pope so that the famous Councellers of the king of France and the Senators of the Parleament may know and vnderstand that the most part of Christendome hath for most iust and weightie causes reiected and refused the papacie But notwithstanding we will ad moreouer some other things and that especially That the pope hath so great power both in purgatorie and also in hell that he may deliuer by his indulgences and foorthwith place in heauen and in the habitation of the blessed as manie soules as he will which are tormented in those places as it is in the bull of Clement the 6. and in Ant. Florent That the pope hath so great power in heauen part 3. tit 22. cap. 6. that he may canonize and place in the number of the Saints what dead man soeuer he wil maugre the heads of al the bishops and cardinals Thus writeth Troilus in tract de canonis sanct 3. dub Maluit By which and such like we may know how true that oration of Eberard somtimes Archbishop of Salisburge was which he made two hundred yéeres ago in a publike assemblie of the Empire of Germanie which we will recite out of the 7. booke of Iohn Auentine his Chronicle printed at Ingolstade anno 1554. The chiefe priests of Babylon saith he desire to reigne alone they cannot abide an equall They will neuer haue done vntil they haue troden all vnder their feete and they sit in the temple of God and they be exalted aboue all that which is worshipped Their hunger for riches and thirst for honor can neuer be satisfied The more you grant to a greedie man the more he desireth reach out your finger and he will couet your whole hand He which is the seruant of seruants doth couet further to be Lord of lords as if he were God He speaketh great things as if he were God He changeth laws he establisheth his owne he polluteth he robbeth he spoileth he coseneth he slaieth that wicked man whom they commonly call Antichrist in whose forehead is written a name of blasphemie I am God I cannot erre He sitteth in the temple of God he beareth rule far and wide Thus saith Eberard Moreouer in the same Auentine in the same booke there is extant this complaint of Frederike the 2. being Emperor in an epistle which he wrote to Otho Duke of Bauaria The popes of Rome do seeke after lordship and diuine power namely that they may be feared of all no otherwise yea more than God For it is euident that there be manie Antichrists amongst those Romanists and that none other are the ouerthrowers of Christian religion And shortly after That man that is called the pope namely being become verie wealthie with the great losse of Christian godlines doth thinke that he may do whatsoeuer he will as tyrants vse to do He will render an account of his doings to none As if he were God He vsurpeth that which belongeth to God alone that he cannot erre or be holden with anie religion of a lie he doth require most impudently and imperiously to be beleeued Thus writeth he Moreouer Erasmus in his Annotations of the new Testament 1. Tim. c. 1. doth witnes that in his time in the schooles of the diuines these things were woont to be called in question and disputed vpon Whether the pope could abrogate that which was decreed by the apostolike writings Whether he could decree any thing which is contrarie to the doctrine of the Gospell Whether he can make a new article of the faith Whether he haue greater power than Peter or like power Whether he can command the Angels whether he can take away all purgatorie whether he be onlie man O detestable blaspemie whether as he is God he do participate both natures with Christ whether he be more gentle than was Christ seeing it is not read that he called backe anie from the paines of purgatorie Whether he alone of all men cannot erre Sixe hundred such like things are disputed in great printed bookes And that by great diuines especially famous for the profession of religion These things doth Erasmus write in as many words Annotat. pag. 663. The crime of mocking religion BVt some peraduenture will saie it is onely impietie blasphemie of words Let vs therefore bring to light the wicked factes of the same papacie a few of many as it were for examples sake that euerie one may vnderstand that the popes many yéeres ago did make but a mock and scoffe of Christian religion And first of all that of Gregorie the seauenth which we will lay downe in the words of cardinall Benno The Emperour Henrie the third saith he was woont often to repaire to praier to the church of S. Marie which is in the mount Auentine But Hildebrand who being afterward made pope was called Gregorie the seauenth when as by his spies he made diligent inquirie after all his works he made the place be marked where the Emperour was woont to praie and he perswaded one by promising him money to lay great stones vpon the beames of the church secretly and that he should so order them that he might throwe them downe from aboue vpon the Emperours head as he was at praier and so beat out his braines which thing when he that was appointed to do so great wickednes did make haste to accomplish and sought to laie an huge stone vpon the beames with the weight thereof the stone drew him downe and the boorde being broken vnder the beames both the stone and the miserable man by the iust iudgement of God fell downe into the church floore and by the same stone was he quite crushed to peeces Of which fact after that the men of Rome knew and of the order therof they tied a rope to the wretches foot caused him to be drawen three daies through the streetes for the example of others But the Emperour of his woonted clemencie caused him to be buried Thus far goeth Benno Whence we vnderstande how detestable the impietie of the pope was who hauing no regard either of the place wherein the Emperour praied and which the pope professeth to be holie to himselfe nor of the time wherein he praied but seruing his blinde furie and madnesse sought the destruction of the Emperour his prince But go too let vs cite another testimonie of impietie out of the same Benno Iohn bishop of Portua saith he who was throughlie acquainted with Hildebrands secrets went vp into Saint Peters pulpit and amongst many things in the hearing of the cleargie and people he saith Hildebrand hath done some such thing for which we ought to be burned aliue speaking of the Sacrament of the Lords bodie which Hildebrand demaunding oracles from God against the Emperour threw into the fire though the cardinals his assistants did speake against it These are the goodly testimonies of the papall pietie in Gregorie the seauenth Now let vs cite another touching Syluester the seconde out of the booke of Iohn
of Nauarre his kinsman and subiect For in the yéere M. DXI. at which time that war whereof we spake before waxed hot betwéen pope Iulius the second and Ludouike the 12. king of France who was called father of his countrie and that same furious tyrant went about to terrifie him with his vaine thunderbolts and had made his kingdome a praie and spoile to him that could get it Iohn great grandfateer to this our Henrie reigned in Nauarre He forasmuch as he both was in the realme of France and was neighbor to the French king and also by reason of the great fées he had in his realme was his client and vassall was requested by king Ludouike that he would aide him against his enimie according to the right of senioritie and ordinances of seruiceable clientships The king of Nauarre being not vnmindfull of his dutie toward the king hauing with all spéed mustered and gathered bands of footemen and horsemen in his kingdom he brought so great an armie into the borders of France that he left his realme in a maner naked and destitute of men Which thing being knowen pope Iulius determined foorthwith to deale by messengers with Ferdinando king of Spaine to whom he then first of all gaue the sirname of Catholike anno 1492. that with all spéede he should make readie an armie and should inuade the dominion of the king of Nauarre who was absent and he promiseth that for his part he would both proscribe Nauarre for an heretike and schismatike and would also giue him his kingdome for a reward Ferdinandus hauing gotten so fit an opportunitie to do an exploit determined not to be wanting to himselfe After the curse was pronounced and published against the king of Nauarre he assembled his forces and entering the borders of the king his neighbor being absent he tooke first the principall citie of the kingdome named Pompiopolis and then afterward the most part of the whole realm hauing as we said pope Iulius for his author a good one and without all doubt a fit one if in the rule of the law wherin it is written that He possesseth vniustly which possesseth hauing the pretor for his author it were written the pope for his author in stead of the pretor for his author Soone after the king of France being not ignorant that the senior ought to deliuer his vassall from the danger of that euent which thing euen Bellaius Langaeus somtimes a most excellent light of France doth plainely testifie in his first booke of commentaries sent his armie to recouer Pompiopolis ouer which he set as captaine Dunosius chiefe gouernor of Aquitania and duke of Longouilla But it séemeth more conuenient to defer vntil some other time what happened both at that time and many yéeres after and to set it downe in a booke written of those things For it is sufficient for vs to vnderstand at this time that the king of Nauarre great grandfather to him that now is was spoiled of his kingdome for none other cause saue onely bicause he aided as he ought the king of France his neighbor his senior being excommunicate by pope Iulius proscribed and pronounced to be an heretike and schismatike Whereof not onely the French historiographers are witnesses and amongst these Arnoldus Ferronus and Bertrandus Helias but also the Italians and Spaniards and chiefly Stephen Garibaius in his 29. book Francis Tarapha and Anthonie Nebrissensis in his booke concerning the war of Nauarre * In which places me thinks we 1. c. 1. 2. 3. should not omit the arrogancie of a Spanish peasant as we say commonly who railed vpon and slandered the most wise and moderate king of France that euer was and that in these words Ludouike saith he the French king a man most inconstant Ch. 2. after the maner of his nation being not content to kéepe himselfe within his owne little skin that is within the borders of his own kingdom set his mind toward Italie And shortly after Therefore pope Iulius the second being angrie tooke the sword out of Peters hands and drew it against the rebellious and stubborne he declareth them to be schismatiks and therefore heretiks he maketh their goodes common for the execution of which sentence he calleth vpon Christian princes chiefly vpon our prince Also chap. 3. Therefore the gouernor of the countrie of Spaine fearing the rage of the French men doth exhort Henrie king of the Britans to whom Aquitania did belong to require it againe by war and that he might haue iuster cause to aske it againe the apostolike authoritie commeth betweene whereby he depriueth the French king of Aquitania let the senators and kings counsellers in France marke and giueth it to the king of Britane to possesse and enioie And by and by in that place where he bringeth in the pope conferring with his cardinals The king of Spain saith he must be holpen We must draw out both our swords against the common enimies of all good men the kings of France and Nauarre and whiles that we whet the one that is the secular in the meane season let vs bend the other namely the spirituall against the necks of schismatiks Therfore by the common decree of the cardinals the king of Nauarre was declared to be a schismatike and therefore an heretike bicause being often admonished he was waxen stubborne and he did openly professe that he was French He was fined in his kingdome and all his goods not onely he but also his wife and his sonnes with all their posteritie and all his right of being king was translated vnto Spain The Spanish Nebrissensis saith thus in as manie words wherby we vnderstand by what right by what author and for what cause the king of Nauarre was robbed of his kingdome Indéed Guicciardin in his 11. booke of his Italian historie setteth downe his iudgement touching this matter in these words When the king of Spaine saith he could not affirme that he did lawfully possesse the kingdome of Nauarre for any other cause or by any other title he reasoned that he had possession by the right of the popes commandement and authoritie of the holie sea For the pope being not well content with things that fell out happily in Italie had a little before published a decree against the king of France wherin calling him no more most Christian but most noble he made him and all that tooke his part subiect to the penalties of heretiks and schismatiks and hauing granted power by right to take and enioy their goods kingdoms and all that they had he declared them to be condemned To the same effect also writeth Arnoldus Ferronus a most learned historiographer in matters of France and sometimes senator of the Parleament holden at Burdeaux in these words Ferdinandus saith he king of Spaine so soone as he vnderstood of the league made betweene the kings of France and Nauarre turned his forces prepared against the French king against the king of Nauarre and
this was the cause that Ferdinando did cast out the king his neighbor though he did also pretend another bicause both the king of France and those that did aid him were pronounced accursed by the popes edict and their kingdoms were made common Thus writeth Ferronus whereby we may coniecture what great danger hangeth ouer the most noble princes of Germanie and so consequently ouer all the kings of Europe by reason of that so néere a conspiracie of the popes and the Spanish inquisition For by this short cut any munke so he be of a craftie and subtill nature hauing taried some time in Spain as this our Sixtus and hauing béene conuersant with the inquisitors of Spaine may make such a bargain and league with them that if through their fauor and commendation he may obtaine the popedome then he may pronounce what king or prince soeuer he will a schismatike or heretike taking to him any occasion he may adiudge to them his kingdom opened and committed as a fée to the sea of Rome Therefore we are to wish that we may once haue some king giuen vs that may be of a valiant courage that he may thrust this whoore of Babylon out of hir seat and may at length rid the Church of Christ from so long and miserable seruitude and restore hir to hir former libertie and dignitie which courage that king of ours Ludouike the twelfth who was called the parent of the countrie being wearie of that bondage tooke vpon him when after that furious curse of pope Iulius he commanded French crownes to be coined in France with this inscription Ludouike 12. by the grace of God king of France duke of Mediolanum And then on the other side the armes of France and Mediolanum ioined togither with this inscription I will destroy Babylon Of which name if happily any man be ignorant let him read the Reuelation of Iohn ch 17. and Hierom in his catalog where he maketh mention of Mark and writeth plainly that Peter did figuratiuely vnderstand Rome by Babylon in his former epistle * Ch. 5. Also in the prolog of his booke touching the holie Ghost where he doth plainly call Rome Babylon and that purple whoore which is described in the Reuelation Which thing he doth likewise confirme vpon Esay c. 14. and againe c. 47. and vnto Aglasia in the 11. question For which cause Paula also and Eustochium in that epistle which they wrote vnto Marcellus do in like sort call Rome Babylon and no whit more obscurely Hierom in his epistle When I was at Babylon saith he a citizen of the purple whoore c. The conclusion of the former protestation THese things therefore being thus set down it remaineth that we conclude this reason Séeing pope Sixtus the fift hath béen condemned by the most part of Christendome of seauen most gréeuous crimes namely of impietie of vsing tyrannie in the Church of corrupt religion sacrilege treason rebellion and forgerie and séeing that hauing followed the insolencie boldnes and crueltie of those that went before him he hath published this most mad decrée contrarie to all lawes diuine and humane vsing false allegations and that without any iudiciall order yea foolishly blockishly impudently against the most excellent king of Nauarre and most noble prince of Condie and hath burdened them with filthie and geason reproches of words forasmuch as he called them sonnes of wrath obstinate heretiks notorious relapsed such as lie tumbling in filth rebels against the most Christian king persecutors of the Church a detestable issue traitors against God and man and did for these causes depriue them of their principalities dukedoms lordships fées and all honors and of the right of lawfull succession in the realme of France and forasmuch as this his old and outragious boldnes of abiudging and adiudging of kingdoms doth plainly appertaine vnto all kings princes and potentates of Europe and it is to be feared least those that shall be desirous of other mens kingdoms will lay wait for peaceable and quiet princes héerafter by this policie of excommunications or proscriptions for these causes the foresaid princes protest that the same pope Sixtus the fift is to be counted a wicked periured sacrilegious person a tyrant an author of feigned religions a cruell and bloodie murderer of the Church of Christ an importunate and wicked enimie of religion and to be most assuredly Antichrist and that al monarchs of Christendome kings princes potentates and those that haue any gouernment or lawful power are to be requested and earnestly intreated that they will helpe these most roiall princes to suppresse the furie of this fierce tyrant and to breake in péeces his cruell and furious assaults and that they will lay their heads togither and ioine togither their forces to extinguish that plague of mankind and to deliuer the Christian commonwealth from that monstrous and deadly monster In the meane season that the foresaid pope Sixtus the fift ought for his intollerable reprochfull words which he hath powred out against our foresaid princes with a beastly mind to be accounted and called of al Christians a most hidious monster a most filthy monster and a monster not woorthie to be bestowed euen in the farthest parts of the world but such a one as ought to be banished out of the coasts and borders of mans nature as a most certaine notorious and manifest Antichrist to whose accursed head all Christians ought to wish an euill plague ruine and destruction that so long as any breth shall remaine in his accursed bodie so long he may be to all the godlie Anathema Maranata as saith the holie Ghost And least happily any of vs do thinke this to be a new and vnwoonted kind of curse we will desire the readers that they will first of all remember those places which we cited before specially out of the books of Saint Bernard where the papacie of Rome is flatly plainly by name called Antichrist the sonne of perdition the man of sinne a diuell not onely of the day but also of the noone day who is not onely transfigured into an angell of light but is extolled aboue al that is called God or that is worshipped Now Hierom calleth Rome Babylon and the purpled whoore Secondly that they read and attentiuely consider the most holie sanction of the popes decrée * where it is ordained In c. 2. dist 23. c. si quis pecunia dist 79. that He which by monie or fauor of men such as it is manifest this frier had in the west parts or by tumult of the people or by anie pollicie that is by ambition and euill arts shall attaine to the papacie let him be accounted not apostolicall but apostaticall and let him togither with his fautors and followers be cast out of the bounds of the holie Church of God being thence separated as Antichrist and as an inuader and destroier of all Christendome Whereto the canonists durst with great consent subscribe and openly professe thus
sentence Giuen at Rome the fift of the Ides of Septemb. Anno 1585. Psalm 109. O Lord they shall curse and thou wilt blesse those which shall rise against me shall bee confounded but thy seruant shall reioice THE BRVTISH THVNDERBOLT of Pope SIXTVS the fift against HENRIE the most noble King of Nauarre and the most excellent HENRIE BORBON Prince of Condie Togither with the protestation and declaration of the manifold nullitie or inualiditie of the same WHeras of late there was a declaration pronoūced by Pope SIXTVS the fift of that name being a Franciscan Frier and it was shortly after published and printed that Henrie the most noble King of Nauarre and also Henrie Borbon the most excellent Prince of Condie should first be excommunicate as notorious heretiks from among Christians and also that they should be put from their empires honors and al dignities and principally from hope of succéeding in the kingdome of France secondly that their subiects and vassals should be absolued from the oth of alleageance wherewith they were bound to them last of al that they shuld be set vpon by force sword arms and camps by the most mightie king of France the most excellent and noble Princes aforesaid haue thus protested touching that matter that with the good leaue of all Catholikes and without anie hurt of the cōcord of both religions which the same princes do greatly desire to be kept intire in France that proscription or declaration of the pope being a Franciscan Frier was pronounced published diuulgate against all lawes diuine and humane and that for that cause it is in law none and to be accounted for none that all that furious curse is nothing but a brutish thunderbolt of the Romane papacie whose force is friuolous vain and of none account that principally for fower causes namely for the incompetencie of the rash iudge the falsenes of the allegation the want of iudiciall order and for the foolishnes of the forme wherein it is written wherof we wil héerafter intreat in the same order wherein they are set downe Of the incompetencie or insufficiencie of the iudge THerefore the first cause of Nullitie is the incompetencie of a rash iudge which appéereth therby bicause the papacie of Rome which hath taken this iudgement vpon it against so great princes hath long ago béene condemned for seuen most grieuous crimes by the most part of Christendome namely England Scotland Denmarke Sweueland the most part of Germanie and also the most part of Heluetia namely for impietie for exercising tyrannie in the Church for corrupt religion sacrilege treason rebellion and forgerie And it is certaine that although the popedome had not béene condemned for so great crimes but had béene onelie found guiltie yet notwithstanding I do not saie that it is not lawful for it to be a iudge but not so much as to accuse the basest or simplest man of anie crime of offence vntill it haue fitly purged it selfe of all crimes so far off is it that in this so great a state of matters the pope can condemne so great and so famous and mightie princes of so great wickednes especially being vnheard and before their cause is tried a l. neganda 19. c. de publ iudic Which the Canonists themselues doe teach b 4. quaest 1. c. 1. 25. q. 1. c. omnes 24. q. 1. ca. ait duobus cap. seqq And which more is séeing in this cause of the foresaid princes the matter and state of the paparie it selfe is handled none either ciuill or natural reason doth suffer the pope to sit as iudge in his owne matter and to giue sentence for himselfe in his owne cause c l. qui iurisdictioni D. de iurisd l. 1. c. ne quis in sua causa iud l. Julianus 17. de iud But and if the pope be not a fit iudge in this matter but an vncompetent and vnfit iudge as it shall plainly appéere by those things which we shall héerafter speake it followeth that the sentence pronounced by him is none in law that of it selfe and without any appeale it falleth to the ground And we cannot doubt but that l. 1. pass ca. si a non compe iud l. 6. § quod si quis D. de iniust rupt test the iudgement and authoritie of the most part of Christendome aforesaid shall be of great importance with magistrates and orders and principally with the Parleament of France séeing it is euident that this is the law of all nations that in deliberations especially being hard weighty iudgement be alwaies giuen according l. item si vnus 17. § vlt. l. seq D. de recep arbit to the sentence and opinion of the most part especially where the more part is iudged not onelie by the number of persons but also by the maner and quantitie of the vniuersall order as when of thrée parts of iudges two make a departure suppose eight of twelue but that England l. 3. de decret ab ordin fac l. 3. l. 4. D. quod cuiusque vniuer l. nominationum 46. c. de decurio l. quod maior 19. D. ad municip Scotland Denmark Sweueland the most part of Heluetia and part of high and low Germanie are two parts of thrée of Christendome and that therfore they shal haue great weight and authoritie with the orders and Parleament of France we neither can nor ought to doubt for our singular iudgement of their wisedome Moreouer it séemeth that we ought not to let slip euen that that the pope is reiected for an vnméete and incompetent iudge not onely of the most part of Europe but also of those Churches and nations which in Africa Egypt Syria the East Asia and Grecia do professe their name among Christian Churches The manifold crime of impietie and first for arrogating to himselfe the Godhead THerefore the first crime wherof the papacie is conuict and condemned of the most part of Europe we saie is impietie and that thréefold the first bicause the pope doth get to himselfe a certaine Godhead secondly he derideth and mocketh Christian religion last of all he bringeth in into the Church false and forged religions The testimonies of the first impietie are these The pope doth both reioice and boast that he is called God * where it is written thus It is sufficiently declared dist 96. satis that the pope cannot at all be either bound or loosed by the secular power who as it appeereth euidently was called of the most godlie prince Constantine God seeing that it is manifest that God cannot bee iudged of men Which place Augustine Steuche a most earnest defender of the pope and the kéeper of his librarie in the booke of the donations of Constantine pag. 141. praising and reciting addeth this Doest thou heare that the highest bishop was called of Constantine God and that he was taken for God This was done when he adorned him with that excellent edict He
the true religion of Christ deliuered to the Church by Christs Apostles or a feigned fable of satan brought purposely into the Church by the popes that they might either vtterly extinguish the desire to read the sacred scriptures or at least that they might both be of like authoritie Surely we hope that no man doubteth but that the pope is already conuict most manifestly of false and forged religions and therefore if he excommunicate the king of Nauarre and Prince of Condie out of the communion of his Church which maintaineth these monsters he doth not exclude them out of the Church of Christ but out of the iakes of Dominicans or rather out of the synagog of satan Which thing that it may more plainly and firmely be confirmed we will cite out of the same Antoninus a like inuention of the popish church For in the chapter following he writeth thus Dominic saith he being one night earnest Pag. 190. in praier saw at the fathers right hand the sonne rise vp in his anger that he might slea all the sinners on the earth and destroy all that wrought wickednes And he stood in the aire being terrible to behold and he shaked three lances or iauelings against the world that was set vpon wickednes the first whereof shoulde pearce through the out stretched necks of the prowd another should let out the bowels of the couetous the third should bore through those that were giuen to the lusts of the flesh Whose wrath when no man could resist the mild virgin his mother met him and imbracing his feet besought him that he would spare those whom he had redeemed and that he would temper his iustice with mercie To whom hir sonne made answer Seest thou not saith he what iniuries are done to me Then said his mother Thou knowest saith she which knowest all things that this is the way by the which thou shalt bring them backe vnto thee I haue a faithfull seruant whom thou shalt send into the world that he may preach thy words to them and they will turne to thee the sauiour of all men Also I haue another seruant whom I will adioine to him to be his helper that he may worke likewise The sonne said Lo I am pacified and haue accepted thy face but shew mee whom thou wilt assigne vnto so great an office Then our Ladie his mother offered to Iesus Christ S. Dominic and the Lord said to his mother He will do that which thou hast said well and carefully Also she offered him S. Francis whom in like sort the Lord praised Then S. Dominic marking his fellow well in the vision whom before he knew not on the morow he reknowledged him by those things which he saw in the night and kissing him with holie kisses and imbracing him sincerely he said Thou art my fellow thou shalt run with me And a little after Dominic praied by night in the church and lo the hand of the Lord was suddenly vpon him and was rapt in spirit before God and he saw God sitting and his mother who sate at his right hand clothed in a cope of a saphire color And looking about him he saw reioicing in the sight of the most highest infinite multitudes of spiritual fathers out of euery nation that had begotten both sons and daughters to Christ of holie religions And when he saw none of his sonnes there blushing and being pricked at the hart he wept most bitterly Therfore being abashed with the glorie of Gods maiestie he stood a far off and durst not draw neare to the countenance of glorie and to the excellencie of the virgin But our Ladie beckened to him with hir hand that he should come to hir But he trembling and fearing presumed not to draw neare vntill in like sort the Lord of maiestie called him Then came the man being pricked and of an humble spirit and contrite with his teares and did most lowly and humbly throw downe himselfe at the feet of the son and his mother But the Lord of glorie the comforter of those that mourne said to him Arise Who when he was risen and stood before the Lord he asked him saieng Why weepest thou so bitterly Who said Bicause I see in the presence of thy glory men of al religions but of the sons of mine order alas for wo I see here none To whom the Lord said Wilt thou see thine order But he said That is my desire Lord. Then the sonne putting his hand vnder his mother the virgins cloke he said to him I haue committed thine order to my mother And when he continued in this godlie affection desiring to see his order the Lord said to him againe Wouldest thou so gadly see them He answered This do I earnestly desire And lo the mother of the Lord pleased hir sonne and opening wide hir golden cope wherwith she seemed to be couered and holding it open before hir mourning seruant Dominic and this was so large and huge a garment that it did sweetly contain the whole countrie of heauen by imbracing it Vnder this couering of securitie in this bosom of godlines that beholder of high things viewer of the secrets of the Lord Dominic saw an innumerable multitude of the friers of his order Then his mourning was turned into ioy and his sorrow into solace Thus writeth Antoninus Ridiculously blockishly and absurdly peraduenture some man will say Who denieth it But as we said before of Bernardo his trifles of what sort soeuer these be yet are they both approoued by the authoritie of the pope and also receiued by the church of Rome and therefore séeing religion is vndiuisible for as M. Tullius saith either take away religion quite or else preserue it wholie they must be counted in the place and number of oracles of al those which wil giue their name to the church of Rome a heauie decrée being added that he that shall thinke otherwise be counted an heretike schismatike forasmuch as by these inuentions allowed by the pope as well Dominic as Francis is registred in the number of the Saints of the church of Rome as the same author Antoninus doth witnes By which we Tit. 23. §. 17. fol. 197. vnderstand first for how manie for how iust causes most Christian kings princes and magistrates haue condemned the papacie for impietie and forged religion Secondlie what authoritie this execrable declaration ought to haue in the Parlement of France which was published by Sixtus the fift a frier lately vncowled in which the most excellent princes aforesaide were pronounced heretiks for none other cause saue onely bicause they thought that they ought not to make like account of such inuentions as of the holie Scripture For as they did oftentimes professe before and at this day they do professe so much as in them lieth before all sortes and orders of men yea they do openly denounce séeing the church of Rome hath religion mixed and confused with such inuentions and fables those things
a band-dog or Cerberus than this But as I haue alreadie said this boldnes of the pope against the king of Nauarr is not greatly to be woondered at séeing such was his vnbridled furie against the most mightie king of France Wherefore let vs heare rather other testimonies of like and the same pride for it is not for man to contend with satan in railing spéeches and it shall be sufficient to vse that curse of Michael the archangell The Lord Jude 1. 9. rebuke thee Therefore to returne to our purpose we must not passe ouer that testimonie of the same popish seruice which is reported touching the same Boniface who in the yéere 1300. when there was great concourse of people at Rome by reason of the Iubilie in the first solemne day the pope shewed himselfe to the people in his Pontificalibus the day following hauing on the attire of the emperor he commanded a naked sword to be borne before him crieng with a lowd voice I am the pope and emperor and I beare rule in earth and heauen And a few daies after hée proudly reiected Albertus created emperor by the electors of Germanie when he came to craue his confirmation denieng that the election had without his authoritie ought to be counted firme séeing he alone had the authoritie of both swords After some good space he confirmed him vpon condition that with al expedition he shuld make war against the French king whose kingdome he gaue him for a pray and reward of his victorie Which things are witnessed by Cuspianus in the life of Albertus in the chronicle of Vsperge and by the writers of the French chronicles But to what end do we prosecute these light and trifling things We haue before declared that the pope of Rome doth claime by the donation of Constantine the empire of al the west parts These be but bare words Wherefore let vs looke into the thing it selfe For we denie that there is any king in the west I meane of France Spaine Aragon Portugal Hungarie Bohemia England Scotland Denmarke Sueueland Ruscia Croatia Dalmatia whom the papacie of Rome will not haue to be vassall and feudatarie to it as if he had receiued his kingdome from him as a fée and benefit and ought for that cause to ow allegeance and to do homage to him It is much that we say and almost incredible to be spoken but the truth shall appéere by instruments that we wil bring to light and by testimonies that we will vse For we wil touch euery realme according to the order of the letters Of that of England AVgustine Steuchus the maister of the popes librarie doth witnes in his book of the donation of Constantine that in 2. pag. 138. that librarie of the popes there is extant a register of pope Alexander the 3. wherein is found an epistle to William king of England For as we vnderstand by that booke of Steuchus the maister of the librarie all the actes of euerie pope are written in seuerall registers to the which what credit we ought to giue the verie rule of the law doth show wherein it is said that a priuate writing must be beléeued but onely against the writer himselfe Therfore this was Alexander his epistle Your wisedome knoweth that the kingdome of Englande sithence the time that the name of Christ was there glorified hath bin vnder the hand and tuition of the chiefe of the Apostles For as you know full well the Englishmen were faithfull and in respect of godly deuotion and knowledge of religion they gaue a yeerely pension to the apostolike sea wherof some part was giuen to the bishop of Rome some part to the church of S. Marie which is called the schoole of the Englishmen to the vse of the brethren These things are cited out of Steuchus But I finde these testimonies in other places besides Steuchus Flauius Blondus in his 6. booke Decad. 2. Then saith he Iohn king of England fearing that he was not of sufficient force to deale with the French king fled to the mercy of Innocentius the third pope of Rome for making England and Ireland feudataries to the church of Rome by league he promised to pay for either Iland an hundred markes in gold yeerely Antonie of Florence saith * Iohn king of England of his own accord Hist. part 3. tit 19. §. quinto anno 1223. by the counsell of his princes offered and did freely grant to God and his most holie Apostles Peter Paul and to the holie church of Rome and to the lord Innocentius the third being pope all the kingdome of England and also of Ireland with all their rights and appurtenances and he hath done and sworne homage for the same kingdomes to the saide Innocentius the pope that he should hold them hereafter as a feudatarie of the said pope and his successours Whereof also Polidore Virgill maketh mention in his 15. booke By this instrument of the pope if as I said we may giue credence to a priuate writing the realme of England is feudatarie to the pope Go to let vs sée the rest Of the kingdome of Arragonia STeuchus in the selfe same booke * saith Pag. 193. Peter king of Arragonia in the third yeer of the L. Innocentius the third being pope came to Rome to the same Innocentius and he receiued from him solemnely an honorable knighthood and he offered willinglie to S. Peter and to the holie church of Rome his whole kingdome and there he had for his fee the same kingdome Also he appointed to pay a certaine summe of money for the kingdome of Sardinia Of the kingdome of Croatia and Dalmatia STeuchus in the same booke * in the register of Gregorie the seauenth we reade thus In the name of the lord of the holie Pag. 191. and indiuisible Trinitie in the yeere of the Lords incarnation one thousand seuenty sixe in the 14. indiction of the moneth of October I Demetrius which am also called Suinumir by the grace of God duke of Croatia and Dalmatia being made and constituted by thee L. Gebizus hauing the power of Pope Gregorie by the ambassage of the apostolike sea by the synodall and generall election of the whole cleargie and people in the Solantine church of S. Peter and being inuested and appointed king in the gouernment of the kingdome of the Croatians and Dalmatians by the banner sword scepter and crowne to thee I vowe and promise that I will vnchangeably fulfill all things which thy reuerend holines shall inioine me that I may keepe mine oth to the Apostolike sea in all things and that I may keepe irreuocably whatsoeuer as well the sea apostlike as the legates thereof haue or shall establish in this realme that I may execute iustice and defend the church also I appoint to pay to S. Peter yeerely in the resurrection of the Lord the tribute of two hundred Bizanties of al my consulships and primacies for the kingdome granted to me Furthermore seeing to
prouince whereby the priests of Christ may both wisely discerne and constantly hold equitie especially bicause it is granted to euerie one if he shall be offended at the iudgement of those that are appointed to heare causes to appeale to the councels of his prouince or also the generall councell vnlesse peraduenture there be any man which doth beleeue that God doth giue by inspiration to some one man the iustice of hearing and examining matters and doth denie it to infinit priests assembled in a synod Or how shall the iudgement giuen beyond the seas be firme whereunto the necessarie persons of witnesses cannot be brought either for infirmitie of sexe or of old age or for many other hinderances that come betweene And as concerning those thrée legats there are grieuous complaints made of them in those verie same letters and especiallie of Faustinus that they had greatly troubled the assemblie when as they feigned that they mainteined the priuileges of the church of Rome Then we sée that euen at that time the wickednes trecherie and impudencie of the pope of Rome was reuealed and that it was conuict and condemned by a generall councell Do we thinke that he did any thing hauing taken away al his enimies or familiars of out Africa and Asia that he might establish in his west parts the power that he did euen then affect And thus much hitherto touching the first cause of the nullitie and incompetencie or insufficiencie of the iudge which notwithstanding that they may be more apparent to the most excellent senators of the kings parlement and to other lawyers we will confirme them with the authoritie of the doctors And first of all with that cōmon saieng of the canonists that The pope is no méete iudge euen in the onely crime of heresie but that it ought to be iudged by others * And Philip Decius C. si papa dist 40. doth constantly auouch that in that case a councell ought not to be gathered by the popes authoritie * The same doth Panormitanus in c. cum venis num 37. extra de iudic and Decius affirme in c. significasti num 4. num 9. de elect But of al other Ludouike of Rome doth most copiouslie and constantly auouch * out of the authoritie of the decrée it selfe that he that in Concil vlt. nu 15. seqq liueth rebelliouslie and refuseth to learne and do good things is rather a member of C. nullus dist 38. in concil 95. vol. 4. Decius cons 115. the deuil than of Christ that he is shewed to be rather an infidel than a beléeuer * The same saith Iason * and Decius * The second Nullitie by reason of the falsenes of the Allegation THerefore we say that the second cause of the nullitie doth consist in the falsenes of the allegation that is in a false cause alleaged which the pope followed in cōceiuing his sentence For the rule of the law is knowen that a sentence pronounced according to false causes false allegations false instruments is voide in law and without any appeale especially where the l. 1. pass C. si ex fals instru l. si praetor 7. D de iudic l. cum vero 2. §. Subuentum De fideic libert l. Seiae 26. D. de tutor cur dat l. 1. §. haec verba D. ne vis siat ei l. 1. C. si ex fals alleg sentence had for the principall cause and foundation the falsenes of the allegation * But pope Sixtus saith that he hath therfore proscribed the king of Nauarre and the prince of Condee bicause they be as he saith notorious heretikes Finely For by this reason if those princes be notorious heretiks then they must be procéeded against with arms and war if they be not notorious heretiks then the proscription and execration is of none importance Let vs sée then for what cause and allegation the foresaid Princes are condemned for heretiks For so great a crime must not be laid to the charge euen of a man of base estate without a great and weighty cause much lesse of so great princes and the kinsmen of so great a king The emperors Gratian Valentinian and Honorius decréed that they be counted heretiks which shall be detected euen by a light argument to erre and go astraie from the iudgement and path of catholike religion * Who can l. 2. c. de haeret Manich. like of and allow that definition For Augustine doth not account those heretiks which defend their opinion though false and pernitious with no stubborne wilfulnes especially which they haue not brought foorth through boldnes of their presumption but haue receiued it from their parents being seduced and fallen into errors and do seeke the truth with warie carefulnes being readie to be reformed when they haue found it as he saith text 24. dist 3. c. dixit Againe Iohn Auentine in the third book of his chronicles left in writing that a certaine bishop of Germanie called Virgil being skilful in mathematical arts was therefore accused of heresie and was called to Rome by pope Zacharie bicause he affirmed that there were Antipodes * That is such as go with their feete toward ours The canonists decréed that he should bée counted an heretike that should not obey all and singular the popes decrées * The gloss dist 10. c. nulli dist 21. pope himselfe hath decréed that he that denieth emperors kings princes and finally euery humane creature to be subiect to the temporall and materiall sword of the bishop of Rome be counted an heretike bicause it is vpon necessitie of saluation to beléeue this that is it is one of the articles C. 1. in fin extr de maior obedient of faith * In the yéere of Christ cxc 8. Victor pope of Rome did therefore pronounce that the East churches were heretiks bicause they thought not the same concerning Easter which his church thought For which cause Ireneus bishop of Lyons did sharpely reprooue that pope as Eusebius doth witnes in his fift booke 26. and Epist 24. What néede many words He is defined to be an heretike in popery which doth not beléeue al those things which are taught for truth in the church of Rome * But we haue before C. nulli dist 19 shewed that this doctrine was deliuered to the Church of Christ of it to be beléeued by the authority and commandement of the popes that Dominic wrought more miracles than Christ and all his apostles that the same Dominic was much more excellent than Christ and all his apostles That Iohn Baptist to whom the holy scripture gaue this title that there was neuer any mortall man vpon earth greater than he was by many degrées inferior to Dominic that cosener We haue shewed furthermore that the popes haue approoued that fable touching the marks of Francis Bernardo and that it is deliuered to the church of Rome to be beléeued and that that wise man that opposeth himselfe
saith the scripture as the déed was a doing and there was none to accuse hir and to bring foorth witnesses then said Christ Neither Iohn 8. saith he will I condemne thée being not conuict * Also in another place when as vpon a certain day the Iewes would haue condemned Christ before they had heard him then Nicodemus rebuked them in these words Doth our lawe condemne anie man before he be heard and his fact knowen Finally there is nothing whereof the olde patrons of the Christians and amongst these Tertullian Arnobius Augustine Lactantius do so greatly complain as that the heathen men did euery where rashly condemne the Christians being vnheard and before their cause was knowen But pope Sixtus and his assessors the cardinals haue followed the rashnes of these Ethnikes in this most mad declaration when as with certaine barbarous and giantlike arrogancie they condemned the foresaide most excellent king of Nauarre and most noble prince of Condie I do not say being vnheard but not so much as commanded to be present or cited But peraduenture some man will say these Princes were condemned not simplie as heretiks but iointly as notorious and manifest heretiks For they are oftentimes thus called in many places in that furious declaration But this law is receiued among the canonists that in manifest and notorious crimes there néedeth none accusation and C. manifesta ccc seqq 2. q. 1. iudiciall order * Wherupon they wil haue this conclusion follow séeing the foresaid Princes do manifestly and openly professe that they are fallen from the sea of Rome there néeded no citation or accusation or hearing of the cause to condemne them But we may easily answer this obiection for the answere is thréefold The first is that the pope taketh that to himselfe as granted which the most part of Christendome doth stoutly denie him that the religion of the foresaid princes and of so many other kings and nobles which thinke the same thing is heretical and that therfore it is an absurd thing that those should be called notorious heretiks which are not euen heretiks The other answer is that all those points of the decrée of Gratian. 1. q. 1. which can be obiected to vs do in no point appertaine vnto the crime of heresie but as pope Nicolas saith * vnto the c. 16. works of the flesh which as he addeth out of the apostle are manifest as manslaughter robberie whooredome incest adulterie and such like Neither shal there in all these places any word be found touching the crime of heresie which crime doth differ from the works of the flesh and other wicked déeds therein bicause in condemning heresie the correction and amendement of the person is sought which Paul doth therefore call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vsing the same word or name which Plato giueth to that chastisement which is vsed for amendements sake for in other punishments the amendement of the person is not sought but there is an example giuen to others that men with feare of like punishment may be terrified from doing euill For which cause the same Plato calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a publike example * Agell 6. c. 4. Plato in Gorg. Therefore though a man wander in some article of religion yea do manifestly erre and slide yet he must not foorthwith be either excommunicate or as Augustine saith be accounted in the number of exercising enimies but he must be once and often admonished chastened taught neither must he be remooued from the fellowship of the faithfull vntil he shew himselfe rebellious and stubborne and to vse the words of the same Augustine do stubbornly resist the Church Wherfore séeing that the foresaid Princes do neither professe any doctrine dissenting from the rule of faith as we said before but do most carefully imbrace the fower forenamed councels neither yet haue bin reprehēded by any apostolike church which as Tertullian defineth it hath perseuered in the doctrine of the apostles neither yet haue shewed themselues stubborne in learning but if they be conuict of any error are readie to amend it we conclude without any delay that we haue abundantly satisfied the cause of Nullitie set down by vs in the third place To what end should I vse many words For euen by the law of the canonists all this declaration of the pope is prooued to be vniust and void forsomuch as when an excommunication is sent out for no iust cause and without obseruing the iudiciall order then the curse of the excommunication is said to redound vpon the head of him that accurseth Touching an vniust cause there be testimonies extant in the writings of Augustine * where in c. temerarium eodem he thus writeth Rash iudgement doth for the most part hurt him nothing vpon whom iudgment is rashly giuen but him that iudgeth rashly must the rashnes of necessitie hurt Also in the chapter following What doth it hurt a man that mans ignorance will blot him out of that table if so be it an euill conscience do not blot him out of the booke of the liuing Thinke of Augustine what thou wilt onely let not my conscience accuse me in the eies of God c. Etsi these things are cited out of the same Augustine Though thou bee condemned of man for a time the earthly seat is one and the heauenlie throne another thing from the lower he receiueth sentence from the higher a crowne Also out of the same Augustine * 11. q. 3. c. Episcopi c. nemo c. certum c. ex parte cap cum olim De sente excom I in c. illud planè will say that boldly and not rashly that if anie of the faithfull shall be vniustly accursed it shall rather hurt him that doth than him that suffereth this iniurie For the holie Ghost dwelling in the saints by whom euerie man is bound or loosed doth not punish any man vndeseruedly But in iudiciall order is required first citation then the stubbornnes of him that is cited * Host. in sum tit de sent excomm num 7. gloss in c. statuimus codem tit in 6. As for example saith Hostiensis if any man being commanded or admonished will not amend his wickednes * cap. ad nostr De consuet vbi concord in gloss Furthermore it is requisite that the excommunicator be a competent iudge otherwise the excommunication of an insufficient iudge is none * c. solet c. venerabilem per tuas eod tit in 6. Thirdly if the excommunicat person haue lawfully appealed or in stead of appealing haue fitly protested * For he that alledgeth no sentence though he desire not to be absolued but as it falleth out in this matter shewing lawful causes of Nullity especially so many and so lawfull he must be heard and in the meane season the sentence is suspended as the same canonists do commonly teach * in d. c. per tuas in d. c. solet In
worshipped him as God as the successor of Christ and Peter he gaue him diuine honor so far as he could he worshipped him as the liuelie image of Christ. Thus writeth Steuchus in the foresaid booke printed at Lyons anno 1547. Of the same kind of impietie is that of the glosse in the preface of Clement The pope is neither god nor man but he is a neuter betweene both Also that other in ca. fundamenta de elect in 6. where when it was written in the text that the pope is subiect to no man he addeth thus And in this point the pope is no man but Gods vicar There followeth another blasphemie out of the booke of the popes ceremonies The pope saith he in the 1. tit 7. night of the natiuitie of the Lord doth blesse a sword which he doth afterward giue to some prince for a token of the infinit power giuen to the pope according to that All power is giuen me in heauen and earth Also He shall beare rule from the one sea to the other and from the riuer vnto the worlds end But there is no more deadly and detestable blasphemie found any where than is that * where in c. quoniam de immunit in 6. the pope calleth the Church his spouse We saith he being vnwilling to neglect our righteousnes and the righteousnes of our spouse the Church c. For all men agrée in this that this is proper to Christ onelie to be called the husband of the Church and that the Church should be called his spouse as it is in Paul * I haue coupled you to one husband 2. Cor. 10. to present you a pure virgin to Christ. But let vs heare other such as is that The pope is he whom the whole Church ought to obey 1. dist 93. Also When the pope dissolueth matrimonie C. inter corporalia de translat praelat it séemeth that God alone dissolueth it bicause the pope is canonically chosen to be God vpon earth The pope hath Fel. in cap. ego N. de iureiur the place vpon earth not of a pure man but of a true God Also If the pope should c. si Papa dist 40. thrust into hell whole troups of souls yet were it not lawfull for anie man to aske him this question Why doest thou this Is there any that thinketh aright of Christian religion which in these monsters of words doth not plainly know Antichrist of whom Paul saith thus 2. Thes 2. That wicked man shall be reuealed that sonne I saie of perdition which setteth and extolleth himselfe against that which is called God or diuine power so that he sitteth in the temple of God boasting himselfe as if he were God What that he durst also professe and openly boast that the force and holines of his seat is so great that what baudie person soeuer or man how wicked soeuer periured person or vngodlie person shall sit in that seat he doth drawe holines foorthwith from that sitting Of which wicked blasphemie this in cap. non nos dist 41. testimonie is extant Saint Peter transmised the euerlasting gift of his merits with the inheritance of his innocencie vnto his posteritie That which was granted him by the light of his actions appertaineth to those whom like brightnes of conuersation doth illuminate For who can doubt that he is holie whom the top of so great dignitie doth aduance In whom if good things gotten by merit be wanting those are sufficient which are performed by the predecessor of the place What me thinks we heare that fable which the poets feigned touching the thrée-footed stoole of Apollo and of the déepe hole from which came such a breth that so soone as the prophetesse of Apollo was once set vpon that stoole hauing receiued behind hir the spirit of diuination she did foorthwith powre Strab. 9. out oracles And yet that detestable blasphemie of the popes champion is shortly after a in c. multi most manifestly reprooued by the words of Chrysostom by which and sixe hundred other places of the decrée of Gratian we may iudge of the follie of that booke But go to let vs now bring to light other testimonies The pope is God vpon earth according to Baldus b in l. vltim c. sent rescind Decius in c. 1. de const Felin in c. ego N. de iure The pope and Christ make one consistorie so that except sinne the pope can do as it were al things which God can do and he can be iudged of none according to Abb c in c. licet de elect and those things he doth he doth them as god not as man d c. inter incorpor de translat praela Car. Paris in conc 63. num 162. vol. 4. The pope is a certaine diuine power and as it were bearing a shew of a visible God as Ludouicus Gomes saith e in reg cancel The pope can make righteousnes of vnrighteousnes f ca. debitus de appellat The pope can dispense against the Apostle and against the Apostolike canons g 31. dist c. lector 87. dist praesbyter The pope is aboue the law h c. proposuit de conc praeb That which the pope doth must be counted as don of God i c. quanto de transl praelat A part of which blasphemies Philip. Deci. k in consil 137 diligenter pro tenui num 3. vol. 1. reckoneth vp And Iason besides these before mentioned reciteth these out of the opinion of the same canonists which notwithstanding as it doth plainly appéere he doth not allow The pope is all and aboue al according to Baldus l in l. Barbarius De officio Praetoris The pope can do all things aboue law contrarie to law and without law according to Baldus m in c. cum super de causis prop. pos The pope is Lord of lords and he hath the authoritie of the King of kings ouer his subiects n in c. Ecclesia vt tit pendent according to Baldus The pope can change square for round according to Hostiensis o in c. cum venissent de iud It is sacrilege to doubt of the popes power p l. sacrilegij c. de crim sacril For the pope is the cause of causes Wherefore we must mooue no question about his power seeing there is no cause of the first cause according to Baldus q in d. c. Ecclesia vt tit pend And no man can say to the pope why dost thou so according to Specul r in tit de leg § nunc ostend ver 89. Bal in praelud feud Thus writeth Iason word for word ſ in consil 145. circa primam num 3. vol. 1. Which self same things in a maner he doth repeate againe only a few words being changed t in consil 95. requisitus coll pend vol. 4. Me thinks we haue set down arguments ynow of the first impietie of the
which are drawne out of the pure fountaines of Scripture those do they most carefullie embrace those things which are brought in into religion out of these munkish pits filthy sinks doe they reiect and detest And yet this is the onely cause why pope Sixtus the fift hath so proudly cruelly cursed thē both Of which pope Sixtus it séemeth good to me to speake somewhat in this place that all men may perceiue both what manner of man he is and also from what roots he sprang to such pride and became so hawtie Therfore his first name was Felix Peretus He was borne in a base village nigh to Formana called Montalto in the yéere 1521. the thirtéenth day of December Being a boy he was brought vp among munkes that is not to say any more among goate buckes at length being a yoong man hée was chosen into the order of the Franciscanes vnto whose holie rites after hée was admitted now growne vp he was at last chosen by the inquisitours of the Romish faith into their colledge Which office when he did so execute a fewe yéeres ago that few could abide his cruel nature it fell out so by hap at that time that he called a certaine noble man of Venece before him When he did more cruelly handle the man vnacquainted with hearing reproches not many daies after he met the same noble man by chance whom so soone as the same noble man perceiued he commanded one of his waiters to beate downe with a cudgell he had in his hand the pride of vnfortunate Peretus The vnfortunate man who of Felix was become Infelix went straightway to Rome and tolde pope Pius the fourth who was then high gouernour at Rome The pope being highly displeased sendeth him back againe to Venece with greater authoritie and power So soone as he shewed the senate his bull the wise men which knew ful wel the troublesome nature of the man and how that he was inflamed with desire of reuenge commanded foorth-with a torche to be lighted and did straightly command him that before the torch was burnt he shoulde get him with spéede out of their coastes if he were wise Infelix going to Rome againe made his complaint to the pope When the pope perceiued that he was a man most fit for his purpose he did first aduance him to this honor that he made him master of his pallace that done when Toledanus the archbishop one of the spanish inquisition which is fearefull to all nations was suspected of heresie the pope sent him into Spaine that he might be present at that question iudgement It happened by chance at that time that he that was then generall that is chiefe prelate of the Franciscanes which is the highest office and dignitie of that sorte of men died Which inheritance the pope gaue to Felix Peretus who by this means was made the archcowled chiefe cowled and cloaked cowled frier of that order of Franciscanes and a few yéeres after he was also chosen cardinall by the same pope At length when pope Gregorie the 13. was dead our archcowling Felix was chosen into his roome in troubling France by his commendation and fauour who is chiefe at Rome in furthering these matters and whom he doth plainely aide in holding the residue of the kingdome of Nauarre By these degrées procéedings he which a fewe yéeres ago was a cowled a roped a most vile frier créeping in his slitted shooes is now become a thunderer a thunderbolt caster an excommunicator of kings and princes Most mightie now with double sword And high aduanced to kisse whose toe Both Caesar comes and also kings In broydred purple which do go As Mantuan wrote of Iulius the second The crime of vsing tyrannie in the Church IT followeth that we come to the second crime of the papacie which consisteth in vsing lordship ouer the church of Christ For the holie Scripture teacheth vs that Christ alone is the head of the Church 1. Pet. 2. 5. Heb. 5. 7. 9. Eph 4. 15. 16. Ibid. 5. in another place that Christ is the head of the bodie of the Church * The same scripture giueth this name to Christ alone that he is the chiefe pastour high priest * 1. Col. 18. 1. Pet. 2. 5. Heb. 6. 7. But the pope of Rome saith All the church saith he through out the world knoweth that the holy church of Rome hath right to iudge all men and no man may giue iudgement of his iudgement c. And as followeth All the whole church throughout the worlde knoweth that the seat of S. Peter hath power to loose those things that are bounde by the iudgements of any bishops whatsoeuer which hath power to iudge the whole church Also The pastorall charge of carefulnes is inioined Clement pasto de sent re iudicat Cap. 1. extrauag de emp. vend vs by God ouer all nations of the Christian people Also Bearing rule ouer the gouernment of the church vniuersall by the lords prouidence Also * Cap. ad Regimen extrauag de praebend c. 1. de treug pac Being called by the disposition from aboue to gouerne the vniuersall church Also * Being called to the gouernement of the vniuersall Church by the disposition of Gods clemency Also * The bishop of c. 1. de consuet Rome is appointed by the Lord ouer nations and kingdoms Also * The holie church of c. 3. de elect Rome which by the Lords disposition hath from God the principalitie ouer all other churches as being the mother and mistresse of all the faithfull Also That therefore all churches 24. q. 1. c. rogamus c. sacrosancta are subiect to the sea of Rome bicause Peters sea was translated from Antioch to Rome Also That the sea of Rome is the head and hinge d. ca. sacro-sancta of all churches and as the doore is gouerned by the hinge so all churches are gouerned by that authoritie of that sea But to what end do we séeke out those olde things Séeing our Franciscan Sixtus the fift began this his bull on this wise That The authoritie giuen him by Christ and S. Peter doth surmount the power of all kings and princes and that the care for all churches people and nations lieth vpon him Thus therefore writeth the pope of Rome Now we must also consider by what right or authoritie he taketh vpon him so great power and lordship For we sée he bringeth and alleageth a double cause of this lordship and principalitie the former from the decrée of Christ Feed my sheepe and Thou art Peter and vpon this rock For in that the Lord said saith the pope Feede my sheepe and that generallie Mine not particularly Those or These by this it is vnderstood that he committed the whole flocke to him The pope alledgeth c. vnam sanctam Extrauag de maior obed another cause out of the Donation of the emperor
Constantine * dist 66. c. Constant. wherin it is said that Constantine gaue him the principalitie ouer all the churches of the whole world But let vs sée whether the pope be not fallen into that error which is not woont to be tollerated in law and iudgements neither can it by any meanes be suffered that a pleader should alledge contrarie causes of his intention But these l. si quis 7. D. de petit hered l. 1. c. de fur l. Titius 99. D. de cond demonst things are contrarie one to another that Christ gaue the pope principalitie ouer all Churches which he doth most plainly affirm in the places aboue written and that The same principalitie was giuen him by Constantine bicause that which is euerie mans owne cannot be his by more and especially by contrarie causes For their inuention l. an eadem 14. § penult D de except rei iud l. non vt ex plurib 159. de reg iur is intollerable which dispute that that principalitie was first giuen to the pope of Rome by Christ and that Constantine confirmed that donation and that so soon as the first emperor became a Christian he gaue Syluester the pope the voide possession therof First bicause a false Constantine writeth in plaine words that he giueth the gifts of two most great things of the ecclesiasticall iurisdiction ouer all priests that are in Christendome which the popes call the spirituall principalitie and the lordship of the whole west empire which the same call the Temporall lordship Of the former the false Constantine writeth thus Constantine gaue this priuilege to the bishop of the church of Rome that in all the Romane circuit the priests haue him to be their head as iudges haue the king for their head And streightway We decree that he beare rule as well ouer the fower seas of Alexandria Antioch Hierusalem and Constantinople as also ouer all Churches of God thoroughout the whole world What could he write more plainly to shew that he did attribute to the pope a certaine new kind of authoritie Who is he that knoweth not that a priuilege is opposite to common authoritie And that if Constantine gaue a priuiledge to the pope the pope had before like and the same authoritie which all bishops did vse But if Constantine could giue an vniuersall principalitie ecclesiasticall surely he must néeds haue béen lord of that principalitie by full right Which euen all the Canonists do grant to be most absurd that a secular prince should possesse a spiritual principalitie that is an vniuersall bishoprike ouer all churches séeing he hath not the priesthood or bishoprike of so much as of one little church But if Constantine had no bishoprike at al how could he giue the vniuersall bishoprike of all the whole world to Syluester séeing no man can giue more right or authoritie to another than he himself hath And we sée that this argument was obiected two hundred yéeres ago to the pope by Marsilius of Patauium who writeth thus In the decrees Indefens pacis cap. 11. there is found a certaine priuilege of the emperor Constantine approoued by the popes wherin he gaue to S. Syluester bishop of Rome the coactiue iurisdiction ouer all churches of the world and ouer all the rest of the priests or bishops And seeing the pope of Rome and with him the rest of the priests or bishops doth grant that the said grant was firme they must consequently grant that the same Constantine had altogither the same iurisdiction or power ouer them But let vs returne to the proposed Dilemma For whether the pope hold that he had that principalitie from God as he professeth in the places of late cited or he hath it by Constantine his gift we will prooue both to be false First by that repugnance or contrarietie whereof we spake euen now Secondly bicause he cutteth his owne throte with his owne sword For in the decrée he citeth this place out of Chrysostome Whosoeuer he be that will desire principalitie vpon earth shall find confusion in heauen neither shall he be reckoned among the seruants of Christ which wil intreat of the primacie * l. 7. l. 8. de iureiur in l. priuil 27. c. de decur l. 10. Also Let not the bishop of the chiefe Dist 4. c. multi §. quicunque sea be called the prince of priests or the highest priest or any such thing but onelie the bishop of the chiefe sea But let not euen the bishop of Rome be called the vniuersall bishop Which selfe same thing is repeated againe and againe c. primae sedis dist 99. in a maner in as manie words in the two chapters following But if we must dispute out of the ciuil law it is most euident that there be thrée sorts of successors For some be successors of right and such be heires which are called vniuersall successors others be successors of the thing as those to whom legacies be giuen buiers those to whom gifts be giuen which are called particular successors * l. qui ius 177. D. de reg iu. cum simil lib. Last of all l. vlt. D. de excep rei vend l. 1. §. in locum D. quod legat some be successors of a personall office which are called Functionis succedanei Successors in an office * The successors of the former sort haue their right and cause from those whom they succéed whether they be vniuersall or particular * But the third haue not their right and claime from their predecessors but frō those by whom they are chosen and are put in their place such as the successors of magistrates tutors curates be For it is a personall office l. 1. §. 1. l. 6. §. vlt. l. vlt. D. de muner hon l. 1. §. Sciendum l. 4. l. 6. D de magist con l. 6. §. vlt. D. de his qui not in fam that is vpholden by carefulnes and watchfulnes of mind Therefore when a magistrate or tutor is dead one succéedeth him in inheritance another in office These things being thus set downe séeing the pope holdeth that he is Christs successor we may aske him of what kind of successor he professeth himselfe to be For he cannot be called an heire and a successor of all the right séeing that the inheritance of one that is aliue cannot so much as be l. 1. D. de her vend imagined * But Christ is not dead but he liueth both a blessed and euerlasting life No more can he be called the successor of a particular thing séeing the kingdome of Christ hath neither communion nor diuision Heb. 1. 5. no not among the Angels bicause God hath placed him as Paul saith farre aboue all gouernement and power and principalitie and hath put al things vnder his féete and hath made him head ouer all Eph. 1. 21. 22. things to the church But how can he haue a successor or vicar in his vniuersall office séeing
he is neither dead but liueth an euerlasting and blessed life and séeing he is perpetually present in his church hée doth alwaies execute the office of the chiefest pastor and priest Moreouer we may 1. Pet. 2. Mark 16. 20. Psal 110. Heb. 2. 4. 7. 9. adde that also without any doubting that no bishop can be called the successor no not of Peter or of any other Apostle as the canonists vse to call the pope Peters successor Apud Decium in l. qui per successionem D. regul iur in Decius where when the lawiers vse to say that The heire of an heire that is the Testator is the heire of the testator though he be heire by the longest succession the Canonists reason that euery pope is the successor of Peter though there came manie betwéene For no bishop hath his cause from Peter or any other Apostle but from the choice made by the authoritie of Christ neither doth the place sea or chaire make the succession but the continuance of the doctrine of Christ when as the religion receiued of Christ is continually deliuered by all the successors as by hands to the Christian people Wherefore those new shifts of certaine of the popes clawebacks make nothing against vs who being mooued by hope of some benefice dispute thus that the pope of Rome is not the spirituall head of the catholike church but the ministeriall bicause like as Christ doth gouerne particular churches that is particular dioces by particular bishops his vicars in like sort the same Christ doth gouerne his vniuersall Church by some one vniuersall vicar of his namely the pope of Rome who kéepeth in doing their duty those inferior and particular bishops that are subiect to his iurisdiction For we answere this obiection thrée manner of waies First that this principalitie is not onely not ordained of Christ but also that it is brought in by the pope of Rome by ambition and desire to lord it For when Christ sent his twelue Apostles about to preach his Gospell he gaue not to som one some singular and principall commandement but the like one to them all thus Go ye into all coasts of the earth and preach the Gospell among all people and nations And therefore in the Reuelation the heauenlie Ierusalem is not said to be founded vpon one and a particular piller or especially vpon one of all the rest but simplie vpon twelue and when as vpon the day of Pentecost the holie Ghost was powred out vppon the twelue Apostles he was not powred out vpon some one of them especially and chiefly but he was simply powred out vpon all Last of all when Paul describeth the functions and offices of the pastors of the Church he doth not giue to any one the principalitie or lordship ouer the rest but he expoundeth to them the same in plaine words Christ is gone vp on high he hath led captiuitie captiue and hath giuen gifts to men For he hath made some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists some pastors and teachers for the restoring of the Saints for the worke of the ministerie to the edifieng of the bodie of Christ. The other answere is that if Christ or Peter had ordained any principalitie and one ministeriall head in his Church no doubt the primitiue Church would haue retained that ordinance being so fresh in memorie But on the contrarie we sée that the most ancient generall Synods of all namely the Nicene that of Constantinople of Ephesus and Chalcedon did ordaine that ouer euery citie should be appointed a bishop that done that euery prouince should haue an Archbishop or patriarke hauing all like dignitie authoritie iurisdiction power degrée besides that it was granted to the Archbishop of Rome that for the antiquitie and honor of the city he should sit in the first place but yet not in an higher place and next him should sit the Archbishop of Constantinople for the selfe-same cause bicause he was bishop of new Rome being the emperors citie wheras if they had had regard of the more ancient Church that first or else the second place shuld haue béen due to the bishop of Antiochia then the bishop of Alexandria of Hierusalem afterward the thrée archbishops of Iustinian made by the emperor Iustinian for most light causes shuld take place in like seats which causes we will shew afterward vnder the crime of forgerie where we will reckon vp the forgeries cossenages and corruptions deuised by the pope of Rome to fill vp this his ambition The third answer is that séeing Christ did appoint his Apostles to be messengers and preachers of his commandements to go throughout diuers coasts of the earth we read not that any one of them was appointed to be an Archmessenger especially to be mute and to be at ease that he might lie busking and loitering at Rome and harken after those things that were done in other places of the world wheresoeuer and might in the meane season serue his ambition For bishops are nothing else but messengers of Christ and proclaimers of his commandements ordained in euery citie like as in times past the emperors of Rome were woont to giue things in charge to the Proconsuls and Presidents as all those that are students of the law and antiquities of the Romans do affirme Therefore he that is dumbe either by nature or will that is he that kéepeth silence and doth not execute the office of a messenger herald and doth not preach the Gospell he is not only not woorthy of the authoritie but not so much as of the name of bishop or archbishop But bicause the popes in their decretals do in euery third line inculcate that song Bicause it was said to Peter Feede my sheepe and Vpon this rocke it is woorth the paines to set downe the true and naturall interpretation of those places For Augustine in his 124. tract vpon Iohn When saith he it was said to Peter I will giue thee the keies of the kingdome of heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt bind vpon earth he ment the vniuersal church that is founded vpon the rocke From whence euen Peter tooke his name For the rocke was not called Petra of Peter but Peter of Petra or the rocke as Christ tooke not his name of Christians but Christians of Christ. For therefore the Lord saith Vpon this rocke will I build my Church bicause Peter had said Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God Therefore vpon this rocke saith he which thou hast confessed will I build my Church For Christ was the rocke vpon which foundation euen Peter himselfe was builded For no man can lay any other foundation than that which is alreadie laid which is Iesus Therefore the Church that is founded in Christ receiueth from him the keies of the kingdome of heauen in Peter that is power to bind and loose sinnes For the same which Christ is in the Church by propertie the same is Peter in the rocke by
vnder the garment of the virgin Marie touching more and greater miracles done by Dominic and Francis than either by Christ or his Apostles which are such wicked hainous and vngodlie blasphemies that the minds of al the godly do abhor the rehearsal therof Secondly bicause hauing taken to himselfe lordship and princely power ouer the whol church and vsing ministers and officers dukes and purpled cardinals to defend him and furnish him he professed himselfe to be the captaine and prince of a new faction and synagog Last of all bicause being about fower hundred whole yéers ago requested by the praiers of al Christian princes and admonished to admit some amendement and reformation he did prowdlie reiect their request and precepts Of which not to fet testimonies far surely the memorie of our fathers and grandfathers may be a witnes out of the councell of Constance Basil Florence and Trent in which last false and erronious doctrines were not only not taken away but also more and more confirmed so that no man can now doubt but that these thrée markes whereby we said a little before an heritike is discerned from one whose iudgement is sound do most euidently appéere in the pope of Rome Which things séeing they are so we thinke that it is now euident enough of what importance this accusation of pope Sixtus ought to be with the counsellers of the French king whereto the most part of Europe hath subscribed it selfe also we vnderstand of what authoritie this accusation by him made against the king of Nauarre and prince of Condie ought to be with them For to cut his throat as they saie with his owne sword lo in his owne decrées 24. distinct 1. it is euerie where in manie testimonies set downe that he that is fallen into heresie cannot depriue any man of his office or insnarle him in any sentence as in c. acasius If therefore a bishop saith he be fallen into an heresie alreadie condemned being condemned by an ancient excommunication he cannot condemn others For he that is excōmunicate cannot excommunicate others Which self-same thing is confirmed in that which followeth by this reason being added thereto For the power to binde or loose was giuen by the Lord to true not to false priests And in the chapter following Peters priuilege remaineth wheresoeuer sentence is giuen according to his equitie Hereto belongeth that which Iason writeth in his 145. councell requisitus num 3. vol. 2. That the pope cannot depose any man placed in dignitie without cause bicause the power granted to Peter to feed the sheepe of Christ is not extended to kill them c. in nouo 21. dist for Peters power continueth so long as he iudgeth truely and doth not erre with the keies * The self-same writeth d. c. manet c. Abba * Also Iason writeth more plain in in c. vlt. col pe vlt. de confi vtil vel inut in c. constitutus col 3. de relig dom in c. vlt. de postul praelat in c. de multa de praebend his 95. councell requisitus vol. 4. When as saith he the pope is guiltie of heresie seeing he may for this crime be deposed c. si papa 40. dist by this he ceaseth to be pope seeing he is without the catholike church according to the notes by Innocentius in c. ex parte de verb. sig in like sort when the pope shal be a notorious criminal person intangled in greeuous crimes so that he doth offend the church c. Also col 3. But the old glosse held more strōgly than the whole world alleageth in d. c. si papa that the pope may be accused for another fault as symonie or adulterie which is notorius and the pope being admonished cannot be reformed so that he offendeth the church of God seeing he is counted as an heretike and so the pope may be accused and punished not onely for the cause of heresie but also for anie other crime wherein the pope committeth excesse offending the church if it be notorious and the pope cannot be reformed bicause notable disobedience is counted heresie wherefore as the pope may be accused for heresie and condemned so likewise for any notorious crime wherein he is incorrigible Moreouer Felinus saith * The pope which is not canonicallie in c. Ego N. de iureiur elect is a deuill not hauing the keies of the kingdome of heauen but of hell The third Nullitie by reason of the want of iudiciall order LEt vs now come to the third cause of nullitie which we said to be the want of forme iudiciall order For as in times past the great orator saide what is more vnséemely than that iudgement should be giuen of his life and of all his goods who was neither commanded to be present nor yet cited nor accused We shewed before that this forme and order of ecclesiasticall iudgement was appointed by Christ and his Apostles in iudging heretikes first that they should be sometimes conuict of their error then if they would not obey not one but many and often admonitions of the church but would as saith Augustine stubburnely resist and perseuere in their error then they should be counted as enimies and profane persons Therefore admonitions are necessarie and a solemne and lawful hearing of the cause God was not ignorant what Adam and Eua had committed against his commandement or inhibition Yet he called both of them foorth and made as it were a question and hearing of the cause and then at length he gaue sentence against them after they were conuict The same God being a most seuere punisher of wickednes was not ignorant with how great and how vile wickednes the Sodomites and Gomorrheans had defiled themselues But yet notwithstanding that he might shew an example of equitie to mortall men that are iudges he tooke vpon him to heare the cause and he said that he would descend and know Which thing likewise the canonists haue in many words euery where deliuered in 1. q. 2. but specially in c. Deus omnipotens But moreouer the same scripture doth in another place testifie that the elders of the people of the Iewes who iudged matters at the foote of the mount Sinay gaue not sentence before they had heard both parties and vntill both parties had laied downe their matter Moreouer the Iewes though they did malitiously séeke to put Christ to death and to destroie him yet they kept the vsual order of iudgements so that they accused him before Caiphas the highest priest and a competent iudge and then they did bring him before the iudgement seat of the same high priest after they had caught him and also they did bring foorth witnesses for their accusation Therefore both sides laid downe their cause and the opinions of those that sat with the highest priest were asked and then at length iudiciall order being kept the condemnation was pronounced But what néed more testimonies When the woman was taken in adulterie as
cōmitted to him It followeth Casting down from their throne those that are mightier he throweth them downe euen to the ground as ministers of proud Lucifer How madlie the drunken frier inuadeth the place of Isaias * which doth properlie Ch. 14. concerne the popes of Rome and the vniuersall priests of the church For Gregorie the great doth plainly testifie that vnder the person of Nabuchadnosor the vniuersal pope is described For in hel there are brought in the damned kings princes comming out as it were to méete the pope and to welcome him comming vnto them after his death and mocking him thus Hell was afraide bicause of thee against the meeting of thy comming al the princes of the earth that are dead arise to thee All the kings of the nations rise out of their throns and they speak vnto thee on this wise Art thou also become weake as one of vs and art thou become like to vs Thy pride is drawne vnto the hell O Lucifer when didst thou fall from heauen thou sonne of the morning and art cut downe to the earth that didst terrifie the nations But thou saidst in thine hart I will clime vp into heauen I will exalt my throne aboue the stars of heauen I will clime vp aboue the height of the cloud and will become like to the most highest Those that see thee shall saie Is this he that troubled the earth and did shake kingdoms Now let vs heare Gregorie out of his fourth booke of Epistles ch 82. where he applieth that place of Isaias vnto him that did professe himselfe to be pope and vniuersall bishop I will clime vp saith he aboue the height of the clowdes I will be like to the most highest For what are all thy brethren the bishops of the vniuersall church but stars of heauen Before whom whiles thou couetest to set thy selfe by a worde of pride and to tread their name vnder foote in comparison of thee what else dost thou say but I will clime vp into heauen I will exalt my seat aboue the stars of heauen Whom whiles your brotherhood despising them doth go about to tread vnder foote what other thing saith it but this which the old enimie saith I will clime vp aboue the height of the clowds Al which things when I behold weeping c. By which words it is vnderstood that the place of Isaias concerning Lucifer cast downe into the neather most part of the earth and of his crueltie thrust downe into hell doth not belong to the most noble king of Nauarre than whom the sunne beholdeth nothing more méeke more gentle but vnto our Polyphemus Sixtus the fift and vnto his pride in treading vnder-foote the maiestie of kings But if we must cut the throat of this gyant with his owne sword lo we haue a plaine text in his owne decrée * where it is thus written Lucifer de poeniten dist 2. §. qui vero reprobi whiles that he presumed of himselfe in pride he was cast downe from paradyse into hell Also * Whiles Nabuchadnosor waxing proud in 23. q. 5. §. hinc notandum his hart said Is not this Babylon which I haue built c. God did foorthwith change his reasonable mind and he changed him into the forme of beastlines so that flieng from men he liued with beasts Which words he reciteth referring them vnto the pope which we wil haue especially noted and he commendeth Ludouike of Rome * But now let vs procéed in cons vlt. num 2. to the rest after we haue added that one thing out of the 38. leafe of the booke of the Conformities bicause mention is made of the seat of Lucifer The peace making Frier being caught vp into heauen whether in the bodie or without the bodie God knoweth let the readers consider how wickedly the vile munk doth mock the words of Paul and he saw in heauen manie seates amongst which he saw one higher than his fellowes bedeckt with pretious stone And he heard a voice saieng to him This was Lucifers seate and in his place shall humble Francis sit And this surely is that which we said before that Francis Bernardo togither with the rest of his stage plaiers and comicall mates shall haue a place in Lucifers kingdome so that we néed not greatly dispute whether Francis or pope Sixtus the fift a bishop of the order of Francis is worthie the seate It followeth in the bull According to the care for all chruches people and nations that lieth vpon vs. Good Lord What a burden hath our great cowled Frier taken vpon him séeing he hath taken vp vpon his shoulders the care both for all churches and people nations We will héerafter cease to woonder what is the cause that painters haue in his image painted the form of one that stoupeth Scarce Atlas who they say held vp heauen did beare a heauier burden What shall then become of vs if the pope begin to faint and faile vnder that so great a burden which he complaineth to lie vpon his shoulders alone They say that the cause of a certain melancholy persons gréefe was bicause he was afraid least Atlas who had so long borne so great a burden should at length sinke vnder it But we thinke it good to set downe in this place a certaine pleasant narration of William Budeus a man as I said before that loued his countrie and was very learned touching these Atlasses out of his fift booke De Asse A certain pleasant and merie preacher saith he was woont not long ago to cauill at them and to say that they seemed to him to be such as are those corbat images in churches which are set vpon posts or pillers For as we see some of these images as it were yeelding vnder their burden which are either in stead of corbats or else they reach without the mortesses of the corbats and they seeme to one that beholdeth them as if they tooke great paines and swet with bearing the worke whereas indeed they are without feeling and they help the strength of the stones nothing howsoeuer they seeme to take great paines so we see these Atlasses set and placed vpon the very tops of the pillers in the temple of the Lord hauing indeed that false honor and maiestie of titles like reuerend old men and their custome is to pretend holines and to beare a faire shew of reuerend old men that vnderprop the Lords sanctuarie but when we behold their blockish ignorance or dissolute carelesnes it is euident that they do no more good than images of stone But it séemeth that we ought not to omit that which Antoninus archbishop of Florence whom we haue sundry times before mentioned hath taught vs that when as long ago the pope began to faint vnder so great a burden there were some found that did vnderprop him with their shoulders namely Dominican Friers For he writeth thus * Dominic Histor. part 3. tit 23. §. 3. fol. 191. went
importance especially at this time wherein the hypocrisie of the popes is laid open almost to all Europe For our Peretus doth as snailes vse to do when winter is ouer when they féele the heat of the sunne then they thrust out their swelling necks and two hornes out of their shels wherwith somtimes little children are terrified So he hath long time couched in his munkish den enduring hunger miserably begging from doore to doore Now when he séeth that he is aduanced to so great honor he casteth his cowle from about his ears and doth proudly shew foorth his hornes and he hopeth that he shal therewith terrifie princes and kings But as we haue alreadie said most Christian princes knowe the blindnes of those beasts they haue learned long ago what difference there is betwéene a lion and an asse of Cuma neither are they mooued either with the gaping mouthes of Antiks and with the téeth making an hidious noise or with other childish bugs of the same sort It is recorded that that our French king of whom we spake euen now Charles the sixt did with like courage despise the vaine thunderbolt of the pope about the yéere of Christ M CCCXXX For when he was proscribed by pope Benedict the 13. bicause he had forbidden certaine new and vnaccustomed exactions of pope Benedict he decréed according to the sentence of the publike councel and orders that the popes legates which had brought into France that bull which was fearefull to women and children should suffer this ignominie at Paris first that about ten of the clocke in the forenoone about which time the Senate of Paris vseth to be dissolued being brought to the gréeses of the pallace hauing some bishops standing by them and a great manie of priests being naked and holding in their right hand a burning torch they should openly confesse the wickednes they had committed and should humbly craue pardon for the same Then that being clothed by the hangman with garments painted to their reproch and hauing that popes armes turned in in reproch and being carried in a dirtie cart through the chiefe stréetes of the citie they should be set to be laughed at of the common people Which thing to haue béene done and also to haue béene quickly put in execution the moniments of the Senate of Paris do declare and it is also reported by Paponius Also In lib. Arrest 1. tit 5. Artic. 27. the authoritie of Baldus is extant against that rashnes of Benedict the 13. * in c. olim col penult Extra de rescript who sharpely and couragiously inueigheth against the Antipopes of that time wherof this Benedict had his sea at Auenion the other namely Boniface had his at Rome and the former of these he called a bellowing oxe the latter a warring beast he inueigheth against both most sharply and most fréely Moreouer there is extant in Theodor Nehemius * an epistle of the Vniuersitie and studie of Paris where Tract 6. c. 17. this first request is made that The popes letter made like to a bull be rent and broken as iniurious seditious fraudulent and offensiue to the kings maiestie with protestation to proceed vnto greater things and let all suggesters fauters receiuers be taken and kept to be punished and corrected according to the canons Like courage appéered in the Florentines against pope Sixtus the fourth whose name this Sixtus the fift thought he might take and also imitate his example who came out of the selfe-same seminarie of Bernardo For when he had proscribed the Florentines for that traiterous bishop of whom we spake before whom they hanged out at the court window and had giuen them to Ferdinando king of Sicilia for a praie the Florentines contemning the popes vaine thunderbolt and taking to them the duke of Ferrarie to be their partner in war they beate downe the madnes of the furious and fierce vncowled frier and inforced him with war and armes to reuerse his curse Which historie Raphael Volateranus recordeth in his fift booke of Geographie Furthermore there is extant the councel of Francis Aretinus a lawier being at that time very famous and noble wherein defending the cause of the Florentines he vseth these words The crime wherwith the woorthie man Laurentius de Medicis is charged touching rebellion is so manifestly refuted that I am ashamed of the voice of the pope in this point For in his letters written to the same woorthie man in the moneth of September last past it is declared that as touching that crime he counteth him as innocent and giltlesse and that he had no sinister suspition of him Then most holie father see you to it why you after a few moneths do heape vp so manie and grieuous crimes against him It is not for me to set my face against heauen onely I will say thus much It is not honestly done of him that sitteth in the throne of God to vse so great varietie Thus writeth Aretinus in his 163. councell as Iohn num 3. Time should faile vs if we would séeke to prosecute the princes and nobles who haue contemned these proscriptions and vain thunderings thunderbolts lightenings of the popes euen in former times in so great mistines and darknes The emperor Otho the fourth was proscribed by Innocentius Henrie the fourth by Gregorie the 7. Henrie the fift by Pascalis the second Friderike the first of Sueueland by Adrian the fourth and Alexander the third Philip sonne of Friderike the first by Innocentius the third Friderike the second by Gregorie the ninth was excommunicate not once nor twise but thrise Conradus the fourth by Innocentius the fourth But as touching the first beginning of this madnes boldnes from whom it first came the Germane historiographers do not sufficiently agrée Indéed Otho Frisingensis referreth it vnto the yéere CIC. lxvj wherein William king of England was proscribed by pope Alexander the second * Lib. Chron. 6. c. 35. I read saith he and read againe the famous facts of the kings and emperors of Rome and I can find none any where that was excommunicate before him But Iohn Tritemius writing concerning the emperor Henrie the fourth saith He was excommunicate by Gregorie In Chron. Hirsaug cap. 4. the seuenth and was deposed from the empire by the synodal decree of the bishops though he cared not for it But he is the first amongst all the emperors that was deposed by the pope But howsoeuer it be for it is not greatly appertinent to that we haue in hand what time this insolencie of the popes began it is euident that in all ages there were very many couragious men which despised these thunderings of the popes as squibbish thunderbolts and old bussings and as fray-bugs to feare children Of the kingdome of Nauarre betraied by the pope ANd it séemeth that we ought not to passe ouer in silence in this place that curse wherein the king of France Ludouike the 12. was proscribed togither with Iohn king
the cause of faith as in the same gloss And if it so fall out that these men defend themselues by their temporall power they may be bridled for the fact euen by secular power * Thus saith Zabarella But Baldus * writeth more bréefly thus Against the pope abvsing his authoritie we must first vse words that is admonitions then herbs that is threatenings thirdly stones and that where the nature of vertue is not sufficient the aid of armes must be of force there And to the like effect writeth Iason in his 95. councell requisitus col 4. It is lawfull saith he to resist the pope when he offendeth the church and he is not to be borne with * c. etsi illa 1. q. 7. c. sunt quidam 25. q. 1. Also Innocentius * in c. inquisitionis de sent excom in c. quanto de consuetud And the Abbat * in c. cum teneamur de appellat Also Hierom speaking of the pope * in c. non omnes episcopi 2. q. saith that Vnsauerie salt is good for nothing but to be cast out at doors to be troden vnder foot of hogs Thus writeth Iason with as good corage it séemeth as either Ludouike of Rome or Zabarella though notwithstanding they wrote these things in Italie and in so great darknes of the church of Christ And to the same effect speaketh Philip Decius in his councell 151. maximi ponderis num 4. vol. 1. When saith he the pope is incorrigible in any notorious crime by reason whereof the church is offended glo in terminis in c. si papa 40. dist he holdeth that the pope may be accused and out of that glosse there was a great foundation laid against Eugenius the fourth in the councell of Basil and that glosse is commonly holden by all as the abbot saith in c. significasti * de elect in disput episcopus quidam rector where he saith that the whole world approueth that glosse and Ludouicus of Rome approoueth that glosse by many reasons * in concil 523 First bicause the pope that persisteth in a notorious crime and will not be reformed falleth into suspicion of heresie * 38. dist c. fin 86. dist c. si qui sunt c. fin de poenit But the pope may be accused for heresie * d. c. si papa Therfore for such a crime Secondlie bicause a bishop is remooued from a particular church that the offence may be taken away as Innocentius noteth * in c. cum pridem de renun it seemeth we may saie the same of the stronger in the highest bishop in whom the vniuersal church is in danger Thirdlie by the authoritie of the Gospell If thine eie or thy foote offende thee Whereupon the text saith finelie in c. illud sanè 24. q. 3. For it is expedient that one man die for the people and that all the people do not perish Therefore let that pope that cannot be reformed die ciuilly that all the church do not perish bicause the pope being set to gouerne the people ought not to be their fal as the text saith * 11. q. 3. in c. ta corporis For he is woorthy as manie deaths as he sendeth examples of perdition to those that are his * 11. q. 3. Which things séeing they are so we conclude againe without delay that not onely the excommunication of the foresaid pope Sixtus the fift is to be counted as nothing by reason of the insufficiencie of the rash iudge the allegation of a false cause the want of iudiciall order and the follie of the sencence conceiued but also to the end the curses of the same pope Sixtus may turn vpon his own pate he is conuict of seauen most heinous faults and that by most assured testimonies and therefore ought to be héerafter accounted of all Christians an execrable and detestable Anathema Maranata Amen THE DECLARATION OF OVR MOST HOLIE LORD POPE SIXTVS Against HENRIE BORBON the supposed King of NAVARRE and also HENRIE BORBON the pretensed Prince of Condie being heretiks and also against their successors And the deliuerance of their subiects from all dutie of fidelitie and alleageance For the perpetuall memorie of the thing THe authoritie granted to Saint Peter and his successors by the infinite power of the eternall king surpasseth all the powers of earthlie kings and princes and standing vpon a firme rock and being not turned aside from the right course with anie contrarie or prosperous blasts it vttereth such iudgement against al men as cannot be shaken doth diligently prouide especially that Gods lawes may not be broken and if it finde any resisting Gods ordinance it doth sharply punish them casting downe from the kinglie seat euen those that are more mighty it throweth them downe euen to the lowest part of the earth as ministers of proud Lucifer Wherfore according to that care for all churches and people and nations that lieth vpon our shoulders that the saluation of their soules may especially be prouided for and that not onelie the times of our seruice but also all times to come being purged from wicked and detestable monsters may bring peace and rest to all parts of Christendome and especially to the most ample realme of France wherein Christian religion hath so florished alwaies and so great hath beene the godlines faith and deuotion of the kings thereof so many haue bin their deserts toward the church of Rome that they by full good right had from the same the most glorious sirname of Most Christian and also that we may neuer be accused before God for neglecting the care of our office we are at this time compelled to exercise the weapons of our warfare which are not carnal but mightie through God to throw downe strong holds against two sons of wrath especially Henrie Borbon somtimes king of Nauarre and Henrie Borbon somtimes prince of Condie For that king quondam hath followed from his verie youth the errors and heresies of Caluin and hath so long shewed himselfe a stubborne patrone thereof vntill being conuerted as it was thought vnto the catholike and apostolike faith of Rome by the godlie and often exhortations of Charles the ninth of famous memorie king of France of our most deerely beloued daughter in Christ Queene Katherine his most godlie mother and also of our welbeloued sonne Charles of the title of S. Chrysogonus cardinall priest of Borbon his vnkle and of Ludouike duke of Mompenser and by most manifest exhortations of diuines of excellent learning and vertue he did openly in the church at Paris condemne all hereticall opinions contrarie to the catholike faith he accursed them and abiured them did openly professe the catholike faith and hauing sent sundrie times his letters to pope Gregorie the thirteenth our predecessor of blessed memorie wherin he now acknowleging the same our predecessor to be supreme hed of the church humbly besought him that he would