very learnedly and fully entreating hereof wherin as wel the allegacions of the Papistes for Peters being at Rome substantially confuted as reasons brought to improue the same And therefore had it not bene so necessarely appertinent to the argument of this booke I would rather haue referred the reader to their doynges then haue spoken any thing thereof Nowe it remayneth to leaue Peter and to come to the bishops of Rome The order of this history requirth that euerye byshop should be here placed as eche succeded other But there is suche confusion amonge them that wryte of them that no man can certainly tell whome to place first second thirde nor fourth And least it be thought to be spoken rather of affection then otherwyse I thought good to shewe out of Vspergensis their owne authour what wrangling and disagreement there is for those that succeded Peter which though it be somwhat loÌ„g yet is it necessary to be shewed that it may appeare what certaintie they haue of Peter those to whome he committed this vniuersall Popedome The wordes of VspergeÌ„sis in the life of Claudius be these Touching the succession of the Romaine byshops their order â—and the tymes wherein they raigned from the beginning diuerse men thinke diuersly whose opinions I wil here briefly set downe c. Some wryte whereunto the ecclesiasticall history agreeth that after the death of Peter sitting at Rome chiefe of the Churche xxv yeares Linus did next take the gouernement vpon him And when he had ruled xii yeares in the second yeare of Titus he lefte it to Anacletus who also after other xii yeares gaue it to Clement whiche semeth to be in the xiii yeare of Domician Clement after nine yeares suffered vnder Traian After him in the fourth place came Euaristus the nexte was Alexander and then Sixtus and so forth But other wryte that Linus and Cletus were both vnder Peter as his vicars or curates and that Peter as soone as he had taken the Papacy vpon him did appointe Linus in his steade to gouerne the churche whereby he him selfe might the better folowe his function of preaching and that he departing after twelue yeres Peter did substitute Cletus in his place who also dying after twelue yeres euen the same yere that Peter suffered vnder Nero. Then Peter committed his seate to ClemeÌ„t giuing to him and his successours power to bynde and loose whome Anacletus succeded in the tyme of Domician then folowed Euaristus c. But because these accomptes do not agree let vs consider wherein they differ and so trie whiche semeth more credible Therefore if Linus left Anacletus and he Clemens then is Clement thrust out of the beadroll of Popes whose reuerence is so great among all Churches that he is not only mentioned among martyrs but also in the Canon of the masse and in the Letany or procession is placed betwene Linus and Clemens But if after Linus Cletus be placed and then Clemens then Euaristus then Alexander c there is no place for Anacletus to get in And Beda in his Martyrtologie that Anacletus was the fourthe after Peter and suffered vnder Domician making Linus first Cletus second Clemens thirde and Anacletus fourth But if Anacletus be placed after Clement and as Beda sayeth died vnder Domician then cannot it holde that his predecessour Clemens should suffer vnder Traian because it may euideÌ„tly be proued that he suffered vnder Domician if his successour Anacletus bee not denied to suffer vnder the same Emperoure Furthermore if Linus and Anacletus as some saye or Linus and Cletus as other saye did bothe rule twelue yeares a peece after the death of Peter dyinge the xiiii yeare of Nero then it arysing to 24. yeares it falleth out that the latter of them should suffer in the xii of Domician so Clemens could not receaue power to binde and loose neither the seate of Peter Whiche opinion also is coÌ„firmed of diuerse and to this is added that Dionysius Areopagita hasting from Athens to Rome againste the martyrdome of the Apostles Peter and Paule but comming a little to late and sone after their deathes did there finde Clemens his scholefellowe bishop of Rome c. Who sent the same Dionysius into Fraunce to preache But it is saide that this Dionysius was martyred Anno domini 96 whiche is the xiiii yeare of Domician and before his death he had continued long had done very muche in FrauÌ„ce and yet it is sayde that Clemens who sent him thether was made byshop but the twelfth yeare of Domician Againe the booke of the passion of Pope Alexander saith that Clemens was the first after Peter for so it is there written In the fift place after Peter came Alexander But if it were the second from Peter then it foloweth that Cletus being before Clement and Anacletus after him be pushed out because Alexander must be the fifte Namely Peter first Linus seconde Clement thirde Euariste the fourth and Alexander the fifte For otherwyse Alexander cannot be the fift from Peter because if Linus be the seconde froÌ„ Peter and Cletus after Anacletus be placed before Clement Alexander shal be the sixt But if Cletus be before Clement and Anacletus after him then shall Alexander be the seuenth vnlesse Clement be the second after Peter Thus farre doth Vspergensis wander in this maze and thus it appeareth what certaintie the Churche of Rome hath of her beginning of Peters being there of bequeathing his supremacy to whome neither they nor any other for them can tell But ye se howe many bishops here wrestle for the first place and howe they are tossed from the first to the seconde and an other whyle hoisted to the third and fourth place yea and some time shoued cleane out of place So harde a thing it is to finde a sure man that for the beginning of this history a man may wel doubt with whome to beginne but we must be content in this hurly burly either to cast lottes to finde out the ring leader or els to take and set an order among them though perhap not the same wherein they liued yet as if it were the same And if any of the good byshops lese his place of senioritie we must desire him to take it paciently and to blame the negligence of their parishioners and successours of Rome who because nature vseth not to ascende but to discend so muche regarded them selues and their children with the tyme present that they forgat their forefathers if these were they and the tyme past ¶ The first face of the Romaine churche vnder Heathen Emperours FOr the first sorte of Romayne byshops that is from Linus to Syluester they liued continually vnder persecutions For as Eusebius sheweth from the yeare of our lord 67. till the time of Constantine being about thre hundred yeares were tenne persecutions The first by Nero with al rigour and crueltie that might be wherof Hierome in his epistle to Cramatius and Heliadorus
and doting dreames and listeneth not to lyes c. This Syluester died a confessour Anno domini 334. Mantuan in his thirde booke of the life of S. Blase bringeth in an Angell talking with the sayde Blase among other martyrs of the Empyre of the foresayde Constantine and of the estate of the churche for the time folowyng of the wickednes that should raigne both among the Clergie and the people and finally of the vengeance that should ensue His wordes are these ¶ The woordes of the Angell to Blase concerning Constantine THe tyraÌ„tes being daunted now a gracious prince shal raigne In Romain empier vnder whoÌ„ the world shal peace obtaine And worship Idols olde no more the mighty Constantine Shall kepe his court in Thracia and to the Lorde diuine Christe Iesus Italy he leaues and Rome with mountaines seueÌ„ Then shal the crosse despised earst aduaunced be to heauen And far excel the Romain mace the â—cepter the crown c. ¶ Of the euels to come vpon the churche But euen vpon this gentle calme there shal alas ensewe Destruction such as wel thou mayst with woful wepings rewe And poyson ranke shall surely from the hony swete pâ—ocede The sound of ease the name of peace are plesant words in dede But out alas more wretchednes more villany and vice More greuous wouÌ„ds more shame wo shal to the church arise Euen of this peace then did of all the bloudy broiles and warre For auncient vertue shal decline and pleasure vaine shal marre â–ª And spoile the bodies chast of meÌ„ through waÌ„tonesse welth The lazy mide shal quayle droupe neglecting heaueÌ„ly helth O leude delightes O wicked guise O cursed time I se The people of their Lord and Christ forgetful quite to be I se their vnbeleuing hartes doth treade down and defie The faith hedlong into sinne by thousandes thick they flie I se how men are beastes become and Rome is now transport Into a stable c. ¶ Of the plagues that folowe Then shal we heaueÌ„ly gostes at length most wrathfully be bent And God shal frowne against those laÌ„des wheÌ„ vp to him is sent The shew of this their wicked age heaueÌ„ shal shut vp his grace And al reliefe froÌ„ earth whom hell with horrour doth deface At wrath of God the noysome starres shal altogether conspire And fling down fearcely froÌ„ aboue most fearful flakes of fire And heaueÌ„ shal make his wrath away to daunt driue to dust This saluage kinde of faithlesse folke and people most vniust And meÌ„ with grim grisely lookes with stern gastly mind To rise vp from the Northren poale shal be by God assind The Hunnes the Gothes the Vandals Turkes rude creatures lacking lawe Of God and maÌ„ to guide and kepe their saluage hartes in awe The ChristiaÌ„s eke amoÌ„g theÌ„selues shal wrangle braule iarre And as mad dogges one eate anothers hart through ciuil warre The Romaynes shal destroy the Greekes the Almaynes waste the Frenche VVith more then deadly hate that one the others power may quenche They shall forbeare the Saracens and Turkes And thus muche concerning this matter Nowe let the reader consider that whiche foloweth whether it agree not to this that Mantuan hath written If it be true as Mantuan saithe that Blase had this reuelacioÌ„ then the estate of Rome folowing this time was condemned as detestable by the Angell But if it be but fayned by Mantuan and other then we se howe they noting howe farre this latter churche of Rome in her pompe and royaltie swarued from the former in persecution iudged of it and yet was Mantuan an Italian Carmelite or whyte Fryar Thus hath it pleased God that some of the braunches shoulde both discerne and bewray the loathsomnesse of this wicked tree But it shall not be amisse here to adde the saying of Sleidan talking of this time of Syluester in his seconde booke of the iiii Monarches Then sayth he the byshops of Rome began first to be in safetie for hetherto they were almoste all put to death From Peter whom they will haue to be the first to this time they accompt xxxiii Their decrees are set downe among the generall counsels but the moste of them are suche trifles suche toyes and so diuers from the scripture that it is credible that they were deuised by other that came long after But if it were true that they came from these former prelates saint Paules wordes may be well applied hereunto being veryfied saying in prophecy That lost childe and maÌ„ of sinne did euen then beginne to worke the mystery of iniquitie Coloss. 2. Anacletus as some saye the fourth froÌ„ Peter hath this decree extant in his name That the Churche of Rome should by the commaundemeÌ„t and institution of Christ be the head of other Churches Also to Alexander is attributed that he commaunded that water should be hallowed with salte to purge the people of sinne and to dryue awaye the snares of the deuill But howe muche do these banities differ from the maiestie of the Apostles doctrine from the wryting of Iohn the EuaÌ„gelist who liued almost till the time of these bishops These two decrees may suffise for wyse men to iudge of the reste being euen of the self same mould for the moste part bearing with them an open shewe of ambition But to returne to the purpose this CoÌ„stantine for the loue and zeeale whiche he bare vnto the Churche did endewe the pastors thereof with many large benefites ryches and possessions that they might with better oportunitie addicte them selues to preache the Gospel But where as he gaue them an inche some haue since stollen an elle fathering vpon him the forged donacion for their supremacy But of his liberalitie toward the church Eusebius wryteth at large He sommoned the first generall counsell at Nicea wherein the detestable heresie of Arrius was condemned though it could not be with all so vtterly quenched but that it did yet afterward enflame again so that some of the sparcles therof did alight euen in the pontificall seate of Rome sone after as shall appeare by some of these that follow Finis libri primi THE SECONDE SORTE OF ROMAINE BIshops from Syluester to Boniface the thirde ¶ These bishops persecution being ceased began to take estate more vpon them then the former for Constantine and other Christian princes began of deuocioÌ„ and zeale to aduaunce the prelates to wealth and therupon they liuing in wealth and ease began also to aduaunce theÌ„selues in dignitie aboue the former estate putting riche mytâ—rs on their heades taking vpon them the name of Archebishops Also they began by litle and litle to adde their own deuices to Gods seruice to alter chop and chauÌ„ge and make Canons as liked euery ones fantasie and so pecemeale began to plante and sowe in Rome the seade of Antichriste which afterwarde grewe vp to so great pride and abhomination Thus at the firste in the churche deuotion bredde wealth but the
yeare after our redemptiō Peter went not to Rome but cōtinued about Hierusalē sauing once that hee went to Samaria for a season till the conuersion of Paule as appeareth by all the discours of the Actes of the Apostles till ye come to the ninth chapter thereof whiche because it is easie there to finde tedious to be set downe at large and nothing doubted of I leaue it to the diligence of the reader who shall plainely perceaue that Peter was still in Iudea to the conuersion of Paule which was in the seconde yeare after the death of Christe the yeare of thincarnatiō 35. for Niceph. saith that he preached 35. yeares lib. 2. cap. 34. and he died in the last yeare of Nero being the 70. yeare of thincarnacion from whiche take 35. and the remayne is as muche so that in the 35. yeare of Christe Paule was conuerted ¶ Peter not at Rome from the yeare of the incarnation 35. to the yeare 38. ANno Domini 37. Pilate as Eusebius lib. 2. cap. 2. and Vspergensis testifie wrote his letter to Tiberius concerning Christe his doctrine diuine miracles death resurrection whereupon the Emperour commaunded that Christe should be placed among the Gods of Rome If Peter nowe had bene bishop at Rome or a yeare before this had not bene so straunge newes to the Emperour Neither had Pilates letter preuayled so muche with the Emperour touching Christ as the doctrine and miracles whiche Peter would for confirming of the faithe haue done in the name of Iesus The yeare folowing being the 38. was the thirde yeare from the conuersion of Paule in whiche yeare Paule returned to Hierusalē founde Peter there as is testified in the first to the Galathians which comming of Paule is specefied in the ninth of the Actes ¶ From the yeare 38. to the yeare 46. AFter Paule had bene a whyle in Hierusalem he was sent awaye to Tarsus And at that time S. Luke sayth that the churche had peace throughout all Iudea Galilye and Samaria And that Peter did walke ouer all those coūtreies where they proceaded in the feare of God the beleuing multiplied Howe many yeares Peter spent in these countreies it is not euident but immediatly from thence he did ascende to Lydda and ther healed Aeneas who had bene lame eight yeares the fame of whiche miracle drew thether all the inhabitours of Lydda and Sarona who by Peters preaching were all conuerted to the lorde These thinges do argue that Peter made some abode in Lydda also Immediatly from thence he went to Ioppa where he reuiued Tabitha and taried at Ioppa with Simon the Tanner a long season From thence he went forthwith to Cornelius the Centurion at Cesarea where he preached and baptized those that were conuerted and there also he was entreated to tary for a time From thence he came to Hierusalem where he continued till he being imprisoned by Herode was deliuered by Gods Angell and being set at libertie shewed him selfe secretly to the congregacion at the house of Mary and then conueyed hym selfe awaye And thys was done as appeareth by Luke the same yeare that Herode or Agrippa hauing raigned 7. yeares died afterwarde at Cesarea stricken by Gods Angell who being as Iosephus saith released out of pryson and made king there by Caligula raigned in all seuen yeares Caligula would haue restored this Agrippa to his libertie as sone as he him self came to the Empier euen the same daye that the solemnitie was kept for the buriall of his predecessour Tiberius But saith Iosephus Antonia the wyfe of Caligula gaue him counsell that he should noe do so but pause a while longer not because she was loth that Agrippa should be at libertie but because the Emperour by deliuering of him so spedely should be thought that he did it in despite of Tiberius who had committed him to pryson and therefore it was deferred for a season at length he was deliuered then the next yeare Agrippa craued leaue of Caligula to go into Iudaea to his kingdom whiche was graunted him So that by this computation it may easely appeare that whereas Agrippa as Ioseph sayth died in the seuenth yeare of his raigne this seuenth yeare doth arise to the fourth yeare of Claudius who did next succede Caligula Thus it is apparent that Herode or Agrippa as Ioseph calleth him died in the 46. yeare of the incarnation and that the same yeare Peter was prisoner at Hierusalem as is saide before and not byshop at Rome Another reason to proue that it should be this yere may be this S. Luke in the xii chapter of the Actes saith that this Herode had conceiued displeasure against the Tirians and Sidonians whiche was the cause that after the same Easter that Peter was imprisoned he went downe from Hierusalem to Caesarea whether the Tirians and Sidonians came vnto him and by the intercession of Blastus the kinges chamberlaine they sued for peace at his hande because saith Luke in the 20. verse of the 12. chapter of the Actes their contrey was nourished by the kinges contrey signifiyng that the prouision of king Agrippa ayded their necessitie in the time of the famine being then This dearth famin is that wherof Agabus the prophet did prophecy at Antioch which saith Luke Actes the xi came to passe in the raigne of Claudius and as other authours haue noted it was in the fourth yere of Claudius so saith Vsper gensis Thus we se that yet to this fourth yere of Claudius by whiche time at the vttermost Peter should not only be at Rome but begin his regiment ouer the churche he is yet at Hierusalem which is 1600. miles from Rome But because that Luke saith after that he was deliuered by the Angell out of pryson and after that he had signified his deliuery to Mary he conuayed him selfe away from thence I will procede to examine whether he went not now from Hierusalem to Rome and therfore go to the twoo yeares that ensued next ¶ Anno 48 and 49. ANno domini 49. Peter was at Hierusalem for this yeare the counsell was held at Hierusalem mencioned in the xv of the Actes At whiche synode Peter was present and made an oration as is shewed in the vii verse of the said chapter But nowe it remaineth to be proued that this Synode was at this tyme for proofe hereof Saint Paule speaking of his comming to this counsell in the seconde chapiter to the Galathians saythe Then after 14. yeares I came agayne vp to Hierusalem and Barnabas with me c. by the reste that foloweth it is euident that Paule signified his comming to this counsell and not any other time of his repairing to Hierusalem and so also doth S. Hierome vnderstande it which being xiiii yeares after the conuersion of Paule falleth out to be in the yeare of our Lord 49. the seuenth yere of the raigne of Claudius as may appeare by the former table And yet is Peter
thincarnation 60. Paule as is sayde was prisoner at Rome who for the tyme of his abode there so planted the Gospell that at his departing from thence he left great fruite therof and suche in deede as if Peter had succeded Paule within two thre or foure yeres and there supplied the roume of a byshop Cornelius Tacitus speaking of the estate of the Christians in Rome about the yeare 67. being but seuen yeares after Paules departure should not haue had cause so soone to saye as he doth y by that tyme the Christian Religion was repressed For Vspergensis saith that in the 67. yere Nero did set Rome on fier of the whiche Cornelius Tacitus writing lib. 15. Augustae historiae sayth Ergo abolēdo rumori Nero subdidit reos c. Therfore Nero to stop the rumour of his setting the citie on fier suborned giltie persons and executed with strange punishment those whome the vulgar people detesting for their wickednes doth call Christiās That mischeuous superstition being repressed till nowe brake out againe c. Therfore first they were taken that confessed it afterward by their accusatiō an houge multitude not so much for that they were gilty of fyreing the citie as for hatred are condemned and were put to death with great despite some encased in the skinnes of wylde beastes that they might bee torne in peces with dogges some crucified some were burned to giue light in the night time c. These are the woordes of Tacitus notwithstanding as it appeareth he was a blasphemer of the name of Christe By these woordes of his it appeareth that nowe Christianitie began to reuiue and that nowe it was quenched which argueth plaine that from the former time of Paules departure til this time Peter had not supplied in Rome the place of a preaching pastour and diligēt bishop And seing this broyle against the Christians began now to be so hotte not in al places but especially in Rome howe could Peter sit quietly in this citie as bishop thereof and not be fyred out with his flocke but they saye all that he lyued after this tyme about three yeares for this was done in the eleuenth yeare of Nero who raigned almoste xiiii yeares and Peter was martyred in the last yeare of Nero as they saye all If this reuiuing of the Gospel was by Peters meanes why would Nero spare him being the head if Peter escaped by flying then he shewed him selfe to be an hierling and no true shepeherde that forsaketh his flocke when he seeth the wolfe come ¶ From the yeare 67. to the 70. of thincarnation Nowe are we come to the latter tyme of Nero in which yeres if Peter were not bishop of Rome then is it certaine that he was not bishop there at all But to come to the purpose Naucler Volu 2. generat 2. and the moste writers as Eusebius lib. 2 cap. 25 Nicephorus li. 2. cap. 34. Sabellicus Ennead 7. li. 2. agree that Paule died in the yeare of our Lorde 70. the 37. yeare after the death of Christe But it may sone appeare that Peter was not then byshop at Paules last comming to Rome for after Paule was come thether he sent for Timothie to come vnto hym shewing that he had nede of him to come to hym because he was nowe desolate and had none with hym Demas had forsaken hym nowe and embraced the worlde c. so that if this Epistle were not written at the firste imprisonment of Paule but at this latter time then was not Peter yet estalled in his Diocese for if he had bene in Rome in his pontificall dignitie I thinke Paule should not haue bene dryuen to sende to Ephesus 1000. miles frō Rome for Timothie to bryng Marke to come to minister to him In the ende of this secōd Epistle to Timothie Paule sendeth commendations from diuers but none from Peter There are xiiii Epistles whereof Paule and Seneca beare the name the one wryting to the other at this later imprysonnement and yet among them all nothing is saide of Peter and yet by occasion he might easely haue bene mencioned in them if he had bene then in Rome But if by this time Peter were not yet Pope of Rome there is no tyme left for him to come to enioye it during the raigne of Nero till whose death this present persecutiō of the church endured with all crueltie ¶ The death of Peter TOuching the death of Peter all wryters do not agree as it is sufficiently declared in the Actes and monumentes fol. 56. in these wordes They that folow the common opinion and the Popes decrees saye that bothe Peter and Paule suffred both in one daye and one yeare whiche opinion semeth to be taken out of Dionisius byshop of Corinthe Hierome in his booke De viris illustr affirmeth that they suffered both in one daye but hee expresseth not the yeare so doth Isiodorus and Eusebius Prudentius in his Peristephano noteth that they both were put to death vpon the same daye but not in the same yeare saythe that Paule folowed Peter a yeare after Abdias recordeth that Paule suffered twoo yeares after Peter Moreouer if it be true whiche Abdias sayth that after the crucifying of Peter Paule remayned in his free custody at Rome mencioned in the 28. of the Actes of the Apostles whiche was as S. Hierome witnesseth in the thirde or fourth yeare of Nero then must it be tenne yeares betwixt the martyrdome of Peter and of Paule for as muche as it is by all wryters confessed that Paule suffered in the xiiii yeare which was the last yeare of Nero. Vspergensis saithe that they were both executed in one yeare but he noteth not that they died in one daye Sabellicus sayth both in one yeare one daye Some say as Ambrose that they died together both in one place But Dionysius saythe otherwyse that the one bad thother farewel when they were parted asonder goyng to death Againe the moste writers saye that Nero was the cause therof But Linus saith Agrippa cōmaunded that Peter should be slayne because that by his persuasiō foure of the concubines of Agrippa refused to liue any longer in suche vnchast life with the king therefore for anger he cōmaunded that Peter should be crucified Finally S. Hierome and Lyra wryting vpon the 34. verse of the 22. chap. of Mathewe say that Peter was put to death at Hierusalē by the Iewes and that Christe prophecied thereof saying Lo I sende you prophetes c. and some of them ye shall kyll Many thinges might be added to disproue this dotage of Peters being bishop at Rome but because I thinke this to be sufficient I let passe diuers necessary thinges least I should be ouer tedious But if any be desirous to se this matter more suffitiently handled let him reade Vlrichus Velenus wryting purposely of this in a litle booke called Demonstrationes contra Romani Papae primatus figmētum Beside there hath bene of late set forth in Englishe a discours
misordred all And stately tables combred are with fishe of larger sort So Gregories laws â—r kept wher nede doth bear a siÌ„ple port That in the shallowe brookes and floodes to find his fare As for the great grown fulsom fishe in depth of seas they are But holy peers that do with Peters line and gredy hooke Down to the bottom angle can eche sort of fishes brooke Gregorie gaue tapers to the churche and furnished it with quier Psalmodis Canticles Oades Hymnus and other Heathen ceremonies He buylded sixe Monasteries of his owne coste in Sicilia and dedicated Agathas churche He forbad that women should resorte to abbeyes or that Monkes should resorte to Nonneries Also he woulde not haue MoÌ„kes baptize neither Nonnes to be Godmothers He forbad him that had bene twise married to bee made priests And that priestes should geue testimony of honest life by taking an oathe He was an vphoulder of pardons but not a seller of them He was the first that gaue pardons vpon certayne dayes to suche as frequented the churche He entertained straungers at his table He ayded the MoÌ„kes of Hierusalem with necessaries and gaue stipendes to three thousande maydes He allowed by decree the first fiue counsels He forbad that sainctes Images should be brokeÌ„ or that one of the Clergie should at the Emperours commaundement serue in the warres or that there should bee twoo Metropolitanes in one Prouince He would haue a bishop to be consecrate but ones and would haue the laste will and testament of euery man to be ratified He made foure bookes of Dialogues to boulster vp Purgatorie He allowed hallowing of ashes washing of feete worshipping of the crosse and massâ—s to be saide for the dead and wherin the Papistes horribly belie him he deliuered Traian the Emperours soule from hell He coÌ„temning the Britaines sent Augustine a Monke to reclaime the English Saxons to the churche of Rome He reft from London the right of the Archebishoprike and translated it by the same Augustines meanes to Caunterburie Al these thinges did Gregorie as Patriarke of Rome and died a confessour Anno. 604. But although he doted in many supersticions yet more is falsely fathered on him theÌ„ euer he did or thought 33. Sabinianus SAbinianus borne in Thusca was a Prelate of no value who for the hate he bare to his predecessour Gregorie after he had published certaine flaunders against him coÌ„maunded that his bookes should be burned This man being the last of the Romaine Patriarkes commauÌ„ded that the howers of the daye shoulde bee deuided by ringing of belles for the ecclesiasticall offices that they should haue continuall burning lampes in the churche At lengthe he died an infamous death through feare that he conceiued of a terrible vision which he sawe in the night time An. 606. The Christian deedes of Gregorie NOwe to say somewhat touching the ChristiaÌ„ sayinges and doinges of the foresaid Gregorie he fought stoutly against the supremacie of the Popishe kingdome in the very entraunce of the Popedome and hewde in pieces with sharpe tauntes the title of vniuersal Patriarkeship saying that suche an one was the foreronner of Antichriste an hipocrite a tyrauÌ„t and Lucifer the vsurper of Gods power He commaunded certaine Images that were of wonderfull excellent workemanship to be throwen into the Riuer Tiber least religion should be corrupted by them He commaunded prayer and fasting for the asswaging of the pestilence He reclaymed the Gothes from the Arrians to the vnitie of the church He wrote Homilies in a pleasaunt stile following S. Augustine Hee xpounded the moste part of the holy bookes of the Bible He by common consent defaced the name of vniuersall byshop And professed him selfe in his wrytinges Seruus seruorum Dei seruaunt to Gods seruauntes whereby he might shewe howe farre he was from all ambicion and desire of soueraintie This title his posteritie hath continued bearing the name but forbearing the humilitie that belongeth therunto At the length Gregorie did greatly lamente to se that howling and chauÌ„ting in the church had so taken place that preaching of the Gospell was neglected Beholde quoth he among other sayinges the worlde is full of priestes yet in the lordes haruest are founde fewe labourers We haue taken vpon vs the office but wce do not discharge the office Brethren I thinke that God suffereth dishonour of none more then of priestes for the moste parte If they se any liue in lowly estate or liue continently they scorne them Consider therfore what becoÌ„meth of the flocke when Wolues are made shepeheardes These take charge of the sheepe who are not afrayde to endaunger the liues of the Lordes foulde but they chaunge the office of their blessed function to the encrease of their ambicion We leaue Gods cause ronne to worldly affaires we enioye the place of holines and are entangled with earthly matters so that Baptist Mantuan saith of him in the thirde booke of his Fastor In speache he was ful eloquent his workes are yet in store He speaketh still and by his workes he shall do euermore He taught the quyristers to sing in soÌ„gs was his delight Huldricus bishop of Aâ—gusta sheweth a wonderful story of this bishop in his Epistle to Nicolas the first the effect whereof is that this Gregorie did firste coÌ„maunde priestes to liue single life but afterwarde when he perceiued that they were geuen secretly to fleshly pleasure and that hereupon many children were murthered hee disanulled that commaundement and sayde that it was better to mary theÌ„ geue occasion of murther For wheÌ„ on a time he sent a certaine woman vnto a fishepoole to take fishe there were founde in the same poole sixe thousande heades of infantes that had bene drowned therein whiche he perceauing to procede of forced single life with sighing and sorrowing he reuoked that Canon For as that Huldericus sheweth they accompanied not onely with virgins and wyues but also euen with their owne kindred with mankind yea and that whiche is horrible to be sayde with brute beastes After the tyme of this Gregorie ensued more blindnes theÌ„ was before The puritie of doctrine decayed the churche was darkened maruelously with mans tradicions For Monkery with his manifolde supersticions waxed great Herewithall sprang vp sale of masses and praying to the dead and the Lordes supper began to be an offering for the dead Bishops also being deluded with visions of spirites or rather of diuels began to reuolte from the doctrine of faithe to put affiance in good workes and mans satisfactioÌ„ as appeareth of Gregorie As it is euident of Gregorie who in his Dialogues to Theodolinda a very superstitious woman telleth of dead men that appeared and craued to haue prayers and suffrages This while Christianitie began to fall to ceremonies forthwith blinde supersticion by meanes of Monkery began to crepe in â–ª Gregorie as is mentioned before sent Augustine a Romaine Monke and other his compaignions to the Englishemen Anno. 596. not to preache Christe vnto them whose doctrine
which time it is manifest to all the world that Rome had the soueraignitye and Empyre of all the world and that it was then the great Cittie and none but it of whom this might be said neither is it knowen that anye other Cittye is or hath bene built vppon seuen hilles And that Rome is so it appeareth by diuers writers Romaines and other that report it as they haue seene it Amonge other Munster in his Topographie doth not only in the descriptioÌ„ of Rome testifie that there are seuen hilles but also sheweth the names of them euerye one which are these Auentinus Capitolinus Palatinus Caelâ—us Exquilinus Viminalis and Quirinalis hill Properâ—ius the Poet confirmeth it briefely in a verse saying thus of Rome Septem vrbs alta iugis toti quae presidet orbi the like hath Virgil in hys Georgicks Septem quae vno sibi muro circundedit arces speakinge it of Rome Mantuan in his Fast. li. 2. doth in like maner describe Rome calling it RomuleaÌ„ septem cuÌ„ Collibus vrbem So of the Grekes it is called Heptalophos wherin Hepâ—a signifieth 7. and lophoâ— an hil head or top This Vitellianus commaunded shauings and annointings of the clergye to be vsed geuing vnder these markes liceâ—s to buy and sell pardons in the Churche as was prophesyed of Antichrist after he had choaked the Church with much palcry he dyed At this time at the fulnesse of Antichrist moÌ„kery grew into superstitious estimation At this time also these two straunge thinges were wrought Abbeis were first founded for monkes kinges were shaued and made monkes 12. Theodatus the second THeodatus the second a Romaine borne was made Pope beinge but a monke He bestowed great cost to make a sumptuous abbey of that from whence he came He gaue licence to moÌ„kes to transport Benedict Nursin patriarcke of his own order with a scholesister of theirs from Cassim mount into Fraunce At this time were manye straunge thinges as a blasinge starre appearing 3. monethes continually with great raine often thonders with a strauÌ„ge Rainbowe and earthquakes suche as the like were neuer heard of And some say that the corne being beaten downe with these strauÌ„ge tempests of raine did spring vp againe and grew to ripenesse For these thinges Theodatus caused prayers often to be said and dyed Anno 675. 13. Donus the first DOnus the firste was made Pope in a miserable tyme when the fieldes and the corne were burnt vp with thoÌ„der lightninges and showers He as Popes vse beautified S. Peters porche with pillers And after he had punished certaine Nestoria heretikes he scattered theÌ„ in diuers abbeis in Italy He restored certayne olde churches he deuided the Clergie into diuers orders and aduaunced them with seuerall kindes of honour and dignitie After muche controuersie he made subiect to Rome Rauennas churche Theodorus the Archebishop therof agreing to it through the Popes flattery whiche churche before was called Alliocephalis After he had done many â—uche dedes he died Anno. 679. 14. Agathon the first AGathon the first as Gratian writeth Distinct. 19. being a Monke of Sicill coÌ„maunded that the Popes decrees should be taken for as canonicall and authenticall as the Apostles wrytings So he gaue as great auctoritie to the masse whiche was clouted together by sondry Popes But wickedly he coÌ„demned the mariage of ministers of the Latine churche He sent one Iohn a Monke and Archedeacon of Rome into Englande Anno 679. to teache them here the manner of their reading singing ceremonies in their churches And the better to vtter his knackes of celebrations and sacrifices as Beda wryteth in his fourth booke 18. chapter de Gestis Anglorum He â—ent his Oratours Iohn bishop of Portua and Iohn Deacon of the Romaine churche to the sixt Sinode of Constantinople and against the Monothelites he sent one Agathus In the whiche Sinode the Clergie of the Greke churche were allowed mariage and the Latin churche forbidden it Also among other thinges then done the eight daye after Easter Anno 681. the said Iohn of Portua did first of al say the Latin masse openly before the Prince and the Patriarke and people of Constantinople all men allowing it for nouelties sake as a newe founde thing whiche taking roote hereupon was receiued in all churches whiche helde vpon the Pope In this Popes time after straunge Eclipses both of Sunne and Moone was a Pestilence so contagious in Rome that the Pope him selfe died thereof The seate then was vâ—yde a yeare and a halfe 15. Leo the second LEo the seconde was a Monke very learned as well in Greke as in Latin and so skilfull in Musick that hee brought the notes of the Psalmes and Hymnes to better harmonie He coÌ„firmed the sixt Synode partly to establishe the masse partly because by it also the Clergie of the West churche were forbidden mariage He translated into Latin the ordinaunce of mariage He appointed that the Pax shoulde be borne aboute and be kissed of the people while masse was saying Also that if neede did require there shoulde be Christening euery daye He would haue for their sake of Rauenna no election of any bishop to stande in force vnlesse hee were first confirmed by the bishop of Rome But sayth VVicelius without payinge for his pall or anye other money which saith Platina I would it were kept still in Rome for out of this bribing at this day many mischieues aryse For as yet they durst not enterprise wholly such polling as they did afterwarde aboute 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yeares after Christe for in time past the vi Princes of Italye did confirme the bishops of Italy yea and the Pope him selfe Afterwarde the Emperour Constantine the fourth agreing thereunto the election was againe ratified in the handes of the Clergie and the Laitie But the Prelates of Rauenna being emboldened because that the court of the sixe states was among theÌ„ would not obey the churche of Rome but auouched that they were egall in dignitie And thus Foelix being their bishop after Theodorus went about to shake of the Popes yoke and to recouer their lost libertie But the Emperour that was then Iustinian sonne of the sayde Constantinus being set on by Leo with standeth the purpose of Foelix and after he had by assaulte wonne the towne he boared out the byshops eyes with a whot burning iron Leo before the ende of his tenne monethes died Anno. 685. in which time the moone was in a moÌ„sterous and straunge Eclipse appearing as redde as bloud all the night long diuers nightes together 16 Benedictus the second BEnedict the second whose holinesse they said moued the Emperour Constantine the fourth if they father not a falsehode on him after his death to decree that henceforth the Pope of Rome should haue authoritie ouer the people without the licence of the Emperoure or the sixe states of Italy whiche lasted not long He reedified diuers temples enriching them with vessels of golde syluer and guilt with coapes of
Popes chayre But when as Otho should returne into Germany he sent Benedict to Hambrough to his Chauncelour Adaldag the Archebyshop thereof where he liued in exile and for very thought and anguishe of minde died and was buried in the Cathedrall churche Anno. 964. 70 Leo the eight LEo the eight citizen of Rome and chiefe secretary of Lateran churche was made Pope by Otho the Emperour in steade of Iohn deposed for his vilany Who being established in his Popedome Benedict deposed because he perceiued the leudnes of the Romaynes how that with threatninges with bribes and euill meanes they were still aduauncing their owne He crowned Otho and made hym vniuersall Emperour Afterward by decree of a Synode he bestowed on Otho the whole and absolute aucthoritie to electe the Pope taking it from the people and Clergie of Rome whiche saith Gratian Charles the great had geuen vnto them This he did to auoyde those seditioÌ„s which vsed to arise in the elections Otho desirous to be thankefull for this curtesie restored to the sea of Rome all whiche they forge that Constantine gaue them or that Charles or Pipin toke from the Lombardes And had bestowed on them He restored sayth Barnes those thinges whiche hee neither possessed nor was able to defende But Leo after he had raigned a yeare and three monethes died Anno. 966. 71 Iohn the. xiiij IOhn the xiiii sonne of one Iohn a bishop or as some saye of Pope Iohn the xii obtained the Popedome as it wer by his fathers righte This Pope was quietlye chosen whiche was a rare thinge and yet Peter the Liuetenaunt of Rome with the twoo consuls and twelue senatours coÌ„spired against him because he fauoured the Emperoure they apprehended him in Lateran churche and kepte him prysoner in Angel castell the space of eleuen monethes This being knowen the Emperoure hasted to Rome with his armie and dealt sharpely with the offendours some he banished some he made to forfaite their goods â–ª some he haÌ„ged on the gallowes But the Pope hauing Peter the president yelded to his will deliuered him to the hangeman who according to the Popes coÌ„maundement stripped him out of his apparell shaued his bearde and hong him vp by the hayre of the head for the space of an whole daye Afterwarde he commaunded that he should be set vppon an asse with his face to the tayle and his handes tied vnder the Asse tayle and to make him a laughing stock to all men to leade him thus about the citie and withall to scourge him with roddes this being done to dryue him out to be banished into Germany This Pope Iohn allured the kingdome of Poleland to Popery and sent thether Giles Cardinall of Thusculan to confirme the people therein to deuide dioceses to annoynte bishops and consecrate them and to accompte the Pope as supreme head of all churches After this he died Anno. 973. At this time they began to Christen belles and to geue them proper names For this Pope called the great bell of Lateran after his name 72 Benedict the sixt BEnedict the sixte succeded Iohn as well in misery as in place for he was cast into Angell castel as prisoner for certaine offences by Cynthius a Romaine a man of great power And within a while after he was strangled to death with a roape in the same pryson or as some saye pyned to death I cannot but maruell saith Platina that his death was not reuenged neither by the Romaines nor by Otho the Emperour who so tendered the estate of the church of Rome but I feare saith hee that Benedict deserued as Cynthius rewarded him seing no maÌ„ reuenged his death 73 Donus the second DOnus the seconde succeding Benedict learned by him to be more wyse and therefore did nothing at al worthy to be written Only this is mencioned that when the Polonians desyred they might be made a kingdome and haue a crowne graunted to them he denied their sute Crantzius sayth he gouerned indifferently deseruing neither great prayse nor disprayse for a yeare and sixe monethes he died Anno. 975. 74 Boniface the seuenth BOniface the seuenth was of so base birth that neither the name of his stocke nor of his countrey was knowen he getting to be Pope by leud meanes loste it leudly again For hauing obtained the seate the magistrates conspired against him whereby he was compelled to hide him selfe But perceiuing he could not tary at Rome safely hee filched and robbed Saint Peters Pallaice of the moste precious and richest treasure and iewels and so by stelth fled to Constantinople where after a whyle selling them all he made a great somme of money and returned to Rome knowyng that mony could obtaine anything But in his absence the Romaines made one Iohn the fifteth Pope in his steade But he returning enriched the citezins with money and allured to him euery rascall whereby he toke Iohn and thrust out his eyes put him in pryson pined him to death and so gat his place againe wherein shortly after he died wretchedly of y falling sickenes Whereuppon his body hauing a roape tied about his beles was haled through the streates and despitefully stabde in with daggers pikestaues iauelinges and suche like thinges and at length commaunded by the Clergie to be buried in a common place 75 Iohn the fiftene IOhn the fiftene a Lombarde was made Pope by the citezins and the Clergie while the former Boniface robbing the treasurie fled to Constantinople secretly This Iohn was a Deacon Cardinall and of great auctoritie fauoured not Boniface but as Platina saith he with certaine other honest citizens stoode against Boniface his doinges whereupon as is aboue mencioned he was made Pope the other being fled and so coÌ„tinued eight monâ—ths till the other returning did put out his eies imprysoned him and murthered him there with the â—aÌ„ke stinke of the pryson and famin and griefe of mynde together Yet some thinke that Ferrucius the father of Boniface slewe him because he withstode his sonne to be Pope so saith Anselmus 76 Benedict the seuenth BEnedict the seuenth after these was made Pope by the Layetie and Clergie He by the Emperours ayde dyd apprehende a great company of conspiratours in the citie and for their haynous offence he put them in pryson and punished them cruelly â–ª He helde a couÌ„sell at Remes against Lothariê° king of FrauÌ„ce wherin he restored Archebyshop Arnulphus who was violently deposed and he deposed condemned of heresie one Gilbert a Monke being a coniurer whome the king for his money and sorcerie had aduaunced to be Archbishop This Gilbert notwithstanding did yet afterwarde obtaine of the Emperoure Otho the thirde whome he had taughte to coniure that he might be Archebishop of Rauenna and afterwarde he was promised by the Diuell that he should at length be Pope of Rome Whereupon saith Polidor Virgill in his sixt booke of his storie of Englande Monkes and priestes at this tyme declining from the trade of their elders in all places begaÌ„
sayth Benno the Emperour made Theophilact to flye he put Gregorie in prison and afterward he banished him wyth Hildebrād into Germanye and cōpelled the bishop of Saba to returne to his bishopricke So Gregorie dyed in Germanye of whose falsehod and money together sayth Benno Hildebrand was made heyre who after his death returned to Rome 90. Clement the second CLement the seconde was made Pope in a Synode at Rome by the Emperours commaundement while the other three Popes were yet liuinge Hee caused the Romaynes to giue ouer to the Emperour theyr title in electing the Pope for the auoydinge of those broyles which arose there vppon But some saye that it was the Emperour who made the Romaynes sweare that they shoulde neuer name anye to be Pope But the Emperour beinge gone into Germanye they forgettinge theyr oath did poyson this Pope Clement because he was chosen wythoute theyr consente the ninth monthe after his creation which poyson was tampered by Steuen who succeded him called Damasus the second or as some thincke that Brazutus being commonlye practised in these thinges and companion to Theophilact and Hildebrand was auctor therof At this time were great and straunge contencions about the Sacramente of the alter and by the deuils doinge manye wonders and myracles were wroughte but the Pope forbad manye to vtter their conscience hereof least it shoulde be preiudiciall to the masse And therefore manye of the doctours as appeareth by theyr wrytings wrote doubtfully 91. Damasus the seconde DAmasus the second otherwise called Steuen Bagniarie gate the Popeship by force at the Emperours cōmaundement with consent of the clergye and laitye for sayth Platina it was now a common thinge for euery ambitious parson to prease into Peters seate violentlye but he kepte it not long for the thirtenth day after he was poysoned by the sayde Brazutus Anno 1049. This Damasus beinge chaūcelar to Clemēt his predecessour did poyson his maister and therefore dranke worthely of the same cuppe After this sayth Benno Theophilact who before was fled returned to Rome and there wyth his olde acquaintaunce Laurence wroughte much mischiefe and by the letters of his scholer Hildebrande beinge then in the Emperours Court and a traytour about him he knewe all the Emperours secretes While he thus did greatlye vexe the Romaynes they by the counsell of Cardinals sent Embassadours to the Emperour desiringe him to assigne one to be Pope And therefore one Bruno afterwarde called Leo the ninthe was made Pope and perforce againste his wyll brought to Rome In whose company through ouermuch gentlenes of the Emperour Hildebrand was suffered to returne to Rome who afterward wrought such mischiefe in the worlde as neuer was harde of both againste Emperour Church clergye and common wealth vnder colour of religion meaninge not to keepe his oath longe sworne to the Emperour So sayth Benno of him 92. Leo the ninth LEo the ninth a Germaine borne of the countrey of Dasburg being also himselfe countye Etistheim and bishop of Tulledo he became Pope in this maner Because the Romaynes not for the loue of the Emperour but beinge wearyed wyth those ambitious and seditious prelates that straue for the Popeship desyred him to appointe one to be Pope he sent them this Bruno bishop of Tulledo a man of a simple witte for none of the other Germaine bishoppes durste aduenture to come amonge the poysoned cuppes of Rome He goinge on forwarde in his pontificall roabes had wyth him in companye the abbot of Clunace Hildebrand the monke the clergye of Rome meetinge him seing him come on this manner altered his Popes vesture did most dispitefullye charge him wyth apostasye because he had receyued his auctoritye from the Emperour therefore they perswaded him to put of his pōtificals and to returne to Rome in his wonted apparell Saying the election of the Pope was not graūted to the Emperours but to the clergye and people of Rome Bruno obeyed theyr commaundement and came to Rome in his owne priuate apparel And through the counsaile of Hildebrand did cōfesse openly before the auncients that he had offended and therefore because he ascribed the auctoritye to them they chose him Pope more willinglye and for this deede called him Leo or Liō whose courage argued him rather to be a sheepe Afterward he made Hildebrand a Cardinall and partner of his Popeship with him committing to him the charge of S. Peters Churche whereof Benno wryteth thus As sone as he came to Rome meaning Hildebrād he obtayned of Leo to be made one of the keepers of the alter of S. Peters Church and within a while he filled his cofers and to the end he might put out his money to some man for dailye enterest he became familiarlye acquainted with the sonne of a certaine Iewe who though he were latelye become a Christian yet he left not his Iewishe trade of vsurye And before this hee had well acquainted himselfe wyth the famous worker of mischiefe Brazutus frende to Theophilact who is reported to haue poysoned by his cūning these Popes wythin xiii yeares Clement the second Damasus the second Leo the ix Victor the second and Nicholas the seconde Pope Leo held a counsell at Vercella wherin he condemned the doctrine of Berengarius who helde opinion against transubstantiacion and the real presence of Christ in the Sacrament Likewise he held a nother counsell at Maguntia wherein was concluded that priests should not keepe hounds nor haukes neither medle with any such profane things Also the mariage of the clergye was vtterlye condemned by the procurement of Hildebrād And it was decreed to be simonye for a priest to be preferred to an ecclesiastical lyuing by a layman By the enticement of Hildebrand and Theophilact this Leo not knowinge their disposition moued warre against the Normans whose power was thē great in Apulia But Theophilact meaning to worke the Pope mischiefe secretelye because he durst not openly do it bewrayed first al his secrete coūsell and finallye with Hildebrands aduise betrayed the Pope himselfe to the Normans from whom his men beinge slaine he himselfe escaped narrowly who yet returninge to Rome was poysoned by Brazutus the fift yeare of his Popedome 93. Victor the second VIctor the second a Germaine borne in Bauaria was made Pope not by free election but because the Romaynes did so much stande in awe of Henry the Emperour that they durste do nothinge against the oath made to the sayde Henry in the time of Clement the seconde And therefore to gratify the Emperour they sent Hildebrād as Embassadour to him to know his pleasure in the election and by this meanes this Victor beinge a Germaine came to be Pope In this Embassage Hildebrande toke vppon him by vertue thereof to make Henry the Emperours sonne heyre to the Empire This Victor helde a great Synode at Florence wherin he condemned all those priestes of Symonie who had bene presented to their spiritual liuinges by any temporall parsons Immediatly after the establishmente of
he might binde all the bishops and clergye to be more subiecte to Rome who now depended more on their Princes because of the bestowīg of the lyuings wherby the Popes strength encreased the tēporal Princes were weakened and neglected of their clergye And the better to atchieue his purpose because Henry the Emperour was chiefe of temporall Princes he attempted it first againste him for this matter he sommoned a councell at Rome wherto the Emperour could haue no regarde because of his warlike affayres then presente And yet this matter so delighted the Pope that for compassing it he spared neyther treason nor murther but in manye places he procured ciuill warre sedition with al kinde of mischiefe that might be For first seekinge the Emperours death he attēpted it diuers wayes as thus amonge other euen in the Church The Emperour saith Benno vsed to go to prayers to S. Maryes Church in Auentine hill Hildebrand therefore hauinge his false espyes caused the place to be wel noted where the Emperour vsed to kneele or sit in the Church all seruice time hyred one to go and laye certaine great stones secretelye in the roofe of the Church righte ouer the same place in such sort as he might throwe them downe vppon the Emperours head and so slaye him which as this fellowe went aboute and was busye wyth a great stone the waighte thereof ouerwhelmed him so as he fell downe to the pauement and the stone vppon him which brused him so as he dyed of that which hee had prouided to slaye the Emperour withall This thinge being knowen the Romaynes bound his heeles to a roape and drewe the dead carkasse through Rome streats three dayes together for an example Againe saith Benno Iohn bishoppe of Portua who was of Hildebrands priuye councell said in his preachinge before the people clergye in S. Peters Church what meaned Hildebrand and we to do this thīg wherby we should be burned aliue meaninge that violence which they had vsed towarde the Sacrament of Christes bodye Because Hildebrand demaunding of it as the heathen vsed to do of their idols what successe he shoulde haue against the Emperour because the Sacrament spake not and gaue him no aunsweare he threw it into the fyre maugre all the Cardinals that were about him and said to the Sacrament most blasphemouslye Could the idoll Gods of the heathens giue them aunswere of theyr successe and can not thou tell mee He excommunicated the Emperour being a cōformable Prince withoute lawfull accusation without canonicall citacion or iudicial order and caused his peeres to reuolt frō him and soughte by secrete traytors to murther him Also hee caused the bishops to sweare them selues vtter ennemies against him wresting wringinge places of the Scripture to make a shew to maintaine his purpose But sayth Benno as sone as he roose vp from his chayre being newly framed of wood by Gods workinge it claue in peeces was rente terriblye into diuers partes When he sawe that his secrete treasons toke not effect he brast out into open outrage and enmitye he excommunicated the Emperour and discharged all his subiectes of theyr allegeaūce gaue his crowne vnto Rodolpho duke of Sueuia which he sent to him with this poesye Petra dedit Petro Petrus diadema Rodolpho This moued the Emperour very sore in so much that hee stripped himselfe out of his royall roabes and puttinge on wollen apparell came with his wyfe and his sonne a litle child in the depth of winter a cruel and perillous iourneye to Canusius and stoode barefooted at the gates of the Citie fasting from morning to night suing humblye for pardō at Hildebrands hand and for three dayes suffered with lamētable miserye to be laughed at and flowted by Hildebrand amonge his paragons and monkes He desired often to be let in to come to the Pope but hee was still aunswered for three dayes together that the Pope was not yet at leasure to speake with him The good and gentle Emperour toke it paciently to be thus delayed and because he could not be let into the Citye he abode in the suburbes w t his great inconuenience for the frost was verye extreame more then ordinarye and yet he endured it continuallye 3. dayes least by taking his ease he should haue offended my Lorde bishops grace and still he sued to be pardoned At the length the fourth daye by the intercession of the Countesse Mathilda who for loue not for honesty was in fauour with the Pope the abbot of Cluny and Adelaus Earle of Sauoy he was admitted to come in And thoughe hee craued pardon on his knees offered vp his Crowne yet would the Pope neither pardon him nor absolue him vnlesse hee woulde promise that accordinge to the Popes appointment he would purge him of his fault in the councel with other vnlawfull conditions All which he promised and confirmed with hand seale and yet was not restored to his estate This being knowen the Princes Lordes of Italye were highlye offended that the Emperour Henry in such maner with so great dishonour and so shamefullye had submitted himselfe to recouer the fauoure of this Hildebrand who by treachery purloyned the Popedome and defiled all thinges with slaughter and harlotrye But the Pope and his Cardinals beinge puffed vp with this that they had brought the Emperour to this seruile yoake began to attempt further matters but Henry reuēged this dishonour sone after by the sworde and after sharpe battelles he ouercame Rodolpho who hauinge his hand cutte of commaunded to bring vnto him the bishops and auctors of his rebellion before whom he sayde thus hauing his hand layde before them I am quoth he iustye plagued lo this is the hand wherewith I pleighted my allegeaunce to my soueraigne Lord Henry and by your enticements I haue often time fought against him to my losse and falsifyed my fayth and therefore haue receyued the rewarde due to my periurye Consider therefore whether ye haue guided me righte or no Go ye therefore and stand to your first fayth vowed to your king for I must go to my father this being said he dyed After his death at the Popes commaundement they set vp another to be Emperour one Harman a Saxō County of Lucelburg who while he was assaulting a certaine Castell in Germanye was slaine by a certaine great stone which a woman hurled downe vpon him And yet the Popes malyce ceased not but he raysed vp a thirde traytour againste the Emperour euē his kinsmā Egbertus a Marquesse who also being taken in a Mill by the Emperours frends was miserably slaine In the meane time the Pope did solace himselfe with the companye of Mathilda who forsaking her husbande Azon Marquesse of Esta kept continually by the Popes deare side whereby she was called S. Peters doughter and so of one ieast another sprāg for as Lambert Hirswaldēsis saith the talke was how S. Peters doughter liued in secret incest w t S Peters heyre
to the Popes letter FRederick by the grace of God Emperour of the Romaynes Augustus euermore to Hadrian Pope of Rome and to al those that are vvilling to cleaue to that vvhich Christ began to do and teach sendeth greetinge The lavve of Iustice restoreth to euerye man his ovvne For vve do not dishonour our auncestours to vvhom vvithin this our kingdome vve yelde due reuerence by vvhom vve haue enherited our Crovvne and regall dignitye Is it knovvne that Syluester bishoppe of Rome in the time of Constantine the Emperour had anye kinglye poart But by his godlye graunte the Church obtayned libertye peace vvas restored and vvhat soeuer your princelye pontificality is knovvne to haue it came by the bountifulnes of Princes VVhereby vvhen soeuer vve vvrite to the Pope by good righte vve set our ovvne name former and accordinge to the rule of Iustice vve allovve it to him vvritinge to vs. Loke ouer the Recordes and if ye marked not in readinge vvhich vve auouche there ye shall finde it But vvhy shoulde vve not require homage and royal oathes tovvarde our parson of them that are Gods by adoption and possesse the royaltye belonging to vs Seing that he vvho taught both vs and you takinge nothing of a Prince but geuinge al goodnes to all men yet payde tribute to Caesar for himselfe and Peter and gaue you an example that ye shoulde do the like And so he teacheth you saying Learne of mee for I am humble and gentle of harte Therefore let them eyther graunte vnto vs that belongeth to our royaltye or els if they vvill challenge this for their more commoditye then let them paye vnto God that is due vnto GOD and vnto Caesar that is due vnto Caesar. The Churches are shut to your Cardinals and the Cityes are not open vnto them and reason good because vvee see that they are not feeders but steâ—â—ers of their flockes not kepers of peace but catchers of pence not those that amend the vvorld but that deuoure it But vvhen vvee shall see them such as the Church requireth bearinge peace giuinge light to their countreye assistinge the cause of the lovvlye in equity vve vvil forthvvith succour them vvith necessarye stipends and sustinaunce But ye do much discredit your humilitye and curtesye beinge the sauegâ—rde of all vertues vvhen ye moue to secular parsons such questions as do not much further religion Let therefore your fatherlye vvisedome prouide least vvhile ye sturre aboute such vnmeete matters yee giue offence vnto those vvhich applye themselues to giue eare to the vvords of your mouth as it vvere to a shovver of raine after Harueste For vve cannot but aunsvveare to those thinges vvhich vve heare vvhen vve see the detestable beast of pride to haue crept euen to Peters seate so long as vve purpose God vvillinge continuallye to prouide for peace and the Church Fare ye vvell Here may you discerne somwhat the dealing and spirite of the Romain bishops which I leaue to euery one 's owne indifferent consideration To returne to the matter hereuppon this Pope Hadrian did excommunicate the Emperour and by his Legates sent from Rome prouoked rebellions against him in Italye and other places and brought it secretly to passe that the conspiracye of the rebels should be made the stronger by these lawes confirmed among them by oath that none of them should take peace with him wtoute the whole consent of all the rest And againe that if this Pope Hadrian should dye they should choose none to be Pope but one of those Cardinals that were of the conspiracye against the Emperour But shortlye after God punished this Hadrian very straungelye for sayth Abbas Vspergensis in Frederico primo it came to passe that this Pope Hadrian the fourth going to Agnania to denounce the excommunication against the Emperour after he had taryed there a fewe dayes walked forth with some of his companye to coole him selfe And when he came to a certaine springe of water he drancke thereof and forthwith a flye did enter into his mouth and did cleaue to his throte in such sort that no art of the PhisitioÌ„s could get it away and so he was choaked therew t and died therof Anno 1159. in the fift yeare of his Popeship But the Italians being thus set on by the Pope deuised continuallye treasons against the Emperour amonge other practised to haue murthered him by a certaine counterfeit foole beinge in deede an excellente Musician who had surelye slaine him but that the Emperour driuen to his shift leaped out at the fifte window downe into a riuer which ranne vnder the place where he was The foole beinge taken was also throwne downe out of the same windowe and so he brake his necke After this they hyred an enchanter of Arabia who poysoned his bridle his spurres his ringes and his stirope and such other thinges that with the onlye touching thereof he should haue beene slaine But he was bewrayed and hanged vp This Pope Hadrian made king Henry the second of Englande Lorde of Irelande Carion in his Chronicle wrytinge of Conradus the thirde Emperour of Germanye sayth that it is found written that this Pope Hadrian the fourth euen a little before his death should say that there is no kind of life vpon earth more wretched theÌ„ to be Pope and to get the Popedome by bloud is not to succeede Peter but Romulus whoe for the kingdome slue his owne brother III. Alexander the thirde ALexander the third was borne in Hetruria called first Rolland Chancelour After Hadrian the fourth had his breath stopped and was choaked with a flye this man succeded him beinge farre worse then the other But because that all partyes coulde not agree to elect him nine of the Cardinals that held on the Emperours part did choose another Pope called Octauianus a citizen of Rome being a priest and Cardinall of S. Clements whom they called Victor the fourth And after the death of this Victor the sciesme and discention beinge continued three Popes succeeded in order Paschalis Calixtus and Innocentius all which withstoode this Pope Alexander and made greate turmoyles in the Church of Rome and al perished he yet lyuinge But when the Emperour sommoned a councell at Papia wherby the strife might be ended and the matter debated that he might be confirmed Pope that had the better right this Alexander defyinge the Emperours Embassadours aunswered proudlye that the Pope as he toke himselfe to be is to be iudged by no man and thus sent awaye the Embassadours with great contempte and sendinge his letters throughe all Christendome he plagued both the Emperour and this Victor with excommunications And because he might assure Rome to himselfe hee sente letters forthwith to Iohn Cardinall of sainct Peters Church who supplyed his roume there who by briberye and flatterye so curried fauor with the people that he allured the most parte of the Citye to fauour Alexander and to make those Consuls that did most leane to his part In the meane
of none effecte It is sayd before that this Pope Celestine did crowne the Emperour Henry the sixte which because it was done after so straunge a sort as hath not beene hearde it shall not be amisse briefely to declare the maner of it as it is reported by Rogerus Houedenus Ranulphus Rogerus Cestrensis and other of whom the first liued at that time reportinge it as followeth The Pope was going froÌ„ Lateran to S. Peters Church where the Emperour and his wyfe Constantia mette him in the way but the Romaynes did shut the gates against the Emperour Empresse comming with a great troupe of armed souldiours And Celestine standinge vppon the stayres of S. Peters Church toke an oath of the Emperour his armye being shut out that he should defend and restore the libertyes and patrimonye of the Church to the vttermost yeldinge to Rome the Citye Tuscalanum After this he did annoynte him Emperour and her Empresse in the Church while he sitting in his pontificall chayre and holding the Emperiall crowne betweene his feete caused the Emperour to stoupe and bowe downe his heade to his feete so put the crowne on And it being thus put on he caused the Emperour stil to hould downe his head while he with his foote did spurne the Crowne of his head againe sayinge I haue power to make and vnmake Emperours at my pleasure Then the Cardinals toke it vp and sette it vppon the Emperours head And in like maner the Empresse was both crowned and vncrowned with the Popes foote Celestine dyed Anno. 1198. In his time one Cyrill an Hermite had a strange vision reuealed vnto him as hee was at masse as MantuaÌ„ writeth Fastorum lib. 5. if a man will beleeue euery vaine fantasye As Cyrill in his holye weede was earlye saying masse Beholde a child with glorious shape before him present was And houering in the ayre on hye with siluer plate in hand Which he vppon the alter layde where Cyrill still did stand And sayd vnto him holye sâ—er God doth to the disclose These secretes and do thou reueale vnto the Romaynes those The written verses out of Greeke he turnes to latine tongue Which straite were set in scholes and yet are cited vs amonge But touching the truth of this fantasticall dreame it shall folow in Gregorie the ix for that age toke into credit three straunge monstrous myracles so that then the worlde did greatlye esteeme of the secte of begginge fryers while Sathan wrought in Antichrist the full mistery of his iniquitye The myracles are these first the vpholding of Lateran Church reuealed in a vision to a Dominicke Fryer at Rome the fiue Seraphical woundes of S. Fraunces in a certaine hill of Lauernia and the Oracle of this Cyrill 117. Innocentius the thirde AFter Celestine was InnoceÌ„tius the third who so boyled in anger agaiÌ„st Philip the Emperour because he was made Emperour by the Germaynes contrary to his will that he brast out into these wordes Eyther shall the Pope spoile Philip of his Crowne and Empyre or els shal Philip take froÌ„ the Pope his Apostolical dignitye After this hee sturred vp against the Emperour one Otho a duke both boulde and rashe so that by this holye fathers helpe there grewe cruell bloudshed and foule slaughter infinite vntill that this Philip the Emperour was traytecouslye and vilanously slaine by another Otho and this Otho whom the Pope had set on against Philip poasted to Rome and of him was made Emperour But this bloudy league did not last long betwene them for as sone as Otho began to reclaime recouer such thinges as of right beloÌ„ged to the Empyre which the Popes by subtil practises had purloyned many yeres he was excoÌ„municated by the Pope himselfe and spoyled of all his royall estate furthermore he discharged al his Princes of theyr alledgeaunce which by oath they ought to Otho and commauÌ„ded vppon payne of his cruell curse that no man should take Otho to be Emperour nor call him so and caused the Princes to make Fredericke king of Sicill Emperour Also this Innocent Anno 1212. sought to compasse three harde matters that is the deposing of Otho a voyage to Hierusalem and a general councel Also the same yeare sayth Vlricus Mutius certaine noble men of Alsatia did condemne this Pope of impietye because he would not suffer the clergye to keepe their wyues the bishops burned an hundred in one daye because they taught that Christians might lawfullye eate fleshe and marrye at any time This mischeuous Innocent did mischeuouslye contriue many cruell tragedyes against king Iohn of Englande he euen in despite and defiance of the kinge did thrust an enemye to the Realme called Steuen Langton a Cardinall into the bishopricke of Canterbury and encouraged threescore and foure monkes to worke seueral treasons against him Because the king would not suffer these treacheryes he condemned him to be an ennemy of the Church excommunicated him from the company of all Christians interdited his kingdome vi yeres and three monethes deposed him from gouernment toke from him the Crowne and the Scepter discharged his subiectes of their allegeaunce gaue his Realme to Lewes the French kinges sonne commaunded to spoile him both of goodes and life with diuers other tyrannous dealinges Kinge Iohn beinge dismayed with these stormes being otherwise a noble and valiant Prince yet because he was forsaken of his nobilitye his bishops and commonaltye submitted himselfe full sore against his hart to the Popes obeysaunce compelled to acknowledge the Pope to be supreame heade ouer all Christendome and God vppon earth and bound himselfe with a solempne oath to stande to the Popes arbitrement and that his posteritye should do the like to acknowledge themselues perpetuall tributaryes to the Popes of Rome Also he kneeling vppon his knees to Pandulphus yelded vp his Crowne in the presence of all his nobilitye sayinge Here I resigne vp the Crowne of Englande to Pope Innocent the thirde c. Which Pandulphus kept for fiue dayes during which time the king was as a priuate person then being bound to paye the Pope for his Crowne a thousande markes a yeare with other shamefull conditions he receiued his Crowne at the handes of Pandulphus pardoning and restoring to full estate all those that had rebelled conspired and wroughte treason against him And yet by the procuremente of Steuen Langton Archbishop of Yorke other of the clergye and priestes of Englande he was myserablye vexed with treasons and rebellions continuallye for certaine of the nobilitye and priestes had chosen Lodowicke to be their kinge sonne to Lewes kinge of Fraunce who entred the Realme and toke the estate vppon him by theyr maintenaunce against kinge Iohn to the great hart breaking of the noble Prince the spoyling of the Realme and oppression of themselues while this forren Prince bestowed all thinges vppon his owne countreymen accomptinge the Englishe nobles that assisted him to be but traytours In the ende after much miserye and
this Clemens one Octobonê° a Legate of his comminge into England enrolled to perpetuall memorye the valuation of all Churches in the Realme so narrowly as he could possiblye gather the certaintye Clemens dyed at Viterbium Anno 1270. was buryed amonge the Dominickes and the seate was voyde two yeares 127. Gregorie the tenth GRegorie the tenth borne in Placentia in Lombardye of the house of the countesse of Millen was first called Theobaldus He being an archdeacoÌ„ after the Cardinals discention which had lasted almost two yeres was ended was chosen Pope of whose election Iohn Cardinall of Portua wrote these Verses Papatus munus tulit archidiaconus vnus Quem patrem patrum fecit discordia fratrum One archdeacon against his hope by chaunce obtayned to be Pope The iarringe of brethren caused the rather that he was created of them the father This Pope amonge other thinges made peace betwene the Genewaies and Venetians He excommunicated the Florentines for inuadinge such townes as belonged to the Popeship Afterward he held a couÌ„cel at Lions in FrauÌ„ce to the which came Michael Palaeologus Emperour of Greece to reason of the opinions of the Church of Rome for xii of his auncetours had in times past conferred with them and euer departed dissentinge from them In this councell was decreed that the Pope beinge dead the Cardinals should be shut vp in a certaine closet without meate or drincke till with one consente they should agree vppon choyse of another He made many decrees for the helping of the Holy land and the maintayninge of Religious meÌ„ Many noble and great parsonages both kinges Earles made themselues apparell with the Crosse on it to go the voyage to Hierusalem to whom the Pope verye craftely to further their purpose promised to come visit them there He aduaunced diuers of the begging fryers to greate Ecclesiasticall dignityes as to bishoprickes archbishoprickes and Cardinalships After the Empyre had beene voyde a long time at the length he made Rodolph Earle of Hamboroughe Emperour because he shoulde maintaine ciuill discention and after that Alphonsus kinge of Castile had bestowed houge summes of money in hope to be Emperour especially the duke of Cornewall being dead the Pope appeased him with wordes enoughe but no recompence in money toward his charges This Rodolph after he was chosen was charged by the electours that he shoulde go to Rome within a yeare to receiue the Crowne of the Pope yet he neuer did it excusing himselfe with pretence of priuate affayres vsed to saye oftentimes amonge his frendes that the footinge of the Emperours goinge into Italye seemed glorious triuÌ„phant but in their returne out of Italye wretched myserable ful of sorrow Alluding to the fable of the Foxe who being sent for to come to visit the sicke Lion made aunsweare that he perceyued the footesteps of many beastes goinge into the Lions denne but he could finde fewe or none comming from it But Rodolph sente his vicegerent into Italye whom the Cities for the most part receyued but the Pope returning to Rome iourneying hard by the Florentines would not yet absolue them of their excommunication which had lasted almost 3. yeares At length he came to Aretium Anno 1275. dyed in his iourney in the fift yeare of his Popeship is buried there and neuer came to Rome nor sawe it 128. Innocentius the fifte INnocentius the fift borne in Burgundie a dominican in profession was choâ—en by the Cardinals at AretiuÌ„ who beinge chosen Pope and crowned in S. Peters Church went about to establish peace in Italye Therefore he sent great Embassadours who should compell the Heâ—rurians entendinge to destroye the Pisans to take peace also the Venetians and Genewaies being at deadly enmitye to fall to vnitye vpon perill of his curse Also he procured the Embassadours of Charles king of Sicill to be present at the peace makinge the better to countenaunce his doinges the Hetrurians obeyed and especially the Florentines and therefore the Pope did absolue them from the excommuniâ—atioÌ„ of Gregorie But the Genewaies and Venetians coÌ„tinued notwithstanding the slaughter of each other whom yet Innocentius had broughte to his purpose if he had liued he purposed it so earnestly He dyed the same yeare that Gregorie dyed in the second daye after he had raigned vi monthes This Pope sayth Platina did not a litle offende seculer priestes because at Viterbium he did determine the dominicaÌ„s should enioye the tombe of Clemens the fourth for which they and the secular priestes had longe beene at sharpe debate 129. Hadrian the fifte HAdrian the fifte a Genewaie borne before called Othobonus was made Pope in Lateran porche this maÌ„ was nephewe to Innocentius the fourth and made Cardinall of S. Hadrian by him and sent into England as Legate to gather vp the Popes money But while he wente about to appease strife betweene the kinge his barons thereby to worke his owne matters more quietly he was put into prison by the Citizens of London and at length deliuered againe Anno 1266. w t a great trayne of bishops and priestes he helde one councell at Northampton and another at London where after he had dispatched his matters touchinge papistrye according to his owne minde he made lawes whereby England did longe after maintaine Papistrye Also he denounced all those bishops to be wicked who had taken parte with the Princes against kinge Henry the third and yet those same bishops were partlye absolued by him for money partlye compelled to go for absolution to the Pope This Hadrian as sone as he was made Pope went forthwith to Viterbium sente for Rodolphe the Emperour into Italye to breake the power of Charles kinge of Sicill this Charles is he whom againste lawe and righte he had aduaunced before who then ruled all at Rome according to his luste But Rodolph beinge troubled with the Bohemian warre could not satisfye the Popes desire but Charles meaning to eschue the mallice transported all the power of his armye into Achaia purposinge to make a waye to attaine to the Empyre of Constantinople Hadrian sayth Platina purposed to make the gouernemente of the Church to be safer from oppressours to alter the constitutioÌ„ of Gregory his predecessor touchinge the restraint of the Cardinals for the election of the Pope He dyed at Viterbium ere he were consecrate Pope 40. dayes after his election 130. Iohn the xxij IOhn the xxii a Portingale borne a Phisition by profession called before Peter Portingale was made Pope beinge first bishop of Tusculan This man although he were counted very well learned yet for want of skill in gouernment infirmitye in his maners sayth Platina did more hurt and dishonour to the Popeship then good For he did many thinges that seemed to be both of a foolish and light minde and was to be praysed in this thinge onelye that he â—uccoured with money and Ecclesiasticall lyuinges yonge men that were toward in learninge especiallye the
sommoned a councell into his Pallaice in Viciana sylua where the whole assemblye subscribed against the Popes heresye and therefore the kinge sent to Pope Iohn willinge him both to reforme his heresye and also to deliuer the prysoner so the said Thomas was set at libertye This Pope reformed and transposed the orders decrees of the Church at his owne pleasure made Colledges of Scribes according to the nomber of the Apostles who receyuing their fee should write such letters as he should appoint He cōdemned Iohn Poliacus a deuine because he taught that mē should not trust the begging fryers He cōpelled certaine Nonnes called Biginae to marrye and detested pictures He helde it for a grounded article that Christ gaue none other rule of godlinesse to his Apostles then to other Christians and that the Apostles neuer vowed pouertye Iohn Mandeuil in his first booke and seuenth Chapter sheweth that this Pope wrote at large to the Greekes that there is but onely one Christian Church and that he was head thereof and vicar of Christ to whō the Greekes aunswered briefely VVee do assuredlye acknowledge your highe power ouer your subiectes but wee cannot abide your high pride wee cannot stanch your greedye couetousnes the deuill is with you but God is with vs. Thus briefely in a worde they reuealed the Popes estate This Pope condemned Lewis Bauare a noble Emperour to be a rebell to the Church a scismaticke and hereticke because he toke vpon him by the Electours choyse the gouernment of the Empyre not vowing anye fealtye to the Pope Thus wryteth Iohn Marius of this Emperour Lewis Pope Iohn sayth he hated vnto death Lewis Bauare partly because he beinge chosen by the estates of Germanye kinge of the Romaynes did disdaine to receyue at the Popes hand according to the Canon of Pope Clement the fifte the name and title Emperiall partly againe because he defended from the Popes power certaine monkes whom he had condemned for heretickes therefore Pope Iohn auouched Lewis to be an hereticke Lewis comminge into Italye appointed his deputies in euery Cittye and came to Millen and because he desired to qualifye the Popes displeasure he sent Embassadours to him kepinge his courte then at Auenio in Fraunce to require of him the ornamentes belonging to the estate imperiall with freindlye affection as his auncestours had done the Pope did not onelye denye the sute but sent awaye the Embassadours with great reproche and cited the Emperour him selfe peremptory wyse as they terme it to come to Auenio submit himselfe to the Canons of the Church The Emperour knowinge the Popes tyrannye vsed in his Church vnderstanding that he had his estate giuen him from God desired to keepe and defende the same holye and vndefiled and therefore woulde not submit himselfe like a slaue vnto Popes and so denyed to come to Auenio And yet being desirous of peace he besought the Pope by Embassadours once againe to bestowe on him with curtesye the ornamentes of the Empyre the Pope stoode peuishlye in his wilfulnes vaunting and boasting in his wrytings that he had power to playe make marre w t Princes and that at his pleasure he might set vp and depose whom he listed and that the Empyre being voyde the Pope is ful Emperour And for malice against Lewis he excōmunicated the Uicounts whom the Emperour had appointed to gouerne Millen The Emperour perceyuinge the Popes obstinate minde taking with him many Princes of Italye came to Rome and was honourablye receyued of al the people and required according to the custome to receiue the solemnityes of the Empyre The Romaine peeres and all the people sent Embassadours to Pope Iohn in Fraunce and humbly besought him to come to visit his City Rome to bestowe vpon the king of the Romaynes the imperiall rites which if he would not do they said plainly that they them selues would keepe the ould law priuiledge of the Romaynes Iohn hauing heard the Embassadours vsing great threates and terrours draue them away with foule rebuke frō him The Romaynes seing this decreed to yeld to the noble Lewis his lawfull request and so by the commaundement of the clergy and people both he and his wyfe together were crowned by Steuē Nicolas being Senatours in the meane time the nobilitye shouted oute saying God saue Lewis Augustus Emperour of the Romaynes The Pope hearing this though the Emperour did nothing but that was lawful and godly did accuse him for a traytour and an heretick he published sore processe against him put him frō his estate imperial depriued him of his kingdome condemned him by vile and cruel curse of excōmunication as a rebell and Captaine heretick againste the Church of Rome by meanes whereof he enflamed all Christendome with such discord deadly warres as could not afterward be quenched in thirty yeres Thus farre wryteth Marius Thus the Pope had nothing to defende his forged supremacye and auctoritye but the dreadfull boultes of his excommunication But there were certaine at this time as well deuines as lawyers which preached that Christe and his Apostles did possesse nothinge properlye and that the Emperour in temporall cases was not subiect to the Pope Amonge these men were Michael Coesenus VVilliam Occam minorites Marsilius of Padua Iohn of Iandane lawyers with diuers other Lewis the Emperour was so comforted by these that he did stoutly withstand the Popes ententes and published this his appellation about the coastes of his Empyre ¶ The Emperours letters WE Lewis kinge of the Romaynes doe pronounce against Iohn who saith that hee is Pope that he doth naughtelye execute the testament and will of Christe cōcerning peace troubling the cōmon tranquility of Christendome neither is he mindfull that what honour soeuer he nowe doth enioye was first giuen by the holye Emperour Constantine to Syluester euen when he forfeare lurked in forrestes Thus doth he shewe himselfe vnthankful to the Romaine Empire from whence hee reaped all the roialty which now he abuseth c. Thus when Lewis and the peeres of Rome perceyued well the iniquitye of Pope Iohn and the people of Rome from the hyest to the lowest did take it in euill part that the Embassadours whō they had sent were so mocked of him they all agreed together that the ould custome of chosing the Pope should be brought into the Church that is that he being chosen by the people of Rome should be admitted and allowed by the Emperour Therefore one Peter of Corbaria a minorite was made Pope and was called Nicolas the fifte and as for Iohn they cōcluded of him that he was an heretick and a tyrant of the Church not a pastour but a breaker of the common peace of Christians In the meane time Pope Iohn Anno 1335. in the fourscore x. yeres of his age dyed at Auenio About the yeare of our Lord 1326. in the time of this Pope Iohn the prelats of Englād played a stout prancke for the bishop of Hertford
Spoke v. Simon Tod one Nicolas VValker ij VVilliam Vause one Robart Dauison vj. Peter Boughe had many and so other had others In the Cathedrall Church at Chichester Iohn Champion Prebendary of VValtam had ij harlots VVilliā Crosse had one vvyfe Thomas Parker ij harlots Richard Busteld one of vvhō he begat a child Barthelmevv Cokisley i. Robart hunt had diuers Tho. Goffe had ij being other mens vvyues Iohn Hill xiij harlots Robart Moore had many Roger Barham many Iohn Bedfild many vvith others amōg that vvhich the forsaid Roger Barham and Iohn Champion vvere gilty of sinne against nature These vvere taken out of the foresaid booke Behold vvhat monsters Popery hath nourished throughout England in abbeyes and colleges Are not these foule birdes most iustlye banished vvith their most filthye Pope the Romishe Idoll In all other places as vvell in congregations as colleges the like thinges are committed and done the vvhich vvere to longe or rather to shameful throughly to declare for they gate vnto them in most places through this Popishe Religion either the French pockes or the Spanishe decease And there vvere in Englande more then xl Abbeyes of diuers kindes of mōkes beside the most vvicked nests of the begging fryers of the vvhich there vvere almost tvvo hundreth Vnto vvhom these verses do aptlye agree It is not sure a misse that monkes should fathers termed bee Sith such swarmes of their bastard brats in euery place they see There is yet a thirde matter vvhich forced mee herevnto and hauing seene and heard these thinges vehemently moued me to vvrite This is the precepte of Christe in the xviij Chapter of the Reuelation of S. Iohn For a voyce came from heauen from the right hand of the father and the euerlasting throne of Christe vvith a great voyce sounded in our eares saying Go from her my people lest ye be made partakers of her vvickednes and ye receiue part of her punishment For her sinnes are gone vp to heauen and God hath remembred her vvickednes And then commaundemēt follovveth vvhich vvas giuen against the beast vvith seuen heades Revvard her euen as she hath revvarded you and giue her double according to her vvorks and poure in double to her in the same cup vvhich she filled vnto you And forasmuch as she glorified her selfe and liued vvantonly so much poure you into her of punishment and sorrovve This is the vvorde of the Lorde declared vnto vs as vvell here as in the fiftye Chap. of Ieremy That this serpent might perish all his doinges brought to nought Yet for al this I do vvel remēber the sayings of S. Paule that al Princes ought to be honoured although they be vvicked and vnprofitable for a common vvealth because they be placed there of God neither to speake euill of them beinge but vvotmes dust and ashes Neither dare I murmur against the prouidence of God vvhich is contrary to his holy vvorde Therefore from the bottome of my hart I beseech our Lorde and Redeemer Iesus Christe that he vvould haue mercye vppon all Kinges Princes and Nations and so prouide that all nations maye be so gouerned as is most tending to his glory For vvhose reueng he hath most stoutly fortifyed mee vp in this my old age Not studying to derogate or take avvaye the honour from anye Christian Kinge but onely to inuey against the Romishe beast the Synagog of Sathan and most vvicked Antichrist vvith the vvritings and testimonye of most learned men If I shal haue said any thing sharper then thou didst loke for most gentle Reader cōsider I pray you the hudge tirāny of this most vvicked Viper of the vvorld vvhose destruction accordinge to Gods promises is at hande Great Babilon shall fall vvhich hath seduced many Nations and shall be destroyed the vvhole vvorlde marueylinge thereat If the vehemencye of my stile shall offende thee beholde the maruelous force of the holye ghoste in the Prophete Dauid and most holy king vvho in the Lordes cause most stoutlye saide I haue hated the congregation of the vvicked Psal. 25. He promiseth also aftervvarde by his Prophetes that he vvoulde destroye the brothell houses and vvicked places Ezechi 16. I vvill shevve fayth the Lord vnto all Nations thy nakednes and to al kingdomes thy shame Nahum 3. Thy dishonour and filthines shall be opened and thy reproche shall be seene I vvill be reuenged and none shall resiste mee Esay ▪ 47. VVoe be vnto those Kinges as manye as haue vvorshipped the beast or haue ayded her or haue receiued helpe of her or haue committed fornication vvith her as many as haue serued her and haue ioyned handes against the Lambe and vvaged battell for her cause because their names are not vvritten in the booke of lyfe from the beginninge of the vvorlde And the Lambe shal ouercome them at the last like a Lorde of Lordes and kinge of kinges and they shall go together vvith the beast to destruction and vtter dampnation Apocalips 17. GOD therefore giue in the hartes of Christians vvhom the x. hornes do shadovve that they maye faithfully execute this his vvill and iudgement that they maye make her desolate and leaue her naked that they maye eate her fleshe and burne her in fire that is let her abide her last punishment for the sheding of the innocent bloud of so manye faithfull Christians Be it done Be it done Amen To the Reader T. R. GENTLEMAN THe worthy wittes of elder yeares haue traueld sea and land To seeke and search the wondrous works of naturs skilful hand And mens delight hath euer bin most vgly things to vewe To looke on creatures out of kinde as monsters olde and newe If therefore thou as other men my friend affected bee And dost desire vgly things and monsters strange to see Then take the payne to seeke and searche within this little booke And here thou shalt vpon so strang a mongrell monster looke As neuer nature bread on earth whose shape is in this wyse As I shall partly portrature the same before thine eyes It is a little beast that hath ten hornes seuen heads crownets seuē Who w t his taile frō clouds to clouds swepes down the stars of heauē Upon whose backe in princely pompe and glistring gold araye And proudly pranckt in precious pearles and clad in purple gaye The stately strompet sittes that is the whore of Babilon And in her hand a golden cuppe of fornication Wherwith the world she poysond hath which dronken with her wine Hath falne downe flat vnto the beast as to a god deuine Which forced kings to leaue their crownes Keiser stoupe for awe Whyle on his royall necke the beast hath sayd his filthy pawe Who hath the mighty monarkes made to holde his stirrope lowe And caused them on humble knees to come to kisse his toe Who forced great estates to stand barefooted in the streate And proudly put the crowne on head of princes with his feete And made the sonne and subiect both against their king
stil in his Apostelship at Hierusalem and not in his pontificall dignitie at Rome But here it may be fayde that S. Hierome and diuers other whiche followe him do recken that this synode was helde Anno domini 51. and do grounde it vpō the foresaid wordes of Paule ▪ for where as Paule speaking of his conuersion at Damasco sayth that after three yeares he came to Hierusalem and then after fourtene yeres he retourned agayne to Hierusalem this is to be vnderstoode not xiiii yeares from his conuersion but from his former being at Hierusalem and so cōsequently in the xvii yere of his conuersion whiche should be also the ix yeare of the raigne of Claudius This is the computation of Hierome but this is easely disproued for in the ninth yeare of Claudius the Iewes were all banished from Rome because saith Suetonius they made tumultes Impulsore Christo by meanes of Christe And at this time Paule was at Athens as Vspergensis writeth and it appeareth like wyse by the history of the Actes for Paule departing from Athens went to Corinth where he met with Aquila and Priscilla who saith the text were lately come frō Italy because Claudius had commaunded that all Iewes should depart from Rome This being euident that Paule was at this time at Athens it is further to be considered whether he might not be at Hierusalem the same yeare at the counsell or no. Moste certaine it is that Paule was at the counsell and that it was held before his comming to Athens and that so long time that the onely consideration thereof might be sufficient to proue that the same synode was not helde the same yeare For those questiōs being discussed about which they were assembled Paule and Barnaba with certaine other returned with letters from Hierusalem to Antioche where they stayed and taried preaching and teaching for a tyme till at the length Paule agreed with Barnabas to go visite the brethren in those cities wher they had taught the gospell So that Paule passed from Antioche to Syria Cilicia confirming the churches Afterwarde he came to Derba and Lystra where he founde Timothie and hauing circumcized him he toke him with him and as they passed forth saith Luke from citie to citie they gaue vnto them the institutions of the Apostles and Elders of of Hierusalem that they should obserue them so that the churches were confirmed in faith and encreased daily Also they walked throughout Phrygia and Galacia and being forbiddē by the spirite to preache in Asia they went to Nysia from thence to Troada from thence to Samothracia then to Neaples and so to Philippis and stayed there certayne daies from thence to Thessalonica where Paule preached three wekes from thence he went to Beraea and there preached with great fruite till the Iewes came thether from Thessalonica to disquiet him and from this Berea Paule was conueied to Athens Nowe let the diligent reader cōsider all these iourneies with other circumstances as continuance of time and distance of place and Paules abiding in euery place to preache diligently and then iudge whether the forsayde synode could be held this same yeare that Paule came to Athens Waying also that many more notable cities are in these coūtreies Galacia Mysia Phrigia and the rest visited by Paule but not spokē of in the Actes Againe considering that the Apostle traueled by lande all moste altogether that by leasurable iourneyes on foote he could not finishe thousandes of miles in short time but that it were very harde for him to come to Athens the same yere Beside al this if it were to be vnderstode as Hierome maketh it then if ye accompt it in the table ye shall finde it to be one yeare further that is the yeare 52. and it is plaine to be more vntrue for then by this time Paule had continued a yeare in Corinthe and so had not bene in Hierusalē in two yeares before The conclusion therefore is that the said counsell could not be holdē according to the accompte made by Hierome ▪ and therfore S. Paules wordes must be vnderstoode as I sayde before namely of fourtene yeares after his conuersion and then it is euident that Peter was yet in Hierusalem in the yeare 49. But to procede it may be demaūded where Peter was from the time of his deliuery out of pryson at Hierusalem to the time of this synode that is from the fourth yeare of Claudius to the seuenth yere of his raigne Perhaps Peter went to Rome at some time betwene those yeares Nicephorus sayth that in the fifth yere of Claudius Peter was at Hierusalem at the death of the virgin Mary But if we weigh diligently the history of the scripture conferring one place with an other it shall appeare that although it be not specified in the actes yet Peter was at Antioche in this time For Paule in the secōd to the Gallathians saith that Peter came to Antioche whiche could not be at anye time before this time of his deliuery out of pryson as may appeare by the former part of this discourse Againe diuerse reasons there are whiche moue me to thinke that it was before the tyme of this counsell for first Peter being at Antioche Paule sayth of him self that he reproued Peter euen to his face because that he did eate with the Gentils till certaine came from Iames from Hierusalem and then Peter being afrayde to offende those circumcised did shrinke away from the Gentils And the rest of the Iewes yea and Barnabas also fell into the same dissimulation with them This dissembling of Peter is one reason to proue that it was before the counsell for it semed to Peter a doubtfull matter whether he might be conuersaunt with the Gentils whiche if it had bene as it was afterwarde by the counsell determined that circumcision was not necessary then had Peter bene out of doubt what to do therein and would haue delt plainely according to the truth which he had knowen manifestly Agayne if it had bene after the counsell the matter being discussed and agreed vpon Peter should not haue had any cause to dissemble for feare of offending them in that point that came from Iames neyther neded he to haue mistrusted that they would mislike of that whiche should haue bene allowed by the churche neither would Peter haue regarded more their vniust offēce then the decre of the counsell Last of all in the beginning of the 15. of the Actes Luke maketh mencion of suche that came from Hierusalem and troubled the churche at Antioche about circumcision and howe Paule and Barnabas stoode against them and hereupon ensued the said counsell And thus it appeareth that Peter was at Antioch at this time and hetherto therfore to the yeare of the incarnacion 49 he came not within a thousand miles of Rome ¶ Anno Domini 50. and 51. IN the latter yeare of these twayne being the ninth yeare of Claudius al the Iewes as is proued
before were vanished from Rome whiche ouerthroweth the establishing of Peters bishopricke for that yeare And as for the former yeare by their owne stories it semeth not to be the time of his comming for at his first cōming Simon Magus as Platina reportes was in suche honour at Rome through the admiration of his sorcery that he was honoured as a God for a piller was set vp betwene two bridges whereupon it was written Simoni sancto Deo To Simon the holy God so that Peter had a great cōflict ere he could roote out the credit of Simon Magus and plant the Gospell and Iesus Christe in the hartes of the Romaines whiche by the testimony of Platina he did so effectually ere he left that in the ende Simon Magus being brought to contempt Simon Peter was reuerēced and honoured almoste like a God All this asketh more time leasure to be brought to passe then Peter could hetherto obtayne in Rome Concerning these former two yeares this may be sayde briefely Platina and the rest of the Romaine registers doe auoutche that Peter after he left Hierusalem went to Antioche and continued there byshop seuen yeares or as some other thinke fiue yeares at the least or he came to Rome This being allowed of them for a manifest truthe on the one side and it being euident by the scripture by the premisses that this bishoprike at Antioche could not be established at the vttermoste tyll the yeares 49. it foloweth by their accompt that it is sure that for these yeares 52. 53. being within the compasse of the forenamed fyue yeares Peter was not at Rome but at Antioche nothing nearer to Rome then is Hierusalem ¶ Anno 52 53 and 54. TOuching the last yeare of these that is the yeare 54. and the twelth yeare of Claudius it is euident that Peter was not bishop at Rome for then Paule wrote his epistle thether to the Romains in the sixtenth chapter wherof he endeth his epistle with particular salutacions to xviii persones by name beside priuate housholdes and amōg those xviii eight or nine were women and yet there is no mention made of Peter surely if Peter had gone thether before the wryting of this epistle so that Paule might haue then thought that he had bene there Paule would not so haue neglected the worthy Apostle among the rest onlesse he should seme to make lesse accompt of him in the churche then of women if therfore the epistle were nowe written it is probable Peter was not nowe at Rome But it is apparent inough that the epistle was written at this time Paule in the xv chapter and the 24 verse to the Romains promiseth that he would come to Rome but excuseth him selfe that hee came not presently for nowe saieth he I am going to Hierusalē so that hereby it semeth to be written in his iourney at some time going to Hierusalem But it is nedefull to consider at what time especially this was because he went thether fiue seueral times as it appeareth first in the ninth secondly in the twelfth thirdly in the xv fourthly in the xviii fiftly and last that is mencioned in scripture in the xxi chapter of the Actes And touching the first three times it could not be at any of those voiages because Paule had not yet met with Timothe for he founde him not as it is shewed in the sixtenth of the actes til after his thirde comming from Hierusalem from the synode but at the writing of this epistle Timothie was in his cōpanie for in the ende of his epistle he sendeth commendacions in the name of Timothie Then of those two ascendings after his acquaintaunce with Timothie it is plaine that it could not be that he wrote it at the first time mencioned in the 18 of the Actes for in the 18. verse of the same chapter ere Paule returned to Hierusalem it is saide that he departed from Corinthe to Syria and Priscilla and Aquila went with him to Ephesus where he left them and would not stay being thereto requested because he hasted to Hierusalem whether he wēt immediatly At this ascending to Hierusalem this epistle semeth not to be written because in the 16. chapiter thereof he sendeth cōmendaciōs to Aquila and Priscilla who were with him in the moste part of this iourney and almoste two yeares before continually at Corinthe who parting from Paule went not to Rome as he knewe but stayed at Ephesus where he lefte them promising to retourne thether to them But if any make this obiection that because of these salutacions to Aquila and Priscilla this epistle might be written before they came from Rome at some time of Paules going to Hierusalem this is aunswered with that whiche I haue noted before that it could not be so because Paule was not then acquainted with Timothie with whome he met but euen lately before he came to Corinthe and went not to Hierusalem from the time that he founde Timothie till nowe that he left Aquila and Priscilla at Ephesus the cōclusion therefore is that this epistle was written to Rome at the last time that Paule went vp to Hierusalem and by that time might Aquila and Priscilla he retourned to Rome Beside all this in the 19. of the Actes the 20. verse Luke sayth that Paule purposed through the spirite after he had walked through Macedonia and Achaia to go to Hierusalem saying after I haue bene there I must go to s◠Rome here he semeth to be first that is mēcioned mindfull of Rome and this was at his last going to Hierusalē But conferre this place with his owne wordes in the xv chapter and 23. verse of his epistle and it will plaine appeare that the same epistle was written at this time aboue named his wordes be these I haue longed many yeares to se you when so euer I go into Spayne I wil come to you c. But nowe I go to Hierusalem to minister to the saintes for it hath pleased Macedonia and Achaia to imparte somewhat to the poore saintes at Hierusalem c. As soone as I haue dispatched this c. I wil go from hence into Spayne Finally Paule mistrusting the crueltie of the Iewes against him at this time more then heretofore and that truly as it fell out Actes the 21. desireth the Romaines earnestly to praye for him that God would deliuer him from those rebelles whiche were in Iudea All the whiche I alleadge to testifie against the iudgemēt of diuers other that this epistle by moste presumpciōs was writtē the last time of Paules going to Hierusalem whiche was in the twelft yeare of Claudius the 54. yeare of the incarnatiō for Luke testifieth that Paule was two yeare there prysoner before that Foelix the president of Iudea departed Festus came in his steade who was sent thether by Nero in the beginning of his raigne immediatly vpon the death of Claudius who departed in the 14. yeare of his Empier as Iosephus testifieth Antiquit. lib. 20.
straight charge that the priestes should be perfitte in the Popes decrees He sent these bishops Germanus into Englande Palladus into Scotlande and Patricke with a certaine Segetian into Irelande to roote out the Pelagian heresie He died Anno. 435. being put in among the number of confessours 12 Sixtus the thirde SIxtus the thirde a Romaine called the enricher of churches he builded the churche of S. Mary the greater after a miracle of snowe and enriched it with great giftes and garnished the pallayces with golde At the persuasion of a woman called Eudoxia he did hallowe Peters chaynes and appointed a yearely feaste daye in honour of them to be kept at Midsommer He died a confessour Anno. 440. and was buried in the citie About the yeare of our Lorde 456. Genesericus came out of Aphrica into Italy with a great armye against Rome and coÌ„ming thether he finding the citie empty inuaded it And for the space of xiiii dayes continually caried out the spoyle of it and toke away many prysoners 13 Leo the first LEo the first a Thuscane borne added to the masse these wordes to name it Sanctum sacrificium ImmaculataÌ„ hostiam hanc oblationem whiche cannot be without blaspheming God haynously â–ª He like an Idolatour builded a pallayce in the honour of Cornelius a byshop and appointed clarkes to kepe the Apostles sepulchres He decreed that men should worship the images of the dead allowed the sacrifice of the masse he died a confessour Anno. 462. 14 Hilarius HIlarius borne in Sardinia a man daily exercised in building and beautifying of churches decked the post of Christe his crosse with golde and precious stones He made decrees by synodes proclayming them to be kept through the whole worlde He made a lawe that euery minister should be put from his calling whiche maried either a widowe or deuorced woman and not a mayde He died a confessour Anno. 469. In his time Mamertus Claudius bishop of Vienna made the Letanies or procession to be saide thrise a weke whereof Mantuan sayth Fast. 4. By Rodanus there standes a towne Vienna men it name Sorenoied while one Mamertus was bishop of the same And suffred many sturdy stormes for oft with firy flake Of thonderclap it burnt while the treÌ„bling soyle did shake The grounde did gape as torne in twayne whereby the daungerous dell VVith yawning mouth stoode open downe to glowing goulphe of hell Among the dungeons depe of Ioue and rauening wolues vvithall VVere driuen to madnes through the haggs of hell that vp did crall The fraÌ„ticke neat begaÌ„ to murther meÌ„ in field tovvne VVherevvith mens hartes amazed vvere that thus the Lord should frovvne And so coÌ„straind they asked aide and succour froÌ„ aboue And vvith their humble prayers sought Gods mercy for to moue And herevppon the Letanye at first deuised vvas And aftervvard it did from thens to other people passe In the time of this Pope about the yeare of Christ 476. Odoacer with an army of HerulaÌ„s Turcihugians came from Panonia and wanne Rome and all Italye and raigned there xiiii yeres About this time Rome was so terriblie shaken wyth earthquakes that manye houses fell downe wythall 15. Simplicius SImplicius a Tiburtinian borne did dedicate Pallaces and deuided the towne into fiue parts for the priestes to serue and appointed the sacrificing priestes their weekes hee shewed that the Church of Rome was the chiefe Church of all He vsurped auctoritie vppon the people of Rauenna like a tyraunte and commaunded that none of the Clergy should acknowledge that he held any Ecclesiasticall benefice of a lay maÌ„ And this maÌ„ dyed a confessor Anno. 484. 16. Foelix the third FOElix the thirde a Romaine the sonne of one Foelix a priest decreed that onelye a bishoppe and no priuate priestes should dedicate the Churches and allowed a feast for the dedication of them Hee hallowed Agapetus hys Pallaice He decreed that the Clergye being accused of anye matter should haue dayes graunted to returne theyr aunswere and dyed in peace a confessor Anno. 494. 17. Gelasius GElasius an Aphrican sonne to Valerius a bishop burned the bookes of the Manichies hee made hymmes prefaces â–ª graduals collects and prayers hee seueâ—ed the Apocrypha from Canonicall Scripture and allowed maryed wydowers after they had maryed their seconde wyfe to be priestes if they toke his dispensation He encreased y Clergye he dedicated Pallaices and decreed that priestes orders should bee geuen foure times in the yeare he added to the Masse the conclusions of the prayers Et te igitur at lengthe auouched that he his successors should be iudged by no bodye And dyed a confessor Anno. 497. 18. Anastasius the second ANastasius the seconde a Romaine leaned to the Eutichians and Nestorians he did coÌ„municate wyth heretikes he excommunicated the Emperour And in the yere of our Lorde 499. on the stoole of easemente his bowels issued out of his bellye He dyed a confessor so writeth Volaterranus 19 Symmachus SYmmachus borne in Sardinia was chosen bishop with much dissention among the Clergye He ordayned that virgins which had once professed chastitye shoulde neuer marrye afterwarde and that none of the Clergye shoulde keepe in house wyth anye woman but such a one as were his kinswoman He builded many Pallacies euen out of the ground He brought the masse into fashion hee commaunded to singe Gloria in excelsis vppon the byrth dayes of saincts And if any maÌ„ may trust Gregoryes Dialogues he coÌ„mitted to Purgatorye the stubborne soule of one Paschasius a deacon after his death And yet this man dyed a confessour Anno. 514. Vspergensis sayth that wheÌ„ this Pope was chosen one Laurence was also chosen by some wherevppon manye slaughters both of the people Clergye were made in Rome during the space of iii. yeres but Symachus preuailed 20. Hormisda HOrmisda borne in Campania did set quietnes among the Clergie he appointed that the Psalmes should be songe by course enterchaungeable He commaunded that the decrees of counsels should be kept and bestowed many thinges to y furniture of churches he lefte a wedge of syluer waying a thousande fourty poundes in saint Peters churche and commauÌ„ded that no aultar should be builded without the consent of the byshop He added ceremonies to publique mariages and excommunicated Anastasius the Emperous because he sayde that it was an office dewe only to the Emperoure to commaunde and not to be at a byshops commaundement suche then was the courage of the spirite of Antichriste Iustinus the Emperoure as Isiodorus wryteth made this Hormisda a Patriarch of Rome being before but an Archebishop who died a confessour Anno. 523. From the time of Syluester the Romaine prelates were Archebishops for the space of twoo hundreth yeares that is from the yeare 320. vntill this yeare 520. at what tyme they were first made Patriarkes by the Emperour Iustinus I declare this more diligently whereby the attentiue reader may knowe by what degrees the Romain bishops crept vp to
the Popedome it selfe and what crafte the deuill wrought in them before the great Antechriste came and was reuealed to the full So that as ye see the bishops of Rome Here againe altered their name the seconde tyme to title of greater dignitie that is froÌ„ Archbishops to Patriarkes and so the rest folowing for a season were called 21. Iohn the first IOhn the firste a Thuscane whome Theodoricus kyng of Italy sent for then they were subiect to Princes as his oratour with certaine other vnto Iustinus the Emperoure This bishop being the worthiest man of all this latter company gaue a testimonie of his pure life by suftring paciently vndeserued death He decreed and that very godly that if any man were robbed of any thing he should haue all restored againe But I take it to be false that he should restore three churcheyardes enriched the churches with giftes or decked the altars with golde syluer or precious stones as Platina and other wryte least he should seeme nothing to haue encreased the kingdome of Antichriste There is to be seene comfortable Epistles of his to the byshops of Italy whereby he warneth them that they should not shrinke from their purpose but stande to it stoutly although that the said king Theodoricus fowly tainted with the Arrian heresy had threatened to destroye them and all Italy For the whiche at the tyrannous commaundement of Theodoricus Anno 527. hee perished at Rauenna through famine stinke noysomnes in the pryson As touching Arrius thus Mantuan writeth of him This Arrius euen the deadly bayne infecting mankinde And borne to breake Gods lawe and quenche the faithe of Christian minde Had venomd sondry nacions infecting all the world 22. Foelix the fourth Foelix the fourth was borne in Samia being not verye carefull in his pastorall charge and casting of the office of preaching builded the churche of Cosma and Damianus he restored Saturninus temple and repaired other temples of the dead He commaunded that masse should be said only in halowed places He made a partition betwene the Clergie and the people in the churche He excommunicated the Patriarke of Constantinople misdemed of heresy he commaunded that if a priest died another should succeade him twoo dayes after and commaunded precisely that they that lye a bying should be annoynted with hallowed oyle and died a confessour Anno. 530. 23. Boniface the seconde BOniface the seconde a Romaine was made bishop wheÌ„ the Clergie were at great iarre ready to go together by the eares He made canons especially this one that within three dayes after one bishop were dead another should be appointed in his rowme He following Foelix did seuer the Clergie froÌ„ the layetie by making the quier in the church and that for double pollicie the one was that by this meanes he might at length take froÌ„ the people both their place and their voyce whiche they had in chusing the bishops that it might not be lawefull for any of them to sewe a byshop or any of the Clergie in any cause ciuill or criminall before a temporall magistrate But marke what happened these wretches through their pryde as I thinke Whyle euen like the Pharisies they wil be counted holier then other with their shauen heades their annoynted fingers seuered chauncelles deuiding them selues from the faythfull that were redemed with the bloud of Christe It is to be feared least hereby they become the Goates that in the last day shal be deuided froÌ„ the lambes Math. 25 as not pertaining to the misticall body of Christe It is easy to iudge howe muche these men swarue from Peter the Apostle of whome they boaste so muche to whome it was not lawefull in the tenth of the Actes to decree of Cornelius that he should be either a layeman or a prophane persone Boniface died a confessour Anno. 532. 24. Iohn the seconde IOhn the seconde was a Romaine who otherwyse for his eloquencie was called Mercurie or Iuppiter his embassadour Iustinianus the Emperoure sent vnto this man a cup of gold of sixe pound waighte beset with precious stones and two syluer cuppes of seuen pounde weight and twoo syluer chalices waying fiftene poundes for a present from Constantinople after he had condemned Athenius the Patriarke of heresie and the sayde Emperoure commaunded his bishops as Crantzius witnesseth to talke with the byshop in his name moste friendly vnder benediction this byshop died a confessour Anno. 534. And as VVicelius saith he did nothing of any valewe 25. Agapetus the firste AGapetus the first a Romaine sonne of a priest called Cardinall Gordian was sent by Theodatus kyng of the Gothes as his Embassadour to pacifie Iustinianus the Emperour for the cruell murther of Amalasimitha a noble queene and an excellent learned woman whose worthy vertues the same Emperour reuerenced highly who also procured his peace with spending saint Peters treasure He decreed that on the sonday they should go in procession in the churches And died a confessour Anno. 535. 26. Syluerius SYluerius borne in CaÌ„pania sonne of Hormisda a bishop of Rome when Agapetus was dead as he went on his voyage to the Emperoure this man by the commaundement of Theodatus kyng of Gothes was placed in his steade without the Emperours consent Therefore by the prouocation of Vigilius a Dâ—acon who also did accuse him that he would betraye Rome to the Gothes he was banished into the Isle Pontus by Theodora the Empresse and Antonina the wife of duke Bellisarius So that it appeareth the Popedome at that time was a thing but of small countenaunce when they were sent as Embassadours at the commaundement of inferiour princes could be depriued of their authoritie put from their seate by women At length Syluerius died miserably in his banyshement being an hooded confessour Anno. 537. 27. Vigilius VIgilius a Romaine the crafty accuser of the sayd Syluerius compassing the bishoprike by subtiltie was aduaunced into the sayde place by the forenamed women Whereby Rome had then twoo bishops one made by the Gothes another by the Grekes or rather by those Grekishe dames And were vsed vngently but not vnworthely of them for either of them receiued the reward of his rashnesse for the one attayned the Popedome by crafte the other by might and yet the Papistes will haue them bothe reckened among martyrs Theodora did sue Vigilius because he brake promisse with her and caused him first to be brought to Constantinople there to be reuiled and beaten and afterwarde with an halter about his necke to be draweÌ„ through the streate and last of all bee driuen into banishement This man made certaine lessons of his owne for the holydayes to be redde in the churche He woulde haue the church of Rome to be taken for the mother of other churches He appointed Candelmas daye to be kept holy daye and that the masse should be sayde the priest standing with his face into the East He died a confessour in the yere 554. in Cicilia In these dayes was one Maurus who
of the Empyre was there shoulde be the heade Church againe the Emperours had their beginninge in Rome againe though some of them kept at Constantinople yet euer they bare the name of Rome as Romaine Emperours finallye Peter deliuered to Rome the keyes of heauen and hell A feeble reason thoughe it had bene true Thus at this time as an adulterer by treason and murther vsurped the Empyre so of the same man this ambitious Boniface obtained by briberye to be vniuersall bishop and consequentlye by the sayinge of his owne predicessour to be the forerunner of Antichrist He decreed in a Synode that vnder the paine of excommunication one Pope beinge deade another should not be chosen before the third day after Also the same penaltye for such as sought to be bishops by fauour or briberye he decreed that a bishoppe should be chosen by the voyces of the clergye and the people together and the election to be good if it were ratifyed and allowed first by the Prince or chiefe parson of the place and last of all confirmed by the Popes auctoritye and wyth these woordes of his Wee will and commaunde From this time forwarde the puritye of the Gospell decreased and superstition increased Likewise y Empâ—re was at this time mightely weakened for FrauÌ„ce Germanye Lombardye and Spaine reuolted and forsoke the Empyre beside Cosdroa kinge of Persia inuaded and wanne away many countreys and Cittyes in the East and among them Hierusalem Boniface hauinge enioyed his auctoritye scante a yeare dyed From this time sayth Vspergensis the Romain Empyre was neuer without great trouble miserye and missehap 2. Boniface the fourth BOniface the fourth borne in Marcia obtained of Phocas the Emperour that a Church in Rome called Pantheon which the heathen had dedicated to all their gods and idols should be translated from the worshipping of Idols to the seruice of Christ and be dedicate to al Saincts and so called all hallowes Churche An vngodly and blasphemous alteratioÌ„ and contrary to S. Paules doctrine that Christians should turne that to Gods seruice which was dedicate to idols He appointed the feast of alhallowes day and that the Pope on that doye should say a long masse he also appointed the corps cloth to be had at masse he gaue moncks leaue to baptize and absolue In this Popes time God punished the wickednes of Phocas who was reft both of Empyre lyfe by his successour Heraclius for hauinge his handes and feete cut of he was throwne into the sea 3. Theodatus THeodatus the first was a Romaine the sonne of one Steuen a subdeacon he deuised a newe founde aliance betwene the Godfather and the goddaughter and betwene the godmother and her godsonne calling it spirituall coÌ„sanguinitye and therefore he commaunded that neyther the godfather nor his godsonne should marrye the goddaughter and so of the godmother likewyse which is one token giuen to know Antichrist by forbiddinge and makinge vnlawful as Tacianus Montanus and other heretikes do honest mariage which God hath made lawfull At this time raigned such a straunge lothsome kinde of leprosye disfiguring men in such sort that one coulde not discerne another by the face Theodatus died Anno 618. in the thirde yeare of his Popedome Here note by the waye that none of the Popes from this time liued longe which wroughte not some notorious acte for the maintenance of the tiranny of the Sea of Rome 4. Boniface the fifte BOniface the fifte was borne in Campania he decreed the holye places shoulde be rescewes and maintenauncâ— for theeues murtherers and leude parsons making the churches churchyards chappels such others to be sanctuaryes for them and that no man should draw them away by violence that fled thether He commaunded that none but deacons shoulde handle the reliques of Saincts furthermore that a will and testament being made by commauÌ„dement of the Prince should stande in force which prerogatiues his successors did afterwarde vsurpe to themselues that no testamente should be good vnlesse it were allowed by them He dyed Anno. 623. 5. Honorius the first HOnorius borne in CaÌ„pania was a good Pope as Vvicelius saith for diligeÌ„ce in building Churches deckiÌ„g them with golde siluer but a negâ—igent pastor for ought that is read of him in feeding Christ his flocke Amonge other temples and monasteries that he founded he honge S. Peters Church w t cloth of Tissew which with the Emperours consente were taken out of Ianus Capitol or Romulus temple hee deuised holye roode daye and added to the Letanye the prayinge vnto dead saintes Sancta maria sancta Gregori c. and commauÌ„ded to go about the streates in procession euery Sabboth day This Honorius died Anno 634. in whose time Mahumet arose the auctor of the Turkishe religion 6. Seuerinus the second SEuerinus or Zepherinus the second was coÌ„firmed Pope in the name of Herachuâ— the Emperour by Isacius his liuetenaunt in Italye This Pope also was very carefull to build vp Churches of dead saints but carelesse of buildinge vp the Gospell wherevppon Isacius brake into the Church treasurye and perforce toke away the great heapes of riches the priestes to their power defending the same for then euen by Gods iust punishment the Sarracens wan from the Romaines Damascus Arabia Phoenicia Egipt and other kingdomes of the world Mahumets power encreased still against them and as for the Emperours souldiers they were driuen to great pouertye and wante of all thinges and the houge heapes of the Churches hourded treasury encreased to no bodies profit For sayth Platina in this dauÌ„ger of Mahumet the priests loked that the laitye should beare the charge of this to withstand the ennemyes of Christendome againe the laitye looked that the clergye for defence of Religion shoulde promise and giue their money for the maintenaunce of the warre and should not waste their wealth prodigallye to worse purposes as for the most part they doe spendinge plentifullye their riches gotten by almose deedes and with the bloud of martyrs vppon statelye and massye plate of siluer and goldeâ— hauinge little care of the world to come defying God and maÌ„ whom they serue only for luker sake Plat. in Boniface the 5. This made Isacius with his souldiours to burst into the Churches treasurye Seuerinus dyed Anno 636. 7. Iohn the fourth IOhn the fourth learning by his predecessours harmes howe to vse ryches better did redeme out of captiuitie with that money whiche Isacius lefte in Lateran his contreimen the Assirians and Dalmacians whome the Lombardes had taken prisoners in battell And yet least the like deede shoulde be attempted against the churche anye more euen sone after in the beginning of his Popedome he decreed that the churche goodes being so purloyned should be recompenced fower times double He wrote to Englande concerning the keping of Easter and against the Pelagian heresy Hee transported from Dalmacia to Rome the dead bodies of two martyrs Vincentius and Anastasius rather to hurt liue Christians with committing
cloth of tissue and cloth of gold and other iewels according to the Iewishe ceremonies and this Pope was the firste that toke vpon him to be called Christes vicar on earth Out of Vesunius hyll in Campania suche aboundaunce of fier spouted that it burnt vp all the countries men and cattell rounde about after whiche it is euident that there ensued Anno 686. bloudshed burning spoyling and the death of Princes and especially of this Benedict a Pope of tenne monethes 17. Iohn the fift IOhn the fifte was borne in Siria he first of all toke consecration of three bishops of the bishop of Hostia Portua Veliterne whiche custome he appointed to be kepte of his successours And his posteritie do kepe this vse euen vnto this daye in our Sauiours church at Lateran In his Popedome he fell sicke in the whiche time he wrote a vayne and vnlearned booke touching the dignitie of the pall of an Archebyshop 18. Conon COnon a Thracian was made Pope after much wrangling betwene the Romaines who would haue elected one Peter an Archebishop and the host preferring one Iohn a priest This Conon being established fell sicke and died Anno 689. He made one Kilianus being before a Scottishe Monke a bishop and sent him with other into Germanie to winne the East part of Fraunce to the church of Rome But this Kilian his company were at the first â—layne of their Auditours and buried at Herbipolis One Paschal an ArchedeacoÌ„ and Treasurer to the said Conon in this Popes life bribed Iohn Platina one of the sixe princes of Italy to make him Pope after the death of Conon Platina tooke the mony but he perfourmed not the couenaunt neyther restored the money 19. Sergius the first AT this time was great hurlie burly about the election of the Pope Some chose Theodorus a prieste some Paschal an Archedeacon And whyle euery one did ambitiouslye maintaine his owne faction either partie with the men of his owne side kept possessioÌ„ in some part of Lateâ—an pallaice But when the chiefe of the clergye the Romaines the army sawe that this sedition would wexe bloudye they agreed to appease this tumult reiecting both the other they chose Sergius an Assyrian borne brought him to Lateran Church and brasting vp the doores they driue oute the seditious electors and compelled Theodor Paschal to salute Sergius as Pope He bestowed great cost in trimming the temples with guilding images golden caÌ„delsticks and curious masons worke riche clothes such stuffe He they say founde a peece of Christ his Crosse in a brasen cofer He repayred the images of the Apostles being worne out with continuance He set a new patche vpoÌ„ the masse commaunding that Agnus Dei should be songe thrise wheÌ„ the priest is breaking the bread And on the day of the annuntiation of the virgin to sing procession He reclaymed the Church of Aquilia which began to decline from Papistrye He also by his monks allured the Saxons Frisians to the same superstition While Aldhelmus an Englishman waited at Rome to be admitted to a bishopricke he hard the Pope accused of adulterye the childe being new borne which was fathered vppon him Aldhelmê° therefore did secretlye admonishe the Pope of this wickednes Sergius dyed Anno. 701. 20. Iohn the sixt IOhn the sixt a Grecian borne beinge much delighted in vanityes as his predecessors were was very curious in decking the temples In the time of famine and warre he nourished a great nomber of poore men with the treasures of the Church being in deede the worthiest of al Popes for such almes deedes also he redeemed diuers prisoners oute of bondage And with threatninge caused Gisulphus captaine of Beneuent who then wasted Campania to returne home This man as it appeareth was because of Sergius adultery elected only Pope and not confirmed Sergius being restorde againe and therfore he is not reckened amoÌ„g the Popes Peter Premonstratensis sayth that Iohn was thrust out againe because of his vnlawful entrance therfore he is not enrolled among the Popes 21. Iohn the seuenth IOhn the seuenth a Grecian was delighted in nothinge but superstitious garnishinge Churches and images of Saincts for which he is muche commended but not one worde spoken of him touching preaching the Gospell Hee dyed Anno. 707. 22. Sisinius the second SIsinius or Sozymus after great conteÌ„tion with Dioscorus about the Popedome at lengthe obtayned it Hee was so sore sicke of the goute that hee liued Pope but xx dayes being neither able to sturre nor to eatâ— any thinge Nauclerus wryteth that he was poisoned by the said Dioscorus in the same yeare that Iohn the seuenth dyed 23 Constantine the first COnstantine the first being sent for by Iustitian the Emperour to come to Constantinople was the first that euer offered his soueraigne to kisse his feete At his returne home he condemned Philip Burdan of impiety because he could not abide the abhominations of Idols and toke the Images out of the Churche Furthermore he commaunded that the picture of the Emperour counting the godly Prince a wicked heretike should not be receiued thoughe it were engrauen in golde or siluer he cursed all the Emperours coyne And holdinge a counsell at Rome he decreed that Images should be had in the Church shoulde be worshipped with great reuerence contrary to al Scripture After this hee moued one Anastasius a mainteyner of images against the said Philippicus who appreheÌ„ding him reft him of his kingdome and put out his eyes when the bishop of Ticinum rebelled against his Metropolitan the Archbishop of Mediolan the Pope would not recoÌ„cile him but falselye made him tributary by stelth to the Sea of Rome whereby that bishopricke hath brought it selfe to perpetual bondage Kinredus and Offa two kings of the Englishe Saxons for their pleasures made a voyage to Rome and when they were there the Pope made theym forsake their kingdomes turned them into monkes hee dyed Anno 715. He was the first that gaue his feete to be kissed of Emperours 24. Gregory the seconde GRegory the second bestowed his time in repayring and building spiritual houses Churches with great coste Hee forbad a nonne a nouesse an abbesse a deaconesse or a spirituall Godmother to marrye He ordained that masse should be said euery friday in Lent and caused prayers often to be said because of strauÌ„g sights in the ayre He would haue masse said no where but in an hallowed place He persecuted euen to death those that woulde not worship images By his authority he compelled Luith Prandus king of Italye at the first withstanding it to ratifye Arithpertus donations beinge vniuste onely to maintaine the roâ—at of the clergye He moued the subiectes of the Emperour Leo to breake into opeÌ„ rebellioÌ„ because their images were taken away He caused Spaine Aemilia Luguria Italye and other countreys to reuolt and defye their obeysance to the Emperour The Emperour would haue no worshipping of images in the Church and therefore the
Pope did both excoÌ„municate him put hym from his kingdome threatned him eternall dampnation And thus the Emperours of the East lost their title in Italye Gregory dyed Anno 731. 25 Gregory the third GRegory the third was a stout champion for the Church of Rome and their ambitioÌ„ He did excommunicate his soueraigne the Emperour Leo because he destroyed images He ioyned to him Carolus Metellus the bastard lieuetenaunt of the Frenchmen to maintaine the estate of the bishop of Rome against the Lombardes By helpe of the Lombardes he draue the Grecians out of Italy And afterwarde oppressed the Lombardes them selues by the helpe of Fraunce and absolued all Italy from the oath of their dewe alleageance sworne to the Empire He busied him selfe in taking care and bestowing costes on churches abbyes celles altars Images In a Synode at Rome he maintained that the Images of dead sainctes should be worshipped decreeing excommunication against those that would do the contrary He layde vp in Peters Pallayce the reliques of sainctes and commaunded that on euery daye masse should be said there to them In the Cannons wherof hee addinge certaine clauses clowted it with this pece Quorum solemnitates hodie c. Hee forbad to eate horse fleshe He traÌ„slated the tuicioÌ„ of the churche from the Grekes to the Frenchemen He set the Apostles Images in churches seuerally by them selues He wrote to Boniface an Englisheman that their priestes ought to haue shauen crownes that should pray for the dead at masse and that they ought to praie and to offer sacrifice for the dead After these and like dedes he died Anno 742. 26. Zacharias a Grecian ZAcharias emplied his witte and wealth in pompeous and gorgeous buylding AmoÌ„g other vaine sumptuousnes he was the first that gaue golden coapes decked with pearles and stones to the churche for holy vses He gaue a stipende to the churche towarde the charge of the lampe oyle He deuised the manner and fashion of priestes apparell He deuided the East churche from the West churche He translated out of Latin into Greke Gregories foure bookes of Dialogues to the entent to plante the opinion of Purgatorie among the Grecians which they neuer receiued yet He made it vnlawefull to mary the vnkles wife the vnkle being dead although Gregorie the third allowed it He coÌ„maunded gosseps as we call them in no wyse to marye together He commaunded the Venetians a Godly dede that vpon payne of curse they should not for lucre sel their children of Christians to the Saracenes Taking vpon him the power of God after a sort he presumed very churlishly and cruelly to depose kings from their estate and to make kynges He was the firste that attempted to release subiectes of their alleageance For Pipinus sonne of the bastarde Charles Martell traytour to his Prince by his messengers obtained of Pope Zacharye that he woulde depose king Childericus from the crowne of Fraunce and geue it to him and his heyres The Pope remembring the late dede of Pipinus his father in the Popes behalfe against the Lombardes thinking by this meanes that he should be the better able to encouÌ„ter the Emperoure of the East grauÌ„ted this trayterous request And sent straight charge and highe commission to the estates of Fraunce that they shoulde depose their present king Childericus shaue his head put him into an Abbey and so make him a Monke And after this they should acknowledge Pipin beinge coÌ„firmed and annoynted by the Archebishop Boniface to be their soueraigne and kyng Furthermore he chaunged Lachis king of Lombardy Charolomannus and other from their royall estate and made them Monkes After tenne yeares raigne he died Anno 752. One Steuen a DeacoÌ„ was chosen to succede him who being wakened out of slepe to go about his affaires being taken with the falling sickenesse died presently and therefore is not accompted Pope 27. Steuen the second STeuen the seconde immediatly stept in after this other Steuen who for his superstitious and ambitious dealing in their religion is compted of the Papistes a Godly byshop But note the misterie of his iuggling he hauing thus by craft and guyle obtayned the Popedome he immediatly subdued to the sea of Rome all the dominion of Rauenna which had wrought the Pope so much displeasure and beside many other countreys in Italy thereby to obtaine the kingdome of Italy He craued of Pipin importunatly to reuenge his quarell against Aâ—stulphus kyng of Lombardy for demaunding subsidie of him and his Prelates Pipin to gratifie the Pope in consideration of the kingdome of Fraunce gotten by his meanes after he had longe besieged often assaulted the dominion of Rauenna at the length deliuering it from the garison of Lombardy yelded it as a present to the Pope with al the townes thereof eueÌ„ to the goulph of Uenice And thus they robbed the Emperour of that dominion and withal pulled down the thirde part of the strengthe of the Romaine Empire empairing thereby the East Empire And as for the weste Empire which then was arising it lost his strengthe likewyse But Pope Steuen hereupon annoynting bastarde Pipin and his two sonnes agaynâ— and geuing him a pardon for falsefying his oath of alegeaunce did more ratifie him and his in the kingdom for euer cursing all those that at any time should speake against him Also he shaued Childericus againe and made him newely Monke and so put him afreshe into an Abbey to make all sure Pipin for this fel downe flat on the ground kissed the Popes feete held his stirropes and toke the bridle in his hande and played the osteler anâ— vowed perpetuall fealtie to the Pope The Pope to thanke God for this benefite of so great honour whiche nowe began caused procession to be song through all Rome and the Apostles tombes and other sainctes reliques to be borne about and shewed openly and him selfe to be caried triumphantly through the middes of the people on his porters shoulders in his Pontificalibus Which vse of being borne on mens shoulders his successours haue estemed as a moste holy thing He confirmed by his auctoritie that all Popes tradicions should be taken for good He forgaue all treasons against Princes for the hatred he bare the Grecians he studied to chaunge the Empire froÌ„ them into Fraunce He furnished the churches in Fraunce with pricke song and descant And whatsoeuer henceforth could be wrested from the Empire he coÌ„mauÌ„ded it should be S. Peters see and so dedicated to the churche of Rome he died Anno 757. 28 Paule the first PAule the first was brother to the said Steuen hee after wrangling and iarring betwene him and one Theophilact succeded and followinge the daunce that his auncetours had ledde him threatningly and fearcely he restored the images which CoÌ„stantine Emperour of CoÌ„stantinople had abrogated but Constantine staÌ„ding stoutly in his opinion and defyinge his vaine curses and threates wythstoode images wyth all his power euen to his death This Paule
honoured much the body of one Petronilla the daughter of S. Peter and toke her karkasse out of the grounde remouinge it to another place and enlarged and repayred diuers Churches adding manye ceremonies to them At length he dyed through the extremity of the heate of sommer Anno 767. In his time as Peter Premonstratensis sayth starres fell from heauen to the earth accordinge to the 6. of the Apocalips And immediatly after this Charles the great begaÌ„ to raigne who builded 24. monasteries 29. Constantine the second COnstantine the seconde being but a layman by strong hand was made Pope though manye other stoode for it through the doinges of his brother Desiderius kinge of Lomberdye and through Totho duke of Nepesia but this hastines at leÌ„gth is brought to none effect because CoÌ„stantine had not taken Ecclesiastical orders Herevppon arose great discord amoÌ„g the clergye in which tumult one Philip was chosen but because he wanted artilary power to mayntaine his parte hee was forced to depose himselfe againe Constantine obtayned the Popedome a yeare and that pontificallye but in the ende a councell beinge gathered of Italian and Frenche bishops in their great rage furye they put him out and with great reproch clapte him in an abbey as in a perpetuall prisoÌ„ hauing both the Popedome taken from him and his eyes put out Anno. 708. Some do not count him among the Popes because he was a laye man and disalowe all his doing sauinge Baptisme and Chrisme But the next yeare after his brother Desiderius comminge to Rome vnder pretence of prayinge got those that put his brothers eyes and rewarded them with the like punishment 30. Steuen the thirde STeuen the thirde is commended to be a stout maintayner of Romishe traditions and auctoritye for in a Synode in Lateran hee did disanull all that his predecessour Constantine had done The bishops by him created were disgraded if they had no absolution hee commaunded that vppon paine of excommunication no laye man should presume to be Pope wythoute ecclesiasticall orders Hee condemned the seuenth councell of Constantinople as hereticall And did againe establishe setting vppe of Images which by that counsell was condemned He taughte that images shoulde be worshipped and encreased the worshipping of them and commaunded that they should be hallowed wyth Frankinsence Hee broughte to his subiection Mediolan Church which euer before had beene free Hee sued to Charles the Emperour obtayned to depose Desiderius of his kingdome Hee appointed those that brake theyr Canons to sing Gloria in excelsis on SoÌ„dayes and that in the solemnitye of the masses it should be song on S. Peters altar by seuen bishops being Cardinals He went one time to counterfaict Christ in his doings barefooted in procession He dyed Anno 772. 31. Hadrian the first HAdrian the first was a meete champion to maintaine the dignitye which his predecessours had encroched Hee bestowed cost on altars dead mâ—ns tombes dead mens bones and Churches Hee attributed more worship to images then euer any did and wrote a booke of the honour and profite of them and pointed them in steede of Scriptures to be layemens bookes He condemned in a couÌ„saile those that detested images as one Foelix other By the ayde of Charles the Emperour he delyuered the Sea of Rome from the perill of all other Princes He was the first that with his leaden Bull did honour theyr decrees dispensations and priuiledges Hee forbad that anye infamous parson should be promoted to priesthoode that the clergye should not be sued oute of theyr owne court Charlemaine kinge of Fraunce and brother to Charles the Emperour being deade his wyfe Bertha came wyth her two sonnes vnto this Hadrian suinge to him that he would annoint and establish these her sonnes in theyr fathers kingdome But this holye sier least he should offende theyr vncle themperour cast of the orphanes despised theyr sute refused to do it finally committed to perpetual slauerye both the children and theyr mother w t Desiderius king of Lombardye his wyfe his children and his kingdom whoÌ„ Charles caryed into Fraunce wyth hym where they liued long in care and miserye vntil they dyed And thus Gods vicar vseth orphanes wydowes and poore Princes To cloake all this hee fedde in the porche of Lateran pallaice a hundreth poore folke euerye daye But Charles in recompence hereof after he had kissed the Popes feete coÌ„firmeth to the Pope his fathers gift that is the townes pertayniÌ„g to the DominioÌ„ of Rauenna and like an vniust pyrate he added to the Popes possessions Venice Histria the dukedome of Fotriiulenia the dukedome of Spolet BeneueÌ„t and other lands Also he made Hadrian PriÌ„ce of Rome of Italy ratifyed the Popes Empyre by spoyling the kingdom of Lombardy and ioyning so in league w t the Pope that who so delt wyth the one shoulde be ennemye to both Agayne Adrian caused Charles and his successors the kings of FrauÌ„ce to haue the title of most Christian king and like a subtill fox hee gaue him power to chuse the Pope and to make bishoppes through all his dominions but that lasted not long and so vsed him that in deede he had but the bare name of the Romaine Emperour This Hadrian cloathed the bodye of S. Peter all in siluer and couered the Altar of S. Paule with a pall of gould He dyed Anno 796. 32. Leo the thirde LEo the thirde as sone as he cought the Popedome by by sent S. Peters keyes and the banner of Rome with other giftes to Charles the Emperour desyringe him to binde the Romaines by an oath to become subiecte to the bishop of Rome Charles to pleasure him sent one Agilbert an Abbot who compelled the Romaines by his commaundement to sweare allegeaunce vnto the Pope Hereupon the Pope purchased such deadly hate among the people that as he was ones going on procession certaine furious parsones fell vpoÌ„ him and beate him from his horse and stripping him starke naked out of his poÌ„tificall roabes whipped him very sore But at length when Charles came they knowyng his good will towarde the Pope turned their former hatred into loue and fauour and durst not auouche the faultes layde against him Therefore when he asked of his conuersation they aunswered with one voyce that the sea Apostolicall ought to be iudged by no layman After the whiche aunswere the Pope affirming and swearing him selfe to be giltlesse the Emperoure being pacified doth absolue him and pronounced him innocent For with curtesie the Pope desirous to be thankefull with a great voyce proclaimed Charles Emperoure ioyned him with himself set the Diademe on his head that Romaines in the meane time cried God grauÌ„t life successe to Charles our mighty Emperoure Thus was the name of the Romaine Emperoure restored so as the Popes aucthoritie should not be empaired Hereof the custome continued that he who should receaue the scepter of the Empire shoulde be ioyned in auctoritie in Rome by
space as fourty dayes driue out the other and kepe the place him selfe Leo seing him selfe reft of the renowne and thus defaced euen by his owne familiar frend on whome he had heaped so many benefites conceiued so great thought that immediatly he died thereof 56 Christopher the first CHristopher the first was of so base linage that neither his countrie nor his fathers name was knowen Hee hauing shoued out Leo and his concubines ayding him thereto wan the Popeship by strong hande But as he gate it naughtely so was he shamefully thrust out again by one Sergius the peramour of one Marozia a notable harlotte and beawtifull concubine who sought to place him selfe in it So Christopher was put downe the vii moneth of his Popeship And as Platina sayth compelled to be a Mōke whiche thing was then become the refuge of all caytiffes And afterwarde he was againe pulled out of the Monasterie by the same Sergius and caste into a straight pryson where at length in muche misery and sorowe he died Anno 905. 57 Sergius the third SErgius the thirde when as he was but a Deacon gaue a proude attempt to aspire to the Popedome and was in dede chosen thereto with great tumult among the people when Formosus was chosen But taking the foyle he fled into Fraunce but nowe espying his oportunitie by the aide of Charles Simplex king of Fraunce and Adelbert Marques of Thuscia he returned by stelth into Rome And as it is sayde he deposed Christopher apprehended him and clapte him in pryson inuaded violently the Popes place Being setled and remembring his ranke mallice againste Formosus not withstanding the long time that had since passed and eight Popes betwene Formosus and him yet freshly to reuenge his olde grudge Hee the seconde tyme toke vp the karkasse of the sayd Formosus out of his graue after it had lyen thus long setting it in y Popes chaire did drawe him from thence agayne and as if he had bene a liue strake of his head And where as since his laste mangling he had but three fingers remaining on his right hād Sergius chopped of those also After all this he caused his body and all these peeces therof to be hurled into the riuer Tiber as if he had not bene worthy to lye amōg Christiās And yet not satisfied with this reuenge hee defaced condemned and disanulled al his actes so that it was then nedefull to admitte them a newe to their orders whome he being aliue thought mete to make priestes He compelled the Romaines to subscribe to this for feare of the Frenche king This Sergius among other newe ceremonies appointed that the people should beare candels on the daye of the purification of the Uirgin Mary whereupon it is yet called Candelmasse daye to geue their bodies vnnecessary light at noone daye because their soules wanted their necessary light at all times This lasciuious Pope begat a bastarde which was afterwarde Pope Iohn the twelfth whome he had by the moste shamelesse harlotte Marozia So Luthprandus testifieth in the thirde booke and xii chapter De gestis Imperat. This and other like prankes among harlottes and bawdes he practised euen in his Popeship At the time of whose death Anno. 913. there were sene in the element great flakes of fier running to and fro 58 Anastasius the third ANastasius the thirde after Sergius all their vnclenlye ceremonies being obserued was elected Pope But some write of him that he did neither good nor euill in his time and therefore is he more commendable They wryte that in his time the bodye of Pope Formosus was founde by certaine fyshers in the ryuer Tiber and so taken vp and with great worship buried in S Peters pallaice and as some are not a shamed to fayne the Images of the church did salute it whyle it was burying A notorius vntruthe and grosse blasphemie against God although in the tyme of suche blindnesse God might suffer Sathan to moue and sturre the Idols before these idolatours as in times past the diuel◠hath doone when he spake and gaue oracles and prophecies out of Idols Anastasius died Anno. 915. 59 Laudo the first LAudo the firste being a fruytfull Prelate in begetting children as Petrus Premonstratensis sayth hee begat Pope Iohn the xi in detestable adultrye This Popes life sayth Platina was so obscure that some do not recken him among the Popes especially Vincentius This Laudo as it appeareth spent the more parte of his chast life as chastitie went then among harlottes till at the length he was destroyed among them For one Theodora the Lady that gouerned Rome a shamelesse curtezane could not longer forbeare the company of her louer Iohn Archbishop of Rauenna who was apparent sonne to this Pope Laudo Rauenna sayth Luthprandus was two hundred myles from Rome whereby Theodora could not so often enioye the byshop her louer and therefore she caused him to giue ouer Rauenna and to vsurpe the Popes place in despite of the auncientes of Rome Here sayth Funcius a man might demaūde which of al these Popes did erre from the truth seing they were all called holy fathers and heads of the vniuersall churche Let the Popes partakers aunswere if they can 60 Iohn the eleuenth IOhn the eleuenth borne at Rauenna the bastard and adulterous sonne of his forefather Laudo as saythe Praemontratensis he obtained the Popedome by right of inheritaunce though whoredome were his ayde For thus wryteth Luthprandus in his seconde booke and thirtene chapter of Emperours Theodora an impudent harlot and the Lady of Rome burning in fleshly lust was so enflamed with the comlye countenaunce of this Iohn comming to Rome that she did not only request him but compelle him to satisfie her carnall desire For the whiche afterwarde she made him byshop firste of Bononia secondly Archebishop of Rauenna and thirdly to obtaine her filthy pleasure more conueniently she made him Pope of Rome Thus at this tyme was the holy mother churche subiect to an harlot ruled only by her and is made an whore according to the xvii chapter of the Apocalips This Iohn hauing a warlike courage played rather the warriour then the byshop For when the Sarasins wasted Calabria Apulia and Italy he putting him selfe in armour stew a number of them in these countries draue them cleane out As cōcerning the ende of this man thus wryteth Luthprandus in his thirde booke and xii chapter In the meane time Guido Marques of Thuscia began to conferre earnestly and diuise with his wife Marozia the doughter of the saide Theodora howe he might depose this Iohn Guido had many souldiours gathered together at Rome the which apprehending Pope Iohn in Lateran pallayce Anno. 928 cast him in prison and holding a pillowe to his mouthe did smother him to death very miserably After his death they set vp Iohn the twelth the bastard sonne of this Marozia whome she had by Pope Sergius Thus the young harlot Marozia for the aduauncement of her
this Victor Brazutus repayred to Rome at the procurement of Hildebrande to poyson him or anye other sayth Benno that should steppe into the Popeship before Hildebrand and so Victor sone after he had raigned two yeare was poysoned by the same Brazutus Anno 1057. 94. Steuen the ninth STeuen the ninth borne in Loraine the duke of Loraines brother was made Pope after Victor with generall consent of all but withoute the Emperours agreemente This Steuē caused the Church of Millain which almost 2. hundreth yeares had defied the supremacye of Rome to become subiecte vnto it He also before he came to be Pope had accused the Emperour Henry of heresye because hee somewhat abridged the vsurped auctoritye of Rome Also he helde a counsell in Florence against mariage of priestes countinge it fornication and therein concluded many thinges against dualities pluralityes and totquots But at the length in the tenth yeare of his raigne Hildebrand caused his olde companion Brazutus to giue him such a drinke that the Pope dyed thereof Anno. 1058. At his death Hildebrand was not at Rome but returned in all hast vppon it and at his comming he commaunded all the clergye to appeare before him and bounde them wyth an oath to suffer none to be Pope but such a one as obtayned it with the cōsent of euerye one 95. Benedict the tenth BEnedict the x. borne in Campania was first called Mincius while the Romaynes were in an vprore and cryed oute to haue one of their owne countreymen to be made Pope this Benedict had the name generally and so was made Pope contrary to the oath which the clergye had made to Hildebrand at his departure lately Hildebrād therefore taking it despitefully thus to be deluded in his absēce deposing Benedict was very importune with the clergye to make one Gerhard bishop of Florence that came wyth him Pope in his presence as they promised him at his departure The clergye because they coulde not with safetye chose another in Rome went therefore to Senas and there they chose this Gerhard Pope naminge him Nicolas the seconde Gerhard beinge Pope held a Synode at Sutrius against Pope Benedict who vnderstanding of this conspiracye wroughte by Hildebrand was content for quietnes sake to forsake Rome and to liue like an outlawe priuatly in Veltra after he had bene Pope ix monthes Christian Masseus reporteth that this yeare a great company of snakes about Tornaie fought cruelly together vntill the people beset them with fier and burned them 96. Nicolas the second NIcolas the seconde was made Pope as is mentioned in Benedict After he had helde the councell of Spire against Benedict hee returned to Rome and sommoned a councell at Lateran by the craft of Hildebrand for his owne purpose wherein was decreed that he should be condemned for an apostata that should be Pope eyther by fauour or money without the whole consent of the Cardinals Also he gaue the Cardinals the priestes and laitye power to excommunicate any such Pope to hold Synode against him any where and to driue him out In this Synode Berengarius was forced to recant his opiniō against the real presence for he had long maintayned that in the breade wyne was neyther the body and bloud of Christ really nor naturally but a signe and figure thereof as Platina Mūclerus and other write of him This Pope Nicolas established and strēgthened the Popedome wyth sondrye and diuers straūge forgeryes fables and vntruthes terrible vizards and gastlye countenaunces of excommunication and dreadfull threates of cursings The wordes of the excommunication and curse are these in the 23. distinction as Barnes testifyeth In the name of God Amen If anye man do breake this oure sacred decretal sentence and presumptuously attempt to hurt or disquiet against this statute the Church of Rome let him be accursed for euer damned by excōmunication Let him be reputed amōge the vvicked that shall not rise againe to iudgement Let him feele the wrath of the Almightye against him Let him feele the rage of Peter and Paule vppon hym in the life to come that spurneth against their Churche in this life Let his dwelling be in the wildernes let his house be left desolate for none to dwell therin Let his children be orphanes and his wife be a widowe In his trouble let him be troubled Let his childrē beg their bread and be cast out and be vagabounds driuē out of their owne houses Let the vsurer rifle all his goodes and let straungers spoile the labour of his handes Let the whole world fight against him and let all the Elementes be contrarye vnto him Let the merits of all saincts confound him Let him spende this life prisoner fettered in chaines and let the saincts powre their open vengeaunce on him But our grace defende them that keepe this c. Such thonderbolts did the Pope shoote abrode to terrifye the world which yet wroughte so in mens hartes that for feare there of they yelded themselues subiecte to the Pope against their owne natiue and Christian Princes But to returne to the historye concerninge the sturre that Hildebrand kepte at this time in Rome Thus wryteth Benno Nicolas beinge Pope Hildebrand perceyuing he could not yet gette to be Pope deuised to get an archdeacōshippe by hooke or by crooke At the length he set vppe one Mancius archedeacon of Rome whom he tossed and disquieted with diuers iniuries who beinge ouerlayed wyth the reprochful dealing and craft of Hildebrand and beguiled w t his moneye at the length graunted him to surrender vnto him his archedeacōship This being graunted Hildebrād commeth to Pope Nicholas ere he were aduised and very impudentlye partly by vnreasonable request partlye by the threatnings of armed souldiers hired for the purpose who gaue him watchworde to yelde or to dye hee made Hildebrād archdeacon This being done euen immediatlye after Brazutus ministred the same cuppe to Nicolas that he had done to the other Popes Nicolas beinge thus poysoned the Cardinals being so well acquainted with the ambition of Hildebrand besoughte the Emperour earnestlye to assist them in the behalfe of Cadolus his bishop of Parma whō they had chosen Pope which thing so strake Hildebrand to the hart that from thence forward he professed himselfe an vtter ennemye to the Emperour He brake his oath of fealtye and allegeance And makinge a conspiracy wyth the Emperours ennemyes and with the Normans he beguiled Anselmus bishop of Lucia causinge certaine Romaynes to chuse him bishop and call him Alexander the secōd as one whom hee would set vp against Cadolus chosen by the Cardinals And thus Hildebrand brought trouble as much as he could both to Anselmus and Cadolus who in deede wayted to succede them both c. 97. Alexander the second ALexander the seconde was as yee reade made Pope by Hildebrands craft for his owne purpose against the Emperours minde and therfore the Lombards by the Emperours consent did set vp another against him called Cadolus
oute of Rome This Arnold perswaded the Romaynes to recouer their libertye of choosinge theyr Maiestrates and when the people withstoode the presumption of the Pope it wroughte greâ—te strife This Hadrian a man of loftye courage forthwith did excommunicate the Romaynes vntil they should driue out Arnold and compell theyr Consulles to leaue theyr offices yeild the gouernemente of the Citye freelye vnto him In the meane time Fredericke the Emperour hasted him to Rome with an armye to put downe the rebels the Pope and his clergye went out to meete him whereby the Pope thought to get oportunitye to be reuenged by the Emperours ayde vppoÌ„ his ennemyes The Emperour meeting with the Pope alighted from his horse and went on foote and attendinge on the Popes parson when he should alight the Emperour helde the lefte stirope for the which the Pope scorned him for mistakinge the stirope and sayde vnto him Ye shoulde haue held mee the right stirope The Emperour takinge it paciently aunsweared him smilingly I haue not quoth hee learned to holde a stirope and you holye father are the first to whom I euer did this seruice And quoth the Emperour because he sawe the Pope angrye that he aunswered I would know of you whether this be my dutye to do it of force or of my owne curtesye If a man offer it of curtesye how wil you rebuke him for negligence If it be not of dutye what neede ye care on which side hee come vnto you that commeth to do you worship Such sharpe talke passinge betweene them they departed both full of wrath But on the morowe the Emperour beinge a man of wisedome neglected all that he had heard and seene touchinge the Popes statelye and proude minde and sent for him desiringe him to come to his pauilion The Pope came and the Emperour went forth to meete him and as he was tought the daye before against the Pope should alight he held the right stirope and so conducted the Pope in As they sate together Pope Hadrian beganne to talke in this maner Princes quoth hee in olde time which came to craue the Crowne were wonte to recompence the curtesye of the Church of Rome wyth some excellente benefite that as it were preuenting the Popes blessinge and the crowne that they should receiue by their dutifulnes might notifye theÌ„selues to all men by their noble deede For so Charles deserued his Crowne by conqueringe the Lombardes Otho his by asswaging the Berengarians Lotharius his by suppressinge the Normans Therefore your worthines may restore Apulia to be territorye to Rome which nowe the Normans withholde then will we afterward sone do y which is our dutye The Princes therefore perceyuing that the Pope would not crowne Fredericke vnlesse he should first winne Apulia from VVilliam kinge of Sicill by his owne coste charge they promised it should be performed with a newe armye out of Germanye as sone as the other armye were growne out if so be he would crowne the Emperour Thereupon the next daye he was crowned with the Crowne Emperiall by the Pope in S. Peters Pallaice and afterward hauinge executed aboue a thousande of the rebellious CitizeÌ„s he prepared to returne into Germany After the Emperours departure the Pope beinge disapointed of his ayde purposed to set vpon Apulia to winne it froÌ„ the king of Sicill with such force as as he could make first he excommunicated the kinge because he woulde not yelde it vp and discharged his subiects of theyr alleageaunce to make them to rebell against him But because these thinges preuailed but little against kinge VVilliam he set Emanuel the Emperour of Greece vppon him because hee knewe that he had beene a mortal ennemye to king VVilliams father VVilliam fearinge this sought for peace promised to yelde all to the Pope but the Pope by the couÌ„cell of certaine Cardinals hopinge to gaine more by the warre then peace refused the offer proclaymed warre against him King VVilliam perceyuinge this to preuent the daunger in time gathered an armye in haste out of all Sicill and sayled to Apulia wher he fought with Emanuel and ouerthrewe him Afterwarde hee assaulted the towne Beneuent where the Pope and his Cardinals weare in such sort that they dispayring to escape craued peace VVilliam graunted it and so was reconciled to the Pope who then pronounced him king of both Sicils making him first to sweare that he should hurt nothinge that belonged to the Church of Rome Thus the Pope returned to Rome w t foule shame where contrarye to his expectation hee was troubled with ciuill discention for the Consuls began to reclayme their libertye and auctoritye which he had taken awaye and because he coulde not preuaile with his vaine thonderboltes of excoÌ„munication he departed to Arminy While these thinges were doinge the Emperour abydinge at home remembred with himselfe howe the Pope had taken from the Emperours the former right of inuestinge of prelates and by his Legates had summoned all nations together had sowed the seede of rebellion through all his Empyre taken homage fealtye of all the bishops in Germanye Hereuppon he commaunded that if the Popes Legates came into Germanye without his commauÌ„dement they should be kept out He forbad that anye of his subiectes should appeale to Rome he set his owne name in wrytâ—nge before the Popes wherevppon the Pope was so wroth that he sente letters to the Emperour rebuking him sharpelye for it The copye whereof for the better vnderstanding of it it thus Hadrians letter to the Emperour HAdrian bishop seruaunt to the seruaunts of God sendeth greeting to Frederick themperour and apostolicall blessinge As the lawe of God promiseth longe life to them that do honour their parentes so doth it threaten death to them that dishonour their father or mother The truth teacheth vs that euerye one that exalteth himselfe shal be brought downe Therfore right wel beloued sonne in the Lorde vvee do not a little marueile at your vvysedome that ye do not so much dutye as becommeth you to S. Peter and the holye Church of Rome For in your letter sente vnto vs yee haue set your name before ours whereby you do bewray your vanitye I will not say your pride VVhat shall I speake hovve little ye obserue your fealtye which ye are bounde by oath and promise to performe to S. Peter and vs Seing ye requier honour and allegeance of them that are Gods and of al our honourable sonnes bishops I meane And ye wrap their holye handes within yours settinge your selfe manifestlye against vs Ye shutte not onelye the Churches but also the Cities of your dominion against the Cardinal sent from our owne side VVhat shall I saye Repent therefore repent we aduise you for we feare least your noblenes whyle you deserue of vs to haue both blessing and Crowne vvill loose that vvhich vve haue grauÌ„ted you by taking vppon you that which we haue not graunted Fare ye well The aunsweare of Fredericke themperour
by night to Caieta afterward to Beneuent last of all in the 17 yeare of his Popeship he came to Venice disguised in the apparell of one that was his cooke where lurking in an abbey he became a Gardener A while after he was bewrayed and knowne and there vpon calling a councell by the commaundement of duke Sebastian he was receyued with great honour and brought into S. Maryes Church w t pontificall pompe The Emperour hearing that the Pope was at Venice desyred the Venetians to yeld to him his ennemye being likewyse the ennemye of the common wealth The Venetians denyed to do it therefore the Emperour sente his sonne Otho with a nauye of souldiours to demaund Alexander of them but he charged him withall that he should attempt nothing in any case till he himselfe were come vnto him But Otho being a lustye yonge Prince ful of courage and desirous of renowne neglecting his fathers commaundement would needes encounter the Venetians whereby hee was ouercome taken prisoner bounde brought to Venice Herevpon Alexander began to set vp his crest and put out his hornes and woulde not take peace with the Emperour in anye case vnlesse the Emperour would come to Venice take suche conditions of peace as hee woulde offer him Whereuppon the good and carefull father to prouide for the infortunate miserye of his sonne promised hee woulde come at the time appointed and so came where they commoned vppon conditions of peace But the Pope woulde not absolue the Emperour of excōmunication till he came to S. Markes Church where before all the people Pope Alexander commaunded the Emperour to prostrate himselfe on the ground and to craue pardon The Emperour did as hee commaunded him then the Pope trode on the Emperours necke with his foote sayinge it is written Thou shalt walke vppon the serpent and adder and shalt treade downe vnder rhy feete the Lion and dragon The Emperour disdayninge this reproche aunswered It was not sayd to thee but to Peter The Pope then treadinge downe his necke againe sayde Both to mee and to Peter The Emperour then fearing some daunger durst saye no more so the peace was concluded The conditions wherof are these that the Emperour should vphold Alexander to be true Pope that he should restore all that did belonge to the Church of Rome which had beene taken away in the warres Thus the Emperour departed with his sonne The Pope to shew himselfe thankfull to Venice bestowed of his liberality giftes vppon duke Sebastian the Senate First he gaue them a white Taper which onely the Popes vsed to Beare Secondlye he lycensed them to seale theyr letters with leade and he graunted theyr Duke the third seate in the Popes Theatre Fourthly he graunted that on Ascention daye they should haue whole and perfit pardōs for euer at S. Markes Church Fiftly he gaue the Duke viii banners of silke and an attier for the head like an hat Afterward Alexander depriued the bishop of Papia of his Pall exempted him of the dignitye of caryinge the Crosse because he toke the Emperours part He made many Canons in a councel at Lateran as that an archbishop should not receyue his Pall vnlesse he had sworne first to be true and obedient to the Pope And that a man should not marrye his brothers wyfe beinge wydowe that they that toke orders should vowe chastetye that a bastarde should not be made a bishop that the canonizinge of Saincts belonged onlye to the Pope that such sainctes should haue deuine honour Amonge other he made Thomas Becket archbishop of Canterbury a rancke traytour to his prince but stoutlye vpheld therein by the Pope a sainct He bounde kinge Henry the seconde of Englande excusing himselfe of the death of Thomas that his subiectes should franklye freely appeale frō him to the Court of Rome that afterward none should be king of England vnlesse he were first called king by the Pope This arose vppon the quarel betwene the king and Thomas Becket who so vexed and disquieted his soueraigne prince with all the nobles and prelates of this Realme with cursinges excommunications interditinges threatninges mouing both French kinge Pope to moleste the kinge in his behalfe and finallye as then Pope Alexander played the incarnate deuill against the Emperour so did Becket rage like a subdeuill against the kinge in England till certaine not able to endure his arrogante seditious and trayterous doinges in great despite therof slue him at Canterbury He decreed that a mā shoulde not be deuorced frō his wyfe though she had the Leprosye Also that those that could be proued vsurers shoulde neyther be admitted to the Communion nor buryed in the Church after these other like deedes he dyed Anno 1181. Robert Montēsis Chronicle hath that Lewes king of Fraūce and Henry kinge of Englande wayted on Pope Alexander as his gentlemē vsshers and footemen the one leading his horse by the bridle on the right syde and the other on the left throughe the whole City Taciacū to Legeris In this Popes time the Sunne was Eclipsed and earthquakes were euery where Also there were certaine called VValdenses who defended manye articles against the Pope and his doctrine as transubstantiation Purgatorye c. 112. Lucius the thirde LVcius the thirde borne in Thuscia of an honourable stocke succeded by consente of all the Cardinals But the Romaynes so vexed him that hee was driuen oute of the Citye and manye of his frendes and companye taken by the Romaynes some were set vppon Asses with their faces towardes the tayle and Miters on their heades and so ledde throughe the Citye in mockadge some vsed despitefullye otherwyse Some had their eyes put oute by the Romaynes in a madnes othersome murthered for this cause onelye that he wente about to take away the name of Consuls in the Citye The Pope sufferinge this great shame wente to Verona where in a councell he condemned the Romaynes doinges and euen then when the Christians were persecuted in Asia which pretence of holines wrought the perill of many that they might be succoured because the ennemyes were emboldned to wast the bolye lande vnder their Captaine Saladinus presuminge for that our Princes were at discētion This Pope being mindfull of his coūtrye Thuscia bestowed large giftes vppon it and obtayned of the Emperour that the Hetruriās should haue the selfe same coyne that the Lucēsians amōg them had euen as the Lombards had onelye the money of Papia with the Emperours coyne Valerius Anselmus wryteth that this Pope contrarye to other allowed the Sacraments that were done by whoremaister chapleins he dyed in Verona Anno 1185. In his time were greate earthquakes which did destroye diuers notable Cityes in Sicil were destroyed thereby fiue and twentye thousand parsons The Armenians being at this time at greate debate with the Greeke Church did for hatred thereof become subiect to the Church of Rome 113. Vrbanus the thirde VRbanus who because of his
addition to Vspergensis sayth After the Pope had depriued and excommunicated both Frederick his sonne Cōradus Frederick did so shake and worrye the Pope and the Church of Rome that some marked w t crosses set themselues in battaile againste him when hee came to batter downe the gates and walles of Rome where he encountred with a mightye armye of these crossed fellowes But ouer comminge them and takinge them prisoners some of them he hewed a fonder w t foure square woundes in forme of a Crosse of some he cleft their sculs a crosse in 4. parts some he marked on the forhed with a crosse cut and as for the clergye hee caused their shaued crownes to be pared a crosse When the said Henry Landsgraue of Thuringe was chosen kinge of the Romaynes and Frederick deposed by this fourth excommunication then the bishoppe of Strosborough like a peaceable prelate of that time to gratifye the Pope tooke part with the Landsgraue and assisted him with such power strength as he coulde both against the father and Conradus the sonne for he assaulted wan diuers townes some he sacked and razed to the grounde some he burnt with fier which townes and Cityes themperour had recouered to the Empyre in Alsatia On the other syde Conradus the sonne of Frederick gathered an armye against Henry but was easely ouerthrowne and manye of his armye being slaine diuers of his nobilitye were taken prisoners But soone after this Henry beinge thus foysted into the Empire by the clergy grew into cōtempt with them that liked not his election whereupon he was in mockadge termed King of clarkes Prince of priestes but the Pope did straitly charge by his Legates al the Almaine Princes to obeye Henry as their soueraigne and to defye Frederick his sonne In the meane time this Hēry dyed and yet the Pope ceased not but sent a Legate into Germanye one Peter Caputius a Cardinall who summoninge the Princes at Collen caused them to electe one VVilliam Earle of Holland a readye man to maintaine any quarell by the sworde In the ende the Emperour beinge in Apulia one hired by the Pope gaue him poyson by meanes whereof he was daungerouslye sicke but seemed to recouer it but was smothered to death with a pillowe by Manfredus his bastard sonne who as some thinke was allured by bryberye and fayre promises of the Pope to do it The truth hereof is written in sixe bookes of Epistles written by Peter of the Uine Anno 1250. Frederick dyed and as some write in his last will and testamente he gaue a summe of moneye for satisfaction to the Church of Rome and bequeathed his estate and the order of all thinges to his sonne Conradus This Will was brought to the Pope to be approued but the Pope did whollye disanull and frustrate the Will sayinge that the Prince whom he had deposed could make no Wil and so it was voide Within a while after a yonge Prince to whom the Emperour by his sonne Kinge Henry was graūdfather was murthered but by whō no mā could tell About this time before the death of Frederick there were certaine preachers in Sweueland who stoutlye and openly preached against the Pope and his Cardinals iustifyed the doinge of Frederick and his sonne Conradus sayinge bouldly that the Pope his bishops and Cardinals had no auctoritye because they were al stayned with that one blot of simony and that their power depended not vppon Christ that a priest committing deadly sinne coulde neither binde nor loose nor consecrate that no man in the world might forbid a Christian to execute diuine functions that they should be hearde celebrated without any difference And in the ende of their Sermons this pardon quoth they which we do pronounce vnto you wee do not declare it to you as forged by the Pope and his prelates but procedinge from Almightye God These preachers were maintayned by Conradus and therfore he incurred almost danger of his life In the former councell helde at Lions it was decreed that the Cardinals should ryde on their trapped Gennets throughe the streates and weare red hattes and crimsen roabes to signifye sayth Parisius that they are readye to spend their bloud for the Catholicke fayth and the safetye of the people but as Platina sayth for the honour of their estate Also in that councell Innocentius decreed amonge manye matters that the Pope mighte depose the Emperour He did greatly fauoure the order of begging fryers and bestowed on them manye priuiledges and benefittes He preferred the Dominicans to dignityes Ecclesiastical and aduaūced the Franciscās to be the Popes confessours He adopted the White fryers and Augustine friers to be his sonnes wher as they liued before in deserts he brought them into Cityes teachinge them to begge their breade w t idlenes By the helpe of the Dominicans he reformed the rule of the Whitefryers mitigated it and finallye with his blessinge confirmed it that as the sayd rule sheweth they should hope to be saued not onlye by Christ He graūted these the begging fryers lycence to preach to dispute and to shriue people Also he exempted them from all power iurisdiction of kinges and bishops whereupon they crammed the worlde ful and chaoked it with their gloses vpon Sentences decretals cannons wich their commentaries vpon Aristotle their Sophisms Repertories Sūmaries Tables Trinies Quatrinies Conclusions Questions Distinctions Quidities Quodlibets Myracles of the dead Legendaryes Saincts liues Martyrdoms Uisions Dreames Reuelatiōs Exorsisms Concordances Discordāces Marials perspectiues Aphorismes wyth a thousande vaine and combrous pamphlets full of grosse deceitful heresyes and then nothing was counted deuinitye nor lawe but their fansyes and canons And in these dayes the world was fallen into such grosse blindnesse ignorance and barbarousnesse that not onelye knowledge in diuinity but also other learning was almost decayed the knowledge of the tongues as Greeke and Hebrew buried in ignoraunce though some rubbishe of the latine tongue were left yet it was rustye corrupte and broken stuffe as appeareth yet by theyr wrytings that the like barbarousnesse is not in any tongue But to returne to Pope Innocent he canonized diuers makinge them saincts that for his aduauncemente had played the traytours and rebels against theyr owne Princes as one Edmond Archbishop of Canterbury and other of sondrye places Till the time of this Innocentius the 4. sayth Bibliander it was not an article of fayth nor a law of the Church that men should worship the breade and the wyne in the Sacrament therefore sayth he the Pope as a creator brought forth a newe God Mauzis by transubstantiation This Pope offred to sell to king Henry the third of England the kingdome of both Sicils to the vse of his sonne Prince Edmond and yet Conradus kinge thereof was lyuinge He vexed and polled the Churches of England with myserable exactions for money he maintayned and licensed anye wickednes amonge the clergye suffering worser matters in his bastards
poorest At this time the Venetians spoyled the AnconitaÌ„s because they vsinge trafique into Dalmatia woulde paye them no tribute yet the Pope would not defende them as he ought to do beinge tributaryes to the Church and though in words he were hasty yet in his doinges a slouggarde and dastard The Anconitans therefore being destitute of the Popes ayde gathering themselues together brast out of the Citye vppon the Venetians besieging it draue them awaye with great damage But the Pope vsinge the aduise of Iohn Caietan who theÌ„ ruled all because by his ayde he came to be Pope he sent his Embassadours both to Michael Paleologus the kinges of the West to moue them in his name to make peace amoÌ„ge themselues and to prouide to send their powers against the Sarracens which if Paleologus would not do keepe the vnitye promised he woulde giue his Empyre from him to Charles kinge of Sicill He prophesyed by the course of the starres that he him selfe should liue longe and tould this to euery man in his vanitye as one whose wante of discretion was euident to euery man But behould while he thus vaunted his cunninge in prophecyinge and constellations openlye in a certaine chamber which for his pleasure hee had builded in his Pallaice at Viterbium the fourth day after fell downe sodainlye Anno 1277. After this ruine wherein he perished myserablye he was founde the seuenth day after hauinge raigned viii monthes Valerius called the place which fell downe Gamesters hall and Stella calleth it the precious Chamber for the Pope had builded it so gorgeouslye for his pleasure After his death the seate was voide through great contention vi monthes 129. Nicolas the thirde NIcolas the third a Romaine called first Iohn Caietan after vi monthes with great discention and brauling of the Cardinals obtayned the seate Charles king of Sicil was as Senatour president in their consistorye who was very vrgent to choose some Frenchman Pope and therefore this Nicolas hauing gotten the place purposinge to abate the power of Charles toke from him the Vicarship of Hetruria filled Italye full of broyles And for his owne lucre hee perswaded Peter kinge of Aragon to clayme the kingdome of Sicill sayinge that it belonged to him by the inheritaunce of his wyfe Constance which liked Peter but note the sequeale Peter with a great nauye went to Sardinia and there wayted wheÌ„ some motions should arise in Sicill for the Sicillians making a conspiracy against Charles and the Frenchmen appointed a daye that as soone as at eueninge a bell should be tould the Frenchmen shoulde be forthwith murthered both man woman child wherein they were so cruell that they slue euen women with child But this horrible deede was not doone vnder Pope Nicolas but in the time of his successour Martin the fourth Also this Nicolas toke to himselfe the Senatourship which Clement the fourth had bestowed on Charles and forbad for euer that any Prince or kinge should be so hardy to desire or take vppon him that dignitye By his falsehoode it came to passe that Flaunders Bononia the royaltye of Rauenna which longe time were vnder the Emperour became subiect to the Pope Amonge other buildinges that he made aboute Rome he enclosed a warrante of hares w t hye walles wherein euen in his Popeship he vsed often to hunt He bestowed syluer cases for the Apostles heades he was reproued of many for making his nephewe Berthold Earle of Romundiala for another of his nephewes beinge a Dominican Cardinall because he sente him Embassadour into Hetruria For Platina and Stella and other complaine that he loued his kindred to well so that he bestowed withoute lawe on them that which he had filched froÌ„ other for he toke perforce from some nobles of Rome certaine Castels and bestowed them on his freindes He made the Gibelines being seditious meÌ„ magistrats at his owne lust in Florence and els where to defende and maintaine his tyrannye Also he purposed to make two kinges of the stocke of Vrsines the one in Lombardye the other in Hetrury but while he purposed this he dyed sodenly of an Apoplexye without speakinge any worde Anno 1281. in the fourth yeare of his Popeship and yet it was thoughte by his goed complexion he should haue liued much longer Some saye that one foretolde the death of this Pope by the rysinge of the riuer Tiber which then happened The report is that of a concubine he begat a sonne that had hayre and clawes like a beare it is written in Iohn Noueomagus in illustrationibus Bedae 130. Martin the fourth MArtin the fourth a Frenchman called before Simon was nexte made Pope by the Cardinals of Fraunce who then were the greater nomber He woulde not be Crowned at Viterbium because he thoughte that Citye was excommunicated because they had made a tumult against the Cardinals for the Viterbians entring into the consistorye apprehended the Cardinals and put them in prison dryuinge out and contemninge the house of Vrsins therefore Martin going to an olde towne called Oruietus did there kepte all his solemnitye made viii Cardinals the same daye to strengthen his power Also hee did not onelye entertaine curteouslye kinge Charles comminge to him but also restored to him the dignitye of Senatorship which Pope Nicolas had taken froÌ„ him which thinge displeased many because it should make seditioÌ„ in the Citye the Vrsine being now returned and their ennemyes driueÌ„ out for Charles for the hatred conceyued against Nicolas was sore bente against the Vrsines But Pope Martin meaninge to worke warelye did much set by Matthew de Aquisporta a FranciscaÌ„ of the house of the Vrsines a Cardinal bishop of Portua He excoÌ„municated Peter king of Aragon who went about to inuade the kingdome of Sicil w t his nauy against Charles also he gaue his kingdome for a â—ooty to one that did desire to enioy it He released his subiectes from their allegeaunce callinge him an vsurper of Church goodes But Peter defyinge all this did by the helpe of Paleologus obtaine the kingdome of Sicill the Sicilians also beinge able no longer to sustayne the pride Iust of the FrenchmeÌ„ at the perswasion of Iohn Prochita conspired against Charles and ringinge the belles did at once without anye regarde murther all the Frenchmen Pope Martin amonge other thinges graunted to the Romaynes libertye to chose two Senatours of the nobilitye and excommunicated Paleologus He made warre against the Forolinians He bestowed great pryuiledges vpon the begging fryers and as he was taking his accustomed recreation with his chapleins as Carsulan testifyeth a certaine secrete disease came vppon him which after hee had sayd it panged him extreamlye he dyed Anno 128â— and yet the Phisicions coulde finde no token of death in him Some write that this Pope in the first yeare of his Popeship receyued into his familiarity the concubine of his predecessour Nicolas but to auoyde the like chaunce that
barbarous Pyrates then this churlishe Boniface He hated the Gibelines with such rancour that in persecuting them he heard saye that some of them were fled to the Genewaies therupon he poasted thether to destroy them vtterly to roote out the very name of them vpon earth And when vpon Ash wednesdaye he should according to the superstitious vse crosse al commeâ—s on the forheade with ashes and saye vnto them thus Remember man that thou art ashes and to ashes thou shalte returne Upon the same day for the same cause the archbishop of Porchet who was a Gibeline came vnto him kneelinge downe vnto the Pope put of his cappe to haue the ashes put on his head whoÌ„ when Boniface had espyed beinge neither ashamed for the time nor the place nor the people present vttered his rancour towarde the bishoppe most shamefullye For takinge vp an handfull of ashes he threwe them spitefullye in the eyes of the bishop sayinge reprochfullye wyth malicious chaunge of woordes Remember man thou arte a Gibeline and to the Gibelines thou shalt returne And beside this depriued him of his archbishopricke though in the ende he restored it In his time were great and cruell warres betwene the Sicilians and Robert duke of Calabria which wroughte much mischiefe to all Italye and yet the Pope being ofteÌ„times requested thereunto would neuer with his auctoritye steppe in betwene them to pacifye the matter But by the prouidence of God they that before fled out of Italye with the rouers arriued in Italye againe and gathering together a fewe who fled and lurked here there for feare of the rage of Boniface came to Anagnia ere the Pope mistrusted any such matter they brast open the gates vpoÌ„ him apprehended him and brought him to Rome where frettinge and raginge in a great agonye most desperatlye for the space of xxx dayes throughe the extremitye of his malady he dyed myserablye Anno 1304. This Pope sent a commaundement to the king of England charging him not to molest Scotland as he did then anye longer because the Scottes were a priuiledged people belonging to his Chappell but the kinge stoode stoutlye in the defence of his righte and quarrell and claymed it as his right not the Popes After this the Pope moued kinge Edwarde to warre vppon the Frenche kinge because he had offended the Pope but the kinge would not be so abused by him After this when the kinge had bestowed the bishopricke of Canterbury vpon Robert Burnel bishop of Bathe the Pope in spite of his teeth did not onlye place another called Iohn Peccam but also sent downe his Bull to the spirituall men of England for their discharge not to paye one penye tribute to the kinge in any case to his no small trouble for vpon this the most of them were at defiaunce with the kinge and his Parliamente especiallye the bishop of Canterburye This is that Pope of whom it was coÌ„monlye said He entred like a foxe he raigned like a Lion he died like a dogge He thinking that kingdomes and Empires were all in his owne hande did vsurpe the aucthority of both swordes woulde be counted the Lord of all the world He gaue sentence the vnlesse kinges woulde receiue their kingdomes at his hand they should be accursed and oughte to be deposed He excommunicated Philip kinge of Fraunce because he would not suffer the treasure of his Realme to be transported oute to Rome he cursed both him and his to the fourth generation Also he would not confirme Albertus to be Emperour whom before he had three or foure times reiected vntill he woulde inuade Fraunce and depose king Philip. He maintayned the discorde that was in Italye and purposed to nourishe them continuallye He forbad that the clergye should paye anye tribute to their Princes without his commaundement He boasted that he bare the keyes of heaueÌ„ and published this Canon that he oughte to be iudged of none althoughe hee shoulde drawe thousandes of soules to hell with him He was the first that deuised the Iubelye according to the Iewishe tradition He gaue full remission of sinnes and pardons to all that shoulde come on pilgrimage to Rome At the first daye of Iubelei hee prancked himselfe gorgeouslye in his pontificalibus The seconde daye he being arrayed most royallye with Emperiall insignes commaunded a naked sword to be caryed before him and said with a loude voice Ecce potestatem vtriusque gladij Lo here is the power of both swordes Finallye he being as is said apprehended and offeringe rather his head to be cut of then he would yelde vp his Papacye those conditions beinge put to him his house was first spoyled of so much treasure that as it is reported all the kinges of the earth together were not able to make so much oute of theyr treasurye as was caryed oute of his Pallaice and from three Cardinals and a Marquesse that were with him Then afterward he was set vpon an vnbroken coult with his face to the horse tayle and so caused to ride a gallop iaunted til he were breathlesse and then was he imprisoned and there almost pined by kinge Philips souldiours of Fraunce till the people of the towne of Aragon where he was did releue him and yet neuerthelesse for thought of this misery and losse he dyed He bestowed on S. Peters Pallaice a chayme of belles making a sweete and pleasaunt noyse and encreased the reuennues therof he yet encreased very much that priuiledges of the begginge fryers He doubled the idolatrous honour of the Apostles the 4 Euangelistes and the foure doctours of the Church He gaue auctoritye to the Ecclesiastical parsons generally in England to excommunicate the people twise in the yeare He caused one Hermanus of Ferraria to be taken oute of his graue and burned xxx yeares after he had beene buryed He said that to be subiect to the Church of Rome is of the necessitye to saluatioÌ„ He deposed diuers Cardinals he deuested diuers kinges of their estate he fostered harlots â—e begat diuers bastardes beside sondrye other lâ—ude pranckes He sommoned kinge Edwarde the first to Rome vpon the coÌ„plaint of Robarte VVinchelsey bishop of Canterbury after the death of Iohn Peccam both which Archbishops troubled the kinge as almost all their auncetours from the time of Hildebrand had done to the Princes in their time for so VVilliam Rufus and Henry the first were troubled wyth Anselmus Archbishop of Canterbury Henry the second also with Thomas Becket King Richard and all England with VVilliam bishop of Elye the Popes Legate King Iohn with Steuen LangtoÌ„ bishop of Canterburye Henry the thirde with Edmonde Archbishop and now this kinge Edwarde wyth these two The kinge beinge cited to Rome was there suspended till he had purchased full dearely his absolution but of the said Peccam this one thing is to be noted that he caused to be ordayned that no spirituall mynister should haue any more benefices theÌ„ one which was also
decreed by Octo and Octogonus the Popes Legates in England at that time An Epistle of Peter Cassiodorus to the Englishmen reprouinge the extreame robbery filching and slauerye vvhereby the Popes spoyled this lande about the yeare of our Lord 1302. to moue them to shake of the bondage of the Popes tyrannye taken out of an ould booke in S. Albons Church TO the noble Church of Englande seruing in claye and bricke as the Ievves did in times past vnder the tyrannie of the EgiptiaÌ„s Peter the sonne of Cassiodore a catholike Souldiour and deuoute champion of Christe sendeth greeting and vvishinge to caste of the yoke of bondage and to receiue the revvard of libertie To whom shall I compare thee or to whom shal I liken thee O daughter Hierusalem to whom shall I matche thee O daughter of Sion Great is thy perturbation like vnto the Sea Thou sittest alone without comfort all the daye long thou art confounded and coÌ„â—umed with heauines Thou art giuen vp into the handes of him from whence thou canst not ryse without helpe of one to lift thee vp for the Scribes and Pharisies sittting vpon the chayre of Moyses thy enemyes the Romaynes are as thy heades and rulers enlarging their garded philacteries seeking to be enryched wyth the marowe of thy bones laying heauie burdens and not able to be borne vpon thy shoulders and of thy mynisters and they set thee vnder tribute which of old time hast beene free beyonde all honestye or measure But maruell not therat for thy mother which is the ladie of people lyke a wydowe hauinge maryed and coupled her selfe to her subiect hath appointed him to be thy father that is to saye the byshoppe of Rome who sheweth no point of any fatherlye loue towards thee He magnifyeth and extendeth to the vttermost his authoritye ouer thee And by experience declareth himselfe to be the husband of thy mother He remembreth oft wyth himselfe the prophetical saying of the Prophet and well disgesteth the same in the inward parte of his breste Take to thee a great booke and write therein quicklye with the pen of a man take the spoyle robbe quickly But is this it which the Apostles sayth that he was appointed for where he wryteth thus Euerye bishop taken from amonge men is appointed for men in those thinges that belonge to the Lorde not to spoyle not to laye on them yearelye taxes not to kill men but to offer giftes sacrifices for sinnes and to sorowe wyth them that be ignoraunt and do erre And so we read of Peter the fisher whose successor he boasteth himselfe to be that after the resurrection of Christ he turned with other Apostles to the office of fishinge who when he could take nothing of the left syde of the ship at the bidding of Christ turned to the right side and drewe to the lande a net full of fishes Wherefore the profitable mynisterye of the Church is to be exercised on the right syde by the which the deuill is ouercome and plentye of soules be lucrifyed and wonne to Christe But certainlye the labourer on the left side of the ship is farre otherwyse for in it the fayth stumbleth heauines beareth rule whan that thing that is desired by seekinge is not founde For who is so foolishe to thinke that hee can both at one time serue God and man and to satisfye his owne will or to sticke to the reuelations of flesh and bloud and to offer worthy giftes to Christ And doubtles that shepeheard that watcheth not for the edifyinge of the flocke prepareth an other way to the roringe Lyon and seeking whoÌ„ he maye deuoure And nowe behold I say O daughter the deedes of him that is called thy father such as haue not beene hearde of before he dryueth away the good shepeheard from the sheepefold and placeth in their steade bishops to rule but not to profyte his nephewes cosins and parentes some that knewe no letters and other some domme and deafe which vnderstand not the plaine voyce of the sheepe nor curing their wounds that be hurt of the wolues but like hyrelinges pluckinge of the fleeses a pase and reaping that which other men haue sowen whose handes moreouer be alwayes readye in theyr baskets and pouches but theyr backes are turned from theyr burdens By which thinge it is manifest that the priesthoode is cleane chaunged at these dayes the seruice of God decayed almes diminished and broughte to noughte the whole deuotion of princes and kinges is banished Maye not this be thought wonderful in the eyes of all men that where as Christ commauÌ„ded tribute to be payd to kinges for him for Peter he nowe goeth about dominion of his stile to subdue to him both realmes and princes of realmes against his will whose Uicar he sayth he is and who refused the realmes iudgements of this world which this bishop contrarywyse chalengeth clayming al that which he in his stile wryteth to be his Alacke O daughter what doth he yet more against thee marke he draweth from thee what so euer pleaseth him and yet he thinketh not himselfe content to haue the tenth part onely of thy goodes from thee except he haue also the first fruites of the benefices of the Ministers wherby he may get a newe patrimony aswell for himselfe as for his kynred contrary to the godly wyls of the first founders Ouer and besides all this he inferreth other execrable taxes and stipends for his Legates and messengers whom he sendeth into England which not onely take awaye the feeding and clothing of thee and thine but also teare in peeces like dogges your fleshe and skinnes Maye not this prince be compared to kinge Nabugodonoser which destroyed the temple of the Lorde and robbed awaye the siluer and goldeÌ„ vessels thereof The very same doth this man also he robbed the mynisters of Gods house and left destitute of due helpe In like maner doth he Truly they be better that are killed wyth the sword then they which be pined with hunger for they are dead straight but these are wasted with the barrennes of the earth O daughter all they that passe by the waye let them haue pitye and compassion on thee for there is no sorrowe like thy sorrowe For nowe thy face is blacker then coales through much sorrow and weepinge and thou art no more knowen in the streates thy foresayd ruler hath placed thee in darcknes and hath giuen thee wormewood and gall to drincke O Lord heare the sorrowe and sighinges of thy people behold Lord and descende for the hart of this foresaid man is more indurate then the hart of Pharao For hee wil not suffer thy people to departe excepte in the fortitude onelye of thy hande For he scourgeth them not onely myserablye vppon the earth but also after theyr death he intendeth to incroche the goodes of Christians vnder the name and title to dye intestate or making no will Therefore let the chiualrye of Englande well remember howe the
he yelded soueraignity to the sea of Rome he builded scholes for those that should studye Phisicke and the Decretals Briget a woman of Sweaueland came to him to Rome because of a vowe that she had made and procured that there should be Religious parsons both men women of the order of S. Briget Afterward be returning into Fraunce made one Iohn Hawcuth an Englishmā liefetenaunt of his army in the steade of Giles that was dead that he might still defende the Ecclesiastical iurisdiction vntil he should returne for he purposed not to returne to Italye But while he wente into Fraunce hopinge to returne to his court in Rome Anno 1371. he dyed at Massilia poysoned as it is thought Sabellicus wryteth that he made great warre in Italye yea euē with the Princes that his auncetours had set vp against the Emperour he slue manye of them In this Popes time sayth Premonstratensis the archbishop of Collen had a wyfe In his time also the order of the Iesuits Scopetines orders first began as Iohn Palionedorus testifyeth in the third booke and second Chapter of his tripartite historye 142. Gregorie the xi GRegorie the eleuenth borne in Lenomony called before Peter Belfortius was Cardinall of newe S. Maryes and nephewe to Pope Clement he succeded Vrban This Gregorie sayth Platina was made Cardinall when hee was scante xvii yeares old by his vncle Clement and least he should seeme to haue more regard to his kindred then to the Church he sent him to the best learned doctours in Italye to be brought vp in learning especiallye to one Baldus whoe then read the Popes decretals at Peruse where he profited in all kinde of such learninge as Baldus coulde teache him so much that the sayd Baldus for the assurance of his owne affayres being in daunger vsed his auctoritye for his owne safetye Gregorie being Pope sent a Cardinall into Italye to ouersee according to custome the estate of the Church But because as Volaterain sayth almost all the Cityes reuolted frō him by the councell of Katherine a Nonne of Scene which afterward became a saint of Baldus his scholemaster he returned from Fraunce vnto Rome with xii galleyes Or as Sabellicus saith because that he reprouing a certaine bishop for being nonresident was by the same bishop reproued againe that he being the chiefe bishop did yet lye so farre and so long from the place of his Church Anno 1376. he excommunicated out of the Church the Florentines who were the auctours of the reuolting and had taken to their vse al the Popes townes lying about them and because they despised and defyed the terrour and vaine boults of his excommunication he warred vpon them Some other saye he returned into Italye for other causes Masseus sayth that one Briget a woman returned from Hierusalem to Rome wrote to Pope Gregorie that it was the Lords pleasure that the Popes court should returne to Rome Crantzius saith it was because a certaine bishop did sharpelye rebuke him that he woulde leaue his Church and followe the Courte Of whom the Pope receyued this aunsweare And thou quoth he beinge Pope of Rome that ought to be an example to other doest not returne to this bishopricke And therefore he did againe translate his seate from Fraunce to Rome by the perswasion of two women and one bishop in the 70. yeare after the translation thereof This Gregorie demaunded tenthes throughout the whole Empyre and repayred the walles of the City and old buildings with great pompous cost He added the eue to the holye daye of the byrth of the blessed virgin Mary In the time of this Pope king Edwarde the third of Englande made many profitable lawes abridginge the Popes pilladge vsurpation and ambition within the Realme Also certaine souldiours of this Pope Gregorie lyinge in a Citye called Cesenata did not onelye take thinges as victuals and other necessaryes refusinge to paye for it but also did beate like slaues the Citizens vpon further sturre they murthered them pityfully◠sparing neyther man woman nor child though they were sucking babes so that they filled all pittes in the Citye wyth dead karcasses for in a fewe houres vpon one daye they slue in the Citye of all ages viii Thousande and then robbed spoyled the towne and so left it desolate emptye Theodoricus lib. 3. Cap. 2. At the length Anno 1378. he dyed of extreame paine of the bladder Euen at the houre of the Popes death the report is that the Pallaice of Auenio was set on fyer coulde not be quenched till the greater part thereof were burnt Afterwarde ensued the greatest sciesme and deuision that euer happened in the Popedome Then sayth Massaeus the clergye and people of Rome complayning to the Cardinals besought them to choose an Italian not a French man Pope that the Courte mighte not go into Fraunce againe But when they began to make an election sodenlye a controuersy began for the Italians were but foure and the French Cardinals were xiii who mighte easelye haue preuayled but they durst not for the Romaynes stoode readye in armour and made a tumult Therefore on Saturdaye being the ix day of Aprill they choose Vrban the sixt to be Pope who was Crowned on Easter daye being the xviii daye of the sayde moneth Praemonstratensis sayth that in the time of this Vrban the sixte began a newe and straung sect of bedlams both of men and womē who vsed to skip and daunce against all modestye who Anno 1375. came sayth he from Aquisgran into Hannonia and so into Fraunce which might prognosticate the returne of Pope Gregorie and his Cardinals to Rome This sect of Daūcers imagined with themselues that they daūced in riuers of bloud but they that stoode by could perceiue no such thing The people thought that these dauncers were euill baptized by priestes keepinge harlots and therefore the people thoughte to haue risen against the clergye to slaye them to spoyle them of their goods vnlesse God had withstoode it sayth he by certaine coniurations 143. Vrban the vi VRban the sixt being but a poore man and very obscure borne in Naples called otherwyse Barthelmew and at length archbishop of Bare but neuer Cardinal and absent the Romaynes vrging it very sore was chosen Pope He being chosen Pope Iane Queene of Sicill bestowed great cost in tryumphing for ioye and sente to him for presentes fourty thousand dukates in gould siluer besides wynes victuals and other thinges yelding also to him her kingdome and all that she had to be at his commaundemente Likewise her husband the noble Otto duke of Brunswick and Prince of Tarentum offered him the like curtesy But sayth Theodoricus of Nyem lib. 1. cap. 7. sone after Otto after dinner amonge many great estates and Cardinals drancke to the Pope but Vrban was so proud that he suffered the noble Prince to kneele before him a great while ere he would take the cup out of his hande in so much that
to his charge to plong the Cardinal the mere But as for me sayth Theodoricus I could abide this wofull sight no longer and therefore dissembling my selfe to be sicke I gat leaue to departe And in like maner was the other Cardinals vsed afterward Finally VrbaÌ„ remouing from Naples commauÌ„ded that these Cardinals and their fellow prisoner the bishop of Aquilo should followe him and ride next after him assigninge to euerye one his garde to keepe them that they should not escape by the waye But the bishop partly because he roade vpon a iade partly because his bodye was yet after his racking so sore and feeble that he was not able to endure faste riding but as the Pope galloped he came lagging after as fast as he might And yet the Pope thinking that helingred to haue stollen awaye in a greate rage commaunded his villaines to kil him and so they slew him mangling him with many woundes and left his dead carkasse vnburied in the waye Afterward at the sute of king Richard of England Pope Vrban did partly release to the custody of a certaine priest one of the Cardinals called Adam Cardinal of Sicil but he toke from him all that euer he had and left him in case of a vagabounde till Boniface his successour restored him But as for the other fiue he kept miserablye in prison in an abbey in a towne of Ianua being next to the Church where he laye and if that he saw any man resort to that Church at extraordinary howers he thought that he resorted thether to deliuer the Cardinals by stealth and therefore he committed to prison tormeÌ„ted many of his owne Court onlye vpon suspition therof And notwithstaÌ„ding the duke citizeÌ„s of Ianua sued for those prisoners yet he wold neuer shew them any mercy but in the end caused them to be put to death as some saye beheaded other saye drowned but how so euer it were sure it is they perished Furthermore Charles king of Sicil being at variaunce with Vrban and hauing his nephew FrauÌ„cis prisoner dyed at length Then came Margaret the wyfe of the said Charles humbly suing to Vrban to be gracious to her and to her children and to graunt that her husbands body might be buryed in which sute manye nobles of Florence and other Cityes ioyned w t her and yet his hard hart woulde nothing pittye her sute nor grauÌ„t her so much as a graue for the king her husbaÌ„d thoughe she had freely released his nephewe to him yet he added processe to processe and heaped condemnation vpon condemnation against her and her poore children because he did from his harte detest the name of the saide Charles Thus reporteth Theodoricus word for word as he is alledged whoe beinge Secretarye to Pope Vrban wrote that which he sawe with a sorrowfull hart The cause whye that the Pope did dispatche those Cardinals was this he was sodenlye forced to remoue from one place to another and therefore thinking that those Cardinals if he shoulde carye them with him would hinder and comber him on the one side on the other side he was loath to leaue them behind least they should escape and therfore flying from Nuceria to Ienua as is sayd it is thought that by the way he tyed them fast to the rockes so lefâ— them to be drowned It is sayd that this yeare one Bertholdus Swart or otherwise Schuuartz an Alchymist and a monke in the North parte of Germanye deuised first and contryued Gunnes to the spoyle of mankinde 144. Clement the 7. CLement the seuenth was a Frenchman and by byrth Earle of Gebenny called in time past Robert he being first a Cardinal was made Pope by the Cardinals These Cardinals after the third month of the election of Vrban perceyuinge bowe he was giuen to tyrannye and that he would not returne into Fraunce they stale away fledde from Rome to Fundus But first they besoughte him to giue them lycence with his fauoure to go to Anagnia to chaunge the ayre for the Sommer time but they fearinge his melancholy mode and franticke fits went away These Cardinals were gotten together Iohn Preuestin VVilliam of S. Steuens in Coeli hill Bertrandus of S. Cicill Robert aforesaide Hugh of the 4. holye Crownes Gui of the holye Crosse in Hierusalem Iohn of S. Marcellus Peter of S. Laurencis in Lucine Gerard of S. Clements Peter of S. Eustace VVilliam of S. Angell Peter of S. Maryes immaculate and Peter of S. Maryes of Cosmidin These sayth Platina did pilfer out the treasure of the Church at the death of the Pope and did euerye thinge as liked them best Who as sone as they fled to Fundus rayled vpon Vrban as an vsurper of the Popedome saying that he was creat perforce and perforce receyued the Crowne of the Pope ship because that election was made for feare in a place of great daunger in the which men ought to haue had libertye to do and speake their minds francke free and yet they were compelled by the people contrarywise to chuse rather an Italian then a Frenchman For these causes they saide the seate being voyde and Iane Queene of Sicill fauouring their purpose they choose the foresaid Robert to be Pope and called him Clement the seuenth Because sayth Theodoricus they knew him to be ambitious nedye and yet very prodigall of a large coÌ„science but of noble birth well be frended and of great power hauing a strong troupe wayting vpon him whereby sayth he lib. 1. cap. 10. it may be iudged that this election proceded not of the holye ghost nor of good consciences Herevpon arose a greate discorde amonge Christian Churches while some Princes fauoured Pope Vrban some fauoured Pope Clement and some there were that medled with neyther of them and they were called neuters Clement goinge to Auenio was worshipped of the Spaniards Frenchmen who did welcom him thether He continued fiftene yeares making diuers lawes whom beside the French king the kinge of Aragon of Castile Nauar obeyed In the meane time a councell was held at Paris to take vp the strife for the Popedome which councell yelded to Clement as Tillius wryteth In his time aboute the yeare 1387. arose a controuersy betweene the students of Paris and the dominick fryers concerning the conception of the virgin Mary Pope Clement dyed Anno 1392. being buried at Auenio These two Popes scattered about the world in diuers quarters their terrible and fearefull bulles and spread abrode rayling bookes full of infamye and defacing backbytinge and excommunicating one another callinge each other w t sharpe despite and bitter reproche Antichriste scismatick heretick tyrant theefe traytour vniust wicâ—ed sower of darnel in Gods Haruest and the cursed sonne of Beliall Iohn of Lignia doctour of both Lawes set out a booke in the behalfe of Vrban and the abbot of S. Vedast councellour to the French kinge did publishe another for ClemeÌ„t against Vrban Amonge other broyles wrought betweene these 2. fyrebrands
And thus at one time three Sunnes for so the Pope calleth himselfe the Sunne of the world did shine at one time in the Popedome and yet none of them all shoane in heauen Gregory after the degree of the councell was curteouslye entertayned by Charles Malatest Prince of Arminus And while he stayed at Luca by the consent of the Cardinals that hetherto forsaked him not he created Gabriel Condelmerius his sisters sonne Cardinall He drew by the eares one Nicolas of Luca a white fryer doctour of diuinitye oute of the pulpit because in his Sermon he moued and perswaded him to seeke for peace and vnitye to the profite of all Christendome beside that he vsed him so violently in the Church he afterward also sent him to prison to terrifye other that they should not talke of this matter In the ende the fathers of the generall councell of Constance sent vnto him that eyther he should come thether or send his messenger and thereupon he sent Charles Malatest to be his proctour who seinge them thus to be minded to put him from the Popedome he stept vp into the Popes trone being there for the purpose prepared and comming downe from it againe francklye gaue ouer the fourth day of Iulye Anno 1415. for the which free yelding the whole assemble made him Legate of Picene which as soone as Gregory vnderstoode within a fewe dayes for anger griefe and anguish of minde he dyed sodenlye But Peter Moone stoode stiffely in his dignitye of whom Iohn Gerson doctour of diuinitye of Paris did being present in the said Synode speake of that lunaticke Pope Peter Moone saying the Church shall neuer be at peace vntil the Moone be quite eclipsed But he woulde not yeld neyther for entreating perswasion nor threatning of any man Thomas VValden doth make larger discourse hereof in his Sermon preached before king Henry the fift of England Because that the doinges of these two Popes raigning both at ons that is Gregory the ix Peter of the Moone are so notorious that it were worthye to be knowen but so longe that it were tedious here to be shewed onelye this may suffice to signifye their treacheryes which Theodoricus hath written as a preface to the rest of their storye coÌ„piled by him at large I come now sayth Theodoricus to Gregory who succeded the former Pope Innocentius A man should scante finde incke and paper sufficiente and shoulde be tediouslye occupyed to declare by what crafte guile deceite iugling caueling hypocrysies subtilties this Gregory was chosen by the Colledge of Cardinals with whom he and Peter Moone afterwarde delayed to agree for the quietnesse of the vniuersall Churche promisinge and not performing and excused themselues for not agreeing mocking and deluding with naughtye pranckes all Christendome vsing shiftes excuses false forgeryes frumpinges on both partes by theyr messengers to fro But it is euidente that they haue their consciences seared sayinge that they are plaine and simple men when as they are in deede full fraughte with diuelishe delusions And because it shoulde be a godlye deede they haue saide and do say that they would yeild to vnitye which yet in their malicious hartes they neither do nor euer did purpose as by their deedes shall appeare as I will reueale to the worlde for euer not onelye in this booke but also in my other worke called Nemus vnionis Although alas there be manye kinges princes and many inferiour secular powers Cityes boroughes townes villages and castels and the most part of Ecclesiastical prelates of al sortes beside clarkes and Ecclesiasticall parsons both secular and regular in sondrye countryes natâ—ons and landes walkinge wandering in desertes of darcknes and many of them not desiringe the common profite of the catholicke fayth but beinge deuided into sondrye factions for theyr sondry affections do yet cleaue to the said Gregory Peter vpholdinge and cherishing them most dampnably in their obstinacye sciesme and heresye and lifting them vp as their idols like the foolishe Egiptians c. What ende therefore is like to come of this lamentable sciesme which they foster which are Lords of this world not to procure peace but greater discorde and to be feared if God helpe not to the destructioÌ„ of lower powers who being perilouslye bewitched charmed with the vaine promises sleightes of these two Popes their adherents do vphold them in the pride of their ranckour mischiefe and errour as if there were no God in heauen but that the saluation of soules and bodyes did onelye depende vpon these two priestes of Babilon from whom more mischiefe hath spronge and flowed ouer al the face of the earth then euer proceeded from any that fought for the Papacye from the beginning to this oure time And out alas these biles and soares are so brast out in the eyes of al the world that there is no shift to denye or couer the same whereupon the Catholicke fayth is darkened w t cloudes of ignorance al religion hath suffered shipwracke Christians being at iarre amonge themselues do deuoure one another Gonnes and other instruments of mischiefe and murther are put in practise feare of God honesty and vertue haue departed farre from kinges and gouernours and from the people of all sortes and vice hath stepte into their places and finallye the whole vniuersall Church is sicke froÌ„ the Crowne of the heade to the sole of the foote c. Much more to the like effecte complayneth Theodoricus being then Secretarye to the said Gregory when these vprores were thus raysed by these prelates whose particuler doinges as they are manye and diuers so are they strauÌ„ge monstrous horrible and to be wondred at that anye man though he did but suspect that there were a God would so delude both the world him but that the spirite of God hath saide that they shoulde be blinded in their sinnes And thus was all the worlde troubled with this Gregory on the one side the Sunne of darcknes and with Petrus Luna the maÌ„ of the Moone on the other side 149. Alexander the fift ALexander the fift was borne in Crete a franciscan fryer in profession called Peter Philargus or of Candy He succeded the foresaid Gregorie in his Popeship for the former prelates Gregorie and Benedict being deposed in the couÌ„cel of Pice as is said this Alexander was chosen Pope by general consent of all that were there present Which dignitye being bestowed vpon him sayth Platina he was worthelye called Alexander because he being before but a beggerly and begging fryer might now be matched with the proudest Prince in Europe for excessiue prodigalitye hautye courage Wherupon he vsed to ieast merelye oftentimes saying I am a rich bishop a poore Cardinall and a beggerly Pope This Pope was of so stout a stomacke that he cast oute of his kingdome Ladislaus then most mightye king of Naples Apulia who did conuert to his vse more conuenientlye the lordships of the Church being
place He bestowed great cost vpon buildinges both of the towne walles Churches Pallaces Castels Concerning his building Platina saith he began to fortifye with stronge walles the gates and towers of the Citye the Capitoll and Angell Castell He builded sumptuouslye magnificentlye both in the towne and at Vatican as in the towne the Popes house also hee repayred the house of S. Steuen in Celius hill He raysed euen from the ground S. Theodors Church He couered w t lead an olde Church in Rome called Panthion He transported the Popes house in Vatican brought it to a statelye fourme He began to laye the walles of Vatican wyth greater foundation He restored Right bridge and builded a greate and large house beside Viâ—erby bathes He ayded diuers with money that builded in the Cittye And at his commaundement almost all the streates in the Citye were strowed There are yet remayninge certaine Uessels of gould and of siluer crosses beset with Pearles precious stones certaine priestes roabes gorgeouslye decked w t golden owches and pearles also certaine coueringes hanginges wouen of gould and siluer beside a certaine pontificall Miter which remaine as monumentes of his plentiful pompe and magnificencye c. Finallye he being troubled with an agewe and the goute dyed Anno 1455. 155. Calixtus the third CAlixtus the third a Spaniarde borne in Valentia called first Alphonsus Borgia his father was called Iohn and his mother Frauncis Pope Nicolas being dead this Alphonsus being an old impotent man was chosen in his steede This Pope as wryters do testifye of him was very â—unning in the Popes canon lawe but whollye ignoraunt in the Scripture as it appeareth by his deedes He was first Secretarye to Alphonsus king of Aragon and made bishop of Valentia by Pope Martin the fift and Cardinal by Eugenius the fourth As sone as he was Pope he forthwith prouided and addicted himselfe not to preache to nations but to followe warres against the Turke proclayming it oute of hande as he had vowed before And to further this purpose he sent out a rable of fryers with bulles and pardons to encourage the Christian nations against the Turke Among these Iohannes Capistranus and Robartus Licius were of moste renowne being both minorite fryers and notorious hypocrites who to drawe the more fishe to their net and to the greater filling of their purses vsed many shameful shiftes deluding men with dissembled and counterfaite holines Letanies penaunce fasting false merites shryuings reliques images crosses songes canticles notes ringing of belles singing cakes The Pope also for his part was busye to sturre vp all Princes by his letters to take the quarell in hand as a matter very nedefull and godlye Also he commaunded the priestes euerye daye at noone to ringe the sacringe bell and at night with an Aue Maria that saith Stella they might by this holye prayer helpe them that foughte against the Turke Certaine sillye countrymen seing this folly in the Pope laughed thereat whereupon the Pope caused them to be hanged for it He decreed that no man should appeale from the Pope to a generall councell He suffered his nephewes and bastards to liue licenciouslye He poured out sayth Valerius his letters of pardon in pure fashion wheâ—by selling them then for fiue ducates which now are sould for cryfles he left to his successour in treasure an hundred millâ—ns fiftene thousande ducates At the length he dyed for age Anno 1458. and was buryed in Peters Pallaice or the rounde Church 156. Pius the second PIus the second borne in Hetruria called first AEneas Picothomineus hauing his breast boyling long with ambition did at length obtaine the Papacye He of a poore boye became so worthy a man as all wryters do testifye of him that amonge the learned Popes he was the best learned and most diligente writer In the councell of Basil he was the Popesscribe and did with his Epistles and orations stande against the auctoritye of Eugenius Afterward he was made Poet Lawreat of the Emperour Frederick the third and being called to attende in his Court his first promotion was that he was made councellour and Secretarye Afterward he being sente Embassadour to diuers Princes was first made bishop of Tergest by Pope Nicolas then of Scene and finally Cardinall by Pope Calixtus In the end he attayning to the Papacye did as his elders he begaÌ„ to proclaime the warres agaiÌ„st the Turke but he dyed ere he could proceede in his purpose He sought still to enlarge the dominion of the Church for the which sayth Stella it appeared that he feared neither kinge nor prince nor duke If anye man offended him he would sore molest him with warre and taxes till he made him satisfaction And therefore he was an heauye ennemye to king Lewis the xi of Fraunce because he went about to abridge the licentious libertye of the clergye in his Realme He warred vppon Borsius duke of Mutina because he did fauour Sigismond Malaâ—esta and the estate of FrauÌ„ce against Frederick for he set Ferdinandus bastarde of king Alphonsus in the kingdome of Naples violentlye with auctoritye and men of armes against Iohn of Angewe sonne of kinge Renatus He cursed Sigismond duke of Austria euen to the pitte of hell because he bridled the polling of Cardinal Cusan furthermore he did euen as an angry Uiper sayth VVolphamus VVissemburgius spit out the poyson of his curse vpoÌ„ his Embassadour George Haimburg a worthye lawyer and did so persecute him with his thondringe letters that he was faine to flye into Bohemia and liue there He chased Deitherus Archebishop of Maguntia like a madde man out of his diocesse and planted another in his steede wherevpon great discorde arose betweene Frederick the Palatine and duke of VVittenburg with other in Germanye by meanes wherof ensued great slaughter and bloudshed and the City of Mentz being before a free Citye lost his freedome then The cause of the Popes displeasure against Deitherus was first because that Deitherus woulde not consente that the Pope shoulde charge his countrye with certaine great taxes tallenges secondly because that he would not be bounde vnto the Pope that he beinge Prince Electour should not as the Pope required withoute his lycence call the other Electours together Thirdly because he would not suffer the Popes Legate to call together the clergye within the diocesse of Mentz as the Legate listed but as he being bishop thoughte best For these causes the Pope disquieted both him and Germany Also he remoued the Archbishop of Beneuent for making newe orders against his will He commaunded George kinge of Bohemia to aunsweare vpon an appointed day touching his fayth vpoÌ„ perill of leâ—sing his kingdome because he fauoured the opinioÌ„s of Husse He deposed many bishops for his owne lucre He subdued many townes of Campania and encreased maruelouslye the reuenues of the Church He was verye beneficiall to his frendes kindred He caused an head to be translated from Peloponesus
in siluer three hundred poundes He dyed beinge wasted through his incontinent life when he was but xxviii yeares old Anno 1474. His death was most hinderaunce to handicraft men for he euer filled their shoppes with store of knackes Iohn Textor in his officine sayth thus Peter a priest and Cardinal in the time of Sixtus the fourth wasted about vanityes luxuriousnes three hundred Thousand Crownes within the space of two yeares Againe Iohn Riueus in his booke De erroribus pontisiciorum sayth the Fulgosus reporteth of the incredible prodigality of the said partye It were to longe to rehearse all his woordes for breuitye sake these fewe may suffice which I thinke is the least to be spoken of namely that he ware goulden roabes at home in his house that he had his couerlets of gould for his beds his Chamber stooles and pottes of siluer Also he prouided for his concubine Tyresia shoes couered wyth Pearles By this a man maye gesse the rest of his vnmeasurable pompe and prodigalitye But Hierome brother to the saide Peter beinge made chiefe of Liuius court and Cornelius court after him did rule and order the matters of the Church being a man of more seuere nature and lesse lasciuious sauinge one waye not to be named After these Sixtus aduaunced the childrē of his bretherne and sisterne amonge whom he made one Iulian Cardinall and his brother Iohn Presidēt of the Citye and Prince of Sora Seuogallia He loued sayth Platina his kindred aboue measure bestowing and lauisshing on them that which belōged both to man and God against all iustice And by the iudgement of manye he plonged all Italye with bloudye broyles that without cause Therefore sayth Volateranus when he was driuen to necessitye hauing wasted his wealth vpon these tumults he was the first that began to practise this shifte He deuised to picke oute certaine Colledges Againe Agrippa sayth of him thus amonge the bawdes of late yeares that set vppe and builded stewes Pope Sixtus the fourth was most famous who builded a notable stewes at Rome and as he sayth in his declamatiō to the Louanians he sheweth at large not onlye for harlots but otherwise horrible to be thought vpon He following the example of Heliogabalus did maintayne his traine of harlots and bestowed them on his frendes and seruauntes Beside he had his fee comming into his treasure of that moneye which the harlots earned by their misdemeanour to the enrychinge of his cofers for the strompets of Rome do yet paye theyr Iuly tribute as it is termed euery weeke to the Pope which in yearely reuenues hath oftentimes amounted to xx Thousand ducates and now by report ariseth to fourtye Thousande And so the treasurers of the Church are bound to make accompte as well of harlots tribute as of the Church landes VVesselus Groningensis called the light of the world in the discourse of the Popes indulgences wryteth of this Pope Sixtus that at the sute of the foresaid Peter then Cardinall of S. Sixtus and Patriarke of Constantinople and of his brother Hierome he graunted the whole familye of the Cardinall of S. Lucia who in his former yonge yeares had in like maner yelded himselfe to the detestable lust of Pope Paule the second to file theyr bodyes lawfullye in most vnlawfull vnnaturall and vnspeakable maner for 3. hot monthes Iune Iulye and August which he graunted with this clause Fiat vt petitur Doe accordinge to your requeste O horrible and monstrons men more saluage then brute beastes weare it not but that malice of Antichrist and the deuill sparing no blasphemye to slaunder the Church of Christe dryueth me to detecte their loathsome treacherye and nakednesse I would rather helpe to burye these villanyes in silence then to vtter these their filthines which I cānot but with blushing remember Loath were I to plucke of the sheete of theyr shame to reueale their ribaldrye but that vnder such roabes lurketh hiddē so manye foule soares enfecting Christian soules and deceauing their simplicitye with an outward visard of innocencye And yet while I for beare euen for honesty ciuilitye sake to discouer their filthye commedyes and stewishe pranckes at large as they themselues are not ashamed to doe sportinge thereat with ballades songes and sonets and other vnhoneste wayes Mantuan and other haue spoken and vttered thereof enoughe to much wryting of this Pope Sixtus and his nephew of Alphonsus But as touching Sixtus sayth Volateran he being disposed to exercise him selfe in warrefare wherunto he was of nature more enclined then to religiō moued quarrels of warre as he might right or wronge He inuaded without any cause Vitelius Tiphernates the Florentines the Venetians the Columnians Ferdinand king of Sicilia the duke of Calabria and other nations and Princes It was his chiefe delighte to haue Christian Princes at commaundemēt whom at his pleasure he did both set vp and put downe He set his confederates the Heluetians with fyre and sworde vpon the Lombardes whom he had cursed and gaue the Heluetians a pardon and an ensigne to encourage them to the slaughter of the Lombardes He aduaūced his cosins bastardes to the shame of the Church to all that he mighte for he made two of his nephewes Leonarde Iohn to be Presidents of the Citye by course one after another beside other dignities diuers and many that he bestowed on sondrye of his kindred among other one Raphael his sisters sonne was made Cardinal But one Laurence Medices honge vp the saide Raphael and Saluatus Pisanus and diuers other because they had murthered his brother He was verye beneficiall to the begging sect of religious roages graūting them reuenues in this life and heauen in the life to come He is counted as it were a newe builder of Rome He bestowed cost of pauinge the streates repayring the wayes appointing skauingers to loke to the streates beside diuers other lesse necessary more vaine and superstitious deedes about Churches Chappels and Pallaces In the xv yeare he celebrated the Iubelie for the encrease of his lucre and gaynes and to pleasure his frendes He diuised many polling bribing offices of scribes abridgers sollicitours waighters and notaryes of the escheaker to enriche hys cofers which offices are to be bought of the Pope He made diuers newe holly dayes and diuers Saintes and manye decrees to enriche the clergye He excommunicated and cursed to hell Laurence Medices of Florence for hanging his nephew Raphael In the ende he being sicke of the goute dyed throughe rancour and malice the soner because the duke of Ferraria had takē peace with the Venetians against his will Anno 1484. And therefore diuers men made these Epitaphes of him ¶ Of his death Non potuit Seuum vis vlla extinguere Sixtum Audito tandem domine pacis obit No force was forceable enoughe to make Pope Sixtus dye But when the name of peace was heard it kild him by and by Of the peace that ensued
Earles and noble men with their dominions and great Cityes through the whole countrey of Germanye beside the great commōwealthes of Heluetia Rhetia Vallis Tellina with many hūdred Thousands more of al estates in Flaūders Italye Spayne Fraūce and in the kingdome of Polonia Thus especiallye from the yeare of our Sauiours incarnation 1503. vnder Pope Iulye the seconde the credite of the Romaine Sea began to cracke and dailye ryueth more and more and shall by Gods grace so continue till it be cleane rente in peeces and torne awaye Whereof God hath giuen certaine signes tokens plainlye prognosticatinge the greate fall of this proude Babilon which with these reuoltinge of regions from him being compared may comfort those that reioyce in the aduauncing of the Gospell and in the ruine of Antichriste although it is not to be wished that any mā should ground any doctrine or point of religion barely vpon these prognostications The obseruations that the Papacye shall melt awaye decresing more and more till the daye of Iudgement are these First the forenamed Prophecye of S. Paule in the 2. Chapter of the seconde Epistle to the Thessalonians that Antichriste must be reuealed before Christe come with diuers other Prophecyes of the holye Scripture in the Reuelation and other places Other proofes hereof maye be those straunge thinges that haue come to passe of latter times in the Church of Rome as the Pope Iohn the 24. was wonderfullye vexed by an owle in open consistorye as is before in his life declared againe that going to Constance he fell oute of his chariot by the waye Afterwarde he was in the same councell of Constance reprochfullye deposed and it was there declared that a councell ought to be aboue the Pope and the Pope to be subiect to the controlment of the coūcel which thing gaue a great pushe to the ouerthrow of his supremacye surelye from his time and the time of Paule the second the Popes maiestye began to shrincke more more Againe in the time of Alexander the sixt by a tempest of thonder lightninge the Augell set on the toppe of Angell castell in Rome the Popes chiefe place was beaten downe into the riuer Tiber. Furthermore it appeareth that it was not so much the fonde furye of Iulye the second as fatall prouidence the Pope Iulye the second when he could not preuaile by Papal auctoritie did hurle away into Tiber S. Peters keyes as they tearme them the counterfaite euidence of his supremacye for as he cast the keyes away so other reiected his supremacie euer since Furthermore in the time of Pope Leo it came to passe that he created in one day 31. Cardinals and the same daye while Leo and his Cardinals were in S. Peters Church there fell such mightye stormes of windes thōder lightnings vpon the Church that it shooke downe a little idoll made for the picture of Christe in the lappe of the virgin Marye Also it stroke the keyes oute of the hande of S. Peters Image in the same Church These and manye other such matters as haue come to passe are to be so construed as they may best serue to the glorye of God and signification of his will which is that Antichriste shall be destroyed with the breath of his mouth that is the power of his holye word and not by the might and arme of man Ioyning therefore the successe that Christe hath giuen to his Gospel with the shaking of Antichriste his kingdome foreshewed by the spirit of God it shall not be amisse to take these signes as witnesses that God sheweth hereby that he is mindefull of his promise made to his elect that the dayes are at hand when Babilō must fall and our Sauiour Iesus Christe come againe in glorye to the subuerting of him The Lorde hasten it for his mercy sake and make vs readye to receiue it with ioye Amen Amen 162. Iulius the second IVlius the secōd was a Genewaie borne who as Erasmus wryting vpon the prouerbe A remo ad Tribunal sayth was in his youth a whirrye slaue and yet at length preased vp to the Papacye And yet sayth he not contenting himselfe with that estate as he founde it did enlarge his dominion and would haue made it larger but that death preuented his purpose Vicelius sayth that he was rather giuen to warres then to serue Christ. Iohn Functius in his Cōmentaryes wryteth thus of him Pope Iulius being borne of a base stocke rysing by degrees throughe good lucke and craftye witte attayned to the hyest He being a fellowe of a subtill and compassinge heade and most giuen of nature to play the warriour did like Nimrod enlarge his porcion by the dint of the sworde so that by his procuremente within seuen yeares were slaine and destroyed to the nomber of two hundred thousand Christians He besieged Rauenna cruellye and in the ende preuayling made it subiecte to his Empire And with the like violence he wrested Seruia Imola Fauentia Foroliuium Bononia and other Cityes from the Princes with great bloudshed Sleidā sayth that whē this Iulius was Pope he toke an oath that he would haue a councell within two yeares But when he troubled and disquieted all Italye with warres beinge enemye one while to the Venetiās another while to the king of Fraūce nowe to the Duke of Ferraria now to the Bononians certaine Cardinals ix in nomber steppinge a syde and assembling at Millen do summon a coūcell to be held at Pisana The chiefe of these were Bernardin Cruceius VVilliam of Praenoste Fraūcis Cossetinus w t whom were the proctours of the Emperour Maximilian and of Lewis the xii king of Fraunce about the same purpose This councell was called the yeare 1511. the xix day of Maye to beginne in September next following The cause hereof is sayde to be because the Pope had broken his oath and for sworne himselfe for notwtstāding he had raigned so many yeares yet contrarye to his oath they could get no hope of hauing a coūcell And furthermore for that they had heynous crimes to charge him w t all they purposed to depriue him of his dignitye which he had gottē by bribery But Iulius chargeth all men vpon paine of great punishmēt that no man should obey them summoned another coūcel to be held the yeare following in Aprill in Lateran at Rome whereunto xxi Cardinals subscribed For this from time to time hath bin the practise of the Pope when any councel hath bin assembled against his doings then to assemble another Synode against the other in some place meete for his purpose There was at this time a famous Lawyer at Papia called Philippus Decius who published a booke defendinge the doinge of the Cardinals against the Pope Diuers other wrote against him some in prose some in verse as Hulricus Huttenus in certaine Epigrams to this effect in Englishe translated verse for verse This Iulie vvho by long discent did sit in Peters seate Through nevv cōceite