being put to death at Valerianus cōmaundement 255. 22. Stephen STephen a Romaine borne a man in al pointes iuste and good and one that was counted worthy to haue the ecclesiasticall function Whereupon as VVicelius saithe the churche gaue vs many worthy examples of Prelates so longe as they were called but bishops of the citie of Rome While Galienus a wicked Emperor raged Steuen Anno 257. after he had cōuerted many of the Gētiles to the faith of Christe loosing his head was with many other sacrificed to God receiuing the crowne of iustice 23. Sixtus the seconde SIxtus the seconde was a Grecian borne in Athens he being of a worldly Philosopher become Christe his disciple and of an earthly man made an heauenly stewarde did shine like an ornament of the churche as an example worthy to be folowed This man also enstructing the people in Gods holy woorde was slayne with many thousands of martyrs in the persecution of Decius and Valerius An. 267. S. Laurence claue vnto this holy byshop vnseperably euen to the last tormentes of his life of whiche twoo the one was slayne with swearde the other burnt to death Whereof Mantuan in the 8. of his Fast. saith These men whose vertues florished by Decius dire decree VVere bid with other lockt in chaynes and dungeon darke to bee In time of this bishop about the yeare of our lorde 260. one Paule being terrified with the vnmercifull persecutiō of tyrantes gat him into wyldernesse and solitary places and so became the firste Eremite For at that time as Eusebius saith many Christians for feare of death denied their faythe Upon this Monkery had his beginning as Hierome shewes in the life of the same Paule the Eremite 24. Dionysius DIonysius was a Grecian whome Pope Damasus calleth a Monke He was a worthy man in preaching the faithe and a notable encreacer of the Christian churche vnder Claudius the seconde Neither did he want other churches whiche with the doctrine of truthe did reforme heresies that sprange in those dayes As appeareth by the churche of Antioche which calling a counsell in the yeare of our Lorde 273. did conuince of errour Paulus Samosatenus notwithstanding he him selfe coulde not be there present because he was olde Dionysius conuerted to Christianitie the daughter of the Emperour Decius and Triphonia her mother with 46. thousand other And at the length was martyred with them many other at Salarie gate Anno. 277. 25. Foelix Foelix a Romain being a good man and of perfect conuersation florished in preaching the Gospell at suche time as Aurelianus did persecute his brethren While this accursed manslear exercised his tyranny Foelix among other martyrs departed moste happely vnto Christe that is to saye from death to life But to saye that this martyrdome working their glory caused temples to be made yearely sacrifices to be done therein in their names it is to open blasphemy Who will beleue that these holy fathers of the primatiue churche would so charely haue suche regarde to kepe stockes and stones or dead mens bones in time of so many persecutions and heresies as if they had nothing els to doe But such forgeries vse our Romanistes to maintayne their idolatry 26. Eutychianus Eutychianus borne in Thuscia being geuen wholy to Godlynes and commended to the churche for his learning and vertue saued many people by preaching the Gospell This man by report did bury with his own handes 342. martyrs and appointed an order for the burying of martyrs and in the ende he him selfe was made a martyr Anno. 283. It appeareth that this man did nothing to establishe the fantasticall toyes of our age but the Papistes foarge of him that he blessed vpon the altar grapes and beanes and that he buried the dead in purple vestimentes a deede mete for a Christian martyr 27. Gaius or Caius GAius borne in Dalmatia cosen to Dioclesian the Emperour succeded Eutychianus in preaching the comfortable Gospell and was a moste worthy president in the churche of God Carsulanus and Platina the Popes claw-backes reporte of this man that he encreased the dignitie of the Clergie marueilously by making difference of degrees among them so that from one degree to an other they should arise to the estate of a bishop Furthermore thei prattell that he commaunded that a man in holy orders should not be sewed of prophane men Pagans or Heretikes But who is so fonde to beleue that the bishops power was so great at Rome at that time when Pagans them selues bare all the sway executed the ciuill lawe Gaius was in the time of the raigne of the foresayde Dioclesian vnder whome cruell persecution continued so that for a great time he lurked in caues and hoales vnder the groūd and had no pontificall pallaice or stately temple And in the ende being plucked out with his brother Gabinius a maried priest he was slayne with a swoard 28. Marcellinus MArcellinus was a Romaine who in the tenth persecution after Nero was cruelly vexed of the tormentours vnder Dioclesian and Maximinian being terrified with feare of the paynes he offered vnto the Idols a graine of frankinsens In those dayes as Gildas writeth the scripture where soeuer it was founde was burnt in the streate and the chosen shepeheardes of Christes flocke were slaine with their innocent shepe But Marcellinus immediatly after his dede remembring him selfe reproued Dioclesian to his face and offred him selfe willingly to death for the truthe of Christe and striuing valiauntly he preuayled receiuing the crowne of martyrdome Anno 303. Hereunto agreeth Mantuan in the life of the sayde Basill 29. Marcellus MArcellus a Romaine was pastour of the churche feading it with wisedome and doctrine And as I maye saye with the Prophete a man according to Gods harte full of Christian woorkes This man admonished Maximianus the Emperour endeuoured to remoue him from persecuting the sainctes But the Emperoure being more hardened commaunded him to be beaten with cogiels and to be driuen out of the citie wherefore he entred into the house of one Lucina a widowe and there he kept the Congregation secretly whiche the tyrant hearing made a stable for cattell of the same house and cōmitted the kepinge of it to the byshop Marcellus After that he gouerned the churche by wryting Epistles without any other kynde of teaching ▪ being condemned to suche a vile seruice And being thus dayly tormented with stinke and noysomenesse at length gaue vp the ghost Anno 308. 30. Eusebius EVsebius a Grecian being a very Godly man a doctour and teacher among the Christiās gouerned the church in the great storme of persecution He trauayled stoutly in the worde of the Lorde as well at Rome as els wheare through his countrey in the time of Maxentius that horrible tyrant vntill he were destroyed by martyrdome as Massaeus writeth Anno 309. whereupō as Mantuan writeth an Aungell sayde to Basill Of thinges that are reueald to me I le make the vnderstād The ioyful dayes of
saith that there wer fiue thousand Christians martyred euery daye in the yeare sauing the first daye of Ianuary For they were persecuted by Nero his commaundement in all places with diuerse straunge kinde of tormeÌ„tes and reprochefull villanies not to be mencioned The seconde persecution was moued by the Emperoure Domician Anno. 96. who was a man so much delighted in killing murthering that as the prouerbe went of him he would not haue a flye aliue with him for being as he coueted moste solitary by him selfe in his pallaice he vsed to catche and kill all the flies that came in his waye Againe he was so hawty aboue measure that he woulde nedes be counted a God and therefore it may easely be iudged what rest the Christians had in his time The thirde persecution was raysed by Traianus Anno 100. so bloudely that euen the Heathen Pliny moued with pitie bewayled it vnto the Emperoure The fourth persecution was styrred Anno. 167. by the Emperour Marcus Antonius lasting long vnder sondrie Emperours vnmercifully The fift persecution was caused by Seuerus the Emperour with all seueritie forbidding that any more should be baptized purposing so to roote out the name of ChristiaÌ„s Anno. 205. The sixth persecutioÌ„ was enkindled by Maximinê° 237. The seuenth was enflamed by Decius the Emperoure Anno. 250. as terrible as the rest The eight was broched by diuerse parsones in diuerse places As by Galerius Maximus and Paternus proconsuls in Aphrica by Emilianus Liuetenaunt in Egypt beside diuers other great magistrates in Rome els where Anno. 259. The ninth by the Emperour Aurelianus Anno. 278. The tenth and last as the last acte of a tragedy was brought vpon the churche with all kinde of saueige cruelty without pity or compassion by the bloudy tyrant Dioclesian and continued by other till the comming of the noble Constantine And this was the state of the churche vnder the Emperours of Rome for these yeares Nowe let the reader iudge of what maiestie and countenaunce the prelates in this time were like to be of what wealth abilitie to maintaine a poÌ„pous estate Or what it was that might moue them to make any suche ambicious decrees as haue bene falsely forged on them And hereby discerne the after age in the Romaine churche to this daye howe farre they differ from this as shall appeare THE FIRST COMPANIE OF ROMAINE BISHOPS being in nomber to Syluester the first xxxij all whiche were godly and faithfull pastours farre from all wordly pompe and glory either in pride of attier as miter and pall or of hawty and ambicious title of Christes generall vicar but paynfull preachers of the Gospell with all humilitie and constant martyrs in the ende 1. Linus the first bishop of Rome as some thinke THe first bishop was one Linus a Thuscane borne a man of pure and godly life according to the example of the Apostles who for preaching the Gospell suffered martyrdome vnder Saturninus the Consull while Vespasian raigned Diuerse fansies are fathered vpon this man as that he decreed by the commaundement of Peter being dead that no woman should enter into the temple bareheaded whiche cannot be for there were no temples in Rome til the time of Constantine the Emperour for Christian Congregations And Manâ—uan Fastor 1. testifieth that they were fayne for feare of the tyrantes to forsake towne and City and to lyue in these dayes in desertes woodes and mountaynes whiche maye bewraye the dotage of Platina and other who charge these first godly martyrs with diuerse supersticions diuised by other long after 2. Anacletus the first ANacletus borne at Athens by Irenaeus is placed next after Linus He was of an excellent and feruent spirite and of great learning planted the churche of God with daily labour He was put to death by DomitiaÌ„ Anno. 94. Certaine epistles and decrees stuffed full of falsehoode and vntruthes ioyned with ambicion touching the ordering primacie of bishops are counterfaited in his name But Flaccus Illyricus in the first Centurie doth so rip the seames of them that euery man may perceiue what botched stuffe it is Beside Mantuan saith that he liued long not in any suche estate to haue occasion to wryte of suche matters but in caues and dennes among woodes 3. Clement the first THe next was Clement a Romaine who aduaunced the Gospell by continuall preaching and good dedes They forge of him that he did deuide Rome into parishe churches who had scant a lodging in it Againe they slaunder him that he made orders in Rome for confirmation of children for masses apparell vestures and popishe ceremonies and yet he sylly man was of so smale power and authoritie to establishe these thinges in Rome that he was a long tyme banished by the Emperour to hewe marble stones and at the length with an anchour about his necke was cast into the sea Anno. 102. so writeth Mantuan Fasto 11. 4. Euaristus the first EVaristus a Grecian was especially endewed with the grace of God whereby in the time of persecutioÌ„ he ceased not to encrease the churche of Christe by his diligent preaching till he was martyred vnder Traian An. 110. 5. Alexander the first ALexander a Romaine did trauayle painfully both to preache and baptize He suffered great tormentes till he died thereof vnder one Aurelianus president to the Emperoure Anno. 121. 6. Sixtus the first SIxtus a Romaine did both preache diligently and did many good workes He beautified the churche with godly deedes being euer vigilant and carefull for his flocke and died for it Anno. 129. These three good byshops are slaundered with certaine popishe decrees as touching consecrating of the Clergy holy water and holy vessels but olde verses made of these times do testifie that they were not at suche leasure to furnishe or rather disguise the churche with these supersticious ceremonies Thus do some wryte of these tymes Vrbibus antiqui patres fugiere relictis c. The tyrantes did our auncetours compell To flye to woodes and not in townes to dwell 7. Telesphorus the first TElesphorus a Grecian was a worthy man for learning and godly life He bare witnesse of Christe moste faythfully both by his wordes and death vnder the Emperoure Antoninus who executed him Anno. 140. He is slaundered to haue decreed that thre masses should be sayde on Christmas daye And yet at this time the masse was vnhatched yea the dame thereof except Sathan the bell sier was as a man maye saye not yet an egge in the neaste of that vncleane byrde Neyther was the superstitioÌ„ of making difference of dayes yet crepte into the churche being contrary to the doctrine of Paule Galath 4. But suche supersticious fasting as afterward choked the churches was not diuised by this bishop but rather by Montanus the heretike who beside this made it lawfull to breake wedlocke and to dissolue the band of matrimony 8. Higinus the first HIginus borne in Athens being of a Christian philosopher made a byshop discharged the dutie of
poorest At this time the Venetians spoyled the AnconitaÌ„s because they vsinge trafique into Dalmatia woulde paye them no tribute yet the Pope would not defende them as he ought to do beinge tributaryes to the Church and though in words he were hasty yet in his doinges a slouggarde and dastard The Anconitans therefore being destitute of the Popes ayde gathering themselues together brast out of the Citye vppon the Venetians besieging it draue them awaye with great damage But the Pope vsinge the aduise of Iohn Caietan who theÌ„ ruled all because by his ayde he came to be Pope he sent his Embassadours both to Michael Paleologus the kinges of the West to moue them in his name to make peace amoÌ„ge themselues and to prouide to send their powers against the Sarracens which if Paleologus would not do keepe the vnitye promised he woulde giue his Empyre from him to Charles kinge of Sicill He prophesyed by the course of the starres that he him selfe should liue longe and tould this to euery man in his vanitye as one whose wante of discretion was euident to euery man But behould while he thus vaunted his cunninge in prophecyinge and constellations openlye in a certaine chamber which for his pleasure hee had builded in his Pallaice at Viterbium the fourth day after fell downe sodainlye Anno 1277. After this ruine wherein he perished myserablye he was founde the seuenth day after hauinge raigned viii monthes Valerius called the place which fell downe Gamesters hall and Stella calleth it the precious Chamber for the Pope had builded it so gorgeouslye for his pleasure After his death the seate was voide through great contention vi monthes 129. Nicolas the thirde NIcolas the third a Romaine called first Iohn Caietan after vi monthes with great discention and brauling of the Cardinals obtayned the seate Charles king of Sicil was as Senatour president in their consistorye who was very vrgent to choose some Frenchman Pope and therefore this Nicolas hauing gotten the place purposinge to abate the power of Charles toke from him the Vicarship of Hetruria filled Italye full of broyles And for his owne lucre hee perswaded Peter kinge of Aragon to clayme the kingdome of Sicill sayinge that it belonged to him by the inheritaunce of his wyfe Constance which liked Peter but note the sequeale Peter with a great nauye went to Sardinia and there wayted wheÌ„ some motions should arise in Sicill for the Sicillians making a conspiracy against Charles and the Frenchmen appointed a daye that as soone as at eueninge a bell should be tould the Frenchmen shoulde be forthwith murthered both man woman child wherein they were so cruell that they slue euen women with child But this horrible deede was not doone vnder Pope Nicolas but in the time of his successour Martin the fourth Also this Nicolas toke to himselfe the Senatourship which Clement the fourth had bestowed on Charles and forbad for euer that any Prince or kinge should be so hardy to desire or take vppon him that dignitye By his falsehoode it came to passe that Flaunders Bononia the royaltye of Rauenna which longe time were vnder the Emperour became subiect to the Pope Amonge other buildinges that he made aboute Rome he enclosed a warrante of hares w t hye walles wherein euen in his Popeship he vsed often to hunt He bestowed syluer cases for the Apostles heades he was reproued of many for making his nephewe Berthold Earle of Romundiala for another of his nephewes beinge a Dominican Cardinall because he sente him Embassadour into Hetruria For Platina and Stella and other complaine that he loued his kindred to well so that he bestowed withoute lawe on them that which he had filched froÌ„ other for he toke perforce from some nobles of Rome certaine Castels and bestowed them on his freindes He made the Gibelines being seditious meÌ„ magistrats at his owne lust in Florence and els where to defende and maintaine his tyrannye Also he purposed to make two kinges of the stocke of Vrsines the one in Lombardye the other in Hetrury but while he purposed this he dyed sodenly of an Apoplexye without speakinge any worde Anno 1281. in the fourth yeare of his Popeship and yet it was thoughte by his goed complexion he should haue liued much longer Some saye that one foretolde the death of this Pope by the rysinge of the riuer Tiber which then happened The report is that of a concubine he begat a sonne that had hayre and clawes like a beare it is written in Iohn Noueomagus in illustrationibus Bedae 130. Martin the fourth MArtin the fourth a Frenchman called before Simon was nexte made Pope by the Cardinals of Fraunce who then were the greater nomber He woulde not be Crowned at Viterbium because he thoughte that Citye was excommunicated because they had made a tumult against the Cardinals for the Viterbians entring into the consistorye apprehended the Cardinals and put them in prison dryuinge out and contemninge the house of Vrsins therefore Martin going to an olde towne called Oruietus did there kepte all his solemnitye made viii Cardinals the same daye to strengthen his power Also hee did not onelye entertaine curteouslye kinge Charles comminge to him but also restored to him the dignitye of Senatorship which Pope Nicolas had taken froÌ„ him which thinge displeased many because it should make seditioÌ„ in the Citye the Vrsine being now returned and their ennemyes driueÌ„ out for Charles for the hatred conceyued against Nicolas was sore bente against the Vrsines But Pope Martin meaninge to worke warelye did much set by Matthew de Aquisporta a FranciscaÌ„ of the house of the Vrsines a Cardinal bishop of Portua He excoÌ„municated Peter king of Aragon who went about to inuade the kingdome of Sicil w t his nauy against Charles also he gaue his kingdome for a â—ooty to one that did desire to enioy it He released his subiectes from their allegeaunce callinge him an vsurper of Church goodes But Peter defyinge all this did by the helpe of Paleologus obtaine the kingdome of Sicill the Sicilians also beinge able no longer to sustayne the pride Iust of the FrenchmeÌ„ at the perswasion of Iohn Prochita conspired against Charles and ringinge the belles did at once without anye regarde murther all the Frenchmen Pope Martin amonge other thinges graunted to the Romaynes libertye to chose two Senatours of the nobilitye and excommunicated Paleologus He made warre against the Forolinians He bestowed great pryuiledges vpon the begging fryers and as he was taking his accustomed recreation with his chapleins as Carsulan testifyeth a certaine secrete disease came vppon him which after hee had sayd it panged him extreamlye he dyed Anno 128â— and yet the Phisicions coulde finde no token of death in him Some write that this Pope in the first yeare of his Popeship receyued into his familiarity the concubine of his predecessour Nicolas but to auoyde the like chaunce that
and â—yre Oft to rebell whose burning breath set all the world on fyre Who hath blasphemd our glorious God w t thousand mischiefs more Loe to be briefe such is the beast of whom I spake before Which earst discouered was by Bale among the rockes of Rome And by the painfull penne of S. is into England come That euery man may know the same and learne to shone the beast Who while she lorked close did spye mankinde by East and Weast Accept therfore my friendes good will that thus his trauell spent Prayse God for it and him for payne that this vnto thee sent FINIS THE FIRST BOOKE of the Pageant of Popes S. Peter not bishop of Rome FOR so muche as the Bishops of Rome haue claimed and doo still clayme their vsurped supremacy by right of inheritaÌ„ce and succession from Peter because he as they pretend was bishop of Rome at the least .xxv. yeares and so tied all this dignitie and prerogatiue whiche they fight for to his chayre for euer It shal be therfore nedeful to consider how likely it is to be true that Peter continued bishop in Rome according to their boasting This matter shal be the better displayed if these three pointes be layde open to the readers eye that is the yeare that Peter came to Rome the yeres that Peter sat at Rome and the death of Peter ¶ Of S. Peters comming to Rome Touching the time of his comming to Rome their own histories doe wryte so vncertainly that it semeth more certaine that he neuer came there First their legendary of saintes liues called Passionale counteth that he came not there till the xiii yeare of Claudius and that should be the 55. yeare of the incarnacion of Christe and 22. yeare after his death Platina saith that in the second yere of Claudius being the xi yeare after the death of Christe Peter cam to Rome being the head of the worlde partly because he perceiued that this was a seate pontificali dignitati conuenientem fit for poÌ„tifical dignitie partly because of Simon Magus Thus he maketh that partly ambicion and dignitie drewe Peter to Rome there to take his ease contrary to the duty and doing of the poore paynfull and godly Apostle who as he had in charge by Iesus Christe trauailed stil from place to place not for the dignitie of a bishop at Rome but to plant the Gospell throughout the worlde Orosius sayth he came soner euen in the beginning of the raigne of Claudius lib. 7. cap. 6. Fasciculus temporum saith he came not till the fourth yeare of Claudius Eusebius saithe that by Gods especiall prouidence he came to Rome Euestigio sub ipso Claudij imperio Out of hande vnder Claudius his raigne Peter came to Rome because of Simon Magus Vspergensis saith some reporte that he came in the beginning of the raigne of Claudius some saye not till the seconde yeare Other saye that he came not till the fourth yeare of his regiment Againe some thinke that he came in the beginning thereof but toke not vpon him to be byshop till the fourth yeare of Claudius Other thinke that he was bishop forthwith as sone as he came Sabellicus saith that he came to Rome altero anno regiminis eius Claudij in the second yeare of Claudius his regiment Naucler saith that he came to Rome in the fourth yere of Claudius and began his bishoprike the same yeare in Rome in secunda generatione vol 2. It were to long to recite all the opinions of Peters coÌ„ming to Rome and his enstalling but by these it may appeare howe the Romaine Iury can giue no certain verdit vpon suche vnconstant euidence ¶ The continuance of Peter in his Bishoprike S. Ierome sayth he raigned xxvii yeares Beda sayth he sat at Rome xxix yeares Fasciculus Temporum hitteth it iump and misseth not one daye saying he was martyred by Nero after he had bene bishop of Rome xxv yeres vii monethes viii days The moste do agree to this accompt as Vspergensis Platina and other that he raigned not aboue xxv yeares ¶ Peters death NIcephorus sayth he was buried in the xxxvii yeare after the death of Christe Of these premisses this is to be gathered that Peter came to Rome at the furthest in the fourth yeare of Claudius and that is the xiii yeare after the death of Christe and raigned there xxv yeares at the least and was put to death there in the last yeare of Nero being the 38. yeare after the death of Christe This semeth to be moste probable and in taking this tyme we shall seme to deale most fauourably with the papiste who would so fayne deriue this bastard brauÌ„che of Romain prelates from the holy Apostle so that if it can be proued that Peter sat not bishop of Rome these xxv yeares then must the Pope seke out a new petagrewe for his succession falsely fathered vpon Peter his auncient continuance of hundred yeres being disproued by the scripture being more auncient can proue nothing for lawfull regiment but rather improue him of vnlawefull vsurping for so long time And therfore for the more euideÌ„t vnderstanding hereof it shal be moste coÌ„uenient to conferre the yeares of the Emperours with the yeares of Christ his incarnation and death whiche for the more ease I haue set foorth in this table folowing wherein appeareth that our sauiour Christe suffered death in the 33. yeare of his age in the 18. yeare of Tiberius who raigned in all 23. yeares therof v. yeres after Christes death The next is Caligula raigning three yeares x. monethes viii dayes Then succeded Claudius for 13. yeares 8. monethes and 28. dayes Last was Nero continuing 13. yeares 10. monethes and 18 dayes all whiche time being added together doth make almoste 37. yeares whiche is the time that Peter lyued after the death of our sauiour as Nicephorus testifieth The yeares of Christes incarnatioÌ„ The yeares after Christes death The yeares of the Emperours The yeares after Paul conuersion 33 Christ died Tiberins 18  34 1 19  35 2 20 Paule con 36 3 21 1 37 4 22 2 38 5 23 3 39 6 Caligula 4 40 7 2 5 41 8 3 6 42 9 4 7 43 10 Claudius 8 44 11 2 9 45 12 3 10 46 13 4 11 47 14 5 12 48 15 6 13 49 16 7 14 50 17 8 15 51 18 9 16 52 19 10 17 53 20 11 18 54 21 12 19 55 22 13 20 56 23 14 21 57 24 Nero. 22 58 25 2 23 59 26 3 24 60 27 4 25 61 28 5 26 62 29 6 27 63 30 7 28 64 31 8 29 65 32 9 30 66 33 10 31 67 34 11 22 68 35 12 33 69 36 13 34 70 37 14 35   Galba  Whether Peter were bishop of Rome before the death of Christe seing there is no question to be made it nedeth not to be spoken of for the time after his death it followeth that for the first
yeare after our redemptiō Peter went not to Rome but cōtinued about Hierusalē sauing once that hee went to Samaria for a season till the conuersion of Paule as appeareth by all the discours of the Actes of the Apostles till ye come to the ninth chapter thereof whiche because it is easie there to finde tedious to be set downe at large and nothing doubted of I leaue it to the diligence of the reader who shall plainely perceaue that Peter was still in Iudea to the conuersion of Paule which was in the seconde yeare after the death of Christe the yeare of thincarnatiō 35. for Niceph. saith that he preached 35. yeares lib. 2. cap. 34. and he died in the last yeare of Nero being the 70. yeare of thincarnacion from whiche take 35. and the remayne is as muche so that in the 35. yeare of Christe Paule was conuerted ¶ Peter not at Rome from the yeare of the incarnation 35. to the yeare 38. ANno Domini 37. Pilate as Eusebius lib. 2. cap. 2. and Vspergensis testifie wrote his letter to Tiberius concerning Christe his doctrine diuine miracles death resurrection whereupon the Emperour commaunded that Christe should be placed among the Gods of Rome If Peter nowe had bene bishop at Rome or a yeare before this had not bene so straunge newes to the Emperour Neither had Pilates letter preuayled so muche with the Emperour touching Christ as the doctrine and miracles whiche Peter would for confirming of the faithe haue done in the name of Iesus The yeare folowing being the 38. was the thirde yeare from the conuersion of Paule in whiche yeare Paule returned to Hierusalē founde Peter there as is testified in the first to the Galathians which comming of Paule is specefied in the ninth of the Actes ¶ From the yeare 38. to the yeare 46. AFter Paule had bene a whyle in Hierusalem he was sent awaye to Tarsus And at that time S. Luke sayth that the churche had peace throughout all Iudea Galilye and Samaria And that Peter did walke ouer all those coūtreies where they proceaded in the feare of God the beleuing multiplied Howe many yeares Peter spent in these countreies it is not euident but immediatly from thence he did ascende to Lydda and ther healed Aeneas who had bene lame eight yeares the fame of whiche miracle drew thether all the inhabitours of Lydda and Sarona who by Peters preaching were all conuerted to the lorde These thinges do argue that Peter made some abode in Lydda also Immediatly from thence he went to Ioppa where he reuiued Tabitha and taried at Ioppa with Simon the Tanner a long season From thence he went forthwith to Cornelius the Centurion at Cesarea where he preached and baptized those that were conuerted and there also he was entreated to tary for a time From thence he came to Hierusalem where he continued till he being imprisoned by Herode was deliuered by Gods Angell and being set at libertie shewed him selfe secretly to the congregacion at the house of Mary and then conueyed hym selfe awaye And thys was done as appeareth by Luke the same yeare that Herode or Agrippa hauing raigned 7. yeares died afterwarde at Cesarea stricken by Gods Angell who being as Iosephus saith released out of pryson and made king there by Caligula raigned in all seuen yeares Caligula would haue restored this Agrippa to his libertie as sone as he him self came to the Empier euen the same daye that the solemnitie was kept for the buriall of his predecessour Tiberius But saith Iosephus Antonia the wyfe of Caligula gaue him counsell that he should noe do so but pause a while longer not because she was loth that Agrippa should be at libertie but because the Emperour by deliuering of him so spedely should be thought that he did it in despite of Tiberius who had committed him to pryson and therefore it was deferred for a season at length he was deliuered then the next yeare Agrippa craued leaue of Caligula to go into Iudaea to his kingdom whiche was graunted him So that by this computation it may easely appeare that whereas Agrippa as Ioseph sayth died in the seuenth yeare of his raigne this seuenth yeare doth arise to the fourth yeare of Claudius who did next succede Caligula Thus it is apparent that Herode or Agrippa as Ioseph calleth him died in the 46. yeare of the incarnation and that the same yeare Peter was prisoner at Hierusalem as is saide before and not byshop at Rome Another reason to proue that it should be this yere may be this S. Luke in the xii chapter of the Actes saith that this Herode had conceiued displeasure against the Tirians and Sidonians whiche was the cause that after the same Easter that Peter was imprisoned he went downe from Hierusalem to Caesarea whether the Tirians and Sidonians came vnto him and by the intercession of Blastus the kinges chamberlaine they sued for peace at his hande because saith Luke in the 20. verse of the 12. chapter of the Actes their contrey was nourished by the kinges contrey signifiyng that the prouision of king Agrippa ayded their necessitie in the time of the famine being then This dearth famin is that wherof Agabus the prophet did prophecy at Antioch which saith Luke Actes the xi came to passe in the raigne of Claudius and as other authours haue noted it was in the fourth yere of Claudius so saith Vsper gensis Thus we se that yet to this fourth yere of Claudius by whiche time at the vttermost Peter should not only be at Rome but begin his regiment ouer the churche he is yet at Hierusalem which is 1600. miles from Rome But because that Luke saith after that he was deliuered by the Angell out of pryson and after that he had signified his deliuery to Mary he conuayed him selfe away from thence I will procede to examine whether he went not now from Hierusalem to Rome and therfore go to the twoo yeares that ensued next ¶ Anno 48 and 49. ANno domini 49. Peter was at Hierusalem for this yeare the counsell was held at Hierusalem mencioned in the xv of the Actes At whiche synode Peter was present and made an oration as is shewed in the vii verse of the said chapter But nowe it remaineth to be proued that this Synode was at this tyme for proofe hereof Saint Paule speaking of his comming to this counsell in the seconde chapiter to the Galathians saythe Then after 14. yeares I came agayne vp to Hierusalem and Barnabas with me c. by the reste that foloweth it is euident that Paule signified his comming to this counsell and not any other time of his repairing to Hierusalem and so also doth S. Hierome vnderstande it which being xiiii yeares after the conuersion of Paule falleth out to be in the yeare of our Lord 49. the seuenth yere of the raigne of Claudius as may appeare by the former table And yet is Peter
before were vanished from Rome whiche ouerthroweth the establishing of Peters bishopricke for that yeare And as for the former yeare by their owne stories it semeth not to be the time of his comming for at his first cōming Simon Magus as Platina reportes was in suche honour at Rome through the admiration of his sorcery that he was honoured as a God for a piller was set vp betwene two bridges whereupon it was written Simoni sancto Deo To Simon the holy God so that Peter had a great cōflict ere he could roote out the credit of Simon Magus and plant the Gospell and Iesus Christe in the hartes of the Romaines whiche by the testimony of Platina he did so effectually ere he left that in the ende Simon Magus being brought to contempt Simon Peter was reuerēced and honoured almoste like a God All this asketh more time leasure to be brought to passe then Peter could hetherto obtayne in Rome Concerning these former two yeares this may be sayde briefely Platina and the rest of the Romaine registers doe auoutche that Peter after he left Hierusalem went to Antioche and continued there byshop seuen yeares or as some other thinke fiue yeares at the least or he came to Rome This being allowed of them for a manifest truthe on the one side and it being euident by the scripture by the premisses that this bishoprike at Antioche could not be established at the vttermoste tyll the yeares 49. it foloweth by their accompt that it is sure that for these yeares 52. 53. being within the compasse of the forenamed fyue yeares Peter was not at Rome but at Antioche nothing nearer to Rome then is Hierusalem ¶ Anno 52 53 and 54. TOuching the last yeare of these that is the yeare 54. and the twelth yeare of Claudius it is euident that Peter was not bishop at Rome for then Paule wrote his epistle thether to the Romains in the sixtenth chapter wherof he endeth his epistle with particular salutacions to xviii persones by name beside priuate housholdes and amōg those xviii eight or nine were women and yet there is no mention made of Peter surely if Peter had gone thether before the wryting of this epistle so that Paule might haue then thought that he had bene there Paule would not so haue neglected the worthy Apostle among the rest onlesse he should seme to make lesse accompt of him in the churche then of women if therfore the epistle were nowe written it is probable Peter was not nowe at Rome But it is apparent inough that the epistle was written at this time Paule in the xv chapter and the 24 verse to the Romains promiseth that he would come to Rome but excuseth him selfe that hee came not presently for nowe saieth he I am going to Hierusalē so that hereby it semeth to be written in his iourney at some time going to Hierusalem But it is nedefull to consider at what time especially this was because he went thether fiue seueral times as it appeareth first in the ninth secondly in the twelfth thirdly in the xv fourthly in the xviii fiftly and last that is mencioned in scripture in the xxi chapter of the Actes And touching the first three times it could not be at any of those voiages because Paule had not yet met with Timothe for he founde him not as it is shewed in the sixtenth of the actes til after his thirde comming from Hierusalem from the synode but at the writing of this epistle Timothie was in his cōpanie for in the ende of his epistle he sendeth commendacions in the name of Timothie Then of those two ascendings after his acquaintaunce with Timothie it is plaine that it could not be that he wrote it at the first time mencioned in the 18 of the Actes for in the 18. verse of the same chapter ere Paule returned to Hierusalem it is saide that he departed from Corinthe to Syria and Priscilla and Aquila went with him to Ephesus where he left them and would not stay being thereto requested because he hasted to Hierusalem whether he wēt immediatly At this ascending to Hierusalem this epistle semeth not to be written because in the 16. chapiter thereof he sendeth cōmendaciōs to Aquila and Priscilla who were with him in the moste part of this iourney and almoste two yeares before continually at Corinthe who parting from Paule went not to Rome as he knewe but stayed at Ephesus where he lefte them promising to retourne thether to them But if any make this obiection that because of these salutacions to Aquila and Priscilla this epistle might be written before they came from Rome at some time of Paules going to Hierusalem this is aunswered with that whiche I haue noted before that it could not be so because Paule was not then acquainted with Timothie with whome he met but euen lately before he came to Corinthe and went not to Hierusalem from the time that he founde Timothie till nowe that he left Aquila and Priscilla at Ephesus the cōclusion therefore is that this epistle was written to Rome at the last time that Paule went vp to Hierusalem and by that time might Aquila and Priscilla he retourned to Rome Beside all this in the 19. of the Actes the 20. verse Luke sayth that Paule purposed through the spirite after he had walked through Macedonia and Achaia to go to Hierusalem saying after I haue bene there I must go to s◠Rome here he semeth to be first that is mēcioned mindfull of Rome and this was at his last going to Hierusalē But conferre this place with his owne wordes in the xv chapter and 23. verse of his epistle and it will plaine appeare that the same epistle was written at this time aboue named his wordes be these I haue longed many yeares to se you when so euer I go into Spayne I wil come to you c. But nowe I go to Hierusalem to minister to the saintes for it hath pleased Macedonia and Achaia to imparte somewhat to the poore saintes at Hierusalem c. As soone as I haue dispatched this c. I wil go from hence into Spayne Finally Paule mistrusting the crueltie of the Iewes against him at this time more then heretofore and that truly as it fell out Actes the 21. desireth the Romaines earnestly to praye for him that God would deliuer him from those rebelles whiche were in Iudea All the whiche I alleadge to testifie against the iudgemēt of diuers other that this epistle by moste presumpciōs was writtē the last time of Paules going to Hierusalem whiche was in the twelft yeare of Claudius the 54. yeare of the incarnatiō for Luke testifieth that Paule was two yeare there prysoner before that Foelix the president of Iudea departed Festus came in his steade who was sent thether by Nero in the beginning of his raigne immediatly vpon the death of Claudius who departed in the 14. yeare of his Empier as Iosephus testifieth Antiquit. lib. 20.
thincarnation 60. Paule as is sayde was prisoner at Rome who for the tyme of his abode there so planted the Gospell that at his departing from thence he left great fruite therof and suche in deede as if Peter had succeded Paule within two thre or foure yeres and there supplied the roume of a byshop Cornelius Tacitus speaking of the estate of the Christians in Rome about the yeare 67. being but seuen yeares after Paules departure should not haue had cause so soone to saye as he doth y by that tyme the Christian Religion was repressed For Vspergensis saith that in the 67. yere Nero did set Rome on fier of the whiche Cornelius Tacitus writing lib. 15. Augustae historiae sayth Ergo abolēdo rumori Nero subdidit reos c. Therfore Nero to stop the rumour of his setting the citie on fier suborned giltie persons and executed with strange punishment those whome the vulgar people detesting for their wickednes doth call Christiās That mischeuous superstition being repressed till nowe brake out againe c. Therfore first they were taken that confessed it afterward by their accusatiō an houge multitude not so much for that they were gilty of fyreing the citie as for hatred are condemned and were put to death with great despite some encased in the skinnes of wylde beastes that they might bee torne in peces with dogges some crucified some were burned to giue light in the night time c. These are the woordes of Tacitus notwithstanding as it appeareth he was a blasphemer of the name of Christe By these woordes of his it appeareth that nowe Christianitie began to reuiue and that nowe it was quenched which argueth plaine that from the former time of Paules departure til this time Peter had not supplied in Rome the place of a preaching pastour and diligēt bishop And seing this broyle against the Christians began now to be so hotte not in al places but especially in Rome howe could Peter sit quietly in this citie as bishop thereof and not be fyred out with his flocke but they saye all that he lyued after this tyme about three yeares for this was done in the eleuenth yeare of Nero who raigned almoste xiiii yeares and Peter was martyred in the last yeare of Nero as they saye all If this reuiuing of the Gospel was by Peters meanes why would Nero spare him being the head if Peter escaped by flying then he shewed him selfe to be an hierling and no true shepeherde that forsaketh his flocke when he seeth the wolfe come ¶ From the yeare 67. to the 70. of thincarnation Nowe are we come to the latter tyme of Nero in which yeres if Peter were not bishop of Rome then is it certaine that he was not bishop there at all But to come to the purpose Naucler Volu 2. generat 2. and the moste writers as Eusebius lib. 2 cap. 25 Nicephorus li. 2. cap. 34. Sabellicus Ennead 7. li. 2. agree that Paule died in the yeare of our Lorde 70. the 37. yeare after the death of Christe But it may sone appeare that Peter was not then byshop at Paules last comming to Rome for after Paule was come thether he sent for Timothie to come vnto hym shewing that he had nede of him to come to hym because he was nowe desolate and had none with hym Demas had forsaken hym nowe and embraced the worlde c. so that if this Epistle were not written at the firste imprisonment of Paule but at this latter time then was not Peter yet estalled in his Diocese for if he had bene in Rome in his pontificall dignitie I thinke Paule should not haue bene dryuen to sende to Ephesus 1000. miles frō Rome for Timothie to bryng Marke to come to minister to him In the ende of this secōd Epistle to Timothie Paule sendeth commendations from diuers but none from Peter There are xiiii Epistles whereof Paule and Seneca beare the name the one wryting to the other at this later imprysonnement and yet among them all nothing is saide of Peter and yet by occasion he might easely haue bene mencioned in them if he had bene then in Rome But if by this time Peter were not yet Pope of Rome there is no tyme left for him to come to enioye it during the raigne of Nero till whose death this present persecutiō of the church endured with all crueltie ¶ The death of Peter TOuching the death of Peter all wryters do not agree as it is sufficiently declared in the Actes and monumentes fol. 56. in these wordes They that folow the common opinion and the Popes decrees saye that bothe Peter and Paule suffred both in one daye and one yeare whiche opinion semeth to be taken out of Dionisius byshop of Corinthe Hierome in his booke De viris illustr affirmeth that they suffered both in one daye but hee expresseth not the yeare so doth Isiodorus and Eusebius Prudentius in his Peristephano noteth that they both were put to death vpon the same daye but not in the same yeare saythe that Paule folowed Peter a yeare after Abdias recordeth that Paule suffered twoo yeares after Peter Moreouer if it be true whiche Abdias sayth that after the crucifying of Peter Paule remayned in his free custody at Rome mencioned in the 28. of the Actes of the Apostles whiche was as S. Hierome witnesseth in the thirde or fourth yeare of Nero then must it be tenne yeares betwixt the martyrdome of Peter and of Paule for as muche as it is by all wryters confessed that Paule suffered in the xiiii yeare which was the last yeare of Nero. Vspergensis saithe that they were both executed in one yeare but he noteth not that they died in one daye Sabellicus sayth both in one yeare one daye Some say as Ambrose that they died together both in one place But Dionysius saythe otherwyse that the one bad thother farewel when they were parted asonder goyng to death Againe the moste writers saye that Nero was the cause therof But Linus saith Agrippa cōmaunded that Peter should be slayne because that by his persuasiō foure of the concubines of Agrippa refused to liue any longer in suche vnchast life with the king therefore for anger he cōmaunded that Peter should be crucified Finally S. Hierome and Lyra wryting vpon the 34. verse of the 22. chap. of Mathewe say that Peter was put to death at Hierusalē by the Iewes and that Christe prophecied thereof saying Lo I sende you prophetes c. and some of them ye shall kyll Many thinges might be added to disproue this dotage of Peters being bishop at Rome but because I thinke this to be sufficient I let passe diuers necessary thinges least I should be ouer tedious But if any be desirous to se this matter more suffitiently handled let him reade Vlrichus Velenus wryting purposely of this in a litle booke called Demonstrationes contra Romani Papae primatus figmētum Beside there hath bene of late set forth in Englishe a discours
very learnedly and fully entreating hereof wherin as wel the allegacions of the Papistes for Peters being at Rome substantially confuted as reasons brought to improue the same And therefore had it not bene so necessarely appertinent to the argument of this booke I would rather haue referred the reader to their doynges then haue spoken any thing thereof Nowe it remayneth to leaue Peter and to come to the bishops of Rome The order of this history requirth that euerye byshop should be here placed as eche succeded other But there is suche confusion amonge them that wryte of them that no man can certainly tell whome to place first second thirde nor fourth And least it be thought to be spoken rather of affection then otherwyse I thought good to shewe out of Vspergensis their owne authour what wrangling and disagreement there is for those that succeded Peter which though it be somwhat loÌ„g yet is it necessary to be shewed that it may appeare what certaintie they haue of Peter those to whome he committed this vniuersall Popedome The wordes of VspergeÌ„sis in the life of Claudius be these Touching the succession of the Romaine byshops their order â—and the tymes wherein they raigned from the beginning diuerse men thinke diuersly whose opinions I wil here briefly set downe c. Some wryte whereunto the ecclesiasticall history agreeth that after the death of Peter sitting at Rome chiefe of the Churche xxv yeares Linus did next take the gouernement vpon him And when he had ruled xii yeares in the second yeare of Titus he lefte it to Anacletus who also after other xii yeares gaue it to Clement whiche semeth to be in the xiii yeare of Domician Clement after nine yeares suffered vnder Traian After him in the fourth place came Euaristus the nexte was Alexander and then Sixtus and so forth But other wryte that Linus and Cletus were both vnder Peter as his vicars or curates and that Peter as soone as he had taken the Papacy vpon him did appointe Linus in his steade to gouerne the churche whereby he him selfe might the better folowe his function of preaching and that he departing after twelue yeres Peter did substitute Cletus in his place who also dying after twelue yeres euen the same yere that Peter suffered vnder Nero. Then Peter committed his seate to ClemeÌ„t giuing to him and his successours power to bynde and loose whome Anacletus succeded in the tyme of Domician then folowed Euaristus c. But because these accomptes do not agree let vs consider wherein they differ and so trie whiche semeth more credible Therefore if Linus left Anacletus and he Clemens then is Clement thrust out of the beadroll of Popes whose reuerence is so great among all Churches that he is not only mentioned among martyrs but also in the Canon of the masse and in the Letany or procession is placed betwene Linus and Clemens But if after Linus Cletus be placed and then Clemens then Euaristus then Alexander c there is no place for Anacletus to get in And Beda in his Martyrtologie that Anacletus was the fourthe after Peter and suffered vnder Domician making Linus first Cletus second Clemens thirde and Anacletus fourth But if Anacletus be placed after Clement and as Beda sayeth died vnder Domician then cannot it holde that his predecessour Clemens should suffer vnder Traian because it may euideÌ„tly be proued that he suffered vnder Domician if his successour Anacletus bee not denied to suffer vnder the same Emperoure Furthermore if Linus and Anacletus as some saye or Linus and Cletus as other saye did bothe rule twelue yeares a peece after the death of Peter dyinge the xiiii yeare of Nero then it arysing to 24. yeares it falleth out that the latter of them should suffer in the xii of Domician so Clemens could not receaue power to binde and loose neither the seate of Peter Whiche opinion also is coÌ„firmed of diuerse and to this is added that Dionysius Areopagita hasting from Athens to Rome againste the martyrdome of the Apostles Peter and Paule but comming a little to late and sone after their deathes did there finde Clemens his scholefellowe bishop of Rome c. Who sent the same Dionysius into Fraunce to preache But it is saide that this Dionysius was martyred Anno domini 96 whiche is the xiiii yeare of Domician and before his death he had continued long had done very muche in FrauÌ„ce and yet it is sayde that Clemens who sent him thether was made byshop but the twelfth yeare of Domician Againe the booke of the passion of Pope Alexander saith that Clemens was the first after Peter for so it is there written In the fift place after Peter came Alexander But if it were the second from Peter then it foloweth that Cletus being before Clement and Anacletus after him be pushed out because Alexander must be the fifte Namely Peter first Linus seconde Clement thirde Euariste the fourth and Alexander the fifte For otherwyse Alexander cannot be the fift from Peter because if Linus be the seconde froÌ„ Peter and Cletus after Anacletus be placed before Clement Alexander shal be the sixt But if Cletus be before Clement and Anacletus after him then shall Alexander be the seuenth vnlesse Clement be the second after Peter Thus farre doth Vspergensis wander in this maze and thus it appeareth what certaintie the Churche of Rome hath of her beginning of Peters being there of bequeathing his supremacy to whome neither they nor any other for them can tell But ye se howe many bishops here wrestle for the first place and howe they are tossed from the first to the seconde and an other whyle hoisted to the third and fourth place yea and some time shoued cleane out of place So harde a thing it is to finde a sure man that for the beginning of this history a man may wel doubt with whome to beginne but we must be content in this hurly burly either to cast lottes to finde out the ring leader or els to take and set an order among them though perhap not the same wherein they liued yet as if it were the same And if any of the good byshops lese his place of senioritie we must desire him to take it paciently and to blame the negligence of their parishioners and successours of Rome who because nature vseth not to ascende but to discend so muche regarded them selues and their children with the tyme present that they forgat their forefathers if these were they and the tyme past ¶ The first face of the Romaine churche vnder Heathen Emperours FOr the first sorte of Romayne byshops that is from Linus to Syluester they liued continually vnder persecutions For as Eusebius sheweth from the yeare of our lord 67. till the time of Constantine being about thre hundred yeares were tenne persecutions The first by Nero with al rigour and crueltie that might be wherof Hierome in his epistle to Cramatius and Heliadorus
a good pastour and painfull labourer in the Lordes haruest and at length was put to death cruelly Anno. 144. It is reported that he wrote out of a caue where he hid him selfe an Epistle touching God and the incarnation of the sonne of God 9. Pius of Aquilia PIus borne in Aquilia is reported to haue done many godly dedes in the church vnder Antonius Verus And in the end watered the churche of Christe with his bloud in martyrdome Anno. 159. 10. Anicetus ANicetus a Sirian was a diligent pastour of the churche of Rome till he was martyred Anno. 169. 11. Sother SOther borne in Campania as the valiaunt souldiour of Christe Iesus serued vnder his spirituall banner in the time of Antonius Cōmodus He employed him self moste diligently to bring the soules of the baptized to saluation in Christe both by doctrine and example of life And in the ende confirmed the Gospell whiche he had faithfully preached with his bloud in martyrdome Anno. 177. 12. Eleutherius ELeutherius a Grecian was also a carefull and vigilant pastour in his time the persecution of the tyrants did somewhat decreace many godly writers bestowed great paynes to wryte sondry learned bookes against diuerse heresies and heretikes whiche then enfected the churche And among other this Eleutherius did also defende against Titianus that no vsuall trade of life is to be reiected But not withstanding that the stormes of persecution were somewhat calmed in his time because many of the Romayne nobilitie beleued on Christe yet Masseus saythe he was beheaded Anno. 191. 13. Victor VIctor borne in Aphrica did succeade Eleutherius This man was the first that when the storme of persecution was calmed vsurping authoritie vpon straungers sought to haue an oar in an other mans boate In the former byshops saith Vincelius the spirite abounded but in these that folowe the temptacion of fleshe and bloud preuayled Policrates bishop of Ephesus and Iraeneus bishop of Lions did bouldly reproue this Victor for exempting his bretheren in Asia from the communiō because in keping Easter day they folowed not the vse of the churche of Rome So that the churche was then rent in twayne by meanes of his obstinacy He died Anno. 203. 14. Zepherinus ZEpherinus was a Romaine borne a man as writers do testifie more addicted with all endeuour to the seruice of God then to the cure of any worldly affayres Where as before his time the wine in the celebrating the cōmuniō was ministred in a cup of woode he first did alter that and in steade thereof brought in cuppes or chalices of glasse And yet he did not this vpon any supersticion as thinking woode to be vnlawefull or glasse to be more holy for that vse but because the one is more comly and semely as by experience it appeareth then the other And yet some wooden doultes do dreame that the wooden cuppes were chaunged by him because that part of the wine or as they thought the royall bloud of Christe did soake into the woode and so it can not be in glasse Surely soner may wine soake into any woode then any witte into those winie heads that thus both deceiue them selues and slaunder this Godly martyr Who in the yeare of our lorde 220. suffered martyrdome vnder Aurelius In the time of this Zepherinus the Artemonites were a secte of vaine Philosophicall diuines who as our late scholemen did corrupt the scripture with Aristotle and Theophrastus turning all into curious and subtile questions 15. Calixtus the first CAlixtus borne at Rauenna when persecution began to wexe hotte againe did like a constant Christian hide him selfe with many moe in a certaine place on the farther side of Tiber. In these daies saith Platina al thinges were kept close and hidden because the persecution was so great euery where yea their churches and places of assembly were in corners and caues for the moste parte But Anno 226. this Calixtus was apprehended by the commaundement of Alexander Seuerus and was beaten with coodgiels pent in prison afterwarde hurled headlong out of a wyndowe and then his bodie was drowned in a depe pitte 16. Vrbanus VRbanus a Romaine liued vnder that moste lasciuious wreatche Heliogabalus the Emperoure and with his sinceritie of life and excellencie in learning he drewe many men on all sides to the Gospell He was oftentimes banished the citie for the Christian faithe but being secretlye brought in againe by the faithfull he was martyred by cōmaundement of Seuerus Anno. 233. 17. Pontianus POntianus a Romaine in the time of the sayde Emperour Seuerus being one of Christes ministers and a distributer of Gods misteries suffered both banishement punishement for the Gospell and the churche sake For when they ran thicke to him to heare him preache the worde by the princes commaundement being set on by the Idolatrous priestes he is caried frō Rome to the Isle Sardinia where after many miseries and sore tormētes he was put to death Anno. 239. 18. Antheros ANtheros was borne in Grece a man of God if any wer He preached Christe stoutely euen vnder the tyranny of Maximinus the Emperour This byshop prouided first of all that the actes of martyrs should be diligently writtē by notaries least the remembraunce of Gods hardie souldiours should be lost with their liues This Antheros in the yeare 243. did with his bloude beutifie the churche whiche with his woorde he had fed before 19. Fabian AFter him came Fabius a Romain borne who as Eusebius witnesseth as he was returning home out of the fielde and with his contrimen present to electe a newe byshop there was a pygeon sene standing on his head and sodenly he was created pastour of the churche whiche he loked not for While he liued he him selfe sawe that the recordes of martyrs should be written and that burying places should be prepared for them who afterwarde vnder Decius that afterwarde dealt cruelly with his owne brethren ended his life with most glorious death Anno. 150. 20. Cornelius COrnelius a Romaine being in the time of Decius accounted the seuēth persecutour of Christe his church had a Godly care ouer the safetie of his neighbours He entertayned curteously and restored to the churche as many as hauing denied Christe in tormentes did yet repent thē of their deede afterward O the aboōdant spirite of Christ that was in this byshop O worthy minister of the Gospel for although this mā of God Cornelius was caried away into banishemēt yet he neuer fayled the churche of Christ. But as a valiant champiō in the maintenaūce of the truth did yelde his necke vnto the sworde of Decius 21. Lucius LVcius a Romain being a faithful seruant in the lordes house and driuen into banishment by Gallus Hostilianus the persecutour of Christianitie was comforted of S. Ciprian by his letters And at the lengthe after Gallus death euen by Gods wil retourned to Rome enriched the churche with healthful doctrine and afterward being purified in the lambes bloud he pearced the heauenly paradise
peace draw on the time is nie at hand That tyrants rage shal shortned be er many years be rōne This cruel kind that ioyes in bloud shal wasted be done Rome hath beheld her prelats al ēbrewd in their own gore Three cruel ones yet shal she se and then shal be no more The death of next Melchiades shal ende the bloudy age His karkas being buried then peace shal all assuage 31. Melchiades MElchiades an Aphrican being a man very religious and a leader of the Christiā flocke proceaded in preaching the Gospell and in the affaires of the truthe so farre vntill he spent his bloud for it vnder Maximinianus Galerius And in the profession thereof died Anno 314. Reade the Ecclesiasticall history of Eusebius bishop of Caesaria concerning manifolde and vnaccustomed cruell deathes of the sainctes of that time Cursulanus Platina Stella and other the Popes flatterers doe falsely father vpon these martyrs whole loades of decrees and lyes that the lewde inuentions of their ceremonies might be established by the authoritie of these men For they are not afraide for the aduauncement of the Popes trone with these vnclenly dregs to staine the bloud of sainctes and defile this beautiful face of the primatiue churche being through continuall persecution euer agreable to Christe the head therof But what wyse man can thinke that suche simple ministers and pastours of Gods worde as the bishops then were dwelling in holes dennes and corners and looking for nothing but dayly death vnder tyrantes should haue minde of pontificall pompe stately buildinges or Papisticall solemnities when as they had neither churches nor dwelling houses The churche as yet obtained no peace they liued not yet in vnprofitable idlenes neither had they the chiefe pleasures of the worlde But those were the imaginations which false prophetes according to their custome deuised for their bellies sake But Sabellicus speaking of the saluage persecution of the churche vnder Dioclesian saythe alleaging it out of Eusebius that the Christian flocke was plaged at this time by the iudgement of God because sinne began to growe vp in the churche aboue measure and the priestes seemed nowe rather to sauour of tyranny and not humilitie and therefore when this persecutiō came it was rather a reformation of the churche corrupted by ease and peace then a scattering thereof Whereby it semeth that euen then God geuing but a pauze of persecution and whyle tyranny did but staye to breathe it selfe they began to decline and growe crooked yet is it not to be thought that they were caried so farre away as yet to newe fashiō and transport with māglinges addicions the Christian religion as the Papistes dreame they did And thus is the popishe synagoge groūded on vntruthe But it were a fond matter to beleue these scoffes toyes contriued for priestes aduauntage as our forefathers haue done we should rather trie of what spirites they be as S. Iohn commaūdeth whether they be of God or no. Iohn 4. For many false prophetes haue crept into the worlde Hetherto the pastors were starres shining in the firmament of the churche as well in life and manners as in doctrine and preserued in his right hande who walked in the middest of the seuen candelstickes Apocal. 1. Hetherto they were counted Angels reuealing the euerlasting wyll of almighty God purely without mans diuices 32. Syluester the first AFter that Melchiades was put to death Syluester a Romaine succeded in the ministery of the woorde but because that the tyrant Maximinus continued his bloudy persecution against the Churche Syluester was fayne to hide him selfe and to lyue solitarily in the hille Soracte But at the length it pleased God to laye his terrible hand vpon the persecutour Maximinus forcing the tyrant to reclaime his cruel decrees against the Christians Touching the death of Maximinus who among other tyrantes was a Scorpion to the Christians it is to be noted that Eusebius writeth first in the eight booke and 28. chapter of his ecclesiastical history thus First in the secrete partes of his body arose an impostume then in his bowels grewe a fistulowe within the whiche a great swarme of woormes and magettes gnawed and deuoured his guttes wherof arose a noysome stinke so ranke that no man could by any meanes abide it beside the ougly loathsom sight of the soare it selfe so that some of his phisicions not able for the horror of it to endure to dresse him were put to death by his cōmaundement Afterward the disease increasing all his body was swollen and rankled with it so that with extremitie of his panges and fainting through honger he fel down and lay sprawling on the grounde Then all his body by the hande of God was terribly enflamed and burned exceadingly odious to beholde so that the scorched fleshe being by little and little eaten awaye pyned and consumed he was so disfigured and deformed his feauter so vaded that a man could discerne no resemblance of his former shape His gastly and naked carkasse was euen as an image of drye bones And yet the glowing heate boyled more feruently so that the marrowe fried out of his bones and his eyes all moisture being wasted dropped out of his head Thus his limmes and members through scalding heate ranke disease rotting one from an other his body laye miserably as it were a graue to the soule vntil the tormentes thereof wrested out from his cancred harte to acknowledge Christe Iesus and to repent his bloudy persecuting the cause of this his woful ende the last persecutour Eusebius lib. 10. cap. 8. Furthermore it pleased the almighty to woorke so graciously in the hart of the noble Emperour Constantine that by his procurement the churche at the length obtained peace vniuersally so that euery mā might safely returne to his owne countrey and citie whereupon Syluester returned to Rome and was the firste Romaine byshop that escaped martyrdome There are many some indifferent but moste detestable grosse and fonde decrees falsely fathered vpō this Syluester as halowing of Chrismes geuing of orders confirming of children decking of churches couering of altars making masse priestes annoynting and attiring of them and of making the howsell to be God called deifying the host of worshipping and preseruing it Also touching coyfes hoodes corporals albes mitars palles cloathes churching kerchiefes for women rochettes sacrifices ceremonies chappels anoyling of the sicke with a rablement of diuers other Iewishe and Heathen ceremonies Platina Polidor Virgill and other the Popes parasites slaunder this Syluester that he tooke vpon him in steade of a golden crowne to weare a mitar after the Phrygian fashion Touching certaine miracles whiche are also with like credit sayde to be done by this Syluester Mantuan wryteth thus Fast. lib. 12. Men talke of many miracles that Syluester hath wrought But authour yet sufficient hath neuer forth ben brought Nor witnesse good to proue the same therfore I let alone Such things as fables fondly faind for our religion Condemneth toyes
straight charge that the priestes should be perfitte in the Popes decrees He sent these bishops Germanus into Englande Palladus into Scotlande and Patricke with a certaine Segetian into Irelande to roote out the Pelagian heresie He died Anno. 435. being put in among the number of confessours 12 Sixtus the thirde SIxtus the thirde a Romaine called the enricher of churches he builded the churche of S. Mary the greater after a miracle of snowe and enriched it with great giftes and garnished the pallayces with golde At the persuasion of a woman called Eudoxia he did hallowe Peters chaynes and appointed a yearely feaste daye in honour of them to be kept at Midsommer He died a confessour Anno. 440. and was buried in the citie About the yeare of our Lorde 456. Genesericus came out of Aphrica into Italy with a great armye against Rome and coÌ„ming thether he finding the citie empty inuaded it And for the space of xiiii dayes continually caried out the spoyle of it and toke away many prysoners 13 Leo the first LEo the first a Thuscane borne added to the masse these wordes to name it Sanctum sacrificium ImmaculataÌ„ hostiam hanc oblationem whiche cannot be without blaspheming God haynously â–ª He like an Idolatour builded a pallayce in the honour of Cornelius a byshop and appointed clarkes to kepe the Apostles sepulchres He decreed that men should worship the images of the dead allowed the sacrifice of the masse he died a confessour Anno. 462. 14 Hilarius HIlarius borne in Sardinia a man daily exercised in building and beautifying of churches decked the post of Christe his crosse with golde and precious stones He made decrees by synodes proclayming them to be kept through the whole worlde He made a lawe that euery minister should be put from his calling whiche maried either a widowe or deuorced woman and not a mayde He died a confessour Anno. 469. In his time Mamertus Claudius bishop of Vienna made the Letanies or procession to be saide thrise a weke whereof Mantuan sayth Fast. 4. By Rodanus there standes a towne Vienna men it name Sorenoied while one Mamertus was bishop of the same And suffred many sturdy stormes for oft with firy flake Of thonderclap it burnt while the treÌ„bling soyle did shake The grounde did gape as torne in twayne whereby the daungerous dell VVith yawning mouth stoode open downe to glowing goulphe of hell Among the dungeons depe of Ioue and rauening wolues vvithall VVere driuen to madnes through the haggs of hell that vp did crall The fraÌ„ticke neat begaÌ„ to murther meÌ„ in field tovvne VVherevvith mens hartes amazed vvere that thus the Lord should frovvne And so coÌ„straind they asked aide and succour froÌ„ aboue And vvith their humble prayers sought Gods mercy for to moue And herevppon the Letanye at first deuised vvas And aftervvard it did from thens to other people passe In the time of this Pope about the yeare of Christ 476. Odoacer with an army of HerulaÌ„s Turcihugians came from Panonia and wanne Rome and all Italye and raigned there xiiii yeres About this time Rome was so terriblie shaken wyth earthquakes that manye houses fell downe wythall 15. Simplicius SImplicius a Tiburtinian borne did dedicate Pallaces and deuided the towne into fiue parts for the priestes to serue and appointed the sacrificing priestes their weekes hee shewed that the Church of Rome was the chiefe Church of all He vsurped auctoritie vppon the people of Rauenna like a tyraunte and commaunded that none of the Clergy should acknowledge that he held any Ecclesiasticall benefice of a lay maÌ„ And this maÌ„ dyed a confessor Anno. 484. 16. Foelix the third FOElix the thirde a Romaine the sonne of one Foelix a priest decreed that onelye a bishoppe and no priuate priestes should dedicate the Churches and allowed a feast for the dedication of them Hee hallowed Agapetus hys Pallaice He decreed that the Clergye being accused of anye matter should haue dayes graunted to returne theyr aunswere and dyed in peace a confessor Anno. 494. 17. Gelasius GElasius an Aphrican sonne to Valerius a bishop burned the bookes of the Manichies hee made hymmes prefaces â–ª graduals collects and prayers hee seueâ—ed the Apocrypha from Canonicall Scripture and allowed maryed wydowers after they had maryed their seconde wyfe to be priestes if they toke his dispensation He encreased y Clergye he dedicated Pallaices and decreed that priestes orders should bee geuen foure times in the yeare he added to the Masse the conclusions of the prayers Et te igitur at lengthe auouched that he his successors should be iudged by no bodye And dyed a confessor Anno. 497. 18. Anastasius the second ANastasius the seconde a Romaine leaned to the Eutichians and Nestorians he did coÌ„municate wyth heretikes he excommunicated the Emperour And in the yere of our Lorde 499. on the stoole of easemente his bowels issued out of his bellye He dyed a confessor so writeth Volaterranus 19 Symmachus SYmmachus borne in Sardinia was chosen bishop with much dissention among the Clergye He ordayned that virgins which had once professed chastitye shoulde neuer marrye afterwarde and that none of the Clergye shoulde keepe in house wyth anye woman but such a one as were his kinswoman He builded many Pallacies euen out of the ground He brought the masse into fashion hee commaunded to singe Gloria in excelsis vppon the byrth dayes of saincts And if any maÌ„ may trust Gregoryes Dialogues he coÌ„mitted to Purgatorye the stubborne soule of one Paschasius a deacon after his death And yet this man dyed a confessour Anno. 514. Vspergensis sayth that wheÌ„ this Pope was chosen one Laurence was also chosen by some wherevppon manye slaughters both of the people Clergye were made in Rome during the space of iii. yeres but Symachus preuailed 20. Hormisda HOrmisda borne in Campania did set quietnes among the Clergie he appointed that the Psalmes should be songe by course enterchaungeable He commaunded that the decrees of counsels should be kept and bestowed many thinges to y furniture of churches he lefte a wedge of syluer waying a thousande fourty poundes in saint Peters churche and commauÌ„ded that no aultar should be builded without the consent of the byshop He added ceremonies to publique mariages and excommunicated Anastasius the Emperous because he sayde that it was an office dewe only to the Emperoure to commaunde and not to be at a byshops commaundement suche then was the courage of the spirite of Antichriste Iustinus the Emperoure as Isiodorus wryteth made this Hormisda a Patriarch of Rome being before but an Archebishop who died a confessour Anno. 523. From the time of Syluester the Romaine prelates were Archebishops for the space of twoo hundreth yeares that is from the yeare 320. vntill this yeare 520. at what tyme they were first made Patriarkes by the Emperour Iustinus I declare this more diligently whereby the attentiue reader may knowe by what degrees the Romain bishops crept vp to
the ennemy of Christe whiche neuerthelesse should speake like a Dragon like an euill spirite and should rage as vnmercifully as the firste beast did whiche destroyed Peter and Paule and great companies of fainctes whiche with her charmes should so bewitche the worlde and with monstrous workes should growe into suche admiration that none might by or sell but such as had the seale or the name of the beaste in his forehead But as touching the name of the beaste he shewes it mistically by these letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ch X St reciteth it to be discussed This saith Iohn is wysedome let him that hath vnderstanding accompt the number of the beast for it is the number of a man and his nuÌ„ber is this 666. Apocal. 13. What meane thefe markes but that wee should searche the time wherein this beaste should arise from the earth and the bottomlesse pitte and should destroye the Christian common wealth But howe shall a man apply it if he haue not the certaine time when Pompeie toke the scepter from the Iewes according to the notable prophecie of Iacob entring the temple prophaned the Sanctum sanctorum But that was done as Iosephus wryteth in the time of Tullius consulship the 60. yeare before Christe was borne To these three score yeares adde six hundred vntill after the death of the sayd Gregorie the great who prophecied that he should be Antechriste whiche would be compted vniuersall bishop or head of all churches Therefore marke well what kinde of times happened in the 666. yeare after Hierusalem was taken by the Romaines Pompeie being their general and you shall se straunge matters fal out at the time that this Phocas was Emperour of whome VVilliam Stantphurdius wryteth as foloweth The Empier Phocas chokes and doth the Popedome first aduaunce By wicked writts about his Empier sent for to enhaunce And to confirme moste sure foray vnto the after age The premacy of Rome and of the dragon that doth rage Against Gods power Furthermore applie this misticall number of 666. containing highe wisedom in iâ— froÌ„ the time of Christes birth or from the tyme of his passion or from the xv yere of Domician at whiche time the reuelation was written and stil ye shal finde some moÌ„sterous thing wrought in the church But to returne to the matter of Englande In the yeare of Christe 593. Colman Harding and Fabian saye that the raigne of the seuen kinges at one time began whereby 173â— yeares after Brutus their first king the royall estate of the Brytishe king ceased For as Paulus Diaconus writeth in his fourth booke the Britaines founde tâ—at the Saxons were in steade of succourers suppressours and cruell ennemies vntrusty warring rigorously vpon them who had entertained them for ayde Anno 596. the foresaid Augustine sent from Gregorie came into Englande who at his comming did not reproue but maintaine and vpholde the wicked treasons the horrible robberies the slaughters more cruell then were Neroes whiche the Saxons coÌ„mitted Anno â–ª 600. Gregorie gaue to Augustine his byshops pall Thereby as was sayde London was spoyled of her right without all order to the destruction bothe of the commonwealth and of religion and finally the vndoing of the Brytishe kingdome and thereupon are sumptuous teÌ„ples builded Before that time the Britains had their churches dedicated to eternall God the father and to our sauiour his sonne Iesus Christe But afterwarde the SaxoÌ„s did coÌ„secrate their temples to Images and dead sainctes â–ª Anno. 604. the ChristiaÌ„ Emperour Maurice being slaine Phocas an adulterer and a murtherer obtayned the seate imperiall and in him the maiestie of the Caesars and the moste noble Empire of the Grekes decayed together As for the Romaine Empire that was weakened and empaired yea and at length brought to nothing by meanes of the Popedome whiche he had graunted and established Anno 606. in Nouember and December as Paulus Diaconus writeth in his 18. booke euen at the rising and beginning of the Popedome there appeared a wonderfull great blasing starre There were straunge sightes and monsters of the Sea shewed them selues to the terrour of many Thus in the time of this Phocas murderer of the Emperour whiche is to be noted as a misterie concerning the Popes Papistrie and Mahumets religion began bothe together at one time which corrupted darkened and weakened the doctrine of the sonne of God in many regions For in another yeare of the same Phocas as Bibliander writeth Mahumet recited the Alcoran so that saieth hee the Egles three heades awaked all at ones according to the heauenly vision in the fourth booke of Esdras that is to saye Phocas him selfe Pope Boniface Mahumet the Arabian now followeth the thirde troupe of Romishe Popes whiche is deuided into fiue partes The firste parte of this thirde troupes of the Popes or Romaine Antechristes prophecied of by the names of Sodome or Egypt Apocal. 11. vntill the time of Pope Iohn the eight 1. Boniface the thirde ABout this time the bishoppers of Constantinople endeuoured to obstaine the title of vniuersall bishop and to haue their Church called the head of all Churches vsing these fonde reasons that because the Emperour beinge chiefe of all Princes kepte at Constantinople therefore that shoulde be the chiefest Church and there the chiefe bishop This ambitioÌ„ enflamed many to speake and wryte against it but especiallye the late Gregorye who in this wyse reproued Iohn bishop of Constantinople for the same Sayinge None of my predecessors although the Emperours began first in Rome and were wont to byde there onelye and yet do keepe the title thereof durste take vppon them this title of vniuersall bishop And againe Gregorye sayd plainlye that such a one was the forerunner of Antichrist Yet notwithstanding that the Church of Constantinople with great infamye preuailed not herein because that Antichrist or the whore of Babilon according to the 13. of the Reuelation should be in the Citty builded on seuen hilles that is Rome it selfe For so diuers auctors testifye that onelye Rome is knowen to be builded on vii hils and certaine it is that when this Reuelation was written Rome was then the greatest Cittye being built on seuen hils as Mantuan testifyeth in the life of Syluester speaking of S. Blaze at the ende of the first booke And the fulnesse of that time prophecied of now drawing nighe this Boniface the thirde Anno 607. by the meanes of Phocas the Emperour an adulterer traytour and murtherer of his Lorde and soueraine Maurice the Emperour with his wife and children was aduaunced to be bishop of Rome with much hurley burley and greate tumulte and in despite of manye bishops and Churches standinge against it he is extolled confirmed and worshipped as Lorde and Prince of all bishoppes By great sute but greater bribery he obtayned of the sayde bloudye Emperour that Rome should be called the head of all Churches partlye by the same reasons that Constantinople vsed as Platina sayth that where the heade
cuppe and a stately picture but now in his Popedome he so busied himselfe aboute corne matters as if he had bene borne to feede manye men and yet some saye that his eyes were put out by the Romaynes other say by the priests that hated him In this mans time Lotharius the Emperour appointed magistrates in Italy to gouerne and brydel the Romaynes because they abused their libertye very much which they had vnder Charles which deede as manye thincke hastened the death of Eugenius Michael the Emperour of Constantinople sent Embassadours to Lewes the Emperour desyringe to be resolued concerninge Images whether they should be worshipped or abandoned and Lewes sent them to Pope â—ugenius to be instructed but Eugenius aunsweare was neuer knowne He raigned 4. yeares and then dyed Anno. 827. 36. Valentine the first VAlentine the first being yet but deacon not ful priest was made Pope he was a man of a quicke wit able to perswade and diswade And some write that there was in him such excellent hope that he would haue raigned more happelye and in better order then the rest wherâ—y the fathers aboute feared the decaye of theyr former holynesse for he neuer did any thing that was not liked He dyed the fourth day of his raigne and as some thinke poysoned 37. Gregorie the fourth GRegorie the fourth would not take the Popeship vpon him fearing the sequeale vntill that the Emperour had allowed the election and by this man the Emperours had restored to them theyr right of coÌ„firming the Pope which yet lasted but a while In this Popes time there was a counsaile of bishops held by the commaundement of Lewes at Aquisgran where it was decreed Gregorie being president of the counsaile that euery Church should haue reuenewes of his owne wherby the clergye might be maintayned and not be constrained to forsake their cure and office and giue themselues to occupations of lucre And it was concluded that none of the clergye of what soeuer degree should weare anye precious or purple garmentes neither weare any ringes nor iâ—wels vnlesse it were a ring at saying masse Againe that they should not kepe a great traine and familye neither horses dysing nor vnhonest women and that monkes shoulde not exceede in glottonye and feasting and that the clergye should weare neither golde nor siluer in theyr shoes slippers nor girdles which sayth Platina are far disagreeing with religion and most manifest tokeÌ„s of incoÌ„â—â—nencye Yet such was theyr royat then which continued so that Platina in the lite of this Gregorie cryeth out in these wordes O Emperour Lewes I would thou were liuinge in oure time the Church nowe wanteth thy holye lawes and thy iustice for Ecclesiasticall persons do so wallow in al kind of lust and royat Ye might now see theÌ„ pranked in crymson with bruchies and Iewels and that not men onelye which perhaps might seeme tollerable but also their horses and beastes And while our prelats passe abroade a lustye troupe of youthes go ietting before them a knot of chaplins following behinde and they themselues not ryding on sillye asses as Christ the author of our religioÌ„ and onelye pateâ—ne of good life in earth did but vppon their neyeng and trampling horses al betrapped as if they roode in triumphe after a conquest of an ennemye Touchinge their siluer plate and statelye furniture of houses and delicate fare it booteth not to speake vvhen as their dainty diet excelleth all that euer was in Sicilli their roabes passe all the pompe of Attalus their vessels staine all the plate of Corinth but what wil come of this intemperancye I saye nothing Thus complayneth Platina But to returne to Gregorie he made diuers holy dayes for saincts as Bartholmew Gregorie Sebastian others he was beneficiall to Churches and deadmens bones By the Emperours helpe he draue the Moores out of Italye he procured tenthes to be giueÌ„ to the Churches and deuised solemne erection of Sepulchers He dyed Anno. 843. 38. Sergius the second SErgius the seconde was before called hogs snoute he being made Pope did first bringe vp this vse that the Popes should chaunge theyr names To confirmation of whom that Emperour sente hys sonne with auctoritye Emperiall to Rome and manye nobles to attend on him which kinde of confirmation they were wonte all to attende vppon vntill Hadrian the thirde told the Romaines that they oughte not to loke for the Emperours good will in creatinge the Pope This Sergius was the first that of himselfe renounced his Christian name giuen him in baptisme He appointed that Agnus Dei should be said thrise at masse the oste the while to be deuided into 3. partes He bestowed paines as other did on dead mens tombes He dyed Anno 846. 39. Leo the fourth LEo the fourth toke the Popeship vnder Lotharius the Emperour and bestowed manye ornamentes on Romain cities churches for he builded a tower in Vatican he repayred the wall and towne gates and raysed about them euen from the foundation xv fortresses whereof hee planted two verye well at the ende of the riuer Tiber to beate backe the force of the ennemye He builded a newe S. Maryes Church and gaue an Alter of iiii crownes for martyrs bones he repayred the Castell of S. Angell and made seates of Marble in the porche of Lateran Hitherto he played the bayliffe of husbandrye but after this he became a warrier and captayne of an armye For when the Sarracens made manye a roade into Italye and spoiled the countrye first he promised them heauen that would fight for the defence of his state theÌ„ mustring the Romaine garrison he making the signe of the Crosse encountereth the ennemies and with this prayer as they say O God whose right hand c. at Hostia gate he put them to flight and ouercame them Afterwarde he summoned to a counsayle 47. bishops wherein hee condemned one Marcellus of diuers crymes But afterward he gaue senteÌ„ce that a bishop should not be condemned without 72. wytnesses He first began contrarye to the counsaile of Aquisgran to decke the Popes Crosse with precious stones commaunded it to be caryed before him Hee toke vppon him to profer his feete to be kissed and decreed that none of the laitye should abide in the quier at masse time but onely he which attended on the Alter He appointed sondrye hollyedayes and seueral prayers and solemnityes to them He was accused of many crymes but speciallye that he went about by auctorie of a counsell to translate the Empyre from Fraunce into Germanye but he purged himselfe by his oath He dyed Anno. 854. In this Popes time Anno 847. Ethelwolphus beinge first a monke of single life hauing a dispeÌ„sation from the Pope left his monkery and became kinge of Englande making his dominion tributarye to the Sea of Rome appointing a certaine taxe of money to be leuied yearely of euerye house and payed to Rome And thus all Englande became thrall to Rome to the fulfillinge of
to estimation and many straunge monsters were seene and diuers terrible earthquakes 83. Iohn the 20. IOhn the 20. called Fasanus after that Iohn the 19. was poysoned by magicke coniuringe gat to be Pope For from the foresaid Syluester till Gregorie the seuenth a notorious parson all the Popes were famous enchaunters by theyr charming they sturred vp walking spirits bugs goblins fierye sightes diuers terrible goasts shapes of thinges with howlinges and gro aninges aboute deade mens graues perswadinge the simple people that they were deade mens soules And those spirites beinge coniured vp by priestes deluded men dessemblinge that they were the soules of the dead complayning theyr vntollerable paynes in Purgatorye fyre and craued to be released by the meritorious deedes of theyr frendes kindred bestowinge dirges masses and trentalles on them But to returne to this Pope Iohn hee sayth Platina beinge giuen to idlenesse did nothinge worthye remembraunce He dyed after he had beene Pope .iiii. yeares Anno 1009. 84 Sergius the 4. AFter this Iohn came Sergius to be Pope by the like meanes who also in his Popedome exercised the same sorcerye still by which he obtayned the seate Yet some of the flatterers of Rome do highlye commende him as one that in all his Popedome did no one thinge to be misliked An vnmeete prayse for the prelates of that corrupte time wherein the light of the Gospell was extinct without the which nothinge can be pure and perfite Amonge other praises this is one that he had he was a very pleasāt meerye and familiar companion In his tyme was great pestilence and famine in Italye and in Loraine a fountaine turned into bloud He dyed Anno 1012. 85 Benedict the eight BEnedict the eight was borne in Thusca the sonne of George bishop of Portua brother to Albericus and Iohn was a layman He had a nephew called Theophilactus which was the scholer of Syluester and by the magical charmes of this Theophilact Benedict gatte to be Pope and obtayned the place so longe as Henry Bauarius liued whose ayde defended him because he had bestowed on Henrie the crowne Emperiall But after his death the Cardinals enuyinge him deposed him and set vp another and herevppon arose a cruel debate Yet afterward he compounded for money with his aduersaries and so the vsurping Pope being put out again Benedict is restored w t great pompe He graunted to the foresaid Henrie as Barus testifyeth to make at Bamberg builded by Henry a cathedral Church but with this condition that the same Church should paye to the Pope yearely vnder the name of tribute an hundred markes in siluer with a white horse furnished with trappings He dyed Anno 1023. Peter Damianus cardinall of Hostia sheweth as it is also written by Platina Carion and others that this Benedict or an euill spirit in his likenes appeared rydinge on a blackehorse and came vnto a bishop of his familiar acquaintaunce who amazed at this sight asked him Art not thou Pope Benedict whom wee know to be dead He aunsweared I am the same vnhappy Benedict And howe do you sayd the bishoppe I am cruellye tormented but I may be eased quoth Benedict And therefore go to my brother Iohn who nowe is Pope and bidde him repayre to such a place naming it and take the treasure that is there hiddē and distribute it to the poore And likewise he appeared to Pope Iohn saying I hope to be deliuered and I would to God that Odilo would pray for mee Thus the deuil deluded this age bearing them in hande that the distribution of moneye and not the death of Christe might bringe saluation to soules to the great aduauncement of Purgatorye and masses 86 Iohn the xxi IOhn the xxi brother of the former Benedict and sonne of Gregorie bishop of Portua beinge as yet but a laye man yet likewyse by the enchauntmente of his nephewe Theophilact gat the Popedome as Benno a Cardinall wryteth For the coniuring and charmes of these mē Theophilact Iohn Gratian Laurence Malsitan Brazutus and other like wrought and ruled all thinges at Rome according to the deuils appointmente the aucthor of theyr artes For sayth Benuo Theophilact vsing to do sacrifice to deuils in woods on mountaynes caused women to runne after him whom he with his enchauntments bewitched to loue him And this appeareth to be true by certaine bookes of his which after his death were founde in his chamber This Pope Iohn crowned Conradus Emperour and was by him defended from the violence of the Romaynes who had longe troubled him the Emperour threatned to destroy the Romaynes vtterly if they should practise ought agaīst the Pope and by this meanes he continued Pope xi yere The latine Church doth highly commend him but shewe no good workes that deserued it He commaunded Princes to keepe a solemne kinde of geuinge almes he appoynted priestes to say masse and the people to fast In his time began the superstitious fastes of S. Iohn Baptist S. Laurence Of the counsell of Triburia Anno 1030. began in Fraunce a sect of fasters who said that it was reuealed to them from heauen that to fast Saturday with breade and water was sufficiente for remission of all sinnes if so that they had made a vowe to keepe it But the bishop of Camera did ouerthrowe this blasphemye as derogatorye to the passion of Christe Pope Iohn dyed Anno. 1034. 87. Benedict the ix BEnedict the ninth who before was called Theophilact the sonne of Albericus and nephewe as is said to the former Pope Benedict Pope Iohn as he by coniuring and diuelishe artes did first aduaunce his vnkles so nowe by his magicke he brought to passe that he succeded them He beīg Pope did greatly aduaūce euē next to himselfe as his chiefe and secret counsellers Laurence Iohn Gratiā for that they were notorious coniurers broughte vp with him vnder Pope Syluester He with these companiōs had vsed before he was Pope accordīg to the cursed ceremonyes of their sorcery to call vppon theyr euill spirites in woods and forrests and to bewitch by his cunning any woman that liked him to couet his carnall companye But sayth Benno as on a time he wyth these his mates was comming from the woods to the Church a nomber of birds beinge together a sparowe made a merye and pleasaunt kinde of chirping This Laurence being both captaine coniurer also a southsayer curious in the obseruation of byrds was demaunded what it was that the birde prated The byrde quoth hee calleth other birds to the great gate where a countreymans carte is broken and his meale spilte which was caried in it and therefore she wyth her much chattering biddeth them to come thither to eate and fil themselues Which being harde diuers of them that stoode by ranne in all poast hast to the gate to try the matter and whē they came there they found it so in deede as Laurence had sayd Theyr cunninge in south saying and coniuringe was such
decrees and to coÌ„firme that auctoritye which the Church had gotten Amonge many other enormities he coÌ„cluded that no priests sonne shoulde be capable of orders He made the archbishop of Toledo primate of Spaine vppon condition that he should sweare fealtye to the Pope so by that meanes he broughte Spaine vnder his winge He cursed the kinge of Fraunce for imprisoning a bishop He caused all that should take order to sweare with this clause So God helpe me and the holye Euangelistes finally he standing in awe of one Iohn Pagan a Romaine did hide himselfe for two yeares in the house of one Peter Lion where he dyed Anno 1099. And his bodye was conueyed by nighte ouer Tiber for feare of his foes the same yeare also dyed Clement the thirde who had seene in his time the death of three Popes Of the former Hildebrand and this Vrban his scholler Theodor Bibliander writeth thus to Princes of al estates Hildebrand sayth he by sturringe vp the Greeke Emperour against the Turkes did sowe the seede of the voiage of Gog Magog vppon-whom the bloude of the Church cryeth vengeaunce that was shed wyth the sworde of his tongue But this Vrban by causinge Christians to goe warre vppon Pagans with vaine colour of fighting for the holye Lande for Christes Sepulcher hath caused more Christian bloud to be shedde of all Nations then can be esteemed and did it onelye to oppresse Clement the second and his faction the while to restore himselfe to be Pope In the time of this VrbaÌ„ VVilliam Rufus kinge of England was sore combred with the proude prelate Anselmus archbishop of Canterbury who wheÌ„ he was commaunded to aunsweare to his misbehauiour did auoide it in appealinge to the Courte of Rome both against the liking of al the bishops in Englande and in spite of the kinges harte went to complaine to the Pope 101. Paschal the second PAschal the seconde was an Italian called before Rainerus hee was made Cardinall of S. Clements by Hildebrande his Scholemaister succeded Vrban He when he sawe he shoulde be chosen woulde not take the place vppon him vntil the people had cryed thre times S. Peter choseth thee worthie man Raynarde Then hauinge a purple roabe vppon him and a Miter on his head he was brought vppon a white horse vnto Lateran where hee receyued the Popes Scepter and had the gyrdle put about him wheron are hanged seuen keyes and as manye Seales All the time he raigned he was continually busyed in warres and â—editioâ—s attemptinge by all meanes possible to aduaunce yet hier the estate of the Popedome He draue out furiouslye from their places all those bishops and abbots that were established by the Emperour At this time there was a certaine prelate called Fluentinus who seinge the greate enormityes that presently choaked the Christian Church held opinion that Antichrist was incarnate and borne and that he was reuealed herein And therefore sayth Sabellicus the Pope held a councel against him with the bishops of Italy and Fraunce in Rome amonge other canons he concluded it heresye to denye obedience to the Pope and made a canon for paying of tenthes to priestes concluding it siane against the holye Ghoste to sell the tenthes He renued and published the excommunication against the Emperour and caused the bishop of Mentz of Collen and of VVormes to thrust him froÌ„ his estate taking his Crowne from him with al princelye title dignitye and honour Yea and which is horrible to be heard not content with this he did prouoke and arme his onelye sonne Henry the fifte to rebell against him being his naturall father A lamentable and pitifull case to see the onelye child of so good noble a father not beinge prouoked by any iniurye on the fathers part not onely to despise to forsake and reuolt from his father denying to ayde him but also to assault hym by force of armes to enclose him with his armye as he did and toke him entrapped by treason spoyled robbed him of his royal estate and forced the wretched and miserable man captiue to his owne child to dye a double and dolefull death Thus could the Pope put the sworde in the sonnes hand forsing him to sheath it in his fathers bowels Neither could this vnnaturall death of the good olde man cause the vnnaturall rancour to dye in the Popes breast but for further reuenge he coÌ„maunded that the Emperours carkasse should not be buryed but first be cast out of the Church and be caryed from Leodos to Spira where it rotted fiue yeares without any Christian burial But lo what a wonder God wrought in the meane time To testify sayth Abbas Vspergensis the Popes tyrannye it rayned bloud at Spira It were a lamentable thing to tell at large the maner of the Popes vnmerciful dealing with this good Emperour For first the forenamed bishops comminge to him to Hilgeshem they coÌ„maunded him to deliuer vp his Diademe his Purple roabes his Signet and other like ornaments belonging to the Empyre WheÌ„ he required a reason thereof they aunsweared partly for sellinge spirituall liuinges but chiefely for the Popes pleasure Wyth that the good Emperour sighing saide Ye know you receyued your bishoprickes at my hande that I gaue them freelye and am giltye of no suche cryme and yet do you thus quite my curtesye But the vnthankful prelates moued neither with allegeaunce oath nor benefite prosecuted their purpose and first yelding him no reuerence they plucked froÌ„ him sitting in his place of estate his Crowne Emperial and his Purple roabe and his Scepter He beinge thus stripped out of his royaltye and forsaken sayde pacientlye Let God see and iudge They leauing him bestowed these things vppon the sonne creating him causing him forthwith to pursue his father forcing him to flye but wyth ix parsons to the Dukedome of Limborough where the duke beinge his deadly ennemye did also make speede to apprehende him The Emperour perceyuing himselfe thus entrapped and fearing death submitted himselfe to the duke beseaching him rather to shewe mercye then vengeaunce Herevpon the noble harted duke thoughe the Emperour had whilom displaced him of his Dukedome yet pityinge his miserye he both forgaue him entertayned him curteously in his Castel and w t an armye conducted him to Collen where he was well receyued But the sonne hearinge thereof besieged the Citye but the father fled by night to Leodium where so manye louinge hartes resorted to him that he bad his sonne a battaile and ouerthrewe him and still desyred that if his sonne were taken he should be saued harmelesse Yet the sonne ceased not but renuinge the battaile preuayled and so dispossessed his father whoe in the ende was brougth to such penurye that he craued of the bishop of Spire to giue him but a prebende to liue vppon in the Church But the earle forgetting the benefites receyued of him in his prosperitye denyed him flatlye and said by ladye ye get none here Thus after he
FINIS 118. Honorius the thirde HOnorius the thirde a Romaine borne was made Pope at Prusium at what time the Cardinals distressed for want of foode did there dispatch the election of him Who byinge to Rome as fast as he coulde toke order about the warre in Asia to maintaine it stil knowiÌ„g how auaylable it was to their matters wroughte heare at home in Christendome forth with Iohn Columna a Cardinal of Rome was appointed to proceede as ambassadour with that armye which Innocentius had prouided for that purpose He crowned Frederick the seconde sonne of Constance the Nonne Emperour against Otho the fourth whom notwithstanding afterward for vsinge his owne right in the coastes of Sicil Apulia the Pope excommunicated Yea this Honorius sayth Marius was so enflamed against this Emperour Frederick that hee did trayterouslye maintaine Thomas and Mathewe Earles of Thuscia with other rebels that put themselues in armoure against the Emperours maiestye whereby the Emperour coulde not punishe them as they deserued which sayth Vspergensis caused him much to complaine that the Sea of Rome did euer maintaine traytours and rebels which presumed vpon that refuge Also he discharged his barons of their fealty to their Lorde which mischiefe was yet for a while stayed by the meanes of Hermannus maister of the flemings of Zeland He coÌ„firmed the orders of Dominican Franciscan friers deuised in the time of Innocentius He maintayned the white fryers and Augustinian fryers that they should vphould transubstantiation against the Valdenses who then began to defye the Church of Rome in many matters for the Dominicans forged that Pope Innocentius a little before his death had a vision wherin was reuealed vnto him that Lateran Church should fall vnlesse their patron Dominicus shoulde bolster it vppon his shoulders whereof Mantuan deluded with such fansyes maketh mention Al. so he wryteth of another dreame for the Franciscan fryers of which though they dreamed as necessarye yet I omitte as vaine and fonde In this Popes time while these thinges were doing there were seene in the ayre strauÌ„g sights testifying the horror of Antichrist encreasing in his members as shall appeare by the Popes following While the ChristiaÌ„ estates were turmoyled abrode fighting for Hierusalem the Pope in pompe and ease at home was at leasure to build sondrye sumptuous Pallaces and gorgeous Temples dedicating them to diuers Saincts He published Epistles decretall and decreed that vnlearned parsons should not be made priestes He commaunded that when the singinge cake was heaued and lifted vp the people should fal downe on their knees and that it should be caryed in comlye order to the sicke with a burning Taper before it He grauÌ„ted Archbishops power to giue pardons faculties dispensations dualities pluralities wtin their diocesse Anno 1223 one Adam CathaneÌ„sis a bishop in Scotlande as Boethius wryteth was burned of his own neighbours in his owne kitchin because he had excoÌ„municated certaine of them for with holding theyr tythes the Pope knowing of this murther neuer ceased till to reuenge the same foure hundred of these men were hanged and their children gelded by king Alexander A sufficient reueÌ„ge for the death of one man Furthermore this Pope warred vppon the Emperour in Apulia and condemned the Earle of Tholos for an hereticke geuinge his landes to the French kinge and finallye would not suffer his bodye to be buryed like a Christian. At length the Pope died Anno 1227. of whom Mattheus Parisius in the 8. booke of his Chronicle wryteth thus Pope Honorius sent his Legate Otho to require to haue Prebendes giuen vnto him throughe all England For sayth the Pope the naturall children must assist their mother in pouertye Therefore he required ij prebends of euery Cathedrall Church one of the bishops stipende and the other from the charter And so he â—raued diuers porcioÌ„s out of the religious houses At this time the Pope was sicke of the spiritual dropsye so that by his Legat he drancke vp the treasures of the clergye and cloystermongers and vsed straunge tyrannye amonge them for Hugh VVells bishop of Lincolne to recouer his bishopricke paide an hundred markes to the Popes Legat and a thousande markes to the Pope At this time it rayned bloude for the space of three dayes in Rome whereuppon one wrote these two Verses O pater Honori multorum nate dolori Est tibi dedecori viuere vade mori O Pope Honorius borne thou werst to mischiefe many men Thou liuest with shame conuaie with speede thy boones to deadly den 119. Gregorie the ninth GRegorie the ninth borne in Campania was nephew to Innocentius the thirde He maintayned the quarell of his predecessour Honorius against the Emperour This Gregorie as Marius wryteth was more maliciouslye disposed toward the sayd Frederick for he accused him because he woulde not fulfill that vaine promise to the needelesse sheddinge of Christian bloud which he made to Honorius for the vnprofitable recoueringe of Hierusalem And therefore this Gregorie did excommunicate him before the Emperour coulde be hearde to speake or were conuicted by reason neither woulde hee suffer the Emperours Embassadours to come to his presence nor heare them in the councell which came to alleadge good and reasonable excuses in the Emperours behalfe as his owne sickenes at his settinge forward caused him to staye besides the death of the Lautgraue Therfore sayth Vspergensis this Pope like a proude man began in his first yeare to excoÌ„municat and curse the Emperour for certaine foolish and false causes neglectinge all order of iudgement as the Emperour sheweth in excusinge himselfe in his epistle to the Princes of Almanye openinge to them because the Pope refused to heare it his innocencye and vpright dealing And therfore certaine noblemen in Rome namely of the house called Frangentes panem when the Pope did the second time excommunicate Frederick they caused the Pope to be driuen oute of the Citye with foule shame so that he ranne awaye byding at Peruse al that yeare the yeare folowing Yet no meanes could asswage his furye but he prouoked Iohn kinge of Hierusalem the foresaid Earles of Thuscia rebels to the Emperour and manye other Princes to trouble him The Emperour appointed a day of assembly for diuers Christian Princes at Rauenna and the Princes were making speede thether to obeye him but by the Popes commauÌ„dement they went backe againe and certaine souldiours wearing the Crosse by the Emperours appointment for the voyage to Hierusalem were robbed and spoiled of all their prouisioÌ„ The Emperour seing this sought to appease the Popes furye and to get his goodwil prepared his iourney according to his promise to Hierusalem he tooke shippe and sayled into Cyprus and afterward to Acon and striued much against the Soldan for the Christian fayth with great paine and trauell In the meane time the Pope seing the Emperours absence seruinge his turne gat Apulia to be vnder his obeisance and forbad that the souldiours wearing
whereof he had diuers especiallye one called VVilliam One Robert Capito bishop of Lincolne had a great controuersye with this Pope for he detested defyed both in preachinge and wrytinge the Popes couetousnes pride and tyrannye He would not admit one of the Popes bastardes because he was vnlearned and but a boye of yeares to a canonship of Lincolne but rebuked the Pope for it in a letter and withstoode the Popes pollinge â—obbinge the Realme and therefore the Pope receyuinge the sharpe letter from this Robert Grosted for anger rayled not onlye on the bishop but also brast into these arrogante wordes against his Prince king Henry the third sayinge as Mattheus Parisius testifyeth Is not the kinge of EnglaÌ„d our vassel our slaue our page who may at our pleasure to hamper him put him in prison to vtter shame And finallye because he coulde not tell howe otherwise to ease his rancke stomacke against the bishop hee excommunicated him but he constantlye defyed and despised his excommunication euen to the death He defended in disputation that the Pope could do nothinge against iustice truth and that he was worse then Lucifer and Antichrist at the length being cited to appeare in the court and condempned by the Pope wrongfullye he appealed to the iudgemente of Christe This good bishop after he had detected much of the Popes treachery before his death vttered these two Uerses applying them against the Pope Eius luxuriae meretrix non sufficit omnis Eius auariciae totus non sufficit orbis One concubine could not suffice his burning lust to quenche Nor yet his honger after golde one world serude not to stenche Also this bishoppe by diligent searche tryed it that this Pope and his clarkes had in reuenewes out of Englande aboue iii. score and tenne thousande markes where as the reuenewes of the Crowne came not to 30. thousand Cestrensis in his seuenth booke wryteth that when this bishop of Lincolne dyed a voyce was heard in the Popes court sayinge Veni miser in iudiciuÌ„ dei that is Come thou vvretch to be iudged of God And that the Pope was found deade in his bedde the next daye and a blewe stroke in his bodye as if he had beene beaten wyth a staffe This was done Anno 1253. he being at Naples and loking soone after to haue enioyed the whole kingdome of Sicill where he lyeth buryed Thaddition to Vspergensis sheweth that the yeare before as the Pope was going from LioÌ„s to Millen these straunge tokens happened certaine bloudy cloudes were seene in the ayre streames of bloud gusshed out of breade as oute of wounded bodyes After his death the seate was voide two yeares 124 Alexander the fourth ALexander the fourth borne in Campania being Cardinall of Hostia succeded Innocent He persecuted Ecelinus of Runcan and Manfred king of Sicill because they had beene ennemyes to the former Popes thus he began his raigne And first he craftelye admonished them not to stande against the dignitye of the Church in anye point before he gaue them this charge he had prouided his army in a readinesse meaning to course them if they should seeke to preuent him and his Cardinals of the kingdome of Sicill yet these Princes very couragiouslye with an oast of Saracens and other fearinge not the Popes threates did set vppon his army at vnawares euen in a trench ere they wist and partly slue them partly toke them prisoners In the meane while Pope Alexander goinge to Anagnia excommunicated Manfred and sent a Cardinal called Octauian to Naples to make the Neapolitans to stand faithful to him against Manfred promysing speedely to bring ayde to all Campania and to the Neapolitans but Manfred not pacifyed with troubling Naples did also moue factions in Hetruria but chiefely in Florence where he brought in the Guelphis againe who euer were at deadly foode with the Gibelines Thus was al Italy in a myserable vprore torne in sonder with cruell and saluage warre But Manfred hauing poysoned Conrad king of Sicill was proclaymed kinge at Panorme and with an armye of hyred souldiours he ouerthrew the Popes Legat with great slaughter This Pope sent one Rustand Legate into Englande Anno 1255. to gather vp the tenthes in Englande Scotland IrelaÌ„d to warre against Manfred And saith Mattheus Parisius manye mischiefes detestable issued from the burning fountayne of Rome in those dayes to the destruction of manye for after the begginge fryers had preached the power of the Crosse he required infinite sommes of moneye the exaction of the Pope was such sayth he that the like hath not bene heard Whereupon Fulck bishop of LoÌ„don sayd with great griefe Ere I giue my consent to oppresse the Church vvith such iniurye seruitude and bondage surely I will first loose my head for although that Courte hath often in times past pinched euen to the bone the faithfull flocke of Christ yet it neuer wouÌ„ded in such deadlye sort all and euery one of Christes seruaunts as it did this yeare and the yeare following c. The money the was gathered for the holy land was transposed into Apulia against Christians and sayth Mattheus vnmeete meÌ„ are made gouernours of noble Churches the prelates are sould as oxen and asses this is the extreame point of seruitude c. About this time the said Rustand the Popes Legate being PrebeÌ„dary of Paules Church in LoÌ„don dyed beyond the sea king Henry the third hearing therof gaue the same prebend to one Iohn Crakehale his chaplein but after the sayde Crakehale had full possession thereof came one Iohn Grasse from Rome wyth the Popes embulled letter to chalenge the sayde lyuing Hereupon the matter being in controuersye it was brought before Boniface bishop of Canterbury who finding that the Popes gift was dated before the kinges dispossessed the Englishman and inuested the Popes man which was taken so in despite by certaine repyning to see the Pope and his Italian priestes in this and all such cases to beare more sway then the king and to reape all commodyties from the kinge and his subiects that the said ItaliaÌ„ and a coÌ„panion of his were murthered in a thronge by whom no man knewe Rustand in a conuocation at London alleaged that all Churches were the Popes to whom one Leonard an Englishman answeared modestly yea sir in tuition not in fruition to defend not to expende Seuell bishop of Yorke by the example of the former bishop of Lincolne did likewyse wtstande this Pope Alexander and desyred him by letter to leaue of his wonted polling according to Peters example to feede the sheepe not to flece them not to flea them not vnbowel them neither as a wolfe deuoure them Further it followeth in the sayd Mattheus that the Pope sente yet other Legates into England namelye Arlot Mansuet minorite fryers who had power to pardon for money eyther lyers forswearerers vowbreakers adulterers and Sodomits traytors poysoners murtherers and all suche Whereuppon a certaine woman
Canon that the Emperours appointed in Germany although they bare the name of the king of Romaynes should yet receiue of the Pope the title right and name of Empire and that the Emperour being dead all the time the Empyre should be voide the Pope should haue iurisdiction ouer those townes in Italye that are tributaryes to the Emperour So much of Marius Clement being an open whoremōger and maintayner of harlots appointed the Popes Courte to be at Auenio for his owne pleasure He rooted out the Iewes called Templars in a councell at Vienna Anno 1311. In the same councell be decreed that all religious orders exempted shoulde be subiect vnder the commō lawes as other were but the Cistercian monks did purchase of him to be priuiledged and gaue large bribes to him for it Also the Franciscan friers offered him fortye Thousande Florences of golde beside other siluer that they might against their rule haue a dispensation for landes and possessions the Pope thereupon willed them to bring the money hauing taken assurance for it of certaine marchaunts which they brought he both toke the money tould the fryers that he would not nor could not breake S. Frauncis rule for any money thus he beguiled the fryers He aduaūced S. Iohns knights ▪ called the knights of the Roades because they had won the Roades frō the Saracens He cōmaunded the master of the Tēplars to be burned w t one of his fellowes at Paris in presence of the Cardinals and made certaine decrees to bridle the disorder of the Iewes confiscating their goodes He appointed punishmēt for such of the clergye as should busye themselues in secular affayres or be costlye apparelled and depriued monkes of hunting and hauking He excommunicated the Venetians the Florentines and Lucians and cōfirmed Corpus Christi daye for an holye daye He commaunded that the reliques of Saincts should be reuerentlye honoured He gouerned Italye by his deputyes two Cardinals he made Celestine the fift a confessor Sainct finally after diuers decrees of superstition he dyed of the bloudye flixe panged and pained somtime with a collicke sometime payned in the guts the sides and the stomacke at Rocca Maura a tent vpon Rodanus Anno 1314. His body was caryed to Carpentorate in Vascony the seate was voyde 3. yeres This same yeare also dyed Henry Lutsenburg the Emperour poysoned by a monke called Bernad by the cōspiracy of the Guelphes because he wēt about to take vpō him by force the kingdome of Sicill beinge moued thereto by the Sicilians for this cause the sayd monke who had long dissembled frendship good will to the Emperour wrought his destruction in most sinfull and blasphemous manner For against the good godlye Emperour should come to receiue the Sacrament of the bodye of Christe the cursed monke had prouided tempered one hoaste w t such rancke poyson that the Emperour perceyued forthwith the horrible treason and yet the godlye Prince as soone as he felt himselfe poysoned gaue the trayterous monke warning to escape awaye with these woords Sir conuaye your selfe awaye for if the Dutchmen perceiue this and oure godlye frendes ye shall dye the death The monke therefore goinge to Sene receyued the reward which was promised him and yet he did not by this treason deliuer his fryerlye brethren for many of them in Thuscia Lombardy and other places both men houses perished with fyer and sworde This Pope Clement toke displeasure with the Venetiās and furiouslye yelded them as a pray and spoyle to all that would make hauocke of them and theirs They therefore sent to him a noble man of Venice called Dandalus to sue for fauoure and for the safety of their Citye and to obtaine pardon this noble Frauncis Dandalus was fayne to yelde himselfe bounde in a chayne about the necke and to couch at the Popes feete vnder his table and there like a dogge to feede of the scrappes bones that the Pope did cast vnto him ere he could asswage the Popes fury as Sabelicus declareth Enned 9. lib. 7. 137. Iohn the xxiii IOhn the xxiii a Frenchman borne called Iacob Caturcensis bishop and Cardinall of Portua after the seate had beene voyde through the discorde of 23. Cardinals ii yeares was chosen Pope at Lions from thence remouinge his Court to Auenio he created viii Cardinals amonge whō was Iacob Caturcensis the yonger his sisters sonne and Iohn Caietan of the house of Vrsine He deliuered Hugh Gerard bishop of Caturcia to a seculer Courte beinge disgraded and spoyled of his pontifical araye to be tormēted his skin fleed from his bodye then to be burned to death because he had as he saide conspired against his parson He was so new fangled that he made much chopping and chaunginge erecting and supplanting of bishoprickes abbeyes and such like dignityes He made two Thomasses Saincts the one bishop of Hertford in England the other Thomas Aquinas a dominican beside sondrye other Hee ordayned that belles should be ronge thrise in the day that the people fallinge on their knees euen as they go in theyr waye shoulde saye Aue Maria thrise He condemned them for obstinate heretickes that defended that Christ and his Apostles possessed nothing priuatly and sent commaundement to the Uniuersities that no scholers should presume to dispute therof He condemned the wryting of one Peter a franciscan fryer who wente aboute to encourage men to follow the pouertye of Christe for the which thinge many were condemned burnte He exempted the white fryers from all iurisdiction reseruing them onelye to S. Peters auctoritye his deare children and made diuers of them bishops for by the suggestion of Sathan as surely it maye be well thoughte he had a wonderfull straunge vision before he came to be Pope as he him selfe testifyeth in a certaine bull that is this That the Uirgin Mary deliuered him from his ennemyes amonge great debate of the Cardinals and made him Pope but vpon this condition that he should saue from Purgatorye these his bretherne This Pope Iohn taught certaine errours namelye that the soules departed from the bodye do not see God till the day of Iudgemente for so sayth Massaeus his father taughte him being deluded with the false visiō of one Tundalus an Irishman He sent to Paris twaine the one a dominicke the other a franciscan to preach the same heresye but one Thomas VValleis an English fryer dominick withstoode the Pope in his heresye whom the Pope committed to prison Durandus of S. Porcian VVilliam of Callis and other wtstoode the Pope likewyse Touching the errour grosse heresye of this Pope Iohn he was charged with it in the councell of Constance by these wordes Pope Iohn sayde and stubbornely beleeued that the soule of man dyeth together with the body is consumed to nothing like the soule of brute beastes whereof he neuer would purge him selfe Furthermore because that Thomas Vvalleis an Englishman was imprisoned by the Pope for reprouinge his heresye the kinge of Fraunce
of their inheritaunce the yonge Princes Ladislaus Iohn being but a child the sonnes of Charles This Vrban graunted to the sect of begging fryers that they might chaunge theyr vowes to commit another vnhonest act and challenge as it were to restore to righte vnlawfull goodes being in controuersy He dyed in Rome Anno 1390. poysoned as some thincke after he had misgouerned the Popedome x. yeares and fewe or none were sorye of his death The yeare before his death his Mule fel vnder him as he was rydinge where withall he was soore hurt and brosed so as he did neuer recouer it til his death he being dead his nephewe Frauncis was thrust from all his lyuing and came to Rome poore and despised no man shewing him good countenance according to the old saying Cum moritur praeful cognatio tota fit exul When as a prelate goes awaye then all the kindred do decaye And so this Francis with sorrowe and anguishe forsooke Rome at length and went to Sicill This same yeare sayth Funcius this couetous miser Vrban brought vp the yeare of Iubelye because he sawe it would proue gaineful to him and to the Romaynes He also appointed annuities to be payed out of priestes landes vnder pretence of waginge an armye against the Paganes the Englishmen withstanding this constitution calling a Parliamente did decree that the Pope should haue no iurisdiction beyonde the limits of the Ocian Sea but the bishops prelats like traytours to their countrey did take vpon them afterward to paye y pention It would aske a great volume to touche euery vilanous practise of this Pope Vrban Certaine comming to meete him on a time did first kisse the ground three times then his feete with al humility He had giuen him by a certaine Ladye a precious Miter and certaine garments valued at more then xx Thousand Florences He caused a Cardinal in one daye to depose to racke to tormente to spoile imprison all the prelates of Sicilia because they did not mauger their Prince assist him against Clement and made in their steede 32. newe bishops and archbishops and sayth Theodoricus there was not a clarke in al Naples so deltishe and beggerly but that he was made eyther a bishop archbishop abbot prior or some prelate if he woulde take it vppon him to take part with Vrban He vsed the seruice of Charles king of Sicill on a time going before him as his vssher and bearinge the Popes target following with his armye into a towne called Auersa He put sixe Cardinals in a dongion with their feete set in the stockes and caused them to be myserably tormented and racked onlye for suspition of falsehoode against him and so kept them in prisoÌ„ where they pined through famine thirst and cold hauinge also wormes and life breedinge in their bodyes yet they stoode stoutly in their innocencye But no humble and importunate sute neither of them nor anye other coulde euer moue the stonye hart of Vrban to pitye their cases but saith Theodoricus the more he was entreated the more wrathfull he was so that his eyes would sparkle his face burne and glow his throte waxe dry for anger And after sondry examinations he sent vnto them againe Theodoricus the writer of this historye other to examine them in a vaute of the castle where they laye then sayth Theodoricus the Cardinall of Sanger was first broughte vp vnto vs with a paire of iron shakles on his feete and a short mantel about him because it was a colde and windy prison Who when he came to the ende of the cellar and sawe aboue him the roapes hanging wherewith he should be racked and was by y wayters striped out of his apparell leauing him scarcelye his shirt on and bound very hard to the racke Frauncis the Popes nephewe stoode by and laughed at this miserable sight without all measure but I that loued this Cardinal of ould was sore greeued thereat but I could not departe the place But to be short the said Cardinall was an aged man of a corpulent bodye comlye and taule of stature and being bounde he was thrise lifted from the grounde by the stronge pulling of those that racked him so that he waxed verye feble which when I behelde when hee was let go to the grounde againe I said to him softly O deare father do you not see how your bloud is sought for I beseech you for Gods cause confesse something to deliuer your selues for this time from these tormentours He aunswered I cannot tell what I shal say And when they would haue â—acked him againe I bad them cease for he hath satisfyed mee as I wil certifye the Pope in wrytinge so they loseâ— him caryed him out to take ayre who comming to himselfe said vnto vs heauilye Behould my brethren the time hath beene as ye know that I liued in the pompe and royaltye of this world but now I am become a moste myserable caytife and despised wretch And I woulde to God this were graunted to me as a singuler benefite that I hauing nothinge might begge my breade from place to place but out alas this trouble sorrow are iustly by Gods iudgemeÌ„t fallen vpon me because euen in this kingdom of Sicil I was so cruel an executor of the Popes coÌ„maundemeÌ„t in deposing without fauour the archbishops bishops abbots and other of the clergye without respect of age or degree hoping herein to haue pleased his minde The next daye after this Pope Vrban called vnto him one Basilius to be chiefe tormentour of these Cardinals which liked him verye well for hee was a malicious man and hated the clergye naturallye and was a persecutour of God and his seruauntes a notable pirate and a plaguer of Christians whom he vsed to take captiue from his youth at the first he lyued by theft and robbery but when that fayled and he became a begger he sought succour of Pope Vrban who not for deuotion but to obtaine a priorship of an hospital in Tinacria made him a fryer To this fellowe Vrban gaue charge to torment on the next day the Cardinal of Venice and to continue rackinge him vntill such time as Vrban himselfe might heare him crye for paine So when Basilius and we came to the prison wher the Cardinal of Venice was Basilius taking him out bringing him to a certaine hall in the Castle did stripe of his apparell and hauinge the roapes fastened aloft hanging downe to the ground he tyed him hard to them And although the Cardinall were an ould man brokeÌ„ and diseased and weake of complexioÌ„ yet he tormented him vppon the racke most cruellye from morninge till dinner time continuallye but the sillye man euer as he was haled vp cryed stil saide Christ hath suffered for vs c. In the meane time Pope Vrban walked in a garden belowe and read on a booke so loude that wee mighte heare him which he did to this ende that Basilius might the better loke
not to be feared For these opinions Pope Eugenius caused him to be burned at Rome Anno 1436. This Thomas also thoughte reuerentlye of the mariage of the clergye for he wrote that it was against the safetye of manye soules if they were not suffered to marrye accordinge to the maner of the Greeke Church who haâ— not the gift of coÌ„tinencye Because at that time they were dishonest and blotted with vnlawful coniunction Of this Thomas Mantuan saith thus A certaine Frenchman called Thomas who as yet fostred in harte the zeale of old fayth went into Italye accompanied with a fewe For so it pleased God that the same countreye which in all thinges excelleth other should also enioye this parson being a mirror amonge men But God prouided not onelye for Italye but also for this holy man for he gaue to Italye such an one whose life it mighte follow and to the said man he gaue a crimsen crowne of martyrdome For while he liued well and in godlye order he was accused vnto the Pope of haynous treacherye by certaine spiteful fellowes and after he had suffred prison tormentes vexation at the length when they coulde finde nothinge in him worthye of death they sifted him more narrowlye and armed themselues stoutlye with iniquitye to fulfill that which by equitye they coulde not do And so committed him to the cursed fyre Of this man were manye Uerses and Epitaphes written to his greate prayse bewayling of the tyrannye vsed toward his innocent body Furthermore Eugenius ere he were Pope did repayre S. Agnes Church at Ancon and the gate of the Citye and in his Popedome he Crowned Sigismond Emperour at Rome He also after Boniface confirmed the annuities of all benefices At length he dyed at Rome Anno 1446. and was buryed at S. Peters He caryed the Miter of S. Syluester being brought from Auenion to Rome out of Vatican to Lateran with great worship and a procession He punished certaine priestes that had pilfred certaine precious stones oute of Peters and Paules head One Lewis Cardinall of Aquilegia was the first of his order that began first to maintaine houndes and horses in steede of the poore 153. Foelix the fift Foelix the fifte borne in Fraunce was an heremite called Amadeus before his Popeship He being first Duke of Sauoy hauinge a wyfe and two children Pope Eugenius being deposed was aduaunced to the seate by the voyces of xxvi Electours And notwithstandinge he were chosen by the auctoritye of Basil Synode confirmed in the Papall chayre yet he being hindred by the faction of the said Eugenius could neuer set foote in the Romaine seate which they call Peters chayre A sciesme rose hereupon that lasted â— yeares and many tumultes sprange in the kingdomes of Christendome because some would obeye Eugenius some Foelix and other some would be counted neuters And in this sciesme it made much controuersye because some held opinion that the Pope was vnder the iurisdiction of the general couÌ„cell and othersome maintayned the contrarye And of this arose another waightye and bitter controuersye whether the Pope were head of the Church or no which continueth to this day This Foelix being an aged man ere he came to be Pope liued to see the day that the sonnes of his sonnes matched in mariage with kings doughters And in the end geuing ouer all worldly charge â—e purposed to go into a wildernes to lead an heremites life with 6. knightes But as sone as he vnderstoode that he was chosen Pope by the auctoritye of the general couÌ„cell he shaued himselfe both crowne and chinne and came thether wyth a trayne of noble men and being consecrate Pope toke the function vppon him and did all thinges that belonged to the Pope to do to giue orders minister SacrameÌ„ts excoÌ„municate c. and played the Pope x. yeares He was so bountifull to the poore that being demaunded whether he kept any houndes and to shew them he aunswered that he would shew them another day But when they that asked this question were with him the next day he shewed them a great company of poore needye people that sate downe together at dinner saying these are my houndes which I feede dailye with the which I hope to hunte for the glorye of heauen It liked this maÌ„ at the length for vnitye sake Anno 1447. to vnpope himselfe and giue place to Nicolas the fift whoÌ„ he therefore made Legate of all Germanye and Fraunce and also Cardinall of Sabin but he dyed sone after 154. Nicolas the fift NIcolas the fifte was a Genewaie borne of a base stocke his father was a Chirurgeon called Barthelmew Sarzan and so this Nicolas was first called Thomas Sarzan In this one yeare he gatte to be bishop of Bononia Cardinall Pope of Rome This Nicolas being made Pope after the death of Eugenius did hange vp on the walles of Angell Casteli Steuen Porcarius a Romaine knighte w t other conspiratours raysing a tumult for the libertye of the Citye He celebrated the Iubâ—lie for lucre sake Anno 1450. At the time of this Iubelie while they chaunced once w t the crucifixe to returne from Vatican to the Citye it is very certaine to be true that the preace of people followinge was so great that the Mule of one Peter Bardus a Cardinall could not passe by because of those that came to fro so that the people also were so thronged that there was no passage but in the ende they fell vpon the Mule first one then another til the beast was euen perforce borne downe with the crowde and ere it was ceased two hundred parsons were troden to death and smothered vppon Adrian bridge manye fallinge beside the bridge were drowned which were about 136. men The Pope whose pompous superstitious idolatrous Iubelie had caused this miserye to fall vpon the fonde people did in this maner redresse the case He was sorye sayth Platina for the death of them that were slaine and therfore he remoued certaine cotages that made the waye to be straite and narrowe entringe to the bridge For the enryching of his cofers he spent all that whole yeare in this kinde of solemnitye he himselfe with his troupe of Cardinals did vewe the stages He prouided both by curse and wayters that roages and vagaboundes comminge to the Citye shoulde not misuse straungers and robbe them of their money In this Popes time the Turke wanne Constantinople to the great griefe of all Europe This Pope crowned Frederick the third Emperour and his wife Leonor He builded a sumptuous librarie in Vatican And reuiued with great dilligeÌ„ce learning and knowledge which was then almost drowned with grossenes barbarous sophistrye He appointed stipendes for learned men But amonge these his vertuous doinges and good affection towardes learning he had his vices withall and those notorious namely he was greatly giuen to dronkennes and so muche delighted therein that he soughte for all kinde of wynes from euery
in siluer three hundred poundes He dyed beinge wasted through his incontinent life when he was but xxviii yeares old Anno 1474. His death was most hinderaunce to handicraft men for he euer filled their shoppes with store of knackes Iohn Textor in his officine sayth thus Peter a priest and Cardinal in the time of Sixtus the fourth wasted about vanityes luxuriousnes three hundred Thousand Crownes within the space of two yeares Againe Iohn Riueus in his booke De erroribus pontisiciorum sayth the Fulgosus reporteth of the incredible prodigality of the said partye It were to longe to rehearse all his woordes for breuitye sake these fewe may suffice which I thinke is the least to be spoken of namely that he ware goulden roabes at home in his house that he had his couerlets of gould for his beds his Chamber stooles and pottes of siluer Also he prouided for his concubine Tyresia shoes couered wyth Pearles By this a man maye gesse the rest of his vnmeasurable pompe and prodigalitye But Hierome brother to the saide Peter beinge made chiefe of Liuius court and Cornelius court after him did rule and order the matters of the Church being a man of more seuere nature and lesse lasciuious sauinge one waye not to be named After these Sixtus aduaunced the childrē of his bretherne and sisterne amonge whom he made one Iulian Cardinall and his brother Iohn Presidēt of the Citye and Prince of Sora Seuogallia He loued sayth Platina his kindred aboue measure bestowing and lauisshing on them that which belōged both to man and God against all iustice And by the iudgement of manye he plonged all Italye with bloudye broyles that without cause Therefore sayth Volateranus when he was driuen to necessitye hauing wasted his wealth vpon these tumults he was the first that began to practise this shifte He deuised to picke oute certaine Colledges Againe Agrippa sayth of him thus amonge the bawdes of late yeares that set vppe and builded stewes Pope Sixtus the fourth was most famous who builded a notable stewes at Rome and as he sayth in his declamatiō to the Louanians he sheweth at large not onlye for harlots but otherwise horrible to be thought vpon He following the example of Heliogabalus did maintayne his traine of harlots and bestowed them on his frendes and seruauntes Beside he had his fee comming into his treasure of that moneye which the harlots earned by their misdemeanour to the enrychinge of his cofers for the strompets of Rome do yet paye theyr Iuly tribute as it is termed euery weeke to the Pope which in yearely reuenues hath oftentimes amounted to xx Thousand ducates and now by report ariseth to fourtye Thousande And so the treasurers of the Church are bound to make accompte as well of harlots tribute as of the Church landes VVesselus Groningensis called the light of the world in the discourse of the Popes indulgences wryteth of this Pope Sixtus that at the sute of the foresaid Peter then Cardinall of S. Sixtus and Patriarke of Constantinople and of his brother Hierome he graunted the whole familye of the Cardinall of S. Lucia who in his former yonge yeares had in like maner yelded himselfe to the detestable lust of Pope Paule the second to file theyr bodyes lawfullye in most vnlawfull vnnaturall and vnspeakable maner for 3. hot monthes Iune Iulye and August which he graunted with this clause Fiat vt petitur Doe accordinge to your requeste O horrible and monstrons men more saluage then brute beastes weare it not but that malice of Antichrist and the deuill sparing no blasphemye to slaunder the Church of Christe dryueth me to detecte their loathsome treacherye and nakednesse I would rather helpe to burye these villanyes in silence then to vtter these their filthines which I cānot but with blushing remember Loath were I to plucke of the sheete of theyr shame to reueale their ribaldrye but that vnder such roabes lurketh hiddē so manye foule soares enfecting Christian soules and deceauing their simplicitye with an outward visard of innocencye And yet while I for beare euen for honesty ciuilitye sake to discouer their filthye commedyes and stewishe pranckes at large as they themselues are not ashamed to doe sportinge thereat with ballades songes and sonets and other vnhoneste wayes Mantuan and other haue spoken and vttered thereof enoughe to much wryting of this Pope Sixtus and his nephew of Alphonsus But as touching Sixtus sayth Volateran he being disposed to exercise him selfe in warrefare wherunto he was of nature more enclined then to religiō moued quarrels of warre as he might right or wronge He inuaded without any cause Vitelius Tiphernates the Florentines the Venetians the Columnians Ferdinand king of Sicilia the duke of Calabria and other nations and Princes It was his chiefe delighte to haue Christian Princes at commaundemēt whom at his pleasure he did both set vp and put downe He set his confederates the Heluetians with fyre and sworde vpon the Lombardes whom he had cursed and gaue the Heluetians a pardon and an ensigne to encourage them to the slaughter of the Lombardes He aduaūced his cosins bastardes to the shame of the Church to all that he mighte for he made two of his nephewes Leonarde Iohn to be Presidents of the Citye by course one after another beside other dignities diuers and many that he bestowed on sondrye of his kindred among other one Raphael his sisters sonne was made Cardinal But one Laurence Medices honge vp the saide Raphael and Saluatus Pisanus and diuers other because they had murthered his brother He was verye beneficiall to the begging sect of religious roages graūting them reuenues in this life and heauen in the life to come He is counted as it were a newe builder of Rome He bestowed cost of pauinge the streates repayring the wayes appointing skauingers to loke to the streates beside diuers other lesse necessary more vaine and superstitious deedes about Churches Chappels and Pallaces In the xv yeare he celebrated the Iubelie for the encrease of his lucre and gaynes and to pleasure his frendes He diuised many polling bribing offices of scribes abridgers sollicitours waighters and notaryes of the escheaker to enriche hys cofers which offices are to be bought of the Pope He made diuers newe holly dayes and diuers Saintes and manye decrees to enriche the clergye He excommunicated and cursed to hell Laurence Medices of Florence for hanging his nephew Raphael In the ende he being sicke of the goute dyed throughe rancour and malice the soner because the duke of Ferraria had takē peace with the Venetians against his will Anno 1484. And therefore diuers men made these Epitaphes of him ¶ Of his death Non potuit Seuum vis vlla extinguere Sixtum Audito tandem domine pacis obit No force was forceable enoughe to make Pope Sixtus dye But when the name of peace was heard it kild him by and by Of the peace that ensued
his death Dic vnde Alecto pax ista refulsit vnde Tam subito reticent praelia Sixtus obit Say hag Alecto whence haue we this peace and how are fled The bloudye broyles so sodenlye Pope Sixtus nowe i◠dead ▪ Againe another wrote this Mortuus est Sixtus gaudet nunc Roma trahatur Vt dignum est vnco mortuus in Tiberim Pope Sixt is dead and Rome is glad therefore as it is meete To Tiber draw his carkasse with an hooke fast to his feete Another Sixtus obit gaudent omnes nefunere sicco Transeat amissa plangite glande sues Pope Sixt is dead all men are glad but least that noone bewayle While he is buryed weepe ye hogs and howle your acorns fayle Another Extulit auratas sed postquam maxima glandes Ecclesia innumeris patefacta est ianua porcis When mighty mother Church gan once her goulden acorns yeld It was set oape to howgy heards of swyne that haue it fild ¶ Another Sixte iaces tandem fidei contemptor aequi Pacis vt hostis eras pace peremptus obis O Sixt thou were a foe to peace and peace hath thee now slaine That diddest long in life both fayth and equitye disdaine Sixte iaces tandem laetatur Roma tuo quae Passa sub imperio est funer bella famem Now dead is Sixt and Rome is glad who while as he did raigne Oft burials and wasting warre with famme did sustaine Sixte iaces tandem nostri discordia secli Saeuisti in superos nunc Acheronta moue Nowe Sixt is dead that noyde this age with discord and with euill Thou raged hast against the heauens now wrangle with the deuill Sixte iaces tandem fraudisque dolique minister Et sola tantum proditione potens Now Sixt is dead that did contriue such falsehoode craft guile And onlye bare so great a sway by treason all this while Sixte iaces tandem pressa est quo sospite virtus Leges sacra pium relligioque fides Now Sixt is dead who while as he did liue did keepe in awe Religion fayth zeale godlines all honestye and lawe Sixte iaces tandem deflent tua busta cinedi Scortaque lenones alea vina Venus Now Sixt is dead vpon whose graue there doth lament howle Bauds strōpets bankruts ribaulds stewes eke the drōken nowle Sixte iaces tandem summorum imfamia fexque Pontificum tandem perfide Sixte iaces Now Sixt is dead the shame of those that hye in honour be The scoom of Popes most faithlesse wretch now dead at lēgth is he Sixte iaces tandem vos hunc lacerate Quirites Dentur impastis membra scelesta feris Now Sixt is dead his carkasse then ye Romaynes rent teare And giue the gubs to carrayne crowes to the saluage beare Quid pia profuerint functo solemnia Sixto Tradita sunt celeri vota precesque noto What doth it boote to pray for soule of Sixtus being dead Your prayers are but blastes of winde that in the ayre are fled Riserat vt viuens coelestia numina Sixtus Sic moriens nullos credidit esse Deos. As Sixtus in his life did scorne the God celestiall So at his day of death he thought there was no God at all Sixte iaces tandem superis inuisus imis Inclusus grauido ventre necandus eras Thou Sixt at length art dead whom heauen doth loath also hell If murdred thou in mothers wombe had bene it had bin well Stupra famem strages vsuras furta rapinas Et quodcunque nefas te duce Roma tulit Thou being Captaine wretched Rome no mischiefe could escape As robbing murther vsury theft famin whordome rape Magna licet tardae soluenda est gratia morti Omne scelus tecum Sixte cruente iacet Much are we bound to death though long it were ere shee thee sped For now with the O cruell Sixt all villany is dead By these Uerses which were made vpon Pope Sixtu after his death it maye appeare what opinion men had of his holinesse in his life But to proceede Leander Tritemius say that about the yeare of our Lorde 1470. Alanus de rupe a dominican after he had seene certaine diuelishe visions and illusions contriued his worke called Rosariū out of our Ladyes Psalter and preached it in steede of the Gospell which Iames Sprenger did aduaunce with counterfaited myracles and at the length Pope Sixtus did cōfirme it to be holye and autenticall with his bulles and indulgences Whereupon a certaine booke was published in the beginning wherof it is written that vpon a time the blessed Uirgin came into the Cell of the said Alan it being shut and made him a ring of her owne haire and betrouthed her selfe to the monke that she kissed him giuing him leaue to handle and milke her breastes and finally to be as pleasaunt and familiar with him as a woman would be w t her husband And these grosse monkishe myracles are yet defended by the Popishe priesthoode Of this Alan came the order of religious loyterers called after his name 159. Innocentius the eight INnocentius the eight was a Genewaie borne his fathers name was Aron and his name before was Iohn Baptist Cibo he beinge Cardinall of S. Cicilia was chosen Pope after the death of Sixtus He was sometime a poore boye but of excellent beautye and brought vp among those that waighted vpon Alphonsus king of Sicill wher he learned perfitly courtly fashions Afterward he cōming to Rome continued a long season in the companye of Philip Cardinall of Bononia In time he was made prelate of Sauon then of Melphit afterwarde Secretarye by Sixtus and so came to be Cardinall and last of all Pope He was tall of stature fayre of complexion and of a comly parsonage but of a grosse and dull wit voyde of learninge and so heauye headed that sometime euen when he sate busye about publick affayres he would take a nap and fall a sleepe He was welbeloued of Sixtus for his comlye behauiour and curtesye wherein he excelled all other But verelye he fawned vppon all men with flatteringe face but was freind to no man in deede and being of nature addicted to couetousnes yet he would shift it and colour it with myrth and pleasant ieaftes Euen at his entrye almost to his Papacye he conspired with the Princes of Sicill against their king Ferdinand sending for Robart Seuerinates to be Captaine of the enterprise So well doth the Pope requite his bringinge vp in the king of Sicils house He said that a man oughte to make warre for the dignitye of the Church for the defence of subiectes and for procuremente of peace to ensue contrarye to the Apostle sayinge Do not euill that good may come thereof But at length he seing himselfe disapointed toke peace perforce and yet with these conditions that a tribute shoulde be payed due vnto him and that the rebels should haue no harme But yet the wyse Prince king Ferdinand kept neither of