all the wordes of the lawe keeping and obseruing are not there referred to his priuate actions as a man but to his publike function as a king and therefore the king in these wordes receiued the charge and ouersight of the whole lawe that is an expresse commaundement from God to see the lawe kept and euerie part thereof obserued of all men within his Dominions and the breakers of it Prophetes Priestes and People to bee duely punished Nowe the Lawe contained all thinges that any way touched the true seruice and worshippe of God ergo the king had one and the selfe-same power and charge to commaund and punish as well for the preceptes of pietie as other pointes of policie neither did God fauour or prosper any of the kinges of Israell or Iudah but such as chiefly respected and carefully maintained the ordinances of Religion prescribed vnto them in Moses lawe In the times of the Prophetes saith S. Augustine all the kinges which in the people of God did not forbid and ouerthrow those thinges which were brought in against the commandementes of God are blamed and they that did prohibite and subuert such thinges are praysed aboue the rest God blessed Salomon with wisedome honour riches and peace so long as hee walked in the steppes of Dauid his father during the which time Salomon did dedicate the Temple in his owne person and cast out Abiathar from being Priest vnto the Lord and set Zadocke in his roome but when his heart once turned from God to builde places also for Idols and to suffer his outlandish wiues to burne incense and offeringes to their Gods then the Lorde was angrie with Salomon and stirred vppe aduersaries against him and threatned to rent his kingdom from him and to giue it to his seruant Asa tooke awaie the Altars of the strange Gods and the high places and brake downe the images and cut downe the groues and commaunded Iudah to seeke the Lord God of their fathers and tooke awaie out of all the cities of Iudah the high places and images therefore the kingdome was quiet before him And hee tooke an oth of all Iudah and Beniamin that Whosoeuer woulde not seeke the Lorde God of Israell shoulde be slaine whether hee were small or great man or woman and hee deposed Maachah his mother from her regencie because she had made an idoll Asa brake downe her idol and stamped it and burnt it and the Lord gaue him rest round about Iehosaphat his sonne walked in the first waies of Dauid and sought the Lord God of his father and walked in his commaundementes and therefore the Lord established the kingdome in his handes so that hee had riches and honour in aboundance In the thirde yeare of his raigne he sent his Princes that they should teach in the cities of Iudah and with them Leuites and Pristes and him selfe went through the people from Beer-sheba to Mount-Ephraim and brought them againe to the Lord God of their fathers In Ierusalem he sent of the Leuites and of the Priests and of the chiefe of the families of Israell for the iudgement and cause of the Lord. And he charged them saying Thus shal ye do in the feare of the Lord faithfully and with a perfect heart Thus shall ye do and trespasse not And behold Amariah the Priest shall be the chiefe among you for al the matters of the Lord and Zebadiah for all the kinges affaires and the Leuites shall be helpers vnto you Be strong and doe it And when the Moabites and Ammonites came against him he proclaimed a fast throughout all Iudah and stood in the congregation of Iudah and Ierusalem in the house of the Lord prayed in his owne person for all the people Ezechiah did vprightly in the sight of the Lord according to all that Dauid his father had done Hee opened the doores of the house of the Lorde and brought in the Priestes and the Leuites and saide vnto them heare mee yee Leuites sanctifie your selues and sanctifie the house of the Lord God of your fathers I purpose to make a couenant with the Lord God of Israell And they sanctified themselues according to the commaundement of the king And the king rose early and gathered the Princes of the citie and went vppe to the house of the Lord. And they brought sinne-offeringes and Ezechiah commaunded to offer the burnt offering vppon the Altar yea hee commaunded the Priestes the sonnes of Aaron to offer them And when they had made an end of offering Ezechiah the king the Princes commaunded the Leuites to praise the Lord with the wordes of Dauid and Asaph the Seer And Ezechiah sent to all Israell and Iudah also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasses that they should come to the house of the Lord at Ierusalem to keepe the Passouer So the Postes went with letters by the commission of the king and his Princes throughout all Israel and Iudah and with the commandement of the king saying Yee children of Israell turne againe vnto the Lord God of Abraham Isaac and Israell And the hand of God was in Iudah so that he gaue them one heart to doe the commaundement of the King And Ezechiah appointed the courses of the Priestes and Leuites by their turnes euerie man according to his office for the burnt offeringes and peace offeringes to minister and giue thankes to praise in the gates of the tentes of the Lord. And in all the workes that hee beganne for the seruice of the house of God hee did it with all his heart and prospered Hee tooke away the high places and brake the Images and cutte downe the groues and brake in peeces the brasen Serpent which Moses had made for in those dayes the children of Israell did burne incense to it Manasses at the first wēt back built the high places which Ezechiah his father had broken down and set vp altars for Baalim made groues worshipped all the host of heauen serued them but after hee was taken by the king of Babylon put in fetters bound in chaines he hūbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers God was intreated of him and heard his prayer and brought him againe to Ierusalem into his kingdom Then hee tooke awaie the strange Gods and the image out of the house of the Lord and all the Altars that hee had built in the mount of the Lordes house and in Ierusalem and cast them out of the citie Also he repaired the Altar of the Lord and sacrificed thereon peace-offeringes and of thankes and commaunded Iudah to serue the Lord God of Israell Iosiah in the eight yeare of his raigne when he was yet a childe of sixeteene yeares began to seeke after the God of Dauid his father and in the twelfth yeare he began to purge Iudah Ierusalem from the high places the groues and the carued and
muscer no men till your captaine bee readie least you loose your labour as the Rebels of the North did Is this the faith and allegeance your Soueraigne Ladie shall looke for at your handes when strangers inuade then to resolue which side you will take Go to masters if this be subiection I maruaile what is rebellioÌ„ Phi. His holinesse doth the like things for almost euery other Nation in distresse none so ill so suspitious or so vngrateful as to mistrust his benefites to be their destruction not the Germanes not the Hungarians not the Greekes not any other Prouinces for al which his holines hath erected Colleges euen as for our Countrie of which though all take not so much good as they might doe yet none feare hurt nor make lawes against his holy and charitable actions but we Theo. Offer that wrong to other Princes euen of your owne religion which your hâ—â—ly father hath done to her maiestie and see which of them will doubt to make sharper and sorer lawes against you than her highnes hath yet made Pronounce them no Princes inuade their lands conuert hostilities abroade and at â—â—â—ne to thrust them from their thrones and then tell vs howe they will reward you These wicked and diuelish attempts against your Soueraigne you cal holy and charitable actions and such is your madnesse that you blame the State for preuenting and repressing this haynous iniurie with wholsom lawes Phi. Call you that preuenting of iniurie to put innoceÌ„ts to death Theo. You refuse to confesse that her Highnesse is rightfull Queene of this Realme and yet would be counted innocentes Phi. You say not well We confesse her Maiestie to be true Queene of this Realm Theo. And ought to be so taken of al her Subiectes though the Pope depose her Phi. Why doe you pose vs with the Popes authoritie That which wee spake was plaine enough Theo. Not so You be licenced from Rome to agnise her Grace for true Queene of Englande for a time vntill the Bull of Pius the 5. may be put in publike execution that is vntill shee may by force of armes be violently driuen from the Crowne Phi. Is it not strange that you report these thinges of vs and can not proue them Theo. Is it not stranger that you know these thinges to be true and yet denie them Phi. I protest for my part I know them not Theo. Wee will reason farther thereof in an other place I hasten now to your fourth chapter Phi. Will you leaue S. Hierom vnanswered Theo. This whole chapter hath neither Scripture nor Father with you nor against vs but onely one poore allegation and therefore we may not skip that in any case but what saith S. Hierom Phi. This one thing I thinke good of charitable pietie and affection to forewarn thee that thou hold fast the faith of holie Innocentius who is successour and sonne of the Apostolike chaire and of the forenamed Anastasius that thou receiue not a strange doctrine though thou seeme to thy selfe neuer so wise and subtile Theo. This proueth that Innocentius and Anastasius in the dayes of S. Hierom held the true Christian faith that the Romanes for Demetriades to whom S. Hierom gaue this counsell dwelt in Rome should rather follow the Bishop of their owne Citie teaching sound and Apostolike doctrine than embrace strange errors vpon presumptioÌ„ of wit What doth this helpe you Phi. Gregory the 13. that lately liued was their successor sonne in Seat beliefe Theo. Doth S. Hierom say so Phi. Nay we say so Theo. Proue that and set vp your Masse Phi. In Seat you graunt Theo. Skant enough Phi. What not in Seat Theo. No not in Seat Phi. Why so Theo. First Atheists heretikes sorcerers and women haue been Popes and that interrupteth your succession Next the plentie of Popes during the two and twentie schismes in the Church of Rome whereof the last dured 40. yeares and was so doubtfull that the best learned and most religious of your side could not tell which to cleaue to I say this pluralitie of Popes at one time confoundeth your reckoning Thirdly discontinuance shaketh your seat in peeces as when Peters chaire was emptie threeskore and fourteene yeares sixe Popes sitting one after an other not at Rome but in Auinion in Fraunce Last of all the most part of your Popes for these 600. yeares entred not by lawfull and Canonicall election neither expected the consent of the Romane Prince and people as they should and were wont to do but by violence seditioÌ„ corruption and bribery inuaded the Seat of Peter Which fault was so commoÌ„ that your best friendes coulde not choose but finde it The Popedome sayth Platina was come to that passe 500. yeares agoe that he which could do most with ambition and briberie he only obtained the Papal dignitie good men oppressed and reiected which manner would God our times had not kept but this is nothing we shall see worse if God preuent it not In the daies of Damasus the 2. hee saith This fashion was nowe so riâ—e that euery ambitious Marchant might catch vppe Peters seat And an hundred yeares before that in the time of Benedict the fourth As soone as the Church saith he was indued with riches and waxed lasciuious the worshippers of God turning from seueritie to wantonnesse the great impunity of sinne no Prince then repressing the lewdnesse of men bred vs these monsters and mischiefs who by corruption ambition rather inuaded than possessed the most holy Seat of Peter And for a conclusion he saith The Popes were cleane departed from Peters steps Phi. These be trifles they barre not succession Theo. They be iust and true exceptions but for this present I say with S. Hierom They bee not the sonnes of the Saints that occupie their places but that exercise their works If Gregorie the 13. taught Peters faith let him be Peters successor if he did set forth any other doctrine he succeeded S. Peter at Rome no more than the Turke doth S. Iames at Ierusalem or the Scribes Pharisees did Moses in whose chaire they sate when they crucified the Sonne of God But we spend time which might bee better imployed Phi. Then goe to the fourth chapter which I looked for all this while that the sight of our proofes and sound of our places which here we bring against the Princes supremacie might euen discredite and confounde your newe doctrine Theo. The impertinent vagaries and plausible colours of your Apologie doe but hinder the seriousnesse of the matter fulnesse of the proofe that in this case were requisite since therfore we be come to the maine foundation of al your doinges omit your florishing and fall to a stricter and exacter kinde of reasoning Phil. Agreed THE SECOND PART PROVETH THE PRINCES SVPREME POWER TO command for truth within her Realme and the Pope to haue been a duetifull Subiect to the Romane Emperours
whiles he could not so much as looke into the contention betwixt the Christians and the Arrians did the Church no good For though Valentinian were for his owne person well perswaded in religion yet he suffered the Arrians to do what they would as Sozome confesseth Valentinian being himselfe of the Nicene faith made much of those that were of the same opinion with him but molested not any that were of the contrarie And that note Socrates giueth him Valentinian honoured those that were of his faith but in the meane time he let the Arrians do what they would And though himself very religiously embraced the Godhead of Christ yet would he commaund nothing to the Bishops in that behalfe neither thought hee good to change other ecclesiastical lawes into better or worse For he took them to be aboue his reache though he were otherwise a very good Emperour and fitte to rule as appeared by his doings Phi. Mislike you this in Valentinian Theo. Doe you like that he suffered Arrians to haue their foorth neither molested nor resisted them Phi. We like not that Theo. Then you mislike the timerousnes or remissenes call it what you will in the church affaires as well as we doe for what commendation could it be for him neither to meddle nor make with ecclesiasticall matters but to permit all sortes and sects to follow their appetites Phi. The stories commend him as excelling in wisedome moderation and iustice Theo. The best men haue their faults and are somtimes led with priuate fansies Valentinian was a good man and worthie the Empire and yet he made a Law that euery man that would might haue two wiues and himselfe gaue the first example in taking two Phi. What he did not Theo. Meaning to Marrie Iustina for report of her bewtie he made a law and published the same in euerie citie that it should be lawful for al men to haue two wiues at once And after the law so made he tooke Iustina to wife by whom hee had Valentinian the yonger and three daughters not diuorcing Seuera the mother of Gratiaen his elder sonne whom hee a little before had created Emperour Phi. That was a fault in deede Theo. And this was an other that hee gaue himselfe to quietnes and molested no sect of heretikes vpon this opinion that it passed his capasitie to iudge betweene the Bishops in matters of faith Phi. But Ambrose doth commend it Theo. Ambrose doth alleage it to stay the yong prince froÌ„ rashly presuming to iudge of their matters before he knew the first principles of religion because his father when he was aged Inhabilem se ponderi tanti putabat esse iudicij thought himself vnable to iudge in so weightie a cause but farther he doth not commend it and yet he might commend that in Valentinian and not hurt vs. For wee doe not encourage Princes to professe themselues iudges of fayth which Valentinian thought too great a burden but onely wee wish them to discerne betwixt trueth and error which euery priuate man must do that will be a Christian. And though Valentinian distrusted his owne iudgement in matters of faith yet that did not fray Theodosius a Prince highly commended by Ambrose him self from looking into the strife betweene the Homousians and Arrians and appointing by a solemne edict which of them should be counted Catholikes which heretikes and taking their Churches from them without their consents For hee not long after hee was called to the Empire by Valentinians eldest sonne willed euery sect to put their fayth in writing At the day prefixed the Bishoppes of euery religion being sent for came to the Court Nectarius and Agelius for the Homousians or Catholikes Demophilus â—or the Arrians Eunomius himselfe for his followers and for the Macedonians Eleusius When they were come the Prince admitted them to his presence and taking the Paper of eche mans opinion hartily besought God to helpe him in choosing the trueth Then reading their confessions written hee reiected al the rest as diuiding and seuering the sacred Trinitie and tare them in peeces and onely liked and embraced the Homousian fayth and therewithall made a Lawe that such as followed that fayth should bee counted Christian Catholikes the rest infamous heretikes All people subiect to our Empire wee will haue continue in that religion which S. Peter the Apostle deliuered to the Romanes as the fayth kept from his tyme to this day doth declare and the which it is euident Bishop Damasus and Peter Bishop of Alexandria a man of Apostolike sanctitie doe professe to witte that according to the Apostolike and Euangelike Doctrine wee beleeue one Godhead of the father sonne and holy Ghost of like Maiestie in sacred Trinitie The obseruers of this Lawe wee commaund to bee taken for Christian Catholikes the rest as mad and frantike we adiudge to beare the reproch of heretikes which must looke to feele first the vengeance of God next such penalties as the motion of our heart directed from aboue shall appoint As this religious Prince published by his Lawes which opinion should be counted trueth and which heresie so did hee by the same authoritie commaund the Churches throughout his Empire to bee presently taken from the Arrians and deliuered into the handes and possession of such as were of a right fayth So sayth Sozomene The Emperour Theodosius made a Law that the Nicene fayth shoulde bee authentike and all Churches to bee deliuered to them which professed the same Godhead of the father sonne and holy Ghost in three persons of equall honour and like power The Lawe it selfe is extant The rule of the Nicene faith receiued from our fathers and confirmed by the witnes and assertion of diuine religion let it stand good for euer And he shall bee counted a follower of the Nicene fayth and a true professor of the Catholike religion that holdeth the vndiuided substance of the incorrupt Trinitie which by a Greeke worde is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of right beleeuers They which bee not of this faith let them cease by cunning deuises to shroud theÌ„ selues vnder the name of true religion which they professe not be plainely noted by their heresies and vtterly remoued and expelled from all Churches that throughout the worlde the Churches may bee deliuered to the Bishops which hold the Nicene fayth So Gratian the sonne of Valentinian after the Empire came entirely to his hands commanded the preachers of the Arrian blasphemie as wild and cruel beasts to be driuen from their Churches and the same to be restored to good Pastors the executioÌ„ of this law he coÌ„mitted to Sapores a most famous captaine of that time The like did Theodosius the yonger decree that they which followed the wicked faith of Nestorius or cleaued to his vnlawfull doctrin if they were Bishops or Clerks should be cast out of their churches if they were Laymen they should bee accursed By this it is
next foure hundreth yeeres you name vs one that was not depriued of his Empire but denyed his reuenues in Italie by the rebellion of the souldiers and Citizens of Rome Rauenna Venice other places against him Phi. The Greeke and Latine writers doe consent that this was Gregories act Zonaras sayth Gregorie which then ruled the church of olde Rome refusing the fellowship of the Bishoppe of newe Rome of all that were of his opinion wrapped them together with the Emperour in a Synodical excōmunication and stayed the tribute which til that time was paied to the Empire and made a league with the Germanes Vrspergensis sayth Gregorie the Pope of Rome prohibited any tribute to bee giuen to the Emperour out of the Citie of Rome or out of Italie Frisingensis hath the like Gregorie the Pope warning the Emperour often tymes by letters and finding him incorrigible perswaded Italie to reuolt from his Empire And so Sigebert Gregorie reprooued Leo the Emperour for his error and turned both the people of Rome and the tribute of the West partes from him Moe I coulde bring you but these are enough Theo. You speake truer than you are ware of The rebellion of the Italiās against Leo the thirde was like enough to be Pope Gregories act For the Bishops of Rome were then Malcontentes to see the Bishops of Constantinople liue in such wealth ease and honor and themselues neglected by the Greeke Emperours and afflicted dayly by the Lumbardes And therefore I thinke they were forwarde enough to kindle the people against their Prince vppon the least occasion that might fall out And that may be the meaning of those Greeke and Germane writers which you bring that the Bishop of Rome occasioned or secretly incouraged the rebellion of Italie against Leo But that he tooke vpon him in those dayes to be the deposer of Princes as now he doeth or that he openly shewed or pleaded his vniuersall and supreme power to dispose kingdomes which is the thing that you shoulde proue that I denie and therein your owne stories as well the elder as the later sort of them that otherwise be very partial will iustifie my speech Diaconus aliue in those dayes saieth Leo the Emperour tooke the images of Sainctes at Constantinople and burnt them and commaunded the Bishop of Rome if euer he looked to haue his fauour to do the like But the Bishop refused to doe it and all the souldiers of Rauenna and Venice resisted this precept with one consent and but that the Bishop of Rome prohibited them so to doe they had attempted to make an other Emperour ouer them Regino that liued 200. yeres before Sigebert Frisingēsis Vrspergensis or Zonaras saith the same Blondus a diligent searcher and reporter of antiquities where partiall affection doth not blinde him saith The Emperour dealt by faire meanes at first with the Bishop of Rome if hee woulde haue his fauour to pull downe and burne the images in all places of Italy as he had done in the East Upon this precept of the Emperour first the citizens of Reuenna then the people and souldiers of Venice brake into an open rebellion against the Emperour and his deputie the exarch and laboured to the Bishop of Rome and to other cities of Italie to abrogate the Empire of Constantinople and to chose one of Italy or Rome for their Emperour and the rebellion went so farre that reiecting Magistrates which the exarch had appointed euerie citie and euery towne beganne then first since the inclination of the Romane Empire to create and elect Magistrates of their owne which they called Dukes But Stephen the Bishop of Rome repressed that attempt of the Italians to choose a new Emperour because he hoped Leo would vppon better aduise hereafter forbeare such enormities Yet the rebellion of the people of Rome and of other persons in Italie went forwarde and euerie day increased against the Emperour Nauclerus agreeth with Blondus saue that hee maketh Gregorie the seconde then Bishoppe of Rome when Blondus nameth Stephen Platina telleth his tale this way Leo the Emperour the thirde of that name when hee coulde not haue his will at the Bishop of Rome proposed an edict that all men vnder the Romane Empire shoulde take out of their Temples the images of all the holie Martyres and Angels for auoiding of idolatrie as hee sayde and who so did not hee woulde accompt him for an open enimie Gregorie the seconde not onely obeyed not but also warned all the Catholikes so your adherentes call themselues though they be nothing lesse than Catholikes that they shoulde not fall into that errour for any feare or precept of Prince By the which exhortation the people of Italie were so animated that they lacked verie little of chosing themselues an other Emperour but Gregorie interposed himselfe to staie them by his authoritie from doing it Sabellicus adding a thirde cause why the people of Rome and Italie were sore greeued with the Emperour and with-helde their tribute and not long after diuided the Empire which was the continuall impugning of them and preuailing against them by the Lombardes without any helpe from the Graecians Leo sayth he prayed the Bishop of Rome friendly that following his example he would raze the images of Saints out of al the temples in Italie Wherin the Bishop not only would not gratifie the Prince but wrote vnto al the churches that they should continue their most ancient custome That procured Leo passing hatred amongst other Nations but chiefly among the Italiās insomuch that the people of Rome began to consult of the choise of a new Emperour within Italie and the heartes of all Italie were ioyned with them in that attempt and that consent of theirs had broken foorth into an open defection had not the Bishop of Rome enterposed his authoritie and restrained the fiercenesse of his citizens by mollifieng them and admonishing them to persist in their former duetie to the Emperour when as that cōspiracie had alreadie so preuailed that Marinus the ruler of the citie his son the president of Campania being slain by the people the Exarch likewise murdered at Rauenna the cities commons had chosen for themselues new Magistrates Aeneas Syluius euen when hee was Pope Pius the seconde speaking oft his vprore made against Leo the thirde saieth To this rebellion the Bishoppe of Rome did not consent hoping that Leo would be better aduised If the report of other Writers be not sufficient the letters of Gregory the 2. Gregory the 3. wil witnesse no lesse the one writing in the 7. yeare of Leo the other in the 23. which was the last yeare of the raigne and life of Leo the 3. where they call him not onely Emperour but most religious Lord which could not bee if for his impietie they long before had forsaken his obedience as Zonaras the Monke imagineth Gregorie the 2. endeth his letters
I leaue to the iudgement of the christian Reader Your catalogue of the Germane Emperours that insueth As of Frederike the first Frederike the second Otho the fift Lewes the thirde Lewes the fourth and Henrie the thirde or as some call him the fourth maketh shew to the simple but doth you no good The eldest of these that were offered depriuation by the Pope is Henrie the fourth whom Gregorie the seuenth a thowsand threescore and six yeares after Christ prouoked with that iniurie but to his owne vtter ouerthrow You recken Lewes the thirde and Lewes the fourth for Princes depriued of their Empires by the Bishoppe of Rome but reason were you did first tell vs whom you meane and how you proue it Marianus Scotus and they that follow him make Lewes the third to be Lodouicus Balbus to whom Pope Iohn fled annointed him king of the Romanes when the Nobles of Rome inclined rather to Charles the thirde and gaue him possession of the citie who was after annointed by Pope Iohn at his returne Lodouike the thirde liuing skant two yeares after his coronation Martinus Polonus numbreth him for Lewes the third that was next after Arnulphus but whether it were Lodouike the sonne of Arnulphus or an other of that name the sonne of Boso he doth not determine onely he saith Berengarius caught him at Verona and recouered the Empire which Blondus and Marianus report of Lodouike the sonne of Boso and not of Lodouike the sonne of Arnulphus as Platina doth In this vncertaintie of your Stories you might haue done wel to haue distinguished the person pointed out your author you now driue vs to suspect that you go about to haue them deposed that were neuer crowned Of Lodouike the sonne of Arnulphus Martinus saith Hee succeeded his father sed ad coronam Imperij non peruenit but hee neuer was crowned Emperour And Platina confesseth the same In the place of Arnulphus we read that Lodouike was made Emperour quem tamen nusquam habuisse imperij Coronam accepimus of whom we do not finde that euer hee had the Crowne of the Empire If hee neuer receiued the Crowne how could hee bee deposed from the Crowne Phi. Perhappes the Pope kept him from it Theo. Perhappes you can not tell but thinke you that Princes will loose their Crownes for your perhappes Phi. He neuer had it Theo. But had he any wrong to bee kept from it Phi. Howe thinke you of that Theo. Your proofes bee verie mightie that must depende on my thoughtes Phi. Wee brought in these instances as it were by the way to let you see what stoare of examples wee had Theo. Then take them out of the way for they do but hinder your cause When Charles the thirde otherwise called Carolus Crassus grewe both sicke and lunatike the Nobles of Germanie cleane forsooke him and choose Arnulphus which as some say was the sonne of Charlemaine but as Blondus affirmeth was obscurissimo natus loco a man very basely borne and not of Charles line by reason whereof the kingdomes which before were subiect to Charles now as destitute of a right heire beganne to fall in sunder on euerie side to choose kinges of themselues Then Fraunce tooke Charles the childe cognamed Simple and when his simplicitie displeased them they set Otho the sonne of Robert Duke of Saxonie in his place At the same time the people of Italy meaning to haue a king of their own could not agree on the matter but chose some Berengarius and others Guido and so had two kinges in Italy both calling and bearing them-selues as Emperours Besides these defections Arnulphus had long and sharpe warres with Rodolph that proclaimed him-selfe king of Prouince and with the Nortmanes that ranged in many partes of Fraunce and Germanie So that the Pope did not depose Lewes the thirde as you would insinuate but Italie seeing the line of Charles to bee expired thought to make an Emperour of their owne bowels and to keepe off straungers that before had the rule ouer them and so they did for threescore yeares till barbarous inuasions and domesticall seditions and disorders made them glad to send to Otho the great and to receiue him for their Emperor and to yeelde to a forme of electing to the Empire by certaine Bishops and Princes of Germanie which hath indured vntil this present This your own Stories abundantly confirme saue that some write of Arnulphus that he marched with his armie through the middest of Italy and tooke Rome and caused him-selfe to bee crowned Emperour as Regino sayth who then liued by Formosus the Bishoppe of Rome which Blondus doth skant beleeue Howsoeuer that were they all agree that Berengarius and Guido were chosen kinges of Italie when Arnulphus was first aduaunced to Charles his place Blondus saieth Arnulpho apud Francos in Imperatorem creato Romani caeteri Itali nullum ab imperatore nouo dissidijs Regni Franciae implicito auxilium aduersus rebelles Longobardos affuturum intelligentes Berengarium Foronâ—liensem Ducem Roma oriundum crearunt Imperatorem Arnulphus being chosen Emperour by the Germanes the Romanes and Italians perceiuing they might looke for no helpe against the rebellious Lombards from that new Emperor hauing his hands ful of the dissentioÌ„s of his own kingdom created Berengarius the duke of Frioli a Romane their emperor Neither yet did they so wel agree in that electioÌ„ but that other chose Guido the Duke of Spoletum to be king of Italie Otho Frisingensis maketh the same report Charles the next yeare after hee was deposed died From that time to Otho wee finde the regiment at Rome verie confused For after the death of Charles which raigned sixe yeares and ledde a priuate life the seuenth yeare the Empire was rent in many partes euery Prouince desirous to haue a seuerall king onely Arnolfus had the greatest share Therefore the Italians make themselues two kinges Berengarius Duke of Friault and Guido Duke of Spoletum Of the which Berengarius chased out of his couÌ„try by Guido â—led for succour to Arnolfus You can not proue hence that Arnulphus or Lewes his sonne were depriued by the Pope but only that the Romanes made an other defection from the Empire who after they had once tasted the sweetnesse that came by cutting the empire in peeces for where before they were suppliaÌ„ts subiects now by the larges of Pipine they were Lords of halfe Italie by their willes could neuer haue rested And though the Germanes and Italians differ in their reckonings the Germanes accounting Berengarius and those that succeeded him vntil Otho the great for vsurpers and contrary-wise the Italians accepting them for their naturall and true Emperours Yet that is no cause for you to auouch that the Pope deposed any of them For put the case either way that the Germanes were lawfully excluded as hauing no right or wrongfully debarred of their
writer witnesseth who also bringeth three reportes of his death one that hee fell mad and slue himselfe an other that in hunting he was cast off his horse and torne of dogges the thirde that wandering into a straunge Countrie he became a skullin in a certaine monasterie and there in repentance ended his life Phi. If his ende were so straunge his life coulde not bee good Theo. I commend not his life if it be true that Cromerus writeth of him I rather acknowledge the iust iudgement of God in taking vengeance of his sinnes Phi. Why doe you not acknowledge the like in his deposition Theoph. Because the Pope is not God to whom the punishing of Princes sinnes doeth rightly belong Phi. Would you that Princes should kill Bishops at the verie Altar for doing their duties and yet goe free Theo. As if God were not both as sincere and seuere a iudge as the Pope Phi. Who doubteth of that Theo. Then shall they not goe free that sinne against his lawe bee they Princes or others Phi. I speake of the meane time before that day come wherein hee shall iudge Theo. And in the meane time which you speake of God mightily punisheth all sortes and states though not by the Pope Phi. He punisheth by diseases and straunge kinde of deathes as hee seeth cause but yet good Lawes must be made and maintained by men for the repressing of vice amongst men Theo. Uerie true but those lawes must bee made by Princes and not by Popes Bishops haue not to do with the sworde which God hath giuen vnto Princes for the punishment of euill doers Phi. And what if Princes them-selues be the doers of euill who shall punish them Theo. Euerie soule must bee subiected to them and they to God They beare the sworde ouer others not others ouer them Besides them or aboue them no man beareth the sworde by Gods appointment Phi. The keyes are aboue the sworde Theo. The keyes open and shutte the kingdome of God they touch not the bodies nor inheritances of priuate men much lesse of Princes Onely the sworde is corporally to compell and punish which is not the Priestes but the Princes charge as I haue often shewed Phi. To let Princes doe what they will without feare of punishment is the next way to ouerthrow common-wealthes Theo. What kingdom can you shewe wherein it hath beene otherwise Saul willed Doeg in his presence to â—lea fourescore and fiue of the Lordes Priestes and hee smote their citie with the edge of the sworde both men women children and sucklinges Did Abiathar the high Priestes sonne that fledde and escaped depriue Saul of his kingdome or did Dauid for whose cause they were slain when shortly after hee had Saul in his power to doe with him as hee woulde seeke the kings life or suffer his men to take it that were readie to doe it Dauid when he was king defloured Bethsabe and caused her husbande to be murdered Did therefore any Priest or Prophet in all his Realme offer to depose him or did Absolon well to conspire against him Achab ioyned with Iesabel in putting Naboth to death and killing the Lords Prophets Did Elias depriue him or incite his subiectes to forsake him Herod beheaded Iohn Baptist and likewise Iames and apprehended Peter with a purpose to sende him after but that hee was deliuered by an Angell did Peter therefore take vengeance on Herode which hee might haue done with a worde as well as on Ananias or did he leaue him to the iudgement of God which shortly after insued with an horrible plague The tyrantes of all ages and vices of all princes both before the comming of our Sauiour and since haue they beene punished by Priestes as you woulde haue it or else haue they beene reserued to Gods tribunals as we affirme Phi. Some haue beene punished by Priestes though not all Theoph. Shew but one prince for fiue thowsand yeares since the first foundation of the earth that was iudicially cited examined corrected by a priest til Hildebrand began this new president If any princes were during all that time repressed it was done by their own states realms that for their extreme tyranny priests alwaies refrained those attempts and neuer thought it any part of their vocatioÌ„ to medle with the changing and altering of kingdoms Phi. It is a better readier way to reforme princes to subiect them to the tribunall of one godly Bishop as we do than to leaue them in thraldome to popular tumults and mutinies as you do Theo. We leaue them in thraldom to none but only to God and to serue him is no thraldome but an honorable and princely liberty Yet if princes were to choose their iudges among men they were farre better referre themselues to the generall consent of their Nobles commons at home than hold their scepters at the pleasures of disdainful seditious Popes which seeke to dishonor their persons impouerish their Realmes Phi. You speake this of spite Theo. Your own examples wil proue it a truth How dealt Adrian the fourth and Alexander the third with Frederike the first a wise valiaunt and vertuous prince Did not Adrian receiue a great summe of mony to excommunicate the Emperor the stomack which the pope tooke against the prince grew it not vpon these causes for that the Emperor in his letters put his own name before the Popes and required homage fealty of the Bishops for their temporalities and would not suffer the Cardinals to pray vpon the churches of Germany Did not the Cardinals conspire bind themselues with an oth that they would neuer choose any to be Pope but one that should be an opposite to this Emperor And when AlexaÌ„der the third was shuffled in by that faction against Victor did he not twise refuse to haue the matter discussed by councel and stirred vp the kings of Scicily France and the states of Venice against the Emperour and caused all the cities countries of Italie to rebell against him and hauing taken his thirde sonne prisoner would hee restore him or make peace with the father til in presence of al the people at the dore of S. Marks church in Venice the prince had cast his body flat on the ground the pope setting his foote on the Emperors neck had auanced himself with that part of the Psalme which saith Thou shalt walke vpoÌ„ the aspe the basilisk and shalt tread the lion and dragon vnder thy feete The parts that were plaied by the Bishops of Rome with Frederike the second Lodouik of Bauaria king Iohn of this Lande and Lewes the 12. of that name king of France which are your own examples if I should largely pursue theÌ„ a whole volume would not suffice them I wil therfore rip vp so much only as shal let the reader see with what cunning these princes were wearied with what pride they
conspiracies sought to shake this Emperour out of his cloathes but God so assisted him that he razed and destroyed the cities that rebelled and turned the Duke that betrayed him out of his Dukedome and electorship and made the Pope glad to leaue his Palace and flie to Venice in a cookes attire and had not indulgence of nature wonne him to accept the peace which the Pope offered and his captiue sonne intreated hee was like enough to haue taught the Bishoppe of Rome a newe lesson but the time was then for Antichrist to be exalted and therefore it pleased the wisedome of God to suffer this worthy Prince to be weariâ—d and content to imbrace peace for the safety of his sonne that was prisoner at Venice Where if it be true that is written of Pope Alexander euen by your owne fellowes he shewed himselfe in his right colours For willing the Emperour before all the people to lie flat on the ground he set his foote on the princes necke and said it is written thou shalt walke vpon the aspe and Basiliske tread the Lion and Dragon vnder thy feete And the prince answereth I do it not to thee but to Peter whose successor thou art the pope replied it must be done to me as wel as to Peter The Pope is now where he would be not on meane mens shoulders but on Princes necks and that aduancement hath he gotten not by religion or vertue but by breaking othes bearing armes shedding blood and such like turkish and diuelish stirres Phi. Would you not he should defend himselfe Theo. If hee be Peters successour hee must feede not fight teach obedience not authorize rebellion praie for his enimies not persue them with force and furie Else he succeedeth Romulus in murdering not Peter in feeding Phi. What if wordes will not serue shall the chiefest Pastour of our soules see the keyes and the church contemned and oppressed and not draw the sword Theo. That is in effect if men will not beleeue your Preaching may you not take boytels and knock them on their heades Nay the case goeth not so well with you You wage warres with earthly states if they dislike your pride or auert your gaine you pretende Sainct Peter and the Church when you meane nothing but your temporall commodities and superfluities it suffiseth you not to bee free from Princes Lawes swords or to be their equalles you striue with them to be their superiours to displace theÌ„ if they displease you These be the quarels which your holy father and his adherentes haue professed persued for the space of fiue hundreth yeares with all their might and maine for these things haue you spilt more Christian blood than euer Turke or Tyrant did at this daie you take it in euill gree that you may not still continue that course With Frederik the first you fel out for that hee durst place his owne name before the Popes which all Emperours euer did and as you fought with Henrie the fourth to get clergie mens liuings of his hands so you tumbled with this Frederik to exempt their persons least they should either for commodity or duty leane to the Prince when he beganne but to looke to your fingers that you should not decay his Realme inrich your selues you conceiued such immortal hatred against him that you tooke an othe to reuenge him not onely by conspiration but euen by succession With Frederike the seconde you delt much after the same sort whom you did excommunicate twise thrise foure times for no cause without all order of law iustice as if princes had bin footbals for popes to play with not powers for christian Bishops to reuerence Phi. Was not Frederik the 2. excommunicated for verie good causes Theo. They were very good I promise you Vrspergensis an Abbate then liuing saith of them The pope of very pride the first yeare of his Popedom began to excoÌ„municate Frederik the Emperor for friuolous false pretences without al order of iudgement Phi. But Blondus Platina tel you an other tale Blondus saith The first yeare of his coronation making light account of his oth he atteÌ„pted many enormous things against the Pope who warned him to forebeare these wicked perfidious and rebellious interprises but he euery day more more despised his admonitioÌ„ which made the Pope to terrifie him with an excoÌ„munication if he did not relent make restitutioÌ„ And when the Emperor set light by the first curse the second time the Pope added a depriuation from his Empire crowne third time when the Emperor stood still out the Pope very much offended therat absolued al his subiects from their othes wherby they were bouÌ„d to yeeld him alleageance And so saith Platina Honorius the third did excoÌ„municate depriue Frederik the second for molesting the Popes dominion against right law Theo. Your Italians perceiuing their Popes to haue bin very waspish eger against the Emperors that liked them not knowing what a shame it would be in the eies of al posterity for them to haue proceeded in such rage wtout vrgeÌ„t euident matter in general words do charge those Emperors with many grieuous crimes But we trust neither the Popes discretion nor the reporters construction vnlesse we see the particular facts that were committed They may think those things to be hainous which indeede are friuolous and if the quarell were for lands and territories lying in question betweene the Empire and the See of Rome the Pope did wickedly in his owne cause to abuse the keies for earthly mammon Phi. Who made you the Popes iudge Theo. I iudge him not there is one that shall iudge both him and his actes yet I may ask you the causes for which Frederike was accursed depriued Phi. You haue heard them out of Blondus and Platina Theo. Platina sayth Contra ius fasque ditioneÌ„ Pontificiam vexabat he molested the Popes inheritaunces against all right that Blondus calleth wickednesse rebellion and periurie These bee high wordes but I see no deedes And if we credite them which wrote that verie present when these thinges were doone the Pope did the Emperour open wrong in receiuing and succouring his rebels against him Vrspergensis sayth the first yeare after Frederike was crowned Emperour hee began to warre vppon two Earles of Thuscan Matthew and Thomas which had surprised certaine fortes and peeces of his territorie within Apulia and cleane put them from all they had who flying to Rome sought helpe at the Popes hand whereof the Emperour often complained that the See Apostolike fostered his publike aduersaries and enimies This was the falling out betweene the Prince and the Pope which your Italian Stories do mention Platina sayth it was the Popes right Vrspergensis two hundreth yeares before him and a writer in the midst of these actions saith it was the Princes right and that
against the Emperor as if he had bin a Turke or a Saracene Philand Did not Frederike rather play the Turke with such as fought against him when he cut their heades in fower parts and laide them crossewise on their shoulders and with hoat Irons burnt a crosse in their foreheads whose liues he spared and caused the Clergie mens crownes to bee cut square to the very sculles What Turke or Saracene euer shewed like crueltie The. Al executions not in warre onely but in peace also seeme cruell if you looke to the punishments and not to the offences Phi. What was their offence Theo. They rebelled against him for the Popes pleasure whom by Gods Lawe they shoulde haue honoured and obeyed as their Soueraigne Lord and lawfull Prince and not therwith content they take vp the crosse against him in their badges and banners as if it had beene against a Turke or an Infidel If subiects so farre forget their dueties as to vse their Princes like Infidels because the Pope disfauoureth theÌ„ why should not princes forget their clemencie reward rebels and enemies according to their deserts It was therefore more enormous for the Pope to proclaime the crosse against a Christian Prince though his aduersarie for some priuate respectes as hee doeth against the Turke than for the Prince to inflict some such punishment as should make them repent their follies Phi. Frederike impugning the Pope with all his might why shoulde not the Pope such him-selfe the best way hee coulde Theo. And the Pope bringing rebels into the fielde against the Prince as it had beene against an Infidel why shoulde not the Prince teach them to beware howe they vsed the crosse against Christian Magistrates which was deuised against Turkes and Saracenes Phi. The Prince himselfe was in all the fault Theo. Because he woulde not suffer the Pope to ride on his necke as hee had done on his graundfathers and the rebellious Cities of Lombardie to shut him cleane out of Italie For what other cause had Gregorie the ninth againe to excommunicate and depose Frederike after hee had shewed himselfe so desirous of peace that hee paide a huge heape of golde to content the Popes ambitious spirite What one iniurie done to the Church of Rome can your Italian Sories iustly charge him with after his first absolution If you thinke your holy father may turne and wynd Princes like dishcloutes and curse them and depose them for what causes he lyst then Frederike was in some fault for that hee would not graunt peace to the Cities of Italie which rebelled against him at the Popes motion but if that bee madde diuinitie as in deede it is the Pope himselfe was not wel aduised first to set the subiects vp in rebellion against their Prince and next to depriue the Prince for offering to represse them that resisted him Shewe vs therfore what offence it was against the Popes holynes for the prince to compel his subiects to obedience by force of armes or else wee must conclude your holy father did the prince open wicked wrong to thunder his censures against him for seeking his own by those meanes which God hath allowed vnto magistrats Phi. The Emperour hired some to rebel in Rome against the Pope Theo. Your Italian writers would faine find holes in Frederiks coate if they could tel howe but their tales hang not together Platina runneth one way Blondus an other and Antoninus a thirde Platina sayth that Peter Fregepanes taking part with the Emperour kept the Pope out of Rome and made him decline to Viterbium as hee was going with an armie against the Emperour whome hee vnderstoode to bee within Italie and to oppugne the confederate Cities So that by Platinaes confession the Pope was in armes against the Emperour afore the fautors of Frederike offered him any violence Blondus a deadly persuer of Frederike with his pen reporteth this resistance made by Peter Fregepanes before the Emperor entered Italie addeth as his maner is of meere spite that the Prince had hired him with mony so to doe Antoninus as Nauclerus alleageth him writeth that Frederike hearing the cities of Lombardie Millan Bononia and many others of Romandiola to bee fallen from him and turned to the deuotion of the Church went against them with a great armie And the Citizens of Millan with al their strength and the Popes Legates and the whole confederacie of Lombardie which did cleaue to the Church fought a fielde with the Emperour in a place called New court and the Millanoes with their adherents after a sore conflict were ouerthrowen many of theÌ„ being slaine many taken prisoners with their Carroch where the Ruler of Millan being the sonne of the Duke of Venice and sundrie other Noble men of Lombardie were taken and sent into Apulia the Prince causing the Dukes sonne to bee hanged on a tower by the Seas side the rest to be executed some one way some an other This Florentine conâ—esseth the Popes Legates were in the battayle that was fought with Frederike at his first entrance into Italie and that the very original of the warre was the defection of the Lombardes from the Empire to ioyne with the Pope or as he speaketh with the Church which in deede was the only strife betweene the Pope and the Prince whatsoeuer Blondus others in hatred of Frederike do surmise Uiew now this quarrell tel vs whether Frederike did more than a Christian Prince might doe or whether the Pope rather did not wickedly nourish the conspiracie that the Lombardes made with Adrian the fourth against Frederike the first to driue the Emperour cleane out of Italie which was the point that the Pope pushed at all this while Phi. The Pope required nothing at his hands but the preseruation of that league which his graund-father made at Constans and his father during his life had kept inuiolable Theo. That peace included none but Frederike the first and Henrie his sonne it extended not to their heires and aftercommers as appeareth by the othe of fidelitie which the confederate cities tooke to Frederike then Emperour and king Henrie his sonne no farther and therfore that peace being expired by the death of his father the Prince was at libertie to doe as he sawe cause Phi. But the Pope sought the continuance of that peace Theo. And the Prince perceiuing the Popes fetch in time to exclude the Emperour cleane out of Italie by the renuing of that peace would not assent to it but came with a mind resolued to bring the Lombardes to their former subiectioÌ„ What wrong was this in Frederike Phi. It was hard dealing Theo. None at all And considering the Popes drift to be free from the Emperors force that he might with more safetie quarrel with him when he lysted and depriue him at his pleasure without daunger it was necessarie for the Prince to settle his state keepe his right in Italie it should otherwise
persons for that is truely and properly catholike By this rule your erecting adoring of images in the church is not catholike For first it is prohibited by gods law where the text goeth against you the gloze caÌ„not helâ— you If there be no precept for it in the word of god in vaine do you seek in the church for the catholike sense and interpretation of that which is no where found in the Scriptures If it bee not Propheticall nor Apostolical it cannot be catholike nor ecclesiasticall Againe how hath this beene alwaies in the church which was first decreed 780. yeares after Christ It is too yong to bee catholike that began so late you must go neerer Christ his Apostles if you wil haue it catholike or ancient Thirdly al places persons did not admit the decrees of that couÌ„cell For besides Africa Asia the greater which neuer receiued them the churches of England France Germanie did contradict refute both their actions reasons And in Greece it selfe not long before a Synod of 330. Bishops at Constantinople condemned aswel the suffering as reuerencing of images Phi. The most part of this that you say is false the rest we litle regard so loÌ„g as we be sure the church of Rome stood fast with vs. Theo. Al that I said is true as for the church of Rome she can make nothing catholike That the church of England detested that 2. councell of Nice Roger Houeden that liued 400. yeares agoe witnesseth Charles the king of France sent ouer into England the Actes of a Synod sent him from Constantinople Where out alas are found many vnseemely things contrary to the true faith specially for that it is there confirmed with the general assent of all the East teachers to wit of 300. Bishops moe that images ought to be adored the which the church of God vtterly detesteth Against the which Albinus wrote an epistle maruelously grouÌ„ded on the autority of the diuine scriptures caried it with the said Synodical acts in the name of our english Bishops princes to the K. of France Charles two yeares after called a great Synod of the Bishops of Fraunce Italie and Germanie at Franckford where the 2. councell of Nice was reiected and refuted Phi. Nay the councell of Constantinople against images was there reuersed and explosed Theo. Your friendes haue done what they could to make that seeme likely and many of your stories run that way for life but the worst is the men that liued and wrate in that verie age doe marre your plaie Regino saith Pseudo synodus Graecorum quam pro adorandis imaginibus fecerant à Pontificibus reiecta est The false Synode of the Graecians which they made for defence of the worshipping of images was reiected by the Bishops assembled at Franckford vnder Charles Hincmarus Archbishop of Remes then lyuing when these thinges were in freshe memorie saieth thus of Charles his Councell The seuenth general councell so called by the Graecians in deed a wicked councell touching images which some would haue to be broken in peeces some to be worshipped was kept not long before my time by a number of Bishops gathered togither at Nice and sent to Rome which also the Bishop of Rome directed into France Wherfore in the raigne of Charls the great the Sea Apostolike willing it so to bee a generall Synode was kept in Germany by the conuocation of the said Emperour and there by the rule of the Scriptures doctrine of the fathers the false councel of the Graecians was confuted vtterly reiected Of whose confutation tâ—ere was a good big booke sent to Rome by certaine Bishops from Charles which in my yong yeares I read in the Palace Vrspergensis hath bin vnder the file of some monkish deprauer as many other writers fathers haue bin For in him you haue razed out the name of the citie of Nice put in CoÌ„stantinople to make men beleeue the Synod of FraÌ„ckford condemned not the 2. Nicene councel that setled adoration of images but an other of Constantinople that banished images Vrspergensis saieth The Synod which not long before was assembled vnder Irene Constantine her sonne in Constantinople called by them the seuenth generall councell was there in the councell of Franckford reiected by them all as void and not to be named the 7. or any thing else Here some foolish forgerer hath added these words in Constantinople whereas it is euident the councel vnder Irene and Constantine her sonne was kept at Nice not at Constantinople Hincmarus that liued in the time of Charles and read the booke it selfe of the Synode of FraÌ„ckford when it was first made saith the Bishops assembled in Germany by Charles vtterly reiected refuted the councel of Nice called the seuenth generall councell The very same words at Constantinople are in the actes of the councell of FraÌ„kford as LaureÌ„tius Surius saith though very falsly for though that I find in the booke it selfe contrary to the plaine words in many places and namely in the 4. booke 13. chapter where they are refelled from comparing themselues with the 1. Nicene councell because they were assembled in the same city so li. 4. ca. 24. But if the words had bin conueied in as they are not except Surius copie be framed by Surius himself to verifie his own saying what proofe is this that the Synod of Franckford neuer deâ—reed against adoration of Images but rather with it as that mouthie Frier obserueth where the reasons and authorities of the 2. Nicene councell for adoring images are truely and fully refuted throughout those foure bookes And his conclusion that wee haue forged those bookes conueied them into the Popes library where they ly written in auncient characters as the keeper of the Popes library confesseth is like the rest and not vnlike himselfe who careth not what he writeth so it serue his humour and helpe his cause For otherwise who that were master of himselfe would suppose it easier for vs to forge foure whole bookes in Charles name and to write them in auncient handes and thrust them into the Popes librarie and into many other churches and Abbaies and no man spie it than for you hauing the bookes so many hundreth yeares in your keeping to put in this one word Constantinople And if our lucke were so good to forge so neere the Popes nose and not be descried who forged Hinâ—marus Regino Houeden Vrspergensis Adon Auentine and others that testifie the Councell of Frankford refuted the false Synode which the Graecians kept Pro odorandis imaginibus For the adoring of images If you were so negligent as to suffer so many to be forged against you and laide in your libraries you not find it how iust cause haue wee to perswade our selues that you would winke with both eies when others should be corrupted to make for your
it seeketh not to bee kept secrete A rotten contagion creepeth at this day through the whole body of the Church the wyder the desperater the more inward the more deadly All friends al enemies al familiar none peacemakers they be the ministers of Christ serue Antichrist TheÌ„ce is it as thou maist dayly see that they be trimmed like whoores attired like plaiers serued like Princes Thence is it that they wear gold in their bridles sadles spurs yea their spurs shine brighter than the Altars thence are their bankets drunkennes thence their musike instrumeÌ„ts thence their wine presses running ouer stoarehouses stuffed with all varietie thence their barrels of oyntments to paint theÌ„selues thence their bags bugets full For these things are they seek they to be rulers of churches Deanes Archdeacons Bishops Archbishops The wound of the Church is inward incurable Rest froÌ„ infidels rest froÌ„ heretikes but not from children They haue despised defiled her with their filthie life with their filthie gain with their filthie trade Ye be called Pastors when in deed ye be spoylers and woulde God the milke fleese did suffice ye ye thirst for blood The Archpriest visiteth his charge to fil his purse he betraieth innocent blood he selleth murders adultries incests fornications â—acrileges periuries filleth his pouch to the brim And as for the ornament of chastitie how keep they that which being deliuered into a reprobate sense do that which is not fit It is a shame to name those things which the bishops do in secrete But why should I be ashamed to speak that which they are not ashamed to do Yea the Apostle is not ashamed to write meÌ„ vpon meÌ„ work filthines receiuing the reward of their error With the patrimony of the crosse of Christ you feede whores in your chambers you fat your flesh you furnish your horses with pectorals headstals of golde For this you claw Princes and Powers of darkenes both men and diuels Hee that list to reade more of your scandals may in that place whence this is taken haue enough Albertus Magnus of his time giueth this testimonie Those which now rule in the Church be for the most part theeues murderers rather oppressors than feeders rather spoilers than tutors rather killers than keepers rather peruerters than teachers rather seducers than leaders These be the messengers of Antichrist and vnderminers of the flocke of Christ. The tripartite worke that standeth next to the Councel of Lateran vnder Innocentius the 3. long since complained of your Clergie in this sort So great is the notorious vncleannes of lecherie in many partes of the worlde not in clerks only but in Priests also that which is horrible to heare in the prelates theÌ„selues Again they spend the goods of the Church so badly in vanities superfluities setting vp aduancing their kinsmen and in many other riots sinnes yea there is such a number those no smale ones that do no good in the church but spend their daies in pleasures by reasoÌ„ of the wealth of the church that it is much to be feared least God for these other haynous offences of the clergie passing great very many now inueterate do ouerthrowe or cause the ecclesiastical state to bee ouerthrowen as it came to passe in the Iewes first exalted by God and after destroyed for euer Holcot 20. yeres since The Priests of our age sayth he be like the Priestes of Baal they are wicked Angels they resemble the Priestes of Dagon they are Priestes of Priapus and Angels of hell And lest you should dreame that nearer our time your Clergie began to bee better reformed Platina saith What shall we thinke will become of our age wherein our vices are growen to that heighth that they skant haue left vs place with God for mercie How great the couetousnes of priests is especially of the rulers amoÌ„g theÌ„ how great their lecherie of al sorts how great their ambition pompe how great their pride slouth howe grosse their ignorance both of theÌ„selues of christian doctrine how smal their deuotioÌ„ that rather fained than true how corrupt their maners I neede not speak Frier Mantuan not long after him in that point agreeth with him Petrique domus polluta fluenti Marcescit luxu nulla hic arcana reuelo Non ignota loquor liceat vulgata referre Sic vrbes populique ferunt ea fama per omnem Iam vetus Europam mores extirpat honestâ—s Sanctus ager scurris venerabilis ara Cynedis Seruit honorandae diuum Ganimedibus edes Quid miramur opes recidiuaque surgere tecta Venalia nobis Templa sacerdotes altaria sacra coronae Ignes thura preces celum est venale deusque The house of Peter defiled with excessiue riote is quite decayed I reueale here no secrets neither speak I things vnknown I may vtter that which is in euery mans mouth Cities Countries talke of it the very bruite thereof scatered loÌ„g since ouer al Europe hath queÌ„ched al care of vertue The church lands are giuen to coÌ„mon Iesters the sacred altar allotted to wantons the temples of saints to boyes prouided for filthie lust Why wonder wee to see wealth flow and houses that were fallen to be stately built We sell temples Priests Altars sacrifices garlands fier frankensense prayers wee sell heauen and God himselfe Of your Priests he sayth Inuisi superis faedaque libidine olentes Heu frustra incestis iterant sacra orgia dextris Irritant irasque mouent non numina flectunt Nil adiutoribus istis Auxilij sperate nouis date templa ministris Sacrilegum genus ex adytis templisque Deorum Pellite nec longos scelera haec vertantur in vsus Hateful to heauen lothsome with vncleane lust alas in vaine attempt they sacred rites with incestuous hands They rather kindle and prouoke God than appease him neuer hope for help as long as such pray for you giue the Churches to new ministers and chase this sacriligious generation from the diuine places neither let their haynous sinnes grow to a custome By him wee may learne what fruits to looke for of your Romish Seminarie Heu Romae nunc sola pecunia regnat Exilium virtus patitur Vrbs est iam tota lupanar Roma quid insanis toties quid sanguine gaudes Quid geris imbelli spicula tanta manu Si foris arma tacent tu bella domestica tentas Nec feritas requiem ferre superba potest Tu fratres in bella vocas in pignora patres Et scelus omne audes paris omne nefas Fas iura negas homines numina fallis Nec Iouis imperium nec Phlegethonta times Alas at Rome now nothing but money doth raign vertue is quite banished the whole Citie is a stewes Rome why art thou so often mad why delightest thou in blood Why with weake hands dost
thou assay so mightie weapons If peace be abroad thou makest war at home neither can thy fierce pride away with rest Thou settest brother against brother father against sonne thou venterest on al mischief hatchest al vilany thou regardest neither right nor law thou beguilest both God man thou feaâ—est neither heauen nor hell Auentinus a man likewise of your side and not long since aliue complaineth not without cause Since the Bishop of Rome hath so great power why doth he not vse it since the haruest is so great why doth hee not reape why doth he not feed when he seeth so many sheepe die for hunger Why doth he set ouer the flocke goates wolues libidinous adulterous persons abusers of virgins and Nunnes cookes Mulettors theeues banckers vsurers drones hunters after gayne luxurious perfidious forsworne ignorant asses I speake not by hearesay I write that I see with these eyes Why doth he coÌ„mit sheepe to wolues why doth he suffer his flocke to be in subiection to most pernitious hypocrites prouiding only for their owne bellies nay why doth hee let boyes wantons rule his lambes I am ashamed to say what manner of Bishops we haue With the reuenues of the poore they feede houndes horses I need not say whores they quaffe they make loue flee all learning as infection Such is the miserie of these times we may not speak that we thinke nor thinke that we speake As for the sheepe committed to their charge to sheere them strip them and kill them as euery man list vnder a pretence of deuotion is now an auncient custome If one witnes be not sufficient you shal haue more those of your not our religion to confesse the same Palingenius an Italian suppliant to the Church of Rome describeth at large the monsterous corruption of your Romane Clergie Sed tua praecipue non intret limina quisquam Frater vel Monachus vel quauis lege sacerdos Hos fuge pestis enim nulla hac immanior Hi sunt Faex hominum fons stultitiae sentina malorum Agnorum sub pelle lupi mercede colentes Non pâ—etate Deum falsa sub imagine recti Decipiunt stolidos ac relligionis in vmbra Mille actus vetitos mille piacula condunt Raptores moechi puerorum corruptores Luxuriae atque gulae famuli celestia vendunt Hos impostores igitur vulpesque dolosas Pelle procul Mystae vafrique cuculli Quos castos decet esse palam cum pellicibus vel Furtim cum pueris matronis virginibusque Nocte dieque subant sunt qui consanguiniarum Inguinibus gaudent ineunt pecudes quoque multi Prô pudor hos tolerare potest ecclesia porcos Duntaxat ventri veneri somnoque vacantes Let no Frier Monke or any Priest come within thy dores Take heede of them no greater mischiefe These are the dregges of men the fountaines of follie the sinckes of sinne wolues vnder lambes skinnes sâ—ruing God for reward not deuotion deceiuing the simple with a false shewe of honestie and vnder the shadow of religion hyding a thousand vnlawfull actes a thousand haynous offences committers of rapes fornicators abusers of boyes slaues of gluttonie and luxurie they sel heauenly things These imposters craftie foxes chase farre from thee The Priests and Monkes that shoulde bee chast spend night and day either openly with whoores or closely with boyes matrones and maydes Some spare neither blood nor beast O shame Can the Church endure such hogs giuen only to feed their bellies satisfie their lusts and take their ease Cornelius one of the bishops that were present at your late councel of Trent in the midst of your assemblie doth acknowlege that to be true which Auentinus and Palingenius before complayned of With what monsters of filthines saith he with what canel of vncleannes with what pestiferous contagion are not both people and priests defiled and corrupted in the holy church of God I make your selues Iudges and beginne at the sanctuarie of God if there were any shamefastnes any chastitie any hope or helpe of honest conuersation left if there were not lust vnbridled and vntamed singular boldnes and incredible wickednes For those two bloodsuckers which alwayes crie bring bring one the mother the other the nource of all euill I meane couetousnes ambition either a secrete and subtile mischiefe poyson plague and monster of the worlde whiles learning and vertue are despised and in their places ignorance vice highly aduanced by those whom we should take for quicke and liuing lawes haue brought to passe that edification is changed to destruction examples to offences custome to corruption regard of lawes to contempt thereof seueritie to slacknes mercie to impunitie pietie to hypocrisie preaching to contention solemne dayes to filthie Marâ—es and that which is most vnhappie the sauour of life to the sauour of death Would god they were not fallen with one consent from religion to superstition from faith to infidelitie from Christ to Antichrist yea from God to Epicurisme saying with their wicked hearts and shamelesse faces there is no God The Turkes proude with the victories and rich with the spoyles that they haue gotten froÌ„ ChristiaÌ„s grew not by their own strength but by our corrupt maners they were not so much enemies as scourges from God their weapons assaulted vs but our sinnes preuailed against vs they shewed their fiercenes we suffred for our iniquities And would God we alone had suffered that the sacred admirable name of Christ Iesu had not bin a iest fable amoÌ„g the faithlesse Iewes and Gentiles by reason of vs whose slouthfulnes wickednes is bruted ouer all the world with a most shamefull report Phi. You neede not reproch vs so bitterly your selues bee not free from all faults Theo. I neuer said we were I know these be the later times when iniquitie shall abound and the charitie of many waxe cold yea when men shall be louers of themselues couetous boasters proud cursed speakers vngratefull vnholy vnkinde vnfaithfull slaunderers intemperate fierce headie high minded preferring their pleasures before God as the holy Ghost foretold vs they should Of this soyle many no doubt on either side yours and ours haue a tast at this day but in vnshamefastnes you passe all others that the wide world crying shame on the manifold corruption of your clergie that Citie you only step forth wtout any blushing to denie that which your nearest friends haue confessed with insoleÌ„t words to promise this land high experimeÌ„ts innumerable examples of vertue deuotion as if that sinke of sin were lately become a fouÌ„taine of grace or the famous whore of BabiloÌ„ newly changed into chast IerusaleÌ„ But you must bee borne with your purpose was to lift extoll Gregorie the 13. aboue the skies thereby to kindle his loue and deuotion towards your Colleges as very zealous for his highnes holines which you could not wel do
not be possible for him and the Princes that succeeded him to represse the Popes insolencie which beganne to increase apace This was the true cause why Gregorie the 9. set himselfe against Frederike the second after his first absolution which cost so many thousands what soeuer the Italian writers do imagine in hatred of Frederike whom they misliked as well for persuing the Pope as for spoyling and wasting their natiue Countrie Phi. Did hee not well deserue their hatred that ranged ouer all Italie with incredible cruelty sacked their cities filled euery towne village familie with mortal discord and dissention banished and murdered Bishoppes imprisoned the Cardinals Prelats as they were comming to the Councel so pursued inclosed the Pope that he died for very griefe of heart as Platina writeth Theo. Will you kindle a fire and then looke it should not burne What other fruits of warre coulde you expect but these or worse You made leagues to bereaue him of his right you caused his subiects to meete him in the field you accursed his person and depriued him of his Empire you came out in armes against him as you would against a Turk or an Infidel you did what you could to requite him his with like rage and violence when you could not be euen with him you thought it best to complaine of his crueltie But you loose your labour For warres are iudged by their causes and not by their consequents If Frederikes cause were good as the persuite of his right demand of obedience within the Territories of his Empire could not be euil thē your rebellions confederatiōs excōmunications depriuations such like actions to resist him defraud him or oppresse him were al wrongful wicked and his reuenge of your conspiracies treacheries though sharp and seuere was lawful as the cause stood needful Phi. No Prince euer delt so badlie with the Church of Rome as Frederike did Theo. No Prince was euer prouoked with halfe the iniuries with the which he was He was foure seueral times solemnly deposed by the bishops of Rome once by Honorius twise by Gregorie lastly by Innocentius the 4. his good friend whiles he was a Cardinal but his capital enimie when hee came to bee Pope Phi. It skilleth not how often it was done so long as it was done for causes vrgent important Theo. If the Pope had any such power as he hath not the causes must be iust and true which these were not Phi. Yes that they were And though the rest did not so plainely expresse thē which maketh you to carp at them yet Innocentius the 4. layeth his downe in writing which are extant to this day Theo. You say trueth The censure of Innocentius against Frederike the second is extant in your Decretals and foure causes of his deposition there remembred Phi. And those no lesse than periurie sacrilege heresie iniurie and oppression of the Church of Rome The. If it be enough for you to obiect what you list you may soone condemne whom you please We heare your holy father in his magnificence charge the Emperour with these foure things but I winne it woulde trouble him or you to prooue them Hee committed periurie the Pope sayth in his iudiciall sentence by rashly breaking the peace that was made betweene the Church and the Empire If the trueth were well tried this periurie lighteth on the Pope and not on the Prince For Howe coulde the Popes Legates be in the field against the Prince to assist his rebels and not breake the peace that was made betweene the Church and the Empire Is the Popes power so infinite that he can make right in the Prince to be periurie and warre in him-selfe to bee peace The taking and deteyning of Cardinals and Prelates was the sacrilege which in this place is obiected to the Prince but when you proue that Prelats and Cardinals be no subiectes and that they may lawfully take armes against Princes and yet no Prince must lay handes on them then you may chaunce to haue an action of wrongful detynue against the Emperour but not of sacrilege It is a point of your popish pride to make it sacrilege for a lawfull magistrate to restraine your parish Priestes of Rome from their seditious intens practises What are your Cardinals by Gods Law more than other Clergie men or why may not the Prince both represse them and punish them if they disturbe his state Phi. They were not his subiects Theo. Then were they his enemies since they came armed and presumed with their shippes to encounter his why should he not sease them as his prisoners Phi. They came to keepe a Councel being thereto called by the Popes authoritie Theo. To call Councels was the Emperours right and not the Popes and this conuenticle was called to oppresse the Emperour Why therefore might hee not preuent it and disperse it especially when straungers offered to passe his dominion by plain force without his leaue Heresie was the third crime for which the Pope suspected him Wherin if a mortall enemie may be both accursed and iudge and proceede vpon no better ground than suspition you may quickly condemne any man of heresie Princes haue warme offices if they shal lose their Crownes as soone as the Pope lysteth to suspect them of heresie The fourth cause is more foolish than any of the former The prince forsoothe forced his subiects in Sicilie to aguise him and obey him as their lawful prince notwithstanding the Bishoppe of Rome had deposed him and the persons that would not hee banished and diuersly punished This in deede was not for your profite but this was nothing against his dutie Ph. He forced them to impugne the Church of Rome whose vassalles they were Theo. The Church of Rome had a yeerely pension out of Sicilie which is here specified more the Pope could not claim and that pensiō was first yeelded by those that vsurped the kingdome of Sicilie against the Empire For Roger of Normanie whē Lotharius the Emperor had chased him out of Apulia Campania taken those countries from him intended the like for Calabria Sicilie but that he was called away by suddain occasions died before he could returne grew to a secret compact with the bishop of Rome to hold the kingdome of Sicilie which the Emperour claymed as from the Church of Rome by a yeerely recognisance After the death of Lotharius Conradus the next Emperour was so troubled first with rebellion at home then with an expedition into Syria that he had no leasure to thinke of Sicilie Against Frederike the first who succeeded Conrade in the Empire did William of Sicilie nephew to this Roger for his sonne raigned not long conspire with the cities of Lombardie and the Bishoppe of Rome to keepe the Germane Emperour aloofe from Italie and so long they striued hauing
the Popes ayde with excoÌ„munications and rebellions that Frederike beganne to hearken to a peace and William of Sicilie hauing no children maried his sister to the Emperours sonne called afterward Henrie the sixt and father to this Frederike that wee speake of as willing the kingdome shoulde returne to the Emperours line who otherwise layd a chalenge to it When William of Sicilie was dead Henrie the sixt by maine force of armes subdued Sicilie and was receiued into Falernum the chiefe towne of Sicilie as a conquerour So that Frederike the second had a double right to the kingdome of Sicilie either as heire to his vncle in which case the Popes pension was not extinguished or els as Emperour by reason his Father did recouer it by conquest reunite it to the Empire Either of these tytles is sufficient to defend his doings in Sicilie As Emperour hee might claime it afore the Pope from the Pope for so did Conrade the third and Otho the fourth As king of Sicilie hee was to pay but a pension not to be the Popes Uasal and if the Pope should offer him any wrong he might lawfully repell force by force and punish the people of the land that would not obey him as their king assist him to hold his owne The Popes allegation therefore against Frederike for compelling the subiects of Sicilie to continue their obedience notwithstanding the Popes interdict is very friuolous Frederike herein did no more than any Prince might and would doe in the like state And graunt he had somewhat abused the kingdome of Sicilie which he did not is that a cause to remoue him from the Empire Phi. The other three be the principall causes Theo. Two of them namely heresie and periurie be starke false the thirde was arrogance in the Pope to make it sacrilege to touch a Cardinall not wickednes in the Prince to take them as enemies that labored to defeat him of his Crowne Phi. You woulde take the Princes part wee see were his cause neuer so euill Theo. You doe take the Popes part wee see though the sentence hee gaue bee neither agreeable to Gods Law nor mans Lawe nor his owne Canons Phi. Howe proue you that Theo. Nay it is hie tyme for you to come forth with your proofes or els wise men wil discerne in Innocentius the image of Antichrist proudly iudging in his Consistorie without regarde of God or man A professed aduersarie to sit iudge alone in his owne quarrel and for causes apparently false or friuolous to proceede to the depriuation of a Prince yea the greatest Prince in Christendome and in right his Soueraigne Lord and master neither admitting his proxie nor hearing what exceptions he could take to his accusers but appointing him to come in Person out of his owne Realme into an other princes Dominion and to pronounce him guiltie of all that was obiected being neither present nor heard for that he refused to put his life into his enemies handes If this bee iustice the wild Irish and Sauage Indians that know not what belongeth to cyuil societie or humane reason may be iudges as well as the Pope Phi. If the crimes were notorious and the Prince refused iudgement why should not the Pope proceede against him in his wilful absence Theo. The prince sent to shew the reason of his absence his atturnees to deale for him as farre as should be needful but that the Pope would not expect their coÌ„ming no not the space of three daies at the petition of most of the Nobles Prelates that were in his councel The crunes pretended to be notorious were conceiued in great words as periurie sacrilege heresie tyrannie but the facts coÌ„mitted by Frederike as breaking peace with the Pope that tooke part in the field with his rebels against him deteyning the Cardinals that went to work his deposition and fought with his fleete constraining his subiects in Sicilie to acknowledge him for their king were temporal priuate quarrels directly concerning the Popes atteÌ„pts against the Prince and the Princes right to defend himself which your holy father of his accustomed presumptioÌ„ called periury sacrilege tyrannie being the aduerse part gaue iudgement in his own cause as liked best his own displeased greeued stomack Now how this could stand with the prescription of diuine or moderation of humane lawes we would gladly learn Phi. Your refuge wil be to impugne the Popes power which was theÌ„ confessed though the hastynes of his censure were somwhat misliked The. By whom was it confessed Phi. By al men euen by Frederike himselfe Theo. You must make truer reports before you giue true iudgements Frederike in his epistle to the king of Fraunce shewing this sentence by all lawes to be voide alleageth that though the Bishop of Rome had full power in spiritual things so as he might bind or loose sinners whatsoeuer yet it is no where read that the Pope by the warrant of gods or mans law may remoue the Empire when he list or iudge temporally of kings princes to depriue them of their crownes The cities people of Italie by that opeÌ„ eger faction of Guelfs Gibelines which dured euen to our age shewed how many there were that tooke with the Prince against the Pope notwithstanding the Popes excommunications depriuations which you would so faine vphold at this day This faction of Guelfs ayding the Pope against the prince and Gibelines standing with the prince against the Pope grew so general sayth Nauclerus that no citie no towne no people remained free from that infectionâ— Citie hath waged warre with Citie prouince with prouince One halfe of the people with the other from that time to this our age for no cause else but for this faction some helping their prince against the Pope some the Pope against their prince For 200. yeres vpward saith Blondus euen to these our times they pursued eche other with such rage vnder these vnluckie names that the Italians wrought greater mischief among theÌ„selues than before they suffered at the hands of barbarous nations Towne against towne Countrie against Countrie the people of eche place diuided among them-selues fought together for no cause but for this dissention and their victories had no ende nor meane but bloodshed and vtter subuersion neither onely neighbours and cohabitants but those that dwelt fiue hundreth miles asunder euen the poorer sort and beggars as wel as rich and mightie men when they met eche other coÌ„mitted al crueltie one side on the other This flame your holy father kindled in his owne Coâ—ntrie with his rash proceeding against the Emperour so wide it skattered so loÌ„g it endured so fiercely it raged amoÌ„gst your own Deuotionists and yet you would make the worlde beleeue the Popes power to depriue princes was neuer doubted of but in these our dayes and by men of our side What Germanie thought of