skirmishes there were killed a thousand of their enemies and scarce fortie persons of their owne Triniteus the Captain by the counsell of Truchetus an expert Warriour thought meet to besiege the Castles of Convallenses but God fought against them in all their enterprises and the Convallenses came vpon them suddenly as they were besieging a certaine Castle and slew a great number and Truchetus himselfe was first sore wounded with stones afterward was slaine with his owne sword by a poore Shepheard that was keeping cattell in the fields In the end when Triniteus was out of all hope to subdue the Angronians and their complices he advertised the Duke of Sauoy how all matters went and peace was granted to the Convallenses with libertie to vse their owne Religion providing they should render all due seruice and obedience to the Duke of Savoy their Soveraigne Lord and Master To returne againe to France After the disputation at Rossie the number of the Protestants daily increased and rumours of sedition vprores were in the mouths of all the people The Queene mother willing to prouide timely remedie for repressing of ciuill and intestine warre assembled the estates of the land at S. Germane where the edict of Ianuarie was made bearing that the professours of the reformed Religion might assemble themselues together to heare Preaching of the Word provided those assemblies were kept without the towns without armour This edict was published throughout all the land and sore grieued the hearts of the adversaries namely the Duke of Guise the Constable Mommeraunce and the Marescall Santandreus who consulted together how they might haue this act vndone againe but no way could be found out to bring this matter to passe except first the King and Queene mother were in their hands to the end that the force of the Lawes which they feared might be turned against their enemies when as they had the Law-makers in their owne hands This was also thought to be an high attempt and dangerous to be enterprised so long as the King of Navarre was their enemie and a fauourer of the reformed Religion for this cause all meanes were sought out to divert the affection of the King of Navarre from his foresaid Religion The Cardinall Ferrar being the Popes Ambassadour in France put him in hope that by the Popes trauailes with Philip King of Spaine the kingdome of Navarre should be restored to him againe if he would turne to the Catholique Religion Thus was the heart of the King of Navarre stolen away from his Religion to the great encouragement of the Duke of Guise and his complices who without further delay put hand to worke The first fruits of his martiall deeds after he raised his armie was the cruell Massacre of poore vnarmed people assembled to heare the Word of God at Vassiace a towne in the borders of Champaigne and neere vnto his dominion Those poore people to the number of a thousand and fiue hundreth being occupied as is said vpon the Sabbath day the Duke of Guise came vpon them suddenly and compassed the Church wherein they were with armed souldiers that none might escape also the Duke himselfe stood in the entry with a drawne sword in his hand and sent in his souldiers who most cruelly without compassion of sex or age martyred the poore members of Christ for hearing of his Word After this the Duke of Guise addressed himselfe toward Paris where he was receiued with ioyfull acclamations of the people and from thence he marched forward to Fonteblew where the King was and seased himselfe of the King and the Queene mother and for greater securitie transported them both to Paris On the other part the Prince of Condie went to Orleance to whom resorted a great number of the Nobles of France namely the admirall Castilion Andelot Princeps Porcianus Rupsfocald with many others who all bound themselues together to set the King and the Queene mother at libertie from captivitie wherein they were deteined by the Guisians as also to defend the true professours of the Gospell of Christ that according to the act of Ianuarie they might without molestation assemble themselues to heare the Word of God The Prince of Condie was chosen to be their Chieftaine to whom the Queene mother sent many secret Letters declaring that she was deteined by the Guisians against her heart And if the Prince of Condie could set the young King and her selfe at libertie shee would neuer be vnmindfull of so great a benefit Thus in the beginning of the Warres the Queene mother fauoured the Prince of Condie and stirred him vp with many Letters and secret advertisements to procure her and her sonnes libertie for greater euidence whereof the Letters themselues are inserted in the French Historie Many great townes in France were taken and fortified by the Protestants as namely Orleance Lion Valence Granoble Roane Bourgos Towers Poictiers Montpellier and Nimes Many of those townes were recouered againe by the Guisians namely Bourges and Roane At the siege of Roane the Prince of Navarre was slaine and receiued a iust reward of his inconstancie and leuitie And Augustinus Marlorart a faithfull seruant of Christ and Preacher of the Gospell was taken by the Guisians and afterward hanged Many great cruelties were designed against those of the Religion in this first Warre namely in Tullus Aurange Burges Roan Sens and diverse other places In Montargis belonging to the Ladie Rence daughter to Lewis the twelfth Dutches Dowager of Ferrar fell out a very remarkeable matter This Ladie was a retrait to diuers families of the Religion notwithstanding the threatnings of the Duke of Guise sonne in law to the said Ladie who sent thither one Malig corne a new Knight of the order to sease vpon the Towne and Castle who begun to threaten the Ladie with Canon shot to batter her Castle wherin were diuers of the Religion But the Princesse answered him that there was not any man in the realme except the King alone that had power to command her And if he would proceed to such boldnesse as to batter her Castle with Canon shot shee would first stand in the breach her selfe to try if he durst be so bold as to kill the daughter of a King Those words caused Malicorne like a Snaile to pull in his hornes and presently to depart Afeer this the Prince of Condie perceiuing that great preparation was made against him and the Queene mothers affection was turned away to the Guisians thought meete to send for ayde to the Queene of England and the Prince of Condie willing to ioyne himselfe with the English armie marched forward to Normandie but the Duke of Guise followed after him with so great celeritie that the Prince of Condie was compelled to ioyne Battell with the Guisians at Dreux in Normandie before he was supported of the English armie This battell was fought with vncertaine victory for on the one part
father Ludouicus Pius Hee augmented the liturgie of the Masse with the addition of Agnus Dei and ordained that the Hostia should be diuided in three parts To Sergius the second succeeded Leo the fourth and ruled 8. yeares 3. months He was a man of many trades a builder a warriour and a Bishop He compassed the Vatican with a wall and made it in the similitude of a Towne and builded bull-warkes in the passages of Tyber as it issued from the towne He was a warriour fought against the Saracenes against whom also he preuailed And finally at some time he was a Bishop and he gathered a Councell of 47. Bishops in the which Athanasius a Cardinall Presbyter was damned for negligence in the worke of his calling This is the first time in the which mention is made of a Cardinall in the Historie for the Decretall Epistles as I haue alreadie declared are but fabulous lying writings In this Popes dayes Edelwulphus King of England came to Rome for performance of a vowe that hee had made He was courteously accepted by Pope Leo for which cause hee ordained a tribute yeerely to be paide to the bishop of Rome to wit a pennie Sterling out of euery house in England that kindled fire It is well remarked by Philip Morney that Leo the fourth in a certaine Epistle written to the Bishops of Britannie derogateth credit to all the Decretall Epistles assigned to the bishops of Rome preceding the dayes of Pope Siricius except onely to the Decretall Epistles of Pope Syluester So all the authorities that are alleadged by the Romane Church out of the Decretall Epistles for the space of 384 yeeres are of none effect by the confession of Pope Leo the fourth After Leo the fourth succeeded Pope Ioane the eight an English woman borne in the towne of Mentz She went to Athens cloathed with the apparell of a man accompanied with a Learned man and she profited in learning beyond her fellowes When shee came to Rome shee was regarded for her learning and was promoted to the dignitie of the Popedome and ruled two yeeres fiue months and foure dayes About the yeere of our Lord 854 being Pope she played the Harlot and by the prouidence of God this villanie of the Roman church which cannot erre was manifested to the whole world For in the time of a solemne Procession as she was going to the church of Laterā she trauelled in birth died and was buried without honour Onuphrius the Aduocate of all euill causes cannot ouer-passe this matter with silence but he bringeth an argument from the authority of Anastatius a writer of Chronologie to infringe the credit of this historie in this manner Anastatius saith hee liued about this time knew best who succeeded to Leo the fourth he maketh no mētion of Ioane the eight but of Benedictus the third as successor of Leo the fourth To this Philip Morney answereth That an argument taken from authoritie negatiuely hath no force Anastatius maketh no mention thereof ergo it was not done It followeth not for he bringeth in the testimonie of Ranulphus declaring the cause wherefore Anastatius omitted the name of the foeminine Pope to wit Propter deformitatem facti that is For the deformitie of the fact The nature of a short Compend permitteth me not to insist but let them who are desirous accurately to trie out the veritie of this matter reade that worthie Booke of Philip Morney called Misterium iniquitatis Then followed Benedictus the third and ruled two yeeres six months and nine dayes A man in honouring the Funeralles of the Clergie with his presence ready at all times and desirous likewise that the Funerall of the Bishop should bee honoured with the presence of the whole Clergie To Benedict the third succeeded Nicolas the first and gouerned seuen yeeres nine months and thirteene dayes He subdued the Bishop of Rauenna to his obediēce He suffered the Emperour Ludouicke the second to light from his horse to leade his bridle vntil he came to the Campo which was the space of a mile He permitted diuorcement betwixt married persons for Religions cause without consent of parties And that persons in spirituall offices should not be subject to the justice seates of ciuill Magistrates Hee ordained also that no man should receiue the holy Sacrament from a married Priest And that the Emperour should not be present at Ecclesiasticall Conuentions except when questions concerning Faith should bee intreated Likewise hee ordained That the seruice of God in all countries should be celebrated in Latine dispensing in the meane time with the Solauonians and the Polonians to haue the seruice of God in their owne Vulgar Language He added vnto the Liturgie of the Masse Gloria in Excelsis Hadrianus the second succeeded to Nicolas the first and ruled 5. yeeres nine months and twelue dayes He vsed Antichristian authoritie not onely against Hincmarus Bishop of Rhemes but also against Carolus Caluus king of France whom hee commanded imperiously to present one Hincmarus Bishop of Laudunum and nephewe to Hincmarus Bishop of Rhemes to the ende that his cause might bee judged by the Apostolike seate The King tooke these letters in a very euill part and writ vnto the Pope That the Kings of France had euer beene Soueraigne Lordes in their owne countrie and not vice-gerentes vassales to Bishops and That hee would not permit any man who had beene damned in a lawfull Councell in his owne country to wit in the Councell of Acciniacum to make appellation to Rome In this Popes time the eight generall councell was assembled whereof I shal speake in its owne time God willing Ioannes the ninth succeeded to Adrianus the second and gouerned ten yeeres and two dayes This is he who for rewardes crowned Carolus Caluus to be Emperour and was cast into prison because hee was more affectionated to Ludouicus Balbus sonne to Carolus Caluus and king of France than to Carolus Crassus king of Germanie Neuerthelesse hee escaped out of prison and fled to Ludouicke king of France whom also hee crowned to be Emperour But Balbus after his coronation incontinent died and Pope Iohn the ninth must seeke new acquaintance because his olde friends were gone therfore he crowned Carolus Crassus to bee Emperour This was the first Pope who in time of his Popedome crowned three Emperours Martinus the second ruled one yeere and fiue months Hadrianus the third succeeded to Martinus the time of his gouernment was also short for he continued not aboue one yeere and two months yet neuerthelesse men who are busie may make much stirre in short time He perfected that worke which his predecessours had beene busied in bringing to passe many yeeres preceding namely That the Clergie and people of Rome should not attend vpon the allowance of the Emperour but they should freely choose whom they thought meetest to bee Pope Hee tooke
the Bishop of Rome Likewise in the cause of Rhotardus Bishop of Soission whom Hincmarus deposed and removed from his office Nicolaus the first Bishop of Rome absolved him Hadrian 2. gaue him commandement to excommunicate C. Calvus King of France his soveraigne Lord but he refused to performe such an vnlawfull commandement and writ vnto the Pope to be circumspect and not precipitate rashly his sentences of excommunication The question whereunto Hadrian 2. was so serious was about division of lands betwixt C. Calvus and his brother Lotharius C. Calvus denyed that he did vniustly invade any of his brothers lands but lands duely belonging to himselfe by paction and covenant And the Nobles of the country said that it was a strange and an vnaccustomed thing that the Pope would take vpon him to be iudge in a controversie concerning the Titles and Rights of kingdomes because he could not be both a Bishop and a King CENTVRIE X. Popes of Rome TO Thedoricus succeeded Pope Iohn the tenth hee abrogated all the decrees of Pope Stephanus the sixt and allowed the decrees of Formosus whereupon great tumult and vprore arose in Rome For this cause the Pope fled to Ravenna and gathered a Councell of 74. Bishops also Carolus Simplex King of France was present at this councell There hee ratified the decrees of Formosus and damned the decrees of Stephanus Here let vs marke that the Bishops of Rome doe both mocke God and the world in saying that their Councels are guided by the holy Spirit and cannot erre in the meane time one of their Councels damning another and being altogether opposite one to another After hee had come backe to Rome he concluded his life having ruled two yeeres and fifteene dayes To him succeeded Benedictus the fourth and continued three yeeres and foure moneths After Benedictus ruled Leo the fift and continued not in his Popedome aboue forty dayes for he was cast into prison and bonds by Christophorus his owne domestique servant Christophorus by vnlawfull meanes attained to the Popedom and lost it againe vnworthily in the seventh moneth of his government for hee was thrust into a Monastery as the only refuge of all disasterd people Those monsters saith Platina God permitted them not long to liue After Christophorus Sergius the third ruled seven yeeres foure moneths and fifteene dayes Hee raised againe the body of Formosus out of the graue wherein hee had lien buried eight yeeres and beheaded it as if it had beene aliue and cast it into the river Tyber accounting it vnworthy of a buriall place Platina doth marke that Formosus had been his competitor and hindered Sergius from attaining to the Popedome they who are so overtaken with ambition and hatefull malice that they cannot moderate their owne affections how shall they governe and rule the vniversall Church of God Beside this barbarous cruelty he was a vile whoremonger and begate Iohn the twelfth who afterward was made Pope with Marozia the wife of Guido a famous harlot After him Anastatius the third ruled two yeers of whom nothing worthy of memory is written except this that he was not so malicious in damning the memorials of other men as his predecessors had beene Landus succeeded to Anastatius and ruled sixe moneths and 21. dayes To Landus succeeded Iohn the eleventh and ruled thirteene yeares two moneths and three dayes Hee was more martiall in exployts of warfare then religious and expert in knowledge of heavenly things For hee fought against the Saracens who had been brought into Italy by the Grecians and discomfited them But when hee returned againe to Rome hee incurred the hatred of Albericus Marquis of Hetruria who had fought with him against the Saracens and could not abide the pride of a presumptuous Bishop who in his triumph ascribed the whole praise of the victory to himselfe onely This variance was the occasion of great trouble in Italy for Albericus allured the Hungarians to enter into Italy who did greater damage to the Countrey then the Saracens had done before On the other part the Italians who could not avenge themselues by rendering like evill to the Hungarians they poured out their wrath vpon Albericus and killed him The Pope also by the souldiers of Guido was cast in prison and strangled by stopping a pillow in his throat The villany betweene him and Theodora a notable harlot I haue overpassed with silence fearing to be prolixe Leo the sixt followed and continued seven moneths and fifteene dayes After Leo followed Stephanus the seventh and ruled two yeeres one moneth and twelue dayes The two preceding Popes are supposed by Italian heights to be made out of the way by Marozia a notable harlot to the end that her sonne Iohn the twelfth whom shee had borne to Pope Sergius the third might bee promoted to the Popedome who ruled foure yeeres ten moneths and fifteene dayes Marozia was an incestuous harlot who like vnto Herodias was not ashamed to marrie two brethren namely Guido and Hugo according as the verse made thereof witnesseth Nubere Germanis satagens Herodia binis Herein appeareth the terrour of the wrath of God punishing the vngodlinesse of the Romane people they were guided by the Popedome and the Popedome was guided by notable harlots After him succeeded Leo the seventh and ruled three yeeres six moneths and ten dayes Stephanus the eight was a Germane and ruled three yeers foure moneths and ten dayes Hee was mightily troubled with the seditions of the people of Rome and was so miserably wounded that hee was ashamed to come forth vnto publique places to be seene Martinus the third succeeded to Stephanus the eight and governed three yeeres six moneths and ten dayes Platina calleth him a devout man and altogether bent to religion because he repaired old Churches that were tending to ruine and decay the substance of religion being lost the care of the fabricke of the Church and such other externall things was counted the onely devotion Agapetus the second successor to Martinus continued in his Popedome nine yeeres seven moneths and ten dayes In his time Berengarius King of Italy and his sonne Albertus tyrrannously abused the countrey not sparing those of the Clergie So that Agapetus was compelled to send messengers to Otto the first whose fame was spread abroad in all Nations and Otto without delay addressed himselfe to Italy and suppressed the insolencie of Berengarius and his sonne Albertus as hath beene already declared in the historie of the life of Otto the first To Agapetus succeeded Iohn the thirteenth and governed nine yeeres three moneths and fiue dayes A man from his very youth replenished with all kinde of abhominable vices a libidinous beast a monstrous varlet of whom I haue made so frequent mention already and the head of Councels will cast vp the filthinesse of his infamous name of new againe so that for the present I write the lesse He
Millan with his brother Askanius captiues and prisoners to France This Pope as hee was fraughted with many great faults in his owne person so is he likewise noted to haue beene a fosterer of the wicked vices and villanous behaviour of his children namely of Caesar Borgia his sonne who not only cast off his Religious apparrell and became of a Cardinall a Duke and warriour but also most vnnaturally slew his owne elder brother Duke of Gandia and became captaine and leader of his fathers armie in his brothers place Also the vilde conversation of Lucretia his Daughter and her familiar conversation both with her father and brethren maketh this Pope to be more famous for wickednesse then many other His end in the righteous iudgement of God answered well vnto his life for as hee had destroied the liues of many by poyson so vpon a certaine time through the ouersight of the Butler the empoysoned wine that was prepared for to destroy the liues of some Cardinals who were bidden to the banquet was put in the hands of the Pope and his sonne Duke of Valentinois The Pope immediatlie thereafter died and the Duke although he vsed manie conterpoysons and other remedies yet fell he into a sharpe and dangerous disease and carried about all his time the remembrance of that nights banquet To Pope Alexander succeeded Pius the third who immediatly after his admission to the Popedom finished his course the 26. day after his inauguration After him followed Iulius the second and ruled nine yeeres and a eleuen months hee was a sharpe warriour and not onely recouered from the Venetians the townes of Ariminuim Faventia and Ravenna which townes belonged to the Church but also by cursing them making a couenant with Maximilian the Emperour and the king of France and Spaine in Cambrey against the Venetians he brought them so low that in short time they were spoyled of all the Dominion which they had by land in Italie For Verona Vicentia and Padua and the territories of Carinthia were alloted to Maximilian the Emperour also Bergama Brixia Cremona and Crema were possessed by Lewis king of Fraunce also the townes of Tranmu Monopolis and Barletta in Apulia were giuen ouer to the king of Spaine Also the Duke of Ferrare recouered Rodigium the Duke of Mantua recouered Asula from the Venetiās Thus was the flourishing estate of Venice in this Popes time vtterlie abandoned and brought to nought Notwithstanding hee receiued againe the Venetians into fauour and relieued them of his interditment and cursing and thereby procured against himselfe the great hatred and indignation of the king of France and the Emperour who both being willing to abandon the pride of the Pope and to abrogate his authoritie and to substitute another in his roome appointed a generall Councell to be holden at Pisa and warned the Pope to be present thereat the first day of September But the Pope on the other part to frustrate all the attempts of his adversaries appointed a generall Councell to be holden at Rome in the Church of Lateran wherein all things that were done in the Councell of Pisa were disanulled and abrogated Also he stirred vp the kings of Spaine and England to make warre against the king of France and the Pope with the Venetians and Switzers ioyned their forces together to eiect him out of Italie Thus the king of France being beset with enemies on all sides thought meete to try his cause by the sword first in Italie and gaue commandement to the Generall of his armie named Gasto Foiesseius a valiant Captaine and an expert warriour to giue battel to the enemies Thus was a cruell battell fought neere vnto Ravenna wherein the number of 20000. men were reckoned to haue beene slaine And although the armie of the Pope and the confederates was put to flight yet the Frenchmen bought their victorie deere with the losse of their Chieftan Foiesseius and an hundreth and fiftie moe of the noble men of France besides a great number of others that were slaine in this battell Yea this victorie was with so great dammage to the forces of the king of Fraunce in Italie that within the space of 70. dayes after the victorie they were compelled to retire backe out of Italie So was the Dukedome of Millan in a verie short time plucked out of the hands of the Frenchmen and was possessed by Maximilian Sforce sonne to Lodonike Sforce In the end this restlesse Pope breathing battells and warres euen vnto the day of his death conspired of new againe with the Emperour against the Venetians because they would not render vnto the Emperour the Townes of Verona and Vicentia and the Venetians on the other side entered in league and couenant with Lewis king of Fraunce who stirred vp a new faction of Cardinalls and Bishops against the Pope and this Pope Iulius assaied all possible meanes to diuert the Venetians from their new league bound vp with France But when hee perceiued that his trauells availed nothing and fearing the power of his aduersaries hee fell sicke and died in the verie time of the Councell of Lateran which was begunne vnder Pope Iulius and ended vnder Leo 10. his successour Pope Leo the tenth was a learned and eloquent man of the house of Medices and ruled eight yeeres eight months and twentie dayes He delighted in Musicke and loued and aduanced learned men The Councell of Lateran which was begun in his Predecessors dayes was ended by him He receiued in those Cardinalls who were degraded by his Predecessour after they had abiured their schisme and damned their couventicles at Pisa Millan and Lion and restored them to their former dignities In this Popes time Francisse de Valloise king of Fraunce came into Italie for recouering of the Dukedome of Millan and ouercame his enemies in battell Sforce the Duke of Millan rendered himselfe to the king and was sent prisoner to Fraunce and the Dukedome was againe recouered and the Townes of Parma and Placentia were recouered out of the Popes hands and ioyned to the Dukedome againe yet within a short time after the Pope and the Emperour banded themselues together for expelling of the Frenchmen out of Italie For restoring the Dukedome to Francisse Sfortia and finallie for restoring of the townes of Parma and Placentia to the Pope and when the enterprise succeeded well and the Victorie was atchieued the report of those glad tidings so exhilarated the Popes heart that for heart that for excessiue gladnesse hee died or as others write he contracted an ague whereof immediately after he died He sent Caietanus his Ambassadour to Germanie to suppresse the Doctrine of Martin Luther but by the prouidence of God his rigorous dealing against Martin Luther made him to search out the scriptures better and to discouer greater impieties in the Church of Rome then hee did at the beginning After him succeeded Hadrian the
and ruled seuen yeere In this time the Isle of Ciprus was taken by Mustapha Captain of Selims armie but with so great effusion of blood for it is supposed that 80000. Turkes were slaine in the siege of Nicosia and famogusta two principall townes of the Isle that Mustapha considering the number that were slayn violated his promise made to Bragadinus chiefe captain and defender of the Isle of Cyprus and cruelly martyred that valiant Captaine This calamitie of Cyprus made the Venetians very much bent against the Turke and they banded themselues with Philip King of Spaine and with Pius the fift Bishop of Rome by whose support and assistance a Navie was set forth to the Sea and a notable victorie was atchieued vnder the conduct of Iohn de Austria at Lepanto of which before Gregorius the thirteenth followed and ruled thirteene yeeres one month and three dayes Hee founded a new Colledge for Iesuits in Rome and bestowed great revenues vpon it chiestie for this cause to be a Seminarie of Learned Schollers to convert the countrie of Germanie to the Roman religion againe In this Popes time fell out that horrible murther of Paris in the yeere of our Lord 1572. which was well liked of by the Pope who also sent to Charles the ninth king of France the summe of 40000. Ducates to maintaine and set forward the warre against the Hugonits as they called them In his time Sebastian king of Portugal was slaine in Mauritania beyond the straits Philip king of Spaine who was his neerest kinsman obtained the kingdome after him by strong hand and by driuing out of the land Duke Anthonie whom the people had chosen to be king Gregorie also set forth a new Calendar and corrected the olde Roman Calendar which new alteration bred many contentions speciallie in Germanie To him succeeded Sixtus 5. who in the beginning of his Popedom excōmunicated the king of Nauarre Prince of Condie fearing that which indeede came to passe hereafter to witt that king H. 3. dying without children the kingdome shuld come to the house of Burboune Likewise he intēded a processe of excōmunicatiō against H. the third king of France for slaying of the Cardinal of Lorain his brother the D. of Guise at Bloyes for detaining Captiues the Cardinal of Burbon the Archb. of Lions This proceeding of the Pope encouraged others against the King so that a Iacobin Fryer called Clement came out of the towne of Paris when the king was besieging it killed the King with an impoisoned knife as hath beene declared before Yet after the death of the King when H. the fourth King of Navarre succeeded to the kingdome and besieged the towne of Paris this Pope gaue no subsidue to those of the League that were banded together against the King fearing that if the King prevailed in France he would be a strong adversary to him if he had supported his enemies whether this was the cause as Onuphrius writeth or another that mooved him so to doe yet this matter so displeased Philip King of Spaine and the Leaguers that they were minded to haue made a solemne prorestation against the Pope if he had not prevented their intention by excusing himselfe in the Consistory of his Cardinals Hee was a very vigilant and actiue Pope and vsed often to make mention of that speech of Vespasian That a Prince should die standing on his feet meaning that a Prince should be vigilant and ever doing some part of his calling He died after he had ruled fiue yeeres foure moneths and three dayes and left behinde him fiue millions of gold After him succeeded Vrbanus the seventh and ruled only thirteene dayes for he died before his inauguration To him succeeded Gregorius the fourteenth and ruled nine moneths and ten dayes After him Innocentius the ninth and ruled onely two moneths and one day After him Clemens the eight hee absolved the King of France from the sentence of excōmunication pronounced by Pope Sixtus the fift against him For that the Kings Oratours in his name had renounced and abiureed that doctrine which the King in his young yeeres had so long prosessed and after they had accepted such conditions as it pleased the Pope to impose to the King namely that hee should receiue the Councell of Trent make it be obeyed in all parts of his kingdom also that hee should deliver the young Prince of Condie a childe of nine yeeres old to be brought vp by Bishops or Abbots in the Romane religion and that hee should certifie by his letters all Catholique Princes of the abiuration of his former religion with many other conditions which were all accepted by the Kings Orators and ratified by the King himselfe Of other Doctors IN this age God having compassion of the miserie of his poore sheepe led out of the way by blinde-guides raised vp many faithfull and learned men by whose labours the clowds of grosse ignorance was remooved the vsurped authority of the Bishop of Rome that was counted the mother Church of all others was discovered to be the Synagogue of Satan Amongst whom Martin Luther a German borne in Islebia in the Countie of Mansfelt steppeth forth as it were a couragious Captaine in the forefront of the army whom God drew forth out of the very Cloyster of the Augustinian Monks to be an instrument to reforme his house The bitternesle of Pope Leo the tenth and Pope Adrian the sixt and their Ambassadours who would not suffer the corruption of the Romane Church to be pointed out afarre off in selling of pardons made this man of God more diligent in searching and more couragious in defending the truth of God so that at last the Pope tooke it to heart that his kingdome should fall if Martin Luther were not rooted out yet the Lord raysed vp the Duke of Saxonie to bee his friend by whose favourable assistance the Gospell was deeply rooted in Germany and Martin Luther himself was preserved from the fury of all his enemies till at last he dyed in Islebia the towne of his nativity in the yeere 1546. and in the 17. day of the moneth of February Iohn Calvin was borne in Noyen a towne of Picardie anno 1509. the tenth day of the month Iuly and was a Preacher of Christs Gospell in Geneva three and twenty yeers His learning and painfull travels in writing are knowne by his bookes The blessing accompanying his travels is knowne by the reformation of many Churches in France by his advice and counsell as also of the kingdome of Scotland The power of the grace of God in him is knowne by the malice of adversaries who railed against him in his life-time and after his death as if hee alone and none other had troubled the kingdome of Antichrist and finally his painfull travels in teaching his owne flocke of Geneva is knowne by the disease which he contracted by great fasting
So did the Saracens easily recover againe Ierusalem Here also is to be marked that the Popes of Rome who were too prodigall of Christian mens blood continually instigating them to lead armes to Asia for the recovery of the Holy Land yet did they esteeme so much of their owne glory that they preferred it to the Holy Land and the liues oâ— all the Christians that were in Asia as evidently appeareth in the doings of Bonifacius the 8. who had the fairest occasion offered to him of all others of recovering the Holy Land For Cassanus Prince of the Tartarians had conquered Syria from the Saracens and left Governours in it with expresse commandement that they should binde vp a covenant of friendship with the Princes of the West and get support from them for the keeping of Syria in the Christians possession But the Bishoppe of Rome puft vp with pride was so busie to tread vnder his feet the King of France that hee neglected this ocasion the like whereof was never offered in any time following And this negligent dealing was the cause why Capcacus made defection to the Souldan of Egypt CENTVRIE XIV Albertus the first AFter the slaughter of Adulph Albert the first Duke of Austria was made Emperour and raigned ten yeeres and in the end was killed by his Brothers sonne In his dayes sprang vp Otthoman the first King of the Turkes who being a conragious warriour by spoyles and robberies enriched himselfe and subdued a great part of Bythinia and of the countrey lying about Pontus Euxinus and tooke vpon him the name of a King to be called the King of the Turks Henricus the seventh NExt to Albert raigned Henrie the 7. A Prince wise iust honest and beloved of all men neither puft vp with pride in his prosperity neither deiected in mind for any kind of adversity After hee had pacified the countrey of Germany hee tooke his iourney toward Italy to reforme the abuses there but was hastily cut off by the wicked malice of the Florentines as is supposed for they hyred a certaine Monke to poyson the Emperour which thing hee performed and mixed poyson with the bread of the Eucharist wherewith the noble Emperour was impoysoned in the Castell of Bonconvent after hee had raigned foure yeeres and eight moneths Ludovicus the fift Lewis the fift was chosen Emperour after the death of Henry the 7. and raigned 32. yeeres Hee was Duke of Bavaria against whom others had elected Fredericus Pulcher Duke of Austria to be Emperour which was the ground of cruell warrs betwixt the two new chosen Emperours but Fredericke was vanquished in battell and taken prisoner himselfe During the time of these warres the burgesses of Vren Switz and Sylvania or Vnderwalden assisted Lewis of Bavaria and would not acknowledge the Emperour Fredericke Duke of Austria for which cause they were continually vexed by him so that at last they assembled themselues in the towne of Vrania and there entered into a mutuall league of perpetuall society amongst themselues To whom afterward were ioyned Lucernates then Tugani then the Tigurines then the Bernates The last almost of all were the Basilians after whom followed other seven pages who now by a generall name are called the Switzers or the Cantons or Pages of Helvetia The Emperour Lewis after hee had subdued his competitor fell into a greater trouble for hee was excommunicate by Pope Clement the sixt and the Princes Electors were commanded to choose another Emperor which commandement they also obeyed and assembled themselues at a certaine towne of the Diocie of Trevers called Bens and chose Charles the fourth sonne to Iohn King of Bohemia Carolus the fourth CArolus the fourth was chosen Emperour after that his predecessor Lewis was excommunicated by the Pope and raigned 32. yeeres In his time Amurathes the King of the Turkes passed over Hellespontus and tooke the townes of Cestus and Callipolis which was the first beginning of the conquest of Thracia and all other regions of Europe which are now subiect to the Turke This Charles procured at the hands of the Princes Electors that his sonne Vinceslaus should be proclaimed King of the Romans in his owne time Vinceslaus TO Charles the fourth succeeded his sonne Vinceslaus and raigned two and twenty yeeres A man very vnlike his father for hee was sluggish and carelesse more enclined to ryot excessiue drinking and voluptuous pleasures then to any princely vertue In his time Baiazeth King of the Turkes fought a cruell battell against the Christians at Nicopolis a towne of Thracia at the side of Ister and albeit many moe of the Turkes were slaine then of the Christians yet at length the Turkes prevailed against the Christians and put them to flight This is that King of the Turkes who afterward was overcome by Tamberlaine King of the Sythians and being inclosed in a cage of yron was carried about all Asia as a mocking stocke to men and as a spectacle of the wrath of God against all cruell Tyrants The Emperour Vinceslaus for his beastlines was depriued of his Emperiall dignitie by the Princes Electors and Rupertus Duke of Bauaria chosen to be Emperour in his steed In the East during the raigne of those foresaid Emperours ruled Andronicus the sonne of Michael Paleologus and after him Michael and after him Andronicus the younger after whom followed Ioannes Catecunzenus and Calo Ioannes and his sonne Manuellâ— these are all the things worthy of rememberance are left in writing CENTVRIE XV. Rupertus VIncesâ—aus the Emperour for his Cowardize vnhonest life was deposed Rupertus Duke of Bauaria was advanced to the Emperiall authoritie by the Electors of Germanic and ruled 10. yeeres This Emperour went vnto Italie against Galiatius of Millan but hee preuailed nothing In his time Mahomet the Turke when hee had killed his brother obtained alone the kingdome who after the death of Tamburlan the Tartarian recouering againe his fathers dominion vexed with extreme murther and slaughter the Bulgares and Vallaches and tooke the citie of Hadrianopolis which he made his Seat royall Sigismundus AFter Rupertus Sigismund sonne of Charles 4. and brother to Vinceslaus being King of Bohemie and Hungarie was ordained Emperour and reigned 27. yeares Hee was a prudent wittie learned and noble Prince but in warre and deeds of armes vnfortunate for hee was oftentimes ouercome and chased of the Turkes and other enemies By the procurement of this Emperour a great councell was holden at Constance for the vnion of the Church which continued for the space of 4. yeeres In this councell Iohn Husse was burned for preaching against the Bishop of Rome Also Hieronymus of Prague was condemned by the same councell and burned after whose burning in Bohemie was great tumult sedition and ciuill warre For the common people that fauoured Iohn Husse gathered together in great number and choosed a certaine valiant man named Zisca to be their Captaine a man verie witty and
England by his brothers wife Whereupon the Emperour forsaking the marriage did couple himselfe with Ladie Isabell daughter to King Emmanuel of Portugall which marriage was done in the yeere of our Lord 1526. The King vpon this occasion casting many things in his minde beganne to consider the matter more deeply and finding that neither his conscience could be cleered in keeping his brothers wife nor yet the estate of the Realme firme by the succession of a daughter begotten in such a marriage he proposed the question to the chiefe Vniversities of all Christendome whose censures all agreed in one that the marriage was vnlawful Yet would not the King proceed to the divorcement without the Popes consent Who sent Campeius his Ambassadour with concurrance of the Cardinall of Yorke to be iudges in that cause The Cardinall of Yorke called Wolsey at the first was verily bent to haue the divorcemēt set forward but afterward finding that the Kings affection was bent towardes Ladie Anne Bulloigne to take her in marriage he changed his purpose sent advertisment to Pope Clement that in case King Henry the eight were divorced from Ladie Katherine then should another infected with Luthers doctrine succeede in her place to the great hurt of the Church of Rome For this cause the Pope calleth backe his Ambassadour Campeius before the Kings cause was decided Neuerthelesse the King proceeded in his purpose and was divorced from Ladie Katherine by meanes of Dr Cranmer This was the ground of that great hatred that fell out betweene the Pope and King Henry for on the one part the Pope cursed King Henry and the Realme of England for the divorcement The King on the other part abolished in his Realme the Bishop of Romes vnlawfull tyrannie with commandement that he should be called no more Pope in his Country but onely Bishop of Rome and that the King should be taken and reputed as supreame head of the Church of England haue full authoritie to reforme and redresse errours heresies and abuses in the same Now to returne againe to Germanie The Emperour was so busied with Warres all this time that he had no leisure to tarry in Germanie and although many assemblies were gathered to suppresse the doctrine of Luther he was onely present at two to wit at the first kept at Wormes the last kept at Auspurg For this cause it seemed good to the Emperour to declare his brother Ferdinand to be King of the Romanes and apparent successor to the Empire to the end he might with greater authoritie gouerne the affaires of the Empire in his absence He sent also letters to the Protestants commanding them to acknowledge him King Wherefore the Ambassadours of the Protestant Cities being gathered at Franckford concluded with the Princes that for their part they would not for this resist the Emperour for denying a title and a name only to his brother to make him more eager against their Religion But the Duke of Saxonie other Princes not agreeing thereto writ to the Emperour that because it was done against the manner and liberty of the Empire they could not allow it This seemeth to be the first ground of the warres that after followed For Ferdinand King of the Romanes expelled Vlrich of Wirtenberge from his Lordship and when no redresse could be had at the Emperours hands the Landgraue of Hesse with his cousin Vlrich gathered an Armie at Lawferme by Wirtenberg ouercame their enemies and put them to flight recouered the townes of Asperge Wrath Tubinge and Niphe and tooke prisoner Philip Prince Palatine and chiefe Captaine of Ferdinands armie Shortly after agreement was made on these conditions that Vlrich should haue againe his Lordship of Wirtenberg but so that he should hold it by the benefit of Ferdinand and the house of Austrich that if issue male did saile in the house of Wirtenberge that Lordship should returne to the heire of the Emperours house of Austrich that the Landgraue and Vlrich should come to Ferdinand and submit themselues to him The Emperour foreseeing that this diversitie of Religion that was in Germanie would in the end burst forth into some bitter fruit and great inconuenience aduised with himselfe by what means reconciliation might be made and all controversie might cease and in the end appointed a Councell at Wormes and communication of Religion and for this cause sent Granuellanus thither But the matter was so long delayed by the fautors of the Sea of Rome vntill Letters came from the Emperour againe to deferre the whole matter to the Councell of Ratisbone To which came all the Princes of the Empire except the Duke of Saxonie who came not himselfe but sent thither a noble ambassage together with Melanchthon and other Preachers Vnto the same Councell also came from the Pope Caspar Conterane a Cardinall In this disputation Fredericke the Palsgraue and Granuellane were appointed moderators Melanchthon Bucer and Pistorius Disputers for the Protestants Pflugius Eccius Gropper for the Papists Vnto these six was offered a booke conteining the definition of most Articles in Controversie which they were willed to ouer-looke and either to allow or disallow those things that they could agree vpon This booke was deliuered againe after a time to the Emperour in many points they could not agree in some they did The Protestants deliuered together with the booke their opinion concerning those controversies and their arguments to proue the same The Emperour deliuered the same to the Princes to be examined but they being most part Popish referred the whole matter to the Popes Ambassadour who exhorting the Bishops to honestie of life and suppressing of Luthers doctrine thought good it should be deferred to a generall Councell This convention which began in Aprill Anno 1541. was dissolued in the end of Iulie after that the Emperour had decreed that the communication begun and whole controversie of Religion should be deferred to a generall or Provinciall Councell of Germanie That the Protestants should teach no other points of Religion then such as were agreed vpon That Bishops should see amendment of life in their Diocesse That there should be a Provinciall Councell within a yeare and an halfe if they could not obtaine a generall Councell of the Pope That the Churches of Monasteries should not be pulled downe but reformed that the Church-goods should not be inverted that the decree of Ausbrough and all Proscriptions of the Protestants should be suspended all those conventions of estates disputations promises of generall or provinciall Councels to be kept in Germanie could not reconcile diuerse Religions but at length lurking hatred behoued to breake out into open hostilitie The first occasion whereof was offered by Henry Prince of Brunswick who by often invasion of Cities confederated with the Protestants in Germany moued the Duke of Saxonie and the Landgraue to make warre against him in name quarrell of all the Protestants confederated by the league of Smalcaldy
the Prince of Condie was taken by the Guisians and on the other part the Constable was taken by the Protestants and the Marescall Sanctandreus was slaine The Duke of Guise after this battell renewed his Forces and besieged the Towne of Orleance where he was slaine by a Souldier called Portrot This slaughter was the ground of a new Peace for after the death of the Duke of Guise a new edict was made the thirteenth day of March Anno 1563. although not so ample as the edict of Ianuarie Yet by it some libertie was granted to the Protestants to enioy their owne Religion without disturbance of any This was the end of the first ciuill warre in France for Religion Maximilianus the second AFter the death of Ferdinand Maximilian his sonne King of Hungarie was made Emperour gouerned twelue yeares he gaue his two daughters in marriage vnto two puissant Princes to wit to Charles the ninth King of France he gaue Elizabeth and to Philip King of Spaine he gaue his eldest daughter Anna. Great troubles for Religion fell out in his time namely in the Low countries and in France In the low countries the number of them that professed the Gospell increased marueilously and on the other part the rage of the Popish Prelats causing the Spanish Inquisition to be severely executed wrought great feare in the hearts of the professours of the Gospell Also Duke de Albe was sent with a great Armie vnto the low Countries vtterly to extirpate and roote out the Gospell who behaued himselfe most outragiously against the Nobilitie and Townes of the low Countries in beheading Count Egmount and count Horne and permitting his souldiers to vse all kinde of villanie against honest matrons and the daughters of honest Citizens and oftentimes compelled the husbands themselues to stand beside and be eye witnesses of the vilde abusing of their owne wiues Also with so great severity he executed the Spanish Inquisitiō against the professours of the Gospell that the people were compelled to take armes vnder the conduct of William Nassaw Prince of Orange and Lodouicus his brother to defend their liues the libertie of their Countrie and of their Consciences against the barbarous tyrannie of this Duke and his armie In this Warre although the Prince of Orange was oftentimes defeated and his brother slaine yet the Countrey so abhorred the crueltie of Duke de Albe that the most part of Zeland and Holland was conquered by the Princes armie and was free from the tyrannie of the Spaniards In France the professours of the Gospell could not enioy the benefit of the Edict of pacification made in March Anno 1563. except in a few parts where the authoritie of some noble persons fauouring the Gospell procured obedience to the foresaid Edict as namely the presence of Condie in Picardie Andelot in Britannie and the Queene of Navarre in Gascoigne In other parts of the country little regard was had to the Edict The Cardinall of Loraine also a capitall enemie to the Gospell had consulted with the fathers of the Councell of Trent by what way the Gospell might be suppressed in France and it was thought meetest that a couenant should be made amongst them that fauoured the Catholique Religion which they called the holy league to extirpate and roote out them that professed the new Religion for so they named it and the two puissant Kings of Spaine and France in speciall should bee intreated to be of this league and mutually to helpe one another to roote out the Gospellers Now when King Charles the 9. was 14. yeares old and declared to be Maior it was thought meete that he should make a progresse through the bounds of his Dominions pretending that it was expedient that the King should know the estate of his Country and that he should heare the complaints of his people but the cause indeed of this progresse was that the King of France might meete with the King of Spain in Bayon for binding vp of the league aforesaid In this progresse was discharged all Preaching and exercising of the reformed Religion in the Townes of France wherein it should happen the King to be during the time of his progresse Also many new interpretations of the edict of March were invented and found out whereby the libertie granted to the Protestants was vtterly infringed and impunitie granted to them that should doe them wrong In the end the King came to Bayon where he met with his sister Elizabeth wife to Philip King of Spaine who after she had declared certaine causes why her husband could not be present himselfe bound vp in name of her husband a couenant with Charles King of Spaine mutually to helpe one another in rooting out the professours of the reformed Religion The report of this league was not kept so secret but it came to the eares of the Prince of Condie and the rest of the nobilitie of France that professed the Gospell who all thought meete that the Prince of Condie should in proper person addresse himselfe to the King being for the time at Moncellium and should exhibite to the King the supplication of the Protestants in France pittifully complaining that contrarie to the edict of March they were iniuried and cruelly slaine desiring redresse of the aforesaid iniuries and that they might haue libertie to enioy their Religion according to the act of pacification aboue mentioned But the King hearing of the Prince of Condies comming to him and namely because he was well accompanied with foure hundred men all in armes fearing the malignitie and obstinate malice of his adversaries left they should hinder his iourney or doe wrong to himselfe The King I say hearing tell of the Princes comming made hast to depart and with all expedition to Paris in great feare and caused the Parisians to giue thankes to God as though he had beene deliuered from a great perill and imminent danger After this without further delay the second warre for Religion in France broke vp The Prince of Condie approached with an armie to Paris and so beset it about in all quarters that this populous Towne soone began to be grieued for want of foode and issued out of the Towne vnder the Conduct of the Constable and came by S. Denis where the Prince of Condies armie lay In this Battell the Admirall set vpon the Parisian souldiers and disturbed their rankes and put them to flight The Constables troope also was greatly perturbed by their flying and the Constable himselfe refusing to be taken by M. Stewart was shot by a Scottish Souldier whereof hee soone after died The Constables sonnes Anveil and Momerance being carefull for their Father succoured him and the battell was renewed againe and cruelly fought vntill night compelled them to make an end The morrow after the Prince of Condie came with his Forces againe to the place where the battell was fought but none of the Parisians came forth to
pursued so strictly that before they had marched backe halfe a myle from Blansack they were compelled to turne and fight In this battell the Prince of Condie was taken and slaine and two hundred of the Protestants more and fortie taken prisoners The rest of the armie the Admirall led backe to Saint Iande-angeli Soone after this Andelot dyed at Sainetes to the great griefe of all the armie his body being opened was found to be poysoned The Queene of Navarre comforted the armie of the Protestants and the King of Navarre her sonne with the Prince of Condies sonne tooke vpon them the government of the armie and sent Count Mongomrie to support the Towne of Angolesme which was then besieged by the Dukes Forces by whose comming the towne was so refreshed and encouraged that the Duke was compelled to raise his Siege and depart from the Towne About this time the Duke of Bipont with his Germane Forces were entred into France to support the Princes of the reformed Religion and tooke the Towne of La charitie in Burgundie a Towne of no small importance for the passage of the river of Loyre The Princes of the Protestants marched forward to meete the Duke of Bipont and by the way killed two hundred Hagbushers who were appointed by the Duke of Andion to stoppe the passage of the river Vienna in the river of Limosin and so the passage being opened they came the day after to the Campe of the Germanes and receiued them with great gladnesse but through the sudden death of the Duke of Bipont who died two dayes after their meeting their gladnesse was mixed with great heauinesse Notwithstanding the Duke before his death exhorted all his Captaines valiantly to debate that cause of Religion For the which they were entered into France and placed in his roome Wolrad Count of Manfelt to be generall Commander of the Germane armie In which were reckoned to be seauen thousand and fiue hundred horsemen and sixe thousand footemen besides two thousand French horsemen who came in their companie and ten Ensignes of footemen The Prince of Orange with his brother Lodowick and Henry were also in this armie In the Countrey of Poictou the Princes had taken many Townes and the most part of the Countrey was alreadie subiect vnto them And it was thought meete to besiege the Towne of Poictiers it selfe and the Towne was willing to render to the Princes vpon reasonable conditions if the Duke of Guise had not come to support the Towne But the comming of the Duke altered their mind and the Towne was strongly fortified and valiantly indured a strict Siege The Admirall although he had lost two thousand men at this Siege and great sicknesse and penurie of victuals was felt in the armie yet was he very vnwilling to raise the Siege till at length the Duke of Andum strictly besieged Monsieur Loe in Castelleralt whom the Admirall willing to relieue left the siege of Poictiers Soone after this the armie of the two Princes being at Moncontuire in the Country of Poictou was purposed to march toward Niort and the armie of the Duke in like manner was purposed thither Through this occasion the two armies ioyned in battell a little space from Moncontuire and the Duke of Andium had the Victorie The footemen of the Germanes were cruelly slaine in this Battell without all commiseration some greater fauour was showne to the French Souldiers The Admirall foreseeing as appeareth the euent of this battell had caused the two Princes of Navarre and Condie to be conveyed out of the Hoast The number of those that were slaine at this battell are supposed by some to haue beene sixe or seauen thousand men by others twise as many The report of this losse so discouraged the Protestants that all the Townes which they had conquered in Poictou were incontinent recouered by the adversaries and S. Ian Dangely after it was besieged two moneths was surrendered to the adversarie vpon certaine conditions At the siege of this Towne Martiques Governour of Britanie a great enemie to those of the Religion was slaine wherein is to be noted the iust iudgement of God punishing the pride of those that blaspheme his blessed name This Martiques perswaded La Matpinolis to yeeld the Towne to the King and desired the towne to remember the battell of Moncontur e wherein their strong God had forsaken them and said it was time for them to sing Helpe vs now O God for it is time Not long after this proud man felt that the strong God was liuing able to helpe the weake and to confound the proud The Princes with the Admirall consulted in what part of the Realme it were meetest to sustaine the hazzard of the Warrefare and it was thought meetest in Languedok because the Towne of Nimes was lately surprised by the Protestants and many townes in that Countrie fauoured their Religion While new preparations are made by the Princes to sustaine the Warre behold a new edict of pacification is for forth granting libertie of Religion to the Protestants againe and granting to them for their further securitie the keeping of foure Townes during the space of two yeares to wit Rotchell Cognack Montallan and Caritea This edict being proclaimed in both thâ— Campes the people were in great ioy being wearied with long and perillouâ— Warres and being desirous to visite their owne houses and families Thus was an end put to the third ciuill warre in France After this pacification the King married Elizabeth daughter to Maximilian the Emperour and the rumour went thorow the Countrey that the King was inclined to peace Likewise the apparent hatred betwixt the King and the Duke of Aniou his brother confirmed this rumour for it seemed to the people that the King was offended because the Prelates of France depended more vpon his brother then vpon himselfe and paied to him yeerely 200000 Frankes to be a patron and defender of their cause Wherefore it seemed to many that the King would incline his affection toward the Protestants to abandon the power of his brother But all this was deceitfull treacherie to colour the intended malice of his heart Also the edict of pacification was better kept then it had beene at any other time before except in a few places And when the Queene of Navarre sent messengers to the King to complaine of the violation of the edict in the Townes of Roane and Aurenge the King returned backe againe to her a very pleasant answere that he would not onely punish most seuerely the transgressours of the edict but also for a further confirmation of a stedfast bond of Peace with the Protestants he would bestow Margaret his sister in marriage to the King of Navarre her sonne The King himselfe passed to Bloyes and sent for the Queene of Navarre whom hee receiued so courteously and conferred with so louingly that the Queene was fully perswaded that this marriage would
the Protestants in crauing so great liberties put the enemies in suspicion and feare that the Nobles of Fraunce had secretlie banded themselues with the Protestants About the same time Count Mongomry had returned out of England had taken some townes in Normandy but soone after he was besieged in Donfront a town of Normandy by Matigonus the kings Lieutenant in those parts to whō he yeelded himself vpon certain conditions which were not kept vnto him but he was sent immediatly to Paris to the king The Duke of Aniow had departed from France to the kingdome of Polonia the king of France was fallen sicke also many noble men in the land were highlie offended at the ambition pride and crueltie of the Queene mother who had not onely cut off the noble men of the Protestants but also intended the like crueltie against many other noblemen in Fraunce whose names were insert in the bloody roll of the Massacre albeit they professed the Roman religiō The Queene mother knowing that she was vehementlie hated in the land and fearing left this matter should tend to her vtter disgrace and abandoning of all her authoritie thought meete to prevent all the deuices of the nobilitie of France against her and begun to lay hands on those of the Nobilitie whom she most suspected and cast them in prison such as D. Alauscone her owne son whom she knew to be discontent with her forme of gouernment and the king of Navarre also Monmerance and Cassens Marescallis The Prince of Condie also was to be taken but he conveyed himselfe away secretly vnto Germanie In the meane time the king died in the moneth of May Anno. 1574. with greateffusion of blood from many parts of his body And the Queene mother had all the gouernment in her owne hand vntill the returning of her son out of Polonia whom shee aduertised of the death of his Brother Charles and desired him without all delay to returne againe to Fraunce In the meane time the cruell heart of the Queene mother thirsting for blood procured that Count Mongomrie should be condemned to death This is that noble man who had slaine king Henry the father of Charles with a speare whom king Henry would not suffer to be harmed for that cause it being done in game and against Mongomries heart Neuerthelesse when he came in the hands of this mercilesse woman he must die Before king Henry returned out of Poland vnto France the Prince of Condie had sent from Germanie to France Messengers to declare to the Protestants the great care of his minde to advance the Religion and to procure the peace and libertie of his countrie who also was chosen to be generall commaunder of all the Protestants Many Catholikes were associate with him who being of a contrarie religion notwithstanding tooke armes with the Prince of Condie to restore the countrie to the owne libertie In the moneth of December Anno 1574. the king came to Lyons where the Queene mother accōpanied with Alauscon her son and the king of Navarre and Duke of Guise were awaiting for his cōming In this towne they aduised what was most expedient to be done whether they should prosecute the war or they should quiet the countrie with new edicts of pacification The Queene mothers aduise was that the king should assault the townes of Languedok Delphine that were kept by the Protestants because the presence and terrour of the king would so astonish the peoples hearts that incontinent they would yeeld and giue ouer the townes into the kings hands This aduise was followed and the king besieged the towne of Pusinum in Viuaret tooke it also the towne of Libero in Delphin was strōgly besieged but the king was cōpelled to leaue his siege to depart from the towne which according as the name of it foretokened remained free and vnconquered by the aduersaries during the time of this siege the Cardinal of Loraine died vpon this occasion The king being in Avinion some Paenitentiaries fortuned to scourge themselues in a cold winter season the Cardinall would ioyne himselfe to their fellowship and walked barefooted in the companie of those Paenitentiaries wherby he contracted a deadlie disease and soone repented this repētance The king himselfe was content to afflict his body after the same forme which was expoūded by many to be an euil presage that he should not conquer that little towne of Libero but should be scourged from the towne leaue the siege of it with shame which truly came to passe From thence the king went to Paris to his Coronation where many Ambassadours came to the king not only from the Prince of Condie who as yet remained in Basile but also from the D. of Sauoy and the Cantons of the Switzers and from the Queene of Englād to treat for peace but al their trauels were ineffectuall for the conditions of the peace could not be agreed vpon so the war continued waxed hote In Languedoke Anvillius although he was of the Romane religion yet had ioyned himselfe to the Protestants and tooke Agnes Mortes a towne of great importance in those parts with many other townes In Delphin Mombruniris was chiefe commaunder and had so good sucesse in all his attempts that he was a great terrour to the aduersaries In the end he was sore wounded and taken beside Dia a towne in Delphine and by the commaundement of the king and Queene mother was carried to Grenoble and there was executed in the sight of the people This war was much different from the former warres wherein those that were of one religion were also on one side but now the Catholikes were mingled with the Protestāts which thing albeit it seemed for a time to augment their number yet in the end it turned to euill as shall be declared hereafter God willing The Prince of Condie had required helpe of Cassimire the sonne of Count Palatine who also had condiscended to support the distressed Church of Fraunce and very strict obligations of mutual duties were passed between them as these namely that they should not dissolue their armes vntill that libertie were obtained to the Protestants fullie to enioy their owne Religion And likewise that Cassimire should haue the townes of Metis Tullion and Verdum in his hands besides other townes in all the Provinces of France which the Protestants were to require for there further assurance and as pledges of the Kings fidelitie faithfulnesse towards them While this armie of Cassimire was marching forward towards Loraine Alauscon the kings brother departed from Court and many of the nobilitie of France resorted to him all pretending that they could not suffer the countrie to be exhausted with ciuill warres and the people to be vexed with exorbitant and vnnecessarie taxations All those tumults were found in the end to be the subtile policies of the Q. mother by the meanes of Alauscon her son to
and that he would giue him what part of his Realme hee would aske to let him liue in peace This their enterprise succeeding so well farre aboue their owne expectation mooved them to set forward and to desire of the King that hee would make and sweare an irrevocable edict of extirpation of Heretikes To take by force the townes holden by those of the new religion To renounce the protection of Geneva to authorize their warres to reconcile them vnto him to bee of their league and of a King to become a participant Wherevpon followed an edict prohibiting the exercise of the new religion and revoking all other edicts that favoured it commanding all the Ministers out of the Land and all subiects in France within six moneths after to make profession of the Catholike religion or to depart out of the Realme Dispersing also the tripertite chambers of Parliaments likewise ordayning that the townes given in hostage to those of the religion should be yeelded vp and approving the warre which the Leaguers had begun acknowledging it to be done for his service And not content with this they asked of the King for their further surety the townes of Chalon Thoul Verdium Saint Desier Rhems Soissons the Castle of Dyon the towne and castle of Beaume Rue in Picardie Dinan and Conque in Brittaine to be delivered vnto them The King of Navarre all this while kept himselfe quiet being solicited by the King so to doe But when hee saw the King had rendered himselfe to the appetite of the Leaguers hee set forth a declaration of the cause why the Leaguers had taken armes of the vanity of their pretences and of the fruits which the Estates in France might reape by the conclusions of Peronne Nemours and Nauty for in those places the Leaguers had bound vp their league with protestation that with him the Prince of Condie his cousen the Duke de Mommerencie with Lords Gentlemen Provinces and Townes both of the one religion and of the other so many as would concurre with him should oppose themselues to the authors of these troubles In the meane time while the King of Navarre is so busied with the King and the Leaguers who were now as it were incorporate in one bodie the third assault commeth on and Pope Sixtus the fift with his thunderbolts of excommunication setteth vpon him declaring him to be vncapable of the crowne of France abandoning his person and his countrey for a prey to such as should obtaine them At the same time also the Electors of Germany who in all the former warres had beene so helpfull to the Protestants of France was not vnmindfull of them at so strait a pinch but sent Ambassadours to the King desiring him to heare the requests of his neighbours and to pity the case of his poore subiects and not to keepe backe the edict of peace that hee had lately graunted vnto them The King answered that hee thought strange that forrain Princes should meddle with his affaires and that he would doe nothing against the honour of his conscience nor the fatherly care he had vnto his people With this answer the Ambassadours returned not well pleased The Duke of Guise being advertised of the dislike the Ambassadours of Germany had touching their answere counselled the King to set vpon the Protestants before the Rutters entred into France so that in lesse then eighteene moneths the King of Navarre saw himselfe assayled by fiue Camps royall vnder fiue severall Generals Neverthelesse very few exploites worthy of remembrance were done by those armies vntill the army of the Germanes entred into France vnder the conduct of the Baron of Othna a man of greater courage then experience The Duke of Bulloigne in the name of the King of Navarre ioyned with the Baron of Othna to leade this great army wherein were moe then thirty thousand Switzers Rutters and French-men They marched from Loraine to Cheaumont in Bassigny and passed the river of Marne also they crossed l' Anbe at Montigny and Seine aboue Casklion and Cure aboue Vermentone and Yome hard by Crenaunt and so made haste towards the river of Loire There began the complaints of the Switzers and the mutinies of the Rutters because the King of Navarre came not to them and the King of France was at the side of the river Loire either to fight with them or to stay their passage At this time the King vsed a stratagem which was the cause of his victory and of the dissipation of the army of strangers For hee considered that the onely meanes to breake their army was to impeach their ioyning with the King of Navarre Therefore he commanded the Duke Ioyense to keepe the King of Navarre in Poictou and rather to hazard battell then suffer him to passe the river of Loire as hee determined at the head thereof to the which end the Duke de Ioyense that had an army fortified both with men munition artillery and meanes marched to Coutras to passe la Drogne at Que and vpon tuesday the twentith of October Anno 1587. he stayd with all his forces betweene la Rotch Chalais and Coutras The King of Navarre made toward him fully resolved to fight and about eight of the clocke in the morning the King of Navarres artillery began to play and that of Duke de Ioyense to answer them but not very fortunately for that either the ignorance or malice of the Canoners had placed it so low that the mouth of the canon shot right vpon a little hill of earth wherein the bullets stayed without piercing any further The battell was so soone decided that in ten houres this great army of the Kings that had the vantage both for place and number began to retyre and was sooner broken then fought withall The King of Navarre the Prince of Condie and the Earle of Soissons behaved themselues most valiantly executing the offices both of Captaines and souldiers and gaue thankes to God in open field In this battell Duke de Ioyense and Monsieur de S. Sauueur his brother were slaine and fiue and twenty other Gentlemen of name all their cornets were taken with their artillery and baggage and fourteene Gentlemen of account were taken and put to ransome That done the King of Navarre being eased of so many nets that were set vp to catch him marched forward to ioyne with the forraine army and to passe the river Loire The King on the other part to impeach the meeting of the two armies of his adversaries caused the ditches betweene Povilly and Dony to bâ—e broken vppe filling them with thousands of trees stones and chaines to entangle the feet of the Rutters horse that should passe and in truth the letting of that passage was next to the helpe of God the second cause the King had of the victory For the Rutters being disappointed of their passage were compelled to recoile and having failed of their enterprise at la
the towne of Damascus into the hands of the Emperor Leo. Vpon this occasion saith Iohn Patriarch of Ierusalem the Prince of Saracens cut off the hand of Damascene and on the other part Damascene by humble kneeling before the Image of the Virgin Marie was miraculously cured and restored againe to the power of his hand But this is like to the rest of popish fables and lyes For Damascene writeth many notable fables for cōfirmation of adoration of Images And in case a miracle had beene wrought in his owne person by prostrating himselfe before an Image Damascene had no manner of way ouer-passed with silence the memoriall thereof But we haue to doe with adversaries who are not ashamed of lies Damascene was a diligent reader of the bookes of ancient Fathers as appeareth by his foure bookes De Orthodoxa fide but not so diligent a reader of holy Scripture which is the ground of manifold errors His history of Iosophat King of India is knowne to be a Monkish fable Paulus Diaconus of the kindred of the Lombards became a deacon in Aquileia hee was carryed captiue into France in the dayes of Charles the great who besieged Papia banished Desiderius and made an end of the Kingdome of the Lombards Afterwards he was accused of treason and conspiracie against Charles King of France His malicious and hatefull accusers were bent to haue had his hands cut off or his eyes put out but King Charles pitying him for his learning was content that hee should bee banished to the Isle of Diomedes From thence hee fled and came to Beneventum where Arachis was dwelling who had married Adelporga the daughter of Desiderius In his palace it is thought hee writ his sixe bookes De rebus gestis Longobardorum After the death of Arachis hee came to the Monastery called Cassinense where hee ended his life Beda a man borne and brought vp in England was called venerable and was in great account in his time Onely he was miserably intangled with deceitfull Antichristian errors vniversally overspred in his dayes In writing reading and praying hee was a man of incessant paines Nothing is found in him more commendable then his patient suffering of the agonies immediately preceding his dissolution with a desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ. Albertus Gallus a Bishop in some part of France a learned and godly man opposed himselfe mightily to Boniface the foot-groom of the Roman Antichrist with whom concurred two learned men borne in Scotland named Clemens Presbyter and Samson and offered to prooue both by word and writing that Bonifacius was an author of lyes a troubler of the peace of Christians and a corrupter and deceiver of the people But Pope Zacharias excommunicated them before they were heard in lawfull Assembly and gaue power to his foot-groome Bonifacius to depose them and procured at the hands of the King of France that they should be cast into prison and bound with bonds as schismatickes false teachers and sacrilegious men Such reward men received who were witnesses to the truth of God and reprehended any corruption of the Romane Church In like manner Iohannes Mailrosius and Claudius Clemens learned men of Scotland sent by King Achaius to Charles King of France and the first professors of learning in the Academie founded by Charles the great in Paris these two likewise were disliked of the Roman Church because they could not assent to all the superstions of that Church in this age so miserably deformed CENTVRIE IX Popes of Rome AFter Leo the third succeeded Stephanus the fourth and ruled seuen months He was not elected with consent and allowance of the Emperour but onely by the Clergie and the people of Rome Here it is well marked by Functius that the Roman Church doth obserue their owne lawes so inuiolably that the priuiledge granted to the Emperour by Pope Leo the third it is vndone againe euen in his first successors time to wit in Pope Stephanus the fourth his time In the third month of his Popedome he journied toward France for what cause it is not certaine but it appeareth he would trie the Emperours minde whether or no he was griued for this that he had beene elected Pope without the consent and fore-knowledge of the Emperour When he returned againe finding that Ludouicus Pius the Emperour was not greatly grieued at the matter but accepted his excuse he began to make Commentaries vpon the Decrees of Hadrian the first and Leo the third to wit that they meaned not that the Emp. should bee first acquainted with the election of the Pope but rather that after his election the Emperour should be acquainted with the businesse before the Pope were anointed By such false Glosses and Commentaries they were by degrees excluding the Emperour from all kind of medling with the election of the Pope After Stephanus the fourth succeeded Pascalis the first who was elected without consent of the Emperour Hee sent Ambassadours to excuse himselfe to the Emperour Ludouicus Pius because the Clergie and people had compelled him to accept the Popedome The Emperour Ludouicus Pius on the other part seeing how this matter went and that he was troubled with the vnconstancie ambition and obstinacie of the Romane Church he gaue them libertie to choose their owne Bishop without the fore-knowledge and consent of the Emperour in time to come And Pascalis after hee had ruled seuen yeeres and seuenteene dayes he ended his course Eugenius the second succeeded Pascalis and ruled foure yeeres His Popedome was in the time when Lotharius was appointed to gouerne Italie His commendations are these great Learning great Eloquence with a mixture of great Hypocrisie Valentinus the successour of Eugenius within the space of fourtie dayes after that he was elected of a Deacon to be Pope hee concluded his life To Valentinus succeeded Gregorius the fourth and ruled sixteene yeeres Ludouicke and his sonne Lotharius were Emperours at this time without whose consent hee would not accept his Popedome Gregorie would haue seemed to haue beene a mediator betwixt Ludouicke and his sonnes but he is marked with a note of shame in the Magdeburg history as a man who encreased discord rather than quenched it What he did in the Conuention at Aken which was conueened by the authoritie of the Emperour it shall be declared God willing in its owne place To Gregorie the fourth succeeded Sergius the second ruled three yeeres He seemed to be the first Pope who chāged the name giuen vnto him in Baptisme for he was called Os porci that is the mouth of the Sowe and for the basenes of the name he called himselfe by the name of one of his antecessours Lotharius sent Ludouick his eldest son accōpanied with many Noble persons to be crowned Emperour for Lotharius thought meete to enter into a Monasterie and to lament for his by-past sinnes especially for grieuing the heart of his
neuer at Rome Eightly That the Clergie of Rome is a den of Theeues Ninthly That the doctrine of the Pope is not to be followed because it leades to eternall death In another treatise he disputes of free iustification by grace and that workes are no efficient cause of Saluation Sed causa sine qua non for the which doctrine hee was condemned by the Pope I passe by a great number who clearelie discouered the corruptions and Apostasie of the Church of Rome such as Ioannes de Gunduno Gregorius Ariminensis Andreas de Castro Dante 's an Italian Taulerus a Preacher of Argentine in Germanie Franciscus Petrarcha a man famouslie learned who in his workes in Italian verses speaking of Rome calles it the whoore of Babilon the schoole and mother of errour the Temple of heresie the nest of treacherie growing and increasing by the oppression of others Likewise Ioannes de rupe scissa who was cast in prison by Pope Innocentius the sixt also Conradus Hager a Germane of the citie of Herbipoli Gerardus Ridder Michael Cesenas Provinciall of the Gray friers Petrus de Corbaria with one Ioaxnes de Pâ—liato This foresaid Michael general of the gray friers writ against the tyrannie pride and primacie of the Pope accusing him to be Antichrist and the Church of Rome to be the whoore of Babilon drunken with the blood of the Saints He affirmed there were two Churches one of the wicked florishing wherein raigned the Pope the other of the Godly afflicted also that the veritie was almost vtterlie extinct and for this cause hee was depriued of his dignitie and condemned by the Pope Notwithstanding he stood constant in his assertions and left behind him many fauourers and followers of his doctrine of whom a great part were slaine by the Pope Some were condemned as William Ockam who writ both in defence of the Emperour Lewes whom the Pope excommunicated and likewise in defence of Michael generall of the gray friers whom the Pope had cursed for an heretike and some were burned such as Ionnes de Castellione and Franciscus de Arcatara Likewise Armachanus a Bishop in Ireland and Matthias Parisiensis Ioannes Montziger rector of the Vniuersitie of Vlme Nilus Bishop of Thessalonica Iacobus Milnensis and one Milezius Henricus de Iota and Henricus de Hassia Likewise in this most desperate time when the estate of religion was vtterlie corrupted and the onely name of Christ remained amongst Christians his true and liuely doctrine being vtterly vnknowne and turned into an heape of shadowed Ceremonies which so increased that there was no end of heaping vp of ceremonies invented by man at this time I say the Lord raised vp Iohn Wickliffe a professor of Diuinitie in the vniuersitie of Oxford who seeing that error by long vse and custome had beene so deeplie rooted in the hearts of men that it could hardly be plucked out hee medled not with all at once bâ—â— firsâ— bâ—gâ—â—nne to touch the matter of the Sacraments and discoâ—er 〈◊〉 â—rrours that men were fallen into in this head of 〈◊〉 but this byle could not be touched without the great griefe and paine of the whole world For first of all the whole rabble of Monkes and begging Friers were set on rage and madnes against him and after them the Priests and then after them the Archbishop Simon Sudburie tooke the matter in hand who for the same cause depriued him of his benefice which then he had in Oxford Notwithstanding being supported by the friendly assistance of the Duke of Lancaster sonne to king Edward the third and some other friends whom God raised vp for his protection he bare out the malice of the Friers and Archbishop Likewise Pope Vrbane was so busied with suppressing of another Pope Clement the seuenth set vp against him that he could not spare any time to suppresse Iohn Wickliffe and so it came to passe thorow the prouidence of Almightie God that the enemies of the true light with fretting minds were compelled to see the sparkles thereof not being able to quench them The chiefe heads of doctrine which hee maintained against the Roman church were these That the substance of bread remained in the Sacrament of the altar after the words of consecration That it is not found in the Gospell that Christ instituted or confirmed a masse That it is a presumptuous Speaking to affirme that the infants of the faithfull who die vnbaptised are condemned That in the time of Paul there were onelie two orders of Clerks to wit Elders and Deacons neither was there in the time of the Apostles any distinction of Popes Patriarches Archbishops Bishops but these the Emperours pryde did finde out That the causes of diuorcement for spirituall consanguinitie or affinitie are not founded on the scriptures but onely by the ordinance of men That he who is most seruicable and humble in the church and most inamored with the loue of Christ the same is the neerest vicar of Christ in the militant Church If corporall vnction were a Sacrament then Christ and his Apostles would not haue left the ordinance of that vntouched Whatsoeuer the Pope and Cardinals doe command which they cannot deduce cleerely out of the Scriptures the same is to be accounted hereticall and not to be obeyed That it is but a follie to beleeue the Popes Pardons That it is not necessarie to saluation to beleeue the church of Rome to be supreme head of other Churches A Deacon or Priest may Preach the word of God without the authoritie of the Apostolike sea The Church of Rome is the Synagogue of Sathan neither is the Pope immediatlie the vicar of Christ nor of the Apostles That the Emperour and Secular Lords are seduced who so inrich the Church with ample possessions If any man enter into any priuat religion whatsoeuer it be hee is thereby made more vnapt and vnable to obserue the commandements of God Of Monkes POpe Clement the sixt bearing rule Iohn king of France sonne of Philip invented the sect and order of those Monkes which in Latine are called Stellati whose maner is alwayes to weare a starre vpon their brest signifying thereby that there is nothing in them but the light of perfection and the cleere shining of good workes Yea that they themselues are the light of the world according to the saying of Christ vos eslis lux mundi yea are the light of the world Item That they shall rise againe at the later day all shining and glistering as the most cleere and pleasant starres according as it is written by the Prophet They that informe many into righteousnes shall be as the starres world without end In Anno 1336. Pope Boniface the ninth raigning a certaine man called Gerardus being of great learning and vertuous conversation ordained a certaine fraternitie or brotherhood of learned godlie men to teach schollers and to bring vp youth not onely in good letters but also in good maners that by those means there might be
sixt a man of Holland and Schoolemaster to Charles the fift Emperour He endevoured to correct some abuses of the Church of Rome in maners but not the abuses and errours of Doctrine for hee also sent his Ambassadour Cheregatus to Germanie with menacing letters to the Duke of Saxonie because hee maintained Martin Luther But his time was short for hee died before hee had ruled two yeeres in his Popedome To him succeeded Clemens the seuenth and ruled ten yeeres ten months and seuen daies Hee was a man verie inconstant in his friendship to the Emperour Charles the fift but secretlie boūd vp friendship with the king of France but this deceitfull doing redounded to the Popes great hurt For Charles Duke of Burboune chiefe Captaine to the armie which the Emperour had in Italie besieged the towne of Rome and tooke it and albeit the Duke himselfe was slaine yet the rest of the armie invaded the Towne slew great numbers of men defloured women spoyled houses and temples and besieged the Pope himselfe and his Cardinalls seuen months till at length the Pope was free from his Captiuitie by commaund of the Emperour About this same time of the Popes besieging Charles the Emperour was banqueting and reioycing for the Natiuitie of his sonne Philip but hee stayed all banqueting playing and reioycing when the tidings of the Popes besieging was carried vnto him and commaunded to set him at libertie Manie great sinnes are imputed to him by writers and amongst others that hee destroyed the liues of manie by poyson and that in end hee receiued the same recompence himselfe After him followed Paulus the third who ruled fifteene yeeres and twentie nine dayes It grieued him to see the Gospell take so deepe roote and to be ouerspred in many nations and namelie in England by king Henry the eight who abrogated the authoritie of the Bishop of Rome in England called himselfe supreme governour ouer Christ in all Ecclesiasticall causes within the bounds of his owne countrie The Pope being destitute of all other revenging weapons drew forth the old accustomed weapon of the chaire of Rome against Princes and cursed king Henry the eight This Pope ratified the order of the Iesuites and appointed a generall Councell to bee kept in Trent a Towne of Italie bordering neere to Germanie This Councell beganne to be kept in Trent in the yeere 1546. but hereafter was transferred to Bononia as shall be declared God willing The Protestants of Germanie were desired both by the Emperour and the Pope to bee present at the Councell but they would not acknowledge it to be a lawfull generall Councell wherein the Pope or his deputie did sit as a iudge who was indeede partie and whom they were to accuse of false and erroneous doctrine of abusing of the Church of God and vsurping the honour which was onely due to Christ before this Councell ended hee concluded his dayes Iulius the third succeeded in his place who ruled three yeeres one month and sixteene dayes Hee reduced the generall Councell of Bononia backe againe to Trent where it began but the sudden report of the armie of Maurice Duke of Saxonie who tooke armes against the Emperour Charles for detaining the Lantgraue of Hesse his father in law in prison dissolued the Councell againe for a time because they feared lest the Dukes armie should haue come to Trent and set vpon them In this time the Church of England returned backe againe to the Popes obedience in the raigne of Queene Marie and the Pope sent Cardinall Poole to England to absolue that countrie from that curse and interditment which was layed vpon it in the dayes of Paulus tertius After him succeeded Marcellus the second and ruled twentie two dayes After him followed Paulus the fourth and ruled foure yeeres two months and twentie foure dayes Hee was verie contentious and hated the Emperour Charles and brought into Italie 1000. footmen and 2000. horsemen of the french nation vnder the conduct of the Duke of Guise Also hee brought into Italie an armie of Swizers Notwithstanding the Emperour had sent to Italie the Duke de Albe who had taken a great number of townes belonging to the Pope before the Duke of Guise entred into Italie And in the ende the Pope was well content to accept conditions of peace and to receiue backe againe the townes which hee had lost in the warre In his time the Emperour resigned the Emperiall crowne to his Brother Ferdinand entered into a Monasterie where hee concluded his daies but the Pope neither approued nor ratified this election of Ferdinand and Ferdinand on the other part made light account of the Coronation which his Predecessours had receiued from the Pope and was obeyed in Germanie although he wanted the Popes blessing and coronation After him ruled Pius the fourth who continued fiue yeeres two months and fifteene dayes In his time the councell of Trent which was begun in the dayes of Paul the third was finished He sent an Ambassadour to England to invite the learned men of that countrie to the Councell but Queene Elizabeth would not permit the Popes Ambassadour to enter into her Realme Likewise hee sent Ambassadours to the Dukes of Germanie professing the reformed Religion They entertained the Ambassadours honorablie but sent them backe with this answere that they marueled how the Pope could send an Ambassadour to them who acknowledged not his authoritie in such matters From the first meeting of this Councell to the dissolution thereof intervened the space of eighteene yeeres but the time of meeting consultation and sitting of the fathers of that Councell was onely the space of fiue yeeres namely vnder Paulus the third two yeeres vnder Iulius the third one yeere and vnder Pius the fourth two yeeres In this Popes time the reformation of religion in Scotland began images were broken and burnt altars cast downe Monasteries dimolished and the masse abolished The noble men who were the principall authors of this reformation were assisted by Elizabeth Queene of England and defended from the intended persecution of the Frenchmen This Pope made a bloodie massacre in a Towne of Italie called Montalto against a number of Christian people secretlie met together for hearing of the word of God so that one after another were drawne out of the house where they met and their throates cut with a knife in the hand of a bloodie executioner In this massacre were martyred 80. persons and not one of all the number for the feare of death did forsake the true fayth of Christ. In this Popes time was the Isle of Malta invaded by the Turkes but they were strongly resisted and left the siege of the Isle after they had lost 23000. of their number in that siege The disputation of Poissne and grieuous commotions in France after that disputation began in this Popes time whereof is spoken before After him followed Pius the fift
of the Gospel An assemblie of the Helvetians at Lucerna contrary to that of Zurike A disputation at Baden The causes of Zuinglius absence The conclusion of the disputation A disputation ordained to be holden at Berne Conclusions maintained by the Ministers of Berne The conclusions aforesaid allowed Ferdinand and fiue Pages of the Helvetians enter league against the Bernates The fiue Pages and the Bernates being twise ready to ioyne battell are paâ—ted and the third time the Bernates vanquished Zuinglius killed The occasion of the alteration of religion in England about Henry the eights marriage of his brother Arthurs wife Hatred betwixt the Pope and King Henry the 8. Warres betwixt Ferdinand and the Protestant Princes Agreement made betwixt them A Councell held at Ratisbone about the ending of controversies The conclusion of the Councell Warres betwixt Henry Prince of Brunswick the Duke of Saxonie in name of all the Protestants wherein Henries dominions were subdued A peace concluded betwixt the Emperour and the King of France wherein was determined that both should ioyne against the Protestants The crueltie of Minerius The miserable death of Minerius The Emperour vseth policie to subdue the Protestants The Emperour Proclaimeth the D. of Saxonie Lantgraue outlawes The causes alleadged The Protestants answere vnto the proscription The Bohemians and Maurice invade and subdue thâ— D. of Saxons lands Maurice excuseth by Proclamation what he had done The Duke of Saxonie recouereth what he had lost The Emperour discomfiteth the D. of Saxonie taketh him prisoner and giueth all his his lands to Maurice The Lantgraue detained prisoner by the Emperour A convention at Ausbrough The booke called Interim vrged by the Emperour The foresaid booke hated of all men both Pope Papists and Protestants The Masse forbidden in England Boner and Gardiner depriued of their Bishoprickes Warre betwixt the towne of Magdeburg and Maurice Duke of Spaine Their agreement War betwixt Maurice Duke of Saxonie and the Emperour The conditions of Maurice his agreement with the Emperour Warre betwixt D. Maurice the Marquis of Brandenburg wherein the Marquis was overcome The death of D. Maurice Strange sights seene in Germany Popery embraced in England by means of Q. Mary The Court of Parliament confesse their error in forsaking it and are absolued Q. Maries cruelty against Protestants A bad reward A reference to the Booke of Martyrs Solyman conquereth Belgrade and the Isle of Rhods killeth Lewis K of Hungary and Paulus B. of Collen besiegeth Vienna is repelled Charles restoreth the K. of Tunis to his kingdome Solyman taketh Buda in Hungarie Charles entreth into a religious house and dieth The Bohemians obtaine of Ferdinand the vse of the Sacrament in both kinds Persecution of the Protestants in France The death of Henry the 2. K. of France Francis the 2. having maried the Q of Scots seeketh to reduce the Scottish Nobility to the popish religion but his army was vanquished A Councell kept at Orleance The Prince of Condie taken by the Kings guard is in danger The death of Francis A disputation at Poyssie The Papists policy to cut off further reasoning The Duke of Savoy warreth against the Protestants within his dominions Triniteus by policy spoileth those of Angrona both their money and armour God prospereth the successe of the Protestants The death of Truchetus Peace concluded with the Convallenses The edict of Ianuarie in behalfe of the Protestants The King of Navarre turneth Papist The Duke of Guise killeth 1500 people at a Sermon The Duke of Guise taketh the King and the Queene mother prisoners for whose deliuerie the Protestants binde themselues together The first ciuill warre The Prince of Condie chosen Generall for the Protestants Many townes taken and fortified by the Protestants whereof Burges Roane were recouered by the Papists The death of the Prince of Navarre The death of Augustinus Marlorart Note The battell of Dreux wherein the Prince of Condie was taken by the Papists and the Constable by the Protestants The Duke of Guise his death A new edict in behalfe of the Protestants The end of the first ciuill warre Troubles in the low countries about Religion Duke de Albaes crueltie against the professours of the Gospell The Prince of Orange warreth against the Spaniards The Cardinal of Loraine taketh counsell how to suppresse the Gospell A league made betwixt the Kings of France and Spaine for the rooting out of the Protestants The second ciuill warre in France The Parisians ouercome by the Prince of Condie The Protestants besiege Chartresse The Prince of Condies armie dismissed the townes by him subdued deliuered into the enemies hand through the policie of the Queene mother Euery where crueltie vsed against the Protestants Simile The Prince of Condie the Admirall flie towards Rotchell Note The third ciuill warre in France for Religion Note Note The Papists receiue support from Germanie The Battell of Blansack The death of the Prince of Condie The King of Navarre and young Prince of Condie governe the armie of the Protestants The Duke of Bipont commeth from Germanie to support the Protestants taketh the towne of La charitie and within two dayes dieth having appointed Velrad Count of Manfelt to be Generall in his roome Poictiers besieged The admirall raiseth his siege from Poictiers The battell of Moncontuire wherein the Protestants were discomfited S. Ian Dangely besieged and taken The death of Martiques governour of Britanie an enemie to the Protestants and a blasphemer of the name of God By a new edict of pacification the third ciuill warre endeth The King marrieth The King offereth his sister in marriage to the King of Navarre that thereby he might insnareâ— the Protestants The Queene of Navarre being empoysoned dieth The King of Navarre married to the Kings sister The Admirall shot in the arme The Admirall attended vpon by the Kings Guard The Massacre of Paris the 24. of August Anno 1572. The Admirall killed The Duke of Guise encourageth the companie to murther the Protestants The companies which attended the king of Navarre and Prince of Condie slaine The king vâ—geth the Prince of Condie and king of Nauarre to be come Papists Their resolute Answere Note Count Mongomrie and diuers others escape In this Massacre were killed 30000 persons in France By the example of Rozarius the King of Navarre and Prince of Condie fell away for a time The repentance of Rozarius The Papists defend their crueltie by lies Note The fourth ciuill warre in Fraunce for religion Rotchell besieged God miraculouslie prouideth for the poore during the siege of Rotchell Conditions of peace offered to the towne of Rotchell The towne of Sansarre besieged and some conditions of peace being granted at last surrendered An assemblie of the Protestants at Miliald The conditions which they required of the king Count Mongomrie besieged in Donfront taken sent to Paris Duke Aniow chosen king of Poland depareth thither The Queene mother imprisoneth diuers of thâ— nobilitie who were discontent
11. Canon 22. Canon 13.14.15 16. Canon 17. The 10. Councel of Toledo The 11. CouÌ„cel of Toledo The second Councell of Brac. The 2. Councell of Brac. The 6. Councell holden at Constantinople The 12. Councel of Toledo A Councell at London The Councell of Constantinople vnder Philippicus A Councell at Rome assembled by Gregorie 2. Sigebert in Chron. A Councell at Rome assembled by Gregorie the third A Councell holden in France by Boniface Archbishop of Mentz Canon 1. Canon 2. Canon 3. Canon 4. Canon 5. The 7. general Councell assembled at Constantinople Hist. Magd. cent 8. cap. 9. The second Councell of Nice Basil. contra Eunomium â— 1. The Councell of Frankford The Councell of Mentz The eigth Councel of Rhemes The Councell of Towrs Note The Councell of Chalons Note Note The Councelâ— of Arles Note The eight general Councell Hist. Magd. cent 9 cap. 9. Caraâ—za de Coâ—cilâ—â—s The Councell of AcciniacuÌ„ Hist. Magd. cent 9. cap. 9. The Councell of Triburium or Strasburg The Councell of Ravenna The Councell of Rhemes The Councell of Rome Luitprond hist. l. 6. c. 6 7. The Councell of Canterbury in England Hist. Magd. cent 10. cap. 9. The Councell of Constantinople The Councell of Rhemes against Arnulphus Another Councell at Rhemes restoring Arnulphus Mat. 15. The Councell of Halignustat The Councel of Triburia Nevv lawes Hist. Magd. cent 11 cap. 9. The Councell of Sutrium Contract Vspergens Platina A Councell at Rome against Berengarius A Councell at Vercellis against Berengarius A Councell at Towrs against Berengarius Another CouÌ„cell at Rome against Berengarius The Councell of Millan The Councel of Mantua The Councell of Wintomiâ— in England Another CouÌ„cell of Triburia or Friburg The Councell of Mentz The Councell of Ersurd 1 Tim. 4. Another Councell at Mentz The Councell of Wormes Another Councell at Triburia Another Councell at Rome The Councell of Brixia Another Councell at Rome The Councell of BeneventuÌ„ The Councell of Clermont A Councell at Paris A Councell at Florence A Councel at London The Councell of Mentz Mat. 2. Mat. The Councell of Troyes in Champaniâ— 2 Thes. 2.7 The Councel of Triburia The Councel of Senon The Councell of Papia Tyrius lib. 18. cap. 29. A Councell at Rome Canon 1. Canon 2. Canon 3. Canon 4. Canon 5. Canon 6. Canon 7. Canon 7. Canon 9. Canon 10. Canon 11. Canon 12. 2 Tim. 2.4 Canon 13. Canon 14. Canon 15. Canon 16. Canon 17. Canon 18. Canon 19. Gen. 47.22 Canon 20. Canon 21. Canon 22. Canon 23. Canon 24. Canon 25. Canon 26. Canon 27. Concilium Lateranense The conclusions of this Councell Concilium Lugdunense Note The Councell of Vienna Liber Clementiarum received by the Councell The contents of this booke The feast of Corpus Christi ordained Note The Templars rooted out The Councell of Constance The occasion of this Councell Note All the three Popes deposed A decree against Iohn Wickliffe Against the Communion in both kinds Iohn Husse condemned Ierom of Prague condemned The Councell aboue the Pope Martin not having leasure to reforme the abuses of the Clergie erects an inquisition for repressing of the Hussits The Councel of Basil. A generall Councell aboue the Pope Eugenius seeketh to translate the Councel from Basil to Bononie but by the Emperour is forced to ratifie the Councell of Basil. Eugenius after the Emperours death holds contrarie Councels Eugenius deposed The Bohemians obtaine to haue the Sacrament vnder both kinds Aeneas Syluius changeth his opinion with his state of life The Councell of Florence Note The agreement of the Grecian Church with the Roman an euill presage of the destruction of the Grecian Empyre Concilium Tridentinum Sessio prima Sessio secunda Sessio tertia Sessio quartâ— CoÌ„cupiscence accounted no sinne Sessio quinta Sessio sexta Sessio septima Diuers Bishops remoue from Trent to Bononia Note The Pope vnwilling the Bishops should returne to Trent The Emperors Ambassador protesteth against the Councell of Bononia Sessio prima The King of France by his Ambassador protesteth against the Councell of Trent Sessio secunda Sessio tertia The Protestants confession of Faith â—eiected The wars betwixt the Emperour and the Duke of Saxony cause of the Councels breaking vp Sessio prima Sessio secunda Sesso tertta quarta Sessio quinta Sessio sexta Sessio Septima Sessio Octava Note Sessio â—ona
Lotharius Conradus Duke of Sueue and sister sonne to the Emperour Henry the fift was elected Emperour and raigned 15. yeeres Henry Duke of Saxonie and Guelphus Duke of Bavaria rebelled against him whom hee easily subdued And hee besieged Guelphus in a towne called Winspergh The men of the towne were saved by the wisedome of the women For they foreseeing that the towne could not endure the strictnesse of the siege they gaue a petition to the Emperour that they might haue liberty safely to depart out of the towne onely with so much as they were able to beare vpon their backs The Emperour supposing they would transport vpon their backs burthens of silver or gold or costly rayment hee condescended to their petition The women preferring the liues of their husbands to all rich treasures came out of the towne every woman bearing her husband on her backe The worthy Emperour admirng the vertue wisedome and piety of the women spared their husbands and would not violate his promise After this the Emperour gathered a great army and set forward to fight against the Turkes and Saracens of whose cruelty against the Christians in Edessa many advertisements were sent to Europe In the way hee conferred with Emmanuel Emperour of Constantinople who with deceitfull promises betrayed the good Emperour Conrad and suffered him not to tarry and get provision of victuals for his army for Emmanuel promised that hee would in all haste send prouision vnto him And while Conradus was besieging Iconium Emmanuel in stead of wholsome victuales sent meale mixed with lyme whereby the army was impoysoned and huge numbers of them died so that Conrad left the siege of Iconium and went backe to Thracia In Ierusalem after Fulco his sonne Baldowin was made the fift King of Ierusalem who repaired Gaza and conquered Askalon and gaue it to the templaries At this time many Christians were in Asia For besides the Emperour Conrad and Lewis King of France Rogerus Count of Sicile all these were sore grieved with the villany done by Emmanuel Emperour of Constantinople and they subdued Corcyra and tooke Corinth and Thebes and the townes of Euboia Conrad and Lewis also went to Ierusalem and ioyned their forces with Baldwin and besieged Damascus but with no good successe After they returned to Europe But the Christians in Asia and Syria dayly decayed in number and courage vntill all the conquered places were reduced againe vnder the dominion of Infidels Fredericus 1. AFter Cunradus Frederike the first surnamed Barbarossâ— was chosen to be Emperour and raigned 39. yeeres He was a man valiant of a quicke Spirit expert in warrefare strong in bodie in Counsel giuing prouident In doing of his affaires magnanimous verie affable to meeke men aâ— enemie to proud persons a man of an excellent wit and mâ— morie whomsoeuer he had once knowne albeit hee had beene absent from him a long space yet the Emperour could call vpon him by his name as if hee had beene dayly conuersant with him He was crowned Emperour by Pope Adrian the 4. to whom hee did this honour when the Pope met him at Sutrium the Emperour lighted off his horse and came on foote to salute the Pope And when our holy father was dismounted from his horse the Emperour did hold his left stirrop in steed of the right and when the Pope was somewhat offended thereat the Emperour softly smiling craued pardon of his ouersight because hee was not accustomed with such seruile offices Before the Coronation of the Emperour Pope Adrian required of him this condition that hee should fight against William Duke of Apulia for recouering of that Dukedome to the Chaire of Rome Neuerthelesse the Pope not expecting the Emperours leasure incited Emmanuell Emperour of Constantinople to driue William Duke of Apulia out of Italie and addressed himselfe and his Cardinals to warrefare hauing first excommunicated William Duke of Apulia On the other part William begged peace from the Pope promising to restore vnto him all that belonged to the chaire of Rome and more also But by the malignant Councel of his Cardinals the Pope would not hearken to conditions of peace hoping to gaine more by warrefare The Duke seeing no hope of peace brought his forces out of Sicile ariued at Apulia and did fight against Emmanuel and did put him to flight This done hee marched foreward toward Benaventure where the Pope and his Cardinalls were expecting victorie But the Duke so strictly pressed the cittie that the Pope and his Cardinals were glad to sue for peace which they refused before The conditions of peace were these that the Duke should invade no possession belonging to the Roman Church and on the other part the Pope should acknowledge William to be King of both Siciles The bad successe of the Popes enterprises was not vnknowne to the Emperour who pondering in his own heart the iniures which his predecessors had suffered by Popes specially in bereauing them of the right of inuesting of Bishops and in sending Ambassadors so frequently to Germanie to the great impouerishing of his dominions whereat the Emperour conceiued such indignation that he charged all Germanie that they should not receiue the Popes Legats in time to come except they were expreslie sent for and that no man should make appellation to Rome also in the Letters sent to the Pope hee prefixed his owne name to the Popes name The Pope tooke all this matter grieueouslie and perswaded the towns of Italie to make defection from the obedience of the Emperour and specially the towne of Millan rebelled against him But Fredericke brought them partly by force and partly by feare vnder his subiection againe In the end the Pope had recourse to the old weapons of his warfare and he excommunicated the Emperour but the Lord suffered not this proud Pope to escape vnpunished for as he was walking with his attendants in a Towne called Anagnia a flie entered into his throte and choked his breath After the death of Adrian the Emperour was not free of trouble in regard of the schisme that fell out in the Roman Church for two Bishops contended for the Popedome to wit Alexander the third and Victor the fourth The Emperour was required to pacifie this schisme who gathered a councel at Papia and desired both the Popes to be present to heare their cause discussed in a lawfull assemblie But Pope Alexander disdained to be iudged of any man and therefore he appeared not before the councell For which cause the Emperour and the councell ratified the election of Victor the 4. Pope Alexander fled to France and cursed both the Emperour and his owne competitor Victor Afterward by money and flatterie powerfull weapons in a declining age he procured such fauour in the Citie of Rome that he was receiued gladly of the most part of the city Pope Victor had ended his life before this time to whom Guido Bishop of Cremona was appointed successour whom they called Paschalis tertius and
excuse who could not bridâ—â— the fury of his malicious heart pretending this to be the cause of his anger because the Emperour amongst other conditions of peace bound vp betweene the Christians in Asia and the Saracens hee had licensed them to come alwayes without armour to the place of the holy grave Also hee made rumours to passe through Italy of the Emperours death to the end the townes which were vnder his dominion might be faint-hearted and resigne over their cities into his hands As likewise the souldiers who returned home out of Asia he caused to be cut off left by their reporting the truth and the good successe of Fredericke the townes vnder his obedience might be encouraged The Emperour being advertised of all these practices done against him in his absence left in Asia Renaldus with his garisons coÌ„manding all the other bands to be vnder his appointment And with all speed came with certaine gallies to Calabria and within short space tamed his enemies and recovered all his holds and dominions againe Also he sent to the Pope to entreate for his favour notwithstanding all the iniuries he had received at his hands but was not heard nor accepted into favour vntill hee had paied an hundred and twenty ounces of gold for his absolution After this great rebellon was stirred vp in Germany against Fredericke for his owne sonne Henry Caesar began to vtter the fruits of that old traffique that was betweene him and the Pope and caused Ludovicke Duke of Boiaria of whom we did speake before not onely to be put from his Court but also most cruelly to be murthered The Emperour thought it no time to sleepe wherefore entâ—ing into Germany hee assembled a Councell in the citie of Nâ—urburg where the conspiracy of Henry Caesar was manifestly detected whereof the Pope was the chiefe author and â—ee by the iudgement and sentence of 〈◊〉 Princes condemned of high treason And being commanded by his father to be bound was as a prisoner brought to Apulia where not long after hee died in prison In whose roome hee ordained his third sonne Conradus Caesar by consent of all the Peeres and Princes Also Fredericus Austriacus his sonne was proclaimed for an enemy to the Common-wealth from whom were taken Austria and Stiria and brought againe vnder the Emperours obedience and fidelity who having set Germany at quietnesse left there Conradus Caesar his sonne and with his army returned to Italy to punish such as with Henry his eldest sonne had conspired against him whose treasons were all detected at the condemnation of Henry Caesar and chiefly the Popes who vnderstanding that the Emperour with warlike furniture marched towards Italy albeit hee fained himselfe to be reconciled and a friend to him yet was hee notwithstanding to him a most secret and intestine enemy For hee sent to those cities who had conspired against the Emperour admonishing them that they should ioyne themselues together and that they should furnish strongly their cities with garrisons and send for aide to friends and that with all their force they would prepare themselues for warre Also hee sent Ambassadors to the Emperour to forbid him and his army to come forward vnto Italy and to say vnto him not by way of entreaty but imperiously that what cause of controversie hee had against the Longobards the same hee should commit to him and stand to his arbiterment The Emperour nothing regarding this foolish interditement prosecuteth his purpose and marcheth towards Italy where he brought vnder his subiection those cities that rebelled against him as Mantua Verona Ternisium Patavium and others and then hee afterward set vpon the great Hoast of Mediolanenses the Brixians the Placentines and other confederats of whom hee tooke a thousand prisoners and also their Generall being the chiefe Magistrate in the citie of Mediolanum Petrus Tenopolus the Dukes sonne of Venice and slew diverse Captaines moe and tooke all their Ensignes The Pope perceiving the overthrow of his confederates could no longer cover his malice but did breake out in open fury and rage against the Emperour and pronounced a sentence of proscription against him depriving him of all his dignities honours titles prerogatiues kingdoms and whole Empire Also calling vnto him the Venetian and Genuan Legats made a peace betweene them for they had beene at variance for certaine causes about their Sea coasts and covenanted with them vpon this condition that vpon their charges they should rigge and man 35. gallies which should spoyle and burne all along the Sea coasts of the kingdomes and dominions of Fredericke But when hee saw the good will and fidelity that the Duke of Venice bare vnto the Emperour who notwithstanding the displeasure he tooke by the imprisonment of his sonne yet would he not make warre against him For which cause the Pope had recourse to his old practises whereby his predecessors had trodden all Princes vnder their feet And so hee put forth an edict at Rome to the vniversall Church and people the beginning whereof is Ascendit de mari bellica bestia wherein hee declareth the causes wherefore hee curseth the Emperour to the divell of Hell and deiecteth him from his Princely dignity charging him with treason periury cruelty sacrilege killing of his owne kindred and all impiety and accuseth him as an hereticke schismaticke and miscreant And this edict of the Emperours cursing he commanded all Bishops Prelats and others of the Clergie that they should solemnly recite the same in their Churches in stead of a Sermon And furthermore charged them and all other Christian men vnder paine of cursing and damnation that they neither helpe the Emperour nor yet so much as wish him well Moreover by meanes of Albertus Bebauus his Legat hee stirred vp great rebellion against the Emperor in Germany For hee drew Otto Duke of Boiaria from the Emperours obedience and with him Venceslaus and Belus Princes of the Hungarians and Henry Duke of Polonia To whom also Fredericus Austriacus the Emperours sonne because he was proscript or out-lawed of his father was easily adioyned The Emperour was at Patavium when these newes were brought to him Therefore hee commanded Peter de Vineis his Secretarie vpon Easter day to make a narration to the people of his great munificence to the Bishoppes of Rome and againe of their iniuries towards him in recompence thereof of his innocencie also in all the heads whereof hee was accused by the Pope and finally of the vse of Ecclesiasticall censure and of the errors and abuse of the Church of Rome By which Oration of his he so remooved the clowds of blinde superstion from mens hearts and the conceived opinion of holinesse of the Church of Rome and also of their vsurped power and subtle perswasion that both they saw and plainely perceived the vices and filthinesse of the same At the same time the Emperour as faith Albericus writ to the Pope these veres Roma diu titubans longis erroribus
acta Corruet mundi desinet esse caput To whom the Pope answered againe in other verses Niteris incassum navem submergere Petri Fluctuat at nunquam mergitur illa ratis The Emperour moreover by his Letters and Legats giveth intelligence to all Christian princes as well of the fained crimes wherewith he was charged as also of the cruelty of the Bishop of Rome against him In all this time it pleased God to support the Emperor with some comfort which many of his Predecessors lacked For the Bishops of Germany were faithfull subiects vnto him and not onely refused to execute the Popes edicts and mandats in their Churches but also they accused and condemned Albertus Bebavus the Popes Legat as a most impudent impostor and a wiÌ„cked fellow and a most pestiferous botch and sore of the Christian Common-wealth and gaue him to the Diuell as a ruinous enemy as well of the Church as of his naturall Countrey This warre betweene the Emperour and the Pope waxed so hot that vpon a time the Emperour came to Pisas and Viterbium the Pope fearing hee would come to Rome caused a supplication to be made wherein the heads of Peter and Paul were carryed about and with a sharpe and contumelious Oration hee fought to deface the Emperour promising everlasting life and giving the badge of the Crosse to so many as would arme themselues and fight against the Emperour as against the most wicked enemy of God and his Church Now the Emperour marching somewhat neere the gates of Rome when hee saw souldiers marked with the badge of the Crosse comming out against him gaue a sharpe charge vpon them and put them soone to flight and as many as he tooke cutting off that badge from them he caused to bee hanged But the more hee prospered the more he was enuyed of the Pope who by his Legats called to a Councell at Rome all such Prelats out of Italy France and England as hee thought to favour him and his proceedings that hereby as his last shift and onely refuge hee by their helps might depriue Fredericke of the Empire as an vtter enemy to God and his Church Of all which the Emperour having intelligence and knowing that these assemblies should be but to his destruction hee determined to stop and let their passages to Rome both by Sea and Land And therefore sent out his sonne Henry with certaine Gallies to keepe the coasts of Sardinia and from thence to Pisas and with the Pisans to rigge out a Navie to meete with such as should aide the Pope of Rome The Popes associats on the other part procured that the gallies and shippes of Genua having Guilielmus Braccius for their chiefe Captaine should bee sent out for defence of the Prelats that were to repaire to the Councell Thus the Pisan army launched forth to the Sea with forty ships and gallies and betweene the Isles of Lilium and Mons Christs which lie betweene Liburnium and Corsica they met with the Genuan ships and fiercely began to boord them In which fight at length were three of the Genuan shippes sunke and 22. taken and brought away with all the riches and treasures in them In those were taken three of the Popes Legats whereof two were Cardinals Iacobus Columna Ottho Marchio and Gregorius de Romania all cruell enemies against the Emperour and many other Prelats moe besides a great number of Legats and Procurators of cities with an infinit number of Monkes and Priests as also the Genuan souldiers with diverse others Also besides the prey and booty they found many writings and letters which very much helped the Emperour in cleering his cause against his enemies Whilest this discord was between the Emperour and the Pope Orthodarius the Emperour of the Tartarians soone invaded the borders next adiacent to him and conquered Ropolanium Bodolium Mudanium with diverse other townes and villages destroying wasting and burning the countries all about killing and slaying men women children sparing none of any sex or age At whose sudden invasion the people being affrighted and troubled were glad to leaue all that they had and disperse themselues into woods and flie vnto marshes and mountaines so that by this time the Tartarian Hoste was come as farre as Wratislavia where Henricus of Polonia and the Duke of Silesia met with them but by reason of inequality both in number and forces they were easily defeated and slaine From thence they came to Moravia and from thence to the kingdome of Bohemia and Hungary at which time Belus King of Hungarie sent to the Emperour for support against the Tartarians promising that Hungarie ever after should be vnder the iurisdiction of the Emperour The Emperour on the other part was most willing to helpe the Hungarians and other Christians and sent to the Pope to perswade him that hee would take vp and conclude a peace and mitigate somewhat his wrath in regarde of the immiment danger like to ensue vpon the whole state of Christendome by reason of a civill dissention But when hee saw that by no meanes the Pope would relent his furie hee was compelled to write againe to the King of Hungarie that hee could stand him in no stead at that time because the Bishop of Rome refused all treatie of peace notwithstanding hee sent Conradus Caesar king of Bohemia and other Princes of Germame to resist and withstand the enemie so farre as in them lay Thus may bee seene the louing zeale and affection that the Pope of Rome hath toward Christian people that hee had rather bend his forces to revenge his malice vpon the Christian and good Emperour then either by himselfe to withstand or yet by concluding a profitable peace to permit others to withstand the most bloodie and cruell Tartarian But euen in the midst of this spoyle and havock of Polonia Bohemia and Hungaria was it determined that Libussa the Princes confederate with the Pope should bee assembled about the deposing of the Emperour and creating of another When Frederike saw there was none other remedie and that hee laboured in vaine to haue peace hee prosecuted the warre to the vttermost and when hee had gotten Tudetum and reconciled the same hee destroyed the Townes of Geminium and Naruia and gaue the spoyle of them to his souldiers hee gentlie receiued the yeelding vp of Siburnium and wasted all the countrey about Rome wherewith the Pope being dismaied and seeing that things prospered not so well with him against the Emperour as he looked for being in dispaire of obtaining his purpose died in great anger and displeasure Thus when the author of all this conspiracie was gone The Emperour with his armie marched forward against the Tartarians who hearing of his comming left the straighâ—way through Hungarie by which they came and returned by the riuer of Danubium to Taurica and so through the Fenns of Meotida and by the riuer of Tanaium into Sarmatia Asiatica After Gregorie Celestinus was created Pope
generall or provinciall councell should be had within the space of a yeare and in the meane time the decree of Wormace Councell to cease In the next Councell kept at Spire where Ferdinand Ambassadour in the Emperours name was present certaine Citties were greatly blamed for altering Religion contrary to the Emperours commandement and the Ambassadour for the Citie of Argentine was not suffered to sit in the Councell because that Cittie had disanulled the Masse Shortly after by the assent of a few Princes these points were decreed That such Cities as had altered Religion should make no further change That other places should obey the decree of Wormes vntill a generall Councell That it should be lawfull to all men who would vse the masse euen in those Citties where it was abolished That the Anabaptists should be punished by death That the doctrine of the Lords supper shuld not be receiued That the Ministers should teach according to the interpretation of the Church That the Princes and Cities should not receiue foreiners comming for Religion into their dominions if any man did otherwise he should be proscript The Duke of Saxonie George Prince of Brandenburgh Erneste and Francisse Princes of Luneburg and the Landgraue of Hesse and a Prince called Anhaldius withstood this decree and answered to euery point thereof saying that the consent of a few could not vndoe that decree which before was made at Spire by the whole Empire and therefore that they all made protestation that they would not acknowledge it And of this protestation were those Princes and all that allied with them called Protestants which name is now giuen to all them that in their doctrine swerue from the Bishop of Rome To the Princes aboue-named these Cities following did agree Argentine Norinberg Vlmes Constance Ruteling Winsemium Mening Lindan Campodune Hailbrune Isna Wiseborough Norling Sangall All these Cities with the Princes refused the act of Spire appealed to the Emperour and to a generall or provinciall Councell After the breaking vp of this Councell the Protestants send Ambassadours to the Emperour to declare the causes of their appellation from the Councell of Spire The Emperour at this time was in Italie and on his iourney to Rome to be crowned with the Emperiall Diadem by Pope Clement the seuenth who hauing heard the Ambassadours of the Protestants entreated them roughly and sent them backe againe with menacing words threatning to punish with all rigour those that would not be obedient to the Decree of the foresaid Convention of Spire This was the first ground that moued the Protestants in the conventioÌ„ of Smalcaldy to bind vp a couenant amongst themselues of mutuall ayde if any of them were pursued for Religions sake as shall be declared afterward God willing In the meane time the Citie of Argentine entreated league with Tigure Berne and Basill who being not farre distant might be more helpfull each to other that if they were invaded for the quarrell of Religion they should mutually assist one another wherewith the Councell of the Empire were much grieued and found great fault with them After the Emperours returning from Italie where he was crowned with the Emperiall Diadem and had sworne to be a defender of the Roman Church a solemne conuention of the Estates of the Empire was kept in the Towne of Angusta or S. Ausbrugh to which were brought many learned diuines The Protestants brought with them Philip Melanchton Iustus Ionas Georgius Spalatinus Iohannes Agricola Islebius and diverse others The Romane Church had for their part Cardinall Campeius the Popes Ambassadour Eccius Iohannes Faber Cochleus and many others The Emperour commanded the Princes of the Protestants to come to Masse with him and to command their Preachers to silence but they answered they would neither come to Masse nor inioyne their Preachers to silence before the matter was concluded Onely the Duke of Saxonie after deliberation with his Divines was content at the Emperours commandement according to his dutie to carrie the Sword before him as he went to the Church Then the Emperour vnder great perill commanded both the parties to silence and he by prerogatiue appointed certaine to Preach that should touch no Controversie In this Convention the Protestants offered vnto the Emperour a copie of the Articles of their Faith which with great difficultie they obtained to be openly read before they delivered it into the Emperours handes This Confession commonly called Augustana Confessio was exhibited to Eccius and Faber Divines on the contrary part to be confuted and the copie of this confutation was also openly read But when the Protestants desired that they might answere to it the Emperour would not grant it saying he would heare no more disputation but willed them to returne to the Catholique Church Also the Citizens of Argentine Constance Mening and Lindan who differed from the other Protestants in the opinion of the Sacrament did in like manner exhibite a confession of their Doctrine a confutation of this Booke also was made by Eccius and Faber with very bitter and sharpe words but the other partie could not haue licence to reply nor any sight of the copie but as they heard it read After this three were chosen on each side to debate matters of Religion where although Melanchton granted more then his â—ellowes would haue him yet nothing was agreed because that Eccius and his two Lawyers who were chosen for the Romane Church stucke so fast by their Masse and Monasticall Vowes that in those things they would admit no reformation In the end the Emperour published a Decree wherein he declared that although the confession of the Protestants was sufficiently confuted yet he would giue them respite for a time to returne to the Church of Rome In which time they should keepe peace and alter nothing of Religion and suffer all that would to follow the Church of Rome But the Princes and Protestant Cities answered that they could not keepe that Decree with safe consciences Thus was the Emperours interim refused wherefore he set forth another Decree wherein he confirmed the Doctrine of the Church of Rome in all points and abrogated all manner of appellations made by the Protestants It appointed also an order how the Emperours Court called the Chamber should proceed in iudgement against the Protestants and forbidded that any Prince of that sect should beare any office in the Court and all that were of the faith of the Romane Church to be taken into the protection of the Emperour against their owne Princes This act caused great feare wherefore the Princes and Ambassadours of the Protestants shortly after met againe at Smalcalâ—ie and went through with the League which they had begunne the yeare before to ayde each other in the quarrell of Religion About this time the Emperour hauing sure information that the Turke with great preparation was setting forward his armie against Vienna in Austrich begun somewhat to relent of
would depart with their bands of Italians and Spainiards otherwise such order and remedie should be found as the time and matter required In this meane time many of the Princes of the Protestants townes with whom the Emperour was displeased because of the aide they had sent to the Duke of Saxonie and Lantgraue reconciled themselues to the Emperour and obtained their pardon after they had payed great summes of money Of this number was Palsgraue of the Rhene Elector and the Prince of Witemberg Also earnest request was made to the Emp. for the Lantgraues pardon by the Marques of Brādenburg But the conditions were so grieuous that the Lantgraue would rather venture the extremitie then submit himselfe The Emperour came forward to Misne by the riuer Albis not farre from the Duke of Saxonie Campe. Wherefore the Duke made speed to Witemberg and burnt the bridge that the Emperour should haue no readie passage to pursue him but the Emperour getting knowledge of a shallow ford in the riuer quicklie followed the Duke and by the wood of Lothans ouertooke him ioyning battell discomfited him and tooke him prisoner and although the Duke was condemned to die yet by the entreatie of the Marques of Brandenburg his life was granted him with most grieuous conditions amongst which this was one that hee should submit himselfe to the old religion but he chosed rather to die then so to doe Wherefore the Marques of Brandenburg obtained also that condition to be remitted but al his lands and goods were giuen to Maurice except a pension of 50000. crownes which the same Maurice paied him yeerely Immediately herevpon Witemberg yeelded to the Emp. as also diuers other Princes and Cities did the like The Lantgraue was content to yeeld al that he had to the Emp. pleasure so that hee might not be kept prisoner which condition the Marques of Brandenburg Maurice the new Duke of Saxonie that had married his daughter vndertooke to obtaine and for the performance of the same bound thēselues to him in great bonds But when he came to the Emp. hee was commaunded to remaine as prisoner then he began to complaine grieuously saying that the Emperour kept not promise And the next day the Marques of Brandenburg Maurice went to the Emp. and intreated for the Lantgraue but all would not serue for the Emperour answered that he brake no promise although he kept him 14. yeeres in prison For his meaning was onely to pardon him perpetuall emprisonment This matter afterward turned the Emp. to great trouble In the meane time hauing the principall chiefe Princes of the Protestants in Captiuitie the Emp. thought meete to gather a conuention of the estates at Ausbrough to finish that matter which hee had intended long before All the Electors with other Princes were gathered together in great number but about the citie and in diuers places of the countrie neere thereto was companies of Spaniards and Italians and other souldiers to the terrour of them that were present The Principall matter purposed was concerning the Councell of Trident. The Emperour required of the Princes priuatlie of the Palsgraue Maurice Duke of Saxonie whether they would submit themselues to the Councell of Trident or no. At the first they refused it but afterward fearing the Emp. displeasure they were cōtented to permit the matter to his will The free cities also being demaunded if they would adde any thing to the answere of the Princes answered it was not their part so to doe and offered a writing to the Emperour on what condition they would admit the Councell The Emperour as though they had fullie consented sent to the Cardinall of Trident and the Pope desiring that the Councell which was remoued from Trident to Bononia might bee againe revoked to Trident which was neerer to Germanie vpon hope that the Germanes would come and submit themselues to the Councell But forasmuch as the Pope and Bishops assembled at Bononie would not returne backe againe to Trident but vpon such conditions as liked themselues best the Emperour protested by his Ambassadours that all such things that they should decree there to be vnlawfull and of no force and that he himselfe would vndertake the care of the cōmon-wealth of Christendome which the Bishops neglected Thus the Emperour perceiuing that there was no hope of a generall councell in Germanie consulted with the Princes about the agreement of Religion and appointed Iulius Pflugins Bishop of Numburg Michael Sidon and Iohn Islebie to draw out a booke for reformation of Religion which they called Interim This was the ground of a new trouble for the Emperour strictly commaunded that the Princes would receiue and admit the manner of Religion set forth in the booke called Interim The Duke of Saxonie that was kept prisoner being earnestlie required to subscribe would not in any wise and for that cause after was vsed more strictly insomuch that his Preacher who was hitherto permitted fled for feare of danger The Lantgraue hoping to obtaine fauour and libertie receiued the Emperours booke and submitted himselfe to it but all would not helpe him The Marques of Brandenburge not onely receiued it himselfe but also sent for Martin Bucer whom partly with entreatie partly with thretnings he commaunded to subscribe the Emperours booke but he constantlie refused and with great danger of his life returned to Argentine Wolfangus Musculus Preacher at Ausbrough perceiuing the counsell of the towne not to stand constantly in defence of Religion went to Berne in Switzerland Brentius was compelled to flie from Hala a towne of Sueue and was receiued of Vlrick Duke of Wirtemberg Andreas Osiander Erasmus Sarcerius Erardus Schueffins and other Preachers of the Dukedome of Wirtemberg fled because they would not allow the Emperours booke Martin Bucer and Paulus Fagius left Germanie and went to England Ambrose Blaurer left the towne of Constance Mauricius Duke of Saxonie returning home from Ausbrough Proclaimed the Emperours decree concerning Religion Vpon that occasion the diuines and Preachers of the vniuersities of Lipsia and Witenberg diuers times assembled themselues and at length concluded vpon these things that they called indifferent to receiue them as the Emperour had prescribed This thing was by other Preachers in Germanie sore impugned saying that by the interpretation of their indifferencie they had opened a way to the whole doctrine and superstition of the Church of Rome taking those things for indifferent in which was manifest errour The tyrannie of this booke indured not long for it was hated of all men the Pope himselfe added his corrections vnto it for albeit it established all the grounds of the roman Religion yet because it tolerated the marriage of Priests and the vse of the Sacrament vnder both kindes and tooke not so sharpe order for restoring of the Church goodes as hee could haue wished for those causes and others such like the Pope would not giue his allowance to this booke without some
succeeded Germanion and after Germanion Gordius in whose time Narcissus manifested himself to the Church of Ierusalem who requested him to take his office againe for they reverenced him as a man raised from death to life againe and the punishment of God inflicted vpon his accusers increased their reverence toward him Hee was old and not able to discharge the weighty office of a Bishop therefore Alexander a worthy man was ioyned as fellow labourer with him Eusebius writeth that he was admonished by a celestiall vision of the will of God that hee should bee Bishop of Ierusalem with Narcissus for hee had beene Bishop of another paroach before in Cappadocia by the like celestiall vision Narcissus and other of the Clergie were admonished that the day next following a Bishop should enter into Ierusalem whom God had appointed to be an helper to Narcissus Hee defended Origen against the fury and madnesse of Demetrius Bishop of Alexandria who set both himselfe and others to great busines for a matter of no importance as is sayd In the persecution of Decius he was carryed to Caesâ—rea closed in a darke prison and dyed a Martyr as hath beene declared Alexander is supposed to haue been the 35. Bishop of Ierusalem Mazabanes Hymeneus Lebdas Thermon all these followed Alexander Bishops of Alexandria IN Alexandria to Philetus and Demetrius succeeded Heraclas the twelfth Bishop of that towne Hee was disciple to Origen and a fellow labourer with him in gouerning the Schoole of Alexandria in the end hee was chosen to bee Bishop of Alexandria whose successor was Dionysius the thirteenth Bishop whom God delivered miraculously from the hands of persecuters in the dayes of Decius by the sudden assault of a number of people who had beene at a mariage feast When they heard that Dionysius was taken by souldiers and led away to Taposiris they arose from table and followed with a speedy pace with a tumultuary voice so that the souldiers who had Dionysius in keeping were afraid and fled and so Dionysius by the great providence of God was delivered out of the hands of his enemies After him Maximus Theonas Petrus a Martyr vnder Dioclesian and Achillas were Bishops of Alexandria Bishops of Antiochia AFter Serapion succeeded Asclepiades the ninth Bishop of Antiochia of whom Alexander Bishop of Ierusalem being the prisoner of Christ in Caesarea wrote vnto the people of Antiochia that it was a comfort to him and it made his imprisonment and bonds the more easie that hee heard it reported that Asclepiades a man well exercised in the true faith by the providence of God was made Bishop of Antiochia Philetus was the tenth Zebenus the eleventh and Babylas was the twelfth Bishop of Antiochia of whom Eusebius recordeth that hee dyed in prison like as Alexander Bishop of Ierusalem ended his life in prison both the one and the other suffered such kinde of martyrdome vnder the persecution of Decius In the Catalogue of Emperours catholicke Bishops and Heretiques subioyned to the Ecclesiasticall History of Theodoretus wee reade that Babylas Bishop of Antiochia would not suffer Decius to enter into the Temple wherein Christians were convened and that before hee was beheaded hee gaue direction to burie with his bodie the chaine also wherewith his bodie had beene bound as a funerall ornament of his buried body But Eusebius deserueth best credite who affirmeth that hee dyed in prison and maketh no mention of his beheading Some imagine that hee who died in prison and hee who was beheaded were both Bishops of Antiochia but living in different ages yet seeing the Catalogue aforesaid speaketh of this suffering vnder the Emperour Decius it is more probable that there is some ouersight in the writer of the Catalogue To Babylas succeeded Fabius Hee was entangled with the error of Novatus but was reclaymed againe by the vigilant travails of Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria Demetrianus a married man was successor to Fabius Paulus Samosatenus a pestilent Heretique was the fifteenth Bishop of Antiochia Domnus the sonne of Demetrian the sixteenth Timeus the seventeenth Cyrillus the eighteenth and Tyrannus the ninteenth Bishop of Antiochia The names of the Bishops of Rome Alexandria and Antiochia were the more accurately obserued and registred after the Councell of Nice albeit I recite them before because it happened in that generll Councell that for timous suppressing of heresies the Bishoppes of these places were called Patriarches and had power to convocate Councels within their owne bounds for suppressing of Heretiques Alwayes it fell out farre contrary to the expectation of holy fathers for the Patriarches were the chiefe protectors of heresie as the historie of the subsequent Centuries euidently declareth Neuerthelesse in this Centurie beside those men of God aboue mentioned nothing inferior in spirituall graces to the Bishops of Rome Alexandria Antiochia and Ierusalem there were many worthy men in other places such as Fâ—rmilianus Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia a man familiarly acquainted with Origen Gregorius and Athenodorius brethren and Pastours in Pontus Helenus in Tarsus and Nicomas in Iconium Theotectus in Caesarea Palestinae Maximus in Bostra Eusebius and Anatholius Bishops of Laodicea Quirinus Bishop of Scesiana or as others call it Scescania a worthy martyr about whose necke a milstone was hanged as hath beene before declared I make an end of this second head with the greater gladnesse that I perceiue the litle stone hewed out of the mountaine without hands to be waxing and growing to the bignesse of a great mountaine replenishing the whole earth euen in the time of most horrible persecutions CENTVRIE IIII. Bishops of Rome AFter Eusebius Miltiades gouerned the Romane Church 4. yeeres 7. months and 8. dayes His ministration was in the dayes of the raigne of Constantine to whom the Emperour remitted the controuersie betwixt Cecilianus and the Donatistes to bee judged by him and his Collegues Rheticus Maternus and Marinus The Donatistes would not rest vpon the determination of Miltiades and his Collegues And therefore the good Emperour appointed this cause of new againe to be judged in Arles by a number of Bishops of Spaine Italie and France In the Councell of Arles Cecilianus was likewise absolued and the Donatistes againe succumbed in their probation Notwithstanding they appealed to the Emperour Constantine and when the Emperour heard the cause of Cecilianus pleaded before himselfe the Donatists could not proue that either Cecilianus had beene admitted Bishop of Carthage by a man who was Proditor or yet that he had admitted any other man culpable of the like fault to an Ecclesiasticall office If the Bishop of Rome had bin supreame Iudge in all Ecclesiasticall causes Constantine had done him wrong to appoint other Iudges to iudge in this cause after the B. of Rome and his Collegues had giuen out their definitiue sentence His ordinance concerning prohibition of fasting vpon the Lords day expedient at
and Eutyches they in like maner absolued him And finally after his death in the fift general councell his writings against the twelue heades of Cyrillus were damned All these troubles proceeded from one and the selfe same ground to wit vpon the extraordinarie loue hee caried toward his Patriarch Iohn This one thing laid aside hee was nothing inferiour to the most wise accurate and learned writers of the ancient time In the first of his learned dialogues called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he prooueth that the Word became flesh without changing of the diuine Nature into the humane Nature or the humane Nature into the diuine Euen as in the Sacrament of the Supper of the Lord the bread becomes the body of the Lord not by changing the substance of it but by assuming by grace an other vse than it had the very symbol obtaineth the name of the thing represented by the symbol When Papists doe read the dialogues of Theodoritus let them leaue off to bragge of the antiquitie of the doctrine of Transubstantiation and take them to the Monke Damascene the first authour of their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he continued at least thirtie yeeres in his ministrie and ended his life as is supposed vnder the raigne of Leo the first Augustine in his young yeeres was infected with the errour of the Manicheans His mother Monica watered her face many times with teares in her prayers begging at God his conuersion to the truth God heard her prayers he was sent to Millan to be a teacher of Rhetoricke by the preaching of Ambrose Bishop of Millan and the deuote behauiour of the people in singing Psalmes to the praise of God the like whereof Augustine had neuer seene in any place before for men in earth praising God with ardent affection seemed to represent the Angels of heauen who incessantly prayse God with vnspeakable desire Also with the reading of the life of Antonius the heremite he was wonderfully moued and began to dislike his former conuersation which hee had spent in worldly pleasures and went vnto a quiet garden accompanied with Alipius with many teares he bewailed the insolencie of his bypast conuersation wishing the time to be now come wherein without farther delay his soule should be watred with the dew of the conuerting grace of God And as he was powring out the griefe of his wounded heart to God with a flood of teares hee heard a voyce saying vnto him tolle lege and againe tolle lege that is to say take vp and read take vp and read At the first hearing he tooke it to haue beene the voyce of boyes or maides speaking in their play such words one to another but when he looked about could see no body hee knew it to be a celestiall admonition warning him to take vp the booke of holy Scripture which he had in the garden with him and read Now the first place that fell in his hands after the opening of the booke was this Not in gluttonie nor drunkennes nor in chambring nor wantonnesse nor in strife or enuying but put on the Lord Iesus Christ and take no thought of the flesh to fulfill the lustes thereof At the reading whereof he was so fully resolued to forsake the vanities of the world and to become a Christian that immediatly thereafter he was baptized by Ambrose Bishop of Millan with his companion Alipius and his sonne Adeodatus After this hee returned to Africke and was coadiutor to Valerius Bishop of Hippo as Chrysostome was to Flauianus in Antiocha and after the departure of Valerius he was Bishop of Hippo his vncessant trauels in teaching Gods people and in stopping the mouthes of heretikes and gainsaiers of the truth of God specially Donatists Pelagians and Manichean heretikes his learned writings do testifie When he had liued 76. yeeres he rested from his labours before the Vandales had taken the towne of Hippo which in time of Augustines sicknesse they had besieged In this Century flourished worthy preachers in France such as Eutherius Bishop of Lions Saluianus B. of Marseill who liued at that time when the nation of the Gothes oppressed France and many beganne to doubt of the prouidence of God in respect that wicked men had so great vpper-hand Salvianus in his godly and learned bookes doth declare that it is a iust thing with God to punish men who knowes their dutie best with greatest punishments in respect that oft times they are most negligent doers of it Clauaianus Mammertus Bishop of Vienne is praised by Sidonius with excessiue commendations as if all the graces of Ierom Augustine Basilius Nazianzenus and many other fathers had beene incorporated into his person Hilarius first Bishop of Arls and afterward as appeareth of Vienne opposed himselfe directly to Leo Bishop of Rome and would acknowledge no iurisdiction nor domination of the Bishop of Rome ouer the Churches of France for this cause Leo accused him as an vsurper of supremacie onely because hee would not stoupe vnder his feete but Hilarius came to Rome nothing regarding the anathems and cursings of the Romane B. and in his face affirmed that neither did Christ appoint Peter to be head of the rest of the Apostles neither had the Bishop of Rome a soueraigntie ouer the Churches of Fraunce All the grandure of Leo his speeches was to talke of those few words Tu es Petrus super haâ— petra c. that is thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke c. as if Christ had breathed vppon him and had bidden him receiue the holy Spirit so confidently did he affirme that in these wordes was allotted a supremacie to the Bishoppes of Rome the successors of Peter But this grandure I say of his proud conceites and vaine interpretation of Scripture made not men of vnderstanding incontinentlie to stoup vnder the feete of a proud Prelate Vincentius Lirinensis a mightie impugner of heresies Prosper AquitaÌ„icus SidoÌ„ius B. in some part of Ouernie Martinus Turonensis is coÌ„mended for the gift of many miraculous workes that were wrought by his hands He coÌ„pared virginitie marriage fornication to a medow a part wherof was eaten by the pastoring of beastes another part was hollwed by the rudenes of rooting swine and the third part was vntouched but flourishing in the perâ—ect growth of grasse neere to mowing time Fornication he compared to the part of the medow that was hollowed and misfâ—shioned with Swine Mariage to that part of the medow that was pastored so that the herbes had then rootes but wanted the beautie of their flowres but virginitie is like vnto that part of the medow that is vntouched flourishing with roote blade flower and all kinde of perfection In counting marriage good but virginitie better hee followeth the doctrine of the holy Apostle Paul Râ—â— gius Bishop of Rhemes by whom Clodoâ—eus the first Christian king of France was baptized and the whole countrie of France was purged
and builded an house of presence wherein the people might cherish the Emperour Callynicus was compelled to consecrate the house by prayer but in regard he was enforced against his heart to pray he made his prayer short in this manner Glory be to God who patiently comporteth with vs both now and for euer Amen For this cause Iustinian hated Callynichus and when he returned backe againe from his ten yeers banishment he caused the eyes of Callynichus to be put out and sent him to Rome there to remaine in banishment Patriarchs of Alexandria IN Alexandria before the Saracens vnder the conduct of Mahomet conquered the countrey of Egypt few of note and marke were to be found in that chaire After Eulogius Iohannes scribo continued in office onely two yeeres After him Iohannes Eleemosynarius is highly commended for his liberalitie toward the poore Cyrus his successor was an heretique following the errour of the Monothelites He payed tribute to the Saracens but when the Emp. Heraclius was wearied of the payment of tribute then all the countrey of Egypt was possessed by the Saracens which incursion of the Mahumetans albeit it cutted not off the personall succession of the Patriarches of Alexandria yet it obscureth the cleare notice of their succession vnto vs who are farre distant from them Patriarches of Antiochia IN Antiochia Anastatius Sinaita is found to haue beene Bishop of Antiochia in the dayes of the Emperour Phocas He obtained this name to be called Sinaita because he had macerated himselfe with long fasting and with hard exercises of an heremiticall life vpon mount Sina Anno 610. hee was slaine in a seditious commotion stirred vp by the Iewes who dwelt at Antiochia who slew many other Christians but they vttered great crueltie ioyned with vile in humanitie against Anastatius in whose mouth they cast the verie excrements of his owne bodie as the Magdeburg Historie recordeth citing the testimonie of Nicephorus After him another of that same name called likewise Anastatius succeeded and was B. of Antiochia He was a Syrian a man of a subtile spirit who circumuented the Emperour Heraclius for at the Emperours command he subscribed the decrees of the Councell of Chalcedon onely simulately and for desire of preferment but after he had subscribed that two natures personally vnited were to be acknowledged in Christ he demanded of the Emperour what he thought of the will and operation of Christ whether was two willes and operations in Christ or one will and one operation onely The Emperour troubled with the noueltie of the question consulted with Sergius B. of Constantinople who returned this answere to the Emperour that one will and one operation was to be acknowledged in Christ. The Emperour Heraclius being circumvented by false and deceitfull teachers was ashamed to forsake that opinion which he had once condiscended vnto So this heresie of the Monothelites tooke deepe roote in the East vntill the time that God punishing the contempt of his truth suffered the Saracenes with their blasphemous Mahometan doctrine to be vniversally ouer-spred in the East To Anastatius succeeded Macarius a most obstinate defender of the heresie of the Monothelites for the which cause hee was excommunicated and deposed in the sixt generall Councell and Theophanius an Abbot in Sicilie was made bishop of Antiochia After him are reckoned Petrus Thomas and Ioannes without any further discourse except a bare commemoration of their names Patriarches of Ierusalem THe Church of Ierusalem in this age was pitifully defaced as lying nearest to the incursions of strong enemies both Persians and Saracens Zacharias Bishop of Ierusalem was carried captiue by Cosroes king of Persia and remained a prisoner for the space of fourteene yeeres In the ende hee was restored to his former dignitie at that time when the Emperour Heraclius ouercame Cosrâ—es in warre-fare and recouered the â—rosse of Christ againe which the Persians had spoyled and taken out of Ierusalem This came to passe in the yeere of our Lord 624. To Zacharias succeeded Sophronius of a Monke Hee was made Patriarch of Ierusalem He lacked not his owne commendation in the sixt generall Councell as one who kept the true Faith iuuiolable He was present in Ierusalem when Haumer Prince of Saracenes entered into the Towne and Temple and he was a beholder of the last desolation of the Church in the towne Other Pastors and Doctors IN this Centurie there is great scarsitie of learned men yet that which was lacking in learning it must bee supplied one way or other Some were politique others in the opinion of ignorant people were so deuout and holy that miracles were wrought by their handes and at their sepulchres namely lying miracles aduancing the kingdome of the Antichrist The most remarkeable Bishops of Rauenna in this Centurie were Theodorus Reparatus and Foelix all of contrarie dispositions and so flat opposite one to another as possible could be Theodorus was terrible and couetous and when hee saw that hee was despised by the people and Clergie being desirous of reuenge hee betrayed the libertie of the church of Rauenna in the dayes of the Pope Donus Reparatus being ignorant of that which Theodorus had done and finding the Church of Rauenna subjected to the chaire of Rome for verie heart griefe incontinent hee ended his life Foelix refused to pay vnto Constantine the summe of money which hee demanded as a testimonie of subjection For this cause Pope Constantine desired support from the Emperour Iustinian the second for subduing the Bishop of Rauenna Foelix on the other part hearing that the Emperours armie was approching to Rauenna for the cause aforesayd hee instigated the people to fight for the liberty of their Church Both the armies fought with martial courage In the end the Emperours armie preuailed the Towne of Rauenna was taken many were slaine others were carried captiue to Constantinople the eyes of Foelix were put out the rest were banished to Bithynia What can be found in this historie but pride on the one part ambitiouslie seeking superioritie and on the other part policie sometimes yeelding sometimes despairing and sometimes with bellicous hardinesse presuming to pleade a spirituall cause with weapons of a corporall warre-fare In this Centurie many miracles are attributed to the persons whom the people counted to be deuote Ioannes Bishop of Bergomum in Lombardie was a man of so great reuerent account that Princes were wont by rising our of their Thrones to doe honour vnto him It happened vpon a time that hee reproued Iâ—â—ipeâ—tus king of Lombardis freelie and sharpelie in time of a banquet Iunipertus willing to be reuenged of him prouided that hee should be sent home vpon a strong fierce and loftie horse which was accustomed to cast the riders and to teare and lacerate them But when the Bishop of Bergomum was mounted vpoÌ„ him hee left his fiercenesse and carried him peaceably and calmelie vnto his owne house Ioannes â—gnâ—â— bishop of Wâ—recht in whose hand a
and Silvester the third was placed in his roome who continued not aboue fortie dayes in his Popedome for Benedict by force intruded himselfe againe into the Popedome and fearing to be expelled of new againe from his Papall dignitie hee made merchandise of it and solde it to Gregorie the sixt for a thousand and fiue hundreth pounds waight of Gold Many Historians such as Martianus Polemus Damianus and Platima doe report that after his death hee appeared in a monstrous similitude more like vnto a beast then a man to represent the effigie of his beastlie conversation The Emperour Henry the third entered into Italie gathered a Councell at Sutrium wherein all these three monsters were deposed and Suidigerius Bishop of Bamberg was made Pope whom they called Clemens the second After the Emperour Henry the third had placed Clemens the second in the Popedome hee returned to Germanie The seditious Romans returning to their wonted vomit poysoned him when hee had continued onely nine months in his Popedom because he was not elected by themselues but by the Emperour with aduise of the councel of Sutrium After Clemens the second succeeded Damasus the second continued not in the Popedome aboue 23. daies After the death of Damasus the second the Romanes sent Ambassadours to the Emperour Henry the third to send vnto them a worthy Pope The Emperour made choice of Brunâ— Bishop of Tullus who being on his iourney towarde Rome in his Pontificall garments the Abbot of Cluniake and Hildebrand a seditious Monke met him by the way and perswaded him to lay aside his Pontificall garments to enter into Rome with the habite of a priuat man lest hee should seeme to haue receiued the Popedome from the Emperour and not by the election of the people Clergie to whom rightly appertained the election of the Romane Bishop Bruno obeyed their councell and was the more gladlie accepted of the Romans who called him Leo the ninth he ruled fiue yeeres and assembled councels both in Rome and Vercellis against Borengarius as shall be declared God willing in the head of Councels Victor the second succeeded to Pope Leo gouerned two yeeres three months and fourteene dayes Hee was chosen Pope with the advice of the Emperour Henry whom they feared to irritate by presenting vnto him new occasions of wrath and anger After Victor succeeded Stephanus the ninth who died in the seuenth month of his Popedome To him succeeded Benedict the tenth who continued not aboue nine months in his Popedome He was compelled to denude himselfe of his Papaldignitie because he was elected without the consent of Hildebrand to whom the whole number of Cardinals Clergie had promised that no new Pope should be elected before he had returned to Rome for he had taken a iourney to Florence Nicolaus the second followed and ruled three yeeres sixe months and twentie six dayes This is the Pope who gathered a councell at Rome against Berengarius forced him to make recantation of his opinion of the Sacrament of the supper of the Lord as shal be declared God willing in its own place To this Pope Godfrid D. of Apulia and Calabria recoÌ„mended Bagallardus his son But the Pope fauored Robert Bagallardus his vncle the iust heire of the Dukedome couenanted with Robert surnamed Guiscard that hee should be authorised to be Duke of Apulia and Calabria providing he would bend vp al his forces to subdue the rebels of the Roman church which thing also Duke Robert seriously performed rendered to the chaire of Rome the townes of Beneventum and Troia which he had added to his dominions when he first eiected his brothers son from his inheritance Also the Pope honoured Robert by giuing vnto him a baner standard in token of confirmation of his Dukedom which authoritie belonged to the Emp. not vnto the Pope But now as Funchus writeth Fur furem Latro latronem iuvat that is one thiefe helpeth another one brigand supporteth another In the end Pope Nicholaus the secoÌ„d tasted of Brazates cup this Brazutus was the familiar friend of Hildebrand who within the space of 13. yeeres empoysoned 6. Popes to wit Clemens 2. DaÌ„asus 2. Leo 9. Victor 2. StephaÌ„us 9. Nicholaus 2. After Nicholaus succeeded Alexander the 2. whose name before his election to the Popedome had bin Anselmus B. of Luca he ruled 11. yeeres 6. months His competitor was Candalus B. of Parma whom the Lumbards assisted with all their might and procured to him the allowance of the Emp. This was the ground of cruell warres betwene Alexander the 2. and Candalus but the faction of Alexander preuailed The Emp. sent Otto Archbishop of Colen to pacifie th vprors and tumults of Italie At his first comming hee sharplie rebuked Pope Alexander because he had entered in the Popedome without the emperours consent But Hildebrand according to his forme inclinable to furie madnesse could not abide vntil Otto had made an end of speaking but he interupted him and answered that the election of the Bishop of Rome belonged not to the Emperour but to the clergie and people of Rome Otto on the other part bearing as it appeareth more with the Clergie of Rome then fauouring the Emperours cause condisóended that this question should be entreated in a lawfull assembly at Mantua In that councel Alexander was declared to bee Pope and Candalus had pardon granted to him In the end Pope Alexander finding that he was set vp in the Papal dignity to prepare a way to Hildebrands Popedome hee sayd vnto the people in the time of the solemnity of the masse that hee would not sit in the chaire of Rome except hee had licence of the Emperour The angry humor of Hildebrand a man borne for sedition was so overcast with furie that scarcely hee could abstaine from outrage and putting hands vnto Pope Alexander vntill the masse were ended The masse being finished he drew him by force into a chamber where hee bussed him before hee was devested of his pontificall garments because he sayd hee would seeke the Emperours favour Finally hee was cast into prison and bonds and vnder the miserable indurance of Hildebrands wrath hee finished his life To Pope Alexander the second succeeded Gregorie the seventh called Hildebrand before his Popedome who continued twelue yeeres and one moneth He was craftie and subtle in bringing to passe that thing which hee had imagined a long time before to wit in treading downe vnder the feâ—t of the Romane Bishop all civill authority In the Councell of Mantua by Hildebrands speciall advice it was decreed that no man should be admitted to a Prelacie Benefice or Eclesiasticall office by a secular person and that it should not be lawfull for Priests to marrie These grounds being layd by Hildebrands advice before hee came to the Popedome hee laboured with all his might to put them in execution when hee
Saint Peter himselfe were aliue and did rebuke the lewdnesse of their conversation they would not spare to take Saint Peters life also Moreouer hee sayd they were full of vncleannesse and were blinde guides leading the people headlong to Hell but the Lord would haue in remembrance their iniquities and call their wickednesse to account Thus the hatefull indignation of the Clergie being kindled against him for preaching the truth they layed waite for him secretlie and tooke him and drowned him Platina alledgeth that this fact displeased the Pope alwayes there was no inquisition to know the authors of this fact not punishment of malefactours who shed innocent blood in secret that manifested vnto the world the Popes indignation About this time was a booke written called Opus Tripartitum the author whereof was vnknowne but it is supposed to haue beene compiled by Arnulphus It contained great complaints of the manifold abuses of Church-men After Honorius succeeded Innocentius the second and ruled fourteene yeeres seuen months eight dayes Hee was a man of a militarie spirit albeit not fortunate in warfare For he made warre against Rogerius Duke of Sicilie whom hee besieged also in a certaine Castle But William Duke of Calabria Rogerius his sonne not onely relieued his father but also laid hands on the Pope and his Cardinals and made them Captiues and prisoners Rogerius delt friendly with the Pope and his Cardâ—nals and set them at libertie and obtained at the Popes hand whatsoeuer hee pleased except the name and title of a king At this time when the Pope was busied in warrefare the Romans advanced one called Peter the sonne of Leo a man of noble birth in Rome to be Pope And when Innocentius adressed himselfe to Rome hee did finde the faction of his Competitor to be strong and mighty therefore he sayled to Pisca and from thence to Geneua and from thence to France where hee assembled Councels at Clermont and at Rhemes and deliuered his Competitor to Sathan In the end hee was restored to his chaire againe by the Emperour Lotharius the second In his time the Towne of Rome being wearied with the tirâ—nnie of the Popes tooke resolution to be gouerned by Consuls The Pope to obviat this conceite of the people made an ordinance that whosoeuer did violently put hands on any person of the Clergie hee should be excommunicate and no man should haue power to absolue him but onely the Pope After Innocentius succeeded Coelestinus the second Hee was chosen Pope without the consent of the people as witnesseth Onuphrius he ended his course in the fift month of his Popedome To him succeeded Lucius the second and gouerned the Pestilentius chaire as the Magdeburg historie recordeth in a time when the Pestilence had great vpperhand in Rome Hee concluded his course in the eleuenth month of his Popedome After Lucius succeeded Eugenius the third sometime disciple to Bernard and ruled eight yeeres foure months and twentie dayes He so bestirred himselfe against the Senators of Rome that partlie by cursings and partly by force hee brought them in subiection and compelled them to receiue such Senators as the Pope by his authoritie pleased to assigne vnto them But it came to passe that hee who was desirous to be terrible and awfull to the Romans hee feared them in like manner that they were conspiring secretlie against his estate Therefore hee fled to Tybur and from thence to Fraunce to leade an armie to the East for the support of distressed Christians But this voiage had no good successe notwithstanding that the Popes blessing and Bernards Councell who was Abbot of Clarauall and much regarded at that time were both interposed to advance this often reiterated warrefare against the Turks When the Pope returned from France to Rome accompanied with great forces the people of Rome were affraid but the Pope soone after concluded his course at Tybur Anastatius the fourth succeeded Eugenius who continued in his Popedome one yeere foure months and twentie foure dayes To Anastatius succeeded Pope Adrian the fourth a Monke of the English nation employed by Pope Eugenius to goe to the people of Noroway whom hee brought vnder the Roman superstition and therefore was advanced by Pope Eugenius to the dignitie of a Cardinall and after the death of Anastatius the fourth he was promoted to the Popedome Hee would not goe to the Church of Lateran to be consecrated vntill Arnoldus Bishop of Brixia was driuen from the Towne of Rome because hee had counceled the Romans to claime to the auncient gouernment of their Towne to be guided by consuls and Senators But the proud Pope insisted so seriouslie against Arnoldus and the Romanes that hee compelled them by the force of his multiplied curses not onely to expell Arnoldus out of the Towne of Rome but also to submit themselues absolutely to the gouernment of the Pope The proud cariage of this Pope towards the noble Emperour Fredericke the first his bad successe in warrefare against the Duke of Sicilie and his miserable death in the Towne of Anagnia hath all beene touched in the historie of the life of Fredericke He ended his course after hee had ruled foure yeeres and ten months After Adrian the fourth succeeded Pope Alexander the third who had great debate against his competitor Victor the fourth called before Octavianus in respect the Emperour and the Princes of Germanie and a great number of the Clergie of Rome adhered to Pope Victor And on the other part to Pope Alexander adhered the kings of England France and Sicilie And this scisme indured a long time for remouing whereof the Emperour Fredericke appointed one councell at Papia and another at Diuion To the first hee would not appeare because hee thought the Pope should be iudged of no man To the Second he should not appeare because the councell of Diuion was not assembled by his owne authoritie but by the commandement of the Emperour This Litigious decertation tooke this effect that the Emperour and Bishoppes conuened at the foresaid Councels decreed Victor who appeared and was ready to submit hâ—s cause to the iudgement of a lawfull assemblie him I say they decreed to be Pope lawfully elected Pope Alexander fled to France and in the councell of Clermont hee excomunicated both the Emperour and his Competitor Victor these were the weapons of their warrefare against the Emperours and all others whom they supposed to be their aduersaries After the death of his Competitor Victor Pope Alexander being at Rome the Emperour Fredericke came with a strong armie thereto and Pope Alexander fled to the Venetians What Tragedie fell out in Venice forcing the noble Emperour to stoupe vnder the feete of the Pope for excessiue loue that hee caried towards his sonne hath beene declared in the Historie of the Emperour Frederickes life In this Popes dayes was Thomas Becket Bishop of Canterburie slaine Henry king of England purged himselfe to the Pope that
in office aboue the space of two yeeres And after him Gulielmus ruled fifteene yeeres After whom succeeded Fulcherus and continued Patriarch twelue yeeres Hee was hated of Raymond master of the Templaries who caused the bells to bee rung in the time when hee preached to the people so that the people could not profit by hearing his Sermons For this cause he went to Rome to complaine of the iniuries done vnto him but some of the Cardinalls were corrupted with money so that he obtained nothing at the hands of Adrian the fourth who was Pope at that time and so returned againe with shame After him followed Amalricus and ruled two and twenty yeeres In whose dayes Saladinus a Prince of the Turkes recovered Ierusalem out tht hands of the Christians Of other Pastors and Doctors FRom the beginning of this Compend I haue kept this order that I haue not overcharged a little booke with mention-making of all things that are written neither haue I pretermitted in the heads which I entreat matters of greatest importance so farre as my memory and vnderstanding could comprehend In this age the Scholastique Doctors began to arise of whom Petrus Lombardus was the first who afterward was made Bishop of Paris but I supersede to write of them vntill the next Centurie Arnulphus was an eloquent man and a mighty preacher who reprooved the Clergie of Rome for the lewdnesse of their conversation Wherefore the Clergie hated him and drowned him secretly in the night time as hath been declared in the historie of the life of Honorius the second At this time was set forth a booke called Opus Tripartitum Arnulphus was supposed to bee the Author thereof It contained an heavie complaint of the enormities and abuses of the Church of the number of their holy-dayes and all lusts of vncleannesse according to the saying of whores and naughty women who bragged that they gained more in one day then in fifty other dayes Likewise it complained of the curious singing in Cathedrall Churches whereby many are occasioned to spend much time in singing which might bee better spent in more necessarie sciences It also complained of the rabble and multitude of begging Fryers shewing what idlenesse and vncomely behaviour hath proceeded thereof Also it toucheth the vnchaste and voluptuous behaviour of Church men aggravating their faults by the similitude of storks who are accustomed to beate those storkes out of their number that having a mate ioyne themselues vnto another What then is to bee done with Church-men who professing chastity doe defile other mens houses so that the stinke of their vncleannesse is knowne to the whole world Finally it wisheth reformation to begin at the Sanctuary as the Prophet speaketh In this age also was Vualdus a Merchant-man of Lions in France whom God enlightned with the true knowledge of his word and remooved from the eyes of his minde the common vaile of ignorance that overcovered the eyes of the most part of men who liued at this time in such sort that albeit Antichrist was sitting in the chaire of Christ yet very few either perceived him or abhorred his tyrannie This man Vualdus was stirred vp by God after this manner Some of the chiefest heads-men of Lions were walking abroad and it chanced one of them the rest looking on to fall downe by sudden death This Vualdus being one of the company and a rich man beholding the matter more earnestly then the rest was touched with a deepe and earnest repentance whereupon followed a carefull study to reforme his former life in so much that hee first begun to distribute large almes to the poore and to instruct his familie in the knowledge of the Word of God and to exhort all them who resorted vnto him to repentance and amendment of life The Bishops envyed the travels of Vualdus nothing regarding the words of holy Scripture Let the Word of God dwell plentifully in you and edifie one another with Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall songs And being mooved with great malice against him threatned to excommunicate him if hee ceased not from catechizing those who resorted to him But Vualdus neglecting the threatnings of the wicked sayd hee must rather obey God then men Whereupon followed cruell persecution of him and of all his adherents So that they were compelled to fly from Lions and the Bishop seazed vpon their goods These were called Waldenses or Pauperes de Lugduno The doctrine and articles which they professed were these 1. That onely the holy Scripture is to bee believed in matters pertaining vnto eternall life and that it contayneth all things necessary to salvation 2. That there is onely one Mediator of God and man the man Christ Iesus and that Saints â—re not to be invocated as Mediators 3. That there is no Purgatorie fire but all men are either iustified by faith in Christ or else they are in the state of condemnation 4. That all masses namely such as are sung for the dead are wicked and to be abrogated 5. That all mens traditions are to be reiected at least not to be accounted necessary vnto salvation 6. That constrained and prefixed fasts bound to dayes and times difference of meats such variety of degrees and orders of Priests Fryers Monkes and Nunnes superfluous holy-dayes so many sundry benedictions and hallowing of creatures vowes peregrinations with all the rablement of such rites and ceremonies brought in by man should be abolished 7. The supremacie of the Pope vsurping aboue all Churches and especially aboue all politique Realmes and Governments or for him to vsurpe both the swords is to be denyed 8. That no degrees are to bee received into the Church but onely Priests Deacons and Bishops 9. The Communion vnder both kinds to bee necessarie to all people according to the institution of Christ. 10. That the Church of Rome is Babylon spoken of in the booke of the Revelation and the Pope the fountaine of errors and the very Antichrist 11. The Popes pardons and indulgences to be reiected 12. The mariage of Priests and men in spirituall offices they hold to be lawfull and necessary 13. Such as heare the true Word of God and beleeue it are the true Church of God to whom the keyes belong to driue away wolfes to institute true Pastors to preach the Word and to administer the Sacraments These are the most principall articles of Vualdenses to the which the rest may be reduced 14. Concerning the Supper of the Lord their faith was that it was ordayned to be eaten and not to bee shewed and worshipped for a memoriall not for a sacrifice to serue for the present ministration not for reservation to be received at the table not to be caryed out of the doores in pomp And this they proue by an old Chronicle called Chronica gestoruÌ„ and by the testimonie of Origen who writing vpon Levit. saith thus Whosoever receiveth this bread of Christs Supper vpon the
per viam expedientiae that is although it be not lawfull by way of iustice yet is it meet to doe it as a thing expedient to be done He exercised his tyrannie and power of excommunication against Andronicus Paleologus Emperour of Constantinople declaring him a schismaticke and heretike because hee neither would nor durst suffer the Grecians to make their appeale from the Greeke Church to the Pope neither would acknowledge him for his superior For the Grecians euer constantly refused to be subiect to the Romane bishop except in that short time wherein the Frenchmen had the Empire of the East and in the time of Michael Paleologus who in the Councell at Lyons submitted himselfe to Gregorie the tenth whereby he procured vnto himselfe such hatred that after his death the Grecians denyed vnto him the honour and place of buriall as hath beene declared In like manner hee excommunicated the Venetians for preferring Azada to the estate of Ferrare yea Francis DaÌ„dalus Ambassador from the Venetians to the said Clement for pacifying his furie and obtaining that absolution suffered a chaine of iron to be tyed about his necke and to lye downe vnder the Popes table there like a Dog to catch the bones which fell from the table vntill the Popes furie was assuaged And lest he should be inferiour to his predecessors in subduing all powers vnder his feet hee ordained that the king of the Romans should not enioy the title and right of an Emperour without confirmation giuen by the Pope Next to Clement followed Pope Iohn the two and twentieth After that the chaire of Rome had beene vacant for the space of two yeeres and three months hee ruled nineteene yeeres foure months and was verie much giuen to heape vp riches so that hee proclamed them to be heretickes who affirmed that Christ and his Apostles had no possessions in the world He would not condiscend to the Coronation of Lewes the fift Duke of Bauaria to be Emperour because hee vsed the Empâ—â— all dignitie in Italie before hee was authorised by the Popeâ—â— which cause Lewes tooke his iourney to Rome and theâ—â— crowned by the Cardinalls and set vp another Pope in 〈◊〉 called Nicolaus the fift against Iohn who was then residâ—â— at a Auiniogue in France and so the church of Rome 〈◊〉 begun to haue two heads Pope 〈◊〉 the twelfe followed and ruled seuen yeeres 〈…〉 and seuenâ—â—eene dayes 〈…〉 Pope Clement the sixt and ruled ten 〈…〉 twentie eight dayes hee reduced the 〈…〉 was kept on the hundred yeere to the fiftieth yeere and to allure men to goe to warre for recouering of the holy land hee set forth blasphemous bulls commaunding the Angells to convey euerie mans soule to Paradise who died by the way giuing also power to all and singular persons signed with the Crosse to deliuer three or foure prisoners whom they pleased best out of the pains of Purgatorie After Clement the sixt followed Innocentius the sixt and ruled nine yeeres eight months and six dayes Hee imprisoned a certaine frier called Ioannes de rupescissa because hee Prophecied of the fall of the Pope and his Cardinalls by the parable of a bird cloathed with other birds fethers which in respect of her pryde were all plucked from her After him succeeded Vrbanus the fift and ruled eight yeeres and foure months In whose time the order of the Iesuits begun Next to Pope Vrban succeeded Gregorie the eleuenth who reduced the Papacie againe out of France to Rome after it had continued there aboue 70. yeeres moued hereunto vpon this occasion Hee had reprooued a certaine Bishoppe who stood by him from long absence from his charge to whom the Bishop replyed againe that the Bishop of Rome himselfe who ought to be a patterne to all the rest was longer absent from the place where his Church did tye him whereby the Pope tooke occasion to remoue his court from Fraunce to Rome When hee returned hee found the estate of Italie greatly disquieted with cruell warres and specially betwixt the Venetians and the Genoans whom the Pope threatned with excommunication if they both desisted not but before hee was able to accomplish this worke he ended his life after he had ruled seuen yeeres fiue months after whose death followed a great schisme in the Church of Rome For the Cardinalls of Italie choosed an Italian Pope whom they called Vrbanus the sixt and the Cardinalls of France choosed a Pope of the French nation whom they called Clemens the seuenth This scisme continued for the space of 38. yeeres vntill the generall Councell holden at Constance during which time were found at least two Popes raigning at one time the one in Auiniogue and the other in Rome In the dayes of this Pope Vrbane sprang vp Iohn Wickliffe in England of whose doctrine somewhat shall hereafter be spoken God willing whom Pope Vrbane such was the prouidence of God could not attend to suppresse being otherwise busied in suppressing his Competitor Clement the seuenth insomuch that this litle sparkle which begun in England enkindled forth with flames in the kingdome of Boheme and many other places to the great hurt of Antichrists kingdome To Vrbane after hee had ruled vnhappily as Platina writeth a eleuen yeeres and eight months succeeded Bonifacius the ninth and ruled foureteene yeeres and nine months hee was impudent in selling of Pardons that hee brought Peters keyes into great contempt After him succeeded Innocentius the seuenth and ruled two yeeres Of other Doctors IN this age God raised vp manie witnesses of his truth as also made the knowledge of letters the studie of tongues to spring vp againe after it had bin suppressed many yeeres in the Roman church for some learned men of the Grecians fearing the crueltie of the Turke fled vnto Italie by whose fruitfull trauaills learning begun againe to reuiue and spread it selfe thorow all parts of the West Of this number was Emmanuell Chrysoloras of Byzantium Theodorus Gaza of Thessalonica and Georgius Trapezuntius with many moe whose names are worthie to bee kept in good remembrance because they brought a good treasure with them out of Grecia where with many afterward were enriched Amongst those witnesses of the truth Marsilius Patavinus is iustly numbered who taking the defence of the Emperour Lewes agâ—inst the Pope who did excommunicate him affirmes in his booke called defensor pacis that the Pope hath no authoritie ouer other Bishops much lesse ouer the Emperour Secondly that the word of God ought only to be iudge in all causes Ecclesiasticall Thirdly that the Clergie and Pope should be subiect to Magistrates Fourthly That the head of the Church is Christ and that hee neuer appointed any vicar or Pope ouer his vniuersall Church Fiftly That Bishops ought to be chosen by their owne Church and Clergie Sixtly That the Mariage of Priests may be lawfully permitted Seuenthly That S. Peter was
learned men alwayes in store to beare rule in the Church of Christ and to gouerne the common-wealth according to the praescript and rule of Gods word This Gerardus being but a Deacon preached the word of God purelie and feruently and when hee was moued by his friends to be a Priest hee alwayes answered that he was vnworthie to haue such an high office affirming that hee would not haue the cure of soules not so much as by the space of one night for all the gold of Arabia In Anno 1379. Pope Vrbane the fift greatly allowed the order of Iesuits and gaue vnto them many great and singular priuileges coÌ„manding the Monkes of that order to weare a white kirtle and a russet coule and that they should be called of all men Clerici Apostolici that is the Apostles clerks This order of Iesuits was the invention of Ioannes Columbinus in SeÌ„a a citie of Hetruria They were not at the beginning Priests or consecrated persons but were men of the lay sort giuen and addicted willingly and freely to prayer and to labour getting their liuing with the trauell of their hands and sweate of their browes liuing as it were in common after the example of Christ and his disciples They are called Iesuits because the name of Iesus should be often in their mouths In Anno 1368. Pope Boniface bearing rule the order which is called Ordo Dealbatorum was invented by a certaine Priest in Italie who pretended such a modestie and grauitie both in words and countenance that euery man tooke him for a Saint The professors of this order were cloathed with long white linneÌ„ euen downe to the ground hauing coules vpon their heads like vnto Monkes The chiefe point of their profession was to lament the state of mankind to bewaile the sinnes of the people to pray for redresse of the same at the hands of God They neuer went abroad without a Crosse with the Image of the Crucifixe caried before them which Crosse the Lucenses keepe at this day with great reuerence as a most precious relike and daylie make vowes and offer gifts therevnto But Pope Boniface aforsaid conceiuing that they should doe no good to his honorable estate if they continued forasmuch as they all appeared before men righteous good and Godlie and the Pope with his complices most wicked euill and vngodlie caused the author of this order a seditious person to be beheaded at Viterbium Some say that hee was burnt as a superstitious Hypocrite and attainted of some heresie In Anno 1400. CENTVRIE XV. Of Popes of Rome AFter the death of Innocentius Sephinus the Cardinalls perceiuing the great schisme that was in the Church of Rome by reason of diuers Popes ruling at one time bound themselues together by horrible oathes that they would endevour by all their might to haue the Church of Rome restored againe to her wonted vnitie and for this cause they elected Gergorie the twelfth to be Pope after they had caused him to sweare that hee would by all possible meanes trauell to restore the peace and vnitie of the Church But Gregorie although hee writ to Benedict the thirteenth Pope in Avinion exhorting him to vnitie and peace and Benedict on the other part with pleasant words protested his earnest desire of peace and vnitie yet both the one and the other kept their dominions and Popedomes and continued the Schisme So that the Cardinalls thought it expedient to gather a Councell in the towne of Pisa wherein they deposed the two aforesayd Popes Gregorie and Benedict as persons who by conclusion amongst themselues sought rather their own gaine then the vnitie of the Church of God and they elected Petrus Cretensis Cardinall of Millan to be Pope whom they called Alexander the fift but he continued not aboue the space of eight months in his Popedome He was counted verie liberall and gaue so large and ample benefices to others that he left almost nothing to himselfe and was accustomed to speake of himselfe that he was a rich Bishop a poore Cardinal and a beggerly Pope After whose departure Ionnes 23. is chosen Pope howbeit the two other Popes who were deposed in the Councell of Pisa were yet aliue and had great sway and nothing reguarded the decrees of the Councell of Pisa because that Councell was convocated by a number of Cardinalls only who had no lawfull power to appoint a generall Councell Thus was the scisme augmented rather then empaired by the Councell of Pisa and in stead of two Popes then three afterward were ruling at one time In this Popes daies the Emperour Sigismund tooke great trauell to quiet the estate of the Church and to remoue the scisme but found none other way how this matter might be brought to passe but onely by gathering a generall Councell in the Towne of Constantia At this Councell Ioannes 23. was personally present and was required to giue ouer his Popedome farre contrarie to his expectation for he looked for ratification of his Papacie because he was more obedient to the Councel then the other two but finding that the Councel was fullie bent to depose all the three Popes to set vp one whom they should chose in place of them all he begun to be grieued at his owne proceedings that he had hazarded to come to the Councel to their iudgement to submit himselfe his honorable estate wherefore he thought best secretly to flie out of the towne but flying could not availe him any thing for hee was brought backe againe by the Emperour from Friburge to Constantia and cast into prison and deposed by the Councell after hee had ruled foure yeeres and ten months The other two Popes Gregorie the twelfth and Benedict the thirteene although they were absent yet sustained the like sentence of deposition Martinus 5. was chosen Pope after whose election the Emp. Sigismund was so filled with gladnesse that the scisme was now taken away and peace restored to the Church that forthwith he did remoue to the conclaue where the Cardinals Commissioners of countries were assembled for election of the Pope fell downe before him kissed his feet After his election earnest sute was made for reformation of the corrupt maners of Ecclesiasticall persons and that Bishoppes Abbots and other Prelates might bee compelled to attend vpon their owne callings that superfluous feastings and abuses of fasting and canonisation of Sainctes might be abrogated and that the orders of Monkes daily multiplying might â—ee reduced to a more tolerable number But no reformation at all was obtained Onely Pope Martine thought meet to dissolue the Councell of Constance And for satisfaction of the hearts of all men and to put them in hope that some reformation was intended the Pope consented in the Councell of Constance that immediatly after the issue of the Councel another should be kept in Papia within the space of fiue yeeres immediatly following the same and
were two Gods the one authour and creator of good things and the other of euill things Alwaies it is certaine that they counted the Clergie of the Romane Church a corrupt rable And for this cause Innocentius the third sent vnto France twelue Abbots of the Christian order with Didatus Bishop of Oxfurd and Dominicus who was afterward the author of a new sect of Dominike Friers All those came to France for cōfutation of Albigenses But when the Pope perceiued that they yeelded not to his foresaid Ambassadours he pursued them with cruel warres and sent out an armie against them vnder the conduct of Leopold Duke of Austria and Simon Count of Montfort who vsed great crueltie against the townes of Bitera Carcassus Vaurus Careum Apistaginum Galliacum Causacum Funum Marcelli Fanim Antonij Modacum and diuers others wherein Albigenses had their residence In the towne called Castra Mineruae an hundreth and twentie were burnt quicke In Paris about the same time 14. Priests were accused as guiltie of this sect and ten of them were burnt with fire one at London At Penuense Agenois Castrum which was long besieged 74. Souldiers were hanged the rest who would not recant their opinions were burnt with fire Yet after this the French armie being troubled with other warres the Albigenses increased of new againe and were supported by Raymond Count of Tulosse and Peter king of Arragon against whom Simon of Montfort leading out his armie slew of their host twentie thousand men In Avinion Lewis the eight for suppressing of their sect dimolished the walls of the towne razed from the groūd 300 houses in Avinion and was minded to haue vsed greater rigour if hee had not bin preuented by death Almaricus a man of Carnotum a towne in France vttered strange opinions cōcerning God whom hee affirmed to be the essence of all creatures the soule of heauen that all creatures should be counerted into the substance of God againe with many other foolish things who was refuted by the Schoole of Paris and after that he had appealed to the B. of Rome was sent backe againe to recant his errour which thing also he did rather with his mouth then with his heart Likewise about Tullouse sprang vp certaine heretikes called Patereni and Gazari from the authors of this sect who affirmed that married men were not in the state of grace could not be saued This opinion was damned in the Councell of Lateran In this age also sprang vp Begardi Beginae and Bizochi who are all reckoned to be of the sect of Fratricelli who imagined that a man might attaine in this world to the estate of such perfection that he might be altogether voide of sin And that he who had attained thereto was neither vnder subiection to ciuill nor spirituall gouernours but was freed from all subiection to mortall men and that they had no neede of prayer and fasting and such other exercises whereby increase of grace is obtained CENTVRIE XIV POpe Iohn the 23. of that name taught that soules so soone as they were dispoyled of the bodie should not see God before the last iudgement Against whom Thomas Wallafe a Iacobin an English-man opposed himselfe but was thrust in prison Afterward Pope Benet who succeeded Pope Iohn made a decretall wherein hee confuted and condemned as hereticall the doctrine which his predecessor Iohn had publiquely preached touching the happy soules and it was determined and declared that the soules which had nothing to purge incontinent as they are departed from the bodie doe see the face of God CENTVRIE XV. THE Councell of Basill confirmed that the Virgin Marie was conceived without originall sinne CENTVRIE XVI WHen the Gospel began to spring vp in Germany thorow the malice of Satan sprang vp also a Sect of pestilent Heretiques called Anabaptists so called by reason they thinke that Infants should not bee baptized vntill they come to perfect age and can giue a confession of their owne faith They maintaine wicked opinions concerning Christ himselfe his Word his Church his Magistrates Concerning Christ that hee tooke not flesh and blood of the Virgin but brought it from heaven concerning the Word that God not onely revealeth his will by the written Word but also by visions and dreames wherevnto the Anabaptists do leane more then to the Word concerning the Church that it is not a true Church wherein there is any spot or wrinckle concerning Magistrates that their office vnder the New Testament is not a calling approved of God Some other wicked opinions they maintaine but these are the chiefe And it was no wonder that men who had layd such grounds of seditious doctrine were also found in their liues to be authors of very seditious commotions and insurrections against Princes Like as Thomas Muntzerus one of the first Fathers of this sect gathered a great number of common people who made insurrection against their superiours and albeit this first attempt of the Anabaptists succeded very vnprosperously for the Princes of Germany overcame in battell those seditious people and tocke Thomas Muntzerus himselfe and beheaded him whose memorie was so perturbed with beastly feare that hee could not recite the beliefe but the Duke of Brunswicke was constrained to recite it before him and hee followed after him for lacke of memorie yet others would not take warning by him to abstaine from the like seditious attempts For in the yeere of our Lord 1533. Iohannes Leidensis a Taylor of Holland came to a towne of Westphalia called Munster and hee had seduced many and increased the number of his faction hee expelled and banished the Citizens of Munster and vsurped to himselfe a kingly authority being assisted with the support of Cniperdolingus a vaine man and a false Prophet who affirmed that it was revealed to him by God that Iohannes Leidensis should haue the dominion of the whole world and that he should raise vp a mightie army and destroy the Princes of the world and should onely spare the simple multitude so many of them as would forsake impiety and imbrace righteousnes Likewise hee affirmed that it was the will of God that Iohannes Leidensis should send throughout the whole world eight and twentie Apostles to exhort the world to repentance and to receiue the doctrine of the Anabaptists which thing Leidensis was willing and readie to performe But the Princes of Germany and the Princes of other Countries tooke those seditious Apostles and gaue vnto them the reward which seditious Preachers iustly deserved so that of all the number of his Apostles onely one who by fleeing conveyed himself away escaped the punishment of Death Thus Iohannes Leidensis was called King of new Ierusalem and tooke vnto himselfe many wiues of whom also hee beheaded one in the open market-place because she had compassion of the poore besieged people of Munster of whom many died through famine For the Bishop
and Iudges of the Citie 24. Let fugitiue Presbyters and Church-men bee inquired and sent backe againe vnto their Bishop 25. He who hath a benefice bestowed vpon him for helping the fabricke of Churches let him support the building of them 26. They who sinne publickely let them make their publicke repentance according to the Canons These things haue wee shortly touched to bee presented vnto our Lord the Emperour and to be corrected by his Highnesse wisedome IN the yeere of our Lord â—â—â— and in the third yeere of the raigne of Basilius Emperour of the East and vnder the raigne of Lewis the second Emperour of the Westâ— the Ambassadours of Pope Adrian the second came to Constantinople Basilius the Emperour gathered a Councell against Photius the Patriarch of Constantinople In this Councell great policie was vsed to haue all things framed to the contentment of Adrian Bishop of Rome Foâ— no man was admitted to the Councell except only they who had subscribed the supremacie of the Bishop of Rome aboue all other Bishops They who refused to subscribe the fore-saide supremacie were contemptuously rejectâ—d and not admitted to the Councell So did the authoritie of the Bishop of Rome proceede to further grouth by flattering of Basilius who slew his associate Michael as it was founded in the flatterie of Bonifacius the third who flattered that vile murtherer Phocas who slew his master Mauritius In this Councell Photius was deposed and excommunicated his bookes which he wrote against the supremacie of the Bishop of Rome were commanded to be burnt Photius was accused for this that he had accepted the office of a Bishop before hee he receiued other Ecclesiasticall orders Photius alleadgâ—d that this was no sufficient cause of deposition in respect that Ambrose Bishop of Millan Nectarius bishop of Constantinople and of late dayes Tarasius with consent of the Bishop of Rome of Laickes were made Bishops The Ambassadours of Pope Adrian the second answered that Ambrose was endewed with extraordinarie giftes Nectarius was called at an extraordinarie time to wit when heresie was so ouerspred that it was an harde thing to finde out a man who was not spotted with heresie and concerning the aduancement of Tarasius to be Bishop of Constantinople to whose admission Adrian the first gaue consent they answered That it was done for a speciall cause in regard hee was a zealous maintainer of the adoration of Images This answer declareth that in case Photius also had beene a zealous maintainer of the adoration of Images the Roman Bishop and his Ambassadours could haue dispensed with the want of Ecclesiasticall orders preceeding his admission to his Bishopricke as they did in the person of Tarasius In this Councel also the Ambassadoures of Adrian magnifying the authoritie of the Pope affirmed that the Bishop of Rome might judge of the actions of all other Bishops but no man might judge of him And albeit the Orientall Bishops in the sixt Generall Councell cursed Pope Honorius after his death yet it is to be marked say they that hee was accused of heresie And in this case onely it is lawfull for inferiours to resist their superiours and to disclaime their peruerse opinions In this point also they said That none of the Patriarches and Bishops proceeded against the defunct Bishop of Rome without the consent of the Roman Chaire going before them Now obserue good Reader with what fidelitie Onuphrius defendeth the name of Honorius the first as free of all suspition of heresie when as the Ambassadours of Adrian the second for verie shame durst not presume to doe it More-ouer the worshipping of Images in this Councell got a new allowance againe and it was commanded That the image of Christ should be holden in no lesse reuerence than the bookes of the Gospell The Bulgarians also were made subject to the Romane Bishop And Ignatius Patriarch of Constantinople in regarde he was restored to his place againe by the meanes of the Bishop of Rome hee made no opposition to the contrarie Neuerthelesse this alteration continued but short time for the Bulgarians droue out of their bounds the Latine Priests and were serued with Greeke Priests againe Diuers Canons were constituted in this CouÌ„cell but so coincident with the Canons of other Councels that it is a superfluous thing to make a rehearsall of them In the subscription of the Actes of the Councel great controuersie fell out for the Grecians could not abide the name of Ludouicke Emp. of the Weâ— because they thought that the honourable name of an Emp. only belonged to their owne Soueraigne Lord who was Emp. of CoÌ„stantinople More ouer a number of them came to the Emp. Basilius and requested him that their subscriptions might be redeliuered vnto them againe wherein they had subscribed to the supremacie of the Romane Bishop or else the Church of Constantinople would be in perpetuall subiection to the chaire of Rome These subscriptions afore-sayd were restored againe but with great difficulty CAarolus Caluus convocated a Councell in France at Acciniacum consisting of ten Bishops The Bishops of Lions Vason and Trier were chiefe Presidents in the Councell Hincmarus Bishop of Rhemes accused in this convention his owne nephew Hincmarus Bishop of Laudunum as a man disobedient to his Metropolitan and a man who for private iniuries had excommunicated all the Presbyters of his Church debarring them from saying masse baptizing Infants absolving of Penitents and burying of the dead And Hincmarus Bishoppe of Rhemes proponed vnto the Councell 50. Canons which he desired to be read in the Synode and they allowed all the Canons written by the Bishop of Rhemes Also they condemned Hincmarus Bishop of Laudunum of petulancy and compelled him to subscribe obedience to Charles his King and to his Metropolitan hee was also deprived of his office and his eyes were thrust out But Pope Iohn the ninth vnder the raigne of Carolus Crassus restored him to his office againe being the more affectioned vnto him because hee had appealed from his owne Bishop and from the decreet of a Synode in his owne countrey to be iudged by the chaire of Rome IN the yeere of our Lord 899. and in the eight yeere of the raigne of the Emperour Arnulphus in the Towne of Triburium twenty and two Bishops of Germany were assembled who made many constitutions a great number whereof Caranza is compelled to over-passe with silence lest he should make a superfluous repetition of Canons mentioned before First it was concluded in this Councell that excommunicate persons if they repent not are to be subdued by the Emperour Canon 10. That a Bishop shall not bee deposed before his cause bee iudged by twelue Bishops and a Presbyter by sixe Bishoppes and a Deacon by three Bishops 11. A Church-man who committeth slaughter shall bee deposed albeit hee hath beene enforced vnto it 12. Baptisme shall not bee ministred except at Easter and Whitsunday without necessity require 13. Tythes are to be paid for
multitude of simple and ignorant Priestes that they thought it to bee the Oracle of God but in their next meeting Falthodus whom others call Ethelredus a learned man of Scotland so evidently by testimonies of Scriptures and Fathers prooved that marriage was a thing lawfull to men in spirituall offices that the answer which came from the Crucifix was counted the answer of the Divell whom Dunstanus served because Christ would speake nothing repugnant to his owne Word VNder the raigne of Nicephorus Phocas Emperor of Constantinople and when Polyeuchus was Patriarch the Emperour assembled a Councell at Constantinople The question disputed in the Councell was this Nicephorus having obtained the dominion of the East tooke to wife Theophania the relict of Romanus his predecessor This matter so displeased the Patriarch Polyeuchus that hee debarred the Emperour Nicephorus from holy things pretending these two causes First because the Emperour had celebrated the second marriage Secondly because Nicephorus had beene witnesse in Baptisme to the children of Theophania This question being discussed in the Councell in presence both of Prelats and Counsellers the Emperours marriage was allowed and the acts alledged by Polyeuchus was counted impious made by Capronimus and that they had no force to hinder the marriage The proud Patriarch when he was overthrowne by reason armed himselfe with obstinacie and stiffe neckednesse vntill Bardas the Emperours father came to him and affirmed by an oath that Nicephorus the Emperour was not witnesse in Baptisme to the children of Theophania Thus were the Patriarches of the East serious in observing the traditions of men but remisse and negligent in observing the ordinances of God And this is a sure testimony that defection from the faith had now prevayled both in the west and East IN the yeere of our Lord 992. in the ninth yeere of the Emperour Otto and in the fourth yeere of Hugo Capeto King of France a Councel was gathered at Rhemes against Arnulphus Bishop of Rhemes His hand-writing was produced wherein hee did binde himselfe to bee obedient to Hugo Capeto King of France and never to come in the contrary vnder paine of infamy and perpetuall malediction Notwithstanding he had countenanced Duke Charles who claimed the right of the kingdome as nearest heire thereto being the brother of Lotharius To Duke Charles Arnulphus had opened the ports of the towne of Rhemes and made him Commander of the citie Great disputation was in the Councell concerning Arnulphus His friends would haue had this cause remitted to the iudgement of the Bishop of Rome But many of the Bishops of France mightily opponed to the contrary The discourse is very prolix but the paines of reading is well recompenced with the fruitfulnesse of the disputation This Councell toke this end Arnulphus confessed his fault denuded himselfe of his Episcopall honour and Gilbertus who had beene instructor of Robert the Kings sonne was placed in his roome Likewise Arnulphus was sent to Orlience to be imprisoned there together with Siguinus Archbishop of Senon because hee consented not freely to the deposition of Arnulphus but thought that this matter was overswayed by the tyranny of Courtiers and vsurpers of the kingdome vnlawfully VVHen the deposition of Arnulphus was reported at Rome Iohn the thirteenth was mooued with great wrath and incontinent excommunicated all those Bishops of France who had consented to the deposition of Arnulphus In so doing Pope Iohn kept the accustomed order of the Romane Church to wit to pronounce a sentence before a lawfull cognition and tryall of the cause Also hee sent an Abbot called Leo furnished with the authority of the Romane chaire to appoint a new Councell at Rhemes Hugo King of France was somewhat terrified with the cursing of the Bishop of Rome and feared to oppose himselfe to so many bishops agreeing in one minde and therefore he suffered the councell to hold forward The conclusion of this Councell was that Arnulphus was restored to his former dignitie And left that either the Emperour Otto or Hugo Capeto should be offended Gilbertus was promoted to be Bishop of Ravenna CENTVRIE XI IN the yeere of our Lord 1026. and vnder the raigne of the Emp. Henry the second a Councell was assembled at Aken by the authority of the Emperour who seeing the wrath of God kindled against the word manifold tokens of the anger of God manifested in the Calamities hanging vpon the head of all people and nations he gathered this Councel By the authoritie whereof Priests were commanded to pacifie the wrath of God by frequent saying of masse the people by fasting abstinence Princes by distributing of almes to reconcile themselues to God The Doctrine of repetance and amendement of life was forgotten in this time of horrible ignorance and all religion was turned into outward exercises of fasting of distributing of almes and of saying of Masses Also new fasting daies were inioyned to be kept in most solemne manner to the honour of Iohn the Baptist S. Laurence so that by a multitude of human traditions daily increased the ordinance of God as Christ witnesseth was made null and of no effect IN the yeere of our Lord 1023. and in the 21. yeere of the raigne of the Emp. Henry 2. a Councell was assembled at Halignustat wherein Harido Bishop of Mentz was moderator great pains were taken to make a conformitie vnitie in obseruation of superstitious rites in Germanie such as statut times of fasting and abstinence from marriage at certaine times of the yeere and not casting of the corporall into the fire to quench the fire kindled in a towne which was the custome of foolish Priests at that time that no sword shuld be brought into the Church except the Kings sword and no meetings or confabulations should be in the Church or the poarch thereof and that women should not bee addicted to particular and select Masses such as the Masse of the Trinitie and Saint Michael but let them heare common Masses for the safetie of the quicke and the dead Also Lawes were made in this Councell concerning the reckoning of the degrees of consanguinitie and that no man should iourney to Rome for obtaining pardon for great sinnes before hee had first confessed himselfe to his owne Priest and fulfilled the penance prescribed by him with many other constitutions full of new invented superstition IN the yeere of our Lord 1030. and vnder the raigne of the Emperour Conrad the second a Councell was assembled at Triburia The Emperour was present at the Councell After some constitutions about fasting one arose and said that certaine Epistles were come from heauen concerning peace to be renued on earth he was commanded to write a coppie of these Epistles to be communicat to other Bishops to the ende that nations and people might obserue these new lawes following 1. That no man should weare armoure 2. That no man should seeke restitution of things
taken from him 3. That no man should reuenge the wrongs done to his blood and kindred 4. That men should be compelled to pardon them who smote them 5. That euery Friday a fasting shall bee kept with bread and water 6. That on Saturday there should be an abstinence from flesh and fat things 7. That men should content themselues with this kinde of fasting for remission of all their sinnes so that they neede none other kind of repentance That all men should be bound by an oath to obserue these new lawes they who refused to sweare obedience to these ordinances should be separated from the Church and they should neither be visited when they were sicke nor buried when they were dead These new lawes which came not from heauen but from the instinct of an euill spirit many were content to receaue Others who were of more sound iudgement specially the B. of Cambry reiected them as repugnaÌ„t most part to the word of God to the coÌ„stitutions of the Church to the peace of wel-ordered common-wealths to charitie Alwayes consider that this was a time of horrible darknesse and ignorance wherein any durst affirme in face of a Councell that such lawes came from heauen as were flatlie repugnant to the written word of God IN the yeere of our Lord 1046. and vnder the raigne of the Emperour Henry the third an assemblie was gathered by the Emperour at Sutrium a towne of Italie for pacefying an horrible schisme in the Roman Church for three Popes contended for the Popedome to wit Benedict the ninth Silvester the third and Gregorie the sixt when the fathers had conueened at Sutrium and the Emperour had considered the causes of the scisme and the ambition of Prelats striuing for superioritie they thought expedient to remoue all these three monsters and to choose one Sindigerus Bishop of Bamberg to be Pope whom they called Clemens the second Moreouer the Emperour did bind the Romans with an oath that they shuld in time to come abstaine from the electioÌ„ of the Pope ABout the yeere of our Lord 1050. Leo the ninth assembled a Councell at Rome against Berengarius Deacon at Angiers vpon this occasion was the Councell gathered Berengarius saw that the opinion of Transubstantiation was ouerspred in his time to wit that after the words of coÌ„secration the substance of bread evanished and the substance of the body and blood of Christ was in the Sacrament vnder the accidents of bread and wine which opinion he disaproued and followed rather the opinion of Augustine Ioannes Scotus about the Sacrament of the supper He writ also letters to Lanfrancus B. of Canterbury about this question The Messenger who carried the letters did not find Lanfrancus in Normandie whether he was directed Therefore he deliuethe letters to some of the Clergie who opened the letters of Berengarius and sent them to Pope Leo the ninth After the sight whereof he assembled a Councell at Rome and read the letters of Berengarius and condemned him though absent as an heretike LEo the ninth assembled another Councell at Vercellis against Berengarius in the moneth of September of the yeere of our Lord 1050 so that both these Councels were holden in one yeere against Berengarius Berengarius was warned to bee present at the Councell Lanfrancus Bishop of Canterbury was also present In Berengarius name compeared two of the Clergie who were taken and cast into prison The issue of the Councell was this The Bookes of Ioannes Melrosius Scotus de eucharistia were read in the Councell and condemned Leo likewise appointed in many Prouinces Synods to be assembled against Berengarius notwithstanding he persisted constantly in his opinion vntill the dayes of Pope Nicolaus the second IN the yeere of our Lord 1055. Pope Victor the second assembled a Councell at Towrs against Berengarius The Popes Ambassadours were present at the Councel and Berengarius answered that hee adhered to no particular opinion of his owne but he followed the Common doctrine of the vniversall Church and that hee would not be contentious This gentle answere mitigated the kindled affections of his Adversaries yet he persisted in his own opinion for this cause Lanfrancus obiected against him that he deluded the Councel of Towrs with general doubtsome words IN the yeere of our Lord 1059. Pope Nicolaus 2. assembled a great Councel at Rome of 100. 13. B. Berengarius was present at the Councel Berengarius through infirmitie submitted himselfe to be corrected by Pope Nicolaus 2. and the Councel They prescribed to him a forme of renounciatioÌ„ of his error as they called it which Berengarius accepted recaÌ„ted Notwithstanding afterward he published in writing a refutatioÌ„ of the doctrine of Transubstantiation damned his owne recantation Manie other constitutions were made in this Councel such as that the election of the Pope should belong to the Colledge of Cardinals that no man should heare a Masse sayd by a married Priest that no Laick person should be iudge to a man in a spirituall office that no person should marrie any of his owne consanguinitie vntill the seventh generation with many other foolish constitutions IN the yeere of our Lord 1060. as appeareth Pope Nicholaus the second sent Petrus Damianus to hold a Councell in his name at Millan The questions disputed in the Councell were two chiefly to wit about Simonie and the errour of the Nicolaitans It was accounted Simonie to receiue investment by staffe and ringe from a secular man It was counted the errour of the Nicolaitans when Priests married wiues And Damianus to bring such mariages vnder the Compasse of Heresie hee said that faults in manners if they were obstinatlie deâ—â—nded they became Heresies But suppose this was true as it is a false definition how can it bee called the heresie of the Nicolaitans seeing that Nicolaitans were not called Heretikes in respect they had wiues but in respect they made their wiues common as I haue declared in the first Centurie The issue of this Councell was that the whole Towne of Millan both Clergie and people was in an vprore complaining that the Towne wherein Ambrose was Bishop should be brought in subiection to the Ordinances of any other Church Damianus was in great feare to bee rent in pieces albeit the Archbishop of Millan was sitting at his one side and the Bishoppe of Luca at his other After that the tumult was pacified Damianus did speake vnto the Clergie and people manie things concerning the prerogatiue of the Chaire of Rome and the Bishop of Millan standing before the Altar did sweare that hee should bee obedient to the ordinances of the Roman Church in extirping the heresie of Simonie and of the Nicolaitans and many of the Clergie following his example did the like and were content like inconstant fooles to receaue penance for cohabitation with their owne lawfull wifes IN the yeere of our Lord 1066.
Lord 1106. a great Councell was assembled at Mentz against the Emperour Henry the fourth who attended at Ingelheme looking to haue beene sent for to the Councell But the Ambassadours of Pope Paschalis and the Bishops who were present at the Councell could not delay vntill the Emperour was sent for But the venemous vlcer of their cankered hearts being ripe behoued presently to break forth before the Emp. was heard to speake for himselfe Therfore they proceed against the noble Emp. being absent and condemned him of heresie excōmunicated him Now his heresie was Simony because he wold not resigne the right of investmēt of Bishops into the Popes hands And not content with this they for the Bishops of Mentz Cosen Worms to Iugelheime where the E.H. 4. was deuested him of his imperial ornamēts The E. could not resist the violence of those headstrong Prelats because his armie and friends were not about him But he demaunded the three Bishops in the sight of the eternall God to declare if hee had taken any reward for admitting them to their Bishopriks The Bishops of Mentz Colen and Wormes all affirmed that he had receiued no reward from their hands How then sayth the Emperour am I condemned of Simonie I pray you fathers doe not so wickedly sayth he violate your oath of alledgance Dishonour not mine estate and horehead And incase I should resigne mine Emperiall Ornaments to my son let all the estates of Germanie bee assembled that I may doe it willingly in a lawfull assembly But the Prelats forementioned stirring vp one another put hands to worke and pulled the Crowne from his head and denuded him of the rest of his Imperiall Ornaments The Emperour with sighes and sobbs committed his cause to God who hateth iniquitie and in his own time can render a condigne recompence vnto it Moreouer the Noble Emperour humblie craued at the Popes Ambassadours and the rest of the Bishops to bee absolued from excommunication with promise to satisfie them whom hee should bee found after due triall to haue offended But these Romane Vulturs answered him proudly that matter pertained to the Pope he must dresse himselfe to Rome to bee absolued by the Pope after sight of his condigne satisfaction Now let the iudicious reader marke if these Councels had bin like vnto the starre which led the wise men of the East to Christ then it were good reason that we should follow them But since they leade frō Christ from al due reverence toward the annointed of the Lord and from all kinde of gentlenesse meaknesse and humane behauiour toward our superiours it is time to remember the words of our Lord. If the blinde leade the blind both shall fall in the ditch IN the yeere of our Lord 1107. Pope Paschalis the second gathered a Councell at Troyes in France willing to finish and perfit in France the worke begun in Germanie And to throw out of the hands of Henry the fift the right of investment of Bishops as hee had done out of his fathers hands The Emperour Henry the fift approched neere to the place wherein the Councell was gathered but was not present thereat The subiect intreated in the Councell was about the investment of Bishops by all meanes possible they endevored to spoile all Laicke persons of this priuiledge affirming that the election of Pastors should be free and that the presumption of Laicke persons in conferring of Ecclesiasticall dignities must be cut off Therefore hee promulgated the like mandars as his Predecessours had done before him adding also against the cōtraveners of his mandats the like cursings as his Predecessours had done before him The Emperour Henry the fift with aduise of the Nobles and Bishops who were about him sent Ambassadours to the Pope and the Councell calling to their remembrance that the right of investment of the Bishops was conferred to the Emperour Charles the Great and that his successors had continued in possession of that right vntill his time Therefore he requested that the Pope and Councell would doe nothing preiudiciall to his right This Message perturbed the cogitations of the Pope and the fathers of the Councell but this means was found out that this question should rest for the space of a yeere after the issue whereof it should be reasoned at Rome And in the meane time no investment should bee receiued from any Laicke person This interim together with the place appointed for determination of the question are manifest presages of the euent to wit that the Pope would not be at rest vntil hee had trampled vnder foote all ciuill domination vntill he had remoued out of the way that authoritie which was a let to his vsurped preheminence as the Apostle speaketh when the yeere was exspyred the Emperour addressed himselfe to Rome with an army and tooke the Pope and his Cardinals prisoners And albeit the Pope at that time condiscended that the right of investment should consist in the Emperours hand yet afterward hee revoked the same and in the Councell of Rome assembled Anno 1112. yeeres hee vtterly renounced that priuiledge conferred to the Emperour as hath beene declared in the Historie of his life THe question and controversie about investment of Bishops was not like to take an ende The Romane Chaire like vnto a raging Sea continually swelled frothed and stirred vp sedition against the Emperour Henry the fift because hee would not ouer-giue the right of investment of Bishops into the Popes hands The Bishops of Germanie the Popes footegroomes conueened at Triburia Anno 1119. with exasperat minds consulting how they might vndoe the estate of the Emperour as they had alreadie vndone the estate of his father The Emperour made hast to returne out of Italie to Germanie and finding none other way to establish his owne estate but either by great effusion of blood or by yeelding to the Popes desire The Emperour after consultation with his Princes and friends found no outgate except to render to Pope Calixtus the second the right of investment of Bishops Also hee was compelled to ratifie the election of Pope Calixtus albeit Gregorie the eight to whose election the Emperour had consented was yet aliue so mightily prevailed the power of the Roman Antichrist PEtrus Abelardus was counted an Heretike in the Councell of Soysson and was compelled to burne his owne bookes Yet because hee continued in his errour and many followed him another Councell was conueened at Senon against Abelardus Lewes king of France the son of old Lewis was present at the Councell and Theobald Count Palatine and Bernard Abbot of Clarauall and innumerable people desiring to heare disputation Abelardus fearing popular sedition declined their iudgement and was willing to be iudged by Innocentius the second who was Pope at that time Pope Innocentius after hee had read the letters sent from the councell damned Abe lardus and ordained his followers to be excommunicat Abelardus destitute of Patrons
Protectors entered into the Monasterie of Cluniake Concerning his opinions I haue spoken of them in the head of Heretikes IN the yeere of our Lord 1160. The schisme that fell out betwixt two Popes striuing for the Popedome after the death of Adrian the fourth to wit Alexander the third and Victor the fourth gaue occasion to the Emperour Fredericke the first being at that time in Italie to appoint a Councel to be assembled at Papia For remouing of the scisme and for deciding the controversie by declaring to which of the contending Popes the Popedome should belong Both the Popes were warned to appeare before the Councell The Emperour was present the first day of the meeting of the Councell and declared to the Bishoppes that hee was not ignorant that to the Emperour belonged power to convocate Councels like as Constantinus Theodosius Iustinianus had done before him and of latter time Carolus Magnus and the Emperour Otto Notwithstanding since that matters pertaining to diuine worship ought to be iudged by Bishops hee remitted the iudgement of this present controuersie to the fathers met together in the assemblie And he so departed out of the Councell Pope Alexander the third refused to appeare before the Councel of Papia for hee would be iudged by no man Pope Victor the fourth appeared and was content that his cause should be examined and iudged by the Councell The Councell tooke this effect that Victor the fourth was declared to bee Pope Alexander the third on the other part beeing full of indignation cursed the Emp. and Pope Victor and their adherents and gathered a Councell of his fauourers at Clermount wherein hee openly deliuered to Sathan the Emp. Fredericke and Pope Victor and Count Palatine and all other principall fauourers of Victor so great patience was in Pope Alexander when his papall dignitie was called in question Hee mixed as it were Heauen and Eartth together not for zeale to the glorie of God but for zeale to keepe his papall preheminence For beside the Councell which he assembled at Clermont hee gathered another at Towrs Anno 1164. and was no lesse prodigall in his cursings then hee had beene before in the Councell of Clermont against the Emperour and his Competitor Victor yea and hee sent an Ambassadour to Ierusalem and Antiochia and to the Princes and Patriarchs of the East for propagation of his owne authoritie IN the yeere of our Lord 1180. and in the twentieth yeere of the gouernment of Pope Alexander the third a great assemblie was conveened at Rome by the Popes authoritie an hundreth and fourescore Bishops were assembled together in the Church called Constantiniana Their consultation was about the forme of election of the Pope in time to come And first it was appointed and ordained that in case the Colledge of Cardinals did not with vniforme consent agree who should be elected Pope if the two part of them did consent to the election of any person the dissenting of the third part should be no sufficient cause to reiect him who was elected Secondly it was ordained that all Ecclesiasticall dignities conferred by Octavianus and Guido who now are accounted schismatikes shall be null and of none effect And that no man be admitted to the office of a Bishop before hee be 30. yeeres old neither shall any man bee admitted to be a Deacon or Arch-deacon or to haue the gouernment of a parish before hee be twentie fiue yeeres of age That Bishops and Archbishops in their Visitations doe not overcharge the Church of their boūds with vnnecessary charges expenses speciallie the Churches that are poore If a Bishop admit any man to bee a Presbyter or Deacon without the title of a place that may affoorde vnto him things necessarie for the maintenance of his life let the Bishop himselfe sustaine him vntill he prouide a liuing for him except he be able of his owne patrimonie to sustaine himselfe That no man shall be excomunicat or suspended from his office before hee be lawfully warned to appeare and answere for himselfe except in such causes as deserue summar excommunication That no reward be taken for admitting men to spirituall offices and that no money be taken for blessing them that are married or for ministration of any other Sacrment For at this time marriage was counted a Sacrament of the Roman Church That no Ecclesiastical office be prōised to any man before it be vacāt by the decease of the possessor For it is an vnrighteous thing to put any man in expectation of another mans liuing whereby hee may wish his brothers death And when any place shall happen to be vacant let it be planted againe within six months or else hee who hath the right of plantation shall loose it at that time and the Chapitar or Metrapolitan Bishop shall haue power to prouide the vacant place That the Brethren called Templarij or hospitales shall not abuse the priuiledges granted by them to the Chaire of Rome by receiuing Churches out of the hands of Laicke people by admitting to the Sacraments in their Churches and to buriall persons excommunicated nor by admitting deposing Presbyters without the fore-knowledge of their Bishops and by occasion of their fraternities which they haue multiplied in many places they shall not weaken the authoritie of Bishops but they shal doe al things with aduice of their Bishops and they who shall be found to haue disobeyed this ordinance shall vndergoe the discipline their actions in the contrary shall be declared to be of none effect That Monkes shall not be receiued into a Monasterie for gaine and that they shall possesse no goods as properlie belonging onely to themselues Men admitted to holy orders let them either liue continently without the companie of women or otherwise let them be depriued of their offices and liuings Subdeacons and others in Law offices who are sustained in the Church let them not appeare as procurators and advocates before secular iudges except a matter belonging to himselfe or to the Church or to the poore be questioned Like as it is written no man that goeth to warre entangleth himselfe with worldlie businesse c. Let such men bee preferred to Ecclesiasticall dignities who will be actuallie resident with their people and vndertake the cure of their soules by doing the worke of the ministerie in their owne persons otherwise let them depriue them of the office and benefice conferred to Rome and hee who doth conferre them without these conditions let him lose the right of conferring offices and benefices Pluralitie of benefices is forbidden as a vice smelling of auarice and ambition and is perilous to the people whose soules are neglected by Pastours attentiue to the world heaping vp riches and not carefull to feed the flocke of God By this also many worthy men are ouer-seene whose trauels might bee worthily bestowed in feeding the flocke of God Moreouer some Laickes
Eucharist Penance Extreme Vnction Orders and Matrimonie After this seventh Session the Popes Physition affirmed that the ayre of Trent was corrupted whereupon many of the Bishops were moved to depart from Trent to Bononia onely the Bishoppes of Spaine remained still at Trent being commanded by Charles the Emperour so to doe For the Emperour had gathered in Ausbrugh an assembly of the States of Germany and had induced the most part by menaces and threatenings and some also by alluring promises to submit themselues to the generall Councell of Trent And this being obtained of the States of Germany the Emperour sent the Cardinall of Trent together with his Ambassadour Mendoza desiring that the Pope would cause the Bishoppes that were retyred to Bononia to come backe againe to Trent But the providence of God pitying the weakenesse of Germany whom the Emperour had induced to bee obedient to the Councell of Trent hardened the Popes heart who would not consent that the Bishops should goe backe againe to Trent but vpon strict conditions 1. That the Bishops of Spaine who remained yet still at Trent should first come to Bononia 2. The Emperour should make good that all the States of Germany should absolutly submit themselues to the Councell of Trent 3. That the Fathers to be gathered againe at Trent might haue liberty to depart out of the towne freely and safely when they pleased and to make an end of the Councell when they would thinke good The Emperours Ambassadour Mendoza seeing that his Masters petition was little set by declared that the Councell was not lawfully translated from Trent to Bononia and therfore protested that all things that should bee done there should bee of no force Thus the first meeting of the Councell of Trent vnder Paulus the third had an end and their remaining together at the Councell of Trent was two yeeres The second meeting of the Councell of Trent THe second meeting of Bishoppes in the Councell of Trent was in the dayes of Pope Iulius the third in the month of September anno 1551. In the first Session of the Councell which was kept the first of September Abbas Bollosanus Ambassadour of the King of France appeared declaring that the King was so disturbed with warres within his dominions that he could not send the Bishops of his Land to Trent Next that the King of France acknowledged not the convention kept at Trent for a generall Councell but for a convention gathered for the weale of a few not for the common vtility of all the Church and therefore neither hee himselfe nor the subiects of his kingdome were bound to be obedient to the decrees of that convention The second Session was kept the eleventh day of October wherein the doctrine of Transubstantiation was confirmed yet diverse questions pertaining to those matters were deferted till the comming of the Protestants of Germanie to whome allso they granted their safe conduct The third Session was kept the 25. of November wherein was confirmed that Penance and extreme Vnction were Sacraments of the new Testament The Ambassadours of the Protestants would haue given in the confession of their Faith and summe of their doctrine to the Councell but the Popes Legate repelled them because they did not signifie in the title thereof that they would submit themselues to the Councell In the meane time there was warre in Germany betweene Charles the Emperour and Maurice Duke of Saxonie which was the cause of the hastie dissolution of the second meeting of the Councell of Trent vnder Pope Iulius For the Bishops of Mentz and Cullen made haste to returne to Germany Likewise all the Bishops of Italy hearing that Duke Maurice had taken the town of Ausbrough returned home the Spanish Bishops alone who remained a space behind the rest at Trent assembled themselues together the 29. of Aprill anno 1552. and put off the Councell till a new meeting after the issue of two yeeres or more as should be found meet The third meeting of the Councell of Trent THe Bishops of Spaine supposed that the Councell should haue met againe within two yeeres Neverthelesse there intervened nine yeeres before it could be gathered againe For after the death of Iulius the third vnder whom the second meeting was succeeded Marcellus who lived not aboue the space of 20. dayes in his Popedome and after him Paulus the fourth who governed foure yeeres two moneths and 27. dayes And after him Pius the fourth in whose time this last meeting of the Councell of Trent was appointed Their first Session was kept the 18. day of Ianuary anno 1562. wherein was decreed that the bookes written by diuerse Authors since the springing vp of heresies for so they called the preaching of the Gospell should be viewed and revised and that all who had fallen backe from the vnity of the Church of Rome vnto any kinde of heresie should be exhorted to returne againe with promise of great clemency and indulgence if they would so doe The second Session was kept the 26. day of February anno 1562. wherein certaine persons were specially nominated and chosen to examine those bookes which was suspect of heresie and to report their iudgement backe againe to the Councell Likewise all men were exhorted to resort to the Councell with peaceable hearts voyd of all contention and heate and safe conductors were promised to them who would come thereto In the third and fourth Session nothing was done but the time of keeping the next Session was appointed In the fift Session kept the 26. day of Iuly anno 1562. it was decreed that the Laike people were not bound by an absolute necessitie to communicate vnder both formes of bread and wine But the Church had power to dispose concerning the outward ministration of the Sacraments providing the substance were kept according as they should find expedient for the good of the receiuers The sixt Session was kept the 17. day of September anno 1562. wherin was cōcluded that the whole Masse was a propitiatorie sacrifice for the quicke the dead whosoeuer should say that it was onely a sacrifice of thanksgiving and a commemmoration of Christs death onely are pronounced to be accursed The seventh Session was kept the 15. day of the moneth of Iuly anno 1563. wherein certaine Canons were set forth concerning the Sacrament of Orders and it was accounted a Sacrament of the new Testament In the eight Session it was not onely decreed that mariage is a Sacrament of the new Testament but also the Roman Church assembled at Trent as a troubled Sea that can not rest but cast out her froth and filth to the shore laying aside all shame and due reverence to the Scriptures of God they pronounce all men to be accursed who will not grant that the Church hath power to dispense with the Law of God conteined in the 18. of