thirteene yeares Hee delighted to haue about him wife and learned Counsellers such as Fabius Sabinus Domitius Vlpianus c. This renowned Lawyer Vlpianus was not a friend to Christians but by collecting together a number of lawes made against Christians in times past hee animated the hearts of Iudges against them And this is a piece of the rebuke of Christ that Christians haue borne continually to be hated of the wise men of the world Hereof it came to passe that in this Emperours time albeit hee was not so bloody as many others had beene before him and therefore his Empire was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is vnbloody yet not a few suffered martyrdom even in the daies of Alexander such as Agapetus a young man of fifteene yeares old at Praeneste a towne of Italie hee was assayed with many torments and finally with the sword he was beheaded The Iudge who gaue out sentence of death against him fell out of his iudiciall seat and suddenly dyed The martyrdome of Cecilia if by her trauells Valerian her espoused husband and Tiburtius his brother and 400. moe had beene converted to Christ and secretly baptized by Vrbanus Bishop of Rome immediatly before her death I marvell that no mention should bee made by Eusebius of such a rare and miraculous worke Senators and noble men at Rome such as Pammachius Simplicius and Quiritius with their wiues and children died for the faith of Christ with many others The favour that this Emperour shewed to Christians against whom the very stubbering cookes did contend challenging vnto themselues the right of a place wherein Christians were accustomed to conveene for exercise of divine seruice this favour I say seemeth to haue proceeded from the councell of Mammea his Christian mother rather then from the counsell of Vlpianus that renowned lawyer an hatefull aduersarie to Christians But Mammea his mother hearing the report of the learning of Origen sent for him and by him was instructed in the groundes of Christian faith The learned doctour who wrote the booke of the martyrs very judiciously obserueth the iniquitie of this time whereinto no Christian Churches were erected when as yet notwithstanding of the fauour of the Emperour at some times no publicke house could quietly be obtained for the Christians so that by reason hereof may appeare the decretall epistle of Pope Hyginus concerning the dedication of Churches is forged and fained because the raigne of Alexander is a long time posterior to the dayes of Hyginus who liued vnder the raigne of Antoninus Pius and in the raigne of A lexander as yet there was great difficultie to obteine a place whereinto Christians might assemble together The just deserued punishment of Turinus whom the Emperour caused to bee fastened to a stake in the open market place and thereto be killed with smoke the Herald standing by and crying to the people Smoke he sold and with smoke hee is punished This punishment I say declareth that this Emperour counted flatterers worthy of great punishment Alexander and his mother Mammea were both slaine by his owne souldiers Maximinus AFter Alexander Seuerus Maximinus was Emperour and raigned 3. yeeres A man of base parentage of an huge stature promoted to honours by Alexander who nourished a serpent in his owne bosome as the prouerbe speaketh when he aduanced Maximinus an ingrate foster to great dignities and honours For by his meanes the armie killed Alexander and his mother Mammea and saluted him and his sonne Emperours without aduise of the Romane Senate a man hated of all good men beloued of euill men more grieuous to the citizens of Rome then to their enemies who for hatred of the house of Alexander as Eusebius recordeth raised vp the sixt persecution against Christians specially against the teachers and leaders of the Church thinking the sooner to vanquish the rest if the Captaines and guiders of them were made out of the way Origen at this time wrote a booke de martyrie and dedicated it to Ambrosius and Protectetus pastors of the Church of Caesarca because these two vnder this persecution had susteined great afflictions and constantly perseuered in the true faith No persecution was more violent no persecution endured shorter time In no persecution are the names of suffering martyrs so obscured and couered with silence possibly because the booke of Origen de martyrio through injurie of time is not to be found therefore some learned men doe referre the martyrdome of such as we haue spoken of in the dayes of Alexander to this time or to the persecution of Decius I will not dispute of such doubtsome things Three other things that are more necessarie to the edification of the Church I will touch First the malice of the deuill who hateth the welfare of the sheepfold of Christ and laboureth either to spoyle it of true Pastors or to send in among them poore sheepe hyrelings and men not regarding the wellfare of the flock but their own gaine or else if they haue true Pastors to mooue the flocke to be disobedient to faithfull and vigilant Pastors The stocke that can eschew all these three snares of the deuill and all these three wofull calamities so oft seasing vpon the poore sheepefolde they are in good estate Reade Chrysostome writing vpon the 13. chap. Heb. ver 17. Another thing is worthie to be marked that in three great persecutions in the fift sixt and seuenth Origen a man more renowmed in his life time then after his death God vouchsafed vpon him two great honours but not the third whereof he was most of all desirous He encouraged his father Leonides and his disciples Plutarchus two Sâ—reni Heron and Heraclides patiently to suffer martyrdome in the dayes of Seuerus Next hee wrote a booke de martyrio in the daies of Maximinus the sixt persecuter whereby doubtlesse many were incouraged patiently to suffer euill for Christs sake What remaineth now but the third and principall honour of martyrdome it selfe wherevnto he had a bent desire in the dayes of Decius the 7. persecuter but then he fainted as shall be declared hereafter God willing When we call to minde this weakenes of Origen let all the cogitations of our heartes stoope and thinke that we are not meete for great things but if the Lord call vs to suffer great things for his Names sake the Lord perfite his strength in our infirmitie and weakenesse Thirdly let vs marke the great difference that is betweene the volume of the booke of holy canonicke and sacred Scripture and all other bookes whatsoeuer In Scripture the ouerpassing of matters of great importance and moment is not for ignorance misknowledge or doubting of those things that are ouerslidden but for mysterie and representation of things more necessarie to be knowne as namely when Moses a most accurat writer of the life death and genealogies of holy Patriarches ouerpasseth the description of the genealogie
and slew a great number of them By this the Emperour cleerly perceived the treason of Stilico and caused him and his sonne to bee slaine but to his owne great hurt hee appointed no generall Commander of the army in his place Alaricus and his army were enraged partly by their losse and partly by remembrance of the covenant made with them and incontinent violated Therefore they turned backe againe and invaded Italy with all their might and besieged Rome two yeeres and tooke it in the yeere of our Lord 410. or as some reckon 412. In the midst of burning slaying robbing and military outrage some fauour was showne by the expresse commandement of Alaricus to such as fled to Christian Churches for safetie of their liues Alaricus led his army from Rome and was purposed to sayle to Africke there to settle his abode but being driven backe with tempestuous windes hee wintred in Consentia where hee ended his life Alaricus in his life-time had given in marriage Placidia the sister of Honorius to Ataulphus his neerest kinsman and Ataulphus after the death of Alaricus raigned over the Gothes The Gothes vnder the conduct of Ataulphus returned backe againe to Rome Placidia through her intercession purchased great good to the towne of Rome the Gothes abstained from burning and shedding of blood and addressed themselues toward France and Spaine Theodosius 2. and Valentinian 3. AFter Arcadius raigned his sonne Theodosius the second 42. yeeres His vncle Honorius governed in the West After whose death the whole government pertained to Theodosius who associated vnto himselfe Valentinian the third the sonne of Placidia his fathers sister Theodosius in godlinesse was like vnto his grandfather in collecting a great librarie of good bookes nothing inferiour to Ptolemaus Philadelphus In collecting in one short sum the Iawes of kings and princes he tread a path whereinto Iustinian walked following Theodosius example and benefited all men desirous of learning His house was like vnto a sanctuarie for exercises of reading of holy Scripture and deuote prayers He was of a meeke tractable nature almost beyond measure his facilitie in subscribing vnread letters was corrected by the prudēt aduice of his sister Pulcheria In these two Emp. time the estate was mightily crossed troubled by strangers By the procurement of Bonifacius deputie of Africke the Vandales vnder the conduct of Gensericus their king came into Africk tooke the towne of Carthage other principall townes and settled their abode in that countrie Valentinian 3. Emp. of the West was compelled to make a couenant with the Vandales to assigne vnto them limited bounds in Africke for their dwelling place The Vandales were partly Pagans and partly Arrians whereby it came to passe that the true Church in Africke was persecuted with no lesse inhumanitie and barbarous crueltie by Gensericus King of the Vandales then it was in the dayes of the Emp. Dioclesian Attila King of the Hunnes encombred the Romane Empire with greater troubles Theodosius Emperour of the East bought peace with payment of a yearly tribute of gold to Attila Valentinian the third by the meanes of Aetius his chiefe Counseller allured Theodoricus King of the Westerne Gothes to take his part The parties fought in the fieldes called Catalaunici a great fight wherein a hundreth and fourescore thousand men were slaine And Theodoricus King of the Gothes in this battell lost his life Attila was compelled to flee Thrasimundus the sonne of Theodoricus was very willing to pursue Attila for desire he had to reuenge his fathers slaughter but hee was stayed by Aetius This counsell seemes to be the occasion of his death Valentinian commanded to cut off Aetius Attila finding that the Romane armie was destitute of the conduct of so wise a gouernour as Aetius was he tooke courage againe and in great rage set himselfe against Italie tooke the townes of Aquileia Ticinum and Millane sacked and ruined them and set himselfe directly against Rome with intention to haue vsed the like crueltie also against it But Leo Bishop of Rome went foorth and with gentle words so mitigated his mind that he left besieging of the towne of Rome Soone after this Attila died the terrour of the world and the whip wherewith God scourged many nations Valentinian the thirde after hee had raigned in whole 30. yeeres was cut off for the slaughter of Aetius Maximus vsurped the Kingdome and violently tooke vnto himselfe Eudoxia the relict of Valentinian but shee was relieued againe by Gensericus King of Vandales who led an armie to Rome and spoyled the towne and relieued Eudoxia and carried her and her daughters to Africke and gaue Honoricus his sonne in marriage vnto her eldest daughter Maximus was cut in pieces by the people his body was cast into Tyber From this time foorth the Empire vtterly decayed in the West vntill the dayes of Carolus Magnus so that Anitus Richimex Maioranus Severus Anthemius Olybrius Glycerius Nepos Orestes and his sonne Augustulus they continued so short time and gouerned so vnprosperously that their names may bee left out of the rolle of the Emperours Now to returne againe to Theodosius Emperour in the East a King beloued of God in so much that by praier hee obtained of God a wonderfull deliuerance to Ardaburius captaine of his armie When his vncle had ended his life Ardaburius was sent against a tyrant Iohn who did vsurpe the Kingdome in the West The ship whereinto Ardaburius failed by tempest of weather was driuen to Rauenna where the tyrant Iohn tooke him prisoner Aspar the captaines sonne beeing conducted by an Angell of God as Socrates writeth entred in Rauenna by the passage of the loch which was neuer found dried vp before that time the portes of the towne were patent so that Aspar and his armie entred into the towne slew the tyrant Iohn and relieued Ardaburius his father This miraculous deliuerance is thought to be the fruite of the effectuall prayers of the godly Emperour His death was procured by a fall from his horse after which hee was diseased and died an Emperour worthy of euerlasting remembrance Martianus MArtianus by the meanes of Pulcheria the sister of Theodosius was aduanced to the Kingdome with whom Valentinian the thirde of whom I haue already spoken raigned 4. yeeres Martianus albeit hee obtained the gouernment in a time most troublesome when the Gothes Vandales Hunnes and Herules had disquieted the estate of the Roman Empire out of measure yet by the prouidence of God the short time of his gouernment was peaceable for he raigned not fully 7 yeere and he left behind him great griefe in the hearts of the people because a gouernement so good and godly endured so short time Concerning the councell of Chalcedon assembled by him it is to be referred vnto the owne place Leo. AFter Martianus succeeded Leo and gouerned 17. yeeres He was godly peaceable not vnlike Martianus his predecessor He interposed his authoritie to
of the West Now Irene was deposed and banished by Nicephorus who raigned eight yeeres after her banishment CENTVRIE IX Carolus Magnus IN the yeere of our Lord 801. Charles the Great King of France was declared Emperour by Leo the third Bishop of Rome and hee raigned sixteene yeeres in his Imperiall dignity for hee continued King of France forty and six yeeres The Empire of the West had beene cut off since the dayes of Augustulus the sonne of Orestes whom Odoacer King of Rugiheruli c. had compelled to denude himselfe of the Imperiall dignity Now after the issue of 300. yeeres and after the Hunnes the Gothes the Lombards and other Nations had obtained dominion in the West all abstaining notwithstanding of their prevailing power from the name dignity and stile of Emperours Now at length I say Charles the Great is anoynted and crowned Emperor by Leo the third in the towne of Rome And this was the beginning of that evill custome which after followed to wit That Emperours should receiue their coronation from the Bishops of Rome At this time the Empire of the East was in the hands of the Empresse Irene and in the hands of the Emperour Nicephorus who had banished Irene and raigned in her stead The Empire of the East was also weake at this time as appeareth by a covenant of peace which they concluded with Charles Emperour of the West in the which no mention is made of Exarchatus Ravennae to be rendred againe vnto them onely that the Isle of Sicile and the townes and lands which lie from Naples Eastward on the right hand and from Manfredonia sometimes called Syponto on the left hand compassed about with the Seas called Superum Inferum these should remaine in the possession of the Emperours of Constantinople ' Charles a prudent and godly Emperour more sound and vpright in sundry heads of Christian doctrine then many others for hee detested the worshipping of Images as vile Idolatry as appeareth by his bookes written against the second Councell of Nice Charles was very friendly to Christians and defended them against the violence and tyranny of their persecuting enemies namely against Godfridus King of Denmarke a fierce adversary against the Christians who dwelt in Saxony Likewise hee subdued the Slavonians and Bohemians enemies to Christian Religion and was iustly called Magnus for his great exploits and valiant acts which God prospered in his hand Pipinus the sonne of the Emperour Charles was declared King of Italy who died before his father and after his death hee appointed Bernard his nephew to raigne in Italy with expresse commandement That hee should bee obedient to his sonne Ludovicke whome hee ordained to be successour to himselfe in the Imperiall office So the Emperor Charles full of dayes died in the 71. yeere of his age and was buried in Aken Ludovicus Pius AFter Charles succeeded his sonne Ludovicus Pius and raigned 26. yeeres For his gentle and meeke behaviour he was called Pius He received the Imperiall Diadem from Stephanus the fourth at Aken Bernard his brothers sonne forgetfull of the mandate of Charles the Great rebelled against Ludovicus Pius and was beheaded at Aken Likewise his owne sonnes assisted with Hugobortus Bishop of Lions and Bernhardus Bishop of Vienne and other Bishops who did excommunicate the Emperour for adherence to Iudith his wife behaued themselues very vndutifully towards their father Neverthelesse he freely pardoned his sonnes and accepted them againe into favour Also Fredericke Bishop of Vtrecht threatned to excommunicate the Emperour if hee did noâ— forsake the company of Iudith his welbeloved wife and daughter to the Duke of Bavaria because shee was his neere kinswoman to wit in degrees of consanguinity for bidden in the Popish lawe The Empresse willing to bee revenged of the Bishop shee hired two Gentlemen who set vpon him after Church service and slew him in his Priestly garments In his time also the Saracens in huge numbers like vnto Locusts swarmed out of Egypt and Africke and invaded the Isle of Sicile By cutting downe all fruitfull trees burning Townes Temples and Monasteries and by killing Bishops Priests and Monkes they brought the I le to an vtter desolation Gregory the fourth at that time was Pope and hee exhorted the Emperour and his sonne Lotharius to support the distressed estate of the Isle of Sicile They answered That albeit that matter duly belonged to Michael Emperour of Constantinople yet neverthelesse they refused not to vndertake the worke vpon the common charges of the Countrey Now whilest these things were in reasoning Bonifacius Count of Corsica and his brother Bertarius with support of the people of Hetruria arrived with a Navie at Africke and betwixt Vtica and Carthage encountred with the Saracens foure times and slew of them so great a number that they were compelled to recall their forces backe againe from Sicile like as of old the Carthaginians vexed by Scipio recalled Hanniball for the safety of his owne country So Bonifacius returned back againe with an army victorious and richly lodened with the spoyle of his enemies Nothing was more vnprovidently done by the good Emperour Lodovicus Pius then the giving ouer of that right voluntarily conferred to Charles his father by Adrian the first and Leo the third to wit That no man should be elected Pope without the consent and allowance of the Emperour This foresaid right Ludovicus gaue over to the Clergie and people of Rome onely the Romanes for keeping of friendshippe should send an Ambassadour to the King of France declaring whom they had elected to bee Pope Hereby a patent doore was opened to all mischiefe which after followed and to that horrible contention betwixt Emperours and Popes concerning investment of Bishops In his time three Emperours raigned in the East at Constantinople to wit Leo Armenius Michael Balbus and Theophilus Leo Armemenius raigned seven yeeres Hee banished Nicephorus Patriarch of Constantinople for defending adoration of Images Michael Balbus slew Leo his predecessor whilst he was praising God in the Church and raigned in his stead nine yeeres In his time the Saracens mightily prevailed a number of them issued out of Spaine and tooke the Isle of Candie Another company comming from Africke wasted the Isle of Sicile Theophilus raigned ten yeeres and fought against the Saracens who did oppresse the countrey of Asia but he had no good successe Lotharius LOtharius the sonne of Ludovicus Pius was declared King of Italy and Augustus before his fathers death He was anoynted by Pope Paschalis in the Church of Saint Peter and he raigned 15. yeeres Great hostility and bloody warres fell out amongst the children of Ludovicus Pius to wit Lotharius Lewis Charles and Pipinus fordividing of their fathers Lands In this civill dissention the Nobility of France was so miserably weakened that the Normans and Danes tooke boldnesse to invade the countrey of France which they vexed for the space of twenty yeeres In the East after Theophilus had concluded
raising vp of the bones of the men of God Bucer and Fagius out of their graues and the cruelty intended against her owne sister Lady Elizabeth all these things being so well and amply discoursed in the Booke of Martyrs the godly Reader is to be remitted to the reading of the sayd booke Now to conclude this Historie of Charles something is to be noted of his warres with the Turkes In his time Solyman the great Turke conquered the citie of Belgrade the most sure and strong garrison of the Christians and vexed the countrey of Hungarie He besieged the Isle of Rhodes and tooke it to the great shame and rebuke of Christian men who provided not support for the Rhodians that resisted the common enemy so long and so couragiously After this Solyman slew Lewis King of Hungarie and Paulus Bishop of Collen who more rashly then wisely with a small power of foure and twenty thousand men encountered the great Turke leading an army of 200000. souldiers Also hee besieged Vienna but was mightily resisted and repulsed with losse of a great number of his army all this was done before the Emperour Charles began to stirre himselfe against the Turke but when the matters of religion in Germanie were put to some point in the Councell of Ratisbon the Emperour raised an army of eighty thousand footmen and thirty thousand horsemen and compelled the Turke to raise his siege from the towne of Gunza and with speed to retyre backe to Constantinople After this Charles sayled with an army vnto Africa and restored the King of Tunis to his kingdome againe whom Barbarossa Admirall of the Turkes Navie in Africke had dispossessed and deprived of his kingdome In this same voyage he delivered 20000. captiues out of servitude Notwithstanding Solyman with vnsatiable ambition pnft vp to conquer all Europe was ever subduing townes and Isles as Corcyra Zacynthus Cythara Naxus with diverse others also the towne of Newcastle in Dalmatia and Buda in Hungarie which hee obtained by meanes of Frier Cogdridge Tutor to Stephen sonne to Iohn Vaivod of Transilvania and meanes of the relict widow of the sayd Vaivod These two sent for aide to the Turke against Ferdinand and the Turke not neglecting so good an occasion came to Hungarie discharged the Hoast of Ferdinand that was besieging Buda and got the citie into his owne hands Which done hee prevailed mightily in Hungarie and tooke the towne called Quinque ecclesiae and Strigonium Alba regalis and Vizigradum and it was an easie matter for him to haue conquered all Hungarie in respect the Emperour Charles was so busie in warres with the King of France that the common enemy of all Christian people had leave to rage at his owne pleasure and had it not beene the gracious providence of God pitying the misery of Christian people who stirred vp the Persian Sophie against Solyman and droue him backe out of Europe for a time and likewise the murther of his owne sonne Mustapha which stirred vp a peece of a Tragedie in his owne house the Christian people had no doubt beene brought to greater extremities in Solymans dayes The vnprosperous voyage of the Emperour to Argier I passe by and many conventions of Estates in Germanie kept for quieting of religion and preparation for warre against the Turkes In the end the Emperour finding himselfe troubled with sicknesse resigned the gouernment of the Low Countries into the hands of King Philip his sonne and surrendred the Imperiall crowne vnto the Electors of Germany sayled vnto Spaine where hee entered into an house of religion and gaue himselfe to meditation and prayer and there concluded his life Ferdinandus AFter that Charles the fift had surrendered the Imperiall crowne into the hands of the Electors of Germany they assembled at Frankford and there elected Ferdinand King of Bohemia and brother to the forenamed Charles the fift to bee Emperour who raigned seven yeeres The ancient manner was that he should be crowned in the forenoone at masse but because diverse of the Electors would not in any wise come to masse the coronation was solemnized in the afternoone and the masse with other like ceremonies omitted To this King before hee was elected Emperour his Nobles in the countrey of Bohemia made earnest supplication that they might bee permitted to vse the Sacrament in both kindes according to Christs institution but he strictly commanded them they attempted no alteration in religion Neverthelesse the Nobility continuing constant in the purpose of their mindes at last after many earnest suits obtained their desire In France about this time the persecution of the Protestants waxed hot and King Henry the second was sore grieved that the Parliament of Paris it selfe could not be kept free of this new doctrine as hee called it Wherefore hee caused Annas Burgeus an honourable and wise Counsellor to be taken to whom hee spoke in great wrath that hee would stand by and see his body burnt for that new religion which hee favoured But hee was wonderfully cut off before hee could get his heart satisfied with that pitifull spectacle of the burning of a noble Counsellor For God so disposed the matter that the King cloathed all in armour put a speare in one of his subiects hands and compelled him against his will to runne at him at which time the said speare broke and a small splinter of it entring at the Kings eye pierced into his braine whereby hee died Yet by his death was not the foresaid persecution relented but rather vehemently augmented for Francis the second succeeding to his father Henry in the the kingdome married Mary Queene of Scots who was descended of the linage and stocke of the house of Guise By this meanes the Guisians were in great credit and authority with the King and presumed to high things not onely to suppresse the Gospell vtterly in France but also in Scotland For at this time a great part of the Nobility and people of Scotland had shaken off the yoke of the Romane Bishop they had throwne downe Altars and Images and had forsaken all the superstitious ceremonies of the Romane Church The Guisians purposing to supresse the Scotish Nobility sent out of France into Scotland an army of 4000 men vnder the conduct of Monsieur La Broch This army assisted the Queene regent to reduce backe againe the kingdome of Scotland to the Romish religion But the Scottish Nobility obtayned helpe of the Queene of England and brought the Frenchmen to such extremity that they were compelled to accept conditions of peace and to retyre backe againe to France So this first high attempt of the Guisians against the reformed religion in Scotland was by the providence of God disappointed In France the King with advice of the Guisians had appointed a nationall Councell to bee kept in Orleance for the quieting the tumults which were like to ensue for religion in France but all was done in hypocrisie and with deceitfull
in probation hee should be counted infamous how eminent so euer his dignitie and estate shall be The compiler of this supposititious decretal epistle had no consideration of the time wherein Caius liued It was a time of persecution Christian Bishops were continually drawne before secular Iudges accused of odious crimes whereof they were most innocent and Caius himselfe was compelled to lurke a long time in a subterraneall caue At this time to bring in Caius as it were sitting in a throne commanding that no Bishop should be accused before a secular Iudge c. what is this else but profusion of words without judgement and vnderstanding If this decretall epistle had beene attributed to Bonifacius 8. Gregorius 7. Alexander 3. it had bin a more competent time and the constitution had seemed more probable to the reader Moreouer the language is like vnto the matter it selfe Intelligat jacturam infamiae se sustinere in place of jacturam famâ— Marcellinus the 28. Bishop of Rome succeeded to Caius and ruled 9. yeeres he fainted in time of the persecution of Dioclesian and sacrificed to idols but afterward hee repented as Peter did and gaue his life for the testimonie of Christ. He who accuseth himselfe closeth all other mens mouths from accusation of him hee who truly repenteth by his repentance is restored to all the dignities of the children of God which were lost by sinne hee who suffered martyrdome for Christ and he whose body lacked the honour of buriall for the space of 30. dayes for the cause of Christ onely I say his name should be kept in reuerent remembrance as if hee had not fallen After Marcellinus succeeded Marcellus the 29. B. of Rome who continued in that Ministration 5. yeere 6. months 21. dayes He liued in the dayes of Maxentius by whom he was enclosed into a filthie stable to the end that lacking the salubritie of wholsome aire he might be destroyed with the filth stinke of the dung of beast which thing also came to passe indeed for he died in the stable This holy martyr so long as he liued he made the stable likâ— vnto a sanctuarie for he neuer intermitted the holy exercises of prayer fasting and the church when peace was granted to them by the mercy of God builded a temple in that same place where the stable had beene wherein Marcellus died The name of Marcellus is pretermitted by Eusebius After Marcellus succeeded Eusebius the 30. Bishop of Rome and continued 6 yeeres 1. month 3. dayes In his time Platina writeth that Helena the mother of Constantine found the crosse of Christ. But Onuphrius himselfe is compelled to grant that both Damasus and Platina erred in that narration because Constantine at this time had no dominion in Syria neither was he as yet conuerted to the faith of Christ. But the tyrant Maximinus with great crueltie oppressed the Church of Christ in the boundes of Syria and Iudea And therefore such as read the historie of the primitiue Church let them read with judgement because it is an easie thing to erre if any man giue such vndoubted credit to ecclesiasticall writers as he giueth to sacred scripture Of other Preachers and Doctors TErtullian a learned Preacher of the African Province of the citie of Carthage a man of a quick pregnant wit flourished vnder the raigne of Severus the fift persecuter When hee came to Rome hee was not free of the envie and reproaches of the clergie of the Romane Church and mooved with anger hee declined to the opinion of the heretique Montanus and wrote books against the true Church such as the volumes following De pudicitia De persecutione De iâ—iuniâ—s De monogamia De exsasi lib. 6. and his seventh booke against Apollonius This lamentable defection of Tertullian may bee an example to all men of great vnderstanding and excellent learning not to bee puft vp nor to be high minded lest they fall into the snare of the divell For Tertullian wrote learned apologies for the Christians and mightily confuted the errour of Marcion notwithstanding of all this hee was high minded and ioyned himselfe to the opinion of Montanus If hee had kept himselfe free of this foule spot hee was worthie for his gifts to haue beene counted amongst the most famous Doctors of the Church after the dayes of the Apostles Origen the sonne of Leonides an Egyptian was a young man of seventeene yeeres of age when his father was martyred in the persecution of Severus His wit was so pregnant in his youth and so capable of all kinde of instruction that his father would often vncover his brest when hee was a sleepe and kisse it giving thankes to God who had made him father of so happy a sonne After his fathers death hee sustayned himselfe his mother and six brethren by keeping a Schoole for all his fathers goods was confiscate for his confession of Christ. When Origen had spent his young age the description of his life in Greeke saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is when hee was in his mid-age the Churches of Achaia vexed with heretiques sent for him and as hee was vpon his iourney to Athens hee went through Palestina and was ordained to be a Presbyter or Priest by Alexander Bishop of Ierusalem and Theoctistus Bishop of Caesarea This fact offended Demetrius Bishop of Alexandria so highly that he was full of rage against Origen and wherefore because he being a man of Alexandria received ordination to an Ecclesiasticall office from the Bishops of Ierusalem and Caesarea When Bishops become serious in trifling matters and haue a greater regarde to their owne glory then to the advancement of the kingdome of God then that may bee spoken of them which Ierome writeth of Demetrius Qui tanta in eum debacchatus est insania vt per totum mundum super eius nomine scriberet that is Hee was so full of rage against him that hee replenished the world with writings mentioning the name of Origen But consider what fault was in Origen who was craving no ordination And what fault was in Alexander and Theoctistus men whose names shall be had in everlasting remembrance They did nothing of intention to grieue the heart of Demetrius Bishop of Alexandria but onely being carefull of the advancement of the kingdome of God they endeavoured to strengthen the hands of Origen against the heretickes of Achaia by conferring vnto him the calling of a Presbyter No man can iustly offend against me if I cast in this sentence as a common admonition to all Preachers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let vs not bee ouer serious in ridiculous matters The name of Origen was so famous that not onely the Bishops of Achaia sollicited him to come to their bounds for stopping the mouthes of Heretickes but also hee was sent for at two diverse times to be present at the Councels convened in Arabia against heretickes Some Heretickes
relieued Rome from the siege of the Lombardes but also bestowed vppon the chaire of Rome the dominions of Rauenna and Penta-polis appertaining to the Emperour of the East and which they enjoyed since the death of Narses 170. yeeres In so doing there was such bargaining betwixt the kinges of France and the Popes as was of olde betwixt Herod and the Iewes he gratified them with the blood of Christes Apostles and they gratified him on the other part by giuing to him the glory of God Euen so Zacharias bishop of Rome bestowed vpon Pipinus the kingdome of France which duly appertained to another and Pipinus againe bestowed vpon the chaire of Rome the dominion of Rauenna Pentapolis which duely appertained to the Emp. of the East It shall not be amisse to make a particular rehearsall of the townes territories bestowed vpon the church of Rome by the donatioÌ„ of Pipinus but not of Constantine as they haue rumored most fabulously many yeares agoe In primis Rauenna Bononia Imola Fauentia Commaclum Hadria Pompilii Forum Leuii Forum Cesena Bobium Ferraria Ficoclas and Gabellum all these townes were vnder the dominion of Rauenna And in Pentapolis Ariminum Pisaurum Concha Fanum Senogallia Ancona Auximum Hummanam Aesium Sempronij Forum Mons Feretri Vrbium Balmense territorium Callas Luceolos Engubium together with the Castles and lands appertaining to these townes to wit the Prouinces called in our time Romandiola Marca Anconitana and of olde Aemilia Flaminea PicenuÌ„ Thus we see what a rich reward the chaire of Rome obtained for their defection froÌ„ the Emp. of the East and their fauour towards the kings of France Also for further confirmatioÌ„ of friendship betwixt the bishops of Rome and the kings of France Pope Stephanus the 2. procured that he should be inuited to be witnes at the baptisme of the king of Fraunce his yong son at which time as a man couetous of vaine glorie he suffered Pipinus Charles his son to kisse his feet to hold his stirrope to lead his horse by the brible and finally he was content to be mounted vp and carried vpon the shoulders of men leauing behind him an example of stinking pride to the posterity after following After Stephanus the secoÌ„d succeeded his brother Paulus the first who continued 10. yeeres and one month In antichristian pride he was nothing inferiour to his predecessours for he sent Ambassadours to the Emperour of the East Constantinus Copronymus to exhort him to restore againe the images of the Saints which hee had demolished with intermination of cursing if hee refused to bee obedient to the popes counsell In his time Aâ—stulphus King of Lombardes dyed and Desidâ—rius the last King of Lombards raigned in his stead Constantine the brother of Desiderius King of Lombardis succeeded to Paulus the first a man admitted to the Popedome before he received Ecclesiasticall orders therefore hee was hated of the people of Rome and denuded of his Papall dignity after hee had continued one yeere and one moneth Some writers affirme that his eyes were thrust out and that hee was sent to a Monasterie others affirme that hee was burnt with fire by the hatefull malice of the Romanes To him succeeded Stephanus the third who ruled foure yeeres fiue moneths and twenty seven dayes Hee gathered a Councell at Rome in the which twelue Bishops of France sent thither by Charles de Maine were present with the Bishoppes of Italy who disauthorized Constantine his predecessor and annulled all his decrees Likewise they damned the seventh generall Councell convened in Constantinople by Constantinus Copronymus wherein the worshipping of Images was disallowed But in this Laterane Councel assembled by Stephanus the third the worshipping of Images got allowance And it was thought that God and the Saints were in worser case then mortall Princes in case that Images might be made to represent mortall Princes but not to represent God and his Saints It was rumored in this Popes time that Charles King of France was of intention to marrie Bertha the daughter of Desiderius King of Lombards Stephanus fearing left this marriage should vndoe the friendship lately tracted betwixt the Bishops of Rome and the King of France disswaded Charles from the marriage aforesayd as if the marriage of a woman of the kindred of the Lombards were a mixing of darkenesse with light and of Belial with Christ. And the menacing letter of Stephanus the third prevailed so farre at the hands of Charles the Great that he repudiated Bertha the daughter of Desiderius his lawfull maried wife after he had cohabited with her one yeere and hee married another woman named Hildegarde of the Dukerie of Sweue These are the fruits of Antichristian pride to threaten the torments of hell against the Princes of the world for marriage if so be they fore-see any damage may redound to the chaire of Rome by the marriage of Princes After Stephanus the third succeeded Adrian the first and governed twenty three yeares ten moneths and seventeene dayes In his dayes Charles the Great came into Italy with an army and Desiderius King of Lombards his wife and children to Lions in France and vtterly subdued the kingdome of the Lombards which had continued in Italy 204. yeeres Now in the yeere of our Lord 776. this kingdome was abolished and vndone by Charles the Great king of France for the fauour he carried towardes the chaire of Rome Likewise hee augmented the donation of his father Pipinus and he bestowed vpon the Church of Rome the Isle of Corsica and the places lying betwixt Luca and Parma with the Dukedomes Spoleto and Benevento This being done Charles returned back againe to France carying with him Bertha his brothers wife and her children who came to Adrian Bishop of Rome hoping for favour at his hands and that he should haue anoynted her sonnes to bee Kings of France seeing Carolamannus their father was now dead but he delivered them into the hands of Charles and so Charles the Great raigned without exception as absolute Commander of France Irene the Empresse of the East during his Popedome assembled a great Councell at Nice in Bythinia where the adoration of Images was allowed In this Councell the Popes Ambassadors were present and his owne letter was read in the Councell no man gaue greater allowance to the worshipping of Images then Pope Adrian did as shall be declared God willing in the head of Councels It is to be marked that Platina writing of the death of Constantinus Copronymus is compelled to beare witnesse to the truth and testifie that the opinion of the leprosie of Constantine the Great was a notable fable and that it sprung vp by occasion of the disease of Constantinus Copronymus the father in law of the Empresse Irene To Adrian succeeded Leo the third and governed one and twenty yeeres He was hated by Pascalis and Campalus who lay in wait for him at the Church
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
Church were the good Merchants of whom Christ speaketh who having found a pearle of vnspeakeable value were content to sell all they had for loue of gaining it they had tasted of the Well of water springing vp into eternall life and thirsted not againe for the water that cannot satisfie the heart of man with ful contentment In this second great persecution the beloved disciple of Christ the Apostle Iohn was banished to the Isle of Patmos for the word of God Flavia Domicilla a woman of noble birth in Rome was banished to Pontia an Isle lying ouer against Caieta in Italy Protasius and Gervasius were martyred at Millain concerning the miracle wrought at their sepulchres God willing wee shall speake in the third Century and in the Treatise of Reliques Chytraus writeth that Timothie was stoned to death at Ephesus by the worshippers of Diana and that Dionysius Areopagita was slaine by the sword at Pareis Domitian had heard some rumors of the Kingdome of Christ and was afraid as Herod the great had beene after the Nativity of our Lord but when two of Christ kinsmen according to the flesh the Nephewes of the Apostle Iude were presented before him and hee perceived them to be poore men who gained their living by handy labour and when hee had heard of them that Christs Kingdome was not of this world but it was spirituall and that hee would come at the latter day to iudge the quick and the dead he despised them as simple and contemptible persons and did them no harme In the end as the life of Domitian was like vnto the life of Nero so was he not vnlike vnto him in his death for his owne wife and friends conspired against him and slew him his body was carried to the graue by porters and buried without honour The Senate of Rome also decreed that his name should bee rased and all his acts should bee rescinded Sueton. in Dom. Ierom. catal script eccles Nerva COccius Nerua after Domitian raigned one yeare foure moneths And hitherto all the Emperours that ruled were borne in Italy from henceforth strangers doe rule for Traian the adoptiue sonne of Nerva his successor was borne in Spaine Nerva redressed many things that were done amisse by Domitian and in his time the Apostle Iohn was relieued from banishment and returned againe to Ephesus where he died CENTVRIE II. Traianus TRaian the adopted sonne of Nerva was the first stranger who obtained that honour to bee King of the Romanes Hee raigned 19. yeares 6. moneths A man so exceeding well beloved of the Senate and of the people of Rome that after his dayes whensoever a new Emperour was elected they wished vnto him the good successe of Augustus and the vprightnesse of Traianus Notwithstanding of this hee was a cruell persecuter of Christians And this third persecution is iustly counted greater then the two preceeding persecutions To other afflictions now is added contempt and shame It was no great dishonour to bee hated of Nero and Domitian wicked men and haters of righteousnes but to bee hated and persecuted by Traian a man counted a patterne of vpright dealing this was a great rebuke Notwithstanding Christians looked to Iesus the author and finisher of their faith who for the ioy that was set before him endured the crosse and despised the shame and is set at the right hand of the throne of God Many haue more patiently endured paine in their flesh then shame and contempt in the world but Christs true Disciples must resolue to be a gazing stocke to all the world and to bee counted the off-scourings of the earth as the holy men of God did in the dayes of the Emperour Traian These were Citizens of heauen liuing in earthly tabernacles liuing vpon the earth but not fashioned according to the similitude of this world In doing great things by faith they surpassed mighty Monarches In patient suffering of evill they over-went admired Plilosophers In this persecution Simon the sonne of Cleopas an holy Apostle suffered martyrdome being now an hundreth and twenty yeares old hee was first scourged and then crucified but all this rebuke hee most patiently suffered for the name of Christ. Of Ignatius martyrdome wee haue spoke in the first Century the time of his suffering was in the time of Traianus Plinie the second Deputy in Bithynia breathing threatnings against innocent Christians persecuted great numbers of them to death In the end he was commoued and troubled in his owne mind cosidering both the number patient suffring of christians that were put to death he wrote to the Emperour declaring that Christians were men of good conversation and detested murther adultery and such other vngodlinesse onely they had conventions earely in the morning and they sang Psalmes to the honour of Christ whom they worshipped as God but they would not worship images here marke the portrait of the Ancient Apostolike Church and what conformity the Romane Church in our dayes hath with it the Lord knoweth This letter of Plinius mitigated the Emperours wrath in a part yet gaue hee no absolute commandement to stay the persecution but onely that the Iudges should not search them out narrowly but if any happened to bee presented before them then let them bee punished What confusion was in this edict it is well marked by Tertullian the one part of it repugneth to the other In forbidding to search them out narrowly hee declareth their innocency but in commanding to punish them when they were presented hee pronounceth them to bee guilty This is that Emperour for whose soule Gregory the first made supplications to God 400. yeares after his death and was heard of God as Damacen writeth This superstitious Monke of the descent of Saracens blood if he supposed Gregory to be so full of charity that hee prayed for the soule of one persecuting Emperour why would he not bring him in praying also for all the ten persecuting Emperours to the end that they being all delivered from the condemnation of hell heaven might be counted a mansion both for Christs true Disciples and also for Christs hatefull and impenitent enemies Adrianus AFter Traian AElius Adrianus raigned 21. yeares In his time Aristides and Quadratus the one a Bishoppe the other an Orator at Athens wrote learned apologies in defence of Christian Religion and did so mitigate the Emperours minde that in his time no new commandement was set forth to persecute Christians Barcochebas at this time perverted the Nation of the Iewes and called himselfe the promised Messias whom the foolish Iewes followed to their owne overthrow and destruction Tynius Rufus Deputy in Iudea besieged this man in Bethera a towne not farre distant from Ierusalem and destroyed him with all his adherents Also the whole Nation of the Iewes was banished from their natiue soyle and the towne of Ierusalem was taken from the Iewes and delivered to other Nations
death beginning of the life of Melchisedecke this was done of purpose to bring in Melchssedeck as a type and figure of the true king of peace Christ Iesus as the Apostle declareth Heb. 7. but among ecclesiasticall writers I finde a preterition of the names of these worthy Pastors who were martyred for the cause of Christ in the sixt persecution and this ouerpassing with silence so weightie a matter is a secret confession of ignorance in this part of the historie together with a doubting whether Vrbanus the first Valerianus Tiburtius Cecilia and Martina suffered vnder Alexander or vnder Maximinus or vnder Decius Yea Platina writeth it was the opinion of some men that Vrbanus 1. was martyred in the persecution of Dioclesian I haue insisted at greater length in this purpose to the end that euery man may giue vnto sacred scripture that reuerence that is due vnto it but other writings let vs reade them with judgement for assuredly there is palpable weaknes in them In the ende this wicked persecuter Maximinus and his sonne were slaine by his owne souldiers at the siege of Aquileia Gordianus THe tyrannie of Maximinus enforced both the Senate of Rome and likewise their oppressed confederates in Africke to aduise by what meanes the distressed estate of the Commonweale might be supported And first Gordianus a man of noble birth in Rome and at that time Praconsul in Africke with his sonne bearing the name of Gordianus with his father these two were declared to be Emperours to resist the tyrannie of Maximinus but they were both cut off by Capellianus Captaine of the Mauritanians Within a short time the senate of Rome chused Maximus Pupienus and Balbinus to be Emperours and to resist the tyrannie of Maximinus But this election displeased the people of Rome therefore they were compelled to associat Gordianus a yong man of 13. yeeres olde in conjunct authoritie with them This Gordianus was the nephew of him who was Proconsull in Africke and the souldiers made out of the way Max. Pupienus and Balbinus So Gordianus raigned himselfe alone without associats sixe yeeres Philippus PHilippus a man borne in Arabia and his sonne raigned fiue yeeres Eusebius saith 7. yeeres He was the first Emperour who became a Christian and was baptized by Fabianus B. of Rome He was content to stand among the number of the penitents who made confession of their sinnes for his life was reprooueable in somethings before his conuersion especially in slaying of Gordianus an Emperour inclined to peace Decius one of the Captaines of his armie conspired against him and slew him and his sonne raigned in his stead Decius DEcius and his sonne obteined the Empire 2. yeeres Whether for hatred of Philip his master whom he had slaine or for detestation of Christians or for couetous desire of the treasures of Philip left in the custodie of Fabian B. of Rome or for some other cause it is not certaine Alwayes he mooued a terrible persecution against the Christians The martyrs who suffered death in the time of this persecution were innumerable Some few of the principall martyres I shall rehearse Alexander Bishop of Ierusalem died in prison at Caesarea Babylas Bishop of Antiochia died likewise in prison Fabian Bishop of Rome suffered martyrdome Dionisius Alexandrinus by a wonderfull prouidence of God escaped the handes of persecuting enemies Ciprian Bishop of Carthage was banished and reserued to the honour of martyrdome vntill the dayes of Valerian the eight persecuter Origen who from his childhood was desirous of the honour of martyrdome in this persecution of Decius he fainted and his heart was so ouerset with feare to haue his chaste body defiled with an vgly Ethiopian that he choosed rather to offer incense to the Idol then to be so filthily abused For this cause he was excommunicated by the Church of Alexandria and for very shame fled to Iudea where he was not only gladly receiued but also requested publickly to preach at Ierusalem Neuerthelesse in stead of teaching he watred his face with teares when he reade these words of scripture To the wicked man saith God What hast thou to doe to declare mine ordinances that thou shouldest take my couenant in thy mouth Ps. 50. ver 16. These words so deepely wounded his heart with griefe that he closed the booke and fate downe and wept and all the congregation wept with him No pitie nor compassion was had neither of sexe or age In this persecution Apollonia a virgine of good yeeres after they had dashed her face with battons till all her teeth were stricken out of her jawes they burned her quicke at the port of Alexandria This is that holy martyr whose teeth the Romane Church in our dayes say that they haue them as holy monuments kept in the treasures of their reliques vntill this time But the tryall that was taken of late dayes by Henry the eight king of England seeking for the teeth of Apollonia as a remedy of the toothach clearly prooueth that many teeth are supposed to be the t eeth of Apollonia that were neuer fastened in her jaw bones The death of Quinia Ammonarion Mercuria Dionisia clearely declareth what pitie was had of the weakenesses of women Iulianus an olde and gowtie man burned with fire testifieth what regard was had to the gray haires of ancient men Dioscorus a yong man not exceeding 15. yeeres of age albeit they were ashamed to condemne him to death yet he escaped not many painfull torments and was a glorious Confessor with patient expectation awaiting vntill the Lord should call him to the honour of martyrdome Nemesion was accused in Alexandria as a companion of brigants and was punished with stripes and fire vnto the death with greater seueritie then any brigant albeit his innocencie was sufficiently knowne Ammon Zenon Ptolemeus Ingenuus Theophilus warri ours and knights standing by the tribunall seate beckened with their hands to a certaine weake Christian who for feare was readie to incline and fall that he should continue constant and stepped to the bench and professed themselues to be Christians This dayly increasing courage of Christians who were emboldened by the multitude of sufferings astonished terrified the Iudges Ischirion was slaine by his owne master The number of martyres in Alexandria and Egypt of whom Dionysius in this Epistle written to Fabius Bishop of Antiochia maketh mention clearely testifieth that if the names of all those who suffered martyrdome in the townes of Rome Carthage Antiochia Ephesus and Babilon were particularly set downe together with the names of others who suffered in other townes of Asia Africke and Europe subject to the dominiof the Roman Emperour it were not possible in the volume of a litle booke to comprehend them all For mine owne part I presume not to doe it but I reuerence the painfull trauelles of learned men who haue dipped deepely into such a fruitfull subject specially the writer
of the booke of martyres Onely I find somethings in this seuenth persecution which the principall purpose wherefore I haue collected this compend will not permit me to passe ouer with silence Namely these first let no ma n thinke that the veritie is weake and hath neede to be strengthened by a lie as Nicephorus is accustomed to doe The seuen martyres of Ephesus whose names were Maximianus Malchus Martinianus Dionysius Ioannes Serapion and Constantinus were lurking in a caue the entrie whereof Decius commanded to be closed with great heapes of stones to the end that the forenamed Christians might be killed with famine which came to passe indeede Yet famine could not separate these holy Martyres from Christ. But Nicephorus the father of many other fables also saith that they fell on sleepe which they continued till the time of Theodosius that is from the 250. vntill the 379. yeere of our Lord and then they did awake out of their sleepe saith Nicephorus But he who will giue hastie credite to Nicephorus fables writing of the 7. martyres who lurked in a caue of mount Caelius and to Euagrius description of Barsanuphius an Egyptian monke who enclosed himselfe in a cottage beside Gaza for the space of 50. yeares and vsed no kinde of bodily refreshment to sustaine his earthly tabernacle he may be easily led to all kinde of errour The second thing worthy to be marked is that many persecuted preachers had wiues and children as the historie recordeth Cheremon Bishop of a citie in Egypt called Nilus fled to the mountaines of Arabia accompanied with his wife and returned not againe to Egypt neither was he seene of those who sought him in the wildernesse Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria who miraculously escaped the crueltie of persecuters maketh expresse mention of his children Deo mihi vt migrarem praecipiente viámque mirabiliter aperiente ego liberi multi fratres egressisumus that is after that God had commanded me to remooue and had miraculously opened a passage vnto me I and my children and brethren went forth If antiquitie be regarded Bishops who doe marrie are not Nicolatian Heretiques but rather such as forbid to marrie teach a doctrine of deuils Thirdly it is to be marked that in time of this vehement persecution many fainted and fell backe from the open profession of Christian faith Others to prouide timous remedie against such defections gaue out a rigorous sentence against such as had fallen of infirmitie that they should not be receiued againe into the fellowship of the church In this opinion was Nouatus and his complices And by their example we should learne to beware of such men as vnder pretence of zeale perturbe the vnitie of the Church and inuent remedies to cure the maladies of the diseased Church which are worse then the sicknes it selfe as the Novatians did Weakenes at some time is to be pitied but deuilish rigour pitying no man who falleth of infirmitie is a lesson that hath no allowance in the booke of God This cruell tyrant after he had raigned two yeeres made warre against the Scythians some call them the Gothes by whom hee was vanquished in battell and fearing to be ouertaken and to come vnder the tyrannie of barbarous people he cast himselfe into a deepe pit where he ended his life and his body could not be found The great desolations that were made in the world about this time by the plague of pestilence the Ethnickes imputed the cause of them to the Christians But Cyprian whose pen the Lord guided better declared that the cause of all these calamities was the worshipping of Idols the contempt of Gods true seruice and the persecuting of innocent Christians Gallus and Volusian AFter Decius Gallus and Volusian his sonne raigned two yeeres Hee walked in the footsteps of Decius Hee was slaine by Emilian who presumed to raigne but he was so hastily made out of the way that Eusebius and many other Historians misknow his name in the Catalogue oâ— Emperours Valerianus and Gallienus VAlerianus and Gallienus his sonne raigned 15. yeeres viz. Gallienus with his father in coniunct authoritie 7. yeeres after his fathers captivity and death hee raigned alone eight yeeres In the first three or foure yeeres of the Empire of Valerian hee was favourable and friendly to Christians and great numbers of them were found in the Emperours Court But afterward hee was seduced by an Egyptian Sorcerer who hated Christians because that by them he was hindred from practicing his magicall charms So the eight persecution began vnder Valerian In this persecution suffered three Bishops of Rome Lucius Stephanus and Sixtus and a Deacon Laurence who was layd vpon an hot broyling iron and patiently endured the torment of fire This is that Deacon who called the poore the treasure of the Church for then is the Church rich when it is rich in good workes and feedeth clotheth and visiteth Christ in his hungry naked and diseased members Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria was banished to Cephro a place in the wildernesse of Libya Priscus Malâ—bus and Alexander were devoured by beasts in Caesarea Palestina Cyprian Bishop of Carthage was beheaded Marinus a Roman Captaine in Caesarea was envied for the dignity and honour he was advanced vnto and hee was accused to bee a Christian and consequently to bee vncapable of great preferments and dignities he was encouraged by Theotecnus Bishop of Caesarea patiently to suffer death for the cause of Christ by taking him into a secret chamber and laying before him a drawne sword and the booke of the Gospell and bidding him take his choice of one of these two which he liked best Marinus liked better the booke of the Gospell then of the sword and was martyred for the faith contained in that sacred booke of holy Scripture Astyrius a noble Senatour caryed the body of this holy Martyr Marinus vpon his own shoulders and buried it hounourably In the end the Lord delivered this persecuting Tyrant into the hand of Sapor King of Persia who not onely detained him in strait captivity but also abused him most filthily and made his bodie a footstoole and trampled vpon his necke at such times as he was about to mount on horsebacke This fearfull captivity of Valerian had vnto it a notable testimony of the wrath of God against persecuters For like as hee trampled vnder his feet the Church of Christ so in like manner the Lord gaue his necke and backe to be trampled vpon by the feet of his enemies This example of Gods heavie indignation somewhat terrified Galâ—ienus his sonne and he gaue out an edict for the safe returning of such as were banished to their own dwelling places and for staying the rage of persecution Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria having liberty granted by the Emperors edict to returne from banishment came back againe to Alexandria wherein hee found such terrible desolation by famine
Maximian retained to themselues These two Augusties raigned 20. yeeres Constantius Chlorus Caesar continued fifteene Galerius Caesar 21. yeeres Dioclesian and Maximianus Herculeus abstained from persecuting of Christians vntill the nineteene yeere of their raigne Before I touch the History of the tenth persecution three things are to be premitted First that after the persecution of Valerian the eight Persecuter the Church enioyed great peace which albeit it was like to bee cut off by the altered minde of Aurelian yet the wise dispensation of the wisdome of God provided that all his cruell enterprises were disappointed The righteous Lord cutted the cords of the wicked Secondly Christians were in great favour and credit with Emperours and to them was committed the gouernment of Provinces and Nations as cleerly appeared in the preferment of Dorotheus and Gorgonius Thirdly they had libertie to build Oratories and Temples large and ample in every Citie All this came to passe in the forty yeeres peace that intervened betweene the raigne of Valerian and the nineteenth yeere of the raigne of Dioclesian Yet the Church of Christ in this short time began to be festred with the corrupt manners of carnall and fleshly people so that contentions abounded but charity waxed cold in the Church of God What wonder was it then that the Lord permitted this tenth and most horrible persecution of Dioclesian to stirre and to waken drowsie Christians who were beginning to be fashioned according to the likenesse of the world In the nineteenth yeere of his Imperiall authority and in the moneth of March this horrible persecution began to arise Dioclesian in the East and Maximianus in the West bending all their forces to roote out the profession of Christians out of the world Dioclesian was pufft vp in pride for his manifold victories and triumphes and would bee counted a God and adorned his shooes with gold and precious stones and commanded the people to kisse his feete This Persecution continued ten yeeres even vntill the seventh yeere of the raigne of Constantine the great So that whatsoever cruelty was practised by Maximinianus Maximinus Maxentius and Licinius all goeth vnder the name of Dioclesian the author of this tenth persecution Cruell edicts and proclamations were set forth in the beginning of this persecution cōmanding to overthrow cast to the ground the Temples of Christians to burne the bookes of holy Scripture to displace all such as were magistrates and were in office and to cast Christian Bishops into prison and to compell them with sundry kinds of punishments to offer vnto Idols Also common people who would not renounce the profession of Christianity to be spoyled of their liberty These edicts were hastily put in execution Many Christians were scourged racked and cruciated with intolerable torments Some were violently drawne to impure sacrifice and as though they had sacrificed when indeede they did not were let goe some were downe vpon the ground and drawne by the legges a great space and the people was made to beleeue that they had sacrificed some stoutly withstood them and denyed with a lowd voyce that they had not bin or ever would be partakers of Idolatry Notwithstanding of the weake sort many for feare and infirmity gaue over even at the first assault When the foresaid edicts were proclaimed both the Emperours happened to be in the towne of Nicomedia notwithstanding a certaine Christian being a noble man borne whose name was Iohn ranne and tooke downe the proclamation and openly tare and rent it peeces For which fact he was put to a most bitter death which hee patiently endured vntill his last gaspe The generall Captaine of the army of Dioclesian gaue choyce to the souldiers whether they would obey the Emperours commandement in offering sacrifices and keeps still their offices or else lay away their armour and be depriued of their offices but the Christian souldiers were not onely content to lay away their armour bu also to offer themselues vnto the death rather then to obey such vnlawfull commandements In Nicomedia the Emperour refraind not from the slaughter and death of the children of Emperours neither yet from the slaughter of the chiefest princes of his court such as Peter whose body being beaten with whips and torne that a man might see the bare bones and after they had mingled vineger and salt they powred it vpon the most tender partes of his body and lastly rosted him at a soft fire as a man would rost flesh to eare and so this victorious martyr ended his life Dorotheus and Gorgonius being in great authoritie and office vnder the Emperour after diuerse torments were strangled with an halter The torments that Peter suffered encouraged them to giue a worthy confession that they were of that same faith and religion that Peter was of This persecution raged most vehemently in Nicomedia where the Emperours palace through some occasion being set on fire the Christians were blamed as authors of that fact Therefore so many as could be found out were burned with fire or drowned in water or beheaded with the sword amongst whom was Anthimus Bishop of Antiochia who was beheaded The bodies of the sonnes of Emperours that were buried they digged out of their graues and sent them in boates to bee buried in the bottome of the sea lest Christians should haue worshipped them as gods if their sepulchres had beene knowne such opinion they had of Christians The number of twentie thousand burned in one temple of Nicomedia by Maximinus smelleth of the libertie that Nicephorus taketh in adding many things to the veritie of the historie The martyrdome of Serena the Emperour Dioclesians wife is rejected by learned men as a fable albeit recorded by Hermannus Gigas The number of Christians cast into prison and appointed for death was so great that scarcely a voide place could be found in a prison to thrust in a murtherer or an opener of graues such heapes of Christians were inclosed in darke prisons The martyrs of Palestina of Tyrus in Phenicia of Tarsus of Antiochia of Alexandria of Miletina in Armenia and of Pontus Cappadocia and Arabia they could not easily bee numbred In Thebaida horrible and vnnaturall crueltie was vsed against christian women whom they hanged vpon gibbets with their heades down-ward toward the ground and fastened one of their legges onely to the gibbet the other being free thus their naked bodies hanging vpon trees in maner aforesaid presenced to the beholders a spectacle of most vile and horrible inhumanitie In like maner the branches of trees were artificially bowed downe to the earth and the feete and legges of Christians tied to them so that by their hastie returning againe vnto their naturall places the bodies of Christians were rent in pieces This was not a crueltie finished in a short space of time but of long continuance some dayes 20. some dayes 60. and at sometimes an hundred were with sundrie kindes of torments
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
him and carryed away many captiues and prisoners In redeeming of the captives Mauritius was too niggardly whereby it came to passe that Chaianus slew 12. thousand prisoners which might haue beene ransomed for a small summe of money This oversight of the Emperour not onely stayned other his noble vertues but also purchased the hatred of the souldiers against him wherby it came to passe that they set vp Phocas to bee Emperour in his stead Of this calamity it is thought that Mauritius was foreseene in his dreame and that hee chose rather to bee punished in this world for his faults then in the world to come Afterward he was brought in bands to Phocas his wife and fiue children were cruelly slaine in his owne presence and finally bloody Phocas slew himselfe of whom it is reported that when he saw his wife and children put to death he gaue glory to God in his greatest calamity and said Iust art thou O Lord and righteous in all thy Iudgements CENTVRIE VII Phocas THe heresie of Eutyches continued in this Centurie from the beginning to the end thereof countenanced by the Emperours such as Heraclius and Constans Neverthelesse I haue cut off the Eutychian Persecution at the end of the sixt Centurie because Heraclius albeit hee favoured the error of the Monothelites a branch of Eutyches heresie notwithstanding hee was so employed with warres against the Avares in the West and the Persians and Saracens in the East that hee had not a vacant time to persecute them who professed another faith And Constans began to persecute but was quickly interrupted by new occasion of Sea-warfare against the Saracens wherein also hee was overcome For this cause I haue referred the Eutychian persecution rather to the former Centurie then to this Moreover in this Centurie the vniversall Bishop and the Antichrist beginneth to spring vp so that all the rest of the History must be spent in three heads First in declaring The growth of the Antichrist in the seventh eight and ninth Centuries Secondly in declaring his tyranny and prevailing power over the Romane Emperours and Monarches of the world in the tenth eleventh and twelfth Centuries And finally in declaring his discovery and his battell against the Saints especially against those who discovered him and this shall be done God willing from the thirteenth Century vnto our time In the History I am compelled to be short because it may be read in many Authors Chronologies and Compends whereby it may beâ— sufficiently knowne Phocas after the cruell slaughter of his master Mauritius was proclaimed to be Emperour by the Romaine souldiours in the yeere of our Lord 604. and he raigned 8 yeeres in crueltie drunkennesse lecherie hee surpassed beyond all men justlie was called The calamity of the Romane Empire nothing succeeded prosperouslie with this parricide Cosroes on the East-side the Auares on the West the Slauonians on the North-side inuading Dalmatia and Agilulphus king of Lumbardis in Italie adding vnto his dominion Mantua Cremona and Vulturnia all these at one time weakened the Romane Empire so farre that it could neuer attaine againe to the former strength and splendor that it was wont to haue Great strife had beene betwixt the chaires of Rome and Constantinople for supremacy The Patriarch of Constantinople thought it due to him be cause Constantinople was the seate of the Empire The Patriarch of Rome on the other part said that Constantinople was but a Colonie of Rome and that the Grecians themselues in their Letters called the Emperour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To this controuersie Phocas put an end and ordained Bonifacius the third to be called Vniuersall Bishop and the Church of Rome to bee head of all other Churches This dignitie the Romane Church begged as Platina granteth and not without great conâ—ention obtained it at the handes of Phocas This is that stile which Gregorius the first counted Antichristian in the person of Ioannes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Patriarch of Constantinople In the end Priscus his owne sonne in law Heraclianus the father of Heraclius the Emperour and Phocius whose wife Phocas had vnhonestly abused conspired against him and ouer-came him and brought him to Heraclius who commanded his head feete and secret members to be cut off and the stampe of his bodie was giuen to the souldiers to be burnt with fire Heraclius AFter Phocas raigned Heraclius thirtie yeeres Cosroes king of Persia had mightilie preuailed and had conquered Syria Phenicia and Palestina and had taken Ierusalem and Zacharias the Bishop thereof and the Holie Crosse and had giuen many thousands of Christians to the Iewes to bee slaine Neither would he accept any conditions of peace with Heraclius except hee would condiscend to forsake the worshipping of Christ and worship the Sunne as the Persians did For this cause Heraclius was compelled to make peace with the Auares on his West side and to lead his Army to Asia against the Persians which indured the space of sixe yeares wherein he preuayled against Cosroes and recouered all the Prouinces which Cosroes had taken from the Romane Empire Finallie Cosroes was taken cast in prison and cruellie slaine by his owne son Siroes because he had preferred Medarses his younger sonne to Siroes his elder brother This Siroes made a couenant of peace with Heraclius and deliuered vnto him Zacharias Bishop of Ierusalem with the Holie Crosse and the prisoners whom his father had carried Captiue And so Heraclius in the seuenth yeere returned backe againe to Constantinople with great triumph After this the Emperour being circumuened by Pyrrhus Bishop of Constantinople and Cyrus Bishop of Alexandria fell into the Heresie of the Monothelites And to this fault hee added other faults such as incest for he married his owne sisters daughter and hee was giuen to curious Artes and to seeke out the euent of thinges by judiciall Astrologie and was admonished by the Astrologians to beware of the circumcised people Heraclius onely deemed that the Iewes should trouble him but it was the Saracenes in whom this prophesie had performance for in his time beganne the Monarchie of the Saracenes and the blasphemous doctrine of Mahomet The Saracenes were people dwelling in Arabia the posteritie of Hagar and not of Sara These fought vnder the banner of Heraclius in his sixt yeere warrefare against the Persians when they craued the wages of their seruice in stead of money they receiued contumelious words and were called Arabik dogs by the Emperours treasurer This contumely did so irritatate them that they choosed Mahomet to be their captaine Anno 623. inuaded Damascus and tooke it and within few yeeres conquered Syria Phaenicia Palestina and Aegypt And not content with this they inuaded the kingdome of the Persians and subdued it and cut off the kings seed The blasphemous Alcaron and alfurca of Mahomet which hee said hee receiued from heauen was a doctrine of lies containing a mixture of the religion of the Iewes Pagans and
his life his sonne Michael with his mother Theodora governed the estate Michael raigned foure and twenty yeeres Theodora continued only eleven yeeres She persecuted those who would not worship Images albeit her husband before his departure from his life had seriously admonished her that shee should not trouble the Church for restoring of Images Ludouicus the second LVdouicus the second and son of Lotharius raigned one and twentie yeeres The intestine dissention betwixt him and his brother Charles seemeth to be like vnto an hereditarie sicknesse Howsoeuer the Emperour Lâ—douicke had dishonour thereby because the rebelles of Charles desired the Emperours protection against his owne brother which when hee had graunted the rebelles were reconciled againe with their owne King Charles and the Emperour with dishonour was compelled to retire from his brothers Dominions In the East Michael Emperour of Constantinople slew his brother Theoctistus and thrust his mother Theodora and her sisters into a Monasterie and raigned himselfe alone after his mothers deposition thirteene yeares So the whole time of the gouernement of Michael was twentie and foure yeeres He fought against the Saracenes but very vnprosperously and was slaine by Basilius who raigned in his stead seuen yeeres Carolus Caluus LVdovicus the second dying without children his brother Carolus Caluus king of France obtained at the handes of the Bishop of Rome by many liberall giftes to be annointed Emperour Hee continued Emperour not aboue two yeeres and was poysoned by one Sedekias a Iew whom hee vsed for his Physitian Carolus Crassus CArolus Crassus was the sonne of Lewis king of Germanie hee raigned ten yeeres Carolus Balbus the son of Carolus Caluus was quicklie cut off by death I herefore I haue ouerpassed his name with silence In this Emperours time the Normanes and Danes made such horrible excursions and desolations in France that the Emperour who came with a great Armie to support the distressed estate of France was compelled to make peace with them Anno 888. and assigned vnto them that part of Fraunce which lieth beyonde Seane towardes the Britannicke Ocean to bee their habitation which hath the name of Normandie vntill this day Crassus for his negligence and euill gouernement was deposed from his authoritie and Arnulphus his nephew was declared Emperour Arnulphus AFter the death of Carolus Crassus great troubles ensued in Italie by the factions of Berengarius whom the Lombardes choosed to be king of Italie on the one part and Guido Duke of Spoleto whom others choosed to raigne in Italie on the other part In the middest of these factions Arnulphus leadeth an armie out of Germanie He tooke the Towne of Bergamum and hanged Ambrose the Earle thereof vpon a Gibbet before the port of the Towne This seueritie terrified other Townes and made them to yeelde Hee addressed towardes Rome and was crowned Emperour by Formosius whose enemies he punished vnto the death From thence hee addressed to fight against Guido but hee fled and escaped the Emperoures hands The wife of Guido hauing no puissance to resist the Emperours forces shee hired some of the Emperoures seruantes who gaue vnto him a cup of poyson which brought vpon him a lethargie and three dayes sleeping continually After this he arose sicke and left the siedge for hee was besieging the wife of Guido and he died after hee had raigned twelue yeeres In the East gouerned Leo the sonne of Basilius in whose time the Saracens coÌ„quered Taurominium a towne in Sicile and the Isle of Lemnos CENTVRIE X. Ludovicus tertius AFter Arnulphus succeeded his son Lewis the 3. raigned 10. yeeres he receiued not the Emperial Diadem at Rome because BereÌ„garius by force inioyed the Kingdome of Italie At this time the Hungares a nation fierce and cruell inuaded Italy France and Germanie and made in these nations horrible desolations Likewise the Saracens invaded Calabria and Apulia in Italie and if the Lord had not pittied the distressed estate of Europe it was at this time like to be vndone for Platina writeth that while they were besieging Consentia the King of the Saracens was slaine with thunder and the Saracens terrified with this vnprosperous successe returned backe againe to Africk In this Emperours dayes a remarkable thing fell out Albert Marquis of Bamberg rebelled against the Emperour Lewis and hee had slaine Conrad the Emperours brother The Emperour seeing that by no meanes hee could prevaile against him hee was supported by the coofening treason of Hatto Arch-bishop of Mentz for he came to the noble Marquis as though he would make reconciliation betweene the Emperour and him and swore vnto him that hee would bring him backe in safetie to his owne house but his deceitfull maner of reducing was this After they had riden a short way the Bishop felt his stomach and repented they had not first dined before they had taken iourney Thus the Marquis and the Bishop returned backe againe and dined this the Bishop counted an exoneration of his promise and oath and like a traitour deliuered him to the Emperour who by and by beheaded the Marquis In the East Alexander raigned two yeeres and after him Constantine a man of good disposition but defrauded of his kingdome by Romannus Captain of his armie Cunradus primus AFter Lewis his Nephew Cunrad the first was made Emperour and ruled seuen yeeres Hee was the last of the of-spring of Charles the great who had enioyed the empire of the West 112. yeeres after whom the Empire was transferred to the Saxons When he fell sicke hee called for his brother Eberhard and desired him to deliuer the imperiall ornaments to Henrie Duke of Saxon who for his wisedome and worthinesse was most meet to gouerne the troubled estate of the Empyre which dutie Eberhard most faithfullie performed preferring fidelitie in performing his promise made to his brother before the desire of a kingdome Henricus auceps HEnrie Duke of Saxonie to whom Eberhard broght the Imperial ornaments was called Auceps because he was delighting himselfe in hauking when Eberhard came vnto him with the ornaments a foresaid He raigned 17. yeeres for wisedome and magnanimitie worthy of so high a place He made a couenant of peace with the Hungars for the space of 9. yeeres He fought against the Sclauonians the people of Dalmatia and the Bohemians and made them tributaries vnto him when the 9. yeeres were expired hee fought a great battell against the Hungares at Mersburg and prevailed against them and in testimonie of his thankfulnesse to God who gaue vnto him victorie he purged his dominions from Simonie a fault vniuersallie ouerspread in those dayes and dedicated to Gods seruice the whole tribute which the Saxons were accustomed to pay to the Hungars hee was greatly beloued of his subiects and was called Rater patriae In the East Constantine recouered his Empire againe From Romanus and his Sonnes and measured to his sonnes such measure as they had measured to their father Romanus For Stephanus
yet when the Electors of Germanie condescended to make Frederike the sonne of Henry Emperour the Pope agreed thereto because hee had a more deadly hatred at those who touched the apple of his eye that is S. Peters patrimonio as they call it then at any other sort of people In the East Alexius Ducas otherwise called Murzulfus raigned a short time for hee was taken by the Venetians and Frenchmen who had restored againe Isacius to his kingdome and they threw him headlong ouer a steepe place because hee had murthered his Master for ambitious desire of his kingdome These Venetians and Frenchmen set vp Baldwine Count of Flanders to bee Emperour of the East Thus was the Empire of the East translated to the French nation for a time as the Empire of the west had beene before in the dayes of Charles de maine After him raigned Henry his brother 2 yeeres who hauing no male children left the kingdome to Petrus Antisiodorensis his sonne in law who was cut off by the fraud of Lascharis after hee had raigned two yeeres After him his sonne Robert raigned 7 yeeres hee was crowned Emperour by the Bishop of Rome as the Germane Emperours were accustomed to be To him succeeded his young sonne Baldwine in whose time the Empire returned againe to the Grecians And Theodorus Lascaris sonne in Law to Alexius Commenus who plucked out the eyes of Isacius was saluted Emperour and raigned eight yeeres after whom Ioannes Ducas his sonne in Law raigned 33. yeeres Fredericus Secundus AFter the death of Otto Frederike the second sonne to Henry the sixt obtained the Empire and râ—igned 38. yeeres Hee was by inheritance king of Naples Apulia Calabria and Sicilia His father obtained shortlie after he was borne of the Princes Electors that they should choose his sonne Frederike Emperour after his death which they did crowning him Emperour at Aquisgraue when he was about 20. yeere old From thence hee passed with his nobles and Princes to Rome and there with great solemnitie was consecrated called Augustus by Pope Honorius the third After his consecration he gaue by his charter to the Church of Rome the Dukedome of Fundanuus for by the insatiable couetousnesse of the Roman Bishops this wicked vse and custome grew that except the Emperours Elected and crowned would giue vnto them such great and large gifts they could not obtaine of them their consecration and confirmation which for that intent they deuised Furthermore the said Emperour willing to shew himselfe more bountiful towards the Church of Rome gaue and admitted those constitutions which the Pope himselfe would desire by which doing he gaue a sword in their hands to cut his owne throat for hee did grant to the Canon of proscription devised by the Pope and his adherents that whosoever were excommunicate for diminution of the liberties of the Church and so continued a yeeres space that this person should be within the danger of his proscript and should not bee relaxed before hee had made satisfaction and was admitted by the Pope to the Church and Congregation of good men againe But this liberty of Fredericke was well required by Hononorius for soone after his returning to Germany hee heard of certaine who begun to raise and make new factions against him amongst whom were found Thomas Richard the brethren of Innocentius the third Earles of Anaquinos that held certaine Castles in the kingdome of Naples against him by force which Castles hee besieged and beat downe Richard also hee tooke and sent him prisoner to Sicilia But Thomas escaped and came speedily to Rome where hee was not onely received by Honorius but also when the Emperor began to expostulate with him for the vnseemlinesse of this deed the Pope was so chased that without further delay he thundred out against him like a tyrant his cursings and excommunications After this fell out a ground of a new debate between the Emperour and the Pope For the Christians that were in Asia were so weakened that Iohn surnamed Brennus King of Ierusalem came himselfe to the Emperour and to the Pope to seeke helpe for the distressed Christians who were in Asia This Iohn gaue his daughter Ioel in mariage to the Emperour with the title of the Kingdome of Ierusalem in dowrie with her The Emperour on the other part promised that with all possible expedition hee would leade an armie into Asia against the Turkes wherevpon and by the meanes of Iohn King of Ierusalem the Emperour and the Pope were reconciled againe But before the Emperour tooke his iourney to Asia Honorius died in whose roome succeeded Gregorius the ninth who excommunicated the Emperour a new againe because hee was compelled by sicknesse to come backe from his iourney to Asia and to remaine a space in Europe for the recouering of his health againe The next yeere after to stop the mouth of the slanderous and cruell Pope and to declare to the world that the last yeere hee did not leave off his iourney by his owne voluntary will but by necessity hee set forward with a great army and arrived at Ioppa The Saracens were so troubled with his arrivall that they were content to render to Fredericke the towne of Ierusalem with all the possessions that were scituate betweene it and Ptolemaide and the greatest part of Palestina and the Cities of Tyrus and Sydon which were in Syria and all other territories which Baldwin the fourth at any time had occupied there Also they were content to set at liberty all the prisoners who were in their hands and finally to conclude peace for the space of ten yeeres In the meanetime while the Emperour is thus occupied in Asia Pope Gregory the ninth in the Emperours absence made it knowne to the whole world for what cause he was so earnest to chase him away to the East not that he cared for the welfare of the distressed Christians in Asia but to the end hee might worke him some trouble in his absence as appeared by all these subsequent practices For hee invaded the kingdome of Naples and the rest of the dominions which pertained to the Emperors inheritage and subdued a great part of these dominions to himselfe Likewise he had a secret dealing with Henry the Emperours son to stirre him vp against his father and prevailed so farre in this divellish treason that by the Popes counsell hee put from him his trustie Counceller Ludovicus Duke of Boioria whom his father had ordained to be guider of his sonne in his absence Likewise when the Emperour sent letters out of Asia declaring the good successe that God had given him and therewith desiring the Pope and Christian Princes and people to give thanks to God for the same These letters so grieved the Popes minde that hee rent them in peeces cast them vpon the ground and trode them vnder his feet to the great admiration of the Emperours Legats Againe to colour the rage of his impotent minde with some
expert in warfare as may appeare by this wittie policie which hee vsed against his enemies Vpon a certaine time his enemies set vpon him in a rough place where no battell could be fought but on foote only whereupon when his enemies were lighted from their horses Zisca commaunded the women which customably followed the hoast to cast their kirchiefes vpon the ground wherein the horsemen being intangled by their spurres were slaine before they could vnloose their feete And forasmuch as he had no walled nor fenced towne to inhabite he chosed out a certaine place vpon the riuer of Lusinitius which was fenced by nature about 8 miles from the Citie of Ausca This place he compassed with walles commanded euery man to build them houses where they had pitched their tents and named this Citie Thabor and the inhabitants his companions Thaborits because their Citie was built vpon the top of a mountaine He fought against the Emp. Sigismund and draue him out of Bohemia and although the Emperour came backe againe to Bohemia with a great armie of Hungarians and Morauians yet the second time also hee cowardly fled and Zisca pursued after him a daies iourney found great and rich spoyles and tooke the towne of Broda by force and set it on fire It is almost incredible that a man being blind as Zisca was in the time of his hottest warres for hauing but one eye he lost it at the siege of a certaine towne did so prouidently forecast all opportunities and aduantages against his enemies as if hee had seene It is reported that when hee was lying sicke and readie to die being demaunded where he would haue his body to be buried hee answered that they should pull the skin from off his dead body and that a Drumme should be made thereof which they should vse in the battell affirming that as soone as their enemies heard the sound of that Drumme they would not abide but take their flight After the death of Zisca the Emperour Sigismund assembled the Nobles of Germanie at Norinberge and leuied a great armie to enter into Boheme and pursue the Hussites or Thaborites of new againe Also Pope Martin sent Iulian his Cardinall of S. Angelie into Germanie to that same effect that is to say to make warre against the Bohemians But the Emperour had no better successe in this enterprise then hee had in the former for all his armie was striken with a sudden feare before any of his aduersaries were come in sight and fled most shamfully to the great encouragement and inritching of their aduersaries The Cardinall Iulian himselfe being present and marueling at the sudden feare went about the Captaines perswading them to put on armour to order their battells and couragiously to abide their enemies But this exhortation was all in vaine for feare had put away all boldnesse and euerie man did runne headlong away The Cardinall also although it were against his will was forced to doe the like after this the Cardinall addressed himselfe to the councell of Basile wherein he was appointed to be president in name and behalfe of the Bishop of Rome But of this hereafter Albertus NExt to Sigismund Albert Duke of Austria his sonne in law was chosen to be Emperour and gouerned eight yeeres for his liberalitie iustice manhoode in wars greatly renowned He subdued the Bohems and brought in subiection the people of Morauia In his time Amurathes Emperour of the Turkes invaded the king of Seruia from whom after long siege he wanne Scopia and Newmount and hee tooke in battel his two sonnes whom he berest of their sight but after he tooke their sister in marriage and restored Newmont Hee tooke also the famous towne of Grecia called Thessalonica being then vnder league and protection of the Venetians and the towne of Croia in Epirus but God raised vp Ioannes Huniades a valiant man in Wallachia who being aided with the power of Vladislaus the king of Polonia did infringe the puyssance of the Turke and recouered againe to the Christians the greatest part of Seruia and Bulgaria so that the Turkes was compelled to desire truce for ten yeeres But after the truce was concluded on both parts and with solemne oath also confirmed and Amarathes was returned backe againe to Asia Pope Eugenius the 4. sent Iulianus Caesarianus to the foresaid king with full dispensation to breake his oath and league with the Turke whereby it came to passe that the young king inticed by the wicked instigations of Eugenius set forward his armie against the Turke vntill he came to Varna a towne of Bulgaria where he was discomfited and slaine by Amurathes to the great hurt and greater shame of Christian people whom the Infidels might iustlie accuse of periurie and breaking of Couenants sealed by the name of Christ whom they professe to be their Sauiour This battell at Varna fell out in the raigne of Fredericke of whom we are to speake in the next place Fredericke 3. AFter Albert Frederick the 3. Duke of Austria was chosen to be Emperour and raigned 53. yeeres in whose daies much war and dissention raigned almost thorow all Christian Realmes whereby it had beene easie for the Turke to haue ouerrunne them all if the mercifull prouidence of God had not kept Amurathes occupied at this time To this Frederick came Elizabeth the spouse of Albert sometime Emperour with Ladislaus her son by whom he was nourished and entertained a certaine space till at length after the death of Vladislaus aforesaid king of Hungarie who was slaine by the Turkes in the battell of Varna the men of Austria rising vp in armour required the Emp. to giue them their young King who being restored into their hands and being yet vnder age committed his three Kingdomes to three gouernours whereof Iohn Huniades the worthy Captaine aboue mentioned had the ruling of Hungarie George Pogicbzachius had Bohemia and Vlricus the Earle of Cilicia had Austria But Vlricke had the chiefe custodie of the young King and was a great enemie to Huniades by many secret meanes seeking his destruction But Huniades being couragious and wise and circumspect easily disappointed all his fetches After the death of this worthy gouernour his two sonnes Ladislaus and Mathias gouerned Hungarie and in their time Ladislaus King of Bohemia Hungarie and Austria came into Alba a towne of Hungarie accompanied with Vlricus Earle of Cilicia and governour of Austria vnder the young king Ladislaus most gladly receiued the king but debarred from entering into the Citie 4000. armed souldiers of the number of them that accompanied the king Vlricus the Earle grudging at this and sitting in Councell required Ladislaus to appeare before him and accused him of treason for shutting the gates vpon the kings souldiers and not content with this hee tooke his sword from his Page and let a stroake flee at his head But the Hungarians hearing the noyse in the Councell brake in vpon them
the Prince of Condie was taken by the Guisians and on the other part the Constable was taken by the Protestants and the Marescall Sanctandreus was slaine The Duke of Guise after this battell renewed his Forces and besieged the Towne of Orleance where he was slaine by a Souldier called Portrot This slaughter was the ground of a new Peace for after the death of the Duke of Guise a new edict was made the thirteenth day of March Anno 1563. although not so ample as the edict of Ianuarie Yet by it some libertie was granted to the Protestants to enioy their owne Religion without disturbance of any This was the end of the first ciuill warre in France for Religion Maximilianus the second AFter the death of Ferdinand Maximilian his sonne King of Hungarie was made Emperour gouerned twelue yeares he gaue his two daughters in marriage vnto two puissant Princes to wit to Charles the ninth King of France he gaue Elizabeth and to Philip King of Spaine he gaue his eldest daughter Anna. Great troubles for Religion fell out in his time namely in the Low countries and in France In the low countries the number of them that professed the Gospell increased marueilously and on the other part the rage of the Popish Prelats causing the Spanish Inquisition to be severely executed wrought great feare in the hearts of the professours of the Gospell Also Duke de Albe was sent with a great Armie vnto the low Countries vtterly to extirpate and roote out the Gospell who behaued himselfe most outragiously against the Nobilitie and Townes of the low Countries in beheading Count Egmount and count Horne and permitting his souldiers to vse all kinde of villanie against honest matrons and the daughters of honest Citizens and oftentimes compelled the husbands themselues to stand beside and be eye witnesses of the vilde abusing of their owne wiues Also with so great severity he executed the Spanish Inquisitiō against the professours of the Gospell that the people were compelled to take armes vnder the conduct of William Nassaw Prince of Orange and Lodouicus his brother to defend their liues the libertie of their Countrie and of their Consciences against the barbarous tyrannie of this Duke and his armie In this Warre although the Prince of Orange was oftentimes defeated and his brother slaine yet the Countrey so abhorred the crueltie of Duke de Albe that the most part of Zeland and Holland was conquered by the Princes armie and was free from the tyrannie of the Spaniards In France the professours of the Gospell could not enioy the benefit of the Edict of pacification made in March Anno 1563. except in a few parts where the authoritie of some noble persons fauouring the Gospell procured obedience to the foresaid Edict as namely the presence of Condie in Picardie Andelot in Britannie and the Queene of Navarre in Gascoigne In other parts of the country little regard was had to the Edict The Cardinall of Loraine also a capitall enemie to the Gospell had consulted with the fathers of the Councell of Trent by what way the Gospell might be suppressed in France and it was thought meetest that a couenant should be made amongst them that fauoured the Catholique Religion which they called the holy league to extirpate and roote out them that professed the new Religion for so they named it and the two puissant Kings of Spaine and France in speciall should bee intreated to be of this league and mutually to helpe one another to roote out the Gospellers Now when King Charles the 9. was 14. yeares old and declared to be Maior it was thought meete that he should make a progresse through the bounds of his Dominions pretending that it was expedient that the King should know the estate of his Country and that he should heare the complaints of his people but the cause indeed of this progresse was that the King of France might meete with the King of Spain in Bayon for binding vp of the league aforesaid In this progresse was discharged all Preaching and exercising of the reformed Religion in the Townes of France wherein it should happen the King to be during the time of his progresse Also many new interpretations of the edict of March were invented and found out whereby the libertie granted to the Protestants was vtterly infringed and impunitie granted to them that should doe them wrong In the end the King came to Bayon where he met with his sister Elizabeth wife to Philip King of Spaine who after she had declared certaine causes why her husband could not be present himselfe bound vp in name of her husband a couenant with Charles King of Spaine mutually to helpe one another in rooting out the professours of the reformed Religion The report of this league was not kept so secret but it came to the eares of the Prince of Condie and the rest of the nobilitie of France that professed the Gospell who all thought meete that the Prince of Condie should in proper person addresse himselfe to the King being for the time at Moncellium and should exhibite to the King the supplication of the Protestants in France pittifully complaining that contrarie to the edict of March they were iniuried and cruelly slaine desiring redresse of the aforesaid iniuries and that they might haue libertie to enioy their Religion according to the act of pacification aboue mentioned But the King hearing of the Prince of Condies comming to him and namely because he was well accompanied with foure hundred men all in armes fearing the malignitie and obstinate malice of his adversaries left they should hinder his iourney or doe wrong to himselfe The King I say hearing tell of the Princes comming made hast to depart and with all expedition to Paris in great feare and caused the Parisians to giue thankes to God as though he had beene deliuered from a great perill and imminent danger After this without further delay the second warre for Religion in France broke vp The Prince of Condie approached with an armie to Paris and so beset it about in all quarters that this populous Towne soone began to be grieued for want of foode and issued out of the Towne vnder the Conduct of the Constable and came by S. Denis where the Prince of Condies armie lay In this Battell the Admirall set vpon the Parisian souldiers and disturbed their rankes and put them to flight The Constables troope also was greatly perturbed by their flying and the Constable himselfe refusing to be taken by M. Stewart was shot by a Scottish Souldier whereof hee soone after died The Constables sonnes Anveil and Momerance being carefull for their Father succoured him and the battell was renewed againe and cruelly fought vntill night compelled them to make an end The morrow after the Prince of Condie came with his Forces againe to the place where the battell was fought but none of the Parisians came forth to
pursued so strictly that before they had marched backe halfe a myle from Blansack they were compelled to turne and fight In this battell the Prince of Condie was taken and slaine and two hundred of the Protestants more and fortie taken prisoners The rest of the armie the Admirall led backe to Saint Iande-angeli Soone after this Andelot dyed at Sainetes to the great griefe of all the armie his body being opened was found to be poysoned The Queene of Navarre comforted the armie of the Protestants and the King of Navarre her sonne with the Prince of Condies sonne tooke vpon them the government of the armie and sent Count Mongomrie to support the Towne of Angolesme which was then besieged by the Dukes Forces by whose comming the towne was so refreshed and encouraged that the Duke was compelled to raise his Siege and depart from the Towne About this time the Duke of Bipont with his Germane Forces were entred into France to support the Princes of the reformed Religion and tooke the Towne of La charitie in Burgundie a Towne of no small importance for the passage of the river of Loyre The Princes of the Protestants marched forward to meete the Duke of Bipont and by the way killed two hundred Hagbushers who were appointed by the Duke of Andion to stoppe the passage of the river Vienna in the river of Limosin and so the passage being opened they came the day after to the Campe of the Germanes and receiued them with great gladnesse but through the sudden death of the Duke of Bipont who died two dayes after their meeting their gladnesse was mixed with great heauinesse Notwithstanding the Duke before his death exhorted all his Captaines valiantly to debate that cause of Religion For the which they were entered into France and placed in his roome Wolrad Count of Manfelt to be generall Commander of the Germane armie In which were reckoned to be seauen thousand and fiue hundred horsemen and sixe thousand footemen besides two thousand French horsemen who came in their companie and ten Ensignes of footemen The Prince of Orange with his brother Lodowick and Henry were also in this armie In the Countrey of Poictou the Princes had taken many Townes and the most part of the Countrey was alreadie subiect vnto them And it was thought meete to besiege the Towne of Poictiers it selfe and the Towne was willing to render to the Princes vpon reasonable conditions if the Duke of Guise had not come to support the Towne But the comming of the Duke altered their mind and the Towne was strongly fortified and valiantly indured a strict Siege The Admirall although he had lost two thousand men at this Siege and great sicknesse and penurie of victuals was felt in the armie yet was he very vnwilling to raise the Siege till at length the Duke of Andum strictly besieged Monsieur Loe in Castelleralt whom the Admirall willing to relieue left the siege of Poictiers Soone after this the armie of the two Princes being at Moncontuire in the Country of Poictou was purposed to march toward Niort and the armie of the Duke in like manner was purposed thither Through this occasion the two armies ioyned in battell a little space from Moncontuire and the Duke of Andium had the Victorie The footemen of the Germanes were cruelly slaine in this Battell without all commiseration some greater fauour was showne to the French Souldiers The Admirall foreseeing as appeareth the euent of this battell had caused the two Princes of Navarre and Condie to be conveyed out of the Hoast The number of those that were slaine at this battell are supposed by some to haue beene sixe or seauen thousand men by others twise as many The report of this losse so discouraged the Protestants that all the Townes which they had conquered in Poictou were incontinent recouered by the adversaries and S. Ian Dangely after it was besieged two moneths was surrendered to the adversarie vpon certaine conditions At the siege of this Towne Martiques Governour of Britanie a great enemie to those of the Religion was slaine wherein is to be noted the iust iudgement of God punishing the pride of those that blaspheme his blessed name This Martiques perswaded La Matpinolis to yeeld the Towne to the King and desired the towne to remember the battell of Moncontur e wherein their strong God had forsaken them and said it was time for them to sing Helpe vs now O God for it is time Not long after this proud man felt that the strong God was liuing able to helpe the weake and to confound the proud The Princes with the Admirall consulted in what part of the Realme it were meetest to sustaine the hazzard of the Warrefare and it was thought meetest in Languedok because the Towne of Nimes was lately surprised by the Protestants and many townes in that Countrie fauoured their Religion While new preparations are made by the Princes to sustaine the Warre behold a new edict of pacification is for forth granting libertie of Religion to the Protestants againe and granting to them for their further securitie the keeping of foure Townes during the space of two yeares to wit Rotchell Cognack Montallan and Caritea This edict being proclaimed in both thâ— Campes the people were in great ioy being wearied with long and perillouâ— Warres and being desirous to visite their owne houses and families Thus was an end put to the third ciuill warre in France After this pacification the King married Elizabeth daughter to Maximilian the Emperour and the rumour went thorow the Countrey that the King was inclined to peace Likewise the apparent hatred betwixt the King and the Duke of Aniou his brother confirmed this rumour for it seemed to the people that the King was offended because the Prelates of France depended more vpon his brother then vpon himselfe and paied to him yeerely 200000 Frankes to be a patron and defender of their cause Wherefore it seemed to many that the King would incline his affection toward the Protestants to abandon the power of his brother But all this was deceitfull treacherie to colour the intended malice of his heart Also the edict of pacification was better kept then it had beene at any other time before except in a few places And when the Queene of Navarre sent messengers to the King to complaine of the violation of the edict in the Townes of Roane and Aurenge the King returned backe againe to her a very pleasant answere that he would not onely punish most seuerely the transgressours of the edict but also for a further confirmation of a stedfast bond of Peace with the Protestants he would bestow Margaret his sister in marriage to the King of Navarre her sonne The King himselfe passed to Bloyes and sent for the Queene of Navarre whom hee receiued so courteously and conferred with so louingly that the Queene was fully perswaded that this marriage would
dissolue the army of Cassimire Notwithstanding the army of the Germanes and French-men entered into France vnder the conduct of the Prince of Condie and Cassimire and came forward to Charossium a towne in Borbon not farre from Molins where Alauscon the Kings brother ioyned with them and the whole army being mustered was found to bee of horsemen and footmen thirtie thousand The King of Navarre about the same time departed from Court and returned to his owne countrey whereby the feare of the King and Queene mother was greatly encreased In conclusion the army approached dayly neerer and neerer to Paris yet no battell was fought because the Queene mother listened more to the instructions shee had given to Alauscon her sonne then to the doubtfull successe of battell and force of armed men and indeed a more sure way to obtaine their purpose For messengers being sent to the King to treate for peace the Queene mother perceived that all other conditions how ample soever they had beene might bee easily eluded and broken but if the townes of Metis Tullion and Verdum were in the hands of a potent stranger it would be a great abandoning of the Kings power in all time to come Therefore the matter was so brought about that Cassimire was content to receiue from the King a great summe of money in stead of those townes which should haue beene put in his hands and libertie was granted to the Protestants to exercise their owne religion openly and freely without exception of places the Court and the towne of Paris with a few leagues about onely excepted Also they were declared to bee capable of places in Parliament and places of Iustice Courts all iudgements which were made against them for any enterprise whatsoever was declared voyd The cruell day of Sant Bartholomew disavowed and for better assurance and performance of the conditions they had eight townes delivered vnto them with the conditions of their governments Aques Mortes Bencaire Perigneux Le mas de verdun Nâ—ons yissure La grand tour Thus was the edict of pacification proclaimed through the countrey in the moneth of May 1576. and an end was put to the fift civill war in France for religion In this Emperours time Solyman being now stricken in age came notwithstanding into Hungarie againe with a great army and besiedged Zigeth In the meane time of the siege Solyman dyed but his death was so secretly concealed that the siege continued after his death and the towne was taken by force Likewise Selim the sonne of Solyman was in haste sent for to come from Constantinople to Hungarie all this was done before the death of Solyman was knowne either to his owne army or to the Emperour Maximilian This new Emperour of the Turkes Selim tooke Famagusta in the Isle of Cyprus which belonged to the Venetians and did fight a cruell battell by Sea against the Christians in the gulph of Lepanto of olde called Sinus Corinthiacus in the which the Turkes Navie was overcome and Haly Bassa the chiefe Governour of the Turkes was slaine and his head was set vp vpon the top mast of his owne shippe to the great terrour and astonishment of the Turkes This battell was fought the seventh day of October Anno 1571. Don Iohn de Austria was Generall commander of the Navie of the Christians the number of the Turkes that were slaine is supposed to haue beene fifteene thousand men and thirteene thousand Christians were delivered from the captiuity of the Turks Onuphrius writeth that an hundred and seventeene shippes were taken with thirteene gallies and thirty two thousand Turkes were slaine in this battell Rodulphus AFter the death of Maximilian Rodulphus his sonne was made Emperour In his time the warres in France which seemed to be well quieted by the last edict of pacification began to kindle vp againe with greater flame For the adversaries of religion besought the Kings Maiestie to restraine the pernitious liberty of the edict of peace but perceiving him not to bee sufficiently moved to breake the peace and to take knife in hand they began to assemble at Perone Anno 1576. and to binde vp a league amongst themselues for the extirpation of the Protestants and for the revocation of the edict of peace wherein they swore obedience and service to the Generall thaâ—â—hould bee appointed over this fellowship ingaging their liues and honours never to seperate themselues for any commandement pretence excuse or occasion whatsoever There were two things that greatly animated the Leaguers to proceed in their association to wit First that the Protestants yeelded not vp the townes which they had gotten for their assurance for the space of sixe yeeres The sixe yeeres being ended they complained to the King that conditions were not kept vnto them and that for the abolishing of warres and setling of peace in France it was needfull that they should haue those townes a longer time in their maintenance whereto the King condiscended This grieved the Leaguers but another thing grieved them more that Alauscon the Kings brother for griefe of the hard successe of his affaires in the Low Countries died at Chasteau Thierry And the King himselfe having no children the feare that they conceived of the King of Navarres succession to the Kingdome caused the Leaguers rage While the flame issued out of this furnace the King of France easily perceived that the drift of all the Leaguers enterprises was against his life and crowne and to set vp another whom it pleased them in his place For the Leaguers pretended warre against the Hugonots and yet they seazed vpon the best townes of the Catholikes in all the Realme The religion was preached in Guyen and they went to driue it out of Picardie The Hugonotes were in Rochell and the Leaguers army marched straight to Paris They are at Montpelliere and the league set vpon Marseille Likewise the pasquells and libells without names dayly throwne downe in the towne of Paris and the disdainfull speeches dayly vttered of the King speaking of him as a Sardanapalus and a Prince drowned in his pleasures and delights and for his third crowne which hee looked for in heaven promising him one made with a rasour in a Cloyster all these things presented to the Kings minde a sufficient vnderstanding of the resolution and purpose of the Leaguers Notwithstanding feare so possessed his minde that in stead of couragious resisting of the Leaguers in due time hee made himselfe a slaue to their appetites The army of the Duke of Guise who was made Generall of the fellowship of the league at the first rising exceeded not the number of a thousand horsemen and foure thousand footmen which company might easily haue beene dispersed if the valorous courage of the King had not beene vtterly abashed who in stead of commanding with authority desired the Queene mother to procure that the Duke of Guise might leaue off armes and to assure him of his favour
towne of Tours such exercises of Iustice as were accustomed to bee performed in his Court of Parliament of Paris and depriued Paris with the townes of all offices charges dignitie and priuiledges whatsoeuer as guiltie of rebellion fellonie and high treason against his Maiesties estate and Person Now the king was brought to that pinch by the insolencie of the league that hee behoued to take truce with the king of Nauarre and to fortifie himselfe with the assistance of his forces and hee gaue to the king of Nauarre Saumure for securitie of his passage ouer Loire by meanes whereof the king of Nauarre caused all his troupes to passe ouer on this side of Loire to ioyne with the forces of Normandie Maine and other places which attended him with intention to approach the leaguers The Duke De Maine on the other part being chiefe commaunder of the Leaguers armie made a selection of their resolutest men and marched into Vendesmois with an intention to surprise the king in Tours where hee was not verie stronglie guarded but the king was eased of this feare by the sudden arriuall of the king of Nauarre for his reliefe In Normandie Duke Monpensier with forces for the king besieged Salaize a Towne that held for the league and Count Brissac accompanied with two or three hundreth gentlemen leaguers and with them fiue or six thousand men came to support the towne Duke Montpensier hearing of those newes left the siege of the towne and set vpon Count Brissac and his armie being lodged in three villages and slew of them more than 3000. men and tooke 1200 prisoners amongst whom were 30. Gentlemen of the chiefest This was a bad presagement for the League In like manner at the siege of Senlis a Towne of Fraunce lying betweene Paris and Picardie which the Parisians besieged because it was a Towne of great importance the Duke of Longoveille came with support to the Towne vpon which battell ensued wherein 1500. of the assailants were slaine and all their artillerie and baggage was taken The king encouraged by those prosperous beginnings determined to goe forward and to besiege the Towne of Paris with his armie of 45000. men The Duke De Maine and other principall Leaguers in Paris â—ercâ—â—ued their faction tending to a ruine but found no â—â—uedâ—â— except they executed some notable villanie by procuring the kings death And they found out a young Iacobine Monke called Frier Iaques Clement who for a kinde of Dextcritie obserued in him was found meet to strike so great a stroake The Monke departed from Paris and being presented to speake to the king the first day of August said that he had letters from the president of Harley and credence on his part The king caused him to be called into his Chamber where there was none other but the 〈◊〉 Belligard chiefe Gentleman of the same and the procuror generall whom hee procured to retire a part more priuatlie to giue â—are vnto him who adressed himselfe as it seemed with a countenance verie simple and demure It is affirmed that in the selfe same chamber the massacre of Paris had beene concluded Anno 1572. the king himselfe that was then Duke of Aniou being one of the chiefest The Monke perceiuing himselfe alone and opportunitie offered him drew out of one of his sleeues a paper which hee presented to the king and out of of the other a Knife which hee violently thrust within the kings small ribbes hee being attentiue in râ—â—ding The king perceiuing himselfe wounded plucked the knife out of the wound wherewith he stroke the Monke aboue the eye and therevpon some gentlemen came ruâ—ning in who moued with the indignitie of so execrable fact could not containe but killed the murtherer with their swords who went to the place appointed for him and was canonized and adorned by the league The king being carried to his bed died about three of the clockâ— in the morning the day following A little before his dâ—parture hee named the King of Navarre his brother in law lawfull successor to the crowne exhorting his good subiects to obey him and to referre the difference of religion to the Convocation of the Estates generall of the Realm and to pray to God for him vpon these words he gaue vp the ghost After the Kings death the image and portraiture of the traiterous Monke who killed the King by the commandement of the chiefe of the league was most artificially framed in brasse other paintings wherewith they garnished both their houses and their Churches Then was hee canonized and amongst the superstitious prayed vnto as a martyr whom they called by the name of Saint Iaques Clement The Leaguers had with all their might endeavoured in the former Kings dayes to disappoint the succession of the King of Navarre to the crowne of France Now therefore they caused that title by proclamaton to bee given to the Cardinall of Burbone being then prisoner whom they called King Charles the tenth and Duke de Maine was declared Lieutenant generall to the Estate and Crown of France thereby disguising and colouring his vsurpation to the Crowne But King Henry the fourth after he had buryed the corps of his predecessor tooke his first iourney to Normandy where the Pont to Larch was yeelded to him Then hee came to Deepe wonne Caen vnto his side and constrained Neuscastle to be rendered into his hands And hauing made a show to besiege Roane it caused Duke de maine being called to the succour by Aumalle and Brissac to set himself in the field with more then 3000. horsemen and 5000. footmen who promised to the Parisians at that time to make an end of all warre and to bring their enemy bound vnto them both hand and foot The King marching toward his enemies encamped at a certaine village called Arques about two miles from Deep and so entrenched it about on all sides that hee might easily ouerrunne the enemy at all times The Duke de Maine lay about Arques from the end of August vntill the midst of September gayning nothing but losse of his best approoved souldiers and nine or ten of their Captaines This first enterprise against the King did truely presage vnto them what successe they were like to haue in all their attempts to come wherof followed nothing else but shame and sorrow This done the King by easie iourneys drew nigh to Paris and entred by force the suburbs of S. Iaques and being advertised that the Duke de Maine was come forth of Picardie and with all his forces had entered into Paris hee stayed foure long houres in battell to see if any of the Leaguers would issue out to fight Afterward hee departed from Paris and tooke the townes of Vendosme and Mans and Falaize wherein Count Brissac was taken prisoner also hee recovered Honfleur a towne vpon the Sea coast in Normandie and compelled the Duke de Maine to raise his siege from the towne and fort of Meulan
In the beginning of March the Duke de Maine with all his forces passed over the bridge of Maule which is about eight miles from Dreux whereof the King being advertised provided for his affaires and the twelfth of the same moneth set himselfe on the way to goe against his enemies On the thirtith day the King after hee had ordered his army made an earnest prayer to God and looked for battell but there were nothing but skirmishes wherein the Leaguers had the worst The next day the battels ioyned neere to the towne of Dreux wherein the King obtained a great victory and overthrew all the footmen of the Leaguers which were counted to the number of twelue thousand men Onely the Switzers who cast downe their weapons and yeelded to the King together with the Frenchmen who were mingled amongst them had their liues spared also fifteene hundred horsemen of the Leaguers were slaine and drowned and foure hundred taken prisoners The Duke de Maine fled towards Dreux and when he was entred the towne broke vp the bridge before his owne people were all come which was the cause of the death of a great number of his army especially of the Rutters of whom a great sort were drowned In this battell the army had their ioy mixed with sorrow at the first for they saw not the King returne but within a while after they espyed him comming all stained with the blood of his enemies not having shed one droppe of his owne whom they discryed onely by the great plume of white fethers which hee had in his creast and that which his palfrey had on his head all the army gaue hearty thankes to God for his safetie crying with one voyce God saue the King The Duke de Maine and other Captaines of the league being frustrate of their hope and seeing their army thus spoyled betooke themselues to their ordinarie shifts which was to feed the Parisians with fable and lyes publishing that in the battell they had almost eqâ—all losse and that the King if hee was not already dead hee was neare vnto it But the people being every day more and more ascertained of the truth began to grudge and to be desirous of peace so that the Duke of Maine tooke his iourney towards the Duke of Parma to obtaine support from him The King drew nigh to Paris and shut vp the passages of the river of Seane being master of Mance and Poyssie on the one side and Corbell Melum and Monterean on the other side of Paris so that neither from aboue nor from below could any provision bee carryed to Paris by the river of Seane likewise by taking of Lagnay and the fort of Gonrey hee stopped the passage of the river of Merue and by taking Compienge Creil and Beaumont hee stopped the passage of the river of Oisso or Ayne In that populous towne the famine was soone felt and within the space of three moneths moe then an hundred thousand dyed in the towne yet the most part of them stirred vp by the seditious Preachers were content rather to endure an hundred deathes then to acknowledge their owne soveraigne King whom they called an Heretique and a favourer of them The Duke de Maine having obtained promise of support from the Duke of Parma returned from Beuxellis whom the King pursued from Laon to Meux where hee inclosed himselfe betweene two rivers waiting for the comming of the Duke of Parma The King hoped for battell so soone as the Duke of Parma was ioyned with the Duke de Maine but the Duke of Parma got vp to an hill to view his enemies army and after hee had throughly noted it hee tooke resolution not to fight but to fortifie and entrench his army within a great marrash and so by meanes of his intrenchments hee eschewed the hazard of battell and came to Paris and named himselfe the deliverer of it But after he had stayed a while in Paris the principall Captaines of the league began to giue the Duke of Parma thankes for his good will and entreated him to goe with his people to Breuxelis againe This request or secret command fell out very well for the Duke For on the one part his army was seene by all men dayly to waste and himselfe did plainely behold that hee stood in the midst of an inconstant multitude Therefore hee dressed himselfe homeward with all possible speed and the king pursued him to the very frontiers of Artoys The Duke of Parmaes comming serued to none other purpose but to fill their purses with the gold of Peru and to entangle and bring their affaires vnto a remedilesse end for in the beginning of the yeere 1591. the King continued his siege and the Parisians were fallen into their wonted distresses as before But we leaue for a while and marke the estate of the rest of the countrey In the countrey of Dauphein Francis de Bonne Lord of Diguireres chased the Leaguers out of that part and became master of Grenoble In Normandy the Duke of Montpensier wonne Honfleur and forced the Leaguers to forsake field In Poictou the Vicount dela Guerche commanding over certaine regiments of footmen and horsemen and finding about a thousand of naturall borne Spaniards newly come from Brittaine to doe some great exployt they were all charged by the Baron de la Rotche Pose and others of the Kings chiefe servitors In this conflict la Guerche was compelled to see 300. Gentlemen of his most assured favourers slaine and lying on the ground at the which sight hee was so abashed that hee fled to the next river where finding the boat and thinking to goe over easily the throng was so great that the boate and all the passengers sunke to the bottome La Guerche was there drowned with a great number of others There perished in the water and in the fight moe then seven hundred Spainards some supposed this losse of the Leaguers to be little lesse then that of Coutras by reason of the great number of the Nobility that dyed therein Likewise the Lord Digners overthrew in the plaine of Portcharre the Duke Savoyes army commanded by Amedio the Dukes bastard sonne and Don Pleneres a Spanish Captaine and the Marquis of Treuic and others There were slaine vpon that plaine 2000. and 500. of the Dukes army and a great number were taken prisoners being for the most part Gentlemen of command The booty which was gotten amounted to the summe of two hundred thousand crownes The next day two thousand Romanes and souldiers of Millaine who with their Commander the Earle of Galcot of Belioyense were saved within the Castle of d' Analon at length yeelded themselues to the Kings mercy but the fury of the souldiers could not bee quenched till they had slaine sixe or seven hundred of them The rest having white roddes in their hands given them in stead of pasports were sent home to Italy In the meane time the King handled his affaires so
busily that hee had taken the townes of Chartresse and Noyon and taken order that Paris should still bee inclosed on every side so that the great tribute and taxes which were gathered for the bringing in of victuals to the Parisians and for the maintenance of their troopes did gleane away their money peece after peece and brought the people to great poverty Likewise the King after the taking of Noyon sent som of his troops to Normandie to tame those of Roan who shewed themselues no lesse obstinate then the Parisians The Leaguers had none other shift but againe to cry for ayde of the Duke of Parma who entred into France the second time with foure thousand footmen and three thousand horsemen besides some Italians conducted by S. Fondrat Earle of Mont Martian and three thousand Switzers At this his approaching to Roane the towne of Candebec was yeelded to him howbeit he did not keep it long and hee entred into Roane but made no tarrying there because his purpose was to set forward to Paris The King on the other part sent to all the neighbour townes such as Louviers Mance Menlan Vernon and others where his garrisons were that they should march towards him which was speedily performed so that in sixe dayes his army grew to more then three thousand horsemen and six thousand footmen With this companie the King followed the Duke of Parmaes army and charged diverse times so roughly that at one time they lost six hundred of their number another time two thousand and fiue hundred and so fled shamefully towardes Paris and from thence to Brie and last they came to Artoys where within few moneths the Duke of Parma with his troopes melted like waxe in the Sunne S. Fondrat saw his people also confounded Besides this good successe the Kings favourites in many other parts of the Land still continued prevailing against their enemies The Duke of Bouillone Mariscall of France accompanied with foure hundred horse and two hundred hagbuziers onely overthrewe before Beaumont the Lord of d' Amblise high Mariscall of Loraine and the Dukes Lieutenant generall accompanied with two thousand footmen and eight hundred horsemen Amblize was slaine in the field with more then seven hundred others his artillery wonne all his corners and ensignes taken and 400. Lance-knights sent away vnarmed In Languedocke Duke de Ioyense the brother of him who was slaine at Coutras had besieged Montaban and Villemure but Thimenes issuing out of Villemure constrained the Duke to forsake the held with the losse of three thousand men three canons and two culverines The bridge which the Duke had builded over Tie was cut vp and was almost the cause of all their deaths Ioyense himselfe overcome with dispaire in this distresse was heard to vomit out these desperate words Farewell my great canons ha I renounce God I runne this day an high fortune and therewith desperatly hee plunged himselfe horse and all into the river Tae This was the miserable end of this cruell proude and blasphemous young Duke who was much lamented of the Leaguers for whom hee had done many great exployts The Kings army in that part consisting of fiue hundred horsemen and two thousand and fiue hundred hagbuziers besides those that were within the towne of Villemure withdrew themselues in good order vnto their garrisons after they had given thankes to God for so prosperous a victory After all those successes which God granted to the King followed his defection from his religion in the moneth of Iuly Anno 1593. The Archbishops Bishops and Doctors of Sorbon were appointed to meet at Mance the fifteenth of Iuly without any mention of the Protestants Ministers who were before put from the King By whose perswasion the King was induced to heare and see masse sung in the Cathedrall Church of Saint Denise the fiue and twentith day of Iuly All this asswaged not the furie of the Leaguers who still continued in their wonted malice against the King and stirred vp a wicked man called Peter Burrier alias Bar borne at Orleance to slay the King This man was committed to prison at Melun the sixe and twentith day of August where hee confessed that hee was seduced by a Capushan Fryer at Lyons and by a Curat and Vicar of Paris and also by a Iesuit closely to follow the King and to murther him with a two edged knife which also was found about him He was drawne through the streets of Melun where then the King was they cut off his right arme holding the murthering knife therein and after burned the same also his armes legs and thigh-bones were broken vpon a wheele where he languished certaine houres till hee dyed The King seeing that the malice of his enemies still continued resolued no longer to beare the same wherefore hee caused a declaration to be imprinted and published in the beginning of the yeere 1594. containing an Oration of the mischiefes and vnfaithfull practises of the Leaguers Prescribing a moneths liberty as well to the chiefe of the Leaguers as to the clergie cities townes communalties yea and to all men generally within the same to acknowledge him their King and to submit themselues to his gouernment The time once past hee would revoke his grace favour accounting them to be rebells and guilty of high treason for contempt of his Kingly offer The report of this declaration and the preparations which the King made to chastise their stubborne opinions amazed the very principall of the league and the most part of the rebellious townes and commons The towne of Meux in Brie a small iourney from Paris yeelded themsselues to the King the eleventh of Ianuary and by a pithy letter exhorted the Parisians to follow their example Soone after the cities of Orleance Lyons Roane Poicters Bourges Haure de grace Pontean de Mervernueil at Perche Pointoise Riome in Anergne Peron and mondidier in Picardie were received in favour and those of Annens and Abeveil after they had remained neuters a while shortly after acknowledged their soveraigne King Last of all the towne of Paris yeelded to the King in the moneth of March Wherein it is to bee noted that the Kings troopes entred so peaceably into the towne that within two houres after the shops were all set open and the towne appeared so peaceable as if there had never beene any change In Picardie the towne of laon was fortified against the King by the Spaniards forces yet was compelled to yeeld Soissons and La Fere which were possessed by the Duke de Maine and the Spaniards would not yeeld and the towne and fort of Blauel in Britannie was also fortified against the King But now seeing the League inclined to an hastie ruine the last refuge was by horrible treason to cut off Henry the fourth as they had done Henry the third before To this effect they stirred vp a young stripling named Iohn Castill about 18. or 19. yeeres of age
contended mightily euen as Lactantius of olde contended against the Pagans impugning the errour more mightily than solidly confirming the truth It is supposed that he ministred 13. yeeres vnder the Emperour Mauritius To whom succeeded Cyriacus Patriarchs of Alexandria AFter Iohn called Tabennesiota succeeded another Iohn who kept the true faith was banished by Anastatius because he would not damme the Councell of Chalcedone To Iohn succeeded Theodosius an obstinate defender of the errour of Eutiches He was familiarly acquainted with Seuerus of Antiochia and Anthimus of Constantinople whereby the misery of these dayes may be easily esâ—ied wherein three notable heretiques gouerned principall Townes such as Constantinople Alexandria and Antiochia He was so obstinate in his errour that he was rather content to be banished vnder the raigne of Iustinian than to renounce his errour After him succeeded Zoilus and after him Apollinarius who was present at the fift generall Councell To whom succeeded Eulogius and after him Petrus who ministred vnder the raigne of Mauritius Patriarches of Antiochia AFter Palladius succeeded Flavianus who suffered great troubles for the true faith namely by the cruell persecution of the Emperour Anastatius and the calumnies of Xenaeas B. of Hierapolis a stranger indeed from the couenant of God as his name importeth for he blamed Flavianus most vniustly of the heresie of Nestorius but when Flavianus both by word writing had cleared himselfe of that calumnie the malice of Xenaeas ceased not for he brought with him to Antiochia a great number of Monkes to compell Flavianus to abiure the Councell of Chalcedon The towne supported their Bishop against a raskall number of seditious and hereticall Monkes Notwithstanding the Emperour Anastatius infected with the heresie of Eutyches counted Flavianus who was most vniustly persecuted to be the author of this tumult and banished him and placed Severus in his roome The Emperour Iustinus the elder displaced Severus and punished him and appointed Paulus to be Bishop of Antiochia To Paulus succeeded Euphraesius who died in that fearefull calamitie of the Towne of Antiochia when it was shaken and ouerthrowne with earthquake as Evagrius witnesseth Euphraimius was a ciuill gouernour in the East parts who pittied the decayed estate of the towne of Antiochia and furnished all necessarie things for the repairing of the towne of Antiochia for which cause the people were so affectioned to him that they would haue him to be their Bishop So Euphraimius becomes Bishop of Antiochia or Theopolis for at this time it had both these names Evagrius writeth that he vndertooke the charge of the Apostolicke chaire in which words it is manifest that not onely the chaire of Rome but also the chaire of Antiochia was called the Apostolicke chaire The towne of Antiochia at this time was taken by Cosroes King of Persia set on fire and many of the people were cruelly slaine Euphraimius their Bishop at this time left the towne a perilous example except the people had beene in safetie and he onely persecuted yet he left behinde him so much as might redeeme all the Church goods After Euphraimius followed Domnius And after him Anastatius He ministred vnder the Emperour Iustinian at what time the Emperour fell into the errour of them who saide that our Lord Iesus in his very conception adioyned vnto his diuine nature an immortall body which was subiect to no humane infirmities Anastatius opposed himselfe to the Emperours opinion and the Bishops followed Anastatius and not the Emperour for this cause Iustinian was purposed to haue banished him but he escaped this trouble by the Emperours death Neuerthelesse he was banished by Iustinus the younger for some alledged cause of dilapidation of Church goods and Gregorius was placed in his roome Gregorius ministred in Antiochia 23. yeeres vnder Iustinius 2. Tiberius and Mauritius he was in great account with Mauritius to whom he foretolde that he would be promoted to the Imperiall dignitie And Mauritius imployed him in great and waghtie businesse such as in pacifying the tumult of his armie which made insurrection against Germanus their captaine Also he sent him Ambassadour to Cosroes King of Persia who was astonied at the grace that was in his speeches Notwithstanding he was accused by Asterius a Deputy of the East of the filthie sinne of incest but he cleared his owne innocencie so euidently that his accuser was with ignâ—minie scourged and banished He died of the gowtes infirmitie and after his death Anastatius whom Iustinus banished for dilapidation of Church-goods being yet aliue was restored to his owne place againe To whom succeeded Euphemius Patriarches of Ierusalem AFter Martyrius succeeded Helias a feruent defender of the true faith Neither would he condescend to the banishment of Euphemius Bishop of Constantinople nor to the admission of Seuerus to be Bishop of Antiochia therefore the Emperour Anastatius banished him To him succeeded Iohn of whose politicke dealing in circumueening Anastatius the Emperours captaine I haue sufficiently declared in the preceding history To Iohn succeeded Peter and after him Macarius and after Macarius Eustochius who impugned the Bookes of Origen and draue out of his bounds the Monks of Nova Laura defenders of the opinions of Origen Theodorus Ascidas B. of Caesarea in Cappadocia tooke this in an euill part The Emperour Iustinian caused a generall Councell to be gathered at Constantinople wherein not onely the bookes of Origen were damned but also Theodorus himselfe the defender of them This displeased the Emperour Iustinian because he loued Theodorus dearely therefore he procured that Eustochius B. of Ierusalem should be remooued and Macarius restored againe After whom succeeded Iohannes Neamus and Isicius In this Centurie whereas I pretermit the names of other Pastors and Doctors in the Church I haue done it vpon this consideration I find in this Centurie that by the irruption of barbarous people such as the Gothes Vandales Hunnes Auares Schythians Lombards youth was hindred from studies many memorable bookes were burnt ancient Languages were vtterly spoyled learning was greatly diminished flattery of preuailing powers increased ambition in the West heresie in the East turned the estate of the Church vpside-downe so that scarcely could men of good gifts and keeping integritie of faith be furnished vnto the principall Apostolicke chaires Now after a manner the sunne is going downe the shadowes waxe great the darkenesse approacheth the Antichrist is at the doore worthy to be welcommed with darkenesse and decay of knowledge What shall I now write of other Pastors and Doctors shall I follow the foolish conceits of Historio graphers in whose opinion the gift of miracles increased when the gift of knowledge decayed but the contrary is knowne by Scripture that the holy Apostles whom Christ indued with extraordinary gifts of working miraculous workes he indued them also with extraordinary gifts of knowledge but the writers of
the towne of Damascus into the hands of the Emperor Leo. Vpon this occasion saith Iohn Patriarch of Ierusalem the Prince of Saracens cut off the hand of Damascene and on the other part Damascene by humble kneeling before the Image of the Virgin Marie was miraculously cured and restored againe to the power of his hand But this is like to the rest of popish fables and lyes For Damascene writeth many notable fables for cōfirmation of adoration of Images And in case a miracle had beene wrought in his owne person by prostrating himselfe before an Image Damascene had no manner of way ouer-passed with silence the memoriall thereof But we haue to doe with adversaries who are not ashamed of lies Damascene was a diligent reader of the bookes of ancient Fathers as appeareth by his foure bookes De Orthodoxa fide but not so diligent a reader of holy Scripture which is the ground of manifold errors His history of Iosophat King of India is knowne to be a Monkish fable Paulus Diaconus of the kindred of the Lombards became a deacon in Aquileia hee was carryed captiue into France in the dayes of Charles the great who besieged Papia banished Desiderius and made an end of the Kingdome of the Lombards Afterwards he was accused of treason and conspiracie against Charles King of France His malicious and hatefull accusers were bent to haue had his hands cut off or his eyes put out but King Charles pitying him for his learning was content that hee should bee banished to the Isle of Diomedes From thence hee fled and came to Beneventum where Arachis was dwelling who had married Adelporga the daughter of Desiderius In his palace it is thought hee writ his sixe bookes De rebus gestis Longobardorum After the death of Arachis hee came to the Monastery called Cassinense where hee ended his life Beda a man borne and brought vp in England was called venerable and was in great account in his time Onely he was miserably intangled with deceitfull Antichristian errors vniversally overspred in his dayes In writing reading and praying hee was a man of incessant paines Nothing is found in him more commendable then his patient suffering of the agonies immediately preceding his dissolution with a desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ. Albertus Gallus a Bishop in some part of France a learned and godly man opposed himselfe mightily to Boniface the foot-groom of the Roman Antichrist with whom concurred two learned men borne in Scotland named Clemens Presbyter and Samson and offered to prooue both by word and writing that Bonifacius was an author of lyes a troubler of the peace of Christians and a corrupter and deceiver of the people But Pope Zacharias excommunicated them before they were heard in lawfull Assembly and gaue power to his foot-groome Bonifacius to depose them and procured at the hands of the King of France that they should be cast into prison and bound with bonds as schismatickes false teachers and sacrilegious men Such reward men received who were witnesses to the truth of God and reprehended any corruption of the Romane Church In like manner Iohannes Mailrosius and Claudius Clemens learned men of Scotland sent by King Achaius to Charles King of France and the first professors of learning in the Academie founded by Charles the great in Paris these two likewise were disliked of the Roman Church because they could not assent to all the superstions of that Church in this age so miserably deformed CENTVRIE IX Popes of Rome AFter Leo the third succeeded Stephanus the fourth and ruled seuen months He was not elected with consent and allowance of the Emperour but onely by the Clergie and the people of Rome Here it is well marked by Functius that the Roman Church doth obserue their owne lawes so inuiolably that the priuiledge granted to the Emperour by Pope Leo the third it is vndone againe euen in his first successors time to wit in Pope Stephanus the fourth his time In the third month of his Popedome he journied toward France for what cause it is not certaine but it appeareth he would trie the Emperours minde whether or no he was griued for this that he had beene elected Pope without the consent and fore-knowledge of the Emperour When he returned againe finding that Ludouicus Pius the Emperour was not greatly grieued at the matter but accepted his excuse he began to make Commentaries vpon the Decrees of Hadrian the first and Leo the third to wit that they meaned not that the Emp. should bee first acquainted with the election of the Pope but rather that after his election the Emperour should be acquainted with the businesse before the Pope were anointed By such false Glosses and Commentaries they were by degrees excluding the Emperour from all kind of medling with the election of the Pope After Stephanus the fourth succeeded Pascalis the first who was elected without consent of the Emperour Hee sent Ambassadours to excuse himselfe to the Emperour Ludouicus Pius because the Clergie and people had compelled him to accept the Popedome The Emperour Ludouicus Pius on the other part seeing how this matter went and that he was troubled with the vnconstancie ambition and obstinacie of the Romane Church he gaue them libertie to choose their owne Bishop without the fore-knowledge and consent of the Emperour in time to come And Pascalis after hee had ruled seuen yeeres and seuenteene dayes he ended his course Eugenius the second succeeded Pascalis and ruled foure yeeres His Popedome was in the time when Lotharius was appointed to gouerne Italie His commendations are these great Learning great Eloquence with a mixture of great Hypocrisie Valentinus the successour of Eugenius within the space of fourtie dayes after that he was elected of a Deacon to be Pope hee concluded his life To Valentinus succeeded Gregorius the fourth and ruled sixteene yeeres Ludouicke and his sonne Lotharius were Emperours at this time without whose consent hee would not accept his Popedome Gregorie would haue seemed to haue beene a mediator betwixt Ludouicke and his sonnes but he is marked with a note of shame in the Magdeburg history as a man who encreased discord rather than quenched it What he did in the Conuention at Aken which was conueened by the authoritie of the Emperour it shall be declared God willing in its owne place To Gregorie the fourth succeeded Sergius the second ruled three yeeres He seemed to be the first Pope who chāged the name giuen vnto him in Baptisme for he was called Os porci that is the mouth of the Sowe and for the basenes of the name he called himselfe by the name of one of his antecessours Lotharius sent Ludouick his eldest son accōpanied with many Noble persons to be crowned Emperour for Lotharius thought meete to enter into a Monasterie and to lament for his by-past sinnes especially for grieuing the heart of his
the greater boldnesse to doe this because the Emperour Carolus was occupied in warre-fare The Nation of the Normandes were now so sauadge and mightie and molested France with an huge Armie that the Emperour was compelled to transact with them in manner as is aboue rehearsed in the Historie of the life of Carolus Crassus Another constitution was made by Pope Hadrian to wit That after the death of Carolus Crassus who died without succession the Emperiall Title together whth the gouernement of Italie should belong to one of the Princes of Italie This was the ground of vnsupportable debate and of factions in Italy euery man according to the greatnesse of his power contending to be King and Emperour But chiefely Albertus Marques of Tuscia Berengarius Duke of Forouilium and Guido Duke of Spoleto This seditious plotte also perturbed the Ecclesiasticall estate For after this euery one of the Princes of Italie stroue with all their might to haue such a man seated in the Popedome as could best aduance his faction as will clearelie appeare in the election of Pope Formosus To Hadrian the thirde succeeded Stephanus the fifth and ruled sixe yeeres and eleuen dayes The lesse Holinesse Learning and Vertue that he had the greater audacitie and boldnesse was found in him for he made a constitution whereof Gratian recordeth Distinct. 19. Cap. Enim vero Quicquid Ecclesia Romana statuit quicquid ordinat perpetuo quidem irre-fragibiliter obseruandum est that is Whatsoeuer the Romane Church doth statute and ordaine it is perpetuallie and without all contradiction to be obserued After Stephanus the fifth whom others doe call the sixth succeeded Formosus and continued fiue yeeres and sixe months Hee obtained the Popedome not without strife For one Sergius a Deacon was his competitor supported with the Tusculan faction Alwayes Formosus preuailed It was supposed that hee was one of them who conspired against Pope Iohn the ninth and cast him into bondes After this hee feared the authoritie of Pope Iohn and fled into France but Pope Iohn denuded him of all Ecclesiasticall office and put vpon him the habite of a Laicke person which indignitie done vnto him he tooke it so grieuously that he bound himselfe by an oath That hee should neuer see the Towne of Rome nor returne againe to his Bishopricke for hee was Episcopus Portuensis But Pope Martinus absolued him from his oath and repossessed him into his Bishopricke againe and in the end he was made Pope as is said Neuerthelesse the faction of his competitor Sergius ceased not to vexe and molest Formosus so that hee sent secret aduertisemeÌ„t vnto Arnulphus the Nephew of Carolus Crassus to come to Rome who came with an Armie and was crowned Emperour by Formosus as hath beene alreadie declared To Formosus succeeded Bonifacius the sixt who concluded his course after he had continued twentie and sixe daies After Bonifacius the sixt succeeded Stephanus the sixt and ruled one yeere and three months Hee not onely annulled all the Decrees of his Predecessor Formosus but also caused his dead bodie to bee taken out of his graue and cut off his three fingers wherewith he was wont to consecrate persons admitted to spirituall offices and threw them into Tyber and caused all them who had receiued ordination by Formosus to receiue new ordination This fact of Stephanus the sixt is so full of vncouth and vnnaturall inhumanitie that Onuphrius denieth that any such thing was done whose impudencie Morneus discouereth by the testimonie of Luitprandus who liued at that same time and was a Deacon of the Church of Ticinum and maketh mention of this vile fact not without horrour and detestation thereof Baronius is not so impudent as Onuphrius and will not denie the fact but extenuateth the atrocitie and vilenesse thereof for hee saith Non fuit error in fide sed violenta tyrannis in facto that is to say It was no errour in the faith but a violent tyrannie in the fact And likewise hee annulled the inauguration of the Emperour Arnulphus and annointed Albert or Lambert Marques of Tuscia who followed the Popes course to bee Emperour Now is the Popedome encreased to the measure of a full strength when they dare authorise and disauthorise place and displace Emperours at their owne pleasure So that there remaineth nothing but to enter into gripes with the Emperour throw him downe to the ground and to treade vpon the excellent honour of his Soueraigntie which in the next Centurie will follow To Stephanus succeeded Romanus and continued onely three months He abrogated the Decrees of Stephanus his predecessour Theodorus the successour of Romanus continued in his Popedome twentie dayes onely In this short time he allowed the Decrees of Formosus Patriarches of Constantinople PAtriarches of Costantinople in this Centurie were changed according to the dispositioÌ„ of the Emperours fauouring or disliking the worshipping of Images Nicephorus was a defender of adoration of Images was banished by the Emperour Leo. Theodotus againe Antonius and Syngelus who had bin Schoole-maisters to the Emperour Theophilus were haters of Images But after the death of Theophilus Theodora his wife advanced Methodius a superstitious man and an obstinate defender of adoration of Images and intercession of Saints Concerning Ignatius and Photius and the great troubles that arose about placing and displacing of them occasion will be offered to speake of these things in the head of Councels Of other Pastors and Doctors IN this corrupt and back-sliding age wherein the Romane Antichrist had so great an vpper-hand the head of Councels will compell mee to make mention of the names of a number of learned men At this time the name of Claudius Taurinensis putteth a great number of the refront of my remembrance because hee was a faithfull witnesse vnto the truth of God in a troublesometime He was a man borne in Spaine vnder the raigne of Ludovicus Pius he was made Bishop of Thurin in Piâ—mont As his first entry to his Bishopricke hee threw the Images out of his Church affirming that the Saints who in their life-time were not content to be worshipped much lesse could they be content to haue their pictures worshipped after their death In speciall hee condemned the worshipping of the crosse affirming that if it should be worshipped because Iesus died vpon it then the Ship in the which Christ sayled the Asse whereupon Christ did ride into Ierusalem infinit things which Christ touched by the like reason ought also to bee worshipped Concerning the Bishop of Rome he sayd that he was not to be counted an Apostolicke Bishop who sate in the Apostolicke chaire but hee who fulfilled an Apostolicke office Hinemarius Bishop of Rhemes lived vnder Carolus Magnus and continued in office almost vntill the raigne of the Emperour Arnulph Hee had great strife with his nephew Hincmarus Bishop of Laudunum who refused to bee vnder his Diosis and appealed from him vnto
was Pope For this cause hee called the marriage of the Priests the heresie of the Nicholaitans and the acceptation of Prelacies from the hands of secular Princes Simony And vnder colour of extirpating two heresies hee most craftily travelled to bring vnder his soveraigntie all men who were clothed with civill or spirituall offices And first for the abolishing of the marriage of Priests hee sent strict commandement to the Bishops of France and Germany and other places that they should depose married Priests from their offices vnder paine of cursing and that they should accept no persons in their places but those who would binde themselues by a solemne oath to perpetuall continencie The Priests made greater reluctation to the Popes commandement then the Bishops did in so much that in the Councell of Mentz convocated by the Archbishop for obeying of the Popes commandement the Archbishop accompanied with the Popes Ambassadour could finde no other meanes to saue their liues but onely by flying from the incensed wrath of marryed Priests As concerning his other enterprise in extirping the heresie of Simony as hee called it that no Prelat should receiue investment from Emperours and Princes but onely from the Bishop of Rome This could not bee brought to passe without the thunder-bolts of excommunication whereby he so subdued the noble Emperour Henry the fourth that hee was compelled in sharpe winter weather to iourney to Italy and to seeke absolution from the Popes cursing It were too long to discourse of his sorceries lying prophecies and treasonable attempts against the noble Emperour And the weake apologie of Onuphrius will never be an vmbrage to couer the craft malice and divellish pride of this seditious Pope To Gregorie the seventh succeeded Victor the third who onely continued in his Popedome one yeere and an halfe After Victor the third succeeded Pope Vrbanus the second and ruled twelue yeeres foure moneths and eighteen dayes Hee assembled a Councell at Clermont in France and incited Christian Princes to vndertake a dangerous warfare against the Turkes and Saracens for recovering of the holy Land and for supporting of distressed Christians in those parts A certaine Monke called Peter who had gone on pilgrimage to Ierusalem deplored to the Councell in most lamentable manner the pitifull estate of Christians in Ierusalem And many Christian Princes were moued to vndertake an hazardous warre against the Turkes and Saracens vnder the conduct of Godfrey Duke of Loraine Robert Duke of Normandy Robert Count of Flanders and diverse other noble Princes an army of three hundred thousand Christian people set forward toward Ierusalem which they conquered out of the hands of Infidels with great effusion of blood and Godfrey was crowned King of Ierusalem with a crowne of thornes An. 1099. as Functius recordeth Patriarchs of Constantinople BEcause I reade of no memorable thing done by the Patriarches of Constantinople it shall suffice shortly to point out their names onely and to set forward In this Centurie we finde the names of these Patriarchs following to wit Antonius Nicolaus Sisinnius Sergius Eustachius Alexius Michael Constantinus Lithudes Iohannes Xiphilinus Cosmas Eustratius and Nicolaus Of other Pastors and Doctors PEtrus Damianus was brought vp in the Monasterie of Cassinates and was made a Cardinall and Bishoppe of Ostia by Pope Stephanus the ninth Hee was deposed by Benedict the tenth and deprived of his living because hee disapproved his entry to the Popedome Hee was cast into prison and bonds and when he was set at liberty he sought not restitution to his Bishopricke againe but hee lived an heremiticall life And when Pope Nicolaus the second and Hildebrand an Archdeacon obiected this fact against him opprobriously he writ an apologie and defended himselfe by the example of 36. Fathers who had done the like He was very superstitious and approved the custome of Monks who began to scourge themselues very impertinently cyting the examples of Christ who was scourged by Pontius Pilat and of the Apostle Saint Paul who was thrice beaten with roddes and fiue times received thirty nine stripes as if it were all one thing to scourge our selues and to bee scourged by others He was present at the Councel of Millan as substitute of Pope Nicholaus the second Ino Bishoppe of Charters in France was counted learned in his time nothing is more commendable in all his life then this when hee was cast in prison for disprooving the marriage of Philip King of France the Noblemen dwelling about Charters would haue by force delivered him but hee disswaded them from any such attempts onely willed them to pray to God for him His bookes are miserably spotted with the errours of his time such as Transubstantiation in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Intercession and merits of Saints in prayer and diverse other errors Lanfrancus was borne in Papia a towne of Italy and became Archbishop of Canterburie hee was much reverenced for his learning Hee writ against Berengarius and defended the opinion of Transubstantiation He was in great credite with William the Conquerour King of England in so much that all spirituall and civill affaires seemed to bee ordered according to his appetite and pleasure This great credite procured against him the hatred of many Noblemen notwithstanding they could not prevaile against him all the dayes of King William Rufus the sonne of King William was of a more sterne and angry nature and albeit Lanfrancus had taken paines vpon his education notwithstanding his emulous competitours alienated the Kings heart somewhat from him whereby hee fell into a sharpe fever and dyed Ranulphus writeth of him that he wished to conclude his life either by fever or dysenterie because in these sicknesses the vse of a mans tongue continues oftentimes to the last breath Hee continued in his Prelacie nineteene yeeres and dyed in the third yeare of King Rufus Anselmus succeeded to Lanfrancus both in place and learning for hee was Bishop of Canterbury and a singular learned man Hee was borne in a towne called Augusta in the confines of Burgundie Hee was the disciple of Lanfrancus hee was first a Monke and afterward an Abbot in a Monastery of Normandie called Bettense and foure yeeres after the death of Lanfrancus the King of England promoted him to the Archbishopricke of Canterbury Anselmus in his admonitions to the King who at that time converted to his owne vse the rents of defunct Bishops and Abbots was free and plaine and for his freedome incurred great indignation in so much that hee compared himselfe vnto an Owle For saith he like as shee hath pleasure when shee remaineth in her owne nest and with her owne brood but when shee flyeth abroad shee is miserably misused and beaten with ravens crowes and other soules that forgather with her Even so saith hee when I am in company of you my familiar friends I liue in pleasure but when I goe to Court and am
conversant with secular men I am discontented and as it were dilacerate with a multitude of secular cares Hee was a stout defender of the authority of the Bishoppe of Rome in so much that he was content to forgoe the favour of his Prince and to bee banished for the excessiue loue hee caryed to the priviledges of the Romane Chaire After the death of Rufus Anselmus was received from banishment by King Henry But because hee would not admit and consecrate those Bishops who had received investment from the King but called them bastards and abortiue births whosoever received investment from secular men great contention arose betweene the King and the Prelat the issue whereof was this that the decision of the question was referred to the Bishoppe of Rome who gaue sentence in favour of Anselmus because Anselmus suffered trouble for maintaining of the Popes authoritie The King was irritate and exasperate with the Popes decree and spoyled Anselmus of all his dignities Who remained for the most part in Lions during the time of his second banishment But the King reduced him againe from banishment and was reconciled with him After his returning from his second banishment hee lived three yeeres and died in the yeerâ— of our Lord 1109. having continued Bishop of Canterburie thirteene yeeres In his bookes no errour is more intollerable then this that hee equalleth the Virgine Mary with Christ attributing to her all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge as the Apostle Paul atiributeth them to Christ our Saviour CENTVRIE XII Popes of Rome AFter Vrbanus the second followed Paschalis the second and ruled eighteene yeeres 6. moneths and 7. dayes Called before Reginerus a man brought vp in the Monasteries of Italy hee seemed to shun the high preheminencie of the Popedome but the acclamations of the people often repeating that Saint Peter had chosen good Reginerus to be Pope bowed his flexible minde and inclined it to the Popedome hee then putting on a purple garment and a Diadem vpon his head was brought vnto the Church of Lateran vpon a white pamphrey where a Scepter was put in his hand and a girdle tyed about him having seven Seales and seven Keyes hanging thereupon for a recognizance of his seven-fold power and seven-fold grace of God resting vpon him to wit of binding loosing shutting opening sealing resigning and iudging He excommunicated the noble Emperor Henry the fourth following the example of three of his predecessors to wit Gregorie the seventh Victor the third Vrbanus the second Hee stirred vp Henry the fift against his naturall father Henry the fourth and caused the body of the noble Eemperour Henry the fourth who died at Leodim to bee raised out of his sepulchre to be carryed to the towne of Spire and to want the honour of Christian buriall five yeeres O Antichristian pride O barbarous inhumanity O cruelty and rage ranscending the cruelty of Pagans who persecuted the Church of Christ for the space of three hundred yeeres In his time the Bishop of Florence taught that Antichrist was already borne and manifested to the world Vpon which occasion Paschalis assembled a Councell at Florence and with terrible threatnings put him to silence and damned his bookes Also hee assembled another Councell at Tretas a famous towne in Campanie in France where hee ratified the decrees of his Predecessors in condemning the mariage of Priests as the heresie of the Nicolaitans and receiving Ecclesiasticall rents from Lay persons as Simonie Of his revocation of the priviledge of investment of Bishops granted to the Emperour Henry the fift I haue spoken already in the historie of the life of the Emperour His Competitors were Albertus Theodoricus and Maginulphus whom hee easily subdued To him succeeded Gelasius the second and ruled one yeere and fiue dayes He was elected without consent of the Emp. Henry 5. which procured vnto him great griefe For Cincius a noble man of Rome of the family of Frangepanis invaded the Pope and Cardinals and trod the Pope vnder foot and cast him in prison and bonds but the citizens of Rome relieved him and threatned to destroy the familie of Frangepanis if they set not the Pope at liberty After this trouble another followed the Emperour sent an army to Rome and authorized another to be pope whom they called Gregorius the eight The Pope fled to Caieta the place of his nativity but when the army returned to Germany hee came to Rome where hee found his estate to be ieoperdous Therefore hee fled to France and dyed of a plurisie in the Abbey of Clumack After Gelasius succeeded Calixtus the second sometime Bishop of Vier and kinsman to the King of France he governed fiue yeeres ten moneths and thirteene dayes Hee compelled the Emperor Henry the fift to agree to his election albeit Mauritius Burdinus otherwise called Gregorie the eight whom the Emperour himselfe had authorized was yet aliue Also hee compelled the foresayd Emperour to ouergiue all right which hee claimed to investment of Bishops and election of Popes so much did the Roman Antichrist prevaile by the thunder bolts of his curses that hee compelled the Emperour by these means to stoupe vnder his feete Also he besiedged Sutrium a Towne of the Romans wherein Mauritius Burdinus his Competitor had his remaining Hee tooke the Towne and his Competitor hee carried Captiue to Rome setting him vpon a Camel with his face toward the hinder-parts thereof and in the end thrust him into a Monasterie He assembled a Councell at Rhemes wherein he renewed the ordinance against married Priests ordaining that not onely they should be spoyled of their liuings and offices but also that they should be debarred from the communion of Christian people Like as these verses doe testifie O bone Calixte nunc omnis clerus odit te Quondam presbyteri poterant vxoribus vti Hoc destruxisti postquam tu Papa fuisti Also hee held another Councell at Rome where it was statute and ordained that it should not be lawfull to the people to repudiat their Bishop or to choose another during his life-time grounding their ordinance vpon a place of Scripture a wife is bound to the law of her husband so long as her husband is aliue After hee is dead shee is loosed from the Law of her husband So learnedly did these Aecumenique Asses expound places of holy scripture After Calixtus succeeded Pope Honorius the second and ruled fiue yeeres and two months In his time Arnulphus an eloquent man a famous Preacher came to Rome whether out of the wildernesse or out of any other place wherein he had exercised a ministeriall office it is vncertaine alwayes it is thought of all men that he was sent of God hee sharpely rebuked the dissolute Loosnesse incontinencie auarice and pride of the clergie of Rome so that hee incenced their hearts against him speciallie for this that hee said it was no wonder that they sought his life for if
Saint Peter himselfe were aliue and did rebuke the lewdnesse of their conversation they would not spare to take Saint Peters life also Moreouer hee sayd they were full of vncleannesse and were blinde guides leading the people headlong to Hell but the Lord would haue in remembrance their iniquities and call their wickednesse to account Thus the hatefull indignation of the Clergie being kindled against him for preaching the truth they layed waite for him secretlie and tooke him and drowned him Platina alledgeth that this fact displeased the Pope alwayes there was no inquisition to know the authors of this fact not punishment of malefactours who shed innocent blood in secret that manifested vnto the world the Popes indignation About this time was a booke written called Opus Tripartitum the author whereof was vnknowne but it is supposed to haue beene compiled by Arnulphus It contained great complaints of the manifold abuses of Church-men After Honorius succeeded Innocentius the second and ruled fourteene yeeres seuen months eight dayes Hee was a man of a militarie spirit albeit not fortunate in warfare For he made warre against Rogerius Duke of Sicilie whom hee besieged also in a certaine Castle But William Duke of Calabria Rogerius his sonne not onely relieued his father but also laid hands on the Pope and his Cardinals and made them Captiues and prisoners Rogerius delt friendly with the Pope and his Cardâ—nals and set them at libertie and obtained at the Popes hand whatsoeuer hee pleased except the name and title of a king At this time when the Pope was busied in warrefare the Romans advanced one called Peter the sonne of Leo a man of noble birth in Rome to be Pope And when Innocentius adressed himselfe to Rome hee did finde the faction of his Competitor to be strong and mighty therefore he sayled to Pisca and from thence to Geneua and from thence to France where hee assembled Councels at Clermont and at Rhemes and deliuered his Competitor to Sathan In the end hee was restored to his chaire againe by the Emperour Lotharius the second In his time the Towne of Rome being wearied with the tirâ—nnie of the Popes tooke resolution to be gouerned by Consuls The Pope to obviat this conceite of the people made an ordinance that whosoeuer did violently put hands on any person of the Clergie hee should be excommunicate and no man should haue power to absolue him but onely the Pope After Innocentius succeeded Coelestinus the second Hee was chosen Pope without the consent of the people as witnesseth Onuphrius he ended his course in the fift month of his Popedome To him succeeded Lucius the second and gouerned the Pestilentius chaire as the Magdeburg historie recordeth in a time when the Pestilence had great vpperhand in Rome Hee concluded his course in the eleuenth month of his Popedome After Lucius succeeded Eugenius the third sometime disciple to Bernard and ruled eight yeeres foure months and twentie dayes He so bestirred himselfe against the Senators of Rome that partlie by cursings and partly by force hee brought them in subiection and compelled them to receiue such Senators as the Pope by his authoritie pleased to assigne vnto them But it came to passe that hee who was desirous to be terrible and awfull to the Romans hee feared them in like manner that they were conspiring secretlie against his estate Therefore hee fled to Tybur and from thence to Fraunce to leade an armie to the East for the support of distressed Christians But this voiage had no good successe notwithstanding that the Popes blessing and Bernards Councell who was Abbot of Clarauall and much regarded at that time were both interposed to advance this often reiterated warrefare against the Turks When the Pope returned from France to Rome accompanied with great forces the people of Rome were affraid but the Pope soone after concluded his course at Tybur Anastatius the fourth succeeded Eugenius who continued in his Popedome one yeere foure months and twentie foure dayes To Anastatius succeeded Pope Adrian the fourth a Monke of the English nation employed by Pope Eugenius to goe to the people of Noroway whom hee brought vnder the Roman superstition and therefore was advanced by Pope Eugenius to the dignitie of a Cardinall and after the death of Anastatius the fourth he was promoted to the Popedome Hee would not goe to the Church of Lateran to be consecrated vntill Arnoldus Bishop of Brixia was driuen from the Towne of Rome because hee had counceled the Romans to claime to the auncient gouernment of their Towne to be guided by consuls and Senators But the proud Pope insisted so seriouslie against Arnoldus and the Romanes that hee compelled them by the force of his multiplied curses not onely to expell Arnoldus out of the Towne of Rome but also to submit themselues absolutely to the gouernment of the Pope The proud cariage of this Pope towards the noble Emperour Fredericke the first his bad successe in warrefare against the Duke of Sicilie and his miserable death in the Towne of Anagnia hath all beene touched in the historie of the life of Fredericke He ended his course after hee had ruled foure yeeres and ten months After Adrian the fourth succeeded Pope Alexander the third who had great debate against his competitor Victor the fourth called before Octavianus in respect the Emperour and the Princes of Germanie and a great number of the Clergie of Rome adhered to Pope Victor And on the other part to Pope Alexander adhered the kings of England France and Sicilie And this scisme indured a long time for remouing whereof the Emperour Fredericke appointed one councell at Papia and another at Diuion To the first hee would not appeare because hee thought the Pope should be iudged of no man To the Second he should not appeare because the councell of Diuion was not assembled by his owne authoritie but by the commandement of the Emperour This Litigious decertation tooke this effect that the Emperour and Bishoppes conuened at the foresaid Councels decreed Victor who appeared and was ready to submit hâ—s cause to the iudgement of a lawfull assemblie him I say they decreed to be Pope lawfully elected Pope Alexander fled to France and in the councell of Clermont hee excomunicated both the Emperour and his Competitor Victor these were the weapons of their warrefare against the Emperours and all others whom they supposed to be their aduersaries After the death of his Competitor Victor Pope Alexander being at Rome the Emperour Fredericke came with a strong armie thereto and Pope Alexander fled to the Venetians What Tragedie fell out in Venice forcing the noble Emperour to stoupe vnder the feete of the Pope for excessiue loue that hee caried towards his sonne hath beene declared in the Historie of the Emperour Frederickes life In this Popes dayes was Thomas Becket Bishop of Canterburie slaine Henry king of England purged himselfe to the Pope that
per viam expedientiae that is although it be not lawfull by way of iustice yet is it meet to doe it as a thing expedient to be done He exercised his tyrannie and power of excommunication against Andronicus Paleologus Emperour of Constantinople declaring him a schismaticke and heretike because hee neither would nor durst suffer the Grecians to make their appeale from the Greeke Church to the Pope neither would acknowledge him for his superior For the Grecians euer constantly refused to be subiect to the Romane bishop except in that short time wherein the Frenchmen had the Empire of the East and in the time of Michael Paleologus who in the Councell at Lyons submitted himselfe to Gregorie the tenth whereby he procured vnto himselfe such hatred that after his death the Grecians denyed vnto him the honour and place of buriall as hath beene declared In like manner hee excommunicated the Venetians for preferring Azada to the estate of Ferrare yea Francis DaÌ„dalus Ambassador from the Venetians to the said Clement for pacifying his furie and obtaining that absolution suffered a chaine of iron to be tyed about his necke and to lye downe vnder the Popes table there like a Dog to catch the bones which fell from the table vntill the Popes furie was assuaged And lest he should be inferiour to his predecessors in subduing all powers vnder his feet hee ordained that the king of the Romans should not enioy the title and right of an Emperour without confirmation giuen by the Pope Next to Clement followed Pope Iohn the two and twentieth After that the chaire of Rome had beene vacant for the space of two yeeres and three months hee ruled nineteene yeeres foure months and was verie much giuen to heape vp riches so that hee proclamed them to be heretickes who affirmed that Christ and his Apostles had no possessions in the world He would not condiscend to the Coronation of Lewes the fift Duke of Bauaria to be Emperour because hee vsed the Empâ—â— all dignitie in Italie before hee was authorised by the Popeâ—â— which cause Lewes tooke his iourney to Rome and theâ—â— crowned by the Cardinalls and set vp another Pope in 〈◊〉 called Nicolaus the fift against Iohn who was then residâ—â— at a Auiniogue in France and so the church of Rome 〈◊〉 begun to haue two heads Pope 〈◊〉 the twelfe followed and ruled seuen yeeres 〈…〉 and seuenâ—â—eene dayes 〈…〉 Pope Clement the sixt and ruled ten 〈…〉 twentie eight dayes hee reduced the 〈…〉 was kept on the hundred yeere to the fiftieth yeere and to allure men to goe to warre for recouering of the holy land hee set forth blasphemous bulls commaunding the Angells to convey euerie mans soule to Paradise who died by the way giuing also power to all and singular persons signed with the Crosse to deliuer three or foure prisoners whom they pleased best out of the pains of Purgatorie After Clement the sixt followed Innocentius the sixt and ruled nine yeeres eight months and six dayes Hee imprisoned a certaine frier called Ioannes de rupescissa because hee Prophecied of the fall of the Pope and his Cardinalls by the parable of a bird cloathed with other birds fethers which in respect of her pryde were all plucked from her After him succeeded Vrbanus the fift and ruled eight yeeres and foure months In whose time the order of the Iesuits begun Next to Pope Vrban succeeded Gregorie the eleuenth who reduced the Papacie againe out of France to Rome after it had continued there aboue 70. yeeres moued hereunto vpon this occasion Hee had reprooued a certaine Bishoppe who stood by him from long absence from his charge to whom the Bishop replyed againe that the Bishop of Rome himselfe who ought to be a patterne to all the rest was longer absent from the place where his Church did tye him whereby the Pope tooke occasion to remoue his court from Fraunce to Rome When hee returned hee found the estate of Italie greatly disquieted with cruell warres and specially betwixt the Venetians and the Genoans whom the Pope threatned with excommunication if they both desisted not but before hee was able to accomplish this worke he ended his life after he had ruled seuen yeeres fiue months after whose death followed a great schisme in the Church of Rome For the Cardinalls of Italie choosed an Italian Pope whom they called Vrbanus the sixt and the Cardinalls of France choosed a Pope of the French nation whom they called Clemens the seuenth This scisme continued for the space of 38. yeeres vntill the generall Councell holden at Constance during which time were found at least two Popes raigning at one time the one in Auiniogue and the other in Rome In the dayes of this Pope Vrbane sprang vp Iohn Wickliffe in England of whose doctrine somewhat shall hereafter be spoken God willing whom Pope Vrbane such was the prouidence of God could not attend to suppresse being otherwise busied in suppressing his Competitor Clement the seuenth insomuch that this litle sparkle which begun in England enkindled forth with flames in the kingdome of Boheme and many other places to the great hurt of Antichrists kingdome To Vrbane after hee had ruled vnhappily as Platina writeth a eleuen yeeres and eight months succeeded Bonifacius the ninth and ruled foureteene yeeres and nine months hee was impudent in selling of Pardons that hee brought Peters keyes into great contempt After him succeeded Innocentius the seuenth and ruled two yeeres Of other Doctors IN this age God raised vp manie witnesses of his truth as also made the knowledge of letters the studie of tongues to spring vp againe after it had bin suppressed many yeeres in the Roman church for some learned men of the Grecians fearing the crueltie of the Turke fled vnto Italie by whose fruitfull trauaills learning begun againe to reuiue and spread it selfe thorow all parts of the West Of this number was Emmanuell Chrysoloras of Byzantium Theodorus Gaza of Thessalonica and Georgius Trapezuntius with many moe whose names are worthie to bee kept in good remembrance because they brought a good treasure with them out of Grecia where with many afterward were enriched Amongst those witnesses of the truth Marsilius Patavinus is iustly numbered who taking the defence of the Emperour Lewes agâ—inst the Pope who did excommunicate him affirmes in his booke called defensor pacis that the Pope hath no authoritie ouer other Bishops much lesse ouer the Emperour Secondly that the word of God ought only to be iudge in all causes Ecclesiasticall Thirdly that the Clergie and Pope should be subiect to Magistrates Fourthly That the head of the Church is Christ and that hee neuer appointed any vicar or Pope ouer his vniuersall Church Fiftly That Bishops ought to be chosen by their owne Church and Clergie Sixtly That the Mariage of Priests may be lawfully permitted Seuenthly That S. Peter was
neuer at Rome Eightly That the Clergie of Rome is a den of Theeues Ninthly That the doctrine of the Pope is not to be followed because it leades to eternall death In another treatise he disputes of free iustification by grace and that workes are no efficient cause of Saluation Sed causa sine qua non for the which doctrine hee was condemned by the Pope I passe by a great number who clearelie discouered the corruptions and Apostasie of the Church of Rome such as Ioannes de Gunduno Gregorius Ariminensis Andreas de Castro Dante 's an Italian Taulerus a Preacher of Argentine in Germanie Franciscus Petrarcha a man famouslie learned who in his workes in Italian verses speaking of Rome calles it the whoore of Babilon the schoole and mother of errour the Temple of heresie the nest of treacherie growing and increasing by the oppression of others Likewise Ioannes de rupe scissa who was cast in prison by Pope Innocentius the sixt also Conradus Hager a Germane of the citie of Herbipoli Gerardus Ridder Michael Cesenas Provinciall of the Gray friers Petrus de Corbaria with one Ioaxnes de Pâ—liato This foresaid Michael general of the gray friers writ against the tyrannie pride and primacie of the Pope accusing him to be Antichrist and the Church of Rome to be the whoore of Babilon drunken with the blood of the Saints He affirmed there were two Churches one of the wicked florishing wherein raigned the Pope the other of the Godly afflicted also that the veritie was almost vtterlie extinct and for this cause hee was depriued of his dignitie and condemned by the Pope Notwithstanding he stood constant in his assertions and left behind him many fauourers and followers of his doctrine of whom a great part were slaine by the Pope Some were condemned as William Ockam who writ both in defence of the Emperour Lewes whom the Pope excommunicated and likewise in defence of Michael generall of the gray friers whom the Pope had cursed for an heretike and some were burned such as Ionnes de Castellione and Franciscus de Arcatara Likewise Armachanus a Bishop in Ireland and Matthias Parisiensis Ioannes Montziger rector of the Vniuersitie of Vlme Nilus Bishop of Thessalonica Iacobus Milnensis and one Milezius Henricus de Iota and Henricus de Hassia Likewise in this most desperate time when the estate of religion was vtterlie corrupted and the onely name of Christ remained amongst Christians his true and liuely doctrine being vtterly vnknowne and turned into an heape of shadowed Ceremonies which so increased that there was no end of heaping vp of ceremonies invented by man at this time I say the Lord raised vp Iohn Wickliffe a professor of Diuinitie in the vniuersitie of Oxford who seeing that error by long vse and custome had beene so deeplie rooted in the hearts of men that it could hardly be plucked out hee medled not with all at once bâ—â— firsâ— bâ—gâ—â—nne to touch the matter of the Sacraments and discoâ—er 〈◊〉 â—rrours that men were fallen into in this head of 〈◊〉 but this byle could not be touched without the great griefe and paine of the whole world For first of all the whole rabble of Monkes and begging Friers were set on rage and madnes against him and after them the Priests and then after them the Archbishop Simon Sudburie tooke the matter in hand who for the same cause depriued him of his benefice which then he had in Oxford Notwithstanding being supported by the friendly assistance of the Duke of Lancaster sonne to king Edward the third and some other friends whom God raised vp for his protection he bare out the malice of the Friers and Archbishop Likewise Pope Vrbane was so busied with suppressing of another Pope Clement the seuenth set vp against him that he could not spare any time to suppresse Iohn Wickliffe and so it came to passe thorow the prouidence of Almightie God that the enemies of the true light with fretting minds were compelled to see the sparkles thereof not being able to quench them The chiefe heads of doctrine which hee maintained against the Roman church were these That the substance of bread remained in the Sacrament of the altar after the words of consecration That it is not found in the Gospell that Christ instituted or confirmed a masse That it is a presumptuous Speaking to affirme that the infants of the faithfull who die vnbaptised are condemned That in the time of Paul there were onelie two orders of Clerks to wit Elders and Deacons neither was there in the time of the Apostles any distinction of Popes Patriarches Archbishops Bishops but these the Emperours pryde did finde out That the causes of diuorcement for spirituall consanguinitie or affinitie are not founded on the scriptures but onely by the ordinance of men That he who is most seruicable and humble in the church and most inamored with the loue of Christ the same is the neerest vicar of Christ in the militant Church If corporall vnction were a Sacrament then Christ and his Apostles would not haue left the ordinance of that vntouched Whatsoeuer the Pope and Cardinals doe command which they cannot deduce cleerely out of the Scriptures the same is to be accounted hereticall and not to be obeyed That it is but a follie to beleeue the Popes Pardons That it is not necessarie to saluation to beleeue the church of Rome to be supreme head of other Churches A Deacon or Priest may Preach the word of God without the authoritie of the Apostolike sea The Church of Rome is the Synagogue of Sathan neither is the Pope immediatlie the vicar of Christ nor of the Apostles That the Emperour and Secular Lords are seduced who so inrich the Church with ample possessions If any man enter into any priuat religion whatsoeuer it be hee is thereby made more vnapt and vnable to obserue the commandements of God Of Monkes POpe Clement the sixt bearing rule Iohn king of France sonne of Philip invented the sect and order of those Monkes which in Latine are called Stellati whose maner is alwayes to weare a starre vpon their brest signifying thereby that there is nothing in them but the light of perfection and the cleere shining of good workes Yea that they themselues are the light of the world according to the saying of Christ vos eslis lux mundi yea are the light of the world Item That they shall rise againe at the later day all shining and glistering as the most cleere and pleasant starres according as it is written by the Prophet They that informe many into righteousnes shall be as the starres world without end In Anno 1336. Pope Boniface the ninth raigning a certaine man called Gerardus being of great learning and vertuous conversation ordained a certaine fraternitie or brotherhood of learned godlie men to teach schollers and to bring vp youth not onely in good letters but also in good maners that by those means there might be
learned men alwayes in store to beare rule in the Church of Christ and to gouerne the common-wealth according to the praescript and rule of Gods word This Gerardus being but a Deacon preached the word of God purelie and feruently and when hee was moued by his friends to be a Priest hee alwayes answered that he was vnworthie to haue such an high office affirming that hee would not haue the cure of soules not so much as by the space of one night for all the gold of Arabia In Anno 1379. Pope Vrbane the fift greatly allowed the order of Iesuits and gaue vnto them many great and singular priuileges coÌ„manding the Monkes of that order to weare a white kirtle and a russet coule and that they should be called of all men Clerici Apostolici that is the Apostles clerks This order of Iesuits was the invention of Ioannes Columbinus in SeÌ„a a citie of Hetruria They were not at the beginning Priests or consecrated persons but were men of the lay sort giuen and addicted willingly and freely to prayer and to labour getting their liuing with the trauell of their hands and sweate of their browes liuing as it were in common after the example of Christ and his disciples They are called Iesuits because the name of Iesus should be often in their mouths In Anno 1368. Pope Boniface bearing rule the order which is called Ordo Dealbatorum was invented by a certaine Priest in Italie who pretended such a modestie and grauitie both in words and countenance that euery man tooke him for a Saint The professors of this order were cloathed with long white linneÌ„ euen downe to the ground hauing coules vpon their heads like vnto Monkes The chiefe point of their profession was to lament the state of mankind to bewaile the sinnes of the people to pray for redresse of the same at the hands of God They neuer went abroad without a Crosse with the Image of the Crucifixe caried before them which Crosse the Lucenses keepe at this day with great reuerence as a most precious relike and daylie make vowes and offer gifts therevnto But Pope Boniface aforsaid conceiuing that they should doe no good to his honorable estate if they continued forasmuch as they all appeared before men righteous good and Godlie and the Pope with his complices most wicked euill and vngodlie caused the author of this order a seditious person to be beheaded at Viterbium Some say that hee was burnt as a superstitious Hypocrite and attainted of some heresie In Anno 1400. CENTVRIE XV. Of Popes of Rome AFter the death of Innocentius Sephinus the Cardinalls perceiuing the great schisme that was in the Church of Rome by reason of diuers Popes ruling at one time bound themselues together by horrible oathes that they would endevour by all their might to haue the Church of Rome restored againe to her wonted vnitie and for this cause they elected Gergorie the twelfth to be Pope after they had caused him to sweare that hee would by all possible meanes trauell to restore the peace and vnitie of the Church But Gregorie although hee writ to Benedict the thirteenth Pope in Avinion exhorting him to vnitie and peace and Benedict on the other part with pleasant words protested his earnest desire of peace and vnitie yet both the one and the other kept their dominions and Popedomes and continued the Schisme So that the Cardinalls thought it expedient to gather a Councell in the towne of Pisa wherein they deposed the two aforesayd Popes Gregorie and Benedict as persons who by conclusion amongst themselues sought rather their own gaine then the vnitie of the Church of God and they elected Petrus Cretensis Cardinall of Millan to be Pope whom they called Alexander the fift but he continued not aboue the space of eight months in his Popedome He was counted verie liberall and gaue so large and ample benefices to others that he left almost nothing to himselfe and was accustomed to speake of himselfe that he was a rich Bishop a poore Cardinal and a beggerly Pope After whose departure Ionnes 23. is chosen Pope howbeit the two other Popes who were deposed in the Councell of Pisa were yet aliue and had great sway and nothing reguarded the decrees of the Councell of Pisa because that Councell was convocated by a number of Cardinalls only who had no lawfull power to appoint a generall Councell Thus was the scisme augmented rather then empaired by the Councell of Pisa and in stead of two Popes then three afterward were ruling at one time In this Popes daies the Emperour Sigismund tooke great trauell to quiet the estate of the Church and to remoue the scisme but found none other way how this matter might be brought to passe but onely by gathering a generall Councell in the Towne of Constantia At this Councell Ioannes 23. was personally present and was required to giue ouer his Popedome farre contrarie to his expectation for he looked for ratification of his Papacie because he was more obedient to the Councel then the other two but finding that the Councel was fullie bent to depose all the three Popes to set vp one whom they should chose in place of them all he begun to be grieued at his owne proceedings that he had hazarded to come to the Councel to their iudgement to submit himselfe his honorable estate wherefore he thought best secretly to flie out of the towne but flying could not availe him any thing for hee was brought backe againe by the Emperour from Friburge to Constantia and cast into prison and deposed by the Councell after hee had ruled foure yeeres and ten months The other two Popes Gregorie the twelfth and Benedict the thirteene although they were absent yet sustained the like sentence of deposition Martinus 5. was chosen Pope after whose election the Emp. Sigismund was so filled with gladnesse that the scisme was now taken away and peace restored to the Church that forthwith he did remoue to the conclaue where the Cardinals Commissioners of countries were assembled for election of the Pope fell downe before him kissed his feet After his election earnest sute was made for reformation of the corrupt maners of Ecclesiasticall persons and that Bishoppes Abbots and other Prelates might bee compelled to attend vpon their owne callings that superfluous feastings and abuses of fasting and canonisation of Sainctes might be abrogated and that the orders of Monkes daily multiplying might â—ee reduced to a more tolerable number But no reformation at all was obtained Onely Pope Martine thought meet to dissolue the Councell of Constance And for satisfaction of the hearts of all men and to put them in hope that some reformation was intended the Pope consented in the Councell of Constance that immediatly after the issue of the Councel another should be kept in Papia within the space of fiue yeeres immediatly following the same and
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
and ruled seuen yeere In this time the Isle of Ciprus was taken by Mustapha Captain of Selims armie but with so great effusion of blood for it is supposed that 80000. Turkes were slaine in the siege of Nicosia and famogusta two principall townes of the Isle that Mustapha considering the number that were slayn violated his promise made to Bragadinus chiefe captain and defender of the Isle of Cyprus and cruelly martyred that valiant Captaine This calamitie of Cyprus made the Venetians very much bent against the Turke and they banded themselues with Philip King of Spaine and with Pius the fift Bishop of Rome by whose support and assistance a Navie was set forth to the Sea and a notable victorie was atchieued vnder the conduct of Iohn de Austria at Lepanto of which before Gregorius the thirteenth followed and ruled thirteene yeeres one month and three dayes Hee founded a new Colledge for Iesuits in Rome and bestowed great revenues vpon it chiestie for this cause to be a Seminarie of Learned Schollers to convert the countrie of Germanie to the Roman religion againe In this Popes time fell out that horrible murther of Paris in the yeere of our Lord 1572. which was well liked of by the Pope who also sent to Charles the ninth king of France the summe of 40000. Ducates to maintaine and set forward the warre against the Hugonits as they called them In his time Sebastian king of Portugal was slaine in Mauritania beyond the straits Philip king of Spaine who was his neerest kinsman obtained the kingdome after him by strong hand and by driuing out of the land Duke Anthonie whom the people had chosen to be king Gregorie also set forth a new Calendar and corrected the olde Roman Calendar which new alteration bred many contentions speciallie in Germanie To him succeeded Sixtus 5. who in the beginning of his Popedom excōmunicated the king of Nauarre Prince of Condie fearing that which indeede came to passe hereafter to witt that king H. 3. dying without children the kingdome shuld come to the house of Burboune Likewise he intēded a processe of excōmunicatiō against H. the third king of France for slaying of the Cardinal of Lorain his brother the D. of Guise at Bloyes for detaining Captiues the Cardinal of Burbon the Archb. of Lions This proceeding of the Pope encouraged others against the King so that a Iacobin Fryer called Clement came out of the towne of Paris when the king was besieging it killed the King with an impoisoned knife as hath beene declared before Yet after the death of the King when H. the fourth King of Navarre succeeded to the kingdome and besieged the towne of Paris this Pope gaue no subsidue to those of the League that were banded together against the King fearing that if the King prevailed in France he would be a strong adversary to him if he had supported his enemies whether this was the cause as Onuphrius writeth or another that mooved him so to doe yet this matter so displeased Philip King of Spaine and the Leaguers that they were minded to haue made a solemne prorestation against the Pope if he had not prevented their intention by excusing himselfe in the Consistory of his Cardinals Hee was a very vigilant and actiue Pope and vsed often to make mention of that speech of Vespasian That a Prince should die standing on his feet meaning that a Prince should be vigilant and ever doing some part of his calling He died after he had ruled fiue yeeres foure moneths and three dayes and left behinde him fiue millions of gold After him succeeded Vrbanus the seventh and ruled only thirteene dayes for he died before his inauguration To him succeeded Gregorius the fourteenth and ruled nine moneths and ten dayes After him Innocentius the ninth and ruled onely two moneths and one day After him Clemens the eight hee absolved the King of France from the sentence of excōmunication pronounced by Pope Sixtus the fift against him For that the Kings Oratours in his name had renounced and abiureed that doctrine which the King in his young yeeres had so long prosessed and after they had accepted such conditions as it pleased the Pope to impose to the King namely that hee should receiue the Councell of Trent make it be obeyed in all parts of his kingdom also that hee should deliver the young Prince of Condie a childe of nine yeeres old to be brought vp by Bishops or Abbots in the Romane religion and that hee should certifie by his letters all Catholique Princes of the abiuration of his former religion with many other conditions which were all accepted by the Kings Orators and ratified by the King himselfe Of other Doctors IN this age God having compassion of the miserie of his poore sheepe led out of the way by blinde-guides raised vp many faithfull and learned men by whose labours the clowds of grosse ignorance was remooved the vsurped authority of the Bishop of Rome that was counted the mother Church of all others was discovered to be the Synagogue of Satan Amongst whom Martin Luther a German borne in Islebia in the Countie of Mansfelt steppeth forth as it were a couragious Captaine in the forefront of the army whom God drew forth out of the very Cloyster of the Augustinian Monks to be an instrument to reforme his house The bitternesle of Pope Leo the tenth and Pope Adrian the sixt and their Ambassadours who would not suffer the corruption of the Romane Church to be pointed out afarre off in selling of pardons made this man of God more diligent in searching and more couragious in defending the truth of God so that at last the Pope tooke it to heart that his kingdome should fall if Martin Luther were not rooted out yet the Lord raysed vp the Duke of Saxonie to bee his friend by whose favourable assistance the Gospell was deeply rooted in Germany and Martin Luther himself was preserved from the fury of all his enemies till at last he dyed in Islebia the towne of his nativity in the yeere 1546. and in the 17. day of the moneth of February Iohn Calvin was borne in Noyen a towne of Picardie anno 1509. the tenth day of the month Iuly and was a Preacher of Christs Gospell in Geneva three and twenty yeers His learning and painfull travels in writing are knowne by his bookes The blessing accompanying his travels is knowne by the reformation of many Churches in France by his advice and counsell as also of the kingdome of Scotland The power of the grace of God in him is knowne by the malice of adversaries who railed against him in his life-time and after his death as if hee alone and none other had troubled the kingdome of Antichrist and finally his painfull travels in teaching his owne flocke of Geneva is knowne by the disease which he contracted by great fasting
watching writing and teaching whereof also hee dyed anno 1564. on the 27. day of May. I passe by the rest of those learned and holy men of God by whose labours the kingdome of Christ hath bene prorogated in Europe because their names like as they are worthy of perpetuall remembrance so likewise are they registred in sundry volumes namely by Theodorus Beza in his booke intituled Icones Here endeth the second booke THE THIRD BOOKE OF THE HISTORY of the Church containing a short summe of all the Heretiques and Heresies which sprang vp since the dayes of Christ vntill this present CENTVRIE I. AS it is the accustomed dealing of Satan to pervert men by drawing them from the simplicity of Gods truth So it standeth well with the iustice of God to giue over men to strong delusions who will not beleeue the truth of God Therefore in the third head we are to speake of Heretiques that sprang vp in this age Heresie I count to be an opinion repugnant to the grounds of our Christian faith obstinately maintained by those that professe the name of Christ. As touching them who lead an evill life yea and in effect deny the Sonne of God by a prophane conversation but maintaine an opinion that it is lawfull so to doe they may be counted Atheists or carnall Gospellers and not Heretiques Iewes and Turkes also who deny the divinity of Christ because they doe not professe the Name of Christ we call them Infidels but not Heretiques And the Corinthians who erred in some fundamentall points of the Christian faith yet seeing they maintained not their error with obstinate mindes but yeelded to the wholesome doctrine of Paul no man doth count the Corinthians Heretiques but infirme and weake Christians And the Apostle himselfe writing to them calleth them Gods building and Gods husbandry But when these three things concurre together that men professe the Name of Christ and yet they maintaine opinions repugnant to the very grounds of true faith and will not receiue instruction but obstinately persevere in their error they are to be counted Heretiques Of this number was Simon Magus the father of Heretiques who being confounded in Samaria by the great power of God which appeared in the Ministery of Philip and of Peter hee fled from the East to the West and came to Rome where hee prevailed so farre in short time hee was counted a god and an image was set vp for him with this superscription Simoni deo sancto that is to Simon an holy God Thus the Romanes who in the dayes of Tiberius refused to acknowledge the divinity of Christ in the dayes of Claudius they honoured a Sorcerer and a seducing Heretique with divine honours He taught them who followed him to fall downe before pictures and images and in speciall to worship his owne image and the image of Helena a certaine woman who accompanied him in his iourney form Asia to Rome After Simon sprang vp another Suppost of Satan called Menander like to his master Simon in many things for he was both a Samaritane and a Sorcerer but in absurdity of monstrous opinions hee was farre beyond Simon for hee sayd that the world was created by Angels and that he himselfe was sent from aboue to saue the world and by vertue of his Baptisme men should bee made immortall euen in this world in such sort that they should neither waxe old nor taste of death This heresie Epiphâ—â—ius compareth to Aspido-gorgon in Egypt a great Serpent inclosed into a vessell of Earth with many other Serpents after hee hath devoured all the rest of the Serpents hee beginneth to gnaw his owne tayle for hunger and to destroy himselfe so did this heresie vndoe it selfe by promising great things which Menander could not performe neither in himselfe nor in others In this age also sprang vp Ebion who denyed the divinitie of Christ and sayd hee was onely a man begotten betweene Ioseph and Marie and that the observation of Moses Law was necessary to eternall life his followers were called Ebionites either by the name of their master Ebion or else as Eusebius thinketh for their poore and beggerly opinion they had of Christ supposing him only to be a man for Ebion in the Hebrew language signifieth one that is poore These Ebionites damne all the Epistles of Paul and count him an Apostate from the law and they admit no part of the New Testament for Canonicke Scripture except the Gospell of Matthew Cerinthus about the same time was the author of strange revelations which hee sayd hee received from the Angels that after the resurrection from the dead Christ should haue an earthly kingdome in this world and that the subiects of Christs kingdome should eate and drinke and marry and keepe holy dayes and offer sacrifices for hee himselfe was a man given to fleshly lusts and hee imagined that the pleasures of Christs kingdome should consist in fulfilling the concupiscence of the flesh Likewise in this age sprang vp the errour of the Nicolaitans vpon this occasion as Clemens Alexandrinus doth write One of the Deacons chosen by the Apostles to haue the oversight of the poore had a beautifull woman to his wife and was accused of over much iealousie To purge him selfe of all suspition of that fault hee brought his wife into the midst of his brethren and sayd he was content that any man should marrie her Of which words many tooke occasion to liue promiscuously like beasts no man having his owne proper wife but making them all common Howbeit Nicolaus is sayd to haue lived himselfe in matrimoniall chastity contenting himselfe with his owne wife alone Neverthelesse his foolish and vnadvised speech were the occasion of a most wicked and damnable error of the Nicolaitans whereof the Lord speaketh in the Revelation of Iohn that he hated it This is that heresie which Gregorie the seventh imputed to all married Priests but with what equity marriage ordained by God and honorable among all men can bee called an heresie or hated of the Lord Let the Christian Reader iudge CENTVRIE II. IN this second Centurie SathaÌ„ enuying the propagation of the Gospel sent forth a pernicious swarme of heretikes such as Saturninus of Antiochia Basilides of Alexandria the one of them thorow Syria the other through Egypt dispersed the venome of their heretical doctrine To whom Eusebius addeth Carpocrates most properly counted the father of the heretikes called Gnostici they receiued this name because they professed a knowledge of darke and hid mysteries The golden age of the Apostles Euangelists was now spent false teachers tooke the greater incouragement to teach a doctrin of deuils disallowing marriage coÌ„manding fornication practizing abominable filthie things which mine owne heart abhorreth to thinke vpon What necessity droue Epiphanius in particular to manifest to the world the detestable and execrable misteries of
turne to Heresies So the Donatists in the end were defenders of Hereticall opinions namely that the Catholicke church was no where els to be found but only in that corner of Africke wherein they themselues dwelt and that Baptisme was not effectual except it had bin ministred by one of their societie Of all the branches of this heresie Circūcelliones was the most reprobate branch a people cruel sauage not only against others but also against themselues throwing themselues headlong frō high places or casting themselues in fire and water and this sort of death they counted Martyrdome The diuersitie of names wherewith this Heresie was pointed out clearely declares that the Donatistes wanted not a great number of fauorers for they were called Parmeniani Rogatistae Cirtenses and Maximianistae Against this Heresie and the Heresie of the Pelagians August Bishop of Hippo contended with mightie grace as likewise against the Heresie of the Manicheans wherein he had bin nursed himselfe Collyridiani were a sort of superstitious people who worshipped the Virgin Marie the mother of our Lord with diuine adoration and with baking little pasties which in the Greeke language are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which they offered to the Virgin Marie as to the Queene of Heauen Epiphanius counts them Heretikes because the Virgin Marie albeit shee be a blessed woman yet is shee not God Many late heresies are nothing els but a renewing of old decayed heresies Such was the heresie of Priscillianus a man of Noble birth in Spaine very eloqvent rich temperate with great show of humilitie who easilie insinuated himselfe in the fauour of the people In his youth hee was inclined to Magical Arts and renewed the heresie of Gnostici who disallowed Marriage and commended fornication Some Bishops of Spaine were entangled with this heresie such as Iustantius Salvianus and Helpidius whom Adygimus Bishop of Corduba damned in a Coūcell gathered at Caesaraugusta This was done in the dayes of the Emp. Gratianus Valentinian The great Citie of refuge to heretikes was to addresse themselues to the Bishop of Rome and to leane vnder his shadow But Damasus who was bishop of Rome at this time would not admit these Heretikes to his presence Neither would Ambrose Bishop of Millane to whom they addressed next in any wise accept of them when al other means failed them last of al with buddes and bribes they sollicited the Emp. cubiculers were sent backe againe to enjoy their owne places Neuerthelesse God suffered not Priscillianus to escape punishment for hee was conuict of sorcery and was punished to the death after the death of Valentinian the second whether by Maximus an vsurper of the Emperiall Soueraintie or by Theodosius I am not certaine Lucifer was Bishop of Calaris in Sardinia He was present at the Councell of Millan and was banished by Constantius because hee would not consent to the deposition of Athanasius Hee was reduced from banishment by the Emperour Iulian. Hee visited Antiochia a towne miserably distracted with Schismes and by ordaining Paulinus Bishop of Antiochia hee rather augmented then lessened the schisme he perceiued that this his fact was disproued by Euseb. Bishop of Vercellis and many others therefore he and his followers did not communicate with such as disproued the ordination of Paulinus This seemeth rather to be reckoned in the catalogue of schismes then of heresies and Theod. disprouing Lucifer saith that hee made faith to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but he saith not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a weapon of contentions but not a weapon of heresie These who supposed that after the Natiuitie of the Lord the Virgin Marie companied with her husband Ioseph and did beare children to him were called Antidicomarianitae In this opinion was Helvidius a man more curious then wise The opinion of the Fathers of the Church not repugnant to Scripture was this That like as no man did lie in the sepulchre wherein Christ was buried before him Euen so in the wombe wherein hee was conceiued no man was conceiued after him so the Fathers tooke the words of the Apostolicke symbole 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if it had beene said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is borne of Mary a perpetuall Virgin In holy scriptures by the brethren of our Lord is meant the kinsmen of the Lord according to the flesh to which exposition the consent of Ancient and Neotericke writers for the most part agreeth Augustine cites out of Philaster a sort of heretikes called Metangismonitae whose heresie sounded to this That the sonne is in the Father according to the similitude of a little vessel comprehended within the compasse of a greater vessel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greeke Language signifieth a vessell and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth the entering of one vessel within another which in our language cannot be expressed by one word as it is in the Greeke From Seleucus Hermias this heresie had the name where they dwelt or in what Emperours daies this heresie was propagated August maketh no mention their opinions were most abominable namely that the Masse whereof God created the elements was coeternall with him and that the Angels and not God created the soules of men that Christ in his ascension vncloathed himselfe of the flesh of man and left it in the Globe of the Sunne They receiued not baptisme by water They denyed the resurrection of the dead supposing that by new generations one succeeding to another that is performed which in Scripture is written concerning the resurrection The rest of heresies of this age were all obscure and had few followers such as Proclianitae who denied that Christ was come in the flesh Patriciani who affirmed that the body of man was formed by the deuil not by God Ascitae who carried about with them the new vessels to represent that they were vessels filled with the new wine of the Gospell Patalorynchitae foolish men who counted it religion to stop their breath with their fingers and to vtter no intelligible speech Aquarij who in stead of wine receiued water in the holy Sacrament The beginning of this errour seemes to haue beene in the dayes of Cyprian Coluthiani denyed that any evill either of sinne or punishment came of God Floriani who by the contrary affirmed that God created creatures in an evill estate The eight heresies which Philaster cōmemorates without any name either taken from the Author or from the heresie it self Augustine scarcely will reckon them into the roll of heresies CENTVRIE V. PElagius Brito and his followers Iulianus and Coelestius mantained damnable heresies in the dayes of Arcadius and Honorius Their pernitious heresies may be easily knowne by the learned writings of Augustine who directly impugneth the Pelagians and by the Councels of Arausio in France and Milivetanum in Numidia which damned the error
of Nestorius as Platina recordeth in the life of Donus the first The heresies of Severitae Apartodotitae Momphysitae Acephali Theopafcitae Iacobitae Armenij all were Eutichian Heretiques differing one from another in some ceremonies in absurditie of speeches in authors whom they principally admitted and followed in places where the heresie chiefly increased and in their carriage Likewise Staurolatrae were Eutychian Heretiques but the worshipping of the Crosse was a note distinguishing them from other Heretiques of their owne opinion Priscillianistae were Heretiques who borrowed absurd opinions from Samosatenus and Photinus from Cerdon and Marcion and from the Manicheans but all these ancient errours were sufficiently refuted in ancient times The heresie of the Monothelites was a branch of the heresie of Eutyches by a secret and crafty conuoy insinuating it selfe into credite againe after it was condemned in the Councell of Chalcedon The authors of this heresie were Sergius Pyrrhus and Paulus Patriarches of Constantinople and Macarius Patriarch of Antiochia Cyrus Patriarch of Alexandria Petrus Bishop of Nicomedia with many others They denyed not directly the two natures of Christ personally vnited but onely affirmed that after the vnion of the natures there was onely one will and one operation in Christ whereas the holy Scriptures attribute vnto Christ as hee is man the action of sleeping and to Christ in respect of his divine nature the action of compescing and calming the rage and stormy tempest of blowing windes and swelling Seas This heresie was damned in the sixt generall Councell as wee shall heare God willing in its owne place CENTVRIE VIII MAny were accounted heretikes in this age because they worshipped God sincerely according to the rule of his owne blessed word and would not giue consent to the fond errours of the Roman Church But some were counted heretikes iustly and without all controuersie as namelie they who call Christ in his human nature the adoptiue son of God This wicked heresie repungeth vnto the celestiall Oracle which the three Apostles heard in the holy mountaine This is my wellbeloued sonne in whom I am well pleased we are adopted in Christ to be the sons of God But Christ euen in his manly nature is the son of God by the excellent prerogatiue of personall vnion with the diuine nature It is not certainlie knowne whether Elipandus Bishop of Hispalis or another named Foelix with whom some affirme that Elipandus consulted about this damnable opinion was the author of this damnable heresie CENTVRY IX THey who of old were accustomed to condemne Heresies now they are become the chiefe patrons and maintainers of adoration of Images a notable heresie whose Pusillanimitre argueth the weakenesse of their cause For vnder the raigne of Lodouicus Pius Claudius Taurinensis wrote bookes against the adoration of Images and the Emperour by a publike edict commaunded them who were disposed to answere to his bookes to answere whilst Claudius was aliue But Ionas Bishop of Orleans concealed and obscured his bookes during Claudius lifetime but after his death with impotencie of railing words rather then with power of solide arguments hee indeuored to refute Claudius Taurinensis Let the iudicious reader without partialitie peruse the bookes of Ionas Bishop of Orleans and the verie stinking breath of the aduersarie of the truth shall giue great allowance to the truth of God Godescalcus a man of the low Countries is reckoned in the number of Heretikes of this age about the yeere of our Lord 849. Because hee spake of Predestination perilouslie to witt that these who were Predestinated to life by the decree of Gods Predestination were forced to doe well and those who were Predestinated to condemnation were forced by the decree of God to doe euill Concerning old extinguished heresies as the Manicheans Arrians Donatists and such like who preased to build vp the walls of Iericho which God had destroyed there is no necessitie to speake because these were vaine attempts wiihout any successe CENTVRIE X. IN this age darkenes had gotten such vpper hand that the eye it selfe was darkened as our Lord speaketh The Spirit of errour so possessed the verie teachers that the most part of them worshipped Images yea the verie elements in the holy Sacraments of the Supper Churches were replenished with the bones of dead men whereunto the people kneeled worshipping dead bones in place of the liuing God And the small sparke of knowledge which remained not extinguished seemeth to be in the people rather then in the Pastours for the people saw that the Preachers entered not at the right doore but rather like vnto thiefes robbers they entered by bribes and gifts into spirituall offices and therefore the Historie recordeth that Henricus Auceps when hee did fight against the Hungarians made his vowe to God that if the Lord would giue him victorie against his enemies hee would purge his countrie from Simonie which was an euident token that the vilde heresie of Simon Magus in buying and selling spirituall things did at this time mightily abound CENTVRIE XI IN this Centurie the Pope had such vpper-hand both ouer Princes and Pastors that they accounted euery thing that displeased them to be heresie The inuestment of Bishops by secular men was called Simonie and marriage of Priests was called the Heresie of the Nicolaitans Likewise betweene the Latine and Greeke Church fell out such contention for a matter of small importance that they accounted one another to be heretikes The Greeke Church called the Latines Azymitae because they celebrated the Lords supper with vnleauened bread and the Latine Church on the other part called the Greeke Church Fermentarij because they vsed leauened breade yea and the Roman Church in this age so obstinately maintained the errour of Transubstantiation that they accounted all them heretikes who dissented from their opinion CENTVRIE XII IN this Centurie is found a French man Petrus Abelardus an accurat Philosopher who vttered vncouth things concerning the blessed Trinitie That the holie spirit was the soule of the world and that hee was not of the substāce of the father whose opinions were dāned by the Theolgues of Paris by Bernard of Clarauall in the Councells of Seison and Senon as also by Pope Innocentius the second after he had receiued this foyle hee entered into the Monasterie of Cluniacke where he concluded his life CENTVRYE XIII AMongst Heretikes in this age were reckoned Albigenses so called from the name of the part in France where they dwelt They were fauoured and assisted in many parts of France but namelie in Tolosa not only by the inferiour sort but also by the Count himself It is to be lamēted that the heads of their doctrine are not acuratly set downe by the writers of this age For it is verie likely that they haue taught otherwise then their aduersaries doe report of them who attribute vnto them the errours of the Manicheās who supposed that there
of Munster assisted with the Princes of Germany besieged the town very strictly and in the end prevailed and tooke this new made King Cniperdolingus his false Prophet aliue and adiudged them not onely to be hanged in chaines of iron but before their hanging to haue their flesh seared with hot iron pincers Thus came the authors of this most vnhappy sect vnto a most miserable and shamefull destruction Of this Sect of Anabaptists sprang vp in Holland an impudent fellow David Georgius who affirmed that hee was Christ the Messias and Saviour of the world yet for feare of punishment hee fled out of the Low Countries and came to Basile where he remained vntill the day of his death all which time hee not only obscured his blasphemous errors but also behaved himselfe in outward show so humbly and modestly that hee was in good account and became wealthy also Yet after his death it was knowne that he had seduced many with his blasphemous errours Therefore the Councell of Basile commanded that his body should bee raised out of the graue and burnt with fire in token of their detestation of his abhominable errors About the same time also sprang vp Michael Servetus a Spaniard who renewed the blasphemous doctrine of Arrius affirming that God the Father is onely the true God and that neither the Sonne nor the holy Spirit is eternall God but that the Sonne is a creature and had the beginning of existence when God created the world He was taken in the towne of Geneva cast in prison but he would not be reclaimed from his blasphemous errors Therefore the Councell of the towne thought meet with flames of fire to stoppe the breath of this blasphemous man who durst set his mouth against the heauen to blaspheme the Sonne of God After his death many were found who maintained his errors as namely Valentinus Gentilis Gregorius Blandrata a Physitian in Italy Matheus Gribaldus a Lawyer and Paulus Alciatus with many others Amongst whom Valentinus Gentilis was bold to put in print his blasphemies and he called the summe of faith set forth by Athanasius Symbolum Satanasi calling Athanasius himselfe Satanasius but after hee had blasphemed the Sonne of God a while both by word and writ in the end hee was taken in the towne of Berne where hee suffered the iust deserved punishment of death Many other sprang vp in this age who were teachers of false and hereticall doctrine but because they had few followers so that the errour died with the author thereof wee haue no great need to enroll their names and errors in this booke at large but shortly to poynt them out Gasper Suenkefeldius a man borne in Silesia maintained this errour that the outward ministerie of the Word and Sacraments was not necessarie to eternall life because that by the illumination of Gods holy spirit without the ministerie of the Word men might be saved Andreas Osiander thought that Christ was our Mediatour onely in respect of his divine nature and on the other part Stantcarus refuting Osiander fell into the contrarie extremitie that Christ was Mediatour onely in respect of his humane nature Flaccius Illiricus supposed originall sin was a substance Huberus beleeved that all men were elected vnto eternall life and Franciscus Puccius defended this opinion that all men of whatsoever religion they were should bee saved if they led not a very impious life and evill conversation Finally in this age was cleerly discovered that hee who sate in the chaire of Christ as Christs Vicar was the very Antichrist and they who depend vpon the Pope as generall Bishop of all Christs sheepe were notable Heretiques giving the glorie of Christ to Antichrist denying the sufficiencie of the written Word bowing and kneeling to Images praying to creatures and accounting them mediators of their intercession sacrilegiously imitating the holy Sacrament of the Supper and taking from the people the vse of the Cup offering dayly a new propitiatorie sacrifice for sinne as though Christs sacrifice once offered vp vpon the Altar of the Crosse were imperfect damning marriage in some persons and forbidding meates which God hath allowed to bee eaten with thanksgiving with many other errors which the Lord hath cleerly detected to haue beene a long time by-past in the Romane Church Here endeth the third Booke THE FOVRTH BOOK OF THE HISTORY of the Church containing a short Compend of all the Councels together with their severall Canons since Christs dayes to this present CENTVRIE IV. COuncels may bee divided in Generall Nationall or Provinciall and Particular Councels Generall were called Oecomenicke Councels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the greek language signifieth the world because from all quarters of the world wherein Christ was preached Commissioners were sent to these Councels and they were gathered by the authoritie of the Emperour Nationall or Provinciall Councels were such as were gathered by the authoritie of the Emperor in one Nation with the assistance of other neere approaching Nations for suppressing of heresies deciding of questions pacifying of â—chismes and appointing Canons and Constitutions for decent order to be kept in the Church The third sort of Councels were particular Councâ—ls by Bullenger called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Such as the Councels of Gangra Neocaesaria and many others gathered vsually by Patriarchs and Bishops in a corner of a Countrie but for the like causes that nationall Councels were assembled Let no man expect a recitall of particular Councels except at such times as some matter of great moment enforceth me to speake of them ANcyra is a towne of Galatia in this towne were assembled Bishops of diverse Provinces about the yeere of of our Lord 308. as is supposed The principall cause of their meeting was to constitute a forme of Ecclesiasticall discipline according to which they who either willingly or vnwillingly had sacrificed to Idols in time of persecution should bee received into the bosome of the Church againe when they were found penitent There were many rancks of persons who had defiled themselues with Heathenicke Idolatrie such as Libellatici Thurificati Sacrificati and Proditores The Councell of Ancyra took order chiefly with those who were called Thurificati and Sacrificati that is with them who either had cast vp incense vpon idolatrous Altars or else had eaten of meates sacrificed to Idols to whom it was inioyned to testifie their repentance a long time before they were received to the communion of Gods people some one yeere some two yeeres others three or foure yeeres some fiue or six yeeres and aboue according to the heauinesse of their transgression In this Councell it was ordained that Deacons who in time of their ordination did protest that they had not the gift of continency but were disposed to marrie if they married they should remaine in their Ministerie but they who in time of imposition of hands by
Councell of Basil with his Apostolike letters But after the death of the Emperour who died in the sixt yeere of the Councell Eugenius tooke vpon him greater boldnesse and first held a contrarie Councell at Ferraria and afterward at Florence pretending that he behoued to meet with the Greekes for vniting of them to the West Church who because they would no wayes passe the Alpes he was compelled for their commoditie to keepe a Councell in some neerer place The Councell of Basil although weakned by the Emperours death proceeded not the lesse to the deposition of Eugenius and elected Amedeus Duke of Sauoy to be Pope whom they called Foelix the fift To this Councell were the Bohemians and Morauians invited who after they had receiued sufficient suretie and pledges for their safe passage returning againe sent Ambassadours to the Councell by whose earnest trauels it was obtained that the Bohemians and Morauians should haue the communion celebrat vnto them vnder both kinds The Historie of this Councell was written by Aeneas Syluius who was present at the same and liked well of the proceedings and determinations thereof as may appeare by his owne writings and namely by a certaine Epistle of his written to the Rector of the vniuersitie of Colen wherein he reioyceth for a certaine treatise of the said rectors which came into his hands reprouing the rudenesse and rashnesse of such as deny the Bishop of Rome and his consistory to be subiect to the Generall Councell and that the supreme tribunall seat of iudgement standeth in the Church and not in one Bishop Notwithstanding the same Syluius who by his learned writings advanced the decrees of the Councell of Basil yet afterward being promoted to that papall dignitie himselfe turned his coat and returned againe to the old filthy pride of the Chaire of Rome which magnifieth it selfe not onely aboue the Church but also maketh it selfe companion to God himselfe IN the yeere of our Lord 1439. while as the Councell of Basil was yet sitting vndissolued Eugenius the fourth perceiuing that matters went against him in Basil he held a contrarie Councell at Florence where he brought to passe that the Emperour and Patriarch of Constantinople with the rest of the Grecians there present were perswaded to receiue the sentence of the Church of Rome concerning the proceeding of the holy Ghost also to receiue the communion in vnleauened bread to admit Purgatorie and to yeeld themselues to the authoritie of the Romish Bishop wherevnto notwithstanding the other Churches of Grecia would in no wise assent at their comming home in so much that with a publict execration they did condemne afterward all those Legats which had consented to those Articles that none of them should be buried in Christian buriall It is to be noted in this Councell that the Grecians who agreed to other opinions of the Roman Church yet could neuer be induced to beleeue their doctrine of transubstantiation Notwithstanding they were content to set forth vnto the people a Bull of agreement which they called Bulla Consensus and the difference of opinions in that point of doccrine was not thought a sufficient impediment to stay the promulgation of this agreement Howbeit afterward as it were forgetting what they had done themselues in the Coūcels of Florence their Bulla Consensus they cry out that there is no agreement vnitie amongst the Protestants because there is some difference of opinions about the Sacrament among them In the time of this Councell Iosephus Patriarch of Constantinople died Eugenius required that presently before the dissolution of the Councell another should be chosen but to this the Grecians would not agree affirming that it was not lawfull to choose a Patriarch of Cōstantinople but onely in their owne Church there The Emperour Paleologus after his returning liued not long And finallie this agreement was counted of the Grecians infortunat and an euill presage immediatly before the vtter ruine of the Orientall Empire and the destruction of the towne of Constantinople For within 14. yeeres after this agreement at Florence the famous citie of Constantinople was taken by Mahomet Emperour of Turkes the Emperour Constantine the Brother of Paleologus was slaine and the Empire of the East was cut off CENTVRIE XVI THis Councell of Trent begun in the yeere of our Lord 1546. the fourth of Ianuary in the Popedome of Paulus the third In the first session thereof an oration was made by the Popes Legat declaring the causes of the calamitie of the Church In the second Session the Articles of faith were read and confirmed and that was kept the fourth of Februarie The third Session was kept the eight of April wherein it was decreed that the old Latine translation of the Bible should onely be vsed and accounted authentike in Churches and Schooles and that the rule in expounding of the Scriptures should bee this to expound them as the Church and the ancient fathers haue expounded them before As also the number of the bookes accounted holy and Canonicke Scriptures were rehersed the fourth Session was kept the 17. day of Iune where it was decreed that all men should beleeue that originall sinne was vtterly taken away in Baptisme in such sort that the concupiscence which remaineth in our nature after Baptisme is not to be accounted a sinne vntill wee giue the consent of our minde thereto And because the Law of God plainely condemneth it and the Apostle Paul in plaine words sayeth I had not knowne concupiscence to haue beene a sinne except the Law had sayd thou shalt not covet lest they should seeme to Proclame to the world their manifest contradiction to the Scriptures they lenifie their decree againe with this distinction that the Apostle calleth it a sin not because it is a sin properlie and indeede but because it commeth of sin tendeth also thereto Howbeit with those fathers licence the Apostle Paul declareth his owne sense and meaning that hee calleth concupiscence sinne because it is a transgression of the Law so that he accounteth it a sinne properly and indeed Also in this Session they decerne that the mother of our Lord was not conceived in originall sinne In the fift Session was decerned that even after the fall of Adam and in the nature of man before his regeneration there remaineth a free-will to doe good which being wakened by God and stirred vp is a fellow-bearer with his grace In the sixt Session was concluded that man is iustified partly by faith in Christ and partly by workes and that our iustification stands not in a free forgiuenesse of sinnes and a free imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ to all them who beleeue in him The seventh Session was kept the third of March an 1547. wherein was decerned that all men should beleeue that the Sacraments of the Church were seven in number to wit Baptisme Confirmation the
Hist. Mag. cent 3. Mammea the Emperors mother is instructed by Origen in the faith Note Turinus killed with smoke Seuerus his death Bucole Index chron Euseb. lib. 6. cap. 28. Eucole Index chron The 6. persecution Ann. Christi 237. Euseb. lib. 6. cap. â—8 Origen wrote a booke de martyrie Euseb. lib. 6. cap. 28. 1 The malice of Satan against true Pastors 2 Notâ— Origen got not the honor of martyrdome Note difference betwixt holy scripture and other bookes The death of Maximinus and his sonne Func chron Chron. â—unt Chron. Funt â—â—cole Euseb. lib. 6 cap. 34. Philippus his death Chron Funâ— The 7 persecution Ann. Ch. 250. Alexander and Babylas both died in prison Origen at Ierusalem closeth the booke and weepeth Hist. Mag. cent 3. cap. 10. The teeth of the holy martyr Apollonia Chemnisius dereli quiis Note The Martyrdome of Nemesion Euseb. lib. 6. cap. 41. The veritie hath no neede to be vnderpropped with lies Note Nicâ—phorus lib. 5. cap. 27. Note Euseb lib. 6. cap. 42. Married Bishops Euseb lib. 6. cap. 40. 1 Tim. 4.3 Note The rigour of Novatus Euseb. lib. 6. cap. 43. Gal 6.1 Bucole Index Chron. chron Funct Cypry ad Demetrianum Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 1. The 8. Persecution Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 10. Anno Chr. 259. The martyrdome of Laurence Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 11. Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 12. The martyrdome of Cyprian Naz. in Ieudem Cypriani Theosecnus B. of Caesarea encourageth Marinus Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 15. Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 16. The miserable captivity of Valerian Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 13. Bucol Index chron Note Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 13. Christians full of pitty Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 21.22 The history of Eusebius concerning the tvvo brasen images in Caesarea Philippi Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 18. Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 13. Note Similitude Eusib. lib. 7. cap. 20. Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 30. The 9. Persecution Anno Chr. 278. Note Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 30. Funct chron Aurelian vvith ciuill authority assisteth the Church against Samosatenus Euseb. lib. 8. cap. 3. Note Funct chron Euseb. Func chron His death Func chron Bucol Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 30. Func chron Bucol Index chron Func chron Psal. 129.4 Temples were built by Christians after the death of Valerian Euseb. lib. 3. cap. 1. The 10. Persecution Anno Ch. 308. Euseb. lib. 8. cap. 3. The great cruelty vsed in this 10. persecution Iohn a noble man borne rent in peeces the Emperors Proclamation Euseb. lib. 8. cap. 5. Euseb. lib. 8. cap. 4. Note The martyrdome of Pâ—ter Doâ—orbeus and Gorgonius Euseb. lib. 8. cap. 6. Euseb. lib. 8. cap. 6. Euseb. lib. 8. cap. 6. Horrible crueltie against Christian womâ—n Euseb. lib. 8. cap. 9. Euseb ibid. A towne in Phrygiaset on fire and all the inhabitants burnt with fire Euseb. lib. 8. cap. 11. Euseb. lib. 8. cap. 13. Mauritius with a whole legion of Christian souldiers martyred Hist. Mag. cent 4. Euseb. lib. 8. cap. 12. Pro. 12. vers 10 Euseb. lib. 8. cap. 13. Diocletian and Maximian giue ouer their imperiall function Bucol Note Hist. Magd. Constantius tried his Captaines whether they were Christians or not Euseb. lib. 2. de vita Constantius lib. 1. A comparison betwixt Maximinus and Pharaoh Euseb. lib. 9. cap. 7. Euseb. lib. 9. cap. 6. Quirinus his death Edicts against Christians ingraued in Brasse Mat. 24 22 24. A sudden change of the prosperitie of Pagans into aduersitie Euseb. lib. 9. cap. 8. Eusâ—b lib. 9. cap. 9. Maximinus was ouercome in battel by Licinius Euseb. lib 9. cap. 10. Euseb. lib 8. cap. 14. Sophronia chused rather to kill her selfe then to be abused by Maxentâ—us Euseb. lib. 8. cap. 15. Constantine seeth the similitude of a bright crosse in heauen Euseb lib. 1 de vita Constantini Maxentius ouercome in battell by Constantine is drowned The death of Dioclesian Euseb. lib. 10. cap. 8. Euseb. lib. 2. de vita Constantini Three cruell edicts of Licinius against Christians Fortie martyrs tormented first with cold and next with heats Soâ—om l. 9.6.2 Basil. Magn. in 40. Martyrs The martyrdom of Barlan Psal. 145. The death of Licinius Similitude Esa. 27.1 Similitude Euseb. de vita Const. lib. Sozon lib. 2. cap. 14. Idem lib. 2. cap. 8 9.10 13. Sozom. lib. 2. cap. 15. Ruffin l. 1. c 9. Theod. l. 1 c. 22. Sozom. l. 2. c. 24 Ruff. l. 1. c. 10. Socrat. l. 1. c. 20 Theod l. 1. 23. Sozom. l 2. c. 6. Euseb. de vita Constant. lib. 4. Theod. l. 5. c. 20. Socrat. l. 1. c. 1. Idem l. 3. c. 11. l. 3. c. 18. Ruff. l. 2. c. 3â— Socrat. l. 1. c. 18 Sozâ—m l. 1. c. 8. Gen 18. Sozom. lib. 2. cap. 4. Sozom. lib. 2. cap. 2. Socrat. l. 1. c. 18 Socrat. l 5. c. 8 Socrat. l 1. c. 6 Func chron Iohn 3. Euseb. de vira Const. lib. 4 Ruff. l. 1. c. 18 Socrat. l. 2. c. 46 Idem l. 2. c. 5 Soc. l. 2. c. 32 Ruff. l. 1. c. 11 Theod. l. 2. c. 3 Theod. l. 2. c. 3 Theod. ibid. Theod. l. 2. c. 13 Theod. ibid. Pro. 10.9 Socrat. l. 2. c. 27. Socrat. l 2. c. 32. Socrat. lâ—b 2. cap. 33. Theod. lib. 2. cap. 32. Socrat. lib. 3. cap. 21. Socrat. lib. 3. cap. 1. Socrat. ibid. Socrat. ibid. Theod. lib. 3. cap. 4. Sozom. lib. 5. cap. 4. Note Theod. lib. 3. cap. 8. Socrat. lib. 13. 14. Sozom. lib. 5. cap. 15. Math. 5. Theod. lib. 3. cap. 16. Sozom. lib 5. cap. 17. Titus 1. verse 15. 1 Cor. 10. verse 25. Theodor. lib. 3. cap. 15. Ruffin lib. 2. cap. 28. Theod. lib. 3. cap. 6. Theod. lib. 3. cap. 7. Note Theodoret. ibid. Socrat. lib. 3. cap. 2. Socrat. lib. 3. cap. 15. Rufsin lib. 1. cap. 33. Sozom. lib. 5. cap. 4. Theodor. lib. 3. cap. 9. 10. Socrat lib. 3. cap. 18. 19. Theodoret. ibid. Ruffin lib. â— cap. 37.38.39 Socrat. l. 3. c. 20. Theod. lib. 3. cap. 20. Sozom. lâ—b 5. cap. 12. Socrat. l. 3. c. 21. Sozom. lib. 6. cap. 1.2 The death of Iulianus Râ—fin lib. 2. cap. 1. Socrat. lib. 3. cap. 21.22 Theod lib. 4. cap. 2.3 Theod. lib. 4. cap. 4. Sazom lib. 6. cap. 6. Socrat. lib. 4. cap. 31. Ruffin lib. 2. cap. 2. Theod. lib. â— cap. 16. Sozom. lib. 6. cap. 6. Socrat lib 4. cap. 1. Socrat lib. 4. cap. 5. Theodor. lib. 4. cap. 13. Theod. ibid. Socrat lib. 4. cap. 6. Ruffin lib. 2. cap. 5. Theod. lib. 4. cap. 17. Sozâ—m lib. 6. cap. 18. Socrat. lib. 4. cap. 16. Theod. lib. 4. cap. 24. Sozom. l. 6. c. 14 Theod. l. 4. c. 34 Ruff. l. 2. c. 13. Valens his death Sozom. lib. 7. cap. 40. Theod. l. 4. c. 12 Socrat. l. 4 c.31 Sozom. lib. 5. cap. 36. Valentinians death Ruff. l. 2. c. 13 Socrat. l. 5. c. 2 Sozom. l. 3. c. 17 The death of Gratian. Theod. l. 5.13 Sozom. l. 7. c. 13. Aug lib. Confes. 9 cap. 7. Ruff. l. 2. c. 16 Theod. l. 5.
c. 14 Soc. l. 5. c. 14 Ruffin l. 2. c. 17. Claudian de 3. consul honorii Ruff. l 2. c. 18. Theod. l. 5. c. 17. Theod. l. 5. c. 19. Sozom. l. 7. c. 23 Theod. l. 5. c. 16. Note Theod. l. 5. c. 26 Socrat. l. 6. c. 23 Sozom. l. 8. c. 28 Theod. l. 5.32 Hist. Magd. cent 5. cap. 3. Func chron Compend Theod. catalog CasaruÌ„ Platin. in vita Zosimi 1. Sozom. l. 9. c. 9. Func chron Socrat. l. 7. c. 22 Iaem lib 7. cap 42. Hist. Magd. cent 5. cap. 3. Evigr lib. 2. cap. 16. Note Socrat. lib. 7. cap. 23. Catalog Casarum Evagr. lib. 2. cap. 8. Evagr. lib. 2. cap. 8. Idem cap. 12. 13. Evagr. lib. 3. cap. 3. Idem lib. 3. cap. 5. Note Idem cap. 8. 11. Hist. Magd. cent 5. cap. 3. Note Hist. Magd. ibid. Socrat. lib. 7. cap. 8. Func chron Evagr. lib. 3. cap. 3. Note Evagr. lib. 3. cap. 32. Hist. Magd. cen 6. cap. 3. Evagr. lib. 3. cap. 34. Note Platin. de viâ—â— Hormisda Evag. l. 4. c. 4. Hist. Magd. cent 6. cap. 3. Note Evag. l. 4. c. 5. Chron. Fuâ—e Evag. l. 4 c. 10. Note Evag. l. 4. c. 17. Idem l. 4. c. 19. Platin. de vita Ioan. 1. Funâ— chron Evag. l. 4. c. 21. 〈◊〉 2. Concel Evag. l. 5. c. 23. Evag. l. 5. c. 10. Idem l. 5. c. 11.12 Evag. l. 5 c. 13. Evag. l. 3. c. 37. Evag. l. 5. c. 14. Hist. Magd. cent 6. cap. 3. Plaâ—in de vit Gregor 1. Evag. l. 5. c. 22. Commenâ— Funct lib. 8. Note Platina in vita Bonif 3. Note Paulus diaâ—â—nus lib. 18. rerum Râ—nan Hist. Magd. cent 7. cap. 3. A description of the Saracens Platinain vita Senerini Note Isai. 37.36 Hist. Magd. cent 8. cap. 3. Chron. func Hist. Magd. cen 7. cap. 3. Note Note Hist. Magd. cent 8. cap. 3. Platin. in vit Greg. 2. Platin. in vit Stepâ— 2. Funct Comment lib. 8. Note Pro. 12. Platin. in vit Greg 2. Funct Comment in chron lib. 8. Platin. in vit Greg. 4. Funct comment l. 9. Note Hist. Magd. cent 9. cap. 16. Platin. in vita Ioan. 10. Funct Comment in chronol lib. 9. Note Note Notâ— Hist. Magd. cent 10. cap. 16. Note Note The Danes invade England The occasion of BelluÌ„ sacruÌ„ Comment Funcâ—â— lib. 9. Note Hist. Magd. cent 11. cap. 3. Note â—illiam Duke of Normandy subdueth Englanâ— Note Hist. Magd. cent 12. cap. 8. Note Note Note Note Note Note Note Psal. xci 13. Note Note Note The beginning of the Tartarian kingdome Note Note Note Note Note Note Note Note Note Note The Empyre voyd of an Emperour the space of 17. yeers Note Emperours of Constantinople The first Armie was led for recouerie of the holy land The second armie The third armie The forth armie The templars breaking the couenant made with the Barbarians are destroyed The fist vovage Note Mango King of the Tartarians fighteth against the Saracens The sixt army A peace concluded Note The 7. army The Christians vtterly destroyed in Asia Note The death of Albert. Otthoman first King of the Turkes Henry the 7. poysoned by a Monke Warre betwixt Lewis and Fredericus Pulcher about the Empire A league made amongst the Cantons of Helvetia Lewis excommunicated by the Pope and Charles the 4. chosen Emperour Amurath King of the Turkes conquereth Thracia The Battell of Nicopolis betwixt the Christians Turkes Baiazethes ouercome by Tamberlane and carried about in a Cage Vinceslaus depriued of his Emperiall dignitie Emperours of the â—â—ast Mahomet after the death of Tamburlan vexeth the Christians and taketh Hadrianopolis The burning of Iohn Husse the cause of a great tumult and sedition The polieie of Zisca for the ouerthrow of his enemies The prouident care of Zisca in time of his blindnes Zisca at his deâ—th appointeth a drumme to be made of his skin The Emperour warreth vpon the Hussits with bad successe Amurathes subdueth Scopia and Newmount in Seruia as also Thessalonica and Croia Ioannes Huniades an enemie to the Turkes A truce concluded betwixt the Christians and Turkes for 10 yeeres by means of the Pope broken to the ouerthrow of the Christians The battell at Varna Note The kingdomes of Ladislaus committed to three gouernors Vlricus seeketh the destruction of Huniades Vlricus slâ—ine by the Hungarians The king of Hungaria causeth the one sonne of Huniades to be beheaded the other imprisoned The death of the king of Hungaria The Germans make petition to the Empe. to be freed of the Popes burthens but in vaine The valour of George Castrioâ— named by the Turkes Scanderbege He ouercommeth Caramanus of Cilicia Asketh of Amurathes his fathers dominion of Epirus Is put off with faire words flieth from the Turke recouereth Croia and the other Cities of Epirus and maintaineth vvarre against the Turkes Mahomet the second taketh the Isle of Euboia destroyeth the towne of Calcis razeth Athens besiegeth taketh and sacketh Constantinople His crueltie against the Christians of Constantinople He causeth the Crucifixe to be carried about in derision Constantinople made the seat royall of the Turkish Emperour Mahomet is forced by Iohn Huniades to raise his siege of Belgrade Emperours of the East Maximilian taken prisoner relieved by his father He writeth an history in Latin of his own acts and feats of warre Baiazeth the 2. subdueth Modon killeth the Noblemen found there Sentencâ—s vâ—tered by Carolus quintus He subdueth the FrenchmeÌ„ taketh their King prisoner Rome sacked by the souldiers of Charles D. of Burbon and the Pope and his Cardinals besieged The beginning of reformation of religion in Germany by Martin Luther He appeareth at the conventioÌ„ of Worms Questions propounded by Eccius Answered by Luther Luther vrged to recant some things vvhich he had written refuseth The Emperours decreâ— against Luther The proceedings of the convention of Norinberg against Luther The Princes of Germanies iudgement concerning the suppression of Luthers attempts An 100. grievances collected by the Germaines and exhibited to the Bishop of Rome Note A conventicle at Ratisbone wherein articles were ratified for suppressing of Luthers doctrine Two conventions at Spiers with a rehearsall of those things which were concluded A protestation against the decrees of the a conventions of Spire Whence the name Protestants was deriued The Protestants Ambassadors roughly enâ—reated by the Emperour A league amongst the Protestants A convention at Ausbrugh The Protestants obtaine their confession of faith to be openly read The Princes Protestant Citties refuse to obey the Emperours Decree concerning the returâ—ing to the Church of â—ome Another Decree of the Emperour The Princes and Ambassadours of the Protestants meet at Smalcaldie and enter league to ayde one another Peace granted by the Emperour to the Protestants Vlricus Zuinglius Preacht at Zurik against the corruptioÌ„s of the Roman Church A disputation at Zurike The decree of the Senate of Zurik concerning the abolishing of mens traditions and purely Preaching