they connive at the punishment of crimes whereof they have the Cognizance the Courts of Parliaments may interpose by means of an Appeal as from Abuses especially considering it is it that grants them Jurisdiction over Spirituals And if the Question be of granting pardon to a Priest or other Ecclesiastick not only in a priviledged case but also in a common crime by him committed it belongs to the King only to grant it not to the Pope nor the Bishop And so it hath been always accustomed to be done in France Moreover the Pope cannot there restore Clergy-men to their former State Papon ca. 15. 16. des libertez de l'Eglise Gallic so as to free them from the infamy which they have incurred nor Lay-men unless it be to receive them into Orders Offices and Ecclesiastical Acts not otherwise As also that within this Realm he cannot pardon or remit the Honorary Amends adjudged by a Lay-man albeit the condemnation were passed by an Ecclesiastical Judge and that against a Clerk as making such Honorary condemnation a part of the civil satisfaction The Pope cannot make any Vnions or annexations of the livings in France during the life of the Incumbents nor at other times but he may grant out Writs of Delegation concerning unions which is conceived to be done according to the form prescribed in the Council of Constance and with the consent of the Patron and not otherwise The Kings of France have always reserved this authority and prerogative to themselves to determine of the Residence of Bishops to compel them to feed their Flocks and wait upon their Churches when need required and that by seizing upon their Temporals to call them from Rome to return into France to dispense with them and approve the causes of their absence The Pope cannot in France dispense for any cause whatsoever with that which is of the Law of God or Nature or with that wherein the Councils do not allow him to dispense And the Ordinances of the French Kings do expresly forbid all the Judges of the Land to have any regard to dispensations granted contrary to the sacred Decrees and Councils upon pain of losing their places And declare furthermore That such as procure the said Proviso's and dispensations shall not make use of them unless they get leave and permission from his Majesty The Gallican Church is also more free from payments to the Pope than the Church of Spain as also to the King The Clergy of France pay only the Disme whereas in Spain the King hath his Tertia's Subsidio Pyla Escusado in all a moiety of the Church-livings As to the French Churches separating from Communion with the Church of Rome they have often been brought very low by the Popish party Sad was the condition of the Church of Merindol which was cruelly rooted out by vertue of an Arrest of the Parliament of Aix Men Women and Children being destroyed And yet I doubt not but some small remainder of them was preserved For so the story saith expresly pauci quidem profugi Genevam alia loca Vicinia pervenerunt Osiand Eccl Hist Some few of them escaped by flight to Geneva and other Neighbouring places What Persecutions did the Waldenses or Albigenses suffer when the Pope sent about his Fryars in France it seemeth to preach Crusado 's viz. That whosoever would take the Badge of the Cross upon his Garment and serve the Pope forty days in his Wars against those Christians who denyed him obedience and opposed his Pride and Tyranny should have full pardon of all his sins and if he dyed in the Wars should presently go to Heaven and escape the flames of Purgatory and by this means as I remember he had at one time about an hundred thousand of the silly people in Arms whom he used against the most faithful Christians seeking utterly to extirpate them and by this means much Blood was shed It was easie for him in those times of darkness to draw multitudes of poor blind Souls to Destruction And Reimond Earl of Tholouse a great Prince and Peer of France was ruined the Pope seizing on his Estate and holding it unto this day A French Historian speaking of the bloody massacre in the Reign of Charles IX saith Thuan. Hist li. 54. that many wise men that were Papists themselves did think that in all Antiquity there could not be found an example of like cruelty But even then remarkable was God's Providence towards those of the Reformed Religion in France In the time of that cruel massacre at Paris the Protestants being in great fear shifted for themselves here and there Among the rest many of them fled to a certain honourable Lady for protection who being near of kin to the King was the more bold but being a faithful Christian she was also willing to receive them Hereof complaint being made the King in great displeasure commands her to dismiss them all which she could not withstand so that in one day about 300 Waggons for the most part filled with Women and young Children were constrained to dislodge and without a guard to go to a strong Town for the safety of their lives In this Journey they were to pass through their bloody enemies stragling up and down in Armes and ready to seize on such a booty But by the special providence of God a certain Troop of Armed Gentlemen on Horse-back hapned to meet them who soon perceiving and pitying their danger conducted them along in safety and often repulsed their enemies that were ready to assail them And though the French Kings have all of them professed the Roman Religion yet the Lord hath had many Instruments who with the hazard of their lives and outward Estates have stood for the defence of his Church divers Princes of the Blood Nobles Gentlemen and others and did strangely raise his Church again after that horrid massacre by which it seemed to have been extinguished And King James of happy Memory speaketh thus of those worthy Patriots whom God raised up for the defence of his Church at that time in his book of the defence of the right of Kings I never knew yet saith he that the French Protestants took Arms against their King In the first troubles they stood only on their defence Before they took Arms they were burnt and massacred every where And the quarrel did not begin for Religion but because when King Francis the second was under Age they had been the Refuge of the Princes of the Blood expelled from the Court even of the Grandfather of the King now reigning and of that of the Prince of Condè who knew not where to take Sanctuary it shall not be found that they made any other War Nay is it not true as a learned Divine of ours hath well observed that King Henry III. sent Armies against them to destroy them and yet they ran to his help as soon as they saw him in danger Is it not true that
she was taken down cast into prison and reserved for further Torment Attalus also a Famous Man and notably exercised in the Christian Profession was led within compass of the Theatre with a Scroll before him wherein was written in the Roman Tongue This is Attalus the Christian The President knowing that he was a Roman commanded him to be imprisoned and closely kept with the other prisoners concerning whom he had written unto Caesar and expected an Answer Alexander a Phrygian born and a Physician having dwelt in France many years a man well known for his great Zeal towards God and boldness of speech stood hard by the Tribunal-Seat and comforted and encouraged many Martyrs at their Examination When the people that stood by took in evil part that they which before had recanted did now confess Christ with one consent they cry out against Alexander as Author thereof Then the President demanding of him what he was he Answered I am a Christian for which Answer he was allotted to be torn in pieces by the wild Beasts Attalus was fryed to death in a scalding Iron Chair so that the savour of his broiled body filled their nostrils who being demanded what Name God had Answered God is not called after the manner of Men. Blandina together with Ponticus a youth of fifteen years of Age was brought forth whom they would have compelled to swear by their Idol's Name But they contemning their Idol the multitude were enraged against them tormenting them with all manner of punishments Ponticus being comforted and confirmed by Blandina in presence of the Pagans after he had suffered most exquisite Torments yielded up the Ghost Last of all Blandina like a noble Mother having exhorted her Children and sent them before as Conquerours unto the King pondering with her self all the punishments of her Children hastened after them joying and triumphing at her end as if she had been invited and going to a wedding dinner After scourging after combating with wild Beasts after the broiling of her body as it were in a frying-pan at length she was wrapped in a Net and tumbled before a wild Bull which fanned and tossed her on his horns to and fro yet had she no feeling thereof in the end she was beheaded the Pagans themselves pronouncing That never any Woman among them was heard to have suffered so many and so great Torments As many as were choked with the noisom stench of the prison were thrown to be devoured of Dogs the Pagans keeping a watch day and night that none of them might be buried by their Friends To be short after that the bodies of the blessed Saints had been every kind of way spitefully and scornfully entreated lying six whole dayes unburied at length they were burned to ashes the ashes also they gathered together and scattered in the River Rhodanus which passed by so that no jot or relique thereof should any longer remain upon the earth This they did that there might as they said be no further hope of their Resurrection Irenaeus after Photinus was Bishop of Lions he flourished in the dayes of the Emperour Commodus his meek disposition and peaceable carriage answered to his Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Peaceable and made his Name to be in great account among Christians Euseb Eccles Hist Lib. 4. The Martyrs forementioned did highly commend Irenaeus unto Eleutherius Bishop of Rome as their own words do declare in this manner Father Eleutherius we wish you health in all things and alwayes in God We have requested Irenaeus our Brother and Fellow-labourer to deliver you these Letters whom we pray you to accept of as a zealous follower of the Will of Christ For if we understood that any mans degree yielded forth and delivered Righteousness unto the Graduate namely as being Minister of the Church which this man is we would have chiefly commended this in him Iren. Lib. 3. cap. 3. Eusebius hath set down out of Irenaeus a Catalogue of the Roman Biships unto his time Iren. Lib. 2. cap. 57. Irenaeus sheweth how unto his time Miracles were wrought by the faithful some saith he do soundly and truly cast out Devils others have the foreknowledge of things to come they see Divine Dreams and Prophetical Visions others cure the diseased and restore them to health by their laying on of hands The dead were raised to life saith he and lived together with us many years Again in another place Irenaeus thus writeth We have heard of many Brethren in the Church which had the gift of prophesying which were able through the Holy Ghost to speak with sundry Tongues Iren. Lib. 5. which could reveil the secrets of men where it so behoved and expound the dark mysteries of God Then arose a Controversie about the keeping of Easter for the Church of the West and part of that of the East did Celebrate the Feast of Easter upon the Lord's day but part of the Church of the East did Celebrate it upon the fourteenth day of the Moon of March not looking for the Lord's day Towards the end of this second Century Victor the successour of Eleutherius Bishop of Rome took that business in hand with eagerness and for that cause separated the Oriental Churches from his Communion Polycrates Bishop of Ephesus resisted him Victor being incensed with that resistance excommunicateth all the Eastern Churches Eusebius saith That this did not please all the Bishops wherefore also they made him a contrary Command that he should keep Peace Union and Charity with his Neighbours Among other Examples he brings forth the Epistle of Irenaeus to Victor whereby he accuseth him to have violated Charity and to have departed from the Example of his Ancestors Ruffinus relateth the same Eusebius makes mention of what Irenaeus wrote concerning the Holy Canonical Scriptures and the translation of the Septuagint Irenaeus wrote divers Epistles to confute such as at Rome corrupted the sincere Rites of the Church He wrote one to Blastus of Schism another to Florinus of Monarchy or shewing that God is not the Author of Evil which Opinion Florinus seemed to be of but afterwards he was seduced with the Errour of Valentinus Irenaeus in his Epistle to Florinus Reporteth that he had conversed with Polycarpus so that he remembred the place where Polycarpus sate when he taught his course of Life the figure and proportion of his body the Sermons he made unto the Multitude the report he made of his Conversation with St. John the Apostle and others which saw the Lord how he remembred their sayings and what he heard out of their mouths touching the Lord of his Power and Doctrine These things saith he I diligently marked and printed them in my heart And I am able to testifie if that Holy and Apostolick Elder had heard any such thing he would have presently stopped his ears and reclaimed it To be short this may be reported for true out of the Epistles which he wrote for the
Hereupon Charles the Bald Convocated a Council in France at Acciniacum consisting of ten Bishops the Bishops of Lions Vason and Triers were Chief Presidents in the Council Hinckmarus Bishop of Rhemes proposed unto the Council fifty Canons which he desired to be read in the Synod Hinckmar of Laon to defend himself brought forth the Collection of the Decretals of the ancient Popes made by Isidorus where by the Popes Decrees such causes are reserved to the Apostolick See Hinckmar of Rhemes being not learned enough to know the forgery of the Author of these Decretals and not daring to reject them openly brought divers things to invalid their Authority He said that Hinckmar of Laon was mistaken if he thought that he was the only man that had those Epistles that the Countrey was full of them and that Riculfus Bishop of Mentz had published the Book of Epistles collected by Isidorus which was brought to him out of Spain Hinckmar also to defend himself against those Epistles said that they had been good in their time but that the Fathers Assembled in Council had altered those things and made Canons of greater Authority which are to remain perpetually and that those Decretals were never put in among the Canons of the Church That strife between the two Hinckmars happened Anno 870. The Synod forenamed accused Hinckmar Bishop of Laon of petulancy and compelled him to subscribe obedience to King Charles and to his Metropolitan He was also deprived of his Office and both his eyes were thrust out But Pope John IX Hist Magdeb. Cent. 9. cap. 9. under the Reign of Charles the Gross restored him to his Office again being the more affectioned to him because he had appealed from his own Bishop and from a Decree of a Synod in his own Countrey to be judged by the Chair of Rome Pope Nicholas bestirred himself with violence against Hinckmar of Rhemes complaining that he despised the Decretals collected by Isidorus Hinckmar resisted him stifly neither did he ever suffer the causes which he had judged to be revised at Rome nor any man that had been deposed by the Synods of France to be restored by the Pope And all his life time he maintained with great constancy so much liberty as remained to the Gallican Church which liberty suffered by his death a great diminution The Popes durst not touch him because he was the King's Unckle Baronius writing of this Hinckmar of Rhemes notably abuseth him for he saith That upon the testimony of Fredoard Hinckmar had obtained of Pope Leo IV by the mediation of the Emperour Lothary a Pallium or Archiepiscopal Cloak with a privilege to use it every day But Hinckmar himself in the Book of the fifty five Chapters saith the contrary speaking in this manner Leo IV and Benedictus did confer upon me some privileges which I did not ask for For the privileges which are conferred upon every Metropolitan by the sacred Canons are sufficient for me It was a generous part of Hinckmar to declare that he had no need of the Pope's privileges and that he held his dignity from the Canons not from the Roman Prelate As for the writings of this Hinckmar there are his Opuscula Epistolae Admonitio de potestate Regia Pontificia We find this character given of him Fuit vir doctus pietatis studiosus sub Carolo secundo Lu◠vici pii filio circa 870 Domini annum tametsi magni Caroli tempora adolescens attigerit Is dum corrigere vitia morbosque Clericorum conatus est multum molestiarum a perditae vitae Clero eorumque ad Papam appellationibus imo à Papis ipsis sustinuit Illyr Catal. Test verit lib. 9. In this Century Claudius Bishop of Turin was defamed as an Heretick by Theodomire an Abbot Petries Church-Hist Cent. 9. who did accuse him unto the Pope He wrote his own Apology that it might appear wherefore he was accused and to shew how Godly men have been traduced from time to time Agobard Bishop of Lions took part with Lotharius against Lewes his Father and therefore was deposed after their reconciliation he was restored and being a man of wisdom and knowledge was employed about the great Affairs of the Kingdom His Works were printed at Paris Anno 1605. from which Impression these passages are extracted pag. 52. There is one immovable Foundation one Rock of Faith which Peter confesseth Thou art the Son of the Living God And pag. 128 The uncleanness of our time deserves a fountain of tears when so ungodly a custom is become so frequent that there is none almost aspiring to temporal honour who hath not a Priest at home not whom he obeyeth but of whom he exacteth all manner of obedience incessently not in Divine but in worldly things so that many of them do serve at Table or mix wine and lead dogs feed horses or attend Husbandry neither regard they what manner of Clerks these be but only that they may have Priests of their own and so they leave Churches and Sermons and publick Service it is clear that they seek them not for honour of Religion because they have them not in honour and speak disdainfully of them He is large against the worship of Images Bellarm. de scriptorib Eccles Sect. 9. Bellarmine saith that Jonas and other Bishops of France in that Age were overtaken with Agobard's errour By the Jesuites confession then many Bishops of France were against the present errours of Rome Catal. Test verit Lib. 10. Then Angelom a Monk of Luxovia a man of great reading at the entreaty of Drogo wrote many Books Druthmarus of Aquitain wrote some things upon the Evangelists Then Raban Magnentius otherwise sirnamed Maurus was famous in the University of Paris Trithem Catal. illustr viror for Poesie Rhetorick Astronomy Philosophy and Theology unto whom neither Germany nor Italy brought forth an equal saith Trithemius He became Abbot of Fulda where he was born and there he wrote Commentaries on all the Books of the Bible He was sometime Scholar to Alcuinus His Monks were offended that he did so much study the Scriptures and did no better attend their Revenues therefore after 24 years he left the Abby they besought him to return but he would not He abode with Lewes the Emperour until Orgar Bishop of Mentz died and then succeeded Thomas Walden in the Acts of Pope Martin V. reckoned him and Herebald or Reginbald Bishop of Auxerre among Hereticks because they favoured Bertram At that time there was much debate about the Doctrine of Predestination Gotteschalk by birth a Franck or Belgick Avent Lib. 4. Annal. Bojor as Aventinus calleth him was Ordained a Priest by Rigbold Chorepiscopus in the vacancy of the See of Rhemes The forenamed Hinckmar writeth that he held these five Articles 1. God did before all Ages and e're he made any thing Hinckmar in Epist ad Eccles Lugdun predestinate unto salvation whom he would and
millions of Gold came unto Rome in his time within the space of fourteen years from the Prelates and prelacies whereof no account could be made besides the poor Clergy which daily ran to that Court. The Emperour Sigismund required Peter de Aliaco Chancellour of Paris and Cardinal of Cambray to put in form some Articles concerning the Reformation of the Church that might be propounded to the Council of Constance aforementioned which he did In that Book he insisteth on four things 1. He propoundeth that general and Provincial Councils be kept especially General for amending all persons and estates 2. That for Reformation of the Roman Court it is sufficient that there be but one Cardinal out of every Province because the Cardinals are the causes of Schisms 3. That Prelates be not chosen young imprudent nor ignorant 4. He requireth the reformation of Monks speaking against their multitude and diversity he taxeth the Romish Court that they despise Divines and advance only such as can bring them in gain He complaineth also of Pagan abuses and Diabolical superstitions at Rome But saith he as there were seven thousand who never bowed to Baal so we may be confident that there are some who are desirous of the Churches Reformation Alanus of Chartres Secretary to King Charles VII wrote a Book in French entituled the Courtier in which he extolleth the single life of Priests Libel de Stat. Eccles Gallic in schismate p. 75. This King Charles VII in the Ordinance made Anno 1422. thus complaineth Divers of our Subjects and others by vertue of resignations or Apostolick Bulls do take and receive and endeavour to get and obtain Benefices within this Realm and take possession of them and labour to summon or cause to be summoned our Liege-Subjects unto the Court of Rome or before some Commissioners or Delegates appointed by our Holy Father which is down-right to oppose the Church and Clergy The Council which was begun at Ferrara Anno 1438. and continued at Florence Panormit in Tract de Concil Basil Circa princip num 6. was never received and approved of in France The Bishop of Panormo saith the King of France did expresly forbid upon great penalties that any of his Dominions should go to Ferrara to celebrate the oecumenical Council Charles VII tells some Cardinals down-right so who were sent Ambassadours from Eugenius and were come to Bourges to get him to accept of it and among others to present him with this Article That since such time as it was translated to Ferrara the King should reject the Council of Basil and receive the Council of Ferrara with the Acts thereof Whereto he made Answer after six days deliberation with his Prelates and others assembled at Bourges That he had received the Council of Basil for a Council indeed that he sent his Ambassadours thither that many things were there wisely determined concerning Faith and Manners and such as he liked well of but for that of Ferrara he never did and never would take it for a Council This Charles favoured Pope Eugenius but so as that he professeth he will stand to the Decrees of the Council of Basil James de Paradiso of Chartres who wrote a little after the Council of Basil Jacob de Paradiso in lib. de Sep. â—em statib Eccles saith Seeing we hold it possible to proceed to a Reformation as well of the Head as of the Members by such as have Authority and Presidency both Spiritual and Temporal it must be either by one Man or more That it should be by one Man is against all reason how eminent soever he be for his virtues his knowledge his worth although be he renowned for his miracles nay in my opinion not by the Pope himself alone For there are so many Canons Decretals and Constitutions made by them already as are good for nought but filling up Parchment to no purpose without working any Reformation Besides seeing it is evident that his own Court stands in great need of Reformation as hath been well known by the common cries of the last General Councils which Court of his if he either cannot or will not reform which he covers under his Wing how is it credible that he should reform the Church which is of so large an extent Besides it may be objected to him Apply the salve to your own sores first as being the Head for when that is cured you may with less difficulty cure the Members wherefore Physician heal thy self Vnsavoury salt is not good for seasoning Wherefore by the just judgement of God his Decrees are scarce well received yet nor ever will be till he have reformed himself and his Dependents And verily I think the chief cause of the deformation in the Church is the wound in the Head which hath need to be cured in the first place And anon after Wherefore it seemeth to me an incredible thing that the Catholick Church should be reformed unless first the Court of Rome be so but as the World goes now we may see what an hard thing that is Those who have the Presidency in Councils on the Pope's behalf when they see that matters in the Council make against their Masters and them what can be expected from them but that they will withstand the Decrees of such Councils with might and main either by dissolving them or sowing dissentions in them and so the thing shall remain unperfected and we driven to return to the old Wilderness of Errour and Ignorance Every body knows this to be true unless it be some one haply who is not experienced in time past The Tragedy which was acted in our Age at the Council of Basil doth sufficiently prove it as they knew well who have laid down the story before our eyes At this time flourished the Panormitan Abbot the most famous of all the Canonists In the Council of Basil forenamed Amadeus Arch-Bishop of Lyons and Primate of all France a Man of great Authority being toucht with the zeal of Faith which he saw there to be suppressed said Most Reverend Fathers I do see here a new sort of Prelates come in which unto this present have kept silence and now begin to speak Is not this like to a Miracle I would to God they came to defend the truth and not to impugn Justice The Cardinal of Arles required that the Concordat of the twelve men should be read and many whispered him in the Ear that he should go forward Then Panormitan as soon as the Concordat began to be read rising up with his companions and other Arragons cryed out with a loud voice saying You Fathers do contemn our Requests you contemn Kings and Princes and despise Prelates It is not for you to conclude We are the major part of the Prelates we make the Council and it is our part to conclude And I in the Name of all other Prelates do conclude that is to be deferred Then there was such a rumour in the Council as is
are granted only to the Brothers and Sisters of the said Fraternity which shall upon the days aforesaid every year visit the said Altar in the said Church of St. Hilary of Chartres in France upon which the blessed Sacrament and precious body of Jesus Christ is placed Medard Thiersault Priest Licentiat in the Laws Chanon of Chartres Official and Vicar-General both in the Spiritualty and Temporalty of the Reverend Father in God Monsieur Lewes by the Grace of God Bishop of Chartres To all and singular the Parsons and Vicars of the Churches within the City of Chartres sendeth greeting c. Pope Paul the third did heretofore of his own proper motion for the honour of the blessed Sacrament grant unto the Brothers of the Fraternity of the blessed Body of Jesus Christ in the Minerva of Rome certain Indulgences plenary remission of sins and other graces the good devotion and upon petition of the faithful Christian Brothers Which Indulgences and plenary remission of Sins our holy Father Julius III. Pope to the end that all Christians might come devoutly and honour the blessed Sacrament of his own Authority hath willed and decreed that they be of perpetual force and efficacy And these Indulgences and other graces aforesaid at the instance of the most noble Personage Mr. Christopher de Herovard the Lieutenant General of the Most Christian King within the Bailiwick of Chartres hath granted them to the Brothers and Sisters of the Fraternity of the blessed Body of Jesus Christ heretofore erected and instituted in the Church of St. Hilary of Chartres always provided that like grace and gift was not formerly granted to any other Church of the said City of Chartres And forasmuch as we have viewed the contents of the said Indulgence in the publick Instrument out of the Copy of Dominick Bishop of Hostia Cardinal of the hâ—ly Church of Rome by Title Traven Dean of the sacred Apostolical Colâ—ege Protectour and Patron of the Fraternity of the blessed Body of our Saviour founded in the Church of our Lady of Minerva of the order of Fryars Predicants in the City of Rome in manner of an exemplification published drawn signed and sealed by Genese Bulter Secretary to the said Fraternity Given at Rome May 6. 1550. And furthermore whereas by a certain declaration made unto the Court of Rome by the command and with the leave of the Reverend Father in God the Lord Bishop of Chartres and as it seems to us truly and lawfulâ—y made that 't is certain the like grace was never granted to any other Church in the City of Chartres Wherefore we command you to publish and cause to be published in your Churches the said Indulgences and the exemplifications of the Letters aforesaid according to their form and tenure Giving leave to the said Christopher de Herovard to cause the said graces and Indulgences to be published within the City and Church of Chartres whether by Siguis's or otherwise the same Herovard shall think good Given at Chartres under the seal of the Chamber of the said Bishop of Chartres Anno 1550. July 31. Subscribed P. le Seneux Pope Pius IV. in his Bull of the publication of the Council of Trent which was for the continuation of it bearing date December 30. 1560. sheweth in effect that it was begun continued and ended among the troubles in France and Germany And as Sleidan saith Sleidan l. 16. as soon as new broils were raised in the neighbouring parts of Germany and a great war was kindled in Italy and France the Council was afterwards suspended and adjourned After the suppression of the Conspirators forementioned in a secret Council held in the Kings chamber it is resolved to punish the favourers of the Conspiracy And to get the Favourers of the Hugonots into their power it was resolved to call an Assembly of the States at which among others the Princes of the Blood are to assist But the Queen-Mother and the Guises doubting more than ever new Insurrections the Prince of Conde who was as a prisoner is discharged of his Guard and set at liberty He presently departed from Court and went into Bearn to the King of Navarre The Constable the Admiral of France and the rest were entertained with kind Letters and Commissions and Charges of trust The dissensions and suspicions of the Grandees in France encreasing on the 21. of August the King called a very great Assembly at Fountainbleau The Assembly at Fountainbleau in which the necessities of the Kingdom were declared by the Chancellour which he compared to a man sick of an unknown disease Afterwards Jasper Coligni gave the King some Petitions which he said were delivered to him by a multitude of people when he was in Normandy The summ of them was That the faithful Christians dispersed throughout the whole Kingdom did pray his Majesty to look on them with a favourable eye that they desired a moderation of their punishments until their cause were heard and that they might make publick profession of their Religion to avoid suspicion by private Assemblies Then John Monluc Bishop of Valence shewed That the principal remedy of these distempers was to flie unto God to assemble godly men out of the whole Kingdom to find a way to root out the vices of the Clergy to forbid infamous and immodest Songs and instead of them to command the singing of Psalms and holy hymns in the vulgar tongue and if the common interpretation be not good to take away the errours suffering that which is good to be used by all Another remedy was the General Council alwaies used to compose such differences saying That if a General Council could not be obtained they were to assemble a National that they did grievously err who troubled the publick quiet with Arms upon pretence of Religion that their errour was as great who condemned to death those who adhered to the new Doctrine only for the opinion of piety who dying constantly and contemning the loss of their goods stir up the minds of the multitude and make them desirous to know what Faith that is for which they endure so great punishment Charles Marillac Bishop of Vienna spake in the same manner adding That the disease of France was so sharp that there was no time to call a Physician from far therefore they were to call a National Council Coligni added that requiring those who gave him the Petitions to subscribe them he was answered That five thousand men would subscribe if there were occasion Francis of Guise concerning the point of Religion said he referred himself unto the judgement of learned men but protested that no Council should make him decline one jot from the old belief The Cardinal of Lorain said That the Petitions presented were most proud and that to grant the Orators publick Exercise were to approve their Doctrine he said that the greater part used Religion for a pretence and therefore his opinion was they should be proceeded against with more
severity mitigating the punishment of those who assemble without Arms only for Religion instructing and admonishing them and to this purpose to cause the Prelates to reside hoping that by these remedies they would need neither National nor General Council A Decree was made the 27. of that month That there should be an Assembly of the States at Meaux the 10. of December and if the General Council shall not be called suddenly the Bishops shall assemble on January 13. to treat of celebrating a National in the mean-while the punishments for cause of Religion were suspended except against those who took up Arms. The Pope hereupon wrote to Cardinal Tournon to hinder the meeting of the Bishops and if he could not to return to Rome The Pope makes shew to call a General Council suddenly He received answer from Tournon that having tried all means he was not able to remove the King or any of his Council nor could hope for any better success hereafter The Pope's secret purpose was to avoid the Council or to defer it but makes a contrary resolution against his Will and is much troubled with the occurrences of France A Currier went in haste to Rome out of France with protestations from the King that if the General Council were not called he could no longer defer the National adding that if any place in France were chosen for the meeting of the Council it should be most secure Then the Convocation of the Council was published in the Consistory the Bull whereof was entitled Of the Intimation of the Council of Trent the Latine word was Indictionis Vergerius wrote a Book against this Bull. At this time News came to Rome that the French King had imprisoned the Prince of Conde and set a guard upon the King of Navarre which pleased the Pope much as a thing that might hinder the National Council Saga servant to the King of Navarre is taken at Estampes with divers letters about him and being tortured confesseth certain practices against the Crown The Prince of Conde had attempted to possess himself of Lions but without success The Governour of the City condemned many of the Hugonots to be hanged and the rest he sent alive to the Court who served afterwards to confirm the Depositions of the Prisoners against the discontented Princes The King departeth with his Guard from Fountainbleau and summoneth the States to meet at Orleans where the first thing that was done was to make a profession of their Faith Which being set down by the Doctors of the Sorbon conformable to the belief of the Roman Church and publickly read by the Cardinal of Tournon President of the Ecclesiastical order was by a solemn Oath approved and confirmed by every one of the Deputies because none should be admitted into that General Assembly either unwittingly or on purpose that was not a true Catholick Then the High Chancellour in presence of the King proposed those things which were necessary to be consulted of for the reformation of the Government But this was the least thing in every mans thought for the minds of all men were in suspence about the Prince of Conde's imprisonment who being interrogated excepts against his trial and appeals to the King but the Appeal is not accepted and he was declared to be held as convict because he had refused to answer the Delegates So they proceeded judicially until the very last pronouncing of sentence The Commissaries having pronounced the sentence against the Prince of Conde the King one morning being under the Barbers hand was on a sudden taken with an Apoplexy and laid by his servants on his bed and on Decemb. 5. he died Charles IX brother to Francis and second Son to the Queen succeeded to the Crown being yet but about eleven years old in regard of his Minority the Government fell principally upon the King of Navarre as first Prince of the Blood Navarre did almost openly favour the new Religion and was wholly governed by the Counsel of Jasper Coligni the old Admiral who made profession of it so that the Protestants were more confident to obtain liberty of Religion as they desired They assembled almost publickly Hereupon the King's Mother and the chief of the Council resolved to hold the States at Orleans and begun to do it on the 13. of December where the business of Religion was debated The Chancellour shewed That there was need of a Council which the Pope had promised and that in the mean time it was not to be tolerated that every one should shape out his own Religion and bring in new rites at his pleasure He said That it was necessary that the names of Lutherans Hugonots and Papists no less factious than those of the Guelphs and Gibilines were to be taken away and Arms to be taken against those who cover their avarice ambition and desire of innovation with the cloak of Religion John Angelo Advocate in the Parliament of Burdeaux spake much against the bad manners and discipline of the Clergy James Earl of Rotchford said That all the present evils did arise from the large donations made by the King and other Grandees to the Churches especially of jurisdictions in the end he gave a Petition in the name of the Nobility demanding to have publick Churches for their Religion Jacobus Quintinus a Burgundian spake for the Clergy he said The States were assembled to provide for the necessities of the Kingdom not to amend the Church which cannot err though the Discipline in some small part may somewhat need reformation He said That they that demand Churches apart from the Catholicks are to be punished as Hereticks and that the King ought to force all his Subjects to believe and live according to the form prescribed to the Church that those who have forsaken the Kingdom for Religion ought not to be suffered to return that those who are infected with Heresy ought to be proceeded against Capitally that the Ecclesiastical Discipline will easily be reformed if the Clergy be freed from payment of Tenths c. In the end he demanded that all priviledges of the Clergy should be confirmed and all grievances removed The King ordained That the Prelates should prepare to go to the Council of Trent commanded that all that were in prison for Religion should be set at liberty their offences until that time pardoned and their goods restored The Pope sends a Nuncio to the Queen-Mother praying her to be careful of the Religion in which she was born and bred and not to suffer Schism to arise by too much licence nor to seek remedies else-where for the present and imminent evils but from the Church of Rome for which end the Council was intimated The Prince of Conde was set at liberty and by an Edict in the Parliament of Paris absolved from the imputation laid upon him and the Sentence declared null and irregular which was pronounced against him by the Judges Delegates as incapable of judging the Princes of the blood
the hand of the President who shall diligently read them c. None shall eat with any one without the Seminary unless with his Parents and Kindred and that very seldome and with leave neither shall he sleep out of the Seminary If any go forth and abide without the President being ignorant of it he may not be admitted without consulting the Bishop whose right it is to appoint whether he be to be received into the Seminary or not Let none touch another so much as in jest but every where and among all preserve modesty and gravity Let silence every where be kept religiously in the Temple in the Schools in the Chamber between going to and returning from the School and in all places let Ecclesiastical modesty appear They shall not discourse with those they meet except by decent and modest salutation which may be done in passing by As often as they shall go either to the Temple or the School they shall proceed modestly two by two their Governour following them to whom they are committed When they are at study let none speak with other neither in the morning before nor in the evening after prayer All shall go to bed at nine a clock and rise at four all shall lye single in their beds that they may preserve their health After Dinner and after Supper they shall spend one hour in honest recreation c. Let them keep their clothes chambers beds books clean let them make up their beds early in the morning 7. Of their Learning Let all first learn the Compendium of the Catholick Catechism so exactly that by mutual interrogations concerning it they may be able to render an account of the Catholick Faith to every one requiring it And to that end a repetition of it shall be made twice in a Week And when they shall be advanced herein let the reading of the Roman Catechism be diligently commended to them that from thence they may learn the higher Doctrine of the Sacraments Let them alwayes keep the Law of speaking Latin and let them be diligent in learning their lessons and getting them by heart in the time prefixed c. Let none be absent from School in the appointed time In the School let the Clerks who shall be of the same form sit together and endeavour to excel others with all modesty Let them neither buy nor have any Books but those whom the President shall judge to be profitable for them Books that are condemned by the holy Apostolical Chair and immodest Books let them not so much as know them by name much less let them dare ever to read them They shall be exercised in all kind of Disciplines which do especially help to the knowledge of Divinity and when they shall learn more humane Learning and Philosophy they are to be chiefly instructed in that part of Divinity which unfoldeth cases of conscience Let them also learn Ecclesiastical Books diligently and those which they call Ritual Let all be exercised in their order in making Orations and Exhortations concerning the commandments of God and of the Church concerning the Articles of faith Vertues to be followed and Vices to be shunned or some other sentence of Scripture c. 8. Of Correction If any be wayward and sawcy especially who infect and corrupt the manners of others all endeavours are to be used lest they bring any detriment to the Seminary if the Moderators are somewhat indulgent toward them neither are they who are of a crabbed nature long to be retained in the Seminary unless they shall reform them by words or correction As they are not to be born in a Seminary who are ignorant and slothful so much less they who neglect piety who violate the Statutes of the Seminary who enter into society with dissolute persons who are delighted in the discourses of those that are without who are wont to whisper and backbite c. who art wont to lye and excuse their own faults who impatiently bear punishments injoyned who speak or answer malapertly undecently or ironically These and the like Vices are first of all to be stopt by the whole Seminary and sharply to be corrected without excepting any 9. Of the reason of promoting Clerks and dismissing them from the Seminary As often as Orders shall be celebrated the President shall give to the Bishop a Catalogue of those who for their age piety and learning may be promoted to some Order In examinations which shall be had to vacant Benefices the Seminary-Clerks if they be fit let them be preferred before all others They shall be sent at the pleasure of the Bishop to Churches destitute of Pastors or to govern Schools or to undergo other Ecclesiastical Offices for the necessity of times and places Whosoever shall be sent away from the Seminary for what cause soever let him render an account of his Office to the President which he hath exercised at home and restore all things to its place which have been committed to him Those who have been educated in the Seminary and without the licence of the Bishop have delivered up themselves to any place or person or have fled out of the Diocess in which they ought to serve the Church shall be bound to make restitution of that maintenance which they have received in the Seminary They who depart if they come to better preferment yet are they to remember that they ought to be beneficial and grateful to the Seminary Departing let them take their leave of the Lord Bishop if he be in the City his Vicars the President the Priests and the rest of their companions and let them earnestly entreat them all to pray for their prosperity The Decrees of another Provincial Synod follow made partly at Tours in the month of May 1583. and partly at Anjou in the month of September I shall only set down an Index of the Titles 1. THe Prologue of the Synod 2. Supplications to the Pope and the Most Christian King 3. Of the care of defending the Profession of Faith 4. A Form of Confession of Faith is set down 5. Of the Extirpation of Simony 6. Of the Sacraments and their use 7. Of Baptism 8. Of Confirmation 9. Of the Eucharist and Sacrifice of the Mass 10. Of Matrimony 11. Of Order 12. Of the celebration of Festivals the Veneration of Reliques and of Images 13. Of Ecclesiastical Discipline the Reformation of the Clergy as well as the people 14. Of Chapters Dignities and Canons 15. Of Parish-Priests Presbyters and other Clerks 16. Of Christs faithful Laity This Synod requireth Women not to go abroad and especially not to come into the Church without their heads and breasts veiled Indignum est c. It is an unworthy thing say they that Christian women whom it becometh to be adorned with modesty and sobriety to profess piety by good works after a whorish manner to expose themselves to the people with curled hair and naked breasts They forbid all temporal businesses to be done
heap of Constitutions about the keeping of Lent and Easter about the prohibition of Marriage betwixt Christians and unconverted Jews about Servants not to be admitted to Ecclesiastical Orders about Assemblies to be at the least yearly Convocated by Bishops about Ecclesiastical Rents not to be dilapidated Under the Reign of Theodebert King of Lorain Burgundy and Turinge the Fathers who were present at the Councils of Orleans convened also in the Council of Overnie and ordained that no man should arrive to the Office of a Bishop by the favour of men in Authority but by the merits of an honest and unreprovable life That the dead body of a Bishop in time of his Funeral should not be covered with the Pall otherwise called Opertorium Dominici corporis lest the honour done to the body should be a polluting of the Altar with many other Constitutions Under the Reign of Cherebert King of France a Council was Assembled at Tours In this Council it was Ordained that the Clergy and People in every Congregation should provide relief for their own poor and not permit them to wander up and down It was also Ordained that a Bishop should count his Wife as his Sister and that he should no manner of way company with her and for this cause should have Presbyters and Deacons so familiarly conversant with him that they might bear testimony of his honest behaviour viz. that he never companied with his Wife The Papists themselves could not overpass this Canon without a censure Moreover it was Ordained That no Priest or Monk should receive in bed with him another Priest or Monk to the end they might be so unreprovable that they would abstain from all appearance of evil In this Council were set down very strict prohibitions that no man should oppress the Church and convert to his own use any thing duly belonging to them lest he incurr the malediction of Judas who was a Thief and kept the bag and converted to his own use a part of that mony which belonged to the poor A Council likewise was holden at Paris wherein order was taken concerning admitting of Bishops to their Offices That no man should be admitted Bishop without the full consent of Clergy and People and that no man should presume by favour of Princes only without the consents aforesaid to become Bishop in any place Now Clotaire remained alone King of France his Brethren being dead their Children also were dead and Childebert the eldest died without Issue The Reign of Clotaire was short and wretched He sought to extort the thirds of all Ecclesiastical Things to his private Affairs but the Clergy opposed themselves against him so as threats prevailed not He dies Anno 567. Before that he Rules as King alone he Erected the little Realm of Yvetot upon this occasion Upon good Fryday he slew Gawter of Yvetot his Servant in the Chappel where he heard Service It is said that the King had ravished his Wife lodging in his house so as he that was beaten suffered the punishment Pope Eugenius displeased with this infamous murther condemned him to repair the fault upon pain of Excommunication Clotaire for satisfaction Ordaineth That from thenceforth the Lords of Yvetot should be free from all homage service and obedience to the King for the Land of Yvetot in the Countrey of Normandy And so this small seigneury hath continued long with the Title and Prerogative of a Realm until that this Title of a Realm was changed into a Principality the which the house of Bellay doth now enjoy Clotaire had by two Wives five Sons and one Daughter four survived him viz. Cherebert Chilperic Sigebert Gonthran and Closinde his Daughter Cherebert was King of France Chilperic King of Soissons Gonthran King of Orleans Sigibert King of Metz or Lorain although each of them called himself King of France and commanded absolutely over the Countries under their obedience All of them Reigned together fifteen years The second Council of Matiscon was convened in the twenty fourth year of King Gunthran In it complaint was made that Baptism usually was ministred on every holy day insomuch that upon Easter day scarce were two or three found to be presented to Baptism This they Ordained to be amended and that no man except upon occasion of infirmity presume to present his Child to Baptism but to attend upon the Festival dayes prescribed of old that is Easter and Whitsunday Also it was Appointed and Ordained that the Sacrament of the Altar should be Administred before any of the Communicants had tasted of meat or drink That no person who fleeth to the Church as to a City of Refuge should be drawn back again by violence from the bosome of the Church or be harmed in that holy place That a Bishop shall not be attached before a Secular Judge That the Houses of Bishops shall be kept holy with exercises of prayer and singing of Psalms and shall not be defiled with the barking of dogs and muting of Hawks That Secular men shall do reverence to those of the Clergy even unto the lowest degree of them in such sort that if the Secular Man do meet any of the Clergy walking on foot he shall honour him by uncovering his head But if the Secular man be riding on horseback and the Clergy-man on foot then the Secular man shall light down from his horse and shall do reverence to the Church-man In the third Council at Matiscon we read of nothing but a contentious disputation between two Bishops Palladius and Bertram and foolish questions scarce fit to be disputed in Grammar-Schools Chilperic a crafty man seizeth on his Father's Treasure and laboureth to become Master of the City of Paris but was not able to effect it Cherebert having cast off his Lawful Wife and being Excommunicated by German Bishop of Paris dieth at Blavia in Sancton in the ninth year of his Kingdom about the year 570 whose Kingdom his Brothers divide among themselves Chilperic and Sigebert waged War one against the other Chilperic enters the Countrey of Sigebert and takes from him the City of Rhemes Hereupon Sigebert pursues his Revenge and takes from Chilperic Soissons the Capital City of his Realm with his Son Theodobert forcing him to retire to Tournay Sigebert comes a Conquerour to Paris where he is received by common consent and so all the Cities belonging unto Cherebert yield him obedience But as he thought himself settled behold two young soldiers suborned by Fredegund an harlot of Chilperic's came to his Court enter freely into his Hall and getting near unto him each of them stabs him with his dagger and he falls down dead in the place These murtherers were suddenly torn in pieces so as they could not be known nor declare by whose instigation they had committed this murther Yet was it generally thought it was the practice of Fredegund to free Chilperic and to make her way the more smooth by the death of Sigebert who crossed her most Now is
calumny by witnesses yet first of all he propoundeth it to be debated by the Synod whether witnesses ought to be admitted against a Bishop or whether the bare assertion of the Bishop only ought to be believed The Synod pronounceth That they could not safely give credit to an inferiour person bearing witness against a Bishop Yet they require Gregory to say Masses at three Altars and that he purge himself by Oath which being done by Gregory he was absolved But the Synod excommunicated his Accuser and certified other Bishops by Letters concerning the absolution of Gregory In this Century Rupertus Bishop of the Francks with twelve other Divines came into the Country of the Boii and there Rupertus by preaching the Gospel converted Theodon the Prince of the Countrey with his Son from Heathenish Idolatry unto Christ and baptized them both at Ratisbon Many others also were converted by him In this Age flourished German Bishop of Paris forementioned Osiand Eccles Hist Cent. 6. Lib. 2. When he was an Abbot in a dream he saw the Keys of the Gates of Paris delivered to him and demanding the cause of it he was answered That he should as Pastor feed the Lords Flock belonging to that Church Not long after the Bishop of Paris dying he was Constituted Bishop there by King Childebert With singular zeal he provoked the People to Godliness great was his gravity in preaching and his words were weighty and powerful he was liberal towards the poor and redeemed many Captives King Chilperic after his death who was wont to deride and contemn other Ministers wrote this honourable Epitaph upon him which I thought fit to set down Ecclesiae speculum patriae vigor ara reorum Et pater medicus pastor amorque gregis Germanus virtute fide corde ore beatus Carne tenet tumulum mentis honore polum The Histories of this Age make mention of one Etius Arch-Deacon of the Church of Paris who when he understood that Innocent Praetextatus Bishop of Rhothomagum accused of Treason against the King was in danger to be condemned in a Synod at Paris he with great boldness entred into the Synod and admonished the Bishops and Assessours to beware of having an hand in the condemning of an Innocent person he told them they ought rather to reprove King Chilperic for his sins In the Reign of this King many Jews were baptized in France but many of them returned to their vomit and perfidiously renounced the Christian Religion In those dayes there were great inundations of waters which did much hurt in many places especially at Lions where part of the walls of that City were thrown down Horrible earthquakes made great concussions in part of France and overturned some mountains toward Spain which overwhelmed many men and beasts A fire falling from Heaven consumed the City of Orleans and the streets of Bourdeaux together with the fruits of the earth Other places were sorely afflicted with a grievous hail There followed almost through all France a malignant Cough and bloody Flux which destroyed very many men and women by which disease that wicked Austigildis Wife of King Gunthran perished The cause of these evils was said to be the dissentions civil wars and horrible impieties of those three Brothers forementioned Sigebert Chilperic and Gunthran Kings of France and their Counsellours and Ministers who provoked them to those impieties who were punished of God for their flagitious practices with most grievous judgements Here I shall make mention of the various fortune of Theodorus Bishop of Marseilles in the Reign of Childebert Divamius a most wicked man being Governour of that Province This man hated Theodorus and laid divers snares to entrap him And when Theodorus was going to King Childebert to implore his help he was seized on by Divamius in the midst of the City of Marseilles and injuriously dealt with and so dismissed In his journey Theodorus by the instigation of Divamius is taken by Gunthran King of Orleans then the Clergy of Marseilles being no better than Divamius being very joyful at the news of it do immediately invade and plunder all the substance and treasures of the Church and load Theodorus with divers calumnies King Chilperic setteth Theodorus at liberty and sendeth him back with Gundulphus the Governour to Marseilles that there he might be restored to his former dignity At the coming of Gundulphus and Theodorus Divamius and the Clergy do shut the gates and drive them back reproachfully But Gundulphus by Art getting into the City with his Soldiers soon brake the power of Divamius and sharply rebuked him yet Gundulphus being appeased with deprecations and gifts Divamius having taken an oath that he would restore Theodorus to his Bishoprick and for the future be faithful to the King he returned to his house But Divamius despising his Oath signifieth the restitution of Theodorus to King Gunthran adding That while Theodorus held his Government King Gunthran could never enjoy the City of Marseilles Gunthran being angry sendeth Soldiers to take Theodorus who seizing upon the Bishop unexpectedly they carry him on horseback bound with chains most ignominiously to their King But King Gunthran knowing the innocency of Theodorus without doing him any harm suffers him to return to his charge bestowing many gifts upon him Upon this occasion great enmity grew between King Gunthran and Childebert Many other calumnies and grievous indignities did this innocent Bishop suffer from other of his wicked and malicious enemies About that time Mundericus Episcopus Ternoderensis being by force taken away from his Church is thrust into a close and strong Tower built upon the bank of the River Rhodanus and there was detained almost two years and most grievously handled Under the Jurisdiction of Gregory Bishop of Tours there was a certain Presbyter who denied the Resurrection of the Body The foresaid Gregory disputed against him which disputation you may read at large in the Magdeburgensian History The disputation being ended the Presbyter promised that he would afterward believe the Resurrection of the dead Chidet Anast Child Reg. cap. 10. This Gregory hath put out these works Hist Francorum de Gloria Martyrum de Gloria Confessorum de vitis quorundam Patrum I find him by a certain Writer thus stiled Osiand Cent. 6. Lib. 4. cap. 17. Antiquissimus fidelissimus Francorum scriptor He wrote sharply against the Jews and Arians yet there are divers errours found in his writings which are mentioned by Osiander He was very intimate with Gregory the Great Bishop of Rome flourishing at that time Century VII THe Author of the Book called the Catholick Traditions first in French and then Translated into English searcheth the difference of all Churches and except in Rites or Ceremonies hath not marked any great difference of the Abyssines and Jacobites from our Reformed Churches And in his Preface he saith They pretend to have their name Jacobites from Jacob the Old Patriarch and the name Cophtes because
11. The Bishop or Abbot must not resort to Civil Judicatures to plead their own Cause except it be to support the poor and oppressed Presbyters Deacons and Monks having obtained Licence from the Bishops may appear in Civil Judgement-seats accompanied with their Advocate 12. Let no Presbyters Deacons or Monks be Farmers or Tillers of the ground 13. An Oath used by some in the time of Ordination inhibited 14. Bishops in visiting of their Parishoners not to be chargeable unto them 15. This Canon was against the Tyranny of Arch-Deacons 16. That Bishops provide Balm and Chrism for the Lights of the Church 17. That Presbyters pay no Tribute to the Bishop 18. Against taking of pawns from incestuous persons and from those who pay not their Tithes and from negligent Presbyters 19. Let people give their Tithes to those Churches wherein their Children are baptized and whereto they resort all the year long to hear Church-service 23. The Ordination of Presbyters and Deacons is to be made at certain prescribed times 24. Concerning Presbyters Deacons and Monks who shall happen to be slain let the Emperour determine to whom the satisfaction of blood shall belong 25. That the Emperour be entreated that the Ancient Discipline may be restored again and they who sin publickly may be brought to publick repentance and every man according as he deserveth may either be excommunicated or reconciled 27. Neither the Sacrament of Baptism nor the Sacrament of Confirmation should be re-iterated 28. Concerning the degrees of Affinity and in what degree Marriage may be bound up every one is to go to the Canons of the Church to be resolved 30. Rules concerning the Marriage of Servants 31. That such Women as either negligently or fraudulently present their own Children to Confirmation shall be forced to do penance all the dayes of their life neither shall they be separated from their Husbands 32. Let a sinner confess unto his Father-Confessor all his sins which he hath committed either in thought word or deed 34. In prescribing of penance let favour and hatred of any person be laid aside and let the Injunctions be given according to the Rule of Holy Scripture and according to the Canons and Customs of the Church 36. Let no man sin of purpose to the end he may abolish his sins by Alms-deeds for that is all one as if a man should hire God to grant unto him a liberty to sin 37. That such Canons of Councils are especially to be read as appertain unto Faith and reformation of Manners 38. Books called Libelli Poenitentiales are to be abolished 39. In the Solemnities of the Mass prayers are to be made for the Souls of them who are departed as well as for them who are alive 40. Degraded Presbyters remaining impenitent are to be excommunicated 41. No Presbyters to be admitted in strange places without the testimony of the Bishop and other sufficient witnesses 42. Let no Church be committed to a Presbyter without consent of the Bishop 43. In some places are found Scotch men who call themselves Bishops and they Ordain Presbyters and Deacons whose Ordination we disallow 45. Against the going of the Clergy and Laicks to holy places such as Rome Turon c. men imagining that by the sight of these places their sins are remitted 46 and 47 That the receiving the Sacrament be not long deferred and none to come to it without due preparation That when the Sacrament is to be universally received in one day none do neglect to receive it except some grievous crime do hinder him from receiving it 48. According to the Precept of St. James that weak persons should be anointed with oyl by the Elders which oyl is blessed by the Bishop From Canon 52 unto the 66 are contained Precepts of chast and honest living prescribed to Prioresses and Nuns Of the Council of Arles The Canons of this Council were in number 26. 1. They set down a confession of their Faith The five following Canons are some of those mentioned in the former Councils The 7 and 8 Canons belong to the ordering of Monks and Nuns The 9th pertaineth to the payment of Tithes and First-fruits 10. That Presbyters shall preach the Word of God not only in Cities but also in every Parish From thence to the 17th are some of the Canons of the other Councils 17. Let every Bishop Visit his Bounds once every year and support the oppressed 18. Let Presbyters keep the Chrism and give it to no man under pretense of Medicine 19. Parents and Witnesses shall bring up baptized Children in the knowledge of God 20. Ancient Churches shall not be deprived of Tithes nor of any other possession 21. That the Constitution of the Ancients shall be kept concerning burial in Churches 22. That Civil Judgement-seats shall not be in Churches 23. If goods belonging to the poor be bought let it be done openly in sight of the Nobles and Judges of the City 24. Let fugitive Church-men be sought out and sent back again unto the Bishop 25. He who hath a Benefice bestowed upon him for helping the fabrick of Churches let him support the building of them 26. They who sin publickly let them make their publick repentance according to the Canons All these Canons were presented unto the Emperour to be corrected by the wisdom of his Highness Charles at the request of Pope Adrian 1. Banished the Ambrosian Service out of his Kingdom and against the will of the French Clergy by force established the Gregorian or Roman Office By this change the Latin Tongue in the Publick Service was fully established Here I shall make mention of one notable passage written in the Life of Charles the Great namely when he made war against the Saracens of Spain Agoiland one of the Saracen Kings made shew of friendship with Charlemagne and open hatred of the other Saracen Kings with whom notwithstanding he had a most strict correspondence to betray Charles Agoiland seemed to encline to peace After many Messengers sent on either part they resolve to parley So upon Charlemagne's Faith Agoiland cometh to the Camp of the French Charles told the Pagan he should have his Friendship if he would be baptized and become a Christian Agoiland answered That he was not yet so Abject nor his Forces so weak as to refuse the battel But because it would be an infinite loss to hazzard so many men he desired to make tryal of the Right by some Troops and he that vanquished should have the Right and True Religion on his side protesting to yield to that Religion which should appear to be the best by that Tryal The condition was accepted by Charlemagne The Combate being made the Christian Troop vanquished the Saracen Now Agoiland protesteth openly to be a Christian De Serres Hist in vit Caroli magni but in heart he meant otherwise and takes this occasion to break the Treaty One day he finds Charlemagne at Table well acccompanied with his Chief Followers for
Bishops of France unto a Synod first at Rome then at Aken The Bishops answered They were not obliged to go out of their own Country At last he named Munson on the borders of France where only Gerebert appeared and boldly maintained the cause of the French Church so that the Legate Leo could do nothing without new instructions from the Pope save only that he appointed another Synod at Rhemes and in the mean time he suspends Gerebert who wrote the Apology of the French Church as his Epistle unto Wilderodon Bishop of Argentine testifieth Gerebert excelled in Learning and came afterward to the Roman Chair and called by the name of Silvester the second he was promoted to that dignity by the Emperour Otho Hugh Capet having reigned peaceably nine years died Novemb. 22. 996. leaving his Son Robert his successour a Prince wise resolute peaceable and continent he is said to have been Learned a lover of Divinity and humanity They sing Hymns of his Invention the which thus beginneth O Constantia Martyrum mirabilis the which bearing resemblance with the name of his Wife Constance he was wonderfully pleased with the humour she had to be honoured with his writings being then greatly esteemed throughout the World He preferred virtue before the prerogative of primogeniture and caused Henry his younger Son to be Crowned in his life time decreeing by his Will that his eldest Son Robert should content himself with the Dutchy of Burgundy doing homage for it to the Crown of France Century XI IN the beginning of this Century Arnold Earl of Sens Fabian's Chronic. used great Tyranny among the Bishops and Ministers of the Church Hereupon Leofricus Bishop of that See through the advice and aid of Reginald Bishop of Paris put out the said Arnold and delivered the City unto King Robert But the Brother of the said Arnold with divers of his Knights fled to the Castle and held it by force Then the King besieged the said Castle and took both it and Fromond the Brother of Arnold and sent him to Orleans where being imprisoned he dyed shortly after This Robert builded the Castle of Mountfort He founded also divers Monasteries and Temples at Orleans the Temple of St. Avian at Stamps a Church dedicated to the Virgin Mary and many other in divers places of his Realm And he endowed the Church of St. Denis with many great priviledges and had special devotion to St. Hypolite above all other Saints At this time flourished Fulbert Bishop of Chartres a very learned Man Sundry Sermons and Treatises that are amongst the works of St. Austin are said to be his He wrote an Epistle to Adeodatus wherein he first reproveth a gross opinion of some Men who held that Baptism and the Eucharist were naked signs Then he proveth that these should not be considered as meer and outward signs but by Faith according to the invisible vertue of Mysteries The Mystery of Faith it is called saith he because it should be esteemed by Faith and not by sight to be looked into spiritually not corporally the sight of Faith only beholdeth this powerful Mystery c. Then he illustrates the same by comparison of a baptized Man who albeit outwardly he be the same he was before yet inwardly he is another being made greater than himself by encrease of invisible quantity that is of saving grace c. Here is no word of substantial change of the Elements the Bread is still Bread But we find two other changes the Faithful are transposed into the body of Christ and Christ is infused into the habitation of a faithful Soul yet so that Christ 's body remaineth in the Heavens and by the Revelation of the Spirit faith beholdeth Christ present Biblioth part de e bigne Tom. 3. or lying in his Mother 's bosom and dying rising and ascending and he entreth into the gratious habitation of a faithful Communicant and many waies refresheth him Here also we see that the substance of Bread remaineih as the substance of him who is Baptized remaineth albeit inwardly he be another Some say that Fulbert composed many Songs in praise of the Virgin Mary and that he built a Temple and dedicated it unto her Historians also do feign that Fulbert being sick was visited by the Virgin Mary Hist Magdeb. Cent. 11. and that she cherished him with her own Milk O impudent forgers of lies O foolish Mortals who gave credit to such palpable lies King Robert dyed Anno 1031. His Son Henry succeeded him and reigned 33 years In his time the Realm of Burgundy had an end in the posterity of Boson and the Emperours of Germany challenged the right and title of it Robert Duke of Normandy had maintained the Hereditary love of his Father with King Henry greatly relying upon his friendship Having resolved upon a long and dangerous Voyage to the Holy-land he intreated him to take the protection of William his Bastard Son whom he had made his Heir excluding his lawful Children Robert settled his Estate before his departure appointing him good Governours and putting the strongest holds and treasure into their hands Robert dyed in this long Voyage beyond the Seas at the City of Bythinia having before his departure commanded the Lords of Normandy and sworn them and Robert Arch-Bishop of Rovan to perform their Allegiance unto his Son William and to take him for their Lord and Duke if he return not again When King Henry had settled his Land in quietness he then builded the Monastery of St. Martin called Des Champs besides Paris and set therein secular Priests King Henry after he had reigned 31 years dyed and was buried at St. Denis Anno 1046. Gregory VI. created Odilo Abbot of Cluny Arch-Bishop of Lyons sending him the Pall and the Ring which he received yet without accepting the dignity saying he would reserve it for him that should be chosen Arch-Bishop Berengarius a French-man Deacon of St. Maurice in Anjou was the Disciple of Fulbert He was the first that was accounted an Heretick for denying of Transubstantiation and troubled for the same In his days it was broached that the Bread of the Eucharist was the very body of Christ and the Wine his Blood substantially or properly Berengarius on the contrary taught that the Body of Christ is only in the Heavens and these Elements are the Sacraments of his Body and Blood Adelman Bishop of Brixia wrote unto him In the beginning he saluteth him as his holy and beloved Brother and Con-disciple under Fulbert Bishop of Chartres Then he sheweth he heard it reported that Berengarius did teach that the Body and Blood of Christ which are offered upon the Altar throughout the Earth are not the very Body and Blood of Christ but only a figure or certain similitude howbeit indeed Berengarius had said nothing so To the intent Adelman may bring his Brother from this opinion he entreateth him not to depart from the Doctrine of their Master Fulbert and of
the Catholick Church Then he appealeth to the testimony of Ambrose Augustine and Hierome who never taught the Doctrine of Transubstantiation He writeth also that the very Flesh and Blood of Christ was given unto the Apostles at the first Institution and are still given unto faithful Communicants Adelman enlarged much on this subject What answer Berengarius did return to him we find not But he wrote an Epistle to Lanfrank declaring the abuses of the Sacrament and commending the Book of John Scotus upon that question Occolampad Epist l. 3. And he wrote expresly that the Body of Christ is not in the Sacrament but as in a sign figure or mystery He spake also in his Preachings against the Romish Church in the Doctrine of Marriage and necessity of Baptism And Bellarmine witnesseth that Berengarius called the Church of Rome the malignant Church the Council of vanity and the seat of Satan and he called the Pope not Pontificem vel Episcopum sed pompificem Pulpificem It happened that Lanfrank was not at home and the Convent opened the Letter of Berengarius and sent it with a Clerk of Rhemes unto Pope Leo IX The Pope summoned a Synod at Verceles Berengarius was advised not to go himself to the Synod but send some Clerks in his name to answer for him The two Clerks were clapt in Prison Scotus was condemned 200 years after his death and the Doctrine of Berengarius was condemned yet nothing done against his Person at that time because many favoured him Lanfrank pleaded for him but he was commanded by the Pope to answer him under no less pain than to be reputed as great an Heretick as he Petries Ch. Hist Cent. 11. Lanfrank following the sway of the World for afterwards he was made Arch-Bishop of Canterbury by Willliam the Conquerour performed the charge Guitmund Bishop of Aversa wrote more bitterly and less truly against Berengarius Nevertheless Berengarius abode constant and was in great esteem both with the Nobility and People And therefore Pope Victor the second gave direction to the Bishops of France to take order with him The Pope's Ambassadours were present at the Council and Berengarius answered that he adhered to no particular opinion of his own but he followed the common Doctrine of the Universal Church that is saith he as the Fathers Primitive Church and Scriptures have taught This gentle answer mitigated the fury of his Adversaries yet he persisted in his own opinion and for this cause Lanfrank objected against him that he deluded the Council of Tours with general and doubtful words Du. Moul. Contr Perron li. 1. Afterwards Pope Nicholas the second hearing that he was honoured of many assembled a great Council against him at Rome of 113 Bishops where it was declared and pronounced That the Bread and Wine which is put upon the Altar after the Consecration is not only the Sacrament but also the true Body of our Lord Jesus Christ And that not only the Sacrament but the Body of the Lord is * It seems they meant sensibly sensually and in truth handled by the hands of the Priest broken and bruised by the teeth of the faithful When Berengarius with many Arguments defended that the Sacrament to speak properly was the figure of Christ 's body and Cardinal Albericus who was nominated to dispute against him could not by voice resist him Sigon de reg Ital li. 9. and neither of the two would yield unto the other Alhericus sought the space of seven days to answer in writing And at last when disputation could not prevail against him he was commanded to recant or else he must expect to be burnt They prescribed to him a form of Recantation of his errour as they called it Gratian de consecrat dist 2. The Recantation was penned by Cardinal Humbert and is registred by Gratian. Nevertheless the words of the Recantation are far from Transubstantiation These are the words so far as they concern our present purpose Massons Annal. Franc. li. 3. faithfully translated I Berengarius do consent to the Apostolick and Roman See and with my Mouth and Heart confess that the Bread and Wine laid on the Altar after the Consecration are not only the Sacrament but the very body and blood of our Lord Jesus and sensibly not only in Sacrament but in truth are handled with the hands of the Priest broken and chewed with the hands and Teeth of the faithful John Semeca the Glossator of the Decrees expresly condemneth the words of this Recantation and saith If thou understandest not the words of Berengarius soundly thou shalt fall into a greater Heresie than he did for we break not Christ 's body into pieces nisi in speciebus Usser de success Eccles Berengarius returning home returned also to his former Doctrine and wrote in defence of it Some have written that Berengarius denyed the Baptism of Infants But Arch-Bishop Vsher saith that in so many Synods held against him we never find any such thing laid to his charge Illyricus gives this Character of him Tempore Leonis noni circa 1049. Berengarius Vir pietate eruditione Clarus Andegavensis Ecclesiae Diaconus quum videret Pontificios Doctores quam plurimos ingenti fastu Transubstantiationis fundamenta sternere quod mentem Augustini aliorum Veterum non intelligerent Vid. Thevet vies des hommes Illustres li. 3. sed Sacramentales Hyperbolicas nonnullas locutiones ad novum sensum inducendum detorquerent veram sententiam ex Orthodoxo consensu repetitam his corruptelis opposuit verbo Dei Testimoniisque Veterum Theologorum refellere conatus est scriptis etiam evulgatis libris ut pii in vera Doctrinâ confirmarentur Catal. Test Verit. lib. 22. Berengarius dyed holding his first Doctrine at Tours in the Isle of St. Cosina and was buried at St. Martins where his Tomb was reared and Hildebert Bishop of Caenoman and then of Tours and made his Epitaph which William of Malmesbury hath set down And this is a part of it Quem modò miratur semper mirabitur orbis Ille Berengarius non obiturus obit Guil. Malmsb. de Gest Anglor li. 3. Quem sacrae fidei vestigia summa tenentem Huic jam quinta dies abstulit ausa nefas Illa dies damnosa dies perfida mundo Quâ dolor rerum summa ruina fuit Quâ Status Ecclesiae quâ spes quâ gloria Cleri Quâ cultor juris jure ruente ruit Post obitum secum vivam precor ac requiescam Nec fiat melior sors mea sorte suâ Platina calleth Berengarius famous for learning and holiness He was a great friend to learning Platin. in vit Joann 15. and bred many Students of Divinity at his proper charge and by means of them his Doctrine was sowed through all France and the Countries adjacent This was matter unto his adversaries to envy him the more Albeit he did waver as
equity and honourableness of the cause and chiefly with a Vision as they say from Heaven took the whole business upon him and travelled to Rome to consult with Pope Vrban the second about the advancing so pious a design Some think that the Pope first secretly employed this Hermit to be his Factor and to go to Jerusalem to set on foot so beneficial a Trade for the Church of Rome because the Pope alone was the gainer by this great adventure and all other Princes of Europe came off losers Pope Vrban had called the Council of Clermont in France forementioned where met many Princes and Prelates to whom he made a long oration which was to this effect First he bemoaned the miseries of the Christians in Asia and the vastation of those holy places Next Tyrius li. 1. c. 15. he encouraged the Princes in the Council to take Arms against those Infidels and to break their bonds in sunder and to cast their cords far from them as it is written to cast out the Handmaid and her Children Otherwise if they would not help to quench their neighbours houses they must expect the speedy burning of their own and that these barbarous Nations would quickly over-run all Europe Now to set an edge to their courage he promised to all that went this Voyage a full remission of their sins and pennances here and the enjoying Heaven hereafter Lastly he thus concluded Gird your Swords to your Thighs O ye men of might It is our parts to pray yours to fight ours with Moses to hold up unwearied hands to God yours to stretch forth the Sword against these Children of Amaleck Amen This motion was most chearfully entertained so that the whole Assembly cryed out God willeth it Sabell An. 9. lib. 3. A speech which was afterward used as a fortunate Watch-word in their most dangerous designs Then many took a cross of red cloth on their right shoulder as a badge of their devotion And to gain the favourable assistance of the Virgin Mary to make this War the more happy her Office was instituted containing certain prayers which at Canonical hours were to be made unto her One observeth that it is enough to make it suspicious that there were some sinister ends in this War Tho. Fuller Hist sacri belli because Gregory VII otherwise called Hildebrand and by Luther in his Chronology Larva Diaboli the worst of all that sate in the Papal Chair first began it but death preventing him Vrban the second whom Cardinal Benno called Turban for troubling the whole world effected it Now a great controversie was in Christendom about the investiture of Bishops whether the right lay in the Pope or in secular Princes Now the Pope diverted this question out of Princes Heads by opening an issue another way and gave vent to the activity of their spirits in this Martial employment and in the mean time quietly went away without any corrival concluding the controversie for his own profit Moreover he got a Mass of Money by it He had the office to bear the bag and what was put into it as contributed to this action from pious people and expended but some few drops of the showers he received As the Pope so most of the Clergy improved their Estates by this War Aemil. de gest Franc. p. 109. For the secular Princes who went this Voyage sold or morgaged most of their Estates selling for Gold to purchase with Steel and Iron and the Clergy were generally their Chapmen Godfrey Duke of Bovillon sold that Dukedom to the Bishop of Liege and the Castle of Sartensy and Monsa to the Bishop of Verdun Baldwin his Brother sold him the City of Verdun Daniel in Henric 1. Yea by these sales the third part of the Feoffs in France came to be possessed by the Clergy who made good bargains for themselves and had the conscience to buy Earth cheap and Heaven dear Many Prelates and Fryars left their pastoral Charges and Covents to follow this business The total sum of those pilgrim Souldiers amounted to three hundred thousand The French Dutch Italian and English were the four Elemental Nations whereof this Army was compounded But France contributed more Souldiers to this Army than all Christendom besides The signal men were Hugh sirnamed le Grand Brother to the King of France Godfrey Duke of Bovillon Baldwin and Eustace his younger Brothers Stephen Earl of Bloys Father to Stephen afterwards King of England Reymund Earl of Tholouse Robert Earl of Flanders Hugh Earl of St. Paul Baldwin de Burge with many more besides of the Clergy Aimar Bishop of Puy and Legate to the Pope and William Bishop of Orange Out of the farthest parts of Italy Boemund Prince of Tarentum and Tancred his Nephew both of the Norman seed though growing on the Apulian soyl led an Army of twelve thousand Men. Many Souldiers also went out of Lombardy England also the Pope's pack-horse in that Age sent many brave men under Robert Duke of Normandy Brother to William Rufus now King of England after the Death of his Father as Beauchamp and others whose names are lost All these Princes being called up by Pope Vrban gathered together great Armies at divers times and places unto that War After many difficulties and the loss of many men they arrived in Palestine and Jerusalem was won by the Christians and twenty thousand Turks therein slain on July 15. Anno 1098. Robert the Norman refuseth the Kingdom of Jerusalem and Godfrey of Bovillon is chosen King In this choice that they might know the nature of the Princes the better their Servants were examined on Oath to confess their Master 's faults The Servants of Godfrey protested their Master 's only fault was this That when Mattens were done he would stay so long in the Church to know of the Priest the meaning of every Image and picture that Dinner at home was spoiled by his long tarrying All admired hereat and unanimously chose him their King In the latter end of this Century Bruno Chanon of the Church of Colen and Rhemes bare the praise of Learning and Holiness and was Master of the Schools by whom the order of the Carihusians was begun The Cistercian Order was begun Anno 1098. by Robert Abbot of Molisma as Sigebert saith Godfrey of Bovillon dyed having reigned one year wanting five days After his death the Christians with a joynt consent sent to Baldwin his Brother Count of Edessa a City in Arabia the Lord whereof had adopted this Baldwin to be his Heir and entreated him to accept of the Kingdom which honourable offer he courteously embraced Anno 1100. He was a Prince of the largest size higher by the Head than his Subjects Bred he was a Scholar entred into Orders and was Prebendary in the Churches of Rhemes Liege and Cambray but afterwards turned secular Prince but Baldwin put not off his Scholar-ship with his habit but made good use thereof in his Reign Century XII
Engine had his Head parted from his body Some conceived they saw God's finger in the Womans hand that because the greater part of his cruelty lighted on the weaker Sex for he had buried the Lady La Vaur alive respecting neither her Sex nor Nobility a Woman was chosen out to be his Executioner He dyed even then when the Pope and three Councils of Vaur Lateran and Montpelier had pronounced him Son Servant favourite of the Faith the invincible defender thereof Among other of his stiles he was Earl of Leicester in England and Father to Simon Montfort the Cataline of this Kingdom See Camden in Leicester-shire also in Worcester-shire who under pretence of curing this Land of some grievances had killed it with his Physick had he not been killed himself in the battle of Evesham in the Reign of King Henry the third Here ended the storm of open War against the Albigenses though some great drops fell afterward And the Pope grew sensible of many mischiefs in prosecuting this people with the Holy War Perin de Albigensib li. 2. ca. 4. Three hundred thousand of these croised Pilgrims lost their lives in this expedition within the space of fifteen years so that there was neither City nor Village in France but by reason hereof had Widows and Orphans cursing this expedition The Pope therefore now resolves upon a privater way namely to prosecute them by way of Inquisition The chief promoter of that War was Dominick the Authour of the Order of the Dominicans His Mother being with child of him dreamed that she had a dog vomiting fire in her Womb. Du. Moul. Contr Perron l. 7. This ignivomus Cur as one calleth him did bark at and deeply bite the poor Albigenses who put above two hundred thousand of them to death Almerick for his laziness was deposed by the Pope and John Bren was made King of Jerusalem In the beginning of his Reign this accident fell out In France a Boy for his years went about singing in his own Tongue Jesus Lord repair our loss Restore to us thy Holy Cross Numberless Children ran after him and followed the same tune their Captain and chanter did set them No bolts no bars no fear of Fathers nor love of Mothers could hold them back but they would to the Holy Land to work wonders there but this merry musick had a sad close all either perishing on Land Math. Paris p. 324. or being drown'd by Sea Mathew Paris saith it was done by the instinct of the Devil King Lewes VIII having compounded with Almery the Son of Simon Earl of Montfort for Languedoc resolves to unite this rich Province to the Crown To this end he levies a great Army fortified with cruel Edicts against the Albigenses as Hereticks and Rebels Count Reymund submits himself to Pope Honorius and yieldeth to Lewes and perswades the Earl of Cominges to the like obedience Thus both of them abandon the people and go to Rome leaving the poor Albigenses to the mercy of Lewes who presently subdues all Languedoc and Provence The House of Montlor one of the greatest in the County of Vivaret having followed the Albigenses party makes his peace by means of the Town of Argentiere given to the Bishop of Viviers who enjoyeth it to this day Many Families were made desolate These poor miserable people were dispersed here and there and such as remained in the Country were forced to acknowledge the Pope's Authority Lewes ordered the Marshal Foy of the house of Mirepois to command his Forces leaving the Lord of Beaujeu for Governour and Lieutenant-General of Languedoc All this mischief was contrived by the Pope who had sent his Legat into France Fox Act. monum Vol. 1. to summon a Council at Biture whither the King with six Arch-Bishops and the Bishops and Suffragans of nine Provinces repaired to the number of an hundred besides the Abbots Priors and Proctors of all the Covents of France Having dispatch'd the business of Earl Reymund and the Albigenses the event whereof hath been before declared Romanus the Pope's Legate gave leave to all Proctors of Covents and Chapters to return home only retaining with him the Arch-Bishops Bishops Abbots to whom he opened another part of his Commission which was to obtain of every Cathedral Church two Prebend-ships one for the Bishop the other for the Chapter And in Monasteries also after the like sort where the Abbot and Covent had divers and several portions to require two Churches one for the Abbot the other for the Covent keeping this proportion that how much should suffice for the living of one Monk so much the whole Covent should find for their part and as much the Abbot for his likewise The Clergy of France answered that the thing he enterprized could not be brought to effect without great offence taken and inestimable damage to the Church of France In conclusion when the matter came to debating with the Legat the objections of the inferiour Clergy were these following 1. They alledged the great damages and expences Math. Paris which they were like to sustain thereby by reason of the continual procurators of the Pope which in every Diocess must live not of their own but must be sustained upon the charges of the Cathredral Churches and other Churches also and many times they being but procurators will be found as Legats 2. By that means they said great perturbations might ensue to the Covents and Chapters of Cathedral Churches in their elections Forasmuch as the Pope's Agents and Factors being in every Cathedral Church and Chapter-house perchance the Pope would command him in his person to be present at their elections and so might trouble the same by delaying and deferring till it might fall to the Court of Rome to give and so should be placed more of the Pope's Clientele in the Churches of France than of the proper Inhabitants of the Land 3. By this means they affirmed that all they in the Court of Rome should be richer and receive more for their proportion than the King of the Realm by means whereof the Court of Rome would delay and drive off great suits and would scarce take any pains with small causes Thus would Justice be turned aside and poor suitors should dye at the gates of Rome and for the better speeding of their causes they thought seeing it was meet they should have friends in the Court of Rome by keeping them needy their gifts might be the sweeter and their causes sooner dispatched 4. Seeing it is impossible that the Fountain of greedy desires should be stopped it was to be feared that either they would do that by others which they were wont to do by themselves or else they should be enforced to give greater rewards than before for small gifts with great Rich Men are little regarded 5. Whereas the removing away the slander was alledged which goeth on the Court of Rome by this means rather the contrary were to be
was a great lover of the King of France he was chosen by common consent and a Courier sent post to him who was then at his Bishoprick to know what name he would carry he replyed he would not change the name he was baptized with which was Clement and so he was published accordingly to the people and called Clement the fifth After publication in the usual place the Cardinals dispatched several messengers to the new Pope to entreat him to hasten his Journey into Italy Il. Cardinalismo p. 234. But the Pope being instructed by the King of France made answer that the Flock was to follow the Shepherd and not the Shepherd the Flock commanding the Cardinals immediately to repair to him in France and particularly in the City of Poictiers as they also did This Clement was the first of seven French Popes which held the See one after another unto Vrban VI. under whom the Italians recovered it again with much trouble These seven Popes were Clement V. John XXII Benedict XII Clement VI. Innocent VI. Vrban V. Gregory XI Clement V. being chosen Pope he came to Lyons where King Philip received him accompanied with the Kings of England and Arragon in great pomp The Pope was on Horseback and the King with his two Brethren on Foot holding the Reigns of his Horse He was crowned in the Temple of St. Justus where they had built a great Theatre for so goodly a spectacle But the press of people was so great that the Scaffold brake so that the multitude sell one upon another The Pope King Princes and Noble-men were all on an heap and the Scaffold fastned to an old Wall pulled it down The King was hurt in the Head the Pope in the Foot and the Duke of Britain slain with many Noble-men and multitudes of the common people that were smothered under these ruines The Pope's Crown fell from his Head into the press where he lost a Carbuncle valued at six thousand florins of Gold Thus this feast gave no cause of joy but was famous to posterity by this notable accident and by the translation of the Pope's seat from Rome to Avignon Anno 1305. unto the year 1379. under Vrban VI. viz. the space of seventy four years This unlucky pomp being ended Clement created many French Cardinals and not one Italian and removed the Court presently to Avignon He avouched openly to keep a Concubine the Daughter of Count de Fuxa he sent three Cardinals with Senatorial power to govern Rome and Italy He ordained that none should use the Title or exercise the power of Emperour until he were confirmed by the Pope In the year 1307. a Parliament was summoned against Pope Clement by King Philip touching temporal jurisdiction belonging to Princes and Ecclesiastical belonging to the Church Forasmuch as Pope Clement V. extolled himself above all Princes as in other Countries so also in France he extended his usurped jurisdiction above the Princely Authority of the King claiming to himself full government of both the States as well Secular as Ecclesiastical the King therefore directeth his Letters mandatory to the Prelates and Barons of the Realm of France to assemble themselves together at Paris in the Year afore-mentioned in the beginning of December At the day specified in those Letters the Prelates and Clergy assembled themselves before the King at his palace in Paris Fox Act Monum li. 2. p. 461. 462. where after due reverence done unto the King there sitting in his own person with his Barons and Council about him a certain wise and noble Lord Peter de Cugneriis one of the King's Council stands up and makes an Oration before the Parliament in the King's behalf His Oration is divided into two parts 1. He sheweth that obedience and reverence is due unto the King 2. That there ought to be a difference betwixt the jurisdiction of the Clergy and Laity so that spiritual matters should be defined and ordered by the Prelates and spiritual men and Temporal causes ruled and determined by the King his Barons and Temporal men All which he proved by many reasons both of Fact and Law Articles against the Clergy of France His Oration being ended he repeated certain words in the French Tongue which imported that the King's Will and pleasure was in some points to renew the Temporal State and jurisdiction and therewith he exhibited a certain Bill in French whereof also he gave a Copy to the Prelates containing sixty five Articles which may be read at large in Mr. Fox his Acts and Monuments Vol. 1. p. 462. 463. 464. 465. After he had spoken the Prelates required to have time to answer thereunto whereupon the Friday next ensuing was appointed for the same on the which day the Bishop Edven and the Arch-Bishop of Senon Elect in the name of the whole Clergy answered for them all be-before the King holding his Parliament on that day at Vicenas They endeavour to prove that both the Temporal and Spiritual jurisdictions are compatible notwithstanding the distinction of them one from the other Then they proâ—â—â—d to prove that a person Ecclesiastical which hath Jurisdiction Spiritual may also have Temporal jurisdiction and that the Jurisdictioâ— Temporal may be in an Ecclesiastical person they alledge for this the example of Melchisedeck who was both King and Priest and of Samuel who was both Priest and Prophet and for a long time appointed Judge over the people in Temporal matters They assert also that Christ by his humane nature had both powers shewing that he was a Priest after the order of Melchisedeck and that he had both in his vesture and on his Thigh written King of Kings and Lord of Lords Many other places they cite out of the new Testament Then they offer to prove it by the Civil Law and by reason and many places in the Canon Law they shew what priviledges of this nature had been granted to the Clergy by Charles the Great King of France by Lewes the second and by other Kings of France which priviledges they offered to shew Moreover they assert that whatsoever things be offered up to the Church and are converted to the dominion and property of the same be God's and appertain unto him forasmuch as they be said to be dedicated and sanctified by him But this jurisdiction which is diversly converted to the Dominion and property of the French Church is God's and therefore to be reserved to and for him They urge the King to consider that at what time he was crowned he sware only these things following 1. That he would defend and maintain the Canonical Law priviledge and Justice granted to the Bishops and the Church and as much as in him lay to enlarge and amplifie the same 2. Also that by his Arbitriment all Christian people at all times should keep the true peace of God and his Church 3. That he should forbid to all Nations all kinds of sacriledges spoilings and iniquities and that in
Catastrophe into a mournful Tragedy The King on June 10. Anno 1558. would be one of the Challengers at the Tilt in St. Anthonie's street being seconded by the Dukes of Guise and Ferrara And to run his last course in favour of the Queen his Wife he sent a Lance to the Earl of Montgomery The Earl excuseth himself to run against his Majesty But having a second charge from the King to enter the List he runs and breaks his Lance upon the King's cuirass and with a splinter thereof his Bever being somewhat open strikes him so deep into the eye as on July 10. he dyed at his house of Tournelles in the 42 year of his Age. The King when he caused Faber and Anne du Bourg to be imprisoned vowed to see them burnt within few days if they persisted in their opinion but he was prevented by death The King's death in France which the Reformed did ascribe to miracle increased their courage though they durst not shew themselves openly in Paris For his Son Francis the second the new King after he was consecrated at Rhemes Septemb. 20. gave order to prosecute the process of the Counsellours who were in prison and deputed the president of St. Andreas and the Inquisitor Antonius Democares to discover the Protestants The Judges having gained some of the common sort formerly professours of that Religion had notice of the places where they secretly assembled Therefore many both men and women were imprisoned and many fled whose goods were confiscated after a citation by three Edicts And the example of Paris the same was done in Poytou Tholouse and Aix of Provence by the instigation of George Cardinal of Armignac who not to abandon that enterprize would not go to Rome to the election of the Pope using all diligence that those who were discovered might be apprehended The professours of that Religion being stirred up hereby and imboldened because they knew they were many sent about many writings against the King and Queen and those of Lorrain by whom the King was governed Authours of the persecution intermixing some points of Religion which being willingly read by all as things composed by publick liberty did imprint the new Religion in the minds of many In the end of the process against the Counsellours after a long contestation all were absolved except Anne du Bourg who was burnt on the eighteenth of December not so much by the inclination of the Judges as by the resolution of the Queen provoked against him because the Protestants did divulge in many writings and Libels spread abroad that the late King had been wounded in the eye by the providence of God for a punishment of his words used against du Bourg that he would see him burnt But the death and constancy of a man so conspicuous did make many curious to know what Religion that was for which he had so couragiously endured this punishment and made the number increase There was a great conspiracy in many parts of France into which many were entred and the major part for cause of Religion disdaining to see poor people drawn every day to be burned at the stake guilty of nothing but of zeal to worship God and to save their own souls To these were joyned others who thinking the Guisards to be the cause of all the disorders of the Kingdom judged it an Heroick Act to deliver it from oppression by taking the publick administration out of their hands Both these cloaked themselves with the cover of Religion to gain more followers and the better to confirm their minds caused the principal Lawyers of Germany and France and the most famous Protestant Divines to publish in writing that without violating the Majesty of a King and Dignity of the lawful Magistrate they might oppose with Arms the violent Domination of the house of Guise who offended true Religion and lawful Justice and kept the young King as it were in prison Great tumults of the people were raised in Provence Languedoc and Poitou whither the preachers of Geneva were called and came willingly By whose Sermons the number of Protestants did increase This general combination made the Governours of the Kingdom resolve that there was need of an Ecclesiastical remedy and that very quickly and a National Synod was proposed by the whole Council The Cardinal of Armignac said nothing was to be done without the Pope to which opinion some few Prelates did adhere But the Bishop of Valence said that France had Prelates of it's own to regulate the causes of Religion who best knew the wants of the Kingdom that it would be a great absurdity to see Paris burn having the Rivers of Some and Marne full of Water and to believe that water must be brought from Tibur to quench the fire The resolution of the Council was that there being need of a strong and sudden remedy the Prelates of the Kingdom should assemble to consider of these things and April 10. the Synod was intimated for the tenth of September A Currier was dispatcht to Rome to acquaint the Pope with this Resolution The Pope blameth the King for pardoning Hereticks and will not approve the National Synod but sendeth a Nuncio into Spain to disswade it And the King of Spain disswadeth the French King from the National Synod Therefore he dispatched away Antonio di Toledo Prior of Lyons to pray him not to go on herein The assaulting of Geneva was proposed But this proposition was not well taken in France because it would make the Protestants unite themselves Besides none going to that War but the Catholicks the Kingdom would be left open to the opposites The French King answered that he would not make a National Council to separate himself but to unite to the Church those that went astray that a general Council would more please and in likelihood be more profitable if his urgent occasions would suffer him to expect the time which must needs be very long that the National Council which he desireth shall depend upon the Apostolick See and the Pope which shall cease when the General shall be assembled and shall incorporate with it And that his deeds may answer to his words he desired the Pope to send a Legate into France with power to assemble the Bishops of the Kingdom and to settle the affairs of Religion The French King doth not think Trent a fit place for the Council nor that the Doctrines already discussed there should be maintained without re-examination This troubled the Pope who thought it did not proceed from the King 's own motion but from the Protestants The Protestants were formerly called Hugonots because the first conventions they had in the City of Tours where that belief first took strength and increased were in certain Cellars under-ground near Hugo's gate from whence they are by the vulgar sort called Hugonots Theodore Beza a man of great eloquence and excellent Learning having by his Sermons drawn many to embrace the Reformed Religion even
many of the chief Nobility and greatest persons of the Kingdom their Assemblies and Sermons were then no more celebrated in Stables and Cellars as in the Reign of King Henry second but in the Halls and Chambers of the best Gentry and most eminent Nobility Beza's Translation of the new Testament and his accurate notes upon it have made him famous His French Psaltery was so well liked that it was well Translated into the German Bohemian English Scottish and many Languages and it is both in use and esteem with all the Orthodox Churches Thuanus saith that Beza would repeat whole Psalms in Hebrew and whatever Chapter one could name out of Paul's Epistles he would rehearse it all in Greek for the things he had formerly learnt his Judgement failed him not He lived eighty six years and toward his latter end he began to forget what he had spoken His French works are mentioned by Verdier in his Bibliotheque His Latin are known News was brought unto the Pope that his Subjects of Avignon had taken up Arms against him accounting his succession unlawful because that Countrey was not justly taken from Raimond Count of Tholouse concluding also that the Ecclesiasticks cannot by the commandment of Christ possess any Temporal Dominion And resolving to rebel by the means of Alexander Guilotimus a Lawyer they put themselves under the protection of Charles de Montbrun who being in Arms for Religion was much followed in Daulphinè Charles entring the Territory with three thousand foot made himself Lord of the whole Countrey with much joy of the Inhabitants James Maria Bishop of Viviers Vice-Legate of Avignon made opposition and very hardly kept the City The Pope therefore sent Cardinal Farnese to defend the City But the danger was moderated because Cardinal Tornon whose Neece Charles had married made him desist and go to Geneva by promising restitution of his Goods confiscated for Rebellion and to be recalled shortly with liberty of Conscience if he would go out of France So the Pope's Territory deprived of that protection did remain in subjection but full of suspicions and ready to embrace every Novity Davila saith that Godfrey de la Barre Sieur de la Renaudy Davila Hist of the Civil War 's of France is made head of the conspiracy aforementioned who was one of a desperate fortune with whom many others joyned themselves some led by Conscience others thrust on through desire of change and many also invited by the natural humour of the French Nation who cannot endure to live idly To those of best quality among these he gave several charges to raise men and to bring them to a place appointed dividing to all their several Provinces To the Baron of Castelnaw was committed the care of Gascoign To Captain Mazares the charge of Bearn To Mesny the Countrey of Limâ—ges To Mirabel Xaintonge To Goccaville Piccardy To the Sieur de St. Mary Normandy and to Montejan Britany Men who as they were all of Noble Families so were they of known courage and reputed principal leading-men in several Cities and their own Countries where they lived All these departing from the Assembly at Nantes a City in Britany and returning every one with great expedition to the Province allotted him in a few days working with wonderful secrecy brought a great number of people of several conditions to be at their devotion The Conspirators prepared a great multitude who should appear before the King without Arms to demand that the severity of the Judgements might be mitigated and Liberty of Conscience granted designing they should be followed by Gentlemen who should make supplication against the government of the Guisards The Conspiracy was discovered and the Court retired from Blois an open place to Amboise a strong Fortress This troubled the Conspiratours who while they were thinking of a new course some of them who took Arms were beaten and slain and others taken and sentenced to dye and to appease the tumult pardon was granted by the King's Edict dated March 18. to all who simply moved with zeal of Religion had entred into the conspiracy so that they disarmed within 24 hours Then the King forbad all Assemblies for Religion and committed to the Bishops the hearing of the causes of Heresie An Ordinance was made by the States at Orleans Anno 1560. in the short Reign of King Francis the second Ordonnance des Estats d' Orleans l'Ann 1560. Art 5. That the Abbots and Curates who hold many Benefices by dispensation or reside upon one of their Benefices requiring actual service and residence shall be excused from residence upon their other livings Always provided that they depute sufficient Men for their Vicars of a good life and conversation to every one of whom they shall assign such a portion of the revenue of the Benefice as may suffice for their maintenance Otherwise in default hereof we admonish and enjoyn the Arch-Bishop or Bishop of the Diocess to take order for it and most expresly command our Judges and Proctors to assist them therein to cause the Temporalties of such Abbeys or other Benefices to be seized upon without dissembling a Month after they shall have warned and required the Prelates and other Titulars to reside or cause some to reside upon their Benefices and to fulfill the contents of this present Ordinance Another Ordinâ—nce was to this effect That a Prebend or the revenues thereof shall be assigned for the maintenance of a School-master who shall be bound in the mean time to teach all the youth of the City Gratis without any wages Which School-master shall be chosen by the Arch-Bishop or Bishop of the place calling in the Canons of the Church together with the Mayors Sheriffs Counsellours or Capitons of the City and to be put out by the said Arch-Bishop or Bishops with the advice of them aforesaid Here I will set down the Indulgences granted to divers Churches Brother-hoods and Hospitals granted by divers Popes and Printed about this time at Chartres by Philip Hotot I shall transcribe the whole 1. The Statutes and Ordinances of the Worshipful Fraternity of the most blessed Body of our Lord Jesus Christ newly founded and erected in the Church of St. Hilary of Chartres together with a summary of the Pardons and Indulgences given and granted by our Holy Fathers the Popes and by our Holy Father Pope Paul the third of that Name confirmed to the said Fraternity and all others of like denomination as well at Rome as out of Rome erected or to be erected Which Statutes and Ordinances by vertue of taking put of those Bulls made thereupon by Authority of Pope Julius III. of that name Given at Rome May 6. 1550. shall be observed and kept in manner and form following The Pardons Indulgences and Jubilee and plenary Remissions granted to such as visit the Altar where the blessed Sacrament and precious Body of Jesus Christ is placed in the said Church of St. Hilary upon the days in the year and
Crowned King of France Michael Hospitalius Chancellour of France under Charles IX Thuan. Tom. 3. lib. 56. was removed from the Court and made a Prisoner as it were only because he opposed those wicked Counsels against the Protestants in the Massacre at Paris Beza mentions him in his Icones illustrium virorum And Grotius stiles him Grot. Praef. ad Poem Vnicum aevi nostri decus the only ornament of our Age. There are these of his Works published Six Books of Epistles in Latine Verse De Caleto expugnato Epistola carmen cum aliis In the Preface to his Epistle one saith it appeared by a most Ancient Coyn that he much resembled Aristotle Summum illum omnium Philosophorum principem Aristotelem sic ore toto retulit ut alterius ex altero Imago expressa videri posset At this time flourished Michael Montanus or Michael de Montaigne Knight of the Noble Order of St. Michael and one of the Gentlemen in Ordinary to the French King Henry III. his Chamber His elegant Books of Miscellanies written in French are by him modestly styled Essayes or Moral Politick and Military Discourses He hath thereby gotten a great opinion of his Learning and Wisdom and Rome hath chosen and adopted him for one of her Citizens Charles Cardinal of Lorain dieth December 23. 1574. of a Frenzy in the midst of a cruel tempest and violent whirl-wind which uncovered the houses and loosened the bars of Iron in the Carthusians Covent in the Suburbs of Avignon According to the advice of the Queen-Mother the King assaults the Protestant Towns in Provence Languedoc and Dolphiné Lusignan was besieged and yielded upon Composition Pousin is besieged and taken but the Town of Libero in Dolphinè though besieged was not taken In Languedoc D'anville although he was of the Roman Religion yet had joyned himself to the Protestants and took Aques Mortes a Town of great importance in those Parts with many other Towns In Dolphinè Mombrim was chief Commander and had great success in his attempts But in the end being sore wounded he was taken beside â—ia a Town in Dolphinè and by the Commandment of the King and Queen-Mother was carried to Grenoble and there was executed in the sight of the people The Prince of Conde had required help of Casimire the Son of Count Palatine who had also condescended to succour the Protestants The Conditions they agreed on were these That they should not lay down their Arms until that liberty were obtained to the Protestants fully to enjoy their own Religion And likewise that Casimire should have the Towns of Metis Tullion and Verdum in his hands besides other Towns in all the Provinces of France which the Protestants were to require for their further assurance and as pledges of the King's fidelity and faithfulness to them The Army of the Germans and French entered into France under the Prince of Conde and Casimire and came forward to Charossium a Town in Bourbon not far from Molins where Alançon the King's Brother joyned with them and the whole Army conjoyned was found to be of horse-men and foot-men thirty thousand The King of Navarre at the same time departeth from Court and returneth into his own Country The Army draws near to Paris but at length was concluded upon certain Conditions That Casimire should receive from the King a great summ of money instead of those Towns which should have been put in his hands and that liberty should be granted to the Protestants to exercise their own Religion openly and freely without exception of places the Court and the City of Paris with a few leagues about only excepted They were also declared to be capable of places in Parliament and Courts of Justice and all Judgements which were made against them for any enterprize whatsoever were declared void the cruel day of St. Bartholomew disavowed and for better assurance and performance of these conditions they had eight Towns delivered unto them with the Conditions of their Governments Aques Mortes Benecaire Perigneux Le mas de Verdun Nions Yissure La grand tour The Edict of Pacification was Proclaimed May 10. 1576. and an end was put to the fifth Civil War in France for Religion By the Bull of Pope Gregory XIII sent into France Anno 1575. we may see all the Judges Royal both superiour and inferiour utterly despoiled of the Cognisance of criminal Causes The Sixteenth Article is this Vide Collect. diversar constitut Romanor Pontif. in fine Et Eclogam Bullarum motuum propriorum p. 316. We Excommunicate and anathematize all and every one the Magistrates Counsellours Presidents Auditors and other Judges by what name soever they be called the Chancellours Vice-Chancellours Notaries Registers and Executors their servants and others which have any thing to do in what sort or manner soever with Capital or Criminal Causes against Ecclesiastical persons in banishing or arresting them passing or pronouncing sentence against them and putting them in Execution even under pretence of any priviledges granted by the See Apostolick upon what causes and in what tenour and form soever to Kings Dukes Princes Rcpubliques Monarchies Cities and other Potentates by what name and title soever they be called which we will not have to be useful to them in any thing repealing them all from henceforth and declaring them to be nullities The twelfth Article speaks on this sort We Excommunicate all and every the Chancellours Vice-Chancellours Counsellours Ordinary and Extraordinary of all Kings and Princes the Presidents of Chanceries Councils and Parliaments as also the Attorneys General of them and other Secular Princes though they be in Dignity Imperial Royal Ducal or any other by what name soever it be called and other Judges as well Ordinary as by Delegation as also the Archbishops Bishops Abbots Commendatories Vicars and Officers who by themselves or by any other under pretence of Exemptions Letters of Grace or other Apostolical Letters do summon before them our Auditors Commissaries and other Ecclesiastical Judges with the causes concerning Benefices Tithes and other spiritual matters or such as are annexed to them and hinder the course of them by 〈◊〉 authority and interpose themselves to take Cognisance of them in the quality of Judges This is not all for in the following Article he goes yet further striking an heavy blow at the Ordinances of the French Kings Those also which under pretence of their Office or at the Instance of any man whatsoever draw before them to their Bench Audience Chancery Council or Parliament Ecclesiastical persons Chapters Covents and Colledges of all Churches or cause them to be brought in question before them or procure them directly or indirectly under what colour soever beyond the appointment of the Canon Law Those also which ordain and set forth Statutes Ordinances Constitutions Pragmatiques or other Decrees whatsoever in general or in special for any cause or colour whatsoever even under pretence of Apostolical Letters not now in practice or
of Provisions The Duke of Parma marcheth away into Flanders in good order The King assaulteth Clermont takes it and sacks it The Duke of Parma departing leaves aid of men and promiseth supply of money to the League The King marcheth toward Picardy Grenoble in Dauphiné after a long siege returns to the King's obedience The King assaulteth Corby and takes it The Parliament of Burdeaux who with much ado had been brought to the King's obedience make complaints for the King 's persevering in Calvinism The King studieth how to conserve the affections of those of his party and to keep them in obedience He recalls the Duke of Espernon to the Army and other Popish Lords to reconcile them unto him The Viscount of Turenne obtains of Queen Elizabeth of England that she should send the King one hundred thousand crowns That she should send 6000. Foot into Bretagne for the relief of the Prince of Dombes That along with him she should send Horatio Palavicino a Genovese who for Religion was fled into that Island to perswade the States of Holland and the Princes of Germany to assist the King with men and money on their Part. She promised likewise that if the Duke of Parma should return again into France she would assist Grave Maurice and the Hollanders to make a strong diversion by entring into Brabant and Flanders Now the party of the League make a disgust against the Duke of Mayenne which is fomented by the Spaniards And the Lords of the house of Lorain grow jealous one of another and the Duke of Nemours lays aside the Government of Paris The Duke of Mayenne dispatcheth President Jeannin to the King of Spain and the Sieur des Portes to the Pope to solicite aid The Chevalier d'Aumale goes to surprize S. Dennis and without resistance enters with all his men but the Governour with only thirty Horse chargeth and routs the Enemy and d'Aumale being thrust through the throat falleth down dead Those that were curious observed that he fell dead before the door of an Inn whose sign was the Espeè Royale a Sword embroidâ—red with golden Flower-de-luces and that his Body being laid upon the Bier in the Church of the Friers of St. Dennis his carkass the night following was all gnawed and mangled with Rats Pope Gregory XIV assigneth fifteen thousand crowns by the Month for the service of the League and Marsilio Landriano a Milanese is chosen Legate for the Kingdom of France Chartres is besieged and surrendered to the Baron de Biron The Duke of Mayenne receives Chasteau Thierry with the composition of twenty thousand crowns Then the Popish Princes and Noblemen following the King did solicite his Majesty to turn to the Romish Religion Anno 1591. The Petitions made to the King to provide for his dutiful Subjects of both Religions to prevent the new attempts of the Pope and his adherents to the prejudice of the Crown of France were the cause of two Edicts made at Mante in the beginning of July The one confirmed the Edicts of Pacification made by the deceased King upon the troubles of the Realm and dissannulled all that passed in July 1585. and 1588. in favour of the League The oâ—her shewed the King's intent to maintain the Catholick Religion in France with the Ancient Rights and Priviledges of the French Church The Court of Parliament of Paris resident at Chalons and Tours having verified these Edicts had dissannulled all the Bulls of Cardinal Gaetan's Legation and other Bulls that came from Rome on March 1. the Proceedings Excommunications and Fulminations made by Landriano terming himself the Pope's Nuncio as abusive scandalous seditious full of impostures made against the holy Decrees Canonical Constitutions approved Councils and against the Rights and Liberties of the French Church They Decree that if any had been Excommunicate by vertue of the said proceedings they should be absolved and the said Bulls and all proceedings by vertue thereof burnt in the Market-place by the Hang-man That Landriano the pretended Nuncio come privily into the Realm without the King's leave or liking should be apprehended and put in the King's Prison And in case he should not be taken he should be summoned at three short daies according to the accustomed manner and ten thousand Franks given in reward to him that should deliver him to the Magistrate Prohibitions being made to all men to receive retain or lodge the said pretended Nuncio upon pain of death And to all Clergy-men not to receive publish or cause to be published any sentences or proceedings coming from him upon pain to be punished as Traytors They declared the Cardinals being at Rome the Archbishops Bishops and other Clergy-men which had signed and ratified the said Bull of Excommunication and approved the most barbarous and detestable Parricide traiterously committed upon the Person of the late deceased King Henry III. to be deprived of such Spiritual Livings as they held within the Realm causing the King's Proctor General to seise thereon and to put them into his Majesties hand forbidding all persons either to carry or send Gold to Rome and to provide for the disposition of Benefices until the King should otherwise Decree Du recueil de l'Histoire de la ligne That of Tours added this clause to the Decree They declared Gregory calling himself Pope the fourteenth of that name an enemy to peace to the union of the Roman Catholick Church to the King and to his Estate adhering to the Conspiracy of Spain and a favourer of Rebels culpable of the most inhumane and most detestable Parricide committed on the Person of the most Christian and Catholick King Henry III. of famous memory The Parliament of the League did afterwards condemn and cause those Decrees to be burnt at Paris which were made against the Bulls and Ministers of the Romish See So one pulled down what another built up The Cardinal of Vendosme begins to raise a third party of Catholicks to make himself Head of them and thereby to bring himself to the Crown Scipio Balbani is sent to Rome by the Cardinal of Vendosme to treat with the Pope and to communicate his design unto him The Cardinal of Lenoncourt gives the King notice of the designs of the Cardinal of Vendosme The High Chancellour thereupon perswades him to turn to the Romish Religion Charles Duke of Guise having been long kept Prisoner at Tours escapes at noon-day and fleeth to Bourges and then meets with the Duke of Mayenne The Council of Sixteen falls into an emulation with the Parliament of Paris and with the Council of State chosen by the Duke of Mayenne Brigard who had been imprisoned upon suspicion of Plots against the League being escaped the Judges that made his Process are by the people in Arms tumultuously put in Prison and by the Council of Sixteen are caused to be strangled in the close Prison and the next day their bodies are hanged at the Greve with infamous writings on their Breasts The Duke