cause banished their countrey Theodor. Ã Nyem de schismate l. 3. who repaired to Iohn Hâ—s who as Aeneas Siluius saith gaue him great light in many principall poynts In Italie it selfe Nicholas Lucensis a Carmelite and Doctor of Diuinitie was not afraid out of the pulpet at Lucca in the presence of Gregorie the twelfth to preach against his and the Papall tyrannie whereupon he was cast into prison and hardly got out againe notwithstanding that fauour and helpe he had from the gouernour and from thence forward he was put to silence Besides infinit numbers of all estates and conditions whom euerie where with exquisit torments they put to death in France England and elsewhere some shut vp in barrels some hanged on gibbets some burnt whose memorie remaines in the bookes of their aduersaries themselues Thom. Waldens in Fasciculo Zizoniorum Baptista Panaetius in Chron. in sermon Thom. Walsing in Chron. Thom. Walsing an 1413. in Henr. 5. Waldensis Baptista Panetius Walsingham and others Amongst whom we must not forget Iohn Oldcastle a nobleman of England heire by right of his wife to the Lord Cobham A man saith Walsingham Regi propter probitatem charus acceptus in great fauour with king Henrie the fift for his honestie and likewise renowmed for his valour and great knowledge in feats of armes who in the yeare 1413 is in the historie called the Protector and defender of the Lollards for that name or title was giuen to all those who protested against the corruptions of the Church who sent into the Diocesses of London Rochester Hereford some to publish the truth of the Gospell without the leaue and license of the Ordinaries who were especially in their sermons to confute the doctrine of Transubstantiation the Sacrament of Penitence Perigrinations the worshipping of Images the Keyes vsurped by the Church of Rome For these speciall heads the Authour reciteth Hee therefore reporteth That Oldcastle being by the authoritie of the king committed to the Tower of London and being brought before the Archbishop of Canturburie hee tooke out of his bosome a copie of the confession of his Faith and deliuered it vnto him to read which the Archbishop hauing read said That it contained in it much good and Catholike matter but yet he must satisfie him touching other poynts that is to say the abouenamed but especially that that concerned the power of the Pope and Cardinals and the Roman Hierarchie which Oldcastle refused not to doe but ingeniously professed withall That the Pope was true Antichrist that is his head the Archbishops Bishops and other Prelats his members the Friers his tayle And as touching the other poynts Idem in Ypodigmate Neustriae an 1413. They are ordinances sayth he of the Church of Rome made against the Scriptures after that it grew rich and the poyson had dispersed it selfe therein and not before The place it selfe is worthie the reading that we may acknowledge the agreement of their doctrine with ours against which no man can cauill Wherefore the Archbishop pronounced Oldcastle an heretike and excommunicated him requiring the secular power for the putting of him to death But the king proceeding slowly and vnwillingly in this businesse he escaped out of prison to whom there gathered a great multitude to haue freed him from that danger who were almost all put to the sword and such amongst them as were taken prisoners as well Clergie as Lay vnder a pretence of heresie were put to death whose constancie appeares in these words That the greatest part of them nec quidem poenitere curabant tooke no care to repent If wee may credit Walsingham there were not then lesse than an hundred thousand who made publike profession of this doctrine Another Annalist in few words sayth Iohannes Capgrauius l. 2 de Nobilibus Henricis That Oldcastle was not afraid in the Parliament to say That England would neuer be at peace vntill the Popes power were banished beyond the seas And learned and eloquent as he was he caused many bookes to be scattered in the streets against the inuocation of Saints auricular confession the single life of Priests Transubstantiation and other abuses of the Church of Rome for which cause being led prisoner to London at the last he was burnt But there comes now vpon the stage euen with open faces Iohn Hus and Hierome of Prage men by the testimonies of their aduersaries themselues renowmed for their learning and godlie conuersation who being called to publike charge in the Church did publikely preach against the abuses of the Church of Rome euen those that we in these dayes detest and abiure namely against the tyrannie of the Pope whom as their owne Iudges doe testifie they called Antichrist Aeneas Siluius in historia Bohemia c. 35. Aeneas Siluius himselfe who was afterwards Pope Pius the second sayth With the sound of their voyce the spirit of God assisting the word of God thundering in them the people were awakened out of their dead sleepe ran by flockes to this great light enuiting likewise their neighbours from diuers parts And whereas about that verie time Pope Iohn the foure and twentieth had granted a full remission of sinnes to all that would beare armes in defence of the Church of Rome against Ladislans king of Naples Certaine mecanicall persons saith Pius the second hearing this published with a lowd voyce Pope Iohn to be Antichrist bearing the crosse against Christians These good Fathers in the meane time assembled at the Councell of Constance for the reformation as they sayd of the Church as well in the head as in the members who should haue beene stirred vp thereunto by the sound of these Heraulds vnder a pretence of fidelitie as much as in them lay supprest and opprest them Being therefore called to the Councell vnder the trust of a safeconduct granted by the Emperour Sigismond who had called that Councell there to giue a reason of their doctrine they willingly came but presently they were cast into prison declared heretikes and in the end burnt aliue Iohn Hus first and Hierome about a yeare after Cap. 35. These Fathers leauing this Decree for an example and law to all posteritie Haereticis non seruandam fidem That we are not to keepe faith to Heretikes For such they accounted all those as we haue seene that withstood their opinions euen in matters meerely ciuile and that not without an apparent purpose to cut off all hope of a reformation of the Church by a free and lawfull Councell Siluius telleth vs That they were admonished not to thinke themselues more wise than the Church and that it would be easie for them to obtaine an honourable place in the Church if they would renounce their opinions In which meanes of conuerting we may easily note the stile of that auncient Doctor tempting our Sauiour in the desart Cap. 36. But they answer saith Pius That they teach the truth being the disciples of Christ directing themselues
of his mouth water after the woman like a floud that shee might be carried away of the floud But there were then giuen to the woman two wings of a great Eagle that shee might flie into the wildernesse And of a flight in the ayre there remaines no trace In such sort that we are not bound to search after it much lesse to shew it accounting it sufficient that we beleeue the Scriptues That God knoweth who are his That the Church is knowne vnto God as in the time of Eliah though vnknowne to the Prophet whereof after so many ages past there is no reason why any account should be demaunded of vs. But I will not deale so rigorously with you will you know where and what manner of Church ours was in all your time Our Church was that Primitiue Apostolike Church inspired with the holie Ghost grounded vpon the word of God which hath left vnto vs the Canon of the holie Scriptures the rule of our faith and life the Symboll of the Apostles the badge of our Christian warfare To vs therefore that embrace all these and to hold and defend them reject all humane inuentions stoppe our eares against the voice of a stranger the societie of this Church spread farre and wide through the world and as our Sauiour saith continuing to the last day of the world cannot be denied But on the other side against you is that curse threatened by S. Paule who besides and against this preach another Gospell If we or any angell from heauen preach vnto you otherwise let him be accursed Our Church is that which hath continued with this Gal. 1. v. 7.8.9 yea hath been euer ioyned vnto it shining with so manie and so great miracles made red with so many and glorious martyres For these are the miracles that witnesse the truth of this Gospell Martyrdomes that gaue testimonie to Christ the onely begotten sonne of God the onely redeemer of mankind Mediator Sauiour the only true Priest of the new Couenant which we onely vrge refusing all other and are readie to seale it with our bloud Ours therefore are these miracles and these Martyrdomes since we are incorporated with them by one and the same faith into one and the same Church Now tell me I pray haue your traditions beene confirmed by these miracles Can you or dare you affirme that any of your martyres haue suffered for the Papacie for the Popish doctrine for the adoration of Images the worship of Saints the traffike of Purgatorie the sacrifice of the Masse Transubstantiation By what right then doe you arrogate vnto your selues the miracles and martyrdomes of that Church by what right nay rather what wrong doe you take them from vs the true heires of their faith I would to God wee could as truely say of their constancie Againe our Church is that that heretofore confuted and confounded Arius Macedonius Nestorius Eutiches Pyrrhus yea Pope Honorius himselfe who called into question the diuinitie of the onely begotten sonne of God and of the holie ghost and the two natures and two wils in one Christ Ours are those generall Councells of Nice Constantinople Ephesus Chalcedon and others In which they with theirs were condemned and ouerthrowne Forasmuch therefore as we approue and embrace all these and consequently the Catholike Church represented in them as we neuer wandred in any thing from their doctrine so are we not to be seperated from their bodies Tell me againe whether you dare to say as much And if for shame you will seeme to dare See ye not that your Pope is to be brought into order that he is presently to fall to the ground Find you any where in any of those approued and auncient Councells any place for those your inuentions And yet these bring vs to the six hundreth yeare after the natiuitie of our blessed Sauiour In all which time if those points of doctrine which we affirme are confirmed by the holie Scriptures Symboles Myracles Martyres decrees of Councels and contrarily those things we denie doe no where appeare nay are not so much as affirmed may we not by good right and reason professe that Church to be ours And with better reason aske you where your Church was for those six hundred yeares together Vbinam Gentium for to say the truth there shee was there shee fed Not vpon the hill of Sion but the little hils and groues of Garisim the mountaines of Seyre the pastures of Paganisme From whence ye haue gathered whatsoeuer either the proud schoole of the Pharisies brought into the Sinagogue or the vaine superstition of the Greeke Philosophers into their Academy From thence-forward the authoritie of one man by the contempt of the word of God gathering strength in the Church of Rome the Princes likewise according as it was foretold striuing to giue their assistance he made and vnmade lawes at his owne pleasure preferring humane inuentions before the diuine oracles his decrees before the Canons of Councells Nouelties before antiquities things profane before holie borrowed from elsewhere before his owne adulterat before lawfull superstition before religion and all this furniture of Paganisme before Christian simplicitie by which meanes the Church by degrees fell into this corruption and languishing consumption In such sort neuerthelesse that in the middest of this corruption this confusion a part of our selues did still remaine and that in a twofold manner This Church was a part of our selues though corrupt cloked and couered with wood and hay and stubble yea in a manner ouerwhelmed 1. Corinth 3. so long as shee stood vpon her onely true foundation Christ Iesus so long as the saluation of man depended vpon him onely his merit the bloud of his crosse Not vpon our owne or other mens workes not vpon Popish absolutions and indulgences and other blasphemous toyes of that nature And as it falleth out that the wind changing the wether altereth so for a time the matter hung in an equal ballance vntill impietie ouer-weighing the mind of man by a kind of selfe-loue being prone to human inuentions true pietie was taken away Againe this Church was a part of our selues and the purer part inasmuch as many excellent men famous for their pietie and learning sprung vp therein almost in euerie Nation lifting vp their heads in the middest of this darkenesse Assemblies of Bishops and whole vniuersities striuing with all their force against that swift and violent streame shewed thereby the newnesse of the doctrine But striuing in vaine broke out into mournings and clamours and complaints calling heauen and earth to witnesse against the Popes and their followers who speaking with so cleere and audible a voice being so manie in number and in so manie places and that not out of any compact or agreement but a common sence of that publike calamitie is it not to be presumed that manie held their peace for feare possessing their pure soules in silence Such of whom the Lord speaketh by Eliah I haue
pleasure is Cassio lib. 9. variar epist ep 16. that this our Ordinance be intimated to the Senat and people by the gouernour of the Citie to the end that all may know that we are desirous to find out those who run a course so contrarie and repugnant to the Maiestie of God and you also saith he shall intimate the same to all Bishops which by the grace of God are vnder your commaund and gouernment Which words are plainely directed to the person of Iohn but in that which he wrote to the gouernour of the Citie he addeth farther and sayth To the end that this benefit of ours may continue firme and stedfast in time to come we ordaine That as well this our Ordinance as the said Decree of the Senat be deepely grauen in tables of Marble and set vp as a publike testimonie before the Porch of S. Peters Church A great honour no doubt vnto the Prince himselfe but an euerlasting blemish and reproach to the Clergie of tha◠time L. 8. Co. de summa Trinit But in the vsages of Iustinian the Emperour towards Iohn the second Baronius imagineth that he findeth much for the Popes aduantage It is certaine and we haue often said as much that the Emperours being now retyred into the East had need to hold intelligence with the Popes of Rome by their meanes to find alwaies a dore open into Italie Wherefore this Emperour being newly come vnto his Crowne sent an honourable embassage vnto him to assure him of his true faith and Orthodox religion And Baronius obserueth in his Epistle that he sayth in this manner We are all carefull to aduertise your Holinesse of all such things as concerne the estate of the Church with those other words following To submit and to vnite to your Holinesse all the Bishops of the East c. Your Holinesse which is the Head of all the holie Churches And thence he concludeth that the Emperour acknowledged this full and absolute authoritie of the Pope and consequently that all the Churches of the East did the like not caring how manie pages he filleth with this argument But to let passe that the most learned Ciuilians of our time hold this Constitution as neither lawfull nor legitimate it would trouble his conscience to haue all this Epistle construed according to the letter For first the inscription is onely this To the holie Iohn Archbishop of Rome and Patriarch as the Emperour Iustin his predecessor had stiled him before Doth this title I would know import an vniuersall charge and authoritie ouer all But what then shall we say when we see this verie Emperour writing to Epiphanius Bishops of Constantinople to vse these tearmes following L. 7. 8. Co. de summ Trinit To the most holie Archbishop of this royall Citie and Oecumenicall that is to say Vniuersall Patriarch What would Baronius haue said had the Emperour so written to the Bishop of Rome And farther doth he not vse the same tearmes vnto him which he doth vnto the other We will sayth he that your Holinesse know all matters which belong to the State Ecclesiasticall and we haue written to the same effect to the Pope of old Rome And all this we read in an Epistle which Baronius himselfe acknowledgeth to haue passed in nature of a publike Edict Wherefore Baronius hath nothing to stand vpon but this that the Emperour saith We endeuour to submit and to vnite vnto your Holinesse all the Bishops of the East Which words Pope Iohn layed hold on with both his hands in his answer to this letter where he telleth him that among other his vertues this was most eminent that he subiected all things to the See of Rome And tell me I pray you when he expoundeth this word subijcere by that other word vnire doth he not sufficiently explaine his meaning which was to reduce them not vnder the same dioces but vnder the vnion of the same faith and true doctrine which the Church of Rome had kept and such is the drift of this whole Epistle Yea but he calleth it the Head of all the holie Churches true but so doth he likewise and that not by letter onely but by an expresse law pronounce the Church of Constantinople the Head of all other Churches and Zeno the Emperour doth the like Caput l. 16. Co. de sacros eccles l. 24. ibid. Baron vol. 7. an 534. art 36. But had either of these therefore anie purpose to subject the Church of Rome to that of Constantinople And if Baronius replie that their meaning was of all the Churches of the East Why may not I as well say that the other was likewise meant of all the Churches in the West And because he will needs interpret this place by the 131 Nouell I would know what he can thence gather more than this Nouel 131. that the Bishop of old Rome should hold the first place and he of Constantinople the second which we denie not but it followeth not that therefore the one is subject to the other But both of them stand vpon equall ground by the Canons of Constantinople and of Chalcedon to the which the Emperour from the beginning promised to hold himselfe For whereas he farther alledgeth the ninth Nouell directed to Iohn the second wherein he graunteth this priuiledge to the Church of Rome that she shall not be prescribed but by an hundred yeares calling that Citie the Foundation of Lawes and Fountaine of the Priesthood not to say Nouel 10. in ed. Holoan that this Nouell is not found in the Greeke he should rather haue obserued that he is there called onely The Patriarch of the Citie of Rome that he distinguisheth in expresse tearmes betweene the Churches of the East and of the West and graunteth the same priuiledge to them both and had graunted into the Church of Constantinople seuen yeares before the other Likewise that which he enforceth out of the 42 Nouell directed to Mennas Patriarch of Constantinople Nouel 42. which he here alledgeth before the time That Pope Agapete had deposed the Patriarch Antymus because he agreed not with the Church of Rome is not truly alledged and therefore it is that he doth not alledge the text it selfe The truth is that Agapete being then at Constantinople presided in the Councell wherein Antymus was deposed And this is that which the Emperour meaneth when he saith That he was put from his See by Agapete 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who then held the first See in the old Rome But how was he deposed it is there said By the common suffrage of him and of the Synod there assembled And the reason is also added for that he vsurped the place contrarie to the holie Canon and had departed away from the sound doctrines of the holie Councels And this deposition of him was also authorized by the Emperour in his 42 Nouell directed to the said Mennas who is there againe qualified with the name
by degrees he put off and resigning to the king that which he had receiued from him and deliuering the ensignes of his Priestly dignitie into the hands of the Bishops he recited with his owne mouth the forme of the deposition in the middest of this assemblie according to the example of his predecessor Hebo which was there read word by word and by all the Bishops that were present subscribed all of them saying vnto him Cap. 54.55 according to thy profession and subscription cease from thine office Which being done they discharged the Clergie and people from their oath they had made vnto him that it might be free for euerie man to subiect himself to the authoritie of any other man And here the Synod ended which we haue thought good to repeat the more at large that it might appeare with what grauitie wisedome moderation circumspection our Fathers of France haue proceeded in this businesse all of them with one accord speaking by the mouth of Arnulph Bishop of Orleans and withall what they thought and judged of Rome and the Bishop thereof Sixtly Pope Iohn hereupon waxeth angrie and full of discontent in so much that he threateneth his excommunications against the Kings But Hugh least his competitors should thereby take aduantage sendeth him the whole course of proceeding in writing and withall sends him letters to this effect We know we haue done nothing against your Apostolike See and if you vouchsafe not to giue credit to vs that are absent being present your selfe learne the truth of those that are present Grenoble is a citie situat vpon the confines of Italie and France where the Bishops of Rome were wont to meet the Kings of France If it shall so please you you may doe the like or if it shall content you better to visit vs and ours we will receiue you at the foot of the Alpes with all honour and follow you with all due obseruances both staying here and returning backe This we speake from the bottome of our hearts that you may know and vnderstand that neither we nor any of ours wil refuse your iudgemēt But Iohn resolued rather to send Legats And in the meane time whilest these things were thus delayed Gerbert afterwards Pope Siluester the second writ an Epistle to Siguin Archbishop of Sens who to the Pope seemed to fauour Arnulph the man accused and now condemned Which Epistle was read at the end of this Synod Gerbertus in Epist ad Siguinum Senomens Your wisedome saith he should haue auoided the wilie subtilties of craftie men and haue hearkened to the voyce of the Lord which saith If they shall say vnto you Here is Christ and there is Christ follow them not It is said that he is at Rome who iustifieth that which you condemne and condemnes that which you take to be iust and we say that it is God and not man that condemnes those things that seeme iust and to iustifie that which seemeth euill c. God saith If thy brother haue sinned against thee goe and reproue him c. How then doe these that emulate vs say That in the deposing of Arnulph we were to expect the iudgement of the Bishop of Rome Can they teach vs that the iudgement of the Bishop of Rome is greater than the iudgement of God when the first Bishop of Rome and the Prince of the Apostles tels vs that we must rather obey God than men yea the great Doctor of the world Saint Paul telleth vs That if any man shall preach vnto you any other doctrine than that ye haue receiued though he be an Angell from heauen let him be accursed Thinke you that because Pope Marcelline burnt incens to Idols therefore all the Bishops must doe so too I dare boldly say that if the Bishop of Rome shall sinne against his brother and being often admonished shall refuse to heare the Church this Bishop of Rome I say by the commaundement of God is to be accounted as a Heathen or Publican For by how much higher his degree is by so much greater is his fall And if he shall therefore account vs vnworthie his communion or fellowship because none of vs consent vnto him against the Gospell yet he cannot therefore seperat vs from the Communion of Christ A Priest if by his owne confession or otherwise he be not conuicted cannot be put from his office especially since the Apostle himselfe saith Who shal seperat vs from the loue of Christ Iesus And againe Sure I am that neither life nor death c. The priuiledge then of S. Peter saith Leo the great is not in force wheresoeuer iudgement is not executed according to equitie And therefore we are not to giue occasion to those that emulate vs to thinke that Priesthood that is euerie where one as the Catholike Church is in all places one should in such sort be subiect to one onely man though he be corrupted with money fauour feare or ignorance none may be a Bishop but only he that is commended for such or the like vertues Let the Canon Law of the Catholike Church the Apostles the Prophets the Canons ordained by the spirit of God and consecrated with the reuerence of the whole world the Decrees of the Apostolike See not disagreeing from them c. Fare ye well and depend not vpon holie mysteries But Pope Iohn in the meane time hardly enduring these things appointed a Synod sometimes at Rome sometimes at Aix where our Bishops pretending that they were not bound to goe forth of the realme would not be found at the last at Mouson vpon the borders of France where onely Gerbert whom Hugh had nominated Archbishop of Rheimes appeared and in the presence of Leo Abbot of S. Boniface the Popes Legat many of the Bishops of Germanie and Italie assisting he defended the cause of the Fathers of France in such sort that the Legat durst not proceed any farther before he had consulted with the Pope and therefore referred the determination thereof vnto another Synod at Rheimes but yet in the meane time he forbad Gerbert to vse his Episcopall function who not fearing to answer him to his face told him That it was not in the power of any Bishop Patriarch or Pope to remoue from the communion any of the faithfull who hath not been conuicted or of his owne accord confessed the fact or hath not refused to come vnto the Councell but of all these three was none that might hinder him since he had neither confessed nor was conuicted and had onely amongst all the Bishops of France appeared at this Councell But in the meane time Gerbert went into Germanie to the Emperour Otho the third with whom he had been formerly brought vp who shortly after made him Archbishop of Rauenna perceiuing wel that our kings not yet setled in their new kingdomes nor approued by all did much feare to offend the Pope and indeed he saw that whatsoeuer our Bishops could alledge to the contrarie in the
of the Creed onely they blaspheme the Church of Rome and hold it in contempt and therein they are easily beleeued by the people To the end that all accusations may vanish away which were spred against them among the people although Baronius following the report of certain Monkes is not afraid to recite Baron an 1178. vol. 12. art 17.21 that they haue fained thē to be sometimes Arrians sometimes Manichees but wrongfully as he himselfe acknowledgeth although Rainerius was more impatient in his whole discourse against them Iacobus of Riberia in his collections of Tholouse hath these words Jacob. de Riberia in Collectaneis de vrbe Tholosae The Waldenses or Lagdunenses haue continued a long time the first place they liued in was in Narbone in France and in the diocesse of Albie Rhodes Cahors Agen And at the same time there was of little or no estimation such as were called Priests Bishops and Ministers of the Church For beeing verie simple and ignorant almost of all things it was verie casie for them through the excellencie of their learning and doctrine to get vnto themselues the greatest credit among the people and forasmuch as the Waldenses disputed of Religion more subtilly than all others were often admitted by the Priests to teach publiquely not for that they approued their opinions but because they were not comparable vnto them in wit In so great honour was the sect of these men that they were both exempted from all charges impositions and obtayned more benefit by the Willes and Testaments of the dead than the Priests A man would not hurt his enemie if he should meet him vpon the way accompanied with one of these heretikes insomuch that the safetie of all men seemed to consist in their protection What greater testimonie could a man expect from an aduersarie As touching their doctrine we cannot better learne what it was than by their owne confession presented sundrie times to the Kings of Bohemia who after their dissipation in Fraunce fled thither agreeing in substance with the profession of our Churches although according to the rudenesse of the time not so clearely expounded as also by their Catechismes wherein they instructed their children Neither will we refuse to giue credit to the acts of the Court of Inquisition and the writers of those times who for the most part caried away with malice endeuoured to make it odious to the world The aforesayd Rainerius noteth among the causes of their heresies That men and women little and great day and night cease not to learne Rainerius de Waldensibus and to teach I haue heard from the mouth of a credible person that a certaine heretike whom I knew that he might diuert him from our faith and peruert him to his owne did swim ouer the riuer Ibis in winter and euen in the night to come vnto him Let the Doctors of the true Religion blush at their owne negligence who are not so zealous of the truth of the Catholike faith as the Leonists are of the errour of infidelitie Moreouer they haue translated the new and old Testament into the vulgar Tongue and so they teach and learne it so well that I haue seene and heard saith he a Countrie Clowne recite Iob word by word and diuers others that perfectly could deliuer all the new Testament Then he distinguisheth their errors into three parts against the Church of Rome against the doctrine of the Sacraments and of Saints against the honest customes and rites of the sayd Church Of the Church of Rome saith he they teach that it is not the Church of Christ but the Church of the malignant which fell from Christ euer since the time of Syluester when the poison of temporall dominion entred into it that it is that whore described in the Apocalyps that the Pope is the head of all errours his Prelats Scribes his Monkes Pharisies and all turned from the Doctrine of the Gospell to follow their traditions As touching the Sacraments they disallow the administration of them in an vnknowne tongue the Godfathers vnderstanding not what they answere or promise in the Baptisme as also the exorcismes and the signe of the crosse and others the like They hold the Masse as nothing and that the Apostles neuer knew what it meant and as little did they know their Canon holding themselues to the words of the institution of Christ deliuered in a vulgar tongue That the oblation of the Priest serueth to no purpose And as touching the sacrament that it ought to be consecrated in a knowne tongue that for this purpose there needed no altar and that the changing of the formes is not done in the hand of the Priest consecrating but in the mouth of him that worthily receiueth it And all this because they admit nothing into their Church but what is written in the Bible no decrees no epistles decretals not the Legends of Saints nor Traditions of the Church and condemne also the inuocation and praying to Saints and whatsoeuer is comprehended vnder the name of honest customes the feasts of candles the adoration of the Crosse vpon Good friday the consecration of Palmes of Ashes of the Chrisme of fire of the Agnus dei of salt and water of certaine vestments and places of Pilgrimages to Rome and other places They denie also Purgatorie saying there is only but two waies the one heauen for the elect the other hell for the damned they condemne Masses and oblations for the dead besides anniuersaries and other suffrages for the soule These are the points that may be gathered out of that Authour who bestowed much time afterward in refuting them and mingled by the way many false accusations Aeneas Syluius in historia Bohemica ca. 35. from which they were afterward freed by Aeneas Syluius called Pope Pius the second whose doctrine he comprehended in these few words That the Bishop of Rome is equall to other Bishops neither is there any difference between them one Priest being not greater in dignity than another but in holinesse of life That the soules departing the body passe either to paine or to ioy eternall That there in no fire in purgatorie That a man prayeth in vaine for the dead being nothing else but an inuention of the auarice of Priests That the images of God and Saints were fit to be abolished That the halowing of waters and palmes are but mockeries That the religion of begging friers was inuented by some euill spirit That Priests ought to be poore and content to liue by almes That the preaching of the word of God is free to euery man That no man should sinne to auoid any euill whatsoeuer That whosoeuer is guilty of deadly sinne they mean a crime ought not to be admitted either into any secular or ecclesiasticall dignity That the confirmation by the Chrisme and extreme vnction are no Sacraments of the Church That auricular confession is but a friuolous and vaine thing and it is
se due reggimenti Cade nel fango se bruta la soma The Church of Rome which now will needs confound And joyne in one two diuers gouernements Her selfe defiles in dirt and brings her keyes to ground He refutes also the donation of Constantine that it neither was de facto nor could be de iure and therefore by some he was condemned of heresie There are a third sart saith he whom they call Decretalists ignorant and vnlearned in all Diuinitie and Philosophie who cleauing absolutely to their Decretalls putting all their hope as I suppose in the vigour and force of them they derogate from the Empire And no maruell when I haue heard one of them say constantly auerre That the traditions of the Church were the foundation of faith which wicked opinion and beleefe let them banish away far from them those men I meane which before the traditions of the Church did beleeue in Christ the Sonne of God either to come present or past and so beleeuing they hoped and hoping were enflamed with charitie and being thus diuinely enflamed the world makes no doubt but they shall be coheires with him In his Poeme of Paradise written in Itaalian he complaines That the Pope of a Pastor was become a Wolfe and diuerted Christs sheepe out of the true way and therefore the Gospell was forsaken the writing of the Fathers neglected they relied onely on Decretals no man thinkes on Nazareth where Gabriel displayes his wings but the Popes and Cardinals only repaire to the Vatican and some other selected places of Rome These things saith he were the absolute euersion of Christs warfare imposed vpon Peter whose pure doctrine in the meane while lyes deepely buried at Rome In times past war was made vpon the Church by the sword but now the same is inflicted by a famine that is by taking away the bread which God allotted for the nourishment thereof Dante del Paradiso C. 9. 20. Del Purgatorio C. 32. this being denyed to no man which is the preaching of the holie word But thou saith he addressing his speech to the Pope which by the Chancellor onely writest thus Cogita Petrum Paulum qui mortem oppetiuere Propter vineam quam vastas etiamnum viuere Potes tu quidem dicere firmum habeo desiderium Sic ad eum qui voluit viuere solus Quique per saltus fuit pertractus ad supplicium At qui nec piscatorem agnosco nec Paulum In another place he deliuers what an vnworthie thing it was that the holie Scriptures were either wholly layd apart or violently peruerted That there was no consideration had with how much bloud they were planted in the world and how highly they accept of him that comes to them in humilitie of heart and spirit Whereas on the other side euerie man applauded himselfe in his owne Fictions and Comments but the Gospell was buried in silence The publike chayres and Oratories resounded nothing all the yeare long but vaine questions and meere fables and so the poore sheep being fed with the puffes of wind pined and consumed away with many other things which might bee produced out of his workes against the Popes Indulgences and the abuses of the Roman Church the which he so liuely describes that one may most easily perceiue how he plainly acknowledged her to be that Whore in the Apocalyps It is a thing verie memorable That at this time Frederick the third king of Sicilia a most religious Prince was so moued with the depraued gouernement of the Church of Rome that he began to doubt of the veritie of the Gospell but being vrged by a vision wherein his mother appeared to him with her face vncouered and whom he knew by these words My sonne I giue thee my blessing Colloquium Frederici Regis Arnoldi de Villa noua that thou mayest studie daily to obey the trueth hee sent for Arnold de Villa noua who was then of great estimation amongst all men that by his assistance he might bee resolued in his doubts His principall doubt was this Whether the doctrine of the Gospell was an humane inuention or a diuine tradition And here three things principally disturbed his mind First That the whole Clergie as well great as small conformed their liues no wayes according to the Gospell they discharged sacred offices but euen for forme sake only or else in verie mockerie scorne and for the gouernement of soules they tooke no care being contrariwise transported with all violence to vice and vaineglorie Secondly In that the Monks who seemed to draw neerer to Apostolicall integritie they were now so swarued and strayed from the wayes of God that in respect of them not onely the secular Clerkes but euen lay men themselues might rather bee justified they being serpents and vipers without any spirit of pietie And there he deciphers them by all the notes of dishonestie by hypocrisie impietie crueltie rapine wantonnesse diuine contempt incredulitie and also about the verie Gospell it selfe Thirdly That in a doctrine so weightie and of such â—onsequence he could not sufficiently wonder at the negligence and carelesnesse of the See Apostolicall When he sent into diuers countries he was by some inquisitiue what progression the Gospell made who returned him answer They could discerne no such matter and that outwardly no course nor care was taken for the propagation of the Gospell as also inwardly no greater studie imployed for the extinguishing of schismes but rather of nourishing and setting them on fire The Legats were daily entangled in worldlie affaires being little carefull either for the promotion or preseruation of the Gospell And consulting with some Friers about his vision many made answer it was but an illusion Diuers out of this made implication That his mother was yet in Purgatorie and wanted prayers and suffrages But Arnold de Villa noua by many reasons and examples and especially in that her admonition was consonant to the words of the Gospell plainely affirmed That questionlesse this vision was of God and thereupon exhorted him earnestly to serue God according to his vocation to performe justice and charitie to prouide as well for the cause of the poore as of the rich and for matters belonging to God hee should continually preferre them before all humane respects and considerations For the doctrine of the Gospell that he must firmely auerre and beleeue that all the doctrine of the Euangelists is the verie doctrine of God That Iesus of Nazareth is the Christ promised vnto the Auncients for a Sauiour euen God himself which created the whole world which may be confirmed not onely out of the Articles of the Creed but also by such euident demonstration as no man could oppugne or infringe And setting downe the same in writing he deliuered it him Then for the reasons of his wauering and being in doubt they were of that nature as they rather strengthened the beleefe and truth thereof than any wayes impaired
to Christ of the Philosophers to Paule they double vpon vs euen till they be hoarse What new doctrine is this Mark 1. v. 27. Act. 17. v. 19. Math. 19. v. 8. Joh. 9. v. 29. Joh. 5. v. 46.47 We know that God hath spoken to Moses but this man we know not whence he is To whom preposterously boasting of their antiquitie we may easily answer with the words of Christ himselfe From the beginning it was not so Had ye beleeued Moses or his writings yee had likewise beleeued me Had yee beleeued the sacred word of God the holie Scriptures inspired from aboue the true antiquitie the onely treasurie of the Charters of the Christian Church ye had likewise beleeued me But truely if yee be not ouer hard of beliefe I doubt not but in this worke I shall satisfie you touching both these scruples Let them not make you beleeue the Popes haue bin alwaies such as you now adore Behold here their beginning their progression their encrease their secret subtile cruell outragious enterprises violences assaults A Mysterie not without mysterie so called vnder pretence of the ministerie ending in this prodigious estate that we see in this two-headed monster whilest the ministers of the Gospell the Prelats Bishops Archbishops Patriarches partly vnder Heathen Princes endured cruell persecutions partly vnder Christians though greatly enriched by them whom they obeyed willingly and in all humilitie at the first but afterwards their desires encreasing with their meanes more carelesly and rather for a fashion than otherwise shortly after by open ambition and flattering some in their sinnes especially Phocas in his murder they were made Vniuersall Bishops and secular Princes in Italie excluding Emperours and not content to withdraw themselues from their obedience they likewise absolued both the nobles and people of that oath of allegiance wherewith they were bound At the last threatening with both swords they mingled prophane things with holie confounding and deuouring the holie in the prophane They set kings together by the eares that so they might ruin at one the other and they by their ruine and ouerthrow rise to the highest step of their power They crowne Emperours make and vnmake them at their pleasure trampling them vnder their feet They are now Emperours and Popes together the Lords and Monarches of the world now higher than the Angels equall with God himselfe nay gods great and omnipotent subrogating and abrogating the commandements of the highest God creating God himselfe at their pleasure nay causing him to be created by those whom they call their creatures Now let him whosoeuer he be that yet doubteth couple compare these two extreames together A minister of God sometime a Prelat of the Church now made a god sitting in his throne vsing God if we may beleeue it as his officer Sometime humble and gentle yea the seruant of seruants yeelding obedience to all Princes whatsoeuer now proud cruell treading vpon the neckes of the greatest powers the greatest Princes Sometime glorious for the sanctitie of his life suffering ioyfully for the name of Christ all torments and tortures whatsoeuer now prophane puffed vp with a vaine title of holinesse embrued made drunken with the bloud of Saints What reason what proportion can there be I pray you betwixt two extreames so different so repugnant And what should stay vs but that with astonishment we may crie out A Mysterie great Babylon In so strange a noueltie so diuers changes is it possible that any man should obiect the antiquitie of the Popedome where Satan raigneth so visibly vnder the onely name to say no more the maske of S. Peter Let them not abuse you with the name of the Church the Catholike they call it thereby inferring the Roman Church For the Church of Rome is not nor euer was the Vniuersall the Catholike Church a part thereof it was so long as it continued pure and vnpolluted but yet but a part with others not aboue others And therefore by her fall her ruine the flock of Christ cannot perish though that perish vtterly by her defection the flocke of Christ cannot fayle though that faile vtterly True it is that the Church of Rome was once pure and chast and no small part of the Spouse of Christ so long as she hearkened to his voyce and stopped her eares against the voyce of strangers hauing alwayes before her eyes her vow and contract of mariage But the adulterer with false keyes crept into her bed-chamber nay perhaps by her selfe was let in by the posterne Hee hath defiled her bed and with that contagious copulation her beautifull countenance is become pale and gastly her naturall colour defiled with paintings her true doctrine infected with forged tales in so much that in a manner she is become nothing else but falshood and lyes Other Churches haue done their best endeuours to oppose themselues against her as that of Africa France Germanie Greece and other the East Churches Neither were there wanting in her selfe faithfull dogs who with the danger of their liues ceased not so long as they might to barke at him when he began first to increase to dig and to breake through the wall opposing and interposing their defences making head against him euen in the breach vntill at the last by the collusion of the Roman Clergie hauing obtained the end of his designments and ouerrunning all things at his owne pleasure he made the house of God according to the prouerbe the stable of Augia the caue of Cacus miserably oppressing all the godlie yea pietie it selfe From thence forward the suppressed gronings of the godlie brake forth and the mournefull plaints of that woman that flew from the dragon of our doue the purer Church were euery where heard Her footsteps sometimes though flying from the face of the persecuters you might discerne but yet by the persecuting rable vnmanured defaced halfe couered Her voice amongst the Salmonean thunders of the Popes was hardly heard being euery where interrupted by the noise of the sparkling flames about her and as it were in Phalaris bull in the writings of the Monks and the mouthes of her aduersaries least we should lament the tortures of the godlie turned into the bellowing of an Oxe Doest thou aske therefore where our Church was so manie ages past Where it fed her flockes where it lay at noone Cant. 1. v. 7. Heare I pray thee what S. Iohn the Euangelist saith The woman that is the Church persecuted by the Dragon Apoc. 12. v. 6. 16. did flie into the wildernesse where shee hath a place prepared of God that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and threescore dayes that is propheticall daies a time certaine and that not short Shee is not therefore to be sought in the Popedome in the light of the world in the middest of pride and excesse It is likewise sayd that the dragon which deceiued the whole world hauing great wrath persecuted the woman and cast out
reserued vnto my self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seuen thousand men who haue not bowed their knees to Baal Rom. 11. v. 2. To my selfe saith he They stand to their Lord and master insomuch that thou needest not doubt of them Much lesse it is to be doubted that there are seuen times seuentie thousand yea innumerable numbers in the whole world since tyrannie and corruption grew more slowly in some places than in other and Eliah alone in Israell withstood the false worship of God That there were so many in so many kingdomes and Countries though we had no other witnesses to proue it than our aduersaries than the Popes slaues who either concealed or disguised whatsoeuer might be noted in the errors of true religion as appeares by the example of the Iesuits in these dayes let no man doubt And these things fell out in the seuenth eight and ninth ages in which the East Church was directly opposite against the West the West at variance with it selfe their Councells wauering and in one and the same Councell voices diuided different opinions we call these times the twilight of the Church growing by little and little into an obscure and darke night A moonelesse night wherein there are few starres and those that twinckle most for the most part wandring not fastened in the firmament the word of God In such sort that whither you respect doctrine or manners this night seemed to be the last night of the Church her brest yea her heart being pierst and her throat cut The doctrine of the onely mediator redeemer sauiour of mankind Christ Iesus of his onely propitiatorie sacrifice almost extinct and reserued if we looke into the outward face of things amongst a few This no doubt was that time wherein that Woman Deut. 32. v. 11. the true Church being put to flight by the Dragon and borne vpon the wings of that great Eagle was enforced to retire her selfe to the wildernesse Of that Eagle the eternall omnipotent Iehoua who when there is neede knoweth how to carrie and keepe his Church as the Eagle doth her young This likewise was that time Apoc. 12.15 wherein that Dragon cast out of his mouth water after the woman like a floud that shee might be carried away of the floud But shee whom thou seekest and persecutest to the death being got out of thy sight cutteth the ayre with her wings seekes the steepie tops of the mountaines where shee resteth and hideth her selfe vnder the wings of the Almighty And shee whom thou like a wretch thinkest to be perished in the beginning of the twelfth age tooke her flight towards the plaine God mouing and leading her the way into Dauphin Prouince Languedock Guyenne the plains of Italie filling all from the Pirenei hills to the Alpes from the Alpes to the Appenine with the preaching of the Gospell At the last her enemies the Popes exercising their furie against her after many bloudie slaughters and massacres being rather sowed than scattered she springs vp takes root in Germanie Slauonia Hungary England it selfe there hath founded extended her Colonies No otherwise than that first Apostolike Church driuen from Hierusalem by the furious priests dispersed it selfe by the great prouidence of God into all parts of the world publishing the Gospell which otherwise had been included within a little circuit in all the corners therof Read my good friend the Histories of this time set downe by your owne writers we produce our witnesses out of thine owne bosome we haue no other either for you or against you It shall be easie for thee thereto note her foot-steps Heere some by flocks are massacred there others by multitudes are consumed with fire For feare least thou shouldest loose thy way and go astray he hath marked it out for thee with these euerlasting cinders the bloud of these Saints other foot-steps others to shew thee the way thou needest not But thou contemnest this poore and ragged Church though not so full of wrinkles and proudly disdainest her natural colour though it be white louing rather delicious and delicat as thou art a Church proud and glorious in her vestments of scarlet painted with colours more glittering though borrowed wantonly lusting after nouelties It is therefore no maruell if thou haue embraced that Babylonian Whore beautified with false and counterfeit colours The chosen vinyard of the Lord like a negligent husbandman thou sufferest to grow vnto a tree to be ouer ranke with leaues and little care thou takest whether it yeeld weeds or grapes But the eternall God the true husbandman doth not so but humble and lowly as his vinyard is the better to continue it in that humilitie hee pruines it and affoords now and then an eye vnto it and that bedewed with tears that it might yeeld the more and the better fruit yea and sometimes hee pluckes away the leaues that it may lye more open to the beames of the Sunne and so ripen the better that when they come to the presse they may yeeld a more excellent wine And now thou knowest where our Church was in all this time Thou rude and simple as thou art thinkest perhaps when thou seest the Sunne to set in the West that it is swallowed vp in the Ocean and quite extinguished wherein indeed when it sets to thee it riseth to others and returnes againe to thee in his due time and misseth not a minute The riuer Rosne when it entreth into the lake of Lozanna thou thinkest it is quite deuoured but that liuelie and running water cutteth and diuideth that dead and standing poole making way through her swallowing depthes Our Church in like manner hath made her way through many ages hath runne into the lake yet not ouerwhelmed but hath past through the bottomelesse gulfes thereof with glorie and triumph and many riuers meeting her she passeth through many countries and at the last falls into her Ocean the Church of Christ into God the bottomelesse sea of all goodnesse and there is drowned loosing her selfe to find her selfe in him Remember Ionas a figure of the bodie of Christ in the Sepulchre and therefore of his Church Thou seest him swallowed by the Whale and thou thinkest him deuoured Ionas c. 2. 3. and thou hast reason to beleeue too for he saith The waters compassed me about vnto the soule the depth closed me roundabout and the weeds were wrapt about my head in as much that I said I am cast away out of thy sight out of the sight of God himselfe if we may so say not of men not of his aduersaries But I saith he will yet looke againe toward thy holie Temple Out of the bellie of hell it selfe the bowels of that beast I cried and thou heardest my voyce At the verie becke of the omnipotent God this monster cast out Ionas vpon the drie land to be sent as an Herauld to preach repentance vnto the Niniuites a people seperated from the Church What maruell then
to affect a soueraignetie ouer the Church of God But be it Iulius assembled a Synod at Rome at the request as well of Athanasius as of the Eusebians his Antagonists what then Was it to judge of the difference betweene them by way of Appeale or was it rather to compose matters betweene them as an indifferent friend The verie words of Athanasius are these The Eusebians sayth he write vnto Iulius and thinking to affray vs request him to call a Synod and himselfe to be Iudge if he would where the Latine Interpreter rendreth it Arbitrator and Baronius vseth the same word Now I would know whether men vse to speake in this manner of a soueraigne Iudge And indeed the Eusebians seeing Athanasius come to Rome drew backe and made Athanasius wait there a whole yeare and a halfe vntill in the end vpon their non apparance Iulius examined the cause of Athanasius and finding him innocent receiued him to the Communion of the Church Neither did Iulius himselfe in the carriage of this businesse vse anie of this absolute or as they tearme it of this coactiue power neither did his proceedings anie whit at all sauor either of the pretended authoritie of a Pope or of the lawfull power of a generall Councell his words are these Though sayth he I haue written alone yet is not this my opinion onely but of all the Italians and Bishops hereabout Whereby it appeareth that this was no generall Councell but onely a Synode within Italie and therefore hath Baronius no colour to conclude from hence a Power in the Pope to call generall Councels Moreouer in his letters to the Easterne Churches he pretendeth nothing but loue vnto them He that wrote vnto you out of loue sayth he should haue beene answered againe in loue But a little after when he attempted to restore the Bishops whom they had deposed they presently assembled in Synod at Antioch where being there present a farre greater number of Orthodox Fathers than of Arrians as Baronius himselfe confesseth by common voice and consent they reproued his insolencie scoffing at him and bidding him to meddle with what he had to doe Here againe Baronius as his manner is beginneth to juggle with vs Baron to 3. an 341. art 56. and to dazzle our eyes by telling vs that this Epistle was written by the Eusebians when as yet it appeareth to haue beene written and sent by the generall consent of all this being no point of faith and doctrine to distract them but onely of Church gouernment Socrates speaking of this Epistle Socrat. l. 2. c. 11. They wrote saith he all by common consent Now of ninetie Bishops there assembled there were not in all aboue thirtie six Eusebians or Arrians and they not willing to acknowledge that name neither So likewise speaketh Sozomen of this Epistle Sozom. l. 3. c. 7. the points whereof what they are alreadie hath beene declared But what saith Iulius to all this doth he alledge for himselfe that either by vertue of his succession to S. Peter or of the Nicene Councell they ought to appeale to Rome no such matter his words are onely these The Fathers of Nice ordained and that not without the counsell of God that the Acts of one Councell should be examined in another whereby there appeareth no greater power giuen to the Bishop of Rome ouer Alexandria than to the Bishop of Alexandria ouer Rome As for the grieuance whereof he complaineth it is onely this that contrarie to the custome they had not written first of all vnto him concerning the difference fallen out in Alexandria to haue his aduice for the composing thereof as being Bishop of the first See as also that manie Synods had beene held in the East concerning points of faith and doctrine without giuing him notice thereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contrarie to the Rule and Canon of the Church wherein is contained that none might impose anie law vpon the Churches without the aduice of the Bishop of Rome which was but reason considering the place he held But it followeth not therefore either that he alone might make Canons or that they his aduice once heard might not otherwise determine if they saw cause As for those Epistles of Iulius which we find inserted in the bodie of the Councels they speake in a higher straine nothing there but of Appeales to the See of Rome and of reseruations of all greater causes all founded vpon Scriptures Traditions and the Councell of Nice in all which no one word is to be found tending to that purpose But the verie date of Felicianus and Maximianus Consuls giueth them the lye there being no such Consuls names or anie like vnto them to be found in all that age no not in Onuphrius himselfe and which is the greater wonder Baronius himselfe our grand Annalist is ashamed of them Now come we to examine that famous Councell of Sardica which as Baronius and his fellowes thinke and not without some colour and shew of reason much aduanceth the cause of the Bishop of Rome Baron to 3. an 346. art 5. To begin therefore first I aske who called it That Iulius Bishop of Rome sayth Baronius was the first Author thereof appeareth partly by that which hath beene alreadie spoken and partly by Sozomene who seemeth plainely to insinuate as much But what is this to the purpose The question is Who called it and he for answere telleth vs That the Bishop of Rome was the first Author and aduiser of it whereas the one argueth an authoritie the other onely a care which had beene verie little if in that great combustion he would not haue sought some meanes of pacification But how doth Sozomene seeme to insinuate as much Sozom. l. 3. c. 10. his words are these It seemed good in the minds of the Emperours that the Bishops of either part should at a day appointed meet at Sardica a Citie in Illyria now called Triadizza These are the words of solemnitie and absolute authoritie of the Emperours And Socrates speaking of the same Councell sayth Socrat. l. 2. c. 16. Graec. edit c. 20. That the one Emperour requested it by his letters and the other readily accorded thereunto Also the Synodall Epistle of the Fathers there assembled reported by Theodoret speaketh in this manner The Emperours beloued of God haue assembled vs out of diuers prouinces and countries Theodoret. l. 2. c. 8. and haue giuen vs leaue to hold this holie Synod in this Citie of Sardica And Athanasius a man of all others most interessed in this Councell Athanas Apolog 2. Balsamon in praefat Synod Sardicens By the commaund sayth he of the most religious Emperours Constans and Constantius c. And Balsamon in his preface to this Councell By the commaundement sayth he of these two brothers were assembled 341 Bishops at Sardica And now tell me what are become of Baronius his ghesses Likewise Liberius himselfe successor vnto Iulius sent Lucifer a
it out of question But shall wee therefore call him heretike minimè gentium And why not good sir since many a man hath beene so called vpon farre lesse occasion vnlesse a Pope holding opinion with Arrius by vertue of his Popedome be neither Arrian nor heretike An. 362. Now Athanasius in the yeare 362 held a verie famous Councell in Alexandria whither he inuited the Bishops out of all parts to helpe reestablish the true doctrine of the Church Our Annalist would needs persuade vs that hee did it by order from Liberius and that Liberius confirmed the acts of this Councell Which Baron to 4. an 362. art 208. saith he he plainely expresseth in his Epistle to Ruffinian But let who will read this Epistle and then say whether there be in it any one word tending to that purpose Nazianz. in Athanas At least Gregorie Nazianzene vnderstood it otherwise when as alluding to this Synod assembled by Athanasius he speaketh in this maner He prescribed lawes to all the world and drew euerie mans eyes vpon himselfe And vpon that question Whether and how farre forth such as had fallen were to bee restored he saith That the same courses were taken in all the Synods which had beene assembled In the presence saith he of the Bishops of all forreine Prouinces as also of Greece and of Spaine but of Italie or Rome no one word spoken Likewise in the yeare 364 Sozom. lib. 5. c. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there was another Synod held in Lampsacus where the Orthodoxe of Bythinia and Hellespont saith Sozomene sent Hypatianus Bishop of Heraclea to Valentinian the Emperour to intreat leaue to assemble themselues in councell The Emperour wearied with so many Councels called in the time of his predecessor Constans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to so little good purpose made answer That it was not lawfull for him being a lay man to meddle with the matters of the Church Whence Baronius concludeth That he thereby resigned all authoritie he had or could pretend in Church causes But the Emperour addeth farther Let the Church-men assemble themselues where they will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which words they tooke for leaue and thereupon assembled themselues And in the end that fell out which the Emperour foresaw which was that being ouerborne by the aduerse faction they could not hold themselues to the Nicene Creed Here againe Baronius taketh aduantage because they sent three Legats to Liberius Bishop of Rome with a Synodall Epistle True but these Legats comming to him salute him onely by the name of Collegue and brother and to begin withall tell him That they had brought letters to his Benignitie and to all the other Bishops of Italie and of all the regions of the West Who consequently were associated with him in the same letter And what I pray you hath Baronius now gotten Last of all and for an vpshot let vs not forget a good saying of Baronius who Optat. lib. 3. contra Parmen to shew the pride of Donatus alledgeth a saying of Optatus Seeing saith he that there is none aboue the Emperour but God which made him hee therein passed the state of men esteeming himselfe now no longer a man but a God Which was onely for that he refused to accept the almes and offerings of the Emperour with whom he held not communion Let Baronius lay his hand vpon his heart and tell me truely what Optatus would haue said of our Pope of Rome now adayes seeing that he so much lifteth himselfe vp aboue the Emperour both in his decrees and in his actions but onely this That of a trueth he is that man of sinne foretold vnto vs which lifteth himselfe vp aboue God and causeth himselfe to be adored in the Temple of God 6. PROGRESSION What ambition was vsed in aspiring to the Popedome and what was the cause thereof IN the yeare 366 in the election of Damasus successor to Liberius An. 366. appeared plainely with what ambition and violence men aspired to the See of Rome The booke of the Popes saith That Damasus got it by hauing the stronger faction And Ruffin who liued at that time saith That about the choyce arose so great a tumult Liber Pontificalis quia fortior plurima multitudo erat Ruffin l. 1. c. 10. Marcellin l. 27 or rather an open warre whiles some maintained Damasus and others Vrsicin that the houses of prayer that is the churches floated with mans bloud But Ammianus Marcellinus telleth vs both the historie it selfe and also the cause thereof Damasus saith he and Vrsicin enraged with a desire of that Episcopall See drew the people into factions who thereupon grew first to blowes and afterward to murders So that Viuentius finding himselfe too weake either to represse or to appease them withdrew himselfe out of the citie in which conflict Damasus had the vpper hand and it is certaine that in the Church of Sicininus where the Christians vsed to meet at seruice there were left in one day 137 dead bodies and a hard matter it was for a long time after to assuage this enraged populace And thence it was that Ruffin called it an open warre And Marcellinus adding the cause For my owne part saith he I doe not wonder considering the brauerie of that citie if men ambitious of that place set vp their rest for the purchasing thereof for hauing once aspired thereunto they are sure to be enriched with the offerings of gentlewomen and ladies and to be carried in their coaches sumptuously attired and so magnificent in their feasts as passeth any kings table Whereas they might indeed bee truely happie if not regarding the greatnesse of the citie they would order their liues after the manner of other meaner Bishops who approue themselues to the immortall God and to his true worshippers by puritie of life by modestie of behauiour by temperance in meat and drinke poore apparell and lowlie eyes Whence the reader may perceiue and judge wherein consisted the difference betweene the Pope and other Bishops in those dayes yet Baronius glorieth in this pompe and pride of the Popes and taketh great pleasure in these feasts as one delighting to hold his nose ouer the pot Baron to 4. an 367. art 8. 9. Rex Sacrificulus Marcellinus saith he was a Heathen and therefore enuied to see our Soueraigne Pontife to surpasse their High Priest in pompe and glorie But he should haue remembred That this is a question not yet decided among the learned Whether he were a Pagan or a Christian and by his words it should seeme that he was a Christian Hieron Epist 61 The modester sort of Bishops saith he approue themselues to the immortal God and his true worshippers c. What now saith Baronius to all this Hierosme saith he in a certaine Epistle of his telleth vs of one Protextatus then Consull designed who was wont to say vnto Damasus Make thou me Bishop of Rome
to famble with children but ought not to be drawne in consequence of doctrine in the Church That in such matters euerie one might abound in his owne sence and to conclude That he was just of opinion with Sergius that is to say a pure Monothelite Yet Bellarmine Onuphrius and others of that whet seeke to justifie him but alas they cannot vnlesse they will first condemne this Councell If they say that the copies were corrupted by the Greekes we answere that we take them as we find them in the Latine where we farther find that the copies of his letter were compared with the Originall it selfe taken out of the Librarie of Constantinople and the sentence passed vpon that letter saith That it swarued from the doctrines of the Apostles and holie Synods and that they contained hereticall positions and as such are worthie of execration That they execrated and accursed the authors of all such doctrines and cast their names out of the Church and for that cause they there pronounce Anathema against Honorius as following in euerie point the drifts and purposes of Sergius Cyrus and other complices in this Heresie all which is to be seene more at large in the Bodie of that Councell But which is more Honorius for this verie Heresie was afterward againe excommunicated in the seuenth Generall Councell and last Action Synod Nicen. 2. act vlt. 3. Synod Constant 8. Vniuers act 7. 3. 6. Beda de sex aetatib Liber Pontific in vita Leonis Psellus de septem Synodis and in the eight by Pope Adrian the second himselfe and by diuers others And of this Beda and the Pontificall Booke for the Westerne Churches and for those of the East Psellus and for these later times Melchier Canus though our aduersarie beareth record and is all this so easily puffed off by saying That the Greekes perhaps did corrupt the copies or that I know not who hath thrust these words into Beda Had Pope Agatho known the contrarie or had the least doubt therof what conscience had he had to hold his peace Is it ynough to say that he did it to auoid farther brable Or should not the zeale of his See rather haue moued him to speake For whereas they tell vs a tale of one Maximus out of the Popes Librarie we answere That such a domesticke witnesse ought not to be admitted without better caution for his honestie no more may Nicholas the first who liued two whole ages after this time and is a Pope produced for a Pope neither yet Emanuel Galleca who liued no lesse than 500 yeares after And by the way it is to be obserued That the Legats of Pope Agatho assisted at the condemnation of Honorius with 289 other Bishops Concil Tolet. 4. Can. 16. as also that at this verie time the fourth Councell of Toledo decreed That the Apocalyps should be read in time of Masse that is of full seruice betweene Easter and Whitsunday with Anathema to him which should faile herein as wel perceiuing that the time now approached when all men had need to arme themselues against that Antichrist who is in that booke plainly foretold and by many circumstances most graphically described which gaue life to the Beast which was dead that is to the Roman Empire in that downfall of the temporall Estate as S. Gregorie himselfe had mentioned An. 633. 680. art 17. Here Baronius grindeth his teeth contesting violently That Honorius was not an Heretike he turneth and windeth new casteth and mouldeth the words to saue him thereby from this imputation For what likelihood saith he seeing that the Councels held vnder Martin at Rome make no such mention and seeing that Pope Agatho himselfe pronounceth so peremptorily That it was neuer knowne that the See of Rome did erre c. But what shall we hearken to those forced interpretations which Baronius maketh of his words rather than to those which two generall Councels made of them when all matters were either present to their view or at least fresh in memorie vnto them or because the Pope said That they neuer erred must we therefore needs beleeue them contrarie to the authoritie of generall Councels and contrarie also to some of themselues And when Pope Agatho by his Legats condemned him and his memorial after him in the sixt generall Councell shall it be ynough for them to say That the Greekes added this parcell and the two Sessions following and thus to put off whatsoeuer they are not able to defend or may not we rather thinke and say That those other passed it ouer with silence because they had not what to say in excuse thereof Giue way to this and what Councell can stand for good In the end he telleth vs That one Theodorus Bishop of Constantinople Ib. art 17. an 680. being himselfe an Heretike and one of those which should haue beene condemned in the same sentence giuen by the Synod caused Honorius his name to be put into the scedule in stead of his owne Base shift for where doth he find Theodorus so much as named in all that Session or must so many authorities so many pregnant proofes giue place to his bare coniecture what printed author what manuscript doth he alledge But the truth is Gratulabor mihi tibique this man desireth not to be releeued but vpon almes Reader saith he if thou wilt accept of this I shall be glad that I haue not lost my paines if not neuerthelesse Honorius shall be still a good Catholike And this is all the fruit of 50 pages which he had spent vpon this argument Now after Honorius succeeded Seuerin the first At that time saith Blondus the manner was Blond li. 9. Deca 1. That the Pope elected was not crowned till the Exarch would come from Rauenna to confirme him And Isaac who was Exarch at that time deferred his comming to Rome one whole yeare and a halfe Platina in Seuerino and so also saith Platina Here Beronius obserueth That the decree of Phocas was obserued in certaine places And we denie not that this Mysterie had his proceedings for one Sergius Archbishop of Cyprus writing vnto Pope Theodore inscribeth his letter To Theodorus the Vniuersall Pope and so much the rather because he was at variance with the Bishop of Constantinople Summo omnium Praesulum Pontifici So likewise a genernll Synod of Afrike writing to Pope Martin inscribeth their Epistle To the Soueraigne Pontife ouer all Bishops though they might peraduenture meane it onely as to the chiefe Patriarch and consequently a Contutor in the gouernement of the Vniuersall Church as wee haue said before But Victor Bishop of Carthage a man much renowmed in that Synod when vpon his election he sent his confession to Theodorus kept the old stile and wrot onely To the most blessed Lord and our honourable holie brother Pope Theodore beginning his Epistle with these words The good workes of your holie Fraternitie c. and so
all along giuing him fairely to vnderstand That all the Apostles were endowed with equall authoritie and certifying him onely An. 649. That he was consecrated Bishop of Carthage without euer asking confirmation at his hands only he requesteth him to recommend him in his prayers vnto God that he might wel discharge his office After this came Martin who taking occasion vpon the fame and suspition that was of the Patriarches of the East that they were Monothelites sent thither certaine Bishops and made some of those which yet remained Orthodox in the East his Vicars This was a faire attempt but the Emperour Constans hindered him in his walke for the yeare following he sent and caused him to be apprehended in Rome and to be brought prisoner to Constantinople where he died a banished man hauing beene accused for conspiring with the Sarasens against the Emperour as appeareth by his letters written to Theodorus Martinus in Epist ad Theodor 14. Sanctuâ— Audoenus in vita Sancti Eligij Sacerdotalem Concilium This Martin was a man of a hautie mind and a great vndertaker yet could not he maintaine his pretended authoritie no not in the West For when a certaine Heretike had crept into the Bishopricke of Authun the Bishop of Noion who was then in Court solicited the king and obtained of him saith Saint Ouin That by his commaundement a Councell of Priests or Bishops should be called at Orleans where the Heretike was condemned and banished the realme of France without expecting any higher authoritie So likewise vnder Pope Eugenius his next successor there was a Councell held at Chaalons vpon the riuer of Saosne which as appeareth in the verie front thereof Ex euocatione ordinatione Domini Clodouaei Regis Synod Epist ad Theodo Arelat was assembled by the conuocation and ordinance of king Clouis as also in the Synodall Epistle to Theodore Archbishop of Arles wherein they presume to declare vnto him by the authoritie of that Synod That considering the time of his penance was not yet expired he might not offer to meddle with his Bishopricke nor with the good belonging thereunto Ordaining farther Ib. can 10. That vpon a vacancie no successor might be chosen but by the Clergie and people of that Prouince that otherwise the election should be held as voyd and of none effect where you shall find no exception or reseruation at all to the Pope of Rome And in Spaine there were held at that time the 7 8 9 and 10 Councels of Toledo all which acknowledge their assembling to haue proceeded onely from their owne care and from the authoritie of the Prince namely the seuenth By our deuotion say they and by the care of king Chindasuinda the eighth By the commaund of the king Reccesuinda and the tenth By his most holie desire Sanctissimâ— Vote without any mention of the Pope at all though in those Synods the highest points of our religion were in question as namely in the eight whose Synodall Epistle hath yet onely this inscription The Decree of the Vniuersall Councell published in the name of the Prince And againe A law published in the same Councell Imperante Principe glorioso by the commandement of the renowmed Prince In all which besides those high poynts of Christian religion order was also taken against intrusions extortions and other abuses of Bishops proceeding to the punishment of some and finall deposition of others insomuch that in the tenth Synod one Pontamius Bishop of Bracara a thing neuer before heard of accused himselfe and was thereupon deposed by the Synod and Fructuosus Bishop of Duna chosen in his place with these words We doe here constitute and appoint by a common election Fructuosus to be Gouernour of the Church of Bracara to take vpon him as Metropolitan the care of all the Prouince of Galleece and of all Congregations and Bishops of that countrey Patrum sententia And this was done by the Decree of the Fathers annexed to his letters of Ordination without binding him to take a journey to Vitalian at Rome for confirmation who sat not in that pride which Popes now vse to sit in For as Anastasius reporteth when the Emperour Constans came to Rome he with all his Clergie went to meet him six miles off and there receiued they him with all tokens of submission and reuerence though he was a sacrilegious and bloudie Emperour and one which had confined Pope Martin the first to a certaine place in banishment as Baronius reporteth 24. PROGRESSION Wherein the religion of this age principally consisted and what was the purpose of the Popes when they sent Preachers into forreine Countries THe good Bishops of the Primitiue Church heeded onely the building and reedifying of the spirituall Temple of God in gathering together liuing stones but from hence forward shall you find the Histories stuffed onely with relations of materiall Edifices Oratories Images Marbles Incrustations Ouerlayings with gold and such like which the worser sort of men were euer most spendfull in thereby to shadow and obscure the memorie of their euill acts And those princes which all histories leaue vnto vs stained with dishonor recouer fame and good report of vertue pietie and religion by either building or beautifying some Church or other after their example Beda l. 1. c. 20. 26. 29. Histor Eccl. l. 4. c. 1. 2. 16. 19. Galfri Monumet l. 8. c. 4. And if any Bishops of Rome did send to make a conquest of some farre countrey as Gregorie the Great into England and after him Honorius Vitalis and others it was not principally to preach the Gospell but to broach their owne ceremonies their Singings their Seruice in Latine Houres Organs Altars Tapers Anelings and such other nifles stirring vp Princes to inforce their subiects to the vse practise of them who would faine haue kept themselues to the first institution of the Church in the puritie of the Gospell Malmesbu de gest Anglo li. 1. c. 50. And the more to win vnto themselues credit in forreine parts where euer they saw any ambitious spirit thirsting after some preheminence ouer the rest of his brethren presently their fashion was to send him their Pall either as a bare token of honour or as a liuerie of their Vicarship and to vse meanes to draw all causes vnto them yet found they not credit in all places alike but as they caried it away cleere in some places so in others they met with a balke especially in those Churches which being well planted at the first grew vp and prospered in puritie of doctrine OPPOSITION Wherefore doe they what they could yet the Churches of the East euer reiected that Decree of Phocas 2. To. Concil Epist Vitalian 2 3 4. Sigo de Reg. Italiae l. 2. Blond Deca 1. li. 9. An. 680. neither would Paule Archbishop of Candia suffer Iohn Bishop of Lampeon when he had beene condemned by his owne Synod to appeale to Rome as
loth to lose his money came thither in all hast and finding Sergius quietly in possession demaunded of him the money which was promised to him by Paschal Sergius to content him gaue him the Vessell and Crownes of gold which hung vp before S. Peters House and yet all was too little This fell out about the yeare 690. And so within foure yeares after their libertie of election restored to them fell out two schismes next kinne to commotions in the State and the souldiors began alreadie to haue a hand in the election of the Popes as the Praetorians had heretofore in the choice of the Emperours Anastas in Sergio And Anastasius farther reporteth That this Paschal one of the competitors was afterwards thrust into a Monasterie for worshipping of trees for lotteries and other enchantments which he vsed Also we may obserue that after the time of Leo the second the Popes were consecrated by three Bishops namely those of Ostia Port and Velitre as all other Bishops were whereas before he was only consecrated by him of Ostia but after all they grew impatient to see themselues so ordered by the sixt Generall Councell and Iustinian the second sonne to that Constantine of whom they had receiued so manie and so large fauours felt it to his cost OPPOSITION Sigon l. 2. an 692. This Iustinian therefore after the death of his father who had before his death associated him in the Empire following as Sigonius saith the steps of his father wrote presently to Pope Iohn the fift That he had found the holie bookes of the sixt Generall Councell digested and set in order by his father which eftsoones he presented to the Patriarchs Sacra Iustin ad Iohan. 5. in 2. To. Concil and to his Holinesse his Solicitor to the sacred Senat to the Metropolitans and Bishops to the chiefe officers both of his Court and Armie to be read before them and to be subscribed by them to the end that they might neuer hereafter be falsified or corrupted whereof he thought good to aduertise him assuring him that he purposed neuer to depart from them But this dispatch found Iohn dead Lib. Pontif. in Conone and Conon placed in his roome who receiued the letters and the Emperour shortly after vnderstanding of his election spared for no kind of gratulations which are not I warrant you forgotten in the Historie But this Conon happening to die shortly after his election hauing beene all the while sickly Sigon l. 2. de Reg. Jtal. Anastas in Conone and Sergius succeeding in his place Iustinian sent like letters vnto him requiring him to subscribe to this Councell so carefully compared with the Originals and alreadie subscribed by his Lieger Solicitors Sergius because there were some Acts there which pleased him not namely those which concerned the ordering of his See tooke occasion to say that some bodie had falsified the Acts and thereupon he disauowed his Solicitors Anastasius saith his Legats and refused to subscribe vnto them Anastas in Sergio Whereat Iustinian tooke such offence that he renounced the Church of Rome which vntill then he had euer maintained and sent to apprehend Iohn Bishop of Port and Boniface chiefe Counsellor of the See Moreouer Zacharie Protospatarius or as we say High Constable came himselfe to apprehend the Pope But Sergius had taken such order that all the souldierie of Rome was at his deuotion Anastas in Sergio so that Zacharie was faine to submit himselfe and to crie him mercie The pretence of his not subscribing was as Anastasius sayth because he would not consent to errors of nouelties Paul Diacon de gest Longobard l. 6. c. 11. or as Paulus Diaconus reporteth to a Synod of Error as if they had beene Monothelites But the Canons which are come vnto our hands haue no such smell about them but in expresse tearmes they pronounce Anathema against them neither indeed was there anie thing in them that troubled his conscience saue onely that they equalled the Bishop of Constantinople with himselfe And Anastasius seemeth to say as much when he sayth it was by reason of certaine articles there added contrarie to the Rites of the Church and therefore not contrarie to anie article of religion or point of doctrine but in the life of Iohn he speaketh plainely saying it was for certaine articles contrarie to the Romane Church for indeed the Emperor sent him an Orthodox confession of his faith withall And this came vnto the yeare 700. An. 700. Baronius seeketh to discredit and to annihilate the Canons of this Councell Baron vol. 8. an 692. art 1 2. Pseudosynodum but we haue sufficiently justified them elsewhere he calleth it a false and erronious Synod grieuing to see his Head bounded and limited by law and reason as if all the members should thereby fare the worse But let him thanke those Fathers for it and the Popes Legats themselues who were present at it But aboue all Tharasius Patriarch of Constantinople is he which offendeth him for that in the second Councell of Nice he sayth Syno Nice Act. 2. What ignorance is this of some which trouble themselues about these Canons It is a scandale to doubt whether they are of the sixt Generall Councell or no Know all men therefore that that Councell was first assembled vnder Constantine c. And afterwards the same Fathers assembled themselues vnder Iustinian his sonne and then made these Canons and that therefore no man should doubt thereof And is it ynough now to find some little error in the date thereby to reject all these Canons And Balsamon Bishop of Antioch pleaseth him as little Because sayth he that the fift and this sixt Synod had made no Canons this therefore came in supplement vnto them c. and is also reckoned as Generall For although the Westerne Bishops to wit Italians and Latines because they are there touched say it is no Councell and that the Popes Legats were not there c. yet I find looking ouer the old Nomocanon Balsamon in Nomocanone that Basill Bishop of Gortyna Metropolitan of Candie and another Bishop of Candie were there as Lieutenants of the whole Synod of the Church of Rome and not they onely but also the Bishops of Thessalonica Sardana Heraclea in Thrace and Corynth as speciall Legats from the Pope and were called Legats a facie who also had particular iurisdiction as appeareth by the second title of the fift booke Imperiall What spunge can wipe this out or who can thinke that this can be controlled by giuing Balsamon the lye or by saying that he was an heretike Can Gratian endure this injurie who hath canonized these Canons Or the second Councell of Nice Actio 2. 3. or the Popes Gregorie the second and Adrian who haue cited them for good proofe alledging the 83 Canon to justifie their vse of Images Or is it ynough for Baronius to say that these Popes kill the Greekes with their
we thinke in this so great an alteration both in the doctrine and also in the gouernment of the Church that euerie man held his peace for the doctrine we haue elsewhere declared how euerie article and when it came to be corrupted as also what opposition was alwaies made against it so that we shall not need to rehearse it here farther than as it was vsed by the Popes to the corruption of the policie and gouernment of the Church The Popes as we haue said thrust the Emperors out of Italie the colour was because they rejected the adoration of Images it being therefore cleare that the three seuerall Councels of Constantinople the one held in the yeare 713 the other in the yeare 729 and the third called the seuenth vniuersall Councell An. 713. An. 729. An. 755. consisting of 338 Bishops in the yeare 755 all held in the times of Constantine Gregorie the second and Stephen the third who were those that did abuse this article of Images to thrust the Emperours out of Italie it being I say cleare that all these condemned the adoration of Images Is it not manifest what they judged of the Popes proceedings against the Emperours seeing they condemned the ground of their proceedings And we may easily imagine what the Churches of Fraunce thought of those Popes whom they saw to trouble the world vnder a colour of Images seeing themselues neither at that present nor in long time after vsed them or at least vsed no religious honour towards them no not those who yet condemned the Greekes for breaking and defacing them Anastas Biblioth in ep ad Joh. 8. Baron in Annal. an 794. art 40. witnesse Anastasius a Writer of that verie time and Baronius of this present and seeing that a Councell held at Gentilli others say at Saumur in Fraunce vnder Pepin himselfe not daring to speake more plainely for feare of the Pope yet counsailed the Emperours of Greece to hold them to the ancient vsage of the Church seeing also that another Councell of the Westerne Churches held vnder Charlemaigne at Francford composed as sayth Sigonius of a great multitude of Bishops of Fraunce Germanie and Italie present there the Legats of the Pope condemned openly and shamefully that second Councell of Nice and consequently censured all those Councels which were held at Rome in the yeare 713 716 742 768 vnder Constantine Gregorie the second Zacharie and Stephen the third for the support of Images Moreouer they published a booke against that second Councell of Nice declaring it to haue beene a false Synod and no Councell at all against Pope Adrian who had approued it and who can doubt but that Pepin and Charlemaigne themselues would haue condemned it but that they could not meddle with the point of state without quarrelling the Pope vpon a matter of the Church But to come vnto the Historie of those times Zacharie had holpen Pepin in his vsurpation of the Crowne of France and Pepin in thankfulnesse came to assist him in his exaltation ouer the Emperors and Lumbards in Italie Carloman his owne brother which was entred into a Monasterie at Mount Cassin in Italie tooke a journey of purpose into France to dissuade the enterprise Annon lib. 4. c. 62. and with great earnestnesse in open Parliament pleaded the cause of the Lumbard King which how could he doe without condemning the Popes ambition Some say he did it not of his owne will Sigon l. 3. de Reg. Jtal. Anastas in Stephan 3. but by the commandement of his Abbot but was not the good of the Church if he had so thought it more to haue beene regarded Or what could an Abbot haue done to so great a Prince as he was In the end Charles came to an end of his conquests in Italie then was he moued to ratifie to Adrian the pretended donation of Pepin at what time Charles let him to vnderstand well ynough that he held not his Crowne from the Pope but that the Pope held both his dignitie and Rome it selfe in fee from him and homage to his Empire for there it was by generall consent of Bishops and Abbots ordained That Charles should be Prince of the Senat in which verie point Adrian encroached vpon the prerogatiue of the Emperour to whom onely it appertained to giue that title and that he should haue power to inuest the Archbishops and Bishops of all Prouinces meaning of Italie with prouiso That if they were not allowed and inuested by him they could not be consecrated by anie moreouer that he should elect the Pope and dispose of the See Apostolike all which we find in Gratian in the Decrete standing yet after the correction of Gregorie the thirteenth So likewise Sigebert Abbot of Gemblons D. 63. C. Hadrianus 22. Sigon de Reg. Ital. l. 4. Dignitatem Principatus Sigibert in Chron. Charles saith he held a Councell at Rome with Pope Adrian with 150 other Bishops and Abbots to whom the Pope with the whole Synod gaue authoritie to elect the Pope and to prouide the See Apostolike and gaue him also the title of Prince ordaining farther that the Archbishops and Bishops throughout the Prouinces should receiue inuestiture from him and that a Bishop not approued and inuested by him should not be consecrated by anie and that such as should be refractarie to this decree should be Anathema and if they repented not their goods should be confiscated Which Gratian expresseth in these words Whosoeuer shall doe contrarie to this decree the Synod layeth the band of Anathema vpon him and ordaineth that his goods shall be confiscated if he repent not So also saith Sigonius adding farther that this Rite of Inuestiture was so called because it was giuen them by a Ring and a staffe in regard no doubt of those lands which they euen then possessed This Rite of confirming the Popes continued as we haue alreadie shewed in the Emperors hands vntill the time of Constantine Pogonatus who about 100 yeares past had released it to Pope Benedict the second and so it continued vntill now when Charlemaigne tooke it into his hands againe Sigonius graunteth all this to be true but he addeth that Charlemaigne out of his good nature released it againe but there is no author for it and the practise long after was to the contrarie Baronius here setteth vpon poore Sigibert Baron vol. 9. an 774. art 10 11 seq and crieth out ô scelus ô imposture ô fraus laying to his charge that he was of the Emperor Henrie his faction and that in fauour of him he inuented this fable and that the Historians of Charles say no such matter But what was Gratian were all the rest of later times schismatikes for reporting the same thing after the same manner Was Gregorie the 13 a schismatike who hath in his late correction left that Canon standing and vncontrolled yea but Gratian had it from Sigibert and gaue too light credence to him It is true that Gratian hath
time of their first Christian Princes Waltram Bishop of Naumbourg to this purpose speaking Gregorie the Great saith he wrot to Theodoric and to Brunichild To grant inuestitures of Bishops without simonie so that this right began in the first race of the kings of France And it followeth That long time before that decree of Adrian and his successors the kings once annointed and the Grand Master of their houshold Waltramus apud Naumburgensis granted inuestitures of Bishoprickes as did Dagobert Theodobert and Sigebert by whom were in throned Remaclus Amandus Audomarus Antpertus Eligius Lampertus and other holie Bishops c. We also find in histories how the Bishops of Spaine Scotland England and Hungarie came in alwayes by the authoritie of the kings following the ancient custome vntill this present noueltie meaning which the Popes brought in about the yeare 1100 So that where we read That about the yeare 779 Charlâ—maine would haue Turpiâ— or Tilpin Archbishop of Reims to accept of the Pallas Pope Adrians hands wee must take it for a speciall fauour which he meant to doe him at their present and which he knew well how to restraine when he saw himselfe at an end of his purposes which he had in hand Adde we hereunto That both Pepin and Charles made lawes meerely Ecclesiasticall not concerning Church gouernment onely but also concerning points of doctrine whereof we haue the articles to this day Capitularia and at Modena saith Sigonius are those lawes yet kept by which he fashioned the State of the Church after a new order whereof he alledgeth the prâ—â—me onely but thereby by appeareth that he purposed seriously to execute his power mentioned in the chapter Hadrianus in reforming the Church and 〈◊〉 Apostolike See it selfe But no cable could hold the violent ruine and corruption of that Church and all his diligence serued onely to their greater condemnation For the Scripture must needs be fulfilled That this ambition must raise it selfe vpon the ruines of whatsoeuer was good just or holy As indeed their 〈◊〉 deuotions and whatsoeuer seemed in them to participat most of the spirit had ouer reference to some worldly respect and purpose Gregorie the second and third sent Boniface into Germanie where they found Christian Churches of long continuance yet they call Boniface the Apostle of the Germans as if he had first coâ—â—ed them to Christ For what his chiefe drift and purpose was we may learne by the oath which he tooke to Gregorie the second at his going in these words I doe promise to S. Peter and to you his Vicar c. that with all integritie I will serue and bend my course to the behoofe and profit of thy Church c. If I shall otherwise do let me in the day of iudgement incurre the punishment of Ananias and Saphira and he deliuered him this oath signed with his owne hand And yet Gregorie writing to the Germans saith That he sent him for the illumination of the Gentiles promising to whomsoeuer that should assist him place with the blessed Martyrs 2. To. Concil in Decret Greg. 2. and threatning euerie one that should resist him with Anathema who yet preached nought vnto them but the authoritie of the Pope and Romish inuentions The like may we learne by the letters of Gregorie the third to Boniface Ib. in Epist ad Epist Praebyt Diacâ—n wherein he rejoyceth with him for that God had opened to him among these nations the way of saluation and the doore of mercie and had sent his Angell before him to prepare his way This Angell was Charolus Martellus who fauoured him and the cause why we haue seene before Neither doth he sticke to tell vs in this verie Epistle To. 2. Concil in Epist 2. ad Bonifac what this way of saluation was to wit the Apostolicall Tradition of creating Bishops there ex nostra vice that is in true construction after his owne mind and humor Neither did Boniface faile one jot of his promise as we may farther learne by his Epistle to Zacharie Ib. Epist Decret Zachar. wherein hee protesteth That looke how many auditors and disciples God had giuen him in this his embassage bee had not ceased to draw them euerie one to the obedience of his See As also by that Epistle of Zacharie to the Bishops of France and Germanie wherein he congratulateth them not for the vnion which they had with him in Christ but that they were conuerted to Saint Peter whom God had appointed as a fauourer and master ouer them that is That they acknowledged the Bishop of Rome deliuering them withall a doctrine no doubt verie necessarie to saluation to wit That Christians aboue all must beware of eating Gaies Dawes Storkes Beauers Hares wild Horses c. with such like fooleries for more necessarie doctrines of saluation shall you there find none referring himselfe for the rest to the sufficiencie of Boniface in these matters Ib. Epist Greg. ad Bonifac. to whom he writeth and holie brother saith he thou art well instructed in all things by the holie Scriptures Yet could not the Popes effect all that they attempted in France and Germanie for all their support by Princes For Gregorie the second is faine to write to Charolus Martellus vpon the information of Boniface and to request That hee would represse a certaine Bishop accused of some idlenesse in his charge And Zacharie was not well content with the Bishops of France for that contrarie to promise they regarded not the Pall when it was sent vnto them It may be hee tooke too deepe of them as he can hardly denie in his Epistle to Boniface but in the end If they will not saith he aduise them But which is more Carloman himselfe in the Synod which he assembled in his kingdomes assisted by Boniface saith in expresse words By the aduise of our Bishops and great men we haue appointed Bishops and for Archbishop ouer them Boniface Missum Sancti Petri. Synod Franc. sub Carlomanno An 742. the messenger or deputie of Saint Peter by which it appeareth That Carloman himselfe prouided or appointed them And this is the first time that we euer find a Legat of Rome assisting in any of the Councels of France namely in the yeare 742. To be short if Boniface sought to blemish any of the Bishops whom he found there at his comming they died not in his debt calling him Auenti Annal. â—oior li. 3. The author of lyeâ— the disturber of peace pietie and the corrupter of Christian doctrine who yet were Monkes and the most learned of those times Clemens and Sampson of Scotland Adelbertus of France disciples of Beda and others whom they seeke to staine by sundrie imputations But if any angred him or seemed to be more learned than himselfe his next way was to accuse him of Heresie to make the Pope damne him for an Heretike and the Prince to bee ill persuaded of him As for example Virgilius a
Bishop much renowned for his pietie and learning in Bauaria for affirming That there were Antipodes as hee was indeed a man seeme in all sciences especially in the Mathematikes Which Boniface persuaded Zacharie a couple of scholers well met to condemne in him as Heresie and irreligion And thereupon were letters dispatched to Vtilo king of Bauiere to depose him from his charge To conclude this section we may not forget that this Adrian was the first that is said to haue sealed in lead as also that he laid the first stone of that doctrine which since that time hath beene so well practised by his successors to the cost of so many kings and princes Adrian in Epist ad Charo mag de Nicae Synod That if any man hold any Church goods if he refuse to restore them he is an Heretike The verie seed of so many excommunications spoyles and reuolts of subiects from their lawfull Lords and Soueraignes and vnder this colour did he animat Charlemaine against the Emperours of the East and hereupon also Leo the third tooke occasion to crowne him Emperour of the West and if we will beleeue Baronius to translate the Empire vpon him Now from this coronation of Charlemaine at Rome by Pope Leo Baronius after his accustomed boldnesse in this kind draweth in consequence a cruel and a bloudie doctrine wherein all Christian Princes haue their interest namely That the Bishop of Rome hath authoritie and power to translate Empires and kingdomes Baron vol. 9. â—â— 800. art 6 7 8 sequent filling with this argument six or eight pages Leo set the Crowne vpon Charlemaines head We grant what followeth Ergo saith he Leo collated the Empire vpon him translated it from the Greekes to the French did it and had right so to doe What Reader can endure such a non sequitur as this For when the Patriarch of Constantinople was wont to crowne the Emperour or when Archbishops in other places crowne their kings doe they bestow the Empire or kingdome on them or because they are instruments vsed for the performance of this ceremonie doth it implie a power or right in them of conferring kingdomes whether hereditarie or electiue No doubt neither he that did consecrate nor he that was consecrated had euer any such opinion And therefore the Emperors crowned by the Patriarches and Charlemaine by the Pope were neuerthelesse teermed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. crowned of God as appeared in Charles by the acclamation before mentioned of the people made at his coronation Charolo à Deo coronato c. But peraduenture his authorities are better than his reasons All this saith he was according as it is written Dan. 4. The most high ruleth ouer the kingdomes of men and he giueth it to whom it pleaseth him True but how doth he proue that the Pope is God or that the most high hath surrendred his place to him And againe By me kings raigne and by me princes beare rule Prouerb 8. which words Salomon spake of the eternall wisedome of God And where doth he proue that this wisedome was hypostatically and essentially residing in the person of the Pope And yet as if he had deliuered some high point of doctrine Reader saith he consider well this matter c. and what I pray you followeth of this wide gaping but meere gallerie and cogging Secondly Who doubteth saith he but God hath giuen as great authoritie to his Church as heretofore he gaue to the Iewish Synagogues And doe we not for how Samuel translated the kingdome of Saul to Dauid Elias and Eliseus from the house of Achab to the stocke of Iehu Nothing but trickes againe for where readeth he that the Synagogue had euer right to translate the kingdome that euer it did it or medled with it And if the Pope for this purpose will needs be master of the Synagogue and circumcise himselfe yet how wil he proue vnto vs that vnto this decayed Synagogue of the Iewes the Church of Rome hath now succeeded rather than that of Ierusalem of Alexandria or of Antioch or which is more where will he shew vs That God hath spoken to him and giuen him any speciall commaund either by Oracle or by myracle or by any other way Doth he not see that this worke was altogether extraordinarie wherein the High Priest was not vsed but a Prophet and vessell elected of God for this speciall purpose which should not haue beene if the office had beene properly affected to the Synagogue And shall these men be ouer suffered thus to abuse the world Thirdly saith he it was said to Ieremie Ierem. 1. I haue set thee this day ouer nations and kingdomes to plucke vp and to destroy to plant and to build And it was also said by the Prophet Haggei The glorie of this house i. of the second Temple shall bee greater than the glorie of the first And Saint Paul saith If the ministration of condemnation i. the Law was glorious much more shall the ministrie of righteousnesse exceed in glorie meaning the ministrie of justification by faith in Christ Ergo saith Baronius much more hath the Pope power to plucke vp and to pull downe to collate and to translate kingdomes Who can but grind his teeth to heare such prophane abuse and blasphemie of the word of God For was Ieremie either Synogogue or High Priest or was he to denounce and threaten the ruine of the Iewish Estate by the Babylonians as a Priest of Anatoh or as a Prophet and was it not said vnto him when he would haue excused himselfe Ierem. â— 6 9. Before thou camest out of the womb I sanctified thee and ordained thee a Prophet for the nations And did nor the Lord put forth his hand and touch his mouth saying Behold I haue put my words into thy mouth What can Leo and the rest of such companions alledge for themselues like vnto this And last of all doth he make no difference betweene denouncing the judgements of God as they were reuealed vnto him by speciall commaund from him and the intruding himselfe without commission to the deposing of one king and installing of another Ieremie though founded as you see vpon a greater power yet did he presume to depose Sedechias or to annoint Nabuchadnezzer in his roome Saint Ierome truely was of another mind concerning this place of Scripture who expoundeth it by another in the fiue twentieth of the same Prophet where God deliuered to the Prophet a cup to make drunke all nations with the wine of his wrath all which are there specified by their names that is to forwarne them of the plagues which God was redie to powre out vpon them And yet doe we any where find that the Prophet intermedleth with the affaires of those seuerall nations And when Saint Ierome will goe a little farther and allegorise this peece of Scripture he expoundeth these words of planting and pulling vp the one of bad doctrines which
the small reckoning they made of holie Scripture thereby to aduance the credit of their owne Decretall Epistles But no maruell since he is not afraid to attribute to himselfe the verie name of God and that in a certaine Decret canonized by Gratian It is plaine ynough saith he D. 96. ca. Satis euidentèr 7. that the Pope can neither be bound nor loossed by any secular authoritie whom it is euident that the godlie Prince Constantine called by the name of God seeing that it is a point without contradiction That God cannot be bound For if the name of God be taken in both places in one the same sence i. for the Euerliuing God then he calleth himselfe The true God if otherwise then are there foure terms in his Syllogisme therefore it concludeth not and so stil there is in his words either fraud or blasphemie Adde we hereunto That he is false in his allegation for Constantine as all Historians report spake those words of all the Bishops assembled at the Councell of Nice and by the same reason all they were not to be judged by men least of all by the Pope who was not in that companie and therefore had no part in that saying of his but onely as he was of their Order For Syluester was at Rome whiles the Fathers were at Nice And yet Nicholas his successor attributeth those words to himselfe in preiudice of and excluding all other Bishops to whom it was spoken Gloss ib. And the Glosse vpon that Canon well obserueth That after this reckoning a Bishop could not iudge his Clergie vnder him and we may say after him That much lesse then may a Pope judge the Bishops For saith the Glosse 11. q. 1. c. Sacerdoti Omnes Clericos this saying of Constantine is to bee vnderstood of all Ecclesiastikes in generall meaning in that sence in which Saint Gregorie speaketh saying That all Priests in holie Scripture are called sometimes Gods and sometimes Angels The words of the Canon Futuram though falsely attributed to Miltiades 12. q. 1. c. Futuram Quorundam Clericorum are these Constantine the Emperour Presiding ouer the Councell of Nice seeing the complaints of certaine Clerkes brought vnto him sayd vnto them You can be iudged of none because you are kept to be iudged by God alone seeing you haue bin called Gods and so they destroy one the other Thus much for the Policie As for the Doctrine I haue elsewhere declared That this was that Nicholas who most violently put in execution the Law of Caelibate or Single life among Church-men threatening Anathema to those which withstand it whereof ensued much trouble in the Westerne Churches But before we proceed any farther we must first see whether he carried all these attempts without resistance or no. OPPOSITION And first as touching the Reduction of the Church of Rauenna to the obedience of the See of Rome That Heresie for which the Archbishop was accused Author Coaetaneus in Appendice Historica is at large set downe by an Author of that time in manner following The Emperour saith he not to surcharge with taxes those which had beene alreadie pilled and spoiled by the Sarasens demaunded helpe of Rauenna and Venice by their meanes to succour Apulia by sea At that time Iohn was Archbishop of Rauenna who seruing the Emperour in house was verie familiar with him Whereupon Pope Nicholas moued with a spirit of enuie grew into great choler against him and went about to call him to Rome by a tricke purposing if he could catch him there to conuent him in an Ecclesiasticall Court and to condemne him and to put another in his roome Iohn hauing a wind of this practise fled to the Queene Enguilberta who sent her embassadours to the Pope requesting him to receiue the Archbishop to his fauour But failing in her suit she humbly entreated the King her husband to receiue the Archbishop into his protection and to stand betweene harme and him Inaudito Principe and to forbid the Pope to meddle with him And because the Pope had excommunicated him without hearkening to the Prince therefore was there great heart-burning betweene them till in the end the Regall Honour stood vp against the Apostolike Dignitie putting him in mind of the ancient lawes and statutes of the Church by which a Prelat might not excommunicat a Bishop without the aduise of a Synod and that the calling of a Synod did not belong to the Pope but to the Emperour Whereupon grew sundrie dammages vnto the Pope For in Romania and la Marche the Emperour bestowed Church benefices vpon his followers Ordines beneficiales commaunding them to pay nothing to Rome c. seised of many of the Popes lands in Campania to his owne vse and of such as were about him c. and in a word by the aduise of the Nobilitie of Rome established in Rome one Arsenius for their Bishop a man of great sanctitie and much learning Legat of the See of Rome and gaue him for his assistant Iohn the Deacon chiefe Chancellor and a Secretarie of his own which afterwards was made Bishop of Rieta This was as you see all that damnable Heresie which the Pope pretended and this was the order which the Emperor tooke in Rome it selfe So that saith the Historian when the Emperour saw fit time he came to Rome where he was honourably receiued by great and small the Archbishop of Rauenna came also with him not fearing the Popes threats which strooke yet a greater heat betweene the Emperour and the Pope For the Emperor taking vp his lodging at Saint Peters Palace and the Pope lying at the holie Apostles when he saw that whateuer he attempted against the Royall Dignitie came to naught he appointed certaine Monkes and Nunnes these were their old prankes of the Monasteries about Rome who euerie morning by way of deuotion went saying the Letanie round about the walls and singing Masses against bad Princes The great ones about the Emperour vnderstanding hereof went to the Pope entreated him kindly to forbid such doings but not able to preuaile with him went their wayes discontent It fell out shortly after that some of the souldiers going to Paules lighted vpon these Letanies who through the instigation of the old enemie were thereupon moued to choler and in duetie to their Lord reuenged them of these wrongs done vnto him wounded many of them and made all take their heeles and run away casting downe Crosses and Images which they carried in procession after the manner of the Greekes whereof some were broken and others trampled vnder foot The Emperour hereupon grew much offended and the Pope somewhat calmer than before and went to the Emperours lodging to entreat for those of his companie who had committed that offence and hardly could obtaine for them And from that time forward they grew more familiar than before But the Imperiall authoritie was still maintained at Rome Thus we see how
little he got by his Excommunication bolted out against the Archbishop of Rauenna The Iniunction also which he laid vpon him to come once in euerie two yeares to Rome turned to his losse for he saw indeed the Archbishop at Rome oftner than he was willing because he was euer borne out and maintained by the Emperour But aboue all it troubled the Popes conscience to see so great an authoritie so neere at hand ouershadowing his own as lesse offensiue when it was farther off For saith the same Author whose verie simplicitie is warrant ynough for his truth and honestie this Emperour because hee resided still in Italie made himselfe alwayes a neere neighbour to Rome and exercised his authoritie to the full being assisted by the chiefe of the citie who knew themselues and gaue also the Emperour to vnderstand the ancient customes of the Empire persuading him to resume into his owne hands the Soueraigntie and commaund which in alder times belonged to the Emperours Which no doubt he would haue done but for the reuerence which he bore to the holie Apostles which reuerence yet was such as that it pleased not the Popes For saith he whiles these matters so passed the Bishops of Rome sent embassadors with letters to Charles the Bauld king of France requesting him vnder hand to make a iourney into Italie and because he was in some sort a Philosopher they requested him to lend a helping hand to S. Peter and to deliuer his Church from bondage as if it had beene oppressed by some forreine enemie As for his proceedings against Lotharius we will not here enter into the merits of the cause it selfe but you shall see the letters which Gontier Archbishop of Collen and Thietgaud of Treuers wrot to this Nicholas wherin they complaine of his tyrannicall behauiours The Bishops our Fathers and our Brethren and fellow Bishops sent vs vnto thee and we of our owne accord went willingly to Rome and presented thee with the Acts of the whole processe requesting thee as a good Father to reforme what thou foundest amisse in them c. And thou madest vs dance attendance twentie dayes before euer we could heare one word from thee much lesse be admitted to thy presence After a whole monethes attendance thou sentest for vs we came in all hast without feare of harme and thou causedst vs to bee vsed like a companie of theeues for so soone as we were entred within thy gates they were presently shut vpon vs and we beset with a companie of rascals there saw we our selues destitute of all helpe Paganorum and thou causedst vs to be debarred the vse of all things both holy and humane There contrarie to all law contrarie to the decrees and customes of our ancestors without calling any assemblie of Ecclesiastikes no Bishop no Archbishop there present not so much as thy selfe discoursing vpon our errour either by way of argument or by testimonie of witnesse or out of any writing hauing no bodie to sit by thee but onely the Monke Anastasius a man long since conuicted and condemned for a common wrangler thou diddest abruptly read out of thy paper against vs an vniust a rash and a wicked sentence repugnant to all Christian religion and diddest insolently in thy words taunt and reuile thy brethren fellow seruants The euer-liuing Emperour of all hath set an incorruptible border of gold about the head of his Spouse the Church he hath honoured her with an euerlasting dowrie with a diademe and scepter of immortalitie hath giuen her authoritie to consecrate Saints to assure them of heauen to make them of mortall immortall creatures All which prerogatiues Robber as thou art thou hast violently reft and taken from the Church to appropriat them vnto thy selfe Thou art a Wolfe vnto the Sheepe a murderer of the liuing and one which thrustest men into hell couering thy sword all ouer with honie so farre is it that by thy helpe the dead may liue againe Thou bearest the shew of a Pontife but art a verie Tyran thou art in habit a Pastor in heart a Wolfe Thy Title promiseth vs a Father Et tu te factis Iouem ostentas but in thy deeds thou carriest thy selfe as a god thou callest thy selfe a Seruant of Seruants and seekest by all means to become a Lord of Lords and consequently according to the doctrine of our Sauiour thou art the least of all the Ministers of Gods Church who yet in thy ambition runnest headlong to perdition thinking euerie thing lawfull to be done which it lusteth thee to doe Fucusque factus es Christianis and art become a Wâ—spe vnto the Christians What could these men haue said more vnlesse in plaine tearmes they should haue called him Antichrist seeing that they plainely allude to that place in the Epistle to the Thessalonians Shewing himselfe as if he were God But for conclusion of all they adde yet farther For these causes say they we and our Collegues set not by thy commaunds we care not for thy words we feare not thy Bulls nor yet thy thunders Thou damnest all men as impious which obey not thy Decrees and forbiddest them to sacrifice But wee returne thy sword into thy owne throat thou which spittest in the face of our Lord Gods commaundement and decree thou which breakest the vnitie and peace of our Christian societie the verie badge and cognisance of the Prince of Heauen After this they come to his pretended Primacie The Holie Ghost say they is the author of all Churches in euerie corner of the world The Citie of our God of which we are free denizens reaching to euerie point of heauen and is greater than that Babylon foretold by the Prophets which vsurpeth vpon the Truth maketh it selfe equall with heauen boasteth it selfe to be eternall as if she were God falsely glorying that she neuer erred nor can erre This Epistle related by an Annalist of these dayes in the same sence though somewhat different in words with this conclusion in expresse tearmes We care not for thy sentence as being a curse vnaduisedly pronounced we will not communicate with thee who doest communicate with the excommunicate sufficeth it vs to communicate with the whole Church which thou despisest Annal. incerti Author per Pet. Pythaeum in vulgus editi whilest thou exaltest thy selfe about it Et elationis tumore the verie word long before vsed by S. Gregorie and by thy swelling pride and insolencie hast made thy selfe vnworthie of her and hast distracted thy selfe from her Communion c. And know farther that we are not thy Clerks as thou braggest ouer vs but thou shouldest take and account of vs as of thy brethren and fellow Bishops Si elatio permitteret if thy pride would giue thee leaue They should haue said Thy pride which is vnseparable from the person of him whom thou representest at this day in the Church And for the matter it selfe we may not omit that this Nicholas in his letter which we
we haue alreadie said quietly swallowed the election of Adrian made without calling his Lieutenants to it made the Pope to like well of him and gaue him an appetite to trie his authoritie somewhere else It came to passe about this time that Lotharius king of Lorraine died and Charles king of France and Lewis of Germanie both vncles to the deceased intending to succeed in his inheritance Adrian set vp Lewis of Italie Emperour thundering more violently than euer had done his predecessor wrot to all Kings Barons and Prelats of France namely to Hincmar of Reimes That none should presume to inuade or take vnto him the kingdome of Lotharius deceased nor yet his subiects and vassals because saith he it appertaineth to the Emperour Lewis his spirituall sonne by right of inheritance and ought to fall vnto him by the others decease And if any officer shall presume the contrarie he declareth him Anathema no longer to be called a Christian and to dwell for euer with the diuell if he be a Bishop and hath in any sort consented thereunto or winked thereat declareth him to be no longer a Pastor but an hireling and as one that hath no care of his sheepe depriued of his Pastorall dignitie and honour Yet Charles hearing of the death of Lotharius remoued into Lorraine and being receiued by the Barons and Prelats there as their lawfull king was crowned at Metz by Hincmar Archbishop of Reimes So that Adrian pursuing his point charged him by his Legats vnder paine of excommunication to forbeare and Hincmar to pronounce the censures of the Church against him and to separat himselfe from him and not to say so much as Good morrow to him And this was a great way gone in a little time But let vs see what answer our French made hereunto OPPOSITION Hincmar Epist ad Adria Extant etiam apud Baron an 861. art 93. sequent to 10. Hincmar therefore Archbishop of Reimes answered him That as touching Hincmar of Laon He had no power without expresse order from the king to send him or any other Bishop of his diocesse to Rome or to any other place much lesse the Bishops of other Prouinces and that himselfe without leaue from the king might not offer to set foot out of the realme The kings answer though it be long as taking vp after his owne account foure leaues of paper and therefore not fit to be inserted into this discourse yet shall it not be amisse to alledge the chiefe points and principall causes thereof which are as followeth We read saith he in the booke of Paralipomenon That the children of Israel went forth to battell with a quiet mind because they were not to fight in malice or enuie for reuenge but with a desire in hope of peace And we let you to know you which by letters your little befitting the authoritie of a king much lesse the humble modestie of a Bishop haue disgraced vs by reproches that you make vs write vnto you otherwise than we would to the end that you may perceiue that we are a man though subiect to mens passions yet one that walketh in the Image of God not void of common sense raised to this kinglie throne by the grace of God and by right of succession to our father and grandfather and which is more than this a Christian a Catholike an obseruer of the Orthodox and true religion brought vp from our cradle as well in knowledge of the Scriptures as in the vnderstanding of good and wholesome lawes both Ecclesiasticall and Ciuile not accused either Legally or Canonically in any Episcopall audience much lesse conuicted of any publike and notorious crime who yet haue not beene able to preuaile so farre by our honourable letters as to receiue any reasonable answer from you nor yet to haue that respect and due regard as was wont to passe betweene your predecessors and ours c. In the entrance of your letters you commend indeed our wisdome but presently you charge vs in shew more fairely in effect more grieuously with murmuring repining grutching against your Fatherhood with sundrie other reproaches and imputations In your former letters you called vs Tyran periured and spoiler of Church goods whereas we haue neither confessed any such thing against our selfe neither by any course of law haue any such crimes beene proued against vs And in this other which you haue sent by Actard one of our Bishops you accuse vs of murmuring and mutinie For our owne part wee would not beleeue that those letters came from you because the holie See hath euer beene woont to correct euerie man according to his qualitie and ranke with good sobrietie and discretion Now if we haue spoken euill beare witnesse of the euill but if well why grow you into such choler against vs Abraham could say vnto God and God tooke it not in ill part Wilt thou destroy the iust with the wicked and yet you grow much offended when we tell you That you ought not to pronounce any man guiltie of a crime without either confession of the partie or conuiction by course of law much lesse vse a king as a priuat person and condemne him as conuicted You are not ignorant how great a sinne it is to say vnto his brother Racha how much greater to say so to a king both by the doctrine of the Apostle and by the practise of Dauid in the person of Saul though a reprobat from God And yet in your letters you aduise vs to receiue ioyfully and with an humble heart all that commeth from the Apostolike See of Rome Is it your meaning then that we should so wel relish these tearms of Tyran periured and perfidious person or must we needs say of you with the Poet Quicquid calcaueris Rosa fiat Whereuer you tread red Roses grow Or may we not rather say with the Prophet Woe be to them which call that sweet which is bitter c. Or if we should hold our peace and winke at this should wee not confesse our selues fallen from this royall dignitie and from the communion of the Catholike Church c. Write you vnto vs things befitting our calling and yours and then will we as you did receiue them with a willing and a thankfull mind As for your letters at least those which come vnto vs in your name they euer charge vs with some fault without either proofe or inquest yet the Apostle giueth you a rule in these cases Argue obsecra increpa Argue beseech reproue in all patience and doctrine And saint Augustine saith That the Apostle would not that one man should condemne another vpon suspition neither yet should run to extraordinarie proofes but rather after the law of God and order of the Church either confessing of himselfe or conuicted by his accuser And afterward comming to the matter concerning Hincmar of Laon You write saith he vnto vs in you letters in this manner We will and command by Apostolike authoritie
candlesticke Were there therefore before no eyes no candles in the Church Againe Nicholas the second Leo Ostiens l. 3. c. 25. that he might extend the signification of the word Simonie in despight of Henrie the third made a law That no man could accept of a Church or any Ecclesiasticall office either freely or for money from the hands of a Lay man An. 1056. Whereas that which is said to be freely giuen doth properly exclude Simonie makes no difference betwixt the Lay and the Clergie This Nicholas did also increase vnder the minoritie of Henrie by another occasion Robert and Richard Guischar who were come from Normandie to follow the warres in Calabria against the Sarasins had there set footing with happie successe Robert called himselfe Duke of Apulia and Calabria Richard held Capua and ouerranne the countrie euen to the gates of the citie of Rome both the one and the other were excommunicated by the See of Rome But Nicholas called in his excommunication vpon condition they should hold their seigniories in fee farme of the Church of Rome swearing faith and loyaltie thereunto and paying for a yerely rent twelue pence for euerie yoke of Oxen from whence there arose matter of new contention with the Empire and the Emperour And these things bring vs to the yere 1060. But the progression was no lesse in the corruption of manners and doctrine than in tyrannie ouer the Church Touching manners the sinne of Sodome by the rigorous execution of those lawes that concerned single life had taken such root in the Roman Clergie Petriâ— Damian Lib. qui inscribitur Gomerrhaeus cui praefixa Epist Leonis 9. Baron an 1049. Art 10. seq that Petrus Damianus enforced to betake himselfe to an Hermitage writ a book intituled Gomorrhaeus in which he deciphers al the kinds therof wherein they did riot and sensually passe their time And he dedicated the book to Leo the 9 whose helpe he imploreth against this great and grieuous sin Wicked brambles thornes and nettles haue filled the field of our Lord and Master which grow out of the strength of the flesh and the doung of corruption for all flesh hath corrupted her wayes insomuch that not onely a floud of waters seemes not sufficient to wash away the filth thereof but this great and grieuous wickednesse cries for that Gomorrhaean fire from heauen that burnt the fiue Cities And hereupon by this admonition of Damianus Leo made some lawes and ordained some punishments for this sinne But presently after it appeared that he lost the grace and fauour of Leo And afterwards Alexander the second obtayning the Popedome gets this booke from the authour thereof vnder colour to lend it to the Abbot of Saint Sauiour but in deed to suppresse it making the reason thereof to be his ouer-plaine dealing in that he had expressed the matter in more obscene or grosse termes than was fitting As if such filthinesse could be stirred but there must rise a stinke Whereupon Damianus in an Epistle to Hildebrand and Stephen Cardinals eagrely complaines yet not without a manifest flout And indeed saith he is this a token of Priestly clenlinesse or rather an argument of papall puritie But as touching doctrine In the time of Victor the second about the yere 1055 was brought in the redemption of Penitentiaries vnder pretence that sins multiplying An. 1055. men were not able to endure a penance for so many yeares deferred And besides sometimes men may dye before the penance be accomplished Wherefore in fauour of the rich it was ordained that either for mony possessions or any thing else equiualent therunto they might buy it out Baron an 1055. Art 9. seq according to the number of the yeres appointed and agreed vpon And of this it was that Damianus saith Thou art not ignorant that when we take lands and possessions of Penitenciaries according to the proportion of the gift we release them in the quantitie of their penance Which he himselfe did to the Archbishop of Millan in his legation whereupon saith Baronius He sheweth that the goods of the church shall increase by these ransomes which in time shall grow to a custome Petrus Damiar in Epist ad fratres Baron an 1056 Art 6. 7. But it pleased him that the poorer sort should redeeme those yeares with corporall afflictions a certaine number of Psalmes sung in the Church fasts with bread and water fillips whips and the like whereupon saith the selfesame Damian Tria scorparum millia three thousand lashes with a whip or a holy-bush with the singing of certaine Psalmes doe supply one yeres penance c. And so he calculates it that twentie Psalters sung with discipline should serue for the penance of a hundred yeres Petrus Damianus in Epist ad Defiderium Cassinatem So farre at the last did this corruption of doctrine proceed that Petrus Damianus prescribed to the Monkes that liued vnder his obedience in the same Hermitage that euerie day with their Canonicall houres they should say the seruice of the virgin Marie And saith Baronius As he was the author hereof in his monasterie so it is manifest that from the same sourse it sprang that in all the West churches not only the Monkes but Clergie and Lay men and women by the admonition of Pope Vrban did euery day their taskes And he acknowledgeth to be of the same age and inuention the custome of whipping themselues in imitation of Dominicus Loricatus The masse vpon Mundaies for the dead that are in Purgatorie vpon Friday in honor of the passion on Saturdaies in the honour of the Virgin to the end that superstition with the Popedome should ascend to their highest pitch Alexander the second succeeded Nicholas the second who taking aduantage of the minoritie of Henrie for he was then about eleuen yeares of age was chosen either by the decree of Nicholas Leo Ostiens L. 3. ca. 20. or the bould counsell of Hildebrand Which Agnis the mother of Henrie vnderstanding to be done without her commaund called a Councell at Basill where by the consent of most of the Bishops of Italie Cadalous Bishop of Parma was created Pope who was called Honorius the second Now was Italie diuided in two parts by these two Popes who raised their forces and bare armes one against the other And Henrie himselfe sent Hanno Archbishop of Collen who in the same Sinod reproched Alexander the second and told him that he had no power to enter into the chaire without the commandement of the Emperour and therefore he was either to leaue it againe or to giue a reason of that he had done But Hildebrand answereth him the interpreter for the most part of the Popes in those daies that Alexander was suddenly consecrated without the authoritie of Henrie to auoyd some imminent tumults And that the church of Rome his spirituall mother tooke more care of his right than his mother Agnis who was tied vnto
of the Pope and inuestiture of the Bishops and declare his children to be no successors of his by right of inheritance for that he had euer in his mind And shortly after he sent vnto him in signe of his confirmation the Imperiall Crowne with this inscription Petra dedit Petro Petrus Diadema Rodolpho This change neuerthelesse was so odious that Sigefridus Bishop of Mence annoynting him the citizens rose in armes against them as traitors to their countrey and faith-breakers to their Prince and after much effusion of bloud on both sides Rodolph and his followers were compelled to saue themselues by flight in the night time and to retire themselues into Saxonie In the meane time Henrie partly instigated by this great dishonour the Pope had done vnto him and partly by those his followers whom to purchase his own grace he had left as a prey to the Pope resolues with himselfe to shake off this yoke calls his friends about him and by all the meanes he could reconciled himselfe to his câ—â—â—â—â—â—s and by the indignitie of the fact stirres vp all that had good minds and coâ—â—â—gious hearts to indignation and so shortly after brings his armie into the field â—â—â—ets Rodolph giues him battell puts him to flight and with a great slaughter of his men giues him the ouerthrow There dyed in the field amongst others Bernard Archbishop of Magdeburg the author of the ciuile warre the great Duke of Saxonie and Herman his vncle Sigefride the Bishop of Mence who consecrated Rodolph and Warnerus of Me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being dragged to the gallowes by the souldiers were freâ—d from their 〈◊〉 Henrie not suffering any man in so just a warre to be slaine the battell being ended From thence forward Rodolph not know◠〈◊〉 to renew his forces vpon the sudden Henrie is not idle in vsing his 〈…〉 welcome this newes was to Gregorie let the Reader judge who 〈◊〉 â—ing the Crowne to Rodolph vsed these words In our name of Saint Peter and Saint Paul I giue to all those that shall keepe faith and loyaltie to Rodolph remission and pardon of all their sins both in this life and in the life to come And as I haue deposed Henrie from his royall dignitie for his pride so I haue placed Rodolph for his humilitie and obedience in his throne And with this assurance he expressed his law in harder tearmes If any hereafter shall receiue a Bishopricke or an Abbotship or other Ecclesiastical dignitie of any lay man let him not be numbred among the Bishops or Abbots neither let any doe obedience vnto them as to a Bishop or Abbot and let him be interdicted the grace of Saint Peter and entrie into his house And if any Emperor King Duke Marquesse Earle or other secular power or person shall bestow any Bishopricke or other Ecclesiasticall dignitie let him be subiect to the same sentence At the humble intreatie therefore of Rodolph he excommunicateth Henrie againe vnder pretence That against his oath he had taken into his hands the ornaments or marks of the Empire All those that follow Rodolph he freeth from hell and placeth in heauen and whatsoeuer may make for the strengthening of their warres as fire and sword and the like he assureth vnto them but all that take part with Henrie and refuse to fall from him and to ioyne with his enemie he accurseth to hell and damnation c. But all this saith Auentinus to most of the Bishops and all learned and honest simple people except those that were of the conspiracie seemed a new doctrine and the most dangerous heresie that euer troubled the Christian Church On the other side there assembled together in the yeare 1080 the Bishops of Italie Germanie France An. 1080. at Brixen in Bauaria and condemne Hildebrand againe of ambition heresie impietie sacriledge Because say they he is a false Monke a Magitian a Diuiner an expounder of dreames and prodigious wonders hauing an ill opinion of Christian religion he hath bought the Popedome against the order of his auncestors and the wills of all good men and in despight of vs and as the Lord of the whole earth endeuoreth to keepe it c. He is a sworne enemie to the Commonwealth Empire and Emperour who hath oftentimes offered peace to him and his followers He lyeth in wait for the bodies and soules of men Diuine and humane lawes he peruerteth For truth he teacheth lyes allowes for good periurie falsehood homicide yea and commends them and giues incouragement thereunto According to his manner he defends a perfidious tyran sowes discord among brethren friends kindred Procures diuorcements betwixt maried couples Denies those Priests that are lawfully maried to chast and sober matrons to sacrifice and admits whoremasters adulterers and incestuous persons to the Altar We therefore by the authoritie of Almightie God pronounce him deposed and remoued from his Popedome And if whensoeuer he shall heare hereof he shall not willingly depart but refuse to obey this our Decree we iudge him excluded and withstand his entrance Sigonius reciting this Decree addeth He was a manifest Negromancer possessed with a Pythonicall spirit which is worth the noting because of that which shall hereafter be spoken of his 〈◊〉 But being famous in the art of Diuination the better to giue heart to 〈…〉 the Saxons he tels nay assures them as saith Sigebert Histor Saxon. that he knew by reuelâ—â—â—â—â— That the false King must this yeare dye whom he interpreted to be Henrie which 〈◊〉 it proue not to be true saith he and that this my prophesie haue not effect before the â—â—â—st aforesaid account not me for Pope Rodolph trusting to this Oracle makes warre the second time and the third and euer 〈◊〉 happie successe and the fourth time resoluing to trie the vtmost he is not onely ouerthrowne but his right hand by which hee had plighted his faith to the Emperour being cut off he 〈◊〉 his life Gregorie presently thinkes of a successor like vnto him and thereof 〈◊〉 writes to the Bishop of Passaw and the Abbot of Hirtzaugen his faithfull friends That they should with mature deliberation prouide that there should be no Prince chosen that was not true and faithfull to the Church of Rome An. 1081. or lesse true than he that was lately dead and withall sends the forme of an oath as followeth which they should enforce him to take From this houre and euer after Gregor li. 5. Epist 3. I will be faithfull in all true loyaltie to Saint Peter the Apostle and his Vicar Saint Gregorie who now liues and sits in his chaire and whatsoeuer he shall commaund me vnder these words Per veram obedientiam By true obedience I will faithfully as becomes a Christian obserue As touching the ordination of the Churches and the lands and reuenues which either Constantine the Emperor or Charles gaue to Saint Peter and all the Churches and lands that haue beene at any time offered or granted by any men or women
a place in Councels to Mathilda Doubtlesse the Monke Godfrey saith plainely That being circumuented by the Pope she gaue vnto S. Peter without the knowledge of the Magistrats and rulers the Marquisat of Ancona But as touching his publike life and gouernement Gerochus his follower Gerochus in vita Hildebrand who writ the historie of his life describes him to be verie obstinat and proud in his own conceit The Romans saith he vsurpe a diuine honour they will giue no reason of their actions neither can they endure it should be said vnto them Why doest thou this and they haue alwayes in their mouthes these Satyricall words Sic volo sic iubeo sit pro ratione voluntas So I will so I command For reason my will shall stand And that indeed was his humor according to the description of all writers Sigebert who writ of those times saith That by his example and by reason of his new decrees many things were done in the Church against all lawes diuine and humane and there arose in the Church by this occasiō Pseudomagistri false Doctors who by their prophane nouelties had diuerted the people from the discipline of the Church and that he excommunicated the Emperour for this very cause that the Peeres of the Realme should withstand their King being for iust cause excommunicated Againe that the Pope meeting the Emperour in Lumbardie vnder a false shew of peace absolued him For all they who had first abiured Hildebrand adding periurie to periurie abiure the Emperour and appoint Rodolph Duke of Burgundie their King the crowne being sent vnto him by the Pope Hereby we may easily gather what opinion he had of him Another saith He receiued for accusation of the King the writings of his enemies and thereupon excommunicated him Histor Saxonica in literis Henrici ad Hildebrand Benno Cardin. in vita Hildebrand And with what furie he was caried appeareth by that his Apothegme I will either die or take from thee thy life and kingdome But Cardinall Benno noteth the manifest iudgement of God As saith he he rose from his chaire to excommunicate the Emperour then newly made of strong timber by the sudden hand of God it was strangely torn into diuers peeces to giue all men to vnderstand how many horrible schismes by that dangerous excommunication and presumption he that sate in that chaire should sowe both against the Church of Christ and the Sea of S. Peter how cruelly he should dissipate the chaire of Christ trampling the lawes of the Church vnder his feet and bearing rule with power and austeritie And another saith From hence there arose a more than ciuile warre without respect of God or man the Diuine and humane lawes were corrupted without which neither the Church of God nor common-wealth could stand and the publike and Catholike faith is violated And if you aske them where the fault was they tell you speaking of the extraordinarie submission of Henrie to Gregorie Apologia Henrici that hee omitted nothing that might mollifie the heart of Gregorie and regaine his grace and fauour insomuch that at the last for a testimonie of his reconciliation he receiued the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ Iesus at the hands of the Pope sits at table with him and so is sent backe in peace But the author addeth That peace which Iudas dissembled not which Christ left Insomuch that Leo Bishop of Ostia Leo Ostiens li. 3. Chron. Cassinen c. 48. who then flourished saith The businesse being brought to an end the Pope by the counsel of Mathilda sent one of his ouer the mountains with the crowne of the Empire to Rodolph persuading him to rebell against the Emperour And the letters whereby he incited him are yet to be read in the Historie of Saxonie Historia Saxonica Apologia Henrici yea some repeat his owne words Trouble not your selues saith he I restore him vnto you more faultie than before for the person of the King shal be more contemptible in his kingdome if satisfying he lay aside the ensignes of his kingdome and if without permission he resume his regal ornaments I shall haue the iuster cause to excommunicate him But of both the kings this is his iudgement Henry born brought vp in the kingdome by the ordinance of God succeeded his progenitors in the kingdome c. But Rodolph saith he was obedient to the Pope who had discharged him of his faith and allegiance and assured him that bearing armes against Henrie he could be no way condemned of periurie and disloialtie because being excommunicated he could be no longer King it being the dutie of all the faithfull in the Church to persecute and kill all those who fauouring Henrie the King excommunicated refuse to forsake him This was a new Doctrine saith the Authour neuer heard of before there being no other sword permitted in the Church Helmold in Historia Sclauorū c. 28. 29. 30. than that of the spirit which is the word of God But the iudgement of God acknowledged by Rodolph himselfe giues better satisfaction who being neere his end vsed this speech to some of his familiar friends You see heere my right hand wounded with this right hand I sware to my Lord Henrie that I would neuer hurt him or hinder his glorie but the commaund of the Pope and request of the Bishops haue brought me to this that laying aside all respect of mine oath I should vsurpe an honour that was none of mine But what comes of it you now see In that hand which hath violated mine oath I am wounded to death Let those therefore consider hereof that haue prouoked vs hereunto how they haue led vs least perhaps we fall into the bottomlesse pit of eternall damnation And so with these wounds and great anguish of heart he departed this life The same author addeth that the Saxons gathering heart againe chose one Herman surnamed Cluffloch king who had conquered Henrie in the field Who by the iust iudgement of God entring victoriously into a Citie the Gate fell off the hinges and killed him and diuers others Whereupon the Saxons seeing their purposes frustrated they gaue ouer the creating of a new King or to beare armes any more against Henrie manifestly perceiuing that the kingdome was reserued vnto him by the approbation and permission of God himselfe What now remaineth but that we adde the confession of Gregorie himselfe alledged before by Sigebert and confirmed by Mathew Paris That by the instigation of the Diuell he had stirred vp wrath and reuenge against mankind I willingly here omit the contradictorie writing of this age with the replications and duplications of those that tooke part with Gregorie to maintaine his excommunication who say that a Pope excommunicated Chilperick King of Fraunce for his idlenesse and vnprofitable gouernement onely and established Pepin in his place That Kings are not lesse subiect to the key of Rome then the rest of his subiects for
they are all sheepe That whom God hath made a ruler ouer things Celestiall he hath made him much more ouer things terrestrial and therefore the Pope had power ouer all Hereupon they alledge or rather abuse the examples of some Princes that haue beene censured by the Pastors of the Church Such as tooke part with Henrie on the other side replied that Chilperick was deposed by the common consent of the States of the Realme and not by the Pope that it is the office of a Pastor to feed not to kill to instruct not to destroy that the examples that were alledged by them were either false or impertinent That Henrie refused not to doe any thing nay had performed whatsoeuer belonged to his place That Gregorie on the other side carried himselfe as an actor not as a Iudge That God onely ruleth Kings and Kingdomes and those subiects that God hath giuen them no man can absolue of their oath allegiance This they confirmed by places of Scripture and the testimonies of the Fathers wherupon they conclude Gregorie to be Antechrist who taking vpon him the name of Christ did vtterly ouerthrow the Lawe of Christ and his doctrine But this is nothing among the rest they strongly maintained that the Catholike Church is not with him that destroyes the Church and that the title of Catholike belongs not to him or his followers who speake and hold against the holie Scriptures against the Gospell of the sonne of God But rather according to S. Iohn he and his societie are Antichrists qui Iesum soluunt betray Christ offer him violence whilest they violently wrest the Scriptures And it is well noted of a learned Historiographer of our time Vignier in Hist Ecclesiast that in this whole controuersie there is no mention made by the Gregorians either for the donation of Constantine or the renunciation of Lewis A manifest proofe vnto vs that there was no such thing as yet found out But there is none that better layeth open vnto vs the mysteries of the iniquitie of Hildebrand then Cardinall Benno the Roman Arch-priest As touching his Magick all writers display him to be skillfull in this art as likewise that truely diabolicall Oracle wherewith he deceiued Rodolph and was himselfe deceiued by the diuell for which qualitie also he was condemned in many Synods by innumerable Bishops of France Germanie Italie in the Councels of Wormes Pauia Brixen and Rome where in the sentence it selfe in verie significant words he is called a Magitian a Diuiner a Southsayer possessed with a Pithonicall spirit a Negromancer And if this had not beene apparent ynough they had spoken doubtlesse much more there wanting not matter to obiect against him But Benno who penetrated into the hidden secrets of Gregorie sets downe all circumstances That he had learnt Magick of Theophilact who was Pope Benedict the ninth of Laurence his companion and of Iohn the Archpriest of S. Iohn Port Latin afterwards Gregorie the sixt who by his commerse with diuels and the singing and flying of birds told of those things that were done in farre countries of the euent of warres and the death of Princes That he whilest they liued yea euen in the Popedome was the chiefe instrument and companion of all their wickednesse yea the heire of Gregorie the sixt not onely of his money but his perfidious treacherie That he enforced Pope Nicholas by fearing him with strange apprehensions of death and presenting before him horrible visions to make him Archdeacon That none of the Cardinals subscribed to his election all forsaking him but he was created by the open force of the souldiers That comming one day from Alba to Rome he had forgot a certaine booke of Negromancie without which he seldome or neuer went which he in his journey remembring at the entrance of Portlateran he hastily called vnto him two of his familiar friends and faithfull ministers of his wickednesse commanded them with all speed to fetch that booke vnto him and withall terribly threatned them not to presume to open the booke vpon the way but by how much the more they were prohibited by so much the more were they kindled with a curious desire to prie into the secrets of that book In their returne therefore vnclasping the booke and curiously reading the precepts of that Diabolicall art there appeared presently before them certaine of the diuels angels whose multitude and horror so frighted these young men that they were almost beside themselues Benno Cardin. in vita Hildeb c. And these are the verie words of Benno That it was a common thing with him to shake sparkles of fire out of his sleeue and with these and the like myracles to blind the eyes of the simple as if they were signes of sanctitie That he sent two Cardinals Alto and Cuno to S. Anastasia to performe a fast of three dayes euery one euery day to sing a Psalter and Masses to the end that God might shew a signe which of the two thought more truely of the bodie of our Lord the Church of Rome or Berengarius which neuerthelesse came not to passe That he consulted the Sacrament it selfe as it had beeene an Oracle against the Emperour and the Cardinals withstanding him cast it into the fire That he had layed a trap for the Emperour in the Church of S. Maries in Mount Auentine and obseruing the place wherein he commonly stood or kneeled he commaunded a great stone to be laid vpon the beames of the Church ouer his head that being let fall vpon his head whilest he was praying might dash out his braines But the stone with the weight thereof bare downe with it the instrument of this villanie who by the just judgement of God was bruised to peeces vpon the pauement and for as much as this succeeded not wel he suborned murderers to kill him In the meane time whilest he deposed the Emperour vnder a pretence of Simonie he had no sooner depriued those Bishops of whom he complained of their authoritie but he restored it to them againe thereby binding them vnto him and against the Emperour In honour of Pope Liberius who was an Arrian he ordained a Feast and committed many outrages besides against all law and equitie murders oppressions violences which it would be too long to relate For which cause saith he the bloud of the Church crieth out against him c. I could wish the Reader would read the booke But here we must answer to the obiections of Bellarmine who striues to affirme that this booke is not to be beleeued First because it is likely to be suborned by some Lutheran or other R. If he had said of some malicious person it might haue beene borne with but I referre it to the judgement of any Reader that can discerne the stile weigh the circumstances consider of the phrase and I thinke there is none to be found that will take it to be suborned Secondly some man perhaps faith he in
away by the same meanes many filthie doctrines which the Semi-Pelagians Faustus Cassianus and others had brought in easily getting foundation of their doctrines out of the naturall pride of men But Saint Bernard being once dead the schole of Abayllard continued in the Schole-men who haue so followed his methode that he by right may be acenowledged their father It little wanted then but that the tares choked the good corne when with them little or no mention is made of justifying by faith the fortresse of saluation is thenceforth placed in dead workes as if Christian doctrine that most profound secret hidden before all time and reuealed in his time were nothing but a certaine morall discipline In the same time also Gratian compiled his Decrees not more fortunatly than Iustinian his Pandectes out of the Canons and auncient Decrees which hee in many places applieth to the abuses of the time and especially to the Roman ambition although he leaue vs therein many good footsteps by helpe of which the diligent searchers may find out the ancient doctrine practise of the Church Auentine an Author most studious of antiquitie teacheth vs Auent l. 6. that before Gratian the Canon law was farre otherwise For saith he as it is perfect and whole in our Libraries it containeth two parts the first the Acts of vniuersall Councells which are manifestly receiued the other of the Constitutions Epistles and Rescripts of Popes as euerie thing was done the causes assistants witnesses with the circiumstances of places and times Would to God he had not taken so much paines And in the meane time Pope Eugenius approueth it and commaundeth it to be read in all Vniuersities because without doubt he reduced the whole Church vnder the Popes yoke little remembring the good counsels that Saint Bernard gaue him in his bookes of Considerations The same methode hath Peter Lumbard this Gratians brother in his foure bookes of Sentences collected out of the places of auncient Fathers compiled into a certain order which he oftentimes maketh to serue by changing leauing out or adding some word to the corrupt diuinitie of his time so that from thenceforth onely Gratian is consulted with and onely Lumbard is read in scholes In these two consists all Christian law and diuinitie No man hence careth for seeking to the fountaine in the holie Scriptures of the old and new Testament in the monuments of the Fathers or Acts of auncient Councels to looke more neerely into the matter is counted heresie Auentine to this purpose saith Auent Annal. Baior l. 6. I haue learned and heard of my Masters Iacobus Faber and Clitouous more than a thousand times That this Lumbard had troubled the pure fountaine of Diuinitie with muddie questions and whole riuers of opinions which experience if we be not blind doth more than ynough teach vs. Which notwithstanding as well as himselfe are most famous among them of the Church of Rome 47. PROGRESSION Of the humilitie of the Emperour Frederick and the pride and insolencie of Pope Adrian the fourth The Pope stirreth vp the subiects of William King of Sicilia to rebell against him TO the Emperour Conrade succeeded in the yeare 1152 Frederick his nephew An. 1152. in the Empire of Germanie a Prince by the testimonie of all writers qualified with many vertues And in the yeare 1153 dieth Eugenius An. 1153. whom Anastasius succeedeth created as abouesaid by the Cardinals alone who continued but one yeare neuerthelesse peaceable at Lateron because he let the Romans doe what they listed Then behold Adrian the fourth an English man borne entreth into the Popedome who could not be consecrated at Lateran vnlesse first the people chased away Arnold who as we haue said preached at Rome against the superfluous pompe of Popes and withall would put downe the Senat which they had established Both which being refused him he waxeth angrie forsaketh the citie and with his Court retireth to Orvietto Frederick in the meane time setteth forward to be crowned in Italie who in his way inuested Anselme of Hauelburge with the Bishopricke of Rauenna then vacant by the death of Moses being chosen by the voyce of the Clergie and of the people and moreouer maketh him Exarch whence he tooke the title of Seruant of seruants Archbishop and Exarch of Rauenna Sigon de regno Jtal. l. 12. This set Adrian alreadie into an ague who neuerthelesse met him at Viterbe where Frederick stepping to him held his stirrop for him to light from his horse and conducted him into his tent There the Bishop of Bamberge speaking for the Emperour declared vnto him with much respect That all the Church was come from the end of the world for to bring him this Prince and that seeing prostrat at his feet he had rendred him due honour he besought him to doe what lay in him to set the Imperiall Crowne vpon his head Sigonius saith here that he paused a while seeming as it were to conceale from vs the insolencie of this Pope which we read in Helmold Helmold in Histor Sclauorum c. 81. an Author not to be suspected because he was rightly ashamed of it The answer then of Adrian was this Brother these are but words that thou tellest vs thou sayest thy Prince hath giuen due reuerence to Saint Peter but Saint Peter hath rather been thereby dishonored Instead of holding our right stirrop he hath held the left This being told againe by the Interpreter to the King he humbly answereth Tell him that it was not want of deuotion but of knowledge for I haue not much learned to hold stirrops and he is the first to my knowledge that euer I did that seruice vnto The Pope replied If he haue through ignorance neglected that which is most easie how thinke yee that he will acquit himselfe of that which is greater Then the King somewhat moued I would be better instructed saith he whence this custome hath taken footing from good will or of duetie if from good will the Pope hath no cause to complaine that I haue failed in a seruice which is but arbitrarie and not of right but if you say that of duetie from the first institution this reuerence is due to the Prince of Apostles what importeth it betweene the right and left stirrop so that humilitie be obserued and that the Prince prostrat himselfe at the Popes feet Helmold l. 1. c. 73. Thus saith the Historie was this point long and eagrely disputed and in the end they departed each from other sine osculo pacis without the kisse of peace Let the Reader note here the charitie of this Bishop to reiect an Emperour onely for hauing held the left stirrop for the right and an Emperour endued with such vertues as the Author faileth not to say That his wisedome and courage was greater than of all the inhabitants of the earth And he addeth The principall Lords which were as the pillars of the realme were afraid to returne without
and Lotharius prostrat at his knees receiuing the Imperiall Crowne and when he was returned into Germanie the Pope by two Cardinalls sent him the Epistle aboue mentioned Therefore all the Princes of the Empire which assisted him were greatly offended hereat and as some of them complained of so insolent a Legation one of the Popes Legats Quasi gladium igni addens as it were adding the sword to fire replied for to take away all ambiguitie Of whom then doth the Emperour hold the Empire if not of my Lord the Pope At which words Otho Count Palatine set his hand to his sword and would haue slaine him had not the Emperour withheld him who also without any other answer sent away the Legats in safetie to Rome by the neerest way for feare least they should goe vp and downe suborning the people In the meane time Frederick writeth to all the States of the Empire complaining of this insolencie and sent them a copie of the letters obseruing vnto them the clauses abouesaid Flowing saith he from the Mammon of Iniquitie that puffeth him vp with a heape of pride of hautinesse of arrogancie and of execrable loftinesse elatione of heart notwithstanding that he held the Empire by the election of the Princes and from God alone That the Apostle S. Peter himselfe had instructed the world in these words Feare God honour the King So that whosoeuer shall say he holdeth the Imperiall Crowne by the benefit of the Pope is contrarie to diuine institution to the doctrine of S. Peter and conuicted of lying To this he added moreouer That he was resolute as he had begun to warrant the libertie of the Churches from the hands of the Aegyptians to wit from the Pope as from a Pharaoh exhorting them to lend him their helping hands And it is not to be forgotten that he found about the Legats many blankes signed and sealed to be filled at their discretion for to sow their venime of iniquitie through the Churches of Germanie to despoyle the Altars carrie away the vessels of the house of God cruces excoriare to slea or fleece the crosses that is to say to plucke off the gold and siluer that couered them which was the cause that he made them take the neerest way that hee might câ—â— off such practises The Legats being come to the Pope who besides was in contention with the Romans resolued vpon their answer to write to the Bishops of Germanie complaining that Frederick had misconstrued the good meaning of his letters and namely these words Insigne beneficium tibi contulimus Radeuicus l. 1. c. 15. 16. We haue giuen thee this notable benefit of the Crowne And much harder were the words in his letters He requested them to pacifie his mind and to induce him to make such satisfaction of the speeches to his Legats as that all men might be edified thereby So doing they should doe a good seruice to Saint Peter But the Bishops and Prelats of Germanie being vpon this Legation assembled together doe answer him That all the Commonwealth of the Empire was moued at the clauses contained in his letters that the eares of the Emperour could not patiently heare them nor of the Princes endure them that themselues for that sinister ambiguitie could not approue them being vnusuall and neuer before heard of till then Radeuicus l. 1. c. 16. That in consequence of his letters they had admonished the Emperour From whom thankes be to God say they we haue receiued such an answer as became a Catholike Prince Note here his words as followeth There are two things saith he whereby our Empire ought to be gouerned the holie lawes of Emperours and the good custome of our Fathers and predecessors These bounds of the Church we neither will nor can transgresse neither admit any thing that departeth from them We willingly yeeld to the Pope his due reuerence but we hold the free Crowne of our Empire onely from God and his diuine bountie The first voyce of election we acknowledge is from the Archbishop of Mentz and then of other Princes euerie one in his order the royall vnction from the Bishop of Cologne the last which is the Imperiall vnction from the Pope Whatsoeuer is more than this ex abundanti est à malo is superfluous and from that wicked one c. Wee haue not neither will we by Edict stop the entrance and passage of Italie from them that goe to Rome be it for voyage or other reasonable causes hauing the testimonie of their Bishops and Prelats but we haue an intention to remedie the abuses wherewith all the Churches of our realme are grieued and almost all cloisterall disciplines dead and buried In time past God exalted the Church by the Empire now the Church not by God as we beleeue ruinateth the Empire They began by a picture from that they came to writing and now writing endeuoureth to passe into authoritie We will not endure it we will not suffer it we will rather for goe our Crowne than consent that by vs it shall fall into decay Let them deface the pictures let them withdraw these writings that there remaine not an eternall memorie of enmitie betweene the Kingdome and the Priesthood In these tearmes represented they to Adrian the resolution of Frederick concluding with a supplication That he would mitigat the former writings by other more mild for to appease the magnanimitie of the Emperour And in the mean time the Emperour sent into Italie Otho of Witelsbach Palatine and Renold Earle of Assell his Chauncellor great personages for to keepe all men in obedience Sigon de regno Jtal. l. 12. and to receiue the oath of the Lords Bishops and Comminalties the forme whereof was this I promise that from henceforth I will be faithfull to Frederick the Emperour of the Romans my Lord against all men c. namely I will not take away from him his royalties of such a Countie or Bishopricke c. Radeuicus l. 1. c. 18.19 I will execute all his commaundements that he shall commaund me by himselfe or by letter or his embassadour to doe iustice c. So that Adrian seeing the commission of these forerunners of the Emperour prosperously to goe forward and perceiuing him about to passe into Italie with an armie he sent vnto him two Legats Henrie and Iacinth Cardinals with letters wherein he correcteth his plea Which Legats saith the Author reuerently with an humble countenance Radeuicus de gestis Frederic l 1. c. 11. and a modest voyce began their Legation in these words Praesul Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae the Bishop of the holie Church of Rome and most deuout Father of your Excellencie in Christ saluteth you as his most deere and speciall sonne of Saint Peter Our venerable brethren your Clerkes all the Cardinalls doe also most humbly salute you as Lord and Emperour vrbis orbis of the citie of Rome and of the world How different is this stile
which he prayed for in the garden That the cup might be taken from him was not grāted because he praying according to the flesh he would not obtaine according to reason but Dominick neuer demaunded any thing of God which he fully obtained not according to his desire that is to say Ibidem paragra 2. because he neuer requested any thing according to the desire of the flesh The Lord hath loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes in his bloud but Dominick not without a certaine perfection of charitie spending the whole night with God in meditation and prayer did vndergoe a threefold discipline euen with his owne hand and that euerie day not with a whipcord but with a chaine of yron euen to the effusion of his bloud one for his owne faults which were verie small another for those which were in purgatorie and the other for those that liued in the world And Anthonie the Archbishop prosecuteth this comparison through all the parts of the life of Christ Finally our Lord departing from this world promised to his Disciples a Comforter that is to say the holie Ghost And Dominick sayd to his followers My deere friends weepe not for me Ibidem 4. paragr 14. nor let my bodilie departure trouble you in the place to which I goe I shal be more profitable vnto you than I can be here for after death you may haue me a better Aduocat than you can haue in this life What then shall we thinke of that which S. Iohn sayes vnto vs If we sinne we haue an aduocat euen Iesus the righteous And these blasphemies because they make to the strengthening of their authoritie are confirmed by the Church of Rome Jdem parte 3. Tit. 23. c. 43. 17. for Gregorie the ninth canonized Dominick in there 1223 made him a Saint appointed him a festiuall day and both approued and with priuiledges strengthened his Order And hee that writ these things was the Archbishop of Florence verie famous among our aduersaries and put into the Canon of the Saints This is said to the end the Reader may obserue what might bee then the corruption of the Church what the designes of the Popes when these and the like horrible blasphemies were supported by the Popes and also with what spirits their Consistories their Councels haue been carried in which in the meane time they giue vs new articles of faith Transubstantiation the Adoration of the Hoast in the Masse Auricular confession the Communion vnder one kind the like But they had need for the promulgation of such trumperies of such Preachers as might afterward serue their turne for the spreading abroad of their factions among the people and insinuat themselues by their preaching into the hearts of men by making euerie small matter a case of conscience they propose an art to extinguish all conscience Abbas Vrsperg in Chron. For the Abbot of Vrsperge saith by the commaund of the Pope they absolue rapes depopulations burnings seditions warres and therefore he said not without good cause That Pope Innocent had rather approue the Minors and Preachers than the humble poore of Lyons Who derogated from the Priesthood by those sermons they made for the most part in the secret places of Gods Church for they preached against the vices of the Clergie and yet they were not accused of any heresie because saith he they reprehended the vices of men still obeying the See Apostolike from which they deriue their chiefe authoritie But these things we shall better obserue in their due place OPPOSITION Now it behoueth vs to see what judgement the Authors of these times haue left vnto vs of the wicked actions of Innocent touching the warre he kindled betweene Philip and Otho The Abbot of Vrsperge who liued in those dayes speaks freely in this manner Innocent endeuoured by all meanes to hinder Philip to attaine to the Imperiall throne vpbraiding him with that which his brother and kindred had cruelly done which neuerthelesse they did by the instigation of wicked men wherein vnder correction of the Apostolike See he seemed not to haue iudged according to equitie when the Lord saith by his Prophet That the sinnes of the fathers ought not to be imputed to the children how much lesse of brothers or of other kindred Ezechias and Iozias most religious kings had verie wicked fathers In the genealogie euen of our Sauiour Iesus Christ some wicked ones are recited There is yet extant an Epistle of the said Innocent directed to Bartholdus Duke of Zaringia wherein are written many absurd things against Philip and some of them false which he caused to be inserted into the Decretals c. Then he began to stand vpon friuolous obiections and exceptions to the end hee might hinder him obiecting vnto him the sentence of excommunication that is to say of Celestine the third Moreouer he sent the Bishop of Sutrie to demaund of him the hostages of Apulia whose eyes long since his brother Henrie the Emperor had commaunded to be pluckt out But the said Philip as he was gentle and courteous when he heard of the sentence of excommunication he humbly intreated to be absolued by the said Legat and besides sent the aforesaid hostages to the Pope Wherefore the Bishop of Sutrie for as much as he had vnlawfully absolued Philip exceeding therein the bounds of his commaund was depriued of his Bishoprick and banished into a certaine island of the sea where he happily ended his dayes in a verie religious and strict Monasterie So that hee exclaimes against this wilie monopolie The horne of iniquitie is exalted wherewith many haue beene annointed against whom the Lord saith by his Prophet I haue said to the wicked Doe not wickedly and to transgressers Lift not vp your horne This horne is now filled with adulterous oyntment The horne of that oyntment is farre off wherewith Dauid was annoynted King What therefore should be done in the members but that which is done in the heads c O Lord behold such as the oyntment is in the head such it descends vpon the beard Oh that it were but vpon the beard onely with the reprobat it descended likewise vpon the beard of Aaron for they that had layed their foundation in the mountaine of strength vtpote Claustralis as cloystered Monkes seeming to lead a religious life that is to say they whose helpe Innocent vsed to alienat the hearts of the people from Philip are farre from the wombe of our mother the Church in which they were conceiued and baptised They haue wandered from the wombe wherein they ought to be comforted nourished with wholesome admonitions now they haue spoken nothing but lyes And here the Reader may judge what the Abbot thought of him that vsed the helpe of people so dishonest Through these discords in England Innocent proceeded so farre that king Iohn being brought into great extremitie was inforced to become tributarie vnto him That king saith the history hauing
sea coasts blame not mee and so with discontent hee departeth the Court. Lewis being resolued to this enterprise who also chalenged a title to the kingdome by the right of his mother protested to his father euen with tears That hauing giuen his word to the Barons of England to aid and succour them he had rather for a time to be excommunicated by the Pope than incurre the discredit of falshood and so presently embarking himselfe with a mightie army past into England and instantly followeth him the Legat Waldo who with all the Bishops of his faction excommunicateth Lewis with burning lights with all his adherents and followers ordaining that euerie Saboth and festiuall day throughout all England this sentence should be published Lewis neuerthelesse proceedeth in his expedition whom the death of Iohn in the meane time stayeth which ended the hatred of the Barons Wherefore recompensing Lewis for his paines and expences imployed in their defence they established his sonne in his place All the circumstances of these proceedings are wholly related by Mathew Paris Math. Paris in Iohan. who was an eye witnesse of these affaires and are there worth the reading Vnder this Innocent the Westerne people hauing taken Constantinople created Emperour thereof Baldwin Earle of Flanders and he as depending of the Latine Church made the Greeke Church forthwith subiect thereunto Notwithstanding he could not hereby keepe the fauour of Innocent who required such things as seemed vniust vnto him complaining That he let the Patriarch of Constantinople sit beneath him on his left hand signifying that Innocent preferred the dignitie of the Priesthood farre aboue the Imperiall and thinking that what in this behalfe he tooke away from the Emperour would be so much the more gayned for himselfe Baldwin therefore writing vnto him could not hide from him that this was not the voyce of Peter who on the contrarie commaundeth 1. Pet. 2. vers 13. 14. Be yee subiect to the King as vnto the superiour and vnto Gouernours as vnto them that are sent of him for the punishment c. And therefore he subiected Ecclesiasticall dignities vnto secular powers Hence it is that we haue that Decretall of Innocent directed to Baldwin wherein he expoundeth vnto him this place of S. Peter and his diuinitie here is worth the noting The Apostle saith he wrot vnto his subiects and prouoked them to the merit of humilitie yea rather vnto strangers of all sorts scattered in Pontus Galatia Cappadocia c. By what right were these his subiects vnlesse it be in as much as they were Christs sheepe who acknowledged his voyce in Peter He proceedeth If thy exposition take place it will then follow Extra de Maioric obedientia c. 6. solicitae that euerie seruant also should beare rule ouer Priests for it is there said Be ye subiect to euerie humane creature for Gods sake But hee ought not to be ignorant that the Greekes interpret the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Order Oecumenius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Excellencie power And here it is he alledgeth that pleasant allegorie of the two great lights of which we haue aboue spoken Whence consequently saith the Summe The Empire is not aboue the Priesthood but vnder it and is held to obey it Also Bishops ought not to be vnder Princes but aboue them and this saying is very worthy to be alledged We haue before made mention of new traditions intruded for articles of the faith in the Councell of Lateran Peter Cantor a most learned Diuine was there present who deliuered there a long speech of the multiplicitie of vayne ceremonies and of the profanation of the seruice of God by occasion of which that which was chiefest in Religion was neglected And we haue yet his Booke intituled Verbum abreuiatum where he sharpely inueyeth against them but he told a tale to them that had no eares to heare Also florished at the same time in England Walter Mapez Archdeacon of Oxford a man of excellent wit who in his verses painteth forth in their right colours the life of Popes the exactions and rapines of the Court of Rome the excesse hautinesse and pride of the Prelats as may be read in his Booke entituled Diuerse poemes of the corrupted state of the Church which are longer than can be here fitly inserted The beginning thereof is thus Roma mundi caput est sed nil capit mundum Quod pendet à capite totum est immundum Rome is our head which nothing but vncleanenesse doth imbrace And in the same all filthinesse that is hath wholly place But among the rest he composed a treatise entituled Apocalypsis Pontificis Goliath by which name he signified that Antichist was reuealed in the Pope Also praedicationem Goliath the beginning whereof is Viri venerabiles c. and other treatises in Papam Curiam de malis Curiae Romanae against the Pope and his Court Girald Cambrens l. 3. c. 1. 14. in speculo Ecclesiae and of the euils of the Court of Rome Giraldus Cambrensis maketh mention of him in his Mirrour of the Church and witnesseth that he was a man in great estimation in that age In the meane season the Waldenses or Albigenses multiplied in France maintayning and publishing euerie where their doctrine aboue mentioned and did so spread themselues from the Alpes to the Pyrenean mountaines that verie many both in Cities and Countries departed from the traditions of the Church of Rome yea many great and noble men joyned vnto them as namely Raymund Earle of Thoulouse and of S. Giles the Kings cousen Raymund Roger Vicount of Besiers and of Carcassonne Peter Roger Lord of Gabaret Raymund Earle of Foix nere kinsman to the King of Arragon Gasto Prince of Bearne the Earle of Bigorre the Ladie de la vaur the Earle of Carman Raymund de Termes Americ de Montrueil William de Menerbe and infinit others both Lords and Gentlemen men truly of that ranke that no man of sound judgement will thinke they would haue exposed to manifest daunger their life fortunes and honour for the defence of vices and errours so execrable as they were charged withall On the contrarie it must needs be whatsoeuer the Monkes of that time and the Popes champions doe prate that by the onely force of their consciences they were moued thereto And this doth William Paradin acknowledge in his Annales of Bourgundie who testifieth that he had red Histories that clearely justified the Albigenses and the Princes and Lords their fauourers from all these false imputations affirming that they were vexed onely because they reproued openly the traditions and corruptions of the Church of Rome Pope Innocent then about the yere 1208 sent first vnto them two Legats the Bishop of Oxford and Dominicus to haue a conference with them at Carman and presently joyned vnto them the Cistertian Abbot with twelue others of the same order and againe held a conference with
according to our calling In which words Krantzius expresseth their doctrine though verie contrarie vnto them Mathew Paris saith further That they spread themselues so farre as into Bulgaria Croatia and Dalmatia and there tooke such such root that they drew vnto them many Bishops And thither came one Bartholomew from Carcassonne in the countrey of Narbon in Fraunce vnto whom they all flocked who in his letters wrot himselfe Bartholomew seruant of the seruants of the holie faith and he created Bishops and ordained Churches These words are taken out of the letter that the Cardinall of Port the Popes Legat wrot to the Archbishop of Rouan full of abashment and he calleth him Anti-Pope without imputing vnto him any other crime or doctrine namely because this Bartholomew reestablished the order of the Church a new in those Countries and laboured to set true Pastors in the places of the false And the Cardinall commanded the Archbishop to be present in a Synod holden in the Citie of Sens to giue counsell in a businesse of that importance otherwise he threatned he would signifie his disobedience to the Pope This was about the yeare 1220 vnder Honorius the third and it must needs be that they haue largely multiplied since for the same Author telleth vs that in a certaine part of Germanie vnder Gregorie the the ninth a great number of them were enclosed in a place with marish on the one side and the Sea on the other where they were all slaine At the same time also in Spaine they ordayned Bishops which preached the same doctrine though the aduersaries faine lies of the same at their owne pleasure for to make them the more odious But we cannot be ignorant what manner of doctrine it was partly by their confession and partly by the acts of iudgement passed against them We read of one Robert Bulgarus who was fallen away from them and become a Iacobin Frier wholly gaue himself to persecute them in Flanders especially deliuered vp many to the fire But he being found to abuse his power and that he imputed crimes vnto them of which they were clearely innocent hee is presently discharged of his office and beeing found guiltie of many crimes which saith the Auhour it is better to conceale than to speake of is condemned to perpetuall prison Let the Reader judge considering the furious rage wherewith they were transported against these men whether as well their innocencie as that mans filthinesse be not hence manifestly and sufficiently proued In Lombardie at last they were very greatly multiplied when in the yeare 1229 An. 1229. Sigon l. 17. de regno Jtaliae at the instance of the Popes Legat it is ordayned that they should be banished both out of Cities and Countries their houses rased their goods confiscat they which receiued them put to a great fine and in the Citie of Milan is appointed in euery quarter two Friers Preachers and Minorites who in the authoritie of the Archbishop should make enquirie after them and take care that hauing taken them and deliuered them to the Gouernour they should be at the charges of the Commonwealth carried whether the Archbishop should appoint when also the Emperour Frederick in the yeare 1225 in the letters he wrote to Gregorie An. 1225. Jdem l. 18. complaineth that they encreased imo siluescant yea grew vp to a forrest In Italie and in the Cities began alreadie to choke the good come so spake he according to the stile of the time And to conclude when the truce being made betweene Gregorie and Frederick from which them of Milan were excluded that they might iustifie themselues to each other and gratifie one the other they tooke a great number of these poore men whom they offered vp in sacrifice by putting them to death Wherunto may be added also that which an ancient writer of those times wrot of the Waldenses that in the only valley Camonica they had tenne schooles as also that of Petrus de Vinei in his Epistles that their little riuers streamed so farre as to the kingdome of Sicilie who in the meane time alledgeth none other cause for which they should be persecuted but for that they with-drew the sheepe from the keeping of S. Peter to whom they had beene committed of that good Sheepheard to be fed and departed from the Romane Church which is the head of all Churches But were in this their profession aboue all beliefe constant prodigall of their life and carelesse of death and which is more hard than can be spoken saith he the suruiuours are nothing terrified by example affecting to be burned aliue in the presence of men This vertue in the minds of men whence can it flow but from the spirit of God 52. PROGRESSION Innocent to disturbe Conrades proceedings returnes into Italie but after many contrarieties of fortunes his hopes were frustrated and he dyed at Naples THe death of Frederick thus occurring affoorded opportunitie to Innocent not onely of renewing his owne designes in Italie but also of disturbing other mens affaires in Germanie He intending therefore these molestations to Conrade Fredericks sonne he thought good to returne into Italie But it is not altogether vnworthie of obseruation how ceremoniously he tooke his leaue of those of Lyons after the Councell was dismissed For assembling together the Lords and Nobles therein assisting as also the whole people Cardinall Hugo made a farewell sermon in behalfe of the Pope and the whole Court of Rome and so at last began to speake in these words Matthew Paris in Henrico 3. Louing friends since our arriuall in this citie we haue performed much good and done great almes for at our first comming hither wee found three or foure stewes but now at our departure we leaue but one marrie this extends it selfe from the East to the West gate of the citie And these were verie scandalous words in the eares of all the women who were present at the sermon in great numbers for the inhabitants of the citie were cited by publike proclamation in name of the Pope readie to depart He therefore went downe to Genoa and from thence he went to Mylan where being receiued in triumphant sort he obliged the cities by new oathes against the Emperour many he drew againe into a new league and they which perseuered in fidelitie towards Conrade he excommunicated and most seuerely persecuted to conclude he omitted no meanes whereby he might preuent Fredericks successors entrie into Italie When he came to Ferrara he preached to the people out of a window and he vsed preualent persuasions to intimate that this citie was his His text was Happie is the nation that hath the Lord for their God and the people whom he hath chosen for his inheritance inferring by this that the city and people was happie which were particularly subiect to the Pope and so he made but a mocke of the holie Scripture But Historiographers wonderfully extoll this sermon because it was no small
paine of deposition from his Crowne and State with which summes of money the Pope being backed he leuied an armie Conrade on the other side was no whit hereat dismayed but intended to resist the Pope and therefore he the more encouraged his nobles and subiects And here our Historiographer a Monke bursts out into these words Whether the Pope did well herein or no let the Iudge of all Iudges decide But for an abridgement of this warre this miserable Prince had poyson presented him who wasting away by little and little when he drew neere to his last breath in complaining manner he vttered these words The Church which should bee a mother to my father and me is rather a stepmother and so he left behind him a sonne who was but two yeares old Some impute this poyson to a brother of his others to the Popes ministers which of the two were most likely as may be presumed by the state and condition of the present affaires Mathew saith That hauing heard this newes with great ioy of heart cheerefulnesse of countenance and eleuation of voice he vttered these words I reioyce certainely and so let all the vpholders of the Roman Church exult together with me because two of our greatest enemies are now dead one Ecclesiasticall the other of the Laitie Robert Bishop of Lincolne and Conrade king of Sicile He therefore embracing this opportunitie found it an easie matter to recouer into his hands Naples Capua and a part of the kingdome But Manfred being assisted by the nobles of the kingdome he both crossed him in this prosperous course of his proceedings and daring to wage battell vanquished and ouerthrew him in the same and so his last errour was worse than the first Whereupon Innocent tooke such sorrow to heart that within a few dayes after he dyed at Naples suruiuing Conrade but a few moneths and being molested by the Bishop of Lincolns meanes euen to his last gaspe as in proper place shall plainely appeare These things occurred in the yeare 1254 An. 1254. in the moneth of December And so both the king of Englands treasure and ambitious designes perished together with him The volume of the Decretals is ascribed to this Innocent wherein his drift and maine scope was That whatsoeuer had beene by his predecessors out of wonderfull pride digested and decreed against the temporall Monarchie by them it might be ratified and made authenticke as also whatsoeuer profane or sacrilegious act they had performed against the Spirituall it might be in them as it were hallowed and consecrated To him also the Canonists haue reference ouer whom hee was head and principall hauing promoted them to some of the highest dignities of the Church and many of them also he raised to the Cardinalls hat out of which fountaine sprung that hideous gulph of forensiall contentions and first of all that detestable clause of Non obstante of which Mathew so often makes mention after the induction whereof all the auncient Canons of the Councells and Decrees of the old Popes as also the verie liberties and priuiledges of the Churches began at length to bee put downe So that this abuse breaking afterwards into the ciuile Courts it wrought wonderfull subuersions of equitie and justice From hence proceeded that common complaint Out alas alas why looked we after these dayes Behold the Courts ciuile are now corrupted according to the example of the Ecclesiasticall and the riuers are poysoned by a sulpherous fountaine Now the manner was that the money ordayned for warre in the Holie Land and the Indulgences of the Croysadoes were then in their vse by the Popes diuerted against the Emperours and other Princes This man that he might exceed all others divulged out of the Pulpit That whosoeuer tooke vp armes against Conrade he should obtaine more ample remission of sinnes than if hee fought against the Souldan So that if any man were crossed against Conrade both he his father and mother should gaine full pardon of all their sinnes He maried also his neeces verie highly and amongst the rest one he maried to Henrie Fredericks sonne and nephew to the king of England that thus hee might be adopted a sonne of the Church Which seemed a thing maruellous strange to all the Nobles of the Empire That a Pope said they would presume so to disparage a noble royall gentleman In conclusion he so pilled and polled the Christian Commonwealth as vpon due competation made it was found saith our Author and that most truely and exactly that this present Pope Innocent the fourth had more impouerished the Church vniuersall than all his other predecessours from the time of the primitiue Papacie and the reuenues of the Clergie by him alienated in England which had aunciently beene endowed therewith by the Church of Rome amounted to more than seuentie thousand markes whereas the kings meere reuenue could not be valued at a third part so much OPPOSITION And for that same Robert Bishop of Lincolne whom we formerly spake of it should seeme Innocent had commaunded him to performe some wicked office Which saith Mathew he did both to him and diuers other Prelats of England Wherefore he made answer by an Epistle which he produceth whole and entire in this tenor Health Your discretion shall vnderstand Matth. Paris in Henrico 3. that deuoutly and reuerenly I obey with filiall affection the Apostolicall iniunctions and so affecting reuerent honour I oppugne and resist such as are opposit to commaunds Apostolicall for to both these courses I am obliged by commaundement diuine The Apostolicall commaunds neither can be nor are any other than the doctrine of the Apostles and of our Lord Iesus Christ Master and head of the Apostles whose figure and person our Lord the Pope specially representeth in the Hierarchie of the Church being consonant and conformable And there he enters into a detestation of that clause Non obstante From whence springeth vp saith he the head and fountaine of inconstancie boldnesse and obstinacie of shamefull lying deceiuing distrustfully beleeuing or giuing credit to another and so from these a number of other subsequent vices which doe but disturbe and coinquinat the puritie of Christian religion and the peace and quiet of ciuile conuersation Furthermore saith he next to the sinne of Lucifer which shall be the same of Antichrist the sonne of perdition in the end of times whom God shall destroy with the breath of his mouth there neither is nor can be any kind of sinne so opposit and contrarie to the doctrine Euangelicall and of the Apostles and to the same our Lord Iesus Christ so odious detestable and abhominable as to kill and destroy soules by defrauding them of Pastorall offices and ministeries c. The introductors of such manquellers and butcheries amongst the sheepe in the Church of God are worse than the murderers themselues neerer both to Lucifer and Antichrist and particularly they are worse in this degree in that being supereminent of place out of
of the sentence of excommunication which was laid vpon him for the surprizing of Pope Boniface A further clause of fauour was added by the consent of the whole Consistorie which was That neither the kings nor kingdome of France could not be subiect to any excommunication or interdict which Bull is reserued in the Treasurie of the Charters Momforts Chronicle sayes expresly That he reuoked two of Bonifaces Decrees one wherein he had written to the king That he was subiect to the Church of Rome both in spirituall and temporall things and another inserted in the sixt of the Decretals whose beginning is Clericos c. The Colonnaes were alreadie prouided for but the defacing of Bonifaces memorie remained yet to be performed being sufficiently conuicted by Philips testimonie and the absolution of the attemptors but this poynt was referred to the Councell of Vienna which began about the end of this present yeare There it was debated on the behalfe of king Philip That Boniface was to be condemned for an heretike which three Cardinals aboue all the rest vehemently argued but at last the stronger partie ouercame partly because the Cardinals by him created feared least by this meanes they should endanger their owne places and partly because Clements election wherein their hands bare the stroke might wonderfully by this proceeding bee weakened and disioynted But certaine it is that king Philip was so perseuerant in this affaire Walsingham Chronic. That by speciall messengers saith Walsingham he with much importunitie demaunded the bones of his predecessor Boniface to be burned as an heretikes And this questionlesse he did not without the consent of the Parisian Senat and of the Sorbon In this Councell three heads were propounded The affaire of the Templers The warre of the Holie Land and The reformation of the Church The Templers were condemned both of heresie and other crimes and hereupon cruelly burnt in many places proscribed ouer all Europe and spoyled of their goods And yet many Authors affoord testimonies of their innocencie as Bocatius Villanus Antoninus Nauclerus Auentinus and others Some say that greedinesse of enioying their goods brought vpon them this prosecution and herein they blame Philip and Clement himselfe who would denie him nothing Others affirme that the Popes choler was incenst against them because they detested the Court of Rome which was the onely cause of all the miseries in Christendome and of the vtter destruction of the Holie Land So as by no torments nor crueltie of punishment inflicted they could be brought to confesse the crimes imposed and layd vpon them Paulus Aemilius in Philippo pulchro And they of Germanie proued their owne innocencie in an assemblie called at Mogunce as Aemilius witnesseth They be not obscure Authors saith he which alledge that Iames Burgond Principall of that Order some call him Molanus being brought forth to dye and enuironed with a mightie multitude while the fire was a setting about him and being offered his life and release of that paineful punishment if confessing publikely that which he had deliuered during his imprisonment both of himselfe and his whole Order he vttered these words In these my last actions it being vnpardonable impietie to lye I freely and frankely confesse that I committed a great offence both against my selfe and my Order and that I haue therein deserued a most tormenting punishment because in fauour of them for whom I should not and allured with the sweetnesse of life I haue in my tortures slaunderously imposed many impieties and detractions vpon my Order which hath euer deserued well of the Christian religion I haue now no need of a life obtained by intreatie much lesse retained by lying and defamation And then being set to the pile and fire kindled about the nether parts of his feet to wring out from him some confession euen when the flames began to wast and frie his entrails he neuer swarued from the constancie of his former speech or shewed the least change or alteraion of mind neither he nor two others of his Order being of a great familie one of which was brother to the Dolphine of Vienna From hence the Reader may easily obserue and judge of the calumniations and slanders that the Popes in all ages haue imposed and laid vpon their oppugnants Some Authors of no small esteeme adde Supplementum Martini Parad in Historia Burgundica That two Cardinals were present at this execution and that this great Master summoned Pope Clement before the tribunall of the euerliuing God to answer to the judgement and sentence hee had denounced against him who some fortie dayes after died justly on the same day for this execution was the eleuenth of March and he dyed the twentieth of Aprill a moneth after the publication of his Clementines For that which concernes Palestina The crosse was published to be assumed against the Turkes with a more ample and large grant of Indulgences than euer before that is to say Whosoeuer tooke vpon them the Crosse for this expedition he could not incurre damnation in these plaine words We will not that he be subiect to the torments of hell We further granting to those that be signed with the Crosse for this end three or foure soules at their pleasure to be deliuered out of Purgatorie by their supplications and prayers Whereat the Parisian Diuines were wonderfully scandalized and so much the rather because there was a speciall clause annexed to this Bull We commaund the Angels that absolutely freeing the soule from Purgatorie they conduct it into the glorie of Paradise Conformable to a doctrine taught then by themselues and their adherents That the Pope could command the Angels as his officers and serieants And many copies of this Bull are yet reserued at Vienna Poictiers and Limoges As for Church reformation little or nothing was spoken at all as shall appeare in the section ensuing But by the conclusion and shutting vp of Clements life we shall see what manner of man he was which with such confidence tooke vpon him to dispose of Paradise These be therefore the verie words of Antoninus himselfe After the celebration of a generall Councell in the yeare 1313 Clement going from Vienna to Bourdeaux fell sicke by the way and dyed This man as Chronicles relate was too much addicted to concupiscence and for this cause the sinne of simonie so deepely detested and punished by the Canons tooke deepe root in his Court about the recommendations to benefices And whereas some say That simonie cannot concurre nor stand with the Pope S. Thomas sharpely reproues them Besides it is reported That when he was departing out of this world a certaine nephew of his whom he had sensually before affected mark well these words brought in one that was skilfull in the art of Negromancie that by his wicked art he might seeke out how his nephew should be disposed of in another life who putting in practise his skill he cause one of the Popes Chaplaines a bold
remoue than confirme the opinion she formerly conceiued of it Katherine also gaue the like censure of the state of the Roman Church nay and if we may beleeue Antoninus she presaged That euen then the Churches confusion was at hand and that presently a reformation would ensue When she heard of the Perugians rebellion against the Pope Begin not your lamentation saith she so soone for you shall haue weeping too much for this you now see is but milke and honie in respect of those miseries to ensue Thus doe the Laitie and presently you shall see the Clergie will doe worse for they shall giue a generall scandall to the whole Church of God which like an hereticall pestilence shall disturbe and dissipate the same It shall not properly be an heresie but as it were an heresie and a certaine diuision of the Church and all Christendome This saith Raimond who writ her Legend we see accomplished in the schisme that followed vpon Gregories death For when the schisme began Raymond told her That what she had prophesied was now come to passe and she replied Euen as then I told you that the present molestations were but milke and honie so I say vnto you That this you now see and behold is but childrens sport in comparison of future miseries especially in adiacent and bordering Prouinces Which we haue seene come to passe saith he ouer all Italie and Sicilia whereunto wee may worthily annex France which neuer felt a more sharpe and terrible warre than at this instant Then Raymond againe prosecutes Being curious saith hee to demaund of her what would follow after this wonderfull agitation and reuolt because it manifestly appeared that shee entertained celestiall reuelations she replied God shall purge his Church from all these tribulations and miseries by a meanes altogether inperceptible and vnknowne vnto men and after this shall occurre such a wonderfull reformation of Gods Church and a renouation of sacred and holie Pastors that through the cogitation thereof onely my spirit euen reioyceth in the Lord. And as otherwhiles I haue many times told you the spouse that now is deformed and rent shall then hee adorned with goodlie and precious iewels and all the faithfull shall exult for being honoured with such holie Pastors Antoninus addes further What this sacred virgine foretold of schismes and tribulations we haue seene them cleerely and euidently come to passe but for that shee denounced touching good Pastors and the Churches reformation that hath not yet beene effected And yet he wrot in the yeare 1450 after the schisme extinguished and the dissolution of the Councels of Constance and Basil the which as it seemes he thought had not sufficiently prouided for the reformation of the Church conformable to this virgines predictions neither can it any wayes be perceiued in the Church of Rome or in the Popes whether you consider doctrine or manners so as this prophesie may verie well be applied to that reformation that began not long after which purged both the errors of doctrine and the abuses of discipline through the diligence and zeale of those godlie ministers which God stirred vp in the age following by a meanes as she said inperceptible of men the which was then a preparing before his death In Bohemia mention is made of one Militzius a famous Preacher of Prage whom Iacobus Misnensis tearmes renowmed and venerable This man declared how against his will he was enioyned by the holie Ghost to search out of the holie Scriptures the comming of Antichrist whom he found to be now alreadie come the same spirit conducting him he was constrained to go to Rome where he preached publikely and afterwards before the Inquisitor he confirmed That the great Antichrist of whom the Scriptures doe prophesie was already come The same man said That in the Church Idols should be erected which would destroy Ierusalem and make desolat the Temple but that they were couered with hypocrisie That many know the truth and yet through iniustice suppressed it and therefore in this silence they renounced Christ and durst not auouch his truth before men He also inueyed particularly against many abuses as we may see in Iacobus Misnensis his treatise de Aduentis Antichristi which he wrot about the yeare 1410. An. 1410. We find also a Bull of Gregorie the eleuenth directed to Iohn Archbishop of Prage wherein he is commanded to excommunicat and persecute Militzius and his auditors who were taught and instructed by him That the Pope and his companions were Antichrists That there was no truth amongst them vndepraued So as it is manifest that the Church in Bohemia came to haue some reformation and so much the rather because the Waldenses as we formerly saw fixed here their habitations long time before In these verie dayes about the yeare 1460 one Iohn Wickliffe An. 1460. a man of singular vnderstanding began to lift vp his head who was trayned vp at Oxford in all learning and science being both a famous Diuine and Philosophâ—â— who was for these parts highly honoured and esteemed of all the Faculties and Degrees in that Vniuersitie This man questionlesse charged the Roman Church on euerie side verie stoutly for not satisfying himselfe in shewing the Pope to bee an Heresâ—arch the Antichrist deciphered in the Scriptures the abhomination of desolation in abstracto in abstract brought in by Sathans guile and their Churches impostume and that he conuinced him to be the same both by the Scriptures the course of all histories diuers preualent reasons and his owne proper actions but further he assaileth the inward poynts of his doctrine taxing it with vanitie superstition and idolatrie reprehending the seruice of the creator conuerted to the creature to mortall men to Saints to reliques to images That the Sacrifice of the Redeemers Passion was turned into the foolish spectacle and mummerie of a Masse the benefit of the death and passion of Christ the sonne of God into dispensations absolutions pilgrimages and indulgences the benefits or rather inchauntments not of a pure but most impure man The people were fallen away from the incomparable merits of Christ our Sauiour to their owne workes from the firme tuition and defence of Christs crosse to the shaken reed of their owne demerits To conclude from God the generall creator to a ridiculous host which must bee worshipped as God though it were knead and made with mens hands And for the furtherance of this so high a worke of Gods he translated the whole Bible into the vulgar Tongue all those heads of doctrine he deliuered to the learned in Latine and to the ignorant in the vulgar Tongue In publique lectures at Oxford he was a Doctor in ordinarie Sermons of the Church a Pastour putting on a brasen forehead against the shamelesse strumpet and a breast of Diamant against the power and violence of the whole Clergie thundring the like euen into the eares of Edward the third then raigning in England and he drew vnto himselfe the attention
Nation differeth neuerthelesse from them in his life and conuersation Know that this flight suffiseth so long as the force of the furie compelleth not a man to wickednesse and so long as Gods mercie tollerateth the sinnes of the place not yet growne to their full height of corruption But where their state is desperate and past hope of amendement they admit no counsell no remedie no wholsome helpe whatsoeuer but refusing to be cured they rage like madd men and from all parts they send vp a continuall crie vnto God for the destruction of that place whosoeuer therefore he bee that abideth long time in that place and feareth not that vengeance of God that hangeth ouer that place how different soeuer hee be in manners hee is madd Neither is it lawfull for him that differeth in manners to liue there where the plague of corruption is growne to that strength that all are infected with the contagion thereof especially the cure being remedilesse Is he different in manners that hauing drunke of the cup of Babylon beene corrupted with her poyson polluted with her sinnes carried with her rage is constrained to appproue with commendation consent imitation those things that are done by wicked men not daring to open his mouth to the contrarie or to oppose himselfe with any freedome of conscience Thou askest whither thou canst goe where thou shalt not find a confused Babylon and thou seest no quiet resting place or contented abode for a peaceable mind as if Babylon were not in thy mind too For what mind canst thou euer make me instance of so peaceable setled and contented in which I will not say sometimes or often but euerie day and houre there is not some iarre some conflict wherein the tempestuous stormes of perturbations doe not arise which the blustering winds of pride doe tosse the murmuring noyse of diuers passions doth not disquiet and wherein there are not many times horrible and furious tempests in so much that it is needfull for vs daily to crie out Lord saue vs we perish Thence it was that one speaking of a mind meditating heauenly things and not earthly which therefore he called heauen sayd and not ineligantly though in meetre Confusa sunt hic omnia Spes metus moeror gaudium Vix hora vel dimidia Fit in coelo silentium All things are confused here Sorrow ioy hope and feare Scarce for a moment of time Peace in heauen can we find If thou seeke here an assured setled rest in all respects thou seekest a knot in a rush Gerson in Tractat de potestate Ecclesiastica consid 10. 11 as one said and thou shalt neuer find it either within or without thee All things are full of warre confusion danger euerie thing compassed with snares and subtilties neither canst thou retire thee within thy selfe but they follow thee In Tractat. de Anseribilitate Papae consid 4.9.10 12.14.15.16.18 Jtem in propositione facta coram Anglicis euntibus ad Concil consid 4. Jtem in Tractatu an liceat in causis fidei appellare Papae Item in Tractatu de examine doctrinarum But yet notwithstanding though there be something of Babylon euerie where yet that Babylon is not euerie where that is the mother of the fornications and abhominations of the earth whose iudgement as Iohn saith is ascended vp to the heauens which hath made drunken all the nations with the wine of her whoredome and constraineth all her inhabitants to commit fornication to blaspheme to eat things sacrificed to Idols to worship the dragon With which impieties whosoeuer is polluted how can he find peace within himselfe except he hate the fornications of that whore forsake condemne detest them to which whosoeuer shall adhere is made one bodie with her because so long as he conuerseth with her hee cannot bee freed from her manners being by force and furie drawne vnto them But if thou flie the habitation of cities and the course of people as being infected with a Babylonish contagion there are secret places seuered from cities fit for the seruice of God religions approued deuout Monasteries sauouring rather of Ierusalem than Babylon To bee briefe Item in propos vtilib ad extirp schismat if thou feare all humane companie there are solitarie places wherein thou mayest dwell with thy selfe and retire thy selfe to thine owne heart liue to thy selfe haue onely God to be a witnesse and companion of thy life Item in regul moral where at the last thou mayest more easily and more happily find that peace of thy mind which thou professest is so much to thy desire In the same stile writ master Iohn Gerson the Chauncellor of the Vniuersitie who was likewise present at that Councell Item de loco Pauli ad Thessal in Tractatu de signu ruinae Ecclesiae for I leaue to speake of his inuectiues in many places Against humane traditions because we haue spoken thereof elsewhere and likewise against the corruption of Ecclesiasticall discipline and the simonies of the Court of Rome in selling graces and dignities which they call spirituall because all these are couered vnder a pretext of the infallibilitie either of the Church or of the Pope Gerson de vita spirituali aiae Lect. 2. Corol. 7. to 3. num 61. But this in diuers his treatises he closely yet elegantly teacheth That the Pope can erre and abuse that power committed vnto him to the ruine of the Church That he can prostitute and oppresse it fall into schisme heresie idolatrie in which case he may bee corrected by the meanest Lay-man that professeth the Gospell That hee may be reproued repressed deposed by a Councell representing the Church Item in Tractatu an liceat in causis fidei à summo Pontific appellare propos 3 tom 1. num 14. sub finem since the Church saith he can subsist without the Pope without his ministeriall head and yet bee gouerned well ynough by Christ the Spouse of the Church For it is not sayd saith he When you are assembled in the name of Peter or of the Pope but In my name c. And this doctrine hath displeased many but the Councells of Constance and Basil haue freed the Church from this pernitious heresie which placeth the Pope aboue the Church So farre hee proceedeth by reason of those inconueniences he found thereby that hee alledgeth some cases wherein it is lawfull to make an assault vpon his owne person But because hee handleth these propositions in whole Treatises we will content our selues with the quotations in the margent Touching the question Whether the Pope be aboue the Councell and the Church he peremptorily saith Gerson de examine doctrinar That it is as much as if one should aske Whether the part bee greater than the whole That the Pope is subiect to the Church That the keyes are properly giuen to the Church and not to Saint Peter much lesse to the Pope The Church in the meane time subiect
and bound to the holie Scriptures Gerson de examine doctrinar consid 5. tom 1. Neither is it saith he in the power of the Pope or Councell to change traditions giuen by the Euangelists and Paul as some doe dote Yea we are to giue more credit in a case of doctrine to the assertion of a simple man learned in the Scriptures than the declaration of the Pope For it is manifest that we are rather to beleeue the Gospell than the Pope In so much that any such learned man being present at the Councell ought to oppose himselfe against him if hee shall perceiue the greater part against the Gospell either by malice or ignorancee to decline from the truth And touceing that place of Augustine I would not beleeue the Gospell but that the authoritie of the Church moueth mee thereunto He meaneth sayth he the Primitiue congregation of the faithfull who had seene and heard Christ and were witnesses vnto him Neither is it in the power of Pope or Bishop of a proposition not hereticall or not Catholike to make it hereticall or Catholike All which Theses destroy the tyrannie of the Pope and the Church of Rome with those inuentions likewise and vsurpations which vnder the cloke of his pretended authoritie they brought into the Church Let the Reader here note Vide Tractatū de Ecclesia That this was then the doctrine of the Vniuersitie of Paris yea the Sorbonists themselues We haue elsewhere quoted many places by which it may appeare how much they despaired of the reformation of the Church by reason of the malignitie of the Popes and Prelats Touching Indulgences he saith Iohan. Gerson in Tractat. de Indulgentijs Christ is the onely Pope that can grant those Indulgences for a thousand thousand dayes and yeares c. Againe Perhaps such enormous graunts haue beene inuented by wicked men who seeke their owne gaine And againe The graunt of Indulgences will hardly be taken away c. since it is most certaine that Purgatorie ends with the world Idem de absolutione sacramentali consequently the daies of their punishments Again Those institutions of Indulgences for twentie thousand yeares and the like to him that shall say fiue Pater nosters before such an Image c. are sottish and supersitious and contrarie to the truth c. At these fooleries all men in those dayes began to bend their browes But in this sermon intituled Of the ruines of the Church he manifestly proueth the fearefull judgement of God to be then at hand The signes which he setteth downe are these First 2. Thessalonians 2. The dissipation of the Roman Empire betwixt which and the persecutions of Antichrist following therein S. Hierome he setteth downe no distance of time And now saith he the state of the vniuersall Church is so doubtfull that it knoweth not on which side the See of Rome is except perhaps God should reueale it to some one or the iudgement of Salomon touching the diuiding of the infant into two parts giue vs to vnderstand who is the true mother Secondly Impudencie wherein as touching maners it is worse than the Synagogue when the ruine thereof approached for that permitted Pigeons to be sold in the Temple and this sells Spirituall charges for money that honoured God but with the lips onely this dishonours God both in word and deed taking no care at all to couer her owne shame Thirdly Inequalitie or rather Iniquitie the like whereof was neuer amongst the ministers of the Church the vnworthie being exalted the worthie trod vnder foot some set aboue Princes others more contemptible than the basest of the people And from hence arise schismes in the Church Fourthly The pride of the Prelats which purchaseth rather hatred than reuerence And from hence arise schismes in the Church Fiftly The tyrannie of those that beare rule who feed not the flocke but themselues they deuour the flesh and plucke off the skinne Sixtly The troubles of Princes and commotion of the people which we haue experience of in so many kingdomes and Prouinces Seuenthly The refusal of correction in the Principall of the Clergie who detest those that reprehend them hold the Scriptures for a fable and those that meditate thereupon for fantasticall persons Eightly Noueltie of opinions from whence arise heresies schismes are defended and being defended take root c. And this he applies to those that accommodat the Scriptures to their owne affections make them speake according to that loue or hatred hope of aduancement or reuenge wherewith they are carried And some of them vpon euerie light occasion call them heretikes whom they neuer knew to be tainted with heresie All which signes he rehearseth Gerson de signis ruinae Ecclesiae and compareth them with others of former times which being confirmed by the examples of his age and the threats of the auncient Prophets he applieth to the present state of the Church Of the same opinion were diuers others in diuers parts of the world In Germanie Theodoricus Vrias an Augustine in his worke of the consolation of the Church especially in his third book Theodor. Vrias in consolatione Ecclesiae lib. 3. Idem apud Paulum Langium in Chron. Citizensi where inueying against the wickednesse thereof the whoredome simonie ambition contempt of the word of God neglect of the saluation of mankind he pronounceth the Pope to be the forerunner of Antichrist Yea wee haue his verses recited by Paulus Langius in his Chronicle not vnworthie the reading in number eighteene whereof these are the first Papa stupor mundi cecidit secumque ruêre Coelica templa Dei membra simulque caput c. The Pope the worlds astonishment is dead With him are falne Gods house members and head c. Wherein he describeth how the Pope hath drawne the whole Church with himself into ruine supplying the place of Simon Magus not Simon Peter That the Churches vnder his gouernment were fairs of treacherie wherin the Sacraments and all holie things were put to open sale That the Church of Rome grew euerie day worse worse of a golden Church was become a siluer of a siluer an yron of an yron an earthly durtie Church in so much that nothing now remained but that it wold likewise turne into a stinking dung-hill And yet such a Church it was at that time when neuerthelesse it made a beautiful a glorious shew There was likewise another Theodor. Minorita in prophetia vna cum pluribus alijs rithmicis impressa one Theodoricus a Minorite Bishop of Croatia who foretold in a certaine prophesie written in verse That this See polluted with so much corruption should shortly come to naught and the Pope be vtterly ouerthrowne euen by those that had extolled him and that contrarily the Church and in her true pietie should recouer her pristinat beautie more than before Petrus Dresdensis likewise and Iacobus Misnensis the Disciples of the auncient Waldenses were for this
according to his Gospell That the Church of Rome with other Churches in the world were departed from the traditions of the Apostles That they all sought after riches and pleasure and dominion ouer the people consumed in wickednesse and luxurie the goods destinated to the poore people of Christ That they either knew not the commaundements of God or if they knew them made little account of them These are Pius the second his own words in which who acknowledgeth not the voyce of truth He addeth immediatly The principall men of this great Synod perceiuing the obstinacie and immouable courage of these miserable men gaue sentence That putrified members of the Church which could not bee healed were to be cut off least they should infect the whole bodie putrified members because they accuse their putrifaction In the assemblie therefore it was concluded That such were to be burned that reiected the doctrine of the Church So that they who held that it belonged not to Ecclesiastical persons to sentence any man to death by the testimonie of Pius himselfe were their judges in this case Touching the sentence pronounced against Hus he expresly saith That he appealed from them to Christ Iesus the soueraigne Iudge which was not the least part of their crime But as touching their death Both of them saith Pius suffered death with a constant mind and went ioyfully to the fire as if they had beene inuited to a feast neither of them yeelding any one word that might discouer any shew of heauinesse or a discontented mind When they began to burne they began to sing a hymne which hardly the flame and noyse of the fire could let to be heard Neuer haue we read of any of the Philosophers that suffered death with better resolution and greater courage than these endured the fire Poggius a Florentine an honorable writer of our age writes an eloquent Epistle of the death of Hierome to Nicholas Nicholai though he seeme according to his maner to inueigh a little against the manners of the Clergie This Poggius whom hee here alledgeth who was Secretarie to the Councell Poggius Concilij Constantiens Secretar in Epist. ad Leonard Aretinum writ an Epistle to Leonard Aretine which for as much as it is worthie the reading I haue here thought good to set down at large Soiourning for many dayes at the Bathes saith he I writ from thence a letter to our friend Nicholas which I thinke you haue read Afterwards some few dayes after my returne to Constance the cause of Hierome whom they tearme an heretike was heard and that publikely which I haue thought good to relate vnto you both for the weightinesse of the matter and especially for the eloquence and learning of the man I confesse I haue neuer seene any man that in pleading a cause especially that concerned his life who hath come neerer to those auncient Orators we haue so much admired It is a wonderfull thing to see with what words what eloquence what arguments what cariage what countenance what confidence he answered his aduersaries and at the last concluded his plea in such sort as that it is much to be lamented that so noble a spirit and so excellent should applie it selfe to those studies of heresie si tamen vera sunt quae sibi obijciunt if neuerthelesse note the words of Poggius the matters obiected against him be true for it belongs not vnto me to iudge of so great a cause but I refer myselfe to the opinions of those who are wiser than my selfe Neither would I haue you to thinke that according to the maner of Orators I relate vnto you euerie particular circumstance of this businesse for it were too tedious and a worke of many dayes I will onely touch some principall places whereby you may in some sort vnderstand the learning of the man This Hierome being charged with many matters which tended to heresie and those confirmed by witnesse it was at the last determined placuit that he should answer publikely to euerie poynt that was obiected against him Being therefore brought before the assemblie and commaunded to answer to such poynts as were obiected a long time he refused to doe it alledging that hee was first to plead his owne cause before he answered to the false accusations of his aduersaries but this condition being denied him standing in the middle of the assemblie What iniustice is this saith he that hauing lyen for three hundred and sixtie dayes in prison in ordure in stench in fetters and want of all earthly comforts whatsoeuer in all which time you haue heard my aduersaries speake against me and yet you will not now suffer me to speake one houre for my selfe Hence it is that whilest euerie mans eares are open vnto them to heare in so long a time whatsoeuer may persuade that I am an heretike an enemie of the faith a persecutor of Ecclesiasticall persons and shut against me whereby I haue no meanes to defend my selfe that you haue concluded me to bee an heretike in your owne conceipts before you know what I am And yet notwithstanding all this yee are but men and not gods not perpetuall but mortall such as can stumble and fall and erre be deceiued be seduced c. In the end it was decreed that first he should answer to those errours that were obiected against him and afterwards he should haue leaue to speake what he would There were read therefore out of the pulpet all the heads of his accusation which were likewise confirmed by witnesses Then it was demaunded whether he had any thing to obiect It is incredible to be spoken how cunningly he aunswered with what arguments he defended himselfe He neuer spake any thing vnworthie a good man insomuch that if he thought that in his heart which he professed in words there could not be found in him any iust cause of death or of the least or lightest offence He affirmed all to be false and that they were all crimes deuised against him by those that hated him But by and by the cause for the multitude and weight of the offences which could not be determined in one day was put off for three dayes longer At which time the arguments of euerie crime being recited and by many witnesses affirmed he arising Forasmuch saith he as you haue with such diligence heard mine aduersaries it is right and conuenient that with indifferent minds yee likewise heare me speake Which after much adoe being graunted vnto him he first began with praier vnto God that he would be pleased to giue him that mind and that facultie of speech that might redownd to the saluation of his owne soule And then I know saith hee many excellent men that haue suffered many things vnworthie their vertues oppressed by false witnesses condemned by vniust Iudges c. And againe it is an vniust thing that a Priest should be condemned by a Priest and yet this was vniustly done by the Colledge and Councell of Priests
read in the nineteenth Session with this title That notwithstanding the safeconduct of the Emperour of Kings c. it is lawfull by a competent Iudge to enquire of hereticall prauitie The words themselues are these This present holie Synod declareth Concilium Constantiens Sess 19. That notwithstanding any safeconduct giuen by the Emperour or Kings or other secular Princes to heretikes or any suspected of heresie pretending thereby to draw them from their errours by what band soeuer they be bound it cannot nor ought to be any preiudice or hinderance to the Catholike faith or Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction and that the said safe-conduct can be no let but that it shall be lawfull for a competent and Ecclesiasticall Iudge to make iniquisition of the errours of such persons and otherwise to proceed against them and to punish them as iustice shall require if they shall obstinatly refuse to reuoke their errours notwithstanding that vnder the assurance of a safeconduct they shall come to the place of iudgement refusing otherwise to come Neither shall be that hath so promised hauing otherwise done what in him lyes from thence forward continue in any thing bound In the margent this is likewise noted A safeconduct can be no defence for an heretike obstinatly defending his heresies So that by this meanes Princes are discharged of their faith their safeconducts in this case are made voyd They that appeare vnder this assurance are deliuered to the Inquisition and they that dispence so absolutely with other mens consciences what faith can they make and being made how doe they performe it or who will take it Iohn Hus therefore died a Martyre of Christ in the yeare 1415 An. 1415. the people that were present at his death breaking out into these words What this man hath heretofore taught or done we know not but doubtlesse these are great tokens of true pietie that is to say hearing his ardent prayers vnto God touching this point turning to the Prelats that were present at this spectacle he said After an hundred yeres you shall answer to God and to me Whereupon there was money coyned in Bohemia with this inscription in Latine on the one side CentuÌ„ reuolutis annis Deo respondebitis mihi and on the other side Credo vnam esse Ecclesiam Catholicam I beleeue one Catholike Church It is likewise said that he should say You roast â—e the goose for that his name Hus signifieth in the Bohemian tongue but hereafter will a Swan come who in despight of you shall sing better and yet you shall not roast him Now iust an hundred yeares after came Luther by whose doctrine the Church of Rome being striken as it were with lightning notwithstanding all their rage and furie he died peaceable in his owne house 62. PROGRESSION The fortunat proceedings of Iohn de Trosnouie otherwise called Zischa Captaine of the distressed Christians against the Emperour Sigismund The practises of Pope Martin to destroy the Christians in Bohemia after the death of Zischa The cunning shifts of Martin the fift to auoyd the reformation of the Church at the Councell of Constance The Councell of Basil deposeth Eugenius and chuseth Amades Duke of Sauoy for Pope Of the comming of the Emperour of Greece and the Patriarch of Constantinople to the Councell at Florence Vladislaus king of Hungarie maketh peace with Amurath the great Turke which he breaketh through the persuasion of Pope Eugenius and what happened thereof Aeneas Syluius in histor Bohem. c. 35. 36. GReat was the authoritie of Iohn Hus in Bohemia whose puritie also of life commended him to be powerfull in words The people were filled with his doctrine especially at Prage the capitall citie where vpon the exceeding great Indulgences of Iohn the foure and twentieth they made this outcrie That he was Antichrist and when the magistrat had put many of them to death in prison not daring to do it openly the people seeing their bloud running vnder the gate of the palace ran thither to seek the bodies crying out These are the Saints that haue deliuered vp their bodies for the testament of God Moreouer that Epitome of Roman abhominations which was come so neere vnto them at Constance made their stinking sauor reach so far as into Bohemia the people of Sueuia complaining That in so very little space of time they had brought in with them so great a deluge of vncleannesse as could not be washed away in thirtie yeres seeing that among the traine of those Prelats are numbred of Historiographers to be foure hundred and fiftie common whores and three hundred juglers The report then of the death of Iohn Hus comming vpon this and aboue all the infamous treacherie vsed towards him exceedingly stirred vp the people yea made them so much the more beleeue the truth of his doctrine for that he had sealed it with his bloud and contrariwise moued them to abhorre the Romish whose abhominable faith could not bee maintained but only by treacherie Then therefore they entreat the king to grant vnto them Temples for the free exercise of their religion which he consented to them and they multipled and according as they encreased they require to be prouided of places necessarie Neither did queene Sophia of the house of Bauaria who gouerned the kings weakenesse shew her selfe repugnant vnto them But he being deceased of a palsie the Emperour Sigismund his brother succeeded who instigated by the Councell and after by the Pope resolueth to vse all violence against them and employeth against them all the â—tes of the Empire assembling to that end Princes Monstrelet vol. 1. c. 257. Prelats Knights Esquires and common people out of Liege Holland Zeeland Henault and other places and left nothing vnattempted that could be done either by force of warre or bitternesse of torments There rose vp at that time one Iohn de Trosnouie called Zischa because he had but one eye of a noble house but of meane fortunes yet a valiant man who gathered together the wandring and scattered people of euerie age and sex into a place of aduantage It were incredible but that the aduersaries themselues doe testifie it hee fought eleuen battels with Sigismund and euer got the vpper hand and in some of them after he had lost his eye blind of both he was no lesse fortunat a Leader of this wretched people whose murmurings often in that desperat estate was no lesse difficult a matter for him to restraine and appease than to sustaine the violent force of the enemie till at length Sigismund seeing all things succeed well vnto him and that at his onely becke all the affaires of Bohemia were swayed resolueth to ouercome and ruine him with faire words and giueth vnto him the Lieutenancie of the kingdome with chiefest authoritie and a great yearely pension on condition That he should acknowledge him king and cause all the rest also to acknowledge him Here the acclamation of Pope Pius is worthie noting Surely a great
Constance sayd Although Christ hath instituted the holie Supper vnder both kinds c. Yet notwithstanding c. These of Basill say hauing well examined the Diuine Scriptures and the doctrines of the holie Fathers That the faithfull of the Laitie or of the Clergie communicating are not bound by the commaundement of the Lord to receiue the Sacrament of the Eucharist vnder both kinds of bread and wine altering and wresting the decision beside the purpose whereas indeed the Bohemians complayned not that they were constrained to a whole Communion by the Romish Church but that they were excluded from it And what greater necessitie can there be to a Christian man than to sticke vnto the precept and prescript rule of his Sauiour These are euer their subtile deceits Lastly this Councel of Basil had forbidden to exact or pay Annates vnder pain of Simonie Eugenius who willingly wold loose nothing complaineth as of an iniurie done to the Church That this could not neither ought to haue beene done without hauing first consulted with Eugenius and his Colledge of Cardinals Respons factae per Domin Anton Auditorem pro parte Eugenij If any pretended abuses in them they ought to haue prouided against them without priuation of the substance that so Iustice and peace might meet each other euidently abusing the Scriptures For said he whence shall the Apostolike See defray charges in prouiding for the necessities and commodities of the vniuersal Church and for those things that belong vnto peace and the extirpation of heresies and errors And with the same reason ouerthroweth he that which they had ordained concerning indulgences election causes and vacations of Scribes and Abbreuiators of the Court of Rome and other like pillages And this was not the least cause why he would dissolue the Councell An Authour of those times not to be suspected saith That he was so prodigall of Indulgences that the Englishmen Thomas Gascoigne in Dictionario Theologico who perceiued it commonly sayd Rome commeth now to our gates The church of Rome is a great harlot for now she prostituteth herselfe to euerie one that offereth money And all being full of pardons the Popes negotiators at length gaue indulgences for a supper for a lodging for a draught of wine or beere for tennis play and sometime for brothelrie or leacherie We are not to omit that Eugenius who from the time of Martin his predecessour had accustomed himselfe to warfare and all the time of his Popedome had beene entangled in warre made such a wound in Christendome as hath bled euer since Vladislaus king of Hungarie had made peace with the Turke Eugenius sendeth vnto him Cardinall Iulian who promising vnto him some succours and a Nauie at Sea to stay and incumber the enemies persuadeth him to breake that peace seeing that it could not subsist with the enemies of Christ without his commaundement whereupon ensueth a bloudie battaile in which the Turkes had the victorie Aeneas Syluius l. 1. Epist 81. for to shew vs saith Aeneas Siluius after Pope Pius the second That oaths ought to be kept not onely with the domestick friends of faith but also with the enemies thereof In that battaile was slaine king Vladislaus a patterne of singular valour and of renowned Nobilitie Cardinall Iulian was wounded and in his retiring is slayne of the Christians themselues as Author of this miserable discomfiture by the desloyaltie of which he was instrument And from this misfortune arose others without end and without number so daungerous is it for any to enterprise any thing against faithfulnesse and beyond his vocation Memorable against perfidious persons Bonfinij Hist Hungar. Dec. 1. lib. 6. is that which we read in the Hungarian Historie When Amurath beheld his armie put to flight by king Vladislaus not without great slaughter pulling forth of his bosome the Articles of peace solemnely sworne vnfoldeth it and lifting vp his eyes stedfastly vnto heauen saith These are O Iesu Christ the couenants of peace which thy Christians haue made with me they haue holily sworne by thy Diuine Maiestie and haue violated the faith giuen in thy name they haue perfidiously denied their God Now O Christ if thou be God I beseech the reuenge here these thine iniuries mine and to them that as yet acknowledge not thy name shew the punishment of violated faith Scarcely had he said these words who expected the last of extremities against himselfe when the battell which before had beene doubtfull enclined towards his side c. This happened in the yeare 1444 An. 1444. from which time the state of Christendome could neuer well recouer it selfe More our the Councell of Basill or at leastwise they which in their name wrot against the Bohemians on their part set forward the progresse of abomination For when those Churches had determined not to admit any doctrine that was not grounded on holie Scripture Cardinal Cusan was charged by letters to confound them with this Axiome which they were not ashamed to maintaine That the Scriptures can by no meanes be of the essence of the Church either begun or continued but onely of the seemely order thereof Item That the Church is not knowne by the Gospell but the Gospell by the Church Item That so much the more worthily is the word of God giuen of God by how much the farther off it is from all Scripture yea and from all vocall word That by this reason he might reduce all things to the Church which they call Catholike from the Catholike to the Roman and at last draw them from the Roman to their Councell And when those Churches replied That that was not the mind nor voyce of the auntient Church which had otherwise celebrated the holie Eucharist and had in another sence interpreted the Scripture than now in these dayes it is Cardinal Cusanus Epist 2 3. ad Bohemos Let not this moue thee saith he that in diuers times diuerse are the ceremonies of Priests and that the Scriptures be found applied to the time and diuersly vnderstood so that in one time they be expounded according to the vniuersall ceremonie then currant but the ceremonie being changed the sence thereof again is changed Wherfore although of the same precept of the Gospel the interpretation of the Church be other than in times past yet this sence now currant in vse inspired for the gouernement of the Church ought to be receiued as befitting the time and as the way to saluation The reason followeth because the iudgement of the Church being changed the iudgement also of God is changed And by this accoūt whether it be their Church or their Councell it is not onely extolled aboue the holie Scripture but also aboue God himselfe who is held if we beleeue them to change his counsell after their pleasure of which doctrine truely euen the Iewes in their Thalmud and the Turkes in their Alcoran would be ashamed And when afterwards the Popes haue reduced the
taught by the word of God not to feare them that can kill the bodie only but him that can cast the soule into hell Lastly That seeing the embassadors of Eugenius dare preach euerie where their new doctrine That the Pope is aboue the Church they ought not deferre the publication of those three Conclusions yea That they should imitat the Apostle Paul who would not for one houre forbeare Peter not walking according to the truth of the Gospell with a right foot But that the other things which respect his person might be deferred least Panormitan exclaime more than needs At these words Panormitan Ludouicus Romanus and others made a great tumult and greatly vpbraided him That he had related those Conclusions at Louaine and at Colonia which he himselfe also denied not And verie hardly could Iohn de Segouia obtaine silence to be made though all did take an exceeding great delight to heare him speake He then strongly confirmed the sentence of the President after many forcible arguments The followers of Eugenius saith he preach heresie all the world ouer neither doth any say vnto them that they should surcease but to you that intend to publish the truth a thousand things are whispered in your eares for to make you be silent c. And to you my Lord President I say that you must rather please God than Princes If you therefore depart hence without conclusion know that you shall render an account thereof in the seuere iudgement of God And at length the Cardinall of Arles pronounceth sentence whereby the minds of the contrarie partie were sore troubled The Councell had established eight Conclusions yet with intention to retaine onely the three former These saith he in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holie Ghost I conclude This said he rose vp cheerefully and very many striuing kisse the skirts of his garments it being the common opinion That this was rather a worke of the holie Ghost than of him Panormitan being much ashamed retireth to his lodging and in his chamber complaineth of his king the king of Arragon in that he had compelled him to fight against the truth and to lose his reputation and his soule And the Author addeth That notwithstanding his protestation he had seene him oftentimes in his studie complaining of his Prince that he was carried away with the counsell of others and the Archbishop of Arles vpbraideth him that none was more eagre in publishing the errours of Eugenius none more readie to the Monitories and suspension and therefore that he should examine his conscience Now in the end the Decree is read and published and the Hymne Te Deum sung according to custome with the assent of the embassadors of the Princes yea of the Emperour and of the king of France notwithstanding the endeuours of the aduerse parties to the contrarie and they protested by the mouth of the Archbishop of Tours That what they had moued to the contrarie had not beene for that they doubted of the truth and holinesse of those Conclusions for which they were euen readie to suffer martyrdome but that they might reserue to themselues some way of treating a peace The same Authour noteth That the pestilence waxing hot at Basil many of the Prelats departed into diuers places who at the point of death receiuing the Sacrament said to their friends that stood about them We are within few houres to appeare before the tribunall seat of God All yee which be present pray to God to conuert them who acknowledge Gabriel to wit Eugenius for Pope because they cannot be saued in that estate testifying euen to the last gaspe that they will dye in the faith of the Councell of Basil And notwithstanding all this danger the Cardinall of Arles would not depart till he had fully brought to passe both the deposition of Eugenius and the election and coronation of a new Pope which was Amade Duke of Sauoy called Felix the fourth Then because he had beene maried grew a question whether he might be chosen it was determined That not onely he who hath had a wife but he which yet hath one may be admitted For why else say they doe our Doctors dispute Whether one that hath a wife being chosen Pope is bound to yeeld the duetie of mariage to his wife but because also a maried man may be receiued There haue been also as you know Popes in mariage state neither was Peter the Prince of the Apostles without a wife Why doe we now obiect these things It may be it were neuer the worse if many Priests did marie Sacerdores quam-plures vxorari because many would be saued in a maried Priesthood which in a barren are damned Some doe note That the Cardinall of Arles to whom the prayse of this whole action is referred being sent from the Councell into lower Germanie in his returne verie hardly escaped an ambush which Eugenius had layd against him so that he seemed not without cause to haue said in a certaine Session of the Councell Christ was sold for thirtie peeces of siluer but I was sold for a farre greater price for fortie crownes of gold deliuered and payed by Gabriel sometime Eugenius that I might be taken prisoner and presented vnto him It is worthie remembrance That when Eugenius had sent Legat Iulian Cardinall of Saint Angelo to the Councell of Basil presently after sent him commaundement to dissolue it Iulian laied open vnto him by letters how great an iniurie he should doe himselfe and brought many reasons against it Epist Julian Cardin. Legati in German ad Eugen. Papam among others this That the Bohemians who had beene called thither would by good right say Is not heere the finger of God seene Behold armies haue so often sled from before them and now the vniuersall Church also flieth Behold they can neither be ouercome with armes nor by learning Whereas hee alledged his warres although he most certainely foresaw that he should lose Rome and the whole patrimonie of the Church that he ought rather forgoe them than breake off the Councell seeing that the saluation of one soule for which Christ died is deerer vnto him than all the temporall demaine of the Church than the whole world than heauen it selfe If not saith he Now is the axe layed to the root the tree leaneth ready to fall neither can it long persist For the feare also hee was brought into least the Councell would take away the temporall of the Church A wonderfull matter saith hee if this Councell did not consist of Churchmen it might perhaps bee doubted But what Church-man is there will consent to this determination not only because it were against faith but because it would redound to their owne detriment c. But I feare least it happen vnto vs as it did to the Iewes who said If wee let this man goe the Romans will come and take away our place and our nation So likewise we if we
the Bishops to be there and the other exhorting them to their duetie and commaunding the Lay-men to be present Ibid. c. 15. And that indeed the Pope chalengeth not the conuocation of them to himselfe alone but affirmeth that it ought not to be held without his authoritie yet so as that the Emperour in case the Pope bee negligent in it may and ought to commaund and assigne a Councell praeceptiuè with authoritie That the Emperour did euer sit chiefe in them assisted with fifteene or twentie of the greatest Noblemen of his Court to whom he commaunded place to be giuen Ibid. c. 16. 20 yea he himselfe also and his Lieutenants propounded such things as seemed to make for the peace and profit of the Church That whatsoeuer the Church possesseth in temporall things is come from the benefits of Emperours Kings and Princes Jbid. c. 21. 28. 30. Dist 63. c. in Synodo who to cloath him haue stripped themselues And here he exclaimeth What doe the temporalties of Churches profit the Commonwealth what the Empire what the subiects Surely little or nothing Otho was enioyned to giue the inuestitures of Bishops without money Wee haue seene whether the Pope hath taken away from the Emperour the sole inuestiture because the Bishop of Rome hath not onely drawne to himselfe the meere inuestiture without receiuing money but also onely for money so that throughout all Germanie all complaine that they are not onely grieuously burdened but euen destroyed An enraged desire after the earthly possessions of the Church at this day possesseth ambitious Bishops so that wee see them seeke after those things after they are promoted as they did before all their care is for temporall things none of sprituall Such was not the intention of the Emperours their will was not that the temporall things that they gaue them for their further maintenance should swallow vp the spirituall Of the Cardinall de Alliaco we haue seene what Articles of reformation he exhibited in the Councell of Constance And in the Preface he saith he hath written more concerning that matter Petrus de Alliaco in Encomio Theologico Jdem in conclusionibus But in his Encomium Theologicum expounding these words Vpon this rocke will I build my Church vpon Christ and his word saith he As also in his conclusions he tieth the Church to the holie Scripture maintayneth that the Church of Rome may erre and taketh away the temporall Monarchie from the Pope Panormitan de Electionib c. signific Likewise Panormitan though the champion of Eugenius in the Councell of Basil A priuat faithfull man is more to be beleeued alledging reason or authoritie out of the Scripture than all a Councell or than the Pope himselfe because a Councell may erre as at other times they haue erred c. Also hee concealeth not That the Popes in his age liued in such sort that they made it euidently appeare that they beleeued not there was another life after this resurrection or judgement Against the luxurie also pride and tyrannie of the Pope and his Clergie is extant a booke of one Alain Chartier Secretarie to king Charles the seuenth which saith That he expected euerie day when a thunder-bolt would fall from heauen on the Roman Church But Thomas of Redon a Carmelite and famous Preacher durst doe yet more Antonin part 3. Tit. 22. ca. 10. he had euer in his mouth the abominations of Rome which had need of great reformation He saith Antoninus when he had for many yeares preached through Fraunce with verie great concourse of people making good motions vnto good though not according to knowledge he commeth to Rome with the Embassadours of the Venetians by whom he is recommended to the Pope But by the Popes commaund he was apprehended at the instigation and instance of William d'Estouteuille Cardinall of Rouan then Vice-Chauncellour and of the Proctour of the order of the Carmelites and as an Apostate was solemnely degraded and burned Monstrelet commendeth his pietie and holinesse Monstrelet volu 1. Baptista Mantuan lib. de vita beata cap. vltimo Mantuan also in his Booke De vita beata so that he bringeth him in as a true Martyr of Christ in whose heart was resident the auntient feruencie of faith whom enuie by manifest in justice deliuered to the cruel fire I make no doubt saith he but that the flames of this man may be compared to the fire not of Scaeuola but of S. Lawrence There are also read verses in his praise in which are celebrated his holinesse myracles and martyrdome among which are these that follow Nicholaus Harlemens in Collectaueis Lippis Lux oculis nocuit non substinuere Viuere tam sanctum foeda Romana cohors Their poor-blind eyes could not endure the light Nor filthie Rome that holie man in sight Antonin part 3. Tit. 22. cap. 7. parag 8. And almost the like had happened a little before to Manfred of Verfeil Manfred saith Antoninus a man of venerable life religious of the order of Preachers was learned and feared God he preaching in the parts of Lombardie led by I know not what spirit told the people That the comming of Antichrist was neere and as if he were to be in his time he brought in for this his reasons out of the Scriptures chiefely out of the Apocalyps c. He gathered together therefore about foure hundred persons of euerie age and sex and Pope Martin would haue dissolued this assemblie but he could not doe it because their conuersation had gained a good opinion among all men though he forbad any thing to bee giuen them that through need they might be compelled to returne home They come then to Bononia Florence and at last to Rome where verie many of them died expecting the manifestation of Antichrist but saith Antoninus without seeing him he should rather haue sayd without knowing him And Manfred some time after died at Rome vnder Eugenius who commaunded Frier Barnardine that monster of superstition to write against him And Manfred on the other side reproued his superstitious doctrine in many points In our Fraunce Charles the seuenth in the yeare 1438 Paulus Aemilius in Carol. 7. Epist ad Episcop Lauzanens in volum Concil in Appendice Concil Basiliens commaunded a Councell of the French Church to be held at Bourges in which vnder the title of the Pragmaticall sanction was read and approued the acts of the Councell of Basil and by this the collations of the benefices of Fraunce and appeales to Rome were cut off Whereunto belongeth an Epistle which we haue in the Councels directed to the bishop of Lauzanne with which were sent vnto him the decisions of this Councell by him whom the Councel of Bourges had sent Embassador to Rome He signifieth to the bishop of Lauzanne that he hath in charge with one consent from the French Church that whatsoeuer the Pope endeauours to the contrarie he should in no wise
consent to the dissolution of the Councell of Basill And if any be moued at it that they are readie to aunswer actum est ne agas That hee hath that promise from the Chauncellour of Fraunce that they had heard that the kings Embassadours allured with certaine promotions made great shew that the king would consent to the dismission of the Councell but that they had resolued to resist him to his face And there we haue a Treatise concerning that matter written in the yeare 1434 by Iohn Patriarch of Antioch An. 1434. which he caused publiquely to be pronounced in the great hall of the Couent of Franciscan Friers in Basill That a generall Councell is aboue the Pope It beginneth Ad ostendendum Where out of the Fathers and by the Decrees he bringeth it to this In 3. vol. Concil in Append. Concil Basiliens ad ostendend That the Pope is the seruant of the Church to be chastised by it if he doe his duetie amisse and confuteth at large whatsoeuer is alledged to the contrarie Let the Reader see the booke it selfe in the Councels At the same time whilest the Popes boasted that the Greekes did acknowledge obedience vnto them are published two bookes of Nilus Archbishop of Thessalonica against the Primacie of the bishop of Rome In the first booke he sheweth Nilus Archiepisc Thessalon de Primatu That the principall controuersies between the Greeke and Latin Church proceed from this that the Pope will not be judged by an vniuersal Councell but contrariwise as a master among his disciples will be Iudge in his owne cause whereas he ought to be ruled by the prescriptions of the Councel and contain himselfe within the Decrees of the Fathers That the bishop of Rome hath not the same power ouer other bishops as a bishop hath ouer his Diocesans but hath onely the prerogatiue of the first seat to be higher than other And here hee enlargeth himselfe to shew the commoditie and authortie of Councels In the second book he teacheh That the bishop of Rome hath not the right of Primacie from Christ nor yet from S. Peter nor from the Apostles but that the Fathers for some causes haue giuen vnto him the first seat That he is not the successour of S. Peter but inasmuch as he is a bishop by which reason also all other bishops are his successors That he is not an Apostle much lesse prince of the Apostles That in those things which pertain to the rules of faith they may haue often erred That he hath no right to alledge his Tu es Petrus because that promise respecteth the Church of Christ and not S. Peter and much lesse him whom they would haue to be his successours That though we yeeld him to be first in order yet he is not therfore to beare domination ouer others this Primacie not inferring an order aboue others but a co-ordination with others Moreouer he rejected these presumtions of the Bishop of Rome That he is the Iudge of all to be judged of none That he is not bishop of a certaine place but absolutely bishop That he alone by his owne right ought to assigne an vniuersal Councell and the like seeing that the Primacie or rather first Seat was granted to him onely propter vrbis principatum because Rome was the first or chiefest in order among cities We need not here repeat how openly and as they speake formally the greatest part of the kingdome of Bohemia opposed themselues earnestly desiring reformation of the Church according to the holie Scriptures exhibiting to this end a confession of their Faith to their King to the Emperour and to the Councell and preaching the same publikely in the Temples which by publike authoritie were then granted vnto them Also after faith was broken with Iohn Hus how stoutly they defended it by just and necessarie armes God from heauen fighting for the safegard of that poore people vtterly frustrating all the endeuours of the Emperour and of the Popes against them as we haue aboue shewed out of Aeneas Syluius for they haue continued without interruption vntill these our times But it is worth the adding That those Waldenses who some ages before had brought this light of the Gospell into Bohemia abode still in the mountaines of Languedoc and Prouence and in many places within the Alpes and there kept themselues safe from the persecution of Popes and Papists In Lombardie also as witnesseth Antonine vnder the name of Fratricelli were some knowne to the time of Eugenius But in England especially the seed of Wickliffe was largely propagated where without repeating any thing of Sir Iohn Oldeastle of whom wee haue before spoken we read of verie many to haue suffered martyrdome for the same doctrine William Taylour Priest and professor of Artes in the Vniuersitie of Oxford An. 1422. An. 1428. in the yeare 1422 and William White in the yeare 1428 Author of many Treatises vpon matters controuerted in that time was burned for thirtie articles which by word and writing he had defended He taught among other things That the Roman Church was that withered fig tree which the Lord had cursed for barrennesse of faith That the Monkes and Friers were the annoynted and shauen souldiers of infernall Lucifer That against these the Bridegroome when he shall come will shut the gate for that their lampes are out With the same mind also Alexander Fabritius in his Treatise intituled Destructorium vitiorum wrot many excellent things against the corruptions of the Romish Church against the antiquitie of which he opposed this saying of S. Cyprian If Christ alone saith he ought to bee heard we are not to attend what men before vs haue thought fit to bee done but what Christ first before all hath done If Christ had knowne that man might more easily get eternall life by the lawes of Iustinian than by the law of God he would haue taught them vs with his owne mouth and would haue let goe the law of God till another time which notwithstanding he hath taught with great diligence and wherein is contained all the doctrine requisit to saluation Againe He is a betrayer of the truth who openly speaketh a lye for the truth and he which doth not freely pronounce the truth the Pastors of the Church which refuse to pronounce the truth of the Gospell and by their euill examples slay such as be vnder them are traytors and most manifest Antichrists The Pastors and Prelats of the Church take great paines in these dayes for the obtaining of dignities one in the kings kitchin another in the Bishops Court another in seruice of his Lord but none in the Court of the Law of God Proud Priests and Prelats against the doctrine and example of Iesus Christ doe beare dominion as the kings of the Gentiles Being vniust they oppresse theirs with superfluous traditions vniust constitutions These moderne Priests doe whatsoeuer flesh and bloud reuealeth vnto them therefore are they cursed
to the contrarie but let that saying cease which is verie erronious to affirme The state of the Church was neuer in so great daunger from the beginning of the world as it is to be seene at this present There haue been indeed greater persecutions and vexations of the Church but there were euer holie and deuout men who endued with the grace of the holie spirit comforted the faithfull instructing and strengthening them And now the Chruch seemeth to be set in securitie but such holie men are nowhere to be seene Therefore the Church decreaseth in faithfull men and in kingdomes it pineth away in persons notwithstanding the libertie it hath And before when it enioyed not so great libertie but was furnished with those holie men it dayly encreased and augmented as to him that will search the Histories will plainely appeare These things Saint Barnard partly noted in his time in his foure and twentieth Sermon and vpon the 72 Psalme They are the Ministers of Christ but serue Antichrist Which places because we haue aboue coted them in needlesse here to trouble the Reader withall Stephan Brulifer de timore seruili de paupertate Christi cum sermonibus varijs apud Andream Bocord Paris an 1500. Jdem in 4. lib. sentent Bonavent Basil per Jacob. de Pfortzeim 1501 In Fraunce Stephan Brulifer Doctour of Sorbonne of the order of Franciscan Friers whose bookes were Printed at Paris and at Basill in the yeares 1500 and 1501 taught publiquely in lectures in disputations and by writings That neither the Pope nor a Councell nor the Church can prescribe an Article statute or ceremonie which bindeth the conscience of a Christian That their power consisteth onely in this to take care that the commaundements of God bee kept to preach his word to administer the Sacraments so as hee hath instituted them taking heed that they bring in nothing besides that which hee hath commaunded As touching justification which is attributed to merits that it is a diuelish doctrine seeing that the Lambe sacrificed hath satisfied Gods justice for vs of which S. Iohn crieth Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world But when the Sorbonne would not endure him he committed himselfe to the protection of Diether Archbishop of Mentz And what shall we say of Platina Platina in Marcelino that famous Historiographer of Popes not speaking of Paule the second his Master which perhaps might bee imputed to some hatred but of the Popes and Chruch in his time plainely without spleene In the life of Marceline speaking of the persecution of Dioclesian Eusebius saith he sheweth That God permitted that calamitie which they suffered because of the maners of Christians corrupted by too much libertie and indulgence principally of the Churchmen whose peruersenesse the iustice of God would bridle by this persecution seeing dissimulation to be in their countenance guile in their heart and deceit in their words For these striuing who should excell each other in enuie pride enmities and hatreds seemed to sauour rather of tyrannie than Priesthood being altogether forgetfull of Christian pietie and prophaning rather than celebrating the diuine mysteries But what thinke wee shall become of our age wherein our vices are encreased so exceedingly that hardly haue they left any place of mercie for vs with God How great is the couetousnesse of Priests and chiefely of them which haue soueraigne power how great their lust appeareth euerie where how great their ambition and pompe how great their pride and sloth how great their ignorance both of themselues and of Christian doctrine how little their religion and rather in shew than in truth how corrupt their manners which euen in prophane men whom they call seculars were detestable there is no need to speake it They commit sinnes so openly and in sight its if they sought prayse thereby There will come beleeue mee there will come the Turke the enemie of the Christian name more violent than Diocletian and Maximian he alreadie knocketh at the gates of Italie We negligent and sleepie attend a common destruction prouiding rather for priuat pleasure than for common vtilitie In the life also of Stephen the third Pietie and religion is now become so cold Platina in Stephan 3. that they will not pray to God I say not bare-footed but hardly in their hose and buskins Speaking of a certaine procession from Lateran to S. Peters They weepe not as they goe or during the time of Diuine Seruice as those holie Fathers but laugh and that impudently I speake euen of them whose scarlet robes makes them more obseruable They sing not hymnes for that seemeth to them seruile but ieasts and tales they tell among themselues to stirre vp laughter What need many words The more talkative any is and the more wanton the greater prayse he deserueth thereby in that corruption of manners This our Clergie feareth seuere and graue men Why so because they had rather liue in so great licentiousnesse than obey him that admonisheth them or constraineth them to doe well and for this cause Christian religion groweth daily worse and worse The like wee read in many places whereby he left inregistred what he judged of his times not daring so freely to doe it in the liues of them that then raigned or had left after them their creatures as they call them of whom he might receiue iniurie Let vs adde Anthonie de Rosellis a Tuscan a famous Doctor both of the Ciuile and Canon law who in his learned bookes concerning that matter teacheth That no temporall jurisdiction belongeth to the Pope and in spirituall he subiecteth him to a Councell Which bookes were printed at Venice in the yeare 1487 but by their Index Expurgatorius they haue caused them to be raced out It remaineth to say something of thee that spake openly being sequestred from the Pope Platina in the life of Paul the second telleth vs That in the towne of Poli neere Rome were detected many heretikes and the Lord of the place with eight men and six women was taken who being brought to Paul were verie ignominiously vsed And behold the heresie They were saith hee of that sect which wee say is of a peruerse opinion of mind for that they sayd That none of them which haue beene since Saint Peter was truely Christ Vicar sauing onely they who haue imitated Christs pouertie Let the Reader note here the stile of Platina which sheweth that he speaketh out of other mens judgement And as for the Bohemians in the beginning of the Popedome of Pius the second they set forth their Apologie and Confession of Faith against the calumnies wherewith they were traduced among the people which were too long here to be inserted But they are conformable to the doctrine of the reformed Churches of this kingdom and are defended by the same places and reasons both of the holie Scriptures and Fathers But this fell out well for them that after diuers miseries was chosen king with
it was afterwards printed by it selfe at Basil in 8o. in Italian Latine French The title of the booke is Francisci Guicciardini loci duo c. which it were not labour lost to read Baptista Mantuanus a Carmelite a man famous for his learning in those times in many places but especially in his ninth Eclogue freely describeth the state of the Church of Rome in his time which he saith was in such sort degenerated that the shepheards and their dogs were become rauening wolues and those whom they should feed and defend they deuoured But let that which he hath in his third booke of Calamities be to vs in stead of the rest Petrique domus pollûta fluente Marcescit luxu nulla hîc arcanareuelo Non ignota loquor licet vulgata referre Sic Vrbes populique ferunt sic fama per omnem Iam vetus Europam mores extirpat honestos Sanctus ager scurris venerabilis ara Cynaedis Seruit honor andae Divum Ganimedibus Aedes Quid miramur opes recidiuaque surgere tecta Thuris odorati globulos cinnama vendit Mollis Arabs Tirij vestes venalia nobis Templa Sacerdotes Altaria sacra Coronae Ignis Thura preces coelum est venale Deusque And Peters house defil'd pines with excesse I name not things vnknowne nor secrets I rehearse Things common let me speake all countries say the same Yea through all the parts of Europe it is the same That honestie from Rome is fled that holie place Serues jeasters buggerers the Altars doe disgrace The houses of the gods with Ganimedes are fild Why doe we admire their wealth the houses they build Arabia Frankincense and Cinamon sells The Tirians goodlie garments Rome all things else Temples and Priests Altars and Crownes they fell for pelfe Fire Frankincense prayers heauen and God himselfe And all this in Italie Neither were they silent in Germany for it is noted that about these times the prouerbes were verie common The neerer to Rome the worse Christian In the name of God begins all mischiefe for this was the beginning of their Bulls He that goes once to Rome sees the man of sinne he that goes twice knowes him hee that goes thrice brings him home with him that is to say being neere the man of sinne is made like him But among the learned many haue left behind them a good testimonie of their conscience Iohn of Vesalia a Doctor and Preacher at Wormes was accused before the Inquisitors for holding these propositions That Prelats haue no authoritie to ordaine new lawes in the Church but to persuade the faithfull to the obseruation of the Gospell That the best interpreters of the Scriptures expound one place by another because men obtaine not the spirit of Christ but by the spirit of Christ That the Doctors be they neuer so holy are not to be beleeued for themselues and the Glosse as little That the commaundements of the Church bind not to sinne That the elect are saued by the onely mercie of God That the Popes Indulgences are vaine and so are the Chrisme Lent difference of meats holie-dayes auricular confession pilgrimages to Rome c. But for as much as he impugned the opinions of Thomas the Frier-Preachers who were of the Inquisition were moued against him Diether also Archbishop of Meniz to auoyd that suspition of heresie the Pope had of him was enforced to yeeld vnto them in so much that without any respect of his yeares or his long sicknesse they proceeded against him whereby he was enforced to reuoke his opinions He that writ his examination which bare date the yeare 1479 saith and takes God to witnesse That he was compelled to that recantation that he made and the burning of his bookes Examen Magistrate Iohannis de Vesalia Moguntia 1479. M. Engeline of Brunswic a great Diuine and M. Iohn Keiserberg withstanding it both men learned and free addicted to neither part especially it seemed to M. Iohn Engeline that they had taken too precipitat a course with so great a personage yea he feared not to affirme that most of his articles yea the greatest part might verie well be defended There are many bookes of his extant and among the rest a Treatise of Indulgences where he peremptorily affirmeth That the supremacie of the Pope is a humane inuention That the Church militant may erre That all things necessarie to saluation are contained in the Scriptures There liued at the same time but somewhat younger Doctor Wesellus of Groning called The Light of the world who in a certaine Epistle of his saith That he did expect that the Inquisitors hauing condemned Vesalius would haue come vnto him hauing defended his opinion both at Paris and at Rome against diuers articles of the Church of Rome And he feareth not to say That many of the Court approued it though it differed not much from the opinion of the Waldenses as we may gather by his writings Iohan. Wesellus de subditis superioribus In his booke of Subiects and Superiors he affirmeth That the Pope can erre and that erring we ought to resist him That by his simonie and wicked gouernement he made it to appeare that he had no care either of God or the good of the Church That his commands bind no farther than they are agreeable to the word of God That his excommunications are no more to be feared than those of any other learned and godlie man for so did the Councell of Constance hearken rather to Iohn Gerson than Iohn the 24 and all good and godlie men to S. Bernard sometime than to Pope Eugenius the third Philip. Melancton in vita Rodolfi Agricolae His workes are to be read printed by pieces at Leipsic Antuerpe Basill Also in this countrie his familiar friend Rodolphus Agricola was verie famous a man worthily accounted one of the lights of this darke age who was of the same opinion And Iosquin of Groning then yong witnesseth That he had often seene them both send forth many a sigh and grone to thinke of the doctrine of the Church so much deformed Gocchius Pupperus a Priest and Curat of Malin in Brabant taught the same reformed doctrine almost in all the Articles especially in that of the free justification of a sinner by the bloud of Christ rejecting all the glosses of Sophisters and Schole men betaking himselfe wholly to the Scriptures and namely to that which S. Paule teacheth vs That those interpretations which they commonly alledge differ from the word of God and smel of the heresie of Pelagian That they haue turned Christianitie into Iudaisme and Pharisaisme His bookes are Printed in Germanie namely Of grace faith the dignitie of the holie Scriptures and others In the Vniuersitie of Tubingue Paulus Scriptoris a Doctour in Diuinitie expounding the fourth booke of the Master of sentences openly condemned transubstantiation as not being grounded vpon the holie Scriptures whom the Augustinians the Disciples of Iohn Stauffich Prouinciall followed with diuers
Decree of the Councels of Constance and Basil But Pope Pius the fift caused all his workes to be gelded by Thomas Manriques as may be seen in the librarie of Posseuin the Iesuite who gathered those notes But truely as it was a most grieuous vniuersall euill yet in diuers nations there openly shewed themselues both notable men who acknowledged that tyrannie and also whole corporations that rightly and formally opposed themselues against it In Germanie Bernard de Lublin writing to Simon of Cracouia in the yeare 1515 against the Popes Primacie maintained That it cannot bee that any one man should commaund the whole world That it is sufficient to saluation to embrace the faith of Christ alone That they which neuer heard any thing of the Pope are not the lesse for all that saued That we must stand to the Gospell and lay aside the traditions of men without which saluation may consist but it is a miserable condition of Christians who for the Decrees of men may not giue their assent to the manifest truth the Popes flatterers persuading them That it is not to be endured that any thing should be spoken of them though in a right good and honest zeale whilest in the meane time themselues take libertie to speake against whatsoeuer they list In the Vniuersitie of Erford Sebastian Brand Doctour of Diuinitie and Preacher of the Cathedrall Church of Strasbourg in the yeare 1508 publikely inueighed against Roman Indulgences in these words Deare friends we should this Whit-Sunday haue opened vnto you our wares but here is a Merchant-stranger who boasteth he hath better when he shall be departed hence we will vnfold ours namely the doctrine of the Gospell after the sellers of Indulgences were gone And the same against satisfactions which are performed by other mens workes We haue some which goe to church which pray which sing which mumble ouer their portueis which celebrat Masses for vs but who will goe into hell in our stead This in his Sermon which of many remaineth vnto vs for it is a wonder that they haue left vs any but he was for this occasion driuen away and retired himselfe to Magdebourg chiefely because he was woont to say to his Auditors The time will come when the Gospell shall be read vnto you out of the booke it selfe some of you shall see it Ioh. Alman de domineo naturali Ciuili Ecclesiastico but I shall not liue till then Iames Alman Doctour of Diuinitie in his booke set forth at Colonia 1514 of the Popes power against Thomas de Vio after Cardinall Caietan Legat of Leo for the collection of Tenths Of Indulgences by name It seemeth not to me that the power of binding and loosing ought to be extended to them that be in Purgatorie seeing that wheresoeuer in the Gospell it is promised or giuen it is sayd Whatsoeuer thou shalt bind on earth and whatsoeuer thou shalt loosse on earth super terram mention is neuer made of them that are departed out of this life And hence it followeth that the soules which are in Purgatorie cannot be loossed from payne by bestowing of Indulgences but indeed by suffrages What shall then become of all the Iubilies whereby for so many thousands of yeares true remission by Popes is promised for the deceased And Ludolfe Castrik Curat of S. Michaell at Magdebourg preaching against Indulgences admonished the people to aske remission of sinnes at Gods hands for Christs sake alone giuing them hope of a reformation whereby they should shortly be taken away And Conradus Celtes at Vienna a most learned man in his time many of whose writings yet remaine was excommunicated for that he condemned the Roman Hierarchie and doctrine but being borne out by the Emperour Maximilian he made little account of it Wee read likewise that about this time in Germanie arose one that was held for a Prophet who ran about from Church to Church preaching repentance to Christians and that vnlesse they obeyed and repented they shold vtterly perish Joseph Grundperg in specuto Visionis impresso Norimbergae Anno 1508. these were his words Awake O yee Christians out of the heauie sleepe of wickednesse and blacke darkenesse of death and circumcise your eares and your hearts for to heare with attention my words For yee haue cast the law of the Lord into the takes and his words into the filthy sinkes of obliuion and contempt c. Yee haue wasted the patrimonie of Christ on harlots and haue also fulfilled your vnbridled lusts in adulteries and incests and your insatiable couetousnesse with thefts and sacriledges Lastly the Temple of God by your wickednesse and great iniquitie is made a stewes and the house of theeues and robbers in which soundeth forth not hymmes of prayses to the king of heauen but blaspemies c. In Fraunce in the beginning of that age a little after the yeare 1500 flourished Iames Faber of Estaples a man of excellent learning and knowledge but chiefely in Diuinitie Auentine testifieth that he had heard him sixe hundred times together with Iosse Clithou Doctour of Diuinitie his Master saying That Lumbard had confounded and troubled the trueth and the most pure fountaine of holie doctrine with contaminated and muddie questions and streames of opinions But his Psalter printed in the yeare 1508 and his Commentaries on the Gospels and Epistles of S. Paule doe testifie what his judgement was in many principall points of Christian Religion by occasion of which he was so vexed by the Sorbonists brought to that trouble in his old age such was their rage that king Frauncis then prisoner in Spaine was forced to write from thence for his safegard in fauour of his learning And there need no further proofe thereof vnto vs than this Index Expurgat Hispanic fol. 110. vsque ad 111. 120. That the Diuines of Spaine in their Index Expurgatorius in our time commaunded many places and whole Pages to be raced out in the later editions aboue all that his Commentarie vpon S. Iohn should be wholly abolished because it could not be well amended That is to say because all of it wholly repugned against their corruptions traditions inuentions presumptions of men and imaginarie authorities About the same time grew into reputation William Budè of Paris Master of requests to king Frauncis the first who in many places of that famous booke de Asse describeth the state of the Church in his time The Clergie men in all sorts of vices wickednesse and wanton dissolutenesse worse than the worst of the people the Prelats ignorant enemies of learning hauing no care of the saluation of Christians whom they contrariwise cast headlong into hell both by their ill teaching them and by beeing vnto them examples of all wickednesse moreouer Epicures and Libertines and worse if may be He saw in his time with what violence the Pragmaticall sanction was shaken Therefore after hee had discoursed that the riches of his time was nothing to that of
rageth euerie where and thirsteth after the bloud of the miserable Yee can by no meanes appease this Cerberus but with a golden riuer there is no need of armes nor armies the Tenths will be of more force than troopes of horsemen and regiments of footmen It seemeth vnto me when I diligently consider the matter that a two fold way is proposed on the one side gold is demanded which superstition commandeth on the other side if we refuse it the Popes excommunication is threatned Take which way of them yee please But O foolish and superstitious opinion of them that beleeue That the God of heauen beholding all things with the eyes of iustice will be led and turned at the becke and pleasure of the Florentines will be angrie with him that giueth not and againe pacified with him that giueth The excommunication of the Vicar of Christ is not to be contemned but yet not alwayes to be feared especially when it is done for humane affections I feare the indignation of Christ but of the Florentines I feare not And now indeed is in hand the affaires of Florence not of Christ The last Summer with great expence and charges was warre made against Frauncis Duke of Vrbin who being cast out of his Dukedome but first appeased with money Laurence de Medicis succeeded in his place Iulius the second being not prouident ynough that he left no more gold there was inuented a certaine new fraud against all the Cardinals that were the richest that they had conspired the Popes death and thereupon were their goods confiscat I speake not of the Crosses erected in euerie towne propitious according to the measure of the giuers I omit the comedie of S. Peters Church full both of laughter and of indignation The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord crieth the Prophet but it is not the Temple of the Lord It is Laurence buildeth and not Peter the stones in the night wander away I faine nothing here most excellent Princes of the Roman Empire Why is the world solicited for the Church of S. Peter whereon there is but two Masons onely in that worke and one of them lame sauing that of late in the great concourse of straungers is stirred vp a tumult of artificers there running and shouting there were seene foolish painted Angels receiuing gifts from the giuer and carrying them vp on high c. Consider now what is to be done euerie day will now bring forth new care The Duke of Vrbin being hunted away the like fortune is threatned to the Duke of Ferrara and then shall wee salute Laurence de Medicis or the Florentine Duke of Tuscanie Thus haue yee now briefely the summe of the Tenths and the Ambuscadoes of the Turke to wit of the Pope by meanes of superstition robbing your verie bowels And this was then the iudgement of Germanie The other followeth A solemne Appeale of the Vniuersitie of Paris assembled the seuen and twentieth of March 1517 in which after they had protested that they intend not to speake or doe any thing against the Catholike Church or against the Popes power benè consults well counselled they declared That by this power he the Pope is not made impeccabilis exempt from sinne So that if he commaund any thing to be done that is vniust which hath bin suggested vnto him by naughtie insinuation he ought to beare it patiently if it be not done and if he decree any thing against the commaundements of God he must not be obeyed yea he may be by right resisted But if he be so ayded by the power of the Prince vpon the false suggestion or euill counsell of flatterers or deceiuers that he cannot be resisted and the remedies of resisting be taken away yet by naturall right there remaineth one thing which no Prince can take away namely the remedie of Appeale seeing it is a certaine defence competent to euerie one by diuine natural and human right which cannot be taken away by the Prince And there they approue the Councels of Constance and Basil and vrge the reformations there ordayned which they specifie in particular as the remedies against Simony a prohibition not to raise or pay Annuities and other statutes confirmed by the nationall Councell of Fraunce held at Bourges and consequently strenghthened by the perpetual Edict of Charles the seuenth In preiudice of which things notwithstanding say they Leo the tenth in a certaine assemblie held at Rome which is against vs conuocated we know not how but not in the spirit of the Lord with which nothing can be decreed or ordayned against the law of God and sacred Councells which assemblie gaping after their lusts and commodities and expecting by these meanes gold and siluer to be brought vnto them at their wish out of the kingdome and out of the territories of Dauphinie enuying these Statutes that hindred it they haue laboured to abrogate them And for proofe that this Councell to wit of Lateran is vnlawfull they alledge That against the Catholike Faith it condemned the Councell of Basill and particularly the pragmaticall Sanction and in this deed king Frauncis by cunning meanes was deceiued who then was in Italie amidst the noise of armes and that vnder pretence of certaine Concordats which he commaunded to be published not sufficiently considering how great dammage it would bring to his realme Out of which they conclude Wee the Rector and Vniuersitie of Paris feeling our selues grieued endammaged and oppressed doe appeale from our Lord the Pope not well counselled and from the abrogation of the sayd sacred Councell of Basill and of the Statutes of the pragmaticall Sanction depending vpon it and from the edition of the new Statutes and yeelding consent thereto Vnto a future Councell lawfully assembled c. Protesting instantèr instantiùs instantissimè most instantly to prosecute this Appeale by way of nullitie of abuse of iniquitie or vniustice and otherwise the best we may to reserue the election and choise vnto our selues c. And moreouer all the principalls there present vnder-signed the same in solemne maner with all the formalities requisit thereunto Professio fidei fratrum Waldensium Regi Vladislao in Hungarian missa An. 1508. Responsio excusatoria Fratrum Waldensium contra binas literas R.P. Angustani sacrae Theologiae doctoris ad eundem data Anno 1508. But besides these oppositions among themselues in the kingdome of Bohemia and Prouinces of Morauia and Silesia the Churches in great number continued and openly opposed themselues against the Papacie and by publique preachings impugned the abuses of the Romish Church These same in the yeare 1508 presented againe a confession of their faith to Vladistaus king of Hungarie together with an Apologie wherein they vehemently confuted the Calumnies vsually laid against their doctrine and plainely laid open the reasons for which they had justly and lawfully departed from the Church of Rome which are longer than can be here inserted such notwithstanding as that
he describeth a woman sitting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apocal 17. v. 1.2.3.4.5 c. vpon a skarlet coloured beast commaunding an Empire adorned meerely with scarlet shee herselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 arayed in purple and scarlet and guilded with gold and pretious stones and pearles and in her forehead in titulo in title these words a name written a Mysterie that great Babylon not really that auntient Babylon but in a Mysterie that mother of whoredomes and abhominations of the earth carnall aboue all measure spirituall beyond all shame What shall I neede to name him seeing he manifesteth himselfe and speaketh heere sufficiently And doth it not seeme that Satan hath taken pleasure to performe this worke that he might shew vnto the world a Master-peice of his art and as it were reproach vnto as our blindnesse when he brought forth as it were on a Theatre this Man that of so long a time before so plainely so clearly the spirit of Almightie God by the mouth of his Prophets and Apostles hath fore-warned vs of the comming of Antichrist of his conditions doings behauiour seat apparell and furniture Who would euer haue beleeued that he now comming directly in the same habit in the same posture and manner should so farre preuaile with vs that any man should receiue him that any should worship him and for so many ages and Satan himselfe in him And moreouer all these circumstances are described in the Ceremoniall booke of the Popes printed at Venice in Nouember 1516 and dedicated to Leo the tenth Now at that very time Martin Luther after many others being impatient of the blasphemies ouerflowing all Europe in Germanie thundered out against the Pope that Augustine Monke Doctor of Diuinitie of meane parentage of no authoritie in the end of the world accompanied with some few men of the same condition carried with the same zeale and moued with the same spirit at whose voyce the voyce certainely of almightie God thundering by them innumerable people throughout all Europe were stirred vp who either being made drunken slept the sleepe of death or being yet halfe asleepe had need of these instruments to awake and animate them These men durst amidst so great splendor of his Babylonish pompe and pride and so great painted brauerie call the Beast by his proper name in the midst of swords waters and fires of the rigor of magistrats furie of the people and rage of officers Whereupon all nations young and old women and children by their meanes openly professed and maintained the same they astonished beat downe and confounded with their humilitie his pride with their patience his crueltie and with the puritie of their doctrine by the great grace of God they restored the Gospell to light and in the constancie of their martyrdomes they brought as it were to life againe the faith of the Primitiue Church In so much that in a short time whole nations departed from the Roman Seat many Kings and Princes euen of them who had most contributed to that monstrous building now triumph loden with his spoyls There appeared from all parts godlie and learned men who kindled with the zeale of God with their labours stoutly endeuoured to cast downe to the ground that tottering pile and brought it neere to an vtter ruine 2. Thess 2. v. 8. Is not this according to that of S. Paule And then shall the wicked man be reuealed whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth Of Saint Iohn also Apocal. 17. v. 16 Those Kings shall hate the Whore and shall make her desolat and naked and shall eat her flesh and burne her with fire Yet this Whore endeuoureth to take courage Apocal. 18.7 and set an impudent face on the matter She saith in her heart I sit being a Queene and am no widow and shall see no mourning I cannot erre whatsoeuer they say my filthinesse is elegancie and the blaines budding forth from my vnchastitie pearles and precious stones She multiplieth so much the more her blasphemies against Christ the Sonne of God she rageth against his sacred word she adiudgeth it of insufficiencie of imperfection of ambiguitie dangerous deceitful and worse if may be making it wonderfull inferiour to the Roman Church the same Church in the meane time of which the Pope maketh himselfe superior alone greater than is represented in generall Councels How much superiour and higher will he haue it aboue the holie Scripture the word of God and consequently God himselfe And thereby he appeareth the more euidently to bee the same whom we seeke the Antichrist poynted out by the Apostles Therefore after we would haue applied Balme for her sore if she might perhaps be healed which shee obstinatly refused wee haue laboured to procure a holie reformation in the Church against which the Papacie is so much the more enuenomed with rage bringing in worse Popes of purpose in hatred thereof and vttering more absurd assertions as the infallibitie of traditions and the vprofitablenesse of the word written with the finger of God and inspired into his Prophets and Apostles May we not lawfully now say with the Prophet Ierem. 51. v. 9.10.11 We would haue cured Babel but she would not be healed forsake her and let vs goe euerie one to his owne countrey Let vs now wash our hands of her and expect what God hath determined of her especially seeing her iudgement is come vp vnto heauen on the contrary the Lord hath set forth our righteousnesse And what then doe we wait for from the same counsell the same prophesie and therefore from the same certaintie but that those Kings and the same States who haue worshipped her finish the worke of God Apoc. 17. v. 17 who will put into their hearts to fulfill his will and his pleasure to execute his sentence And let not the present state of things astonish vs in one day in one houre Apoc. 18. v. 8. in a moment are his workes performed and this worke without doubt must be performed And long agoe as of a thing alreadie done neere at hand and most certaine the Angell cried out and redoubled it It is fallen it is fallen Babylon Apocal. 18.2.4 But God forbid also that wee should neglect that other crie that followeth Goe out of her my people we to whom God hath giuen to know her yee which know her but too well take heed it bee not to your damnation Can any man now pretend an excuse That ye be not partakers of her sinnes and that ye receiue not of her plagues least being defiled by the contagion of her Idolatrie and enchauntments yee be made partakers of the sentence long agoe pronounced against her of eternall fire which remaineth for her But because we are for the most part incredulous and stupide let vs pray vnto God of his meere mercie to draw vs as a Lot out of this spirituall Sodome as S. Iohn calleth it to pull vs to himselfe by the hand of his Angels to grant vnto vs that wee looke not backe againe and that we may before he powre downe his judgements on Babylon get to his holie mountaine to that little Segar his Church how small and contemptible soeuer it be in the eyes of the world Is it not a little one saith Lot and my soule shall liue Now to him Father Sonne and holie Ghost for the bottomelesse depths of his judgements and of his graces be prayse and glorie world without end Amen ⧠Errata Fol. Lin. Fol. Lin. 214 25 more pernitious traditions 474 42 succeed to 263 37 Tarracina 473 18 in his owne presence 272 1 imploreth his helpe 475 3 he that would but know 278 4 night of my 481 3 spittle of their 309 24 giue thee his 506 16 as it was thought 311 3 acknowledged 545 38 concourse of people 378 2 at Douer 559 45 decreed in these words 378 47 a longer day 586 8 Corpus Christi 388 42 after riches 593 14 excommunicated 401 18 to wauer 594 36 might more easily be discerned 401 39 Abbot of S. Albons 609 45 his successor 417 vlt. not so much 612 43 he being 441 vlt. and by their digressing 615 21 as visited 446 40 of the eternall judgement 629 vlt. or if he had had more care FINIS
which the Author himselfe attributeth vnto all The like care sayth he did Alexander the Bishop take in Antioch being the first which caused his name to be registred in the writings of the Church which is true But Baronius addeth that he did it at the instance and request of Innocentius hauing no other argument for this assertion but this that Innocent wrote a letter to him for as touching anie such matter Theodoret speaketh not a word 8. PROGRESSION Of the attempts of Innocentius and Syricius vpon the Churches of Spaine and Afrike THe Bishops of Rome finding no passage open to their intended Supremacie through the constancie of the Easterne Church bent their course backe vpon the West especially vpon Africke where they thought to meet with lesse opposition To. 1. Concil Damasus had alreadie broken the ice vnto them as appeareth by that Epistle of his written to Stephanus Bishop of Mauritania wherein hee qualifieth the Church of Rome with the title of the Firmament of all Bishops and Top of all other Churches emboldened no doubt thereunto by letters sent before that time vnto him from the said Stephanus who complained that certaine Bishops had bin deposed in Africke adding that this was so done notwithstanding they all knew well ynough Ibid. That censures of Bishops and all other Church causes of moment ought to be reserued to the audience of the Bishop of Rome whom he there tearmeth The Father of Fathers being of the verie brood and ofspring of those rebell Bishop of Africke of whom Saint Cyprian complained in his dayes who being reproued and censured for their faults would presently crosse the seas and run to Rome for Sanctuarie All which to be vnderstood with this condition If those decretall Epistles inserted among the Councels ought to haue any credit which as wee haue alreadie said the more learned sort reiect as counterfeit vntill the time of Pope Syricius who now entreth vpon the stage And indeed the old Roman Code leaueth them all out vntill the time of this Syricius This Syricius about the yeare 386 An. 386. in his first Epistle to Himerius Bishop of Arragon is verie quicke and saith That it is not lawfull for any Priest of the Lord to be ignorant of the decrees and statutes of the See Apostolike and therefore requesteth him to make knowne such ordinances and decrees as he shall send vnto him not onely to those of his owne Diocesse but also to those of Carthagena Andalusia Portugall Galeace and others that is in effect to all the Prouinces of Spaine Which could not saith he but hee glorious vnto him which was a Priest of so long continuance Pro antiquitate sacerdotij sui purposing to vse the ambitious humor of this Prelat onely to make himselfe and the authoritie of his See great in Spaine And in his fourth Epistle to the Bishops of Africke he goeth a step farther and telleth them That without the priuitie of the See Apostolike that is to say of the Primat none might presume to ordaine a Bishop And this word Primat some interpret for the Bishop of Rome in regard of the claime which was made vnto the Primacie not long before by Damasus and these late presumptions of Syricius himselfe in his first Epistle the rather because it is improbable that hee would impart this title of The See Apostolike to any saue onely to the See of Rome OPPOSITION Concil Carth. 2. ca. 12. The Africanes therefore assembled vpon this occasion a second Councell at Carthage in the time of this Syricius where they decreed in this manner It seemed good vnto all that without the leaue of the Primat of euerie Prouince no man hereafter presume in what place soeuer to ordaine any Bishop without any reference at all to the Bishop of Rome But say they if necessitie so require any three Bishops by order from the Primat may consecrate a Bishop And it is to be noted That in this verie Canon they call the chaire of the Metropolitan the First Chaire or Chiefe See and that Gratian inserting this Canon in his booke of Decrees Distinct 64. C. extra conscientiam 5. followed the intent of this Councell of Carthage and not of Syricius referring it to the Metropolitan Bishop not to the Apostolike See though he falsely report it vnder the name of Innocent And in the yeare 397 An. 397. the third Councell of Carthage went a little farther Syricius at that time also sitting Pope and decreed That the Bishop of the first See should not be called the Prince or Chiefe of Priests Concil Carthag 3. ca. 26. or High Priest or by any other such name but onely The Bishop of the first See As for the name of Vniuersall Bishop that the Bishop of Rome it selfe should not bee called by that name Which last words are also in Gratian though now Distinct 99. ca. primae sedis 3. through the good order which of later times hath beene taken in these matters they are no longer to be found in the Councell it selfe A thing not to be forgotten for it was fit that all these things should meet and march together Corruption of doctrine as well as of discipline and that Syricius should be the man who should first establish the forbiddance of Priests mariages though by generall consent reiected in the Councell of Nice and not receiued for six hundred yeares after in the West doe what his successors could doe Bringing in also the the commemoration of Saints into the Liturgie and daily seruice of the Church in imitation perhaps of that Carmen Saliare vsed heretofore among the Romans wherein the names of all their gods werewith much solemnitie rehearsed For that was the disease of that age to fashion themselues in all points after the rites and ceremonies of the Heathen 9. PROGRESSION Of the decree of Pope Innocent concerning Appeales to Rome IN the yeare 401 came Innocent who would not be so put backe he An. 401. Innocent Epist 2. ad Victric Rothomagens c. 3. in his second Epistle to Victricius Bishop of Roan published this generall decree That the greater causes after that they had beene censured by the Bishop should be referred to the See of Rome as the Synod saith he hath ordained and the laudable vse and custome of the Church requireth Yet haue we hitherto seene the contrarie both in the one and also in the other But he goeth on seeking to practise what he proiected Epist 7. ad Episc Maced vpon the Macedonians and persuading them that he did the like in all other places Let vs therefore now see whether he found any better successe in this his attempt than his predecessors had before him OPPOSITION The question then is as you see about great causes An. 402. In the yeare 402 was held the Mileuitan Councell and after that in the yere 413 another at Carthage An. 413. where no petie causes were in handling but the maine doctrine
of the Church the schisme of Donatus and the heresie of Pelagius where both were condemned and Pelagius concerning whose doctrine Pope Innocent thought fit to suspend his judgement was excommunicated And all this done without consulting the Bishop of Rome onely sentence being alreadie passed he was entreated to joyne his authoritie and voyce with theirs for so goe the words of those Fathers in a letter which they sent vnto him reported by S. Augustine We haue say they Concil Carth. ad Innocent to 1. pa. 469. August Epist 90 by common consent pronounced Pelagius and Caelestius to be excommunicated c. for the amendment if not of them yet of those whom they haue seduced Which done we haue thought good deere brother to signifie so much vnto thee to the end that vnto this ordinance of our mediocritie thou shouldest ioyne the authoritie of the See Apostolike So that here we see a sentence plainely and absolutely giuen and yet vnder these tearmes of humilitie there is no disparagement or inequalitie to be obserued In like sort the Fathers of the Mileuitan Councell Concil Mileuit in Epist ad Innocent to 1. Concil apud August Epist 92. Concil Mileuit c. 3. Seeing say they that the Lord of his speciall grace hath placed thee in that Apostolike See being such a one as that our negligence would be condemned if we should conceale anything from thee which maketh for the good of the Church rather than our feare excused as if we doubted of thy good acceptance we therefore entreat thee to vse thy Pastorall care and diligence in these so great perils and dangers of the members of Christ c. Their meaning was that hee should doe in these cases of heresie within the limits of his jurisdiction in the West as they had alreadie done in the East But when they saw that vpon their round dealing with them in the East he was the rather inclined to absolue them in the West they made short worke and passed this decree in full Synod Whosoeuer shall say that the grace of God in which we are iustified by Iesus Christ is auailable onely for the remission of sinnes past and that it is no helpe to vs against sinne hereafter let him bee Anathema And thereupon adde they farther This errour and impietie which hath euerie where so many followers and abettors ought also to be Anathematised and condemned by the See Apostolike As if they should haue said It is high time Innocent that now you shew your selfe and doe your duetie All which Innocent as one not willing to breake with them passed ouer and seemed not to vnderstand but as if they had fled to him as to their superiour frameth them an answer onely to futher his owne ambition Apud August Epist 90. to 1 Concil apud August Epist 91 You haue saith he well obserued the ordinances of the ancient Fathers and not troden vnder foot that which they not in humane wisedome but by diuine order haue established namely that whatsoeuer is done in places though neuer so remote should for finall conclusion be referred to the audience of the See of Rome And againe You haue Apud August Epist 92. saith he had due regard of the Apostolike honour I say of him which hath the charge and care of all other Churches in asking aduise of him in these perplexities and intricate causes Following herein the ancient Canon which you as well as my selfe know to haue beene obserued in all the world And where I pray you good Innocent and when was it so obserued for saw you not the contrarie in Afrike it selfe and in these two last Councels practised But let vs see whether they vse him any better in his matter of Appeales The Fathers of the Mileuitan Councell spake plainely Concil Mileuit Can. 22. It hath beene say they thought fit in the case of Priests Deacons and other inferiour Clergie men if in their causes they complaine of the wrongfull iudgement of the Bishop that then the next adioyning Bishops shall heare and end their cause by the consent of their owne Bishop And if they thinke fit to appeale from them also yet that they appeale not but onely to the Councels of Afrike or to the Primate of the Prouince But if any shall presume to appeale beyond the seas that no man presume to receiue that man to his communion And it is verie probable that the like decrees were made in other Churches of the West howsoeuer Gratian 2. q. 6. c. 35. to saue the Popes jurisdiction addeth these words Vnlesse saith he they appeale to the See of Rome whereas it was properly against that See that they raised this countermure and bulwarke of defence Bellarmine yet goeth more finely to worke and saith That this Canon concerneth only the inferior Orders But the Canon next precedent which properly prouideth for the cases of Bishops is linked with this as wel in reason as in order the conclusion is general Whosoeuer shall offer to appeale beyond the sea c. without any distinction betweene Priest and Bishop Concil Carthag apud Balsam Can. 31. ex Concil African and in the margent there is noted this diuers lection Aliàs That they appeale not beyond the sea but to the Primates of their Prouinces as it hath often beene ordained in case of Bishops and so are all sorts of Clergie men comprised And in like manner is this Canon read in the Greeke copies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And to conclude this point we may not forget that Saint Augustine himselfe was present at this Councell All these things standing as they doe let vs now see what arguments Baronius hence draweth to the preiudice of the Churches of Spaine and Afrike in fauour of the Pope And first saith he in the third Councell of Carthage Baron to 5. an 497. art 55. can 48. it is decreed That concerning the baptisme of the Donatists Syricius Bishop of Rome and Simplicianus of Milan should be consulted The one saith he as head of the Church the other for the worthinesse of his person whereas the Fathers themselues make no such difference but say they we haue thought good to consult our brethren and fellow Priests Syricius and Simplicianus and no maruell seeing that Aurelius Bishop of Carthage wanting fit ministers to furnish his Churches wrot ioyntly to Anastasius Bishop of Rome and to Venerius Bishop of Milan to supplie his want calling them Holie Brethren Secondly Concil Carthag 3. ca. 26. Distinct 99. ca. primae sedis he taketh on because we alledge the Canon Primae sedis That the Bishop of the first See should not be called Prince or the Chiefe of Priests or High Priest or by any such like name And I would know whether these are not the verie words of the Canon it selfe or are they not so reported by Gratian in the Decrees Yea but he wil not that we should extend them to Rome especially
in Apelog in l. 20. l. Concil or ended in a lawfull Synod which Synod was held the yeare following at Rome in the Acts whereof we find it thus written Synod Roma 4. Palmaria dicta The Synod here assembled out of diuers countries by the commandement of the most religious King Theodorie c. And againe The Royall authoritie hauing so commaunded that the Bishops should assemble here at Rome out of diuers Prouinces c. The reason is for that one Metropolitan hath no power ouer another and therefore when Bishops of diuers Prouinces had occasion to assemble themselues in a Synod it could not be done without the Kings authoritie and in this Synod were present the Bishops of Liguria Emilia and Venice to decide this cause wherein the Bishop of Rome was defendant Yea but saith Baronius the Bishops told him that it belonged not vnto him true but read on and you shall find that he replied That the Pope himselfe had by his letters declared his will touching the calling of this Synod which was that Theodoric should call it and thereupon thanketh him for so doing as hauing thereby giuen him the meanes to justifie and to cleare himselfe And it followeth afterward That this Synod presumed not to decree anie thing without making the King first acquainted therewith And againe it is there said That Symmachus was forced by the Emperour to enter the lists against his aduersaries and that before the Fathers assembled in this Synod as before his lawfull Delegates or Commissioners Nunquam commisisset For saith he he would neuer haue committed this cause to them as a new cause had he held him as alreadie conuict Then follow the Acts themselues Whiles they were in deliberation what was fit to be done Symmachus came and offered to plead his cause And hauing expressed the violences which his aduersaries had vsed towards him the Fathers spake and said That they must yet againe flie to the iustice of the Prince c. who declared there openly That the knowledge and ordering of Church matters belonged vnto them that he brought nothing but reuerence with him when he came to the hearing of such causes and that he committed it to the power of the Bishops to heare or not to heare it and to dispose thereof at their discretion prouided that by the care and wisedome of the Councell the Christians might haue peace within the Citie By all which it appeareth that he did not put off his authoritie from himselfe to conferre it vpon the Bishop of Rome In the end these Fathers proceeding according to the commaundement of the Prince resolued in this intricate cause to arbitrate and to compose the variance rather than as Iudges to decide it and for the peace of the Church to cloake offences rather than to expose them to the view of the world and therefore commaunded they the people to receiue Symmachus againe leauing the judgement to God of those things which could not sufficiently be proued by men And let the reader note these words of the Fathers According to the commaund of the Prince which giueth vs this power But we restore all Ecclesiasticall power to him againe as well within the Citie as without And who will say that by these words they acknowledged the Pope for Bishop of all the world or that Theodoric called this Councell by the Popes authoritie especially seeing that we find at the same time An. 509. That the Councell at Agda in Languedoc of Orthodox Bishops was assembled and held by the authoritie of Alaric an Arrian by profession and a Goth by nation which yet the Fathers themselues acknowledge in the verie beginning of that Councell Acta Concil Agath This Synod assembled say they in the name of the Lord in this Citie of Agda by the permission of King Alaric and therefore they ordained prayers and supplications to be made for his prosperitie And seeing also we read that shortly after whiles the same Symmachus was yet Pope the first Councell of Orleans was held whereof Hincmar speaking in the life of S. Rhemigius saith That by the aduise of S. Rhemigius An. 512. Acta Concil Aurelian 1. in 1. to Concilior Clouis called a Synod of Bishops at Orleans where were manie good things ordained And the Fathers themselues of that Councell in their Synodall Epistle to King Clouis speake in this manner We say they whom you haue commaunded to come vnto this Synod here to treat of necessarie matters c. Which things they desire afterward to be confirmed by his rightfull iudgement though in his Patent directed to them he speaketh with as much respect to them as he could haue done to the Bishop of Rome himselfe King Clouis saith he to our holie Lords the Bishops most worthie of the Apostolike See c. and at the foot thereof Pray ye for me my holie Lords Popes most worthie of the Apostolike See This good King had neuer yet learned this lesson though instructed by S. Rhemigius that there were no more Popes but one no other Apostolike See but that of Rome All which we haue beene faine to deduce at large to right the Historie of that wrong which our great Annalist hath done vnto it 14. PROGRESSION Of sundrie opportunities and meanes which the Popes about the yeare 500 had to raise themselues to their pretended Primacie IN this age which came to close vp the first fiue hundred yeares manie opportunities offered themselues to open the passage to the Popes ambition First the absence of the Emperors who now resided wholly at Constantinople and yet to maintaine their authoritie in the West thought it fit to make faire weather alwaies with Popes of Rome who neuer let slip anie opportunitie which might serue to encrease their Estate Secondly the comming downe of the Northerne nations who one after another assayled Italie and spoyled it at their pleasure all which were faine to sooth and to flatter the Popes onely to haue their fauour and furtherance at their need Thirdly diuerse Heresies which then sprung vp both in the East and also in the South from whence the heretikes when they were condemned at home fled presently to Rome whether by Appeale or whether by way onely of Reuiew to haue their cause heard againe before his pretended Primacie Adde we hereunto that in all places men were willing to hold correspondencie with the Bishop of the first See who resided in the chiefe Citie of the Empire and who was held for the source and fountaine of all good and found aduise in matters of importance the greater part of the world in the meane time not obseruing how the Popes by little and little made their aduises to stand for lawes and interpreted all requests made vnto them for consultations how they turned their mediations into Commissions and that being chosen for arbitrators they euer made themselues Iudges And note withall to the end you may discerne how their doctrines crept into the
Church together with their power that at this time came in the inuocation and adoration of Saints and Martyrs in stead of the gods the verie ground-plot of Heathenisme to erect the building of Christianitie vpon OPPOSITION Such were then the proceedings of the Popes yet when he presumed to passe his bounds too farre there neuer wanted some one or other to lay a blocke in his way which we should now more clearely discouer had the writers of those daies beene as carefull to record vnto posteritie the oppositions of the one part as they were to set downe the attempts of the other But this appeareth that Leo his pretencions were euer opposed by the Churches and we may perceiue by Symmachus his owne Epistle that in Sclauonie Dardanie and Dace Symmach in ep ad Presbyt Illyr Dardaniae Daciae his authoritie was little esteemed And in Rome itselfe his owne Clergie accused him to Theodoric at what time he was wiser than to replie as now they doe that no man may presume to aske him Domine cur ita facis Neither did his predecessor Anastasius the second find the Bishops of France and Germanie ouer gentle in taking their bitt into their mouths when they wrot vnto him in the time of Clouis the first and first Christian King of Fraunce that memorable Epistle whereof we will here insert some few of the most important clauses Non putatiuè sed veracitèr affirmant Episcopi that is The Bishops doe constantly and truly affirme Epist episc Gol. German ad Anastas 2. in Collecta Auentin that a Councell is of greater authoritie than is a Pope Anastasius Paule the Apostle which crieth out Be ye followers of me resisted Peter who was chiefe of the Apostles because he was to be reproued c. This is indeed a verie fountaine and nurserie of scandales to the people when the Bishops of the Church rise in dissention against each other among whom there should be a full and a perfect peace c. And againe Our weake wit say they cannot conceiue what this new kind of compassion meaneth which these Phisitians of Italie vse in the cure of the disease of France They who pretend to cure our Bishops are themselues shaken with a continuall feauer they who promise sight to vs are themselues blind they take vs to be crouchbackes and haue themselues such a bunch of auarice growing on their backes that it will not suffer them to enter in at the narrow gate they let their owne sheepe goe astray and call our Shepheards into the way of truth going about to persuade vs that the physicke of spirituall diseases the absolution of soules is at Rome c. But if they will needs applie their searing yrons to our wounds they shall quickly feele our French truth which they without a cause prouoke against themselues c. And if they say yet farther That the Bishops of France are spiritually sicke let them remember the commaundement of our Sauior and visit vs in our sicknesse for the sicke must not runne to the Physitian but the Physitian come vnto the sicke which if they refuse to doe then let them know that we haue of our owne a perfect good Antidot euen the Gospell of the Sonne of God to expell all venome from our hearts that is to say We haue no need of your Treacle Let them take this for a warning not to make shew of too great zeale of iustice thereby to draw vs into the snare of their King like iudgements least we answere them as it is in the Gospell Let him of the Bishops of Italie which is without sinne cast the first stone at vs. All which we say to this end that they in the hardnesse of their heart may not offer to lay their pretended authoritie vpon our Bishops For it is not impossible that the stone which they cast at vs may flie backe in their owne faces for our men vse not to be afraid of feathers Let them rather this day confesse before Christ that they are a sort of miserable comforters those properly whom S. Iohn saw in Pathmos of whom he saith He sent the Dragon and he drew the third part of the starres c. The stinke of their ill name is spred to the vtmost borders of the earth They which dwell beyond the mountaine of God that is they which will make themselues gods shoot their arrowes beyond the stone of saluation because they are not planted in the house of the Lord after the order of Melchisedech c. that is are not called by a lawfull vocation And although say they by the shaking of our Oxen of France the Arke of our couenant should be like to fall yet it belongeth to our Bishops to hold it vp and not to them But if they by their euill speaking slander the Arke of our Church the like mischiefe befall them as befell Vzzias the Leuit. To conclude let them learne this Syllogisme If there be equall power in all Bishops then is it equall in euerie one but it is equall in all ergo in euerie one And by this you may see what reckoning the Bishops of France made of the Bishops of Rome in those daies 15. PROGRESSION That Pope Hormisda tooke vpon him to constitute diuers Vicars of his See in the West AFter Symmachus succeeded Hormisda who would lose no time If we may beleeue his Epistles he made diuers Bishops his Vicars in sundrie Prouinces of the West as Auitus Bishop of Vienna in the Prouince of Narbona Iohn of Arragon in Spaine on this side the riuer Betis and on the other side Salust Bishop of Seuile These Bishops accepted of this title thereby to aduance and to set themselues aloft aboue their brethren and the Pope cunningly soothed them in their ambitious humor thereby to enlarge the precincts and limits of his owne authoritie And in the East also vnder colour of composing a certaine difference in religion concerning the Chalcedon Creed he sent his Legats to the Emperour Anastasius who would not receiue it The Pontificall Booke sayth That he did it by the aduice and counsell of Theodoric forbearing to say By his permission D. 50. c. Si ille qui. though indeed it had beene farre more honourable for the Pope to haue beene the author of so good an aduise himselfe And yet how earnest soeuer he would seeme to be in the defence of this Councell it is euident that he renounced one of the principall Canons thereof concerning the place and ordering of Bishops seeing that he protested though vpon another occasion that he receiued nothing but what was contained in the Councell of Nice for feare of broaching himselfe vpon the Canons of those two Councels of Constantinople and of Chalcedon both which equall in all points the priuiledges of the Church of Rome and of Constantinople And it is sport alone to see the instructions which he gaue vnto his Legats how he setteth downe how farre they should goe and
vniuersall authoritie both of Councels and of the Church it selfe to the person of the Pope alone Eugenius in the Councell of Florence Pius the second in his eloquent bull on that matter and others afterward it followeth that the Pope is exalted aboue the holie Scriptures yea aboue God himselfe and is therfore to be accounted for him of whom the Apostle speaketh 2. Thes 2. He exalteth himselfe against all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he sitteth in the Temple of God as God who dare correct God alter the sence of his word after his owne pleasure commoditie And thus Reader thou seest how this Mysterie of Iniquitie still aduaunceth forward OPPOSITION The precedent progression is intermixed with so many and mightie oppositions that there seemeth to be no need of any other notwithstanding as sighes encrease according to the euill so in this place aboundeth vnto vs verie manie The Emperour Sigismund had framed certaine Articles of reformation to be exhibited to the Councell of Constance diuers others also in diuers Nations had conceiued also some patternes M. Peter de Alliaco Cardinal of Cambray is particularly commaunded to write these things for to shew them to the Councel in the yere 1415 An. 1415. the first of Nouember foure monthes after that Iohn the foure and twentieth had renounced the Popedome the Seat being vacant two yeres before Martin was chosen to succeed during which space this matter of reformation seemed fittest of all to be thought vpon The Preface of his discourse is by a place of S. Bernard vpon the Canticles Sermon 33. A rotten vlcer spreadeth it selfe at this day ouer all the bodie of the Church so much the more desperat by how much the more it is farre and wide extended and by how much the more it is inward so much the more it is dangerous For if an heretike enemie should openly arise he might be cast out and so wither if a violent enemie she might perhaps hide her selfe from him but now whom shal she cast out or from whom shall she hide her selfe All are friends and all enemies c. they are the minister of Christ and serue Antichrist c. The wound of the Church is inward and incurable therfore in peace her bitternesse is most bitter And this place haue we aboue alledged at length out of which he draweth this conclusion Seeing that the Church from henceforth was fallen from euill to worse vnlesse betimes it be looked to and preuented after the horrible darknesse of so many schismes much more horride things were in very few daies to be expected He prosecuteth afterwards by degrees those things that he thinketh doe belong to reformation of the vniuersall body of the Church First That it is necessarie there shold be eftsoons held generall and Prouinciall Councels for the correction of abuses especially generall which can with greater authoritie correct both all sorts of persons and all things Neither are we to expect remedie from the Church of Rome as if it were able to satisfie all cases that fall out Many saith he suspect that she hath dissembled these things and for this cause hath neglected the holding of Councels that she might the more fully beare dominion according to her owne lust and pleasure and vsurpe the more freely the rights and prerogatiues of other Churches That before the time of Constantine because the Church might not with free libertie hold Councels it hath fallen into diuers heresies therefore no maruell if in these later times through neglect of Councels it fall into diuers schismes and innumerable other euils ad haereses disponentia which dispose it to heresies That generall Councels are first of all necessary for the reformation of the body of the Church Dist 19. C. Anastas ibid. Glossa Archid dist 15. especially of the Roman which is de arduis pertinentibus ad fidem difficult in things pertaining to faith in as much as that which the Glosse saith That the Pope ought to require a Councel when matters of faith is debated is not to be referred onely to the articles of faith but to those things that belong to the state of the faithfull Church whereas otherwise it would be too dangerous a thing to commit our faith to the judgement and fancie of one man alone Lastly that now if euer was a fit opportunitie either to procure the vnion of the Greekes with the Latines or to represse the designements of the Turks who after they haue rent and torne in peeces the Empire will with all violence rush vpon the Church and so make way for Antichrist And already saith he many very godly deuout men not without cause doe feare praesentialiter presently both the one and the other ruine namely of the Empire by the Turks and of the Church by Antichrist 2. For the reformation of the Court of Rome That for the auoiding of schismes which proceed from the factions of the Cardinals it is sufficient to haue of euery each Prouince but one onely Cardinall Also that the Pope ought to prouide remedies cut off the grieuous burdens wherwith the Roman Church oppresseth other Churhces seeing that the Greeke Church is alienated from it because of her exactions excommunications and statutes and that to take away those exactions it were meet she should abate of her pompe of her excesse and of the number of the Cardinals Excommunications which after the example of the Primitiue Church for to make them the more to be feared ought not come forth but for graue and weightie causes whereas in these dayes they are thundered forth for verie light and for the most part temporall causes and the Anathemaes themselues whereupon they are growne into contempt with all men That there be a meane vsed in Statutes Canons and Decrees which oblige to mortall paines and of which may be said that of our Lord to the Pharisies They lay burdens on mens shoulders which they wold not touch with the top of the finger And this article reached very farre 3. For the Prelats That they should be chosen capable in doctrine exemplarie in manners resident in their charges moderat in diet and expence abstaining from corporall armes from secular affaires cutting off all simonie That it was necessarie to declare that many obseruations are of that kind that they are rather counsels than precepts He bringeth for example Lent to be moderated out of the circumstances the Seruice to be abridged to a deuout and entire breuitie the varietie of Images in Churches to be repressed a meane and bounds to be set in new Holidayes Churches and Saints on Sondayes and solemne feasts onely to abstaine from labour and out of the Diuine Seruice to banish and put forth all Apocripha Scriptures new prayers and to be short all nouelties 4. For religious persons That their great number and diuersitie is altogether pernitious whilest the one boasteth and is proud in his Rule against the other aboue all