and Judicatures Decreeing Interdicts and Excommunications against the King his Judges Officers Lands Castles and Lay subjects for which Liberties they resolved to contend even unto Death The Archbishop was forced by the King and Barons to fly the Kingdom for this and other like Constitutions against whom they complained appealed and sent their Proctors to Rome Which Constitutions are yet Printed in Lâ—ndewood and Aton and urged for the Canon-Law of this Realm by some aspiring Prelates and Ignorant Canonists of late times saith Mr. Prynne though always opposed in such manner as hath been related Prynn's Exact Hist vol. 2. yea totally neglected or seldome put in use in times of Popery by those which made them as Lyndewood himself acknowledgeth in hâ—s Epistle to Henry Archbishop of Canterbury before his Provâ—nciale SECT V. The Kings Prohibitions Contemned 5. The King's Prohibition disobeyed by the Popes Warrant is another Grievance complained of in those days For Pope Eugenius hath so decreed That no Spiritual Judge shall stay from proceeding in any Cause termed Ecclesiastical in regard of the Kings Prohibitions c. Decernimus Extra de judiciis The Prohibitions sent by our Kings their Council Courts Judges to Archbishops Bishops Archdeacons Officials and other Ecclesiastical Persons were some of them against admitting Clerks to Benefices or Prebendaries till the Title were tried in the Kings Courts Some against holding â—lea of Advowsons of Chappels Churches Prebendaries or determining the Rights of Patronages to Churches Chappels and Prebendaries in Ecclesiastical Courts or before Popes Delegates Against Alienation of Lands in Capite in Mortmain or otherwise Against granting Administrations of Intestates Goods Debtors or Accomptants to the King till the Kings Debts satisfied Against Appeals to Popes Pryn's Hist of Popes Usurpations Vol. 2. p. 393 394 878 8â—9 or any other in cases of Certificates of Bastardy to the Kings Courts or trying Bastardy in Spiritual Courts their Canons crossing the Common Law therein Against Abbots or Convents borrowing or others lending them Moneys upon Bond without their joynt consent and the Kings c. Against Archbishops Consecrating Bishops Elect not approved of by the King after their Election Against their holding and meeting in Convocations or Council or acting and doing any thing in them â—ejudical to the King or Kingdom Some Prohibitions were aâ—â—inst Bakers imprinting the sign of the Cross Agnus Dei or â—â—me of Jesus upon Sale-bread Some against Bishops and other â—â—eir Officers citing Lay Persons to make Inquisitions Presentâ—â—ents or give testimony upon Oath or excommunicating them â—â—r not taking Oaths in any case except in matters of Matrimony â—â—d Testament being against the Kings Prerogative Law or â—ustom of the Realm c. Against their holding Plea of any Chatâ—â—ls or Goods which concerned not Marriage or Testament or 〈◊〉 Goods Testamentary for which there is Suit in the Kings Exâ—â—equer Against their Citing Excommunicating or Interdicting â—â—â—y of the Kings Barons Bailiffs Judges Officers Sheriffs for â—xecuting the Kings Writs or Misdemeanours in the execution of â—â—eir Offices or any of his Tenants in Capite or of his Demesne â—ands Cities Castles without his special License or Lieutenants c. Against Archbishops Bishops Convents or others presenting to â—ivings or Prebends belonging to the King during Vacations Against disturbing the Possessions of the Kings Clerks presented â—y him to Benefices or Prebends or Judgments in his Courts by â—ny process out of Ecclesiastical Courts or from the Pope or his â—eligates Against Suits in Ecclesiastical Courts Pro laesione fidei â—r breach of Oaths in civil Contracts Against suing there for Lands â—evised by Custom or Actions of Debt devised by the Testator Against Ordinaries malicious Excommunications or Arresting or â—â—prisoning Persons unjustly Excommunicated by them or for â—inging Prohibitions to prevent them Against the bringing of any â—ulls Letters from or sending any Letters to the Pope or Court of â—ome prejudicial to the King or Realm Against citing or drawing â—ny of the Kings Subjects for any Suits to Rome or out of the Realm â—y the Pope his Delegates or others Against collecting any Aid â—isme or Money for the Pope or others by the Popes Authority â—ithout the Kings special Licence and Consent by Popes Nuncioes â—egats Bishops or any others Against Popes Provisions to Beâ—ifices Prebendaries c. belonging to the Kings Presentation 〈◊〉 right of his Crown or by his Prerogative in Vacant Bishopricks â—onasteries Wardships or to his free Chappels or Churches imâ—ropriated Against Clerks and others going to Rome without â—aking a special Oath to procure nothing to the Kings or Kingdoms â—amage Against Popes Legates or Agents coming into the Realm â—nless sent for and taking an Oath to do or bring nothing to the prejudice of the King Church or Kingdom Against receiving or assisting a Bishop or Archbishop made by the Popes Provision Against Popes and their Delegates Sequestration of the Temporalties Goods and Profits of Monasteries Against Sheriffs or Gaolers detaining Clerks in Prison after demand by their Ordinaries Against the Cruce fignati or others going over Sea out of the Realm without the Kings special Licence Against offering violence to the Goods or Persons of Clerks Churches or Church-yards Against removing Moneys of Delinquents and Alliens out of Monasteries Against offering Violence to Jews or their Goods Against Noblemens siding with Bishops in their Quarrels Against Suits between Persons for Tithes when the Patron may be prejudiced or for the Money of Tithes sold until it be discussed by the King and Council whether the Right belongs to the King or whether the Cause belong to the King or the Ecclesiastical Court. Against Examining things in the Ecclesiastical Court that have been judged in the Kings Courts in cases of Presentations to Churches and the like Agasnst Womens Marriages who held Castles or Lands in Capite without the Kings Licence SECT 6. Restraint of the Common Law 6. Another Grievance was That the King was forbidden in causes of Clerks to use the Canon Laws of his Realm but is commanded to decide them only by the Common Law c. Quod Clericus de foro competenti Some Causes ever taken to be meerly Civil Usurpation against Common Law and to appertain to the Crown were drawn to the Ecclesiastical Authority As namely The right to determine Questions of Patronage whereof Pope Alexander the Third wrote to the King of England that it was to be tried by Ecclesiastical Laws and before an Ecclesiastical Judge cap 3. Extra de judiciis Again in some Causes Civil The King not permitted to use the Common Law in some Cases of Lay Persons the King was restrained from the use of the Common Law of his Realm though the same concern Lay Persons As when a Woman by Oath maketh release of her Joynture or Dower the temporal Judge is compellable by the Ordinary his Excommunication to judge of the Oath according to the Canon Law c. Licet jure jurand And where again an
Englands Grievances In TIMES of POPERY Drawn out of the Canon Law Decretal Epistles and Histories of those Times WITH REASONS why all Sober PROTESTANTS May Expect no better Dealing from the Roman-Catholicks Should GOD for their Sins suffer them to fall under the Popes Tyranny AGAIN Collected for the Information and Satisfaction of the English Nation at this Time LONDON Printed for Joseph Collyer and Stephen Foster and are to be sold at the Angel on London-Bridge a little below the Gate 1679. To his much Honoured Friends RICHARD DUKE of OTTERTON High-Sheriff of the County of DEVON AND TO CLEMENT HERNE of HAVERINGLAND In the County of NORFOLK ESQUIRES The AUTHOR Dedicateth this Insuing Treatise Intituled England's Grievances in Times of Popery ENGLAND'S Grievances in Times of POPERY SECTION 1. IT appeareth as well by the Pope's Laws delivered in Decretal Epistles which were particularly and upon sundry occasions directed to the Bishops and other Clergy-men of this Realm of England in Popish times as also by the report of our English Histories that at such time as the Bishop of Rome had his full sway in this Realm the Authority of the King was so obscured as there was hardly left any shew of his Sword and Dignity And on the other side the Subjects destitute of succour by their Natural Prince and left to a most miserable spoil and rapine of the Pope and of such as it pleased him to give them in prey whereof these special Grievances here collected may serve for testimony besides a number of others which come not to my memory but may be easily supplied by any indifferent mans careful Reading GRIEVANCES 1. The first Grievance was The Exemption of the Clergy Exemption of the Clergy who being a considerable part of the Realm by reason that great numbers as well looking to Preferments that then were bestowed upon that State as also drawn by Priviledges and Immunities which they infinitely enjoyed above others sought to be of that number were wholly exempt or at least so took themselves to be from all Jurisdiction of the King and his Justices not in Ecclesiastical Causes only as then they were termed but even in Causes Civil and in Matters of Crime though the same touched the Prince and his Danger in the highest degree The Popes Laws to this purpose are to be seen in C. Clerici extr de Judiciis C. seculares de foro competenti in 6o. and a special Constitution Provincial of this Realm made by Boniface Archbishop of Canterbury in the time of King Henry the Third in the Council of Westminster or Lambeth Anno 1270 or 1272. vid. Prynne's Exact History of Pope's Intollerable Usurpations upon the Liberties of the King and Subjects of England and Ireland Vol. 2. lib. 4. c. 3. Johan de Aton Constitut. Guil. Lindwood Touching the Practice it is recorded in the Decretals that Pope Alexander III. in the time of the Reign of King Stephen wrote to the Bishop of London to take Order by his Jurisdiction in a Civil Controversie of Goods left in the Custody of a Clerk c. 1. de Deposito Likewise it doth there appear that in the time of King Henry II. Pope Lucius III. wrote to the Bishops of Ely and Norwich to compel a Clerk to save his Sureties harmless And to like purpose he wrote in another Case to the Archbishop of Canterbury King Henry III. pretending Title by his Prerogative or by the Common Law to certain Lands which the Archbishop of Canterbury claimed to be parcel of the possessions of his Church was compelled to answer the Bishop in that Cause in the Court of Rome Mat. Paris fol. 494. Adam Tarlton or d'Orlton Bishop of Hereford in a Parliament â—olden at London in the year 1324 was accused of Treason against King Edward II. as having aided the Mortimers with Men and Money against that King Being brought before the King and claiming his Priviledge to be judged by the Pope he was forthwith rescued by the rest of the Clergy After a few dayes the King caused him to be brought before him and when he should have been arraigned a thing till that time never heard of that a Bishop should be arraigned the boldness of the three Archbishops of Canterbury York and Dublin was very strange for they with ten other Bishops with their Crosses erected came to the Bar before the Kings Justices and took him from thence into their own Custody In his absence he was attainted with High Treason notwithstanding and his Temporalties were seized into the King's hand until such time as the King much by his device and machination was deposed of his Kingdom But though the King took away his goods yet he was not suffered to meddle with his Body Tho. Walsingham Hist Angl. p. 98 99. SECT 2. Restrainâ— of making Laws â—or Poliâ—y 2. Whatsoever Laws the King in his Parliament made which in any sort impeached the Priviledge or Liberty of the Clergy or touched their Lands or Goods were for that time holden by the Pope and his Clergy void and of no force And it helped not the King how just cause soever he pretended of any right appertaining to his Ancestors For so are the Popes Laws in precise terms save that some of the later sort reserve to the King Laws touching Services and some other rights in Church lands c. qu. Ecclesiarum de Constâ—t c. Eccles Sanct. Alar c. Noverit c. Gravem de Sententia Excommunicationis And some Popes were so jealous over Princes in the Point that they refused to allow Laws by them made to the benefit of the Church As where Basil Lieutenant to Odoacer King of the Lombards provided by Law in favour of the Church that no Prescription should make his Title good who had bought ought of the Church the Pope misliking that a Lay-man should deal in those Causes disannulled the Law c. â—ene quidem Distinct 96. The pract ce of this injury is notable in the dealing of Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury with King Henry II. For whereas the King in his Parliament had made very reasonable Laws in maintainance of the Ancient Rights of the Crown against the licentious Liberties claimed by the Clergy Among which one was That Clerks in Causes of Felony and Murthâ—r should be tried by the Laws of the Realm for that it was shewed unto the Parliament that then an hundred Mâ—rthers had been committed by Church-men So Nuburgensis noteth lib. 2. cap. 16. not duly punished whereto the said Archbishop and the rest of the Prelats gave their consents and bound themselves to the observation of them by their Oaths the Archbishop afterwards grudging at these Laws departed the Realm obtained at the Pope's hand Absolution from his Oath and forced the King to answer for those Laws in the Court of Rome where the King finding no favour that Garboil insued which after fell out betwixt the King the Pope and the Archbishop and many Murthers committed upon Clerks by the
Ecclesiastical Judge hath determined any Cause according to the Canon Law if the same Matter be brought befoâ—e a Temporal Judge he must alâ—ow the Judgment of the Spiritual Judge that it be pleaded before him cap. ult Extra de exeptionibus But contrariwise if a Clerk be first Condemned by a Temporal Judge the Canon Law hath no regard thereof nor receiveth any thing for proof that was done before him c. At si Clerici de judiciis SECT 7 7. That under the general colour of their Authority Civil Wrongs made Causes Ecclesiastical to mainâ—â—in Ecclesiastical Liberties some Wrongs offered to Church Men 〈◊〉 their Lands and Possessions which otherwise were to be tried â—y the Laws of the Land are by them drawn to their Courts as â—here Entries be made by Lay Men upon Church Lands Simon Mepham Archbishop of Canterbury in a Constitution by him â—nd the Clergy published in the year 1332 hath decreed that eâ—ery one which invadeth the Possessions of an Ecclesiastical Person â—â—all be judged a Violator of Ecclesiastical Liberty and for the same â—xcommunicate SECT 8. 8. Generally the Pope claimeth to be judge of his own Liberties The Pope sole Judge of his own Priviledges â—nd suffereth no Man to examine or determine of them but himâ—â—lf c. Cum venissent extra de judiciis Whereas it is an old Maxime in all Laws that Nemo in propria â—usa potest esse Judex That no Man can be judge in his own Cause especially if Judge and Witness too yea Pope Gregory the First â—â—d a whole Council denounced an Anathema against the Pope â—â—mself or any other that should presume to be a Judge in his own â—ause Sive in rusticano sive in urbano praedio whence Bartholomeus â—axiensis Dr. John Thierry and other Canonists in their Glosses on â—ratian do resolve down-right that Gratian Caus 16. qu. 6. Alvar. Pelag de Planctu Eccles l. 1. Artic. 34 35. Papa in sua causa Judex esse non â—bet That the Pope ought not to be Judge in his own Cause Yet â—lvarus Pelagius affirms the contrary upon this strong Presumptiâ—â— and Supposition Quod non debet aliquam causa a se remittere imâ—o non potest licet suspectus quamdiu est Papa Papa enim aut sanctus est â—â—t sanctus praesumitur non enim praesumendum est quod alias facit Papa â—am Christus vel Petrus cujus est Vicarius Successor That the Pope â—â—ght not to remit any Cause from himself yea he may not alâ—â—ough suspected as long as he is Pope for saith he either the â—ope is Holy or is presumed to be Holy for it is not to be presumed â—at a Pope can do otherwise than Christ whose Vicar he is or Peter â—hose Successor he is But this is a Maxime frequently resolved in â—aw Books by all the Judges of this Realm That none can be Judge 〈◊〉 his own Case who have farther adjudged That if an Act of Parâ—â—â—ment make any Man Judge in his own Case the very Act it self is void Law being against the Law of Nature which ought not to be violated â—â—d all Judgments given thereon are void SECT 9. 9. The Pope challengeth to himself Judgment of Oaths how far â—â—ey extend and how they are to be taken and giveth order for redress of the breach of them Where therefore every Prince at his Coronation taketh an Oath for the good Government of his Realm Princes called in question for their Government he is compelled to answer to his own Subjects at the Court of Rome to every Quarrel and Pretence of his Misgovernment as Matters falling within the Popes Authority to examine and reform the breach of Oaths So did Pope Honorius the Third in a Cause of a King of Hungary as appeareth in the Popes Decretals c. Intellect Extra de jure jurando One of their Canonists of great Reputation and a Cardinal writeth thus Si a Proceribus accusetur Princeps apud Pontificem non satisfaciat vel a Papa se poni potest vel a Proceribus voluntate Papae If a Prince be accused by his Nobles unto the Pope and doth not give Satisfaction either he may be laid aside by the Pope or by the Nobles at the Popes pleasure c. Alius 15. q. 6. SECT 10. Assurance betwixt the King and his Subjâ—cts disturbed 10. He taketh upon him also to assoil Men from keeping their Oaths whereby do grow Disturbances not only of Leagues betwixt one Prince and another but also of that Assurance which a Prince hath of his own Subjects and which sometimes the Subjects have of thâ— Prince in Composition of Quarrels that do happen between them Bellarmine in the Second Chapter of the Book against Barckley saith Pontifex potest d spensare in votis juramentis quae Deus ipse jussit reddâ— quorum solutio est de jure divino The Pope can give Dispensations froâ— Vows and Oaths which God hath commanded to be fulfilled and the keeping whereof is of Divine right Bellarm. lib. 4. de Pontifice cap. 5. And you need not wonder at this 〈◊〉 you consider what he saith elsewhere If the Pope did err saith he commanding Vices and prohibiting Vertues the Church should be obliged tâ— believe that Vices are good and Vertues are evil unless she should siâ— against Conscience In the year 882 Marin or Martin attained to the Papal Dignity of whom Platina saith that he came to the Popedom by ill way There was then one Formosus Bishop of Porto who by the will of Popâ— John IX had been obliged by Oath never to receive Episcopacy though it were presented unto him But that Marin delivered hiâ— from that Oath by a Dispensation giving him leave to be forswoâ— with a good Conscience At that time the Counts of Tusculum had such a Power at Româ— that they made Popes such as they listed Marin being dead the promoted Adrian the Third to the Popedom and after him Stephâ—â— the VII to whom Formosus succeeded who made no difficulty to râ—ceive the Popedom against his Oath This Formosus had but a shoâ—â— Reign he had Boniface the VII for his Successor whom Stephen the VIII succeeded who unburied the Body of Formosus and having arrayed him with his Priestly Robes put him in full Synod upon the Popes Seat Then having cut off his Fingers wherewith he gave the Blessing he caused him to be dragged and cast into the River Tiber declaring him a Perjured Man and an Unlawful Pope That Stephen for his Tyranies was taken by the Roman People and strangled in Prison To that Stephen Romanus succeeded and to him John the X both which restored Formosus again to his good Name For this John assembled a Council at Ravenna where all the Acts of Formosus were made valid and his Perjury approved But Sergius that succeeded abrogated all that and again unburied the Body of Formosus with a thousand Reproaches It is a particular stain to that Age
fell â—oid within their Diocesses on these Aliens A dangerous Usurpaâ—ion on the Kings Prerogative the Churches Priviledges and the Patrons Rights The next year the King issued Writs to the Archbishops and Bishops of sundry Diocesses by way of Opposition â—o inquire how many Aliens were promoted to Benefices or Prependaries with their Values and Names In that injurious course of conferring Benefices upon Italians the Archbishop of York withstood the Pope and was constrained to leave the Realm Pope Gregory fore-mentioned in the same Kings Reign Mat. Paris fol. 735. wrote to the Abbot of Bury to bestow upon him a Benefice of the yearly value of One hundred Marks but so as they the Abbot and his Convent should farm the Benefice at his hands and pay him yearly 200 marks rent The same Author writeth of another Benefice Ibid fol. 815. and of the Treasureship of Sarum bestowed upon Innocent his little Nephew by one Martin at that time the Popes Legat in this Realm This Man was sent into England by Pope Innocent IV. to extort Moneys â—e was armed with Bulls to excommunicate to suspend and by manifold ways to punish all as well Bishops Abbots as others who opposed his Rapines and Extortions Provisions of Benefices Rents to the use of the Popes Clerks and Kinsmen He extorted Gifts Garments Palfreys from them suspending those who refused though upon reasonable Excuses till satisfaction He twice summoned the English Bishops and Clergy for a Contribution to the Pope and their Mother the Church of Rome against the Emperor The King sent a Prohibition to them not to give him any aid under pain of forfeiting their Baronies He suspended all to present to Benefices of ten Marks value or upward till his and the Popes Covetousness was satisfied The King sent memorable Prohibitions to him against his intollerable Provisions and Rapines who persevereth therein with a stony heart notwithstanding The Cinque-ports were guarded to interrupt the Popes Bulls and Provisions sent unto him His Messenger was imprisoned in Dover-castle but released upon his Complaint to the King The King by advice of his Nobles sent Prohibitions to all the Bishops in England and Chief Justice in Ireland not to suffer him or any other Nuncio to collect any Moneys for the Pope or confer any Benefices without his Privity or Consent The Nobles sent a Message to him in behalf of the whole Kingdom to depart the Realm within three days else they would hew him and all his in pieces And when he demanded the Kings Protection against the fury of the Nobles Mat. Paris p. 640. the King wished the Devil to take him whereupon he departed the Realm in a terrible Pannick fear The Abbot of Abingdon refusing to bestow upon a Roman the Benefice of St. Helens in Abingdon which was esteemed at the value of an hundred Marks and belonged to the Monastery of Abingdon because the King had demanded it for his Brother Idem fol. 1002. was cited to appear personally at Rome and could not obtain his Release until he had assured to the Pope a yearly Annuity of Fifty Marks to be paid out of his Monastery Pope John XXII bestowed the Bishoprick of Winchester upon his Chaplain Rigandus in the time of King Edward the Second having before made reservation thereof Tho. Walsingham fol. 90. and giving special charge that no Election should take place though approved by the King We find in the Canon Law that in the time of King Richard the First though from the Records of the Tower we understand in the Reign of King John that Pope Innocent contriving how to usher in his Provisions into England by degrees without any observation imployed the Archbishop of Ragusa whom he discharged from that Church because he could not live quietly there to move King John to bestow a Bishoprick and other Benefices upon him in England to relieve his Necessities and support his Dignity whereupon the King out of his Royal Bounty bestowed the Bishoprick of Carlile the Archbishop of York and the Church of Melbourn upon him Of these Wrongs the People of this Land made often Complaints but could find no Redress The Usurpations of the Popes Legats and Agents by Exactions Provisions Disposing Churches to Aliens and other Innovations became so intollerably Oppressive to all sorts of People in England that by several Letters of Complan it dispersed against them in the year 1231 1232 there was stirred up a general Commotion and Opposition against them throughout England for finding that most of the Ecclesiastical Livings of this Realm to be in the hands of Strangers they were so offended that they set fire on their Barns in all parts of the Realm The Pope on the other side stormeth with the King and commandeth the Bishops of the Realm to excommunicate the Authors of that injury and withal to send them personally to Rome to receive their Absolution at his hand Speed in his History relateth Speeds Chronic. In the Reign of King Henry III. that it was alledged by these Reformers that they had under-hand the Kings Letters Patents the Lord Chief Justices Assent the Countenance of the Bishop of London and the Sheriffs aid in divers Shires whereby the Armed Troops took heart every where violently to seize on the Romans Corn and their other Wealth which Booâ—ies they imployed to good purposes and for relief of the poor Roger de Wend. M. S. the Romans the mean while hiding their Heads for fear of losing them In the time of King Edward the Third Pope Clement granted to â—wo Cardinals at one time Provisions of so many Spiritual Livings as would amount to the yearly value of Two thousand Marks Hereof the King complained to the Pope Tho. Walsingham Hist in Edw. III. alledging that the Rights of Patronages were disturbed the Treasure of his Realm spent upon Aliens in Foreign parts and that the Students his Subjects were thereby discouraged Which Reasons are delivered in a Statute by him made for restraint of Provisions from Rome SECT 15. 15. The Pope claimeth to have one proper Authority Plenitudo Potestatis in Beneficialibus which he calleth Plenitudo Potestatis in Beneficialibus and is an infinite and unbridled Licence to do in Matters of Church-livings what himself â—isteth By force whereof he taketh from any Prelate or Beneficedman his Bishoprick or Benefice at his pleasure without yielding any Cause or Reason thereof He hath used to bestow Bishopricks of this Realm at his pleasure and when any of the Bishops died then the Pope claimed a Priviâ—edge to have the Gift of them as Decedentes in Curia Romana and so kept them many years as Decedentes in Curia for they never came into England to die here as Salisbury and Worcester which were claimed by that Title in Queen Maries time Again the Pope might dissolve Ecclesiastical Dignities and Benefices at will and turn them into what shape it best liked him Moreover he might
unite appropriate divide such Livings and do many strange things else about them no cause appearing to any man but his own will The Popes Legates also procured of the Kings of England Stipends and Provisions of good value out of Ecclesiastical Benefices and other Dignities Rustand the Popes Legate being in Favour with King Henry the Third procured from him besides the Livings he obtained by the Popes Provisions a Grant of Provisions out of the Ecclesiastical Benefices Dignities and Prependaries which should first happen in his own Gift amounting to 300 Marks by the year to be preferred before all others formerly granted by him one only excepted SECT 16. Souldiers mustered and sent out of the Realm 16. Soulders have been Mustered and sent to Foreign Wars out of the Realm upon the Popes Commandment which Case hapned in the time of King Richard the Second the Pope gathering within this Realm a Band of Souldiers for the Wars of the Holy Land and appointing them for their Captain the Bishop of Norwich The Realm generally misliked that their Souldiers should be committed to the Guidance of an Ecclesiastical Person unacquainted with the Wars and therefore resisted for awhile but at length suddenly yielded upon a superstitious Conceit taken in their Heads The Croisado's for the Relief of the Holy Land was a Papal Cheat for Popes and others to pick simple Christians Purses for Popes Designs to maintain Wars against Christian Emperors and Princes the Greek Church and the Albigenses detesting and opposing Papal Usurpations and Corruptions to inthral depose and murder them So great was Pope Innocent's Animosity against the Emperor Frederick that when Forces of the Croisado came out of France or England or other parts to sail into Syria to defend Jerusalem and the Holy Sepulchre against the Saracens he stopt them and gave them the same Graces and Indulgences as if they had performed the Journey into the Holy Land upon Condition that they should turn their Armes against Frederick whose Power lay upon him because he stiffly maintained the Rights of the Empire The Pope proceeded so far as to give the Empire to Robert Brother of Lewis IX King of France upon condition that he should conquer it But Robert sent his Present back to the Pope both because he sent him no Money to furnish him for that Conquest and because he found it very strange that the Pope would give that which was none of his Also because he shewed himself an Enemy to a great and vertuous Prince who had done and suffered so much bravely fighting for the Cause of the Christians against the Infidels Then he added That the Popes are lavish of the Blood of others and that their end is to tread all the Princes of the world under their feet and to put on the Horns of Pride Mean-while persecution grew sore against those whom they called Vaudeois and Albigenses against whom the Pope caused the Croâ—sado to be preached and an infinite number of them to be massacred Pope Gregory IX who compiled the Decretals needing Money for his War against the Emperor Frederick sent a Legat into Engâ—and named Stephen who exacted a tenth part of all their moveâ—ble Goods that is of all their Flocks Rents Fruits Wares Offerings and Gifts to the Church And the said Legat had power â—o Excomunicate all that should refuse to pay and to put the Churches in Interdict He injoyned the Prelates upon pain of Exâ—ommunication to make that Collection speedily and without â—elay All that should cross that Holy Work he Excommunicated â—pso facto He would be paid in new Coin and of good Weight He took the Tithe even of the Corn in the first Blade that is of â—he Crop of the year after In these Exactions he was so urgent and griping that the Parishes were forced to engage the Chalices and Church-Plate to satisfie his Covetousness And he had certain Usurers with him who lent Money upon double use to those who had no ready Money This caused a great Clamour and Lamentation over all the Countrey but without effect The Money was imployed by the Pope in inâ—ading many Towns belonging to the Emperor in Italy And the Emperor could not defend them because he was ingaged against â—he Saracens in the Levant where he took Jerusalem and put the Affairs of the Christians in a flourishing Estate And it is probable â—hat he had utterly destroyed the Saracens if the Injuries which he â—eceived from the Pope had not re-called him For the Emperor making a League for ten years with the Saracens and returning â—nexpectedly from the Holy Lâ—nd Mat. Paris p. 351 352. Matth Westm p. 128 129. interrupted the Popes proceedâ—ngs and soon recovered all his Castles so that the Pope was â—orced by meditation of Friends to stoop to the Emperor and make his Peace with him beyond all Expectation Scarce was the Collection ended made by Stephen the Legate when Pope Gregory inventing Extortions grounded upon fair Reaâ—ons sent Nuncios with power of Legats who by Sermons Exâ—ortations and Excommunications brought an infinite number of English Men to Mendicity and turned them out of their Houses This was done under a pretence of contributing to the expence of the Holy War of which himself hindered the success and yet he promised to them that should contribute Money for it the remission of â—ll their sins and to them that should go in Person an Augmentation of Glory yet the Pope never gave any part of the Money raised â—or that expedition to any Prince that paid Armies and sought â—or that Quarrel All was thrown into the Popes Coffers as into 〈◊〉 Gulph and by him imployed to make War against Frederick for he presently broke the Covenant sworn unto him The Treasure of the Realm spent in the Popes Wars Mat. Paris fol. 703 704. Moreover Wars made by the Pope were oftentimes supported at the Charges of Forreign Countreys the Pope bearing them in hand that they were the Wars of the Church and therefore did in common concern every of their States and Interests under which colour large Contributions have been drawn out of this Realm In the year 1240 the Pope forced all Aliens within this Realm to contribute to the Wars against Frederick the fifth part of the Revenues of their Spiritual Livings and in the same year took another fifth part of all Bishopricks to the same use The Pope ceased not thus but immediately commanded new Collections to be made still pretending his Wars with the Emperor against which Commandment the Clergy made divers Exceptions which are at large set down by Matth. Paris fol. 714. and 7â—5 Idem 1219. In the year 1255 Alexander IV. sent a Legate into the Realm who exacted the tenth part of all the Goods and Chatels in England Scotland and Ireland pretending the Church-wars against Manfred who had invaded the Kingdom of Naples which the Pope claimed to appertain to his See SECT 17. Sometimes again great sums were levyed