TWO TREATISES The first OF THE LIVES OF THE POPES AND THEIR DOCTRINE The second OF THE MASSE THE ONE and the other collected of that which the Doctors and ancient Councels and the sacred Scripture do teach Also A Swarme of false Miracles wherewith Marie de la Visitacion Prioresse de la Annuntiada of Lisbon deceiued very many and how she was discouered and condemned Reuelation 17. 1. Come and I will shew thee the condemnation af the great Whore which fitteth vpon many waters And vers 15. The waters which thou sawest where the Whore sitteth are people and multitudes and nations and tongues The second edition in Spanish augmented by the Author himselfe M. Cyprian Valera and translated into English by Iohn Golburne 1600. Printed at London by Iohn Harison and are to be sold at the Grey-hound in Pater noster row 1600. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE SIR THOMAS EGERTON KNIGHT LORD KEEPER OF the great Seale of England Chamberlaine of the Countie Palatine of Chester and of her Maiesties most honorable priuie Councell I. G. wisheth all health increase of honour and euerlasting happinesse SOlons law to the Athenians right Honorable adiuged him to die vnworthy to liue that in time of ciuill garboyles as carelesse of the weale publike withdrew himselfe and became a neuter Which law albeit proceeding from a Pagan yet holding affinitie with holy writ I cannot but approue and wish the same were also of force among Christians Professed Christians I meane which in these factious broyles in the common wealth of Israel wherein Religion seemeth to be rent as it were in two each part challenging the truth as his owne proper whereas but one Truth there is and the same indiuisible are either carelesse and negligent in the Lords worke and so accursed or els become luke-warme awaiting onely occasion to runne with the streame and cleaue to time and stronger part for their better safetie Both which as abominable to God are to be spued out of his sacred mouth to be shunned of men as the Apostle willeth Sith hated then of God and detested of men I conculde with Solon such Foxes not worthy to liue among Christians would God they were cut off from destroying the Lords vineyard The consideration whereof and that my selfe albeit simple and most vnworthy of many thousands secluded from the world and cut off from the societie of men or meanes of imployment to benefit as of right it claimeth my natiue country am also a member of this Christian cōmon wealth hath made me charie to be taxed with the guilt of like crime careful to auoid the note of both the one and the other prickt therefore with the spurre of dutie zeale and hartie desire to good the Region wherein I first tooke breath though little carefull of my good to the vtmost stretch of my poor abilitie I bring here my endeuour and translation into our vulgar tongue for the helpe and instruction of the simple The due commendations of the Author and Subiect farre exceedeth my reach and therefore do leaue them to the censure of the learned And taught by long experience your Lordships godly zeale for the aduauncement of true religion and due execution of iustice the hauing or wanting whereof is the glorie and suretie or maime and ruine of all sttates and kingdomes and seeing your Lordship by diuine goodnesse placed and by Regall power deputed in this selfe same common-wealth for a light vnto others and a Shepheard to feed the people with iustice and iudgement These my good Lord with the worthinesse of the worke best beseeming so worthy a Patron together with humble acknowledgment of dutie to your Lordship haue caused me make choise of your honorable selfe the better emboldened thereunto by your good acceptance of my former booke And so I humbly commend this my trauel to your like view and protection not doubting but your Lordship after your wonted honorable disposition will vouchsafe to take in worth my simple present and pardon my presumption proceeding from an affectionate desire to do your honour seruice whereunto before all men I acknowledge my selfe bounden and my dayly study shall be imployed I beseech the eternall Deity to increase his graces in your Lordship that his glory may more thereby appeare and multiply your dayes as the dayes of heauen to pull the pray frō the Spoylers iawes and relieue the oppressed And so in all humilitie I take leaue Fleete my miserable prison this 24. of October 1600 Your Lordships most bounden in all affectionate dutie IOHN GOLBVRNE The Translator to the Reader I Haue pained my selfe gentle Reader to doe thee pleasure and therefore craue but that curtesie of thee which in common right is my due namely thy good conceit and fauourable censure of my trauell which albeit not pollished with finenesse of phrase yet it is beautified with truth of matter as God gaue abilitie my small knowledge in the tongue and the misery of the place aforded If any will charge me with folly and presumption in attempting this translation better beseeming some of riper iudgement I graunt there is cause yet thou forward taxer of faultes in others why doest thou not rather iudge condemne thy self that hauing a better talent hast worse imployed it nay hast buried the same in ten yeares space sithens this worthy worke was first published hast not bettered thy country by thy paines taking nor benefited others by translating it thy selfe For my part I hold it fitter that the body rather brooke a meane repast then starue for want of foode And had rather my rash ignorance should be published in print and so noted of thee for of better minds I expect better thoughts then that so heauenly a light of Christian knowledge should rest obscured in the mysty darknesse of a strange language and so precious a treasure be buried in rustie silence without comfort or commoditie to my countrey For among so many worthy labourers in the Lords vineyard raised vp by God in this latter age there is none pardon me good Reader if my simple iudgement faile me that hath exceeded nay few or none that hath equalled this Authour in the matter and method of this booke Wherein by way of Antithesis are liuely set forth Christ and Antichrist To the end that two contraries opposed Christ the true light may appeare more glorious and Antichrist the child of darkenes may be viewed in his proper colour that the one may be imbraced with all obedience and the other abandoned with all detestation and horror For if thou wouldest know by the word of God and be assured by the testimony of his holy Spirit that Ancichrist foretold by the Prophets and Apostles is already come and the sonne of perdition renealed if thou wouldest know the certaine time the place the maner and markes of his reuelation If thou wouldest know and be acertained by the same Spirit that the Pope is a false Priest that very same
friendship the Pope secretly departed from Constance as saith Volateranus against the will of the Emp. and so came to Florence where taking his pleasure he 2 yeares remained Before he departed from Constance the Emp. and other Princes exhorted him to giue some good order for reformation of the ouermuch libertie euill customes of the Clergie Whereunto Martin answered That this was with time nature consideration to be done and for confirmation of his answere hypocritically aleaged the saying of S. Ierome that euery prouince hath it customes maners which could not sodainly be abolished without great trouble and damage How much better should he haue put his hand to the worke begun to reforme himselfe and his court of Rome To speake of reformation to the Popes is to speake or preach death vnto them And this is the cause why they cannot brook to heare tel of a Coūcel because they then know that each one tam in capite quà m in membris Aswell in the head as in the members wil begin to speake of reformation They remēber that the Councels haue deposed Popes and placed others They remember that in the Councell of Pisa celebrated in the 1410. yeare 2 Popes were deposed and Alexander elected that in the Councell of Constance in the 1416. yeare were 3 deposed and Martin chosen And in the Councell of Basil in the 1432. yeare Eugenius was deposed and Amadeus chosen For this cause would the Popes haue willingly no Councels And albeit for shame they cannot but graunt that a Councell shal be the Pope feareth as to eate poyson to be present therein but sendeth his Legats which accustomably as in the last Trident Councel which buried so many Popes and none of them appeared in the Councell was seene The Popes doe feare as before we haue said least the like to them as to the others Popes should happen in the Councels For these causes made Martin a decree that no Councel after that of Constance before 5 yeares passed should be holden after that Coūcel ten yeares should passe before another Coūcell were holden See here the reformation which the Popes desire If any Pope in maners be lesse wicked for in Doctrine be they al Antichrists in his Roman Court wisheth practiseth some reformation then doubtlesse ensueth some conspiracy against him that they giue him a morsel wherewith they dispatch him An example we haue in Celestine 5. whō his Cardinal that after him was Pope dispatched in Adrian 6. as afterward we wil declare It is said of this pope Martin that he dispensed with one to mary his own sister After 2 yeeres he went frō Florence to Rome The cause of this going was for that the pages as saith I. de Pineda sang in his disgrace a Sonet which began El Papa Martino no vale vn quatrino Martin the Pope is not worth a rope Whē he came to Rome saith Pineda his face shewed him to be quite chāged for before he was pope he was demed a man gētle simple vnwise wāting that gētlenes that was suposed to be in him was afterwards discouered to be most wise And a litle lower So scraping he was couetous a mony-gatherer that he gaue great cause of slander chiefly because what he euilly got he worse spēt c. whē he was come to Rome he gaue himself to repaire not the true Church of Iesus Christ which is his mēbers but the wals of the citie Churches he adnulled the decrees of the Popes passed in the time of the Sisme he depriued Dex Alonso king of Arragon of the kingdom of Naples gaue it to Lewes And in the 1431. yere died D. Iohn 2. reigned in Castile Eugenius 4. a Venetian after the death of Martin his predecessor was elected in Rome In so great a straite was seene this Eugenius that to saue his life being Pope be left his owne garments in a Friers habit put himselfe with his companion in a fishers boate which he found certaine Romanes which perceiued his flight cast many stones and arrowes at him In the end he scaped and went to Florence where some yeeres he abode and for his better defence made 16 Cardinals In the 1432. yeare was the Eugenius cited by the Councell of Basil But he knowing that the Councell would be aboue the Pope and that vpon appearance he should answere the exhibited accusations against him would not appeare Eugenius not appearing was deposed by the Councel Amadeus Duke of Sauoy who had made himself an Hermit and now called Felix 5. was elected in his place yet for all this would not Eugenius leaue to be pope And so to defeat the Councel of Basil hee assembled another Councel in Ferrara frō thence went to Florence Don Iohn 2. king of Castile albeit he had sent his Embassadors and learned men to the Councel of Basil yet fauored this Eugenius Eugenius incited Lewes the Dolphin of France with an host to go to Basil and breake off the Councell whereof ensued great mischief This Eugenius was the cause of the vnfortunate death of Ladislaus king of Hungarie in counselling him to breake his faith word giuen to the Turke which counsell this poore yongling but of 22 yeares tooke so set vpon the Turke when by reason of the peace betweene them he least suspected The Turke seeing this vnfaithfulnes reinforced himselfe returned vpon him In which battel the king with Cardinal Caesarinus the Popes Legate was slaine his host destroyed It hath wontedly bene argued whether faith and promise giuen to an infidell might lawfully be broken wherunto I answer that which Frier Iohn de Pineda lib. 26. cap. 28. ¶ 1. to this purpose saith There is no doubt saith he but faith is to be kept aswel to an enemy albeit he be an Infidel as to a friend Christian the reason which he giueth is this because the bond to obserue it issueth from the law of nature which is indispensable God hauing bin put for witnes of the truth that each one promiseth to another c. So that Eugenius the fourth was wicked indispensing and Ladislaus was periured against God notwithstanding the Popes dispensation Wickedly did the Councel of Constance which brake faith with Iohn Hus and Ierome of Prage Much better did the Emperour Don Charles who being but young of 21 yeares sent with safe conduct for Luther who appeared before the Emperour at Wormes and publikely gaue an account of his faith and the Emperor keeping with him his word sent him backe albeit the Spaniards did incite him to kill him Much better did the Captaine Mondragon in keeping the faith which he had promised to the Prince of Orange whose prisoner he was This Eugenius most cruelly burned a Frenchman called Thomas Rēdon a Carmelit for saying that in Rome were committed great abominations that the Church had need of great reformation and that
her the mother of whoredomes and abominations The same also is Rome fully and plainely What citie is there nowe in the worlde wherein are so great confusions of vices and so many thousands of common whoores which they call Curtisans of whom the Pope hath so great a rent that hee may make thereof a great inheritance Yet this is nothing compared with other infinite abominations which in Rome are committed What place in Christendome is the wicked sinne more suffered without punishment then in Rome This woman saith Saint Iohn was druken with the bloud of the Martyrs of Iesus How many and how many hath the Pope caused to be burned and to die by the sword for saying and beleeuing Iesus Christ to be our only and chiefe Bishop Intercessor and Mediator as the Apostle calleth him For beleeuing that the body which he once offered vpon the tree of the crosse is the onely and alone sacrifice wherewith the wrath of the Father is appeased For beleeuing that by faith onely without any respect of our owne workes we are iustified In our times of these threescore or fourescore yeares how much innocent bloud hath this rauening wolfe for this cause shed and spilled in Almaine France England and in Italy also and within fortie or fiftie yeares in our countrey of Spaine The fires and persecutions of Seuill Valladolid and other partes of Spaine do witnesse What satisfaction shall this so cruell beast make for one Doctour Constantine the onely pearle of our countrey of Spaine For one Doctour Vargas For Doctour Egidius For Don Iohn Ponce of Lyons sonne to the Countie of Baylen so neare kinsman to the Duke of Arcos For one Christopher de Arellano a man by the confession of the Inquisitors themselues most learned For one Ieronymo Caro For one Licenciate Iohn Gonçales For the Licenciate Losada All these were men of singular life which the Papistes themselues that knewe them cannot denie and godly they were in doctrine All these in Seuill and many others men and women were either condemned aliue or else vntombed being dead by the fire consumed At one time were all these and so all at one time almost burned in Seuill O Seuill Seuill that killest and burnest the prophetes which God sendeth vnto thee Name me some eight of thy seruants of the Pope at this day liuing in thee which aswell in life as doctrine may compare with or paragon those eight which I haue named as thou then burnedst As the bloud of Abell cried out to God so now the bloud of these Martyrs do likewise crie vnto God Vnder the ashes of these blessed men hath God hidden many small sparkles which when he shall please he will blowe away and so kindle them that a farre greater fire shall they make then that which is passed and so shall increase the number of the faithfull For the bloud of the martyrs is the seed of the Gospell Saint Iohn concludeth his chapter saying That this woman is the great Citie which reigneth ouer all the kings of the earth Is not this a mainifest description of the Court of Rome what other citie but Rome reigned ouer all the kings of the earth From all parts of the world they went to Rome The riches of the world they caried to Rome the Pope onely was king of kinges and Lord of Lordes And woe to him that should displease him Of the beast saith S. Iohn that he had 7 heads and 10 horns which S. Iohn himself declareth saying that the seuen heads which the beast hath are 7 mountaines The holy Spirit which spake this by the mouth of Saint Iohn nothing wanted but the naming of Rome The ancient Poets as Virgil Horace which liued in the time of Augustus Caesar the Emperour in whose time also S. Iohn liued called Rome Septicollis of 7 hils or mountaines The Grecians call it Eptalophos which is the same with Septicollis â—o seuer it from all the cities of the world this Epitheton they giue it Calepin Septicollis vrbis Romae Epitheton à septem collium numero imposituÌ„ Tertullian in the 35. chap. of his Apologie saith Ipsos Quirites ipsam vernaculaÌ„ septem collium plebem couenio c. Horace in the end of his Epodon Dijs quibus septem placuere colles Dicere carmen He speaketh of Rome And Virgil Aeneid 6. Septemque vna sibi muro circundedit arces And Propertius Septem vrbis alta ingis toto quae praesidet orbi As much to say as the loftie citie with seuen hils which is Lady of all the world The names of these seuen mountaines are Capitolino Palatino Quirinal Auentino Celio Viminal and Exquilino By these words of Saint Iohn we cleerely see that Antichrist hath his seat at Rome and no other there is that hath his seat at Rome but the Pope Therefore the Pope is Antichrist The ten hornes saith Saint Iohn be tenne kings subiect to Antichrist who stoutly fight in defeÌ„ce of their Monarch Antichrist they shall fight saith he against the Lambe What more sorcelesse thing is there without weapons and subtiltie then a Lambe Notwithstanding the weake simple and disarmed Lambe ouercommeth these ten kings which with Lyonlike Wolfe-like force rush vpon him and not preuaile And when by force they cannot as old Foxes by craft will they seeke to catch and kill him But come as they will the Lambe ouercomes them all Who is this Lambe The same is he of whom Saint Iohn saith that he is slaine from the beginning of the world How The slaine Lambe doth he ouercome Yea verily This is the power of God That Lambe he is of whom witnesseth the other Saint Iohn saying Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world Iesus Christ is this Lambe who killeth Antichrist with the spirit of his mouth as in handling the second passage which we alleaged of the Epistle to the Thessalonians we haue before declared Saint Iohn saith further That these ten hornes are ten kings who perceiuing the inuincible power of the impotent Lambe shall forsake Antichrist disgrace him make warre against him and destroy him Before 80 yeares past what king in Christendome durst whisper against the Pope All were his vassals all were his souldiers and all hee commanded But seeing the mortall wounds which the Lamb with his only word hath giuen the Pope How many haue forsaken him within these fourescore yeares In Almaine England Scotland Denmarke and Swethland we haue manifest examples France also and Polonia are falling away from the Pope Who so shall liue shall one day heare the same of Spaine God hath begunne his worke he will not leaue it imperfect nor yet end in the middest Behold how Daniel Paule and Iohn concurre and agree together All they three with one Spirite which caused them to speake declare that â—his soâ—e â—f perdition and man of Sinne shal be very abhominable in his life and much more
thee beholde it is layd ouer with gold and siluer and there is no breath in it In like manner The stocke saith Ieremie is a doctrine of vanitie Againe Euery man is a beast by his owne knowledge Euery founder is confounded by his grauen Image for his melting is but falshood and there is no breath therein They are vanitie and the worke of errors c. wherefore well said Athanasius When a liuing man cannot moue thee to knowe God how shall a man made of wood cause thee to know him Epiphanius Bishop of Cypres comming into a Church and seeing a veyle wherein the Image of Christ or some other Saint was pictured cōmanded to take it thence and that the veyle should be imployed for the buriall of some poore vsing these wordes To see in the Temples of Christians the Image of Christ or any Saint pictured is horrible abhomination Of this moreouer wrote he to Iohn Bishop of Ierusalem vnder whose Iurisdiction was that people of Anablatha where the veyle was to prouide that no such veyles which be contrary to that which Religion permitteth should thenceforth be had in the Church of Christ So greatly did this epistle please Saint Ierome that he translated the same out of Greeke into Latine The same Epiphanius said Remember my beloued sonnes that you place no Images in the Church nor churchyardes but carry God euer in your hearts and yet say I further permit them not in your houses For to be fixed by the eyes but by meditation of the minde c. is vnlawfull for a Christian c. The most ancient Councell of Eliberis holden in Spaine as now we will declare and many other ancient Councels condemned Images and manie Christian Emperours haue forbidden them And for that purpose wrote Valens and Thedosius to the chiefe Gouernor of the Councell house saying As our care is in and by all meanes to mainteine the religion of the most high God so permit wee none to purtrayt engraue or picture in colours stone or any other matter whatsoeuer the Image of our Sauiour Moreouer we commaunde that wheresoeuer such an Image can bee founde it be taken away and all those to be chastised with most grieuous punshment that attempt ought against our decrees and commaund Seeing then the Christian Emperours Doctors and ancient Councels yea and that which is all the scripture it selfe to forbid Images let not our Aduersaries be obstinate Let them not thinke it to be nowe as in time passed when the blind led the blind and so both fell into the ditch Blessed be God we nowe see and neede not them which be more blind to guide vs. Where or when I demaund hath God commaunded to doe that which they doe Let them giue me one only example of the olde or newe Testament that any of the Patriarches Propetes Apostles or Martyrs of Iesus Christ did that which they doe adored or honored God or his saints in their Images They will not giue it Then let them not be more wise then they Let them take heede least God say vnto them Who required these thinges at your handes This is not the worship by God appointed but humane and diuelish inuention And so shall God punish them as hee punished Nadab and Abihu Leuit. chap. 10. ver 1. that offered strange fire which he neuer commaunded them Hold we fast that which God hath commaunded Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image c. And so shall we not erre The Church of Rome hath taken away the second commandment and hath but nine commaundements But to fill vp the number of tenne of the tenth commandement which forbiddeth lust in generall and afterward the chiefe kind and partes thereof hath shee made two But the Hebrewes and ancient Doctors Greeke and Latine do not so who place that of Images for the second commaundement Some thinke saith Origen hom 8. vpon Exod that all this together meaning the first and second commandements is one commaundement which if it so should be taken there wold want of the number of ten commaundements and where then should be the tenth of the Decalog of ten commaundments but deuiding it as afore we haue distinguished the full number of the ten commaundements will appeare So that the first commaundements is Thou shallt haue no other Gods but me And the second Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image c. hitherto Origen Chrisostome hom 49. vpon Saint Math. Exposition 2. Athanasius in Synopsi Seripturarum Saint Ambrose vpon the sixt chapter of the epistle to the Ephesians and Saint Ierome vpon the same place all these Fathers place as we doe that against Images for the second commaundement And for the third Thou shalt not take the name of the lord c. For the 4. Remember thou keepe holy c. for the 5. Honor thy father and thy Mother c. and for the tenth that we shall not couet any thing of our neighbors c. Iesephus in his 3. book of Antiquites chap. 6. and Philo in his booke which he made of the tenne comandements deuide them in like manner with vs. If this be the true deuision of the Decalogue as it is and by the expresse word of God Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image as by the Hebrew Greeke and Latin Doctors we haue proued Hereupon it followeth that the Church of Rome is accursed of God because she hath dared to diminish and adde any thing to the most holy eternall and inuiolable lawe of God whereunto being perfect full and entire no man ought to adde or take away according to that which the same God saith Thou shalt adde nothing to the word which I commaund thee neyther shalt thou take ought therefro but keepe the commaundements of the Lord your god which I commaunde you Deut. 4. 2. Deut. 12. 32. Prouerb 30. 6. If the Church of Rome heere in a thing so cleere so notable and of so great importance hath so apparantly and without shame dared to adde and diminish what will they not dare Let vs looke more neerely The belly say they hath no cares These things will not the Romists heare Images in the Popedome fill the bellies and the chests Great is the treasure that is giuen to Images Oyle waxe perfumes silke siluer gold cloth of gold and precious stones wherein Theeues and wicked women are most liberall The Pirestes and friers doe clothe and decke their Images with the giftes of strumpets wherein they transgresse the commaundement of God which commandeth that none shall bring the hier of an whore into the house of the Lord c. because God who is iust and pure abhorreth robbery and detesteth that which with sinne and filthinesse is euill gotten And the Glosse in Decret dist 90. Cap. Oblationis determineth that no gaine of a whore be offered in the Church And that the suprestitious vulgar sort may giue the more they make them beleeue
Frederick the Emperour Detrahamus illis nocentes diuitias hoc enim facere opus est charitatis Let vs take away speaking of the Pope and clergie the riches which so much hurt them for this to do is a worke of charitie Here it is to be noted as reciteth Panuinus in his chronicle 30 Sismes to haue bin and that which happened in the yeere 252. betweene Cornelius and Nouatus is counted for the first and the same only hapned in the first order wherin were good all the Roman Bishops except Marcellinus who offred incense to Idols but touched by God he greatly repented so came into the Councell holden at Sessa in the kingdom of Naples where were present as saith D. Illescas three hundred Bishops and thirtie Presbiters or as saith Platina 180. Bishops and there asked he with teares God and them pardon of the most grieuous sin which he had coÌ„mitted FroÌ„ Sessa he went to Rome and there did chide Dioclesian for compelling him to sacrifice to Idolles wherefore Dioclesian commanded to kill him When Marcellinus was dead the seate was voide 7. yeeres and a halfe as saith Illescas and 25. daies or as saith Platina 25. daies The second order conteineth the bishops of Rome from Siluester 1. vnto Boniface the 3. These neither in life nor doctrin agreed by far with the bishops of the first order For persecution nowe ceassing they gaue themselues to idlenesse and pleasure and made Cannons and Decrees wherby they prepared the seate of great Antichrist Those of the second order were called for the space of 200. yeeres Archbishops It is to be vnderstood that from the yeere 320. vnto that of 520. afterwardes from the yere 520. vnto that of 605. they were called Patriarks S. Siluester was then the first Archbishop whome Marcus Iulius 1. and Liberius succeeded Liberius in the beginning of his Bishopdome thought well of the diuinitie of the sonne of God and for ought the Arian Emperour Constantius did would not be drawne to condemne Athanasius for which cause he was banished Rome Theodoretus lib. 2. ca. 16. of his historie reciteth the conference that passed between him and Constantins when he was banished wherein Liberius shewed himselfe verie constant Three yeeres saith Platina and others say lesse was Liberius banished The Romans at this time held a Councell wherein they chose for bishop Felix second This Felix as saith Platina was a very good man and so by his liking and consent of 48. bishops Vrsacius and Valens which held part with Constantius the Arrian Emperour were deposed These two went to Constantius and complained vpon Felix praying the Emperour to restore againe Liberius who wearied with the trouble of his banishment and nowe changed his opinion through ambition and the counsell of Fortunatus Bishop of Aquilea His banishment pardoned and Liberius restored to his Bishoprike in and by all things as saith Platina he agreed with the heretikes This restoring of Liberius and deposing of Felix caused great tumult in Rome so that the matter came to blowes and many Priestes and Ecclesiasticall men euen in the Churches were murthered This was the second Sisme In that which I haue said of Liberius and Felix I haue followwed Platina who vpon the life of Felix saith that faulting in nothing which became a true and good Christian he was caught with manie more good Christians and so by the aduersaries murthered Athanasius in an Epistle written to such as led a solitarie life saith plainly that Liberius after two yeares of his banishment passed being threatened wrth death changed his opinion and subscribed against Athanasius Ierome in his Chronicle saith that Liberius ouercome with disdaine of banishment subscribed to that wicked heresie Tome 1. Concil It is said that when Liberius was entered Rome he agreed with the heretike Constantius The same saith Damasus in his booke de Pontif. And Platina and Alonso venero in his Enchiridion of times and Iohn Stella and others Bale saith With ambition Gigas saith that Liberius moued with the martyrdome of Felix and fearing the like agreed with the Arrians approued their doctrine No mention is made of Liberius repentance therefore he is counted among the Arrian Popes Damasus his successour for this cause condemned Liberius al that he did But Gregorie 7. that abominable Pope as afterward in his life shall appeare canonized notwithstanding this Arrian Liberius and coÌ„manded saith Card. Benon his feast to be celebrated Panuinus the Popes great parasite in his chronicle of Bish cals him S. Liberius Behold if that which is said be true that many bee holden for Saintes whose soules are burning in hell Behold if the Pope may erre in â—aith To write the life of this Liberius hath cost me some trauell and diuersity of opinions the cause Some hold him for a Catholike others for an Arrian and both the one and the other say truth For in the beginning of his Bishopdome he was as we haue said a Catholike but after without repentance an obstinate Arrian Note we here what an euill beast is ambition He that standeth let him take heed lest he fall It sufficeth not to begin well but to end well is needfull He that continueth to the end saith the Lord shall be saued God giue vs grace to tame our ambition which we all haue need of For there is none which reputeth not himselfe for a demi-God and giue vs strength in afflictions which for his name we suffer Remember we Liberius But what speake I of Liberius Remember we Salomon that so well began but how proceeded he afterward The Lord gouerne vs vnto the end In the time of this Liberius and in the citie of Tagasta in Affrike was borne the great Doctor and light in the Church Saint Augustine and on the same day they say that Pelagius the heretike was borne in great Brittaine Oh the great mercie of God that prouided an Antidote against the poison of Pelagius Damasus a Portugall as we haue sayd condemned Liberius Damasus was verie deuout and ceremonious Panuinus in his Chronicle noteth that all the Bishops of Rome vntill Damasus were chosen and consecrated vpon one selfe same day But afterwards saith he this was not so obserued Vpon the day of Consecration now called coronation is a solemne triumph holden in Rome So much haue increased the riches power ambition and pride of those which call themselues the Fishers successours In this time flourished Saint Ierome and was a deare friend of Damasus as by their writings appeareth Betweene Damasus and Vrsinus was the third Sisme But in the 367. yeare Vrsinus renounced and was made Bishop of Naples Damasus died in the 384. yeare and Siricius succeeded him Siricius as saith Gracianus dist 82. was he that first forbad mariage to the Westerne priests which ordination many nations and chiefly our countrey of Spaine nothing esteemed Wherefore Hymerius then Bishop of Tarragona wrote to Siricius that the priestes
which another vndid one commanded that another forbad In his time the Armenians became Christians and Athanagilda now raigned in Spaine After Iohn 3 succeeded Benedict and Pelagius 2. Pelagius 2. a Romane the citie being inuironed contray to the wonted custome and without the Emperours commaund was made cheife Bishop For which cause he sent Gregorie who after him was Bishop to Constantinople to satisfie and appease the wrath of the Emperour In the 590. yeere died Pelagius and then Leonogildo reigned in Spaine Gregorie 1. a Romane was of best life and more learned then any of the Patriarkes his predecessors yet very ceremonious as by so many suprestitions by him brought into the Church appeareth He was the first that granted Indulgences to such as at certaine times wold come to the church Pardons he granted but sold them not as his successors for money He brought backe from Hell saith Damascen the Soule of the vnfaithfull Emprour Traian O horrible lie Pero Mexia vpon the life of Traian saith that which is said of the soule of Traian to be a fabulons Iest Illescas vpon the life of Gregorie 1. holdes it for a very trueth and condemneth Pero Mexia In the following treatise of the Masse wil we speake of this matter This good did Gregorie that both by wordes and deedes he was mortall enemy to the Primacie and so wrote against the name of vniuersall bishop as we will afterwardes declare against which he called himselfe the seruant of Gods seruants which title haue his successours but hypocritically holden seeing that calling themselues seruanth they haue made themselues lordes of the worlde and kinges Emperours and Monarkes kisse their feete and if the Pope will doe them that grace and fauour they holde themselues happie Gregorie much complained that in the worlde were so many Priestes and so few prachers of the Gospel Of this S. Gregory Huldricke Bishop of Augusta in an Epistle sent to Pope Nicholas 1. reciteth a notable historie the summe whereof is this That Saint Gregorie commaunded priestes should not marry but afterwardes vnderstanding they secretle committed great filthinesse and for that cause much murder ensued by commaunde he disanulled his decree affirming it better to marry then to giue occasion of murther Wherfore sending vpon a time to fish they found in a fishe poole or pond 6000. heads of young children that had there bene drowned Which Gregorie seeing to proceede of constrained single life sorowing and sighing from his hart he then reuoked his decree For that not only as saith the same Huldricke they had not abstayned from maydes and married women but defiled themselues also with their kinred with males and brute beastes Such are the fruites of Popish chastitie and their Angelicall life These thinges considered by Pope Pius 2. with great reason said he he forbad Priestes marriage but with much more reason he ought to restore it them againe And in another place It shall not happilie be worst that the greater parte of priestes doe marry for many are saued in their marry priesthood which in their barren priesthood are cōdemned The same Pius 2. as witnesseth Celius 2. supressed certain Monasteries of Nuns of Saint Bridgit and S. Clares order commaunding them thence to depart and no longer to burne in lust lest they shrowded a whore vnder a religions habite In the 604. yeares dyed Saint Gregorie at this time Leonigildo the Arrian that martyred Herminigildo his sonne raigned in Spaine Sabinianus successour of Gregorie 1. was the last Patriarke of Rome a man very simple and so much hated Gregorie his predecessour that he caused his bookes to be burned Onely will I here set downe a fable of the death of this Sabinian reported by Bergomenso for a very truth Saint Gregorie saith he being dead three times appeared to Sabinianus and sharply reproued him for seeking to defame him but his speach could nothing a mend Sabinianus which seeing S. Gregorie he gaue such a blowe vpon the head of Sabinianus that he made him die miserably Mon. eccl part 3. lib. 17. cap. 10. ¶ 1. hereof is made mention If this be true then one Pope killed another In the 605. yeare dyed Sabinianus This Sabinianus saith Illescas was the first that set an order in prayer deuiding the Office into the 7. Canonicall houres the same said he of of Pelagius 1. At this time reigned in Spaine Recaredo king the Gothes who destroyed the Aryan heresie which most parte of the Gothes maintained The third and last order conteyneth those Bishops which we properly call Popes and be very Antichristes As Boniface 3. began this order vntill Clement 8. who now tyranizeth hath continewed and in the last Pope shall take end Whom Christ will destroy with the spirit of his mouth as he destroyed his prodecessours And so shall the end come The Bishops of the first order were the Angels of God holy in life and Doctrine These of the second were men subiect to falling but these truly of the 3. are diuels incarnate Not by any figure Hiperbole or exaggeratiō but plainely doe I speake this I know it to be so as by their liues we will afterwardes proue Boniface 3. and first in this Catalogue was a most ambitious deuill And being Patriarke of Rome was made Pope by meanes of Phocas the Emperour who was an adulterer murtherer and tyrant A murtherer I call him for that to make himselfe Emperor as he did he murthered Mauricius his Lord and Christian Emperour This Boniface 3. by many requestes and giftes which breake the very rockes much more Phocas obteyned of Phocas that the Roman seate should be called the head of all Churches Three miserable thinges at this time happened the most noble Empire began to fall the Popedome to arise and Mahometisme to spring vp Of the ruines of the empire these two beastes arose which so much haue harmed the Church of Christ And by how much the more the Empier decayed by so much the more these two beasts increased It is now almost 1000. yeares since that by superstition and false Doctrine the light of the Gospell began to be darkened This miserable first Pope before a yeare of his Popedome was fully ended went to visite the Diuell the Father of ambition and with him there remayneth And albeit this first Pope was so ambitious and in his Ambition obstinately dyed Yet Panuinus calles him Saint Boniface notwithstanding At this time in Spaine the most Catholique Recaredo 1. reigned Boniface 4. succeeded Boniface 3. who as saith Platina obteyned of Phocas the Emperour the Temple which they called Pantheon to wit of all the Gods because it was dedicated to Sibylla and all the others Gods This Temple did Boniface dedicate vnto the blessed virgin and all the Martyrs which now is called S. Maries the round And thus far Platina Don Alonso of Carthagena Bishop of Burgos vpon
Councel of Rome after the said three Popes were deposed Clement 2. an Almaine by commandement of the Emperour was chosen He crowned the Emperour Henry and caused the Romans by an oth to renounce their right in election of the Pope For cofirmation of this renunciation I will here declare what Frier Iohn de Pin. pa. 3. lib. 19. cap. 24 ¶ 2. Blundus saith he holdeth that Clement 2. for the auoyding of Sismes depriued the Romans of the election of the Popes But Crancius Saxus say that in the Sutrian Councell it was forbidden them and granted to the Emperour And Naucterus and Sigebertus write that Henrie the Emperour bound the Romanes by an oth not to intermeddle with the Popes elections Thus farre Pineda The Romanes not regarding their oth after the Emperours departure from Rome poysoned the Pope whereof hauing bene Pope nine moneths he died Stephen they say who succeeded him in the Bishopdome and called himselfe Damasus the second prepared for him the poison Don Fernando 1. reigned in Spaine Damasus the second of Bauara without consent either of the Clergie or people of Rome by force held the Popedome For then as saith Platina was the custome that he which most could he had the Popedome But he enioyed not his bishopprick so ambitiously gotten but 23 dayes for he was poisoned The cause therof was that there was thē in Rome a man called Gerardo Brazuto who vsing a certaine deceitfull kind of friend ship in the space of 13 yeares dispatched with poison 6 Popes whose names be these Clement 2. Damasus 2. Leo 9. Victor 2. Stephen 9. Nicholas 2. The Romanes seeing themselues in such Sismes and seditions by the blacke elections of the Popes sent their Embassadors and besought the Emperour Henry to giue them a pope who sent vnto them Leo 9. Leo 9. comming to Rome encountred by the way with the the Abbot of Clunia and Hildebrand that afterward was Pope who seeing him Bishop-like attired perswaded him by no meanes so to enter Rome because not the Emperour but the Clergie and people of Rome had authoritie to make a pope Brunon before so called did as they aduised him came to Rome confessed his offence so they made him pope When he was pope Hildrbraud he made Cardinall and was with him very familiar granting all whatsoeuer he demaunded And so was Hildebrande of a poore Monke made a rich Cardinall Hildebrand reconciled with Pope Leo his old Lord and maister Theophilact before deposed from the popedome and now hipocritically reconciled In Verceles held Leo a Councell wherein he condemned the doctrine of Beringarius because he would not worship the cōsecrate bread for that it was bread not God Frier Ioh. de Pineda par 3. lib. 19. ca. 26. ¶ 2 of Berengarius albeit an enemie touching doctrine reporteth great vertues Beringarius saith he was a man of good learning quicke and mercifull and S. Antoninus addeth humbled whereof I much maruell c. And a little lower Most chast was he also so that he would not enter where any woman was This Leo 9. and partly at the instigation of that good peece Hildebrandus wholly forbad mariage to to ecclesiasticall persons Of this Leo 9. reporteth Carion lib. 4 of his historie that being Pope he went with the Emperour into Almaine And when the Emperour had called a Synod which was held in Maguncia the Pope being in the Councell would haue preferred himselfe to the Bishop of Maguntia But the Bishop alleaging his right defended the same and so was the Pope constrained to giue place For albeit the Popes had oftentimes attempted the tyrannie to be preferred before other Bishops yet had they not preuayled The which in the time of Henry the fift they obtained Fiue yeares was he Pope and the 1054 yeare of poyson which Brazuto gaue him he died Don Fernando 1. then reigned in Castile Victor 2. was Pope two yeares and somwhat more but Brazuto with poison dispatched him Don Sancho 2. reigned in Castile Stephen 10 or 9. fulfilled not one whole yeare For Brazuto dispatched him quickly in the 1058. year Don Sancho 2. reigned in Castile In the absence of Hildebrand was Benedict 10. or 9. But Hildehrand who then was the holy Spirit which ruled the Court of Rome did much stomacke this election and accusing him that by force bribes he had attained the Popedome so wrought that Benedict was deposed Wretched Hildebrand and how was he afterwards and his predecessors before him The old saying in this Benedict was fulfilled Para los desdichados se hizo la horca For the vnhappie was the gallowes prepared In the 1059. yeare Benedict vnwillingly renounced And Don Sancho 2. reigned in Castile Benedict deposed Hildebrand laboured the Clergie to choose Gerrard whom they called Nicholas 2. But vnable with his safety to make him in Rome they went to Sena and elected him there Nicholas seeing himselfe Pope called against Benedict the 10. a Synod in Sutrio This was the 21. Sisme which Benedict perceiuing who was a peaceable man leauing the Popedome he fled from Rome and so died not of poyson This Nicholas 2. held another Councell in Rome which they called the Councell of Lateran wherin he commanded that whosoeuer either by money fauour popular tumult or warre without the mutual consent of the Cardinals attained to the seat of S. Peter should not be holden for Apostolicall but Apostaticall To the Cardinals Clergie and Laity he gaue power to excommunicate and curse as a thiefe such a chiefe bishop and to call a Councell for deposing of such a Pope And if they could not in Rome yet in some other place they should call it Behold if his successours kept this decree Nicholas 2. poysoned by Brazuto in the 1061 yeare dyed Don Sancho 2. then reigned in Castile By the crafty subtiltie of Hildebrand and without consent of the Emperour was Alexander 2. made Pope for which cause the Lombards in the Diet holden at Basil where the Emperor was present elected Honorius Cadolus This was the 22. Sisme Honorius came with a great host and besieged Rome but he his were destroyed and so Alexander 2. gotte possession This Alexander commanded that the Cardinals only should choose the Pope Great alterations haue bene in chusing of the Pope First by the Senate Clergie and people of Rome with consent of the Emperor he was chosen then was he chosen of the Clergie and people of Rome one while with the Emperours consent another while without afterwards he was chosen by the Clergie now only by the Cardinals and is not to be chosen except he be Cardinall present in the Conclaue when the election is made The holy Spirit that gouerneth in the Popes election is euery day more wise and better aduised Hildebrand cast this Pope Alexander into prison aduancing himselfe with the papall
to be murdered For Conradino the sonne and heire of Conrade king of Sicilia sought to defend his right but Charles ouercame and tooke him prisoner together with Fredericke Duke of Austria neere vnto Naples and by the counsell of the pope did behead them For Charles wrote to the Pope what he should doe with Conradino his prisoner The Pope answered The life of Charles the death of Conradino c. After him Adrian 5. against this Charles demanded aide of Rodolph the Emperour The kingdome of Naples by meanes of this cursed Pope came to the French and the Dukedome of Sueuia tooke end In the 1270. yeere this butcher died The seat of Sathan was long time to wit two yeeres and nine moneths and two dayes voide And Don Alonso 10. then reigned in Castile Clement the fourth being dead the Cardinals which were 17. number to chuse a new pope assembled together Amongst whom so great discord arose that in almost three yeeres space they could not agree for euery of them pretended to be pope Philip king of France and Charles king of Sicill hearing of this great discord came to Viterbo where the Cardinals were and prayed them to dispatch and chuse a chiefe bishop but so great was the ambition of the Cardinals that all this trauell and sute of the two kings were to no purpose so they returned without any thing done When they were in the election inuocating the holy spirit bishop Iohn Cardinall Portuensis seeing the great forwardnesse of the Cardinals said vnto them My Lords let vs vncouer this chamber for the holy spirit through so great roofes cannot enter vnto vs. When the same Cardinall vnderstood that Gregory was Pope he cōpiled these two verses Papatus munus tulit Archidiaconus vnus Quem patrem patrum fecit discordia fratrum To wit an Archdeacon attained to the Popedom whom the discord of brothers made father of fathers All this reporteth Panuinus an Augustin Frier Behold here what the Romists thēselues report of the elections of their Popes behold here Ambition the holy spirit which in their election gouerneth Gregory 10. thus elected in the yere 1273. at Lyons in France did celebrate a Councell where Michael Paleologus Emperour of Constantinople who approued the doctrin of the Romaine church his predecessors hauing 12 times done the like as many times more reuoked the same was present In this councell it was ordeined that the Pope being dead the Cardinals shold shut thēselues in the Conclaue And that moreouer which Panuinus in the note vpon Platina vpon the life of this Gregory 10. saith He renued a fresh the warre of the holy land And in 5 yeres that he poped neuer saw Rome In the 1276. yere he died and Don Alonso 10. reigned in Castile Innocent 5. a Burgonion was the first begging friar that was made pope for which cause he much fauored his dominicks And hauing poped 6. moneths 2. daies the same yere with his predecessor he died Adriā 5. a Genoway was the nephew or as is thought the son of Innocēt 4. whē he was Pope he went frō Rome to Viterbo frō whence he wrote to Rodulph the Emperour to aide him against Charles king of Sicilia which Charles had the former popes against all right made king of Sicil as in the life of Clement 4. we haue noted but the Emperor occupied in the wars of Bohemia could not succor him He poped but one moneth 7 daies then died Iohn 22. or 21 or 20 before he was pope called in latin Petrus Hispanus was born at Lisbon by professiō a Phisition Albeit this mā was holden for very learned yet was he very vnskilfull to gouerne And as saith Platina wrought more domage thē profit to the popedom Many things he did which shew his folly lightnes One good property he had that whē he saw a yong man inclined to study with benefits money he would aide him This mā foolish as he was promised by the stars long life to himselfe so would tell it to all men But it farre otherwise happened to him for a certaine chamber which Valerius calleth a sporting chamber Estella calleth it a precious bed chamber which he had builded for his pleasure in the pallace of Viterbo at the end of 4. dayes fell suddenly to the ground the Pope was found betweene the timber the stones who hauing poped 8. moneths and 8. daies at 7. dayes end in the 1277. yere died Six moneths after the death of his predecessor was Nicholas 3. chosen for the Cardinals could not agree at the end of which time Charles king of Sicilia ruling as a Senator in the Conclaue Nicholas 3. was chosen who after he was pope began thē to persecute Charles he tooke frō him the vicaredge of Hetruria he tooke frō him also the power of Senator giuē him by Clement 4. he forbad that no king or prince thenceforth should dare to demand or administer that office tooke it to himselfe But Martin the 4. his successor did restore it vnto him For so agree the Popes that that which one doeth another vndoeth This Nicholas with great wars vexed Italy And the better to effect his purposes he perswaded Don Pedro king of Arragon to demand the kingdom of Sicilia seeing it was his in the right of his wife Constance This counsell much pleased Don Pedro which was afterwards the cause of much bloodshed In the yere 1381. died Nic. Martin 4. a Frenchman Panninus cals him 2. with great humanity receiued Charles king of Sicilia and restored him to the dignity of Senator that moreouer which his predecessor had taken frō him He excōmunicated Don Pedro king of Arragon who leuied a great armie to inuade Charles in Sicilia gaue his kingdome for a prey to the first that could take it absolued all his vassals from their oth to him made as their king c. yet Don Pedro of al this made no reckoning but passed into Italy aided by Paleologus Emperor of Constantinople wan Sicilia The Sicilians for their pride luxuritie bare great hatred to the French so that they conspired against Charles his frenchmen toulling the bels they issued out killed all nor sex nor age regarded yong old men and women albeit great with child they destroyed These be the Euensongs which the Sicilians call so famous After this Charles with his armie comming to Naples was vanquished taken as saith Platina sent into Arragon This Pope Martin tooke the concubine of his predecessor Nicholas 3. when Martin had 4. yeares and one moneth poped in the 1285. yeare he died of whom saith Platina that after his death he wrought great miracles Don Alonso 10. then raigned in Castile Honorius the fourth following the steps of his predecessor Martin 4. confirmed the excommunication and interdiction against Don Pedro which held
were not wanting that affirmed Christ and his Apostles to haue had nothing in proper and that the Emperour in temperall thinges was not subiect to the Pope The Emperour and Nobles of Rome well perceiuing the villanies of the Pope and the Romans much stomacking their messengers bad intreatie with the Pope all with one consent determined that the ancient custome of choosing the Roman Bishop should bee eftsoones obserued namely that the Pope being chosen by the people of Rome should be confirmed by the Emperour And so declaring Iohn to be an heretique tyrant and no pastor but a perturber of the peace publique of the Church they chose Petrus Corbarensis a Minorite whom they called Nicholas 5. This Pope graunted tenthes to Charles the faire king of France for the conquest of the holy land and willing them against the Emperour Lodwicke Bauare The king was ill thought of and worse also the Pope when it was knowne which was a scandalous theft that to the halfes they were graunted as saith Fryar Iohn de Pineda lib 22. cap. 25. ¶ 6. In this Popes time saith Carion lib. 5. was the question handled if the Emperor ought to depose the Pope when he shal not doe his dutie in his office and put another in his place as did Otho 1. who deposed the Pope after that his cause had bene heard in the Councell In this time and the 1335. yeare dyed Pope Iohn beeing 90. yeares old He left so much treasure as none of his predecessors had done to wit 205000. dragmes of gold or as saith Friar Iohn de Pineda lib. 22. cap 26. ¶ 4. a millyon he left in money and 700000 duckets and in the margin he saith some say 25. millions how shall he say with Saint Peter whose successor he boasteth to be Siluer gold haue I none The Bull of this Popes recantation touching the heresie of the Soules in the Historie of Petrus Premostratensis appeareth In the time of this Iohn Don Alonso 11. reigned in Castille Don Alonso the sonne of Iames 2. in Aragon and another Don Alonso in Portugale Benedict 12. or 10. was no better to Lodowick the Emperour then was Iohn 23. his predecessor He confirmed the excommunication and that moreouer which Iohn had done For which cause the Emperor assembled in Almaine all the Electors Dukes Earles Bishops and learned men In whose presence he shewed that the Electors of the Empire and none others ought to chuse the king of the Romans who being so elected as Emperor without the Popes confirmation might exercise and administer the office of the Emperour This good Emperour shewed further that saying of the Pope to be false that the Imperiall seate being voyde the Pope was the gouernour of the Empire He shewed that this was against the libertie dignitie law and Maiestie of the sacred Empire and that the good and approued custome which hitherto had beene obserued was that the County Palatine of Rhin in the time of such vacation should gouerne the Empire graunt the fees and the Clementine notwithstanding further dispose of the affaires of the Empire In conclusion so great was the goodnesse of this Lodowicke that Benedict receiued him into friendship and absolued him of the excommunication Albeit in very deede the Pope did this not so much for the goodnesse of the Emperour as that he might ayde him against the King of France whom hee feared and so by publike edict adâ—ulled and made voyde all whatsoeuer his predecessors had done against the Emperour saying that Iohn had exceeded his dutie in excommunicating of the Emperour c. And that which in his defence the Emperour had done like a good Christian he had done it In the time of this Pope liued Franciscus Petrarca who had to sister a beautifull woman whom this old lecher the Pope with great summes of money bought for his pleasure of her other brother called Gerrard For the Popes abhorre to haue lawful wiues and loue to embrace strumpets In the 1342. yeare dyed Benedict 12. Don Alonso 11. reigning in Castile Clement 6. as saith Ieronymus Marius Eusebiocatiuo was was much giuen to women very ambitious desirous of honour and power and with a deuillish furie furious He caused writinges to be fixed vpon the dores of the Churches wherein with terrible threates and punishments menaced the Emperour Lodowicke if within three dayes he did did not that which he commaunded The Eemperour being a peaceable man and enemye to blod shed set his embassadors to the Pope beseeching him to pardon and receiue him into his fauour But the Pope answered that by no meanes he would pardon him vntill he should confesse all his errors and heresies depriue himselfe of the Empire put himselfe his children and all that he had into his handes to doe therewithall as he best pleased and had also promised not to take againe these things without his fauour and good will To all this that the Pope demanded for the auoiding of warres and slaughter which he saw imminent if he subiected not himselfe the Emperour yeelded and so sware to obserue that which the Pope commanded Whereat the Pope himselfe wondered and neuer thought the Emperour would so haue done yet for all this was not this vnmercifull Clement appeased but froÌ„ day to day became worse he confirmed all that which Iohn 23. had done against Lodowicke the Emperour commanded the Princes to choose another Emperour tooke the Archbishopricke from the Archbishop of Maguncia and because the Archbishop seeing the innocencie of the Emperor wold not be against him depriued him of the Electorship With great summes of mony were the rest of the Electors corrupted by Iohn K. of Boheme to the end they might vow for Charles his son so they chose him Emperor Which election this vnmerciful Clement theÌ„ approued Thus left Lodowike the gouernment of the Empire But the Pope not herewith contented sent one in wine to giue him poison wherof he died Hasten ô Spaine to know this cruel beast Frier Iohn de Pineda lib. 22. cap. 28. ¶ 2. saith Leaue we Pope Clement in his Court at Auignon where Symony hath free passage in the exchange of benefices c. This pope to rake together mony reduced the Iubile from an hundred to fifty yeares which in his absence the 1350. yeare was celebrated at Rome Boniface 8 did institute the same from 100 to 100 yeares This Clement 6. authorized the Bishop of Bamberg to absolue all such as had takeÌ„ part with the Emperor but with 3 coÌ„ditions The 1. to swear fealty to him as to the Vicar of God the 2. to beleeue that the Emperor had no right in the electing or deposing the Pope the 3. not to acknowledge any for K. nor Caesar if he wer not by the Pope confirmed Euidently shewed this Clement 6. the authoritie hee tooke in heauen Purgatorie and Hell For in his Bull of Iubile speaking of
hee surely pretend it Thus farre Platina Eight of the French Cardinals fearing the seuerity and cruelty of Vrban went to Fundo where for the causes aboue said and alleaging that the seat was voyd yet there were 18 Cardinals ayded by Iane Queene of Naples another Pope they elected whom they called Clement 7. This was the most pernicious Sisme longest lasted of any others For vntill the Councell of Constance began which was 40 yeares after 10 yeres after that it continued so that it endured 50 yeares Who listeth to know the deceipts subtilties periuries dissimulations c. of those that poped in the time of this Sisme let him read Theodoricus de Nyem who as an ey-witnes wrote the historie of this Sisme Bonin Segino in the Florētine history Frier Iohn de Pineda lib. 22. cap. 37. ¶ 3. 4. This Vrban saith Estella was a man subtil reuengefull bearing iniuries in mind not that which he had done but that he had receiued Crantzio saith that he was fierce cruel vntreatable so being Pope he sought not to set peace but wars to reuenge himself on the Frēch Cardinals Queen Iane. For which cause to make thē on his part he absolued the Florentins of the excōmunication which Gregorie his predecessor had giuen out against them This Vrban caused 5 Cardinals to be put in 5 sacks and so cast into the sea where they were drowned From this kind of death but very hardly escaped Adam an English Cardinall The cause why the Pope did this was for that these Cardinals taking part with Clement 7. had conspired against him After this for the better strengthening of his faction he made in one day 29 Cardinals three of them saith Platina were Romans all the rest almost Neapolitans Pandulphus Colenucius a most learned Lawyer addeth in his Latine Neapolitan history another cruelty much greater then this we haue spoken of This Vrban saith he being in Genoa cōdemned to death three Cardinals commanded their heads to be cut off their bodies to be rosted in a furnace being rosted to put thē into sackes and whēsoeuer he went frō one people to another he caried them vpō 3 horses that it might be known they had bin Cardinals they placed their red hats vpon the sackes All this he did to be feared that none shold dare to attempt ought against him Thus far Colenucius This Vrban vnable by force and artes to be reuenged on Queene Iane sent to intreat Charles nephew of the king of Hungarie to come aid him with an host he would make him king of Naples Charles aided with the counsel people of the king his vncle came and seazed the kingdome of Naples tooke Queene Iane who was retired to Newcastle a fort in Naples and so taken put her to death The Pope vntil this time was a great friend vnto Charles but as peace among the wicked doth not long continue so this great loue of the Pope turned into much more hatred And why deeme you his Diuellishnesse was so much offended The cause was for that Charles refused at the Popes request to make the Nephew or as some thinke the sonne of the Pope Prince Campano Platina Colenucius and others recite this historie When the Pope could not obtaine this being a man vnciuill vngentle and ill beloued began to threaten Wherere with the king was so much offended that the Pope for certaine dayes durst not go abroad But the Pope a while dissembling this iniurie for excessiue heate as he said departed by the Kings consent from Naples to Nocera The Pope come to Nocera there fortified himselfe and made new Cardinals He made processe against the king and sent to cite him to appeare before him whereunto the king answered that he would come quickly to Nocera not only with words but with weapons to iustify his cause The king came and with a great campe besieged the citie The Pope seeing himself so besieged escaped and went to Genoua where he acted that which we haue before spoken of the Cardinals When Lodowicke king of hungarie and vncle to Charles was dead the Nobles of Hungarie sent for Charles king of Naples to make him king of Hungarie whither Charles went in the yeare 1385. by great treason of her that had bene Queen of Hungarie was slaine When Vrban as reporteth Colenucius in his Neapolitane historie heard of the cruell death of Charles he tooke great pleasure and when the sword as yet bloudie wherewith Charles was slaine was presented vnto him he beheld and did contemplate the same with great ioy aud contentment So did not Iulius Caesar being a pagan no Christian nor holy Father who saith Plutarch when one presented to him the head of Pompey his mortall enemie in detestation of so great an euill turned away his eyes and would not beholde it Note that which the same Plutar. reporteth of Lycurgus who pardoned him which had put out his eye These exāples I draw from pagans for his greater shame who calleth himselfe holy Father vicar of Iesus Christ Vicar of Sathan I call Vrban who was a murtherer from the beginning With the death of Charles ended not the malice of Vrban it passed further for a yeere after the death of Charles this Pope practised to disinherite Ladislaus Iohn sons of Charles as then but little ones but those of Gaeta kept thē safely The pope returned to Rome and not without suspition of poison hauing cruelly poped 11 yeres and eight moneths in the 1390. yeere died whose death saith Platina very few lamented because he was a man rude and vntreatable In the time of this cruell Pope was founde the cruell inuention of gunnes in Almaine Don Iohn 1. bastard son of Don Fernando K. of Portugal at this time reigned in Portugal This Don Iohn got the victory of Aliubarota another Don Iohn 1. being king of Castile This is that battell against the Castillians which the Portugals so much prize and glory of And so vpon a time as Don Charles the Emperor almost threatened the Portugal Embassadour and said vnto him Behold Embassador there are not many riuers to passe from hence to Portugall It is true answered the Embassador because there are now no more riuers then were in the time of Aliubarota The king of Portugall for this answer rewarded the Embassador Don Iohn 1. and Don Enrique his son raigned in Castile From the election of Clement 7. fully spokē of in the life of his Antipope Vrban 6. the Sisme endured 50. yeres Almaine Italie and England fauored Vrban France Castile Aragon Nauarre and Cathaluna fauored Clement 7. and many there were also that were neuters and neither fauored Vrban nor Clement This Clement celebrated a Councel in Paris In his time and the 1387. yere arose a question betweene the vniuersitie of Paris and the Dominicks about the conception of the virgin Marie And
afterwardes was much brawling betweene the Dominicans and Franciscans the question as yet being vndetermined For the Popes therein haue put them to silence lest the foolish deuotion and superstition of the ignorant common people should be despised In the 1392. yeare Clement died Very many and terrible Bulles sent these Antipopes into diuerse partes of the world many famous libels cast they one against the other where with they did bite detest and curse the one calling the other Antichrist Sismatike Heretike Tyrant Theefe Traitor wicked sower of tares and sonne of Beliall And verily in this that the one saith against the other doe they not lie neuer in their liues spake they more truly For aswell the sonne of Beliall as the rest was both one and other Many holding this Pope for Antipope count him not in the Catalogue of the Popes But certenly he hath wrong for more canonically was he chosen then Vrban if there be any election of the pope canonically made and was not in his life so great a villaine nor so cruell as Vrban was Hereby moreouer great iniurie is done to our countrie of Spaine and to Fraunce which held Clement for true Pope and Vrban for Antipope and Antichrist as Clement called him And so Don Iohn 1. king of Castile that his kingdome should not be seperate from the communion of the Seat Apostolike caused as saith Don Rodrigo Bishop of Palencia in his historie speaking of K. Iohn the Prelates and men most learned in diuinitie and humanitie and the estates of his Realme to assemble together who after they had well examined and debated the businesse declared that Clement 7. was to be obeyed And when Clement was dead they gaue it to his successor Benedict 13. as hereafter we will declare Boniface 9. not being as thē 30 yeares old by the parciality factiō of Vrban 6. who as saith Crantzio intreated the Romans not like a bishop but like a cruel Emperor or tyrant was chosen in Rome And for that he held them suspected put many of thē to death This Pope made a law that no Priest should inioy his liuing without paying to the pope the first fruits called the Annales which is one whole yeres value of his liuing The English only did resist this decree as Platina Volateranus Blundus Polidorus Virgilius Pantaleon c. do note Hee caused Ladislaus sonne of Charles to be crowned king of Naples Vrban 6. as in his life we haue said for the hatred which he bare vnto his deceased father endeuoured to disinherite and vtterly destroy Ladislaus A great Simmonist was this Boniface by his Bulles Indulgences pardons and the great Iubile which in the 1400. yeare he celebrated at Rome he gathered much money which against al law right he with his kindred prodigally wasted In the 1404. yeare he died And Don Henry 3. reigned in Castile Benedict 13. or 11. a Spaniard for the same causes as was Clement 7. is not reckened among the Popes but sith our countrey of Spaine and Fraunce held him for Pope we will not displace him A Spaniard he was borne in Cataluna and called before he was Pope Pedro de Lunae by 20 Cardinals of Clements faction he was chosen in Auignon a man learned he was and before he was Pope disputed against the authoritie of the Pope and concluded that he was not to be feared For this so true doctrine he was by the Pope which then held the seat of Antichrist as an heretike condemned Pope he was vntill the Councell of Pisa deposed him He was afterwards deposed by the Councel of Constance who albeit by two Councels deposed yet left he not for all this to be called Pope vntill the 1424. yeare after he had bene Pope 30 yeares and more he died in his land of Cataluna At his death he commaunded the Cardinals when he was dead to choose for pope Gill Nunoz Cannon of Barcelona whom they called Clement 8. who at the instance of Don Alonso king of Aragon created new Cardinals and did all that the popes were accustomed to do But when pope Martin 5. elected in the Councell of Constance ioyned in friendship with the king Don Alonso Nunoz after he had 4 yeares poped by commandement of the king renounced and was made Bishop of Mallorca and his Cardinals of themselues forsooke their functions In the time of this Sisme liued a learned good man called Theodoricus of Nyem bishop of Verda who as before we haue sayd wrote the historie of this Sisme which historie is now hard to be found because the papists for that it manifested the truth almost cast it out of the world But in the 1566. yeare was it againe newly printed to the popes great griefe in Basilea Among other things this Author said proued that the pope held no politike right ouer the Emperour but contrariwise that the Emperour ought to chasten wicked Popes said moreouer that they which dissemble such enormious abhominations and tyrannies which the popes commit are not worthy to be called Emperours In the time of Benedict 13. Don Henry and Don Iohn 2. reigned in Castile Innocent 7. was chosen in Rome to succeed Boniface 9. whiles he was Cardinall he reproued the negligence and fearfulnesse of Vrban and Benedict saying that they were the cause of the Sismes so long continuance which to al Christendom wrought so great mischiefe But when he was pope he changed his opinion and not only did that which before he had so much reproued but was also much offended if any spake to him thereof In doing what he would he tyrannized ouer the people of Rome but his popedome not long endured and so in the 1407. yeare he died Don Iohn 2. then reigning in Castile Gregorie 12. whom Thodoricus de Nyen alwayes called Errorius and his followers Errorians was elected at Rome in place of Innocent 7. Benedict 13. then liuing in Auignon With this condition was Gregorie chosen that were it for the good of the Church he shold renounce the popedome which being pope he cōfirmed before witnesses Notaries that wrote the same so that Benedict 13. would doe the like But as Benedict would not renounce no more would Gregorie albeit both the one the other being great dissemblers and subtill gaue great hope that they would do it And so they appointed Sauona whither they should come and agree yet al was but wind For this cause in the 1410 yeare was holden a great Councell in Pisa where manie Cardinals on the one side and the other 124 Diuines and almost 300 Lawyers were present Both the Popes in this Councell were deposed and Alexander 5. a Cretian in their place elected This did al Christendome approue Spaine Scotland and the Countie of Ameniaco which claue firmely to Benedict 13. excepted Gregorie and Benedict nought esteeming the Councell of Pisa yet held themselues for Popes but fearing to be caught
French English and Flemish In this booke it is liuely depainted and with many notable exampeles confirmed This is to be noted that how many soeuer entred into the Inquisition for what cause soeuer all came out with confusion and losse of goods and many of their liues and none at all instructed Such is the intreatie wherewith the Fathers of the faith doth intreat them They haue not leysure to teach them but to robbe and kill them Would God that according to the lawdable custome of Spaine in other Audienecs Iudges of residence should be sent men learned and voyd of passion which might examine the Inquisitors and those that be and haue bene prisoners in the Inquisition O what would then bee discouered Aragon as it were by force receiued afterwardes the Inquisition and so they killed the first Inquisitors In the 1546. yeare Don Pedro of Toledo attempted to place it in Naples but could neuer effect it as Doctor Illescas vppon Paul 3. reporteth For the Neapolitanes did vehemently withstand it Thinges standing in these termes Pope Paule before certified of what passed in Naples dispatched forth a writ apostolique whereby he declared that the knowledge of causes touching the offence of heresie apperteyned to the ecclesiasticall Court and Iurisdiction apostolique commaunding the viceroy and all whomsoeuer secular Iudges to surcease in them and not entermedle to proceede against any heresie by way of Inquisition nor any other manner reseruing to himselfe the determination of such causes as of a thinge concerning the Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction Thus farre Doctour Illescas Some yeares after one Sayavedra Cordoves perswaded the king of Portugale that he was sent a Nuncio from Paul 3. vnto him And so in the 1545. yeare thus brought in the Inquisition into Portugale There went out of Portugale 30000. Iewes Time brought it to light that the Pope had not sent him and so was he condemned to the gallies Another pleasant conceate haue I heard of this Nuncio an excellent writer he was and well knewe to counterfeite what handsoeuer This Nuncio remayning in the gallies came a poore woman to beseech the Generall of the gallies to ayde her with some almes for the mariage of her poore daughter The General made answere that very willingly would he helpe her but present want of money was the cause he could not The poore woman with this answere departed weeping of whom when the Nuncio saw her weepe hee demaunded the cause of her weeping She told him that which she had passed with the Generall Then did he comfort her saying that he would effect what she desired And taking inke and paper he wrote these words Steward vpon sight of these presents giue so many thousand marmades the number I remember not to her that shall giue you this scedule which scedule the Nuncio subcribed as if the Generall himselfe had done it The poore woman departed with her scedule to the Stewarde The steward answered that he wondered his Lord would in such a time send that scedule But sith such was his pleasure he would giue her that which he commaunded him to giue her and so gaue it indeede When the day came that the Generall tooke account of the steward the steward presented the said scedule vnto him which he read againe and said to the steward True it is that such a poore woman came to me to aske an almes but I answered her that I could not helpe her for the present And beholding the subscription said this is my hand but I wrote it not Wherefore he made inquirie in the gally who had written it and it was proued to be the Nuncio For which cause the generall would haue caused his hand to be cut off but at request of many his hand cutting was spared and he put to the oares For by reason of his wealth he rowed not-before D. Illescas in the life of Clement 6. saith that he saw him in the gally rowing One of the chiefe causes of the low countries reuolt wherein so many thousands of Spaniards and other nations haue died and so many millions of crownes haue bene wasted y aun el rabo como dizen estápor desollar yet the taile as the say is to be fleyed for to begin anew is each day needfull was that the Duke d' Oliua sought to bring in the inqusition You see here the profit which the Inquisition hath brought to Spain This saie I not as though I would that there were neither king nor ruler but that each one might doe and beleeue what he listed Good lawes be necessarie in euery cōmon wealth for this cause committed God the sword to the Magistrate for the chastisement of the wicked and praise of the good as saith the Apostle Saint Peter Let them then that doe euill be punished but not tyrannically All lawes permit the delinquent to know who is his aduersarie and the witnesses that depose and who they be that he may except against them if they be infamous or his enemies c. In this Inquisitorie Audience the Lo. Treasurer who it may be neuer knewe nor saw the delinquent is made partie the witnesses howe infamous what villaines soeuer or great enemies they be are neuer named and so cannot be excepted against The which is contrary to all diuine and humane Iustice If the witnesses haue witnessed against one three or foure things the Inquisitors doe charge him as though the witnesses had spoken of ten or twelue things much more horrible then the witnesses haue deposed And so maie the Inquisitors doe what they list knowing that there is no residēt Iudge which is to take account of that they haue done Against this tyrannie doe we speake Maie it please the diuine Maiestie which hath geuen to the king the sword authoritie and commaund ouer all whatsoeuer that liue in his kingdomes be they secular as they terme them or ecclesiasticall to put into the kinges heart willingnes to be informed of the wronges and grieuances which the Inquisition doth and to geue as is his dutie remedie for the same which one day I hope the Lord will performe reuenge the blood of the iust which the Inquisition vniustly hath spilled The blood of the Iust is as the blood of Abell crying for vengeance How long say the dead for the word of God c. Lord holy and true wilt thou not iudge auenge our blood c. The brotherhood hath done and doth great good to Spaine for it clenseth the waies and wast places of the eues and robbers and so men may walke and sit safely vnder their figge trees and at the foote of their vine A common prouerbe it is that in Spaine are three holy sisters the holy Inquisition the holy Crosse and the holy brotherhood frō the one which is the Inpuisitiō they pray God to deliuer them from the other will they keepe themselues The tyrrany of the Inquisition in this saying is noted God of his great loue
ordinariely see in such like places c. And vppon the life of Benedict the eight saith the same Illescas That it should not be amisse for the prelates to commaund that none remayne by night in such like hermitages for many wicked thinges which are there committed should be excused c. This Iulius with his hoste vpon a time issuing out of Rome hurled the keyes of Saint Peter into the riuer Tyber saying Sith the keyes of Peter are now of no force et the sword of Paule preuayle and so drewe he the sword out of the scaberd For like a good captaine he carried the sword at his side Vppon this so notable a deede many Poetts made verses of which I will recite fower that declare the Historie Inde manustrictum vagina diripit ensem Exclamansque truci talia voce refert Hic gladius Pauli nos nunc defendet ab hoste Quando quidem clauis nil iuuat ista Petri. From scaberd then his naked sword he drew Exclaming with cruell voyce he said This sword of Paul shall make our foes to rew Sith Peters keyes nought serue vs for our ayd What religion had this Pope that so shamelesly mocked with Saint Peter and Saint Paule When hee was made Pope he promised that with an othe that within 2 yeares he would hold a Councell Of this oath maketh mention Friar Bartholmew Carrança speaking of the Lateran Councell that in the time of this Iulius was holden But when the 2 yeares yeares yeares more passed and no hope of a Councell was seene the Pope being far of from any such matter for that the Councels are too bitter purges for the Popes as before in the CouÌ„cels of Pisa Constance and Basile we haue seene 9 Cardinals whereof Barnardino Carauaiall a Spaniard was one together with the procurators of Maximilian the Emperour and of Lewes 12 king of France assembled at Millan and nominated Pisa for the Councel to be holden which should begin the first day of September in the 1511 yeare The causes that moued them so to doe were that the Pope had broken the othe which hee had made sith so many yeares passed yet made he no showe of a CouÌ„cel therfore to accuse the Pope of enormious offences had they called a Councell Their purpose was to depriue him of his Popedome where vnto he had aspired through ambition and bribes But Iulius vnderstanding hereof commaunded vnder a greiuous paine that no person of what condition or estate soeuer should goe to Pisa and that nothing of that should be obeyed which those of Pisa decreed ordeyned and nominated Rome for the celebration of a Councell the yeare following which was to begin the 9. of Aprill 1512. At this time liued in Padua Philipus Decius an excellent lawer who by writing defended against the Pope the cause of these Cardinals When the king of France perceiued that the Pope had ioyned with the Venecians to make war with him he called a Councell at Tours and there propounded these 5 questions whether it were lawfull for the Pope to moue warres and that causelesse against any Prince whether such a Prince defending his countrie might set vppon him that had inuaded him and depart from his obedience It was answered that it is not lawfull for the Pope to moue warres c. and that it is lawfull for such a Prince in defence of himselfe to doe that a foresaid and that for the kingdome of France the law pragmaticall ought to be obserued That no account was to bee made of the Popes censures and excommunications if then hee should passe them The King receiuing this answere sent it to the Pope praying him eyther to be content with a peace or else to call a generall Councell purposely to examine and determine this busines but the Pope admitted neither the one nor the other This wretched Iulius as some authors report was reputed for a great Sodomite Queen Anne of France say they sent 2 youthes to Cardinal Robertus Nanetensis to be instructed whom the Pope abused the like report another author maketh of an Almaine youth great Lord with whom he committed the like wickednesse These be things which neither honest pen ought to write nor chast eares to heare yet is it needfull to discouer the shames of the Roman Courte that Spaine thereby be no longer deceiued And for this pardon mee good Christian reader Albeit that such a one was Iulius yet wanted he not those that did extoll him for very Godly wise prudent and a man of Counsell Woe vnto you that call euill good and good euill When Iulius had Poped 10. yeares in the 1513. yeare he dyed In whose time died also Dona Isabella Queene and in her place Dona Iane her daughter which married with Don Phillip of Austra sonne of Maximilian the Emperor reigned And so the low countries were ioyned with Spaine Leo 10. a Florentine was of his owne nature quiet and gentle but leauing himselfe to be ruled by vnquiet and cruell men he suffered many Insolencies to be commited Much giuen he was to Idlenes pleasure taking and carnall delights many bastards he had whom he greatly enriched making them Dukes and mightie Lords and marrying them with great Ladies At the age of 13 yeares was this Leo made Cardinal what age was this to be a pillar of the Church At this CoronatioÌ„ were made most great feasts which should be long to recount Aboue 100000 duckets they affirme were cast among the people as saith D. Illescas vpon the life of Leo c. Leo 10. at one time created 13 Cardinals among whoÌ„ he would make Raphaell Vrbinas a most excelleÌ„t painter that this way he might recoÌ„peÌ„ce the great sum of money which he owed him for his picturs See here wherfore the hats doe serue yet is this to be passed ouer for they are wontedly giueÌ„ for other abhominatioÌ„s Liberal he was in granting of IndulgeÌ„ces much more in taking money for them to enrich his children In the 1515. yeare Leo graunted a Iubile to Fraâ—ucis king of France which Iubile passed also into many other prouinces The comissares Echacueruos deceiuers did preach that whosoeuer would giue the summe of money which was taxed should draw one what soule he would out of Purgatorie They said that God according to the promise made to S. Peter whatsoeuer thou looseston earth shal be loosed in heauen would doe all whatsoeuer they would But not a farthing said they must be wanting of that which was taxed They pardoned those that tooke this Iubile for thinges done and to bee done which gayne as they said displeased many Godly and learned and so they began to debate the question of the authoritie and power of the Pope Which question was the ruine of the Popedome Martin Luther among others opposed himselfe to these Insolent Pardons and preached against them in Almaigne as saith Bartholomew Carança a
the Pope that against their owne conscience affirme Panl 3. to haue bene married And so D. Illescas vpon the life of this Paul 3. ¶ 17 saith Paul 3. was married and after he had put away his wife of whom he had Poro luys he was made Priest obteyned the hat c. ¶ 23. he saith the vnthought of death of Pero luis lawfull son of this Pope c. But Illescas telleth not who was the mother of Peroluys nor how loÌ„g time he was married nor wher he was married nor yet where he liued married This Paul poysoned Fulgosius and Contarenus Cardinals Iohannes Baptista Vergerius Bishop of Pole because they tasted how sweete and good was Christ and how bitter and euill was Antichrist Paulus Vergerius Bishop of Iustinopole brother of the abouesaid Iohn escaped and fled into Germany and from thence with his writings made warre against him In his time with fire and blood c. Suffered the Church great persecution In the 1546. yeare Alexander Farnesius Cardinall and Octauius his brother Duke of Parma sonnes of the cursed Poro luys and nephews of the Pope going to make war in Almaigne bruted it a broad they there purposed to shed so much blood of the Lutherans that the horses might swimme therin This Paul enioyed the rent of aboue 40000. whores or as they call theÌ„ Curtesanes which were in Rome The rent as before we haue said is a Iulio or Spanish royal euery weeke Multiply the same thou shalt see if the Pope may make a mighty birthright of his whorish rents This Paul 3. did excommuncate an anathemise Henry 8. king of England and gaue his kingdome for a praie to them that could take it Al which this Magnanimious king nought esteemed but so valliantly defended his kingdome that they whom the Pope had incited against him themselues sought peace with him In the biginning of his Popedome the 1534. yeare hapned one notable villany done by the Franciscan Friars in Orleans The tale is this that in that yeare died the wife of the Corregidor or maior of OrleaÌ„s who commanded that she should simply without any pomp at al be buried With her father and grandfather did they bury her in S. Frauncis Church of Orleans The Friars the person being qualified and rich supposed they should haue a rich reward commanded many masses to be said c. but they were deceiued For they had but only six crownes which the widdower Corregidor sent theÌ„ whereat the Friars were highly offended and for reuenge with deuiâ—lish minds they suborned one of their nouices whom they placed aboue in the feeling of the Temple that he might make a great noise froÌ„ theÌ„ce at the time wheÌ„ they said their mattens which the Nouice persormed and said he was a soule as they cal it sinful damned By some that knew the mistery of Iniquitie was this soule coniured being demaÌ„ded of the coÌ„iurers whoÌ„ he was he answered that he was the soule of the wife of the Crrregidor which a little before was deceased that she was for euer coÌ„demned being demanded whereof answered for Lutheranisme WheÌ„ the Friars hard this they made great exclamations heald their Church for excommunicate drue theÌ„ce the sacrameÌ„t wold not there say masse but went within the monastary The fame hereof ran throughout all the citie when the Corregidon vnderstood his villany he called the Friars before the Chauncellor of Paris where the cause being examined before the Chauncellor Antonias praetentis the villanie was proued and so Colimanus and Stephen of Arras both preachers and chiefe authors of this tragedie were by publique sentence condemned But to what To shame the villanies deseruing a 1000. deathes for mocking at God his religroÌ„ defaming of men So gentle was the punishmeÌ„t because they seemed not to faourthe Lutherans In the time of this Paul 3. arose vp froÌ„ the depth bottoÌ„e of hell the new sect called of the fellowship of Iesus or Iesuites Whom with greater reason may we call Iebusites or Iebuseans Their first author inuentor and founder was Inigo Layola whom the more to authorize his name they called father Ignacius This Inigo was a Guipuscuan borne who being a simple and ignorant man applyed himselfe to the the warres and so in the yeare las Comunidades as they call it in Spaine which was about eyeare 1520. or 1521. he was a souldiour in the castle of Pamphona which Castle was then beleagred by the king of Nauarre and the Frenchmen And vpon a day as the enemies shot at the Castle one of the bullets stroke a stone of the Castle and brake it some of the peeces of the stones stroke into the feet of this souldiour Inigo so that vnable to stand he fell to the earth Inigo finding himselfe vnfit for the war changed his purpose and so of a souldiour became a holy hypocrite yet recouered he his feete and so gaue himselfe to foolish deuotion and superstition which men of themselues without the word of God haue inuented and so deceaue all those whose names are not written in the booke of life Inigo then hauing bene a souldiour and anignorant man gaue himselfe to study and when he vnderstood somewhat of the Grammer to prosecute his study he came to Alcala de Henares where to gaine the greater credit reputation of a holy man he went barefooted which maner ofliuing when the students of Alcala laughed and Iested at Inigo confounded and ashamed that they nought esteemed his course of life leauing Alcala he went to Salamanca where the Students much more mocked him then before For which cause Inigo leauing Salamanca went to Paris where he was made maister and gayned the opinion of an holy man with whom in the 1537. yeare there ioyned ten companions and so went they into Italie Whiles Panle 3. Poped the Iesuits began to be knowne in Italie but not without great gainesaying and contradiction They were permitted in the end to heare confessions and by this meanes they obteyned great reputation of holy chiefely among Ignorant people These ten companions in the 1538. yeare were all together in Rome whereof they obteyned of Pope Paul 3. confirmation of their sect and were receiued vnder the protection of the Romane seate but this holy viua vocis oraculo remitting them in asmuch as touched the dispatch of the perpetuitie of their sect to Cardinall Guidiccion Luques And being ayded by him they were approued and confirmed by Letters and Bulles of the first of October in the 1540. yeare geuen at Tiuoli vnder the name and title of the fellowship of Iesus with licence and power to receiue into their companie which then was onely ten to the nomber of of sixttie perâ—ons In the 1543. yeare of the said Paul 3. they obteyned license to receiue into their companie so many as they would which Paul in the 1545. yeare did graunt them all the priuilledges faculties and
encountered the Inquisitor when he saw him he coÌ„manded his seruant with a good cudgell which he carried to abate the fearcenes of the vnhappy Pereto Infâ—â—lix being thus cudgelled returned to Rome and recounted his mischaunce to Pope Pius 4. very much complayning vpon the Magnifico The Pope hereat disdayning sent him backe to Venice with much more authoritie power then before When Felix was returned vnto Venice he presented his coÌ„omission to the Segniory The Segniory being wise prudent knowing the quarrilous humor of this man wel perceiuing that he came with a desire to reuenge commanded a wax candle to be kindled and Felix if he were wise precisely to depart their dominion and iurisdiction before that candle were consumed This Infoelix vnable to doe otherwise returned eftsoones to Rome complained to the Pope The Pope seeing this man meete for his seruice made him maister of his Pallace After this when the Spanish Inquisition of all men how high soeuer feared liked of none held the Archbishop of Toledo for suspected of heresie the Pope sent Felix into Spaine to heare this cause The General of the FranciscaÌ„s the chiefe dignitie among them now happened to die This dignitie gaue the Pope to Felix whom a few yeares after the same Pope made Cardinall In conclusion when Gregorie 13 was dead Felix by meanes of his good friends in Spaine was made Pope and called himselfe Sistus 5. This name he tooke in memorie of Sistus 4. who was as was he a Franciscan Friar So abhominable truly are the thinges read of this Sistus 4. that their memorie with him deserueth to be buried in hell and perpetuall obliuion Read his life which we haue culled out of diuers authors Notwithstanding all this would Felix be called Sistus 5. because he thought to be another and yet worse then Sistus 4. When he was Pope as though in himselfe his Romane court his Rome his Babilon which for her customes is the mother of all fornications and more then beastly abhominations and for Doctrine the schoole of error and Temple of heresie said her renowned Petrarque now 200 yeares past nothing there were to be corrected or amended he gaue himselfe I say as though in his owne house he had nothing to doe to seeke to correct after his maner to entermedle in the houses of others And so by all possible wayes deceites crafts treason and violence he practized to disturbe the quiet and happinesse of the kingdome of England suborning and animating most wicked men and abhominable traitors promising them that which he neither had for himselfe nor could giue to others at least the kingdome of heauen if they should murder the most illustrious Queene of England who for forty yeares space with so great peace clemencie most prudently hath gouerned her kingdome In which time with temporal riches abundance of bodily necessaries with spiritual riches which is the preaching of the Gospel hath God blessed this kingdome From all these treasons God as a most mercifull father maugre Antichrist of Rome hath deliuered the Queene Let the Pope then burst for anger So also hath this Pope opposed himselfe to the most illustrious king of Nauarre and his first brother the prince of Conde cursing and depriuing them of all whatsoeuer they had and were to haue and chiefly of the vndoubted right which for waÌ„t of right heire male hath the king of Nauarre to the crowne of France God for his infinit goodnes haue mercy on his poore Church which this Antichrist in these princes doth persecute Arise Lord put to flight thine enemies break the hornes of this beast that he doe no more harme to thy poore children hasten to destroy Antichrist with the spirit of thy mouth with the preaching of the Gospel The God of peace beate downe Sathan that speedely vnder our feete and exalt his sonne Christ Iesus subiecting al things vnder his feete placeing him aboue all things for head of his Church which is his body he the fulnes thereof which filleth al things in al persons This most ChristiaÌ„ prince of Conde whom Sistus 5. baÌ„ned in the 1588 yeare died of poyson In the same yeare did Henry 3. K. of France cause the Duke of Guise to be slaine another day the Cardinal brother to the Guise the cause was for that the Duke had coÌ„spired to kil the king vsurpe the kingdom Shortly after but of her natural death died also the mother of the king The death of the Duke of Guise of his brother caused many the most principall cities of of FraÌ„ce as Paris Roan Lyons Tholous others to rebell against the king The yeare following which was the 1589 the king came vpon Paris and besieged it straightly The Parisians seing themselues in that estate resolued of no other remedy for deliuerance froÌ„ their present miserie but to kill the king To him that would kill him did they promise great rewards so there wanted not some desperate persons which offered to doe it Amongst al these was a Dominican Friar called Clement before the rest preferred aman vnlearned of little honesty for such a one had ofteÌ„ bene chastised with the discipline of the couent To the kings campe came he fayning busines to deal with the king of most great importance The king in affection much inclined to these Friars coÌ„maÌ„ded he should come in The Friar being entered kneeled on his knees befor the king the king who was sitting the better to heare him somewhat dubled his body The cursed Sinon then drawing a poysoned knife which he had brought for that purpose thrust it into the bowels of the king The king feeling himselfe wounded cried out to the crie ranne many who stabbed and killed this vnmercifull Clement albeit the king commaunded they should not kil him This wound of the king caused sadnes and sorrow in the kings campe contrariwise great mirth amongst the enemies who instantly demanded aloud if the Friars knife were sharp enough The king after he had appointed the king of Nauarre his brother in law called Henry 4. who was the neerest in bloud for his successor the night following died When newes of the kings death came to Rome Pope Sistus 5. made a solemne Oration in the concistorie of Cardinals the 11. of September 1589. where he not only compared the treason of this cursed Dominick with the act of Eleazar and of Iudith but said also it surpasseth them Of Eleazar is made mention 1. Macha 6. who seing an Elephant more mighty then the rest armed with the armes of the king supposing that king Antiochus was vpon him to deliuer his people and purchace eternall glorie he aduentured himself ran couragiously to the EelephaÌ„t through the middest of the squadron killing on the right hand and on the left and all sides throwing downe vntill he came vnder the Elephant and placing himselfe vnder him slew him the
shall it be if Christ in the end be not wroth with thee founded in chast and humble pouertie liftest thou vp thy hornes against thy founders Shamelesse strumpet where hast thou put thy trust In thine adulteries in so great abundance of euill gotten riches c. If Petrarch 260 yeares and more sithens with great reason and truth said this against the Pope and his Court papall what shall be said now when the malice tyranny vngodlinesse and idolatrie of the Pope and his court are come to the height Danter an Author more ancient then Petrarch and Bocace of the same time with Petrarch as litle flattred the Pope other things as much as Petrarch say they Dante in his 7. song of hell accuseth the Pope of couetousnesse In the 11. song and 6. circle he accuseth him of heresie In the 15. song he accuseth him of sodomie And in the 19. he accuseth him of simonie These bee the foure cardinall vertues which are found in the Popes Couetousnesse heresie sodomie and simonie Bocace in the second Nouell of the Iornada of his Decameron in the name of a Iew called Abraham saith that generally all the Court of Rome from the greatest to the least dishonestly sinned in the sinne of whoredome and not naturally onely but also sodomitically without any bridle without any remorse of conscience or shame c. They haue not saith he either holinesse deuotion or good works c. And in manie other places doth he the same These three Dante Petrarch and Botace bee ancient writers Italians and fathers of the Italian tongue and well experienced in the affaires of the Pope and his Court Sanazaro the most excellent Italian Poet of our times speaking of the Pope thus saith in his Epigrams In vaticano noster latet hunc tamen alto Christe vides coelo proh dolor pateris To wit In the Vaticano which is the pallace of Saint Peter in Rome our Barbarian lieth hid but yet thou Christ from the high heauen beholdest him ah griefe doest thou suffer him What more could Luther or Caluin or the rest of the late writers which haue written against the Pope and his Romish court say then these his Italians haue said Petrarch calleth it wicked Babylon mother of errors he wisheth fire to fall from heauen and consume it such abhominations had seene therein he calleth it a neast of treasons c. gluttonous and luxurious God cannot saith he longer be patient with her c. Idols he saith shall be throwne to the ground c. Hee calleth her the fountaine of griefe harbour of wrath schoole of errours temple of heresies c. Behold if the Pope may erre in faith And it is to be noted that Pope Pius the fifth as in his life wee haue said hath spunged all these places by vs alleaged out of Petrarch and Bocace The cause is least men should know their wickednesse abominations and impieties but may hold him for holy and for God vpon earth Great shame was it for the Pope that so famous Italian Authours that Italian books and printed in Italy should so roundly tell the wickednesse of him his About the 1430. yeare liued Thomas Rendon a Carmelite of whom in the life of Eugenius the fourth we haue before made mention He said in his sermons which in Italy France he preached that in Rome were committed great abhominations c. For which cause Pope Eugenius 4. did cause him to be burned in Rome Aboue a hundred yeares is it sithens Laurencius Valla Patricius a Roman opposed himselfe to the Pope and called Rome Babylon for which cause he was banished but the king of Naples receiued and very honorably entertained him Ieronymus Sauanarola a Dominican Friar preached in Italy the Pope to be Antichrist c. For this that our cursed Spanish beast Alexander 6. as in the life of this Alexander 6. we haue said did cause him in Florence most cruelly to be burned Within these 80 yeares space haue bene infinite numbers that in Almaine France Italy England yea in Spaine and other nations also haue written against the Pope and his Popish doctrine let their workes be read and their reasons agreeing with the word of God considered which is the true and onely squire rule whereby euery life and doctrine ought to bee ruled and confirmed Returne we now to the Primacie which the Pope as another Diotrephes of whom speaketh S. Iohn in his 3. catholike Epistle loueth to hold and so doth vsurpe it A history wrote S. Augustine very wel declaring the equality which hath the Bishop of Rome with other Bishops Donatus saith S. Augustine de casas negras of whom the Donatists take their name had grieuously accused Cecilianus Archbishop of Carthage Constātine the Emperour the cause being simply ecclesiasticall committed the same to Miltiades Bishop of Rome other certaine Bishops of Italy France and Spaine Had there bene ordinarie iurisdiction no commission from the Emperour nor to appoint him associates had bene needfull But listen a litle Donatus was condemned by them aboue named who seeing himself condemned appealed to the Emperour the Emperour remitted the appeale to the Archbishop of Areletum either to allow or disallow of the sentence which the Bishop of Rome and his associates had giuen Where then was the Primacie of the Pope his iurisdiction his sentence without any appellation his knowledge hearing of all appeales his fulnesse of power whereof he so much glorieth And the Emperor wil they not say was an infidel or tyrant for it was Constantine the Great who by their owne reckoning spoiled himself of a good part of the Empire to giue it vnto them That Constantine the Great appointed Miltiades iointly with the rest for Iudge to heare the cause of Cecilianus Onuphrius Panuinus in his note vpon Platina in rhe life of Miltiades doth witnesse the same and confirmes it with Optatus Mileuitanus in his first booke and with that which saith Eusebius in the tenth booke and fift chap. of his ecclesiasticall historie But Panuinus as a Flatterer of the pope maketh no mention of the appeale we haue spoken of because it impeached the authoritie which the Popes haue vsurped As touching the calling of the Councels the Emperours called the General the Patriarks and Metropolitans called the Nationall or prouincial Councels The Patriarkes and not the Bishop of Rome did gouerne in the Councels which they held in their Patriarkedomes for all being equall and vnder one head Christ the Bishop of Rome did not exceede them either in dignity or power So saith Athanasius writing to Liberius Bishop of Rome All the Apostles saith he in honour and power be equall Saint Cyprian likewise more ancient then Athanasius There is not saith he but one bishopricke through the world wherof euery bishop holdeth his part Also that none in his time was called or made Bishop of Bishops nor had by
Sadduces shamelesly denied the resurrection and allowed neither Angel nor spirit As by the disputation which they held with Christ about the woman that had seauen husbands appeareth Matth. 22. 22. and in the Acts 23. 8. The Essees apart had their opinions It was a people solitarie like the Charterhouse Monkes They had no wiues drunk no wine nor did they eat any flesh a people they were very austere and euery day fasted Whiles the Church was deuided into these sects when all was confused came the sonne of God into the world With such he conuersed And of such for preaching the truth vnto thē he was crucified When the light of the Gospel was come which Christ and his Apostles preached who allowed it not but rather killed and crucified those that preached the same The same people of God the Church of God chiefly the Scribes Pharisies priests and high priests These came togither held a Councell wherein they concluded that Christ should die and all those that should preach the same Doctrine They tooke him because they wanted authoritie to put any to death with false witnes they accused him before Pilate Deputy to the Emperour Tiberius and thisin the holy Ierusalem And so was he condemned for an euil doer for such a one was crucified O what a Church O what a Councell if the cheife Preist may erre and erred in dede The Lord by diuine power eftsoones raysed vpp who suborned his keepers to say that his disciples had stollen him away Who assembled a Councell to persecute the Apostles and commaunded them that they should not preach who caused S. Iames to be put to death Who made S. Peter to be taken to cause him to die had not the Angel of the Lord deliuered him The visible Church of God the scribes and Pharisies and high Priests Not without cause faid the Lord speaking of Ierusalem Ierusalem Ierusalem which killest the prophets and stonest those that be sent vnto thee Afterwards the very same hath hitherto happened leauing former times spake we of these wherein we liue Who hath for the space of 70 or 80. yeares hitherto shed so much bloud of Martyres they that call themselues the Church of Iesus Christ chiefly the peeuish Friars Bishops chiefe Bishops and the same shal they doe vntill the end of the word And so Christ speaking of his second comming when he shall come to the vniuersall Iudgement saith Luke 18. 8. The son of man when he commeth shall he find faith vpon the earth As if he should say no. And in the XXIIII chapter of Saint Matthewe he maketh a discourse hereof verse 12. And because saith he iniquitie shal be increased the loue of many shal be cold And verse 24. For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders so that if it were possible they should deceiue the very elect And thinke we not these false Christs and false Prophets shal bee Turkes and Iewes Christians they shal be and for such shall they be holden Bishops and chiefe Bishops shal be the principally as at this day they be I haue sufficiently proued me thinketh by many examples and passages of the old and new Testament that the Church of God may erre and hath erred indeede which to our aduersaries seemeth vnpossible Now will we resolue a doubt and this it is If the Church bee such and subiect to fall into Errours superstitions heresies and idolatries as before we haue proued How shall that be vnderstood which the scripture saith That the Church is the body of Iesus Christ That the Church is the spouse of Christ That the Church is the pillar of truth founded vppon the sure foundation That the Churche is without spot or wrincle and wholy faire That the gates of hell shall not preuaile against her and other like commendations and prayses thereof the word of God witnesseth To this may we answere that both the one and the other may very well stand For God neuer suffered all his Church to fall togither into Error But rather hath alwayes reserued some good and some times also seauen thousand As said he speaking of Elias albeit in corners which neuer bowed the knees to Baal Such as these the common error dispatched wherewith all the Church was generally deceaued Against this Error such others of these spake preached and wrote and most times it cost them their liues and had each one of them had a thousand liues a thousand liues would each one of them haue lost for the same cause That Church wherein Catholiquely and vniuersally raigned that Errour or heresie shee and her Bishoppes did persecute condemned and kill them As by examples wee haue confirmed the same So that when the scripture saith All Israel all Iuda all the inhabitants of Ierusalem turned away from God committed Idolatrie c. Of such a manner ingenerall must wee vnderstand which hath it Exceptions for in the middest of these Errours and idolatries so Catholique fo vniuersall had alwayes God some particular men whom he reserued cleane and pure from that common errour So reserued God Moses and Iosua and some other particular persons also which worshipped not the calfe when all Israel ingenerall and Aaron the high Priest him selfe worshipped it The same will wee say of the time of the Iudges that God neuer forsoke his Church The same wee say also of the times of the kings of Israel and of Iuda When all committed Idolatrie God raysed vp an Esaias a Micheas a Ieremias an Ezechiel a Daniel c. Who reproued vices and false Doctrine and declared the truth But which of these did not the Church and her high priests persecute and kill So also reserued the Lord vnro himselfe at his first comming into the worlde A Simeon an Anna widdowe a Ioseph and his spouse the virgin Marie mother of our sauiour An holie Elizabeth and her sonne Saint Iohn Baptist which were Godly very well thought of the true religion and agreed neither with the Pharisies nor Sadduces nor Essees And so the Lord in so vnhappy times preserued his Church And so likewise vntill now hath he preserued the same And now also in these lest miserable times wherein neither faith Luk. 18 8. nor loue is found Matth. 24. 12. God reserueth some which oppose themselues to the tyranny of the Antichrist of Rome and to the common errour and Idolatrie of all the Romane Church ingenerall And so God hath not permitted that his Church hath wholly bene deceiued nor according to his promise I am with you vnto the end of the world Wil he euer permit the same Euer thē hath God reserued fome that haue not bene deceiued with the cōmon errour many from time to time be enlightened As by experience we haue seene it God of his infinit mercy increase them that the number of his chosen may be fulfilled so sinne may cease and only Christ
him he saw him free and safe without hurt of the fire These foure so straunge wonders besides others which we passe ouer shall you finde in his sermon of the dead You see heere the Textes of holie Scripture wherewith hee confirmeth his Purgatorie Also to proue the resurrection he citeth the place of Genesis the ninth chapter and the fourth verse where God commaunded Noah The flesh with the bloud shalt thou not eate Also another straunge thing in the chapter of Virginitie he saith that had not Adam sinned men for generation should not carnally haue coupled with their wiues And because hee saw the Text of Scripture to bee against him God might sayth hee by other meanes multiply men without the coniunction of man and woman Also seeing that Saint Basil calleth the bread and the wine of the Sacrament examples of the bodie and bloud of Christ which was opposite to him This saying of S. Basil said he ought to bee vnderstood of the bread and of the wine before sanctification which is not so for the bread and wine before consecration as already wee haue proued by the Fathers are common bread and wine as the rest and be no symbols nor figures of the body and bloud of Christ vntill and not before these words Take and eate this is my body bee sayd Sith such a one then is Damascen leaue we him and let vs followe that which the hole Scripture doth teach vs that which the Fathers whom against Transubstantiation we haue alleaged doe tell vs and that also which experience it selfe of that which we see touch and tast in the sacrament doth shew vs. To Theophilact Anselme Hugo Richardo c. whom they cite against vs and liued in the time that the holy Supper of the Lord was now falling the Popes then tyrannizing the consciences of men who neuer stayed vntill the holy supper destroyed they had made of some reliques patches and remnants of their Masse such as now it is full of abuses superstitions and idolatries do we answer the same He of these late writers which least erred in this matter of Transubstantiation is Scotus who saith as before we haue said that neither by Scripture nor reason it can be proued but would yet be deceiued because the Church so commaundeth How could his Church which is the Pope and his Cardinals make new articles of faith besides those which Iesus Christ our king our Prophet and priest ordained and taught us which be contained in the Creed of the Apostles Let vs now answer to the Councels which our aduersaries alleage against vs. As touching that which they obiect against vs of the Councell of Ephesus wherein Cirillus gouerned and Theodoret who is so appaparantly against Transubstantiation was present therein they doe vs great wrong For the same do wee confesse that the Councell confesseth We say that receiuing this Sacrament we receiue not common flesh but flesh sanctifying which by an inseparable vnion is conioyned with the diuine word But how do we receiue it Spiritually by faith not carnally as say our aduersaries that they receiue eat and digest it For vntil it be digested they affirm it to be the flesh of Christ They obiect the councel of Vercell in the time of Leo the ninth where Berengarius was condemned They obiect the Councel of Lateran in the tyme of Nicholas 2. which caused Berengarius to recant The Lateran Councel also in the time of Innocent 3. Also the Councell of Constance Anno. 1516. The Trident also of our time in the time whereof so many Popes as Paule 3. Iulius 3. Marcellus 2. Paulus 4. Pius 4. and none of these for the causes that speaking of the Popes wee haue shewed were present in it poped But examine wee the recantation which Pope Nicholas the second that poped about the yeare 1060. commaunded Berengarius to make in the Councell of Lateran as it is written in the Decrees de consecrat dist 2. cap. Ego Berengarius Wherein hee was constrained to confesse that the body of Christ is handled or sensnally felt with the hands of Priests that it is broken that it is chewed with the teeth I demand of them how can the body of Christ which now is glorified and therefore impossible and no way subiect to these humane miseries suffer these things Which the Pope and his Councell do say The Glosser of the Decrees himselfe although not verie wise could not but see so great an absurditie as this and therefore sayd that this verie warily and aduisedly ought to be vnderstood for if thou doest not so saith he thou shalt fall into an error farre greater then that of Berengrius The Glossor then vnderstood it much better then Pope Nicholas or his Councell whose holy spirit the Pope was that the body of Christ in the Sacrament could no wayes bee touched with the handes nor broken nor chawed with the teeth For this cause the Maister of Sentences in the fourth willing to amend or conceale this so notable a fault saith That this which was commāded Berengarius to say ought not to be vnderstood of the body of Christ but of the Symbols which say they be the accidents And so in that manner of speaking admitteth a trope or figure according whereunto is attributed to the thing that which is of the symbols But should we vse this figure they would eat out our eyes Now shalt thou vnderstand the account which is to be made of such a Councel and of the other Councels that followed this in which the Pope or his Legates haue gouerned and nothing aught worthy was in them determined albeit the Fathers had broken their heads about it if the Pope approued it not So that the Pope only is hee which maketh and vnmaketh decrees and articles of faith and not the Councel Whē a Councell is celebrated the which from many to many yeares is done as though there were no euill life of the Prelates to be amended nor abuses superstitions heresies nor idolatries in the Church to bee corrected the Legates of the Pope which commonly are three for such is his cause that hee trusteth not one with it haue great regard to write to the Pope this or that is determined in the Councel how liketh it your Holinesse Then doth the Pope either approue it or blotting it out disalow it If he blot it out there is then no more treaty of that matter how true soeuer it be how profitable soeuer for the Church That which he approueth he writeth to his Legats This letter which the Pope sendeth is the holy spirit which now gouerneth the Councels This holy Spirit descendeth not from heauē but commeth inclosed in a budget or wallet Thus is the Councell not free but a seruant and of whom of the Pope Who as before by many most sufficient reasons we haue proued to be Antichrist So necessarie an article to saluation is
Christ Saint Ierome vppon the 66. chap. of Esayas saith Not being holie in bodie nor spirit they eate not the flesh of Iesus nor drinke they his bloud Manie other places bee there in the Fathers that proue our doctrine the wicked c. not to eate nor drinke the bodie bloud of Christ But those which wee haue alleaged are now sufficient Another absurditie there is and this it is that the banquet being to be common and generall to all by which it is called Communion one onely at his pleasure eateth it and swalloweth all without giuing part to others Who taught them thus to doe Not Christ nor his Apostles nor the primitiue Church In old time all those that were present when the Supper of the Lord was celebrated did communicate and that in both kindes And except they did communicate they depriued them of the Supper which our Aduersaries cannot denie So confesseth George Cassander in the Preface of the booke intituled Ordo Romanus de officio Missae for confirmation hereof hee alleadgeth the tenth Cannon of the Apostles where it is commaunded that all the faithfull which were found present at the holy solemnities of the Church and continued not till the Masse were ended nor receiued the holie Communion should bee cast from the Communion He citeth the Councell of Antioch the second chapter wherein it is ordayned that all they which enter into the Church of God and receiue not the holy Communion should bee cast out of the Church Hee alleaged also the Cannon of Calixtus or as say others Anacletus which commandeth that the consecration ended all should communicate Hee alleageth also Iohn Coclaeus in the booke which hee intituled De Sacrificio Missae contra Musculum In old time saith Cochleus Aswell the Priestes as the Laitie so manie as were found present at the sacrifice of the Masse the offering being ended did ioyntly with the Priest communicate c. And the same Cannon which they say in their Masse maketh this to bee clearely vnderstood because it maketh mention of the people standing about offering and communicating For which cause some expounders of the Cannons say that the Cannon ought not to be sayd in the Masse but onely when the people communicate Many more Councels and Fathers might be alleaged to confirme that which Cassander sayth but the thing being so manifest many witnesses shal be needlesse The Grecians vntill this day obserue the ancient custome there is no priuate Masse among them Vpon the Lords dayes and festiuall dayes the Supper of the Lord is onely celebrated and the people in both kindes communicate Our aduersaries may see what hath beene the cause of leauing this ancient and laudable custome and that as many also as heare the Masse and communicate not incurre thereby Excommunication The Communion in our time is but once a yeare celebrated and this with damage and great idolatrie and all the dayes in the yeare is no other thing done but saying of Masses in euery corner of the Churches and in those also of particular houses without any Communion except it be that some for deuotion will communicate and oftentimes it happeneth that none is found present at these Masses but the Nouice onely that answereth Et cum Spiritu tuo and with thy spirit when the Priest hath said vnto him Dominus vobiscum The Lord bee with you And note that the Nouice is wont to be commonly a little villaine according to the prouerbe Hize à mi hijo Monazillo y torno seme diabillo Make my sonne a Nouice and turne him a little diuell What agreement then hath this their priuate Masse with the holy Supper of the Lord which is a common banquet proposed to the whole Church Reade the tenth and eleuenth chapters of the first epistle to the Corinthians which before we haue alleaged What wickednes do they then that conuert the Masse into the supper of the Lord which they neuer celebrate except the whole Church or the greatest part of it do communicate acording to the institution of Christ according to that which his Apostles did and the Church many yeares after The 3. absurdity is that which before we haue said that were there Trāsubstantiation Christ shuld haue 2 carnal bodies one which sate the other which this sitting body did eate giue to his Disciples The fourth Absurditie is that they put the body of Iesus Christ in diuerse places at one instant in all the Masses which are sayd through the world Against the order of nature doe they in this according whereunto nothing created that is finite can be at one selfe same time in diuerse places The body of Iesus Christ considered it selfe is finite and in time created therefore can it not bee in diuerse places at one instaut In this do they also against the article of our faith which in the Creed we confesse that Iesus Christ sitteth at the right hand of God the Father From whence shall he come saith the article of our faith to iudge the quicke and the dead Also they do against common experience for seeing bread and wine with the eyes tasting them with the mouth and smelling them with the nose yet for all this say they that no bread nor wine remaineth I demaund now when they burne this their Sacrament for the causes that they themselues in the booke de Cautelis do command it to be burned I demaund of them what is that which is burned and conuerted into ashes Not the bodie of Christ which now being glorified is impassible nor the accidents of the bread nor of the wine for the substance of the ashes engendred of that which was burned could not bee engendered but of another substance according to that which commonly is said The generation of one thing is the corruption of another It followeth then Albeit it grieue them that they deny it that the bread is burned I demaund of them also when the Priest deuideth the Host into three partes what is that which he deuideth Some say they bee accidents without subiect To others this answere not seeming to be good because not the accidents but the substance which hath quantitie is parted Therefore say they that nothing is parted This people thinke vs to be blocks and fooles They will make vs as they say del cielo cebolla to beleeue things impossible Free should they be from all these absurdities would they with Iesus Christ with his Apostle Saint Paul and with the Catholike Church confesse true bread and true wine to be in this sacrament of which bread and of which wine being corrupted are engendred those things before spoken So that the wormes and ashes are engendred and made not of the body of Christ which is glorious and set at the right hand of the Father not of the accidentes which haue not other being but doe remaine in some subiect and by a miracle say they the accidentes in the Sacrament bee
meant a Church which is in Rome called the holy Crosse in Ierusalem And so with the Masse of Ierusalē the diuel mocked the Pope as in his life we haue declared About the yeare of the Lord 1540. not much more nor lesse the inquisitors of Cordeua condemned but not to be burned one Magdelena de la Cruz Abbesse of the Monasterie of the Franciscan Nunnes for enormious offences dealings and couenants which she had made with the diuell As the Inquisitors themselues in their sentence doe say She with the ayd of the diuell to whom shee had giuen her selfe making with him this pact and couenant when she was nine yeares old became so notable an hypocrite that shee was holden in most great worship and admiration and so by meanes of her Paramour the diuell wrought great miracles but of those which we haue sayd the diuell Antichrist and false Prophets to do Mat. 25. 24. 2. Thes 2. 9. Here will I recite some for to reckon all would require another as great a time as had the Inquisitors when they drew her into the Act in the great Church of Cordoua which Act was in the spring time and lasted from sixe of the clocke in the morning till foure in the euening In all this time was no other thing read but the abominations and false miracles of this cursed woman Of her it was sayd that the mariners in a storme did pray vnto her and she being inuocated appeared vnto them and so the storme ceased Of her also it is sayd that she burned in liuely flames like the Seraphin this very well agreeth with her she being of the order of Seraphicall Saint Francis and so inflamed was lift on high in a trance wrapped vp in spirit and heard wonders which mortall man could not vtter In this last was she made another Saint Paul who was wrapped vp into the third heauen where he hard c. Of her also is it sayd that when she did communicate she lifted vp an elle to measure the height of the ground and so being lifted vp into the aire she receiued the Sacrament which visibly went out of the hands of the Priest that sayd the Masse and visibly went through the aire and entred into the mouth of Magdalen de la Cruz. And all this by the arte of the diuell In the same maner did the Nunne of Lisbon whom they called holy receiue the Sacrament whose life we will declare in the end of this Treatise What shall we say of this Sacrament If it were God how was he carried through the ayre to confirme the hypocrisie of Magdalen de la Cruz and that of Maria de la Annutiada and the opinion that was holden of them and this by the arte of the diuell The priest which said the Masse counted his fourmes according to the nomber of the Nunnes that were to communicate being counted did consecrate them And consecrated found so many others as before he had counted and none hee wanted but that onely which he saw go into the ayre and entred into the mouth of Magdalene and of Marie Also it is said of Magdalen de la Cruz that when she was in the garden and the sacrament by chaunce passed by the streete the wall of the garden opened and that then shee did worshippe it Of her it is also sayd that shee fayned not to haue eaten in so many dayes togither but that shee was nourished onely with the sacrament which he receaued So great was the opinion of her holinesse that great Ladies of Spaine seeing themselues at point of childe birth sent to Magdalen de la Cruz their mantle and swadling clothes wherein the creature should be wrapped that he should blesse them supposing the creatures should thus be holy blessed The Empresse her selfe ready to be deliuered frō Valladolid a very long way sent mantles to Cordoua By reason of the holines of Magdalen de la Cruz ' many Ladies and Nobles of Cordoua and of the land about Cordoua put themselues Nunnes of the order of Saint Frauncis And many Gentlemen became Franciscan Fryers Of this abhominable woman it is sayd That she gaue to her beloued Hee and shee friendes some droppes of her menstruous blood making them beleeue it was the blood of Christ The Dominicks euer haters of the Franciscanes raysed vp in Toledo another shee possessed which sayd that shee had the Innocencie of Adam c. But so shamelesse and manifest were her whooredomes that shee was by and by discouered A few yeares since arose there vp in Lisbon another Franciscan woman which say they had the fiue wounds of Christ As had S. Frauncis and many things else they say of her But I testifie that in time she as the rest shall bewray her hypocrisie In the meane time beleeue not euery spirit But as Saint Iohn doth warne vs proue the spirits whether they bee of God for many false Prophets As he himselfe doth aduise vs are gone out into the world c. Saint Paule 1. Thessa chap. 5. verse 21. saith proue all things hold that which is good As did the people of Berea Concerning this holie Nunne her hypocriticall life her false myracles and illusions of the diuell wherewith shee deceiued very many how shee was discouered and condemned Read the swarme of false myracles c. Which thou shalt finde at the end of this Treatise The which I haue added in this second impression Returning then to Magdalen de la Cruze for such haynous offences and false miracles ' contempts and slaunders of Christian Religion was she condemned yet not to be burned but certaine penaunces and close imprisonment Should a faithfull and catholique Christian say As saith Saint Paule that a man is iustified by faith and not by workes because the most iust and perfect workes which wee doe are saith Esaias as stayned clothes Should he say that God and no other ought to bee worshipped and serued As Christ answered the diuell when he tempted him Should he say that Anitchrist is set in the Temple of God Who causeth himselfe to bee worshipped as God As saith Saint Paule and that Antichrists residence is in the Citie which hath seuen mountaines or heades which is Rome as Saint Iohn saith Should hee say That there is but one onely sacrifice to obtayne remission of sinnes which is the death and passion of Iesus Christ As faith the Epistle to the Ebrewes chapter 7. Such a one would they burne But Magdalen de la Cruz a terrible Hypocrite which fayned that shee did not eate in so many dayes and beeing demaunded how she was sustayned said with the only sacrament which she receiued who wrought myracles by the arte of the diuell and caused her selfe to be inuocated adored and that besides which we haue said such a one shall not die Arise Lord Iudge thine owne cause About the 1536. yeare somewhat more or lesse were foure Augustine Fryars
nor his Apostles who in all simplicitie did celebrate the holy supper The wisdome of the flesh being enemy to God hath brought them into the Church to make vs forget the memorie of the benefite of Christs death and passion Moreouer we wil cite certaine histories by which the Christian Reader shall clearely see what account the Pope and his Cleargie make of their Sacrament of the Altar which they affirme to be God Gregory 7. for that he demanded a reuelation of the Host against the Emperour and had no answer cast it into the fire burned it Victor 3. died of poyson which his subdeacon in saying of Masse put into the chalice A Dominicke Friar gaue poyson in the Sacrament to the Emperour Henry 7. Sixtus 4. commanded that at the time of the eleuation the-murder should begin and so it was performed at Florence A certaine Inquisitor at Barcelona called Molon clipped the Host with a paire of sheers Foure Augustine Friars which were hanged at Seuill said Masse without any intention of consecration The same haue many other Priests done also and so by their owne Cannons haue caused all that heard their Masse to commit idolatrie That being as it is true which we haue said and proued of the Masse with very iust title and good and sound conscience do we detest it as a prophanatiō of the holy supper of the Lord There is then no cause why any shuld condemne vs for sedicious heretikes or schismatikes if abhorring the Masse flying the same we follow and imbrace the holy supper which Iesus Christ iustituted his Apostles and our forefathers for the space of a thousand yeares celebrated Would God for that onely sacrifice sake which his sonne our high and onely Priest offered vnto him that all our Spaniards would know as other nations do already know what the Pope is what things are his Buls which be nought els but mockeries which he maketh of vs what is his authoritie which is nought els but vanitie wherewith he hath many yeares deceiued vs that they would know that when the Pope curseth vs then God doth blesse vs would God they would know the holinesse of the masse to be diuelishnesse seeing it is a prophanation of the holy Supper of the Lord. Very hard will it be for them I know well to do this because they haue bene borne brought vp growne old in the contrary But if the holy spirit giue them grace to reade compare conferre cōfront that which we haue sayd in these two Treatises with the holy Scripture which is the word of God very easie it shall be vnto them wherby euery faithfull and catholike Christian in particular and the whole Church in generall ought to be ruled gouerned Our Spaniards in this should imitate those of Berea who as saith S. Luke in his history of the Acts of the Apostles searched the Scriptures to know if that which Paul preached were the word of God or no. If that wee haue said be the word of God no time no custome how ancient soeuer ought to preuaile against it And if for our sins lies falshood and error haue for a little or long time oppressed and darkened the truth the errour ought to giue place as maugre the same it shall giue and so truth iure Postliminij as say the lawes shall reenter his possession And albeit an olde custome is very hardly left yet none ought to preferre such custome to reason and truth do euer exclude and expell custome Therefore when with reason and truth for reason and truth we constraine and conuince our aduersaries In vaine do they oppose ancient custome vnto vs saying in this were our forefathers brought vp in this did they die In this were wee borne and brought vp in this then will we die As if custome were greater then the truth This is euen like the saying of another A Moore was my father a Moore also will I be hauing no other reason to giue but custome Custome without truth is an olde errour and errour the elder the more dangerous it is Therefore leauing as saith Saint Cyprian in his epistle ad Pompeium errour let vs follow the truth knowing as saith Esdras Truth ouercommeth as it is written Truth doth shall euer preuaile and liue and raigne eternally And then saith the same S. Cyprian Blessed be the God of truth The which truth Christ shewing in his Gospell vnto vs saith I am the Truth wherefore if we be in Christ and haue Christ in vs if we abide in the truth and the truth abide in vs. Let vs hold that which is the truth And a little lower If the truth in any thing shall stagger or seeme doubtfull meete it is that we runne backe to the originall which the Lord ordained and to the Euangelicall and Apostolicall instruction and thence ariseth the reason of that which wee doe from whence the order and originall was raised And as he himselfe in another place saith What men haue formerly done ought wee not to looke but to that which Christ who is the first of all hath done The holy Scripture is the most certaine and infallible rule and squire whereby all our actions ought to be ruled and squired as witnesse these places which we will alleage and manie others Dauid Psal 119. vers 105. sayth Thy word is a lanterne to my feete and a light vnto my pathes Esay chap. 8. and 20. we are commanded to repaire to the Law and to the testimonies and sayth that they which do not so it is because there is no light in them It is because they be in darkenesse it is because they are blind and as blind men goe groping Saint Peter speaking of the word or doctrine of the Prophets saith Whereunto yee shall doe well to giue eare as to a candle burning in an obscure place c. The holy Scripitures doe teach vs that Iesus Christ is our high and onelie Priest It teacheth vs that hee once offered vp himselfe with which sacrifice being of infinite vertue he sanctifieth vs for euer And teacheth vs that there is no other sacrifice nor was nor shal be but this alone by which remission of sinnes is obtained it teacheth vs that whosoeuer shall offer another sacrifice be sides this or reiterate this doth most great iniurie to Christ As though his sacrifice which was Christ himselfe were insufficient It teacheth vs that Iesus Christ ordained his holy supper which he commandeth vs to celebrat in remembrance of that sacrifice which he one only time offered to the father all this in generall and euery thing in particuler by the grace of God to him be the glory haue we sufficiently proued This is the trueth for it is the word of God This then we beleeue his Maiestie graunt vs grace not onely with the heart to beleeue this which he in his holy Gospell he hath reuealed vnto vs but also strength and constancie with the mouth to confesse it and
147 Liberius 27 Linus 23 Lucius 2. 72 Lucius 3. 79 Marcellus 26 Marcellus 2. 165 Martin 1. 36 Martin 2. 50 Martin 4. 91 Martin 5. 118 Miltiades 222 Nicholas 1 49 Nicholas 2. 64 Nicholas 3. 91 Nicholas 4. 92 Nicholas 5. 101 Pascall 1. 42 Pascall 2. 68 Paul 1. 38 Paul 2. 124 Paul 3. 15â— Paul 4. 16â— Saint Peter 20 Pelagius 1. 37 Pelagius 2. 32 Pius 2. 1â—3 Pius 3. 143 Pius 4. 187 Pius 5. 19â— Sabinianus 33 Sergius 2. 4â— Sergius 3. 50 Sergius 4. 59 Siluerius 3â— Siuester 1. 25 Siluester 2. 57 Siluester 3. 61 Symachus 30 Siricius 29 Sistus 4. 126 Sistus 5. 195 Stephen 2. or 3. 21 Stephen 4. or 3. 39 Stephen 5. or 4. 4â— Stephen 6. or 5. 50 Stephen 7. or 6. 50 Stephen 9. or 10. 63 Vrban 2. Vrban 3. 7â— Vrban 4. 88 Vrban 5. 105 Vrban 6. 106 Frban 6. 200 Victor 2. 63 Victor 3. 68 Victor 4. 75 Vigilius 31 Vitellanus 36 Zacharias 37 FINIS Idolatry Exod. 32. Deut. 9. 14. The cause why the Israelites worshipped the molten calfe 1. king 12. 28. The first captiuity of 400. yeares Gen. 15. 13. Act. 7. 6. 2. Captiuitie of 70. yeares Ierem. 25. 12. Ca. 29. 10. 3. Captiuitie of infinite yeares God for vnbeleefe punisheth the Iewes vntill this day Iudges 2. 19. 20 Iudges 5. 8. Two kind of Idolatrie S. Gregorie forbad the Image worship Habakuk 2. 18. 19. Epiphanius Epist ad Hieron Petrus Crinilib 9. de hone sta disciplina Esa 1. 12. Exod. 20. 4. Deut. 5. 8. A true deuision of te ten Commandements The Church of Rome is accursed of God and the cause Deut. 23. 18. Deut. 4. 12. The dutie of a good magistrat to forbid idolatrie Numb 21. 8. The brasen serpent was the image and figure of Christ A Popish distinction betweene Idol Image Pesel what it signifieth Ambrose Erasmus Lactancius Instit lib. 2. cap. 19. Aquinus The argumâ— of both Treâ—tises The argument of the Epistle to the Hebrewes The reason prouing the Pope to be of greater authotie then the Masse Read the booke Ceremon Pontifie 1. Sect. cap. 3. also Sect. 12. cap. 10. 4. Gen. 4. 4. Hebrew 11. 4. Pope Many wordes in old time taken in good part which are now taken in euill Euery Bishop or Minister in old time was called Pope Tome 2. Epist 7. lib. â— The Bishop of Rome seeketh nothing more then to be called Pope Diuision of the Bishops of Rome into 3. orders The first order Saint Peter was not Bishop of Rome Gal. 2. 〈◊〉 This proueth S. Peter was nduep at Rome Rom. 15. 20. Linus Mal. 2. 6. 7. 300 years good bishops in Rome 1. Sisme The 2. order Archbishops Patriarks Liberius an Arrian Felix 2. 2. Sisme That which one Pope doth another vndoeth The Pope erreth in faith Damasus The 3. Sisme 384. Siricius Concerning the forbidding of mariage read afterwards in Gregorie The Pope erreth in the interpretation of the Scripture Boniface 1. Sisme 4. 420. Gelasius 1. Anastasius 2. an heretike Anno 417. the Gothes began to reigne in Spaine Symachus The 5. Sisme 498 Hormisda the the first Patriarke 520 He excommunicated the Emperour Anno. 523. Iohn 1. Ambassadour 6. Sisme Boniface 2. 530. Vigilius The 7. Sisme Pelagius The Primacie of Rome The Cannonists agree not with the Pope The 7. Canonicall houres Iohn 3. contrary to his predecessor Pelagius 2. saâ—â—sfieth the â—mperour 590. The first pardons and indulgences The soule of TraiaÌ„ brought out of Hell Gregorie 1. a great enemy to the Primacy Seruant of Gods seruant Marriage forbidden and againe permitted to priestes 6000. heades of young children in a pond The fruites of Popish single life The saying of Pope Pius 2. agsing constrayned single life Note before vpon Siritius and after in Paul 2. 604. Sabinianus One Pope being dead killed another 605. The 3. order 2. Thes 2. 8. Boniface 3. the 1. Pope Phocas granted Rome to be head of the Churches The fall of the Empire The Pope and Mahomet arise Boniface 4. The false donation of CoÌ„stantine Anno. 613. Deus dedit Godfathers The Gâ—dfather should not marry with the Godmother Boniface 5. The Church a refuge for euill doers Anno. 622. Martinus 1. Crownes Baruc 6. 30. Holy oyntment Vowe of Chasttitie Anno. 653. Vitelanus Diuine seruice in Latine Anno. 672. Agathus 1. Popish constitutions be Apostolicall Mariage to the Greeke priests permitted Anno. 682. Sisme 8. The 9. Sisme Constantine 1. The first Pope that gaue his feete to be kissed Images Anno. 716. dissipation of Spaine Gregorie 2. Gregorie 3. Leo the Emperor excommunicated 731. 741. Zacharias The Church vestments decked with gold c. Making and vnmaking of Kings The king of France most Chrsten and why The donation of Constantine Anno. 752. The king of Spaine Catholique Stephen 2. The donation of Constantine Pipin kissed the Popes feete c. Anno. 757. Paul 1. Exod. 20. A notable lie Anno. 767. The 10. Sisme Constantine 2. a lay man without any order was made Pope The Councell deposeth the Pope The 11. Sisme Stephen 3. Adoration and censing of images Anno 772. Adrian 1. Images Most Christian Anno. 795. The second Councell of Neece Images worshipped The cruelty of a mother Irena an Idolater and a murtherer Leo 3. Two Emperors one in the East another in the West The Popes decrees of more authority then the writings of all the Doctors The Crucifixe of Mantua A most subtill craft to aduaÌ„ce Images Anno. 816. Stephen 4. The Popes excuse for not seeking the consent of the Emperor Anno 817 Pascal 1. was Pope without consent of the Emperour Anno 824. Eugenius 2. The 12. Sisme Gregorie 4. Confirmation of the Emperour Anno 844. Sergius 2. first changed his name Anno 847. Leo 4. promiseth paradise 72 witnesses to condemne a Bishop The Papal crosse A Monke made king S. Peters pence in England Anno 855. Iohn 8. a whore Adout the yeer 1550. An. 852. Pope Ione was chosen The Pope turneth aside and the cause A seat and for what cause A statue in Rome of Pope Ione The ceremonie of the seat now not vsed and the couse A rare example the father son Grand-child Popes none of them either good or honest The Pope is of the common of two genders or els that is worse the boubtfull Rom. 20. 17. Ioh. 14. 26. The faith of the Colliar 1. Pet. 3. 15. Faith is compared to a lampe and why Benedict 3. The 13. Sisme Nicholas 1. The whole driâ—t of this Pope to free himselfe the Clergie from obedience to the Magistrate The Pope called God The diuine office in Latine Blasphemie Read aboue Siricius Gregorie 1. afterwardes Paul 2. and Pius 2. The Masse of a weÌ„ching priest not be heard Anno 867. Martin 2. without consent of the Emperour Anno. 884. Adrian 3. The Emperour lost his right in Rome 885. Stephen 5. The statutes of the Church of Rome necessary to saluation Anno 891.