wit If the head of an horse be put to a humane body A distinction truly very rediculous Conclude we this matter with that which was ordeyned in the Councell of Eliberis in Spaine holden about the yeare of the Lord. 335. whose 36. Cannō was as Carranza noteth in his Summa Conciliariorum Placuit picturas in Ecclesia esse non debere ne quod colitur aut odoratur in parietibus depingatur It pleaseth vs that pictures ought not to be in the Church lest that be worshipped or adored which is painted on the walles Eliberis where was celebrated this ancient Councell was a Cittie neare vnto that place where is now Granada Eliberis was destroyed and of the ruines thereof was Granada builded or augmented And there is one gate in Granada euen to this day called the gate Deluira corrupting the worde in steed of Elibera The gate is so called because men goe that way to Elibera Had this Cannon made in our countrie of Spaine 1263. yeares past bene obserued in Spaine there had not bene such Idolatrie in Spaine as now there is Vp Lord regard thine owne honour Conuert or confound not being of thine elect all such as worship Pesel grauen or carued Images or Temuna picttures or patternes All that whatsoeuer we haue sayd against Images is meant of those that are made for religion seruice worship and to honour serue and adore them Such Images are forbidden by the law of God And so the Arte of caruing grauing painting and patterne making not done to this end is not forbidden but lawfull The superstition and Idolatrie taken away the Arte is good If there be any people or nation that haue and doe commit inward and outwarde Idolatrie it is the Popish Church For what else see we in their Temples houses streetes and crosse-streetes but Idolles and Images made and worshipped against the expresse commaundement of God Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image No nation hath bene so barbarous to thinke that which they outwardly beheld with their eyes to be God They supposed as before we haue said their Iupiter Iuno Mars Venus to be in Heauen whom they worshipped in the Images that did represent them Many of the Moores Turkes and Iewes would conuert vnto Christ were it not for the offence and scandall of Images in the Churches Therefore said Paulus Pricius a most learned Hebrew which became in a Christian Paue that it was very meet Images should be taken out of the Temple for they were the cause that many Iewes became not Christians The Popish Church doth not onely commit the Idolatrie of the Gentiles but farre exceed them also One Idolatrie it committeth which neuer Pagan nor Gentile euer committed It beleeueth the bread and wine in the Masse called a sacrifice celebrated by her Pope or a Priest made by the authoritie of the Pope to be no representation nor commemoration of the Lordes death but his very body and bloud the same Iesus Christ as bigge and great as he was vpon the crosse And so as very God doth worship it We will then in this first Treatise proue by the Lords assistance whose cause we now maintaine the Pope to be a false Priest and very Antichrist that such Idolatrie and other much more he hath inuented in the Church In the second Treatise we will also proue by the same assistance the Masse to be a false Sacrifice and great Idolatrie And because our chiefe purpose is not so much to beat downe falshood as to aduance the truth after we haue shewed the Pope to be a false Priest And the Masse a false Sacrifice we will shew also which is the argument of the Apostle in the Epistle written to the Hebrewes Iesus Christ to be the true and onely Priest and his most holy body and bloud which he offered vnto his father vpon the Crosse to be the true and only sacrifice where with the eternall father is well pleased and receiueth vs into his fauour and friendship iustifying vs by faith and giuing vs his holy spirit of Adoption whereby we crie Abba father and liue in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life And so be glorified of him to reigne ' with him for euer Many will wonder that we with so great constancie or as they call it sawsinesse reiect condemne and abhore the Pope and his Masse And therefore doe slaunder and defame vs not among the common people onely but amongest the Nobles also and great Lordes Kinges and Monarches that we are fantasticke heady arrogant sedicious rebellious partiall and many other false reportes they raise against vs wherewith they fill and breake the eares of the ignorant and of all those that take pleasure to heare them To shew them then that it is no foolish opinion nor fantasie which doth lead vs neither any ambition vaine glory nor other passion that doth alter moue or transport our minds but a good zeale rather of the glory of God and feruent desire of the health of our owne soules A reason will we giue in this first Treatise vnto all that desire to heare vnderstand it of that which we beleeue hold concerning the Pope and his authoritie And chiefely if we be asked because as saith Saint Peter we ought to be ready with meekenesse and reuerence to make answere to euery one that demaundeth a reason of the hope which we hold The reason then which we giue for reiecting condemning and abhorring the Pope and flying from him as from the pestilence is his euill life and wicked doctrine Note also what the Doctors and ancient Councels the holy Scriptures in three wonderfull places chiefly for that purpose say concerning him In the second Treatise we will declare what wee thinke of the Masse and the holinesse thereof The Pope and Masse two pillers of the Popish church be very ancient For it is now a thousād yeares past since they first began to be buylded Their beginnings were very small but they dayly increased adorning and decking themselues vntill they attayned to the estate wherein we now see them For aswell the Pope as the Masse is holden and called God Without are they made very beautifull couered ouer with silke gold siluer cloth of gold rich stones but within is superstition hypocrisie and Idolatrie I haue often pondred with my selfe whether of these two pillers the Pope or the Masse were strongest and more esteemed The vertues excellencie holinesse and diuinitie which they say is in the Masse who can declare How profitable it is for al things liuing and not liuing quick dead By cōsideratiō hereof the Masse I supposed was chiefest and therefore ought to begin with it But the Pope vpon better aduisement mee seemed notwithstanding to be the chiefest piller The reasons mouing me so to beleeue are these that the cause in dignitie is before the effect the creator before the creature the maister before the seruant the Priest before the
the Pilgrime that iornying to Rome to obteine the Iubile should die in the waie We graunt saith he that if being truly confessed he shall die in the waie he shall be free and absolutely absolued from all his sinnes And moreouer we commaund the Angels to place the soule wholly freed from purgatorie into Paradice And in another Bull he saith We will not that the paines of hell shall any way touch him He graunteth to such as take the Cruzado to goe a warfare that they may drawe 3 or 4 soules of whome they will out of Purgatorie The popish Bulles are very mockeries Bulla is a Latin word as much to say as a litle bubble which the raine maketh in the water being a vaine thing and of no continuance There is also in Latine a prouerbe which saith Homo bulla man is vanitie The popes purposely it seemeth haue put this name in their Indulgences and pardons whereby they signifie their bulles to be mockeries and vanitie For such then let vs hold them In the 1352. yere Clement 6. being alone in his chamber sodainly died Don Alonso 11. then reigned in Castile Innocent 6. a Frenchmen was very sparing to giue and very liberall to take and so gaue he benefices most liberally to such as gaue most for them He sent his Legate into Italie Don Gill Carillo of Albornoz a Spanish Cardinall and Archbishop of Toledo A great warrier was this Don Gill and so more exercised in armes then in the Bible In Rome gaue he the crowne Imperiall to Charles sonne of the king of Boheme But with this condition that the Emperor should no longer remain in Rome nor Italie This Cardinall at his owne charge buylded a notable Colledge for the poore Spanish Students in Bologna Thus far Tarapha vpon the life of Don Pedro. Fryar Alonso venero in his Enchiridion of times saith that in the 1351. yeare this Cardinall commanded he should after death be brought on mens shoulders to the Church of Toledo and so was he carried the Pope giuing great IndulgeÌ„ces to whom so euer would be partner in that traueile For which cause all the people by whom he came went out to receiue him and one people carried him to another and the other vnto another vntill they came to Toledo In saying this Don Gill to haue bene in the time of Martin 5. Venero is deceiued Platina and Tarapha place him in the time of Innocent 6. In the courts which at this time were held in Perpinan he commanded that not at the incarnation which is the 25. of March but at the Natiuitie the yeare should beginne This custome to begin the yeare at the incarnation is yet to this day obserued in England When Innocent heard the difference happened betweene the king Don Pedro the Queene his wife Cardinall William to make friendship betweene the king and Queene and the states of Castile which tooke parte with the Queene but seeing the king obstinate without ought effecting he returned and the Queen for griefe sorrow afew dayes after died Auignon in the 1362. yeare this Pope died in Vrban 5. being absent and no Cardinall was chosen Pope Cardinall Don Gill Carillo he sent into Italie for his vicar generall which office he had executed in the life of his predecessor Innocent 6. as before we haue said In the 4. yeare of his Popedome this Pope with his Cardinals came from Rome to Auignon In the Lent time he sent a Rose to Iane Queene of Sicilia made a decree euery yere to giue this Rose vpon that Sunday in Lent which they call Laetare so returned with his court into France In the time of this Vrban was the Archbishop of Colonia as saith Petrus Premostratensis maried D. Illescas vpon the life of this Vrban 5. saith That when he had forgotten where were the heads of the holy Apostles Peter Paule instantly did the Emperour sollicite the pope that they should be sought for And at last were they found in a chest in the Sancto Sanctorum of S. Iohn de Lateran put in the place where nowe they remaine c. See here the assurance which our aduersaries haue of their so great relikes In the 1371. yeare not without suspition of poison Vrban died Don Henry 2. bastard son of Don Alonso 11. reigned in Castile Gregory 11. Nephew or son to Clement 6. being 17 yeers old was made Cardinal When he was Pope seeing all Italy to bee mutinous almost all fallen froÌ„ his obedience by the counsell of Catalina of Sena who was afterwards canonized of Baldo his master as saith Volateranus In the 1376. yere he left France with 12 galleyes came to Rome Clement 5. remoued the Court of Rome into Fraunce where it was holden almost 74 yeares Others say that Saint Bridget returning from Ierusalem came to Rome wrote to Gregory saying that the Lord wold that the Romane Court should returne to Rome So also saith Masseus Others among whom is CraÌ„tzio say that the Pope reproued a certaine Bishop because he followed the Court Papall and was not resident vpon his Bishopricke to whom answered the Bishop And thou Pope of Rome why giuest thou not example to others by returning to thine owne Bishoprick And so the Court of Rome either by the counsell of one of the two women or both or by the counsell of a Bishop at the end of 74. yeares returned to Rome This Pope did excommunicate the Florenâ—ines which had bene the heades of the Rebellions against whome he made great warres because they nought regarded his excoÌ„munication In the 1378. yere died this Gregory In whose time Don Henry 2. raigned in Castile When Gregorie 11. was dead the clergie people of Rome that the court of Rome should not eftsoons returne into France ran to the cardinalls and praied them to make choice of some Italian but in no wise of a French man And as they began to make the election between the Cardinals which were 17. 4 Italians 13 Frenchmen arose great contention The French being many more in number might easily haue preuailed but they durst not for the Romans were in armes and threatened them except they chose an Italian For which cause on Fryday the 9. of April made they a Pope called him Vrban 6. And as saith Platina before he was published not once suspected to be pope the French Cardinals began a grudge saying that this electioÌ„ was vnlawful and nothing worth because the Romans requiring with weapons in their hands that the Pope should be an ItaliaÌ„ by fraud force it was made And so the Cardinals de parted the Conclaue some retired to the Castle S. Angello others to the mountains to escape the rage fury of the people When Cardinall Vrsinus saw the great discord among the Cardinals he well hoped he should be Pope and so did
hee surely pretend it Thus farre Platina Eight of the French Cardinals fearing the seuerity and cruelty of Vrban went to Fundo where for the causes aboue said and alleaging that the seat was voyd yet there were 18 Cardinals ayded by Iane Queene of Naples another Pope they elected whom they called Clement 7. This was the most pernicious Sisme longest lasted of any others For vntill the Councell of Constance began which was 40 yeares after 10 yeres after that it continued so that it endured 50 yeares Who listeth to know the deceipts subtilties periuries dissimulations c. of those that poped in the time of this Sisme let him read Theodoricus de Nyem who as an ey-witnes wrote the historie of this Sisme Bonin Segino in the Florētine history Frier Iohn de Pineda lib. 22. cap. 37. ¶ 3. 4. This Vrban saith Estella was a man subtil reuengefull bearing iniuries in mind not that which he had done but that he had receiued Crantzio saith that he was fierce cruel vntreatable so being Pope he sought not to set peace but wars to reuenge himself on the Frēch Cardinals Queen Iane. For which cause to make thē on his part he absolued the Florentins of the excōmunication which Gregorie his predecessor had giuen out against them This Vrban caused 5 Cardinals to be put in 5 sacks and so cast into the sea where they were drowned From this kind of death but very hardly escaped Adam an English Cardinall The cause why the Pope did this was for that these Cardinals taking part with Clement 7. had conspired against him After this for the better strengthening of his faction he made in one day 29 Cardinals three of them saith Platina were Romans all the rest almost Neapolitans Pandulphus Colenucius a most learned Lawyer addeth in his Latine Neapolitan history another cruelty much greater then this we haue spoken of This Vrban saith he being in Genoa cōdemned to death three Cardinals commanded their heads to be cut off their bodies to be rosted in a furnace being rosted to put thē into sackes and whēsoeuer he went frō one people to another he caried them vpō 3 horses that it might be known they had bin Cardinals they placed their red hats vpon the sackes All this he did to be feared that none shold dare to attempt ought against him Thus far Colenucius This Vrban vnable by force and artes to be reuenged on Queene Iane sent to intreat Charles nephew of the king of Hungarie to come aid him with an host he would make him king of Naples Charles aided with the counsel people of the king his vncle came and seazed the kingdome of Naples tooke Queene Iane who was retired to Newcastle a fort in Naples and so taken put her to death The Pope vntil this time was a great friend vnto Charles but as peace among the wicked doth not long continue so this great loue of the Pope turned into much more hatred And why deeme you his Diuellishnesse was so much offended The cause was for that Charles refused at the Popes request to make the Nephew or as some thinke the sonne of the Pope Prince Campano Platina Colenucius and others recite this historie When the Pope could not obtaine this being a man vnciuill vngentle and ill beloued began to threaten Wherere with the king was so much offended that the Pope for certaine dayes durst not go abroad But the Pope a while dissembling this iniurie for excessiue heate as he said departed by the Kings consent from Naples to Nocera The Pope come to Nocera there fortified himselfe and made new Cardinals He made processe against the king and sent to cite him to appeare before him whereunto the king answered that he would come quickly to Nocera not only with words but with weapons to iustify his cause The king came and with a great campe besieged the citie The Pope seeing himself so besieged escaped and went to Genoua where he acted that which we haue before spoken of the Cardinals When Lodowicke king of hungarie and vncle to Charles was dead the Nobles of Hungarie sent for Charles king of Naples to make him king of Hungarie whither Charles went in the yeare 1385. by great treason of her that had bene Queen of Hungarie was slaine When Vrban as reporteth Colenucius in his Neapolitane historie heard of the cruell death of Charles he tooke great pleasure and when the sword as yet bloudie wherewith Charles was slaine was presented vnto him he beheld and did contemplate the same with great ioy aud contentment So did not Iulius Caesar being a pagan no Christian nor holy Father who saith Plutarch when one presented to him the head of Pompey his mortall enemie in detestation of so great an euill turned away his eyes and would not beholde it Note that which the same Plutar. reporteth of Lycurgus who pardoned him which had put out his eye These exāples I draw from pagans for his greater shame who calleth himselfe holy Father vicar of Iesus Christ Vicar of Sathan I call Vrban who was a murtherer from the beginning With the death of Charles ended not the malice of Vrban it passed further for a yeere after the death of Charles this Pope practised to disinherite Ladislaus Iohn sons of Charles as then but little ones but those of Gaeta kept thē safely The pope returned to Rome and not without suspition of poison hauing cruelly poped 11 yeres and eight moneths in the 1390. yeere died whose death saith Platina very few lamented because he was a man rude and vntreatable In the time of this cruell Pope was founde the cruell inuention of gunnes in Almaine Don Iohn 1. bastard son of Don Fernando K. of Portugal at this time reigned in Portugal This Don Iohn got the victory of Aliubarota another Don Iohn 1. being king of Castile This is that battell against the Castillians which the Portugals so much prize and glory of And so vpon a time as Don Charles the Emperor almost threatened the Portugal Embassadour and said vnto him Behold Embassador there are not many riuers to passe from hence to Portugall It is true answered the Embassador because there are now no more riuers then were in the time of Aliubarota The king of Portugall for this answer rewarded the Embassador Don Iohn 1. and Don Enrique his son raigned in Castile From the election of Clement 7. fully spokē of in the life of his Antipope Vrban 6. the Sisme endured 50. yeres Almaine Italie and England fauored Vrban France Castile Aragon Nauarre and Cathaluna fauored Clement 7. and many there were also that were neuters and neither fauored Vrban nor Clement This Clement celebrated a Councel in Paris In his time and the 1387. yere arose a question betweene the vniuersitie of Paris and the Dominicks about the conception of the virgin Marie And
friendship the Pope secretly departed from Constance as saith Volateranus against the will of the Emp. and so came to Florence where taking his pleasure he 2 yeares remained Before he departed from Constance the Emp. and other Princes exhorted him to giue some good order for reformation of the ouermuch libertie euill customes of the Clergie Whereunto Martin answered That this was with time nature consideration to be done and for confirmation of his answere hypocritically aleaged the saying of S. Ierome that euery prouince hath it customes maners which could not sodainly be abolished without great trouble and damage How much better should he haue put his hand to the worke begun to reforme himselfe and his court of Rome To speake of reformation to the Popes is to speake or preach death vnto them And this is the cause why they cannot brook to heare tel of a Coūcel because they then know that each one tam in capite quà m in membris Aswell in the head as in the members wil begin to speake of reformation They remēber that the Councels haue deposed Popes and placed others They remember that in the Councell of Pisa celebrated in the 1410. yeare 2 Popes were deposed and Alexander elected that in the Councell of Constance in the 1416. yeare were 3 deposed and Martin chosen And in the Councell of Basil in the 1432. yeare Eugenius was deposed and Amadeus chosen For this cause would the Popes haue willingly no Councels And albeit for shame they cannot but graunt that a Councell shal be the Pope feareth as to eate poyson to be present therein but sendeth his Legats which accustomably as in the last Trident Councel which buried so many Popes and none of them appeared in the Councell was seene The Popes doe feare as before we haue said least the like to them as to the others Popes should happen in the Councels For these causes made Martin a decree that no Councel after that of Constance before 5 yeares passed should be holden after that Coūcel ten yeares should passe before another Coūcell were holden See here the reformation which the Popes desire If any Pope in maners be lesse wicked for in Doctrine be they al Antichrists in his Roman Court wisheth practiseth some reformation then doubtlesse ensueth some conspiracy against him that they giue him a morsel wherewith they dispatch him An example we haue in Celestine 5. whō his Cardinal that after him was Pope dispatched in Adrian 6. as afterward we wil declare It is said of this pope Martin that he dispensed with one to mary his own sister After 2 yeeres he went frō Florence to Rome The cause of this going was for that the pages as saith I. de Pineda sang in his disgrace a Sonet which began El Papa Martino no vale vn quatrino Martin the Pope is not worth a rope Whē he came to Rome saith Pineda his face shewed him to be quite chāged for before he was pope he was demed a man gētle simple vnwise wāting that gētlenes that was suposed to be in him was afterwards discouered to be most wise And a litle lower So scraping he was couetous a mony-gatherer that he gaue great cause of slander chiefly because what he euilly got he worse spēt c. whē he was come to Rome he gaue himself to repaire not the true Church of Iesus Christ which is his mēbers but the wals of the citie Churches he adnulled the decrees of the Popes passed in the time of the Sisme he depriued Dex Alonso king of Arragon of the kingdom of Naples gaue it to Lewes And in the 1431. yere died D. Iohn 2. reigned in Castile Eugenius 4. a Venetian after the death of Martin his predecessor was elected in Rome In so great a straite was seene this Eugenius that to saue his life being Pope be left his owne garments in a Friers habit put himselfe with his companion in a fishers boate which he found certaine Romanes which perceiued his flight cast many stones and arrowes at him In the end he scaped and went to Florence where some yeeres he abode and for his better defence made 16 Cardinals In the 1432. yeare was the Eugenius cited by the Councell of Basil But he knowing that the Councell would be aboue the Pope and that vpon appearance he should answere the exhibited accusations against him would not appeare Eugenius not appearing was deposed by the Councel Amadeus Duke of Sauoy who had made himself an Hermit and now called Felix 5. was elected in his place yet for all this would not Eugenius leaue to be pope And so to defeat the Councel of Basil hee assembled another Councel in Ferrara frō thence went to Florence Don Iohn 2. king of Castile albeit he had sent his Embassadors and learned men to the Councel of Basil yet fauored this Eugenius Eugenius incited Lewes the Dolphin of France with an host to go to Basil and breake off the Councell whereof ensued great mischief This Eugenius was the cause of the vnfortunate death of Ladislaus king of Hungarie in counselling him to breake his faith word giuen to the Turke which counsell this poore yongling but of 22 yeares tooke so set vpon the Turke when by reason of the peace betweene them he least suspected The Turke seeing this vnfaithfulnes reinforced himselfe returned vpon him In which battel the king with Cardinal Caesarinus the Popes Legate was slaine his host destroyed It hath wontedly bene argued whether faith and promise giuen to an infidell might lawfully be broken wherunto I answer that which Frier Iohn de Pineda lib. 26. cap. 28. ¶ 1. to this purpose saith There is no doubt saith he but faith is to be kept aswel to an enemy albeit he be an Infidel as to a friend Christian the reason which he giueth is this because the bond to obserue it issueth from the law of nature which is indispensable God hauing bin put for witnes of the truth that each one promiseth to another c. So that Eugenius the fourth was wicked indispensing and Ladislaus was periured against God notwithstanding the Popes dispensation Wickedly did the Councel of Constance which brake faith with Iohn Hus and Ierome of Prage Much better did the Emperour Don Charles who being but young of 21 yeares sent with safe conduct for Luther who appeared before the Emperour at Wormes and publikely gaue an account of his faith and the Emperor keeping with him his word sent him backe albeit the Spaniards did incite him to kill him Much better did the Captaine Mondragon in keeping the faith which he had promised to the Prince of Orange whose prisoner he was This Eugenius most cruelly burned a Frenchman called Thomas Rēdon a Carmelit for saying that in Rome were committed great abominations that the Church had need of great reformation and that
dominican Friar whose wordes be these In the time of Leo 1â— Martin Luther an arch heretique arose vp in Germany who first preached and wrote against the Indulgences of the Pope afterwards against the Primacy of the Roman Church then against constraned single life and other rites and customes of the ancient Church Carança our aduersarie doth herein witnesse what was the cause that moued Luther to speak against the Church of Rome Who listeth to know this let him read Sleidons Historie Eckius tooke part with the Pope and Luther and Eckius in the pulpits preached the one against the other When Leo 10. heard of these rufflings he condemned Luther for an heretike which condemnation vnderstood by Luther he apealed to the first General CouÌ„cel wherin he did imitate the vniuersitie of Paris which a few moneths before had appealed froÌ„ the same Leo to the CouÌ„cel In Rome Leo caused Luthers bookes to be burned which when Luther vnderstood he burned in Wittenberg the Cannon Law which is the decretals and Popish decrees saying as they haue done vnto mee So haue I also done vnto them VVho will not wonder and be astonished at so great a courage and daring boldnesse that a poore begging Augustine Friar should dare to doe such a disgrace and to giue such a blowe and to whom thinkest thou to the Pope Was not the Pope he whom in times past the potentates Princes kinges and Emperours fell prostrate vnto and worshiped How commeth it then to passe that a meane man of no esteme gaue him such a blow that hee left him for dead Not Luther but God it was that chooseth the low thinges to confound the most high Tâ—e stinke of the villainies and abhominations of the Popes Clergie was gone vp to heauen now were the iniquities of the Amorites come to their height And God cast downe the pride of the Pope a second Lucyfer God gaue vs the grace that acknowledging such a benifit we may be thankfull and in holines and righteousnes serue him all the dayes of our life By this meanes hath God brought vs out of darkenesse into light and out of thralldome into libertie And Luther not content here with came to Wormes or Wormacia where Charles the Emperour held his first Dyet presenting himself before the Emperour so many Papists as were with him he disputed mainteined his cause and in the end departed the Emperour better keeping promise with him then it had formerly bene kept with Iohn Hus and Ierom of Prage in the Councell of Constance One thing here I cannot leaue to speake of that Luther going to wormes his friend aduised him in the way before they came at wormes to beware of going thither because they would doe to him as they had done to his bookes which they had burned Whereunto Luther with great courage answered that albeit he knew there were so many diuels against him in Wormes as there were tyles vppon the houses yet for all that would he not let to appeare there and giue account of his faith in so solemne an assembly And so he dyed In the 1522. yeare Leo 10 hearing that the Frenchmen by the Imperialls were vanquished slaine taken and cast out of Italy and that through his assistance died by his excessiue ioy and laughter his soule departed from him but of poyson that they gaue him as Panuinus supposeth An Atheist he was thought there was after this life neither heauen nor hell And so he died without receiuing the sacraments He could not saith Sanazaro receiued them because he had sold them And so almost no chiefe bishop as noteth Panuinus vpon the life of Pius 4 receiued them His Atheisme plainely appeared by an answere which he made to Cardinall Bembus who had alleaged vnto him a passage of the Gospell Whereunto in these wordes he dissolutly aÌ„swered what profit this fable of Christ hath brought to vs and our company All the world knoweth Leo by this answere well shewed himselfe to be Antichrist Obey him then Spaine and hold him for Chists vicar Paulus Iouius wrote the life of Leo 10. where among other thinges he saith these words Leo had also an euill report because it apeared that he affected vnhonestly some of his chamberlaines which were of the greatest nobles of all Italic hartely and freely played with them It is not Luther his enemie that saith this against him but his friend an Italian and Bishop Paulus Iouius Albeit that such a one was Leo as the historians of his time doe paint him yet so great is the flattery of D. Illescas that vpon his life ¶ 12. these words of him he saith After that he came to the Bishopdome his care was alwaies to eate litle of meats but meanely hot because they should not prouoke him to dishonesty Hither to Illescas In the time of this Leo Charles the Emprour reigned in Spaine Adrian 6. a Hollander was tutor to Don Charles the Emperonr and by his meanes came to be bishop of Tortosa Cardinall and ioyntly with Don Francisco Zimenes Archbishop of Toledo gouernour of Spaine being resident in Spaine after the death of Pope Leo was in his absence elected when he was Pope he promised to the princes by his letter to cause the court of Rome which had giuen occasion of commiting great wickednesse to be first of all reformed amended to the end that that which had giuen cause of the malady should giue also the beginning of the medicine health but all was but words For Adrian following the steps of his predecessor the Antichrist of Rome gaue himselfe to persecute Luther Ecolampadius other godly ministers of the word of God He changed not his name nor yet in customes life was so wicked as the other Popes for not being so wicked many say he was dispatched with poyson in the 1523. yeare dyed In whose time Don Charles the Emperour reigned in Spaine Clement 7. or as after some others 8. or 9. for the cause we haue spoken of in the life of the other Clement 7. Florentine was nephew or as others say the sonne of Pope Leo 10. Panuinus saith he was the sonne of Iulianus de medices and of another not certenly or manifestly his lawfull wife D. Illescas vpon the life of this Clement ¶ 5. saith It is a thing much to be noted that Clement hauing all his life time bene most liberall and a spender here with al affable and well spoken exceeding discreet and a great Negociator when he came to be Pope he was not knowne for he wholly changed his conditions and became most sparing and remisse So great is the change which dignities honours doe often make c. In the time of this Clement was great war betweene the Spaniards and French which this Clement did much kindle to his owne shame and Infamie And this by his vnconstancie for now
Bishop of Rome and Pope vniuersall in the Church of God and in that seat ruled two yeares and thirtie and so many dayes And albeit placed in this throne yet liued she not chastly but vsed priuate familiaritie with her slaue in whom she much trusted and by whom she was great with child yet so diligently she cloaked it that no other but himselfe knewe it And as God would not suffer so great wickednesse to rest any longer vnpunished so it happened that vppon a day being the time of her child-birth as she went with accustomed pompe to visite Saint Iohn de Lateran of a secrete sinne it pleased God to shew an open punishment and comming to a certaine place betweene the Church of Saint Clement and the Theater which they call improperly Coliseo with extreme paine shee brought forth a creature to the wonderfull amazement of those that were present and therewithall sodainly died and without honour or pompe was buried For this so strange accident in this place happened it is commonly sayd that when the chiefe Bishops go sithence to the Church of Lateran comming neere vnto it they turne aside go not that way in detestation of so horrible a chance And lest happily another such like woman might worke the like deceit there is now in the sacred palace a seate open below that it may secretly be seene if it be a man that is chosen The Romans now ashamed at the ceremonie for which his seate was inuented call it a dunghill imploy it to other purpose Another like seat there is or was if it be not thence taken in the Monasterie de Monte Cassino where in olde time they chose many Popes The same Author proceedeth In that way saith he is also a statue of stone representing the child-birth and death of this bold woman Thus farre Pero Mexia That which he saith of the statue and the cause of it there being is most true But it is to be vnderstood that the ceremony of the seate to knowe whether it be man or woman is not now vsed because those which are chosen for Popes haue so honestly liued that wanting lawfull wiues amongst their concubines whores and strumpets which they keepe and by whom they haue had he or she bastards they haue shewed themselues to be men Sergius had a bastared by a notable strumpet called Marozia as saith Luithprandus an ancient Writer in his secend booke and thirteenth chapter and in his third booke and twelfth chapter This sonne of the Pope was Pope also called Iohn the twelfth This Iohn the twelfth had a bastard which also was Pope called Iohn the fourteenth Innocentius 8. had 8. sonnes and as many daughters But leauing out the auncient let vs come to our later Popes How manie hee and she bastards had our Spanish Alexander the sixth Of Leo the tenth it is sayd that he had bastardes and that Clement the seuenth was his sonne of whom the Bishop Paulus Iouius counteth manie abominations Paule the third had bastardes among whom was one and Pero Lewis his name the most abominable Sodomite of his time and for the same was put to death Pope Gregorie the thirteenth not long since deceased before and when he was Pope had also bastardes Iohn Pannonius giueth the like reason with vs in these verses Non poterat quisquam resorantes aethera claues Non exploratis sumere testiculis Cur igitur nostro mos hic iam tempore cessat Antè probat sese quilibet esse marem The Church of Rome then hauing such certaine proofes a seate now is not needfull Friar Alonso venero in his Enchiridion of times speaking of the vnhappines of these times saith thus What greater euil thē a woman by her subtiltie worldly learning dissembling her sexe and nature to vsurpe the Pontificall seat of Christ Friar Iohn de Pineda par 3. lib 18. cap. 23. ¶ 6 saith This deede caused great admiration that a woman did dare to be the vicar of God sith the holy virgin Marie for being a woman is held irregular for any ecclesiasticall act or holy gouernment soeuer c. So long haue I dwelled vpō this historie of Pope Ione and with so many to wit 12 authors at the least confirmed it to confound some papists of our time which seing the disorder of this Pope this shee Pope I saie because the Pope is oft of the common of two genders to auoide the same very maliciously denie any such Pope to haue bin and the more to fortifie their vntrueth they are not contented to speak but also to write and print the same Amongest whom Onuphrius Panuinus of Saint Augustins order as they call it is one who among many other notes vpon Platina concerning the liues of the chiefe Bishops speaking of this Pope Ione maketh one verie large note wherein he absolutely or rather dissolutely denieth any such Pope to haue bene And his chiefest argument drawne to confirme his opinion is that such a one and such c. writing of the liues of the chiefe Oishops doe not once mention this Pope Iohn 8. whereupon it followeth as he concludeth that there was neuer any such Pope To this I answer that the Authors by him alleaged either by forgetfulnesse or ignorance or which is more credible mallice or else at least for shame haue made no mention of him As a Logitian I further answer that an argument taken ab authoritate negando is nothing worth For example Cicero vsed not this word therefore it is not Latine but if any other Latine authour as Caesar Liuius Salust c. vsed it it shall be Latine though not vsed by Cicero I now likewise answer that albeit those Authors by him alleaged make no mention of this Iohn the eight others and manie more such also as Pero Mexia calleth faithfull Authours haue done it An argument taken not ab authoritate negando but affirmando is good Of this Pope Mautuan in his third booke vpon Alphonsus speaking of hell thither saith he Iohn the eight descended Hic pendebat adhuc sexum mentita virilem Foemina cuitriplici Phrygiam diademate mitram Et tollebat apex pontificalis adulter Here will we make to the Papists and with much more reason the same demaunds that we did speaking of Constantine the second What will they say of those Bishops Archbishops and other Ecclesiasticall persons by her or her authoritie ordained Take away the cause and the effect ceaseth As she by their owne Cannons was not Pope so all those that she ordained were not Priestes nor did celebrate nor consecrate And all the people in hearing their Masse committed idolatrie Who then was head and vniuersall Bishop of the Church Who Saint Peters successour Who the Vicar of Christ A woman and that a whore both before she was Pope and after Pero Mexia hereof aduising answereth that albeit neither she nor any other woman be capable to receiue any character of ordination nor to ordaine
¶ 3. sayeth he added that which to many others seemed meere noueltie namely that he as wrote also Papyrus Saonensis was Lord of all the world which thing Philip king of France did denie him c. And a little lower sayth the same Pineda Crantzio sayth that on a solemne day to declare himselfe Lord as well of the temporaltie as of the spiritualitie pontifically arrayed as a Pope he shewed him selfe to and blessed the people and another day clothed as an Emperour carying before him a sword naked shewed himselfe and cryed out saying Ecce duo gladij hic c. Beholde here two swords c. wherein he would say that he was Lord of both swords ciuill and spirituall This is that Pope of whom say the Historians that he entered like a Foxe liued like a Lyon and died like a dogge Thus died that Boniface sayth Platina that more endeuoured to terrifie Emperours Kinges Princes Nations and people then make them religious He attempted to giue and take away kingdomes dispatch men and eftsoones call them backe euen as hee listed himselfe much thirsting after golde seeking for it on all sides more then can be spoken Pandulphus Calenucius in the fifth booke of his Neapolitane historie recounteth manie great villanies of this Pope With Boniface the eight will I conclude saying that which Frier Iohn de Pineda in his twentie and two booke chapter 12. ¶ 1. saith Let ambitious men saith hee note the life and death of Boniface so openly practised in his popedome and who coueteth more saith Frier Iohn de Pineda let him read Iohannes Vilaneus in the eight booke of his historie And notwithstanding he was such a one as manie men worthy of credite doe paint him out yet did Clement the fifth for all this celebrate a Councell in Vienna where were present as saith Frier Iohn de Pineda three hundred Bishoppes with very many other Prelates and it was there determined that Pope Baniface had bene most Catholike a Christian and true Pope and Vicar of God Wo vnto you that call good euil and euill good Behold here if the Pope and Councel may erre Don Fernando 4. the sonne of Don Sancho reigned in Castile Benedict 11. or after others the 9. a Dominican was very liberall to entertaine Idolatrie When he was Pope he cited those that had taken Boniface his predecessour and for not appearing before him he excommunicated them for their contempt Hee absolued of the excommunication the king of France and receiued into fauour Iohn and Iames Cardinals of Colen whom Boniface so much abhorred This good is reported of him that he would not see his mother poore but poorly clothed In the 1305. yeere 9 moneths of his popedome not fully complete he died and of poyson as is thought giuen him in certaine figs sent him by an Abbesse Don Fernando 4. then reigning in Castile After great differences who should be Pope Clement 5. a Gascon was chosen being absent His election being knowne he departed from Burdeux where he was Archbishop and came to Lyons in Fraunce whither he commanded and they so did all the Cardinals to come and so the Court of Rome in the 1305. yeare passed into Fraunce and there continued almost 74. yeares At the coronation of this Clement Philip king of Fraunce Charles his brother and Iohn Duke of Brittaine were present vpon whom and other twelue also fell a wall whereof they all there died The king also himselfe receiued some part of the euill and the pope sawe himselfe in so great a straite that he fell from his horse and lost a Carbuncle which he bare in his Miter or as they call it Reyno worth 6000. Florences How could he say with Saint Peter whose successour saith he he is Gold and siluer haue I none The pompe of this coronation ended many Cardinals he made all were French men To Rome he sent three Cardinals with authority of Senatours which should gouerne the same and Italy also He made a decree that to the elected Caesars in Almaine albeit they were called kings of the Romanes the pope notwithstanding should giue both authoritie and name a Brotheller was this Clement and Patron of whores and so for his pleasure and delight setled his Court at Auignon At Vienna in the 1311. yeare he celebrated a Councel in which for their goods sake wherewith he inriched those of S. Iohns order of the Rhodes most cruelly he dissolued the Templars which were more rich then the French king himselfe The great maister of the Templars one of his companions in the presence of the Cardinals he burned at Paris Against the Fraticellians Begardians and Begninians that denied to adore the bread in the Sacrament he published a Bull. He excommunicated the Venetians Florentines and Lucquesians The feast of the Recluses dreame in the life of Vrban 4. before mentioned which feast is called Corpus Christi he confirmed Celestine 5. he cannonized But why condemned he not Boniface 8. who was a traitor to his Pope Lord Celestine In the 1314. yeare Clement died In which same yeare as the Emperor Henry from Lucemberg meant to come into Sicilia offered and giuen him by the Sicilians themselues a cursed man called Bernardus de Monte Policiano a Dominick Friar who fained of set purpose great seruice to the Emperor gaue him poyson in the Sacrament And whē the good Emperor perceiued that he had giuē him poison he said vnto him Sir depart hence for if the Almaines perceiue what thou hast done thou shalt die an euil death The cursed Dominick fled to Sena where like another Iudas he receiued the money promised for his treason But his fellow Dominickes could he not deliuer for in Tuscan Lombardie and diuers other partes many of them were murthered and they and their monasteries by fire and sword perished Fryar Iohn de Pineda lib. 22. cap. 24. ¶ 4. of this Clement speaketh these words Saint Antoninus Iohannes Villaneus and Papirius say that hee was very couetous of money and thence it happened that he suffered Simony in matter of benefices to goe so openly through his court meerly ignorant bee they which say the Pope cannot be a Simonist seeing we know by deuine law that to buy or sell things holy and spirituall is called sinne and is that of Simony c. It is no marueile being such though he approued that good peece Boniface 8. Two yeares 3 moneths and 17. dayes the Sea was voyd In the time of this Pope Don Alonso 11. reigned in Castile After many contentions among the 23 Cardinals Iohn 23 or 22. or 21 was chosen The Cardinals as saith Saint Antoninus whom Friar Iohn de Pineda alleageth disagreeing they yeelded the court to this Iohns disposing and whomsoeuer hee should name was to be holden for Pope c. he named himselfe And somewhat lower saith Pineda Titus Liuius saith that the Romans were
Sodomit c. Wherfore Iohn changing his garmeÌ„t fled from ConstaÌ„ce went to Friburg but by coÌ„mand of the CouÌ„cell after he had 5. yeares poped he was depriued of his Popedome euery other office He was sought for found caught imprisond in the castle of Hidelberga in Germany where he was 3 yeares prisoner in great affliction for that his kepers were Germans simple rude which neither vnderstood Latine nor yet Italian the miserable Pope neither spake nor vnderstood Duch From this prison he afterward escaped The questioÌ„ whether the Pope be aboue the CouÌ„cel or the Councel aboue the Pope was in this CouÌ„cel debated And in the 4. 5. SessioÌ„s coÌ„cluded as Caranâ—a himselfe saith that a general Councel lawfully assembled which represeÌ„teth the catholike church millitaÌ„t had it authoritie imediatly of Christ which Councel euery person of what estate dignitie soeuer yea the Pope himselfe ought to obey in matter coÌ„cerning the faith c. This decre of the CouÌ„cel of CoÌ„staÌ„ce is confirmed in the 3. and 18. Sessions of the Councell of Basile In the Councell of Constance was Iohn Gerson a famous diuine present who not onely with wordes but also with writing approued and extolled this decree that the Pope was to be subiect to the Councell This decree he saith deserued to be fixed in all Churches and in all publike places for a perpetuall remembrance He saith that those which brought this tyranny into the Church that the chiefe Bishop ought not to obey the Councell and that the Councell neither ought nor could Iudge the Pope were pernicious flatterers As though the Councell receiued all that power and dignity of the chiefe Bishop and could not be assembled but at the will of the Pope As though there were no law for the Pope nor account to be demaunded of that which he did Such monstrous words saith he ought to be far from vs as those that be contrary to lawes equitie and reason He saith that all authoritie whatsoeuer the Church holdeth the same holdeth the Councell and that apleales from the Pope ought and may be made to the Councell He saith that they which demaunde whether the Pope or Church be greater Doe no lesse then they that demaunded whether the whole or parte bee greater The Councell saith he hath authoritie and right to chuse Iudge and depose the chiefe Bishop All which with the Councell of Constance Gerson confirmed This Councell Iudged the causes of three Popes Gregorie 12. Benedict 13. and Iohn 24. and finding them all there faulty deposed them and elected Martin 5. Eneas Siluius afterwardes called Pius 2. was present in the Councell of Basill and wrote all whatsoeuer was there debated extolling to the clouds that was there decreed but afterwards being Pope he changed his opinion saying that the Councell ought to be subiect to the Pope The vniuersitie of Paris a few moneths before Luther handled the question of Indulgence from Leo 10. appealed to the Councel This decree of the Councels of Constance and Basill did not nor yet doth please the Popes flatterers who against their owne consciences make the Pope God in the earth absolute Lord of all Iohn Wickeliffe an Englishman before in England deceased for freely preaching the euangelical Doctrin which discouereth hypocrisie and false papisticall doctrine was in this Councell condemned For the same also were Iohn Hus Ierome of Prage who suffered their Martyrdome with great constancie and ioyfulnes condemned and burned Pius 2. saith that Iohn Hus was greater in age authoritie but Ierome was greater in learning and eloquence And a little before he saith both suffered death with a constant mind as if they had bene inuited to some banquet they prepared themselues to go to the fire When the fire began they sung a Psalme which the flame rushing in of the fire could hardly hinder None of the Philosophers with such constancy fortitude of mind is read to haue suffered death as these men endured the fire Eneas Siluius albeit an enemy thus speaketh of them Vnder safe conduct came these two to dispute maintaine their cause as they did in the Councell But neither faith nor promise regarded they against all law and reason were condemned and burned The reason which the Papists yeeld for this deed doing is because no faith is to be kept with heretiques This faith-breach was cause of great bloodshed in the great warres which afterwards happened in Bohemia as Siluius himselfe reporteth Great praise worthy are the Bohemians that with great constancy haue continewed in the good Doctrine and reformation which these holy martirs of Iesus Christ taught them And so much the more is their praise by how much the more they haue suffered troubles persecutions for almost 200 yeares yet by the mercy of God doe they stil vse this good doctrine and reformation which from thence hath crept to Morauia and Polonia the bordering regions In our time hath God stretched the same through Germany from theÌ„ce spread throughout al Europe and hath further passed the great Ocean sea and gone to India all the lets of Antichrist by meanes of his Inquisitors notwithstanding and the more they shall burne the more will it spread abroad because as before we haue said of Tertulian The bloud of the Martirs is the seede of the Gospell Carança in his Summa Conciliorum noteth 45 errors as he calleth them of Iohn Wickelife and 30 of Iohn Hus who listeth to knowe what Iohn Hus taught let him read Carion lib. 5. When Iohn 24. had as we haue said escaped out of prison he came to present himselfe to Pope Martin 5. who was chosen in the CouÌ„cel of Constance to Florence came he prostrated himselfe at the feet of Pope Martin acknowledging him to be Pope kissed his feet Martin moued with this humilitie within few dayes after made him Cardinal Bishop of Tuscan read Friar Iohn de Pineda lib. 23. cap. 20. ¶ 3. O. what a Cardinal O what a Bishop if that be true as it was which was obiected and proued against him in the Councel of CoÌ„stance But no new thing it is that the Popes Cardinals bishops should be as he was But a few moneths after Iohn in his Cardinalship of very griefe is supposed in the 1419. yeare died Friar Iohn de Pineda saith that it was suspcted they gaue him poyson And saith that most solemnly was hee buried in the chappel of S. Iohn Baptist Don Iohn 2. theÌ„ reigning in Castil Martin 5. was made Pope in the Councel of CoÌ„sance of whose electioÌ„ Sigismund the Emp. much reioyced so thaÌ„ked the Councel for chusing such a Bishop And prostrating himselfe before the Pope kissed his feete This pope embraced him as his brother gaue him thankes that by his meanes and trauell the Church was quieted after so great a Sisme But for all this
French English and Flemish In this booke it is liuely depainted and with many notable exampeles confirmed This is to be noted that how many soeuer entred into the Inquisition for what cause soeuer all came out with confusion and losse of goods and many of their liues and none at all instructed Such is the intreatie wherewith the Fathers of the faith doth intreat them They haue not leysure to teach them but to robbe and kill them Would God that according to the lawdable custome of Spaine in other Audienecs Iudges of residence should be sent men learned and voyd of passion which might examine the Inquisitors and those that be and haue bene prisoners in the Inquisition O what would then bee discouered Aragon as it were by force receiued afterwardes the Inquisition and so they killed the first Inquisitors In the 1546. yeare Don Pedro of Toledo attempted to place it in Naples but could neuer effect it as Doctor Illescas vppon Paul 3. reporteth For the Neapolitanes did vehemently withstand it Thinges standing in these termes Pope Paule before certified of what passed in Naples dispatched forth a writ apostolique whereby he declared that the knowledge of causes touching the offence of heresie apperteyned to the ecclesiasticall Court and Iurisdiction apostolique commaunding the viceroy and all whomsoeuer secular Iudges to surcease in them and not entermedle to proceede against any heresie by way of Inquisition nor any other manner reseruing to himselfe the determination of such causes as of a thinge concerning the Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction Thus farre Doctour Illescas Some yeares after one Sayavedra Cordoves perswaded the king of Portugale that he was sent a Nuncio from Paul 3. vnto him And so in the 1545. yeare thus brought in the Inquisition into Portugale There went out of Portugale 30000. Iewes Time brought it to light that the Pope had not sent him and so was he condemned to the gallies Another pleasant conceate haue I heard of this Nuncio an excellent writer he was and well knewe to counterfeite what handsoeuer This Nuncio remayning in the gallies came a poore woman to beseech the Generall of the gallies to ayde her with some almes for the mariage of her poore daughter The General made answere that very willingly would he helpe her but present want of money was the cause he could not The poore woman with this answere departed weeping of whom when the Nuncio saw her weepe hee demaunded the cause of her weeping She told him that which she had passed with the Generall Then did he comfort her saying that he would effect what she desired And taking inke and paper he wrote these words Steward vpon sight of these presents giue so many thousand marmades the number I remember not to her that shall giue you this scedule which scedule the Nuncio subcribed as if the Generall himselfe had done it The poore woman departed with her scedule to the Stewarde The steward answered that he wondered his Lord would in such a time send that scedule But sith such was his pleasure he would giue her that which he commaunded him to giue her and so gaue it indeede When the day came that the Generall tooke account of the steward the steward presented the said scedule vnto him which he read againe and said to the steward True it is that such a poore woman came to me to aske an almes but I answered her that I could not helpe her for the present And beholding the subscription said this is my hand but I wrote it not Wherefore he made inquirie in the gally who had written it and it was proued to be the Nuncio For which cause the generall would haue caused his hand to be cut off but at request of many his hand cutting was spared and he put to the oares For by reason of his wealth he rowed not-before D. Illescas in the life of Clement 6. saith that he saw him in the gally rowing One of the chiefe causes of the low countries reuolt wherein so many thousands of Spaniards and other nations haue died and so many millions of crownes haue bene wasted y aun el rabo como dizen estápor desollar yet the taile as the say is to be fleyed for to begin anew is each day needfull was that the Duke d' Oliua sought to bring in the inqusition You see here the profit which the Inquisition hath brought to Spain This saie I not as though I would that there were neither king nor ruler but that each one might doe and beleeue what he listed Good lawes be necessarie in euery cōmon wealth for this cause committed God the sword to the Magistrate for the chastisement of the wicked and praise of the good as saith the Apostle Saint Peter Let them then that doe euill be punished but not tyrannically All lawes permit the delinquent to know who is his aduersarie and the witnesses that depose and who they be that he may except against them if they be infamous or his enemies c. In this Inquisitorie Audience the Lo. Treasurer who it may be neuer knewe nor saw the delinquent is made partie the witnesses howe infamous what villaines soeuer or great enemies they be are neuer named and so cannot be excepted against The which is contrary to all diuine and humane Iustice If the witnesses haue witnessed against one three or foure things the Inquisitors doe charge him as though the witnesses had spoken of ten or twelue things much more horrible then the witnesses haue deposed And so maie the Inquisitors doe what they list knowing that there is no residēt Iudge which is to take account of that they haue done Against this tyrannie doe we speake Maie it please the diuine Maiestie which hath geuen to the king the sword authoritie and commaund ouer all whatsoeuer that liue in his kingdomes be they secular as they terme them or ecclesiasticall to put into the kinges heart willingnes to be informed of the wronges and grieuances which the Inquisition doth and to geue as is his dutie remedie for the same which one day I hope the Lord will performe reuenge the blood of the iust which the Inquisition vniustly hath spilled The blood of the Iust is as the blood of Abell crying for vengeance How long say the dead for the word of God c. Lord holy and true wilt thou not iudge auenge our blood c. The brotherhood hath done and doth great good to Spaine for it clenseth the waies and wast places of the eues and robbers and so men may walke and sit safely vnder their figge trees and at the foote of their vine A common prouerbe it is that in Spaine are three holy sisters the holy Inquisition the holy Crosse and the holy brotherhood frō the one which is the Inpuisitiō they pray God to deliuer them from the other will they keepe themselues The tyrrany of the Inquisition in this saying is noted God of his great loue
graces which at this present they enioy Shortly after the maister Petrus Fabrus and Antonius de Araoz and then others also came to Castile When Paul 3. was dead Pope Iulius 3. almost with the confirmation of this sect in the 1550. yeare began his Popedome By the conuersation which Don Francisca de Boria Duke of Gandia and Marquesse of Lombay had with the said Araoz he bare great loue and liking to this sect wherein he was much more confirmed by the perswasions of his wife Dona Leonora de Castro a Portugale much deuoted to the Iesuites And so went the Duke to Rome in the company of the said Araoz who was the first prouinciall in Castile VVhen they both two returned into Spaine the Duke was made a Iesuite in the Colledge of Onate where he tooke all the orders In Rome built Inigo Layola the Almaigne Colledge to instruct the youth of that nation against the Doctrine which they cal Lutheran saw befor he died 16 Prouincials of his owne Institution and more then 70. Colledges he died in Rome in the 1556. yeare and in the 61 yeare of his age The Iesuits were commonly and yet in Italy and Spaine are called Theatinos but so be they not For the Theatinians had another beginning and manner of liuing certaine gentlemen and other people they were which moued with deuotion were giuen to praiers singing other such exercises and were called at the beginning the fellowship of Godly loue Of this company was made Iuan Pedro Carrasa a Neapolitan Bishop of Chiety who holden a person famous as he was for the principall and head of these religious persons they began to bee called Chietinos after corrupting the word for Chietinos were they called Theatinos This passed in the time of Clement 7. These Chietinians or Theatinians by reason of the sacking of Rome fled from Rome to Astia where they found certaine venecian galleys and in them passed to Venice And this was 11. yeares before Inigo layola his 10 cōpanions came to Venice to go to the holi-land The Iesuits stopped in this voyage by the wars between the Turk Venecias went frō Venice to Rome The Romans supposed they were the Chietinians or Thiatiniās which returned to Rome and so through ignorance they confounded these two sects which are far diferent the principal of the Thiatinians Iuan Pedro Carraf◠was afterwards Pope called Paul 4. Of the Thiatinians but few Colledges or monastaries are foūd to wit in Venice Rome Naples Pauia The Iesuites also in Arogon of Inigo their founder are called Iniguistes in Portugal Apostles but in al places else they are called Iesuits and so in the buls processe of the Pope are they called Greatly in short time haue these Iesuites multiplied For the locusts be they wherof speaketh S. Iohn in the 9. chap. of his Reuelation which issued out of the bottomlesse pit whose K. which is the Angell of the deepe in Hebrewe is called Abaddon in Greeke Apolyon both the one and the other word as much to say as destroyer And who but the Pope can be this Abaddon which Popeth and all destroyeth And who be his locusts but the Iesuits which wheresoeuer they come doe destroy consume all things They Insinuate themselues into the houses castles palaces of princes kings and monarches and stay not till they know the very inward secret and intents of the hart with fire blod doe they incite them to war vpon those which speake not nor thinke as they doe And if force and violence suffice not then by crafty treasons poysonings do they practise to kill them And so no Lord prince king nor monarche in his owne house is secure if he speak think not as they doe Sufficient exampls hereof we haue had within these 20 or 30 yeares let the Histories be read Lady Elisabeth the most illustrious Quene of England wel knowing thē for such as she that of the Iesuits great treasons hath so great experience whō so so often they haue practised to murther God the father of mercies hath as often againe deliuered her for the comfort of his Church advancemēt of the kingdome of his Christ the confusion and contempt of Antichrist that Abaddon hath banished them from her kingdome commanding vpon paine of life that they enter not into it These Iesuits haue also practised to murther Henry 4. king of France And so one of this company called Iohn Castell did wound him but by the prouidence of God hee missed his blow and willing to strike him in the throat hit his vpper lip brake one of his teeth The murtherer was caught and as a traitor adiudged to death and so Iustice was executed on Thursday the 29 of Decēber in the 1594. yeare The house where the said Iesuit was borne was pulled down in it place a Piramides set wherupon the cause why the house was puld downe and the pyramides erected are written in marble with letters of gold which in latine say thus Audi viator siue sis extraneu◠Siue incola vrbis cui Paris nomen dedit Hic alta quae sto Piramis domus fui Castella sed quam diruendam funditus Frequens senatus Crimen vltus Censuit Huc me redegit tandem herilis filius Malis magistris vsus et schola impia Sotericum eheu nomen vsurpantibus Which in English is this Listen O thou traueller whether thou be straunger or inhabitant of the Citie which Paris named In this place where I stand the high Piramides was the house of Castel which the cōmon consent of the senate for punishment of the fault appointed to be pluckt downe To this hath the son of my maister brought me because he had ill maisters and was trained vp in a wicked schole which ô griefe vsurpe the name of the Sauiour Iesus There was also written D. O. M. which is Deo Optimo Maximo Pro salute Henrici 4. clementissimi ac fortissime Regis quem nefandus Parricida perniciosissimae factionis haeresi pestiferra imbutus quae nuper abhominandis sceleribus pietatis nomen obtendit vnctos Domini viuasque maiestatis ipsius Imagines occidere populariter docuit dum confodere tentat caelesti numine scelestammanum inhibente cultro in labrum superius delato dentiū occursu faeliciter retuso violare ausus est Which in English is thus For the health of Henry 4. most mercifull and potent king whom whiles the wicked homicide infected with the pestiferous heresie of the most pernicious sect which with abhominable wickednesse here lately pretended the name of pietie taught the people to murther the annoynted of the Lord and dared to violate the sacred Images of his maiestie attempted to stabbe But the dyuine maiestie letting the cursed hand caused the knife to wound the vpper lip and so by the teeth to be most happily hindred Also Pulso praeterea tota Gallia hominum genere nouae ac
Sadduces shamelesly denied the resurrection and allowed neither Angel nor spirit As by the disputation which they held with Christ about the woman that had seauen husbands appeareth Matth. 22. 22. and in the Acts 23. 8. The Essees apart had their opinions It was a people solitarie like the Charterhouse Monkes They had no wiues drunk no wine nor did they eat any flesh a people they were very austere and euery day fasted Whiles the Church was deuided into these sects when all was confused came the sonne of God into the world With such he conuersed And of such for preaching the truth vnto thē he was crucified When the light of the Gospel was come which Christ and his Apostles preached who allowed it not but rather killed and crucified those that preached the same The same people of God the Church of God chiefly the Scribes Pharisies priests and high priests These came togither held a Councell wherein they concluded that Christ should die and all those that should preach the same Doctrine They tooke him because they wanted authoritie to put any to death with false witnes they accused him before Pilate Deputy to the Emperour Tiberius and thisin the holy Ierusalem And so was he condemned for an euil doer for such a one was crucified O what a Church O what a Councell if the cheife Preist may erre and erred in dede The Lord by diuine power eftsoones raysed vpp who suborned his keepers to say that his disciples had stollen him away Who assembled a Councell to persecute the Apostles and commaunded them that they should not preach who caused S. Iames to be put to death Who made S. Peter to be taken to cause him to die had not the Angel of the Lord deliuered him The visible Church of God the scribes and Pharisies and high Priests Not without cause faid the Lord speaking of Ierusalem Ierusalem Ierusalem which killest the prophets and stonest those that be sent vnto thee Afterwards the very same hath hitherto happened leauing former times spake we of these wherein we liue Who hath for the space of 70 or 80. yeares hitherto shed so much bloud of Martyres they that call themselues the Church of Iesus Christ chiefly the peeuish Friars Bishops chiefe Bishops and the same shal they doe vntill the end of the word And so Christ speaking of his second comming when he shall come to the vniuersall Iudgement saith Luke 18. 8. The son of man when he commeth shall he find faith vpon the earth As if he should say no. And in the XXIIII chapter of Saint Matthewe he maketh a discourse hereof verse 12. And because saith he iniquitie shal be increased the loue of many shal be cold And verse 24. For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders so that if it were possible they should deceiue the very elect And thinke we not these false Christs and false Prophets shal bee Turkes and Iewes Christians they shal be and for such shall they be holden Bishops and chiefe Bishops shal be the principally as at this day they be I haue sufficiently proued me thinketh by many examples and passages of the old and new Testament that the Church of God may erre and hath erred indeede which to our aduersaries seemeth vnpossible Now will we resolue a doubt and this it is If the Church bee such and subiect to fall into Errours superstitions heresies and idolatries as before we haue proued How shall that be vnderstood which the scripture saith That the Church is the body of Iesus Christ That the Church is the spouse of Christ That the Church is the pillar of truth founded vppon the sure foundation That the Churche is without spot or wrincle and wholy faire That the gates of hell shall not preuaile against her and other like commendations and prayses thereof the word of God witnesseth To this may we answere that both the one and the other may very well stand For God neuer suffered all his Church to fall togither into Error But rather hath alwayes reserued some good and some times also seauen thousand As said he speaking of Elias albeit in corners which neuer bowed the knees to Baal Such as these the common error dispatched wherewith all the Church was generally deceaued Against this Error such others of these spake preached and wrote and most times it cost them their liues and had each one of them had a thousand liues a thousand liues would each one of them haue lost for the same cause That Church wherein Catholiquely and vniuersally raigned that Errour or heresie shee and her Bishoppes did persecute condemned and kill them As by examples wee haue confirmed the same So that when the scripture saith All Israel all Iuda all the inhabitants of Ierusalem turned away from God committed Idolatrie c. Of such a manner ingenerall must wee vnderstand which hath it Exceptions for in the middest of these Errours and idolatries so Catholique fo vniuersall had alwayes God some particular men whom he reserued cleane and pure from that common errour So reserued God Moses and Iosua and some other particular persons also which worshipped not the calfe when all Israel ingenerall and Aaron the high Priest him selfe worshipped it The same will wee say of the time of the Iudges that God neuer forsoke his Church The same wee say also of the times of the kings of Israel and of Iuda When all committed Idolatrie God raysed vp an Esaias a Micheas a Ieremias an Ezechiel a Daniel c. Who reproued vices and false Doctrine and declared the truth But which of these did not the Church and her high priests persecute and kill So also reserued the Lord vnro himselfe at his first comming into the worlde A Simeon an Anna widdowe a Ioseph and his spouse the virgin Marie mother of our sauiour An holie Elizabeth and her sonne Saint Iohn Baptist which were Godly very well thought of the true religion and agreed neither with the Pharisies nor Sadduces nor Essees And so the Lord in so vnhappy times preserued his Church And so likewise vntill now hath he preserued the same And now also in these lest miserable times wherein neither faith Luk. 18 8. nor loue is found Matth. 24. 12. God reserueth some which oppose themselues to the tyranny of the Antichrist of Rome and to the common errour and Idolatrie of all the Romane Church ingenerall And so God hath not permitted that his Church hath wholly bene deceiued nor according to his promise I am with you vnto the end of the world Wil he euer permit the same Euer thē hath God reserued fome that haue not bene deceiued with the cōmon errour many from time to time be enlightened As by experience we haue seene it God of his infinit mercy increase them that the number of his chosen may be fulfilled so sinne may cease and only Christ
league distant from Siuill They said vnto him How darest thou I pray thee stretch out thy handes stayned with vniust slaughter and bloud to receaue with the same the holy bodie of the Lord Or thou that moued with the fury of wrath so much bloud so wickedly hast spilled how wilt thou apply to thy mouth his venerable bloud depart then c. Sozomenus lib. 7. cap. 24. maketh also mention of this Historie The same S. Ambrose in the funerall oration which he made at the death of Theodosius maketh mention of Theodosius his repentaunce Were there many Ambroses There would bee many Theodosies The cause will I here briefly tell why Saint Ambrose depriued him of the holy supper They of Thessalonica murdred a Tribune in a popular tumult the Emperour Theodosius hearing it was so highly offended that hee caused seuen thousand men to bee slayne Pero Mexia writing the life of this Theodosius applyeth this to his Masse which is so much against it Hee saith that Theodosius the day following would go to the Temple to pray and heare Masse as he was saith he accustomed c. And note the affected malice of Pero Mexia That he alleaged not the author of this his saying That Theodosius went to heare Masse which he would haue done had any said it Maliciously he concealeth the name of Theodoret because it made against his Masse which he so much adored Two things may we note in this saying of S. Ambrose First that he which did communicate toke the sacrament with his handes and not with his mouth a childe when they giue it pappe This sacrament is not for Infants which cannot eate strong meates but it is for people that haue discretion can eat a peece of bread and drinke a boule of wine And so saith Christ vnto them Take eate Take drinke He saith not Open thy mouth receaue therewith the bread The second thinge which we are to note in this saying of Saint Ambrose is that the sacrament to the faithful was giuen in both kinds in bread wine For to eate without drinking what doth it profit the body Both the one the other haue we noted in the place of S. Cyprian before aleaged Also lib. 4. De sacramentis cap. 5 these words saith the same S. Ambrose In the distribution of the bodie bloud of Christ the priest said Take the body of the Lord Take the bloud of Christ Whereunto the commucant answered Amen The second Doctour is Saint Ierome Where speaking vppon the second chapter of Malachy saith The priest which consecrateth the bread of the supper and distributeth the blood of the Lord to the people Saint Augustine is full of notable sayings confirming our Doctrine of the communion in both kindes Of which I will alleage one or two to auoyd tediousnesse How saith Saint Augustine lib. 5. Hypognost Tom. 7. dost thou promise the life of the kingdome of heauen to Babes not regenerate of water and the holie Ghost nor nourished with the flesh nor watered with the blood of Christ c. Also in the first Epistle to Ianuarius Some saith he doe euery day communicate the body and the bloud of Christ others c. This is most certaine that in the time of S. Cyprian and of S. Augustine and long time also after the Eucharist was giuen in both kindes and that to Infants As Erasmus noteth it The fourth Doctor which is S. Gregory now remayneth whom we may iustly intitle the last bishop of Rome and his successor Boniface 3. may we call the first Pope because he would be wholy Pope calling himselfe by the ayd of that murderer Phocas vniuersall Bishop Saint Gregorie then saith you haue learned what the bloud of the Lambe is and this not by hearing but by drinking his bloud to wit as often we haue said the sacramēt of his bloud is shed into the mouths of the faithful Here you see al the foure Doctors of the Church confirme our Doctrine Why then doe our aduersaries deny it And what say I of foure doctors reade they all the ancient Doctors as wel Greeks as Latins all are found to be for vs. And many years also after Saint Gregorie when all things as it were went to ruine this custom continued not as a custome but as a law inuiolable was it holdē for the reuerence of the diuine institution was yet on foot in it being to separate those things which God hath ioyned they doubted not to be sacrilege So said Gelasius Bish of Rome as de Consecratione dist 2. cap. Comperimus it is alleaged we haue vnderstood saith he that some hauing only taken the body of the Lord doe absent themselues from the cuppe who for as much as they sinne of superstition must bee compelled to receiue entirely the whole Sacrament or to abstaine from the whole For the diuision of this misterie cannot be without great sacrilege Our aduersaries then in diuiding this mysterie by the saying of Gelasius be superstitious Church-robbers In the 3. Councell of Toledo 2. Cannon And in the conclusion of the sayd Councell the symbol of our faith is commaunded to be said before the communion of the body and bloud of Christ according to the custome of the East the reason which the Councell giueth is that the people should confesse that which they beleeue and so hauing hearts purified by faith are said to receiue the body and bloud of Christ In this Councell was present the Catholike king Ricaredo as by the prayers which hee made in the Councell appeareth The 7. Domage that the Masse causeth is that suppose the Masse were good celebrated as it ought to be celebrated yet in a strange tongue is it sayd that the people vnderstand it not sometimes also be himself that faith it vnderstandeth not that which he saith which is against the commandement of S. Paul who commandeth that all be done with comelinesse order And what comelines or order is there where the people heare a language which they vnderstand not and so know not whether the Priest doth blesse or curse them The same Apostle saith that the vse of tongues not vnderstood albeit to the praise of God is vnprofitable in the Church And therefore without interpretation of that which is said ought not to be vsed Read 1. Cor. 14. 8. where he saith If the trumpet shall giue an vncertaine sound who shall prepare himselfe to the battell So likewise you by the tongue except ye vtter words that haue signification how shall it be vnder flood that which is spoken For ye shall speake in the aire c. And therefore in the 19. verse he sayth I would rather speake fine words in the Church with vnderstanding that is to say that may be vnderstood thereby also to instruct others then tenne thousand wordes in a tongue to wit that the people vnderstand not The same Apostle in the 27. verse commandeth that if