vice of heresie the Pope both may and ought to be accused After this the vehemencie of his disease more and more increasing and because the nights were somewhat longer the third night before his departure the Bishop feeling his infirmitie to grow vpon him willed certaine of his Clergie to be called vnto him thereby to be refreshed with some conference or communication vnto whom the Bishop lamenting in his minde for the losse of soules through the auarice of the Popes court said on this wise as by certaine Aphorismes Christ came vnto the world to saue and to winne soules Ergo he that feareth not to destroy soules may hee not worthily be counted Antichrist The Lord created the world in six daies but in the restoring of man he laboured more then thirtie yeeres wherefore hee that is a destroier of that about the which the Lord so long laboured is not hee worthy to be accounted the enemie of God and Antichrist These and many other enormities of the Roman Church when the Godly Bishop had reproued as all kindes of Auarice Vsurie Simonie Extortion and all kindes of filthinesse fleshly lust gluttonie and their sumptuous apparell then sayth hee this old verse may be truly verified of the Court of Rome Eius avaritiae totus non sufficit Orbis Eius Luxuriae meretrix non sufficit omnis Afterward hee went about more to prosecute how the foresaid Court like a gulfe neuer satisfied euer gaping so wide that the flood of Iordan might run into his mouth aspired how to vsurpe the goods of them that die vntested and of Legacies beqâ—eâ—hed without forme of law whereby more licentiously to bring this to passe they vsed to ioyne the king to be fellow and partner with them in their spoiles extortions and robbings Neither sayth he shall the Church be deliuered from the seruâ—tude of Aegypâ— out by violence and force and with the bloodie sword And albeit sayth hee those be yet but light matters yet shortly more great and grieuous things then these shall be seene And in the end of this his prophecying which he scarcely could vtter with sighing and weeping his tongue and breath begun to faile And so the Organ of his voyce being stopped made an ende both of his speech and life This is that Bishop who not onely in his lifetime resisted the pride and insolencie of the Bishop of Rome but also after his death God made him a terrour to the Pope who dreamed that Robert Gostred came to him and with his staffe strake him on the side and said vnto him Surge miser veni adiudicium after the which dreame within a few dayes hee ended his life Others doe adde that a voyce was heard in the palace where the Pope lay at Naples saying Surge miser vem adiudicium as hath beene declared in the life of Innocentius Quartus Of Monkes BEcause the orders of Monkes most abounded in this age albeit they begun long before therefore haue wee casten in this treatise in this Centurie howbeit wee declare the Order of Monks that sprang vp before or at this time About the time of the raigne of Iustinus the elder as hath beene declared in the seuenth Centurie Pope Iohn the first being Bishop of Rome Benedict a father and fauourrer of Monkes gathered together all scattered religious persons and begun a peculiar order vpon the Mount Cassinus where he built a most renowned Cloister giuing them there a rule prescript and forme of liuing Afterward the same Bennet hauing much people resorting to him built 12. other Monasteries and filled them with religious men Of this order is reported to haue beene 24. Popes of Rome 182. Cardinalls 1464. Archbishopps and Bishops 15000. and 70. renowned Abbots as sayth Pope Iohn the 22. There hath beene of this Order 5655. Monkes canonised and made Saints This Bennet also invented an order for his sister Scolastica and made her Abbesse ouer many Nunnes Her cloathing was a blacke coate cloake coule and vaile and lest the scripture should deceiue her and Hers it was commanded that none should read it without the consent and permission of their superiour Here is to be seene how God is sought in all monasticall orders when as amongst them his holy word is expelled This order of Bennedictin monkes when it was nerely decaied in shaddow of Godlines was quickned againe by one Otlon or Otho and was called the order of Clumacensis Howbeit their cloathing and rule was according to the appointment of Bennet And this monkish order was richly endewed with great substance and yeerely rents by a certaine Duke of Aquitania called Guillidinus in the yeere of our Lord 913. In the yeere of our Lord 850. Pope Leo the fourth gouerning the Sea of Rome the monkish religion of Camaldinensis was devised by Romoaldus of Rauenna in the mount Apenninus Their coule and cloake and all their cloathing was white They kept perpetuall silence Euery wednesday and fry day they fast on bread and water they goe bearefooted and lie on the ground Pope Innocentius the 7. being B. of Rome the monkish order of Hieronimians began vnder the name of S. Ierome who leauing his natiue countrie went vnto Iury there not far from BetheleÌ„ builded him an house where he liued very devoutly in the later end of his life Those Apes and counterfeites of S. Ierom weare their cloathes of white and a cope platted about their coate girded with a lether girdle The order was endewed with diuers priuiledges and liberties by certaine Bishops of Rome as Gregorie the twelfth and Eugenius the fourth Pope Gregorie the first borne of a noble stocke and very rich forsaked all and became a Monke After the death of his father he builded six religious houses in Sicilie giuing them a forme and rule of liuing He built another within Rome in the name and honour of S. Andrew wherein he dwelt with manie monkish brethren which from time to time keeping his rule diligentlie are called Gregorians Their habit is a copper-colloured cloath according to their rule Pope Gregorie the sixt bearing rule Ioannes Gualbertus a Knight begun this order in a certaine mouÌ„taine called Vallis Vmbrosa that is to say a shaddowed valley vnder Bennets rule with adding thereto and changing of blacke cloathes into gray In the yeere 1038. Pope Alexander the second being B. of Rome the sect of the Grandimontensis Monkes was invented by Stephen of Auernia Their order is to lead a strict life as Monkes vse to doe to giue themselues to watching fasting and praying to weare a coate of Mailes vpon their bodyes and a blacke cloake therevpon Pope Vrban the second bearing rule Robert Abbot of Molisme in Cistert in a wildernesse or forrest in Burgundie did institute the order of Cistertians albeit some ascribe this to one Ordingus a Monke that perswaded the aforesaid Monke to the same They weare red shoes and white Rotchets on a blacke coate all shauen
THE HISTORIE OF THE CHVRCH SINCE THE DAYES OF Our Saviour IESVS CHRIST vntill this present Age. Devided into foure Bookes 1. The first containeth the whole proceedings and practises of the Emperours both of the West and East for or against the Church as also the wonderfull loue of God towards it by whom it was so preserved that neither by Tyranny it could be subdued nor by policie circumvented 2. The second containeth a breefe Catalogue of the beginnings and proceedings of all the Bishops Popes Patriarchs Doctors Pastors and other learned men in Europe Asia and Affrica with or against the Church together with their deaths 3. The third containeth a short summe of all the Heretiques which haue beene in the Church the time when and the place where they lived as also the persons by whom they were subdued 4. The fourth containeth a short compend of all the Councels Generall Nationall and Provinciall together with their severall Canons which haue beene established either with or against the Church Devided into 16. Centuries By all which is clearely shevved and proved the Antiquitie Visibilitie and Perpetuitie of our Church euer since Christs dayes vntill this present Age. Collected out of sundry Authors both ancient and moderne by the famous and worthy Preacher of Gods vvord Master PATRICK SYMSON late Minister at Striueling in Scotland LONDON Printed by I.D. for Iohn Bellamie and are to be sold at his Shop at the three Golden Lions in Corne-hill neere the Royall Exchange and for William Sheffard at the entering in of Popes-head Alley out of Lumbard streete 1624. TO THE RIGHT GRATIOVS PRINCE LODOWICK Duke of Richmond and Lenox Baron of Settrington Darnley Teâ—banten and Methuen Lord great Chamberlane and Admirall of Scotland Lord Steward of the Kings household Knight of the most noble order of the Garter and one of his Maiesties most honorable privie Councell ALthough it may seeme both to your Grace and others great presumption in me a stranger to trouble your Grace either with the view of these vnpolished lines or this ensuing Historie yet I hope the latter shal be a sufficient excuse for the former For having received it from your Noble Sister the Countesse of Marre at her Ladiships commaundement and especiall direction I revised it put it to the Presse hastened the Printing and now also craue your Graces Patronage thereto not so much respecting the greatnesse of your authoritie as the goodnes of your nature and disposition whereof much might be sayd but that I hold it needlesse to shew the Sunne with a candle Thus humbly commending it to your Graces favourable acceptation and heartily committing you to the Almighties gracious protection I humbly take my leaue resting Your Graces humble servant A. Symson TO THE RIGHT NOBLE VERTVOVS and elect Ladie Marie Countesse of Marre P.S. wisheth grace mercie and eternall felicitie THE estate of the Church of Christ NOBLE LADIE whereof wee reioyce to be accounted feeling members hath beene subject vnto manifold afflictions even from the beginning of the world not like vnto the estate of Moab setled vpon her dregs and not poured out from vessell to vessell yet the more afflicted the more beloved of God whose face watred with teares is faire and whose mourning voyce is pleasant in the sight of God and as doing of good willingly hath a great recompence of reward from God even so patient suffering of evill for righteousnesse sake as it is highly commended in Scripture so it shall be richly rewarded in heaven yea the very heathnick Philosopher Plato to whom the glory of the sufferings for Christ was vnknowne affirmeth that men who suffer scourging binding tormenting boring out of eyes and finally strangling of their breath for righteousnesse sake are exceeding happy are as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 importeth thrice happy although the superlatiue degree of suffering which can be found amongst the heathnicks could never equall the glorie of the sufferings of Christians They who were initiated in the mysteries of Mittera which word in the Persian language signifieth the Sunne could not bee admitted to that honour before they had beene tried by suffering fourscore divers sorts of punishments such as long abstinence from meate and drinke solitarie living in the wildernes a long time tryall of suffering the fervent heate of fire and the coldnes of water and many other torments vntill the number of fourescore had beene completed These voluntarie sufferings like as in the beginning they wanted the warrant of Gods calling so likewise in the end they wanted the hope of Gods reward but the mouth of God himselfe pronounceth Christians to be blessed who die in the Lord for they rest from their labours and their works follow them The manifold persecutions of the Church may be devided into three rankes some were fierce and bloodie some were craftie the third was and is both craftie and cruell The ten heathnicke Emperours Nero Domitian Traian c. were so prodigall of the blood of the Lords Saints that they poured it out like water vpon the ground The Arrian Emperors were subdolous and craftie but the persecution of Antichrist which is the third goeth beyond the rest both in crueltie and craft yea the experience which we haue had in our owne dayes of the cruelty of Antichrists supposts and their craftie convey of their malicious enterprises intended against our Soveraigne Lord His Royall race and Noble Counsellers doth cleerely proue that the malice and craft of Antichrist goeth as farre beyond the craft and malice of all Emperours as the flood of Noah exceedeth the inundation of Nilus In the first second and third Centuries the faith and patience of Christians was tried by the yoake of ten bloody persecutions For first the Apostles who had heard with their eares the words of the great shepheard of our soules and seene with their eyes God manifested in the flesh were chosen to be faithfull to the world of the doings sufferings and doctrine of Iesus Christ and next to the Apostles their Disciples and true successours sealed vp with rivers of blood that faith which they receiued from the Apostles The fire wherewith they were burnt the water wherein they were drowned the ayre wherein their bodies were hanged the mountaines and wildernesses through which they wandered the darke prisons wherein they were enclosed as people vnworthy of libertie yea all the elements the very light of heauen from whence by most vnrighteous violence they the righteous heires thereof were excluded all these I say were witnesses of their glorious sufferings In the fourth fift and sixt Centuries the knowledge of the Church was tryed by Heretiques who by the mistie clowds of error endeavoured to blindfold the eyes of men and to leade them captiue from the simplicity of the truth of God at which time also the power of the light of God was manifested in discipating the darknesse of errours as the Sun-rising doth the darknesse
of the Iewes but the honourable name of a King he received from Augustus Caesar this was ratified for his further assurance by the Senate of Rome for which cause Herod to testifie his thankefull minde towards Antonius builded a Castle in Ierusalem very neere to the Temple called Arx Antonia And to the honour of Augustus he builded Caesarea Palestinae sometime called the tower of Straton Now a forreiner and stranger of his fathers side an Idumean of his mothers side an Arabian and an aliant both from the stock of David and also from the Common-wealth of Israell was raigning in Iudea and the Sceper was sliding from Iuda now I say was it time that Shiloch should come according to Iacobs prophecie to whom the people should be gathered Now was it time that the promised Mâ—ssias should come sit in the Throne of his father David and of his Kingdome there should be none end And indeed how can the Kingdome of Christ haue an end who acquireth a new title and right of gouernment by death which is the last period of other Kings governments and in death they leaue a vacant roome to a successour but Christ Iesus by dying and rising againe hath a right to rule both over dead and quicke Yea in the very death it selfe hee was practising his kingly office in most effectuall manner and and trampling Satan vnder feet and vndoing the power of death In Augustus time also Ioseph was admonished in a dreame to take the babe and his mother and to flee into Egypt Sozomen not content with the certainty of Scripture addeth a particular nomination of the towne Hermopolis in Thebaida whereinto Christ soiourned vntill the death of Herod the great This hee had by the vncertainty of tradition The miracle of the huge and high tree Prestis that bowed the toppe lowly to the ground and worshipped her Maker Christ and afterward had a medicinable vertue in fruit leafe and barke to cure diseases rather derogareth credit to that Egyptian tradition then assureth vs of the verity of that report Herod before his departure from this life had put to death three of his sonnes Aristobulus Alexander and Antipater and by testamentall legacy had divided his dominions amongst his remanent sonnes Archelaus Herod Antipas and Philip which testament being ratified by Augustus Iudea Samaria and Idumea were alloted to Archelaus the Tetrarchie of Galilee to Antipas and Iturea and Trachonitis to Philip. Ioseph being returned from Egypt when he heard that Archelaus did reigne in Iudea in stead of his father Herod feared to dwell in Iudea but beeing warned of God in a dreame went to the parts of Galilee and dwelt in a Citty called Nazaret All this was done in the dayes of Augustus After hee had reigned 56. yeares or as Iosephus writeth 57. yeares viz. with Antonius 14. yeares and after hee overcame Antonius and Cleôpatra Queene of Egypt in sea-warfare over against Epirus hee had the Imperiall soveraignty himselfe alone all his dayes and died in the 77. yeare of his age Tiberius AFter Augustus raigned Tiberius Nero 22. yeares seven moneths seuen dayes The Romane Deputies that were sent to Iudea in the time of his raigne were Valerius Gratus Pontius Pilat and Vitellius Valerius Gratus for loue of gaine remooued the Priests of the Iewes from their offices at his owne pleasure Ananus Ismael Eleazarus Simon the sonne of Camithus all these were denuded of their priestly dignity when as two of them viz. Eleazarus and Simon had continued scarce one yeare in office In end Iosâ—phus Caiphas is advanced to the Priesthood This is the cause wherefore the Evangelist Iohn calleth Caiphas the high Priest of that same yeare Matters of religion were now come to an horrible abuse and were not ordered according to Gods holy ordinance but according to the appetite of the Roman Deput ies After Gratus Pontius Pilate was sent to be Deputy in Iudea a man vigilant and actiue in all civill affaires as the blood of the Galileans mixed with their sacrifices clearely proueth but in the cause of Christ remisse negligent and slacke After the issue of ten yeares Vitellius is appointed Deputie in Iudea and Pontius Pilate addresseth toward Rome By gratifying of the Iewes of a matter of small importance he obtained great fauour The priestly garments were wont to bee kept in the Castle called Antonia but Vitellius gaue commandement to the Captaine of the Castle to let the high Priest haue the vse of them when hee pleased and to chuse what place he liked best for the custodie of the priestly garments Hee disauthorized Caiphas following as appeareth the example of Valerius Gratus and gaue his office to Ionathan the sonne of Ananus sometime high Priest In the 15. yeare of the raigne of Tiberius Christ our Lord and Saviour was baptized by Iohn in Iordan was led to the wildernesse fasted forty dayes was tempted of the divell and began to preach In the 18. yeare of Tiberius the Lord was crucified and offered a sacrifice for our sinnes which hath a perpetuall vertue to saue such as beleeue Hee arose againe the third day from death The high Priests and Rulers of the people gaue money to the souldiers to obscure the glory of his resurrection yet it was sufficiently knowne not onely to Christs Disciples by his frequent apparitions to them but also to Pontius Pilate the Romane Deputy himselfe who had given out a sentence of death against Christ. Pilate by letters signified to Tiberius the miracles of Christ his resurrection and that hee was supposed of many to be God But the Senate of Rome refused to acknowledge the divinity of Christ because hee was worshipped as God before his Godhead was approved by the Senate of Rome The words of the Apostle Paul had performance in the Romane Senate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they became vaine in their imaginations and their foolish heart was full of darknes when they professed themselues to be wise they became fooles The very smoke that riseth from the furnace seemeth to be somewhat at the first but when it mounteth vp into the aire the higher it ascendeth the more it scatereth and the sudden dispartion of it declareth it is but a vaine thing Such was the wisedome of the Romane Senate when they mounted vp so high as to iudge of diuine things farre surpassing the reach of the naturall vnderstanding of man they prooued starke fooles and people destitute of true vnderstanding and Pilate himselfe ouerladen with many heauy calamities in the dayes of Caius put hands into himselfe and so ended his wretched life Euseb. lib. 2. cap. 7. Caius Caligula CAius Caligula successour to Tiberius raigned three years and nine months Hee was a proud Tyrant enemy to all righteousnesse the very childe of the diuell I insist only vpon Church matters Hee was an hatefull enemy to the Iewes dwelling at Ierusalem and at Alexandria For
Alexandria many Christians were slaine for discouering the abominations of the Pagans especially in sacrificing to Mythra bloody sacrifices of reasonable creatures Among others Georgius the Arrian Bishop was bound vnto a Camel and both he and the Camell were burned with fire whom no man counts a martyr because he kept not the true faith In the countrey of Phrygia and towne of Miso Macedonius Theodulus Tatianus for breaking in pieces images were broiled vpon hot grates of yron The persecution of Athanasius which with great hazard he escaped by a stratageme of turning backe his ship in the face of the persecuting enemies was procured by Philosophers sorcerers inchanters who were about Iulian and affirmed that all their trauailes would be spent in vaine if Athanasius the only barre and obstacle of their doings were not made out of the way The wrath of Iulian was highly kindled against the inhabitants of Caesarea in Cappadocia This towne of old was called Maza but the Emperour Claudius changed the name of it and called it Caesarea The inhabitants of the citie for the most part were Christians and they had of old ouerthrowne the Temples of Iupiter and Apollo and the Temple of Fortune which only remained they ouerthrew in Iulians owne time For this cause Iulian rased the name of Caesarea out of the roll of cities and exacted from them 300. pound weight of gold compelled their Cleargie to serue in warrefare And finally he threatened to punish to the death al the inhabitants of Caesarea but the righteous Lord cutted the cordes of the wicked and he had not power to performe all his bloody designes He had intention to fight against the Persians yet would he doe nothing without consultation of his gods He sent his most assured friendes to all the Oracles within the Romane Dominions and he himselfe would inquire at the Oracle of Apollo in Delphos what should be the successe of his enterprises The answere of Apollo was that hee was hindered by the dead to giue his responses Hereof it came to passe that Iulian gaue libertie to Christians to transport the bones of the Martyr Babylas About the same time fire came down from heauen and destroyed the Temple of Apollo in Delphos and beate the image of Apollo in pieces like vnto the lightest and smallest powder or dust Moreouer he gaue libertie to the Iewes to returne to Ierusalem to build their temple to offer sacrifices conforme to the law of Moses not for loue he caried toward the Iewes but for hatred of the Christians therefore the worke prospered not but was hindered by earthquake fire and a mightie tempest of wind Marke how euery thing this hateful enemy of Christ enterprised had an euill successe Iulian arriued at Ctesiphon the Metrapolitane towne of Chaldea after that Babylon was ruined The king of Persia had his people in better preparation then the Emp. looked for therefore he tooke deliberation to returne back againe to the bounds of the Romane dominiōs but he who was deceitful al his daies was in end deceiued by an old Persiā captiue who led the Emp. into a baren wildernes where he cōcluded his life wounded with a dart but it remaines vncertaine by whom hee was slaine Iouinianus AFter the death of Iulian Iouinian was chosen by the Romane armie to be Emperour but liued not full 8. months in his Emperiall dignity He accepted not the soueraignty vntill the time the whole army with vniforme consent acknowledged themselues to be Christians He made a couenant of peace with the King of Persia such as necessity of a distressed army compelled him to condiscend vnto for Nisibis a great Citie in Mesopotamia with some dominions in Syria were resigned ouer to the King of Persia. The blame of this hurtfull capitulation was imputed to the temerity of Iulian the apostate who had burnt with fire the ships that should haue brought victualles to the armie and gaue hasty credite to a Persian captiue When he had reduced the army to the bounds of the Romane dominions hee buried the dead body of Iulian in Tarsus a towne of Cilicia and hee reduced from punishment the worthy captaine Valentinian whom Iulian had banished together with the Bishops banished from their places or compelled to lurke and in speciall Athanasius whose counsel hee was resolued to follow in matters of Faith and church gouernement In the ende hee tooke purpose to goe to Constantinople but by the way in the confines of Galatia and Bithinia he concluded his life in a Village called Dadasta 9. Valentinianus and Valens AFter the death of Iovinian the Romane armie choosed Valentinian to be Emperour who raigned 13. yeeres In whom was accomplished which is promised in the Gospell to render an hundreth-folde in this life to them who suffer any losse for Christs sake in the world to come eternall life Valentinian for Christs sake lost his office in Iulians Court he receiued in this world a kingdome and hath a greater recompence of reward laid vp for him in heauen The magnanimous courage of Valentinian in beating on the face that heathen priest who sprinkled holy water vpon his garments whereby he thought his garments to be contaminate and not his body sanctified This couragious fact was the cause wherefore Iulian banished him to Miletina a towne in Armenia He was relieued from banishment in the dayes of Iouinian and wa◠made Emp. after his death He was borne in a towne of Panonia called Cibalc he addressed himselfe immediatly after his acceptation of the Emperial soueraignty to Cōstantinople within the space of 30. daies he choosed his brother to bee his associate in the gouernement in such sort that the Emp. Valentinian gouerned the West and the Emperour Valens gouerned the Easterne parts of the Roman Dominions The Emp. Valens finding the Persians to be quiet disposed to keepe the couenant of peace bound vp in the dayes of Iouinian he vndertooke an vnsupportable warfare against the Homousians The vsurpation of the Tyrant Procopius did somewhat slacken the readines and quicknes of his attempts but after Procopius was deliuered into the handes of the Emp. Valens by Agelon Gomarius his Captaines he rent in pieces the body of Procopius by bowing downe to the ground the toppes of strong trees whereunto he caused the legs of Procopius to be fastened The bodies of Agelon and Gomarius the two Captaines who betrayed Procopius were cutted in twaine with sawes of yron In which fact the Emprour Valens had no regard to the oath of God which he made vnto them for their safetie Procopius being subdewed he bended all his might against the Homousians He banished Miletius B. of Antiochia to Armenia Eusebius B. of Samosata to Thracia Pelagius Bishop of Laodicea to Arabia The town of Samosata was so affectioned to their own Pastor Eusebius that they would not cōmunicate with Eunomius whom
the Arians sent to fil his place Valens was filled with wrath against the Fathers conucened in the councel of Lampsacum this is a towne neere vnto the straite forth of Hellespontus because they adhered fast vnto the Nicene faith In Constantinople he not only banished the Homousians but also the Novatians their B. Agelius because they would not consent with the Arrian in the matter of faith In Edessa a towne of Mesopotamia the Emperour gaue commandement to slay the Homousians who were assembled together in the church but the seruent zeale of one woman that ran in hast through the rankes of souldiers drawing with her her yong and tender child together with her couragious answere to the Captaine staied the rage of the Emp. wonderfully for she counted it a sweet fellowship that she and her babe should be found amongst the number of these who were counted worthy to suffer death for the name of Christ. Neuertheles the Emp. banished of men who dwelt in Edessa especially of such as were in spiritual offices to the number of fourscore whom he commanded by two two to be dispersed through Thracia Arabia and Thebaida The inuincible courage of Basilius Bishop of Caesarea in Capadocia the peaceable death of Athanasius which hapned in the verie time of Persecution of this Arrian Emperour Valens together with the furie and madnesse of the Arrian Bishop Lucius intruded in Alexandria All these things God willing shall bee touched in their owne places Amongst al the facts of vnspeakeable cruelty committed by Valens one fact ouerwent all the rest While the Emp. was at Nicomedia fourescore Ambassadours were directed vnto him amongst whom Menedemus Vrbanus Theodorus were the chiefe These complained to the Emperour of the manifold injuries done to the Homousians The Emperour gaue commandement to Modestus the Gouernour of his armie to embarke them into a ship as if they were to be banished vnto some remote and far distant place but secret direction was giuen vnto the ship-men to set the ship on fire and to retire themselues into a boat So it came to passe that these fourscore Martyrs circumvented by the craft of Valens glorified the Name of Christ by patient suffering of many deaths at one time both tormented by fire and drowned in water Terentius and Traianus two worthy Captaines vsed some liberty in admonishing the Emperour to abstaine from persecuting of innocent people because his fighting against God procured good successe to the Barbarians but the Lord was minded to destroy him therefore he could receiue no wholesome admonition for a number of the Nation of the Gothes whom he entertained as souldiers meete to defend his Dominions against the invasion of forrainers and strangers they began to waste the Countrey of Thracia and they fought against the Emperour Valens and preuailed against him so that he fled and was overtaken in a certaine Village which the Gothes set on fire So this Emperour died miserably burnt with fire by his enemies without succession and left his name in curse and execration to all ages after he had raigned 15. or 16. yeeres as Sozomenus reckoneth Now to returne to the Emperour Valentinian Hee was a defender of the true Faith and was so highly offended against his brother Valens that hee would make him no support against the invasion of the Gothes for hee sayd it was an impious thing to strengthen the hand of a man who had spent his dayes in warfare against God and his Church In his dayes the Samaritans invaded the bounds of the Romane Dominions Valentinian prepared a mighty army to fight against them but they sent vnto him Ambassadours to entreate for peace When the Emperour saw that they were but a naughty people hee was moved with excessiue anger whereby he procured the rupture of some arters or veines wherevpon followed great effusion of blood And so he himselfe died leauing behinde him two sonnes Gratianus whose mother was Severa and Valentinian the second whose mother was Iustin Gratianus Valentianus the second and Theodosius GRatianus the sonne of Valentinian after the death of Valens his fathers brother had the government both of West and East His brother Valentinian the second was his associate in the government of the West But when he perceived that the waighty affaires of the Kingdome required the fellowship of a man who was ripe in yeeres hee chose Theodosius a man of Noble parentage in Spaine to whom hee committed the government of the East contenting himselfe and his brother Valentinian with the government of the West Gratianus in the beginning of his raigne reduced from banishment those Bishops whom the Arrian Persecuter Valens had banished Hee was slaine by Andragathius Captaine of the army of Maximus who vsurped the Empire of the West This Andragathius not by valour and might but by circumvention fallhod and treason overthrew the good Emperour Gratian for hee made a report to passe in Lions where the Emperour Gratian had his remayning that his wife was comming to him and hee in simplicitie went forth to meete his wife beyond the riuer Rhonne but Andragathius who was couertly lurking in a chariot stepped out and slew Gratianus after he had raigned with his father with his brother and with Theodosius fifteene yeares His brother Valentinian young in yeeres was seduced by the intising speeches of his mother Iustina after the death of her husband in whose dayes shee durst not presume to avow the Arrian Heresie yet after his death shee entised the flexible minde of her sonne to persecute Ambrose Bishop of Millaine because hee would not consent to the Arrian doctrine The zeale of the people affectioned to their faithfull Pastor hindered the cruell purposes of Iustina Likewise the miracles wrought at the sepulchres of Protasius and Gervasius opened the mouthes of the people to glorifie God and to magnifie that Faith which Protasius and Gervasius had sealed vp with their blood these holy men of God were martyred in the second great Persecution mooved by the Emperour Domitian The dolorous tithings of the death of Gratianus and the neere approaching of the Tyrant Maximus to Italy compelled Iustina to leaue the persecuting of Ambrose and to flie to Illericum for safety of her owne life and her sonnes life Theodosius being mindefull of the kindenesse of Gratianus towards him led an army against the Tyrant Maximus The Captaines of Maximus army terrified with the rumour of the might of Theodosius army delivered him bound into the hands of Theodosius and hee was iustly punished vnto the death Andragatius who slew the Emperour Gratian as is sayd seeing no way to escape threw himselfe head-long into a river and so ended his wretched life About the same time Iustina the mother of Valentinian the second shee died her sonne was peaceably possessed in his Kingdome and Theodosius returned to the East againe But within few
suppresse those who proudly despised the councell of Chalcedon and obstinatly maintained the heresie of Eutyches Notwithstanding the madnes and rage of Eutychian heretiques began in his time immediately after the report of the death of Martianus Procerius Bishop of Alexandria was cruelly slaine by them in the Church haled through the streets and with beastly cruelty they chewed the intrals of his body hauing before ordained Timotheus to bee their Bishop The Emperour banished Timotheus beeing first foreseene that not only Leo bishop of Rome but also all other bishops of chiefe account damned the ordination of Timotheus The terrible earthquake which destroyed a part of Antiochia the more terrible fire which wasted a great part of Constantinople were fore running tokens of the great desolation that should ensue by the detestable heresie of Eutyches Zeno. THe Emperour Leo left his Kingdome to his nephew the sonne of Zeno called Leo but hee fell sicke and died when he had scarce reigned 1. yeere So his father Zeno had the Emperiall soueraigntie 17. yeeres hee was of a bad religion dissolute in manners intemperate effeminate and hated of all men Therefore Basiliscus conspired against him and Zeno fled Basiliscus was a persecuter of the true faith damned by his encyclicke letters the Councell of Chalcedon restored Euthychian bishops to their places againe such as Timotheus Arideus to Alexandria Petrus Cnapheus to Antiochia Paulus to Ephesus fiue hundreth preachers were found who subscribed Basiliscus letters and cursed the councell of Chalcedon So great a plague it is either to haue ignorant Pastors who know not the trueth of God or cowardly teachers who will suffer no rebuke for the knowne truth of God Zeno returned to his Kingdome againe within 2. yeeres hee banished Basiliscus to Cappadocia where he was slaine with his wife and children Hee abolished the encyclicke letters of Basiliscus and eicted Petrus Cnapheus out of Antiochia and Paulus out of Ephesus Timotheus of Alexandria was old infirme and neere to the last period of his life els also he had bin eiected out of Alexandria for Zeno not for loue of the true faith but for hatred of the name of Basiliscus endeuoured to doe all that he had done Vnder the raigne of Zeno came Odoacer assisted with people of Pannonia called Rugi Turcilingi and Heruli and inuaded Italie and slew Orestes at Pagia and compelled his sonne Augustulus to denude himselfe of emperiall honours so that the Romane empire as it began in the person of Augustus Caesar so likewise it ended in the person of Augustulus the sonne of Orestes Odoacer would not vsurpe the glorious title of an Emperour but called himselfe King of Italie and raigned 14. yeeres Zeno on the other part stirred vp Theodoricus King of Gothes to expell Odoacer out of Italie Theodoricus encountred with him diuerse times and preuailed In the end he besieged him in Ravenna vntill a couenant of peace was bound vp betwixt them but it lasted a short time for Theodoricus vnder pretence of friendship called Odoacer and his sonnes to a banket and caused them cruelly to bee slaine Afterward he raigned himselfe alone in Italie 33. yeeres hee reedified the townes in Italie which by violence of warres had beene wasted made desolate and was well beloued of the people and albeit in religion he was an Arrian yet he abstained from persecution of those who professed the true faith The Eutychian persecution is already begun but the Arrian persecution is not yet ended Hunnericus sonne of Gensericus king of Vandales was an Arrian persecuter so vnmercifull that in Africke where his dominion was he had neither compassion on sexe or age he banished at one time fiue thousand professors of the true faith And such as were infirme and weake and could neither trauell by foote nor horse he commanded cords to be knit to their legges and to traile them through the rough places of the wildernes and by such merciles dealing the death of many innocent people was procured but the Lord suffered not this crueltie to be vnpunished for the Lord plagued the Vandales with famine and pest and Hunnericus was so long tormented with venemous biles that in the end he was consumed with vermine and in great miserie ended his most wretched life In this Centurie studying for brevitie I haue ouerpassed some remarkable thinges such as the deceitfull practises of the wise men of Persia to diuert the affection of their King Isdigerdes from the loue he had caried to Maruthas Bishop in Mesopotamia and Embassadour of Theodosius 2. This historie is set downe at length by Socrates In like maner the calamitie of the Iewes who dwelt in the Isle of Candie and were piteously abused by a deceiuing fellow who called himselfe Moses and promised to lead them through the Mediterran sea to their owne lande as Moses led the people of Israel through the read sea this calamitie read in the 7. booke of the ecclesiastical historie of Socrates chap. 38. The Iewes were commanded to cast themselues into the sea and to swim vnto a rocke but they were drowned in the sea and dashed vpon the hard rocke and by the meanes of Christian fishers some few escaped This historie is referred vnto the 434. yeere of our Lord so that it fell foorth vnder the raigne of Theodosius 2. The miraculous conuersion of the Burgundians to the faith of Christ about the same time I haue of purpose ouerpassed willing to be short and to giue a viewe of the historie to those who are desirous to read CENTVRIE VI. Anastatius AFter Zeno succeeded Anastatius and gouerned 27. yeeres He was a patrone of the heresie of Eutyches He banished Euphemius Bishop of Constantinople because hee would not redeliuer vnto him that letter which he had subscribed before his Coronation wherein he was bound to attempt nothing against the true faith and namely against the councel of Chalâ—edon In like manner hee banished Macedonius the successour of Euphemius for the same cause for he had the custodie of the hand-writing of Anastatius and the Emperour gaue secret Commandement to make him out of the way at Gangra the place of his banishment Xenoeas Bishop of Hierapolis a firebrand of Sathan stirred vp the Emperours minde to great rage partly by gathering a Councell at Sidon wherein they damned the actes of the councel of Chalcedon and partly by stirring vp the Emperor to wrath against good men such as were principall defenders of the true faith namely Flauianus Bishop of Antiochia and Helias Bishop of Ierusalem The people of Antiochia were very friendly to their Pastor and finding that a great number of Monkes sauouring Eutyches errour had assembled in the towne of Antiochia to compell Flauianus their Bishop to accurse and abiure the councell of Chalcedon they set vpon the Monkes and slewe a number of them others leaped into the riuer of Orontes where they found a meet buriall for
many followed him When Pope Alexander came to Rome the Townes of Italie were in great â—â—ope of libertie and rebelled against the Emperour they reedefied the towne of Millan which the Emperour had sacked and ruinated and they builded a towne called Alexandria in contempt of the Emperour and in honour of the Pope When the Emperour Frederike came to Italie hee besieged this new builded towne called Alexandria but was betraied by Henry Duke of Bauaria and Saxonia so that he escaped hardlie in the habit of a seruant and returned to Germanie The Emperour renewed his forces againe and pierced into Italie with a great armie Pope Alexander fled to Venice Otto the Emperours sonne on the other part with a well appointed nauie pursued after him hauing receiued a commandement from his father to attempt nothing against the Venetians vntil his owne comming But the young man more hardie then circumspect encountred with the Venetians and was ouercome and taken prisoner The father for relieuing of his sonne from Captiuitie was content to come to Venice and in Saint Marks Church to craue absolution from Pope Alexander When hee kneeled downe at the Popes feete the proud Pope set his foot vpon the Emperours necke and abused the words of holy Scripture Super aspidem basiliscum ambulabis conculcabis leonem draconem that is thou shall walke vpon the Lyon and the Aspe the young Lyon and the Dragon shalt thou tread vnder feet The Emperour answered non tibi sed petro that is not to thee but to S. Peter but the proud Pope replyed Et mihi petro that is both to me and to S. Peter to wit thou doest this homage The Emperour not willing to giue any further occasion of offence held his peace and so was absolued and his sonne relieued with whom hee departed from Venice After this some affirme that he led an armie to Palestina to fight against the Turks and that hee prospered vntill at length he was drowned in a certaine riuer The Christians in Ierusalem had their last helpe and refreshment from Philip king of France and Richard king of England These two besieged Acon and conquered it But there was kindled betweene the two kings a feruent heat and indignation euerie one of them enuying the honour of another so that Philip returned to France and king Richard after hee had conquered Ioppo returned also to England But by the way hee made ship-wracke and hardly escaped the perill of drowning And albeit hee disguised himselfe putting on the habite of a seruant yet he was knowne and taken prisoner by the Duke of Austria and was brought to the Emperour Henry the sixt where hee was detained vntill hee paied the ransome of 10000. pounds money After Baldowine succeeded Amalricus the sixt king of Ierusalem And after him his sonne Baldowine the 4. the 7. king of Ierusalem Hee was sickly and not meet for governement Therefore he committed the gouernement to Guido and Raimundo Count of Tripoli The discord and debate betweene Raimund and Guido presented occasion to Saladin king of Turkes to recouer againe Ierusalem and other Townes possessed by Christians for the space of 88. yeeres Henry the Sixt. AEter the death of Frederike the first his sonne Henry the sixt was declared Emperour who raigned 8. yeeres hee was Crowned by Pope Caelestinus the second who tooke Constantia the daughter of Rogerius out of a Monasterie and gaue her in marriage to Henry the sixt and both Sicils were bestowed to him in way of dowrie paying alwayes to the Bishop of Rome the fee duely that was accustomed to bee paied out of those parts Henry the sixt tooke Trancredus the young king of Sicile put out his eyes and thrust him into a Monastery and vsed great cruelty against the Bishops and other inhabitants of the Isle of Sicile So that Pope Caelestinus did excommunicate him for his Barbarous crueltie but hee went to Rome acknowledged his fault and obtained pardon together with a confirmation of the kingdome of Sicile The Pope sollicited also the Emperour to lead an armie to Asia for support of distressed Christians which thing hee performed albeit he went not thither in his owne person for he sent the Bishop of Mentz the Duke of Saxonie the Duke of Austria and the Duke of Bauaria and the Lantgraue of Thuringia with many other noble persons and with a well appointed armie But the yeere following their arriual at Palestina the report of the Emperour Henries death caused them to returne backe againe to Germanie leauing the Christians in a verie desolate care CENTVRIE XIII Philippus AFter the death of Henry the sixt Philip his brother by the helpe of the Bohems Saxons Bauaroies and Sueuians tooke on him the Emperiall authoritie contrarie to the minde of Innocentius Bishop of Rome and reigned 10. yeeres In his time the country of Germanie was tormented with most cruell wars for the Pope of Rome did excommunicate him and caused the Bishop of Colen and other electors to make Otto Duke of Saxon Emperour betweene whom and Philip were fought diuers battels But Philip defended himselfe so couragiously that by force hee held the Emperiall Crowne all his life-time against the heart both of Otto and the Roman Bishop who oftentimes had threatened that either hee would pull from Phillip the Imperiall Crowne or else that Phillip shold take from him his triple Diademe so meek was this gentle Byshop In the end the Countrey of Germanie being wearied with continuall warres entreated for peace betweene Philip and the Pope which was obtained vpon these conditions that one of Philips daughters should bee giuen in marriage to Count Richard the Popes Nephew and another of his daughters should be giuen in marriage to Otto Duke of Saxon who should for that cause denude himselfe of the Emperiall dignitie Not long after this peace was concluded the Emperour was cruellie murthered in his owne chamber by Otto Count Palatine In this Emperours daies began the kingdome of the Tartarians who came from the mountains of India with their wifes and children in 〈◊〉 1202 and began to spoyle the Prouinces nerest adiacent to themselus afterward they ouerhaled the Parchians Medes Assyrians Persians Armenians and Sarmatians and in the end setled their dwelling place at Meotidis Paludes a barbarous and fierce people practising great crueltie against all nations both of Christians and others Otto Quartus AFter the death of Philip Otto Duke of Saxon was Crowned Emperour by Pope Innocentius the third Now it was the custome that hee who was crowned Emperour vsed to distribute gifts to the Romans which custome being neglected by Otto the Romans made some commotion and tumult wherein they abused the Emperours seruants He therefore departing from Rome with great discontentment invaded certaine townes belonging to the Chaire of Rome whereby hee incurred such hatred at the Popes hands that hee was forth-with excommunicated and although the Pope hated the of-spring of Henry the sixt
corrections This booke also was impugned both by Protestants and Papists Of the Protestants Caspar Aquila a preacher in Turingia impugned it as a booke replenished with false doctrine and on the other side Robertus Abrincensis Episcopus impugned it for giuing libertie to Priests to marrie and permitting the people to haue the Sacrament vnder both formes While this great stirre and trouble was in Germanie in England by the authoritie of a Parliament the vse of the Masse was altogether forbidden and a booke made of an vniforme order of common prayers and administration of the Sacraments in the English tongue Edmond Boner Bishop of London and Stephen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester for obstinate defending of the Roman doctrine were depriued of their Bishoprickes and cast in prison where they continued all the time of king Edwards raigne But to returne againe to the troubles of Germanie of all the Cities of the Protestants there was none that more constantly beared out the Emperours indignation as the Citie of Magdeburg For neither would they acknowledge the councell of Trident neither yet the Emperours booke of Interim but fortified their towne against Maurice Duke of Saxonie whom the Emperour made Captaine in that warre vntill at last an agreement was made vpon easie conditions When Maurice with his garrison entered into their Citie hee grieuously blamed their Preachers that both in their bookes and pictures they had done much to his reproach but yet he exhorted them to pray for the good successe of the Emperour and the generall councell of Trident. To whom they answered that they could not pray any otherwise for that Councell that was assembled to oppresse the truth but that God would soone disturbe it and breake it vp The end of the warre against the Citie of Magdeburg was the beginning of great warre and dangerous trouble against the Emperour For Maurice Duke of Saxonie perceiuing the Emp. would not stand to his promise consulteth with forraine Princes how hee might by force deliuer his wifes father the Lantgraue and when hee found that all things were in readinesse hee begun to muster his souldiers shortly after set forth a Proclamation to the states of the Empire in the which first hee lamenteth the discord of Religion secondly he rehearseth grieuouslie the imprisonment of the Lantgraue his wifes father signifying that hee was so kept against all truth and honour to the report of all Germanie Lastly he bewaileth the pittifull estate of all Germanie and oppression of their libertie protesting that the cause of this warre was to restore the old dignitie and freedome Albert Marques of Brandenburge maketh also his Proclamation and after a long rehearsall of the miseries of Germanie referreth the cause of all to the Churchmen and therefore signifieth this warre to bee chiefely against them William the Lantgraues sonne ioyned his power with Duke Maurice at Shuinforde The king of Fraunce also ioyned in this warre and led an armie vnto Germanie As they went forward they caused the Cities to submit themselues commaunded them to pay great summes of money and displaced such as the Emperour had set in authoritie and restored their old Senatours willing them to vse their priuiledges and liberties that the Emperour before had forbidden The report of this warre and the good successe of Maurice namely after the citie of Ausbrough was by him taken made the councell of Trident to breake vp and dissolue The Emperour on the other part set at libertie Fredericke the olde Duke of Saxonie as it were to signifie to Maurice that hee should claime againe the Dukedome of Saxonie and Electorship that he enioyed and thereby to put him in more feare Albert Marques of Brandenburge in this warre shewed great extremitie to diuers cities and noble personages against the mind of Maurice and the other confederates The King of Fraunce led forward his armie to Strawsburge and hearing that communication of peace was betwixt Maurice and the Emperour and that they were in good hope to haue their Princes deliuered hee to gratifie them was content to returne to Fraunce but was much displeased that Duke Maurice would enter in communication of peace without his knowledge In the end agreement passed betweene the Emperour and Duke Maurice vpon these conditions That the Lantgraue should be set at libertie That their Religion should be quiet vntill a certaine order were taken for the same in the next assemblie of of the Empire That Maurice and the Princes confederats should suffer their souldiers to serue king Ferdinand in Hungarie That the Protestants should bee admitted Iudges in the Chamber-court with diuerse such other like conditions The end of this warre was also the beginning of another cruell warre betwixt Duke Maurice and the Marquis of Brandenburg which fell out vpon this occasion The Marquis being reconciled to the Emperour and in great favour with him did many iniuries in Germany not onely to the Bishops whom hee ever deadly hated but also to diverse Princes and Cities yea and that vnder the name of religion Duke Maurice with certaine other went against him and met at the river of Visurg where Albert was overcome But Duke Maurice was so stricken with a gun that hee died within two dayes after Before this in Germanie were seene drops of blood vpon the trees and certaine other strange sights In England about this time fell out a great alteration in religion through the death of King Edward of whom the world was not worthy Lady Mary his sister succeeding to the kingdome Shee ioyned her selfe in mariage with Philip sonne to Charles the Emperour and restored not onely the Popes supremacie dissallowed by her father King Henrie the eight but also the masse and all superstitions of the Romane Church abrogated in the dayes of King Edward her brother Also shee caused the Realme of England in the high Court of Parliament to confesse their defection from the Catholike Church and to craue absolution having there in readinesse Cardinall Poole the Popes Ambassadour to absolue them What excessiue cruelty was vsed in her time no tongue can expresse The very name of Dioclâ—sian begunne to bee lesse abhorred when the name of Queene Mary came forth Her cruelty beginning at Iohn Hooper Bishop of Glocester Iohn Bradford Laurence Saunders Rowland Taylor Iohn Rogers Preachers proceeded shortly after to Ferrar Bishop of Saint Davids whose constant death amazed the people and confirmed their mindes in the true doctrine that they had learned of him This persecution raged in all parts of the Land but specially in Kent Essex and Norhfolke Some of those parts were chiefe maintainers of her authoritie and against the mind of the Nobilitie and Councell set forward her right to the Kingdome but this reward they receiued in the end at her hands The cruell martyrdome of Cranmer Bishop of Canterbury Ridley Bishop of London Latymer Bishop of Worcester Doctor Philpot and many others with the
maketh little contradiction to that setled and receiued opinion of the feminine Pope But I leaue Onuphrius sporting with his owne conceits as a Pleasant doth with his owne fingers when no other body will keepe purpose with him Euaristus finished the course of his ministration in eight yeeres Alexander who is in expresse words called the fift B. of Rome after the death of Peter and Paul gouerned ten yeeres and suffered martyrdome in the dayes of Adrian as Platina writeth After him Xistus 1. continued ten yeeres and died a martyr Platin. Telesphorus the 7. Bishop of Rome after the dayes of the Apostles liued in that ministration eleuen yeeres and was honoured with martyrdome Hyginus An. 4. And Pius the 1. ministred 11. yeeres These two suffered not martyrdome because their lot was to liue in the calme dayes of a meeke Emperour Antoninus Pius Anicetus ministred in that office 11. yeeres with whom Polycarpus B. of Smyrna conferred at Rome concerning the obseruation of the festiuitie of Easter day He concluded his life with the glorious crowne of Martyrdome To him succeeded Soter An. 9. After him Eleutherius An. 15. In whose time Lucius King of the Britons desired that he and his people should be baptized and receiued into the fellowship of Christians to whom Eleutherius sent Fugatius and Damianus who satisfied the desire of the King and his people so they were baptized and counted Christians After him Victor An. 10. He intended to haue excommunicated all the Churches of the East because they kept not the festiuitie of Easter day conforme to the custâ—me of the Church of Rome but rather vpon the day wherein the Iewes were accustomed to eat their Paschall Lambe But this rashnesse of Victor was somewhat abated by the graue and prudent counsell of Ireneus B. of Lyons who admonished Victor that there was no lesse discrepance of customes concerning keeping of Lent then was concerning the keeping of Easter day yet was not the vnitie of the Church violated nor rent asunder for this discrepance And when Polycarpus B. of Smyrna came to Rome in his conference with Anicetus neither of them could perswade the other to change the custome of keeping of dayes which they had receiued by tradition of their predecessours Notwithstanding they kept fast the bond of Christian fellowship and Anicetus admitted Polycarpus to the communion of the Romane Church and they departed in peace one from another Quadratus B. of Athens liued in the dayes of Adrian This Emperour vpon a certaine time wintered in Athens and went to Eleusina and was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say initiate into all the mysteries of Grecia This fact of the Emperour gaue encouragement to those who hated Christians without allowance of the Emperours commandement to vexe the Christians Concerning his apologie for Christians giuen into the Emperour together with the apologie of Aristides a learned Philosopher and eloquent Orator in Athens wee haue spoken already in the description of the life of Adrian Agrippas Castor a very learned man answered to the books of the Heretique Basilides who with the noueltie of barbarous and vncouth words troubled the hearts of rude and ignorant people talking of a god whom he called Arbraxas and of his Prophets Barcab and Barcob words inuented by himselfe to terrifie simple people Such delusions of Satan Quintinists in our dayes an ignorant race of braine sicke fellowes haue vsed And so the blind led the blind and both fell into the ditch In this age Hegesippus of the nation of the Iewes was converted vnto the faith of Christ and came to Rome in the dayes of Anicetus and continued vntill the dayes of Eleutherius But for what cause he came to Rome or in what part of the world he bestowed the trauels of his ministrie no mention is made neither by Eusebius nor by any other ancient Writer no not by Ierome himselfe a most accurate explorator of all antiquities Melito B. of Sardis a famous towne in Lydia wrote an apologie for the Christians to the Emperour Antoninus Philosophus whom Eusebius calleth Marcus Aurelius Verus His apologie was written with Christian freedome and courage for he was not afraid to declare to the Emperour what good successe Augustus Caesar had in whose dayes Christ was borne and what vnprosperous successe Nero and Domitian had who persecuted the Christians Eusebius calleth him an Eunuch In the fourth persecution died Iustinus Martyr accused and delated by Crescens He was converted to Christs Religion by the trauels of an old man whom he supposed for his grauitie to haue beene a Philosopher but he was a Christian This ancient man counselled Iustinus to be a diligent reader of the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles who spake by diuine inspiration who knew the veritie and were not couetous of vaine glory neither were they dashed with feare whose doctrine also was confirmed with miraculous workes which God wrought by their hands Aboue all things willed him to make earnest prayers to God to open vnto him the ports of true light because the truth cannot be comprehended except the Father of light and his sonne Christ Iesus giue vnto vs an vnderstanding heart He wrote two bookes of apologie for Christians to the Emperour Antoninus Pius and to his sonnes and the Senate of Rome In the second booke of his apologie he declareth that Christians were put to death not for any crime they had committed but onely for their profession In witnesse whereof if any of them would denie his Christian profession straight way he was absolued because there was no other thing wherewith he was charged In this same persecution also suffered the holy martyr of Christ Polycaryus B. of Smyrna He was willing to haue remained in the towne of Smyrna but by the earnest supplications of friends was mooued to leaue the towne and lurke secretly in the countrie Three dayes before hee was apprehended by his persecuters he dreamed that his bed was set on fire and hastily consumed which he tooke for a diuine aduertisement that he behooued to glorifie God by suffering the torment of fire His conference with the Romane Deputie and how he refused to deny Christ whom he had serued fourescore yeeres and euer found him a gratious Master also how he refused to sweare by the fortune of Caesar and how patiently he suffered death for the name of Christ this history is set downe at large by Eusebius Ireneus B. of Lyons in France and successour to Photinus a martyr and Disciple of Polycarâ—us in his youth flourished in the dayes of the Emperour Commodus whose meeke conuersation and peaceable carriage answered to his name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is peaceable made his name to be in great account amongst Christians How he pacified the furie of Victor B. of Rome and the pernicious schisme springing vp in the Church of God vpon very small
afffirmed that the soules of men perish with their bodies and are raised vp againe in the day of the resurrection with the bodies whom Origen mightily refuted Likewise hee was present at the Councell in Arabia gathered against Berillus Bishop of Bostra who denyed that Christ was existent before his manifestation in the flesh and by the travelles of Origen Berillus was reclaimed and reduced to the true faith therefore I reckon him not in the roll of heretickes Firmilianus Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia invited Origen to come to Cappadocia where hee detained him a long time Likewise Mammea the mother of Alexander the Emperour sent for him to come to Antiochia and had him in reverent regard Likewise hee wrote to the Emperour Philip and to his mother who was the first Emperour that professed the name of Christ. Hee studied to bee acquainted with the Hebrew language farre contrary to the custome of his owne Nation and hee conferred the Hebrew text with the Greeke translations not onely the Septuagints but also the translations of Aquila Theodosion and Symmachus and he found out the fift sixt and seventh editions Notwithstanding all these excellent gifts and renowned fame of Origen hee wanted not his owne grosse errours and foolish facts In expounding of Scriptures he became a curious searcher out of allegories Yet this father of allegories Origen mistooke the words of Christ spoken of Eunuches There bee some chaste which haue made themselues chaste for the kingdome of heauen these words I say spoken in an allegorâ—coll sense hee tooke in a simple and vnfigurate meaning and gelded himselfe to the end hee might liue without all suspition of vncleannesse No learned man hath commended this fact of Origen so farre as my reading can extend for if a man might lawfully dismember his own body to the end hee might liue chastely why might not a man in like manner cut off his owne hand to the end he should not in hastie motion of anger kill his neighhour But the obedience of the commandements of God is seated in the heart and more commended for voluntary subiection then for necessity of abstinence of committing evill because there is not an instument in the body able to commit transgression Finally by seeking of divinity without the bounds of the holy Scriptures of God in stead of true divinity he was entangled with foolish errors concerning the creation of many worlds one succeeding to another concerning the paines of divels and wicked men after long torments to be finished and concerning the possibility of nature to keepe the whole law of God For which opinions long after his death he was excommunicate in the fift generall Councell holden Anno 551. Concerning his weakenesse in offering to Idols rather then to suffer his chaste body to be abused I haue spoken in the historie of the seventh persecution Hee lived vntill the dayes of Gallus and Volusianus and died in 69. yeere of his age in the towne of Tyrus where hee was buried Cyprian was an African borne in Carthage in his youth altogether given to the studie and practice of Magicall arts His conversion was by the meanes of Cecilius a Preacher whose name after hee bare and through occasion of hearing the history of the prophet Ionah After his conversion hee distributed all his substance to the poore and became first a Presbyter and afterward Bishop of Carthage Hee was banished in the persecution of Decius and martyred vnder Valerian The worthy D. I. Foxe thinketh that Nazianzen commendeth another Bishop of that same name borne in Antiochia and Bishop in Antiochia who suffered martyrdome in the dayes of Dioclesian This Cyprian Bishop of Carthage was a man full of loue a great comforter of Cornelius Bishop of Rome He suffered martyrdome as Ierom writeth that same day albeit not in the same yeere that Cornelius concluded his life by glorious martyrdome Hee had great strife against two contrarie Sects viz. againsh Novatus who was excessiue rigorous against those who had fallen in time of persecution and against Novatiaâ—us and Felicissimus who by the contrary would haue had both Heretiques and Apostates received without all forme of Ecclesiasticall discipline He esteemed much of those who suffered rebuke for the Name of Christ and hee sayd of the metall mynes that those that were condemned for Christs sake to worke in them that whereas they were wont to deliver gold and silver and precious things vnto the world now by the contrary the mynes receiue gold and siluer and the most precious things in the world counting the Confessours and Martyres of Christ the rich treasures of the earth of whom the world was not worthy His opinion concerning rebaptizing such as were baptized by Heretiques albeit it was erronius yet his modesty in not damning them rashly who were of a contrary opinion is greatly praised by Saint Austen who saith that the modestie of Cyprian in his error was more to be regarded then a sound and right opinion concerning baptisme without humility and modesty Hee was a faithfull builder of the house of God not by word onely but also by writing and his bookes remaine to this day as a precious treasure in the Church of Christ. The booke de Revelatione capitis Iohannis Baptisiae is supposititious because in it mention is made of the reverence that Pipinus King of France did to the head of Iohn Baptist when it was transported from Constantinople to France and it is knowne that Pipinus was not borne 300. yeeres after the martyrdom of Cyprian how then could Cyprian write of a fact done so long time after his death The Church of Christ was multiplyed vnder the persecutions of Sâ—verus Maximinus Decius Valerian Aurelian and Dioclesian All these sixe persecutions are comprehended in the third Centurie Bishops of Ierusalem IN Ierusalem was Narcissus against whom wicked men combined themselues together with forged accusations and false testimonies sealed vp with oaths and imprecations to grieue the heart of Narcissus in so much that hee left his calling and fled to the wildernesse where hee lurked a long time But the false witnesses who bare testimony against him escaped not vnpunished by the hand of God One of them and his whole family and substance was burned with fire another of them was stricken with an heavie disease such as hee himselfe in his imprecations had wished vnto himselfe the third was terrified with the sight of the iudgements of God that lighted vpon the other two and hee repented and poured out the griefe of his dolorus heart in such aboundance of teares that hee became blinde All these false witnesses were punished and he who was penitent albeit the Lord pardoned his sinne yet hee chastised him with temporall punishments The Bishops of the next adiacent Churches because they knew not what was become of Narcissus they admitted another called Dios who continued but a short time To him
would accept that place The Emperour Constantine commended his modestie and counted him worthy to be Bishop of the whole world Neuerthelesse he was not altogether free of the Heresie of Arrius before the Nicene Councell and he was remisse and slacke in the cause of ATHANASIVS He was so familiarly acquainted with Pamphilus who suffered martyrdome in Caelarea that he clothed himselfe with his name and called himselfe Eusebius Pamphili He died about the time that Athanasius first returned from banishment by the meanes of Constantine the younger about the yeere of our Lord 342. Nazianzenus liued in the dayes of Constantius Iulian and Theodosius He was borne in a little towne of Cappadocia called Nazianzum from which he receiued his name He was trained vp in learning in Alexandria and in Athens his familiaritie with Basilius Magnus began in Athens it was increased in the Wildernesse he Preached in Sasâ—ma but because it was a place vnmeete for studies he returned to Nazianzum and was a helper to his aged father After his fathers death he went to Constantinople where he found the towne in a most desolate condition in regard the Arrian and Macedonian heresies had so mightily prevailed that all the principall Churches were occupied by them Nazianzenus onely had libertie to Preach in a little Church called Anastatia because the truth of God which seemed to haue beene buried now by the Preaching of Nazianzenus was revived againe In the second generall Councell gathered by Theodosius because some Bishops of Macedonia Egypt murmured against his admission he counterfeited the fact of Ionas and was content to be cast out of his place to procure peace and concord amongst his brethren He benefited the Church of Christ in the dayes of Iulian by writing bookes of Christian Poesie whereby the Christian youth should haue no harme by the interdiction of Iulian prohibiting the Children of Christians to be brought vp in the Schooles of learning He detected the heresie of Apollinaris and the abominations of Heathen idolatrie whereunto Iulian had sold himselfe more cleerely then any other man had done A man worthie for excellencie of gifts to be called Theologus Basilius Magnus Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia was so vnited in heart and mind with Nazianzenus that the Pen of Socrates will not separate the Treatises of their liues His father Basilius his mother Eumele his nurse that fostered him named Macrina all were Christians His father was martyred vnder the persecuting Emperour Maximus He left behinde him fiue sonnes three of them were Bishops namely Basilius Bishop of Caesarea Peter Bishop of Sebaâ—ta and Gregorius Bishop of Nyssa He was instrusted in all kinde of learning in Caesarea in Constantinople in Athens vnder Himerius and Proaeresius in Antiochia vnder Libanius At his second comming to Athens he acquainted himselfe with Nazianzenus They spent too much time in searching out the deepenesse of humane learning and it repented Basilius that he had spent so much time in searching out things that are not necessary to eternall life He was ordained a Deacon by Meletius B. of Antiochia and a Presbyter by Eusebius B. of Caesarea in Cappadocia The good cariage of Basilius toward Eusebius is worthic of remembrance albeit Eusebius conceiued indignation against him without a cause yet he would not expostulate with his Bishop but he departed to a solitarie place in Pontus where he remained vntill the dayes of the Emperour Valens Then did the Arrian Heresie so mightily prevaile that necessitie compelled the Churches of Cappadocia to intreat Basilius to turne againe left in his absence Arrianisme should get a full vpper-hand Basilius returned not without the foreknowledge good aduise of Nazianzenus his deare friend who counselled him to preueene Eusebius and to ouercome him in courtesie and humanitie So was he reconciled to Eusebius and after his death was ordained B. of Caesarea in Cappadocia whom God so blessed that the Arrians and Eunomians who seemed to be excellently learned when they encountered with Nazianzenus and Basilius they were like vnto men altogether destitute of learning In the persecution of Valens he was led to Antiochia and presented before the Deputy of Valens who threatned him with banishment and death but he answered him with inuincible courage so that the Deputy was astonished at his answeres He was not afraid of banishment because the earth is the Lords neither was he afraid of death but wished to haue that honour that the bonds of his earthly tabernacle might be loosed for the testimony of Christ. The Emperours sonne Galaces at this time was sicke vnto the death and the Empresse sent him word that she had suffered many things in her dreame for the B. Basilius so he was dismissed and suffered to returne to Caesarea The prouident care of God ouer-ruling all humane cogitations kept before hand some sparkles that were not quenched in the feruent heat of this persecution The multiplied number of his Letters sent to the Bishops of the West whereof he receiued no comfortable answere gaue vnto Basilius iust occasion to suspect affectation of supremacy in the West as his owne words doe testifie which I cite out of the Latine version as most easie to be vnderstood Nihil nos fratres separat nisi animi proposito separations causas robúrque demus vnus est Dominus vna Fides Spes eadem Siue caput vniversalis Ecclesiae vos ipsos esse reputatis non potest pedibus dicere caput non est mihi opus vobis c. That is There is nothing brethren that separates vs except the purpose of our owne mindes furnish both cause and strength to separation There is one God one Faith one Hope Or if yee suppose your selues to be head of the vniversall Church yet the head cannot say vnto the feete I haue no neede of you Nyssa is a Citie of Mysia of olde called Pythopolis The brother germane to Basilius Magnus named Gregorius was Bishop of this towne In the second generall Councell to him was committed the ouer-sight of the Countrey of Cappadocia Albeit the volume of his Bookes be not extant yet he is renowned in the mouths of the learned and the fragments of his writings declare that he hath beene a man of note and marke Concerning sinne he said that albeit the Serpents that stinged vs were not slaughtered yet we haue sufficient consolation in this that we are cured from their venemous bits and stings Concerning pilgrimage to Ierusalem Mount Oliveâ— and Bethlehem he said that a pilgrimage from carnall lusts to the righteousnesse of God is acceptable to the Lord but not a iourneying from Cappadocia to Palestina and that God will giue a reward in the world to come onely to things done in this world by warrant of his owne Commandement Epiphanius was borne in a little Village of Palestina called Barsanduce in the fielde of Eleutheropolis He was
Constans highly offended against Martinus sent first Olympus the Exarche of Italie either to take Pope Martinus prisoner or els to kill him but his attempts were frustrate not without a miraculous worke of God as Platina recordeth And afterward he sent Theodorus Calliopas who vnder pretence of friendship came to salute the Pope and cast him in bonds and sent him to Constantinople where Constans the Emperour caused his tongue to be cut out and his right hand cut off and banished him to Chersonesus Ponti The chaire of Rome was vacant for the space of foureteene moneths because they had no certaintie of the time of the death of Pope Martinus Next vnto him Eugenius the first was chosen Pope and gouerned two yeeres and nine moneths He was the first that made an Ordinance that Bishops should haue prison-houses for correcting the enormitie and contumacie of the Clergie After him succeeded Vitalianus the first he continued foureteene yeeres and sixe moneths in the Popedome to the singing of Psalmes in the Church by vive voyce he added Organs Next after Vitalianus followed Adeodatus and ruled foure yeeres two moneths and fiue dayes of a Monke he was made Pope In his time there were terrible apparitions in Heauen a great Comete continuing for the space of three moneths terrible thunders the like whereof had not beene heard in any preceding time great abundance of raine fastning the Corne to the ground so that they grew againe and in some places of Italie came to maturitie and ripenesse Great incursions of Turkes and Saracens who spoyled the Isle of Sicilie In all these calamities sayth Platina Adeodatus multiplied supplications for preuenting the fore-signified wrath to come If repentance and abolishing of horrible Idolatrie which had now taken deepe roote had beene joyned with prayers the Lord might haue beene the more easily entreated Donus or Domnus his successor ruled fiue yeeres and ten dayes he reduced the Church of Rauenna after long reluctation to the obedience of the chaire of Rome It is to be noted that all the time they were not subiect to the Bishop of Rome they were called by the Romanes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so bent were they to vindicate all declining from their authoritie with opprobrious names of Heresies imposed to the decliners thereof Agatho successor to Donus ruled 2. yeeres 6. moneths and 15. dayes of whom Platina writeth that he cured a leprous man with a kisse as Pope Deus dedit had done before In his time Constantinus Pogonatus Emperour gathered the sixt generall Councell at Constantinople wherein the heresie of the Monothelites was condemned and Macarius Patriarch of Antiochia for his obstinate perseuering in that errour was excommunicate and Theophanius sometime an Abbot was placed in his roome But this I remit vnto its owne place The epistle of Agatho written to the sixt generall Councell is full of Antichristian pride wherein he affirmeth that the chaire of Rome neuer erred and that it cannot erre that euery soule that is to be saued must professe the Romane traditions and all the constitutions of the Romane Church are to be receiued as if they had beene deliuered by the diuine voyce of Peter Likewise he damned the marriage of men in a spirituall calling he commendeth the Masse impudently alledging a writing of Chrysostome concerning the Masse whereas in all the writings of Chrysostome this word of the Masse is not to be found After Agatho succeeded Leo the second who continued onely ten moneths and seuenteene dayes He was the first author of the kissing of the Pax. To him succeeded Benedictus the second and ruled ten moneths and twelue dayes onely In his dayes Constantinus Pogonatus Emperour ordained that in time to come the consent of the Emperour and Exarche of Italie should not be expected but he whom the Clergie and people did elect should forth-with be counted the Vicar of Christ. In so doing the Emperour very vnaduisedly put an hurtfull weapon into the Popes hand whereby the estate of the Empire was encombered and hurt afterward Iohannes the fift his successor continued not aboue one yeere and nine dayes And Conon the first the successor of Iohn the fift ended his course after the issue of 11. moneths and 3. dayes After the death of Conon the election of the Pope was like to be decided by weapons rather than by Suffrages and Votes some fauoured Theodorus others promoued Paschalis and neither of the parties would yeeld to the other In the end the people thought expedient to reiect them both and to choose some third person to the Popedome So they elected Sergius the first and carried him vpon their shoulders to the Church of Laterane In his time Iustinian the second gathered a Councell at Constantinople to perfect and finish the worke which his father had begun Sergius refused to subscribe the Acts of the sixt generall Councell albeit his Ambassadour who was present at the Councell had subscribed them Of the consecrated Hoste he ordained one part to be put into the Chalice to represent the bodie of Christ which was risen from death another part to be eaten to represent the bodie of Christ walking vpon the earth the third part to be laid vpon the Altar vntill the ende of the Masse to represent the bodie of Christ lying in the Sepulchre He gouerned thirteene yeeres eight moneths and twentie-foure dayes Patriarches of Constantinople COncerning the Patriarches of Constantinople in this Century little mention is made of them because for the most part they kept not the right faith but were intangled with heresie After Cyriacus Thomas and Iohannes and Constantinus succeeded whose faith as vnspotted with any blame of heresie hath an honest testimony in Church rolles called Sacra diptytha Sergius Pyrrhus and Paulus were miserably infected with the heresie of the Monothelites Pyrrhuâ— once recanted his heresie and was absolued from excommunication by Pope Theodorus but he returned incontinent againe as a dog to his vomite Pope Theodorus when he excommunicated him the second time vsed a new and insolent fórme of doing the like whereof was neuer heard at any time before for he infused some drops of the consecrated cup into inke and writ a sentence of cursing against Pyrrus Paulus also obtained at the hands of the Emperour Constans edicts to be affixed in diuers places whereby all men should be compelled to subscribe to the error of the Monothelites After them Petrus and Theodorus albeit they maintained not the fore-mentioned heresie with so high and proud attempts as others had done yet they were addicted vnto it Gregorius successor to Theodorus in the sixt generall Councell had defended the error of the Monothelites but when he was cleerly refuted by testimonies of Scripture by places cited out of the Fathers he yeelded and embraced the true faith Callyniâ—us ministred vnder the raign of Iustinian the second who demolished a Church neere approching to his pallace
againe after the issue of that Councell seuen yeeres after an other generall Councel should be kept and after that third Councell an ordinarie forme should be obserued of assembling generall Councells euery tenth yeere whereby reformation of abuses in the Church might bee more easilie obtained This Pope Martine after hee had gouerned 14. yeeres and 3. months died at Rome After him succeeded Eugenius the fourth gouerned sixteene yeeres In his time was the Councell of Basile kept which the Pope with aduice of his Cardinalls was minded to translate to Bononia But the Emperour Sigismund and other Princes and Prelats assembled at Basile were so highly offended against the Pope that they warned himselfe and his Cardinalls to appeare before the generall councill otherwise they would proceed against them as persons contumacious and disobedient to the voyce of the Church This warning so terrified Eugenius that hee gaue out his Apostolike letters to ratifie and approue the Councell of Basile neuerthelesse after the Emperours death the authoritie of the Councell being greatly empaired hee tooke vpon him greater boldnesse to transferre the Councell to Ferraria and from thence also to Florence pretending that the Emp. of CoÌ„stantinople Paleologus the rest of the Grecians who were now to be present at the generall councell would not trauell beyond the Alpes but would abide in some neerer place The Councell of Basile on the other part proceeded to the deposition of Eugenius 4. For his contumacie and placed Amecdeus Duke of Sauoy in his roome whom they called Foelix 5. Thus was the peace of the Roman church troubled of new againe some following Eugenius and others followed Foelix and the third sort being Neutralls neither following the one nor the other because they were so tossed with the contrarie decrees of the councell of Basile and Florence that they knew not what to follow This Pope as Platina writeth was bent to warres not being seemely in a Bishop for besides those which hee made in Italie hee stirred vp the Dolphin of France to invade the towne of Basile with an armie of horsmen of purpose to dissolue the Councell there and finallie hee stirred vp Vladislaus King of Poloma to fight against Amurathes King of Turkes contrary to his promise and truce taken betweene them to the great shame and hurt of Christianitie as hath beene declared After his death Nicolaus the fift was chosen to be Pope and ruled eight yeeres To him Foelix quintus who was elected Pope in the Councell of Basile was content to submit himselfe prouiding alwayes that hee might haue the dignitie of a Cardinall and that hee should bee appointed the Popes Legat in Germanie and in his owne countrey of Sauoy The Cardinalls also whom hee had made in his time should keepe their dignities and honours This hee did at the earnest desire of Frederike the Emperour in the yeere of our Lord 1449. In the which yeere also Nicolaus the fift set forth a decree of approbation of the Councell of Basile howbeit neither this Pope nor any other following him will bee subiect to the authâ—â—itie of generall Councells yet did hee approue the Councell of Basile wherein it was ordained that the Bishop of Rome should bee subiect to the Councell as a child is subiect to the voyce of his mother After Nicolaus succeeded Calixtus the third and gouerned three yeeres three months sixteene dayes hee was verie bent to fight against the Turkes and sent Messengers to all Christian Princes in Europe to stirre vp their hearts to make warre against the Turke with one consent of minde and to stay his further progresse and conquest in Europe but all his trauailles were spent in vaine for the Princes harkened not to his Councell Likewise hee sent messengers to Vsumcassanus king of Armenia and Persia whom with supplications and gifts hee stirred vp to make cruell warres against the Turke which warres also haue since that time continued vntill our dayes to the great disturbance of the crueltie of the Turke intended against Europe After him succeeded Pius the second who before his Popedome was called Aenâ—as Syluius a man of great witt learning and eloquence and gouerned six yeeres Hee was no lesse bent to make warre against the Turkes then was his Predecessour before him but his enterprise was staied by the dissention which was amongst Christian Princes for then and long after was great warre betweene Ferdinand of Naples and the Duke of Angeow and in diuers other parts of Italie Likewise These wise and worthie sentences vttered by him declared that he had a great gift of vnderstaÌ„ding knowledge Hee said that popular men should esteeme learning as siluer and noble men should count it like gold and Princes should count it in steade of pearles and precious stones Also that like as all riuers haue their courses to the sea and poure in their waters into the Ocean euen so great Courts are the maine Ocean receiuing the floudes of all kind of vices Likewise that if there seemed of old great reason to inhibit the marriage of Priests there was now greater reason to permit it Also that hee who giueth too great libertie to his child fostereth a domestike enemie within his owne bosome That lust dishonoureth in euery age but vndoth him vtterlie in his old age He died in the towne of Ancona where he was minded to haue blessed the armie which was to haue gone against the Turkes After Pius succeeded Paulus the second and gouerned six yeeres ten months Likeas he was not very learned in his own person so was hee also an aduersarie to learning and counted all men that were learned in humanitie to bee heretikes as Platina who writeth this of the Pope had good proofe in his owne person for hee was cast in prison and cruelly tormented by the Pope without a cause and in the ende lest his crueltie against many learned men should make him to bee hated of the people hee accused them of heresie hauing no better ground for it then this that they accounted much of the old Academique Philosophers For he laied this as an vnfallible ground that who soeuer would once make mentioÌ„ of Academia either in earnest or iesting words he was to be reputed an heretike Of other Doctors IN this age sprung vp Iohn Husse in the couÌ„try of Bohemia who by reading of the bookes written by Wickliff attained to knowledge and deprehended many grosse errours of the Roman church in so much that Pope Alexander 5. hearing thereof begun at last to direct his bull to the Archbishop of Suinto requiring him to see to the matter in due time to prouide that no man in churches schooles or other places should maintaine any such doctrine citing also Iohn Husse to appeare before him After whose death Pope Iohn 23. in like maner sought by all meanes to suppresse Iohn Husse because he seemed more willing to teach the Gospell of Christ
any superuenient sicknesse that another shall bee readie to finish the worke which hee hath begunne Thirdly That the Presbyters and the whole Clergie shal be present at the funerall of a bishop Fourthly It is forbidden that Bishops in their visitation should extort or oppresse the Churches which they visite Fiftly That men inclosed into a Monasterie should first receiue instruction in their Monasteries before they presume to teach others Sixtly A commandement is giuen That the Bishops in neare adjacent places should bee obedient to the Bishop of Toledo and at his commaundement they should appeare in the towne of Toledo CAbillonum vulgarlie called Chalon is a towne in Burgunnie not farre distant from Matiscone In this towne by the commandement of Clodoneus king of France conueened 44. Bishops Gandericus Bishop of Lions was President and Laudilenus Bishop of Vienne Theodorus Bishop of Arls because hee refused to appeare before the Councell was suspended from his office vntill the next Councell In this Synode the Canons of the Councell of Nice had great allowance It was forbidden that two Bishops should be ordained in one towne That no man should sel a Christian seruant to a Iew And that two Abbots should not be chosen to gouerne one Monasterie That no labouring of the ground or other secular worke should be done on the Lords day with many other Canons coincident with the Canons of other Councels IN the dayes of the Emperour Constantinus Pogonatus and vnder the Popedome of Agatho a Councell was gathered at Rome about the question of the willes and operations of Christ wherein it was decerned by the suffrages of 125. Bishops of Italy France Lombardy of the nation of the Gothes of Britanes and Sclauonians That two willes and two operations were to bee acknowledged in Christ And the opinions of Theodorus Cyrus Sergius Pyrrhus and Paulus defenders of the heresie of the Monothelites was damned The vaunting words of the letter of Agatho written to the sixt generall Councell wherein he braggeth that the Bishops of Rome neuer erred in matters of Faith I lay them aside at this time for they are false and vntrue as I haue alreadie prooued and shall prooue hereafter if it please the Lord. IN the yeere of our Lord 671. and in the fift yeere of Recesuvindus King of Gothes the eight Councell of Toledo was conueened To this Assemblie resorted two and fiftie Bishops Great disputation was in this Councell concerning perjurie In end it was resolued That no necessitie bindeth a man to performe an vnlawfull oath For Herod and Iephthah sinned in making vnlawfull oathes but they sinned more grieuouslie in performing vnlawfull oathes Marriage is vtterlie forbidden to Bishops and places of Scripture are miserablie abused to confirme this interdiction of marriage Be yee holy as I am holy 1 Pet. 1.16 And in another place Mortifie your members which are on the earth Coloss. 3.5 Miserable ignorance in this age counteth marriage to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is vncleanenesse a member of the bodie of sin which the Apostle commandeth to mortifie Yea and the sub-deacons who pleaded for retaining of their wiues in regard that in their admission no such condition was required of them are in most seuere manner interdited from the companie of their wiues or else to be thrust into a Monastery to suffer penance vntill the last period of their liues Vnlearned men are not to be admitted to the celebration of diuine misteries especially such as are not well acquainted with the Psalter Eating of flesh is forbidden in Lent for three principall causes First Because the fourtie dayes of Lent are the tithes of all the dayes of the yeeres and the tithes should be consecrated to God Secondlie because that Christ by fasting fourtie dayes expiated the sinnes of mankinde Thirdly because it is conuenient that a man made of the 4. elementes for breaking the ten precepts of the decalogue should afflict his bodie foure times ten dayes In the 10. Canon the vertues where with the king shall be indewed who shall be chosen to raigne in Spaine are rehearsed In the last Canon the ordinances of preceding Councels are to be obeyed and the Iewes are to bee deale with according to the actes of the 4. Councell of Toledo Can. 56. 57. 58. 59. and 60. c. IN the yeere of our Lord 673. and in the 7. yeere of the raigne of Recesuvindus king of Gothes by the commandement of the King 16. Bishops conueened in Toledo and made these ordinances following First That founders of Churches and bestowers of rentes vpon the Church and their posteritie should haue a sollicitous care that Church-rents be not abused with misorder if it shall happen to fall out let complaint be made to the Bishop to the Metropolitane or to the king of the countrey Founders of Churches during their life-time haue power to appoint men who shall attend vpon the fabricke of the Church or Monasterie which is builded that it decay not If any Church-man bestow any part of Church-rent vnder the colour of prestation let the cause be clearely contained in an euidence or else it shall be voide Let the goods of the defunct administrator of the Church-affaires be equally diuided betwixt his heires and the Church If a Bishop build a Monasterie let him not bestow aboue the fiftie part of the rent of his prelacie in the charges of building and in case he build a paroch Church for honour of his buriall place let him not bestow aboue the hundreth part of his rent for charges of building To the Bishop belongeth the third part of rent of euery paroch Church in his diosie and whether he leaue that third part to the Church it selfe out of which it is raised or to any other Church his gift shall stand firme without reuocation Let no man vnder pretence of propinquitie and because he is heire intromet with the goods of the defunct Bishop without the fore-knowledge and consent of the Metropolitan and in case the Metropolitan depart this life let no intermeddling with his goods bee made without the foreknowledge of is successour lest by fraud and deceit the Church be damnified If any man ministring in a Church-office alienate a part of Church-rents the supputation of time shall begin to bee reckoned from the houre of his death and not from the time wherein the charter was subscribed and so after his death let the prescription run on The ninth Canon measureth the commodity which a Bishop shall receiue who hath taken paines to burie another Bishop Children procreated by Bishops Presbyters Deacons c. shall not onely be deprived of the heritage some time belonging to their parents but also they shall be mancipated to perpetuall service of those Churches wherein their fathers served Let the reader marke that there is a greater businesse in Councels to procure obedience to one Antichristian
precept concerning prohibition of marriage than to all the ten Commandements of Gods law Let not a servant be accepted to serue in the Ministery of the Church before he be first set at liberty When servants are set at liberty let the supputation of time begin at the death of him who set them at liberty and not at the time when the charter was made Servants set at liberty shall neither marry a woman of the Romane nor of the Gothes blood and they shall be subiect to the Church that set them at liberty and if necessity compell them to sell lands let the land be first offered for a competent price to one Minister in that Church from which their liberty did arise Iewes who are baptized shall in time of solemne feastes attend vpon the Bishop of the parts where their dwelling is to the end that hee may beare testimony of the integrity of their faith If this cōmmandement be◠ansgresed the Bishop shall ordaine the Iew either to be scourged or to be subiect to such abstinence as he thinketh most fit In the end thanks being rendered to God for their meeting and for the vnitie of their iudgements and supplications being made to God for the weale of the King Recesuvindus in soule and body the Councell was dissolved IN the eight yeere of the raigne of Recesuvindus King of Gothes assembled in Toledo one and twenty Bishops They decerned concerning the Feasts of the nativity of our Lord and of the Lords mother at what times they should be kept Punishments are appointed for men of the Clergy and Monkes who are not found dutifull to the King and the Countrey That men vnmeet for spirituall offices should not bee intruded into the Church neither for propinquity of blood nor for hope of lucre and gaine That widowes professing a religious order shall receiue an habit convenient for that order And that women who depart againe from their professed order shall be punished That Parents shall not render their children to religious orders before they be eighteene yeeres of age Finally Protamius Bishop of Bracara being convict of adultery was removed from his office and Fructuosus was placed in his roome IN the seventh yeere of the raigne of Bamba King of the Gothes ninteene Bishops and seven Abbots were assembled in Toledo by the Kings Commandement Quiricus Bishop of Toledo being President In the beginning after a protestation of a decent order to be kept in their Assembly that no tumult nor contentious disputation nor indecent laughter should disturb the comely modesty of their Assembly they set downe a prolixe confession of Faith and Canons belonging to Ecclesiasticall discipline in the forme following 1. That Bishops should bee well acquainted with Scriptures and apt to teach 2. That Metropolitan Bishoppes should try how the Pastors of their Dioces increase in knowledge◠That the forme of singing vsed in the Metropolitane Church shal be likewise vsed in other inferiour Churches 4. That persons who haue discorded shall not stand at the Altar vntill the time they bee reconciled againe 5. That Church-men shall not judge in actions of blood 6. That Bishops should not giue sentence before a sufficient triall of the cause 7. Bishops who commit adulterie or murther shall be deposed and excommunicated beside the punishment to be inflicted by the secular Iudge 8. No reward shall be taken for ministration of the Sacramentes 9. Bishops before their ordination shall giue their oath that they haue not acquired that dignitie by rewards either giuen or to be giuen 10. He who is to be preferred to any Ecclesiasticall office let him first sweare that hee shall continue constantly in that true Catholicke faith and that hee shall be obedient to Ecclesiasticall Canons 11. Let no man refuse to receiue the Sacrament of the Supper when it is offered by him who hath a lawfull calling to ministrate it 12. Absolution should bee pronounced when perill of death impendeth albeit complet satisfaction be not made 13. The holy Sacrifice shall not be ministered by persons possessed with deuils or transported with the passions of madnesse 14. He who ministreth at the Altar shall haue other concurring with him to the end that if he be suddenly oppressed with any infirmitie the other assistant brother may supply his place 15. Councels are ordained yeerely to bee kept IF order of time be not precisely kept in commemoration of the Councels of Bracara and Toledo let no man maruell some regard must be had to the memorie of the Reader and it is not meet◠that the Councels of Toledo being many in number and so frequently conueened following vpon the necke of another except the eleuenth Councell conueened twelue yeeres after the 10 should be miserably disioyned if such things be not comported with by the fauorable Reader it will bee hard to abridge this head of Councels to the contentment of a learned Reader This Councell of Bracara by Caranza is called the first Councell of Bracara In it many old opinions of the Priscillianists and Manicheans concerning prohibition of marriage and meates are condemned together with the heresies of Samosatenus Photinus Cerdon and Marcion Canons set forth in this Councell are so coincident with the Canons of other Councels that there is no necessity to make rehearsall of them In the 30. Canon of this Councell it is ordained That no poesie shall be sung in the Church except the Psalter of the old Testament IN the 4 yeere of Bambas King of Gothes eight Bishops were assembled in Braga In the beginning of the Councell for confession of their Faith they made a new rehearsall of the summe of the Nicene Faith After this they set downe eight ordinances in manner following 1. That all superstitious opinions being reiected bread and wine mixed with water onely should be offered in the Sacrifice and not the liquor of milke nor pure vnmixed wine nor bread dipped in wine Here marke that the giving of vnmixed wine to the people in the Sacrament or Sacrifice is called superstition such bitter fruits do ensue vpon magnifying the traditions of men that Christs owne institution is called superstition 2. That vessels dedicated to God bee not abused and imployed to secular and humane vses 3. A Presbyter when he sayeth masse let him bee cloathed with his Orarium on both his shoulders and be signated on his brest with the signe of the Crosse. 4. Let no person of the Clergy cohabit with women no not with their owne sisters without witnesses of their conversation 5. Vpon Festivall dayes reliques enclosed in an Arke shal be borne vpon the shoulders of the Levites as the Arke of God in the old Testament was accustomed to bee borne 1 Chron. 15.15 and not about the necke of a Bishop and in case the Bishop will needs carry them himselfe then shall he walke on foot with the rest of the people and not be carryed in a coach by his Deacons Here marke
Eucharist Penance Extreme Vnction Orders and Matrimonie After this seventh Session the Popes Physition affirmed that the ayre of Trent was corrupted whereupon many of the Bishops were moved to depart from Trent to Bononia onely the Bishoppes of Spaine remained still at Trent being commanded by Charles the Emperour so to doe For the Emperour had gathered in Ausbrugh an assembly of the States of Germany and had induced the most part by menaces and threatenings and some also by alluring promises to submit themselues to the generall Councell of Trent And this being obtained of the States of Germany the Emperour sent the Cardinall of Trent together with his Ambassadour Mendoza desiring that the Pope would cause the Bishoppes that were retyred to Bononia to come backe againe to Trent But the providence of God pitying the weakenesse of Germany whom the Emperour had induced to bee obedient to the Councell of Trent hardened the Popes heart who would not consent that the Bishops should goe backe againe to Trent but vpon strict conditions 1. That the Bishops of Spaine who remained yet still at Trent should first come to Bononia 2. The Emperour should make good that all the States of Germany should absolutly submit themselues to the Councell of Trent 3. That the Fathers to be gathered againe at Trent might haue liberty to depart out of the towne freely and safely when they pleased and to make an end of the Councell when they would thinke good The Emperours Ambassadour Mendoza seeing that his Masters petition was little set by declared that the Councell was not lawfully translated from Trent to Bononia and therfore protested that all things that should bee done there should bee of no force Thus the first meeting of the Councell of Trent vnder Paulus the third had an end and their remaining together at the Councell of Trent was two yeeres The second meeting of the Councell of Trent THe second meeting of Bishoppes in the Councell of Trent was in the dayes of Pope Iulius the third in the month of September anno 1551. In the first Session of the Councell which was kept the first of September Abbas Bollosanus Ambassadour of the King of France appeared declaring that the King was so disturbed with warres within his dominions that he could not send the Bishops of his Land to Trent Next that the King of France acknowledged not the convention kept at Trent for a generall Councell but for a convention gathered for the weale of a few not for the common vtility of all the Church and therefore neither hee himselfe nor the subiects of his kingdome were bound to be obedient to the decrees of that convention The second Session was kept the eleventh day of October wherein the doctrine of Transubstantiation was confirmed yet diverse questions pertaining to those matters were deferted till the comming of the Protestants of Germanie to whome allso they granted their safe conduct The third Session was kept the 25. of November wherein was confirmed that Penance and extreme Vnction were Sacraments of the new Testament The Ambassadours of the Protestants would haue given in the confession of their Faith and summe of their doctrine to the Councell but the Popes Legate repelled them because they did not signifie in the title thereof that they would submit themselues to the Councell In the meane time there was warre in Germany betweene Charles the Emperour and Maurice Duke of Saxonie which was the cause of the hastie dissolution of the second meeting of the Councell of Trent vnder Pope Iulius For the Bishops of Mentz and Cullen made haste to returne to Germany Likewise all the Bishops of Italy hearing that Duke Maurice had taken the town of Ausbrough returned home the Spanish Bishops alone who remained a space behind the rest at Trent assembled themselues together the 29. of Aprill anno 1552. and put off the Councell till a new meeting after the issue of two yeeres or more as should be found meet The third meeting of the Councell of Trent THe Bishops of Spaine supposed that the Councell should haue met againe within two yeeres Neverthelesse there intervened nine yeeres before it could be gathered againe For after the death of Iulius the third vnder whom the second meeting was succeeded Marcellus who lived not aboue the space of 20. dayes in his Popedome and after him Paulus the fourth who governed foure yeeres two moneths and 27. dayes And after him Pius the fourth in whose time this last meeting of the Councell of Trent was appointed Their first Session was kept the 18. day of Ianuary anno 1562. wherein was decreed that the bookes written by diuerse Authors since the springing vp of heresies for so they called the preaching of the Gospell should be viewed and revised and that all who had fallen backe from the vnity of the Church of Rome vnto any kinde of heresie should be exhorted to returne againe with promise of great clemency and indulgence if they would so doe The second Session was kept the 26. day of February anno 1562. wherein certaine persons were specially nominated and chosen to examine those bookes which was suspect of heresie and to report their iudgement backe againe to the Councell Likewise all men were exhorted to resort to the Councell with peaceable hearts voyd of all contention and heate and safe conductors were promised to them who would come thereto In the third and fourth Session nothing was done but the time of keeping the next Session was appointed In the fift Session kept the 26. day of Iuly anno 1562. it was decreed that the Laike people were not bound by an absolute necessitie to communicate vnder both formes of bread and wine But the Church had power to dispose concerning the outward ministration of the Sacraments providing the substance were kept according as they should find expedient for the good of the receiuers The sixt Session was kept the 17. day of September anno 1562. wherin was cōcluded that the whole Masse was a propitiatorie sacrifice for the quicke the dead whosoeuer should say that it was onely a sacrifice of thanksgiving and a commemmoration of Christs death onely are pronounced to be accursed The seventh Session was kept the 15. day of the moneth of Iuly anno 1563. wherein certaine Canons were set forth concerning the Sacrament of Orders and it was accounted a Sacrament of the new Testament In the eight Session it was not onely decreed that mariage is a Sacrament of the new Testament but also the Roman Church assembled at Trent as a troubled Sea that can not rest but cast out her froth and filth to the shore laying aside all shame and due reverence to the Scriptures of God they pronounce all men to be accursed who will not grant that the Church hath power to dispense with the Law of God conteined in the 18. of