministers of the Gospell at Conigsprucke in Pruse were beheaded the 28. of October for the crime of conspiracie against the Prince Albert who had established the Osiandrisme that is to say the dreames and errors of one Andrew Osiander concerning Christian righteousnesse and other points of Diuinitie which errour these three maintained and would haue reuenged themselues of Albert who had purged his Countrey of that infection The death of Soliman the great whip of Christendome gaue some release vnto Almaine Selim preparing himselfe to make warre vpon Venetians but the Emperour decreed a new warre within Almaine it selfe against Frederick of Saxonie sonne of the dead Elector taken in battaile by Charles the fift The cause heereof was that Iohn Frederick supported and gaue refuge vnto William Grembach and other Gentlemen which were banished out of the Empire because of the murder of Melchior Zobel Bishop of Wirthbourge Augustus Elector Duke of Saxony the Cosin-germaine of Iohn Frederick had the charge of this warre whervnto he prepared himselfe in the moneths of October and Nouember and about the end of the yeare he laid siege before the Towne of Goth where there was a Citadell or Castle one of the strangest in Almaine Iohn Frederick Grombach and others were there which sustained the siege certaine moneths They of the Religion encreased maruellously in Flaunders Brabant and in many other Prouinces of the lowe Countries and their affaires got so forward that the 20. day of August the Images in the Churches of Antwerpe were broken in peeces The Images of other Townes were vsed incontinently after the like handling euen with an incredible swiftnesse by the simple people with such an astonishment of euery one that none of the Magistrates opposed themselues against them William de Nassau Prince of Orange Gouernour of Antwerpe hauing done what he could to hold things in an euennesse and considering that it should be impossible for him to withstand the tempest which he sawe comming gaue place to the time and resolued to retire himselfe into Almaine admonishing other Lords to do the like seeing men made account to think vpon meanes to conserue the priuiledges of the
King accorded them whilest the Prince of Conde leuied people in Suifferland and the Armie of Almaine whereof was the Captaine the Duke Cassimere marched composed of ten thousand horsemen sixe thousand Suissers two thousande Lansquenets three thousand French men and Wallons sixe great battering peeces and sixteene field peeces The 22. of December the Prince of Conde published in writing the causes wherefore hee brought that Armie into France in diuers places whereof in the meane while were courses and taking of Townes with notable happes and chaunges reserued vnto the generall Historie of our time To be briefe the confusion was extreame throughout all the kingdome and so much the more as almost all were blinded the Churches became very desolate and such as feared God and were of some iudgement did foresee nothing but new calamities Thus in fewe words was the estate of France this yeare 1575. The estate also of the low Countries was as followeth In the moneth of February by the aduise of the King of Spaine the Emperour sent into Brabant towards the Commaunder and from thence towards the Prince of Orange and the Estates of Holland the Count Schuartembourg to cōsider of the meanes for peace The said Count tooke so much paines therein that hostages were sent to the Prince for suerties of the Hollanders because assembly was made at Brede in Brabant where the Counte remained But because the Prince and the Hollanders persisted in their exercise of Religion the Commaunder vnwilling to consent therevnto the said negotiation came to no effect Incontinently that Towne and Castle de Bure appertaining to the Princes sonne being besieged by the Spaniards was yeelded by the cowardise of the Gouernour In the moneth of August following the Towne of Onde Water was besieged by the Spaniards by meanes wherof the Prince transported himself to Gonde to cause the dikes to be cut out wherof the Spaniards aduertised furiously beat the Towne and after a breach made gaue two assaults but receiued liuely repulses so that they returned the third time and then becomming maisters thereof they slew all the souldiers and Burgesses and burnt the most part of the Towne Amongst those souldiers there were two companies of Scots which not beeing able any more to stand vpon the breach because of the Canon and the violence of the assailants retyred into the Towne nigh the great Church where they fought the space of certaine houres very couragiously and they all dyed their weapons in their hands and neuer would yeeld themselues Foure dayes after the Spaniards besieged an other Towne called Schoonhouē The Prince quickly sent thither le Sieur de la Garde Colonell of the French companies in Holland who so wisely behaued himselfe that by capitulation he was licenced to go out with all his and their Armes and Iewels saued In the meane while the Commander practised so with certain Hollanders that he drew some to his part so that to the great astonishment of all he passed his Army through the straites of the Iles of S. Anne Phillip Lanat and Bunenlant got by assault the Fortresse of Bommene the twentie eight of September after incontinently besieged Ziriczeo one of the principallest Townes in Zeland The King of France was sommoned and required by the Estates of Poland to appeare in the Towne of Steczise the 12. day of May which he not performing they caused to be published that he was falne from his kingdome and from that time was there adiudged an interreigne as in the case of death which was published the 15. day of Iuly following at Cracouia and after in the principal Townes of the kingdome and an other day appointed for the Estates to prouide for a new election Henry Bullenger Minister in the Church of Zurich a learned Theologian of our time who with his writings hath greatly serued the Church of God hauing attained the age of 76. yeares dyed the 17. of September Rodolphe the eldest soone of the Emperour Maximilian hauing beene a yeare before crowned King of Hungarie was crowned King of Boheme in the great Church of Prage the 22. of September By the consent also of the Princes of the Empire he was elected King of Romanes and crowned at Ratisbone the first day of Nouember being then of the age of 24. yeares The estate of France in the yeare 1576. was such as followeth The 9. day of Ianuary the Duke of Alenson wrote vnto the Parliament of Paris the causes wherefore an army of Almanes for him entered into France and by them mightily threatned his enemies They ment to astonish the Parisians to the ende more easily to emptie their purses In the meane time there was sent messages vppon messages to the Prince of Conde and the Duke Cassimere to keep them from further entrance with their troupes but they aduanced into the kingdom tooke certain litle things of small importance The K. of Nuarre withdrew from the Court the 8. of February which the more augmented the hope of many touching the repose of the affaires of France But all things was so confused mingled together as it was no maruell if yet at this present things so wrinckled and knottedtogether bee impossible in regard of men to bee vntied and loosed The men of Warre were greatly outrayed Therefore they of Vuerettes by a common accorde leagued themselues notwithstāding the diuersitie of their religion to hold their Prouince in peace against all such as would enter with Armes The Duke of Alenson seeing nigh him the Almaine Armie demaunded siluer of the Churches in Languedoc but they were sucked by other horsleaches so that hee obtained nothing there nor other where but that he was aided by the King his brother Vpon these stirres the deputies of the Churches assembled at Paris vnder safe conduct to aduise vpon meanes of pacification And on the other side the Duke of Alenson ioyned himselfe vnto the Armie that Cassimere the Prince put in his hands the thirteenth day of March. Incontinently a peace was a making to cause to vanish in the aire all the strengths of them of the Religion and after many goings and commings it was accorded and so was made the fift Edict of pacification in the beginning of May agreeing vpō many things to the aduantage of them of the Religiō but they gained nothing therby but rather found themselues new to begin again The Almain Army retired without any memorable exployt The Duke of Alenson obteined much for himself Others were contented with promises and the Reisters in some sort were satisfied One of the principall articles of the Edict concerned the assembly of the States of the kingdome to take order for all affaires But it came otherwise to passe For that was the meanes which the enemies of the publike state vsed to make their leagues to breake the Edict for a newe commencement of warres and so to leaue the kingdome in more confusion then euer it was as appeared by the yeare following
raised by the Duke of Parma in all this space the Pope sent no succour to the confederates Anth. Cicarrella Phillip K. of Spaine was much displeased with the Pope for that he would not aide the confederates nor excommunicate those Princes and Prelates which followed the K. of Nauarre The K. therfore vrged that there might be a protestatiō made therof against the Pope But the Pope iustified his cause before the Cardinals shewing that hee alwaies behaued himselfe vprightly in the French affaires wherfore certain Cardinals were appointed who should vnderstand both the causes of y e Popes and the kings so that no protestation might be made A litle before some difference hapned between the Pope and Count Oliuer the kings Embassador for that cause the K. sent the D. of Soisson for the French businesses but what time this Legate came he was fallen very sicke so that no conference was had about so waightie a cause Anth. Cicarr This Sixtus was very couetous for he sold many offices which before were giuen gratis When newes came to him Rome of the King of France his death he made a solemne oration in the Consistory of Cardinals the 11. of September 1589. where he not onely compared the treason of this cursed Iacobine Friar with the act of Eleazar and of Iudith but said also that it surpassed thē Of Eleazar is made mention 1. Machab. 6. who seeing an Elephant more mightie then the rest armed with the Armes of the king supposing that King Antiochus was vpon him to deliuer his people and purchase eternall glory he aduentured himselfe and ranne couragiously to the Elephant through the midst of the squadron killing on the right hand and on the left and all sides throwing downe vntill he came vnder the Elephant and placing himselfe vnder him slew him the Elephant fell to the ground vpon him and there he died Iudith cut off the head of Holophernes The warre that Antiochus and Holophernes made against the people of God was most vniust the war which H. the 3. made against the League which had cōspired against him to kill him was most iust so that herein was he no tyrant This Pope likewise not thus satisfied forbad that any obsequies honors accustomed to be made for the dead should be made for him and commaunded also that they should nor pray for him M. Cyp. Valerian This yeare in the moneth of Aprill the Queene of England commiserating the wrong of D. Antonio the exiled King of Portugall sent a well appointed Nauie to Vlisbone vnder the conduct of Syr F. Drake and Syr I. Norris Where they tooke many Spanish ships richly laden with all manner of Marchandize Thē landing their souldiers they tooke Cascais a neighbouring Towne to Lisbone and a Suburbe But the plague encreasing in their ships they went no further but returned for England and by the way forbidden the coasts of Germanie by reason of their contagious sicknesse many of them died miserably This Pope through the deuotion request of the most Catholicke K. of Spaine ordained to bee made the processe of the miracles of Friar Lewis de Beltram in Aragon one of the order of the Friars of S. Dominicke to put him in the number and Catalogue of the Saints M. Cyp. Val. William Tedder and Anthony Tirrill Seminary Priests recanted their erronious opinions at Pauls Crosse This yeare in Italy fell such store of raine as neuer was remembred the like before And at Rome was a great aboundance of waters that Tybris could not be held within his bounds but twise breaking forth so ouerflowed the Citie that they went vp and downe the streetes in boates At Venice which containeth in circuite 8. Italian miles 25. Ilands Parishes 62. Monasteries 41. and 400. common bridges which euery yeare receiueth onely out of custome and toll twentie hundred thousand Ducats which is a Citie in the midst of the Sea built vpon piles without walles most famous throughout al the world the Adriatique Sea did so arise that the chanels of the citie with the abundance of the water fallen did so rage and swell that they had no other thought but the whole Citie would haue bin drowned Genebr After this followed a great dearth Cicar Anne the sister of Christiā the 4. K. of Denmarke daughter of Frederick the 2. is married to Iames the 6. K. of Scots D. Chytr In the higher Germanie Iohannes Starmius Rector of the Vniuersitie of Strasbourge a very learned and studious man departed this life the 92. yeare of his age Idem Pope Sixtus the first yeare of his Popedome laid vp in the Castle of S. Angelo tenne hundred thousand Ducats with this decree that no part of this treasure might be expended or errogated vnlesse it were in the recouery of the holy Land or a generall expedition against the Turke and not then till the Armies were ouer the Sea and vpon the Turkish shore Or that there were such an exceeding dearth scarcitie or pestilence or some Christian Prouince were in distresse or like to fall into the hands of the Infidels and enemies of the Church which cannot be recouered without money Anth. Cicarrella Frances Ket M. of Art of Wimondham in Norfolke was conuented before Edmund Bishop of Norwiche for holding diuers detestable opinions against Christ our Sauiour and was therefore burned nigh the Citie This yeare died Iohannes Sturmius in high Germanie being of the age of foure score and two yeares hee was Rector of the Vniuersitie of Argentine a very learned and religious man In the same yeare and for the same vse the Pope laid vp tenne thousand Ducats more for the recouerie of some kingdome in the possession of the enemies of the Church of Rome to these two treasures he added thirtie hundred thousand more so that after his death were left about fiue Millions 1.500000 Crownes Anth. Cicarrella In the moneth of Ianuary the marriage of the king of Scots to Anne the daughter of Fred. the 2. was solemnized with great and royall pompe at Crouebourge Genebrardus All Saxonie this yeare was in quiet In the beginning of March the Duke de Maine with all his troupes came to the Riuer of Seine therby to passe ouer the bridge of Mante whereof the king being aduertised prouided for his affaires and the 12. of the same moneth he set forward to meet his enemies and at Yurie he did many notable exploits and had the victorie Of the horsmen there were about fifteene hundred slaine and drowned and about 400. taken prisoners Amongst the dead was knowne to be slaine the E. of Egmont who was Colonell of the troupes sent by the Duke of Parma one of the Dukes of Brunswicke Chastegueray with others More then 20. Coronells of horsmē was at this time wonne by the K. among the which was the white Cornet the chief standard belonging to the Spanish Generall and to the Flemings the Cornet of the Rutters and more then 60.
were now exposed to the spoiles slaughter of all Sigismond Prince of Transiluania repented him of his change of life and that he had giuen vp his gouernment wherfore he came out of Silesia through Poland into Transiluania and desired of his subiects that their oath of alleageance to him might be renewed and perswaded Maximilian Arch-duke whom the Emperour had made Gouernour of Transiluania that hee would lead his forces against the Turkes towards the recouerie of Agnia then against Transiluania Vpon the fourth of August Syr William Cecill knight of the Order Lord Burghley Maister of the Wards and Liueries high Treasurer of England a famous Counsellor to y e Queenes Maiestie all her raigne and likewise had bene to Edward the sixt who for his singular wisedome was renowned throughout all Europe departed this mortall life at his house by the Strand his body was conueyed to Westminster with solemne Funerall and from thence secretly to Stamford in Lincolnshyre and there buried I. Stowe The second of October George Earle of Comberland returned from the Seas hauing made spoile of the strong Towne and Castle of S. Iohn de Portanoico in Spaine This yeare died Phillip the 2. king of Spaine being of the age of 72. yeares Pope Clement the 8. created 13. Cardinals amongst whom was Robert Bellarmine Iesuite Phillip the 3. the sonne of Phillip the 2. succeeded his father in the kingdome of Spaine Hee tooke to wife Margarite of Austria And Albert Arch-duke of Austria married the Infant of Spaine the kings sister Both these marrriages were celebrated by the Pope Clement the 8. at Ferrara The 7. of February the right honourable Charles Blunt Lord Mountioy hauing taken his leaue at the Court departed towards Ireland as Lieftenant there Souldiers out of diuers Shyres were sent before him and also after him in this moneth of February This yeare Richard Lord Bishow of London with two other Commissioners to wit Doctor Perkins Doctor Swale were sent in Embassage to Emden there to treat with the Commissaries from the King of Denmarke and returned the eight of Iuly following On Tuesday the 5. of August Charles Iames king of Scots in Scotland escaped a straunge and strong conspiracie practised by the Earle Gowrye and his brother About the 8. of August arriued at Doner certaine Embassadors and assistants 16. in number sent from the king of Marocco in Barbaria I. Stowe The 18. of September certaine Embassadors came from Moschouie or Russia and the 14. of October the said Embassadors rode to the Court and had audience before her Maiestie FINIS A briefe Discourse of the Churches estate from the death of Iesus Christ vntill this present ALl which hath bene succinctly said in this booke touching the estate of the Church should remember the Reader of three diuers times in the consideration of the gouernment of the house of God the better to marke things as they came and to haue thereof a certaine abridgement in his memorie We take the first time of the Christian Church from the beginning of the Apostles preaching vntil the Empire of Phocas which is ordinarily distinguished into three periodes 1. The first of about 70. yeares from the Lords Ascention vntill the death of the Apostles and of their first Disciples 2. The second began at the Empire of Traian and stretched by the space of 200. yeares vntill Constantine which time also was honoured with the presence of certain of the Apostles Disciples other excellent Pastors of the Church and faithfull Martyrs of Iesus Christ 3. The third frō Cōstantine vntil Phocas which is the last periode of the first time of the Church about 300. years during which the Church had many great Doctors Greeks Latins As for the first periode of the first time it is very certaine that neuer Christian Church was more happie thē during that time whether we consider the doctrine taught by the Apostles and their first successors or wee contemplate all the parts of the Ministerie and of the Ecclesiasticall discipline Now for the doctrine we haue by a singular grace of God the Apostles Epistles whereby it is easie to gather a body and summary of all that which euery Christiā ought to know touching his saluation And that which is more if they which came after the Apostles had continued to build vpon the foundation which they had laid the Church had remained in his first spirituall splendor and brightnesse the simplicitie then being such and so great in doctrine in the maner of teaching and in ceremonies that the sheepheards and sheepe were altogether eliuated vnto the heauenly Father through Iesus Christ liuing moreouer in such charitie concord as truly this world might be well called the golden world For although that in the Apostles time and their next successors there rose vp certaine mutinous persons to trouble the happie rest of the Church this hurt not much the maiestie of the spirit of God discouering it selfe in such sort in the preaching of the Gospell that all the world was constrained to acknowledge in this infirmitie of the seruants of God an admirable efficacie to biing all wisedome and humane power captiue vnder the obedience of Iesus Christ True it is that alreadie Sathan thought vpō his affaires and brought forth his practises with greater force then euer before building his Sinagogue nigh vnto the Church For euen when the Apostles themselues liued certaine Iewes and Gentiles making the same profession of Christianisme fought against Iesus Christ in diuers maners as S. Paul his Epistles doo witnesse And what diligence soeuer the seruants of God vsed to eradicate and root out the tares which the enemie did sowe yet remained there the seedes thereof in the bosome of the Church during the periodes following God meaning to humble his and to shewe them that truly they had and would alwaies haue cause to fight in this life but that the triumph therof was reserued for the other world For as for the strength of the persecutors since the Apostles time it hath alwaies shewed it true that the bloud of the Martyrs is the seede of the Church But let this be said in a word onely to awake the Reader and to prepare him to a diligent meditation of the Ecclesiasticall historie Now something is to be said of the second periode of the first time The Apostolike men armed with the vertue and power of y e Lord maintained constantly the truth amongst all the tempests and stormes of persecution and in despite of Gentilisme of diuers heresies which boldly began to left vp their heads In so much that great maruel it was that so soone after so great light men should see the East in many places couered with so deep darknes many goodly Churches ruinated and the doctrine of saluatiō transported otherwhere Yet the greatest euil was in the bowels of the Church it selfe many Pastors wherof not being so attentiue as of reason they shuld
as the first The Christians after dwelt in Palestine with some assurance and there had Churches Sixtus sent many to preach the faith in France hee was afterward martyred vnder Adrian Pernitious heresies now did spring Saturnin Basilides Carpocrates Valentia and Tatien tore in peeces the doctrine of God forging many Gods denying the humanitie of Christ Valentine and Martian forged that Christ brought from heauen his humane flesh Martian saide there was two beginnings the one good and the other euil Montanus denyed the Diuinitie of Christ and affirmed of himselfe that he was the holy Ghost They admitted and allowed whoredomes and villainous filthinesse against marriage Many were turned from the true doctrine by these heresies blasphemies which proceeded from those horrible monsters Instruments of Sathan Telesphorus 9. Bishop of Rome a Grecian ruled sixteene yeares of the time of Adrian and Antonine It is attributed vnto him that he should enioyne Church-men to abstain from flesh 7. weekes before Easter The Decretall likewise attributed vnto him makes mention of Clarkes but not of laie people yet after by succession of time Lent became obserued of all He instituted three celebratiōs of Christs natiuitie one at midnight an other at the point of day and the last at three He added Gloria in excelsis Deo c. Some say it was S. Hillary others Symmacus This hymne seemeth to haue bin writtē against the Arrians as shall be said hereafter And the fourth Councel of Toledo Chap. 12. makes mention that this Cauticke was made by the Ecclesiasticall Doctors Henry Bullinger Lib. 2. of the beginning of his Decad. Chap. 7. He ordained also that none should presume to celebrate in the morning before 3. a clocke In this Decretall hee is called Arch-bishop of Rome Carpocrates an hereticke was the inuentor of a Sect manner of people called Gnostici For he taught them secrets of Magicke dreames of loue which came by diuellishillusiō Many hereby were deceiued led to destruction They which were not yet instructed seeing the execrable life of those villaines which called thēselues Christians would therefore abolish the Christian faith as if all were alike And all the slaunders wherwith they charged the Christians namely that they were cruell and that they medled with all women carnally without any regard of bloud or parentage yea that they did eate little children came not but from those pernitious heretickes So it falls out at this day For the errours of Anabaptists and Libertines are without difference attributed vnto such as follow the Gospell and with a common name they are wrongfully called Lutherans Adrian builded a Temple and a Sepulchre vnto Antinous whom hee had wickedly abused in his life and ordeined that men should euery yeare celebrate the playes and pastimes called with his name Antinoens He also founded a Citie of the said Antinous name which hee called Antinoe Where for feare of the Emperour Antinous is worshipped as God although men knew what a man he was Adrian died very miserably There came vnto him a great fluxe of bloud hee was also taken with great paine and fell to the dropsie he assayed by Arts Magicke to drawe that water out of his body but nothing helped him neither ceased the bloudy Fluxe Sopartianus reciteth that hee called of his Phisitian for poyson and seeing he would not giue it him he demaunded a knife promising great things to him that would deliuer him one He dyed of the age of 62. yeares hauing no member in his body which was not vexed with torments Aurelius Victor He was punished with bloud for the bloud he shead The persecutions in Asia were exceeding great See Euse Lib. 5. Chap. 15. where at length he describeth the Martyrdome of Policarpus Lib. 4. Chap. 23. The Athenians offended at so great persecutions wherein they had lost Publius their Bishop almost reuolted from the faith There was no torment nor punishment that the Instruments of the diuel could deuise whereof the Christians were not iudged worthy for they were espied in and without their houses They cried against them in all publicke places They whipped them trailed them stoned them pilled their goods imprisoned them plates of yron were applyed to their naked flesh They locked them in an Instrument of Torture euen to the fift point they were put in obscure and lowe places in prison Some strangled them some exposed them to beasts and other infinit torments The dead bodies in prison after they were cast into the fields they set Dogges there to keepe them that they might not bee buried In these hard torments Christians gaue courage one to another and were very carefull to take such order as none should fall from their profession either by infirmitie or for want of abilitie to endure the torments The number of Martyrs of this time were too great to be recited in this litle Treatise But Iustine Eusebius Basile the great and other auncient Doctours haue carefully set them downe in writing These examples ought to encourage vs constantly to maintaine the truth of the Gospell Antonius Pius a Gentile Emperour 16. raigned 23. yeares or thereabout a man benigne and modest He said often that he had rather saue a Citizen then to sley a thousand of his enemies Tertullian witnesseth that hee was not altogether gentle towards the Christians and especially in the beginning of his raigne When Arrius Antonius saith hee ceased not to persecute in Asia the Christians assembling in a company presented themselues before the Iudiciall seate And after hee had sent some fewe of them to the Iibbet hee said to the rest O miserable men If you haue an affection to die haue you not cords to hang yourselues or high places to cast your selues downe Higinius an Athenian a Philosophers sonne gouerned the Church of Rome 4. yeares He ordained that Churches should be dedicated by solemne ceremony Item that the number of Temples should neither be augmented nor diminished without the consent of the Metropolitane See the Decretall De conse dist pri ca. Omnes Bacilicae This was the first who entituled himselfe Pope in his second Decretall He for bad that Summers Sparres Tyles and other matter of Temples should be after applied to any prophane vse but burnt or giuen to other poore Churches and Monasteries and not to the vses of Laie men He instituted that at Catechisme Baptisme and confirmation there should be a Godfather or Godmother De conse dist 4. ca. In cat He ordained that if any woman came to the secōd marriage by whom shee had issue that that issue could not be married to the consanguinitie of the first husband vntill the fourth degree Item that no Metropolitane except the Pope shall condemne any of his Cleargie Priest Suffragane or Bishop of his Prouince vnles first the cause be handled and knowne in the Councell of other prouinciall Bishops otherwise the sentence not to be
vailable 8. q. 3. c. Salus in omnibus Galen the Phisitian flourished at this time Valentine the hereticke a Platonician denied the resurrection of the flesh Hee affirmed that Christ tooke no humane flesh off the Virgines wombe but that hee passed through it as through a conduit Cerdon the Stoike said at Rome that the holy Ghost descended not vpon the Apostles but vpon himselfe Note here the saying of Tertullian namely that the Philosophers are Patriarkes of heretickes Martian the Stoike a follower of Menander made two contrary principles This Pope seeing hee named himselfe so was a learned man and made a booke intituled De Trinitate vnitate Dei. Pius first of that name 11. Pope of Rome an Italian of Aquilia ruled at Rome a 11. yeares Some say hee ordeined that Easter should be celebrated vpon the Sunday by the perswasion of Hermes who said it had bene reuealed vnto him by an Angell in likenes of a shepheard And this ordinance was after confirmed by many Pope That hee decreed punishments for Ecclesiasticall persons which administred the Sacraments of the body and bloud of Christ negligently That is to say that he that by imprudency negligently let fal vpō the earth any of the blood of Christ so speakes he should do penance 40. dayes If it fell vpon the Aultar 3. dayes If vpon the Chalice cloth 4. dayes If on any other cloth 9. dayes And that the said bloud so falne should be licked scraped or washed and after all burnt and kept for the Sacristeres By litle and litle then the Romane seate beganne to forge ordinances Also that Virgins or Nunnes should not take vpon them the vaile before the age of 25. yeares Item that if any Ecclesiasticall person did sweare or blaspheme he should be deposed and euery Laie person excommunicated Anicetus 12. Pope a Sirian ruled 10. or a 11. yeares wise and of good life Some attribute vnto him that hee ordained the Crowne for Priests He was martyred vnder Marcus Aurelius In his time Egesippus an Hebrew came to Rome dwelt there vntill Eleutherius Iustinus a Christian Phylosopher writ a booke in defence of Faith and Religion to the Emperour Antonius Pius who also was much enclined to maintaine it He writ against Martian Policarpus Bishop of Smyrna in Ionia which is in Asia the lesse aboue Ephesus came to great age Ireneus saith that he was ordeined Bishop by the Apostles and it is likely that he began his ministery the 2. or 3. of Traian S. Ierome in his Catalogue saith he was placed there by S. Iohn the Euangelist who dyed the yeare 68. after the passion of Iesus Christ as most say Ireneus reciteth of him that one day as Marcian encountred him and said vnto him Take knowledge with vs. Policarp answered him I know thee for the first sonne of Satan And Ireneus saith further There are some haue heard him say that Iohn the Disciple of Iesus went into Bathes to wash himselfe and seeing Cerinthus the hereticke there he went out and washing himselfe saying Let vs flie from hence least this house fall vpon vs where Cerinthus enemy of the truth washeth Note how the Disciples of the Apostles had this rule not to communicate with them which falsifie the truth of the Gospell Whilest Policarpus was at Rome he withdrew many from their heresies Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Verus the brother of Antonius Pius obtained the Empire 18. yeares Lucius Verus his sonne in lawe gaue himselfe to dice and to haunt the Stewes Therfore was he sent into Siria by Marcus Aurelius and at last as some say poisoned After some he dyed of an Apoplexe So Marcus Aurelius Antoninus raigned alone The fourth persecution after Nero was stirred against the Christians by Marcus Aurelius And as Eusebius saith many euils happened in Italie great pestilence warre earthquakes Invndations of waters and a multitude of Grashoppers In the meane while by the persecutions as it were continuall the Christians affaires encreased from day to day by the doctrine of the Apostles Disciples Wherof yet many then did liue that the Christian Religion tooke strong roote being thus bedeawed with the bloud of Martyrs We must not here forget the sentence of Iustine spoken in a colloquie with Trypheus Hee saith thus Men may each day perceiue that we which beleeue in Christ cannot be astonished nor turned backe Let them cut off our heads Let them crucifie vs Let them expose vs to beasts to fires or other torments and so much more as men torment vs so much more do the number of Christians encrease Euen as when a Vine is cut it is but to make it more fertile So the Vine which God hath planted and the Sauiour Iesus that is his people cannot but multiply by torments c. Melito Bishop of Sardis writ to the Emperour for the Faith and Christian Religion Apollinaris Bishop of Hierapolis was at this time Theophilus Bishoppe of Antioche writ against Martian Denis Bishop of Corinthe Iustus Bishoppe of Vienne a Martyre for the Faith Attalus Blandina Photin Bishop of Lions a Martyr also for the Faith Persecution in Asia The end of the life of Policarpus was at this time Marcus Antonius Verus and the chiefe Gouernours of the Empire caused such a persecution that it came euen to the Christians which dwelt in the Towne of Smyrna whereof Policarpus was Bishoppe and had beene a long time and was there burnt hauing serued the Church of God about three score and tenne yeares which was the seuenth of this Emperour Some say hee was of the age of foure score and sixe yeares The Prayer of Policarpus before his death is in the Eccleciast History Booke 4. His bones taken out of the fire were laide in a Sepulchre Pionius Martyre Soter an Italian 13. Pope helde the seate about tenne yeares He endured many aduersities and in the ende was Martyred He ordained that none should celebrate without two men present That Nunnes should carry Vailes on their heads That they might not touch sacred Ornaments as Chalices Corporalles and that they should not Incense in the Temple nor about Aultars In his second Decretall he calleth himselfe Pope Hee instituted that each Priest doing his Office should haue with him an other Priest If there chaunced some suddaine necessitie to happen Hee saide that an oath made imprudenly which redounded to an euill ende ought not to be kept For it were better saith he to periure himselfe then for keeping his oath to fall into a greater crime At this time Peregrine a Philosopher did publickely at Pise cast himselfe into the fire vpon vaine-glorie At this time beganne the Cataphryges heretikes by Montanus with Priscilla and Maximilla They vsed in their Sacrifices a Childes blood which they mingled with Flowre or with Breade If the Childe whose blood was drawne out dyed they held him for a Martyr If