his race as an out-cast of great Charlemagne Lewes V. reigned one year only and dyed without Heir leaving his place void in troubles of State and confusion of times horribly corrupted unto the House of Hugh le grand Earl of Paris God had prepared the means both for the Father to lay the foundation and for his Son Hugh Capet appointed for the Regal Dignity to finish this goodly building Now cometh in the third race of the Kings of France called Capets of the name of Hugh Capet Charles Duke of Lorrain was first Prince of the Blood-royal he was Son to Lewes IV. Brother to Lothair Unckle to Lewes V. the last King to whom the fundamental Laws of France did adjudge the Crown But Hugh Capet was chosen King by the French assembled in Parliament and Charles Duke of Lorrain was rejected from the Crown This change happened in July Anno 987. This new King was sirnamed Capet or Capitosus either for that he had a great Head or that being young he was accustomed to catch at his Companions caps as a presage of that he should do unto Kings Otho and Henry two other Sons of Hugh le grand were Dukes of Burgundy one after another his other Sons were advanced to Ecclesiastical Dignities the one Arch-Bishop of Tholouse the other of Rovan and another dyed young Charles of Lorrain gathered an Army and entring France came to the City of Laon within which City he by the Treason of Anselm the Bishop of that City was taken and delivered with his Wife and Children into the hands of his Enemies Hugh being crowned King causeth his Son Robert to be crowned King at Rhemes Anno 990. three years after his Father's election Hugh decreeth that the elder Son should reign alone among his Brethren and suppresseth the Majors of the Palace He likewise decreed that hereafter Bastards should not be only rejected from the Crown but also from the sir-name of France the which before was allowed them To him likewise are due the goodly Ordinances of Justice Paris was the chief place of Hugh's residence which City was greatly augmented and beautified in his Reign Arnulph Bastard to Lothair was the only Man which had favoured Charles of Lorrain against Hugh Capet This Man was both perverse and disloyal having deceived both Charles of Lorrain and Hugh Capet who had given him the Arch-bishoprick of Rovan in recompence of the service he promised him against Charles to whom notwithstanding contrary to his Faith he gave means to seize upon the Cities of Rhemes Laon and Soissons Hugh therefore resolves to suppress Arnulph but respecting his quality he assembled a National Council of the French Church in the City of Rhemes This Assembly deposed Arnulph as guilty of Treachery and a troubler of the publick quiet and they substitute Gilbert in his place who had been School-master unto Robert Afterwards Hugh confines him to Orleans with Charles of Lorrain there to end his days in rest The Prelates of France in this Synod made a Declaration that the Popes have nothing to do to usurp the power and authority of Kings Arnalt Bishop of Orleans maintained in that Synod that the Popes have no power at all over the Bishops of France so as to have any cognizance of Cases belonging to them and he declaimed most stoutly against the avarice and corruption of the Court of Rome Seguin Arch-Bishop of Sens was sent also to Orleans to be imprisoned because he consented not freely to the deposition of Arnulph Pope John 12. being displeased with Hugh for that he had not appealed to him for his confirmation in this new Royalty disanulleth this Decree of the Council of Rhemes excommunicates the Bishops which had assisted restores Arnulph and deprives Gilbert of the Arch-bishoprick of Rovan and to temper this sharp and rough proceeding with some lenity he doth invest Gilbert with the Arch-bishoprick of Ravenna And this was a means to raise him to the dignity of Pope Acta Synodi Rhemensis Anno 990. The Acts of this Council of Rhemes under Hugh Capet have these words Poor Rome What clear lights of Fathers hast thou brought forth in the time of our Predecessors What horrible darkness hast thou poured out upon our times which will redound to our shame and dishonour in future Ages The Pope threatens his curse against Hugh and his Son Robert The King returned Answer that he had done nothing in contempt but that he was willing to justifie what He or his Bishops had done if it pleased the Pope to meet him at Gratianople on the Frontiers of Italy and France or if rather he would come into France he promised to receive him with the highest honour The Pope sent his Legates into France Gerebert Arch-Bishop of Rhemes sent an Epistle unto Seguin forementioned who was said to favour the deposed Arnulph the tenour whereof is Morn in Myst iniqu It became your worthiness to eschew the craftiness of deceitful men and to hear the voice of the Lord saying Here is Christ Hist Magdeb. in Actis Synodi or there is Christ follow not One is said to be in Rome who justifieth those things which ye condemn and condemneth those things which ye think just God saith If thy Brother offend against thee go and rebuke him How then say some that in the deposition of Arnulph we should have waited the determination of the Romish Bishop can they say that the Judgement of the Bishop of Rome is greater than the Judgement of God But the Prince of the Apostles saith We must obey God rather than Man St. Paul also cryeth If any Man Preach unto you otherwise than what you have received although he were an Angel from Heaven let him be accursed Because Pope Marcellinus offered Incense unto Idols should therefore all Bishops offer Incense I say boldly that if the Bishop of Rome himself sin against a Brother and being often admonished will not hear the Church even the Roman Bishop according to the command of Christ should be esteemed as an Heathen and a Publican for the highest rise hath the lowest fall And if he think us unworthy of him because none of us assenteth to him when he judgeth contrary to the Gospel he cannot therefore separate us from the Communion of Christ seeing even a Presbyter unless he confess or be convict should not be removed from his Office c. The Priviledges of St. Peter saith Leo the Great are not where Judgement is not exercised according to Righteousness Wherefore occasion should not be given unto these our envyers that the Priesthood which is one every where as the Catholick Church is one should be subject unto one Man that if he be corrupt with Money favour fear or ignorance none can be a Priest except whom these virtues recommend unto him Let the Law of the Catholick Church be common Farewel and suspend not your selves from the sacred Mysteries Pope John had intelligence of this Letter and summoned the
she was taken down cast into prison and reserved for further Torment Attalus also a Famous Man and notably exercised in the Christian Profession was led within compass of the Theatre with a Scroll before him wherein was written in the Roman Tongue This is Attalus the Christian The President knowing that he was a Roman commanded him to be imprisoned and closely kept with the other prisoners concerning whom he had written unto Caesar and expected an Answer Alexander a Phrygian born and a Physician having dwelt in France many years a man well known for his great Zeal towards God and boldness of speech stood hard by the Tribunal-Seat and comforted and encouraged many Martyrs at their Examination When the people that stood by took in evil part that they which before had recanted did now confess Christ with one consent they cry out against Alexander as Author thereof Then the President demanding of him what he was he Answered I am a Christian for which Answer he was allotted to be torn in pieces by the wild Beasts Attalus was fryed to death in a scalding Iron Chair so that the savour of his broiled body filled their nostrils who being demanded what Name God had Answered God is not called after the manner of Men. Blandina together with Ponticus a youth of fifteen years of Age was brought forth whom they would have compelled to swear by their Idol's Name But they contemning their Idol the multitude were enraged against them tormenting them with all manner of punishments Ponticus being comforted and confirmed by Blandina in presence of the Pagans after he had suffered most exquisite Torments yielded up the Ghost Last of all Blandina like a noble Mother having exhorted her Children and sent them before as Conquerours unto the King pondering with her self all the punishments of her Children hastened after them joying and triumphing at her end as if she had been invited and going to a wedding dinner After scourging after combating with wild Beasts after the broiling of her body as it were in a frying-pan at length she was wrapped in a Net and tumbled before a wild Bull which fanned and tossed her on his horns to and fro yet had she no feeling thereof in the end she was beheaded the Pagans themselves pronouncing That never any Woman among them was heard to have suffered so many and so great Torments As many as were choked with the noisom stench of the prison were thrown to be devoured of Dogs the Pagans keeping a watch day and night that none of them might be buried by their Friends To be short after that the bodies of the blessed Saints had been every kind of way spitefully and scornfully entreated lying six whole dayes unburied at length they were burned to ashes the ashes also they gathered together and scattered in the River Rhodanus which passed by so that no jot or relique thereof should any longer remain upon the earth This they did that there might as they said be no further hope of their Resurrection Irenaeus after Photinus was Bishop of Lions he flourished in the dayes of the Emperour Commodus his meek disposition and peaceable carriage answered to his Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Peaceable and made his Name to be in great account among Christians Euseb Eccles Hist Lib. 4. The Martyrs forementioned did highly commend Irenaeus unto Eleutherius Bishop of Rome as their own words do declare in this manner Father Eleutherius we wish you health in all things and alwayes in God We have requested Irenaeus our Brother and Fellow-labourer to deliver you these Letters whom we pray you to accept of as a zealous follower of the Will of Christ For if we understood that any mans degree yielded forth and delivered Righteousness unto the Graduate namely as being Minister of the Church which this man is we would have chiefly commended this in him Iren. Lib. 3. cap. 3. Eusebius hath set down out of Irenaeus a Catalogue of the Roman Biships unto his time Iren. Lib. 2. cap. 57. Irenaeus sheweth how unto his time Miracles were wrought by the faithful some saith he do soundly and truly cast out Devils others have the foreknowledge of things to come they see Divine Dreams and Prophetical Visions others cure the diseased and restore them to health by their laying on of hands The dead were raised to life saith he and lived together with us many years Again in another place Irenaeus thus writeth We have heard of many Brethren in the Church which had the gift of prophesying which were able through the Holy Ghost to speak with sundry Tongues Iren. Lib. 5. which could reveil the secrets of men where it so behoved and expound the dark mysteries of God Then arose a Controversie about the keeping of Easter for the Church of the West and part of that of the East did Celebrate the Feast of Easter upon the Lord's day but part of the Church of the East did Celebrate it upon the fourteenth day of the Moon of March not looking for the Lord's day Towards the end of this second Century Victor the successour of Eleutherius Bishop of Rome took that business in hand with eagerness and for that cause separated the Oriental Churches from his Communion Polycrates Bishop of Ephesus resisted him Victor being incensed with that resistance excommunicateth all the Eastern Churches Eusebius saith That this did not please all the Bishops wherefore also they made him a contrary Command that he should keep Peace Union and Charity with his Neighbours Among other Examples he brings forth the Epistle of Irenaeus to Victor whereby he accuseth him to have violated Charity and to have departed from the Example of his Ancestors Ruffinus relateth the same Eusebius makes mention of what Irenaeus wrote concerning the Holy Canonical Scriptures and the translation of the Septuagint Irenaeus wrote divers Epistles to confute such as at Rome corrupted the sincere Rites of the Church He wrote one to Blastus of Schism another to Florinus of Monarchy or shewing that God is not the Author of Evil which Opinion Florinus seemed to be of but afterwards he was seduced with the Errour of Valentinus Irenaeus in his Epistle to Florinus Reporteth that he had conversed with Polycarpus so that he remembred the place where Polycarpus sate when he taught his course of Life the figure and proportion of his body the Sermons he made unto the Multitude the report he made of his Conversation with St. John the Apostle and others which saw the Lord how he remembred their sayings and what he heard out of their mouths touching the Lord of his Power and Doctrine These things saith he I diligently marked and printed them in my heart And I am able to testifie if that Holy and Apostolick Elder had heard any such thing he would have presently stopped his ears and reclaimed it To be short this may be reported for true out of the Epistles which he wrote for the
King Richard took Messana by assault seized on most Forts in the Island Tankred gave to our King what rich conditions soever he demanded to pacifie him Worse discords daily encreased betwixt the Kings of England and France King Richard slighting the King of France his Sister whom he had promised to marry King Philip hasted presently to Ptolemais Richard followed with more leisure and took Cyprus in his way Cursac reigned then in Cyprus who killed the English that landed there But King Richard speedily over-ran the Island bound Cursac with silver fetters The Island he pawned to the Templars for ready money and there took to Wife his beloved Lady Beringaria Daughter to the King of Navarr The City of Ptolemais was taken the Houses which were left with the spoil and Prisoners were equally divided betwixt Philip and Richard Here the English cast down the Ensigns of Leopold Duke of Austria who had fought so long in assaulting this City till his Armour was all over gore-blood save the place covered with his belt But King Richard afterward paid dearly for it King Richard caused seven thousand of his Turkish Prisoners to be put to death and Saladine in revenge put as many of our Captives to death But the French King reserving his Prisoners alive exchanged them to ransom so many Christians Philip the French King Odo Duke of Burgundy Duke Leopold most of the Dutch all the Genoans and Templars side with King Conrade King Richard Henry Count of Champaigne the Hospitallers Venetians and Pisans take part with King Guy But King Conrade's side was much weakned by the departure of the French King About that time Conrade King of Jerusalem was murdered in the Market-place of Tyre Now King Guy exchanged his Kingdom of Jerusalem for the Island of Cyprus which he had redeemed from the Templars to whom he had pawned it Henry of Champaign was chosen King by the procurement of King Richard who after many notable exploits done in Palestine and a peace made with Saladine in his return passing through Germany in a disguise was taken Prisoner in Austria sold and sent by Duke Leopold to Henry the Emperour At last he was ransomed for an hundred and forty thousand marks a sum so vast in that Age that to raise it in England they were forced to sell their Church-plate to their very Chalices After this Money Peter of Blois made an Apostrophe to the Duke or Emperour sending this good prayer Bibe nunc Avaritia Dum puteos argenteos Larga diffundit Anglia Tua tecum pecunia Sit in perditionem And now thou basest Avarice Drink till thy Belly burst Whilst England pours large silver showers To satiate thy Thirst And this we pray Thy Money may And thou be like accurst King Richard after eighteen Months imprisonment returned into England And in Austria the Duke with his Money built the Walls of Vienna But God punished the Dominions of Leopold with fire and water and by famine for the Ears of Wheat turned into Worms A Gangreen seized on the Duke's body who cut off his Leg with his own hand and dyed thereof who by his Will caused some thousand Crowns to be restored again to King Richard Soon after Henry King of Jerusalem as he was walking in his Palace fell down out of a Window and broke his neck Roger Hoveden tells us that near about this time there was in the City of Tholouse a great number of Men and Women whom the Pope's Commissioners viz. Peter Cardinal of St. Chrysogon and the Pope's Legate with the Arch-Bishops of Narbon and Biturium Reginald Bishop of Bathe John Bishop of Pictavia Henry Abbot of Clareval c. did persecute and condemn for Hereticks of whom some were scourged naked some chased away some compelled to abjure Now sprang up the Doctrine and name of them which were then called Pauperes de Lugduno which of one Waldus a chief Senator in Lyons were named Waldenses they were also called Leonistae Insabbatati about the year of our Lord 1170. It happened on a day as divers of the principal men of the City assembled together consulted upon divers matters that one of the company fell down and dyed suddenly the rest of the company looking on This Waldus being terrified at the sight of it was converted and presently reformed his Life He ministred of his Goods large Alms to the Poor he purchased a Bible studied the Scriptures instructed himself and his Family with the true knowledge of God's word He admonished all that resorted to him to repentance and amendment of Life He gave out to them that were ready to learn certain rudiments of the Scripture which himself had translated into the French Tongue for he was both Wealthy and Learned The Popish Prelates threatned to excommunicate him but he neglecting their threatnings said God must be obeyed rather than Man At length they drave both Waldus and all his adherents out of the City The Articles of the Waldenses I find in order and number to be these 1. That only the Holy Scripture is to be believed in matters pertaining to Salvation c. 2. All things to be contained in Holy Scripture necessary to Salvation 3. That there is one only Mediator that other Saints are in no wise to be made Mediators or to be invocated 4. They rejected purgatory asserting that all men either by Christ are justified to Life or without Christ be condemned and besides these two neither any third or fourth place to be 5. That all Masses viz. such as be sung for the dead be wicked and are to be abrogate 6. That all Mens Traditions are to be rejected at least not to be reputed as necessary to Salvation c. That constrained Fasts difference of Meats such variety of degrees and orders of Priests Fryars Monks and Nuns superfluous Holy-days so many sundry benedictions and hallowing of Creatures vows peregrinations with all the Rabblement of Rites and Ceremonies to be abolished 7. The supremacy of the Pope usurping above all Churches and especially above all politick Realms and Governments not to be acknowledged neither that any degree is to be received in the Church but only Bishops Priests and Deacons 8. The Communion under both kinds to be necessary to all people according to the Institution of Christ 9. That the Church of Rome is Babylon spoken of in the Revelation and the Pope is Antichrist 10. They reject the Pope's pardons and indulgences 11. They hold the Marriage of Priests and Ecclesiastical persons to be pious and necessary in the Church 12. That such as hear the Word of God and have a right Faith are the true Church of Christ John Arch-Bishop of Lyons excommunicated Waldus and all his followers They were dispersed into divers places of whom many remained long in Bohemia who writing to their King Vladislaus to purge themselves against the slanderous accusations of one Doctor Austin gave up their confession with an Apology for their Christian profession defending with strong and
and pretending another not to intermeddle nor usurp the cognizance of the Feoffs belonging to the King which he knoweth to appertain to the King and the Peers of France but only to have the cognizance of the perjury And he afterwards adds All this he wrote to appease the Peers of France Cujac in d. c. novit de Judic extr and bear them in hand that he proceeded justly against their King and put all his Kingdom into an Interdict upon this occcasion yet for all that he gained nothing by it In this Century William Arch-Bishop of Senon wrote unto the Pope thus Let your Excellency most Holy Father hear patiently what we say for our Soul is in bitterness and so is your devoted Son the Most Christian King of France how all the Church of France is troubled with scandals flowing in time of your Apostle-ship from the Apostolical See seeing as our Nation saith Satan is let loose there to the ruine of all the Church there Christ is Crucified again and manifestly sacrilegious persons and murtherers go free Peter a Monk of Paris being of great Age dyed Anno 1167. he commendeth God's Word and taxeth the idleness and impieties of Priests the curiosity of School-men the multitude and abuses of Masses the multitude of Men's Traditions whereby the precepts of God are made void He calleth Indulgences a godly deceit Bernard a Monk of Clugny about that time wrote a large Satyr not sparing the Pope nor Cardinals of which here are some passages Pontificalia corde carentia corde probavit Pontificalia corda pecunia contenebravit Pontificum status antè fuit ratus integer antè Ille statum dabat ordine nunc labat ille labante Qui super hoc mare debuerat dare se quasi pontem In Sion omnibus est via plebibus in Phlegetontem Stat sibi gloria pompa superbia divitiarum Hoc propè tempore nemo Studeus fore pons animarum Qui stat in agmine primus in ordine Presbyteratus Est vitio levis officio brevis inguine fractus Then of the Popish Prelats and Clergy he saith Vos volo credere quod volo dicere Pseudoprophetas Nulla feracius ac numerosius hâc tulit oetas His sacra nomina sacraque tegmina corda superba Agnus eis patet in tunica latet anguis in Herbâ Quilibet improbus extat Episcopus Abba creatur Vi precio prece Dignus homo nece sceptra lucratur Nullus ei timor haudque sui memor est aliarum Non sine Simone sed sine Canone dux animarum Divers others he hath of this Nature which I shall pass by Peter Abailard spoke and wrote against the Holy Trinity and against the Office of Christ In the Doctrine of the Trinity he was an Arian of Grace a Pelagian of the person of Christ a Nestorian He was summoned to answer in a Council at Soissons where he did appear but would not answer but only did appeal unto the Court of Rome and did glory that his books had found acceptance there The Bishops did note and condemn his Errour and the sentence against his person they did refer unto Pope Innocent Peter Cantor flourished about this time he was of Paris He wrote a Book de verbo abbreviato In that Book he not only taxeth the loose life of the Clergy and the neglect of their Office but also many other abuses of the Pope and his Mass-Priests John de Vesalia in his Book against Indulgences writeth that this Cantor said that Indulgences are pious frauds Among other things he sharply taxeth many abuses of the Mass especially the too-frequent multiplication and prophanation of it he reprehendeth the heap and impiety of Popish Traditions saying that for the Commandements of Men they made void the Commandements of God Hugo de Sto. Victore was by Nation a Saxon but Abbot of St. Victor at Paris His Works are extant in three Volumns and many of them mentioned in Oxford Catalogue Richard of St. Victor flourished at the same time with Hugo aforementioned and lived in the same Monastery with him His Works are extant in two Volumns Catal. Test veric lib. 15. In that he was esteemed for a very learned Man and was Religious in his outward conversation he wrote many things of which much is lost Peter Lombard Bishop of Paris at this time followed the footsteps of his Brorher Gratian and gathered the sum of Divinity into four Books of Sentences out of the writings of the Fathers Pezel Mellif Hist and he is called The Master of the Sentences Gratian compiled the Pope's decrees or the Canon-Law These two Brethren were the greatest doers in finding out and establishing the blind opinion of the Sacrament that the only similitude of Bread and Wine remained but not the substance of them and this they call the spiritual understanding of the mystery Lombard's Sentences were authorized as the Text in all Schools and to the end that no man from thenceforth should search antiquity and truth any more from Fathers or Councils under no less danger than guiltiness of Heresie Hear what Cornelius Agrippa saith of this Scholastick Theology It is saith he of the kind of Centaures Cornel. Agripp de vanit scient ca. 97. a two-fold Discipline blown up by the Sorbon of Paris with a kind of mixture of Divine Oracles and Philosophical reasonings written after a new form and far different from the Antient Customs by questions and sly syllogismes without all ornament of Language c. He addeth that the faculty of Scholastick Divinity is not free from errour and wickedness These cursed Hypocrites and bold Sophists have brought in so many Heresies which preach Christ not of good will as St. Paul saith but of contention so that there is more agreement among Philosophers than among these Divines who have extinguished antient Divinity with humane opinions and new errours Bartholomew Gravius a Printer at Lovain in his Preface before his Edition of these Sentences telleth us that he had a purpose to reduce all the Testimonies unto the first Fountains sincerely but to his grâ—â—t admiration he was told by the Masters there it could not be so because albeit in their Editions innumerable places were corrected yet many errours were as yet remaining and these not little ones And not a few things in the Edition at Paris were changed not according to the truth of the old Books but in conjecture yea and oft-times the old words were corrupted through an immoderate desire of amending and in many places the worse was put for the better c. And seeing these Books have been so often changed little credit can be given to any of their late Editions and that even the Master himself had not written soundly according to the Fathers which he citeth Century XIII ALegat came into France and commanded King Philip upon pain of Interdiction to deliver one Peter out of Prison that was Elected to a Bishoprick and thereupon he was delivered In the Year 1203.
all that hath been done And whosoever believeth otherwise We judge them Hereticks Given at Lateran the fourth of the Nones of December in the sixth year of our Popedom Unto this Letter of the Pope King Philip makes Answer in manner as followeth Philip by the Grace of God King of France to Boniface calling himself the Soveraign Bishop little or no health Let thy foolishness know that in Temporal things we are subject to no Man and that the Gifts of Prebends and Benefices made and to be made by Vs were and shall be good both in time past and to come and that We will defend manfully the possessour of the said Benefices and We think them that believe or think otherwise fools and mad-men Given at Paris the Wednesday after Candlemas Anno 1301. After these and other Writings had passed to and fro between the French King and the Pope within a year and an half after the King summoneth a Parliament sending down his Letters to his Sheriffs and other Officers to summon the Prelates and Barons of the Realm unto the said Court of Parliament according to the Tenour of the King's Letters Patents Then William Nagaretta Knight and professour of the Laws Vid. Fox Act Monum Tom. 1. p. 448. made a large Declaration and appeal against Pope Boniface VIII at Paris before the King and his Council He taxeth Boniface to be an Intruder into the Papacy that entring not in at the door he is to be judged a Thief and a Robber He declares him to be guilty of many Heresies and to be an horrible Simoniack He chargeth him with cursing and blasphemy a blood-thirsty man a destroyer of the Churches one that is very greedy after gold and rooted in all sins that he is the Abomination of Desolation described by Daniel the Prophet Then he thus speaks to King Philip I beseech you my Lord and King that you would declare thus much to the Prelates Doctors People and Princes your Brethren in Christ and chiefly to the Cardinals and all Prelates and call a Council In the which when the aforesaid Boniface is condemned by the worthy Cardinals the Church may be provided of a Pastor And I beseech and require the said Cardinals by you and I require them and the Church of God that this wicked Man being put in prison the Church of Rome may be provided of a Vicar which may minister those things that shall appertain until the Church of God be provided of a Bishop utterly to take away all occasion of Schism After this protestation of Nagaretta immediately ensued the Appeal of the King pronounced and published against the said Boniface The manner and form is set down at large by Mr. Fox Act Monum Tom. 1. p. 449. 450. This was done Anno 1303. Indictione prima June 13. on the 14 th day of the same Month of June the aforesaid King Philip being present and also the Lords Arch Bishops Bishops Abbots Priors and many witnesses being present William of Plesiano Knight objected propounded affirmed and read out of a certain paper which he held in his hand divers Articles against Pope Boniface to the number of thirty charging him with denying the immortality of the Soul with asserting that Whoredom is no sin charging him with Witch-craft Simony Sodomy Murther Oppression Bribery Adultery and many other detestable sins These things being thus read and done King Philip answered and his Appeal is as followeth We Philip by the Grace of God hearing and understanding the Objections propounded by our beloved and faithful Knight W. of Nagaretta against Boniface having now the Regiment of the Romish Church c. We earnestly beseech and require in the Bowels of Jesus Christ you Arch-Bishops and other Prelates here present as Children of the Church and pillars of the Faith that you would labour the calling and assembling of a Council in which We intend to be personally present c. Then the Arch-Bishops Bishops Abbots and Priors answered the premisses provoked and Appealed c. And made an Appellation Agreement and protestation as was contained in a certain paper there openly and plainly read in Tenour and Form following We Arch-Bishops of Nicosen Remen Senorem Narbon and Bishops of Landviren Belnacen Carolacen Antisidore Meldimen Nurmen Chartres Orleans Anjou Constance with many others And we Abbots of Clugny Proemonstrator of the greater Monastery of the Court of St. Denis in France St. Victor St. Genoveue St. Martin c. and Fryar Hugh Visitor of the Houses of the Order of Knights of St. John of Jerusalem in France and the Father Prior of St. Martin in the fields c. Hearing these things which were said propounded and objected yesterday and to day by you the Lords Earls and Wil. aforesaid against Pope Boniface VIII c. We answer you our Lord and King and you our Lords Earls and William that the Honour and Reverence of the Holy Romish Church salved in all points we agree to your due Request in this behalf for the calling of the Council and are ready to assist to the calling together of the said Council according to the Decrees of the Holy Fathers and to the lawful Orders of the Canons not intending by any means to make parties of this matter nor to stick to any that maketh parties And lest we should be hindred by any means by the said Boniface by Excommunication suspension interdiction deposing deprivation c. And that we may sit in the same Council to judge and do all other things that belong to the Office of Prelates that We our friends our subjects Parish-Churches c. may remain safe We provoke and Appeal in Writing to the aforesaid Council that is to be gathered and to him that shall be the true and lawful highest Bishop and to him or them to whom of right we should Appeal and do earnestly require our Appellations committing us our Parish-Churches and them that stick to us our state and theirs c. to the godly defence of the aforesaid Council and of him that shall be true and lawful highest Bishop And we protest to renew this Appellation where when and before whom it shall be thought meet This was done at Paris at Lupara in the Chamber of the King many Lords and Earls Knights and Clerks and others being Witnesses After these things thus in the Parliament decreed and agreed the Prelates consulting with themselves what to do in so doubtful a matter and dreading the Pope's displeasure for what was now done to clear themselves to the Pope partly to certifie him what was done and partly also to admonish him what he should do sent this ensuing Letter to him thus directed To their most Holy Father and dearest beloved Lord Boniface the chief Bishop of the Holy Romish Church and the Universal Church his humble and devout Arch-Bishops Abbots Priors Conventuals Deans Provosts Chapters Covents and Colledges of the Cathedral and Collegiat Churches Regular and Secular of all the Realm of
all kind of Judgements he should will and command equity and mercy 4. That throughout his whole Territory and jurisdiction he should labour to exterminate and cut off from the Church the noted Hereticks They argue also that by the possessions of the Church many Brethren and Kinsmen of the French Nobility be maintained Ergo such possessions are not to be grudged at And because a Bill of many Articles was exhibited whereof part did infringe the whole Ecclesiastical jurisdiction to the defence thereof they said they would stand to the death On the next Friday following being Decemb. 29. the Prelates assembled themselves again together at the King's Palace in Paris where the Lord Peter Bertrand Bishop of Eduen spake openly before the King sitting with his Counsellours and Barons about him In his speech he extolled the King's person and his miraculous attaining to the Crown of France adding that he ought to be the Champion and Defender of the Faith all which he proved in few words by many reasons and Authorities Afterwards he touched those propositions which were propounded by the aforesaid Lord Peter de Cugneriis He besought the King for his Souls health to maintain the rights and liberties of the Church desiring him to consider what commodities he daily receiveth by the Church and that his Church never failed him yet when he had need of the Laity shewing the dangers and examples of them who did to the contrary Further he entreated the King to weigh how entirely his Lord the Pope doth love his person and Realm After this in the said Session the aforesaid Bishop of Edven answered particularly to the Articles exhibited by the Lord Peter in writing to the King and Parliament Which because they touch more the subtilty of the Law and stiles of the Courts than are necessary to this our History and because I would not burthen this Treatise with them little profit being contained in them I have here purposely for brevities sake omitted them The next Friday after this the Prelates assembled at Vicenas before the King to hear their answer Where the aforesaid Peter de Cugneriis being Prolucutor for the King said that their King was to keep the rights of the Church and Prelates which they had by Law and by good aâ—d reasonable custom where between the first and second conclusion he went about to prove that the cognition of civil causes ought not to appertain to the Church for that such things were Temporal and ought to pertain to the Temporalty as Spiritual things to the Spiritualty And besides his other reasons he alledged the 86. Distinct declaring that for this intent the Clerks Crowns were first shaven in sign that they should be free from all worldliness and forsake all Temporal things He added that their Lord and King was ready to hear them who would instruct him of any custom and those customs which were good and reasonable he would observe The Bishop Edven answered for all the Prelates saying that the words of the Lord Peter engendred darkness and obscurity and might give occasion to the Temporal Lords to break and infringe the Rites and Customs of the Church As to that which was spoken concerning the shaving of the crown it was answered that the crown did betoken rule and excellency and the shaving did signifie that they ought not to heap up Temporal things so as to apply their hearts thereunto but that the Temporal things ought to be subject to them and not they to the Temporalty After divers other speeches the said Bishop concluded and besought the King that it would please his Grace to give them a more plain and comfortable Answer and that they might not go away sad and pensive out of his presence whereby occasion might be given to the Laity to impugn the Rites and Liberties of the Church In the end it was answered to them in the behalf of the King that his mind and intent was not to impugn the Customs of the Church The Sunday following the Bishops assembled themselves again before the King at Vicenas where the Bishop of Senon in the name of all the Prelates gave humble thanks for it and he besought that such Proclamations as were made to the prejudice of the Ecclesiastical jurisdiction might be revoked and repealed Hereunto the King himself answered with his own mouth that they were not published at his commandement neither did he know of them nor ratifie them Moreover the Bishop proposed that those abuses which the Temporalty complained of should be so ordered and reformed that every man should be content therewith Finally he besought the King that he would give them a fuller and more comfortable answer Then answered the Lord Peter in the name of the King That if the Prelates and Bishops would see reformation of those things which were to be amended about which he would take respite betwixt this and Christmas next following his Majesty would innovate nothing in the mean time And if in the aforesaid space they would not correct and reform what was amiss his Majesty would appoint such order and remedy that should be acceptable both to God and his Subjects Then the Prelates had leave of the King to depart and went hoâ—â—e A brief recapitulation of Bishop Edven's answer with certain notes in answer to his Popish reasons may be read in the Acts and Monuments of the Church p. 476. 477. The Ecclesiastical Judges have since that time attempted to usurp this jurisdiction over the Laity in case of Adultery c. but the complaint which was made of it by Peter de Cugneriis In Libr. compos super facto Praelator on the behalf of the King's Judges which we may read at this day extant did put an end to that trouble And always whatsoever the Clergy attempted to meddle in such matters they have been prohibited by the Parliaments upon Appeals as from abuses which have been put in against their decrees Pope Clement had promised unto King Philip to abolish the memory of Pope Boniface VIII and to anull all his Acts but by advice of Cardinal Pratensis he delayed unto a general Council and this he summoned to be held at Vienna in France Naucler p. 872. and 878. where the King required from the Pope the performance of his promise The Council did acknowledge Boniface to have been a lawful Pope but they did declare all his Acts against the King to have been unjust and that none of them should be prejudicial to the King or to his Successours In this Council the Pope propounded the aid of the Christians in Syria the punishment of the Templars and the reformation of the Church Wars were proclaimed and Indulgences were offered in these words We Will that the punishment of Hell be no way laid upon him who is signed with the Cross granting also unto every signed person power to pull three or four Souls out of Purgatory at their pleasure Hereat the Divines of Paris were offended because it
Robert a French-man by name and Nation a Franciscan by profession the longer he was in that Order he loved the Fryars the worse A Treatise in his name is Printed with the Prophecies of Hildegardis Pope Clement VI. sent a Letter to the King of England in behalf of the French-men whilst he lay at the siege of Calais which siege he continued from the third of September Anno 1346. till the third day of August next ensuing upon which day it was yielded up to the said King Edward and subdued unto the Crown of England The King of England returneth an answer to the aforesaid Letter of the Pope Then by the intercession of two Cardinals Ambaldus and Stephanus a Truce was concluded betwixt England and France for a time In the year 1350. dyed Philip King of France after whom succeeded his Son John in the Kingdom Petrarch Epist 18. Petrarcha vir omnium soeculorum memoria dignissimus Pignor Symbol Epist 14. At this time flourished Francis Petrarch a Florentine Arch-Deacon of Parma a sententious Poet and Oratour He calleth Rome the Whore of Babylon the School and Mother of Errour the Temple of Heresie the nest of Treachery and seemeth plainly to affirm that the Pope was Antichrist declaring that no greater evil could happen to any Man than to be made Pope In one of his Epistles he directeth his Speech to Babylon in France that is to Avignon thus Shall I call thee a famous or infamous Whore who hast plaid the Harlot with the Kings of the Earth Indeed thou art the same that the Evangelist saw in the Spirit sitting upon many Waters the people and the Nations are the Waters upon which thou fittest Whore know thy habit a Woman cloathed in purple and Scarlet and Gold and pretious Stones having a Golden Cup in her hand full of abomination and uncleanness of Fornication Dost thou not know thy self Babylon unless that deceive thee which is written in her Fore-head Great Babylon and thou art little Babylon little indeed in compass of Walls but in vices and compass of infinite lusts and passions and multitude of all evils thou art greatest And what followeth agreeth unto thee and no other Babylon the Mother of Fornications and abominations of the Earth If thou wilt yet dissemble mark what followeth And I saw the Woman drunken with the Blood of the Saints and with the Blood of the Witnesses of Jesus Why art thou silent either shew another drunken with this Blood or deny that thou art drunken if thou canst for the Vision must be true The life of Petrarch is written by Papirius Massonus Many resorted to him from France and all Italy About this time Hayabad a Franciscan preached in Avignon before Pope Clement that he was commanded by God to declare Catal. Test verit li. 8. that the Church of Rome is the Whore of Babylon and that the Pope and his Cardinals are the very Antichrist and that his predecessours Benedict and John are condemned When the Pope challenged him he said he was commanded in a Vision to speak so and therefore he durst not fail to speak it John Rochetalada another Franciscan preached the same and is said to be one of them who were burnt at Avignon Anno 1353. At the same time Gregory de Arimino opposed the Doctors in the Articles of Justification by works and of free will At Paris he taught that man hath free will to do evil but no good without special grace and that we are justified by Faith only And he said the Schoolmen deserve to be called Semipelagians Andreas de Castro and John Buridan two famous Men at that time agreed with him Then Eudo Duke of Burgundy perswaded the French King that he should not receive into his Realm the new Decretals and Extravagants His sage advice is extant among the Records of France A new War arose between King John of France and Edward the third King of England The Pope sent the Cardinal of Peregort to these two Princes being ready to fight to calm this storm John being the stronger demanded that Edward should give him four Hostages and as one vanquished should remain at his mercy and discretion Edward was content to yield up all that he had taken from him but without any blemish to his honour Edward encourageth himself and prepares to fight the French and vanquisheth them at Poictiers King John is taken prisoner and his Son Philip by Edward the Black Prince Son to Edward the third King of England they are brought to Burdeaux and from thence sent into England where they are lodged in the City of London in the Duke of Lancaster's house under a sure Guard Many others of the Nobles of France were also taken Captive 1700 Gentlemen were slain in this Battle among which were 52 Lords King John continued five years a prisoner for he was taken in September Anno 1356. and delivered in May Anno 1361. There hapned in France a certain contention between the French Prelates and the Fryars of Paris The French Prelates assembling in the City of Paris caused by the Bedles to be called together all the Students Masters and Batchellors of every faculty with the chief heads of all the Religious Houses and Fryars of the University of Paris Who being all congregated in the Bishop of Paris his house where there were present four Arch-Bishops and twenty Bishops the Bishop of Biture preached to the Students of Paris against the Fryars He told them that true charity would compel them to provide for their flocks to withstand errours that they were bound to give their lives for the flock committed to their charge That no Man ought to busie himself with what belonged not to his Office For thereby saith he all Ecclesiastical Order is dissolved He shewed how the Dominican and Franciscan Fryars did usurp what belonged to the Prelates They charged the Fryars for preaching against their wills throughout all their Diocesses and for hearing confessions saying that they have the Pope's priviledge to bear them out therein Then stood up another in the publick place and read the priviledges of both the orders and afterwards read the constitution of Pope Innocent III. written in the fifth of the Decretals Which constitution was repugnant and contrary to the aforesaid priviledges Then rose up the Bishop of Ambian a great Lawyer who discoursing from Article to Article there proved by good Law that the said constitution stood in it's full force and vigour and ought not to be infringed by the Fryars priviledges in any part and therefore by vertue of that constitution the Fryars ought not so misorderly to hear confessions enjoyn pennance and preach in Churches without special licence of the Bishop of the Diocess and leave from the Curate of the Parish unto whose words none of the Fryars replyed at that time So the Bishop proceeding to the conclusion desired the University to assist them in that case wherein they were all determined to stand
Jacob. Mejer in annalib rerum Flandricarum would not suffer the Arch-Bishops and Bishops of Rhemes Rhoan Sens Paris Beauvis and some others to assist there because they were Benedict's partizans by reason of the great courtesies they had received either from him or his predecessour In a Decree made February 18. 1406. we find a complaint by Charles VI. They take occasion to reserve the First-fruits in the vacancies and to extort great sums of Money whereby the Kingdom is exhausted and to thrust themselves upon the Popedom for to enrich both them and theirs And when there is any question saith he of preferring men to elective dignities they never used those ways which ought to be observed and which are appointed to examine and try them Whence it comes to pass that it being not possible that the Pope should know all Men and the state of the Churches he admits divers into those dignities who are unworthy of them and sometimes such as are unknown to him but by their money He addeth They insert divers clauses in their Bulls which are sometimes inextricable they make divers Rules besides the Law or else quite against Law which they revoke at their pleasure insomuch that the most clear-sighted cannot discern who hath best right among divers pretenders Hence arise infinite Suits in Law which they must prosecute out of the Kingdom with great expence and charges In another Decree made the same year he accounts this among other extortions Imposing Tenths and other Subsidies at their pleasure without ever consulting the rest of the Bishops about it in the raising whereof there is no mean observed either of Justice or equity It was then ordained that none should pay Tythes to Popes nor Cardinals And in another Decree made in March Anno 1408. mention is made of certain presidents by Charles VI. established at a Council at Paris Not long ago saith he it was proposed and demanded by our Attorney-General at a Council holden at Paris consisting of the Bishops and Clergy of the Churches within our Kingdom and Daulphiny where our Cousin Lewes King of Sicily our eldest Son Duke of Aquitain and Viennois the Duke of Bourges our Vnckle by the Father's side the Duke of Burgundy our Cousin and the Duke of Burbon our Vnckle by the Mother's side did preside for us that the Pope 's exactions and other grievances formerly rehearsed might be utterly abolished We read of another Decree made afterwards wherein complaint is made by the same King Charles VI. That an infinite deal of Gold and Silver and Rents were transported out of the Kingdom and the Province of Daulphinè to the prejudice of the antient Customs and the undoing of the Realm to the irreparable loss and damage of the Common-wealth and the miserable desolation of the Churches as well such as were of Royal Foundation as others And elsewhere he complaineth That certain Collectors and other the Pope of Rome 's Officers particularly for his Moneys have of late oppressed the Church and Church-men of our Realm and Province of Daulphinè by an insufferable slavery in seizing upon the Goods of the Bishops and Clergy-men both Regulars and Seculars presently upon their Decease An Edict was made discharging the payment of Annates Pope Vrban VI. being dead in Rome after he had managed the Popedom for eleven years with little satisfaction either to the people or Clergy the Cardinals created Boniface the ninth in the 33. year of his Age who shewed much prudence in the whole course of his Papacy He sate fourteen years and nine months and dyed Anno 1405. Guilel Noubrigensis li. 4. ca. 1. King Charles VI. bestirred himself to remove the schism which was between Benedict XIII and Boniface IX and to dispose all the Princes of Christendom for the same design according to the Testimony of an English Historian He heard with patience saith he the Legates of either Pope but by the advice of his Divines he would not submit himself neither to the one nor to the other He rather thought on a means whereby he might relieve the Church by removing out of her all matter of dissention Having therefore sent his Ambassadours to the Emperour as also to the Kings of England Bohemia and Hungary he conjured them not to be wanting to the publick good and tranquillity He perswaded Wenceslaus the Emperour to come to Rhemes where a general Council was held on that occasion I find another Ordinance of the same King Charles VI. made by the counsel and assistance of the Lords and Clergy of France Vid. Libell de Eccles Gallic in Schismat p. 15. wherein he saith That the Royal power is ordained of God for the preservation of the Church and that the Kingdom of Heaven increaseth by means of the Earthly Kingdom when those which destroy the Church are crushed by the rigour of Princes That the sacred Canons will have recourse to be made unto Princes when such things are committed by great men in the Church and that according to the opinion of Holy Doctours the Pope ought not to be obeyed in such things wherein the state of the Church is notoriously disturbed And in another Ordinance of April 17. 1410. These things being considered that it belongs unto us who are the Guardian Protector and Defender of the Churches of our Kingdom and of Daulphinè and who have ratified and approved the Statutes and Ordinances aforesaid made in the Council aforesaid to cause all this and all that followeth upon it to be kept inviolable c. There is an Arrest of the Parliament of Paris toward the latter end of this King's Reign wherein it is said that Pope Benedict and his Officers should from thenceforth give over and abstain from the exaction of Annates in the Kingdom of France and the County of Daulphinè The same Charles VI. being excommunicated by Benedict the XIII put the bearers of his Bulls to the * Armende honoraire So they call this ignominious kind of punishment Honourable Amends making them to be carried in Tumbrels apparelled in painted Coats with paper Mitres upon their heads and the Pope's Bull represented in their hands and his Arms reversed All which was done by the advice of his Princes Lords and the Prelates and other Ecclesiasticks of his Kingdom together with the Parliament and University of Paris as appeareth by the Acts published concerning this particular After the death of Pope Boniface IX the Cardinals created Cosmo di Sulmona Pope who took the name of Innocent VII he lived but two years after and dyed in a time when all Italy was in an ill condition Whilst this schism continued Three Princes in France who by reason of the King's indisposition did then govern that Kingdom viz. the Dukes of Berry of Burgundy and of Orleans went all of them together to Pietro di Luna who was called Benedict XIII to Avignon beseeching him to provide against this disorder by renouncing the Papacy urging that it was
and wicked example He was a Man of great Learning and worthy to be had in perpetual memory for this cause especially that He and Cardinal Bellay Leigh's Treatise of Religion and Learning l. 3. c. 8. Bishop of Paris did counsel and perswade this King Francis to do a most noble Act that is to appoint great stipends for the Readers of Tongues and good Arts in Paris Buchanan hath this distich of him Gallia quod Graeca est quod Graecia Barbara non est Buchan li. 2. Epigram Vtraque Budaeo debet utrumque suo Stephanus Paschasius in his Icones hath these Verses of him Et Latiae nobis debent Graiaeque Camenae Laudem utram quaeras magnus utraque fui He dyed at Paris Anno 1539. The several courses King Francis took for the restoring of Learning in France Antoin du Verdier mentions in his learned preface to his Bibliotheque and in his Book he saith he was deservedly called The Father of Learning because he founded Colleges in Paris for the instructing of youth in the Hebrew Greek and Latin Tongues and gathered together Learned men of good life out of all parts of the World to read publickly in the University of Paris Thevet and Postellus travelled into the East to procure him rare Books for his Library Through long use and custom he had acquired much knowledge for Dining and Supping his talk was commonly of Learning and that most eagerly using many years for the same purpose James Coline a Learned man and in the vulgar Tongue most eloquent and after him Peter Castellan Of these two he had learned whatsoever was written in the Books of Poets Historiographers and Cosmographers Moreover he attained to a perfect knowledge of whatsoever Aristotle Theophrastus Leigh of Relig. and Learn Pliny and such other like have written of the nature of Plants Herbs Beasts Mettals pretious Stones and by daily use and hearing did remember them He used also to confer much of the Mathematical Sciences and often to reason out of the Scriptures In his own Tongue he was always accounted right grave and eloquent Throughout Greece and Italy Sleid. Comment li. 19. p. 283. he had those that sought and copied out for him the works of old Writers and he made a great Library the keeper whereof was Castellan William Bellay was a man of much honour and vertue and a special Ornament of the French Nobility by reason of his notable Learning Eloquence Experience and singular Dexterity in all affairs Andrew Thevet was Cosmographer to the King of France He hath written an Universal Cosmography in French in two Tomes in Royal paper in which he doth not only rehearse what he learned from the Books of others but what himself had seen by travelling almost over the World and by viewing all the Seas so that some think there is no thing more learned and more orderly disposed He hath also written Les vies des hommes illustres the lives of Illustrious men in French in a great Folio with their pourtraicts Bibliand de at Comm. on n. lingu William Postellus was a good Linguist but he was little better than mad for he held that Adam's Soul was in him with many other gross opinions Bibliander makes honourable mention of him because he was the first Christian man that published the rudiments of the Arabick Grammar There are these works of his De Linguarum 12 Differentium Alphab Clavis absconditorum aeternae veritatis De Phaenicum Lit. De Orbis Terrae Concordiâ De Etruriae Origine Peter Castellan was Bishop of Orleans a Man highly esteemed in France at this time for his excellent Learning Turâ—eb advers li. 24. He hath written four Books de esu carnium Marguerite Queen of Navarr was Sister to Francis the first There are her Memoires In the Epistle to the Reader are these words Que Rome vante taut qu' il luy plaira les Commentaires de son premier Empereur La France a maintenant les Memoires d'une grande Roine qui ne leur cedent en rien Her poetical works are joyned together Clandius Espencaeus a Doctor of Sorbon flourished at this time None of the Divines of Paris had a greater concourse of all Degrees and was more admired for his frequent Sermons to the people than He. There are many questions concerning Religion discussed by him in Latin and French with great subâ—ilty He was very eloquent His Commentaries upon Timothy and Titus are well approved In his Comment on Titus he proves by many good Authorities that Clergy-men are subject to Secular Princes and owe all honour unto them as to their Lords On the same Epistle he sets down a List of the many tricks and devices of the Court and Chancery of Rome invented meerly for catching of Money where he puts in among the rest expectative graces or reversions secret reservations bestowing of Benefices upon the first comer uniting of many Benefices to one Chappel Prebend or other Benefice Mandates preventions propinations small or ordinary services conditional resignations detaining of all the revenue in lieu of pension and a number of such like things which were not heard of for a long time in the Church and which would be strange news to Peter and Paul if they should come into the World again This learned Divine hath spoken much of these things And those that desire further to be informed herein I will refer to the Book entitled Taxa Cancellariae Apostolicae Printed at Paris by Toussaint Denis Anno 1520. And yet this is nothing in comparison of the Penitentiary Tax Printed with the same book where every sin every crime how hainous soever hath it's price set so that to have a License and impunity for sinning there needs no more but to be rich to have a pasport to Paradise both for a man's self and for his misdeeds But that which might make Rome blush if there were any shame in her brow is that pardons and indulgences are denyed to the poor and indigent who are not of means sufficient to raise these criminal and incestuous impositions It may seem that the Bull of Pope Leo X. added at the end of the Concordat and confirmed by the Letters of King Francis I. hath derogated from the Pragmatick Sanction But that Bull was never received and approved in France Petr. Rebuff in Concord Rubric de mâ—ndat Apostol as Mr. Peter Rebuffus doth testifie This constitution saith he as being about a money-mater was never received by the Inhabitants of this Kingdom Nor is it comprehended within the Concordate nor the King's Declaration concerning it verified in the Court of Parliament In the year 1516. Pope Leo X. under pretext of collecting money to wage War against the Turk sent Indulgences through all Christendom granting pardon of sins both for guilt and punishment unto all which would give Money Tecelius exposeth these Indulgences to sale in Germany and Luther writeth against the abuses of them some write
1547. 27. Michael Mareschal John Camus Great John Camus John Serarphin were burnt the same year in Paris 28. Octavian Blundel a Merchant of precious Stones at Paris was also burnt for his profession Anno 1548. 29. Hubert Burre a young Man a Taylor of nineteen years was burned for the Gospel at Diion 30. Florent Venote a Priest at Paris after four years and nine hours imprisonment having endured many torments at last when there was a great Show in Paris at the King 's coming into the City and divers other Martyrs in sundry places of the City were put to death he having his Tongue cut out was brought to see the execution of them all and last of all was burnt in the place of Maulbert Anno 1549. 31. Ann Aubert a Widow at Orleans Anno 1549. going to Geneva was taken and brought to Paris and by the Council there judged to be burnt at Orleans 32. A poor Taylor at Paris dwelling in St. Anthonie's street who boldly defended the Gospel before the King and his Nobles he was burnt in the presence of the King his strength and courage in suffering did greatly astonish the King and others Anno 1549. 33. Claudius Thierry was apprehended coming from Geneva and was burned at Orleans Anno 1549. 34. Leonard Galimard was burnt at Paris the same year 35. Macoeus Morcou was burnt in Troyes Anno 1549. 36. John Godeau and Gabriel Beraudinus were burnt at Chamberiace 37. Thomas Sanpaulinus after cruel wracking was burnt in Paris Anno 1551. 38. Maurice Secenate was burnt in Provence Anno 1551. Joannes de puteo sir-named Medicus was also burnt at Vzez in Provence the same year 39. Claudius Monerius was burnt at Lyons he was meek and learned some of his Judges wept at his death while he was in prison he wrote certain Letters but one especially very comfortable to all the faithful He also wrote the questions and interrogatories of the official with his answers likewise to the same which being summarily contracted you may read in Mr. Fox Act. and Monument Vol. 2. p. 137. 40. Renate Poyet Son of William Poyet which was Chancellour of France for the sincere profession of the Gospel was burnt at the City of Saulmure Anno 1552. 41. John Joyer and a young Man his Servant were burnt at Tholouse 42. Hugh Gravier a School-master and after Minister of Cortillon was burnt at Burge in Bresse a days Journey from Lyons Martial Alba Peter Scriba Bernard Seguine Charles Faber Peter Navihere five Students of the University of Lausanna were burnt at Lyons Anno 1553. Peter Bergerius shortly after suffered the same Martyrdom at Lyons Stephen Peloquine and Dyonisius Peloquine Brethren suffered at Ville Franche about Lyons in the same year 43. Lewes Marsacus Michael Gerard Stephen Granot suffered also at Lyons Anno 1553. Matthew Dimonet Merchant suffered there also At his burning he spake much to the people and was heard with great attention 44. William Neele an Austin Fryar suffered at Eureux in France Simon Laloe at Diion The Executioner called Justus Silvester seeing the faith and constancy of Laloe was converted and he with all his Family removed to the Church of Geneva 45. Nicholas Nayle a Shoo-maker was burnt at Paris and Peter Serre a Priest was burnt at Tholouse Anno 1553. 46. Stephen King and Peter Denocheus were burnt at Chartres Anno 1553. 47. Antonius Magnus was burnt at Paris Anno 1554. 48. William Alencon a Bookseller and a certain Clothworker were burnt at Montpelliers Anno 1554. 49. Paris Panier a godly Lawyer for constant profession of the Gospel was beheaded at Dola Anno 1554. 50. Peter du Vall Shoo-maker after grievous wrackings was burnt at Nismes Anno 1554. 51. John Filieul Carpenter Julian le ville Point-maker were burnt at Sanserre Anno 1554. 52. Dyonisius Vayre leaving his Popish Priesthood went to Geneva where he learnt the Art of Book binding and many times brought Books into France Afterwards in the Reign of Edward VI. King of England he preached the word in Jersey but after his death thinking to return again to Geneva he came with his Books into Normandy unto a Town called Fueille where he was taken with his Books and after the suffering most cruel torments was burnt at Rhoan 53. Thomas Calbergn at Tourney was burnt Anno 1554. 54. Richard Feurus a Goldsmith born at Rhoan after he had been in London where he first tasted of the Gospel he went to Geneva where he remained nine or ten years From thence returning to Lyons he was apprehended and condemned Then he appealed to the High Court at Paris where in the way as he was led to Paris he was met by certain whom he knew not and by them taken from his Keepers and so set at liberty Anno 1551. After that continuing at Geneva for the space of three years he came into Daulphinè and there as he found fault with the Grace said in Latin he was detected and apprehended The next day he was sent to the Justice from him to the Bishop who ridding their hands of him he was brought to the Lieutenant who sent his Advocate with a Notary to him in Prison to examine him of his Faith for which I shall refer the Reader to Mr. Fox Act. and Monum Vol. 2. p. 146. 147. 148. He was sent back to the Bishop's prison and from thence shortly after to Lyons where he had his Tongue cut out and then was burnt 55. Nicholas du Chesne suffered at Ory near Bizancon Anno 1554. 56. John Bertrand Keeper of the Forrest of Marchenoir was burnt at Blois Anno 1556. 57. Peter Rousseau after three wrackings had his Tongue cut out and a ball of Iron put in his mouth He was drawn upon an Hurdle all broken to the fire where he was lifted up into the Air and let down thrice And when he was half burnt the ball fell from his mouth and he with a loud voice called on the name of God saying Jesus Christ assist me so he dyed 58 Arnold Moniere and John de Cazes were burnt at Bourdeaux Anno 1556. 59. Philip Cone James his fellow Archambant Seraphon Mr. Nicholas du Rousseau were burnt at Diion Anno 1557. 60. Philip Hamlin suffered at Bourdeaux 61. Nicholas Sartorius at Oest near Piedmont Anno 1557. 62. George Tardiff with one of Tours a Broiderer Nicholas a Shoo-maker at Jenvile suffered at Tours I must now return back to the Reign of King Francis I. The Lutherans having presented a confession of their Faith the Princes of Germany being assembled before the Emperour in a Hall Anno 1530 capable to receive 200 persons Hist Concil Trident. li. 1. it was read with a loud voice And the Cities which followed the Doctrine of Zuinglius presented apart the confession of their Faith not differing from the former but only in the point of the Eucharist The confession of the Princes was afterwards from this place called the Augustan Confession The Pope's Legate would not censure
Lions Bourges and Orleans surrender to the King On the 22. of March the Parliament the Provost of Merchants and the Sheriffs having disposed the City of Paris received the King maugre the vain endeavours of some remnant of the faction of the Sixteen The Duke of Mayenne was gone into Picardy and Brissac to whom he had committed the Government of Paris for some Months past having taken it from the Count of Belin broke his faith with him believing he ought it rather to the King than to him The King had a little before caused himself to be anointed at Chartres with the Cruise of St. Martin of Tours The City of Rhemes was yet in the hands of the League but he would no longer defer his Coronation because he knew that That Ceremony was absolutely necessary to confirm to him the affection and respect of his people It was wonderful how that there being four or five thousand Spaniards engarrisoned in Paris and ten or twelve thousand factious persons of the Cabal of the Sixteen who all cruelly hated the King he could nevertheless render himself Master of it without striking stroak or without shedding blood His Troops having by intelligence seized on the Gates Ramparts and publick places he entred triumphantly into the City by the new Gate by which Henry III. had unhappily fled six years before and went directly to Nostredame to hear Mass and cause Te Deum to be sung Afterwards he returned to the Louvre where he found his Officers and his Dinner ready as if he had alwaies remained there After Dinner he gave the Spanish Garrison a safe-conduct and a good Convoy to conduct them as far as the Tree of Guise in all security The Garrison departed about three a clock the same day of his entrance with twenty or thirty of the most obstinate Leaguers who chose rather to follow Strangers than obey their natural Prince The same day that he entred into Paris the Cardinal de Peleve Archbishop of Sens a passionate Leaguer expired in his Palace of Sens. The Cardinal of Placentia Legate from the Pope had safe-conduct to retire home but he died by the way Brissac for recompence had the Staff of Mareschal and a place of honourable Counsellour to the Parliament D' O was replaced in his Government of Paris which he had under Henry III. but he died soon after That part of the Parliament which was at Tours was recalled and that which was at Paris re-inabled for it had been interdicted and both re-united conjointly to serve the King By noon of that day in which the King entred Paris the City was every where peaceable the Burgesses in a moment grew familiar with the Souldiers the shops were opened and the Artificers wrought in them And the calm was so great that nothing interrupted it but the ringing of the Bells the Bonfires and the Dances which were made through the Streets even till midnight Balagny with his City of Cambray turns to the King's side In like manner Amiens Beauvais and Peronne renounced the League Yea the Duke of Guise compounds with the King and brings the Cities of Rhemes Vitry and Mezieres under his obedience who in recompence of it gave him the Government of Provence from which he was obliged to withdraw the Duke of Espernon because the people the Parliament and the Nobility had taken Arms against him The Duke of Lorain also made his peace with the King on November 26. Now the Court of Parliament revokes and disannuls all other Decrees Orders or Oaths given or made since the 29. of December 1588. to the prejudice of the King's Authority and the Laws of the Realm And especially they disannulled all that had been done against the honour of the deceased King as well during his life as after his decease commanding to inform of the detestable Parricide committed on his Person and to proceed extraordinarily against such as should be found culpable They revoked the Authority given unto the Duke of Mayenne under the Title of Lieutenant General of the Estate and Crown of France forbidding all men to acknowledge him in that quality or to yield him any aid or obedience upon pain of High-Treason They likewise enjoyned the Duke of Mayenne upon the like pains to acknowledge Henry IV. of that name for King of France and Navarre and their King and to yield him the obedience of faithful Servants and Subjects And to all other Princes Prelates Noblemen GeBtlemen Towns Commonalities and private men to forsake that pretended Faction of the League whereof the Duke of Mayenne had made himself the Head and to yield unto the King obedience and fealty upon pain to the said Princes Noblemen c. to be degraded of their Nobility and Gentry and they and their posterity declared base with confiscation of Bodies and Goods and the razing of their Towns Castles and places that should infringe the King's Ordinances and Commandments Moreover they decreed That the 22. day of March should be for ever celebrated and the same day a general Procession should be made after the accustomed manner where the said Court should assist in their Scarlet Robes as a remembrance to give God thanks for the happy reduction of this said City to the King's obedience Now one John Castel Son of a Merchant-Draper of Paris about the end of the year 1594. having thrust himself with the Courtiers into the Chamber of the fair Gabriella where the King was would have struck him with a knife into the belly but the King then bowing to salute some one the blow chanced on his face only piercing his upper lip and breaking a Tooth It was not known for the present who had struck it but the Count of Soissons seeing this young man affrighted stopt him by the Arm. He impudently confessed that he had given the blow and maintained that he ought to do it The Parliament condemned him to have his right hand burned his flesh torn off with red hot Pincers and after to be torn in pieces by four Horses burnt to ashes and cast into the wind The Jesuites under whom this Miscreant had studied were accused for exciting him to this Parricide Among other things he heard the Fathers of that Society to say That it was lawful to kill the King That he was Excommuncated out of the Church that he was not to be obeyed nor taken for their King until such time as he was allowed by the Pope Therefore the Parliament Decreed That the Priests Scholars and all others terming themselves of that Society of Jesus as corrupters of Youth should depart within three daies after the publication of the said Decree out of Paris and other places where they had Colledges and within fifteen daies out of the Realm upon pain after the same time to be punished as guilty of high Treason The house of Peter Castel the Father of this Parricide standing before the Palace was razed and a Pillar erected containing for a perpetual monument the
his Guard to stay behind Being between the Draw-bridge and the Port a miserable wretch Francis Ravillac born at Angoulesm by Profession a Lawyer watching his opportunity drew near unto the Coach on the right side thinking his Majesty had been ther but seeing he was on the left hand and hearing them command the Coach-man to drive on he went the nearest way by narrow Lanes and met with the Coach again in the Street called Ferroniere near Innocents Church where staying to make way for a Cart to pass the King leaned down on the one side towards the Duke of Espernon pressing him to read a Letter without Spectacles Montbazon with the Mareschal de la Vardin was in one of the Boots who turned toward them and one of the Footmen was busie in tying up his garter on the other side so that this Monster had the opportunity to stab the King in the left Pap but the wound was not great Whereupon crying out O my God I am wounded he gave him a second blow which was mortal the knife entring between the Fifth and Sixth Rib it cut asunder the Vein leading to the heart And the wound was so deep that it entred into Cava Vena the which was pierced wherewith the King did presently spit blood losing all apprehension and knowledge for any thing they could perceive who being carried back into the Louvre was laid upon a Couch in his Cabinâ—â— where presently after he gave up the ghost After whose death the Queen-Mother was declared Regent in France by whose Commandment the King's heart was delivered to the Jesuites to be laid up in their Colledge of la Fleche as the King himself had long before resolved The first Edict at Nantes was also confirmed for the entertainment whereof a Declaration was made by Lewes the young King The Murtherer being arraigned was put to the Rack on May 25. and on the 27. had the Sentence of death given against him His execution was after this manner He was brought out of the Prison in his shirt with a Torch of two pound weight lighted in one hand and the knife wherewith he had murthered the King chained in the other Then was he set upright in a Tumbrel or dung Cart and so he was conducted with a good Guard to our Ladies Church where he did penance After this he was accompanied to the place of Execution by two Doctors of Divinity who still perswaded him to save his soul from everlasting punishment by revealing his Associates the which he would not In this manner he was carried to the Greve where there was a strong Scaffold built for his Execution At his coming up on the Scaffold he crossed himself in token that he died a Papist Then was he bound to an Engine of wood which done his hand with the knife chained to it wherewith he had slain the King was put into a Furnace then flaming with Fire and Brimstone wherein it was in a terrible manner consumed and yet he would not confess any thing but cast forth horrible cries like a soul tormented in Hell Then the Executioners having made Pincers red hot in the same Furnace they did pinch his Paps the brawns of his arms and thighs with the calves of his legs and other fleshy parts of his body pulling out collops of flesh and burning them before his face Then they poured into those wounds scalding Oyl Rozen Pitch and Brimstone melted together After which they set a hard roundel of Clay upon his Navil having an hole in the midst into the which they poured molten Lead yet he revealed nothing but roared out most horribly Then they caused four strong Horses to be brought to tear his Body in pieces But these Horses could not of a long time pull him asundâ—r though another very strong Horse was put in the place of one of the four who strained but faintly until they were constrained to cut the veins under his arms and thighs by which means his body was the easier torn in pieces Then the enraged multitude pulled this dismembred Carkass out of the Executioners hand which they dragged up and down through the dirt and cutting off the flesh with their knives the bones which remained were burnt at the place of execution and the ashes scattered in the wind His Father and Mother were commanded to depart the Land and never to return again His Brethren Sisters Uncles and others his Kinsfolk enjoined to take another Name His goods were declared forfeited to the King and the house where he had been born to be beaten down This wicked Parricide confessed no other motive of his Crime but the Book of Mariana a Spanish Jesuite Which Book by a Decree made by the Colledge of Sorbonne and confirmed by a sentence from the Courts of Parliament was for that cause by a sentence condemned to be publickly burnt before our Ladies Church in Paris After the execution of Ravillac there was a foul imputation laid on the Jesuites and many condemned them as Abettors and favourers of the Murtherers of Princes for which cause Father Cotton employs all his Wit and Eloquence to wipe it off in whose behalf the Bishop of Paris wrote which as a Preface was prefixt before his Declaration and Printed But the Learned Du Moulin put forth that famous Book called Anticoton in which he proved that the Jesuites were Authours of that horrible Parricide Though he put not his name to it yet the Jesuites soon knew that it was his Work and made an answer to it directed unto him because there was in the Anticoton an Anagram of Father Cotton which fathered the King's death upon him thus PIERRE COTON PERCE TON ROY They also made this Anagram upon Du Moulin's name PETRUS DU MOULIN ERIT MUNDO LUPUS With these Verses Petri hostis Petrus christi insidiatur ovili Quo deglubere quo dilaniare queat More Lupi verè Lupus est cui nomen omen Et mores insunt ingeniumque Lupi Which Verses Du Moulin answered thus Quisquis es insulso qui fundis acumine versus Hellespontiaco victima digna Deo Quà m frustrà vacuum scalpsisti sinciput ô quos Risus Hâ—â—rida vox semilatrina movet Dum tua menâ—â—ariè turbata elementa pererrat Et spargis virus nomen in innocuum Quin in hoc casu quaedam est industria dum tu In laudem imprudens nomina nostra trahis Namque Lupo cohibemus equos agitator equorum Improbioris equi comprimit ora lupo Qui in gyrum cogit facilique peritus habenâ Compositos gressus agglomerare docet Ergo lupus mundo est qui fraenans ora lupato Dura per errorum devia monstrat iter Nec mirum si nos Papalis verna culinae Si ciniflo Satanae dixerit esse lupos Cum Christum Satanam Pharisaeus dicat apella Nemo bonus secum mitiùs optet agi Ergo Dei servum vanis latratibus urgens Meque lupum appellans desinat esse canis At this
to the Duke The peace that had been concluded before Montpelier in the year 1622. Vid. The Histâ—ry of the life of the Duke of Espernon part 3. had hitherto continued the affairs of the Kingdom in some repose and although those of the Reformed Religion expressed some dispositions to a new Commotion there was as yet no manifest breach Soubize by an attempt made upon the King 's Shipping at Blavet made the first breach All the rest of the party broke into Arms at the same time and the Duke of Rohan who had long been known to be the Head of that party stirred them into insurrection A promptitude in his Partizans so much the more to be wondered at as he commanded a sort of people whose obedience was only voluntary Montauban was one of the Cities not only of Guienne but also of the whole Kingdom that engaged the deepest in this revolt the Inhabitants whereof by having had a siege raised from before their Walls and by having baffled a Royal Army even when animated by the presence of the King himself began to think themselves invincible and their City a place not to be taken The King therefore sent order to the Duke of Espernon to take Arms which he did and laid waste the Country about Montauban Many smart engagements there were with great loss of men on the side of the besieged who made a vigorous resistance Many lamentable objects were every where to be seen from Picqueros 〈◊〉 place famous for having been the King's quâ—rter during the siege of Montauban and from whence the whole Plain betwixt the Rivers Tarn and Vairan lay open to the view so soon as the obscurity of the night gave colour to the fire that had been kindled by day one might have seen a thousand fires at once the Corn Fruit-trees Vines and houses were the aliments that nourished this flame Soubize in the mean time endeavours to divert the Duke from his enterprize by Landing three thousand five hundred Foot and some few Horse in the lower Gascony in the Country of Medoc This little Country which is almost all the Duke's environs a great part of the Metropolis of Burdeaux extending it self to the very Gates of the City but Soubize was shamefully repulsed his Forces routed the few that escaped the Victors hands with much ado recovered their Ships leaving their dead their Arms Artillery and Baggage as infallible testimonies of a total defeat About the year 1623. the famous Book of Cardinal Du Perron against King James of famous memory came forth That Book was extolled by the Romanists with great brags and praises His Majesty being especially interessed and provoked by that Book was pleased to recommend the confutation of it to his old Champion Dr. Du Moulin who undertook it upon his Majesties Command And that he might attend that work with more help and leisure his Majesty invited him to come into England And together being moved with compassion by the adversities the Doctor had suffered for his sake he offered him a refuge in England promising to take care of him and to employ him in one of his Universities He accepted that Royal favour He set out of Sedan in March 1624. and went to Bruxels and Antwerp and so to Holland whence after some daies stay at the Hague with his worthy Brother in law Doctor Rivet he took Shipping for England He was graciously received by his Majesty God visited him with a grievous sickness by an heavy oppression in his Hypochondries with an inflammation of black choler which seldom let him sleep and kept him in perpetual agony Yet even then he spent much time in his great work against Cardinal Du Perron and preached often in the French Church In the depth of his pain and anguish he was beyond measure afflicted with the persecutions that ruined the Churches of France and the divisions then increasing in the Churches of England There was at London at that time the Marquess d'Effiat See the Life of Dr. Du Moulin extraordinary Ambassadour of France a zealous Papist who upon a false information of Fisher and other Jesuites that were about him that Doctor Du Moulin by his long watchings and other melancholy fumes was decayed in his Intellectuals did malitiously invite him to his house to engage him in a Conference and insult over his weakness After dinner the Ambassadour desired him to hear a Scottish man who would tell him the reasons that made him leave the Protestant Religion to embrace the Catholick The Scottish man then assisted by Fisher and others of his sort made an elaborate Discourse half an hour long of the Church of St. Peter's Primacy of succession of Chairs and the like When he had done the Doctor resumed all his points and allegations in the same order and answered them with his ordinary vigour and presence of wit And because the principal matter in question was about the Marks of the true Church he maintained that the Profession of the true Doctrine was the Mark of the true Church and thence took occasion to lay open the foulness of the errors of Popery with so much pregnancy that the Ambassadour a Cholerick man rose from his seat in great fury and gave many foul words to the Doctor who thereupon went out and returned home But the Ambassadour sent his Coach to him the next day and invited him to dinner And after dinner the Scottish man spake again of the same points and when the Doctor in his answer had turned his Dispute against the grossest errours of Popery incompatible with the true Church Fisher would have taken the Scottish man's part but the Ambassadour's passion gave him no time to answer but broke vehemently out saying that he could hear no longer that one should revile before him the Catholick Religion and maintain to him that he did wilfully damn himself his Wife and his Children Then the Doctor went out of his house Soon after King James fell sick of the Sickness whereof he died That death of his Royal Patron and the Plague raging in London soon perswaded the Doctor to return to Sedan The labour of the journey and the intolerable heat of the season increased his sickness which to heal the Physitians of Sedan made him drink Spaw-waters which were broâ—ght to him from Spaw to Sedan These waters brought him to a most violent Feaver and the Feaver consumed all those humours and winds that opprest him and left him in health So he returned to his former Function in the Church and University serving God with chearfulness and assiduity and blessed with great success He lived at Sedan thirty and three years from his return into England unto his death without any notable change in his condition but one of publick concernment by the miserable change of the Duke of Bovillon That Duke being Prince of Sedan the Protectour of a flourishing Protestant Church and the refuge of many oppressed Protestants in France was perverted by falling in
compelled all the Reformed Churches within the Kingdom to appear before those Commissioners and to reproduce their Titles to verifie their Right for the publick Exercise of their Religion and to be judged a second time as if the Edict had never been put in execution And albeit particular Churches produce Acts made in their favours by the first Commissioners Executors of the Edict yet those new Commissioners without any regard thereof reject the same as utterly invalid The Council past an Act Anno 1662. by which it was Ordained That the Protestants shall not be admitted before the Commissioners to prove the Rights for the Exercise of their Religion by Inquests or Witnesses even although the Witnesses be Roman Catholiques Now beside that this manner of probation was never rejected yet are they deprived of the only Mean which in most places is left them to justifie their Titles For during the late Wars many Churches being pillaged or burnt they cannot otherwise evidence their possession than by the testimony of Ancient men yet alive who can depose the condition wherein Affairs stood in the years 1596. and 1597. Moreover each Province hath two Commissioners one a Papist the other a Protestant And from the Popish Commissioners what justice can they expect They in effect proceed according to the instructions of Menier the Jesuite who hath Printed a Book wherein fastning impertinent Expositions upon the plainest terms of the Edict and changing his Majesties Authentick and Royal Words into Jesuitical Equivocations he hath perverted all things according to his own inclination So that their strongest reasons are scorned and their best Titles rejected as Trifles whilst the false Allegations of their Adversaries are admitted as the best of Arguments And they condemn some Churches which produce the like and much better Titles than those alledged by some other Churches whose Priviledges they have ratified And for the Protestant Commissioners what justice or protection can they expect from them because the greatest part of them are chosen by direction and recommendation of the Popish Prelates And some of those Commissioners have parted or shared the places of Publick Worship between the Papists and the Protestants And this sharing of Churches is alwaies determined in Council by advice of the Popish Commissioners their Protestant Colleagues being never either called or heard and hereupon the Hugonots have lost three parts of four of all their Churches And a multitude of Acts have been published by the Council which have been very grievous to them One Act hath bereaved them of the liberty of praising God May 6. 1659. and March 17. 1661. by forbidding the singing of Psalms even privately in their houses though it be an eminent part of Christian Worship Another Act compelleth them to bury their dead clandestinely Aug. 7. and November 3. 1664. and in the night forgetting that the very Heathens had respect to the Tombs of their enemies c. Another hath divested Protestant Magistrates whatever be their charge or quality of the priviledge of presiding in their Courts Octob. 5. 1663. Another hath taken away all means of instructing and educating their Children Feb. 26. 1663. leaving them at most and that only in some places the smaller Schools where is only taught to Read Write and Compt. Another hath restrained the liberty of Printing any Books in favour of their Religion Jan. 19. 1663. by imposing upon them a necessity of obtaining Licences from the Kings Council which cannot be had Another ordaineth Parents to give Pensions to their Children who change their Religion Declar. Oâ—tob 24. 1663. and Act of Council Jan. 30. 1665. even although the said Children will not dwell with them as if Paternal Authority were nulled by Childrens Apostasie Octob. 5. 1663. Another prohibits the exercise of Charity toward their Brethren who are in want Another dischargeth payment of debts by those of the Commonalty who shall turn Papists Feb. 22. 1664. Another prohibits Ministers to Preach without the place of their Residence thereby depriving the Hugonots of the benefit of Annexations that is the priviledge of one Ministers supplying two Churches which singly are not able to afford a competent maintenance Sepâ— 13. 1660. Another deprives them of the liberty of their Classical meetings in the Intervals of Synods whereby the Exercise of Discipline is restrained c. Octob. 5. 1663. Another prohibits the Censuring of Protestant Parents by the Parochial Eldership or otherwise for sending their Children to be educated by Jesuites or Popish Tutors Sepâ— 18. 1664. Another gives liberty to Priests and Friers to enter the houses of Protestants and to come to their Bed-sides when sick or dying to solicite them to change their Religion And after their death they carry away their Children alledging falsly that their Parents at their death gave some sign of willingness to embrace the Romish Religion June 30. 1663. Another makes it Criminal in Ministers to style themselves Pastors or Ministers of the Word of God They forbid Ministers to wear a long Garment that they might have nothing to distinguish them from the Common people And in the Declaration Declar. 1663. of pretended Relapses it is Ordained That those among the Hugonots who have once embraced the Popish Religion shall never again return unto them under pain of perpetual banishment from the Kingdom This is utterly to destroy all liberty of Conscience They seem also to forbid them all hope of being heard in their own defence And there is little hope of being heard at the Council it self where all their Affairs have their last Appeal and audience For it hath often come to pass that the Protestant Deputies sent by the Provinces and Cities to plead their Cause have been expresly commanded to return without so much as only liberty to appear And some have spent six months some a whole year to procure an hearing whilst the Acts sued against them by the Catholick Clergy have been obtained in less than twenty four hours and in fine after a thousand cares they have only had the grief to return to their Provinces with the news of the loss of the Cause which they solicited The Clergy also do endeavour to intimidate and affright the Protestant Ministers some they have violently silenced others they seek to ensnare on every hand some they criminally indict for very trifles some are bâ—nished others are transported whither their Adversaries please and they vex them so to the end no man may be willing to embrace the calling of a Minister Those Cities where Protestants for number are most considerable seem to be the principal Object of their Enemies fury Of these Montauban Rochel and Milan formerly three flourishing Cities are now brought very low and exposed to sufferings of divers kinds Their Adversaries vex them also with Civil and Criminal Law-suits as well against the Body of their Church as particular persons sometimes in the name of the Kings General
Confirmation of the bordering Churches or out of the Epistles which he wrote to certain Brethren for Admonition or Exhortation-sake Thus far Irenaeus There are but few of the Fathers but have some particular Opinion which the Church of Rome disalloweth as well as we The Learned Dr. Du Moulin mentioneth many of the Ancients Du Moulin Contr. Perront Lib. 1. cap. 49. and among them Irenaeus who saith that Jesus Christ Taught until the Age of forty or fifty years Fevardent who hath Commented upon the Book hath written in the Margin Naevus de aetate Christi it is a fault of Irenaeus about the Age of Christ The same Father also Teacheth that the Souls separated from the bodies have a bodily shape and keep the character or form of the body to which they were joyned The same Irenaeus saith Iren. Lib. 4. cap. 30. That the Law was not given to the Fathers that lived before the Law because they were Righteous and there was no need they should be warned by Reprehensions but that this Righteousness being given in Egypt God then had given his Law The same Father in the Fifth Book Chap. 33 and 34 brings in bodily Feasts after the Resurrection because Christ said He should drink of the New Fruit of the Vine in the Kingdom of his Father The same Father opposeth them as Hereticks that hold that the Souls of the Faithful departed do enjoy the Heavenly Glory His Opinion was that at their going out of the Body they go down into an invisible place where they expect the Resurrection Besides those Epistles of Irenaeus forementioned there is extant another very learned and necessary Book of his against the Gentiles Entituled A Book of Science or Knowledge Another unto Marcianus his Brother Entituled A Declaration of the Apostles Preaching And another Book of divers Tracts where he makes mention of the Epistle to the Hebrews and the Book of Wisdom called Solomon's Ex Platina in vita Sixti In the time of the Emperour Commodus Peregrinus flourished who had been sent before by Xistus Bishop of Rome into the parts of France to supply there the room of a Bishop and Teacher Because of the horrible Persecutions thereabout those places were left desolate and destitute of Ministers and Instructors where after he had Preached with much success among the Flock of Christ and had established the Congregation there returning to Rome he there finished his Martyrdom Six several Synods were held about the Observation of Easter and the fourth was held in France in which Irenaeus was Chief Century III. AFter the Death of the Emperour Commodus Reigned Pertinax but few months after whom succeeded Septimius Severus under whom was raised a notable Persecution against the Christians Great Persecution was stirred up on every side whereby an infinite number of Martyrs were slain as Eusebius reporteth Vincent Lib. 11. cap. 6. Ex Martyrol Vincentius speaketh of one Andoclus whom Polycarpus before had sent into France which Andoclus because he spread there the Doctrine of Christ was apprehended of Severus and first beaten with staves and after was beheaded About the same time died Irenaeus Henry of Erford Ado and other Martyr-writers do hold That he was martyred with many more for the Confession and Doctrine of Christ about the fourth or fifth year of Severus This Irenaeus as he was a great Writer so was he greatly commended of Tertullian for his Learning whom he calleth Omnium doctrinarum curiosissimum exploratorem a great searcher of all kind of learning In the time of this Irenaeus the state of the Church was much troubled not only for the outward persecution of the foreign enemy but also for divers Sects and Errours then stirring against which he diligently laboured and wrote much although but few Books be now remaining Calixtus succeeded Zepherinus Bishop of Rome and after him Vrbanus which both as some Writers affirm did suffer under the Emperour Alexander Severus This Calixtus in his two decretal Epistles written to Benedictus and to the Bishops of France giveth forth divers Ordinances concerning the Bishops and Ministers of the Church Vincentius affirmeth that Calixtus was tied to a great stone and so out of a window was thrown into a ditch Under the Emperour Decius as Gregory of Tours observeth Gratian came to Tours to preach the Gospel among the Pagans Gregor Turonens Hist Lib. 5. Anno Christi 252. Saturninus preached at Tholouse and was the first Bishop of that place Dionysius also came to Paris where he was Bishop and suffered Martyrdom This is he who is falsly named Dionysius or Denis the Areopagite Saturninus also was thrown down from the Capitol of Tholouse Rusticus and Eleutherius also there suffered Martyrdom The Author of St. Omer's Life relateth that Fuscianus and Victorinus the Companions of Dionysius preached at the same time the Faith of Christ That St. Quintin did the same among the Ambianians and suffered Martyrdom Aurelius Probus being invested with the Empire Anno 276. went into France where he regained sixty Towns out of the Barbarians hands and killed of them near seventy thousand Having quieted all things in France he went into Sclavonia and overcame the Nations in Scythia And being gone thence into the East he gave battel to the Persians and having overcome them and taken some of their Cities as he was returning to Italy passing through Sclavonia he was killed at Sirmium by the Soldiers Anno 282. M. Aurelius Carus born at Narbon in France succeeded Probus who soon after Created his Sons Carinus and Numerianus Caesars And having sent Carinus into France to keep it in peace he with his Son Numerianus went against the Persians there having overcome Mesopotamia he was strucken dead by a Thunderbolt Numerianus was slain by the conspiracy of Aper his Father in Law Carinus was slain by a Tribune whose Wife he had defloured Dioclesian succeeded him Dioclesian upon his Establishment associated unto him Maximianus Hercules in the Government of the Empire and they both chose Constantius Chlorus and Galerius to be their Colleagues and they were Created Caesars In the time before the Tenth Persecution the Church of Christ having had above forty years of outward rest and peace through the connivance and indulgence of some Emperours viz. from the death of Valerian until the nineteenth year of Dioclesian this prosperity being abused by the Clergy and other Christians unto idleness contentions c. moved the Lord to scourge them whereupon followed that sharp and cruel Persecution under Dioclesian Maximianus in the West and Dioclesian in the East bent all their Forces to root out the profession of Christian Religion Dioclesian endeavoured to destroy all the Churches and Temples of the Christians that they might not Assemble together to Pray and to use Divine Service he burnt all the Books he could get of the Holy Scripture and would not permit any man if he were a Christian to hold any Office or Magistracy The Soldiers being