pursued so strictly that before they had marched backe halfe a myle from Blansack they were compelled to turne and fight In this battell the Prince of Condie was taken and slaine and two hundred of the Protestants more and fortie taken prisoners The rest of the armie the Admirall led backe to Saint Iande-angeli Soone after this Andelot dyed at Sainetes to the great griefe of all the armie his body being opened was found to be poysoned The Queene of Navarre comforted the armie of the Protestants and the King of Navarre her sonne with the Prince of Condies sonne tooke vpon them the government of the armie and sent Count Mongomrie to support the Towne of Angolesme which was then besieged by the Dukes Forces by whose comming the towne was so refreshed and encouraged that the Duke was compelled to raise his Siege and depart from the Towne About this time the Duke of Bipont with his Germane Forces were entred into France to support the Princes of the reformed Religion and tooke the Towne of La charitie in Burgundie a Towne of no small importance for the passage of the river of Loyre The Princes of the Protestants marched forward to meete the Duke of Bipont and by the way killed two hundred Hagbushers who were appointed by the Duke of Andion to stoppe the passage of the river Vienna in the river of Limosin and so the passage being opened they came the day after to the Campe of the Germanes and receiued them with great gladnesse but through the sudden death of the Duke of Bipont who died two dayes after their meeting their gladnesse was mixed with great heauinesse Notwithstanding the Duke before his death exhorted all his Captaines valiantly to debate that cause of Religion For the which they were entered into France and placed in his roome Wolrad Count of Manfelt to be generall Commander of the Germane armie In which were reckoned to be seauen thousand and fiue hundred horsemen and sixe thousand footemen besides two thousand French horsemen who came in their companie and ten Ensignes of footemen The Prince of Orange with his brother Lodowick and Henry were also in this armie In the Countrey of Poictou the Princes had taken many Townes and the most part of the Countrey was alreadie subiect vnto them And it was thought meete to besiege the Towne of Poictiers it selfe and the Towne was willing to render to the Princes vpon reasonable conditions if the Duke of Guise had not come to support the Towne But the comming of the Duke altered their mind and the Towne was strongly fortified and valiantly indured a strict Siege The Admirall although he had lost two thousand men at this Siege and great sicknesse and penurie of victuals was felt in the armie yet was he very vnwilling to raise the Siege till at length the Duke of Andum strictly besieged Monsieur Loe in Castelleralt whom the Admirall willing to relieue left the siege of Poictiers Soone after this the armie of the two Princes being at Moncontuire in the Country of Poictou was purposed to march toward Niort and the armie of the Duke in like manner was purposed thither Through this occasion the two armies ioyned in battell a little space from Moncontuire and the Duke of Andium had the Victorie The footemen of the Germanes were cruelly slaine in this Battell without all commiseration some greater fauour was showne to the French Souldiers The Admirall foreseeing as appeareth the euent of this battell had caused the two Princes of Navarre and Condie to be conveyed out of the Hoast The number of those that were slaine at this battell are supposed by some to haue beene sixe or seauen thousand men by others twise as many The report of this losse so discouraged the Protestants that all the Townes which they had conquered in Poictou were incontinent recouered by the adversaries and S. Ian Dangely after it was besieged two moneths was surrendered to the adversarie vpon certaine conditions At the siege of this Towne Martiques Governour of Britanie a great enemie to those of the Religion was slaine wherein is to be noted the iust iudgement of God punishing the pride of those that blaspheme his blessed name This Martiques perswaded La Matpinolis to yeeld the Towne to the King and desired the towne to remember the battell of Moncontur e wherein their strong God had forsaken them and said it was time for them to sing Helpe vs now O God for it is time Not long after this proud man felt that the strong God was liuing able to helpe the weake and to confound the proud The Princes with the Admirall consulted in what part of the Realme it were meetest to sustaine the hazzard of the Warrefare and it was thought meetest in Languedok because the Towne of Nimes was lately surprised by the Protestants and many townes in that Countrie fauoured their Religion While new preparations are made by the Princes to sustaine the Warre behold a new edict of pacification is for forth granting libertie of Religion to the Protestants againe and granting to them for their further securitie the keeping of foure Townes during the space of two yeares to wit Rotchell Cognack Montallan and Caritea This edict being proclaimed in both thâ— Campes the people were in great ioy being wearied with long and perillouâ— Warres and being desirous to visite their owne houses and families Thus was an end put to the third ciuill warre in France After this pacification the King married Elizabeth daughter to Maximilian the Emperour and the rumour went thorow the Countrey that the King was inclined to peace Likewise the apparent hatred betwixt the King and the Duke of Aniou his brother confirmed this rumour for it seemed to the people that the King was offended because the Prelates of France depended more vpon his brother then vpon himselfe and paied to him yeerely 200000 Frankes to be a patron and defender of their cause Wherefore it seemed to many that the King would incline his affection toward the Protestants to abandon the power of his brother But all this was deceitfull treacherie to colour the intended malice of his heart Also the edict of pacification was better kept then it had beene at any other time before except in a few places And when the Queene of Navarre sent messengers to the King to complaine of the violation of the edict in the Townes of Roane and Aurenge the King returned backe againe to her a very pleasant answere that he would not onely punish most seuerely the transgressours of the edict but also for a further confirmation of a stedfast bond of Peace with the Protestants he would bestow Margaret his sister in marriage to the King of Navarre her sonne The King himselfe passed to Bloyes and sent for the Queene of Navarre whom hee receiued so courteously and conferred with so louingly that the Queene was fully perswaded that this marriage would
the Protestants in crauing so great liberties put the enemies in suspicion and feare that the Nobles of Fraunce had secretlie banded themselues with the Protestants About the same time Count Mongomry had returned out of England had taken some townes in Normandy but soone after he was besieged in Donfront a town of Normandy by Matigonus the kings Lieutenant in those parts to whō he yeelded himself vpon certain conditions which were not kept vnto him but he was sent immediatly to Paris to the king The Duke of Aniow had departed from France to the kingdome of Polonia the king of France was fallen sicke also many noble men in the land were highlie offended at the ambition pride and crueltie of the Queene mother who had not onely cut off the noble men of the Protestants but also intended the like crueltie against many other noblemen in Fraunce whose names were insert in the bloody roll of the Massacre albeit they professed the Roman religiō The Queene mother knowing that she was vehementlie hated in the land and fearing left this matter should tend to her vtter disgrace and abandoning of all her authoritie thought meete to prevent all the deuices of the nobilitie of France against her and begun to lay hands on those of the Nobilitie whom she most suspected and cast them in prison such as D. Alauscone her owne son whom she knew to be discontent with her forme of gouernment and the king of Navarre also Monmerance and Cassens Marescallis The Prince of Condie also was to be taken but he conveyed himselfe away secretly vnto Germanie In the meane time the king died in the moneth of May Anno. 1574. with greateffusion of blood from many parts of his body And the Queene mother had all the gouernment in her owne hand vntill the returning of her son out of Polonia whom shee aduertised of the death of his Brother Charles and desired him without all delay to returne againe to Fraunce In the meane time the cruell heart of the Queene mother thirsting for blood procured that Count Mongomrie should be condemned to death This is that noble man who had slaine king Henry the father of Charles with a speare whom king Henry would not suffer to be harmed for that cause it being done in game and against Mongomries heart Neuerthelesse when he came in the hands of this mercilesse woman he must die Before king Henry returned out of Poland vnto France the Prince of Condie had sent from Germanie to France Messengers to declare to the Protestants the great care of his minde to advance the Religion and to procure the peace and libertie of his countrie who also was chosen to be generall commaunder of all the Protestants Many Catholikes were associate with him who being of a contrarie religion notwithstanding tooke armes with the Prince of Condie to restore the countrie to the owne libertie In the moneth of December Anno 1574. the king came to Lyons where the Queene mother accōpanied with Alauscon her son and the king of Navarre and Duke of Guise were awaiting for his cōming In this towne they aduised what was most expedient to be done whether they should prosecute the war or they should quiet the countrie with new edicts of pacification The Queene mothers aduise was that the king should assault the townes of Languedok Delphine that were kept by the Protestants because the presence and terrour of the king would so astonish the peoples hearts that incontinent they would yeeld and giue ouer the townes into the kings hands This aduise was followed and the king besieged the towne of Pusinum in Viuaret tooke it also the towne of Libero in Delphin was strōgly besieged but the king was cōpelled to leaue his siege to depart from the towne which according as the name of it foretokened remained free and vnconquered by the aduersaries during the time of this siege the Cardinal of Loraine died vpon this occasion The king being in Avinion some Paenitentiaries fortuned to scourge themselues in a cold winter season the Cardinall would ioyne himselfe to their fellowship and walked barefooted in the companie of those Paenitentiaries wherby he contracted a deadlie disease and soone repented this repētance The king himselfe was content to afflict his body after the same forme which was expoūded by many to be an euil presage that he should not conquer that little towne of Libero but should be scourged from the towne leaue the siege of it with shame which truly came to passe From thence the king went to Paris to his Coronation where many Ambassadours came to the king not only from the Prince of Condie who as yet remained in Basile but also from the D. of Sauoy and the Cantons of the Switzers and from the Queene of Englād to treat for peace but al their trauels were ineffectuall for the conditions of the peace could not be agreed vpon so the war continued waxed hote In Languedoke Anvillius although he was of the Romane religion yet had ioyned himselfe to the Protestants and tooke Agnes Mortes a towne of great importance in those parts with many other townes In Delphin Mombruniris was chiefe commaunder and had so good sucesse in all his attempts that he was a great terrour to the aduersaries In the end he was sore wounded and taken beside Dia a towne in Delphine and by the commaundement of the king and Queene mother was carried to Grenoble and there was executed in the sight of the people This war was much different from the former warres wherein those that were of one religion were also on one side but now the Catholikes were mingled with the Protestāts which thing albeit it seemed for a time to augment their number yet in the end it turned to euill as shall be declared hereafter God willing The Prince of Condie had required helpe of Cassimire the sonne of Count Palatine who also had condiscended to support the distressed Church of Fraunce and very strict obligations of mutual duties were passed between them as these namely that they should not dissolue their armes vntill that libertie were obtained to the Protestants fullie to enioy their owne Religion And likewise that Cassimire should haue the townes of Metis Tullion and Verdum in his hands besides other townes in all the Provinces of France which the Protestants were to require for there further assurance and as pledges of the Kings fidelitie faithfulnesse towards them While this armie of Cassimire was marching forward towards Loraine Alauscon the kings brother departed from Court and many of the nobilitie of France resorted to him all pretending that they could not suffer the countrie to be exhausted with ciuill warres and the people to be vexed with exorbitant and vnnecessarie taxations All those tumults were found in the end to be the subtile policies of the Q. mother by the meanes of Alauscon her son to
In the beginning of March the Duke de Maine with all his forces passed over the bridge of Maule which is about eight miles from Dreux whereof the King being advertised provided for his affaires and the twelfth of the same moneth set himselfe on the way to goe against his enemies On the thirtith day the King after hee had ordered his army made an earnest prayer to God and looked for battell but there were nothing but skirmishes wherein the Leaguers had the worst The next day the battels ioyned neere to the towne of Dreux wherein the King obtained a great victory and overthrew all the footmen of the Leaguers which were counted to the number of twelue thousand men Onely the Switzers who cast downe their weapons and yeelded to the King together with the Frenchmen who were mingled amongst them had their liues spared also fifteene hundred horsemen of the Leaguers were slaine and drowned and foure hundred taken prisoners The Duke de Maine fled towards Dreux and when he was entred the towne broke vp the bridge before his owne people were all come which was the cause of the death of a great number of his army especially of the Rutters of whom a great sort were drowned In this battell the army had their ioy mixed with sorrow at the first for they saw not the King returne but within a while after they espyed him comming all stained with the blood of his enemies not having shed one droppe of his owne whom they discryed onely by the great plume of white fethers which hee had in his creast and that which his palfrey had on his head all the army gaue hearty thankes to God for his safetie crying with one voyce God saue the King The Duke de Maine and other Captaines of the league being frustrate of their hope and seeing their army thus spoyled betooke themselues to their ordinarie shifts which was to feed the Parisians with fable and lyes publishing that in the battell they had almost eqâ—all losse and that the King if hee was not already dead hee was neare vnto it But the people being every day more and more ascertained of the truth began to grudge and to be desirous of peace so that the Duke of Maine tooke his iourney towards the Duke of Parma to obtaine support from him The King drew nigh to Paris and shut vp the passages of the river of Seane being master of Mance and Poyssie on the one side and Corbell Melum and Monterean on the other side of Paris so that neither from aboue nor from below could any provision bee carryed to Paris by the river of Seane likewise by taking of Lagnay and the fort of Gonrey hee stopped the passage of the river of Merue and by taking Compienge Creil and Beaumont hee stopped the passage of the river of Oisso or Ayne In that populous towne the famine was soone felt and within the space of three moneths moe then an hundred thousand dyed in the towne yet the most part of them stirred vp by the seditious Preachers were content rather to endure an hundred deathes then to acknowledge their owne soveraigne King whom they called an Heretique and a favourer of them The Duke de Maine having obtained promise of support from the Duke of Parma returned from Beuxellis whom the King pursued from Laon to Meux where hee inclosed himselfe betweene two rivers waiting for the comming of the Duke of Parma The King hoped for battell so soone as the Duke of Parma was ioyned with the Duke de Maine but the Duke of Parma got vp to an hill to view his enemies army and after hee had throughly noted it hee tooke resolution not to fight but to fortifie and entrench his army within a great marrash and so by meanes of his intrenchments hee eschewed the hazard of battell and came to Paris and named himselfe the deliverer of it But after he had stayed a while in Paris the principall Captaines of the league began to giue the Duke of Parma thankes for his good will and entreated him to goe with his people to Breuxelis againe This request or secret command fell out very well for the Duke For on the one part his army was seene by all men dayly to waste and himselfe did plainely behold that hee stood in the midst of an inconstant multitude Therefore hee dressed himselfe homeward with all possible speed and the king pursued him to the very frontiers of Artoys The Duke of Parmaes comming serued to none other purpose but to fill their purses with the gold of Peru and to entangle and bring their affaires vnto a remedilesse end for in the beginning of the yeere 1591. the King continued his siege and the Parisians were fallen into their wonted distresses as before But we leaue for a while and marke the estate of the rest of the countrey In the countrey of Dauphein Francis de Bonne Lord of Diguireres chased the Leaguers out of that part and became master of Grenoble In Normandy the Duke of Montpensier wonne Honfleur and forced the Leaguers to forsake field In Poictou the Vicount dela Guerche commanding over certaine regiments of footmen and horsemen and finding about a thousand of naturall borne Spaniards newly come from Brittaine to doe some great exployt they were all charged by the Baron de la Rotche Pose and others of the Kings chiefe servitors In this conflict la Guerche was compelled to see 300. Gentlemen of his most assured favourers slaine and lying on the ground at the which sight hee was so abashed that hee fled to the next river where finding the boat and thinking to goe over easily the throng was so great that the boate and all the passengers sunke to the bottome La Guerche was there drowned with a great number of others There perished in the water and in the fight moe then seven hundred Spainards some supposed this losse of the Leaguers to be little lesse then that of Coutras by reason of the great number of the Nobility that dyed therein Likewise the Lord Digners overthrew in the plaine of Portcharre the Duke Savoyes army commanded by Amedio the Dukes bastard sonne and Don Pleneres a Spanish Captaine and the Marquis of Treuic and others There were slaine vpon that plaine 2000. and 500. of the Dukes army and a great number were taken prisoners being for the most part Gentlemen of command The booty which was gotten amounted to the summe of two hundred thousand crownes The next day two thousand Romanes and souldiers of Millaine who with their Commander the Earle of Galcot of Belioyense were saved within the Castle of d' Analon at length yeelded themselues to the Kings mercy but the fury of the souldiers could not bee quenched till they had slaine sixe or seven hundred of them The rest having white roddes in their hands given them in stead of pasports were sent home to Italy In the meane time the King handled his affaires so
contended mightily euen as Lactantius of olde contended against the Pagans impugning the errour more mightily than solidly confirming the truth It is supposed that he ministred 13. yeeres vnder the Emperour Mauritius To whom succeeded Cyriacus Patriarchs of Alexandria AFter Iohn called Tabennesiota succeeded another Iohn who kept the true faith was banished by Anastatius because he would not damme the Councell of Chalcedone To Iohn succeeded Theodosius an obstinate defender of the errour of Eutiches He was familiarly acquainted with Seuerus of Antiochia and Anthimus of Constantinople whereby the misery of these dayes may be easily esâ—ied wherein three notable heretiques gouerned principall Townes such as Constantinople Alexandria and Antiochia He was so obstinate in his errour that he was rather content to be banished vnder the raigne of Iustinian than to renounce his errour After him succeeded Zoilus and after him Apollinarius who was present at the fift generall Councell To whom succeeded Eulogius and after him Petrus who ministred vnder the raigne of Mauritius Patriarches of Antiochia AFter Palladius succeeded Flavianus who suffered great troubles for the true faith namely by the cruell persecution of the Emperour Anastatius and the calumnies of Xenaeas B. of Hierapolis a stranger indeed from the couenant of God as his name importeth for he blamed Flavianus most vniustly of the heresie of Nestorius but when Flavianus both by word writing had cleared himselfe of that calumnie the malice of Xenaeas ceased not for he brought with him to Antiochia a great number of Monkes to compell Flavianus to abiure the Councell of Chalcedon The towne supported their Bishop against a raskall number of seditious and hereticall Monkes Notwithstanding the Emperour Anastatius infected with the heresie of Eutyches counted Flavianus who was most vniustly persecuted to be the author of this tumult and banished him and placed Severus in his roome The Emperour Iustinus the elder displaced Severus and punished him and appointed Paulus to be Bishop of Antiochia To Paulus succeeded Euphraesius who died in that fearefull calamitie of the Towne of Antiochia when it was shaken and ouerthrowne with earthquake as Evagrius witnesseth Euphraimius was a ciuill gouernour in the East parts who pittied the decayed estate of the towne of Antiochia and furnished all necessarie things for the repairing of the towne of Antiochia for which cause the people were so affectioned to him that they would haue him to be their Bishop So Euphraimius becomes Bishop of Antiochia or Theopolis for at this time it had both these names Evagrius writeth that he vndertooke the charge of the Apostolicke chaire in which words it is manifest that not onely the chaire of Rome but also the chaire of Antiochia was called the Apostolicke chaire The towne of Antiochia at this time was taken by Cosroes King of Persia set on fire and many of the people were cruelly slaine Euphraimius their Bishop at this time left the towne a perilous example except the people had beene in safetie and he onely persecuted yet he left behinde him so much as might redeeme all the Church goods After Euphraimius followed Domnius And after him Anastatius He ministred vnder the Emperour Iustinian at what time the Emperour fell into the errour of them who saide that our Lord Iesus in his very conception adioyned vnto his diuine nature an immortall body which was subiect to no humane infirmities Anastatius opposed himselfe to the Emperours opinion and the Bishops followed Anastatius and not the Emperour for this cause Iustinian was purposed to haue banished him but he escaped this trouble by the Emperours death Neuerthelesse he was banished by Iustinus the younger for some alledged cause of dilapidation of Church goods and Gregorius was placed in his roome Gregorius ministred in Antiochia 23. yeeres vnder Iustinius 2. Tiberius and Mauritius he was in great account with Mauritius to whom he foretolde that he would be promoted to the Imperiall dignitie And Mauritius imployed him in great and waghtie businesse such as in pacifying the tumult of his armie which made insurrection against Germanus their captaine Also he sent him Ambassadour to Cosroes King of Persia who was astonied at the grace that was in his speeches Notwithstanding he was accused by Asterius a Deputy of the East of the filthie sinne of incest but he cleared his owne innocencie so euidently that his accuser was with ignâ—minie scourged and banished He died of the gowtes infirmitie and after his death Anastatius whom Iustinus banished for dilapidation of Church-goods being yet aliue was restored to his owne place againe To whom succeeded Euphemius Patriarches of Ierusalem AFter Martyrius succeeded Helias a feruent defender of the true faith Neither would he condescend to the banishment of Euphemius Bishop of Constantinople nor to the admission of Seuerus to be Bishop of Antiochia therefore the Emperour Anastatius banished him To him succeeded Iohn of whose politicke dealing in circumueening Anastatius the Emperours captaine I haue sufficiently declared in the preceding history To Iohn succeeded Peter and after him Macarius and after Macarius Eustochius who impugned the Bookes of Origen and draue out of his bounds the Monks of Nova Laura defenders of the opinions of Origen Theodorus Ascidas B. of Caesarea in Cappadocia tooke this in an euill part The Emperour Iustinian caused a generall Councell to be gathered at Constantinople wherein not onely the bookes of Origen were damned but also Theodorus himselfe the defender of them This displeased the Emperour Iustinian because he loued Theodorus dearely therefore he procured that Eustochius B. of Ierusalem should be remooued and Macarius restored againe After whom succeeded Iohannes Neamus and Isicius In this Centurie whereas I pretermit the names of other Pastors and Doctors in the Church I haue done it vpon this consideration I find in this Centurie that by the irruption of barbarous people such as the Gothes Vandales Hunnes Auares Schythians Lombards youth was hindred from studies many memorable bookes were burnt ancient Languages were vtterly spoyled learning was greatly diminished flattery of preuailing powers increased ambition in the West heresie in the East turned the estate of the Church vpside-downe so that scarcely could men of good gifts and keeping integritie of faith be furnished vnto the principall Apostolicke chaires Now after a manner the sunne is going downe the shadowes waxe great the darkenesse approacheth the Antichrist is at the doore worthy to be welcommed with darkenesse and decay of knowledge What shall I now write of other Pastors and Doctors shall I follow the foolish conceits of Historio graphers in whose opinion the gift of miracles increased when the gift of knowledge decayed but the contrary is knowne by Scripture that the holy Apostles whom Christ indued with extraordinary gifts of working miraculous workes he indued them also with extraordinary gifts of knowledge but the writers of
of the booke of martyres Onely I find somethings in this seuenth persecution which the principall purpose wherefore I haue collected this compend will not permit me to passe ouer with silence Namely these first let no ma n thinke that the veritie is weake and hath neede to be strengthened by a lie as Nicephorus is accustomed to doe The seuen martyres of Ephesus whose names were Maximianus Malchus Martinianus Dionysius Ioannes Serapion and Constantinus were lurking in a caue the entrie whereof Decius commanded to be closed with great heapes of stones to the end that the forenamed Christians might be killed with famine which came to passe indeede Yet famine could not separate these holy Martyres from Christ. But Nicephorus the father of many other fables also saith that they fell on sleepe which they continued till the time of Theodosius that is from the 250. vntill the 379. yeere of our Lord and then they did awake out of their sleepe saith Nicephorus But he who will giue hastie credite to Nicephorus fables writing of the 7. martyres who lurked in a caue of mount Caelius and to Euagrius description of Barsanuphius an Egyptian monke who enclosed himselfe in a cottage beside Gaza for the space of 50. yeares and vsed no kinde of bodily refreshment to sustaine his earthly tabernacle he may be easily led to all kinde of errour The second thing worthy to be marked is that many persecuted preachers had wiues and children as the historie recordeth Cheremon Bishop of a citie in Egypt called Nilus fled to the mountaines of Arabia accompanied with his wife and returned not againe to Egypt neither was he seene of those who sought him in the wildernesse Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria who miraculously escaped the crueltie of persecuters maketh expresse mention of his children Deo mihi vt migrarem praecipiente viámque mirabiliter aperiente ego liberi multi fratres egressisumus that is after that God had commanded me to remooue and had miraculously opened a passage vnto me I and my children and brethren went forth If antiquitie be regarded Bishops who doe marrie are not Nicolatian Heretiques but rather such as forbid to marrie teach a doctrine of deuils Thirdly it is to be marked that in time of this vehement persecution many fainted and fell backe from the open profession of Christian faith Others to prouide timous remedie against such defections gaue out a rigorous sentence against such as had fallen of infirmitie that they should not be receiued againe into the fellowship of the church In this opinion was Nouatus and his complices And by their example we should learne to beware of such men as vnder pretence of zeale perturbe the vnitie of the Church and inuent remedies to cure the maladies of the diseased Church which are worse then the sicknes it selfe as the Novatians did Weakenes at some time is to be pitied but deuilish rigour pitying no man who falleth of infirmitie is a lesson that hath no allowance in the booke of God This cruell tyrant after he had raigned two yeeres made warre against the Scythians some call them the Gothes by whom hee was vanquished in battell and fearing to be ouertaken and to come vnder the tyrannie of barbarous people he cast himselfe into a deepe pit where he ended his life and his body could not be found The great desolations that were made in the world about this time by the plague of pestilence the Ethnickes imputed the cause of them to the Christians But Cyprian whose pen the Lord guided better declared that the cause of all these calamities was the worshipping of Idols the contempt of Gods true seruice and the persecuting of innocent Christians Gallus and Volusian AFter Decius Gallus and Volusian his sonne raigned two yeeres Hee walked in the footsteps of Decius Hee was slaine by Emilian who presumed to raigne but he was so hastily made out of the way that Eusebius and many other Historians misknow his name in the Catalogue oâ— Emperours Valerianus and Gallienus VAlerianus and Gallienus his sonne raigned 15. yeeres viz. Gallienus with his father in coniunct authoritie 7. yeeres after his fathers captivity and death hee raigned alone eight yeeres In the first three or foure yeeres of the Empire of Valerian hee was favourable and friendly to Christians and great numbers of them were found in the Emperours Court But afterward hee was seduced by an Egyptian Sorcerer who hated Christians because that by them he was hindred from practicing his magicall charms So the eight persecution began vnder Valerian In this persecution suffered three Bishops of Rome Lucius Stephanus and Sixtus and a Deacon Laurence who was layd vpon an hot broyling iron and patiently endured the torment of fire This is that Deacon who called the poore the treasure of the Church for then is the Church rich when it is rich in good workes and feedeth clotheth and visiteth Christ in his hungry naked and diseased members Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria was banished to Cephro a place in the wildernesse of Libya Priscus Malâ—bus and Alexander were devoured by beasts in Caesarea Palestina Cyprian Bishop of Carthage was beheaded Marinus a Roman Captaine in Caesarea was envied for the dignity and honour he was advanced vnto and hee was accused to bee a Christian and consequently to bee vncapable of great preferments and dignities he was encouraged by Theotecnus Bishop of Caesarea patiently to suffer death for the cause of Christ by taking him into a secret chamber and laying before him a drawne sword and the booke of the Gospell and bidding him take his choice of one of these two which he liked best Marinus liked better the booke of the Gospell then of the sword and was martyred for the faith contained in that sacred booke of holy Scripture Astyrius a noble Senatour caryed the body of this holy Martyr Marinus vpon his own shoulders and buried it hounourably In the end the Lord delivered this persecuting Tyrant into the hand of Sapor King of Persia who not onely detained him in strait captivity but also abused him most filthily and made his bodie a footstoole and trampled vpon his necke at such times as he was about to mount on horsebacke This fearfull captivity of Valerian had vnto it a notable testimony of the wrath of God against persecuters For like as hee trampled vnder his feet the Church of Christ so in like manner the Lord gaue his necke and backe to be trampled vpon by the feet of his enemies This example of Gods heavie indignation somewhat terrified Galâ—ienus his sonne and he gaue out an edict for the safe returning of such as were banished to their own dwelling places and for staying the rage of persecution Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria having liberty granted by the Emperors edict to returne from banishment came back againe to Alexandria wherein hee found such terrible desolation by famine
England by his brothers wife Whereupon the Emperour forsaking the marriage did couple himselfe with Ladie Isabell daughter to King Emmanuel of Portugall which marriage was done in the yeere of our Lord 1526. The King vpon this occasion casting many things in his minde beganne to consider the matter more deeply and finding that neither his conscience could be cleered in keeping his brothers wife nor yet the estate of the Realme firme by the succession of a daughter begotten in such a marriage he proposed the question to the chiefe Vniversities of all Christendome whose censures all agreed in one that the marriage was vnlawful Yet would not the King proceed to the divorcement without the Popes consent Who sent Campeius his Ambassadour with concurrance of the Cardinall of Yorke to be iudges in that cause The Cardinall of Yorke called Wolsey at the first was verily bent to haue the divorcemēt set forward but afterward finding that the Kings affection was bent towardes Ladie Anne Bulloigne to take her in marriage he changed his purpose sent advertisment to Pope Clement that in case King Henry the eight were divorced from Ladie Katherine then should another infected with Luthers doctrine succeede in her place to the great hurt of the Church of Rome For this cause the Pope calleth backe his Ambassadour Campeius before the Kings cause was decided Neuerthelesse the King proceeded in his purpose and was divorced from Ladie Katherine by meanes of Dr Cranmer This was the ground of that great hatred that fell out betweene the Pope and King Henry for on the one part the Pope cursed King Henry and the Realme of England for the divorcement The King on the other part abolished in his Realme the Bishop of Romes vnlawfull tyrannie with commandement that he should be called no more Pope in his Country but onely Bishop of Rome and that the King should be taken and reputed as supreame head of the Church of England haue full authoritie to reforme and redresse errours heresies and abuses in the same Now to returne againe to Germanie The Emperour was so busied with Warres all this time that he had no leisure to tarry in Germanie and although many assemblies were gathered to suppresse the doctrine of Luther he was onely present at two to wit at the first kept at Wormes the last kept at Auspurg For this cause it seemed good to the Emperour to declare his brother Ferdinand to be King of the Romanes and apparent successor to the Empire to the end he might with greater authoritie gouerne the affaires of the Empire in his absence He sent also letters to the Protestants commanding them to acknowledge him King Wherefore the Ambassadours of the Protestant Cities being gathered at Franckford concluded with the Princes that for their part they would not for this resist the Emperour for denying a title and a name only to his brother to make him more eager against their Religion But the Duke of Saxonie other Princes not agreeing thereto writ to the Emperour that because it was done against the manner and liberty of the Empire they could not allow it This seemeth to be the first ground of the warres that after followed For Ferdinand King of the Romanes expelled Vlrich of Wirtenberge from his Lordship and when no redresse could be had at the Emperours hands the Landgraue of Hesse with his cousin Vlrich gathered an Armie at Lawferme by Wirtenberg ouercame their enemies and put them to flight recouered the townes of Asperge Wrath Tubinge and Niphe and tooke prisoner Philip Prince Palatine and chiefe Captaine of Ferdinands armie Shortly after agreement was made on these conditions that Vlrich should haue againe his Lordship of Wirtenberg but so that he should hold it by the benefit of Ferdinand and the house of Austrich that if issue male did saile in the house of Wirtenberge that Lordship should returne to the heire of the Emperours house of Austrich that the Landgraue and Vlrich should come to Ferdinand and submit themselues to him The Emperour foreseeing that this diversitie of Religion that was in Germanie would in the end burst forth into some bitter fruit and great inconuenience aduised with himselfe by what means reconciliation might be made and all controversie might cease and in the end appointed a Councell at Wormes and communication of Religion and for this cause sent Granuellanus thither But the matter was so long delayed by the fautors of the Sea of Rome vntill Letters came from the Emperour againe to deferre the whole matter to the Councell of Ratisbone To which came all the Princes of the Empire except the Duke of Saxonie who came not himselfe but sent thither a noble ambassage together with Melanchthon and other Preachers Vnto the same Councell also came from the Pope Caspar Conterane a Cardinall In this disputation Fredericke the Palsgraue and Granuellane were appointed moderators Melanchthon Bucer and Pistorius Disputers for the Protestants Pflugius Eccius Gropper for the Papists Vnto these six was offered a booke conteining the definition of most Articles in Controversie which they were willed to ouer-looke and either to allow or disallow those things that they could agree vpon This booke was deliuered againe after a time to the Emperour in many points they could not agree in some they did The Protestants deliuered together with the booke their opinion concerning those controversies and their arguments to proue the same The Emperour deliuered the same to the Princes to be examined but they being most part Popish referred the whole matter to the Popes Ambassadour who exhorting the Bishops to honestie of life and suppressing of Luthers doctrine thought good it should be deferred to a generall Councell This convention which began in Aprill Anno 1541. was dissolued in the end of Iulie after that the Emperour had decreed that the communication begun and whole controversie of Religion should be deferred to a generall or Provinciall Councell of Germanie That the Protestants should teach no other points of Religion then such as were agreed vpon That Bishops should see amendment of life in their Diocesse That there should be a Provinciall Councell within a yeare and an halfe if they could not obtaine a generall Councell of the Pope That the Churches of Monasteries should not be pulled downe but reformed that the Church-goods should not be inverted that the decree of Ausbrough and all Proscriptions of the Protestants should be suspended all those conventions of estates disputations promises of generall or provinciall Councels to be kept in Germanie could not reconcile diuerse Religions but at length lurking hatred behoued to breake out into open hostilitie The first occasion whereof was offered by Henry Prince of Brunswick who by often invasion of Cities confederated with the Protestants in Germany moued the Duke of Saxonie and the Landgraue to make warre against him in name quarrell of all the Protestants confederated by the league of Smalcaldy
from Paganisme and Arrianisme whereby it was miserably polluted by the Gothes and Vandales was a man of great account Concerning Aurelius and the Bishops of Carthage Memnon and the Bishops of Ephesus some occasion will be offered to speake of them in the head of Councels neither will the nature of a Compend and breuitie whereunto I study permit me to write of euery worthie man of whom I read in this Centurie CENTVRIE VI. Patriarches of Rome TO Gelasius succeeded Anastatius the second and gouerned 1. yeere 2. months 24. dayes hee ministred in the dayes of the Emperour Anastatius hee was hated of the Clergie because he admitted to his fellowship Photinus a Deacon whom Foelix and Gelasius had excommunicated as a friend to Acatius Bishop of Constantinople Platina writeth of him that he ended his life as Arrius did and that his bowells gushed out when he was doing his secret busines The verie flatterers of the Bishops of Rome are compelled to say that some of them were fauorers of heretikes and for that cause punished by God with extraordinarie iudgements but I ground nothing vpon the words of Platina but so much as maketh against theÌ„ whom he intendeth to flatter To Anastatius succeeded Symmachus in the dayes of the Emperour Anastatius and when Theodoricus king of Gothes raigned in Italie great sedition was among the people at his election The one part of the Clergie people chusing Symmachus the other Laurentius to be Bishop of Rome but with common consent a Synod was appointed at Ravenna and there the election of Symmachus was ratified hee continued in office 15 yeeres 6 months 22. dayes Hormâ—sda the successor of Symmachus sate 9. yeeres 18. dayes who by coÌ„mandement of Theodoricus king of Gothes and raigning in Italie gathered a councell at Rome and damned the error of Eutyches of new againe Likewise Ambassadors were sent to the Emp. Anastatius and to Iohn B. of Constantinople to exhort them to forsake the wicked error of Eutyches to acknowledge two natures in Christ to wit the diuine and humane nature But Anastatius answered with proud words Nos imperare volumus nobis imperari nolumus That is we will command but wee will not be commanded Likewise the B. of Constantinople puft vp in pride by the assistance of the Emp. despised the counsell of Hermisda Moreouer against the law of nation they delt in humanlie with the Ambassadors of Hormisda and thrust them into an old and broken ship with straite commandement that they should not arriue at any harbour in Grecia but kept a direct course toward Italy Notwithstanding by the prouidence of God that ship arriued safely at the coasts of Italie The error of the Manicheans began againe to be ouerspread in Rome But Hormisda tooke their bookes and burnt them in the porch of the Church called Constantina Iohn the first gouerned the church of Rome in the dayes of Iustinus the elder to whom also he was sent Ambassador by Theodoricus to craue that the Arrian Byshops whom hee had banished out of his dominions might be restored to their places againe else the catholick Bishops of Italy should expect all kind of rigor at his hands The B. Iohn with many teares perswaded the Emperour Iustinus to condiscend vnto the petition of Theodoricus Neuerthelesse when he returned backe againe to Italy he was cast into prison where he ended his life after he had gouerned the church of Rome 2. yeeres 8. months Foelix 4. the successor of Iohn 1. coÌ„tinued in office 4. yeeres 2. months 13. daies he excommunicated Athanasius Patriarch of Constantinople for heresie hee ordained that Christians before their departure out of this life should be annointed with oyle This custome is now kept in the Roman church and is called the Sacrament of extreme vnction Foelix 4 succeeded Bonifacius 2. whom the Graecians called Agathon but both names soundeth to one and the selfe same thing The schisme that was among the people at his election ceased by the death of his coÌ„petitor Dâ—seâ—â—uâ— he ministred 2. yeeres 2. daies In his time Eulalius B. of Carthage submitted himself vnto the chaire of Rome wherupon BoÌ„ifacius tooke occasioÌ„ of insolent insulting in so far that he is not ashaÌ„cd to writ of Aurelius B. of Carthage August B. of Hippo of the rest of the fathers who were preseÌ„t at the 6 couÌ„cel of Carthage that through the instigatioÌ„ of the deuil they swelled in pride against the Roman church against his predecessors Bonifacius 1. Coelestinus whoÌ„ his predecessors most iustly had excoÌ„municated but now saith he Eulalius hath coÌ„fessed the fault of Aurelius of the couÌ„cel of Carthage submitted himself in humble maner to the chaire of Rome therefore he the church of Carthage are receiued againe vnto peace coÌ„munioÌ„ of the Roman church Marke here how they who would impaire a iot of that supreÌ„acy whereat the church of Rome aimed were forthwith deliuered to the deuil how holy modest learned so euer they had bin a vain timorous beastly body Eulalius is preferred to Aurelius B. of Carthage to Aug. B. of Hippo to a graue couÌ„cel of mothaÌ„ 200. fathers only for this that he submitted himself to the chair of Rome The time is now approching wherein it wil be clearely maÌ„ifested that supremacy was the very aple of their eye touch that once there is nothing but curses to be thuÌ„dred out of mount Tarpeius euen against August himself against reuerent couÌ„cils Iohn 2. was successor to Bonifacius he ministred in the time of the Emperour Iustinian 2. yeeres 4. months he was called for his eloquence Mercurius or nuntius Iovis Agapetus the successor of Iohn 2. vâ—der the raigne of IustiniaÌ„ had scarcely liberty to attend vpoÌ„ his own flocke for immediatly after he was ordained B. of Rome he was sent to the Emp. IustiniaÌ„ by Theodatus king of the Gothes to pacifie his wrath for the Emp. intended to make war against him for the cruell slaughter of Amalasunta his wife this was an vnhonest cause an vnseemely message to the B. of Rome to vndertake It is affirmed by Historiographers that Iustinian secretly sollicited Agapetus to the error of Eutyches that Agapetus answered vnto him couragiously that hee supposed hee was sent to a most ChristiaÌ„ Emperour but he found him to be Dioclesian This liberty is thought to haue done good to Iustinian and that hee imbraced the true Faith more seriously then before and deposed Anthemius Bishop of Constantinople an Eutychian Heretique and placed Menas a Bishop professing the true Faith in his roome Afterwards Agapetus died at Constantinople after hee had beene chosen Bishoppe of Rome eleven monethes and one and twentie dayes and his bodie was put into a chest of leade and transported to Rome Silverius the son of Hormisda sometime Bishop of Rome was successor to Agapetus Theodatus
neuer at Rome Eightly That the Clergie of Rome is a den of Theeues Ninthly That the doctrine of the Pope is not to be followed because it leades to eternall death In another treatise he disputes of free iustification by grace and that workes are no efficient cause of Saluation Sed causa sine qua non for the which doctrine hee was condemned by the Pope I passe by a great number who clearelie discouered the corruptions and Apostasie of the Church of Rome such as Ioannes de Gunduno Gregorius Ariminensis Andreas de Castro Dante 's an Italian Taulerus a Preacher of Argentine in Germanie Franciscus Petrarcha a man famouslie learned who in his workes in Italian verses speaking of Rome calles it the whoore of Babilon the schoole and mother of errour the Temple of heresie the nest of treacherie growing and increasing by the oppression of others Likewise Ioannes de rupe scissa who was cast in prison by Pope Innocentius the sixt also Conradus Hager a Germane of the citie of Herbipoli Gerardus Ridder Michael Cesenas Provinciall of the Gray friers Petrus de Corbaria with one Ioaxnes de Pâ—liato This foresaid Michael general of the gray friers writ against the tyrannie pride and primacie of the Pope accusing him to be Antichrist and the Church of Rome to be the whoore of Babilon drunken with the blood of the Saints He affirmed there were two Churches one of the wicked florishing wherein raigned the Pope the other of the Godly afflicted also that the veritie was almost vtterlie extinct and for this cause hee was depriued of his dignitie and condemned by the Pope Notwithstanding he stood constant in his assertions and left behind him many fauourers and followers of his doctrine of whom a great part were slaine by the Pope Some were condemned as William Ockam who writ both in defence of the Emperour Lewes whom the Pope excommunicated and likewise in defence of Michael generall of the gray friers whom the Pope had cursed for an heretike and some were burned such as Ionnes de Castellione and Franciscus de Arcatara Likewise Armachanus a Bishop in Ireland and Matthias Parisiensis Ioannes Montziger rector of the Vniuersitie of Vlme Nilus Bishop of Thessalonica Iacobus Milnensis and one Milezius Henricus de Iota and Henricus de Hassia Likewise in this most desperate time when the estate of religion was vtterlie corrupted and the onely name of Christ remained amongst Christians his true and liuely doctrine being vtterly vnknowne and turned into an heape of shadowed Ceremonies which so increased that there was no end of heaping vp of ceremonies invented by man at this time I say the Lord raised vp Iohn Wickliffe a professor of Diuinitie in the vniuersitie of Oxford who seeing that error by long vse and custome had beene so deeplie rooted in the hearts of men that it could hardly be plucked out hee medled not with all at once bâ—â— firsâ— bâ—gâ—â—nne to touch the matter of the Sacraments and discoâ—er 〈◊〉 â—rrours that men were fallen into in this head of 〈◊〉 but this byle could not be touched without the great griefe and paine of the whole world For first of all the whole rabble of Monkes and begging Friers were set on rage and madnes against him and after them the Priests and then after them the Archbishop Simon Sudburie tooke the matter in hand who for the same cause depriued him of his benefice which then he had in Oxford Notwithstanding being supported by the friendly assistance of the Duke of Lancaster sonne to king Edward the third and some other friends whom God raised vp for his protection he bare out the malice of the Friers and Archbishop Likewise Pope Vrbane was so busied with suppressing of another Pope Clement the seuenth set vp against him that he could not spare any time to suppresse Iohn Wickliffe and so it came to passe thorow the prouidence of Almightie God that the enemies of the true light with fretting minds were compelled to see the sparkles thereof not being able to quench them The chiefe heads of doctrine which hee maintained against the Roman church were these That the substance of bread remained in the Sacrament of the altar after the words of consecration That it is not found in the Gospell that Christ instituted or confirmed a masse That it is a presumptuous Speaking to affirme that the infants of the faithfull who die vnbaptised are condemned That in the time of Paul there were onelie two orders of Clerks to wit Elders and Deacons neither was there in the time of the Apostles any distinction of Popes Patriarches Archbishops Bishops but these the Emperours pryde did finde out That the causes of diuorcement for spirituall consanguinitie or affinitie are not founded on the scriptures but onely by the ordinance of men That he who is most seruicable and humble in the church and most inamored with the loue of Christ the same is the neerest vicar of Christ in the militant Church If corporall vnction were a Sacrament then Christ and his Apostles would not haue left the ordinance of that vntouched Whatsoeuer the Pope and Cardinals doe command which they cannot deduce cleerely out of the Scriptures the same is to be accounted hereticall and not to be obeyed That it is but a follie to beleeue the Popes Pardons That it is not necessarie to saluation to beleeue the church of Rome to be supreme head of other Churches A Deacon or Priest may Preach the word of God without the authoritie of the Apostolike sea The Church of Rome is the Synagogue of Sathan neither is the Pope immediatlie the vicar of Christ nor of the Apostles That the Emperour and Secular Lords are seduced who so inrich the Church with ample possessions If any man enter into any priuat religion whatsoeuer it be hee is thereby made more vnapt and vnable to obserue the commandements of God Of Monkes POpe Clement the sixt bearing rule Iohn king of France sonne of Philip invented the sect and order of those Monkes which in Latine are called Stellati whose maner is alwayes to weare a starre vpon their brest signifying thereby that there is nothing in them but the light of perfection and the cleere shining of good workes Yea that they themselues are the light of the world according to the saying of Christ vos eslis lux mundi yea are the light of the world Item That they shall rise againe at the later day all shining and glistering as the most cleere and pleasant starres according as it is written by the Prophet They that informe many into righteousnes shall be as the starres world without end In Anno 1336. Pope Boniface the ninth raigning a certaine man called Gerardus being of great learning and vertuous conversation ordained a certaine fraternitie or brotherhood of learned godlie men to teach schollers and to bring vp youth not onely in good letters but also in good maners that by those means there might be
into great distresse for want of water but was supported by the prayers of the Christian legion that was in his army For they bowed their knees to Christ and prayed for helpe and the Lord Iesus sent raine in aboundance to refresh the army of the Romans dashed the Barbarians with thunder and fire In remembrance whereof the Christian legion was after that time called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Fulminatrix After this victory hee asswaged his anger and wrote to the Senate of Rome to deale gently with Christians by whose prayer hee acknowledged both himselfe and his Army to haue received deliverance from God Commodus COmmodus the sonne of Antoninus raigned 13. yeares Many of the Romanes not without cause called him Incommodus He presumed to do great things and to change the names of moneths and would haue the moneth of December to be called Commodus like as the two names of two moneths Quintilis and Sextilis had beene changed in time past and called Iulius and Augustus for honour of these two welbeloved Emperours But hee was not so well favoured of the people that this ordinance could haue place any longer then during his owne life time The Church in his dayes was not altogether free of persecution for Apollonius a man of noble birth in Rome and a man of great learning suffered death because hee would not forsake the Christian religion His accuser also was punished to the death Such advantages Iudges might easily haue taken finding so many discrepant lawes some made in favour and some conceived in disliking of Christians Pertinax and Iulianus AeLius Pertinax Emperour sixe moneths Didius Iulianus two moneths Eusebius maketh no mention of D. Iulianus but of Pertinax onely to whom succeeded Severus Eseb. lib. 5. cap. 27. CENTVRIE III. Severus AFter Pertinax and Iulian Severus governed seventeene yeares and eight months Eusebius reckoneth onely twelue yeares He stirred vp the fift persecution against the Christians The crimes obiected against the Christians besides those that were obiected in the former persecution were these Rebellion against the Emperour sacriledge murthering of Infants worshipping of the Sunne and worshipping the head of an Asse which last calumny was forged against them by the malice of the Iewes This persecution raged most severely in the townes of Alexandria and Carthage like as the former persecutions had done in Lyons and Vienne in France Leonides the father of Origen was beheaded his sonne being but young in yeares exhorted his father to persevere in the faith of Christ constantly vnto the death Potamiae a young beautiful virgin in Alexandria was by the Iudge condemned to death and delivered to a Captaine called Basilides who stayed the insolency of the people that followed her to the place of execution with outrage of slanderous and rayling wordes crying out against her for this cause shee prayed to God for the conversion of Basilides to the true faith and was heard of God in so much that hee was not onely converted to the faith of Christ but also sealed it vp with his blood and had the honour of martyrdome Alexander who was a fellow labourer with Narcissus in Ierusalem escaped many dangers yet was he martyred in the dayes of Decius the 7. great persecuter Of this Emp erour the Senate of Rome sayd Aut non nasti aut non mori debuisse that is Either he should never haue been born or else should never haue tasted of death So it pleased the Lord by his wife dispensation to suffer the dayes of Traian Antoninus Philosophus and Severus Emperours renowned in the world to be more cruell against their owne people then the dayes of Nero Domitian Caligula or Commodus to the end of the poor Church might learne to be content to be spoiled of all outward comfort and to leane vpon the staffe of the consolations of God onely Many that were brought vp in the Schooles of Origen suffered martyrdome such as Plutarchus Serenus Heraclides Heron and another having the name of Serenus also Among women Rhais was burned with fire for Christs sake before shee was baptized with water in Christs name Innumerable moe Martyrs were slaine for the faith of Christ whose names in perticular no Ecclesiasticall writer ever was able to comprehend therefore it shal suffice to heare the names of a few The rest whose names are not expressed enioy the crownes of incorruptible glory as well as those doe whose names are in all mens mouthes It is the comfort of our hearts to remember that the Apostles Evangelists sealed vp with their blood the doctrine which they naught and committed to writ and no other doctrine and the holy Martyrs immediately after the Apostles dayes sealed vp with the glorious testimony of their blood that same faith which we now professe and which they received from the hands of the Apostles but they were not so prodigall of their liues to giue their blood for the doctrine of worshipping of Images invocation of Saints plurality of Mediators of intercession the sacrifice of the Masse both propitiatory and vnbloody expresly against the wordes of the Apost le Heb. 9. ver 22. and such other heads of doctrine vnknowne to antiquity The Romane Church in our dayes is a persecuting and not a persecuted Church fruitfull in murthers and not in martyrdomes glorying of antiquity and following the forgery of new invented religion This Emperour Severus was slaine at Yorke by the Northerne men and Scots Bassianus and Geta. SEverus who was slaine at Yorke left behinde him two sonnes Bassianus and Geta. Bassianus flew his brother and raigned himselfe alone six yeeres so that the whole time of his government both with his brother and alone was 7. yeeres 6. moneths Hee put to death also Papinianus a worthie Lawyer because hee would not plead his cause concerning the slaughter of his brother before the people but said that sinne might be more easily committed then it could be defended He tooke to wife his owne mother in law Iulia a woman more beautifull then chaste In all his time as hee confessed with his owne mouth hee never learned to doe good and was slaine by Macrinus Macrinus with his son Diadumenus MAcrinus and his sonne raigned onely one yeere Euseb. lib. 6. cap. 21. Antoninus Heliogabalus ANtoninus Heliogabalus raigned after Macrinus 4. yeeres He was a prodigious belly-god a libidinous beast an enemy to all honesty and good order So many villanous things are written of him that scarcely if the Reader can giue credit to the history ever such a monster was fashioned in the belly of a woman At his remouing in his progresse oft-times followed him 600. chariots laden only with bauds and common harlots His gluttony filchinesse and excessiue riotousnes are in all mens mouthes He was slaine of the souldiers drawne through the Citie and cast into Tiber. Alexander Severus ALexander Severus the adopted sonne of Heliogabalus raigned
his hand they put frankencense into his right hand thinking that hee would haue scattered the incense vpon the altar and sacrificed but hee endured the torment patiently saying the words of the Psalme Blessed be the Lord who teacheth mine hands to fight In the end Licinius made warre against Constantine and being diverse times ouercome both by sea and land hee yeelded himselfe at length and was sent to Thessalia to liue a private life where hee was slaine by the souldiers So Constantine obtained the whole Empire alone Here end the ten Persecutions CENTVRIE IV. Constantine THE Church of Christ flourished in time of the ten Persecutions as a Palme tree groweth vnder the burthen and spreads out her branches by increasing growth toward heaven Satan on the other part that piercing and crooked Serpent who striues against the militant Church of God both by might and slight when his might faileth it is time to try his slight which he did by the canker-worme of hereticall doctrine Now therefore let vs entreate of the Arrian and Eutychian Persecutors in the three subsequent Centuries Other Heretiques albeit they were fierce and cruell such as the Donatists yet their crueltie was like vnto the stighling of a fish when the water is ebbed and shee is not covered with the deepenesse of over-flowing water the more stirre she maketh the nearer shee is vnto her death But the Arrian and Eutychian Heretiques found Emperours favourably inclined to the maintenance of their errors such as Constantius and Valens protectors of the Arrian heresie Anastatius and Heraclius favourers of the heresie of Eutyches This support they had of supreame powers strengthened the arme of Heretiques and made them able to persecute the true Church of Christ. Notwithstanding betwixt the ten great Persecutions and the Arrian persecution a short breathing time was granted by God vnto his Church who will not suffer the rodde of the wicked perpetually to lie vpoÌ„ the righteous lest they put out their hand vnto inquity The dayes of the raigne of Constantine were the breathing daies of the persecuted Church Men banished for the cause of Christ by the Emperours edicts were returned from their banishment restored to their offices dignities and possessions which duely belonged vnto them The heritage and goods of such as had suffered death for the cause of Christ were allotted to their neerest kinsmen and in case none of these were found aliue then their goods were ordained to appertaine vnto the Church These beginnings of an admirable change of the estate of persecuted men wrought in the hearts of all people a wonderfull astonishment considering within themselues what could bee the event of such sudden and vnexpected alteration The care that Constantine had to disburthen persecuted Christians of that heauy yoke of persecution that pressed them downe so long was not onely extended to the bounds of the Romane Empire wherein Constantine was soveraigne Lord and absolute Commander But he was carefull also to procure the peace of Christians who lived vnder Sapores King of Persia who vexed Christian people with sore and grievous persecution so that within his Dominions more then sixteene thousand were found who had concluded their liues by martyrdome Among whom Simeon Bishop of Selentia and Vstazares the Kings eldest Eunuch and his nurs-father in time of his minority Pusices ruler of all the Kings Artificers Azades the Kings beloved Eunuch and Acepcimas a Bishop in Persia all these were men of Note and Marke who suffered martyrdome vnder Sapores King of Persia. While the cogitations of Constantine were exercised with meditation by what meanes the distressed estate of Christians in Persia might be supported by the providence of God the Ambassadours of Sapores King of Persia came to the Emperor Constantine whose petitions when he had granted hee sent them backe againe to their Lord and Master and hee sent with them a Letter of his owne intreating Sapores to bee friendly to Christians in whose Religion nothing can be found that can iustly bee blamed His letter also bare the bad fortune of the Emperor Valerian the eight persecuter of Christians and how miserably hee ended his life and on the other part what good successe the Lord had given vnto himselfe in all his battels because hee was a defender of Christians and a procurer of their peace What peace was procured to distressed Christians in Persia by this letter of Constantine the history beares not alwayes his endevour was honest and godly In Constantines dayes the Gospell was propagated in East India by Frumentius and Edesius the brother sonnes of Meropius a man of Tyrus This History is written at length by Ruffinus Theodoretus Sozomenus and many others Likewise it was propagated in Iberia a country lying in the vttermost part of the Euxine Sea by the meanes of a captiue Christian woman by whose supplications first a childe deadly diseased recovered health and afterward the Queen of Iberia her selfe was relieved from a dangerous disease by her prayers made to Christ. The King of Iberia sent Ambassadours to Constantine craving of him that hee would send Preachers and Doctors to the countrey of Iberia who might instruct them in the true faith of Christ. Which desire also Constantine performed with great gladnesse of heart Now to returne and to speake of the Dominions subiect to the Romane Empire Constantine the sonne of Constantius Chlorus began to raigne in the yeare of our Lord 310. and hee raigned 31. yeares hee gaue commandement to reedifie the Temples of the Christians that were demolished in the time of the persecution of Dioclesian This commanmandement was obeyed with expedition and many more large and ample Churches were builded meet for the conventions of Christian people Likewise the temples of Idols were locked vp better they had beene demolished and equalled to the ground then had it beene a worke of greater difficulty to Iulian the Apostate to haue restored againe Heathen Idolatry Many horrible abuses both in Religion and manners were reformed by the authority and commandement of the Emperour such as cubitus mensuralis called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Egypt whereunto was attributed the vertue and cause of the inundation of Nilus by the Egyptians therefore by the Emperors commandement this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was transported out of their Temples In Rome the bloody spectacle of Gladiatores that is of Fencing men with swords killing one another in sight of the people was discharged In Heliopolis a towne of Phoenicia the filthy manners of young women accustomed without controulment to prostitute themselues â—o the lust of strangers vntill they were maried this filthy custom I say by the commandement of the Emperour Constantine was interdicted and forbidden In Iudea the Altar builded vnder the Oke of Mambre where the Angels appeared to Abraham and whereupon the Pagans offered sacrifice in time of solemne Faires for buying and selling of
So did the Saracens easily recover againe Ierusalem Here also is to be marked that the Popes of Rome who were too prodigall of Christian mens blood continually instigating them to lead armes to Asia for the recovery of the Holy Land yet did they esteeme so much of their owne glory that they preferred it to the Holy Land and the liues oâ— all the Christians that were in Asia as evidently appeareth in the doings of Bonifacius the 8. who had the fairest occasion offered to him of all others of recovering the Holy Land For Cassanus Prince of the Tartarians had conquered Syria from the Saracens and left Governours in it with expresse commandement that they should binde vp a covenant of friendship with the Princes of the West and get support from them for the keeping of Syria in the Christians possession But the Bishoppe of Rome puft vp with pride was so busie to tread vnder his feet the King of France that hee neglected this ocasion the like whereof was never offered in any time following And this negligent dealing was the cause why Capcacus made defection to the Souldan of Egypt CENTVRIE XIV Albertus the first AFter the slaughter of Adulph Albert the first Duke of Austria was made Emperour and raigned ten yeeres and in the end was killed by his Brothers sonne In his dayes sprang vp Otthoman the first King of the Turkes who being a conragious warriour by spoyles and robberies enriched himselfe and subdued a great part of Bythinia and of the countrey lying about Pontus Euxinus and tooke vpon him the name of a King to be called the King of the Turks Henricus the seventh NExt to Albert raigned Henrie the 7. A Prince wise iust honest and beloved of all men neither puft vp with pride in his prosperity neither deiected in mind for any kind of adversity After hee had pacified the countrey of Germany hee tooke his iourney toward Italy to reforme the abuses there but was hastily cut off by the wicked malice of the Florentines as is supposed for they hyred a certaine Monke to poyson the Emperour which thing hee performed and mixed poyson with the bread of the Eucharist wherewith the noble Emperour was impoysoned in the Castell of Bonconvent after hee had raigned foure yeeres and eight moneths Ludovicus the fift Lewis the fift was chosen Emperour after the death of Henry the 7. and raigned 32. yeeres Hee was Duke of Bavaria against whom others had elected Fredericus Pulcher Duke of Austria to be Emperour which was the ground of cruell warrs betwixt the two new chosen Emperours but Fredericke was vanquished in battell and taken prisoner himselfe During the time of these warres the burgesses of Vren Switz and Sylvania or Vnderwalden assisted Lewis of Bavaria and would not acknowledge the Emperour Fredericke Duke of Austria for which cause they were continually vexed by him so that at last they assembled themselues in the towne of Vrania and there entered into a mutuall league of perpetuall society amongst themselues To whom afterward were ioyned Lucernates then Tugani then the Tigurines then the Bernates The last almost of all were the Basilians after whom followed other seven pages who now by a generall name are called the Switzers or the Cantons or Pages of Helvetia The Emperour Lewis after hee had subdued his competitor fell into a greater trouble for hee was excommunicate by Pope Clement the sixt and the Princes Electors were commanded to choose another Emperor which commandement they also obeyed and assembled themselues at a certaine towne of the Diocie of Trevers called Bens and chose Charles the fourth sonne to Iohn King of Bohemia Carolus the fourth CArolus the fourth was chosen Emperour after that his predecessor Lewis was excommunicated by the Pope and raigned 32. yeeres In his time Amurathes the King of the Turkes passed over Hellespontus and tooke the townes of Cestus and Callipolis which was the first beginning of the conquest of Thracia and all other regions of Europe which are now subiect to the Turke This Charles procured at the hands of the Princes Electors that his sonne Vinceslaus should be proclaimed King of the Romans in his owne time Vinceslaus TO Charles the fourth succeeded his sonne Vinceslaus and raigned two and twenty yeeres A man very vnlike his father for hee was sluggish and carelesse more enclined to ryot excessiue drinking and voluptuous pleasures then to any princely vertue In his time Baiazeth King of the Turkes fought a cruell battell against the Christians at Nicopolis a towne of Thracia at the side of Ister and albeit many moe of the Turkes were slaine then of the Christians yet at length the Turkes prevailed against the Christians and put them to flight This is that King of the Turkes who afterward was overcome by Tamberlaine King of the Sythians and being inclosed in a cage of yron was carried about all Asia as a mocking stocke to men and as a spectacle of the wrath of God against all cruell Tyrants The Emperour Vinceslaus for his beastlines was depriued of his Emperiall dignitie by the Princes Electors and Rupertus Duke of Bauaria chosen to be Emperour in his steed In the East during the raigne of those foresaid Emperours ruled Andronicus the sonne of Michael Paleologus and after him Michael and after him Andronicus the younger after whom followed Ioannes Catecunzenus and Calo Ioannes and his sonne Manuellâ— these are all the things worthy of rememberance are left in writing CENTVRIE XV. Rupertus VIncesâ—aus the Emperour for his Cowardize vnhonest life was deposed Rupertus Duke of Bauaria was advanced to the Emperiall authoritie by the Electors of Germanic and ruled 10. yeeres This Emperour went vnto Italie against Galiatius of Millan but hee preuailed nothing In his time Mahomet the Turke when hee had killed his brother obtained alone the kingdome who after the death of Tamburlan the Tartarian recouering againe his fathers dominion vexed with extreme murther and slaughter the Bulgares and Vallaches and tooke the citie of Hadrianopolis which he made his Seat royall Sigismundus AFter Rupertus Sigismund sonne of Charles 4. and brother to Vinceslaus being King of Bohemie and Hungarie was ordained Emperour and reigned 27. yeares Hee was a prudent wittie learned and noble Prince but in warre and deeds of armes vnfortunate for hee was oftentimes ouercome and chased of the Turkes and other enemies By the procurement of this Emperour a great councell was holden at Constance for the vnion of the Church which continued for the space of 4. yeeres In this councell Iohn Husse was burned for preaching against the Bishop of Rome Also Hieronymus of Prague was condemned by the same councell and burned after whose burning in Bohemie was great tumult sedition and ciuill warre For the common people that fauoured Iohn Husse gathered together in great number and choosed a certaine valiant man named Zisca to be their Captaine a man verie witty and
In this warre they subdued all his dominions and compelled him with his eldest sonne Charles to flie for their safetie into Bavarie Henry to recouer his dominions againe first pursued the Protestants in the Chamber-court of the Empire but the Protestants appealed and refused the iudgement thereof Next he made his complaint to Ferdinand the Emperours brother and last went into Italie to the Emperour there at Cremona grieuously accused the Protestants to whom the Emperour sent an hard message that if the Prince of Brunswick were not restored he would take such order whereby he should be restored whether they would or no. Notwithstanding all this the Emperour at his returning into Germanie after he had heard the declaration of the Protestants against the Duke of Brunswick albeit the Emperour was loath to giue out any grieuous sentence against him yet at length he determined that all the Dukes lands should remaine as sequestred in his hands vntill that matter were ended All this while the Emperour was busied in warres against the King of France â—ut in the end a peace was concluded betweene them vpon certaine conditions Amongst others this was one that they should both ioyne in the restitution of the Romish Religion The effects of this vnhappie agreement were soone felt both in France and Germanie for in France Minerius governour of Provance by the Kings commandement went with an Armie against the Waldenses that dwelt in Merindol Cabreire and certaine other Townes of Provance The poore men of Merindol fearing his comming fled into the Woods and Mountaines with their wiues and children he in the meane time spoyled and burned the townes being left voyde and in Merindol finding but one young man bound him to an Oliue tree and shot him thorow with guns At Cabreire the Citie was yeelded vnto him vpon promise that they should sustaine no harme but he kept no promise but shewed great crueltie killing them euery one some in the Churches some in other places and burned 40 women that were in a Barne full of straw There were slaine partly in that towne partly abroad aboue 800. beside other places They which fled vnto the mountaines woods partly were famished partly otherwise slaine partly sent to the Gallowes 25 persons that fled into a caue by the towne of Mussie were smoothered to death with smoke Certaine of the Heluetians sued vnto the king of France to faâ—our the Waldenses but no entreatie would serue alwayes this tyrane Minerius escaped not the iust iudgement of God for God striked him with a terrible disease and hee felt like vnto a fire burning him from the navell vpward and the lower parts were rotten and consumed away with vermine with an extreame stinke and profusion of blood in place of his vrine and so with great torments hee ended his wretched life In Germanie like as it was harder to oppresse so great a number as had alreadie embraced the Gospell so likewise the Emperour was compelled to doe his turne by craft rather then by force for he sent letters to diuers cities of the Protestants as to Argentine Noriberg Ausbrough Vlmes indeuouring to perswade them that he entended not warre against them but against certaine other traytours and rebells against whom hee doubted not but they would assist him In like manner also he writ to the Prince of Wittenberg Also when Palsgraue of Rhene writ to the Emperour to know against whom he prepared his war he receiued the same answere that before was written to the cities with manifest signification that it was against certaine Princes of the Protestants not so much for religion as for other things and finallie the Heluetians who had receiued the Gospell Tigure Berne and Basile were circumuented with the like policie for the Emperour had perswaded â—hem that he would not medle with religion by this meanes hee had not onely diuers places quiet but also vsed the helpe of many Princes and cities which fauoured the religion against the Duke of Saxonie and Lantgraue of Hesse This war begun in the selfe same yeere wherein the Councell of Trent was gathered to with 1546. the league between the Emp. the Pope against the Protestants was openly pronounced at Trident. The Pope also laied in the Venetians hands for this war 200000. Crownes and moreouer for the space of halfe a yeere did finde 10000. Italian foote and 500. light horsemen Thus was their great preparation and deepe policie vsed to suppresse two noble Princes whom they knew to be chiefe defenders of the reformed religion The Emperour being at Ratisbone and looking for his companies of Italians and Spaniards in the meane time by Proclamation proscribeth out-lawes the Duke of Saxonie and the Lantgraue alleadging these causes That they had made warre against certaine Princes of the Empire That they had spoyled them and oppressed certaine Bishops That they refused and subverted the iudgement of the chamber-court and entered league against him making no mention of religion Shortly after hee sent a copie of this proscription vnto Maurice and August Princes of Saxonie and commaunded them as being next of their kinred to enter vpon the goods lands that appertained vnto them threatning grieuous punishments except they so did The Protestants hauing a copie of the proscription answered vnto the same at large And first whereas the Emperour pretended the fauour of religion and commonwealth they declared by many arguments that it was dissembled false And as touching the causes of their proscription expressed they answered to euerie part and cleered themselues protesting that they did not make warre vpon the Emperour but repell that iniurie which he offered them The Bohemians incited by their king Ferdinand first invaded the lands of the D. of Saxonie lying next vnto them Maurice Prince of Saxonie sent advertisement to the Duke that seeing he was heire to the Dukedome hee would take such order as his heritage should not come into other mens hands and immediatly by the helpe of Ferdinands armie subdued all the Dukes lands except Viteberge Isimake and Goth perceiuing himselfe to be in hatred and displeasure with many for so doing set forth a Proclamation to excuse himselfe saying that hee could not lawfully resist the Emperour seeing that he had assured him that hee would neither opresse religion nor yet hurt the libertie of Germanie The Duke of Saxonie willing to recouer againe his owne lands assaulted Lipsia and departing from thence did not onely recouer all that he had lost in Turinge and Misne but also wanne from Maurice all his cities except Lipsia and Dresta Maurice and August on the other part ioyning with the armie of Ferdinand were all minded to ioyne also with the Emperours armie and so with all their forces to invade Saxonie The nobilitie in the Countrey thinking it was dangerous to their libertie to bring so many Spaniarde and Italians into their Countrie sent word to Maurice and August that they
corrections This booke also was impugned both by Protestants and Papists Of the Protestants Caspar Aquila a preacher in Turingia impugned it as a booke replenished with false doctrine and on the other side Robertus Abrincensis Episcopus impugned it for giuing libertie to Priests to marrie and permitting the people to haue the Sacrament vnder both formes While this great stirre and trouble was in Germanie in England by the authoritie of a Parliament the vse of the Masse was altogether forbidden and a booke made of an vniforme order of common prayers and administration of the Sacraments in the English tongue Edmond Boner Bishop of London and Stephen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester for obstinate defending of the Roman doctrine were depriued of their Bishoprickes and cast in prison where they continued all the time of king Edwards raigne But to returne againe to the troubles of Germanie of all the Cities of the Protestants there was none that more constantly beared out the Emperours indignation as the Citie of Magdeburg For neither would they acknowledge the councell of Trident neither yet the Emperours booke of Interim but fortified their towne against Maurice Duke of Saxonie whom the Emperour made Captaine in that warre vntill at last an agreement was made vpon easie conditions When Maurice with his garrison entered into their Citie hee grieuously blamed their Preachers that both in their bookes and pictures they had done much to his reproach but yet he exhorted them to pray for the good successe of the Emperour and the generall councell of Trident. To whom they answered that they could not pray any otherwise for that Councell that was assembled to oppresse the truth but that God would soone disturbe it and breake it vp The end of the warre against the Citie of Magdeburg was the beginning of great warre and dangerous trouble against the Emperour For Maurice Duke of Saxonie perceiuing the Emp. would not stand to his promise consulteth with forraine Princes how hee might by force deliuer his wifes father the Lantgraue and when hee found that all things were in readinesse hee begun to muster his souldiers shortly after set forth a Proclamation to the states of the Empire in the which first hee lamenteth the discord of Religion secondly he rehearseth grieuouslie the imprisonment of the Lantgraue his wifes father signifying that hee was so kept against all truth and honour to the report of all Germanie Lastly he bewaileth the pittifull estate of all Germanie and oppression of their libertie protesting that the cause of this warre was to restore the old dignitie and freedome Albert Marques of Brandenburge maketh also his Proclamation and after a long rehearsall of the miseries of Germanie referreth the cause of all to the Churchmen and therefore signifieth this warre to bee chiefely against them William the Lantgraues sonne ioyned his power with Duke Maurice at Shuinforde The king of Fraunce also ioyned in this warre and led an armie vnto Germanie As they went forward they caused the Cities to submit themselues commaunded them to pay great summes of money and displaced such as the Emperour had set in authoritie and restored their old Senatours willing them to vse their priuiledges and liberties that the Emperour before had forbidden The report of this warre and the good successe of Maurice namely after the citie of Ausbrough was by him taken made the councell of Trident to breake vp and dissolue The Emperour on the other part set at libertie Fredericke the olde Duke of Saxonie as it were to signifie to Maurice that hee should claime againe the Dukedome of Saxonie and Electorship that he enioyed and thereby to put him in more feare Albert Marques of Brandenburge in this warre shewed great extremitie to diuers cities and noble personages against the mind of Maurice and the other confederates The King of Fraunce led forward his armie to Strawsburge and hearing that communication of peace was betwixt Maurice and the Emperour and that they were in good hope to haue their Princes deliuered hee to gratifie them was content to returne to Fraunce but was much displeased that Duke Maurice would enter in communication of peace without his knowledge In the end agreement passed betweene the Emperour and Duke Maurice vpon these conditions That the Lantgraue should be set at libertie That their Religion should be quiet vntill a certaine order were taken for the same in the next assemblie of of the Empire That Maurice and the Princes confederats should suffer their souldiers to serue king Ferdinand in Hungarie That the Protestants should bee admitted Iudges in the Chamber-court with diuerse such other like conditions The end of this warre was also the beginning of another cruell warre betwixt Duke Maurice and the Marquis of Brandenburg which fell out vpon this occasion The Marquis being reconciled to the Emperour and in great favour with him did many iniuries in Germany not onely to the Bishops whom hee ever deadly hated but also to diverse Princes and Cities yea and that vnder the name of religion Duke Maurice with certaine other went against him and met at the river of Visurg where Albert was overcome But Duke Maurice was so stricken with a gun that hee died within two dayes after Before this in Germanie were seene drops of blood vpon the trees and certaine other strange sights In England about this time fell out a great alteration in religion through the death of King Edward of whom the world was not worthy Lady Mary his sister succeeding to the kingdome Shee ioyned her selfe in mariage with Philip sonne to Charles the Emperour and restored not onely the Popes supremacie dissallowed by her father King Henrie the eight but also the masse and all superstitions of the Romane Church abrogated in the dayes of King Edward her brother Also shee caused the Realme of England in the high Court of Parliament to confesse their defection from the Catholike Church and to craue absolution having there in readinesse Cardinall Poole the Popes Ambassadour to absolue them What excessiue cruelty was vsed in her time no tongue can expresse The very name of Dioclâ—sian begunne to bee lesse abhorred when the name of Queene Mary came forth Her cruelty beginning at Iohn Hooper Bishop of Glocester Iohn Bradford Laurence Saunders Rowland Taylor Iohn Rogers Preachers proceeded shortly after to Ferrar Bishop of Saint Davids whose constant death amazed the people and confirmed their mindes in the true doctrine that they had learned of him This persecution raged in all parts of the Land but specially in Kent Essex and Norhfolke Some of those parts were chiefe maintainers of her authoritie and against the mind of the Nobilitie and Councell set forward her right to the Kingdome but this reward they receiued in the end at her hands The cruell martyrdome of Cranmer Bishop of Canterbury Ridley Bishop of London Latymer Bishop of Worcester Doctor Philpot and many others with the
skirmishes there were killed a thousand of their enemies and scarce fortie persons of their owne Triniteus the Captain by the counsell of Truchetus an expert Warriour thought meet to besiege the Castles of Convallenses but God fought against them in all their enterprises and the Convallenses came vpon them suddenly as they were besieging a certaine Castle and slew a great number and Truchetus himselfe was first sore wounded with stones afterward was slaine with his owne sword by a poore Shepheard that was keeping cattell in the fields In the end when Triniteus was out of all hope to subdue the Angronians and their complices he advertised the Duke of Sauoy how all matters went and peace was granted to the Convallenses with libertie to vse their owne Religion providing they should render all due seruice and obedience to the Duke of Savoy their Soveraigne Lord and Master To returne againe to France After the disputation at Rossie the number of the Protestants daily increased and rumours of sedition vprores were in the mouths of all the people The Queene mother willing to prouide timely remedie for repressing of ciuill and intestine warre assembled the estates of the land at S. Germane where the edict of Ianuarie was made bearing that the professours of the reformed Religion might assemble themselues together to heare Preaching of the Word provided those assemblies were kept without the towns without armour This edict was published throughout all the land and sore grieued the hearts of the adversaries namely the Duke of Guise the Constable Mommeraunce and the Marescall Santandreus who consulted together how they might haue this act vndone againe but no way could be found out to bring this matter to passe except first the King and Queene mother were in their hands to the end that the force of the Lawes which they feared might be turned against their enemies when as they had the Law-makers in their owne hands This was also thought to be an high attempt and dangerous to be enterprised so long as the King of Navarre was their enemie and a fauourer of the reformed Religion for this cause all meanes were sought out to divert the affection of the King of Navarre from his foresaid Religion The Cardinall Ferrar being the Popes Ambassadour in France put him in hope that by the Popes trauailes with Philip King of Spaine the kingdome of Navarre should be restored to him againe if he would turne to the Catholique Religion Thus was the heart of the King of Navarre stolen away from his Religion to the great encouragement of the Duke of Guise and his complices who without further delay put hand to worke The first fruits of his martiall deeds after he raised his armie was the cruell Massacre of poore vnarmed people assembled to heare the Word of God at Vassiace a towne in the borders of Champaigne and neere vnto his dominion Those poore people to the number of a thousand and fiue hundreth being occupied as is said vpon the Sabbath day the Duke of Guise came vpon them suddenly and compassed the Church wherein they were with armed souldiers that none might escape also the Duke himselfe stood in the entry with a drawne sword in his hand and sent in his souldiers who most cruelly without compassion of sex or age martyred the poore members of Christ for hearing of his Word After this the Duke of Guise addressed himselfe toward Paris where he was receiued with ioyfull acclamations of the people and from thence he marched forward to Fonteblew where the King was and seased himselfe of the King and the Queene mother and for greater securitie transported them both to Paris On the other part the Prince of Condie went to Orleance to whom resorted a great number of the Nobles of France namely the admirall Castilion Andelot Princeps Porcianus Rupsfocald with many others who all bound themselues together to set the King and the Queene mother at libertie from captivitie wherein they were deteined by the Guisians as also to defend the true professours of the Gospell of Christ that according to the act of Ianuarie they might without molestation assemble themselues to heare the Word of God The Prince of Condie was chosen to be their Chieftaine to whom the Queene mother sent many secret Letters declaring that she was deteined by the Guisians against her heart And if the Prince of Condie could set the young King and her selfe at libertie shee would neuer be vnmindfull of so great a benefit Thus in the beginning of the Warres the Queene mother fauoured the Prince of Condie and stirred him vp with many Letters and secret advertisements to procure her and her sonnes libertie for greater euidence whereof the Letters themselues are inserted in the French Historie Many great townes in France were taken and fortified by the Protestants as namely Orleance Lion Valence Granoble Roane Bourgos Towers Poictiers Montpellier and Nimes Many of those townes were recouered againe by the Guisians namely Bourges and Roane At the siege of Roane the Prince of Navarre was slaine and receiued a iust reward of his inconstancie and leuitie And Augustinus Marlorart a faithfull seruant of Christ and Preacher of the Gospell was taken by the Guisians and afterward hanged Many great cruelties were designed against those of the Religion in this first Warre namely in Tullus Aurange Burges Roan Sens and diverse other places In Montargis belonging to the Ladie Rence daughter to Lewis the twelfth Dutches Dowager of Ferrar fell out a very remarkeable matter This Ladie was a retrait to diuers families of the Religion notwithstanding the threatnings of the Duke of Guise sonne in law to the said Ladie who sent thither one Malig corne a new Knight of the order to sease vpon the Towne and Castle who begun to threaten the Ladie with Canon shot to batter her Castle wherin were diuers of the Religion But the Princesse answered him that there was not any man in the realme except the King alone that had power to command her And if he would proceed to such boldnesse as to batter her Castle with Canon shot shee would first stand in the breach her selfe to try if he durst be so bold as to kill the daughter of a King Those words caused Malicorne like a Snaile to pull in his hornes and presently to depart Afeer this the Prince of Condie perceiuing that great preparation was made against him and the Queene mothers affection was turned away to the Guisians thought meete to send for ayde to the Queene of England and the Prince of Condie willing to ioyne himselfe with the English armie marched forward to Normandie but the Duke of Guise followed after him with so great celeritie that the Prince of Condie was compelled to ioyne Battell with the Guisians at Dreux in Normandie before he was supported of the English armie This battell was fought with vncertaine victory for on the one part
the Prince of Condie was taken by the Guisians and on the other part the Constable was taken by the Protestants and the Marescall Sanctandreus was slaine The Duke of Guise after this battell renewed his Forces and besieged the Towne of Orleance where he was slaine by a Souldier called Portrot This slaughter was the ground of a new Peace for after the death of the Duke of Guise a new edict was made the thirteenth day of March Anno 1563. although not so ample as the edict of Ianuarie Yet by it some libertie was granted to the Protestants to enioy their owne Religion without disturbance of any This was the end of the first ciuill warre in France for Religion Maximilianus the second AFter the death of Ferdinand Maximilian his sonne King of Hungarie was made Emperour gouerned twelue yeares he gaue his two daughters in marriage vnto two puissant Princes to wit to Charles the ninth King of France he gaue Elizabeth and to Philip King of Spaine he gaue his eldest daughter Anna. Great troubles for Religion fell out in his time namely in the Low countries and in France In the low countries the number of them that professed the Gospell increased marueilously and on the other part the rage of the Popish Prelats causing the Spanish Inquisition to be severely executed wrought great feare in the hearts of the professours of the Gospell Also Duke de Albe was sent with a great Armie vnto the low Countries vtterly to extirpate and roote out the Gospell who behaued himselfe most outragiously against the Nobilitie and Townes of the low Countries in beheading Count Egmount and count Horne and permitting his souldiers to vse all kinde of villanie against honest matrons and the daughters of honest Citizens and oftentimes compelled the husbands themselues to stand beside and be eye witnesses of the vilde abusing of their owne wiues Also with so great severity he executed the Spanish Inquisitiō against the professours of the Gospell that the people were compelled to take armes vnder the conduct of William Nassaw Prince of Orange and Lodouicus his brother to defend their liues the libertie of their Countrie and of their Consciences against the barbarous tyrannie of this Duke and his armie In this Warre although the Prince of Orange was oftentimes defeated and his brother slaine yet the Countrey so abhorred the crueltie of Duke de Albe that the most part of Zeland and Holland was conquered by the Princes armie and was free from the tyrannie of the Spaniards In France the professours of the Gospell could not enioy the benefit of the Edict of pacification made in March Anno 1563. except in a few parts where the authoritie of some noble persons fauouring the Gospell procured obedience to the foresaid Edict as namely the presence of Condie in Picardie Andelot in Britannie and the Queene of Navarre in Gascoigne In other parts of the country little regard was had to the Edict The Cardinall of Loraine also a capitall enemie to the Gospell had consulted with the fathers of the Councell of Trent by what way the Gospell might be suppressed in France and it was thought meetest that a couenant should be made amongst them that fauoured the Catholique Religion which they called the holy league to extirpate and roote out them that professed the new Religion for so they named it and the two puissant Kings of Spaine and France in speciall should bee intreated to be of this league and mutually to helpe one another to roote out the Gospellers Now when King Charles the 9. was 14. yeares old and declared to be Maior it was thought meete that he should make a progresse through the bounds of his Dominions pretending that it was expedient that the King should know the estate of his Country and that he should heare the complaints of his people but the cause indeed of this progresse was that the King of France might meete with the King of Spain in Bayon for binding vp of the league aforesaid In this progresse was discharged all Preaching and exercising of the reformed Religion in the Townes of France wherein it should happen the King to be during the time of his progresse Also many new interpretations of the edict of March were invented and found out whereby the libertie granted to the Protestants was vtterly infringed and impunitie granted to them that should doe them wrong In the end the King came to Bayon where he met with his sister Elizabeth wife to Philip King of Spaine who after she had declared certaine causes why her husband could not be present himselfe bound vp in name of her husband a couenant with Charles King of Spaine mutually to helpe one another in rooting out the professours of the reformed Religion The report of this league was not kept so secret but it came to the eares of the Prince of Condie and the rest of the nobilitie of France that professed the Gospell who all thought meete that the Prince of Condie should in proper person addresse himselfe to the King being for the time at Moncellium and should exhibite to the King the supplication of the Protestants in France pittifully complaining that contrarie to the edict of March they were iniuried and cruelly slaine desiring redresse of the aforesaid iniuries and that they might haue libertie to enioy their Religion according to the act of pacification aboue mentioned But the King hearing of the Prince of Condies comming to him and namely because he was well accompanied with foure hundred men all in armes fearing the malignitie and obstinate malice of his adversaries left they should hinder his iourney or doe wrong to himselfe The King I say hearing tell of the Princes comming made hast to depart and with all expedition to Paris in great feare and caused the Parisians to giue thankes to God as though he had beene deliuered from a great perill and imminent danger After this without further delay the second warre for Religion in France broke vp The Prince of Condie approached with an armie to Paris and so beset it about in all quarters that this populous Towne soone began to be grieued for want of foode and issued out of the Towne vnder the Conduct of the Constable and came by S. Denis where the Prince of Condies armie lay In this Battell the Admirall set vpon the Parisian souldiers and disturbed their rankes and put them to flight The Constables troope also was greatly perturbed by their flying and the Constable himselfe refusing to be taken by M. Stewart was shot by a Scottish Souldier whereof hee soone after died The Constables sonnes Anveil and Momerance being carefull for their Father succoured him and the battell was renewed againe and cruelly fought vntill night compelled them to make an end The morrow after the Prince of Condie came with his Forces againe to the place where the battell was fought but none of the Parisians came forth to
and that he would giue him what part of his Realme hee would aske to let him liue in peace This their enterprise succeeding so well farre aboue their owne expectation mooved them to set forward and to desire of the King that hee would make and sweare an irrevocable edict of extirpation of Heretikes To take by force the townes holden by those of the new religion To renounce the protection of Geneva to authorize their warres to reconcile them vnto him to bee of their league and of a King to become a participant Wherevpon followed an edict prohibiting the exercise of the new religion and revoking all other edicts that favoured it commanding all the Ministers out of the Land and all subiects in France within six moneths after to make profession of the Catholike religion or to depart out of the Realme Dispersing also the tripertite chambers of Parliaments likewise ordayning that the townes given in hostage to those of the religion should be yeelded vp and approving the warre which the Leaguers had begun acknowledging it to be done for his service And not content with this they asked of the King for their further surety the townes of Chalon Thoul Verdium Saint Desier Rhems Soissons the Castle of Dyon the towne and castle of Beaume Rue in Picardie Dinan and Conque in Brittaine to be delivered vnto them The King of Navarre all this while kept himselfe quiet being solicited by the King so to doe But when hee saw the King had rendered himselfe to the appetite of the Leaguers hee set forth a declaration of the cause why the Leaguers had taken armes of the vanity of their pretences and of the fruits which the Estates in France might reape by the conclusions of Peronne Nemours and Nauty for in those places the Leaguers had bound vp their league with protestation that with him the Prince of Condie his cousen the Duke de Mommerencie with Lords Gentlemen Provinces and Townes both of the one religion and of the other so many as would concurre with him should oppose themselues to the authors of these troubles In the meane time while the King of Navarre is so busied with the King and the Leaguers who were now as it were incorporate in one bodie the third assault commeth on and Pope Sixtus the fift with his thunderbolts of excommunication setteth vpon him declaring him to be vncapable of the crowne of France abandoning his person and his countrey for a prey to such as should obtaine them At the same time also the Electors of Germany who in all the former warres had beene so helpfull to the Protestants of France was not vnmindfull of them at so strait a pinch but sent Ambassadours to the King desiring him to heare the requests of his neighbours and to pity the case of his poore subiects and not to keepe backe the edict of peace that hee had lately graunted vnto them The King answered that hee thought strange that forrain Princes should meddle with his affaires and that he would doe nothing against the honour of his conscience nor the fatherly care he had vnto his people With this answer the Ambassadours returned not well pleased The Duke of Guise being advertised of the dislike the Ambassadours of Germany had touching their answere counselled the King to set vpon the Protestants before the Rutters entred into France so that in lesse then eighteene moneths the King of Navarre saw himselfe assayled by fiue Camps royall vnder fiue severall Generals Neverthelesse very few exploites worthy of remembrance were done by those armies vntill the army of the Germanes entred into France vnder the conduct of the Baron of Othna a man of greater courage then experience The Duke of Bulloigne in the name of the King of Navarre ioyned with the Baron of Othna to leade this great army wherein were moe then thirty thousand Switzers Rutters and French-men They marched from Loraine to Cheaumont in Bassigny and passed the river of Marne also they crossed l' Anbe at Montigny and Seine aboue Casklion and Cure aboue Vermentone and Yome hard by Crenaunt and so made haste towards the river of Loire There began the complaints of the Switzers and the mutinies of the Rutters because the King of Navarre came not to them and the King of France was at the side of the river Loire either to fight with them or to stay their passage At this time the King vsed a stratagem which was the cause of his victory and of the dissipation of the army of strangers For hee considered that the onely meanes to breake their army was to impeach their ioyning with the King of Navarre Therefore he commanded the Duke Ioyense to keepe the King of Navarre in Poictou and rather to hazard battell then suffer him to passe the river of Loire as hee determined at the head thereof to the which end the Duke de Ioyense that had an army fortified both with men munition artillery and meanes marched to Coutras to passe la Drogne at Que and vpon tuesday the twentith of October Anno 1587. he stayd with all his forces betweene la Rotch Chalais and Coutras The King of Navarre made toward him fully resolved to fight and about eight of the clocke in the morning the King of Navarres artillery began to play and that of Duke de Ioyense to answer them but not very fortunately for that either the ignorance or malice of the Canoners had placed it so low that the mouth of the canon shot right vpon a little hill of earth wherein the bullets stayed without piercing any further The battell was so soone decided that in ten houres this great army of the Kings that had the vantage both for place and number began to retyre and was sooner broken then fought withall The King of Navarre the Prince of Condie and the Earle of Soissons behaved themselues most valiantly executing the offices both of Captaines and souldiers and gaue thankes to God in open field In this battell Duke de Ioyense and Monsieur de S. Sauueur his brother were slaine and fiue and twenty other Gentlemen of name all their cornets were taken with their artillery and baggage and fourteene Gentlemen of account were taken and put to ransome That done the King of Navarre being eased of so many nets that were set vp to catch him marched forward to ioyne with the forraine army and to passe the river Loire The King on the other part to impeach the meeting of the two armies of his adversaries caused the ditches betweene Povilly and Dony to bâ—e broken vppe filling them with thousands of trees stones and chaines to entangle the feet of the Rutters horse that should passe and in truth the letting of that passage was next to the helpe of God the second cause the King had of the victory For the Rutters being disappointed of their passage were compelled to recoile and having failed of their enterprise at la
father Ludouicus Pius Hee augmented the liturgie of the Masse with the addition of Agnus Dei and ordained that the Hostia should be diuided in three parts To Sergius the second succeeded Leo the fourth and ruled 8. yeares 3. months He was a man of many trades a builder a warriour and a Bishop He compassed the Vatican with a wall and made it in the similitude of a Towne and builded bull-warkes in the passages of Tyber as it issued from the towne He was a warriour fought against the Saracenes against whom also he preuailed And finally at some time he was a Bishop and he gathered a Councell of 47. Bishops in the which Athanasius a Cardinall Presbyter was damned for negligence in the worke of his calling This is the first time in the which mention is made of a Cardinall in the Historie for the Decretall Epistles as I haue alreadie declared are but fabulous lying writings In this Popes dayes Edelwulphus King of England came to Rome for performance of a vowe that hee had made He was courteously accepted by Pope Leo for which cause hee ordained a tribute yeerely to be paide to the bishop of Rome to wit a pennie Sterling out of euery house in England that kindled fire It is well remarked by Philip Morney that Leo the fourth in a certaine Epistle written to the Bishops of Britannie derogateth credit to all the Decretall Epistles assigned to the bishops of Rome preceding the dayes of Pope Siricius except onely to the Decretall Epistles of Pope Syluester So all the authorities that are alleadged by the Romane Church out of the Decretall Epistles for the space of 384 yeeres are of none effect by the confession of Pope Leo the fourth After Leo the fourth succeeded Pope Ioane the eight an English woman borne in the towne of Mentz She went to Athens cloathed with the apparell of a man accompanied with a Learned man and she profited in learning beyond her fellowes When shee came to Rome shee was regarded for her learning and was promoted to the dignitie of the Popedome and ruled two yeeres fiue months and foure dayes About the yeere of our Lord 854 being Pope she played the Harlot and by the prouidence of God this villanie of the Roman church which cannot erre was manifested to the whole world For in the time of a solemne Procession as she was going to the church of Laterā she trauelled in birth died and was buried without honour Onuphrius the Aduocate of all euill causes cannot ouer-passe this matter with silence but he bringeth an argument from the authority of Anastatius a writer of Chronologie to infringe the credit of this historie in this manner Anastatius saith hee liued about this time knew best who succeeded to Leo the fourth he maketh no mētion of Ioane the eight but of Benedictus the third as successor of Leo the fourth To this Philip Morney answereth That an argument taken from authoritie negatiuely hath no force Anastatius maketh no mention thereof ergo it was not done It followeth not for he bringeth in the testimonie of Ranulphus declaring the cause wherefore Anastatius omitted the name of the foeminine Pope to wit Propter deformitatem facti that is For the deformitie of the fact The nature of a short Compend permitteth me not to insist but let them who are desirous accurately to trie out the veritie of this matter reade that worthie Booke of Philip Morney called Misterium iniquitatis Then followed Benedictus the third and ruled two yeeres six months and nine dayes A man in honouring the Funeralles of the Clergie with his presence ready at all times and desirous likewise that the Funerall of the Bishop should bee honoured with the presence of the whole Clergie To Benedict the third succeeded Nicolas the first and gouerned seuen yeeres nine months and thirteene dayes He subdued the Bishop of Rauenna to his obediēce He suffered the Emperour Ludouicke the second to light from his horse to leade his bridle vntil he came to the Campo which was the space of a mile He permitted diuorcement betwixt married persons for Religions cause without consent of parties And that persons in spirituall offices should not be subject to the justice seates of ciuill Magistrates Hee ordained also that no man should receiue the holy Sacrament from a married Priest And that the Emperour should not be present at Ecclesiasticall Conuentions except when questions concerning Faith should bee intreated Likewise hee ordained That the seruice of God in all countries should be celebrated in Latine dispensing in the meane time with the Solauonians and the Polonians to haue the seruice of God in their owne Vulgar Language He added vnto the Liturgie of the Masse Gloria in Excelsis Hadrianus the second succeeded to Nicolas the first and ruled 5. yeeres nine months and twelue dayes He vsed Antichristian authoritie not onely against Hincmarus Bishop of Rhemes but also against Carolus Caluus king of France whom hee commanded imperiously to present one Hincmarus Bishop of Laudunum and nephewe to Hincmarus Bishop of Rhemes to the ende that his cause might bee judged by the Apostolike seate The King tooke these letters in a very euill part and writ vnto the Pope That the Kings of France had euer beene Soueraigne Lordes in their owne countrie and not vice-gerentes vassales to Bishops and That hee would not permit any man who had beene damned in a lawfull Councell in his owne country to wit in the Councell of Acciniacum to make appellation to Rome In this Popes time the eight generall councell was assembled whereof I shal speake in its owne time God willing Ioannes the ninth succeeded to Adrianus the second and gouerned ten yeeres and two dayes This is he who for rewardes crowned Carolus Caluus to be Emperour and was cast into prison because hee was more affectionated to Ludouicus Balbus sonne to Carolus Caluus and king of France than to Carolus Crassus king of Germanie Neuerthelesse hee escaped out of prison and fled to Ludouicke king of France whom also hee crowned to be Emperour But Balbus after his coronation incontinent died and Pope Iohn the ninth must seeke new acquaintance because his olde friends were gone therfore he crowned Carolus Crassus to bee Emperour This was the first Pope who in time of his Popedome crowned three Emperours Martinus the second ruled one yeere and fiue months Hadrianus the third succeeded to Martinus the time of his gouernment was also short for he continued not aboue one yeere and two months yet neuerthelesse men who are busie may make much stirre in short time He perfected that worke which his predecessours had beene busied in bringing to passe many yeeres preceding namely That the Clergie and people of Rome should not attend vpon the allowance of the Emperour but they should freely choose whom they thought meetest to bee Pope Hee tooke
the Bishop of Rome Likewise in the cause of Rhotardus Bishop of Soission whom Hincmarus deposed and removed from his office Nicolaus the first Bishop of Rome absolved him Hadrian 2. gaue him commandement to excommunicate C. Calvus King of France his soveraigne Lord but he refused to performe such an vnlawfull commandement and writ vnto the Pope to be circumspect and not precipitate rashly his sentences of excommunication The question whereunto Hadrian 2. was so serious was about division of lands betwixt C. Calvus and his brother Lotharius C. Calvus denyed that he did vniustly invade any of his brothers lands but lands duely belonging to himselfe by paction and covenant And the Nobles of the country said that it was a strange and an vnaccustomed thing that the Pope would take vpon him to be iudge in a controversie concerning the Titles and Rights of kingdomes because he could not be both a Bishop and a King CENTVRIE X. Popes of Rome TO Thedoricus succeeded Pope Iohn the tenth hee abrogated all the decrees of Pope Stephanus the sixt and allowed the decrees of Formosus whereupon great tumult and vprore arose in Rome For this cause the Pope fled to Ravenna and gathered a Councell of 74. Bishops also Carolus Simplex King of France was present at this councell There hee ratified the decrees of Formosus and damned the decrees of Stephanus Here let vs marke that the Bishops of Rome doe both mocke God and the world in saying that their Councels are guided by the holy Spirit and cannot erre in the meane time one of their Councels damning another and being altogether opposite one to another After hee had come backe to Rome he concluded his life having ruled two yeeres and fifteene dayes To him succeeded Benedictus the fourth and continued three yeeres and foure moneths After Benedictus ruled Leo the fift and continued not in his Popedome aboue forty dayes for he was cast into prison and bonds by Christophorus his owne domestique servant Christophorus by vnlawfull meanes attained to the Popedom and lost it againe vnworthily in the seventh moneth of his government for hee was thrust into a Monastery as the only refuge of all disasterd people Those monsters saith Platina God permitted them not long to liue After Christophorus Sergius the third ruled seven yeeres foure moneths and fifteene dayes Hee raised againe the body of Formosus out of the graue wherein hee had lien buried eight yeeres and beheaded it as if it had beene aliue and cast it into the river Tyber accounting it vnworthy of a buriall place Platina doth marke that Formosus had been his competitor and hindered Sergius from attaining to the Popedome they who are so overtaken with ambition and hatefull malice that they cannot moderate their owne affections how shall they governe and rule the vniversall Church of God Beside this barbarous cruelty he was a vile whoremonger and begate Iohn the twelfth who afterward was made Pope with Marozia the wife of Guido a famous harlot After him Anastatius the third ruled two yeers of whom nothing worthy of memory is written except this that he was not so malicious in damning the memorials of other men as his predecessors had beene Landus succeeded to Anastatius and ruled sixe moneths and 21. dayes To Landus succeeded Iohn the eleventh and ruled thirteene yeares two moneths and three dayes Hee was more martiall in exployts of warfare then religious and expert in knowledge of heavenly things For hee fought against the Saracens who had been brought into Italy by the Grecians and discomfited them But when hee returned againe to Rome hee incurred the hatred of Albericus Marquis of Hetruria who had fought with him against the Saracens and could not abide the pride of a presumptuous Bishop who in his triumph ascribed the whole praise of the victory to himselfe onely This variance was the occasion of great trouble in Italy for Albericus allured the Hungarians to enter into Italy who did greater damage to the Countrey then the Saracens had done before On the other part the Italians who could not avenge themselues by rendering like evill to the Hungarians they poured out their wrath vpon Albericus and killed him The Pope also by the souldiers of Guido was cast in prison and strangled by stopping a pillow in his throat The villany betweene him and Theodora a notable harlot I haue overpassed with silence fearing to be prolixe Leo the sixt followed and continued seven moneths and fifteene dayes After Leo followed Stephanus the seventh and ruled two yeeres one moneth and twelue dayes The two preceding Popes are supposed by Italian heights to be made out of the way by Marozia a notable harlot to the end that her sonne Iohn the twelfth whom shee had borne to Pope Sergius the third might bee promoted to the Popedome who ruled foure yeeres ten moneths and fifteene dayes Marozia was an incestuous harlot who like vnto Herodias was not ashamed to marrie two brethren namely Guido and Hugo according as the verse made thereof witnesseth Nubere Germanis satagens Herodia binis Herein appeareth the terrour of the wrath of God punishing the vngodlinesse of the Romane people they were guided by the Popedome and the Popedome was guided by notable harlots After him succeeded Leo the seventh and ruled three yeeres six moneths and ten dayes Stephanus the eight was a Germane and ruled three yeers foure moneths and ten dayes Hee was mightily troubled with the seditions of the people of Rome and was so miserably wounded that hee was ashamed to come forth vnto publique places to be seene Martinus the third succeeded to Stephanus the eight and governed three yeeres six moneths and ten dayes Platina calleth him a devout man and altogether bent to religion because he repaired old Churches that were tending to ruine and decay the substance of religion being lost the care of the fabricke of the Church and such other externall things was counted the onely devotion Agapetus the second successor to Martinus continued in his Popedome nine yeeres seven moneths and ten dayes In his time Berengarius King of Italy and his sonne Albertus tyrrannously abused the countrey not sparing those of the Clergie So that Agapetus was compelled to send messengers to Otto the first whose fame was spread abroad in all Nations and Otto without delay addressed himselfe to Italy and suppressed the insolencie of Berengarius and his sonne Albertus as hath beene already declared in the historie of the life of Otto the first To Agapetus succeeded Iohn the thirteenth and governed nine yeeres three moneths and fiue dayes A man from his very youth replenished with all kinde of abhominable vices a libidinous beast a monstrous varlet of whom I haue made so frequent mention already and the head of Councels will cast vp the filthinesse of his infamous name of new againe so that for the present I write the lesse He
sixt a man of Holland and Schoolemaster to Charles the fift Emperour He endevoured to correct some abuses of the Church of Rome in maners but not the abuses and errours of Doctrine for hee also sent his Ambassadour Cheregatus to Germanie with menacing letters to the Duke of Saxonie because hee maintained Martin Luther But his time was short for hee died before hee had ruled two yeeres in his Popedome To him succeeded Clemens the seuenth and ruled ten yeeres ten months and seuen daies Hee was a man verie inconstant in his friendship to the Emperour Charles the fift but secretlie boūd vp friendship with the king of France but this deceitfull doing redounded to the Popes great hurt For Charles Duke of Burboune chiefe Captaine to the armie which the Emperour had in Italie besieged the towne of Rome and tooke it and albeit the Duke himselfe was slaine yet the rest of the armie invaded the Towne slew great numbers of men defloured women spoyled houses and temples and besieged the Pope himselfe and his Cardinalls seuen months till at length the Pope was free from his Captiuitie by commaund of the Emperour About this same time of the Popes besieging Charles the Emperour was banqueting and reioycing for the Natiuitie of his sonne Philip but hee stayed all banqueting playing and reioycing when the tidings of the Popes besieging was carried vnto him and commaunded to set him at libertie Manie great sinnes are imputed to him by writers and amongst others that hee destroyed the liues of manie by poyson and that in end hee receiued the same recompence himselfe After him followed Paulus the third who ruled fifteene yeeres and twentie nine dayes It grieued him to see the Gospell take so deepe roote and to be ouerspred in many nations and namelie in England by king Henry the eight who abrogated the authoritie of the Bishop of Rome in England called himselfe supreme governour ouer Christ in all Ecclesiasticall causes within the bounds of his owne countrie The Pope being destitute of all other revenging weapons drew forth the old accustomed weapon of the chaire of Rome against Princes and cursed king Henry the eight This Pope ratified the order of the Iesuites and appointed a generall Councell to bee kept in Trent a Towne of Italie bordering neere to Germanie This Councell beganne to be kept in Trent in the yeere 1546. but hereafter was transferred to Bononia as shall be declared God willing The Protestants of Germanie were desired both by the Emperour and the Pope to bee present at the Councell but they would not acknowledge it to be a lawfull generall Councell wherein the Pope or his deputie did sit as a iudge who was indeede partie and whom they were to accuse of false and erroneous doctrine of abusing of the Church of God and vsurping the honour which was onely due to Christ before this Councell ended hee concluded his dayes Iulius the third succeeded in his place who ruled three yeeres one month and sixteene dayes Hee reduced the generall Councell of Bononia backe againe to Trent where it began but the sudden report of the armie of Maurice Duke of Saxonie who tooke armes against the Emperour Charles for detaining the Lantgraue of Hesse his father in law in prison dissolued the Councell againe for a time because they feared lest the Dukes armie should haue come to Trent and set vpon them In this time the Church of England returned backe againe to the Popes obedience in the raigne of Queene Marie and the Pope sent Cardinall Poole to England to absolue that countrie from that curse and interditment which was layed vpon it in the dayes of Paulus tertius After him succeeded Marcellus the second and ruled twentie two dayes After him followed Paulus the fourth and ruled foure yeeres two months and twentie foure dayes Hee was verie contentious and hated the Emperour Charles and brought into Italie 1000. footmen and 2000. horsemen of the french nation vnder the conduct of the Duke of Guise Also hee brought into Italie an armie of Swizers Notwithstanding the Emperour had sent to Italie the Duke de Albe who had taken a great number of townes belonging to the Pope before the Duke of Guise entred into Italie And in the ende the Pope was well content to accept conditions of peace and to receiue backe againe the townes which hee had lost in the warre In his time the Emperour resigned the Emperiall crowne to his Brother Ferdinand entered into a Monasterie where hee concluded his daies but the Pope neither approued nor ratified this election of Ferdinand and Ferdinand on the other part made light account of the Coronation which his Predecessours had receiued from the Pope and was obeyed in Germanie although he wanted the Popes blessing and coronation After him ruled Pius the fourth who continued fiue yeeres two months and fifteene dayes In his time the councell of Trent which was begun in the dayes of Paul the third was finished He sent an Ambassadour to England to invite the learned men of that countrie to the Councell but Queene Elizabeth would not permit the Popes Ambassadour to enter into her Realme Likewise hee sent Ambassadours to the Dukes of Germanie professing the reformed Religion They entertained the Ambassadours honorablie but sent them backe with this answere that they marueled how the Pope could send an Ambassadour to them who acknowledged not his authoritie in such matters From the first meeting of this Councell to the dissolution thereof intervened the space of eighteene yeeres but the time of meeting consultation and sitting of the fathers of that Councell was onely the space of fiue yeeres namely vnder Paulus the third two yeeres vnder Iulius the third one yeere and vnder Pius the fourth two yeeres In this Popes time the reformation of religion in Scotland began images were broken and burnt altars cast downe Monasteries dimolished and the masse abolished The noble men who were the principall authors of this reformation were assisted by Elizabeth Queene of England and defended from the intended persecution of the Frenchmen This Pope made a bloodie massacre in a Towne of Italie called Montalto against a number of Christian people secretlie met together for hearing of the word of God so that one after another were drawne out of the house where they met and their throates cut with a knife in the hand of a bloodie executioner In this massacre were martyred 80. persons and not one of all the number for the feare of death did forsake the true fayth of Christ. In this Popes time was the Isle of Malta invaded by the Turkes but they were strongly resisted and left the siege of the Isle after they had lost 23000. of their number in that siege The disputation of Poissne and grieuous commotions in France after that disputation began in this Popes time whereof is spoken before After him followed Pius the fift
and ruled seuen yeere In this time the Isle of Ciprus was taken by Mustapha Captain of Selims armie but with so great effusion of blood for it is supposed that 80000. Turkes were slaine in the siege of Nicosia and famogusta two principall townes of the Isle that Mustapha considering the number that were slayn violated his promise made to Bragadinus chiefe captain and defender of the Isle of Cyprus and cruelly martyred that valiant Captaine This calamitie of Cyprus made the Venetians very much bent against the Turke and they banded themselues with Philip King of Spaine and with Pius the fift Bishop of Rome by whose support and assistance a Navie was set forth to the Sea and a notable victorie was atchieued vnder the conduct of Iohn de Austria at Lepanto of which before Gregorius the thirteenth followed and ruled thirteene yeeres one month and three dayes Hee founded a new Colledge for Iesuits in Rome and bestowed great revenues vpon it chiestie for this cause to be a Seminarie of Learned Schollers to convert the countrie of Germanie to the Roman religion againe In this Popes time fell out that horrible murther of Paris in the yeere of our Lord 1572. which was well liked of by the Pope who also sent to Charles the ninth king of France the summe of 40000. Ducates to maintaine and set forward the warre against the Hugonits as they called them In his time Sebastian king of Portugal was slaine in Mauritania beyond the straits Philip king of Spaine who was his neerest kinsman obtained the kingdome after him by strong hand and by driuing out of the land Duke Anthonie whom the people had chosen to be king Gregorie also set forth a new Calendar and corrected the olde Roman Calendar which new alteration bred many contentions speciallie in Germanie To him succeeded Sixtus 5. who in the beginning of his Popedom excōmunicated the king of Nauarre Prince of Condie fearing that which indeede came to passe hereafter to witt that king H. 3. dying without children the kingdome shuld come to the house of Burboune Likewise he intēded a processe of excōmunicatiō against H. the third king of France for slaying of the Cardinal of Lorain his brother the D. of Guise at Bloyes for detaining Captiues the Cardinal of Burbon the Archb. of Lions This proceeding of the Pope encouraged others against the King so that a Iacobin Fryer called Clement came out of the towne of Paris when the king was besieging it killed the King with an impoisoned knife as hath beene declared before Yet after the death of the King when H. the fourth King of Navarre succeeded to the kingdome and besieged the towne of Paris this Pope gaue no subsidue to those of the League that were banded together against the King fearing that if the King prevailed in France he would be a strong adversary to him if he had supported his enemies whether this was the cause as Onuphrius writeth or another that mooved him so to doe yet this matter so displeased Philip King of Spaine and the Leaguers that they were minded to haue made a solemne prorestation against the Pope if he had not prevented their intention by excusing himselfe in the Consistory of his Cardinals Hee was a very vigilant and actiue Pope and vsed often to make mention of that speech of Vespasian That a Prince should die standing on his feet meaning that a Prince should be vigilant and ever doing some part of his calling He died after he had ruled fiue yeeres foure moneths and three dayes and left behinde him fiue millions of gold After him succeeded Vrbanus the seventh and ruled only thirteene dayes for he died before his inauguration To him succeeded Gregorius the fourteenth and ruled nine moneths and ten dayes After him Innocentius the ninth and ruled onely two moneths and one day After him Clemens the eight hee absolved the King of France from the sentence of excōmunication pronounced by Pope Sixtus the fift against him For that the Kings Oratours in his name had renounced and abiureed that doctrine which the King in his young yeeres had so long prosessed and after they had accepted such conditions as it pleased the Pope to impose to the King namely that hee should receiue the Councell of Trent make it be obeyed in all parts of his kingdom also that hee should deliver the young Prince of Condie a childe of nine yeeres old to be brought vp by Bishops or Abbots in the Romane religion and that hee should certifie by his letters all Catholique Princes of the abiuration of his former religion with many other conditions which were all accepted by the Kings Orators and ratified by the King himselfe Of other Doctors IN this age God having compassion of the miserie of his poore sheepe led out of the way by blinde-guides raised vp many faithfull and learned men by whose labours the clowds of grosse ignorance was remooved the vsurped authority of the Bishop of Rome that was counted the mother Church of all others was discovered to be the Synagogue of Satan Amongst whom Martin Luther a German borne in Islebia in the Countie of Mansfelt steppeth forth as it were a couragious Captaine in the forefront of the army whom God drew forth out of the very Cloyster of the Augustinian Monks to be an instrument to reforme his house The bitternesle of Pope Leo the tenth and Pope Adrian the sixt and their Ambassadours who would not suffer the corruption of the Romane Church to be pointed out afarre off in selling of pardons made this man of God more diligent in searching and more couragious in defending the truth of God so that at last the Pope tooke it to heart that his kingdome should fall if Martin Luther were not rooted out yet the Lord raysed vp the Duke of Saxonie to bee his friend by whose favourable assistance the Gospell was deeply rooted in Germany and Martin Luther himself was preserved from the fury of all his enemies till at last he dyed in Islebia the towne of his nativity in the yeere 1546. and in the 17. day of the moneth of February Iohn Calvin was borne in Noyen a towne of Picardie anno 1509. the tenth day of the month Iuly and was a Preacher of Christs Gospell in Geneva three and twenty yeers His learning and painfull travels in writing are knowne by his bookes The blessing accompanying his travels is knowne by the reformation of many Churches in France by his advice and counsell as also of the kingdome of Scotland The power of the grace of God in him is knowne by the malice of adversaries who railed against him in his life-time and after his death as if hee alone and none other had troubled the kingdome of Antichrist and finally his painfull travels in teaching his owne flocke of Geneva is knowne by the disease which he contracted by great fasting
multitude of simple and ignorant Priestes that they thought it to bee the Oracle of God but in their next meeting Falthodus whom others call Ethelredus a learned man of Scotland so evidently by testimonies of Scriptures and Fathers prooved that marriage was a thing lawfull to men in spirituall offices that the answer which came from the Crucifix was counted the answer of the Divell whom Dunstanus served because Christ would speake nothing repugnant to his owne Word VNder the raigne of Nicephorus Phocas Emperor of Constantinople and when Polyeuchus was Patriarch the Emperour assembled a Councell at Constantinople The question disputed in the Councell was this Nicephorus having obtained the dominion of the East tooke to wife Theophania the relict of Romanus his predecessor This matter so displeased the Patriarch Polyeuchus that hee debarred the Emperour Nicephorus from holy things pretending these two causes First because the Emperour had celebrated the second marriage Secondly because Nicephorus had beene witnesse in Baptisme to the children of Theophania This question being discussed in the Councell in presence both of Prelats and Counsellers the Emperours marriage was allowed and the acts alledged by Polyeuchus was counted impious made by Capronimus and that they had no force to hinder the marriage The proud Patriarch when he was overthrowne by reason armed himselfe with obstinacie and stiffe neckednesse vntill Bardas the Emperours father came to him and affirmed by an oath that Nicephorus the Emperour was not witnesse in Baptisme to the children of Theophania Thus were the Patriarches of the East serious in observing the traditions of men but remisse and negligent in observing the ordinances of God And this is a sure testimony that defection from the faith had now prevayled both in the west and East IN the yeere of our Lord 992. in the ninth yeere of the Emperour Otto and in the fourth yeere of Hugo Capeto King of France a Councel was gathered at Rhemes against Arnulphus Bishop of Rhemes His hand-writing was produced wherein hee did binde himselfe to bee obedient to Hugo Capeto King of France and never to come in the contrary vnder paine of infamy and perpetuall malediction Notwithstanding he had countenanced Duke Charles who claimed the right of the kingdome as nearest heire thereto being the brother of Lotharius To Duke Charles Arnulphus had opened the ports of the towne of Rhemes and made him Commander of the citie Great disputation was in the Councell concerning Arnulphus His friends would haue had this cause remitted to the iudgement of the Bishop of Rome But many of the Bishops of France mightily opponed to the contrary The discourse is very prolix but the paines of reading is well recompenced with the fruitfulnesse of the disputation This Councell toke this end Arnulphus confessed his fault denuded himselfe of his Episcopall honour and Gilbertus who had beene instructor of Robert the Kings sonne was placed in his roome Likewise Arnulphus was sent to Orlience to be imprisoned there together with Siguinus Archbishop of Senon because hee consented not freely to the deposition of Arnulphus but thought that this matter was overswayed by the tyranny of Courtiers and vsurpers of the kingdome vnlawfully VVHen the deposition of Arnulphus was reported at Rome Iohn the thirteenth was mooued with great wrath and incontinent excommunicated all those Bishops of France who had consented to the deposition of Arnulphus In so doing Pope Iohn kept the accustomed order of the Romane Church to wit to pronounce a sentence before a lawfull cognition and tryall of the cause Also hee sent an Abbot called Leo furnished with the authority of the Romane chaire to appoint a new Councell at Rhemes Hugo King of France was somewhat terrified with the cursing of the Bishop of Rome and feared to oppose himselfe to so many bishops agreeing in one minde and therefore he suffered the councell to hold forward The conclusion of this Councell was that Arnulphus was restored to his former dignitie And left that either the Emperour Otto or Hugo Capeto should be offended Gilbertus was promoted to be Bishop of Ravenna CENTVRIE XI IN the yeere of our Lord 1026. and vnder the raigne of the Emp. Henry the second a Councell was assembled at Aken by the authority of the Emperour who seeing the wrath of God kindled against the word manifold tokens of the anger of God manifested in the Calamities hanging vpon the head of all people and nations he gathered this Councel By the authoritie whereof Priests were commanded to pacifie the wrath of God by frequent saying of masse the people by fasting abstinence Princes by distributing of almes to reconcile themselues to God The Doctrine of repetance and amendement of life was forgotten in this time of horrible ignorance and all religion was turned into outward exercises of fasting of distributing of almes and of saying of Masses Also new fasting daies were inioyned to be kept in most solemne manner to the honour of Iohn the Baptist S. Laurence so that by a multitude of human traditions daily increased the ordinance of God as Christ witnesseth was made null and of no effect IN the yeere of our Lord 1023. and in the 21. yeere of the raigne of the Emp. Henry 2. a Councell was assembled at Halignustat wherein Harido Bishop of Mentz was moderator great pains were taken to make a conformitie vnitie in obseruation of superstitious rites in Germanie such as statut times of fasting and abstinence from marriage at certaine times of the yeere and not casting of the corporall into the fire to quench the fire kindled in a towne which was the custome of foolish Priests at that time that no sword shuld be brought into the Church except the Kings sword and no meetings or confabulations should be in the Church or the poarch thereof and that women should not bee addicted to particular and select Masses such as the Masse of the Trinitie and Saint Michael but let them heare common Masses for the safetie of the quicke and the dead Also Lawes were made in this Councell concerning the reckoning of the degrees of consanguinitie and that no man should iourney to Rome for obtaining pardon for great sinnes before hee had first confessed himselfe to his owne Priest and fulfilled the penance prescribed by him with many other constitutions full of new invented superstition IN the yeere of our Lord 1030. and vnder the raigne of the Emperour Conrad the second a Councell was assembled at Triburia The Emperour was present at the Councell After some constitutions about fasting one arose and said that certaine Epistles were come from heauen concerning peace to be renued on earth he was commanded to write a coppie of these Epistles to be communicat to other Bishops to the ende that nations and people might obserue these new lawes following 1. That no man should weare armoure 2. That no man should seeke restitution of things
c. 14 Soc. l. 5. c. 14 Ruffin l. 2. c. 17. Claudian de 3. consul honorii Ruff. l 2. c. 18. Theod. l. 5. c. 17. Theod. l. 5. c. 19. Sozom. l. 7. c. 23 Theod. l. 5. c. 16. Note Theod. l. 5. c. 26 Socrat. l. 6. c. 23 Sozom. l. 8. c. 28 Theod. l. 5.32 Hist. Magd. cent 5. cap. 3. Func chron Compend Theod. catalog CasaruÌ„ Platin. in vita Zosimi 1. Sozom. l. 9. c. 9. Func chron Socrat. l. 7. c. 22 Iaem lib 7. cap 42. Hist. Magd. cent 5. cap. 3. Evigr lib. 2. cap. 16. Note Socrat. lib. 7. cap. 23. Catalog Casarum Evagr. lib. 2. cap. 8. Evagr. lib. 2. cap. 8. Idem cap. 12. 13. Evagr. lib. 3. cap. 3. Idem lib. 3. cap. 5. Note Idem cap. 8. 11. Hist. Magd. cent 5. cap. 3. Note Hist. Magd. ibid. Socrat. lib. 7. cap. 8. Func chron Evagr. lib. 3. cap. 3. Note Evagr. lib. 3. cap. 32. Hist. Magd. cen 6. cap. 3. Evagr. lib. 3. cap. 34. Note Platin. de viâ—â— Hormisda Evag. l. 4. c. 4. Hist. Magd. cent 6. cap. 3. Note Evag. l. 4. c. 5. Chron. Fuâ—e Evag. l. 4 c. 10. Note Evag. l. 4. c. 17. Idem l. 4. c. 19. Platin. de vita Ioan. 1. Funâ— chron Evag. l. 4. c. 21. 〈◊〉 2. Concel Evag. l. 5. c. 23. Evag. l. 5. c. 10. Idem l. 5. c. 11.12 Evag. l. 5 c. 13. Evag. l. 3. c. 37. Evag. l. 5. c. 14. Hist. Magd. cent 6. cap. 3. Plaâ—in de vit Gregor 1. Evag. l. 5. c. 22. Commenâ— Funct lib. 8. Note Platina in vita Bonif 3. Note Paulus diaâ—â—nus lib. 18. rerum Râ—nan Hist. Magd. cent 7. cap. 3. A description of the Saracens Platinain vita Senerini Note Isai. 37.36 Hist. Magd. cent 8. cap. 3. Chron. func Hist. Magd. cen 7. cap. 3. Note Note Hist. Magd. cent 8. cap. 3. Platin. in vit Greg. 2. Platin. in vit Stepâ— 2. Funct Comment lib. 8. Note Pro. 12. Platin. in vit Greg 2. Funct Comment in chron lib. 8. Platin. in vit Greg. 4. Funct comment l. 9. Note Hist. Magd. cent 9. cap. 16. Platin. in vita Ioan. 10. Funct Comment in chronol lib. 9. Note Note Notâ— Hist. Magd. cent 10. cap. 16. Note Note The Danes invade England The occasion of BelluÌ„ sacruÌ„ Comment Funcâ—â— lib. 9. Note Hist. Magd. cent 11. cap. 3. Note â—illiam Duke of Normandy subdueth Englanâ— Note Hist. Magd. cent 12. cap. 8. Note Note Note Note Note Note Note Psal. xci 13. Note Note Note The beginning of the Tartarian kingdome Note Note Note Note Note Note Note Note Note Note The Empyre voyd of an Emperour the space of 17. yeers Note Emperours of Constantinople The first Armie was led for recouerie of the holy land The second armie The third armie The forth armie The templars breaking the couenant made with the Barbarians are destroyed The fist vovage Note Mango King of the Tartarians fighteth against the Saracens The sixt army A peace concluded Note The 7. army The Christians vtterly destroyed in Asia Note The death of Albert. Otthoman first King of the Turkes Henry the 7. poysoned by a Monke Warre betwixt Lewis and Fredericus Pulcher about the Empire A league made amongst the Cantons of Helvetia Lewis excommunicated by the Pope and Charles the 4. chosen Emperour Amurath King of the Turkes conquereth Thracia The Battell of Nicopolis betwixt the Christians Turkes Baiazethes ouercome by Tamberlane and carried about in a Cage Vinceslaus depriued of his Emperiall dignitie Emperours of the â—â—ast Mahomet after the death of Tamburlan vexeth the Christians and taketh Hadrianopolis The burning of Iohn Husse the cause of a great tumult and sedition The polieie of Zisca for the ouerthrow of his enemies The prouident care of Zisca in time of his blindnes Zisca at his deâ—th appointeth a drumme to be made of his skin The Emperour warreth vpon the Hussits with bad successe Amurathes subdueth Scopia and Newmount in Seruia as also Thessalonica and Croia Ioannes Huniades an enemie to the Turkes A truce concluded betwixt the Christians and Turkes for 10 yeeres by means of the Pope broken to the ouerthrow of the Christians The battell at Varna Note The kingdomes of Ladislaus committed to three gouernors Vlricus seeketh the destruction of Huniades Vlricus slâ—ine by the Hungarians The king of Hungaria causeth the one sonne of Huniades to be beheaded the other imprisoned The death of the king of Hungaria The Germans make petition to the Empe. to be freed of the Popes burthens but in vaine The valour of George Castrioâ— named by the Turkes Scanderbege He ouercommeth Caramanus of Cilicia Asketh of Amurathes his fathers dominion of Epirus Is put off with faire words flieth from the Turke recouereth Croia and the other Cities of Epirus and maintaineth vvarre against the Turkes Mahomet the second taketh the Isle of Euboia destroyeth the towne of Calcis razeth Athens besiegeth taketh and sacketh Constantinople His crueltie against the Christians of Constantinople He causeth the Crucifixe to be carried about in derision Constantinople made the seat royall of the Turkish Emperour Mahomet is forced by Iohn Huniades to raise his siege of Belgrade Emperours of the East Maximilian taken prisoner relieved by his father He writeth an history in Latin of his own acts and feats of warre Baiazeth the 2. subdueth Modon killeth the Noblemen found there Sentencâ—s vâ—tered by Carolus quintus He subdueth the FrenchmeÌ„ taketh their King prisoner Rome sacked by the souldiers of Charles D. of Burbon and the Pope and his Cardinals besieged The beginning of reformation of religion in Germany by Martin Luther He appeareth at the conventioÌ„ of Worms Questions propounded by Eccius Answered by Luther Luther vrged to recant some things vvhich he had written refuseth The Emperours decreâ— against Luther The proceedings of the convention of Norinberg against Luther The Princes of Germanies iudgement concerning the suppression of Luthers attempts An 100. grievances collected by the Germaines and exhibited to the Bishop of Rome Note A conventicle at Ratisbone wherein articles were ratified for suppressing of Luthers doctrine Two conventions at Spiers with a rehearsall of those things which were concluded A protestation against the decrees of the a conventions of Spire Whence the name Protestants was deriued The Protestants Ambassadors roughly enâ—reated by the Emperour A league amongst the Protestants A convention at Ausbrugh The Protestants obtaine their confession of faith to be openly read The Princes Protestant Citties refuse to obey the Emperours Decree concerning the returâ—ing to the Church of â—ome Another Decree of the Emperour The Princes and Ambassadours of the Protestants meet at Smalcaldie and enter league to ayde one another Peace granted by the Emperour to the Protestants Vlricus Zuinglius Preacht at Zurik against the corruptioÌ„s of the Roman Church A disputation at Zurike The decree of the Senate of Zurik concerning the abolishing of mens traditions and purely Preaching
of the Gospel An assemblie of the Helvetians at Lucerna contrary to that of Zurike A disputation at Baden The causes of Zuinglius absence The conclusion of the disputation A disputation ordained to be holden at Berne Conclusions maintained by the Ministers of Berne The conclusions aforesaid allowed Ferdinand and fiue Pages of the Helvetians enter league against the Bernates The fiue Pages and the Bernates being twise ready to ioyne battell are paâ—ted and the third time the Bernates vanquished Zuinglius killed The occasion of the alteration of religion in England about Henry the eights marriage of his brother Arthurs wife Hatred betwixt the Pope and King Henry the 8. Warres betwixt Ferdinand and the Protestant Princes Agreement made betwixt them A Councell held at Ratisbone about the ending of controversies The conclusion of the Councell Warres betwixt Henry Prince of Brunswick the Duke of Saxonie in name of all the Protestants wherein Henries dominions were subdued A peace concluded betwixt the Emperour and the King of France wherein was determined that both should ioyne against the Protestants The crueltie of Minerius The miserable death of Minerius The Emperour vseth policie to subdue the Protestants The Emperour Proclaimeth the D. of Saxonie Lantgraue outlawes The causes alleadged The Protestants answere vnto the proscription The Bohemians and Maurice invade and subdue thâ— D. of Saxons lands Maurice excuseth by Proclamation what he had done The Duke of Saxonie recouereth what he had lost The Emperour discomfiteth the D. of Saxonie taketh him prisoner and giueth all his his lands to Maurice The Lantgraue detained prisoner by the Emperour A convention at Ausbrough The booke called Interim vrged by the Emperour The foresaid booke hated of all men both Pope Papists and Protestants The Masse forbidden in England Boner and Gardiner depriued of their Bishoprickes Warre betwixt the towne of Magdeburg and Maurice Duke of Spaine Their agreement War betwixt Maurice Duke of Saxonie and the Emperour The conditions of Maurice his agreement with the Emperour Warre betwixt D. Maurice the Marquis of Brandenburg wherein the Marquis was overcome The death of D. Maurice Strange sights seene in Germany Popery embraced in England by means of Q. Mary The Court of Parliament confesse their error in forsaking it and are absolued Q. Maries cruelty against Protestants A bad reward A reference to the Booke of Martyrs Solyman conquereth Belgrade and the Isle of Rhods killeth Lewis K of Hungary and Paulus B. of Collen besiegeth Vienna is repelled Charles restoreth the K. of Tunis to his kingdome Solyman taketh Buda in Hungarie Charles entreth into a religious house and dieth The Bohemians obtaine of Ferdinand the vse of the Sacrament in both kinds Persecution of the Protestants in France The death of Henry the 2. K. of France Francis the 2. having maried the Q of Scots seeketh to reduce the Scottish Nobility to the popish religion but his army was vanquished A Councell kept at Orleance The Prince of Condie taken by the Kings guard is in danger The death of Francis A disputation at Poyssie The Papists policy to cut off further reasoning The Duke of Savoy warreth against the Protestants within his dominions Triniteus by policy spoileth those of Angrona both their money and armour God prospereth the successe of the Protestants The death of Truchetus Peace concluded with the Convallenses The edict of Ianuarie in behalfe of the Protestants The King of Navarre turneth Papist The Duke of Guise killeth 1500 people at a Sermon The Duke of Guise taketh the King and the Queene mother prisoners for whose deliuerie the Protestants binde themselues together The first ciuill warre The Prince of Condie chosen Generall for the Protestants Many townes taken and fortified by the Protestants whereof Burges Roane were recouered by the Papists The death of the Prince of Navarre The death of Augustinus Marlorart Note The battell of Dreux wherein the Prince of Condie was taken by the Papists and the Constable by the Protestants The Duke of Guise his death A new edict in behalfe of the Protestants The end of the first ciuill warre Troubles in the low countries about Religion Duke de Albaes crueltie against the professours of the Gospell The Prince of Orange warreth against the Spaniards The Cardinal of Loraine taketh counsell how to suppresse the Gospell A league made betwixt the Kings of France and Spaine for the rooting out of the Protestants The second ciuill warre in France The Parisians ouercome by the Prince of Condie The Protestants besiege Chartresse The Prince of Condies armie dismissed the townes by him subdued deliuered into the enemies hand through the policie of the Queene mother Euery where crueltie vsed against the Protestants Simile The Prince of Condie the Admirall flie towards Rotchell Note The third ciuill warre in France for Religion Note Note The Papists receiue support from Germanie The Battell of Blansack The death of the Prince of Condie The King of Navarre and young Prince of Condie governe the armie of the Protestants The Duke of Bipont commeth from Germanie to support the Protestants taketh the towne of La charitie and within two dayes dieth having appointed Velrad Count of Manfelt to be Generall in his roome Poictiers besieged The admirall raiseth his siege from Poictiers The battell of Moncontuire wherein the Protestants were discomfited S. Ian Dangely besieged and taken The death of Martiques governour of Britanie an enemie to the Protestants and a blasphemer of the name of God By a new edict of pacification the third ciuill warre endeth The King marrieth The King offereth his sister in marriage to the King of Navarre that thereby he might insnareâ— the Protestants The Queene of Navarre being empoysoned dieth The King of Navarre married to the Kings sister The Admirall shot in the arme The Admirall attended vpon by the Kings Guard The Massacre of Paris the 24. of August Anno 1572. The Admirall killed The Duke of Guise encourageth the companie to murther the Protestants The companies which attended the king of Navarre and Prince of Condie slaine The king vâ—geth the Prince of Condie and king of Nauarre to be come Papists Their resolute Answere Note Count Mongomrie and diuers others escape In this Massacre were killed 30000 persons in France By the example of Rozarius the King of Navarre and Prince of Condie fell away for a time The repentance of Rozarius The Papists defend their crueltie by lies Note The fourth ciuill warre in Fraunce for religion Rotchell besieged God miraculouslie prouideth for the poore during the siege of Rotchell Conditions of peace offered to the towne of Rotchell The towne of Sansarre besieged and some conditions of peace being granted at last surrendered An assemblie of the Protestants at Miliald The conditions which they required of the king Count Mongomrie besieged in Donfront taken sent to Paris Duke Aniow chosen king of Poland depareth thither The Queene mother imprisoneth diuers of thâ— nobilitie who were discontent
with her The death of King Charles Count Mongomrie condemned to death by the Queene The Prince of Condie chosen the Protestants generall The fifth ciuill warre in France for Religion Libero besieged in vaine by king Henry The death of the Cardinall of Lorain procured by himselfe King Henry scourgeth him selfe after the manner of the penitentiaries Many Ambassadors sollicit the king for peace but in vaine Mombruniris taken and executed by the Queene Cassimire the sonne of Count Palatine promiseth to aide the Protestants Alauscon the kings brother ioyneth himselfe with the Protestants By an edict of pacificatioÌ„ the fift civill warre ended Solyman the Turke besiegeth Zigeth Solyman dieth the towne taken Selim sent for proclaimed Emp. Selim taketh Famagusta from the Venetians The battell of Lepanto wherein the Turkes received a great overthrow by the Christians The league of Peron 1576. for the extirpation of the Protestants The causes moving the Leaguers to proceed in their association The drift of the Leaguers enterprise against the K. and crowne The King for lacke of courage maketh himself a slaue to the appetites of he Leaguers An edict against the Protestants The King of Navarre and the Prince of Condie with diverse others oppose themselues to the Leaguers The Pope excoÌ„municateth the King of France The Princeâ— of Germany send Ambassodors to deale for the Protestants helpe The sixt civill war in France for religion An army of Germans enter France in behalfe of the Protestants The battell of Coutras betwixt the Kings army the ProtestaÌ„ts The death of D. de Ioyense A skirmish betwixt the D. of Guise and the Rutters The Rutters retire out of France The Duke of Guise honored by the Pope and extolled by the Preachers of France for his crueltie The assemblie at Nancy of the Leagners against the King The conclusions agreed vpon by the assemble at Nancie The Duke of Guise contrarie to the kingâ— commandement arriueth at Paris and is of the people receiued with ioyfull acclamations The fearefull day of Barricadoes in Paris The king flieth out of Paris An edict published against the Protestants A Parliameâ—â— holden in France The death of the Duke of Guise The Queene mother dieth An assemblie of the Protestants at Rotchell send a request to the states at Bloyes The rebellion of the league against the king Duke De Maine sendeth men to surprise the king but is preuented The leaguers procure a Iacobin Monke to kill the king The death of Henry the third The Iacobin who killed the K. canonized The Cardinall of Burbon proclamed K. by the Leaguers K. Henry the 4. declared K. by K. Henry the 3. opposeth himselfe to the Leaguers The battell of Dreux wherein the Leaguers were discomfited The King besiegeth Paris The Duke of Parma entreth France for the â—eliefe of Paris The Duke of Parma returneth home In all other places of France the Leaguers went to ruine The Duke of Parma entreth France the 2. time in behalfe of the Leaguers but with bad successe The Kings favourites in diverse places prosper against the Leaguers The death of D. Ioyense The defection of the King from religion Peter Burrier stirred vp to slay the King The K. opposeth himself to the Leaguers Diuers towns yeeld themselues to the King Iohn Castill stirred vp by the Leaguers to murther the King is disappointed of his purpose Note The Parliaments decree about the execution of Castill and the Iesuits of Clermonts banishment The preparation of the Spanish nauie Anno 1588. A storme coâ—â—traineth the nauie to put to land The Spaniâ—â— Navie ouerthrowne Apostles Note Ioh. 16. Act. 12. Euseb. lib. 3. cap. 32. Ierom. Cat. sâ—rip eccles Ierom. catâ—l sâ—r p. eccles Evangelists Func chron Ierom. The true successours of the Apostles Act. 20. Nazia in orat in laudem Athanafâ— Linus Euseb. l. 3. c. 2. Chap. 4. ver 3. Ignatius Euseb. lib. 3. cap. 36. Papias Euseb. l. 3. c. 39. Bishops of Rome Note Alexander martyred Euseb. eccles hist. lib 4. c 1. Xistus martyred Euseb. lib. 4. cap. 5. Telesphorusâ— martyr Euseb. l. 4. c. 10 Anicetus a martyr Euseb. l. 4. c. 14 Platira de vita Eleuthâ—â—ij The rasâ—nâ—sse of Victor Euseb. eccl hist. lib. 5. cap. 26. Of other Doctours and Preachers Ierom. Catal. scrip eccles Agrippas Castor Euseb. lib. 4. cap. 7. Hegesippus Euseb. l. 4. c. 11 Melito Euseb. l. 4. c. 13. Hist. Magdeb. Euseb. l. 5. c. 24. Iustinus a martyr The manner of Iustinus his conversion Iustin Dialog cum Trepb Iustin. apol 2. Polycarâ—us martyred Polycaryus his dreame before his apprehension Eusâ—b lâ—b 4. cap. 15. Iâ—eneus Euseb. lib. 5. cap. 5. Iren. lib. 5 con Valenâ— Iren. l. 2. c. 34. Clemens Alexandrinus Bâ—colc chron Euseb. lib. 5. cap. 11. Strom. lib. 2. Hist. Magdeb. Euseb. lib. 5. cap. 12. Euseb. lib. 6. cap. â— Zephyrinus Platin. Euseb. 6.21 Note Mat. 18.16 Canon Apost cap. 74. Callistus Euseb. lib. 6. cap. 21. Note Vrbanus Euseb. lib. 6. cap. 22. Pontianus Platin. Tom. 1. Câ—ncil Anterus Euseb. lib. 6. cap. 29. Fabianus Func Chron. Commentar Platin. de vitis Tom. 1. Concil Note Heb. 13 16. Cornelius A councel at Rome against Novatus Euseb. lib. 6. cap. 43. The martyrdome of Cornelius Platin. de vita Euseb lib. 7. cap 2. Lucius Platin. Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 2. Tom 1. Concâ—l Stephanus Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 5. Platin. in vitâ— Lucij Dan 5. Tom. 1. Concil â— Gratia no. cap. 5. Xistus 2. Euseb lib. â— cap. 27. Note Dionysius Felix 1. Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 32. Platin. Mat. 26.73 Eutychianus â—â—seb lib 7. capâ—2 â—2 caius Euseb lib. 7. cap. 32. Func chron Platin. de vita Func Platin. Deâ—â—ct Caiâ— â—x lib. Pent. Dâ—mâ—â— Note Note Marcellinus Platin. Func Chron. Marcellus Platin. de vitis Eusebius Note Tertullian Ierom. catal scrip eccles Hist. Magd. cent 3. cap. 10. Origen Hist. Magd. cent 3. cap. 10. Note Coment Func in Chron. l. 6. Euseb. l. 6. c. 33. Ierom. catal script Eccles. Euseb. l 6. c. 17. Mat. 19.12 Euseb. l. 6. c. 8. Ierom. catul script eccles coment in Iona. Ierom. ibid. Nazian in laudem Cypriani Ierom. catal script eccles Hist. Madg. cent 3. câ—p 10. Note Aug. de Baptis contra Donat. lib. 5. cap. 17. Narcissus Examples of Gods iustice against false witnesses Euseb. c. 6. l. 9. Dios. Germanion Gordius Alexander Ierom. catal script Eccles. Ierom. ibid. Euseb. l 7. c. 14. Func Chron. Heraclas Dionysius Euseb. l. 6. c. 40. Func chron Asclepiades Euseb. l. 6. c. 1â— Zebenus Babylas Euseb. l. 6. c. 39. Fabius Euseb. l. 6. c. 44. Demetrianus Paulus Samosatenus Domnus Euseb. l. 7. c. 2â— Func Chron. Plat. â— Mâ—litiadâ—â— Euseb. lib. 10. cap. 5. August epist. 68. August epist. 162. 166. August Causâ—laâ—o epist. 86. Silvester Platina de vita Silvest Sâ—crat lib. 1. cap. 6. Theo. lib. 1. cap. 2.3 Euseb de vita Constâ—nt lib. 4. Simile Note Marcus Platin. de vita Mar. Iulius Soâ—om l.
Charitie they entred in the way of Beauce drawing towards Montargis From this time forth a great mutinie began in the army of the strangers being mooved with impatience because they could neither haue money nor sight of the King of Navarre whereof the King being then at Bonevall had intelligence and thereupon vsed all the meanes hee could to sound the hearts of the Switzers and perswaded them to separate themselues from the rest of the army and retyre home whereunto the Switzers condiscended and vpon agreement of 400000. crownes payed to them in ready money they returned backe againe to their owne countrey The Duke of Guise perceiving the army of the Rutters to be as a body dispersed hauing nothing left but the armes and legges tooke boldnesse to set vpon them as they camped at Aunew and entred with his footmen into the streets about the time that the carts and baggage were ready in the morning to issue out and so couragiously surprised the Rutters at their breakefast when the trumpets began to sound a chivall having no meanes to issue out they were constrained to retyre into their lodgings at the pleasure of the assaylants The booty was great being 800. chariots iewels and chaines of gold and two thousand horse both for the field and waggons The gates being seazed vpon and the streets chained there was no meanes to saue themselues but by the walles which the Generall leaped ouer Notwithstanding of this surprise the army of the Rutters was in such estate that by reason of some small assurance they had of the King of Navarres arrivall it was likely to haue overcome the Duke of Guise forces And as it was at point to retyre backe againe the Prince of Condie the Duke of Bulloigne and the Lords of Chastillion and Cleruant promised to pay them all their wages if they would march forward The hope of their pay made them to march in a time not very convenient towards the Forrest of Orleance The King perceived that the longer the armie kept the fields the greater would be the ruine of his Countrey and that being ioyned with the king of Navarre would doe great hurt caused the Sienrs of the Isle of Cormont to certifie the Coronels that if they would yeeld vp their colours and sweare to beare no armes in Fraunce without the expresse commandement of his Maiestie hee would giue them assurance to retire in safetie They on the other part perceauing themselues to be farre from the king of Navarre hardlie handled by the Frenchmen beaten by the league pursued by the king and forsaken of the Switzers assembled themselues together at Marsigni and accepted his Maiesties offers sent by Monsieur D' Esperno and retired out of France toward Geneua The Marques Du pont eldest sonne to the Duke of Loraine and the Duke of Guise against their faith giuen followed the miserable troupe of the Rutters to the mountaine at Saint Clande where they gaue thankes for the good successe of their companie and from thence to please their hungrie troupes they trauersed the Countrie of Bourgoundie entering into the Countries of Mombeliard and Hericourt where his men vsed diuers great cruelties and spared not the lands of the Bishop of Basile After the bloodie ceasing of so lamentable vengeance vpon a poore innocent people which as yet doe feele the losse and destruction of two hundred villages the violence vsed to a number of women and maids the Massacre of so many old men and the furious and beastlie inhumanitie of the League they beare the signes of their spoyles into Loraine Neuerthelesse after this exploite of the Duke of Guise so full of crueltie falshood inhumanitie the Roman Church extolled him aboue all measure The Pope sent vnto the D. of Guise a sword engraued with burning flames in token of his valiantnes accompanied with burning zeale towards the Roman religiō The Preachers of France advāced him aboue the king saying that Saul had slaine his thousand but Dauid ten thousand and so the Duke of Guise puft vp with winds of popular praise seeing also that the greatnesse of the Soueraigne maiestie was embraced and that the Protestants were retired vnto the Rotchell also that England had a proud Spaniard embarked on her backe meaning the great Spanish Nauie by Sea hee assured himselfe to take the king without danger and to this effect aduertised the Cardinall of Burbone not to neglect so good an occasion but to gather his principall friends at Nancie there to aduise the meanes to passe forward and to constraine the king as it were to make his will and so that assemblie concluded that the King should be summoned to ioyne his forces to the league to refuse the Counsell amitie of such as should be named vnto him to establish the inquisition in euerie towne to publish the Councell of Trent euen touching the things that derogated the priuiledge of the French Church to consent to the restitution of the goodes that had bin alienated and sold for the charges of the warres to giue them townes wherein they might place men of warre to make such fortifications as the necessity of the time would require ordaine the sale and confiscation of Hugonits goodes also the disabling of their persons entertaine an armie vpon the Fronteris of Loraine against the returne of the Germans that would come to haue some recompence for the cruelties by the league committed in the countie of Montbeliard The Duke of Guise came to the King at Soissons to constraine the King either to bow or breake and to confirme the articles drawne and deuised at Nancie and Dyion The King on the other part by Mousieur de Bellieure gaue the Duke to vnderstand that he should doe him a pleasure if he would abstaine from comming to Paris in so troublesome a time wherein so many factions raigned and if hee came thither against his will hee would lay the cause of all the troubles that might arise by his presence vpon him But the Duke of Guises heart as it were attainted with a burning feauer could find neither appetite nor pleasure but in that which liked his stomach would needes for the loouer or die by the way and therefore mounted on horsebacke with eight Gentlemen about nine of the clocke at night leauing the Prince de Iumueille his sonne at Soissons and desiring the Archbishop of Lyons to follow him in the morning and so arriued at Paris This maner of arriuall together with the peoples fauour vttered by their ioyfull acclamations at the Duke of Guises lighting increased the distrust of the kings heart so that hee resolued to preuent the enterprises intended against him and commanded the Marescall Biron to cause foure thousand Switzers to enter into the Towne and to lodge them in diuers quarters thereof who seased incontinent vpon the bridges of Nostredame and Saint Michael But the Parisians being abashed at the sight shut vp their shoppes